Sweetest Nightmare
by Black Nightshade

Disclaimer: Amelia, Xelloss, and all of the Slayers characters do *not* belong to moi. No own, no sue, no bad. Got it? Also, just to add on, this *is* an Ame/Xel fic, so if you have a closed mind or something don't read or I'll bite your head off ^-^ With that, read on!

It was a regular night at Saillune. The stars where shining brightly in the lonely sky as the last beams of sunlight where enveloped into the nocturnal darkness. Amelia, princess and heir to the Saillune thrown, was just about ready to go to sleep. Crawling into bed, her eyes heavy with exhaustion from a long day of work and "justice-fighting", she could just pass out upon the bed before her head even hit the pillow. As her eyelids fell over her crystalline eyes she slipped into her dream-land.

She loved dreaming, it hide the truth. Anything could happen in your dreams, right? The pain she had been going through the past months left her shell-shocked. Everyone in the palace worried over her. The fatal sickness that had taken upon her father she bore upon her shoulders, along with the fact that she was the only daughter and heir of him. The weight of impending marriage just to keep the kingdom was crushing her. She walked around with a plastered smile upon her face, off in her own worlds in her dreams. What would happen if she went mad? Saillune would be in total chaos. That's what attracted him that night..to her dreams.

Scenes of her life past through her subconscious mind, she whimpered and rolled over clinging to her pillow. Zelgadiss Graywords was the first thing that appeared. Oh, what had happened with him was what everyone thought would break her. He was seen one day walking side by side with Lina, Gourry trailing off in the back, Filia to the other side of him. As she was about to approach him he caught a glimpse of her and ran, the others running after him unsure why he jolted off so. She never got to speak a word to them, they left in the twilight of the morning. And so her dreams turned against her as she was pulled into a land of nightmares.

"Whe...where am I?" The princess spoke softly in bewilderment as she glanced around the foggy terrain. It seemed pitch black. She walked further in the path of the blind, feeling about for any object to assist her. Suddenly a blinding light appeared before her, tempting her in. With one step she stood upon a ledge overlooking her kingdom of Saillune. Everything looked the same..but something just felt different, felt wrong.

Climbing down the ledge she held a hand over her eyes, shading them from the sun's rays. As she approached a citizen, he glared at her and shoved her out of the way cursing. She blinked in disbelief. She found the next person, and the next greeted her with the same "curtisy". "What's going on?!" She thought to herself as she raced towards the castle.

When she arrived at the castle gates, she found not a guard in sight. She touched the gate with a gentle hand, it creaking and opening before her. She pushed it a bit more and walked inside, wrapping her arms around herself. Only then did she see what she was wearing. It was a white silk dress like she had worn to bed, only with a deep red sash around it, the sleeves of the shirt flowing over her hands as if they where too long.

The oddest thing, though, was the brooch pinned onto the sash of what looked like a demon leaping out with it's claws outstretched, it's fangs bore as if to attack. But in it's eyes which where made of tiny rubies she saw sadness like that in her own eyes. Her fingers brushed over the shimmering silver as she closed her eyes, the world spinning about her.

When she opened her eyes once more she stood in what was her room, or so it looked. But the normal brightness was gone from it. The shutters where drawn closed not letting one ray of sun shine even dare enter. She saw herself thrust upon her bed crying, the same dress on before, curiously enough, the brooch not there. What she would gaze upon next would shock her completely.

Next to the bed was a flash of purple, then a man shrouded by a black cape stood, staff in hand, facing her, one blue-gloved hand finding it's way to her shoulder and lie itself softly down upon her. The silluette of herself looked up suddenly at the amethyst-eyed man, her face immediately turning to hide her tears. The man sat down beside her and forced her face to look at his, a wide smile upon his face, his eyes hauntingly glinting.

