Slayers: A Past Reborn

Chapter 7: The Dream Manuscript

Lina, Gourry and Zelgadiss met with Prince Phil right away after learning of Amelia's kidnapping.

"Do we know who took her?" Phil asked worriedly.

"No…but I'm pretty sure it's Jeran," Zelgadiss frowned, worried as well.

"Hmm…." Lina thought outloud, "How did he get in here without being noticed?"

"Maybe he can do that sub-spacey thing, like that guy Kranzel did?" Gourry asked.

"Maybe, but Kenzel was a monster, and Jeran, as far as we know is human. And- hey, wait. You actually remember something Gourry?" she had carefully avoided looking at him since they had heard, but this caught her attention. He looked at her with his normal expression.

"Well, anyways, we can't do anything right now…" Phil sighed, getting up, "I suggest we try to get a good night's rest so that we can get her back tomorrow."

"That's it? We're not going to go and find her right now?" Zelgadiss angrily said, standing up as well.

"Zel, there's nothing we can do tonight. And besides, going after her now might get her in more trouble than if not."

Zelgadiss nodded, although not happy about it. Phil said good-night to them all and left, followed by an angry and frustrated Zelgadiss.

Gourry and Lina walked down the hallway to Lina's room, "Jeran again Lina? What is going on?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"Well, first he attacked you, then Saillune, and now he kidnaps Amelia…" Gourry trailed off thoughtfully, "There seems to be a pattern…"

"Well, I don't know. Besides, it could be someone other than Jeran."

"Maybe, but…" Gourry frowned, "I just have a feeling that your not telling me the whole truth."

For a moment Lina considered telling Gourry the truth. That moment passed quickly. She shook her head, "No, there's nothing." She looked quickly away from him. She couldn't stand it, him looking at her with so much worry in his eyes. When they reached her door, she turned to him, "It's getting late, we have an early day tomorrow."

Gourry nodded and turned to leave, but first gave her one of his priceless smiles, "Good-night Lina," and left.

"Good-night…" Lina went into her room and shut the door. Sighing, she laid down on her bed. Why did everything always have to be so difficult? And now Amelia was gone….Well, Amelia was more important than her, and if that meant going to Jeran…then that was what she would do. She got up and rummaged through her things, finding the dream manuscript. The shopkeepers words still echoed in her head "…your body will die…"

"Well," she said outloud, "I'm sure I can defeat Jeran in an hour, I don't need anyone here." Memorizing the spell, Lina laid back down on the bed and cast it:

"In a time that has no time,

In a place that is not a place,

I cast and enter into the world of dreams.

Dream Gate Open Wide!"

***

Lina looked around. The blackness slowly evaporated into rich colors, much like a setting sun. Fog floated along the ground, and trees were spread sparsely around her, giving the idea of a forest clearing.

"Hello Lina."

Lina looked to see Jeran standing behind her.

"I was wondering when you would finally come here. I expected it when you first got the manuscript."

Lina's eyes flashed with anger, "Well, I'm sorry to keep you waiting," she said sarcastically, "Now, would you mind telling me why the hell your exactly doing this?"

Jeran laughed, "You mean, the Great Sorceress Lina Inverse hasn't figured it out yet?"

Lina smirked, "So sue me, I just can't figure it out."

"I have decided to bring you to the other realm."

"Other… realm?"

"Yes, the realm of the Mazoku. You see Lina, even after you destroyed Gaav and Hellmaster, we still want you as one of us."

"One of you? That means….you're a Mazoku?"

"Indeed Lina."

"Well, that explains how you took Amelia, but why?"

Jeran laughed again, "At first I thought the only one who could affect you was Gourry, but I realized that I could get you through Amelia as well."

"What do you mean, `get me`?"

"Well….this is how it works. You either give yourself to me to become a Mazoku, or Amelia dies. Or, better yet, Amelia becomes a Mazoku."

"You-you wouldn't!"

"Try me Lina." Jeran smirked.

"FIREBALL!" the ball of energy flew towards Jeran but was easily deflected.

"Oh Lina! Even if I was still human, I could have deflected that! Is that all you got? I know since the last time I saw you, you learned some new ones," using his demon speed and the dream scape, he knocked her down, standing over her, "Where's the Dragon Slave? The Raguna Blade? The Giga Slave?"

Lina laid there and looked for a moment. This was not going good.

"Come on! Fight Lina!" Lina tried to get up, but was forced to her knees by a sharp pain in her chest.

"Oh, did the shopkeeper forget to tell you that?" he switched his appearance to that of the shopkeeper from the magic store, "time passes slower in the dream world than in the outside world. You've been in here for about an hour, and of course, you were too stubborn to tell anyone you were doing this, weren't you?" Jeran laughed and his appearance changed back into his own, "So predictable Lina, you never change!"

"No! I-" Lina looked around the dreamworld, which was getting a bit fuzzy.

"And when you die, I will complete my mission! You will be a Mazoku!"

