Zelgadis and Gourry sit in the circle of the light from their campfire. Both were still trying to come up with the strange event that led to the sleeping girl in Gourry's tent. So far, neither has any idea about what had happened.
"Ne, Zel. You think maybe she's a Mazoku?"
"It's possible. Xelloss isn't the only one who can appear human, after all. Still, something about that voice we heard..."
"Yeah, it was really weird. I felt strange when I heard it, like I was too big for my body." Gourry ducked his head, blushing at what he was sure was a stupid statement. "I... I mean..."
"I felt it too."
Looking up, Gourry's surprised to see blue-slit eyes staring back at him. "You did?"
Zel nods. "Like the voice itself was pure power, filling my soul. I don't know any other way to explain it."
"Yeah... me neither." Feeling strangely giddy that he didn't make a fool out of himself, Gourry looks back at the fire. He watches the lights and shadows dance and duel with each other on the fringes of the circle, enjoying a moment of silent camaraderie. His thoughts return to the occupant of his tent, though, and he turns once more to Zel. "Do you think she has anything to do with that voice?"
"Definitely, though whether she knows this or not..." Zelgadis shrugs, taking a stick to stir the fire. "Her clothing is odd as well, did you notice? I haven't seen anything like that in my travels."
"Maybe she comes from across another sea then? Like how we hit that other place after that Phibrizo kid was killed?"
"Maybe, but I think she comes from further than that, Gourry..."
Further? Gourry screws up his face, trying to follow Zel's reasoning. A small part of him wonders what Zel would think if he knew how much Gourry was trying not to sound like an idiot while traveling with him. When they were with Lina, it didn't matter. But with just Zel...
Does he ever wonder? Does he know why I followed him instead of Lina? I wonder sometimes if he figured it out, but it doesn't feel like he did. I'm afraid what he'd think if he really knew...
A spark of insight, perhaps born of being in the shaman's company for so long, ignites in Gourry's mind. Stunned, he can only stare as he begins to understand Zel's implications.
"You mean... another world?"
"It's certainly possible. It would certainly explain a lot. I didn't understand her when she spoke, however. If we can't communicate, we may have a problem."
"What do we do? I mean, if she really is from another world, how do we get her back?"
"Maybe we don't."
"Huh?"
Zel clasp his hands together, resting his chin atop his fingers. His eyes are thoughtful as he seems to look inward. This particular pose is nothing new to Gourry, yet it's one that always sends an exciting tingle down the blond's spine. He's thinking again...
"Remember what that voice said? 'A present for you, my children...' Obviously whoever it was has enough power to pull someone from their world and bring them here. And the water... remember the color?"
"Kinda gold, wasn't it?"
"Yes, gold... like the Sea of Chaos..."
"Waaaaaaaait-a-minute...! You're not saying..."
"What if L-sama herself had something to do with this?"
"But... why?"
The shaman shakes his head, his eyes closing in frustrated thought. "That I don't know. Why does the Lord of Nightmares do anything? I use to believe she was simply another dark lord, like Shabranigdo. After traveling with Lina and seeing her for myself, I'm not so sure. Maybe she is simply balance, or the fragile check of it..."
Deep thinking, though I could... have listened to him go on like this before. I could sit here and just watch him forever... but still, this is different. Better pull him back.
"So you're saying that the Lord of Nightmares pulled this girl from wherever she was and planted her here. Sounds pretty farfetched."
"I know, I know. Still, the water was gold, and that line about a gift... So this girl must play some kind of role, though for the life of me I can't figure out what."
Gourry shifts, wondering if he should say what's on his mind. Well, he doesn't seem to get as frustrated as Lina did... "Ne, Zel? What if... I mean, we were talking about finding another cure just before she showed up, right?"
Zel looks quizzically at Gourry. "Yes, what about it?"
"Well, what if she has something to do with finding you a cure?"
Blinking, Zel considers Gourry's words carefully. "It... is possible. It makes as much sense as anything else. I honesty don't see how, but then, who knows what L-sama's plans are. I'd say that could be right, except..."
"...what?"
Zel sighs. "I don't think I was meant to find a cure, Gou-kun."
The swordsman sits in stunned silence. If Zel had stood up and grabbed a grass skirt to hula with, Gourry couldn't have been more shocked than he is now. "But... I thought..."
"I know. I've been leading you around chasing feathers. But the longer I search, the more I feel that it's not to be."
"So you're giving up? But I thought you wanted a cure more than anything!"
With a whispered sigh, Zel stands up and paces around the fire. "I thought I did too. I thought that if I could cure myself of what Rezo did to me, I'd be happy. But the longer I traveled, the less certain I was of that goal. I..." He pauses, standing in front of the his companion as he stares at the night sky.
"Zel...?"
"The longer I traveled with you, the more I knew I didn't need the cure to be happy. I realized I was happy. I was still cursed, but happy. So obviously it wasn't the cure that I was looking for. And yet, I'm not sure what it is I found to make me feel that way." Zelgadis looks down at his hands, flexing them nervously. "I was afraid that if I told you this, you might decide to travel with Lina again. Selfish, I know..."
"Not really."
