A/N: *gets on her hands and knees* Please FORGIVE ME!!!! School has been such a drag, and I've been so busy with it…but since it's the holidays, I have time to write another chapter! Yay! Finally, right? I wouldn't be surprised if you don't even remember what happened in this story, and for that I'm sorry. I know I hate waiting for new chapters to come out when I'm really interested in a fic, and I've done it to you. It's been, what, months since the last chapter? *slaps forehead* If this keeps up, I'll be thirty by the time I finish this fic…and I even have a sequel, of sorts, in my head. *sighs* Also, you might be a bit confused with most of this chapter, but it will be explained. Well, I won't keep you waiting any longer, so here it is!

Chapter 23: Unwanted Memories and Frightful Dreams

His breathing sounded loud in his ears as he fought through the black mist. It was a veil of death constricting him, keeping him lost and alone. He hated it; only hearing the sounds he made, and nothing else. Not even the soft cheep of a bird, or the rolling howl of the wind. Confused, he turned around and around, trying to see something…anything! He couldn't remember…he couldn't see…and then he heard a scream. Amelia…

And he was thrown even further into the black mist. It surrounded him, obscured his vision, obscured his thoughts and his mind. It seeped into his rocky pores, filling him…it all happened so fast…

He ran through a corridor, feeling lost and alone. No…not again… And he remembered…unwelcome memories flooded his mind.

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He ran, the sounds of harsh laughter filling his ears. 'I'm not going to cry' he yelled in his mind through the tears that were already falling. He was going to be strong, stronger than everyone else…angrily, he rubbed his eyes. 'Strong men don't cry, and strong men don't get hurt…they don't feel pain. They don't feel despair, or loneliness…only strength. He would be liked, and admired, and loved…he wouldn't be teased, mocked, poor and alone. He'd show them all…

"Hey! Dirtbag! Bastard!" A stone hit his back, and his bit his lip so hard it started to bleed. He refused to cry…he would show them just how strong he really is, but as he felt more stones hit his body, a tear escaped, rolling down his cheek. More tears fell as he realized that he could hardly even feel it.

"Get out of here! You monster!" A shrill girl's voice cried out.

Another stone hit his back, like a tap from a friendly neighbour. "Why don't you glue some more stones to your face, freak!"

'I didn't ask to be this way!' he cried out in anguish. 'I wanted to become stronger so that I would be respected…not thrown out and treated like an animal!!'

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And then Zelgadis screamed, feeling the pain of his body twisting and changing into the thing he now loathes…his chimera's body…

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"No! Please!!"

A purple short-haired woman walked up to the small, petite red-head, holding in front of her slugs. The red-head screamed at the top of her lungs, before a black mist rose and entered her mouth; choking her, gagging her…killing her…

And before her was Gourry, his new sword drawn and pointing towards her. "Gourry…" she whispered, confused, shocked and saddened. She opened her mouth…tried to speak to him, to tell him, before she heard a voice. "He's dead now…a dead puppet…"

"No…" Lina whispered unbelievingly. "NO!" And coming out of the side of his neck was a thin wire; the only thing she was able to notice before he swung at her, causing the sorceress to fumble backwards in shock.

"Gourry…please…" she whispered, but to no avail. He approached her, his sword held high, its wicked gleam causing the sorceress to begin casting a spell. No…what am I doing? I…I can't hurt him…I don't want to fight him again…And she remembered, when he had been under Hellmaster's control, she had fought him. And she didn't even know that it was him…

He swung again, but she fell backwards; his sword flew down past her, hitting a wooden floor. His eyes were no longer warm and lively, but dead, cold and hard. Unseeing. Unknowing.

He wrenched the sword out of the floor, and advanced upon her again. This time she drew out her own sword and blocked him; but he was much too strong, and the fiery-haired sorceress flew backwards. Her arms, still clutching her sword tightly, shook from the strong impact. She threw the sword at him, but he easily dodged; just as she expected him to. I can't win against him using my sword…he'd easily win. And…no, no…I can't use my spells…he can't really be dead…he can't…

"Gourry…please…" And suddenly, a black mist blocked her vision once again, before she felt strong hands gripping her shoulders. "NO!" she screamed, kicking and squirming. "Let me go!!! Stop it!!"

"Lina! Lina, snap out of it!!" The hands began to shake her slightly, and she realized that her eyes were snapped shut. She slowly began to open her eyes, but all she could see was a blur of colours. "Gourry?" came her hushed, disbelieving whisper. Her head swan, and, feeling slightly dizzy, she grasped his arms, which still held he shoulders. Her ruby-red eyes were slowly able to focus. It was Gourry who held her, and before she could look into his eyes she began to squirm again. "No!" she cried, pushing her hands against his arms.

"Lina? Lina…hey, calm down! Lina, its me." The swordsman's voice was soft, and he sounded so worried…

And in her mind, she saw again those cold, hard, dead, glassy eyes; she didn't want to see it ever again, so she squeezed her eyes shut even more.

"Lina…" he whispered softly…so tenderly, her heart stopped for a moment. She opened her eyes slowly, to see his deep blue ones staring back at her. Deep, soft, gentle eyes. Alive. And through his eyes he could see her, radiant and alive also. He wanted to touch her; make sure she was all right, and that she was really standing there before him. Their eyes locked, his hand slowly moved from her shoulder over to her face. He held his hand just an inch from her face, before he came to trail his fingers up her neck to caress her soft cheek. His other hand moved to encircle her waist, drawing her body closer to his. She felt so warm, standing so close to him, but it was somehow familiar. Once more she felt safe…her protector was with her once again. She thought of how panicked she had been, when she had thought that he was dead…

Wait…she thought, her eyes becoming troubled. Gourry noticed, and quickly pulled away from her. At once he missed the warmth they had shared, and wanted to touch her again. He restrained himself though, as he watched her rack through her mind and jumble all of her thoughts.

