Xina leaned against Val's dragon head as the water passed beneath them. She glanced up and noted the coast appearing on the edge of the horizon. The purple-haired girl sat up and gripped the staff in her hand.
"We're almost home," she said with a melancholy smile. She fondly reached down and scratched in between Val's thick scales. The dragon underneath her hummed appreciatively.
"Now comes the hard part," Val added wryly. Xina hmphed frustratedly at the rumbling underneath her.
"We just fought two mazoku and something else that was as powerful as L-Sama," Xina reminded him. "What's left to worry about?"
"Our mothers," Val explained.
"Uh...heh..." Xina sweatdropped. "Oh yeah."
"What are you doing out here," Sylphiel asked politely. Jol turned to face her in mild surprise.
"How do you and dad manage to sneak up on me?" Jolrael asked in frustrated curiousity
"Well the elves think they have the monopoly on psychic awareness," Sylphiel said. "But its not like there aren't magical counters for all that." She smiled serenely.
"And what about dad?"
"Don't ask me to explain your father to you," Sylphiel said waving her hand. "I can't even begin to count the number of times he's proven most of my assumptions wrong without trying to."
"So I'm not the only one then?" Jol said. "That's a relief."
"Personally I think he just likes playing dumb," Sylphiel said. "But you never answered my question. Will you be coming home after this?"
"That wasn't what you asked before," he started.
"Don't try to change the subject," Sylphiel insisted sternly. "Have you had your taste of adventure yet?"
"I don't know," Jol shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not."
"Hmmm?" Sylphiel arched an eyebrow and stared at him.
"It'll probably take a while to fix everything back home won't it," Jol said.
"Yes, we'll probably have some left over hostilities," Sylphiel said sadly. "We'll probably be feeling the aftermath of all this well into the next human generation." She shook her head at the thought of it.
"That sounds like it could be interesting," Jolrael said with a smirk. Sylphiel turned to him and blinked before smiling brightly.
"It will be good to have you home," Sylphiel said. "And you won't even have to babysit Kyrie, unless you want to."
"Mom, you are aware that Tinuviel has no idea of how to handle Kyrie," Jol said wearily.
"Well, I'm sure you wouldn't mind helping her then," Syphiel smiled serenely.
"I guess I could," Jol said in response, smirking a little.
"I'd like to know how she managed to get me to volunteer for this," Sherra grumbled. She leaned back against the mazoku. She was in human form, after her centuries she had kind of gotten used to it. Sherra wasn't at all certain about the streaks of silver running through her hair now either.
"Actually, I believe you had to convince her to trust you," Duofolger reminded her.
"No I didn't," Sherra insisted. "She tricked, she had to. Why would I want to do anything so boring as watch her forest?"
"I believe you wanted some time to think about things away from everybody," Duofolger said. "A little peace and quiet."
"You're doing this just to get a rise out of me," Sherra said. "Aren't you?" Duofolger smirked and ran his hand through the girl's blue hair.
"Why would I want to do that," Duofolger asked. "We do need to talk about Dynast though, he'll discover you're alive eventually, if he hasn't already."
"Not right now," Sherra sighed. "I just want to relax."
"Yes, that's a very relaxed emotion you're feeling right now," Duofolger responded dryly.
"Just as long as there's no commentary," she responded tartly, minorly annoyed that he'd pretty much killed her play at seduction. "Maybe then you'd stop treating me like a kid."
"You really think so?"
"I can always hope."
"Any luck?" Val asked as he sat down next to Xina. The fox girl released her grip on the staff in her hands a little.
"No," she admitted. "I can't even get there." She looked at the staff. "I think its burned out."
"At least you got a chance to know him," Val said comfortingly as she leaned against him.
"Yeah, I feel real lucky," Xina commented snidely. "Val, whatever you do, don't die immediately after we get married okay?"
"I really don't think that's something I'd CHOOSE to do," Val added.
"Which?" Xina asked levely.
"The dying part," he answered quickly. Xina sat up quickly and turned to face the dragon, hopeful look on her face.
