PreNote:  This story is inspired by a poster I recently acquired.  This 
may be a Slayers fic, but it's a little more introspective and serious 
than most.
PM Productions Presents
A Phillip Masters Fanfic
Listening to the Heart
Part One

	"Lina!" Gourry cried as he turned in a circle.  He couldn't see 
the diminutive sorceress anywhere.  All around him was forest, deep and 
dark.  "Lina!" he repeated, looking up and down, unsure of what to do 
next.  One moment he could feel her nearby, the next he was alone.  For 
years he was by himself, without anyone to count on.  For decades the 
world had shunned him for one reason or another, no matter how hard he 
tried.  He found he no longer wanted to be alone.  "Lina!"

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

	"Gourry!"
	"Lina..."
	"Gourry!!"  
	The warrior opened his eyes slowly.  A woman's face came into 
focus.  "Mother?" he asked, his bearings shot to hell.  He felt a sharp 
slap to his face, shaking him into reality.
	"No, you idiot!  Get up, you're going to wake the whole inn."
	"Lina?" 
	She rolled her eyes.  "Did you have another nightmare?"  Lina 
gasped as she was suddenly covered by two hundred pounds of burly blond. 
 "I guess so..."  She calmly patted Gourry on the back as he clung to 
her in an earth-cracking bear hug.  He had begun having the nightmares a 
month ago.  Ones where he was suddenly left with nowhere to turn to.  
She insisted over and over that as long as he remained useful she 
wouldn't leave him, and she didn't see him loosing his usefulness any 
time soon.  It was so unlike Gourry to be scared, it almost frightened 
her.  
	"Lina?  Why am I having these dreams all the sudden?"  His voice 
shook, and she knew if she looked at his face it would be stained with 
tears.  She couldn't stand to see him that way, so she simply stared at 
the opposing wall of their inn room.  
	The past month had been hectic.  They used the same room 
wherever they stayed to conserve money and keep each other safe in case 
of attack.  However, when the nightmares began it became harder for both 
of them.  Gourry started to wake up in the middle of the night, 
sometimes screaming her name.  Usually she had to hold him to calm him 
down.  She began to feel more like his mother than his companion.  One 
morning she had even woken up to find him clinging to her in bed.  
However,  before she could bring her fist down on his skull he 
whimpered.  He looked so calm and peacefully asleep for the first time 
in weeks, she couldn't bring herself to bother him.  So, she had let him 
hold her and tried to get more sleep herself.  When Gourry had finally 
woken up, and saw where he was, he leapt from the bed scared that she 
would roast him for breakfast.  She just shook her head and walked off, 
leaving him confused.  There was no magical explanation for why he was 
having the dark dreams... nor would he even tell her what they were 
about.  It was as if he were embarrassed.  "I don't know why you're 
having the dreams, Gourry... I wish I did.  I wish I could help you."  
She was being sincere, for one if he kept it up she would never be able 
to get a full nights sleep again.  For another, and she would have to be 
tortured to say it out loud, she cared about the big lug.  They had been 
through more than a hefty amount in the past three years, and she would 
be damned if she hadn't gotten somewhat attached to the less-then-genius 
fighter in that time.  As ignorant as he is, he means well, and is 
really sweet too.
  	After another moment Gourry finally detached himself from Lina. 
 He wiped his face a bit, red from embarrassment.  "Sorry, Lina," he 
whispered meekly.
	"Ah, don't worry about it Gourry, everyone has their bad times 
once in a while.  You'll get over it."  She looked out the window.  "You 
timed it better this morning anyway... the sun's about to come up, so we 
should get ready to head off again."
	Gourry stared at her a second, then smiled and nodded.  Once he 
was awake for a while he turned into the same old ditsy do-gooder.  For 
once, Lina was glad to see him as his 'normal' self.  They both went 
about their morning routines, preparing for a long day of travel, and 
possibly a new adventure.  Battles, traps, quests, and enemies all 
seemed to follow them around and were equally attracted to them like 
iron to a magnet.  They always had to be ready for another journey into 
the unknown for some silly reason.  
	A sudden knocking on the door startled them both.  After she 
settled, Lina walked to the old oaken slab and pulled it open.  Outside 
stood the stony faced Zelgadis.  Turned into a golem by the once evil 
Rezo the Red Priest, the hardened sorcerer was a friend of the two 
travelers and probably the most mature and steadfast person they knew.  
Problem with him was that he could depress someone on their wedding day 
simply by showing up.  He wasn't exactly the party animal.  
	"Hey, Zel!" Lina cried, cheerful as ever.  "What brings you to 
this neck of the woods?"
	Without blinking he replied, "There's trouble."
	Lina sighed and put her face in her hand, "Haven't even paid the 
rent yet..."  She brightened while taking in a deep breath and looked up 
again.  "Okay!  Where do we have to go this time?"

