So much for going slow. Zelgadis thought as he did up his pants while beside him Attie pulled her jacket on over her tunic, but she was not glowing from relaxed sense of bliss. As always after they had made love, her face was set and stony, and he was kicking himself. The pattern hadn't changed. What had started with a few drinks had turned to dancing, which turned into racing to find a secluded. And while she always seemed to enjoy herself during the encounter, as soon as it was over it was as though a switch had been flipped and she became argumentative. And from the look in her eyes as she grabbed her boots and pulled them on, this time was no exception.

He had been stupid to think that this would be different. Stupid to have gone along with it. But after spending decades as a chimera, in a body that would hurt anyone he took to bed and kept him isolated from the touch of others, he just couldn't stop himself. And for whatever reason, she never had any inhabitations about getting started, but she sure as hell harbored regrets, the nature of which she never deigned to explain, after the fact. No, the only information he got from her there was she was always angry after having sex and to not take it personally. It didn't help.

"Damn, my parents are probably freaking out." Attie said, an irritation tone to her voice, as she buckled her belt.

"Yeah, we'd better get you home." He said quietly as he tried to brush the leaves out of his hair. Neither had wanted to pluck down the cash for a room they were just going to use for a matter of minutes, and if they'd gone to Rubia's there would have been too many people to stop them. So they'd found a secluded spot in the woods.

Attie tried to straighten her scarf, "Next time I'm going to have Min teach me how to do this. Dammit!"

"It's fine." He snapped, as he started to wonder if she'd slept with him more from a need to prove she was still desirable than because of any feeling she'd had for him.

"Let's go." She huffed as she walked back towards town, and he followed her and noted that, judging by the stiffness of her posture, she was not in a mood to talk.

Gradually the woods faded away and buildings appeared. It was not so late that people still weren't milling about from place to place and the sun was still in the sky, even if it was low in the horizon. Attie's fast stride slowed for a moment, and Zel looked at her to figure out why and saw that she was staring at a woman who was playing with a baby, an inscrutable expression on her face. He watched them for a moment, the feelings of confusion strong as she looked away as if burned. Before he could weigh if it was a good idea or not, he moved beside her and said, "Look, I'm not trying to start anything or change your mind. I'm just wanting to understand. I know some women don't want children. Your Aunt Luna? No surprise there. But it doesn't make sense for you. I've seen you with Pomona and Luke and your nephews. I see you looking at pregnant women and babies like you were just now. It doesn't make sense."

She lowered her head and didn't say anything. Zel sighed as they turned onto the street where Rubia's house was, and when he glanced at her again he noticed that tears were welling in her eyes. "Attie?" he asked.

Suddenly she veered to a bench on the sidewalk and sat down and he joined her. She started to finger the material of her scarf as she said quietly, "I've never told this to anyone. And I don't want anyone else to know."

His eyes widened in surprise as his mind raced through various scenarios as he wondered what could be going on that was so bad that she kept it a secret from everyone, including her parents. Softly she continued, "It happened right after I became a woman, when my parents had taken me to the temple to stare at the Mother Goddess statue to think about womanhood and my place in the world or whatever. My one prophecy."

Prophecy? That was something he'd expect to strike someone like Min or Sylphiel, not the rough edged Attie. Still, it wasn't as though these things were logical. Attie stared off into the distance for a moment before she continued, "I know that just because a prophecy is seen doesn't mean it will happen in the future. But Zel, it was so detailed. I could see her so clearly. Beautiful strawberry blonde hair with a gentle curl and she had my eyes. I knew her name even. And while it wasn't an overwhelming resemblance in the face, there was enough of me in there to know she was my daughter. I saw her and fell in love with her, I wanted her desperately."

Zelgadis felt something nasty form in the pit of his stomach, "Why didn't you try to have her then?"

Attie squeezed her eyes shut, "Because of the long red shadow behind her. I knew she would be cursed like Di."

