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Author's Prologue
...in which certain secrets are surprisingly revealed, Zel is more depressive than normal, people have Important Talks, and they finally reach the Koku no Tani.
Harukami: flustered Which one am I working on?
Amelia: You know, THAT one!
Harukami: blanch Not THAT one...
Valgarv: No, ya dimwit, the other one!
Harukami: WHICH other one?
Xelloss: ^_^ You know, THE other one.
Guntair: The one with me.
Harukami: more flustered Who are you? I'm sure you're not regular Slayers...
Gourry: You're working on the epic one with Lina as the Knight of Shabrinigido, Zel and Xelloss yaoi, and a number of original characters, including Guntair, who is currently partnered with Amelia. smiles proudly
Harukami: Oh, THAT one. Thanks, you're a life saver.
Gourry: Isn't that a candy?
Harukami: ...
Xelloss: Yes, Gou-kun, that's why she said so. She thinks you're sweet and edible.
Gourry: Oh.
Harukami: I DO NOT!! I'm not that kind of girl!
Lina: What kind of girl ARE you?
Harukami:... Sore wa Himitsu desu.
Xelloss: She's the kind of girl who hangs around with me.
Lina: Oh, THAT kind of girl.
Harukami: What kind of girl would that be?
Guntair: You know, THAT kind of girl. You can't hide it from your original characters.
Harukami: If you think I'm sadistic and masochistic, you...
Xelloss: Are right?
Harukami: grumble Not literally...
Guntair: That wasn't the kind of girl I meant.
Harukami: So what kind of girl DID you mean?
Nakoku: I think that's clear. He thought you were THAT kind of girl.
Amelia: Is anyone else as lost as I am?
Gourry: Yeah.
Harukami: What kind of girl is THAT kind of girl?
Valgarv: Anyone with even half a brain can see you're THAT kind of girl.
Lina: I guessed you were THAT kind of girl last fic.
Harukami: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!
Nakoku: takes out picture of Harukami snuggling into Kaioh Michiru's bosom THAT kind of girl.
Ishiki: The kind of girl that gets pounded to a pulp by Tenoh Haruka?
Harukami: lamely Oh. Yeah. THAT kind of girl.
Xelloss: Oh, like you could hide it.
Harukami: Uh... yeah. blinkies ANYWAY, on to the fic...
Webmaster Notes
navy = dream
purple = flashbacks
Listen as the wind blows
From across the great divide.
Gourry swung his arms happily as he walked, smiling.
"What are you so happy about?" Lina asked, still annoyed over having to run off so early in the morning the day before, and still unsure why.
The swordsman pointed at a post stuck in the fields next to the road. "That's the post that always marked the outskirts of my family's fields. It's only a few more kilometers [W1, B1] until we get to the farmhouse.
Lina glanced up at the ominous storm clouds in the sky above. "Good thing, too. I was hoping we wouldn't have to walk far in the rain. Your parents won't mind us staying overnight, will they?"
He blinked, startled, then laughed. "Mom and Dad? They won't mind! They'll be glad to know I have friends!"
"'sgood." Lina lapsed into silence again.
Gourry cleared his throat. "So... feeling any better?"
"What do you mean?"
The blond mercenary waved an arm in an attempt to help him gather his thoughts. "You know. You were having bad dreams, right? Feeling any better?"
She shrugged. "Yeah, I guess." She didn't seem to be willing to elaborate.
"Good," Gourry told her. "I want you to be happy."
Head lowered, she kicked a rock off the road as she walked. "I'm happy. Of course I'm happy. Why wouldn't I be happy?"
He blushed. "I wasn't saying that. I just... Aw, nothing."
As Gourry ducked his head, rain began to patter down.
Voices trapped in yearning,
Memories trapped in time.
N-kun's head shot up, having been lowered to keep the rain out of his eyes. "What's that?!?"
Gourry raised his eyes, then laughed as an animal ran up to him and started running around his legs excitedly. "Tag!" The animal jumped up and they could see it was an old sheepdog. "Heya, Tag!"
The dog gave him a thorough cleaning with his tongue, as if Gourry hadn't been wet enough from the rain already, and Gourry petted him furiously. The dog barked rapidly, bouncing around, then ran around and sniffed at the others. He also gave Lina a thorough once- over with his tongue, but was more cautious with Guntair and Amelia. He completely ignored N-kun, accidentally sideswiping the child and knocking him into the mud, where his white outfit got horribly stained.
Zelgadis held out a hand to Tag, who sniffed it as if curious, but gave him a cautious nuzzle. Then Xelloss crouched and held out his hand for the dog to sniff as well. The dog gave him a sniff then began to bark excitedly, rolling over in the mud as if ecstatic. Xelloss laughed. "Aah, this is what the wolves have become?" [B2]
Tag bumped his head into the Mazoku's hand, and Xelloss ruffled his ears before rising from his crouch again.
"I guess he likes you," Gourry commented. "Hey, Tag, go and tell Dad that I'm back!"
The dog took a few steps forward, then glanced back Xelloss who shrugged. "Go on." Tag set off across the field towards the farming house that could just be seen.
Gourry picked Nakoku out of the mud. "Come on! They're gonna be waiting for us now!"
The night is my companion,
The solitude my guide.
They were, in fact, waiting for them. Mrs. Gabriev, a middle-aged woman with faded blue hair, met them at the door, giving Gourry a huge hug. "Oh, Gourry, it's been so long! How are you?"
Gourry hugged his mother back. "Things are great, I've been going on adventures and saving the world and stuff!"
"Did you use the sword?"
"Yeah, and it's really great, but I'm running out of extra disposable blades."
Mrs. Gabriev patted him on the shoulder. "I'm sure your father would be more than willing to give you extra." She smiled as she waved them all in. "Oh dear, you're all soaked! Here, let me take your cloaks."
Amelia smiled gratefully and handed the woman her half-cloak, stepping out of her boots. "Thanks, Gabriev-san!"
"No problem, dear." She slung the cloak over one shoulder and turned to Guntair. "What are you doing without one? It would be horrible if you caught a chill. I'm sure that nice girl," she indicated Amelia, "would be sad if you got sick. You don't want to do that, do you?"
Guntair's mouth worked, and eventually words came out. "Uh, well... I don't really get sick easily, and the people I come from don't like confining things like cloaks too much..."
Giving him a once over, Mrs. Gabriev suddenly nodded. "Oh, I see, you're not human! I was wondering why you felt different. Well, as long as you are sure, because I know you wouldn't want to cause that girl grief, even by accident."
The Ryuzoku blinked, facefaulting.
Suddenly, Mrs. Gabriev noticed the state of Nakoku's clothing. "Oh, you poor thing! Honey!" She called into the back room. "Do we still have any of Gourry's childhood clothes?"
A man cleared his throat, then a, "Yup," floated forward.
She smiled at N-kun. "We'll lend you some clothes, and I'll get your outfit washed tonight."
The child's jaw dropped. "T-thanks! I don't want to put you to any trouble, though..."
Mrs. Gabriev waved that away, laughing. "It's no trouble, I have to do laundry every few days anyway." Smiling, she took Lina's cloak, almost dropping it, but catching it in time. Bags of gold [B3] clinked. "Goodness, this is heavy! I hope it isn't too much trouble to carry."
Lina shook her head. "Actually, it's a handy way to carry your loot... I mean, your possessions, when you're always on the road."
"I'm sure it must be," she agreed, slinging the cloak over her arm. She took the cloak Xelloss was holding out, smile faltering only briefly as her hand brushed his. "My, Gourry, what interesting friends you have."
"Yeah," Gourry laughed, hand behind head. "I guess you could say that."
Zelgadis was shifting uncomfortably, then had his cloak swept out of his hands. Mrs. Gabriev stopped for a moment, then patted his shoulder. "You poor thing! Well, don't worry. I'm sure everything will be okay, whatever it is."
The chimera's eyes bugged. "Wh - what?"
Mrs. Gabriev raised her arms with the cloaks in them. "I'll just go hang these up. Please, make yourself comfortable in the next room!" She smiled at them, then bustled off in another direction.
There was a long silence as everyone just looked at Gourry, then Xelloss asked mildly, "Why didn't you tell us your Mom was a powerful empath, Gou-kun?"
Gourry scratched his head. "Empath? What's that? Mom's just good at guessing how people're feeling."
Lina threw up her arms as she headed for the next room. "For crying out loud, doesn't anyone have a normal family?!"
"My parents are normal," Gourry protested as they all followed her.
In the living room, a man was sitting in a big armchair. He tapped out his pipe as they came in. "'lo, Gourry."
"'Lo, Dad!" Gourry hugged him.
"Watch the ash."
Gourry carefully wiped it off his arm. "Oops."
"No harm done." The man looked Gourry up and down. "Grown into the armour."
The swordsman nodded happily. "Yeah!"
"You gonna wear it in the house, though?"
"Sorry."
Mr. Gabriev nodded at the others amicably. "Siddown."
They all found seats and sat. "Hi, Mr. Gabriev," Amelia ventured.
"'Lo. Work with Gourry?"
"Uh, yeah, we all do."
"'S what I meant."
Tag padded in from the other room and sat down at Xelloss's feet. He made a small bark. Xelloss patted him. "Hello again."
The dog lay down on his feet. Mr. Gabriev took a puff on his pipe. "Likes you."
Xelloss smiled. "Funny, that's what Gourry said."
"Mm."
Mrs. Gabriev came in from the other room, a small bundle in her arm. "Here you go, child." She pointed towards the kitchen. "You can get changed in there if you wish."
He ducked his head, and headed for it.
"So." She smiled at them. "Why don't you introduce yourselves?"
Lina shrugged. "I'm Lina Inverse."
The lady raised an eyebrow. "The sorceress?"
The red-haired girl twitched. "Please don't call me abominable."
Shaking her head, Mrs. Gabriev said, "People are seldom what others make them out to be. I would never call someone abominable without getting to know them first." She turned to Amelia. "And you, dear?"
Amelia stood and curtsied. "I'm Amelia Wil Tessla Seiryuun! I, just, uh, travel with Lina and Gourry and stuff. You know."
"Indeed!" Mrs. Gabriev smiled. "And you, sir? You seem to care for her a lot."
Guntair blushed furiously. "Uh, well, yeah, I, uh, do. I'm...Guntair."
Mrs. Gabriev nodded. "It's a pleasure, I'm sure. Out of curiosity, what are you?"
"I'm a Ryuzoku." Realizing that she might not know what that was, he added, "A dragon."
"I know what that is, dear." She tilted her head. "I'm just a little surprised... I've never met a dragon wandering through before, and certainly not in the company of any humans."
Guntair shrugged. "I've lived an unusual life."
"I'm sure. Things are better than they were, though, ne?" she asked gently. At his nod, she changed the subject. "And you, young man. What's your name?"
Seeing her looking at him, Zelgadis met her eyes. "I'm Zelgadis Greywars."
Mrs. Gabriev blinked. "Oh... the same Greywars that live just a few days travel away?"
He winced. "Yes... um, but if they come by... I wasn't here, all right?"
She raised an eyebrow but didn't ask. "All right. I won't tell them. But I would be interested to talk to them."
"No you wouldn't."
Shaking her head slightly, she corrected, "I would. You never know what you can learn by talking to others, and what they can learn from you."
N-kun came in then, wearing a pale blue outfit, baggy, arms and legs rolled. He waved quickly with a, "I'm N-kun!" before crawling up onto the sofa beside Amelia.
Smiling at him, Mrs. Gabriev said, "The clothes look nice on you. I'm glad we could help. Is there anything else we can help with?"
The child swung his legs, not meeting her eyes. "No, thank you."
"If you say so." She turned her eyes on Xelloss, who met her gaze with his own eyes open and a half-smile on his face. "You aren't human either, are you?"
"No," he smiled.
"And you're not Ryuzoku."
"No."
A slight frown touched her face. "What are you?"
He debated lying for a moment, then figured it didn't really matter. "I'm Mazoku." His smile widened.
"Mazoku." She thought for a moment. "Legend places them as demons, and the enemy of Ryuzoku, am I right?"
"Oh, entirely correct."
She shook her head. "I'm just surprised that a Mazoku would travel with a Ryuzoku. I don't mean to be rude."
He shrugged. "I'm a surprising person?" he ventured, smiling.
"And a very cautious one, I can see, but I imagine you have a very strong reason to travel with them. What's your name?"
