Notes: Yaoiish and Yuriish. Whoohoo. Now all you yaoi and yuri fans know where to look.
Other notes: On several contriversial issues:
-Ceipheed in the Sea of Chaos: why not? It DOES say that in sealing all his energy, he fell back unconcious into the Sea of Chaos. Why couldn't he still be there?
-Lei Magnus in the Sea of Chaos: It's been pretty clear that L-sama's little Buka-S comes from somewhere.
-Lei and Ceipheed yaoi implications: Well, neither of them are going to sleep with their MOTHER, and
there is always the attraction of opposites. Plus Ceipheed hadn't been getting any for about 5000 years by
the time Lei came to the Sea...
So, now that I've made you all wonder what kind of Tang I've been smoking... onward.
She hoped that none of the others had been able to guess how she felt: Confused, and lost.
What had happened?
She had been about to take the biggest gamble of her life, feeling L-sama's power filling her, seeing nothing but blackness, hearing that... that creature's laughter ringing around her, and then... what?
What had happened?
She had blinked and... was being embraced by Gourry?
Sheer confusion had made her hit him... that and a sense of... loss.
But WHY? They had told her that... but why didn't she remember?!
Worse, what did it all MEAN?!
"I'm never going to get to sleep at this rate," she grumbled aloud, rolling over and burying her face in one of the inn's soft pillows.
Lina slept.
And dreamed Chaos Dreams.
"Now I know I'm dreaming," she muttered.
Looking around, she could see that the sea and the beach literally stretched as far as the eye could see. She began to get the panicky feeling that she might never escape this place... unless...
She squinted at s barely visable dot in the distance and felt hope fill her. Was that... it must be! People! She took an eager step towards the distant figures...
The ground seemed to shift beneath her feet, and she stumbled, finding herself beside the table, one of those folding card tables, facing two men sitting on either side of a corner, playing cards and drinking tea.
They seemed opposites, odd that they would be playing together. One man wore a priest's robes with shoulder guards reminiscent of Rezo's, his long black hair cascading down his back. He looked up and met Lina's gaze with eyes a purer red than her own, then sighed and laid his hand down, irritably, as if he'd been winning and she interrupted him. At his motion, the other man looked up at Lina as well. He was clad merely in light slacks of pure white and had matching hair to mid back. His eyes were a pale, almost translucent blue. He smiled at Lina,and she could practically feel warmth wash over her.
"So, our guest has arrived," said a two-toned voice from the third side, and Lina spun to see Her. The woman, clad oddly in a leather halter top, armoured shoulder and hip pads, and a loose anklelength skirt, smiled at Lina, tossing her long golden hair back. "It is good to see you again, My Lina."
Lina's throat dried up. "L-sama..." she breathed.
"Yes," the woman agreed, still smiling, raising her tea cup and sipping. It was an act of God.
A low chuckle came from one of the other sides, and the dark-haired man murmured, "I believe she was using your name as an invective, Mother."
The Lord of Nightmares chuckled as well, voice still double. "That has never bothered Me, and it is true as well," She said.
Lina swallowed, trying to find her voice. "Wh-- why am I here?"
"To understand, of course, My Lina." L-sama nodded towards the fourth, untaken side. "Come. Sit. We will talk."
Lina walked over quickly and sat in the offered area. She had a feeling that it would NOT be a good idea to argue with the Lord of Nightmares.
As soon as she sat, the white haired man leaned over and took her hand, smiling encouragingly at her. "I am Ceipheed," he introduced himself.
Her mind swam as she remembered the legends of Ceipheed, sealing the Ruby Eyed but then, lacking strength, falling into the Sea of Chaos... she somehow managed to croak out a response. "I'm Lina Inverse."
The black haired man chortled into his tea. "He knows that already. We all do. It's not like Mother is interested in talking about anything else."
Ceipheed sighed, with all the signs of a long-tried patience. "Lei..."
L-sama leaned way forward on the table, giving a cleavage shot to Lina, who swallowed, hard. "Buka-S! That was unbearably rude! Apologize to My favourite! Besides," She added, seeming almost an afterthought to Lina, whose mind was whirling at the fact she was sitting at a table with two gods and one creator, "she's made the most use of that spell of yours since the Kouma War. You ought to respect her for that at least."
"Of course," Lei agreed, and smiled at Lina. There was something undenyably attractive about him when he smiled. It set all of Lina's asshole alarms off at once. "Please forgive my intolerable bad manners, my dear child."
"Whatever," Lina said. She felt suddenly a lot more in her element. People being creeps was something she was used to. She turned back to the Lord of Nightmares. "So you were going to explain some things?"
