DISCLAIMER:… I do not own the Slayers, but you already knew that. (n.n)

Behold! The first chapter of eight!

Next chapter will up tomorrow! (n.-)

Enjoy!

- Nicci

P.S. For you regulars wondering why I'm so late, long day at work... (o.o)

Chapter One

On the Behalf of Miss Amelia…

"Oy Sven!" Rafe the Roughneck bellowed, tossing a wrapped bundle to his fellow bandit. He was far to comfortable on his large mound of gold to get up and hand it to him. Really, once you sat on a giant mound of gold you found it was a lot more comfortable than it looked. "Open this thing up for us, but real careful like. I'd do it meself but it's making a weird humming noise."

"Ah!" Sven protested, fumbling to catch the bundle from atop his own pile of gold. "But I opened the last one. My eyebrows still haven't grown back. Stupid magic thingies. You open it Dodd!"

The package was in the air once more as it was hurled quickly to the one sitting atop several barrels of rum. Dodd caught it shaking his head fervently. "No way! It's humming! You know what else hums! Fairies!"

Dodd was terribly afraid of fairies. He'd never seen one but he was sure they were just downright nasty and cruel. No, sir, no fairies for Dodd, and no humming package either!

"You open it!" He yelled, chucking it towards the beige grabbed man beside him.

"Thanks. Don't mind if I do." He replied coolly, hiding his smirk behind his beige mask.

"Wait!" Rafe cried, hopping off his mound of gold in rage. "Dodd, you idiot! He's not with us!"

"He's not?" Dodd replied, eyeing him in weary surprise.

"No." Zelgadiss replied, pulling down his mask and flashing a knowing grin at the stunned bandits. "I'm not. But I'll open it for you all the same."

"The hells you will!" Sven cried, hopping up from his own mound of gold and drawing his sword.

"No! Wait!" Rafe cut in, wrapping an arm around Sven and hissing in his ear. "Let's let him open it. If it explodes, then we's safe, if not, we's rob him. That's smarts, ya see?"

"Yeah! Yeah, I sees." Sven agreed, sheaving his sword and nodding to the chimera s Rafe let him out of the headlock. "Alright. You opens it, then. Unless you're to scared!"

"Yeah!" Dodd chortled loudly. "Unless you're too scared."

Scared? Zelgadiss snorted at the thought. Not a chance. Although he was a little nervous, the chimera was always nervous when holding a potential cure. He hated to be let down, to feel like the whole journey had been a waste, to be reminded that he was a freak yesterday and tomorrow he'd still be a freak.

Not to mention… often potential cures had certain… side effects.

Zelgadiss held back a delicate shudder as he remember the unpleasant tryst he'd had with an orb that had resulted in rather than turning him back from chimera into man, into a woman, and then an ogre, then a troll, and then finally back into a chimera.

One of the few times he was glad to be a chimera, that and the time he'd found a golden egg that had turned him into a chicken. No one wants to be a chicken, which of course was also female. Thank goodness all it took to get outta that one was to lay an egg. An experience, he'd never like to repeat, or ever speak of…

"He is, Rafe!" Sven whispered irritably. "Look! No way he's gonna do…"

Sven was cut off as Zelgadiss ripped the fabric from the parcel, increasing the humming three-fold; and it was easy to see why…

"FAIRIES!!!" Dodd cried in terror before bolting into the surrounding foliage as fast as his stubby legs would take him.

"Well whaddya know..." Rafe muttered in awe as Sven gawked.

Zelgadiss paid them no mind, of course they were fairies; he knew that. What he was curious about was if they really granted wishes; or if they were just vicious baby thieves. The legends said so many things.

He just hoped they didn't bite. Not cause it'd hurt, but he couldn't say he relished the thought of having a pissed off fairy on his hands, and biting a rock would probably do it.

The chimera never got a chance to find out though for it soon became apparent why they had been covered in a magic cloaks to begin with. They were loud, and the louder their humming got the brighter the crystal cage holding them got.

It was far too much for Zelgadiss' sensitive eyes and ears, even the remaining two bandits were wincing and holding their ears.

And then, the crystal shattered and they flew up into the starry night leaving Zelgadiss to stare mournfully up at them as he debated pleading with them to come back. In then end he deiced they most certainly wouldn't so why lower he pride in front of two irritable bandits.

