Lina and Xelloss were lying in the centre of their bed, completely nude. The bed in which they lay was quite extravagant, in everything from size to craftsmanship. However, the two mazoku were so close together that one would think they were trying to take up as little of that space as possible. Lina lay on her side, her head situated under Xelloss' chin, one leg curled lazily around his. It was a position by now quite familiar to them.

"Xelloss?" Lina ventured, her musical voice breaking through the atmospheric silence.

"Yes, Lina-chan?"

"You know I'm not at all sorry I did this..."

Xelloss extricated his leg from Lina's and turned over on his side, propping himself up on his elbow. "I know," he confirmed. "But...?"

Lina offered a rueful smile as she looked up at her lover. "But I miss them. At least, I think I miss them. Maybe it's not the right word...but you understand, right?"

Xelloss reached over with his free hand and absently caressed her side. "You wish to see them again?"

Lina considered this. It wasn't like they'd be particularly pleased with her presence now. And it wasn't so much a desire to see them as to...to what? "Sort of."

"You want to make certain they can never forget you?" It wasn't really a question.

Yes, that was part of it...but there was something else. Suddenly the answer occurred to Lina: she wanted to make sure they knew she loved them! "Yes—and I want them to know I still care. After out last 'conversation,' I don't know if they realise that."

"If that's what you want, Lina-chan, you will have it." He leaned down and kissed her with not a little passion. "Just so long as you remember where—and with whom—you truly belong."

Lina grinned, slitted red eyes sparkling. "Like you'd ever let me forget?"

"True." Xelloss turned over again, so that he was now straddling his lover. "I don't plan on ever letting you forget."

"Good," Lina replied, her grin morphing into a sensual smile. She rose up a little and nipped at his neck, the tiny red marks of her teeth disappearing almost as soon as she made them.

Xelloss inhaled sharply, then pushed her down and returned the favour. Now it was Lina's turn to inhale sharply. Lina reached up and grasped his arms just below the shoulders, then ran her nails down both his arms simultaneously. Despite their short length, the sharpness of Lina's nails and her own strength allowed her to leave ragged trails of the billowing ebony substance that was mazoku blood.

For a moment, his body seemed to lock in place, stiff and immobile. Then he moved up from her neck to her mouth, kissing her with bruising intensity. Suddenly, he bit down on her lower lip, hard. Somehow a little surprised by how pleasant the sensation was, Lina gasped. She could taste her own blood, and a moment later Xelloss' tongue was in her mouth, seeking that blood-flavour. Feeling turnabout to be fair play, Lina bit down on his tongue, enjoying the salty-sweet taste of his blood. Xelloss moaned, a low, hungry sound not entirely muffled by their kiss.

He broke the kiss in favour of kissing a fiery trail down her neck. Upon reaching her breasts, he moved a hand down to pinch one breast while he nipped at the other, his teeth barely grazing her nipple. Lina moaned, her back arching up of its own accord, seeking more sensation.

She felt more than heard Xelloss chuckle before he obliged, both teeth and fingers increasing their pressure. Lina began panting, little ecstatic whimpers escaping her every now and again.

At length he released her breasts, and Lina groaned with disappointment. He looked down at her, his violet eyes regarding her. Even now Lina got a sort of thrill out of seeing his eyes, open and focused on her. Lina grasped his arms, the wounds she'd inflicted earlier long gone.

"My Lina-chan..." he pronounced, and she felt his hardness pushing against her. Lina obligingly spread her legs wider for him. "Mine," he said again, then entered her. This time, Lina's nails dug into his arms of their own violation; she barely realised she was doing it, even when his blood trickled down her fingers.

The lovers thrust together, their joining so complete they seemed to know just when to move and in what way. The both of them were panting now, interspersed with little moans or grunts occasionally. Their synchronism lasted to the point of release, when they climaxed almost simultaneously.

In the afterglow, they resumed their favoured position. Snuggling against her lover, Lina mumbled sleepily, "I knew you wouldn't let me forget."

*  *  *  *  *

About a day later, Lina went about finding her friends. It wasn't difficult; they were hardly an inconspicious group, and they were familiar enough to her that she had little trouble locating them via the astral plane.

Only Gourry, Zelgadiss, and Amelia were travelling together; Shiefyl had returned to Sairaag, Lina had learned.