Her pronouncement winded him and he struggled to speak. Whatever he had been expecting, that was not it. His disgust rose to the point where it was difficult to draw breath as she continued, "I was so shaken. I went through a period of denial. It was mistake. It wasn't a real prophecy. And if it was, many prophecies never come true. I tried to shake it off. But that evening the nightmares started. I think only Min realized I was having them. We shared a room growing up. I just lied and told her I didn't remember what they were about. But they were horrible! I dreamt about carrying a being who was trying to kill me. Di made Mom tell her the whole gruesome details about being pregnant with her once. I saw it so vividly in the dream. Or I'd dream about being killed during childbirth like Mom nearly was. Other times I dreamt that I'd survived but that I would have to kill my baby, or my mom would have to. Sometimes I dreamt that I watched as she murdered my family in a fit of rage, helpless to do anything to stop her. Every fear my parents had about Di I dreamt about experiencing with her. And then one morning I woke up and I knew what I had to do. I had to travel. If I could locate the other hosts, I figured it might give me some peace of mind. If I knew they were alive and well, then I wouldn't have to worry about birthing a host myself. And if I never found them, well rather than leaving my legacy behind with children, I would have a legacy of Mazoku slain, like my mom. Pick up where she left off."

A sudden anger tore through Zelgadis as he listened and he felt himself start to shake as she continued, "I was only thirteen when I made up my mind about it. I was so young and stupid. I thought finding the hosts would be easy, and that I just wouldn't marry and have kids until they were found and accounted for, and perhaps, even destroyed. In the meantime I would focus on building my legacy. I didn't have time for boys. I convinced myself for a while that I didn't have any interest in them. I buried what desires I did have for companionship deep. The nightmares stopped. The prophecy couldn't come true if I don't sleep with anyone, right?

"But as I got older I couldn't control my desires so much anymore. Thank goodness for sterility spells. I cast mine and went about my life, had my one night stands, got it out of my system. Then when Min found that fertility statue I was so scared that I'd messed up and had gotten pregnant along with the rest of Zefiel City. But fortunately I just missed it. After that I was more careful. But still, anyone who was too serious, who I got too close to him I had to let go of him."

She suddenly turned to look at him as she grabbed his hand, and he felt as though her touch was burning him, "I don't want the burden of being a mother to someone cursed with Shabranigdu, how could I ask someone to be a father to that? Especially you, Zel. You were hurt so deeply by Rezo. I saw how you reacted when you learned about Di."

A surge of guilt flared within Zel as he remembered how poorly he had acted then as she continued, "I couldn't ask you to do this."

Zelgadis shook his head as he finally found his voice, "Why didn't you say anything?"

Attie closed her eyes for a moment, and then said, "When Di was alive, I didn't want to hurt her. I didn't want her to know the lengths I was going to avoid having a child who was cursed like her. On the one hand I think she'd understand, but on the other, I didn't want to set her off. And she was going through her first doomed pregnancy and it was just a horrible time for my family then. I couldn't bother them with me. And then after Dianna died, it just felt like saying I didn't love my sister. Because it wasn't that. It was that I didn't want my child to suffer like she had. But people hated Di so I thought they'd point at me and use it to justify the blood on their hands. It's so stupid. I don't know if that makes any sense."

"No," he said, his voice harsh as the anger continued to surge through him, "Why didn't you say anything to me? Why didn't you warn me that I could be fathering something like that?"

"No, you couldn't. Sterility spell." She moved as far from him as the bench would allow as her voice took a sharp turn.

"Pomona and Wally are evidence that those fail!" he said, "After what Rezo did to me, you…how could you?"

"I knew you'd react like this! How could I tell you?" she barely managed to keep from yelling, "I told you you didn't want to get involved with me! That first time, I warned you that there could be complications that would be wretched! What did you do, dismiss me as some young, naïve child? You told me you could never regret being with me and all those things that sound so nice. I broke up with you, but you tracked me down and asked to be let back into my life! And just yesterday you told me that you would regret being with me more than anything. Which is it, Zelgadis?"

He closed his eyes and put his hands over his face as he remembered how desolate he felt as he'd watched as Xellos' spell hit her. But she was not finished, "You told me you'd lost six years with me through your idiocy. You promised me that you would do anything to work it out with me! Or was it just talk? Well here's the moment of truth, would you have even touched me if you knew about the prophecy?"

Two sides warred within Zelgadis. The pain and anger he felt towards Rezo wrestled with his love for Attie. But the risk that there could be an accident loomed over him like a hanging sword even as the words that Gourry had said about commitment came back to him. Commitment was about being with the woman you love no matter where you end up. And here they were, with a strong incentive to not have children and a tremendous burden if they did.

"It would have taken me some time, but yes, probably." He sighed, "To be honest, Attie, I'm not sure if I'm mad at you, or so mad at the situation that I'm channeling it towards you. All this time I thought you just needed to grow up and mature a bit more but now…well, you had a good reason for arranging your life the way you have. I just…I need some time to let this settle."

