"And after we get back to the castle, we'll have you try on your dress and make sure it fits just right!"

"If that's a dig at my chest, I will slap you, blushing bride-to-be or not!" Lina shot a glare at Amelia who didn't seem to pay any mind. How could she when all of her thoughts and actions were centered around her upcoming wedding? The two had spent all day running errands relating to the big event and now were walking along the streets of Seyruun City. The signs of the evening were clear: the sun was setting, and Lina's stomach was rumbling. Food—and lots of it—was calling her name.

"Well, now that your dress is taken care of, we simply must work on finding the right ceremonial flowers tomorrow!" Amelia carried on, her excitement most befitting of a bride-to-be, "And then we must follow-up with the zookeepers to make sure all is set for the dove release and the tiger dance."

"Zel doesn't strike me as the type to want all this fanfare," Lina commented.

"Well," Amelia bristled, "He shouldn't have asked a crown princess to marry him then! He will love it, and he will like that he loves it." Lina giggled at the vaguely threatening statement and the idea of Zel showing the same level of enthusiasm as his future wife over…well, pretty much anything relating to the wedding preparation. The wedding night, surely being the sole exception.

"But I don't want to be completely wrapped up in my wedding," Amelia continued, "I know you don't like my asking this… but are you doing ok?" Amelia's concern made Lina feel as if her stomach were bunched up in little knots, unwilling to be unraveled. She took a deep breath in. Lina hoped that the wedding festivities would be distracting enough to keep this feeling of guilt at bay and to keep Amelia from focusing on her.

"I'm ok," she affirmed, "But please don't let your worry about me get in the way of the festivities." Lina prided herself on the well-crafted, mature response she came up with for whenever someone inquired about her state of being.

"We'll have a memorial for him too, you know," Amelia offered cautiously, "It's tradition that we honor the deceased during a Seyruun royal wedding, and it would be an injustice to exclude Gourry only because he's not part of the royal family."

A pause hung in the air between the two friends.

"That'll be nice," Lina finally said with a soft, but melancholy smile. Amelia smiled back and laid a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. A memorial truly was a kind gesture, even if Lina felt consumed by the familiar wave of guilt whenever she thought of the late swordsman. Sometimes it felt as if guilt were like the tides lapping against the shore; sometimes high and intense, other times low and mellow but still there, ever present. What Lina chose not to tell Amelia was that it had been pretty unlikely that she and Gourry would've ever made it down the aisle. Maybe if something had sparked when they were younger. Nothing ever really happened, though, and frankly, Lina figured she needed a future husband with more smarts.

The lack of romance did not mean that Gourry's death didn't have a profound affect on her. He had sworn to protect her, and indeed he had, but with a fatal consequence. Nothing ever 'happening' between them didn't negate that the day of Gourry's funeral was one of the worst days in Lina's life, even if most of it had been a blur of mourners and "are you ok?"-ers. Throwing a candelabra at Xellos was the only thing she could distinctly remember from that dreadful day. He had showed up out of nowhere, claiming he was there to pay his respects. To someone who couldn't even remember your name, let alone who you even are?! she had yelled after the heavy bronze object struck him in the face. Lina refused to let him dine on her grief. What other decent reason would Xellos have to show up at Gourry's funeral unannounced? She didn't know nor did she want to—and he hadn't appeared in her life since then.

Lina and Amelia strolled along the city's side streets. Not very many people were outside despite the pleasant weather. A soft warm breeze danced through the air. Now, if they could just hurry back to the castle and eat some dinner, maybe even out on the castle patio, Lina would be pleased.

"Oh, look!" Amelia cried, "I don't recall this little shop before!" She pointed towards a small storefront with a single eye depicted on the sign hanging outside.

"Looks like a fortune teller," Lina commented as they approached the store's window. It contained a cluster of crystal balls in different sizes, lifelike replicas of hands, and gems with carved-on eyes hanging from the ceiling.

"Oh, that sounds like a marvelous idea!" Amelia squealed, "Why don't we get our fortunes read?"

"Weellll…I was hoping we'd get back for dinner," Lina was a little unsure what to think of people, usually women, who proclaimed that they had the gift of a clear third eye—but more importantly: food. Food now.

"Oh, there will be plenty of food waiting for us! Besides, we'll need to talk at length with Chef Allvyn about the catering."

Lina found herself stuck between a rock and a hard place: food, but more wedding talk or fortune teller, but no food. Amelia turned to Lina, with pleading, hopeful expression and her hands clasped.

"All right," Lina sighed, "let's see the fortune teller." If having their fortunes read would stall the wedding madness, she would welcome the break.

Amelia pushed open the door with Lina trailing behind her. The front of the shop was small with a handful of shelves with books and scrying tools. A counter ran along the front of a wall where presumably there was another room or two. Behind that counter stood a young woman with blonde hair tied up in a messy bun and thick bangs. She was draped in black robes with interwoven gold threading that gave her the appearance of sparkling when the light caught the fabric just right.

"Hello, Miss Inverse, Miss Seyruun, welcome to my humble shop," the woman greeted, "I am the all-seeing Lucie."

"See?" Amelia whispered as she elbowed Lina, "She knows our names!"

"You're a public figure and I'm a renowned sorcery genius," Lina shot back, "Of course she knows our names!" Amelia pfft'd and refocused her attentions on the self-proclaimed all-seeing Lucie.

"You ladies wish to see the mysteries that lie ahead of you?" Amelia nodded enthusiastically followed by Lina with a slight shrug of her shoulders. Lucie's blue eyes glittered with pleasure. "Come with me," she said and motioned for them to follow. Lina couldn't help but feel a little creeped out by the blonde woman. Something seemed 'off'—maybe it was that her pleasant facade seemed fake, maybe it was just an air she was putting on. Lina went along with Amelia anyway as Lucie ushered them back into a room with a sunken pit with several pillows and cushions waiting. A low table sat in the middle with a seat cushion and a weathered cabinet behind it.

"Watch your step," the fortune teller cautioned as she led the princess and the sorceress down the steps, "and please choose whatever seat you like." Lina and Amelia took their seats on the floor, both grabbing cushions to sit on.

"Now, I do not abide by traditional fortune-telling," Lucie said, her serene smile glittering eerily in the low light of the room, "Rather than read your leaves, I prepare a tea for you to drink, which will induce a hypnotic state with visions of your future. Consider it akin to those early waking dreams where you have an awareness of your dream state."

"So you're going to drug us?!" Lina cringed in confused horror, "I don't think so! C'mon Ame-"

"My tea has no ill side-effects!" Lucie chuffed, "You simply sit back and relax onto the pillows behind you. At most, the hypnotic state lasts for a half hour and you will likely feel a little sluggish after. I'll take good care of you, I promise."

"A half hour?! I am starving!" Lina moaned exasperatedly. Amelia gave Lina an exasperated look and sighed.

"Please forgive my friend, she gets a little impatient when she's hungry," Amelia apologized.

"Ah, here," Lucie dug a packet of crackers from seemingly out of nowhere and offered it to Lina, "These should tide you over." Begrudgingly, Lina accepted the crackers but not without a glare toward Amelia.

"You're paying for this," Lina grumbled as she stuffed a cracker in her mouth. The princess responded with a pointed "like you would" expression.

"Now, here are your options," Lucie pulled jars of tea leaves out of the cabinet, "First, I have a green tea with a touch of raspberry. It's best for those seeking balance in their lives."

Lina found herself already getting bored as Lucie droned on about the different teas and their purposes.

"Next, we have another green tea, this time with a hint of orange and rosehips. It's for seeking clarity in your relationships. My other blend, a lovely—

"—If you're really 'all-seeing,' why can't you predict what teas we want?" Lina interrupted. Lucie set down the canister of tea leaves and pursed her lips in annoyance.

"Well, I think she does have a point," Amelia echoed sheepishly and an apologetic smile for her friend's bluntness.

"Well then," Lucie huffed, "Let me put the water over the flame, and then I'll read your auras." A little portable stove sat on the table where Lucie lit a fire underneath. She pulled a jug of water out of the cabinet and poured it into the pot atop the stove. Lina and Amelia remained quiet during her preparations, unsure what to say or do, if they should say or do anything, for that matter.

