Episode 3:
Painful Love? Yamato's Crush!
The next morning, everyone awoke late—that is, except for Niriko. When Shunozike, Yamato, Amelia, Zelgadis, Kadachi, Lina, Chame, Gourry, Filia, Jillas, and Gravos stepped out of their rooms (with Valgaav), the food they had left out for Niriko was untouched. So they ordered some breakfast from room service, and sat around the table to wait.
�Hey—where�s Niriko?� Yamato asked frantically.
�Still sleeping, I guess,� Lina replied. �I don�t blame her—she had it the worst out of all of us yesterday.�
�Yeah,� Kadachi agreed.
Then, a voice on the other side of the door called out, �Room service!�
Lina scrambled up and yanked the door open. Right in front of her was a glorious display of the hotel food. She scooped it up in her arms, carried it to the table, and dropped it there. Then they all began to feast.
After about an hour and a half, the meal slowed down a bit. So then, everyone relaxed, and their concerns that had been pushed away at the sight of the delicious food before them settled back heavily upon them.
Suddenly, Zelgadis said, �You like Niriko, don�t you, Yamato?�
�What?� Yamato looked up blankly at Zelgadis. He had been staring forlornly at the table, resting his head on one hand. �Are you talking to me? What did you say?�
�I said,� Zelgadis repeated. �You like Niriko, don�t you?�
�What?� Yamato cried. �W-where�d you get that idea?!�
�I�m not an idiot,� Zelgadis snickered. �I�ve seen the way you look at her.�
�So—so what if I like her,� Yamato said coolly, shrugging and turning his head away. �Yeah, big deal.�
�So you do like her!� Zelgadis exclaimed.
�What?! I never said that!� Yamato yelped, and he toppled backwards over his chair.
�Oh, yes you did!� Kadachi taunted.
�Come on, Yamamoto, you know you do!� Chame said.
�I do not!� Yamato protested. �And my name is Yamato!�
�Oh, god,� Lina said. �All signs point to it!�
�Come on, say it!� Chame urged.
�Well�um,� Yamato stammered. �See—er, it�s—like this—I-I, well, uh—�
�JUST SAY IT!� Chame shouted, raising her fist.
�Okay!� Yamato cried, cowering. �I�ll say it! I do! I like her! Hell, I love Niriko! Happy now?!�
�You love who?�
Everyone snapped their heads in the direction of the doorway. There, was a sleepy-looking Niriko standing in the entrance of the kitchen/dining room, a half-asleep Louie in her arms. Niriko yawned.
�Who�d you say you love, Yamato?� she repeated.
�Uh�� Yamato froze. A sweat drop formed on the back of his head. �Why don�t you go back to bed, Niriko?� A nervous laugh escaped his lips.
�No, I�m fine. I had a pretty good rest,� Niriko said. �But�who do you love?�
Kadachi started to say loudly, �He loves—MMFFF!�
�Flowers!� Yamato shouted hurriedly, slapping his hand over Kadachi�s mouth to keep her from giving away his secret. �That�s right—I�love flowers!� Niriko arched her eyebrows.
�Ah. Flowers. I see,� she said, nodding her head and giving him that �SPED� look. Yamato sighed with relief; sure, she thought he belonged in a third-grade SPED class, but at least she didn�t know he liked her�
Suddenly, as if reminded something extremely important by the scene, perked up and jumped down from Niriko�s arms. He waved his little arms around and cried, �MERNER!�
�Oh? What is it, Louie?� Niriko asked curiously.
�Merner!� Louie said, and he pointed at Yamato, who looked extremely taken aback. �Yarmartor!�
�Yamato?� Niriko repeated, confused. �What about Yamato?�
Louie fake-swooned and put his paws at his heart. �Lorvsss�� he mock-sighed.
�Loves?� Niriko said. �Yamato loves�uh�flowers. We already know that.� But Louie shook his head vigorously in disagreement.
Then he pointed at Niriko. �Yoor!� he cried. �Nirirkor!�
�Uh? Me?� Niriko said. �Wha-wha-what? Yamato�loves me?!� Louie nodded.
There was a long pause. The tension was killing Yamato. He was about to pass out from humiliation. Everyone else stood stock-still with baited breath. Finally, Niriko said, �Ha! Stupidest thing I ever heard! Ha, Yamato loves me—that�s a good one, Louie!� She laughed, rather coldly. Yamato sighed heavily.
�But it�s true!� Lina announced. Niriko turned to face Yamato.
