"You be okay," a happy voice said. It was not sad, upset, or worried, just carefree. Gourry could hear this voice bleakly trying to place who it was. The voice didn't seem familiar. Who was it? He tried to open his eyes, see where he was, who was with him, and hear what had happened. He couldn't remember. All he remembered was being knocked unconscious by hitting his head against a large wooden object. Everything else was unknown... His eyelids refused to open. Trying to move required all his strength and his wounds stung terribly.
He listened to the sounds around him... Lots of small hyper voices like children, unknown words that were blurred... music?
He moaned , managing to say only one thing in his injured condition.
"Lina..." He said in a soft voice. He forced his eyes open, gasping in pain but not screaming. Everything was blurred but he could make out some of his surroundings though it hurt to focus. Nothing had any detail. It was just an outline.
It was a dark, damp cave, lit by bright lights all around. It hurt his eyes to stare into them and he turned away. He could feel hay beneath himself comforting him like a bed. The upbeat music began playing louder like someone was having a party, but he could not see anyone. He stirred and immediately figures surrounded him, looking over him, his vision too blurred to see them. They seemed... White!
"Mog-chan, kupopo!" He heard one of them yell. He was confused. What the hell were they talking about? He sighed.
What's going on... Lina, where are you? He thought. He saw another figure approaching him and he forced his eyes all the way open. They really were white! Short, completely white creatures with slanted eyes. They also had big pink noses and wings. Gourry screamed. What kind of monsters were holding him? What would they do to him?
"What wrong?" A cheerful voice asked. Gourry tried to move but his muscles hurt too much. He gasped and fell back down to the hay pile. He closed his eyes trying to forget about them.
A relaxing music began playing... Gourry recognized the song as "Born to Love You" from the Rumic World series, which he enjoyed watching. He sighed and felt more relaxed. His muscles felt healed and his body felt limp. He could not keep a steady hold on his thoughts, the music seeming to deepen into his brain. He fell asleep instantly.
He awoke to more upbeat songs. "Get a Chance" and "Ru-Ru-Ru Russian Roulette". His vision was no longer blurred. He looked down and saw that he was wearing bandages over all his wounds. He felt so remedied. He could move without screaming and was able to sit up. He looked down at his hands, almost shivering. He saw drops of dried blood on them. Something in him snapped. Lina...
He saw the figures surround him again and he remembered how strange looking they were. But with his vision clearer they seemed friendly and cute. He smiled knowing that they must have saved him. He should be far from afraid. He should be grateful. But no matter how much he tried to focus on them he would feel the blood on his hand and all he could think about was if Lina was okay.
"You okay?" One asked happily. Gourry nodded trying to look natural. He decided to get right to the point and get his questions answered.
" Yes... What happened?" He asked in a soft voice. The group of creatures looked at one another in confusion. Gourry grabbed his head in pain. " I don't remember..."
" Umaro find, bring to moogle!" It replied in simplest terms. Gourry looked even more confused now. And what was with the choppy English?
"What? Where is this?" He asked trying to clear the rest of his questions.
" Is cave of Narshe."
"And where is that?!"
"On Island of Final Fantasy... You head okay?"
Gourry shook his head. He then remembered that Sailoon had been on search for new land and had discovered the New World along with an island to the west. Unfortunately, the island had a whole civilization of it's own and had no land to claim. Sailoon had only decided to send ships to the New World instead, for that reason. They called the island Final Fantasy. And they had left it completely alone and to itself.
That's right! The New World! He had been sailing to the New World with Lina, Ameria, and Zelgadis. But a tempest came and tore their ship apart, and he was thrust into the sea. If the New World and this Island were so close, it was possible that he could have been washed up there by the sea.
He gazed back down at his hands. So, where was Lina then?
"Is Narshe by the ocean?" Gourry asked.
One nodded. "On other side of the mountains... Umaro found you on the coast and brought you to us," it replied.
"What are you?" He said in a worried voice. They all laughed and the same one kept answering.
" You not from here? We called Moogles. Umaro is big! They call him snow man! He friend of Moogle and will do anything we ask. If you see him don't be afraid," it explained.
" I'm from across the world. I've heard of this Island... But I never imagined I'd be here. Your creatures look harmless. Did you heal me?" He said feeling a little more safe.
They nodded.
"Moogle your friend. You hurt so we dance and make better!" One answered. " My name Mog. I the only one who speak English. I pick up lot from Terra. The rest can no speak.," Mog said. Gourry laughed.
"I'm Gourry. It looks like I have a lot to learn!" He said.
Moogles were the strangest creatures Gourry had come in contact with. Each day their dances would heal more wounds. It was different than the magic from where he came from. He began standing and walking, healing all the time from the strange dances of extreme power. It was so wondrous.
Music was the motivation of the Moogle's powers, and they had to listen to it all the time to be able to use their magic skills. Gourry got used to it and began dancing with them to help his body get used to movement. Their dancing was amazing and it was hard for him to keep up, but he got some real useful tips.
The Sword of Light had washed up with him, never leaving his side. The Moogles kept it safe until Gourry was feeling better. He used everyday to help his movement, training in the dark caves. He was used to that environment now, but everything seemed so dark and alone. Without Lina by his side, Gourry felt the same way.
Mog became his friend quickly, since his English was at a level that Gourry could understand. He found out that the Moogles stayed in the caves to avoid outside troubles and be carefree all the time. Narshe had too many problems with the Empire. But Mog believed that to really be carefree and happy you have to destroy the evil of the world. He was a fighter and companion with a resistance called "The Returners".
