Chapter 9: Sleepless Night

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"I'm just so restless, and I think I know why. But I won't admit it, not even to myself…"

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Zel got up out of the bed, having not had any rest the night before. He had no idea how long he had stayed outside the night before, but it hadn't really helped much. He got up, still dressed in his normal clothing, and, taking his sword, he left the room.

He padded down the poorly lit hall, and down the wooden steps. The bare yellow walls seemed dull, the doors he had passed old and worn. Snippets of conversations of the people eating in the tavern reached his ears, but he paid them no attention as he swiftly left through the taverns doors, finding himself surrounded by the bright light of the hot summer morning.

People walked around, some chatting merrily while others walked quickly to the place they were heading. Zelgadis walked among them, and remembering what he had heard from the waitress the night before, walked to an elderly woman sweeping in front of a small yet cosy looking house. Her grey hair was up in a messy ponytail, and her eyes looked up as she saw the stranger walk towards her. Leaning against the broom, she watched him come nearer.

"Excuse me, Miss, but I'm looking for a friend of mine. She's a young woman, with short black hair and blue eyes. I heard there was a strange girl roaming the streets of your small town, and I think it might be her."

The old lady looked at the chimera for a moment, before she answered him. "Yes, that strange girl everyone was talking about does have short black hair, although she kept her eyes down, and with my poor eyesight, I couldn't tell what colour they were. It's being said around town that she followed a young woman to her house, but that's just a rumour."

Zelgadis nodded, taking it all in. "Do you know who this woman is? The one who took in my friend?"

The old lady sighed and shook her head, and began to sweep again. "I'm afraid I have no idea. You should ask some younger people around town; they're much better when it comes to stuff such as gossip."

Mumbling his thanks to the small old woman, he continued to walk through the town, looking around at everyone, trying to see if he could find Amelia walking through the crowds of people on the street. He searched the town, asking almost everyone he saw if they had seen her, but many just replied that they had no idea what had happened to the strange girl, or which lady it was she had followed.

Zelgadis returned to the tavern when night fell, knowing that he was well beyond tired from his long search in the scorching summer heat, and knowing that he wouldn't be able to find her in the dark. He didn't want to leave the small town; he had a feeling that Amelia was there…I just know it…

After drinking some hot coffee, he headed back towards his room, feeling more depressed than ever. He seemed to drag his feet up the stairs and through the hall to his room, where he closed the door behind him. I don't understand…why did my giving back of her bracelet affect her so much and make her so mad? She had told me to give it back, hadn't she? His hand moved towards his canteen of water, but his fingers couldn't find what they were looking for: Amelia's bracelet. "Because I gave it back," he said, taking his fingers away.

She'd given it to me as a sign of friendship. She'd given it to me when she had had that silly little crush. I would've thought that after all these years her crush for me would've ebbed away with time, but maybe it hasn't. Maybe her little crush for me never did go away…and then, maybe I'm just using it as an excuse to why she ran away.

"Damn," he muttered under his breath, sitting on his bed. Where in L-sama's name is she? Sighing, he looked around his dark room. The bed had been made, not that he had actually slept in it the night before. He sighed again, knowing that he wouldn't be able to get any sleep. All he could think of was…her…

"Damnit, I've got to stop thinking about her," he said aloud. "It's not going to help any if that's all I do." Besides, he thought to himself, I'm only thinking about her because I'm worried about her, that's all…

Looking around his dark room again, his mind filled with images of Amelia. Of the first time they had met and she had called him 'creepy looking', and of the other time later on when she had called him cool.

The time she had jumped in front of him to protect him from Copi Rezo, and the time Saygram had hurt her badly and she had been bleeding…damn mazoku…Zelgadis shook his head; he never wanted to see her like that ever again.

She's so different from the way she was back then…but maybe it's just me. No, she hasn't changed all that much, she's just matured. But, I guess she still has changed a little, but definitely matured. Both inside and out…

Zelgadis blushed and mentally kicked himself. Don't think of her like that, Zel. He shook his head, trying to get those thoughts of her out of his head. I don't even deserve to think of her like that. And why would I? She's just a friend, if I can still be called a friend. What kind of friend would hurt her? He sighed, and put his hand under his chin. No, I just think of her that way because…because…because she's always on my mind. And she's always on my mind because I feel guilty because she ran away because I was a jerk.

