Disclaimer: Not mine rights reserved to Hajime Kanzaka
Part 4Gourry chuckled and pulled the girl away from his body. "That won't be a problem but now we have to tell my other friends." She smiled and nodded her head.
"Oh thank you so much! My name is Kaori. Kaori Yazawa."
Gourry smiled. "Gourry. Gourry Gabriev. Welcome to the group."
Gourry explained to Kaori that they were going in the direction that she was so why not help her out by making sure she was safe along the way. She thanked him countless times and he just shook his head saying it was nothing. He brought her to the inn that he and everybody else was staying at. As Gourry walked into the inn he saw Zel and Amelia in the dinning room.
"Oi! Zel, Amelia!" He waved at them to catch their attention. Zelgadiss turned around only to give Gourry a weird look as Amelia gave him a worried look before she looked at the staircase then back to him and the new girl beside him.
"Who's she?" Zelgadiss stated plainly. Gourry laughed as he held his hand up to the back of his head.
"Well it's kinda a long story but to put it easy, we met in the blankety shop just not too far from here and she needs us to take her over to her home town. Her mother is sick and she needs to get over to her as fast as she can."
"Oh really? And who's going to pay for the extra fee's that we need along the road for her?" Gourry, Zelgadiss, Amelia, and Kaori looked at the stairs to see Lina standing there looking very mad. Amelia looked at Kaori and noticed that she had her hand on Gourry's upper arm now. She gulped and hoped that Lina wouldn't get too angry and blast the poor girl away.
"Why with the money we collect from the bandits. That or find food in the forest when we run out of money. Just like we always do Lina." Gourry rubbed the back of his head making sure he said that right but Lina was already behind him with a smack to the back of his head. Kaori squeak out something and Gourry made a noise as he came in contact with the floor.
"You jelly-fish! Don't go saying things like that out loud!" She turned to face Kaori. "And you. Why do you need us to take you to your town?"
"Miss Lina!" Amelia called out but Lina held up her hand to stop her from talking.
Gourry looked up at Lina. "I had asked her cause she wants to go back to her mother before her illness got worse." Lina looked down at him then at Kaori.
"Ah! Lina! Wait before you say no. Kaori said she would cook for us!" Lina glared at Gourry before heaving a sigh.
"Fine, you do that and my laundry from this point on. You complain and I kick you out of my group." Kaori nodded and Lina glared at her for not fussing back at her but she made a 'huff' noise before she sat down at the table that Zelgadiss and Amelia were sitting at. Amelia smiled at Kaori and walked over to her.
"I'm Amelia and the guy over there is Mister Zelgadiss. Don't worry. He may look scary at first but he's a great guy." She explained as Kaori looked a bit nervous standing next to Zelgadiss. Gourry laughed as he got up off the floor now dusting his clothes.
"That's right! Zel wouldn't hurt a fly." A fly flew by Zelgadiss head at the same time Gourry said 'fly' and he caught it smoothly. He glared at Gourry while crushing it then letting it fall to the ground. Amelia laughed nervously.
"Well a fly but not a person…" She glared at Zelgadiss and he shrugged as he sat back down in his chair to finish off his coffee. Amelia lend closer to Kaori and whispered to her. "He's not so good with people but once he gets to know you he's a great friend." She smiled over at him and Zelgadiss coughed while he tried to hide a blush that was trying to show itself. Lina busted out laughing as she saw his expression while commenting at the same time.
"Zel and Amelia sittin' in a tree K-I-S—" Zelgadiss rounded on her while holding a fireball.
"Oh Lina~!" He half-singed as he glared at her. Lina paled and coughed then flagged down a waitress down ordering all that was on the menu including the specials they were having too. Gourry, hearing her, called out saying that he too wanted all on the menu. Lina turned and fussed at him saying that he didn't need any food and he questioned her why then agreeing fast with her that she should eat for she didn't have any breast. Lina screamed out a loud 'WHAT' before she flared up and Zelgadiss jumped up at the moment to grab underneath her arms and dragging her out of the inn. She didn't want to let Gourry live and fussed the whole time as Zelgadiss dragged her away from him and the inn.
