NOTES: Hiya!!! I finally got myself off my butt to write this part (well, in the last week in a half I have posted up two parts to my original fic Outlander's Quest sniff…no one has reviewed it yet! But I won't give up!,one part of my slayers fic A Mirror's Reflection, and added the prologue for this fic). Anyway, here it is. Hope you like it.
Ok…I apologize for any misspellings in the names. Just as long as they pronounce the same and all you Slayers fans can understand who is who and what place is what place.
Also I noticed that when I write fast I tend to get…not exactly sloppy, but very simple in my writing. So I'm going to try to go back to writing with more feeling and focusing a little on the character's thoughts (I have REALLY been neglecting that!). Anyway just read!
ZEL ZEL ZEL!!!!!! (sorry just love that stone bishonen), angry Heero, curious Trowa, pissed as Hell Wufei, scary Xellos, killer fish man, and very very freaked out Duo and Quatre.
THE WAY HOME
PART I
When Zelgadis had received a message from Lina and Gouarry to meet them at an old city not too far from Sairoon, he had been very…very hesitant. Not that he did not want to meet his two close (if absolutely mad) friends after months of traveling alone since they all had fought and defeated Dark Star.
No…it wasn't that.
It was the fact that every single time they crossed paths something had to happen.
Like Rezo, Copy Rezo, Gaav, Phibrizo, Valgaav, and Dark Star…
All seeming bent on one thing: Killing Lina and all her friends (which included himself).
There was also the fact that whenever he met Lina and Gouarry, one short, well developed, big mouthed, justice crazed Princess Amelia was sure to be found. Not that he did not want to see Amelia again. On the contrary, he really really wanted to meet Amelia again, but she was in love with him.
And if it was possible for a Chimera to have feelings…well, in simple terms he was beginning to feel fond of her…and liking the feel of her bracelet tucked snuggly in an invisible pocket of his cloak ( a gift after his departure after Dark Star's defeat). He did not want to be fond of the girl, but he constantly found himself protecting her and always thinking about her safety…and…
Zelgadis groaned to himself. He could moon over her all he wanted, but it still didn't change to facts:
She was a princess.
He was a freak.
Allowing himself to wallow in his own self-pity and self-loathing, Zelgadis almost missed seeing three youths arguing from beyond the bushes. Pausing, he pushed aside the offending greenery and gazed at them, wondering from where they had come.
All three were dressed extremely outlandishly, all young (no older than sixteen), all angry and a little frightened by their posture and voices.
"That was a totally stupid of you." Said the tallest of the boys, who had an eerily familiar hairstyle as Zelgadis's, light brown hair covering deep green eyes.
The boy he was addressing had dark hair and cold blue eyes. He was clutching a bloody knuckled hand, his face impassive to the obvious pain he was in. "Don't start Trowa." He growled.
The third boy had his black hair tied in a tight tail, his dark eyes infuriated. "This is total injustice! We survive one world only to end in another! That stupid woman had no clue what she was speaking of! This is what happens when one leaves things to women!"*
Zelgadis blinked. 'Injustice'??
"Quiet Wufei." Said the tall youth named Trowa. "We don't know where we are, let alone if this place is hostile."
Zelgadis found himself smirking. The voice of reason amidst the madness and anger. A boy after his own heart.
Heero, still clutching his bleeding hand asked, "Do we even know if they are in the same time as us?"
Trowa glared at the other. "I don't know. But punching trees isn't going to help our situation. Now why don't you relocate your thumb…or do you need help?"
"He can do it on his own Barton." Said Wufei. "That isn't important. What is important is that we are in the middle of nowhere, in a time that is not ours, and we are missing two of our unstable comrades."
Trowa raised one eyebrow. "Unstable?"
Wufei gave the boy a withering look, "Quatre still has not fully recovered from his ordeals, and we don't know what would bring out his other self. And Maxwell is just plain Maxwell, I refuse to elaborate."
Zelgadis had to wince in sympathy as the boy named Heero relocated his thumb. He did not understand what was going on with the three, but he understood that they were lost. He could understand that.
Not truly thinking of the consequences of his actions, Zelgadis stepped from his bush and walked toward the trio. As soon as he stepped forward he was amazed at the speed of the three, each one coming alert, both Heero and Trowa pulling out odd yet slick looking guns, while Wufei drawing a nasty looking saber.
