Chapter 1: In-Flux
________________________________________________________________________
This is your host, one-and-many. You can call me "Dusk" for short. I REALLY
need feedback on this one. Please forgive me if I offend anyone with this.
Go easy with the flames. Zel fans will either love this fic or hate it.
Zelgadis had been acting strange lately. Of course, nobody knew what "normal" was for Zel, but lately he was acting stranger than ever. He was having HUGE and erratic mood swings, one moment he would skulk in a corner and glare at everyone, others he behaved almost like XELLOS of all people. Lina and Gourry were worried, Xellos was stumped, Filia was disturbed, and Amelia was downright frightened. Eventually Amelia decided that someone needed to talk to Zelgadis, and that she was that someone. One night while the rest of the group was eating (*cough cough* battling *cough*) in a rather nice tavern, Amelia walked over to where Zelgadis was sitting.
"Err, Mr. Zelgadis?"
"What?" growled Zel.
"Is something wrong? You've been acting, odd, lately. Would you like to talk about it?"
"No." he said. Then Zel got up and started towards his room. Then, about half-way across the room he stumbled, and then collapsed on the floor and started twitching uncontrollably. Then he let out an almost unholy keening scream. All the other patrons left the bar clutching their ears while the slayers gathered around their fallen comrade to see what was wrong.
"WILL SOMEBODY SHUT HIM UP" shouted Lina.
"Mr. Zelgadis? What's wrong?"
"Oh my, it looks serious this time." murmured Xellos.
Normally nobody would have heard him over the din, but ryozoku have excellent hearing.
"What do you mean THIS time? This has happened before? And you didn't TELL ANYONE?" Filia screeched. "Did you do this to him namagomi?" she then asked in a tone that not only was heard over the screaming, but also SCARED Xellos.
"Yes, it has, no, he asked me to keep it secret, and no I did not." replied Xellos.
"What are you talking about? WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" Lina demanded.
"First of all, if you would put him to sleep, Amelia?"
Amelia quickly proceeded to cast a sleep spell, and despite the seriousness of the situation, everyone felt the overwhelming urge to clean out their ears when Zel stopped screaming.
"Now then," said Xellos, "You may have noticed his odd behavior lately. His mood swings are actually his other components struggling to emerge."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up. What do you mean his components?" asked Lina.
"Well," continued Xellos, "you know that as a chimera, Zelgadis is made of equal parts human, golem, and brau demon. Now, up until just recently, the human Zel has had complete control, but now his other components want their turn."
"But why was he screaming like that?" asked Filia, this time in an EXTREMELY worried tone.
"You have just witnessed a battle of wills, a very demanding task indeed. For now, he remains balanced, but eventually, they are going to need to learn how to take turns."
"Take. turns?" asked Amelia in a puzzled tone.
"You should be able to see what I mean by morning."
"Not good enough namagomi." growled Filia, gripping her mace so hard her knuckles were turning white. "I still think you're behind this in some way, now keep talking."
"Alas, would that I could, but I must report to my mistress now. Oh, and Amelia? Keep a CLOSE eye on Zelly for me, okay?" and with that, Xellos disappeared.
"Lina, what just happened?" asked Gourry.
"GAAAAAAAH, JELLYFISH! MUST I EXPLAIN EVERYTHING?" Lina proceeded to bash Gourry over the head with a slipper while the rest of the present and conscious slayers engaged in mass face-fault.
Zelgadis had been acting strange lately. Of course, nobody knew what "normal" was for Zel, but lately he was acting stranger than ever. He was having HUGE and erratic mood swings, one moment he would skulk in a corner and glare at everyone, others he behaved almost like XELLOS of all people. Lina and Gourry were worried, Xellos was stumped, Filia was disturbed, and Amelia was downright frightened. Eventually Amelia decided that someone needed to talk to Zelgadis, and that she was that someone. One night while the rest of the group was eating (*cough cough* battling *cough*) in a rather nice tavern, Amelia walked over to where Zelgadis was sitting.
"Err, Mr. Zelgadis?"
"What?" growled Zel.
"Is something wrong? You've been acting, odd, lately. Would you like to talk about it?"
"No." he said. Then Zel got up and started towards his room. Then, about half-way across the room he stumbled, and then collapsed on the floor and started twitching uncontrollably. Then he let out an almost unholy keening scream. All the other patrons left the bar clutching their ears while the slayers gathered around their fallen comrade to see what was wrong.
"WILL SOMEBODY SHUT HIM UP" shouted Lina.
"Mr. Zelgadis? What's wrong?"
"Oh my, it looks serious this time." murmured Xellos.
Normally nobody would have heard him over the din, but ryozoku have excellent hearing.
"What do you mean THIS time? This has happened before? And you didn't TELL ANYONE?" Filia screeched. "Did you do this to him namagomi?" she then asked in a tone that not only was heard over the screaming, but also SCARED Xellos.
"Yes, it has, no, he asked me to keep it secret, and no I did not." replied Xellos.
"What are you talking about? WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" Lina demanded.
"First of all, if you would put him to sleep, Amelia?"
Amelia quickly proceeded to cast a sleep spell, and despite the seriousness of the situation, everyone felt the overwhelming urge to clean out their ears when Zel stopped screaming.
"Now then," said Xellos, "You may have noticed his odd behavior lately. His mood swings are actually his other components struggling to emerge."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up. What do you mean his components?" asked Lina.
"Well," continued Xellos, "you know that as a chimera, Zelgadis is made of equal parts human, golem, and brau demon. Now, up until just recently, the human Zel has had complete control, but now his other components want their turn."
"But why was he screaming like that?" asked Filia, this time in an EXTREMELY worried tone.
"You have just witnessed a battle of wills, a very demanding task indeed. For now, he remains balanced, but eventually, they are going to need to learn how to take turns."
"Take. turns?" asked Amelia in a puzzled tone.
"You should be able to see what I mean by morning."
"Not good enough namagomi." growled Filia, gripping her mace so hard her knuckles were turning white. "I still think you're behind this in some way, now keep talking."
"Alas, would that I could, but I must report to my mistress now. Oh, and Amelia? Keep a CLOSE eye on Zelly for me, okay?" and with that, Xellos disappeared.
"Lina, what just happened?" asked Gourry.
"GAAAAAAAH, JELLYFISH! MUST I EXPLAIN EVERYTHING?" Lina proceeded to bash Gourry over the head with a slipper while the rest of the present and conscious slayers engaged in mass face-fault.