Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Slayers franchise, and am making no money from this fic. I am simply doing this for fun.

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"Bianca?" Nell asked.

"Who's Bianca?" Lina asked.

"And why is she doing this to your town?" Zelgadis asked.

The inn keeper sighed. "An evil sorceress. She's been tormenting out town for months, now...but never anything as bad as this."

"Do you know why?" Rii asked tentatively. "I mean...did someone in the town piss her off?"

"No," the man wailed. "We did nothing to her! Why is she doing this to us?!"

Nell sighed. "Darkness does not need a reason to snuff out the light," she said softly. "Other than to plunge the world into darkness."

"Speaking from personal experience?" Zelgadis asked wryly.

"Perhaps," Nell said simply.

"How can you be so nonchalant about it?" Zelgadis demanded with a slight growl. "How can you be so casual about everything that you did?"

Nell narrowed her eyes. "Mind your attitude, chimera. I have had countless centuries to atone for my deeds, but what of you? You who in the past so casually changed your allegiance time and time again to suit your needs...you who so casually used your friends and companions without so much as a second thought in order to attain your objectives...who are you to judge me?"

Zelgadis' eyes widened a little. "How...how did you know about all that?"

Nell smiled sweetly. "Souls are my playthings, Zelgadis...and I can see right into yours."

The chimera growled. "Why you--!"

"Guys, let's not do this now," Rii cut in as she gently gripped Zelgadis' arm. "We have to figure out what to do about this Bianca."

"Without coming apart at the seams," Lina said with a glare directed at Zelgadis. "Stop picking fights that you can't win. Let's leave Nell's past where it belongs...in the past."

"Yeah, c'mon, Zel," Gourry said in his attempts to ease the thick tension in the room. "Nell's our buddy. Look at all she's done to help us."

Zelgadis grumbled something under his breath and crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine...what do we do now, then?"

"For one thing, we wait for Amelia to get back," Lina said. "Hey, pops," she said to the inn keeper. "Where does this Bianca live?"

"No one knows," the inn keeper answered. "She just simply appears when she feels like it."

Nell softly cleared her throat. "Lina, if I may suggest something...the lake is the source of this latest malady. So, maybe after cleansing it, we should hide out there and wait for Bianca to show up."

"Well, that's fine...but what if she attacks the town while we're at the lake?" Gourry asked.

"The town could signal us in some way," Nell suggested.

"That's not a bad idea," Rii said thoughtfully. "Would we be able to see a smoke signal from the lake?" she asked.

The inn keeper nodded. "Yes, without a problem."

Lina gave a small decisive nod. "Alright then we go to the lake...once it's cleansed, it'll be our battleground." She turned to the inn keeper. "In the mean time, I think you better destroy anything you've gotten out of the lake since this morning." She looked to Nell. "Should that be okay, or should they destroy any fish that's been preserved too?"

Nell shook her head. "No...this type of a potion has to be administered at midnight during a full moon in order for it to work. Last night was the full moon, so anything taken from the lake before then should be perfectly fine."

Lina nodded. "Okay then. We'll do our jobs and take care of this Bianca."

"We will pay you whatever we can," the inn keeper said.

Lina's eyes twinkled. "In that case, we'll do our jobs with relish!"


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...Lake...

Amelia was exhausted.

Beyond exhausted, actually. The cleansing of the townspeople had left her severely drained, but she was not finished yet. The lake and all the creatures dwelling within its depths needed to be cleansed as well or else the healing of the townspeople would have been pointless...and that would hardly be just. So it was with a deep breath that the small princess squared her shoulders, lifted her chin, and pushed her own needs aside. She was a warrior for justice, after all...and that meant putting the needs of others before those of her own.

Levitating above the tainted body of water, Amelia tightly gripped the magical amplifier in her hands and as she summoned up all her power and drew upon all her remaining strength and concentrated it all into one spell. "DETOXIFY!" The entire lake glowed and emitted a white light as the dark taint was removed, and Amelia barely managed to maker her way back to the shore before she dropped to her knees in exhaustion.

"You okay, Amelia?" Gourry asked as he dropped down beside his friend.

"Yes, thank you, Mister Gourry," the princess said with a weak smile. "I just need to rest for a bit."

Lina smiled and patted her friend on the head. "Good job, Amelia."

"Yes, very well done, Miss Amelia," Xellos said with his usual smile.

"Go ahead and take a nap or something," Lina said

Zelgadis nodded. "We'll keep an eye on things."

Amelia smiled thankfully. "Thanks, guys," she said as she curled on her side and allowed her eyes to drift closed--comfortable in the knowledge that she would be safe.

