Canthrea and her husband were off to the side of the steps leading into the palace kissing each other deeply. Gadis- as he was now being called- holding her tightly. "I love you," Canthrea murmured after every kiss ended. Lina was fuming as she stood watching. Zelgadis, the original was staring off into space while Gourry and Sylphiel were standing near him, trying to cheer the young man.
"Oh would you two PLEASE hurry up!" Lina shrieked, stomping one foot. She couldn't help but feel jealous that Canthrea and a copy had found something more valuable then treasure and Lina was still single. Gourry had said he loved her, but Lina just couldn't see herself with him.
Canthrea gave Lina an evil look then kissed her husband once more, "I hope that lasts you until you get back. But here's one more for 'in case'." She kissed the Chimera man's lips once more.
"Ah, Canthrea, I really don't deserve you," he sighed blissfully.
"Doesn't matter what you deserve or not, its what I decide that matters."
"Of course love," he replied and took a deep breath of her scent before letting her go reluctantly. "I'll still miss you."
Canthrea unclipped something from around her neck, a small locket. She placed it in his hands and smiled at him, "If you run into trouble, just use this. Now get going before Lina beheads us all." With a soft chuckle, he kissed his wife once more then backed away a few steps, finally turning around and jogging to join the others. He glanced at his original who seemed restless but tired, then opened his fingers to look at the locket.
He looked back at Canthrea but found that she'd gone back into the palace. A smile touched his lips and he clipped the chain around his neck, stuffing it under his shirt. Zelgadis would do his best not to let Lina have it. Pulling his hood down over his face and the mask to cover the lower half, he followed the rest of the group as they set out of the city. He wasn't quite sure of his original's purpose in leaving the city but he trusted Zelgadis like he trusted himself. Perhaps a little blindly, the copy admitted, but if you couldn't trust yourself then who could you trust?
Lina glared at him as he adjusted his pace to walk beside his original, though perhaps one step behind. Zelgadis didn't notice, he was too intent on finding the Mazoku who stole his bride and killing it violently. "Zel, perhaps you should calm down? Being angry isn't going to change it. It will only impair your judgement."
"You can be the cool headed one, I don't want to calm down," Zel snapped and his copy shrugged slightly in response. He glanced at the group. He could tell that Gourry was following Lina, and that Sylphiel, though attached to Gourry would do what Zelgadis- either one- said, but there was some question as to who was the leader of the group. Gadis was puzzled by this and put his feet on auto pilot as he pondered.
Perhaps Zelgadis, the original was the leader, but there was the question as to weather Lina would follow him or not. She seemed to be alright with it. However, the original had just practically put his copy in charge, being too busy with his own thoughts to do much at the moment. Gadis simply hoped that something happened once they were out of the city. Other wise, there was nothing that could be done.
It was almost an hours walk before they were out of the city and Zelgadis's original had calmed down somewhat, the fresh air and exercise having done much good. They topped a hill that looked down upon Seyruun. "Wow, that really was a big chunk Lina took out of the city," the copy remarked softly, pondering how much power it would have taken to do such a thing.
Lina sneered, "Yeah, and if you get on my nerves-"
"Lina, what did I tell you about that?"
"Oh! I remember!" Gourry started to say but Lina threw a rock at him. "Ouch..."
Zelgadis shook his head, his wiry silver hair bouncing somewhat. "We need to get Xelloss's attention..." he murmured, "What would get his attention... Oh!" he walked up to Lina, turned and gave her a pat on the rear.
"PERVERT!!" Lina screamed and readied a fireball, but found that the Chimera copy had darted off before she could catch him.
"Maa! Maa! That certainly did get my attention, Copy Zelgadis," Xelloss said as he appeared, smirking at Lina. The small sorceress was shocked when the Chimera copy flashed a broad grin and a Victory sign.
"So where's our enemy?" Zelgadis the original asked, bringing them back to the heart of the matter.
"I'm right here," replied a soft voice as a man stepped out of the shadows of the tree at the top of the building. It was amazing that he had blended in so well. He wore a cloak made of patches of brown and green sewn together seamlessly, as if it were truly all one cloth. The man's clothes under that were invisible except for his boots which were brown and caked in mud. The hood of his cloak was pulled low, shadows covering his face, hiding everything but his mouth. A deep pale scar ran across his lips diagonally from his left cheek, the rest of his skin was tanned dark brown. "You're probably wondering what my lord wants with you. And you'll soon find out, I assure you. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. The easy way is that I take you to my lord, the hard way is you fighting me."
