Gourry had been trying to decide for a year now. He fingered the gold band he had purchased, and wondered if his decision was a wise one. He had chickened out for the past 365 days, and he didn't want to do so again. He figured that either Lina would accept, or she would knock him out and run away. He didn't like the mental image of the last one. But, he had been traveling with her for so long! One thing was certain, traditional methods would never work.
"Gourry! Are you there? Hello!"
"Huh? Wha-?"
"He's asking what you want, you numbskull."
"Oh, uh, the top half. Triple portions." The waiter performed another facefault, recovered, and headed back to the kitchen, now a rather interesting shade of pale.
"Lina..."
"Uhuh?"
"Lina..."
"You said that."
"Li-uh-I mean...here. This is for you." Gourry tossed the ring casually towards Lina. She caught it easily and examined it.
"Woah! Pure orihalcon! And these ruins! Do you realize how much this is worth!?"
"Lina, would you keep it? Please?" Lina looked up at Gourry. He tried to read what was in her eyes, but found he couldn't.
"Yeah...sure." She said slowly. She slipped her glove off, and put the ring on. She admired it for a second, and then slipped the glove back on.
"Waitor!" She called out roughly, flagging their waiter (now ready for retirement) over. "Get us two glasses of wine. Okay?"
Zelgadiss collapsed in the sand outside of the Temple of Doom. Well, the Temple of Doom that had previously existed in the space just behind him. He had just set off about fifteen booby traps and outran a giant rolling boulder and ten cannibals. He was tired. But, he had the prize! Now, to find out what the prize was. He carefully opened the cloth bag and began to reach inside. Thinking better of the decision, he just poured it out in front of him. He was disappointed. One shrunken head, eight unused Showbiz Pizza tokens, and half of a skull. "ARGH!" Zelgadiss explained. "I risked my life for this!?" He fell back in the sand with a mighty clunk. After a few seconds, deciding that laying down was getting him nowhere, Zelgadiss sat back up and began throwing the worthless junk. After choosing several directions to throw things in, he picked up the half-of-of-a-skull over his head and got ready to toss it. Then he heard a rattle and stopped. He shook the open end of the skull towards the ground. One bubblegum wrapper, and then one ring fell out. Zelgadiss picked up the ring. It was a gold band, with a lightish-blue jewel inlaid in the gold in the shape of a many-pointed star. The star was surrounded by diamond chips. Immediately he thought of Ameria. Immediately he hit his head with his hand again. "I am not thinking of a girl named Ameria, he said, hand on his forehead. Actually, Saillune sounded like a good place to be. He had been wandering through the desert, and he had been thinking...no, he definitely had not been not thinking of Ameria. Definitely not.
The next morning, any onlooker could see that Zelgadiss was definitely not heading in the direction of Saillune.
Xelloss generally didn't become a member of his army during attacks on small, barely consequential villages, but he was upset. He blasted a fool who had tried to shoot an arrow in his direction. The fool's wife wasn't happy with that. Her scream made him smile a little. That was better. Ever since the group had parted ways after defeating the Dark Star, something had been nagging at the back of his mind. And, it grew more persistent and more infuriating each day. Xelloss scowled inside, but kept smiling outside. He blasted a few more choice targets. It made him feel better, but the nagging still didn't go away. At first he thought it was the fact that Lina was missing from his daily life. But, when he thought of her, he felt little emotion. Even the fact that Gourry had possession of her (or arguably vice-versa) didn't cause him to feel that bad. He couldn't believe it was possibly anything else, though. Xelloss spotted a little boy crying in the blood now covering the area. This has great potential. Might as well put him out of his misery.
"What's your name, child?" Xelloss asked, kneeling beside the boy.
"Drew." The child whimpered. "I want my mommy."
"Drew, would you like me to send you to where your mommy is?"
Drew looked up at Xelloss with big, blue, uncomprehending eyes.
"Do you know what this is?"
"An arrow."
"Do you know that some people in this village tried to shoot me with these?"
"No." Drew looked curiously at the arrow.
"They hurt, you know." Xelloss jabbed the arrow through Drew's arm as a kind of demonstration. Drew made a pitiful scream and pitched forward.
Xelloss smiled wider.
Xelloss grabbed Drew's shoulders and pushed him back. Then he stood up and placed one foot on Drew's chest.
"What are you doing?" Drew cried, struggling under Xelloss' foot.
"Don't worry, Drew. It will all be over soon." Xelloss said, bringing the jeweled end of his staff down on Drew's forehead.
Yep. Zelgadiss was definitely not headed towards Saillune. Saillune just happened to be in the same direction he was heading. He let his shoulders slump a bit. Whether he liked it or not, it seemed that he would not be able to "cure" his body. Ameria had told him once in a very delicate way that people change, and whatever one does, one cannot really go back. He had ignored her at the time, of course, but now he thought that he had an inkling of an idea of what she meant. He pulled his hood over his head as he headed into the next town. Maybe I should actually get a new outfit. He thought, idly. Nah, he then thought.
He still wasn't heading towards Saillune.
