A figure cloaked in ivory walks down a deserted road in the night. At first glance it would seem like the figure was drunk, but he wasn't. Zelgadis' body walked forward down the road as if in a trance. He soon came to a tree and sat down underneath it. 'I wonder if dear Zelly is ready to talk,' Veliscar mused as he smiled evilly. In that same instant there was a flash of light and the body went totally limp against the tree.

Zelgadis was stuck in the astral plane again. He had been too weak to hold the demon at bay, and was to weak to protect Lina from him. He hadn't seen or heard what occurred this time, 'He's getting better at this,' Zel mused as he tried to find out what was going on. Had just slumped down right where he stood and when into a trace like state. He stayed this way for a while, silently berating himself for being so weak. He rushed to his feet as a portal opened up, and he took off towards it. Right as he was about to enter a clawed hand shot out and flung him away. "It's not that easy Zel my boy," Veliscar said as he entered the plane.

"What do you want, you....you monster," Zelgadis shouted at the demon half of him.

"Now Zel, that's no way to treat yourself, now is it," Velsicar asked rhetorically with and evil grin on his face.

"What are you talking about, I'm not you," Zel argued back.

"But, you are. You, Melkin, and I are all one and you know it. We all make up the same person, and if you call one a monster you call all of us a monster," Veliscar replied.

Zelgadis backed away slightly under the shock of the truth that Velsicar had just stated. He placed his head in his hands and began to shake, "It's....It's......It's true isn't? I.....I...I am a monster."

Velsicar glided over to the young man with the grace only a angel or a seducer could possess. He placed a hand on Zel's shoulder and whispered into his ear, "You now understand. It doesn't have to be this way though. Cooperate with me and I will make sure that all the things you want will come true."

Zel jerked away from Velsicar, and still shaking said, "I can't trust you.....your.....your evil. All you want to do is harm the ones I have come to call friends."

Velsicar smiled and retorted, "Are they really your friends? Or do they just keep you around for amusement? You don't really know do you?"

Zel gritted his teeth and shouted, "That's not true! At the least Lina sees me as a friend!"

Velsicar let off a wicked cackle that carried across the vast nothingness of the plane. He turned to Zel and said, "You are a fool. Lina is one of them that can stand you the least. She thinks your a monster and could care less."

Zel's resolve, though still holding, was beginning to crack. 'How...how...how can that be. Lina was the one who always said I wasn't a monster. He has to be lying!!' Zel charged forward and grabbed Velsicar by the neck and hauled him up into the air. "You lying bastard!! Lina would never say that, and you are not going to trick me into helping you."

Velsicar was caught off-guard by the raw physical strength that Zel possessed. He brought up his hands to Zel's and began to make small lacerations with his claws. After about the fifth laceration Zel dropped Velsicar and grabbed his hands. Velsicar frowned at the young man and said, "Zel that hurt. You mean to tell me you trust them more than a part of yourself? Please Zel, I'm your friend, I will always be here, here to help you," Velsicar laid his hand back on Zel's shoulder as he continued his mental battle.

"No, that can't be true, Lina's not like that," Zel said shakily as his resolve came under attack again.

"But, she is. Let me show you what she said when I was in control. What she said and did while I was trying to help you," Velsicar said in a almost loving tone.

Velsicar waved his hands, and unknown to Zel, produced secretly a tarot card in his hand. "Sun reversed," he whispered as a vision began to take shape.

Zel watched and soon realized the vision was what his mind saw, and that it was from his point of view. He saw his body turned towards, and stealth fully sneak behind Lina. He watched as he wrapped his arms around Lina just to have her go stiff as a board. "What are you doing Zel," she asked.

"I just wanted to tell you that I loved you," Zel heard his voice come into the vision.

"You....you love me.....," Lina somewhat chuckled and then threw back her head in a evil cackle.

Zel watched on in horror as Lina turned to face him, and still laughing said, "Such a poor creature you are. To think that someone like me could ever even think of loving a monster, no a creature like you."

