One - The Shocking Truth
"Ohayo!" Lina called as she practically bounced down the wooden stairs of the Inn. Gourry grinned and greeted her. He didn't bother protesting when she took one of his pancakes as she sat down.
Zelgadiss looked up from his coffee cup. "You're unusually cheerful this morning, Lina."
A bright smiled shone his way. "I'm always this cheerful right before I eat, ne, Gourry?" Lina glanced at her blonde companion of 3 years plus.
Gourry nodded in agreement, chewing a mouthful of blueberry pancakes. Zelgadiss dismissed the issue, knowing they were right and not really caring more or less.
"Excuse meee! Hungry girl here!" Lina waved an arm, signaling a waiter to come and take her order.
An exasperated waitress showed up promptly. It was seven thirty in the morning and she looked like she was still asleep. "May I..." She paused to yawn. "Take your order, Miss?"
"Of coarse!" Lina grinned and proceeded to list an exceeding amount of breakfast foods. The waitress nodded, looking even more tired than when she showed up, then hurried off to place Lina's order.
Meanwhile, Lina got comfortable in her chair and took a gulp of Gourry's sake.
"Hey! That's mine!" He protested predictably.
"You can share until I get mine." Lina waved a hand, taking another swallow.
"Does that mean you'll share yours with me?" Gourry asked hopefully.
"Nope!" Lina winked and grinned at him.
"Ohh..." His face fell. He looked up at the fourth chair at the table. It was still empty. After taking another bite of pancake, Gourry spoke up. "Hey, what's taking Amelia so long?"
Lina shrugged, and then grinned slyly at Zelgadiss. "Keep her up late last night, Zelga-bunny?"
This caused Zelgadiss to spew a mouthful of coffee across the table and turn several shades of red. "W-what gives you that idea?!"
Gourry blinked down at the coffee stains on his blue shirt.
"It was only a joke. No need to freak out." Lina frowned, twirling a fiery strand of hair around a gloved finger casually.
Zelgadiss grunted and covered his blush up by taking another sip of coffee.
"Now that I think about it, it is weird for Amelia to sleep this late..." Lina commented.
"So why don't you go check on her?" Gourry opt ionized.
"Because my food's not here yet, Yogurt brain!" She yelled.
Gourry flinched. "Well, it's not gonna be here for a while with all that stuff you ordered."
"Would you like ME to go?" Zelgadiss growled, coffee splashing as he set it firmly on the table.
"Fine. Fine. I'll go." Lina stood, pushing back her chair. Just before she left the room, she turned, fixing a glare at Gourry. "Touch my food and I'll kill you."
"Y-yes, mam!" He saluted.
Satisfied, Lina made her way upstairs to Amelia's bedroom. The group actually had some extra money and gotten separate rooms. Privacy was a luxury after all.
Lina reached Amelia's temporary quarters and tried the doorknob. It was unlocked. She applied force to the wooden door and entered the room. Sunlight poured in through the window.
"How can she stand all these pink and purple frills?" Lina peered around the room in disgust. She stepped over Amelia's boots and cape that had been carelessly thrown on the floor. "Well, she's still here somewhere." Lina noticed Amelia's jeweled accessories still on the bedside table. "Amelia? Are you in here?"
----
Lina's order arrived at the table before she did. Gourry looked around guiltily before reached for a chicken leg.
Zelgadiss shook his head disapprovingly. 'He'll never learn...' He sighed.
Gourry glanced at Zelgadiss, the usual clueless look on his face. He couldn't read Zelgadiss' expression (Who could?) so decided to take the chicken anyway.
Just as his fingertips made contact with the chicken, a blood-curdling scream echoed from upstairs.
"Aieee!!" Gourry squealed and dropped the chicken immediately.
Zelgadiss' eyes widened, muscles tensing. "My god, was that Lina?"
Gourry nodded slowly, looking like he knew he was going to die.
Zelgadiss stood abruptly and rushed up the stairs. "That wasn't a war cry, Gourry."
Gourry wasn't sure what he meant but he followed Zelgadiss anyway.
Zelgadiss' heart pounded as he rushed towards the source of the scream. He'd never heard Lina scream like that in her life. Something was wrong. He could feel it.
