Part Three:
Resistance and Realization
lupinewraith
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Author: Um, very briefly, I probably should have said this at the beginning
of the first part, but I do not own any of these characters, they belong to
… well, every person is an individual and belongs to themselves!

Amelia: That's right Miss Lupine!

Author: (Although in this case I think they belong to their respective
owners.) Anyway, I certainly make no claim to ownership, so they're free to
belong to whomever they want.

Xel: Oh, Zelgadis …

Zel: Don't even think about it. And what's with all the ellipses?

Author: Um … Well … Er…

Zel: Cut it out! … Hey! There shouldn't even be any after cut it out!

Xel: (Chuckles)

Zel: Have you got anything to do with all this?

Xel: No, but have you seen the torture is back?

Zel: Oh no … (look! She's doing it again!)

Author: Well, I'm tired so I'm going to finish this up. I'll do my usual
plea for e-mails because I really do love hearing from people who read this
story. It helps me get motivated to write the next part and it's just nice
to know that someone is enjoying it. Lupinewraith@hotmail.com.

Xel: No-one called me a fruitcake in this introduction!

Everyone: Fruitcake!

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Zelgadis dragged himself from his bed. Once more he hadn't been able
to get enough sleep. His head ached from exhaustion and he didn't like the
proposition of having to fight a monster that day. He stumbled from the
tent, hand on his throbbing head, groaning at the sight of the morning sun.
He looked around and noticed the rest weren't up yet, but Xelloss was
sitting by the remains of the fire, watching him cheerfully.
"Good morning!" Xelloss chirped. Zelgadis didn't bother to answer. "Oh, I
see you mended your shirt," the Mazuko commented. Zelgadis growled. "I liked
the torn rags look on you, it was very becoming."
"Shut up or I'll kill you," Zelgadis said.
"I think we both know how impossible that would be," Xelloss replied,
standing up.
"Don't be too sure." Zelgadis heard the sounds of the others moving so he
walked away to the edge of the clearing, not wanting Amelia or Lina to hear
anything he said to Xelloss.
They traveled until mid afternoon, steadily climbing into the mountains.
There wasn't much to see except trees. Deciduous oaks and beeches spread in
all directions. Xelloss sang all morning, very loudly and very much off key.
Zelgadis yelled at him to shut up more than once. The sound of the Mazuko's
singing was making his head pound even worse. Xelloss grinned whenever
Zelgadis shouted at him, and sang even louder. Even Lina turned round and
fireballed him, throwing him backwards onto the ground. Zelgadis kicked him
hard in the stomach as he walked past and Xelloss curled up, savoring the
joy of the pain.
As the afternoon drew to an end, so did the trees. They came out into a
clear space, clear except for a towering stone building in front of them.
They looked towards the top, but it was lost in clouds, then back to the
base, where two doors were located.
"Well, I suppose we have to go in," Lina said. Then she stopped, something
had been bothering her all morning, and now she realized what it was. "Why
haven't we been attacked yet?"
"Because Zanokou sees the justice in our hearts and is afraid to strike
against the hammer of …"
"Seriously Amelia, why haven't we been attacked? Zanokou is supposed to do
horrible things to anyone who so much as puts a foot in her domain, and we
must be miles inside of it."
"Observant as usual, Miss Lina." Xelloss said. "I myself have been wondering
that, but I don't really see what we can do but continue, attack or no
attack."
"W… what's happening?" Amelia said, as the ground began to shake beneath
their feet. A chasm suddenly ripped the earth apart below Amelia. She
screamed as the earth disappeared underneath her, and grabbed vainly at the
grass, but her body was slipping, and the grass was tearing away from the
soil as she plummeted into the dark pit.
"Amelia!" Zelgadis shouted.
"Amelia! Cast levitation! Cast levi …" Lina shouted, but it was too late,
the little shrine maiden's voice was lost in the darkness.
"I'm going in after her!" Zelgadis shouted, "Ray wi …" but the earth started
shaking again under their feet, throwing Zelgadis off balance, right into
Xelloss who landed underneath the chimera. The chasm in the earth was
closing. "She'll be crushed!"