"SHUTUP! I'll never be like you!" she got up, only to be knocked down again by a wave of dizziness.

"Ha Ha! It begins!"

Lina clasped her necklace, `Maybe…'

***

Gourry was dreaming, past events, the fight with Shabbranigdo. In the midst of the fight, he heard Lina's voice.

"Gourry……Gourry……"

The dream faded away and it was just him and her voice.

"Lina?"

"Gourry…help me Gourry…"

"What? Help you? How?"

"Gourry…I need you!"

"How! How do I-"

"Wake me…"

Gourry woke with a start. Wake her? Well, if he was wrong, he'd deal with Lina's anger. So he ran out of his room and to Lina's quickly. Without bothering to knock, he charged in. A candle was lit next to the bed and he could see that Lina's skin was quite pale.

"Oh God…" he muttered as he ran to her side. Checking quickly, he realized she wasn't breathing. Shaking her, he yelled, "Wake up! Lina!" He could almost see the life literally returning to her body. Suddenly her eyes flew open and her hands clenched onto Gourry's arm as she gasped for air. It had worked…

Gourry helped her sit up. For a moment they just stared at eachother, then Lina threw her arms around Gourry's neck and sobbed.

"Gourry…thank you…"

Gourry, who still was in a bit of a shock from seeing Lina like that, just held her.

When she finally was able to calm down, Gourry asked her, "Lina, what just happened?"

Lina pulled away and looked at him. His eyes were always filled with such concern and worry for her…

"Lina, tell me," Gourry asked, but inside he pleaded `Once, just once, confide in me!'

"Gourry…" she was going to tell him nothing. It was alright. She could handle it. But something in Gourry's eyes made her stop. And then it all came out, the dreams, the manuscript, Jeran, all of it.

When she was finally finished, she sat back and looked at Gourry. `He's angry' she waited for his response, 'he probably thinks he didn't protect me well enough'. Slowly, she reached out and shyly took one of Gourry's hands. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

"No, it's alright. I know how you are Lina. It just makes me mad that he used me in your dreams to- Lina, you know that's not how I feel, right?"

"I know Gourry," Lina smiled.

"Well, I think that I should stay here and make sure he doesn't try to come for you," Gourry said in his usual cheerful tone and stood up.

Lina, confused by his mood shift, looked up at him, "Um….ok…"

Gourry laid down on the couch in her room and Lina blew out the candle and sighed. A wave of sleep hit her and soon she was under.

***

Voices. Voices from all around her. She couldn't make them out, there were too many. Then there was a flash of white, and the voices stopped.

Jeran again. He stood in front of her and motioned to the right, grinning.

Lina looked and saw Amelia. No, it wasn't Amelia, was it? Her eyes were dark and that grin…so evil…Lina gasped, "NO!"

"Yes! This is what will happen if you don't join me! I'm done playing around Lina! Believe me, I'm serious!"

Amelia stepped forward, "Don't worry Ms. Lina it'll be great!"

"No Amelia! This can't be!"

Jeran grabbed her by the throat, "Oh it will be Lina! It will! Choose! You or her!"

***

Lina woke up with a gasp. Besides the intense pain she felt at her throat, her mind now ached as well.

`Why! Why does this always happen to the people I love!' was the first thought in her mind. "Where did that come from…?" she whispered to herself, but shook it away. Slowly she got out of her bed. Her friends were always getting hurt. `Not this time!' she resolved, `I won't let anyone get hurt because of me this time!' Quietly, as to not wake up her "guest", she put on her cape and boots and crept towards the door. She had almost reached it when she felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped.

"Where are you going?"

Gourry. Damn. So he wasn't sleeping.

He turned her around to face him. "Where are you going Lina?" he couldn't help the anger from rising. He knew very well where she was going but wanted her to say it.

She sighed and looked down to the floor.

"You were going off on your own, weren't you?"

"I-I just don't want anyone else to get hurt…"

Gourry frowned, then remembered their conversation. "Did you have another dream?"

Lina's silence was all he needed for an answer.

"Lina, he wants you to go by yourself so he can get you! That's why we all have to go!"

"Maybe…maybe I should go by myself. Amelia's more important than me, and-"

"Don't say that!" Gourry shook her, causing Lina to look up in surprise, "Don't say that! We're not going to-to-sacrifice you to him! We'll get Amelia back by defeating Jeran! No other way!"

Tears welled up in Lina's eyes as Gourry pulled her close, "We will get Amelia back. I won't loose you to him, not now, not ever."

Lina, surprised at the emotion in his voice, just let herself be held. It was…comfortable.

He gently led her back to her bed. "There's still some time before we need to get up, you should get some more sleep," he helped her remove her cape. Turning to leave, Lina surprised herself and him when she grabbed his arm.

Blushing profusely and keeping her eyes down, Lina slowly said, "J-just lay here with me Gourry?"

Gourry pushed down the surprise and joy at her words and nodded. Laying down next to her, he drew her into his arms and they slept like that the whole night.