Xelloss had laid wide awake the whole night, trying to figure out what this girl was. At first, he didn't think about it as much. But the more he thought about it, the more it seemed that this girl was something to have concern over.

If she was Mazoku, he and Zelas would've had track of her. If she were a Ryuzoku, he would've been able to smell her a mile away. She could be just a dysfunctional human, but the chances of that were slim. Mazoku could always tell a mortal from a immortal, but for these circumstances, Xelloss was as lost as ever.

She could just be an illusion from one of the dark lords, but here she was, resting beside him, occasionally snuggling up against him. She was no illusion.

In the early morning hours, Jade had awoken slightly, to find Xelloss lying beside her with his eyes wide open.

"Xelloss?"

He was pulled out of trance. "Yes?"

"Why aren't you sleeping?" she mumbled. "You need your rest, you know."

Xelloss chuckled. " Why, Mazoku don't need rest, my dear."

Jade seemed unmoved. " I know that, but they do need rest from thinking. Everyone gets a headache now and then."

Xelloss was surprised at this. ~Hmm..So this girl may be a psychic also...~
He responded, "How did you know I was thinking?"

Jade got up and rested her elbows on his chest while looking into his eyes. Sarcastically, she said, "Hmm...I don't know, what else would you be doing with your eyes wide open during the ungodly hours?"

Xelloss sweatdropped. ~Scratch the psychic thought.~

"Oh...How silly of me!" He exclaimed.

And to think Lina slept through all of this.

After a few minutes of idle silence, Jade fell into dreamland once again, and Xelloss returned to his previous track of thought.

~*~

Jade rustled in her sleep, and she awoke with the sun's warm rays caressing her face.

She arose, and sat up on her bed. The normal morning confusion was evident in her eyes.

She turned around to peer at Xelloss and Lina, and there was Xelloss, smiling at her even though his hair was messed up from resting.

"So I guess you didn't take my advice." She stated.

Xelloss's grin grew wider. "Actually, my dear, I did. A few minutes after you drifted of to sleep, I decided to follow your example."

Jade looked confused. " I thought Mazoku couldn't sleep..."

Xelloss chuckled. "No, no, silly girl. We can sleep like anyone. We just don't need it."

"Oh."replied Jade.

Xelloss got up from lying down, and sat on the edge of the bed. He glanced over at Lina.
"I guess we'd better awaken sleeping beauty..."

Jade giggled and made her way over to Lina. She nudged her shoulder a bit, and Lina's eyes fluttered open.

"Not now, Gourry...It's still early in the morning..." she mumbled, and fell back asleep.

Jade and Xelloss sat there with silly grins on their faces, then started cracking up. Now this woke Lina up.

"What...Are you two laughing about? I guess I missed something..." Lina muttered.

Jade gasped for air while trying to explain. "You *gasp* said in your sleep, like you were talking to Gourry...*gasp*...You said, 'Not now, Gourry...It's still early in the morning.'"

Lina blushed deep red. "I-I..."

"So I see you did get some action out of Gourry while you two were traveling alone!" laughed Xelloss.

Lina got up and ran to the bathroom, which made the two crack up some more.

~*~

Later that morning...

The three travelers attended breakfast at the downstairs restaurant of the Inn they were resting at.

Xelloss was wearing his normal Mazoku priest fashion, and Lina was wearing her red sorceress's outfit with her black cape. Jade wore her usual, a green body suit which stopped short at the thigh with black boots that came up to the knee.

The three were laughing and eating like old friends, Jade seemed to have that effect on people, perhaps.

"So, I guess today's the day you show us your magic, Jade." Lina stated while forking another sausage.

Jade squirmed in her seat. "Yeah. I'm excited but nervous. This magic might be the link I'm looking for to discover my race! Do you know how important that is to me? I don't even know what or who I am!"

"Calm down, Jade." pleaded Xelloss. " So, how did you learn this magic you are going to show us?"

Jade sat quietly for a moment. "Well...Not from any physical being, that's for sure."

Lina and Xelloss looked at each other worriedly for a moment. Lina broke the uneasiness filling the room. " What do you mean?"

Jade began. " Well, you see, I learned these spells in my dreams. I know it might sound strange, but every night I am visited by a woman in gold in my dreams. She looks very much like you, Lina."

This startled Lina. "What do you know about this woman?"

Jade smiled. "Other than that I despise her, she's mentioned you a couple times. She's very demanding, but a sucker for romance. She says that's what makes life."

Lina now looked frightened. "Whoa, whoa, whoa...Now we've got some mega-weird situation on our hands. She's mentioned me a couple of times??? What did she say?!"

Jade went deep into thought. "Well, she says that you've met her...Once, or twice I might say. Also, she knows you defeated Dark Star, Copy Rezo, and Phibrizo."

Lina set down her fork.. "OK," Lina sighed, "That is not good."

"She seems to know everything," Jade began, suddenly getting an empty look in her eyes. They got duller, and duller...duller still, " She tells me of everything but me. I ask, receive no reply. I cry, she laughs. I wake up, her taunting laugh echoes in my mind."

Jade was just staring beyond them, beyond anything and everything.
It was unnerving.

"Jade," Xel said, startled, "Jade, are you OK?"

"No." Jade stated, "I'm not."

~*~

They finally managed to move from their table at the restaurant, to a clearing, outside in the middle of a field.

The breeze was calm and cool, rustling Jade's black, wavy hair into a beautiful disarray.

There was a deep silence, except for the rustling of flowers and the tall grass in the field.

"All right." said Lina. "Show us what you got."

Lina and Xelloss backed up a considerable amount of spaces, giving Jade her room.
They stood, waiting for a few moments, before Jade walked towards the middle of the field, crossed her arms, and started chanting.

A burst of harsh winds came upon them the second Jade began chanting. Lina and Xel could only see her lips moving, all they could hear was the deafening wind.

A silver aura started to appear rippling off of Jade, who was now levitating, head back, as if in a trance. Her lips were still moving.

Lina and Xelloss held onto the ground for dear life, as if they would blow away any second, which they most likely would.

Suddenly, Jade's body began to convulse violently, as if her last breath was edging near.
She raised her arms, lifted her head, and started, what looked like, screaming the spell at the top of her lungs. The wind grew stronger.

She formed a mass of pure, silver energy in her arms, and the sphere shot from her arms to one of the largest trees distanced away from the field.

The tree started to dissapparate, slowly fading to a only a slight platinum glimmer.
And soon, the tree was gone.

Jade slumped to the ground, and started breathing heavily.

The wind ceased it's roaring, returning to the calm breeze.

Jade arose, fixed her hair, and started walking towards Xel and Lina, whose countenances were complete awe and disbelief.

"W-What was that?!" Lina harshly whispered to Xelloss. "That was NOT black magic, white magic, or shaman magic. None of them. What the hell is going on here, Xelloss.

Jade was approaching, with an uncertain look on her face.

Xelloss was still shocked.


"I wish I knew."