�Is it?� she asked.
For some reason, Yamato wasn�t scared. �Yeah,� he said, a little embarrassed. �Yeah, I guess it is.�
Niriko�s facial expression changed drastically from a soft-eyed questioning look to that I-hate-you-half-closed-eyes look.
�I�m going back to bed,� she snapped, walking back into her room. She slammed the door. �AND DON�T WAKE ME UP!�
Louie scampered over to the door and pounded his little fists on it. �Meerrneeerr!� he cried.
�Thanks a lot, Lina!� Yamato shot back. �Now I�m most likely to be dead by next week!�
And he stormed off huffily.
That night, Yamato crept into Niriko�s room.
�Maybe�if I whisper to her in her sleep,� he said quietly to himself, �she�ll love me. I read somewhere that if you speak to someone while they�re asleep, they change their ways and views�it also influences people�s dreams!�
He kneeled down next to Niriko�s bed and leaned over her. He gazed at her face for a few seconds. Then, just as he was sitting back down, Niriko mumbled something in her sleep and shot her fist upward in a punch. Unfortunately, Yamato�s face was in the way, and the force of Niriko�s blow immediately knocked him out. He fell backward and hit the hard floor, unconscious with a black eye.
�Niriko�hey, Niriko! Get up, now!�
Niriko�s eyes snapped open. Zelgadis was standing over, shaking her hard.
�Leave me alone!� she hissed. �I�m trying to sleep! Can�t you see that?�
�Up!� Zelgadis commanded. �Come on! It�s important!�
�What is it?!� Niriko said.
�I need your help!� Zelgadis whispered. �Come on—up!�
�What�s going on, Zel?� Niriko demanded.
�While you were still asleep, a bunch of bandits attacked,� Zelgadis started.
�Niro!�
�Yes,� Zelgadis agreed. �They were Niro�s bandits—but only the sorcerers.�
�Then there were only about ten or so,� Niriko said. �But what happened?�
�That�s what I�m trying to tell you,� Zel said. �Well, they managed to cast a Sleeping Spell on just about everyone, except for me and Yamato—and you, of course, since you were already asleep. Well, we managed to drive them all off.�
�Is everyone okay?� Niriko wanted to know.
�They�re fine,� Zel assured. �The Sleeping Spell should wear off by morning—it was a weak one.�
Niriko heaved a sigh.
�Except Yamato,� Zelgadis continued. �We were getting rid of the last of them when I was struck down and I was too tired to get up. Yamato drove him off, but he was wounded before and collapsed. I need you to help me to cast a Recovery Spell. I�m too tired to do it.�
�A�Resurrection Spell?� Niriko stammered. �Uh, Zel, to tell you the truth, I really kind of suck at white magic—�
�Niriko!� Zelgadis snapped. �This is important! It�s three in the morning—no one�s coming to help! You have to do this!�
�All right, all right,� Niriko mumbled. �Don�t waste your strength—where is he?�
Zelgadis led her to the sitting room, where a wounded Yamato was lying unconscious in the middle of the room. Niriko sat down and took a deep breath. Before she started, she said to Zel, �You know, I wasn�t lying. I really do suck at white magic.�
�Niriko!�
�All right, all right! Recovery!�
Niriko forced all the healing power she could muster into the Resurrection Spell. She channeled the magic into Yamato�s wounds, healing them, until she collapsed from exhaustion.
�Uh�?� Yamato�s eyes opened slowly. He saw Zelgadis standing there, and then Niriko on the ground�
�Niriko!� he cried.
�It�s all right!� Zel tried to tell him. �She just put too much power into the Recovery Spell—�
�Niriko!� Yamato wept, ignoring Zel. He hugged her as he went on. �Niriko, I�m so sorry, it�s all my fault��
Niriko�s eyes fluttered open. Yamato didn�t see it, but Zelgadis did�
�Uh, Yamato—� he said, his eyes widening. �Yamato, you&mdashyou might want to—�
�YAMATO!� Niriko shrieked. �WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU�RE DOING?!�
�Niriko�?� Yamato squeaked.
�YEAAARRGGHHH!!!� Niriko punched him in the face�hard. He was knocked out for the third time that night with another black eye to match the other.
�Niriko!� Zel reprimanded. �Niriko, Yamato helped save your life!�
�Yeah, yeah, yeah,� Niriko said. �He saved my life, I saved his. We�re even.�
The next day, the group left the village so that they could travel farther east away from Niro�s gang. Finally, they came to the next village after nearly a whole day�s walk through the woods.
