Her sleep had been completely void of any dreams since her fight with Zelgadis.

Lina lifted her hand, looking at the slight burn pattern there. No one got to see it but her, since it was normally hidden under her gloves. But now, the magic she had used… no, that the Lord of Nightmares had guided her hand to use had left its mark, a fine web that wove up to her wrist. A mark of magic she should have never used.

Or maybe a mark of the Lord of Nightmares Herself. Lina didn't know.

What she did know was there wasn't any talk of any sort of "Blood of the Ruby Eye" going around anymore. Hell, she didn't even see Xellos anymore. Though, if she had killed Zelgadis with that last bit of Chaos magic, she probably killed Xellos. Kill the Master, kill the Servant. Maybe. Damn it. She wished she knew how tightly Zelgadis had bound Xellos to him. Maybe Xellos was out there, back in the Greater Beast's hands. She wouldn't deny that would be really useful. Xellos had done a lot to help them when he was her Priest, and even as Zelgadis's Priest, he had saved both her and Gourry's lives. One last bit of loyalty.

Or maybe Zel had one last bit of humanity left in him, Lina thought, touching her stomach.

It had been close. Sylphiel's Resurrection had nearly failed. But now, in the spring months, Lina was making her slow way out of Taforashia. Pokota made noises like he was about to kick her out, but she knew he was worried for her health when he didn't actually do it and forced her back to bed when she looked like she was about to pass out.

She should have been ready earlier, Lina reflected. But Sylphiel couldn't spend all her energy healing Lina. Just like how it had been in Nostos, if the healer exhausted herself on one little sorceress, then when something big happened and they needed Sylphiel… no, Lina wasn't on Death's Doorstep now. She could build up her strength normally, and use her own healing spells.

And now, make her way out of Taforashia.

She slipped her glove on and left the room, meeting Gourry. Breakfast had already been eaten, and the cook was still in wide eyed shock over how much they had devoured. The two of them nodded at each other and started out, quiet.

Gourry stayed close to her side, ready to catch her if she fell. It pissed her off, but she couldn't help but understand the practicality of it. She was so far from being in top shape it wasn't funny. But she also couldn't stay here. She had to get back on the road.

"What do you think happened to Zelgadis?" Gourry asked, finally breaking the silence between them.

"I don't know," she said quietly. The spell She had guided Lina to cast could have ripped Zelgadis apart. But, as Lina had learned from fighting Fibrizo, no one knew what She would do. The Lord of Nightmares could have easily just taken the part that was Shabranigdo from Zelgadis and neutralized him that way. She didn't know.

She wished she did.

They were still selling the stupid sun trinkets at Aldahi. Lina frowned at them, remembering what Xellos did while she was in the bath. Asshole. She should have done more than Fireball him when she saw him the next time she saw him.

But there was a restaurant nearby. Lina turned, wobbling slightly as the long day caught up to her. She cursed under her breath as Gourry caught her elbow, steadying her. Thankfully, he didn't say anything about it, only looked down at her with worried eyes.

"I'm fine," she assured him, but she didn't remove her arm from his grasp. Instead, she leaned into him, her heart feeling sick. Gourry, seeming to understand, wrapped his arms around her. She closed her eyes, her sharp ears hearing his heartbeat under his armour.

After a moment, she pulled back, taking a deep breath. "Right." She nodded. "Dinner."

"You feeling okay now?"

"Yup! Let's go!" Lina pumped a fist, and started down to the restaurant.

Only to stop as a couple exited. Young men, one guiding the other gently. Lina's hand instantly dropped, ready to cast a spell if she needed to at the cloak and mask covering rock skin, shiny hair, at the Mazoku Priest by his side-

But Xellos only shook his head, clicking his tongue. "Lina-san, you would make a fantastic Mazoku, attacking a newly blind man like this."

Lina blinked as Zelgadis lifted his head. "I feel like I should know that name," Zelgadis said softly, almost as if struggling to speak, his hand tightening on Xellos's hand.

"It's only part of your old life, Zelgadis-sama," Xellos said soothingly. "Come. Let us retire to the inn." Xellos speared Lina with a glance, his eyes open, as if saying he would speak with her later.

"Xellos." Lina reached out, grabbing his sleeve. "What's-"

"Your Chaos magic is quite interesting. I would say you can't remove one's heritage from their blood… but you certainly can remove memories. And keep memories related to that past from being made. No matter how hard I try, Lina-san, he doesn't remember you. Or Gourry-san. Or Amelia-san. Or even me. I am merely a voice, a hand to him, and he cannot put a name to me." The smile on Xellos's face made her shiver. "I will be his Priest until his mortal death, Lina-san. And he is still mortal, can still die a mortal death. But he is no longer a threat. He is… no longer Zelgadis."

Lina swallowed. "That… is there anything that… I can't let that be true! I have to-!"

The smile on Xellos's face was truly terrifying. "Then beseech the Golden Lord to reverse it. But this is what you wanted, isn't it, Lina-san? For Zelgadis-sama not to be a threat?" He turned to Zelgadis, almost tenderly brushed his wire hair aside. "It was what he wanted. To pretend to be human. And now the play will continue until his body shuts down for the final time and his soul returns to where it came."

Emotion choked her, and Gourry clasped her shoulder, reminding her he was there. "Can we at least talk to Zelgadis when we see him?" Gourry asked.

"I'm right here," Zelgadis grumbled.

"Of course," Xellos said smoothly. "But don't expect him to remember what you told him the next time you see him. Your adventures are tightly tied to his inhuman nature, and does not lend to the play he is human. But certainly. You can speak with him."

Lina looked up at Gourry, who nodded at her. She looked over at Zelgadis, at his closed eyes, and swallowed again. "Hey, Zel," she said, trying to keep her voice peppy. "I'm Lina Inverse. I- well, know you from before. I guess you heard that already."

"And you heard I don't remember you," he said tartly.

She winced. "Yeah. I just… are you happy?"

Zelgadis looked away, his face upturned to the sky. Then he inhaled. "Yeah. I feel like something that had bothered me for so long has been taken away and everything's okay now."

Lina nodded, something loosening inside her. It wasn't a cure… but he didn't care anymore. She turned to Xellos. "And you! Take care of him."

"My, my." Xellos let his eyes close, the smile losing its sinister edge. "Of course, Lina-san!"

"Or… else, I'll set Amelia on you!"

She was pretty certain the shiver he made was not faked.

This wasn't the way she wanted Zelgadis to have his cure, at the cost of his memories of them, of himself, and of nearly killing Lina in a Shabranigdo induced bloodlust. But in a way, it was a cure. He didn't know what he looked like, and it didn't bother him anymore. He might still have to feed off emotions (she'd have to ask Xellos that at some point), but she had faith that Xellos wouldn't let that go too far.

Slowly, she took a deep breath.

"Good luck, Zel."

And she turned to enter the restaurant with Gourry.

In the brief moment, before the memory of a girl that spoke fire in his head faded to nothing, Zelgadis said to a black world, "You too, Lina."