RANDOM BABBLINGS ©

I'm BAAAACK!

But not for long, 'cos school starts again TOMORROW!!! The biggest sob story of my life! This is Star "I hate my life"/ "Whatever" Chibi-chan coming to you from Dijabringabeeralong Australia. I have started and re-started the sequel to Chaos so many times it just ain't funny, so I decided to post this one and get it the hell over with, working from there. If I don't like it I might even stop writing it, but try an' be patient with this one 'cos this year is turning out to be a lot harder than last year, so I don't have nearly so much time. I'll try and get the chapters up as fast as I can but y'know how it is…the main characters of this one are L'risia (read Chaos, you IDIOT) and Val, and Lina's kids, Rina and Roudy. I've got an idea for another character as well- Martina's eldest daughter o.0 the original cast will be included, but I haven't decided was as yet, since I really think they all deserve a break, and they have lives now that they've grown up. Scary, hey. Anyway. Any suggestions about what to do with the practically non-existent plot would be welcome, and now I have to shut up because I haven't donw my Lit homework which is due first day back…TOMORROW! ARGH! I need a drink…

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THE ACTUAL STORY

Chapter 1: Beginning- Where All The Trouble Started

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Jimmy Johnson was a baker. Or had been. He was feeling curiously numb, as he watched his bleeding body at his ethereal feet. After a long while, he was aware that the clock had stopped ticking, in the way that you don't notice a sound until it's not there, and that the blood had stopped flowing, trickling onto the floor making the old worn wood a rich red-brown. Had he been alive, he would have said his blood would have frozen in his veins, but since it was quite obvious it was no longer in his veins, nor was he in any sort of position to claim he had veins at all, he settled for the icing-over of protoplasm.

good evening.

Jimmy whirled around, facing an average-height, slender figure in a black hooded robe. The echoing voice sent shivers up his spine, but-

'A woman?'

Oh, fine. Look, belief can only take you so far. I'm not going to turn into a skeleton. Be grateful I'm wearing the robe, and that's because I wear one like this anyway.

Jimmy stood to attention, the voice like the lid of a stone coffin crashing down forcing it's way into his subconsciousness, even in death, it would seem the fear of it was eternal.

'Sorry, ma'am. Um- what happens now?'

well, hold still for a start.

Jimmy cringed as a wickedly silver-blue blade swung out from the staff the…female creature was carrying, and she swung with a practised grace. Jimmy felt something break, and he looked down at his hands. He was beginning to fade. He looked up, trying to see past the darkness in the hood to the face beneath.

'And now what?'

What's up to you. I do have a question, however.

She pulled an ornate hourglass out from some invisible pocket in the air, and held it in one hand. Silver sands lay heaped at the bottom, but some had frozen in the act of falling. A nasty feeling began to work its way up in the spirit's mind.

'I died before I was supposed to?'

Yes. You didn't do anything did you?

'I've been at the shop for days! I slept with the girl across the road but it's not like I'm married or anything and-'

All right, she sighed, just checking. You can't lie to me, I've found. I think it must be the whole Death thing. Anyway. Bummer.

'You know you're- not exactly the kind of Death I pictured.' Jimmy said nervously, not really sure how to deal with this sot of thing. He'd never really expected anyone involved with the afterlife to say "Bummer" when things were apparently not going their way. And the voice like funeral bells seemed to be lessening his tongue, too- making him want to cry and scream and confess everything he'd ever done just in case it was wrong.

The hourglass was held up, apparently for inspection, in front of the hood.

I've never been one to fill the stereotype. It's a matter of principle.

Jimmy's spirit finally disappeared, much to his private relief, and the girl's fingernails tapped a tattoo on the benchtop that no one but her could hear, staring at the mutilated body on the floor without any emotion. Finally she pushed back her hood, and ran a hand through braided blue hair.

'Dammit. Look like it's back to saving the whole bloody world again. I wonder if Xelloss knows anything…'

She too, disappeared. And the clock started ticking again, and the blood on the floor began to flow into the cracks of the floorboards.

Val finished winding the lights around the pole, and looked down-and-down-and down, until finally he saw the small group at the very bottom of the tower on Seyruun. One of them had red hair, and was slowly rising to meet him. Val sat back on the sunlight roof and waited until the older-looking woman had reacher him, grinning as she inspected.

'Nice work, I don't think it'll blow down.'

