Lina toweled her wet, flame colored tresses, her head bowed. She adjusted the loose towel covering her body, and looked ahead of her. And screamed.
There, lying in a pool of her own blood, was Amelia. Lina's arms fell in shock, and the towel that hid her body pooled at her feed. The sorceress's legs buckled, and slid to the floor.
Oh gods. Oh, gods, Amelia... A tear ran down her face. Amelia...
She was dimly aware of someone running up behind her. Lina spun around on her knees, and saw Gourry coming near. She curled up on herself, and whimpered, "Don't come any closer."
The swordsman stopped, confusion crossing her face. "What did I do?"
Lina grabbed the towel that formerly went around her body, and frantically tried to cover her nude body again. When she finally wound the covering around her, she stood up, tears in her eyes, tears of anger, shame, and frustration. "You can't help me, or Amelia!" she yelled at him. "You were too busy stuffing your face to save Amelia. And you are too think headed to understand what happened. I was fucking raped, and you were too busy sleeping to kick Zel's ass!"
Gourry stared at the trembling redhead. "Lina... I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"You don't know a lot of things!" Lina turned around, fighting back tears. "I'm going to get dressed," she said listlessly. "Take care of Amelia." The redhead sorceress turned around, and walked off to her room.
Gourry looked at Amelia. The hamster in his head took a step, then fell back into the coma. "Zelgadis... did this to Amelia?"
"Gou... rry-san..." a weak voice said. Amelia opened her eyes, pain clouding the blue depths. "Gou... rry-san?"
"Amelia!" The swordsman bent down to the fallen princess. "No, don't try to talk."
She coughed, blood spilling out of her mouth. "Z-zelgadis-sa... ma... he..." The girl winced in pain.
"No, just save your strength," Gourry told her.
Ignoring him, she said, "He... he hurt me... Zel... gadis-sama isn't th-the same..."
"Don't talk." Lina emerged from her room, fully dressed. "Oi, Lina! Amelia's alive!"
"I know," she said quietly. The other girl walked over to her, and bent down, stroking the princess's head. "I remember... this happened to Xellos too." Lina closed her ruby eyes. "I don't want you to suffer, Amelia. Gomen nasai." Without looking at him, she told Gourry, "Do it without any more pain."
"Nani?!"
The sorceress opened her eyes, and looked up at him. Her ruby eyes told him everything. The girl had grown up too fast, and it showed in the deepest depths of her eyes. "Zel's using an enchanted knife or dagger. The victim is in eternal pain." Lina stood up, and turned away. "Amelia doesn't deserve that."
"Lina, where are you going?"
"To give Xellos the same mercy," Lina said quietly.
Gourry turned back to the princess as Lina walked away. His eyes hardened, and he unsheathed the Hikari no Ken. "I'm sorry, Amelia."
Amelia looked up at him, then closed her eyes. "I trust you," she whispered. "Goodbye, Gou...r...ry-san..."