"Huh?"
Gourry hides a smile as he too looks up at the star-filled sky. "You asked me once why I traveled with you instead of Lina. At the time I just said to help you. It was more than that."
"It was?"
Gourry nods. "I didn't care what we were looking for, in truth. Traveling with you just feels... right."
Zelgadis stares at Gourry for several minutes, wondering not for the first time what's going on through his companion's mind. He opens his mouth to speak, but a soft groan has both men scrambling to Gourry's tent. Zel goes inside, placing a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. He doesn't give much hope in understanding her, but he tries anyway. "Miss? Are you alright...?"
Ranma moans and stirs in her sleep, the last remnants of her dreams leaving her. Blue eyes slowing blink their way open, staring up into another set of equally piercing blue, with an unusual, almost exotically shape pupil to them.
He's real. Really real... man, that sounded stupid. Hope he doesn't read minds...
Ranma hears the blue man speak, but for the life of her, she can't make out what he's saying. It doesn't matter, as she's still in awe of the fact of her dream person being real flesh and blood... at least blood, anyway.
What does he feel like? I... I have to know...
Timidly, Ranma reaches up to the strange being's face, ready to jerk back in a second if she has to. When her fingers brush across the smooth, unyielding stone skin, she gasps as the sense of touch confirms what her eyes already see. The stranger's eyes widen, but he makes no move, either threatening or otherwise. For this, Ranma is glad. She'd hate to have to fight him, even in self-defense.
Besides, I get the feeling I'd have a hard fight on my hands if I did. Kami, I've never felt anyone like him before...
Ranma whips her head around when she hears a second voice. It's all she can do not to stare as a second, equally exotic male steps inside. His blond hair covers one eye, just like the man sitting near her, but she can see the other eye perfectly. Also blue, though paler than her dream shade. Ranma feels suddenly plain around the two, knowing how the people back home would react if they could see what she sees.
It would probably keep a few of them from chasing me around, that's for sure. Don't think I really like that...
The redhead feels the blue one turn his head to speak to the newcomer. Ranma concentrates as she tries to recognize the sounds. No good. The tall blond comes in and kneels down next to them. From his posture, Ranma guesses they at least know each other, if not friends.
Wonder what having a friend would be like, anyway?
When the blue man responds to a particular sound, Ranma hazards a chance and repeats it, hoping it is what she thinks it is...
"Z-Zel...?"
Both Zel and Gourry turn when the girl speaks, the word heavily accented but still understandable. Gourry is the first to break the silence by pointing at Zel. "Zelgadis." He then points to himself, hoping he's doing it right. "Gourry."
They watch as the teen struggles to get her mouth to form the words, her face a mask of complete concentration as she speaks the unfamiliar words. "Zeru-ga-disu... Gau-rii..." She looks at both, waiting for confirmation.
"Very good," Zel nods. Her voice seemed to clip the words a bit, but at least it was a start. He then points to her, silently asking her the same question. He's relieved when she nods and mimics the gesture, saying her name.
"Ranma."
Both Gourry and Zel cock their heads, trying to see how close they can get their tongues to do that. Zel shrugs and tries it first.
"Rrrawn-ma?" He unconsciously rolls an r, immediately knowing that isn't right at all. The chimera gives a wan smile when the girl stifles a giggle. "So much for that, you want to try it, Gourry"
"Don't know if I can, but I guess so..." He leans closer, listening as the foreign word is repeated, slightly slower this time. "Ra-nnn-ma? Ranma?" He looks confused, but the girl nods happily at his second attempt. "Ranma. Kinda weird, in a pretty way."
"Indeed." Zel watches as the girl struggles out of the sleeping mat. He pauses, already sensing something of a strong will in the redhead. But his chivalrous side will not stay put, offering her a hand up before he's aware of what he's doing. The girl seems surprised at this, bring another dozen questions to Zel's mind as she shyly accepts and hauls herself to her feet. Graceful, but there's something there. She's not what she seems.
"Ne, Zel. Think she's hungry? Know I am..."
"Probably." Zel makes a gesture for the girl to follow them, his mind puzzling over how to speak with her. "I guess we'll have to just learn each other's language..."
"What's that, Zel?"
Zel pauses, seeing them both waiting for him to speak. I wonder, is she trying to learn already...? "I was saying the only thing I can think of is for us to learn each other's language. It might be the only way we can communicate with her."
As they're talking, Ranma wanders off a bit, trying to get a feel of her environment. She can see she's nowhere remotely near Tokyo and begins to wonder if she's still in Japan when she hears a rustle to her right. She turns in time to see an ugly troll-like monster coming right at her.
Zel snaps his head up, already flinging a fireball from his hand, knowing it won't hit in time. "Damn it! Fir..."
"KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!!"
Neither Zel nor Gourry bother to see if the fireball hit, watching slack-jawed as Ranma proceeds to throw a series of punches faster than any demon they've seen. The last punch lands just as the spell connects, turning the creature to so much ash. Ranma sighs and turns to the others, smiling.
"Zel?"
"Yeah, Gourry?"
"Remind me to give her the bigger share of dinner tonight..."
Part 3 | Fanfiction