"LIGHTING!" Lina called. And an orb of light appeared between her hands. Lina smiled as she looked at it and then glanced at Gourry. "You see it, right?"

He nodded as he folded his arms across his chest and fought against the urge to cry. There she was, powerful and mentally competent again. Of course, she had always been powerful, hadn't she? He remembered fighting mighty enemies. He remembered seeing Lina do the impossible and falling in love with her for so bravely taking on such malicious foes with a can do attitude. It was all so vivid and real! And it had all been stripped from her, somehow.

Unless this is the fake world. The thought welled within him before he could suppress it. Had he lost his sanity? But then again, if that was the case, how could he have a shared delusion with Lina? He bit his tongue. He wanted this world to be the real one. In this world he was a hero who stood by the woman he loved. In the other world he was a coward who had abandoned his wife. While life was far from perfect in this world, but it was a damn site better. So he couldn't exactly say he didn't have a preference.

Making matters even more confusing was that he had two different sets of memories to shift through. Somehow in the fake world, if it was fake, he'd gained memories of growing up in the village. In there most of his family was alive. But here, most of them had died over the fight for the Sword of Light. But at least the memories came to him in some sort of logical sense now rather than a tangled jumble that was impossible to sort through.

Gourry decided it was time for some explanations, and he could tell from the look on Lina's face that she was thinking the same thing. Casually she let go of the light spell and glanced at Xellos. "So, how much of this are you going to explain?"

"Quite a bit, actually." He said, "For once it suits my purposes."

Lina stared at him suspiciously. "Alright then. Just what was that world?"

Naga sat on a log as Xellos started to explain, "That world is a pocket universe created by a demon named Kitsune. She lures people there with promises of wealth and power and then traps them in a world designed to cause them great emotional pain. She feeds off the pain and agony the people who wander in feel until they give up and die."

Gourry shuddered as Lina looked at Xellos as if evaluating the merits of what he was saying. "So you're saying that world was designed to cause us pain? How?"

"Kitsune has the ability to implant memories and create intricate delusions in human minds." Xellos said.

"Delusions?" Lina repeated,.

"Isn't it obvious? In reality you are a powerful sorceress who people take very seriously if they know what is good for them. In there you were a nut case and ridiculed and completely dominated by your formidable sister."

Lina bristled a little as Xellos continued, "And for a man like Gourry who values family so much, to be trapped in a loveless marriage was its own form of torture."

Gourry felt sick. If that was the case, then Kitsune was a truly malicious being. It had been agonizing for him to think he was in a loveless marriage, and worse, while in love with someone who wasn't his wife. But what must that have been like for Sylphiel? The guilt he felt for not being able to return her feelings pulsed as Lina folded her arms across her chest and looked disturbed.

"So what was real? And what wasn't? I mean, we went in with Zel, Amelia and Sylphiel. And only Gourry and I came out, with Naga. But there were people there I knew…"

"That's the tricky part. Some of the people you meet in that world are real. Others are delusions, based on people that those trapped in the world really know."

"So my sister and parents aren't in that world?" Lina clarified.

"Probably not."

Lina nodded and relaxed a little. "But Zel, Amelia and Sylphiel are."

"Indeed."

Lina took a deep breath, "Any idea why Naga and I had memories of the real world and appeared crazy?"

"That, I believe, is a result of your high magical capacity." Xellos said, "It would appear that Naga is almost as powerful as you."

"Almost?" Naga said indignantly.

"Just let him talk." Lina snapped.

"An elf or dragon would have been able to see the deception for what it was because of their high magical capacity. But most humans don't have a capacity high enough to see it. However, it appears yours was high enough that the spell didn't completely take hold of your mind and caused you to see both worlds, but not high enough for you to be able adequately see both worlds as they really were at the same time. As a result, you must have tried to combine both worlds you were seeing into one. It must have been very confusing for you."

"Yeah." Lina said as a haunted look passed over her face. Gourry fought down an impulse to hug her, and then wondered why he was fighting it. In this world he wasn't married. Why had he never put in the effort to being more than a friend?

"Okay, Xellos. So, why did you get involved?"

Xellos smiled and Gourry shuddered. "We Mazoku often frequent the world for a little snack. Imagine my surprise to find you there! I did tell Kitsune that as long as you four were together she would never manage to break you, so I decided to muddy the waters a bit."

Gourry felt cold as Lina glared at Xellos, "Break us?"

"That's what Kitsune does! She gradually breaks her victims until they finally die, seeing that they've endured as much sorrow and agony as possible."

Lina's hands bunched into fists, "So you were enjoying our pain and trying to cause more?"