Where am I? She looked around, and noticed the familiar white stonewalls, and two French-doors leading to a garden. But everything seemed darker then she remembered it to be. And suddenly she remembered why she was here. "Amelia…" she whispered, so softly that Gourry almost didn't hear it.

"Gourry," she began, turning back around to look at him again. But his blue eyes were darkened with intensity and emotion, and she looked away for a moment, blushing, before continuing. "Where's Amelia…And Zel, and Filia? Why are we here? What…what happened?"

"It wasn't real," the blond swordsman stated, and Lina looked up at him, confused.

"What wasn't real?" she asked, unsure if he would even say something smart.

"The dream…the memories...that's all they were. It was fake."

How did he know? She had believed what was happening was real, or at least at the time it was real. It was so vivid…she could still remember hearing the sound of her heart pound inside her chest as he, the fake Gourry, had swung his sword at her. She could remember the panic she felt, and the air of the sword swish past only an inch from her face.

Of course…it was all an illusion…Oh no… "Gourry, we have to find the others! Now!"

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"Val! Where are you? VAL!!!"

Filia ran through each room of her house, searching vainly for 'her son'. Her baby. Panic and fear rose in her as she was filled with the memory of seeing the graves of the ancient dragon race. Horror filled her every being as she remembered that it was her race that had slaughtered them all. She continued to call out his name, running out of the house and into the streets of Sairaag.

What if he's alone? What if he's hurt, or worse? What if somebody took him? Worse, w-what if that namago…

Hands grabbed her waist, and the ex-priestess shrieked, grabbing her mace from under her skirt. As she swung it back, a white-gloved hand grabbed the mace from her. Still screaming, she began to kick and squirm.

The hands roughly turned her around just as she began to cry out "Val! My baby! Let me go, or I swear…"

"Val isn't here. You're not even really here."

Filia, still hitting, biting, and kicking, was shocked to hear that voice. Looking up, she saw two purple mazoku eyes staring back at her. For a moment their eyes locked, the golden dragon's breath caught I her throat. But only for a moment.

"You God-damn filthy, rotten, sad excuse for a mazoku. You stupid namagomi, where the hell is VAL!?!" she shrieked, trying to pull away from his grip. But Xellos' hands only gripped her tighter, and her face twisted with pain.

"Let me go," she cried out, hysterical and panicking. "LET ME GO, or I swear in L-sama's name…my son, my baby…he's out there…WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM!?!?!?! DAMMIT, Xellos, if you even TOUCHED him…oh L-sama, where is he?"

Filia was looking everywhere, and was still trying to get out of the mazoku's hold. "Go ahead, kill me, BUT LET ME FIND VAL-KUN FIRST! LET ME FIND HIM! LET ME GO! I NEED-"

Suddenly, Filia gasped, and felt her face flush. Warm lips roughly met her own, covering them as strong, warm arms, held her close. But before she could even register the fact that she was kissing Xellos, he broke away and grabbed her wrist harshly again.

"What about my Val-kun?!" The golden haired ex-priestess asked in a hushed voice, the panic beginning to rise again.

"I already told you, he's not here. We're not even here"

"What are you talking about? And let go…"

The mazoku jerked her towards him, his purple eyes, glinting maliciously. "This is an illusion…its not real…"

"An…illusion??" And slowly, as she began to understand, the mist cleared away, and she found herself standing in an empty white room. "Wha…?"

Xellos roughly let go of the ryozoku, and turned back towards her with his closed eyes and annoying smile. "Here," he said, passing her back her mace. "You really are a very ugly, stupid dragon after all…"

"NAMAGOMI!!"

But he disappeared as she swung at him, and could only hear his voice. "You're upstairs…somehow, you stupidly walked up here while immersed in your little 'dream'. You don't have much time…go downstairs. I'll still meet you and everyone else in the throne room."

Ohhh, that filthy, dirty, disgusting, selfish namagomi! She screamed in her head, but immediately headed for the throne room.

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*A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who has put up with me. Thanks so much for reading my fic. Thanks so much for being the best. I'm sorry if there are a bunch of mistakes, but I didn't have time to read over it, and even this holiday I still have work to do. Hopefully this chapter wasn't too disappointing, but this is the last of the 'lighter chapters'. Anyways, tell me what you think.

Thanks to Minimerc (sorry…I keep giving you cliff hangers…and I'm so sorry I took so long. Guess this means you're gonna give me a justice speech, huh?), Suki (Ah, don't mention it. I feel so honoured that you took the time to write a review ^^ Hmm, I actually had a few different scenarios running through my head on who would kill Reirs, but you're right. Maybe Ame-chan will be the one…we'll see), Winged Dancer (The answer to your question, on why Reirs hated Ame's mother, is actually the idea for my sequel…or maybe I should call it a prequel. I don't want to go in detail in this fic about Ame's mother and Reirs relationship, but if you think the sequel/prequel idea is bad, then maybe I will…but its not what I had planned for this fic), Digi-riven (I'm so sorry about the bad cliffie *bows* Guess I didn't update sooner rather than later, too…*bows again* Bad me!), Gee (Thanks so much. Sorry I took so long for this chap to come out, though…I hope you'll still read it and put up with me ^^) and finally, my newest reviewer, Hyacynth (Yes, I know its slightly OOC…but sue me. She gets older, people change, and I'm pretty sure I even said that it would be slightly OOC. But thanks for the criticism.)

That's it for now. Oh, and I have a new computer, so I should be able to find a bit more time to write ^^ Anyways, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Please review! Hopefully this chapter wasn't crap!! Love ya! –Vivi