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Author’s notes: Title from the RK movie soundtrack. Yup, I’m still being evil. As to the plot…it’s hurrying, it’s hurrying! To where? I still have no clue…also, warning, I’m going to make this part a bit bloodier. What can I say? I’m violent.^_^
Where is he?
"Soon…"
My Knight must have awakened in the world already. Where is he?
"Can’t you even tell? He’s your Knight."
What kind of attitude is that, human? Do not think that just because you’re Her servant that I’ll put up with this kind of insolence?
"A threat, Ruby-Eye? You know I’m not afraid of you."
Mother’s servants are so unruly.
"I’m not a servant. Just because I chose to serve her does not mean that I am a slave. And you’re the one who can’t find his Knight."
I will find him.
"Isn’t it obvious? You’re going to lose him. He’s already learned the control."
I will find him. And he will obey me.
" We’ll see."
"Argh!" Lina growled in frustration. She had searched the beach and waded into the ocean, to no avail. There was no hint of Deep Sea Dolphin anywhere. "Now, where can she be hiding?"
The sea lapped gently at her feet in answer.
Lina looked down. "Oh, no." She said. "I’m NOT going in there. Not undersea! I’m going to drown!"
Nothing answered her.
She took a deep breath. "Is there no other way?" She asked no one in particular. The sea gulls’ calls and the soft wind gave her the meaningless answer and she sighed. "Fine, fine."
Lina Inverse took a deep, deep breath. She honestly hoped she wouldn’t drown in there. After all, she was in Dolphin’s mind, right? How can she drown??
She jumped into the azure waters, feeling it close over her as she sank like a stone. It was slightly cold, but not as cold as she expected. Deeper and deeper she went, darker and darker it got. Lina could feel her lungs burning and she closed her eyes. Time to find out if this was just an illusion.
She gasped, air filling her lungs instead of cold water. Her red eyes opened to see the waterfalls of Dolphin’s throne room. Again. This time, though, it was eerily quiet. There was no sound except of the water falling. No sign of life could be seen anywhere. A soft, blue light glowed near the center, where Lina had first seen Dolphin appear in the pillar of water. She approached it now, caution and curiosity fighting each other. The light intensified, and Dolphin materialized again.
Lina gasped softly. A semi-transparent material studded with golden orbs surrounded the Demon Lord. Her eyes were closed, but even in the water, Lina could see that she was crying. Wisps of color and shadows danced around the two, forming half-tangible images and shapes. Lina recovered from her shock quickly as she took two more steps.
"Dolphin…-san. Wake up." She said. Just why she added the honorific, she didn’t know. Maybe it was from this sense of familiarity…after all, Xellas did say that Deep Sea was favored by L-sama. "Wake up!" She reached out…
A shock akin to a bolt of electricity ran through her when her fingers grazed the material that surrounded Dolphin. Lina’s back arched and her mouth opened in a silent scream as images and sensations flooded into her mind. Not the slow, lazy current of Dolphin’s memories, not the bits and pieces that surrounded them now. No, a crushing wave of knowledge and feelings, overwhelming her every defense.
Lina Inverse struggled desperately to retain her identity in the onslaught of emotions and facts. In an instant, she had access to everything she ever wanted to know or experience, to feel or to touch. She grasped the infinite and glimpsed the meaning of existence for one split second. She could feel what is Lina Inverse slipping away in the torrent, her memories and experiences being torn away…
GET AWAY! Her mind screamed, rejecting it.
Then she was on her knees, gasping for breath. Feeling disorientated, but still in her body, no voices inside her head. A void.
"…What..the…" She panted, hugging herself as she tried to regain control. Dolphin continued to float, her eyes closed. "What the hell just happened?!"
