Nez-chan's back and she has come with a chapter! So this starts the nice, long-winded stretch of Zelgadis-story. I love that awesome ickle chimera. He is so emo-depressive. Alll right, story!
Go
The voice on the speaker system was very loud, so loud, it shook the eardrums of everyone around.
"...and here we have athletes from the tiny mountain country of San Marino. Hopefully, they will be luck enough to catch a medal in an event this year..."
"We're next Inverse-san!"
"I know that Amelia-chan."
"Aren't you excited!"
"I'm scared stiff, that's what I am!" Lina snapped. The last comment on the speaker system had been in Italian and was now being translated into various tongues for the masses to understand. They were at the Olympic Games in Turin, Italy; the very thing everyone in Seiryuun was looking forward to. The rest of the athletes and coaches were plain wretches filled with nervousness and excitement. Amelia was standing in the very front, holding the white flag that was emblazoned with the royal crest that stood for Seiryuun and wearing a long pink formal gown that had been popular in the courts right before the People's Council had emerged. Lina was right next to her, donning the standard black and bright green sweatsuit outfit that all the other people there were wearing.
"... and next we have the newest country entered in this year's Olympics, Seiryuun!" the voice on the speaker boomed. The only word that anyone understood was "Seiryuun," so everyone started to walk forward. Amelia proudly led the small mass of roughly one-hundred of her subjects, but all the while she was proud. Everyone was proud. Seiryuun was finally in the spotlight for all the world to see.
"This is so cool!" Gourry said in awe as he looked around the Olympic Stadium. He was snapping pictures and Frederick was right next to him with a video camera, filming every step. Both were very hyperactive and excited to the point of near fainting.
"If anyone asks, I do not know you two," Zelgadis muttered under his breath, feeling very stoic and back to his old self. Since Gourry started dating Lina back in November, he was as happy and airheaded as ever, allowing Zelgadis to go back to his pessimistic and gloomy attitude from before. He looked ahead in the crowd to Amelia and Lina, not really paying too much attention to his coach. A wan smile swept across his face as Amelia laughed. For some reason, he had not been able to get the princess out of his mind since the meeting over Lina taking the job of head coach for the team. That was when he had helped her up after she fell. It was a strange feeling what he felt for Amelia that had even compelled him to offer to treat her to lunch or dinner on a few occasions. His stomach climbed up his throat as she stopped in her place and playfully spun around the flagpole, her skirt billowing out modestly. He stopped with the procession as it joined the other countries that had been introduced.
From what he had heard about the other countries, Zelgadis silently distracted his mind by trying to analyze Seiryuun's chances of winning event medals this year. He could see Russia, with her legions of men and women who would live in an almost perpetual winter in some cases. They would be one of the toughest competitors. There were the Nordic countries of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark. They all had fierce teams and particularly the Norse and Finnish hockey teams were rumored to be tougher than nails. The United States of America was still a few spots away from being introduced, having some strong competition for Harry Yerbinski and the other three snowboarders, as well as the hockey team. Canada's team was feared by most members of the Seiryuun Slayers (on top of the Russian and American teams) as being the most serious. There was supposed to be a professional hockey league in North America that stretched from Calgary down to Tampa Bay and many athletes on those teams had taken time off to play for Canada, the Unites States or Russia. These were the people Zelgadis feared the most. He feared the professionals that played in North America, for they were the ones who would rip tiny Seiryuun apart. Even with the schism in the team over Lina coaching fixed and the team united once more, Zelgadis worried that even all of the teamwork in the world could beat these men. There were other teams around, such as Great Britain and Japan, yet the teams with the North American professionals were the most intimidating.
"Earth to Zelgadis!" Frederick laughed, waving his hand in front of Zelgadis's face, snapping him out of his daze. He looked up to see the taller Gourry and Frederick looking at him, trying their best not to giggle.
"What is it?" Zelgadis asked.
"What were you looking at?"
"Nothing Gourry."
"Princess Amelia is not nothing."