Raising his gloved hands he said, "I mean no harm."
He had expected suspicion, hesitation, and even a little apprehension, what he did not expect was the one called Wufei shout, "A monster!" While Heero cursed and Trowa gasped.
All seeming quit frightened at the sight of him.
Zelgadis had forgotten to cover his face.
Zelgadis cursed himself and said, "I am defiantly not a monster. A golem."
All three blinked and looked at each other. Wufei took a careful step forward, his saber still raised and ready to defend himself if Zelgadis tried to attack and devour him.
As if Zelgadis even wanted to eat a short and scrawny whelp.
"What do you want?" Asked Trowa, his gun still trained on Zelgadis, as was Heero's.
Really suspicious kids.
"I overheard that you were lost."
"So?" Demanded Wufei.
Zelgadis could not help but smile at him, all three of them reminding him of himself. After Rezo he had never thought it possible for anyone to care about him. Well, Lina sure cured him of that train of thought. "So, I was thinking that since I am heading near Sairoon, I might as well help you three out."
Heero suddenly spoke for the first time since he revealed himself. "What are you?"
Zelgadis said, "I told you, I'm a golem."
"Rock?" Asked Trowa curiously, seeming to be the one most at ease with Zelgadis.
Zelgadis nodded. "Now if you don't mind, I'm not going to hurt you. I would like to get going so hurry up and make up your minds."
The three huddled and Zelgadis's keen pointed ears picked up their hushed whispering easily.
"We shouldn't. Look at him…it…whatever it wants to call itself."
"If he wanted to harm us then he would have already done so, Wufei."
"Don't tell me your going to go with him, Trowa!"
"Calm down, Wufei. I don't feel any hostility from him."
"Your starting to sound like Quatre!"
"He said that he's going to Sairoon, and it sounded like a city. Knowing Quatre and Duo, they would head for civilization."
"You too Heero?!"
"Do you have any other suggestions?"
"No…but he isn't even human!"
Zelgadis sighed and coughed out loud. "I will be going now."
Trowa reached out a hand. "Wait. We will go with you."
Zelgadis smiled to himself as he looked at the three. Heero looked suspicious but willing, Wufei looked angry, and Trowa…
One cold green eye met one cold blue one.
A strange shiver ran down Zelgadis's spine. Something was strange about the tall boy, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what exactly. But he could tell by looking at that one green orb that it promised a painful death if he betrayed them.
Waving for them to follow, Zelgadis started walking and wondered what had possessed him to help these three boys. Maybe he had been influenced by Amelia and her 'justice and help others' craze. Whatever the reason he was stuck with them till he reached his meeting point with Lina.
"Excuse me?"
Zelgadis looked to find Trowa walking by him.
"What?" Asked Zelgadis, now feeling a little nervous at the way Trowa was looking at him. It was fine at the beginning, it was understandable, but now it was becoming uncomfortable…and Zelgadis really hated to be stared at.
"Are you all rock?" Came the curious question.
Zelgadis was surprised at the open curiosity, but by looking at the boy's expressionless face he knew that it wasn't just curiosity…the boy not only wanted to know he believed that he had to in order to use the information he collected to its best use.
Calm and collective was Trowa.
After a moment, Zelgadis answered. "No. I am part human."
He felt rather than saw three eyes widen at this. Sighing from deep within his soul, Zelgadis wondered once again what had possessed him to leave the bush and offer his help.
***
Duo always thought of himself as a calm down to earth (or space colonies) sort of guy. Sure he called himself 'The God of Death', but that was because that was basically all he was sure about. Everybody died, and he helped people die. Of course when he was a kid he believed in monsters and boogiemen, though Sister Helen had assured him that there were no such things.
He had always believed in what Sister Helen told him…after all, she had been the one to tell him that he did not smell bad. He didn't agree with some of the things she told him, but he knew very well that what she told was the truth.
It would seem Sister Helen never visited this time.
Now Duo was running for his life, a step ahead of a totally petrified Quatre, with a strange fish man catching up fast behind them.
The two had been dying of thirst, and when they came upon a big lake, both had dunked their heads into the clear and almost heavenly clean water. What they both had not foreseen (Duo had to throttle Quatre later on for being so distracted) was that the lake had an occupant.
