It seemed that Amelia was trying to sneak up on Zel meaning to do the "Guess Who?" thing, only to pull the tipped back chimera over onto herself. Instead of greeting him with a giggle, she had to turn it into a groan as she was helped up off the floor, her pink dress rather dishevled and dusty now.

"H-hi, everyone..." she finally managed in a small voice, looking thoroughly embarassed.

"You didn't happen to see the number of the page I was reading." said Zel by way of greeting.

"Well, someone's a bit put out..." quipped Ayn, smirking.

"OOh, something like this happens on page 54!" said Luna, digging through her comic book.

Ayn took the book from her and slammed it on to the table. "First," she barked, "stop trying to tease me about my love life. Second... it was page 31."

"Oh, so you were paying attention after all!" beamed Luna.

"As if I had a choice..." muttered Ayn rolling her eyes.

"Oh don't give me that! I know what you keep in your locker, all those trashy love mangas." Luna said with a triumphant smile.

"Tra... what? I only have a few books there, and yes one of them is a rather romantic book, but it is also one of the classics of literature, I hardly think it is a trashy romance novel! And how do you know what's in my private locker anyway?" Ayn replied, as she frowned.

"I peeked." replied an unrepentant Luna. "And I didn't say you had trashy novels, indeed if one only had space for a library of few books, your collection would be one of the best. But you could get more in if you didn't have the other stuff there, like the romance comics!"

Ayn looked ready to spit snakes.

"Wh-who are they?" asked a shakey Amelia.

Lina had both a sweat drop and an stress mark as she blushed and answered "P-Princess Amelia, may I introduce you to my sister Luna and her friend Ayn."

"Squire Ayn!" said the black dragon, quite definitely annoyed.

Amelia gave Lina puzzled look. "Aren't squires for Knights?" she asked.

"AMELIA!" screamed Lina, taking her roughly aside. "Uh, I guess I never told you..." she said, a little more calmly. In the background Luna and Ayn exchanged puzzled glances.

Lina explained, and Amelia's eyes went wide. "She's the...?!"

She turned and bowed. "Welcome to Seirune, Lady, uh, Luna."

Luna returned the bow and said "I am honoured to be here, Your Majesty." Then she smirked to Lina and asked "So, you are so embarassed by your older sister you don't even tell your friends about me?"

"Frightened of you, more like." replied Amelia before Lina could get a word in edgewise.

Luna looked curious. "Oh? Of me? Do tell."

"A-Amelia, that's not..." said Lina trying to stop the conversation.

"Well, I only heard about you for the first time when we had our adventure with Miss Filia and that Darkstar creature." said Amelia, apparently not hearing Lina. "And it was Mr. Gourry who did most of the explaining, as Miss Lina was busy building herself a tomb, complete with a big stone coffin. Said something about saving you the trouble. Then she cried for hours in what seemed like fear. And all because she read your "Just do it" note..."

Luna gave Lina an unreadable look. "I see..." she said slowly. "And did she mention why she felt this way?"

"Amelia!" said Lina, sounding more desperate.

"No, she just kept wailing how sorry she was." said Amelia, still apparently not hearing Lina.

Luna grinned. "Good..." was all she said, but it was enough to make Lina gulp and try to hide behind Amelia, as Ayn gave a quiet growl.

Whether it was for Luna or Lina wasn't clear...

Luna giggled and said to Lina "I see your hard lessons weren't wasted after all."

"Oh that, well, ya, they weren't, but Sis, did I really need all that? No wait, forget I asked..."

"Consider it forgoten." replied Luna, sitting back down. "So," she went on, "Princess, what is your favourite choice in books?"

"Anything with the criminal code in it..."muttered Zel, a little unkindly.

"Aw, is someone not the center of attention?" said Ayn, sounding like a cat with a saucer of cream.

"No, that was sarcasm, humourous sarcasm." replied Zel, shaking his head.

"And therefore totally lost on Ayn..." interjected Luna.

"You want to lose a biff up the hooter?" replied Ayn a bit hotly.

"Oh, violence! I didn't know that high priestesses of the temple of Ceipied went in for that." snarked Luna.

"It's what we live for." said Ayn in a somewhat too matter of fact way...

Lina just looked back and forth between the two of them, and wondered. What in the hell was it with her sister? She had always had a streak in her that wanted to be number one. Lina had always thought it had to do with the fragment of Ceiphied she carried inside of her, and that she'd be better when she got older, but the woman was just down right childish. And somehow, Ayn wasn't much better. Yet, her sarcasm seemed the perfect foil to Luna's brattiness. Well then, it was good that they had found each other, uh, wasn't it?

