Chap 10 - A Quick Visit
"But what does he want with her?" Gourry's familiar voice questioned. Xaina's heart quickened. They were in the kitchen. She stopped at the doorway and stared in. Lina, Gourry, and Filia were sitting at the table. A candle had been placed in the center of the table.
Filia's eyes suddenly shot in her direction. "Ah! Another one!" she screeched grabbing her mace. The mace suddenly went flying for the girl. Xaina hit the floor hard to avoid the weapon and injury, screeching as she did so. She looked up at Filia, her eyes pleading. What had she done wrong?
"What'd I do?" she whimpered.
All three of the adults looked confused. Lina got up and came over. She lifted Xaina up to her feet and examined her up and down. "Xaina? What...what happened?"
"Xaina?" the blonds both chimed in at once.
"Oh, Xaina, I'm so sorry," Filia apologized. "I...I..."
"What happened to her?" Gourry asked. "She didn't have a tail before..."
"Or the ears," Filia pointed out as she picked up her mace.
Xaina suddenly wrapped her arms around Lina's neck and burst into tears. Lina scooped her up and gently rubbed a hand up and down her back. "Shhhh," she cooed, "It's alright now. It's alright."
*****
In had been four hours since she had gone to sleep. How long did human children sleep? He wasn't really sure. Four hours. Had that been enough? Of course it was enough, he thought. She has to get back to training. She is a monster, after all, and monsters don't need sleep.
Xellos teleported into the room. She was still in bed. Let's have a little fun. He called the dolls up and and moved them on to the bed. He made them march up to stand around the sleeping girl.
"Oh Xaina," he called softly. "Wake up." She didn't move. He smiled. Alright, then we'll try a little rougher wake up call. He floated up over her and reached for the covers. "Xaina...Xaina?" He looked down at the pillows under the covers confused. The bracelet he had given her was sitting neatly on top of them. "Now where have you gone." He sighed with frustration, tucked the bracelet in a hidden pocket, and began a thorough search of the room. He turned up no sign of her. "Now, Xaina, we can't start making a habit of this."
He thought back to where she might go without being seen. The garden was the first place to check. He searched the garden rapidly for her, reaching for the bracelet. No, not there. He turned his attention to the rest of the mansion...she wasn't there either. Now he was starting to panic. Where else could she have gone...?
*****
Filia was examining Xaina's back. The dragon woman's cold hands felt strange as she pressed the itching flesh. It did sooth the itching a little, but it made the skin feel almost detached. She looked up at Lina and shrugged.
"I'm not sure what he did," the blond woman admitted. "It's almost like he's turning her into a monster..."
"But don't you have to be reborn for that?" Lina asked.
"I thought so, though maybe not. I don't really know all that much about monster magic."
"He can turn me into a monster?" Xaina asked, looking up at Lina. The sorceress' uncertain frown was not the least bit encouraging. "Oh."
Gourry handed the girl a glass of water he'd gone to get for her. She gulped it down. "What'd Xellos do to you?" he asked when she handed him the cup back.
"Not much," she admitted. "He took me to meet this strange lady who smoked a lot, I know she smoked a lot Ôcause I could smell it on her, an' she was called Lord Beastmaster. Then he took me to his room and told me to go asleep, but I wasn't tired so I just laid there. Then he came back and talked a little, left, and I ran outside and got lost in maze where I saw some strange person with birds who disappeared. Then Xellos chased me with some of Val's little people dolls and took me back to the big scary house where he lives and left me in his room again, Ôcept he locked the doors this time. When he came back, we played with the dolls and blocks and we played hide an' seek, and I saw Lord Beastmaster again who told me Ôbout me ears looking weird." She paused in her explanation to rub her hands over her ears. "The we had tea..."
"You and Beastmaster?" Filia asked horrified.
