"I think they're coming to!" cried Jayble excitedly.
"What?!" Prince Phil leapt over to the sleeping pair. "You mean he actually made it?!"
"Looks that way!" Jayble laughed.
Zelgadis groaned. "What...happened?" he screamed, sitting bolt upright.
"Easy, Master." Jayble placed his hand upon Zelgadis' shoulder. "You did it! Ms. Amelia is returning to us!"
"Daddy?" Amelia slowly sat up.
"Amelia! My darling Amelia, you're all right!" Prince Phil shouted, throwing her arms around her.
"What...happened? I feel strange." she moaned.
"It will be all right, Amelia." Phil comforted, "You had us worried there for a while, but your fine now."
"You were struck down with a curse some time ago." said Jayble. "But Master Zelgadis saved you."
"Zelgadis! He's here! Where is he?" Amelia demanded, almost falling from her bed.
"I'm right here, Amelia." Zelgadis slowly made his way to the bed.
Amelia smiled at him, "It's good to see you! I haven't seen you for so long!"
Zelgadis smiled back. He turned to Jayble and Prince Phil.
"May I speak to Amelia, alone."
"Uhhhhh, sure." Prince Phil turned and left the room.
"As you wish, Master." Jayble bowed and left.
"Amelia, I'm sorry." Zelgadis sat down on Amelia's bed.
"For what?" Amelia asked.
"For not saying this earlier. Amelia...I..." he began.
"You...what?"
"Amelia...I love you." Zelgadis looked at the ground. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I just thought you deserved better than me."
"Oh, Zelgadis!" Amelia flung herself at the chimera, "I've been waiting my whole life to here you say that!"
"You humans sicken me." said a voice from the corner.
Zelgadis leapt from the bed, sword in hand. "Who's there!"
A pair of crimson eyes appeared before him, floating in the air. "You may call me Malimshaer, human. I have come to take that which is mine."
"Like hell you will." Zelgadis leveled his sword, ready to strike.
"Do you think that you can stop me?" the eyes flashed and disappeared. Standing in there place was a huge man in black armor. His cloak billowed out behind him, and his jet black hair fell to his back.
"I don't take kindly to meddling humans. You should have stayed out of this entirely." Malimshaer drew a sword of black steel.
Zelgadis flung himself at Malimshaer. Steel clashed on steel as Zelgadis met Malimshaer's sword...
...breaking his own blade in half.
"What the hell?" cried Zelgadis.
"Do you really think you can beat me with that toy?" Malimshaer struck Zelgadis with a gauntleted hand, sending him to the floor.
"Zelgadis!" Amelia screamed.
Malimshaer picked Zelgadis off the floor, raising him high into the air.
"Are you prepared to die, human?"
"Why are you doing this?" screamed Zelgadis.
"I suppose you do deserve an explanation before you die." (do you ever wonder why villains actually do that? I certainly do. But as it wouldn't make sense to have a pointless villain, here goes anyway.) Malimshaer flung Zelgadis to the ground.
"Why did you do this?" Zelgadis cried, pulling himself off the ground.
"I have need of this land." Malimshaer explained. "Killing the heir to the throne was the fastest way to the throne. With Prince Phillionel grieving over the loss of his daughter my agents would "temporarily" take the throne. After my agents took their place we would implicate a neighboring kingdom in the murder of Princess Amelia. After both kingdoms destroyed each other I would be there to pick up the pieces."
"Why?!" screamed Amelia.
"I would think it rather obvious. With me in control of the white magic capital of the world there would be nothing to stop the Mazuko race."
"Jayble!" called Zelgadis.
"They can't hear you. Not that it would matter." Malimshaer again drew his blade. "Now, Zelgadis Greywerd, it is time for you to die."
"They sure have been in there awhile, haven't they?" Jayble commented, leaning against the wall.
"Yes." Phil paced the floor.
Phil walked up to the door and knocked. When no one answered, he knocked again.
"Amelia? Zelgadis?" he called.
"Is there a problem, your majesty?" Jayble walked up.
"They're not answering." Phil reached down to turn the knob, but pulled his hand back violently.
"Damn!" he screamed.
"What is it?" cried Jayble.
"It burned me!" Phil held up a blistered hand. "Go get Ms. Lina, Jayble. And hurry."
Jayble took off down the hall, leaving Prince Phil to slam his body against the door, only to be hurled violently into the adjacent wall.
Zelgadis crashed into the wall, leaving a deep dent.
"Flare arrow!" screamed Amelia.
"Don't embarrass yourself." Malimshaer brushed of the bolt of flame. Pacing forward he grabbed Zelgadis by the throat and lifted him high into the air.
"I gave you all ample time to leave." Malimshaer's fingers dug deeply into Zelgadis's neck. "But you fools just kept trying." he flung Zelgadis to the floor, shattering several planks of wood. "You defeated every thing I put in your way to try and stop you. You'll pay for that."
"Go to hell!" spat Zelgadis, pulling himself off the ground.
Malimshaer kicked Zelgadis in the ribs, sending him half way across the room, "Give it up, human. I can not be stopped by the likes of you."
"Ra Tilt!" screamed Zelgadis.
The brunt of the spell slammed into Malimshaer, knocking him to the ground.
"Impressive, but not good enough!" Malimshaer leapt to his feet. "Dark Bolt!"
