Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ The Meaning of His Kiss ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

 

 

The Meaning of His Kiss

 

 

Chapter 1 - Wishes and Weddings

 

 

Shadows danced, silently laughing at the two travelers. However, said travelers were too occupied with their conversation to notice the eeriness around them.

 

“So Lina, what are you gonna do after you get your three wishes?” Gourry asked.

 

“Dunno, probably buy a palace somewhere, and buy all sorts of magical books and learn more,” Lina shrugged, looking around for something.

 

“What about a family?” Gourry wondered aloud.

 

“I don't have anyone. Unless you count my sister, but… Dark Star's world isn't far enough from her, in my opinion,” Lina fought back her terror, only shivering a little at the thought of Luna Inverse.

 

“No, don't you want to have a family?” Gourry clarified.

 

Lina stopped short, trying to hide her blush in the shadows of the cave. “I never thought about it, honestly.” She finally reached out, and pulled a rock out of the cave wall, causing it to move, leading to a hidden passage.

 

“Oh,” Gourry said, looking a little disappointed.

 

Lina shook it off as her imagination. “Well, anyway, let's keep going. We're almost there.”

 

“Right,” Gourry said, back to normal.

 

The two continued down the passage in an awkward silence, lost in their thoughts of their conversation.

 

~~~ Lina's POV ~~~

 

It's weird. Gourry never asks about the future past the next adventure. Maybe he's getting tired of wandering around, following me. He's what now, 21? He probably wants to settle down and have a family now. Maybe he feels like he has to stay with me until I'm safely married to someone, in someone else's care.

 

No one else would be happy adventuring with me for the rest of his or her life. We've already fought more Mazoku lords then most see in a lifetime. He's probably tired of being chased out of towns as well.

 

Sometimes even I wonder what it would be like to be normal…

 

But then I remember the treasure. And the food. Definitely the food. Gotta wish for food…

 

~~~ Back to Normal ~~~

 

Finally entering a large chamber filled with old artifacts and paintings. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust; even the air was difficult to breathe. Making their way to the center of the cave where a shiny golden lamp rested on a purple velvet pillow.

 

Neither of which had a spec of dust on them.

 

Go figure.

 

“So, Lina, where's the meanie?” Gourry asked, looking around.

 

Lina's eyebrow twitched as she grabbed the shiny lamp and clonked the dumb blonde over the head with it.

 

“GENIE! G-E-N-I-E! GENIE!” she shouted, pummeling her friend and guardian.

 

“Please stop that, miss,” a weak voice pleaded.

 

Lina's head shot up at the sound of the voice, and she looked at the man before them. He was almost as tall as Gourry, with dark crimson hair. His eyes seemed to glow with orange fire. He was dressed in fine silks, shimmering in the light of the torch.

 

“Eh? Who the hell are you?” Lina, ever the voice of grace and elegance, demanded.

 

“My name is Rai, and I am the genie of that lamp. I have been imprisoned here for the last 3,000 years,” he explained.

 

“So, you're out now, where are my wishes?” the sorceress asked, crossing her arms and eyeing the being in front of her.

 

“Actually, I'm still technically trapped within the lamp. Only a maiden can release me from my prison and receive my wishes…”

 

“Are you implying I'm not a `maiden'?” Lina ground out, preparing a fireball.

 

“No! No! I'm simply saying that just being a maiden isn't enough to free me. In order for me to be released, a maiden must love and marry me, and shall receive 3 wishes on the wedding night,” he explained hastily.

 

“Well, that sucks. Come on Gourry, this one's a bust too,” Lina sighed, heading towards the exit.

 

“Wait, please! I cannot stand to stay here any longer. Please, release me. You could even wish to no longer be married to me if you want. I'll throw in that as a free 4th wish!” he pleaded.

 

“Make it 5 wishes, and then we'll talk…” Lina began, grinning evilly.

 

“I dunno. You might prefer the lamp to being married to her. She's violent, flat-chested, and will steal food off of your plate. She always gets into trouble, she gets everyone angry at her, and she's even fought Mazoku!” Gourry warned.

 

“So I was right…” Lina whispered, hurt by Gourry's words. She glared at him and began to power up a fireball.

 

`No, I knew this was how he felt. And he's right… I should just let him be free. He won't be burdened by me after I'm married…' she thought, letting go of the spell.

 

“I don't care, anything is better then here. Please, miss, will you marry me?” he pleaded, kneeling at Lina's feet.

 

“Fine, fine. Five wishes, deal?” she asked, holding out her hand. Her face was oddly cold.

 

“Lina?” Gourry asked quietly.

