Amelia was depressed. Fillia was dating, and no matter what Lina said, Amelia suspected that Lina and Gourry were a couple. Everyone had someone, except her. She sighed. Zelgadiss-san was always gone and when he was around he seemed to ignore her completely.
How could she win him, if she could never get his attention?
"If this keeps up, I'm going to be an old maid at Lina's wedding," she whined.
Amelia sat quietly at her box seat.
"Ah, the opera," she sighed, "something to keep me distracted."
"Oi, Amelia, when do they sell the hot dogs?" piped her blond companion.
"Gourry," the red haired sorceress cried, getting a lot of glares from the other box seat occupants, "they don't sell hot dogs at the opera, yogurt brain."
"Oh," he responded, then stopped to think a moment, "why are we here?"
"Ahhhh," the sorceress screamed, "we are here because Amelia invited us, because she's feeling depressed about Zelgadiss ignoring her and she didn't want to go to the opera alone. We're her good friends, who will go to hell and back for her. That is why we're here." She paused, getting starry eyed, "Besides, I could always meet a handsome, rich prince, who'll fall madly in love with me."
"Oh, why would he want to do that? There are so many other larger breasted princesses to fall for?"
Amelia grimaced at the eminent Gourry beating that erupted in her box. "Lina-san," Amelia muttered, "please don't yell so much, you're attracting attention. Oh, and opera is not hell."
"O.K., O.K., but it's a close second," the sorceress responded, calmly sitting down next to the near corpse.
The opera was going beautifully. Amelia was actually surprised that Lina and Gourry were so well behaved. She leaned over to Lina.
"Isn't it beautiful?" she sighed, looking through her opera glasses.
"Yea, yea, yea, real exciting," was the droll response, "hey, Gourry, what do you think."
The blonde jerked awake, "Oh, it's ok," then he bolted up, looking across the room to another set of boxed seats. "Hey, there's Zelgadiss. HEY, ZELGADISS!"
Suddenly, the sorceress and princess dog piled him.
"Shhhh," Lina hissed, "don't attract his attention."
Amelia got up to look across the room through her opera glasses. "Oh, he's with someone!"
"Give me that," ordered Lina.
"Lina-san!" Amelia whined as the opera glasses were snatched out of her hands.
"Oh, he's with some blonde woman."
"What!" Amelia shrieked, "Give me that!"
A small scuffle erupted in the box, which resulted in a lot of high culture people shushing them.
"Shush yourself," threatened Lina with a fireball.
The shushers decided to move farther away from these lunatics.
Lina won the battle for the glasses and nearly squealed, "Ah-ha, Zel is dating Fillia. I had my suspicions, but I didn't believe it."
Amelia stood there, shocked.
"Zel and Fillia are dating?" came a male, tenor voice.
The group turned around to see Xelloss floating behind them.
"They can't date each other," he pouted, "they're mine!"
"NANI?!"
"O.K.," he said as if giving into some argument, "one of them is mine, you can have the other."
"ECCHI!"
Suddenly, the occupants in the neighboring box seats decided they needed to move to the farthest corners of their boxes. Away from the red head and brunette, who were now pummeling the violet haired man with their opera seats.
Later on, after the delightful pummeling he'd received. Xelloss sat hovering in the air, behind the five occupants of the opera box.
Zelgadiss and Fillia couldn't help but notice the fact they'd been spotted, with all the commotion that the Lina and Amelia were making. So, they had decided on saving the rest of the opera by sitting with the others.
Xelloss, unnoticed by the others, glared at Zel and Fillia nuzzling against each other, before he phased out of the opera house and into his Master's den. He paced in front of the sofa that Xellas was draped over, blowing out smoke from her cigarettes.
"THEY CAN'T BE TOGETHER."
His master snorted, blowing smoke out her nose, "Well, then do something about it."
"Good idea!"
Fillia and Zelgadiss sat calmly at the table drinking their tea and listened to their friends babble around them. This was the reason that they had wanted to date in private. They knew that the rest would get it into their heads to pry into their private lives.
"So, Zelgadiss, how serious is this?" Lina suddenly said. Then grinning evilly, "Are you planning to get married?"
Zelgadiss sputtered and blushed, as he noticed everyone staring at him, including Fillia.
"Well...I...I guess..." he fiddled with his fingers nervously, and looked up to see Fillia looking at him intently. Her wide eyes sparkled as they stared at him, twisting her own fingers nervously.
"Yes," Zelgadiss sighed. "I was going to propose, but in a much more appropriate setting. Thanks!" He glared at Lina, annoyed that she hadn't stayed out of it.
"Oh, Zelgadiss" Fillia squealed, her eyes brimming with tears, "I will, I will marry you, but... " lifting a finger for emphasis, "I want you to look for that romantic setting and surprise me with a proper proposal."
"But, Fillia, why do you..."
"Because, I've always dreamed of having that romantic, traditional proposal and therefore, I won't give my final answer until you give me a romantic proposal. One that you surprise me with."
"Very well." Zelgadiss sighed.
Fillia sighed. Zelgadiss had continued to take her on long romantic dates. However, he hadn't proposed once. Fillia was lying in bed, just after they'd returned from a ferry ride.
She sighed. It had been another romantic night. The moon was out and Zelgadiss had looked so handsome. But, he hadn't asked the question. She was starting to wonder if he'd changed his mind about the marriage.
"No, I can't think that way. Zel will propose to me. I can't believe he'd change his mind and continue to date me."
She lay a little longer, trying to go to sleep, but just couldn't. She rolled over to look out the window and noticed the figure sitting on the windowsill.
She almost screamed, lifting her mace, before realizing that it was Zelgadiss. She quickly darted out of bed and to the window, ignoring the fact she was still in her nightgown.
"What are you doing, baka?" she scolded playfully, "you nearly had a mace thrown at you."
"Sorry, I just come up here to check on you."
Fillia blinked her eyes, "Does that mean this is a one time thing or that you make a habit of peaking in on me?"
Zel blushed, "Well, I don't need as much sleep as everyone else. So... I come and check on you."
"Oh," Fillia gushed, "that's so sweet."
She quickly pulled herself out onto the sill to snuggle up to Zel. She giggled. He was so surprisingly warm and comfortable. Still giggling, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the warm night. The moon was shining and a warm breeze ran gently through her hair.
She sat there awhile feeling completely relaxed. She didn't even open her eyes as she felt Zelgadiss shift under her.
"Fillia?"
She sighed, listening to him say her name. She slowly opened her eyes, and found herself staring at a beautiful blue sapphire, set in a silver band.
"Ooooo, Zelgadiss."
Zelgadiss took her hand, "Fillia Ul Copt, will you marry me?"
Fillia clapped her hands, tears running down her cheeks, "Oh yes. I will"
She held her breath as he slipped the ring onto her finger. She looked at the ring. It was beautiful....
"It's just like your eyes," she breathed.
Zelgadiss looked at her, startled, then blushed. "I got it, because it reminded me of your eyes."
Zelgadiss smiled, pulling her to him and gently kissed her. He ran his hands across her back, and she moaned happily.
"Oh Zel, it would be nice to stay here forev..."
CRACK...suddenly their bodies hurtled to the ground as the windowsill gave way.
"Itai!" Fillia gasped as she sat up, but then started laughing. Zelgadiss did look funny hanging from a tree.
SNAP.... he came tumbling down. He landed on his rump, where he sat glaring at the dragon maiden. However, after a while, he couldn't help but join in.
They both got up, still laughing. They didn't notice the figure still floating under the windowsill they'd just fallen from. The figure watched them go, anger and jealousy in his eyes, before he phased away.