Lina caught him as he fell; he gave a little sigh and then went limp in her arms.

"Mr. Zelgadis?" Amelia cried.

"No, it's okay, he's breathing..." She shifted her grip on him. "Help me get him onto a table."

"Right."

Together they lifted Zel--who was eerily light--and managed to haul him over to a clear table. He was a little feverish, but he'd survive; his pulse was strong and his breathing less ragged.

"Amelia, I need you to go get some chalk and a few talismans so we can make a magic circle around the table." Lina rummaged through her cape's inside pockets briefly before slinging it off.

"For a healing spell?" the younger girl asked.

"No. We have to send Zel into the astral plane so he can get his spell-casting strength back. Get going!"

"You got it, Miss Lina!"

Amelia sprinted off; Lina fiddled with the few small talismans she'd collected from her pockets before her fingers strayed to straighten Zel's crooked collar. If he'd been awake, she wouldn't have dared to touch him--but in sleep, he looked less like the mazoku and more like himself. He had that almost-vulnerable look she'd seen so many times on Zel's face...

His eyelids twitched a little, and he groaned faintly. Xellos's voice--her blood chilled. Dammit, as if things hadn't been complicated enough before...

"Lina..."

"Don't move, Zel." She placed a hand on his shoulder, gently restraining him. "We're gonna send you into the astral plane so you can get your strength back."

"Are you coming?"

"Only the first part of the way. We have to get ready to switch you two back to normal."

Zel opened his eyes and looked up at her. He'd been run ragged in the last forty-eight hours. He was weak and he was tired and his heart was still knotted with indecision. He almost wanted to tell her not to bother...

But then, she was bothering. She hadn't once talked about backing out. For Lina, she was being unusually single-minded... he had some hope. Not much, but there was some.

He relaxed and let his eyes slide closed. "And I have to find out why this body is part human..."

"Sure thing. Just... don't take too much time. We don't know when he's gonna be back."

Wordlessly, he reached out and took her hand.

"Hang in there, Zel. Just hang in there."



It took a few minutes to set up the magic circle; the three linked hands and chanted together.

Within minutes Zel felt the odd softening of reality that came with transition to the astral plane; another heartbeat and he opened his eyes on a starry void.

Lina and Amelia were standing on either side of him. Distantly, he could still feel their hands holding his; the sensation was unsettling.

He looked down at himself. He had his chimeric appearance back, but unlike the two sorceresses, he was slightly transparent.

Must be this damn weakness, he thought.

"Zel--"

Lina's voice. He turned.

"Zel, find someplace to get your strength back and then get right back here. Got it?"

Her voice and stance were oddly tense; he hesitated.

"Lina--"

"Just go."

It was pointless to argue. He turned and left, heading in the direction of the flickering, shifting horizon.

It didn't take long for him to find a small pocket of magical energy--probably a knot in one of the ley-lines--and tap into its power. He breathed a long sigh of relief as magic began to course back into his veins, flowing across his mind and body like a soft breeze.

Thank God, he thought. Now all I have to do is find out why Xellos's body is part human.

But... damn, it wouldn't be easy figuring that out. Where could he begin? He could always try to retrace the mazoku's steps, but... the traces would probably have grown cold hours ago.

//Looking for something?//

He whirled, his senses overcome by the presence of something enormous and mildly amused.

"Wh... who said that?"

//Ahhh... fear. Thank you, boy, I've been dying for a feed.//

"Who are you?"

//A mazoku. You needn't know more than that. What I should like to know, however, is why a human is tracking on this plane.//

Its tone was threatening. He backed up slightly, hoping he looked harmless.

"It isn't what you think," he said. "My name is Zelgadis, and I'm not a hunter--I'm trying to retrace the footsteps of somebody who was here before. Name of Xellos Metallium--"

//The Trickster Priest.// A wave of irritation came at him. //Foolhardy little man-bitch, never learns.//

"Has he been this way lately?" Zel asked, hopefully.

//A day or so ago, yes. Terrorizing distant corners for knowledge and so forth. In fact, he had the nerve to interrogate me. ME!// the mazoku bellowed. //Can you imagine!//

"Actually, yes."

There was a wave of confusion.

"He stole my body," Zel explained.

//You've been possessed?//

"No. I mean he switched our souls. I'm stuck in his form."

//Impossible. You have the astral trace of a human.//

"For some reason, his body was half-human when he switched us."

//Hmmm.//

The presence was silent for a moment. Then--

//Tell me, human, what do you know of chimeric research?//

His heart surged and distantly he felt his throat go dry.

He... this mazoku has my cure and he found it. He must have. It's the only explanation...

He hesitated slightly.

"Tell me how to reverse it," he said.

//You can't be serious, human.// There was a pause. //You want to give him back his power?//

"If I don't, he can force a body-switch any time he wants. I can't risk that." He allowed himself a little smile. "Besides, even you creatures have a code of honour. He's going to owe me for the rest of his natural life. And if he forgets, I'll kill him."

A laugh snaked its way around him. //I like the way you think, human. I shall have to remember that technique. Now open your mind.//

"Thank you."

The laugh picked up, and then raw knowledge was pouring into his mind, falling like seeds across his memory. The spell grew, and formed itself into words and gestures, and then came together completely.

He closed his eyes, concentrated on Lina. On this plane it was no trouble to move freely across distance; it only took a moment's effort to find her...

And then, very suddenly, he was aware of the solid world rushing into being around him. He was falling--plummeting--he was being torn into a thousand pieces--

It stopped, abruptly. Zelgadis opened his eyes, recognised the ceiling and walls of the familiar room.

"Get the staff," he said softly. "I know what to do now."





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