Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ Crazy for this Girl ❯ Act 2 ( Chapter 2 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Yugure 
Vengeful spirits, androgynous entities, and a sexually repressed chimera...
Anime/Manga: Slayers Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.31.2002 | Pages: 5 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 369 | Status: Completed
Vengeful spirits, androgynous entities, and a sexually repressed chimera...
Anime/Manga: Slayers Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.31.2002 | Pages: 5 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 369 | Status: Completed
Crazy for this Girl: Act 2
Author Notes: Well, I'm certainly happy with the positive response I got from this fanfic, and so, in dedication to everyone who gave me feedback for the first act, here's act 2. More weirdness and OOC-Zel. Have fun. It gets strangely serious at the end; but don't worry, I hope on making it really crazy in the next chapter to make up for it. ^_______^
~Crazy for this Girl: Act 2~
What's a girl to do?
When her normally withdrawn and indifferent friend suddenly turns into a libido-driven sex fiend, what's a girl to do?
Any normal girl would take her friend aside and explain gently but firmly that she does not welcome the extra attention and would greatly appreciate it if he would keep to himself. Any normal girl would remain cool, calm, and collected. Any normal girl -
"ZELGADIS GRAYWORDS, IF YOUR HAND GETS ANY CLOSER TO MY REAR I WILL MAKE YOU EAT YOUR FIST!!"
Of course, Lina Inverse is not, nor ever will be, a normal girl.
"Lina, my darling, I just want to be near you," Zelgadis replied, but stepped out of Lina's hitting range anyway. Lina glowered at him. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and snorted.
"You don't have to touch a person to be near them," she snapped.
Zelgadis nodded thoughtfully. "True." However, Lina did not fail to miss the sly smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"We're almost to Toulouse; I believe it's just beyond this forest," Lina said. She glanced around at their surroundings. To the east and west, rolling hills and fields of wheat lay as far as the eye could see. Directly to the north, a foreboding forest beckoned the travelers. Lina shivered in spite of the warm sunlight on her back. She'd heard awful rumors about what went on in the Lautrec Forest.
According to legend, hundreds of years ago, two young lovers ran away from their home to elope. Their parents would not give them consent to marry. When the lovers reached the Lautrec Forest, they were brutally attacked and killed by a group of bandits. It was said that the spirits of the lovers still haunt the forest, embittered by their fate and jealous of other lovers. Any couple traversing the forest would feel the spirits' wrath; one person was killed and the other driven insane. Even a show of affection within the forest's limits was enough to attract the spirits.
This was where Lina grew nervous. Normally, it wouldn't have bothered her: She never showed affection for anyone. However, she had an amorous man for a travel companion, and that was sure to brew trouble, considering the way Zel had acted thus far.
There were only two choices, and only one of them was acceptable. The first was to simply skirt the forest and walk the long way around it. However, the Lautrec Forest was huge, and that would take at least an extra 3 days to travel. There was no way in Hell Lina was going to spend 3 more days than she had to with Zel in his current condition. Levitating over the forest was out, because a magic barrier had been placed around it and it was impossible to use magic in and above the forest. That left the only other option: Walk straight through, and hope for the best.
"So, shall we continue?" Zelgadis asked, his voice interrupting Lina's introspection. She blinked and looked up at him. The chimera smiled down at her. Lina realized that his arm was across her shoulders, and his fingers were lightly caressing her upper arm.
"HI-YA!" she yelled, and, grabbing the offending arm, sent the poor chimera flying through the air. "What did I say about touching me?! DON'T DO IT!"
"…itai…" was the mumbled reply. Lina started walking again. She made it her prerogative to step solidly on Zelgadis's chest as she sauntered by.
"Let's go," she said airily. Zelgadis sighed, climbed to his feet, and followed the sorceress.
***
The forest…
"It's so cold and dismal in here," Lina murmured. She and Zel had arrived at the forest's border only a few minutes after their short break, and, with only a small bit of apprehension, walked straight into the shadows. They were currently forcing their way through the thick undergrowth and blankets of vines.
"It sure is," Zelgadis replied as he hacked away at the particularly large vine.
"Can't you hurry it up? We wanna get through here as quick as we possibly can." Lina chafed her arms and shivered. "At least we need to find a clearing to bed down for the night. Make a fire. Ooooh… fire… nice…" A contented sigh escaped Lina's lips.
"Don't you mean 'you' want to get through here as quick as possible?" Zelgadis replied. He held the now broken vine out of Lina's way as she walked forward.
"You're kidding me. You actually want to stay here?"
"Well, it gives me more time with you, my dear."
"ARGH! DON'T SAY THAT!" Lina shrieked. She spun on her heel and slapped her hand against Zel's mouth. With wide eyes she frantically searched the area around them. "Didn't I tell you to cool it while we're here? L-sama, we'll both be dead if you do that again!"
"Mmmph mm mph," Zelgadis mumbled. Lina scowled and pulled her hand away.
"You idiot. I *told* you about the legends here! Any form of affection will incur the wrath of the spirits, and then we'll both be screwed," she snapped. She continued walking.
