"You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it." - Margaret Thatcher
"How much longer can he hold out?" Jarix said through clenched teeth. They watched the battle as it raged between the Man and the Mazoku, their hearts in their mouths and wondering if each time Gourry made a mistake it would be his last.
Zelgadis shook his. "I don't know. He won't give up, though. Xellos will have to kill him to end this now."
"He will win!" Amelia shouted from beside him. "After all, he has Truth and Justice on his side! That will strengthen his heart and help him beat Xellos!" Even as she gave her speech, her eyes were dark with worry. Zelgadis looked down at her and took her hand in his. Her fingers, warm in his grasp, curled tightly around his.
"No," came a whisper from beside them. Startled, they both looked at Jarix.
"What?"
Jarix shook his head, horror written plain on his face for the others to see. He was staring at Gourry; Zel and Amelia looked at their friend. He had put some distance between himself and the cone that was Xellos' true form and had adopted a guard position, legs bent and ready to jump in any direction and both hands on the hilt of the white metal sword, holding it low. "No, he can't do this. He's throwing away everything I taught him!" Jarix strained forward. "Don't do it, Gourry!" he shouted.
Zelgadis pulled him back away from the charged light wall. "Don't do what?"
"He's giving up control to the sword!" Jarix shrugged off Zelgadis' hand and whirled around. "He's going to let Graeswandyr control him!"
"Gourry-san...no..." Amelia whispered as they turned to watch in stunned silence as the sword flared. The light blinded them as it swallowed the darkness and cast shadows black as pitch with edges as sharp as knives.
And then all hell broke loose...
Where there had been two, there was now only One.
One mind.
One soul.
One will.
The Swordsman: The Sword and the Man.
United with One purpose, One goal: To destroy his Enemy. The Enemy who had stolen what was his. The Enemy that had taken away his reason for living. The Enemy that had tried to kill him.
Monster. Trickster. Mazoku.
He would pay for what he'd done.
He would die.
And it would start now ...
The black cone shape wavered in the light and Xellos shifted back into his preferred form moments before Gourry attacked him with incredible, impossible speed. He came driving in, holding the blazing blade of his Sword high and bringing it down so fast the air seemed to crack and split as it cleaved through it; the sound it made was a sharp and deadly as the edge of the blade itself. He only managed to avoid a nasty wound by throwing himself backwards desperately. Stumbling, he scrambled back, back...The blade hissed through the air like a living thing, yearning, seeking, thirsting for his black blood.
Desperately, he thrust his staff between himself and the maddened Swordsman's swing. He managed to block it, but just barely. The shock of the Swordblade biting into the wood was appalling; the Mazoku's eyes widened as another nick appeared in the enchanted wood. The smell of ozone filled the air.
And still Gourry kept on at him.
Thrust -
- parry -
Slash -
- block -
Feint - thrust!
- block - dodge!
Lunge -
- parry -
Slash -
And so the two of them danced. Feeling drained, Xellos reached out to draw strength from the Swordsman's emotions, and got a rather large shock. There were no emotions to be had. No anger; no grief; no hate; not even pain. Nothing. Leaving only grim determination and stony impassivity. Each of Gourry's moves was expertly delivered with surgical precision. It was as if the man had become a machine: An unfeeling, emotionless, impassive killing machine. Xellos stared incredulously into Gourry's summer-time blue eyes and for perhaps the first time in his thousand-odd year life-span he knew first hand how it felt to be scared shitless.
Needless to say, it wasn't a pleasant feeling.
Catching one of those precise attacks on his staff, he thrust upwards with all his might and lifted himself off the ground, levitating above the insane Swordsman and just out of reach, hoping to draw useless blows in his direction in an attempt to wear down the other man. He knew he was out of luck, however, when Gourry ceased his swings and dropped into a ready stance and watched him, clear blue eyes never leaving his opponent's face. He wasn't even breathing hard; hadn't even broken a sweat, the Mazoku noted. This was impossible! How could he be doing this? He was just a human, damn it!
However he was doing it, it was really creeping him out.
Exhausted more than he cared to admit, Xellos sketched a quick half-circle in the air in front of him with his staff. Hundreds of small, black cones formed in the air around him and flew with deadly precision through the air towards his opponent.
Not a single one reached its target. The Swordsman seemed to be everywhere at once.
"No!" he finally shouted. No mortal man with a single blade could have done this. And the speed...He should be getting tired by now, shouldn't he? Gourry had great stores of strength, but he couldn't last forever! Desperately, he sent another barrage of cones at the maddened Swordsman. Still the haunt kept coming with no sign of stopping or slowing. The Swordblade was a blur of light, intercepting each cone before they could come within arm's length of him. And each cone that fell smoking at the man's feet to disappear into the aether took a bit of Xellos' being with it.
