Lina and Zelgadis snuck quietly up the stairs, and paused just outside of Rezo's collection. Tannec and Wyna were still at each other's throats, trying to figure out what happened to Rezo's diary...without success...
They crept into the back of the room, and watched with amusement as Tannec and Wyna shouted at each other, not noticing the new arrivals.
Finally, Lina announced their presence with a loud, ear-piercing shout. "HELLO!" Zelgadis managed to cover his ears in time to avoid going deaf for several minutes. Tannec and Wyna weren't so lucky, though, and clutched their heads in pain as the noise resounded in their ears.
"Ooooo..." moaned Wyna. She blinked and looked up at the disturbance. Her mouth dropped open in surprise. "L-Lina!"
This caught Tannec's attention, and he dropped his ears from his hands in a hasty bid to look more dignified. "Lina, what are you doing up here?" he asked, obviously embarrassed; his cheeks were bright red and his eyes bugged out.
She snorted, and flipped her hair mock-arrogantly behind her. "We came here to see the library, as we've already told you. Is it so surprising we're here?"
Wyna blushed as well, and shook her head hastily. "No, no! We just didn't expect to see you up here...so soon..."
"It's been almost three hours. How long did you think it'd take us?" she asked slyly, knowing the answer perfectly well but enjoying their discomfort. After all, they'd been trying to hide an important book that provided a valuable clue to Zelgadis's cure. She added after a moment, "And why are you looking for Rezo's diary?" Tannec gulped nervously, and Wyna twiddled with her thumbs while studying the floor intently. Lina let the silence stretch on for what must have seemed like forever to them before saying mockingly, "We have free access to the library. You wouldn't be trying to hide it from us, now would you?" A spark in her eyes warned them not to answer in the affirmative without serious protection.
Zelgadis restrained an amused smile as she sent his brother and sister on a guilt trip. He doubted they'd been so uncomfortable in years, and in this case, they deserved it.
Tannec ventured a small, barely audible comment. "We were afraid you'd discover secrets about our kingdom only our family should know."
"And why should Rezo know these secrets, or write them down in a diary?" she asked tiredly. She thought she already knew the answer, and just wanted it confirmed.
Wyna blinked, and said, clearly taken aback, "Didn't you know that Rezo was one of our previous kings?"
Ah, she'd suspected as much... "I'd never been told so," Lina admitted.
Tannec shook off his embarrassment, and stepped up to Lina with a charming grin. "I could tell you many other things you don't know," he offered, and winked suggestively.
"I doubt it," she said with a disbelieving snort, completely unaffected by his fake display of charm. "Anyway, I'm just here to find Zel's cure...and maybe a treasure or two..." Her eyes twinkled with greed.
Wyna pulled on Tannec's arm, who was trying to restrain his disbelief and anger, and said with a smile, "Well then, we'll just be on our way. Come on, Tannec."
As Tannec sputtered in protest, Wyna pulled her brother down the stairs, still smiling cheerfully.
"...Scary..." Lina ventured once she was sure Zelgadis's brother and sister had left the library.
"Let's look for the book Rezo mentioned," Zelgadis said calmly, as if what he'd just witnessed was an everyday occurance.
"Fine, fine," she sighed, and shook her head.
Without another word, the two started looking through the bookshelves for "Classic Chimeras." The process was slow, meticulous, and tedious, as they found out. Lina was beginning to think of her discovery of Rezo's diary as a divine miracle; nothing less than that would have allowed her to find it so quickly.
There was one very good reason for this. She hadn't noticed it before, but there was absolutely no arrangement to the books. Or, if there was, she couldn't fathom it. A book about angels was right next to a book about mazoku; a book detailing the life of someone named Xellos Metallium was crammed up against a book describing how to make deadly cuisine. She scratched her head in puzzlement and moved on.
How was she to find anything in this mess? It wasn't possible! No wonder Tannec and Wyna were still looking for Rezo's dairy when we arrived again. She stifled a groan, and continued to scan the books. But...the process could have been much worse. At least we know what book we're looking for. If we didn't, we'd be in here weeks looking through these things.
As she scanned the books, her mind wandered aimlessly. I wonder how Zel feels, being home...yet not... I can't really call this a homecoming, because no one's realized who he is. Does he even consider this is home anymore? After being rejected by them, and previous to that, stifled by their stupid tradition, I doubt this would be home for me.