"Bingo!" Xellos said happily. "Only it appears that my decision had some unexpected consequences."

"How's that?" Lina asked.

"It forced you to fight Kitsune. Indirectly at least." Xellos said, "You and Gourry made a decision to be happy. And once you made that decision her control over you started to slip."

"Is that why I started remembering my past?" Gourry asked.

"Most likely." Xellos said, "But while things got better for you and Gourry, things have turned, well, rather badly for Zel and Amelia."

"What do you mean?" Lina asked, her voice low.

Xellos chuckled. "Well, let's just say, Kitsune was able to create quite the villain based on your memories of your sister."

Lina looked at him in horror for a minute. "So that's why you're cooperating for once. You know that if I know this there's no way I'm going to leave them there."

"Correct." Xellos said, and Gourry was seized with the desire to punch the smug smile off his face.

"So you're looking forward to feeding off of us again."

"It is always a pleasure."

Lina punched a nearby tree as Naga said, "No way I'm ever going back in there! It felt so horrible!"

"Amelia is a princess of Seyruun." Lina said, "There'll be a huge reward for saving her."

Naga stood up, "You mean that Amelia is in there?"

"Whaddaya mean 'that Amelia?'" Lina shrieked. "Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun, what other Amelia is there!?"

"What are you doing, taking my sister to a place like that?"

"Your sister?" Lina asked, "Since when was Amelia your sister?"

"Since she was born!" Naga said.

"Wait, that means you're…" Lina shook her head.

"Hey Lina," Gourry said, "So if Amelia is a Seyruun princess, and Naga is her sister, then that would also mean that she is a Seyruun princess!"

"Well it's not something I like to flaunt." Naga said.

"Oh, is that why you wear that?" Gourry asked.

Naga laughed, Gourry cringed. Lina pulled her hair out.

"Well, best of luck to you!" Xellos said.

"Hey, wait!" Lina yelled, but it was too late. He had already disappeared. "Figures."

Gourry walked up beside her. "What now, Lina?"

Lina took a deep breath. "We eat. Then we plan."

For the first time in days, Gourry felt full. He relished the feeling as he leaned back in his chair while Lina got out a map. The longer he was in this world, the more right things felt, and gradually his worries about having left his sanity behind started to abate. It made sense that he could walk for a solid day without feeling sore as he was accustomed to it. And the small meals he was eating in the other world did little to quench his appetite. And things just felt more natural in this world. It just felt right. And he had learned years ago to trust his intuition.

Now it looked as though his biggest worry was the fact that they would have to return to the other world.

Lina frowned as she scrutinized the map. "The last I can remember, we were in Georgpat. But now we're several days away in Fleeman." She got out a quill and drew a line between the towns, "Let's assume that this area is under Kitsune's domain. Let's also assume that if we came back the way we came out in Fleeman, then we would have to travel for several days in that world just to find the others."

"All while being as crazy as a rabid dog." Naga added with a shudder.

"Exactly." Lina said grimly, and Gourry felt his sympathy surge for them. While he wasn't too happy with himself in that world, at least he'd been in possession of his mental facilities. The few times he wasn't it was terrible! He couldn't imagine constantly having to live like that. "So our best bet is to travel back to Georgpat. Hopefully if we enter her world through there, we'll wind up close to the others."

Gourry nodded in agreement even as something else troubled him, "Hey Lina," he said, "If this Kit person can rewrite our memories, what's to stop her from making us forget what happened when we escaped her world? Or rewriting our memories again?"

Lina bit her lip. "What's scary is that that is a good point." Lina stared out the window as Naga took a sip of ale. "If we go back there only to forget everything that happened since escaping, then there's no way that we could save the others. But we still can't just leave them there."

"Well, maybe since we know what's going to happen, that will give us some sort of advantage?" Gourry offered half-heartedly. It seemed like a huge risk to take.

Naga chugged the ale, "This is crazy! By going back we just risk losing all six of us. Three of us getting out is better than none of us getting out."

Lina turned red and slammed her fists on the table, "Dammit! Why didn't I insist on Zel and Amelia coming with us?"

"It was risky enough just asking me." Gourry said, "Zel might have, but Amelia never would have left her father."

"Daddy's in there?" Naga asked with a hiccup.

Lina bit her lip, "We didn't go in with Phil, so I don't think it's the real Phil." Lina exhaled, "But that leads to another problem. Even assuming the best case scenario happens and we somehow retain our memories of this, how are we going to convince Sylphiel to leave?"

Gourry felt that sense of guilt wash through him again. He thought briefly about telling Sylphiel that he wanted to start fresh with her somewhere else. But the lie would just seem too cruel once they got back to this world where her parents and hometown were dead and destroyed.

