A/N: First of the three endings to this story. 'Good'
Rating: T -blood and corpses again
Disclaimer: Characters and series are not authors property.
Without accidents, severities and damages, none of us will make it through the life. -- Aeschylus
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Now i understand.
I did it.
-
The coldness, coldness filled whole square. People, who were arriving on the big performance named 'deus ex machina', must dress into warmer clothes than afternoon.Steam left their mouths. Not even in their worst thoughts they could think, what kind of play,
they will see today, what infernal play they would experience today, play full of twists and imperfections, play full of relationships, play full of death. The workers managed to built the stage just in time, as well as stagehands with their work and actors trained their texts for last time.
Almost everyone in the town slowly started to gather, to see this unique event. And they surely didn't forget it, never.
Zelgadis sat on the rooftop of one of the houses, he remained unseen, he fitfully waited for his time, when the cause of his problems will reveal, when he will aftermath everything. He watched as the people, with impatience, waited for the beginning of the play, his sight caught three familiar figures. Amelia, Lina and Gourry.
So they came too. Amelia must somehow find and persuade them to come here, not for the performance, for me.
Time went slowly, like days, like weeks. He impatiently watched the big clock on one tower, already started to rejoice and fear, that the time is coming.
Too slow. He watched the stars and recognized various constellations, he didn't believe in astrology, although he had to admit, that his horoscopes came true, few times.
Someone will return. The fortune-teller told him in early evening, when he left Amelia.
Strange thing was, that she didn't tell him anything else, fortune-teller only wanted her money. That explosion, that bodies, my hands. Blood.
He thought that he will know it finally, mysterious man which almost killed him, withstood the paper from sky. It didn't make sense.
"Now." Zelgadis watched the clock again.
The character in cloak and cape appeared above stage, on one side of scaffolding, which supported stability of stage. Different experimental spotlights with candles and lens, lens focused that light, handed there. It was him, the one who almost kill him, the one who played with him, the one who wanted his scalp.
Time of unravelment. Zelgadis thought and grinned. The anxiety appeared and started to ate his conscience.
He didn't wait for anything and with levitation spell, flew over to another side of scaffolding. Scaffolding? More like long plank tied in the middle.
He stared at his enemy. The enemy reminded him something. He couldn't say what.
It was here. Bell rang, midnight.
Two figures on opposite sides, in capes, but were they on the opposite sides of righteousness? Or on the same, on bad/good side.
The End. None of them wanted to start discussion, they only stood there and watched each other, none showed preparing for combat.
Quiet before the storm. Finally man against Zelgadis spoke.
"Will we stand here forever?" Low-pitched voice, which seemed to come through worst awfulness of the world.
"No..." Zelgadis said and started to activate his memory.
"Ok, lets get started." Man before him put his hands into combat position.
Zelgadis prepared some spell and drawing of his sword too, he chose spell. The man launched some green thing, which matched with fireball in strength, he did it without casting it. The ball was approximating fast and Zelgadis jumped to avoid it.
In fall, he needed to balance on the plank, he almost fell down. That was good. The play under, was in the middle now, when the people started to noticing the play above. Flashes of spells on both sides, get the attention of Amelia and others.
"Look, up there!" Gourry shouted.
"Zelgadis..." Amelia whispered.
The spotlights focused at persons on the scaffolding, Zelgadis and attacker covered their eyes. The attacker started to smile,
when he covered his eyes, it made a mysterious and wrathful look, the mask covered all other things. Who is this? I know him, i know it.
But he failed to find something about him.
"Who are you, anyway!" Zelgadis asked and stopped to cover his face.
"Call me, Constrictor..."
"I will illuminate more, for reward."
Man whispered and formed another spell, strange spell. He ran towards Zelgadis, who wanted to draw his sword, but he didn't make it.
Too late. Constrictor laid the spell on his chest, it was too similar to their meeting before. Huh? Zelgadis awaited pain, nothing happened, nothing.
"I don't finished it before..." He started to laugh.
Finished, what? Zelgadis said to himself and looked full of questions, under him, someone shouted. Amelia and others. Who would not notice this play.
They stood there between amounts of people and only watched, they respect my private. He turned to Constrictor, who smiled constantly and watched him.
I saw him, i knew him, i forgot him. What he wanted to finish, why he killed those people and why he wanted to kill me, why cant i remember?
He matched him with enemies he met, with no accomplishment. He thought about what to say, what to think.
That fortune-teller. Someone will return.
"Finished what?" Zelgadis asked.
"Does it matter?" Constrictor asked now.
And with his palm, he reached into air before him, this act threw away Zelgadis's balance a little, telekinesis. Constrictor did it again, with bigger strength.
Zelgadis balanced on the edge of plank and then started to fall. It was about fifteen meters, the air whistled in his ears.
