"Nothin' like food to brighten your spirits! Aint' that right, Jayble?" Lina spoke with a mouth full of food.
"Uh-huh!" Jayble nodded his agreement. After a week without food this feast was a welcome sight.
"Wonder where Gourry and Zel are." Lina commented, tearing into a leg of lamb.
"I'm sure they'll be here." Jayble reassured.
"I know that! I'm just wondering what's taking them so long." Lina looked down at the very last chicken leg.
"Fight you for it." said both simultaneously.
"We have arrived, brave one." one of the fairy (?) people said.
"We are afraid that we cannot accompany you into the city." said another.
"Why not? Amelia'd love to meet you." protested Gourry.
"The people would not like our presence in their fair city..." the first fairy chimed.
"...They would think of us as monsters." finished the second.
"Well, okay. Thanks for brining me back!" Gourry waved goodbye with his one good arm.
"You are welcome, brave one. Come visit us whenever you wish." the two fairies laughed and disappeared into the trees.
Gourry turned toward the city. "I got to get this stuff to Amelia."
Setting his jaw he strode forward into Sairune.
"We're almost there, Kally." Zelgadis (the only one who still had his horse) woke the sleeping girl.
"Huh?" Kally looked up sleepily.
"We're almost there." he repeated.
"Oh." she pause, "Will there be food? I'm getting really hungry."
"Yes, Kally, I'm sure Prince Phil can get you some food." Zelgadis sighed.
"'Kay. You think we can help your friend?" she asked.
"I hope so." Zelgadis said, sadly.
"Gourry!" Lina jump up from her brawl over the chicken. "It sure took you long enough to get here."
"I got a bit hung up. But I got the stuff." replied Gourry.
"That's great, Gourry! Now all we need is for Zelgadiss to get..." her eyes fell on Gourry's wounded arm, "Oh my god! What happened to your arm?" she screamed.
"Really, really big thing." he replied.
"With big teeth, apparently." commented Jayble, munching happily on the last piece of chicken.
"Yeah! This really nice guy helped me out, but he turned out to be a monster and I had to kill him. He hurt my arm pretty bad, but they farie people helped me get back home.
Lina put her hand to his forehead, "Gourry, are you feeling okay?"
"Hello." Zelgadis's voice drifted from the doorway. "I see I'm the last one here."
"Hey, Zel!" cried Lina
"Hello, master." Jayble bowed low
"Who's the little girl?" asked Gourry.
"This," Zelgadis beckoned Kally forward. "is Kally. She lost her home, so I'm taking care of her for a while."
"Uncommonly kind of you, Zel." Gourry laughed.
"Yes, well..." Zelgadis trailed off quietly.
"Hi!" Kally waved her hand at the group.
"Hello, Kally." Jayble took her little hand in his, "My name is Jayble. I am master Zelgadis's apprentice."
"Hi, Jayble."
"Hey, kiddo. I'm Gourry, and that's Lina." Gourry introduced himself.
"Hi Gourry. Hi Lina."
"Excuse me." Prince Phil called from the doorway. "But if you are all done introducing yourselves, perhaps you would like to save my daughter now."
Jayble entered Amelia's room with a vial of green liquid. Very carefully he handed it to Prince Phil.
"So all I have to do is take this stuff, and I can save Amelia?" asked Phil.
"Yes, and no." Jayble answered. "You see, when you drink this you'll immediately enter the dreams of the closest sleeping individual, in this case Ms. Amelia. Once there you'll have to defeat whatever's causing Amelia's nightmares."
"And then she'll be better?"
"Perhaps." answered Jayble, very quietly.
"What do you mean, "perhaps"?" shouted Phil.
"Well, you see, no one has actually succeeded in curing something like this before." he said again, even quieter.
"What happened to the other people who tried?" asked Phil.
"They, uhhh, died." answered Jayble, barely above a whisper.
"They all died!" Phil screamed.
"Yes." Jayble inched his way over to Zelgadis.
"Well it doesn't really matter now..." Phil began, lifting the vial to his mouth.
"I must protest, Prince Phil." Zelgadis grabbed his arm. "Your people need you. If you die there will be no one here to rule in your place. I suggest you send someone else."
"Like who"
"Me."
"You!?"
"Yes, me." Zelgadis snached the vial from Phil's hands before he could protest.
"Master, I can not allow this!" cried Jayble.
"I don't have time for this, Jayble." Zelgadis raised the vial to his lips.
"But, master, why not send someone else? I would gladly go in your place! I simply can not allow you to throw your life away! I know that she is a good friend, but is she truly worth taking this much risk?" he protested.