Nell leaned into Xellos' ear. "Xellos, if Bianca attacks before Amelia is fully recovered, I want you to protect her," she said as she laced her fingers through her lover's. "Would you do that for me, my darling?" she asked softly as she let her head fall onto Xellos' shoulder.

Xellos smiled and pressed a feather light kiss to Nell's forehead as his thumb lightly brushed over her knuckles. "I would do anything you ask of me, my dear Nell," he said softly.

"So what do we do now?" Gourry asked.

Lina sighed and leaned against a tree as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Now we play the waiting game."

Zelgadis nodded. "And wait for Bianca to come to us."

Rii smiled up at the chimera. "Oh, Mister Zelgadis...you're so sexy when you're serious."

Though Zelgadis blushed furiously and hurriedly looked away, he could not stop the small fluttering of his heart...anymore than he could stop the smallest of smiles from tugging at the corners of his mouth.


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...Five hours later...

Nell and Xellos kept watch over the still sleeping Amelia and tended to the campfire. After waiting in one spot for hours without Bianca making an appearance either at the lake or back in the town, Lina, Gourry, Zelgadis and Rii had gone on a patrol of the area for any signs of the evil sorceress--splitting up into pairs to cover more ground. Confident that Nell would be able to fight off their intended target while Xellos teleported Amelia to safety if Bianca suddenly showed up and attacked while the princess was still sleeping, the mazoku pair had been left to guard the princess and the camp.

"Do you think she'll show?" Xellos asked as he stroked Nell's hair. He was seated on the ground with his back against a large rock. Nell sat between his legs and leaned her back comfortably against his chest.

"Oh, she'll show," Nell said softly as she let her head fall back onto Xellos' shoulder...smiling softly as she leaned into his touch. "I know the type."

"Oh? And what type is that?"

"The type that thinks they are above the laws of man." She chuckled softly. "Yet they never seem to quite grasp the fact that as long as they are members of mankind, they will never be above its laws." She sighed. "Humans can be so short-sighted...that's what comes from living only one life."

Xellos chuckled softly as he placed a small log on the fire. "Yes, this is true," he admitted before lightly nibbling Nell's earlobe. "We never got to finish what we started this morning, my darling Nell..." he murmured softly.

Nell shivered and suppressed her soft moan. "Xellos...we can't now...what if the others come back in the middle?"

"We'll be discrete," Xellos said softly as he pressed feather light kisses to Nell's neck. "They'll never know what they've walked in on."

"How can we be discrete while doing what we were doing this morning?" Though she was trying to remain strong in her resolve, Nell felt her spine rapidly turning to jelly. Xellos always had that effect on her.

Xellos smiled and removed one of his gloves before slowly sliding that hand down Nell's stomach...pushing the edge of her tunic aside until it began toying with the waist of her fitted trousers. "We can improvise," he said softly as he slowly slid his hand down his mistress' trousers and panties before resting it between Nell's legs...lightly teasing her sensitive nub.

Nell's body responded instantly to Xellos' touch with molten heat and she could not stop the small moan from escaping her lips as shivers raced through her body. "Xellos...wait...what if Amelia wakes up and sees us? And the others can still see us if they come back."

With his free hand, Xellos unclasped Nell's cloak and draped it around in front of her so everything from Nell's neck down was hidden from sight. "Problem solved, my dear mistress..." he murmured as he nibbled his lover's earlobe once more as he slid one of his long fingers into her warmth...his thumb teasing her sensitive nub.

Nell could not resist anymore even if she wanted to. Instead, she whimpered softly and opened herself more to her lover as she rested her hands on his thighs and turned her head so she could kiss him.

Xellos growled softly into the kiss in response to Nell's soft whimpers of pleasure and slid a second finger inside of her. "Just sit back and relax, my sweet Nell..." he whispered as he slowly broke the kiss and slid his fingers in and out of Nell's wet warmth--his thumb merciless against her sensitive nub as his free hand caressed one of her breasts though her clothing. "I'll make sure we both go over the edge..."


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"I don't see anyone, Mister Zelgadis...what about you?"

"No, no one," Zelgadis admitted as he cast his gaze around the wooded area he and Rii had been drafted to patrol. "No one at all..." he mused as he realized just how alone he and Rii were. It was the perfect time for them to talk. "Rii?"

"Yeah?"

"About last night..."

The small thief grinned up at the chimera, though a soft blush colored her cheeks. "It was great wasn't it?"