�Finally, somewhere I can relax,� Amelia sighed as they saw the sign indicating there was a town up ahead.
�Finally, somewhere I can eat!� Lina exclaimed.
�Finally, somewhere I can rest my body,� Niriko mumbled. Her wounds from the recent battle had not completely gone; indeed, there were still some long cuts and deep bruises, and she was still weary and needed more rest.
�Come on! Let�s go!� Kadachi yelled. She ran ahead of the rest of the group.
�Hey!� Shunozike protested. �Wait up!�
The others sped up to catch up with Kadachi, who had already reached the entrance to the town. They checked into a hotel and then ate at a local restaurant, where they filled their stomachs with the delicious food.
�Oh, finally,� Lina sighed. �Come on—let�s go back to the inn. We can go relax in the hot springs!�
�You guys go ahead,� Niriko said tiredly. �I�m way too exhausted.� She collapsed on a couch.
�Well, okay,� Lina said. �Just, Niriko�?�
�What?�
�Don�t die or anything while we�re out there.�
Niriko opened one eye. �Oh, ha, ha, very funny,� she muttered.
So the others went outside to settle down in the luxurious hot springs, and Niriko lay down to sleep on the couch, too tired to trudge to her room.
While Niriko slept, and the others—including Louie—were nearly asleep in the comforting hot springs, a tall, dark figure slid into the room. Kneeling beside the couch, he raised his hands and whispered, �Lighting.� A small orb of white light appeared in his hands and illuminated a sinister face, black spiky hair with a red bandana, and dark eyes beneath thick black eyebrows. He grinned evilly.
�You�ll remember me for this, Niriko Inverse,� he said quietly to the sleeping Niriko in the couch. �You�ll never forget Niro for this�that is, if you live through it!� And he laughed harshly to himself. Then he began to chant�
�Sleeping forever, never to awaken; time forgotten, life forsaken. Thou shalt never arise from this rest; this forevermore sleep is cursed, not blest. Eternal Sleep!�
It would have seemed to anyone else that nothing had happened, but Niro knew better. No one would even suspect; at least, not until morning�
He drew his pitch-black cloak around him and disappeared from the room, laughing silently to himself.
At around eleven o�clock that night, the others heaved themselves from the hot springs, and got dressed in nightwear. They passed into the room where Niriko slumbered.
�Should we move her?� Kadachi asked in a hushed voice.
Chame shook her head. �Don�t bother,� she whispered back. �If she wakes up in the middle of the night, she�ll move herself. Otherwise, she�ll just stay here all night.�
So they left Niriko deep in sleep and went to their own rooms to sleep.
The next morning when Chame, Louie, Kadachi, Zelgadis, Amelia, Yamato, Shunozike, Lina, Filia, Gourry, Gravos, Jillas, and Valgaav awoke, they saw that Niriko was still soundly asleep.
�Should we wake her up?� Zelgadis asked, scratching his head at the wonder of Niriko being able to sleep for so long.
�I dunno,� Yamato said uncertainly. �Is�she all right?�
�She�s fine,� Lina replied lackadaisically. �She just likes to sleep. I mean, she really likes to sleep. All she needs is a wake-up call.� Lina opened her mouth to yell, but Amelia cut her off.
�Miss Lina!� Amelia cried. �Miss Niriko�s been in a lot of battles lately! She should rest!�
�Yeah, but this is strange, even for Niriko,� Lina explained. �Especially with Niro�s reappearance, I wouldn�t expect her to sleep this long!�
�Really?� Gourry said blankly.
�Really,� Lina said. �Niriko! Wake up!�
Niriko didn�t move. Lina grabbed her by the shoulders, pulled her up to a sitting position, and shook her furiously. �NIRIKO!� she yelled. �WAKE UP!!!�
�Miss Lina!� Filia shrieked. �You�re going to hurt her!�
�That�s just plain impossible,� Kadachi pointed out. �It�s just about impossible to hurt Niriko, let alone kill her�especially when she�s sleeping. It�s usually the other way around.�
�I don�t think this is natural for Niriko,� Lina sighed, dropping Niriko. �I think someone must�ve cast a sleeping spell on her��
�Then that�s easily solved,� Chame said. �Recovery!�
Nothing happened. Chame frowned. �Recovery!� she said again. Still nothing.
�What�s wrong with her?� Kadachi asked. �Shouldn�t a Recovery Spell do it?� Since Kadachi's magical power was mostly limited to shamanism and black magic, she didn't know too much about white magic.
