A/N: sorry for the delay, but I've had other things on my mind lately. Enjoy

Darkness and silence, day in and day out, that's all he had to look forward to. People could be so touchy about breaking the law in a city like Seyruun, it was just appalling. It hadn't even been anything important, just a few minor trinkets from the palace vaults. So what if they had belonged to the late mother of the crown princess? It's not like the woman would be using them at any point in the future. Still, the justice loving prince had sentenced him to twenty years in this dank place for his so called crime. What a waste of his talents. Prince Phil should have taken his offer of service, because now he'd just have to do something nasty once he managed to escape. Such a pity, really, but that was simply the way of things.

A sound drew his attention, a sound that was awful early for mealtime. The footsteps of a man wearing armor, heading for his accommodations could be clearly heard. What could this mean? He never had visitors, after all, so why would they be coming so early? The scraping sound of a key turning in a lock, then the grinding of metal over stone as his cell door opened, the thief blinking in the sudden light.

"Marcus Deland." The guard was cast in shadow from the light at his back, making it hard to discern who he was. The voice sounded awfully familiar, though.

"Captain Borin, is that you? To what do I owe the honor of your presence?" Marcus's question was laced with obvious sarcasm, the thief clearly not a huge fan of the captain of the Seyruun Royal Guard.

"Today's your lucky day, maggot…you're about to be pardoned."

0o0o0o0o0

Lina Inverse, scourge of bandits everywhere and accidental (so she claims) destroyer of towns that had no real bearing on the plot, wanted to run screaming in horror…or simply burn down the dress shop. Likely the latter, as she simply didn't do the whole running around like some witless idiot thing. She left that to a certain blond sword slinger.

"I am NOT wearing pink!" She declared forcefully, edging away from the monstrosity that Amelia was holding up to her, frills and bows all over it. Disgusting!

"But, Miss Lina, it would look so good on you," Amelia tried to persuade her, smiling encouragingly. Lina shook her head, backing up as the princess advanced.

"No, forget it, I'll die first!" She absolutely, positively hated anything that had anything even remotely to do with the color pink. She tried to back up further, only to be stopped by Filia, Val currently back at the palace in the care of the resident nanny.

"Oh, Miss Lina, that would look absolutely adorable on you," the dragon gushed, obviously a fan of the color. "You simply must try it on." Amelia advanced further, the two now having the sorceress trapped. So Lina, being who she is, reacted as the situation warranted.

"DIL BRAND!"

0o0o0o0o0

Claire yelped as the palace and half the city shook from some unexplained explosion in the market district. She had been trying to do some reading, wanting to learn all she could about this world she had no idea about because of her lacking memory. She still didn't know what to think of her current situation, given how messed up it was, not to mention Xellos leaving her like that. Though she probably shouldn't be surprised by it anymore, given what Lina and her companions had told her about him. There was another puzzle, the group of misfits that had apparently saved the world on several occasions. Not that she was in any position to point fingers about the whole misfit thing, being one herself. She still had to figure out who she was and what she was going to do with her life. Hence the reason she had been studying, hoping to come across something helpful. Until, of course, that miniature earthquake.

"What's going on out there?" She murmured, closing the book she had been reading and heading to the window, seeing a large plume of smoke rising from the city. "Oh dear!" She headed out of the library, meaning to go and see if she could help somehow. Such a large amount of smoke could only mean something bad had happened, after all. So intent on going to assist was she that she didn't notice a pair of amethyst eyes following her from the shadows.

0o0o0o0o0

Meanwhile, in the market district, we find Lina standing amidst the rubble of the late dress shop.

"Oops," she said quietly, scratching the back of her head sheepishly. A pile of rubble to her left shifted, then seemingly burst apart as Amelia extricated herself from it, looking quite cross.

"Damn it, Miss Lina, why do you always have to blow things up?" Oh, the princess was seriously pissed off if she, of all people, was swearing. "Do you have any idea the damages we'll have to pay for this? DO YOU?" Lina took a step back, the aura of fire around her friend scaring her just a tad.

"Now, look, it was an accident!" Lina protested defensively, holding up her hands as if to show how harmless she was. Yeah right. "I panic when cornered!"

"I'd call this more than simply panicking," Filia muttered dryly, having just gotten free of the rubble, dusting herself off. "Besides, it was just a dress."

