Dark Side of the Moon
Part 3
by Eternal SailorM
A little more coming at you!
**************
It was confirmable. He was bored. Why did he have to end up with this
guy to watch? Because all the others went outside, except him, this
woman, and the woman upstairs with Usagi, he answered his own
question.
He could just imagine it now. This guy (the woman cooking had called
him "Gourry") was going to choke on a bone or something, die, and end
up haunting this place too. Then he would be pestering him and Usagi
with these pointless questions instead of this poor Silphiel
woman. "What do you think Lina's up to up there anyway?"
Finally something somewhat intelligent out of his mouth. Simply
miraculous.
He could almost feel sorry for this Lina person. She had to be the
woman with Usagi - and the only unattached member of their group.
This Gourry and this Silphiel were a couple, and those Zelgadiss and
Amelia people were another, but Lina was the apparent leader of the
group and alone.
"I guess she's already asleep, Gourry-sama. She wouldn't be missing
dinner otherwise."
Well, maybe she'll stay upstairs where Usagi can watch her, and the
other two will stay outside out of all our reaches, and I'll just
have to stick on the idiot for the rest of the night. Oh gods, it's
going to be a long night. . .
**************
The faint light of early dawn woke her up. She stretched just
slightly, and her hand passed through something cold as ice, as cold
as. . .
"Ohayoo gozaimasu, Lina," Usagi greeted. She was apparently right
beside her, laying on the bed too. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah, better than I have in a while. Thank you. You were here all
night?"
The bedclothes moved faintly as if the ghost had shrugged. "Ghosts
don't need sleep."
"You know, I can almost see you today, Usagi." The extra pillow on
the bed hit her in the face. "Hey! What was that for?"
"For the sake of I wanted to. You and your friends should start
getting out of here."
"We're not leaving yet."
Usagi sighed. The bed shifted as she got up; when she spoke again,
her voice was no longer so close. "Not until you get this house's
treasure, right?"
"That's why we came here, but how did you know?"
"I have my ways. Everyone who has ever come to this house was
ultimately after the treasure. Scholars, sorcerers, mercenaries,
bandits, every one of them was after it, and none of them ever got
it. I died to keep it safe, and I'll keep on protecting it until I
have no energy left to do so."
"So the treasure is yours?" Lina whispered; Usagi didn't answer. "You
keep on mentioning this energy, about how ghosts only have so much of
it. What is it? And what happens when you run out of it?"
"Energy is all that is left of our mortal bodies. It's what gives us
what little form and powers we have as spirits, but when we use it
all up, we cease to exist and we - Lina! Look out!"
The light from the window behind her died, and the entire room was
suddenly pluged into total darkness. She looked behind her slowly. A
huge dark shape blocked the window, bleak, dark, and opaque. It
raised a hand, claw-tipped fingers aimed at her heart, and plunged it
down. A cold, cold arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her
backwards, off the bed. Before she even realized what she was doing,
she lifted both hands before her and called out, "Elmekia Lance!" The
white light cut through the darkness, and it screamed in pain before
vanishing through the floor.
A familiar voice chuckled. "I wasn't expecting you to be a sorceress,
Lina. Maybe you don't need my help after all." She slowly released
Lina's waist and let her settle to the floor.
She reached up and wrapped her fingers around the faint image of the
blonde ghost, pulling her back down to the floor beside her. "You
knew it was coming. You saved my life." Usagi shrugged. "Tell me the
whole truth now, Usagi. What is that thing? What does it want?"
Usagi tried to pull her arm back, but she wouldn't release it.
Wearily she answered, "It was human once. I know. It - he was my ex-
boyfriend. He got upset when I dumped him for someone else, someone
who was nicer to me and who treated me a thousand times better, and
he killed me. For the first thousand years or so, he was content to
just torment me, then other people started showing up, and he came to
see it as a challenge, a way to break me by breaking others. So, you
asked what he wants. He wants to either kill you or torture you until
you kill yourself, got it?"
"So you, a ghost, are protecting me? And your companion is protecting
my friends? Why?"
"'Why'?" the spirit shrieked back. Her form hovered a little closer
to material in her anger, and the room's temperature dropped a few
degrees. "Do you have any idea what it's like to be dead? It's
horrible: cold, lonely, and boring! I wouldn't wish this on my worst
enemy, let alone a friend! And like it or not, I consider you my
friend now, Lina, and we'll find a way to drive you out of this house
before tonight!"
