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savvyliterateTitle: The Very Long Night of Gourry Gabriev (2/6)
Series: Slayers
Characters/Pairings: Lina, Gourry, Pokota, and a certain one-shot novel character
Rating: PG-13
Summary: After visiting Taforashia, Gourry falls into a strange magical coma and must face the demons of his past during the very long night that follows for him, Lina, and the rest of their group.
Spoiler alert: This story takes place after episode 6 of Slayers Revolution and goes off on its own tangent from there. Many thanks go to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ray_wing and earthstar_chan for betaing this story.
“What's this, then? It's never easy being the only child left out in the cold, you know.”
“I suppose you'd know.”
“I do, actually, yes.”
- The Ninth Doctor and Nancy: “The Empty Child,” Doctor Who
Chapter 2: The Empty Child
“Happy birthday, son!”
Gourry’s eyes widened, as a long package was proudly set before him, the box nearly as tall as he was. “Is it a sword?” he asked eagerly.
The blond-haired man who’d given him the package laughed and ruffled his hair. “Is it a sword, he asks? You’ve only been asking me for a sword for the past three years. Go ahead and…,” his voice trailed off as he saw the little boy had already torn into the package, “open it.”
Gourry pulled the lid off the box and frowned at the wooden sword nestled among the tissue paper. “This isn’t a real sword!” he protested.
“Six years old is a bit too young for a real sword. This is so you can begin learning how to handle a sword so you can have a real blade one day. I’m going to teach you myself.”
Gourry’s eyes lit up. “Really, Father?”
“Really,” his father affirmed and Gourry felt like he’d been handed the entire world plus a piece of chocolate cake. He cradled the wooden practice sword reverently before turning eager eyes to his father. “Will I be able to use the Sword of Light one day?”
His father smiled sadly at him. “I’m sorry, son. You know your brother is to inherit that blade.”
“I just want to use it a little!” Gourry protested. He thought it was a bit unfair that his 13-year-old brother would inherit the Sword of Light and not he. Raol had never shown any sort of interest in swords and seemed more interested in playing cards and going hunting with their uncle. Gourry had wanted to use a sword as long as he could remember, waving around little sticks while pretending to be just like his father. He knew that the Swordsman of Light was the greatest swordsman alive and his father was certainly that, wasn’t he?
His father didn’t say anything for a while, then pulled the sword he carried at his side out of its sheath. Gourry watched, fascinated as his father took a pin out of his pocket and pressed it into a little notch in the sword’s hilt. He removed the blade and placed it on the bench next to them, then held the bladeless hilt out in front of him. “Light, come forth!” he yelled.
A bright, blue beam of light shot out of the sword. It took on a solid state and held steady. It reminded Gourry of the pictures he’d seen of a longsword, but the blade wasn’t as long. He didn’t notice at first that his father had moved to his side and was holding the sword’s hilt in front of him. He knelt, took one of Gourry’s hands and wrapped it around the hilt, then the other.
Gourry’s eyes went wide as his father took his hands away. The sword didn’t seem so heavy just by looking at it, but his arms trembled from the weight. To the surprise of both of them, the blade changed shape, growing longer and brighter.
Gourry didn’t notice his father gazing at him in a strange way, an immense look of sadness in his eyes. All he cared was that he was being allowed to hold the legendary Sword of Light and comforted himself with knowing that this one moment would have to be enough. For Gourry Gabriev was a second-born son and even at the age of six, he knew he was not fated to wield the Sword of Light.
Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж
The memory shimmered and the vision of the father and the little boy faded into nothingness. After a moment, the little boy in the dream – now 20 years older – blinked open his eyes and sat up.
It was strange, Gourry thought as he mulled over the vision. He hadn’t thought of his father in years. He was hard-pressed to remember what he even looked like, much less recall the sound of his voice. He knew he hadn’t thought about his 6th birthday in well… since it happened. He drew his knees up and wanted to tell Lina about it before he forgot. She would know why he was thinking about such a thing now. Maybe it had something to do with the headaches….
… That was mysteriously gone.
“Hey!” Gourry said aloud, pressing his fingers to his temples. For the first time in a week, he was pain-free and felt pretty good. Perhaps Amelia did some white magic on him while he was asleep. He’d have to thank her for that. He started to swing his legs over the side of the bed when he realized that he wasn’t in one. His booted feet hit the ground hard and he winced before taking a good look at his surroundings.