Zelgadiss was definitely not in Saillune. He also was definitely not standing in front of the Saillune palace gates. Zelgadiss pulled his hood down tighter over his head. Sure, they won't recognize you now, Zelgadiss. He scowled to himself, lifted his hand to the gate, turned around, and walked away.
Mini-divider: how to speak to a girl
"Would you like something to drink?" The bartender asked his newest strange and out-of-it customer.
"Yeah. Milk."
"Sure thing."
Zelgadiss dropped his chin down to the counter and stared at the ring in front of him. How was he going to get this to Ameria!? He closed his eyes and began to listen to the music playing quietly in the background.
Return to Sender,
Address unknown.
No such number,
"Here's your milk, sir."
"Thanks."
Next time I'll take it right up,
And put it right in her hands,
And if it comes back,
The very next day,-
That was it! He could send a letter!
Zelgadiss got some stationary and a pencil from the bartender. He set to work on the letter.
Dear Ameria,
No, maybe that was too familiar. Maybe it should be just "Ameria". Zelgadiss... He growled to himself.
Dear Ameria,
I
Zelgadiss stared at the letter for the next twenty minutes. He eventually found out that staring didn't help. He decided to write down whatever came to mind.
Eighteen glasses of milk and an hour later he was finished. He dropped the ring in, and gave it to the Saillune city post office.
Thirteen seconds later the letter was in Ameria's mailbox. The postman scowled at his watch. He usually wasn't this late.
Ameria picked the mysterious letter up. The handwriting on the outside was very sloppy and uneven. She couldn't fathom a guess at whom it was from. She opened the letter and read.
Dear Ameria,
Here. This is yours.
Ameria turned the letter around several times, but couldn't find anymore writing. Or a signature for that matter. She turned the envelope upside down, and the ring fell into her hands. "Oh my." She said. "I bet it's from Zelu."
Xelloss found himself knocking on his old rival's door early the next afternoon. After a few seconds the door opened, there was a high-pitched yelp, a red blur, and Jiras ducked behind the couch. Xelloss scratched his head in mild confusion, and decided to walk through the now-open door anyway.
"Jiras! What-EEEYAAAAH! What are you doing here!?"
"Hello, Filia-san."
"And you were having anger problems, so you decided to come here." Filia said flatly.
"Yes, but I didn't decide to come here. I just did. I feel a lot better now, actually!" (And it was the truth. Is this scaring you, too?) "Hey, aren't you taking care of Vargarv-san now?"
"Yes." Filia said, looking at him strangely. "Is that why you're here!?" She said, suddenly jumping up and bringing her mace out in approved threatening manner.
"Eh?" Xelloss said, staring at the end of the mace, eyes open.
"You Mazoku are always up to something!"
"Up to something?"
"You want to take Val again, don't you?"
"Val?"
"NAMAGOMI!!!" Filia screamed, deciding that her conclusion was correct.
"Wait!" Xelloss said, practicing his mace-dodging.
"Filia-san! I didn't come to see Val!"
"Like Hell you-"
"I came to see you!"
Now it was Filia's turn to be surprised. "Huh?" She said.
"I need to leave, work that can't be ignored. Ja." Xelloss flashed out.
"Huh?" Filia said.
Mini-divider: the morning after
Filia woke up, and, bleary-eyed, made her way to Val's room. Then she passed out. Xelloss looked up from watching little Val and turned around to see Filia unconscious on the floor.
"I just can't handle seeing you in the morning with my poor little Val." Filia explained later.
"Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to do anything to him. He's such a cute kid." Xelloss smiled.
Filia looked up at him tiredly.
"I promise." Xelloss said, opening his eyes for effect.
Xelloss returned the next day. And the next, and the next. Soon he became another fixture around the house. Filia couldn't wait for the day he got tired of them, or took a vacation to Tahiti, or something! She was sick of his face, voice, outfit, staff, hair, the color purple, anything!
Filia smiled.
"I want you to search everywhere. Zelgadiss-san must be somewhere in Saillune still. If you find him, notify me immediately." Ameria said in her best 'commanding' tones. "Thank you for your help." She smiled, and said in a quieter tone.
"What are you doing, daughter?" Prince Filionel asked as Ameria walked out of her room in her sorceress outfit a few minutes later. It barely fit her.
"I doubt he will let them find him, so I am going to go look myself."
Prince Filionel chuckled at that. "Go on then. Have fun!"
Ameria hugged her father. "I will Daddy! Bye!"
Meanwhile: Zelgadiss ducked around another corner. The last thing he wanted was to be found by the palace guards. Ameria had probably told them about the letter, and they had probably decided that the last person they wanted their precious princess to marry was him. He cautiously checked back around the corner, then jumped as he felt a tap on the back of his shoulder.
"Ameria!"
"Hello Zelgadiss-san!"
"Did you get the...I mean...I sent..."
"I got it." Ameria smiled.
Zelgadiss calmed down for about two seconds. "What are all of the guards around for?" He said more quietly.
"I sent them to find you."
"Huh?"
"I figured you would never work up the nerve to come to the castle by yourself." Ameria smiled. Zelgadiss blushed. "So, would you like to come to the castle now?"
