Lina sighed and looked into her teacup as if it could tell her what to do. "I don't know..." she said in a small voice. Without consciously remembering, images came to her mind. She saw Zelgadis laughing with her as they stood at the bottom of a cliff. Zel revealing himself after saving them from multiple Vrumagans. Smirking at her after killing the fishman in Old Sairaag. Zel furiously attacking Hellmaster, and most distressing to Lina, falling down dead from Hellmaster's power. She suddenly wondered if upon finding himself alive again, he had expressed relief at finding Amelia saved, or had he looked for Lina?
Lina sighed again. "I don't know," she repeated. "Maybe...."
Gourry was dreaming. He knew he was dreaming, but in his own simple way, he didn't question it. He was in Sairaag. He thought it was Sairaag because there was this HUUUUUGE tree, and Lina was always talking about some tree in Sairaag. Lina -- is she here? He looked around, but didn't see her. Not that he was too worried. Lina could take care of herself, except for that time she got sucked into that black thing, and Gourry had had to save her. But that's whay he did, right? He was her protector. Not that she wanted protecting, and she always yelled at him for it, but that was the honorable thing to do. After all, he'd said he see her home. But, she'd said she was going to Atlas City. Was that her home? Gourry couldn't remember. They always stayed at inns, never with anyone Lina seemed to care about, or really wanted to visit. He liked the travelling and the inns and everything, but sometimes he also liked to just stay in one place for a while. Like when he stayed here in Sairaag for a while. And even thought he'd gotten into some trouble, he thought, no one in Sairaag had yelled at him. Sylphiel had even cooked for him.
Sylphiel. He missed her a little. She was always nice to him, looked up at him like he was someone special. Gourry liked that. It was nice to not have a girl yelling at him all the time.
"Why don't you visit her?" Walking next to Gourry in his dream was a man. He looked like Gourry's old swordmaster.
"Well, I'm travelling with Lina, and Sylphiel is at her uncle's house, I think."
"Why do you travel with Lina all the time?"
"I don't know. We get into all sorts of trouble, and she always gets someone really mad at her, but you know, I'm her protector."
"Does she really need protecting?"
"Um, no. But that doesn't mean I have to stop."
"So, you like her?"
"I guess so. I mean, she's loud and mean and hits me all the time. BUt it's kind of fun. We've been all over. and we met Amelia, and stayed in Amelia's palace, and Zelgadis is a good friend, and well, I guess I just follow Lina around."
"What do you want to do?"
"Want? I don't know. I wish Lina'd be a little nicer to me sometimes. More like Sylphiel."
"Do you like Sylphiel?"
"Yeah! She's a great cook! And she's nice and pretty and you know, a real girl."
"You'd rather be with a real girl?"
"I guess so. I mean, Lina's OK. I really like Lina and all, but..."
"You don't know."
"Yep!" Gourry grinned at his old teacher. "Hey, why are you in Sairaag?"
The teacher smiled, a friendly fatherly smile. "Just passing through. There's your friend." He pointed, and there was Sylphiel. "She's very pretty."
"Yeah," Gourry agreed, waving at Sylphiel.
She waved back, then ran up to him. "Oh, Gourry, dear! What are you doing here?" She stood in front of him, then gently laid her hand on his arm.
"I'm here to visit you!" Gourry smiled down at the girl, as her eyes lit up at him.
Gourry smiled in his sleep and rolled over.
Amelia felt like she was floating. The bed was warm and soft, much nicer than ground. Thank L-sama that Mr. Zelgadis had found this place. She looked around the room through half-closed eyes. In a chair sat a woman. She kind of looked like Amelia's old nurse, who'd taken care of her after Amelia's mother had died.
"Are you sitting up for me?" Amelia asked.
"How are you feeling, dear heart?" Nurse asked, coming over and laying a soft warm hand on Amelia's forehead.
"I'm OK. Tired."
"You've been through a lot lately, adventuring."
"Yeah," Amelia sighed and snuggled into the blankets. "I've learn so much from Miss Lina and Mr. Zelgadis and Mr. Gourry."
"You have?"
"Umm-hmm. Miss Lina's taught me some more magic, and Mr. Zelgadis and Mr. Gourry are so noble and good. I'm really lucky to be with them."
"And what does your father think?"
"Daddy? I'm sure he misses me, and I miss him. But he'll be glad to know that I"m fighting to spread the flames of Justice!"
Nurse smiled at that, and said, "Might he not want his princess home with him?"
Amelia frowned. "Maybe. I don't know."
"And your people? The citizens of Saillune?"
"Ummmm..."
The nurse patted her on her head. "Dear heart, you're not sure where you should be, are you?"
"Well, no, not really. Like tonight wasy soo hard. But Mr. Zelgadis saved us! He's SOOOO wonderful!"
"Deary, are you in love with Mr. Zelgadis?"
Amelia stared at Nurse for a moment, then sighed. "I don't know. He seems sometimes to like me, and other times not. I'm uncertain."
"Uncertain how he feels about you?"
Amelia sighed again, a little depressed. "Yes. He's always so glum about his curse and everything, but he looks so cool and he's so powerful..."
"But?"
"But Daddy will never let me be with him. I'm a princess. I'm supposed to marry somebody eventually, and I don't think Mr. Zelgadis will ever settle down, even if he does find a cure."