He was actually under a tree, the shade protruding over the creek that flowed past just a few feet away. He was in some sort of meadow, with short, cropped grass with flowers dotting it. Gourry rubbed the back of his head. He didn’t have the best memory, but even he remembered when they changed locations. Lina wasn’t going to let him live down the fact that he’d apparently forgotten that they left the inn for a long time. And, speaking of Lina, he wondered, where was she, Zelgadiss, Amelia, and the little creature Pokota?
“Ah, you’re awake. It was about time.”
Gourry glanced over his shoulder and saw a man with long black hair sitting a few feet away. A cigarette dangled from his mouth, and he loosely held onto a fishing pole that he’d cast into the water. A lure bobbled a few feet away from the shore. Gourry frowned at the man; positive he’d seen him before. A man … cigarette … fishing … “I know you, don’t I?”
The man looked up, gave a crooked grin that reminded Gourry very much of Lina. “You know me enough to remember that you’ve seen me before, but not well enough to remember who I am, Gourry. After all, I’m just an acquaintance you met five years ago.”
“Five years… That’s when I met Lina!” The pieces of the puzzle fell into place and Gourry slammed the fist of one hand into the palm of the other. “You’re the guy who helped me fight Mazoku right before I met Lina! Where did you go anyhow?”
“Oh, here and there. Had to go back home before my wife and daughter worried.”
Gourry scratched the back of his head. “I thought you had two daughters?”
“I do. One of them is a traveler. Has been for the past seven years. Surprised I haven’t run into her.” The man reeled in his line and held up the empty lure. “Missed again. I suppose baiting a line with a banana doesn’t work.”
“Lina just uses a spell.” Gourry moved next to the black-haired fisherman. They sat in companionable silence as they watch the lure bobble on top of the water. “Do you know where she is?” he asked after a moment.
“I suppose she’s awake.” The man reeled the line in again.
“Awake? I’m asleep?”
“More or less.” The man lifted the empty hook, lowered it, then pinned Gourry with a serious gaze. “You’re in a coma, Gourry.”
“A coma?”
“Essentially, a very deep sleep. You’ve currently retreated to the inner recesses of your mind while you come to terms with what’s happened.”
Gourry beamed. “And Lina claims I’ve constantly lost my mind! Wait until I tell her that I’ve found it!”
The man tossed back his head and roared with laughter. “I like you, son,” he said, and something about it caused Gourry to blush. “I always did like you. You liked me too. That’s why I’m your guide.”
“My guide?”
The man stuck his hand out. “Just call me Raulf. I never gave you my name the last time we met.”
Gourry shook Raulf’s hand, giving him a confused look. “I don’t get it. I only spent one night with you five years ago. We fought Mazoku.”
“Yes, but that was one of the most important nights of your life.” Raulf gave Gourry’s hand a squeeze before dropping it. “You were thinking about throwing away the Sword of Light that night if I remember correctly. And I do, considering that this is your memory and despite what my da … despite what Lina thinks, you do have everything tucked away in here quite well. In any case, we’ll go over that.”
“But why are we doing this?”
Raulf’s voice grew serious. “Gourry, what were you doing in the past few days?”
Gourry tugged on his ear and frowned. “Well, we were in that place with the fog and the blue crystals. Taforashia. Being around those crystals gave me a headache, but I didn’t tell Lina. I didn’t want to make her worry.”
“Do you remember being kidnapped four years ago?”
“No?” Gourry’s brow furrowed. “I remember the little kid that everyone called Hellmaster. Lina mentioned him a few days ago too, said that the spell Rezo used was like the one Hellmaster used. I remember him taking me away from Lina. Then … I don’t know, it’s really fuzzy until I woke up standing on a pillar holding Lina. Then she kicked me into the water and accused me of robbing her innocence. She doesn’t have any you know.”
Raulf’s face darkened slightly and his eyebrow winged up. “Oh really?”
Something in the back of Gourry’s mind told him that this was an extremely dangerous path upon which to tread. But, Gourry was Gourry and somehow his mouth didn’t receive the warning. “Not a bit. Have you seen the way she takes on bandits? And you’d think she was raised in a barn, the way she eats. Doesn’t have the first idea on how a lady should behave, y’know? She’s pretty flat too. Oh, and you probably want to watch her temper. Really, that Wizer guy just didn’t know when to stop.”
A slight smile tugged at Raulf’s lips. “You really love her, don’t you?”
