Disclaimer – It's the truth, it's actual! Zip- a- Dee- Doo Daa- I Don't own a thing!

A/N – This has references to my previous story PttF, but you don't need to know anything about it to enjoy this story! I hope that if you read PttF and enjoyed it, this story doesn't let you down!

Also, I'm still working on PttF, so this won't be updated much until after it's completed.

Chapter 1 – Something Stirs

Filia watched as the locals helped her bring in the last of her boxes with a mild glare. Now that vases have gone out of fashion, she had needed to find a more suitable source of income if she wanted to continue to live along with the mortals of this world. Her shop, Vases and Maces had been struggling for the past couple of years and sadly, Filia knew a lost cause when she saw one. This had happened to her many times before, but she couldn't help wanting to have a bit of normalcy in her life.

So she had decided it was time for a change. The people of her last town she lived in had known her for many years and their parents and grandparents too. Even though the humans knew she was Dragon, they began to get hesitant and petty over the years by her lack of aging and other Dragon like qualities. So a couple weeks ago she began to move to Astoria of the kingdom of Dils, and the locals are all in a tizzy about the Dragon who is now a new resident and have all come to meet her.

It was always the same, Filia sighed. The humans found something new and shiny, so they ogle and stare at it till they have their fill then toss it aside like it was nothing. Filia never tried to hide that she was a Dragon, for she didn't want to deceive the town's people. So when she moved, she didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable.

But when she did arrive, the locals wanted to give her a warm welcoming and help her settle in. Even thought they were weaker then she was, the men insisted to help her carry her belongings inside, as she stepped inside her new dwelling to examine its layout.

The previous town she had lived in was a small village along the banks of the Demon Sea. She had lived there for over a century and she had grown quite fond of living by the sea. Now the town she was about to attempt to make her new home was a much larger city. Her home was near the very heart of the city and made her feel rather exposed, but it was the closest home she could find to the university Val had been studying at, and since it shortened his commute time, she agreed to make the move, and find a new home.

Her house was larger than the previous one she lived in, and was located right beside a large structure that had four large bells that rang at high noon every day. The house itself was spacious and had large windows that let in mass amounts of sunlight into the kitchen. She was going to have to lock those up later, she thought as she looked over them. This city wasn't known for its high crime rates, but she didn't want to chance it.

In the main room there were three perfectly straight floating shelves above the fire place that drew her attention. After thanking the locals who helped her with her boxes and sent them on their way, she located the box labeled 'decorations' and opened it up.

One by one she began to place her photographs on the shelves and admired the look they gave off. She had pictures of back when Lina Inverse was still alive, along with her friends, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis and others. Wedding pictures and family photos filled up her wall as she smiled down at the imprinted images of her long gone friends.

Then there were the photos of her old friends, Jillias and Gravos. They were with her when she started up her first shop and they helped her out around the house and tending to Val when he was still only an egg. Jillias eventually married and started a family of his own and Gravos left as well. Once they were gone, it was just Val and herself.

She smiled down at the pictures that took place almost three centuries ago and thought about how much had changed since the pictures were taken. Since the monster barrier was lifted with the death of Hellmaster, magic began to spread out around the world, and slowly began to diminish. Magic wasn't as common in the world as it once had been, with Jillias machinery rapidly taking its place.

But some things stayed the same, for instance men. They were always trying to impress her, to her dismay. She had had a wide range of men who tried to pursue her as she lived among the humans. The youngest being a twelve year old boy, and the oldest being an eighty-eight year old man.

She giggled to herself as she remembered the distant memory. Since Val was still at the university and wouldn't be home till much later that evening, Filia spent the rest of her day unpacking the boxes, and tidying up the house.

Val had grown to be such an intelligent young man, always curious and in pursuit of limitless information, and Filia was very proud of him. As a young boy, he was always real quick, and she believed his brain was more advance then even the Golden Dragons. For years he would travel to different institutions to learn as much as they had to offer, and when he could learn no more, he would move on to the next school.

