As Benny approached the nearly two story tall fountain, she noticed a petite silhouette standing against the noon sun at the peak of the mountain of watery decoration. She tapped her concealed gun and knives, one of her most violently intentioned superstitions that she's kept dear for years. The bare fingers poking out of the fingerless glove that covered her hand played with the silver four-leaf clover charm her little brother gave her for her birthday when he was two. Her hand seemed to drift back down as her left hand floated to and held onto the upper part of her right arm, where Psalms 23 rested within her skin. Her ring finger rested above, "Your rod and Your Staff", an appropriate moment since she seems to be married to her weapons and guidance. These were here most peaceful of superstitions you'll find within Benny Burton. As her mother had said, "You have to make arrangements for your superstitions if you're going to be Irish Catholic."

"She's here!" called out the silhouette on the top tier of the fountain. Her voice was nearly squeaky and definitely was full of joy. Benny kept an eye on her as she seemed to bounce down the fountain to join Zelgadis with what looked like a long red-headed little girl and a tall… really tall blonde guy in blue armor. "She was easy to spot because she looks so different! And, her …" She was interrupted by Zelgadis' fingers around your mouth.

Zelgadis chuckled and softly said, "Hello again, Benny."

"Hey, Mr. Greywords," I greeted and continued to approach them.

He smiled and held a hand out. I smirked and handed him the money that he had given me for shopping. I hadn't spent anything since I had yet to earn any of it. He looked at the bag, looked at men, and glared. "I told you to get yourself some more clothing and food."

"I hadn't earned any of it, sir," I answered. "I'm not atoning for a sin I didn't commit." I turned and looked at the strangers. The silhouette was a small girl with bright blue eyes and black hair. I smiled and greeted her, "Hello, Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun… Wait, did I say that right?

The all stared blankly at me and nodded. The blond spoke and smiled, "Oh! Do me next!"

"Inspector John? Really?" I asked.

He just blinked at me, not remembering a clue to what I referring to. "Don't worry about Gourry, he'll remember Wizer later."

"I see… You must be Lina Inverse," I said smiled. "I'm sorry that so many insult you. And, by the way, my sister has a dog with the same name as your sister."

Her eyes widened and she turned pale. "L-Luna?"

"Yeah, but our Luna is a lot nicer, a lot more resourceful, and she's a valued member of our family," I admitted and suddenly felt a tinge of homesickness.

Suddenly, I was picked up and hugged. "Can we keep her?" Gourry asked and gently swung me side to side.

"I'm not a rag doll, Gourry," I warned him.

"Watch it, Gourry, she's about as good as at swords and blades as you are," Zelgadis advised. "She nearly notched her blade on me. I highly doubt you'll have as good of luck as I did."

Gourry squeaked and dropped me like a hot potato. "Thanks…" I growled as I stood up. "Thanks a lot." He blushed lightly and pulled me back up, dusting my shoulders off, "Sorry, Miss Burton. I forget my own height and strength at times."

"I can see that, lad," I assured him and patted up to his shoulder.

"So, can we keep her?" he asked again, placing his large hands on my shoulders. He looked at Lina and Zelgadis as if they were his parents. "Please?"

Lina jumped up on the joke and continued, "I don't know Gourry. A woman from a strange dimension… Half of the time you can't understand her… And, she has a weird sense of what she calls style. That's a lot of responsibility and one more mouth to feed."

Zelgadis rolled his eyes, cleared his throat, and elbowed her lightly. It still sounded like it left a good bruise. "Benny is not an oddity to be kept as a pet. She just happens to be in our universe. And, we should treat her as a guest. Besides she's trying to find a way back to her home."

Behind me I could hear Gourry sigh and slouch down, the latter from pieces of his armor sliding against his shirt. His large hands slid off of my shoulders and he sat back down on the fountain. Lina stood beside him and patted his back. Even slouched and hitting on the low ledge of the fountains bottom tier and Lina standing up … in boots with heel in it.

They all decided that it was time to move on without much more of an introduction and away we went. I had no idea where I was, where I was going, or what I was supposed to do once we got there.

I was watching Amelia talking about anything and everything that came to her… well, I think it's a mind. Zelgadis was listening… or pretending to listen. And, Lina was bickering at poor Gourry. Probably has issues with her height like Katherine does.

Behind me I heard an all too familiar chuckle, apparently hearing my thoughts. "Good to see you again, Xellos."

"You don't exactly SEE me do you, Benny?" he asked, still concealed in another dimension. Talk about a dimension jumper.

"You know, at least you have a CHOICE on whether or not you are going to travel to a different dimesion and when," I said and crossed my arms.

"Oh, Benny, you hurt my feelings," apathetically clamed Xellos. "I was hoping we could be friends."

"I prefer to befriend the selfless, Xellos," I said. "It just wouldn't work out."

Finally, the Cheshire Cat of a monster appeared, smiling as usual. "Are you preemptively breaking up with me?"

"I see stopping the problem before it starts is the best solution," I said, not looking at him. "And, I do not care for you reading my thoughts."

"You read minds all the time," he argued. "Why shouldn't anyone read yours?"

"I don't read minds without permission," I laughed. "And, I divine information."

From the corner of my eye, I could see his mauve eyes studying me. He murmured softly, "You're divine, indeed."

"That better be meaning delightful," I warned him. "I'm in no way heavenly."

"Oh, perhaps to me, you are," he says as he slides in front of me, blocking the group from me. "You know, I have gone through less… pleasant things."

"Xellos, you are a less pleasant thing," I said as I tried to walk around him.

Again, he blocked my path and smiled, "Perhaps opposites attract, Benny."

"Look, get out of my way, okay?"

"No, I think I'm going to… how you say… stick to you like glue," he said and chuckled.

"Listen, glue. I'm remover," I said and walked passed him.

