A/N: Its basically about Zelgadis and his temperament, as well as his reactions toward others and normal people. But its mystery too.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters and series.

Rating: T for some corpses and blood.

It was hot, the pinching pain of this, on the fall not that much present element, affirmed him in his verdict. Something happened. Everything he thought, was about his last moment before he closed his eyes. Pictures were dirty, green black with clashing of metal in background. He didn't know how long he laid there and the heat told him there is mistake, but he didn't want to open his eyes. Didn't want, afraid about the reality.
The thoughts from last night started to appear again, discontinuous pictures, scenes, scents, sounds, backgrounds. The heat got him up finally, he stood. Heat? Zelgadis slowly opened his eyes. But he didn't remember what he saw, or he didn't want to? Ash, there was a ash, dust, burned trees even. There was a contrastive crossover between cold fall climate and warm burnt ground. Explosion? This piece of knowledge was more than visible, he laid in the middle of it. So far, it wasn't that bad, temporary amnesia by reason of some fight or whatever. There was itching on his head, he scratched between the wires. Now he realized the fact, what he should not overlook. His hands were covered in blood. After a while, he turned away from the hands and focused on two burned bodies, exactly in the middle of burnt out crater.

"What the hell!"

Shock, he was full of shock, two burned corpses,
he with his perfect hearing, heard hissing of meat. But even in this situation, he remained in calm state. I surely didn't cause this.
The blood on the hands witnessed opposite fact. It was dried, he tried to wipe it over his leg, but nothing happened.

The blood can't be washed away as dirt.

The cogitations weren't a big ally, he tried to remember. It was no good. Something ate his guts from inside, the guilt.
He didn't want to admit it, but everything indicated, that he killed someone, friend or enemy. This dilemma didn't leave him calm now, he tried to remember constantly. He remembered something, papers, numbers, pictures of reality.

"Did i kill someone of them?"

Zelgadis thought about his act and about risk, that two of his three friends could be burned there. It could be in fight, with someone, something, with what? He slowly approached the bodies.

Amelia...

He left a sigh, when the fact that both corpses were men, was discovered. This could mean, that it wasn't in a fight. However, it partly confirmed the other fact, that he killed someone. Consequence of my search for cure? He didn't know what happened, but he did know that his chimeric body protected him from burning and even worse injury. The brain started to be overfill, he felt the combination of pain, laugh, blood, helplessness, sympathy and...
I hope nothing happened to her.

He turned around and recognized one less burned tree. Suddenly, the pictures appeared again.
Low-pitched voice, fireball or another similar spell in the hand, man with cape.

"Prepare for death Zelgadis, it shall visit you again!"

Next thing, what he remembered, was burning of chest, maybe he punched him with fireball. Then only pain and big hole in his memory.
Every next second lowered the temperature around for about half of a degree. It's not long, since it happened. Indeed it didn't make sense his mind told him, that he will survive it, that he will take over it. Perhaps. He once again assured himself, that none of the corpses belongs to his friends. Put on cape and his wool mask, so that on his face was again only few wire hair visible. And set forth path towards town.

His steps were more slower, amnesia don't gave him a rest. Something was appearing in his memory, but he couldn't say what, each time it happens and he tried to catch the thought and remember something, it vanished instantly. He again repeated everything, he done before he got himself in this detonative situation. One thing is sure, i was there for cure.

"Dammit!"

Suddenly, he shouted when he realized, that he lost all the important informations and leads to his goal in his memory. The anger disappeared soon, it was replaced by feelings of confusion and despair along with blood stained hands. The blood was dried and the duration between the burning of crater and it, was about two hours. Who was it anyway? Man with height same as his, in cape. The pain started to spread through his head, he stop thought about it, it led nowhere. It was desperate. The way, on which he walked, was made from stones, the stones were tiled into ground.
The Kings road. The edging, was made from the stones of different color, quality road.

