The place was dark and clean. The only strange element of cavern was a crystal coffin where lied a young pale girl. She seemed slept but she was died.
Xelloss entered: "Amelia, you see, I've kept my promise until now, but soon the war will start and I don't know if I'll be able coming visiting you every day. From when you are died, I've stopped to smile, to make jokes. I don't feel my life anymore."
"Xelloss", the mazoku turned toward the voice and bowed surprised. The Greater Beast Xellass Metallium entered in the chamber with Shabranigdo, both in human form. "You would must go over her or you don't survive at this Kouma senshi"
"I'll try".
Shabranigdo went near the sarcophagus and with a calm voice: "You must do more than try. The centuries are past but she seems dead from little hours. You have cast a powerful spell, here. Little priest, I don't understand a thing: Why didn't you raise her as mazoku. She would be yours and alive, now."
His voice, full of sorrow: "She'd lose herself and I don't want this. I can only watch her."
Shabranigdo started to chant something and a weak shining covered the Amelia's body, He needed to use all his will helping to stop him. When the God-demon finished, the girl in the coffin trembled then opened her big blue eyes. Xelloss lift up the lid, she smiled and got up tentatively: "Xelloss, are really you? What's happening? I died in the battle against Red-eye! And where are Zel and the others?"
Then she saw the other persons of the cave: "Who are you? I don't know why but I'm sure having seen you somewhere", she was glancing the Demon-god.
Red-eye: "I'm happy seeing you again princess, your faith in your friends was well-rested!"
She frowned: "Shabranigdo-sama! But... where are Lina, Gourry and Zel? And why am I alive?"
Xelloss hoped his lord forgave him: "Amelia, you died five centuries ago, the world is changed..."
"You are saying they are dead." Her voice is full of sadness.
Red-eye laughed wholeheartedly: "No, he didn't say that. L-sama granted to your amusing friends the eternal youth, they are alive and you, too! Thanks to me!"
"What?! What did you do?"
"I've raised you!"
Amelia pouted: "And I would be a mazoku, now... But it's impossible! I don't feel different". She had the temptation to adding something about His action was against the justice principles but... she had lost the right to say that the when she woke up him to realise the Zel's dream. She turned to Xelloss: "Can you say me where are Lina, Gourry and... Zel? I want see them and beg them to forgive me"
The general-priest flinched for two motifs. The first was the jealousy for Zel and the second was her friends were changed much and he had the precise impression that she wouldn't be liked the changes but His Lord cut short: "Xelloss, Go with her and protect her!" then he turned to her: "Amelia, another Kouma Senshi is going to start! You are not properly a mazoku and you can choose don't fighting for me but you can't choose fighting against me, have you understood?"
She giggled: "I don't understand your attention for me. I don't have a piece of Shabranigdo in me anymore."
He smirked: "It's improbable, I'm complete! Thanks to you, too!" then he disappeared with Xellass.
Amelia watched Xelloss: "Where am I, now? What am I, now?"
He smiled: "Sore wa himitsu des!"
She sweatdroped: "You don't change ever!"
His smile deepened and she returned it: "Well let's go!" He reached out his hand helping to stand her up then he phased with her in front a nice home: "Here Gourry and Lina live!"
Amelia smiled: "They live together, now! I'm happy for them!"
Suddenly a little child with red hairs and blue eyes ran out of the door, crashed on her: "Sorry but I didn't see you, sorry, sorry!"
A not very tall girl went out shouting: "Come here now if you don't want a..." The girl remained wordless and Amelia was able to observe her. Lina seemed a little aged but she had the same fiery hairs and red eyes but they didn't shine of light, her eyes seemed those of a hopeless person that had little happiness in the life: "Hi Lina-san!"
She trembled: "Amelia-san, are really you? I killed you many years ago. Or you are another ghost here to remember me my fault!" then she cried and the little child cried, too. Amelia passed her to Xelloss and went near Lina to hugging her. Her eyes popped open and she fixed Amelia that spoke: "You don't really think, it's your fault, do you? I chose to wake Shabranigdo, not you! I'm sorry, I'm really sorry! You must have lived a hell's life for my fault! I wanted pleading with your forgiveness but I'm afraid you will not give me!"
