Chapter Three:

A Friend in Need…

Lina’s vision cleared from the white brilliance that had flared across her and she picked herself up off of the floor, mentally counting broken ribs. Well, she had a few left intact. Was this some sort of left over spell of Rezo’s? “What... what are you trying to prove, Zelgadis?”

He looked over, annoyed at both the dagger’s refusal to injure him, and her refusal to go away. “I am proving nothing except for the fact that if you stay, your life may be in danger.”

She coughed more blood, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, ignoring the pain and the metallic taste in her mouth. “Danger? I’m used to that, Zelgadis. You of all people ought to know.” It’s like he’s an enemy again. There’s something wild in his eyes and I can’t figure it out. Almost… almost… She moved closer to him, trying to lay her hand on him again. It had come so close to working the last time.

He reached out, grabbing her by the wrist and sending her back into the wall again. More ribs cracked and she doubled over against the pain. I don’t know what’s happened to him… this is so unlike him… he’s different now… It suddenly hit her. Now. But what about then? What about before I met him? What was he like? Is he caught, trapped into a memory and unaware that I am trying to help him? His eyes had changed in the bazaar, for a moment they hadn’t been the cold crystal eyes she saw now. Surely they would change again.

The pain clouded her mind, but she felt herself rallying, standing, felt the second wave of strength enter her awareness. Her mind cleared, and she looked at him. “Don’t you know that a simple blade won’t hurt you, Zelgadis? You need the Sword of Light, an enchanted blade to kill yourself with. If that’s what you’re after.”

He glared at her. “What would you know?”

“Oh, one of my friends is like you.” If I can just get close to him…touch him… maybe I can break through this time. I saw his eyes change the last time. “Stone skin, wire hair…” She moved closer and closer to him. “Oh, he’s not clumsy in anything but his emotions, but we like him just the same. He’s really kind of private, and he’s got a great laugh…” Her hand closed on his. “And he went away somewhere and we just want him to come back.”

Something flickered within the crystalline eyes, then faded. “Let go of me.”

“No, Zelgadis. I’ve come to take you back home. Back to your friends, where you belong. Not stuck in this place of misery… this…” It hit her suddenly, the newfound energy weakening, fading away. Walking towards him without showing pain had torn the energy from her. “This nightmarish memory.”

He tossed his hand out, throwing her across the room again. “Enough!”

Amelia watched as Zelgadis lay motionless on the bed. Suddenly, Lina fell out of her chair, blood spilling from her open mouth. Her breath rattled in her chest, and Amelia knew for certain that something was horribly wrong. She’d have to cast something soon, or…

Gourry burst into the room itself now, heading to grab Lina and try to protect her. “Lina!”

Amelia got in his way. “I’m sorry, Mister Gourry, but there’s nothing we can do right now. Miss Lina is trying to help Mister Zelgadis and if we interrupt her…” Her eyes narrowed, voice going firm. “So you’ll just have to stand guard at the door and make sure no-one comes in to bother Miss Lina.”

Gourry blinked a couple of times, then nodded. If standing at the door would help Lina… then he’d stand at the door. He didn’t understand it, and he certainly didn’t like it… but he’d stand at the door.

She landed hard, inches away from the wall. Pain flared red within her eyes and she heard her breath rattle. She’d have to do something soon or she’d get sent back to the physical world without him, if she made it back at all. If she died in her Astral form… Stop thinking about that! “Zelgadis… I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what Rezo… did to you. And I’m sorry we haven’t found a cure. Just… come back…”

Lina. Lina Inverse. And Amelia. Gourry. Something in her voice cracked the remaining thread of spell cast around his mind, and he dropped the dagger, running to her side, a sick feeling forming in the pit of his stomach. “Lina! What have I done? Damnit, Lina!”

Crimson eyes opened as he cradled her into his arms. “Don’t… worry, Zel… you’re back, right? I’ll be… okay…” Her eyes slid closed as he gathered the web of spells around himself and followed the path back to his physical body.

He opened his eyes with a gasp and looked over to see Amelia crouched beside Lina on the floor, looking to him. Moving to the fallen sorceress’ side, he cursed himself. He hadn’t meant to hurt her. He simply hadn’t known… damnit! He’d used so much power against her that the injuries transferred into the physical world. Damn you, Rezo. I refuse to let your power be the cause of one of my friends’ death!

