Gourry held onto Lina's wrists dragging her through the flower filled field. (A.N. Triple F's :P Just had to put that in here sorry…) Amelia followed behind while Zelgadis picked a flower gently. "Come on Lina!" Gourry whined, "I want to get through this field!"
"Achoo!" Lina sneezed so loud even Zelgadis looked at her funny. Lina rubbed her nose and sneezed again this time shivering afterwards. Gourry had let go of Lina's wrist and was looking at her funny with confusion.
"You okay Lina?" he asked "what weird noises your making" Zelgadis and Amelia sweat dropped and Lina suddenly looked really angry, she lifted her arm to hit him but her knees buckled beneath her.
"Miss Lina!" shouted Amelia.
"Lina?" asked Zelgadis. Gourry caught her gently lifting her up.
She looked sick, face soft. Amelia sneezed when she reached Lina. She started to tremble, just as she collapsed Zelgadis caught her. "Amelia?" he questioned looking slightly upset. She responded with a series of deep whines in the back of her throat as if afraid of something.
"Gourry let's get them to an inn quick" said Zelgadis as he changed his grip on Amelia to carrying her bridal style. Gourry did the same to Lina as he lifted her into his arms, he half expected her to wake up a beat the living hell outta him for carrying her like that. With a nod Zelgadis and Gourry broke into a run towards the next town.
(A.N. Filler)
Zelgdis and Gourry set the girls on the beds that were parallel to each other in the room. "Gourry." Started Zelgadis.
"Yea?" asked Gourry while looking down at Lina.
"I'm going to ask the inn keeper about that field." He said as he repositioned his sword on his belt.
"Alright I'll stay with Lina and Amelia." Gourry stared at Lina wondering what could make her like this. Zelgadis stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him leaving Gourry alone with the sleeping girls.
Gourry pulled up a chair to Lina's bedside resting his head in his hands. "I wonder what's wrong with you Lina" he questioned her. He took her hand and an electric shock ran through his body as he saw what she was dreaming about.
(A.N. Filler)
There was a tall oak tree with many branches. He was sitting way up next to, Syphiel. Lina was hidden in a few trees far enough away from the tree but still in view of Gourry and Syphiel. Gourry was watching as another person. He looked up at himself and Syphiel just as he leaned down to kiss her. He looked back at Lina; she was crying tears streaming down her face. A black shrowded man came out with a hot brand. He watched in horror as Lina, Lina Inverse was branded on the arm. Her skin raw and bleeding in a shape he had never seen before. She was screaming through her gag, as if someone were torturing her.
Then the man began to speak, "So you loved him? The man in the tree?" Lina growled angrily toward him. "Well then be true to your word my dear. Your mine, he didn't love you back." He tore away her gag and forced a kiss on her. She cried out for Gourry but he was intent on Syphiel. The man slapped her and screamed at her "He will never love you! An under developed, temperamental, sorcerer!" at that she'd given up hope. He bound her into chain attached to him and dragged her away from Gourry.
(A.N. Filler)
Gourry blinked away the vision of Lina's dream. As he looked down at her she was actually crying and a red stain began forming on her shirt. "Zelgadis!" he yelled. Zelgadis almost tore the door off its hinges.
"Gourry what's going on?" he shouted over Lina's cries. Gourry said nothing but instead pointed at the wound bleeding through her shirt. Zelgadis immediately started a healing spell but to no avail. He rummaged through his bag, pulled out a piece of cloth, and proceeded to wrap Lina's arm.
"What happened Gourry?" He asked softly irritated looking up every so often at Amelia.
"D-dream, L-Lina, crying-g, S-S-Syphiel, Kisses-s, L-Lina, B-burn, E-evil" he sounded as if he was about to cry. He wiped his nose and straightened out his staggered breathing. Gourry stood up, "I'm going for a walk" he turned and left without his sword leaving Zelgadis with the unconscious girls. He swiped the chair Gourry had been sitting in and dragged it to Amelia's bed. He stared down at her face, hoping she would awaken and everything would be okay.
She whimpered in her sleep causing him to worry even more, "Amelia, what are you dreaming about?" he whispered the question to her so not even a person more than a foot away could hear. Reluctantly he took her hand. With an electric shock his question was answered.
(A.N. Filler)
Amelia was riding a horse down a trail in the woods, bag at her hip. Zelgadis was standing on the side of the trail suddenly his eyes began to glow red, just like the time Rezo The Red Priest had controlled him at the tower where Shabrinigdo had been reborn. He clutched his face trying to shake it but it didn't help. He watched as whoever was controlling him made him knock Amelia off her horse and onto the ground stone skin hitting her like a ton of bricks. She yelped and almost punched him, but as trusting as Amelia was she saw it was only him and she smiled.
