Lina rushed into her room and slammed the door shut. "Baka Xellos!" she cried as she stalked back and forth. Almost against her will, Lina's fingers reached up and brushed her lips. "Oh Gods." Lina cried as sat down on her bed and curled up into a little ball. Why was she letting one little kiss get to her? Chances are he didn't mean it anyway, he was probably doing it to mess with her emotions. It wouldn't be the first time. Yet some part of Lina's mind objected. Xellos was the kind to do that. He had kissed her, yes, but why? Could he actually want her? True he had seemed rather out of character tonight. The Xellos Lina knew wasn't the kind to turn his back and offer his shirt when he found her naked. The Xellos she knew would be smiling his Trickster smile and laughing silently at her. But this Xellos was so serious, so sincere. Lina sighed; she didn't know what to do with this new side of Xellos. Lina shut her eyes and went to sleep, she would deal with it tomorrow. Yet in her sleep, Lina smiled slightly as she dreamt dreams of a child with orange-red hair and violet eyes being held by a smiling. Xellos. Then she saw herself. She seemed to almost glow with happiness, and in her arms was a baby with violet hair and eyes, he looked like a miniature version of Xellos.
The next morning, Lina did her best to ignore Xellos, while Xellos simply acted like his normal annoying self. Everyone seemed to be out of sorts, especially Khirah. At one point she actually fireballed Xellos. The Mazuko giggled and looked at his 'cousin' curiously.
"Feeling okay Khirah?" Xellos asked. "You do seem rather green in the face."
"Flare Arrow!" Khirah created charred Mazuko, and Zel looked at his wife worried.
"Khirah are you alright?" Zel asked concerned.
"I'm fine Zel, I just don't want to put up with his shenanigans today." Khirah smiled at Zel. And Zel looked over at Draneth. The Mazuko shrugged his shoulders. When Draneth had first joined the group, Zel had been wary. But he had soon found that there was a harsh honor underneath Draneth's exterior that Zel found he could respect. Draneth was almost brutally honest, and direct. He was the antithesis of Xellos, and Zel actually found his opinion of Mazuko raised. The only Mazuko Zel had ever truly gotten to know were Xellos, well he didn't know all that much about Xellos, but that was because the bloody Mazuko was so secretive! Draneth was a little on the grim side, and silent, but at least he told the truth and didn't deliberately provoke them. The Mazuko general was clad completely in black and at his carried a finely crafted sword that was meticulously clean. Khirah walked ahead of Zel to go talk to Lina and Draneth walked over to Zel.
"Is she okay?" Draneth asked concerned. "Her aura seems off today, and she doesn't normally get violet like that.....
"Argh!!!" Firia cried and she hit Xellos over the head with her mace. Zel and Draneth looked up and then resumed their talking.
"I don't know, she does seem rather upset today. And this morning, she was feeling kind of queasy. Perhaps she is coming down with something?" Draneth shrugged. "Don't look at me, I have no experience with females." The warrior held out his hands.
"What are you guys talking about? Gourry asked cheerfully as he and Zangalus walked next to them
"Women." Zel said shortly
"Ahhh, L-sama's greatest mystery." Gourry said in a rare moment of insight. "Does anyone understand them?" None of them noticed Khirah Burnt Rondo Xellos nor see him crash to the ground from up ahead.
"Not me, Martina still surprises the heck out of me at times." Zangulas admitted. "Are you sure you would want to understand them?" the four guys shuddered at the thought.
"WHAT!" Khirah cried form ahead of them.
"Hey Lina." Khirah said as began to walk next to the small sorceress and Martina.
"Hi Khirah, you okay?"
"Why is everyone asking me that today?' Khirah cried frustrated.
"Argh!" Firia cried as he hit Xellos with her mace. "Namagomi Mazuko!" Firia hit Xellos repeatedly with her mace, and it took both Lina and Khirah to pull the enraged dragon priestess off of the Mazuko.
"Ahh, thank you Firia-san." Xellos murmured as he sprung to his feet apparently unharmed.