Velsicar stopped the vision when he saw that Zel was about to his breaking point. He turned and said, "Now do you believe me?" Zel shakily turned towards Velsicar and said, "How do I know you didn't just make that up? How do I know your just doing this to weaken me?"

"Now Zel why would I do that? Like I said we are all one and by instinct that one will divert from pain if given the chance," Velsicar replied a sincere tone of voice.

"That is true, but you just want me to believe you so you can gain full control of the body," Zel said while regaining some of his composure.

"That's what I love about you Zel. You can seems to hold your emotion no matter what," Velsicar replied as he appeared behind Zel and wrapped his arms around his waist.

Zel tensed as Velsicar embraced him from behind. He tried to free himself tried to get away, but it was no use, the demon held on. Zel attempted to elbow Velsicar just to find that he couldn't move. Something was holding him in place, something he couldn't see. "What are you doing you sick, twisted bastard?!"

Velsicar smiled and whispered, "Wheel of Fortune."

"Now look here you......," Zel stopped in shock as he looked back into red ruby eyes.

"Now Zel is that anyway to talk to me," asked Lina as she tightened her embrace on him.

Zel, finally regained his strength, and pushed away from what he saw as Lina. "No, your not real, its just him playing with my mind."

Lina walked seductively towards Zel, her walk fully accentuating her body, and said, "Zel, I'm as real as anything else. I am here and I want to be with you."

Zel continued to back away as Lina came closer. He knew this couldn't be real, this just couldn't be real, Velsicar was just playing with his mind again. "St..a.....Stay away," he warned shakily.

Lina frowned at Zel and said, "What's the matter Zel? I thought you wanted this," and then she disappeared.

Zel looked around franticly, trying to find her, or predict where she would appear next. Zel soon stiffened as arms wrapped around him from behind again. He turned his head and was about to swing when he saw her face. Her expression looked like she was about to break out in tears, and that was one of the few things Zel couldn't hold against. He dropped his fist and turned to Lina, "Is that really you," Zel asked, wanting to know what was going on.

"Of course it's me Zel who else could it be," Lina asked with concern in her eyes.

"How do I know for sure? You could have found me here on the plane or it could be Velsicar trying to trick me. I'm not sure which," Zel said as he placed his head on Lina's shoulder.

Lina lightly stroked Zel's hair as he laid his head on her shoulder saying, "It's me Zel. I finally found you and I will take care of that demon if he shows up."

Zel, starting to forget the situation he was in, slowly wrapped his arms around Lina's waist. He lifted his head off her shoulder and asked, "How did you know where to find me?"

Lina huffed at him saying confidently, "Come on Zel, I'm Lina Inverse. I figured that the demon needed to trap you some where while he was in control. And, the astral plane was the best place to do that."

Zel smiled down at Lina and wiped a lock of hair away from her face. "My I guess in all the craziness I forgot who I was talking to."

Lina smiled playfully and said, "Sounds like you did, why Zel your not starting to grow old on me are you?"

Zel laughed slightly and said, "No Lina, not turning old, just slightly confused that's all."

Lina looked at Zel and placed a hand on his cheek, "What do you mean Zel? Has that demon done anything to you? If he has I will Dragon Slave his ass back from where he came!"

Zel placed his hand on Lina's and replied, "He has tried but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle," Zel replied trying to keep his cool image while Lina was so close.

Lina turned her hand so that she held Zel's hand as she looked into his eyes, "Well you don't have to worry he's gone now."

"Thanks to you," Zel said as he wrapped an arm around Lina's waist.

Lina moved closer to Zel as he put an arm around her waist. She nuzzled Zel's neck, encouraging him to pull her closer. She wrapped her arm around his neck as she continued to nuzzle, continued to get closer to Zel. She lifted her head slightly and whisper, "I love you," into Zel's ear before she began to nibble on it.

Zel stiffened and gasped in surprise when Lina began to nuzzle his neck. He pulled her closer as she continued, moaning in undreamed of pleasure as the more she did. When she whispered in his ear he felt his heart race, his senses blur, and a want for her unlike any he would ever allow to built up inside of him.

