Orchids & Ice
A Slayers Fanfic
By Yukishiro Megumi
Disclaimer: I'd say I own them, but I'd probably be besieged by the one thing more terrifying that a hungry Lina: lawyers. So I *don't*. Hear that, Lawyer people?! I DON'T OWN THEM DAMMIT! Heh…maybe Xelloss' shadow should eat them [Shameless plug: The last comment was a reference to AmethystAngel's "The S Files". Go read them, they're funny! And while you're at it, go visit her Hamlet: The Manga site. I guarantee a laugh.]
Warning: If you don't like self-inserts, don't read. This isn't even a real one, since I just smacked my name on the newbie. (I'll admit it, I like Zel lots. But I really was too lazy to make a new name. Honest! Iyaaa! Put down the pitchforks!) And…eto…blood? Not to mention that I don't have a sense of humor. At least that's what I think. If you think otherwise, I appreciate it?
Reviews: I'll make kawaii sad puppy eyes and cry forever and ever if you don't review! Just a sentence will do!
Flames? Or does the author have an allergy to them?: Bring 'em on. They're funnier than my stories.
Now for the fic! IKKUSEI!
The chimera sat bolt upright in bed, eyes wide open in half-terror and half- anger. His heart beat wildly out of control as he panted to regain his breath. Beads of sweat wound through wiry, purple hair and trickled down his forehead. Zelgadis compulsively clenched his right hand, the hand that usually wielded a sword. The touch of someone on his shoulder, something he wouldn't have usually felt if it hadn't been for his jumpy nerves, gave him a start.
"Zelgadis-san? Zelgadis-san, are you alright?"
He looked around his bedside with bright aquamarine eyes, chest still heaving. Amelia, her hand on his bare stony shoulder, gazed at him with concern. She stood at the bedside along with Lina and Gourry. A glance out the window at a starry sky told him it was still quite late at night.
"Y-yes," he managed to stammer. "I'm okay."
Lina stared at him in disbelief. "Okay? Just 'okay'?" she demanded. "Listen, Zel no baka, it's gotta be something if you scream loud enough the resurrect a Dark Lord and get us all outta bed at this time of night."
"Geh? I screamed?"
Lina and Gourry nodded.
Amelia, noticing her hand was still on his shoulder, quickly pulled it off with a slight blush. [1] "We thought something had attacked you, so we ran to your room. You...you wouldn't wake up, no matter how hard we shook you. You had this awful look and then you stopped breathing for a moment…." She shuddered. "We had to tell all the other travelers to go back to bed. The innkeeper thought someone had been murdered. Are you *sure* you're alright?"
Her compassion was typical, but it stirred something in him. Something deep inside wanted to scream no. It wanted to break out and release the pent-up grief he held, tell his past to anybody just to relieve itself of the burden. Zelgadis gritted his teeth and concentrated momentarily on calming down. Strength and control; maintain strength and control, a voice echoed in his brain. He mentally checked himself before blurting out anything he wished to conceal. The grimace he wore was replaced by his usual indifferent look.
"Hai, I'm sure," he said with seemingly unruffled tranquility. "You all should go back to bed. Gomen for waking you up unnecessarily." His continued trembling suggested of his unnerved state, but Zelgadis kept it relatively hidden from the others.
Gourry shrugged and smiled in a good-natured, drowsy sort of way. Zel began to think he probably hadn't woken up yet anyway. Lina muttered under her breath about how stubborn Zel was before dragging Gourry out the bedroom door as she left. Amelia, however, lingered before leaving, stopping hesitantly to lean on the end of the bed.
"I can feel your shaking from here, Zelgadis-san, don't pretend you're invincible. Please talk with us if there is something going on."
Zelgadis remained silent, staring at the bed sheets. Amelia saw the muscles of his back tense under his pajama top in an effort to control the spasms. He forced himself to breathe deep and slow to ease it.
"Was it about Akahoushi Rezo?" Amelia pressed him [2]. Her enormous blue eyes were still watery out of concern.
Surprisingly enough, she elicited a wordless nod.
"Do you want to…get it all out? You know, just talk?"
"Iie," he replied bluntly, wiping his forehead with the sleeve of his pajama shirt. He nestled under the covers and closed his tired eyes. Despite his words, Zelgadis' voice sounded softer to her, maybe even more subdued, than usual. "Go to sleep, already. My secrets are mine for a reason, Amelia." He listened to her quiet "Oyasumi, Zelgadis-san" and the dull padding of bare feet as she walked out.
"Oyasumi…I wish," he muttered as he shifted around. Zel sighed resignedly. A solitary tear wound its way through long, dark eyelashes [3], escaping only to trickle down his face and patter upon the pillow. Another shudder passed through him, bringing up a quiet sob that he could no longer restrain. How could he sleep if it meant reliving that one moment so many more times? How could he not sleep if he wanted to see her face again so desperately?
"K'so," whispered Zelgadis hoarsely. "It's killing me...." He trailed off. Underneath a stone chest, a heart still beat in shock from the taste of a nightmare that would not go away.
-TO BE CONTINUED-
[1] I'm not an Amelia and Zelgadis fan, for reasons I'll elaborate on either in the fic or if you e-mail me about it. Won't go into it right now, though. But I do believe *she* likes him enough. I just think another personality type would suit him better.
[2] Akahoushi Rezo = Rezo the Red Priest, his great- grandfather/grandfather. O.O No comment.
[3] Demo, I LOVE his eyelashes! I had to mention them, really I did!