The energy the Mazoku was expending to keep himself away from the sudden death whose name was Gourry Gabriev was astounding. He could feel it draining away quickly and he couldn't replenish himself cut off as he was from the Astral plane. The well-spring of terror that his captives had provided had dried up, depriving him of sustenance from that source as well. Unable to keep himself aloft, he touched down lightly and had to jump out the way to avoid being slashed. Gripping his staff with both hands, palms slick with fear sweat inside his gloves, he managed to keep the glowing Sword from drinking his blood.
Up, left, right, down, left, up, right...
Each blow countered by a block.
Stalemate.
He wasn't beaten yet.
Gathering his energy, he concentrated it in the ruby mounted on the end of his staff and threw it at Gourry.
The shining Sword was there and caught it on the blade. He watched, mouth agape as the energy coagulated around the blade and disappeared into the white metal. The Sword glowed ever more brightly and sang softly in the air as it hovered mere fractions of an inch in front of his face. Xellos' eyes slid from the deadly point to eyes of the thing that held the Sword poised to kill him - and he knew he'd underestimated the lengths to which a man would go for the love of a woman.
Realization formed a heavy, hard stone in the pit where his stomach would be if he had one: He wasn't going to survive this encounter.
He only hoped that his Mistress would see fit to resurrect him after he was dead.
However - he wasn't giving up yet!!
With a snarl of rage, he brought his staff up under the blade, shoving the other man backwards. Without missing a beat, Gourry blocked his second attack and turned it back on the Mazoku. The cruel edge of the Sword scored his left arm high near the shoulder before he could get his staff up and between them. He was sweating hard now, fear making it run cold down his neck and back. He faltered, planted his foot wrong and slipped on the black marble. The Sword bit deeply into his right arm just below the elbow, drawing more blood. He fed more energy into the ruby and thrust the staff towards the Swordsman who merely ducked and brought his sSword in under his over-extended guard and slashed his leg.
Twisting out of the way, Xellos staggered from the pain. He was teetering on the edge of near collapse, he knew, but he would not give up and give Gabriev the satisfaction of an easy victory. Gripping his staff, he yelled and launched himself at the Swordsman, aiming the huge ruby at the man's head.
Gourry blocked him with the Sword, twisted and sent him sprawling. Rolling, Xellos tried to get to his feet, but slipped in some of the blood that spilled onto the floor and went down on his knees. Frantically, he forced his arms to lift his staff above his head to catch the Sword as it descended...
The magically enhanced metal struck the enchanted wood just below the fork that held the gem that pulsed the color of living blood - and the wood split. Sparks fountained several feet into the air around them as the ruby splintered. Shock from more than the physical impact surged through him; hands and fingers numbed from the release of energy, he shifted his grip and brought the staff up again to catch that wicked Sword.
Again the Sword screamed down through the air towards him and struck the staff, biting deep into its heart. Savagely twisting the hilt, Gourry drove the metal further into the wood. The sparkling curtain of discharging magic engulfed them, hiding them from the sight of the captive witnesses.
Leaning his not inconsiderable weight into the blade, Gourry's sapphire eyes bored into Xellos' panicked amethyst ones. His face was close to the Mazoku's and he said without a trace of humor or mockery, "You lose." One last jerk separated the wood, leaving Xellos holding two useless sticks in his hands.
Time seemed to stand still as he stared at the remains of his staff, then looked upwards. That bright blade that Gourry wielded with such cunning skill flickered upwards in a dangerous arc, paused for a painful moment at the zenith of the swing before slicing downwards with sickening speed. The actinic light of the Sword was imprinted on his retinas as the last thing he ever saw - just before it bit hungrily into his shoulder and took his life from him.
The only sound that broke the silence was the faint crackling of the light pillars. Four pairs of eyes stared at the streaming fountain of multi-colored sparks that had enveloped the two combatants and hidden them from view.
It was Amelia who first let out a gasp as she released a breath that she didn't know she'd been holding. Every one of them had watched, spellbound, as Gourry had somehow gained the upper hand in the battle with Xellos. They'd cheered him on when he'd marked the Mazoku and stared in open-mouthed disbelief as the ruby on Xellos' staff had broken under Graeswandyr's bite. Then stunned silence gripped them as the staff had snapped.
Which is where they were now. Peering into the sparkling curtain, they wondered what was happening behind it. Looking over to Lina, Zelgadis and Amelia could see she was equally enthralled by the events that were playing out in front of their eyes.
