She's mad at me.
I would know that look anywhere, red eyes flashing dangerously, hands moving into fireball position even though she knows as well as I do that it won't hurt me.
I simply smile but that only causes her frustration to increase. Which was my goal from the beginning of this meeting and it's gone very well even if I do say so myself.
She changed tactics suddenly, grinning cockily thinking she has an ace I don't know about.
"TESLA FLARE!"
She doesn't seem to realise I was there the day Amelia Wil Tesla created that spell. Indeed, I was her test subject for it -part of a mutually beneficial arrangement; she practised her spells on me, I got a lifetime supply of ice-cream and she wouldn't sing in my presence. Of course had I known at the time she meant her lifetime instead of mine I may not have agreed so readily. It seems years of travelling with Lina made the princess quite the businesswoman.
She's surprised now. Realising I'm still in one piece and completely unharmed. Although her surprise is being overruled by happiness. It's an effect of the spell, to cause positive emotions. The theory being that any monster or demon not killed by the blast would be driven away by such feelings, much like a Meggido Flare only the effect on humans is uplifting instead of calming. I amend my earlier statement; years of travelling with Lina made the princess downright crafty.
Fortunately I spent enough time with Amelia that her happy emotions do not affect me as they would any other monster. I developed an immunity as it were, but only to the artificially induced feelings, true happiness and love still cause me to weaken somewhat.
The moment is fading and her eyes look dangerous again. Appropriate really, as is not red, the very colour of danger? Although her eyes never look quite right against the golden backdrop of her hair.
Gina Gabriev. The second to be entirely accurate. Named after her great-great aunt Gina Gabriev, the first, daughter of Lina and Gourry Gabriev. That Gina took much more after her father, there's definitely more of the Inverse in this child.
I can remember Lina and Gourry's children fondly, or as fondly as a monster can- I did watch them grow up after all. Two of them, the oldest was Rowdy, named after Gourry's grandfather I believe. It is from him that the current Gina is descended as his sister married Prince Rodimus ul Zolf Saillune (the younger bother of the Crown Princess of the time; Luna el Gracia Saillune) and became Gina Saillune. Lina was most pleased at the match as it made herself and Amelia sister-in-laws and to be the sister of a princess (Or Queen as she was at the time) was to be a princess oneself. And so technically that also made Gourry a prince meaning she had married one as she always intended to. The only person not pleased at the arrangement was Zelgadiss; I think he was unwilling to have Lina and her offspring as a part of his family. Quite understandably. He was however reconciled to the idea by a couple of fireballs and the gentle persuasions of his wife.
I was most surprised by that marriage. Anyone with eyes could see the two cared for each other (I was often sickened by the affection there) but I never thought the chimera would actually ever do anything about it. To this day I'm convinced that either Amelia got up the nerve to ask him or Lina had something to do with it. Most likely the latter I think. But they were wed, and I was given the task of consoling Amelia's disappointed suitors in order to keep myself from being overwhelmed at the wedding.
The children were another surprise. Both unaffected by the curse that haunted Zelgadiss much to his relief, and secretly I think to Amelia's as well. To my relief neither of them inherited Amelia's passion for justice. You would think that any child of Amelia would have to be obnoxiously happy and justice crazed, but then of course it follows that any child of Zelgadiss would be cynical and reserved. So between the two of them you get a remarkably well balanced child. Impressive, considering the history of both the Greywords and Saillune families.
Their descendants still rule Saillune. Much as Lina and Gourry's still travel the world consuming vast amounts of food and blowing unsuspecting taverns to smithereens when there isn't enough.
She's deciding to ignore me now, unlike Lina who would have thrown me into a headlock and demanded an answer to her questions other than 'it's a secret'. There's more of the Inverse in her yes, but it's still tamed by her Gabriev heritage.
It's been a long time though since they past on. Lina, Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadiss, those four who were the closest I shall ever have to friends though my nature shall never allow me to call them more than comrades. Though they're gone, I still see them living on, in Gina's eyes and golden locks, in the half-smile and dark hair that have become characteristic of the Saillune family in accompaniment to their blue eyes. It's something of a point of honour with me that I watch over their descendants when my missions allow me time to do so.
They may be gone, but they shall certainly never be forgotten.
No, Lina would never allow herself to be forgotten. She shall live on always in the legacy of the slayers.
I have no further time to reminisce however, duty calls me away. Though, taking one last look at those red eyes, I wonder what sort of legacy I shall leave behind one day, and who will be left to maintain it?
A/N; I wrote this a long time ago and just came across it today and decided it was actually good enough to post. I have NO idea what inspired me to do this except a desire to write first-person for a change, a will to write a bit about the couples descendants (I think that was probably inspierd by Overactive Mind's biography of Lunina Gabriev - go, read, now.) and the fact that i don't often write Xellos seriously.
I sometimes wonder how people will remember me. I only hope it's positivley, although i'm much too young to think about that seriously just yet.
Anyway, Review pleeeaaase?