�It should,� Chame answered. �But I don�t know��
�Well, well, well,� remarked an annoyingly familiar voice. �Looks like she�s under the Curse of the Eternal Sleep!�
�Xellos!� Kadachi shrieked. �Will you stop making so many surprise entrances?!�
�Why?� he teased. �It�s so fun!�
�Wait a minute,� Zel cut in sharply. �What curse did you just mention?�
�Oh, the Curse of the Eternal Sleep?� Xellos replied offhandedly. �Yes, that�s what�s wrong with her. I�d be damned if I couldn�t recognize it��
�You already are damned,� Kadachi muttered.
�Why, thank you!� he said.
�The�Curse of the Eternal Sleep?� Yamato repeated, blinking. He looked at Niriko, then back at Xellos. �That doesn�t sound very good.�
�Oh, it�s not,� Xellos said cheekily. �In fact, it�s just what its name says. It�s an eternal sleep.�
Yamato looked shocked. �But�is she dead?�
�Oh, no,� Xellos chortled. �Far from it. But, unless you can find the cure soon, she will die—from sheer starvation.�
�Cure?� Lina said. �But—I read that there is no cure for the Eternal Sleep!�
�No cure?� Yamato yelped. �She�ll die!�
�No, really?� Kadachi snapped.
�Oh, oh,� Xellos said, shaking his no-no finger. �I heard that the Claire Bible Manuscript in this village�s ruins hold the one cure to the Curse of the Eternal Sleep��
�Claire Bible Manuscript?� Zel said.
�Let�s go!� Lina shouted.
�That�s not a very smart idea, Miss Lina,� Filia interjected. �Someone�s got to stay with Miss Niriko!�
�I�ll watch her,� Xellos offered.
�Do you actually think we�d trust you to care for Miss Niriko?!� Filia shrieked.
�I�ll stay,� Gravos suggested. �I�ve got to watch Valgaav, too, remember?�
�All right then!� Amelia cried. �We�re off to find the cure!�
Soon the group found themselves in front of the ruins. Taking a deep breath, Lina led them into the crumbling temple.
�It�s dark in here,� Gourry complained.
�Lighting!� A ball of white light formed in Lina�s hand. �Happy now, Gourry?�
They continued in silence until Jillas tripped on Gourry�s heels; he yelped out loud, cursing.
�Yeeow!� he shrieked.
�Jillas, quiet!� Filia hissed.
�Sorry, boss,� the fox replied.
�And, please, stop calling me boss!�
�Shh!� Kadachi snapped. �Don�t you hear it?�
�Hear what?� Gourry asked loudly.
�You won�t hear it if you�re so loud!� Lina yelled.
�Quiet!� Chame shouted. Everyone fell silent, and they heard nothing for a moment. Suddenly, the whole room was illuminated by a mixture of torches and balls of magical light. There were at least two hundred bandits, grinning evilly, directly in front of them. And past them, the group could see the prized Claire Bible Manuscript!
�Get outta our way!� Jillas yelled, holding up several sticks of dynamite. The bandits just laughed scornfully.
�Did you really think they�d listen, Jillas?� Kadachi asked dryly.
�Leave while you�re still alive,� Lina threatened. �Or you�ll definitely regret it!�
One of the bandits laughed right in her face. �You�re just like your cousin,� he remarked, smirking. �Didn�t you know we�ve got sorcerers on our side?�
�Weak ones,� Lina muttered.
�You�re a cheeky little brat,� he snarled. �How old are you—eleven? Twelve?�
�That was a stupid thing to say to Lina,� Gourry said.
Lina�s eye twitched. �Ooh, you�re really asking for it,� she growled. �I�m seventeen! Fireball!�
Lina�s powerful Fireball blasted the first few rows of bandits out of their way. Lina started right in.
�Lina! No more Fireballs!� Zel shouted. �You�ll burn the manuscript!�
�Oh, fine!� Lina yelled.
�You dirty bandits will pay for what you did to Miss Niriko!� Filia cried. She whipped out her mace. �HEEYAA!�
�Jillas, no explosives!� Kadachi commanded. �You�ll blow the place apart. Use this!� She tossed him the dagger that she had inherited from her mother.
Jillas looked startled. �No bombs or anythin��?� he asked uncertainly. �Well, okay, if ya says so!�
And he plunged into the crowds of bandits, jabbing them with Kadachi�s dagger.