And then he remembered he was being glared at by two irritable bandits.

And then he smiled.

O O O

Later, as Dodd screams continued to echo throughout the forest, a rider atop a tall white horse made his way into the clearing where Zelgadiss was gathering up things he valued of worth from the vanquished Rafe and Sven's piles.

"Zelgadiss Greywers?" The rider asked and the chimera whirled at him sword drawn.

"And you are?" He asked coldly.

The rider clasped his hand to his heart and flashed a seal. "Sir Rudding of Saillune, Master Greywers. I ride on behalf of the Princess Amelia."

"Amelia?" He asked curiously, stashing back away his sword. "Is she all right?"

"I'm afraid I was sent to bring word…" He looked away wearily. "That she has been kidnapped."

"Kidnapped?" Zelgadiss echoed in shock. "By whom?"

"I'm afraid I cannot divulge any more information." He replied with a shake of his head. "You'll be briefed at the palace."

"Well then…" He muttered, dropping the gold and grabbing the horses reigns. "I hope you don't mind if we fly."

To be honest the rider did mind, but if the frightening looking chimera was strong enough to carry a horse and himself on the wind, he certainly wasn't going to argue with him.

O O O

Filia sighed happily, wandering into the kitchen and setting Val's down egg in a basket on the counter.

"You can wait right here." She stated prettily, kissing the top of its shell reassuringly before turning to the stove and gathering up the kettle to fill it with water.

"You know, Filia!" An unexpected but familiar voice spoke up from behind her. "I find it mildly disturbing that you sleep with that thing!"

"No." She stated softly, reassuring herself shakily as the kettle danced along with her nerves. "That's not Xelloss' voice. Nope. In fact, you're probably having one of those terrible nightmares where he comes demanding tea and then demands some scones to go with it even though both of you know he doesn't eat scones!"

"Oh my! Truly Filia, I find your dreams about me as fascinating as the thought that you do dream of me!" The voice tittered annoyingly.

"You're really here!" She screamed whirling around and blinking in stunned horror. "But… but why?"

"Why for the tea, of course!" He replied arching finger smartly and cracking an eye. "And some scones!"

Filia promptly screamed and woke up, clutching her blankets to her in a cold sweat, and then she noticed she wasn't alone in the room, and she screamed again!

"The scone dream again?" Xelloss asked curiously.

Filia nodded miserably, holding the blankets to her chest sadly. "It gets worst every time."

"Hm, you have the strangest dreams, Filia." He muttered in dry amusement, wandering over and opening her curtains wide just to watch her wince.

"At least I can have dreams!" She retorted irritably, rubbing her blinded eyes.

"Ah! So mean!" Xelloss chided in a hurt tone, cracking an eye. "Honestly Filia, you golden dragons are so cranky first thing in the morning."

"Then why don't you visit me later in the day?" She replied, getting out of the bed with a little stretch and a yawn. "I mean I appreciate you telling me what the groups up to in exchange for tea but tea time isn't even until four. You always show up so early!"

Xelloss beamed maddeningly at her. "Cause I feel the need to get the most tea possible for my info, of course!"

"Uh, Xelloss." Filia sighed, tying her robe around her and walking over to Val's egg to give it a "Good Morning" rub.

"Actually, though." He stated darkly, opening his eyes and leaning in on his staff. "Today I came with a piece of "Free" information."

"Free?" Filia echoed, arching a brow warily. "Then I'm sure it can't be good."

Xelloss shook his head slowly and Filia heart dropped.

"Who… who is it?" She asked worriedly.

"Amelia." He replied crisply. "Kidnapped."

"By who?" Filia asked, rushing to her closet and pulling out her traveling dress.

"From what I can tell, it appears to be an inside job." He replied dryly. "And since it's Saillune I figured I rather have you do the poking around."

"Tsk, Xelloss." She muttered, rolling her eyes and nodding to the door. "Right. Well, just give me a moment to get dressed."

"Why, Filia!" He chided smartly, fading into nothing. "You know I don't use doors!"

Filia felt an amused smile tug on her lips and quickly quelled it. She had no idea what Xelloss really came over here once a month for, but she was certain it wasn't the tea or to tell his little tales.