'Thankyou, inspector Gabriev.' Val said wearily, and slid off the roof. It would have startled anyone else, but his fall slowed at the last few metres and he landed softly on the cobbles below. Two little kids came running up, and threw themselves on the tall blonde man who'd just opened his mouth to say something to Val.

'Daddy! The storyteller's back!' the oldest, a redheaded girl, pleaded. 'Can we go and see her! Please?'

'What storyteller?'

Val and the man's wife facefaulted.

'She only comes here every two months you IDIOT!' roared Lina. 'AND she's practically Filia's adopted daughter cross best friend AND she looks after Rina and Roudy when we go out and Val can't do it AND-'

'Okay, Lina,' Val soothed. 'Settle down, it's Gourry after all.'

Lina muttered under her breath, steaming. Val shrugged.

'Well, if you two don't want to walk them there I'll do it. It's been a while since I've seen L'ri anyway.'

'Okay,' Lina agreed happily. 'We'll help finish setting up the lights for the festival, okay kids?'

'YAY! Can we get ice cream too, Oniichan?' Roudy shouted, as Val picked him up and put him on his shoulders.

'How much money do you think I have?' Val sighed, knowing he'd be buying two double banana splits before the day was out.

'Thankyou for telling me you're back.'

Val smirked as the black-cloaked girl on the seat jumped in shock, whirling around.

'Oh Val.' She gasped, and glared at him. 'Doesn't DO that. Besides, I only got in yesterday evening.'

'You could've come around for dinner, ya know. Mum will have a fit that you didn't. She needs a lot of help with the shop where you aren't around.'

The girl sighed.

'Can't you help her, you incompetent?'

Val frowned.

'That's not nice and er-' he laughed sheepishly. 'I've only been home for a few days myself.'

She rolled grey eyes at him, and sat back down on her seat, resuming her story to the children at her feet after telling them off for not alerting her to the boy sneaking up behind her. Val settled down on the hot cobbles as well, leaning back on his hands, soon realising this was the story when Xelloss had first shown up. The kids seemed to be divided about whether the purple haired priest was a bad guy or a good guy. When she finished, she turned away pleas for another.

'No, sorry kids- I've had a long couple of days. I'll tell you what happened next tomorrow morning, all right?'

With reluctant agreement, the children moved away, and L'risia stretched.

'C'm have a banana split with us, oneesan!' Rina grinned, picking up L'risia's staff for her and putting it into the girl's hands. 'Val said he'd buy us some!'

L'risia raised an eyebrow, doubting he'd said any such thing, but kept that thought to herself.

'I'm not really hungry, kids, but I'd like to hear what's been going on when I'm away. You don't mind Val?'

'Hell no,' he said quickly, and then realised he must have sounded a bit too eager. 'Uh, I mean yeah if you want.'

'L'risia!' Lina grinned, hugging the girl tightly as soon as she saw her standing in the street outside. Val had had to pressed himself against the wall to avoid being run over.

'Good to see you too,' L'risia said, embarrassed at the attention. 'Actually I was going to see Filia and Xelloss.'

Lina nodded.

'Filia will be happy to see you. I think Xelloss is around somewhere as well, but he might be helping Amelia.'

'Helping Amelia?' L'risia repeated. Lina nodded as they sat down on the steps of the house.

'Yes. Xelloss, because he's so old, is really good with knowing how and what would be good diplomatic actions. Phil's been letting Amelia get a taste of royalty to prepare her for when she becomes Queen of Seyruun, sending her on more diplomatic missions and stuff. So she basically recruited Xelloss to help with the tricky stuff.'

'I bet Zel didn't like that.'

'Actually he and Xelloss seem to be getting along okay now,' Lina mused. 'I think it's the whole human thing again. Zel's forgiven Rezo, and even calls him his grandfather sometimes, and I guess he doesn't care about Xelloss burning the Claire bible all those years ago any more.'

L'risia reflected that is was a long time to Lina. For her, an immortal, the years blended together. They seemed to be doing that more and more lately. Perhaps a quest wasn't such a bad thing. Lina must've noticed the slightly sad look on her friend's face.

'What's wrong?'

'Oh…I've just been feeling…I dunno.' L'risia looked up at the stars. 'Like there's no time left in my world.'

'Your-'

'Every immortal-' L'risia sighed, and settled back for a long explanation. 'Every immortal learns to deal with the everlasting time span they live in. Most don't even notice it, but when you come into contact with humans like the Mazoku and us Priestesses, you kind of become more aware of time. It starts to matter, rather then being an endless cycle of days and nights, seasons that keep on repeating with little significance except for the possible need for more firewood. It's part of the reason most Mazoku are so paranoid about dying. With me so far?'