**************
The redhead, Lina, was downstairs, and Usagi was nowhere to be found.
Even that unique energy pattern she wore like a badge was gone. The
whole house was a little colder, even to his almost nonexistant
senses. Their opponent, demon that he was, was almost sulking,
probably because of Usagi's disappearance.
"It's no fun playing with them when Usagi doesn't get all flustered
and protective," it complained as it floated above Gourry and
Silphiel on the sofa.
He shrugged. She's upset about something. It didn't try something on
Lina or her upstairs, did it? He glanced toward the kitchen, where
the redhead was gobbling down food.
"Don't you be getting ideas about protecting them, scholar,
especially that one. They're mine to play with." It rubbed the soft
of its shoulder. "Besides, she's a sorceress; she doesn't need the
help of a spirit."
"We have to get them out of the house," Usagi's voice floated down
from the top of the stairs.
"What?" the demon demanded.
"This is still my house, and I want them out of it now!" He gestured
frantically; somehow she saw it. "Yes, we need to boot them out,
scholar. Literally, if needs be."
"What do you mean? Why?"
"They're different from the others. They're dangerous, more dangerous
than anyone who has ever come here."
The demon smiled, or its approximate thereof. "All the more reason to
keep them here. That very strength will make breaking them will be a
challenge."
"Yurusunai, kisama."
Those two are impossible, he admitted, shaking his head. That same
movement brought something interesting to his eyes. Masaka. . .
The demon cackled, hopping down from his perch. "Your chosen one is
brave, Usagi."
"Leave Lina out of this," she ordered.
"Lina? So it's just the woman you're worried about? Then I'll be
extra sure to keep an eye on her."
"I mean it: leave her alone."
The redhead marched right past them all, coming so close to the demon
that the cape she wore brushed along it, briefly showing its sharp
features to the other humans. "Come on, guys," she stated. "We're
leaving."
"B-but," Gourry began. Lina silenced him with one severe look. The
others merely shrugged and followed her out of the house.
Usagi sighed in relief, stood, and went back up to the window in her
bedroom to watch them leave. And try to pretend that the house didn't
seem a bit lonelier.
Part 3
by Eternal SailorM
A little more coming at you!
**************
It was confirmable. He was bored. Why did he have to end up with this
guy to watch? Because all the others went outside, except him, this
woman, and the woman upstairs with Usagi, he answered his own
question.
He could just imagine it now. This guy (the woman cooking had called
him "Gourry") was going to choke on a bone or something, die, and end
up haunting this place too. Then he would be pestering him and Usagi
with these pointless questions instead of this poor Silphiel
woman. "What do you think Lina's up to up there anyway?"
Finally something somewhat intelligent out of his mouth. Simply
miraculous.
He could almost feel sorry for this Lina person. She had to be the
woman with Usagi - and the only unattached member of their group.
This Gourry and this Silphiel were a couple, and those Zelgadiss and
Amelia people were another, but Lina was the apparent leader of the
group and alone.
"I guess she's already asleep, Gourry-sama. She wouldn't be missing
dinner otherwise."
Well, maybe she'll stay upstairs where Usagi can watch her, and the
other two will stay outside out of all our reaches, and I'll just
have to stick on the idiot for the rest of the night. Oh gods, it's
going to be a long night. . .
**************
The faint light of early dawn woke her up. She stretched just
slightly, and her hand passed through something cold as ice, as cold
as. . .
"Ohayoo gozaimasu, Lina," Usagi greeted. She was apparently right
beside her, laying on the bed too. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah, better than I have in a while. Thank you. You were here all
night?"
The bedclothes moved faintly as if the ghost had shrugged. "Ghosts
don't need sleep."
"You know, I can almost see you today, Usagi." The extra pillow on
the bed hit her in the face. "Hey! What was that for?"
"For the sake of I wanted to. You and your friends should start
getting out of here."
"We're not leaving yet."
Usagi sighed. The bed shifted as she got up; when she spoke again,
her voice was no longer so close. "Not until you get this house's
treasure, right?"
"That's why we came here, but how did you know?"
"I have my ways. Everyone who has ever come to this house was
ultimately after the treasure. Scholars, sorcerers, mercenaries,
bandits, every one of them was after it, and none of them ever got
it. I died to keep it safe, and I'll keep on protecting it until I
have no energy left to do so."
