"Hey, remember all that town which were boys dressed like girls?"
Lina gave him a glance. "Yes Gourry, can we please drop it?"
Amelia heard it and added her two cents. "I can't believe what happened. How could they do that to their own men? That's mean."
Lina looked at Amelia. "Well they had their own intentions Amelia. They had a... well interesting reason well enough. I can't believe that the princess is..." Amelia heard her mumbling then she went back up to talking to a normal level. I feel sorry for her. Why she had to put up with it, is beyond me. And how long she had to put up with it goes to far!"
"Did you really have to Dragonslave the town Miss Lina?"
Lina shrugged her Why Not? look.
"Besides, she threatened me with a knife. A person who does that to Lina Inverse needs to be punished."
Gourry then asked what they where going to eat in the next town, and Amelia's topic was dropped. Amelia, looked back. She was talking to Lina to get her mind on the two people behind her. Way behind her. She had a sad look on her face immediately.
She couldn't believe her luck. Why did SHE have to come along. She sighed again. The next town was ahead and she would hear:
"Come on Amelia. We're almost at the next town."
Amelia sighed and ran to catch up. Surely some tea would help her forget...
Meanwhile Zel was occupied. He felt happy. Happier then he had ever been. And he looked at her, the reason he felt he wanted to exist in his crummy life.
Miwan.
She had been traveling with them ever since they had left the town six months ago. Miwan was no longer a princess, or at least she hope she wasn't anymore. She was a just a girl who would be traveling with them for a while. She never wanted to see that town again.
The reason she was stuck at the town was because the evil Wicked Witch of the West mother of hers wanted to influencing her to become a shrine maiden so badly. And she wanted to keep her from influence of boys. But she had gotten rebellious and started to run away from home. She was caught ever time. Each time punish more harshly then before. She almost made it once, but before she could, a monster came out, thinking she was a snack. But she was saved by a wandering girl, Lulu. God, why DID I pick that name? The girl (otherwise known as Zelgadis) saved her and at the same time, foiled her plan of escaping. He ended up talking to her later. She didn't want to be a shine maiden. It went well till another one of "Lulu's" sisters dragged her off. It wasn't till afterwards when he stopped her from destroying the shrine, that he realized that she could travel with them. When she announced who she really was (and everyone in the town ended up being male except the mother), he had run off embarrassed and in tears. He knew that it meant that Miwan was... He ran off, making sure that no one could find him.
He could think of nothing. Just her face, the dress she was wearing, her hair, her smile, her bitterness. Just her, and he released that he wanted her to be a female, because he might of just found her. But then this had to happen. Tears ran down his cheeks just thinking about it. He couldn't care about anything anymore, not even Xellos who would find out about it sooner or later, and wished that it would return to hell at one point or another. He just wanted to be left alone. He had a sweet bitterness in his mouth. Yes, he was in a abandoned shack. He had ran and ran until he reached it, then he looked around to see if anyone was coming. No one was coming, so he closed it. He couldn't believe he had invited her to join them. She might of ended up being in the way, but Zel knew, knew that he would end up protecting her as long as he lived.
Now he was in the shack. He didn't regret asking her. Just when she touched the shrine and announced to her mother she had enough of this life, someone pitched in and announced he was a boy, not a girl. This hurt him, more then anything else ever did. And he didn't know why.
He kept his friendship with Lina and the others, though he usually wandered back behind them, and in the restaurants, while Lina and Gourry and Amelia gulped down a lot of food. He was just drinking coffee or tea and thinking about life. Speaking of Amelia... He looked ahead to see the girl run off to catch up. He thought he had feelings for Amelia at one point, but they stopped quick. She still had a crush on him. "One day.", he decided, "I'll have to tell Amelia I have no interest at all in her." He ended up being in the shack, for what seemed like two days. On the third day, while it was raining, Zel was staring out at the window, wondering if they were looking for him. He would return sometime. Just not now, he was hurt and no one could find him now. But someone did.
That night, Zel was listening to the rain while to a fire he had made when he heard a knock on the door. It must be Lina getting ready to drag me back. Well no point not facing the inevitable. He went over and opened it waiting to see that redhead's new look of hell.
It was Miwan.
