"GIGA...SLAVE!!!"
"LINAAAAA!!!"
"KYLIIIEE!!!"
"LOOK OUT YOU FOOLS!"
"EEP!"
Crash.
Gourry shook his head. "What's going on? Did someone get the number of that fruit cart?" he asked before passing out again.
Zelgadis stood and dusted himself off, "Well, it looks like we're either dead or we won."
"Yeah, but where's Miss Lina and Miss Kylie?" Amelia said, nursing a bump on her forehead.
Garrett and Roland disentangled themselves from a nearby bush and came to join the others. Eduardo and Gourry were still on the ground. They had been much to close to ground zero. It would take them awhile to come out of it.
Zelgadis headed up the search for Lina and Kylie, calling their names as one would to a lost dog.
"Mister Zelgadis! There they are!" Amelia pointed at two inert forms on the ground. As with the last time she used the Giga Slave, Lina's hair was completely white.
Roland gently rolled Kylie onto her back and listened for a heartbeat. It was faint, but it was there. However, she was not breathing. Roland tried not to panic. What had they taught in health class? Oh, yeah! CPR! Gotta do that…now here…what did the book say to do…
* * * * *
"*COUGH*" Kylie sat up with a start, suddenly able to breathe.
"Huh? What's going on? R-Roland?" Kylie looked at her savior. He smiled sheepishly. Her chest hurt and Kylie figured she had a broken rib, but at least she was alive.
"I'm glad you're okay, Kylie, but I think I'll go check on Lina now okay?" Roland gently touched her shoulder. Then he walked away.
"M-Mister Roland? I don't think Lina's breathing either," Amelia said with a whimper.
Roland sighed; well at least he'd had some practice.
* * * * *
Gourry dragged himself to his feet. "Lina? Where is she?" he demanded of Garrett, who was sitting next to him. Garrett pointed toward Roland. Gourry walked somewhat shakily over to the frowning teen.
"She's breathing, but she won't wake up." Roland stood up and patted Gourry on the shoulder. The huge swordsman winced. Roland was surprised. "Here, do you want me to look at that?" Roland asked, resigning to his new job as resident doctor.
Gourry stared at Lina's unconscious body as Roland looked at his shoulder. He was silently praying to L-Sama that she would be healed.
* * * * *
"Your Majesty, there has just been a plea for the life of one Lina Inverse. I believe you said that you had taken an interest in her?" said the peon.
"Oh, yeah. I remember that now. Well, go ahead and save her then," L-Sama smirked as she watched the scene down on Earth.
* * * * *
"Kylie? Are you okay now?" Eduardo asked as he sank to his knees in front of her.
She looked away from him, "Yeah, I'm fine. How about you?"
"Well, I'm not dead," he said with a half-hearted smile. He reached out to touch her face but she stopped his hand.
"Don't do that Eddie. Please," Kylie looked at him, tears in her eyes, "Don't do that unless you mean it," she added in a whisper. She looked into his eyes and didn't even notice his hand this time. His eyes said everything.
"Eduardo I..." she began.
"Shhh..." he said, putting his fingers over her mouth. Tears were forming in his eyes and he tried without success to blink them away.
Kylie saw Eduardo crying and her tears then fell. She gently hugged him, trying not to agitate her ribs. He gently folded his arms around her, not squeezing, merely holding her. She sighed. This was where she belonged. Both had completely forgotten about the travelers from the other world.
* * * * *
"H-hey, Gourry?" Lina asked as she slowly sat up.
"Yeah Lina, I'm here," the swordsman said, leaping to her side, eyes shining with relief.
"I think I'm alive. Is my hair white?" she said with a small smile.
Gourry returned her smile and hugged the little sorceress close, "Yeah, it's white, but it's still pretty." He ran his fingers through her hair and buried his face in it.
Lina leaned into him, taking in his scent. He didn't smell too good, but Lina didn't really care. She wrinkled her nose and shook her head, making Gourry sneeze. They both laughed and looked at each other.
"Hmmm…are you sure you're okay Lina?" Gourry frowned, looking her over for bloodstains. When he found none, he relaxed and held her again.
"Hey Gourry?" Lina asked.
"Yeah?" the swordsman replied, pushing back her hair to see her eyes.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"Sorry? What for?" he said, confused.
"For the whole Eduardo thing. I know you saw that," she looked down at the Sword of Light, still lying beside her.
"Yeah, and I'm sorry about Kylie. I heard these warnings, but I kind of ignored them. Can you forgive me?" Gourry said, turning chin with his finger.
Lina smiled mischievously, "Okay, on one condition."
"What condition is that?" Gourry asked.
"That you kiss me better than you kissed her," Lina stated firmly.
"Oh, well if that's all…" Gourry began before leaning down to kiss Lina.
"Mmmfff!" Lina's eyes went wide. Gourry's kiss had been unexpected, but not unwelcome, so Lina relaxed and sighed to herself. Yessss!
* * * * *
Later, back at the firehouse, Lina, Gourry, Zelgadis, and Amelia are treated to a nice, large meal courtesy of Janine. However, the ravenous looks on their faces told the chef that she'd better fix more if the Ghostbusters were going to eat tonight. She was right, and even with all that extra food, there were no leftovers.
* * * * *
"Hey! That was my chicken leg! Gourry! Give it back!" said Lina, finally back to normal hair-color.
"Uh-uh Lina, I saw it first!" Gourry shouted, fighting to keep the chicken in his possession.
"You two are hopeless," Zelgadis said with a sigh moments before grabbing Amelia's forkful of salad.
"Hey Zel! That was wrong! That was my salad and you know it! Hey don't eat that!" Amelia frowned cutely and tried to wrestle the food out of Zelgadis' hand and get it back into her own. The fighting continued until all the food was gone. The Ghostbusters looked on in disbelief.
(*Author's Note: Had they been Anime characters, they would've sweat-dropped and face-faulted.)
Kylie suddenly thought of something, "hey Janine, how did you get us a free rental car?"
"Me? I didn't do that. I forgot all about a rental car you guys!"
"Then who..." Kylie began.
"That...is a secret! Heh hee heeheh hee!"
THE END!!!