A Slayers Fanfic
By Yukishiro Megumi
Disclaimer: I'd say I own them, but I'd probably be besieged by the one thing more terrifying that a hungry Lina: lawyers. So I *don't*. Hear that, Lawyer people?! I DON'T OWN THEM DAMMIT! Heh…maybe Xelloss' shadow should eat them [Shameless plug: The last comment was a reference to AmethystAngel's "The S Files". Go read them, they're funny! And while you're at it, go visit her Hamlet: The Manga site. I guarantee a laugh.]
Warning: If you don't like self-inserts, don't read. This isn't even a real one, since I just smacked my name on the newbie. (I'll admit it, I like Zel lots. But I really was too lazy to make a new name. Honest! Iyaaa! Put down the pitchforks!) And…eto…blood? Not to mention that I don't have a sense of humor. At least that's what I think. If you think otherwise, I appreciate it?
Reviews: I'll make kawaii sad puppy eyes and cry forever and ever if you don't review! Just a sentence will do!
Flames? Or does the author have an allergy to them?: Bring 'em on. They're funnier than my stories.
Now for the fic! IKKUSEI!
The chimera sat bolt upright in bed, eyes wide open in half-terror and half- anger. His heart beat wildly out of control as he panted to regain his breath. Beads of sweat wound through wiry, purple hair and trickled down his forehead. Zelgadis compulsively clenched his right hand, the hand that usually wielded a sword. The touch of someone on his shoulder, something he wouldn't have usually felt if it hadn't been for his jumpy nerves, gave him a start.
"Zelgadis-san? Zelgadis-san, are you alright?"
He looked around his bedside with bright aquamarine eyes, chest still heaving. Amelia, her hand on his bare stony shoulder, gazed at him with concern. She stood at the bedside along with Lina and Gourry. A glance out the window at a starry sky told him it was still quite late at night.
"Y-yes," he managed to stammer. "I'm okay."
Lina stared at him in disbelief. "Okay? Just 'okay'?" she demanded. "Listen, Zel no baka, it's gotta be something if you scream loud enough the resurrect a Dark Lord and get us all outta bed at this time of night."
"Geh? I screamed?"
Lina and Gourry nodded.
Amelia, noticing her hand was still on his shoulder, quickly pulled it off with a slight blush. [1] "We thought something had attacked you, so we ran to your room. You...you wouldn't wake up, no matter how hard we shook you. You had this awful look and then you stopped breathing for a moment…." She shuddered. "We had to tell all the other travelers to go back to bed. The innkeeper thought someone had been murdered. Are you *sure* you're alright?"
Her compassion was typical, but it stirred something in him. Something deep inside wanted to scream no. It wanted to break out and release the pent-up grief he held, tell his past to anybody just to relieve itself of the burden. Zelgadis gritted his teeth and concentrated momentarily on calming down. Strength and control; maintain strength and control, a voice echoed in his brain. He mentally checked himself before blurting out anything he wished to conceal. The grimace he wore was replaced by his usual indifferent look.
"Hai, I'm sure," he said with seemingly unruffled tranquility. "You all should go back to bed. Gomen for waking you up unnecessarily." His continued trembling suggested of his unnerved state, but Zelgadis kept it relatively hidden from the others.
Gourry shrugged and smiled in a good-natured, drowsy sort of way. Zel began to think he probably hadn't woken up yet anyway. Lina muttered under her breath about how stubborn Zel was before dragging Gourry out the bedroom door as she left. Amelia, however, lingered before leaving, stopping hesitantly to lean on the end of the bed.
"I can feel your shaking from here, Zelgadis-san, don't pretend you're invincible. Please talk with us if there is something going on."
Zelgadis remained silent, staring at the bed sheets. Amelia saw the muscles of his back tense under his pajama top in an effort to control the spasms. He forced himself to breathe deep and slow to ease it.
"Was it about Akahoushi Rezo?" Amelia pressed him [2]. Her enormous blue eyes were still watery out of concern.
Surprisingly enough, she elicited a wordless nod.
"Do you want to…get it all out? You know, just talk?"
"Iie," he replied bluntly, wiping his forehead with the sleeve of his pajama shirt. He nestled under the covers and closed his tired eyes. Despite his words, Zelgadis' voice sounded softer to her, maybe even more subdued, than usual. "Go to sleep, already. My secrets are mine for a reason, Amelia." He listened to her quiet "Oyasumi, Zelgadis-san" and the dull padding of bare feet as she walked out.
"Oyasumi…I wish," he muttered as he shifted around. Zel sighed resignedly. A solitary tear wound its way through long, dark eyelashes [3], escaping only to trickle down his face and patter upon the pillow. Another shudder passed through him, bringing up a quiet sob that he could no longer restrain. How could he sleep if it meant reliving that one moment so many more times? How could he not sleep if he wanted to see her face again so desperately?
"K'so," whispered Zelgadis hoarsely. "It's killing me...." He trailed off. Underneath a stone chest, a heart still beat in shock from the taste of a nightmare that would not go away.
-TO BE CONTINUED-
[1] I'm not an Amelia and Zelgadis fan, for reasons I'll elaborate on either in the fic or if you e-mail me about it. Won't go into it right now, though. But I do believe *she* likes him enough. I just think another personality type would suit him better.
[2] Akahoushi Rezo = Rezo the Red Priest, his great- grandfather/grandfather. O.O No comment.
[3] Demo, I LOVE his eyelashes! I had to mention them, really I did!