Pokota growled as he charged a Fireball in his hands. "Alright whoever you are come out now or we start blasting!"

Gourry had his sword drawn, ready to attack as he stood next to Luke who held his sword tightly.

"Sheesh, is this how the people of Taforashia greet people?" a voice loomed from the bushes. "And here I heard you guys were a peaceful country."

Lina gasped, her eyes wide. "That voice!"

A Lesser Demon was blasted out of the woods before them, which it eventually erupted into flames as a woman emerged behind where it had come from. She had dark black short hair, blue eyes, and red markings down her left arm. Her right arm was covered in a black armor with claws at the fingertips. She had a black shirt with a brown chestplate over, a red cape attached to the chestplate with some dark gray fur between. On the shoulder of her covered arm was a shoulder armor piece sticking out, on the other arm the fabric looked a bit ripped and she had a glove on that hand. A brown belt rested around her waist, with a coin purse attached. Her boots were black and came up to her knees. "I just happen to be wandering about this part of the world and here we get attacked by several monsters, just defending ourselves." She shrugged.

"Forgive us, we just fought several monsters ourselves." Sylphiel said with a bow. "They've been all over the place."

"Yeah, the boy I'm training is having the time of his life out there." The woman chuckled.

"So just who are you, anyway?" Luke asked.

"Hawke! What the hell are you doing here?!" Lina suddenly cried out.

"Huh?!" all eyes were on her suddenly.

The woman, Hawke as Lina identified her as, blinked twice and rubbed her head. "Did that little doll just speak right now? I mean it kinda looks a little like my cousin…"

"That's because it IS me, Hawke." Lina sighed, floating over to her. "It's a long story, just a spell gone wrong."

Hawke raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me this is what Luna decided to do to you for what you did…"

"No, she actually forgave me for that." Lina shook her head. "Like I said, it's a long story. I'll explain later."

"So hold on lady, just who are you?" Pokota asked, looking completely confused.

"Oh yeah, my name is Hawke, Hawke Inverse." The newcomer said with a smile. "Lina here is my little cousin, she fits the role even more now than before, considering her pettiness."

"HEY I'M NOT THAT SMALL!" Lina snapped. "Well, now I am. But before no!"

"Oh yeah sure cuz, act like your zero bust size doesn't bother you." Hawke chuckled, shaking her head.

"Just wait until I'm back to normal, you're gonna be in for a surprise…." Lina growled.

"Well yeah, before she became engaged to Xelloss her breasts really were small." Gourry commented.

Hawke perked up at that. "Engaged? Wow you got busy fast."

"I AM NOT ENGAGED GOURRY YOU STUPID JELLYFISH BRAINS HOW MANY DAMN TIMES DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT AND A PLEDGE?!" Lina hollered, tossing several Fireballs at the blonde.

"This group sure is lively…" Milina commented.

Luke sweatdropped. "Sure are…"

"Pledge? Lina are you saying that you…" Hawke's face suddenly hardened.

Lina sighed, lowering her head. "Don't judge until you know all the details, Hawke. I've been cursed by Deep Sea Dolphin, the Pledge of Immortality was the only way I could survive it."

"So you pledged yourself to the Greater Beast's subordinate? I wondered when I heard that blonde guy there say his name…" Hawke rubbed her chin.

Lina turned her head. "It's… Really complicated."

"Hey there you are Hawke!" cried the voice of a young boy with blue spiky hair. He had a white duster than extended to his knees, no shirt, and green shorts. He carried a rather large sword in his hands, a white bandana over his forehead and brown boots.

"Oh hey Lyos, took care of the rest of the beasts?" Hawke smirked, winking at the boy.

"Yep, they were a piece of cake." The boy chuckled.

"Who's the kid?" Lina asked.

"This is Lyos, the boy I've been training the past couple of years." Hawke chuckled. "Believe it or not, he's the Knight of the Aqualord. That sword he carries is called the Banisher."

"This little shrimp is the Knight of the Aqualord?" Lina asked, not looking convinced.

"Who the hell are you to judge me, you stupid doll!" Lyos growled, clutching his sword.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" she growled, charging a Fireball between her tiny arms.

"Alright, whoa you two…" Hawke groaned, grabbing Lina and pulling her back. "Lyos, this is my cousin Lina and her friends."

Lyos just blinked a few times. "… Your cousin is a living stuffed toy?"

"I AM NOT A STUFFED TOY!" Lina snapped.

