Family

At the outskirts of the struggling economic town sat a huge manor on the top of a hill. The manor was white with green ivy crawling around the front door and red rose bushes on each side of it. This is where Gourry stopped. He went to knock on the door when it came flying open and a maid practically fell outside with loud shouts of echoes. She quickly slammed the door behind her and looked to see Gourry.

"Master Gourry, where have you BEEN! The sirs have been fighting ALL day long since you disappeared and to make matters worse your uncle is here as well! It's a not a good situation and no one can seem to calm things down. PLEASE do SOMETHING!" the maid explained in near hysterics.

Gourry sighed heavily then he took on a determined and brave face. "Okay then, Airlyn I understand,"

"Um, Master Gourry please don't call me by my first name… you should refer to me as M'am or Miss Gravenger," corrected the maid nervously.

"Why should I? Airlyn is your name, isn't it? I can't stand the way that father seems to mock you with "Miss Gravenger", since I like you and you like me I thought I should talk to you like any other person with respect,"

"This isn't the time to discuss this… get IN there!" switched the maid and she shoved him inside the manor.

The two of them were assaulted by bellows and shouts echoing throughout the house so loud, that they had to cover their ears to ease the noise.

"Father this is so unfair! Why won't you just train me instead of bothering to even attempt to teach that worthless Gourry!" shouted a younger voice.

"That is non of your concern. I will do what I must and you can not change that!" defended a stern man's voice.

"I'M the oldest son… ME! Only I have the right to claim the Sword of Light in secession, not Gourry! He doesn't even WANT to use it! It will just go to WASTE in his hands! I on the other hand will put it to good use so why do you act as if it's a toss up between him and me for it!" continued the boy's voice.

Gourry and Airlyn entered the room where the shouting was coming from. An older man with long brown hair was on the other side of the room where a little boy with shorter brown hair stood red-faced. A man with shorter dark-blue hair with traces of white stood to the side with arms crossed ready for his own involvement in the squabble.

"THAT is because he inherited that sword from father when I am the oldest son. I suppose he's trying to keep up with that unfair tradition of ignoring lineage!" he interjected.

"Father chose me over you for the same reason as to why I may rely on Gourry for the right to the Sword of Light," replied the man with long brown hair sternly yet calmly.

"Damn you, WHY? If there is a reason to this and you know of it then the least you can do is tell us why!" barked the shorter blue-haired man.

"You couldn't possibly comprehend that answer with rage and jealousy in your hearts!" retorted Gourry's father.

"I DON'T CARE!" interrupted Gourry's shrill voice stopping the conversation dead in its tracks.

"What ever the reason is for why people do what they do shouldn't MATTER as long as people care about each other! All you ever think about is the damn Sword of Light! It shouldn't be more important than family, that's why THIS one is falling apart! I REFUSE to be used as an excuse for my family to hate each other!" declared Gourry with full emotions.

"I think he's got a good point, father… Sir Baron," interjected a young girl who seemed to be about fourteen with long brown hair. "So now that the rabbit has been hunted why don't you all take a break away from each other for a little bit? Gourry, I would like for you to come along with me for a walk around to calm your self," she instructed.

Her name was Marin. Gourry's cousin and the only child of her father; who is Gourry's father's older brother. Where both her father and mother had become jealous and spiteful towards Gourry's father due to the Sword of Light, Marin didn't share her parents desires and remained to be the only voice of reason.

"Marin…. Yes, that's probably best," reluctantly agreed Gourry's father and the others slowly nodded their heads.

Now that the confrontation had ceased for the day, Gourry and his older cousin Marin walked through some back forests around the manor. Marin placed her hand on top of Gourry's head in a supportive gesture. Gourry looked up at Marin and forced a smile to satisfy her.

"That will not do," she answered dryly.

"Huh?" Gourry asked.

"I can't accept a lame attempt at a smile like that! I can't just ignore that pain I see deep in your eyes! I'm not the brightest person or a person good at noticing things but I can see that. I can just imagine how hard all of this must be for you… and your mother as well. I hope one day that you will be able to find your smile," informed Marin.

"Find my… smile?" Gourry repeated not understanding.

"Not just smile on the outside but smile on the inside. ANYBODY can smile but to be so happy inside of your heart that you can't help but spread it to other people… THAT is what it means to be alive," explained Marin.

"How do I find my smile?" Gourry asked.

Marin was watching a blue bird fly away and was distracted by it. It was too quiet and it was that which snapped her back into the conversation.

"Oh I'm sorry, I wasn't listening. What did you say?"

"I asked how do I find my smile?"

"By following your heart."

"Following my heart?"

"Yes. You see humans have a part of darkness and a part of light within themselves. The darkness lies in the deepest recesses of people's minds and the light lies within the sacred part of people's hearts. The mind constantly tries to take control of people actions/lives and often tricks them by misleading them with safe paths to follow. However, following the mind often leads them down dark paths. People chose to follow their minds instead of their hears because it is easier. Following your heart is very risky because it allows you to be open to hurt and pain. However, as you continue to get hurt and feel pain you learn to appreciate happiness and love. During that struggle you will find your smile,"

"I'm sorry I tried to follow you but I still don't get it,"

"That's okay. Most people don't get it until after either. I only know of this because I recently met a young girl with a little sister in the next country, during a trip who told me that,"

"Oh, was she a fortuneteller?"

