Scene opens in a forest with Gaury battling some monsters, while Lina is laying on a tree branch nearby saying stuff like "Life is so peaceful."

After a while Gaury is finished and approaches her puffing. "Lina, when we are attacked you should help."

L: "You got them all. No reason to complain."

G: "Yeah, but it took a lot out of me."

L: "Think of it as training then." Jumps down.

G: "You can use some training too." Gets kicked in the face.

L: "I you saying I am getting fat?"

G: "No, but given the amounts you are eating it is bound to happen if you do not excessive regularly. Plus I never seen you back from a fight on purpose."

L: "If there is no money involved I am not interested." Hand behind head, walking away.

G: "No you are pretty violent by nature"

L: chibi mode arms flailing:"I will show you violent!"

G: holding her back with just one hand, thinking "Except if..."

L: back to normal, a bit scared: "If?"

G: series, getting to his knees so he is eye-to-eye level :"Lina it is that time of the month again isn't it?"

Lina backing off: "I do not know what are you talking about."

Gaury stand up, dust hands: "Then prove me wrong, throw a fireball."

L backing off again: "I do not feel like it."

G suspicious: "..."

L: "I could if I wanted to."

G getting veeeery close, in-your-face way:"Really?"

L: "Ok, ok I give up. You are right; I cannot use all my powers right now. Sheesh!" Lina starts to walk away, only to turn around when she notices that her "partner" still sanding in the same spot deep in thought. "Come on, Gaury. We do not have all day. We should really get going. We need to round up Xel and Emilia and go find us a nice inn. I am starved after all this fighting."

G not amused: "I did all the fighting."

L: "details, details." Pulling his arm "Now come on."

G: "I been thinking..." gets interrupted.

L: "It did not hurt?"

G: "You are always like that, being mean to me just because I am not as gifted up here as you" taps his head "you always act like a spoiled brat, mouthing off to people."

L: "Yeah?! So what are you going to do about it?" hands on hips

G: "Ordinary I cannot do anything." Starting to grow menacingly "But now that you have lost your powers you are no different than any young girl in need of an attitude adjustment."

L getting scared: "Gaury what are you thinking?"

G: "I am thinking it been entirely too long time since somebody have given you a spanking."

L sluttering: "Sppann" shakes head "You cannot do that"

G: "And who is going to stop me?"

L taken aback:"I will scream."

G: "We are in the middle of the formally monster infested woods, even if somebody hears you they will not come to help."

Lina slumps down: "You are right. I been bad. I will take my punishment." [you just know she is planning something]

Gaury approaches looking bit relieved: "I knew you will understand. Now be a good girl and come here."

Lina while approaching him: "Yes,sir." Gaury turns around looking for a spot to sit down. We see Lina grows big behind obvious Gaury sucker punches him and ties him down with a rope before he recovers. [and here it is]

Lina jumps on a tree branch and turns around to tease Gaury: "Like hell I am going to just let myself get caught like this. I am taking my leave." Look menacingly at him. "And once I recover my powers I will track you down and extract my revenge." Turns around and takes off thinking "I feel I am forgetting something" ... just before Emilia drop kicks her from above.

E on a branch, dramatic pose: "Stand firm evil doers and get prepared to be punished in the name of Justice."

Lina on the ground, spinning eyes [knocked out]:"..."

Xelgadis gets out of the shadows, approaches Gaury and cuts him loose.

G: "Hi, Xel. How long have you been here?"

X embarrassed: "Too long."

G: "Why did not you say something?"

X: "I did not want to interrupt your love squabble."

G looking around obvious: "Where?"

X: "Never mind."

Emilia meanwhile had finished tying up Lina: "Just another day in the life of Fighter for Justice." "No, no need to thank me."

L somewhat recovered: "I do no not wish to thank you, I wish to strangle you."

E teary-eyed, hides behind Xel: "Lina you are so mean."

L: "And how come Emilia still have her powers?"

When Emilia does not answer, Xel hypothesize: "Different time of the month, I guess."

G: "Wow, is it like a chronic disease? Like when old people feel pain before it rains?"

L: "Not now Gaury I have no time to deal with people with less brain then a jellyfish."

L turning to Xel "And you stone-face, could not resist interfering. Rock-brained, demon -hearted, metal heared...you, you. "deep breath "Since when did you joined Emilia's Heroes of Justice delusion?"