"Just a dress? That thing should have been burned to ashes then scattered over four separate bodies of water rather than put on a rack!" Count on Lina to be overdramatic.

"Miss Lina." Dragon and sorceress both flinched at the princess's tone. "You're paying for this!"

"I'm WHAT?"

0o0o0o0o0

Marcus frowned, eyeing his mark from a distance. That was the infamous Lina Inverse? That slip of a girl was the renowned Bandit Killer and Dragon Spooker? Seriously? This was going to be easier than he had first thought. Stealthily making his way towards her, he used the crowd that had gathered to remain unnoticed, drawing closer and closer to his goal. It'd be like taking candy from a baby.

Oh, how mistaken this poor sap is.

0o0o0o0o0

"I am not paying for something that is so your fault, Amelia!" Lina declared forcefully, getting a little peeved now as well. Parting with money was something Lina Inverse just didn't do.

"How in the name of Cephied is any of this my fault, Miss Lina?" The Seyruun princess ground out from between clenched teeth, obviously not about to accept the blame for this.

"You cornered me with that…that hideous thing!" The sorceress shot back testily, shuddering slightly at the memory of the pink, frilly monster in question.

"It was a DRESS, Miss Lina, a simple dress!" Amelia snapped, going attitude for attitude with her one time idol. Yeah, let's not go into the explanation for that one. Anyway, back on the correct side of the Fourth Wall, a heated argument was still taking place.

"That THING was a travesty; even a blind person could have told you that."

"Please, you two, this isn't the place for an argument," Filia interjected, hoping to forestall any further violence. Just then, a dark shape darted out from the gathered populace that had come to watch the show, plowing into Lina and racing off.

"Hey!" Lina protested, having knocked on her ass. "Watch it, jerk!" Then she frowned, reaching into her cloak. "Gah!"

"What is it?" Filia asked, noticing the sudden stricken expression on Lina's face.

"The present I got for Amelia…it's gone!" She stood up, eyes flashing dangerously. "That guy must have taken it when he knocked me down!" Her hands clenched into tight fists. "Oh, he's so dead when I catch him. Ray Wing!" With that she took to the air, in hot pursuit. Amelia, meanwhile, was left to deal with the irate shopkeeper, vowing to make Lina pay restitution for this new mess.

0o0o0o0o0

Marcus cursed, having just looked over his shoulder to see the red headed squirt flying after him, steadily gaining ground on him despite how fast he was running. Damn that captain for sending him to rob a sorceress! Still, he had a few tricks of his own.

"Multiply," he hissed, tossing down a crystal sphere as he did so. A flash of light emitted from it as it struck the cobblestone street, then suddenly there were five more of him, taking off in different directions. He'd like to see her catch him now.

"Fireball!" The shouted spell was soon followed by the fiery blast that was its signature, immolating one of his doppelgangers…and several poor pedestrians.

"Holy shit, she's nuts!" The thief cried, running faster if it were possible. Another cry and a second mirror image went down, as well as a nearby store front. "What the hell kind of girl is she?" Boom, another was killed. Then another, and another, until only he was left. "Fuck me…"

0o0o0o0o0

"You're going down!" Lina shouted at the fleeing man, energy crackling between her hands. "No one steals from Lina Inverse and gets away with it!" She concentrated, hands stretching out towards him. "Burst Rondo!" The barrage of energy blasts rocketed down towards her prey, Lina grinning with anticipation…only for the spell to be absorbed by something the thief held up in defense. "What? Oh, that's it; he's pushed me too far!" She rolled up her sleeves, about to lay waste to the man…and, well, half the city. That's a small price to catch a thief though, right? "Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows…"

"No, Miss Lina, don't!" Filia cried, having just teleported in behind her, grabbing hold of the fiery tempered young woman and not letting go. "That's too much!"

"Let go of me, Filia, he needs to pay!" She snarled, struggling against the former priestess of the Fire Dragon King's grip. "Just one Dragon Slave, please, that's all it'll take!"

"You'll burn the whole city down doing that," Filia protested, doing her best to keep Lina restrained. Not an easy task, considering how pissed the young woman was. "Calm down, Miss Lina, please!"

