This is for a return to her pretty Zel/Lina gift ^_^
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She's my yahoo! Zel/Lina club pal, a webmistress of my sister site 'If only', and very nice Zel/Lina movie creator. ^_^ Thank you for all your sweetness, dear farah #^^# I got a lot of energy from your beautiful Z/L stuffs.

I didn't do inking for this pic...Frankly speaking, Inking is the most painful process for me. Since I draw fanwork for my relaxation and fun, I don't want to care about accurate lines and details^_^; That's why my lining usually looks uncompleted. Anyway, sorry for missing inked line here...

Also I wanted to express Zel's soothed mood by Lina, but unfortunately, it's not so satisfying for me....I should have drawn it when I was in a better mood. Well but I hope you enjoy this short sketch-manga ^_^

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Re-watching the first season of Slayers, I realized why I've loved Zel/Lina so much...

Before Zel met Lina, he had no other goal except killing Rezo. Also he knew that he might be killed in the end of his feeble resistance (You know, Rezo was too strong for him T_T ). He was actually running down the road to his death(self-destruction).

Catching a good chance, Zel could escape with Lina...But ironically, he couldn't set another destination after he ran away from the red priest--since Zel's mind had been totally occupied by thoughts on Rezo(Like Copy Rezo did. Zel must feel symphathized with Copy Rezo when he's dying.)
At the very moment, Lina suggested Zel a new destination ('Let's go to Atlas city'). This was the first turning point for him given by her.

Second, you may remember Lina's famous phrase, 'If we have even a 1 percent chance of winning, and we fight to lose, that 1 percent becomes a big, fat zero. So I fight to win!' Zel still fixed his eyes on death...but Lina changed his thought, with a much more powerful impact than the first.

The third one was occurred after Zolf & Rodimus died...They had been the most precious pals for Zel. After Zel lost them, he gazed on far stars and said himself that he also would die soon and be with them. Again, Zel turned his eyes on his death...
But at that moment, Lina threw a pebble to Zel's head and distract his eyes from his death--And finally, she destroyed Rezo-Shabranigud which meant the cursed Zel's past itself.

Going through the three turning points, you may remember that Zel stares Lina sometimes even during a battle--At that each moments, he must realize that he himself was changing by her influence...

In a nutshell, it's Lina who turned Zel from his death and made him look up a new life. After then, Zel started living more positivley(ex: finding his cure), without seeking for self-destruction as he did before.

Thus Zel owes his present life to Lina, I think. Lina's influence was really fundamental to him. So, Lina means to Zel beyond a simple coupling matter-- As long as Zel lives, he can't forget Lina for his whole life, even if it may not the kind of a (serious) love-- it's rather a tenacious fate, not a mere temporary passion.

However, I know Lina-gourry will make a wonderful couple. Gourry is definitely a great man to Lina. You know, no girl can refuse his loyal sincerity....
And if you watch Slayers Next, Not to mention the final Lina-Gourry scene, you will also find Zel-Amelia may look more natural than Zel-Lina, since Next animation staffs supported L/G and Z/A rather than other couplings.

Anyhow...When I tell who's the most important person to someone, I see whose influence is the greatest. In that context, the most important ones for Zel till now is Rezo and Lina. I don't think any other character in Slayers influenced more than these two, on Zel.
The relationship with Amelia is on-going, while the one with Lina is nearly hopeless T_T (Gourry is so formidable...) Yes, Amelia's influence can become the biggest in the future...As for now, Zel must thank Amelia for her innocent love in the middle of his loneliness. It's natural that Zel cares about her, and I know there is a quite possibility that the care turns to a love...

Well....
Without Lina, Zel couldn't be survived...Other characters could live another nice lives without Lina; Gourry met Lina by chance and volunteered to be her guardian--if Gourry wants, he can return to Sylphiel or other places that welcome him. Amelia is the princess of the strongest kingdom, having her beloved father. Xelloss has his beast-mazoku clan and the great Zeras-sama.

But Zel's different. By meeting Lina, Zel destroyed and lost all of his past; Rezo (& deep-rooted hate & affection on him), loyal men and...almost everything, except his 'hideous' body. He doesn't have a place to return. His life (+attitude) was totally resetted...

In the official Zelgadiss spin-off written by Kanzaka sensei(Zelgadiss' Story under the Hazy Moon), Zel saw his previous self in a dying chimera who sought for self-destruction. Zel killed him and confessed, "You are what I was, I admit it. But, I've been not that kind any more--from then on."

So...he keeps the journey finding his cure, even though he knows there is hardly any possibility.

What a heartwrenching fate. No wonder Z/L fandom has created so many serious(tragic) fanworks.
I'm often amazed how wonderous Kanzaka sensei is, at that he made a nice hilarious comedy with definite tragic materials.

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Thank you very much for reading this with patience.(bow)