Satisfied with the task, Lucie reached forward and grasped Amelia's right hand with her left and Lina's left with her right. She closed her eyes and began to breath deeply and deliberately. An awkward silence enveloped the room for several minutes. Lina and Amelia exchanged glances as the fortune teller continued her heavy breathing.

"Ah," At last, Lucie spoke. Her baby blue eyes sparkled with newfound clarity. "Miss Seyruun, you are excited but nervous about your future. But there's no reason to be: your betrothed is steadfast, stable, solid as a rock—

Lina snorted. Amelia cast a sidelong look at her friend. Lucie ignored them and continued on, "So with that in mind, my green tea blend with orange and rosehips will do nicely."

Lucie doled out two scoops of the tea leaves into a strainer that she placed inside a mug. She carefully picked up the bowl of newly heated water and poured it over the strainer.

"Give it just a minute," she said with a breezy air before turning around and rummaging through her cabinet once again, "Now, Miss Inverse, you require a specific blend."

It was Amelia's turn to snicker. Of course Lina would. Lina ate her last cracker and waited for Lucie to continue.

"Miss Inverse, it appears you have been broken," Lucie said as she kept moving jars aside, "This is not an insult—it's simply because your aura reads as if you have been shattered into pieces and knit back together again."

"O-ok," Lina wasn't sure to make of this. Lucie's description of her 'aura' was not completely inaccurate. Her statement would be somewhat applicable to her teenaged experience of performing the Giga Slave.

"A-ha, here it is," Lucie said with a satisfied smile as she turned around with the jar of tea leaves in hand, "Now, Miss Seyruun, your tea should be ready now."

Amelia dutifully removed the strainer from her mug and took a dainty sip of her tea. A slight frown crossed her face. "Is it supposed to have a bit of an earthy aftertaste?"

"Well, yes, I forgot to mention that my teas have an additional seasoning of my special spice mixed with fresh truffles from my garden," Lucie said, "It's a beloved recipe of mine." Amelia nodded politely and sipped on her tea.

"Now, back to you, Miss Inverse!" Lucie set the jar on the table and unscrewed the lid, "You are at a crossroads in your life, aren't you? Someone who you thought would always be around is no longer here. And with Miss Seyruun's upcoming wedding, thinking about the future is being pushed on you whether you like it or not."

Lina bit her lip. This was all information that anyone following the stories about her and Amelia would know. Of course weddings brought on future anxiety—it was only natural for girls in their late twentie's like Lina and Amelia!

"This tea is very special," Lucie beamed with pride, "It is a lovely blend of licorice root with lavender. Truly fantastic for opening the third eye."

Lucie prepared Lina's tea as she had done Amelia's. Lina looked over at Amelia, whose face had been stricken with drowsiness. Once the tea was ready, Lina accepted the mug as Lucie handed it to her and began to drink.

"I will warn you, Miss Inverse," Lucie cautioned, "Sometimes when you find yourself at a crossroads, conflicting visions of multiple futures may occur. This doesn't negate your visions—it just means you have choices in determining your path."

"All right," Lina responded before taking another large sip of her tea. Amelia was correct: it had a distinctly earthy taste, and Lina wanted to finish the beverage as quickly as possible.

Lucie stood up and moved some pillows behind Amelia. The princess' eyes closed as Lucie coaxed her onto the pillows.

"Scoot me away from Lina, please," she mumbled sleepily. Lucie shrugged and did as she was asked, situating the princess on the pillows comfortably.

I don't thrash *that* much in my sleep anymore, Lina thought irritably. She didn't have much time to be too annoyed—a wave of intense drowsiness come over her as she finished her tea. Her neck could hardly keep her head up. She felt a hand underneath her nape and another gently pushing her back onto the pillows.

"Shhh," Lucie whispered, "Now off you go!"

"Really, a human?" An unfamiliar voice sneered from above, "That's who you chose to help you find the Cinnaforian manuscript?"

Lina blinked and looked up. A pale-skinned woman with braided blue hair, a stern green-eyed expression, and dressed militarily hovered in the air above. A forest of tall treetops surrounded her with only some sunlight peeking through the leafy canopy.

(( Lina disconcertingly felt both in and out of her body—"in" in that she was experiencing reality firsthand and yet "out" where she was a spectator of the event unfolding before her. Where am I? Is she even talking to me? ))

"You are surely well aware that the manuscript's temple has wards against Monsters, no?" A familiar voice to the right of Lina responded. It was Xellos.

(( Lina felt her head turn but her mind immediately was confused. The last time she saw Xellos involved her screaming at him at Gourry's funeral. What the hell? Why am I in the woods with Xellos?! And just who is this person? ))

"That doesn't mean you continue to hang around humans!" The woman sneered, "Really, Xellos? Seems like that would be below the stature of a Monster as 'well-regarded' as you."

"Oh, who knew you'd be capable of such flattery?" Xellos met her bitter sarcasm with his cheerful tongue-in-cheekiness, "I'm so glad you've come around."

"Oh, shut up!" The tone of her anger made it evident that this was far from the first time Xellos had taunted her. She unsheathed a sword from her side while simultaneously unleashing a blast of potent black magic at them. Unprepared and taken by surprise, Lina fell to the ground, blood clouding her vision.

(( Fuck, that hurt! What the hell kind of vision is this? ))

"You will pay for this, Sherra!" she heard Xellos snarl.

(( He must really want something from me. ))

"Not under the watch of my master and majesty Lord Dynast Grausherra!" Sherra called back, "You really do think you're better than the rest of us and can get away with everything, don't you? "

Lina felt faint and struggled to catch her breath as she heard Sherra and Xellos engage in attacks. She may have a head injury, but it was painfully obvious that the woman was a Monster, a station or two lower than Xellos as indicated by her palpably bitter comments, and a servant of one of Ruby Eye's subordinates Lina only knew of by name. Lina wasn't going down without a fight, though—she mumbled a healing spell as she held her hand close to the injury.

"Sher-ra?" she croaked, "Dynast couldn't think of a better name than that?"

(( Ha! ))

The two Monsters paused their fight and turned their heads towards Lina: Sherra glowered with fury; Xellos, amusement.

"Why you little—" Sherra growled, "How dare you!" She drew her sword once more, ready to strike.

Despite the paltry healing spell, the wound wouldn't stop bleeding while Lina tried to prepare the chaos words for Dragon Slave. Xellos did not give her the chance—a pair of arms wrapped firmly around her waist, and she felt herself being lifted into the air.

"You coward!" Lina heard Sherra yell from below. She twisted her injured head around to look at Xellos—nevermind that blood was still pouring down her face—but she only caught a glimpse of his concerned expression before darkness clouded her vision.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lina found herself in bed, one that was quite comfortable with the smoothest of sheets, well-stuffed pillows and a plush blanket. She felt warm, safe, and comfortable—she also happened to be naked and not alone. Lina turned to her side and gazed fondly at the man curled up next to her, sleeping.

"Hey," she nudged him. He too lacked clothes nor did he stir. She nudged him again with no response so she took a different tack. Lina slid her hand under the blanket, directing her attention to a particularly sensitive part of his anatomy and slowly gliding her hand up and down.

(( Well, aren't I brazen? ))

"Li-na," Xellos responded with that occasional particular lilt of drawing out the "ee" in her name, "You haven't had enough already?"

(( XELLOS?! ))

"Nope!" A wicked smile crossed her face while she kept her hand moving.

(( What the hell?! ))

"So greedy," he mumbled before turning on his side to face her. It never took long for her handiwork to produce results, and she certainly felt him pressed against her as Xellos peppered kisses down her neck and in-between her breasts. Being lavished was nice, especially when he paid so much attention to her much maligned breasts, but that was not what she wanted. She needed him.

"Quit fooling around," she groaned, and he rolled on top of her in response.

(( Of all the times Lina had told Xellos to quit fooling around, this context was not one that had ever come to mind. ))

She wrapped her legs around his waist as he entered her and propelled them onto their sides. Lina conceded to the more leisurely position and smiled in relief. Him inside her, close to her was exactly what she needed. He kissed her neck while she ran her hands up and down his back. They reached a comfortable, languid rhythm that Lina wanted to stay cocooned in forever and forsake all of her responsibilities.

