Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ Da Capo of Love: Lina's Unlucky Days ❯ The Magnus Papers ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: "Slayers" and all of the associated characters belong to Hajime Kanzaka, Rui Araizumi and the companies that represent them. This story is loosely based off the movie, "Lupin III - Da Capo of Love: Fujiko's Unlucky Days" (known in the U.S. as "Lupin III - The Columbus Files") and some scenes will be similiar to that film. "Lupin III" was originally created by Monkey Punch.

 

Other notes: This story is set following the anime version of Slayers and Slayers NEXT, then novels 9-15. Therefore there will be references to events that took place in Slayers and Slayers NEXT and to certain novel events that took place post- NEXT. This story is dark and does contain sexual situations, living up to the X rating.

 

This chapter contains a lemon about three quarters through. It's recognizeable once you hit the paragraph that begins it. Just skip on down to the scene divider that will lead you into the last scene of the chapter.

 

This story is dedicated to Fenikkusuken, the author of "The Phoenix Blade: Time Lapse."

 

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Da Capo of Love: Lina's Unlucky Days

Chapter 1: The Magnus Papers

 

The tavern was nearly empty, but that didn't surprise the cloaked figure scanning the common room. The entire city was almost in the same state as this place - shabby with poor lighting and few people mingling about. In its heyday, the city of Nazca was known as the "Jewel of the Desert of Destruction." At least, that's what one enterprising mayor had billed it until the campaign was shot down three days later and the same mayor was beheaded. Many who came through the city did not deny that it seemed like something conjured out of a mirage. Probably similar to Sairaag before its fall or to Saillune City. Now, it was simply an archaelogist's dream - known for its system of underwater aqueducts that still functioned despite the lack of population.

 

The figure approached the bar and pushed her hood back, revealing long auburn hair partly held back by a black leather band. She signaled for an ale. When she traveled in the lands beyond the Mazoku barrier, she and her friends had run into several ghost cities, abandoned for one reason or another. The common link appeared to be lack of gold, water or both. She nodded to the bartender and sipped at the warm ale, making a face in the process.

 

"This stuff tastes like horse shit," she muttered into the drink and took another sip. What she really wanted was a drink of cold water. But that was even more precious than gold, especially in the middle of the Desert of Destruction. She also wouldn't mind being back at the inn in her bedroom, indulging in one of life's finest pleasures...okay, two. As much as she enjoyed sleeping, she was discovering that having a sex life was immensely enjoyable as well.

 

"Gabriev-san, I presume?"

 

She stiffened, then slowly turned to see a wizened old man standing a few feet away from her. She tossed her hair over one shoulder and smirked, then jerked her head at the empty stool next to her. She caught the bartender's eye and signaled for another ale.

 

"You have what I want, Abe-san?" she asked in a low voice after the second ale was placed in front of the man.

 

"Of course." The man withdrew a packet of papers from his robes and offered them. "Do you think anyone knows of this?"

 

"No," she replied, flipping through the pages and scanning the script. She smiled. It was all there. "Just you, me, and my jellyfish of a husband - and not even he really knows why we came to Nazca."

 

"So the rumors are true. I thought you simply gained a new alias."

 

She smirked again. "Sometimes, it's handy to have a second legal name to use other than Lina Inverse. The knowledge of my marriage is still strictly on a need to know basis. Ninety five percent of the world doesn't need to know ... for now." She carefully rolled the parchment and slipped it into one of the cloak pockets and removed a small bag from another. She tossed it in front of Abe. "Your payment. 500 gold, as promised."

 

It disappeared into Abe's pocket almost faster than she could blink. "I do thank you, Lina-san."

 

She took another sip of her ale and decided that horse shit had to taste better than this stuff. Even the brackish water she and Gourry had with their dinners earlier seemed tastier than this. She pushed away the mug. "Were you followed?"

 

"Not that I'm aware of."

 

"For both of our sake's I hope not." Lina got to her feet. She couldn't afford to linger here any longer. She already felt the need to fumigate her clothes once she got back to the inn.