L-sama nodded. "Of course. But first, some tea?" At Lina's nod, She leaned back and called out, "TEA BOY!"
"Yeah, what?!" Lina turned in shock to see Philbrezo standing there, carrying a tea tray. Someone had doodled on his face with marker. He scowled at Lina.
"What did you say?" L-sama sang.
"I said, 'yes-oh-great-and-benevolent-goddess-who-holds-my-fate-in-Her-most-beautiful-hands, how-could-I-possibly-be-of-service-to-one-as-wonderful-as-Yourself?'." Philbrezo gritted his teeth as he recited the phrase.
"Pour My Lina tea, Tea Boy."
"Yes, oh-great-and-benevolent-goddess-who-holds-my-fate-in-Her-most-beautiful-hands," Philbrezo ground out, slamming a cup down in front of Lina and slopping some tea into it.
L-sama sipped Her own tea, smirking, and waved a hand towards the ex-Mazoku Lord. "A suitable occupation, don't you agree?"
Lina nodded, beginning to grin.
The Lord of Nighmares seemed to think of something and tossed Lina... "A marker?!"
"Go on. Have a little fun." The goddess of Chaos waved a hand towards Philbrezo. "I assure you, the marker is quite perminant."
Lina's grin widened, and she doodled an SD Lina sticking it's tongue out on the once Hellmaster's forehead, where he'd see it every time he looked in the mirror. Behind her, Lei Magnus was gaffawing and even Ceipheed was chuckling.
"Don't forget to thank My Lina for her lovely artwork," The Lord of Nighmares grinned.
"Thank-you-for-your-lovely-artwork," Philbrezo managed to say around the grinding of his teeth.
L-sama nodded. "Very good. Now run along and plot against me or something." She waved a hand, and Philbrezo vanished.
Sitting back in her chair, Lina sighed. Though she was glad to see what had befallen that godsawful creature, she had things to learn. "So, You were going to explain some things to me?"
"Yes." L-sama eyed her. "I don't believe I like you sitting there. Sit here instead." She patted Her lap.
Lina flushed furiously. Sure, L-sama might be the creator goddess, but... but STILL!
The Lord of Nighmares smiled at her embarrassment. "Come now, My Lina, we have already been one. Why fear a little touch?"
Lei Magnus snickered.
Lina cleared her throat. "Maybe because I don't remember any of that?"
"Touching Me will help you remember."
Lei Magnus snickered again. With the air of one in the habit of doing so, Ceipheed leaned over the table and hit him upside the head.
The sorceress's brows creased as she tried to decide what to do. On one hand, she really was NOT comfortable with this situation. On the other hand, if the Lord of Nighmares wanted to do something to her, the goddess hardly needed to ask permission. She sighed and walked over to L-sama, trying not to look as embarrassed as she felt.
L-sama patted Her lap again, encouragingly, and Lina climbed up uncomfortably. The Chaos goddess's arms wrapped warmly about her. She stiffened.
"Relax, My Lina," L-sama whispered into her ear. "I have no desire to hurt you." Her arms raised and long fingers tangled in Lina's hair, moving deftly. "You used to wear your hair like... this, did you not?" Breeze touched the back of Lina's neck and she realized her hair was in a braid.
"Yeah, I did. But..." Lina half-turned and looked straight into the eyes of the goddess.
And fell into a Sea of Gold far deeper than the one washing up on the beach.
Casting the spell... fear. She was risking the world for this... L-sama, let her not fail!
Shift.
Beautiful, beautiful hands with their long fingers, stroking her arms, her small breasts, her throat, her cheeks. "My Lina, My lovely Lina!" The goddess's own delighted chuckle. "You have chosen to come to Me!"
Lina's own voice, harsh with fear and worry. "No time... Philbrezo... friends..." and a sudden burst of pain in her next word. "Gourry!"
The goddess's voice again, darkly coloured lips mouthing the words floating in the air. "Ah, yes, the man with the hold on your heart. Well, no matter. He may keep your heart. I hold your soul."
Confusion. "What?"
"Lina, I will help you save them." Those fingers, stroking her cheek in that possessive manner.
Hope. "You will?!"
A chuckle. "Yes. But to do so, I must have you in the most intimate way possible."
Herself, blanching. "Sex?!"
Another chuckle. "No." Both hands cupping her face. "Possession."
"Oh. That doesn't sound that bad."
A promise. "It won't be."
Lips, hot on hers, drinking her up like a sweet Zefilian wine, sending an odd thrill thorugh her body, a dull ache in her groin. Fear. The goddess was drinking too deep. "Wait..."
"No time," a reminder. "Now."
