Lina's stomach growled for the fifth time that day.
          Ameria and Gourry smiled nervously at the people around them that were giving them odd stares. Some windows even flew open as the villagers poked their heads out to see if a storm was on the way. Lina paid them no mind as she slumped down the road, muttering profanity low enough so no one could hear. Her arms dangled at her sides lifelessly, her back bent forward so her torso was almost parallel to the ground. Suddenly, in the midst of her cursing, she gave Gourry a sidelong glare and grumbled, "And I wouldn't have been this hungry if you had just let me eat those fish..."
          "I did let you eat the fish!" he protested, just a bit too loudly. Some of the ladies at the sides of the road glanced over at the trio and giggled. Gourry looked back at them, or rather, their chest area, and wondered what was so funny.
          Lina groaned after seeing what he was staring at. "Never mind. We're attracting too much attention with this conversation. I don't want to sound like Zel, but we have to keep a low profile while we're in this town or we'll run the risk of getting caught." She looked forward again, suddenly not seeming quite so worn out. "I'm not sure what exactly these people think of sorcery, but my woman's intuition says I'd rather not find out..."

          Xelloss watched them patiently from atop the roof of a nearby bell tower. He tapped his finger against his staff, which he held across him, orb resting on his shoulder. He was listening in on their conversation and couldn't help but comment, "Oh no, Lina-san. It is not what the villagers will do to you... It is what you will do to yourself."
          He had told them most of what he knew, yes, but he left out an important detail, as usual. The villagers had a good reason for keeping sorcerers and magic away. The Faery's Tear had a nasty curse on it in exchange for granting one's wish, and it could only be activated by one who uses a very high level of magic. Lina was such a person.
          Zelas had sent Xelloss out on orders to merely observe the events to follow; the story about an unknown mazoku had been made up as a cover, and it had served its purpose rather well. Unfortunately for Zelgadiss, he lacked the capability to revive the artifact. Lina was the only one that could... Xelloss probably could, too, but he was given strict orders to only observe, not interfere. He had no intention of disobeying.
          Something greatly confused Xelloss, though. When he was just about to take his leave, his master stopped him and gave one final order - go get what you want. He had simply nodded and phased out, not thinking of what it could possibly mean. Now that he had time to think about it, he was clueless as to what the Beast King could have been trying to imply.
          He sighed and shrugged it off. "I suppose we'll find out soon enough now won't we..." He tapped his finger against the wood of his staff again and vanished.

