Crickets chirped in the darkness before dawn. The faint smell of pine hung
in the air. A dense layer of fog, several feet deep, coated the forest
floor. Although the land was still under the cover of darkness, it was
obvious to anyone that it was going to be a miserable summer day. It was
already humid and it was becoming warmer by the minute.
Zelgadis traveled on, oblivious to trivial things such as day or night. His damp clothes clung to his body, saturated with moisture from his travel through the fog bank. He had been traveling nonstop for several days and wasn't even beginning to tire.
A small branch snagged Zelgadis's cloak ripping a large gash in it. It wasn't the first. His clothes weren't nearly as resilient as the chimera himself and the constant travel had taken their toll. His formerly neat appearance had given way to something that looked more like a beggar than a sorcerer. His sleeves were tattered and his cloak exposed almost as much as it concealed. The only exception was his hood and mask. He still took care of those obsessively. They were his shield against the rest of humanity.
Even after all this time, Zelgadis still loathed other people's reaction to him. With his enhanced senses, he never missed the frightened stares. No whispered insult escaped his ears. He would have expected the insults to roll off his back at this point. He had dealt with them for most of his life. Ironically enough though, the stony chimera actually had a pretty thin skin when it came to remarks about his appearance.
Zelgadis came to a clearing atop a hill. Pausing for a moment, he looked around lost in his memories. A couple miles away, a huge crater loomed. He, Lina, and the others had fought for their lives against the demons Kanzul and Mizenda there long ago.
Turning his head slightly, Zelgadis gasped at what he saw next. The normally white walls of Seyruun were the covered in blood. He shook his head and looked again. It was only a trick of the light. The sun had just come over the horizon momentarily casting a crimson glow upon the city. It was nothing more than that.
Breathing a sigh of relief, the chimera tried to shake the unsettling image out of his head. He started down the hill towards the city gates. With any luck, he would be there within a couple hours.
************************************************************************
Zelgadis looked around as he walked through the crowded streets of the city. So much had changed since he and Amelia had last visited. On one street corner was an ice cream shop where there had been a tavern before. A bookstore on the next street that he remembered frequenting was now boarded up.
"Mommy, what's that?"
Zelgadis turned to see a little blond haired girl, who looked to be about five years old pointing at him.
The little girl's mother glanced nervously at the chimera before grabbing the girl's hand and pulling her away from him into the anonymity of the crowd.
Zelgadis shook his head and sighed. "It never changes." He looked around at all the faces around him. Many of them were staring at him and whispering to one another. He noted that although the rest of the street was crowded, nobody had brushed up against him. As usual, everyone was trying to stay as far away from him as possible. He snarled at the people and muttered under his breath. "Bastards." Glancing around, he spotted the mouth of a dark alley a few feet away. Sparing the crowd one last venomous glare, he moved into the darkness, away from the stares and insults. The smell of cheap alcohol and vomit immediately assaulted him.
"Can you spare a coin for an old man?"
Zelgadis sighed as he sat down and leaned against the wall. "Sure, whatever." He reached into his pocket and tossed a couple of silvers to the voice in the darkness. He briefly heard the man scrambling in the darkness trying to find the coins.
"Thank you sir!" Two thin hands reached out of the darkness and grabbed Zelgadis's arm. "You're very generous." A moment of silence passed as the old man felt the unyielding nature of Zelgadis's flesh. "What?" The hands began to squeeze the chimera's arm.
Zelgadis could smell the old man's breath. He felt a little ill. "Not a problem." He quickly removed the bum's hands from his sleeve. "Don't touch me, okay?"
Silence answer Zelgadis. Then he heard an evil chuckle. "It's you."
Zelgadis's eyes widened. Something was familiar about that laugh. "Old man?" He struggled to make out the features of the figure in the darkness. It was no use though. The sun hadn't risen high enough to illuminate the alley and all he could make out was a thin form.
The old man laughed out loud and clapped. "It's you! Zelgadis Greywords!" He quickly scampered out of the darkness on all fours like some kind of oversized rat.