"No, me an' Xellos. He had the dolls pour the tea. He really likes those dolls. I was kinda tired, so he put in a room and told me to sleep and he'd be back later, and then I found out I had a tail and then I came here. I teleported."
All the adults stared at her rather confused. They exchanged looks. "Maybe he just wanted to play," Gourry innocently suggested.
"I doubt that," Lina sighed. "Though it does seem odd. Here, put your shirt on, Xaina." She handed the girl her shirt back as she pondered what exactly had happened.
"It doesn't make sense. Why would he take her and then play with her?" Filia asked.
"There you are!" Xellos half roared as he appeared right in front of the girl.
Xaina yelped and leaped into Lina's arms. Filia's mace went fling right for him. He disappeared out of harms way. He reappeared just above the dragon and snagged hold of the mace. She held fast to it, refusing to let go as he pulled on it.
"Let go, namagomi!" Filia roared.
"No!" he snapped. "I have been going half way around the world looking for her and I'm not about to let you get in the way."
"You can't have her!" Gourry growled, reaching for his sword.
"Oh, really, don't you think if I wanted to hurt her, I would have done it by now?"
Xaina clutched tightly to Lina. "Don't let him take me. I don't want to go back."
The words stunned Xellos and he let go of the mace, much to Filia's relief. She swung, but he dodged, ending up near the ceiling out of Filia's reach. "You don't want to go?" he asked the girl. She shook her head. "Why? I thought we were being friends."
"What's a filthy monster know about being friends?" Filia hissed.
"Well that's a good question," he quipped. "Xaina, what do you know about being friends?"
"She's not a monster!"
"Then what is she, may I ask?" he demanded in a childish tone. Filia paused, thinking about her response. None came to mind. "Exactly."
"Only because you turned her into one!" the dragon accused.
Xellos frowned. This was getting tiresome. "I didn't turn her into anything."
"Then why didn't she look like this before?" Lina barked. "And if you say that's a secret, you'll never get your hands on her without killing me first!"
He paused, thinking carefully about his answer. He wasn't going anywhere without Xaina and Lina didn't seem to eager to part with her. "I can't tell you," he finely stated.
"Why?" Filia asked suspiciously, gently rapping one hand on her mace.
Xellos smiled mischievously. "That's a secret." She swatted at him with her mace. He avoided it. "You do realize that the little tap you gave me before was just blind luck and you're never going to hit me again," he teased. He couldn't resist. She was just too tempting a target sometimes.
"Filthy monster," she growled in frustration.
Xaina suppressed a giggle, but couldn't keep from smiling. "See, you do like me," the trickster commented before dodging yet another of Filia's attacks. How the little golden dragon avoided braking anything was amazing, to say the least. Even in her little kitchen, there were still millions of things for her to break.
"No I don't!" the child snapped as she buried her face against Lina.
"Liar. I'm the master of secrets and I know when you're keeping one." Xellos pulled the bracelet out and held it up. "By the way, you forgot this."
"I didn't forget it, I left it."
"Oh, why's that?" he asked honestly. "Don't you like it?"
"You spelled it," Xaina answered frankly.
The monster frowned. "What makes you think that?"
Xaina shrugged. "Just felt like you did."
"What do you mean feels like it's spelled?" Lina asked. The whole exchanged had been interesting in her mind, though Gourry looked completely lost.
The girl shrugged again. "Don't know. It just feels different. Like your things. They feel different then most of Gourry's. You told me you put spells in your things, so I figured that's why they felt weird. The bracelet feels weird too."
Lina frowned. "I see." She glared up at Xellos.
"As I said, I didn't turn her into anything," he smirked.
"Did you put a spell on the bracelet?" the red head asked coldly.
"Perhaps." He floated down to the ground and peered at the small girl. He reached out of nowhere and produced two of the dolls.
"Those are Val's, you thief!" Filia snorted.