Zel had, in the mean time, begun to fill Amelia in on what he understood to be going on, and about Filia.

"Oh my." said Amelia, her eyes wide as she heard the tale of her friend. "Poor Miss Filia! Oh, I do hope she is alright and that Mister Xellos has behaved himself."

"I'd be more worried about who he likely took her off to meet." replied Zel.

"Hey?" asked Amelia.

"Yep, I had the same thought." said Lina. "In fact, we all did when Jilas and Gavos first told us the tale. Xellos wouldn't take Filia away just anywhere, and he didn't just get her out of sight so he could hug her until she felt better. Nor would he have worried about finding her a picturesque spot to kill herself. Nope, most likely he took Filia home to meet "mama"..."

"BeastMaster!" said Luna, practically spitting with hate, which startled Lina, who hadn't even realised she had been listening.

"Easy big girl, she's more than a match for you, even if you can take on her pet priest with one hand tied behind your back." said Ayn softly. "But chances are she was made the evening roast a long time ago, if that was her fate."

She thought a minute then added "Beastmaster and Dolphin are tied to the feminine energy of the universe, they are weaker, but more cunning than their three "brothers". I have a bad feeling about Filia and her fate if she was taken to meet the Greater Beast..."

"Well, we should bring this up at the meeting this afternoon." said Amelia.

"What meeting?" one of the gang asked.

"Well, as you must have observed, it looks as if there is about to be a civil war amongst the dragon kindreds." Amelia replied. "So, daddy has called a lot of wise people in from everywhere to discuss the situation. And we have a visitor or two coming in who have dragon problems they want to discuss to see if they can arrive at an understanding, if not a resolution. He hasn't discussed this very much with me, so I presume we will have to see what's what when we have the meeting. I'm sure that what has happened to Miss Filia must tie in somehow. Do come to the meeting and let's see if we can find out what is happening." she said.

"Yeah, that would be a good idea." said Lina.

Since it was a short time until the meeting, they all drifted out for lunch on the veranda. The day was still sunny and bright and Lina looked up and stared. "Flying." she thought. "I have got to take more time for just doing it for fun..."

Finally they ended up at the main hall. It was a bit early, but other guests had begun to arrive. Most of them were learned professorial types with varying degrees in dragonology. Ayn frowned at the the thought of her kind being studied like some sort of lab specimens, but had to keep her mouth shut as the dragons did the same thing in their own way with the other races that inhabited the planet. Oh well, what goes around comes around..."

There were some other guests who had been investigators at the attacks of the "Destroying Angel" and who were obviously going to give testimony of some sort. They tended to be a tight lipped bunch, giving the impression they didn't want to repeat what they had seen or heard any more then they had to.

And then...

There was a stir at the entrance to the hall and a young woman, tall, beautiful, and with hair almost as red and fiery as Lina's entered with her enterage in tow. Clearly some one of high rank! Amelia stiffened a bit, and a small frown settled on her face. Lina had seen that look before, obviously her friend didn't care for this person, but was having to make nice to her. Well, she did have a rather stuck up air about her, probably her position had gone to her head.

The young woman swept by, seeming not to notice anyone or anything, but Lina did see a flickering glance directed at her as she passed. Suddenly, the woman stopped, a look of recognition on her face as she turned to look fully upon Lina.

"Lina?" she asked. "Lina Inverse?"

Lina was unsure. The girl did seem familiar, but she couldn't place her. Damn, she hated when that happened. "Yes." she replied in a non commital way, desperately trying to recall if this girl was likely to be a friend, an enemy, or a creditor.

The woman smiled, then chuckled. "Ahhh, you don't remember me. Have I changed so much then, from the day you set my Sword of Chaos on fire?" she smirked. "Where's your bouncy friend? Maybe she'd remember her former "employer"?

By now everyone was staring at Lina. Thankfully the candle lit and Lina remembered just in time to avoid being totally embarassed.

"Marlene Calvert! I mean, Princess Marlene! Of course! Well, now, that has been a long time indeed! How is your father? And your kingdom, and your dear dragons? I hope that Geizneau is growing up to be a good dragon?" said Lina with a smile. What the heck, Marlene had just been a rebelious 12 year old kid who, um, started a civil war because her dad wouldn't raise her allowance. Surely she was better by now?