(( Lina could respect that this… close physical contact… did feel very good. Extremely good. But Xellos? Xellos?! ))

Xellos kissed her softly on the lips. She opened her eyes and looked deep into his. His eyes, usually concealed, were bright and open…. and very, very human. No catlike slits for eyes. No menace behind the cheerful facade.

(( In what world would Xellos become human?! What kind of future is this supposed to be? ))

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A loud thump resounded outside.

Lina looked up from the old spell book she was reading with a puzzled expression—it wasn't like anyone she knew to stop by after midnight. It could very well be an intruder. Lina set her book down next to an almost empty glass of whiskey and harrumphed out of her little cottage's living room. Thankfully she didn't require any handheld weapons—her fists and a well-placed fireball would make any intruder regret their decision to break into the home of Lina Inverse.

She approached the front door with soft steps and ears primed for unwelcome noise. A pained groan came from the other side of her door. Lina raised her eyebrows—surely any intruder wouldn't be trying to break-in with an injury.

"Who's there?" she called from behind the closed door.

"H-he-help…" a voice whined from the other side. Lina titled in her head in confusion. Did that voice belong to Xellos?

(( Of course it belongs to Xellos! Who else is appearing this regularly in these visions? ))

"Xellos?" she asked, opening the door slightly. Sure enough, it was indeed Xellos hunched over on her front doorstep. He was leaning against the doorframe with his face scrunched up in pain.

"Geez, what happened to you?" She bent down to wrap his arm around her shoulders, "C'mon, stand up, I've got ya." He did as she asked but not without another groan as he slowly came to his feet.

As she helped him down the hall, Lina considered where she could put him—the sofa would have to do. She guided him over and carefully sat him down. He titled his head against the back of the sofa with a grimace as blood seeped through a gash on his stomach. Her eyes widened in shock when it registered that he was bleeding. Bleeding.

(( It dawned on Lina that she was likely to learn how Xellos became human. Well, that'll clear things up, at least. ))

"What in the world?!" Lina breathed in awed horror. Monsters don't bleed. They couldn't bleed. She'd seen an injured Xellos before, and this was nothing like that. But that was a question to ask him later—she ran out of the room to the cabinet where she kept her medical supplies and grabbed a first aid kit and some gauze. Lina re-entered her living room and found him with his head lolling over to this side. He needed her to act quickly.

"Sit still," she ordered and grabbed a pair of scissors from the kit to cut away his shirt. An actual physical shirt. Xellos obeyed and made no movement as she exposed his injury to air. Crouching before him, Lina mumbled some simple healing spells while holding her hand steady over the gash. Healing spells were not her area of expertise, but she knew enough to aid with traditional first aid methods. Once the bleeding stopped, she got to work on cleaning and dressing the wound. Xellos inhaled sharply and jerked away when she poured antiseptic on it. Lina flicked her eyes up at him—he was wincing and if she was seeing things correctly, his eyes betrayed a glimmer of tears.

(( I should not be enjoying this... I should not be enjoying this... Lina was grateful that she was not the grossly injured one in this vision. ))

"Yeah, welcome to having a body," she commented wryly, "But we'll discuss that later." He nodded in agreement and allowed her to continue. Soon enough, she had the wound dressed. He finally relaxed as she moved some throw pillows and shifted him so that he sat propped up against them while lying comfortably on the sofa. Lina left him to rest there while she went off to prepare some tea. Several minutes later, she returned with a tea pot and two mugs and sat herself down by his feet.

(( C'mon, Lina — ask him what the hell is going on! ))

"Sooo…." she began as she poured the tea, "care to explain why you were dumped on my front door with a serious injury—and oh, why you're not a Monster anymore? I just fixed you up from bleeding out, so it better not be a secret."

Xellos averted his eyes, refusing to look into hers, and accepted the warm mug of tea with his newly human hands. He remained silent for several seconds before finally speaking up.

"The dragons finally took their revenge," he said quietly, "And as a result, Lord Beas… Zelas had no further use for me."

(( Well, damn. ))

"Wait, so Zelas did this to you?!" His face hardened, but he did not answer the question. Lina took a sip of her tea before continuing. "And for whatever reason, she did not kill you and dropped you on my doorstep instead?"

"Seems so," he responded glumly before slowly bringing his tea to his mouth for a sip, "Ow! That's hot!"

It took all of Lina's restraint not to laugh. This new Xellos sure was going to be interesting.

"Well, I guess you can stay here for now," she offered, setting her mug down on the table and stood up, "Let me find some blankets and better pillows. You can sleep on the couch."

(( Well, *that* didn't last. ))

"Oh dear," Lucie murmured as she examined the dregs of the tea leaves prepared for the sorceress, "It looks like I might have blended in a little too much anbascin and truffles with the licorice root."

Lucie had chosen not to inform the two women that her special spice was not actually a spice— it was just a cute name she used to make anbascin, a formidable and highly controlled herb, sound less threatening. Especially considering that she liked to mix her spice with her garden's most finest—and most potent—truffles.

She looked over at Amelia and Lina situated comfortably on the pillows: the royal with a dreamy, contented smile; and the sorceress more restless, twitching in her sleep.

"Well, some intense visions shouldn't hurt too much," Lucie commented aloud to no one in particular, "And I did warn Miss Inverse that she may see multiple paths ahead of her."

Lucie walked between the two women, bending down to fluff their pillows and provide some blankets. She suspected comfort would be much needed.

Especially for Miss Inverse.

Lina trudged up a snow-coated hill. The air was just below freezing, and no matter how layers she piled on or how many warming spells she muttered, Lina was uncomfortably cold.

(( Lina hated to think it, but she would've rather been back in that bed vision. At least it was warm there. ))

"Why does to this temple have to be so remote?" she grumbled.

"Ah, but the Cinnaforian manuscript is supposed to be worth the journey, Lina dear," said the disarmingly cheerful voice she knew would be Xellos. He, of course, was unfazed by the unpleasant weather conditions. They could have been walking along a sunny beach, and it wouldn't have made a lick of difference.

(( This must be prior to that run-in with Dynast Grausherra's Sherra. Huh. ))

"If you even think of destroying it before I have a chance to look at it, I will make you pay." Lina wheezed, the steep hill taking its toll on her calves and lungs. Usually times like these were perfect for Levitation or Raywing, but with the windchill making low temperatures feel dangerously lower, casting either of those wind-based spells would not be a good idea. Lina preferred not to get frostbite.

"A deal is a deal," Xellos soothed, "I told you that this temple has all sorts of wards designed for only humans to break. You are doing me a great favor!"

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered, "Don't you think for even one second that I have my guard down against your antics!"

(( That's right, Lina! ))

Xellos smiled in that seemingly effortless and obnoxiously faux charming way that most take at face value. Lina instead responded by sticking out her tongue before continuing on with the specific determination informed by the sole desire of getting out of the cold.

(( Seriously! New vision, please? ))

"What's so important about this manuscript anyway?" she asked, "It's not like it's a Claire Bible replica, is it?" Naturally, he hadn't told her much when he came to her requesting her assistance and a vague promise of learning whatever knowledge the manuscript imparted.

"No, I wouldn't say that," he answered, "But I believe you know the answer to your first question." Lina groaned and shook her head in irritation.

(( It's a secret, duh. ))

"It's a secret," Lina mimicked his nauseatingly cheerful tone perfectly.

"Mmm-hmm," he concurred. Lina stopped in her tracks and narrowed her eyes.

"This isn't another Claire 'Bibble,' it it?" she accused, "I swear to the Lord of Nightmares herself, if you are fucking with me—"

"No, no," Xellos laughed with a wave of his hand, "it is nothing like that. It wouldn't be in either of our best interests." Somewhat satisfied, Lina continued her uphill walk. Between the slope, the balancing act of keeping her footing on the snow, and the cold wind, the Cinnaforian manuscript better be worth it—or Xellos was going to pay.

The hill they were climbing seemed never-ending. Out of nowhere, a huge gust of wind blasted them. Windswept tears stung Lina's eyes and she gasped, trying to regain the breath that the wind knocked out of her.