Lina nodded, and Val leaned a little closer to the door.

'All right. Now I'm one of the victims of time, Lina. It matters to me. I feel attached to it, bonded. I shouldn't, but I do. Or did. Now imagine that time which I treasure blending together in a blur, the same old, everything the same and just an endless cycle of what I must do and what I like doing, everything the same. It's like you go brain dead, unaware of anything outside of the spinning mess inside your head. Like-like a sequence of nightmares which run together so fast you can barely remember except that they scared the hell out of you.'

'I'm not sure I understand.' L'risia said softly.

'No, I don't suppose you would.' L'risia sighed. 'But I don't suppose it matters. I didn't even realise it until that incident the other day-'

'What incident?' L'risia said.

'Oh, nothing major, just something silly.' L'risia said, smiling faintly. It was clear she was weary and disturbed by her "brain numbness".

'Okay,' Lina said, narrowing her eyes but choosing not to press the matter. Years in the company of Xelloss and to an extent, Zel and Val, had taught her that sometimes stubborn people would just not tell you what was bothering them. No matter what, although Val had given in after she'd threatened to tell his mother he'd been dating L'risia for a few months without telling her. The fate he would suffer at both the hands of his mother AND L'risia had been too terrible to imagine. L'risia stood up, pulling her black hood up over her head, her thick brown plait curling around her shoulder. Though her hair colour was naturally blue, L'risia found brown hair made her stand out less, and didn't draw much attention.

'And now I should go see Filia.' L'risia said with another weary, sad smile. 'I can crash there for the night, she's always got a couch free.'

'Even when she kicks Xelloss out?' Lina said naughtily, and both women grinned. Val snickered, and swallowed as Lina yanked him out from his hiding post. She didn't say anything, just stared. More words were said with that ruby stare than anything shaped by a tongue and lips could manage.

'Won't do it again, ma'am.' He said, straightening up.

'Let's hope not,' L'risia said in a low voice. Val winced at the sharp undertone, and shrugged, giving Lina and her children a hug goodnight before leaving with L'risia. Gourry put his hand on his wife's shoulder.

'You were right. I think they'd be perfect for the job.'

'I'm surprised you remembered.' Lina teased, poking his stomach playfully. Gourry grinned, ruffling her still vibrant red hair affectionately.

'I could never forget out kids, dear. L'risia will probably want paying, though.'

Lina looked miserable.

'You're right. I think Cleo was a really bad influence on that poor girl. She was so innocent, once upon a time.'

'Um, Lina?'

'Yes, Gourry?' she asked, as he shut the door behind them.

'She's thousands of years old.'

'That,' Lina said firmly, 'Is beside the point. If I say she's been corrupted then she has. Just like poor Val growing up with Xelloss around.'

'I thought he was pretty fond of Xel… oh, I see your point.'

'Thankyou. Now, what do you want for dinner or shall we get take-out?'

'Oh, Amelia sent an invitation!' Gourry grinned, flourishing the gold-gilt letter in front of his wife's startled eyes. 'It starts at six, Lina. Do you want to go? The kids can come as well.'

Lina just stared at the letter; with so much gold around the edges the paper's edges would meet if you held it out over one finger.

'Gourry,' she said, low and dangerous, 'When did you get that letter?'

'Oh, Zel gave it to me when I was around there last week.'

'LAST WEEK?!'

'Mum!' Val yelled, walking in the door. 'I'm home!'

'Actually Fi-chan's out at the moment-' a cheery voice said, and a few seconds later Xelloss's head popped up over the sofa. L'risia realised his feet were hanging over the side too. His feet were bare, as well. She looked down at the doorway. Sure enough- a pair of light brown boots. And a familiar looking cloak, too. A slow smile crept onto her face.

'Made yourself at home, I see.' Val commented sarcastically, after picking up what L'risia had glanced at. Xelloss just smiled, and said nothing except,

'L'risia dear! You're back!'

'Yeah,' L'risia nodded, and tried to ignore the nagging feeling inside her that wanted to collapse into the couch opposite Xelloss, and curl up to sleep. Xelloss immediately picke dup on how tired she was.

'Poor girl, you didn't sleep well last night with the Prince Phil returning last night did you?'

L'risia shook her head slowly, and glanced at Val.