"Why hello Mister Zelgadis." She laughed "why did you tackle me, you probably left a bruise or two" She was silenced by his stone hand against her mouth. She stared into his red eyes unbelievingly. "Zelgadis." She whispered.
He lifted her off the ground and bound her wrists before she could comprehend what was happening. He pushed her to the ground and bound her feet, he looked down at her with disgust. Picking her up roughly he draped her broken form over the horse. Carefully positioning himself on the horse he rode away from the next town, toward a cave.
"Welcome Chimera!" a voice shouted as he entered the cave. A shrouded black figure was standing by the fire. The notorious Lina Inverse was chained to a wall along with several other young maidens. He jumped off the horse picked up Amelia and dropped her opposite of gentle onto the floor in front of the figure. "Thank you for your service." And with that he shoved a hot brand onto Amelia's arm. She cried out in pain, as he pressed harder.
"You see, my spell has 3 parts. One maidens fall into a sleep that can only be awakened by a kiss. Two get their loved ones to betray them in a dream. Three brand them with a piece of metal made out of dragon scales. Those two you seek; Amelia and Lina will not awaken until you kiss the one that loves you, and the other kisses that blonde." He said it in a disgusted tone. "Well if you kiss the wrong one…. They're both mine. You'd better hurry my friend, those wounds are getting worse. Courage is key my friend." With that came an evil laugh as Zelgadis was zapped back to the girls.
(A.N. Filler)
Zelgadis blinked the vision away; he felt a hollow emptiness where his heart was. A pit of abyss widened by the dream, the one he swore one day would swallow him. As he looked down at Amelia he noticed her screaming because of the arm wound, he wrapped it tightly and called for Gourry.
"What is it..." Gourry asked sounding very depressed.
"I had a vision about Amelia. You have to kiss Lina to save her, Gourry." Gourry looked shocked at first but then he solemnly nodded. Zelgadis bent down and picked Amelia up, "We'll be back..." he stepped out the door carrying her already limp body; it scared him to see her like this. Slowly he walked outside as he contemplated on how he would develop enough courage to kiss Amelia. The man in the dream had said she loved me, yet how could she? I'm just a dirty chimera. Nobody wants me; Rezo had already burned that into my soul. How was I supposed to go against the very thing that kept me away from everyone? Why I never let anyone touch me. After a while of walking and thinking he reached the place he figured would be perfect for this. He set her on her back in the grass and knelt next to her. This place was perfect, it was a clearing in a forest enveloped in sunshine.
"A-Amelia" he started. "I-I t-think-k I-I" he looked down, away from the sleeping girl. Gently he placed his hand behind her head, thinking about her comfort; he was made of stone and all. Carefully he bunched up his sleeve in his hand. Eventually, he brought his eyes back up to her sleeping face. With that he leaned down and whispered "I think I love you." As gentle as he could he leaned down and kissed her.
He felt soft arms gently move and wrap around his neck. Surprised he opened his eyes to find Amelia slowly waking up and kissing him back. She opened her eyes and stared into his while still kissing him. Suddenly her eyes looked so full of pain she pulled back and started screaming.
"Amelia!" he yelled. "Amelia why are you screaming?" he almost was crying, what was hurting her so bad? Was it him, was he not only ugly but poisonous also?
"A-a-a-arm-m" she managed to squeal out" he found himself tearing off the sleeve of her shirt and immediately starting a healing spell. The blood bubbled up and flickered away slowly. When he was finished he looked at her face. Her eyes were open, her breathing almost non-existent, and heart beat fading.
"A-Amelia" he sobbed. "Don't leave me…" he hugged her to his chest and let out a scream. "Amelia!"
(A.N. Filler)
Gourry looked down at Lina as he kneeled beside her bed. How could he have done that too her? He didn't love Syphiel, at least he didn't think he did. "Lina, don't hit me okay?" he stood up slowly and leaned over her. The black shrouded figure was haunting his mind, hurting Lina like that. He desperately wanted to fix her, wanted to have her yelling at him again. With that ironic thought; he leaned down and kissed her. He watched her as he kissed her; slowly moving his lips with hers. Suddenly she began to kiss back, softly as if she was very tired. Her eyes flickered open but they were full of pain.
She pulled back and yelped, "Gourry my arm!" she was in a lot of pain he could tell. All he could do was put pressure on it as she tried to heal herself. She exhaled deeply her breathing staggard. "G-gourry" she stuttered. He looked at her with scared eyes, scared she'd be taken from him again.