Lina appeared on the outskirts of her friends' campsite. Zel and Amelia were asleep, and Gourry was apparently keeping watch. All the more reason to deal with him first, then.

Lina stomped on the ground, breaking sticks and crunching leaves and basically making a suspicious if quiet racket. As expected, Gourry cautiously approached Lina's position. She waited until he was about to see her before whispering, "Hi, Gourry!"

"Li–lina?" the blond stuttered, flabbergasted.

Lina beamed. "You remembered! I'm so glad."

"Have you come back?" Gourry asked in his direct, simple way.

"Not exactly..." Lina evaded as she grabbed his sword arm. "C'mon!" she urged—as if he had a choice; Lina teleported them to a nice little building Xelloss had given her for this purpose before Gourry could speak a word.

"Uh, Lina, where are we?"

Lina grinned impishly. "Here."

Gourry seemed to consider this. "Oh, okay."

"Well, don't just stand there—c'mon!" Lina tugged as his arm, and Gourry followed her, his expression more confused than usual.

They stopped upon entering a room made entirely of light blue-grey stone. The only thing within the room was a large metal chair with metal restraints. Lina pushed Gourry down in the chair, and before he had a chance to figure out what was going on, Lina had strapped him into the chair.

"Stop squirming," Lina instructed, fastening the restraints on his legs.

"What are you doing?"

Lina gave him a pouting look. "Are you only going to ask me questions? You haven't done anything but that since I showed up. Well, it doesn't matter, I guess."

Gourry's wrists were strapped down at the very end of the armrests, leaving his hands dangling. Lina positioned her hands, palms up, a little ways below his. Gourry watched this with trepidation, but said nothing.

Lina chanted in a language long-forgotten by humans, and cast a variation of a fireball. Instead of an explosive projectile, twin tongues of flame lept from her palms. While harmless to her, the twitching flames seared the flesh of Gourry's unprotected hands. He screamed and attempted to work free of the bonds, but succeeded only in scraping his wrists raw. Lina's eyelids fluttered shut as she drank in his agony.

The flames soon began heating the metal, nearly searing the rest of him while his hands were engulfed in flames. He screamed again, and didn't stop screaming, redoubling his efforts to get loose.

"Mmmm..." Coming back to herself finally, Lina commented, "Well. I thought your screams would be less...effeminate." She expected no reply, if course; she doubted the only half-concious Gourry heard her. She doused the flame in one of her hands and experimentally prodded his hand. Gourry twitched, but his screaming didn't increase in volume. Satisfied, Lina nodded to herself and doused the other flame. She pulled a jar of salve from a pouch on her belt and spread the pungent jelly-like susbstance over Gourry's ruined hands.

He looked at her, and obvious surprise joined total hurt. "Oh, wondering why I did this just to heal you afterwards?"

"Yeah," Gourry croaked, barely audible as his throat was raw from screaming.

"I'm not healing you per se. Have you noticed how the pain in your hands isn't so bad now? Like you just can't feel it was well?"

Gourry nodded.

"That's what it is—you can't feel as well. The burns are such that your hands have been permentantly damaged. This salve will cure the surface wounds, but it'll also keep any sort of resorative healing spell from working."

"Why?"

"Simple. We had such wonderful times travelling together, ne?"

Gourry again nodded, a melancholy look on his face.

"That was our special thing, travelling together, taking odd jobs...I don't want you to share that special thing with someone else. If you can't use a sword anymore, you can't work as a merc, and therefore won't find a new partner."

Gourry looked at her with a kind of dull horror. Before he could say anything, Lina leaned in close. "I really do care about you," she said, then whispered, "Sleep." She lightly kissed him on the lips, and his head lolled back as he lost conciousness.

*  *  *  *  *

The first thing Lina noted as she and Gourry appeared in Shiefyl's room was that the bed was already large enough to accomdate both Shiefyl and her gift.

Lina was debating whether to wake Shiefyl or just leave a note when said shrine maiden awoke and made the quandry moot. "Hi, Shiefyl! I brought you a present!"

"Lina-san?! What are you doing here? What happened to Gourry-sama?" Shiefyl sat bolt upright and stared at the intruders.

"Last question first: Gourry has basically lost the use of his hands and won't be able to work as a sword-for-hire anymore. As for the first question: I'm bringing you a token of my affection, something I know you've always wanted. Here ya go!" With that, Lina tossed the unconcious Gourry onto the bed at Shiefyl's feet. "I—I don't understand." Sheifyl looked at Lina, eyes wide and expression confused.

