Lina Inverse. The Bandit Killer. The World's Savior. The Falt-Chested Little Girl.
Lina laughed at the last one. Normally, she wouldn't have, but today, under the evening sky, she felt...very happy. She didn't know why. Maybe it was because she thought of her family, her big sister, actually. The times they USED to have, it was fun and joyful. But life separated them. Time changed everything between her big sister and herself......
Eight years earlier.........
"Big sis! Big sis! Are you listening to me?!" said a little red-head to a girl with light purple hair.
"Yeah, sure I am," the other girl said, as she cooked over the steaming stove.
"Do you want me to show you some magic I've learned?! I learned it all by myself, Big sis! But it's not as powerful as yours, though..." the red-headed little girl said.
"Come now, Lina. I'm not that powerful. I'm sure you'll grow up to be just as strong as I am. It just takes time," the older girl said, smiling down at the red-head.
"You think so, Big sister Luna?! I wanna be just like you when I grow up! Do you think I can?!" Lina asked, eyes shining.
"Sure you can. If you work hard enough, that is," Luna said as she kept cooking. 'Not exactly like me, at least just having my powers and putting it into good use would be fine'. She thought.
"I will! I will!" Lina said, jumping around. Then she stopped. "When will mom and dad come back? They've been gone for awhile."
Luna set the pan down and said, "I'm not so sure. But they said this time will be a long journey."
"Why do they have to be mercenaries anyway? I never see their faces anymore," Lina whined.
"Yeah, it's true, but they do what they want to do, we can't stop. Just like I can't stop you from wanting to be a sorceress," Luna said. She wiped her bangs away from her green eyes. Lina always admired her big sister's eyes, just like emeralds shining in the night.
"Okay now Shorty, go play. I need all the room I can get in this kitchen. I'll call you in when lunch's ready," Luna said.
"Okay! Don't call me Shorty!," Lina said and jumped down the chair, running outside, Luna laughed.
Once Lina was gone, Luna heaved a sighed. A voice spoke within Luna's mind.
"Are you not ready, Luna Inverse?" It spoke, voice smooth as silk.
"No I'm not!" Luna said. "Why me? Why now? I still have a little sister to take care of! I won't have anytime to serve you, Ceipheed Lord!"
"It is your Fate to become my Knight. You cannot go against your Fate, my child," Ceipheed Lord said.
"Not yet...not now...wait until my sister can survive the wilds, then I will become your Knight...willingly," Luna said.
"If that will make you willingly become my Knight, then I will wait. Wait until I am sure she can survive the Outside World," Ceipheed Lord said, and his voice disappeared out of Luna's mind.
Luna was sad but she didn't want her little sister to know, so she resumed back to one of her happy faces......
Three years later........
"Big sister? Are you mad at me?" Lina asked. She had been climbing the mountains when she was specifically told not to and halfway up the mountain, she fell. Nothing white healing spells couldn't handle, but Lina was still not skilled with such spells, so her body showed the sign of injuries, not to mention her tattered clothes. Luna didn't say anything but told Lina to take a bath and change her clothes. Once that done, she healed Lina up.
"...yes. I'm mad, very mad. Why did you climb up that mountain when I told you not to?!" Luna yelled at Lina.
"B-because I wanted to show you what I can do...that I CAN do these things...that I could survive being a traveling sorceress...I'm sorry..." Lina said, tears welling up.
"Do you think you can survive alone? In the wilds where you know nothing about it?" Luna asked, wiping Lina's tears away.
"...I know what's out there...I've been studying. Not only magic but also geography, Big sister. We can travel the world just like mom and dad are doing! Together! I've learn how to heal myself up, how to cook, how to...how to do a lot of stuff in the wilds," Lina said.
Luna now had tears in HER eyes...but quickly stopped them.
She grew up too fast... Luna thought. Luna looked into Lina's ruby-red eyes and said, "Get something to eat. Then I want you to go right to bed. As your punishment, you're not able to have second servings."
Lina nodded slightly. "...okay..." She ran off.
