The Slayers had been travelling for days on end, and had at last reached a town. While Lina and Gourry went to find an inn, the others wandered about, exploring the town around them. Amelia promptly went to buy supplies for the continuing journey, while Taiyo and Zelgadis simply walked around, quietly enjoying the sights.

Lina had only just checked in when she heard loud shouting and crashes coming from outside. She and Gourry rushed out to see what the commotion was. Out in the town square, a large man was rushing after a girl of no more than 11, who seemed thoroughly terrified. Frowning, Lina rushed over and stood in the man's path.

"Just what the heck's going on here?" She shouted at him as he struggled to stop.

The man's face burned red. "That little brat tricked me! She came into my caf asking for food, and when it came time to pay, she just gave me a blank look and said she had no money! I demand some kind of payment, you little runt!"

The girl cowered behind Gourry, who frowned at the man.

"Hey, leave her alone;" he said firmly, "she's just a little kid. She doesn't know better."

"Yeah," Lina added, "so just settle down and we'll take care of it!"

The man's eyes narrowed, and a brow went up. "You'll pay the bill? The WHOLE thing?"

Lina sighed, not too keen on spending more money, but nodded nonetheless. She proceeded to pay him for the food the girl had taken, then turned and looked squarely at the girl, who cowered even lower.

"I'm so sorry," she murmured. "I didn't mean to cause trouble."

Gourry smiled softly at her, putting forth a friendly tone.

"Hey, it's okay. It's not your fault. Just make sure you've got a way to pay next time, alright?"

The girl nodded, though it didn't seem she had any way to do so. Her clothes, although well-kept, were fairly simple. She was far too young to be alone, yet there was no one taking responsibility for her.

Lina's brows knitted in confusion. "Hey," she said quizzically," what're you doing out here all on your own anyway? Don't you have some kind of family to take care of you?"

The girl blinked, staring blankly for a moment.

"I don't know " she finally said, looking down.

Both Lina and Gourry seemed surprised, and they exchanged glances.

Gourry frowned in confusion and dislike of the thought. "Well that's not right "

Lina stood still for what seemed like ages, looking at the child with a look that mixed surprise with awe and discomfort. She was at an utter loss, wanting to help but unsure of what to do. Frustrated, she groaned and stomped her foot, pouting a bit.

"Dang it," she fumed, "what'll we do with her, then? This town doesn't have anyplace for homeless kids, and if she doesn't have anyone with her ugh I don't know."

Gourry shrugged. "Let's just wait until everyone else turns up, then ask what they think."

"I guess that's our only choice," sighed Lina, closing her eyes in exasperation. She looked at the girl. "Come on, kid. Come with us and we'll figure something out for you." With that, she turned and marched off to the inn. Gourry followed, leading the girl in an almost brotherly way.

"Oh, the poor thing!"

Amelia was in a fit of hysterics, fretting over the girl her friends had found. She hugged her tightly, eyes brimming with sympathetic tears.

"To be so young and so alone You must be so miserable, you poor, dear, orphaned child!"

Zelgadis pryed her off.

"You're scaring her, Amelia. She doesn't know any of us, so you can't get so close."

Amelia nearly burst. "I'm sorry!" She wailed, hugging the child again. "Please forgive me!"

Zel sighed, annoyed and tired. "We should start by finding out her name "

"Fuhoko "

Everyone blinked and looked at the girl, who sat quietly in the middle of the group.

"My name is Fuhoko," she repeated calmly.

"Oh, alright." Lina said. She stood firm, trying to be authoritative but willing to help. "So, Fuhoko, where are you from and how'd you end up here all alone?"

Fuhoko gave her a blank, innocent stare.

Lina's brow furrowed. "Well?"

Fuhoko looked down, thinking. After a moment she looked up, and with the same expression as a moment before, she said plainly, "I don't remember."

Taiyo sat quietly beside her, eyes soft and friendly.

"Are you sure there's nothing you can recall from before you came here?" she asked gently. "Nothing at all?"

Fuhoko shook her head. "Nope."

Lina groaned. "Now what?" She closed her eyes, clutching her now aching head. She was completely unaware of the strange, violet-haired man who appeared rather suddenly before her, standing with his grinning face uncomfortably close to hers. When she opened her eyes, she yelped in surprise and nearly fell backward. Flailing as she regained her balance, she nearly fell on him. Once she was standing firmly on the floor again, she glared at him, temper rising. She slugged him in a highly comical manner, her face turning red. "DAMN YOU, XELLOS!"

The man called Xellos reacted naturally at first, then stood straight up and beamed at her. "Ah, it's wonderful to see you again as well, Miss Lina."

Lina rolled her eyes. "Moron " she muttered.

Xellos glanced at the rest of the group. Zelgadis glared and turned away, Amelia was as chipper as ever, and Gourry was almost blank. Xellos looked remotely fascinated when his eyes reached Taiyo and Fuhoko.

"Oh, and who are these new faces?" he said, stepping a bit closer. Taiyo made an odd face, a bit put off yet equally fascinated.

Lina crossed her arms, addressing the two girls. "This is Xellos. He's a mazoku, and he's one of the most annoying people you'll ever meet." To Xellos, she said, "The taller one is Taiyo, a new friend of ours. The girl is Fuhoko, a kid we're trying to figure out what to do with."

Xellos seemed intrigued. "A lost child..." he said softly, looking thoughtful. Then an even bigger smile than his original one formed. "Fascinating."

Fuhoko shifted uneasily in her seat, uncomfortable with his staring and the almost constant smile. Taiyo gently brushed a hair out of Fuhoko's face, smiling softly as if to reassure her.

It was then that Amelia's face lit up brighter than any star in the night sky.

"We should take her with us!" She blurted, excitement and delight oozing over each word. "It'd work out perfectly!"

Lina made a face, a bit thrown off. "Um, Amelia, I'm all for adding new teammates, but...It might be a bit too dangerous for a kid. Especially with the kind of messes we get into. Don't you think?"

Gourry shrugged. "I dunno, Lina, it seems like she's been okay on her own for a while. She must know how to make it just fine without help, so having her in the group wouldn't hurt."

Lina seemed unsettled. "Eh, Gourry, I don't know if-"

"I can navigate for you, if you need it."

Once again, everyone looked at Fuhoko with surprise and curiousity. She blushed, looking at her feet.

"I've always been really good at knowing right where I am and how to get to where I'm going. It's just something I've been able to do for as long as I can remember."

Everyone exchanged glances and a few quiet comments were made.

"All things considered, it might be worth a shot," Zel offered calmly. "Even if it doesn't work, it's not like any of us can really be expected to just leave her here alone. Even if she can take care of herself"

"You've got a point...;" Lina sighed. After a moment, she stood as tall as she could and looked at Fuhoko. "You sure you're up for this? You gotta realize it's a lot of danger and work, what we end up getting into. There'll be monsters, crazy obstacles, and weird-ass situations I can't even explain. If you're sure you can take all that, you're welcome with us."

Fuhoko smiled for the first time since they found her. She nodded with eager determination. Her confidence was clear.

Lina couldn't help but grin. "Alright, then, it's settled. Welcome to the team, kiddo."

"Atlas City and beyond, here we come!" Amelia cheered. And with that, everyone settled in to relax and get to know as much as they could about the newest addition to their group.