 

Abe watched the sorceress walk out before turning his attention back to the rest of his ale. He toyed with the mug for several minutes as he considered the consequences of his actions. He was an older sorcerer and believed in protecting the guild's secrets. But, he also believed in the power of Lina Inverse. He'd heard the stories. If anyone could stop the coming storm, she could. He pushed off his stool and started for the door.

 

He never felt the blow that killed him.

 

-----

 

Lina crept into the small inn, highly satisfied with the night's work. She laced her fingers together and stretched them over her head as far as they would go, working the kinks out of her muscles. The transaction had gone flawlessly. She would definitely have to take advantage of using her married name more often, especially with delicate matters such as this. "Lina Inverse" attracted too much attention, even in the Desert of Destruction. "Lina Gabriev" was an unknown and easier to blend in. She made sure a paper trail was left by having Gourry sign the register. He took excessive pride in sticking his last name after her first and sometimes it actually didn't annoy her whenever he did that.

 

She grinned. Men. She unpinned her cloak and draped it over the vacant desk the innkeeper used. Her pajamas were stored in her cloak. All she needed to do was slip into the bathroom, change back into her night clothes, go back to the room and Gourry would never be the wiser. If he woke, she simply would explain she'd been in the bathroom.

 

Lina reached behind her head to undo her headband, turned and saw her fully dressed husband leaning against the mantel a few feet away, glaring at her.

 

Oh shit.

 

Okay, having Gourry wake up while she was gone definitely did not configure into her plans. Her normally easy-going partner now glared at her in such a manner that at first Lina was convinced she'd run into Zelgadiss. They had fights, mainly over food. Those were forgotten as soon as the meal was done. Lina could count on one hand, and not even using all of her fingers, how many times Gourry had truly been angry with her in four years of partnership and six months of marriage.

 

This was definitely one of them.

 

-----

 

The first time he woke up and found his wife not beside him, Gourry simply turned onto his side and went back to sleep. He'd learned his lesson when three days after their marriage, when he woke up in the middle of the night to find her gone. He ended up running into the bathroom wearing nothing but a loosely tied robe and his sword, thinking Lina was in trouble. Instead, he discovered the hard way that it was that time of month and that he really should had pulled on pajama bottoms before going into the bathroom - especially since he was tossed into the hallway to land in a heap in front of Amelia, Prince Phil and an assortment of Saillune Royal Family staff.

 

The second time he reached for her, he discovered that her side of the bed was cold.

 

His memory wasn't the best, but it still didn't take Gourry long to put everything together. Lina's clothes were gone, but her spellbook and quills remained on the table in the corner. With a resigned sigh, he pulled on his clothes.

 

I really should be used to this by now, he mused as he grabbed his new sword and descended the stairs as quietly as possible. The inn's common room was pretty sparse. Most of the city's activity took place at the tavern across the street. The innkeeper took care of business at a small desk near the door and two large chairs flanked a fireplace.

 

He really had nothing to do but wait and worry.

 

Most men would assume when their wives snuck out in the middle of the night that it was to meet a lover. Not Gourry. He knew what drew Lina's eye - treasures and mysterious artifacts that cause her eyes to light up and her energy to soar to new levels that he didn't even begin to dream she had. Her greed was a force to be reckoned with. She was impulsive, loud, selfish, confrontational and could stand to be a bit more ladylike.

 

And somewhere along the way, he'd fallen completely in love with her.

 

It was that love that prompted the wave of relief that swept through his body when she stepped through the front door of the inn, unscathed and without a mob of angry townspeople at her heels. She seemed pretty satisfied with herself, humming under her breath as she unclasped her cloak and removed it. The relief gave way to annoyance, then anger as she reached behind her hair to untie her leather band. Then she turned and spotted him.

 

Her happiness immediately dissolved into guilt, then panic. He suppressed a smirk. She didn't expect to see him there. "What do you think you're doing?"

 

Lina gulped. Somehow, she didn't think he would buy the "using the bathroom" excuse. "I stepped out to get a breath of fresh air."

 

"Lina..." Without waiting for her to react, Gourry grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the stairs.

 

She barely had time to snatch her cloak back up. "Wait a minute, just what do you think you're doing?"

 

"We're going to go talk," he grounded out in a tight voice.