Again, Ceipheed Lord spoke in Luna's mind. "She has grown to learn all that is around her. She can survive without your care, Luna Inverse. You said so yourself, long ago, you would become my Knight, willingly, when she is able to survive the Outside World. She is able to now."
"No! No she isn't able to! Can't you see she gets hurt every single day trying to do such things?!" Luna said furiously.
Ceipheed's voice boomed. "YOU ARE NOT ACCEPTING THE TRUTH, LUNA INVERSE. SHE IS ABLE TO SURVIVE AND YOU KNOW IT."
Luna didn't know what to say, so she said nothing. It was true, Lina was able to survive by herself, but going out THERE...she had nobody...
"All right. It is time for me to accept this. But not now. Wait until she is asleep," Luna said and cut the link between Ceipheed and herself......
Three years later......
Thirteen. Lina just turned thirteen two days ago. But why didn't Luna stop working? She would always stop whatever she was doing just to bake her a cake, but not this year...or even the last three years... Lina thought her big sister sort of change ever since that day she told her she would be able to survive in the wilds. More quiet, more strange, more...powerful? Maybe she's still mad at me for saying that, Lina thought. But why?
Luna was almost home and she didn't look forward to being home. Not today, for today she'll have to tell her little sister that she has to go. Lina will ask Where? and she'll have to say Work...
Not knowing, Luna was home. In front of the door, she hesitated to go in. It pains her so to leave her little sister all alone. Luna opened the door and saw Lina sitting on the dinner table. Once she noticed her big sister's entrance, she hopped out of the chair and bounced over to her Big sis.
"You're home! Big sis, I wanted to give you something," Lina said as she pulled out a box.
"Oh? What is it?" Luna said.
Lina shove the little box into her big sister's hands. Luna opened it to see it containing an emerald that was heart-shaped.
Lina smiled. "Do you like it? The color matches your eyes. If you pull your bangs away from your face, that is." Lina pulled the bangs away from her big sister's face, but before Lina could even touch Luna's face, Luna pulled away.
"I...I love it...where did you get the money to buy it? I don't give you any allowance, so where...you didn't steal this, did you?!" Luna asked.
"No! No I didn't! I worked for the money! I kinda got this job at this market being the stock-boy and then I got this job sending messages back and forth...but I didn't tell you..." Lina said.
Luna smiled down at her little sister and produced a box in front of Lina's face. "Happy belated Birthday, sis. It's kind of late, I was busy. Go on, open it."
And Lina did. The box contained a ruby that was shaped like a heart.
[Sidebar: Talk about being coincidental ...]
"Wow! Thanks Big sis!!! ...umm...Big sis...?" Lina started.
"Yeah?" Luna said.
"Well...I was wonderin' if...if...you'd like to travel the world?" Lina asked and deliberately look downward. "You know, together...like I said three years ago..."
Luna was stunned, but she recovered fast and brushed Lina's hair. "I can't...I've got a job to do...and I can't take you with me. Why don't you go alone? And try to do something that matters for a change."
Lina looked up. "You've got to do your job? You mean the waitress job? Then can't you just take an extended vacation?"
Luna smiled and said, "No. It's not that job. I've taken another job, years ago. So you'll just have to go alone."
Lina's eyes was already filled with tears. "...but-but I wanna travel with you, not alone...you're the only one I ever had..." And tears started to stream down Lina's face as she buried her face onto Luna's chest. Luna sighed and patted Lina's back, soothing her...but she only cried harder. Luna cupped Lina's face and looked into her eyes.
"You're a strong girl, Lina. You can survive without me. Maybe even save the world. That's something I'll never be able to do. Why don't you go pack up? It's time you left to seek your fortune," Luna said, smiling warmly.
"But I thought only princesses seek their fortune?" Lina asked.
"Well, whatever. Just go out there and make something of yourself," Luna said. "Well, actually go tomorrow. It's too late now. Go pack. Meanwhile, I'll make the best dinner you'll ever eat in your entire life!"
"OKAY!" Lina cheered as she ran into her room.
Luna smiled once again.
"You've done the right thing, Luna," Ceipheed Lord said.
