"AHHH!" screamed Lina. Then she got a grip on herself and giggled. "Well, this sure beats sailing, he, he, he..."
"Home..." whispered Zel. He looked at his hands. Amazingly he could see the imprints of Amilia's hands in the soot that covered him. "It was real..." he said to himself.
Xellos took a deep breath. "Air. I never knew it could smell so good. Mother was right, I will enjoy this adventure." He smiled.
Filia looked around. She still seemed sad, and said nothing.
After a minute there was a pattering of hurrying feet. Suddenly a younger, blonder version of Amilia, well, she was a bit taller too, burst into the room. "Daddy!" she yelled as she saw Zelgadiss.
He smiled at her. "Rubia! Oh I am so glad! I'm home now, and I have news and a tale to tell! Where is your brother?"
They said you were coming home! I didn't know what to make of it. Phil? I- I'll get him now, and the thing they said to get." Rubia sped off again.
Wait!" called out Zel. "What thing? Who said what?" But she was gone.
Some palace staff entered the room, did a double take and retreated again, double time. In seconds, or so it seemed, everyone from the palace was crowding in to look at them. The crowd suddenly parted, and Queen Naga herself swept into the room, just as imperious as Naga the Serpent had ever been. Of course, the fact that she had been preparing for a bath and was in her robe did moderate the effect a bit, but only a bit...
"Well, it's you! Welcome back. Does this mean success?" she said to the gang at large.
"Beyond our wildest dreams, Na... I mean Your Majesty! Wait till you hear!" replied an eager Lina.
"You look care worn, and dirt covered. Join me now in the bath, Lina and Filia, and tell me all about it. That's a royal command by the way." Naga replied.
Servants were sent to lay out robes and towels and all the rest, and others went to ensure the men had a bath ready too.
"Don't be long!" said Queen Naga as the men went off. "We are definitely having a feast after this! And the tale in full for all to hear!"
Suddenly, the gang realised they were hungry! Nothing solid, or liquid, had entered them since the morning before they found Xellos and the dome of the Silver Lord! The healing waters of the temple had sustained them all this time! Even through hell...
But, how long had it actually been?
"Make lots!" Lina yelled at the servants.
Then they were seated in the bath. "Oh, this is almost as good as being in His presence.." sighed a happy Lina as she sank into the warm, healing waters.
Filia also sighed with relief. "I am glad this is a pleasure dragons and humans can share." she murmured as the warm, wet caress of the bath worked its way into her tired and sore body.
"Well?" asked Queen Naga, after they had all soaked a few minutes in blissful silence.
"Where to begin?" said Lina with a wink at Filia, who helpfully suggested "The begining?"
Lina prepared to speak.
Suddenly there was yelling and commotion in the hall!
"A mirror! I need a mirror!" That was Zel!
A knock, no, a pound on the door. "Lina! Come at once you must come!" That was Xellos.
Lina and the others jumped up. "What's going on?" Lina said, bewildered.
More knocks, urgent and insistent. The servants seemed perturbed too.
"Let them in." sighed Naga, as she handed robes to everyone.
Lina threw her robe on and ran to the door. She opened it a crack and said "What's going...?"
Her eyes went wide and she backed away from the door, shock on her face. The door swung open. Zel slowly entered the room. "Is there a mirror?" he asked.
Queen Naga was also dumb with shock. She raised her hand and pointed at the wall where there was a mirror, her eyes as big as saucers.
Xellos guided Zel in and they stood by the mirror. Zel could only stare.
Lina recovered her wits and went to Xellos. "What happened?" she asked.
"His daughter met us outside the bath." began the ex mazoku. "She handed him a vial and told him it had been a secret her mother had been working on, for him. The young girl had been napping before we returned, and suddenly, her dream was interupted by a handsom silver man, and a beautiful golden lady, who told her that her daddy was about to come home and needed the secret love gift her mother had been working on. That's what was in the vial."
"It seems Amilia had come across some partial sort of a formula, and didn't tell Zel, because she didn't want him rushing off, so she worked on it herself, producing a soapy magical ointment. She knew something had to happen before the ointment was used, but she didn't know what it was."
"In hindsight, I can guess he needed to roast in the fire of hell. It burned the curse out of him Lina. And the ointment healed him and removed the soot..."
Lina stared in amazement at Zel, who was still before the mirror, now touching his image, now touching his body.
His normal body. A body of flesh. No more blue. No more stone. Dark blonde hair with a bit of grey, the wire was gone.
The curse had been lifted.
Lina went forward and wrapped a towel around Zel, giving him a big hug in the process. "You didn't even ask to be cured..." she whispered.