(( Anytime now, freaky visions, anytime now, let's move onto somewhere warmer… ))

"You know what? Fuck this," she stopped on the hill, bending over to catch her breath, "If you want this manuscript so badly, you're taking me to the temple."

"What do you mean?" Xellos asked as Lina glared enviously at his ability to withstand these temperatures. Lina stomped toward him with a menacing look. Before Xellos fully realized what she was doing, the tiny redhead grabbed his shoulders and leapt onto his back, securing herself with her legs wrapped around his waist.

"This is what I mean," she clarified sternly, "Either you do the walking or you transport us there. Take your pick."

"Ah," he slid his arms underneath her knees to provide ample support, "I suppose we can arrange that."

Yelling "mush!" was incredibly tempting, but Lina didn't push her luck. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing her to bury her freezing face against his shoulder, desperate for any blockade against the wind.

"What are you waiting for? Let's get a move on!" she cried, and at that, the two disappeared as if the cruel wind had swept them entirely away.

(( Should've yelled 'mush.' ))

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Waaaaaake up, Mama!" a tiny, squeaky voice cried from the side of the bed.

"Lilina," Lina groaned, "What time is it?"

(( Lilina? A little on-the-nose there, huh, Lina? Guess I shouldn't be too hard on Dynast. ))

"5:30!" Lilina chirped, "Time to open presents!" Lina sighed and rolled over onto her stomach. It was entirely too early to open presents—especially after she had stayed up until 2 in the morning to finish wrapping them. It seemed like a cruel joke from the Lord of Nightmares herself that children wanted to tear into their freshly-wrapped presents nearly immediately after their tired parents finished said wrapping.

"I thought we were going to wait until 7, sweetie," her voice muffled by the down pillow that her face was buried in. Lilina didn't respond, and for a fleetingly naive second, it seemed to Lina that her 4-year-old daughter might actually have gone back to bed.

"But I'm awake now!" She cried again, and this time much louder and accompanied by the bed shaking from her jumping up and down at the end. Lilina was a tiny force in pink kitty pajama's: she kept bouncing in hopes that it would convince her parents to get out of bed. Her mop of dark crimson hair billowed in the air as she leapt. And as always, Lilina's bangs curled up around her temples like little horns—Lina often tried to tame them into submission with curlers, gel, you name it, but it was no use.

"Lilina," another voice chimed in from the other side of the bed, "Mama is right—it's too early."

"But Daddyyyyy—" she started to pout and stopped jumping. Lina turned over once again, letting the girl's father take over. He was more of a morning person than she ever was. Lina chalked this quirk up to his having lived a millennia before needing sleep.

"No buts," Xellos responded, "why don't you just lay down with us and sleep for a little while longer?" He sat up and waved her over.

(( Lina supposed she should've been more bothered by this, but at this point it would've been more shocking if the father of her child in these visions was not Xellos. ))

Lilina sighed—the dramatic sigh of a 4-year-old not permitted to open her presents just yet—but obeyed by hopping over and landing in the middle of the bed. Lina pulled the covers down in her half-asleep daze, and Lilina burrowed herself in the warmth of the blanket and the safety between her parents.

(( Lina had to admit that the little kid was kind of cute. ))

Despite her excitement, Lilina quickly fell asleep. She must've bounced all of her energy out already. Lina's eyes were half-closed, content with the image of Lilina snuggled up. After another five minutes or so, Lina was nearly asleep as well…

"IT'S TIME TO OPEN PRESENTS!" a new voice gleefully exclaimed, door slamming open with a bang. If Lilina was rambunctious, Luella was moreso—tenfold. Lilina bolted up at the arrival of her twin sister.

(( Twins?! ))

"All right, girls," Xellos said with a yawn, "Let's go make some breakfast for Mama and let her sleep a little while longer." He scooped up Lilina, holding her against his hip, and shepherded Luella out the door. He turned around to close it behind him, but not before looking back at Lina.

(( God, he looks so weird with normal eyes. And since when was he thoughtful? This can't be real. ))

"Thank you," Lina mumbled sleepily, "Just give me a little bit."

He smiled knowingly and shut the door.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Lina! Lina, are you awake?! Can you open your eyes?!"

It was a struggle, but Lina managed to do as Amelia asked and blinked her eyes open. She took in the scene before her: Zelgadis standing above her with a concerned scowl, Xellos kneeling before her, and holding her left hand, a stern-looking woman that she didn't recognize looming behind him, and Amelia's outstretched short legs beside hers. Apparently she was sitting propped up against the princess, which explained the comfortable, warm torso and arms wrapped around her.

"Ugggnnnhh," she groaned and shifted slightly. Pain seared throughout her body, particularly that of her side. It felt as if something, or someone, took a gargantuan bite out of her.

"See? She's doing somewhat better! Just let me try one more healing spell!" Amelia pleaded.

"This is insane, absolutely insane!" Zelgadis snapped.

(( What's insane? And why the hell do I keep getting injured?! Future me needs to step it up! ))

"What you would rather have—your friend die?" The woman behind Xellos asked. She had tanned skin and short, spiky blonde hair with tufts around her temples and dressed simply in a tightly fitted tunic, slacks, and boots. With her arms crossed and terse demeanor, she had no qualms about displaying her irritation.

"It's just… there has to be another way! The Lord of Nightmares brought her back after she cast the Giga Slave!" The panic in Amelia's voice was rising. Lina's breath was labored, and even though she was able to open her eyes, it wasn't enough—she was fading fast.

"And pray tell how do you expect to ask the Mother of All herself for her life again? You only get lucky once." The woman rolled her eyes before a cigarette appeared in her hand. An earthy aroma emanated after she took a drag as Amelia and Zel stayed silent—they knew she was right.

"I don't want to d-die," Lina sputtered despite her ragged breathing.

"That's right, you don't," Xellos reassured, "This will fix everything."

"Easy for you to say!" Zelgadis shouted, "This is your fault, asking her to help you find that stupid manuscript!"

"I don't want her to die either!" Amelia wailed.

(( Amelia is going to hear about this! What kind of fortune telling is this bullshit? Lina could've passed on seeing her death. Hell, she'd go back to the freezing snow if she had to. ))

"Enough! All of you." the woman commanded, "If you want her to live, then let us get on with this."

Lina looked up Zelgadis. With a hardened expression, he turned away, as if he couldn't bear to look. Amelia above her was mumbling a prayer of some sort, keeping it to a whisper, and holding her right hand.

"Miss Amelia," Xellos said gently, "I need Lina to take this." He held out a simple, but large, round red gemstone.

"R-right," Amelia sniffed and removed her hand from Lina's. Lina felt the heavy objected being placed on her palm.

"Now, Lina," Xellos said, "This is going to hurt, but surely no more than what you are experiencing." He gripped her left arm by the elbows while the cigarette-smoking woman moved forward with a dagger now in hand.

Lina felt Amelia clench and stifle a scream as the woman drove the dagger through Lina's hand. Xellos had been correct: the pain wasn't any worse than what she already felt. As the blade pierced her flesh, the world felt as if it had split in two.

(( Is this how I die? ))

Her vision clouded with a haze of black. It wasn't that her eyes were closed, there was simply nothing to be seen. Her remaining senses dulled as well—sounds of those around her faded, the touch of Xellos and Amelia receded, even the metallic taste of blood in her mouth grew distant. The black haze continued for several seconds before a small golden light pricked the darkness and began to rapidly expand.

The light took shape of a woman. Or at least, what Lina thought was a woman. Looking directly at her was like squinting at the sun.

"Are you sure about this?" A disembodied—but seemingly familiar and a touch singsongy—voice asked.

"Yes," tumbled out of her mouth.

The golden light exploded like fireworks before returning to darkness. A purple light replaced the gold as Xellos appeared before her. She became cognizant of the gemstone in her hand and watched as a reddish-gold light spiral into it as if it were a rope being coiled. When the last bit of light curled into the sphere, Xellos took the gem from her hand—and the world went black again.

(( Di-did… I just do what I think I did? This can't be real! ))

"Lina?" Amelia's voice interrupted suddenly, "Are you awake, Lina?"