X quietly: "I did not join them."

E: "Lina!"

L: "Ha, you could not fool me. So tell me Emilia is he "stone-hard" when you are alone?"

E fidgeting, right foot dragging on the ground: "Well... That is..."

X with a bluish blush: "I am one third golem after all."

L: "Ha... let me te..." finally noticing Gaury dark presence.

G: "Lina you are always like this. If this is how you treat you friends no wander you have such a vile reputation."

L: "That is different OK. A girl cannot afford to be too soft." "Gaury, what are you doing?" gets picked up and carried by him.

G: "Did you already forget?"

L: "That is something you will do!"

G: "Then you remember I promised you a spanking. And I will not go so easy on you."

L: "What happened to all your chivalrous attitude."

G: "I guess I learned my lesson. Plus no "little girl" I met before can throw such hard punch." Rubs head.

L: "It is no fair, it is not fair, it is not fair..."

E: "Lina, take you punishment like you are supposed to. I mean" switch to dramatic pose "Face the all powerful hand of Justice. vile beast" [pun intended]

L: "Vile beast? Just you wait until I get free and have my powers back!"

X: "Come Emilia. We should take our leave."

E teary-eyed: "But mister Xelgadis, she was so mean to you."

X puts his cape up to cover the face: "I am used to it."

L: "Emilia, what is with the goody-goody act? If I deserve to be punished then so do you!"

E: "Me?"

L: "You act so nice now, but I remember that you treated Xel like he was a monster when you first met. And I bet you never properly apologized. Did you?"

E sniffling: "No I... I did not mean to... That was a mistake."

L: "Is this the proper behavior for a Hero of Justice? If you ask me you just enjoy finding faults in other so you can feel superior, but inside you are a hypocrite."

E: "I, I" falls on her knees ands starts crying, "I am sorry Mr. Xelgadis."

G (to Lina): "Is not this taking it a bit too far."

L: "If I am going to be spanked then so will Emilia."

G: "That is one too many problems for me to handle. You take this one Xel."

X startled: "Me?" sweatdrop.

G: "it is between the two of you is not it?"

Emilia quickly moves to Xelgadis side, still on the ground, still crying, hugs his legs: "Yes Mr. Xelgadis. You were the one affected by my careless actions so it is only proper you act as the Hand [of Justice] in this case."

X looking at his palm, looking confused: "Hand?"

L: "She means you should be the one to punish her."

G nods: "Even I got that."

X still unsure looks down.

Emilia, finally stop crying, is looking up: "That is correct." Getting teary-eyed: "Please, oh please, Mr. Xelgadis promise you will not allow our friendship sway you away from Justice."

X giving up: "Ok I promise."

E jumps and hug him: "Oh Xel, I love you." Then realizing where she is, jumps back and blushing hotly: "I mean in a purely appropriate platonic way... I mean you are so cool Mr. Xelgadis ... I mean..."

L smug: "We all know what you really mean Emilia."

E: "Oh! Is it that obvious?" the men nod. "So you all know that I see Xel as a big brother?"

Everybody else trip and falls.

L: "Emilia I though Heroes of Justice are not supposed to lie."

E: "Ms. Lina what a thing to say! Of coarse they are not. A Hero of Justice is valiant and kind and..." trails off while being dragged away by Xel before she gets the chance to say more.

---

G: "You look pretty smug Lina."

L: "He is a third golem, saying he has a hard hand will be understatement."

G: "Well my hand might not be so hard, but I do fight for a living so I am confident I will not loose on strength."

L: "gulp"

G: "Plus I am pretty sure he would try to take it easy on her."

L: "What? That is not fair!"

G: "You are still a child, Lina. One day you will understand"

Gaury sits down on a fallen log ad places Lina on his lap.

L:" Um Gaury you are not going to give me a proper spanking would you?"

G: "You are a girl after all, I would not use too much force."

L: "That is not what I mean?"

G perplexed: "Then what?"

L quiet: "You know the whole bare bottomed kind of stuff and all."

G nod "I intend to."

Lina wildly struggling to get away: "No I do not want to."

G: "Settle down."

L settling: "But Gaury."

G pats her head: "Lina I never spanked a girl before, if I do not see the results I would not be able to determine when to stop and might end up causing you harm."