No answer, only the silence and the almost inaudible sound of water flowing. Lina took a deep breath. "Okay. So I can’t touch it…" at least, can’t do it without being overwhelmed. She got to her feet, studying the veil. That was what gave her the shock, that semi-transparent veil. Dolphin’s eyes opened and Lina jumped, alarmed. She hadn’t expected the Demon Lord to wake up, much less look at her. With deep blue, pupiless eyes that looked too wise and sad for the face they were in.
Dolphin spoke. "Leave."
Lina blinked. "Wait a minute, lady. I go to all this trouble to find you and you’re telling me to leave? I don’t think so!"
Dolphin’s eyes spoke of an ancient pain. "I will not leave this place and no one can remove this shroud. Please leave before you hurt yourself."
"Xellas said you would listen to reason. Don’t you know what state that world is now?" Lina asked searchingly. Why do all of these people have to be so against getting off their butts and doing something!?
"I saw it and know of it. I know the world is in danger of being destroyed by imbalance." Dolphin said sadly. "But you are the one that doesn’t understand."
"What do you mean?"
"There is no salvation or deliverance in the end. There are no such things as happy endings. There is only the continued struggle, war raging until the end of time, of existence. Hate that never ends, small sparks of understanding jumped on and smothered. What is the point of trying to save a world that isn’t worth saving?" Dolphin stared deep into Lina’s eyes. "And why does it have to include me? I am not the most powerful or the most motivated. I’m not even useful. Please, leave me out of this."
For a moment, the sorceress was speechless. Then Lina crossed her arms. "You know, this reminds me of this discussion I had with my sister." She mused. "What is the point of it all? I asked her. I think we were arguing over taking bathes daily. I told her I’d just get dirty again. She told me that I just had to." She smiled a little at the memory, two girls tussling over in the backyard, beside the old bathtub. "I wasn’t very happy with that explanation, I recall…"
"Are you saying that I must do this?" Dolphin asked gently, curiously.
"If you say there is no ending to this except in destruction, and it’s not worth it, then why are we here in the first place?" Lina shrugged. "I never gave much thought to faith and the theory that everyone has a purpose in their lives, but I had to revise my thinking a little, lately. The point is, Dolphin, that we are here. We are living. And I want to survive. The struggle between the Demons and the Dragons mean nothing to me, at least not in those terms. The only way I can relate to them is that we are all trying to survive. And in order to survive, I’m willing to do anything." Lina’s eyes hardened. "Even if it means making you wake up in the real world."
Dolphin shook her head. "Maybe I am selfish, in not wanting to deal with the outside world, in despairing…" She murmured, "But you have not seen the tragedies that I have. There are some horrible things which will happen in the war that will come, and the many more wars that will follow. The experience will leave many scars that will never heal. Why should those helpless people suffer? Better to end it all, now, before they feel the pain which is too great to bear."
"Now you’re sounding like Filia." Lina said exasperatedly. "Who died and made you God? Granted, war is bad, there’s no way to make it into a good thing, but don’t you think those people should be given a chance to choose for themselves? I’d rather live with all the ups and downs than feel nothing at all. Heck, I’d take the pain along with the pleasure rather than not even existing."
"I’m afraid I cannot agree with you, Lina. I can’t, no, won’t come out. Please, leave while you can. Your friends are going to be worried."
"Why? They’re in here too." Lina growled. "I can’t believe this." She paced around Dolphin. "What do you want? Isn’t there some way?"
"Proof…"
"Proof of what?" She asked.
"Proof that it’s worth it."
With a tired groan, Filia sat down on the hard, cold floor. "You know, this is getting old." She muttered. "I hate the cold."
Hate to agree with you… She heard Xelloss grumble. But you’re right.
The Dragon General gave the wolf a quizzical look. "Now, have you always been able to do that?"
Do what?
"Change forms." The wolf’s tongue lolled out, as if he was laughing at her, and she snapped irritably. "What’s so funny?"
Yes and you, his voice sounded with a combination of amusement and tiredness. I’m mazoku, Filia-chan. Our physical forms are determined by how we manifest ourselves in the physical plane. And Xellas-sama is one of the best shape shifters out there. Shifting form is second nature, just like how you can take your dragon form at will.
