Meanwhile in a quiet little town far, far away. Make that very far, far away...

Sylphiel, hands cupped under her chin, stared absently out of the window of a small town diner. Rainbow flashes played on the table before her, dancing to and fro, and soft chiming sounded barely out of hearing range, from the crystal wind chime outdoors. She let out a long sigh and slowly turned to the others, Amelia and Gourry, who were being far too silent. She left her lonely seat and pulled out the empty chair left at their table and looked solemnly from one to the other.

Gourry had his head down, as he numbly ran his fork back and forth over his uneaten meal. He let the eating utensil fall from his hand with a light clank and slowly raised his head to look over at Amelia.

The Saillune princess was sitting with a blank look on her face, her food also untouched, but she was slumped in her seat, with her arms dangling at her side. She let out long sigh and stole a glance over at the swordsman. Her lower lip began to tremble and she suddenly stood with her hands on her face.

"Gourry, what are we going to do? Lina-san, Zelgadiss-san, both gone!" Her body shook from sobbing. This would be the fourth time a fit like this had attacked the princess and Sylphiel stood and put her arms around her, trying to comfort, when she herself could barely keep her own eyes dry.

"Hush, Amelia, don't worry. It will be okay." Sylphiel replied softly. "We can't fall into despair like this. It won't help Lina and Zelgadiss."

"It's true Amelia, we can't continue on like this. We have to stop mourning for them as if they were dead. I'm sure they aren't; if Lina was, I just would know it. I can't explain it, but it would be like something died in me if she were." He said quietly and put a hand to her shoulder.

Amelia dried her eyes and smiled. "Gourry-san! You are so right. And besides, I think Xelloss is trying to find out where they ended up; he said he was looking into it." A slight sparkle returned to her once lively eyes and she raised her right hand skyward and declared. "With Xelloss' insight and the power of love and justice, we will see Zelgadiss-san and Lina returned safe and sound!"

Gourry sweat dropped at her declaration and smiled weakly. "Hai, hai, Amelia-chan! So then, let's go and see what that Xelloss fellow has found out." Then he stopped in thought. "But where is Xelloss? I thought he'd come back by now."

Not too far away, a well-known trickster priest sat atop the roof of the diner a slightly amused look on his face, as he sipped from a goblet of dark red wine. So, they've been set to an alternate universe...a planet called Earth. A place devoid of magic? Well, mostly. How terribly frustrating... He grinned. From the information he'd squeezed from that pathetic soul, Ash, whom had been revived by his mistress, he knew just enough to try and attempt a trip to this earth. But the only problem was their location. Damn it. Just where on that planet they'd been sent was a mystery. Yet, he'd ruled out many places. Yes, it would have to be some place harsh. Perhaps a frozen wasteland, or a desert? "Hmm..." He mused aloud. "Where's Waldo?" He grinned and then cringed as an all too familiar voice interrupted his deep thought process.

"Xelloss-san! There you are! Come on and tell us what you've found out!" Amelia grabbed the Mazoku by the wrist and ray winged back down to solid ground.

Xelloss laughed nervously and gulped as she dragged him along with her.

Gourry grabbed the priest by the shoulder and spun him around to face him. "So, you going to tell us or not?"

Xelloss waved his hands at the swordsman. "Oya! Of course; just give me a moment. All right. The first thing you need to know is I've discovered where they've been sent."

Amelia's eyes sparkled and she latched onto Xelloss arm and chirped happily. "Oh! Then half our problems are over! And what else?"

Xelloss expressed a look of displeasure and broke free of her grasp. "But we don't know where exactly they are."

Sylphiel spoke up. "Do you mean they've been sent forward or back in time? Or to another world?"

Xelloss sighed. "You are half correct Sylphiel. So-"

Gourry butted in. "Then which is it, another time or different world?"

Xelloss was feeling a bit aggravated at all the interruptions. "Sore wa himitsu desu!"

Gourry narrowed his eyes and moved to strangle the Mazoku, but was barely held back by the two ladies at his side. "Tell us now! Hey, let me go, I'm going to strangle him!"

Xelloss back up a step or two. "Will you all just be QUIET?!" He looked between the three with an overly-serious expression. The young women released Gourry in a heartbeat and the blonde man fell forward on his face.

Sylphiel put her hands to her face. "Oh, Gourry-sama! I'm sorry, oh!"

Gourry muttered and lifted his face from the dirt. "I'm okay, I'm okay!" He slowly rose to his knees and looked up at Xelloss, face hard set. "Go on!"

Xelloss nodded. "Well, anyway, yes. They are on a different planet, not too unlike ours, but one where magic is almost non-existent."

Gourry chewed on this idea for a moment. "Come again?" He sat there scratching his head. "A different planet with no magic? Then what are you saying about it being our planet?"

Amelia face faulted and fell over backwards and Sylphiel only stood there, muttering about all the mental abuse Lina put him through, both physically and verbally, to make him so simple-minded. Amelia regained her composure and tapped Gourry on the shoulder. "He said a different planet like ours Gourry-san." She tried to explain as plainly as possible.

Sylphiel gave Xelloss a pleading look. "Then where do we fit in, how do we get there?"

Xelloss shook his head. "We? I never said anything about we."

Amelia gasped. "But we must come to help Lina and Zelgadiss-san! You won't leave us behind, will you?"

Xelloss waved his arms in front of him, keeping distance between him and the princess who was latching onto him. "Keep back! No you can't come. It would be too burdensome, and you wouldn't be able to keep up with me. Since I don't know where to begin the search, I'm shall be moving at a very fast pace. I don't need to be worrying about others. You understand? Anyone understand me?" He looked at them through half narrowed eyes, which put off the others, who were used to his casual expression.

Sylphiel fumbled with a lock of her hair. "Yes, Xelloss-san."

Xelloss suddenly returned to his cheerful expression. "Good, good. At least someone is understanding everything I say."

Amelia backed away and closed her eyes. "But, I wanted to help find Zelgadiss-san and Lina-san. After this long, I can't stand waiting around any longer, doing nothing!" She clenched her hands into tight fists and bit her lip.

Surprisingly, Gourry replied haltingly. "Xelloss is right, we can't come. It might make things worse if we were to. For once, we have to just sit and wait. We've waited this long with nothing to come of it, so what is a couple more days?"

Amelia shook off her sense of desperation and turned to him, eyes wide and glistening, on the verge of tears. "You have your moments Gourry, when you make perfect sense. And this is one of those moments." She let out a sigh and dried her eyes for the second time that day. "Okay, I'm fine. Go and bring them back to us Xelloss! To the Earth or bust!" She flashed him a victory sign and smiled slightly.

Xelloss clasped his hands together and laughed nervously. "H-h-hai! Amelia." He bowed and with a wink, phased out. Now the real fun was beginning.