A Few Simple Things, Part 9

"Maybe it did work, just not in the way you thought it was going to," Lina gritted out, trying to keep him from doing any more damage to the mountainside with his skull.

"Oh yeah? What's that supposed to mean? What desire could I possibly have that runs deeper than wanting to be human again, huh?"

Boy, he's really flipping out over this one, Lina thought, a little alarmed. It was unusual to see the generally calm Zelgadis so upset. This was a very bad idea, I think. "Well, something sure as hell happened," she said loudly. "It said your wish was granted. We just have to figure out how."

She noticed that he was finally beginning to leave a bloody smear where his head kept impacting the mountainside, and she nodded at Gourry. "Help me hold him, Gourry," she told the worried swordsman, who managed to drag Zelgadis away from the mountainside and force him into a sitting position. Then Gourry sat on Zelgadis' legs, while Lina restrained his arms. She was honestly starting to worry that Zelgadis might try to seriously injure himself over this, and it seemed Gourry shared her fear. She smiled for a moment. Good old Gourry. Too bad their relationship hadn't worked out. She sighed.

Zelgadis was still struggling to free himself, but Lina hadn't earned the title "Bandit-Killer" by not even being able to restrain one angsty young chimera. She hung on grimly.

"Let me go!" he yelled.

"Quit it, Zelgadis, you're scaring me," she muttered in his ear. Amelia was staying off to one side, wide-eyed with worry, but for once she seemed to know when to keep her mouth shut and stay out of the way.

Abruptly, Zelgadis quit struggling and slumped forward. It was a moment before Lina realized that he had tears pouring down his cheeks. Her face softened, but she didn't dare let go of his arms.

A flash of white caught Lina's gaze as Amelia strode forward. The petite princess knelt down by Zelgadis and put her arms around his neck. Zel dropped his head onto her shoulder and cried. Lina finally felt okay to release his arms, and he immediately wrapped them around the princess. Gourry looked to Lina for confirmation, then got off of Zelgadis' legs. Lina rubbed Zel's back, but it was Amelia who did the most comforting, holding him and murmuring into his ear, little things that even Lina, as close as she was, couldn't catch, until finally Zelgadis quit crying. He did not let go of Amelia, however.

Sensing her opportunity, Lina leaned forward. "Come on, Zel, we know something happened, we just don't know what." She looked around for inspiration. Gourry still looked worried and unhappy; no help there. Suddenly, Lina remembered Xellos, and what he'd said about "a few simple things." Acceptance among friends . . . Acceptance.

"Zelgadis," she said, "why do you really want to become human again, anyway, when you're so much more powerful in your present form?"

He didn't even glare at her, which was enough to start Lina worrying all over again, but Amelia shot her a dirty look, and seemed about to say something, but Lina quelled her with the same look she used to spook dragons. Amelia shut up.

Zelgadis finally looked up, wiping at his eyes, and said in a reasonably calm voice, "Because Lina, I'm tired of being a freak. I want to be human because I want people to . . ." He stopped dead, then whirled around to look at her, eyes wide. "I want to be human because I want people to accept me for who I am, not what I look like." Hope dawned in his eyes. "Do you think that's what . . .?"

Lina nodded. Zel actually smiled a little. "Well, that's something, I guess." The smile faded, and he sighed. "I'm still a freak, though."

Annoyed now, Lina thumped him on the head. "You were never a freak, Zel," she told him sternly, then struck her "teaching" pose again. "There are a few simple things in life that should always be enjoyed, Zelgadis," she said, not feeling the least bit bad about pirating what Xellos had told her. "One of them happens to be acceptance among friends . . . and you've always had that, from us. Even Gourry never makes cracks about you, and he insults my breasts all the time!" She glared at the blond, who grinned sheepishly.

"Well, they are kinda small, Lina."

Zelgadis grinned again. "What about Xellos? He makes fun of me all the time!"

"True!" said Xellos himself, materializing on a nearby boulder. "But even I, Zelgadis, hate you based on your wonderful personality." He grinned. "I only make fun of you because it pisses you off. If making fun of Lina's breasts pissed you off, I might do it!"

Lina leveled her Dragon Spooker at Xellos. "Making fun of Lina's breasts will piss Lina off," she snarled ominously, then stood up. "Come on, let's go," she said. "Your forehead is a mess, Zel, and there's not much we can do about it before we get out of these mountains, or at least reach an inn, so let's get going, okay?"

Zelgadis put a hand to his forehead, and it came away wet with blood. He stared at the blood. "Oops." There was blood on Amelia's outfit, too, but she just shrugged. "It'll wash out with a spell," she said, nonchalantly. Zelgadis helped the little princess up, and she smiled at him with adoring eyes. For a wonder, Zel smiled back.

Lina rolled her eyes and turned away as Zel bent down to kiss Amelia. "Oh, yuck!" she muttered. Xellos phased in beside her. "Sickening, isn't it?" he asked dryly. "I prefer the chimera angsty, I think."

Lina snorted cynically. "Right, because that way you get to feed off of him." She glared at her lover. "Don't you dare start insulting my breasts, Xellos."

He grinned at her. "Have I ever?"

She thought about it. "Well . . . no, actually, I don't think you ever have." She sighed. "That's a nice change from Gourry, let me tell you." With another sigh, she turned back.

"All right, you two, break it up!" she yelled, seeing that Zel and Amelia were still kissing.

"Jeez! Get a room!" They both blushed, and broke apart quickly.

"Come on!" Lina said impatiently. "I'd like to be out of these mountains before dark, thank you very much, which is not going to happen if we don't get going!"

She took off down the path, trusting them to follow her.

The End

(Rylen and Lord of Nightmares: "Huzzah!")
(Xellina: *glare* "Mutter mutter mutter . . . . DRAGON-SLAVE!!!)
(Rylen: "Noooo! Not the page! NOT THE PAGE!!!")
*BOOM*
*clatter tinkle crunch*
(Rylen: *Sob, sob* "My page! My beautiful page!)
(Xellina: *grin*)