Things Past.

Hi, this is my first attempt at a Slayers fic, so be gentle although I do appreciate reviews. Just to warn you that I'm pretty new to the series so if I get anything wrong please don't hex me okay! Plus I don't own the gang so no suing if you please. Anywho enjoy;

Chapter One: Ghosts.

"Recovery!" Lina Inverse cast a recovery spell on herself. The past few weeks she'd been plagued by nightmares most nights and the lack of proper sleep was playing havoc on her health, which in turn had been worrying Gourry. They'd stopped at the inn they were staying in at lunchtime and had ordered some lunch, she'd only drifted off for an instant but Gourry had snapped and they'd had a massive argument. He'd demanded she tell him what was going on, that he knew about the nightmares she'd been having and that she'd looked as white a sheet for a week. She'd shouted back at him telling him she was quite capable of taking care of herself and that she didn't need him babying her but he'd shouted back that the were staying at the inn for the night instead of getting to the next town as planned and had marched off to organise rooms for them to stay in. When he returned he'd picked her up and carried her upstairs, she'd been so shocked at his outburst that she didn't even think to react whilst being carried like a child. She'd simply stayed quiet and hoped he didn't see the obvious blush she could feel forming on her cheeks. He'd placed her in her room and bade her goodnight, and then he'd left. She had tried to sleep but every time the same dream would flicker across her consciousness and she had woken up struggling to breath. She didn't know why she wanted to hide what was happening from Gourry but she didn't like the pained look he'd been giving her and didn't like the idea of him worrying about her so she was ready to try anything, hence the recovery spell. She jumped as she heard a knock at the door.

"Lina?" Gourry asked from the other side of the door.

"I'm decent." She called back and he entered the room.

"Did you sleep last night?" He asked staring hard at her making her blush.

"Yes I'm fine," Lina said more quietly than normal, "I told you that yesterday."

"Lina?" Gourry stared out of the window

"Yes?" She looked up at him.

"You'd tell me if something was wrong right?" he sighed then looked back at her, she noticed his eyes didn't have their usual sparkle, "You trust me don't you Lina?" Lina stared at up at her tall protector, or course she trusted him, but she didn't know what was going on and it scared her. How could Lina Inverse possibly admit that she the great sorcery genius was scared? "Lina?" Gourry's tone pleaded for an answer.

"I . . . I'm fine Gourry really, and of course I trust you." Gourry smiled at her response but it didn't reach his eyes which meant he knew she wasn't telling him the whole truth.

An hour later they were on the road and walking through a forest towards the next town where they planned to stop for lunch. Lina's recovery spell had worked to a certain extent but she was still tired and it bothered her as she found her attention lapsing and the forest they were travelling through was notorious for bandits, if she was caught off guard. She felt Gourry close to her right shoulder, he had one hand ready on his scabbard ready to draw his sword if anyone should attack.

Suddenly Lina felt herself being shoved to the side and her left cheek in the mud. She looked up ready to give Gourry an ear full when she noticed the arrow sticking out of his side and a dozen or so more sliced in half on the ground in front of him. Gourry looked pale and slipped to the floor.

"Gourry!" Lina rushed to his side and assessed his wound, the arrow was in deep and it was right over where his right lung should be, his breathing was laboured and he was barely conscious. She wrenched the arrow out causing a groan to escape Gourry's lips, and then she started to cast the recovery spell.

"Hey, little lady," Lina turned her head to see four bandits ahead of them, all with bows, "now give us all your valuables and we'll let you live to save your friend there." Lina felt sick, if she broke the recovery spell now then she might loose Gourry, but if she didn't then she wouldn't be able to stop the bandits.

"FREEZE ARROW!" A familiar voice hollered from the bushes to her left. The attack spell caught the bandits off guard and two were frozen where they stood. "How dare you fools use such underhanded tactics when I Naga the Serpent is close by?"

"Naga?" Lina yelled staring at her old travelling companion.

"It's been a long time hasn't it Lina?" Naga came out into the open and started laughing, her obnoxious laugh reminding Lina why she'd been glad Naga had wondered off without her a while before she'd met Gourry. "You help your friend Lina I'll take care of these brigands!" Naga cast a fireball at the two remaining bandits, she hit one but the other one had dodged it and decided it was prudent to retreat. Lina turned her attention back to Gourry after a few minutes his face relaxed and his breathing sounded easier, she held on a little longer just to be sure her spell had done enough then broke it off and let off a sigh of relief. She brushed his hair out of his face and covered him with her cloak. "So that's the swordsman who's supposed to have captured your heart huh." Lina jumped when she realised Naga's head was right by hers.

"Well I can see you haven't changed much." Lina smiled examining Naga's ridiculously skimpy outfit and wondered what Zelgadis' reaction would be to it if they ever met, "Where'd you come from anyway."

"Oh I've been wondering around here and there, I was checking out a rumour I heard in a tavern," Naga glanced at Lina the Gourry then grinned and then laughed, "I can see it was true. You know Lina out of the two of us I never thought you would be the one to fall first."

"What!" Lina yelled going as red as her hair, "what do you mean he's just a guy I met that I can't get rid of!" Naga laughed again and Lina gritted her teeth.

"That's just like you Lina Inverse," Naga poked Lina's shoulder, "you were never any good at admitting your feelings but the rest of the world can see you have feelings for that man. . . ."

"Naga, shut up!"

"I saw it just now after you'd finished your healing spell and stroked away his hair that look in your eyes, was a real giveaway. . ."