Zelgadis involuntarily backed away from the man. There was something horribly familiar about him. He stared at the bum, struggling to identify him.
The bum looked to be in his seventies and was impossibly thin. He was little more than a skeleton with skin stretched over it. His fingernails were incredibly long and resembled talons. He clothes were tattered to the point that rags would be a more accurate description for them. They were familiar though. The robes of a priest perhaps.
Zelgadis whispered, "No". He looked at the man's face and his suspicions were confirmed.
The bum's face was heavily wrinkled and covered with festering sores. He was smiling and Zelgadis noted with no small amount of distaste that he had only had three teeth left in his mouth. Wispy strands of white hair desperately clung to the top of his head. But the thing that seized the chimera's attention was his eyes. His eyes were full of cruelty and hatred. They were the color of amethyst and seemed to shine in the darkness.
Zelgadis spat out a name. "Xellos?!"
"You do remember!" Xellos cackled and danced happily around the alley.
Zelgadis quickly stood and backed away from the former priest. He thought back to the old days when Xellos was always calm, collected, and one step ahead of everyone around him. He stared at the capering monstrosity. This. . . thing couldn't be Xellos. But, deep down, he knew it was. "What happened to you?"
Xellos stopped dancing and blinked at Zelgadis. "You don't know? She didn't tell you?" He spied a large black rat rummaging through a pile of rubbish and grinned. Pouncing with frightening speed, he snatched up the rat and tried to chew through its hide with his pitiful teeth. He looked at Zelgadis, as if just remembering that he was there. "Where are my manners?" He ripped the rodent in half and offered the upper half to Zelgadis. "Want some?"
Zelgadis shook his head mutely.
Shrugging, Xellos went back to gumming his meal. Through mouthfuls of rodent, he continued to speak. "Suit yourself. It's nice to have a visitor. Nobody comes down here much anymore." He grinned at Zelgadis with the rat's tail hanging out of the corner of his mouth. "I can't imagine why."
Zelgadis fought through the wave of nausea and took a step towards Xellos.
Xellos squealed and scampered behind a large pile of garbage. "Don't hurt me!"
"You have nothing to fear from me. I only want to ask you some questions." Zelgadis slowly advanced on the cowering Xellos.
Xellos looked up at Zelgadis nervously. "You're not going to kill me? Why not? I thought you hated me."
"I did hate you, but. . ." Zelgadis was surprised to note that he didn't hate Xellos. Despite everything that the trickster priest had done, Zelgadis couldn't conjure up any feeling other than pity for the creature before him. ". . .I don't anymore."
Xellos eyed him suspiciously. "You said you have questions?"
Zelgadis nodded and knelt down next to Xellos. He spoke quietly. "How did this happen?"
Xellos rolled his eyes. "I told you. She did this to me!"
Zelgadis struggled to keep his temper in check. "Who did this?"
"Lina Inverse!" Xellos's voice was full of awe. "Her cruelty puts even the greatest demon to shame." He grinned. "It was a humbling experience for me you know. Cruelty was my life and a mere human outperforms me. I was impressed."
"You speak as if you like what she did to you."
Xellos shook his head violently. A few more strands of hair were shaken loose from his skull. "No! It's more like one artist admiring another's work. And this. . ." He gestured to his body. ". . .is a masterpiece." He cackled again before staring at Zelgadis. "And what about you? Did you finally manage to shake off that annoying princess?" He saw the chimera jump a bit and chuckled. "She's dead isn't she? Did she suffer?" He advanced on the chimera in anticipation.
Zelgadis squeezed his eyes shut and struggled to block out Xellos's voice.
"Were you happy to be rid of her?" Xellos snickered.
Zelgadis eyes flew open and he backhanded Xellos, knocking another of the priest's teeth out. He quickly stood and backed away from him. "Shut up! Don't you dare talk about Amelia!"
Xellos grinned at Zelgadis and licked the blood off his lips. His voice had a tone of mock sympathy. "Did I touch a sore spot?"
Zelgadis hadn't hated Amelia. He was sure of it. At the end, it had been hard, but he had never resented her had he? She was everything to him. Damn this demon for making him question his love for Amelia. He glared at the grinning Xellos coldly. "I see you haven't lost your touch for causing misery."
