Sorry...guys!!!!
Minna-san throwing vegetables and paperballs at the writer.
Miss "L": Eeep! ::hids behind a convent wall and waves a white flag:: I'm very sorry but my computer wouldn't let me finish so I had to create a new screen. I know that fifteen is the last chpt....Hey...it can still be! ::cracks fingers:: OK! This is: Chapter 15 continues...
And I promise you this is the last chptr for this fic. Well...Bai-Bai!!
This is actually going to be recorded as Chapter 16, however.
Everyone turned around and grinned (Xellos was giving more of a vengeful one) as they saw that Lina and Zelgadiss aren't the only ones who just became an item. Who knew dragons can look so kawaii when their cheeks give a pinkish glow and shyly holding hands.
"Great! So I guess that means...." his goofy smile beamed as he stood in front of the confused shrine maiden.
The group gasped once they saw him went down on one knee and pulled out a small black satin box. Syphiel's eyes danced in excitement when he open it and the hinges creaked. All of them, more specifically the girls, wanted to get a closer look at the traditional courting. Xellos teleported himself from the audience for three reasons; one: he's a mazuko, he's getting a tad too much 'happy ending' feelings from every one of them. Two: he has to go back to make his usual report to Beast Master Zelas. And finally, three: he didn't want to stick around when Val's getting the girl, his Filia-chan to be more exact. Besides he got to make some final touches on his 'little plan'.
"Slyphiel Nels Rada, shrine maiden of Sairagg, daughter of Eruk (1) Nels Rada, high priest and nobleman of Sairagg. I offer you my heart, my soul, my mind, and my name." he had his palms raised, showing the happy young lady a gold thin band with an oval diamond embedded in the middle of small, round emeralds clustering around it. He bowed his head. "Will you do me the honors of becoming my wife from now until eternity?" (2)
She is simply glowing with love, her face lit up as she heard her beloved proposing to her.
"Gourry Gabriev, I offer you my heart, my soul, my mind, and my hand for I do accept to be your wife as you will accept to be my husband." she carefully say her words as she felt nervousness and happiness throughout during the speech. (2)
Gourry lifted his head and gave the happiest smile he had ever had. He took the engagement ring out of the box, stood up, and place it on her left ringfinger. After that, they hugged each other and kissed romantically. The Slayer audience clapped their hands and congratulated the fiances. From out of no where, a loud rumble was heard, causing the crew to jump and put up their guards, minus Lina, who is blushing and sheepishly put her hand behind her head.
"Um....hehehehe...er...Sorry guys, that's just my stomach."
Some shook their heads while others chuckled.
"Figures. It seems anything serious wouldn't stay so for so long without anything comical being added." Zel deducted.
"I guess that means you got your appetite back, huh?" her blonde brother asked.
"Yup, I'm starving! I'm so hungry I could eat a whole lake dragon right about now." rubbing her stomach as she drools at the could've been delightful meal from a couple years back.
"Lina, isn't the next town where Mister Ashford's restaurant is at?" Amelia pointed the direction, thinking the same idea as her mouth begins to water.
The original Slayers' eyes lit up, except for the former chimera.
"Hey yeah! If we're lucky, he still saved the Dragon Cuisine for us!"
The other four recruits looked at them with confusion and all asked in union...
"Who's Mister Ashford?"
"A long story." the original crew members responded with a sigh.
"We'll explain on the way there." Lina said as she looks at the cross road signs.
Aez, Filia, Sylphiel, and Val raised their eyebrows and shrugged when they saw Zelgadiss turned green.
"Well....let's go then." Lina grabbed Zel by the arm and dragged him while the others started to walk towards the pointed direction.
"Wait Lina..." Zel stood firmed on the ground. "I refuse to go anywhere near that man. He...he's...he's weird." he shuddered, remembering that one time when he gave the shaman (or at least trying to) resc....resp...ress...re... mouth to mouth when everyone thought he was completely passed out during the lake dragon hunt.
