Legal Notice: This story and all character are © 2001-2002 by Benjamin Zmoda unless otherwise specified. This story cannot be distributed, sold, or used for commercial profit without written permission from the author, nor may this story be mirrored on any other site without consent.
Of Earth, Sky, and Everyone in Between
Chapter 6
Nancy wasn't expecting any visitors, so she was obviously cautious when there was an urgent knocking on her apartment door. Making sure the deadbolt was in place, she opened the door a crack. When she comprehended the scene in front of her, she threw open the door, beckoning Leo and the partially conscious Zelda into the small apartment.
"What the heck is going on?" Nancy demanded as Leo dropped a few bags on the floor and guided Zelda over to a couch.
"She was attacked," Leo said simply. "Get her to lay down. Until she wakes up completely, she could easily hurt herself."
Leo stood and wandered into the kitchen, opening cabinets and pulling out a few items. Nancy could only stare in confusion as he began mixing some of those things together. Finally, she regained her composure. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
He looked up as he combined all the items in a cup and tossed it in the microwave. "Zelda invited me over when I got out of the hospital. After she left, I realized how much I really did hate being there, so I left. I bumped into the scuffle on my way here."
"I can't exactly find that story very believable," Nancy growled.
Leo's tail twitched in agitation. "Are you suggesting that I did this?"
"I'm not saying that you didn't"
"Why not ask Zelda for yourself and find out?"
"How? She's out of it. She's lying down but she's shaking like mad."
"Working on it," Leo called from the kitchen.
A minute later Leo came out of the kitchen with a steaming cup of the worst thing Nancy had ever smelled in her life. "What the hell did you make?" Nancy groaned, wrinkling her nose.
"This? It's an old remedy my father taught me to make. Watch." With that he dipped his finger into the mixture and spread a small amount under Zelda's nose. Her nose began to twitch as if in pain. She squeezed her eyes shut and then sat straight up, coughing.
"Eww, eww, eww, and also eww! What the hell is that?" Zelda demanded weakly, rubbing her nose.
Nancy stared at Leo in shock, who simply shrugged and took a sip of the vile liquid. "See? She should be fine with a bit of rest. Feel free to ask her any questions you might have, now."
Zelda also stared at Leo. Leo was taking up quite a bit of space in the small room. Even with his wings folded tightly it was an impressive sight. "How'd you get here?" she asked in a weak voice. "For that matter, how did I?"
"What's the last thing you remember?" Leo asked gently.
"I remember being hit near the neck and slightly a blurred face... gray fur... I think..." Zelda struggled to remember.
"He was a wolf, I believe," Leo commented. "Does that sound right?"
"Yeah," Zelda remembered shakily. "He smelled almost as bad as that stuff," she said, pointing to the cup in Leo's hands. "How can you manage to drink that stuff?"
"It's an acquired taste," he said, waving away the question. He reached back and pulled a feather off of his back, the vibrant white discolored by something that looked a lot like blood. "Does this smell right?" he asked, offering the feather.
Nancy viewed this conversation with muted awe. Inside, she smiled. There was no doubting some chemistry between these if they could carry out a conversation like this in relative calm. She didn't doubt Leo's story, not when Zelda took a mild sniff at the feather and growled.
"I'll kill that guy..." she muttered sleepily.
"Not until you've gotten some rest," Leo whispered softly, placing his hand on her forehead. In a minute she was fast asleep.
Nancy lowered her voice so as not to disturb Zelda. "Okay, so I believe you... Want to tell me what happened?"
"Simply put, I ran off. Zelda opened up a means of escape and I took it. I went out the window and jumped roof to roof towards this address," he held up a folded piece of paper. "Anyway, it's no easy task, so I stopped to catch my breath. While I was stopped I heard the sound of a fight from the alley on my side of the building. I didn't stop to think, I just jumped off and knocked the guy that was attacking her three weeks from next Friday."
"Where is he now?"
"Not sure, I didn't stop to check. I just focused on getting Zelda away. I don't think he'll pose a threat for a long time... he was in bad shape after I landed on him..."
Looking closer, Nancy could see spots of blood staining Leo's wings in various places. She decided she didn't want to know anymore.
"So what happens now? Are you going to try to contact your troupe?"
Leo grimaced. "I really, I'm not sure. Personally, I'd like to see Arthur sweat a little before I showed up again, but..." he shrugged. "I don't really have anywhere to go, so I guess I'll call up a ride."
Nancy gave a long pause, debating with herself before she said anything. "The way I see it..." she started nervously, "If you'd like to stay here for the night, I don't think it would be a problem... I don't think Zelda would mind, and we owe you at least that."