A monster fish with arms and legs.
If there had been time Duo was sure he would have fainted, but there wasn't. Grabbing Quatre's arm he took flight, fish man close behind, seeming to hum as he chased them.
Behind him he heard Quatre gasp, "Duo! The tree!"
Looking ahead, Duo spotted a large tree, which would be good to climb and escape the raging salmon. Bursting with hope, he stretched his legs more and ran faster, silently reminding himself of the small blond with shorter legs who was trying to keep up with him and stay clear of the abomination behind.
Reaching the tree, Duo spun around and placed his back against the rough hard trunk. Linking his hands he braced himself as Quatre caught up to him and placed his foot in Duo's waiting hands. With a heave Duo shot Quatre up, allowing the boy to grab onto the nearest branch and swiftly pull himself up. Quatre then reached down, and when Duo jumped he grabbed onto Duo's hands and pulled up with all his might, lifting Duo up to safety just as the fish monster reached the tree.
Both boys have climbed a bit higher before they looked down and the monster that stared at them with large freaky yellow unblinking eyes. Duo threw his head back and laughed, pointing down insolently at the creature. "Hah! Thought you had us, didn't you! Well we beat you! I'd like to see you try to get us now, Freak!"
He was aware that Quatre was glaring at him, totally disagreeing with the way Duo was behaving, after all, the fish man had almost caught them, and they were still stuck in a tree with the monster staring up at them.
Quatre took life too seriously.
"So, Fishy, how are you going to catch us now?" Taunted Duo, totally enjoying himself at the expense of the fish man below.
The large yellow eyes of the fish man narrowed.
Duo was about to continue taunting when Quatre tugged at his shirtsleeve. "What? I'm on a roll!"
"Duo…"
Duo looked at the blond, but Quatre was not looking at him, he was staring down with wide eyes at the fish man. "Quatre…Buddy…"
"He's…he's going to do something." Hissed Quatre suddenly reached up and pulling himself hire.
Duo looked at Quatre in disbelief then back down at the fish man. "Actually he does look like he's going to ex…"
Duo never got a chance to finish for suddenly the fish man leapt up into a rolling ball and flew at them.
"Shit!" Squeaked Duo as the raging ball of fury came spiraling up at him. Throwing himself flat onto the branch, he clutched the branch desperately as the fish spiraled past him, making the branch sway and his braid to fling up. Above he heard Quatre cry out in alarm, and when Duo looked up he saw the fish man coming spiraling back down. With another curse he reached up off his branch and into another just moments before the fish man came crashing onto the branch he had just been on, snapping it like a stick.
"Duo! It's going to come at us again!" Said Quatre. Duo looked up and saw the other boy clutching the trunk of the tree, his face pressed against it. For the second time that day Duo wanted to throttle Quatre for his powers.
"Quatre, damn it! Do something!" Duo nearly was flung off his branch as once again the fish man came at them.
"You have a gun!" Was Quatre's reply. "Use it!"
Cursing himself, Quatre, whatever time they were in, and the fish man, Duo reached for the inside of his shirt and pulled out a revolver. Craning his neck, he looked around and looked for the stinking menace that was trying to kill them. "Where the Hell is it?!"
Quatre pulled his face away from the trunk and looked around. "I…I'm not sure…I don't sense him anywhere."
"Dammit Quatre! I swear if you don't give an answer I want I'm going to climb up there and smack you! Where the Hell is it???!!!!" Shouted Duo loosing his nerves suddenly. He had been calm, he had been positive, he had a fish trying to kill him and he was loosing it.
"I don't know!" Shouted Quatre, his voice breaking. "I don't know anything! Everything is different here!"
Swallowing hard, Duo forced himself to calm down. It was no good shouting at Quatre, the boy was just as freaked as he was, if more. The two sat in the tree, tense and jittery, waiting for the creature to materialize above their heads, humming their doom. When nothing happened for a couple of minutes, Duo asked softly, "Hey…Buddy-boy…do you feel or sense the thing?"
Quatre sighed and said, "No…not anymore."
"So do you think he's gone?"
"Maybe…I can't be sure."
Groaning, Duo said, "I'm going to chance it." He chuckled nervously. "Who would believe? Two of the deadliest men in the galaxy hiding in a tree from a fish."