"What can we do?" asked Gourry, knowing that his sword of light was no use
in this situation.
"AMELIA!!!!" The ground closed. There was no trace of even a crack where the
gorge had been. Zelgadis crawled off Xelloss, kicking the Mazuko hard. He
knelt where Amelia had disappeared. He ran the grass through his fingers.
"Amelia … no …" Xelloss picked himself up, suddenly he was very angry.
Something almost like jealously burnt in his body.
"Poor Amelia," Gourry sniffed.
"Damn that Zanokou!" Lina shouted, a red aura surrounding her body, her eyes
on fire. "She is going to pay for this. I don't care how powerful she is,
I'm going to kill her!"
"Oh, don't get so upset, Miss Lina." Xellos said, unconcernedly.
"Shut up Xelloss, or you'll be next. Zelgadis get up. We have to find
Amelia."
"But Lina, she's …" Gourry started, but seeing Lina's anger, immediately
stopped.
"Zel, you and Xelloss take the door on the left, Gourry and I will take the
one on the right. Find Amelia and kill anything that gets in your way, but
leave Zanokou to me." Lina turned and fireballed her door, she and Gourry
disappeared through it. Zelgadis slowly got to his feet.
"I'm only agreeing with this so that we can save Amelia," he said, more to
himself than to Xelloss, then he went through the other door, slamming it so
hard that it cracked down the middle and fell off its hinges. Xelloss
followed him.
"I don't know how this managed to work out so perfectly," he thought. "That
meddling little princess is out of the way and I have Zelgadis all to myself
and the others won't miss him for a long time. I will have to remember to
thank Zanokou when I see her."
The room they were in was bordered on all sides by impossibly tall walls,
but the roof was missing, leaving the chamber open to the elements. Weeds
tangled amongst piles of jumbled stones and pillars. Cracked statues stared
from their places on the walls, half covered with ivy. Zelgadis didn't
notice any of this.
"Oh my God, Amelia. She might be … No, she can't be. We have to find her. We
will find her. Amelia …" He was making his way towards the only other exit
from the room, apart from through the roof and the door they had already
entered by. The exit was up a small set of steps and surrounded by a white
arch. It was a heavy and old looking door. Zelgadis put his hand on the
door, but stopped before opening it. He turned to Xelloss. "Don't even think
about trying anything, Mazuko. I'm here to save Amelia then get the Claire
Bible. I won't let you get in my way."
"Oh, Mr. Zelgadis, you're jumping to conclusions again. What makes you think
I would 'try anything'."
"Because you tried to rape me!"
"Oh, that. Well, I stopped didn't I?"
"Only because Amelia came."
"And she's not here anymore so she can't save you this time. How
unfortunate."
"Don't talk about her like she's already dead." Zelgadis, not liking the way
the conversation was headed, opened the door and walked through.
Total darkness met his eyes. He blinked, hoping to get accustomed to the
gloom, but it was pitch black. He could feel Xelloss behind him, then he
heard the door close.
"Don't close the door! We don't know what's in here!"
"I'm sure a defender of justice like yourself can handle any monsters that
prevent you being reunited with your little princess," Xelloss said,
snidely.
"It's not like that! She's … Xelloss, Xelloss where are you?" Zelgadis could
no longer feel the Mazuko's presence near him. "What if something in here's
captured him?" he thought. "And I can't see to help him!"
"Xelloss? Xellos! XELLOSS!!!" Then he felt something approaching him. He
immediately drew his sword, but something caught his hand. He felt the
creature coming closer, then he felt skin against his face and … the thing
was kissing him? "Damn you Xelloss!" he thought. He tried to raise his
sword, but Xelloss squeezed his wrist so tight that he almost screamed in
pain, dropping his weapon. While he tried to push Xelloss away he thought he
saw a gleam of light in the distance, it seemed to be getting closer,
getting larger. Then he realized what it was. He grabbed Xelloss by the
shoulders and pushed him to side, flinging himself on top of the surprised
priest. Then the spell hit the wall behind them and rocks came flying down
from above, covering the door. A few of them hit the chimera and he winced
in pain as they chipped his skin, but he didn't roll away. Instead he stayed