0o0o0o0o0

Marcus stared up at the floating pair in shock, feeling suddenly cold inside. That Inverse woman had been about to use the most powerful spell in all of black magic just to kill one person! He needed to get out of the city before the blonde lady lost her grip on the insane midget. Good thing he was a fast runner. Still, what was so important about the rock he had just swiped from her anyway? She obviously was extremely protective of it, after all. Definitely had to get some answers from the good captain once he reached the rendezvous point.

"I'm never stealing from spell flingers again," he vowed, casting a glance backwards once more. Seemed the blonde lady still had Lina Inverse in a headlock. Thank Cephied for small miracles.

0o0o0o0o0

Claire came upon the scene of some sort of catastrophe, people gathered around a pile of rubble she assumed had been a shop at some point, considering all the other shops on the street. Spotting the crown princess coordinating cleanup efforts, she decided to offer her assistance.

"Lady Amelia," she called, getting the woman's attention. "What happened here?" At her question the princess seemed to become mildly depressed.

"Miss Lina happened," she sighed woefully. "Every time she visits Seyruun she ends up blowing something to pieces." Claire frowned, puzzled.

"Why would Miss Lina do this, Lady Amelia?" She asked, clearly shocked. Lina had seemed a decent enough person, after all.

"Just Amelia is fine, Miss Claire," the princess assured her, finding being called "Lady Amelia" a bit stuffy. "And she did this because I wanted her to try on a dress she really didn't like." She sighed again. "I should have known better." Claire looked around, not seeing the sorceress anywhere.

"Did Miss Lina take off?" Obvious question, but still.

"Yes, someone apparently robbed her during the confusion and she chased after him." Another sigh. "I can only imagine the damage she'll cause catching him."

"Oh." Maybe her initial assessment of Lina had been off, to say the least. "Well, is there anything I can do to help?" Amelia smiled, apparently grateful for the offer.

"Thank you, Miss Claire, but I couldn't ask you to trouble yourself with this," the princess replied, looking around at the mess as she did so. "You're my guest, after all, and it would be rude of me to put you to work."

"No, I…" Claire froze up, feeling a sharp pain in her chest. "What's…?" Her vision became distorted and fuzzy, darkness creeping in around the edges.

"Miss Claire, what's wrong?"

0o0o0o0o0

"You didn't have to strike me, Miss Lina," Filia snapped, now sporting a nice bruise over her left eye from an elbow to the face. Lina huffed, still thoroughly pissed off, the pair making their way back towards Amelia at the moment.

"It's your fault for stopping me, Filia," the pint sized sorceress told her, her tone rather spiteful. "I could have caught that guy if you hadn't interfered!"

"If I hadn't interfered you would have turned the entire residential area to cinders!" Filia was quick to point out, unable to fathom her friend sometimes.

"Details," Lina said nonchalantly, lacing her fingers behind her head. "He would have been caught, wouldn't he?"

"And you'd be in the dungeon with him for mass destruction of property and wrongful deaths."

"Hmph." It was clear the argument was lost on the red haired demoness in human clothing. "Anyway, we should see-Claire!" Filia blinked.

"What about Miss Claire?" She asked, thrown by the sudden change in the sorceress. Then she saw it too. Claire was currently out cold, Amelia cradling the young woman in her lap.

"Miss Lina, Miss Filia, thank goodness!" She was obviously relieved to see them back. "I can't make Miss Claire wake up." Filia immediately knelt down by them, hands coming up to hover over the unconscious girl, glowing with a soft white light. Lina watched in silence, a little worried about her. They'd only just met but Claire seemed so…innocent, child-like at times even.

"What's wrong with her, Filia?" She asked after the dragon was finished with her diagnostic spell.

"I…I don't know, Miss Lina," she replied, expression conveying worry and confusion. "I can't find anything wrong with her but she's still unconscious." Lina crossed her arms over her chest, thinking hard.

"Could you try a Recovery spell?" She inquired, the dragon looking thoughtful for a moment.

"It's worth a try." She stretched out her hands over Claire once more, eyes closed in concentration. "Recove…" All three of them gasped when the girl simply vanished.

"My, my, my, how lovely to see you all again," a familiar voice called down to them, Lina turning to glare at the figure standing on a nearby rooftop.