She took in a deep breath as she realized who this man was. "Xelloss?!" Her mind cried as she watched the scene before her, her heart pounding against her chest in fright. "What is he doing here? Did he cause all this torment in my kingdom?! ..But why is he here smiling, almost looking as if he cared.." Amelia's mind cluttered itself with doubts and confusion as the paradox of the image before her played itself out.

"Miss Amelia? Why do you cry?" Xelloss spoke with a chippy, cheery voice. Amelia's twin self looked over to the overly-happy man beside her and scowled. "You know very well, Mr. Xelloss..so why do you make me answer you?!" She hissed in defense. "Miss Amelia..I did nothing to you but come here to see why your pretty face is all damp. Is that a sin?" Xelloss said closing his eyes in his regular tone. Amelia's face twisted into an odd look, her nose crinkling as she whipped her tears away, looking taken aback from the unexpected complement.

"You of all people would know of my father's death.. the rebellion against the castle in the panic of it...the happy marriages of my what appeared to be friends...the destruction of all just and right in this area..all this pain and panic should be wonderful for you, Mr. Xelloss, is that why you're here?! To watch me cry?!" Amelia shouted out as tears streamed down her face.

"So..that's what happened.." Amelia whispered to herself as she watched the whole thing unravel before her eyes. Tears slid down her cheeks matching that of her twin in the other world who she was totally oblivious to. One shaky hand reached up to wipe away her own tears as they fell, her chest shaking as she sobbed gently, through blurry eyes continuing to gaze upon the two before her.

Xelloss face hardened as his eyes snapped open as he stared into her eyes. "I may be a mazoku, and I should be doing that but that was completely uncalled for, Miss Amelia. I was concerned about you what with all the talk of you going insane flowing around the area. Everyone has heard it, and I don't want my favorite justice-defender going mad!" He replied calmly, though his eyes fixed upon her own.

Amelia's body shook as she cried, biting down on her lip as she looked at him, puzzling over weather to believe him or not. She had no one else to depend upon now...it was then that she fell into his arms crying, his hand patting her back. "I wish I was going crazy..maybe then I could forget everything..." she whispered into his shirt. The smile once more appeared upon Xelloss' face, but a weak one.

Amelia could tell as she watched them that Xelloss was taking in Amelia's emotions, feeding off them, but why did he look so sad about it? Her sobbing subsided as her twin's did, her arms wrapping around herself, feeling for once comforted for all that had been going on in her life...the question was...why?

Xelloss reached into his cape as she cried and pulled something out, clasping it tightly in his hand. With his smile full once more he pushed her away some, one of Amelia's hand rubbing her eye looking like a little child. Xelloss opened his hand, showing the brooch which Amelia had touched shortly before this all was shown.

The curious, but crying Amelia took it in her hand then looked inquisitively at him. "What is it?" she whispered as she held it to her chest, looking it over. "Why, it's a brooch, Miss Amelia! See the little mazoku on it?" He said with a chuckle. "Yes..." Amelia mumbled looking it over. "Whenever you feel like things are falling apart just touch the broach and remember no matter what happens I'll always be watching you when you cry!"

Amelia put the brooch on her sash, then tilted her head to the side, sniffling. "But..why.." Xelloss stood up again, ready to take his leave. "Miss Amelia, what with all this happiness going on how could I not want to see why the usually most hyper of them all is so sad. I don't like it, it's not right!" Amelia cracked a slight smile and hugged him. "Thank you, Mr. Xelloss.." He nodded and patted her head, leaning over and pressing his lips against her cheek, a blush shrouding over her face, he disappeared as he did, his words "I'll always be watching when you cry..." flooding her mind.

The sun flooded through the windows of the castle, shining it's radiance onto Amelia's eyelids which snapped open. She sat up in her bed, one hand reaching up, touching her tear-stained cheeks. "A dream...? How strange...what an odd nightmare..but was it a nightmare or a dream?" She puzzled as she put her hand down, with a gasp, she drew it back up, beside her the broach from before, the ruby eyes shimmering in the light of day. Was it a dream at all....?

-The End