Filia didn't open her store the day after her birthday, she had been up late thinking. When she did wake up, all she wanted to do was go back to sleep. She knew, however that she should get up, feed Val, and get some chores done and errands run. She tacked a, "Sorry closed today for personal reasons," sign to her door, left Val in the capable hands of Jilias and headed to the market.

It was a Sunday and the market was full of bustling people, colourful sights, and enticing smells. It was the perfect thing to get Filia's mind off everything that had happened yesterday. She bought things she needed around the shop and house, then things for dinner, then came to a stand she hadn't seen before. A traveling saleswoman had set it up and she had things from many different places. Filia was immediately attracted to the exotic jewelry. She was looking a pretty beaded bracelet. The beads were black and white with funny little characters that Filia recognized as an eastern language she couldn't read. There was a strange charm on the bracelet, too. As if she sensed Filia's curiosity, the stands operator came over to Filia.

"That's a Ying-Yang," the woman said in a strange accent. "See how the light and dark are mixing together-it stands for balance."

"Balance?" Filia questioned, intrigued by the charm's meaning.

"Yes, where this comes from they believe that to achieve peace and happiness you must find the perfect balance. Balance between dark and light, good and evil, male and female, so on,"

"That's very interesting," Filia said. "They mean that you need dark, you need evil?"

"Of course. Think of it this way; if there was no evil, there would be no good. You can't be good if there's nothing to compare it to. Or think of the stars, you would never see their pretty light if it weren't for the darkness of the night."

"I think...I understand. I like that idea. How much is the bracelet?"

"Ten silver pieces, regularly. But, I like you; you see the idea behind the jewelry. You can have it for seven."

"Thanks!" Filia smiled as she paid the woman. She smiled as she headed home, bracelet jingling softly on her wrist. An unforgotten wish on a candle swirled in her mind a moment before she pushed it away. A perfect balance...

* * * * *

It was four days since Filia's birthday. Xelloss had been keeping an eye on her for the past two, waiting for an opportunity to exicute his new plan. Xelloss had not seen the fight that she and Jet had had, but he had seen them together once in the past 48 hours. Filia had been akward and Jet seemed worried. The bit of joy this would have provided him not five days ago did not come, hope was dead for the mazoku. Feelings like hope and caring were not what a mazoku of his status should be having anyway. And today, well, tonight now, he had his chance.

It was late almost eleven, but the dragon was still awake. She had had a tough day; both Jilias and Gravos were out, she was running the shop all by herself, one of her best vases had gotten broken, and Val had been crying all day, but now he was finally deep asleep and Filia was in her room. She was reading, laying in her bed, but instead of her customary cup of tea she was sipping a glass of wine. Actually it was her third glass of wine. She knew she was being stupid, that she should've stopped at one, but she had had an awful day. She was so alone. She hated being alone. Finally she just started crying. This was when Xelloss took his que.

"Stop crying, silly dragon," he said, emotionless. Filia sat up and looked up at him, vaguely wondering why he was here and what she should do. She was worried for a moment about Jet, but she was glad he was here. Xelloss took her wine glass from her bedside table and finished it in one swig. "Ech, that's some cheap shit, eh? Try this," Xelloss poured her a glass from a bottle of wine he had taken from Xelas's large cellar. He had also added a few things to it, and since Filia was already slightly drunk...this would be a piece of cake.

"I really shouldn't," Filia said as she took the glass.

"Why not, don't you want to feel better? Forget what happened today?" Xelloss coaxed her. Against her quickly dispersing better judgment, she downed the wine. It was much better than the "cheap shit" she had been drinking, and a lot stronger as well. She coughed and blinked a few times.

"Wow," the room seemed a little tilted. "I don't think this is the way to go about feeling good," the dragon said weakly.

"No," Xelloss whispered his agree as he took the glass away from her again and returned it to its position on the table. Then he kicked off his shoes and undid the clasp on his cloak, letting it fall to the floor. Then he got on the dragon's bed, stratling his legs across her. He pulled her lips to his and kissed her, hard, pushing his tongue into her mouth. As he continued to kiss her, Xelloss slowly laid Filia back down onto her pillow. "No," he whispered again, "But I can make you feel good. I can make you forget everything."

"Xelloss," she moaned softly. Not wanting to give her time to protest, Xelloss quickly silenced her with another kiss. He slipped off his gloves and began to unbutton her shirt. She moaned again, but not in protest. In want, a want that Xelloss could sense. He left her shirt open and traced a finger down her torso's perfect outline. His kisses moved down he neck to her shoulder then further down. She was so quiet, so still. She ran a finger through his hair and then grasped his shoulder as his kissed fell lightly on her breast. He sat up and Filia's hand trailed lazily down his chest, stomach, thigh. Xelloss looked down at Filia. If she had cried, or fought, or begged him not to, he probably wouldn't have had a problem; but all she did was look back at him, her eyes completely trusting. And it was just as the day he had come to kill her. His breath ought in his chest and he couldn't do it. He couldn't hurt her like this. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. Then he rolled off her and sat next to her on the bed. Filia sat up beside him.

"Whassamatter?" Filia slurred, her eyes closed.

"This is a bad idea," Xelloss answered. "You're really drunk."

Filia glared at him. "I am not," she protested indignantly.

"Oh, no?" Xelloss chuckled. He looked at her unbuttoned shirt, revealing not quite as much as he would have hoped. "Well, then, I must say; love the new look. Slutty dragoness-very in-style this season."

"Grr...namagomi mazoku, this is all your fault!" Filia huffed as she labored with buttoning her shirt. "I hate you."

A beat passed, then Xelloss responded, "I know... You missed a button." Xelloss reached out and buttoned it for her. Filia flopped back against her pillow and yawned. Xelloss kissed her on the forehead again and whispered goodnight.

"You're leaving?" Filia asked, eyes closed. "You're such a tease, Xelloss."

"Ha, you'll be better for it in the morning."

Filia lifted her arm, her new bracelet dangled from her wrist. "Look," she demanded.

"Pretty," Xelloss humored the sleepy dragon.

"It's a ying-er, something or other."

"Ying-yang."

"Yeah, that's the one. It reminds me of you...us."

"Us?" Xelloss questioned. There's an us?

"Perfect balance, light and dark; good and evil; and all that. You can't see the stars without the dark"

"How very un-dragonish of you Filia. In fact believing in an eastern principal like that is just as close to heresy against the Ryuzoku religion as you can get."

"You told me my race lies," Filia said.

"That I did," Xelloss agreed.

Filia rolled over onto her side, facing away from Xelloss. She moaned,"I don't think I should have had that last....glass....of wine," the dragon drifted into sleep. Xelloss glanced for a moment at her bracelet. Maybe, he thought, just maybe.

You're running out of time, a mean little voice inside his head reminded him. You'll loose her, too.

"Shut up," Xelloss said out loud. Filia shifted. He decided it was time to go. He picked up his effects and teleported to his room on wolfpack.

You know you should just forget. You're only asking for more hurt. Remember what happened last time, the little voice brought back a very old memory.

"That was a long time ago", Xelloss said. He looked down at his hands, he'd taken off his gloves and he could clearly see the cherry-black scars that criss-crossed his palms. "Alexia," Xelloss whispered.

Rae: Wooow I took a really long time to update. I'm sorry. I had French competition this past weekend and I had a lot to prepare for it. So please review and tell me if you guys are still interested. And thanks to all of you who have reviewed in the past. I know I got at least one question about Jet's identity. All I can say is that you are going to find out soon.