She asked around and finally they said they spotted a man in white just walking towards a shack. They didn't want to mess with him, so they just left him alone. He was gone for three days, then trying to wonder why it had happened. Why did Miwan have to be a... Miwan shivering broke his thoughts. He lead her in near the fire. As Zel helped her take off her dress (I guess she thinks I will feel better if she dresses up like a girl again thought Zel), he then released the mistake he had made in that sentence that Miwan, no matter what sex she was, wasn't wearing anything underneath the top. He started to put his cloak around her, but then she reached out and grabbed his hand and let the cloak fall to the ground. She took his hand and place it on her body. Zel released fast, that he was touching a breast. He began to blush.
"Um..."
"I hope this will convince you that I'm not a boy. I'm a girl, not like those men in drag."
Zel blushed some more.
"Go ahead, it's real."
Zel, felt the object in his hand. The were soft, and memorizing just like the owner was. He squeezed it gently. And then he released, that it was real.
She wasn't lying. She was a girl. A girl. But how? Zel felt guilty that he didn't trust her. Then he released that he was still holding it. He let go and began to blush.
"Is that why you left, because you thought I was a boy?"
"Well, um..."
"Do you dress up as a girl regularly, or was it just to be in town?"
"Well, um..."
She frowned, which caused the area to grow even colder then before. Even the fire couldn't stop it from happening. "I'm sorry.", she said. "I shouldn't of ask you so many questions.
"No Miwan, I said I wouldn't deceive you anymore. The truth is, yes. I thought you were a boy. It hurt me. You see, when we first met officially, and we talked, I realized that. That you and I were the same. We both deceived ourselves and each other. But there was something else, and that was both of us had a spirit. The same I think, that's why I asked you to come with us." He frowned.
"I deceived you too. As Lulu."
"It's ok, I understand why it happened."
She was satisfied with both of her questions answered. She couldn't believe that this boy had just said that out loud. Everything in her life was a lie. Was this a lie as well? Zel sat down and leaned on the wall with his hands behind his back.
"How did you do it?", Zel asked breaking her thoughts." How did you go from girl to boy to girl?
"It was mother.", replied Miwan. Her voice was bitter when she mentioned that women. Zel's mind flashed back.
"Even though I was born a male, mother hid it and dressed me like a girl."
Zelgadis frowned. She hated her mother that much? Well after what just happen, no, before that. He knew that she hated her for many years, for hiding the fact of her true sex, whatever it was. But why? If she was originally female... He stared at Miwan. She was showing a saddened face.
"Did you see mother's face when I said I was a guy?"
Zelgadis nodded. That was one thing that was worth seeing. Then he realized her face, it wasn't in frustration. It was in shock! As if she didn't know that she was a... He sat up.
"Did you just make all of that up?"
She nodded. "Yes. Someone told me how. He even used magic to disguise my body, so when I took off my shirt...
"You wouldn't look like a girl. And you didn't have to cut your hair either, clever." He turned his head away from her
"Yes.. he was a strange man though. I told him what I was going to do and he told me something else I could do. I guess it worked.
"Yeah."
There was a silence between both of them. Zel was a bit confused about the matter. A man came to help her using magic. Who? Never mind, he could take a guess and know that he was right about it. He didn't know the intentions nor did he care. Miwan was here.
Yet he wanted, ached to know more about her. He knew he might regret it, and she might say no, worse he might hurt her, but her wanted to know. He heard the rain outside, it was soft and beautiful. He broke the silence.
"The night is nice, isn't it?"
He turned around and saw Miwan at the window.
"I'm sorry, it's just..."
Miwan began to laugh. He had made her laugh. He joined in and it lasted for a few minutes. After it had stop, she just stood near the window. Then she spoke.
"It still pretty early right?"
"It's been about 2 hours."
More silence. The time passed. It was uncomfortable. Half an hour passed before she spoke again.
"I guess you don't know the whole story. It's confusing in fact."
Zel knew where she was going with this, "Miwan..."
Miwan stopped him. "It's ok, I think we have till morning. I was the reason why you ran away, I think you deserve an explanation."
Zel nodded.
She turned to face him. "As you know men aren't allowed in the city. My mother made sure of it. I barely knew my father when... Sorry I'm skipping ahead. Would you listen to my story?" He nodded his head. He wanted to listen, wanted to know more about her. He knew that his heart was pounding, especially now. There was an uncomfortable silence. Zel just waited. Then she spoke.
"OK, when do I begin."
"Maybe at the beginning?"