"Where is your lord?" Zelgadis, the copy, asked softly before Lina could get a word in.
The strange man smirked, his lips parting to show dirty yellow teeth, chipped and rotted. "You'd find out if you came quietly."
"Like HELL we'll come quietly! What do you want with us?!" Lina demanded, taking the stage by force.
"I personally want nothing from you.... but if you want your princess back you'll do as my lord tells you," the stranger replied.
"Where is your lord," Zelgadis's copy repeated the question softly, his hands hidden under his navy blue cloak.
The stranger shook his head. "North," was all he said then turned back toward the shadows of the tree, disappearing.
"Maa, isn't this interesting?" Xelloss said as he sat in the air, looking at a dirty magazine.
"Xelloss, perhaps you would like to explain your part in all this?" Zelgadis's copy murmured, still unmoved from where he'd been while the stranger was there.
The Mazoku Priest General smirked, "That- is a secret," he opened one eye to look at the copy, however. Sylphiel shivered, hiding behind Gourry.
"Thank you Xelloss, that is all we require of you at the moment," Zelgadis's copy replied seeming to become a living being once again. "You may go continue plotting with Beast Master." Both of Xelloss's eyes opened to look upon the Chimera man.
"I warn you, watch your ways, boy," the priest said softly then disappeared. Lina looked at the copy a long moment.
"What was that about?" she asked.
"Our enemy was casting his shadow here from a village to the south of here, quite a ways in fact," Zelgadis's copy didn't answer Lina's question. "He was lying as to where his lord is."
"Or he does intend for us to go north," Lina argued.
"Then by all means, let us go north," Gadis said, giving a bow and gesturing for Lina to lead the way. Though he seemed polite in every movement, Lina couldn't help but think he was being sarcastic.
She glared at him, "No. We're going south," she snapped and started off toward the south, her cape fluttering behind her in the light wind.
Gadis smiled slightly, "I knew she'd see it my way," he said jovially and headed off after her, his original bringing up the rear.
* * *
They had traveled all day, hardly stopping for lunch and walking late into the night before they reached an inn. Lina and Gourry attacked their dinners with gusto while Zel barely ate at all, Sylphiel picked at her dinner and Gadis was completely disgusted, not eating at all.
"I could cook better then this," Gadis muttered, Sylphiel nodded. "I'm going to see if I can buy some things from the cooks..." he got up and walked to the kitchen, leaving the majority of the group to blink at him.
"Buy some things from the cooks? What kind of things?" Lina asked, "No Gourry! That's mine!"
"Things like pots and pans and spatulas. Its hard to cook without them," Sylphiel replied with a smile.
"You're gonna cook for us?" Gourry asked hopefully.
Sylphiel shook her head, "Nope, Zelgadis is! He's better at it then me!"
"My....copy...cooks..." Zelgadis murmured to himself, one hand to his forehead. "I have a feeling I'm going to be learning quite a lot about myself on this trip."
Sylphiel smiled, "He makes the most wonderful omelets!" Lina slammed her head down on the table. "And his 'Surprise' dishes are always first class! I wish I knew what he put in his rabbit stew! I know that its rabbit, potato, carrots... but the spices- what does he use?!"
Lina leveled a finger at Zelgadis, "You could have beaten that cooking challenge."
"I do not know how to cook. That's something my copy picked up on his own!" he defended and heard a soft chuckle from behind him.
"Yes, but I had the best teacher," Gadis replied, smiling at Sylphiel who blushed in return. "As for Zel knowing how to cook, he can't even boil water. Doesn't know the first thing about cooking. Which goes to show you don't know what you can do until you try."
"I think I'll just leave the self discoveries up to you," Zel said, putting his elbows on the table.
"And stagnate yourself?" Gadis shook his head, "If I didn't have his memories, I'd be surprised at his gloominess. In any case, I'm going to bed." With that, the Chimera copy made his way down the hall to his room.
Lina gaped, "Zelgadis, I think your copy is effeminate."
"No, just trying to create his own personality and self. At least he's going about it in a better way then Rezo's copy did," Zelgadis replied softly, yawning somewhat in the middle of his sentence. "He had a good idea though, I'm going to bed." The young man got to his feet, headed down the hall and into his room. Lina yawned as well.