A bolt of deepest black hurled at Zelgadis, slamming into him with full force. Zelgadis screamed as the darkness overcame him, covering him in a sheet of darkest night. When the darkness past Zelgadis lay on the floor, twitching in agony.
"Zelgadis!" Amelia shrieked.
"Don't worry. He's still alive." Malimshaer pulled out his sword, "But that won't last long."
"What's up, Phil?" Lina charged down the hall, Gourry, Kally, and Jayble in tow.
"Help me open this door!" screamed Phil.
"O...kay." Lina cocked an eyebrow. "Gourry."
Gourry nodded. Pulling out his sword (one handed, of coarse), Gourry slammed into the door with all his might...
...only to find himself liying down at the opposite side of the hall.
"What...the hell?" stammered Gourry.
"It's being held by something or other!" shouted Phil. "Get it open!"
Lina looked up and down the door. "Held, huh? Well I can fix that..."
Malimshaer stalked closer to the senseless chimera. He dramatically raised his sword high into the air.
"Fare well, Zelgadis Greywerd." he chuckled dryly.
Suddenly the door exploded, sending slivers of wood flying across the room.
"Yee ha! I love this spell!" screamed Lina, holding the Ragna blade.
"Ms Lina!" cried Amelia.
"What!" Malimshaer turned around, sword poised.
Lina, Gourry, and Prince Phil stood in the shattered doorway, ready for battle. Jayble looked on in shock.
"Hey! Who are you, and what are you doing in Amelia's room?" shouted Lina.
"And where's Zel?" added Gourry.
"Meddling humans!" screamed Malimshaer. "You will die for your interference.
"Why do all you powerful Mazuko guys always say that? Can't you just once shut up and fight?" Lina rolled her eyes.
"I'll kill you first!" Malimshaer flung himself at the sorceress.
"I don't think so!" Gourry met Malimshaer blade to blade.
Within seconds the battle was on in full. Gourry slashed again and again at the monster, Lina and Amelia hurled spell after spell, Zelgadis slowly pulled himself from the ground, Prince Phil flung himself forward with his multiple goofy attacks, Kally cowered in a corner, and Jayble wet himself. All to no effect (especially the later).
"Pathetic." laughed Malimshaer, "Truly pathetic, but quite entertaining."
"Hey Phil! How much do you like this palace?" panted Lina.
"What?! Why would you ask something like that at a time like this?!" screamed Phil.
Gourry, Zelgadis, and Amelia looked at each other in terror, and flung themselves to the ground.
"Huh?" Malimshaer was taken aback.
Lina smiled wickedly. "Darkness beyond twilight... (Come on! You all know the words!)
"My...castle." Prince Phil looked on in horror at his once beautiful home.
"We're alive aren't we?" commented Lina, brushing herself off.
"Yeah, Daddy! Look on the bright side!" Amelia put in cheerfully.
"My...castle."
"Oh drop it, will you!" cried Lina. "I could always have Giga Slaved him instead."
"I suppose every cloud has a silver lining." muttered Zelgadis.
"Hello there!" a familiar (and very annoying) voice came from behind.
They all turned.
"Xellos!" cried Zelgadis.
"Xellos!" cried Amelia.
"Xellos!" cried Gourry.
"Xellos???" Phil, Jayble, and Kally scratched their heads.
"Where the hell were you five minutes ago?!" screamed Lina.
"Uhhhhhhhhhhhh, sore wa himitsu?" Xellos shrugged.
Every one of them face faulted.
That night, at a local tavern.
"So Malimshaer wanted to conquer Sairune to further the plans of the Mazuko?" Xellos smiled.
"That is what he told us." Zelgadis answered in a monotone voice.
"That's...a really good idea. I wonder why I never thought of that."
"What?!" screamed Prince Phil.
"Uhhhh, nothing." there was a long pause. "So, uhhh, what's everyone going to do now that the monster's gone." Xellos quickly changed the subject.
"Lina and I'll be getting back to hunting bandits, right Lina?" Gourry smiled.
"Not with that busted arm of yours we're not!" Lina cried. "I can't have my protector protecting me with only one arm! It just wouldn't look right!"
"Then what are we going to do?" asked Gourry.
"That's easy! We'll start our own reastraunt! "Lina's" we'll call it!" she cried.
"Open...a restraunt?" Zelgadis stammered.
"Why not? We both love food!" shouted Lina. Raising her fork into the air. "I vow, here and now, to start the most successful restraunt in all of Sairune! We shall throw down all those who stand in our way!" a ray of golden light fell upon her.
"I've got to get that hole fixed." Bob the bartender muttered
"O...kay." said Xellos. "How about you, Zelgadis? What are you going to do?"
"You know full well what I'm going to do. Jayble and I are going to keep looking for my cure." Zelgadis muttered.
"Me too!" cried Kally.
"And Kally, too." Zelgadis smiled.
Xellos turned to Amelia. "What about you, Amelia? Going to help your father rebuild the castle, I suppose."
"No." answered Amelia.
"No?!" Prince Phil fell backwards.
"No!" repeated Amelia.
"But...why not?" Prince Phil pulled himself off the floor.
"I'm going with Zelgadis." she folded her arms.
"Amelia..." Zelgadis began.
"And there's nothing you can say to stop me!" cried Amelia.
Zelgadis smiled warmly. "We'll be glad to have you along."
Later that night, with the moon shining down, an arm covered with dented black armor pushed it's way out of the rubble. A set of crimson eyes burned into the night.