"I'm just borrowing them," he chided. "I'll return them later." The dragon glared at him but didn't try to attack. He was too close to Lina and Xaina and if she missed...well, let's just say it wouldn't be pretty. "Xaina?" he said very softly. "Can you tell me which one has a spell in it?" He held out the dolls for her inspection.
Xaina hesitated but finally took them. She looked each one carefully over, turning them this way and that. "This one," she concluded holding up the one that looked like a man wearing a green shirt. "You put something on this one."
Lina grabbed the doll and looked it over carefully while balancing the girl in one arm. Then she looked over the other one. She didn't see any difference. She tossed it to Filia, who did the same thing. She sighed and held it back out.
"She's right," Filia remarked. Lina tossed her the other one. "This one isn't."
"Well, that's new," Xellos chirped. "Never seen anyone do that before without using a spell."
"Do what?" Gourry asked.
"Find the spells in something," Lina replied. "I've never heard of anyone being able to do that."
"They can't?" Xaina questioned innocently. Lina shook her head.
Xellos tapped the girl lightly on the shoulder. "Told you."
"Told me what?!" she snapped at him.
"That you were special."
"You said I was a monster!" she retorted.
"And a unique one at that," he replied happily. "Now, will you come back with me?"
"No!"
"Xaina..."
"You tried to buy me like I was a slave!" she barked.
Lina quickly turned a shoulder to the monster. "You tried to buy her?"
"Ah...well..." he nervously stammered rubbing the back of his head. "Maybe once a long time ago."
"A year ago," the girl supplied.
"Better me then someone who would want to hurt you."
"I can take care of myself!"
"Ah yes, by throwing blocks. I remember now," he teased. She turned her nose up to him. "Nice to see your tail's come back in along with your ears. By the way, that itchy spot on you back will be your wings once they finish growing back in a few more hours."
Xaina's feline ears perked up and she looked over Lina's shoulder at him. She had a slightly sour look one face. "You never said I would grow wings!"
"You never asked."
"Back?" Gourry asked. "Did her they go somewhere?" Everyone looked over at the swordsman. "Her tail and wings and ears. You said they came back. Did they go somewhere?"
Xellos thought about this for a minute, the smile falling from his face. "I don't know," he admitted. "They just disappeared." He looked back at Xaina, smiling again. "Perhaps they have their own secrets."
"So she had them before?" Lina asked slyly.
"Uh...well...I...uh..." Xellos stammered. He frowned. He didn't like the way this game was going.
"Uh huh, I see." The sorceress bounced the girl a little higher up in her arms. "And what else don't we know?"
Xellos ignored Lina and instead focused on the girl. She was the one he needed to get on his side. "Xaina, are you sure you want to stay?" She nodded. "You know we wont be able to play out in Lord Beastmaster's garden again like we did earlier, or have tea, and the monsters will be back, right?"
"What monsters?" Lina, Filia, and Gourry demanded in unison.
"Oh, did you forget to mention that to them?" he asked coyly. Xaina blushed and buried her face against Lina. "I guess you did."
"What monsters?" Filia demanded.
"Oh, just all the monsters that happen to be hunting for her," he replied in his usual calm voice. "But, I guess if she's decided to stay here with you, then they're your problem now. They'll be sure to find her now that she's out of the territory of a monster lord. I guess I should be going then..." He turned sharply and disappeared. Filia stared in horror.
"Wait!" the dark haired child cried.
Xellos reappeared, sitting on the table. "Yes?"
"Why d' they want her?" Lina snapped.
"Because she's a monster, of course," he stated as if that explained everything. He relished in the baffled looks they all gave him. He liked it better when no one knew what was going on except him. "All the lords want her."
"That's why we were attacked, isn't it?" Xellos nodded happily.
"And the person with the glowing red staff who tried to take me and the person with the birds was in Beastmaster's garden, isn't it?" Xaina asked shyly.
Xellos hesitated nervously. "Oh, uh, yeah, about that night, sorry if I scared you with the whole glowing staff thing. I get carried away sometimes."