�Ha! Die!� Yamato cried out. He was slashing relentlessly with his sword, Gourry at his side doing the same thing.
It was a while after the rest had joined in that Amelia saw her chance. There weren�t any bandits guarding the manuscript now�
�Levitation!� Amelia said. She flew straight over to the end of the corridor of the temple and snatched the manuscript from its holder.
�I�ve got it!� she shouted triumphantly.
�She�s got it!� Zel and a bandit said at once.
�Gimme that!� a bandit snapped, snatching it from Amelia�s little hands.
�Got it!� Kadachi said, grabbing it from his gloved fingers.
�I�ll take that!� laughed a sorcerer bandit, who promptly took it from her.
�HIYAA!� Filia screamed, knocking him out with her mace and taking the
manuscript from his limp grasp.
�Well, thank you, miss,� said another bandit, whipping it from Filia�s dainty fingers.
�That�s our manuscript!� Lina snarled, wrenching it from his grip.
�Go! Now!� Zel shouted. �We�ve got it!�
So Jillas, Zelgadis, Lina, Amelia, Gourry, Shunozike, Yamato, Kadachi, Filia, and Chame ran like hell from the ruins.
�What does it say? What does it say?� Yamato asked frantically, back at the inn.
�Will you calm down, you spaz?� Lina snapped. �I�m looking!�
She looked at the manuscript and began to read silently to herself, scanning the pages.
�Aha!� she announced after a while. �I found it! This is what it says:
��The Curse of the Eternal Sleep is a powerful black magic spell that puts the victim into a never-ending sleep. The incantation is as follows: Sleeping forever, never to awaken; time forgotten, life forsaken. Thou shalt never arise from this rest; this forevermore sleep is cursed, not blest. Eternal Sleep! Recovery spells and Resurrection spells don�t work on a victim of the Eternal Sleep. The counteraction for the Eternal Sleep is not a spell, but a kiss from the victim�s true love.�� Lina looked up. �Well, there you have it, folks—we�re screwed!�
�A—a kiss from the victim�s true love?� Zel sputtered. �That�ll take forever!�
�Niriko doesn�t seem to be compatible with any guy,� Kadachi muttered.
�Well, there�s only one thing to do!� Lina told them.
�What�s that?� everyone else said at once.
�That�s easy!� Lina exclaimed. �We�ll just post flyers in the village about Niriko. We�ll have every man in town kiss her, and whoever wakes her up gets a reward!�
�You must be kidding!� Chame shouted. �Niriko will kill you!�
�Niriko will never know,� Lina replied, winking. �So nobody tells!�
�Suppose her true love isn�t in this town?� Gourry wanted to know.
�Shut up, Gourry,� Lina snapped.
�No, really, Lina—what if your plan doesn�t work?� Zel asked.
�If her plan doesn�t work, Niriko�s dead,� Kadachi replied dryly.
�You�re all just going to give up on Miss Niriko like that?� Amelia cried.
�Her true love could be halfway across da world for all we know!� Jillas shouted. �How da hell are we s�posed ta find �im?!�
�Will all of you just shut up?� Lina yelled. �Let�s just do my plan, all right? Then we�ll see what happens!�
Kadachi shrugged. �Well, it�s your funeral, Lina,� she said.
�What the—what was that supposed to mean?!� Lina demanded.
�Niriko�s not gonna know, remember?� Chame prodded.
�Come on,� Amelia declared. �We�ve got flyers to post!�
So they wrote out posters and hung them up all over town. By the next day, there was a long line of men—from only about thirteen years old to middle-aged men—waiting outside. Each one kissed Niriko, and each one failed to wake her up. The �contest� went on for three days, and by then there were no more men left in the village. Lina and the others sat in their inn room, all hopes of ever waking Niriko from her cursed sleep completely discouraged.
�Remember when we first met up with her?� Lina recalled gloomily.v
�You never did tell me about that,� Filia said.
�Let�s hear it,� Kadachi agreed.
Lina smiled faintly. �It was a long while ago,� she started. �Not too long after I�d met Gourry, Amelia and Zel. We were walking through a village one night, and a bandit ran right by us—or at least that�s what we thought. He�d stolen a whole bag of gold from Amelia without her even noticing�he was pretty skilled. Well, naturally, I saw the bag in his hands as he passed us; something he hadn't had a second before. I yelled for him to stop and I was about to cast a Fireball when someone behind us fired a Flare Arrow at him and hit him with incredible accuracy.
