Author's Notes: Well, I'm glad that people liked the Mulder and Scully scene. I'm not planning on having them be major characters, but they'll definitely show up from time to time. I plan on having in-jokes, cameos and other stuff happen from time to time. I mean if the actual anime can bring in Colonel Sanders, then why the hell can't I have semi-crossovers with the X-Files, Star Trek, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Well . . . maybe not the last one. Maybe. So, on to answering the reviews from the last chapter (for some reason, I really like doing this, and half the reason I write more chapters is so that I can respond to the reviews; or it's because of sugar . . .)
Raven: Amelia is one of my favorite characters too, if not my favorite, and I figured that's what you meant, I was just paranoid that my fic was appealing to Amelia-haters. I've never been able to grasp the psychology of people who hate Amelia. She tries to be a good, kind and helpful person, and she's willing to put her life on the line to boot. Granted she was pretty immature until the third season, but all of the characters were immature in one way or another (except Gourry, which frightens me).
Ryoko: Actually, that first dubbed voice is the only legitimate reason I can think of for believing in the Amelia-hating cause. Also, one thing that really impressed me about the dubbed version is that they tended to dump the really awful voice actors after only one episode. The first Zelgadis voice is the only one who hung around for a while, but I'm thankful they dropped him before the end of the first season. Also, wasn't it strange that the first voices for Amelia and Zelgadis both sounded like they were heavy smokers in their fifties? Oh, and remember, Ash isn't just girly, he likes to lock small animals up in air-tight plastic balls before dragging them out to fight for him. It's like cock-fighting, but with more "Pika".
Shahrezad1: Thanks, I'm trying to stay IC with all the characters and that includes their faults. It might sound sad, but I've actually done research from the anime and tried to extrapolate psychologies for each of the characters. Wait a sec . . . that IS sad . . . Anyways, glad you liked you liked the chapter and thanks for letting me know your opinion of the characterization.
Drake Dragon: Those ARE pretty good reasons, aren't they? Thankfully, if you try to chase me down, you'll have problems breathing because of the high altitude, so I can just run away. Glad you liked the kiss scene; because of the tense emotions between Xellos and Filia I can't imagine them doing anything else.
Tbiris: I see what you mean about not being sure who's talking. At some points it's ambiguous, but I'm not sure what you mean by going off-plot. They're basically checking out all their leads from the city they're in before leaving. Just because they don't find vital information the first time out doesn't mean that it won't help them. And lastly, I read your response to Ukky about being a "Tall-Bearded Iris" and I have to disagree on that too. Sorry, but you're a Vulcan. You talk like a Vulcan, you're logical like a Vulcan, and you're objective in your reviews, like a Vulcan.
Carla Fox: Hey, nice to see your review. I think it's about time that Lina could be mature enough to help out a friend just to help them out, instead of trying to make a profit on the sly. Well, to be honest, it IS a weird story. There might be weirder out there, but they probably involve threesomes. As to your comment about friends missing friends, it's very true. Zelgadis and Lina can be rivals, friends, or even friendly rivals, but to pair them romantically would make one or the other very miserable. Both want to show off, be the powerful one, and be in charge. If Lina was stronger, Zel would feel second-rate and useless (plus Lina's way too crude for Zel to put up with). If Zel was stronger Lina would be sick of always following his lead and having him say "I'll finish this in one shot". Oddly enough, while that makes a Zel/Lina pairing a bad idea, it allows for Lina/Amelia, Lina/Gourry, Zel/Amelia and Zel/Gourry. If your tastes run to that direction, anyways.
Amelia: I really didn't mean that description of you to get so . . . uh . . . so . . . You know.
Zelgadis: Obsessive?
Amelia (laughing nervously): Uh . . . yeah.
Zelgadis: You know, obsessing over a little crush like this isn't healthy.
Amelia (sad): Yeah. So what's the recap for the story?
Zelgadis: We haven't done anything. It's been nearly sixty pages and we haven't even left the city.
Amelia: Mr. Xellos and Miss Filia kissed!
Zelgadis: Right, like that's an important development. That could've happened anywhere. I can't find my cure in the city! Believe me, I searched nearly every building and I didn't find a damn thing.
Amelia (muttering angrily under her breath): If you'd tried you could've found a short, blue-haired, pretty and rich girlfriend.
Xellos (whispering to Amelia from the shadows): Hey, I think he can hear you. Remember how I said you shouldn't try to pressure him?
Zelgadis: Can you two take your little "Covert-Op" elsewhere?
