Five - Zel-kun
The next day, Gourry and Lina were sitting in a crowded restaurant munching their favorite dishes. They'd decided they both deserved something extra special. But Zel was still missing.
Lina took a big bite of the cuisine steak in front of her. "So, where," She paused to swallow. "Do you think he is?"
Gourry gulped some Sake and looked at her. "You mean Zel?" He reached for a slice of cake. (They just had a bunch of random foods out there. 9_9)
"Of course I mean Zel. Who else?" Lina shoved another fork load of potatoes in her mouth. "Don't answer that. -_-"
"I wasn't going to!" Gourry retaliated. 'Just how dumb does she think I am??' He scratched his head, his mind wondering to the ugly, repair-needing ceiling in the restaurant. Suddenly, a chicken leg smacked him right in the eye. "AHH!!"
"You idiot! Can't I just have ONE intelligent conversation with you?!" Lina growled, rising in her chair. Other customers had turned to stare but Lina was used to the attention. Her arms braced the table, supporting her small body as she leaned over the table at him.
"But Lina--"
"No buts, Gourry! Just listen!" Lina sat back down, crossing her legs and propping her head up with her left hand. She studied a piece of meat on her fork in the other. "The point is, Zelgadiss is missing." Her bright red eyes looked up at him again and she dropped the fork into her plate. "This is not normal. We've got to find him."
Gourry blinked, seeing the seriousness in the situation for once. "Yeah, but how are we gonna do that?" He asked innocently.
Suddenly, Lina's fork began to vibrate against the plate as she twitched. Eyes closed and her left hand grabbing a handful of fiery hair, she struggled to suppress the urge to flame him as well as whoever might be within a 10 mile radius of him (excluding herself, of course).
Finally, Lina sighed, putting down the fork. "We LOOK for him." She twitched a little as she reached for her glass of Sake.
A light bulb went off in Gourry's head. "OHHHHH!" He grinned then went to work on his own steak.
----
After their self-proclaimed well-deserved meal, the two traveled up and down the streets searching for Zelgadiss. It'd been two hours and they still hadn't found him. Lina suddenly plopped down on the stonewall of a fountain. Gourry blinked and stood next to her.
"So, what now?" Gourry looked down at the exhausted girl.
She sighed. "Knowing Zel, he's probably found some place were he can't be disturbed." She stood, lifting her arms behind her head. Her eyes focused on the sky almost wistfully. "I guess he'll come back when he gets ready. I just..." She dropped her arms, looking at Gourry. "Didn't expect him to just leave at a time like this, you know?"
Gourry frowned. 'Amelia-chan...' She'd always been there to cheer them up. Even when he had no clue what was going on and Lina was beating him for it, Amelia had an encouraging word to say. She was the force of positive energy that kept them going on rainy days and when things looked downright impossible. Amelia was a determined and strong girl. Amelia was like a little sister to him. Now he turned to face Lina, his eyes clouding over. He didn't speak.
Lina blinked. 'Gourry...'
"Maybe he's not coming back," Gourry said in a voice that didn't sound like his own. It was dark and brimming with emotion.
Lina looked at him strangely. "Where would you get an idea like that, Gourry?" The way he was talking... It was strange. She frowned.
Gourry blinked and shrugged, reverting back to normal. "Well, it does sound like Zel, doesn't it?"
"But Gourry, this-!" She stopped in mid-sentence. Her eyes focused on the ground. And the dust she'd stirred up with her boot in the past few minutes. "I know Zel likes to be on his own when bad things happen. But," She lifted her head to look at him. The sunlight reflected in her eyes almost cynically. "Amelia is dead. Why did he leave us?"
Gourry flinched at her words. He knew she was hurting. Amelia was like a sister to her too, if not a best friend. He frowned, watching her.
Lina wasn't used to this kind of pain, so she got angry to try and cover it up. She'd covered up many scars that way before. But this was different. This was more than she could handle. And if she tried to cover it up now, things would only get worse when it all surfaced again. There was no way to escape this and she knew it.
"Maybe if I go look for him alone," She suggested half-heartedly.
"Huh?" Gourry couldn't see her motive.
She averted her eyes from his gaze. "Well, Zel and I... You and Zel aren't that close anyway." Lina looked up at him innocently.
"So, I guess I'll just go look around town then." He said rather flatly.
Lina blinked. "Well, I-"
"Look, it's obvious you want to be alone, Lina." He cut her off suddenly. "But so do I. So we'll meet up for dinner, ok?" His eyes softened as he smiled down at her.
Lina smiled slowly. "Ok, Gourry. You know where." They often met up at their favorite Dessert Shoppe so it was a set location. Only usually Amelia was tagging along and dragging Zel with her.
He nodded then turned and walked further into the crowds. "See you later, Gourry!" Lina called after him, waving cheerfully. He lifted a hand and waved without turning around. She knew he was smiling.
Lina sighed and turned in the other direction. If Zel was anywhere, if wouldn't be in town. She started off walking casually then broke into a run. Her breath quickened as she made herself go faster. That lump in her throat just wouldn't go away. 'Where are you, Zel?' Her heart ached for her friend as she ran.
