Day 2: It'll take more than a Month!
Sorry if there are some spelling/grammatical errors in this. I AM NOT AN ENGLISH MAJOR!!!!
Sorry if you don't like the length of the fics, but I don't like spilling things up that go with the same time frame in the plotline. Even if it is long I'm not splitting the it up if it stays within the same day/time frame.
* Italics mean a person's thoughts
Findel walked through his domain, stretching and yawning with the morning dawn. Today is a big day, its the beginning of the building of his shrine to his friends of the Slayers gang. Findel walked softly through the make shift camp that the group slept in making sure not to disturb them. He finds a nice stump and sits down waiting for his friends to awake.
Zelgadis cracks an eye, his sharp hearing catching the sound of Findel sitting down, and then fully awakens. He stands up, yawns, and stretches the best he can before glaring at Findel again. "What do you want now Findel-san," he asks grumpily.
Findel smirks as Zel gives him a moody welcome. Zel isn't one for mornings, and replies, "Ohh, just waiting for you and your companions to wake up."
Zel frowns at Findel's cheeriness and leans against a tree arms closed in typical Zel style. "That whole food thing yesterday was quite a dirty trick you know."
"I do what I can," Findel chuckled out, then regaining his composure he adds, "Now if I had just sat there you all would have just gone back home. Where's the fun in that."
"...." Zelgadis remains impassive to the comment, and turns his attention to a yawn coming from the front of the group. Signaling that Lina Inverse was starting to awaken as well. The fiery hair sorceress followed the same routine as Zel. After the sleep wore off she then noticed Findel sitting on a stump playing with his scepter while smirking towards Zelgadis.
"OHH... No," Lina whined, now realizing that the events of yesterday weren't some crazy dream and she was stuck in Findel's realm.
After her outburst Lina looked around the area and noticed that some things have changed. For one thing they are in a forest/field area, no longer the white desolate plain they were on yesterday. Two there was a nice sized mansion on the horizon. The last thing she noticed was *bbrrr!!!!* she was very hungry (Its Lina, when is she not ready to wolf down twenty plates of food).
The loud eruption of Lina's stomach worked as an alarm clock with the rest of the group waking from their sleep. Findel rose from his perch on the stump to wish his friends, "Good Morning."
Everyone woke up in rather well spirits, except for one golden dragon priestess. Filia awoke with Xellos' smiling face in front of hers. The Trickster Priest then pecked Filia on the cheek, which in turn caused the priestess to glow seven different shades of red, and two shades of crimson. Xellos chuckled at Filia's predicament and said, "Good Morning, Filia-chan how was your sleep? Peaceful I hope, but not as exciting as waking up, ne?"
Filia jumped up into the air, grabbed her mace and was intent on knocking the Mazuko down six feet into the ground. Xellos phased out before she hit, phased back in and said, "Now, now Filia-chan you should calm down. Your setting such a bad example for young Val, wherever he is."
Filia was about the clobber the fool when what he said rang true. Turning from rage to true terror she began to search for her son Val, but had no luck locating the toddler. Almost to the point of breaking down into tears Filia ran and grabbed Findel by the collar scearming. "Val..., where's my son Val. How could you just leave him back there without his mother!!!"
Findel trying to breathe through the woman's death grip on this neck, began to chant and opened another dimensional gate. After a few seconds Filia dropped Findel with a shriek of joy and terror as she saw her son come through the gate. At hearing his mother's voice the toddler turned his attention to the running woman, threw out his arms and said, "Maa Ma."
Filia collapsed, embracing her son tightly yet gently enough not to hurt the small child as he giggled in his mothers arms.
After that bit was over Lina turned her attention towards their gracious host who was sprawled on the ground. Knocked there by Filia's fast movement. She helped him up asking, "Hey, Findel-san when do we eat around here, I'm starving!!"