“Mister… Zelgadis…?” Amelia asked nervously. He looked angrier than she had ever seen the normally calm Chimera. In the back of her mind, she saw the brilliant anger flashing in his eyes and wondered what had happened. Did Miss Lina do something to upset him? She’s awfully injured, and I’m not certain that anything that I can cast anything that can remotely heal her… That spark that she saw in his eyes… what did it mean? She could swear that for a moment, just the briefest of instants, when he had opened his eyes and looked at her, that he was expecting someone else to be leaning over him. And that there was an un-acted upon intention. But he had covered, blinking quickly to conceal that emotion and replacing it with a brilliant anger at the sight of Lina’s injured and unconscious form.

“She broke the last of an old spell that Rezo once used to control me through fear. But what I did to her in the process…” Zelgadis said quietly, forcing himself to calm down while trying to ascertain the damage that he had done to Lina.

Gourry had been silent until now, cowed into standing at the door by Amelia’s order. “Man… if only Sylphiel were here. She’d be able to help.”

“Light of all Lights, grant thy power to my hand!” Amelia cast, unaware that it was the very same spell that Lina had earlier cast on Zelgadis. The brilliance shimmered over Lina, beginning to knit broken bones and partially healing the wounds caused by transference from the Astral Plane.

But still, Lina’s eyes did not open.

“Damnit, Lina!” Zelgadis burst. “The spell was aimed at me, not you! Let go of it!”

“What do you mean, Mister Zelgadis?” Amelia asked, looking at him with wide eyes. She’d never seen him like this. Maybe she was right. Maybe he did like Lina…maybe that’s what I saw in his eyes! Maybe she did something in the Astral Plane and he wanted… it looked like, for a moment, he wanted to kiss someone. Was it… Miss Lina?

“Rezo laid a trap within my mind, a spell that would lock me into memories and force me to relive my youth. Over the years, I’ve been working on breaking it… but this last time it backfired. I got caught up in the inner working of the spell, and I fear that Lina has as well.”

“Oh no…! That can’t be! Miss Lina…” Amelia said softly. He’s not telling me everything. I don’t blame him…

“It’s okay… I’m okay…” Lina muttered, wincing and opening her eyes. Her gaze shifted from Amelia to Zelgadis and something flickered within her eyes for a moment before she sat up and rubbed her neck. “Oof…”

“Are you certain, Miss Lina?” Amelia asked, resting her hand on Lina’s shoulder.

Lina nodded, yawning. “Though I’ll admit to being worn out now. I think I need to get at least some sleep tonight.” She stood, forced herself to keep from wobbling by sheer will alone, and walked to the door. “You too, Gourry.”

The door shut behind her, and her three companions looked at each other, millions of questions appeared in the three pairs of eyes, but not a one of them dared utter a word.

“Um… Mister Zelgadis… are you going to be okay?” Amelia asked, finally breaking the silence and looking to him with concern.

“I… will be fine with rest. You two should rest as well,” was his reply as he stood and walked back to the bed. For some reason he was drained of almost every ounce of energy he had. Something tickled at the back of his mind, as if there was something he ought to remember, or ought to know… but it was beyond him at the moment. All he wanted to do was close his eyes and mind to the world and the thought that he would have to look Lina in the eyes in the morning.

Gourry turned silently and walked into his room, largely confused, a wholly natural state of mind for the blonde swordsman. Amelia nodded, and suddenly finding herself alone with Zelgadis in his room, blushed, stammered, and fled for the sanctity of her own room.

Inside her room, Lina managed to unclasp her cloak and waist-belt before she allowed herself to collapse onto the bed. She wasn’t about to let them know how exhausting it had been, how emotionally draining the memories she had been exposed to were.

How much better she understood her chimera companion. But how could she tell him what she had seen? Tell him that she understood now?

She then sank into an exhausted trance. Time enough to deal with it when she was less exhausted and more awake. But first… healing.

Zelgadis lay in his bed, contemplating what had happened. His mind was exhausted, yet something was keeping him awake. It was all too clear that Lina had broken the spell that Rezo had woven around his memories, and he wondered what the cost had been to Lina. He wouldn’t know until the morning. His cheeks burned at the thought of what he had done to her when she tried to help him. He’d have to apologize in the morning.