Her hormones screamed in agony as he pulled away. Her blood suddenly ran hot... well hotter. Filia bit her lip. Oh Ceiphied, why couldn't he have just kept kissing her? Oh Ceiphied, why did she still want him to kiss her?!

'Dragons' Peak! Dragons' Peak! Dragon's Peak!' she chanted in her mind over and over again as she scruntched up her face.

'But he's here now! 'the persistent voice of her hormones complained.

'Dragons' Peak! Dragons' Peak! '

'But Xellos is here now!'

'Dragons' Peak! Dragons' Peak!'

'Xellos is...'

'Dragon's Peak!'

'Xellos.'

'Proper dragon mate!'

'... ... He can be taught to be a proper dragon mate later.' Filia literally threw herself in to the trickster's arms. Xellos was a little surprised by her reaction, but didn't offer any complaints as she wrapped her arms behind his neck and roughly pulled him in to a kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her as tightly as he could without actually hurting her.

~*~*~

"Bastard," Zelgadiss grumbled.

"Hey, just cuz I didn't have a father doesn't mean ya have to insult me!" Xaina snapped. "It's not like I asked to be dragged out of my bed and dropped here!"

"Not you!" the chimera snapped back. "I meant Xellos!"

"Oh... okay then. Can you put me down now?"

Zel was about to drop the child when he saw Amelia holding out her arms toward the girl. He sighed and handed the child over, grateful to be rid of her. Xaina blinked several times as she stared at the princess through her tired eyes. Amelia placed the girl on her lap. Xaina blinked several more times, then yawned and snuggled up to the woman, eager to go back to sleep. The woman smiled as she brushed a hand down the back of the child's head. Xaina's breathing soon became slow and even as she drifted back to sleep.

A fond, maternal smile crept up on Amelia's lips as she watched the child. "She's so cute."

"A cute little monster," Zel grunted before taking another sip of his coffee. "Remember that."

"She has lived as a human..."

"For only four years. Think back on your life Amelia. How much do you remember before you were four?" The smile faded as her face became somber. "Exactly. In another four years she'll be just like Xellos."

"But Xaina's not..."

"Not yet," he interrupted.

This time, the princess glared at him. "Oh, and what makes you so sure of that? You don't even know anything about children. You said so yourself."

He took a sip of his coffee. "I know they become what they are raised around." Amelia opened her mouth to protest, but he didn't give her a chance. "Just look at you and your father. Think about how much alike you two are."

Amelia scowled. "You're absolutely right, Mr. Zelgadiss," she agreed in a voice that dripped with venom. "I am like my father, just like you're so much like Rezo, searching for your cure with the same disregard for others as he had while searching for his cure. So when should we start expecting you to resurrect ancient demons like Zanafar and Shabernigdo? You've already made it clear your friends don't mean much to you." It was a low blow, she knew, but right now she was mad enough to use it.

The chimera glared at her. "How dare you..." he started to growl.

"How dare YOU assume anything you don't know anything about. Maybe she'll be like Xellos, maybe she wont. You have no way to know that." She scooted out her chair and stood sharply. She took several stiff steps towards the stairs to the second floor, then stopped. She boosted the sleeping child in her arms up as she glanced back at Zel. "And just so you know, I am as much like my father as you are like Rezo. No more, no less." She didn't wait for any sort of response as she trudged up to her room.

Zel was left sitting at the table, grumbling in to his coffee.

~*~*~

There was a slight tug in his link to Xaina. She was being moved and it was pulling on him. 'Damn that tie!' the trickster mentally grumbled. He could feel it pulling him back. For a moment, he thought he was going to have to go get her and put her somewhere close so she wouldn't move as much. Then he realized he was being pulled towards the bed and Filia was going right along with him without breaking the kiss. M'aybe it's not SO bad.'

When they reached the bed, she pushed him down so he was sitting on it. Filia sat on his lap and pulled him back in to the kiss that had been temporarily broken. She bit his lip gruffly and began kissing his chin and neck. Had he not been a monster, her kiss would have caused him to bleed. Of course, she also could have crushed him with her weight by now. "Such a violent little dragon," he teased.

*****

His words pushed through the fog that had covered her senses. Realization suddenly came back and slapped her in the face. Her eyes opened and she saw what was going on, what she was doing, and to whom she was doing it to. It took only a fraction of a second for her body to react. She leaped off of him only to find herself pulled back by his strong grip.

"Now now, Filia dear, it's not nice to invite a man to your room and then run away from him," Xellos continued to tease playfully.

Then next thing the trickster knew, her fist had made contact with his face and caused him to release his hold on her as he was knocked several feet back. He tumbled to the floor in a rather undignified heap. Before he could even pick himself up, he found a mace being held mere inches from his face.

"And who invited you!?" the dragon woman snapped. "How dare you try and take advantage of me, nomagomi!"

"Hey, now who's taking advantage of who here?"

Filia's face turned even redder. She swung her mace while letting out a low pitched growl. Xellos teleported away as fast as he could. Her mace smashed its way through the water pitcher on the night stand. "And don't you come back, you disgusting piece of monster scum!"