on top of the Mazuko, trying to protect him from the rain of missiles from
above. After a few seconds it stopped and he rolled off Xellos, feeling
around for the hilt of his sword.
"Really Mr. Zelgadis, I didn't know you cared!" Xelloss said. "What would
Amelia think?"
"Shut up Xelloss, something is in here with us." Zelgadis stood up, holding
his sword in his hand. "Light," he cast. Nothing happened. "Light. Light!"
He stared at this hand, which he couldn't see in the darkness. "What? My
magic isn't working?!?" Then he saw another dot of light streaming towards
them. This time he saw the creatures it illuminated as it passed through the
room. He and Xelloss were on a raised platform in front of a whole room of
wolf-like creatures. It looked like they had been asleep, but now they were
standing up, hackles raised, foam dripping from their mouths. The fireball
hit the wall beside Zelgadis, and he could no longer see the enemies in
front of him. "Xelloss? Xelloss did you see that?"
"Yes, I saw them," Xelloss said. He was slightly worried. Zelgadis' magic
wasn't working and they were surrounded by a pack of wolves. He had also
seen something Zelgadis hadn't. He had seen the creature on the other side
of the room who was casting the spells, and it had made a chill run down his
spine.
"Flare Arrow!" Nothing happened. "Xelloss, my spells aren't working."
"Neither are mine."
"Hmm, this should be fun then." At that moment he heard a disturbance in the
air to his left, he turned round, but felt Xellos materialize in front of
him. The priest fell back on top of him, rolling a dead wolf off his body.
They stood up, but immediately another leapt from the other side. Zelgadis
heard Xelloss scream in pain as a ferocious male sank its teeth into his
shoulder. Then three were all attacking the chimera at once. He raised his
sword and tried to fend them off, but he couldn't see where they were.
Spells rained down on them from the other side of the room, making the wall
behind them flow with falling stones. Zelgadis tried to dodge them, but he
couldn't see the stones the wolves or Xelloss so had to work by instinct. He
just managed to fend off another onslaught from the pack when he felt
something press up against his back. He whipped round to stab, but the blade
was stopped.
"It's me," Xellos said, but his voice sounded strained. He lowered the
enchanted sword, and as his hand fell he felt that Xelloss' clothing was
torn.
"Xellos, get behind me, you can't fight with a staff."
"So now you're worried about me? I thought you only cared about finding
Amelia."
"Shut up and …" A Burst Rondo slammed into Zelgadis and he flew backwards
against the wall. Then the wolves attacked again. A fire ball hit the wall
above him, Xelloss shouted, and stones started falling again. That was the
last thing he remembered.
The chimera groaned as consciousness returned. His whole body ached. He
opened his eyes to see Xelloss standing before him. The priest didn't look
too good either. At least, his clothes were looking worse for wear. His
actual skin showed no sign of injury.
"What happened?"
"Well, you were knocked out by a falling stone. A spell was cast that
created a large hole in the wall, which I pulled you through, but then
another spell was cast, sealing us in here. I don't know where we are, I
think in some kind of antechamber that adjoined the room we fought in."
Xelloss said. They were in a small stone room. The roof was low, and it was
mostly filled with piles of rubble. One wall looked like it had been newly
sealed with a heap of stones. Xelloss looked down at the chimera, trying not
to show the concern he felt. Zelgadis had tried to save him twice. Even
after what he had tried to do to him the night before last, Zelgadis still
tried to save his life. But now the chimera was badly wounded, and they were
trapped. The wolf-like creatures didn't seem to be able to get in, but they
couldn't get out either.
"Are we trapped?"
"Yes." Xellos said simply.
"How?"
"Some kind of very powerful magic force-field which stops you using your
powers."
"But something in there was casting spells."
"Yes."
"You're not being very helpful. Do you know what attacked us?"
"That is a secret." Zelgadis didn't feel like he had the strength to argue
against this. He tried to stand up, but collapsed back to the ground,
groaning in pain.
"Don't try and move," Xelloss said, walking over and sitting down beside the
chimera, his back against the wall next to them.