What does he think, though? And will he return to being the heir prince after this? I don't think he'd be happy ruling a kingdom like this. He hates being the center of attention, and as king, he wouldn't be able to get out of the public's light. I wonder if that's occurred to him... It's true he'd make a good leader, but he'd never be happy as that ruler. Will he want to claim his rightful throne?
In the back of her mind, a little unknown voice whispered, I hope not...
Meanwhile, Zelgadis was also letting his mind wander as he scanned for the book he wanted. Lina will want to read Rezo's diary sometime, but...I...I still haven't told her something, and I know that book will reveal it. I'm surprised she hasn't figured it out yet, what with the hint that Trecix gave her...
It's too soon to tell her. If she found out now, Lina would kill me...to say the least... I'd be lucky to escape with one Dragon Slave. But there's not much I can do, is there?
The two continued to hunt, wrapped up in their somewhat unhappy thoughts. They went from bookshelf to bookshelf, from title the title. Finally, roughly an hour later, Zelgadis's gaze fell on the object of their search...
"Lina..." he called, the excitement he felt running clearly through his voice.
"Did you find it?" she asked, just as excited as she hurried over to his side.
"Yeah..." he whispered reverently, caressing the top of the book with gentle fingers.
"Then let's get out of here before someone conveniently interrupts us again!" she said, grinning gleefully as she tugged on his arm and pulled him all the way back into her bedroom. As soon as the door was shut and locked, she turned to Zelgadis. "Well, let's begin reading!"
It was evening when they closed "Classic Chimeras." They had discovered much more than they thought they would, and it left Zelgadis with an unforeseen dilemma.
"I can't believe it," Lina said softly, leaning back on her bed.
Zelgadis was stiff and about as pliant as granite next to her. "...Yes..." he said woodenly.
"I doubt Rezo chose that particular transformation without knowing about this. It would be just his style to leave with this type of choice," Lina continued.
"...Yes..."
"So, what are you going to do now?" she inquired.
"...Yes..."
He's not listening to me. Lina raised an eyebrow, and said deliberately, "Tannec's proposed to me and we're going to elope."
"...Yes..." A pause. Lina waited for any of her words to sink in. "...Yes... wait a minute... WHAT?!" He spun and stared at her with wide, shocked...hurt?...eyes.
Lina quickly laughed to show she'd been joking and clucked her tongue admonishingly at him. "Tut-tut, Zel. That's the second time I've had to do that to regain your attention."
He gave a deep sigh of relief and went back to brooding. "Sorry. I just... With this new choice... Even though I have the cure...I have absolutely no idea what to do."
Lina nodded in understanding. "It's unexpected, that's for sure." She shrugged and threw her hands up in to the air. "Who would have thought there were two different ways to reverse the process!"
"One way completely reverses my chimera body back to it's human body...and the other..."
"...The other only does a partial reversal, giving you the ability to transform between your human self and chimera self at will," Lina finished for him. "So, now what?"
"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.
She sighed in exasperation. The news really seemed to have dulled his intelligence. "I mean, now what? How are you going to decide which one to use?"
Zelgadis shook his head dully, and muttered, "I've always thought I wanted a fully cure, but now that I have this option in front of me, I've been looking at both my human body and my chimera body in different lights. Practically nothing can seriously hurt me when I'm a chimera, and the abilities to see and hear are increased, along with my strength. But...at the same time...I'm much more powerful, magically speaking, as a human, and it would be a lot easier to walk into a situation knowing I look...normal..."
Lina nodded, and said decisively, "So use the second process, and keep the ability to become a chimera."
"...That would seem to be the only option for me, wouldn't it?" he said with a fleeting, bleak smirk. He nodded back at her. "Okay. I'll use the second process." He flopped lightly back onto her bed. "Gods, I never thoughts I'd keep my chimera body."
Lina grinned at him, but a thought occurred to her. It was one she'd been pondering before... "Zel, what happens after you reverse the process?"
"Eh?" he asked intelligently.
She blushed, and murmured, "I mean...will you...go back to...being the heir prince?" She studied the covers of her bedspread as if they were immensely fascinating.
Zelgadis studied her just as intensely, face expressionless. Carefully, he said...