His hearing caught something, someone walked behind him. He quickly hide behind the bush, which was next to the path, why? He decided to wait for them to pass by, he didn't want to involve himself in something.Zelgadis was different and had blood stained hands. Adverse combination.
The characters passed by, mumbled something about bounty, it was large amount, too large amount. Something in him, was afraid that they will see him, but why? When i started to be afraid of other people. Wanderer, lone wolf and sometimes even an idiot. He sat there, in that grass for a while and thought about his life, as if it were his last chance to sit and thought. Something was happening, that incident, feelings in his body and soul, man what almost killed him, left him live in the middle of crater with two corpses. He again stared at his hand. There flashed a three different pictures, hand covered in blood, normal hand and stone hand. Pictures began to accelerate, colors were changing. His eyes flew from side to side, like some psycho in the seizure, he had enough.

"NO!" He interrupted the carrousel of his thoughts.

Put his hands into pockets and set for path again.

-

The gates, gates leading into white capital, Seyrune, he only watched it and didn't know what to guess about it. He couldn't find any information about, why he was on the way here. His hands were in pockets, they hide blood, which he couldn't wash away. No river, no stream, no pond, no water.

"It's drought enough, on the end of the fall." He traveled all the time, so he must recognize.

What to do? Go to the palace and visit her, or turn around and go find something, what with great plausibility didn't even exist, the people passed him and disclaimed his being by various gesticulation, strictures also. He hated his hearing sometimes. But he hated his body all the time, everywhere, unbelievable disgust from his outer appearance, disgust from stones, from different taunting and vituperations about his skin, which can kill everyone with a little tougher press. Maybe, he killed that day. Maybe, his hands killed someone. Maybe, he killed somebody in one of his strokes of anger and someone wanted to fight him in good intention, maybe the man attacked in self-defense and he killed him, maybe not.

"At any rate, i survived."

But how did he knew my name? With this, he disclaimed his thought before and with oncoming pain of head, he headed to the town. The tavern, was his destination, he wanted to wash his hands and then visit the royal family. Is it good to visit her, when i could kill someone? Steps landed on the stone path and were less and less frequent, when he come closer to entrance of the nearest tavern. Burned coffin. What an irony of fate, someone who is controlling it here, must be sadistic and crazy. The handle slipped away from his hand, in the exact time as someone patted on his elbow.
Zelgadis turned around and saw a man with leather mask on his face, was all white and had a problem.

"Hey you, stone man!" Man with problem shouted.

"I don't have a time to play with you." Zelgadis repeated and again grabbed the handle.

The man came closer and started.

"Aren't you monster boy? Nah, more like spoilage from quarry." The 'Man' laughed. He didn't know that he is pulling tiger by tail.

"I will give you one chance." Zelgadis showed him his back all the time.

"What?" Asked an incomprehensive man, then he saw blood stained hands.

"Maybe you'll see a dawn."

Zelgadis said, turned around and grabbed the man by his wrist. In one move of his hand, he broke his wrist and with strength, he tossed him on ground, he had a strength to wrest it off, but he didn't want any problems. He stare on the attacker, which saw only two angry eyes.

"Your luck didn't run out yet."

He grabbed the handle and stepped into the tavern, everyone in there soaked as trousers thrown into stream, alcoholic tavern. On the way towards bar, he heard different jeers and abuses, but with his venerable experience, it didn't mattered, moreover he was covered, so there was not a problem. Only his blood stained hands. He chose right words in his mind with care and at the end he got to the optimal sentence lines, which will get him into bathroom without hands visible. The innkeeper observed his action before through the decoration window in door and chose easier way, without protest.
Zelgadis approached and started asking.

"Where is the bathroom?" He was strict and serious.

"There on the right are dirty doors, the one to the left."The taverner didn't want any problems.

Zelgadis was considering option of saying thanks, but then he rejected it. This handle was dirtier, than that at the main entrance, he grabbed it and opened the door, he didn't wait for anything and instantly washed the blood from his hands. Only evidence, which he could clean up sucked in duct reticle. Whirling mix of soap and blood started another thoughts. Luckily, he managed to leave quickly without undertaking thoughts about his earlier actions. The stamina came through the test, so he decided that something to drink would come handy. He came back to the bar with seats and used one of it, this time he had his hands out of his pockets. He watched the taverner for a while.

"I would like to have acoffee." Zelgadis said.

"It run out."

"So, i would like to have a tea." His requirements were strange in this kind of tavern.