"Xelloss Metallium."
Her lips twitched up in a smile themselves. "Sounds like you expect to be well-known."
A quick 'if only she knew!' passed through his mind, and he said simply, "Only among some groups. Anonymity is more fun, though."
"I'm sure." She cast her gaze back to the whole group again, still friendly. "I'm afraid we only have three free rooms, so you're going to have to double up, is that all right?"
Lina raised a hand. "We're used to it."
She nodded. "All right. Lina-san... would you prefer to share a room with Gourry or simply with Amelia?"
The sorceress's jaw dropped. "No! Gourry and me, we aren't... you know, we don't..."
"I wasn't certain," Mrs. Gabriev admitted. "Then, Gourry, N-kun, and Guntair-kun, can you share Gourry's room? Is that all right?"
All three shrugged. "I guess it's okay," N-kun added.
"And Amelia-chan and Lina-chan will share a room then, there's a spare bedroom." Mrs. Gabriev decided. "And of course, Zelgadis-kun and Xelloss-kun will want to share."
Lina went into a coughing fit. "That might not be a good idea!"
Mrs. Gabriev looked confused. "What do you mean?" She looked at Zelgadis and Xelloss. "You ARE lovers, aren't you? I'm not usually wrong about these things." Uncertainly, Mrs. Gabriev extended a hand, taking a step towards Xelloss.
Ah, so she's mainly a touch-based empath, the Mazoku noted, sidestepping her touch. He took hold of the shocked Zelgadis's shoulders. "Shared room is fine. And, in fact, we should probably get going up there now as ANY minute now Zel's going to snap out of this and try to kill someone..." Xelloss smiled.
Mrs. Gabriev seemed sure of herself again. "All right, dear, second door to the right at the top of the stairs. Will you be down for dinner?"
"I doubt it," Xelloss called, steering Zelgadis, still completely stunned, up the stairs.
He managed to make it to their room before Zelgadis snapped out of it.
Would I spend forever here
And not be satisfied?
Lina shook her head. "You've got to be kidding!"
"I know what I felt," Mrs. Gabriev said calmly.
Amelia picked at the material of her shirt. "You know, I'd suspected..."
"Arrgh!" Lina pulled at her hair. "Don't suspect! This is Xelloss and Zelgadis we're talking about! Those two are more likely to KILL each other than kiss each other!"
Gourry frowned. "But Lina, don't you remember when Zel said..."
Lina waved a hand, cutting his words off. "Look, don't you see that we're basically just smearing Zelgadis's reputation here? Let's just drop it and talk about something else, okay?"
And I would be the one
To hold you down,
"Gods!"
Xelloss caught Zelgadis as the chimera's legs gave out, guiding him to sit on the bed. "Shh, just sit, it's okay."
The chimera buried his face in his hands. "It's not okay. They know, L-sama, they know, even the kid. Amelia, Lina, all of them, they know."
"Yes, they know." Xelloss sighed slightly. "I don't see how they can't."
Zelgadis shivered. "Oh, gods... they're going to hate me now, I know they are..."
Worried now, Xelloss looked him up and down. He knew the signs; Zelgadis had gone into shock. That could be very bad, as everything would get much worse when he came out. With an empath, that could knock out the whole group, and they needed to get to the Koku no Tani soon, to fulfil his master's wishes. What could he do?
Well, he could put Zel into a deeper shock, bringing his subconscious to the fore, Xelloss realized. It would be nasty when he came out, but it might stop the whole party from falling apart for too long.
He shifted his staff to touch Zelgadis's legs, making soothing noises softly, setting the spell off mentally. A slow start, undetectable. He didn't want to drive Zelgadis into a worse state.
"Oh gods, oh gods, they're going to hate me..."
Xelloss stroked the chimera's arm. "Would it help to say I'm sorry?"
Zelgadis flinched. "I didn't mean it like that, but I..."
"I know." Xelloss tightened his grip on Zelgadis's arm. "I know."
The shaman sighed and leaned against Xelloss. "Gods..."
"If they hate you for something this small, then they aren't worth having as friends," Xelloss told him. "They of all people should know that there's more to you than your choice in lovers, and if they don't, they AREN'T your friends."
Zelgadis rested his head on the Mazoku's shoulder. "Only thing I have, really, you and them. Don't wanna lose either..."
"I wouldn't worry," the priest smiled. "If they're going to hate anyone, they're going to hate me. They already don't trust me, so they're going to think I seduced you at the very least." Turning his head, he bit lightly at Zelgadis's ear. "I could play that if you like," he purred. "It would be rather fun."
Shaking, Zelgadis slid away from Xelloss. "Don't," he said plaintively. "They're YOUR friends too... Don't... you... what was I saying?"
The spell was beginning to take effect. Xelloss kissed Zelgadis almost harshly, pushing him back against the bed. "I don't care what they think of me," he informed the chimera. "I have to stay with them, but beyond that I really don't care." He ran his tongue across Zelgadis's cheek.
"Don't," Zelgadis said again, but this time for another reason. "Don't... what if... what if someone hears?"
Xelloss chuckled, pulling off his shirt and tossing it to the side, unfastening his pants. "Does it matter now?" By Zelgadis's face, it was clear it did. The Mazoku sighed and whispered something, ending with a quick, "Silence." Power radiated from the room's parameter briefly, then faded, and with it faded all the background sounds. "Silence spell, Zelgadis. Now nobody can hear us."
"But..."
"Zel."
Zelgadis blinked, obviously trying to stay focussed and failing. "Uh.. yes?"
"Are you going to take that shirt off or is it going to go the same way as before?"
The chimera gulped and fumbled with his shirt.
Kiss you so hard
I'd take your breath away.
"Damn!" Lina cursed, heading for the stairs.
Mrs. Gabriev caught her arm. "Dinner's ready, Lina-san. Aren't you going to come to the table?"
She tried to shake the woman's hand loose, but Mrs. Gabriev had a really strong grip. "I've been monitoring for magical activity, and someone just cast a spell upstairs. I'm not sure, but I think it was a silence spell... which would only be cast if they were going to fight to the death and didn't want anyone knowing. Let go, I don't want Zel to get hurt!"
Gourry's mother removed her hand but still shook her head. "Those two, they aren't going to kill each other. Ever. I don't think you should go up there. You'll just embarrass them and yourself." [B4]
Lina started up the stairs again. "I know these two, and I don't want anyone to get hurt!"
"But - "
Which door was it? Lina asked herself. Oh, right, second door to the right. She tried it, but it seemed to be held tightly shut. "To hell with this," she muttered, and blasted through the door. Quickly, she stepped in and assessed the situation.
Well, Xelloss wasn't killing Zelgadis... unless you could kill someone with your tongue, and lips, and hands... Lina blushed furiously.
Xelloss glanced up at her, and his lips twitched up slightly in an unusually self-directed smile. Zelgadis didn't seem to have noticed her yet; his eyes were closed and his mind elsewhere.
The Mazoku slid off of Zelgadis and walked towards her, waggling a finger. Lina's blush deepened. Having aroused naked men walking towards her was not an experience she was accustomed to, nor particularly enthused by, especially when said naked man had just been crawling all over one of her best friends.
"Now Lina-san, although I'm sure whatever you came in to discuss was important, now isn't the best time." Xelloss put his hands on her shoulders. "Can we talk later?"
Quickly, she looked away from him, back to Zelgadis, who had just seemed to notice Xelloss was gone and was making little uncertain noises, reaching out.
"What did you do to him?" she demanded, tearing free and heading towards the bed. Zelgadis ALWAYS noticed what was going on... although admittedly she'd never encountered him in this situation, but...
Xelloss followed. "Nothing... yet," he said, half purring. Zelgadis's eyes popped open at his voice, resting on Lina only briefly before travelling back to Xelloss, half glaring. Xelloss began to turn Lina to the door.
And after, I'd
Wipe away the tears.
Zelgadis was happy. Zelgadis was very happy. He was all warm and his brain was sweetly fuzzed up and interesting feelings were running all over him and he felt tingly. It was nice.
Then suddenly, the interesting nice feelings began to grow fainter, the touches gone, and the tinglies growing stronger instead but it was almost painful. He frowned, not sure he liked that as much. He was still fuzzed up though.
Xelloss was gone, that was why, the realization pushed through the layers of cotton candy in his mind. He didn't want that. Where was Xelloss? Xelloss made those nice feelings happen...
He heard that familiar voice and his eyes popped open. Xelloss was standing there, talking to Lina. Lina? For a moment, something in his mind was screaming something about Lina, but then the voice drowned in the cotton candy and went away. What was that? Oh yes, Xelloss, talking to someone who wasn't him when there were far better things he should be doing. Zelgadis frowned as Xelloss turned away, trying to lead Lina to the door... no, he was going away, that wasn't supposed to happen.
Zelgadis leaned out of bed and cupped his hand around Xelloss's butt. Well, he'd stopped, but how to get him to come back? Oh, maybe... "Mono Bolt," Zelgadis whispered.
Oh, look, Xelloss LIKED that. Maybe when he stopped twitching he'd come back.
Just close your eyes,
Dear.
Lina and Xelloss both glanced back as Zelgadis moved. He had a strange-half smile on his face as he reached out and... grabbed Xelloss's butt!? Lina's eyes bulged. This was SO not happening.
"Zel," Xelloss said softly.
Zelgadis's smile deepened. "Mono bolt," he said huskily, casting a spell that Lina remembered most clearly from her first fight with him. Lightning played across Xelloss's body, a moan tearing itself from his throat, his -
Lina's mind hit overload and shut down. She turned without noticing anything else, walked out the doorframe, pulled together what was left of the door, cast a barrier spell, and made it downstairs to the dinner table without, thankfully, thinking anything at all.
Through this world I've stumbled,
So many times betrayed,
"Wow, Mrs. Gabriev, this beef is the BEST!" Amelia exclaimed, helping herself to more. "I wish I could cook like you!"
"Could I have some more mashed potatoes?" Gourry asked. "Oh, thanks, mom!"
"Thanks for the blue-rare!" Guntair smiled. "It's been a while!"
Mrs. Gabriev laughed. "I'm glad you all like it."
"Hey, Lina-san," Nakoku asked, "Could you pass the salt?"
Lina stared at her food.
"Please?"
Absently, Lina picked up the salt-shaker, then stopped and watched it in her hand.
"Uh, Lina-san?"
She dropped it. "HAS THE WHOLE WORLD GONE CRAZY OR IS IT JUST ME?!?"
Silence fell as they looked at her.
"What's wrong?" Gourry asked.
She shook her head, eyes wide. "Xelloss... Zel... no, that is so stupid! It... what? How?! I mean, this is XELLOSS and ZELGADIS! There's no way that they'd ever... but they were!" She buried her face in her hands. "My head hurts."
More silence. N-kun hopped off his chair and patted her on the back. "Are you okay?
"No," she mumbled around her hands. "Everything I took for granted in this world has turned upside down and the insides fell out. And hit me. Then landed in messy piles on the floor which I know I'll have to clean up later."
Mrs. Gabriev came to her side. "Lina-san, they love each other. I know you're awfully surprised by all this, and may not understand, but... Zelgadis is happy with him. I could make that out definitely, and also that he was afraid of something to do with you guys. But he's happy, and even if you don't like Xelloss that much, you can at least accept that, I'm sure."
"And all the time, 'Damned Mazoku, stupid fruitcake!'! Was it all lies? Was he lying to us for how long?" Lina tore at her hair. "ARRGH! IF THERE'S AN UNLIKELIER COUPLE, I DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE!" [W3] She glared around at them all suddenly. "Why aren't you guys this surprised?"
They shifted uncomfortably.
"Don't tell me you KNEW?!"
Guntair laughed nervously, one hand behind his head. "I guessed, actually."
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!?"
He winced. "Xelloss threatened my life if I told anyone. He said something about making me wish I was a Gold... though I'm not sure what he meant by that..."
"I suspected," Amelia admitted. "I started suspecting a long time ago, but when I first brought it up they... they weren't... and I've been too nervous to ask since..."
Lina slapped her forehead. "And you, Gourry? Did YOU know and not bother to inform me of this little development?"
The swordsman swallowed his current mouthful. "Well, you know, back in that fight with... what's her name... Yuba or something..."
"Yume."
