The Disguise

            "Okay, it's one thing to disguise me – but it's another thing to disguise me as a guy!" Lina screamed as Amelia shoved a pale blue shirt over her head.  She was standing in the forest hidden from the guys by only a blanket hung up on a rope on nearby trees.  This didn't make Lina very happy.

            Amelia stepped back a few steps from Lina.  "I think the shirt's a bit too big," she said.  She frowned then stepped outside the "curtain", walking towards her friends.  "Gourry, can we cut your shirt?  It's too big for Lina!"

            "Cut my shirt?!" Gourry exclaimed.  "It's my only spare!"

            "We'll buy you a new one in town…" Amelia offered.

            Gourry sighed.  "Okay… if it'll help Lina…"

            Zel raised an eyebrow.  "You'd better.  If Lina can wear my pants, then she can wear your shirt."

            Gourry nodded.  "Yeah…"  Right then, he wished he were a better arguer.

            Amelia walked back to where Lina was standing and grabbed a burlap bag that was sitting on the ground beside her.  She rummaged around inside it for a few minutes, and then emerged victoriously with a pair of scissors.  Turning back to Lina, she began to trim the shirt.  When she was finished, she stepped back and smiled.  "Now all that's left is the belt and that hat!"

            Lina eyes Amelia suspiciously.  "I don't remember you saying anything about a belt and a hat…"

            Amelia gulped.  "Well, Mr. Zelgadis's pants are a bit big and the hat needs to hide your face…"

            Lina sighed.  "Yeah, it's true that no one can forget such a gorgeous face as my own!"

            "Yeah, well, we should thank Mr. Ravage for the suggestions, and it's his belt and hat that you'll be borrowing."

            Lina grimaced as Amelia handed her the two items.  The thick leather belt was a shade of tan and looked a bit aged, but it was in pretty good condition, so Lina didn't object to taking it.  However, when she saw the hat, she almost died.  "You can't expect me to wear this!" she exclaimed as she held the hat out in front of her in disgust.

            "What's wrong with it, Lina?" asked Amelia, trying to sound surprised at Lina's disapproval, for it truly was an ugly hat.

            "Well, for one thing," Lina began, "it's way too big-"

            "That's so we can cover your face," Amelia said.

            "Yeah?  Well, it's ugly.  Who ever heard of a gray top hot with long purple feathers poking out of it everywhere?"

            "Well…"

            "Hey, Ravy!" Lina called to him.

            Ravage turned from where he was sitting with the other men to look in the direction of Lina.  "Yes?"

            "Where did you get such an ugly hat?"

            Ravage's face turned a deep red.  "You should know that that hat is an expensive designer's hat that I picked up for quite a pretty penny.  I wear it whenever I go to a "fancy function" and always make quite a statement.  You're lucky I'm letting you borrow it."

            "Yeah, well, you guys are trying to disguise me, but that'll never happen with this hat…" Lina commented.

            Zel rolled his eyes, "but it's all we got, so deal with it!"

            "Don't worry, Lina, you'll look fine," Gourry offered softly, cooling Lina's jets a bit.

            Lina sighed, "I suppose, I'll try."

            Unfortunately, trying was the best they could do.

            When they arrived at their destination, an odd looking town with a tall stonewall encircling it.  The gates to the town were somewhat larger than usual.

            "Why are the gates so big Lina?" Gourry questioned looking the opening over.  He soon felt a clenched fist upside his head.  He turned to see Lina pointing passed him to a man leaving the city walls.  The man was very tall, over seven feet high.  He wore a straw farmer's hat and pulled behind him a giant, empty wagon.  Gripping the handles of the wagon tightly he strode passed the group at a steady pace, his huge feet kicking up dust.  Lina stood with her arms crossed giving Gourry a strange look.

            "Gourry…  The people of this village are on average around seven feet tall, that's much taller than a normal person, that's why the gate is so big.  Now do you understand"?  Lina explained trying to sound nice.  Gourry scratched his head.

            "Oh yeah, that makes sense".  He said.

            "We'd better get moving if we want to get to Zefilia any time soon," said Zelgadis calmly.

            "Right," they all agreed and began walking towards the village.  When they entered they could see a road that led to a marketplace and another path that headed for a group of large one-story houses.  Without hesitation they traveled onward to the marketplace.  The marketplace was full of bustling people.

            "Be sure to keep a low profile Lina".  Gourry warned glancing at all the people shopping and moving along throughout the market square.

            "I know, I know already…  Why do you think I'm in this ridiculous get up?" Lina mumbled to herself.  She continued walking with the rest of the group checking out the various trinkets, jewelry, and of course the variety of food items occasionally pushing past a person or two to get in front of a line so that she could view a stalls wares better.  She could hear several sneezes amongst the crowd.  "What's with the sneezing all of a sudden, I hope I don't get sick".  Lina said quietly.  As she turned to pick up a rather scrumptious looking apple from a nearby stand one of the feathers from her hat brushed the nose of a slightly obese man shopping for food.  The man's nose twitched slightly then he let out a horrid sneeze.  Phlegm from the large man's sneeze landed on Lina's clothing.  "Yuck!"  She yelled.  This grabbed the attention of several bystanders.  Hoping that no one noticed her, she spun around and went about her business.  When she spun around again, however, the long, purple feathers of the top hat caused some others to sneeze in her direction, and unfortunately, one of the sneezes blew the silly hat right off Lina Inverse's head!  When the hat flew off and onto the dusty ground Lina's long, red hair was now visible.  A woman recognized the hair.

            "That hair!  No it couldn't be Lina Inverse?  Who would be stupid enough to come back here after what she did?" the lady said.  Others stood by pondering this.  As Lina fumbled for the hat a man next to her put his hand on her shoulder and whirled her around.

            "It is Lina Inverse!"  He shouted out.