"Well, Gourry needs someone to take care of him now. Isn't that what you've wanted since you met him?"

Shiefyl looked flustered. "I...well, I suppose something like that, but..."

Lina beamed. "Thought so."

Shiefyl just blinked.

"Enjoy the present. See, I do care..." Then Lina darted forward, putting her face right in front of the confused Sheifyl's, so close that their noses touched. "Ne? But right now—sleep." Lina kissed Shiefyl on the lips and the shrine maiden crumpled as sleep overtook her.

*  *  *  *  *

Lina phased back to her position outside camp. Luckily, the others were still there, sleeping. Lina walked over to the main campsite, making only a little noise as she did so. This little noise was sufficient to wake Zel, however, though this was exactly what Lina expected. The chimera jerked awake and looked around frantically. His eyes widened when he saw Lina.

Lina waved at him and motioned for him to remain silent. Zel looked hesitant, but did as she bid. Approaching him, she offered a hand up. Even more hesitantly than before, Zel accepted. Smiling, Lina teleported back to her building.

"What—?!" Zel exclaimed.

"Not particularly articulate right after waking up, huh?"

"Lina, where are we, and why?" Mister Direct, that was Zel.

"Just a little place of mine. And why? 'Cause I want to show you something."

She tugged at Zel's sleeve, but he obstinately remained still. "And where's Xelloss?"

"Oh, I dunno for sure. Not here." Lina was a little surprised just how much anger Zel exuded as he said Xelloss' name. "Now, will you please come with me?"

Zel nodded, his sadness almost as intense as Gourry's pain had been. "Very well. Lead the way."

Lina grinned and did so, skipping a few steps, floating another few, then skipping again. Zel trailed after her, looking around suspiciously.

Lina grabbed his hand and quickly pulled him into the room she'd set aside. After all, the room she'd convinced Gourry in was nearby, and there was no reason to deal with those inevitable questions if she didn't have to.

The room they were in was done in various shades of grey. The only furnishing was a king-size bed with royal blue satin sheets.

"Is this what you wanted to show me...?" Zel asked apprehensively.

"No, no, this is just where."

"And...what is it you want to show me?"

Lina grinned knowingly, and with one lithe movement, shed her tunic and leggings. As she no longer bothered with undergarments, she now stood nude before Zelgadiss.

"....." Zelgadiss turned bright red and looked about ready to faint.

"I'm going to show you that your body isn't monsterous like you seem to think," Lina explained sweetly as she approached the stunned Zel. "Wanna guess how I'll do that?"

"Lina..." Zel croaked, higher speech—and higher thought—beyond his grasp at the moment.

"Was that an answer? Well, it's close enough," Lina murmured, examining his clothing. "Cute pajamas," she noted, unbuttoning his shirt.

"Gah!" Zel exclaimed, and attempted—though without much force—to stop her. Lina batted his hands away and finished unbuttoning his shirt. She tried to situate his arms so she could pull the shirt off, but Zel obstinately resisted.

"Well, if that's how it's going to be..." Lina literally tore his shirt off. Seeing how well that worked, she did the same thing with his pants, leaving him in only his undergarment.

"Lina, I—we can't—!"

"Don't be absurd." Lina smirked, her eyes trailing down his body. "In fact..." Lina's hand encircled the proof that Zel was far from disinterested; this caused the rest of his body to become rigid, as well. "In fact, it seems like it's more than possible...ne?"

Zel, rapidly approaching nonverbal, managed, "But..."

"Look, Zel...you can't beat me, not with strength and certainly not with magic. Why don't you just relax and enjoy it? That is part of the point, after all." With her statement about enjoying it, she squeezed her hand around his manhood.

"GODS!" Zel exclaimed, his hips bucking forward.

"See? Isn't that better?"

Zel didn't answer, instead concentrating on remembering how to breathe. Lina giggled, then showed his undergarment the same treatment she had his pajamas. Lina's eyes widened appreciably at the sight of a very excited Zel.

"Mmm, nice. Very nice..." Lina commented, stroking him almost absently. "Stone skin even here, huh?"

Speech was way past Zel at this point; his eyes were closed and he was panting a little.

Lina bit back another giggle. It was cute, how sensitive he was. She pushed him onto the bed and climbed atop him, noting that he was offering very little resistance now. She climbed atop him.

