AN: WOOOW! I got a review on this story! So I'll put up chapter 2! :)
Canthrea pushed her bangs back from her face as she finished the potion. "Ah! Done!" she said as Amelia smiled hesitantly. The princess was perched on the edge of the bed as the Magi was sitting cross-legged on the floor mixing the potion together, one that would reveal Zelgadis's true love.
She smirked slightly, she couldn't help it. She loved making mischief, even if it might possibly backfire on her. She just couldn't help it. She'd realized over these past few days that she was almost Xelloss's rival in evil mischief. Almost. The Trickster Priest had one up on her by being a Mazoku as he was, but she came pretty close. She had one up on him as well. That being the fact that she'd fooled even him with her CopyBook.
She swirled the light yellow liquid around in its small bowl. "Now, we need to get downstairs before everyone else!" she got up and hurried down the stairs deftly. The others were busy taking baths in the available Hot Springs. Amelia followed happily, skipping down the steps two at a time. Amelia dashed into the kitchen, swiping up a pitcher of wine and a long spoon and brought it quickly to Canthrea who dumped the light yellow liquid into the wine.
"There, just stir it in good and no one'll know the difference," she laughed somewhat evilly to herself and rubbed her hands together. They went to a table and sat down, Amelia stirring the wine and Canthrea wiping out her bowl with a napkin, sending it back to the kitchen by way of a waiter who gave them a long strange look.
Xelloss appeared nearby and couldn't help but laugh softly, he'd known what they were up to the whole time. "Canthrea, you truly are the Mistress of Pranks," he bowed deeply to her and she smirked.
Getting to her feet, she curtsied, "And you sir, are the Master of Secrets," they sniggered together then, taking seats.
"The others should be here in just a moment, I checked on Lina just a second ago, she was getting dressed," Xelloss said and got giggled at.
"I'm sure you were told how perverted you were- at the top of her lungs," Canthrea replied giving a Victory sign to the Mazoku.
It was then that Lina came in, she looked like she was in a bad mood and glared at Xelloss who only smirked back at her. Canthrea schooled her face into her normal blank/bored expression and glanced around.
Finally, Zelgadis and Gourry entered the room, both of them looking like their regular selves, except, perhaps more clean then when they'd left. Gourry sat beside Lina and started by pouring a glass of wine for both himself and her. Lina grabbed her cup and took a long draught of the wine, glaring at Xelloss the whole time. Gourry downed his entire glass before diving into the food.
The Mazoku just smirked at her, his eyes open as if waiting for something to happen. She lowered her brows and swallowed. She then noticed that Gourry had already started eating and jumped up, elbowing him in the head, "You Jellyfish! Don't hog it all!" she screamed at him and started grabbing for food.
"Itai!! Sorry Lina, its just that- I love you-" Gourry blinked quite a few times and Lina sat staring at him, her mouth agape.
"Gourry- did you just say -I love you too..." Lina blushed deeply and slapped her hands over her mouth and glowered around at the table at the witnesses of her slip of tongue. "YOU DIDN'T HEAR THAT!" she roared at them all.
Canthrea wiped the smirk off her face and Zelgadis pretended that he didn't hear. Amelia forced herself to not fall over giggling. Xelloss just smirked. Lina and Gourry then continued fighting over the roast chicken as if nothing had occurred.
Zelgadis looked at Canthrea, realizing that she'd been watching him. "Something wrong?" he asked her and felt a tap on his arm.
"Mr. Zelgadis, would you like some wine?" Amelia asked, looking at him with wide bright eyes, she looked excited about something as she held out a glass of wine to him.
He looked narrowly at her then back at Canthrea, who'd been staring at him again. "No thank you, Amelia, I'd rather have coffee right now."
Amelia pouted, "But Coffee will keep you up all night and its been such a long day, don't you think this would make you feel better?" she insisted and he caught a gesture from Canthrea out of the corner of his eye and saw Xelloss sniggering quite plainly.
Zelgadis narrowed his eyes slightly, "Only if you all have some," he said suddenly. Amelia blushed a bright red.
"Oh- I couldn't!" she said, her eyes even wider.
"Then I won't have any," Zelgadis said firmly, he knew something was going on that they weren't telling him.
"Oh come now, you wouldn't want to hurt her feelings, now would you?" Canthrea spoke up finally and smiled sweetly.
Xelloss giggled hysterically, falling out of his chair. "You put something in it, didn't you?" Zelgadis connected everything together and glowered at Canthrea.
