Disclaimer: None of the Slayers characters belong to me and I do not wish to make any profit from writing this story.
Cold Hands, Warm Heart
The air was crisp, but so cold Zelgadis could see his breath take shape each time he breathed. He let some of the falling snowflakes land and melt on his hand. "It's beginning to snow." he reasoned. "I better head back before Amelia starts to worry about me."
It was over an hour ago that Zelgadis had left the princess at a cabin they had come across while journeying through the mountain. It was only the two of them, Lina and Gourry had gone ahead to the next village. Apparently, there was a restaurant that was famous for it's stew.
Being the eating machines that they were, Lina and Gourry eagerly wanted to get there and fill their stomachs as soon as humanly possible. Amelia and Zelgadis declined and decided to take their time since they weren't as food crazy as their friends.
Later, they stumbled upon the little log cabin and both agreed it would be the perfect place to spend the night.
Zelgadis then went to venture outside to see what he could find and also for some quality time to himself. So far, all Zel found were trees and snow. Zelgadis brushed the snowflakes from his shoulders. The snow crunched beneath his feet as he began to turn around.
Suddenly, his ears caught a sound. Zel paused. The noise sounded like a whimper. Zelgadis shut his eyes to concentrate and his ears locked on to the sound. It was a whimper that belonged to an animal.
Zelgadis walked forward for a few moments to find the source. After climbing his way through a cluster of bushes, he found it.
Right near the edge of a frozen lake was a grey wolf. White streaks ran down the creature's face and circled around his eyes like a mask and another streak ran along his tail.
The wolf's ears were folded back as it continuously whimpered in pain. And Zelgadis could see why. The wolf's front paw was caught in a steel trap.
Not wanting to frighten the animal, Zelgadis slowly approached.
The wolf's ears twitched and his gaze locked onto the chimera. Growling deeply, the wolf's fur stood on its end.
"Easy boy." coaxed Zel, with his hands up. "I'm not going to hurt you."
Amazingly, the wolf stopped his growls, but still kept a wary eye. Zelgadis kneeled down. He waited to see if the wolf would respond. There was no reaction except for the wolf's watchful glare.
Zelgadis cautiously reached for the release on the trap. With a loud click, the trap released the wolf's captured paw.
The wolf backed away and licked his wound gingerly. It didn't look to be broken from Zel's view. He cocked a smile at the animal. "See. That wasn't so terrible."
The wolf's head raised instantly and a growl, triple the volume of before, rippled from his throat.
Zelgadis sighed in return. "Well excuse me for......."
A much louder, more fierce, more dangerous growl cut Zel short. The chimera's muscles bulged with tension. He whirled around, sword in hand and came face to face with a cougar.
Pure white razor teeth blared at him and the large cat's claws ripped into the ice covered snow.
Frozen to the spot, Zelgadis didn't dare risk a run. In a rushed whisper, he attempted to cast a fireball to scare off the predator.
Too late.
The cougar leaped and pounced, at top speed. Zelgadis lost his grip on his sword in the confusion.
The animal landed on top of him.
Both cougar and chimera were thrown onto the iced lake.
They slid along the ice, as Zel struggled, shoulders pinned by the cougar's massive paws.
Zel's teeth clenched in protest. Summoning all the strength he could, Zelgadis tossed the cougar.
A horrible mind bending sound was heard as the giant cat cut it's claws into the ice.
There was soon a trail of deep scratch marks following the cougar as it slid.
*crack*
Jumping to his feet, Zelgadis frantically looked for his sword. He saw it laying uselessly on the shore.
*crack*
He glanced back. The cougar was ready to retaliate, but there was no time for this!
*crack*
Zelgadis had to get away from the ice now!
The cougar leaped again.
Zelgadis launched a flare arrow.
*CRACK!!!*
The ice gave.
Both Zelgadis and the cougar fell into the water together.
Panic struck! Zelgadis had a fear of drowning ever since he had obtained his stone skin. The phrase "Sink like a rock" had often sent chills.
He had to get out!!
The pain of the cold water attacking him felt like a thousand daggers all stabbing at once.
Zelgadis frantically, tried to swim to the surface, but his weight kept pulling him downward to the dark bottom.
He cursed in agony at how close his hands were to the safe surface. The air in his lungs was almost gone.
The water around him turned hazy. Zel could feel himself lifelessly drifting downward to his tomb.
"So......this is how I'm going to die?"
A sharp tug brought him back to the land of consciousness. Through his blurred vision, he saw an animals mouth biting onto his wrist, refusing to let go.
"The.....wolf?"
One tug and his hand reached the surface.
Zelgadis knew this was his only hope. Using the last ounce of strength he had, Zel sprang forward.
His head broke the surface. His lungs were grateful for the air.
Zelgadis's upper body was draped onto the ice. He could do no more, but there was no need to.
The wolf continued to pull.
Soon, Zelgadis's entire body was cut free of the freezing water.
He layed there and shivered.