'D'you mind if I put my cloak up as well?'

'Huh? Oh no, go ahead.' Val said, waving a hand amiably. He was surprised at her question. 'Do you guys want a drink? Xelloss?'

'Coffee, thanks.'

'Me too!'

Val nodded as L'risia sat down gratefully onto the soft couch, and met Xelloss's violet gaze.

'Do you know?' she whispered, knowing how sharp Val's hearing was. He nodded slightly.

'It's worrying. I believe you and your two friends receive most of it?'

L'risia nodded, and Xelloss moved next to her suddenly.

'Val's in danger?' he hissed softly.

'Yes, he is.' L'risia muttered, as soft as she could. Near as she could tell, Xelloss looked both angry and sad. He moved back across.

'We'll talk later then.' He murmured. 'Your friends?'

'Have had their share of problems and I won't involve them in necessary. They've accepted the changes, but they aren't aware of the- fluxes. I'm the only one, because I remain tied to this world more closely.'

Xelloss nodded, and swung his feet back up.

'What're you reading?' L'risia asked in her normal voice, curious. Xelloss held it up.

'Alice and the Looking Glass?!'

'It's a good story,' Xelloss sniffed. 'I feel like I'm relieving my childhood.'

'Xelloss, you never HAD a childhood.' L'risia muttered, and her eyes narrowed. She snatched the book, and removed the one inside of it. 'Hmph. Should've guessed.'

'There's nothing wrong with it, is there?'

'Xelloss, I realise you are a guy.' She muttered, running a hand through her hair and frowning as she reached knots in her long bangs. 'But-'

'Yes?'

'Is it really necessary for you to read Disney Adventures?' she sighed.

'They had an article on DBZ.' Xelloss sighed. 'I was catching up with the latest.'

'I've read that one already.' L'risia yawned, unconsciously settling back down, the warmth of the home lulling her to sleep. Xelloss chattered aimlessly with no real point except to get her to sleep, and smiled to himself as he eyes fluttered closed, and her breathing soon became regular and even. He stood up, and poked his head in the small kitchen.

'Oh Val?'

'Hm?'

'Don't bother with L'ri's coffee, our young priestess has fallen asleep.' Xelloss said, tucking his purple hair behind an ear. 'Why don't you go and put her up in your room so she doesn't get woken up when Filia comes in.'

'Wha-?!' Val gasped, his cheeks going bright red. Xelloss pushed him out the door, taking the spoon off him.

'Go on. I'll finish up here.'

'I'm home!' Filia shouted, sliding off her shoes and noticing the extra pair of boots with a frown. 'Who-'

'Ssh, Fi-chan.' Xelloss grinned, materialising around the corner. 'Our extra guest is asleep.'

'Who?' Filia asked, showing no surprise at Xelloss's presence, and added absently, 'Don't call me Fi-chan.'

'L'risia, it would appear, has arrived back for a short time.' Xelloss smiled, ignoring her comment. 'Val's making dinner for tomorrow in the kitchen, by the way.'

Filia beamed. 'Oh good! That means she can come to the dinner Amelia's having up at the palace! I understand that all her old friend are coming!'

A nasty thought occurred to Xelloss as he hung up her cloak for her and then followed her into the kitchen.

'Uh, does that mean a Princess Martina and her husband are coming as well?'

'I don't know them,' Filia blinked, 'Isn't Martina the girl that came with Lina during that mess with the Hellmaster?'

'Yes,' Xelloss sighed, rubbing his temples and then snatching up a spoon and making off with a spoonful of rich bolognaise sauce. 'Mm! I must say, Val's a better cook than YOU ever will be, Fi-chan!'

'What was that?!' Filia growled, storming after him as he danced into the living room.

Val sighed, absently stirring the sauce, his thoughts straying to the dinner his adopted mother had mentioned. He'd completely forgotten about it, of course. He'd never been bothered with that kind of thing. But now that he did, he remembered his mother had said there was no way he was getting out of it when she'd notified him buy magically sent letter the week before. She'd been quite persuasive, but Val had drawn the line at getting his hair cut. After a lot of endless teasing, he'd grown out his "gravity-defying deranged-mop" hairstyle into one that resembled the one he didn't remember, but the Priestesses did, the one he'd had as an adult Val Agares. He tied it back into a loose, low ponytail and didn't worry about it. He liked his hair, despite his mother's insistence it made him look like a braggart. Cleo told him he looked sexy. On that thought-

It occurred to Val his mother wasn't going to let L'risia off either. The other Priestesses of Chaos would be there, and if Filia didn't make L'ri go, then they would. He turned down the heat and swept his bangs out of his eyes again as he walked past where Xelloss and Filia were bickering.