The next day, Gourry and Lina were sitting in a crowded restaurant munching their favorite dishes. They'd decided they both deserved something extra special. But Zel was still missing.
Lina took a big bite of the cuisine steak in front of her. "So, where," She paused to swallow. "Do you think he is?"
Gourry gulped some Sake and looked at her. "You mean Zel?" He reached for a slice of cake. (They just had a bunch of random foods out there. 9_9)
"Of course I mean Zel. Who else?" Lina shoved another fork load of potatoes in her mouth. "Don't answer that. -_-"
"I wasn't going to!" Gourry retaliated. 'Just how dumb does she think I am??' He scratched his head, his mind wondering to the ugly, repair-needing ceiling in the restaurant. Suddenly, a chicken leg smacked him right in the eye. "AHH!!"
"You idiot! Can't I just have ONE intelligent conversation with you?!" Lina growled, rising in her chair. Other customers had turned to stare but Lina was used to the attention. Her arms braced the table, supporting her small body as she leaned over the table at him.
"But Lina--"
"No buts, Gourry! Just listen!" Lina sat back down, crossing her legs and propping her head up with her left hand. She studied a piece of meat on her fork in the other. "The point is, Zelgadiss is missing." Her bright red eyes looked up at him again and she dropped the fork into her plate. "This is not normal. We've got to find him."
Gourry blinked, seeing the seriousness in the situation for once. "Yeah, but how are we gonna do that?" He asked innocently.
Suddenly, Lina's fork began to vibrate against the plate as she twitched. Eyes closed and her left hand grabbing a handful of fiery hair, she struggled to suppress the urge to flame him as well as whoever might be within a 10 mile radius of him (excluding herself, of course).
Finally, Lina sighed, putting down the fork. "We LOOK for him." She twitched a little as she reached for her glass of Sake.
A light bulb went off in Gourry's head. "OHHHHH!" He grinned then went to work on his own steak.
----
After their self-proclaimed well-deserved meal, the two traveled up and down the streets searching for Zelgadiss. It'd been two hours and they still hadn't found him. Lina suddenly plopped down on the stonewall of a fountain. Gourry blinked and stood next to her.
"So, what now?" Gourry looked down at the exhausted girl.
She sighed. "Knowing Zel, he's probably found some place were he can't be disturbed." She stood, lifting her arms behind her head. Her eyes focused on the sky almost wistfully. "I guess he'll come back when he gets ready. I just..." She dropped her arms, looking at Gourry. "Didn't expect him to just leave at a time like this, you know?"
Gourry frowned. 'Amelia-chan...' She'd always been there to cheer them up. Even when he had no clue what was going on and Lina was beating him for it, Amelia had an encouraging word to say. She was the force of positive energy that kept them going on rainy days and when things looked downright impossible. Amelia was a determined and strong girl. Amelia was like a little sister to him. Now he turned to face Lina, his eyes clouding over. He didn't speak.
Lina blinked. 'Gourry...'
"Maybe he's not coming back," Gourry said in a voice that didn't sound like his own. It was dark and brimming with emotion.
Lina looked at him strangely. "Where would you get an idea like that, Gourry?" The way he was talking... It was strange. She frowned.
Gourry blinked and shrugged, reverting back to normal. "Well, it does sound like Zel, doesn't it?"
"But Gourry, this-!" She stopped in mid-sentence. Her eyes focused on the ground. And the dust she'd stirred up with her boot in the past few minutes. "I know Zel likes to be on his own when bad things happen. But," She lifted her head to look at him. The sunlight reflected in her eyes almost cynically. "Amelia is dead. Why did he leave us?"
Gourry flinched at her words. He knew she was hurting. Amelia was like a sister to her too, if not a best friend. He frowned, watching her.
Lina wasn't used to this kind of pain, so she got angry to try and cover it up. She'd covered up many scars that way before. But this was different. This was more than she could handle. And if she tried to cover it up now, things would only get worse when it all surfaced again. There was no way to escape this and she knew it.
"Maybe if I go look for him alone," She suggested half-heartedly.
"Huh?" Gourry couldn't see her motive.
She averted her eyes from his gaze. "Well, Zel and I... You and Zel aren't that close anyway." Lina looked up at him innocently.
"So, I guess I'll just go look around town then." He said rather flatly.
Lina blinked. "Well, I-"
"Look, it's obvious you want to be alone, Lina." He cut her off suddenly. "But so do I. So we'll meet up for dinner, ok?" His eyes softened as he smiled down at her.
Lina smiled slowly. "Ok, Gourry. You know where." They often met up at their favorite Dessert Shoppe so it was a set location. Only usually Amelia was tagging along and dragging Zel with her.
He nodded then turned and walked further into the crowds. "See you later, Gourry!" Lina called after him, waving cheerfully. He lifted a hand and waved without turning around. She knew he was smiling.
Lina sighed and turned in the other direction. If Zel was anywhere, if wouldn't be in town. She started off walking casually then broke into a run. Her breath quickened as she made herself go faster. That lump in her throat just wouldn't go away. 'Where are you, Zel?' Her heart ached for her friend as she ran.