And it certainly wasn't the scones either…

Filia gave a delicate little shudder and quickly got dressed.

O O O

"I find it amazing that you leave the care of the only Ancient Dragon in the world to those two servants of yours!" Xelloss chided wanly as the appeared before the Saillune gates, knowing fully how much she hated when he called them her servants.

"They're perfectly capable and they're not my servants!" She replied tersely, her eyebrow devolving a small twitch.

"I don't recall you ever paying them once since you all moved in together, Filia." He replied goadingly, watching with glee as her twitch grew.

"Only because they won't let me!" She argued heatedly. "One time I woke up to find Jilas trying to sick the money back into my purse! I finally just gave up!"

"And now they're your servants!" Xelloss summed up for her cheerfully, tittering as her rage fumed over.

"Uh! Xelloss! You! You!" She huffed.

"Me!" He agreed, his smirk growing wider as he turned around. "And Miss Lina, and Gourry too!"

"Miss Lina!" Filia cried dashing in front of him. "Why it's so good to see you and Gourry! Xelloss told me that you guys have had some crazy adventures while treasure hunting! Something about the world's largest sword?"

"It was really big." Gourry agreed, nodding vigorously. "I mean, really big!"

"You saw that, huh Xelloss?" Lina asked suspiciously. "Funny, since we didn't see you…"

"Didn't you?" Xelloss asked, beaming easily. "Well I suppose I do try to blend in!"

"Uh-huh." Lina replied dryly, crossing her arms and arching a brow. "So when Gourry removed the sword from the stone and it was so heavy that it fell behind him and got wedged in an even bigger rock, you just sort of hid out and watched as we tried everything in chaos to bust it loose?"

"I suppose you could look at it that way!" Xelloss replied easily. Grinning wide as Lina rolled her eyes.

"You're just horrible, Xelloss." Filia scolded, crossing her arms. "At least now I know why they couldn't get the sword out. You were probably the rock!"

"Nonsense!" He chided wanly. "Why that would be… Oh look! Zelgadiss is here!"

"Very funny, Xelloss." He muttered, releasing the reigns and crossing his arms as landed causing the horse to buck off the already quite green-in-the-face Sir Rudding. "You should work on some original material."

"Funny you should say that!" Xelloss replied cracking an eye knowingly. "Because I have this absolutely fascinating tale about scones--"

The chimera arched a brow as the dragoness quickly lunged to cover Xelloss' mouth with her hand, mildly surprised when she succeeded.

The reason he let her soon became obvious as the gates opened, and out stepped Amelia who was smiling wide.

"You all came to rescue me?" She asked happily, tilting her head in Xelloss and Filia's direction. "Even you Mr. Xelloss and Miss Filia? You too Miss Lina and Mr. Gourry!"

"Sure did." Lina replied smugly, arching a curious brow. "Although you don't seem to really need it…"

"And you too, Mr. Zelgadiss?" She asked softly meeting his eyes with hers causing him to quickly look away.

"Well yeah… of course… but…" He fumbled, not quite certain what was happening here.

"Then you have rescued me!" She giggled happily. "From myself! There never was any kidnapping! I just wanted to get all of you together! It's been so long since we've been together like this!"

"You…" Lina fumbled, face-faulting and gazing up at her helplessly. "You kidnapped yourself!"

"A very inside job…" Filia whispered, her hand still over Xelloss' mouth as he responded with a quick nod.

"Yep!" She replied proudly. "And it worked! Now you're all here and we can have brunch!"

"Amelia…" Lina growled, capturing the princess in a head-lock. "That isn't very Just! Now is it?"

"But…" Amelia coughed, tugging on the sorceress' arm. "But… I was… lonely… and… you… all… work… too… hard… justice… please… Miss… Lina…"

Gourry laughed and Lina sighed letting her go. "Fine. You know I'd never turn down a free meal, and you're right. Now way you'd every get us all here any other way."

She raising a finger threateningly. "But next time, you better really be kidnapped! I mean bound and gagged in a castle tower guarded by trolls somewhere kidnapped!"

Amelia smiled, rubbing her neck. "Okay, Miss Lina."

"Alright then!" Lina declared, thrusting a finger into the air commandingly. "Let's do brunch!"

And it begins...

Hee, see ya tomorrow! (n.n)