Amelia laughed nervously as she watched Zelgadiss save the day and an inn. Kaori looked worriedly at Amelia and she smiled at her.
"It happens all of the time. Don't worry about it." Kaori, for the longest time, almost didn't believe her then nodded. Amelia laughed again. "Just don't get in Lina's way and you'll be fine." She faced the door and watched as a now pissed Lina but clam enough return back into the inn, sit down away from Gourry. She glared at him and Gourry gulped.
"You're lucky buddy. Today I'll let it go but next time I won't be so merciful." Gourry heaved out a sigh as he now relaxed in his seat. Kaori sat next to him and looked worried for a moment then turned to face Lina.
"I'm sorry to cause this much trouble. I didn't mean to make you turn against your members of your group. I'll go if you want me to…" She looked down at the table afraid to continue for she may cry at the first word of her mother. Lina noticed this and sighed.
"You're not in any trouble, and for me and Gourry to fight like this? It happens all the time so don't worry yourself over it." Lina leaned back into her chair. "And don't worry too much about your mother. It causes you to get sick and then you don't eat then you'll also become ill. I'll make sure you get there in time so take it easy. We eat first then leave." She smiled at Kaori and winked. "Ok?" Kaori gave her a big a smile and nodded.
Their food had finally come and both Lina and Gourry grabbed each plate with the look of a hungry pack of wolves and began immediately eating. Amelia grabbed a plate for her and Kaori. She smiled as she handed it to her.
"You have to be fast to get food when you're with these two or you won't get any at all. Oh. And don't pay attention to them while they eat. It's better to not focus on them then hearing them eat." Kaori nodded and Amelia then turned to eat her food only to gasp out loud.
"AH?!" She looked at her plate remembering that she had a steak and a baked potato that was now not there. She glared at Lina. "Miss Lina! How could you?!" Lina, who was still munching on some bit of whatever it was, looked at her. She shrugged her shoulders. Amelia growled at her and shoved her plate into her face. Lina swallowed what was in her mouth then glared at her.
"What?"
"You know what, you ate my food!" Lina leaned onto her arm and acted like she was thinking. She looked at her.
"I don't remembering touching your food." Amelia growled again.
"I'm sitting right next to you! I know you ate my food." Lina just shrugged then waved her fork at her.
"You have no proof so you can't say it was me. What if it was Zel and you just weren't thinking it might be him." Amelia shook her head violently.
"He wouldn't! We both know he doesn't eat anything!" Zelgadiss turned his head, mouth full of food, hearing his name. Amelia had a huge sweatdrop as she looked at Zelgadiss. He looked at them before he shrugged then went back to eating. Lina sighed then glared at Amelia.
"Amelia you should know already that you need to claim your food or I, or anyone at this table, could think that you don't want it." She then reached across Amelia's plate over to Kaori's, who was listening to them, and grabbed her steak and potato with just her fork then proceeded to shove it down her mouth. Kaori gasped out then pointed a finger at Lina and Amelia stood up quickly knocking the chair back and gathering everybody's attention in the inn's diner.
"You see! That's what I was talking about! You did take my food before then you take poor Kaori's food for your selfish appetite! Justice will not let you get away with such evil!" Amelia yelled as she pointed her finger at Lina who ignored her and just ate her food. Amelia growled under her breath. She then pointed over Lina's shoulder with her eyes wide opened.
"Oh my gosh! That huge steak that the waitress is carrying over here. Is it for our table?!" This caught Lina's and Gourry's attention and they both turned around. Amelia's eyes glinted with victory as she now dived into Lina food and a little bit of Gourry's too.