"Yeah, that sounds about right. Anyway, Xelloss jumped in front of that spell thingy and got hurt and you were pretty distracted but," Gourry took a glug of fruit juice, "Zelgadis pretty much screamed out that he loved Xelloss. I thought you knew."
"You. Thought. I. Knew."
Gourry flinched back. "Uh, yeah..."
She forced a smile. "It's okay, Gourry, you had no reason to know I didn't, but next time something like this happens, tell me even if you think I do know."
"...ok."
Lina turned to N-kun. "Don't tell me even YOU knew?"
"Knew what?" N-kun looked innocent, blinking his huge eyes.
"Never mind, you're just a kid." Lina sighed and rubbed her temples. "I'm going to bed, where I'm going to have a pleasant migraine."
Mrs. Gabriev patted her arm. "Don't let it get to you too much."
"Whatever. Where's that room?" [B5]
Trying to find an honest words to find
The truth enslaved.
"Xelloss," Zelgadis sighed, eyes drifting shut.
The Mazoku smiled. Oh no, my dear, he thought, I'm not letting you off that easily. No, I need a reason for the spell's effect of apparent exhaustion.
Besides, who knows what Zelgadis will do when he comes out of this? Especially after Lina... knowing and Knowing are two different things.
Xelloss tried to clear away his worries. Live for the moment, he reminded himself. It's what I've always had to do, and I have to do it now. You can never know what tomorrow will bring, never know.
Live for the now.
Zelgadis crying out harshly
Live for the now.
Tears running down his face as his hands dig pleasantly/painfully into my back.
Live for the now.
My name on his lips.
After all, Xelloss mused with a half-smile, the now is the only thing I CAN live for.
Zelgadis might hate him if he finds out he dulled his consciousness, no matter what his reasons had been, Xelloss knew.
Live for the now, forever.
The Mazoku leaned down and kissed Zelgadis again, shaking him slightly until he opened his eyes. "Wha - ?"
"Not done yet," Xelloss half-purred. "Wakey-wakey."
Oh, you speak to me in riddles,
You speak to me in rhyme.
Lina stood, looking over a constantly moving sea, listening to the sound of the relentless waves moving in, moving out. There was something wrong with this image, and after a while she realized what it was; there was no wind. And yet the waves moved in, moved out.
Another sound started, and she barely noticed it at first, with the way it fit in with the sound of the waves. She turned as soon as she recognized it.
Shabrinigido sat at a table behind her, shuffling a deck of cards. He indicated a chair across from him with a wave of his head. "Come. Sit."
She crossed her arms.
The dark lord sighed. "Please?"
Why not, she decided, pulling the chair out and sitting. "There's a mistake in your illusion."
"It's not an illusion, nor is it mine. It's a dreamscape of yours that I molded, but it is not my dreamscape." He smiled as he continued to shuffle. "But what's the mistake?"
"No wind."
He laughed. "No mistake. I wanted to play cards and I didn't want them to blow away... join me in a game?"
Lina frowned. "What's the catch?"
"No catch," Shabrinigido said easily.
"You're a Mazoku. There's always a catch." She thought about this. "Hell, you're THE Mazoku, so there must be a catch."
A deep chuckle. "Think of it this way... I have been imprisoned for thousands of years. So long ago! And during that time it's been fairly lonely. I just want to play cards with someone else in a game that isn't solitaire."
She raised an eyebrow. "All right... say I accept that... what's the rest of the terms? You want to play for money, or what? What game?"
"No risk, no gamble. And how about 'Go Fish'?"
Hmmm... Lina contemplated that. An innocuous enough game. "All right."
"I'll deal." Shabrinigido's hands moved quickly, dealing them both seven cards, then setting the deck down in the middle of the table.
Remembering, Lina asked, "Book or pairs?"
"Book. I only ever play for the larger ones."
She snorted. "I'll remember that. Uh..." She examined her hand. Two queens... the pictures being of a small girl with green hair, hiding her face, for the Queen of Chaos, and a figure that gave Lina a brief chill as she saw the smiling face, eyes shaded from her bangs... her Oneesan, Luna, as the Queen of Light. "N - nice cards."
Even without looking up, she knew he was smiling. "Thank you. They were a long time in the making."
"Yeah." What else? The King of Chaos... a blond-haired woman that Lina knew too intimately, though never having seen her in flesh. L-sama. She also had the 4 of Magic, and three Jacks. The Jack of Magic... Gourry, Hikari no Ken balanced on his palms. No doubt that the sword was the only thing that made Shabrinigido choose him as the Jack for the Magic suit. The Jack of Light - Guntair, with his hair loose from its customary ponytail and swinging loose around him, jet-black wings
natural on him. And also the Jack of Darkness... Xelloss. The trickster's finger was up in the no-no position, his smile was dark, and his eyes were open. That reminded her... she looked up and glared at Shabrinigido. "Did YOU know?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"It couldn't have happened on its own. There has to be ulterior motives. I mean, Zelgadis HATES Xelloss."
Shabrinigido shrugged. "Oh, that. I didn't actually know... I cannot actually keep in proper touch with anyone outside of YOUR dreamscape, and that only because you are my Knight. However I can pick up impressions, and I had been feeling a lot of... activity from them lately."
Lina sighed.
"Actually, you won't believe the shows you can get on the astral plane while those two..."
"I don't want to hear it!" Lina interrupted. "Do you have any Jacks?"
The Ruby-Eyed accepted the change of subject and examined his cards. "Yes." He pulled a card out and tossed it at Lina. She took it; it was the Jack of Chaos. "It's my second favourite picture," he mentioned.
Nakoku, the top form his adult curse form, the bottom the child form. Odd to put him as Chaos, though, Lina mused. "What's your favourite?" she asked, laying down her full book.
"I'm sure you'll come across it."
"Have any fours?"
"Go fish."
She drew. It was the 4 of Chaos. "How lucky do you get? Fish, fish, I got my wish." She flashed it at Shabrinigido and put it in her hand.
He nodded. "Have any Kings?"
Lina sighed and slid it across the table at him. He grinned and placed his first book on the table: King of Chaos that she'd given him, King of Darkness (himself), King of Light (A man with Ryuzoku eyes and white hair), and the King of Magic (Zelgadis, almost hidden behind his hood and half-mask). She leaned over the table to look at them, remembering to hide her hand at the last minute. "Well, I recognize most of those folks... but who's the King of Light supposed to be?"
Reaching out and touching the card almost gently, Shabrinigido commanded it, "Show her."
The card came to life briefly, the surprised eye of the Ryuzoku narrowing with anger, growing dark. The view pulled back to show Shabrinigido standing in front of him, in human form, holding an ugly flail. The dark lord raises the flail, and Ryuzoku reaches out a hand. Light gathers in it, becomes a lance. Shabrinigido's lips move, obviously saying something, and the Ryuzoku snarls, raises the lance, charges. Shabrinigido sidesteps, bringing his flail down but the Ryuzoku rolls, avoiding the blow. He backs off a distance and prepares to throw the lance; Shabrinigido shifts to his Mazoku form, and the lance bounces off his armoured skin. The Ryuzoku shifts into his Dragon form immediately, and they lock in battle. The fight continues, until the Ryuzoku is laying on his back, weakly. Shabrinigido raises his hand/claw, but stops suddenly, hesitating. The Ryuzoku casts something blindingly bright, and as Shabrinigido reels back, the Ryuzoku's claws tear into him, ripping him into seven parts which flash and are sealed; the card doesn't quite show how, instead it falls back to the Ryuzoku who shifts back into his humanoid form, sighs, and his eyes drift shut. Then the card went back to its original image and froze.
Lina's jaw drops. "Oh," she says. "It's..."
"Yes," Shabrinigido admits. "You're lucky. We were the only ones who knew exactly how the battle went. Now you do as well."
"Oh."
They were silent a long time, then Shabrinigido asked, "Do you have any eights?"
"Uh..." Lina looked back at her hand. "Go Fish."
He shrugged and drew.
"Have any Queens?" She asked.
"Yes." He took a card and slid it across to her. "Queen of Darkness."
She picked up the card, curious.
And saw herself staring back, smiling, fireball clasped in her hands, eyes a ruby red.
My body aches to breathe your breath,
Your words keep me alive.
Safe, there was no safe place! Homen began to feel the panic overtake him again, and fell back into that odd calm. There was a safe place. He just had to find it.
Inhale.
One hand tightened on the Teardrop Ruby, the other brushing green bangs out of his eyes. His breath wheezed as usual in his weak chest, but he no longer felt the pain as before.
To the east, perhaps? He started walking again, not knowing what was prompting it. Within the hour, he found a cave, dark, long, and warm. Safe? For now.
Enough time to sleep, at least.
And I would be the one
To hold you down,
Guntair dying.
If you were one of us, you could save him from this.
Guntair being tortured and killed.
If you were one of us, you could save him from this.
Guntair afraid of being tortured and killing himself.
If you were one of us, you could save him from this.
Amelia was beginning to get numbed by the whole thing. Too often, now, she was seeing this. Sometimes she would scream denials. Sometimes she would cry. Sometimes she would almost agree and stop herself. She wouldn't be agreeing for that reason, she would be agreeing because she wanted to stop seeing this.
Guntair not wanting to betray her and killing himself.
If you were one of us, you could save him from this.
She found that it was easier not to reply at all than to do anything. It was like a horrible play, watching him die over and over again.
Stop. Change scene.
Papa running in to protect her and dying horribly.
If you were one of us, you could save him from this.
"No!"
Papa being assassinated by his family.
If you were one of us, you could save him from this.
"Papa!"
Papa getting killed by invaders from a nearby kingdom.
If you were one of us, you could save him from this.
"Just... stop this."
Papa getting kidnapped and held for ransom, tortured, and killed.
If you were one of us, you could save him from this.
Inhale, Amelia told herself. It's just a ploy. Keep watching and remember it isn't real.
Oneesan's dead body turning up, stripped of her wealth, defiled for her looks.
If you were one of us, you could save her from this.
It isn't real. It isn't real.
Mother bleeding out her life on the floor, blood everywhere, everywhere, so much blood so much blood! Her blue eyes, the same eyes that Amelia had... had once had... the same blue eyes Oneesan had... wide, terrified, showing her pain. Oneesan falling to her knees, screaming out their mother's name, staining her white dress with the blood, all that blood. "KAASAN!" Amelia's own voice, and Oneesan's as well. Mother's fingers twitching, trying to reach for them, blood bubbling on her lips. "KAASAN!" Mother watching them watch her die. "KAASAN!"
If you were one of us, you could have saved her from this.
Amelia filled her lungs with the terror and screamed.
Kiss you so hard,
I'll take your breath away.
Listening to the breathing of his two companions, even Nakoku's oddly beautiful adult form familiar now, Guntair slowly drifted to sleep.
He was fighting through a red mist, looking for something.
What was he looking for?
Laughter reminded him.
"Amelia!"
"Come and get me, Gun!"
His sense of sight was confused in this mist, he couldn't find her like that. He closed his eyes. "Amelia!"
"Why don't you come for me, Gun?"
To the left. Keep walking. "I'm coming, Amelia."
"Of course you are!"
Ahead now. Keep following. "Don't stop talking, Amelia!"
"Find me!"
Here. He stepped out of the mist. "Amelia."
She was kneeling in front of a pool of water. "Guntair, I'm scared."
"Why?" He was immediately concerned. "Has someone hurt you?"
Amelia shook her head, still focussed on the pool. "I'm scared that you'll hate my reflection."
He laughed. "Your reflection's still you, Amelia."
"Is it? Is that me? Who is me? I don't know who I am anymore."
He glanced at the reflection.
It was... Amelia. Sort of. Her shamanist outfit was identical to her normal one, but the white was a pitch black. Her skin was almost pallid in colour, and her eyes...
Not the blue when he first met her, not the violet they were now, but... a deep blood-coloured red. Reflection Amelia's mouth twisted up in a smile.
"You see?" The reflection's mouth moved in sync with Amelia. "And now you'll hate me."
For the life of him, Guntair didn't know what to say.
And after, I'd
Wipe away the tears.
The gold was peaceful, gently, soothing and unpredictable.
"Mother."
"Yes?"
"Where after Zefilia?"
"Not Yet. I'll Tell You After."
Just close your eyes,
Dear.
Morning broke.
