(Hello everyone! Yes- last chapter! Hooray! As always, I don't own anything; I'm just a fan writing some fiction. I hope very much that you've enjoyed the story! ^_^)


29- All Good Things…

"…the trouble with diplomacy…" Pestis murmured, a proud smile crossing his face. "Yes, I think that's about right."

Zelgadis had begun chanting a spell, holding onto the vessel carefully so as not to lose his grip as he tried to keep his balance. He'd never cast this spell before, but he'd seen Lina do it so many times, it seemed almost second-nature.

"Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows…"

Brandr scrambled backwards a few steps, though he stumbled into a magma flow and let out a screech as the molten rock began eating away at his astral body.

"…I pledge myself to conquer all the foes who stand…"

"Stop! Someone help me!" Brandr yelled as he continued to disappear into the depths of the volcano.

"…Let the fools who stand before me be destroyed by the powe-"

"Zelgadis! Look out!"

The chimera's eyes shot open and the spell in his hands died out at the sound of Amelia's voice. He turned around, and ended up almost running right into her as she fell on top of him. Still, he managed to catch her, while Lavi, on the other end of the scarf, fell directly into the floor.

"I told you not to jump!" Lavi growled, pulling herself back to her feet. "The scarf isn't strong enough for you to swing from, idiot!"

"A-Amelia?! How did you get here?!" Zelgadis gasped, trying his best not to stumble backwards in shock.

"I had to climb the mountain to come and help you!" Amelia exclaimed. "I couldn't just let you face everything on your own!"

"Uh, princess? I think we're a little late!" Lavi yelled, seeing that there was almost no room left on the ground for anyone to stand.

"Zelgadis! Brandr is gone; Amelia is here! Let's get out of here while we still can!" Pestis staggered to his feet and grabbed onto the gem shard that Zelgadis handed him. The whole volcano began to shake, and a powerful rumbling noise began to fill everyone's ears.

"P-Pestis! What are you doing?!" Zelgadis gasped, pulling Amelia close to him, though there was no time for the professor to give a response.

"Magic! Take us home!" Pestis yelled to the vessel.

There was almost no time between him finishing the sentence, and the entire area being engulfed in a deafening roar, everything fading to black.


Amelia and Zelgadis opened their eyes.

"What…" Zelgadis murmured in disbelief. "…just happened?!"

"Th-the ruins..." Amelia breathed, observing their surroundings. "We... we're back... aren't we?"

She and Zelgadis exchanged a wary glance, not sure whether they should trust what their eyes were telling them. After all that they had been through, they had reason not to. However, Pestis stood up, pulling Lavi up by her scarf.

"Listen, you. I've got a few choice words for Lord Dynast when I see him again, but I want you to make one thing very clear for me, alright? You are not to interfere with things beyond your control like this again, do you understand? Or you'll all end up like Brandr."

Lavi paled and jumped away from the professor, who let go of her scarf, allowing her to disappear onto the astral plane.

"Good riddance." Pestis breathed.

"We…" Zelgadis breathed, still completely confused by the abrupt nature of the situation. "…we're alive. We're alive! Amelia, you saved us!" He threw his arms around her in sheer relief that the both of them were safe. Pestis couldn't really see, but, with his lighting spell, he could make out just enough of what was happening that he backed away slightly in order to give them some space.

"I couldn't have done it without you." Amelia murmured. "You saved me back when we were trapped in that dream. You figured out how to gets us out of the dream while all I did was cry..."

"That's not true! Once I figured it out, you were the one who knew how to properly get us out of there! Without you I'd never have been able to summon enough positive emotions to get out of there..."

"But you tried to sacrifice yourself when Mister Pestis sent us away. I'd never have had the courage to climb that mountain the way I did without being inspired by your bravery."

"But, without you climbing the mountain, Pestis and I would have died down there. You would've been sent back to Seyruun, but neither of us would have made it back..."

"I wouldn't have made it back, though. Not really. Not without you." Amelia threw her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest. "Don't ever sacrifice yourself for my sake! I don't even want to think about it..."

"...Amelia..." he began, but seemed to have to pause to think about what he was going to say.

"Tell her!" Pestis whispered loudly from the side, making Zelgadis jump a little, remembering that there was more than just him and Amelia there.

"What?"