Findel dusted himself off and started walking towards the newly found mansion, motioning for the group to follow suit. They were soon meet with a spectacular site as they approached the mansion resting on a small hill in front of their camp site. The mansion was a big two story (three if you count the room in the dome on top) made out of a white marble. The windows where a translucent blue of a light sapphire that gleamed in the morning sun. As they made their way up to the house they where meet with gigantic columns following a pattern being made out ruby then jade. The large double doors where made of a dark ash and looked like they could stand to a great amount of force. As they made their way towards the dining hall they noticed a giant mural on the left side of the common room. It was precisely made with skill and craftsmanship unseen in their realm as it depicted a battle between two sides. The first side they recognized right from the start, it was Findel and his traveling companions. From right to left it went Findel the high elf, Kagero the human, Limlight the naga, and Etrext the setext fighting against two men dressed fully in black, up to their black face masks, swords drawn and ready to attack.
After a small tour of the house, which was made up of Findel pointing in different direction to show where certain areas of interest where. They were all in the dinning hall waiting for breakfast to be served. As Lina waited she pondered over the mural, she knew all of Findel's main traveling companions, but who where those two men in black. After awhile of thinking Lina turned to Findel and asked, "Hey, Findel-san who where those two men in black on that mural. I recognized your friends, but I have never seen those two before?"
Findel looked up at Lina, who had just brought him back to reality, and replied very dryly. "Don't worry, if you ever meet up with them then your probably already dead, and in the afterlife ."
Lina become sorta nervous after this comment, even after they had to run from Chelm (TM*), Findel wasn't this depressed. What kind of people where those two to get that kind of reaction from Findel. Lina's train of thought was broken, however, when the food was placed on the table, and with that the Slayers gang dug in (Well, at least Lina, Gourry, and Amelia did).
After Findel finished his meal he watched his friends eat for a little bit, then got up and tap his fork on his glass to cause all attention to be drawn to him. When he got everyone's attention he smirked and announced, "Well, I must be off, I have a web shrine to get started on."
Before Findel could get out the door Lina stopped him and asked, "Why are you building a shrine for us, are we that popular a group in certain areas??"
"Oh yes, Lina-san you and your friends have quite a following in the world the shrine is in. Look and see for yourselves." Findel then snapped his fingers causing a cart to fall to the end of the table, filled to the brim with plushies.
"OOHHH, WOW!," Amelia screamed making a beeline for the plushie cart. "Look at all the cute plushies, there's one of Miss Lina, Mister Gourry, me, WOW even on of Mister Zelgadis!!!,," Amelia adds with stars in her eyes and hearts floating around her head.
Just about everybody in the room *sweatdropped* at the display by Amelia. After the shock of Amelia's outburst the rest of the crew made their way over to the cart and picked out one of their respective dolls.
Zelgadis made his way to the cart, eyed the plushies, and asked with a blank expression on his face. "Why do we need this many plushies, if any at all." Findel shrugged at the question, and chose that time to gate out, leaving the Slayers gang in full control of his home.
"Hmm, I wonder," Zelgadis asked as he picked up a happy Xellos plushie and studied it for a moment.
Lina glanced over at Zel while sorting through plushies to see him holding a Xellos doll. Now why would he want that, she thought as Zelgadis produced a long needle and proceeded to prick the doll in the ass a few times.
Xellos was sorting through like everyone else while also annoying Filia, when he jumped six feet in the air with a yelp. After he landed he spied Zel, with a plushie of him, a long needle, and a wicked smile plastered on his face. Xellos gave Zel his sad puppy dog face and whined, "Now Zel-kun, that wasn't very nice and to a good friend like me. Why you should...... OWCH!"
With that Xellos rocketed off into the air and landed face first on the floor. Finally realizing what Zel was doing Lina began to laugh. She brought her hands up to hold her face as she laughed then it hit her, she was holding two dolls not just the one of her she intended to. Opening her eyes she saw that during her lapse of attention she had absent mindedly picked up one of the Zel dolls. She studied it for a second, noticing the fine detailed work that when into the doll's making. She then just stared at it fondly until Amelia piped in, "What do you have there Miss Lina."
Lina quickly hid the doll behind her and started backing off. "Ohh, nothing Amelia, nothing at all, say I'm going to go to the library see ya!" With that the sorceress took off in the other direction, towards the library.