"Sssh, she's stirring," Zelgadis commented.

Lina's eyes fluttered open. She was still propped up against Amelia, but the horrific pain was gone. Her diminished senses quickly reappeared, Her body felt as good as new as if it had never any life-threatening injuries, let alone a dagger being driven through her hand.

Amelia and Zelgadis breathed in sharply together.

"What?" She asked, "What's wrong?"

"It worked," the woman behind Xellos stated with a satisfied smile—probably the most pleasant she'd been during this ordeal.

"Yes…yes, it did," Xellos agreed with a hint of awe in his tone of voice.

"What worked?" Lina grumbled, hoisting herself to a sitting position without support from Amelia. The unnamed woman made a hand mirror appear out of thin air and offered it to Lina.

"Here, my dear," she smirked, "This should answer your question."

(( Oh my god…no way… ))

Lina accepted the mirror and examined at her reflection. She was still herself, red-haired, fair-skinned…but her reddish brown eyes were no longer human. Her once wide pupils had thinned into slits, giving her eyes an unnatural quality to them.

(( THE PLEDGE OF IMMORTALITY?! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDD— ))

"—DDING ME!"

Lina shrieked as she jolted awake. She sat up, taking loud gasps of breath before she realized that she was no longer asleep. How long had she even been asleep? Ten minutes? Ten hours? Hell, it felt like she had lived ten years in what presumably was a short amount of time.

Visions. That's right. It was all visions of her future. Allegedly. Lina likened them more to nightmares. What else would you call dream-like visions featuring injury and death? She kept breathing heavily as the weight of all that she had seen bore down on her waking consciousness; a flurry of confusing, conflicting images replaying in her mind's eye.

"Are you all right, Lina?!" Lina looked over to where Amelia sat cross-legged, wide awake and concern lining her face. Amelia must have fared much better from what the 'future' showed her.

"This happens sometimes," Lucie's singsong voice rang out, "Sometimes the intensity of the visions are a little too mu—"

"JUST WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU PUT IN THAT TEA?" Lina yelled, her fury so palpably evident that it felt like it were part of the atmosphere.

"Lina!" Amelia cried while Lucie responded with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"I told you, it was licorice root with lavender along with my blend of special spice and truffles. It helps with the visions!"

"Yeah, and I got severely injured, almost froze my ass off, almost DIED! What the hell kind of fortune telling is that?!" Lina chose to focus on the physically unpleasant parts—there was no way she would reveal the co-star of these visions to Amelia.

"The future isn't always bright," Lucie said curtly and moved past Lina to re-arrange the pillows she had been laying on. Lina thad to fight back the urge to trip this woman flat on her face.

"How do I know that those weren't just a bunch of nightmares?" Lina accused, "Brought on by whatever it was you put in that tea? And it's not like they even made sense!"

"May I remind you that I informed you that you may see conflicting things?" Lucie responded indignantly, "It's up to you and your decisions to determine which path you end up."

Lina sulked. There was no winning with this woman.

"Also, the standard cost for a session is 300 gold coins apiece, by the way," Lucie proclaimed, "But given that Miss Inverse's session lasted nearly close to an hour, the charge for hers is 500 gold coins."

Anger flared through Lina. She would not stand for being ripped off. Not at all. "Listen, Lu-cie," she growled, "Consider it your wedding present to Princess Amelia."

"But—"

Anger flared even higher this time. Lina cupped her hands together, and a warm, orange glow emitted between them.

"FIIIIIRE—"

"Lina, no!" Amelia threw herself on Lina in an effort to distract her from finishing the spell. Lina yelped as the princess tackled her out of throwing the fireball.

"Hey, get off me, Amelia!" Lina snapped as she pushed Amelia away.

"I can't ask Daddy again to pay repairs for damage you have done!" Amelia responded angrily as she pulled herself off of the floor.

"And we are not paying 800 of his gold coins either! That's a complete rip-off."

Amelia considered this. 800 gold coins did seem like an awful lot. "We will pay 400 gold coins for the both of us," she said with an air of finality befitting her future position in the kingdom.

"Fine," Lucie huffed, "But it will be a long time before I provide either of you with another glimpse of your future."

"Well, we don't need one from you!" Lina snapped, dizziness striking as she stood up a little too quickly. She paused for a moment to take a deep breath. With a heated scowl at Lucie, the sorceress swiftly marched up the steps and back out to the street where she waited for Amelia. A couple moments later, Amelia exited the shop with an exasperated expression.

"Really, Lina, you don't have to embarrass me like that." Amelia crossed her arms and gave Lina the stink eye.

"I saw some really weird shit, ok?!" Lina retorted before giving her friend a skeptical look, "What did you see?"

"Not as much as I would've liked…but I did have a vision of my sister returning for my wedding—which would be so wonderful—and one of Daddy and Zel playing chess, but other than that, it was just a blur. I really had hoped to learn if my Zel would find his cure!"

A pang of annoyed envy struck Lina. Amelia's experience sounded much more pleasant than hers.

"I'm sorry you had a bad experience, though," Amelia offered, "While you were still asleep, that lady was acting weird. She kept smiling knowingly at you."

Lina clenched her fists—the image of the 'all-seeing' Lucie smiling over her while she was tossing and turning from those nightmares pissed her off even more.

"I don't want to talk about that crazy lady or these visions of the 'future' anymore! Can we just hurry back to the castle and fi-na-lly eat dinner? And figure out your catering, that dove and tiger ceremony thing, and whatever else that has to be done?"

"That sounds perfect," Amelia agreed, and the two women went on their way home. Lina was more than happy to discuss the wedding until she was blue in the face if it meant she didn't have to think about those visions of the alleged future.

One morning, maybe an hour or two after the sunrise, Lina woke to trumpets resounding from the courtyard. She lifted her head in confusion—what grand event prompted the royal band to play today? Seyruun's finest orchestra generally was reserved for when King Phil, or even occasionally Amelia, returned from a diplomatic trip. But the two were at dinner last night, so unless it was decided that the Seyruun monarchs waking up in the morning was worth a celebration, something else had to be going on. Lina supposed she would find out at breakfast. She yawned and sat up, twisting her torso from side to side to stretch her drowsy muscles. It was time to start the day, and with the wedding now a month away, Lina was scheduled to attend Amelia's (hopefully) final dress fitting.

After a warm bath helped her transition from sleepiness to wakefulness, Lina stood in front of the closet for a moment—pondering what to wear when she decided on a simple black tunic and red tights. The black tunic was one she didn't wear very often, but it felt right when rifling through her wardrobe. Her wedding attendant's dress caught her eye as she slipped her boots on—it was a lovely off-white gown that fit perfectly and even flattered her bosom to her liking. Soon enough, she'll be putting on that dress for Amelia and Zel's big day. Once her boots were laced up, Lina quickly threaded her hair into a braid and with her stomach rumbling, she was ready for breakfast.

Lina walked down the hallway and soon arrived at the top of the stairs leading down into the main hall where she was met with a large crowd of bustling people. Something really must be going on, she thought.

"Lina!" she heard Amelia shout and saw the princess emerge from the crowd, waving her arms excitedly as she dashed up the stairs.

"Hey Amelia, what's going on?" The wide smile on Amelia's face broadened even more. Lina supposed that it must be good news, at least.

"My sister has returned!" Amelia squealed, "My big sister is back! And in time for my wedding!" It took all of Lina's restraint not to grimace at her overjoyed friend's news. She settled for a surprised expression instead.

"Oh, that's… great, Amelia!" Lina tried to muster up genuine enthusiasm. She had learned a while ago that the elder princess of Seyruun was none other than Naga the Serpent, her self-appointed rival. Naga had made it clear that she preferred traveling the world, and when Amelia sent word of the wedding, she was met with only a vague, non-committal response. For the most part, Naga remained in little contact. Lina would never admit it to the rest of the royal family—but that was absolutely fine by her standards.

"OHOHOHOHO!" An uncomfortably familiar laugh echoed throughout the hall. Oh boy, Lina thought and looked down at the crowd. Sure enough, there was Naga, surrounded by members of the Seyruun Court whose eardrums must be blown out by now. Naga looked the same in stature, dress, and demeanor—curves for days, skimpy clothes, and haughty as ever. King Phil stood by her, a broad smile beaming across his bearded face at the return of his eldest daughter. Naga, undoubtedly, was soaking up every little bit of the fanfare and all of the attention.