Zelgadis blushed a soft purple, the cold air playing tricks with his freezing blue skin and warm blood. He quickly diverted his eyes to the ground and started to play with a random pebble on the ground.
"I was not looking at her."
"Yes you were. Frederick and I saw you."
"Did not."
"Yeah right."
Zelgadis, Frederick and Gourry said nothing more, lest they might capture their conversation on camera. Their eyes wandered all around the arena, at the thousands of fans in the stands, the many nations blending in a singular place to become a singular Olympic spirit, at the spectacular Olympic Flame Ceremony as only the Italians could present it. After many hours, the teams were finally released and able to get some rest in the Olympic Village in preparation for the preliminaries, qualifying rounds and events.
"I'm beat," Gourry yawned. "I'm eating, then going to bed."
"I hear you there Gourry," Frederick replied groggily as they made their way to where they were staying. Zelgadis followed behind them, but was not very tired. He found the room that they were staying in, picked his bunk out of the four and set back out into the night.
It was very quiet in Turin. Zelgadis could hear things far in the distance, but nothing ever came close enough to be a bother. He guessed that wherever he was, it was usually some sort of campgrounds or hostel for young travelers coming to see the sights in Italy. Wherever it was, Zelgadis found it nice. He found a tree-lined path with benches on the side to sit. Content, he settled into one of the benches that was a short ways in. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, taking in the sharp, stinging cold air.
Zelgadis could see himself. It was not himself as he was sitting on the bench in Turin, but an eight-year-old boy running to a park in Seiryuun. Bundled up and carrying a large gym bag on over his shoulder, he ran down the snow-covered lane in the park. He ran and ran until he came to a frozen pond. Children his age were all around. Groups of boys were skating on one end of the ice, passing some old rubber pucks between themselves. Many girls took up the other end with figure skating. A few children would just pass between sides, messing up a jump or tripping one on a break-away.
Young Zelgadis put the bag down next to him and opened it up. There was his skates; brand new from Christmas! He took off his boots and began to lace on a skate. Once both ice skates were on, he took a baseball catcher's mask and an adult-sized goalie stick from the bag and went over to the kids playing hockey.
"What are you doing here?" one of the boys sneered. Zelgadis knew that this kids was a grade older and much bigger than he was.
"I want to play," he squeaked. "I can play my hardest! Please let me!"
"Get lost, freak," the boy laughed. His friends all laughed. Zelgadis was not very big for his age, which caused for scorn in such violent sports such as hockey. He also looked different. His skin was rocky grey and his hair gave off a steely sheen. No one could explain this to him, why such a thing had happened to him. His Grandpa Rezzo said that it was a curse set upon him and even though it was the most ridiculous solution, it always seemed to be the reason he came back to in the end.
"Eat ice!" a girl yelled. The boy who taunted Zelgadis flew forward and nearly squashed the pint-sized goalie. He looked up to see a young female skater posing triumphantly as if she just slew a great demon.
"What did you do that for!" the boy yelled as he got up and wiped frost from his face and clothes. "Do you have a problem?"
"Yeah, all he does is want to play! Why are you telling him he can't?" the girl challenged. Her long mousy braids flew as she snapped her gaze in the direction of Zelgadis's bully.
"Look at him!" the boy said, pointing a gloved finger at Zelgadis. "Why would I want to play with that?" The boy spat on the ice and skated off to find a different pond to play hockey on.
It was like a stab in the heart to Zelgadis. All he had wanted to do was play with them. Those boys did not have a goalie among them. He wanted to goaltend and feel the rush of the puck racing towards him at breakneck speed, the thrill of a save, the pure ecstacy of the game. It had now been denied. Denied by those boys who thought they were better because they all looked the same, were all bigger... because they all had friends.
"Don't listen to them," the girl said kindly. "You can play with my brothers and me. My name is Elena Yerbinksi."
"I am Zelgadis Graywords."
"Nice to meet you Zelgadis. Let's introduce you to the Princess!"
"What!"
Elena then took Zelgadis over to meet six-year-old Amelia over on another part of the pond. The elder three Yerbinski brothers were there too and they all played ice hockey together until they were cold stiff, except Amelia who just watched.