She gave him an innocent look, "I only added a little spice to it. Something from before I went to sleep," Canthrea replied smoothly.
"I'll only drink it if you BOTH drink some," Zelgadis insisted.
Canthrea shrugged, "Alright," she reached over gracefully, pouring herself a glass of the wine and taking a mouthful. She tipped her head back and gargled some then swallowed and showed him her tongue, showing that she'd actually swallowed.
Zelgadis turned to Amelia, somewhat disgusted by Canthrea. Amelia nervously took a sip from the glass she'd been holding out to Zelgadis and swallowed. "See? Nothing wrong with it, Mr. Zelgadis-Iloveyou," she turned bright pink at what had just slipped out. Canthrea and Xelloss were sniggering and the former took another gulp of wine, setting into her dinner.
"I'm not drinking it. I don't know what you've put in it Canthrea, but I will not drink it," Zelgadis said firmly, pulling his customary cup of coffee to him and sipping from it. Amelia pouted.
Lina eyed Amelia, Canthrea, Xelloss, and Zelgadis over her food. Somehow, she couldn't help but think something was going on that she should be aware of.
Zelgadis waited until the end of the meal, having always caught Canthrea with her mouth full when asking questions. "Canthrea! What did you put in that wine?!" he snapped at her as she got up from the table after dabbing her mouth with a napkin. She leaned forward somewhat, lifting a finger and smirking in Xelloss's classic 'Sore wa himitsu desu' pose. With that, she turned and sashayed up the stairs to her room laughing the whole way. Zelgadis growled in frustration.
Everyone had left to their rooms except for Xelloss and Zelgadis. The Chimera pulled the wine pitcher over and peered into it, finding no trace of the wine that had been in it before. "Xelloss, you know what happened, what did Canthrea put in the wine?"
Xelloss smiled and mimicked the pose Canthrea had done just before leaving and disappeared, leaving Zelgadis to his frustration once again.
* * *
Amelia knocked on Canthrea's door hesitantly and heard a soft "Come in" from inside. The princess of Seyruun stepped into the room, closing the door behind her, leaning against it. "It didn't work."
Canthrea sat up from where she'd been curled up on the bed. "Well, at least I know I haven't lost my touch," she smiled, rubbing her face as if she'd been asleep. Amelia couldn't help but think it was something else but Canthrea wasn't acting as if she'd been crying.
"Yeah.. but how come you didn't admit who you loved?" Amelia asked.
"Because I didn't say anything. Laughing doesn't count, you know. Its not actually intelligent thought, therefor the potion can't make you say anything," Canthrea said as she put her feet on the floor and patted the bed beside her. Amelia came over and sat nervously. She had the question on her lips when Canthrea spoke. "Your face turned the most hilarious shade of pink," she said, giggling as she remembered. "And the look on his face was classic!" she fell over with the effort of trying not to wake up the entire inn with her laughter.
Amelia blushed once again, her question flitting away. "Did you happen to see Lina and Gourry?" she asked.
Canthrea nodded. "Gourry just stared with his mouth open and Lina about choked! We'll just have to try harder next time! Spike his coffee. And next time, don't act unusual! That's what blew it this time," the Magi admonished and Amelia blushed deeper.
"I'm sorry, I'll try harder next time, Ms. Canthrea."
"Now get to bed, it's a long day tomorrow!" Canthrea got to her feet and shooed Amelia out of her room with all the energy of someone wide-awake. Amelia turned to ask her remembered question but found the door closed. She closed her mouth and decided on asking tomorrow.
* * *
Amelia watched Canthrea curiously as they stopped for lunch at an inn on the way to Atlas City, once again. Zelgadis was sitting beside her but pretending she wasn't there, still somewhat mad at her for what she'd tried to do the other night and Amelia sat on his other side, watching them both. She hadn't gotten the chance to ask Canthrea her question, for the older woman had always been in the company of others. Amelia was determined, though, she would have her answer.
The Silver Lady wrote furiously in a notebook she'd gotten from somewhere, occasionally tucking her pencil in her hair or tapping it on her chin as she thought carefully about something. Not many noticed or commented that Canthrea's earrings were missing. Zelgadis tried to peer at what she was writing, but couldn't read her chicken-scratch writing. He recognized the magic wheel she'd written on the page with things scribbled outside it but he had no clue what the symbols on the wheel meant, they being in a completely different magic language then what he had learned.