"Then you would...umm...you know," she paused. "Marry me? Umm why are you staring at me like that?"
"Because I'd expect you to try to seduce me before we got married," Val answered seriously, a moment before a staff whacked him on the head.
"You know while Xalan was chasing around Mom's forest I was usually hanging around you right?" Xina snapped.
"Yeah, so?" Val asked.
"That means I've heard your mother's lecture on marriage I don't know how many times," Xina explained. "Somewhere I started thinking she had a good point."
"I think it was cake she used to serve while giving the lecture," Val said. "Conditioning you know."
"That could work," Xina said. "You know, there was something we were supposed to do out here."
"'But I can't think of what it is'" Val mouthed along with the kage-kitsune. "Oh joy."
"Lina-san, you are wearing a grove into the floor," Filia pointed out. "Quite literally." She indicated the line of claw marks in the stone floor.
"It's Zelgadis's castle," Lina remarked irritably, shrugging her shoulders. Zelgadis arched an eyebrow. "What do I care?"
"This is not going to get them home any sooner, Imoto-chan," Luna added cooly.
Luna was having a generally annoying time. It seemed that when the snow thawed that her house had been flooded, and similar occurences throughout her town and caused similar results. The tavern had even taken more damage than it already had. To top it all off she was being referred to over and over again as "Lina Inverse's sister." She was beginning to understand why her younger sister had left to acquire a reputation outside of Zephilia.
"They're fine," Filia insisted, more in the nature of convincing herself.
"Otherwise we'd probably be gone right now," Zelgadis agreed.
"Oh stop that," Lina snapped. "It was just Martina, mazoku or not my children can handle her." She waved her hand dismissively.
"So what, pray tell, are you worried about?" Zelgadis asked.
"What do you think?" Lina snapped. "My little girl is out there with that...dragon." Filia sat up and crossed her arms.
"Meaning Val?" she asked. "As if he's the one the worry about."
"I'm certain the guy that tried to destroy the world would respect a girl's virtue," Lina sniped. Filia stood up and leaned down into the werefox's face.
"This coming from the woman that shacked up with a mazoku," Filia snapped back.
"Don't you dare talk about Xellos!"
"Don't you talk about my son!" Zelgadis began to stood up when he noticed Luna shaking her head.
"Do you really want to get involved in that?" the Knight of Ceipheed asked.
"Do you have any other idea that ends up with the castle intact?" Zelgadis asked seriously.
"Yes," Luna cleared her throat and the two fighting women silenced before turning to face her. "Please sit down and be quiet." Filia and Lina both glared at each other once and then sat down, shooting nervous glances at Luna.
"It isn't like they don't have a chaperone," Zelgadis added.
"Yes, Greywyrds daughter did strike me as the responsible sort," Luna added.
"Okay, yeah," Lina admitted slowly. "And Xalan is certainly not going to let anything get out of hand." Filia just remained quiet, not bothering to comment on how no one bothered to support Val.
"If you had told me what we were supposed to be doing, we could have just found some firewood and then stared at the stars and cuddling for a couple of hours," Val reminded her briskly.
The dragon was leaned over, almost horizontal, apparently carrying some heavy burden on his back. He was also trying ignore the fact that he was back in that pastel outfit. Xina walked next to him, happily carrying a decently large pile of firewood and sporting her mother's scale mail again.
"Oh this was more fun, I like waiting to the last minute," Xina snapped. "So stow it flower boy." She would have jabbed him in the chest if her hands weren't full. Val looked down at the hideous outift and grimaced.
"I was sure that I had burned this thing," Val said.
"Well, you thought you did," Xina admitted. "But I do have to agree with Tinuviel on something."
"What is that?" Val asked, afraid of the answer.
"You are cute dressed up like that," she smirked. Val growled a little irritably, but there was a fond note to it.
"One other question," Val said.
"Shoot."
"Why is it that you're carrying that pile of logs," he gestured his head in her direction. "And I'm carrying this?" Xina looked up at the burden on Val's back, a thick tree that at one time may have been over a hundred feet tall. "What are we even going to use it for?"
