Author's Notes: I apologize for the format - I had to use bold text for the lyrics instead of italics - you'll see why. Cheers!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. They are the property of Hajime Kanzaka and Shoko Yoshinaka.

Chapter Seven

A Day in the Life
A Song by David Usher

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Bold - Lyrics
Black - Any Narrative

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Zel stood at the window looking coolly at the fake world that Rezo had provided to keep Princess Amelia at the tower. Rezo's creation of a shadow of Zelgadis had been a complete waste. Zel considered it a waste anyway. It wasn't that he hated his shadow. There was something about the way he catered to Amelia that made Zel unreasonably angry. It was very stupid, since Zel had programmed Dagzelis to be kind to Amelia and to try to keep her happy, yet it only served as a sick sort of reminder, that his human self catering to her did not inspire any love from the small beauty herself. It was strange that she seemed to care for the chimera self more. Was it because of the negative energy she received from the shadow, or was it because she felt sorry for the real him? Whatever it was, it really seemed to prove that her feelings for him were only friendship. While he liked her friendship, he did not know her well enough to tell where it was based, and he hated that. He didn't need her to pity him. Now he was unreasonably angry again. To hell with it, he thought grimly and moved away from the window.

Rezo would be back soon. There was no way he had not been able to retrieve the item from Amelia's father. He would be back and he would have the cure for his blindness and have no more use for Zel. Zel had hoped at the beginning of his story that he would have been able to think of a way to get the stone from the palace in Sayruun without having to discuss it with Rezo, thus he would have gotten the stone first and would have been able to use it. The Philosopher's stone amplified magic. With that power, Zel would have been able to kill Rezo and have his revenge.

If only . . .

That simply wasn't possible. Now everything had gone wrong for him. What was there to look forward to? Watching Princess Amelia either go home alone or go home with his shadow? He found both scenarios extremely depressing.

He heard a small noise at the door. Amelia was standing at the door frame.

"May I come in?" she asked politely.

He nodded to her without saying anything.

"I've decided to tell you the truth," she said seriously, looking at her hands.

"Oh?"

She looked more nervous than she usually did. He hoped that she was not truly so afraid of him that she shook when she told him of something she had not been truthful about.

"Go on," he said.

"It's just that I heard that Rezo-sama was on his way back here and would arrive soon," she said slowly.

"It's true. He should be here today or tomorrow. What of it?"

"I asked Dagzelis how you were transformed into a chimera," she said not meeting his eyes.

It must be bad if she was too uneasy to look him in the face.

She knows!

Did you feel small today when everyone had gone
'Cause I was beaten up and jaded by the news
And underneath the skin the truth is breaking through
So they just sewed me up and spit me out

"It's my problem," he said icily.

And I can't change it
I can't change this

"I thought perhaps you wouldn't want to stay here with him. I thought perhaps you would come back with me to Sayruun," she suggested, suddenly brave.

She really was an angel.

You – You take away the world
And I don't even know myself
So how can I know you
And I don't want to leave this place yet
Just give me one more try

"That is very kind of you, but I think you're forgetting a few things. You are engaged to my brother," he said, trying hard not to choke on the word. "Anyway, you can't be with me." Any excuse but the real one would work.

"I'm not engaged to him. I told him I would never marry him this morning," she said hotly.

My thoughts are floating as reality explodes
I'm whispering to each of you my friends
And every moment seems to freeze frame through the room
All the colours are electrified
But I can't see now
I can't see now

"What did you just say?" he burst, not believing she had really just said what she had.

"I," she said softly. "I was not in love with him. I couldn't marry him, but I . . ."

"You're in love with me?" he said in disbelief.

Her mouth fell open in what looked like surprise. "I know you," she said zealously. "I know that you're a wonderful person and I know that you must care for me a little bit."

He took a little step away from her before he answered, and when he finally did, it was hardly audible.

"You," he said, "you take away the world, and I don't even know myself now so how can I know you?"

"What will happen if you stay here? How much worse will it get here with Rezo?" she questioned gently. She did not seem to be ignoring what he had just said. "How much more will he hurt you?"

"I don't know how much worse it can get," Zel said, raising his voice, "And I don't want to die, and I don't want to leave this place yet. Just give me one more try."

"What will you try to do?" she said as her eyes pleaded with his.

"I have to kill him," looking at her face he softened his tone and continued, "I'm sure what Dagzelis told you was not incorrect. In a very real way, he was with me that day."

"What?"

He ignored what she said, not wishing to complicate the matter. "I met Rezo in the woods and he promised to grant me all the power I could possibly imagine if I would help him search for a magical item he was searching for. I agreed to his proposal, for I wanted to be strong. The power he surged into my body was unlike anything," he said taking a deep breath, "then I opened my eyes, and I'm drifting through myself again. Tell me how I got so high. Where the conscience bends the air is thin. And I can't change it. I can't change this."

"Do you plan to fight him?" she asked, her eyes welling up with tears.

"I don't know. I can't beat him as I am right now. He's too powerful, and almost mad. I don't know what I have in mind, but I have to stay and see what I can do." He turned away from her and leaned against a wall.

"May I stay here with you?" she asked touching his arm and turning her brave blue eyes on him.

"Why do you want to stay?" he said dully.

"I want to stay and fight with you - if it comes to that."

"And if it doesn't?" he asked, knowing full well what it would come to.

"Then, we'll say forever that you haven't finished teaching me," she said with a wink.

You – you take away the world
And I don't even know myself now
So how can I know you
And I don't want to die
And I don't want to leave this place yet
Just give me one more try

"I might even forget to be miserable, if you stay here and smile at me," he said with a small smile, "but I'll have to send you away. I don't want you to be hurt."

"Then please come with me," she cried again. "I want you to be safe too."

"I need one more try, yeah? I have to try to defeat him, or I will never be satisfied. It doesn't matter if I die - just give me one more try."

"Please don't send me away!" she begged.

"I'm sorry Amelia. I'll ask Dagzelis to escort you back to Sayruun. You'll have to go this hour – this minute, as I have no idea when Rezo really will arrive."

"Why would you send me with Dagzelis? He probably wouldn't agree to do it."

"He will do what I tell him to do. I have no other option of who I can send you with. I need Rodimus and Zolf here. He's really not such a bad guy just so long as you cast a Recovery spell on yourself every couple of hours."

"Why would I need to cast a recovery spell on myself?" she asked with serious eyes.

Zelgadis took hold of her upper arm leading her out of the room and down the stairs. He didn't answer her question, but looked right ahead of him at Dagzelis who was waiting by the door.

"Why would I need a recovery spell Zelgadis-san? Why?" she insisted.

He took her other arm in his hand turning her to face him, "Listen to me carefully. He's not my brother, but he will listen to me and do what I tell him to do. He won't try to hurt you. Just remember to cast the recovery spells on yourself and you'll be fine. Now will you do what I tell you to? Do you trust me?" He hoped the desperate feelings he felt did not come through in his voice – especially not now.

"Fine," she said.

One more try, yeah
Just give me one more try

Zelgadis watched the two of them ride away on the same mounts they had ridden in on. Hopefully she wasn't as rebellious as he supposed she was. It would be very bad if she was still there when Rezo returned to the tower.