"Okay!" Lina Inverse slung a backpack over her shoulder, smiling at her assembled friends. "Thanks to this list we got from those two weirdos, we know exactly where Rezo's properties are. Everybody ready?!"
Gourry and Amelia gave thumbs-up and "Ready" sounded from the five other adventurers. "Alright," shouted the tiny redhead. "Let's get going!" Striding towards the main entrance, the group had smiles all-around.
"WAIT!" The booming voice rang through the grand hall of the palace. "Princess Amelia! Where are you going?!" A tall man with short dark hair ran towards the group.
Twitching at the sound of the melodic voice, Amelia turned slowly, an unconvincing smile on her face. "Hello, Duncan. I'm traveling for a while."
Even through a white suit coat, the man's musculature was immediately visible, speaking of toning without being bulky. A worried expression crossed his flawless face. "But, Princess, wherever could you have to go? Will you be gone long?" He reached for her hands, expression slipping further as she made no move to reciprocate.
Tiredly, Amelia avoided his gaze. "Yes, weeks, perhaps months before I return to Seyruun."
Xellos watched the scene before him stoically. I never liked this suitor. Of all of them, he's the most . . . persistent and . . . earnest.
The man's finely chiseled features split into another broad smile. "Well, then let me accompany you. I may not be able to offer much besides another sword, and perhaps, some pleasant conversation but I'm more than ready to do anything for you."
Just as the shrine maiden opened her mouth to object, Zelgadis spoke, his back turned to the whole group. "I think that sounds like a wonderful idea."
For a moment, everyone was silent, too stunned to say a word. Duncan straightened a bit, his white teeth flashing. "Thank you, my friend." Turning back to a young page who was standing a few feet off, the dark haired noble politely asked, "Would you tell my manservant that I need him to gather equipment suitable for a long travel, and that I need to meet him at the . . ." He paused looking back at the group.
"South gate." The chimera's voice was emotionless.
"Yes, the south gate." He nodded to the blue-skinned man. "Thank you again, Mr. . . .?"
"Greywords." came the stiff reply.
Though Duncan sensed the pall that had fallen over the group, he continued to try and maintain his good cheer. "Thank you, Mr. Greywords."
The light breeze picked up slightly as the group, which now numbered seven, crested the hill before them. Hours had passed since they'd left the main road, opting for a more rugged overland route than the slower and more winding roadways. Raising his hand to his face, Duncan searched the darkening skyline. "Ah," he quipped. "I see a clearing about a quarter mile south of us. We should reach it, a mere hour before dark. What do you all think?"
"Sure, whatever." Lina's subdued voice seemed to deepen the cloud of depression over the group. Only Gourry had managed to escape the silence, having made small talk with Duncan for about an hour now.
Yes, the chimera thought. He'll be able to solve everything. If only everyone would get over his coming along. Well, I can handle that.
"Zel, what the hell were you thinking?" Moving around one of the campfires, Lina sat down next to her chimera friend while the others were away for the moment. "Why did you invite him along? We don't really need another person."
The chimera snorted, "What do you think I'm trying to do?"
She was quiet for a second, as her red eyes narrowed dangerously, "I think you're trying to pawn Amelia off on Duncan."
"It's what's best for everyone, Lina." Zelgadis continued to stare into his fire, expression placid. The shaman glanced over at the main campsite, wondering what Lina thought of his decision to set up his tent away from the rest of the group.
"No," the tiny sorceress said sadly. "You're wrong, Zel. You weren't there to see it. You're wrong." Standing, the redhead walked back towards the collection of tents about twenty feet away.
Breathing a sigh of relief, the chimera pulled his hood over his face. Maybe now I can get some peace. His ears pricked as he heard a new set of footsteps. So much for that idea. Turning slightly, he saw a flicker of a black cloak. "What do you want?"
The demon didn't say anything at first, just kept his back to him, looking out into the forest. "Probably," said the priest, nasal voice subdued, "what everyone else wants from you: a reason."
Growling slightly, the chimera refused to turn to face the hateful demon. "Why should you care?"
"Amelia is my friend." The wind rose slightly as Xellos said those words.
"I don't believe you. You might've been able to fool everyone else, but you can't fool me." The chimera's hands tightened slightly, fighting to keep them from going to his sword.
"I want to know why you hurt my friend." The demon's face hung slightly, shrouding his expression behind his amethyst hair.
Zelgadis snorted again. "Fine. I did it so that 'your friend' will stop fantasizing over something that will never be able to happen, so that she can grow up and we can both get on with our lives. I want to make sure that she associates with as few twisted monstrosities as possible."