Zel turned to face her, joy, and holy fear, on his face. "They know what we need even if we don't ask..." he replied, weeping softly as he sank into Lina's hug.
Finally the tears stopped.
Lina joked "This is going to make finding a new bride for you much easier."
"I don't think the woman I've chosen would have cared, actually." said Zel, with a smile.
Lina smiled back. "Zel, can I beg a favour of you?" she asked shyly. "When Amilia is reborn, can I be an auntie to her?"
Queen Naga interupted. "Reborn? What's this about then?"
It was explained briefly to her, with a promise that the tale would be told in full at supper.
She shook her head. "Reborn! Oh, my baby sister is coming back?" She began to weep in her turn, accepting a hug from Filia, who was watching all this in silence.
Zel spoke. "Lina, about your request, the answer is no."
Lina felt stunned, her happiness draining from her.
"But..." she said quietly, then hung her head. "You are right, after the way I've lived my life, I wouldn't be much of an aunt anyway. Besides, I have my mission..." She sighed through the tears she couldn't help.
Xellos looked uncomfortable, and Filia said, very quietly "Oh Lina..."
Lina turned away from Zel, but as she did he spoke again. "Lina, you are jumping to conclusions again. The reason you can't be her aunt is because I have something more important for you to be."
Life and hope seemed to spring back into Lina as she whirled around to face Zel again. "A big sister? Her teacher? Her, ummm..." she stuttered.
Zel put his now human finger to her lips, stilling her. She looked up, waiting for him to speak.
He said only one word.
"Mother."
Lina paused only long enough to draw breath then lept into Zel's arms, shouting "YES!" in absolute bliss. It was the word. The one word Lina had wanted all along. The one word she never dared let herself hope for, let alone give voice to. And now Zel had spoken it!
For his part, zel caught Lina well enough. He staggered a bit. It wasn't that Lina was heavy, no she was just right, but he realised he needed to adjust to being only normally strong now, the good side of being a chimera was also gone, he was normal in every way, now.
But that was only what went on in the back of his mind. The rest was concentrating on the big, beautiful, wet, sloppy, and oh so blissful lovers kiss Lina was planting onto his willing lips.
Well, she wasn't better than Amilia, that was for sure.
But, oh yes, she was just as good...
"Hang on, hang on!" interupted the Queen. "You plan to bring my sister back into the world throught that, that...
"Plain girl?" said Lina defensively.
Naga paused, then drew herself up. "Precisely." she said."
"Yes." said Zel.
Naga looked, well, disurbed about something, but then gave a sigh and relented.
"No, you are right, I am sorry. I was worried about Amilia not being born into the royal line again, but I realise that's silly. Actually, your choice is excellent, given that I am passed that time of life now." She looked at Lina and gave a little smirk. "Your lucky, if I thought I could have a baby still, we'd be rivals again..."
"And I'd win again!" laughed a now relieved Lina.
"What do you mean you'd win again?" retorted Naga. "You can't use those words like that, not when comparing yourself to me! You're just lucky I have a soft spot in my heart for you, Lina Inverse."
"You sure it's your heart that's soft?" replied Lina, warming up. She hadn't had a good fight with Naga in so long...
But Zel was a spoil sport. "Ladies! Knock it off! Sheesh!"
Lina and Naga gave a nervous giggle each, then looked at each other and realised how silly it was, and broke out laughing aloud.
Eventually peace reigned again, and Lina aske Filia "So Filia, just curious, but have you made a decision yet? Or have we scared you off humanity for good?"
Filia smiled in a quiet sort of way. "There's no choice to make, Miss Lina. It was nice of the Silver Lord to offer, but I have to remain a dragon. I don't have a choice, not really..."
"Huh? W-what do you mean?" asked Lina in her turn.
"Well, I've been paying attention, Lina, and human love is special." She looked down and sighed. "Well not that dragon love isn't special too, but you find someone who is compatible, and that means they've lived a whole lifetime as a human and know how it is, and when you come together to share your lives, you each have a life to share. I don't know how to be a human. This is a false form I'm in right now. If I became a human I would have to learn from the begining and I should already know about being a human. I'm sure I can learn, but do I have enough time?"
She sighed. "Let's face it Lina. The only way I'll become a human is to die and be reborn. I mean, we have to be realistic here, there is no man for me. No man who could understand what it is like for his wife to have lived a long life already, and then to have become something she wasn't born as. No man who would understand my becoming a human and bearing little Valgaav. It is a beautiful dream, but it can't be. There is no man." She smiled sadly.
