Inner Child
Written by Terra
All Slayers characters belong to the guy who made them up. I don't know his name. In short, I didn't make them up. Don't sue
me.
Chapter One: Innocence
Zelgadis sat at the mahogany work table that was in his room at the inn in the middle of nowhere. Not that he was
thinking about that. He sat at that table, the room lit by one candle. Not that he really needed it.
Ever since... that.
It never occurred to him, before that night, how much he was like... him.
The Mighty Red Sage. The Blind Rezo. Who fought and worked all his life for a chance to see the world he had been
born into. When he finally succeeded, he was beyond sanity and died within a few seconds.
And it was happening to him. Just like that. Hell, maybe Ruby Eye was in him also, waiting. Just waiting. He was also
going mad by this short coming.
"It hurts," he whispered to no one, "if I get it, I know I still wouldn't be happy. It won't be any different."
So, that was why he was writing a note to his friends. A suicide note. It was only polite. It wasn't their fault his
life sucked. It wasn't even Rezo's fault. It was all him, in the end.
"To whom it may concern,
After many sleepless nights, I have now realised that I have nothing to gain or lose if I continue wandering
this mortal coil. I wish for sleep. I wish for rest. So, leaving this place that we call 'Life', will grant my wishes. To
sleep and to dream. I'm not dying, I'm going to bed after a long and tiring day.
Do not weep, for I'm only sleeping. I will finally rest.
I thank you for your kindness and easing my long day but you can only do so much for me.
My regrets,
Zelgadis"
He looked at his note. He sighed and realised that he had said enough. He rose and slipped the note under his
friends' door. He smiled.
"Good night," he said to the door, "Sweet dreams." He went to his room and sat down on the chair in front of the
desk. He took out the poison and smiled. It would be painless. Maybe a jolt but nothing more. But it would kill... wait, let
him sleep at last. He raised the bottle to his lips...
"Now, that isn't the way to do it," a woman's voice said.
He whipped around. The voice belonged to... his mother. She had been dead for 15 years. After 3 years of sickness.
When he was nine years old.
She appeared as she did when she had been living but not ill. She wore a small smile.
"Well, what is the way to do it?" Zel asked her.
"You should die with peace, not angst."
"There's nothing left."
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Mother," he sighed, "you've been dead too long. Life is hard. Death is easy."
"I remember Life. I remember grief and pain. But I also remember happiness and a little boy, whom no one could
understand, laughing at a bird. What happened to that little boy?"
"He grew up, Mother, he grew up."
"But you are still that little boy, Zel, you are still..."
"I am a MAN!" Zel screamed, "A grown man, who is tired and sad and lonely. I am a grown man who is stuck with the
body of seventeen year old boy, sculpted by stone. By the man whom he trusted and loved. By the man who didn't even save his
own daughter-in-law when she had been ill for three years," he sighed, "I am a man just like him."
"Oh, dear. No one said you had to die like him."
"Death will come. Why fight?"
"Good question. But, what if I could make the pain go away?"
A bitter laugh, "Heh, I'm doing that already."
"No, I'll take the pain but not your life."
He guffawed, "That's impossible. I must be crazy. I'm arguing with a dead woman! You're in my head!"
"You know that's a lie. You could always see me. You have a gift." She looked at him with determination, "I won't
waste that."
He threw up his hands, "Fine, fine, what the hell. I got nothing better to do!"
"Stand up."
*** ***
"Hey, Miss Lina, wake up," Amelia whispered, shaking her red-headed friend.
"Wha... Amelia?! What do you want?" Lina grumbled.
"I heard Mister Zelgadis screaming."
"So, he's having the Rezo dream again. Let me sleep."
"I don't think so, let's go check on him."
Lina sighed and got up while Amelia shook Gourry. Lina opened the door to their room and stepped on something. She
bent down and picked up the paper. She cast a Light spell and read the note.
"Holy... he's going to kill himself! We have to stop him!" Gourry immediately bolted out of bed.
"Who is?"
"The inn keeper... who do you think? Zel, Jellyfish brains!"
"He can't be serious!" Amelia squeaked.