Zel was having fun torturing Xellos when the mention of said library came up. He dropped the pin and doll to head towards the library, a few minutes after Lina disappeared in that direction. Zel went through the common room. All the while wondering if Findel's collection of books could help him in his quest for a cure. When he stopped at the mural again and began to inspect it. At first look it would seem to be just a normal battle. But, as Zel's trained eyes viewed the scene he realized that Findel and crew where losing this battle. He eyed the two men in black, noticing that their armor, swords, and even face plates matched to perfect detail, and wondered who were these two? Then as his eyes when lower he noticed writing under the two figures. He tried to read it but couldn't make much sense of it. He guessed the language was elven, but he wasn't sure. After about five minutes he gave up and decided to go to the library as planned.
Zel walked into the library to see Lina, face cramped into a book, at one of the few tables in the room. He walked over to one of the shelves, pulled out a book, and began to scan it for clues.
Lina had ran into the library grabbing a random book from the shelves. She then sat down and began to act like she was studying it. She was actually hiding the blush that had appeared on her face when she was almost caught fondly staring at a Zelgadis plushie. As her blush began to subside she brought the book back from her face and looked up to see a familiar ivory-clad chimera. He was currently standing with his back towards her, scanning through a book. Lina jerked the book back into place as she felt another blush coming on. Her mind was a mess with thoughts, thoughts of a lot of things, but mainly on her predicament. What's Zel doing here, did he see what I did back there, or is he just here just for the books.
Remembering her other cargo Lina pulled the Zel plushie from out of her cloak and placed it in front of her but behind the book. See eyed it for a second, and was about to put it back into her cloak, but an odd sensation come over her. Next thing she knew she was snuggling the plushie to her face. For a moment Lina tried to imagine that it was really Zel she was embracing. How his warm body would feel against hers. How his arms would strongly yet gently hold her against him, how his..... WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!!!!, her mind shouted, bringing her back to reality. After the event registered she blushed and tucked the plushie away quickly into her cloak pocket and went back to reading.
Zel had just finished scanning through one of the many books in Findel's library when he looked back towards Lina. For a second he thought he heard her giggle about something. A second later he could have sworn that she quickly tucked something back into to her cloak. Zel was curious, Lina had been acting a little strange ever since the plushie incident. He wondered what was wrong. How to ask without being too obvious, oh what am I thinking about, why should I care that Lina is acting strange. His logical yet cold side yelled but then the other side of his brain made a good point. Because, you can prepare for any onslaught of rage if you know a little of what's wrong. You can keep fireballs from coming your way if you know what to expect. With that he nodded slightly. Blindly he picked up a few books and sat down in front of Lina, acting like he didn't know she was there.
Lina looked up over the top of her book at the sound of someone sitting down. She saw Zel and a pile of books no more than two feet away from her. At first she ducked back behind he book while she thought about what to do. You could just get up and leave, no Zel would catch on that something was wrong. Ok just talk to him. With her mind made up she set the book flat and said, "Hey Zel, when did you get here?"
Zel looked up from his book. His usual mask of indifference was plastered on his face, and replied, "I've been here for about ten minutes. I thought you heard me come in?"
Lina put her hand behind her head and chuckled nervously, "No, I was concentrating so hard on reading that I didn't even notice you." She smiled thinking, Oh, he's not going to buy that lame excuse, he's too smart to fall for that.
Zel looked at her with a smug smile etched across his face , and asked. "Well, have any luck finding what your looking for?"
Silence followed for several minutes as both sides tried to plan the next move to make to either discover the problem or hide it by changing the subject. Lina broke the silence when she answered, "Well, I wasn't looking for anything in particular. Just wanted to see what Findel had in his collection of books. Let me guess your looking to see if one might hold a cure?"
Zel's eyes narrowed slightly at the response as the smile deepened on his face. She was trying to change the subject around but he knew better. Oh no, Lina Inverse your not talking your way out of this one. "So what if I am, its not like its anything unusual for me. What I want to know is why you were giggling, and what your hiding in your cloak," he asked. He then pulled himself up to lean on the table, causing him to come closer to Lina and to seem to have a bit of an advantage.