"I noticed," the girl muttered.
"As for the bird person, your guess is as good as mine. Are you still certain you want to stay here? You'll be putting all of them in danger?"
"I can handle a few monsters," Lina snorted. "I DID destroy Hellmaster and Darkstar, after all."
"You had help with Darkstar," he reminded the sorceress, "And it's not just a few monsters. It's all of them."
"Even you?!" Filia barked.
"You really should keep your voice down, Filia. You might wake Val up," he jeered. She growled and held her mace defensively.
"How do I know you don't want me for the exact same thing as all the other monsters?" Xaina inquired.
"You don't and I have no way to prove otherwise to you. You just have to trust me."
Xaina pondered this for a minute. She looked up at Lina, focusing on the woman's red eyes. "I don't really have much of a choice, do I?"
"What!?!" Lina nearly screamed. "Xaina...!!" She was silenced by Xaina as she hugged the woman.
"I'll be back. I promise," the girl sighed. She pulled back and smiled. "At least I can say good bye for now this time." She reached her hands out to Gourry, who picked her up. She gave him a quick hug and a quick baby kiss on the cheek. "We'll watch clouds when I come back, right?"
Gourry gave her one of his innocent smiles. "Of course. We'll have a picnic with sandwiches, and drinks, and basket..."
"Complete with the ants," Lina teased.
Xaina looked over at Filia. "I'll make sure Val's things are returned ASAP. Promise."
Xellos watched patiently, amazed at how compassionate this little girl could be, considering what she was. "Done?" he asked.
The girl sighed again and nodded. "Yeah." She reached out her hands and he took her. "We should..." Xaina's bag suddenly appeared on the end of his staff. "Guess you thought of that."
He smiled. "Of course." Then they disappeared.
"I hope she'll be alright," Filia murmured. "Do you think she really is a monster?" she asked Lina.
The sorceress shrugged disheartedly. "If she is, she doesn't act like any I've every met."
"But what does he want with her?" Gourry's familiar voice questioned. Xaina's heart quickened. They were in the kitchen. She stopped at the doorway and stared in. Lina, Gourry, and Filia were sitting at the table. A candle had been placed in the center of the table.
Filia's eyes suddenly shot in her direction. "Ah! Another one!" she screeched grabbing her mace. The mace suddenly went flying for the girl. Xaina hit the floor hard to avoid the weapon and injury, screeching as she did so. She looked up at Filia, her eyes pleading. What had she done wrong?
"What'd I do?" she whimpered.
All three of the adults looked confused. Lina got up and came over. She lifted Xaina up to her feet and examined her up and down. "Xaina? What...what happened?"
"Xaina?" the blonds both chimed in at once.
"Oh, Xaina, I'm so sorry," Filia apologized. "I...I..."
"What happened to her?" Gourry asked. "She didn't have a tail before..."
"Or the ears," Filia pointed out as she picked up her mace.
Xaina suddenly wrapped her arms around Lina's neck and burst into tears. Lina scooped her up and gently rubbed a hand up and down her back. "Shhhh," she cooed, "It's alright now. It's alright."
*****
In had been four hours since she had gone to sleep. How long did human children sleep? He wasn't really sure. Four hours. Had that been enough? Of course it was enough, he thought. She has to get back to training. She is a monster, after all, and monsters don't need sleep.
Xellos teleported into the room. She was still in bed. Let's have a little fun. He called the dolls up and and moved them on to the bed. He made them march up to stand around the sleeping girl.
"Oh Xaina," he called softly. "Wake up." She didn't move. He smiled. Alright, then we'll try a little rougher wake up call. He floated up over her and reached for the covers. "Xaina...Xaina?" He looked down at the pillows under the covers confused. The bracelet he had given her was sitting neatly on top of them. "Now where have you gone." He sighed with frustration, tucked the bracelet in a hidden pocket, and began a thorough search of the room. He turned up no sign of her. "Now, Xaina, we can't start making a habit of this."