"Well, either that or he wants to win an award for poetic letters. Hey, he used some stuff from that play you were
telling us about. What was it? Baconlet? Porklet?"
"Who cares! We have to help him!" Amelia screamed.
*** ***
"I will return your innocence, Zelgadis."
"Will it take away the pain?"
"When you were innocent, the biggest pain was scraping your knee."
"I guess that's a 'yes'."
"Are you ready?"
"Born ready, Mother."
*** ***
Zel's friends were rushing to the door. Gourry began to try knocking the door down with his weight with Lina pushing the
area his body missed. After much banging and sweat, Amelia turned the knob and replied, "Uh... the door's unlocked."
"Oh. Right."
*** ***
"Zelgadis, ignore them for now," his mother replied at his head turning toward the door when Gourry banged it, "look
at me." Zelgadis looked at up at his mother. "Close your eyes." He closed them. His mother smiled.
*** ***
Lina and company rushed in the door. They faced a tall woman in an almost transparent white robe. She had long
purple hair that fell freely. She looked at them with blue eyes that mimicked Zel's. She smiled and shrugged and faced Zel
once again.
"Uh... who are...?" But Lina never got to finish her statement. The woman bent down and kissed the young man on the
lips. Zel's eyes fluttered briefly before the woman rose again.
As she rose, her hair shifted to blonde and her eyes glittered a bright green. She smiled and, instantly, large white
wings burst out. She looked at the mirror.
In the mirror was the woman she was before. Screaming a horrified silent scream. She smirked at the reflection and
said, "You can't protect him forever." The reflection screamed with more intensity but just as silent. Tears ran down her
cheeks.
Zel slumped and the woman dropped him. As he dropped, his stone skin became human flesh. Then he became younger and
younger until, when he hit the floor, he had the appearance of a six year old boy.
The others just stared in shock, at the winged woman, the silent screamer and their now young friend.
The woman bent down on her knees and kissed the boy's forehead, "I'll see you soon, my Prince." Then she was gone.
To be continued...
C&C at destinyplot@lycos.com
Written by Terra
All Slayers characters belong to the guy who made them up. I don't know his name. In short, I didn't make them up. Don't sue
me.
Chapter One: Innocence
Zelgadis sat at the mahogany work table that was in his room at the inn in the middle of nowhere. Not that he was
thinking about that. He sat at that table, the room lit by one candle. Not that he really needed it.
Ever since... that.
It never occurred to him, before that night, how much he was like... him.
The Mighty Red Sage. The Blind Rezo. Who fought and worked all his life for a chance to see the world he had been
born into. When he finally succeeded, he was beyond sanity and died within a few seconds.
And it was happening to him. Just like that. Hell, maybe Ruby Eye was in him also, waiting. Just waiting. He was also
going mad by this short coming.
"It hurts," he whispered to no one, "if I get it, I know I still wouldn't be happy. It won't be any different."
So, that was why he was writing a note to his friends. A suicide note. It was only polite. It wasn't their fault his
life sucked. It wasn't even Rezo's fault. It was all him, in the end.
"To whom it may concern,
After many sleepless nights, I have now realised that I have nothing to gain or lose if I continue wandering
this mortal coil. I wish for sleep. I wish for rest. So, leaving this place that we call 'Life', will grant my wishes. To
sleep and to dream. I'm not dying, I'm going to bed after a long and tiring day.
Do not weep, for I'm only sleeping. I will finally rest.
I thank you for your kindness and easing my long day but you can only do so much for me.
My regrets,
Zelgadis"
He looked at his note. He sighed and realised that he had said enough. He rose and slipped the note under his
friends' door. He smiled.
"Good night," he said to the door, "Sweet dreams." He went to his room and sat down on the chair in front of the
desk. He took out the poison and smiled. It would be painless. Maybe a jolt but nothing more. But it would kill... wait, let
him sleep at last. He raised the bottle to his lips...
"Now, that isn't the way to do it," a woman's voice said.
He whipped around. The voice belonged to... his mother. She had been dead for 15 years. After 3 years of sickness.
When he was nine years old.