Lina was curious as to what the silver haired woman was writing and frequently asked but got a soft grunt in return most of the time or, "I'm busy Lina, hush." Canthrea wrote nonstop in her notebook, even as she walked down the road, hanging behind the group. Xelloss was nowhere to be found thankfully, though he did appear occasionally to interrupt Lina and annoy everyone else, though he couldn't get Canthrea's attention.
Finally, at the end of the day Canthrea closed her notebook and looked around the small clearing they were camping in. She hadn't realized that they'd been traveling all day, being too absorbed in working out all the details of her seriously complicated spell. She got to her feet and stated, "I'm going for a short walk, Zelgadis, would you come with me." It wasn't a question, more a command and the Chimera lowered his brows, looking carefully around the camp. Lina had the glint in her eye that told him she was going to follow, Gourry was simply too tired to know what was going on and Amelia stared in curiosity but wouldn't interrupt Canthrea in whatever she was planning.
The Magi woman turned, sweeping out of the camp and to the edge of the light the campfire cast. "Cast a light spell for me," she told Zelgadis as he came up to her.
"You can c-"
"I told YOU to cast it," she said firmly and he did as told, holding it high for her to see ahead. She wandered around some, clutching her notebook to her until they finally entered another clearing not too far from the one they'd camped in. "Go over this place and pick up any sticks you find and push the leaves out of the way," she commanded of the Chimera. He was confused as to why she was doing this but sent the light spell to hover higher in the air so the whole area was lit.
Within a short time, Zelgadis had done as he'd been told and Canthrea picked a pouch off her belt and carefully began to draw the magic circle with white powder from the pouch. Zelgadis wondered how such a small pouch could hold so much powder, for Canthrea seemed to have enough to make the entire circle without running out. She Stepped carefully over the circle to dust her hands over the leaves. "Now, go stand in the middle," she told him next, spying Lina off in the trees.
Canthrea paced around the circle carefully making sure there were no stray marks until finally making her way into the center of the circle after dropping her notebook off to the side with the pencil. "Stand right here," the Magi told Zelgadis, carefully turning him the exact right direction. She then looked up at the sky as she took her place.
She seemed to wait for eternity before she nodded, lifting her hands. "Place your hands on mine," she instructed, and they stood at arms length of each other, palm to palm. Canthrea closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Softly she began whispering strange words of a language that had died long ago.
Immediately, the circle started glowing but faltered. Canthrea opened her eyes and glowered, reaching out and grabbing his sword, she threw it out of the magic circle as far as she could. Zelgadis was about to complain when she put her hands back on his and started again. The circle light up once again and he felt the energies rising from the earth and pulling down from the sky into a column of pure magic.
His heart beat faster in anticipation of what was happening and he watched carefully, hoping that she was trying to cure him. The world seemed to start spinning around them, slowly at first, growing faster until the feeling pulled inward, focusing on them. He felt as if everything inside him was spinning in a circle though his palms, into Canthrea and back into him.
The speed picked up and he felt nauseated. The world was filled with the light from the magic circle and trees swirling around him in a mockery of spinning around playfully. He felt as if he were being torn apart from the inside out, flowing out his right hand and something else flowing in from his left. Zelgadis opened his mouth to scream for it to stop but found no voice, the words were ripped from his mind in the whirlwind of pain and dizziness.
Suddenly, a spark snapped between his palms and Canthrea's, jolting them apart, flinging them completely out of the magic circle. His hands stung and his back hurt where he'd landed on some sticks. Slowly, he sat up, finding hands helping him. Zelgadis slowly lifted a hand to his forehead but found his hands taken gently and a healing spell cast over them. He wondered why. He couldn't formulate what had happened, his mind refused to work. He knew he felt different but couldn't pinpoint what it was.
Large hands picked him up gently and carried him gently. He couldn't see anything, it was all spinning still. He groaned and found himself throwing up, hands gently patting his back as he found what he'd eaten for breakfast two weeks ago. His face was wiped gently and he found himself lain down and cloaks thrown over him. His eyes fell closed and he lost himself in sleep.
* * *
Canthrea was seated on the other side of the fire, her hair falling around her shoulders in shimmering silver strands. Her feet were tucked under her as she casually doodled in her notebook. She pretended to not notice the stares the company was giving her, as if she'd done something wrong. She ignored them instead, hiding the hurt inside a stony exterior.
