THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED

Zelgadis Greywords looked up from his place on deck of the small boat he had acquired and smiled.

In the bright blue sky above him were a handful of noisy seagulls, flying toward shore.

Shore. Land. Home.

The piece of land coming into view was green and alive. Hope swelled in his chest.

The chimera could hardly believe how much he had changed, and his smile actually widened a bit as he looked down at the strange blue skin of his hands, flexing his fingers a bit as he did so.

Four years earlier he would have flown into a rage or sunk into a deep depression at the sight of his cursed skin. But now, as he continued to study the blue digits of his right hand, he realized he had grown used to the sight. He didn't know if his heart would ever be completely healed, but he was finally willing to give it a shot.

Rezo had endured much more, after all. The Red Priest had endured a hard struggle against the madness of Ruby Eye Shabranigdo, and had helped to defeat the Mazoku Lord not once but twice. Rezo's true kindness, his real self, had taken over when it had really mattered. He fought along side Zelgadis, his great-grandson, in the only way he could. He had weakened the powerful Mazoku enough for Lina's Giga Slave to destroy it...and with it, Rezo himself.

Zelgadis' smile faltered, but did not fade completely. Yes, despite the fact Shabranigdo's madness had led Rezo to use his only living family member as a guinea pig by turning him into a stone-skinned chimera, he had done the right thing in the end. Twice.

In Rezo's own words, there was no cure for Zelgadis' condition. However, Zelgadis was not quite sure he believed that. His own denial had left him traveling around for leads once more.

But no more. He was tired. He was done. He was resigned.

Even if Rezo had been lying about there being no cure so that Zelgadis would destroy him, the chimera couldn't take it anymore. The long days, disappointments and loneliness had become too much to bear.

In the end, having a stone hide had saved him countless times. Having increased speed, stamina and agility had saved him, as well. His body had also allowed him to protect the people he cared about.

So, in the end, it wasn't so bad.

As long as there was even one person who loved and accepted him, he could possibly learn to love and accept himself.

As long as there was one person who believed in him and trusted her heart to him, he would never do anything to betray that trust.

Zelgadis looked up once more from his reverie and saw land coming ever closer to him.

Yes, it would finally be okay. None of that stuff mattered anymore.

**

Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun looked up from a letter she had just received. A messenger had run up to her just as she'd finished addressing some new amendments to the court, and exclaimed that the letter was urgent.

Worried, Amelia had unrolled the parchment and begun reading...only to have a small, gentle smile light her face moments later.

Her father. Acting King Philionel, knew that look. It was the look Amelia's mother had often given him when she was still alive. The monarch smiled and turned to go back inside the palace.

He knew he would always be the first man to have loved Amelia, but he had a suspicion that he would be having to share her very soon.

**

Seagulls flew over Seyruun, and Amelia took notice of them as she rolled her letter back up.

The tide would be coming in soon, and with it some big changes for the princess.

The last words written in the letter came back to her, replaying over and over in her memory.

"I'm finally coming home.

Love,

Zelgadis"

**

This story is my take on the very last scenes of Evolution-R. I noticed that the animators seemed to be trying to say something with the seagulls that first flew out in front of Zelgadis' boat, and then flew over Seyruun. I then took notice that Zel was coming upon land, and wondered if perhaps his seagulls were the same ones flying over Seyruun only moments later. That's how I became convinced that Zel was actually going BACK to Seyruun instead of away on another search, especially since we have no idea how much time had passed since they had defeated Shabranigdo again. Both he and Amelia seemed to share the same happy little smile, as well as the breeze and seagulls...so, to me, it symbolized a connection between the two of them.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!