"Time's fun when you're having flies." - Kermit the Frog
Lina stared into the darkness, her ruby eyes dull and unfocused and her hands worrying the bit of black silk she held. It was her glove; she'd taken off the other one after she'd finally stopped sobbing after Xellos' last attack.
She shook her head. That attack had been vicious and unexpected. What had happened? She suspected that an upset Xellos should be taken as a sign that something had gone wrong with his plans, but she couldn't quite bring herself rejoice. The loss of her ring had shaken her more than she wanted to admit.
Exasperated, she threw the crumpled glove to the floor and stomped on it. "It's just a stupid ring, Lina!" she muttered under her breath. "What's so damn special about it?"
The answer floated up out of her subconscious. "Gourry gave it me..." she said softly. That's what was so special about it. It was her only link to him at the moment.
This only made her angrier. "And who the hell is this Gourry guy anyway? If he's so special to me, then why isn't he here instead of - " She cut herself off as the image that Xellos had shown her of her friends being slaughtered by the trolls returned to her mind's eye unbidden.
Furiously, she shook her head, setting her loosened fire-red hair to swinging. "No! It's not true! They're not dead! Gourry's not dead!"
"You sound very unconvinced of that," that smooth voice said from behind her.
Lina whirled around to see Xellos floating in the air behind her, one leg hooked over the other and his fingers laced over his knee. His staff was resting across his lap and he gently bobbed up and down. "How do you know he's not dead? Do you not believe your own eyes?" he asked.
"I told you before!" she snapped at him, trying to remember how she'd fought him off and finding the memory slipping away. She'd seen the spell blast engulf him, yet here he was, looking as unfazed as ever. "I just know! And I don't believe the images you show me!"
"They why isn't he here? Rescuing his lady love?" Xellos asked again. His eyes were slitted and she could see amethyst glints in the shadows. "Tell me that, Lina-san."
"No." Lina faced him squarely, and put her hands on her hips. "Why don't you tell me?" she said. "I'm tired of playing your games."
Xellos looked at her in curious amusement, then smiled. "All right, if that's the way you want it. No, your persistent friend is indeed still alive. He's even on his way here to find you, I believe."
"You believe? You mean you don't know?"
"Well, I haven't exactly been able to locate him." He rubbed his chin. "That disturbs me somewhat, but not overly so. He's probably off trying to find some sort of magical sword with which to defeat me." He dropped silently through the air to land lightly on his feet. "It won't make any difference in the end; he can't defeat me with a sword, magical or not. The last time he tried, I nearly killed him. Would you like to see?"
Lina wasn't given a chance to answer before he gestured with his staff and created another of his windows. Inside the hazy border, Lina saw herself, Gourry, Amelia and the blue-skinned man confronting Xellos. She saw her image was dressed in the same deep red dress she wore now.
As she watched the scene play out before her, she gasped and covered her mouth when Xellos trapped her inside the black globe. Her heart leapt for joy when she saw Gourry grab up the sword off the man next to him and leap at Xellos. Fascinated, she watched the two of them duel and shouted out as the blonde swordsman wounded the Trickster.
"I wouldn't start celebrating too soon," Xellos said into her ear. Lina wanted to jump out of her skin, but she willed herself to be still. "Keep watching," he said.
Even though wounded, the image of Xellos used his staff to bring Gourry to his knees. The blue-skinned man and Amelia rushed over and stood protectively over their friend, yet he forced himself up and charged at Xellos. The great ruby on the end of Xellos' staff flashed again and the swordsman dropped and was still.
The image winked out. Lina remained silent, staring at the place where it had been. "He's still alive," she said simply.
"Oh yes, he's still alive," Xellos said. "But he won't be for long." He came from behind her and touched her cheek. She didn't flinch, but instead locked her eyes on his.
"My, my, what a hateful look," he commented lightly.
"Why did you bring me here?" she demanded.
"My lovely Lina-san, I've already told you. I want your power. I want your beauty and devotion. I want you."
"You'll never have me," she said flatly. "Never."
"Who's going to stop me?" he said softly.
"Gourry will."
He laughed. "I doubt I have anything to worry about from that quarter. Should he be able to find this place - which I doubt - the buffoon is dead the moment he challenges me."