She appeared as she did when she had been living but not ill. She wore a small smile.
"Well, what is the way to do it?" Zel asked her.
"You should die with peace, not angst."
"There's nothing left."
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Mother," he sighed, "you've been dead too long. Life is hard. Death is easy."
"I remember Life. I remember grief and pain. But I also remember happiness and a little boy, whom no one could
understand, laughing at a bird. What happened to that little boy?"
"He grew up, Mother, he grew up."
"But you are still that little boy, Zel, you are still..."
"I am a MAN!" Zel screamed, "A grown man, who is tired and sad and lonely. I am a grown man who is stuck with the
body of seventeen year old boy, sculpted by stone. By the man whom he trusted and loved. By the man who didn't even save his
own daughter-in-law when she had been ill for three years," he sighed, "I am a man just like him."
"Oh, dear. No one said you had to die like him."
"Death will come. Why fight?"
"Good question. But, what if I could make the pain go away?"
A bitter laugh, "Heh, I'm doing that already."
"No, I'll take the pain but not your life."
He guffawed, "That's impossible. I must be crazy. I'm arguing with a dead woman! You're in my head!"
"You know that's a lie. You could always see me. You have a gift." She looked at him with determination, "I won't
waste that."
He threw up his hands, "Fine, fine, what the hell. I got nothing better to do!"
"Stand up."
*** ***
"Hey, Miss Lina, wake up," Amelia whispered, shaking her red-headed friend.
"Wha... Amelia?! What do you want?" Lina grumbled.
"I heard Mister Zelgadis screaming."
"So, he's having the Rezo dream again. Let me sleep."
"I don't think so, let's go check on him."
Lina sighed and got up while Amelia shook Gourry. Lina opened the door to their room and stepped on something. She
bent down and picked up the paper. She cast a Light spell and read the note.
"Holy... he's going to kill himself! We have to stop him!" Gourry immediately bolted out of bed.
"Who is?"
"The inn keeper... who do you think? Zel, Jellyfish brains!"
"He can't be serious!" Amelia squeaked.
"Well, either that or he wants to win an award for poetic letters. Hey, he used some stuff from that play you were
telling us about. What was it? Baconlet? Porklet?"
"Who cares! We have to help him!" Amelia screamed.
*** ***
"I will return your innocence, Zelgadis."
"Will it take away the pain?"
"When you were innocent, the biggest pain was scraping your knee."
"I guess that's a 'yes'."
"Are you ready?"
"Born ready, Mother."
*** ***
Zel's friends were rushing to the door. Gourry began to try knocking the door down with his weight with Lina pushing the
area his body missed. After much banging and sweat, Amelia turned the knob and replied, "Uh... the door's unlocked."
"Oh. Right."
*** ***
"Zelgadis, ignore them for now," his mother replied at his head turning toward the door when Gourry banged it, "look
at me." Zelgadis looked at up at his mother. "Close your eyes." He closed them. His mother smiled.
*** ***
Lina and company rushed in the door. They faced a tall woman in an almost transparent white robe. She had long
purple hair that fell freely. She looked at them with blue eyes that mimicked Zel's. She smiled and shrugged and faced Zel
once again.
"Uh... who are...?" But Lina never got to finish her statement. The woman bent down and kissed the young man on the
lips. Zel's eyes fluttered briefly before the woman rose again.
As she rose, her hair shifted to blonde and her eyes glittered a bright green. She smiled and, instantly, large white
wings burst out. She looked at the mirror.
In the mirror was the woman she was before. Screaming a horrified silent scream. She smirked at the reflection and
said, "You can't protect him forever." The reflection screamed with more intensity but just as silent. Tears ran down her
cheeks.
Zel slumped and the woman dropped him. As he dropped, his stone skin became human flesh. Then he became younger and
younger until, when he hit the floor, he had the appearance of a six year old boy.
The others just stared in shock, at the winged woman, the silent screamer and their now young friend.
The woman bent down on her knees and kissed the boy's forehead, "I'll see you soon, my Prince." Then she was gone.
To be continued...
C&C at destinyplot@lycos.com