"You don't have to tell me what's going on here, Xelloss, but if you know
what's happened to Amelia and you don't tell me, then I'll never forgive
you." Xelloss wanted to laugh this threat off, but somehow his mirth stuck
in his throat.
"I honestly don't know," he said softly. Beside him the chimera closed his
eyes, but his mouth grimaced in pain. He shifted his position but obviously
couldn't get comfortable against the stone wall. "You can rest your head on
me," Xellos offered. Zelgadis sat upright, eyes open.
"I'm not tired," he said, but already his eyes were drooping. He hadn't
slept properly in days, but now sleep was overtaking him. He couldn't stay
awake. But he couldn't go to sleep with that Mazuko in the room! Who knows
what Xelloss would do to him?
"You don't have to worry, Mr. Zelgadis," Xelloss said. "If I wanted to do
anything to you then you couldn't stop me. Anyway, if I was going to attack
you, don't you think I would have done it by now?" Zelgadis, his mind
exhausted, couldn't resist the offer of Xelloss' soft body as a pillow any
longer. He tentatively leaned his head against the Mazuko's shoulder.
Xelloss remained absolutely still. Not trying to move closer, but not
pushing him away either. The priest watched as the chimera got more and more
drowsy. Zelgadis moved his head down to rest on Xelloss' chest, and just as
he slipped off to sleep, he felt the Mazuko's arms encircling him. Somehow
he felt very safe like that.
* "No! Not more dreams! I can't take this anymore!" He was back in the
realm of torture that had become his sleeping hours. This time he was tied
to a tree, his arms stretched painfully behind his back. He could feel
nothing but the bark of the tree, some crisp snow beneath his feet, and the
pain. Before him all was foggy. Tendrils of mist played before his eyes as
he searched desperately to see who his captor was. In the distance a red
glow appeared. "It can't be. No, please no. Not him. He's gone, I'm safe
from him. He can't hurt me anymore …" but then Zelgadis heard the
distinctive ring of his grandfather's staff and hope started to slip away.
Soon Rezo was standing before him, smiling.
"Surely you didn't think you could ever escape from me, Zelgadis."
"But … Damn you. Haven't you hurt me enough?"
"I've only just begun hurting you. That disgusting body of yours, your
hateful face, those you will still have to suffer, but inside I can make you
suffer more. So much more." Rezo knelt down next to the distraught chimera,
his hands glowing blood red.
"Please … leave me alone, let me go." Rezo just smiled. His hands moved
forwards until they almost touched Zelgadis' stone skin. Zelgadis moved
backwards as far as he could against the tree, the ropes rubbing against his
wrists. "Grandfather … no." *
Zelgadis was restless in his arms. He turned one way then another, groaning
quietly.
"Another dream Zelgadis? What is going on inside your head?" Xelloss said.
"I shall enjoy watching you torment yourself." He looked down at the chimera
and resisted the urge to wake him. His pain would be too much fun.
* Zelgadis screamed, Rezo's hands were burning fire through his veins.
"I created this body, so I can control it however I wish," Rezo said. "I can
complete your transformation to a monster. Soon, there will be no human left
inside of you."
"Noo!!! You can't do this to me! I'm human, I can't lose that!"
"Unfortunately, you are incorrect, you are losing that." Rezo tore away the
chimera's shirt and touched his skin.
"AAAAHHH!!!!!!!" *
"AAAAHHH!!!!" Xelloss watched Zelgadis start to writhe. His face was
contorted with fear. His screams had started a few seconds ago, and they
were becoming more and more urgent. Xelloss used all the control he had not
to wake him.
"I want to watch this! Let him suffer!" He shouted.
* Zelgadis opened his eyes, but it wasn't the Red Priest before him
anymore.
"Xelloss …"
"It's my turn." Xelloss said, and his eyes opened. The pain recommenced.
Wherever Xelloss' hands touched, it felt like Zelgadis' skin was on fire.
"Wake up, I have to wake up," he thought, but he couldn't. He couldn't
connect with his sleeping body, he couldn't find his way back to reality. He
was trapped. The pain was becoming unbearable, Xelloss was running his
fingers in patterns over his skin. It felt like he was sucking Zelgadis'
life straight from his body. The chimera's mind started to cloud over, he