�Then that someone practically flew right past us to the fallen bandit who was on the ground up almost a few hundred yards. I told you it was incredible accuracy! Well, we couldn�t see who it was, but that someone kicked at the bandit several times pretty hard. They were cursing at him and pretty much beating him up�they were forcing information out of him. Then they drew a sword and ran him through cleanly.
�Well, you can pretty much guess who that was. Obviously, it was Niriko. But at the time I didn�t know, and she ran right off after killing the bandit—�
�I remember that,� Amelia cut in, voice quivering. �We ran right up to the thief and Miss Lina took the sack of gold from him.�
�Just retrieving what was rightfully ours,� Lina continued grimly. �Well, we retired to the inn, but I couldn�t help think about how familiar that voice was. Before then, I hadn't seen Niriko for a while, about four or five years. But as we walked through the market the next day, I saw her again. It was in clear daylight this time, so I waved her over. Of course, Zelgadis, Amelia and Gourry were a little confused, and Niriko almost ignored me. But she ended up coming over.
�She was as withdrawn as she�d always been, but she opened up a little when she saw me. Of course, Louie was with her. He probably wasn�t the night before; if he had been, I would�ve known it was Niriko right away. Anyway, I introduced her to Zel, Amelia and Gourry and vice versa, and I invited her to lunch that day. She was a little reluctant, but she agreed.
�While we were eating, she didn�t really seem to want to talk to anyone, and I suppose I�d expected her to come along with us, like everyone else had. However, she clearly didn�t want to. I tried to talk to her, and then Amelia brought up the previous night�s event. Amelia asked her why she�d killed the bandit so cruelly, and her answer scared us all a little.
�She said, �I have personal business with his gang, and if I�d let him live, I wouldn�t be sitting here talking to you all.� And it clicked on in my head: it was one of Niro�s men! I excused us from the table and went to talk to Niriko alone. She told me what Niro had been up to of late, and that she�d found that his base was just outside the town. I pleaded with her not to go, but, Niriko being Niriko, she didn�t listen.
�She went and tried to invade the base that night, and so Amelia, Zelgadis, Gourry and I followed her. It all ended with us saving her butt and a battle with Niro cut short.�
There was a long silence. Then Chame spoke up.
�Lina, do you know what happened the night Niro killed her parents?� she asked softly.
Lina shook her head. �You�d have to ask Niriko,� she said, then caught herself. She turned her head away, blinking back tears.
�Well, in any event, Miss Niriko�s been a valuable member of our team and a great friend,� Filia stated.
�Remember the time we had to do that stupid dance for a spell, and it ended up being just a festival dance?� Kadachi said.
�I remember,� Amelia replied sadly. �And then she and Miss Lina cast two Dragon Slaves.�
�And remember when we all had to pair up to get into Mount Coronay?� Shunozike said.
�Yeah,� Gourry added. �It was the gods� best match-ups or something�and Niriko got paired up with Yamato!�
They all laughed half-heartedly at the memory, and then stopped suddenly. They all turned to stare at Yamato.
�What�?� Yamato asked with a dreading feeling.
�Da gods o� marriage,� Jillas said.
�Their decisions of best compatibility,� Filia continued.
�Niriko and Yamato!� Chame finished.
Lina had stood up. �Oh, Yamato,� she said.
Yamato backed away a few steps. �You can�t make me do that,� he told her. �She�ll kill me—that is if it works��
�Oh, it�ll work,� Lina assured dangerously. �And you will do it��
�No way!� Yamato protested.
�Come on, Yamato, we all know you love her,� Zel prodded.
�Merner!� Louie added.
�I don�t care!� Yamato cried. �You can�t make me!�
In a flash, Jillas, Gravos, Lina, Filia, Shunozike, Kadachi, Gourry, Amelia, Chame, and Zelgadis had Yamato surrounded, cornering him in the small inn room. Yamato shrank back against the wall.
�Please�� he whimpered. �Don�t make me�I�ll do anything�just—please—�
�Oh, you�ll do it!� Lina snarled, putting him into a headlock. She tightened her grip to the point that she was nearly choking him. �We all know you�re Niriko�s true love��
�Oh, Mr. Yamato!� Amelia cried. �Do it for Niriko! She�ll die if you don�t!�
�Just do it!� Lina shouted, kicking him over to the sofa where Niriko lay. Yamato landed right in front of it.
�Fine! I�ll do it�� he snapped. He leaned over, swallowed hard, and kissed Niriko briefly on the lips.