Marlene was quiet for a minute and Lina's smile faded as it became apparent all was not as well as she had thought it would be. Marlene spoke finally, and said "Well, first, it's now Queen Marlene after daddy blew a gasket in his heart last year..."

She paused, then went on "And just as I was getting over that, my Dragons were all killed, even little baby Geizneau who cause you so much trouble. All I could get from, from Mr. Zone Flare, before he died, was that it was something called the "Destroyed Angel" or something like that, who had attacked them and did them all to death with its mace. I picked up on the image he had of the creature, a human looking woman, in armour, her face and head hidden in a helmet, but, she had a tail it seems. He seemed to feel it was a dragon in avatar form, it was hard to be sure though, he was dying rapidly and in pain. I am crushed by this, it is a grievous loss, those particular dragon families have been with the Calverts for many generations."

"It is also confusing, if he's right then it had to be a high dragon, they are the only ones able to take a true human avatar form, little Geizneau and his shapeshifting magic notwithstanding. But why would she want to kill lesser dragons, or any dragons for that matter? And why would she fight in that form? And above all, where did her hideous strength come from? It makes no sense. Ah, my poor friend, he likely got it wrong, and was too far gone to be any clearer. I hope I can find answers here, I want the one responsible brought to justice."

She looked very fierce as she finished. One got the impression that her idea of "Justice" was likely to be long, drawn out, messy and a tad painful...

"You are a sensitive, like many in your family. I am sorry for you, this loss is obviously as grievious for you as losing your father was." That was Ayn, speaking quietly.

Marlene turned opened her mouth to speak, then stopped as her powers kicked in and she realised what Ayn was...

"Holiness..." she said, bowing to the dragon priestess.

"Majesty." replied Ayn, dropping a proper curtsey in reply.

"I see you have met?" whispered Amelia to Lina.

"Tell ya later." said Lina with a nod.

"Tell me, high one, what brings you here? Are you attending the meeting?" asked Marlene.

"No, she's here because she's taken up the hobby of making my life miserable." interjected Luna with a smirk. "Alas, poor me..."

"Sucks to be you, I agree..." said Ayn in a snide tone.

Marlene turned her gaze to Luna. She paused for a second and then, well, seemed to blush, or atleast flush...

Lina grimaced, what was that in aid of? Marlene better not set Luna off...

Marlene spoke. "Well! What have we here? Tell me, my pretty, who are you that a high dragon who is also a high priestess would want to make your life so miserable?"

"Just a poor defenseless nobody that the cruel dragons like to pick on because they can get away with it." said Luna in mock distress. "Oh, and I'm also Lina's big sister, Luna. I was accorded the rare privelage of going on a trip with my little sister whom I hadn't seen for ever so many years as she was off becoming famous for spooking dragons (Lina winced at that...), and just when we get to Seirune, well, all this dragon business happens and my sister gets caught up in it, as usual. It's not fair..."

"Oh? How wonderful!" repled Marlene as she stepped closer to Luna. "Well, I didn't even know Lina had a sister. But surely you must have some talents as the sister of the self proclaimed world's greatest sorceress? Why would the dragons want to pick on you?" she asked.

By now Ayn had shaken her head, rolled her eyes, and muttered "Outta here..." and wandered off to one side.

Luna played along. "On no, I'm just a humble waitress from Zephielia. Lina's the famous one, and rightly so. And I don't mind in the least, but it's hard to live in the shadow of greatness. I think the dragons all like to pick on me because Lina spooks them too badly and they can only get to me instead. It's such a cruel fate, alas..."

"Hey!" said Lina, with a tinge of annoyance. Just when she thought she had gotten over that, that, reputation...

"Fate can be changed, you know." said Marlene in a slinky tone of voice. "And greatness can be given. If you are interested, that is. Have you ever wanted to live in a palace? I am surrounded by fawning courtiers all the time, I would enjoy the company of a pretty woman who would be my friend. Or, maybe more? Interested?"

Some of the "fawing courtiers" especially some of the female ones looked daggers of jealousy at Luna...

Lina exchanged worried glances with Amelia. "Is she a...?" she asked.

"Uh, huh. A big one..." replied Amelia in a peculiarly flat tone that let Lina guess Marlene must have turned her affections on Amelea at some point.

Lina grimaced. How was Luna going to react to this?

"Who, me? A peasant girl? Oh, I'd never be good enough for the likes of Your Majesty! You shouldn't give me such false hopes, they might go to my head!" Luna replied, sounding like she was flattered by the unexpected offer.