Lina was mentally kicking herself at the mention of her acts earlier on while fighting back a blush as well. Then Zel leaned towards her with a look that a predatory beast gives its prey as it backs it into a corner. Lina averted her eyes, anywhere would be good. She just couldn't bring herself to look into those cold, sapphire eyes of his that seemed to be burning holes into her very soul. Finally, her eyes came to rest on a very interesting piece of floor. As she answered his last question with the blush taking dominion over her face. "Oh, I just found some things in this book funny, and what I have in my cloak is my private matter. You have no right to know."
Zel saw frustration and anger wash over Lina's face. Not enough to cause an immediate retreat from the subject but enough to warn him. Taking this into account he leaned in closer trying to grab a hold of Lina's cloak. About the time he gasped said object in his hand he was flying over the table and into the fiery locks of the petite soceress.
Lina out of reaction of Zel grabbing her cloak, grabbed his hand and attempted to shoulder throw the chimera to the other side of the room. Well with Zel being as heavy as he is she was only able to toss him over the table. She received a hard knock to the head as she fell to the floor. After a few seconds Lina snapped back into consciousness to feel a heavy someone laying on her back. She tried to wiggle out but it was no use, he was too heavy and all he responded with was a moan. Lina was kicking herself mentally for not remembering that Zelgadis was one-third stone golem and was ten times as heavy as the normal man. Lina tried squirming again, trying to get out of this situation before anyone saw her like this. This only lead to her having Zel's head sink to her neck and his arms wrap around her. One arm wrapped around her shoulders while the other went under her arms and one hand came to rest on her left breast. Lina jumped, and squeal in surprise when the hand came to its final resting place. Well she would have jumped, had she not been pinned under Zel. After the shock her mind settled thinking, It feels kinda nice to be held against him, his body feels so warm. Soon her wits snapped back into he true sense. What are you thinking, you have to get out of this, unconscious or not he's not getting away with this, Lina thought. Her face began to display her full anger and a feral smile as she began to chant for a fireball.
Zel starting coming back to consciousness. Breathing in he smelled a rustic smell of flowers mixed with a general fresh outdoors smell[1]. He felt something soft and flowing under his face. It was so comforting, the smell and the feel, that he began to snuggle the object like a pillow. As he attempted to nuzzle in closer to the object, it seemed to move. He tightened his grip around it and pulled it back into a snuggling position. The object seem to be alive, trying to fight his attempts to get closer. He tried tightening around it again. His right hand squeezed a round appendage attached to the object. It was soft but firm, he felt a small bump protruding from it and stroked it with a finger. This bump kept his attention for a little bit while he tried to sort out what it could be. It felt like something he knew, like it was a... His eyes shot wide open as he realize what said item was to be meet with a head full of fiery red hair, and a struggling, sputtering Lina Inverse
Lina was just about to toss the fireball at Zelgadis when she felt something nuzzling her neck. Which in turn made her lose her concentration and the spell fizzled. Lina try to pull away, trying get out of his grasp just to have him tighten around her and begin again. She struggled more trying to break free, when he tightened his grip around her once more. She was about to try again when she felt his hand squeeze her breast, and a finger begin to stroke her nipple. She blushed, this was so embarrassing. And yet felt so good, she wanted to moan in pleasure at the caress of her breast, but stifled it under her rage. Oh she was going to get him for this! Then she heard a gasp signaling Zel was awake. With this new discovery she began to struggle and sputter like a mad women.
Zel in about a half seconds time released Lina and began to back off when he was tackled by said sorceress. As she pinned him to the ground, a feral smile etched across her face and fire ignited in her eyes. Zel felt his stomach turn as he knew what was coming next. "Lina, wait it wasn't what it looked like. I had no idea it was you. Please don't dragon slave me," he said in a panicked hurry.