Xellos smirked. "I try." He gestured to a relatively clean spot next to himself. "Sit?"
Zelgadis sighed and knelt down next to Xellos again. He knew that he should leave, but as much as he hated to admit it, the trickster priest was another part of his past. He shuddered when he realized that he was actually relieved to see this pathetic creature again.
Xellos nodded happily. "So, you've finally accepted what you are."
"And what's that?"
The priest rolled his eyes at Zelgadis and sighed. "You're as dense as ever. You're a monster." He smiled and his voice filled with pride. "Just like me."
Zelgadis shook his head and snorted. "You're no monster, Xellos. You're a wretched old man with no purpose."
Xellos got a faraway look in his eyes. "I do have a purpose. I am Xellos, loyal servant of Beastmaster Zelas. Charged with the mission of bringing about the destruction of this world. Dragons tremble at the mention of my name." He glanced at Zelgadis. "Not many dragons left, are there?"
Zelgadis shook his head. "No, I suppose not."
With the loss of the Golden Dragons sixty-five years ago, the less powerful and intelligent of the creatures had become more wild and clashed with humans. Despite their superior power, many dragons had died due to the superior numbers and ingenuity of humanity. Now they were almost extinct.
Xellos nodded. "Obnoxious creatures." He turned away from Zelgadis and began to rummage through some garbage.
Zelgadis looked at him warily. "What are you doing?"
"Making your bed of course." Xellos scattered a layer of rubbish on the alley floor. "You can't very well sleep on the cobblestones can you?"
Zelgadis stood and backed away from Xellos. "What are you talking about? I'm not staying here."
Xellos stopped and turned to Zelgadis. "Why not? Nobody wants you out there. Monsters like us belong in the shadows."
"I'm not a monster, Xellos."
Xellos sniggered evilly. "But you certainly look like a monster."
Zelgadis looked down at himself in horror. For the first time in a long while, he noticed his rough appearance. His torn cloak was covered in the grime of the alley. He glanced at Xellos's rags and realized that they looked similar to his own pathetic clothes. He started to back away from the priest.
Xellos crawled after Zelgadis like a cat stalking a mouse. "My, my. You're still clinging to the foolish notion that you're human, aren't you? Are you going to run away now that you're hearing the truth?" He cocked his head as if just recalling something. "Why'd you come down here anyway? Nobody comes down here anymore. . ." He grinned as he continued to advance on the chimera.
Zelgadis continued backing away. He stammered an answer. "I. . . I was taking a shortcut and took a wrong turn." He cursed himself for trying such a stupid lie. A six year old wouldn't have believed him.
Xellos's mocking laughter pierced the air. "You came down here to get away from their stares, didn't you? Monsters are shunned by humanity. So are you." He crawled closer to Zelgadis, his eyes full of evil mirth. "Monsters are hideous. So are you."
Zelgadis slipped on a wet patch of ground and fell onto his back. His head hit the ground and he saw stars for a moment.
In an instant, Xellos was on top of him. The chimera and the priest were nose to nose as Xellos spoke. "Monsters are utterly evil."
Zelgadis whispered, "I'm not evil." He shoved Xellos away from him and quickly stood. He snarled at the priest. "Stop trying to confuse me with your lies!"
Xellos glared at Zelgadis. He hissed, "I have never lied and have no intention of starting now." His expression brightened. "The truth is so much more fun!"
Zelgadis shook his head. "I'm not evil."
Xellos grinned and glanced around the alley. "Is there an echo in here? I could have sworn that I heard you say that before. But keep telling yourself that, and I'm sure you'll be able to believe it." His gaze settled on Zelgadis again. "I know! Why don't we ask the residents of Cruso if they think you're evil?"
Zelgadis gasped.
Xellos continued. "Oh, that's right! They're all dead. Thanks to you, Zelgadis. Did you know that they never rebuilt the village? No one left to do it. I must say, you are very efficient when it comes to killing." He clapped his hands. "So very monstrous."