Cold! So cold!
The last image he saw was the wolf looming over him and whimpering in worry. Then everything was dark.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"MR. ZELGADIS!!" Amelia waited for a reply, but none came.
Disappointed, she sighed. "Where could he be?"
Amelia trod through the snow, hugging the cloak that she was wearing to shield herself from the cold.
"He should have returned to the cabin ages ago. This isn't like him."
She prayed that the chimera was alright, but her instincts told her something was wrong.....deadly wrong.
Images of Zelgadis being injured or killed streamed through her mind like an uncontrollable river. She tried to shake off the feeling, but it continued to be a heavy burden on her mind.
"What if Zelgadis really is......" Dare she say it. "Dead?"
The thought brought tears. She couldn't bare to think that. She couldn't! She wouldn't! It was too scary and terrible!
The idea of him dying and Amelia never telling him that she.......
There was movement among the trees.
Amelia, at full alert, spun around. Could it be?
"Mr. Zelgadis?"
There was movement again and a shadow emerged and stepped into the full moonlight.
To Amelia's astoundment, it was not the chimera, but a unusually calm wolf .
The princess froze and waited. Wolves were usually shy of humans and stayed away from them as far as possible.
It was strange for this wolf to approach her.
The wolf made a growl similar to a grunt. He turned his back towards her and flicked his tail. The wolf then cast a glance and tilted his head forward.
Amelia frowned. "Do you.....want me to follow you?"
The wolf answered with a "Woof." and only moved when Amelia began to walk.
The animal lead her swiftly to a lake.
A figure lay unmoving on the snow. Recognizing the person in a flash, the princess bolted.
"Mr. Zelgadis!!" She quickly turned Zelgadis on his back. Amelia's fear tripled as she saw him in full clear view.
Zelgadis's skin was a much more pale blue then his normal colour. Icicles had formed at the tips of his wired hair, making it stiff and hard. Even though he was not conscious, Amelia could hear his teeth chattering. His whole body shook while he shivered.
Zel's arms and legs were deeply pulled into his body, curling him into a tight ball.
"Mr. Zelgadis?" Amelia gently shook him. There was no reaction. "What could have happened?"
She looked out toward the lake and saw a giant hole. Zelgadis must've fallen through the ice. "I have to get you to the cabin."
Gingerly, Amelia unfolded one of Zel's arms and wrapped it around her shoulder. A new panic built, feeling the massive weight on her shoulders. Zelgadis was much bigger than her in size. Carrying him by herself would be difficult.
"But I can't abandon him! He has to get warm or he'll......."
Her stomach cringed at the thought. A sudden woof came from her side. Amelia turned and saw the wolf standing there. He stared back intensely.
It was as if the wolf was telling her to not worry. It reminded her of Zelgadis's hard stares he'd often showed. The wolf bent down and with it's mouth picked up Zel's other arm by his wrist.
Amelia blinked. "Are you helping me?"
The wolf, with great dignity, wagged his tail, so the princess took that as a confirmed yes.
Together, they began to pull their friend.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
As the trio entered the cabin, Amelia never felt so relieved. She carefully layed Zelgadis on the floor in front of the fire place.
Immediately, she started a fire. Amelia glanced nervously back to Zelgadis and gulped, for Amelia knew what she had to do next. Take off Zelgadis's clothes.
Amelia breathed deeply and began to strip him. "I hope Mr. Zelgadis won't be upset with me." She thought.
Soon all of the chimera's clothes were removed except for his boxers. There was a slight pause before Amelia set in motion the next phase of her plan, which involved removing her clothes.
The princess knew the only way to save a person who was as frozen as Zelgadis was to warm the person with direct body heat. That required her to become almost naked.
Amelia blushed deep red. Zelgadis was very shy about other people seeing his body. She had considered the idea of warming him with a small fireball directly into his stone skin, but then he might heat up far too quickly. That was just as dangerous as going into icy water.
Amelia glanced to the wolf. "What do you think?"
The wolf replied with a simple "Woof!"
"You're a big help."
Biting her lip, Amelia stripped down to her undergarments. "I have to do this! If Zelgadis gets mad at me I can deal with it." she thought, reaching for the largest blanket that she could find. "I'd rather have him angry than........." She tossed the ugly image aside.
Tightly, Amelia wrapped the blanket around herself and Zel, laying next to the fire.
She hugged the chimera, grimacing at how cold he felt to her. Tears streamed along her cheeks. "Please. Please don't die." she prayed, burying her face into Zelgadis's chest.
The wolf watched, as the girl cried herself to sleep.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Warmth. That was the first sensation Zelgadis felt, which was odd. Shouldn't he be freezing to death on ice covered snow?
That was the last thing he remembered. Yet, his body felt warm.
He could also feel someone's arms around him and fresh hot breath tenderly brushing on his face.
Slowly, but steadily, Zelgadis opened his eyes. It was hazy, but his sight rapidly cleared.