 

“Agreed, five wishes for my freedom. Let us be married at once!” he said, laughing joyously.

 

`Gourry…' Lina thought sadly as she lead the way out of the cave.

 

 

 

~~~ The next day… ~~~

 

Lina sighed for the 20th time that hour, as she finished arranging her hair for the wedding.

 

“I know it's what's best for Gourry… But damn it, I've never been good at giving things up…” She grumbled, forcing back tears.

 

“That is one of the things I love most about you, Lina,” a cheerful voice interrupted her misery.

 

“Xellos?! What the hell are you doing here?” Lina demanded.

 

“I wouldn't want to miss the wedding of Lina Inverse. Though I must admit, I always hoped if you were going to marry a Mazoku, you'd come to me,” he said with an evil grin.

 

“As if! Wait a minute, marry a Mazoku? What do you mean Xellos?” Lina asked, all her anger forgotten.

 

“Surely, you don't believe he's really a genie…” he trailed off, opening his eyes.

 

“Oh my God… I'm going to kill him…” Lina growled.

 

“Well, you'll still have to marry him for that. Otherwise the lamp is indestructible, and he's immortal. He is cursed, and needs to marry a human maiden in order to be freed,” Xellos said casually looking at the vanity table. “You know, I think this deeper red suits you better then pink.”

 

“Xellos… Why are you telling me this?” Lina asked quietly. Her emotions could almost be seen swirling around her like a dark void. Xellos walked up to her, his lips almost touching her ear.

 

“Well, that Lina…” he smiled and kissed her briefly on the lips. “Is a secret.”

 

“You're a still a bastard, you know.”

 

She looked up at him, with a tiny smile on her lips. Xellos opened his eyes, still smiling and bowed.

 

“Why thank you, and congratulations!”

 

With that, the purple haired troublemaker vanished.

 

~~~ A little while later… ~~~

 

Gourry was sitting on a rock, on a hill just outside a small town. He watched the small ceremony for Lina and Rai carry on before him.

 

Gourry was glad he was sitting, because he knew he couldn't stand. He'd seen Lina dressed for a wedding before, and she had stunned him then. However, she'd grown into a woman since then. Even her chest got a little bigger. She was the most beautiful woman Gourry had ever seen.

 

It crushed him to see another man up there with her.

 

“And do you, Lina Inverse, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?” The man asked.

 

“I do,” Lina said softly. `This should be Gourry here… No, don't think like that girl. You had him for 5 years. It's time to let him go. He deserves to be happy. And you'll be fine, it'll be good to be on your own for a while!'

 

If only she could believe it.

 

“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride,” the priest declared, smiling with joy.

 

Lina gulped, and let Rai lift her veil.

 

`Thank God Xellos warned me… But still, my first kiss from this loser…' She thought as his lips met hers for a brief, and almost chaste kiss.

 

`You know girl… Technically Xellos stole your first kiss…' Her eyes widened as she remembered the events from earlier. Suddenly she felt movement from Rai's direction. Without thinking, she jumped back.

 

“You fool! Now I shall kill you and destroy all your miserable kind!” Rai yelled, transforming from a handsome young man into a wolf-like creature.

 

“As if you could fool the great Lina Inverse. I knew you were a Mazoku, but if I left you in that lamp some stupid girl would fall for it, and set you free. However now, I can kill you!” Lina shouted, preparing to cast a Dragon slave.

 

“Hikari-O!” Gourry shouted, finally getting into action (and realizing that Lina didn't want to marry Rai).

 

“Lord of the Darkness and the Four Worlds, I call upon you, grant me all the power that you possess...”

 

“Darkness from twilight, crimson from blood that flows; buried in the flow of time; in Thy great name, I pledge myself to darkness! Let the fools who stand before us be destroyed by the power you and I possess! DRAGON SLAVE!!”

 

Lina released the amplified spell at the Mazoku, thus decimating the hill and surrounding forest.

 

Safe to say, nothing was left of the poor Mazoku.

 

“Lina… Why didn't you tell me about him being a Mazoku?” Gourry asked, looking at Lina. Part of him was screaming to marry her right now. The priest was still there, hiding behind a tree.

 

“Actually, I wasn't sure at first. Xellos told me,” Lina shrugged before ripping off the dress to reveal her usual outfit. Gourry blinked.

 

“Xellos? But I thought he was Mazoku…” the swordsman scratched his head.

 

“Who knows, but I doubt I'd have gone through with it anyway. He wasn't my type,” she said, smiling at Gourry.

 

“I'm afraid to know what your type is then…” he mumbled.

 

“Fireball!”