Lina huffed. "There's no waitress or a steak anywhere." She turned around to look at Amelia as she stabbed her fork into her plate expecting food only to hit plate. Lina looked down then yelled then back to Amelia who was munching on HER food as fast as she could. "AMELIA!!" She grabbed her head and tried to push her away from the plate but Amelia fought back. Kaori, who happened to be scooting away from the two, laughed nervously. She jumped when she heard a sigh behind her. It had come from Zelgadiss.
"Zeglidas?" Kaori said as she sighed with relief.
"Zelgadiss." Zelgadiss said as his eyebrow twitched. Kaori blushed brightly before standing and bowing to him. He back up a bit out of reflexes.
"Oh sorry! Zelgadiss! Umm…" She looked at Lina and Amelia still fighting between the foods that were still left. Gourry, moving his plate away from the fight, was now eating his food in mid-air while holding his plate at the same time watching the girls fight over the food.
Zelgadiss sighed again. "Well this is a first." Kaori looked at him confused. He noticed her stare and coughed. "The fight, Lina never really fights with Amelia but more with Gourry. It's because they like food all the same. So you never thought it would happen with Amelia and Lina. Well… never mind that. Anyone who challenges Lina to a eating contest is an idiot for doing so."
"Mmhmm." Gourry nodded his head, his mouth full with food. Zelgadiss heaved a sigh at Gourry's usual idiot act.
"Will we ever leave before it gets dark?" He asked himself. Kaori sighed along with him as well.
"Mister Zelgadiss! Mister Zelgadiss! Come on! Will you wait for us?" Amelia called out to Zelgadiss as she, Lina, Gourry, and Kaori tired to catch up with him. Lina growled as she ran to catch up with Amelia and Zelgadiss.
"Come on Gourry, you too Kaori! Jeez. Who'd ever thought that Zel would be the party pooper?"
"Um Lina? We never had a party… you and Amelia just flung food everywhere and it ended up smacking Zelgadiss in the face and that's why he's mad right now." Kaori said as she hid behind Gourry already knowing how Lina's temper could go with the slight aggravation. But to her surprise Lina just sighed and agreed with her.
"Yeah… I did waste all of that food for one piece of steak… well more than a steak but I wasted food and that's what matters the most." She sighed again. She walked forward again and so did Gourry and Kaori. Kaori came out from behind Gourry and he smiled down at her.
"Lina ain't so bad once you get to know her. When she and I met she use to beat up on me all the time. Now it's different. I mean she still hits me sometimes but I notice that she doesn't put her all into them anymore." Gourry said as he now smiled at the sky. Lina sighed as she tried to hide her blush. She really wished she didn't have such good hearing.
Kaori chuckled lightly, her hand half covering her mouth as she laughed.
"It sounds like you really enjoy her company. Do you like her?" Lina's attention perked at that question as she listened for Gourry's answer. He laughed as he placed a hand behind his head.
"She's not that bad to hang out with. She just has to be in the mood to have fun or something like that." He laughed again and Kaori smiled at him.
"Yeah everybody's got a different side to themselves. What about you Gourry what do you like to do for fun?"
'Damn it… Go back to the questions about me!' Lina thought as she gritted her teeth. She heard Gourry laugh again and paid attention to their conversation anyways.
"Gosh, I don't know… I guess sleep, eat and practice with my sword. Is that what you mean by fun?" Gourry sounded confused and Kaori laughed.
"If that's what you find fun. So you didn't answer my other question."
'Yes, back to me!' Lina thought as her heart started to beat fast.
"What question?" Gourry asked innocently. Lina fell face first into the ground.
'W-why am I not surprised that he would remember…'
"Lina!" Kaori called out, Gourry followed behind her footsteps. Lina picked herself up off the ground. "Are you alright?" Kaori asked as she looked over Lina for any injuries. Lina pushed her away.
"I'm fine, just tripped over some damned rock." Lina said as she quickly thought of a lie. Gourry right next to her held out his hand to help her to her feet all the way. Lina blushed but quickly hid it as she pushed away his hand. "I said I was fine."
