Hoo-hah, this is my first fanfic! Also it's a redo because the original SUCKED! Yay, and I use "Zelu" when Lina calls Zelgadis by his nickname because that's what they said in the superior Japanese version of the anime, and it sounds cuter, hehe.
Original publication: 09-07-10
Edited publication: 05-25-12 (what a huge time jump :O)
"Hey! We need firewood!" Lina dropped a huge pile of fish she just got from the river. "Amelia! Zelu! Go get us some firewood!" Gourry, Zelgadis, and Amelia had been lounging on the ground while she had been taking her time fishing.
It was dusk and the little group of sorcerers, swordsman, and occasional Mazoku priest were setting up camp for the night. Speaking of the Mazoku priest, Xellos had gone somewhere else, probably in the trees to watch them, right at the time Lina called a halt to their travel.
Amelia instantly jumped up and stretched saying, "Yes, Lina-san," and ran off into the woods.
Zelgadis was, as usual, a different story. He didn't have to eat as much as normal humans did, nor did he need the warmth, so he didn't care if they had firewood or not. But he also wasn't in the mood to be fireballed. So he stood up with a sigh and followed Amelia's retreating form.
As they were collecting fallen branches, Amelia started thinking about the bright colors on her clothes compared to Lina's darker tones. That led to her trying to imagine the world without color. How strange that would look, she thought with an internal shudder. No beautiful colors, just black and white. Hmm, maybe some shades of grey, but still it would be terrible.
This thought trailed over to, what if it was just pink and white? Oh, that would look strange too. But, hmmm, white is a lovely color…like justice…pure justice.
She began to wonder what everyone's favorite color was. She made a mental note to ask Lina and Gourry when they got back. But Zelgadis was here and she could ask him. Couldn't she?
It's a completely innocent question, half her mind reasoned with the other. "Zelgadis-san?" she said his name quietly.
"Hmm," was his bored response from a few feet away from her.
Amelia thought again for a moment if she should ask her question. What if he gets angry? Nonsense, why would he? But still she remained quiet and nervous.
Thinking she hadn't heard him, Zelgadis asked, "What is it, Amelia?"
Well, now she just had to say something. "Oh, ummm, Zelgadis-san…what's your…favorite color?"
His hard cheeks turned red as he turned away from her. "I don't have a favorite color," he stated flatly.
Amelia seemed dumbfounded. "What? Everybody has a favorite color."
"Do I even look like everybody?" And with that he turned back to gathering more wood.
She could tell he was lying. Maybe he likes blue, she thought. Wait. No. He couldn't possibly like blue because his skin is. He hates being a chimera. Why did I think that? I believe I'm thinking too much…
This new thought gave her determination. Her mind was too focused on the subject now. She summoned the biggest puppy face she could muster and even added a tear for authenticity. "Please tell me!"
Zelgadis looked at her for a moment, and then sighed and gave in. "How can I say 'no' to that? Fine, I'll tell you." The small girl jumped for joy at her accomplishment. She had finally gotten the closed off chimera to tell her one of his secrets.
His finger in front of her face stopped her jumping. With a serious look he said, "But you have to promise not to tell anybody. Especially not Lina…and don't even tell Gourry," adding, "Even he might remember it long enough to say something," more to himself than to Amelia.
Amelia put one hand to her heart and the other straight up. "Zelgadis-san, as princess of Seyruun you have my word that I speak of this with no one, and if I ever do, Cepheid strike me dead."
That apparently was all the reassurance Zelgadis was going to get, so he sighed, looked down and mumbled, "I like….green."
Amelia was surprised it was such a simple color. "Is that why the lining of your cloak is green?" He glanced at the material draping over his shoulders and nodded ever so slightly.
"Come on, Amelia, we better bring this wood back before Lina sends a search party."
When they got back, Lina and Gourry were sprawled on the ground, moaning like miserable animals. When Lina saw them, she jumped to her feet while yelling, "Where have you two been? I'm starving!" She grabbed the wood out of the twos' hands and threw it in the fire pit.
Gourry heard the sound and moved over to the pit. In his attempt to start a fire by rubbing some sticks together, Lina said darkly, "Gourry, move." He heard that too and, his hunger presently forgotten, scrambled as fast as he could behind the farthest tree.
"Fireball!" As soon as Lina threw the flaming ball, the fire started blazing. It was a bit big for the pit but not big enough for all the fish that was immediately dumped into it.
Zelgadis sat against a tree facing away from the little camp. He still couldn't believe he told Amelia something like that. How could he have lost his will so easily? How could he have been so pathetic with something like that too? It was just a color!
He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Amelia holding some shish-kabobed fish out to him.
"Aren't you hungry?" she asked.
"No," he replied. She handed it to him anyway. Then she sat down beside him and started munching on her dinner. They could hear Lina and Gourry fighting over the last of the fish.
"I learned something new about you tonight." Her sudden comment made Zelgadis look at her curiously. "It's pretty cool," she continued. Zelgadis just nodded.
A few seconds later he heard the high pitched laugh of Xellos from not so far away. He glanced over to see if Amelia heard it too, but of course her hearing wasn't so acute.
Stupid Mazoku, Zelgadis thought.
Thanks for reading. Reviews, critiques, and flames are welcome :)
Dragon Slave!