Chapter Four

"No."

"WHAT?! After what I screamed at you before? After all of the emphasis I put on it? After our wonderful bonding moment?"

"Yes, and no."

"Whyyyyyyy?!"

Gourry winced, holding his head in his hands. It had been a simple question, but now he wished that Lina hadn't asked.

"No, don't ask," he had said to her. "Let's just try it first, see if they notice, and if they don't, no one's the wiser."

"Gourry," Lina had said sternly. "I don't like being dishonest, and besides, we're all adults here. I'm sure they'll understand."

Apparently not, Gourry thought dryly.

"My house, my rules," Luka answered sternly. "You don't like it? Go to an inn."

Lina bared her teeth, her eyes blazing. "You're being unreasonable. It's not like Gourry and I have no self-control and will spend the whole night at it like rabbits!" she hissed.

Gourry went bright red at the thought, and was glad that Lina wasn't in the room.

"Augh, gods!" Gourry heard Delmas's voice from further down the hall. "Nononono."

"I'm saying we WON'T!" Lina snapped.

"No," Luka said again, her voice so firm that it clearly spelled the end of the conversation. "I see no ring on your finger. You will not sleep with some man in the same bed under this roof. He sleeps on the couch, or not at all."

"Since when have you been so old-fashioned?" Lina demanded, holding her hands up in a helpless manner. "Since when has it mattered if anyone is married or not? Wasn't Luna born before you were--"

"Hey, leave me out of this!" Luna's voice cut in.

Luka broke in abruptly. "Look, you asked, I said no. If you didn't want to hear the answer, you should have just done what you wanted and we would have been none the wiser."

Gourry sighed deeply.

"But you asked, which I appreciate, but the answer is still 'hell no'!"

"HELL NO," Delmas boomed from wherever he was.

Lina winced, but her eyes were cold. "Okay then. We'll go stay in an inn."

Gourry got to his feet and rushed over. "Lina, no, listen..."

Lina held up her hand. Luka crossed her arms over her chest, as if waiting for something. Lina inhaled sharply, then said, as calm as she could, "I respect your wishes, Mama, but because I love Gourry the way I do, and have grown used to him by my side, he and I will spend the night in an inn. If you like, we can return in the morning for breakfast, and then discuss my apprenticeship further. Does that sound fair?"

Luka raised an eyebrow, then grinned. She turned and called over her shoulder, "Told you!"

The sound of Delmas's grumbling was the only reply.

Luka slapped her hand down on the top of Lina's head. She gave the younger woman a shake. "It's fine. You can stay in your room with Gourry."

Lina stared, her eyes narrowing. "What."

Luka looked thrilled. "It was a test! We wanted to see if you could actually be mature for once!" She gave Lina a final shake, then let go and walked away, chuckling heartily.

"BUT NO HANKY-PANKY," Delmas boomed.

Lina gaped at her mother's retreating form. Gourry, feeling exhausted already, leaned in close and nudged her. She leaned against him in a crumple. "Why is my family so stupid?" she moaned.

X X X

Despite the shaky start, the evening actually went well. Lina's original bed was actually pretty small for two people, especially for one of Gourry's size, and in the end, it was either squish together and risk severe falls, or set up a makeshift bed on the floor of the room. Since both were hardened travellers, it was a relief to be in a room with a comfy floor, so neither minded the second option (although Gourry, being Gourry, did offer to stay on the floor while Lina took the bed, which was denied).

When they were settled, Lina curled up close to Gourry, surprising him. Usually it was he that initiated the close contact between them.

Lina snuggled into his chest, breathing in his scent, it mingling with the scents of home. It made her feel older and younger all at once. She closed her eyes and whispered, "I'm so tired."

Gourry pulled her in closer. "Of what?" he wondered.

Lina smiled. It was just the right way to answer. "I'm tired of running around, Gourry," she said softly, her smile fading.

"I know," Gourry nodded, closing his eyes and pulling the blanket over the two of them. "It's been a hectic few years, hasn't it?"

"To say the least," Lina agreed. She reached up and clutched onto the front of his pajama top tightly, biting her lip. She opened her eyes halfway. "Gourry," she said, her voice so soft that it sounded more like a whisper of wind. "Don't you think we've waited long enough?"

Gourry opened his eyes. "If you're worried because of what your mom said--"

"No, it's not that," Lina shook her head, although it was a little bit of that. "It's just...don't you think we should?"

Gourry shrugged. "I always just assumed we would. There's no rush, is there?"

"No, I guess not." Lina agreed.

"Besides," he went on, yawning in between. "You still need to learn that forgey-thingy first, right?"