"I see." She said in a clipped fashion.

"Attie, sterility spells fail. It may be wrong of me, but I don't know if I could do what your parents did and love a child the way that they loved Dianna if she had a shard of Shabranigdu within her. Especially as Di zeroed in on my hatred towards Rezo and knew all of the buttons to push to evoke those feelings of being hurt by him. If the prophecy were to be realized and I was the father, I honestly don't know if I could be the father that she would need for me to be!"

Attie's face set as she got up and started walking back towards Rubia's, "Fine, have it that way then."

Slowly Zelgadis got up and followed her, and some of the anger melted away into sadness as he wondered if he had just messed things up beyond repair with her.

Vincent took a bite of meatloaf, "Delicious." He said as he looked at Rubia and Sylphiel.

"Thank you." They said in unison as the rest of the inhabitants of the table stared at him curiously, with the exception of Cass. She stared at her plate, her fork raised but empty, looking lost.

"So, when did you find out about him?" Rubia asked.

A look of remorse washed through Vincent's face, and he looked at Cass apologetically. "It was after I had my daughter, Marjorie. Cass' mother."

Cass roused a bit and looked at him, "Am I finally going to hear your side to this story?"

"It's time." Vincent said quietly, "I hadn't expected to be a father. But I also was one of those types who couldn't stay away from a pretty lady, and Vera was the loveliest woman I had set eyes on. When she told me she was pregnant I couldn't deny I was the father, even if it meant an end to my philandering. I was going to do the right thing. So Vera and I got hitched settled down and Marjorie soon came along. Everything was fine for a while."

Vincent set his fork down as a pained expression crossed his face, "All my life I've had a temper. My mother said it was hell carrying me and hell bringing me into this world and hell raising me, but at least I was charming when I wasn't enraged, and the charm almost made up for it." He smiled sadly, "I thought that becoming a father would have calmed that rage. I never thought I would hurt Marjorie. I loved that little girl and dotted on her the first few years of her life. It was when Vera got pregnant again and wasn't doing well that things started to fray. I was overwhelmed with working, caring for Vera and Marjorie, who was at a difficult age. Toddlers, you know. One day I was trying to get her dressed to take her to her grandparents, and Marjorie just refused, and somehow she managed to push all my buttons. I got so mad I threw her across the room. She landed on the toy box and broke her arm. Barely avoided hitting her head. I could have killed her then and there."

Sylphiel put her hand over her mouth as Lina watched Vincent carefully. When he continued, his voice was taunt, "After I got her to a healer, I was so scared I would do it again that I ran to the temple. A priest found me, and he saw me for what I was and told me about the being within. And that's when I learned that I was a vessel for the Dark Lord, and would have to spend the rest of my life vigilant against him."

"How did you do that?" Lina asked.

"With a lot of help from the priest. First to accept the burden I was carrying. He worked with me, taught me how to meditate and control my emotions. I gained so much control that I thought I would be okay if I went back to my family. But Marjorie was so mad at me. It wasn't that I threw her, but that I had left her and her mother. She'd felt like she'd been abandoned. Especially with the new baby and Vera not having much time for her as she used to. Once again, she knew how to push every button, and I just felt the control I'd gotten slip. I don't even remember what she said now, but I slapped her so hard she fell to the ground. After that I realized I couldn't be with them, that the best thing I could do for them was to keep away. I sent Vera every cent I could. Bought gifts. Marjorie sent the gifts back. She never forgave me. I kept my eye on them, but from a distance."

Cass reached out and put her hand over his, and he put his other hand over them both and squeezed them for a moment before he continued, "I focused on work and meditation, and I reconciled myself to loneliness. I kept tabs on Vera and my girls, but never got too close. I watched as Marjorie grew up and got married, and had a little girl of her own. And then I watched as Cass grew up. And then one day Cass showed up on my doorstep, wanting to know who I was and why she'd see me watching them from time to time."

"And you told me that little girls would do well to stay away from old men who are stalking them." Cass said teasingly. "But I'd never sensed malice from him, just caring. So I wanted to know when he was always in the background."

"So I told her that I'm her grandfather, and that her mother wants nothing to do with me and I don't blame her. Never went into the details. Amazingly Cass kept coming back to visit me. In the meantime, I just try to keep a low profile and meditate."