          Lina, Ameria, and Gourry stood before a large building...or rather, a large mansion. They gaped at it in awe, trying to imagine how much money the place could have cost. Ameria stepped forward to the door, leaving Lina and Gourry behind to continue staring. She was of royalty herself, so grand displays like this did not shock her quite as much. She lifted the large, well-decorated handle, and let it hit the oak door once. Seconds later, a lady of decent height stood where the door had been, knocking Ameria backward in surprise. The woman blinked at them, then her face lit up and she exclaimed, "So you all must be what's causing the villagers to get excited!"
          Lina stepped over Ameria's fallen body to the woman. She wasn't dressed in the same style as the mansion. Her outfit consisted of a tight, blue, stretchy shirt, which more or less boasted her large bosom, which had snatched Gourry's attention away from the mansion. Her pants were of the same style, and ended just above her ankles. She wore heeled shoes, but nothing of the prissy sort. There was a mini comb holding back her hair on the left, with a large, crystal rose attached to it. Her hair was straight and came down just past her shoulders, and the color planted the word, ocean, in one's mind. The only jewelry she wore was a long necklace with a diamond imitation of a seashell dangling from it.
          "Umm..." Lina stammered, for once unsure of what to say. The lady continued to smile, creating an odd feeling of trust inside Lina. "Yes we are travelers... We'd like to know-"
          "Come on in!" she interrupted, standing aside and holding her hand out, permitting entrance. "You all must be hungry and tired from your journey. Have some food and relax while we talk."
          Food? Lina's brain clicked at the word. She was instantly standing upright, healthy looking as ever, and accepting the offer with gratitude. She dragged Gourry and Ameria in behind her before they could say anything, and paused when she reached the main area, for it was more spectacular than outside of the building. The village leader smiled and closed the door quietly, then walked over to where they stood. "Please follow me to the dining room," she told them, walking through a doorway to their right. The group followed obediently, and they soon found themselves in yet another room of equal splendor.
          "Wow," Gourry murmured, admiring the glass table, chandelier, and linen chairs. He sat down in one and remarked, "Comfy."
          Lina rolled her eyes at the display of Gourry-ness while Ameria walked over to the fireplace. She ran a finger along the glossy stone and said, "You live in a very nice place, Ms..."
          "Tsunami," she filled in, her voice soft and delicate, yet straightforward all the while. "I am not married, and I do not have a last name, so please just call me Tsunami," she added with a kind smile.
          Lina blinked at the information, taking a seat by Ameria and across from Gourry. It was a table for many guests, so she guessed that Tsunami must know quite a few of the townsfolk. "What do you mean by not having a last name?" she inquired.
          Tsunami sighed softly. "It's a long story... Perhaps we should discuss it over a meal. I'll go tell the chef to prepare something." She was about to leave, then paused to ask, "Do you have any requests?"
          Lina flashed an ok sign with her fingers and winked. "Anything is fine. Just bring triple portions for each of us."
          "Triple portions?" Tsunami repeated, confused.
          Ameria sweatdropped and answered for Lina. "We just eat a lot..."
          Tsunami paused, then giggled. "Alright, triple portions for each of you. I'll be right back." She retreated behind the swingy door at the other end of the room, leaving the trio to talk quietly among themselves.
          "She seems pretty nice," Ameria commented after the door swung into place.
          "Pretty and nice," Gourry said aloud to no one in particular. "I wish a certain someone I know was like that..."
          Lina twitched at the comment. She would have just gone and blasted him with a fireball, but there were too many fragile things about, so she bit back on that urge. "Don't get too friendly with her," she warned. "She might be trying to trick us into something; a deal of some sort perhaps." Ameria sat down in the chair beside Lina, listening curiously. Lina sighed, allowing her head to droop a little. "I'm just saying we should be careful around her. My woman's intuition tells me there's more to her than meets the eye..."

          Zelgadiss lay in bed, eavesdropping on the locals as he relaxed. The window was closed and the curtains were pulled over, but his acute sense of hearing allowed him to listen in on their conversations. So far he had picked up two important factors. One, there was to be no lights; it would be lit purely by the moon and stars. Two, everyone was expected to wear masques, which meant he could probably walk around normally. Three, the leader of the village was going to unveil the Faery's Tear for the public to see. He decided he would have to attend the festival after all. Now he just needed something to wear.
          "Sorry about that," Tsunami said as she returned. "It'll be ready in about ten minutes." She took a seat beside Gourry, rested her elbows on the table, and placed her chin in her hands. Her gaze shifted from Gourry to Ameria, then to Lina. "Perhaps I should talk about my lineage after the meal has been served so we won't have any interruptions?" She saw Lina nod in agreement. "Well in the meantime, what is it that you came to ask me?"
          The three exchanged glances, then Lina spoke up. "Actually we came here to ask you about the festival tonight. We were wondering what it's for," she explained.
          Tsunami smiled gently at Lina. "Would you all like to be my guests? I think it would be nice for travelers to see our tradition."
          "Uh, sure," Lina replied. She was slightly surprised, for she had just realized how pretty Tsunami was when she smiled. Her eyes were of the deepest blue, topped by long, black eyelashes and a light eye shadow. Her lips were a luscious pink and seemed to shimmer as she talked.
          Tsunami clasped her hands in delight at the answer. "Wonderful! It will be held in the center of town where the small garden and fountain are. Everyone must wear a masque, and there will be dances. All lights will be off, so don't be scared."
          Ameria perked up at the comment. "So it's sort of like a masquerade ball?" she asked.
          "What's a 'masquerade ball'?" Tsunami asked in return. She thought of a sphere with a masque on it and giggled.
          "Well it's basically like what you just said, except that they are usually held inside with a lot of lights." Ameria explained.
          Tsunami smiled again. "So you will be familiar with what happens I suppose." She took a second to push back her hair, then said, "I assume you will be attending? I'll have one of my servants fetch some outfits for you all. Following the tradition, women wear white, and men wear black, representing the stars and the night sky respectively. Is that alright with you?"
          Lina nodded, then quickly added, "Oh could you get another men's suit? We have a friend at the inn who may want to come." Ameria gave her an unsure look, but Lina just ignored it.
          "Sure," Tsunami answered cheerily.
          The door at the end of the room then swung open, and a lady waitress pushed out two carts piled with stacks of food. Lina's mouth instantly started watering, as did Gourry's. Scents of lemon-pepper chicken sifted through the air, along with other flavorful foods. Lina inhaled the fine aroma heartily and sighed in pleasure. She eased into her chair and watched delightedly as her meal was placed before her. Finally, her eyes settled on the large, steaming, juicy chicken, and the words "Someone up there loves me" ran through her mind. She picked up her fork and knife and declared, "Itadakimasu!" before digging in.