Just you wait, Naga—just you wait until the excitement dies down and the court refocuses on the wedding, Lina smirked to herself.

"Oh, Lina!' Amelia sighed, "Do you remember when we saw the all-seeing Lucie? She showed me that my big sister would return, and here she is! Grac—er, Naga showed up late last night. It was exactly as it happened in those visions—it was incredibly uncanny!"

Lina blanched. She felt her stomach dropping out, and not because she would have to endure the return of her self-appointed rival. If Amelia's visions were coming true…would that mean hers will too?

"Can you believe it? Justice and Fate truly have smiled upon my family today," Amelia clasped her hands together and sighed happily, absolutely radiant in her happiness at the family reunion.

"I need to eat, Amelia," Lina interrupted, but the princess carried on:

"I remember seeing us standing here too—you in that black tunic and red tights and me in my favorite blue sundress looking fondly upon my family!" It was no use. Amelia was wrapped up in her excitement and wonder. An anxious feeling cascaded through Lina—hopefully food would help.

"I'm getting breakfast, Amelia," Lina descended the stairs, unconcerned if her friend heard her or not. The idea that the hallucinations from that wretched tea showed today's events to Amelia was too much for her. If she were lucky, maybe Naga wouldn't notice her. After all, she was enjoying the attention lavished upon her.

"Lina! Lina Inverse! Is that you?!" Naga's voice once again reverberated throughout the hall.

Goddamnit.

"I'm getting breakfast! I'll catch you later," Lina called over her shoulder and dashed out of the hall. Lina with food in her stomach would be far better equipped to deal with the newly-returned princess.

Maybe Justice and Fate were smiling upon Lina too. Naga immediately demanded to be involved in all of the final wedding details, effectively rendering Lina to be dead weight. And Lina wasn't one to say no—Naga's presence made it easier to excuse herself. She needed to distract herself from her former go-to distraction—meaning, she had to figure out if any of her visions had the potential to become reality.

Lina dealt with it like anything else that bothered her: she hit the books. The palace library was quieter than usual with the entire staff being utilized elsewhere and little to no visitors. She had assembled different pieces of paper, each representing one of the visions from the all-seeing Lucie, on the table in front her. Each vision was named with simple keywords—"Pledge," "Sherra," "Kids," "Snow," "Human Xellos," "Sex"—and wrote down as many details as she could remember. Turns out that it wasn't hard. These visions had been like an intense dream whose details will linger for days, weeks, maybe months on end.

Lina had been staring at her notes for a long time when she began to notice a pattern—half of her visions lead up to her taking the Pledge of Immortality; the other half showed Xellos as a human. She scrunched up her eyes in confusion—these two overarching scenarios couldn't exist concurrently. It wouldn't be possible. That meant Lina had to admit, albeit a little begrudgingly, that the all-seeing Lucie was right about something—Lina did receive conflicting visions of the future. Granted, Lina had a sense that some visions had contradicted the others, but once written out, the answer was there, plain as day. Lina becoming a Monster. Xellos living as a human. So at least half of these visions could be negated! Lina skimmed her notes for objective, factual details and jotted down some questions.

1) What is the Cinnaforian manuscript?

2) Is it possible for Monsters to become completely human and lose their powers? (*Kind of like Gaav, but not?)

3) Dynast Grausherra / Sherra?

4) Does the Pledge involve stabbing your own hand?

If that Lucie woman claimed these visions could be her future, Lina didn't need comfort in the form of food or drink to ease her anxiety. She needed comfort in cold, hard facts. Lina rationalized that finding concrete answers to these questions could determine if these visions had any basis in reality. Maybe she'd get even luckier than half being negated, maybe none of the visions were true—and maybe she didn't want to admit that could be wishful thinking, if Amelia's vision of Naga returning really had come true.

Lina looked up and around at the sea of bookshelves surrounding her. Seyruun truly had some of the best, if not the best, libraries in all the land, with the palace library being the pinnacle of the kingdom's collections. She put away her notes—with the exception of her list of questions—and walked over to the shelves. The rows of stacks in front of her seemed daunting, but somewhere in these books, there would be answers. There had to be answers.

A thick, hardbound book with green and gold binding struck the wall with an audible smack. The abused volume slid down in a heap, pages crumpling over as it fell onto the floor. If one of the librarians were around, they absolutely would have Words for the culprit—even if said culprit were a special guest of Princess Amelia's.

"UGH!" Lina groaned in frustrated exasperation. She had no shits left to give about these books—at least one of them could end up tossed around. She'd been at the library every day for a week now and still had not found a single, solid answer. Sure, there were some references to an ancient city called Cinnafor. Yes, there were many philosophical pieces on the abilities of Monsters. Of course, there were references to Ruby Eye's five retainers all throughout the literature. Absolutely the Pledge of Immortality was an extensively covered topic—but that coverage was primarily limited to theories. Nothing coalesced, though. Nothing definitive came together to make some semblance of sense.

The all-seeing Lucie was not someone Lina particularly cared to see again, but the lack of answers was driving her crazy. Crazier than dealing with the sisterly duo of Amelia and Naga. The two princesses each had their own individual intensity of character—but together? It was as if Lina were on the receiving end of five Pacifist Crushes, a Kindness to All Creatures Kick or two, and a Joyful Reunion Bearhug for good measure in emotional intensity every time she checked on the progress of the final wedding preparations.

There was no other choice than return to the all-seeing Lucie, so Lina gathered her belongings and left the library. Soon enough, she was wandering down the streets of Seyruun City, retracing her steps to the little shop. She didn't quite remember where it was, but the sign with the eye would be her clue. Lina thought she had found the street after ten minutes or so but didn't see that sign anywhere, so to the next street she went—still not there. As she walked another block over, Lina was sure that it must have been two streets back after all. Hadn't there been a ramen shop next door? She back-tracked, and next to the ramen shop was an empty store front. Nothing in the windows. No one to be seen. Where that sign once hung, there was nothing. Not even a freshly-painted over sign.

Lina stared up at the empty spot where the sign used to hang, her brow furrowed in confusion. The all-seeing Lucie was out of business already? Granted, her fortune telling tactics didn't seem sustainable but how could she just vanish without a trace? A breeze whistled past—the door mustn't have been shut as the wind pushed it ajar. What the hell, why not? Lina figured and walked inside the deserted shop. It wasn't just empty: layers and layers of dust piled high on the counter, the scarce shelves that once held crystal balls, and on what little furniture had been left.

It was as if the all-seeing Lucie had never been there.

"FUCK!" Lina yelled, her curse echoing in the empty room. What was she supposed to do if this all-seeing Lucie was gone? It was going to bother the hell out of her, she fumed. Lina stomped out of the shop, not caring that onlookers gawked at her fury. "Raywing!" she called out and jettisoned herself back to the castle. She had no patience at the moment, not even for the simple act of walking. Upon her arrival, she decided that it was high time to eat her angry feelings. Lina stormed through the hallway, the palace attendants scattering out of her way until she reached her destination: the royal dining room.

Once inside, the sight of Zelgadis and King Phil playing chess greeted Lina. King Phil looked pleased with a broad smile crossing his bearded, grisly face. Zelgadis looked irate and held his chin in hand with a scowl.

"Check," King Phil said as he prepared his bishop to take down his opponent's king. Zelgadis murmured a grumble as his eyes flicked across the board as he considered his next move.

"Hey, guys," Lina dropped onto the seat by the two men. Zelgadis grunted and waved while remaining fixated on the game.

"Lady Lina!" King Phil greeted, "How are you doing this evening?!"

"I'm, uh, great," Lina replied as Zelgadis reluctantly moved his knight to take the bishop—he may have left his rook open to vulnerability, but it was the only way to protect his king. Something bothered Lina about the two men playing chess, but she couldn't quite place why. A game of chess didn't strike her as something King Phil would even enjoy, what with the whole goal of the game being to take down a king and Seyruun being quite sensitive (and rightfully so) about potential back-stabbing and assassination attempts.