"The first time I enter the outside I had been kidnapped by fox who was a thief. I was on the brink of being thrown out of the mountains of Narshe when he was saved by girl named Terra and a team named The Returners," Mog explained. "In return I join them in making world peace against Kefka... Unfortunately, we have no destroyed him yet, but carefree days of happiness are coming. We try to enjoy the best of the world!" He paused. "Well, I get back to dance now. Was fun talk. Next time Gourry tell about yourself?" Mog asked. Gourry nodded trying to look more enthusiastic than he really was.
Mog smiled and walked back through the tunnels toward the home of the Moogles. Gourry stood up, trying to continue training with his sword, since Mog had interrupted him to talk the first time. He couldn't aim at anything. He couldn't concentrate right. He sighed and sat back down on the damp stone.
But how can I be so carefree and happy without Lina? He thought. Tears rolled down his cheeks and he began crying alone in the darkness.
"Look, look! I have two pair!" Jirasu yelled slamming down his cards in excitement. Kurabos looked down at his hand and moaned.
"I'm never going to win..." He said in an annoyed voice. Valgarb sighed and laid down his cards.
"Flush," he said in a soft voice. Jirasu leaned forward and examined the cards carefully. His eyes got all watery in disappointment.
"Until I win I can't throw any bombs!" He cried, remembering their deal for the betting. His impulse of explosives was terrible and without them he didn't feel at all the same. Valgarb laughed at his winning streak over the two.
"Val... garb..." A deep voice said from the shadows of the room, sounding angry and evil. He froze in fear and slowly turned around at the familiar voice. Arumeisu was standing in the corner of the room, looking over him with an angry look. Valgarb fell over in his chair.
"Why sir... You're back so soon..." He said in an annoyed voice, with a look of disappointment on his face. Having the master gone was about the only time where he had free time from looking for the legendary swords to bring Dark Star to rebirth. Arumeisu grunted.
"Damn right I am! I take my eyes off you for a second and you start goofing off! You never do as your told!" He said in his familiar speech about respecting you Mazoku masters. Valgarb yawned in remembrance.
"Cut out the lecturing, would you? Everyone needs a break. You went off to find out what happened to Lina Inverse after we lost track of her boat in the storm, so what's going on?" He asked.
"Lina Inverse and her team has been shipwrecked on Final Fantasy. They've all split up and Gourry still has the Sword of Light with him. However, he is there alone and without the rest of the team. It would be easy to attack them," Arumeisu replied.
"So, what do you expect me to do? Follow them?" He said in a sarcastic tone. He laughed thinking of the ridiculous idea. There was no way he would actually send him all that way just for a sword. Arumeisu got a serious look on his face, sobering Valgarb back up, then he simply nodded.
"That's exactly what I want you to do!" He ordered. Valgarb gasped, staring at him with an astonished look. Arumeisu looked over at Kurabos and Jirasu in the corner looking confused. "And bring them with you! They might make good body guards. There is a boat ready for sail outside. I wish you luck," He said trying to rush them out as soon as possible.
Valgarb looked over at his two companions who seemed to have satisfied looks on their faces, having been chosen by the main boss who never paid any attention to them. His job was to deal with Valgarb, but this time around they actually got to tag along. He sighed in an annoyed way.
"Oh, god... This is going to be a lot worse than bad..."
"My name is Gourry Gabriev. I come from across the world. My world has a seal around it that allows different kinds of magic to be casted. This seal is created by a group of beasts named the Mazoku. I became a mercenary to defeat them and I met lots of great friends; Lina, Ameria, and Zelgadis are the closest of them. We travel all sorts of places together, destroying the Mazoku," Gourry explained to Mog, sitting beside him in the caves, a soft echo expanding.
Mog looked down at his Sword of Light.
"What that?" He asked. Gourry gasped.
"Oh, this... It's one of my family treasures. It's a legendary sword now named The Sword of Light. I would die if it hadn't washed up with me," Gourry continued. Mog looked closely at Gourry's face noticing tear marks.
"You crying?"
"I'm just worried about my friends... I don't know what happened to them. You see, we were on our way to the New World, but our boat broke down and a tempest separated us. I don't know where they are..." He said in a sad voice. "They really might be dead..."
Mog still tried to look more happy than he was to cheer Gourry up, but he felt really sorry for him.
"Ameria your girlfriend?" Mog asked. Gourry fell over in frustration.
"Hell no!"
"Then Lina?" Mog continued. Gourry shook his head.
"It wasn't anything like that..." He said.
"I could fly away with my dragon wings and abandon you right now if I weren't such a nice master..." Valgarb said in an irritated voice. Jirasu and Kurabos just sat ignoring him and making as much noise as possible.
"Boss, can I throw a bomb now?" Jirasu asked.
"No! Now shut up!" He commanded. They put their hands over their mouths, obediently doing their orders. "Damn you, Arumeisu! Why do you have to send me to the middle of no where!? I can't even teleport that far!!" He screamed.
"Uh...Boss..." Kurabos began. Valgarb turned to him with angry eyes.
"What?"
"I think we forgot the map..." He finished.
"You two are so stupid!!! Can't you do anything right?! Now we don't know where we're going!" He cried.
"Don't worry boss, let's just have a nice vacation!" Jirasu said as he pulled out a soda and sun hat. " Let the ocean flow."