Lina jumped and tackled Zel when she felt him move to get off of her. She was going to make him sorry he ever did that. As she pinned him to the ground he eyes lit wild with fire as a feral smile rolled across her face. As he pleaded his words caught, he really didn't know what was going on, but he still wasn't getting away scott free. She raised her hands and chanted, "FIREBALL!!"
Lina when back to her seat as Zel reveled in pain on the floor. She went back to her book enraged at the chimera for what he did. Soon she calmed down slightly and started to feel a little sorry about what she did. He was fully aware of the situation and that whole inicident was somewhat her fault, maybe she should apollogize. She look over to the spot on the floor she had been on to find Zel was gone. She looked around to spot a now burnt chimera searching through the shelves of books. She was about to say something when she notice that he was clentching one of his fist, in rage no doubt, and she decided it was best to just sit.
Zel angerly when from book to book. He could understand her being mad but she didn't even give him time to defend himself. Sometimes she can be just so, so irritating. Then his mind began to shift back to the situtation. Well, it did feel nice to be so near Lina, her skin and hair felt so soft, her..... WHAT AM I THINKING!! Zel's mind screamed as he fought away the thought and the blush that came with it. Zel picked up another book and read the title mentally, Karma Sutra. Hmm.. wonder whats in here, he thought as he scaned through a few pages. The realization of what this book was about suddenly hit him. He blushed about 50 shades of crimson, juggled the book about 20 times, caught it slammed it back on the shelf and ran for dear life out of the library.
Lina looked up from her book to see Zel take flight from the bookshelf and run as fast as his legs would carry him. Lina pondered for a minute, That was weird, is all she could think. After several mintues she gave up and looked out side. It was starting to get dark, she decided that after todays mishap she was going to need a relax bath in the hot spring outside. Putting her book back on the shelf, which went right where Zel was standing. She caught sight of a book that had been hastly replaced in position. She read the title mentally. Karma Sutra, wierd title I wonder if this is what made Zel leave so quickly. She decided to leave it be, not wanting anything else to go wrong today. With that she headed out to the hot springs.
After his mad dash out of the library Zelgadis decided to relax in the hot springs adjacent to the mansion. As he settled into the water he heard the door to the men's side open. He turned to be meet with Xellos carrying a young Val with him into the spring. "What are you doing with Val, fruitcake? Isn't Filia taking care of him?" he asked.
Xellos' attention was brought to the chimera in the spring at the asking of aforementioned question. He smiled, his trademark Xellos smile, and replied, "Well, when Filia-chan heard about the hot springs she went racing off and left Val with me."
Xellos sat down in the spring and was about to put Val on one of the benches, when the toddler jumped up and latched onto Xellos' head. Xellos tried to detach Val from his head, but stopped when he realized that would involve yanking out a lot of his hair. So Xellos just sat there, content with letting young Val nibble on his locks of amethyst hair. Xellos shifted his attention to Zelgadis. "Zel-kun, what happened in the library today with you and Lina-chan?"
Zel's muscled stiffened at the mention of today's little mishap with Lina. "None of your business," Zel hissed while trying to fight back a blush.
Xellos smirked at Zelgadis' reaction to his little question, he was on the right track. "Well, something must of happened. I mean you and her when in there, and after a while I heard an explosion."
Zelgadis glared at Xellos, the damned mazuko had probably watched the whole thing. Now he using it to torture Zel as a means of getting a meal. "Nothing happened."
Xellos smiled, he was getting such lovely emotions from Zel. Even though he didn't actually see what happened he did hear, and feel Lina fireballing someone. The only other person that was in the library was Zel, so he put two and two together. Xellos moved his face within inches of Zel's, he then opened one eye and said. "Lina doesn't just fireball people for no reason. Well, except those times when she really, really gets pissed."
"So what," Zelgadis growled.
"You did something to deserve that fireball, didn't you? You did something naughty, didn't you Zel-kun?"
Zelgadis couldn't come up with much to say in defense. That and he was kind of amused as Val began to grab Xellos by the corner of his mouth and started stretching his mouth in odd ways. Soon though the amusement was gone as Zel caught himself thinking about that whole library situation and began to blush.