"Hmmm..." The innkeeper walked back somewhere.

Then he came back with cup of something, what seemed to be tea and put it onto bar, Zelgadis took the cup and sipped a little. It wasn't a tea, it was a grog.

"True Sailor's."Taverner said

Tea means alcohol too. At the beginning, he had a objections, but with the small price and even good taste, he drank his drink. He had alcohol in this body for a few times before, mostly wine, Zelgadis even won some wagers, though he knew that the change into stone is only outer, but then he said to himself. Maybe demon is absorbing it. He thought again for a while, about the two corpses and his situation, someone entered tavern, the voice was to clear and familiar to not remember. It was Lina and her venturer (dependent) Gourry. Zelgadis ducked and lost every chance to get out of it unseen. The twilight of the room provided him a little chance, he played drunk, and his right hand supported his head, left held the empty cup. Get out, don't recognize me. The sound of steps was magnifying and now silenced right behind him.

"We need room and fast!" Her sentence luckily aimed at taverner.

She didn't recognize, that person before her moved about one seat to the left and talked again.

"And some food will come handy too."

"Food!" replied brighting face of Gourry.

No changes at all.

"The rooms, are not a problem, but we don't have any food, only alcohol." Innkeeper replied.

With the name of tavern, its not a surprise.

"What? What are you doing here, if you haven't got any FOOD! " Lina said with the vehemence in the word 'food'.

"Well... we drink." The man which understood the danger started to sweat.

"Then i must fry it up here a little!" There was a forming fireball in her hand.

Zelgadis, when none of them recognized him, decided to stay and watch the situation. Assistance of voluntary fireman can come handy. He sat in the corner and had his back towards them, just in case. Sometimes this body is good to have, he listened.

"Nevermind, lets go Gourry they're serving only liquid meals here." She said and didn't want a trouble.

"Lina, you really want to go? Why don't we wait for that soup?" Gourry apparently missed the sarcasm.

Lina grabbed him by his neck and shook a little.

"You idiot, they are only drinking here! And moreover, we never will get some information about that bounty here." And put him down.

These words absorbed Zelgadiss senses, can she talk about me? Three parts, one wanted to run, one wanted to stay, and one wanted to connect into discussion.
The voices started to talk with innkeeper again, so they are ordering after all. The innkeeper recommended them grog.

"True Sailor's, that man in the mask can confirm it."

Dammit, he blown my cover!

The leg of the chair broke and Zelgadis sank into floor by his back, Lina tossed him down by some spell. The cape, removed itself in the fall.

"Long time, no see." he gloomed

"And you helped it a lot, why were you hiding anyway?" She asked.

"I couldn't forget my ego." He joked a little and laid all the time.

Lina reached his hair and took some paper out of it, then she quickly read it before Gourry and after a while, Zelgadis whipped it away. He looked at the paper, handwriting didn't tell him anything, only one sentence, a little, a lot, this piece of paper worked as starter to another thoughts.

We are both on the same path of righteousness...

As he read the words, it semmed, as it was coming from the mouth of attacker, memory fished another fragment, but in the puzzle there were a lot missing pieces. He crumpled the paper and put it into his pocket. When he took his hand out, he realized that a bit of blood stick to it.

"That bounty is on your head, right?" She asked with the question equal to sharpness of razor blade.

"It's possible." He answered.

"But they framed me. I'm not killing without purpose." Then he explained.

Or am i?

"I believe you Zel, but i must say i didn't understand it well." Gourry said and both of them even the taverner placed their hands over faces.

With the risk of bounty, he didn't have to explain the wearing of mask, all three of them left the tavern and were walking in the alley, they didn't know where.
I can't go to the palace the guards will catch me and place me into catacombs. He again planned all his next steps, but unfortunately he couldn't set up anything about the bounty. How to find a real killer, when he didn't even know when it happened? How to decompress the hole in his memory? How to complete the promise, he made to Amelia? His thoughts discouraged him, he choose to concern on the road. None of them talked. After a while of purposeless walk, suddenly a wanted poster appeared before them, there was a description and under it was written.
Dead or Alive, spiteful powerful mage, two thousand of gold alive, one thousand dead.

