Miniature 7
Title: Truth
Characters: Lina, Gourry, Zelgadis, Amelia, Xellos, LoN, Dolphin, Zelas, and Dynast.
Pairing: LinaxGourry
POV: n/a
Timeline: A year after TRY. Lina and the others are in the midst of a climactic battle with the three remaining mazoku lords and Xellos.
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"Lina!" Everyone's voice called out to her once more, strained and weak. Zelgadis collapsed to the floor, no longer able to hold his own weight, his wound re-opening staining his silver-white robes with crimson red blood.
"Zel!" Amelia knelt down next to him, placing her hands gently on his back, her eyes brimming with tears.
"It's nothing Amelia… it won't kill me…" She looked unsure at his words, but there was nothing she could do about it even if she wanted too. The barrier Zelgadis, Gourry and herself had been placed in by one of the mazoku lords, blocked any effect a healing spell would have. "We have to… Lina…"
"Arrrhhhh!" Lina screamed out in agony for what seemed like the hundredth time.
"Lina!" Gourry screamed back. He was as close to the barrier as possible, down on his own knees, his hands pressed against the wall of their cage. Xellos hovered above them like a guard dog while his master and the other demon lords had their way with Lina.
She was also a prisoner, but there was no need for any sort of restraints to keep her from running away or defending herself, she was a prisoner of nothing but their spells. As the demon lords circled above her decrepit form laying motionless and weak below them, they cast what seemed to be like random spells upon her, causing her to scream out in pain.
"Stop! What are you doing to her? Lina!" Gourry lowered his fore-head to rest against the invisible wall as Lina's latest scream slowly died away, echoing in his ears.
"Now, now Dynast…" Cooed Zelas "You don't want to be too rough with her, just enough to probe within. We don't want her dead… yet…" Dynast closed his eyes, huffed, and whipped back his hair coolly with his left hand. Zelas knew perfectly well that he recently gained a personal vendetta against Lina Inverse. She should have also known that when she has asked him to help take part in this event, that he would want her dead.
"Not all of us…" Dynast said opening his eyes. "Still have our priests and generals anymore, Beastmaster Zelas." He looked up at the swaying purple hair floating above the humans some few yards away.
"Do not worry, you will have your justice Dynast. But for now, you know why this girl must be kept alive."
"And what do you plan I do, if we discover we cannot kill the girl?"
"Did the blonde man not assist in the killing of your dear Sherra?" Dynast paused for a slight moment, keeping his monotonic expression fixed on Zelas's wide smile.
"It will not bring the same satisfaction… but alright." He agreed.
"N…no…" A weak and brittle voice came from under the mazoku lords's feet. "Don't… touch…" The lords turned their gaze below them to watch the figure of a woman inch along the ground towards the group of humans. Lina pulled herself forward, digging her nails as hard as she could into the stone ground, her arms working to pull the rest of her limp and useless body with her. Her hair fell in every direction over her face as she kept facing stone.
"Still able to move?" A bubbly voice giggled "You were right Zelas-sama, this human is a fighter. Still…" The female lord known as Deep Sea Dolphin looked at Lina with renowned interest. "I still cannot believe this human, or any human, could be connected to our great lord in anyway. Especially the way you seem to believe."
"Trust me Dolphin, this one is special…"
"Don't… touch…"
"Lina!"
WOOSH!
"EIYYAAHHHH!"
"LINAAA!"
Lina's outstretched hand reached for Gourry, and he answered her with her name. They would never be allowed to reach, not this way. Even if she could; even if she wasn't hurt and in pain and could reach him, even if Gourry wasn't sealed from running to her, being able to scoop her in his arms and protect her from their attacks, they would never allow it. Zelas fired another spell directly at Lina's wounded form.
"Get out!" She cried gripping her head in agony. "Get out of my head! Get-"
... "Li…na…"
The sorceress's brilliant ruby red eyes became blank as she slowly fell to the ground… and didn't move.
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"Li…Na….. Lina!!! LINA!!!" Gourry lifted himself from the ground, throwing his whole body weight into smashing open a way to escape. Xellos's eyes flickered down to his attempt smirking.