"Aww....come on Zel....I'm sure he won't recognize you."
"No."
The rest waited for the lovers, who behind them. Zelgadiss crossed his arms, turned his back on the sorceress, and closed his eyes.
"I insist Zelgadiss Greywers."
He shook his head no, Lina is getting upset, impatient and even worse, more hungry.
Damn! Why does he have to be so stubborn?! Then she has an idea, an evil grin crept unto her angelic face.
"Oh Zel....." she spoke whimsically as she faced him.
He opened one eye at her and she puts on a kawaii face.
"Oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please, with sugar on top?" She turned chibi on him.
The group saw and smile at them, unanimously decided to leave the couple alone and slowly walked again. They already know she'll win like she usually do.
"I said no Lina."
"Okay then." she leaned over and kissed him. He returned the kiss and then stopped, Zel looks into her red garnet eyes, caresses her face, and leans over her, just as her lips were ready for his....
"I'm still saying no." gives her a quick kiss on the cheek and pulled away from her disappointed face."I don't like him. He might try to make more moves on me now that I'm in this form."
Lina pouted...
"But Zeellll...."
"No."
"I'll protect you."
"Knowing you, you'll probably encourage him even more....No thanks."
"Ooh...don't be such a big baby...I won't do anything of the sort. You're my man and no one touches my guy."
"I'm not taking any chances."
"Fine! Be that way!" Lina pouted again, turned her back, and crosses her arms. "I guess you don't ::sniff:: love ::sniff, sniff:: me at all."
The young man didn't fall for the earlier acts and he certainly is not going to fall for this one, well...maybe. He sighed in defeat, crept his arms around her waist, kissed her neck, sending Lina shivers up her spine, then his kisses trailed upwards towards her ears, and whispered.....
"Lina beloved..."
She smirked, Good! He gave in.
"I truly love you with my whole entire being and soul....my answer is...."
She smiled broader as imagined her chibi self eating and enjoying the entire Dragon Cuisine. She now awaits for his positive reply.
"No." he only feigned his actions. That was for slipping that Sleep spell on me while I was unaware. he smiled at his private victory.
Big letters: N O, fell unto her head, popping her little chibi bubble on the way there. The dumbfounded girl rubbed her head and whips around, Zel still hugging her waist.
"Why Not?!"
"I have already explain it to you."
She narrowed her eyes at him, it didn't phase him.
"Okay then." She cracked her knuckles as she gives a mazuko's grin that would have made Xellos proud and making Zel inwardly nervous.
"Since I couldn't make you go willingly.....I want to ask you a couple of questions."
"Fine, go right ahead." Something in the back of his mind kicked him, letting him know he's going regret saying those words as soon they left his mouth.
"First question: Where's my Demon's Blood Talismans?"
His tension loosened up and let out a relieved sigh.
"Easy." with that, he opened a dimensional pocket and pulled out the four amplifiers and her gloves (he snatched them up during chpt nine) and handed them to her.
"You had my gloves too? Thank you!" she chirped as she clasp two of them on to her belt and neck, she then put on her gloves, soon she placed the remaining two on her wrists.
"Second question: How did you become human so soon? I mean, you couldn't even find your cure while we traveled." Not that I mind. she added the tidbit in her mind.
"I don't know. All I can remember was that I wasn't strong to even move, I was dying. A traveler came by, a woman I think....."
"You couldn't tell if the someone was a woman or a guy?" Lina interrupted.
"No. All I saw was a bright glow around her and her face was mostly covered by her bangs, I could only see her smiling." That was strange, he could have sworn he just saw Lina shuddered, he shrugged his shoulders and continues. "Well anyway, she came by and picked me up. She casted some kind of spell like Sylphiel's Resurrection and then Recovery on me. It seems, during the two processes, she was also able to break down my chimeric curse." Of course, that was half the truth, he didn't really want to tell her the entire explanation yet.