"Why are you so paranoid?" Zelgadis replied. "Lina Inverse, the girl who defeated Shabranigdo, Hellmaster Phibrizzo, Darkstar - just to name a few - is afraid of some ghosts? What's wrong with this picture?"
Lina shot him a dirty look over her shoulder.
"In case you haven't noticed, genius, I can't use my magic while in this forest. Meaning no Fireballs, no Dragon Slaves, no nothing. Not even Lighting works. And you won't be able to use your magic, either. At least you have a sword. Me? I have a dagger. A *dagger*. How is that gonna hurt a ghost? Answer me that. I'm weaponless against a nasty supernatural force. And I'm supposed to be okay with this?"
"Lina, I'll always protect you."
"Don't talk like that."
"I'd never let anyone hurt you."
"Shut up."
"Be they ghosts, or trolls, or Mazoku - Bring them on, I say! Bring them on!"
"Zelgadis, shut UP!"
"Oh Lina, my sweet love, I can't bear to part with you!" Zelgadis exclaimed, and then threw his arms around the shocked sorceress.
"Oh, L-sama, NO!" Lina shrieked. She wiggled out of the warm arms and spun to glare into Zelgadis's face. "You are getting weirder by the second! And now you've doomed us both! Any second now those ghosts will be after us!"
They lapsed into silence.
A few seconds went by.
A minute passed.
Nothing happened.
"So where are these ghosts of yours?" Zelgadis asked, smirking.
"Shut up," Lina growled. They continued their trek through the thick underbrush.
***
Elsewhere…
*Do you feel it?*
~Yes, I feel it.~
*They don't even realize it.*
~That just goes to show how pathetic humans are.~
*Well, we can't let them just walk away, can we?*
~Of course not. How shall we dispose of them?~
*Very carefully. I sense the raw power of Her. It's… disturbing…*
~Then let us proceed.~
Somewhere nearby, the wind subtly shifted.
***
A small clearing…
Lina kept her eyes trained on the dancing shadows of the forest. The flickering fire at her back did nothing to warm her frozen face or her growing sense of dread. Zelgadis has been on his best behavior, but surely what he's let slip so far was enough to summon the spirits, the sorceress thought, absently pulling up blades of grass. So why have we gotten so far without even one attack?
The moon shone down wanly, obscured by clouds and the spreading treetops. The quiet crackles and pops of the fire, normally soothing to Lina's frazzled nerves, only made her more jumpy.
She wasn't sure why, exactly. Sure, there were restless spirits haunting the forest, but Lina Inverse had faced much worse before. Still… An unsettling feeling wrapped around the sorceress like a lackluster shroud.
Then again, that wasn't the only thing wrapped around Lina at the moment…
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME!" she shrieked and pummeled the poor chimera into the ground.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" the said chimera wailed. "You looked so cold and lonely I couldn't help it!"
"Well, DON'T do it again!"
"All right, all right." Zelgadis moved back over to his side of the fire and began sharpening a dagger on a stone. "But just remember, I'll always be here for you, no matter what."
"Hmph." Lina kept her back to him, for the double purpose of watching for trouble and hiding her blush. Dammit, if only he didn't make me feel this way…
"Lina?"
"What?"
"There's a small pond right beyond that stand of trees, if you want to wash up before settling down for the night.
"Oh. Um… thanks." Lina shifted her body and glanced at Zelgadis's face. His attention was 100% on sharpening the knife. It'll probably be freezing cold, but maybe it'll keep me awake for the first shift. "I'll be back in a few minutes." Zelgadis didn't reply.
Lina crossed the small clearing and crept through the trees. Sure enough, a tiny pond glimmered at her. The surface was inky black, and without the moonlight shining down, there was no silver sheen.
Lina knelt on the bank and cupped her hands. The water was so bitterly cold she flinched and drew her hands out of the water. It should be frozen solid if it's this cold.
That was another thing bothering Lina. Before they had entered the forest, the weather had been wonderful and sunny. In the forest, it seemed as though drizzly rain and clouds followed the traveling duo. Both during the day and night, it was disgustingly cold, as though it was winter. It wasn't.
A vicious wind picked up and died down almost as quickly. Lina's teeth chattered and she quickly dunked her hands into the water. She splashed the frigid water on her face, which was more than enough to jolt her senses. Gotta get back to the fire…
"… I'll be waving my hand, watching you drown, watching you scream, quiet or loud…"
Lina paused. She was almost certain she had heard a voice singing. It was vaguely female, so it wasn't Zelgadis. Lina glanced around, saw nothing, and stood up slowly.
"… I'll be waving my hand, watching you drown, watching you scream, quiet or loud…"
Again, it seemed to tease the redheaded sorceress. Lina spun around. Still, no one appeared.
"Zelgadis, if you're playing a trick on me, I swear I'm gonna kill you!" she yelled. No response. Then, liltingly, someone giggled. That definitely wasn't Zelgadis. "Who are you? Where the hell are you?"