Zelgadis blushed. "Yes...it was wonderful, but I--"

"You were amazing," Rii said with a smile as she laced her fingers through the chimera's.

Zelgadis blushed deeper. "Er...thanks, but that's not what I wanted to talk about."

Rii blinked and raised both eyebrows. "Oh? Then what?"

The handsome chimera halted in his tracks and gently pulled the small thief to a halt beside him. "Well, I..."

Rii's eyes widened in worry. "Oh, no...did I do something wrong? I did, didn't I?!"

"What? No! No believe me...you were perfect." The ghost of a smile played on Zelgadis' lips. "Absolutely perfect..."

Relief flooded Rii's face. "Oh, good." The smile returned to her face as she looked up at the handsome chimera. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Well...where does last night put us?"

Rii blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Well...what I mean is..." Zelgadis blushed again. "Was last night just a one time thing? I mean...did you do it because you felt sorry for me?"

"No, of course not," Rii answered adamantly.

Zelgadis let out a breath he had not realized he had been holding. A one night stand he would have been able to deal with, but if it had been done out of pity...he was not sure if he would have been able to handle that. His pride would have been crushed beyond repair. "All right, well...uh..." He blushed again. "What does last night make us? Are we friends with benefits...or are we something more?"

Rii took one of Zelgadis' larger hands in both her own small ones. "I'd like it if it was something more," she said softly. "I mean...I really do like you, Mister Zelgadis...and I don't care what you say, I really do think you're sexy."

"But why? How? How can someone as beautiful as you be attracted to someone like me?"

Rii released Zelgadis' hand and stared up at him as she put her hands on her hips. "Why do you find it so hard to believe that a girl can find you attractive? So you're blue, and you've got hair like wire and rocks on your skin...who the Hell cares? You may think you're a freak, I think you're like a priceless work of art. Even if you never find a cure for your body, I'd still think you were beautiful, and I wish you would stop talking about yourself the way you do!"

All the while Rii ranted at him, Zelgadis listened with eyes widened in shock. He could not believe what he was hearing. No one had ever spoken to him like that before. Yet here was a beautiful and tiny thief telling him in so many words to get over himself. Rii had been with Zelgadis and the others for all of three days, yet she refused to pity him. She respected him. When he mourned over his differences and flaws, Rii praised them...finding beauty in their uniqueness.

Before Rii could say anything more, Zelgadis crushed her to him and captured her soft, sweet lips in a hungry kiss--one hand tangling into those chestnut tresses. He had had a chance at love with Amelia...but he had pushed her away. He had broken her heart and ruined any future chances with her. But now, in the small thief currently wrapping her arms around his neck and allowing him to deepen the kiss, Zelgadis had a second chance...and as he felt Rii press herself into him as their tongues danced together, the handsome chimera vowed to grab a hold of this second chance with both hands. Growling softly, he began trailing light, nipping kisses down Rii's neck. "Rii..."

Rii smiled and moaned softly as she lightly nibbled Zelgadis' earlobe. "Mister Zelgadis..." she murmured softly.

Zelgadis lifted his head and gazed down into Rii's sapphire eyes. "Zelgadis," he corrected gently.

Rii smiled and stood on tip-toe. "Zelgadis..." she murmured against his lips before kissing them. "My Zelgadis."


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...Campsite...

Both Nell and Xellos both panted softly--still coming down from the erotic high they had achieved twice.

Nell's face was flushed, and a small, sated smile played on her lips. While Xellos' fingers were not as good as his hard length, they were still very skilled and did very well in a pinch. She turned her head just enough so she could press a soft kiss to her lover's lips.

Xellos smiled softly and lightly caressed Nell's lovely face as he gazed into her eyes--hoping she would be able to read the meaning behind his words. "I'm yours for all time, Nell...all of me. I am completely devoted to you, and I would do anything for you without question. I would sacrifice my existence if it meant protecting you."

Nell smiled, knowing the meaning behind Xellos' words and seeing the truth of it in those gorgeous, violet, cat-like eyes of his. "I love you too, Xellos," she whispered against her lover's lips. "In this life, and all my future ones...there will be no one for me but you."

"Aww, sorry to interrupt the love-fest," Lina said wryly as she and Gourry returned.

"Welcome back, you two," Nell greeted with a smile.

"Find anything?" Xellos inquired with the usual closed eyes and friendly smile he wore around the others.

"Nah, nothing," Gourry said with a shake of his head.

"Zel and Rii not back yet?" Lina asked as she looked around.

"Not yet," Nell answered. "Want us to go look?"