He sighed again; something he seemed to be doing a lot of lately. Zelgadis got up from the bed and walked over to the window, his gaze resting on the moon outside. The moon was set high in the clear, star-filled sky, and the hot night summer air filled his lungs.

He felt the sword at his side, and the thought of sparring came to his mind. Maybe that will clear my mind for a moment. I've got to do something to stop thinking about her. Not that she's all I think about, he added as he left his dark room and headed down the tavern's almost eerily quiet halls.

Zelgadis left the tavern, the night air sweet and musky as he walked to an open field behind the tavern. A lone tree stood close to the tavern on the otherwise empty green field, its branches held high, casting a shadow on the grass below. He walked towards the tree, and stopped when he stood underneath its high branches. He began to unclasp his cape, letting the beige material fall to the ground.

He next took off his beige shirt, dropping that to the ground as well as he took out his sword from the scabbard at his waist. The blue stones on his body seemed to glisten from the small light that came from the moon above, as he swung his sword. His muscles moved and bunched as he thrust his sword this way and that. His muscles obeyed every command, as he brought the sword in front of himself, and then began to move with it. It was like a dance, a dance he had practiced many times before, where his partner was the sword he held in front of him.

His body moved with the sword, his stone-skinned body beginning to glisten with sweat. He slashed it to the left, then to the right, moving the sword first slowly and then quickly, the blade reflecting the rays of the moon.

For a moment, he forgot about her, about how he made her run away and about how he was supposed to find her. But his mind wouldn't let him forget for long, and soon she began to fill his thoughts once more. He finished, holding his sword, his feet in a stance he had grown used to. He dropped his sword to his side, before putting it back in his scabbard. He thought of the way her voice sounded, the way her hips curved and her hair shone. The way her eyes laughed whenever she was happy, and the way she moved and smiled. The way she had looked at him when he had given back her bracelet. The way she had been hurt by him…

"Damn!" he spat under his breath. The sweat still glistened on his blue stone skin, the outline of his muscles visible if anyone were to see him up close. His lavender hair swayed in the warm breeze that passed him, the heat of the summer night and his tiredness trying to get the better of him.

I should try to go to sleep…tomorrow I have to look for her again. He picked up his beige cape and shirt, and walked back into the tavern where he hoped he could rest. He walked once more through the silent hall, and made his way to his dark and shadowed room. He took of his boots, and slid under the cool covers, and closed his eyes. But even with his eyes closed, and with the comfortable bed he lay on, he wasn't able to fall asleep for a long while.

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*AN: Hello, hello! I'm so sorry it took so long for this chapter to come, I've just been busy with school! And look! One whole chapter with only Zelgadis!! Shocking, no?

And I would've written more, except its 12:07 right now and I'm really tired. And sorry about this chapter being so short! I'm too tired to write more!

Guess you're right, MysteriousBloodSuckingMoogle, maybe I shouldn't criticize my work so much. So, I'm gonna shut up and leave that to my reviewers! Oh, and to kaerra, I really do hope I can add Filia and Xellos. I'll try adding them in somewhere, but it'll probably be later than sooner. To MoroTheWolfGod, I hope this was enough Zelgadis for you for the moment *grins* Also, thanks to ryoko11 and Lauren-sama for their supportive reviews and their comments and opinions. Thnx to Sailor Vamp for making me laugh. I'll be sure to tell Zel that he's an ass and I'll tell Amelia to get it together. Thankies to Kawai Fox for reviewing and for pointing out that I don't write enough ^__^

Whoa, this is getting long! *takes a breath* Thanks to Minimerc for wanting more and for asking all those questions ^^ You'll just have to wait for the answer. Thanks to Vincelia Valentine for reading the third chapter on my site before I posted it; I wasn't sure about it, and I was thinking of writing a new chapter 3 altogether, but you made me want to keep it. *grins* And thanks to KellyChan and Grey, for being two of the first people who ever reviewed this fic! Thanks to all of you, you guys are the greatest!

Oh, and is it mazoku or mazuko? I think its mazoku, but I wanna know if I'm right. Now, I'm gonna go to sleep. Till next time! –Vivi Laney