Filia decided to not answer.
They sat silently for a while, listening to the wind blow outside. Luck had been smiling on them when they had rematerialized in their flight from Sheela and they found this small cave almost immediately, before the storm could bury them in snow. Xelloss curled up, golden wolf eyes closing.
Get some rest, Filia. She heard. We leave early tomorrow.
"Where to?" She asked, hugging her knees to her chest. She could feel the chill seeping into her, and in an attempt to escape it, she huddled into her cloak.
Dynast. The wolf’s eyes opened again, amused. Are you really that cold?
Filia huddled deeper into her cloak. "Shut up. You have fur." She muttered.
True, but you’re going to get cramps in some rather uncomfortable places if you sleep in that position, he noted.
"Shut up." She said again for the lack of a better response, and closed her eyes. Something warm and heavy hit her and she opened her eyes to darkness. "What-?"
Xelloss chuckled as he shifted from his human form to wolf again. Filia finally clawed her way out of his cloak, sprouting curses as she did so. "What did you do that for?!" She half-screamed at the wolf. "Don’t look innocent!"
Filia-chan, go to sleep. He said in a calm voice. She flung the cloak at him.
"I don’t need it!"
The wolf wiggled until his snout was peeking out, and he regarded her with familiar yet alien eyes. Okay. He said in her mind. If you say so. I’m the one that’s nice and warm.
Filia gritted her teeth. Then grabbed the cloak and scooted to the other side of the cave. "I hope you freeze." She grumbled as she wrapped it tightly around herself.
She could hear his light laugh as she dozed off.
"Bad day?"
Zira opened one eye. "No, why do you ask?"
"You only sleep when you’re annoyed with something. And something can annoy you, then it’s pretty bad."
Zira smiled. The waitress tilted her head, something that was akin to raising an eyebrow since her eyes were hidden under purple bangs. "Who said I was sleeping? And where is my lunch, Luna?"
Luna Inverse shrugged. "We both know you don’t need to eat. Now spill it." Zira remained silent and Luna sighed. "Don’t you dare pull a Xelloss imitation now!"
"What do you want to know?" Zira said calmly.
Luna would have rolled her eyes in exasperation, but she tapped her foot instead. The people in the restaurant were hurriedly finishing their meals and leaving. Zephilia knows when the Knight of Cepheed is tapping her feet like that, it was a cue to get out of the immediate vicinity. If they’re lucky, maybe they’ll be out of range once the fireworks start. "I need to know how far along they are! Once the war starts, I’m going to have to quit this job. I want to give my boss an early warning."
Eyes still closed, Zira leaned back in her chair, smile tugging at her lips. "Once the war starts, who is to say that it will ever end?"
Luna placed her hands on her hips and the restaurant patrons were leaving in packs. "I say it will end. And I say that we’ll all survive to have to work two jobs to make a living. So tell me, how much time do we have until doomsday?"
"You sure are optimistic." Zira shrugged. "As to how long…Maybe another month, probably less."
There was pride in the waitress’s voice. "Lina’s pretty fast, isn’t she?"
"As speedy as could be expected." Zira replied. "Dolphin will prove to be a challenge though. Lina and Dolphin are almost complete opposites, except for the fact that they both feel too much. I wonder how that’s going to turn out."
"I heard Lina used the Laguna Blade against Garv." Luna noted in an odd tone. "You are really doing it?"
Zira shrugged again. "You know the prophecy, I’m the one that passed it onto you in the first place. I don’t think I really have a choice, to tell you the truth." She smiled again. "But I feel oddly relieved. Things will be out of my hands soon."
"Proof? How do I do that?"
Dolphin shook her head. "I don’t know."