"O..kay." she gulped and shakes away her goosebumps. "Um...Third question: How come you didn't tell me who you are earlier today?"
"Because I wanted to know exactly how you felt about me...."
"So you rather have me tortured then tell me right off the bat?!"
"No...I need to know because if you didn't, I would have left you so that you could start anew with your life....without me.....being an obstacle in your road of happiness and new love. ...and also because she had me bounded in a contract of sorts if you had not confessed that you truly love me.
"What ever made you even think you're a roadblock, you blockhead?! Lina got even more mad as she looked at him shrugging his shoulders in an I-don't-know-manner.
"Whatever." she huffed, then she gave an intimidating grin once more as before "Fourth and final question: ::clears throat:: When and how did you learn how to cast the Dragon Slave?"
He tensed up, his face showed once of hidden emotions, has now become of a kid who was caught getting a cookie out of a cookie jar. She enjoyed watching him squirmed and fidgeting.
Gotcha her chibi form cheering her a victorious crow.
"Well....I....ummm...ah...I ...that is.....I.." he stammered again.
"Ah huh. Weelll~?" she crossed her arms, closing one ruby eye as her other looked at him intently, continuing with her mazuko, fanged grin.
"Let's go get some Dragon Cuisine, shall we?" he offered his arm to Lina.
"I knew you would see it my way Zelgadiss Greywers." before she accepted his arm, she positioned herself in her usual trademark way when she wins an argument a battle, or anything that involves Lina to have her way....her victory pose. Zel just smiled at his Chaos-chosen girlfriend, curious at how she can always come on top.on everything. She took his arm and together, they walked to meet the rest of their friends, but soon noticed something missing.
"Hmm.....they must got tired of waiting and headed towards Ashfords's town."
"So it seems, they already know that you'll win."
"Of course, am I not thee Lina Inverse, beautiful sorcery genius! Uh, oh ....Gourry better not eat the whole dinner or I'll give him a one way ticket to the moon, via Dragon Slave."
He chuckled, "You will never change, will you Lina?"
She shook the red head of hers and smiled. "Nope. And I'm damn proud of it too, so you'll just have to take me as I am."
Well...'cept changing Inverse to Greywers....I hope. both cheerfully thought.
"I have no choice, do I now? Oh well, there goes my rest and relaxation but that's quite alright, exercise and killing evil will do me good. And traveling with you is a sure guaranteed, since trouble and chaos deems to follow you where ever you go."
Lina cocked an eyebrow, "Why you, you...."
She stopped in her protest in midsentence all because Zel came very close to her, raised her chin, kissing her passionately as soon as their lips touched. She returned the kiss.
Damn. If it wasn't for oxygen.... both thought, they had to break it.
"Ready?"
"Willing and able."
The finally united sorcerers walked, hand in hand, into the sunset and unto a path that leads them to happily ever after.
1: I looked up on Slayers' Universe 4.1, very interesting facts on the series if you're interested to do some searching. Thanks for the info Xellos and Solar Mist!
2: Okay...so I have gone really fluffy on these parts, but I couldn't think of anything else. Sorry if you're disappointed.
I'm done!!!!MMWWAHAHAHAHAHOHOHOHOHAHA...::cough, cough:: Wow, I don't know how Naga does it. So what do you guys think? Yes, I know, I'm finally finish with this fic and I know it took me long enough to do so. I'm sorry that it took me months and becoming a sappy romantic one too, but I had tons of work and writing other fanfics during my daily, boring routine.
Oh by the way.....there were many readers asking me how could Zel be (killed) injured in the amplified Dragon Slave....well...let's just say that because it has to do with his family background, so it kinda backfired on him. He wasn't suppose to do it but he did and able to do so thanks to his 1/3rd mazuko part and being Rezo's descendent....
Well.....I leaving...got other fics to type out! ~_^
Adios!!!!!
~~~Miss "L" (cabrales7@aol.com)