"I guess is all started about 300 years ago," the fire-starter began. "My great-great-something grandfather fell in love with this lady, but she turned out to be a witch."<br/><br/>"A witch?" the Graecian asked, pretty sure he was just listening to a family fable now, instead of a historical accounting.<br/><br/>Battler smiled. "I don't care if you believe it--and you wouldn't catch me dead saying this a few months ago--but it's true. So, he fell in love with this witch and they got married, and to show her love she used her magic to make him rich. She basically cast spells over other rich people and ended up robbing them blind. He used the money she got him to start his own business and ended up with way more than he started. He felt kind of guilty though, I guess, cause he went and tracked down all the gold this witch stole for him and bought it back. Then he bought an island where he could bury the gold so no one would ever use it again."<br/><br/>"He needed an heir for his business and fortune, but Beatrix--that's the name of the witch--couldn't seem to have children. So he found a human woman and had a child with her. Beatrix was furious. She cursed my Great-great-whatever grandfather so he could never abandon her, even if he loved this human woman more. In secret, every head of my family since then has been Beatrix's lover. Since she's a witch, I guess, she doesn't seem to get any older. My grandpa Kinzo messed things up though. He actually loved Beatrix, and he didn't want to let anyone else have her. He was ready to break the curse just to be sure of that. I'm still not sure exactly what he did to piss her off so bad, but she unleashed a small army of demons on the island."<br/><br/>Ebisu was quiet for a minute. "That sounds... really made up," he said honestly. "Do you really believe that's what happened?"<br/><br/>Battler suddenly looked sort of serious. "I don't have much choice but to believe it," he said. "I mean, demons are real, why not witches? But besides that: George wants to be a doctor, Jessica wants to be a professional athlete and Maria is a witch herself and so is my sister. That only leaves me to be head of the house someday."<br/><br/>"Hold on--I feel like I missed a few things in there. Your sister? And... witches?" The Graecian was quite confused.<br/><br/>"Oh. Yeah, I have a sister. She didn't come to the island with us though. This witch business has actually really messed my family up. I mean, my mom..." He sort of trailed off there, and it looked like he had to put effort into continuing. "I honestly don't know who my mom is. I was told who she was and that she died having me--that's why my aunt named me. My aunt was actually married to my dad and my mom was her sister who he was having an affair with. I have no idea who my sister's mom is, but it's probably the same mystery woman as mine, because I found out that the woman I was told was my mom... couldn't be."<br/><br/>"This is all very complicated," Ebisu said, leaning back on the couch, his head throbbing from all the rapid-fire information.<br/><br/>"Sorry," Battler said. "I probably should have stopped talking a while ago."<br/><br/>They sat in silence then until Battler picked his book back up and Ebisu just sort of daydreamed. When Heather came out of her room a few minutes later they finally broke the silence.<br/><br/>"Alright.." Ebisu said, kind of dazed. "Battler comes from a family of witches... or something like that.."<br/><br/>Battler did a sweat-drop and lowered his book, "Don't just say it out of context like that. It makes me sound pagan."<br/><br/>----------------<br/><br/>Ijemaru had a rather pleasant dream about his home town.