"Do that and I'll kill you," she said with deadly menace.
"Do you now? And just how do you propose to do that?"
"You said you wanted my power. There must be something about me that makes me worthy of such desire. I just have to remember it." She tilted her head and gave him a smirk.
Xellos' hand froze in the act of stroking her cheek. Only for a moment, however, then he resumed his gentle petting. "Touché." He drew his fingertips down her throat.
She pushed his hand away, her smirk gone now. "Give me back my ring."
"Ring? What ring?"
"The ring I was wearing. I want it back. I know you took it."
He chuckled but shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."
"Fine. I'll take it off your body when I kill you." Her voice was cold and hard.
"Suit yourself," he said, taking a step backwards and disappearing. "I wouldn't count on it though," his voice said from the darkness.
Lina clenched her fists and threw back her head and let lose a scream - a long, angry, frustrated scream. It lasted several seconds, and the echoes reverberated back and forth for several more.
"There," she said afterwards. "I feel better." Taking a deep breath, she bend down and picked up her discarded glove. "No, I don't," she corrected herself as she stared at it. "Damn you, Jellyfish!" she whispered. "Where are you?!" Closing her eyes, she thought of his face and banished all thought except of him. She let herself drift outside herself until she found him...
"I think you may be able to strengthen the spell if you said it this way, Zelgadis-san," Amelia said, making a notation on the leaf Zel was reading over.
He looked it over and mused a moment. "It may, but how does that affect..." He trailed off as he heard someone come up behind them. They both looked up and found a very tired, very haunted-looking Gourry standing behind them. "Gourry," Zel said warmly.
"Here, Gourry-san." Amelia got up and fetched him some of the porridge that Jarix had made that morning. She returned with the bowl and lead him to a chair by the table. "You look like you could use something to eat."
Dumbly, he took with bowl and sat down, looking as if he were lost. "I - Thanks." He took the spoon she pressed into his hand and put it in the bowl but made no move to eat. Absently stirring the porridge, he said, "Uh, Amelia, Zel...About last night - "
"It's all right," Amelia said quickly. "We understand."
Gourry shook his head, setting the bowl on the table and pushing his hair out of his eyes. Amelia noticed they were heavily shadowed and he seemed to have aged several years in the last month. "No, it's not all right. I - It wasn't me. I don't know what made me act that way. I'm sorry."
"Gourry," Zelgadis said, his quiet voice commanding more attention than another's shout. Gourry looked up and into his friend's eyes. "Jarix told us what happened." Gourry shut his eyes against his pain and lowered his head. "Considering what you've been through this past month, and that compounded upon it, it's no wonder you acted the way you did. We understand, really."
The swordsman swallowed. "You've both helped me so much since - since Lina was taken. I don't know what I would have done without either of you."
Amelia couldn't think of anything to say, so she merely hugged the swordsman. "Come on, Gourry-san. Eat."
Zelgadis nodded and turned back to his books. "Yes, eat. You'll need the strength. Jarix says that as soon as he returns, you'll start training with Graeswandyr."
"Returns? Where did he go?" the other man asked as he picked up the bowl and scooped up some porridge and ate it slowly.
"He said he needed to get some supplies from Beram." Zelgadis flipped through his notes. "Said you should try a few practice exercises with Graeswandyr before he got back. I'd like to try the summoning spell before you start that, however."
Gourry nodded and finished his porridge. Absently, he held out the bowl to Amelia who took it and refilled it. She'd noticed he'd lost weight in the last month and that wasn't good - for Gourry or for them. Just as absently, he took the bowl and started on the second helping.
"That's fine. I'm not in any hurry to start working with that sword." He hurriedly finished his porridge and put the bowl on the table. "When did you want to do this?" he asked eagerly.
Zel raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, there's no time like the present, is there?" It was good to see the swordsman enthusiastic about things again, though he knew it was mostly likely only a momentary relapse. He got up, rummaged around in the pile of notes and books and came up with a piece of chalk. "Let's move the table," he said.