 

Oh yeah, he's pissed. She used the interlude to gear up for the impending fight, ignoring the small fact that she had brought it upon herself. Don't be silly, she told herself. She had a good reason for keeping Gourry in the dark and once he understood why she'd gone off without him, they could proceed to the next part of the plan together.

 

They stepped into the bedroom, Lina automatically casting the Lock spell on the door and windows. She spotted her spellbook on the table and held up a hand to Gourry. She flipped through the pages until she found the spell she wanted and recited it. "Soundproofing spell," she explained after a blue glow emitted briefly in the room. "It's similiar to the one that Rezo used on us when he initially tried to get us on his side. I've been researching it for awhile. It won't create complete silence, but drown out enough noise to where people won't be bothered."

 

She settled herself on the chair and Gourry sat on the bed. She waited for the lecture and was surprised to see the anger drain from his features. Maybe the spell explanation confused his brain enough to where he forgot why he was mad at her.

 

"What were you looking for?" he asked.

 

Lina's eyes lit up and she grabbed her cloak. She pulled out the documents she got from Abe and waved them at him. "These."

 

Gourry frowned. "You snuck out in the middle of the night to get a newspaper?"

 

"No, idiot!" She kicked his leg. "It's not a newspaper. This is one of the most sought after documents in our world, the Magnus Papers. Even beyond the Mazoku barrier, people know of these papers. I started research into the papers a couple years before I met you. My contact finally got ahold of these a few weeks back. That's why we came to Nazca. Gourry, we're going to go after the Magnus Eye!"

 

"You want some guy's eyes?" Gourry made a face.

 

"No! The Magnus Eye! How can you not know what the Mag... oh, I forgot who I was talking with."

 

"Hey!"

 

Lina ignored him and held up the papers. "Gourry, the Magnus Eye is the most prized artifact in our world, other than the Claire Bible. The Eye was created by Lei Magnus, the sorcerer who created the Dragon Slave and other assorted spells. It's needed to decipher a set of ancient runes that is said to hold all of Lei Magnus' secrets - including the secret to how Shabranigdu was separated and fragments placed into people, such as Rezo and Lei Magnus himself. These papers tell how to find the Eye. They're also written in a type of rune language that not many people know. In fact, the only other person who knows it that I'm aware of is Zelgadiss."

 

"You know this language?" Gourry asked, surprised.

 

"I started studying it when I was 12." Lina turned her attention to the papers. "I never thought ... just think of what a chance this is! Lei Magnus' secrets. Just imagine all of the knowledge he has to pass down! There's so much I can learn from him. And think about it. He could even have the key to Zel's cure!"

 

It looked like a bunch of gobblygook to Gourry, but so did a lot of things Lina managed to get her hands on. Still, finding Zel's cure didn't sound that bad. Maybe it would make the chimera a little more cheerful. He rested his arms on his thighs. "But why didn't you tell me about it?"

 

There was no way to go around it without hurting his feelings. "I couldn't take you with me," she explained and let out a long sigh at the wounded expression he gave her. She wished he'd yell at her instead. It was a lot easier to take. "If I told you how dangerous it was, how dangerous it is for me to be holding these documents, you would insist on going with me."

 

He straightened, ready for battle. "Damn straight, I would!"

 

"Think about it!" she hissed. "It's hard not to attract attention when we're together! You're tall and blond. You stand out in a crowd. If two cloaked people entered that tavern, it definitely draws a hell of a lot more notice than one person. If anyone connected the two of us or figured out who we were...especially who I am...we're sunk. We'd be lucky to get out of here alive, and certainly without these papers."

 

She buried her head in her hands for a moment, then got up. She settled next to him and placed a hand on his arm. "Look. This was the only part of this mission I'm doing without you. We're in this together from here on out. I haven't forgotten what you asked me after we fought Kanzeil and I faked my death. It's not easy, okay? I'm trying. Give me points for that."

 

She felt the tension seep from him. With a resigned sigh, he wrapped an arm around her. "You drive me up the wall," he admitted, pulling her close.

 

"Feeling's mutual. I can promise I'll try to get better."

 

He rested his cheek against her hair. "I'm keeping you to that promise."

 

"So, are we still fighting?"