"Levitation!"
Zelgadis shouted and prepared on quick comeback, he realized that nothing happened. Constrictor grinned. Zelgadis's mind panicked about fact, that he took his ability. This is bad.
The dust left the stage and few planks broke, when he sank into it, there was a lowing and rejoicing in the audience, the people further from stage thought, that it was part of the play. But Amelia didn't.
"Mr. Zelgadis!" She shouted in despair.
"Zel is tough, this is nothing." Lina calmed her down.
"I know, but why he didn't levitated himself?" Amelia disproved Lina's thought.
"I don't know..."
Constrictor withstood on stage, actors ran away. He only grinned and didn't expect resistance, but from hole which remained after his fall Zelgadis jumped.
His chimeric body saved him, like if Rezo blessed him.
"It's not over yet!" Zelgadis said and drew his sword.
Constrictor stopped grinning, but don't took combat position.
"You don't want to know what happened?" He asked.
"Go to hell." Zelgadis replied.
Constrictor didn't laugh.
"You surely want to ask who am i? Who killed that people? Why i invited you here and why i fight with you? How to bring together?" Constrictor stared at Zelgadis.
Zelgadis lowered his sword. It's here.
"Who are you! What do you want from me?" Zelgadis shouted.
"You really don't remember me?" Constrictor asked strangely.
Lina and the others were surprised. Zelgadis know him? The tension in audience grew, this was more interesting than some shallow play, and on the top of it, it was without script, withviolence.
He thought about everything he went through, none of the memories contained name 'Constrictor' or similar. Do i really want to know it?
My past is dark, but like this?
"No way."
"Sorry, i should put it better, you really don't remember me, brother?"
"WHAT?"
Zelgadis shouted and the pain in his memory left, when he tried to remember, it unlocked another part of that hole, which someone erased, the part, what he wanted to forget, his relatives. Possibility, that he had a brother was big, he never learned anything about his family from Rezo, he didn't asked, but brother, with this even his fantasy didn't come. I have a brother? The electrons in his brain searched for informations, leads, but nothing. There was still something missing.
And why that green? Any time he wanted to thought about two burned bodies, green appeared and filled his eyes. Nothing was clear, it still didn't make sense.
The thing, what Constrictor said, got attention of Amelia, Lina and Gourry even. Can he have a brother? Not that he talked about himself before.
Zelgadis beat his head with his empty hand. Remember. Remember, dammit!
"Memory problems?" Constrictor had a sense of humor.
"Yes its true, i am your brother. But why don't you remember me? Its simple. When you born... 'accident' caught our parents and because i was adult, and i couldn't take care of you - i didn't want to - i gave you to Rezo's care. He obviously took the nurturance with carefulness, as i see. Unfortunately i couldn't find you, because you were searching for that cure of yours, until now, i chose a trap."
Constrictor explained without remorse or sorrow, colder than Zelgadis, colder than this night.
In Zelgadis, three feelings were mixing, feelings he didn't know he had, parents what he never saw suddenly appeared in his eyes.
Little tear slipped on his cheek.
None of people in audience, nor his friends talked, Amelia was hit by feeling which Zelgadis showed.
"Accident?" Zelgadis said with apathetic voice.
"You killed them?" He added.
"Of course." Was the answer.
"What did you thought? That i am strong only on outside, like my weak and sensitive brother." Constrictor grinned again.
Zelgadis, felt anger now. Anger to the brother he didn't even know, anger to his own blood. This anger, formed in him all the time of their fight,
all that time he tried to remain calm and combat capable, now he couldn't. Mom... Little voice somewhere inside him said and woman picture, which he couldn't remember, appeared. Smiling woman, talking with love. Then man with happy look. Dad... The picture was blurry, but when he saw it, he could be one month old. It was a great output. He killed my parents. The relay of anger made a drift, which flow into his brain, indicated his moves. His hands shook, under the pressure of anger, look on his face don't showed good mood too. He couldn't breath. Zelgadis removed his cape and mask, suddenly audience silenced.
Nothing is changing, they're still disclaiming. He griped his sword and ran towards his enemy.
"You monster!" He shouted and tried to slash his chest.
The contact with Constrictors body made a blue wall, then it pushed Zelgadis about few meters onto ground.
"What a family reunion."
Constrictor said and he removed his cape and mask too. Same hair style, similar features in face, green hair. So this is that green. Constrictor was a human, he hadn't had any chimeric features. So i should look like this, only that color. Amelia held her breath, she didn't know what to do. 'This is my fight.'
Zelgadis laid on stage full of shock, what injustice. He, who many times helped good and won over evil, is cursed with this curse and his evil brother, is still human.
Then he started to blame himself, that power what he wanted was for nothing now. Even with it, he failed to win over his feelings, over his family.
