Authors note: No, I don't own The Slayers or anything else with the exception of my own characters and events. I haven't seen Try or Next, so I'm going along with what I know of the story line, but it may take a whole different direction randomly. Be sure to wear your seatbelts!

Zelgadis's sword fell out of his hand as he was thrown against the boulder. Pain erupted through his back a millisecond later. He rolled to the ground, face first. He heard hurried footsteps race over to him.

"Zel! I'm sooooooo sorry! I thought you were going to block it!" The female helped the dazed warrior up. "Do you need a healing?"

Zel shook his head, both in answer and trying to clear it. He could deal with the pain. "No, Asa, I'm fine. It's my fault. I should have seen that coming."

Asa sheathed her sword and shook her pretty red curls out of the way. Her sharp green eyes looked at her best friend as he sheathed his sword as well. Zel looked back at her. She was dark from the sun, muscular, wearing a cotton sleeveless shirt and leather breaches to match her leather knee-high boots. "You were thinking of Jasmine again, weren't ya? If our village ever fell, I'm blaming you for thinking of her."

Zel playfully punched the tomboy of a girl. Jasmine, Asa, and Zelgadis had been friends ever since childhood. But lately of an evening it was a duo between Zel and Jasmine instead of the trio. "I'm thinking of asking for her hand."

Asa turned around to look at a target full of holes. Zel was beginning to wonder why she would want to look at a target at all when she replied. "That's good. About time you get it over with. I swear her mother has been planning the wedding since day one."

Zel laughed. "That's Jasmine's mom for you. She's the party advisor of the village, what do you expect?"

His friend turned around and looked at the sky. "I better get going. I still have yet to do chores. Mother will kill me if I miss another day."

They parted ways. Zel stayed behind to practice some more. He wanted to be the greatest swordsman in the village and was getting close to it. Asa had been training with him for a while now, preferring the sword to the housework. He slowed his sword swing as Jasmine came into mind. The slender, pale faced, golden haired girl with brown eyes smiled at him in his mind. She was one of the higher-ranking families in his village and one of the most sought after. He was lucky enough to be her friend, let alone start dating her for the past couple of months.

As dusk fell, Zelgadis finally sheathed his sword. He still had some studying to do, if he planned to master Shamanism at the same time that he became the master swordsman. He frowned slightly: the books were harder then the sword, and he was woefully behind on them. He didn't seem to have the power to wield it.

I'll fix that, I swear it! He thought, his ambition rising once again to the purplish sky above him.

The village houses were lighted with candles in the window and the smell of cooking fires invaded his nostrils. His stomach rumbled, but Zelgadis was determined to study before going to dinner. Wrapping his cloak around him against the chilly spring air, he started heading for his home on the far side of the village.

So intense in his own thoughts, he didn't hear the footsteps behind him. He almost threw the body that had suddenly attached itself to him on instinct, then realized who it was.

"Jasmine! You startled me!"

She faced him, pouting her lips. "I called for you three times! I know your hearing is well enough that you could have heard me!"

"Sorry," he apologized sincerely. "I'm just thinking of my studies-"

"You can study later; we got a dinner date tonight with my parents." She grabbed his hand and started to drag him to her house. Knowing that it was almost impossible to argue with her once she had decided on something, he followed.

***

Jasmine laughed as the two raced down the dark streets of the village and hid behind a wall. Trying to keep his breathing regular and quiet, he put a hand over Jas's mouth to quiet her. When he was satisfied no one was coming he laughed himself.

"The look on your brother's face was classic!"

Jasmine grinned. "Yes, the poor boy is not going to be sleeping for months now!"

After dinner, Zelgadis and Jasmine had started a prank war on her little brother. Jasmine had hidden his toy boat underneath the woodpile. Her brother had found it and responded by pouring salt over the top of their heads. The war had escalated to the point Zel and Jasmine hid underneath the kid's bedroom window and jumped at him when he went to close it against the night air. He had screamed loud enough to wake the entire village and the two had run off.

Jasmine put her arms around Zel and kissed him. Zel responded, holding her against him and kissing her back. After a few breathless moments, he pulled away. "Jas... I have something I want to ask you."

She took a step back and cocked her head in her curious manner. "Huh?"

Trying to slow his rapid heartbeat, Zel took a breath. "May I have the honor of having you as my wife?"

He watched Jasmine's eyes open wide. Then she grinned and hugged him. "Of course! Mother will be so pleased! Come on; let's go tell them-"

"Later," Zel said, interrupting her. "We'll tell them later, when the timing is right. Your father wasn't in a good mood today, remember? I don't feel like going through a thousand questions from him about being your husband."

She kissed him again. "All right, I'll wait, but not for long! I have all these annoying people after me as well you know."

Zel smiled at her. "C'mon, let's get you home. It's getting late."

He walked her home and told her good night, then started walking to the other side of the village, his heart dancing. Zel's mind started thinking of who to invite and who was going to be his best man. Asa could be the maid of honor....

Zelgadis paused outside his home. The house was dark and silent, usual for this time of night. All though he was used to it, it put a damper on his over- flowing spirits. His mother was ill, and although Jasmine and Asa helped him take care of her, there wasn't much he could do. He knew she was slowly dieing and he knew his mother did as well, though she tried to hide the pain of her sickness. He sighed, feeling guilty for staying out so late and entered his home.

I'll tell mother tomorrow, when she wakes up. That should help relieve her pain at least a little...

Remembering he had studying to do, Zelgadis went to his mother's room to make sure she was in want for nothing, then went to his own room and lit a candle to help him study. He had a long night in front of him....