Promptly, the chimera took notice of two important things.
One; he was naked, beneath a blanket, in the cabin.
Two; he was with Amelia who was also naked.
Zel never blushed so hard in his life. He attempted to move, but the sleeping princess held her grip firmly.
"*sigh* How do I get put into these situations?"
"Woof."
Zelgadis turned his head and spied the wolf laying by the fire. "How did you get here?"
A yawn brought Zel's attention back to his companion. Amelia's head nestled into his chest. Her hair was slightly ruffled and strands tickled against his skin.
In spite of himself, Zel smiled at his sleeping friend. He had always admired the princess's innocent and sweet face.
Amelia was one of the few people he could count on to have a smile when he needed it.
He looked down. Staring at her reminded him instantly of the situation and he threw away his gaze.
A moan was uttered, and Amelia's eyes fluttered. She lifted her head directly to the chimera. She shook off her sleepiness and her face was suddenly alert.
"Mr. Zelgadis you're awake!"
As the princess beamed, her upper body moved upward, giving the chimera a bird's eye view of her chest and bra.
Zelgadis's cheeks flushed. Averting his gaze, he focussed steadily on Amelia's face trying no to develop any dirty thoughts. "Er....yes, but I'm still unsure of how exactly I or that wolf got here and .....why.....you and I are......naked."
Amelia blushed. She toyed with the edge of her blanket. "Well.....when you didn't come back, I went looking for you and then that wolf appeared."
The wolf in question, perked his ears. "He led me to you and even helped me bring you to the cabin."
Zelgadis cast a sideways glance in the wolf's direction. "I guess it's his way of paying me back." he thought.
"When we got to the cabin." Amelia continued. "Your body was so cold....and...I could only think of one thing to do." Her cheeks flushed.
"To use body heat." Zelgadis concluded for her. Amelia nodded shyly.
"I figured as much." The chimera slowly began to unwrap himself. "I better move."
"You're not moving anywhere!" Amelia demanded. "Your body still needs to warm up, so you are staying right here!"
Zelgadis looked back hard. "Amelia...."
"I SAID SIT!!"
The princess threw back a dangerous thunderstorm- fired glare that shattered Zelgadis's.
In a small voice, he answered with a "Yes Mam."
Amelia was the most unlikely person to become angry, but when she did, the princess could conquer Lina's glare any day of the week.
They both sat in an uncomfortable silence.
To not tempt himself at looking at his young friend's bare skinned body, Zelgadis entertained himself by counting the number of logs in the ceiling above him.
"25. 26. 27. Amelia's bra has lace? NO! NO! Don't think like a pervert! 25.........No wait did I already count that? *sigh* 1. 2. 3."
"Mr. Zelgadis?" The sound of Amelia's soft voice brought the chimera's gaze back down.
"What is it Amelia?"
Surprisingly, she avoided his face and stared intently at her sweaty palms that were fumbling in her lap. "Um........When I found you.....I was really scared."
Zelgadis said nothing, but didn't blink.
"You were half frozen and.......I thought you were going to die." Small tears leaked, but Amelia wiped them away. "If you had died, I don't know....."
"But I didn't die."
"I know, but if you did.....I would regret not confessing something to you......something important.......so I want to tell you now."
The chimera looked back with slight suspicion, but much curiosity. "What is it Amelia?"
"Well....." Amelia lifted her head and shut her eyes. "I love you Mr. Zelgadis."
Not a single word came from Zelgadis's dumbfounded mouth. Did he hear right or did he only imagine it.
Trembling, Amelia hugged herself. "He isn't saying anything! I hope I didn't just make a huge mistake."
Finally, a sentence emerged from the shocked chimera. "Care.....to repeat that?"
Amelia nearly choked. Did she really have to repeat it?!
"I love you." She said again, more strongly.
"But why?" Zelgadis asked amazed. "I'm an ugly freak."
"No you're not!" Amelia protested. "And frankly, I'm tired of hearing you call yourself that. I don't think you're a freak and neither does Ms. Lina or Mr. Gourry."
She drew herself closer to Zel's face. "You.....are a kind person, even though you have a hard time showing it. You're also intelligent and brave."
Awkwardly, and praying she was allowed to, Amelia hugged Zelgadis, burying her face into his chest. "And I love you."
Amelia waited for a reaction. She remained in the same position for a very long, agonizing moment. As her mind started to scream at her for being an idiot, there was movement.
Gently, Zelgadis pulled Amelia into his warm embrace. Amelia stared at him, as scared as a lost child.
The chimera stared with a blush covering his entire face. "I.......love you too."
The world lifted from Amelia's shoulders. The princess buried herself again against Zelgadis's body.
No words were needed to be spoken as they sat and watched the fire place.
And what did the wolf do, you might ask? He simply wagged his tail joyfully at his new masters, as they cuddled quietly.
Author's Note: I hope you all liked this story. Sorry if anybody was out of character.
Happy Holidays!!