 

He chuckled. "No, not now."

 

"Good. I'm exhausted. Wake me for lunch." Lina stretched out on the bed and immediately fell asleep, fully clothed.

 

-----

 

Lina didn't quite make it to lunch. Instead, she woke up shortly before dawn to discover she was still lying on top of the bedclothes and had an immense need to use the bathroom.

 

She slid from Gourry's embrace and had reached the door before she heard a soft cough from across the room. She tossed him a desperate look. "Bathroom. For real, this time. I swear it!" Then she disappeared out the door.

 

Since she wasn't there to throttle him, Gourry laughed. Their room had a chamber pot. All inn rooms did. But Lina made no secret that she refused to utilize one with him around. If forced to do so, she kicked him out of the room and made him get as far away from it as possible.

 

He was still grinning over this when Lina came back in. She rolled her eyes at him and reached for her bandeau. With this part of the mission done, she still needed time to study a few maps and get some supplies together. Nazca was not a city she wanted to poke her nose in without being prepared.

 

"I want to sleep a little more," she told Gourry and dropped the bandeau on the chair she'd sat in earlier. "Then, I want to read through the papers again."

 

"Again?" He scooted so he was sitting up.

 

"Yeah. That's what took me so long to get back here after I picked them up. I wanted to read through those papers and get the information stored up here." Lina tapped her head and started to undo the hooks on her tunic. "My sister taught me how to memorize very fast. It's how I was able to learn the Ragna Blade spell so easily and retain the information from the Claire Bible."

 

Gourry shook his head, amazed at Lina's memory. Still, it was important to her - just like swordsmanship was important to him. If the situation was reversed, he'd be learning just as fast.

 

Then her tunic dropped to the floor and all coherent thought flew out of his head as a good portion of his blood supply began to redirect itself to other parts of his body.

 

Her hands moved to her pants. She was about to unhook them and comment more about the papers when she saw his eyes glaze over. She smirked and placed a hand on her hips. "I thought you were mad at me."

 

Gourry struggled to remember what he'd been angry about. "I said we weren't fighting anymore earlier."

 

"I can see that. If you were still mad at me, you certainly wouldn't be wanting to do anything intimate." Knowing it would drive him crazy, Lina let her pants drop. The only thing she wore now was her one-piece yellow undershirt. She stretched, holding her arms above her head and grinning at the sudden intake of breath from him. She finished her stretch by throwing her arms behind her back, sticking her chest out as far as it would go. She didn't have much in that department compared to other women, but she could still utilized what she had. By the strangled sound coming from the bed, she knew it worked.

 

"Well, time for some sleep." She climbed back in bed and deliberately draped herself across his body, one hand sneaking beneath the covers. She gave him a featherlight kiss just as her hand wrapped around his erection and squeezed once. He pulsed beneath her. Satisfied that she was driving him crazy, she tossed one leg over his chest and slowly slid down his stomach until her groin came into full contact with his and his length was trapped between her legs, with only the fabric of her one-piece and the he'd changed back into separating them. She gave a little wiggle for insurance and tried not to let him see the effect this was having on her. Her own body was betraying her, as wetness began to seep through her clothing. But she was having so much fun that she wanted to continue this game as long as possible.

 

She laid her head on his chest and felt his heart beating rapidly beneath her ear. "Good night," she mummered and faked a yawn.

 

Then she wiggled again.

 

"You...you really just want to sleep?" His voice was strangled and he jerked his hips slightly. She bit down on her tongue as intense pleasure swept through her. This was going to be harder than she thought.

 

"Absolutely." She hoped her voice sounded normal. She figured she succeeded when reluctantly, he wrapped his arms around her and tried to relax. She snuggled against him a little more. Maybe she would just sleep.

 

Then she cracked one eye open and eyed the gaps between the buttons on the pajamas. They would have plenty of time to sleep. Later.

 

Lina waited, anticipation causing her to slightly flex her thighs and ground against his hardness. She wanted to drive him up the wall, just the way he described earlier. Of course, he hadn't meant it in a sexual way, but it wasn't a bad analogy. As soon as Gourry's breathing slowed to somewhat normal, she began her attack.