"Fortuneteller?"

"I alsways visit the old fortuneteller in town when father plans a practice…"

"Ah, so that's where you run off to. Why the fortuneteller? Most fortunetellers I have known are eccentric type ladies who have the worst kind of mouths,"

"Well, she doesn't treat me like everyone else here. When she's mad, she yells at me. When she's happy she has a smile a mile long. She hits me and yells at me but she doesn't treat me differently than any other kid like me that enters her shop. I dunno… I guess I just like that a lot. She never reads my fortune no matter how many times I ask her though… except for today. It was so scary how she did it, I just never thought what using powers could mean,"

"So what did she say?"

"Something about paths or like that. I don't know I was too nervous to pay attention to what she was saying. I DID hear two things; that the fighting in our family would get worse… and they might even try to KILL each other one day. It would be up to me to stop them but I don't know how I could. How do you stop people from killing each other over the Sword of Light?"

"Just follow your heart and even though it may sound wrong or too hard but it will work out in the end. What was the other thing you remember?"

"I'm gonna meet a hot damsel in distress! She'll be … very tall, strong both in strength and will, big chested, fiery, high-spirited and polite!"

"Ah… really?" commented Marin sounding skeptical.

"What?" asked Gourry blinking.

"Well… are you sure she meant in THIS world? There are no people here that I know of that are both fiery, high-spirited AND polite," replied Marin.

"That's what she said and after what I SAW… I believe her,"

"Ok, if that makes you happy then keep on believing that. Hey, I just noticed that the sun has set…" switched Marin.

Both of them looked up to see a night, starry sky.

"Wow, you're right. We better get back for supper before bed," added Gourry.

With that, they headed back to the manor.

Gourry and Marin ate alone at a very long table and were informed by Airilyn that the others had eaten separately while they were out. When they were finished Marin told Gourry that it was time she and her father should return to their home. They parted with a hug and Gourry stood in the doorway until Marin and her father disappeared into the moonlight.

He closed the door behind him and walked a very long way to his room and was about to open his door when a noise stopped him. It was a subtle noise made by a woman's voice and he probably wouldn't have noticed it if it wasn't so quite. He followed the noise to a grand room. He quietly creaked the door open and the hallway light shined into the room, revealing a woman's figure crying soulfully into her bed.

Gourry felt like his heart was twisting with agony when he found the courage to say; "Mother… please don't cry. Everything will be okay,"

He meant it to come out strong as a comfort but it came out more as a forced whisper. That made him feel so ashamed. The woman he knew as his mother was vibrant and spirited until his grandmother passed away. Ever since then, the family turmoil had gotten to be too much for her to handle. She wasn't allowed to go anywhere near the Sword of Light and believed herself to be worthless to her husband except to have children. That drove her into states of depression, walking around the manor much like a zombie and hours of heart-filled sobbing of sorrows.

At the sound of his voice though, the woman stopped crying and sat up so that the hallway light shined on her. Gourry's mother Madina had to be one of the most beautiful women in that world. Ever the womanly figure with the longest blonde hair and striking violet eyes, which were blotchy and stained by tears. She took a long breath and finally forced herself to stop crying.

"I'm so sorry Gourry, honey. I heard everything… it was hard not to with all the shouting. It must be so hard for you to be in the middle of all the um, controversy. If only your grandmother was here. She had such a demanding presence of respect and justice that she would've put a stop to all of this bickering. I wish she were here… I'm not… I'm not strong…. enough. Promise me Gourry… promise me, that you won't let yourself nor anyone you care for; do something just for the sake of tradition. Don't let yourselves be caught in this trap of life. It's not even considered a life. When your father and I first met we were deeply in love until we settled down and he was dead-set on having children just to pass the Sword of Light down to. I went along with it without a word because I thought it was so important to him that I had to do it. Now that he does have children, he shoves all of his burdens onto you two and is blind to pain and sadness with visions of the future. I'd say just about the only good thing that has come from this is you… my little light," said Madina.

"I saw the fortuneteller in town today… I asked about what would happen to our family. She told me that it would get so bad that one day they might KILL each other. I promise you mother… I won't let that happen. I'll do whatever it takes to stop them, I promise. I won't let that holy sword's blade be stained by the blood of men who wield it. Mother…?" added Gourry seriously but he drifted off when he realized she had fallen asleep where she sat. "Uh, okay…. Hm, I don't wanna wake her so I guess I'll just go to bed too. I don't remember things too well but I will remember our promises and keep it in my heart to take with me wherever I may go. Good-night, mom,"

With that Gourry gently closed the door behind him.

The Next chapter is up, please read and let me know what you think!