Everyone was silent for a moment until Cass said with a wry smile, "Well, Mom pushes all of my buttons, and I don't have a shard of Shabranigdu in me. So we have a lot in common."

"Which side do you want to be on here?" Lina asked.

"I'm not taking sides." Vincent said. "I just want to be left to live in peace and to die in peace."

"I'd had a plan to put us all into extended sleep." Rubia said.

"You're going about it the wrong way." Vincent said. "If we're asleep we can't defend ourselves. But by keeping vigilant and through meditation and avoiding the world as much as possible, we can lead peaceful lives."

"But isn't defending ourselves and living peaceful lives at odds?" Rubia protested.

"Look, there's a reason the Mazoku race doesn't approach me." Vincent said, "There's a reason only Dynast was foolish enough to try to find us after Hellmaster helped revive the Demon Lord of the North until that Nigel brat came around. Because when the Mazoku race has multiple masters, it fractures them. They start fighting amongst themselves rather than fighting to end the world."

"That's true." Lina said contemplatively, "We saw it when Luke Shabranigdu was active. Perhaps we haven't been taking full advantage of this opportunity? If Rubia gives Deep Sea Dolphin one set of orders while Vincent gives Greater Beast a different set, and with Nigel doing whatever the hell he does, the Mazoku race would spend so much time fighting amongst themselves that they wouldn't have time for us."

"At the same time, these wars can go on for years. Decades. Lives are already being lost because of the uptick in demon activity because of the confusion over Nigel versus the Demon King of the North." Min pointed out, "It's in our interest to see this resolved as soon as possible."

"Which would mean taking down Nigel and staying out of it. Back to stalemate." Lina admitted, "We can't let him continue like this. We have to destroy the part of Shabranigdu that's in him. If Nigel dies without fully embracing him then Shabranigdu will be reborn into a host where Shabranigdu has only more power and control. The problem is that when we defeated Rezo and Luke, both of them had parts of them that wanted to see the world continue. I'm not sure that Nigel does."

"All the same, with two other people with shards of Shabranigdu and a golden dragon as well as Min, you have a lot more firepower." Sylphiel said quietly.

"One person." Vincent said, "I won't fight. Like I said, I am staying out of this."

"We won't force you then." Lina said quickly, "You've already helped us out a lot with your observation."

"But…" Cass started.

"Given what he's told me, he struggles with controlling the rage. Being around violence will only make it more difficult for him to control it, and that could be the spark that sends him from fighting Shabranigdu to embracing him." Lina explained. "Rubia seems to have merged with hers a bit and has more control over the rage. For her the human has more control."

"I can handle it." Rubia agreed.

"Before we get to that, we have to focus on what we're going to do tonight with Xellos." Lina said, "It's a trap, of course. But he should be wily enough to know that I would know it's a trap, which is what concerns me."

"So we're splitting up?" Min asked.

"Yeah. I think I'll head into the forest first. Gourry and a few others can follow me from a distance so I appear alone. I think Rubia should be with me. Meanwhile I think Min and Nes should hold the fort down here. And where are Attie and Zel?" Lina demanded to know.

"They're probably getting drink somewhere." Min said consolingly, "Attie looked like she needed one."

Just then the doorbell rang, and Rubia when Rubia went to answer it, they could hear Attie and Zel in the hallway. Lina relaxed a bit as Rubia returned, "They're just going to wash up. I hope they didn't get into a fight. They look a bit roughed up."

"Did they say anything?" Min asked.

"No, though they both seemed a bit aggravated."

"Maybe I should check on her?" Min asked as she looked at Lina.

But Attie and Zel appeared then, and Min asked, "Was there a fight?"

"Huh?" Attie said as she blushed, "How did you know?"

"Are you okay, were you attacked?"

"What?" Attie said as she took a seat beside Orion, "No, no, nothing like that. Just personal drama. Hey nephew, what are you doing here?"

Lina observed Attie as Orion started filling her in. Whatever was going on between the two of them, she would talk to Attie about it later. And give Zel a good punch in the face, because Lina was certain he deserved it.

"The final seventh is here!" Attie exclaimed as she searched the table and found Vincent.

"Considering I'm the oldest of the hosts, I wouldn't exactly call myself the final seventh." Vincent said.

Zelgadis looked at Attie meaningfully as she shook her head in disbelief, "I'd made it my life's work to find you, and you just waltz in one day."