'Where're you going?' Xelloss said, ducking a mace strike with practised ease.

'I'm going to wake up L'ri,' Val sighed. 'Since she's going to want a shower and everything before the party.'

'THE PARTY!' shrieked Filia, dropping her mace on Xelloss's head purely by accident, much to the vacating mazoku's shock, and Val's secret amusement. She dashed into the bathroom, and both men could hear the bath running.

'There's three hours left.' Xelloss said after a while, looking amused. Val rolled his eyes.

'That's mother, I guess. You should be grateful she'd going into all this effort.'

'Huh?'

But Xelloss got no reply, as Val disappeared up the stairs with a grin and a step or two. After a while, Xelloss shrugged, and got back to being updated on the latest DBZ family tree, which can get really confusing if you include creators, fusions, etc.

'Hey L'ri.'

'Yeah?' L'risia said to Val's voice, which floated in through the door. He was leaning on the other side as she got changed.

'Why're you a month late? I mean, you usually come around about every two months, right?'

L'risia stopped what she was doing, and a few strands on silky blue hair fell down around her shoulder blades to go unnoticed.

'I- had a few jobs to take care of. That's all I can tell you- I'm sorry.'

'That's all right,' Val said. She could hear the shrug in his voice. 'I'll see you downstairs, okay?'

'Yeah, fine.'

L'risia frowned, and let go of his thick hair, pouting at the unruly soft thick waves of azure that refused to do as she told it. Filia teleported in next to her, grinning. She was wearing a beautiful white dress, little sequins glittering as they wrapped around and spread, the number in increasing with the soft amount of pink in the dress to the bottom of the slightly flowing skirt.

'That's a really nice dress,' L'risia said. 'Where'd you get it? Cleo will kill you for it.'

'She can try,' Filia grinned 'Want me to do your hair?'

'That's probably a good idea.' L'risia sighed. 'Thanks Filia. I owe you.'

'Good! I know just what you can do then.' Filia grinned. L'risia looked at the woman suspiciously in the mirror.

'What?'

'You can go with Val as your escort, instead of just being there, agreed?'

'What?!' L'risia snapped, and then relented at the cold blue fire in Filia's eyes. 'All right. But doesn't he have a girlfriend or something he wants to go with?'

'Nope.' Filia grinned, and chose to leave off what she was thinking, instead picking up a comb. 'Let's see what I can do.'

'WOMEN!'

'You said it.' Xelloss muttered. 'Just what is taking them so long?'

'Are you two down there?' Filia called down. Val and Xelloss swapped looks at the giggle in her voice, not trusting it.

'Ye-es.' They answered together.

'No way then.' L'risia said firmly. 'You two wait outside. I ain't walking down the stairs like the stupid bloody movies.'

'Oh, but I can provide the soundtrack if you want!' Xelloss grinned, producing a CD player out of nowhere.

'Xelloss.' Growled L'risia. Filia sighed, and pulled the girl down the stairs after her. It wasn't the most dignified of entrances, but to Xelloss and Val, who'd never seen either woman really dressed up before (Xelloss had been out on the last two balls that had been thrown, and Filia hadn't gone to one, because it was late-night shopping and she'd miss business. And Val was just travelling. Sometimes he even travelled just to avoid a ball.) it was sufficient for a slight jaw-drop on Val's part and Xelloss's eyes to open and raise an eyebrow in surprised calculation, before reaching across and tapping Val's jaw closed with a finger. Filia had done something to her hair. It wasn't just blonde anymore- it was a flowing river of melted gold, the two braids that were looped at the back of her head twisted works of metal-craft that defied explanation and made it look like someone had woven sunshine with the silk pink ribbon that had been interwoven with the plait. L'risia had obviously refused to go with anything but black, and had made a concession to cobalt. She'd let her hair out for once, and it now curled in sapphire waves around her shoulders and back. Her long black skirt flared slightly, the colour lightening to deep blue at the top of the strapless top she wore. She was trying to adjust the long black gloves she wore, which were obviously annoying her.

'See?' she snapped. 'Unnecessary dramatics- um, Val are you okay? You look like you haven't taken a breath for a while.'

Val blinked, and coughed violently, trying to get his breath back. L'risia picked her black, hooded cloak off the rack.

