So this might be my last update-thingie for a while. My computer was taken away and I have this is the last complete chapter as of today. "O que" is what the online translator-thing gave me for "whatever." Please do not hurt me Random Rviewer-san. -bows- Gerao, did you get my mail? I think this is considered ramblings. I DO NOT OWN SLAYERS!
Hachi
The ecstacy that was created from Seiryuun's first Olympic hockey win could be felt throughout the Games complex. The Seiryuun team cheered and was nearly as loud and obnoxious as the orange-clad Dutch team. After about two days, the baffled medics were forced to release Zelgadis, warning him that he could not play for another four days without risking splitting open his arm again. It depressed Zelgadis, but Amelia was there to help keep his spirits up.
"So who are we supposed to play tonight?" Zelgadis asked as he, Gourry and Frederick walked over to the arena where the curling competition was being held.
"Russia," Frederick chuckled sarcastically. "We are so dead. We barely held against Finland and they already have Denmark under their belt."
"Don't worry," Zelgadis said. "As long as you guys win, I'll be able to play against the winner of the USA/Canada game. My arm should be better by then."
"Fine. All that I know is that the Americans and Canadians both have tough teams and well, one of them is falling bad tomorrow," Frederick said.
"I think we will do fine," Gourry said confidently. "We'll not only play for Seiryuun, but for you too. It'll be so awesome!"
Now Gourry, being one of such jellyfish brains as himself, had no idea to what Seiryuun was really up against. Russia was a powerhouse contender during the Cold War era as the USSR. Their legacy had dimmed in the fourteen years that separated the fall of the Soviet Union and that moment, yet they were still not to be taken lightly. Many of Russia's stars went to the NHL in America to play and became near essentials. Such players were Vladimir Konstinov, Igor Larionov and Sergei Federov, who were part of the Detroit Red Wings' feared "Russian Five" in the nineties and have since been replaced on the team by Pavel Datsyuk and the insane amount of their various Swedes.
"Now Gourry, I do not want you getting into any more fights on my account," Zelgadis said. "I can take care of myself."
"I know that, I just snapped," Gourry admitted sheepishly. "I could not help myself."
"Yeah, well, let us try to stop ourselves next time you want to knock someone else's lights out," Frederick scowled as he flashed his badge for the gatekeeper, allowing him free access to the curling match. "You could have been ejected from the rest of the Olympics! Do you realize how much that would hurt us?"
"A bit," Gourry admitted.
"More than a bit," Zelgadis said sourly. "The team could have been disgraced forever." He rolled his eyes and went down to get a good seat to watch Gabriel and Ian play with the rest of the curling team. Curling is not a very hard sport to figure out. It is like shuffleboard on ice where people slide giant stones down the ice and two people follow it and brush the ice with special brooms to make a path to where the team wants the stone to land. The stone does not always get to its destination and can even overshoot if the ream is not careful. It was Gabriel and Ian's job to guide the stone with the brooms, making them both highly important to the team.
"Hey guys!" Frederick called out. He waved his arm wildly in order to catch the attention of his brothers down on the ice. They both saw him and waved back. Frederick laughed at how nervous everyone who was pegged to play appeared. They were facing the Canadian team that was rumored to be even better than the one that snagged the silver medals in the 1998 and 2002 Olympics. Even though some jitters were natural, Frederick still loved to tease his siblings every chance he could.
"Yeah! Go get them!" Gourry yelled happily. Zelgadis just sat down in his seat and sighed.
"Come on Zelgadis," Frederick laughed as the match started. "Have a little bit of fun!"
"Sure," he muttered back. All of the ice was making him think about playing again. Zelgadis knew it was silly to mope whilst a few-day healing process occurred, yet he just could not help himself. He was always able to get up and go on the ice every day he could, yet tonight he would have to miss the team's game against Russia. It was only when Seiryuun's curling team advanced in the rounds did he even pretend to be even the slightest bit happy.
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Zelgadis looked morosely at the empty ice rink. In a few hours he would have to be over at another arena and sit on the players' bench and watch his hockey team play powerhouse Russia. His arm still had a dull ache slithering up and down his still-bandaged forearm, forcing his face to look pained. Standing still, he appeared to be a clothed statue, not even moving a muscle when a metal door opened and the sound of a rushed gait stumbled in.
"Zelgadis-san," Amelia said. "Come on, we have to go meet up with the rest of the team." She put her hand gently on his right upper arm.
"I know that. There is just something that does not feel exactly right. Something is wrong, deep inside."
"Did you ever talk to Elena?"
"No... but that is not it though."
Amelia did not say anything back. She just hugged Zelgadis's arm and sighed. It was too apparent he wanted to be out on the ice playing, yet he could not unless Nerski was horribly injured. The ice was his place... the only place where he was accepted by his peers and feared by his opponents. It pained him to not be able to go out onto the ice, since he just felt so right there.
Zelgadis gently brushed Amelia off and looked at his bandaged arm. He looked down at the pure white cloth covering it; such a contrast to the stony grey of his skin.
"I never had an injury quite like this before," he explained. "All of my life I have seemed to be invincible... I just cannot understand why I must be injured now..."
"It was to open my eyes," Amelia said. "I had to realize that I really love you. It was wrong of me to assume you were cheating Zelgadis-san..."
"Stop it Amelia."
"What? Do not make it your fault," Amelia started. Zelgadis raised his hand to stop her.
"No more 'Zelgadis-san.' I am your Zelgadis."
"Z-Zelgadis...?" Amelia whispered. Zelgadis gently wrapped his arms around her waist and shoulder and kissed her. Amelia was stunned by the whole thing. His kiss. His cold, hard lips. His out of character affection. She embraced it anyways. Kissing him back, she held Zelgadis as well, placing her arms about his neck. Her movements were cautious, since she did not want to hurt herself on his steely hair.
