DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Slayers... (n.-)
Episode 036: A Tight Fit?
Xelloss! Where Are You?
"How much further do you think it is, Mr. Zelgadiss?" Amelia asked curiously, glancing up at him in the dim light.
"I don't know." He replied tiredly nodding to some paintings of smiley-faces on the tunnel walls. "It's becoming more and more obvious that this place was set up by a mad man."
"Or woman." He amended as an afterthought, noting to himself that some of these drawings reflected Lina's own art style.
"Yeah..." Amelia replied quietly glancing to her own side before squinting ahead in the darkness. "Still, at least there can't be much tunnel left..."
In the other chosen tunnel Lina was wondering the same thing. That, and where the hell Xelloss ran off to when you needed him!
"Arrgh." She growled, stomping forward darkly. "Let's get a move on Gourry. This whole place is starting to get to me."
"Say, Lina." Gourry spoke up from a little ways back. "I was thinking, and... um... I think I know what's wrong."
"Oh?" Lina asked, turning back to look at him, genuinely curious. "Tell me what ya think then, Gourry."
"I think..." He declared solemnly, meeting her ruby gaze with his own concerned one. "That you miss Yade."
Lina rubbed her temple tiredly. "Sure, Gourry. Why not."
"I knew it, see..." He went on, not noticing her sarcasm. "You started getting real down about the time that she left, I mean that's when all this started."
"I guess it would look that way, huh Gourry?" She stated softly, looking away tiredly. "But really, I felt this way while she was here. What troubles me is that once she was gone the dreams..."
She broke off, opting to back-whack him hard across chest instead of going on. "Damn it, Jellyfish-Brains! What did I tell you about trying to get inside my head?"
"Not to cause it would only give me a headache." He replied sheepishly.
She arched a red brow at him coolly. "And?"
"If it didn't... er... you would?" He added on, arching his own brow nervously.
"Right." She agreed turning back to the tunnel before them. "So stay out of it, and instead let's focus on getting out of this tunnel and grabbing up that treasure!"
"Okay, Lina." He agreed easily, relieved she wasn't too angry.
Lina began to head on but before she could get more than a few feet she heard a loud "ow!" from the swordsman behind her.
"Quit fooling around, Gourry!" She yelled back, continuing on without him.
"But Lina!" He whined back. "I'm stuck!"
Lina blinked, turning around in irritation. "Oh, come on Gourry, there's no way you can be stuck! See? I'm getting by just..."
Ah, apparently she had spoken too soon, for indeed he was stuck.
Lina sighed, grabbing her head in shame. "Why me?"
"Try turning sideways." She coached, coming back to help him.
"I can't." He whined, nervously. "The space is too short and too tight, I can hardly move."
Lina bit her bottom lip, nodding in irritation. "Alright."
She lowered her hand to the ground below them darkly. "I'm tired of playing treasure hunter, time to blast this place."
"NO!" Gourry yelped, eyes wide in horror, but Lina just cast him a pitiless grin and declared calmly.
"DILL BRAND!" She declared loudly.
"What was that?" Amelia asked Zelgadiss wearily as they heard the rumbling from below.
"Oh no, she wouldn't..." The chimera muttered, but the cracks forming in the wall beside them told him otherwise.
"Lina!" Gourry yelped as they ground gave way below them. "I don't think this was good idea!"
"Call it tunnel-maintenance!" She yelled, dodging the falling rocks from above them. "Are you free?"
"Ow!" Was his response as a rock landed on his foot. "Yeah, but..."
"Then hang on!" She yelled, grabbing his wrist and turning forward.
"RAYWING!" She declared pulling them quickly through the falling rubble, the swordsman yelping all the way as he was pelted with a numerous amount of large rocks.
"Come on, Amelia!" Zelgadiss cried, pushing her in front of him and running after her as the left side of the tunnel began to splinter loudly. "Hurry!"
Both pairs shot out of the tunnel into an open cavern, two large clouds of dust following their exits.
"Lina..." Zelgadiss ground out, standing up darkly, covered from head to toe in dust.
"What?" She asked, shaking the dust from her cape which had gotten the brunt of it. "Gourry got stuck?"
"Is Mr. Gourry okay?" Amelia asked hesitantly.
"Huh?" Lina asked, turning around to look at the swordsman. "Yeah, sure. Why wouldn't he..."
Said swordsman was now unconscious, too many falling rocks it would seem.
"Oooh, sorry Gourry." She stated softly, kneeling beside him with a little wince.
"Um..." Amelia asked hesitantly, joining her side. "Do you need to perform, like... um... mouth to..."
"NO!" Lina declared quickly, horror and a brilliant blush etched on her features. "He's fine! Really!"
"See?" She asked, picking him up by the shoulders and shaking him violently. "Come on Gourry, open your eyes. Tell 'em you're fine! Just fine!"
Amelia and Zelgadiss blinked, sharing a look that said neither one was particularly convinced.
"Come on"! Lina pleaded, turning to slapping him across the face instead. "Come on, you big Jellyfish! Don't make do this! Please..."
A low whine of pained protest met her slaps and pleading and she beamed happily back at the duo, letting Gourry fall back hard onto the floor.
"See?" She stated happily, giggling nervously and gripping the back of her head. "He's fine! Just fine!"
Amelia blinked, whispering over to Zelgadiss. "How did he get stuck anyway? Our tunnel was huge."
A look of understanding appeared on the chimera's features and replied quickly. "Ah! Because we had tunnel Number Three. That's was probably the biggest one."
"And so Mr. Gourry and Miss Lina's was the smallest." Amelia put together with an adoring smile. "You're so smart Mr. Zelgadiss."
The chimera blushed, and cleared his throat. "Uh, thanks. Amelia."
"Grr..." Lina growled, slamming her fist against the ground briefly before getting to her feet. "And now we have to find the next clue. Anyone just wanna blast a hole in the wall, instead? Please?"
"I don't think that'll be necessary, Lina." Zelgadiss replied, pointing over her shoulder as he finally had the opportunity to survey the rest of the chamber. "Look."
Lina and Amelia followed his gaze, the princess letting out a little gasp while Lina broke into an exasperated grin.
"Well... if that ain't obvious..." She declared dryly, unable to keep from smiling as she glanced at the gold gilded doors before them.
"Do you think its booby trapped too?" Amelia asked nervously, her and the chimera joining Lina's side.
"Only one way to find out!" Lina replied wanly, slapping the chimera on the back.
"Go ahead and open it, Zel."
Zelgadiss blinked at her darkly. "Thanks Lina."
Lina grinned widely.
"Any time!"
Zelgadiss shook his head darkly, meeting the princess' worried gaze and giving her a reassuring smile before heading over to the doors.
The knobs turned easily, no traps, no riddles...
However...
Nothing could prepare them for what was on the other side...