"This is crazy." Naga mumbled, "It's suicide going back there."

"So we're just supposed to write the others off?" Lina shot back. "I'd hate to have to explain to Phil why we didn't do everything we could to save Amelia."

Naga scoffed and walked away to the bar as Lina folded her arms across her chest. "What about you?" she asked.

"Huh?" Gourry said.

"Do you think we should just thank our lucky stars we got out and leave them behind?"

"No." he said as he resisted the urge to grab her hand. Then he wondered why he was resisting. Strangely, in Kitsune's world where they had more barriers to romance they had been more affectionate with each other. The fears that Kitsune's world was the real one asserted itself again. Why hadn't he pursued Lina before? All of his excuses about being scared to sending her packing just seemed so hollow after experiencing a world where they had real barriers to a romance.

He took her hand. She looked at him, surprised as he did everything he could to project a confidence he was having a hard time feeling. "I'm not looking forward to it, but we just can't leave them there. Besides, I know you. You'll find a way to pull this off."

Lina looked like she was about to ask him something, but instead she nodded, "Yeah, being mentally prepared has to count for something. I guess this means we'd better find Zel first, he'd be the easiest to convince. And if need be, we can just knock Sylphiel out and drag her back here."

She smiled as a look of relief washed over her face as she put her hand over his. "And it will take us a few days to get back to Georgpat. I'm sure we'll think of something between now and then. In the meantime, I'm going to take a bath and think on it a little."

"Okay. I'll be in my room if you need anything."

Gourry polished his sword, lost in thought. An hour ago he had been so convinced that this was the real world. But as he left the dining hall to go to his room, he started to doubt again. When they had booked rooms at the inn, only two were available, and Lina had seemed to indicate she would bunk up with Naga. Once again, their inability to be romantically intimate with each other was puzzling. Especially after sharing a bedroll and a hotel room since fleeing the village.

He set the sword down and stared out the window. If the other world really was fake, then why had he and Lina never progressed romantically here? Neither of them were married. Lina had ways of protecting herself from pregnancy. They certainly loved each other. But yet they never moved forward.

The excuses that rose in his mind rung hollow. She was younger than him. She wasn't ready yet. He didn't want to push her. He was scared of a good working relationship turning sour should romance be added to the mix. None of it made any sense!

So did that mean that the other world was real? And he was married? That would certainly explain why he never pursued Lina romantically.

Yet as soon as he made the decision to leave Sylphiel had had no qualms at becoming cuddly with Lina, even if he did stop it at a certain point. If he could do it there, why couldn't he here?

Someone knocked at the door. "Come in." he said.

Lina walked in, obviously having just gotten out of the bath. Her hair was still damp and the smell of lavender bath oil tickled his nose. She also wore a pink bathrobe, her stuff gathered in a bag by her side. Quietly she closed the door behind her, and from the expression on her face he could tell something was troubling her. "Hey, what's up?" he asked as he sat on a chair.

She sat on the bed facing him, gripping the edge of the mattress as she did. "Hey, um, I was wondering…"

She suddenly turned bright red as the words seemed to choke in her throat. He became slightly alarmed. He'd rarely seen her like this! "What is it?" he asked, trying to sound gentle.

She took a deep breath, "I know it's not really any of my business. I mean, but I just…I was wondering…I…" Her fists tightened even more fully around the mattress as she finally spit it out, "Did you sleep with Sylphiel?"

Gourry's eyes widened. She looked both embarrassed and vulnerable as she stared at his feet. Lightly, he grabbed her hands, "No."

He didn't explain that he had memories of being with Sylphiel before he'd met her in that other world. But he was fairly certain that, if the other world was fake, then those were fake as well. Lina relaxed a little. "I just, I mean, you were married to her, but you just left with me, and she's so…so perfect, and I was just a raving..."

"Hush," Gourry whispered, and suddenly it was crystal clear to him that this was the real world and the other the fake one. He squeezed her hands reassuringly. "Look, that Kistune may have re-written our memories and pulled one over on us. But she couldn't take away what you mean to me, and what I feel for you."

Lina turned her gaze to him as he reached a hand out to caress her cheek. "Because the love I feel for you is so strong that even seeing you just as some raving lunatic couldn't destroy it!"

Lina smiled a little, "Love?" she asked playfully.

He stroked her hair, "Yeah. I mean, isn't that why you came to me for help and not the others?"

Lina nodded and then laughed a little, "Yeah, I guess not even thinking you were married could stop me."

"Well, you are Lina Inverse, and you get what you want." He smiled and reached forward to gather her in his arms as he pulled her to him. "Come here." He growled as he kissed her.