"I never told you my name."
"I promise I will explain, just do me one favor. Close your eyes." After five minutes of thinking, Lina sighed heavily and closed her eyes.
"Picture Zel the last time you saw im. Listen to him speak to you. Do you see and hear him?"
Lina had a grin on her face.
"Yes."
"Visualize his hand sliding gently across your face." As he said this the stranger ran his fingertips across her eyes and lips. Lina gasped slightly, her eyes still closed, sinking deeper into the illusion.
"Feel him running his fingers through your hair." Silken strands of red felt like cool water as they escaped his fingers.
"Zel..." Lina whispered his name longingly.
"Remember the kiss he gave you just before he left." Lina's lips parted slightly as she felt warm breath on her face. The man bent down and kissed her.
Lina was so wrapped up in the illusion now, she threw her arms around his neck, and kissed him with all the pent up passion of the last two years.
Slowly the stranger broke the kiss, and took a deep breath.
"That's not how I remembered the kiss." Ruby eyes opened, and slowly focused on the sight before her.
"Zelgadiss?" Lina blinked a few times, and shook her head, as if to shake off what she believed to be a fantasy induced illusion.
"In the flesh so to speak." Gone was the fair skin and deep voice, now sat before her was a chimera with a voice like liquid velvet.
"What...When ... Why...Who cares, I missed you!!" She threw her arms around his neck and cried. Her tears made the collar of his shirt soaking wet, but he didn't care. He wouldn't give up holding her for anything in the world.
"The cure was a fake. I have only been here a few months. I didn't try to find you, because I was afraid the I had been gone too long, but L-Sama knows I missed yo too."
"What do you mean it didn't work? I saw you ... At least I guess it was you." Lina backed away slowly, her head clouded in confusion.
"Let me try and explain it better. It was a real cure. The man was trained in the art of illusions. He taught me a spell that would allow me to appear to be a full human again." Zel smiled slightly as a small glimmer of understanding sparkled in her eyes.
"That still doesn't explain why you were gone for over two years."
"The spell took months to learn, and once I did, it was so draining I could only manage it for an hour or so."
"So how do you do it now?"
"In the scrolls it told of he legendary Imagery Stone. I thanked the sorcerer for all that he had done, and left to find it. I had hoped to run into you and Gourry along the way, but our paths never did seem to cross. I digress, anyway, I finally found it a few months ago outside of this town. So I used it and settled in here."
"Still, Zel. With the stone none of us would have known, and you wouldn't have had to tell us." Lina looked down at her blanket, and Zel had to struggle to hear her last words..... "Or maybe you regretted telling me that you loved me." Zel took her small hands into his larger ones.
"Gods, Lina. Not that. Never that. The Imagery Stone had a catch. It only works in the daytime. From dusk till dawn I am a chimera again. The rest of the time I am the real me for a few hours. Lina I know I should have tried to find you sooner, but I wanted to be a whole man before I approached you, but I am afraid to in this stone body."
"Oh, Zel..." Lina seemed to breath out his name, and that was one of the sweetest sounds that he had ever heard.
"Lina, we better get you back to Gourry before something happens , or he gets worried."
"I guess you are right." Both of htem sighed heavily, then laughed a little as the glanced at each other from the corner of their eyes.
"Let's go then." Together Lina and Zelgadis walked hand in hand to the Inn.
Lina and Gourry's Room
"Gourry. You awake yet?" Lina slowly opened the door, and looked towards the bed. Sprawled out like a monkey was her big, dumb sidekick, snoring up a storm.
"I know how to wake him up. Zel, cast Ray Wing around him." Lina had that evil glint in her eyes.
"You got it. RAY WING!" A bubble of air formed with a still sleeping Gourry inside.
"Now comes the fun part. Give me your hand, I need to use your body as a magic amplifier."
"That time of the month?"
"Shut up and give me your hand." Her angry glare was ruined by her grin when Zel gave her one hand, and placed his other on the bubble.
[insert incantation]
"DIL BRAND!!"
When the dust had settled inside the bubble, the bubble popped and unceremoniously dumped Gourry in a heap on the bed.
"What happened?" A confused and slightly beart up Gourry looked around. "Zel is that you?"
"In the flesh, so to speak."
"That is becoming your favorite line isn't?"
"Is it getting old dear?" Zel casually put one arm around Lina's shoulders.
"Not yet, but I'll Mono Volt you when it does." Lina smiled up at him.
"Fair enough." Zel laughed and brought her closer to him.
"Uh...Did I miss something?" Gourry scratched his head, and his eyes took on that usual glazed look.
"FIRE BALL!"
"OW....Lina, what did you do that for?"
"You are hopeless." Lina and Zel left the room, that smelled lightly of burnt Gourry, and went downstairs to eat.
Sorry it took me so long to get out a part four, but now that finals are over you are all in for it now...more fanfic from my deranged sleep deprived mind.....heh heh looks nervously around it wasn't me I swear....it was uh..my evil twin..yeah that's it...my twin.....i think i'll go run away and write now...Byee!
Part 5 | Fanfiction