"Nah, we'll track them down," Lina said as she grabbed a hold of Gourry's hair and tugged in the direction Zelgadis and Rii had gone in originally. "We'll be back."

Just as Lina and Gourry were disappearing into the wooded area, Amelia slowly opened her eyes and sat up with a delicate yawn as she stretched her arms over her head.

"Welcome back, sleeping beauty," Nell greeted with a smile.

"Have a nice rest, Miss Amelia?" Xellos asked.

"Yes, thank you. How long was I out?"

"Oh, I'd say about five hours," Nell answered. "What say you, Xellos my love?"

"I'd say you'd be about right, my darling Nell," Xellos confirmed with a smile.

"Oh, I feel so much better now," the princess said with a rested smile. "I'm still not completely better, but at least I won't fall over if I try to stand," she said with a soft giggle.

Nell smiled and giggled softly. "Lucky thing."

"You can say that again," Amelia said with a nod.

Nell grinned impishly. "Lucky thing."

Amelia was overcome with a soft fit of girlish giggles.


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Lina lost track of how much ground she had covered. In the end, she and Gourry ended up splitting up to search for their friends since they were having no luck finding them while searching together. "Geez...how deep into the woods could they have gone?" She choked back a startled cry as she tripped over a tree root and face-planted on the forest floor. Grumbling and grouching, she pushed herself up onto her knees and dusted herself off.

It was then that she heard the soft cry. She recognized Rii's voice and jumped to her feet, sprinting in the direction the sound had come from. Following the sound of voices, Lina put on an extra burst of speed--only to come to a screeching halt, her eyes doubling in size upon seeing Zelgadis and Rii entangled with each other before she hurriedly falling to her knees and hiding behind a large series of bushes. Judging by the moans and groans, she determined that the chimera and the small thief had been too caught up in each other to either see or hear her, and had simply continued on their erotic dance. "Damn it," Lina hissed. "Why does this always happen to me?"

"Hey, Lina...you over here? "

Lina's eyes widened when she heard Gourry's whisper come through the bushes and she hurriedly pulled the tall, handsome swordsman down beside her the moment she saw him. "Sssh! Be quiet," she hissed.

Gourry answered simply. "Why, what's up?" He peeked through the bush and his baby-blues widened as he saw Rii straddling Zelgadis--moaning and arching her back in pleasure as she rode him. "Whoah..." he breathed softly when Zelgadis suddenly flipped over so Rii was pinned beneath him.

Lina blushed as red as her hair. "I...it's...it's not what it looks like!" she whispered hurriedly. "I wanted to leave but I was afraid they'd see me," she said desperately.

Gourry kept watching. He was happy for Zelgadis...the chimera deserved this, but at the same time, the handsome swordsman could not help feeling jealous. After only knowing Rii for three days, Zelgadis was already in a relationship with her...why was it that after years of being with Lina, Gourry was no closer to having what his friend had. "See anything you like, Lina?" he asked softly after a few moments. He could not stop himself.

"What?" Lina blinked in confusion. This was not what she expected from Gourry by means of a reaction.

"What they're doing," Gourry clarified, his voice still soft. "Do you like what he's doing to her, Lina?"

Lina gulped softly as she glanced through the bushes and watched Zelgadis nibble his way down Rii's neck as he thrust deeply into her. "I...I guess so..." she said as she shyly averted her eyes.

"Would you want someone to do that to you?"

Lina could not believe what she was hearing. "Gourry, I--" The short sorceress was cut off in mid sentence as Rii and Zelgadis cried out each other's names as the blissful pleasure of release washed over them.

"Lina...you know how I feel about you," Gourry said softly as he watched Zelgadis and Rii cuddle with each other for a few moments before drawing back from the shrub he had been peering through. "I dream about doing stuff like that to you," he said as he kept his eyes fixed to the ground. "I dream about making you mine..." He raised his eyes so he was gazing into Lina's.

Lina's eyes widened. "Gourry..." she said softly.

Gourry took Lina's small hands in his larger ones. "Lina...I love you."

Lina's heart was like a hummingbird in her chest, and it only beast faster when the handsome swordsman slowly drew his face closer to hers...and it pounded harder when she started leaning in as well. "Gourry...I..."

A sudden scream ripped through the warm moment Lina and Gourry were creating, and both sorceress and swordsman whipped around in the direction of the campsite.

"That was Amelia!" Lina cried as she jumped to her feet, not caring if Rii and Zelgadis saw her, and grabbed a hold of Gourry. "RAYWING!" She flew back towards the camp with Gourry in tow--hoping they would get there in time.

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