"… I'll be waving my hand, watching you drown, watching you scream, quiet or loud…"
Lina had just enough time to shriek, "ZELGADIS!" before soft but firm hands shoved her toward and into the pond.
***
Meanwhile…
Zelgadis set his dagger and stone beside the fire. A bone-rattling cold wind swept the clearing. The fire, although built strong, wavered slightly. Zelgadis's head swiveled in the direction Lina had gone.
Was that singing he heard?
Lina didn't sing, did she?
"ZELGADIS!"
That was definitely Lina, and she sounded like she was in trouble.
Without hesitation, Zelgadis leapt to his feet and raced for the pond.
***
Meanwhile…
The pond was deeper than it looked. Lina's foot did not touch bottom, as she expected. The cold water knocked the air out of Lina's lungs, and she involuntarily gasped, dragging water down her throat. She started choking, and that only resulted in more slimy water filling her lungs. Above her, below her, around her - all she could see was inky blackness.
Zelgadis… she thought, fighting her way in the direction she thought was up. As the water around her lightened, due to the moon now glowing dully silver, Lina began to see black spots. I can't… I can't reach…
Pale white arms suddenly dove into the water and pushed Lina back further. The black spots grew more numerous, and there was virtually no oxygen left in her lungs.
"… I'll be waving my hand, watching you drown, watching you scream, quiet or loud…"
The sing-song voice was back in her head, and it was the last thing Lina heard before the darkness consumed her.
***
The disturbance on the surface indicated where Lina was trying to break through, but the ripples receded with out releasing the sorceress. Zelgadis didn't pause at the water's edge; he simply jumped in.
The cold nearly knocked the air out of Zelgadis's lungs, too, but because of his chimeric form, the cold did not affect him as much as it did Lina. Eyes open slightly in the murky depths, Zelgadis searched for Lina.
Something brushed his arm. Zelgadis immediately grasped it and pulled it to him. Soft skin, hair like tendrils of seaweed - it had to be Lina. Zelgadis kicked his feet and swam for the surface, the limp figure held tight in his grip.
"… I'll be waving my hand, watching you drown, watching you scream, quiet or loud…"
Zelgadis's head broke the surface of the water in time to hear the lilting voice singing. Gasping for air and from the cold, Zelgadis struggled to get to shore. It was difficult, trying to keep both his and Lina's heads above the waterline.
"What do we have here? Two traveling lovers? Don't you know about the legend?" a rough male voice chuckled. Zelgadis couldn't spare any of the oxygen filling his lungs; he didn't reply.
"That was fun. I wanna do it again!" the female voice said. She giggled; the high, giddy laugh of the insane. "I'll be waving my hand, watching you drown, watching you scream, quiet or loud…"
"That's enough, Rebecca," the male voice barked. The female grumbled.
Zelgadis reached shore. He managed to pull Lina out of the frigid waters. Her face was deathly pale in the moonlight. No movement indicated her life status.
"Li-Lina?" Zelgadis whispered, fumbling for Lina's limp wrist. "Lina… wake up. Don't…" He felt the pulse, fluttering like a dying butterfly against his fingers. "Lina…"
"I thought she was dead!" the girl exclaimed. "No fair! She didn't die!" Zelgadis's head snapped up. Approaching him was a girl and a guy, probably about Zelgadis's age. They were unquestionably the spirits of the forest. They shimmered and faded with an internal light, but flickers of shadows belied the illusion. The girl smiled cruelly, although her face would normally have been projected as sweet and innocent. The guy's face was hard and unforgiving. His eyes flickered over Lina and Zelgadis. An unreadable look passed in his eyes.
"What the hell do you want from us?" Zelgadis demanded, his teeth clenched painfully. He couldn't use magic to revive Lina, and the only other way was CPR. Zelgadis would have gladly done that, but the fact that two ghosts were stalking him sort of changed his prerogative.
"What do you mean, what do we want from you? We simply want you to suffer like we've had to suffer," Rebecca snarled. Zelgadis stared at her.
"Why? Aren't you both together now? Why does it make a difference, in life or in death?"
Rebecca glanced at the man beside her.
"It was in our earthly bodies that we first came to love one another," he answered for her. Zelgadis cradled Lina's lifeless body in his arms, protecting her.
"Are you so wrapped up in your sick concept of justice that you can't see you're still together? What is tying you here? Why can't you leave?"
"It's not a matter of leaving! It's a matter of making things right!" Rebecca screamed. She threw herself into the man's arms. "Rudolphe and I should never have gone through what we did! We deserve to exact our revenge!"
"You already have, countless times before! Let us go! We'll be out of the forest by noon tomorrow!"
"It isn't fair!" Rebecca continued to scream. Ghostly tears trailed down her cheeks. "Why do other lovers get to share their time together? It isn't fair!"
"Life isn't fair!" Zelgadis growled. Rebecca stifled another shriek. Rudolphe released her and stepped toward Zelgadis. He raised his hand, and a ball of pure white energy gathered in his open palm.
"We shall see about that."
