Here for You

Purin-chan: Idea popped in my head on the spur of the moment... This might be painful to Zelgadiss fans... No bashing, just talks about his possible life...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

       "I’m fine, really. It’s just a small insect bite of some sort..."
       "Zelgadiss-san! That is not just an insect bite. Look at it! Your arm has swollen to almost twice its normal size!" Amelia argued. "What’s worse is that none of us can cure it. Our only choice is to visit the nearest town doctor..."
       He sighed. "Amelia... I appreciate your concern, but I don’t think scaring the doctor is such a good idea..."
       She frowned. "But..."
       "Amelia does have a point though, Zel." Lina walked up to the two, leaving Gourry at the table with the leftovers. "We can’t cure it, and by the size of that bite I’d bet my dinner that it’s not normal." Her expression softened. "Zel...at least let the doctor see it..."
       "And have him scream about what a freak I am?" he snapped. Lina and Amelia both stared at him in shock, causing him to regret having said that. He moved his gaze to the ground before him. "I’m sorry, but I won’t visit the doctor. If the bite gets better or worse, it’s ok, I’ll live..."
       "Ze--"
       "Forget it, Amelia," Lina said, interrupting her. "He's made his mind up, there's no way we can change it." She stood up and turned around. "Though I really wish you would open up to us a bit more, Zel... I'll be looking forward to the day you break that wall between us." Her voice faded, and she went inside her tent, zipping it up behind her.
       Amelia looked at Zelgadiss, then at Lina's tent, then at him again. "Umm... anou... oyasumi nasai!" She bolted to her own tent.*
       Zelgadiss sighed, then glanced up to see Gourry sitting near the fire with a chicken drumstick in his hand sleeping. He sighed again. "Guess I'll take the first night watch since he fell asleep..." He shifted into a more comfortable position, resting his back against the nearest tree. His deep blue eyes watched the fire as it danced wildly on the logs...
       All of a sudden, the "insect bite" began to burn, or so that was what it felt like to Zelgadiss. He grabbed the wound with his right hand, squeezing it and bending over in pain. "Kami-sama..." his weakened voice cried out softly, then his eyes closed and he fell sideways, unconscious.

       Lina lay upon her blankets, awake and thinking to herself. "He's so stubborn..." She rolled over the other way. "Well fine! It's his problem, not mine..."
       After a while of thinking of anger, her body relaxed and she lay on her back so as to look at the tent above her. Her arm rested across her forehead, her eyes saddened and mouth slightly open. "Can't sleep..."
       She opened up her tent and stepped outside quietly. "Ne Gourry, I'll take over now..." She sweatdropped, seeing him fast asleep. "One of these days we'll be attacked and no one will know about it..." she muttered. Her ears perked up at the sound of rustling, and she whirled around instantly with her dagger out.
       "Zel?!" She put away her dagger and ran over to him. "Zel are you ok?" She put a hand on his upper arm, shaking him slightly. When he didn't reply, she sat down and whispered, "Zel, you're scaring me…"
       "Lina-san."
       She lifted her head at the all-too-familiar voice. Turning to look at him, she asked, "Xellos what are you doing here...?"
       "Sore wa himitsu desu," he said, doing his trademark secretive smile. "But it seems as though that 'insect bite' finally got to him." He kneeled down beside her and inspected the wound. "Oya?"
       "What is it?" she asked, giving him a questionable look.
       "This isn't an insect bite at all. He's been inflicted with mandragora poison."
       "Mandragora? But we haven't run into any..." She paused. "Or was it from that group of bandits...?"
       He opened an eye and smiled at her. "Could be."
       Lina cast an odd sideways glance at him. "Xellos..."
       "Yes, Lina-san?"
       She looked away. "...Nevermind. Do you know the cure?"
       "I don't have it with me, but I'm pretty sure the nearest town does." He looked down at Zelgadiss's sleeping figure. "But for the cure to work, the victim must be fully awake in order to swallow enough of it..."
       Her features dropped. "But...he won't wake up..."
       Xellos held a finger in front of her face. "Hold on, who said Zelgadiss-san won't wake up?"
       "I already tried...and he didn't move..." She looked hopeful at Xellos. "Unless you don't mean the normal methods...?"
       He nodded, encouraging her on. "He looks like he's trapped in a nightmare... Now how do you suppose we free him of it?"
       "We have to get in his dreams..." She thought for a while, then said, "Astral plane."
       "Clever as always I see." Xellos seemed unusually cheerful. "Though there is no 'we' in this. Only one person can go in a dream at a time. Unfortunately I don't think Zelgadiss-san will like seeing me there...which leaves only you."
       "I have to..." she murmured, her vision getting blurry. She shook her head violently. "What's wrong with me... Can't back down to a challenge!" She put on a victory smile. "So...how do I get to the astral plane?"
       "I'll take care of that. But Lina-san you know it requires a great deal of magical capacity and willpower to enter the astral plane..."
       "And am I missing anything?" she asked. "If not then go ahead and send me. Don't want Zel dying on us..."
       Xellos sighed. "Very well then. Keep in mind you simply have to save him from the nightmare... Don't try to get involved with the other events happening in his dream. Now, close your eyes and clear your mind..."
       Lina did as told. She felt Xellos place a finger on her forehead. "Oh and Lina-san...you only get one chance, so use it well..." She then blacked out, falling forward into Xellos's arms. "Please be careful... You could endanger both yourself and Zelgadiss-san..."