Hawke just rolled her eyes. "You know cuz, now is as good as time as ever to explain this long story to me…"

**********************

Meanwhile, back on Wolfpack Island…

Xelloss flipped over a few more books as he wandered about the library. Though his eyes narrowed at a strange pile near Vandal's desk. One was about cloning research, another about magical genetic manipulation…

"Master Xelloss, I believe I found the text you were looking for." Vandal suddenly appeared, holding two books in hand. "It should assist in changing Miss Lina back to normal."

"Oh. Good." Xelloss replied, then turned his still opened eyes at the former elf. "Is Lord Beast Master having you do research again? I thought she dropped that project about cloning Lina Inverse?"

"Oh those? I was just looking into other methods for dealing with Cepheid, sir." Vandal stiffened a bit. "See Lord Beast Master was thinking maybe if we cloned the Knight of Cepheid's body, then transferred her soul into that, we could just destroy her real body and be rid of Cepheid, until he is reborn again into the next knight."

"Hmm… I see." Xelloss murmured, but didn't seem convinced. "Non the less you are to run by me any and all experiments you wish to try. Especially when it comes to my Soul Touch and her sister. Got it?"

"Of course, I would never forget my place, sir." Vandal bowed his head.

"There is one more thing I wish you to research." Xelloss brought up. "If it is at all possible to bind Lord Ruby Eye from awakening inside a soul…"

The former elf's eyes went wide. "Are you saying… You've found one…?"

"That is part of what I had to come back here to report to Lord Beast Master. She wants me to prolong his awakening as it would not be wise with Cepheid so close to manifestation." Xelloss explained, lowering his head. "Lina's going to have enough dealing with one god, let alone have to deal with two at once, one being a demon lord. I'd hate to see the events of the War of the Monster's Fall repeat themselves, as I remember what happened when Lei Magnus's piece of Shabranigdo awakened…"

"And if this person were to come in contact with the Knight of Cepheid…" Vandal took in a sharp gasp.

"Exactly. It would be disastrous." Xelloss rubbed his temple. "And yet Dynast is willing to risk that, just to stop Cepheid at any cost while attaining the Mazoku's goal at the same time."

Vandal raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying Dynast is trying to arrange them to meet?"

"I have my suspicions he is." Xelloss shrugged, closing his eyes. "Just luckily Miss Luna had remained in Seyruun."

"Oh. So that's where she is." Vandal muttered a bit too low.

Xelloss opened one eye and looked at him for a moment, but shrugged it off. "Send word to me if you get somewhere in your research. For now I shall return with these." With that, he vanished.

******************************

Back in the Taforashia palace…

"I apologize again for bringing Val with me, Filia." Milgasia sighed.

"Don't worry about it, I'm sorry I lost my temper." Filia let out a sigh. "That damn Namagomi just irritates me so much!"

"I can see why." Memphis grumbled. "He's completely sarcastic and such an asshole, so like a monster."

"My, my, isn't it rude to talk about people behind their backs?" Xelloss's voice echoed in the room.

"Uncle Xel!" Val cried when he heard the voice.

"Oh you!" Filia growled, her tail popping out. "Just show yourself already you piece of filth!"

Xelloss chuckled, he appeared floating in the air, his legs crossed and sipping a cup of tea. "Well I thank you for lunch, Miss Filia. Nice to know merely seeing me radiates negative emotions without even any effort."

"Alright, you're not here to anger Miss Filia you monster." Memphis hissed. "Master Milgasia may fear you but I do not. Did you find what we need?"

"I believe so, I just want little Val to look these over with me." Xelloss mused, floating down and handing one book to the little boy.

"This will help Miss Lina, right?" Val asked. "I mean, help make up for the stuff I did before?"

Filia frowned, rubbing his head. "I'm sure Miss Lina doesn't blame you for that, which was your past life, not this one."

"Still, I want to help her." Val said, twisting his mouth as he looked over the book.

"Still so advanced for his age." Xelloss noted with one eye open. "Not only in growth but mentally, I wonder if he'll reach full maturity quicker than we anticipated."

Milgasia raised an eyebrow. "That's partly why Beast Master has been making you keep track him, isn't it? Just in case part of Gaav really is buried deep inside him, just unnoticed."

"Well, it was one theory of hers." Xelloss shrugged.

"Uncle Xel!" Val cried after a few moments. "This page has the name of that spell Miss Lina used."

"So it does have the reversal?" Filia sighed with relief.

"Well that's good news at least we're walking back into." A voice cried from the doorway.

"Miss Lina!" Filia cried.