"So the treasure is yours?" Lina whispered; Usagi didn't answer. "You
keep on mentioning this energy, about how ghosts only have so much of
it. What is it? And what happens when you run out of it?"
"Energy is all that is left of our mortal bodies. It's what gives us
what little form and powers we have as spirits, but when we use it
all up, we cease to exist and we - Lina! Look out!"
The light from the window behind her died, and the entire room was
suddenly pluged into total darkness. She looked behind her slowly. A
huge dark shape blocked the window, bleak, dark, and opaque. It
raised a hand, claw-tipped fingers aimed at her heart, and plunged it
down. A cold, cold arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her
backwards, off the bed. Before she even realized what she was doing,
she lifted both hands before her and called out, "Elmekia Lance!" The
white light cut through the darkness, and it screamed in pain before
vanishing through the floor.
A familiar voice chuckled. "I wasn't expecting you to be a sorceress,
Lina. Maybe you don't need my help after all." She slowly released
Lina's waist and let her settle to the floor.
She reached up and wrapped her fingers around the faint image of the
blonde ghost, pulling her back down to the floor beside her. "You
knew it was coming. You saved my life." Usagi shrugged. "Tell me the
whole truth now, Usagi. What is that thing? What does it want?"
Usagi tried to pull her arm back, but she wouldn't release it.
Wearily she answered, "It was human once. I know. It - he was my ex-
boyfriend. He got upset when I dumped him for someone else, someone
who was nicer to me and who treated me a thousand times better, and
he killed me. For the first thousand years or so, he was content to
just torment me, then other people started showing up, and he came to
see it as a challenge, a way to break me by breaking others. So, you
asked what he wants. He wants to either kill you or torture you until
you kill yourself, got it?"
"So you, a ghost, are protecting me? And your companion is protecting
my friends? Why?"
"'Why'?" the spirit shrieked back. Her form hovered a little closer
to material in her anger, and the room's temperature dropped a few
degrees. "Do you have any idea what it's like to be dead? It's
horrible: cold, lonely, and boring! I wouldn't wish this on my worst
enemy, let alone a friend! And like it or not, I consider you my
friend now, Lina, and we'll find a way to drive you out of this house
before tonight!"
**************
The redhead, Lina, was downstairs, and Usagi was nowhere to be found.
Even that unique energy pattern she wore like a badge was gone. The
whole house was a little colder, even to his almost nonexistant
senses. Their opponent, demon that he was, was almost sulking,
probably because of Usagi's disappearance.
"It's no fun playing with them when Usagi doesn't get all flustered
and protective," it complained as it floated above Gourry and
Silphiel on the sofa.
He shrugged. She's upset about something. It didn't try something on
Lina or her upstairs, did it? He glanced toward the kitchen, where
the redhead was gobbling down food.
"Don't you be getting ideas about protecting them, scholar,
especially that one. They're mine to play with." It rubbed the soft
of its shoulder. "Besides, she's a sorceress; she doesn't need the
help of a spirit."
"We have to get them out of the house," Usagi's voice floated down
from the top of the stairs.
"What?" the demon demanded.
"This is still my house, and I want them out of it now!" He gestured
frantically; somehow she saw it. "Yes, we need to boot them out,
scholar. Literally, if needs be."
"What do you mean? Why?"
"They're different from the others. They're dangerous, more dangerous
than anyone who has ever come here."
The demon smiled, or its approximate thereof. "All the more reason to
keep them here. That very strength will make breaking them will be a
challenge."
"Yurusunai, kisama."
Those two are impossible, he admitted, shaking his head. That same
movement brought something interesting to his eyes. Masaka. . .
The demon cackled, hopping down from his perch. "Your chosen one is
brave, Usagi."
"Leave Lina out of this," she ordered.
"Lina? So it's just the woman you're worried about? Then I'll be
extra sure to keep an eye on her."
"I mean it: leave her alone."
The redhead marched right past them all, coming so close to the demon
that the cape she wore brushed along it, briefly showing its sharp
features to the other humans. "Come on, guys," she stated. "We're
leaving."
"B-but," Gourry began. Lina silenced him with one severe look. The
others merely shrugged and followed her out of the house.
Usagi sighed in relief, stood, and went back up to the window in her
bedroom to watch them leave. And try to pretend that the house didn't
seem a bit lonelier.