From the Edge: Chapter 2
Love and hate. Fear and courage. Happiness and Anger. All are basic emotions, yet all are just a step away from one another. The deepest love can turn into the darkest hate, and back again before the passing of one lifetime. Where as a warrior may seem fearless in battle, but within a day be shaking in his boots as he surveys what he has done. Extreme fits of anger, while they make themselves known, can be quelled by a simple joke, or the presence of a loved one. Human emotions attempt to stay balanced but never succeed. One always topples the other, and at least one will remain in the end.
After a bit of running, Lina and Zel finally made it back to the inn they were staying in. It was located in the middle of the small town of Mirazar, a quiet half a horse town in the middle of no where. When they entered the restaurant part of the inn they where greeted with Amelia's high pitched welcome, "Miss Lina you found Mister Zelgadis. Welcome back Mister Zelgadis, your just in time to join us for a meal."
Before Zel could say anything Lina had dragged him to the table where Gourry sat and began to order mass amounts of food. "I'll take this, this, this, this, and this, triple portions," Lina ordered as the waiter began to sweat.
Zel ordered his normal cup of coffee and sipped as he watched the ritualistic eating habits of Lina, Gourry, and Amelia go into full swing. You would think they haven't eaten in days, Zel mused as he watched them fight over the last bit of chicken. As he watched a small smirk formed as he watched Lina cling onto the drumstick for dear life. That's Lina for you, never giving in to anyone. I guess that's one thing I like about her, she always stays on the brighter side of things. That and not to mention she very attractive.........What are you thinking! Zel mind screamed at him, he never hope to even realize that dream, he was a monster Lina would never love him. Besides, her and Gourry were a couple, he couldn't compete with him. Then all of a sudden Zelgadis heard a soft whisper, in what he thought was, his ear, "You know if you got rid of the idiot swordsmen then Lina would be yours."
Zel rose from his seat quickly after hearing the voice. He placed a hand on his sword hilt as he looked about for whatever had said that. He didn't see anyone near him, something wasn't right, he hadn't sensed anyone come near. That and no one other than him would know of his obsession. His eyes traced the room as he looked for anything out of place but couldn't find anything out of the ordinary.
Lina and the rest of the Slayers gang stopped their fight for food when they saw Zel shot up from his chair and begin to look around the room. He had a hand on his sword hilt and was searching the room franticly for something that wasn't there. Lina looked at Zel with much concern, no one other than her and Zel knew anything that happened in the ruined city, and Zel hadn't said anything with what Lina had missed. Lina stood up slowly and walked towards Zel cautiously asking, "Zel what's the matter?"
Zel's glance shifted to Lina, she was trying to figure out what was going on, of course he couldn't answer when he didn't know himself. "Look Zelgadis, she is right there. What is stopping you from taking her, I know you want her. Just go ahead and take her, no one can stop you," whispered the voice again.
Lina watched as Zel backed up a bit and looked around more franticly then last time. He was searching for something he sensed but couldn't be seen. "Zel, are you ok," Lina asked worriedly about her friend.
Zel looked back to Lina and said, "I keep hearing this........," Zel couldn't even finish his sentence before everything started going black. "If you won't do anything then let's see if one of us will," said the voice as Zel passed out.
Lina ran quickly towards Zel as he began to collapse yelling, "Zel!"
Lina caught the falling chimera, but was having trouble supporting all the weight. She turned slightly and all but yelled out orders to the other two, "Gourry help me he's heavy. Amelia start a healing spell while we carry him to his room."
The gang hauled their friend up to a room they had rented with the precision of a finely tuned machine, (Amazing how people work in times of crisis). As Lina and Gourry laid Zel on the bed, Amelia continued the healing spell she had started downstairs, but it seemed to have no effect. Amelia looked up at Lina and asked, almost in tears, "Miss Lina, what is happening to Mister Zelgadis?"
Lina looked down at Zel and answered Amelia's question very timidly, "I....I'm not sure. He....he went to the ruined city to get his cure, and when I found him he had collapsed. He seemed fine, but it looks like the worst of what ever happened isn't over yet."
Amelia place a hand on and pulled it back quickly, "Miss Lina, he's burning hot."
Lina motioned for Gourry to follow her, "Amelia you stay here, while me and Gourry get some things to help," with that Lina left wondering, Zel what have you done to yourself.
Zel found himself in an odd place, a place of swirling mass, a place one might call limbo. As he looked about he saw nothing, but he heard the light thuds of something off in the distance. Zel quickly discovered that he could walk normally, and made his way towards the noise. Within a few minutes he saw two hooded figures playing chess. He walked up and politely asked, "Excuse me but could you tell me where I am."
