Love and Pain

Ramon: our new fic. Another Lina and Gourry fic, based of the events after Slayers Evolution-R episode 4.

Sunny: The Slayers and all its characters don't belong to us, it belongs to Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Arazumi.

Alandra: we hope that you people can enjoy this new fic.

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Chapter 5

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After the battle with Zanatos the Slayers manage to save the people of the kingdom that Zanatos enslaved, most of them were lucky but some were in Zanato's control for so long that they did not survive.

The time passes by and the Slayers agreed to pass the night in the kingdom to recover and then continue with their search for Hellmaster's Vase.

Finally the night arrives and Lina could not sleep, her mind focused on the battle she had today. She put herself in a difficult position because she wanted to make Gourry jealous, she play this game that turn dangerous to find out if she is still important to Gourry.

She never thought that this game of her would turn to be a dangerous peril and she risked so much, but thanks to those events she discovered that she was indeed important to him even if he stayed a week in the house of those insane fish people.

After this brawl with Zanatos Lina said that she would talk to Gourry about all this and what just occurred but she never had the courage to do so. In Lina's heart this is just as frightful as dealing with her sister, Lina is not afraid that Gourry might hit her, she knows he would never do that, she is afraid that he might reject her feelings, afraid to be alone again.

Still, even without telling her feelings Gourry was almost taken from her again by those stupid fish people.

The mere thought of Miss Mermaid and the rest of the fish people she meet in the past made her blood boil. "Man, for this day forward I swear that I will burn and eat any fish guy that stands in front of me! I really gain a dreadful hate for them!"

Lina rested down on her bed and tried to sleep but she got up again, her mind is so rowdily and her heart does not stop to beat, all because of the events that happen. Mostly her mind is divided between her shyness and pride and her desire to speak to Gourry. Her pride demands her not o do anything foolish that would ruin the reputation that she work so hard to built, her desire warns her that if she does not do anything right now she will lose Gourry the same way she practically almost lost him to those fish people, ending up being alone again, practically for good.

In the beginning Lina always did her stuff alone, she practically never trusted anyone, now the mere thought of being alone, and without Gourry, frighten her.

Lina immediately gets out of her room and levitates her way to Gourry's room, she does not want to wake anyone so that they could find out what she is doing. As soon as she found Gourry room she land down and enter it, what she found was defiantly something that she never thought of seeing.

Gourry is asleep, of course, but his face is all hard and scrunches, tossing his head from side to side, like he is having a nightmare. This was a bit surprising for Lina to see him like this, from the first day she meet Gourry he always seem so carefree, like he never has a care in the world but the expression on his face seems so different, like he is remembering something from the past. Lina sits on his bed and brushes away the hair that is covering Gourry's face.

Now that Lina thinks about it, she does not know a single thing about Gourry, she does not know who his family is, where is his home town is and where he learn how to sword fight, the only thing that Lina knows about Gourry is that he is an idiot, an mercenary, he has a grandmother and he has been in Sairage before her adventure with Copy Rezo. But then again, Gourry does not know a thing about her, he does not know where her home town is and why she started to travel, the only thing he knows is that Lina has a sister, that is if he still remembers it. So practically they are equal.

Lina looks down at Gourry to see him starting to sweat, what ever it is that he is dreaming it must be a real bad one.

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Gourry might be known as a very unintelligent fellow with a very rusty remembrance but there are some memories that can get stuck in a person's souls and never leave, which is Gourry's case.

He is dreaming, or more specifically, remembering the day when his life changer forever. He remembers when he was back in Elmekia, when his father died and the entire issue with the rightful owner of the Sword of Light, there were such a huge and devastating feud in the family, so huge that it even cost the life of one of their own, to save the family he made himself an exile and stole the sword of light, even to that day he can see his family member running after him with spears, and throwing arrows to kill him and calling him a thief, traitor and any other cruel name.

Even to this day he can still remember that day where he made that decision, it mentally haunts him. This is the one memory which Gourry wished to forget.

Gourry dreams of his escape from Elmikia with the sword of light with his family hunting him down like if he was an ogre, he can feels them getting closer, ready to kill him. "Please….please someone help me!!!" He cried very loud but since he is running in a cold dark wood there is no one to help him. "Help me!!!"

