1.1 Chapter 2 - Life is Wonderful?

1.2

Somewhere underneath the piles and piles of paperwork Amelia was working on, she heard someone come screaming into the courtyard about a mutilated body of a young man found lying by the main road leading into Sailoon. Sighing and climbing her way out, she thought she might as well take a break to take care of it.

Two guards flanking her the moment she stepped out of the pile of papers, for there have been rumors of an assassin, Amelia walked down the large hallways of the palace until she reached the courtyard door. She stepped outside and was greeted by another guard, who nodded to her and reported on what was found.

"Princess Amelia, a young man was found in a ditch by the main road of Sailoon. No form of identification was on him, although he is dressed as a sorcerer of the shamanism type, and a high-quality sword shows that he was also a skilled swordsman. His cause of death seems to have been some sort of fight. It's a bit of a nasty scene, I don't suggest you look."

He gave her a look of concern, which was ignored by the princess.

"I can handle it. Take me to it, I'll see for myself."

The guard sighed and led her through the courtyard and past a row of buildings used for various storage purposes to a small side building, where bodies that are found are inspected to determine cause of death. He opened the door and swept his hand in a motion indicating that Amelia could enter.

Once inside, the musty smell of death was heavy, despite constant cleaning of the room. There was a large table in the center of the room, a white cloth pulled over it. Something bulky lay beneath. An old man, whom she recognized as one of the doctors around who didn't use any magic in his practices, was standing at a counter at the back of the room, brewing some liquid over a small candle flame. Upon hearing her enter, he promptly spun around, knocking over a few empty glass beakers in the process.

"Oh, P-princess Amelia! I'm s-surprised to s-see you in here!" he stuttered out, while righting the beakers before they had a chance to fall and break. He put out the flame with his finger and shuffled around the table and put a hand on whatever was underneath the cloth, leaning on it.

"Wh-what can I d-do for you, P-princess?"

"I came to see the body, doctor," came Amelia's response. This obviously surprised the doctor, who sent a questioning glance at the guard. He received a shrug and a sigh in response.

"W-well, I don't think th-there's anything you can do ab-bout it, but if you ins-sist."

He shuffled his way back around the table and lifted a corner of the cloth, hesitating a moment, then pulled it off, revealing what was beneath.

Amelia let out a slight gasp as she saw the body. He wore a complete suit of beige, consisting of long sleeves and pants, gloves, a large cape, and a hood. The front of his shirt was stained completely red, his stomach was split open. The blood was already dried, coating the table with a crusty layer like crumbling rust.

There was something oddly familiar about this man, but Amelia couldn't put her finger onto it. But then her eyes nearly fell out of her head and threatened to roll away as recognition finally hit her.

"Ze-ZELGADIS-SAN? Human? ..dead?"

She fell to her knees, a hand over her mouth, staring unblinkingly at the gaping wounds on him. The world felt like it was spinning, and a guard had to catch her before she hit the ground.

* * * * *

Lina awoke to a beautiful, sunshiney day. A bird was singing on her windowsill in the joy of just being, dim sounds of street merchants showing off their wares, and the sweet, sweet scent of breakfast wavered in from the dining area of the inn.

Then she awoke again to a pounding thunderstorm. Rain lashed against the outside walls, sounding like an angry death drum. Flashes of lightening lit the dark, gray morning, followed by thundering booms that shook the building from ceiling to foundation.

Wondering where this sudden spell of crappy weather came from, Lina yanked the covers further over her head, drifting back into her wonderful dreamland of food, riches, food, riches, and more food.

* * * * *

It really was a pathetic funeral

In fact, if Amelia hadn't demanded a burial, the scientists of Sailoon would have ripped Zelgadis's human body apart. It was rare they had a fresh specimen to study.

Well, most of the body was pretty much mutilated, anyway, so that ruined most of the point.

So Zelgadis had a funeral in Sailoon, of which five people attended: The princess of Sailoon, a gravedigger, and three heavily armed guards.

The thunderstorm poured on and on, as if the sky was weeping for the human turned chimera turned human. At least it seemed that way to Amelia, who was crying so much that her tears soon ran dry. But that was okay, because the rain made up for it by keeping her face wet.

Shovel after shovel of thin, runny mud slopped onto a fairly cheap coffin. A canteen that held one of Amelia's bracelets lay inside, along with the body. It was the only thing left after his sword, money, and magical items Zelgadis carried were all taken and donated to Sailoon's charities.

Well, almost the only thing left.

When all that was left to see was a mound of dirt and a gravestone with nothing more than "ZELGADIS GRAYWOODS" carved in ugly block letter on it, the gravedigger left. Amelia, now kneeling at the mud because she hadn't the strength to stand, clutched tightly in her hands an old brawn book, the only thing she found with Zelgadis that she managed to salvage.

"Princess, we must leave now," one of the guards said, gently nudging the princess.

But Amelia didn't move. She stayed right where she was, in the cold, sloppy mud, unwilling to leave Zelgadis lying cold and alone in a wooden box a few feet underground. He'd been cold and alone a good part of his life, and didn't need her just walking off to leave him again.

It wasn't until the guard scooped up the wet and miserable girl and took her inside that she fell into a fitful sleep in her bed, clutching a silver book.

* * * * *

Gourry slept.

Gourry slept and drooled.

Gourry slept and drooled and snored.

Gourry slept and drooled and snored, but because he is of lower intelligence, we're not sure what he was dreaming about, or if he even dreams at all.

Gourry slept.

* * * * *

A silver book glowed under the covers as Amelia slept. But it didn't just glow, it pulsed and throbbed and hummed, all but donning a tutu and tap- dancing on the moon. And while the book's magic was working, Amelia dreamed. Memories buried in her subconscious resurfaced and replayed for her.

I hate this, I hate this, I'M LEAVING!

Koi ni koi suru, onna no koni wa.damn it, why do I have to do this?!

That's because I'm one-third human, one-third golem, and one-third b--ow..

Amelia, how much do you weigh?

.I'll think about it.

Each scene of the chimera's interaction with her played back, over and over, reminding her of what once was but now gone.

Amelia woke right when she was handing Zelgadis her bracelet, making him promise to return it in five years time, regardless of his current situation. Sitting up in bed, she sighed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, looking around her room for a bit of comfort.

Her room was dark; it was in the early hours before dawn, so she didn't see much beyond her bed. A shaft of moonlight shone through her open window, however, conveniently illuminating an old family portrait.

It was drawn when she was young, so young that she hardly remembered it even being done. Her father, Prince Philonel, stood in the back, bushy- mustached and looking a justice-filled as usual. A young girl, Gracia, stood next to him. Amelia barely remembered her, either, because she ran away not too long after the painting was done. And in the center, holding a young toddler that was herself was..

Amelia noticed something wrong here. Where her mother was supposed to be standing, holding her, smiling, was no more than a faceless, faded, and vague figure.

Wondering just how tired she was, Amelia closed her eyes, then looked at the picture again. No, whatever was happening was still there. And not just still there, it was getting worse.

While she stared at the faded spot, her face practically pressed into it, it seemed to fade more and more, until it was completely gone. Not a trace of it. All that was left was a dark-haired toddler, seemingly floating on nothing.

And that was the last thing she saw as the canvas was torn through from behind, right where the floating baby princess was placed, by a rather sharp knife. The tip of the knife broke through Amelia's forehead, cracking through her skull and severing the tissue of her brain.

Life is wonderful? Ah, quite the contrary, ne?