Gourry’s answering smile was bright and happy. “Well, yeah. Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
“Good. As long as we got it squared away. Getting back on topic, you are in a coma because you were exposed to those crystals. Four years ago, you spent nearly a month trapped inside of one at various times. That, along with other events in your life, caused a hole to be created in your mind. It’s time to fill it in, and to remember what happened.” Raulf got to his feet. “I am someone you met and have respected. I’m a link to your past. I am also a link to the circumstances that led you to your present. And, I am a link to the future that you and Lina create.”
Part of it promptly flew over Gourry’s head, so he focused on the last of it. “Am I going to meet you again? After I wake up?”
“If Lina stops dragging her feet, yes you will.” Gourry opened his mouth to ask, and Raulf held up his hand. “Don’t ask. Spoilers. I can’t spoil that for you. Now, we’re going to start filling in the gaps.”
Gourry scrambled to his feet and followed Raulf as he headed down a path. “Which gaps?”
“All of them.” Raulf turned around a bend in the path. When Gourry did the same, he noticed that the trees suddenly seemed thicker. Sand crunched beneath his feet and he had the odd sensation that he’d been here before, but it’d been a long time.
Raulf stopped at the edge of a clearing and Gourry peered over his shoulder. There, in the small space, was a picnic blanket spread out over the ground. The decimated remains of a meal littered the blanket. Just on the other side of it, a boy just hitting the awkward, gangly growth spurt that came with being near puberty stood with a wooden sword. He muttered beneath his breath as he started in on his practice swings, the movement smooth and fluid.
Gourry’s eyes widened. “That’s me.”
Raulf nodded. “That is you.” His eyes met Gourry’s. “You were 11.”
Gourry stared in horror at Raulf as he felt part of his mind start to work its way loose. “Eleven… This is when my dad…” He turned his gaze back to the boy practicing his sword swings and no amount of willpower could rip it away.
Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж
Despite his demand, Pokota’s questions weren’t answered immediately. He stewed as Zelgadiss and Amelia headed out of the room, each in a different direction. As the minutes ticked by, he glowered at Lina, who kept her gaze fixed on Gourry’s face.
The pain was slowly easing from it, relaxing into what she hoped was some form of sleep. Her thumb absently brushed over the back of his palm as thoughts swirled around in her mind. Confusion, worry, righteous anger, and a whole lot more seemed to be an incoherent mass, and she couldn’t decide on a single thing to mull over. Before she could, her head abruptly snapped back as she felt a blow on the underside of her chin. When she could see again, Lina noticed Pokota a couple inches from her face.
“What’d you do that for?” Lina yelled at him, not worrying that it would bother Gourry.
“Because you’re sitting here brooding like Stone Man does instead of telling me what I want to know!” Pokota glared at Lina. “What the hell’s going on here?”
“What the … “ Lina rose out of her chair, but didn’t loosen her grip on Gourry’s hand. “We’ve been chasing your scrawny ass around various kingdoms for weeks trying to figure out what your big deal is, and now you’re demanding the same thing from us? I don’t think so. This is none of your business!”
“The hell it isn’t!” Pokota yelled back. “I’m not the one causing strange things to come popping in and out of the room at night or having such a reaction to Rezo’s magic that I fall into a coma!”
“No, you just happen to be the one destroying mage-tanks in my name so I have obsessive special inspectors attempt to arrest me at every turn! For a week, there was a time I couldn't even go to the bathroom without Wizer Freon popping up! Do you know how mortifying that is?” Especially, Lina thought, since it had been that time of month.
“I have a good reason!”
Lina glanced down at Gourry and for a split second swore she saw a blue crystal flicker around him. “So do I,” she said softly, the anger draining from her. “I’m not telling you anything unless you give me something in return.”
“I didn’t have to give you anything,” Pokota huffed. “You found a lot of it on your own when you followed me into Taforashia. You said something about Phibrizzo.” He held up his hands and smirked. “Don’t tell me an amateur sorceress like you took on a guy like that.”
Lina stared long and hard at Pokota, not saying a word as he laughed at the absurd thought. When he realized she wasn’t yelling back at him, he quieted and gawked. “You’re serious? You, a scrawny breast-less thing, took on the Hellmaster?”
“It’s only because of Gourry that I’m not flinging your plushy rear out the window right now,” Lina growled.
“Prove it!” Pokota demanded.
“I would, but you know what? The spell required to take him down also invited the power of the Sea of Chaos and put our universe at risk of being dissolved into nothing. I think I’ll stay away from hands-on demonstrations.” Lina focused her attention back on Gourry. “Fine then. I did … something that caused high-level Mazoku to start paying attention to me. Two of them, the Demon Dragon King Gaav and Hellmaster Phibrizzo were feuding and…” Lina launched into the story, carefully omitting any references to Rezo.