L deep blush: "Ok then." She does not resist as Gaury lowers first her trousers then her undergarments.

G: "Are you ready?"

L: "As ready as I will ever be. Lets just get this over with." The first hit came as surprise extracting a little cry from Lina. It hurt. It hurt more then she expected it would. She clenched her teeth determined to keep quiet, but it was not easy. Gaury's hand fell down with clock-like precision every few seconds allowing a slap to sink in before the next arrived.

SlaP...SlAp...SLap ... SlAp...Slap... SlaP...SlAp

His big hand quickly converted her exposed buttocks' color from white to pinkish red.

Soon Lina realized that Gaury was indeed going easy on her. Oh the spanks hurt, a lot, but he was cupping his hand in order to cause more pain than actual damage.

SLap ... SlAp...Slap... SlaP...SlAp...Slap ...SLap

L trough tears: "Uh Gaury."

G stopping: "What is it Lina, is the position not comfortable?"

L: "Who the heck would fill comfortable in this position?"

[plenty of girls ^_^, think about it laying on the lab of a strong blond, strong man who loves you . !drool! Um hum. back to the story]

L: "I never asked but... how long do you intend to spank me?"

G in thought [hey, it happens if only occasionally]: "Well my sword master have the following rule of thumb- you spank until the color gets close to the color of the face. Your face is pretty red right now, so I guess we be at it for a while." This of coarse makes Lina blush even worse.

G: "Hey do not do that, if I have to get your posterior that red you will not be able to sit down for quite some time and I will not be able to hold a sword for a while."

L deep scarlet faced: "If I may make a suggestion."

G: "Go on."

L: "How about you give me a set number of more hits and we call it a day."

G: "I guess it could work. I wander why I did not think of that?" [geez I wonder]

G: "Thirty more should be enough" putting his hand down "Your backseat is very warm already."

L:"Gaury?"

G: "yes?!"

L: "Get on with it!"

After a while ...

G:" Sixteen ... seventeen ... .... Where was I?"

L in pain: "Twenty-nine."

G: " ..." thinks some more "That cannot be right. I guess we should start over."

L:"NoooOOO"

[He can count, just forgetful]

Meanwhile:

Once Xel felt he was far enough he puts down his living cargo and sits down.

E fidgeting: "Mr. Xelgadis ..."

X: "What is it?"

E in typical roundabout fashion: "I want you to know that I respect you very much..."

X: "Get on with it" making her flinch.

E embarrassed: "I want you to know that I will be OK with any punishment you deem appropriate. " [Ooh, an opening if there was one]

X blinks few times [apparently he thought so too]: "Explain. Please. I though we all agreed you are to receive a spanking."

E finally catching the potential interpretation of her words: "No, no.

I mean you should not fell obliges to use (just) your hand."

X tired looking, but trying to be patient: "What else should I use?"

E unsure: "May be... may be a brunch or...or your sword sheath, or mine for that matter, or you could use..."

X raising his right hand interrupts her: "Emilia?"

E: "Yes?"

Xelgadis brings his hand down on the nearby tree trunk causing loud impact and Emilia to squeak.

X: "I am part golem. My hand is harder than most metals."

E: "Sorry I forgot."

X: "obviously" sweatdrop

E: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please do not hate me."

X thinking [I wander if Gaury has as hard of a time right now. Might as well get this over with]

X stern: "Emilia!"

E a bit frightened: "Yes!"

X: "Come here"

E at attention: "Yes, Mr. Xelgadis, sir." Then she approaches undoing her under straps much to his discomfiture.

Xel sighed and carefully almost gently lifts the young woman and places her across his knees. When she fidgets a bit he says: "I am sorry, this time I have forgotten how hard my body can be." Lifts her back up.

E red: "That is OK, I do not mind."

X: "Well I do, that is why I been trying to find a way to change back to human" takes off his cloak, folds few times it and puts it over his lap, then pulls Emilia over on top of the cloak. "Do you fell more comfortable now?"

E: "I do. But this does not feel like a punishment so far."

Xel gave her bottom a playful slap: "I can fix that."