couldn't concentrate on anything but the suffering. He made one last
desperate grab for the light, but couldn't make it. It felt like everything
inside his body was burning. Burning trapped beneath his skin, burning in
his skin, burning in his mind.
"Give in to me, Zelgadis."
"I …" Xelloss' voice sounded distant. He thought the Mazuko said more but he
couldn't make it out. He couldn't even tell if Xelloss was there anymore.
Darkness almost totally engulfed him, he was losing himself, he couldn't
hold on. *
Zelgadis was positively convulsing now. His mouth was open in a silent plea
for help. Xelloss tried not to care, but he couldn't take it any more. The
look of agony on the chimera's face … he couldn't bare it any longer. He
pressed the chimera tightly to his chest, trying to stop the spasms, trying
to control his body.
"Wake up Zelgadis! Wake up!" He shouted. Zelgadis couldn't hear him. He was
lost in his own mind. "I'm here, please come back to me. Zelgadis please …"
* Who was he? He couldn't remember. All he could feel was an eternity of
pain. Pain in every part of his body. His whole world was black, except for
one dot of light, which was getting farther and farther away. He had tried
to reach it, but hope was gone, he was letting go. Then he heard something.
A voice entered his world, a voice he knew, one that meant something to him.
"Don't leave me Zelgadis, I'm here. Wake up. I won't let anything hurt you.
Zelgadis …" He reached for the voice, he hung on to it as it lifted him from
that hell. Rezo appeared below him.
"Don't listen Zelgadis. You are too disgusting for anyone to care for.
Better to stay here with me. Stay in the pain, stay in the darkness. Sleep
forever in this oblivion where no-one can touch you." He was losing the
other voice. It was getting faint. He was being drawn back to Rezo. *
"Zelgadis!" Xelloss was almost frantic, the chimera felt dead in his arms.
Before he had been convulsing so powerfully that even Xelloss' Mazuko
strength could barely hold him. Now he was limp, lifeless. He couldn't feel
any warmth, any heartbeat. Life was slipping away from Zelgadis' body.
"Zelgadis, I …" he stopped himself. It was better that the chimera die. That
was what he wanted. That was what he had wanted all this time, wasn't it?
His mind swayed on the edge. "When he's gone I won't have to care about him
anymore. He will be lost forever in pain. Delightful!" He sat back, letting
his arms slip from the chimera's body. He looked away.
"Xelloss …" Zelgadis barely even sighed. Xelloss couldn't prevent himself
looking at him again. He fought internally.
"Zelgadis, I …" he couldn't say it. He was watching the chimera slip away
and he couldn't bare to say it. Slowly a tear trickled down his face. He
pulled Zelgadis close to him. Their faces were pressed together. "Zelgadis,
I need you," he whispered.
* Rezo's hands were inches from him, ready to grasp his body as soon as it
came in reach. Then the voice came back, echoing in Zelgadis' mind. He
turned a cold stare down at his grandfather.
"You can't hurt me anymore." The light was brightening, it was pulling him
upwards … *
Zelgadis gasped, drawing a long breath of air. He relaxed in the Mazuko's
arms. Xelloss dared to breath again. He moved the chimera away from his
face. Zelgadis was still sleeping, but it was a peaceful sleep, a safe one.
He gently kissed the chimera, not ever wanting to lose him.
Inside his mind, Zelgadis regained control. He rose to the surface and
woke, finding Xelloss there waiting for him. The Mazuko was kissing him. It
wasn't like the kiss by the fireside, or the one in the darkness. Those had
been calculated to hurt; forceful, demanding. This one was so much
different, it was gentle, loving. He didn't dare move, in case when Xelloss
found he was awake he stopped the kiss. He was still confused, but somehow
he felt an extremely important choice had been made while he slept. He
barely remembered his nightmare, but he knew something had changed while he
was sleeping. He felt he had escaped a great danger, a great threat that
Xelloss had been to him was lifted. A decision had been taken that affected
both of them but he just wasn't sure what it was. The warmth of Xelloss'
body was making him drowsy. He lay still, until a calm sleep overtook him, a
dreamless one, safe in the knowledge of Xelloss' presence.
Xelloss spent the whole night holding the chimera, not daring to look
away for an instant.
 

End of Part Three