Disclaimer – I don't own the Slayers characters.


Sunrise Goodbye

The clock in her bedroom ticked softly. With her curtains drawn, the moon's light spilled across its face, enabling her to watch as the second hand moved round and round. The minute hand rested at eleven. In just five minutes, the hour hand would be positioned perfectly between the one and two that made the number twelve.

Five minutes. She slipped her legs over the side of her bed and maneuvered her feet into the furry brown slippers below. Standing, she glanced at the clock. When those minutes had passed, he would be gone.

She moved for her door.

His room wasn't far from hers, still she ran. Her covered feet pattered against the marble floor with each footfall. Her breaths came out as faint gasps.

Once at his door, she forwent knocking and swung it open. "Mr. Zelgadiss?" He stood at an open window, with his foot rested on its pane. He looked ready to leap out into the cold night air. Upon hearing her voice, his face turned to her, and his wire hair glinted in the moonlight. She frowned and closed the door, making sure to keep both eyes on him. "Did you forget your promise?"

He remained at the window, his pack slung over his shoulder and canteen rested at his hip. With an almost inaudible sigh, he lowered his foot. As he did, the air filled with twelve peals from a bell. He smirked then, and turned back to the window. "I promised I wouldn't leave until morning. It's midnight."

Amelia shook her head. "Morning is when the sun is up." She pointed to his window. "The stars are still out. It's night."

He remained at the window, his stance determined and eyes locked on the world outside. His desire to commence his search for a cure was almost palpable. Yet, she could not let him go. Not yet. "Mr. Zelgadiss—"

"Until sunrise." His pack slid to the floor, and he turned to her once more. "Fine, I'll leave at sunrise."

Amelia sighed, relieved. "Good!" And she stood, beaming at him from across the room.

After a moment, Zelgadiss raised a fist to his mouth and coughed lightly. "Um, you can go back to bed now."

The thought of returning to her warm, cozy bed was tempting, but not tempting enough to lure her from his room. She was going to stay in his room tonight. She had decided this the moment she opened his door.

"Actually," she said, stepping toward him. "I was wondering if we could talk."

Zelgadiss seemed taken aback. "Amelia, it's late, I really think you should get some sleep."

As unjustly as it was, she ignored him. She sat before him and motioned for him to sit as well. Hesitantly, he did as she bid. It was unlike her, she knew, to so blatantly impose herself on another. But she could not let him leave until sunrise.

Looking uncomfortable, Zelgadiss asked, "What do you want to talk about?"

Her cheeks pinked, and she was thankful for the darkness. She did not know what she wanted to talk about. Just that she wanted to talk about something, anything that would give her the excuse to stay here with him until sunrise. "Where's the first place you'll head to," she asked.

He looked relieved at the question, almost like he'd been expecting her to say something else. "I'm going to Atlus City. The City's library is going to be receiving a shipment of ancient spell books."

Amelia was shocked. "How did you find out about that? That's supposed to be top secret information!"

Zelgadiss shrugged. "I have my sources."

Amelia wondered who these sources were. "Even so, how do you expect to see these books? The Atlus mages will spend a few months going through them and deciding which can be shown to the public and which cannot."

Zelgadiss smirked. "I have my ways." Amelia pursed her lips. It would probably be best if she did not know what his ways would be. "Anyway, if that's all, you can head back to bed now," Zelgadiss said.

Amelia frowned and looked at the fists that clenched in her lap. She did not want to leave. Not yet. "Mr. Zelgadiss—"

"Look, Amelia, I won't leave until sunrise. You have my word. So let's both get some sleep, okay?" He rose. When she did not do the same, he said her name, his annoyance obvious in his voice.

She did not move. She would not. Twice before, she'd slept while two of the most important people in her life left her in the night. Her mother with death. Her sister with a heart longing to forget her past. Nevermore would see her mother, and she doubted her runaway sister would appear before her again. The night had taken them both and would never give them back.

And so Amelia wanted to see Zelgadiss off when the sun was in the sky, when the warm light spilled across the land, making visible all paths. Because maybe then, though he would leave, he would find his way back to her.

She looked up at him. "Please, Mr. Zelgadiss. Just let me stay with you until morning."

He peered at her, his eyes slanted, his lips curved down. Then he sighed, his hand running through his hair. "Oh, alright." There was a small smirk on his face, and his eyes had softened. Staring into them, Amelia almost believed he was glad to have her stay.


At sunrise, Amelia sat beside him, her head resting on his shoulder. She had fallen asleep. Tenderness filled his heart as he gazed at her, and part of him was reluctant to go. But he needed to go. He needed his cure. His inability to feel the tickle of the hair that brushed his neck proved that.

He scooped the slumbering princess into his arms and laid her on his bed. After gently brushing his knuckles across her cheek, he turned and picked up his pack. He stepped toward his window. A levitation spell would have him off palace grounds in under ten minutes.

At his window, he propped his foot upon the pane and readied himself for the leap. Momentarily, he allowed himself to think of the young woman he was leaving behind. The woman he hoped to return to. Instinctively, his hand went to the canteen at his side where a pink wristlet hung.

"Goodbye, Amelia."

"Mr. Zelgadiss."

He froze, then turned.

Amelia sat upright in bed, eyes red from lack of sleep and hair tousled. Still so beautiful, Zelgadiss thought. And he had the urge to go to her, to gather her up in his arms and squeeze her with a promise to never let go. But like last night, he suppressed this desire; for to hold her as he wanted would mean to crush every bone in her body.

She spoke again, her voice soft and lilting. "I want to thank you."

"For what?"

"For coming back to Seyruun with me. For talking with me all last night."

Zelgadiss blushed and turned away. "Well I…" He did not know what to say. She spared him the necessity.

"Goodbye, Mr. Zelgadiss."

He turned back to her, his eyes finding hers. In them was a twinge of sadness, but belief shone more brightly. Belief that he would return to her.

He would return to her.

"Goodbye, Amelia." The words passed his lips as a heartfelt whisper, and then he was gone.