"NO!!" Zelgadis laid Lina back on the ground and jumped in front of her. His hands, accustomed to drawing a sword, immediately went to his waist. His fingers met empty air. Damn! I wasn't thinking! Zelgadis had left his weaponry back by the campfire side. His only other choice was to attack Rudolphe with fists and feet, but that meant leaving Lina open, possibly to an attack by Rebecca. That was not a valid option.
The chimera closed his eyes and prepared for the worse.
"You who are not of this world. Pitiful, twisted creatures. By the Light of Purity I possess, I bid thee be gone to the nexus of our two worlds! Megido Flare!" a voice unlike any voice Zelgadis had every heard called out. The chimera's eyes flew open. The spell in Rudolphe's hand dissipated. Rudolphe turned to stare at the owner of the new voice, and Rebecca clung to Rudolphe's arm.
A figure in shining white - wholly pure, unlike the ghosts - floated calmly over the pond. Hair like spun gold floated about Its head, and honey-brown eyes gazed at the scene below from a porcelain face.
"Rudolphe…" Rebecca whispered. She stared at their clasped hands. Ever so slowly, then picking up speed, their image broke up and disappeared like water on oil. Their feet, legs, and waist were gone. The faced each other, and a calm emotion settled over their features. "I feel funny, Rudolphe…"
"So do I, but I think…" Rudolphe started, then glanced at the Holy Being. "I think we've been saved."
The couple embraced, and the last of soul disappeared. Zelgadis, once again cradling Lina's body, stared at the Holy Being.
"Who are you? How could you use magic? I thought there was a barrier… What are you doing here?" his words tumbled out before he could stop himself.
The Being floated down to him, and slippered feet touched the sandy shore. A woman's face shone radiantly as she smiled and knelt beside them.
"Barriers do not restrict my kind," she said. She touched Lina's forehead with the tip of her index finger. "And I am here because She sent me. It was time for those two to leave this mortal realm. They had outstayed their welcome."
"She?"
"The mother of all, the darkness beyond blackest pitch, the one who shines like gold upon the Sea of Chaos- "
"… the Lord of Nightmares," Zelgadis breathed. He stared at the sweet face, and shook his head. "Why? Who are you? WHAT are you?"
"Why is not important. Who and what I am is also not important, but if you must call me something, I am Artemise." The Holy Being whispered a short spell under her breath, then withdrew her fingers. She gave Zelgadis a kind smile. "Young man, your lady friend will awaken soon. I will be gone by then. You may tell her what happened, or perhaps you would like to think of something else."
"How close was she… to… to-"
"To death?" Zelgadis nodded. Artemise stood up. "Very close. I doubt she will be happy to hear she almost died by drowning, and not by fighting a Mazoku lord or the like."
"True."
"Goodbye, Zelgadis Graywords." With that, she simply disappeared. Zelgadis blinked once; twice, three times, and she was still gone. How did she know my name? …
Lina began coughing. Her back arched and her lungs heaved, and the water was expelled from her body. Zelgadis held her gently and stroked her forehead.
"You'll be okay, Lina. You'll be okay."
"What the hell *cough cough* are you *cough* talking about?!" Lina sputtered. She rolled over onto her side and pounded her fist into the ground as she continued to cough.
"I'm talking about how you nearly died!"
"I re-remember the voice… *cough* The singing. Then falling *cough* into the pond. So cold, so cold… I couldn't *cough cough* breath. Something… holding me down…"
"Shh, shh, don't speak. You need to breathe normally before you can talk," Zelgadis said. He continued to stroke her clammy face and push wet strands of hair away from her cheek.
"Zelgadis, what the hell happened?!" she hissed. Zelgadis scooped up the trembling sorceress into his arms and started walking back toward the campfire. Should I tell her? What should I say? Does she really need to know??
"It was your imagination," he lamely replied. Lina, although weak, punched his arm.
"No it wasn't, you rock head! L-sama, you can be so lame sometimes…" she exclaimed she coughed and grasped his wet shirt. "Well, I'll ask you tomorrow, and you better give me a damn good answer. But for now, I'm tired, and I wanna go to sleep."
"Good idea."
Neither of them seemed to notice how close they were. Not once had Lina complained while Zelgadis stroked her cheek, or when he picked her up. She even clung to him, and didn't even ask why his shirt was also wet. Zelgadis, since hearing Lina's cry for help, has pushed all lustful thoughts from his mind. Here he was, carrying the woman of his dreams, and all he could think of was getting her to the warm fireside.
Zelgadis insisted he take the first and only watch. Lina needed to rest, and for once, Lina agreed. She snuggled into her bedroll, said goodnight, and closed her eyes.
Zelgadis watched her face. Something was nagging in the back of his mind. What was it?
Something about saving Lina… pulling her from the water… how do you save a drowned victim?
Oh. Of course…
"AW, DAMMIT!! MOUTH-TO-MOUTH RESUSCITATION!! I HAD THE CHANCE AND BLEW IT! I'M SUCH AN IDIOT!!"
"Zelgadis…"
"… Yes?"
"SHUT UP!!"