The smaller of the two stopped in his move and said, "Right where your belong, Zelgadis."
"Do I know you," Zel asked a bit confused.
"Why yes you do. I think you would know a part of you, wouldn't you agree Melkin," the shorter one said and got a nod from the other as a reply.
"What do you mean, 'a part of me'," Zel asked still very confused at what this strange man meant, and why he sounded a lot like him.
"I mean we are you Zel," the shorter one said as it threw off its hood.
Zel stepped back as he was meet with a mirror image of himself, expect for a few things. This creature had green scaly skin, long claws and teeth, and those eyes. Zel became worried as those red eyes he knew all too well stared back at him. "Your the mazuko aren't you," Zel asked finally realizing what was going on.
"Yes, my name is Velsicar, the mazuko Rezo used to create your body."
"And, I guess you are the golem, Melkin was it," Zel asked as he pointed at the taller from.
Melkin nodded and took off his hood, revealing a granite image of Zel. "You'll have to excuse Melkin but he doesn't talk that much," Velsicar explained while producing a tarot deck out of no where.
Zel turned and watched him shuffle the deck a few times before asking, "And, what do you plan to do with those? Tell me my future."
"You never did believe in the power of the cards did you," Velsicar asked somewhat disappointed.
"Its just a bunch of rubbish, no cards can tell your future, or anything about yourself," Zel huffed at the indication Velsicar made.
"Well, let's see what they say about you now," Velsicar held the cards out in a fan, shuffled once more, and drew the top card. It was the lovers card, but it was upside down, "Ah yes, reversed lovers, having a little frustration in your love life my boy."
"......" Was Zel's intelligent retort.
"Just as I thought, you really want her that bad," Velsicar smiled deviously as a image of Lina appeared above the card, "My, she is a pretty little one isn't she?"
"What would you know mazuko," Zel said defiantly.
"Enough, I wonder what Lina would think if you were a little more aggressive," Velsicar asked rhetorically.
"Don't you dare," Zel said as he ran towards his mazuko half.
"Too late," Velsicar cackled as he pulled the next card, the devil. As the card came into Zel's vision chains shot out from an area, holding Zel in his place.
"Now if you'll excuse me, its my turn in the driver's seat Zelly-boy," with that Velsicar pulled the death card and vanished, leaving Zel to struggle and Melkin to watch.
Zel, or should we say Velsicar, came to in a bed. He looked to his side to see a young girl casting a healing spell on him, Ah yes, that would be Amelia, oh what a meal I will have tonight. "Amelia....," Velsicar lowly asked to get the girl's attention.
"Mister Zelgadis, your awake, do you hurt anywhere," Amelia asked overjoyed that Zel was okay.
"No Amelia, I don't, but you will be," Velsicar yelled as dark energy held the girl to the wall.
Amelia tried with all here might to fight off the energy, but it was no use. She was about to ask why went she saw a knife leveling at her face, and she screamed out of instinct.
Lina and Gourry walked into the inn, carrying lots of medical supplies, and lots of ice. "Come on Gourry, we need to get this to Zel quickly," Lina hurried him along.
"I know Lina, but.....but....but its cold...cold....cold," Gourry stuttered as he shivered from carrying a large block of ice.
Lina about to kick the idiot to make him go faster when she heard a scream coming from the room Zel was in, "Come on Gourry, Zel and Amelia might be in trouble," she shouted as she took off.
Lina ran up the stairs and shoulder checked the doors to be greeted by Amelia's limp body hanging on a wall. Amelia's face and body where covered in small lacerations, not serious but enough to cause pain, as she studied this she saw the knife. It floated in mid air for a second or two before returning to the hand of the figure hidden in the shadows," Hello Lina, so glad you could join us," Velsicar said as he stepped out of the shadows, knife in hand.
"Zel, what have you done to Amelia!!! What is wrong with you," Lina screamed in shock at what was going on.
"Oh, nothing much, just showing her that I don't care for her," Velsicar replied coldly.
Lina looked at what she thought was Zel in pure shock of what he had just said, What did that mask do to him, she asked before she noticed how close Zel was to her. She tried to back out the door when it shut violently. She tried the knob but the door wouldn't open, she turned to Zel to see him coming closer. She ran under Zel's arms as he reached for her and made her way to the other side of the room. She began to perform a sleeping spell, but was interrupted when Zel placed his hand over her mouth. She forced his hand off and said trying to hide her fear, "Zel keep away or I'll fireball you!"