"Yes?" he asked not realizing he was holding her hand. Before she could say anything she collapsed; he checked her pulse but not finding one. Immediately he began to sob, crying harder than he could ever remember. "Lina?" He looked like a lost puppy as he lay down next to her and hugged her tight. "Why did you leave me Lina?" he shook her a bit.
Slowly he stood up, picking Lina up with him. Outside he walked down the road, he walked until he heard a familiar voice practically scream. "Amelia!" he looked up at the noise and headed towards it. When he reached it he found Zelgadis squeezing Amelia's body to his chest, sobbing hard.
"Zelgadis." Gourry said carefully, when the chimera looked up his eyes were red from crying. "I think he tricked us."
"I know Gourry. I killed Amelia, I killed Lina! It's my fault they are dead!" Zelgadis continued to scream at himself. Gourry placed a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "I have an idea Gourry." He started.
"What would that be?" Their voices were quiet, depressed, tired, upset, and most of all saddened.
"We can get them back from that guy." Zelgadis picked Amelia up and with one spell she was frozen in a block of ice. Slowly and gently he took Lina from Gourry and did the same to her. With a nod, they were off.
(A.N. Filler)
Zelgadis and Gourry were panting as they entered the cave Zelgadis saw in his vision. They looked around to find the man sitting at a table surrounded by wispy white ghosts in chains. One had an odd resemblance to Lina and another to Amelia. Zelgadis was intent on the man, he practically jumped on him. He threw him against a wall; Gourry landed a punch to his face as Zelgadis proceeded to beat the living crap out of him. By the time they were done he was bleeding on the floor struggling to prop himself up.
"So, come for your women eh?" he asked almost laughing at them. Gourry had to hold Zelgadis back.
"Why exactly did you take them?" Zelgadis snarled.
"Slaves, female, slaves." Gourry wasn't shocked the man seemed like that type; an old, decrepit, pervert.
"We are taking them back now I hope you realize that." Gourry started.
"Ah but contraire my fine chimera, we made a deal."
"I don't recall-" the man cut him off. Yet another example of when a deal changed Zelgadis's life forever.
"Some deals, go unspoken. The one that was binding, was Lina Inverse's deal." He waved a hand and the figure that resembled Lina floated up. She looked horrible; her hair was a mess, her eyes sunken in. Gourry lost it then. He swung at the man but Lina ended up taking the hit instead. Gourry couldn't believe he had just hit Lina, the Lina he was in love with.
"You monster." Gourry growled.
"So you're the demon of deals eh?" asked Zelgadis; his eyes suddenly very dark.
"Very perceptive of you Chimera; yes, I am the demon of deals." He almost laughed but he coughed the fit of laughter away.
"Since deals are what fuel your power what if we made one or two to get Amelia and Lina back." He asked his voice deadly serious.
"I'll take you up on your offer, but are you sure they will be able to return to their original forms?"
"Yes, I have that handled." Zelgadis growled.
"Hm, so on the terms of the deal what are you willing to do?"
"Physical challenges that aren't impossible." Zelgadis suggested.
"What do you have in mind?"
"Errands, traps, treasure hunts, sword matches, excreta."
The man studied Zelgadis for a second then proceeded to say; "Deliver this package to the home of prince Phil before the sundown of tommorrow." He handed Zelgadis a package. "Deliver this one to Zelgadis when he arrives back by noon of the day after." He smirked as he handed Gourry the package.
(A.N. Filler)
Several hours later Zelgadis returned to the cave chest heaving. He collapsed as Gourry handed him the package. Slowly he removed the paper still fully incapacitated on the floor. Inside he found two bottles; one labeled 'Lina' and the other labeled 'Amelia'. Carefully he pulled Amelia's bottle out handing the box to Gourry. Barely able to stand up he limped out, towards Amelia. Gourry was faster and was waiting for him when he got there. Zelgadis used the last of his energy to unfreeze their bodies and jumpstart their hearts. On the bottle there was a label; drink this and plant a single kiss on their lips. With that Zelgadis did so and collapsed into her arms.
"Mister Zelgadis, why are you laying on me?" asked Amelia. His eyes shining he looked up at young Amelia. Memorizing her face, every delicate feature; he raised one hand to her face, gently touching it with his stone hand.
Barely, just barely he was able to choke out four words; "I-I love y-you Amelia"
She clutched his hand too her face and gazed down at him. She started to sob tears falling onto his face. "I love you too." Voice filled with sorrow, and a hint of pain. She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "I always will" For the first time and perhaps the last time, Zelgadis smiled a loving smile in his chimera body.