*****

Xellos teleport a few feet from Xaina and found himself outside Amelia's door. He mumbled a curse under his breath. 'Damn it! I was so close!' He wobbled slightly as the pheromones caught up with him finally. 'What the hell happened!?! 'He clenched a fist and muttered several more curses.

At the end of the hall, he spotted a window that showed Dragon's Peak. They would be there in the afternoon. He knew he wouldn't get another opportunity like this if they got there. Of course, stopping or even delaying them wouldn't be easy either. Sure, there were other ways of going about getting what he needed done, but most of them didn't really appeal to him. He preferred to have consent over force. So what was he going to do now? Simple, what he did best: make it up as he went along.

~*~*~

"You're sure you're ready, Filia?" Lina asked for the twentieth time since they had left the inn that morning.

The dragon woman taking the lead nodded. "Absolutely sure. This is my destiny, no pun intended." She smiled sheepishly as she glanced back at the sorceress dressed in black. Destiny gave a slight nod back but her face remained as cold as ever.

"Is Miss Filia the only dragon you've seen, Xaina-chan?" Amelia inquired with a smile. She glanced slightly back at the child she carried on her back and smiled even more (if that's possible).

"Yep, but I've never seen her as an actually dragon, just as she is now," the girl replied.

"You must be excited them."

"Yep!" Xaina responded enthusiastically.

Lina felt a tap on her shoulder. She gazed up at the tapper, a very confused Gourry. "Yes, Gourry, I'm fine," the red head grated out. "You don't need to carry me or anything."

"Um, okay. Say Lina, where's Xellos? Isn't he suppose to be here when Xaina's here or do we get to keep her again?"

"Who knows, who cares where that slime bag is," Filia snorted.

"I don't. That's why I'm asking," the blond swordsman stated.

Filia's tail popped out. Lina slapped her hand against her forehead, muttering something along the lines of "Why did I marry idiot?" and "Stupidity better not be hereditary."

"Oh, he's around somewhere," Zelgadiss supplied. "He just doesn't want to be seen at the moment."

"Indeed," Destiny agreed. "He would be wise to stay away from this valley. Many of his enemies live here."

"Yeah, except Xellos can annihilate them all with the snap of his fingers."

"Even the mouse has defenses against the snake."

Everyone stared at Destiny and blinked in confusion and surprise. The woman rarely spoke, let alone offered wisdom.

"I think we're here," Filia stated calmly. Everyone turned their attention ahead.

A familiar sight greeted the slayers. A low valley was laid out before them and the sky glittered black and gold as thousands of dragons glided around. Many had turned their attention to the group and were staring at the slayers. Millions of blue, green, gold, brown, and black eyes studied them carefully, as if trying to read their motives yet already knowing exactly what the travelers were there for.

Lina shifted uncomfortably until she felt Gourry rest a hand on her shoulder. Without any of her magic, the sight of these dragons was a bit more terrifying. Xaina leaned forward on Amelia's back, eager to see as much as possible. Amelia couldn't help but smile at the child's curiosity. Zel and Destiny both watched passively while the birds stood on the ground around their master's feet.

Filia didn't hesitate for a moment. She stepped forward to the edge of the cliff. The blonde woman took several deep breaths before placing her hands over her chest where her priestess jewel once was. A few seconds later, her body began to glow until it had become light.

__________________________________________________________

Come on, guys. You didn't REALLY think I was gonna let Xellos have her THAT easily. Not at all. Is it namagomi or nomigomi? Red pointed this out to me and I must confess that I just hunted the spelling of the word down from someone else' fic. If anyone else knows, please let me know. I'd hate to be spelling it wrong. Jea Kinnaran, you read all of it in one sitting? WOW. That's a lot of sitting and reading. You must read really fast. I commend you. Also, I'm glad I could make you laugh. That is high praise. I do try to throw humor in my writing (especially my slayers' fics). Writing humor is really hard since everyone has different ideas on what is or is not funny. I'm glad people enjoy some of the jokes here and there. Everyone else that's reviewed, I thank you. *bows* I really do appreciate the support especially when my updating schedule on this is rather erratic.

I wish to apologize for how long it took me to update. Been having a few issues (one of which was known as spring break at my parents who have a computer that hates me). I have two big reports that could make or break my grades due on the same day in a week and a half. I just got both assignments (which are for two different classes, of two different subjects, and are in two different buildings, but somehow find a way to stress me out by always having assignments due at the same time) on Friday. I'm also attempting to start up a comic as soon as keenspace is taking people again. I currently have the prologue up on my web page.

Speaking of my web page, it's up and finished... well sorta finished... okay, it's just up. Feel free to look at it, offer comments, and submit things to me. (*Get's big, innocent Amelia eyes*) Please. You can go the slayers part of it by going to

Well, that's about it. I'm off to write one of my reports. I hope to get the next chapter written, cleaned up, and put up before May. As always, please leave a review.