"Uhhh....Sore wa himitsu desu," Xina said.
"Does that mean that you don't know?" Val asked irritably.
"Err...oh look here's the camp," Xina said cheerfully.
As the the couple walked into camp Amethyst and Xalan turned to face them, Amethyst somehow blushing a bright red through her skin. Xina's brother had schooled his face to an expressionless mask that generally meant he was embarrassed about something. Xina didn't really notice the signs, she was busy sniffing the air and scratching her head in confusion.
"Xina-san, Val-san," Amethyst said brightly. "Did you enjoy your walk?" As she spoke Val tossed the tree down at the edge of clearing and stretched to pop the kinks out of his human body.
"Why are you carrying a tree?" Xalan asked. Val looked at Xina, looked back at Xalan.
"Sore wa himitsu desu," Val said. Xalan nodded in understanding and then shook his head.
"Okay," Xina finally spoke. "I know I don't know near what I should know after growing up in a forest, but I had thought that I at least knew when all the mating seasons were. Its not like its an easy scent...to...miss..."
Val and Xina stared at Xalan and Amethyst, who were now obviously very embarrassed.
"Ummmm..." Amethyst smiled weakly, next to her Xalan scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Well...ummm..." Xina blinked and then came out of shock.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
Sailoon castle was, about a week later, filled with a sound not often heard. It was the sound of a dragon priestess rendered helpless with laughter.
"I thought you said Xalan wouldn't let things get out of hand," Zelgadis said narrowly.
"YOU said Amethyst would be a good chaperone," Lina reminded him.
"Your sister agreed with me," Zelgadis snapped back.
"Greywyrds," Luna said. "You don't want to involve me in this." Zelgadis cleared his throat and looked away from the purple haired sorceress. "Out of curiosity why is it Xina and Val weren't the culprits?"
"They said that they wanted Filia to marry them first," Lina said tightly. "Apparently she has a really good lecture on marriage." Everybody turned to the still hysterical dragon.
"This isn't funny!" Lina and Zelgadis snapped.
"How'd they take it?" Val asked as Amethyst and Xalan sat down across from them.
"About as well as Xina did," Xalan said wearily.
"They probably won't calm down as fast, however," Amethyst said sadly.
"She spent a day ranting about how she was supposed to be the reckless one," Val reminded the chimera. "What's your definition of fast?"
"Well, this IS something they'd expect of me!" Xina retorted. "Not that I would, but I never thought either of THEM would do that. I mean...they're both so...so...the only word I can think of for some reason is 'square.'"
"Thank you for your ringing endorsement, Xina," Xalan said dryly.
"Whatever," Xina shrugged. "You took all the heat off me anyway."
"You're welcome," Amethyst said cooly.
"Don't do that!" Xina snapped. "You sound like you're father when you do that."
"Is there something wrong with my father?" Amethyst asked.
"Please go back to talking like a naive justice freak," Xina pleaded. "Or I'll start yodelling and carrying around a circular blade."
"Uh...what does that mean Xina-san?" Amethyst asked.
"I don't really know," Xina said, scratching the back of her head. "Anyway, Val and I are going to be returning the favor."
"Uh, we are?" Val said nervously.
"Yeah," Xina said. "We have to go visit Jol and..." she smirked viciously. "Tinuviel, and invite them to the wedding."
The noise in the halls gained in strength briefly and they all turned to catch the sound of echoing laughter.
"At least your mother is in a good mood," Xina said facing Val again.
"Look, they're safe," L-sama said irritably. "You can go now."
"I guess so," Amelia said sadly. She sighed and turned to see Xellos nodding grimmly.
"It is time to fufill our end of the bargain," Xellos admitted reluctantly. The source opened up behind them, silently.
"I would have liked to see the weddings," Amelia said with a sigh as she turned to the gate and stepped towards it.
"We can ask them about it later," Xellos said, smirking as he and Amelia vanished into the gate.
"That's going to be a long wait," L-sama said to herself as the gate closed. She looked through her portal and stared at Xina and Xalan. "A long wait."