Once reaching Amelia's room, he swung the door open and froze. "Lina!" Zelgadiss called. Breath caught in his throat as he caught sight of Lina.
Lina was standing on the other side of the bed. A look of horror animated her bright eyes, her hands pressed over her mouth in shock. She was looking at something on the floor.
Gourry entered the room and quietly watched the two. He could feel the tension in the air as Zelgadiss took a few steps forward.
Gourry watched as the horror crept into Zelgadiss' eyes. Zelgadiss' heart nearly stopped. "Amelia..." A knife had been thrust through her chest. The blood had long since stopped flowing. She was dead.
Zelgadiss stumbled backwards a step. He couldn't believe what he saw. Her stunning blue eyes wide open, a look of horror twisted her beautiful face. The formally lively Princess of Saillune was sprawled on the floor in a pool of her own blood.
Zelgadiss glanced up at Lina, tears pooling in his eyes. He could feel his throat tighten. Gourry was too shocked to step forward so he stood in the doorway, watching.
Lina lifted her eyes from the obscenity slowly. As she made eye contact with Zel, caught sight of his heart broken expression, something snapped inside of her. Lina gasped suddenly. It was a labored, painful sounding intake of oxygen. Lina coughed, a small gloved hand wrapping around her throat as she fell to her knees.
Zel and Gourry rushed over to her. Zel kneeled beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Lina! Lina! Breathe!" Zel instructed.
"Lina!" Gourry cried, helpless to do anything for her. His eyes shifted to Amelia's broken form on the wooden floor. His stomach lurched. 'How could this happen? How could Amelia... be dead?'
Lina still pressed a hand to her chest, the other braced the floor. Her whole body trembled as visions of the night before flashed before her eyes. She could see herself. She could see her own evil expression as she crept up on the helpless girl. Then, like a movie, she watched as the dagger pierced Amelia's tender body. Lina watched herself laugh maniacally as she ripped the dagger from Amelia's broken flesh. Amelia's blue eyes widened as she called out Lina's name. Then everything went black.
"Ohayo!" Lina called as she practically bounced down the wooden stairs of the Inn. Gourry grinned and greeted her. He didn't bother protesting when she took one of his pancakes as she sat down.
Zelgadiss looked up from his coffee cup. "You're unusually cheerful this morning, Lina."
A bright smiled shone his way. "I'm always this cheerful right before I eat, ne, Gourry?" Lina glanced at her blonde companion of 3 years plus.
Gourry nodded in agreement, chewing a mouthful of blueberry pancakes. Zelgadiss dismissed the issue, knowing they were right and not really caring more or less.
"Excuse meee! Hungry girl here!" Lina waved an arm, signaling a waiter to come and take her order.
An exasperated waitress showed up promptly. It was seven thirty in the morning and she looked like she was still asleep. "May I..." She paused to yawn. "Take your order, Miss?"
"Of coarse!" Lina grinned and proceeded to list an exceeding amount of breakfast foods. The waitress nodded, looking even more tired than when she showed up, then hurried off to place Lina's order.
Meanwhile, Lina got comfortable in her chair and took a gulp of Gourry's sake.
"Hey! That's mine!" He protested predictably.
"You can share until I get mine." Lina waved a hand, taking another swallow.
"Does that mean you'll share yours with me?" Gourry asked hopefully.
"Nope!" Lina winked and grinned at him.
"Ohh..." His face fell. He looked up at the fourth chair at the table. It was still empty. After taking another bite of pancake, Gourry spoke up. "Hey, what's taking Amelia so long?"
Lina shrugged, and then grinned slyly at Zelgadiss. "Keep her up late last night, Zelga-bunny?"
This caused Zelgadiss to spew a mouthful of coffee across the table and turn several shades of red. "W-what gives you that idea?!"
Gourry blinked down at the coffee stains on his blue shirt.
"It was only a joke. No need to freak out." Lina frowned, twirling a fiery strand of hair around a gloved finger casually.
Zelgadiss grunted and covered his blush up by taking another sip of coffee.
"Now that I think about it, it is weird for Amelia to sleep this late..." Lina commented.