          A sweatdrop slid its way down Xelloss's head as he viewed the scene through the glass window from his spot in the tree. "Is food all she ever thinks about...?" he wondered. He yawned, holding a gloved hand over his mouth as he did to muffle the sound. Tiny tear droplets formed at the edges of his eyelids. He opened one eye and stood up. "It would be interesting to be at the festival wouldn't it?" he said aloud, keeping his gaze on Lina, who was stuffing her face violently with food. He grinned at her, then looked to see how their host was enjoying the display.
          His grin turned into a frown when he saw Tsunami. There was something rather odd about her...something mysteriously odd. Nevermind the lack of a reaction to Lina's eating behavior, her aura seemed confusing and withdrawn. Her actions seemed to whisper, "I know something you don't know," and annoyed Xelloss to no end. He shook his head in temporary defeat, then dissipated into the air once more.

          Gourry and Ameria watched their friend in disgust. Sure this was expected...but the way she swallowed everything, bones and all, was stomach flipping.
          Ameria leaned over to whisper to her, "Lina-san, try to be a little more polite." She saw the blur of a small chunk of meat fly by her head and turned a little blue.
          Lina swallowed another piece and gulped down some water straight from the vase. Even Gourry had trouble eating after seeing all this, which was a ludicrous thought. Lina glanced at Ameria, crumbs and grease outlining her mouth. "I am being polite," she claimed, though she held a half-eaten chicken leg in her hand. She then bit into the loaf of bread she had clenched in her other hand, tearing a large amount of it off and chewing it greedily. Ameria sighed and shook her head in shame for her friend.
          Tsunami's voice interrupted their thoughts. "Is it good?" she asked.
          Lina nodded, though it looked rather odd because her cheeks were bulging out from her face. "It'sh fery tashty," she said through a mouthful of food.
          "I'm so glad," Tsunami replied. The waitress then left the room with an expression of utter disbelief on her face. Tsunami looked after her until the door swung back into place. She then turned back to Lina and company and proposed, "Shall I tell you my tale?"
          Lina began to fork squid to her mouth as she glanced suspiciously at Tsunami's suave posture and tone of voice. Why any person would volunteer information like one's family history was beyond her. After she swallowed the rough food down her overworking throat, she urged, "Well?"
          Tsunami placed her hands in her lap, showing signs of nervousness that could clearly be seen through the glass table. She began to wonder why she had bought this table. Despite its elegance and beauty, it was an invitation for the right and wrong pairs of eyes. She decided it was nothing to be concerned about and said in a voice just louder than a whisper, "I am a blood relative of Miran. I'm her younger sister..."
          Silence filled the vast room. Gourry bit down on his chopsticks while Ameria held a cherry just inches above her mouth. Lina had her knife cut halfway through a steak. Now that she mentioned it, the three of them realized that she matched the description Xelloss had given them, or at least Lina and Ameria did. Lina's eyes narrowed again, "And why are you telling us this...?"
          Tsunami gave a tiny grin and shook her head slowly. "Now really, did you actually think I didn't know you were sorceresses?" She looked at Lina and Ameria intently, seeing them stiffen up and therefore acknowledging the fact. She crossed her arms, now feeling confident while they felt uncomfortable. "Faeries have sort of a sixth sense about this kind of thing, considering we mostly rely on magic to survive," she added, "I knew right away that you all were magic users." Her gaze shifted specifically to Lina. "And you," she stated, "your aura was bleak, tainted by something unfamiliar...alien to me."
          Lina's face went chalky white and she instantly dropped her utensils on her table. Her appetite vanished, and she suddenly felt very sick. Were her nightmare magics standing out that much? If they really leaked from her like that, was that what was luring what seemed to be the entire mazoku race to her? By "alien", had she meant...