"At last… her mind and soul are ours…Dynast." Dynast moved his hand upright into the air, Lina's body mimicking it. Like a rag doll, she swayed into place as her knees propped her up from the floor, her head tilted back so her blank eyes stared up at the endless ceiling. "Now, hopefully, we will be able to decide what to do with you Lina Inverse… after we discover, just what you are and how you may be able to help us… or die." Zelas stepped forward, her silver hair and white gown flowing behind her. She stopped when she reached Lina, and carefully, placed her hand upon her forehead.
"What are you doing to her? Stop it! Lina!" Gourry hollered.
"There's no escape." Xellos said floating closer to them, speaking more towards Zelgadis. Gripping his side to try and ease the pain as he moved, Zelgadis swiveled around on his toes, trying to find a weak spot they could possibly destroy. "Even if you found a way out, you cannot use magic in there."
"Bastard." Zelgadis growled. "What do you intend to do with her?"
"Oh, this and that." He replied.
"Don't play games with me!" Zelgadis roared trying to jump at him, forgetting about his wounds and the invisible wall. His body gave a lurch before it crumpled back down. Amelia grabbed onto him from behind, trying to slow down the abrupt fall. "What…" He panted. "What the fuck are you doing to her? What are you after?"
"Hmph." Xellos smiled. "I'm afraid, that is a secret."
A burst of light brought all of them calling out Lina's name once more. She was surrounded in it, a bright burning white light, but the light had no warmth to it, no sense of security. This light, Lina did not want to be in. Something was inside her, tearing her apart, going deeper, and deeper. To the very core of her soul, and flooding her mind. It was as if the light was searching for something inside of her, trying to force it out of her, and in the process… it was painful. Would the pain go away if they found it? Or would she… disappear if they found it? She could feel the pain start to flood closer to her heart, and at the same time, leaking into her mind, prying at what she thought she left behind her.
She was there, yet she wasn't. She was happy, yet she felt miserable. "I saved his life… that's all that matters… yet…" She would never see him again, and something inside of her began to pain. "To save this man…" Came a voice from inside her that wasn't her own. "You sacrificed the world… and yourself… to save this man… I don't understand…" Lina closed her eyes. No one needed to understand but her. Right now and forever, Lina knew Gourry would always be the most important person to her. "Lina…Lina… Lina!!" The voice was distant, but there was no mistaking who it was. "The man calls out to you… following you to your death after you have saved him… it is love…" In this form, Lina did not know if she could cry, but something tore at her, and she felt brimming tears. "Lina! I need you. Please come back… Lina!" Lina wrapped her arms around her body. "I want to come back… I… but…"
"Then so be it…" Came the other voice from inside her. "You have intrigued me… I would very much like to see how this turns out…my child, Lina Inverse…"
"Lina?" For the first time since they had stolen Lina away from him, Gourry tore his eyes away from her. He glanced behind him, but there was no one there except Amelia and Zelgadis, who were staring ahead where he once had seeming not to notice anything. He could have sworn at that instance, he heard Lina's voice saying his name from behind. Gourry made to turn his head back around, but then he heard it again. "Lina?" He asked into the nothingness. Suddenly he felt something next to him, a kind of presence. Then a whisper came into his ear.
"Gourry Gabriev." It said fluidly. Ah. Now he understood. This was the voice he had heard. It was not Lina's, but for some reason it felt like a part of Lina's. Like they were the same voice, only a different person was speaking, adding their own flare to it. "You wish to save her. I have helped her save you, now I will help you save her." Immediately as if a box of sealed memories inside him burst open, he understood the confusion of their voices and recognized who was speaking to him.
"You!" Gourry gasped still taking in the images of that day. Running… jumping…leaping… reaching… losing…crying…gaining… and kissing… "Why?" He asked in astonishment trying to put that last image in the back of his head for now. "Why do you want to help us?" There was a moment's pause before she spoke to him again.
"Only one can use my power, I cannot lend you any. However… I will protect you…"
"Wait!" Gourry called out as the voice began to fade.
"W-what is this!!??"
"Gourry?!"
First Gourry looked to the panicked mazoku lords as a golden light took over the white that once surrounded Lina. Then he looked over to Zelgadis's widened eyes and Amelia's pointed finger. He traced the invisible path she had created leading his gaze to rest upon himself, which was also glowing gold.