They continued staring for a few seconds more as the fountain of sparks brightened into the pure, intense light of a magnesium flare. In the center, they could see a kneeling figure: Forehead resting against the hilt of his sword, hands loosely gripping the crossguard as it stood point downward in front of him. The light from the white metal blade turned his already sun-bright hair into a halo. Lit up by that intense glow, he was painful to look at.
Of Xellos, there was no sign.
"Gourry?" Lina called softly. Zelgadis, Amelia and Jarix looked from Gourry to her and back again.
An eternity went by as the glow from the sword dimmed and shrank back into the blade. Then another before the swordsman lifted his head. His eyes were closed but his face was calm and serene - quite a difference from the pain and anger that had become his customary expression in the past weeks. When he opened his eyes, the transformation was complete: Those were Gourry's old eyes: Wide, cheerful, and full of love for life and Lina.
He looked at his friends and those brilliant eyes slid over them, seeking another. Finding her ruby eyes, he held up his right hand, making the familiar sign that had become so common between them.
"Victory," he said with a weary but triumphant grin.
Zelgadis, Jarix and Amelia broke into hearty cheers. Zel caught Amelia around the waist and swung her around in a rare display of emotion. Amelia squealed with delight and hugged him. Jarix pounded Zelgadis on the back - and jerked his hand back, shaking off the pain as he bruised it.
They cheered as Gourry climbed to his feet, holding Graeswandyr loosely at his side. His steps were slow and careful as he approached Lina's prison, but he carried himself with pride. Gradually, the three grew quiet as the lovers stared into each other's eyes, ruby into sapphire. The air between them liquefied with the heat and pressure contained in those stares. As he reached the wall, Lina backed up into the center of the prison, well away from the wall. Never taking his eyes from hers, Gourry raised Graeswandyr until the blade was horizontal and level with his shoulders.
Jarix took a step forward, hand outstretched, a cry on his lips. Zel's hand on his shoulder stopped him. Looking back at Zel, his angry retort died on his lips as the Chimera shook his head, commanding him to be silent. Reluctantly, Jarix nodded and they turned their attention back to the swordsman and the sorceress.
Gourry's arms tensed and the blade swung outward in a perfect arc, intersecting with the light wall and smashing through it. With a sound like breaking glass, the wall shattered into a million rainbow-hued fragments that sparkled and dissolved into fairy dust before fading away completely into the darkness.
Graeswandyr clattered to the floor as Gourry's arms were suddenly full of a flame-haired sorceress. They went around her tiny form as hers went around his neck and her small, hot mouth found his and latched onto him. He lifted her off her feet and crushed her to him, swinging her around and around as he devoured her. The tears of relief that ran down his cheeks mingled with hers to burn them both. Her hands clenched in his hair, but the pain was nothing compared to the sheer joy he felt at having her back in his arms where she belonged.
Finally, she pulled away and looked into his eyes. "It's about damn time you got here! It's been days since I've had a decent meal!" The happy grin and joyful tears on her face took the sting from her words.
The tall man looked into her eyes questioningly. "You remember? Your memories are back? All of them?"
She nodded. "I remembered just a few minutes ago. How could you leave me here alone so long?" she whined.
Gourry leaned his forehead against hers and kissed her nose. "Lina," he said softly. "Do you know how long you've been gone? How long it's been since that party?"
"It can't have been more than a week..." She saw his eyes cloud with pain.
"It's been five, Lina. Five long weeks I've had to live without you." He pulled her forward and hugged her fiercely. "Five, long, horrible weeks," he gasped, unable to keep back the sobs.
Lina couldn't speak past the shock for a moment. "G-Gourry..." she whispered, pushing her hands through his hair and holding him close while she rubbed her cheek against his. "Oh, gods, Gourry...That long?"
He nodded, eyes closed tightly. "I've missed you so much, Lina," he said quietly. "I don't ever want to go through that again. Ever."
She pulled away and kissed him. "Don't worry. You won't have to. I promise, but you have to promise me the same thing."
He nodded. "I promise."
"Hey!" someone yelled. They startled and Gourry turned, not wanting to put Lina down quite yet. Standing there, looking very happy for them, was Amelia. "We realize you two want to be alone, but do you think you could pry yourselves apart long enough to let us out of here?" Zel tried to act disgusted, but the wide grin on his face ruined the effect. Jarix looked...enigmatic.
Both Lina and Gourry blushed bright red. They looked at each other and burst out laughing. Gourry stole another kiss before setting her down on her feet. Retrieving Graeswandyr from the floor, he gave Lina a quick wink and swung the sword high over his head. With a great roar, he charged the pillar.
