Remembrance by Tokki-chan
Disclaimer: Slayers not mine. You do the math.
"Zel, look out!"
Zelgadis barely heard the warning above the howling wind. He turned and tried to peer into the darkness through the blinding rain, but could still see nothing but the night. He readied his sword, panting from fatigue, trying to hazard a guess of where the attack would come from next.
A distant clap of thunder. A flash of lightning. Zelgadis realized with panic that he had made his way dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. Not the best offensive position. Try defense. Zelgadis crouched and waited. Another flash of light. Shit! He had seen the large monstrous hand coming for him; no choice left but to brace himself for impact.
But the impact never came. Zelgadis looked up and was shocked to see in another flash of lightning that Lina somehow managed to intercept the mazoku's attack. The sorceress ground her teeth, trying desperately to keep up her shield against the incoming claw. "Astral Vine!" The sword glowed a deep red and Zelgadis charged. The mazoku growled as the sword bit into his skin, but didn't deter him from focusing on his target. Lina Inverse had caused the mazoku race too much trouble, and now that he had this prime target in his sights, he wasn't going to let her get away.
Lina gasped as the mazoku claw broke through her shield and flew straight for her. But at that moment the mazoku screamed in pain, and she felt a jarring shock off to the side of her head. And then nothing.
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Zelgadis forced the sword in deeper, but the mazoku didn't seem to feel it. Its focus on Lina didn't waver. With a burst of strength, Zelgadis forced the blade upward, toward the heart, if it had a heart. At that moment, Gourry rushed over and followed Zelgadis' attack. Now the pain was unbearable, the mazoku reacted, flailing its arms wildly, and retreated, clutching its wound. "This isn't over yet," it hissed before it disappeared.
The swordsmen collapsed to their knees, trying to catch their breath. It was all over. They let the rain fall over their bodies, cooling them.
Amelia picked herself up and shook her head. She tried to look around and saw two of her companions panting on the ground, no mazoku in sight. She ran up to them. "Zelgadis-san, Gourry-san, is it-?" They nodded. "Where's Lina-san?" The two men started and were instantly to their feet. They split up and tried to search for their friend in the darkness.
"Lina!" "Lina-san!" She wasn't anywhere to be found.
"Where could she be?" Zelgadis muttered when his foot struck the edge of the cliff. "Oh, no." He peered into the dark chasm, unable to see anything, only hearing the roar of the rushing torrents below. "Lina!!"
"What? What is it Zelgadis-san?"
"Amelia, come with me. Ray Wing!" And the two took off into the chasm, searching desperately for their fallen companion.
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By the next morning, the rain had dissipated and the sun was out. Rain drops dripped from the leaves in the morning calm. Gourry was still sitting miserably at the cliff's edge. He looked over. Now the river had calmed down considerably, but it was still there in all its glory, deep, wide, flowing rapidly to the horizon and beyond. He felt a glimmer of hope when he saw two of his companions come back and land on the cliff, but the despair in their eyes said it all. The hot tears formed in his eyes and spilled over. "Lina," Gourry whispered. He spun on the impassive chimera. Look at him, just standing there. This probably doesn't affect him at all! "This is all your fault! Lina was trying to save you!"
"Gourry-san!" Amelia cried, horrified. The chimera stood staring at him with cold, unblinking eyes. "And what about you?" Zelgadis said, his voice dangerously quiet. "I don't quite remember you being the most helpful person to have around. You were supposed to be her protector, and you let this happen."
"Zelgadis-san, I-"
"You're just useless without your Sword of Light, aren't you? You're nothing without it!"
Amelia was terrified at where this was headed. "Stop it, both of you!"
But Zelgadis didn't even hear her. "The only reason why she had you around was for that damn sword, wh-"
POW! Zelgadis rubbed his jawbone and glared back at Gourry, who was ignoring his bleeding hand. The look the swordsman had said that he would kill Zelgadis if he had the chance. Zelgadis turned his heel and walked off without looking back.
All of them went their separate ways after that night, vowing never to see each other again. Each walked away with hate, blaming each other for their loss. But each knew, deep down, it was just their inability to forgive themselves.
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"Here you go, sir," the waitress said with a shy smile as she set the coffee down in front of the stranger. The man with the white hood and mask tossed her a couple of coins and dismissed her with a cold shoulder. The waitress scurried disappointedly away.
When she returned to the kitchen, her friend hailed her. "Hey, Holly, how'd it go with your dream guy?"
Holly whimpered. "He doesn't say a word."
Her friend sighed. "Well, I suppose that's better than...other things," she said glancing at another table. Following her glance, Holly could only nod.
The table they were looking at serviced a large group of unsightly figures. The thugs were committing debauchery in all possible forms: gambling, drinking, cursing. At the head of the table sat their fat leader, dealing his chips and raising the stakes. On his lap sat a disheveled, scantily clad serving girl. The girl deserved a closer look; she was incredibly out of place. Her wrists were encased in gold manacles. Her listless eyes had the appearance of being clouded over. She didn't seem to feel his hands running through her hair and over her body. She didn't seem to feel anything at all.
The leader lit another cigar and slapped the girl on her bottom. "Hey, Red, get me another plate a-ribs."
"Yes, Master," she said dully, getting up. The girl went over to the kitchen, and ignored the looks of pity the waitresses gave her as she waited for the order. She hated those looks, and over time she discovered it was just best to ignore them. She took the plate back and returned to her unfortunate position.
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Zelgadis rolled his eyes. Even without seeing them he could tell that those guys behind him were the typical bandits: brainless, filthy, the manners of a pig. And noisy. Why don't they ever shut up? He shot them a sour glance, and the glare became a wide-eyed stare. His heart nearly stopped in his chest. That girl on his lap...she looked so much like her. With one big difference, she lacked her fire. Lina would never let herself be subject to that.
He forced himself to look away. Why do you do this to yourself? he thought miserably. He got up and walked up the stairs to the room he rented for the night. But he couldn't stop himself from looking over his shoulder one last time from the top of the stairs before he turned the corner and they were out of sight.
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It was long past midnight and he still couldn't sleep. Zelgadis sat up in the dark room and flung open the windows, looking at the sky. Her image haunted him wherever he went. And tonight, that girl....
"You bitch! C'mere!"
Zelgadis turned his head in annoyance in the direction the voices were coming from. Apparently, the couple in the next room was fighting. He winced as something crashed to the ground, and he heard the slap of a hand on skin.
"You've refused me for the last time, you little cunt!" There was a scream and the sound of the door bursting open. It's none of my business, Zelgadis thought. But he still found himself opening the door and peering outside.
The girl, the same one from the table, was cowering in the corner at the end of the hall. Her face and body was covered in bruises. Her cloudy eyes watched as the same bandit approached, his sword raised high over his head. She shut her eyes tightly, expecting the worst.
The bandit suddenly screamed in pain as a stone hard grip took him by the wrist. "What the-?" He spun around and found himself staring into the cold eyes of a stone monster.
"What are you doing?" the stranger asked.
The bandit wrenched his arm out of the stony grasp. "This is none of your business!"
"But it is my business if your business disturbs my sleep."
The girl saw the newcomer and pleaded, "Please, sir, help me."
"Shut up!" The bandit struck her and raised his hand to do so again when the stranger's grip once again prevented him.
"I think you'd better not do that," he said softly, dangerously.
"Yeah?" sneered the bandit, "you gonna stop me?"
Zelgadis shook his head in frustration. Some people are just so stupid. "Mono Volt." Tossing aside the unconscious body, Zelgadis turned towards the girl. "Are you all right?" She nodded, not tearing her wide-eyes away from him. When he started to reach out to her, she quickly retreated out of his reach.