Actually, morning shattered as Gourry thundered down the stairs with the force of a hoard of Gourrys. "I SMELL BREAKFAST!" Mrs. Gabriev turned, already in the process of ladling food onto plates from a HUGE pot. "Good morning, Gourry!"
"Morning, mom! Gimme the food!" Gourry snatched the plate from his mother and started shoveling breakfast into his mouth.
At a slower pace, Guntair descended, carrying N-kun, who was really just waking up, his big green eyes blinking sleepily. "Good morning, Mrs. Gabriev," Guntair greeted her.
"Good morning, you two! Ah, and here are Amelia-chan and Lina-chan as well."
"Morning," Lina yawned, obviously still turning something over in her head. "I could have sworn that the two of Chaos had been... so why..."
"Huh, what?" Amelia asked nervously. "Morning? Ah... yeah, it's morning... a good one... yeah..."
Gourry's mother frowned. "Amelia-san, you look jumpy. Is something wrong?"
She laughed quickly. "Wrong? No, no, nothing wrong... nothing at all... eheheh... I just... didn't sleep well... that's all."
"Do you want to talk - "
The woman was interrupted by Xelloss sliding down the banister, flying into the kitchen, and hitting the far wall. He pushed himself off and gently touched down. "Good morning, minna-san!" he chirped cheerily.
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence as Zelgadis slowly descended the stairs, nobody sure of what exactly to say, but then he tripped on the bottom stair, smacking his face into the floor.
"Zelgadis-san!" Amelia exclaimed, helping him up, coming awake as she saw someone in trouble. "Are you all right?"
He looked at her blankly, nodded his head carefully as though worried it would fall off, blinked a few times, and stumbled into the kitchen. Through a process of trial and error, he found his chair, and sat in it carefully. Mrs. Gabriev slid some tea in front of him, which he blinked at twice. His eyes slid shut. "Gzzsht..."
Lina stumbled over her words. "Zel, are you... are... are you.."
"Are you even awake?" Xelloss finished suddenly, waving a hand in front of Zelgadis.
The chimera opened his eyes again. "Gzzsht?"
"Are you even awake, Zel?"
He seemed to think about this for a very long time, then, finally, shook his head.
"I see." Xelloss shrugged. "Can you walk on your own?"
Again, long pause as Zelgadis thought. Then he nodded.
"Good," N-kun said, stuffing another forkful into his mouth. "Then we can keep on to Zefilia today!"
Guntair frowned. "Is that a good idea?" he asked. "With Zelgadis this out of it..."
Xelloss waved a hand dismissively. "He'll be fine! I'll just point him in the right direction and keep him from smacking into trees and stuff. Ne, Zel?"
"............ Gzzsht...."
Into this night I wander,
It's morning that I dread.
"Mom..."
Mrs. Gabriev put her arms around her son. "Gourry." For a moment, she hugged him tightly, almost afraid to let him go. Then her arms loosened, giving up to the inevitable. "Don't get killed out there."
He laughed. "Hasn't happened yet!"
"I know. Just... I have this feeling there's much more coming. So... be careful. That's all. Just promise me." [B6]
"I promise."
Another day of knowing of
The path I fear to tread.
Zelgadis was feeling fuzzy and slightly cold. People, things... too well defined, yet he couldn't control... anything. The way he walked. Thought. Could he think? He was thinking this, wasn't he?
Something was... wrong.
He was too far away. Why was he so far away? It was like he was joined to his body by a thread, unable to control things. Everything was distant. But that was okay, right?
Hand on his shoulder, turning him. He tried to speak, but his body only made a little noise. That was okay.
It wasn't like there was anything he wanted to say.
Oh, into the sea of waking dreams
I follow without pride.
Xelloss allowed himself a moment of guilt. He deserved to be guilty, anyway. He had put Zelgadis into this.
He'd had to, but that didn't make it right.
Still, he'd done it. Maybe it was even better, in the long run. No panicking empaths. Time to take the big trouble to a more private place.
Briefly, he reached out and squeezed Zelgadis's shoulder. He hoped Zel could feel it though his haze, but he probably couldn't.
He'd be out of this by tomorrow morning.
So why did Xelloss dread that?
Nothing stands between us here,
And I won't be denied!
They said their 'fond' farewells and were on their way. Nakoku, for one, was more than glad to get out of there; an empath that strong could easily learn which was his true form. Plus he had to get to Zefilia. He wasn't sure why, yet, but he had to. The why could come later.
Surely they weren't going to buy this innocent child act much longer!
He tugged on Guntair's pant leg. "Guntair-san!"
The Ryuzoku smiled at him and it was all he could do not to roll his eyes. "Yes, N-kun?"
"Carry me!" He blinked a few times for extra benefit.
Still, there were some good things due to this.
And I would be the one
To hold you down,
"Ne, Gourry."
Lina was interrupted as behind them, Xelloss shouted. "No, Zel, walk on the path, not the lake - oh shi - " And there was a large splash. She looked back to see the Mazoku pull Zelgadis out of the water. Zelgadis blinked and lifted a hand, watching the water drip.
"Yes, Lina?" Gourry was smiling at her.
She pulled her thoughts back together. "Don't you think Zelgadis is acting... weird?"
"Oh, he probably just didn't get much sleep."
Lina's skin took on a bluish tint as she flashed back to that nasty image place. "Don't say things like that! Even if they are " She blushed, colour returning in a flash. "Even though they are, it's not like... well, Mazoku aren't very lovable, and I'm sure Xelloss knows a lot of spells which most sorcerers wouldn't... do you think he, you know, used his magic to make Zel... well... you know?" she finished lamely.
Gourry scratched his head. "Gee, Lina, that's really not my thing. But... Mom said that they did love each other, and Mom's not wrong about things like that. It's good enough for me."
"ACK! ZEL, TREE!" SMACK.
"... I know she's a strong empath, but, well, have you ever heard of a Mazoku in love?"
"Well, yeah, Mom says that Xelloss..."
"BESIDES Xelloss."
"Just because people don't hear about it, doesn't mean it doesn't happen." [B7]
Lina sighed. "There's no point in talking to you about this, is there?"
Gourry was silent.
The sorceress shifted uncomfortably, seeing Gourry avoiding her gaze. "Look, I... I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, but this is just so... sudden, you know? And it's so against Zelgadis's nature... it's all wrong."
"If you want, I'll agree with you," Gourry told her.
"But what about what you THINK?"
He sighed. "I told you that already."
"I know, but it's just so..."
"I agree," Guntair interjected. "It's not like I know Zelgadis really, but the whole concept's just messed up. Mazoku don't love. That much I know."
Amelia hopped from one foot to another. "I don't know, Gun. I mean, Zelgadis seemed happy the last little while. It's only today that he's out of it. And happy's what matters, right?"
"Not if it's forced upon him."
"So you think Xelloss cast a spell saying, 'you will be happy! Enjoy yourself!'?"
"No," Guntair snarled. "I think Xelloss cast a spell saying, 'you will screw my brains out, and you will like it whether you want to or not'."
Amelia's jaw dropped and she blushed brightly. "GUN-KUN!"
"Well, it's what I think," he defended himself.
Lina was shaking her head slowly. "It's the closest... but the pieces don't fit..."
"Look, I've had a lot of... experience with Mazoku," Guntair pointed out. "And frankly, I know what they do. That's not far out from what they DO do only they usually gloat more."
"Ano, Zel! WATCH OUT FOR THAT - " THUD " - rock."
Amelia's voice was smaller now, not wanting to argue. "It's just... way, way back, before they were together... I think... you remember, Lina, when Zelgadis told me he didn't... anyway, he'd been researching Xelloss. I don't know why, but he was. And... and then I told him I thought Xelloss was in love with him and he kinda got confused... I don't know if that's important, but..."
"There!" Guntair said smugly. "Xelloss found out Zelgadis was researching him and put him under a spell which would be highly amusing, considering Zelgadis was probably trying to find a weakness in Xelloss's defense in the research!"
"But why wouldn't he have told me that instead of shutting it and getting confused?"
Guntair's smile fell. "Well, that's where it falls apart. Give me a minute to think of something."
There was a squawk behind them and they turned to see Xelloss get pulled to the ground with Zelgadis, instead of pulling him up. Zelgadis snuggled into his chest sleepily and shut his eyes, starting to snore almost immediately.
"Zel!" Xelloss said frantically, trying to squirm out from under. "This is a road! We are going to Zefilia. Walking, you remember, Zel, walk? Can you get up? WAKE UP!"
"Gzzsht..."
Amelia nudged Guntair. "Well? You've had a minute."
"Uh... this is all... part of Xelloss's... ruse?"
Kiss you so hard,
I'll take your breath away.
Thiro the Bandit was having a bad day.
It had started well. A year ago, he had survived Her. The ... no, he could not even think her name. The Bandit Killer. And now, today...
He'd gathered his gang from scratch, worked them up to a great band of bloodthirsty bandits. And then they'd seen a woman walking alone on the road.
Quite a beautiful woman, really. Her outfit could barely be referred to as clothes... a waitress's outfit, high at the thigh. Not low at the bosom, but it didn't really matter in this case, as her breasts were large enough that the cloth was strained across them. Her bangs were too long, perhaps, but he (and his men) weren't really interested in her face anyway. Basically, looking at her, it was easy to tell that she was everything the Bandit Killer wasn't.
And she was walking alone. So he and his men did what any self-respecting bandit would do.
They ran out there to take her money, knock her down and...
She looked up and smiled. It was then that Thiro noticed that the line of her face was similar to Li... to the Bandit Killer's. Same skin tone. Same...
She raised a hand, light beginning to glow brightly in it.
Thiro the Bandit was having a bad day indeed.
And after, I'd
Wipe away the tears.
"Ne, Gourry?"
"Haven't we had this talk before?"
Lina blinked. "No, I don't think so. It's... your mom... you're adopted, right?"
"Yup." Gourry didn't seem upset about it.
"Well... just... what happened?" Lina found herself blushing and forced herself to stop.
"Dunno. They found me at the bottom of a cliff with my head all bloody. Said I was a gift from L-sama, who brought me down from the heavens but dropped me by accident at the end."
"Oh." It figured. They walked in silence for a minute. "Does it bother you?"
Gourry shrugged. "I don't have to be born to her to be her son."
Lina scuffled her boot, watching dust rise from the road. The rainstorm hadn't reached this far, then. "Yeah... family's funny that way..."
Just close your eyes,
dear.
"Hire you? For just a few days?"
The nice young lady smiled and nodded, swaying back on her heels. The innkeeper's eyes went to her bouncing breasts for a second, then forced themselves back up to her face. "Instead of paying to stay, you'll work here?"
She nodded. "Yes, sir. If it pleases you, sir." Her smile widened somewhat, but he didn't get the joke.
"That'll be fine. Just give me a day's warning before you have to go. Talk to Izzy about what tables you'll do."
Just close your eyes...
Lina shaded her eyes. "Hey, look, it's an inn!"
"We can't stop there," Nakoku complained. "We've got to get going to Zefilia. Besides, it's only early afternoon."
She sighed. "You're probably right." A cart came past and she stepped out of it's way. "There'll be another inn by dinnertime, I hope."
"ZEL! IT'S A CART! GET OUT OF THE - "
We walk without a sound
across a barren landscape.
Homen stepped into the inn, stomach growling. It was only about four, but he needed food. He would travel by night, sleep by day, but right now, he needed food. He sat at a table, and a maroon-haired waitress hurried up.
"Can I take your order?"
"Just... bread and cheese, please," he whispered. He glanced at the nametag on the waitress's shirt. "...Luna."
"Water to drink?"
"Yes." He kept his head down, not meeting her eyes. For some reason, the waitress gave him the chills.
He was becoming paranoid, he reflected bitterly. If he thought a WAITRESS might scheme against him, who knew what he'd think next.
Your eyes are twisted down
To a dew entailed ground.
As Luna retreated to get the bread and cheese, her eyes glinted beneath her bangs. So. Cepheed had told her it had been stolen, but fancy running into the thief here.
Should she nab him now or wait?
No, wait. She needed to find out exactly what happened in the Black Dragons' weak guard. She'd just find him again later.
She smiled at him as she delivered his bread and cheese, memorizing his features and extending her consciousness to leave a brief tab on him. She could find him again now. It might take time to travel, but she'd find him now, no matter what.
"I'll just get your water for you now."