He sounded drowsy. It was lulling her into sleepiness. "Mmhm," she agreed.

"It would be useful to brush up on that, too," Gourry was saying, his voice sluggish. "I know how to forge, but not with magic. I could use a reminder."

"Mm," Lina replied, nuzzling in closer and looping her arms around his waist, one over his stomach, one under him and around his back.

"Magic, huh?" Gourry said, before he, too, was brought into sleep.

X X X

It was rare, but occasionally, Lina dreamt of things, significant things. It happened after Rezo was killed, and it happened when Gourry was kidnapped by Phibrizzo, so while it wasn't unusual, it was still rather rare.

That night, on the floor of her childhood home, Lina had a similar dream.

She was tiny, barely able to run on her own legs. She hadn't had her first growth spurt yet, so she was still chubby and ungainly. Her hair, a frizzed-out mess, obscured her dirty and grinning face. She stood in front of her older sister, who was also alot younger.

"Magic is everything, Lina-chan," Luna was saying, her voice high-pitched but wise-sounding. "It's the life of the world, the blood of the universe. Light and dark, good and evil, and all in between, it's everything."

"Why?" Lina asked.

"Why what?"

"Why is there bad and evil?" Lina demanded.

"Because that's part of life," Luna answered sternly. "Every single lifeform on this planet has the means to be either good or bad, and at least once in each life they are either one or the other. It all depends on how you make your choices, Lina-chan."

"Oh," Lina nodded slowly. She liked Luna, and liked how she would talk to her normally like this.

"When you're older, you'll probably end up doing things that may brand you as evil," Luna continued, "but if you rise up from it, and ultimately are good, it will be vindicated."

"Vindi--what?"

"It will be made up for."

"Ohhh."

Lina's attention wandered, her eyes going to the side. In that split second, everything changed. She was no longer a child learning the meaning of life at her sister's knee; she was fifteen, standing in front of a piece of the Dark Lord, her heart racing, panicking, gasping for breath as she spoke the words that could make or break the universe.

And again, before the childlike Dark Lord of Death, this time knowing the cost, and not caring, all for the sake of the one man that she loved.

Was that her moment of evil? Had she had her moment of evil?

Lina awoke, not with a start, but just by her eyes snapping open. She breathed in deeply, trying to remember where she was. It took her a few moments, the disorientation so great, but eventually she remembered. She and Gourry were tangled once again, and carefully, she pulled away, got to her feet, and trudged out of the room, desperate for some water.

She went into the kitchen and used the well pump. The water was icy cold and slightly metallic tasting, full of nostalgia and comfort. She drank deeply, her eyes unfocused. She listened, and the house was quiet and peaceful, broken by the occasional snore.

Lina wasn't sure how long she stood there, sipping water and staring into space, but soon she sensed that her sister was behind her. She didn't turn, but whispered, "You still do that really well."

"What's the point of being an older sister if you can't sneak up and scare your younger sister?" Luna replied, standing behind her and copying the way she stood, leaning on the kitchen counter.

"Heh," Lina said, managing a half-smile. "I guess. You sure know how to scare me effortlessly, even now."

"You totally deserved it, and you know it," Luna answered.

"I know it," Lina agreed.

For a brief moment, they stood together in silence. Then Luna, her voice sounding careful, said, "Why are you awake, imouto?"

Lina sighed. "I don't even know."

Luna brushed her bangs out of her face, and for a rare moment, Lina caught a glimpse of her eyes, which were a stunning red-brown colour that glinted brightly in the dark. "Yes, you do," she corrected, her mouth set into a frown.

"Yes, I do," Lina agreed, looking away glumly. "I'm just...have you ever woken up one day and realised you were just...done?"

"Seeing as how I never began, I can't say I've had that experience, imouto," Luna said, smiling a little.

Lina nodded slowly, taking her quip seriously. "I've always had wanderlust. Always. I can't stay in one place for very long. I've been everywhere, mostly, and until I stepped foot here, I wanted to keep going. The moment I saw Zephilia and my feet touched the soil, it died. And you know what, Luna-san?" Her eyes met her sister's, wide and passionate. "You know something? I was glad to feel it die. I thought, 'good riddance'!"

Luna smiled at her. She reached up, touched Lina's cheek with the palm of her hand, and said, "You're an adult, imouto."

Lina shook her head, pulling away from her touch. "I don't feel like one," she admitted. "I just feel so...tired."

Luna laughed. "Sounds like adulthood to me."

Lina made a face, and Luna said, "Learn the trade, imouto. Then go from there." She gave Lina's cheek another pat, then walked back down the hallway.

Lina's long sigh echoed throughout the hall. She had no idea what to do. And it scared her.