Yesterday is history, tomorow is a mystery; today is a gift, that's why it's called the present.
Lina stared glumly at the calendar. It's little proverb did little to raise her spirits. Insted, it caused them to plummet a little further.
"Present" she thought, "yeah, I could use a couple of those". It was late in the month and cold north winds brought down ice and snow to the small town they were presently staying in. They being Zel, Gourry, Amelia, Xellos, Martina, and herself.
On the calendar Lina had marked off the days and it was now the 20th. In only 4 days time it would be the joyous Zefilian holiday, Yuletide. Every year Lina and her family, along with all Zefilians, would celebrate Yuletide with festivites, feasts, and of course, presents. She had already sent off gifts to her home, for her family, and had steeled herself to the disapointment of missing out on all the fun going on back home. But deep down she still felt she should celebrate, even just a little. So she was taking advantage of their little group's prolonged pit-stop to do some yuletide shoppin. She faced only 1 problem; what to get everybody.
Lina began to chew on her hair as she thought. "Hmph, and I used to think shopping for sis was tough. what do you get for the chimera who wants nothing, a princess who has everything, a freak who wants you dead, a deamon who.. well.. 'it's a secret', and a yogurt-for-brains swordsman who probably wouldn't get it."
Lina puzzled over the possibilities but she came up empty.
"I only have 4 more days!" she whined.
Lina decided to take a walk around town hoping something would inspire her. She walked through busy streets, smiling at kids building snow forts and throwing snowballs. Soon she turned back to thinking about her companinons, and what she knew about them.
Zelgadis came first. He was looking for a cure. Lina knew of no spell that could help him, but she also knew he really didn't need one. "He's so damn gorgeous! Why can't he see that." she thought. "Hmm, maybe that's part of his charm"
Amelia came next. The justice-loving princess who could afford practically anything. Lina figured on getting her something useful, but drew a blank as to what precisly.
She walked on, lost in thought, until, looking up with a start, she found herslef in an old ruin, that could have once been a temple or church of some kind. She was reminded of the time when she had first met up with Gourry and had used a place like this to take inventory.
"That's it!" she jumped, excited. "I'll make her a gem of protection and fix it to a staff or something! A white mage like her would like that. And if I gave it a sappy name like.. 'The Justice Stone', she'll love it."
Lina pulled off her cape and searched for the right materials. After finding them she got to work crushing one clear white gem after another until a brilliant, multifaceted protection stone lay before her.
"If i fix this to a chain she could wear it as a necklace. Then when she falls flat on her face she wont get hurt for a change."
Satisfactly melding a silver chain to the stone she put the gift away. "One down," she flashed a victory sign, "only 4 to go!"
Back in her room, Lina put the finishing touches on Amelia's present. As she worked she thought about Martina.
"Poor Martina. Looking for love in all the wrong places." she recalled how Zel gave her the cold sholder. How Gourry's stupidity turned her off. How discovering Xellos was a deamon sent her into hysterics. "That girl could definately use a man! Now who do I know who is annoying and persistant like she is?"
A figure popped into her mind. A dark haired, handsome, Man. One who fairly oozed masculinity. A man who had chased her down and afterward.. demanded Gourry fight him in a duel, time and time again.
"Oh she and Zangulus would make the PERFECT couple."
Lina got a wicked idea. She knew the odds of Zangulus catching up to them now were skimming on slim, but that didn't mean that romance couldn't start blooming. There was an old custom in Zoana, if she recalled corectly, where young people would make figures of the person they cared about, and then they'd be together. Knowing Martina, and her love of curse-making voo-doo dolls, Lina decided to pop down to the local doll maker's shop and comitioned a Zangulus plushie, for Martina's yuletide gift. The kind old doll-maker smiled and had the plushie finnished in a few hours. happy Lina wrapped it up and put it away.
The rest of the Slayers gang, meanwhile, had been wondering at her absence all day long.
Honestly... Zel was pissed off at Xellos, for annoying the #&$#@&@! outta him, and was attempting to do him bodily harm. Martina was brooding about her love life, or lack of one. Gourry was happily stuffing his face, glad he didn't have to fight for the food for once. This all came to a slight pause when our justice-loving princess piped up.
"I wonder where Miss Lina is?"
The rest of the group finally realised that they hadn't seen her for most of the day, when she walked down the inn stairs to join them.
The rest of the evening passed as they've always passed. Lina, Gourry, and Amelia, fighting for food. Xellos annoying the hell out of both Lina and Zelgadis. Lina and Zelgadis teaming up and retaliating. Martina bothering everyone with one of her "Zomelgustar" speaches. Amelia joining in with a justice speach. Everybody else groaning. Meal ends and everyone retires and sleeps till morning.
Lina awoke refreshed and clear on what gift she would bestow on Gourry. She knew it would be extreemly difficult to carry out, but she was determined. She wouldn't beat on him for an entire week.
Smiling she dressed and went down to breakfast.
Xellos was smiling, like always, sure of himself. Being the most informed member of the party he quickly caught on to Lina's plot. KNowing more about Lina than she probably did herself, he realised yuletide was fast approaching and he needed to get her a gift.
A gift to mark the season would probably put him back in her good books, knowingly and expectantly, having fallen from her good graces after a few planned insidents and mishaps.
He had her gift all planned out. Both of them. In his mind he organised a nice candle-lit dinner for 2, soft music, some dancing in the moonlight, maybe and after-dinner smooch or two. But she'd probably skip the fireball and go straight to the Ragna Blade, if he tried to suggest it. He figured he'd survive if he stuck to the neaklace and earing set. He had had hopes that she would've dressed up for the ocassion and come with him to Wolf Pack island for the romantic evening, but chances on that happening were 1 in nil.