KAPOW!
The boot left an imprint on Zelgadis's face.
*** The line "I'll be waving my hand, watching you drown, watching you scream, quiet or loud" is from an Our Lady Peace song called "Clumsy".
Author Notes: Well, I'm certainly happy with the positive response I got from this fanfic, and so, in dedication to everyone who gave me feedback for the first act, here's act 2. More weirdness and OOC-Zel. Have fun. It gets strangely serious at the end; but don't worry, I hope on making it really crazy in the next chapter to make up for it. ^_______^
~Crazy for this Girl: Act 2~
What's a girl to do?
When her normally withdrawn and indifferent friend suddenly turns into a libido-driven sex fiend, what's a girl to do?
Any normal girl would take her friend aside and explain gently but firmly that she does not welcome the extra attention and would greatly appreciate it if he would keep to himself. Any normal girl would remain cool, calm, and collected. Any normal girl -
"ZELGADIS GRAYWORDS, IF YOUR HAND GETS ANY CLOSER TO MY REAR I WILL MAKE YOU EAT YOUR FIST!!"
Of course, Lina Inverse is not, nor ever will be, a normal girl.
"Lina, my darling, I just want to be near you," Zelgadis replied, but stepped out of Lina's hitting range anyway. Lina glowered at him. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and snorted.
"You don't have to touch a person to be near them," she snapped.
Zelgadis nodded thoughtfully. "True." However, Lina did not fail to miss the sly smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"We're almost to Toulouse; I believe it's just beyond this forest," Lina said. She glanced around at their surroundings. To the east and west, rolling hills and fields of wheat lay as far as the eye could see. Directly to the north, a foreboding forest beckoned the travelers. Lina shivered in spite of the warm sunlight on her back. She'd heard awful rumors about what went on in the Lautrec Forest.
According to legend, hundreds of years ago, two young lovers ran away from their home to elope. Their parents would not give them consent to marry. When the lovers reached the Lautrec Forest, they were brutally attacked and killed by a group of bandits. It was said that the spirits of the lovers still haunt the forest, embittered by their fate and jealous of other lovers. Any couple traversing the forest would feel the spirits' wrath; one person was killed and the other driven insane. Even a show of affection within the forest's limits was enough to attract the spirits.
This was where Lina grew nervous. Normally, it wouldn't have bothered her: She never showed affection for anyone. However, she had an amorous man for a travel companion, and that was sure to brew trouble, considering the way Zel had acted thus far.
There were only two choices, and only one of them was acceptable. The first was to simply skirt the forest and walk the long way around it. However, the Lautrec Forest was huge, and that would take at least an extra 3 days to travel. There was no way in Hell Lina was going to spend 3 more days than she had to with Zel in his current condition. Levitating over the forest was out, because a magic barrier had been placed around it and it was impossible to use magic in and above the forest. That left the only other option: Walk straight through, and hope for the best.
"So, shall we continue?" Zelgadis asked, his voice interrupting Lina's introspection. She blinked and looked up at him. The chimera smiled down at her. Lina realized that his arm was across her shoulders, and his fingers were lightly caressing her upper arm.
"HI-YA!" she yelled, and, grabbing the offending arm, sent the poor chimera flying through the air. "What did I say about touching me?! DON'T DO IT!"
"…itai…" was the mumbled reply. Lina started walking again. She made it her prerogative to step solidly on Zelgadis's chest as she sauntered by.
"Let's go," she said airily. Zelgadis sighed, climbed to his feet, and followed the sorceress.
***
The forest…
"It's so cold and dismal in here," Lina murmured. She and Zel had arrived at the forest's border only a few minutes after their short break, and, with only a small bit of apprehension, walked straight into the shadows. They were currently forcing their way through the thick undergrowth and blankets of vines.
"It sure is," Zelgadis replied as he hacked away at the particularly large vine.
"Can't you hurry it up? We wanna get through here as quick as we possibly can." Lina chafed her arms and shivered. "At least we need to find a clearing to bed down for the night. Make a fire. Ooooh… fire… nice…" A contented sigh escaped Lina's lips.
"Don't you mean 'you' want to get through here as quick as possible?" Zelgadis replied. He held the now broken vine out of Lina's way as she walked forward.
"You're kidding me. You actually want to stay here?"
"Well, it gives me more time with you, my dear."
"ARGH! DON'T SAY THAT!" Lina shrieked. She spun on her heel and slapped her hand against Zel's mouth. With wide eyes she frantically searched the area around them. "Didn't I tell you to cool it while we're here? L-sama, we'll both be dead if you do that again!"
"Mmmph mm mph," Zelgadis mumbled. Lina scowled and pulled her hand away.
"You idiot. I *told* you about the legends here! Any form of affection will incur the wrath of the spirits, and then we'll both be screwed," she snapped. She continued walking.
"Why are you so paranoid?" Zelgadis replied. "Lina Inverse, the girl who defeated Shabranigdo, Hellmaster Phibrizzo, Darkstar - just to name a few - is afraid of some ghosts? What's wrong with this picture?"