"Step though it…" Without any word to his friends, Gourry walked through the wall of their prison like there never was one to begin with. He started running, closing in the distance between himself and Lina, his whole mind and body working towards and thinking of nothing but reaching her. Behind him Amelia and Zelgadis tried to follow but were stopped by their cage, like nothing had changed. Xellos was the first to notice the escape, momentarily taken aback by the whole thing. He fired an attack to stop him but the spell was absorbed like it was nothing at all. Xellos knew it then, even though he didn't understand it. He had seen it once before, and knew there was nothing he could do about it, not as long as the golden light still remained. Instead he would watch, and try to understand, just what was going on in his lord's mind.
"Dolphin!" Dynast called. "Ugh." He tired to stand his ground as the force of the light around Lina kept trying to push him back. Deep Sea Dolphin had already been pushed back along with Zelas, who tried to teleport next to Xellos as she went and failed. No one was allowed to leave this plane during this gold storm
There was nothing and no one to stand in Gourry's way, yet it seemed like it was taking a lifetime to reach her. He wanted her safe in his arms. Now. "Lina!" He could see her closely now. Her sweat drenched face, her energy drained body, her frizzled red hair… The two lights began to merge into one as Gourry got closer to her, reaching out his arms he strained his fingertips to touch hers, finally their tips met… and everything went black.
"I can feel it. The one who will be able to hold my power will be born… the one who will hold my heart, my human child…my human self…"
"Is someone there?" Gourry barely opened his eyes as if not wanting to let any light in, but there was no light to seep in. He was falling, or floating, surrounded by nothing but pitch black.
"Are you the one? No… you hold power for someone else… but I can feel the same power flowing off you…my child… will be born from the same womb. However… I cannot take the chance of being killed after birth. I will seal this entity's magic…" The sound was coming from behind him. He sluggishly turned his head to peer over his back, his body following him. The blackness vanished, and a blinding white light began to swallow him whole. Gourry blinked, trying to reestablish his sight. When he could focus it he found himself in a small room, recognizing it as a healing room. There was a woman lying on a bed, wrapped in white sheets and holding a small baby in her arms while the man next to her, which Gourry found very familiar, smiled and kissed the baby and his wife.
"What would you like to name her?" The man asked.
"Luna…" The woman smiled bringing her baby closer to her face.
The scene changed before him, melting into another memory that was not his. This time he was inside what appeared to be a magic shop or above one where the family lived. But the store was closed, as the father and mother sat in their room with the door closed, a small purple haired child sat in another room, coming the hair on a doll.
"She is amazing… her talent…" The mother said.
"A Knight of Cepheid…" The father stood staring out the window. "Our daughter." He was not afraid, but proud.
"She cannot use magic… you will teach her…" The scene melted away again revealing a large garden of many different flowers. The same child, but a little older, sat in the middle of it taking in the breeze and staring up at the sky.
"Luna?" It was her mother followed by her father who had his arm wrapped around his wife. They were both smiling. "Luna, honey, there is something your father and I would like to tell you…" The wind picked up carrying her mother's scent to her, and something inside the little girl knew.
"Is it time then?" Luna asked.
"Hm?" The mother asked not noticing the difference in her child's voice, or perhaps, ignoring it.
"Mama is having a baby?" The voice sounded more like Luna, but her parents were taken aback.
"How did you know?" She didn't answer; she just started at her mother's face, with cool blank eyes.
The young Luna stood outside the healing room Gourry has first found himself in. He heard the sound of crying, then rejoicing. As the curtains were drawn to let in the light, the door cracked open and Luna was beckoned inside. Gourry followed. The child ran to her mother's side soon followed by her father.
"You have a baby sister." Luna stood on her toes straining to get a better look when her father lifted her up in his arms so she could see. She reached down, touching her new born sisters fingers. "Her name is Lina. Lina Inverse."
Gourry could see them growing up, playing together, getting in trouble, getting into fights, Luna's swordsman ship, Lina's magic, the mischief, more fighting, some comforting… more love…he saw it all. Eventually Lina would grow older, she would travel with her sister, she would make her name, then she would go off on her own, and one day… he would meet her.