Skin touched, met, and... joined.
Shift.
Seperation. Sudden cold. "No..." A tiny lonely noise, protest, from her lips.
"You are being called."
She knew. "Gourry!" Turned to go, but looked back, strangely shy after that. "You..."
A smile, smug, sated. "Go to your heart, My Lina. Your soul is Mine, and one day you will come to Me of your own free will.
Lina came back to her senses to find herself collapsed against the Lord of Nightmare's chest. She blushed, and pushed herself away slightly. "What-- what did You mean that You own my soul?"
Lei chuckled. "Such a straightforward girl. I like her."
"Lei..." Ceipheed sighed wearily.
"No, really!" Lei laughed. "She sees what she wants and takes it. Most admirable. In this case it's knowledge, but..."
"Lei, sometimes I swear you have no heart."
"I have a heart," Lei protested in mock offence. "You of all people should know that."
Ceipheed's jaw dropped. "Lei, you--"
"Me, yes, talk about me. I'm so touched." Lei smiled.
"LEI!"
Lei chuckled yet again. "Yes, I love it when you cry my name like that."
The pale skin over Ceipheed's nose pinked. "You are sick, Lei."
"So you often say, yes," Lei chuckled. "I especially like when you say it as--"
"Boys," the Lord of Nightmare's voice was quiet, barely threatening. "Shut up."
"Yes, mother."
"Yes, mother."
Lina turned back to L-sama. "So?"
"Easy, My Lina. I said it because your soul is, literally, Mine."
"Since when?!?"
L-sama chuckled. "'I call upon thee! Swear myself to thee!' Did you think those were idle words, My Lina? You are Mine."
Pulling further away, Lina attempted not to panic. She hated the thought of being owned by someone. "Look, I--"
"I know, Lina. You don't want to be owned. Which is why I released you when you longed to return to that young man. Why I have never called you to Me forever, because you would not be happy. But it is also why I let you join to Me. I am waiting for you to come to Me. Do you understand now?"
Lina nodded, slowly. "I think so. Just... why me?"
"Because... you are where the misconceptions stop."
She blinked. "What?"
"You'll understand someday." L-sama smiled slightly, resting her chin on Lina's head. "But do you think you understand the rest of it?"
"Yes," Lina murmured.
The Lord of Nightmares seemed satisfied. "Good. Now you don't need to remember this conversation."
"WHAT?!" Lina flung herself from L-sama's lap and faced the goddess. "What was the POINT--"
Lei Magnus grinned. "The point is, dear Lina, that you don't have to remember to know."
"He's right, unfortunately," Ceipheed told her, sipping his tea. "It will be, to you, no more than a dream, but deep in your subconcious you will know."
L-sama chuckled. "It would cause no end of trouble if you remembered directly, ne, Buka-S? Buka-C?"
"Of course," Lei and Ceipheed chorused in perfect unison. This phenominon caused them to glance at each other in startlement, which quickly turned into a shared glare, which ended with Lei smirking and Ceipheed looking away with a sigh.
Lina blinked and tried to ignore them. "I don't want to forget!" she shouted. "I hate having people mess with my mind!"
"I know. Your very being here is messing with your mind," L-sama smiled. "Which is why, until you come to Me of your own will... I'll send you back."
Lina sat bolt upright in the inn bed, chest heaving. "Strange dream," she muttered, though the aforementioned dream had already faded to an incomprehensable blur.
Still, strange dreams or not, she felt infinately better.
Smiling, Lina Inverse rolled over to dream normal dreams.
"Mother is planning."
"Yes, of course. She's always planning something."
"Don't act like that. I was just saying it."
"And sounding like the melodramatic fool you are."
"Oh, just shut up. Do you think She'll succeed?"
"Pfft."
"Was that a yes Pfft or a no Pfft?"
"What do YOU think?"
"I think anything's possible."
"Is it? That girl is HERS. I think I'm jealous. She owns someone, you own someone... what about me?!"
"Uh... technically you ARE the person you own."
"Thank you SO much. You don't need to act so smug about it!"
"Me? Smug? Never."
"Hmph."
"So you don't think it's possible?"
"What's possible? That you're an annoying do-gooder?"
"...I'm not rising to that. That Lina won't go to Mother."
"Who can say, really? It's not that much longer until we'll find out. Humans live such a short time."
"Or forever, here."
"Well, yes. But she'd have to choose a life of nothing but Chaos Dreams for that... like we did."
"...Yes. We'll see."
End.
Liked it? Hated it? Are actually curious what kind of Tang the author was smoking? Email her at harukami@magicalgirls.net!
This is tooo weird. HOME, Jeeves!