Seconds passed while Xellos stared into the sky, violet eyes narrowing as a glint of a smile crossed his face. "I think," he said slowly. "That you died a long time ago."
The chimera swirled to confront the monster, only to find empty space. Sitting back down in his chosen spot, nearly twenty feet from the campsite, he muttered, "Typical cowardice."
"Okay, people, here we are. Rezo property number one!" Lina Inverse strode towards the abandoned cottage, ignoring how dilapidated it appeared. "Alright, here's the game plan, Xellos and Filia, you check any books or texts, especially any that aren't in any normal arcane language."
The demon nodded, not even pausing to look at the dragon who stood glaring at their leader.
"Zelgadis, and Amelia!" shouted the tiny redhead. "You're both shamanist experts, check around for any elemental or astral disturbances."
A slight cough broke Lina's orders. "Excuse me, Miss Lina, but what would you like me to do?"
"You, Duncan?" The redhead resisted the urge to tell him exactly what she thought he could do with himself. "Check around the perimeter of the cottage. See if there are any underground accesses. Something other than a normal cellar."
Picking up her backpack, she pointed at her protector. "Gourry, you think you can help me with Focus materials?"
"I'll try!" Smiling, the blonde swordsman picked up the other bag labeled "Focus". "What do I have to do?"
"Find anything, Filia?" The demon barely repressed a smile as the dragon's back tightened visibly.
"No," she replied tartly. "I haven't. Why don't you use your wonderful demon senses to detect something?"
"My, my Fila, so tense!" The priest snickered while his back was turned. "You really should relax!"
With a growl, the blonde priestess pointed over at the other side of the room. "You go over there, I don't want you near me when we're alone!"
Sighing, Xellos stepped over to the far side of the room. "If you hate this so much, why did you want to come? You knew that I'd be here."
Plopping down in front of a pile of books, Filia snarled back, "It's not like I had a choice or anything." Angrily she began to leaf through the old spell books again.
For a second or two, the only sound what the rustle of paper. "No choice?" asked the demon. "How did that happen?"
He's getting too good at this. He almost sounds genuine. Coughing at the dust rising from the next book she'd chosen, Filia flicked her eyes back at the evil priest, voice dropping into haughty tones. "Why should you care? You're nothing but a stain of pure malevolence."
Xellos' eyes narrowed as he grinned in a snide manner. "Ooo . . . nice insult Filia. You're becoming quite adept." Out of the dragon's vision, Xellos' smile dropped completely. Hmmmm . . . another internal emotion. Again, bad, but not like the other one. Trying to push it aside, he kept trying to follow Amelia's advice to talk to her, without insults. "Was Lina holding that debt over you again?"
Again, the room grew quiet. After an even longer silence than the first, Filia responded quietly. "She said that if I did this, she'd call it even, and that I'd get a fair share of any treasure we found."
The purple-haired demon laughed quietly. "You've certainly grown accustomed to the adventuring life."
"Shut up!" snapped the ex-priestess. "You have no idea why I'm doing this, so just keep your mouth shut, you filth!"
I should have realized. Sighing, Xellos turned the page of the ancient book he was holding. She's so filled with anger, anything I said would be taken as an insult.
"Find anything yet, Amelia?" Zelgadis turned over another desk to get a better look at the floorboards underneath.
"No," she replied tartly. "I haven't. Why don't you use some of your 'masterful shamanist powers' to get a clue?"
Sighing, the chimera tapped the floor, looking for any hollow spaces. I knew this was coming. But it is better that she hate me and turn to Duncan. It's better that they all hate me, every last one of them. "Are you upset, Amelia?"
Behind him, he could hear the tiny girl fuming. Trying to ignore what he was doing to her, Zelgadis raised his palm, face up. "Infinite Earth, Mother who nurtures all things. Let thy power gather within my hand. Spirit Sight." With a gentle touch, he swept the bright light over the wood floor.
The princess spun away from the infuriating man, stomping away to the far side of the room. I can't believe this! How can he be doing this?! He's not even the same person! Her breath caught in her throat, A statue? Her hand went forward to grasp the figurine of a woman with long flowing hair. Orihelcon? The girl's went wide as she remembered how Lina and Zelgadis first met. It was an Orihelcon statue! Shaped like a woman with long hair!
"MR. ZELGADIS!"
A bare second went by as the words penetrated his mind. "Amelia! What's wrong?!" Launching over to the far side of the room, the chimera spotted the princess around a corner, holding a statue. Forcing himself to breathe smoothly, Zelgadis placed an annoyed expression on his face. "What do you think you're doing? I thought you were in trouble."