"But Lina… You not fine." She glared at him.
"And what's that suppose ta mean?" Lina yelled at Gourry. Gourry gave her that look that always meant he knew that there was something wrong.
"Lina… there's no rock around where you fell…" Lina opened her mouth to say something but blushed as they caught her lying. She looked away and got to her feet.
"I'm ok alright? Look Zel's all the way up there. Let's go you guys." Lina then ran up ahead leaving Kaori and Gourry behind to watch her back. Gourry sighed then looked at Kaori.
"Let's go." She smiled and nodded as they both ran up to catch the gang.
"AHHH~!!" Lina yelled out frustrated as she scrambled her hair. They were sitting under a huge oak tree with one of the tents up in the limbs to make a makeshift shelter. "WHERE THE HELL DID THIS RAIN COME FROM~!" Zelgadiss gave her a glared.
"Do you mind not shouting?" Lina glared back.
"Oh! And I suppose you enjoy this damned rain?!" Zelgadiss turned his back on her.
"Feh. At least I'm not freaking out over here like I'm about to drown." Lina gritted her teeth as she prepared herself for contact with her fist. Gourry being the one to see it coming interrupted her.
"Lina, come on it ain't so bad. Besides we're not that far from a town." Lina sighed as she sat down on the dry ground.
"How do you know that there's a town nearby?" Gourry smiled then he pulled Kaori over by him.
"Kaori said there was." Gourry smiled down at Kaori and she blushed. She bowed her head to hide the blush but Lina caught it. Lina glared at her.
"You sure there's a town down this road?" Kaori looked at Lina. Lina was glaring at her and she felt that she had done something wrong.
"I'm sure… unless they took a whole town down in less than a year." Kaori said nervously. Gourry laughed and placed a hand on Kaori's shoulder.
"I'm sure it is still there, so don't worry yourself too much over it." Kaori gave a slight nod then as if nobody but Lina would see it she lends against Gourry.
Lina gritted her teeth as she held back again. She stood up abruptly giving everyone a start. She then did the unthinkable. She walked out into the rain and proceeded down the road. Gourry called after her.
"Lina, what are you doing?" She didn't turn around but called back that she was checking up ahead. Gourry watched her silhouette disappear into the darkness. He clenched his hands close for a moment before he went and sat back down with the group.
Lina stomped her way through many mud puddles that had now form during the rain. She made her way down the street as she hurried to get away from them. She didn't care how far she went she just had to get away. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath. Rain rolled down her face as she stared out ahead of her seeing nothing for miles. She shivered wishing she was back with them, back with Gourry. Lina shook her head. No he had somebody to hold now not her anymore.
Lina bared her teeth as she bit down hard trying not to scream out to the world. It would probably laugh at her anyways for her weakness. She crouched down to stare at the ground. It hurt… It almost hurt as much when Gourry was taken away from her when Hellmaster was still alive. No… It's the same… he's being taken away from her once again and it hurt like hell. She shut her eyes tightly as she whispered to herself over not to cry. You don't cry.
Gourry would probably be better off with Kaori… but why did it hurt so much to say that? He can choose for himself. He probably even knew her feelings already and just doesn't want to give back the same she feels for him. This time she did cry out. She faced the sky and screamed her heart out till she couldn't scream anymore. She faced the ground again breathing heavy as she thought that everybody was now coming to find out what was wrong. What happened and if she was all right. Gourry would come too but he wouldn't worry over her like… like she was his lover. No. He just would be worried. He was her protector still… well if he still wanted to be.
Lina sighed then turned to go back to the camp. Suddenly she felt overwhelmed. She grabbed her head as she felt the whole world spin around her. She fell to her knees as she grabbed her head and tried to make the spinning go away but it only worsened and her world went black…
Zosuru: Heh Zelgadiss is being a real comical relief in here XD more errors fixed if you see some more lemme know I'm working on it lol