SailorStar9: Anyway, prologue goes up. This is Chapter 1. To all my non-reviewing readers, I love you all! Will love you more if you review! *hugs all round!*
Disclaimers: Nothing here is mine, well, except the plot and the pairing.
Chapter 1: BAD! Mummy Men Aren't My Type!
"It's a magic shop." Lina pointed to a magic shop in the nearest town.
"Weird looking shop." Gourry noted.
"It sells magical items." Aria explained.
"I think I can get some money for my stuff." Lina added. "Now, for that treasure from last night… wait a minute." She mused. "If I'm going to sell anything, I can make this worth a lot more."
"Will that do?" Aria pointed to a deserted chapel behind them.
"Yup." Lina beamed and hurried off. "Sorry you two, can you wait for me somewhere?"
"Where are you going, Lina?" Gourry asked.
"It's 'Lina' now, and not 'little girl'?" Lina grinned.
"If I treat a sorceress who can pull off the Dragon Slave like a kid, who knows what kind of punishment I'll end up eating." Gourry sweatdropped.
"Well, that'll make things easier." Lina smiled. "Wait here while I do a little alteration on my treasure."
"Mister, I'll like to sell these." Lina burst into the shop, revealing the modified wares.
"Well, let's see what you've got." The shopkeeper smiled. "This is an unusual piece." He noted, picking up a dagger. "Seems to have a spell cast on it. For this, I'll take it if you sell me something else." He added, drawing the blade. "Your lives!" he attacked.
"Are you kidding?" Lina exclaimed, blocking the blade and fled.
"What's wrong with him?" Gourry frowned. "What's happening?"
"It's that knife." Aria explained.
"It has some weird sort of spell on it." Lina added, the trio dodging the thrown table.
"And you were going to give that dangerous thing away to somebody?" Gourry echoed.
"Maybe it's my fault, a little." Lina grinned.
"Do we have the time to argue about that?" Aria reminded. "Let's get outta here."
"It's blocked." Lina muttered, the shattered table blocking off the door. "What do we do now? This is not good."
"What was your first clue?" Aria snapped. "Water Slicer!" she cut through the blockages with her water blades and the trio escaped outside.
"Don't." Lina stopped Gourry from drawing his sword. "He's just under the knife's control."
"Can't you case a spell to make him sleep?" Gourry wondered.
"She could…" Aria trailed.
"But she doesn't feel like it, huh?" Gourry sighed. "So it's either get the knife or nothing. Can I do it without hurting him?"
"You…!" the shopkeeper's wife shouted from the second floor. "Why are you goofing off out here? I take my eyes off you for a second and you do this. You get back in that store or you'll get no dinner."
"A wife is stronger than a cursed knife." Aria gaped, the shopkeeper fleeing back into the house. "Talk about being whipped."
"The morale of this story, at least…" Gourry shrugged.
"There." Zolf entered the inn later that night with a group of trolls. "That girl."
"What's going on?" Lina feigned ignorance. "My name's Sophia. The girl you're looking for isn't…"
"Shut up!" Zolf snapped. "I don't care what your name is. You're the one who stole all that bandit treasure."
"All right then." Lina took the challenge. "Let's take it outside."
"No." Zolf replied. "Why don't you just give us back what we want, okay?"
"Get real." Lina shrugged. "You think you can just burst in here and take whatever you want? You thief."
"Get her!" Zolf gave the order.
"That's gonna hurt." Aria winced, Lina kicking a troll on its privates. Using the wall as leverage, Lina then cast a spell on each troll using her finger.
"I think I know what she's doing." Aria chuckled, Lina landing back. "Gourry, can you wound those trolls?"
"But trolls heal as soon as you hurt them." Gourry pointed out.
"Never mind that." Lina assured. "Just do it. A little scratch will do."
"Okay." Gourry relented and tossed a couple of acorns at the trolls.
"Interesting trick, boy." Zolf remarked. "But you can't beat trolls like that. What the…" he gaped, the injured trolls shrinking in and vanishing.
"Lina cast a spell on all the trolls she touched before." Aria explained. "It turns back their healing power on itself."
"In other words, since a troll's healing strength is so great, the power turned around is enormous." Lina added. "So a small wound will destroy the entire body."
"As expected from Aunt Zuni's best student." Aria nodded. "Water Lock!" she encased the attacking troll in a water bubble.
Lina drew out her sword and plunged the blade into the trapped troll, only to have the troll stop Lina from pulling the sword out.
"Wind, crimson flame." Lina started her chant. "Come to my hand and grant me the power of thunder. Digger Bolt!" she sent her lighting spell into the troll's body. "Now then." She cracked her fists. "Shall we get down to business? Source of all power. Crimson fire burning bright."
"A fireball!" Zolf exclaimed. "Retreat!"
"Don't just 'whew'." Gourry panicked. "What about that fireball? You idiot!" he ducked for cover.
"It's just a light spell." Aria explained. "Not a fireball. I see you inherited Aunt Zuni's prankster streak too."
"So, the survivors of the bandit gang are still after us." Lina concluded, having paid for their lodging. "To find us here, they must have used magic."
"Whatever treasure it is that mummy man came to get is probably what's guiding them to use as well." Aria mused. "Any more questions."
"No, sensei." Gourry nodded.
"Then class is dismissed." Lina waved.
"Who's there?" Aria asked, hearing a knock on the door.
"I wish to make a purchase." Zelgadis stated. "Any item you possess, I'll pay any price you name."
SailorStar9: Okay, this chapter is finally down. Read and review folks.