"I really do love you Amelia," Zelgadis gasped, pausing their moment.
"I really love you too... Zelgadis," Amelia replied. They both looked at each other and said nothing, yet everything at once. Lightly, Zelgadis stroked Amelia's soft black hair and decided on his next move. He held Amelia out at arm's length so he could see her nice and clearly.
"There is something I want to ask you," he said. "This is the first time I ever really had the opportunity to tell you."
"Go ahead then."
"Amelia... will you ma..."
Bang! The nearby steel door burst open and someone walked in. Zelgadis stopped in mid-word as he and Amelia looked over at the intruder.
"I-I am so sorry," Elena muttered as she saw Zelgadis and Amelia together. She looked like she had run all the way there in the cold for her cheeks and ears were bright red. "This must not be a good time..."
"Elena-chan!" Amelia cried. She ran over to her, nearly tackling the embarrassed woman in a bear hug. "I am so sorry I fought with you! Can we be friends, champions of justice, again?"
"I should be the one apologizing," Elena said softly. "I should not have crossed the line. It is my fault."
" 'All the world's a stage and the men and women merely players,' " Zelgadis quoted. "Not one person is singularly at fault for shaking up our friendship like that. Let us forget everything." Elena and Amelia curiously looked over at him as if he were not Zelgadis, but someone else instead.
"Do you really mean that Zelgadis-kun?" Elena asked. "We do not have to fight anymore?"
"The three of us are better than all of that. Now, what did you come here for Elena-chan?"
"Lina-chan is requesting you two at the dressing room entrance immediately," Elena told Zelgadis. "She was really upset when she showed up and you two were not there."
"Typical," Zelgadis sighed. He and the girls then walked out of the ice rink together, just in time for the German figure skating team to start their practice.
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Meanwhile, at one of the other ice arenas, Lina and Gourry were standing outside, waiting for their friends to arrive. It was by one of the athletes' entrances, so Gourry was in full game padding and gear.
"How much longer are we going to have to wait?" Gourry whined.
"Until they get here or the game starts, which ever comes first," Lina moaned. She took from her pocket a pack of cigarettes and a lighter and started to smoke.
"I did not know that you smoked," Gourry said disapprovingly. Lina just shot him an evil glare.
"Nervous smoker," she curtly replied, hoping it was a good enough excuse for the man. Unfortunately for her, it was not. Gourry took the cigarette from her mouth and threw it in the nearby trash bin. "Hey! What did you do that for?"
"Smoking is bad for you!" Gourry yelled back. "It is very icky too! It makes your clothes smell, your teeth turn yellow and you could get sick from it."
"Then what in the hell do you do when you are nervous?" Lina whined.
"I do not know. I do not really think that I ever really am nervous."
That's because he's too stupid to be, Lina thought. She looked up at Gourry's smiling face. She could see his loving concern for her flowing out of his clear blue eyes. All they did was stare at each other until they were interrupted suddenly.
"Inverse-saaaan!" Xellos sang as he burst out of the entranceway. "The female Yerbinski has arrived with Zelgadis-kun and the Princess!"
"Thank you..." Lina growled, trying her best to restrain herself from pummeling Xellos for not letting her get closer to Gourry. As she walked inside though, she knew it was for the best. The last thing any one of them needed was inflated gossip surrounding the hockey team and its coaching staff.
"We're here," Elena said happily as Lina, Gourry and Xellos approached her. She was standing all alone in the hallway outside the locker room, looking more content than she had been in a couple of days.
"What's with you?" Lina asked skeptically.
"Nothing," Elena grinned.
"Where is Zelgadis-kun and Amelia-chan?"
"I do not know."
"Why?"
"They said they needed to do something first. Both of them will be right here soon," Elena said. Lina was not too sure what to make of this situation, yet unwillingly shook it off and went to go prepare her team for the game to come with a little pep-talk.
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Once upon a time there was a little broom cupboard. This little broom cupboard was a particularly special one indeed. Yes, this was where the mops, brooms and other cleaning supplies were stored until their use was needed, but it was also very dark in the little broom cupboard. This pleased quite a few people who walked into it. There were the creepy janitor types who liked it because it would remind them of their glory years of playing role-play games in their parents' basement. There were also the gothics, who liked it because it was dark and that was just the way they were. Then, there was Amelia and Zelgadis...
Parodies/References I Do Not Own So Please Do Not Use Them As Flame Excuses
The obnoxious Dutch: Yes, that is how we are and we love it.
Ramblings on Russia: That is the result of living in a hockey-crazed area, knowing these things. I was little when the Russian Five were still in existence. The Russian Datsyuk-san and all of the random Swedish players on the team really did replace the old Five and we are about to have a severe lack of actual Russians now that everyone is getting old and the Soviet ways are nonexistent in the training of new athletes.
Curling: I watch curling and am proud of it.
"All the world's a stage and the men and women merely players": A quotation from the William Shakespeare play As You Like It. Twas the line that starts off the "Seven Stages of Man" monologue by Jaques. I recently saw this at the Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Very good, entertaining, pervy bit of work there. Touchstone the Jester is awesome! -mutters- Warrrrrrped.
Gourry's disdain for smoking: The Nehszriah hates cigarettes. The Nehszriah is the vice-president of a group at school that campaigns against smoking cigarettes. Smoking will kill you quicker than nature can on her own. Please be healthy. We all care. -huggle-
My ending paragraph: One of the grossest fairytales one could ever tell. Ickies... they are going to do it! Wh00t! Bring on the lemons! -dancing lemons appear- Whee!