Of course most schools were proud to teach a Dragon, they sometimes felt antsy due to his vast knowledge. But Val always got accepted to every school he wanted to enter and Filia always gave her full support, even if the tuition at times seemed to be overwhelming.

Filia smiled as she walked out to the back of her home and viewed the large greenhouse that was connected to it. Now that vases were out of fashion, she could sell them along with flower arrangements. And it would make a stable enough income.

Yes, nothing was ever too much for her Val, Filia thought then grimaced. Of course some things weren't good enough too.

Val had been attending his current school for almost a year, and an education wasn't the only thing he gained from this particular school. For in fact, Val had obtained his first girlfriend, a human girl. Filia really didn't approve since he would far out live her, but Val seemed to really like her, since he spent all of his time with her, and Filia, thought she would deny it, was heavily jealous. He was her baby after all.

Filia let out a frustrated sigh, as she tried to release her mind from such unpleasant thoughts, as she tried to turn her attention on a more productive past time, like taking care of the mountain of boxes that laid before her.

It wasn't that Filia was a hoarder, it's just than when one lives as long as a Dragon, it's quite possible to maintain a certain amount of...stuff.

Trying to keep a positive view on the situation, she quietly began her work alone, knowing it would take up the whole day. Though she never complained out loud, she did began to wonder in her mind if it would always be like this. Not that she blamed Val for not being home, she understood he was at school, but still it felt like something was missing.

Then again she could have just not be in the mood to do all the work.

Filia spent the whole afternoon removing things from boxes, and placing them all around her new home. In the evening, she finally unpacked the last box, and could finally start cleaning everything down. This was the time Val arrived home from school.

"Hey mom, I'm home!" Her son called as he entered the house.

"I'm in here!" Filia shouted from the kitchen. Val followed the voice and walked in to see his mother standing on top of the counter, placing decorations on top. Shaking his head he crossed his arms and looked up at her with a smug look.

"Mom?" He asked with a smirk spreading across his face.

"What is it hun?" she asked not looking down at him.

"You have dirt all over the back of your dress." He snickered as he pointed to the back of her pink attire.

Filia whipped her head around to view the filth in question and glared at it. Val grinned as he watched her attempt to brush off some of the dust attracted to the fabric of her dress. He could tell she had been working all day.

"Are you about done? I was hoping we could eat something, I'm famished." Val pointed out.

"Oh dinner! I completely forgot!" Filia shouted in annoyance as she prepared to hop down from the counter before Val walked over and helped her.

"Nah, you have been busy all day, I'll take care of it." Val said as he led her to a chair. "How bout I cook and you keep me company?" He asked politely, though it was not a question.

"Oh, alright." Huffed Filia, who was disappointed that she neglected dinner preparations. She made herself a cup of tea then sat down. While she sat, she pulled her hair in to a messy bun to keep it from hanging in her face. She had cut her hair ten years ago, and it still hadn't reached past her back. Dragon's hair grew slower than humans did, so she would let it grow till it was too long to manage, then cut it to her shoulders and repeated the process.

As she thought about her hair she looked up at her sons teal mane. His now longer than hers, growing faster than hers, and more and more each day. Today he had it placed in a small ponytail to the side as he prepared food. She had asked him if she could cut it, but he claimed his girlfriend like it long, which made her want to cut it more.

But she couldn't deny that her son was very handsome with his long teal hair, and sharp golden eyes. He did grow up to be a very beautiful man she doted. Beautiful, kind, and smart. All the qualities that everyman should have, she sighed. Of course it would have only been a matter of time before he found a girl that liked him, and would eventually like her back, she crossed her arms stubbornly.

His girlfriend was a very kind and charming young lady, and even if it made Filia upset that Val had a girlfriend, she couldn't help to accept that she was a good girl. She wasn't even to sure why it bothered so much, but she was aware of her irrational feelings over the situation.

"Hey mom." Val spoke up as he prepared food for their dinner, "I was wondering something, but I didn't want to upset you." He began hesitantly.