 

She inched her hand until it rested on top of the buttons of his pajama top. When his breathing didn't change, she undid two of the buttons and slipped her hand inside and lightly brushed her fingernails over his nipple. His breath caught and his groin jerked against her own. She hid her smirk and took her time playing with that nipple, teasing it until it matched her own aroused one.

 

His hands skimmed down her back until they reached her hips, then buttocks. Then he thrust up, causing her to gasp and almost shoot off the bed. Instead, she pushed herself halfway up and saw triumph glittering in his eyes. She wondered why he seemed so satisfied, then realized what he had tricked her into doing. Before she could attempt to pull the sleep act on him again, he quickly moved his hands and cupped her breasts.

 

She nearly lost her balance as he gently squeezed them, then slowly drew his fingers out until he reached her nipples. Then, he took them gently between his thumb and index fingers and began to roll them.

 

She whimpered, arms trembling as she lightly dragged her fingers down his chest and teased him just as mercilessly. Damn it, she thought she could draw this out, but the need to join with him was starting to grow painful. She pushed at the straps of her one-piece, pushing it off so it fell to her waist.

 

Before she could lift up to undo the snaps that held the bottom of the one-piece together, he suddenly reared up and engulfed one breast in his mouth. She threw back her head and cried out, her arms wrapping around his neck. His tongue laved over her breast and she moaned, rocking on top of him. Her hands tangled in his hair and wound themselves through the long locks as he swapped his attention to the other breast, then lightly kissed his way up until he nibbled the side of her neck. His hands manipulated her breasts again as his tongue danced over her pulse so lightly that she thought she was going to shoot out of his arms and hit the ceiling.

 

Screw playing around. She wanted him now.

 

She lifted up, her hands tearing at the snaps until the cloth separated. He drew the one-piece over her head and tossed it aside and she reached for the tie of his pajama pants. She pulled it loose and yanked them down just low enough to free him. Then she grabbed his length and guided him to her, nearly toppling both of them over when he chose that moment to take advantage of her breast being near his mouth briefly. He slid in, one hand slipping down to massage the small nub just above where they were joined.

 

Now she wanted his lips. She searched them out as he started to move beneath her, their kisses desperate as they found their rhythm. With a last surge of strength, she pushed him back until he was flat on the bed. His eyes were bright and his breathing labored as she settled herself more fully on top of him. No, she wasn't going to play any more. But this was still her game.

 

Eyes closed in concentration, she started to ride him, her nails lightly scraping over his chest as the pleasure rose. The one disadvantage to this position was the lack of a certain area being hit and she slipped one hand between their joined bodies to compensate for it. Her movements became more urgent and she was grateful that his hands were gripping her hips, guiding her as she started to lose control.

 

His hold tightened and she moved faster, willing him with her mind. Come first. Come first. Let me win!

 

Her body betrayed her as she reached her peak, shouting something that was suppose to be his name, her body rigid as her inner muscles throbbed around him. In some dim part of her mind, she heard a matching yell from him as he found his own release and a matching bliss shot through him.

 

She collapsed on top of him, limp and relaxed. It took a few moments before she remembered how to get her lungs to work properly. "Well, that was nice," she mummered once she managed a few breaths of much-needed oxygen. "I wanted you to come first though."

 

"I know." Gourry pressed a kiss to the top of her head and closed his eyes. "I won."

 

"Yeah." Lina grunted slightly. "You always win, no matter what I do. Why can't I make you lose control like that?"

 

He grinned. "Well, we're just going to have to keep practicing until you do win."

 

"Got that right." Lina gave an ear-splitting yawn and snuggled against his chest. Well, she had won on a few counts. She was naked, but other than his pajama pants being around his knees, he was still fully dressed. They were just going to have to get in some more practice later.

 

-----

 

The explosion split the room in two. Much later, Lina realized if she hadn't been sprawled on top of Gourry, the blast would had taken her out.

 

Instead, the force caused their half of the bed to upend and they landed on the floor beneath the mattress.

 

Gourry pushed it off them, yanking his pajamas back into their proper places as he got to his feet. "What the hell was that?"

 

Lina moaned. "You would think they would wait until morning to blow us up."