Lina was getting irritated. Okay, more than irritated. "Listen, I’m tired of trying to talk Demon Lords out of hiding. Lsama gave you the purpose of fighting the Dragons and maintaining balance while you do so, so why won’t you do it?!" She reached out, as if to grab Dolphin and shake some sense into her. Once again, her fingers grazed the Veil and it sent her to her knees, gasping of breath from the shock.
"Please do not do that. You will hurt yourself." Dolphin said softly. Lina growled as she stood up.
"I’ll tear that veil from my way, with my bare hands if need be!" She said.
Dolphin sighed. "Don’t do that, please. It won’t do anyone any good."
"How about this, Laguna Blade!"
The blue-eyed demon watched the blade of chaos form. Lina stopped, seeing the almost reverent joy in her eyes. Slowly, Lina let the blade fade away.
"It’ll kill you." Lina realized.
"Free me from this plane and deliver me back to Mother." Dolphin finished. "It would be the best thing you can do for me, Lina Inverse."
"Like Hell I will do that!" Lina sputtered. "I’ve just spent the last few months trying to RESURRECT Demon Lords, not kill them! There’s not enough of you alive to kill!" She felt like tearing out her hair. Deep Sea Dolphin was just so stubborn. Lina felt very tempted to give up leave this place, but something inside wouldn’t let her. She knew, as Xellas had so eloquently put it, that the Demons simply didn’t stand a chance against the Dragons with their numbers so diminished. Dolphin must know that too, yet she refused to help, preferring to wish for death. "Sheesh, how melodramatic can you get?" the sorceress muttered. Dolphin smiled a sad smile.
"Please, just leave."
Lina groaned inwardly. "Let me guess, we’re back to square one?"
So, what’s the verdict?
"Snow, snow, and more snow." Filia grumbled, rubbing her gloved hands together for warmth. Xelloss’s cloak was surprisingly warm. "Are we still heading out?"
No choice. We don’t have much time left. Xelloss answered, sniffing the air. And I think she brought some friends with her.
"What do you mean?"
Hounds. They were demon mages pressed into his service from before the war. He turned whoever displeased him into a Hound, or encased them in ice. Not a nice guy.
"And we want to Unseal him?"
We need him.
"You need him. I for one have absolutely no use for the Demon King of the North," Filia replied. "But we might as well get started."
They stepped out into the icy world of the North Pole again. The Dragon grimaced as the cold hit her, chilling her to the bone. Xelloss loped out until he was a few yards ahead of her, then he turned and waited for her to follow. She sighed.
"Let’s get the show going." She muttered. "As long as we’re on the subject of being hunted, what do we do if we see one of those hounds?"
Try to kill them before they kill you. Xelloss replied. Or run like Ruby-eye himself is chasing you.
"That bad?"
Pretty bad.
Filia trudged along. "And Sheela controls them?"
Control is a bit too strong. More like she can influence them a lot.
"That’s really odd. The Dragons have never heard of demons like Sheela and those hounds running loose."
Well, we’re at the North Pole. There isn’t exactly a crowd here to spread the news. Xelloss answered, looking around. Filia had to admit, there was a lot of snow here, and that was about it. Let’s get going. I want plenty of space to maneuver if Sheela decides to ambush us.
"Great." Filia threw up her hands. "Just wonderful. As long as we’re on the pessimistic streak, I might as well ask. Just how in the world am I supposed to Unseal Dynast?"
His answer wasn’t very reassuring.
I have no idea. You’ll just have to find out once the time comes.
"Lina-san? Gourry-san? Xellas-san?" Amelia called, feeling a little afraid. She wasn’t sure where she was, but it was rather dark…and gloomy…
A high-pitched scream tore through the darkness and she spun around, heart pounding in her chest. She still couldn’t see, but the scream continued on and on until it finally ended in a broken sob. There was something heartrending about the cry of loss, something that was familiar to Amelia, who recalled making a similar sound when she discovered the slaughtered remains of her family. Wet drops hit her cheek.
Rain?