"Tell her what you told me earlier!"

"I told you a lot of things earlier. What thing?"

"Huh?" Amelia looked around, a bit confused.

"Oh, you know what thing!"

"No, I really don't."

"Zelgadis! Do I have to spell it out for you?!"

"Huh?" Amelia repeated, still confused.

"Oh, what? You mean back when you confessed your love for me?" Zelgadis asked with a mocking grin, though Pestis wasn't able to see it.

"Whaaaaat?!" Amelia gasped in surprise. "Mister Pestis? You're in love with Zelgadis too?"

"No, no, no! I'm not! I was just saying that I-" Pestis suddenly stopped mid-sentence, his expression changing to one of awe. "...'too'... you said 'too!' You said it! You're in love with Zelgadis! I've gotten confessions out of both of you! I'm so happy!"

Amelia turned to Zelgadis and smiled. "Both of us, huh?"

"She already knew how I felt." Zelgadis stated curtly. "And I knew how she felt. Even if it wasn't said in words, it's not like it was a secret."

"After all that time we spend together doing research, there wasn't any question."

"Yes! I knew it!" Pestis clapped his hands excitedly. "My plan did work after all!"

"Plan? What plan?" Zelgadis jumped to his feet and approached the professor suspiciously.

"Closing off the ruins. I told you that I knew you and Amelia would sneak in anyway, didn't I?"

"W-wait! So all that about forbidding us from coming to the ruins was reverse psychology?!" The chimera ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "It was all just a joke to get Amelia and me together?!"

"Not a joke." Pestis assured him. "I just... I knew in my heart that you and Amelia belonged together, and so I just had to... y'know... give you a little push."

"Well, I, for one, am grateful." Amelia spoke, walking up to the professor and giving him a friendly hug. "Thank you for everything, Mister Pestis!"

"I don't exactly agree with his methods..." Zelgadis began, approaching the two. "...but I guess I can't argue with the results. Thanks, Pestis- for everything. We'd never have made it out of there alive if it hadn't been for you. I'm still not even completely sure how we managed it."

"No; I never would have made it out of there alive if it hadn't been for you." Pestis grinned. "It was a team effort. We survived as a team- and that's what matters in the end."

Amelia pulled Zelgadis into the group hug, and Pestis laughed at the concept of their antics. "We're quite the unusual team... but, then again, aren't those the best kinds?"

"But, professor, what about the astral beings in the alternate dimension?" Amelia asked, pulling free from the group. "What's going to happen to them now?"

"The volcanic eruption won't affect them." Pestis replied. "That's the purpose of the barrier I put up over the river- to protect them if the volcano ever were to erupt violently. They'll be fine; don't worry."

"And the last vessel?" Zelgadis asked.

"Ah; that..." Pestis had stashed it in a pocket of his vest, and pulled it out. "I think I'm going to start storing my belongings like a normal person."

"Like... not in a magical volcano?" Zelgadis asked.

"Not in a magical volcano." Pestis nodded in reply. He held up the vessel and smirked mischievously. "This baby is going under my mattress from now on!"

"You'd better not be serious!"

Pestis smiled and wagged his finger, pocketing the vessel away with his other hand. "Oh, but with me you can never tell. Remember?"

"Right, right. I should've guessed." Zelgadis groaned.

"Well, as long as Mister Pestis is hanging onto it, it should be safe." Amelia spoke up. "Maybe it'll come in handy one day."

"Just don't let Lina get ahold of it." Zelgadis smirked. "The world needs at least a few days' reprieve every month."

"Zelgadis!" Amelia hissed, elbowing him in the arm.

"I'm only kidding! Really, I wouldn't give a weapon like that to anyone. It's too dangerous. You all saw what happened to Brandr. Pestis is right to keep it locked up."

Amelia gave a nod. "I agree... it's quite a scary thought-"

"Hello?! Is someone down there?!"

The conversation was cut short as a voice from beyond the doorway called out, and the three turned around to face a small group of people coming from the corridor.

Amelia was the first to greet them.

"DADDY~!"

She ran to Philionel and threw her arms around his neck.

"Amelia! Oh, Amelia, we've been searching everywhere for you! The three of you disappeared, and... and..."

