The clock struck three.
Dark clouds covered the moon. A thick fog hung in the air. You could barely see your own hand in front of your face.
"BOOM!" Lightning struck lighting up the area for a moment. A cold wind whistled through the rafters. Somewhere down the street a screen door was banging against its hinges.
Zel lifted his head and saw a dark figure slowly floating toward him. The figure was shrouded in a black cloak. His face was a shadow, covered by the hood of the cloak. He carried a long staff with a red gem incased on the top.
Zel looked up at the figure and shivered.
"Figures he would look like Xellos," Zel thought.
The figure beckoned Zelgadiss with one hand silently. Zel arose tentatively and walked toward the dark spirit. Fog engulfed them both.
When the fog finally cleared, Zel found himself in dark bandit lair. A few torches lighted the area. Burly typical bandits stood around a pile of loot.
"Look what I got", a bandit sneered and procured a sack of gold. He poured the contents o f the pouch onto the ground. The gold glittered in the firelight. After a short chorus of "Ooooooh's" and "Ahhhhhhhhhh's" the bandits rummaged through the rest of their "treasure".
"Look at this!", a particular rancid bandit pulled out a handwoven blanket. Another bandit picked it up and felt it.
"This is still warm!!", he said in surprise.
"Well it's Christmas after all. I had to at least wait until the corpse turned stiff before I robbed it blind." The bandits exploded into disgusting vile laughter.
"What unfortunate person are they talking about spirit?", Zel asked. He looked up at cloak figure. He still couldn't see his face. The ghost said nothing but pointed back to the scene. Zel turned back to the bandits.
"What do we have here"? A scrawny bandit picked up a photo. He examined it briefly then threw it over his shoulder.
Zel walked over out of curiosity and picked the item up. It was a photo. Zel's heart caught in his throat and his blood froze when he realized what it was. It was a picture of himself as a child.
"Mother...... "
"After she has died all alone in this cold cottage, no one there to hold her hand and tell her its all right"
She had died all alone....
"Spirits please tell me this can be change can't it?", Zel asked desperately.
The spirit stood perfectly still. Dark fog engulfed them once more.
Zel was transported to a grave yard. The sun was just setting. Gold, orange, and red streaked the sky. A chilly wind gently blowed.
Prince Phil knelt down in the icy grass next to two identical graves. In bold letters were printed Sailoon on both. They were both grand tombstones, fit for royalty. One was new and still shined. The other was dated ten years previous and had started to wear with age. Phil's eyes were red and puffy. A young women with long dark hair stood behind him.
"Don't worry father we'll bring justice .......," the young women began.
Phil looked up at her with haunted eyes. His will, his soul was broken.
"Justice?! There is no justice in this world.", he said bitterly. He lovingly stroked the cold grave. He sat a small rose on the grave.
Zel was horrified and shocked.
"Phil said there was no justice in the world???"
"The bastards that did this to her will pay." Phil clinched his fist in anger. The young women walked up and put a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll find them father, and they'll wish they had never been born," Gracia told her father. Her expression was cold and unfeeling. The small thread that was her sanity had snapped with another of her loved ones dying.
"My beautiful, innocent little girl." Phil held his head. He bitter tears streaks that ran down his face. He looked up at Gracia ragged.
"Its all his fault.". Phil burst into tears again.
"Amelia?? Oh god... How did this happen?! Who did this!", Zel asked anger rising in his voice.
He was useless now. His will to live had died along with her. Gracia knew that.
Gracia turned around and looked at her kindom. It was her kindom now. A black cloud hung over the city. The once pristine white towers of the Sailoon palace were stained black and crumbling. The slums seemed to overrun the entire town. The people were miserable and unhappy. All because Sailoon was ruled by a heartless, uncaring ruler.
Gracia smiled cruelly. Yes, the person who did this to her sister would pay.
The world shifted again.
Gracia swung the key around her index finger playfully as she descended the steps. The utterly cruel personality had taken over, leaving the Naga persona to die in its wake.
She made it to the bottom and playfully called out.
"Zelly are you in there?"
Zel lay in a repulsive bed of filth in a cell. His face and hair were unkept. His expression was crazed.
"Zelly boy its time to play," Gracia said in a sing-song voice. She went to a nearby shelf and picked up a particular nasty looking implement. The sharp instrument of torture gleamed in the light. She strolled into the cell. Zel made no movement but just stared blankly.
"Are you cold Zel, are you scared?", she asked mock sweetly. He shook slightly but made no other outward sign.
"I bet my sister was scared. I bet her heart beat furiously." Gracia put a hand to Zel's chest.
"............Especially when you ripped it out". Gracia violently slashed Zel with the instrument drawing blood.
"Oh does it hurt Zel?? I bet it hurt your friends more after the resurrected Shabranigdo killed them." Gracia kicked Zel in the head. He fell to the side but made no move to get up.
"You just had to have your cure didn't you?" Gracia grabbed Zel by the hair, his normal human hair, and slowly cut a line down his soft skin.
"All your friends died fighting the resurrected demon king, yet you still live?? How's that for justice??" Gracia slammed Zel's head to the floor. Blood spurted out his nose.
Zel crawled up into a little ball. Gracia pulled back to deliver the final blow and stopped. "No... I'm not done playing with you yet." She dropped his limp body on the floor and existed the cell.
"Till tomorrow,... zelly boy."
The scene faded into oblivion.
Zel fell to his knees gasping. He was back in the cemetery. The dark star-less sky cast no light on his suroundings. There was an open grave behind him. It was dark and ice covered the ground. Zel clinched his frost bitten fingers.
"The horrible horrible future...", he thought.
He looked up at the ghost of Christmas future.
"Please spirit, tell me that these things can be changed," he asked desperately. The spirit didn't reply and stood perfectly still.
"Spirit PLEASE! Are these the things that must be or are these the things that might be but can be changed!".
The spirit still stood still. He made no sound.
"DAMMIT ANSWER ME!" Zel grabbed the ghost of Christmas present by the collar.
The ghost slowly brought one finger to his face.
"Sore wa........
The ghost pulled back his hood. The finger under the hood was really Zelgadiss himself, not Xellos. His pupils were slitted.
"Himitsu desu".....
The dark spirit grabbed Zel by the collar and with inhuman strength thrust him into the open grave.
The lid closed.
"NO ! LET ME OUT!!!!!"
The dark spirit started to shovel dirt on the coffin.
"I''LL CHANGE PLEASE! GIVE ME A CHANGE TO CHANGE!!!"
Zel heard his own voice cackling manically as more dirt was shoveled on the coffin.
"WHY SHOW ME THIS IF I'M NOT GIVEN A CHANCE TO CHANGE!!"
More dirt was shoved on the coffin and Zel felt the air in the coffin start to get thinner.
"I'LL CHANGE! I'LL REVERE CHRISTMAS AND EVERYTHING IT STANDS FOR!" Zel beat at the top of the coffin.
"I'LL APPRECIATE WHAT I HAVE AND MAKE THE MOST OF MY LIFE! I WON'T WASTE MY TIME ANYMORE!"
Zel kept beating at the coffin. He had never been more afraid in his entire life.
"PLEASE!.....
"Please!......... Zel started to black out from the lack of oxygen.
"please.......
In the corner of his mind he could have sworn he heard the souls of the dammed crying out in torture. Zel's world faded to oblivion.