Amelia stood confused, in the dark, gray landscape being washed by the drops that fell. "What…what is going on?" She murmured, walking around carefully. She looked around and all she could see were corpses and ravaged ground. Not a single living thing. Rain and dark gray clouds that only served to add to the oppressive atmosphere.
Amelia shivered, wanting desperately to get out of this place, be it dream or reality. It must be a dream…right? It can’t be reality, yet she could feel the truth in the scene, the truth and strength of the grief in the cry of the night. It scared her. She hugged herself, closing her eyes. No more.
Gourry ran through the city that was Zephilia. He had a feeling that he had to find Lina soon, before it was too late. Lina…and that woman with the blue hair. The only thing in this place that talked to him. The city melted into washes of color before the scene changed around him again. Startled, the swordsman skidded to a stop.
He seemed to be…Gourry squinted, yes, a few miles out of the town, in a low, plain like area. The sky was an angry red-brown and the land was torn in various places, as if struck by spells. He could see himself, and Lina, and Amelia…also with them was a slender man with dark hair. His dream self was holding on to Lina, restraining her as she screamed and struggled, trying to reach for something.
Gourry followed the direction of her desperate gaze. A giant shadow loomed on the near horizon, its red eyes glowing balefully. A stream of blue-white light, similar to the Sword of Light, streaked toward the Lord of Darkness. Gourry whipped his head around in time to see another arrow fly, its source in the almost organic black bow that was in the hands of a scarred young man with golden eyes. A tall man in a trench coat…Garv, Gourry remembered, stood beside him, sword drawn.
Lina….he looked at Lina with horror, as the petite sorceress stood up pushed his dream self away, her whole body glowing gold and black…
Luna Inverse stood outside the restaurant where she worked. Zira’s departing figure could still be seen, even in the descending darkness of night. The dull, aching pain in her head was echoed by a similar pain in her heart.
"I hear you, Cepheed." She whispered. "Your will be done."
Eventually, the end will come. The wind rustled around her, around the almost deserted streets of Zephilia. It felt so lonely, so desolate. How many people will end up leaving with Death when he visits? She only hoped Lina would be strong enough for what Zira and destiny has in store for her.
Cepheed was still in his sleep. The Dragon Kings are only three, with the defeat of the Water Dragon King during the War of the Monster’s Fall. And Cepheed’s General still has part of her power sealed away…Luna shook her head. The war will come, no doubt about it. The only thing she could do, like everyone else, is fulfill what destiny has planned for her.
Lina Inverse was near the end of her patience.
"Please, just give up." Dolphin pleaded. "I don’t want anyone to be hurt over this."
If there was anything that she hated, it was pathetic whining. If there was anything she hated more, it was pathetic whining from someone that actually had the power to do something, but just doesn’t feel like it. Angrily, Lina snapped. "If I give up, then the whole world will die. Then who will get hurt?! The whole damn world!" She stomped up to the Demon Lord. "I want to live, and to do that, I said I’m willing to do anything." Their eyes locked, watery blue against fiery red. She could see the veil at the edge of her vision, and with the sight of it came the memory of the pain. She steeled herself. "Even die." She said seriously.
Dolphin looked at the petite girl with alarm. "You wouldn’t!"
Dolphin wasn’t the type who could just let someone die…but then again, she wasn’t the type to aggressively go about something. Lina knew that she was gambling the most important thing she had. Her life. "Of course I would! If you don’t want anyone to get hurt, then get off your butt and stop it from happening! Don’t be so weak!" It wasn’t a gamble she wanted to make, but she had to. If giving her life could shock Dolphin awake, then… "If you don’t want anyone to die, then stop them!" Lina said before she grabbed the Veil with both hands, somehow managing to hold on as a scream was torn from her.
"No!" Dolphin cried. "Don’t! Please!"