Zelgadis shook his head, trying to block out the memories of the dead and dying. "You killed those people! Not me."
Xellos smirked. "I killed one person that day. You created the beasts that did most of the killing." He backed away into the darkness and sighed. "But, go on living your little lie, if that's what makes you happy."
Zelgadis leaned against the wall. It had been a mistake to listen to the demon. He should have expected something like this to happen. He looked at Xellos. "What about you? Are you happy with what you are now?"
Xellos thought for a moment. "I suppose it makes no real difference. I still have a purpose. I spread misery wherever I can. Which is more than you can say isn't it? You're in Seyruun to see Lina's brat and wallow in the past for another couple years. And what will you do after she dies? You'll run off somewhere else to find another memory. You're the one who has no purpose."
Zelgadis closed his eyes and thought of Amelia's words.
"Promise me that you won't throw your life away. Make it count for something."
Zelgadis smiled and glanced at Xellos. "I do have a purpose, Xellos."
Xellos arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Do tell?"
"I'll tell you when I find it." Zelgadis turned away from Xellos and walked into the light of the street. He tried to ignore the mocking laughter coming from the shadows behind him.
And the hours passed. . .
************************************************************************
Next Chapter: A royal reunion.
Notes: Oh boy. Is anyone enjoying this? It seems really dark to me. I'm going to try to lighten it up slightly in the next chapter, but the rest of the story isn't going to be sunshine and happiness.
I hope nobody thought Xellos was terribly OOC here. Seeing as he was stripped of his mazoku powers, he's become somewhat useless. That coupled with the loss of his connection to the astral plane and his creator, to say nothing of decades of isolation, *shrugs* I figured that would be just about enough to push anyone off the deep end.
On to the reviews!
CT, I see you've stuck around for the second story! *cheers* I promise the rest of the story won't all be sad. We'll see a little happiness sooner or later.
Hikari, I'm glad you liked the Z/A bit. I enjoyed writing it. Well, maybe enjoyed is the wrong word. It felt right to write it. And yes, the story starts out 37 years later. That would put Zel *counts on his fingers* somewhere in his mid eighties I guess. By the way, I wrote you an e-mail like you asked. Did you get it?
Well, until next time! Thanks for reading!
Zelgadis traveled on, oblivious to trivial things such as day or night. His damp clothes clung to his body, saturated with moisture from his travel through the fog bank. He had been traveling nonstop for several days and wasn't even beginning to tire.
A small branch snagged Zelgadis's cloak ripping a large gash in it. It wasn't the first. His clothes weren't nearly as resilient as the chimera himself and the constant travel had taken their toll. His formerly neat appearance had given way to something that looked more like a beggar than a sorcerer. His sleeves were tattered and his cloak exposed almost as much as it concealed. The only exception was his hood and mask. He still took care of those obsessively. They were his shield against the rest of humanity.
Even after all this time, Zelgadis still loathed other people's reaction to him. With his enhanced senses, he never missed the frightened stares. No whispered insult escaped his ears. He would have expected the insults to roll off his back at this point. He had dealt with them for most of his life. Ironically enough though, the stony chimera actually had a pretty thin skin when it came to remarks about his appearance.
Zelgadis came to a clearing atop a hill. Pausing for a moment, he looked around lost in his memories. A couple miles away, a huge crater loomed. He, Lina, and the others had fought for their lives against the demons Kanzul and Mizenda there long ago.
Turning his head slightly, Zelgadis gasped at what he saw next. The normally white walls of Seyruun were the covered in blood. He shook his head and looked again. It was only a trick of the light. The sun had just come over the horizon momentarily casting a crimson glow upon the city. It was nothing more than that.
Breathing a sigh of relief, the chimera tried to shake the unsettling image out of his head. He started down the hill towards the city gates. With any luck, he would be there within a couple hours.
************************************************************************
Zelgadis looked around as he walked through the crowded streets of the city. So much had changed since he and Amelia had last visited. On one street corner was an ice cream shop where there had been a tavern before. A bookstore on the next street that he remembered frequenting was now boarded up.
"Mommy, what's that?"