And if she got him now, she wouldn't have time to stop and talk to Lina-chan for a while. That was something she HAD to do.
We watch the stars as they
Slowly fade away,
Xelloss sighed as he hauled Zelgadis to his feet. This was more tiresome than he'd thought it would be... but it had been his plan, so he'd stick to it.
Nobody was looking, now. Rather, they were studiously avoiding looking. Xelloss was used to this for other reasons, but would Zelgadis be?
"Shut up! Just shut up, shut up!" Zelgadis turned away. "Don't look at me!"
"It's okay, Zel, it's okay..."
"NO IT'S NOT! It's never been okay and it will never be okay! I'm an ugly freak who everyone hates! Just leave me ALONE!"
For a moment, he hesitated, torn, glancing back at the faces turned away from them. Then, suddenly, using his Mazoku speed, he embraced Zelgadis. Quickly changing it to an arm around his shoulders, leading him, Xelloss whispered in the chimera's ear, "Don't lose yourself."
Briefly, he thought he saw something in Zelgadis's eyes, some recognition of what he had said, perhaps? But it was gone before he was certain, returning to the faded, not-there look.
Why those words, Xelloss wondered, chilled, remembering their first source.
Xer made a small noise, half pain half pleasure as their father's claws swiped across his belly, his chest, a fist slamming into his head. His eyes widened as his father took ahold of an arm with each of his own and began to pull... And his arms came off. Xelloss felt something scream inside him, watching the blood spurt, feeling the pain echoing from his brother to him. Their father reached again, grabbing his legs. Xerinier looked past the monster to Xelloss, eyes hooded in shadow, but red tears streaking his face along with other blood. "Don't lose yourself," he whispered as the tears of blood flowed down his face. "Xel, whatever you do, don't - [B8] Xelloss cut the memory off there with long practice and training. The pain inside him at his brother's memory now faded into a kind of dull anger, the kind he stored up for later use. No need for it now, save it for when it had to be there.
Beside him, Zelgadis stumbled, and Xelloss absently caught him, easing him back into balance.
And in the clearing sky I see
The cold stone face of morning setting in on me.
It had been a long day, and Xelloss's smile had twisted to sardonic long before they'd reached the inn. Leading Zelgadis up the stairs, his smile twisted more as he heard Lina whisper clearly to the others, "Wait until they're in their room and then we talk."
She couldn't know that Mazoku hearing was better than human, Xelloss sighed mentally. She hadn't intended to -
Who cared what she'd intended? It's not like it mattered what she thought of him, anyway.
"See, here's our room," he whispered to Zelgadis, knowing that even if the chimera couldn't make out the meaning of the words, he could at least hear his voice. "Now you can sleep. No more walking today."
Slowly, Zelgadis nodded, hands fumbling at his side for his sword belt, but not quite figuring out the buckles.
So, the spell was wearing off. No real surprise.
Zelgadis was going to hate him again in the morning, Xelloss thought, oddly amused. He helped the chimera undo his cape and remove his shirt, then led him towards the bed.
Only a slight helping hand, and Zelgadis was in bed, head against the pillow, sighing sleepily.
Xelloss watched him for a moment. "When the sun rises, you'll hate me again," he murmured, stroking the shaman's face, then turning away. He should remain phazed out and listen to the others talk, get some idea of what the two of them be facing, should the others decide to turn on them.
And was stopped by a hand on his arm, no real strength in the hand, but there. Xelloss turned, to see Zelgadis blink at him with tired eyes. "Yes?" He leaned closer.
Zelgadis tugged, overbalancing Xelloss and pulling him into bed. While Xelloss blinked, not sure whether to be amused or alarmed at the missed chance, Zelgadis rearranged him, yawned, placed his head on Xelloss's chest, and started snoring.
Briefly, only briefly, Xelloss thought about leaving anyway. Then he sighed and wrapped his other arm around Zelgadis. He might as well stay, he could find out what they said easily enough later.
And besides, Zelgadis would hate him tomorrow.
It's a Strange World,
It's a very strange world,
"YARRG!" Lina grumbled, pulling at her hair. "I just don't get it! Gourry, Amelia, why are you standing UP for him?!"
Amelia shrugged uncomfortably, face burning under the other's gazes. "I really... I mean... Well, Xelloss was being so nice today to Zelgadis and..."
"Yeah," the red-haired sorceress snorted. "If you can call leading someone he brainwashed around by the hand NICE."
Gourry scratched his head. "Dunno, really. It was just, you know, back when that Yugi - "
"Yume."
"Whatever, when she attacked Zelgadis and Xelloss jumped in the way and almost died... you know. I mean... you know what I'm trying to say, right, Lina?"
She breathed out harshly. "NO, I DON'T know what you're trying to say, Gourry! Clarify it a little?!"
"Just... well... it was so... self-sacrificing. It just seemed real nice, that's all. I mean, Xelloss doesn't normally do that sort of thing."
Lina nodded rapidly. "That's exactly why it's suspicious. He wouldn't do that sort of thing. He has some kind of plot up his sleeve."
"But," Gourry protested, "Why would he plot? He's our friend."
"This is XELLOSS we're talking about."
Amelia shifted nervously. "Lina-san... why don't you just scan Zelgadis-san for control-based magic? And... if there isn't any... just ask him?"
Lina's face flushed immediately. "I can't ask him that!"
Guntair shook his head. "Oh, they're definitely lovers. I mentioned it to Xelloss and he threatened to kill me if I told you. But they ARE lovers. The question is why? Even if there's no magic control, there's still control. Mazoku love to have control. And they love to force people. I really, really don't trust this at all."
Lina sighed. "I'll scan him tomorrow. And if there isn't any - " her blush deepened, "I'll talk to Zelgadis."
That leaves me holding on to nothing
when there's nothing left to lose.
"Hey, watch i - "
"OH!"
The two waitresses collided, and the blonde girl watched with wide eyes as her huge stack of plates began to wobble and fall. "Oh no!" she exclaimed, tears starting up in her eyes.
Moving fast, Luna balanced her own platters on her forearms, sliding her body into the falling stack and using some minor magic to help rebalance it again. "Got it."
The blonde girl reclaimed the dishes, almost pathetically grateful. "Thank you, thank you!"
"You okay?"
She nodded, holding the dishes carefully. "Yes... thank you..."
From the main room, a harsh male voice called, "Where's my food?! I had to have ordered an hour ago!"
Luna grinned, shifting her plates to a better position for maneuverablilty. "Business calls - never a dull moment! See you!"
Heading out and delivering the food to the waiting men with a pleasant smile, Luna mused over the girl. Almost completely hidden, a sense of... something. Luna's smile deepened. Perhaps... she'd have to see more. Very, very softly, she cast a spell towards one of the men who should be in the blonde girl's serving area.
She passed the girl on the way back to the kitchen, and hadn't even reached the door before she heard the girl scream.
Turning, she saw the man she'd cast the spell at with his hand up the other waitress's skirt. The blonde girl had dropped her tray and notepad and was shrieking. Still screaming, she reached out blindly and gripped the edge of the thick wood table, lifting it as though it weighed nothing, spraying dishes and food around as she swung the table lightly, bashing the man through the inn wall and down the street. Shrieks changing to sobs, the girl dropped the table (which cracked to floor as it hit) and covered her face, crying.
Yep, Luna thought. She'd been right. Ryuzoku, or at least part Ryuzoku, from her appearance.
Oops. And now the man's friends are surrounding her. Luna sighed. "I guess I have to step in," she murmured, stepping up.
The fight was over in under a minute. However, Luna mused as she followed the blonde girl into the manager's office, the repercussions would last much longer, for the other waitress at least.
She started paying attention to the manager.
"You're fired," he said.
The blonde girl gasped. "Wh - what?"
He drummed his fingers. "You heard me, Chris. You're fired. Luna's new here and didn't know the rules, so she can stay on, but you understand perfectly well that we don't allow fighting here. You're fired."
Chris clamped her hands onto the manager's desk. "Please, sir! I can't survive without a job! Please... give me another chance... I promise not to do anything bad again..."
He shook his head. "No, Chris. I can't have such violent people working for me. Get out."
Her whole being drooped. "Yes sir. Can I at least stay the night?"
The manager relented slightly. "Yes, but you leave in the morning."
"Yes sir."
Luna stepped forward. "How are you going to replace two waitresses so quickly?" she asked, grin hovering about her lips as usual.
He leaned back in his seat. "You misunderstand me, Luna. You can stay on."
She laughed. "No sir, YOU misunderstand ME. I quit."
Your touch is cold and damp.
The devil's in your eyes.
Zelgadis looked around.
He was on a forest path, but the trees around him were fuzzy... not clear at all. Behind him, the path faded away, and the only way he wasn't afraid to go was ahead... or he could just stand there, feeling the vertigo around him.
Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he decided.
He took a step forward. The path phazed around him and he stumbled into a clearing.
A boy was kneeling in front of a pond, crying.
Hesitantly, not knowing what to do, Zelgadis approached him. "Are you okay?"
The boy turned. His eyes widened as he saw Zelgadis. "Monster!" he screamed at the same moment Zelgadis recognized him.
It was himself. His human self.
"It's okay..." Zelgadis whispered. "I'm not a monster... I just want to know if you're all right..."
Human Zelgadis scrambled to his feet, tightening his grip on his wooden practice sword. "Monster! Stay away from me! Don't even TOUCH ME!" Slashing inexpertly at Zelgadis, the human part of himself dashed past him, down the forest path. Watching him go, Zelgadis felt something break inside of him.
Very slowly, he walked over to the spot where the human had been kneeling and stared at it blankly. There were impressions in the ground where his knees had pressed. Zelgadis sank into them, fitting him perfectly, and gazed into the pond, wanting to know what had drawn the other himself's attention.
At first, only his reflection gazed back at him, and then... hands emerged from the water, reaching out towards him. Zelgadis gasped and sat back.
"Don't be afraid," a voice whispered. The voice was familiar, but Zelgadis couldn't quite place it. The hands beckoned to him. "I won't hurt you physically. I only ever do what you need. What do you need?"
Unable to stop himself, Zelgadis leaned forward. "I... I don't know."
"You used to desire physical strength... you have that now." The voice was light, almost teasing. "What else do you WANT, if you don't know what you need?"
"I want people to just leave me alone."
"Do you?" the voice asked with an uncaring curiosity. The hands reached for him again. "Let me offer it to you."
He let them take hold of him and they pulled him under.
NO! Pay attention to me! Look at me!
His friends... if he had any friends... talking amongst themselves. He walked up to Lina and tried to put his hand on her shoulder... it passed through, meeting no resistance. "Look at me! I'm here!"
"It's a pity about poor Zel," Lina said.
"He couldn't have known," Guntair sighed.
Amelia scuffled at the ground with her foot. "How's Xelloss taking it?"
"What?!" Zelgadis tried to shake Amelia, demand answers, anything, but again, couldn't touch her. "How's Xelloss taking what!?"
"How's Xelloss taking what?" Xelloss's voice echoed the question brightly as Xelloss stepped up to them.
"You know," Gourry said. "Zel."
"Hm? Oh, that." Xelloss waved a hand dismissively. "He had a miserable life anyway. He's probably happier being dead anyway."
Dead? "What?" Zelgadis demanded, trying to grip Xelloss's shoulder.
"That's kind of harsh," Amelia said quietly.
Xelloss laughed. "Is it?" he asked. "I don't think so. Even you must admit it, Amelia. He was an okay guy, I guess. Good in a fight, and good screw, but it's not like we're going to miss him, really." The Mazoku shrugged.
It's not true! "Tell me it's not true!" Zelgadis screamed, trying to grab Xelloss. "It's not true, it's not!"
Lina rubbed her temples. "Xelloss..." (and for a moment Zelgadis's heart leapt, hoping she'd rush to his aid) "I really don't want to hear about your sex life."
"Ex sex life," Xelloss reminded her cheerfully. "He's dead now, remember?"
"Still, it's a pity," Amelia said. "I kinda liked him for a while. He was okay."
Guntair shook his head. "Bad things happen to good people," he commented. "Still, it's probably better this way for all of us."
Xelloss took Lina by the shoulders. "I have newer conquests in mind," he grinned, nuzzling her cheek.
She rolled her eyes. "Cut it out, don't play the same games with me as you did with Zelgadis."
He started to lead her away. "Zelgadis is dead, don't mention me in the same breath as him. Let's all just leave him alone now."