When Lina described Hellmaster’s spell, the color drained from Pokota’s face. “Then that spell … is it leeching the souls of my people?”
He sounded like the prince that he was supposed to be, rather than the brash, callous boy she suspected lurked beneath whatever spell imprisoned him. “I don’t know,” Lina replied honestly. “Rezo cast that spell, not Phibrizzo. But…” And here’s where it gets tricky, she thought, “Rezo was constantly seeking a cure for his blindness. That’s common knowledge. I’d be surprised if he hadn’t come across a fragment of the Claire Bible at some point in his travels and based the spell off of it. The spells I used during the fight with Hellmaster were also taken from Claire Bible fragments, but I had to interpret them. In the process, I’ve made them my own spells. Rezo probably did the same thing.”
Lina grinned when Pokota stared downcast at the bed. “Cheer up!” she said briskly. “It’s been years and if your people are still alive, then Rezo got it right. Rezo wasn’t meaning to drain their souls away. I think he honestly wanted to save your kingdom.” At least, I hope he did. “Hellmaster was wanting to use Gourry and eventually kill him to get to me.” She shrugged. “It worked.”
“Why him?” Pokota hovered above Gourry’s head for a bit. “He’s got a broken, bent sword, though he’s really good at it. He’s rather dim-witted, don’t you think?”
Lina shrugged again. “He’s a jellyfish brain. But he’s my jellyfish brain. He swore a long time ago to protect me, and to remain by my side. It goes both ways, y’know? When he needs me, I should be there for him.”
Pokota snorted. “You love him, don’t you?”
“That is certainly none of your business!”
Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж
Gourry practiced his sword swings, hoping that his father would emerge with the second picnic basket soon. They’d quickly gone through the first, but his stomach was still demanding extra helpings of potato salad. His father had laughed, ruffled his hair, and went to go see what was taking his mother and older brother so long. They probably got into a fight again, and quite frankly, Gourry was sick of them. He hated seeing his mother and father look so upset over Raol’s latest actions.
His brother was seven years older than himself and seemed to consider Gourry little more than a nuisance. Since reaching the age of 18, Raol had tried to persuade his father to hand over his birthright – the legendary Sword of Light. Their father explained repeatedly what Gourry had always known from a young age: the sword could not be passed until the current wielder chose to give it up, or died. Father didn’t think that Raol was ready, and privately Gourry agreed. He’d always found his towering giant of a brother to be intimidating, and learned quickly to be very agile as he sped through the corridors of the manor to keep away from him.
He’d gone through half the practice swings when he heard the scream in the forest. His head snapped up, protective instincts already finely honed. “Mother!” he cried and dashed into the forest.
He leaped over various obstacles as he sped through the trees, his mind fixed on a single goal – protecting her. He burst into the small clearing that held a salt lick for deer and skidded to a stop when he spotted Raol looming over his father. The second picnic basket had spilled all over the ground, and his mother huddled near a tree weeping, blood coating her gown.
“Leave them alone, Raol!” Gourry yelled and leaped forward, bringing his sword down on his brother’s back.
“Keep away, runt!” Raol growled, plucking Gourry off his back and flinging him into a nearby tree with the ease one would usually have tossing a ball of lint. Gourry’s head hit the back of the tree with a sickening crack, and he slid to the ground. Blood ran from back of his head down his neck, and he forced himself to try to keep consciousness. But instead, all he could see was a growing darkness and the hazy images of Raol standing over their father’s body and plunging the blade of his bastard sword deep into his heart. The terrifying death scream echoed through Gourry’s head as he gave himself over to oblivion.
Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж
Author’s Note: The character of Raulf has his origins in a certain un-named black-haired fisherman than Gourry encounters in the short story “The Things That He Sees Beyond the Point of His Sword” that was in vol. 21 of Slayers Special. Both men refer to the incident that takes place in the story. Even though it’s never stated explicitly, it’s pretty obvious who the fisherman is by the end of the story thanks to the dropped hints. This story is also going to contain references to episode 6 of Revolution, hence the updated disclaimer. There was just an element in that episode that was perfect for this story. So, this story takes place between the end of episode 5 and the beginning of episode 7.
Gourry's brother, and the name for his brother, is based off the character of Raoh from "Fist of the North Star." Hajime Kanzaka once said in an interview with his fanclub that Gourry's brother would have the look of Toki, but the personality of Raoh. This will be expounded upon more in the third chapter.