Lina shot him a dirty look over her shoulder.
"In case you haven't noticed, genius, I can't use my magic while in this forest. Meaning no Fireballs, no Dragon Slaves, no nothing. Not even Lighting works. And you won't be able to use your magic, either. At least you have a sword. Me? I have a dagger. A *dagger*. How is that gonna hurt a ghost? Answer me that. I'm weaponless against a nasty supernatural force. And I'm supposed to be okay with this?"
"Lina, I'll always protect you."
"Don't talk like that."
"I'd never let anyone hurt you."
"Shut up."
"Be they ghosts, or trolls, or Mazoku - Bring them on, I say! Bring them on!"
"Zelgadis, shut UP!"
"Oh Lina, my sweet love, I can't bear to part with you!" Zelgadis exclaimed, and then threw his arms around the shocked sorceress.
"Oh, L-sama, NO!" Lina shrieked. She wiggled out of the warm arms and spun to glare into Zelgadis's face. "You are getting weirder by the second! And now you've doomed us both! Any second now those ghosts will be after us!"
They lapsed into silence.
A few seconds went by.
A minute passed.
Nothing happened.
"So where are these ghosts of yours?" Zelgadis asked, smirking.
"Shut up," Lina growled. They continued their trek through the thick underbrush.
***
Elsewhere…
*Do you feel it?*
~Yes, I feel it.~
*They don't even realize it.*
~That just goes to show how pathetic humans are.~
*Well, we can't let them just walk away, can we?*
~Of course not. How shall we dispose of them?~
*Very carefully. I sense the raw power of Her. It's… disturbing…*
~Then let us proceed.~
Somewhere nearby, the wind subtly shifted.
***
A small clearing…
Lina kept her eyes trained on the dancing shadows of the forest. The flickering fire at her back did nothing to warm her frozen face or her growing sense of dread. Zelgadis has been on his best behavior, but surely what he's let slip so far was enough to summon the spirits, the sorceress thought, absently pulling up blades of grass. So why have we gotten so far without even one attack?
The moon shone down wanly, obscured by clouds and the spreading treetops. The quiet crackles and pops of the fire, normally soothing to Lina's frazzled nerves, only made her more jumpy.
She wasn't sure why, exactly. Sure, there were restless spirits haunting the forest, but Lina Inverse had faced much worse before. Still… An unsettling feeling wrapped around the sorceress like a lackluster shroud.
Then again, that wasn't the only thing wrapped around Lina at the moment…
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME!" she shrieked and pummeled the poor chimera into the ground.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" the said chimera wailed. "You looked so cold and lonely I couldn't help it!"
"Well, DON'T do it again!"
"All right, all right." Zelgadis moved back over to his side of the fire and began sharpening a dagger on a stone. "But just remember, I'll always be here for you, no matter what."
"Hmph." Lina kept her back to him, for the double purpose of watching for trouble and hiding her blush. Dammit, if only he didn't make me feel this way…
"Lina?"
"What?"
"There's a small pond right beyond that stand of trees, if you want to wash up before settling down for the night.
"Oh. Um… thanks." Lina shifted her body and glanced at Zelgadis's face. His attention was 100% on sharpening the knife. It'll probably be freezing cold, but maybe it'll keep me awake for the first shift. "I'll be back in a few minutes." Zelgadis didn't reply.
Lina crossed the small clearing and crept through the trees. Sure enough, a tiny pond glimmered at her. The surface was inky black, and without the moonlight shining down, there was no silver sheen.
Lina knelt on the bank and cupped her hands. The water was so bitterly cold she flinched and drew her hands out of the water. It should be frozen solid if it's this cold.
That was another thing bothering Lina. Before they had entered the forest, the weather had been wonderful and sunny. In the forest, it seemed as though drizzly rain and clouds followed the traveling duo. Both during the day and night, it was disgustingly cold, as though it was winter. It wasn't.
A vicious wind picked up and died down almost as quickly. Lina's teeth chattered and she quickly dunked her hands into the water. She splashed the frigid water on her face, which was more than enough to jolt her senses. Gotta get back to the fire…
"… I'll be waving my hand, watching you drown, watching you scream, quiet or loud…"
Lina paused. She was almost certain she had heard a voice singing. It was vaguely female, so it wasn't Zelgadis. Lina glanced around, saw nothing, and stood up slowly.
"… I'll be waving my hand, watching you drown, watching you scream, quiet or loud…"
Again, it seemed to tease the redheaded sorceress. Lina spun around. Still, no one appeared.
"Zelgadis, if you're playing a trick on me, I swear I'm gonna kill you!" she yelled. No response. Then, liltingly, someone giggled. That definitely wasn't Zelgadis. "Who are you? Where the hell are you?"
"… I'll be waving my hand, watching you drown, watching you scream, quiet or loud…"
Lina had just enough time to shriek, "ZELGADIS!" before soft but firm hands shoved her toward and into the pond.