Zelgadis turned to see a little blond haired girl, who looked to be about five years old pointing at him.
The little girl's mother glanced nervously at the chimera before grabbing the girl's hand and pulling her away from him into the anonymity of the crowd.
Zelgadis shook his head and sighed. "It never changes." He looked around at all the faces around him. Many of them were staring at him and whispering to one another. He noted that although the rest of the street was crowded, nobody had brushed up against him. As usual, everyone was trying to stay as far away from him as possible. He snarled at the people and muttered under his breath. "Bastards." Glancing around, he spotted the mouth of a dark alley a few feet away. Sparing the crowd one last venomous glare, he moved into the darkness, away from the stares and insults. The smell of cheap alcohol and vomit immediately assaulted him.
"Can you spare a coin for an old man?"
Zelgadis sighed as he sat down and leaned against the wall. "Sure, whatever." He reached into his pocket and tossed a couple of silvers to the voice in the darkness. He briefly heard the man scrambling in the darkness trying to find the coins.
"Thank you sir!" Two thin hands reached out of the darkness and grabbed Zelgadis's arm. "You're very generous." A moment of silence passed as the old man felt the unyielding nature of Zelgadis's flesh. "What?" The hands began to squeeze the chimera's arm.
Zelgadis could smell the old man's breath. He felt a little ill. "Not a problem." He quickly removed the bum's hands from his sleeve. "Don't touch me, okay?"
Silence answer Zelgadis. Then he heard an evil chuckle. "It's you."
Zelgadis's eyes widened. Something was familiar about that laugh. "Old man?" He struggled to make out the features of the figure in the darkness. It was no use though. The sun hadn't risen high enough to illuminate the alley and all he could make out was a thin form.
The old man laughed out loud and clapped. "It's you! Zelgadis Greywords!" He quickly scampered out of the darkness on all fours like some kind of oversized rat.
Zelgadis involuntarily backed away from the man. There was something horribly familiar about him. He stared at the bum, struggling to identify him.
The bum looked to be in his seventies and was impossibly thin. He was little more than a skeleton with skin stretched over it. His fingernails were incredibly long and resembled talons. He clothes were tattered to the point that rags would be a more accurate description for them. They were familiar though. The robes of a priest perhaps.
Zelgadis whispered, "No". He looked at the man's face and his suspicions were confirmed.
The bum's face was heavily wrinkled and covered with festering sores. He was smiling and Zelgadis noted with no small amount of distaste that he had only had three teeth left in his mouth. Wispy strands of white hair desperately clung to the top of his head. But the thing that seized the chimera's attention was his eyes. His eyes were full of cruelty and hatred. They were the color of amethyst and seemed to shine in the darkness.
Zelgadis spat out a name. "Xellos?!"
"You do remember!" Xellos cackled and danced happily around the alley.
Zelgadis quickly stood and backed away from the former priest. He thought back to the old days when Xellos was always calm, collected, and one step ahead of everyone around him. He stared at the capering monstrosity. This. . . thing couldn't be Xellos. But, deep down, he knew it was. "What happened to you?"
Xellos stopped dancing and blinked at Zelgadis. "You don't know? She didn't tell you?" He spied a large black rat rummaging through a pile of rubbish and grinned. Pouncing with frightening speed, he snatched up the rat and tried to chew through its hide with his pitiful teeth. He looked at Zelgadis, as if just remembering that he was there. "Where are my manners?" He ripped the rodent in half and offered the upper half to Zelgadis. "Want some?"
Zelgadis shook his head mutely.
Shrugging, Xellos went back to gumming his meal. Through mouthfuls of rodent, he continued to speak. "Suit yourself. It's nice to have a visitor. Nobody comes down here much anymore." He grinned at Zelgadis with the rat's tail hanging out of the corner of his mouth. "I can't imagine why."
Zelgadis fought through the wave of nausea and took a step towards Xellos.
Xellos squealed and scampered behind a large pile of garbage. "Don't hurt me!"
"You have nothing to fear from me. I only want to ask you some questions." Zelgadis slowly advanced on the cowering Xellos.
