Zelgadis was sitting in Luna's office and showing her parts of a book he had just gotten. It was one of their few calm moments. Zelgadis enjoyed spending times with Luna, she was the only mother he had ever known and had liked her form the moment they had met. But Luna hardly had any time to spend with him and Lina.
Then Xellos apeared, holding a girl by the arm. Zel knew Xellos, he was always around Luna and usually called him Zelly, as if he were still a kid, which he supposed he still was in the trickster's eyes. Zelgadis didn't have an opinion on Xellos, the priest was just around sometimes and could be really annoying. But he had never seen the girl before, she resembled Gracia a lot, so she must be Gracia's sister. Zelgadis rememebered the conversation with Gracia about her sister when she had visited the libary with Gourry last week.
"Let go of me!" she tried to untangle her arm out of Xellos' grip, "Let go of me!" she was very mad.
Xellos let go of her and smiled to Luna, "Hi Luna-chan, hi Zelly."
Zelgadis didn't hear anything special in his voice, but Luna stiffened.
"Zelgadis, would you show Amelia around a bit? Xellos and I have to talk." said Luna to her 'foster son'.
"Yes, no problem." answered the chimera, "Hi I'm Zelgadis."
"I'm Amelia."
"Come this way." Zel indicated her to follow him.
Zelgadis walked out of the room with Amelia who insulted the trickster before leaving. They walked in silently for a while through the corridors
"So what would you like to see? The gardens? Maybe you'd like something to eat?" asked Zelgadis taking his job as guide seriously.
"I'd like to see my sister Gracia." said the girl, she was happy to be away from Xellos for a while, he was just to annoying and on top he belonged to those despisable Mazoku.
"Well,..." Zelgadis scratched his head, "Last time I saw them she was in the gardens with Gourry." he said blushing a little.
Translation: Gracia had been having 'fun' and most likely would not want to be disturbed by her little sister just now.
"Oh... show me your favorite place then, I can still see my sister later, ne?" she said at last.
Zelgadis' face brigthened, "Follow me then."
They walked silently through many dim lighted corridors, then they reached a metal door which Zelgadis opened efortlesly. Inside Amelia saw the greates amount of books in the same room she had ever seen in her whole life. Shelfs upon shelfs filled with all sort of books.
"Wow!" was all she could manage as she entered and turned in circles looking around the room.
Zelgadis closed the door behind him, unaware that Lina had watched him enter the library with this girl. The library, the place they usually met to discuss magic or just to spend time toghether in, seldom disturbed by anyone but Luna, Filia or Xeres.
Inside Zelgadis suddenly stifened as he heard a too well known noice, as expected a white-haired woman with pale blue eyes dressed in a grey dress broming the floor -
"Fesis!" said Zelgadis, his tone telling her he was annoyed.
"Oh, hi Zel, I thought I'd just clean up a bit while you were gone." she said pretenting not to notice.
"Fesis, I have told you hundreds of times not to clean the library." he grabed Fesis by the shoulders and gently pushed her towards the door.
"But there's so much dust, you could get an alergy." she protested.
"I don't get alergies." he opened the door, "Bye Fesis." he closed the door behind her.
Amelia looked at Zelgadis weirdly, "Did you have to be so rude? She was just trying to help."
"The last time she cleaned up, she trew invaluable books away and washed many others with water and soap." Zelgadis looked positivly distressed and Amelia had to chuckle.
Lina watched Zel throw Fesis out of the library. So they want privacy... Lina waited till Fesis walked away to aproach the door, but it was to thick and she could not hear anything from what was happening inside.
Amelia looked up from a book she was reading, a very old history book about the Kingdom of Sailoon and how it had looked like before the Second Mazoku War.
"Zelgadis? May I ask you a personal question?"
Zelgadis turned from where he had been ordering some new books that had arrived that morning.
"Yes?" he said, his tone not betraying that such questions always made him nervous.
"Why is your skin blue?" she asked.
"Well, I was not a very strong child so my grandfather turned me into a chimera. I'm part demon, part golem, and part human. I've got all of those forms advantages: super strengh and speed, plus the ability not to be harmed by weapons but the Sword of Light, not to mentioned the magic abilities."