Series: Slayers
Characters/Pairings: Lina, Gourry, Pokota, and a certain one-shot novel character
Rating: PG-13
Summary: After visiting Taforashia, Gourry falls into a strange magical coma and must face the demons of his past during the very long night that follows for him, Lina, and the rest of their group.
Spoiler alert: This story takes place after episode 6 of Slayers Revolution and goes off on its own tangent from there. Many thanks go to
ray_wing and earthstar_chan for betaing this story.“What's this, then? It's never easy being the only child left out in the cold, you know.”
“I suppose you'd know.”
“I do, actually, yes.”
- The Ninth Doctor and Nancy: “The Empty Child,” Doctor Who
Chapter 2: The Empty Child
“Happy birthday, son!”
Gourry’s eyes widened, as a long package was proudly set before him, the box nearly as tall as he was. “Is it a sword?” he asked eagerly.
The blond-haired man who’d given him the package laughed and ruffled his hair. “Is it a sword, he asks? You’ve only been asking me for a sword for the past three years. Go ahead and…,” his voice trailed off as he saw the little boy had already torn into the package, “open it.”
Gourry pulled the lid off the box and frowned at the wooden sword nestled among the tissue paper. “This isn’t a real sword!” he protested.
“Six years old is a bit too young for a real sword. This is so you can begin learning how to handle a sword so you can have a real blade one day. I’m going to teach you myself.”
Gourry’s eyes lit up. “Really, Father?”
“Really,” his father affirmed and Gourry felt like he’d been handed the entire world plus a piece of chocolate cake. He cradled the wooden practice sword reverently before turning eager eyes to his father. “Will I be able to use the Sword of Light one day?”
His father smiled sadly at him. “I’m sorry, son. You know your brother is to inherit that blade.”
“I just want to use it a little!” Gourry protested. He thought it was a bit unfair that his 13-year-old brother would inherit the Sword of Light and not he. Raol had never shown any sort of interest in swords and seemed more interested in playing cards and going hunting with their uncle. Gourry had wanted to use a sword as long as he could remember, waving around little sticks while pretending to be just like his father. He knew that the Swordsman of Light was the greatest swordsman alive and his father was certainly that, wasn’t he?
His father didn’t say anything for a while, then pulled the sword he carried at his side out of its sheath. Gourry watched, fascinated as his father took a pin out of his pocket and pressed it into a little notch in the sword’s hilt. He removed the blade and placed it on the bench next to them, then held the bladeless hilt out in front of him. “Light, come forth!” he yelled.
A bright, blue beam of light shot out of the sword. It took on a solid state and held steady. It reminded Gourry of the pictures he’d seen of a longsword, but the blade wasn’t as long. He didn’t notice at first that his father had moved to his side and was holding the sword’s hilt in front of him. He knelt, took one of Gourry’s hands and wrapped it around the hilt, then the other.
Gourry’s eyes went wide as his father took his hands away. The sword didn’t seem so heavy just by looking at it, but his arms trembled from the weight. To the surprise of both of them, the blade changed shape, growing longer and brighter.
Gourry didn’t notice his father gazing at him in a strange way, an immense look of sadness in his eyes. All he cared was that he was being allowed to hold the legendary Sword of Light and comforted himself with knowing that this one moment would have to be enough. For Gourry Gabriev was a second-born son and even at the age of six, he knew he was not fated to wield the Sword of Light.
Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж
The memory shimmered and the vision of the father and the little boy faded into nothingness. After a moment, the little boy in the dream – now 20 years older – blinked open his eyes and sat up.
It was strange, Gourry thought as he mulled over the vision. He hadn’t thought of his father in years. He was hard-pressed to remember what he even looked like, much less recall the sound of his voice. He knew he hadn’t thought about his 6th birthday in well… since it happened. He drew his knees up and wanted to tell Lina about it before he forgot. She would know why he was thinking about such a thing now. Maybe it had something to do with the headaches….
… That was mysteriously gone.
“Hey!” Gourry said aloud, pressing his fingers to his temples. For the first time in a week, he was pain-free and felt pretty good. Perhaps Amelia did some white magic on him while he was asleep. He’d have to thank her for that. He started to swing his legs over the side of the bed when he realized that he wasn’t in one. His booted feet hit the ground hard and he winced before taking a good look at his surroundings.