"Fruitcake." Khirah and Lina muttered as they held back Firia.
"Firia-san you must learn to control your temper." Khirah tried to calm down the blond woman. Lina froze when she heard Khirah echo the words Xellos had spoken to her last night.
"Stupid Namagomi bast...." Martina covered Firia's mouth with her hands.
"Calm down and ignore him!" Khirah and Lina dragged/lead Firia back to the road. "We can't afford the property damage." Firia scowled and nodded her head jerkily. The four women walked down the road. Khirah glanced back and saw the guys talking amongst themselves.
"What are they talking about?" Martina murmured. Firia shrugged.
"Khirah are you feeling okay?" Xellos asked cheerfully as he floated over their heads. "You look like crap, I mean you hair is limp, you have dark circles under your eyes. And..."
"Burnt Rondo!" Khirah blasted Xellos into orbit and he crashed back to the ground about a hundred yards to the left.
"Itai." Xellos sighed in pleasure.
Slyphial walked over to Khirah.
"Khirah-san with your condition, you really should try to calm yourself." Khirah looked at Slyphial confused. Xellos phased in above them and Firia swatted at him with her mace
"What do you mean my condition?"
"The child shouldn't be subjected to such strains. Neither should you."
"What do you mean?" Khirah asked her heart racing. "The child..."
"When you say child you mean as in she pregnant?" Lina butted in and Firia stopped trying to bean Xellos with her mace.
"Precisely." Lina, Martina, and Firia both turned to Khirah with huge grins on their faces. Khirah's was shocked and she suddenly exploded.
"WHAT!!!!" she shouted! Khirah turned to Slyphial and grabbed her by the collar. "What do you mean I'm pregnant? Who can that be?"
"Now Khirah when two people love each other a lot they show it...." Khirah grabbed the mace out of Firia's hands and stuffed the mace headfirst down the Mazuko's throat. Zel and the other ran over to the group and stopped when they saw Khirah trying to force Firia's mace down Xellos' throat.
"I know how I got pregnant you purple fruitcake!" Khirah shouted. Draneth, Gourry and Zangalus turned to Zel grinning. Zelgadis' eyes really bugged out.
"L-sama." The youth murmured.
"Baka" Khirah cried as she pulled the mace free of Xellos throat.
"Arigatou Khirah-chan." The Mazuko fruitcake said cheerfully. Khirah was about to hit him again when Zel grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her passionately. Khirah let go of the mace and began to kiss him back. Everyone else sweatdrops and shook their heads. They decided to leave to two lovebirds before things really got mushy.
"What was that for?" Khirah asked as she stared up at Zel. Zel leaned down and laid his forehead against hers.
"Thank you." Zel murmured. "For completing me." Khirah smiled and her heart melted.
"Awww you're such a sweetie." Khirah threw her arms around Zel's neck.
From up ahead Lina smiled truly happy for her friends. Lina looked ahead, and her ruby eyes widened. "This love thing seems to be spreading." Xellos murmured in her ear. For once he was walking on the ground, and Lina was struck by how tall he truly was. Lina nodded her head. Zangalus had his arm wrapped around Martina's waist, and Martina leaned her head against Zangalus' shoulder. Out of the corner of her eyes, Lina saw Gourry kiss Slyphial lingeringly. Draneth had disappeared, and Lina saw Firia transform.
"I'm going to hunt." She called. Yet Lina could sense the sadness radiating form Firia.
"She must be feeling lonely as well." Lina thought silently. She and Xellos continued to walk along side by side. Xellos' hand grasped her and their fingers intertwined Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound. Lina thought as she and Xellos walked on.
They finally stopped and Lina sat at the edge of the stream and stared at her reflection. Xellos sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder comfortingly. Lina leaned against his chest and this time when he bent down to say something to her. She surprised him by kissing him. Xellos wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled Lina into his lap. Oh well in for a penny, in for a pound. Xellos thought as he concentrated on kissing Lina back.