"Well, I-"
"I don't care what you say, your coming." Ameria grabbed Zelgadiss' arms and hauled him off in the direction of the living quarters of the Saillune royal family.
"You haven't been paying attention to your orders, Xelloss."
"But I did destroy both villages you requested me to destroy."
"I told you to destroy Reo, Io, and Arcindia."
"Arcindia?"
"Yes. You have been doing this for a long time now. Too long. This problem is going to have to be solved somehow."
"Wait, Zelas-sama!"
"No talking!"
"Zel-...!"
Three days later Xelloss was released. Generally he waited for a while after punishments before he faced the outside world again, but this time he didn't.
Filia had begun to worry for some reason. Everytime she heard a sound she was expecting Xelloss to have materialized there. He never did. When Filia heard a knock on the door one night, she wasn't expecting the priest. Xelloss just hadn't gotten into the habit of knocking.
"Xelloss! What's wrong?"
"Eh...nothing. I just don't feel so hot."
"What happened?"
"N-nothing! I assure you." Xelloss said, waving his hand and attempting a smile.
"I don't believe you." Filia said flatly. "Well, why don't you come in and have a drink, or something." Xelloss followed Filia into her shop. As they passed by the couch he noticed something missing. "Filia-san, where is Jiras?"
"Oh, Jiras and Grabos took Val out for the evening.
"Oh."
"Here." Filia said, handing Xelloss a glass of low-quality wine. She had noticed that drinks like that had a tendency to cheer the Mazoku up a bit. Make him relax, or something, when he came over all bummed out like he was now.
Xelloss drank that drink. And grabbed another, and another. And, he was just getting more and more upset. By the time he started to get incomprehensible Filia had reached her breaking point.
"That is enough, Xelloss!"
"You don't understand!"
"No, YOU don't understand! Not everything in life is going to go your way!"
"Ha! Just saying that shows your ignorance about the situation." Xelloss said, grabbing the bottle and smashing it against a cabinet.
"I ask you why you are so upset, and you don't tell me! How am I supposed to know if you don't TELL ME!?"
"Your not supposed to know! No one is!"
"No one is su-"
"Shut-UP you idiot Ryuzoku!"
Filia slammed her fist against the wall. "Xelloss, you are going too far."
"Oh, yeah? Too far? You don't seem to realize how far I can go!"
"Oh. That makes all the sense in the world." Filia said sarcastically. Xelloss started shaking and clenching his fists. "You think you are so clever, but I tell you, I-" Filia was cut off as Xelloss threw a punch at her mouth. She let herself fall in shock. Xelloss felt a slight thrill at this and couldn't help but smile a bit. He punched her again.
"Xelloss! Stop!" Filia cried, frightened. And Xelloss could feel her fear, which in his state made it impossible to stop. Filia tried to take out her mace, but Xelloss just grabbed it and threw it through the wall. Then he kicked her in the stomach and face so she had fallen completely to the floor. She started crying. He dropped to his hands and knees over her and grabbed at the collar of her dress.
Filia screamed.
"Hello Filia-san!" Xelloss said, peering over the girl's shoulder. Filia jumped and whirled around.
"Why do you always do that!?"
"Do what, Filia-san?"
"Do- oh, nevermind." Filia turned around and continued working.
"What are you doing?"
"Fixing the cash register."
"Why should you do that?"
"Because if I don't, Jiras will."
"Ah, good reason. Do Ryuzoku celebrate the eve of the new year?"
"Yes, Ryuzoku do. What are you up to?"
"Me? Up to something? I am never up to anything! Ja!" Xelloss flashed out.
"Oh!" Filia said disgustedly. Then she went back to work on the cash register.
Several hours later, close to midnight: "Hello Filia-san!" Xelloss said, materializing just behind the girl. Filia jumped and whirled around.
"Why do you always- oh, nevermind."
"And how are you?"
"I am fine. Why?" Filia asked sharply.
Xelloss opened his eyes. "Why is there always a 'why'? Can't I ask a simple question without you thinking that there is some evil ulterior motive?"
"No, I know you too well."
Xelloss closed his eyes and shrugged. "Suit yourself. Why do you look upset?"
"Me? Upset! I am never upset."
Xelloss crossed his arms and smiled at her.
"Okay, fine. I'm upset because you are here." Filia said snobbishly. Xelloss didn't change his pose.
"Last year Brett was here." Filia said wistfully. "He gave me a new years kiss. It was so sweet.
"Brett?" Xelloss asked, opening his eyes.
"Yes. He was so dashing."
"Dashing?" How come I never knew about this? He thought to himself.
"Yes. And then Paul, and Kevin. Oh, Kevin was smart. And-"
Paul? Kevin? Brett? Xelloss thought to himself as Filia kept naming off boyfriends. He was beginning to feel a little dizzy. How could she be so popular? Who would want Filia-san?
"and then I met this really athletic guy, Cris.
"Filia-san-"
"Or was it Joey? Mmmf!?"
Xelloss had grabbed Filia's shoulders and given his Ryuzoku her new years kiss.
A few years later they threw rings in the general direction of each other (almost literally), and considered that good enough.