She held on as Dolphin pleaded for her to let go, to stop it. She held on even though every fiber of her being fought against it. She held on with the strength of one who knew that this was the last thing she could do. Lina held on until the images inside began to overwhelm her. Voices echoed in her head, creating a crushing symphony of dissonant sounds, words that meant nothing yet made sense at the same time. Knowledge, memories, facts, secrets, all of them inside her mind.
Slowly, the essence of Lina Inverse was chipped away. As she saw the infinite and the plans of L-sama, she felt the memories and the feelings washing away…melting into the greater whole she was part of. She was gradually losing…what? Her identity…Why was she here? What was going on? A little part of her, the part that clung on to everything stubbornly, gave her one last answer.
"Got…you…" She gritted as the Veil tore in her hands, falling freely around the stunned Dolphin. Lina Inverse’s mind shattered, spilling out all that made her who she was, flying out to mingle into the thin air, filled with other intangible spirits from people long past gone. The empty shell of her body collapsed at Dolphin’s feet.
Somewhere, in the physical plane, Lina Inverse twitched, then went still.
There was silence.
Deep Sea Dolphin knelt slowly, numbly. This was familiar…yes, very familiar…She grimaced, shaking her head.
"No!" Dolphin shouted. "NO!" This wasn’t supposed to happen…this wasn’t true! "Lina, you…no one was supposed to die for me!" Someone already did…someone died again…oh, gods…
"Dolphin."
Another familiar presence.
Deep Sea Dolphin looked up to see Zira at the entrance of her room. For one second, the Demon Lord just stared at her, then she cried "Zira! Please, do something!" her voice hitting a hysterical pitch.
Zira did not move an inch. "You’re the only one that can help her, Dolphin." she answered. "The only one. Take what she said to heart. Be strong." The woman with the wavy hair watched as the Knight faded out, disappearing from her mind.
The only one?
Be…strong? But she was never strong…she was always weak…always uncertain, always…afraid.
And because of that, someone very important died. And because of that, someone will die.
Dolphin clenched her fist as she closed her eyes against the tears that came. Never again, she will never let anyone die for her again…
Blue light surrounded her, then she disappeared also, leaving Lina’s body in the now eerily quiet room.
"Gourry-san!"
The cry in the near darkness set his every sense on edge. Gourry spun around, Sword of Light at ready. He blinked as the figure came closer and the surroundings lighting up as she did so. "The lady from before?" He said, confused. The woman grabbed his arm.
"Please! Come with me, I need your help!"
Gourry opened his mouth to reply but the scene changed around him rapidly, depositing the woman and him in the middle of what looked like a garden. He caught sight of a familiar figure near the rose bushes. "Amelia?"
"Amelia-san!" The woman called. The girl looked up, also confused. "Please both of you, hold on."
The two confused humans found themselves in an unfamiliar room surrounded by waterfalls. The blue haired woman hurried to the center of the room, where they could see…
"LINA!" Gourry yelled, running and overtaking the woman. He knelt down, picking up the childlike body carefully, as if she was made of glass. His expression became more frantic as he searched for signs of life and found nothing. "LINA! Answer me!"
"I need your help."
"What happened to Lina-san!?" Amelia cried. "Did you do this?" The woman shook her head. "I….I tried to stop her…" She said. "She wanted me to stop being so…weak."
"Is…is she dead?" Gourry asked, a catch in his voice. He held her tightly now, as if afraid that by letting go, she will really be lost.
The willowy figure shook her head. "Not in the physical sense, no. But I need your help."
"What do you want us to do?" Gourry asked immediately.
"I am Deep Sea Dolphin," The woman said. "Lina Inverse wished to free me from my Seal. She touched the Veil of Illusion, and it…" The woman searched for an appropriate word. "It overwhelmed her and broke her mind."
"WHAT?!"