"Burst Rondo!" Lina sighed and revelled in Naga's scream, she had asked her to shut up and she hadn't and Lina knew all too well Naga could take that kind of treatment.

"You're mean Lina!" Naga whined when she'd recovered, by which time night was falling.

"I asked you to shut up and you wouldn't," Lina finished arranging the firewood she'd collected whilst Naga was out and lit the fire with a fireball, "it's your own fault I lost my temper."

"You haven't changed either Lina," Naga removed her cloak and placed it on the floor and sat down by the fire, "I will ask one thing though," Naga looked at her old friend, "you look pale and extremely tired, and I'm surprised you didn't notice the bandits yourself, is there something wrong Lina?" Lina stared back at Naga shocked, it was unusual for Naga to notice things like that but when she looked at her Lina didn't see anything that told her Naga wanted to gloat if anything there was a glimmer of concern, which shocked Lina more than the fact that the large chested sorceress had noticed anything was wrong.

"It's nothing Naga."

"Oh really," Naga sounded affronted, "well this nothing almost got you and your swordsman killed Lina so spill it, what's wrong, I won't tell anyone, this time anyway." Naga muttered the last part under her breath remembering all the rumours she used to spread when she travelled with Lina before. "You can't hide anything from me and you know I'll just keep bugging you until you tell me." A sweat drop formed on the back of Lina's head.

"Well I've been having these weird nightmares." Lina sighed.

"Go on."

"They start off in a grand room with lots of people all happy and cheerful, then just as suddenly as the dream starts the mood changes and there's blood everywhere, people dying everywhere, there's this guys he comes towards me and that's where the dream ends." Lina hugged herself and stared at the fire.

"Is that all you remember?" Naga asked looking over to where they'd left Gourry and noticed he was awake and listening intently, when he noticed her he placed a finger over his lips, she looked back at Lina who still hadn't answered.

"No."

"So what's so bad about them," Naga asked with a vacant look on her face, "I mean from what I've heard you've face worse then that so. . ."

"I don't know! All I know is that the events in the dream terrify me; I have no idea what's caused this and it really starting to scare me." Lina suppressed a shudder.

"Do you know any of the people in the dream?"

"No, they feel familiar to me but, well I don't remember ever having met them before."

"So who are you in? In the dream I mean?" Naga asked still staring at Lina genuinely concerned, she might consider Lina to be her greatest rival but they had been friends for a time and had almost been like sisters, argumentative, violent sisters but sisters none the less.

"I'm not sure, I'm in the corner of the room looking out at everything, I don't think I'm one of the party but I think I am supposed to be someone in that room," Lina buried her head in her knees, "I'm so confused."

"Listen I know you probably rather not even try right now but you do look exhausted," Naga stood up and turned her back to Lina, "Sleeping!" Lina felt the spell wash over her, she stood up to say something.

"How . . . dare . . ." Naga caught Lina before she fell and put her on her cloak.

"You know your gonna get it in the morning right?" Naga looked over at Gourry and laughed.

"There's nothing Lina can dish out that I can't counter, or survive for that matter." She said rather haughtily.

"So your name's Naga right?" Gourry asked.

"That's correct; I'm Naga the Serpent, Lina's greatest rival!" Naga laughed.

"I'm Gourry Gabriev, thanks for helping us out back there." Gourry stood up. He was a little wobbly but not too bad considering the injuries he'd had. He walked over to Lina's side and placed her cloak over her.

"Your welcome Gourry, but how did you know I helped you?" She asked watching him.

"Last thing I remember before passing out was Lina casting the recovery spell on me, I wouldn't be alive now if she'd been interrupted right?" Gourry sat down by Lina and stared at the fire, "How do you know Lina?"

"Didn't she tell you?" Gourry shook his head not remembering Naga being mentioned but then he didn't remember much, "before she met you she travelled with me for a while."

Gourry and Naga chatted for a while, swapping stories about their time with Lina and then they retired for the night. In the early hours of the morning however Gourry awoke to the sound of whimpering. He got up and found Lina tossing and turning in her sleep, she was having another nightmare, he leant down and stroked her cheek and spoke her name a few times but she didn't wake up. Moments later the tossing intensified and she started screaming. Gourry dodged a fist then grabbed Lina pulling her close and rocking her telling her it would be okay, that she was safe, her screaming stopped and her crying lessened but she still shook violently in his arms so he held her tightly and rocked her back and forth speaking softly to her.

"They're this bad?" Gourry looked up surprised, he had realised Naga was awake, she closed her eyes and chanted something under her breath, "Dream catcher." She finally whispered. "There that will let her get a good night's sleep before we can ask her a little more about what's happening to her."

"What did you do?" Gourry asked still cradling the now soundly sleeping Lina in his arms.

"I cast a spell that stops bad dreams from occurring, I'm sorry I didn't step in sooner but I wanted to make sure it wasn't some sort of magic causing the dreams."

"Was it?" Gourry asked hoping it was as it meant he would have someone to fight to stop this.

"No I don't think so, with Lina it's a little harder than most to use the spell I used as she uses such high level magic, but I think these might be dreams of something that has happened to her, which might explain why she's so scared of something that doesn't even come close to fighting some of the monsters she's faced," Naga cast another fireball to light the fire again, "I think we should let her sleep for now, we can figure this out tomorrow morning," Naga yawned and settled back down, Gourry got himself comfortable, resting himself against a tree and fell asleep with Lina in his arms.

Well I hope you liked it, first chapters are always the hardest to write and I usually suck at them. Please tell me what you think. Toodles Angel xxx.