"I'm so glad you're here! We went to this terrible world and I had this awful dream, and it was Seyruun but it wasn't Seyruun, and there was this evil council, and it all turned out to be a Mazoku trick, and then the volcano was going to erupt, and we were going to die, but we weren't going to die, and I captured a Mazoku, but then Mister Pestis chased her away, and... and... and..."

"...what?"

"We've, uh, had a rough couple of days." Pestis spoke. "I'll explain later. But, for right now, we need to-"

"-close off the ruins for good." Zelgadis finished.

"Huh?!" Pestis spun around. "Wh-what are you talking about?! What about your cure?"

"He's right!" Amelia added, running back over to Zelgadis. "You've wanted to find it for so long! Would you really be happy throwing away this chance?"

"Amelia, we almost died." Zelgadis stated. "And, believe me- I'd far rather be alive as a chimera than not be alive at all. Besides…" He stopped and glanced over at Pestis. "…I've received some advice these past few days that I just can't ignore. I have to let myself free from this. I'll never be happy if I don't. My only regret should be that it took me this long to realize it."

"Z-Zelgadis…" Pestis stammered, smiling up at him, eyes filling with tears.

"Hey, hey- don't get all emotional on me, old man." Zelgadis gave him a gentle punch on the shoulder. "You've done more for me than I ever asked. My next goal will be to find you that gemstone you were looking for. It's the least I can do."

"And perhaps get him a new pair of glasses." Amelia added with a grin.

"Yes, I suppose I could manage that too."


"Zelgadis? Oh, good! I found you before you left!"

The chimera was in his room, almost finished packing. He looked up and saw the professor approaching him. Pestis' new glasses actually fit him, though nothing seemed to be able to fix his perpetually crooked bowtie. "Pestis? What is it?"

"Oh, uh, I just wanted to talk to you. It's about the gemstone I want you to find."

"Yeah; I was going to go ask you for more information. Something that powerful and obscure might take quite a while to find, and I needed to-"

"No, no. The thing is, I want you to find a different jewel."

"Huh?" Zelgadis stopped and gave the professor a sceptical look. "What do you mean?"

"Just what I said." Pestis replied. He motioned to a chair in the corner. "May I sit down?"

"Ah, sure." Zelgadis sat down on one corner of the bed himself. "Why would you change your mind all of a sudden? I thought you'd been searching for this gemstone for years?"

"Well, several reasons." Pestis responded with a sigh. "If it wasn't for someone else's sake, I'd consider setting myself free like you've done. But this is for someone else- someone you don't need to be involved with. Even if you were to find the gemstone, to do anything with it we'd need various ancient relics and a moonlit ceremony, and… well… it's just too complicated. I'm going to keep searching myself, but I have another jewel in mind for you instead."

Zelgadis was a little surprised, but simply nodded his head. "O-okay. What about this jewel?"

"The description may sound a bit like a riddle." Pestis began. "But it is a jewel that is very beautiful- one that brings you unparalleled joy whenever you are in its presence. It is someone that has beauty and value beyond measure, and is something that, once you find it, you should never lose." The professor closed his eyes wistfully. "It's something that I had once… and lost. And it would make me happier than anything for you to find it. That is my wish."

Zelgadis was speechless for a moment. It did sound somewhat like a riddle, but, then again, it was a description that made it sound unmistakable.

"Th-this gem… how will I know when I've found it?"

"Oh, you'll know." Pestis replied. "I promise you. Once you find it, you'll know exactly what it is."

Pestis didn't seem like he was going to offer any more information, so Zelgadis sighed and nodded.

"I'll find it for you. Don't worry."

He stood up and grabbed his belongings, heading for the door, and Pestis joined him. "Thank you, Zelgadis. When you do find it, be sure to let me know, alright?"

"Hey, of course! You'll keep in touch, won't you?"

"Certainly." Pestis smiled. "I'll make sure that my letters find you, no matter where your home is."

"You know… you could always travel with me." Zelgadis offered. "We make a pretty good team, and-"

"Zelgadis. I'm sorry. I have a boss to work for, and a powerful gemstone to search for. I'm so busy that I… I can't. Surely you understand… right?"

"Right, right. Of course I understand. I wouldn't want to impose on you." Zelgadis replied quickly. "I know that feeling, I promise."

"Don't worry. We'll see each other again, I'm sure of it." Pestis reached out his hand, and Zelgadis shook it.