"Crisis taken care of." Gourry winked.

"Xelloss… It's been a while." Hawke mused, standing the doorway with her hand on her hip.

Xelloss stiffened for a moment, then cracked a smile. "Ah, Miss Hawke. Yes, it has, hasn't it? Whatever brings you here?"

"Oh, I thought I'd test the wits of the man- Mazoku I mean that thinks he's good enough for my cousin…" Hawke sneered, in an instant she had flown across the room, smashing Xelloss up against the wall, holy energy radiating from her.

Xelloss chuckled, grinning sarcastically with his eyes open. "I see your welcomes for me don't vary from your cousins still." He teased.

"Ah! What is she-" Sylphiel gasped.

"Leave them be, this is just how Hawke is." Lina replied, just watching. "Besides if Xelloss really was caught off guard she'd be dead right now. He expected this reaction."

Pokota then turned to her. "Lina, just what is your cousin? Her power level is like…"

"She's a rejected Knight of Cepheid." Lina replied, her eyes narrowing. "Believe it or not, she's quite a bit older then Luna, by like 16 years. It's been rumored that Cepheid rejected her body and moved onto my sister after she was born. But even with him gone, some of his powers remained within her."

"How did Cepheid reject her?" Filia gasped.

"I don't know, Hawke never talks about it." Lina shrugged. "It happened when she 14. I bet that jackass knows though…"

"I never knew that your cousin was a Knight of Cepheid as well…" Milgasia muttered. "I never heard of her before, her secret must had been well kept."

"Well, Hawke followed all the rules in the beginning, but something happened to make her change drastically." Lina pointed out. "After that I'm sure they tried to forget about her and focus on Luna instead."

"So what exactly are you after in all this, Xelloss?" Hawke growled. "Luna may have trusted you and your damn mistress over the years, but I can't trust you anymore than I can throw you."

"Oh Miss Luna hardly trusts me, she just knows a battle between me and her would end up very close, if not in her favor." Xelloss chuckled, not even flinching as her hand wrapped around his throat. "And to put it bluntly, I am after your cousin, as she is my Soul Touch."

Hawke's face turned pale at that. "She's… What…?"

"Oh yes, that was the little secret I couldn't reveal to you on our last encounter." Xelloss shrugged his shoulders. "Since then my mistress removed my order to stay silent about it."

Hawke slowly pulled back… Then fired a Dislash right at him which he quickly fazed out, a few awls appeared overhead which she drew a large staff, one that had a silver blade at the tip, the silver continued through to about 1/3 of the staff, decoration like wings where it changed to the brown part of the staff, the hilt was a deep red. Using the blade and a quick Astral Vine enchantment she slashed the cones to pieces.

"Alright enough already!" Lina suddenly snapped. "It'll do no good if you two god damn fight each other!"

Xelloss chuckled as he appeared behind Hawke. "She is right, Miss Hawke. We have more pressing matters now. Besides, I think you need to get in line with Miss Luna about killing me over finding out about my affections towards Miss Lina."

"Just shut the hell up." Hawke snarled, her arms crossed. "I only won't attempt to kill you because doing that would destroy Lina's pledge, and she'd die anyway."

"Glad to see you're being civilized about this." Xelloss chuckled, wagging his finger. "Say where is that little knight you were training when I saw you last?"

"Waiting for me outside, I just wanted to make sure Lina got back ok." Hawke shrugged, heading for the door. "Since I overheard you have a reversal, I'm not as worried about her current problem. But, the overall situation, the one with Cepheid and Luna, I think I need to look into it. So, I'll meet you all in Seyruun."

"Alright Hawke." Lina smiled. "Tell Luna we're on our way when you get there, ok?"

Hawke nodded. "Sure thing."

"And tell Mr. Luke and Ms. Milina that we appreciated their help." Sylphiel added.

Xelloss's face hardened at the mention of those names. "… So, you ran into them again?"

Lina shrugged. "Yeah, but they're heading off on their own and said they have no interest in going to Seyruun. They were talking to Lyos as we headed in."

"Oh, so he did heed my warning…" Xelloss muttered to himself.

She cocked an eyebrow. "Just what the heck was that you said?"

"Ummm… It's a secret?" Xelloss chuckled, which got him a Fireball to the face.

"I JUST KNEW YOU COULDN'T LAST LONG WITHOUT SAYING THAT ANNOYING PHRASE AGAIN!" Lina growled.

Hawke sweatdropped on her way out. "Yeah, glad to see not much has changed with Lina…"