"I don't think its funny." Said Quatre in a subdued tone.
Duo looked up and saw that the boy looked really pale. Forcing a smile on his face he said, "There ain't nothing funny about this, but its either laugh and deal or scream and go crazy."
Quatre said nothing, but nodded and started to climb down. Duo's smile became genuine and he too started to climb down. Quatre had been through Hell and barely made it with his identity. Duo was his friend and felt himself responsible for making sure Quatre made it home sane. **
Quatre suddenly laughed as he reached solid ground and scanned the area for any traces of the fish man. "What do you think Wufei would say if we told him about that creature?"
Duo reached the ground and laughed too, but still keeping his gun in hand, ready. "He'd tell us that we've lost our minds and should check ourselves in the nearest psychiatric facility."
Quatre suddenly stiffened in mid laugh and chocked, turning gray in color, his eyes widening. Duo, alarmed at this, grabbed onto Quatre's arm and shook him. "Quatre, if you faze out on me I'm going to kill you!"
Quatre started to shiver, bringing his arms around his body. "D…Duo…there…there's some…something….h…here…!" Gasped Quatre, his teeth chattering.
"What? The fish?" Asked Duo looking quickly around.
Quatre shook his head. "No! It…it's evil…! I…I can feel…it!"
Duo shook Quatre, "Where? What evil? Quatre…"
Duo froze as he heard clapping from behind him. Quatre gasped, and Duo turned around and found he staring at man. The man wore old archaic looking clothes, almost like from medieval earth time. He wore white clothes and a cloak, a staff with a red stone in the crook of his arm allowing both arms to be free. What was even odder was that the man had long straight shoulder length purple hair, and his eyes were closed, a goofy smile plastered on his lips.
Duo knew that the smile was anything but genuine.
"Well, well, well…this is all quite interesting." Said the man, ceasing his clapping. "I would have never thought to see such an unusual occurrence."
Duo found himself instinctively coming to stand in front of Quatre. For some reason he did not want the man anywhere near Quatre. The boy was capable of handling his own, but still, there was something ominous about the guy. "Who the Hell are you?" Demanded Duo.
The man took a step forward and bowed, "I am Xellos, Mysterious Priest." He stood straight and grinned, his eyes still shut.
"Mysterious, huh?" Said Duo. "Well, I used to live with a priest, and you defiantly don't seem like one to me. Priest of what?"
"Well now," Laughed the man. "That is a secret."
Duo blinked at the man in shock. This Xellos did not make any sense. Suddenly feeling jittery again he looked around.
Xellos spoke up, "You needn't worry about the fish man. I took care of him."
Duo blinked again. "What? How?"
Xellos opened his mouth to reply but Quatre stepped from behind Duo and said, "You killed it."
Xellos's smile became a smirk and he stepped forward. "I see your kind haven't changed at all."
Duo looked from pale Quatre to Xellos. "Ok. I'm lost. Quatre, what the Hell does he mean?"
Quatre said, not taking his eyes off of Xellos's smirking face. "I'm not sure. But, Duo, don't trust him. He's the evil that I felt."
Xellos laughed and came forward again coming to stand before Quatre and Duo. To Duo's surprise Quatre moved closer to him, now seeming to shield him from Xellos. Xellos leaned forward so that he was almost nose-to-nose with Quatre, "And why shouldn't he trust me?" He looked with his closed eyes to Duo now, "After all, he is one of my kind."
"W…what?" Stammered Duo, now totally bewildered.
Quatre said, "What do you mean by 'your kind' and 'my kind'? I don't understand."
But Xellos's smile became almost feral as he continued to look at Duo.
Then slowly Xellos opened his eyes and Duo felt the insides of his stomach turn to ice and his amethyst eyes met Xellos's amethyst eyes.
TO BE CONTINUED…….hehehehehehehe.
*Wufei is talking about Manx from WeiB, she was the one who was basically in charge of the whole thing with sending them back to their time.
**Quatre was tortured in the other time/world. Because of that torture his other self (the one that showed up with the Zero System…remember he has a double personality that appears when he's been pushed over the edge) showed up and nearly dominated Quatre's normal personality.
Ok, hope you like it!
Plus, give me some time…I wanna work on my poor neglected Kingdoms' Masks (gundam AU fic )before I work on another part.
Be patient!