"Thanks for everything, Pestis."

"Same to you, Zelgadis. Have you said goodbye to Amelia yet?"

"Yeah, I just did."

"And you gave her a good-bye kiss, right?"

"That's none of your business!"

"Oh, so you did, hmmm~?"

Zelgadis groaned. "Goodbye, Pestis."

The professor laughed as he stood by the doorway, waving to the chimera as he left. "Goodbye, Zelgadis!"

Pestis stayed by the door for a while, resting his head against the doorframe.

"Zelgadis… please figure it out soon… I so want you to be happy…"

"Mister Pestis?"

The professor jumped. "A-Amelia! You startled me! What are you doing here?"

"Did you see Zelgadis before he left?" she asked curiously. "I wanted to make sure that he didn't run off before telling you goodbye. He has a habit of doing that sort of thing when he's dead-set on something."

"Oh, yes, we did get a chance to talk. Thank you for your concern though, princess." Pestis gave a bow.

"No need for thanks!" Amelia grinned. "He was so excited to do something for you- even if he won't say it, I think he really admires you, Mister Pestis."

Pestis smiled. "I just wish for your happiness- both of you. The sooner Zelgadis figures out what this 'jewel' is, the sooner he'll be back here in Seyruun, I can assure you of that."

"Really?" Amelia asked, her eyes sparkling. "How wonderful!"

"Just be sure to invite me to your wedding, okay princess?" The professor gave her a pat on the shoulder and a grin.

Amelia blushed. "He said that? Oh, Mister Pestis!"

"W-well, not in so many words, but he-"

" Zelgadis was so happy when he left, you know! He was talking about how knowledgeable you are on everything, and how you were even able to recommend to him a jeweller to see about finding this gemstone, and-"

"Wait a second! Jeweller?" Pestis stiffened with a gasp.

"Y-yes…" Amelia stammered. "What's wrong, Mister Pes-"

"Sorry! Hold that thought! I completely forgot something!"

Amelia watched in confusion as the professor dashed down the hallway.

"…how odd…"


"Zelgadis! Zelgadis!" Pestis found himself on a balcony of the palace, calling out to the chimera who seemed to be almost out of earshot. Still, Zelgadis turned to look at him.

"Pestis?!" he called back.

"Zelgadis, I forgot to tell you!" Pestis yelled as loudly as he could. "That jeweller I told you about- Shichiro Hoseki- don't go visit him! He's bad news!"

"What?"

"I SAID, DON'T GO VISIT THAT JEWELER!"

There was a long pause.

"TH-THE JEWELLER!" Pestis continued to stammer. "I'M TELLING YOU NOT TO-"

At this point, Zelgadis seemed to have gotten fed up, and had cast a Ray Wing spell in order to fly back up to the balcony where Pestis was standing.

"I'm sorry; can you repeat that?" the chimera asked.

"Yes, of course! I just wanted to make sure that you knew about the jeweller that I told you abo-"

"Shichiro Hoseki, right?"

"Yes, he-"

"I've got it."

"You… heard what I told you?"

"Yes, yes, I know."

"O-Okay, good. I just wanted to make sure that we're on the same page."

"We're totally on the same page."

"Alright, good."

"Good."

"W-well, goodbye, then."

"Goodbye, Pestis."

Zelgadis took off from the balcony, back on his way. Pestis sighed in relief and allowed himself to smile again.

"Thank goodness…" he murmured, crossing his arms. "Of all the beings in the world, I can't let my dear friends get involved with the one I hate the most…"

Zelgadis however, continued on his journey, shaking his head at his friend.

"Wow, I can't believe he ran all the way back out here to remind me to seek out that jeweller- he must be really important. I'd better get started finding out where this guy works…"

~The End… for now~


(A/N: Aaaaand, this is how we lead into 'All That Glitters!' This is a prequel, but it really was meant to be read after ATG, as it spoils quite a few things- the gemstone being a metaphor, "Shichiro" being the villain, etc. But it's nice to have established that Pestis was the one to send Zel on his quest, and his true reasoning behind it. I'm very satisfied with how the stories blend together, which is always a nice feeling. Thank you all so much for reading! It really means a lot to me that you would get this far. I appreciate everything~ farewell until next time!)