He gasped. For a second, her cloudy eyes cleared, and he saw that spark blaze in her eyes. But just as quickly, it was gone.
"I won't hurt you," he whispered. Hesitantly, she took his hand and allowed him to help her up.
The girl looked around worriedly. "The rest of them will find out, and try to take revenge on you. And they'll find me."
Zelgadis nodded. "We better get you out of here, then."
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After hastily gathering up his things, the two slipped out of the inn, without waking anyone. They started traveling by moonlight and were soon out of town. In the woods, they came upon a fork in the road. Zelgadis turned to his companion. "You're safe now. You can go wherever you want."
The girl shook her head vigorously. "You saved my life. Now I follow you."
"What?" This wasn't what he expected. "You don't have to do that. You're free now." He pointed down one the paths. "Go. Live your own life."
"No, even if I could, I still owe you a lifetime favor."
"What do you mean, 'if you could'?"
The girl held up her wrists. The manacles gleamed in the moonlight. "They made sure my captivity was complete."
Zelgadis pulled out his sword. "Then we'll just free you then."
"NO!!" His sword stopped midway. "These react to any metal. They release a violent shock if I touch a sword. Or money. And it also prevents me from using magic." She smiled ruefully at the chimera's shocked expression. "See? Complete captivity. No means or methods to protect myself alone." She turned away. "But still, I mean to pay you back for what you did. Somehow."
Zelgadis realized he was stuck and sighed in resignation. "What's your name?"
"I don't know."
"Y-you don't know?"
She shrugged. "They just called me 'Red'."
"Well, Red," he said, blushing as he looked her up and down, "if you're going to travel with me, you're going to need...a different wardrobe."
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They reached town by the next day's light, and the first thing they did was visit the milliner's shop.
Red burst through the changing curtain and happily modeled her new clothes. It was just a basic tunic and leggings, but she had never had such luxuries before. She grinned at her benefactor happily, the glow on her face saying it all. He nodded his approval of how they looked on her.
"That's 3 gold pieces, sir," said the milliner. The silent customer pulled out his purse and paid.
Beneath his mask, Zelgadis smiled. She was much prettier now that the color started to come back to her face. She started to look more like her. Her eyes, however, were still wary of life in general. "How about some breakfast?"
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Zelgadis stared. Well, she eats as much as Lina does. No, did. It was so odd having to think about her in the past tense. He didn't think he'd ever get used to it. Once again, he felt his heart clenching in his chest. Don't think about her. He turned back towards his new companion. He smiled. Actually, it warmed him a little, seeing those stacks and stacks of empty plates.
Zelgadis grinned good-naturedly. "You eat like you've never been fed before."
The fork stopped abruptly in mid-air and Zelgadis realized he had overstepped himself. "Uh," he said hastily, "you want some dessert?"
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After they ate, they walked aimlessly around town. Zelgadis wasn't sure if he should tell her his life story but she didn't seem to be surprised by his appearance. But then again, he thought angrily, she's probably seen a lot worse than my face. He would have liked to know her story, but she couldn't seem to recall a thing of her past.
"Thank you." Her quiet voice broke into his train of thought. "Thank you for everything, Master Zelgadis."
Zelgadis winced. "Please, I told you not to call me 'Master'."
The girl blushed. "Sorry. Habit, I guess." She cleared her throat. "Thank you, Zelgadis-sama."
For some reason, that wasn't any better. "Um, if it's not too much trouble, call me 'Zel'," he said, blushing.
"As you wish...Zel-sama."
Oh well. Close enough.
"May I ask a question, Zel-sama?"
"What?"
"What are you going to do now?"
A good question seeing as he had no idea. "Before I met you, I was looking for a way to turn my body back to normal. I guess I still am."
" 'You guess', Zel-sama?"
"I am," he said with a firmness he didn't feel. This feeling still puzzled him. It just didn't seem to matter so much anymore.
"Oh," she said politely. They walked along in silence for a few more moments, then, "Why?"
"Because...because I'm tired of standing out like some sort of freak."
"Oh." More silence. "I wouldn't mind being a chimera, if only it meant I could be stronger."
He looked down at the manacles, still gleaming in the sun. It's so hard for her, he thought sadly. She feels as frustrated and as helpless as I once did, before.... "You can't touch metal or magic," he mused aloud, "but you seem fine with all other elements."
"Zel-sama?"
"Wait right here." He left her by the fountain and disappeared into the crowded marketplace. She sat down tiredly at the fountain's edge and looked bitterly at the gold binders that were ruining her life. Because of these she was weak. Because of these she couldn't so much as even run away from those bastards. She wouldn't have lasted very long out by herself. But why? Again the question plagued her. Why even bother to continue living? Because.... She stared out at the busy marketplace. Something held her back from taking her own life. Something...some unfinished business...she couldn't leave this world without knowing for sure. Now if only she could remember what that business was.
She looked at her reflection, as if trying to derive something from it. Then she smiled. She was thinking of Zel-sama. He was so kind, the first one who treated her with respect in his silent way. She had no reason to trust him and yet she felt so safe by his side. She started as another reflection appeared over her shoulder. Zel-sama.
"Here." She took the leather object from his hand. "It's a sling. It's a little archaic, I know. The only ones who still use them are children, but..."
The delight in her eyes was unmistakable. "No, this is great! Why didn't I think of this before?" She flung her arms around him. "Thank you!" Then she blushed, realizing what she was doing and hastily retreated.
Zelgadis was thankful that his mask covered the deep blush around his face. "L-let's go," he said.
She tucked the sling into her belt. "To find your cure, Zel-sama?"
He nodded then pointed to her wristbands. "And to find someone who can get rid of those."
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For the first time in her life, Red felt alive. She frowned momentarily. That's not right either, though. She couldn't remember anything of her past, beyond the point when she woke up groggy in the bandit's hideout. They had told her that she was their servant, pointing to her manacles as proof. That she had bumped her head on a tree branch by her own stupidity. That she had always been an orphan and they took her in and raised her, and in return she offered her services to them. And by services, they meant everything. But that was her private victory. While she did suffer through the other tortures they placed on her, she drew the line there. That was the one thing they wouldn't take from her.
But her life couldn't have always been like this.
She smiled triumphantly as she hit her target. Behind her she heard clapping. Zel-sama walked into the clearing where she had set up her targets and was practicing using her sling. "Very good," he said. "That was 50 paces more than yesterday."
She grinned up at him. Zelgadis noted that her eyes were starting to clear. He could see her eye color clearly now. Ruby red. She pulled her arm back and started spinning her sling. "Watch this, Zel-sama!" She let the stone fly. Zelgadis barely had time to duck. The pebble struck the tree trunk behind him and lodged itself neatly in its bark.
Zelgadis inspected it. "Good, very good," he said half to himself. Turning to face her, he pulled out his sword. "Come on, Red," he said challengingly, "let's see if you've really improved."
She grinned and the sling started whirling again.
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Red dipped the cloth in cold water and wrenched it out. She went back over to the bed and applied it to his forehead. "I told you that I was going to use a bigger rock," she said accusingly.
"So you did," Zelgadis said, holding the cloth to where his head still throbbed. Inwardly, he smiled. No apologies. "You forgot to say how big."
"I didn't think that it would actually fly."
"I know," he groaned. "I didn't either." He looked up at her. "I guess you have improved."
Red watched as Zel-sama fell asleep. She smiled as she brushed the loose strands of hair out of his face. She knew, then, that a small part of her hoped that the manacles would never come off. Unable to believe what she was doing, she lied down next to him and snuggled close, thinking she could get up in a minute. She felt him stir and gasped in surprise as she felt his arms around her. In his sleep, he pulled her on top of him, and held her close. "Lina," he whispered before continuing to slumber peacefully. Red started and realized sadly that Zel-sama was in love. Of course. She rested her head against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. She felt the steady rises and falls of his chest. Then, there in his warm embrace, she fell asleep.