Xellos looked up at Zelgadis nervously. "You're not going to kill me? Why not? I thought you hated me."
"I did hate you, but. . ." Zelgadis was surprised to note that he didn't hate Xellos. Despite everything that the trickster priest had done, Zelgadis couldn't conjure up any feeling other than pity for the creature before him. ". . .I don't anymore."
Xellos eyed him suspiciously. "You said you have questions?"
Zelgadis nodded and knelt down next to Xellos. He spoke quietly. "How did this happen?"
Xellos rolled his eyes. "I told you. She did this to me!"
Zelgadis struggled to keep his temper in check. "Who did this?"
"Lina Inverse!" Xellos's voice was full of awe. "Her cruelty puts even the greatest demon to shame." He grinned. "It was a humbling experience for me you know. Cruelty was my life and a mere human outperforms me. I was impressed."
"You speak as if you like what she did to you."
Xellos shook his head violently. A few more strands of hair were shaken loose from his skull. "No! It's more like one artist admiring another's work. And this. . ." He gestured to his body. ". . .is a masterpiece." He cackled again before staring at Zelgadis. "And what about you? Did you finally manage to shake off that annoying princess?" He saw the chimera jump a bit and chuckled. "She's dead isn't she? Did she suffer?" He advanced on the chimera in anticipation.
Zelgadis squeezed his eyes shut and struggled to block out Xellos's voice.
"Were you happy to be rid of her?" Xellos snickered.
Zelgadis eyes flew open and he backhanded Xellos, knocking another of the priest's teeth out. He quickly stood and backed away from him. "Shut up! Don't you dare talk about Amelia!"
Xellos grinned at Zelgadis and licked the blood off his lips. His voice had a tone of mock sympathy. "Did I touch a sore spot?"
Zelgadis hadn't hated Amelia. He was sure of it. At the end, it had been hard, but he had never resented her had he? She was everything to him. Damn this demon for making him question his love for Amelia. He glared at the grinning Xellos coldly. "I see you haven't lost your touch for causing misery."
Xellos smirked. "I try." He gestured to a relatively clean spot next to himself. "Sit?"
Zelgadis sighed and knelt down next to Xellos again. He knew that he should leave, but as much as he hated to admit it, the trickster priest was another part of his past. He shuddered when he realized that he was actually relieved to see this pathetic creature again.
Xellos nodded happily. "So, you've finally accepted what you are."
"And what's that?"
The priest rolled his eyes at Zelgadis and sighed. "You're as dense as ever. You're a monster." He smiled and his voice filled with pride. "Just like me."
Zelgadis shook his head and snorted. "You're no monster, Xellos. You're a wretched old man with no purpose."
Xellos got a faraway look in his eyes. "I do have a purpose. I am Xellos, loyal servant of Beastmaster Zelas. Charged with the mission of bringing about the destruction of this world. Dragons tremble at the mention of my name." He glanced at Zelgadis. "Not many dragons left, are there?"
Zelgadis shook his head. "No, I suppose not."
With the loss of the Golden Dragons sixty-five years ago, the less powerful and intelligent of the creatures had become more wild and clashed with humans. Despite their superior power, many dragons had died due to the superior numbers and ingenuity of humanity. Now they were almost extinct.
Xellos nodded. "Obnoxious creatures." He turned away from Zelgadis and began to rummage through some garbage.
Zelgadis looked at him warily. "What are you doing?"
"Making your bed of course." Xellos scattered a layer of rubbish on the alley floor. "You can't very well sleep on the cobblestones can you?"
Zelgadis stood and backed away from Xellos. "What are you talking about? I'm not staying here."
Xellos stopped and turned to Zelgadis. "Why not? Nobody wants you out there. Monsters like us belong in the shadows."
"I'm not a monster, Xellos."
Xellos sniggered evilly. "But you certainly look like a monster."
Zelgadis looked down at himself in horror. For the first time in a long while, he noticed his rough appearance. His torn cloak was covered in the grime of the alley. He glanced at Xellos's rags and realized that they looked similar to his own pathetic clothes. He started to back away from the priest.
