Gift of Love

***************

The four of them walked down the road briskly that beautiful spring morning. Lina and Gourry were walking on ahead, occasionally pausing as Lina walloped Gourry for some reason only she knew. Even Zelgadis seemed cheerful as they strolled through the quiet forest.

Amelia lagged far behind, denying herself the pleasure of watching Zelgadis. He did not return her feelings, and it would be wrong to press herself at him. Maybe someday, when he found his cure, he'd be able to love her back.

A pine cone bounced off her shoulder, and she stopped, glancing to her left from which it had come.

a voice hissed from the branches of a nearby tree.

She turned to the voice, startled.

The mazoku smiled down at her pleasantly. I was wondering. Do you really want Zelgadis to find his cure?

Of course I do! she answered with vigor, forcing herself to smile and bounce. It's an affront to the Power of Justice that any creature should be deprived of its own true form!

Cut the act, he said dryly. Do you really?

She was only a little surprised he had seen through it. After all, mazoku fed on human emotions, so who would know them better? Of course, she said again. You know how I feel about him. And humans like to have people they care for get what they want.

Xellos winked at her, producing a small book from his robes. This book contains the only cure for his condition.

Why should I believe you?

Have I ever lied to you? Really lied, not just withheld information, not just misled you, but really and truly lied to you? He answered her question with a question. How typical.

What do you want, Xellos?

Maybe just for my friends to be happy? Must I always have an ulterior motive?



He chuckled. I'm glad you think that. His form blurred, and he reappeared on the ground beside her. He pressed the book into her hands. Take it. I swear in the name of the Lord of Nightmares, it's true. And he was gone.

*************

She didn't open the book until that night in the inn-room she shared with Lina, and only after she was sure Lina was asleep. Somehow, she felt she ought to check it first, before she gave it to Zel.

The page she needed was marked with a lavender ribbon. To return a man to his true form. Her eyes moved past the words of the spell to the glyph in the lower corner of the page.

Aurelianus had been one of the greatest sorcerers in history. No one would have dared sign his glyph to something he hadn't penned or dictated. So Xellos had told the truth.

So she read the page, and suddenly understood why Xellos had given it to her.

*************

It had only taken a little of the drug in his coffee to ensure he slept. And he did sleep, deeply with hardly any breath at all. He would sleep through everything she did and would wake up a new man.

She smiled bitterly as she rubbed the magic ointment into his stony flesh. His face, his arms, his legs, his chest, lower . . . she hesitated a moment, then rubbed it there too.

She found no joy in it; it was merely a task she must complete. She was proud of herself for remaining so cold. She had to, forced herself to, though every instinct screamed at her to thaw.

She read over the spell on final time, certain that she had every word right. She placed the book down, and began.

She sang the chat softly, watching a faint blue glow envelope them both. She looked down at him. He was so beautiful asleep, and she wished she could kiss him, just once. Why not? she asked herself and did, touching her lips to his cool forehead.

Many emotions went through her then, but she banished them all. I love you, she promised. It was a struggle to say it, though the words were true. I care for you. I trust you. I want you to be who you really are. Be yourself. Live. Be free. She plunged the magic dagger into her heart, collapsing onto him, so that her blood would fall on him. And maybe, she whispered with her last breath, love me too.

Aurelianus' words: the heart's blood and love of a maiden alone can seal the spell.

**************

He woke with a headache. Indeed, his whole body ached, which was strange. His body hadn't ached since Rezo had imprisoned him in it. Chimeras don't ache, but humans are fragile and grow sore easily.

He didn't dare open his eyes yet. For fear of what he might see, and because he knew the sun would make his head pound harder. Using his other senses, he explored his surroundings.

There was the sound of a mockingbird, opening its morning with song.

He felt a hard cold wooden floor beneath him. And there was something cool and heavy and wet draped over him. It smelled of blood.

He opened his eyes in alarm, and found himself staring up into Amelia's pale dead face. He sat up, cradling her, uncertain what to do. Chimeras are not uncertain, but humans always doubt.

He looked at his hands, pale and soft in the morning sunlight. He touched his hair, and found it soft to touch. What had happened to him? To Amelia?

He touched her dark hair. Poor child, he wanted to weep for her, but couldn't.

There was a book lying on the ground. He opened it. To return a man to his true form. He read no further, knowing what it would say. Oh, Amelia, you shouldn't have. It wasn't worth it. I'm not worth it. I'm not!

He thought perhaps he would weep after all. He did, feeling hot tears burn their way out of his heart. Chimeras do not weep, but humans have tears.

He kissed her cold forehead, more angry than he had ever been. Why couldn't I see? Chimeras do not love either, but humans must.

Sitting in the windowsill, the priest laughed.

Zel's blue eyes grew cold as he looked at the mazoku. Now he had a new quest.

***************

Here's another of my older Slayers stories that never got posted to fanfiction.net. It was originally written for a sappy fics contest . . . and it is sappy, I think, in a really dark and depressing sort of way. It may be my first anime fanfic, though there is some doubt about it, because I don't have an exact date for the writing of any of my earlier fics.--Lady Belegwen Lightningblade.