Outside the window, the eyes blinked. Could it be? No doubt about it. "Master's not gonna be happy about this," he said shaking his head. With that he turned and flew into the night. "Master! Master!"
The mazoku looked up lazily. He looked at the quivering being on the floor. One of his scouts. "What is it?" he said, irritated that such a menial being dared to disturb his slumber.
"I bring some disturbing news. Lina Inverse still lives."
"WHAT!?" The mazoku snapped out of sleep and was at his servant's throat. The scout gasped for air as the claw around his neck tightened.
"When did you see this?"
"T-to...night...sir," he managed to gasp, which only served to anger his master more (and subsequently the grip).
"Where!?"
"The...woods."
"And why didn't you attack her?" But the scout could not respond. The mazoku angrily tossed the corpse aside. He raged and screamed, using his powers to blow up sections of his lair. Just you wait, Lina Inverse!
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On the verge of leaving unconsciousness, Zelgadis could sense the morning approaching. But he didn't want to wake up. It just felt so good, so warm. He lazily opened his eyes and, as his vision cleared, looked into two bright red ones.
"AAAAHHHH!!" In panic Zelgadis released her and tried to scramble out of firing range...and fell off the bed.
Red rushed to the edge and peered over. "Zel-sama! Are you all right?"
"Mmmf-fmm."
"What?"
Zelgadis picked his face off the floor. "I'm fine." Then, without turning around so she wouldn't see him blush, he mumbled, "Sorry."
Red's eyes were sparkling. "About what?" Then, more seriously, "Who's Lina?"
Zelgadis froze. "How do you know about her?"
"Last night...you called me 'Lina.' Was she a friend of yours?"
He hesitated, then nodded. "She was a special friend." He glanced back over his shoulder and smiled. "You look so much like her."
"Did you love her?"
Zelgadis' jaw hit the floor. "NO!" he spurted, his face bright red. "We weren't like that!"
"Liar." Again the jaw on the floor. "I can see it in your eyes when you talk about her. It's why you're nice to me, why you like me. It all comes back to her, doesn't it?" There was no response. "So why don't you tell her the way you feel?"
Zelgadis sighed and got up. "It doesn't matter anymore," he said. "She died. About a month or so before I met you."
Red's piercing gaze didn't waver. "How did she die?"
Zelgadis shook his head. He didn't want to remember this. He didn't want to talk about this. Yet somehow, he felt his mouth moving, and he heard his own voice saying, "Lina Inverse was the most powerful sorceress of this world. But such power eventually attracts enemies, and she had many. I fought many battles along side her against the mazoku race. And that night was no different. It was some lower mazoku, wanting to please his masters, I suppose, by killing their greatest opponent. But I got careless. He was coming at me...and...and she saved me. And it cost her her life."
"I'm so sorry," Red said softly.
He cut her off with a curt shake of his head. "No. I don't even know why I'm telling you this anyway."
"Maybe you nee-"
"Listen, I don't want to talk about this anymore. Let's...just keep going."
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Their journey through the woods was silent. Zelgadis walked in his sullen silence eventually outdistancing his companion. Red watched him walk ahead, letting him have his time. She silently berated herself. You pushed too far, baka. Now look, you made him depressed. The last thing you wanted was to make him depressed stupid stupid stupid!
She was so deep in thought that she didn't even notice something appear in her pathway until she bumped into it. "Ouch!" She rubbed her nose and glared angrily at what dared to obstruct her path. Something brown. Something ugly. And it had a really odd smell. Her eyes traveled up. And up. And up. Up the trunk (which turned out to be a leg), up a torso, and found a pair of evil eyes staring back at her. "Huh?"
The mazoku smirked at how easily he found her. "So, here you are, Lina Inverse."
Lina...Inverse?! Lina Inverse? "Look, pal. It's obvious you've confused me with someone else." She pulled out her sling and loaded it with a rock. "So, I've decided to be generous and let you disappear, right now, and we'll just pretend that this never happened, okay?" All she got in response was a contemptuous snort. "Okay, but I warned you." And she let it rip.
The mazoku blinked as the stone bounced off his forehead. "That's it? That's all? That's all the infamous Lina Inverse has to throw at me?" He started laughing uncontrollably, much to Red's annoyance.
"What the hell's so funny?"
The mazoku wiped away a few tears (I guess mazoku have some sense of humor). "I don't even need my full strength to defeat you." In a flash the mazoku's monstrous body disappeared, and he re-materialized in normal human form. "I can kill you just like this." Bonk! The stone left a bruise on his forehead. "Ouch."
He glared at his assailant. Red started to load another stone into place when he appeared directly in front of her. "Ahhhh!" In her fright she dropped all her stones. "How the hell did you get here so fast?" she demanded.
"Mazoku travel faster than mere mortal minds can comprehend."
POW! The mazoku rubbed his jaw in annoyance. Red pulled her fist back again, but the mazoku stopped her by grabbing her arms and twisting them behind her back. "I don't think so," he whispered in her ear.
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Zelgadis stopped abruptly in his tracks. He glanced around and realized he was alone. Damn, he had out walked her. He stood tapping his foot impatiently waiting for her to catch up. When she didn't show, he started to walk back, to see if he could meet her along the trail. He felt the presence about halfway back. It was strong. A strong magic source. But Red couldn't touch magic! With a trickle of fear starting at the top of his head and working its way downward, he started to race back.
As Zelgadis passed over the next hill, the energy increased. There! There she was. And a mazoku had her. Not slowing down in the slightest, Zelgadis' sword came out of its scabbard. "Astral Vine!" He recognized the mazoku, and now it was time to make him pay.
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"Get your hands off of her!"
The mazoku looked up and saw with surprise that damn chimera with the red blade. The one who had ruined his victory. "No. It can't be." But it was, and the chimera was fast. "Not this time!" he seethed.
Zelgadis fell back. What the hell-? He charged again, and he ran up against an invisible wall of some sort. The mazoku had created a barrier around himself and Red. Zelgadis pounded on it with his fists. "Red!" The only response that he got was a garbled scream. The mazoku was holding her by her throat off the ground. Zelgadis watched in horror as her struggles became less violent and less frequent. "No! No, not again!" he seethed, with each curse slamming his body into the barrier. "Not this time!" he screamed, charging the barrier again with all his might. The wall gave way to his shoulder and he forced his way in.
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The mazoku dropped the girl in surprise, and she lay gasping for breath on the ground, rubbing her throat. But he was beyond seeing her now. All he could do was stare at amazement at what was going on. That damn chimera! He didn't know how he was doing it, but he was forcing his way through the barrier! "How the hell-?"
It took all of his strength just to take a step forward, but somehow Zelgadis managed to it again and again. It was like walking against the strongest wind current in the world, and if he didn't focus his energy, he would easily be blown back to the edge of the barrier, caught forever between. But she was on the other side, and no mazoku on earth could stop him from breaking through to the inside of the barrier.
The mazoku stared at this creature who just managed to physically bypass his barrier, and was now glaring at him with fire in his eyes, his breathing heavy and pronounced. "Are you human?" the mazoku finally managed to croak. In response the chimera raised his sword. "Nonono!" the mazoku screamed. "You're not going to ruin this for me! I'm too close to destroying Lina Inverse to have the likes of you interfere!" In a flash, he was his monstrous size again.