Zelgadis surfaced, gasping for air, realizing only vaguely that he wasn't actually in the water, merely kneeling by the pond. It didn't matter; he'd still been drowning. "It's not true!"
"No," the voice agreed. "Not yet. Do you still want it?"
"NO!" Zelgadis sobbed. "I don't! I don't!"
"What do you want?"
"I want them not to hate me for being with Xelloss," Zelgadis said slowly, drawn back to the here and now. The arms reached for him again.
"Eh?" Lina asked. "Hate you? Of course I don't hate you. What kind of question is that?"
Zelgadis watched himself shake his head. "I guess it was stupid."
"It's not your fault Xelloss is a manipulative bastard," Lina said sympathetically. "But it's okay. We're not going to let him keep hurting you."
"Hurting me?" the real Zelgadis and the phantom Zelgadis asked in unison. "He's not hurting me," the 'dream' Zelgadis finished. "I like being with him. I'm happy."
Amelia walked in. "You can't be happy," she informed him. "It's all Xelloss's fault. He's convinced you that you're happy, that's all."
"No!" 'Dream' Zelgadis cried as the real Zelgadis watched numbly. "I love him!"
"You do?" Lina asked slowly. "I mean, honestly and truly?"
"YES!"
Lina let her breath out all at once. "I'm sorry. Oh gods, Zelgadis, I'm so sorry..."
"What do you mean?" 'Dream' Zelgadis took her by the shoulders. "What do you mean?!"
The sorceress didn't meet his eyes. "When we thought he was using you... well... I'm sorry. He's dead."
"Wh - what?"
"I... I can take you to his remains, if you like, to say your last goodbye. He doesn't look that bad, really," Lina rambled. "It was a clean death. Relatively clean, that is..."
Zelgadis jerked away from the hands, angry now. "NO! Who are you? I don't trust this! I won't believe what you show me!"
"Who am I?" It chuckled darkly, and someone rose from the pond. His body was Xelloss's, his hair Gourry's, his eyes Lina's, his clothes Guntair's, his face Amelia's. Each of them had a share in him. "I'm you, Zelgadis." As he spoke, Zelgadis realized that the voice was his own. "I'm your doubt."
I wonder why I always let
you lead me on this way.
A sea, moved by no wind. Lina closed her eyes. "I'm here again?"
Shabrinigido's voice was calm. "You sound upset."
"I'd just like to dream normally now and then."
He chuckled. "Nothing's normal for you, any more. As soon as I chose you, you lost that chance."
She turned angrily on him, but he just smiled at her and held up a deck of cards. "Do you want to play?"
"NO!" She waved a hand, cutting the air. "I'm sick of your games! The only reason you played last night was to get me to see that card. I know that! I'm not stupid! Well, I don't want to be manipulated by you. NO MORE!"
"Lina." His voice was soft, almost caressing, and he dealt the cards on the table in front of himself in a solitaire position. "I was made to be the Lord of the Mazoku, and I was born to manipulate. All Mazoku are. Ryuzoku too, but we're better at it. You cannot blame me for being true to my nature."
"Like hell I can't!" she raged. "All you want from me is power! Tell me why I should grant it!"
He sighed and flipped a card over absently. "Didn't you realize what would happen when I chose you? I thought I gave you enough time to get used to the idea."
She stopped mid-rant. "I still don't know when you chose me."
Shabrinigido paused, hand still held over a card. "'I grant you the honor of having killed me.' Sound familiar? Just a little?"
Her jaw dropped. "But I killed you! It wasn't like I filled out a job application!!"
The Mazoku Lord grinned at her, showing disturbingly pointed teeth. "Same thing, ne? You can kill me, you're strong enough to fight a god. All of us agreed instantly that you would be a perfect Knight. And it's not like your morals would disagree."
She sputtered.
'Cause you see only what
You want to see,
Zelgadis woke slowly, feeling vaguely like he had a hangover, not completely pleased by the knocking at the door. He spread a hand across the sheets, feeling them cool. Xelloss had been gone for a while.
As the knocking came again, he put a hand to his head. Why did he feel so fuzzy? "Dicleary," he cast, clearing his head immediately. Odd, he didn't remember drinking. Of course, he didn't remember much...
Sliding out of bed, he pulled on his pants, then sat back on the bed, running a hand over his eyes and brushing his bangs away from his field of view. "Come in."
Slowly, the door opened and a blushing Lina stepped in.
Lina. His brows creased. Something he should be remembering. "Yes?" he asked calmly, still mentally searching.
"Zel... there's something I think we need to talk about," Lina began, clearing her throat.
Something we need to... oh shit. No, what he was remembering couldn't have been true, could it? She couldn't have... and he hadn't... oh gods. "You were there, weren't you?"
"Pardon? There?" Lina looked confused for a moment.
"The room," Zelgadis felt a blush spread across his own cheeks. "You walked in. You did, didn't you? I'm not misremembering... gods..."
Lina and Zelgadis's cheeks both began to radiate. "You mean when," she started, stopped, blushed even brighter, coughed, and finished. "Uh, yeah."
This is not happening. This is not happening. "Well." Zelgadis stated, stood, pulled on his shirt, and strapped on his sword belt. "I'm going to breakfast."
"Look, Zel, we have to talk," Lina said desperately.
"I don't think so," he said mildly, covering up his panic with emotionlessness as always. "Excuse me, please."
Lina followed him down the stairs. "Zel..."
Zelgadis turned into the dining room. Amelia looked up and waved, then turned back to her food with a vaguely queasy look. Xelloss didn't seem to notice him at all, instead poking at his breakfast inquisitively with a fork, and quirking an eyebrow quizzically as it bit his fork and shook it.
But the others... Gourry was looking back and forth between him and Lina as if confused, and Guntair was mouthing something at Lina. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her head shake, briefly.
They knew. They all knew.
"Hey Zelgadis-san!" N-kun chirped excitedly. "You gotta order the Surprise of the Day! If you try hard, you can even teach it to do tricks!!"
They all knew.
"No thank you," Zelgadis said calmly. "If you will all excuse me, I'll be outside for a few minutes."
Without waiting for an answer, he headed for the door. No good staining the inn floor.
You feel only what you want to
and I am on the outside of your strange world.
"What's he up to?" Amelia asked, watching her breakfast turn around three times before laying down again. "Zelgadis-san, I mean."
Xelloss picked up a knife and tested it against his thumb. "Who knows?" he shrugged. "Maybe he just wants some fresh air." Dark grin flashing across his face briefly, he stabbed down into his plate, impaling whatever it was that was supposedly for breakfast. It made a little squeaky noise, squirming on the end of his knife, then jerked twice and died. As Amelia dropped her fork with a clatter, he bit into it. "Juicy," he commented, mouth full.
As Amelia turned green and Lina hit Xelloss repeatedly, Gourry watched Zelgadis's progress to the middle of the courtyard. "Hey, I don't think - " he began worriedly as Zelgadis drew his sword. "I don't think that's a good sign..."
"Eh?" Lina stopped hitting Xelloss with a chair and looked out the window as well, seeing Zelgadis raise his blade and place the tip against his chest. "L-sama! He's trying to - "
"Mm." Xelloss followed their gazes, absently picking the Surprise of the Day's foot out of a tooth. "Oh." He shrugged dismissively.
Lina shook him. "Damn you!" she cried. "This is all your fault!!"
"My f - "
"We have to stop him!"
Expression suddenly cold, Xelloss shook Lina's hands off his shirt. "I don't think you need to worry," he said darkly, jerking a thumb towards the window without looking himself. "He's not going to get far like that."
"But..." Lina turned to look and saw metal shards flying as Zelgadis attempted to stab himself repeatedly in the chest, expression rapidly growing more and more frustrated as it did little more than make rips in his shirt. [B9] "Oh."
"Yes, 'oh'," Xelloss mocked. "I think you forget precisely what he's made of."
Outside, Zelgadis threw the remains of his sword down in anger, and began stalking back towards the inn.
Gourry met him at the door. "Gee, Zelgadis, we were so worried! We thought you were going to - "
The chimera snatched the Hikari no Ken from Gourry's belt. "You can have it back in a few minutes," he said calmly and headed out the door again.
"GOURRY!" Lina shrieked. "YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE GIVEN HIM THAT!!!"
"But I didn't - "
Ignoring them all, Lina dashed out just as Zelgadis pulled out the light blade. "Zelgadis! Don't!"
"Go away," Zelgadis told her calmly. "Fireball!"
She threw herself to the side, dodging it. "Zel!" Wiping dust from her eyes, she strode forward as Zelgadis raised the blade.
Only to have it taken away by a hand that appeared out of the air. Zelgadis snatched at it and Xelloss phazed in completely, flying back. "No."
"Xelloss - " Zelgadis said pleadingly.
"Listen to me, Zel. No."
The chimera met his gaze and they remained like that for almost a minute. Then Zelgadis ducked his head, hair shadowing his eyes. "Excuse me. I'd like to be alone for a while."
Lina shook her head violently. "No way! Not after you - "
"I'm not going to try to kill myself," Zelgadis said bitterly. "Don't worry. I just want to think."
"Let him," Xelloss said. "It's the truth."
They watched as Zelgadis walked to the inn gates and stood, looking along the road.
"Well," the trickster priest said cheerfully, "might as well finish breakfast!"
Nobody heard him.
It's a strange world,
It's a very strange world,
Why?
Oh gods, why did they have to know? What had been wrong with him that he hadn't remembered Lina walking in? It was certainly the type of thing one would expect to stick in your mind!
Zelgadis let out a huff of breath. Think. Think. Never get anywhere by not thinking, he mentally repeated, his usual mantra.
Not get into what he didn't remember. Get into what he did remember.
Gourry's mother's calm statement at the table and Xelloss leading me up the stairs as my mind freezes with shock.
Xelloss, looking me up and down with a worried expression as I try not to break into tears. Holding me. The dark gem on his staff cool against my leg even through the fabric of my pants. Saying something about it being easier for him to be the bad guy in this situation.
No! He wouldn't do that! Zelgadis put a hand against the gate to steady himself.
Stupid. Of course he would. He might even think he was doing the right thing.
L-sama. Gods above and below.
And this on top of his dream... if it had BEEN a dream. Maybe... maybe Xelloss didn't...
No. That wasn't right. If he even doubted Xelloss's feelings for him, all he had to do was remember that time back on Wolf Pack Island when he'd seen into Xelloss's mind. It was just that, even then, Xelloss was a damn manipulative bastard.
Still, he might have thought he was doing the right thing.
And somehow, I have to deal with all this.
Zelgadis shut his eyes. "I'd known it was going to happen someday," he whispered aloud. He just hadn't expected them to find out so soon... he wasn't ready...
But what could he do? It had happened. And... he wasn't going to betray Xelloss by taking any of the easy ways out. He'd chosen this.
And he had to learn to deal with the consequences.
That leaves me holding on to nothing
when there's nothing left to lose.
"You know... last night," Chris began awkwardly as they looked down the long road ahead. "...you didn't have... to do that."
Luna shrugged, smile lingering around her lips. "Yeah. I know. But I did, didn't I?"
The other waitress nodded, lump in her throat as she tried to speak. "Yes... you did. I don't know why... but Luna-san... you see... waitressing's... really the only thing I know. I didn't really expect you to decide to... take me on this trip of yours..."
The Cepheed Knight tugged on Chris's wrist. "Which reminds me, we gotta get on our way or we won't get to a good sleeping place on time." She began to walk, tugging Chris behind her.
"B... but I really shouldn't. Go, I mean. I'll just slow you d.. down," Chris stuttered. "I don't know anything about travelling! I'll just find another inn... and start working there. It'll... be okay, right?"
Snickering was the last thing she expected to hear from her companion. "You know, Chris, with that attitude, you're not going to GET another job. You gotta be aggressive sometimes. Besides, waitressing's only good for a part-time job. Don't ever keep it on as a full one, or you grow dependant, and it's not really got good retirement rates."
"Is it a part-time job for you?" Chris asked.
"You could say that." Luna shook her head, smiling oddly. "Anyway, you're with me, now. I kinda live a busy life. And you owe me, right?"
Chris dropped her head. "I guess."
"So stick around." Luna changed the subject. "'Chris' is a nice name. What's it short for? Christine? Christa?"
She made a face. "Worse."