Leo blinked. "You actually mean that?" he asked in slight shock.
"Sure. Why wouldn't I?"
Leo put down the cup and smiled. "Thanks. Not many people actually treat me this well. I'm just not exactly used to it all."
Nancy smiled warmly. "Welcome to the world. We're not all bad, but you really have to dig to find good people sometimes."
She looked at Zelda. "I'd offer you the couch, but..." she trailed off.
"It should be safe to move her. Where's her room?"
Nancy pointed, but gave Leo a questioning look. "Are you saying you're alright with moving her by yourself?"
"Hey, being in the circus may not have many perks, but you get a lot of exercise." He bent down and gently picked up Zelda and cradled her in his arms. She mumbled something, but snuggled closer to him and twined her tail around his leg. Nancy stifled a giggle as embarrassment took a firm hold on Leo's face.
"Come on, Romeo" she said giggling again. "Just put her in the bed in that room."
Leo tried to smile, but couldn't quite do so without blushing a deep red across his entire face. With Nancy laughing behind him, he carried Zelda into her room. Putting her down was a trifle difficult; during the trip, she had gained a strong grip on him. He slowly and carefully detached her from his shirt and, being very careful, removed her tail from his leg. Glancing over his shoulder to make sure Nancy wasn't looking he gently placed a kiss on Zelda's forehead, then turned and left the room.
"What the hell do you mean he's gone?" Arthur shouted at the top of his lungs.
Scarlet didn't flinch, though Jessie was noticeably rattled. "I mean just as I said," Scarlet said coldly. "I recruited Jessie to take me to see Leo, and when we arrived, his bed was empty, and his things were gone."
"So tell me something with value," Arthur demanded in a growl.
"No one saw him leave. No one knows where he went. He could be anywhere."
"Well he has to be somewhere in the city. You're supposed to be the one who handles this kind of thing Scarlet, find him."
"For one thing, he might not be in the city, and is more likely out in the countryside somewhere. You know his past just a well as I do," Scarlet shot at him. "Second, I can't find him unless he wants to be found."
Arthur's response was only to growl. Scarlet narrowed her eyes and laughed without a trace of humor. "Oh, if only thoughts could be used as evidence against you in court. I'm sure you'd like to do that to me, but I wouldn't risk it if I were you. Never doubt my abilities."
Arthur screamed in rage and tossed his arms into the air. "What good are you if you can't even find one damn fur. Both of you just get out of my sight," he yelled, seething with barely suppressed rage.
Scarlet shrugged and motioned for Jessie to follow behind her. When they were out of hearing distance Scarlet broke out laughing. "You know exactly where he is, don't you?" Jessie inquired.
"Of course, child. Leo is safe and happy where he is, and setting this on him any sooner than needed would be a crime."
"So where is he?"
"That's not for me to say," scolded Scarlet. "He'll be back in a few days just as good as ever, so don't worry about it."
"I'm never going to get a direct answer out of you, am I?"
"No, that would ruin my fun."
Strange as Scarlet was, Jessie couldn't help but laugh. "You're impossible," she chuckled.
Scarlet just smiled. "He'll show up either tomorrow or the day after. Try to look surprised." Both of them laughing softly, they went their separate ways.
# # #
When Leo awoke he was momentarily disoriented by his surroundings. As he began to recognize the apartment, memories of the previous day began to return to him. He smiled at the way it had all turned out: Zelda was in safe hands and Nancy had been very courteous to him so far. Life is good, he thought while smiling.
He wandered into the kitchen and peered at the clock on the microwave. Hmm... 5:00 a.m., he thought, it's a bit early for me, but I don't think they would mind if I took a quick shower. Hoping that none of them were early risers, he slipped into the bathroom.
When Zelda awoke, she had a hard time remembering what were actual memories and what was a dream. She could remember her visit to Leo, she smiled as that passed through her mind, but everything after that was blurred.
She had a pounding headache. Glancing at her bedside clock she discovered that it was still insanely early, so she planned to get some aspirin and get back to sleep.
Stumbling out into the hallway, she heard the sound of running water. She had always known that Nancy woke up earlier than her but she shook her head at the thought of carrying out a routine like this every day. She pushed open the bathroom door and made a line straight for the medicine cabinet.
Alerted by the sound of an opening door, Leo felt his blood freeze. He was hardly modest, but he wasn't exactly sure he wanted to be caught in the shower by someone he hardly knew. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Zelda's voice call out: "Whoa... talk about your bad nights Nance."