He was actually under a tree, the shade protruding over the creek that flowed past just a few feet away. He was in some sort of meadow, with short, cropped grass with flowers dotting it. Gourry rubbed the back of his head. He didn’t have the best memory, but even he remembered when they changed locations. Lina wasn’t going to let him live down the fact that he’d apparently forgotten that they left the inn for a long time. And, speaking of Lina, he wondered, where was she, Zelgadiss, Amelia, and the little creature Pokota?
“Ah, you’re awake. It was about time.”
Gourry glanced over his shoulder and saw a man with long black hair sitting a few feet away. A cigarette dangled from his mouth, and he loosely held onto a fishing pole that he’d cast into the water. A lure bobbled a few feet away from the shore. Gourry frowned at the man; positive he’d seen him before. A man … cigarette … fishing … “I know you, don’t I?”
The man looked up, gave a crooked grin that reminded Gourry very much of Lina. “You know me enough to remember that you’ve seen me before, but not well enough to remember who I am, Gourry. After all, I’m just an acquaintance you met five years ago.”
“Five years… That’s when I met Lina!” The pieces of the puzzle fell into place and Gourry slammed the fist of one hand into the palm of the other. “You’re the guy who helped me fight Mazoku right before I met Lina! Where did you go anyhow?”
“Oh, here and there. Had to go back home before my wife and daughter worried.”
Gourry scratched the back of his head. “I thought you had two daughters?”
“I do. One of them is a traveler. Has been for the past seven years. Surprised I haven’t run into her.” The man reeled in his line and held up the empty lure. “Missed again. I suppose baiting a line with a banana doesn’t work.”
“Lina just uses a spell.” Gourry moved next to the black-haired fisherman. They sat in companionable silence as they watch the lure bobble on top of the water. “Do you know where she is?” he asked after a moment.
“I suppose she’s awake.” The man reeled the line in again.
“Awake? I’m asleep?”
“More or less.” The man lifted the empty hook, lowered it, then pinned Gourry with a serious gaze. “You’re in a coma, Gourry.”
“A coma?”
“Essentially, a very deep sleep. You’ve currently retreated to the inner recesses of your mind while you come to terms with what’s happened.”
Gourry beamed. “And Lina claims I’ve constantly lost my mind! Wait until I tell her that I’ve found it!”
The man tossed back his head and roared with laughter. “I like you, son,” he said, and something about it caused Gourry to blush. “I always did like you. You liked me too. That’s why I’m your guide.”
“My guide?”
The man stuck his hand out. “Just call me Raulf. I never gave you my name the last time we met.”
Gourry shook Raulf’s hand, giving him a confused look. “I don’t get it. I only spent one night with you five years ago. We fought Mazoku.”
“Yes, but that was one of the most important nights of your life.” Raulf gave Gourry’s hand a squeeze before dropping it. “You were thinking about throwing away the Sword of Light that night if I remember correctly. And I do, considering that this is your memory and despite what my da … despite what Lina thinks, you do have everything tucked away in here quite well. In any case, we’ll go over that.”
“But why are we doing this?”
Raulf’s voice grew serious. “Gourry, what were you doing in the past few days?”
Gourry tugged on his ear and frowned. “Well, we were in that place with the fog and the blue crystals. Taforashia. Being around those crystals gave me a headache, but I didn’t tell Lina. I didn’t want to make her worry.”
“Do you remember being kidnapped four years ago?”
“No?” Gourry’s brow furrowed. “I remember the little kid that everyone called Hellmaster. Lina mentioned him a few days ago too, said that the spell Rezo used was like the one Hellmaster used. I remember him taking me away from Lina. Then … I don’t know, it’s really fuzzy until I woke up standing on a pillar holding Lina. Then she kicked me into the water and accused me of robbing her innocence. She doesn’t have any you know.”
Raulf’s face darkened slightly and his eyebrow winged up. “Oh really?”
Something in the back of Gourry’s mind told him that this was an extremely dangerous path upon which to tread. But, Gourry was Gourry and somehow his mouth didn’t receive the warning. “Not a bit. Have you seen the way she takes on bandits? And you’d think she was raised in a barn, the way she eats. Doesn’t have the first idea on how a lady should behave, y’know? She’s pretty flat too. Oh, and you probably want to watch her temper. Really, that Wizer guy just didn’t know when to stop.”
A slight smile tugged at Raulf’s lips. “You really love her, don’t you?”