He thought back to where she might go without being seen. The garden was the first place to check. He searched the garden rapidly for her, reaching for the bracelet. No, not there. He turned his attention to the rest of the mansion...she wasn't there either. Now he was starting to panic. Where else could she have gone...?
*****
Filia was examining Xaina's back. The dragon woman's cold hands felt strange as she pressed the itching flesh. It did sooth the itching a little, but it made the skin feel almost detached. She looked up at Lina and shrugged.
"I'm not sure what he did," the blond woman admitted. "It's almost like he's turning her into a monster..."
"But don't you have to be reborn for that?" Lina asked.
"I thought so, though maybe not. I don't really know all that much about monster magic."
"He can turn me into a monster?" Xaina asked, looking up at Lina. The sorceress' uncertain frown was not the least bit encouraging. "Oh."
Gourry handed the girl a glass of water he'd gone to get for her. She gulped it down. "What'd Xellos do to you?" he asked when she handed him the cup back.
"Not much," she admitted. "He took me to meet this strange lady who smoked a lot, I know she smoked a lot Ôcause I could smell it on her, an' she was called Lord Beastmaster. Then he took me to his room and told me to go asleep, but I wasn't tired so I just laid there. Then he came back and talked a little, left, and I ran outside and got lost in maze where I saw some strange person with birds who disappeared. Then Xellos chased me with some of Val's little people dolls and took me back to the big scary house where he lives and left me in his room again, Ôcept he locked the doors this time. When he came back, we played with the dolls and blocks and we played hide an' seek, and I saw Lord Beastmaster again who told me Ôbout me ears looking weird." She paused in her explanation to rub her hands over her ears. "The we had tea..."
"You and Beastmaster?" Filia asked horrified.
"No, me an' Xellos. He had the dolls pour the tea. He really likes those dolls. I was kinda tired, so he put in a room and told me to sleep and he'd be back later, and then I found out I had a tail and then I came here. I teleported."
All the adults stared at her rather confused. They exchanged looks. "Maybe he just wanted to play," Gourry innocently suggested.
"I doubt that," Lina sighed. "Though it does seem odd. Here, put your shirt on, Xaina." She handed the girl her shirt back as she pondered what exactly had happened.
"It doesn't make sense. Why would he take her and then play with her?" Filia asked.
"There you are!" Xellos half roared as he appeared right in front of the girl.
Xaina yelped and leaped into Lina's arms. Filia's mace went fling right for him. He disappeared out of harms way. He reappeared just above the dragon and snagged hold of the mace. She held fast to it, refusing to let go as he pulled on it.
"Let go, namagomi!" Filia roared.
"No!" he snapped. "I have been going half way around the world looking for her and I'm not about to let you get in the way."
"You can't have her!" Gourry growled, reaching for his sword.
"Oh, really, don't you think if I wanted to hurt her, I would have done it by now?"
Xaina clutched tightly to Lina. "Don't let him take me. I don't want to go back."
The words stunned Xellos and he let go of the mace, much to Filia's relief. She swung, but he dodged, ending up near the ceiling out of Filia's reach. "You don't want to go?" he asked the girl. She shook her head. "Why? I thought we were being friends."
"What's a filthy monster know about being friends?" Filia hissed.
"Well that's a good question," he quipped. "Xaina, what do you know about being friends?"
"She's not a monster!"
"Then what is she, may I ask?" he demanded in a childish tone. Filia paused, thinking about her response. None came to mind. "Exactly."
"Only because you turned her into one!" the dragon accused.
Xellos frowned. This was getting tiresome. "I didn't turn her into anything."
"Then why didn't she look like this before?" Lina barked. "And if you say that's a secret, you'll never get your hands on her without killing me first!"