"HEY!" Jarix and Zelgadis scrambled backwards away from the wall, Zel dragging Amelia with him. The sword flashed as Gourry leapt and slashed at the pillar. Again, the energy wall crackled and burst into spinning fragments of light that rained down on the three inside.
When the last of those fragments had fallen and burned out like a spent flare, the three straightened and looked up. "What the hell do you think you were doing?!" Zelgadis shouted at Gourry as he approached the taller man.
"Lina-san!" Amelia launched herself at the sorceress, who caught her and held her close in a tight hug. "You're okay! We were so worried for you." The Princess found her cheeks wet with tears as she held the red-haired sorceress.
"Amelia," Lina said with a choked off gasp. "Thanks," she said. "For coming to my rescue."
The girl pushed away and shook her head. "It was Gourry-san. All Gourry-san's doing. He's the one that found your research on the swords. It was Gourry-san who won Graeswandyr and learned how use it."
"And Gourry who fought and defeated Xellos," Zelgadis said, holding his hand out to Lina. She let go of Amelia and turned to him, surprise plain on her face. She smiled and put her hand in his, only to find herself pulled forward into his arms for a rough hug. "Don't you ever do anything like that again, do you hear me?" he said before he dropped his arms and stepped back.
"Oh, like I wanted Xellos to kidnap me?" she demanded, hunching over and glaring at him. Imagine her surprise when he actually winked at her.
"Try and keep your wife under control, would you, Gourry?" he said as he turned to the swordsman and extended his hand to him. Gourry sheathed Graeswandyr and gripped Zel's proffered arm warmly. "Good job," Zel said.
"Thanks - Lina..." Gourry said as he saw her start and look at him strangely. "What's wrong?"
"You...Something about you changed..." She peered at him curiously.
"I'm still me..." he said, an odd note in his voice.
"There's something different," she said. "What have you been doing to yourself while I was here?"
"That's a long story," Zel said before Gourry could say anything. "Let's get back to the Temple before we get into that. Any ideas on how to do that, Jarix?"
"You're asking me?" Jarix said, giving Zel a sidelong look. "This is your specialty."
Zelgadis bristled. "Do you mean you don't know how to get back?" he demanded.
"Zelgadis-san! I'm sure we can find a way," Amelia said, putting herself between the two men.
"What are you talking about?" Lina demanded. "And who's this?"
"This is Jarix," Gourry said, taking charge of the introductions. "He helped us get here. And in many other ways." His blue eyes fixed on Jarix's and he shook his head slightly, hoping the other man would catch onto the fact that he wanted to explain about the sword later. Jarix nodded just as imperceptibly and smiled at Lina.
"I've heard so much about you, Lina In...Gabriev," he said, taking her hand and bending over it.
"I'll bet. Don't believe everything you hear," she muttered crossly.
"I was referring to what I'd heard about you from Gourry."
Lina twitched and looked at Gourry. "Well, that you can believe. Just as long as he didn't make any comments about - Never mind." She looked back at her husband, this time a little nervously. "Uh, Gourry..." she said quietly, slipping her hand into his.
He smiled down at her and pulled her close. "What, Lina?" he asked gently.
"Xellos stole my ring. I don't know where it is," she said sadly.
Gourry reached into his pocket and pulled something out. "I found it." He took her left hand and slipped the thick golden band onto her ring finger. "It was on the floor after Xellos disappeared," he explained.
She stared at it a moment, then threw herself into his arms again.
"This still doesn't answer the question of how we're going to get back to the Temple," Zelgadis announced loudly.
"Zelgadis-san..." Amelia admonished.
"I can help there," Gourry said, setting Lina on her feet again.
All eyes were on him. "How?" Zelgadis asked.
The swordsman unbuckled Graeswandyr, and held it out. "This."
"Gourry, Graeswandyr closes portals - " Jarix started to say.
The blonde man shook his head. "Would you listen to me for a change? It closes them when it's been drawn. In the scabbard like this, it won't affect the portal as you open it. But you said you needed a link to perform your compass-spell, right, Zel? Like the way you used our Soulbond and then Lina's hair?"
"Yes, but I still don't see - "
"What Soulbond? What hair?"
"I'll explain later," Gourry said, turning bright red. "Anyway, Graeswandyr is linked to the Temple. It returns there when it's wielder dies. Isn't that what you said, Jarix?"
Jarix smacked his forehead. "He's right."
The others stared dumbfounded at the swordsman. "Well?" Lina demanded as she rounded on Zel. "Will it work or not?"
He nodded, completely speechless at Gourry's deduction. "Yes!"
"Then what are you waiting for?" the flame-haired sorceress demanded. "Do you realize that I'M STARVING?!?!"