       Lina slowly became aware of her surroundings. "Where...am I?" She looked around. "A graveyard?"
       "Mommy...daddy...why..."
       She turned around. A small boy was crouched down before two graves, crying. He stared down at his muddy hands and pants, tears falling down on the dirt beneath him. His hair was a bluish shade...and his skin was pink...
       She took a weak step forward, slightly in shock from the scene before her. "Oh Ceiphied...Zel..." Lina slowly made her way to him, collapsing to her knees behind him. She placed her hands on his shoulders...
       And it started to rain.

       Xellos sat beside Zelgadiss's body, Lina's soulless body in his arms. He brushed her hair from her face, then held her in a protective embrace.
       "Lina-san..."

       "Zel...no, Zelgadiss...can you see me?" she asked.
       Instead of replying, he spun around and hugged her, crying in her lap. "I'm alone now aren't I... Mommy and daddy are gone so I'm alone now..."
       "No you're not..." She stroked his head softly, her own tears beckoning to fall. "No you're not..."
       His sobbing quieted, and she smiled. Her tears fell silently from her face along with the raindrops falling from the sky. She continued to comfort him, feeling his breathing slow down as he fell asleep.
       "Zel..." she whispered.
       Her emotions took control of her. She lifted his sleeping head and kissed him lightly on his rosy cheek. Tears rolled down from her closed eyes; her lips trembling for she refused to break. Her surroundings turned to black, and she found herself embracing herself for the child had disappeared from her arms.

       Xellos paused, his face merely inches from Lina's. He opened his eyes in agony. "I can't...take advantage of you like this..." Instead, he kissed her forehead, lips lingering there longer than he had intended...*

       "I guess it's time to go back..." Lina thought to herself. She stood up, still immersed in sorrow. Just as she was about to close her eyes, an image revealed itself before her. She gaped in shock, for the image showed her the time when Rezo had turned Zelgadiss into a chimera...
       Her hand reached out to touch the image, but she withdrew. "I can't interfere..."
       She continued to watch, seeing how Zelgadiss craved more power. She learned that his true intent was to acquire more power in order to prevent others from dying...
       And in order to get revenge on his parents' murderers...
       Lina's heart wrenched. She shut her eyes tight. "I won't interfere with his memory. It'll endanger his life..."
       The sound of bells rang in her ears.
       She opened her eyes. Her gaze grew as she realized who it was. "Rezo..."
       Her feet moved her forward, and her hands pressed against the image. "Don't...please stop..." Zelgadiss's emotions flooded through her fingertips. Confusion... fear...
       And worst of all she felt his deluded trust towards this relative...
       She witnessed their conversation. Zelgadiss's voice was full of weakening trust and respect. Rezo's was full of evil... In fact, it was a voice she recognized...
       It was the voice of the dark lord, Shabranigdo... The voice that said, "Do you want to be stronger?" The voice that had deceived Zelgadiss...
       Rezo began the curse. Lina felt the enormous pain of betrayal and fear from Zelgadiss. "No...stop it..." She leaned forward. "Stop it!"
       She had pressed through the image, but she did not end up in the same place. She was in a room, a dark room with ill lighting. There was a figure in the corner, slouched down, not making a sound. After a moment, she walked over to him.
       "Zel...gadiss?" She knelt down before him.
       "Ceiphied..." Lina stared dumbfounded at him. "What did you do to yourself...?" She ripped a part of her cape off and wiped the blood off his face with it.
       Suddenly, she heard the door open and jumped back.
       "Zelgadiss..." It was that voice again. "Hmm what have we here..." The red priest bent over to view Zelgadiss's face. He lifted the chimera's bloodied hands. "You've been bad again haven't you... How many times are you going to try to kill yourself?" He casted a quick recovery spell on him, then tied one of his hands to the bed. "Now don't do it again or worse things may fall upon you..." And with that he left the room.
       Lina was stunned. "He didn't see me..." she thought, "Perhaps only Zel can see me..."
       With that thought, she walked over to the bed. "Zelgadiss?"
       He opened his eyes. She shivered. "Since when were your eyes so cold to me...?" she wondered to herself.
       "What do you want? Are you another servant of my great grandfather's? Please get out." His voice was icy, emotionless.
       "N-no...I just want to talk to you Zelgadiss..." she said.
       He raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh? What about?"
       "I..." Her voice failed her. Hot tears pricked the back of her eyes.
       "Well? If you won't speak then please leave."
       "Gods Zel..." She embraced him, crying into his shoulder. "I never knew..."
       "Miss..." He roughly shoved her away. "Please leave. You remind me too much of my pain."
       "Your...pain?" she murmured, sitting back up.
       "Yes...you remind me of what it was once like to cry for someone I cared for..." He glared at her. "Now leave."
       "But..."
       "Leave!"
       Everything around her faded, and she found her consciousness slip away once again...