"Li–lina..." Zel gasped.

Lina smiled sweetly at him, then positioned herself above him. Looking into his eyes, she winked, then lower herself down, taking him inside her, his stone skin scraping against her soft flesh.

Zel made a sound somewhere in-between a whimper and a moan. His eyes scrunched up, an expression of pleasurable pain on his face.

Lina's smile widened and she began moving, slow at first, then increasing gradually in speed. Stone scraped against flesh, a pleasurable experience for both parties. Zel was moaning in ecstacy now, and Lina found herself expelling a little hiss of pleasure.

She was more than a little surprised when she climaxed before he did; she had not expected to climax at all. Her orgasm seemed to trigger Zel's, who actually cried her name as he spasmed in ecstacy.

Lina stayed where she lay atop him several moments. At last she moved off him. This elicted a groan of disappointment from Zel, though Lina sincerely doubted he actually realised he made the sound.

Zel finally opened his eyes and looked at her. He looked exausted, though there was...something...beneath that which Lina couldn't identify.

"You don't have a monsterous body. It's positively gorgeous, actually."

Zel stared at her a little blankly.

"Ah, well, I can't expect you to accept it all at once. Just think about what I've said and done, 'kay? And remember, I do care for you."

She leaned over and kissed him deeply. After a few seconds, he responded, whether conciously or instintctively, Lina didn't know. At length, Lina broke their kiss, murmured, "Sleep," and kissed him lightly. "And sweet dreams."

*  *  *  *  *

Lina, still nude, teleported back to the camp yet again, setting a sheet-clad Zelgadiss next to the fire. She then went over and sat down next to Amelia.

The little princess stirred, and Lina quickly cast a sleep spell, kissing Amelia on the lips as she did so, just as she'd done with her other friends.

Lina sat crosslegged and set Amelia's head in her lap. "Ah, sweet little justice-loving Amelia..." Lina whispered, petting the younger girl's hair. "You're so naive. You haven't figured out yet that the real world isn't remotely similar to the one you live in.

"There's something special about that, you know. Sure, you're annoying, especially your little justice speeches, but you have this spirit...

"I'm not going to let that spirt be destroyed. That's why I'm doing this." Lina extricated a small vial from her belt and poured the dark liquid it contained down Amelia's throat. The little princess coughed a little, but swallowed most of it.

"There," Lina said with a satisfied nod. "Now you'll never lose that special naivte. I'm sure Zel-kun here will arrange for your body to be sent back to Sailloon. Xelloss and I will even come to your funeral...incognito, of course, but we'll be there."

Lina stood and looked at her two friends a long moment, smiling gently. Then she teleported home.

*  *  *  *  *

Upon arriving home, Lina found Xelloss waiting for her. He did not look pleased. Lina looked at him questioningly.

"You are mine," he said quietly, clearly enunciating each syllable.

Lina brow furrowed in puzzlement. "I know..."

"Then why did you give yourself to the chimera?" her lover growled, the last word holding particular anger.

"You said I could convince him his body wasn't so awful. That was the best way to do it."

Xelloss scowled and grabbed her arm, pulling her against him. "Never again, my Lina-chan. You are to be only with me. Understand?"

Lina blinked, then nodded. "I understand."

"Do you?" Xelloss queried, pulling her closer. "Do you really?"

Before Lina could attempt to answer, he was kissing her passionately. Before long, he was leaving a trail of violent kisses down her neck to her collarbone.

Abruptly, she was forced to the floor. After taking a moment to hastily remove his clothing, Xelloss joined her on the ground. Without prelude, he entered her.

His movements were harsh, almost frantic in their fervency. It was as if Xelloss were trying to stake—or, rather, re-stake—his claim on her. Lina found herself gasping.

A few moments of this ardent lovemaking and Lina climaxed. This time she was the one calling out her lover's name: "Xelloss!"

This seemed to spur him on, and his movements became even faster and harder. Soon, Lina came again, and this time Xelloss came with her.

*  *  *  *  *

Some time later, Lina and Xelloss finally made it to their bed. Lina curled up against her lover in their favoured position.

"Feeling better about your friends now?" Xelloss, back in good humour, inquired.

"Mm-hmm," Lina affirmed. "Much."

"There's my Lina-chan," Xelloss murmured fondly, then kissed her forehead.

"I love my life," Lina thought, then snuggled closer to Xelloss.

~_~