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

	"So, some wizard is terrorizing the country side?"  
 	Over the past hour, Zelgadis had enlightened Lina and Gourry as 
to current events.  It seemed a wizard named Aeren was causing anguish 
for the general populace of Ankeron.  Tythus, where they were presently 
located, was only a half day's walk from there.  Zelgadis had passed 
through and heard of the story, then hunted down Lina and Gourry to give 
him a hand.  Never hurt to have someone cover your back, even if it was 
covered in rock.  
	"What sort of magic does he use?" Lina asked.
	"Elemental... he's not a Master, but he's good at what he does." 
 Zelgadis looked out the window briefly.  "I don't pretend that this 
might not be difficult.  He is a good magician, and using very powerful 
spells."
	Lina frowned, "You're always looking at the bright side aren't 
you, Zel?"  She snorted, "We took care of Shabranigdo... I think we can 
handle a little wizard."
	"If you say so, Lina."  He turned to the silent warrior, "How 
about you, Gourry?"
	The blond scratched his head briefly and blinked a few times.  
"I don't like messing with magic... I usually end up on the business 
end."
	"Typical," Lina said, "sometimes, Gourry, I wonder if you are 
really as brave as you say you are."
	"Brave and stupid are two different things, Lina." Zelgadis 
replied.  "Personally, I think that is the best answer I've received... 
unfortunately, we do not have the privilege of being so careful."
	Gourry smiled, knowing he had won something.  Thing was, he 
didn't know for sure what, but he was still happy to have come out on 
top for once.  He decided not to rub it in though, for he liked his 
hair.  Last time he had bragged to Lina, she had removed it all with a 
small fireball.  Nobody could ever say that Gourry Gabriev didn't learn 
his lesson the first time.  
	Lina sighed, she could feel Gourry's head inflate slightly next 
to her.  He would be on his high horse for a day or so.  She turned her 
attention back to Zelgadis.  "So, we go and take this guy out... no 
problem.  When do we leave?"
	"As soon as possible."
	She stretched, "Ah, right after breakfast then."

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

	'Breakfast' had been as eventful as always.  Zelgadis watched as 
Lina and Gourry ingested more food than the average person does in a 
month.  Lina, as usual, beat out Gourry by a good plateful, but he 
certainly tried to keep up.  Zelgadis briefly wondered if she used some 
sort of spell he didn't know to keep her figure as petite as it was.  
For, contrary to Gourry's continued accusations, Lina was probably one 
of the thinnest, yet amazingly shapely, people he knew.  If she were a 
little older and more mature he would probably be attracted to her.  
As his 'skin' banged against the table he thought maybe it was best that 
he wasn't.  For years he had been as a living statue... forever to be 
encased in stone.  A golem, a devil, he had been called many things.  
Except human, or attractive... he was resigned to his fate, but he 
didn't have to like it.  
The group of travelers, two stuffed like Thanksgiving turkeys, set off 
after paying for their rooms and gargantuan breakfasts.  The trail 
beckoned, and they answered its call eagerly.  They may have been off to 
fight a powerful wizard, possibly even risking their lives in the 
process.  However, they'd done it all before, and had no problem with 
doing it all again if necessary.
"Ouch, damn burs!" 
"Lina, get off of me!"
"Zel, you stepped on my foot!"
"I can't help where you placed your own."
"Get out of my way next time!"
"Lina, why are you still on me?"
"I can't walk you idiot!  Stone butt broke my foot!"
"No need to get insulting now."
Well, almost no problem.            
END PART ONE
New series... I know, I know.  I just received a new Slayers poster that 
gave me almost instant inspiration (I'm hopefully going to scan it soon 
so you can see what I'm talking about).  I just had to write a Slayers 
fanfic... a more serious one than usual.  I hope you liked the 
beginning, tell me if you did, please.  Send comments this way.  Also, 
don't worry about other fics you may be waiting for by me, they're in 
the works.
Thanks for reading,
PMasters (4-21-98)