'Don't you think that's a bit old?' Filia asked. L'risia smiled, and the fabric rippled with change, becoming a sleek black cloak which she three around her bare shoulders. She was trying to ignore Val, in his deep blue dress shirt and black pants, the first two buttons undone on his shirt. Xelloss, she was not surprised to noticed, turned out quite well of course, refined well-dressed in his wine-coloured dress shirt and black suit.

'Shall we go then?' Xelloss asked, holding out his arm to Filia. The blonde dragon hesitated, then smiled and looped her arm through his. L'risia grinned, noticing the look of brief surprise on the man's face. The pair disappeared.

'You know, sometimes they really do seem older than me.' She murmured.

'Why do you say that?' Val asked curiously. She shrugged.

'I don't know. Perhaps it's the family atmosphere that I never had. But ah- I wouldn't say that to Filia and Xelloss.'

'Wasn't planning to.' Val grinned, holding out his hand. After hesitation, L'risia slid hers into his, and they to disappeared with his teleport.

'I'm so excited!' Amelia beamed. Zelgadis leaned on the pole of the four-post bed, looking bored.

'You've been saying that over and over again, Amelia.'

'Well I am!' she sighed, running a brush through her now shoulder-length, silky black hair. Zelgadis smiled, watching her place the tiara on her head, and then sigh, replacing it on its cushion on the table. She instead put a simple circlet of silver on her head, three diamonds glittering on her brow. She stood up in a swish of expensive azure silk, the thread that made up the see-through, silver long sleeves of he dress occasionally catching the final rays of sun as they danced through the open window-doors of the bedroom.

'You look beautiful.' Zelgadis smiled, meaning every word. Amelia smiled, taking his hand, her cheeks tinged pink from his rare compliment. Usually, so much of what he said went unspoken. The words never needed to be said between them, but it was nice when they did.

'And you look gorgeous.' She grinned, kissing his cheek and getting a faint blush from him in return. They passed through the hall, where they stopped and looked over the main entrance-ball room

'How did you talk me into this?' Zelgadis asked, his nose wrinkling in distaste as he noted a few nobles and such already there. Originally it had been a small affair for just their old friends- but then Phil had decided it was an excellent opportunity for neighbouring lands to feel like they were close to Seyruun, getting to know the future queen better like a friend. "Privacy", Zelgadis had long, long ago decided, was a word that did not exist in the higher circles. Amelia poked his stomach through the black dress shirt he was wearing, smiling in a way that no one except her slightly delusional father could think innocent.

'Do you want me to remind you?' she whispered. Zel said nothing, not trusting himself to answer.

'AMEEEELIAAAA! ZEEEEEL!'

Both winced, and looked down at where the doors had been flung open.

'Hi Lina!' Amelia called. 'You didn't hurt the guards this time did you?'

'Aw, you know I only did that last time because of principle.' Lina grinned, watched her old friend run down the stairs to greet her. Zelgadis followed at a more sedate pace, after waving his greeting. Two small children appeared from behind Lina's flame-coloured skirt as Amelia finished embracing Lina.

'Rina, Roudy, say hello.' Lina grinned. 'Come on, you've know Amelia all your lives. Why so scared?'

Amelia jerked a thumb at the other guests.

'It's probably them, right?' she sighed. The kids nodded, and pulled the young woman down to their level.

'That old guy keeps on laughing.' Roudy said accusingly. Amelia glanced over her shoulder, and nodded.

'That's Lord Levin. He's a real snob, but very rich, so my father sort of had to invite him. I wouldn't worry about him. Zel doesn't like him either- do you?'

Zelgadis rubbed the back of his head, in answer to the confused look on Lina and Gourry.

'Um, I sort of blew up at him a while ago- and I ended up beating the crap out of his son as well. He didn't take it too well.'

Gourry laughed, clapping his friend on the shoulder. 'Good on ya. What'rve you been doing lately? I heard you and our princess went somewhere?'

'Yeah, up to the Islands.' Zelgadis said, beginning to explain. Amelia and Lina began talking after pointing the children in the direction of the table piled with food, which was labelled "Gabriev children exclusively."

'Amelia!' Filia beamed, appearing behind the young woman with Xelloss.

'Filia, it's good to see you- you look so pretty! And Xelloss- you turned out really well.' Amelia said.

'Thankyou, princess.' Xelloss said, sweeping into a bow and kissing her hand. Amelia giggled at the look on Filia's face.