In that moment a huge bright light appears right in front of Gourry. The only thing Gourry can hear is a voice calling him. Gourry looks at the light with a confused look but somehow he can trust the voice, it makes him feel calmer. Without hesitation Gourry enters the light and he starts to see a female face with long red hair.

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Gourry wakes up to see Lina's face, smiling softly at him, he then realizes that he has his head rested on Lina's lap. It is quite obvious that Lina sit on his bed and rested his head on his lap, something that she has never done before. "Lina?"

"So you are finally awake?" Lina asked as she softly pets his head.

Gourry simply gazes at Lina with a super confused look.

"What is the matter with you?" Lina asked.

"I have my head rested on your lap and you don't even beat me up, heck you are even petting me!"

With that remark Lina bongs him on the forehead. "So what? What kind of person do you take me for? What do you think I am? A brute? You jelly fish!"

"Yup, this is Lina alright…." Gourry thought as he rubbed his head. "But she must be the one who called me in my dream."

Lina then looks at the window. "Gourry, there is something I wanted to talk to you…..about the fish people."

Goury eyes widen, remembering the conversation with Zanatos a few hours ago. "This is about that? Oh, c'mon Lina, don't tell me you are upset because of that?"

Lina's eyes get harder. "I still remember that day when you said that you were going to protect me for the rest of you life, but then you decided to play father for a bunch of a freaky fish people with mind disorder! Why wouldn't I be upset?" She then blushed when she realized that she is acting like a jealous girlfriend. "Wait,wait,wait!!! I'm not talking like I….I…I…"

Gourry simply holds Lina's hand without moving from his spot. "I swear Lina, that incident was insignificant. I only felt pity for the poor family, that is it. I told you this when you were mind controlled by Zanatos but I really missed you during that week, I missed you a lot. I am really sorry if I hurt you but please, don't get upset because of something so dumb."

Lina stayed in silence for a moment. "Its just that….I thought you were feed up with me….I thought you were tire of having all these wild adventures with me."

Gourry chuckle softly and holds Lina's cheeks with one hand. "Trust me Lina, I am never feed up with you. I would have never missed you if I was fed up with you."

Lina blushed with Gourry's soft words and remembers when she and the others went to visit him in the fish peoples house, she saw Gourry cry when he saw Lina and the others. Lina starts to realize that, in some way, Gourry was like a prisoner to Miss Mermaid. "I guess that all this was really dumb, and one of the weirdest adventures we ever had."

"To be truthful, I am enjoying this adventure we are having ever since we meet Pokota."

"Really? Why is that?"

"Because no one is forcing me to dress up like a woman."

Lina smirks. "The adventure is not done yet. We might still force you."

Gourry's face starts to get pale. "Oh no…"

Lina starts to laugh with Gourry joining her.

Gourry then stops and looks up to the ceiling. "You know, I was surprised to know that you guys stayed the entire week in that village waiting for me. I thought that you guys already left to find the Hellmasters vase."

"Huh? Now why would you think that?"

"Well...I don't know anything about magic and I don't have the knowledge that you guys have, the only thing I can do is use a sword. I am essentially worthless"

Lina looks down gently, it seems like the comments that Zanatos gave to him are still stuck in him. "Oh, c'mon, Gourry……"

"And I am the only one who does not wear a cape."

Lina sweatdropped with that add. "A cape?"

"Yeah, you wear a cape, Zel wears a cape, Amelia wears a cape, Xellos wears a cape, Sylphiel wears a cape, Filia wears a cape, Pokota wears a cape… heck, and even Nama wears a cape."

Lina was dumbfounded with these observations by Gourry, she does not know if she should just laugh at this or be amaze with the fact that Gourry remembers some people that he did not saw for quite some time. So she just bonks him lightly on the head, at least that is what she believed.

"OUCH!!! What was that for?" Gourry complained.

"Because you are an idiot."

"What!?!?"

"You might not be a sorcerer like the rest of us but you are one heck of a swordsman. Your abilities have exceeded everyone we ever faced in the past, not even Zelgadiss could reach that level. So don't worry about it. And of course we would wait for your, you have been with us in every adventure we ever participated in and you even help us save the world, you even help us defeat Zanatos."

Gourry was amaze how Lina is cheering him up, she nearly never does that for him, she actually cheer him up when he was gloomy about when he messed up in playing father for the fish kids. "Yeah, I have to admit that the combination with the Sword of light with the Ragna Blade was actually amazing."