Filia sighed. She figured it wasn't going to take him long to pick up on her brooding over his new relationship and want to talk it out. As long as he was still virtuous she could handle anything he wanted to ask, or so she wanted to believe. But she had thought a lot about what it would mean if Val ever found someone, which she DID want to happen. But it felt like it was all happening too fast. Yes he was almost three hundred years old, but in Dragon years he was still rather young.

But she trusted him, and knew he was beyond his years in wisdom, so if he were to ever wish to move on with his life, in the direction of a more conjoined direction, she would hang back and openly support his decisions. She would be able to support herself once he left, and she was stronger then all the humans so she wouldn't need to fear for protection. But it was the companionship she would miss, and that, she believe was what was the most frightening of the whole ordeal.

"Val dear, you know that you can ask or tell me anything, withholding anything from me will hurt more than if you just come out and say it." She smiled up at him encouraging him to continue, as she raised her tea cup for as sip trying to act casual about the upcoming conversation.

"Well alright." He sighed as he turned from what he was doing to look at his mother in a serious manner. "What I've been wondering, was if you know where Xellos has been all this time?" He asked her earnestly.

Filia had to hold back a choke as she sputtered on the tea she was trying to consume. That was not at all what she was expecting him to say.

"W-what?" She asked confused, placing down the tea cup either for her safety or its.

"It has been a long while since he has dropped in, about five months I believe if I remember correctly. I was hoping perhaps he talked to you, or perhaps dropped in while I was away." He said to her.

Filia had noticed the lack of the annoying monster that no longer made recurring visits to their home, but didn't really dwell on it. It wasn't like it was a BAD thing she would tell herself. He probably got bored with her and found a new toy to annoy and terrorize. She sighed at the thought, she could only hope so.

"He hasn't been around at all." Filia told him, "I haven't seen him either."

Val looked at her with a displeased look, which caused Filia to feel slightly guilty. Ever since Val was young, he was attached to him. Not that she could really find a solid reason he shouldn't have been. It was true that he was always downright awful to her, but Xellos was always kind to Val. Even if she didn't feel comfortable with the two forming a bond, she never saw Xellos try to manipulate Val or mislead him.

So it didn't strike her odd that her son had noticed the long absences of their tricky friend.

"I'm sure he is busy ruining people's lives or doing evil things." Filia said spitefully.

"It could be." Val agreed with her, "But you have to admit it's strange. Xellos has never gone this long without dropping in to visit. You don't think that anything could have happened to him?" He asked in a serious tone that almost made Filia hold her breath. Val was really worried about this.

"That is ridiculous Val. Nothing would happen to Xellos, he is to annoying to get in to any real trouble." She pointed out. Val didn't seem to agree, but he looked like he decided to drop the conversation as he turned around to continue cooking.

Filia frowned at his disappointment, not knowing what else to say. True, it was strange that Xellos hadn't stopped in for 'dinner' in a long while, but she just suspected he was involved with something she didn't want to know about. He could keep his secrets for all she cared, it wasn't like he needed to tell her what was going on or where he had been.

"Mom, there is something else I wanted to talk to you about." Val said as he kept his back to her while working on his food. "The elders at school have been whispering, and I've over heard some troubling things." He said in a low voice that made Filia's heart skip.

"What have you heard Val?"

"Well- there had been a vast amount of kidnappings around the world, though they don't know if it's connected or not seeing as it is humans and dragons alike." He said as he began to stir what was in front of him.

"Dragons have been kidnapped?"

"Yeah, that's what I've heard." Val confirmed. "A clan of Dragons to the west of Lascance claimed that five of their Dragons were captured while returning home from hunting."

"Five Dragons captured!" Filia shouted in disbelieve.

"And that isn't all of it. The abducted rate of humans around has increased to a high number in the last three months. They say that over a hundred humans have gone missing from the city of Sairaag alone."

Filia leaned back in her chair as she thought over the information Val had given her. Something that large couldn't be a coincidence. And if the Dragons were involved that only meant one thing, the monsters were planning something.

Now Filia knew better then to just accuse the Monsters, but it would be a really hard feat for humans to kidnap one Dragon, let alone five. The monsters have seemed to be rather quiet lately, Filia thought, and she didn't think that just because Xellos had been absent for so long.