The swordsman nodded and picked up his side and together they moved it closer to the wall to clear a space on the floor. Amelia moved the chairs as Zelgadis carefully paced off an area and chalked a circle with a six-pointed star inside it. Amelia grabbed a cushion from a nearby chair and put it in the center of the hexagram. Zelgadis gestured for Gourry to step into the circle.
"Just like the other times, Gourry: Just relax, think of Lina and try to establish the link with her. Try to keep it open as long as possible this time."
"What's the circle for?" the swordsman asked. "You never did one of those when we tried this before."
"It's to amplify the power I'll be channeling through the spell to open the dimensions. There's no danger, I assure you."
"All right." Gourry nodded and carefully stepped over the chalked lines and sat on the cushion in the center. The circle made him nervous (as did most things about magic) but he trusted Zelgadis and Amelia. They knew their stuff; they wouldn't be doing this if they weren't sure it was safe. Folding his legs in front of him, he laid Graeswandyr across his lap and his hands on the sword then closed his eyes.
As he reached out along the link, he found it was getting easier each time to find Lina. It was almost as if she were there, waiting for him this time. No terror this time, but anger, confusion, frustration - and loneliness. His heart went out to her as he ached to take her into his arms and comfort her. Lina, he thought. I'm here.
Why aren't you here? she demanded.
We're trying to find you, he thought back. And a way to fight Xellos. I'll be there soon. Soon, Lina."
Hurry, Gourry, came her reply. And...be careful.
Then she was gone.
"Gourry."
He opened his eyes and blinked several times. "Did it work?" he asked Zelgadis when he recognized the Chimera standing in front of him outside the chalked hexagram.
Nodding, Zelgadis' eyes sparkled and he looked excited. "We're close to finding a way to break through the dimensions. We need something to strengthen the link between the two of you, though." Zelgadis sat down on a chair near the table and flipped through the book there.
"Like what?" Gourry asked, still a little disoriented.
"Something of Lina-san's," Amelia said. She stood behind Zelgadis, reading over his shoulder.
"Like this?" Gourry quickly untied the maroon scarf that adorned the hilt of Graeswandyr and held it out.
Amelia looked over and her eyes lit up. She came to the edge of the circle, and careful not to smudge the lines, she leaned over and took the scarf. After concentrating a moment, she shook her head and handed it back. "It's too new; Lina didn't have it long enough for it to pick up any of her astral signature pattern."
"Oh," the swordsman said, deftly tying the scarf back around the hilt of his sword. "What about a some of her hair?"
Both Amelia and Zelgadis turned to stare at him. "You have some?" Zelgadis asked.
Gourry nodded and stood up. "I'll get it." He stepped carefully over the lines and disappeared into his room and returned a moment later with the lock of hair he kept hidden in the journal in his pack. "Here."
Amelia took it gently and grinned broadly at him. "Does Lina-san know you have this?"
He shook his head. "No. She'd probably hit me if she knew, wouldn't she?" He grinned a little self-consciously.
The Princess nodded. "How long have you had it?" she couldn't resist asking.
"I'd rather not say, Amelia." He rubbed the back of his head and looked a little embarrassed.
Zelgadis shook his head. "Amazing. This could tip the balance either way." He took the lock of hair from Amelia and nodded. "This will help. We'll try again later. I'll need to make some modifications to the spell to include this." He carefully laid the lock of hair inside the book he'd been consulting and closed it. "I'll take good care of this, Gourry."
Nodding, Gourry smiled slightly at the other man. "I'd appreciate it. It means a lot to me." He dropped his hand to the hilt of his sword and sighed. "I guess I'd better go practice. I'll be up in the Temple if Jarix returns." With that, he turned and left the room. Amelia and Zelgadis looked after him a moment.
"Should I go with him, Zelgadis-san?" Amelia asked.
Zel shook his head. "I don't think that's necessary. He seems okay at the moment."
"Still, he's so grim." She sighed and turned back to the gathered books and notes.
Nodding, Zelgadis took her hand. "We can't do everything for him. He's got to learn to deal with this on his own eventually - no matter what happens."
"I suppose you're right." Amelia squeezed her hand. "Let's get this spell working so our lives - all of them - can get back to normal."
"Right," Zel said with a warm smile.