The others were silent. Lina frowned, there had to be a way, but, but...
Then a quiet voice spoke up. "Actually, there is... one man..."
Every head turned. Filia gave a gasp of shock. She slowly turned and looked at the speaker too, a strange mix of hope and fear on her face. Finally she nodded in amazement, and simply said "You..."
Xellos smiled. "Well, it's true isn't it? I know all about being alive a long time, then becoming a human. I too have to face the challenge of starting over from scratch. And because of my past Valgaav means something to me too, you know..."
Filia gulped, looking stressed. "I, I don't know what to do. You are right, you are absolutely right, but, in my wildest dreams... Me? And you? And yet..."
Lina laughed. "Well, then it's settled! A year and a day!"
"Huh?" everyone asked.
"That's how long it will be before Xellos and Filia are allowed to begin to make up their minds. Longer if they need it, but a good minimum. Now just listen, I'll tell you how it will work."
"Filia, you are being way too gloomy. I know, we just got back from hell, and it was a gloomy place, and, unlike for me and Zel here, nothing wonderful just happened. But it's okay, life isn't always like that. So here's your plan. Open another shop doing what you do best. Make and sell vases. Get established, and get a life. You'll feel better and be able to think more clearly. And you will open the shop here so we can protect you and also teach you about being a human."
Filia looked thoughtful for a minute. "Okay." she said "I will give it my best effort."
Lina smiled at her and turned to Xellos. A slightly wickeder expression came over her face. "You!" she said, looking at Xellos. "Filia also sells maces, but if she becomes a human she won't be able to use them the way she does now. She'll need a man to protect her, one who can fight. Plus, she'll do the vases, but she will need a partner to do the maces. Further more when she openes her tea room, she'll need a good baker to handle the cookies and such."
"Xellos, I'm going to send you to someone who will teach you how to fight, how to sell, and how to cook! Oh yes, and you'll learn all about being a human too. And when you are ready, you can come here and begin courting Filia. You are a human now, you are going to act like it. Even if you are the only man she could possibly marry, if you want her you'll have to prove it. Woo her Xellos. Woo her and win her."
Xellos gulped and broke into a light sweat. "Er, well, that's fine for all that Lina, but, who are you sending me to?"
A look of triumph came across Lina's face. "Someone who'll have your best interests at heart Xellos, oh yes. She'll have them very close to her heart indeed..."
Xellos was now sweating heavily. "Ah, ha... well that can only mean..."
"LUNA!" crowed Lina with gloating laugh.
"Priecisely..." gulped Xellos. "But will she do it?"
"Of course." replied Lina. "After all, if it wasn't for you she'd have never met Gourry and married him. They'll both want to thank you."
Lina then softened and went on. "And they'll protect you too Xellos. You are no longer a mazoku you know. I'm sure there will be some who want to revenge Beastmaster on you."
Xellos nodded, and his smile became one of gratitude. "I see your point Lina. I believe it was Luna who taught you to be human too, wasn't it?"
Lina glared, then looked guilty. "Touche..." she said quietly.
"Hasn't lost his wit has he?" asked Zel.
LIna smiled in spite of herself and hugged Zel. Soon to be HER Zel...
She then turned to Naga. "Your Majesty, how quickly can a couple get married in Seirune?" she asked.
"Depends on the couple." replied Naga, cryptically.
"You know what I mean..." said Lina with a wry look.
Naga smiled.
"You want to marry him?" she asked Lina.
Lina was puzzled. "Well, duh, yeah." she said, with the exaggerated air of one stating the obvious.
Naga ignored her and flipped her attention to Zel.
"You want to marry her?" she asked.
"Yup!" said a smiling Zel, who had an idea where this was going.
And he was right, Naga's next words were "You're married! The Queen has spoken! Was that fast enough Lina?"
"Huh?" said Lina, needing a minute for it to register.
Zel laughed, and earned an elbow in the ribs from Lina. In the past this would have left Lina in agony with a bruised elbow, but, to his surprise, among other feelings, it hurt him! "OOOF!" he went as he staggered back.
Then suddenly Lina brightened. "Well, hey! If we're married..." she said, turning to Zel.
"Hold on!" said Naga. "First we get dressed, and have supper, and get the full report." She paused and gave Lina a naughty wink. "OOOHOhohohohoho! THEN you can go and, hmmm, how to put this, oh yes, rescue Amilia from the pit."
Which is just what they did.
And, on another plain of existence, a Golden Lady was sitting snuggled into the lap of a Silver Lord. They chuckled as they watched the scene unfold. "Kids." she said, and gave him a kiss...