"I'm sorry." A slight blush spread across her cheeks. He's not angry! Not giggling turned out to be a challenge, but she managed it. "I thought this might be a clue." Carefully, she handed him the ornate figurine. He's awful at hiding his feelings! Even the neophyte ambassadors that I've had to negotiate with have better control.
Growling slightly, Zelgadis took the statue from her. He opened his mouth to further denounce her, but stopped as he felt the object in his hands grow warm.
"Zelgadis . . ." called a ghostly familiar voice.
"Oh, Cepheid!" Screamed the tiny girl. "That's-"
"Rezo." The chimera's eyes narrowed as he growled the name of the person he still bore the most hatred in the world for.
"Not quite." Rezo's ghost-blue image shimmered suddenly. "To be more correct, I am a Memory Crystal."
"What is it you want?" Straightening, the blue-skinned man placed his hands on his hips.
"Personally," the wavering image replied. "I want for nothing. But Rezo asked me to relay some information if you ever found me."
Turning, Zelgadis started towards the stairs, his shoulders tight and clenched. "Forget it Amelia, there's nothing worthwhile here. Just more lies."
The princess' eyes widened, "W-wait!" She grabbed his sleeve, eyes frantic. "Mr. Zelgadis, you don't know that! You don't know if he'll tell you lies!"
For a few long moments, the young man stared at her hand. "Fine." Sighing, he looked back to the phantom hanging patiently, in the air, for him. "What 'information' do you have for me."
The floating image wavered again as his head bowed in concentration. "First, I have Rezo's apology, to you. At one point he was aware of the Dark Lord's presence. He created many duplicates of me, so as to safeguard information about you, in the event that Shabranigdo altered his perceptions and memories."
"Huh?" Amelia looked to the chimera. "I thought Rezo wasn't aware that Shabranigdo was within him."
The almost-ghost of Rezo shrugged his shoulders. "How easy is it for you to discern when someone has been possessed?"
"Pretty easy, I guess," murmured the tiny girl, finger on her chin.
"Then I can only suppose that these same techniques were within Rezo's grasp as well. Though I would imagine it would have been impossible for him to expel such a force. Knowing this, it is logical that Shabranigdo would have made Rezo forget, to keep him from doing further research into banishing him" The image shimmered again as Rezo's face smiled at them both. "Rezo was told, by Shabranigdo, beforehand, that his only remaining kin, you; would face the same fate as him, to be subverted by a demonic force."
Bowing its head again, the half-shade of Rezo spoke more carefully, as if reciting a prepared speech word for word. "While the curse is permanent in its execution, it is not wholly so. There exists but one method, as I have been told. While I do not know the particulars of this method, I am aware that the information is stored in one of the other duplicates of me."
Is this real? Amelia flicked her eyes back and forth between Zelgadis and the figure that he watched intently. Oh, I pray it is. Please? Whoever you are, Lord of Nightmares, Mother of All Things, please let this be genuine!
"Shabranigdo already had knowledge of the procedure," the figure droned in the same tone. "But Rezo was able to create a 'back door' so to speak. A way to reverse the curse without having to know said procedure. It was his hope, before he came to be totally under the Dark Lord's sway, that your cursed form would grant you the strength necessary to find this 'back door'."
"Ah, I see," Zelgadis' voice dripped with false enthusiasm. "All I have to do is wander around the earth, looking for a bunch of statues, that may or may not have any real value to me." The stone man turned slowly towards the stairs. "I think I'll try my luck with random chance, thank you. Let's go, Amelia."
The almost-Rezo raised his hand. "Wait. It is not a blind hunt, if you'll pardon the pun. Each duplicate will reveal the next one in sequence."
The princess stepped closer to the ghostly image. "If Rezo wanted Mr. Zelgadis to find this cure, why would he make it into a game?"
This time when the image shifted, it was more severe. "Rezo's actions, while still mostly his own, were still heavily influenced by the Dark Lord. He taunted Rezo with this curse, intended for Rezo's only kin, for years before it was to be implemented. While he was able to make the cure available, the Dark Lord forced him to turn it into a game. So that Zelgadis would either refuse to try, or that he would give up along the way, believing it to be a never-ending hunt. Either way, he would have lived out his days wondering 'what if', and that is what Shabranigdo wanted."
Amelia let her shoulders slump. "It sounds so . . . unlikely. What do you think Mr. Zelgadis?"
A small smile played across the chimera's mouth. "It sounds just twisted and morbid enough to be plausible."