'Xelloss, I think Filia's getting jealous.'

'I feel ignored.' Lina snapped, before Xelloss could say anything.

'Well, we can't have that Lina,' Xelloss grinned, appearing behind her and taking her hand, spinning her onto his arm and kissing her cheek before tossing her up onto her feet.

'What are you doing?' Filia asked dangerously.

'Why, greeting my old friends of course.' Xelloss grinned, winking at her.

'And I notice they're all female?'

'Well, I doubt Gourry and Zelgadis would appreciate being kissed.' Xelloss shrugged. Zel and Gourry began backing away anyway, not putting it past the purple-haired holidaying priest.

'Filia's an old friend.' Lina piped up, a wicked grin on her face. Xelloss snapped his fingers, looking shocked.

'You're so right! I can't believe I forgot.' He whirled around and kissed Filia hard on the mouth, before bouncing off to say hello to the Gabriev kids and give them advice on which foods were better for throwing. Zelgadis caught Filia as she fell backwards, too stunned to stand.

'Filia?' Amelia asked. 'Um, are you okay? He's kissed you before-ulp!'

'We don't know that, remember!?' hissed Lina furiously.

'Oh yes. I definitely remember that I'm not supposed to remember and oops.'

'YOU WERE SPYING?!' Filia shouted. Xelloss and the children looked up from where they were discussing the necessary squishiness of grapes for maximum spatter on impact.

'No! Look the lights were on and you were in the kitchen without the curtains drawn, so yes we could see!' Lina yelped. 'It was pure fluke, I SWEAR!'

'Mother, people are staring.' Val sighed, phasing in-between her and Lina and Amelia. He caught her around the waist, restraining her as she struggled to get past.

'Xelloss, this is supposed to be your job.' He said to the priest, who was killing himself laughing.

'Is it? I could kiss her again, that seemed to work quite effectively.'

'I dunno if it's work the same way twice, Xel.' L'risia mused from where she was leaning on the end post of the stairs, next to the Gabriev Children table. Xelloss shrugged, and sighed.

'Well she seems to have gotten over it in any case. L'risia, are Cleo and Kai coming?'

'Probably.' L'risia said miserably.

'I thought they were your best friends?' Amelia asked, putting a glass of wine into the woman's hands.

'They are.' L'risia muttered, staring gloomily into her drink. 'I think that's the problem.'

'Aw, we love you too L'ri-chan.' A pair of female arms flung themselves around the woman's neck.

'Let go of me right now, Kai, or I'll bite your arm off.' L'risia snapped violently. The red-haired woman didn't look too surprised at her vicious reaction, however, and beamed.

'I thought you weren't going to show up?'

'She was at Filia's place.' Lina grinned. 'She didn't have a choice, oddly enough.'

Kai'ila rolled her eyes. L'risia rubbed her head, suddenly looking like she hadn't had a decent sleep in weeks.

''cuse me…I have something to do-' she gave her glass to Kai'ila, and disappeared. Her friend pursed her lips thoughtfully.

'What was that all about?' Lina asked. 'Something's been bothering L'ri- she tried explaining it to me before, and Val says she's been exhausted- which Xelloss confirmed. He also says she'd feeling really stressed.'

'Well, that'd make sense,' Kai agreed, still looking puzzled.

'But-' the man holding her hand hinted.

'But I don't think that's it. It's weird for something equal on all of us to me affecting her more. I think there's something more with this.'

'Like?'

'Oh I'll think about that later,' Kai'ila said cheerfully, ignoring the sweatdrops and facefaults all around. 'So, what've you all been up to?'

'What in the hell-'

It would appear that you are dead.

'Who-' the man turned around, and froze on sight of the shadowy figure behind him. The words reached his brain without his ears ever receiving them beforehand, and they carried a tone like funeral bells.

I'm Death. Apparently.

'Wh-whaddaya mean, apparently? Don't you know?

I know. It's just that until recently, it wasn't in my job description.

The hood bent down to look at the bleeding corpse, barely recognisable.

'That really hurt.' He said with conviction.

Yes, I should think so. Hold still.

The scythe moved swiftly through the air, and the man hovered slightly as he felt something release.

'And- now- I go to heaven?'

That depends. Where do you think you should go?

The man swallowed with the terror of the unknown, fading away in full.  Death bent down to the corpse, leaning the scythe against a tree. He'd only been a woodcutter. The trees he'd felled today still lay on the ground as the sky faded to purple. He was on the other side of the world to the other victims, who had never met or would ever. No connection.