Xellos looked at Zel, he was blushing, he had him right where he wanted him now. "Ohh, aren't you just so cute," as he kissed Zel on the lips.
Zel bounded up of the spring after receiving Xellos' kiss. He was enraged and now he was going to make the mazuko pay. "Elmekia Lance!!"
Xellos phased out and appeared right behind Zel. Now for the Coupe de Grace, he thought as he grabbed zel by the shoulder. Before Zel could react Xellos teleported them both out of the spring.
Lina had settled in the hot spring, hoping to forget some of today's madness. She was starting to slip into a blissful sub-reality, when she heard someone enter. She looked up to see Filia starting to climb in. "Hey Filia, how's your day been?"
Filia was sitting across from Lina when she heard the question and replied. "Its been horrible. Everywhere I go that Namigomi keeps bothering me. Next time I see him he is one dead mazuko!"
Lina sighed as she watched Filia's tail shoot out of the water as she ranted about killing Xellos. Seems the day was just as hectic for Filia as it was for her. "Well, I wonder if Gourry, Amelia, or Sylhpeel had as bad a day?"
Filia looked at Lina quizzically then asked, "So how was your day Lina? There was a loud explosion from the library. Then Zel flew out of there quicker than a bat out of hell, what was that about?"
Lina fought back the blush that came with remembering that incident. She just wanted to forget about it. "Nothing, it was nothing. I just got a little angry, and Zel knows better than to stick around for the aftermath," she said while rubbing the back of her head nervously. The next person to bring up the incident she would fry on sight.
It was about this time that a large object hit the water with a big splash. As both ladies looked around in confusion, Xellos phased in wearing a purple bathrobe with the letters XM stitched in it in old english style. Both Filia and Lina, out of instinct, shrieked and grabbed a towel to cover themselves. Right before they where both about to stomp the mazuko into the ground something quickly jumped out of the water. The figure landed across the way from them, cold sapphire eyes glaring at Xellos. The figure was so intent on doing bodily harm to him that he didn't notice he was buck naked, in front of Lina and Filia no less. Both women blushed and turned their heads, they couldn't help but see after that kind of an entrance. With their actions the figure finally looked down, noticing he was in his birthday suit he blushed, and tried to cover up as best he could.
Xellos smiled, he couldn't have planned it better. "Zeh..el-kuun, I knew you were bad, but not that nuuuagghty!" Xellos strained to speak as Val was still fascinated with pulling his lips in every which way.
That was it Lina had had enough of this. With one thought she raise her hands and shouted, "MEGA BRAND!!!"
Lina then started to head out, leaving in her wake three char-broiled friends. As she was about to step into the dressing room she turned and looked at Zelgadis. Her look became one of sympathy as she gazed at the brunt chimera. She then got dressed as her thoughts wondered. Poor guy, his been roasted twice today, and both times really weren't his fault.
Lina headed toward her room it had been a long day. She stopped in the hall when she noticed Findel was back.
Findel looked at Lina and asked happily, "How was you day?"
Lina glared at him with fire igniting again. "DON'T EVEN GO THERE!!"
Findel gulped, and then back away a bit. He had more to ask but that could wait till she had calm down a bit.
As Lina was about to go she asked, "Hey, Findel-san how long is that shrine going to take?" She prayed not long, she wouldn't be able to stand too many more days of this.
Findel frowned slightly and said, "About a month."
Lina dropped her head and walked to her room.
Once in her room Lina unpacked, and undressed. After putting on her nightgown and brushing her hair she went to get the Zel plushie from her cloak. She searched all her pockets but could find it. She began to panic, what if someone had found out, that would be so embarrassing. As she looked about the room she when noticed it was sitting, up right, on her bed seeming to be looking at her.
She smiled at the plushie as she laid down, her head laying down right beside it. She brought her arm up and snuggled the doll, when kissed it goodnight saying, "Sorry about today, Zel."
With that Lina Inverse went to sleep, finally the day had come to an end.