Zelgadis looked away and Amelia had the feeling his thoughts were far away.
"Sometimes I wonder," he said at last, "what it would have been like to grow up as a normal human."
Amelia thought about it, "If you were human, you would be weak."
"True."
"If you were human, you would be slow."
"True."
"If you were human, you wouldn't be so skilled in magic."
"True."
"If you were human, you would be dead."
Zelgadis looked at her he had never thought of it that way.
Lina couldn't controll herself anymore. What are they doing in there? She aproached one of the side doors of the library, not the one Zel and that strange girl had gone trough. Just one peek, just to see what they're doing... it's not as if I'm jealous or something, but he's my best friend and I have to know what he's up to with that ... anger rose inside her, that.... Lina didn't even dare to think those words, that girl...
Lina slowly opened the door and looked inside, she could not see them, but she heard the strangers clear voice, " - ead." there was a pause, "And beside, your cuter this way Zel." the girl giggled.
SLAM
Zelgadis wirled around and walked towards where the noise had come from, Amelia close behind.
"It was the noise of the door slaming shut." said Amelia.
Zelgadis opened the door and looked outside, but the corridor was empty.
Lina ran, tears pourring down her cheecks, She pased by the infermary ignoring Eris' question about her well being, she ran into the magic practice room, locking the door behind herself. The room was where all the children learned to controll their magic, the walls cealing and the floor were covered with protective spell that absorbed all the exesive magic.
"FIREBALL!! FIREBALL!! FIREBALL!! FIREBALL!!"
Filia and Xeres looked in through the door that was connected to the classrooom where they had been correcting exames to see what all the commotions was about, and rapidly closed it again as a fireball came flying towards them.
Filia looked at her husband, "Any ideas why she's so upset?"
"Maybe she's hungry..."
"Very funny."
Through the door they could still hear her sreaming, but by now Lina was shanging from fireball to flare arrow and back.
"I wonder what made her so mad..." Filia said aloud.
"Wanna go in and ask her?" asked Xeres smiling.
Going into a room where an upset sorceress was trowing magic at everything in sight was not necesarily one of Filia's hobbies.
"We better wait for her to calm down." said Filia.
"I wonder who it was..." said Zelgadis.
"Probably the wind or so... your grandfather... I don't think I met him yet."
"He doesn't live here... I haven't seen him in 20 years myself, every now and then Luna tells me she got a letter from him and that he says hi."
They were silent for a while, "We should be getting back, Xellos will be worried about you." said Zel.
"That bastard Mazoku has no claim over me, if he wants me to go somewhere I couldn't care less." said Amelia tunring away, "I hate Mazoku, they killed my parents and that bitch general Sherra turtured me till I was almost unconcious." she shudered at the memory.
"And who saved you from her?" asked Zelgadis.
"... I hate all Mazoku, they are all the same!" she said like something she had memorized a long time ago.
"I'm part Mazoku myself." said Zelgadis, "And you don't hate me; I hope."
Amelia turned back towards Zel, "I don't hate you, you're different... he's... Xellos... Let's talk about something else!"
"Look I know he's annoying like hell sometimes and sometimes I can't stand him myself, but you should not let the fact that he's a Mazoku cloud your view of him. He's taking a great risk by saving your life and helping the rebellion."
"We shouldd be getting back" Amelia started to walking towards the door and Zel followed her.
"Good that you're back, I was just about to send someone to go look for you. " said Luna as Amelia entered the room with Zelgadis. Xellos was standing behind his so called sis.
"Zelgadis, go look for Tires and Eris, tell them to asamble an attack group, Atlantis is going to be attacked soon, it is no game from some individual Mazoku, but a coordinated attack ordered by Shabranigdu to crush our morals, it is said a dragon was seen there and was not reported." said Luna.
"Who was seen?" asked Zelgadis.
"Probably no one." answered Xellos, "It is just a kind of warning, and because Atlantis was becoming a prosperous city."
Zelgadis hurried outside, Amelia looked after him.