"Cristabel?"
"...Chrisanthimum."
Luna glanced over at her... or Chris assumed she did, but her eyes were, as always, hidden beneath her bangs. "Chrisanthimum?" she asked mildly.
Chris coloured. "It's a terrible name," she muttered. "For one thing, Mother can't spell. For another, she called me that because she met my father in a field of..."
"Ah." Luna nodded. "Could be worse." She didn't elaborate. "So which one was it? Mother or father?"
The blonde girl jerked to a halt, heart thudding in her throat. Oh gods, she knows... how does she know?! "I don't know what you mean," she said tensely.
Luna was still smiling. "The R... the Dragon. Which was it? Your mother or your father?"
Gods... godsgodsgods. "Father," Chris said shortly. "Mother says that when she... when they met, she didn't know he was a monster. Didn't even know until she had me and I wasn't normal."
"Not monster," Luna corrected. "Ryuzoku. Dragon."
She has no right to make fun of my life like this! "Monster, Dragon, both the same thing, right?"
To Chris's complete and utter surprise, Luna broke into laughter. "Some of them!" she choked. "I'd describe some of them like that...! But... Chris-chan, they're thinking beings just like you and me. By Cepheed, what I wouldn't give to see the looks on the faces if you said that to them... You would be such a bee in a hornet's nest!" She clutched at her stomach as she laughed. "'monsters...' Can just imagine what those old Ka-Ryu farts would think of that... I SO have to introduce you to them!"
"What?" Chris asked, completely lost. "Who? I don't understand!"
Luna slapped her on the back hard enough that she stumbled. "You stick with me, girl. You and me, ne? I can probably even find your father if you'd like."
"Look..." Chris said desperately, still trying to figure out what was going on. "Who ARE you?"
Taking advantage of Chris's confusion to grab the half-Ryuzoku's wrist and drag her further along, Luna just laughed. "Stupid. I'm Luna Inverse. What else do I need to be?"
We're walking hand in hand,
We'll walk this way forever.
They all looked up as Zelgadis walked in. "Zel?" Lina asked.
He glanced around at all of them briefly. "It's only a day's walk to Zefilia, right?"
N-kun nodded immediately. "That's right!" he said excitedly. "Just a little further! And then we're there!"
"Right," Zelgadis said quietly. "Let's get going and not waste time, okay?"
Nakoku cheered, pushed his breakfast to the other side of the table where it curled up in a sunbeam and slept, and he started tugging at Guntair's pant leg. "Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"
"Are you sure?" Lina asked softly. "I really think we should talk..."
"We can talk on the road," Zelgadis said. He caught Xelloss's eye. "I have to talk to someone too."
Xelloss ducked his head. "Meet you all outside." He phazed out.
Lina paid off the innkeeper, and they all filed out, Lina and Zelgadis a little behind the others. "Zel..."
"I think I can guess what you're going to say," Zelgadis murmured. "You're going to ask how we got together, am I happy with this, what the hell's wrong with me that I'd be with Xelloss, am I being manipulated by him... et cetera, et cetera."
The sorceress didn't meet his eyes. "Yeah, that's about it."
"I'm not sure what I can say."
"Well... when did this happen?" Lina asked quietly. "When? How long has it been going on?"
Zelgadis kicked absently at a stone. "When what? When did we become... become lovers? When did I fall in love?" She opened her mouth to speak and he caught her eye. "I am, Lina. Damned if I know how, but..."
Lina looked away. "Both, I guess."
"Both." Zelgadis sighed. "Well... I don't actually know when I started... feeling things." This was an extremely uncomfortable topic for him. "I suppose... hell, I don't know. I know I didn't start THINKING about it until we reached Amberton. For some reason... I decided to see if I could research Xelloss. Amelia walked in while I was doing so and saw what I was reading. We talked. Amelia told me she thought Xelloss was in love with me. I denied it strongly. We talked some more. She left in tears. Next thing I know, I'm actually thinking about it. What I feel. Damned if I want to think about it, but I've managed to train myself before to separate emotions from thought. So I thought. And I admitted it to myself." [B10]
"Say it, Zel," Lina said. "I still really can't believe this."
Did he really have to say it again? Yes, obviously. "I admitted I was in love with Xelloss. Next thing I know, Xelloss is there and we are talking about our pasts."
Lina snorted.
"It's true."
"What ABOUT his past?"
Zelgadis hesitated. "I don't know if I can tell you... they're not my secrets to keep."
"Ok," Lina agreed. "Go on."
Go on. Damn it, why wouldn't she just leave him alone? "Things happen. We get... mind-linked."
"You've got to be joking."
"Why the hell would I do that?"
Lina nodded. "Point."
"So we get mind-linked. Stupid, stupid Zelgadis," he mocked himself. "I kiss him. He gets this really weird look on his face and goes away. You two show up under the mistaken impression that I raped Amelia. You know that story, at any rate. He comes back a while after you're gone. I... well, I won't get into details but things get rather ... uh... confusing [B11] for a while. Xelloss disappears for a few hours. When he returns, he asks if he can kidnap me. Stupid, stupid Zelgadis. I agree."
The sorceress nodded again. "You explained that part..."
"Yeah. Well, you pretty much know up until the point he does. He takes me back to his island. I meet his master. We talk for a long time. Several days, actually."
"And then?" [B12]
Oh gods. He couldn't answer that. "And then answer to the other question of when things happened."
Lina blinked. "Wh--" When what? When did we become... become lovers? Her eyes widened. "Oh... oh yeah. Uh."
Zelgadis coughed, embarrassed.
Long, uncomfortable silence.
"Zelgadis?"
"Uh."
"I hate to have to ask this, but..." Lina hesitated. "I have it on the best authority, from someone who should know, that Mazoku are born to be manipulative and are damned good at it. Zel... do you think... Xelloss could be taking advantage of... of your... feelings to his own end and doesn't give a damn for you at all?"
Immediately, Zelgadis shook his head. "No. I know that isn't true."
"But can you be sure? Look at it without emotion..."
Again, Zelgadis shook his head. "Lina... I was mind-linked to him still when he told me that... that he... that he loved me."
"So?"
"So I know it's true, okay? I know it very intimately." Ignoring completely that we were mind-liked the first time we... Zelgadis blushed and cut off that thought.
Lina looked at the ground as they walked. "Well... I just find it hard to believe," she admitted. "I mean... it's Xelloss. No offense, Zel, but to be frank, he's a real bastard."
"I know," Zelgadis agreed, and then, hardly believing he was saying it aloud, "But the point is, he's MY bastard."
That brought a blush to Lina's cheeks. "You just don't seem right for each other. I'm sorry, but you don't."
Zelgadis shrugged.
"I want to talk to Xelloss too," she told him.
"That might not be a good idea."
Lina quirked an eyebrow. "Why not?"
"It's Xelloss. Why do you think?"
She sighed. "I know. It will be like pulling teeth."
"Either that or you'll hear things that you won't want to hear." [B13] Gods, he could just hear Xelloss now, getting into the details and freaking Lina out...
"So I hit him with a few well-placed fireballs," Lina shrugged. "No problem with that, right?"
The chimera didn't voice his answer. Hell, yes, a problem. It'll make him as horny as hell and we're in company! His eyebrows creased. And I really need to talk seriously with him, not fight off wandering hands. Damn. But I guess I'll have to deal...
Our eyes have risen to the water's edge,
watching with the tides.
"Xelloss."
The Mazoku popped up beside her, giving her a brief moment of fright before the anger set in. "Ne, ne, Lina-san. You want to talk to me?"
She tried to calm her anger. "Yes, I do."
"So, what do you want to talk about?"
"I think you know what I want to talk about."
He chuckled. "Useless answer. Almost as bad as, 'if you don't know, I'm not going to tell you'. Let's see, what are you angry with me about?" He held up fingers and ticked things off. "Your position as Knight of Shabrinigido? My annoyingness? My rooming you with Gourry way back? My curing Amelia? My..."
Lina cut in. "Zelgadis."
He tilted his head. "What about Zelgadis."
"Don't give me that," she snorted. "I want to know if you're just playing with him."
"Of course I'm playing with him," he said, as though to a child. "I'm me. I play with everyone and everything. But that wasn't the question, was it?"
She thought for a moment. "I can't expect YOU not to play... but are you just playing with him? Are you using him, his feelings?"
"Well..." Xelloss crossed his legs in the air. "I'd be lying if I said yes and I'd be lying if I said no."
"What do you mean?"
He chuckled. "Why, Lina-san, I think you know exactly what I mean. Must I spell it out? I'm playing with him, I'm using him... but not in the way you might think. But then again, you think I'm using everyone, don't you? So there's no surprise there."
She shrugged. "You're Mazoku. Mazoku manipulate people."
"Right," he agreed. "It's what we are. Nobody can be expected to act against their nature. But how do you want to know if I'm manipulating him?"
"Are you making him think you love him?"
"Yes," Xelloss agreed again. Just as the look of grim distaste settled in on her face, he added, smiling, "But that doesn't mean it isn't true. In fact, making someone think the truth is quite a good thing, right?"
The sorceress tried not to grind her teeth. "Do you love him?"
Suddenly, he was right in front of her. "Why? You keep asking. I have no doubt Zelgadis has already told you he's been in my mind. You can't lie to someone you're in direct mindlink with, it's simply too intimate. It's just that you don't believe in love, isn't it?"
She crossed her arms. "Of course I believe in love! Just look at Amelia and Guntair. They're in love. How could I not believe in love?"
"Because you deny it in yourself," Xelloss chuckled. "I look at you and I can tell. You know love but you refuse to comprehend it. You ignore the people you hurt because of that. Just look at him." The Mazoku waved a hand towards Gourry. "Following you everywhere like a lovesick puppy. Called you back from the embrace of Our Great Mother. And will you grant him a thought in his direction? No. You refuse to think about it." He took hold of her chin between his thumb and forefinger. "Love brings only pain, isn't that how it goes, Lina-san? Hurt to you? You think you're saving him greater pain but you refuse to see how you're killing him with your denials." He laughed. "You think you have your heart hidden so well, Lina-san. But you don't. I admit I don't know the source of your little fear. However, I can make a wild guess at who does. After all, it's the only person you fear enough to send you into almost spasms. She knows whatever it was that happened, doesn't she?"
Lina jerked her head away. "Don't touch me," she spat. "You don't know anything. You think you know so much about me!"
"And I do, don't I?" Xelloss's smile was wide. "Even now, you are denying it. Keep on, Lina. Keep on hurting him and yourself. After all, I only stand to benefit, don't I?"
She glared at him for a moment longer and walked up beside Amelia, jaw tight with anger. Amelia stared at her, eyes wide.
Xelloss didn't stop watching her as Zelgadis came up beside him. "What did you do to her?"
"I showed her herself. And she didn't like it."
"Xelloss."
The Mazoku turned and smiled cutely at Zelgadis. "Yes?"
"I know what you did, days ago." Zelgadis sighed. "Don't ever do that again."
Reaching out to touch Zelgadis's hair, Xelloss absently asked, "Do what?"
Zelgadis gritted his teeth. "Put me in whatever hypnosis or whatever it was that you did. Problems don't go away by shoving them under or by making a person forget... if something is truly wrong, a person has to deal with it, not just ignore it. If I need your help in dealing, I'll ask for it."
"I see." Xelloss tilted his head up to the sky, shielding his eyes from the sun. "You're angry."
"Yes, I am." The chimera shook his head. "I know you probably only intended the best. But you could have asked me."
The Mazoku snorted. "You weren't in much shape to be asked."
"Then you should have waited." Zelgadis sighed again. "But I expect such things from you. When trying to think about what to say to you, I had intended to ask you to think first... but you don't do anything without thinking it through first, do you?"
Xelloss chuckled.
"See? There you could have answered, but you chose not to. You have your own reasons, no doubt. It's just... I feel a little used." Zelgadis struggled to find the right words. "Frankly... I'd rather not know why you did that, whether to make me feel better, to make yourself to seem the bad guy, or for one of your many ulterior motives. I just don't want you to play with my mind."
"I can't promise anything," Xelloss told him, opening his eyes. "There are times when I might be ordered to, and I cannot disobey that. You're wrong, I don't always think everything through, and it might be one of those cases. But..." Xelloss smiled again. "I'll try. Ne? So cheer up. Genki, genki!" He reached out in an attempt to tickle the chimera.