"I guess you're going to have to find some new life work, Aunt Attie." Orion said.

Attie shook her head, "Shouldn't be too hard." She started fingering her scarf again, "Wow, now that this is done I'm not sure how I feel."

"We'll work through the feelings later." Lina said, "Back to tonight and Xellos. Attie needs to rest here for the night, recover her strength."

Attie gave a grimace. "But I have all this new fire power! I can melt a twelve now!"

"Another night." Lina said, "Besides, if they do attack here, then we will need your firepower here."

Attie sighed and shook her head, but cut into her meatloaf without another word. Meanwhile, Cass piped up, "Can we go with you?"

Lina looked at them warily, "This is very dangerous."

"We can handle it." Orion said.

"Can I talk you out of it?" Min asked.

"No." Orion said, "Besides, Gramma is going to have to teach us how this stuff is done if she ever wants to retire."

"That's actually a good point." Lina said contemplatively as Attie looked at Orion with a hint of jealousy that was strange to see on her features, "We need Sylphiel with us, though. We need someone who can cast Resurrection at both locations."

"Of course." Sylphiel said.

"Any other objections or suggestions?" Lina asked, but no one said anything. "Stay vigilant. Don't let your guard down. Xellos is up to something, and that something is not good."

"I'm going to head on home," Vincent said as he got up, "Thank you for the wonderful supper. I was good meeting all of you. Best of luck."

"You too," Lina said.

Where is that evil bastard? Lina wondered as she waited by a tree. The rest of the group was a ways back, out of sight but not out of hearing. And it was well past midnight. A fact which made Lina nervous. Xellos should have been here by now. From down the path Lina heard movement, causing her to tense but then relax as Gourry and the others came into view.

"He's not here?" Gourry asked.

"No." Lina said.

"Do you think he's attacking Rubia's?" Orion asked.

"Perhaps." Lina said, but her gut was telling her that something different was happening. Her eyes fell on Cass and a feeling of unease grew as the wind picked up and seemed to whisper a name.

"Do you hear that?" Gourry asked.

"It sounds like the wind is saying 'Vincent.'" Rubia observed.

"It's not the wind. It's Xellos." Lina said, "What if they found out about Vincent?"

"Huh?" Cass said.

"Xellos is smart enough to not want to serve more than one master." Lina shook her head is dismay, "Cass, where does he live? Take us there now!"

Still looking confused, Cass started leading them out of the forest, "What is this about?"

"I should have thought of this when Vincent was at dinner." Lina said regretfully as they raced through the forest and into town, "It's tactics. If we get the hosts of Shabranigdu to divide the Mazoku race to conquer itself, then to defend itself the Masoku race would need to assassinate the hosts and get them into bodies too young to have the maturity to divide them. And they would start with the weakest, the least guarded among them. Which would be Vincent."

"But Mazoku can't attack someone higher than them." Orion pointed out.

"Xellos might not, but if he has Nigel with him, then yes, he can." Lina said.

"No!" Cass cried as she started running faster, the others hot on her heels. They eventually got to a small house, and to confirm Lina's suspicions, the door was slightly ajar. Cass burst through it and screamed.

"Lightning!" Lina called, and then she wished she hadn't. Blood was everywhere, and Vincent was lying on the floor in a pool of it. Cass reached him first and turned him over to look at her. Amazingly he was still alive, and he reached a hand up to stroke his granddaughter's cheek as he whispered, "I love you."

Cass shook her head, "Stay with us!" But already he had gone limp.

"Stand back." Sylphiel told Cass as she cut through the small crowd, "I need space if I'm going to be able to save him."

Orion had to pull Cass away from Vincent as she started sobbing and he held her close while Lina and Gourry searched the place. But whoever had done this was long gone. Eventually they watched as Sylphiel tried to restart his heart with chest compressions, but eventually shook her head. "I'm sorry, Cass."

But as Cass started to sob, her cries became distant, as Lina felt herself being pulled away with a loud popping sound. "Huh?" Lina said, as she looked around to find herself in a different space, separated from the others. A place that was stark and barren and devoid of help. Her stomach twisted as she realized that Xellos' trap had finally been sprung.

"Hello, Lina." Xellos said as he suddenly appeared before her.

Lina shook her head, "You're not even going to let me have my partner with me, huh."

"I've been ordered to kill you and you alone." Xellos said. "Shall we?"

Lina smiled wryly, "To the death it is then."