"What do you think is happening Val?" Filia asked her son in a calm voice to hide the fear that was escaping from her body against her will. Val appeared to have finished what he was preparing and left it on the stove to simmer. He poured a cup of tea for himself, which was odd to Filia since he didn't drink tea that often, and took a seat in front of her.

"Right now, I can only make guesses of what could be going on, but what I do know is that I think that all these abductions are connected in some way. Someone is targeting the Dragon and Human race and is slowly taking down their numbers. No signs of bodies have been found so I believe that they are all being kept alive. Most of the humans that were captured were talented in the field of sorcery, and the Dragons of course are no weaklings. Someone, or a group of someone has been collecting strong beings, but the questions are who, and what for." He spoke silently then took a sip of his tea.

"This brings me back to my original question, about Xellos." He said as he placed the tea cup down.

"What, do you think Xellos is behind this?" Filia asked looking at her son with a quizzical expression.

"Of course not." Val shook his head annoyed looking at her with his hard golden eyes looking older than he was, filled with worry and fear.

"Y- You don't think that Xellos was kidnapped as well?" Filia asked, half wanting to laugh, half wanting to comfort her hurt son. Even if the facts pointed to the possibility that that could be the reason Filia still had all her kitchen ware intact, she just couldn't see Xellos ever being abducted.

"It could be a possibility mom."

Filia wanted to quickly push the thoughts out of his head and clear his senses, but she couldn't. Over all the years she had known Xellos, he had never gone so long without dropping in to bother her. It wasn't that she looked forward to his visits, it was just something that became normal in her life. The longest he had ever gone without visiting was two months. That was when he was on a mission for Beastmaster, and then he just showed up again like nothing had changed.

It wasn't that it made her upset that he wasn't there, she thought to herself, if anything it just seemed suspicious. Xellos was the only acquaints she had left that shared memories of Lina and everyone, and once in a while she enjoyed talking about her old friends, and when he wasn't being a complete Monster, he was actually someone she found she could have a relatively good conversation with.

Of course until he would make an improper comment or make an unwanted pass at her, she frowned.

Over the years, his comments about her being a Dragon and an unwed mother grew old and he began to find different ways to provoke her anger, one being that of her virtue. He would constantly tease her about Val growing up and having to go to him for advice since he was more 'experienced' then Filia would ever be, since he believed that she had decided to choose to live a celibate life even though she chose to abandon her temple. Not that she found that any of his business, she denied his claims. It wasn't that she didn't want to find love, it was just she never could find a compatible partner. He just claimed her to have to high standards and that she was destined to live alone.

Of course his teasing had gotten worse when Val had begun dating almost a year ago.

"Val, I'm sure Xellos will just suddenly appear one day like nothing happened." Filia sighed as she picked up her tea cup again and took a deep drink.

"Maybe." He said quietly, not at all convinced. "But mom in the meantime, I want you to be more careful, if Dragons are being captured, I don't feel very comfortable leaving you alone here in this new house all by yourself." He stared at her.

"Don't worry about me hunny, I have Mace-sama with me at all times." She grinned at him then smiled warmly. "Thank you though." She placed her hand on top of his. "I will be fine."

Val gave her a warm smile in return then rose to stir the food on the stove, leaving her at the table to her thoughts.

Since they have purchased their house a few weeks back, they had been coming back and forth between homes, moving all their belongings and furniture. Finally today, they had the last of their things and were now officially moved in.

Filia felt very accomplished that all the moving was now complete, and now she could focus on starting up her new Flower shop. All the vases had survived the move, which she was very thankful for, and now she just had to go through which ones she felt would be more suited for flowers. She had a lot of work to do, with getting the flowers and helping them grow. If she calculated correctly, she would be able to open by the end of the month.

After everything was all in place and boxes were busted down she went to her room to get some well needed rest. After she washed up she changed out of her dirty pink dress into a soft, blue nightgown. Then she pulled the covers back on the bed and grabbed her current novel she was in the middle of.

