Before she knew it, Amelia was surrounded by trees and brush on all sides. She looked around for any reason why she would have been called here, but saw nothing. She then heard something large fall out of a nearby tree.

"Stupid squirrel." a very irate voice grumbled.

Amelia stared intently at the bush at the base of the tree as a familiar figure untangled himself from it. But what had Zelgadis been doing up in a tree? She watched as he opened a fist, revealing another familiar sight. She glanced down at her wrist, half expecting to see the bracelet Zelgadis now possessed still there, but knowing perfectly well it had been lost a few months before.

She cringed as she remembered Alexander's plot to destroy her will by transforming her body. How ironic that now her will was still intact, but she was without a body.

"I still don't understand why Mister Xellos would do such a thing. What could he possibly gain from it?" Amelia pondered silently to herself. She glanced back over to Zelgadis who was busying himself using his cape to polish her bracelet. Given her situation, she couldn't help but give a sad smile.

"He doesn't realize what's happened." Amelia spoke out loud, if not in vain hope that Zelgadis would actually be able to hear her. He continued to look intently at the bracelet, totally unaware of her presence.

At last satisfied with his work, Zelgadis tucked the bracelet away for safe keeping. Amelia couldn't help but smile when she caught a quick glimpse of the bracelet she had originally given to him. She quickly shook her head. "This is no time to be getting sentimental! A terrible thing has happened in Seyruun! I've got to get Mister Zelgadis to go there so I'll know wha-aah!"

Amelia gave out a yelp as she found herself being forcibly dragged, as if someone had a grip on her and was tugging with all their might. Zelgadis was the only one around and...walking away! Despite this, he knew nothing of her being there, so what was pulling her so strongly? Amelia dashed to catch up, so as not to be dragged, as she thought about this new predicament.

She stopped a few times to be sure it wasn't a one time deal, and was dragged after Zelgadis each time. "This would be much easier to figure out if I didn't have to keep pace with Mister Zelgadis. He walks faster when he's by himself!"

Zelgadis pressed on at a steady pace, nothing on his mind but to get to wherever it was he was going.

"He was so much more accommodating when he knew I was with him." Amelia sighed. "What I wouldn't give to be back at the library to figure this out." She again cringed. She had learned a lot from the books she had read at the Seyruun City Library, but she'd also read many accounts of hauntings. Like the one story where a man unwittingly invited a ghost into his home when he acquired a possession that had once belonged to the-

"Wait! That's it! By taking my bracelets, Mister Zelgadis called me to him." Amelia pumped her fist in her usual victory stance. She then gave a sheepish grin. "So, in a sense I'm haunting him. Oh, that won't do..." She glanced back at Zelgadis, who was still unaware and seemingly content to walk briskly through the forest.

Amelia could tell from his furrowed brow that he was thinking of something, but what she could only guess. Zelgadis never was one to give many clues to his thoughts through his actions.

"There's got to be some way to get through to him." Unsure of what would happen, Amelia reached out to give Zelgadis a poke on his shoulder. She frowned in disappointment as her hand continued on through. She next dashed ahead of him and stood her ground.

"Mister Zelgadis. Mister Zelgadis!" She yelled out at him. It was a known fact that the dead could and had interacted with the living, so why should she be any exception?

Zelgadis didn't even bat an eye as he pressed on. Amelia sighed in exasperation, when Zelgadis finally stopped and looked around. It was obvious that he had heard something, so she too stopped and listened.

Silence. What had caused him to stop? As Amelia pondered over this, Zelgadis shook his head muttering, "I must be hearing things." He spent another moment looking around before pulling a map out of his pocket.

Amelia stood on tiptoe to see over his shoulder as Zelgadis got his bearings. From what she could tell, he was heading north to a settlement. "I wish he had a bigger map so I could tell where we are." Amelia frowned.

His destination plotted, Zelgadis carefully folded up his map, took one more look at his surroundings, then proceeded onward. Amelia was wondering how much longer Zelgadis would travel through the underbrush when he came out onto a road.

"That was quick." Amelia gazed up and down the road, looking for any indication of where she was. "They really need to invest in road signs. Maybe I can get Daddy to...oh." Amelia's shoulders slumped. Her father, along with the rest of her extended family, was dead.

"Mister Zelgadis, you must go back to Seyruun! Can't you tell that something's amiss?" Amelia pleaded. All she got for a response was a frown, but that could be because Zelgadis had spotted someone walking down the road toward him.

Zelgadis quickly covered his head and face before approaching the man. He waved to call out to the passing man.

"What's going on? Why are you leaving the village?" Zelgadis asked.

The man just gave Zelgadis a funny look. "I'm going back to my hometown before they close the border."

Now it was Zelgadis' turn to give a funny look. "Why would they close the border?"

"Haven't you heard? Seyruun's going to war."

Author's notes: As is usual with me and my 'grand' ideas, this chapter came out a lot shorter than I had expected, but I guess it is to be expected when there's really only one 'aware' character there. That won't be the case for too much longer, I hope...

If it's not already obvious, I am really fascinated by ghost stories and the like. (The real accounts, not those horror stories that were big when I was little.) I imagine I'd freak Amelia out if I was ever to talk to her about my passion. (Just like a good friend of mine! Mention ghosts at all and she gets spooked.) -;; The story Amelia remembered was actually based on an account I saw on t.v. about a man that brought a bunk bed home for his children, when strange things started happening in the house. (They finally thought to get rid of the bunk bed, and the happenings stopped.) Zelgadis ought to be glad he's being haunted by a friendly ghost. (Thankfully, not Casper!)

Also, this chapter referred to the first story, so if you still haven't read To Err is Human, do! (Technically Amelia should have recognized the area they were in, but seeing as she wasn't in the right frame of mind the last time she was there...) -

Now then, time to respond to some feedback:

blue lady - Dread is good. I was hoping someone would pick up on that, so congrats! - We ought to see what's going on behind the scenes in Seyruun fairly soon.

Pogo - I actually based Lina's reaction to Naga from the Slayers Premium CD drama. (I just didn't realize it until after the fact.) In that all Lina got was a letter from Naga, but it was enough to bring her to tears. I've no idea what terms Lina and Naga left on, but Lina seems content to have a Naga-free life. (Or she just really hates being called "Lina-chan".) o.O

deep sea dolphin - I can read a bit of Japanese. Mostly Katakana, but a bit of Hiragana, and some kanji. (I finally recognize the kanji for Justice! Darn Amelia speaks with way too much kanji for me to understand much else.) It's all because of Slayers though, since back when I first got in to it, the manga had yet to be translated. How goes the Aqua Lord manga, anyway?

Gerao-A - Thanks for the feedback! I've actually been reading 'Sylvia' and am keen to see where you're taking the story. It's got to be fun having a whole group of you to work on a story.

Lina Gabriev - You realize this story is all your fault, don't you? If you hadn't asked the questions you did at the end of the last story... But I'm glad you did! As for Xellos, his way of doing things should come to light one of these days, unless you've figured out his plans by reading this chapter. (And I know he'd not ever use a human weapon to kill someone, but again, he's got a very good reason for doing things as he did.) As with Christopher, I didn't forget at all. Better safe than sorry, really. (And even if he had abdicated the throne, if he was the lone survivor, I think he'd reclaim the throne, if not to pass it off as soon as he had an heir. And ugh, royal whatnots really bug me...)

Now to plot out what'll happen in the next chapter...