He paused, thinking carefully about his answer. He wasn't going anywhere without Xaina and Lina didn't seem to eager to part with her. "I can't tell you," he finely stated.
"Why?" Filia asked suspiciously, gently rapping one hand on her mace.
Xellos smiled mischievously. "That's a secret." She swatted at him with her mace. He avoided it. "You do realize that the little tap you gave me before was just blind luck and you're never going to hit me again," he teased. He couldn't resist. She was just too tempting a target sometimes.
"Filthy monster," she growled in frustration.
Xaina suppressed a giggle, but couldn't keep from smiling. "See, you do like me," the trickster commented before dodging yet another of Filia's attacks. How the little golden dragon avoided braking anything was amazing, to say the least. Even in her little kitchen, there were still millions of things for her to break.
"No I don't!" the child snapped as she buried her face against Lina.
"Liar. I'm the master of secrets and I know when you're keeping one." Xellos pulled the bracelet out and held it up. "By the way, you forgot this."
"I didn't forget it, I left it."
"Oh, why's that?" he asked honestly. "Don't you like it?"
"You spelled it," Xaina answered frankly.
The monster frowned. "What makes you think that?"
Xaina shrugged. "Just felt like you did."
"What do you mean feels like it's spelled?" Lina asked. The whole exchanged had been interesting in her mind, though Gourry looked completely lost.
The girl shrugged again. "Don't know. It just feels different. Like your things. They feel different then most of Gourry's. You told me you put spells in your things, so I figured that's why they felt weird. The bracelet feels weird too."
Lina frowned. "I see." She glared up at Xellos.
"As I said, I didn't turn her into anything," he smirked.
"Did you put a spell on the bracelet?" the red head asked coldly.
"Perhaps." He floated down to the ground and peered at the small girl. He reached out of nowhere and produced two of the dolls.
"Those are Val's, you thief!" Filia snorted.
"I'm just borrowing them," he chided. "I'll return them later." The dragon glared at him but didn't try to attack. He was too close to Lina and Xaina and if she missed...well, let's just say it wouldn't be pretty. "Xaina?" he said very softly. "Can you tell me which one has a spell in it?" He held out the dolls for her inspection.
Xaina hesitated but finally took them. She looked each one carefully over, turning them this way and that. "This one," she concluded holding up the one that looked like a man wearing a green shirt. "You put something on this one."
Lina grabbed the doll and looked it over carefully while balancing the girl in one arm. Then she looked over the other one. She didn't see any difference. She tossed it to Filia, who did the same thing. She sighed and held it back out.
"She's right," Filia remarked. Lina tossed her the other one. "This one isn't."
"Well, that's new," Xellos chirped. "Never seen anyone do that before without using a spell."
"Do what?" Gourry asked.
"Find the spells in something," Lina replied. "I've never heard of anyone being able to do that."
"They can't?" Xaina questioned innocently. Lina shook her head.
Xellos tapped the girl lightly on the shoulder. "Told you."
"Told me what?!" she snapped at him.
"That you were special."
"You said I was a monster!" she retorted.
"And a unique one at that," he replied happily. "Now, will you come back with me?"
"No!"
"Xaina..."
"You tried to buy me like I was a slave!" she barked.
Lina quickly turned a shoulder to the monster. "You tried to buy her?"
"Ah...well..." he nervously stammered rubbing the back of his head. "Maybe once a long time ago."
"A year ago," the girl supplied.
"Better me then someone who would want to hurt you."
"I can take care of myself!"
"Ah yes, by throwing blocks. I remember now," he teased. She turned her nose up to him. "Nice to see your tail's come back in along with your ears. By the way, that itchy spot on you back will be your wings once they finish growing back in a few more hours."
Xaina's feline ears perked up and she looked over Lina's shoulder at him. She had a slightly sour look one face. "You never said I would grow wings!"
"You never asked."
"Back?" Gourry asked. "Did her they go somewhere?" Everyone looked over at the swordsman. "Her tail and wings and ears. You said they came back. Did they go somewhere?"