Emilia reaches back and lifts the back of her robe revealing her young shapely rear, then puts both her hands crossing on the small of her back pinning the robe up. Xelgadis follows the queue and secures them with his left hand and takes careful aim and delivers the first hit: "Smack!" His hand makes a 'thud' sound when connecting igniting a burning sensation in the small girlish posterior. Emilia jumps from the pain of the impact. Xel lets go of his friend hands and the girl wasted no time in starting to rub the hit area.

X: "I am sorry this is my first time for this, did it hurt too much." E still rubbing: "Mr. Xelgadid, I been punish as a child with a hairbrush and your hand feels like one too. Only ordinary, hairbrushes have only one smooth surface. Your hand does not!" At this Emilia moved her hands away to allow him to inspect the effect for himself. Indeed a developing handprint can be clearly seen on her soft cheeks. In addition to the palm shape one would expect, several darker red areas could be seen sharply contrasting with the light pink surrounding them. Looking at his hand Xel could deduce the cause- the uneven ridges of stone on his palm. Her skin was not cut, but he could see that if he continued it would be matter of time before that happens. He was taken out of his reverie buy an innocent question: "Mr. Xelgadis, you said this is you first time. Have you never been spanked as a child?"

X startled: "I never said that."

E: "But..."

X: "Look here, I just said I never given anybody one."

E jumping at the chance to dig more: "So did you receive a lot? Were you a naught child?"

X embarrassed: "I would not put it like that." sweatdrop "Pretty ordinary I guess, I occasionally got in trouble and had to face the consequences of my actions."

E starry eyed: "You sound so noble, Mr. Xelgadis."

X: "Lets get back at the issue at hand."

E: "I am sorry I was not trying to pry" [sure you weren't]

X: "Anyway, I cannot give you a spanking like that. I can incidentally really hurt you."

E: "You could use my sword if you want to."

X sweatdrop while looking at her shielded sword: "I rather not ... If only I had another cloak with me. But the only other cloth available is my shirt or pants... AND I am NOT taking either of this off!" [Damn it Xel! Why not?]

E: "How about my clock?"

X: "What ever I use will have plenty of rips and cuts afterwards. You cloak will be ruined. You are the princess of Sairun, you need to keep your public image."

E: "Oh. Then..." pause "I have an idea. You could use that cloth over there" Pointing to the ground.

X blushing blue: "But Emilia are not those..."

E: "Yeah, my loin straps."

X begins in futile protest: "But Emilia..." only to be cut off.

E: "It is not like those are going to be visible. Plus I have spares."

X blinks: "You have spares?"

E bashful: "A girl never knows when she might need clean loin straps... At least that is what my father says."

Xelgadis tries to imagine the Crowned Prince of Sairun saying that and wisely stops.

E admits: "Never found out why, but if daddy says it, it must be true."

X: "I see."

E: "Do you know what he meant Mr. Xelgaid? Can you explain it to me?"

X: "May be latter." Deposits Emilia next to him, goes and collects the straps and puts them on his hand. "Emilia I do not think this is going to work, there are still too many edges poking out." He turns to see Emilia had put three more on top of his folded cloak.

X blinks: "Emilia where did you keep all this?"

E not meeting his eyes: "Uhm"

X: "Never mind, just give them here." Continues to wrap his hand until he is satisfied.

Xelgadis sits down once again and puts Emilia across his lap, with her robe up hands secured on the small of back and bottom in easy access. Then he starts.

The slaps are nearly as painful as the first one, but this time the force of the hits is more evenly distributed.

Emilia tries to take the hits without flinching, but she cannot resist for long and soon starts to wiggle in Xel's lap and moan softly in pain. It does not take long for this soft complains to grow in snuffed screams. Xel has one heavy hard hand indeed.

Swat! Spank!SpaNk! SwaT! Smack Xelgadis right hand is never at rest delivering fast crisp hits all over Emilia's behind. The girl's ass is rose red before the twentieth hits lands.

Around fifty swats later Emilia is crying her eyes out, barely managing to draw breath through hiccups. Her posterior is starting to show signs of blue. Xel has not let go of her hands, not allowing her the chance to rub the pain away. After what is seems to her an eternity but in actuality a little less then eight minutes, Xel starts to chant a spell and soon after Emilia fills a soothing cold touch of his hand. The pain lessens considerably. [somebody insert a "lay on hands" jock here] Emilia continues to sob, but it is as much of relief as of pain. Finally she asks "Why?"