"Yeah, good night!" she left the table. Sylphiel watched as Gourry soon followed and sighed to herself as she, too, went to bed.
* * *
Zelgadis pulled his knees to his chest, staring into the darkness. He couldn't feel the cool air on his skin, for it was stone and though he longed to know for himself what it was like, he wouldn't go searching endlessly for some cure that probably didn't exist. Instead, he would stay as he was, the way Canthrea was. He had never slept by himself before, though Zelgadis's memories showed that his original had always slept by himself. He felt lonely, wanting his wife's warm arms around his middle and her head on his chest. He missed her already.
He heard a soft knock on his door and stirred himself; it was nearing midnight. Zelgadis got to his feet, adjusting his pants at his waist then opened the door a crack. "Yes?"
"Zelgadis?" It was Gourry, standing in the darkness and looking nervous.
Gadis was confused, he'd certainly never expected to be called 'Zelgadis' by this group, but then, Gourry could have forgotten that Gadis was not the original. He opened the door wide, "Come in," he said softly and the swordsman stepped in, watching as the Chimera closed the door. "Something wrong?"
"No...yes... well... I wanted to ask you- help me write a letter?" Gourry said, pulling his hands from behind his back, he was holding a pen and some paper. "I- I've been trying all night and I just can't figure out what I want to say... it always ends up sounding stupid. I would ask the other you but he's already asleep and... I just don't know if he'd be willing to help."
Gadis smiled, taking the paper and pen from Gourry's hands, "Of course I'll help you. Have a seat." The blonde looked around then sat on the edge of the bed and watched as the Chimera flopped down on the floor, stretching out like a cat. "Now, who's it to?"
"Lina," the blonde said softly, nervously. Zelgadis smiled, writing, 'Dear Lina,' on the paper.
"What exactly did you want to tell her?" Gadis asked, looking up at the blonde.
"I'm not sure... but I want to tell her something. I can't remember what though."
"Alright then, lets try this, what does she remind you of?" The Chimera copy pulled out another piece of paper and waited for Gourry's answer.
"I don't know what you mean..." the swordsman replied.
"What do you think she smells like?" Gadis asked and got a strange look.
"She smells like lavender."
"And what do you think her hair looks like?"
"Like blood."
Gadis winced, "Alright, we can work with that though... What do you think of when she smiles?"
"I think of sunshine."
Gadis quickly wrote down Gourry's answers and pondered them. "What do you think of when you see her sleeping?"
Gourry scratched his chin, "I think I'm glad she's not awake because she'd hit me for watching her sleep and say I was a pervert." The Chimera shook his head with a soft chuckle. "I think she looks like an angel when she's asleep."
Gadis smiled, "Now THAT has potential. What other things do you like about her?"
"Well..." Gourry thought a moment.
* * *
"Alright! Who's idea was this?!" Lina demanded as she stomped into the main room of the inn waving a folded piece of paper. "And who was it that signed Gourry's name to it?!"
"I believe Gourry signed it himself, Lina," Gadis said calmly, the blonde swordsman sank low in his chair.
Lina leveled a finger at Gadis, "Is this your idea of a joke?" she shrieked.
"Actually, no. It's not a joke at all. Besides, it wasn't even my idea. I just helped write it."
"Then WHO'S idea was it?!" Lina slammed the letter down on the table.
"Mine..." Gourry admitted and cringed as Lina was about to hit him.
Lina found her arm being held back by a stony hand, "Lina, think for a moment... Would Gourry do something like this if he didn't mean it?" Gadis asked gently.
"You said it yourself, YOU helped write it! Does he even know what's in this?!" Lina gestured at the letter once more.
"Yes he does, Lina."
Gourry was blushing deeply, "I really do think you're an angel when you're asleep." This stopped Lina in her tracks. Sylphiel stared from one to the other. The moment was broken when Zelgadis, the original, made his way in.
"What's all the fuss about?" Zel asked, sitting down.
"Nothing," Lina said, stuffing the letter into her pocket and giving Gadis a long glare. "Don't EVER touch me!" she attempted to hit him with a plate, but found he was on the other side of the table in seconds.
"Yes Lina, I will remember that," the Chimera copy replied politely.