 

"Blow us up?" Gourry started digging through the rubble for his clothes and armor. "Lina, what did you do now?"

 

She got to her feet. "Hello! The Magnus Papers, remember? Oh, who am I kidding? You probably didn't remember a thing once we started...," she shrieked and jumped out of the way of another volley of fire. "Hey, you, whoever you are! Wait until I get my clothes on!"

 

"Here!" Gourry tossed Lina's tunic and pants to her. "I can't find the other pieces."

 

"It'll have to do." She hastily dressed and located her boots underneath what used to be the table. She tugged out her cloak and felt inside for the papers. Exhaling with relief, she tossed the cloak over her shoulders and dodged a hail of rubble as Gourry struggled with his own boots.

 

"The Blast Sword?" she asked.

 

"Got it." He hefted the sheath.

 

"Let's get out of here!" Lina grabbed his hand. "Levitation!" She froze when the spell didn't take hold, then gasped with horror.

 

"Lina!" Gourry snatched her and dove behind the remains of the wall as another blast of energy tore through the room.

 

"My magic! Damn it!" Lina curled her hands into fists. "It's that time of month! I can't use my magic!"

 

"But a few hours ago, you weren't..."

 

"I'm still not!" she yelled. "You lose your magic about two or three hours before the bleeding starts!"

 

A great and terrible burden settled on Gourry's shoulders. Without Lina's magic, they were hard-pressed against any strong magic user. Anyone with enough power to take down their inn had to fall into that category. The Blast Sword was powerful, but it still was not the Sword of Light. He didn't know his own limits of it, even though he'd used it to help Lina take down Dynast.

 

"Can we hide somewhere for a few days?" he asked.

 

"Yes. The city's big enough. We can get lost in the aqueduct system." Lina grabbed his hand again. "If we're lucky, maybe we'll run into our attackers along the way. Gourry, I'm counting on you."

 

"Right!"

 

They scrambled through the rubble to the door, raced downstairs and out the back entrance. Lina hastily got her bearings as they ran. Nazca was a huge city and they had only arrived the day before. She was going to take the time to explore it after she'd gotten the papers. She swore as she dodged another blast of energy. She knew that it wouldn't be long before someone figured out that she had the Magnus Papers. She wasn't prepared to deal with it so soon.

 

Lina pointed toward a road that led them out of town and they veered down it. If there was to be a fight - and knowing them, there would always be a fight - she wanted it to take place as far from the city as possible. If part of it was destroyed, it would make their search that much harder.

 

When they reached the crumbling city gates, several dark figures intercepted their path. They skidded to a halt, Gourry edging out in front with his sword ready to parry any attacks.

 

"Lina Inverse!" The voice was feminine. The hair on the back of Lina's neck began to crawl. She shot a glance at Gourry and he barely nodded in reply. Mazoku.

 

The figure emerged from the shadows, a woman with tendrils of green hair framing her face. Her right eye was scarred shut, the hideous injury stretching over a good bit of her face. She was a woman, but could easily be mistaken for a man with the type of armor she wore. Lina tensed, rolling onto the balls of her feet.

 

"I suggest you follow my instructions," the Mazoku ordered and smirked. "Maybe I'll let you live. Call off your guard dog, Lina Inverse. You and I both know you're magicless right now."

 

Damn it! Lina scowled. It would make sense. The Mazoku was smart enough to figure why she and Gourry ran out of the city instead of flew.

 

"Hand over the Magnus Papers and I may let you go." She took a step toward them.

 

Gourry drew his arm back and Lina quickly rested a hand on it. "I've got an idea," she mummered. "Follow my lead." She saw the muscles in his neck tighten before he nodded and relaxed slightly.

 

"You want these, I suppose," Lina announced, withdrawing the papers from her cloak.

 

"Drop them there," the Mazoku pointed to a spot halfway between them.

 

Lina approached it and gently spread out the papers. She placed a small item she palmed from her cloak at the same time as the papers on top and channeled her remaining magic into it. It wasn't strong, but it would be just enough. She stood and backed up several paces.

 

The Mazoku smirked. "Funny. The stories I hear don't make you out to be such a pushover."

