"Oh pleas-se, my Lorrrd," The cat-like figure cowered before her expressionless leader. "Give me one morre chance..." She dared look up and edge closer then, stroking the edge of his cloak. "You know I'll neverrr betrrray you..." She purred. Two cold words, he had for her, sweeping grandly away.

"Next time."

The other-worlder was stronger than she expected. Alcyone suffered greatly as a result, yet inside she was rejoicing for this tiny piece of luck. She would get to see Zagato sooner than she expected. And he would heal her. She loved the soft whisper of his cloak when he moves and the feathery brush of his magic against her healing skin. Oh, here was a man, one that she loves. He was God.

"Well? Now what?!" Lina glowered down at the floppy-eared thing hopping about in a hyper manner.

"Maybe it's hungry..." Her companion suggested. "Or maybe it wasn't leading the way after all." He groaned at the thought. That would have meant three wasted days in the Forest of Silence.

"Pu! Pu! Pu!" Two days ago he would have been alarmed at the desperate cries of the creature. Now he sat down on a sun-warmed boulder and unwrapped his lunch. It was a good thing Lina and him had seperate provisions, he decided quietly, watching her yell at the upside down creature.

From what he had gathered, its name was Mokona and was supposed to lead them, well okay, Lina, since he was just tagging along, to the Other Side of Silence, where the Pool of the Legends is said to be found. What it HAD been doing, however, was acting like a school kid on his (or her) first excursion and leading them around in irregular circles.

He considered informing his red-headed companion of the latter, then wisely thought against it. She might level the Forest in outrage. Granted that would make their quest a lot easier, it would also involve a lot of angry officials and uncomfortable questions; not to mention the residential creatures who'll want to know what happened after they tear you apart... ... definately NOT a very desirable turn of events.

"Well?" He stood up and dusted the last crumbs off his breeches. "It's not talking?" Lina was about to snap at him for stating the obvious when she realised he didn't quite mean it that way.

"Yeah." She sighed a little resignedly. "Seen any signs of life yet?"

She studied his grim profile as she approached the large smoothened rock. If Ferio would just let down his hair and look less grim, he could almost pass for Gourry. Almost.

"No. This is very wrong."

She was still rather uncomfortable with Gourry's look-alike. It was nice to have someone around to talk to, but she can't help being frightened by the thought of having an intelligent conversation on the Laws of Physics with Gourry. And hard as she tries, she still had trouble remembering that she was stuck in an alternate world with some strange Swordsman who was NOT Gourry Gabriev.

"Those big boys we've been playing with are personifications of negetive emotive energies, right?" She appeared somewhat more cheerful. "Which means we'll be seeing less of them. Now stop scowling!" She yelled, dropping to the ground in a roll as the air thickened and buzzed with Ferio's hesitation.

Something large charged through the undergrowth screaming for all its worth. Lina pressed down on her ears, against the sonic wailing. The creature dashed around firing lightning bolts at random before Lina burnt it to a crisp.

"Alright, Ferio," She went over and prodded the charcoaled remains. "Why in the world were you panicking?"

"It wasn't me!" He protested, fighting to keep the half-formed Hesitation from manifesting.

"Then who?!" She demanded and stopped. They turned simutaneously to Mokona, suspended over an open fire. "I thought it didn't have emotions." She whispered with narrowed eyes.

"So did I... ..." He answered. Very carefully they studied the off-white bunny-eared blob with reserved apprehension. Rumble rumble rumble...

"Do you think... ..." Rumble rumble rumble

"Maybe we should just roast him here and now." Lina thought out loud. Rumble rumble rumble

"Lina," Ferio sighed patiently. "Can't you get your stomache to stop rumbling? It's getting on my nerves."

"That, er, wasn't me..." RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE The pair jumped apart, Lina readying a handy fireball, Ferio his huge sword in hand, waiting to strike. Fireballs for the Panics, sliced Hesitation, diced Impatience, frozen Anger, after a while, these things turned routine.

The constant drip-drip of the outer chambers was soft and distant. The dark haired Princess sat in a clear bubble, looking ever so downcast. She brightened at the echoing footsteps gradually covering the delicate water music.

"Princess." He kneeled before her. She ran to him, or tried to, at least. The man sighed. Going "Splat" in a bubble you know was there wasn't very elegent behaviour for any lady, let alone the all important Princess of Cephiro.

"To-chan," She beamed happily, though it was hard to see her smile while she rubbed her aching nose. "It's so good to see you!"

He flinched again at the affectionate name. "Princess, please, call me Zagato." She didn't appear to have noticed.

"Really, To-kun, if you'll just let me have a go at those rebel traitors... they need a good lesson taught to them!" Zagato winced and tried not to think of what might happen if he'd let the Princess Emeraulde do just that. The poor boys will be to busy laughing their heads off to resist capture of any kind.

"It would not be required, Highness," He answered quickly. "My people have handled the situation well enough, thus far." The princess drooped like a broken lily. "Oh." She said softly. "Okay." "Please, do not be despaired, Princess." He bowed again. "It is for your own safety."

"And ours." He added to himself, sweeping grandly out of the room. Princess Emeraulde is safest crestfallen. The people of Cefiro loved their Princess. She was the creator and sustainer of their world, the adorable child, for she never grows, and had the brightest, sweetest smile in the entire land. Of course, none of them has ever met her in person, not even Clef and Presia, her personnal friends. It wouldn't be proper.

They'd realise their child-like Goddess for the klutz she really was. Zagato stood under a curtain of water and looked up at the crystaline structures lacing through the rock above him. Why me?

"Why me?!" Lina speared another chunk of meat from the make-shift dish. "That irritating catwoman could at LEAST clear up her own emotions before leaving!" She chewed furociously and whined at the same time, something which Ferio found greatly fascinating. "Don't they teach them apprentices any manners any more?!"

Secretly Ferio was thinking that Lina shouldn't complain so much. The cat-like follower of the traitor Zagato was the one keeping Lina fed, after all. Turning up every once in a while with stronger emotions than before. It wasn't much of a trouble getting rid of her, and in the Forest of Silence, the strength of the emotion determines the solidity of the corresponding monster.

"It's not fair," She went on about the Sorcerer's Code of Conduct. Ferio scraped the bottom of his wooden bowl with a bit of travel bread. Disbelief had a tangy sort of flavour. He hoped that Zagato doesn't get rid of her any time soon.

You know, maybe the Magic Knights + Gourry was the simpler side... ^^;;
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