Unfortunately, he couldn�t make it brief enough. The second he�d made contact with her, Niriko�s eyes snapped open. She punched him squarely in the face, sending him flying halfway across the room to land right back in front of Lina and the others. Niriko jumped up, furious.
�What the hell compelled you to do THAT?!� she raged.
Yamato cowered behind Lina. �She made me do it!� he sobbed. �It was Lina! Just don�t hurt me!�
Niriko�s fiery gaze rose to meet Lina�s nervous one.
�Lina�� she started in a hazardous tone.
A sweat drop formed on the back of Lina�s head. She giggled shakily. �Aha�� she said. �Um, Niriko, it�s not what it seems�see, I can explain—�
�You have sixty seconds,� Niriko hissed.
�Ya see, Niro came in and put a curse on you, the Curse of the Eternal Sleep,� Lina babbled, running her words together. It was foolish not to take Niriko�s threats seriously. �So we went to get the Claire Bible Manuscript, and it said that the only cure is the kiss from the victim�s true love, and, well, we were remembering, and we remembered that you and Yamato were paired up for Mount Coronay in the Outer World! So, we thought it was worth a try, and we—�
�What the hell are you talking about?� Niriko snapped. �Slow down. When did this all happen?�
Slightly relieved that Niriko wasn�t on the brink of killing her, Lina started again, slower this time. �It was five days ago, I guess,� she explained. �That night we were here, and you slept while we were all in the hot springs. Well, Niro sneaked in and cast a deadly spell on you—the Curse of the Eternal Sleep. Its name is self-explanatory—the victim merely dies of starvation because they�re in eternal sleep. Actually, Xellos was the one who identified it, and he also told us that the Claire Bible Manuscript in some temple ruins in this village. We went to go get it, and we were deterred by Niro. We got past him and got it back, and it said�the cure is a kiss from the victim�s true love.� Lina paused, but then quickly went on. �Er, well, we thought that you were as good as dead, so we sat around all depressed. We were recalling memories, and then the Mount Coronay thing from the Outer World came up. We remembered that you were paired up with Yamato, and so we thought��
�You thought that Yamato might be my true love,� Niriko finished coldly. �Well, I don�t quite know what went wrong, but it seems to have worked.�
�What do you mean�what quite went wrong?� Zel inquired.
�I think there was a glitch with my fate,� Niriko replied. � I refuse to believe that Yamato is my�true love. But I�m willing to let the issue lay as it is.�
�There�s something else, isn't there?� Lina moaned.
�Yes, there is,� Niriko said. �If I have been under this curse for nearly five days, what were you doing for four days? Or, three, even, if it took you that long to get the Claire Bible Manuscript!�
Lina�s eye twitched. This was the part she had been dreading.
�Um�we were depressed this whole time!� she lied quickly. �Niriko, we really care about you�don�t you realize how upset we were?!�
Niriko stared at her levelly. �I believe you were somewhat mournful at the fact that I was on the brink of death,� she said acidly, �but, Lina, I know you far too well. Number one, you are a terrible liar. Number two, you would�ve come up with some scheme to get me back.�
�She�s got you there,� Kadachi remarked.
�Thanks a lot, Kadachi!� Lina shrieked.
�So there was some kind of planning behind my back,� Niriko declared. �Well, Lina, I�d like to know exactly what it was�because since it involved me, I have a right to know��
No one said a word. Niriko got a little impatient.
�Tell me, NOW!� she roared, making everyone jump. Filia finally broke down.
�Oh, Miss Niriko, I�m so sorry!� she cried. �It was Miss Lina�s idea—really! But we were so desperate, we were willing to try anything!�
�Filia!� Lina hissed. But Filia ignored her.
�You see, Miss Niriko, Miss Lina thought that we may find your true love if we had all the men in this village kiss you! But it didn�t work, and then that�s when we were all depressed—�
�You WHAT?!� Niriko screamed. Her temper was on fire, and she was literally shaking with rage.
�Filia!� Lina wailed.
�LINA!� Niriko shouted. She was so loud that everyone had to cover their ears.
Lina edged her way to the door. �Um�Niriko, I�m really sorry��
�SORRY JUST ISN�T GONNA CUT IT!� Niriko roared. She started at a headlong run for Lina, who ducked out the door and ran down the stairs.