Lina Inverse? Confusion exploded in Zelgadis' brain, but he didn't have time to meditate on it when the mazoku claw came crashing down from above. He barely dodged. "Rah Tilt!"
The mazoku still charged. "It's gonna take more than that to get rid of me!" he screamed, then disappeared.
Zelgadis was on his guard. Was he gone? No! The mazoku re-materialized right behind him and took a swipe. Zelgadis rolled out of the way and tried to retaliate, but the mazoku disappeared again, reappearing elsewhere and disappearing again. Zelgadis held his sword ready. Where will that bastard appear next?
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Red got up, ignoring her pain. Zel-sama somehow made it through and engaged the mazoku. But somewhere in the heat of the battle the mazoku started doing a disappearing/reappearing act on him. There was no way for Zel-sama to keep up with him, and in his confusion he was extremely vulnerable.
She saw the claws coming for him before they actually did. His back was turned toward them and, in a flash, she saw him impaled on them, his life bleeding away. Something in her brain snapped. "Zel, look out!"
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Zelgadis started at the scream. He turned to face his adversary, but it was too late. Even his chimera speed wouldn't be able to save them from the onslaught of his claws.
She raised her hands over her head; the manacles reacted like crazy, but ignoring the painful shocks searing through her body, she chanted,
Darkness beyond twilight
Crimson beyond blood that flows
Buried within the flow of time...
In thy great name,
I pledge myself to darkness!
Let the fools who oppose us be destroyed
By the power that you and I possess!
DRAGON SLAVE!!
At first, nothing emitted from her hands, but her concentration didn't waver. She continued to ignore the shocks from the clamps, focusing her will into the power she knew she had.
Crack. A rupture appeared in the metal of the manacles. Then another, and another, until they completely shattered falling into piles of gold dust at her feet.
The powerful burst of energy gathered in her palms and flew at the mazoku. Zelgadis, out of the corner of his eye, saw her actions. He jumped out of the mazoku's reach, and then continued to retreat. The mazoku smiled. Coward, the mazoku thought triumphantly, running away. Now to finish him off. The arrogant monster, lost in his present battle, didn't even see it coming. He would only be aware of it as he felt it tear him apart those few seconds before he disappeared into oblivion.
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Zelgadis shook his head and pulled himself out of the rubble. Even using his incredible speed, he was still caught in the aftermath of the spell and got buried under quite a bit of debris. "Zel!" he heard someone cry and run up to him, throwing her arms around his neck. Hesitantly, he put his arms around her, and he let himself hope as he never dared to hope before. "L-lina?" He felt her nod, and his heart nearly burst in his chest. "Lina!" he cried, tears of joy forming in his eyes. He held her tighter and buried his face in her hair, taking in the scent. He never smelled anything sweeter. "Thank the gods."
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"Ma'am! Another order of chicken over here~!"
Zelgadis smiled as he watched Lina devour another large portion of food. "You know, you have eaten this morning," he said.
"So?"
"Nothing." He watched her contentedly. "I'm just glad you're okay."
"I am, too." Then, she added quietly, "Thanks, Zel. You know, you're the reason I'm here."
"Don't mention it," he said modestly. "You saved me more than once."
Lina blushed. "No- not just that. But before...and after."
"Before? After?" All she could do was blush madly and return to eating. "Anyway, how did you get your memory back?"
"When that mazoku was coming at you....It was just so much like...that night."
He stopped her. "We don't have to think about that." He cleared his throat. "Lina, I'm sorry...."
"No apologies. We'll just say we're even."
"Fair enough," he grinned.
Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice said, "You're looking well." Lina looked over Zelgadis' shoulder and paled. The piece of chicken she was holding clattered to the plate, and her mouth dropped open in shock. Zelgadis glanced over his shoulder to see a young woman with a menacing looking sword. "I guess I'm fashionably late, as usual," the woman continued.
"N-n-n-nee-chan?!"
Zelgadis' eyes widened in shock. " 'Nee-chan'? SHE'S your nee-chan?" The only response Lina gave was latching tightly onto his arm.
"W-what brings y-you here, Nee-chan?" Lina managed to get out.
Luna sat down, either oblivious to Lina's fear or greatly enjoying it. She ordered a cup of tea and waited silently until it came out. She took a few sips before saying, "About a month ago your presence disappeared. When it didn't resurface, I was starting to get worried. So I took a vacation from my job and went out to find you." She took another sip. "I eventually traced your whereabouts to a village, where the village elder apparently hired you and a group of other people- oh," she turned to Zelgadis as if seeing him for the first time, "they said that one of them was a chimera. How do you do, I'm Luna Inverse. Lina's older sister."
Zelgadis awkwardly shook her hand. "Zelgadis Graywords."
Luna's eyes widened slightly. "Oh? Rezo's grandson?"
"Nee-chan," Lina cut in, "you were saying?"
"Saying? Ah, yes. But, Lina-chan, don't ever interrupt me again."
"Yes, Nee-chan," Lina said meekly.
"Anyway, you and your group were hired to get rid of a mazoku. Only they told me you didn't return after that night. When I explored the surrounding area, I found to be what I assumed was your battleground, judging by the damage, and I noticed it was next to a river. I followed the river to a bandit camp called the Fire Serpents. After a little...investigating...I found out that they discovered your body washed up from the river, and they recognized who you were. So they sacrificed one of their own to the mazoku in return for a means to suppress your power. I believe they said they were bracelets of some sort." Lina shuddered at the mention of them. "But they said it got even better. When you woke up, you had forgotten completely who you were. Amnesia. So they took away your sorceress garb and fed you some bogus story of your past."
Lina slammed her fists on the table, her eyes blazing with anger. "Those sons of bitches!!!" She got up and started to storm out the door. "I'm gonna make them pay for what they did to me!"
"That won't be necessary," Luna called from the table.
Lina turned back. "Huh?"
Luna smiled in her all-knowing way. "There aren't any more Fire Serpents to deal with." Even though they deserved it, Zelgadis shuddered. What a way to go.
Lina slunk back to the table. "T-thank you, Nee-chan."
Luna waved it away. "No one messes with the Inverses and gets away with it. Oh, by the way," she said, fumbling around with her pack, "here's something you might want." Luna pulled out the package and tossed it to her little sister.
With curiosity written all over her face, Lina opened it. "My clothes!" she exclaimed. She happily took the package upstairs and went to change.
Luna watched her go, a genuine smile playing on her lips. She turned and noticed the chimera was smiling after her, too. She laid a hand on his shoulder and got up. "Well, my work here is done."
"Leaving so soon?" Though Lina would probably find great relief in the fact.
"Yep. Anyway," she added, her voice serious, "thank you for my sister, Zel-kun." She winked knowingly. "Can I expect some good news in the near future, dear brother?"
Zelgadis' face turned every shade of red imaginable. "W-w-w-what are you talking about?!"
Luna laughed. "Well, at any rate, please, protect my sister in the future. Or else." And then she was gone.
The Inverse family, Zelgadis thought, shaking his head. But, Luna, you have my word. I don't need any threats to promise you that. At that moment, Lina sashayed down the stairs, dressed in her familiar garb, right down to the headband. She noted with relief that Zelgadis was alone. "Well, Zel, let's go!"
"Go?" he asked, even though he was already getting up. "Where to?"
"Sailune." She noticed his look. "Yes, Zel," she said seriously. "It's time for everyone to heal." She took his hands in hers. "Just the way you help me, I'm going to help you."
"I don't know if I can do this," he said.
"Of course you can. And you must," she whispered. Then she kissed him.
Zelgadis let himself enjoy it. If she was trying to convince him, or give him strength, it was working. Besides, she was right. He grinned. "Well, Sailune it is, then."