Zel ran his fingers through Lina's hair as he moved closer. He finally felt he could show his love, his kept passion for the woman he loved. Zel lower his head and whispered in her ear, "I love you too, Lina."

Lina moved her arm down to Zel's waist and backed up slightly. She looked up into Zel's eyes and saw the concern shining in them. She place her head on his chest for a second before looking back up and asking, "Would you dance with me?"

Zel looked down at her and smiled, "Of course I will." Lina and Zel positioned and began to dance slowly without a care in the world.

Lina and Zel danced around the plane, not worrying about anything other than being with each other. Zel twirled Lina out, gave her a moment, and then twirled her back into his arms. Lina looked up to him and said breathlessly, "Your a pretty good dancer Zel."

"Well, I had to learn how to. To do some things that I used to before I met you I needed to know how to dance and act," was Zel's reply.

"And what kinda things were those Zel," Lina asked somewhat teasingly.

"That's not important," Zel said lowly, "All that matters right now is this dance, not the others."

Zel gasped slightly as he felt Lina's hand move a little lower than would be considered formal. He smiled slightly at the mischievous as he began to slide a hand down her back. Zel's hand moved to where Lina's hand was on him and gave a light squeeze as he said, "Get a little more than formal are we?"

It was Lina's turn to gasp, and in her case squeak somewhat, as Zel squeezed her butt. She looked up at him and replied to his question, "Zel, your just an animal when you aren't being so distant aren't you?"

"Only for you," Zel whispered back as they continued to dance.

Soon the dance came to an end and both of them stood close looking into each other's eyes. Lina placed a arm around Zel's neck and pulled him closer to her. "You know what would make this special," she asked with a smile on her face.

Zel moved closer while cupping Lina's chin and saying, "I think I know."

The two moved closer until their lips met in a passionate kiss. They embraced each other as the kiss started. Held desperately onto each other as if they were caught in an explosion.

Zel kissed Lina with all his passion, releasing everything he held inside into the kiss. He soon ran his tongue along Lina's lips, beckoning them to open for him.

Lina moaned against Zel's lips as the kiss intensified. She opened her lips when his tongue asked and moaned again as both their tongues meet.

Zel explored Lina's mouth, partaking in the sweet nectar that lay within. He moaned as her tongue meet his and entangled somewhat with his. Zel found himself falling deeper and deeper into wanting as the kiss continued. He loved everything about her; her scent, her feel, and even her taste was more than he ever dreamed of.

Zel soon parted with Lina and opened his eyes to be greeted with a horrific surprise. There in his arms, looking seductively up at him, was Velsicar and not Lina. Zel released him quickly and attempted to punch him. He found that the same force that held him before was back and there was no use.

Velsicar licked his lips and said, "My, you are good. It's a wonder you don't already have her with a kiss like that."

Zel gritted his teeth and shouted, "You...you bastard!!! Tricking me like that, how...how could you."

"Easy Zel, you were so enthralled with her that I could easily manipulate it. But, that's not why I did it. You liked it didn't you? You liked being loved by her didn't you? I can help you get that if you cooperate with me."

Zelgadis thought for a second, All I have to do is cooperate with him and I can have Lina like that. Maybe...What are you thinking!!! He is Mazuko he is just looking to use your emotions against you!!! "I don't think so," Zel answered dangerously.

"Well, if that's how you feel," Velsicar said with a fake hurt expression, "But, if you still don't trust me then I will give you back control as a token of my trustworthiness."

Velsicar drew the death card and placed it on Zel's head. The same white light as before appeared and Zel could feel himself being pulled back into his body.

Zel's eyes shot open to see a meadow in front of him. He looked around a determined that Velsicar kept his word. He looked to the sky to see it was now early morning. He picked himself up and dusted off. He soon got his bearings and started heading back towards the town. 'I hope Lina is ok, and...that there is still a chance,' Zel prayed as he saw the town in the distance.

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