The dining room's door suddenly burst open with great force—there was no question that the princesses had arrived.

"Hello, everyone!" Amelia greeted her closest companions as she and Naga strolled into the room, both bouncing with energy in every step.

"Hey," Lina said as Zel waved while remaining focused on the game.

"Well, if it isn't my two daughters—I could get used to seeing this sight!" King Phil beamed.

"And I could get used to seeing my soon-to-be husband and my father spending time together!" Amelia sat down next to Zelgadis but not before giving him a quick peck on the check. Surprise flitted across her face with a gasp, "Oh! You two are playing chess! I thought you never wanted to play chess, Daddy!"

"Well, my dear daughter, we gentlemen needed something to do while your capable hands finishes the oversight of your wedding preparation!"

"He's quite the fast learner," Zelgadis commented, careful to hide his annoyance at his future father-in-law quickly surpassing him.

"It's just too uncanny!" Amelia responded, "That was one of the other visions I saw when Lina and I visited that fortune teller—I had one of Naga returning to us and one of you two playing chess!"

Lina froze. That was what had bothered her. Now she remembered Amelia's offhand comment about that particular vision.

"Uh, Lina, are you ok?" Zelgadis took his attention off the game enough to notice the color drain from Lina's face as Amelia proclaimed the chess game was part of what she saw with the all-seeing Lucie.

"Have you not been spending enough time in the sun? If you're not careful, you'll look washed out for the wedding. We wouldn't want you to distract the guests from the bride by looking like a ghost!" Naga chided as she took the seat next to Lina's while the younger sorceress gave her a Death Glare. Lina wanted to punch something. Dragon Slave something, even. Why did Amelia's visions keep coming true?!

"I think I ate something weird," she lied, "I'm gonna go to my room. Bye!" Lina jumped out of her seat and swiftly departed the dining room, leaving everyone else staring after her in confusion.

"I didn't even see her eat!" she heard King Phil exclaim to the others as she ran out the door. Lina's pace quickened as she climbed the stairs leading to her quarters. Anxiety mounted with each step. What in the hell was going on and why, just why, couldn't she find any answers? She slammed the door behind her as she kicked off her shoes and belly flopped onto the bed. What was she supposed to do? Let these things happen to her and hope for the best? Search for the all-seeing Lucie until the ends of the earth to get some answers?

She pulled her list of questions out of her pocket, which was starting to run ragged what with her cramming it away in her pocket or inside a book at the end of each day. Lina stared at them for the umpteenth time—Cinnaforian manuscript, Monsters turning into humans, Sherra, the Pledge of Immortality. These questions were her keys to knowing if those visions had any basis in reality.

It's not like all of the visions were bad, a nagging thought reminded her. True, it wasn't all doom and gloom—but the idea of Xellos being turned into a human seemed absolutely ludicrous, let alone the two of them becoming a happy little family. The sex wasn't bad—weird, yes—but not bad. Maybe even kind of good. Even if it had been with Xellos.

Xellos.

Xellos, she realized, might be her only resource left. Who else would have answers to these kinds of questions? Granted, she would have to drum up a strategy that would get him to answer her questions satisfactorily. What other options did she have, save for finding a new access point to the Claire Bible? It had taken her long enough to find the one at Dragon's Peak, and that was with Monsters manipulating her onto that path. Lina stuffed the list back into her pocket.

She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling, considering her options: ask Xellos her questions or live in uncertainty, wondering what action could spark the chain of events that lead to whichever future was ahead of her.

Lina sat up and considered her next move. The rumbling of her empty stomach made Lina regret running out of the dining hall in such a hurry—so first, she'd send an attendant down to sneak her up some dinner. Nothing could be done on an empty stomach, after all.

It was now or never—after taking dinner in her room and waiting for everyone to settle in, Lina was in the palace library again. This time, she was not hunched over books like she had been for several days. She sat cross-legged on a plush green couch situated by an empty fireplace. A glass of red wine and a sheet of paper sat before her on the long, low table in front of the couch. Certain privileges were afforded to guests of Amelia's, but sneaking wine into the library wasn't one of them. Like Lina cared at this point because she needed some liquid courage if she were finally summoning Xellos.

Summoning Monsters for the average person probably involved an offering of some sort, a black magic spell or two, and some semblance of reverence for the entity being called down from the Astral Plane. Fortunately for Lina, she didn't need to jump through any of those hoops.

"XELLOS!" she bellowed, interrupting the effortless sanctity of the library at night. No one else was around, she had made sure of that. Amelia and Zel's quarters were on the other side of the castle, so there was no way they could hear her nor was it likely Naga or King Phil could either. That didn't stop her from locking the outer door. Just in case. Especially just in case of Naga.

Nothing happened. Lina waited for a few minutes and took a couple sips of her wine before getting fed up.

"SERIOUSLY, XELLOS, I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!" She took a longer sip of her wine and then set the glass down. Worry started to set in—what if he didn't show up? What would he even be doing? Probably whatever Monsters did when they weren't trying to make her life miserable, she supposed.

Several more minutes passed, and still no sign of Xellos.

"Goddamnit," she grumbled, burying her face in her hands. She felt like an idiot—but then the couch cushion to the left of her sank slightly, as if someone had sat down.

"You called?"

Her head shot up to see Xellos sitting next to her with a curious expression. As always, he had a knack for appearing naturally casual as if he had been there all along, sitting with his left leg crossed over the other. He chose to sit right beside Lina instead of the other end of the couch—not a surprise, of course. Maybe summoning him wasn't such a good idea after all. Flashes of the vision of them in bed together came swarming back. A blush crawled up Lina's face.

"Are you ok, Lina?" he asked, tilting his head in mild concern. She took a breath and remembered the strategy she worked out to hopefully get some answers.

"I'm f-fine. I just have some questions for you because this library isn't turning up anything. And unless you're willing to tell me where the other access points to the Claire Bible are—"

He shook his head and began to wag his finger.

"—Right, it's a secret. So, that means you're my last option."

Xellos dropped his hand but didn't say anything, but Lina noticed he appeared intrigued, so she continued on:

"All I am asking for are yes or no answers. Any additional information is entirely up to you."

"Well, my answers still depend on the content of your questions," he made a glass of wine for himself appear out of thin air and took a sip. She rolled her eyes.

"Well, asking for yes or no is a very reasonable compromise," she glared at him and grabbed the piece of paper she had set aside to take notes. On it, she had drawn three columns, each one labeled 'Yes,' 'No,' or '?/Secret.' Lina took a deep breath and began. "First, does a 'Cinnaforian manuscript' exist?"

He considered her question for a moment, but Lina suspected he might be humoring her with his pensive act.

"No, Cinnafor was reduced to rubble during the War of Monsters Fall, and absolutely nothing was left—"

A hint of pride intermingled with ego was evident in the tone of his response, and Lina couldn't help but interrupt:

"—I take it you can personally attest to that rubble?"

Xellos grinned and drank from his glass.

"Well, yes," he chuckled, "But why do you ask? Where did you hear about this alleged manuscript?"

"Uhhh… that's a secret." Two could play at that game. Xellos raised his eyebrows as she scribbled "Cinnaforian manuscript" in the 'No' column but did not say anything. Her line of questioning was off to a good start! If searching for a Cinnaforian manuscript was what lead to her becoming a Monster… then how could it be possible if the manuscript didn't even exist? Ok, maybe this won't be so bad, Lina thought as she took another sip of her wine.

"Second, is it possible for Monsters to be turned into humans? And not like Gaav where he still retained his powers—a completely and utterly powerless human form?"

"Whatever put that question in your head?" Xellos visibly cringed in confused disgust.

"Nevermind that!" Lina rebuffed, "Is it or not?"

"The fact that Aqualord failed to contain Gaav's power, even with his confinement to a human form, should be evidence enough that it's not possible."

"Yeah, but that was Aqualord—what if it were the Lord of Nightmares? She's infallible!"

"The Mother of All may work in mysterious ways, but if Aqualord sealing Gaav's power away in hopes it would erode failed, it seems like that would be disobeying the natural order of things."

"Since when do you care about the natural order of things?" Lina raised a skeptical eyebrow and reached for her wine glass again.