"Her mind is lost inside mine," Dolphin continued, gesturing as the waterfalls faded away to be replaced by what appeared to be a seabed. There were various ruins of sunken ships and dead sea monsters, along with multicolored pearls and corals. "Her memories, her feelings, her words. Everything and anything that made her Lina Inverse is here, flung across the seas of my mind, mingled with what the Veil has shown her. What I need to do now is find the broken pieces and put them together again, for without them, she is not Lina Inverse."
"And what do you need us to do?"
"Help me find her." Dolphin replied.
"Just out of curiosity, are we getting anywhere?"
No.
"Great." Filia looked around again, squinting against the glare of the sun on the snow. Well, they must have walked for the better part of the morning, and both of them had been up before sunrise. Of course, what passed for sunrise in this weird place wasn’t exactly sunrise… "Are we even close?"
I’m trying to throw Sheela off our tracks. The more distance we put between them, the better.
"Still as sneaky as ever, I see." Filia nodded. " So we’re going to sneak around for the remainder of the day?"
Yes.
"Any chance of getting lunch soon?" She joked. As if on cue, her stomach growled. The wolf sat down and looked at her, and once again she could hear him laughing.
Sounds like Lina.
"You know, I said the exact same thing."
"So, what do we do?" Gourry asked as he continued to hold Lina’s body carefully. "How are we supposed to help you find her?"
"I did not know her well enough to know what she has lost. I did not know her well enough to know what she had. We shall start with the memories she had of you two, and hopefully, from there, I can find the rest of her."
Gourry looked at the prone figure in his arms. She looked so peaceful, yet fragile. Not at all like the girl with the will of iron that he had met six years ago. Not the Lina that faced down Garv without a hope of winning… He could see Amelia hovering near him, also worried. "I’ll help. Let’s start."
"How will you know…if you missed anything?" Amelia asked as Dolphin raised her hand, the seascape reforming, yet once again.
"This is my mind, something that I have absolute control over now that I am out." Dolphin replied, looking sadly at the petite sorceress who was willing to give up her identity to free her. "And I do not plan to miss anything."
The scene shifted again.
"Zephilia." Gourry murmured as he looked around, seeing the semi-familiar buildings. Dolphin was calling blue energy into her hands, the light solidifying until is was a point of intense brilliance. She released it and watched it as it streaked away, like a blue firefly flying randomly in the night. Subtly, the surroundings changed, barely noticeable changes in color and lighting.
"LINA!"
A blur of red and brown flew past them as a purple-haired girl rounded the corner. Gourry’s head swerved as he tried to keep track of the Lina in his arms and the little Lina that just passed him. "Eh?"
"Here’s one." Dolphin said with a smile as the scene froze and was sucked into the blue light that she had formed. "I suspect there will be many more."
Painstakingly, the three went over the past, picking out memories that were Lina’s, memories that might have influenced her. With growing awe, Gourry and Amelia watched as Lina grew up. Watched her first meeting with Gourry, and the battlefield where she had found Amelia. Listened to her conversations with L-sama at the beginning and her talks with Xelloss and Filia. Watched her lessons with Zira and the first time she summoned the Laguna Blade. Re-watched the Unsealing of Xellas, Phibrizo and Garv as the images spun in a dizzying pace around them, often picked up and discarded too fast for their minds to comprehend. Dolphin made sure they didn’t see anything that wasn’t about Lina, anything about others’ past. That would be too soon, too early, and most importantly, not necessary.
There were also things the two had not seen before. Lina dancing, Lina training for magic, Lina with Luna. Lina in a pink dress, utterly embarrassed, and Lina crowing in her hour of triumph. Gourry watched with awe and fascination as he saw Lina from every perspective, both the strong and the feminine. With a wry grin, Dolphin thought, by the time we’re done, they’re going to know her better than she knew herself.
Carefully, Dolphin removed the memories of the knowledge she had gained, untangling the golden threads of chaos from the flame red. That knowledge cannot be granted to humans, although there will come a time when she will need that knowledge. But Dolphin knew she wasn’t the one to give it to her.
