"I understand that Lina's son is with you as well," Zelgadis said, changing the subject. "I'm fairly certain he wants to see his sister." The elder chimera glanced at Xina who, rolled her eyes up to a corner of the room and bit her lip. "Even if she is reluctant on the issue."
"Oh Xina-san," Amethyst gasped in surprise, "I didn't recognize you there." Zelgadis and Xina sweatdropped. "Xalan-san thought you were hurt, he's really anxious to see you." The younger chimera nodded her head vigorously.
"I'd like to meet Xina's son as well," Zelgadis suggested, obviously thinking to stall this discussion with his daughter.
"We need the talk about mother," Amethyst protested, she turned to Xina. "Xalan-san is waiting outside, Xina-san." Xina glanced from Zelgadis to the door, the elder chimera. She smiled viciously and waved at Zelgadis.
"Shouldn't keep my brother waiting after all," she said cheerfully, in the vulpine accent common to her family. She greatly ennjoyed the annoyed glare that the Regent-Prince was leveling her way. Then she turned her face away from the two chimeras and grimaced. Seeing Zelgadis squirm was pleasurable enough to face her brother, but it only just outweighed the chance to avoid him for a little while.
"Lina figured it out," he deduced after the fox-girl left the room.
"Yes, but..."
"This was none of her affair," Zelgadis said quietly.
"She didn't tell me," Amethyst protested. Zelgadis arched an eyebrow at her. "It was the guardsman that tried to kill me that told me."
"One of your guards tried to kill you," he repeated dangerously.
"Yes, Lina-sama told the rest of them to take him and those bandits to the nearest Sailoon magistrate," she paused. "The ones that lived anyway, but, that's not the point. Why didn't you tell me?"
"What point would there be?"
"But you lied to me, how can that be just?" Zelgadis snorted. "Doesn't justice require the truth?"
"What justice would there be in making some little girl think she killed her mother?"
"But I did..."
"No you did not!" Zelgadis shouted. "Understand that, you didn't do anything."
"But if I were human..." she let the supposition trail away to silence, and then began to walk out of the room.
"Ame, it's not your fault," she looked back at him before leaving the room completely.
Of all the responses Xina was prepared for, relief and joy were not one of them. Val, and a tall dark haired swordsman somewhere around Amethyst's age, sat back and watched. The swordsman seemed bored.
"Xina!" her cried out as he hugged her much smaller form. "I thought you were hurt, or..."
"I'm fine! I'm fine! But you're going to crack my ribs!" he released her.
"I don't understand it, but I'm glad you're not..." She looked at him embarrassed. "You were hurt."
"I let someone steal...father," she said, clutching her side where she remembered the sword plunging in. "I'd be dead if it weren't for Zelgadis." She sounded quite unlike her normal cheerful self.
"I know you did your best, we can hunt down the bastard later," he told her.
"And I shall help you in this quest," Xalan turned to face the reappeared Amethyst. The young chimera had either put everything behind her, or buried it. Whichever way it was, she did not at seem unhappy at all.
"Me, Xal and Val are perfectly..."
"You will," Xina turned to look at her brother, who hadn't even noticed that he'd cut her off.
"Sounds fun," Jol shrugged.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Jol."
"Err...Okay."
"I suppose that," Val started, Xina turned to face him, already putting her pleading look on. Val gave up before she started talking. "Go tell our parents what's going on before joining you."
"You'd do that for us?" Xina leaned uncomfortably close to the dragon, laughter sparkling in her eyes. Val glanced nervously from the teasing kage-kitsune to her brother's annoyed look.
"I might as well get started now, its faster this way," he grumbled, turning to walk back down the hall. There was a whispered stream of profanity that he wouldn't have dared speak near his mother, and scattered among it was the phrase "three bloody times."
"I was going to suggest that myself," Zelgadis said, appearing behind them. "But first, you are going to get some rest, and I am going to see about outfitting you properly."
"I'd really rather get this over..." Zelgadis leveled a look at Xalan and he shut up. Amethyst and Xina shared a smug expression, until Xina noticed and then she hmphed.
"That was impressive," Jol noted. Zelgadis turned to face him.
"Who are..."
"Jolrael Gabriev." Zelgadis narrowed his eyes, Jol didn't appear to notice.
"As in..."
"Gourry and Syphiel's son." The chimera arched an eyebrow, the swordsman yawned.
"But you're not..."
"Stupid?" Xina and Amethyst looked at Jol as if he were insane.
"Would you..."
"I'm not doing anything." Zelgadis took a moment to figure out if he was telling the truth or not.
Xalan saw Xina in the darkness beyond, she was the first actual sight he had seen in this funny dream. Having nothing better to do he walked towards her. This didn't seem to be a dream, it felt more like what he felt when he was fighting. As he approached Xina saw him a waved dismissively.
"Oh good, this dream was getting boring," Xina grumbled.
"This is my dream," Xalan insisted.
"Whatever, I'm not going to argue with a figment of my imagination."
"You're the figment, not me."
"You can't share dreams so..." The darkness faded away to show Zangulus stabbing down into Xina. Xalan looked to the other image of his sister and noticed her wince angrily.
"What is this?" Zangulus and Zelgadis started circling each other, the chimera maneuvering the human away from his sister. The image faded away before the drama could come to a conclusion.
Xina woke up from the strange dream and growled. That man had beaten her soundly, without much of an effort. It had been so easy for him that he even had time to mock her. She had never felt so humiliated as she had lying at his feet and waiting for that sword to fall. She clutched her side angrily.
Why was she dreaming about that, what was the point? It was bad enough thinking about it without having to see it when she fell asleep. And she was dreaming about Xalan witnessing it to, as if it wasn't good enough that she was cowed in front of Zelgadis Greywyrds. She had to have her brother witness her on the ground half-conscious and near weeping from the pain in her back.
She lay back down, on the other side, and considered the dream. There was something about it, something important. Then she snapped to sitting up again in the great soft bed.
"The staff was still in my hand!"