"Yes, and it was all thank to your help. Do you still think you are worthless?" Lina winked at him.

Gourry smiles and then holds Lina's cheeks again. "Lina, now it is your turn to answer me this….am I nothing but just your bodyguard to you?"

As a response Lina smiles softly and playfully pulls Gourry's nose. "Just my bodyguard? No, you are my friend and much more. I would have not have rescue you from those dumb fish people just the way you rescued me from those bandits if you were just my bodyguard."

"Your friend…and much…more?" Gourry repeated in his mind and smiles happily.

Minutes later Lina is still in Gourry's room, with his head still resting on her lap, and looking out the window. Lina does not remember the time when she had such a peaceful moment in her life.

"Look how shiny the full moon is tonight Gourry!" Lina looks down to find out that Gourry is sleeping on her lap, but this time he is sleeping serenely.

Lina blushes with the scenery she is in, this almost that time when they were at the sand temple, but this time Gourry is sleeping on her lap. Her looks starts to slowly change until she holds Gourrys face with her hands.

"You put up with me more time than anyone else in the world and you never regretted. Thank you Gourry….." Lina approached face to his. "I know you are not listening to me but promise me that you won't ever do that same foolishness with the fish people….I love you, Gourry Gabrieve."

Lina kisses a sleeping Gourry, enjoying the sweet, irreplaceable moment. She does not know why but she has the feeling that she already kissed Gourry before but she did not care. Her only regret is that Gourry is not awake to enjoy this feeling the same way she is enjoying it, she only hopes that one day she can tell Gourry her true feelings.

"I REMEMBER!!!!" Nama storms into the room, breaking the moment that Lina is having with Gourry.

"NAMA; WHY ARE YOU BUSTING IN LIKE THAT!?!?!? What are you doing? What are acting!!! What are you doing here?!?!?! What are you chilling?!?!?" Lina screamed very embarrassedly, she is so embarrassed that she does not know what to say."

"Nama remembers where the…..say what are you doing in Gourry's room?" Nama pointed at Gourry who is still sleeping.

"NEVER MIND!!!!" Lina shouted some more and get out of Gourry's bed. "Now what do you want."

"Oh, Nama was going to say that she remembers where the Vase of Hellmaster is!"

"Really?" Lina's mood changed. "Then where is it?"

"It is…"

"Yes?"

"It is…."

"Yes?"

"It is….?"

"It is were?"

"It is…."

"Where? Blast it!!!"

Nama stayed in a suspension silence until she finally speaks. "Well, what do you know, poor Nama forgot what she was talking about."

"WHAT!?!?!?!?" Lina shouted so loud that the windows broke, and Gourry is still asleep. "I don't believe this!!!! You interrupted the moment I was having with Gour…" Lina covers her mouth in embarrassment.

"Interrupted what?"

"DRAGON SLAVE!!!!!"

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In his room Pokota could hear the shirking that was coming from Gourry's room. "Why is it that my life turned into a complete circus in the exact moment that I meet these people?"

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Gourry wakes up with a huge sunlight falling on him. "I thought I close the curtains…why is there so much light in my room?"

Gourry sits up to find out that his entire room is destroyed and the walls are completely demolished. "Hum….Lina must have been upset with something."

In that moment Lina flies over Gourry's room. "Hurry up Gourry. Nama said that she finally remember where the vase is. Let's get a move on!"

Lina gave him a thumbs up and Gourry returned the gesture. "Ok, let me get dressed."

Right next to Lina is Zelgadiss, Amelia, Nama and Pokota.

"Is it impossible for that girl to come to a city or village without destroying everything?" Pokota asked with a nauseating look.

"You'll get use to it." Amelia replied. "We all did."

Amelia then looks back at Lina to see that her attitude is all cheerful again, she is pleased for it. It seems that things between Lina and Gourry are alright again but Amelia wonders what they have done lat night, besides destroying Gourry's room. what ever the case Amelia smiles happily for her friends, it looks like it won't be long until Lina and Gourry admit their feelings for one another.

"Strange….my lips are warm, it's like someone kissed me." Gourry thought as he touched his lips.

THE END.

Sunny: The end of this story. We did say that it would be small fic.

Alandra: we made it based on that episode from Slayers evolution-r. We were a bid surprised to see that no one made a fic based on it.

Ramon: but seeing how many people liked this fic maybe this can motivate people to do a fic based on that episode. Until then, see you next time.