Amelia took a deep, deep breath. "Dolphin-san, are we almost done?"
They could see Lina as she reached forward, grabbing the semi-transparent veil around Dolphin. The scene froze, just like the other scenes before it.
Dolphin nodded. "I will stop here. She will, hopefully, wake up and remember nothing about the death of herself." The blue light floated forward, toward Lina. It lowered slowly, sinking into her body and radiating soft light throughout. Soon, though, it faded. "You two, also. You must be very tired. Please, allow me to send you on your way."
Amelia watched as the blue light surrounded them. Gourry didn’t see to notice, since he was busy watching Lina anxiously. The light made her feel tired…everything that she had seen made her tired. So many things that she never knew before…things that she wasn’t sure she should know. The throne room, surrounded by the waterfalls, faded away as Dolphin returned them to the physical plane.
The sound of water continued to fill the room as Dolphin looked around at the place where her mind had resided for the past thousand years. It was her prison, by her own choice. The sound of the water continued to sooth her.
What was this feeling? Not sadness, exactly. Not anger, but not true happiness either. Another tear found its way down her cheek. More like…regret. Regret that things will never be the same again.
Silly, she thought. Things never stay the same forever. There is no such instance.
She was alone. Precious seconds of solitude before she truly returned. There was nowhere to hide anymore. There was no reason to hide. She was the only one, standing here with her regret and sadness and loneliness. Yet, there is a little bit of pride as well. Pride that she pulled it off. The silence reminded her and Dolphin took a deep breath as she savored the loneliness one more time.
"Dolphin."
The blue haired woman turned, smiling. There was no surprise, as if she had expected the intrusion. Expected it and welcomed it. It’s entirely possible, given the control that Dolphin now had over her mind and all that was in it. "Xellas-chan."
Xellas hesitated at the door, and she smiled, a little. "Dolphin, what you said…was it true?" she asked in an odd tone.
The Kaiou’s lips also turned up in a smile. "Xellas-chan." She replied softly, "Do you need me to say it again?"
Xellas looked at her, golden eyes uncertain.
"Xellas-chan, you’re forgiven."
Note: Kaiou means "King of the Ocean". Very similar to Juuou, "King of Beasts" Like Xellas’s title.
**
The pitch-black darkness slowly lightened until it was a dull, comfortable gray. She didn’t want to get up.
"Lina?"
Go away, wanna sleep….
The voice called again, this time tinged with layers of worry. "Lina?"
"Gourry-san?"
"She’s not waking up." The worry again, along with the beginnings of panic.
"Maybe-"
Lina groaned, "Can’t anyone sleep in peace?" She muttered, trying to snuggle closer to the warm pillow thing she was on…warm pillow thing wearing…armor?
"Lina!"
"KYAA!?" Lina yelled, becoming completely awake. She scrambled back, off of Gourry’s lap, and began a stream of confused babble, mainly along the lines of "What happened and what were you DOING?!"
Amelia sweatdropped as Lina’s soprano continued to screech on while Gourry protested his innocence and tried to explain what had happened. Of course, explaining meant the need for air, and the headlock that the sorceress had him in really didn’t allow that much air… "Is it just me," She wondered aloud, "Or has nothing changed?"
"Nothing did." Dolphin said softly, coming up behind her, startling the girl. "Everything is still the same. But everything changes, so gradually that we don’t notice, until it’s too late." Watching Lina and Gourry, she shrugged. "Sometimes, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing."
"Dolphin-san?"
"I’m sure you are all tired. Please accept my hospitality for the day. Xellas-chan will take you all back to Wolf Pack Island tomorrow."
"It’s over, isn’t it?" Amelia asked.
"What is?" Xellas asked as she came up behind her, watching Lina screech at Gourry with interest.
"It’s almost over, everything. Unsealing the Demon Lords, the war that will come, saving the world."
"Everything has an end." Dolphin said. "Yet nothing truly ends."