"There is chaos, and then there are complete aberrations," Xellos took a long sip of his manifested wine.

The finality of his tone indicated that was the last of his entertaining this question. Lina jotted down 'Monster-Human' in the 'no' column.

"Ok, next question…does Dynast Grausherra really have a subordinate named Sherra?" Xellos burst out laughing. "Well?" Lina demanded, "Is that a yes?!"

"Yes," he said, still chuckling before casually resuming a neutral expression, "Why are you asking me about Sherra? Has Lord Dynast—"

"No, nothing like that. Just...a rumor I heard." Lina jotted 'Sherra' down in the 'Yes' column and reviewed the answers before her, shifting out of her cross-legged position and leaning forward with notes in hand. The nonexistence of the Cinnaforian manuscript and Xellos' insistence that no, Monsters could not become fully human were reassuring—even if the part about Sherra was true. Maybe Sherra was a decoy. Maybe these visions had been a giant magical prank of some sorts, and Amelia's visions coming true were part of it. Lina was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Xellos leaning over to study her notes until she heard his voice directly in her ear:

"Should we be concerned why you're asking these questions?"

"Yes, Beastmaster should be very, very worried that I'm inquiring about Dynast's choices in his subordinate's names," Lina quipped drily as she pushed Xellos away, "I still have one more question to ask, though—does taking the Pledge of Immortality involve stabbing your own hand?"

"Where did you hear that?" Xellos' words were clearly chosen carefully; his tone was neutral but serious.

"Uh, I read it in passing in a book," she lied. Xellos remained silent, mulling over his response.

"So it's a yes? A no?"

"Neither—each Monster has their own ritual for sealing the Pledge," he finally said, "So it would not be outside the realm of possibility."

Lina continued her dutiful note-taking—an answer for the "?/Secret" column it was. Thinking about the Pledge brought another question that had nagged at her to mind. It was a question with an answer that no book would ever hold.

"If something were to happen to me and I were on the brink of death, would you want me to take the pledge with you?"

He opened his eyes—Lina shivered slightly from the memory of her having similarly eerie eyes—and shifted so that he was facing her with his right arm propped up on the couch's back, his knee gently brushing against the side of her leg. His wine glass was suddenly gone.

"Why do you ask that?" His tone was much more serious this time. Lina swallowed and felt flushed, unsure if it were the wine she had been drinking, his closer proximity, or both. Likely both.

"I just want to know."

"Surely you understand that depends on what's behind your impending death," he let the implication hang in the air unsaid. She bit her bottom lip and nodded in acknowledgment while carefully considering her response.

"I'm not trying to push my luck by saying this…but you've had plenty of chances to off me—even offering my life to win over Valgaav! Instead, you've ended up saving me more than anything. It doesn't take a genius to see that I'm worth something to the Monster race."

Xellos smiled—but not the kind of smile that belonged to his cheerful facade.

"Then, there's your answer."

"Better than a secret, I suppose," Lina jotted down some notes despite the fact that this particular question had not been on her official list.

"Dare I ask why you invited me for this line of questioning?" Xellos looked on as she set her notes on the table, "I distinctly recall the last time we saw each other, you threw a household object at my head and made it pretty clear I was unwanted."

He struck a nerve. Lina twisted angrily in her seat to face him.

"You were there to bask in my grief!" she accused, jabbing her finger at his chest, "My closest friend died—died protecting me—and I had to honor his memory that day while trying to keep my shit together. You deserved getting a candelabra thrown at you!"

He reached up and moved her hand away from him—but did not actually let it go before speaking.

"Lina, that is not why I was there."

Lina gave him an "oh, really?" look as Xellos rubbed gentle circles with his thumb against the palm of her hand that he still held. Lina wasn't sure why she didn't just pull away. It was bizarrely comforting, given the painful reminder of one of the worst days of her life.

"Tell me why you were there then, and it better be good."

"Well, that is—"

"A secret?!" she yanked her hand away from him. Of course it was a fucking secret, that jackass.

"—a bit complicated. There was concern that you would destroy the world as we know it, along with some other reasons I cannot disclose."

She blinked. Xellos had been there to stop her from doing something reckless in her grief?

"So you came to stop me, thinking I was about to pull a Valgaav? What was next? Beg me to join your side? No way in hell."

"Yet you're the one who just brought up the Pledge," Xellos smirked, "but no, not quite. The full details of our reasoning were and are still a secret, but it doesn't matter—when you went after me with that contraption instead, I determined that your state of mind wasn't up for brandishing a Giga Slave."

Lina chewed on this new information. It kind of made sense—after all, hadn't Xellos joined the alliance to stop Valgaav from ending the world? He could've retaliated for the candelabra she had hurled at him, too, but he hadn't. On the other hand, wasn't the whole point of Phibrizo's plan back when she was barely sixteen to propel her into casting the Giga Slave? Why would he want to stop her now?

"You Monsters can't make up your mind. Do you want the world to descend into the Sea of Chaos or not?"

"That is a secret, of course!"

Lina rolled her eyes. "I'll take that as a no."

"But Lina dear, now I have a question for you—if you were on the brink of death, as you so eloquently put it, would you want to take the Pledge?"

Lina paused. The idea seemed ludicrous—the idealistic teenager she once was would've scorned this train of thought, but a twisted pragmatism that came with age and a heightened awareness of mortality entertained it—what if she were young and the Lord of Nightmares did not smile upon her a second time? That part of that vision, she could kind of understand, even if it horrified her.

"Seems awfully strange that you're preoccupied with the concept all of a sudden," Xellos stretched his arms against the back of the couch, one arm perilously close to wrapping around her shoulder, "Is there something you're wanting to ask me?"

His wide grin was annoyingly playful. It occurred to Lina that she didn't have to share the complete truth, but maybe a partial truth would get him to back off.

"I had some incredibly weird and vivid dreams," she started, "They felt so real that I was wondering if they had any truth to them. If they could even be possible." A soft 'hmmm' sound emitted from his throat in response.

"You know," he offered, "It's not unheard of for the Lord of Nightmares to bequeath those she's deemed worthy with visions of their futures. Most prophets throughout history have been her vessels."

Lina's brow furrowed—could the all-seeing Lucie have been…? No, that didn't make sense.

"And given you have a unique bond with the Mother of All, it shouldn't surprise anyone that she chose you."

"Huh," Lina stared down the bottom of her empty wine glass.

"But I so helpfully answered your questions—surely you can return the favor? I am very curious as to what these dreams entailed if you are wanting to know more about the Pledge."

Lina cast a sidelong dubious glance at him. As if she would tell him about the visions from the all-seeing Lucie! She'd rather be in a room full of slugs than spill the details of those vivid—and explicit—visions. Lina mused on her response, but then it dawned on her that she had learned from the best when it came to misdirection and avoiding answering questions—and who was she to say no to messing with him like he had so many times to her?

Emboldened by her wine, Lina kissed him. Her kiss was both tender and a little mocking—but the joke might've been on her because it took all of her restraint not to push him onto his back. Having what she saw as the upper hand against Xellos was absolutely intoxicating. If he were surprised, he didn't show it—but Lina was when he returned her kiss. Lina figured 'what the hell' and deepened the kiss, teasing his tongue with hers. The noise he made in the back of his throat was worth it. Perfect, she thought and abruptly pulled away.

"I believe we're done," Lina declared with an air of finality and flashed him a deviously wry smile, "But thanks for answering my questions. You were actually kind of helpful for once."

Not a word came out of Xellos' mouth, but it didn't matter. His baffled expression said it all. His open eyes—usually disarming, but now disarmed—followed her as she grabbed her notes and rose from the couch.

"See ya around, Xellos!" she called over her shoulder. Maybe the visions were a load of crock, maybe they weren't. The future probably didn't hold her becoming a Monster or Xellos banished to being a human—but if there were any truth to the visions that the all-seeing Lucie showed her, Xellos would always be around. If anything, to keep her from blowing up the world, oddly enough. As she approached the door, Lina didn't have to turn around to know that he had left—that didn't matter, though.

It could be ten minutes before she saw him again—

It also could be ten years—but maybe she wouldn't want to wait that long.