"Lina?" Lina awoke to Zelgadis gently shaking her shoulder. Ohhhh, if this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up. The sheets smelled of him, and teasing images danced on the edge of her consciousness, just barely hinting at what happened last night. "Lina, I'm sorry, but you have to wake up."
"Mmm." She looked up. "Good morning Zel." She sat up. Disappointedly, she remembered what happened last night. Oh well. "What's wrong?"
"We didn't kill it." He looked away. "He tried to pull magic again, but I shielded us. I figured you needed your rest, so I didn't wake you."
"Thanks Zel." He could be so thoughtful and not even realize it. She stretched. Was it just her or did his eyes bug a little? Must be her. "We'd better head back then, huh?"
He nodded. "It's less than a day's walk, but we can make it in an hour if I run."
"I can't even hope to keep up with you, Zel."
"I wasn't expecting you to."
"Zelgadis Greywyrds, if you think for a moment that you're going alone - "
"I could carry you."
Did she sense hesitation in his voice? "Hm. Won't you get tired?"
"Nah. But...if you object..."
"I never said that."
Silence.
Suddenly, Zel walked over to the door and pulled it open.
In fell Gourry, Amelia, and...Xellos? Who had been listening at the door. They looked up sheepishly.
Lina, Who was still sitting in Zel's bed, turned a very bright scarlet.
Xellos was the first to recover. "Why Zel! Lina! I had no idea your relationship was so close!" He patted Zel on the back. "And to think I thought you were gay!"
"Must...control...fist of death..."
"No! Guys, it's not like that!" Lina protested, waving her arms. "I was depressed, and asked if I could stay in here! Zel said to take the bed!"
"Oh." Xellos looked a bit depressed, then brightened. "I guess you really ARE gay, Zel-chan!"
"You...stupid little..."
"Zel, Calm down!" Lina said, trying to restrain a angry Zelgadis. "It's only wishful thinking! Let's go beat the crap outta that guy, okay?"
Zel visibly struggled for a second. "Right. Go change, Lina. And the rest of you..." He LOOMED. "GET OUT OF MY ROOM!"
The room immediately emptied.
"I'm ready!" Lina said at Zel's door, dressed in an all black tunic and leggings.
"Have you eaten?"
"Nah."
Zel looked up in surprise. "Wha - ?"
She shrugged. I figure that it'll make me about half the weight if I skip breakfast." She replied.
"Lina, you weight next to nothing already."
"Just...okay, here's my reasoning. If I get sliced open by some monster, the last thing I want to see is my weight in food pouring out of the wound, okay?"
Zel turned blue. Well, blue-ER. "Uh...true. Okay, don't eat. Nice imagery, by the way."
She grinned. "Right."
He picked her up and snuggled against his chest. She weighted practically nothing, as he had said. And it felt so nice to hold her in his arms...
He shook his head and took off. Now was not the time to be thinking like that. In fact, he was so busy not thinking about it that he didn't notice Lina shake her head in much the same way.
"Okay, mister magic leech!" Lina yelled to the empty air. "We've come for a rematch!"
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the little girl and the monster." Twang! Ohhh, that cut to the bone...
Ugly, ugly monster...
"You've returned. Did you think I would be hurt by such a blatant display of magic?"
"Not really." Lina said. Zel could tell she wasn't really as confident as she acted, but he wouldn't have if he hadn't known her for so long. "But I can still try! Darkness beyond twilight...crimson beyond blood that - HEY!!!" She cried, annoyed.
He had encased her in a magic shield, but one that repelled from the inside, not out. She couldn't move further than the 5 ft diameter bubble. "No fair!"
"I don't have to be fair. I'm the bad guy."
"Zel gave a smug smile. "Very good. But can you do anything besides magic? I'm willing to bet you don't even have a sword on you."
The figure pulled a sword from beneath the folds of his robe. "Don't be so quick to assume. And I take your challenge." It took the bait. Just like he'd figured.
Zel smiled. "You first." And waited for the figure to attack.
Suddenly a white, mask-like face stared at him from beneath the cowl. So fast! How...but Zel could be faster...
"Sleep." The face said, and Zel felt darkness close in around him.
Where am I? Zel thought into the blackness. What happened? Where am I?
"You're in my mind." A young man in a robe appeared in front of him. "You are far too trusting. Never follow the rules when you can win instead." Zel cursed. "Ah, ah, ah. Language." It floated slowly around him. "You are very talented, Zelgadis." He smiled a slow, nasty smile. "Perhaps you'd like to join me?"
Zel was aghast. "Why would you think I'd help you?"
He grinned. "You have someone in your heart, don't you?" He moved close. "Someone who makes your heart beat faster when they're near. Who could make you give your life for them." He chuckled as Zel blushed, swallows and turned away nervously. "You do. And they don't love you back, do they?" Zel clenched his fists. "I know exactly how you feel. Exactly."
"I'm not like you!!!" Zel screamed suddenly, blasting him with pure energy. The figure reappeared behind him, bleeding slightly.
"Hm. I hadn't expected that. But it's true, isn't it? She COULD love you. Once you work the first spell, it's easy to do it again. I could make her want no one other than you..." Zel swallowed this. It was tempting...so tempting. But...
"Love isn't wanting something from someone." Zel replied slowly. "Love is wanting to give something to someone, wanting to make them happy. No matter how miserable you are." He glared up at the man. "You don't truly love her. You're only fooling yourself. If you truly loved her, You'd never do something this cruel to her."
"How could you know?" The figure hissed. "How could you possibly know how I feel?" It reached for him with claws of fire.
"Because I know love!" Zel snarled back, reaching deep into his mind and finding his body, and pulling...
Zel regained consciousness with his hands tightly around the man's neck.
"H-h-how - " He managed through his tightly gripped throat.
Zel smiled evilly. "Because I'm willing to do something FOR the one I love," He reached with one hand for his sword, "and not TO them." And he ran the man through.
"I..." he coughed, "I...admit...defeat..."
And died.
"ZEL!!!" Lina tackled him.
"ZelzelzelIwassoworriedyoufellandhegrinnedandyouweresostilland
IthoughtyouweredeadIwasreadytodieifthatwastruedon'tyoudareeverleavemeifyoudo
I'llgetyouyou'llbesorryIcan'tlivewithouityouIloveyouZel!!!"
"W-what?" he asked, not catching any of that.
She shook her head. "Never mind. We have to get out of here before all that balled up energy gets loose!"
So the hero carried the heroin off into the sunset, and it didn't really matter of he got the girl or not. Because he loved her.