�Ahahaa!� Lina cried. �I said I was sorry, Niriko! I was trying to save your life! Isn't that enough?!�
�Of course it�s not enough!� Niriko screeched. �You had me kiss every man in town! FIREBALL!� Lina had dashed right out of the inn�s entrance when the Fireball exploded behind her. Niriko emerged from the smoke, the others at her tail.
�AH! Help!� Lina yelled. She ran straight out of the village.
�Get her!� Zel shouted to the others. However, Niriko was going at such a fast pace that they couldn�t tackle her right away. It wasn�t until they were a considerable distance from the town that they had the flailing Niriko on the ground. Lina stopped running, only a few yards from Niriko and the others piled on top of her.
�Niriko, I�m really sorry,� Lina apologized desperately. But Niriko wasn�t listening.
��Blood that flows,� she was muttering at a rapid pace. �Buried in the stream of time is where your power grows�� The others recognized the spell and sprang off of her. ��Let all the foes who stand before me be destroyed by the power you and I possess. Dragon Slave!�
Unfortunately, Niriko�s friends were not at enough of a distance to avoid the colossal spell. All were struck by it, and the forested area was now a barren pit.
�Are�you�happy now?� asked a twitching, burnt Lina from the ground.
�Very,� Niriko snapped dryly.
�You�re�a sadist,� Chame grunted, heaving herself up from the ground, and Zel followed suit.
�Really,� Niriko said sardonically. �There are some other things I�d like to know. But first�I need to eat something.�
Despite his physical condition, Zel managed a half-smile. �I�m glad to see that a piece of your sanity was salvaged from this traumatic experience.�
�Thank you so much for your unwanted comment,� Niriko retorted. �Now, I haven't eaten in nearly five days. Do you mind?�
�Maybe we shoulda just left her da way she was,� Jillas muttered as he stood up.
�I heard that,� Niriko said sharply.
�We�ll be broke after this,� Amelia whined.
�The longer you take, the hungrier I�ll get,� Niriko reminded them impatiently. This seemed to be a good enough motivation; the rest that were still on the ground scrambled to their feet, and they hurried to the cheapest restaurant in the village.
The others had completely lost their appetites, so they left all of the ordering to Niriko. For the couple of hours she refused to speak, only refilling her empty stomach. In about the fourth hour or so of her feast, when she was slowing down somewhat, they finally managed to pry some words from her full mouth.
�What are those other things you�d like to know?� Lina tried.
�Aboudt deh temfplef fruins,� Niriko said, chewing her food.
�Niriko, try swallowing your food before you talk,� Zel suggested dryly. Niriko took his advice nonchalantly.
�I said, I want to know about those temple ruins you got the Claire Bible from,� Niriko repeated. �What were they like?�
Lina shrugged. �We weren't really paying attention to what was there, except for the bandits and the Claire Bible.�
�I did notice some strange-looking runes on the walls. Red dragons, if I�m correct,� Filia supplied thoughtfully.
�Red dragons?� Niriko asked. �Well, I�ll have to take a look. I know how to read several dragon alphabets, Reds being my specialty.�
The others looked at her strangely.
�You�study?� Amelia said, blinking.
�It�s a hobby of mine,� Niriko snapped.
�Doesn�t seem like your thing,� Zel remarked.
�It�s just something I picked up,� Niriko replied shortly, shrugging. �I like that stuff.�
�Well,� Lina said, clapping her hands. �Let�s go to bed, shall we? I�m sure we all need some sleep�er, Niriko?�
Lina�s cousin glared at her, but right then the waiter came over and dropped off the check. As the others peered at it, they nearly passed out.
�Miss Niriko!� Amelia shrieked. �I don�t think we even have this much money!�
�Call it payback,� Niriko responded placidly.
�Niriko, you have to help us pay this bill,� Shunozike protested.
�Fine,� Niriko grumbled, and left a small sack of gold on the table. �I�m going back to the inn. See ya.� She waved, striding out the door tiredly.
The others stared after her.
�Wow,� Kadachi said. �Wow. She is really pissed off.�
�No, really?� Lina retorted. �She fired a Dragon Slave at us!�
�Yeah, but you and Niriko always do that when you�re angry,� Yamato pointed out. �But, man, is this payback. She�s running us broke!�
�Eating us broke,� Chame corrected. �Crap, she ate more than Lina, Gourry, and Amelia combined at a regular meal!�
�Come on,� Zel sighed. �Let�s just pay the bill and leave already. Besides, we can�t trust that Niriko will be safe alone at the inn.�
So they paid the bills and left.
End of Episode 3: Painful Love? Yamato's Crush!