***
Meanwhile…
Zelgadis set his dagger and stone beside the fire. A bone-rattling cold wind swept the clearing. The fire, although built strong, wavered slightly. Zelgadis's head swiveled in the direction Lina had gone.
Was that singing he heard?
Lina didn't sing, did she?
"ZELGADIS!"
That was definitely Lina, and she sounded like she was in trouble.
Without hesitation, Zelgadis leapt to his feet and raced for the pond.
***
Meanwhile…
The pond was deeper than it looked. Lina's foot did not touch bottom, as she expected. The cold water knocked the air out of Lina's lungs, and she involuntarily gasped, dragging water down her throat. She started choking, and that only resulted in more slimy water filling her lungs. Above her, below her, around her - all she could see was inky blackness.
Zelgadis… she thought, fighting her way in the direction she thought was up. As the water around her lightened, due to the moon now glowing dully silver, Lina began to see black spots. I can't… I can't reach…
Pale white arms suddenly dove into the water and pushed Lina back further. The black spots grew more numerous, and there was virtually no oxygen left in her lungs.
"… I'll be waving my hand, watching you drown, watching you scream, quiet or loud…"
The sing-song voice was back in her head, and it was the last thing Lina heard before the darkness consumed her.
***
The disturbance on the surface indicated where Lina was trying to break through, but the ripples receded with out releasing the sorceress. Zelgadis didn't pause at the water's edge; he simply jumped in.
The cold nearly knocked the air out of Zelgadis's lungs, too, but because of his chimeric form, the cold did not affect him as much as it did Lina. Eyes open slightly in the murky depths, Zelgadis searched for Lina.
Something brushed his arm. Zelgadis immediately grasped it and pulled it to him. Soft skin, hair like tendrils of seaweed - it had to be Lina. Zelgadis kicked his feet and swam for the surface, the limp figure held tight in his grip.
"… I'll be waving my hand, watching you drown, watching you scream, quiet or loud…"
Zelgadis's head broke the surface of the water in time to hear the lilting voice singing. Gasping for air and from the cold, Zelgadis struggled to get to shore. It was difficult, trying to keep both his and Lina's heads above the waterline.
"What do we have here? Two traveling lovers? Don't you know about the legend?" a rough male voice chuckled. Zelgadis couldn't spare any of the oxygen filling his lungs; he didn't reply.
"That was fun. I wanna do it again!" the female voice said. She giggled; the high, giddy laugh of the insane. "I'll be waving my hand, watching you drown, watching you scream, quiet or loud…"
"That's enough, Rebecca," the male voice barked. The female grumbled.
Zelgadis reached shore. He managed to pull Lina out of the frigid waters. Her face was deathly pale in the moonlight. No movement indicated her life status.
"Li-Lina?" Zelgadis whispered, fumbling for Lina's limp wrist. "Lina… wake up. Don't…" He felt the pulse, fluttering like a dying butterfly against his fingers. "Lina…"
"I thought she was dead!" the girl exclaimed. "No fair! She didn't die!" Zelgadis's head snapped up. Approaching him was a girl and a guy, probably about Zelgadis's age. They were unquestionably the spirits of the forest. They shimmered and faded with an internal light, but flickers of shadows belied the illusion. The girl smiled cruelly, although her face would normally have been projected as sweet and innocent. The guy's face was hard and unforgiving. His eyes flickered over Lina and Zelgadis. An unreadable look passed in his eyes.
"What the hell do you want from us?" Zelgadis demanded, his teeth clenched painfully. He couldn't use magic to revive Lina, and the only other way was CPR. Zelgadis would have gladly done that, but the fact that two ghosts were stalking him sort of changed his prerogative.
"What do you mean, what do we want from you? We simply want you to suffer like we've had to suffer," Rebecca snarled. Zelgadis stared at her.
"Why? Aren't you both together now? Why does it make a difference, in life or in death?"
Rebecca glanced at the man beside her.
"It was in our earthly bodies that we first came to love one another," he answered for her. Zelgadis cradled Lina's lifeless body in his arms, protecting her.
"Are you so wrapped up in your sick concept of justice that you can't see you're still together? What is tying you here? Why can't you leave?"
"It's not a matter of leaving! It's a matter of making things right!" Rebecca screamed. She threw herself into the man's arms. "Rudolphe and I should never have gone through what we did! We deserve to exact our revenge!"
"You already have, countless times before! Let us go! We'll be out of the forest by noon tomorrow!"
"It isn't fair!" Rebecca continued to scream. Ghostly tears trailed down her cheeks. "Why do other lovers get to share their time together? It isn't fair!"
"Life isn't fair!" Zelgadis growled. Rebecca stifled another shriek. Rudolphe released her and stepped toward Zelgadis. He raised his hand, and a ball of pure white energy gathered in his open palm.
"We shall see about that."
"NO!!" Zelgadis laid Lina back on the ground and jumped in front of her. His hands, accustomed to drawing a sword, immediately went to his waist. His fingers met empty air. Damn! I wasn't thinking! Zelgadis had left his weaponry back by the campfire side. His only other choice was to attack Rudolphe with fists and feet, but that meant leaving Lina open, possibly to an attack by Rebecca. That was not a valid option.