"Lina!" Gourry was in the middle of a forest, watching a six year old Lina running from her sister as fast as she could, smiling. "Lina, get back here!"
"Only if you can catch me! Ray Wing!" Mini Lina rose into the air and began to speed forward. She managed to get about a quarter of a mile away before jerking and coming to a abrupt stop, falling to the dirt path. "Dang it… I thought I had that one…hm?" Lina crossed her eyes as something glittering fell on her nose. She turned for the source as she picked herself up from the ground.
Coming from inside the forest were more small glittering lights, wafting towards her. She didn't need to walk far to find the source. Lying there against a tree was the most beautiful woman Lina had ever seen. She had pale skin that sparkled when the light touched her through the trees, long golden hair. The woman looked up as Lina approached her revealing enchanting golden eyes, and making Lina stop dead in her tracks. For what felt like a long while, they just stood there, staring at one another. "H-hey…" Lina choked out. "Are you okay?" She didn't look hurt or bruised, but exhausted.
"You are the girl…Lina Inverse."
"You know me?"
"Of course I know you. We are the same person."
"Huh?"
"This is what I get… for trying to be reborn like this…" Lina gasped and backed away as the woman in front of her began to fade away and become transparent. "I cannot make you fully awaken, and definitely not now… so I will hide this piece of me inside you as well. Until the time is right…when you can fully accept me…"
"What are you doing?" More and more the woman faded and as she did, she pushed her incomplete body away from the tree, reaching out her hand for Lina's. Whether she wanted to or not, Lina reached out her own hand, and took it. There was an explosion of gold light, Luna screaming in the background, and Lina's body falling to the floor like a lifeless corpse.
"…ourry…Gourry…Gourry!"
"What?" He shouted jumping up from his resting place against a pile of hay. Zelgadis grabbed onto his shoulders.
"Calm down. We're at an abandonedbarn house, a few miles away from that underground stone place." When Gourry still looked at him on confusion, Zelgadis continued. "When you grabbed a hold of Lina, you fell unconscious as well. Luckily you were still surrounded by… the mazoku couldn't get to you. Then all of a sudden, the spell around us broke. We got to you two just before the mazoku noticed us, and right as the light around you began to fade. Amelia and I cast Ray Wings and flew out of there, not looking back and not stopping till we couldn't fly anymore. I don't know why, but for some reason, they didn't follow us, Xellos held them back."
"Where is… Lina?"
"Resting. Amelia is with her." Zel nodded his head over to the opposite side of the wall where Lina was sleeping on another pile of hay, and Amelia was deep in concentration, casting what Gourry figured was a healing spell. Even with the knowledge that Lina was with him, and that the mazoku lords were far behind them, with no current intent to come after them, he could not settle down. Something kept picking at him, making him feel nauseous.
"Are you okay?" Zelgadis asked rather sternly.
"I… I really don't know… I saw…" And he swallowed, not saying anymore. He felt Zel shift his weight and sit down next to him, staring at him intensely. It seemed, Xellos wasn't the only one who had caught on.
"Gourry." He turned to look at his chimera friend. "I know what that light was. It's a memory I can't easily forget. What happened in there?"
"N-nothing."
"It surrounded you, helped you escape and get to her. Then it covered you both, and you fell into the same state as she did. You look spooked as hell. So what aren't you telling me?"
"I-"
"Gourry!" Zelgadis grabbed onto his arm, shaking him. Their eyes met with such intensity it was like the room around them just rose a few degrees in heat.
"I saw…something. I'm not really sure what. But I saw everything. The mazoku were searching for answers… and I saw it… " He buried his head into his hands trying to ease the sudden pain he felt. Not just in his head, but all over his body, and in his chest.
"What did you see?"
"I think… Zelgadis I think…" He looked back up, curling his fists into balls and placing them in his lap. He saw his own frightened face, reflected back in Zelgadis's frightened face. "I think Lina… is the reincarnation of Lord of Nightmares."
Authors Note:
Whoo sah, this thing took forever. Based off a picture I drew and a dream I had. The picture will be uploaded to my DevArt account when I can get to coloring it on my dead family PC. I like the beginning, but I feel the end was rushed, so forgive that. I just really wanted to get it done.