"Xellos, what the hell? Give back Claire right now!" Indeed, the raven haired woman was tucked under the trickster's left arm, hanging limply despite being jostled so much. Xellos put on his usual Cheshire cat grin.

"I'm sorry, Miss Lina, but I simply can't do that," he told her, though it was clear from his tone he was anything but sorry at the moment.

"What do you want with her, you damned namagomi?" Filia snarled, grabbing her mace as she turned on him, ready to strike him down with it.

"Well by now you should know my answer to such silly questions." He held up a lone finger, wagging it back and forth in a chiding manner. "That is a secret." Amelia stood, raising a hand, energy gathering in her palm.

"Wretched villain, your soul is beyond redemption; prepare to feel the Hammer of Justice!" That's definitely Amelia for you.

"Amelia, wait, you'll hit Claire!" Lina stopped her, hand closing over the justice loving princess's wrist. Xellos chuckled.

"I never knew you could be such a soft touch, Miss Lina," he said, evidently amused. "What with your penchant for mass destruction and all."

"I'm not just going to sit back and let you take her, either, Xellos," Lina informed him, ready to fight if need be.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice, Miss Lina." The General-Priest leveled his staff their way, the red orb that crowned it glowing malevolently. "Till now I've enjoyed playing with you all, making you dance to my tune, but times change. If you try to stop me, I'll be forced to retaliate with extreme prejudice." Lina stiffened, knowing how powerful he was. They'd need Gourry and Zelgadis in order to take him on. Right now, though, the mazoku would have little trouble taking them all out. "What's it going to be, Lina?"

"You won't get away with this, you know." She wished she felt as confident as she sounded at the moment. His grin turned into a smirk.

"I'm sure." His tone was rather dry. "Till we meet again, Lina." Then he was gone, taking Claire with him.

"What are you going to do, Miss Lina?" Amelia asked, hoping that the sorceress had some plan in mind. Lina sighed, looking down at the broken stones of the street.

"Right now there's little I can do." They couldn't exactly follow him, since the only one of them that could teleport was Filia. Sure the dragon could take a group with her, but not as far as Xellos was likely going. "Don't worry, Amelia, just concentrate on the wedding for now."

"But what about Miss Claire?" Filia asked, worried as well. "Who knows what that filthy mazoku will do to her?" Lina turned away, knowing Claire's fate didn't look very good at the moment.

"If he wanted her dead she would be already." There was at least that much to consider. "And it's not like I don't know where he's going." She looked off into the distance, frowning darkly. "I just hope she'll be alright."

0o0o0o0o0

Claire awoke to a splitting headache and cold stone underneath beneath her, the young woman face down on what seemed to be the floor.

"Where am I?" She groaned, struggling up to her hands and knees. The room went in and out of focus, what she saw of it depicting a grand hall of some sort, torches flickering in sconces on the walls, tapestries of times long past on the walls. Ahead of her was a throne on which sat one of the most beautiful women she'd seen thus far, with long, flowing hair the color of the sun and wearing a rather revealing white dress with matching strapped heels, golden braces around her wrists and ankles, a similar collar around her neck. In one delicate hand was a cigarette holder, the cancer stick it held smoldering dully.

"Well, well, look who decided to wake up." Even her voice was beautiful, though in a cold, slightly frightening way. "Welcome, Claire, to my home." She smirked, reminding Claire oddly of Xellos. "I appreciate the gesture, but prostrating yourself before me is not required, at least not at this time. You are my guest, after all." Claire managed to get up, understandably nervous.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but…who are you?" She asked, her unease making her query quiet and hesitant. The smirk turned into a smile, the golden haired goddess before her apparently pleased by the question.

"Me? Why I am Zelas Metallium, Master of Wolfpack Island and subordinate of the dark lord Shabranigdo himself."

A/N: yeah I'm being mean and leaving it there, terrible as I am. Just a note, I used a fan drawn picture of Zelas in order to describe her, so any inaccuracies are not intentional. Same goes for her attitude, as I haven't read the novels so I didn't get any idea of what she's like from the time she appears in them. I only know that much because it was discussed under said picture in deviantart. Anyway, there it is, hope you enjoyed it, sorry if it seemed a little rushed though. I just wanted to get it out there and I don't know how to make it seem not rushed, so feel free to gripe.