Zelgadis lay across the fire from her, curled up within Lina and Amelia's cloaks. He hadn't woken yet, even if it was mid morning, but Canthrea guessed it was a rather traumatic experience. She didn't feel too spiffy herself, but she wouldn't admit that to anyone. No one had spoken to her since she'd woken and she was somewhat thankful to that, finally, she wasn't being bothered by Lina's insistent questions to be shown a spell. Well, Canthrea had given her a spell all right. It had taken quite a bit of her energy to control the energies she had called upon, but she was proud of herself, she'd done it and now Zelgadis had what he'd wanted.
She lifted her eyes from her sketching and looked at him. His black hair fallen over his lightly tanned face, his black lashes brushing against his high cheek bones. She stifled the regretful sigh she felt. He deserved happiness and Amelia loved him, Canthrea was sure it was to Amelia that Zelgadis returned the affection.
Slowly, she noted him stirring. She got up, setting her pad and pencil aside, turning and headed out of the camp for a while. She'd find somewhere else to be for a little. Let them all gush about how great he looked as a human. Canthrea climbed up into a tree and perched upon a branch, her feet hanging off one side.
Xelloss appeared beside her, perched on the branch the same way she was. "Not going to savor your victory?" he asked.
Canthrea forced a smirk and shoved at the Mazoku, making him fall off the branch. She hadn't meant to push that hard. She didn't know her own strength anymore. It wasn't like she cared about the Mazoku, he could take care of himself. In fact, he disappeared before hitting the ground anyway. She leaned against the tree, swinging her feet some. She'd come back in an hour, she decided.
* * *
"Canthrea did it," Amelia told him as he sipped his tea, his hands shaking too bad. He spilt some in his lap and winced as the hot liquid seeped through his pants and to his thigh. Amelia took his cup and mopped up his lap. "Do you feel alright?" she asked, worried.
He couldn't help but smile some, "I'm okay," he croaked softly, his throat soar from throwing up. She helped him take another cautious sip of his tea and he marveled at the feel of her hands against his skin. Zelgadis took one of her hands and pressed it against his face, his eyes closed. "I've...missed this," he said softly, not realizing that she was blushing deeply. "How did you find us?" he asked, coughing softly.
Lina and Gourry had descended upon him the moment he'd woken up and Amelia had simply waited her turn with him. Zelgadis opened his eyes and looked around, "Where is she?" he asked, unable to bring his voice above a whisper.
Amelia shook her head, "She went off somewhere before you woke up. We heard you screaming and thought something terrible had happened. Me and Gourry came running and found Canthrea on one side of the clearing but she was okay so we went to you. Your palms were bleeding, I could see the bones," she shuddered, "I healed your hands and then Gourry picked you up and carried you back here and you started throwing up," she looked sickened once again. "After that you passed out and Canthrea came staggering back and curled up on the other side of the fire."
Zelgadis nodded. That was more then he remembered even if it wasn't as informative as he'd have liked. He needed to talk to Canthrea to find out what had happened. Zelgadis lifted his head as he heard the crack of a stick and his eyes widened in shock.
Canthrea was standing at the edge of camp, her hair was down, and she was wearing the dress he'd first seen her in. But now- now as she stood there, he saw the remarkable change in her.
Her hair shimmered in the mid morning sunlight, the light breeze that touched her skirt did not move those strands of molten silver though. Her face was the same shape, but its color had changed to a light grey, studded around her eyes were rocks of darker grey, almost obsidian, these rocks also dripped down the edge of her jaw and on the tip of her chin.
"NOOO!" he found himself wailing and being held down by Amelia when he tried to rise.
Canthrea put her hand on her hip. "I thought you'd be happy. You got what you wanted."
"DAMNIT!" Zelgadis shrieked. "Not at THIS price!"
"Well its too late. I'm not going to figure out how to switch it back onto you, so just deal with it," the Silver Lady told him firmly, narrowing her rocky slit-iris eyes. Zelgadis fell limp against Amelia, sobbing into her shoulder. Tears fell down Amelia's cheeks as well, falling into his hair. "Shouldn't we be going?" Canthrea asked the others.
"If Zelgadis is feeling okay enough to walk," Lina said, looking toward the young man as he pulled himself together. He got to his feet. Pulling his cloak on and fastening it, anger in every movement.
"I'm fine. Lets go," he snapped coldly and stalked off toward the path. Amelia grabbed up her cloak and hurried after Zelgadis, fastening it as she ran. Canthrea watched as Lina and Gourry quickly quit the camp and followed the two Shamans. Finally, she picked up her pad and pencil, focusing and turning them back into her earrings, clipping them onto her long pointed demon ears.