The chimera closed his eyes and prepared for the worse.
"You who are not of this world. Pitiful, twisted creatures. By the Light of Purity I possess, I bid thee be gone to the nexus of our two worlds! Megido Flare!" a voice unlike any voice Zelgadis had every heard called out. The chimera's eyes flew open. The spell in Rudolphe's hand dissipated. Rudolphe turned to stare at the owner of the new voice, and Rebecca clung to Rudolphe's arm.
A figure in shining white - wholly pure, unlike the ghosts - floated calmly over the pond. Hair like spun gold floated about Its head, and honey-brown eyes gazed at the scene below from a porcelain face.
"Rudolphe…" Rebecca whispered. She stared at their clasped hands. Ever so slowly, then picking up speed, their image broke up and disappeared like water on oil. Their feet, legs, and waist were gone. The faced each other, and a calm emotion settled over their features. "I feel funny, Rudolphe…"
"So do I, but I think…" Rudolphe started, then glanced at the Holy Being. "I think we've been saved."
The couple embraced, and the last of soul disappeared. Zelgadis, once again cradling Lina's body, stared at the Holy Being.
"Who are you? How could you use magic? I thought there was a barrier… What are you doing here?" his words tumbled out before he could stop himself.
The Being floated down to him, and slippered feet touched the sandy shore. A woman's face shone radiantly as she smiled and knelt beside them.
"Barriers do not restrict my kind," she said. She touched Lina's forehead with the tip of her index finger. "And I am here because She sent me. It was time for those two to leave this mortal realm. They had outstayed their welcome."
"She?"
"The mother of all, the darkness beyond blackest pitch, the one who shines like gold upon the Sea of Chaos- "
"… the Lord of Nightmares," Zelgadis breathed. He stared at the sweet face, and shook his head. "Why? Who are you? WHAT are you?"
"Why is not important. Who and what I am is also not important, but if you must call me something, I am Artemise." The Holy Being whispered a short spell under her breath, then withdrew her fingers. She gave Zelgadis a kind smile. "Young man, your lady friend will awaken soon. I will be gone by then. You may tell her what happened, or perhaps you would like to think of something else."
"How close was she… to… to-"
"To death?" Zelgadis nodded. Artemise stood up. "Very close. I doubt she will be happy to hear she almost died by drowning, and not by fighting a Mazoku lord or the like."
"True."
"Goodbye, Zelgadis Graywords." With that, she simply disappeared. Zelgadis blinked once; twice, three times, and she was still gone. How did she know my name? …
Lina began coughing. Her back arched and her lungs heaved, and the water was expelled from her body. Zelgadis held her gently and stroked her forehead.
"You'll be okay, Lina. You'll be okay."
"What the hell *cough cough* are you *cough* talking about?!" Lina sputtered. She rolled over onto her side and pounded her fist into the ground as she continued to cough.
"I'm talking about how you nearly died!"
"I re-remember the voice… *cough* The singing. Then falling *cough* into the pond. So cold, so cold… I couldn't *cough cough* breath. Something… holding me down…"
"Shh, shh, don't speak. You need to breathe normally before you can talk," Zelgadis said. He continued to stroke her clammy face and push wet strands of hair away from her cheek.
"Zelgadis, what the hell happened?!" she hissed. Zelgadis scooped up the trembling sorceress into his arms and started walking back toward the campfire. Should I tell her? What should I say? Does she really need to know??
"It was your imagination," he lamely replied. Lina, although weak, punched his arm.
"No it wasn't, you rock head! L-sama, you can be so lame sometimes…" she exclaimed she coughed and grasped his wet shirt. "Well, I'll ask you tomorrow, and you better give me a damn good answer. But for now, I'm tired, and I wanna go to sleep."
"Good idea."
Neither of them seemed to notice how close they were. Not once had Lina complained while Zelgadis stroked her cheek, or when he picked her up. She even clung to him, and didn't even ask why his shirt was also wet. Zelgadis, since hearing Lina's cry for help, has pushed all lustful thoughts from his mind. Here he was, carrying the woman of his dreams, and all he could think of was getting her to the warm fireside.
Zelgadis insisted he take the first and only watch. Lina needed to rest, and for once, Lina agreed. She snuggled into her bedroll, said goodnight, and closed her eyes.
Zelgadis watched her face. Something was nagging in the back of his mind. What was it?
Something about saving Lina… pulling her from the water… how do you save a drowned victim?
Oh. Of course…
"AW, DAMMIT!! MOUTH-TO-MOUTH RESUSCITATION!! I HAD THE CHANCE AND BLEW IT! I'M SUCH AN IDIOT!!"
"Zelgadis…"
"… Yes?"
"SHUT UP!!"
KAPOW!
The boot left an imprint on Zelgadis's face.
*** The line "I'll be waving my hand, watching you drown, watching you scream, quiet or loud" is from an Our Lady Peace song called "Clumsy".
On to Crazy for this Girl - Act 3