X: "The punishment was meant as chastisement, once you felt the pain it will remain in your mind for some time. Or you rather I did not heal you?" teasingly.

E: "No I am grateful. It is just I did not expected you to do it."

X suddenly uncomfortable: "Of coarse you could of done it yourself once you came down a little." He starts unwrapping his hand in order to avoid facing her.

E: "No Mr. Xelgadis. I never would have tried to bypass the consequences of my actions like that. If you have not healed me I would have tried to endure the pain as best as I could until it went away on its own." Accepts the straps offered back and starts searching for the least damaged one.

E: Mr. Xelgadis?

X:Yes?

E: "Could you possibly look away."

X blushing: "Yes of coarse." Turns around.

---

E: "Mr. Xelgadis?"

X not turning: "Yes?"

E: "If you ever think I am out of line would you please not hesitate to tell me."

X not seeing where this is going: "I will."

E: "Promise?"

X: "I promise."

E: "And Mr. Xelgadis?"

X: "What is it?"

E: "Would you promise that if I am ever in need of chastisement again, while you are around you be the one to do it?"

X slips and falls, the turn around: "Emilia what are you..." she had not finished dressing.

E: "Xelgadis do not peep"

X eyes firmly closed, turns fast around: "It was an incident" But the image of her standing there facing him, her lower half exposed as she was using her robe to fan her posterior would not go away. Before they can continue the conversation both hear Gaury's voice: "Xel, hey Xel where are you." Accompanying it are Lina's cries: " The pain, the pain. Make it go away!"

E: "You better go ahead Xel, before they stumble while I am still not fully dressed. I will join you shortly."

X: "Yes m'am."

X: "Emilia."

E: "Yes?"

X: "We have not finished with this conversation."

E: "Indeed we have not."

----

The renewed cries coming even closer made him hustle. When he soon saw them Gaury was carrying Lina on piggyback.

G: "Glad to finally find you Xel. I hope we are not interrupting."

L: "We would have been here sooner if somebody had even a sliver of a direction sense."

G: "Try to be considerate for once, Lina. You are always so rude."

L: "Nice is out once my ass is on the line, literally in this case."

X: What happened? And no you are not ahmum interrupting...anything.

L: This lummox had the brilliant idea of using wet leaves to sooth away the pain.

X blinking: "That does not sound like such a bad idea, it did not occur to me."

E coming out: "That is some creative thinking Mr. Gaury."

G: "Ah thank you."

L: "only he used a laerminoza plant" [think poison ivy] "The pain, the itching..."

X: "How much ...area... was affected?"

G: I already had rubbed the leaves all over before we noticed.

X: "I see. " sweatdrop

L: "Stop talking. Xel heal me now."

X: "But that will require me to touch the affected area. Are you sure...?"

L: "Right now I am in too much pain to think about decencies."

G: "Gee Lina it must me hard to live constantly in pain." Gets kick by her.

L: "Get on with it, Xel."

E stands between them: "No!"

L teary-eyed: "But Emilia the itch..."

E taking pity on Lina: "I will do it. I am the better healer anyway. Unless anybody has an objection." No objections. ^_^.

The men are still staring as Emilia quickly starts to expose the area to be treated.

E: "You men have nothing better to do then to stand around and stare?"

G not getting the hint: "Not really. Why?"

E popping a vain: "Gaury!"

G: "I want to be sure she is OK, OK?"

E: "Gaury!!!"

Gaury gets caught in a headlock by Xelgadis and is dragged away. After quickly healing her friends behind from the hives as well as removing the developing bruises and reducing the redness from purple to dark pink, Emilia lay down on the grass face down of coarse.

L: "Not bad, but you have not finished the healing."

E: "If I have to endure it so should you."

After grumbling about it a little Lina too lays down on the grass next to Emilia.

L cannot contain herself long and asks: "So how was it?"

E: "mr. Xelgadis is nicer than I expected."

L: "Old stone face"

E: "Hey!" and gives Lina a playful slap.

L: "That hurt!"

E: "It was meant to!" "So how did Mr. Gaury tread you?"

L: "You saw the results"

E: "Results yes, but not the procedure. Plus, if it was not for the laerminoza plant it would not have been so bad."

L: It felt pretty bad to me.

E: "You just got what has been coming to you. Think of it as divine retribution"

L: "Just wait until your power are gone and mine are back."