Velsicar brought a hand up to Lina's chin and made her look up at him and said, "Don't worry Lina, I won't hurt you. Unlike Amelia, I care for you, my dear."
Lina looked at him almost in tears that Zel could be this heartless. She started to struggle, and knocked Zel's hood off his head to reveal what was really going on. "Your not Zel, you his mazuko part, but how no one knew that spell other than Rezo," Lina sputtered as she saw his red eyes.
"Your wrong, ever since Rezo cast the spell I could do this whenever I choose," Velsicar said, covering up the real reason he was free.
"Give us back Zel you crazy mazuko," Lina shouted at the top of her lungs.
Just as Lina did Gourry burst into the room to survey that was going on, "I don't know what's going on Zel, but I would back away from her," Gourry threatened while drawing his sword.
"Whatever," Velsicar said as tarot cards appeared in his hand. He fanned them out then flicked one into the air chanting, "Reversed Strength."
With that Gourry collapsed to his knees unable to move, "What...what did you do to me?"
"I sapped you strength my dear moron," Velsicar replied as he turned to Lina again, "And, now my dear to give you what I know you want," with that Velsicar captured Lina's lips in a crushing kiss.
Lina tried to struggle, tried to resist, but the mazuko pressed on. She tried to bite its tongue, and succeeded, only to find it liked pain like every other mazuko. When she tried again his tongue slipped into her moth and it was all Lina could do to keep from collapsing. She had wanted to have a chance to kiss Zel, but not like this, not while his body was controlled by a mazuko. She couldn't help but be weak in the knees, she couldn't quell the excited feelings flowing through her body. Every time she opened her eyes she saw the man she loved kissing her, but then was reminded it wasn't him.
Velsicar probed Lina's mouth as he extended the kiss. He loved the hurt, pain, and fear the petite girl felt as he kept going. Then he was caught a little off guard when a strong sense of excitement coming from her, Hmm, so you do like him, well far be it for me to refuse you what you want. Velsicar slipped his hand down Lina's side, down to her knee, where he pulled up forcing her knee up his side. As he did this his other hand came down to Lina's cape clasp, and undid it, letting the cape slide down her back.
Lina's began to struggle even more now that she realized this thing intended on raping her right there. She tried her hardest to kick, hit, bite, anything that would make him stop. Nothing worked as he began to somewhat grind his pelvic region into her's, causing her to have some pleasure that she fought back with all her might.
Back in limbo Zel was struggling with all his might to break the chains that held him, but nothing worked. What was worse was he had to watch what Velsicar was doing, he would kill him if he every saw him again. He struggled harder until he heard a snap, signaling the chain had broken. He turned to see Melkin had broken them with his bare hands. Zel looked at him confused and asked, "Why, aren't you with him?"
Melkin shook his head and grabbed the death card that was still floating there. He turned in upside down, and pressed it to Zel. A white light enveloped him and he dissappeared.
Velsicar released Lina's lips to speak, "Do you like it my dear. I have more planned for........NNNOOO," he shouted as the light enveloped him and he felt his control being taken.
"Yes, and stay away from Lina you fiend," came another voice from nowhere.
Lina looked about as the mazuko controlled Zel backed away with light all around. "Zel, you there," Lina asked after hearing the voice.
"Damn you Zelgadis," Velsicar cursed as his control left the body.
The light died down to a small flicker to reveal Zel's body suspended on its on. Lina looked and asked somewhat timidly, "Zel?"
"Yes Lina, don't worry I have banished him, you will be safe," after finishing his sentence Zelgadis collapsed again.
Gourry, able to move every since Velsicar was banished, caught Zel's limp body and placed it back on the bed. He helped Lina get Amelia into her room and healed her. He then set a chair in Amelia's room a took up guard there.
Lina took watch in Zel's room. She couldn't pry herself for him. She knew she should be worried by the fact that the mazuko could strike again at anytime, but she just didn't think about it. She just wanted to be with Zel. Half way through the night she became sleepy and laid her head on Zel's chest saying, "Night Zel," as she drifted off.
Author's notes: The brief saying above is just me trying to be somewhat of a philosopher, but the small excerpts from my mind will have something in general to do with the fic. Mainly I'm asking you to just bare with me and this philosophic period with come to a close soon. (On the other hand if you like my philosophy ranting then expect to see one a the top of each chapter.)
Disclaimer: Any characters or ideas from The Slayers do not belong to me. I am not selling this material, just writing for the heck of it as I go.
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