Lina smiled She's Amelia, the true Amelia, she's come back!: "I'm so happy you are come back and you mustn't ask excuse Gourry and me neither! Can I do a question?"
She smiled too and managing a slight bow: "I'm at your disposal!"
"Why did you wake up Shabranigdo?"
Her expression became more serious: "... When Zel told me about his story I promised him to help finding a cure. He didn't seem having trust in my words but He knew that my knowledge in White magic was superior to yours and accepted my help. I did some magic research but I had the most important information from a sophisticated personal version of Reverse time. It doesn't adjust the broken objets or rooms but it enables to see the past of a person or an objet. I used the spell on him and I discovered that only who cast the curse was able to cure it. He was persuaded the cause of his problems was Rezo but my spell revealed the caster was the same Shabranigdo. Zel didn't believe me, he didn't want believe me so went away to look for a cure and I promised him to do my best to heal him. I knew a piece of Shabranigdo was in me and the rest is history!"
Lina hugged her friend, she wasn't able accuse her about nothing remembering as she herself had risked to destroy the world because Gourry didn't die... Gourry, after the Amelia's death was been her only light with his kindness and sweetness.
"I go to call Gourry, I know he will be happy to see you" and she ran away.
Amelia watched Xelloss that had played with the child for the entire explanation: "Lina is changed, she's aged!"
He smiled: "It's normal, five centuries are past! It's enough to age for Lina, too!"
She smiled sadly: "Yeah but it's my fault partially!"
Someone pummelled her head, she turned and saw an angry Lina Inverse: "I'm not aged! And If this was true it was my fault not yours, all right!"
She laughed, she had seen again her brave and proud friend then nodded and turned to Lina's mate that had long blond hairs and innocent blue eyes the glittered of tears: "Amelia, are really you?"
She faked astonished: "Gourry, do you remember me?!"
The touched warrior hugged her: "I can't forget you or Zel or Shilfiel or Xelloss!"
When he said the last name his visage darkened and Amelia asked herself if the mazoku had done something of bad after her death but before she was able to do question his face lightened: "I'm so happy, you're come back!"
Amelia looked them: "You are the best friend of this world! Do you know where is Zel?"
Lina smiled, she suspected this question: "Yes, we know but we'll do better than give the directions, we'll come with you!"
"But what will you do with your child?"
"I'll ask to Luna to take her for a little, it's not the first time in these centuries!"
Then Lina turned to her daughter that was playing with Xelloss again: "Come here, Mel!"
The child obeyed and hugged the mother: "What did you play with him?"
Mel laughed: "Sore wa himitsu des!"
Lina fixed very raged Xelloss: "Go to Aunt Luna, I must leave for a little with Amelia, say that to her"
"Ok!" the child ran away and she headlocked the mazoku: "How have you dared teaching that line to my child?"
He gasped: "It seemed funny!"
She screeched: "FUNNY! I give you FUNNY!" SBONK, SBONK, SBONK, then she let him go: "Give us a second, we change and we're here!"
When they entered at home Amelia laughed: "Maybe she's not changed so much!"
He laughed: "Itai! Maybe not!"
When they came back, Lina and Gourry had their usually outfit and seemed ready to leave.
The travel towards Fysian was without incidents. Some bandits but anything of more dangerous. Amelia suspected that part of this calm depended from Xelloss that had ever his smiling mask but she felt a growing tension in him and she found surprising the behaviour of her friends. They were as usual with her but they seemed afraid of Xelloss. It wasn't a notable thing and she wouldn't note in another person but see Lina be careful with another person and not bossy him was... strange. It was pointless speaking to Lina about this so an evening Amelia asked to Xelloss while they were alone. She seemed don't have need ever to sleep from when Shabranigdo wake her up.
Her question was sharp: "Xelloss, what did you do to Lina?"