"Yeah well, she'll have to go someday, right?" Luna said as she got ready to make the meal.
"I wish Luck upon her. She will encounter many adventures in her life. It will depend on her if she desires to continue her journey or to stop," Ceipheed Lord said.
"That's right. And I'm sure Lina will be able to go through ANY obstacles that comes her way," Luna declared.
"I'm sure of it....."
"What did you say?" Luna asked.
Silence.
"Ceipheed?" Luna said. Still no answer. Luna shrugged and continued with her cooking.
The next day, Lina was ready to enter (exit?) the Outside World. Everything's A-OK.
"You ready?" Luna asked.
"Yep. Everything's perfect!" Lina said as she gave Luna a hug.
"Good luck, sis!" Luna said.
"Thanks!" Lina cheered as she went out the village.
"Well, guess I'm stuck being a waitress throughout the whole eternity, huh Ceipheed?" Luna spoke within her mind.
"You are my Knight, Luna Inverse. You are my Knight eternally," Ceipheed Lord said.
Luna Inverse shrugged and looked after the departed Lina Inverse.
"Guess I'm stuck with that," she said and went back to doing her job.......
Present........
Three years. Lina had not seen her sister for three years now. She miss her Big sis, for a long time she thought of visiting her, but...she doesn't have any true fortune yet. Lina doesn't want to go back empty-handed.
Lina took the ruby heart from her cape and observed it. Still in mint condition. This is the one thing that she will never want to sell. No matter how much people offered.
"Ms. Lina?! What are you doing here?!" Amelia asked.
Lina smiled as her friends made their way. She love them [well, maybe not Xelloss, he's freaky]. They were like the family she never had. None of them would ever replace her Big sis though, but they were all very close to her.
"It's dark. What are you doing?" Zel asked as he seated himself.
Lina giggled. "Looking at stars. I love looking at them. Me and my big sister used to look at them for hours!"
"Big sister?" Zel repeated.
"The Knight of Ceipheed, Mr. Zelgadis. Remember? Ms. Lina told us once," Amelia said.
"Oh yes, the Knight of Ceipheed. I wonder if Master visit her nowadays," Xelloss wondered aloud.
"Master? What's that suppose to mean?" Lina said, getting up.
"That's a secret," Xelloss said.
Lina rolled her eyes heavenward. "Whatever. Let's go."
"Where?" They all said in unison.
"To seek our fortune! That's where!" Lina said as she ran into the forest.
"'Seek our fortune'? What was she thinking about just a minute ago?" Zel asked.
"I dunno," Gourry replied.
"Oh well, let's go," Amelia said as she ran after the red-headed sorceress.
The guys shrugged and followed.
"Seeking fortune it is!" They all cheered.
Lina smiled. Someday she'll be able to visit her sister without being empty-handed. She'll make something of herself and then she'll run home and tell her Big sis all about it. Yep, someday......
"Are you not proud of her, Luna? She has saved the world repeatedly. She is to be very proud of," Ceipheed Lord said.
"Yep. I'm proud of her. And soon, she'll run home and tell me all about it...like she used to do," Luna said, smiling.
"..........."
"Yep. Someday......." Luna said and continued her job until the day her little sister comes back home telling her Big sis about all her good times and bad times...all about her adventures.........
(or the author confessing her sins/bad karma): Okay! I'm confessing my sins/bad karma!!! I know that Luna was a Knight of Ceipheed when Lina was younger, but in this story...well, if you read it, you'll find out what's wrong with it. SORRY!!! (;_;) ALSO! I didn't put in the fact that Lina learned the Giga Slave and destroyed the beach or something like that. It's just that I forgot all about it until I was already more than halfway through this story. SORRY!!! (;_;) One more thing that is wrong about this story is that Luna didn't chase Lina away. SORRY!!! (;_;) AND I think the age of Lina starting to travel is wrong. That was only an estimation in my part. SORRY!!! (;_;) And this story has Ceipheed talking too! Ohh...this story is so bad! So out of shape!!! (author wails) PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!
if anybody wants to revise this story and make it more of sense, do so. I don't mind, just tell me that you did do it so I can read it!