"You're light and I'm dark," he agreed. "But, I ask you to listen to me, glue remover. I promise not to hurt you or your friends. If I do, I'll let you take that lovely silver blade to my throat."

"Give me my path and keep your promise I will consider listening," I growled. By now, Zelgadis had noticed that I was not with the rest of the group and turned to see I was being confronted by Xellos. He started walking back to us.

Xellos chuckled and stepped aside. He held his arm crooked and raised it to me. "Benny."

I shrugged, accepted it and said, "Xellos." I started walking with him and saw Zelgadis was confused by the sight of glue and glue remover walking together. I smiled as we approached him and placed a hand on his cheek. "You okay, lad?"

"I'm fine…" he gave a suspicious glance at Xellos.

"Do not worry, Mr. Zelgadis," explained Xellos, as he chuckled. "Benny here has agreed to listen to me if I don't hurt any of you. She's such a lovely sight that I have to agree. Don't you?"

Zelgadis rolled his eyes and kept in instep with me. His eyes every so often looked over at the monster as we returned to the rest of the group. When he saw I was observing him he blushed and turned away.

Xellos, didn't care, he was talking about how he and I weren't that much different. Blah, blah, blah; yakity-yak; honk honk blarg.

"Mister Xellos, you mind if we discuss at a time where I'm not so distracted?" I asked sweetly.

He stopped in mid-stride, smiled, and answered, "Well, sure! I want you to really hear me out, Miss Bur- I mean, Benny. What I have to say is actually of some importance and I need your focus when I'm addressing the matter to you."

I kissed his cheek and smiled. "Thank you, good sir."

He cleared his throat, blushing lightly as he literally poofed up to the rest of the group, and he proceeded to make ruckus about the troupe. He didn't have to have the puff of smoke or mist… or whatever he conjured. But, he's does like theatrics at times.

"Why are you being so nice to him?" Zelgadis asked as soon as he knew we were safe to speak freely. "You claim to be a monster hunter from your world, and yet here you are being sweet and kind to that monster. I mean, you don't even treat me. That well and I saved you. I figured you'd be a least thankful, Benny."

"Are you gonna let me talk, or are you just going to get on your soapbox and just chew me out?" I argued back. I don't care if he's a cute blue guy, who has a beautiful voice and has wicked swordsman skill, that frigging hurt that he was so sure. "I'm being nice to him because no matter how charming, sweet, or cutesy he may act, he can still kill me at any moment without remorse. He is a demon after all."

"Benny…" he sighed. He shook his head, which always looks weird as his hair never really moves as much as it makes a soft rattling sound. He whispered. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize… I mean, I knew you were smart, but … I mean, even Gourry has his brilliant moments."

"He's a secret genius. Trust me. There has to be a decent amount of brains in that thick skull of his or else he wouldn't be able to be great at swordsmanship, right?"

"Do you always see the good in people?"

"Em… I try? I mean, I see both good and bad. I like the lad because he's just good. I mean he's like a Golden Retriever…"

Zelgadis stopped us both there and asked very curiously, "Golden Retriever?"

"It's a type of dog?" I asked, thrown off by the abrupt stop.

"Dog?"

"You seriously have no dogs?"

"Well, we have people whom are part dog," he explained. "But… Dogs? Like plain dogs?"

"Yes, plain dogs," I answered and rolled my eyes slightly. "Wait, part dog? You mean like weres?"

"Weres?"

"You know like, werewolves, weredogs, werecats… " I started listing off and stopped. "Oh, you really don't know… oh, wow."

"You have those too?" he asked.

"And, shape-shifters, yes."

"How… how do they work?"

"Well, few actually know. Some believe it's a spiritual slash magical thing that…"

"No, no. Not the werewolves or the shape-shifters. I mean, dogs… normal dogs."

"We breed them from domesticated wolves," I started. "I'm not sure about the Chihuahua, actually, but most other breeds are originally wolves. You see, some were bred for protection or herding. Others were for companionship. And, yet others still, were bred for hunting, rescue, etceteras."

"What was the Golden Retriever for?"

"Oh! That's a hunting dog. They have the softest mouth in the species and are often used as sight dogs."

"You know a lot about dogs…" he said softly.

"Actually, I don't know as much as my old best friend Lucia did," I said, blushing. "Oh, my gosh, Zelgadis, you think that I talk a lot. You should try Luce, she'll talk about anyone's arm off, then apologize for ten minutes for doing so." I tried my best Lucia Hart impression. It was a higher pitch and faster speaking me… in a Brooklyn accent. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry about your arm. Are you gonna be okay? I mean, if you go to the hospital NOW you may be able to save it. I hope you can, seeing as that is your left arm and people whom lose their arm often times lose up to fifty percent of their dexterity."

"You're joking, right?"

"Unfortunately, no. I'm not joking. She really has that thick of a Brooklyn accent."

"Is Brooklyn another country?"

"The citizens there like to think so at times, but no," I admitted. "They're a part of a state called New York, that is part of the nation of United States of America. The U.S.A. is where I'm from. I lived in Brooklyn for ten years, then my family moved into Illinois near a city called Chicago."

"And, you sound like your Irish?"

"That's because my mom is an immigrant from Ireland," I explained and continued. "She was from a small town near the capital."

He nodded, just listening to me and asking a few questions. He was learning more than I expected anyone could learn from me. "What about you? Are you an United Statesian?"

"Em, we're called Americans," I answered.

"Ah, that sounds better," he admitted.

"And, yes, I am. I was born in Brooklyn."

"And, that's why you have that accent every so often…"

I sighed and nodded. I hated admitting to my father's side of the family. "Yeah, that is true."

He hugged me lightly and patted gingerly on my shoulder. "It's okay. Some of us have foul family."