Now Lina really didn't know how to take it. Luna had shown no interest in anyone, of any gender, all these years, and now she was just going to go to pieces over the likes of Marlene Calvert? Impossible.

Or was it...

But, what would that make Marlene, Lina's "sister in law" ?? Huh? How did THAT work? Her head was woozey. What was Luna doing?

"Well, I realise it is a big offer to have handed to you all at once. Why don't you think it over during the meeting and we can talk afterwards?" said a husky toned Marlene. She obviously was used to moving in and getting her way with little delay.

Lina just shook her head. Right, not her decision...

Marlene left Luna with a wink, and a come hither smile, and swept into the room for the meeting.

Luna watched her go, an inscrutable smile on her face.

Before she could go on she was mercifully interupted.

"Miss Lina! Princess Amelia! Why hello! It's been a long time since I've seen either of you." said a cheerful, and familiar, voice. "Oh! And Mr. Zel is here, and, of course, Gourry dear! You are taking care of him, right Lina?"

Lina turned and with a laugh said "Sylphiel! Hello indeed. It has been a long time!" Some of that was, of course, relief over being distracted from whatever Luna was up to, but most of it was genuine happiness at seeing her friend again. Indeed it had been awhile. "What brings you here?" she went on with a smile.

"Oh, my uncle is attending this meeting here today, and I was able to beg admitance in case we healers needed to know something or other. Just between you and me, I was getting rather bored just being a temple maiden lately, and well, anything to break the monotony. I like what I do, but I do miss the old days of wandering with you all, I rather liked the adventure to be honest, he, he..."

Lina cocked an eye at her. "Temple maiden? You mean you aren't married yet? Amelia, what's wrong with all the men in Seirune?" she teased, sure that Sylphiel had not even been looking.

"Maybe some people are just too picky?" suggested Amelia in a slightly brittle way.

"Oh my. I really haven't been looking, truth to tell. Why? Is it a big deal, Miss Lina? Is it still Miss?" she added, with a glance at Gourry.

"Oh! Er, no, no, just curious..." said Lina trying to cover. "Um, well, for what it's worth, we are engaged..."

"How wonderful!" said Sylphiel. And she seemed genuinely pleased to hear it too.

"What!!" said Amelia. "When did this happen? And you didn't tell me?" She seemed a pouty all of a sudden.

"What? Hey, uh, I'm sorry Amelia but we just made the decision to go ahead with what we should have done years earlier a few days ago and we were near my home so we went to tell mom and dad first then this dragon thing kind of blew up in our faces and we came here and we just got here and we just met you in the library and the chance never came up..."

"Lina!" said Amelia, looking desperate. "Breath! Or at least use comas and periods..."

"Huh?" said Lina.

"She means slow down and just tell her." said Sylphiel helpfully. "And I'd appreciate it too. But I take it that you are finally ready to marry everyone's favourite Elemikian hero?"she said with a smile.

"Everybody's who what?" said Gourry, finally joining in.

"Her former love interest." explained Zel, causing Sylphiel to flush slightly.

"Er, that's not what I meant, exactly..." she said in a shy tone.

At that point a chamberlain came out and announced "Hear ye, Hear ye! All persons having any interest in the proceedings are to make their way into the hall and take a seat."

With that, there was a surge of people into the hall, and the meeting was begun.

And being that this was Seirune that meant that there was a rather long, bombastic, and somewhet pointless speech by Prince Phil. Most of the people present had the usual polite, if pained, expressions on their faces. Amelia, now at the head of the table, had the usual rapt look of attention on her face that she always had when her "Daddy!" was speaking. Daddy's girl for sure...

Luna for some reason, seemed to be genuinely unnerved by the experience. "How long can he go on like this?" she whispered to Lina.

Lina whispered back "Shush Luna, if he hears you he'll go on even longer."

She was amazed to see her big sister turn bluish at that...

Finally, it wound to an end and the meeting was turned over to the panel of dragon experts who were to speak. One of the learned men stood up and addressed the audience. He basicaly said what was already known to the group, that the dragons had never resolved all their internal hurts from the "Kouma Sensou", the so called " Second War of the Monsters Fall", and that tensions that were a long time simmering below the surface had recently come to a full boil and turned the dragon world into a pressure cooker that was ready to explode in a cascade of super hot steam.

"Sheesh, enough with the hot water analogies, already." muttered Ayn as she listened to him talk.