Completely random, meaningless slaughter.

Now, all influence of sunlight disappeared, and the sky turned deep, deep blue, the stars standing out now more than ever. Death stood up and looked up and the sky. She pushed back the hood, and L'risia shook her blue hair out absently, watching the constellations. She took note of something, and looked back at the corpse.

'We are screwed.'

L'risia came back looking like the person she hated most in the world had just run over her cat. She snatched her glass off Kai'ila and swallowed the whole lot in one go. Her friends, who by now included Cleo, just stared as the girl leaned heavily on the table. Xelloss looked thoughtful, and caught her eyes as she turned around. The look in them, and the feelings of fear, hatred and uncertainty radiating off the girl confirmed his suspicions. He didn't show his new knowledge, and his expression changed to match the others with scary fluency. 

'Wow, are you trying to get drunk?' Cleo grinned. 'Here, have another glass!'

'You WANT her to get drunk?' Amelia gaped.

'Of course!' Kai'ila grinned. 'She never tells us ANYTHING. Maybe when she's drunk she'll slip!'

'You've never been drunk?' Lina gaped at L'risia. The girl snorted.

'Not while these two were in the vicinity. How stupid d'ya think I am?' L'risia looked around. 'Although it might be worth it.'

'What happened? What's wrong?' Cleo asked, picking up something might actually be seriously screwed. L'risia didn't reply before finishing off another drink.

'Never mind. I'm jus' bein' temprem'ntal.'

'You're starting to slur.'

'That's 'cos I can't be bothered to say things prop'ly.' L'risia snapped, and rubbed her forehead. 'I'm goin' outside. You guys- get back t' doin' whatever.'

She disappeared. Cleo shrugged and went back to talking with Lina. Val looked at Xelloss, who smiled innocently back. A little too innocently to fool Val, who'd grown up around the man.

'Okay Xelloss, what's bothering her?' he asked. Xelloss sighed.

'I don't know what you're-'

'Xelloss!' Val leaned forward. Xelloss sweatdropped. 'If you don't tell me, I'm going to start calling you Dad, like I did when I was little.'

Xelloss paled, his mind racing. As a being with powers of Chaos like the Priestesses, Val was also in serious danger. In this world, like L'risia who if he was right in his deductions was now the Guardian, Val would also become a victim of the new powers and the new…whatever it was he could sense out there. L'risia didn't want him to know, because knowledge would make him aware of it and he'd start thinking, trying, picking the things up that hadn't been there before…

'I think,' Xelloss said, knowing anyway that it wasn't any of his business, and that he was on vacation anyway, 'that you had better ask L'risia. Oh Fiiii-chan! Come and have a dance!'

'No way!'

'No? I'll just have to ask that nice young lady over there then-'

'Namagomi! Let me finish my drink!'

'Well, why didn't you say so?' Xelloss smiled, his halo twinkling in the candlelight. Zelgadis shook his head, while Gourry admired Xelloss's tactics. 

'Well, I was a general as well, you know.' Xelloss said modestly.

'No, I just think you're a natural manipulative bastard.' Zel muttered.

'Aw, and compliments from you are so rare, Zel-kun! I feel privileged.'

'Will you just shut up?'

~~~~~~~~~next chapter…

 Lina: 'ARGH! Does anyone actually understand what is going on here?'

Filia: I'm sure it will be explained, Lina.

Amelia: Yeah, that's right! And- did you see where the guys went off to?

Star-chan: Trust me, Amelia, you don't wanna know. The plot will be figure out! Soon! Next week! Maybe! Whenever…did you know that if you bang your head you loose 1000 brain cells? I think that's right, 1000. Could be another number, I just picked it because it sounds good ^_^ * assumes falsetto voice * Will Star-chan ever figure out what she's doing? What is going on in the Slayers universe?

* the girls looked around and notice with relief the absence of Xelloss, and make the grave mistake of sighing in relief.*

Xelloss: That is a secret!

(And now, while Xelloss is being nailed, let us all pray for the sanity of the authoress. And if anyone knows the name of the FY fic where Nuriko's reincarnated self the main character and he meets the old Nuriko, and then hang around together, spirit and man, and slowly the same thing happens to all the other FY characters that've been reincarnated, I'd like to know. I got up to Chpt 15 and lost it, and now I can't remember for the life o' me. Thanks, Amen.)

~~~~~~~~~~