I cant kill my brother. But he killed his, their parents, he not deserved anything else.
Zelgadis stood and again arose in combat position.
"Maybe i haven't got spells, but i still can stab you!" He again start up.
Constrictor tripped his leg and Zelgadis fell again.
"I think you cant." Constrictor said and drew his dagger.
Pictures appeared again. They were shifting. His hands covered in blood, running mother and two burnt corpses, again clashing of metal and sounds, unrelated with this situation, suddenly in his memory scenes, dagger started to prevail. The weapon which killed his parents. That color, what was encoded in his memory was green. He saw him, as he killed his parents. Green, dark, red.
Constrictor laid the dagger on his neck. Zelgadis laughed, that hit him.
"This, isn't enough on me." He explained his laugh.
Zelgadis grabbed his wrist and tried to broke it, like with that man before, he tossed him but he didn't managed to broke it.
Both of them took combat position.
"Whats your name?" Suddenly Zelgadis asked.
"Sidag." Replied glooming Constrictor.
This hit Amelia as well as Lina, not Gourry of course, when she added Zel and turned it upside down, Zelgadis appeared.
"Our parents, had a sense of humor." Zelgadis said.
"No doubt."
Another lunge was from Sidag, Zelgadis resisted it easily. The weapons scratched against themselves, little sparks appeared, none of them backed away.
"Yes, i killed them, but why? That is ringing in your head, right?" Sidag talked in this unacceptable position.
Zelgadis concentrated on the fight, he haven't got time to notice some enigmas.
"Did i burned that men, or not?" Sidag continued.
"More than mysterious." Zelgadis answered.
Blue barrier appeared again stronger, more brutal, bigger. It shined on the whole square, audience started to panic, but quickly calmed. Except Amelia.
"Mr. Zelgadis? MR. ZELGADIS!" The tears now appeared.
The time really is relative to the eyes of the observer. Whole lifetime is shown, in that split second. His body flew in the consequence of defense spell, it flew fast. His brain slowed the events around him, epinephrine helped it.
Now i understand.
I did it.
He realized, that he killed them. His own blood killed them, his brother.
He flew slower and slower, brain was constantly slowing the time, background started to change, he stopped in the air entirely. Suddenly, he laid in the middle of grass and above him, last autumn leaves fell with reflection. Where am i? The resonance of his question rolled in his thoughts. Two people, man and woman walked towards east and womancarried something in the basket. When he came closer, he realized that small boy was sleeping there peacefully, Zelgadis didn't expect any danger.
Everyone, invisible Zelgadis even, reached small house and woman spoke something, man denied her question and tried to open the door. Horror started.
Figure with green hair, jumped from the rooftop and slit his throat. Dad! Zelgadis heard woman scream, he wanted to protect them, but he couldn't.
It was only a memory. Woman with the basket ran, she looked back constantly and then lost at speed. She tumbled over a log. The basket fell out from her arms, she couldn't reach it, green came. Sidag stared at little Zelgadis and stabbed her chest. Mom! Sidag tossed her into river. Invisible Zelgadis fell into grass and started to move and accelerate again. The return into reality. Fear and scarlet.
Brain returned into real time, everything gain speed. He clashed against wall of house near to stage, the whole wall fell over him.
Amelia with cry and tears ran towards the debris, which remained and desperately started to dig. Lina and Gourry joined in.
Suddenly the broken pebbles and bricks started to rose, Zelgadis stood. Amelia and the others watched him. Blood descended from his head. He gloomed and watched Constrictor.
"Mr. Zelgadis..." Amelia embraced him.
Zelgadis didn't restrain it, but didn't return it, he still had some work to do.
He grabbed Amelia and cut off her embrace.
"I need to finish it."
She wanted to say something but he cut her off.
"Alone."
Revenge, what nonsense, what insanity, what stupidity. But only this made sense, only this had destination. Zelgadis slowly walked to the stage, everyone watched him.
The people, except three, didn't know if he is on side of good or evil. Same side of righteousness. The group of people made him path, as he walked towards the stage.
Someone will return. That stupid fortune-teller, she couldn't add more details? The theater get through break, last act started.
When he was in the middle of the route, he suddenly started to lift and felt tension in his body, Sidag manipulated with him again. Zelgadis with big strength flew right towards his brother, Sidag released him, just before him.They stood there.
"This strength, should be enough." Sidag suddenly said, as a comment to his barrier before.
"Enough..." Zelgadis said.
"How doyou do it? You are demon and you aren't angry towards normal people?I must drain power from them to survive, to beat the demon."
Sidag suddenly explained.
So that is why. He was half demon and half human, in order to kept the demon under his control, he needed power, power he haven't got.
"I am not demon..." Zelgadis answered with his pebble face.