Xellos thought about this for a minute, the smile falling from his face. "I don't know," he admitted. "They just disappeared." He looked back at Xaina, smiling again. "Perhaps they have their own secrets."
"So she had them before?" Lina asked slyly.
"Uh...well...I...uh..." Xellos stammered. He frowned. He didn't like the way this game was going.
"Uh huh, I see." The sorceress bounced the girl a little higher up in her arms. "And what else don't we know?"
Xellos ignored Lina and instead focused on the girl. She was the one he needed to get on his side. "Xaina, are you sure you want to stay?" She nodded. "You know we wont be able to play out in Lord Beastmaster's garden again like we did earlier, or have tea, and the monsters will be back, right?"
"What monsters?" Lina, Filia, and Gourry demanded in unison.
"Oh, did you forget to mention that to them?" he asked coyly. Xaina blushed and buried her face against Lina. "I guess you did."
"What monsters?" Filia demanded.
"Oh, just all the monsters that happen to be hunting for her," he replied in his usual calm voice. "But, I guess if she's decided to stay here with you, then they're your problem now. They'll be sure to find her now that she's out of the territory of a monster lord. I guess I should be going then..." He turned sharply and disappeared. Filia stared in horror.
"Wait!" the dark haired child cried.
Xellos reappeared, sitting on the table. "Yes?"
"Why d' they want her?" Lina snapped.
"Because she's a monster, of course," he stated as if that explained everything. He relished in the baffled looks they all gave him. He liked it better when no one knew what was going on except him. "All the lords want her."
"That's why we were attacked, isn't it?" Xellos nodded happily.
"And the person with the glowing red staff who tried to take me and the person with the birds was in Beastmaster's garden, isn't it?" Xaina asked shyly.
Xellos hesitated nervously. "Oh, uh, yeah, about that night, sorry if I scared you with the whole glowing staff thing. I get carried away sometimes."
"I noticed," the girl muttered.
"As for the bird person, your guess is as good as mine. Are you still certain you want to stay here? You'll be putting all of them in danger?"
"I can handle a few monsters," Lina snorted. "I DID destroy Hellmaster and Darkstar, after all."
"You had help with Darkstar," he reminded the sorceress, "And it's not just a few monsters. It's all of them."
"Even you?!" Filia barked.
"You really should keep your voice down, Filia. You might wake Val up," he jeered. She growled and held her mace defensively.
"How do I know you don't want me for the exact same thing as all the other monsters?" Xaina inquired.
"You don't and I have no way to prove otherwise to you. You just have to trust me."
Xaina pondered this for a minute. She looked up at Lina, focusing on the woman's red eyes. "I don't really have much of a choice, do I?"
"What!?!" Lina nearly screamed. "Xaina...!!" She was silenced by Xaina as she hugged the woman.
"I'll be back. I promise," the girl sighed. She pulled back and smiled. "At least I can say good bye for now this time." She reached her hands out to Gourry, who picked her up. She gave him a quick hug and a quick baby kiss on the cheek. "We'll watch clouds when I come back, right?"
Gourry gave her one of his innocent smiles. "Of course. We'll have a picnic with sandwiches, and drinks, and basket..."
"Complete with the ants," Lina teased.
Xaina looked over at Filia. "I'll make sure Val's things are returned ASAP. Promise."
Xellos watched patiently, amazed at how compassionate this little girl could be, considering what she was. "Done?" he asked.
The girl sighed again and nodded. "Yeah." She reached out her hands and he took her. "We should..." Xaina's bag suddenly appeared on the end of his staff. "Guess you thought of that."
He smiled. "Of course." Then they disappeared.
"I hope she'll be alright," Filia murmured. "Do you think she really is a monster?" she asked Lina.
The sorceress shrugged disheartedly. "If she is, she doesn't act like any I've every met."