Xellos crawled after Zelgadis like a cat stalking a mouse. "My, my. You're still clinging to the foolish notion that you're human, aren't you? Are you going to run away now that you're hearing the truth?" He cocked his head as if just recalling something. "Why'd you come down here anyway? Nobody comes down here anymore. . ." He grinned as he continued to advance on the chimera.
Zelgadis continued backing away. He stammered an answer. "I. . . I was taking a shortcut and took a wrong turn." He cursed himself for trying such a stupid lie. A six year old wouldn't have believed him.
Xellos's mocking laughter pierced the air. "You came down here to get away from their stares, didn't you? Monsters are shunned by humanity. So are you." He crawled closer to Zelgadis, his eyes full of evil mirth. "Monsters are hideous. So are you."
Zelgadis slipped on a wet patch of ground and fell onto his back. His head hit the ground and he saw stars for a moment.
In an instant, Xellos was on top of him. The chimera and the priest were nose to nose as Xellos spoke. "Monsters are utterly evil."
Zelgadis whispered, "I'm not evil." He shoved Xellos away from him and quickly stood. He snarled at the priest. "Stop trying to confuse me with your lies!"
Xellos glared at Zelgadis. He hissed, "I have never lied and have no intention of starting now." His expression brightened. "The truth is so much more fun!"
Zelgadis shook his head. "I'm not evil."
Xellos grinned and glanced around the alley. "Is there an echo in here? I could have sworn that I heard you say that before. But keep telling yourself that, and I'm sure you'll be able to believe it." His gaze settled on Zelgadis again. "I know! Why don't we ask the residents of Cruso if they think you're evil?"
Zelgadis gasped.
Xellos continued. "Oh, that's right! They're all dead. Thanks to you, Zelgadis. Did you know that they never rebuilt the village? No one left to do it. I must say, you are very efficient when it comes to killing." He clapped his hands. "So very monstrous."
Zelgadis shook his head, trying to block out the memories of the dead and dying. "You killed those people! Not me."
Xellos smirked. "I killed one person that day. You created the beasts that did most of the killing." He backed away into the darkness and sighed. "But, go on living your little lie, if that's what makes you happy."
Zelgadis leaned against the wall. It had been a mistake to listen to the demon. He should have expected something like this to happen. He looked at Xellos. "What about you? Are you happy with what you are now?"
Xellos thought for a moment. "I suppose it makes no real difference. I still have a purpose. I spread misery wherever I can. Which is more than you can say isn't it? You're in Seyruun to see Lina's brat and wallow in the past for another couple years. And what will you do after she dies? You'll run off somewhere else to find another memory. You're the one who has no purpose."
Zelgadis closed his eyes and thought of Amelia's words.
"Promise me that you won't throw your life away. Make it count for something."
Zelgadis smiled and glanced at Xellos. "I do have a purpose, Xellos."
Xellos arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Do tell?"
"I'll tell you when I find it." Zelgadis turned away from Xellos and walked into the light of the street. He tried to ignore the mocking laughter coming from the shadows behind him.
And the hours passed. . .
************************************************************************
Next Chapter: A royal reunion.
Notes: Oh boy. Is anyone enjoying this? It seems really dark to me. I'm going to try to lighten it up slightly in the next chapter, but the rest of the story isn't going to be sunshine and happiness.
I hope nobody thought Xellos was terribly OOC here. Seeing as he was stripped of his mazoku powers, he's become somewhat useless. That coupled with the loss of his connection to the astral plane and his creator, to say nothing of decades of isolation, *shrugs* I figured that would be just about enough to push anyone off the deep end.
On to the reviews!
CT, I see you've stuck around for the second story! *cheers* I promise the rest of the story won't all be sad. We'll see a little happiness sooner or later.
Hikari, I'm glad you liked the Z/A bit. I enjoyed writing it. Well, maybe enjoyed is the wrong word. It felt right to write it. And yes, the story starts out 37 years later. That would put Zel *counts on his fingers* somewhere in his mid eighties I guess. By the way, I wrote you an e-mail like you asked. Did you get it?
Well, until next time! Thanks for reading!