"You are!" Sidag shouted and started to constrict him with the spell before.
"Were both!"
Zelgadis lifted about few centimeters above ground, he couldn't catch a breath. He hadn't had any power, any opportunity to defense, his sword fell.
His lens started to narrow, in the absence of oxygen.Brain indicated danger and neck narrowed more and more. At least, i didn't kill anyone. He commented the picture what appeared.
Sigad, holding Zelgadis in the same way as now, tried to drain him, but his body was too solid. Suddenly two guards appeared and started to shout.
"Release that man!" Sidag smiled, blinked at Zelgadis, turned and burned them by magic. Then he tossed Zelgadis in the middle of crater and left him to his own fate, he let him taste the guilt. How simple.
So thats how it was. No oxygen in the brain, brought Zelgadis to remember. Zelgadis slowly started to lost consciousness. Wait.
His right hand tried to reach the pocket. Only small... chance... Zelgadis rustled in pocket and then took out his hand.
"Bomb di wind."
He said with his last drop of energy and Sidag under violent gust of wind released his grip on Zelgadis's neck, Chimera fell on his legs, he wanted to took his sword.
"Impossible!" Sidag shouted, because he didn't know how Zelgadis did it.
Zelgadis took the sword, it was too heavy, he dragged it behind him with his right hand. The sword left crease in the wood as he pulled. He came closer to laying Sidag.
"...astral...vine..." Zelgadis said and tried to work off his state before.
The sword left a red crease in wood. Red as blood, which he had on his hands, blood what Sidag sacrificed to produce his plan, red as his past.
If there was something on the world, what related almost all living beings on world, it was blood, scarlet. Theres nothing in this world to believe in.
Sidag laid, he was in shock about results, how it will end. Zelgadis lifted his sword and aimed at Sidag's chest. They stood like that for a while.
The sword started to shake and spell over it disappeared. Zelgadis tossed it behind him, the small sphere with star what Amelia gave him, as a promise and argument to return.
Couldn't multiply his strength forever. He fell on his knees. I cant kill my brother, i cant, i cant let the demon win.
I cant have that blood.
"Do you know why i set that trap... why i wanted to find you...?" Sidag, with calm voice, said.
"That demon absorbed me, he controlled me. I only wanted to..." He couldn't end the sentence.
"I wanted to..." Something in him tried to stop the emotion. Fight with demon.
"I... wanted to die by hand of my brother." Finally he said and Zelgadis stared at him with confusion.
"Don't let... the demon to absorb you as me... choose life..." Sidag was saying and he slowly stood and drew his dagger.
"However... you have to die..." He said and came closer to Zelgadis. Zel hadn't any force to defense. Demon won.
But suddenly, some spell casted him down.
"I don't let you tohurt him again!" Amelia with weep eyes, cried and left another strong spell.
"Amelia..."
Light of my life, angel of my dreams.
He saw light around her. So this is it... this is justice.
"How can you hurt your own family!" Another spell.
"Especially... my Zelgadis!"
My? Zelgadis?
"Rah-Tilt!"
Lina, Gourry and audience, only watched her hidden power, which came from her heart.
She thought that rah-tilt, will destroy only demon, but demon completely absorbed him.
"Finally... f...nally... light."
Last Sidag's words rang out and when the light disappeared, only ash remained.
Zelgadis's view started to blur, brain slowly switched off, exhaustion.
Amelia with Lina, Gourry and few other people came closer.
"Mr. Zelgadis?" She asked.
"Leave it..." Zelgadis said and fainted into land of dreams.
-
He woke up in some bed. Was it a dream? When he realized, that the quality of bed is unusual, he figured out that it was a royal bed, palace.
That was the last thing he expected. His hands reached his face, curse was still there. At least i am alive. It wasn't a dream, he really met his brother and fight with his fate to the last minute, Amelia helped of course. He looked out of window, then walked out of door, the room was downstairs. It was cold.
He leaned on stone railing and thought about his life. 'Don't let the demon to absorb you as me, choose life.' Life.
"Zelgadis!" Amelia, which appeared in the door, happily shouted and ran towards him.
If he wasn't from stone, he would surely fell under pressure of her embrace. This time he returned it.
"Where is 'mister'?" He asked with a slight smile on his face.
"Does it matter?" Amelia examined his smile. Zelgadis didn't do it without purpose.
"Thanks." He said.
"For what?"
"For you." Zelgadis explained.
"Y-You are welcome..."
"What will you do, now?" She asked.
"I don't know..."
A thought entered his mind. He took a sphere with star from his pocket.
"I will fulfill my promise..."
He said and kissed her.
And snow fell on their shoulders.
Zelgadis found his cure,
and fulfilled his promise.
This could be the end, but its not.
Two other fates are waiting for him or them?