Lina stood staring at the three graves in front of her. The funeral had ended half an hour ago, but she still stood there. Not believing, not wanting it to be true. She knelt down to the first grave and murmured the name on it, "Amelia."
A tear trickled down her cheek as images of the justice-loving princess flashed through her mind. Images, of when she had laughed, cried and...died. Amelia, her best friend. She...she was like her sister. Amelia, the girl so full of life and justice lay now in a coffin, sleeping an eternal sleep in which she could never wake from. Death.
Lina got up and went to the next grave. She smiled a little as she remembered how Zelgadiss acted like he didn't care for anyone, when in truth he cared deeply for his friends. In a way he was like her, hiding his feelings. He, like Lina, tried to protect his friends in all the fights they fought together. Lina's smile sadden at the fact that he, like her, wasn't able to save their friends in the end.
Lina then went to the last grave. She could barely read the name on the grave because her eyes were so full of unshed tears. Gourry, her protector. The forever brave swordsman that would always smile at her. Tears began to spill from her eyes as she remembered how Gourry smiled ever bravely at her as he died.
Lina fell to the ground and put her head in her lap and cried as she remembered how it all happened. Xelloss had tricked them once again. But this trick was worse then any other. Xelloss had used Lina and Co. to revive Shabranigdu. He had separated Lina from her friends and the man they were protecting, then led the others into an unidentified shrine. The man they were supposed to protect was the body Shabranigdu was reincarnated into. By the time Lina got there Amelia, Zelgadiss, and Gourry were already dying. Lina defeated Shabranigdu once again by using the Giga Slave. She then went to check on her friends. Amelia lay on the ground next to Zelgadiss, barely breathing.
"Amelia hang on I'll heal you."
"No Miss Lina, you can't," Amelia whispered with tears in her eyes.
"Don't say that! I'm Lina Inverse, I can do anything."
"Don't be sad Miss Lina. I...I died fighting for justice," Amelia said as she coughed up some blood. Amelia gazed up into Lina's eyes smiling as she whispered, "I--I love you Lina. Always...you were always like a sister to me." All color then left Amelia's bright blue eyes and she died.
Lina looked at Amelia shocked. She couldn't believe that the lively princess was dead. Lina closed her eyes tight until the tears subsided and then turned her attention to Zelgadiss. "Don't worry about me Lina. I'll be with Amelia soon. Go check on Gourry."
"No Zel..."
"Lina I said go!" Zelgadiss' voice was as cold as ice, but when Lina looked into his eyes she saw it twinkled with love and companionship.
"Fine," Lina said as she got up, "but when I finish healing Gourry I'll come back and heal you." After Lina said this she knew that he'd be dead by then, and a cold empty feeling passed throughout her whole body. Lina took one last look at her two dear friends and then turned and ran calling out Gourry's name, all the while keeping tears from falling from her ruby red eyes. "Gourry! Gourry! Where are you!"
"Over here," a soft voice whispered from behind some rubble. Lina ran over to him and immediately started healing him. "Lina..."
"Shh. I already lost Amelia and Zel...I'm not going to lose you!"
Gourry reached up and caressed Lina's cheek. "You'll never lose me Lina, I'll always be in your heart."
"Shut up Gourry! Don't talk like that! You're going to live!" Lina shouted as her voice began to crack.
"I love you Lina," Gourry whispered, holding her eyes in his. Gourry smiled his last smile as his hand fell from her cheek.
"No! You can't leave me! You can't!"
Lina looked up at the graves in front of her and wiped away her tears. "There's no use in living any more. My only friends are dead and...I'm all alone." Lina reached for her dagger and brought it to her throat. The dagger made a light thud when it hit the ground. "No, I can't do this," Lina whispers. "I must live on for justice, like Amelia would. I must live on in memory of my friends, like Zelgadiss would. And I must be brave, like Gourry."
Lina got up and walked away, but just when the graves were almost out of sight she turned around and whispered, letting tears fall freely from her eyes, "Good-bye my friends."