"Amelia we're leaving, someone might get suspicious if we're nowhere to be found." he offered her a hand.
Amelia's eyes flashed, but she knew he couldn't teleport them both without touching her. Amelia relusantly took the offered hand. They disapeared.
Those two are making progress... at least she didn't hit him right away.... I wonder what Zelgadis told her... tought Luna as she ordered some papers, she had a rebellion to coordinate, and she had no time to worry about Xellos' personal problems ...well, at least not at this moment.
Sometime later in the school...
"You think we should get Zel or Luna to calm her down? I mean she has been inside there for over an hour trowing fireballs non-stop." said Xeres looking at the door to the magic room.
"Hmm... Yes. Why don't you go for Zel I'm sure Luna is bussy." suggested Filia.
"I'll be right back honey." Xeres leaned over to his wife and kissed her before leaving the room.
Filia could still hear Lina fireball or whatever she was casting now hit against the walls, What could have made Lina so mad?
"FIREBALL!"
Lina collapsed kneeling to the ground, she was exausted, she wipped the sweat and the tears from her face with her sleve, she felt a little better, but she could still hear the girl's giggles in her mind. The door opend slowly and Lina looked with tearfilled eyes up at the blond dragon maiden at the door.
Filia noticed Lina's red face and her eyes filled with tears.
"Lina! Are you alright?" she ran over to the readhaired sorceress and kneeled next to her.
Lina nodded, but couldn't stop crying, she was too hurt.
Filia embraced her, "Hey, it's alright." she said soft comforting her friend, "Why don't you tell me what happened? Someone hurt you? If yes, I'm gonna get him with my mace."
Lina looked at her and smiled shily, she remembered just to well how Filia had reacted to Xellos when she first came here.
"Here!" Filia handed Lina her mace, "If you want you can do it yourself?" she smiled at Lina, "What do you say?"
Lina had to laugh as she took the havy mace in her hands.
"Ne, Lina, why don't we get ourself something to eat and you tell me what happend."
Lina face brightened at the thought of food.
"But first you have to clean yourself up. You look like a mess."
"Hai."
"Ah, I see you can talk again." Filia stood up and helped the sorceres to get up.
"Thanks," Lina wipped the remaining tears away and followed Filia out of the room, dragging the mace behind her.
Lina and Filia were eating in the cafeteria, Lina no longer depressed had already ten empty plates infront of her as Xeres arrived.
"Filia, I have been looking for you." then he noticed Lina, "He, I see the sorceress has calmed down again."
Lina blushed, she hadn't know Xeres had seen her get a little out of controll.
"Hey, don't worry, everybody has a bad moment." the dragon fussed Lina's hair, "Anyway, I met with Zelgadis and he told me that we're supose to go with the group that is going to defend Atlantis. I also told him to go look for you Lina in the school."
Lina looked away from Xeres. Filia gave her husband a look that told him he had said the wrong words.
"Lina, keep the mace until I'm back." Filia stood up and gave her husband a glance to go, he stood slowly up a questioning look on his face and left.
"Man! They're all so tactless." Filia said aloud, Lina had to smile at the comment, "Anyway I'll be going now, and Lina?"
Lina looked at her.
"Forget him, you'll find another man." Filia waved before going after her husband who was waiting at the door.
Another? Lina saw the two dragons leave the cafeteria as Zelgadis entered through the side door, She stood up fast and went to the other door.
"Hey Lina, wait." Zel called her. Great the last person I want to see right now.
She ignored his call and walked out the door, but he ran after her and grabbed her wrist, "Lina I was searching for you. Xeres told me you were angry about something. Is everything alright?"
Of course there's something wrong!! Lina turned slowly around and looked at his hand around her wrist. He noticed it and let go of her blushing slightly.
Gods! Why does he have to be so cute when he blushes?
"Yeah, what could possible be wrong?" Lina felt that she was loosing control and wanted to hit someone with Filia's mace, the best target would be that &@#*%& girl.
"I 'm sorry Zel, but I don't have time right now I really have to go." she said and left not looking at Zel.
Zelgadis just looked after her, not understanding why Lina had almost ignored him.