One day in the marketplace as I was walking by
I saw someone in the corner of my eye
She resembled an old friend of mine
I didn't think it was her, but then again I hadn't seen her in a long time
She used to be a passionate person, with a fiery spirit and heart
Always an optimist, a friendly person from the start
Red hair that burned like a flame dancing in the wind
And ruby red eyes that could pierce through anyone's skin
But this couldn't be my friend, I heard she had died
I heard she was missing, I heard that she may not be alive
There were numerous rumors, all too much to believe
No....it had to be her - that I could plainly see
But something was different about her, she wasn't the same
And then I noticed how she had changed
The blazing fire she once had in her in her eyes
She used to show it - now it always hides
The glowing essence that used to surround her
It was no longer there, and she looked like she had been lost forever
She once was a free spirited soul
The reason she changed - that - only I know
This is the story that I will tell
A story of a sorceress named Lina and a chimera named Zel
The story that explains it all
The truth about Lina Inverse - her disappearance and her fall
She was a talented and powerful girl
Her famous name known all over the world
She traveled the earth fighting evil far and wide
With an ivory cloaked companion always by her side
Together they fought courageously
Living life on the edge dangerously
Slaying dragons and killing beasts
Placing all evils beneath their feet
They made a great team - they were always together
Protecting eachother - their mighty flame seemed as if it would burn on forever
They eventually fell in love with eachother
And vowed to love, honor, and serve one another
They had a love that no one could understand
They were in their own world - surrounded by eachother's romance
Together they journeyed through the lands
Looking for a cure for Zelgadis, the ivory cloaked man
A way to heal his stony features
That people feared as if he were an evil creature
The red haired girl would try to convince him it was ok
That she loved him - stone body or not - it didn't matter anyway
He told her she was all the cure he could need
But deep down inside she felt that he was not completely free
She knew that no matter what he longed for his cure
He loved her very much, but that life long pain he would always endure
He wished that he had something more to offer
He wasn't sure if his looks really didn't bother her
She hated to see him suffer so much
Nothing saddened her more than when he was scared by her touch
If only he understood what he means to me
There's nothing he has to prove, if only he could see the beauty I see
I'm just a monster - how can I ever be enough to you?
I have nothing to offer, except my love that is pure and true
Have patience with me, Lina, and once I find my cure
We can live a normal life together - that I am sure
They were always on the road hoping to put their journeys to an end
So they could settle down and a normal life they could begin
Day and night they looked for a way to heal Zel
Would he ever find his cure? - not even time could tell
Lina always supported him and stood by his side
She knew he wasn't happy - behind his smile there was a lie
He was happy and in love with Lina, but he wasn't happy completely....
He could never be happy until he was cured from his curse and made free
But don't get me wrong about their happiness - they lived a very fulfilled life
Their love was strong and unbreakable, their spirits shining bright
Finding a cure for Zel was what they vowed to search for forever
But it never got in the way of their love and commitment to eachother
Their love was always first, even though at first glance that's not how it seemed
But to find a cure for Zel was their life long dream
And then one day Lina believed she found it, the cure Zel was looking for
She heard about a rumor - it was something they had to explore
The leads and clues seemed stable, and they actually believed
That Lina may have found his cure - the one thing that could make him free
The two of them overjoyed, began their journey right away
Zel seemed to come alive, not wanting to waste another day
It started when the two of them were on the road
Searching for Zel's cure on their way to the unknown
They were attacked - caught off guard by surprise
(This was the day Lina lost the fire in her eyes)
She fought the attackers and thought she saved the day
Until she saw Zelgadis, lying on the ground not too far away
A black cloaked being was hovering over him
A sword of darkness emerged from his cloak - piercing through Zel's stone skin
The being thrust it into the chimera's chest, Zel yelling in pain
And he howled into the wind Lina Inverse's name
Lina dashed across the plains and defeated the cloaked beast
She removed the sword and helped Zel to his feet
Together they cast a recovery spell
But nothing seemed to work on the wound from hell
The sword that struck him - an evil force was inside
It was passed on to Zel, and soon he would die
Zel held Lina tightly, afraid of life without his love
He prayed that L-sama would let him watch over her from above
He began to grow weak and started to slip away
Lina gently laid him down, wishing that there was a way for him to be saved
Lina knelt beside him, holding his hand
Zel tried to memorize her face, he knew he'd soon pass onto the next land
I love you, Zelgadis, I always will
I hope one day you'll forgive me - this is all my fault - I got you killed
No - don't blame yourself, Lina - this must be the gods' ways
I'll never stop loving you, I'll see you again someday
Zelgadis pulled Lina close for one last kiss good-bye
Her warm tears falling onto his face as he took his last breath and died
Lina was dazed with disbelief - he couldn't really be gone
She held his limp body in her arms and cried for him all day long
Lina cried endlessly for the one she loved
She yelled and screamed in anger at the heavens above
Because when she finally found the happiness that was missing in her life
The gods took it away - turning her morning into night
She knew now that she no longer had meaning in life
And that's when her fire stopped shining bright
She silently faded from the world, slowly disappeared
Her name became faded history - no longer feared
Lina Inverse, you ask? - she's been long gone
Some say she gave up and ran away, no one really knows
That was the type of talk that soon erupted across the lands
She was never heard from again after Zelgadis Greywars died in her hands
She never fought another bandit, never stole another piece of gold
She gave up her life rituals, without Zel her world was empty and cold.
Her eyes lost their fire the moment Zel passed away
The one who made her complete was gone, and she never forgot that day
If only she hadn't heard the rumor, Zel would still be alive
And as fate would have it - the rumor was false - nothing but a lie
She lived her slow endless years alone, slowly waiting for her end
Hoping for the day that she would die so that she would see Zel again....
That day I watched her from afar in the marketplace
A cold and blank daze resting upon her face
She never forgave herself for that day...that's easy to see
She probably didn't even see or remember me
So I left the marketplace, and never saw her again
Until her funeral years later, when her life finally came to an end
No one showed up, everyone thought she died years ago
It was a sad and yet happy event, knowing Lina went where she wanted to go
Printed on her tombstone was the following phrase
"I have not ended but have begun to finally live my days"
That phrase now has meaning after hearing this story
How her days were filled with pain and agony
She longed for death to be with the one she loved
He missed her presence, it was never enough to just watch her from above
I knew that soon she would meet him again
And was relieved that her suffering would finally come to an end
When I saw the sun set that evening the sky glowed several shades of red
It must've been her smiling down because her pain came to an end
There was also a full moon that night - it glowed an intense shade of blue
Zelgadis had found her, I thought to myself. That must be his way of smiling, too.
The heavens always shone brightly after that day
And I knew that Lina and Zelgadis really did get their way
That true love really is forever
And that even when they were apart they were together......
So this is the story of the chimera and sorceress
The everlasting love of Zelgadis Greywars and Lina Inverse