Gourry’s answering smile was bright and happy. “Well, yeah. Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
“Good. As long as we got it squared away. Getting back on topic, you are in a coma because you were exposed to those crystals. Four years ago, you spent nearly a month trapped inside of one at various times. That, along with other events in your life, caused a hole to be created in your mind. It’s time to fill it in, and to remember what happened.” Raulf got to his feet. “I am someone you met and have respected. I’m a link to your past. I am also a link to the circumstances that led you to your present. And, I am a link to the future that you and Lina create.”
Part of it promptly flew over Gourry’s head, so he focused on the last of it. “Am I going to meet you again? After I wake up?”
“If Lina stops dragging her feet, yes you will.” Gourry opened his mouth to ask, and Raulf held up his hand. “Don’t ask. Spoilers. I can’t spoil that for you. Now, we’re going to start filling in the gaps.”
Gourry scrambled to his feet and followed Raulf as he headed down a path. “Which gaps?”
“All of them.” Raulf turned around a bend in the path. When Gourry did the same, he noticed that the trees suddenly seemed thicker. Sand crunched beneath his feet and he had the odd sensation that he’d been here before, but it’d been a long time.
Raulf stopped at the edge of a clearing and Gourry peered over his shoulder. There, in the small space, was a picnic blanket spread out over the ground. The decimated remains of a meal littered the blanket. Just on the other side of it, a boy just hitting the awkward, gangly growth spurt that came with being near puberty stood with a wooden sword. He muttered beneath his breath as he started in on his practice swings, the movement smooth and fluid.
Gourry’s eyes widened. “That’s me.”
Raulf nodded. “That is you.” His eyes met Gourry’s. “You were 11.”
Gourry stared in horror at Raulf as he felt part of his mind start to work its way loose. “Eleven… This is when my dad…” He turned his gaze back to the boy practicing his sword swings and no amount of willpower could rip it away.
Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж
Despite his demand, Pokota’s questions weren’t answered immediately. He stewed as Zelgadiss and Amelia headed out of the room, each in a different direction. As the minutes ticked by, he glowered at Lina, who kept her gaze fixed on Gourry’s face.
The pain was slowly easing from it, relaxing into what she hoped was some form of sleep. Her thumb absently brushed over the back of his palm as thoughts swirled around in her mind. Confusion, worry, righteous anger, and a whole lot more seemed to be an incoherent mass, and she couldn’t decide on a single thing to mull over. Before she could, her head abruptly snapped back as she felt a blow on the underside of her chin. When she could see again, Lina noticed Pokota a couple inches from her face.
“What’d you do that for?” Lina yelled at him, not worrying that it would bother Gourry.
“Because you’re sitting here brooding like Stone Man does instead of telling me what I want to know!” Pokota glared at Lina. “What the hell’s going on here?”
“What the … “ Lina rose out of her chair, but didn’t loosen her grip on Gourry’s hand. “We’ve been chasing your scrawny ass around various kingdoms for weeks trying to figure out what your big deal is, and now you’re demanding the same thing from us? I don’t think so. This is none of your business!”
“The hell it isn’t!” Pokota yelled back. “I’m not the one causing strange things to come popping in and out of the room at night or having such a reaction to Rezo’s magic that I fall into a coma!”
“No, you just happen to be the one destroying mage-tanks in my name so I have obsessive special inspectors attempt to arrest me at every turn! For a week, there was a time I couldn't even go to the bathroom without Wizer Freon popping up! Do you know how mortifying that is?” Especially, Lina thought, since it had been that time of month.
“I have a good reason!”
Lina glanced down at Gourry and for a split second swore she saw a blue crystal flicker around him. “So do I,” she said softly, the anger draining from her. “I’m not telling you anything unless you give me something in return.”
“I didn’t have to give you anything,” Pokota huffed. “You found a lot of it on your own when you followed me into Taforashia. You said something about Phibrizzo.” He held up his hands and smirked. “Don’t tell me an amateur sorceress like you took on a guy like that.”
Lina stared long and hard at Pokota, not saying a word as he laughed at the absurd thought. When he realized she wasn’t yelling back at him, he quieted and gawked. “You’re serious? You, a scrawny breast-less thing, took on the Hellmaster?”
“It’s only because of Gourry that I’m not flinging your plushy rear out the window right now,” Lina growled.
“Prove it!” Pokota demanded.
“I would, but you know what? The spell required to take him down also invited the power of the Sea of Chaos and put our universe at risk of being dissolved into nothing. I think I’ll stay away from hands-on demonstrations.” Lina focused her attention back on Gourry. “Fine then. I did … something that caused high-level Mazoku to start paying attention to me. Two of them, the Demon Dragon King Gaav and Hellmaster Phibrizzo were feuding and…” Lina launched into the story, carefully omitting any references to Rezo.