"So why don't you go check on her?" Gourry opt ionized.
"Because my food's not here yet, Yogurt brain!" She yelled.
Gourry flinched. "Well, it's not gonna be here for a while with all that stuff you ordered."
"Would you like ME to go?" Zelgadiss growled, coffee splashing as he set it firmly on the table.
"Fine. Fine. I'll go." Lina stood, pushing back her chair. Just before she left the room, she turned, fixing a glare at Gourry. "Touch my food and I'll kill you."
"Y-yes, mam!" He saluted.
Satisfied, Lina made her way upstairs to Amelia's bedroom. The group actually had some extra money and gotten separate rooms. Privacy was a luxury after all.
Lina reached Amelia's temporary quarters and tried the doorknob. It was unlocked. She applied force to the wooden door and entered the room. Sunlight poured in through the window.
"How can she stand all these pink and purple frills?" Lina peered around the room in disgust. She stepped over Amelia's boots and cape that had been carelessly thrown on the floor. "Well, she's still here somewhere." Lina noticed Amelia's jeweled accessories still on the bedside table. "Amelia? Are you in here?"
----
Lina's order arrived at the table before she did. Gourry looked around guiltily before reached for a chicken leg.
Zelgadiss shook his head disapprovingly. 'He'll never learn...' He sighed.
Gourry glanced at Zelgadiss, the usual clueless look on his face. He couldn't read Zelgadiss' expression (Who could?) so decided to take the chicken anyway.
Just as his fingertips made contact with the chicken, a blood-curdling scream echoed from upstairs.
"Aieee!!" Gourry squealed and dropped the chicken immediately.
Zelgadiss' eyes widened, muscles tensing. "My god, was that Lina?"
Gourry nodded slowly, looking like he knew he was going to die.
Zelgadiss stood abruptly and rushed up the stairs. "That wasn't a war cry, Gourry."
Gourry wasn't sure what he meant but he followed Zelgadiss anyway.
Zelgadiss' heart pounded as he rushed towards the source of the scream. He'd never heard Lina scream like that in her life. Something was wrong. He could feel it.
Once reaching Amelia's room, he swung the door open and froze. "Lina!" Zelgadiss called. Breath caught in his throat as he caught sight of Lina.
Lina was standing on the other side of the bed. A look of horror animated her bright eyes, her hands pressed over her mouth in shock. She was looking at something on the floor.
Gourry entered the room and quietly watched the two. He could feel the tension in the air as Zelgadiss took a few steps forward.
Gourry watched as the horror crept into Zelgadiss' eyes. Zelgadiss' heart nearly stopped. "Amelia..." A knife had been thrust through her chest. The blood had long since stopped flowing. She was dead.
Zelgadiss stumbled backwards a step. He couldn't believe what he saw. Her stunning blue eyes wide open, a look of horror twisted her beautiful face. The formally lively Princess of Saillune was sprawled on the floor in a pool of her own blood.
Zelgadiss glanced up at Lina, tears pooling in his eyes. He could feel his throat tighten. Gourry was too shocked to step forward so he stood in the doorway, watching.
Lina lifted her eyes from the obscenity slowly. As she made eye contact with Zel, caught sight of his heart broken expression, something snapped inside of her. Lina gasped suddenly. It was a labored, painful sounding intake of oxygen. Lina coughed, a small gloved hand wrapping around her throat as she fell to her knees.
Zel and Gourry rushed over to her. Zel kneeled beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Lina! Lina! Breathe!" Zel instructed.
"Lina!" Gourry cried, helpless to do anything for her. His eyes shifted to Amelia's broken form on the wooden floor. His stomach lurched. 'How could this happen? How could Amelia... be dead?'
Lina still pressed a hand to her chest, the other braced the floor. Her whole body trembled as visions of the night before flashed before her eyes. She could see herself. She could see her own evil expression as she crept up on the helpless girl. Then, like a movie, she watched as the dagger pierced Amelia's tender body. Lina watched herself laugh maniacally as she ripped the dagger from Amelia's broken flesh. Amelia's blue eyes widened as she called out Lina's name. Then everything went black.