"Right! Let's go!"
Disclaimer: Slayers not mine. You do the math.
"Zel, look out!"
Zelgadis barely heard the warning above the howling wind. He turned and tried to peer into the darkness through the blinding rain, but could still see nothing but the night. He readied his sword, panting from fatigue, trying to hazard a guess of where the attack would come from next.
A distant clap of thunder. A flash of lightning. Zelgadis realized with panic that he had made his way dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. Not the best offensive position. Try defense. Zelgadis crouched and waited. Another flash of light. Shit! He had seen the large monstrous hand coming for him; no choice left but to brace himself for impact.
But the impact never came. Zelgadis looked up and was shocked to see in another flash of lightning that Lina somehow managed to intercept the mazoku's attack. The sorceress ground her teeth, trying desperately to keep up her shield against the incoming claw. "Astral Vine!" The sword glowed a deep red and Zelgadis charged. The mazoku growled as the sword bit into his skin, but didn't deter him from focusing on his target. Lina Inverse had caused the mazoku race too much trouble, and now that he had this prime target in his sights, he wasn't going to let her get away.
Lina gasped as the mazoku claw broke through her shield and flew straight for her. But at that moment the mazoku screamed in pain, and she felt a jarring shock off to the side of her head. And then nothing.
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Zelgadis forced the sword in deeper, but the mazoku didn't seem to feel it. Its focus on Lina didn't waver. With a burst of strength, Zelgadis forced the blade upward, toward the heart, if it had a heart. At that moment, Gourry rushed over and followed Zelgadis' attack. Now the pain was unbearable, the mazoku reacted, flailing its arms wildly, and retreated, clutching its wound. "This isn't over yet," it hissed before it disappeared.
The swordsmen collapsed to their knees, trying to catch their breath. It was all over. They let the rain fall over their bodies, cooling them.
Amelia picked herself up and shook her head. She tried to look around and saw two of her companions panting on the ground, no mazoku in sight. She ran up to them. "Zelgadis-san, Gourry-san, is it-?" They nodded. "Where's Lina-san?" The two men started and were instantly to their feet. They split up and tried to search for their friend in the darkness.
"Lina!" "Lina-san!" She wasn't anywhere to be found.
"Where could she be?" Zelgadis muttered when his foot struck the edge of the cliff. "Oh, no." He peered into the dark chasm, unable to see anything, only hearing the roar of the rushing torrents below. "Lina!!"
"What? What is it Zelgadis-san?"
"Amelia, come with me. Ray Wing!" And the two took off into the chasm, searching desperately for their fallen companion.
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By the next morning, the rain had dissipated and the sun was out. Rain drops dripped from the leaves in the morning calm. Gourry was still sitting miserably at the cliff's edge. He looked over. Now the river had calmed down considerably, but it was still there in all its glory, deep, wide, flowing rapidly to the horizon and beyond. He felt a glimmer of hope when he saw two of his companions come back and land on the cliff, but the despair in their eyes said it all. The hot tears formed in his eyes and spilled over. "Lina," Gourry whispered. He spun on the impassive chimera. Look at him, just standing there. This probably doesn't affect him at all! "This is all your fault! Lina was trying to save you!"
"Gourry-san!" Amelia cried, horrified. The chimera stood staring at him with cold, unblinking eyes. "And what about you?" Zelgadis said, his voice dangerously quiet. "I don't quite remember you being the most helpful person to have around. You were supposed to be her protector, and you let this happen."
"Zelgadis-san, I-"
"You're just useless without your Sword of Light, aren't you? You're nothing without it!"
Amelia was terrified at where this was headed. "Stop it, both of you!"
But Zelgadis didn't even hear her. "The only reason why she had you around was for that damn sword, wh-"
POW! Zelgadis rubbed his jawbone and glared back at Gourry, who was ignoring his bleeding hand. The look the swordsman had said that he would kill Zelgadis if he had the chance. Zelgadis turned his heel and walked off without looking back.
All of them went their separate ways after that night, vowing never to see each other again. Each walked away with hate, blaming each other for their loss. But each knew, deep down, it was just their inability to forgive themselves.
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"Here you go, sir," the waitress said with a shy smile as she set the coffee down in front of the stranger. The man with the white hood and mask tossed her a couple of coins and dismissed her with a cold shoulder. The waitress scurried disappointedly away.
When she returned to the kitchen, her friend hailed her. "Hey, Holly, how'd it go with your dream guy?"
Holly whimpered. "He doesn't say a word."
Her friend sighed. "Well, I suppose that's better than...other things," she said glancing at another table. Following her glance, Holly could only nod.
The table they were looking at serviced a large group of unsightly figures. The thugs were committing debauchery in all possible forms: gambling, drinking, cursing. At the head of the table sat their fat leader, dealing his chips and raising the stakes. On his lap sat a disheveled, scantily clad serving girl. The girl deserved a closer look; she was incredibly out of place. Her wrists were encased in gold manacles. Her listless eyes had the appearance of being clouded over. She didn't seem to feel his hands running through her hair and over her body. She didn't seem to feel anything at all.
The leader lit another cigar and slapped the girl on her bottom. "Hey, Red, get me another plate a-ribs."
"Yes, Master," she said dully, getting up. The girl went over to the kitchen, and ignored the looks of pity the waitresses gave her as she waited for the order. She hated those looks, and over time she discovered it was just best to ignore them. She took the plate back and returned to her unfortunate position.
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Zelgadis rolled his eyes. Even without seeing them he could tell that those guys behind him were the typical bandits: brainless, filthy, the manners of a pig. And noisy. Why don't they ever shut up? He shot them a sour glance, and the glare became a wide-eyed stare. His heart nearly stopped in his chest. That girl on his lap...she looked so much like her. With one big difference, she lacked her fire. Lina would never let herself be subject to that.
He forced himself to look away. Why do you do this to yourself? he thought miserably. He got up and walked up the stairs to the room he rented for the night. But he couldn't stop himself from looking over his shoulder one last time from the top of the stairs before he turned the corner and they were out of sight.
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It was long past midnight and he still couldn't sleep. Zelgadis sat up in the dark room and flung open the windows, looking at the sky. Her image haunted him wherever he went. And tonight, that girl....
"You bitch! C'mere!"
Zelgadis turned his head in annoyance in the direction the voices were coming from. Apparently, the couple in the next room was fighting. He winced as something crashed to the ground, and he heard the slap of a hand on skin.
"You've refused me for the last time, you little cunt!" There was a scream and the sound of the door bursting open. It's none of my business, Zelgadis thought. But he still found himself opening the door and peering outside.
The girl, the same one from the table, was cowering in the corner at the end of the hall. Her face and body was covered in bruises. Her cloudy eyes watched as the same bandit approached, his sword raised high over his head. She shut her eyes tightly, expecting the worst.
The bandit suddenly screamed in pain as a stone hard grip took him by the wrist. "What the-?" He spun around and found himself staring into the cold eyes of a stone monster.
"What are you doing?" the stranger asked.
The bandit wrenched his arm out of the stony grasp. "This is none of your business!"
"But it is my business if your business disturbs my sleep."
The girl saw the newcomer and pleaded, "Please, sir, help me."
"Shut up!" The bandit struck her and raised his hand to do so again when the stranger's grip once again prevented him.
"I think you'd better not do that," he said softly, dangerously.
"Yeah?" sneered the bandit, "you gonna stop me?"
Zelgadis shook his head in frustration. Some people are just so stupid. "Mono Volt." Tossing aside the unconscious body, Zelgadis turned towards the girl. "Are you all right?" She nodded, not tearing her wide-eyes away from him. When he started to reach out to her, she quickly retreated out of his reach.