Leo slapped his forehead. Zelda thought it was Nancy in the shower. He wanted to call out but couldn't quite find his voice.
"Anyway, I visited Leo yesterday, but when I got home I must have fallen right asleep... and dreams like you wouldn't imagine. Anyway, I have a massive headache to top it all off, so I'm just glad it's the weekend."
It wasn't hard to measure Zelda's shock when a voice that clearly did not belong to Nancy drifted out of the shower. "Umm... those dreams you had probably weren't all made up. Do you mind passing me a towel?"
Zelda simply stared at the shower a good long time before she spoke again. "Leo?" she asked incredulously.
"Yeah, Nancy invited to stay the night. Can I please get that towel?"
"Oh God, sorry," she said, blushing. Leo reached an arm around the shower curtain, and Zelda shakily placed a spare towel in the outstretched hand. Immediately, the water cut off and the towel was drawn in. When she realized she realized she was still standing there staring like a young child, Zelda blushed even deeper. "You probably want me to leave, don't you?"
"Your choice," Leo called back, "I'm decent now, but I would like a bit of privacy."
Excusing herself, she beat a hasty retreat from the room, closing the door behind her. A few moments later Leo opened the door again, wearing jeans and the towel draped over his shoulders.
"I'm a bit surprised to see you up so early," he said. "After what you went through yesterday, I thought you'd be out for a good couple of hours more still."
"What exactly did happen yesterday?"
"Here," he said, guiding her into the kitchen. "Maybe you want to sit down for this..."
# # #
"So that's it?" Zelda asked weakly as Leo finished his story.
"That's it. So as it ends, I'm here for an undetermined period of time." He thought for a moment. "Scarlet probably knows where I am, but if I know her as well as I think I do, she'll keep that information to herself."
Zelda blinked. "Who's Scarlet?"
"Scarlet's one of the reasons I've stuck with the circus as long as I have," he looked up at Zelda to see if he could understand why Zelda would ask. "She's the resident psychic."
"Sorry, I can't say I really believe in that kind of stuff."
"Suit yourself, but that really proves that you don't know Scarlet."
"Can I ask you a personal question?"
Leo's eyes narrowed a little. "Go ahead," he said cautiously.
"Why did you leave your family to go with the circus?"
Leo nearly reeled at the blow this question carried. He struggled to regain his composure. "Let's just say that the family I once had didn't have any hold on me and leave it at that for now," he said a bit darkly. "My troupe is my family now."
Zelda pondered Leo's reaction. Asking about his family didn't seem like a good idea, so she tried to steer the conversation in a different direction. "I would like to meet your troupe someday," she said, trying to bring Leo into a more talkative state of mind.
"Normally, I'd think that was a great idea, but now isn't exactly a good time for a tour. My boss is probably going ballistic over my disappearing act and I'd rather not tempt fate. Best to let him cool down before even going near him."
"I had a boss like that once; I didn't stay there too long. Did you ever think of quitting?"
"Several times. Then I realized that with the level of education I had, and my general appearance, I'd be hard pressed to find a job better than the one I had."
This surprised Zelda. Leo had seemed more educated than a lot of people she knew. "Exactly how much education do you have?"
"On the record, none." Leo eyes glazed over a tad. "Mom was ashamed of me, and wouldn't let me anywhere near society's eyes, and after I joined up with the circus, I couldn't really stop anywhere long enough to go to a normal school. Everything I know I either learned from Dad or the circus tutor."
Leo's eyes returned to their normal vibrancy when Zelda spoke again. "Your mother was ashamed of you?" she asked in outright disbelief.
"You bet. I'd really rather not go into it... the story is long and a bit painful. Besides, you probably wouldn't be interested."
Zelda doubted that, but she kept her thoughts to herself. Only when the silence began to build up did she realize how tired she actually was. "Leo, not to abandon you or anything, but I really not used to being up this early. Would you mind if I turned back in?"
"Sure, go right ahead, I understand."
"Thanks," Zelda smiled, standing up. On impulse, she leaned back down and placed a kiss on Leo's forehead. "That much I remember from yesterday," she said with a wink.
A blush crept onto Leo's face but that just made Zelda smile more. "We'll talk more later today," she called back to him as she made her way back to her room.
Leo continued to stare at the hallway several minutes after Zelda was gone from sight. More than ever he felt a strong pull of emotion that he couldn't quite sort out. Could this be love? he asked himself. He put aside the question for now and was content to read the book Scarlet had brought him. He would have to have a talk with her soon.