Zelgadis lowered the vial and beckoned for Jayble to come closer.
"Yes master?"
"If I don't make it out of this alive I want you to take Kally. Teach he every thing I taught you." Zelgadis whispered.
"But sir..." he began.
"No buts, Jayble. Amelia is very important to me."
"But..."
Zelgadis tilted his head back swallowed the potion...
...and was asleep before he hit the ground.
Zelgadis pushed himself off the ground. He was surrounded on all sides by an impenetrable mist.
"Where am I?" he muttered.
"Where do you think, Cold Heart?" a voice answered from the mist. "You are in Amelia's mind. Her subconscious, actually."
Zelgadis drew his sword, "Who are you?"
"That would be rather difficult to explain. But I will try. I am Amelia's darkest nightmare, but also her most cherished dream." said the voice.
"What?"
"I am what she most desires. I bring her both hope and pain."
A shape began to form in the mist. Zelgadis raised his blade.
"Oh, put that thing down." the voice chided, and with a wave of it's hand the sword vanished.
"What the hell?!" cried Zelgadis.
The form was quickly taking a more definite shape. "Your weapons are useless here, Cold Heart."
"Who are you?!" Zelgadis screamed again.
"Would you like to see?" the shape moved closer. Only when it stood toe to toe with Zelgadis did it reveal it self.
"What the living hell?" Zelgadis recoiled in shock.
"Suprised, Cold Heart?"
Before Zelgadis stood a mirror image of himself.
"Who...who..." stammered Zelgadis.
"I have already told you. I am her worst nightmare, and her most cherished hope."
"But, you look like..." he began.
"You never thought that you could be Amelia's worst nightmare, did you Cold Heart." he said sadly.
"How?" Zelgadis regained his composure and strode towards Somnia.
"Let me show you, Cold Heart." it snapped his fingers, and the mist before Zelgadis changed.
Zelgadis stared in shock as the scene before him unfolded. Amelia sat in the woods, glomped onto an expressionless Zelgadis.
"Why do you hang around me?" asked the phantom Zelgadis, his voice cold.
"I don't know. Why?" Amelia asked.
"Because I wish you wouldn't." said Zelgadis
"W...why not? Aren't we friends?" Amelia looked hurt, her eyes full of tears.
"No, we aren't. I can't stand you, I have never been able to stand you." Zelgadis stood and brushed himself off.
"Zelgadis!" Amelia reached out for him.
"I hate you. Now leave me alone, forever." The phantom walked away, disappearing into the mist.
Amelia fell to the ground, sobbing. Within moments she, too, faded away.
"I...I..." stammered Zelgadis.
"What's the matter, Cold Heart? Does it hurt you to watch?" it shook it's head..
Zelgadis turned. "I would never do that! I couldn't hurt her like that!"
The thing sighed, "It is indeed unfortunate you didn't tell her that when you had the chance. It would hardly have mattered, though. We are all doomed."
"To hell with you!" screamed Zelgadis. "Ra Tilt!"
"You fool!" It screamed, phasing out only to repair beside Zelgadis. "You'll kill all three of us!"
"What do you mean?" Zelgadis sent his fist flying at the strange beings jaw.
Phasing out again, it continued. "I am a part of Amelia, fool! If I die, then so does she, and you along with her! If you had any sense at all you would leave now."
"Not without Amelia!" screamed Zelgadis.
"She has no chance, Cold Heart. I, too, am doomed. Leave while you can."
"Why are you doing this?" shouted Zelgadis.
"I have no choice! It is what I am! I have no more control over what she dreams than she does." It phased in again, infront of Zelgadis. "You caused this, not I!"
"What do you mean, I caused this?!"
"She loves you, Cold Heart. Her pain is caused by your refusal to return her love. Whatever happens now is not my doing."
Turning on it's heels it continued, "Do you think I want to see her die? I am a part of her psyche. When she dies, I cease to exist."
"Then why continue?" Zelgadis growled angrily.
"I've already told you, I have no choice! I am nothing but a dream, completely at the mercy of Amelia's subconscious."
"How can I stop this?!" Zelgadis cried.
"You can't! Unless the dreams are stopped we are all doomed. You can't stop them, and I am forced to play a cruel part in them. We are doomed, and you with us if you do not leave quickly." it turned it's head away in shame.
"I will not leave without Amelia!" shouted Zelgadis.
"Why ever not? There is no use in throwing your life away on a lost cause. Leave while you can." it began to dissipate.
"I can't leave. I...I...love her." he whispered.
There was a sudden flash of light.