Lina walked up to where Xellos as sitting, smiling into his tea. She had come to the conclusion that the only way to find out what to get Xellos for yuletide was to ask, and hope for the best.
"Uhm.. Xellos?"
"Yes Lina-chan?"
"If you could have 1 gift from me.... what would you like?" Lina asked tensed.
"Hmm.. that is a secret..."
Lina facefaulted into the table. Shoulda known
"...That i'll tell you later. Promise!?"
Lina looked into his earnest face and slowly began to smile. "Deal, but nothing perverted fruitcake, or i'll make you sorry."
Xellos nodded, pleased, as she sat down and ate her gigantic meal.
"Some one up there must like me." he thought as he reveled in his good fourtune.
Zelgadis strolled lesurly downstairs. Gourry, Lina and Xellos were already there. He ordered a cup of coffe and sat down next to Lina. He was in no mood to put up with Xellos, not that he ever was mind you. He was puzzled and concerned by Lina's behavior. Her eating habbits remained the same. She delt with Xellos by ignoring him; normal. Even her solo excursions of late were some-what regular to her character. But what really shook him was how he'd catch her looking at him, at odd intervals, with a serious and pensive gleam in her eyes. He grew further concerned when she no longer hit Gourry for his stupid and most often chovanistic rearks, which even the waitresses would reprimand him with the occaisional flying crockery.
So when Lina rose and declared she was "going for a walk", he took it upon himself to follow her. Drawing his mask over his face and putting on his hood, Zel stealthily followed Lina by the shadows.
Unfourtunatly for him, Lina knew he was there. She caught him with a stratigic alley/rooftop manuver and decided to drag him along on her walk. Zel relaxed enouh to keep his hood and mask down, after Lina having removed them forcefully, and they had a rather plesant excursion. They ended up being recruited by some youngsters in an all out snowball war.
Happy and wet, the 2 returned to the inn. Neither having fullfilled their goals, but not caring about it either.
Lina awoke to a bright sunny morning, and the realisation that tomorrow was yuletide. She had finally come up with a gift for Zel, having drempt of it last night. Resolved to the task ahead she leaped out of bed, and right into a teleporting Xellos.
"Ooof. Xellos, why are you in my room."
"I've come to tell you the secret."
Xellos handed her a box. Upon opening it Lina discovered a beautiful wine-red ball gown complete with shoes and gloves.
"I'd like you to wear this tomorrow night when I come to give you Your present." Xellos explained, his eyes open for once.
Lina touched the dress lightly before giving Xellos her trademark grin. "Sure Xellos. Pick me up at eight."
With that, Xellos left.
Late that night Lina found Zel sitting outside near a frozen fountain, staring up at the stars. He was alone.
"Zel?"
Zel started and smiled shyly at Lina.
"Zel, I have a present for you. Its a little early but.. i figured this would be the only time i'd get you alone."
"A present? For me? Why?" he asked confused.
"See at this time in Zelfia, where i'm from, we celebrate a festival which is called Yuletide. During this time we give gifts to friends and people we care about." Lina explained. "I care a lot about you Zel. So much that.." Lina held out a white poinsetta, "I got you this."
Zel took the flower blushing. "No one's ever givin me a a flower before" he thought. He brought it to his nose and sniffed its faint sweet scent.
"You know me pretty well Zel. So being such a smart and attractive guy, I'm sure you'll figure this out."
Zel looked up at Lina to see her lean close and kiss him on the lips. He closed his eyes and exalted in the feelings rushing through him. He returned her kiss shyly yet lovingly. They broke off, blushing, together.
"Happy Yuletide Zelgadis Greyweirs." Lina said then left.
"Same to you Lina." Zel replied and returned his gaze to the stars above, filled with peace, happiness, and hope. He clutched the flower to his heart and smiled a smile that never left his face for the whole night.
The next day Lina gave Amelia and Martina their gifts, wishing them a happy yuletide. Amelia jumped with joy after recieving her "Justice Stone", and martina squealed and exclaimed about just how cute her chibi-zangulous was. Lina decided not to tell her he actually existed. She didn't want to seem like a match-maker, that would spoil things. The rest of the day one happy princess spent leaping from high places spouting the virtues of justice, and not getting too hurt after each disasterous plummet; while the other spent it making kissy faces at a doll.
Gourry was so happy not to be harmed he hugged Lina and promtly forgot about everything except filling his bottom-less gut. Zelgadis remained in his room, reliving the memories of the night before, twirling his gift, dreamily, between his fingers.
At precisely 8:00 Xellos arrived, dressed in a very spiffy tux, to see the most beautiful sight he's ever seen. Dressed to the nines, and hair brushed till it curled about her face like a cloud, Lina was breathtaking.
"You.. You're beautiful!" he managed to say.
"Thankyou Xellos. What's that?" she asked pointing to the jewelcase under his arm.
"Oh this is the first part of your present." Xellos handed the case over. Lina opened it, excited, to see a stunning ruby-rose shaped neaklace and matching earings. her eyes glittered and her mouth let out an appreciative sigh. Quickly she reached for them, and with his help, put them on.
"Oh Xellos they're gorgeous!"
"Nothing compared to you." He thought silently, "Let's go Lina-chan! I've the whole night planned out for us!" Xellos clasped Lina about her waist and they were teleprted to WP island. There the charming, if odd in some people's point of view, couple consumed a delious, and large, meal by candle-light, danced by moon-light, and thuroughly enjoyed themselves. So much to the point where Xellos managed to steal another, albite longer, kiss and remained un-singed in the process.