Zelgadis sidestepped. "You're hopeless."
The stars have fallen to another day
And the sun warms our path
"We're here!" As Lina announced it, Nakoku felt something inside him draw tight with recognition. Yes. They were here.
Zefilia.
A bright flash of gold filled his vision, and he stumbled, being caught by Guntair absently. "Watch your step, N-kun! The road is a little bumpy."
He could feel it. Damn. He had been hoping this would be the last stop, but it seemed like it was just another stone on the path. So far to go. Reaching for the spot of gold inside him, he sent out a tired query. Where now?
And he knew. The Black Valley. Koku no Tani. So that was why he was travelling with these people... not to merely Zefilia. The whole way.
Why couldn't his journey just end? Because it wasn't over yet, he sighed to himself, then turned to Guntair, tugging on his pant leg. "Ne, ne, Guntair-kun! Can I come with you to your home? I wanna meet the dragons!"
Guntair tilted his head curiously. "Wasn't this where you were trying to go? I thought you had family here or something..."
Nakoku sniffled. "Actually... my family's... dead. I thought that returning home might... make me feel better, but... but I don't want to! I don't want to stay in the place where I lost so many people! I don't want to!" He broke into a wail of tears. Whatever worked.
The Black Dragon put his arms around Nakoku. "I'm so sorry... we didn't realize. Yeah, you can come with us. Right, guys?"
They nodded.
And the road went on.
To find that reason leaves us far behind
in our strange world.
"Mou... Luna-san..." Chris gasped, stopping to breathe. "How much... further... are you going to... go tonight?"
The strange waitress - although Chris was beginning to get the impression that she was actually much more than that - turned back with a grin, eyes shadowed by her bangs as always. "We... are going to the Koku no Tani tonight."
Chris shook her head. "The what? I've never heard of that. Where is it?"
Pulling a map out of her tiny carry-all, the waitress held it up, letting it unroll and pointed at a spot about three quarters down. "We are here." She moved her finger decisively to a small gap in a mountain range at the bottom of the map. "Here is the Koku no Tani."
"That's impossible!" Chris's voice broke at the thought. "It... it..." She stopped, mouth still moving but unable to find the words.
Luna snickered. "It would be impossible if we were taking a normal route, like the roads, yeah. It would be at least a trip of, oh, five weeks. If we managed to beg rides and didn't have to stop to get work to feed us. However, you see that hill up ahead? Beyond that is the city-state of Zefilia." Her customary smirk hung off her lips again. "I came from there, and my house has a permanent magical gate structure to all the major Dragon populations."
Brows creasing, Chris felt her suspicions grow. "Why?"
"'Cause it's useful," Luna shrugged. "I've also got a few gates to other places, but they're not important right now. It should be about two hours before we reach the 'Tani."
"Two hours? I thought you said the city was just over the hill. Does the magic take that long to take effect? To set up?"
Briefly, Luna shook her head. "'s not that. You see, there's someone - " she hesitated, as though checking something, then resumed, "someone who will be using it first and if she senses that someone's been there in a while, she won't want to use the gates, 'cause she and I are the only ones who can get in through the lock spell. So to meet up with her properly, I have to go in after her. Ne?"
Again, Chris felt she was missing something important. "Who? Why would she try to avoid you? How come she can get into your house?"
"It's her house, too," Luna said dryly. "She's not very comfortable around me, but tough for her. Right?" Luna grabbed her arm. "Come on, Lina just unlocked the door. Looks to be less time then I predicted. Let's go!"
"Lina?"
Dragging her forward, Luna's grin widened. "My little sister."
It's a strange world,
It's a very strange world,
"Oneesan?" Lina whispered, hurriedly casting a look around to see if anything had changed. Nothing had, except a note dated a year and a half ago was tacked to the other side of the door.
Before she could get to it, Xelloss had yanked it down and was reading it aloud. "'When you pass by next, just want you to know you did an okay job with the Golds and the prophecy thing. See you, from your sister.'" He raised his head, smiling. "It's dated a year and a half ago."
"DO YOU MIND?!" Lina shrieked, grabbing the letter, then dropping it as though it burned her. "LEAVE IT ALONE YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S BEEN!" She shivered, running her hands over her arms as if cold, and walked a good distance around the discarded letter. "L.. let's go, everyone."
"Ne, shouldn't you leave a note for your sister?" Guntair asked.
Another shudder racked Lina's body. "You should just be thankful she's not here." Shaking off her chills, she headed decisively for the stairs. "Come on."
"Where are we going?" Amelia asked. "O... oneesan has a whole bunch of permanent gate spells set up upstairs and I figure the Koku no Tani would be there too..."
Guntair blinked. "Why would it? I don't think it's that well known..."
Lina cast him a Look that made him recoil and wish he'd never brought it up. "It'll be there. It'll just take time to find it."
That leaves me hanging on to nothing
when there's nothing left to lose...
It actually only took an hour before Guntair once again felt the cool wind of his past on his skin, and smelled the combination of smells that he hadn't felt for years and years. He felt like he'd been given a shot of a potent drug, spirits flying immediately. "We're here!" he yelped, trying not to laugh giddily. "We're here!"
Home.
How many years...?
He picked Lina up and hugged her; she was exhausted from reawakening her sister's gate and only protested feebly when he squeezed and then dropped her, spinning to pick Amelia up and spin her round and round. "We're here!"
Catching sight of a familiar feature, he pointed it out. "The Black Guardhouse!" It was really little more than a rocky outcropping in the form of a gate at the valley entrance. "That's the official way into the Koku no Tani!" Excitedly, he started towards it.
Gourry slid an arm around Lina's shoulders, carefully supporting her as if worried she might break. She leaned into him as they followed the others.
They arrived at the Black Guardhouse and a long, black dragon head snaked around the corner, long scar along one cheek. "None may pass or enter!" it barked immediately.
The face clicked in Guntair's mind. "Mabu-chan?"
Eyes squinting, the Black Dragon guard looked at him, not recognizing him. Suddenly, his gaze ran along the length of Guntair's sword and his jaw dropped, the large creature visibly stunned. "Gun-chan? Is that you?"
Guntair nodded, unable to keep his huge grin from bursting across his features again. "Uh-huh! I'm back!"
"Gun-chan!" Mabu shook his head on it's long neck. "I'd hug you, but I'd crush you as you are now... how have you BEEN?"
The swordsman shrugged wryly. "Not that great for most of it... but things are much better now." He waved at the others. "These are my friends, and this," he pulled Amelia close, "is my girlfriend, Amelia."
Amelia wiggled her fingers at the huge dragon.
"Uh, Gun-chan? Why does she have Mazoku taint?"
Guntair sweatdropped. "That's kind of a long story... but it's only mild taint! She helped me get away from Yume and the others helped kill her!"
"That's great!" Mabu enthused. "Even..." he looked even more uncertain. "Even if a few of the others got Mazoku-taint-auras too and two're completely human... and the last... is... a... Gun-chan, why are you travelling with a Greater Mazoku?"
"Nice to meet you too," Xelloss grinned.
"That's an even longer story. I don't like him much but he HAS helped out some," Guntair admitted begrudgingly.
Xelloss fell backward into the air, as if stunned, hand clutched over his heard. "Aw, Gun-kun! That's so sweet! That has to be the nicest thing you've ever said to me!"
"Don't push it. So, Mabu-chan, you're going to let us in, right? I have to see everyone and..." he hesitated. "And mother..."
Mabu's face moved in a way that could possibly be regret. "Sorry, Gun-chan, but I can't let you in. Nobody can go in or out without authorization. I'm really sorry, but you'll have to wait until I go off duty so I can get someone to see if they'll authorize you to come in... and even then, I don't think they'll let your friends in. They're too suspicious."
Lina protested feebly. "Come on! If it wasn't for us he wouldn't be here!"
"Look, I'm sorry!" Mabu said defensively. "But without proper authorization I can't - "
"I authorize them."
They all turned at this new voice to see the Cepheed Knight standing there in all her glory, waitress's skirt blowing indecently in the wind and terrified blond girl peeking out from behind her. Mabu ducked his head and started babbling something about not wanting to cause offense.
To his amazement, through the layer of shock at seeing the source of legends, Guntair saw Lina fall to her knees with a wail of despair. "Oneesan! Forgive me, Oneesan! I didn't... I'm sorry I ever... Oneesan..." She was visibly shaking.
Luna Inverse smiled.
Author's Notes
Harukami: It's done... finally, it's done... author descends into mad giggles, completely and utterly insane.
Ishiki: Took you long enough... Y'know that people are gonna kill you when this gets posted, right? Cruel little fic writer, you be. Very cruel.
Harukami: I take offense at that. It's not a little fic, it's a damned big fic. wipes brow Besides, how else would I get people to encourage me by threatening me with three thousand different ways to die if I don't get it finished soon?
The Writer's and Beta reader's notes! Now compiled with handy little references back for your reading pleasure!
'"It's only a few more kilometers until we get to the farmhouse...."'
W1: Dead giveaway I'm Canadian, at least.
B1: Gourry knows what a Kilometer is?
'Xelloss laughed. "Aah, this is what the wolves have become?"'
B2: Xelloss: nostalgic Y'know pup, I ran with your great-great- great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother; we even shared an innocent trespasser once... sigh
W: Why, in my day, they didn't have sheep. They had wild goats, but no sheep. And we had to hunt five miles through the freezing snow just to catch them. Uphill. Both ways.
'...she took Lina's cloak, almost dropping it, but catching it in time. Bags of gold clinked.'
B3: ...And jewels and magic circles and direction-finding orbs and a deck of cards with polygons on them and cursed daggers (did she ever get rid of that?)and the odd orihalcon containing powerful magic amplifiers...
W: Polygons? I thought they were pentagrams with pentacles in them...?
'"...I don't think you should go up there. You'll just embarrass them and yourself."'
B4: Can we say 'foreshadowing', boys and girls?
W: Foreshadowing!
'"Whatever. Where's that room?"'
B5: Right beside Zel & Xel's. So even if you can't hear anything, the vibrations from the bed moving around next door and the bursts of magic are sure to keep you up... Happy migraine, Lina-san.
'"ARRGH! IF THERE'S AN UNLIKELIER COUPLE, I DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE!"'
W3: Cepheed in his sleep, "Atchoo!" The remaining 6 sealed parts of Shabrinigido, "Atchoo!"
'"...Just... I have this feeling there's much more coming. So... be careful. That's all. Just promise me."'
B6: Now what was that word boys and girls?
W: FORESHADOWING! YAY!
'"Just because people don't hear about it [Mazoku in love], doesn't mean it doesn't happen."'
B7: Yeah, 'cause the other Mazoku probably think they're weak and kill them for it, or torture their loved ones for fun...
W: It's this never-ending cycle thing. Even Mazoku who are in love don't want people to know it and so kill (and/or torture loved ones) them for it, hoping that nobody will find out about them...
'"...Don't lose yourself," he whispered as the tears of blood flowed down his face. "Xel, whatever you do, don't -
B8: That word again, children?
W: Sex! I mean, FORESHADOWING!
'...expression rapidly growing more and more frustrated as it did little more than make rips in his shirt.'
B9: Bye bye, shirt. That's, what, his third?
W: Well, let's see. There's the one Zel ripped off in Beyond, there's the one that Xelloss burned off in Strains, and there's this one. Yep. He and Guntair go through more clothes than a Valley Girl.
'"...So I thought. And I admitted it to myself."
B10: Hate and love, two sides of the same coin...
W: Take that, hippies! BWA HA HA HA HA!
'"...things get rather ... uh... confusing..."'
B11: Read as steamy...
W: Gee, Xelloss and Zelgadis were just crawling all over each other. I don't know why you'd say THAT was steamy...
'"We talk for a long time. Several days, actually."
"And then?"'
B12: And then I discovered that deep purple, slit-pupiled eyes were an incredible turn on.
W: Gee, should I bring that up more often?
"Either that or you'll hear things that you won't want to hear."
B13: One more time kids, that word?
W: FORESHADOWING! Yes, I DID study the 'Five elements of storytelling' handout in English class...
The lyrics are from Possession and Strange World by Sarah McLachlan. I don't have the copyright for this either. Would it help to say I'm sorry? Please don't sue me... Nor you, wonderful creaters of Slayers. This is meant as a complement! Though not well-written enough by half..