That day was just over sixteen years ago, when Zelgadis was eight and Frederick and Elena seven. It was then he found friends to play with and to have fun with. Time had to wait still three more years to let him meet Gourry while skating on the pond. Zelgadis recalled in his mind the years afterwards, especially high school when he and Gourry made the school hockey team and blew away the competition and old childhood bullies. Everything seemed better since he found friends. Now he and his friends were at the Olympics, making Seiryuun history.
"Zelgadis-san," a soft voice said. Zelgadis did not want to open his eyes, for her knew who it was.
"Yes Amelia?"
"What are you thinking about?"
"The day we met."
"That was a long time ago. I can barely remember it myself."
"Yeah, me too," he lied. Zelgadis sat upright and opened his eyes to look at Amelia. She had changed from the fancy dress she wore in the parade to now the same warm outfit he wore. Her hair was still curly from when the hairdresser put hot rollers in it for the parade. The makeup on her face was half-off, as if she tried to rub it all away but didn't quite succeed. She would look like a wreck to anyone else, but Zelgadis took and hugged her tightly, never wanting to let go of his Amelia.
"What's the matter Zelgadis-san?"
"I..." He started to choke on his own words.
"You what?"
"I lov..." Zelgadis started, but then stopped himself. "I'm just cold. Sorry if I scared you." He let go of Amelia, who just smiled at him sweetly.
"It is alright. You really should not be out in this night cold though."
"Neither should you."
"Caught me."
They both laughed and turned on the bench so they were both facing the opposite side of the pathway. Amelia snuggled into Zelgadis's side to be warm and comfortable and he put his arm around her in return. Nothing was said for quite a while, until Amelia decided to break the silence.
"I really like you Zelgadis-san," she said.
"I really like you too. That's why I am dating you," Zelgadis laughed.
"Honest?"
"Honest."
They sat again in silence for a while, not really knowing how late it got. When Zelgadis began to feel sleepy, he woke up Amelia and they walked back to Seiryuun's sleeping quarters. Amelia went into the room she shared with Elena, Lina and a blonde skier named Filia and Zelgadis went to the room he was staying in, only to find that his bed had been snatched up by a snoring Xellos who was covered in potato chips. He grumpily laid down on the only unoccupied bed and fell asleep immediately, not even bothering to take off his clothes and drifting off into his beloved childhood reverie once more.
Parodies/References I Do Not Own So Please Do Not Report Me To the Admins On False Charges
The Olympic Games: I explained this before, the Nehszriah has no ownership of these games. I do know when they are! February 4-19. Starts on a Saturday, ends on a Sunday.
San Marino: I don't even know if they compete in the Olympics. They are just there and random because they come before Seiryuun in the alphabet.
Russia: All I know is that it can get reeeeeeally cold... and a rough historical outline of course.
The Nordic Countries: Yup. They're there. They exist. Russia did not swallow them up. Neither did Germany. They've both had enough of that. Poland on the other hand I hear is a bit hungry... (That was supposed to be a lighthearted jest, nothing mean or stabbing. Don't hurt me...)
The USA: Yeah, so smaller countries hate us during the Olympics because we are medal hogs. We are third place in winter games medal standings (193), only behind Norway (263) and the former USSR (194). We dominate.
Canada: The birthplace of the Sport of the Gods (ice hockey, dur), Mounties and some of my beloved music. -blares Barenaked Ladies- . -sings- We wouldn't have to eat Kraft dinner... but we would eat Kraft dinner... of course we would, we'd just eat more! -grins-
The NHL: Right, don't own that either. Wish I did.
Great Britain and Japan: Running out of countries to list that I know compete in Winter Games. -pets San Marino- Except these guys.
Olympic Flame Ceremony: Just fill in the blanks come February.
Olympic Village: I heard that this thing existed at one point. If it does anymore, I have no clue.
Zelgadis's Reverie: The first real reference to him being a chimera. If I do anything with this bit, I have no clue. It really just explains things and how he met Amelia and my OC herd.