       Xellos felt Lina stir slightly. He looked over at Zelgadiss...
       No movement...
       "Un..." Lina groaned, her head resting on Xellos's shoulder. Her eyes slowly blinked open. "What happened...?"
       "Lina-san?"
       She looked up. "Xellos...?" After blinking a few times, she sat up. "Wait, how's Zel?" She turned and saw him lying on the ground...
       Unmoving.
       "It didn't work...?" Her voice had fallen to a whisper. She reached over, her fingertips brushing his cheek tenderly...
       Xellos sighed inwardly. "She...loves Zelgadiss-san..."
       "Zel..." She took his hand in hers. "Please wake up..." Tears were once again in her eyes, threatening to spill at any given moment. She rested her head on his chest. "Would you breathe once more for us..."
       Xellos, watching the touching scene unravel, decided to slip away while no one was watching. His eyes were open, sincere, yet full of sorrow. "Till we meet again...Lina-san."
       Lina was crying, her tears moistening Zelgadiss's cloak. Suddenly, she felt his chest rise. "Zel?" She lifted her head, holding his hand tightly. "Are you..."
       "Alive? For the most part, yes." He smiled, opened his eyes, and sat up. Taking her hands in his, he whispered, "Thank you, Lina. Thank you for showing me that I wasn't alone in this world..."
       "Zelgadiss-san...Lina-san..."
       Both heads turned in the direction of the voice. "Amelia?!"
       "How could you two...without telling Gourry-san or me..." Her eyes were large and shining with tears.
       "Ah...Amelia I can explain..."

       "There. Now after a good long rest the poison should be completely removed." The doctor screwed the top of the bottle back into place, and stood up. "You'll need plenty of liquids, but send someone to get it for you because moving around while the antidote is going through your blood might cancel the effects."
       Zelgadiss nodded. "Thanks."
       "You sure have great friends you know... If it hadn't been for them I might've run from you in fear. I heard you were cursed by your...great-grandfather was it?" He placed the antidote back on the shelf.
       "Aa...I try not to remember..." Zelgadiss turned his head to the window from his place on the bed.
       "Must have been awful... Well I hope you get better soon or your friends may panic. Goodbye." The doctor waved and left the room. Seconds later, Lina came running in.
       "Lina?" She suddenly embraced him.
       "Next time, you're listening to us and going to the doctor RIGHT AWAY." She let him go in order to glare at him, causing him to sweatdrop. "But everything ended up ok this time...so I'll just be thankful for that." She gave him a genuine smile.
       And slowly, he smiled back.

       "Well I suppose there's really no reason to stay in order to say goodbye..." Xellos turned away from the window. "I should just be thankful she didn't kill me for holding her while she was on the astral plane..."
       *WHOMP*
       "You think I'd let you go that easily Xellos?"
       "Ah...Lina-san! Fancy seeing you here..." He sweatdropped, seeing flames shoot up behind Lina through the window. "I think I'll be taking my leave now..."
       "Wait."
       He stopped, then turned to face her again. To his surprise, she didn't seem angry anymore. In fact...
       "What is it Lina-san?" he asked.
       She motioned with her finger - Get in here.
       Xellos obeyed, phasing in beside her. "Hai?"
       His eyes opened, and he realized she was hugging him. "Lina-san...?"
       "I won't express all of my thanks on your behalf. You might collapse," she said, grinning at him. "But thanks Xellos."
       He blinked, then retook his usual smiling face. "No need for thanks Lina-san." He leaned forward in order to whisper in her ear. "Though if you want to give me a deep kiss I'll be happy to take it..."



       "DRAGON SLAVE!"

Owari ^_^

* They had 3 tents since no one wanted to double-up with Lina. 3 People would be sleeping, the 4th would keep watch.

* Isn't Xellos sweet... Now who would imagine him not taking advantage of her? Perhaps it's love's course...