The man further stated that there had been recent events noted that were adding to the strain and which had just about reached the trigger point, raids, skirmishes, and public clashes between different groups, and races, of dragons.

And then the "Destroying Angel" had burst upon the scene. The creature was suspected of being a dragon in human form, probably a female, but no one was sure, no witnesses ever survived. Well, there had been the one human child, and some of the dragons had died slowly enough to tell some information, but that was becoming rarer as the killer became more profficient at the task. The thing that was mysterious was that all dragons seemed to be suffering equally under this terror. Each group was blaming the others for unleashing it, and if something wasn't done soon, there would be no stopping the civil war.

One final thing had been found out. A while back a group of dragons had stolen the official seals to the "Great Council of All Dragons" and had worked much mischief of the worst kind with all sorts of false letters and legal documents bearing the seal. They had eventually been stopped, but they were revealed to be a gang of hot heads who felt that only through war could they settle all the grievances of dragon kind. Worse, they were on the verge of succeeding, even thought the captured ones were no longer around to see their handiwork come to fruition.

"They were executed?" said a stunned Ayn. It was not unknown, but it was very rare in the dragon world for the death penalty to be invoked.

The old man who was speaking sat down, but not before stating that the question before the meeting was now what to do to stop the war, or failing that, to prepare humanity to weather the storm.

With that, the floor was thrown open to any who wished to speak. There was a tense, busy silence as people thought things over. Then a voice came from the floor "What of the mazoku? They can't have failed to notice all of this?"

"No," replied one of the panel, "yet they seem to be just watching for now. Whether they await an opportune moment to strike, or whether they feel their interests are best served by staying out of the way so as not to make common cause for the Dragons to unite against is not known."

"But without the dragons, who will hold back the Mazoku?" came another question.

"We can't say..." said one of the panel.

Of all people it was Lina who shot up and shouted "Hey gramps! Who do you think has been holding them back now? The dragons haven't been protecting the human world, atleast not that much. Sheesh!"

"The floor recognises Lina Inverse..." rumbled Phil with what looked faintly like a smile on his face. There was a bit of a buzz. Lina was well known by reputation, but not everyone knew what she looked like. Comments like "Her?" and "Such a tiny girl?' flitted around, and then...

There was an uncautious "So Flat?"

"Who said that!?" screamed Lina.

"Not the Palace! Miss Lina, not the Palace!" shrieked Amelia as she rushed down from her father's side to stop her.

"Whoa! Take it easy Lina." councilled Zel. "Think of the innocent people..."

"If they are so innocent all they have to do is reveal the bigmouth and I'll spare them..." she replied rather loudly.

"You'll do it anyway, now sit down and shut up." said a quiet, but commanding voice. It was Luna. In Holy Knight mode. Lina did as she was told with no more comment than a fait "eep..."

Luna rose and faced the floor. She waited until Phil gave her formal recognition.

"The floor recognises Luna Inverse, the Knight of Ceiphied." he said.

Marlene's eyes bulged so much they almost exploded as she struggled to breath...

"Thank you, your Majesty." Luna said. Then she made her statement.

"The dragons haven't protected humanity by interfering so much as by simply being a major target of the Mazoku and diverting them. If you have been expecting them to be our saviours you are sorely mistaken, for such was never the intended reason they were created for. If you would prepare for a world of Mazoku but no dragons, you must start by making everything as right as you can in the human world. The mazoku feed on suffering, despair, anger, and all other negative emotions. Put them away. Make peace, whether it is between nations or individuals. Help each other, and become happy. It is a more effective weapon against them than you realise. And those who have the ability should be encouraged to study magic or swordsmanship. But above all, practice peace and good will, for such will sicken the mazoku. And if you will not listen, you must suffer in the hell you make for yourselves, for not an army of Linas and Lunas can defend you if you make it easy of them." With that she sat down.

"Hmmm..." said Ayn, clearly not that convinced.

Lina looked over a couple of seats to Gourry. She could see a worried look on his face and realised he was thinking of his own history. He had run away from home after taking the family's most precious heirloom, the Sword of Light. He had done it to bring peace to his family as there was much infighting and the threat of bloodshed over who would inherit the sword, but it had come at the cost of earning his family's hatred forever. She knew Luna's words were right, but she knew it would be so hard to do. She had an overwhelming urge to go hug him and try to make him feel better, but she couldn't. Not here, not now.
Stupid meeting.

Would it never be over?