He gasped. For a second, her cloudy eyes cleared, and he saw that spark blaze in her eyes. But just as quickly, it was gone.
"I won't hurt you," he whispered. Hesitantly, she took his hand and allowed him to help her up.
The girl looked around worriedly. "The rest of them will find out, and try to take revenge on you. And they'll find me."
Zelgadis nodded. "We better get you out of here, then."
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After hastily gathering up his things, the two slipped out of the inn, without waking anyone. They started traveling by moonlight and were soon out of town. In the woods, they came upon a fork in the road. Zelgadis turned to his companion. "You're safe now. You can go wherever you want."
The girl shook her head vigorously. "You saved my life. Now I follow you."
"What?" This wasn't what he expected. "You don't have to do that. You're free now." He pointed down one the paths. "Go. Live your own life."
"No, even if I could, I still owe you a lifetime favor."
"What do you mean, 'if you could'?"
The girl held up her wrists. The manacles gleamed in the moonlight. "They made sure my captivity was complete."
Zelgadis pulled out his sword. "Then we'll just free you then."
"NO!!" His sword stopped midway. "These react to any metal. They release a violent shock if I touch a sword. Or money. And it also prevents me from using magic." She smiled ruefully at the chimera's shocked expression. "See? Complete captivity. No means or methods to protect myself alone." She turned away. "But still, I mean to pay you back for what you did. Somehow."
Zelgadis realized he was stuck and sighed in resignation. "What's your name?"
"I don't know."
"Y-you don't know?"
She shrugged. "They just called me 'Red'."
"Well, Red," he said, blushing as he looked her up and down, "if you're going to travel with me, you're going to need...a different wardrobe."
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They reached town by the next day's light, and the first thing they did was visit the milliner's shop.
Red burst through the changing curtain and happily modeled her new clothes. It was just a basic tunic and leggings, but she had never had such luxuries before. She grinned at her benefactor happily, the glow on her face saying it all. He nodded his approval of how they looked on her.
"That's 3 gold pieces, sir," said the milliner. The silent customer pulled out his purse and paid.
Beneath his mask, Zelgadis smiled. She was much prettier now that the color started to come back to her face. She started to look more like her. Her eyes, however, were still wary of life in general. "How about some breakfast?"
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Zelgadis stared. Well, she eats as much as Lina does. No, did. It was so odd having to think about her in the past tense. He didn't think he'd ever get used to it. Once again, he felt his heart clenching in his chest. Don't think about her. He turned back towards his new companion. He smiled. Actually, it warmed him a little, seeing those stacks and stacks of empty plates.
Zelgadis grinned good-naturedly. "You eat like you've never been fed before."
The fork stopped abruptly in mid-air and Zelgadis realized he had overstepped himself. "Uh," he said hastily, "you want some dessert?"
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After they ate, they walked aimlessly around town. Zelgadis wasn't sure if he should tell her his life story but she didn't seem to be surprised by his appearance. But then again, he thought angrily, she's probably seen a lot worse than my face. He would have liked to know her story, but she couldn't seem to recall a thing of her past.
"Thank you." Her quiet voice broke into his train of thought. "Thank you for everything, Master Zelgadis."
Zelgadis winced. "Please, I told you not to call me 'Master'."
The girl blushed. "Sorry. Habit, I guess." She cleared her throat. "Thank you, Zelgadis-sama."
For some reason, that wasn't any better. "Um, if it's not too much trouble, call me 'Zel'," he said, blushing.
"As you wish...Zel-sama."
Oh well. Close enough.
"May I ask a question, Zel-sama?"
"What?"
"What are you going to do now?"
A good question seeing as he had no idea. "Before I met you, I was looking for a way to turn my body back to normal. I guess I still am."
" 'You guess', Zel-sama?"
"I am," he said with a firmness he didn't feel. This feeling still puzzled him. It just didn't seem to matter so much anymore.
"Oh," she said politely. They walked along in silence for a few more moments, then, "Why?"
"Because...because I'm tired of standing out like some sort of freak."
"Oh." More silence. "I wouldn't mind being a chimera, if only it meant I could be stronger."
He looked down at the manacles, still gleaming in the sun. It's so hard for her, he thought sadly. She feels as frustrated and as helpless as I once did, before.... "You can't touch metal or magic," he mused aloud, "but you seem fine with all other elements."
"Zel-sama?"
"Wait right here." He left her by the fountain and disappeared into the crowded marketplace. She sat down tiredly at the fountain's edge and looked bitterly at the gold binders that were ruining her life. Because of these she was weak. Because of these she couldn't so much as even run away from those bastards. She wouldn't have lasted very long out by herself. But why? Again the question plagued her. Why even bother to continue living? Because.... She stared out at the busy marketplace. Something held her back from taking her own life. Something...some unfinished business...she couldn't leave this world without knowing for sure. Now if only she could remember what that business was.
She looked at her reflection, as if trying to derive something from it. Then she smiled. She was thinking of Zel-sama. He was so kind, the first one who treated her with respect in his silent way. She had no reason to trust him and yet she felt so safe by his side. She started as another reflection appeared over her shoulder. Zel-sama.
"Here." She took the leather object from his hand. "It's a sling. It's a little archaic, I know. The only ones who still use them are children, but..."
The delight in her eyes was unmistakable. "No, this is great! Why didn't I think of this before?" She flung her arms around him. "Thank you!" Then she blushed, realizing what she was doing and hastily retreated.
Zelgadis was thankful that his mask covered the deep blush around his face. "L-let's go," he said.
She tucked the sling into her belt. "To find your cure, Zel-sama?"
He nodded then pointed to her wristbands. "And to find someone who can get rid of those."
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For the first time in her life, Red felt alive. She frowned momentarily. That's not right either, though. She couldn't remember anything of her past, beyond the point when she woke up groggy in the bandit's hideout. They had told her that she was their servant, pointing to her manacles as proof. That she had bumped her head on a tree branch by her own stupidity. That she had always been an orphan and they took her in and raised her, and in return she offered her services to them. And by services, they meant everything. But that was her private victory. While she did suffer through the other tortures they placed on her, she drew the line there. That was the one thing they wouldn't take from her.
But her life couldn't have always been like this.
She smiled triumphantly as she hit her target. Behind her she heard clapping. Zel-sama walked into the clearing where she had set up her targets and was practicing using her sling. "Very good," he said. "That was 50 paces more than yesterday."
She grinned up at him. Zelgadis noted that her eyes were starting to clear. He could see her eye color clearly now. Ruby red. She pulled her arm back and started spinning her sling. "Watch this, Zel-sama!" She let the stone fly. Zelgadis barely had time to duck. The pebble struck the tree trunk behind him and lodged itself neatly in its bark.
Zelgadis inspected it. "Good, very good," he said half to himself. Turning to face her, he pulled out his sword. "Come on, Red," he said challengingly, "let's see if you've really improved."
She grinned and the sling started whirling again.
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Red dipped the cloth in cold water and wrenched it out. She went back over to the bed and applied it to his forehead. "I told you that I was going to use a bigger rock," she said accusingly.
"So you did," Zelgadis said, holding the cloth to where his head still throbbed. Inwardly, he smiled. No apologies. "You forgot to say how big."
"I didn't think that it would actually fly."
"I know," he groaned. "I didn't either." He looked up at her. "I guess you have improved."
Red watched as Zel-sama fell asleep. She smiled as she brushed the loose strands of hair out of his face. She knew, then, that a small part of her hoped that the manacles would never come off. Unable to believe what she was doing, she lied down next to him and snuggled close, thinking she could get up in a minute. She felt him stir and gasped in surprise as she felt his arms around her. In his sleep, he pulled her on top of him, and held her close. "Lina," he whispered before continuing to slumber peacefully. Red started and realized sadly that Zel-sama was in love. Of course. She rested her head against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. She felt the steady rises and falls of his chest. Then, there in his warm embrace, she fell asleep.