 

"It makes a difference, what a lack of magic can do to a girl, huh?" Lina placed a hand on her hip.

 

"Back up while I check these out," the Mazoku instructed. Lina edged back to Gourry's side and quietly slipped her hand into his. She squeezed once, hoping he would get the message.

 

The Mazoku approached the papers. Lina reached into her cloak, grabbed a second, larger object and tossed it onto the papers next to the first just as the smaller object exploded. The force caused the larger object to explode alongside it, sending the Mazoku flying backwards.

 

"Run!" Lina yelled, taking off onto a side road, Gourry on her heels.

 

"What was that?" he yelled.

 

"Bombs! Zelgadiss told me about them the last time we saw him and slipped me some. He got them when he was visiting the southern lands."

 

He glanced over his shoulder. "Weren't those papers really important, though? Why'd you blow them up?"

 

"I told you earlier, I memorized them all," Lina replied. She heard the sounds of magical attacks behind them, just as she and Gourry skidded to a halt. The road was a dead end and they were on the edge of a cliff, the Desert of Destruction spreading before them. They turned to face their enemy, just as a blast of energy hit the ground in front of them.

 

It gave way, pitching both of them backwards. Gourry twisted his body around and grabbed hold of Lina's cloak with one hand and clawed at the dirt with the other. He snagged onto a jutting piece of rock. The heavy give on the other end of the cloak told him that she was hanging on. He craned his head and could see her staring up at him, eyes furious.

 

"Lina! Are you all right?" he yelled down to her.

 

"I'm fine! I swear, I am going to kick that Mazoku's ass. Then I'll kick the ass of the Mazoku who sent her! Then I'm going to kick Xelloss' ass because I know somehow he's involved with this!"

 

Yeah, she's fine. He managed a grin and started to weigh their options. There wasn't many. About the best thing Lina could do was try to make her way up the cloak, but she had nothing to hold onto. If she slipped...

 

"Gourry!" Her voice grabbed his attention and he looked down to see her giving him a hard, blazing look.

 

"You've got to find the Magnus Eye," she ordered. "Find Zel and Amelia. Get them to help you. Someone wants that artifact and wants it bad."

 

"Don't be an idiot!" he roared and she gasped. "I'm not leaving you! I swore to protect you for the rest of my life and I'm not leaving you now."

 

Her eyes softened. "Gou..."

 

Whatever else she was going to say was cut off by the sound of another attack. Gourry whipped his head up to see the spears of magic heading straight for them. There wasn't anything they could do. He tried to swing his body out of the way of one spear.

 

The other sliced through Lina's cloak.

 

With a shriek, she started to fall.

 

"Lina!" he yelled, making a desperate grab for her, nearly losing his own grip on the rock.

 

"Gourry!" she cried, her hands swinging up wildly to grab the torn edges of the cloak half he still held. Her fingers barely eluded it.

 

"Lina!" His cry echoed through the valley as the magicless sorceress plummeted into the darkness below. The last thing he could see was her left hand reaching for him and the wedding ring he'd placed there glowing in the moonlight.

 

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Author's Note: No, I haven't disappeared off the face of the planet. Nor have I given up on my other stories as chapter 13 of "Search for the Darkstar" sits at 90 percent complete. I've been debating long and hard since March about whether or not to post this chapter up as a general teaser for this story. The first three chapters are finished. The fourth is about 60 percent complete and and the outline is at 70 percent complete. I wanted to post this chapter up as a gift for Fenikkusuken and a placeholder that I will finish this work.

 

To take a note from JaneDrew's "Frozen Moonlight," in this chapter I don't own Eve and Roarke from J.D. Robb's "In Death" series. A blanket disclaimer there since I tend to write Lina and Gourry a lot like Eve and Roarke at times and sharp-eyed readers can probably seem some light homages to the "In Death" series both here and in Darkstar. The Magnus Papers and the Magnus Eye are suppose to be similiar to the Columbus Files and the Columbus Egg from the original "Da Capo." Everything from the explosion disturbing Lina and Gourry's rest to the end of the chapter runs pretty similar to the movie.

 

Points go to whoever can figure out who the Mazoku is that faces off against Lina and Gourry.