          Since the last time she had used and successfully gotten the Golden Lord into her body via the Giga Slave, she had always feared if there were any permanent scars of the incident on her body. There were a few minor changes here and there - her hair didn't grow as quickly, her memory sometimes had loopholes in it, and "that time of month" coming every other month rather than every month, but nothing was ever too bad... Now that she knew she "smelled" like It, she feared what other things she hadn't noticed yet.
          "So why haven't you done anything to us yet? This village hates magic don't they?" Ameria asked, allowing her childish innocence to take over.
          Tsunami poured herself a cup of hot tea and sipped at it, sighing in relaxation as the glass left her lips. She placed the cup down gently and replied, "If I did tell everyone that you all were sorcerers, then how would I explain how I found out?"
          Gourry rubbed his chin in thought. "Couldn't you make something up?" he asked.
          Tsunami looked down at her lap and played with her fingers. "Well that's because... Faeries have to take an oath when they're born, and one part of it goes 'I will never cheat, lie, or steal from anyone' or something along those lines..."
          "I see..." Gourry said and resumed thinking. After several moments passed, he looked up and commented, "Then you must have done a really good job at acting human to keep the villagers from asking!" then laughed carelessly.
          Tsunami eyed him peculiarly, wondering what type of person he was. "Actually...one person did know. He was the former chief of this village who took me in."
          Gourry hit his fist on his open palm as if to say that he understood. Ameria just put her thumb and index finger to her forehead and sighed in disbelief. Lina bit her bottom lip and watched Tsunami talk with Gourry. Something about all this didn't seem right to her, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was exactly. "So what happened to this guy then?" Lina asked.
          Tsunami went silent and looked away. Lina's face turned to shock as she realized what must have happened. She scolded herself for not thinking before asking. Now she reminded herself of Zelgadiss when he had mentioned Sylphiel's late father shortly after his demise - an idiot. She smiled nervously and said, "Oh come on, I didn't mean to..."
          "It's alright," Tsunami quickly interrupted. "I'm...okay with his death now." She brushed a tear from her eye with her index finger, then smiled. "Anyway, I'll send for someone to bring you formal dresses for the festival. I need to help set up for the main event."
          Lina cocked an eyebrow in half-interest. "Main event?" she inquired.
          "Why," Tsunami's face lit up in delight, "we'll be unveiling the Faery's Tear of course. I'm sure you would like it," she said with a grin.
          For the first time since they arrived, Lina smiled. "I'm sure we would..."
          "Great." Tsunami stood up and bowed politely. "It was a pleasure. Now if you'll excuse me..." She lifted her head and retreated through the door whence they came. There was barely enough time to breathe before one of her maids came in with their outfits. She handed them to each of their respective owners (Lina got two) and motioned for the trio to follow her back to the entrance to leave. Lina shrugged and obeyed, though only after she ate the last bit of cake. Gourry followed Lina's example, taking a few grapes with him and munching on them as he walked out. Ameria sighed in helplessness and ran after them.

          Tsunami entered her room and closed the door behind her, locking it to prevent intrusions. A devilish grin swept across her face as her outfit changed into a navy-blue shinobi robe, and a long, thin ponytail fell from its hiding place under her hair. Her eyes glowed as she sat down on her bed and flipped a small mirror to face her.
          "That went pretty well," Tsunami said.
          "That's good," a childish voice replied. "Did anyone notice anything funny about the story?"
          "Not at all. Though, I think Xelloss saw a leak in my disguise."
          "Hmm...Oh well. Just don't let him tell his friends anything about it until I get there. Ok, Tsu-chan?"
          Tsunami did a half bow. "Hai, Dolphin-sama."

---

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