Outside the window, the eyes blinked. Could it be? No doubt about it. "Master's not gonna be happy about this," he said shaking his head. With that he turned and flew into the night. "Master! Master!"
The mazoku looked up lazily. He looked at the quivering being on the floor. One of his scouts. "What is it?" he said, irritated that such a menial being dared to disturb his slumber.
"I bring some disturbing news. Lina Inverse still lives."
"WHAT!?" The mazoku snapped out of sleep and was at his servant's throat. The scout gasped for air as the claw around his neck tightened.
"When did you see this?"
"T-to...night...sir," he managed to gasp, which only served to anger his master more (and subsequently the grip).
"Where!?"
"The...woods."
"And why didn't you attack her?" But the scout could not respond. The mazoku angrily tossed the corpse aside. He raged and screamed, using his powers to blow up sections of his lair. Just you wait, Lina Inverse!
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On the verge of leaving unconsciousness, Zelgadis could sense the morning approaching. But he didn't want to wake up. It just felt so good, so warm. He lazily opened his eyes and, as his vision cleared, looked into two bright red ones.
"AAAAHHHH!!" In panic Zelgadis released her and tried to scramble out of firing range...and fell off the bed.
Red rushed to the edge and peered over. "Zel-sama! Are you all right?"
"Mmmf-fmm."
"What?"
Zelgadis picked his face off the floor. "I'm fine." Then, without turning around so she wouldn't see him blush, he mumbled, "Sorry."
Red's eyes were sparkling. "About what?" Then, more seriously, "Who's Lina?"
Zelgadis froze. "How do you know about her?"
"Last night...you called me 'Lina.' Was she a friend of yours?"
He hesitated, then nodded. "She was a special friend." He glanced back over his shoulder and smiled. "You look so much like her."
"Did you love her?"
Zelgadis' jaw hit the floor. "NO!" he spurted, his face bright red. "We weren't like that!"
"Liar." Again the jaw on the floor. "I can see it in your eyes when you talk about her. It's why you're nice to me, why you like me. It all comes back to her, doesn't it?" There was no response. "So why don't you tell her the way you feel?"
Zelgadis sighed and got up. "It doesn't matter anymore," he said. "She died. About a month or so before I met you."
Red's piercing gaze didn't waver. "How did she die?"
Zelgadis shook his head. He didn't want to remember this. He didn't want to talk about this. Yet somehow, he felt his mouth moving, and he heard his own voice saying, "Lina Inverse was the most powerful sorceress of this world. But such power eventually attracts enemies, and she had many. I fought many battles along side her against the mazoku race. And that night was no different. It was some lower mazoku, wanting to please his masters, I suppose, by killing their greatest opponent. But I got careless. He was coming at me...and...and she saved me. And it cost her her life."
"I'm so sorry," Red said softly.
He cut her off with a curt shake of his head. "No. I don't even know why I'm telling you this anyway."
"Maybe you nee-"
"Listen, I don't want to talk about this anymore. Let's...just keep going."
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Their journey through the woods was silent. Zelgadis walked in his sullen silence eventually outdistancing his companion. Red watched him walk ahead, letting him have his time. She silently berated herself. You pushed too far, baka. Now look, you made him depressed. The last thing you wanted was to make him depressed stupid stupid stupid!
She was so deep in thought that she didn't even notice something appear in her pathway until she bumped into it. "Ouch!" She rubbed her nose and glared angrily at what dared to obstruct her path. Something brown. Something ugly. And it had a really odd smell. Her eyes traveled up. And up. And up. Up the trunk (which turned out to be a leg), up a torso, and found a pair of evil eyes staring back at her. "Huh?"
The mazoku smirked at how easily he found her. "So, here you are, Lina Inverse."
Lina...Inverse?! Lina Inverse? "Look, pal. It's obvious you've confused me with someone else." She pulled out her sling and loaded it with a rock. "So, I've decided to be generous and let you disappear, right now, and we'll just pretend that this never happened, okay?" All she got in response was a contemptuous snort. "Okay, but I warned you." And she let it rip.
The mazoku blinked as the stone bounced off his forehead. "That's it? That's all? That's all the infamous Lina Inverse has to throw at me?" He started laughing uncontrollably, much to Red's annoyance.
"What the hell's so funny?"
The mazoku wiped away a few tears (I guess mazoku have some sense of humor). "I don't even need my full strength to defeat you." In a flash the mazoku's monstrous body disappeared, and he re-materialized in normal human form. "I can kill you just like this." Bonk! The stone left a bruise on his forehead. "Ouch."
He glared at his assailant. Red started to load another stone into place when he appeared directly in front of her. "Ahhhh!" In her fright she dropped all her stones. "How the hell did you get here so fast?" she demanded.
"Mazoku travel faster than mere mortal minds can comprehend."
POW! The mazoku rubbed his jaw in annoyance. Red pulled her fist back again, but the mazoku stopped her by grabbing her arms and twisting them behind her back. "I don't think so," he whispered in her ear.
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Zelgadis stopped abruptly in his tracks. He glanced around and realized he was alone. Damn, he had out walked her. He stood tapping his foot impatiently waiting for her to catch up. When she didn't show, he started to walk back, to see if he could meet her along the trail. He felt the presence about halfway back. It was strong. A strong magic source. But Red couldn't touch magic! With a trickle of fear starting at the top of his head and working its way downward, he started to race back.
As Zelgadis passed over the next hill, the energy increased. There! There she was. And a mazoku had her. Not slowing down in the slightest, Zelgadis' sword came out of its scabbard. "Astral Vine!" He recognized the mazoku, and now it was time to make him pay.
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"Get your hands off of her!"
The mazoku looked up and saw with surprise that damn chimera with the red blade. The one who had ruined his victory. "No. It can't be." But it was, and the chimera was fast. "Not this time!" he seethed.
Zelgadis fell back. What the hell-? He charged again, and he ran up against an invisible wall of some sort. The mazoku had created a barrier around himself and Red. Zelgadis pounded on it with his fists. "Red!" The only response that he got was a garbled scream. The mazoku was holding her by her throat off the ground. Zelgadis watched in horror as her struggles became less violent and less frequent. "No! No, not again!" he seethed, with each curse slamming his body into the barrier. "Not this time!" he screamed, charging the barrier again with all his might. The wall gave way to his shoulder and he forced his way in.
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The mazoku dropped the girl in surprise, and she lay gasping for breath on the ground, rubbing her throat. But he was beyond seeing her now. All he could do was stare at amazement at what was going on. That damn chimera! He didn't know how he was doing it, but he was forcing his way through the barrier! "How the hell-?"
It took all of his strength just to take a step forward, but somehow Zelgadis managed to it again and again. It was like walking against the strongest wind current in the world, and if he didn't focus his energy, he would easily be blown back to the edge of the barrier, caught forever between. But she was on the other side, and no mazoku on earth could stop him from breaking through to the inside of the barrier.
The mazoku stared at this creature who just managed to physically bypass his barrier, and was now glaring at him with fire in his eyes, his breathing heavy and pronounced. "Are you human?" the mazoku finally managed to croak. In response the chimera raised his sword. "Nonono!" the mazoku screamed. "You're not going to ruin this for me! I'm too close to destroying Lina Inverse to have the likes of you interfere!" In a flash, he was his monstrous size again.