After about fifteen minutes of reading there was a soft tap on her door. It took her by surprise as her heart leaped out of her chest as she looked up at the door with hope.

"Yes?"

The door opened and Val looked in on her as she laid in her bed. "Hey mom?" He asked from her doorway.

"Yes dear what is it?" She asked trying to keep her voice calm feeling silly for overreacting.

"Well there was one other thing I wanted to say to you." He said sounding rather hesitant.

"What's that sweetheart?" Filia asked him as she tucked her hair behind her ears.

"Well, I was hoping you would agree to allow Daé to come over tomorrow, you know, to meet you?" Val asked her.

Filia tried to control her tail from popping out, which she had mastered many years ago, but on the small occasion it would be out of her control. This time she seemed to keep in check as she smiled back at him.

"Have you been over to meet her parents already?" She asked him trying to keep her cool.

"Nah, she only lives with her dad, and he is the really strict type. She wasn't even allowed to date me for a while. I figured it was because I was a Dragon, but apparently she didn't tell him I was. He didn't agree until she told him the whole truth." Val explained.

Filia grimaced as he told her this. She wasn't aware of any of that and it made her slightly anger that someone would ever forbid her son from dating their daughter.

"So he approves, as long as she doesn't bring you home?" Filia asked curious about her son's relationship.

"Yeah, as long as her grades don't go down and of course we only meet at school it's fine." Val shrugged. "We spend most of our time in the library studying anyway, but I asked her if she would ask her dad if it was ok for her to come over and meet you, since I thought it would be a good idea for the two of you to meet, and he agreed." He told her, as his golden eyes blinked at her.

Filia mentally groaned. Her son was just too pure and honest sometimes, which was a good thing, but it made it that much harder to say no to him.

"Of course she can come over, but just so were clear, it's just a meet and greet right? No 'special ' news you're going to deliver once you're both face to face with me right?" she pressed, explaining she couldn't handle any surprises.

"Mom, you're being silly." Val grinned. "What on earth could I have to surprise you with?"

Filia crossed her arms, and didn't hold back as she tested him. "I'm not ready to be a grandma."

Val's face reddened as he choked back his embarrassment. Apparently he hadn't even thought that would cross her mind, and was embarrassed by the suggestion. Filia found a sick motherly satisfaction by that.

"M-mom . . . That's ridiculous." He muttered. "You should know better than to say something like that."

"Well I just have to make sure." She teased, as she stuck her tongue out at her son satisfied by his reaction.

"Yeah well, don't ok." He mumbled. "By the way, Daé wants to cook tomorrow so don't prepare anything. I figured you would have wanted to have the house all in order before I suggested to bring her over." He said as he scratched the back of his head. "She has been waiting to meet you for a while, and she is pretty excited."

Now that caused Filia to feel slightly guilty. He was right of course, she would have been upset if he would have suggested to invite someone over while her house was out of order, but the fact that the girl was excited to meet her made her feel like the evil step-mother. She didn't want to make a bad impression in front of this girl that Val actually cared about.

"I look forward to finally meeting her too." She smiled at him.

Val's expression went from meek to pure joy in an instant. Filia thought for a second that if any monster was around they would have probably been struck down by the happiness that radiated off of him at that moment.

"Thanks mom." He said as left the room, leaving her alone with her book.

The smile on her face slowly began to fall as she placed the book on to the nightstand beside her bed, no longer interested in reading. She really was happy for her son, she was. She didn't really hate the girl either. She hadn't met her, but just by the way Val acted Filia could tell she was a very nice girl. So what was really bothering her?

She looked over at the side of the bed that was empty, where the sheets were flat and untouched. Perhaps she was afraid of her son leaving her. But maybe that wasn't the whole truth of the matter.

She turned her back from the bed she was glaring at with a huff. It never did her good to get all sentimental right before bed, it caused her to have strange dreams and she wanted to get all the rest she could before tomorrow.

She turned off the light by her bed and snuggled down in to her safe warm bed, dreading the day to come. New town, new house, same life, same Filia.

Maybe she was ready for a little bit of change in her life.