He tilted his head and smiled slightly: "What do you mean?"
"Lina seems afraid of you and I want know the cause!"
His smile deepened: "Sore wa himitsu des!"
"No, Xelloss, not this time! Why have you again the demon blood talismans? What's happened? Stop with the secret!"
He stopped to smile, his open eyes fixed on her: "She killed you, I can't forgive her for this and I don't want. I didn't killed them only because I knew you would have suffered!" then he phased in front of the girl and kissed her with every ounce of passion he had in him in the centuries. Amelia was frozen then her eyes were full of tears and hugged the mazoku but her lips answered with tenderness and affection but not love and when they divided: "I'm sorry Xel, I did suffer you too. I didn't know your feeling or I wouldn't have asked your help. Will you be able ever forgive me?"
And for the first time from centuries, the general-priest Xelloss Metallium cried. He sobbed much time under the Amelia's arms as a helpless child while the confused girl tried to comfort him astonished from his revelations. When he finished he stood up as he never wept: "Amelia, can you keep secret this crying jag, I had a honour to defend?"
She smiled: "What crying jag?"
He hugged her: "You're truly a friend even though I would prefer if you was something more!"
She returned the hug but said nothing. What was she able to say?
They arrived to a little well kept home and Amelia asked with a pleased astonishment: "Is this the Zel's home?"
Lina with a strange tone: "No, this is the home of his parents...!" then she knocked to the door and a young sombre man opened the door: "Ah, Lina!"
Lina put on a cheerful mode: "Hi Zel, How are you?"
Amelia fixed shocked Zel: "Zelgadiss!"
The man saw the girl and went in, closing the door. Out they heard someone crying, The ex-princess unlocked the door with a spell and entered... The house was bad-kept in and in disorder, the only feature in the room that seemed new was a statue of Amelia with her white outfit, Zel was drinking for a bottle. Amelia observed the scene raged and pained, took the bottle and broke it.
Zel pouted: "You're a annoying ghost, go away!"
She almost smiled: "I'm not a ghost, it's really me, I'm sorry, I've did the greatest error in my life but I wanted only help you!"
He sobbed: "It's only my fault! It's only my fault! If I were remained at Saylun she wouldn't be ever dead! I'm sorry, go away! Go away, now!"
She hugged him: "I'm come back, Zel! I'm not dead anymore!"
His eyed popped open and he clung to her: "Are really you?"
She nodded, her heart was too much full to speak...
His eyes were uncertain: "Are you not going to go away?"
She shook her head: "Can you forgive me?"
Zel: "When Shabranigdo appeared and challenged us, I went to fight him only because I wanted you were sure!"
Amelia wept softly under his arms: "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I wanted only help you... to come back human seemed the most important goal for you and I knew only Red-eye was able to help you...!"
His eyes became softly: "I forgive you if you promise you will do never anymore an action as this!"
She smiled: "I promise!"
"Well, we go out, I want fresh air for the first time in centuries but before, I love you!"
Amelia looked surprised then smiled: "Let's go out!" and went to the other letting Zel to ask because she hadn't answered.
When they were together, Zel asked: "Amelia, how are you come back?"
Some things wouldn't be ever changed, Zel was the first to do this question: "Shabby waked me up!"
The other seemed upset to the notice: "Why?"
And she lied for the first time in her life: "I don't know!"
She suspected the cause was a mazoku that cried as a human being but that was a secret.
Then she turned to Lina: "Where do we go?"
Lina had a huge smile on the face: "I've ever heard of an ancient laboratory belonged to a powerful
Sorcerer and I thought to control it but before I want eat!"
The other laughed and looked for an inn.
Amelia was the last to enter We are all changed, grown. I've committed errors and they paid for that but I've learnt: I sacrificed myself to give to Zel what he wants but I removed more than I gave. I've now a second possibility against every hope and I don't do the error of the past! I didn't answer to Zel because I don't know anymore about that and I'm afraid to create pain for someone!
Lina went out a second: "If you want eat, it's better if you come in!"
She ran in: "I arrive, Lina!"