When Lina described Hellmaster’s spell, the color drained from Pokota’s face. “Then that spell … is it leeching the souls of my people?”
He sounded like the prince that he was supposed to be, rather than the brash, callous boy she suspected lurked beneath whatever spell imprisoned him. “I don’t know,” Lina replied honestly. “Rezo cast that spell, not Phibrizzo. But…” And here’s where it gets tricky, she thought, “Rezo was constantly seeking a cure for his blindness. That’s common knowledge. I’d be surprised if he hadn’t come across a fragment of the Claire Bible at some point in his travels and based the spell off of it. The spells I used during the fight with Hellmaster were also taken from Claire Bible fragments, but I had to interpret them. In the process, I’ve made them my own spells. Rezo probably did the same thing.”
Lina grinned when Pokota stared downcast at the bed. “Cheer up!” she said briskly. “It’s been years and if your people are still alive, then Rezo got it right. Rezo wasn’t meaning to drain their souls away. I think he honestly wanted to save your kingdom.” At least, I hope he did. “Hellmaster was wanting to use Gourry and eventually kill him to get to me.” She shrugged. “It worked.”
“Why him?” Pokota hovered above Gourry’s head for a bit. “He’s got a broken, bent sword, though he’s really good at it. He’s rather dim-witted, don’t you think?”
Lina shrugged again. “He’s a jellyfish brain. But he’s my jellyfish brain. He swore a long time ago to protect me, and to remain by my side. It goes both ways, y’know? When he needs me, I should be there for him.”
Pokota snorted. “You love him, don’t you?”
“That is certainly none of your business!”
Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж
Gourry practiced his sword swings, hoping that his father would emerge with the second picnic basket soon. They’d quickly gone through the first, but his stomach was still demanding extra helpings of potato salad. His father had laughed, ruffled his hair, and went to go see what was taking his mother and older brother so long. They probably got into a fight again, and quite frankly, Gourry was sick of them. He hated seeing his mother and father look so upset over Raol’s latest actions.
His brother was seven years older than himself and seemed to consider Gourry little more than a nuisance. Since reaching the age of 18, Raol had tried to persuade his father to hand over his birthright – the legendary Sword of Light. Their father explained repeatedly what Gourry had always known from a young age: the sword could not be passed until the current wielder chose to give it up, or died. Father didn’t think that Raol was ready, and privately Gourry agreed. He’d always found his towering giant of a brother to be intimidating, and learned quickly to be very agile as he sped through the corridors of the manor to keep away from him.
He’d gone through half the practice swings when he heard the scream in the forest. His head snapped up, protective instincts already finely honed. “Mother!” he cried and dashed into the forest.
He leaped over various obstacles as he sped through the trees, his mind fixed on a single goal – protecting her. He burst into the small clearing that held a salt lick for deer and skidded to a stop when he spotted Raol looming over his father. The second picnic basket had spilled all over the ground, and his mother huddled near a tree weeping, blood coating her gown.
“Leave them alone, Raol!” Gourry yelled and leaped forward, bringing his sword down on his brother’s back.
“Keep away, runt!” Raol growled, plucking Gourry off his back and flinging him into a nearby tree with the ease one would usually have tossing a ball of lint. Gourry’s head hit the back of the tree with a sickening crack, and he slid to the ground. Blood ran from back of his head down his neck, and he forced himself to try to keep consciousness. But instead, all he could see was a growing darkness and the hazy images of Raol standing over their father’s body and plunging the blade of his bastard sword deep into his heart. The terrifying death scream echoed through Gourry’s head as he gave himself over to oblivion.
Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж
Author’s Note: The character of Raulf has his origins in a certain un-named black-haired fisherman than Gourry encounters in the short story “The Things That He Sees Beyond the Point of His Sword” that was in vol. 21 of Slayers Special. Both men refer to the incident that takes place in the story. Even though it’s never stated explicitly, it’s pretty obvious who the fisherman is by the end of the story thanks to the dropped hints. This story is also going to contain references to episode 6 of Revolution, hence the updated disclaimer. There was just an element in that episode that was perfect for this story. So, this story takes place between the end of episode 5 and the beginning of episode 7.
Gourry's brother, and the name for his brother, is based off the character of Raoh from "Fist of the North Star." Hajime Kanzaka once said in an interview with his fanclub that Gourry's brother would have the look of Toki, but the personality of Raoh. This will be expounded upon more in the third chapter.