"That sounds good." He said to himself, but they heard it.

"Why they put it on you anyway?" Lina asked

"That's my problem."

Suddenly vase broke behind them. Water splashed out of it, when Lina and Gourry, realized that there is no danger and turned around onto Zelgadis.

"So...?"

But he disappeared. The temperature of rooftop, on which he laid, when he hide before them, was quite comfortable. If he could fall asleep, it would be there.
The clouds, which were making strange feelings to people under them, feelings of kindness, feelings of guilt, with their characteristic pace moved above him. The shouting under him, disappeared after a while, Lina gave up. He didn't expect, that he would run away so easily. Lina apparently could flew there by levitation spell and find him, but she respected his feelings. Same path of righteousness...
He remembered something, some pictures, figure, voice and other things, but he failed to gather it together. Comfortable warm, made him to close his eyes and try to sleep, but brain wasn't tuned to calm frequency, flickering green color tickled in his closed eyes, psychic problem.
Eyes slowly opened.

And the path take strange turns...

He didn't believe his eyes, it was written on the sky from clouds. With shock in his face, he watched it for a while. Suddenly, something slowly fell from sky, paper.
And landed in his lap. Zelgadis took the paper. The collection of pictures with smiling and then crying faces, appeared in his memory. He never saw them.

At midnight, at the second square. - You know who.

"You know who? I don't know who!"

His jump and landing from the rooftop was irrelevant, he brushed himself off the dirt, what was there and decided to have a quick look at mentioned locality.
Seyrune have only three squares, first is biggest and the gate to palace is leading from there, third is insignificant locality for markets and auctions. The second is the most interesting, there are festivals and social actions as a recruiting and public discussions about problems in kingdom. I hope, it will be empty.
It wasn't empty, the people carried planks and fabrics, in the middle big stage was growing. Damn, so he's planning something, but what, who? He had a feeling that someone is calling for him, he turned around. Lina? No one was behind him, but when he turned, he tossed someone on the ground.

"Pardo..." He wanted to apologize, until the person he tossed, smiled.

"Mr. Zelgadis!" Amelia said optimistic.

"Amelia..."

"I'm glad to see you again, are you here to see me?" Her joy from life didn't leave her, evidently.

"Yes basically, but i have some work to do..." He answered.

"The cure? We can search together!" Her eyes started to shine.

"I am afraid we cant, but i still have some time." He said.

She suggested. that they can walk on the market and talk about news on both sides. The time flew, he explained her, his no luck at cure, that there is none at all. She, with one of hers Justice speeches illuminated him, that the warrior of justice should not give up, that always with the help of justice, he will find what he islooking for. Then she started to talk about her own problems with paperwork and problems in palace, Zelgadis never thought, that she hates this life that hard.
And never thought, that she can made him smile.

"Mr. Zelgadis?" She asked all of a sudden.

"Yes?"

"About what work were you talking about, if you're not here for cure?" Shewas serious.

They stopped before one of the Wanted posters.

"Lets just say, i need to settle up something." He said.

"Something about that bounty?" So she know it.

He grabbed her, by her shoulders and started to shake with her.

"Amelia, do you trust me?" He asked in serious tone.

"I..."

"Do you trust me!" He shouted.

"Y-Yes, naturally." She was in shock of his strength.

"I shall come to the second square exactly at midnight, probably the real killer want it." He left hold of her and stared in her eyes.

"Is it dangerous?" Amelia asked.

"I'm sure it is." He answered shortly.

"Then let me go with you, you'll need a help and justice always wins!" She made a classic V pose.

"That's not necessary." He cold answered.

"They can kill you alone!" She was afraid, but he didn't recognize it...

"I'll take my chances." He said.

"Why you're so concerned about me, anyway?" Then he asked and hit her secrets by his question.

"Because... I... have certain... f-feelings towards you."A slight blush appeared on her face.

"I am sorry Amelia, i apologize. I'm sorry."

"But this is my fight."

"Will you come back?" The tears, were forming in her eyes.

"Yes, i promise."

Zelgadis said and disappeared in the shadow.

And i promised again.

Completion: There are three different endings coming...