Lina Inverse? Confusion exploded in Zelgadis' brain, but he didn't have time to meditate on it when the mazoku claw came crashing down from above. He barely dodged. "Rah Tilt!"
The mazoku still charged. "It's gonna take more than that to get rid of me!" he screamed, then disappeared.
Zelgadis was on his guard. Was he gone? No! The mazoku re-materialized right behind him and took a swipe. Zelgadis rolled out of the way and tried to retaliate, but the mazoku disappeared again, reappearing elsewhere and disappearing again. Zelgadis held his sword ready. Where will that bastard appear next?
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Red got up, ignoring her pain. Zel-sama somehow made it through and engaged the mazoku. But somewhere in the heat of the battle the mazoku started doing a disappearing/reappearing act on him. There was no way for Zel-sama to keep up with him, and in his confusion he was extremely vulnerable.
She saw the claws coming for him before they actually did. His back was turned toward them and, in a flash, she saw him impaled on them, his life bleeding away. Something in her brain snapped. "Zel, look out!"
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Zelgadis started at the scream. He turned to face his adversary, but it was too late. Even his chimera speed wouldn't be able to save them from the onslaught of his claws.
She raised her hands over her head; the manacles reacted like crazy, but ignoring the painful shocks searing through her body, she chanted,
Darkness beyond twilight
Crimson beyond blood that flows
Buried within the flow of time...
In thy great name,
I pledge myself to darkness!
Let the fools who oppose us be destroyed
By the power that you and I possess!
DRAGON SLAVE!!
At first, nothing emitted from her hands, but her concentration didn't waver. She continued to ignore the shocks from the clamps, focusing her will into the power she knew she had.
Crack. A rupture appeared in the metal of the manacles. Then another, and another, until they completely shattered falling into piles of gold dust at her feet.
The powerful burst of energy gathered in her palms and flew at the mazoku. Zelgadis, out of the corner of his eye, saw her actions. He jumped out of the mazoku's reach, and then continued to retreat. The mazoku smiled. Coward, the mazoku thought triumphantly, running away. Now to finish him off. The arrogant monster, lost in his present battle, didn't even see it coming. He would only be aware of it as he felt it tear him apart those few seconds before he disappeared into oblivion.
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Zelgadis shook his head and pulled himself out of the rubble. Even using his incredible speed, he was still caught in the aftermath of the spell and got buried under quite a bit of debris. "Zel!" he heard someone cry and run up to him, throwing her arms around his neck. Hesitantly, he put his arms around her, and he let himself hope as he never dared to hope before. "L-lina?" He felt her nod, and his heart nearly burst in his chest. "Lina!" he cried, tears of joy forming in his eyes. He held her tighter and buried his face in her hair, taking in the scent. He never smelled anything sweeter. "Thank the gods."
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"Ma'am! Another order of chicken over here~!"
Zelgadis smiled as he watched Lina devour another large portion of food. "You know, you have eaten this morning," he said.
"So?"
"Nothing." He watched her contentedly. "I'm just glad you're okay."
"I am, too." Then, she added quietly, "Thanks, Zel. You know, you're the reason I'm here."
"Don't mention it," he said modestly. "You saved me more than once."
Lina blushed. "No- not just that. But before...and after."
"Before? After?" All she could do was blush madly and return to eating. "Anyway, how did you get your memory back?"
"When that mazoku was coming at you....It was just so much like...that night."
He stopped her. "We don't have to think about that." He cleared his throat. "Lina, I'm sorry...."
"No apologies. We'll just say we're even."
"Fair enough," he grinned.
Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice said, "You're looking well." Lina looked over Zelgadis' shoulder and paled. The piece of chicken she was holding clattered to the plate, and her mouth dropped open in shock. Zelgadis glanced over his shoulder to see a young woman with a menacing looking sword. "I guess I'm fashionably late, as usual," the woman continued.
"N-n-n-nee-chan?!"
Zelgadis' eyes widened in shock. " 'Nee-chan'? SHE'S your nee-chan?" The only response Lina gave was latching tightly onto his arm.
"W-what brings y-you here, Nee-chan?" Lina managed to get out.
Luna sat down, either oblivious to Lina's fear or greatly enjoying it. She ordered a cup of tea and waited silently until it came out. She took a few sips before saying, "About a month ago your presence disappeared. When it didn't resurface, I was starting to get worried. So I took a vacation from my job and went out to find you." She took another sip. "I eventually traced your whereabouts to a village, where the village elder apparently hired you and a group of other people- oh," she turned to Zelgadis as if seeing him for the first time, "they said that one of them was a chimera. How do you do, I'm Luna Inverse. Lina's older sister."
Zelgadis awkwardly shook her hand. "Zelgadis Graywords."
Luna's eyes widened slightly. "Oh? Rezo's grandson?"
"Nee-chan," Lina cut in, "you were saying?"
"Saying? Ah, yes. But, Lina-chan, don't ever interrupt me again."
"Yes, Nee-chan," Lina said meekly.
"Anyway, you and your group were hired to get rid of a mazoku. Only they told me you didn't return after that night. When I explored the surrounding area, I found to be what I assumed was your battleground, judging by the damage, and I noticed it was next to a river. I followed the river to a bandit camp called the Fire Serpents. After a little...investigating...I found out that they discovered your body washed up from the river, and they recognized who you were. So they sacrificed one of their own to the mazoku in return for a means to suppress your power. I believe they said they were bracelets of some sort." Lina shuddered at the mention of them. "But they said it got even better. When you woke up, you had forgotten completely who you were. Amnesia. So they took away your sorceress garb and fed you some bogus story of your past."
Lina slammed her fists on the table, her eyes blazing with anger. "Those sons of bitches!!!" She got up and started to storm out the door. "I'm gonna make them pay for what they did to me!"
"That won't be necessary," Luna called from the table.
Lina turned back. "Huh?"
Luna smiled in her all-knowing way. "There aren't any more Fire Serpents to deal with." Even though they deserved it, Zelgadis shuddered. What a way to go.
Lina slunk back to the table. "T-thank you, Nee-chan."
Luna waved it away. "No one messes with the Inverses and gets away with it. Oh, by the way," she said, fumbling around with her pack, "here's something you might want." Luna pulled out the package and tossed it to her little sister.
With curiosity written all over her face, Lina opened it. "My clothes!" she exclaimed. She happily took the package upstairs and went to change.
Luna watched her go, a genuine smile playing on her lips. She turned and noticed the chimera was smiling after her, too. She laid a hand on his shoulder and got up. "Well, my work here is done."
"Leaving so soon?" Though Lina would probably find great relief in the fact.
"Yep. Anyway," she added, her voice serious, "thank you for my sister, Zel-kun." She winked knowingly. "Can I expect some good news in the near future, dear brother?"
Zelgadis' face turned every shade of red imaginable. "W-w-w-what are you talking about?!"
Luna laughed. "Well, at any rate, please, protect my sister in the future. Or else." And then she was gone.
The Inverse family, Zelgadis thought, shaking his head. But, Luna, you have my word. I don't need any threats to promise you that. At that moment, Lina sashayed down the stairs, dressed in her familiar garb, right down to the headband. She noted with relief that Zelgadis was alone. "Well, Zel, let's go!"
"Go?" he asked, even though he was already getting up. "Where to?"
"Sailune." She noticed his look. "Yes, Zel," she said seriously. "It's time for everyone to heal." She took his hands in hers. "Just the way you help me, I'm going to help you."
"I don't know if I can do this," he said.
"Of course you can. And you must," she whispered. Then she kissed him.
Zelgadis let himself enjoy it. If she was trying to convince him, or give him strength, it was working. Besides, she was right. He grinned. "Well, Sailune it is, then."
"Right! Let's go!"