Notes: Yes, this is a mirror of the version on Archive of Our Own. I was noticing had a bigger Slayers audience, so I decided to start mirroring it here. It's probably going to be updated here when I post the latest updates on AO3 so I don't flood the tag. And with that, enjoy!

Claws gripped her arm, laughter surrounding her as she was dragged down. Screams escaped her throat without being heard. Eyes around her, flat and cold, inhuman despite the human shape. And an overwhelming darkness edged in red, a red colour that only grew worse and worse, bled through and tried to strangle her-

Gold ribbons spilled out of her mouth, writhing in the air and pushed the red back. But even those wrapped around her, choking her, filling her with light and horrible nothingness as she was pulled down, pulled away-

Lina woke with a sharp inhalation. Slowly, she sat up in the bed, running her hand over her pajamas, feeling the unbroken fabric beneath before pushing the sleeves up. Beautiful, unblemished skin. It had been scratched up a bit during the day - bandits just couldn't hand over their loot without fighting back - but a simple healing spell smoothed over those wounds like they were nothing. No rending wounds in her skin. She touched her mouth, feeling the slightly chapped skin there. Nothing winding its way out of her mouth.

She shuddered. At times, her dreams had been slightly strange, and not in the 'twelve foot tall talking delicious parfait she had to eat before she could get the treasure' way (though that had happened). No… she had faced enough monsters for them to rear their ugly heads in her subconscious. Lina pulled her knees to her chest, resting her cheek against them. She had almost lost enough of her friends for the ending that never was to parade through her sleeping mind.

But this one was different. It wasn't just a memory of someone she went up against and won, or her mind remembering how she almost lost her friends. Lina closed her eyes, trying to understand what she felt. A light, a lack of feeling, of anything-

She opened her eyes.

The answer was just out of her reach.

Which just pissed her off! She was Lina Inverse, sorcery genius. When she didn't understand things, it pissed her off. She needed to understand this. Why was she dreaming of this? What was she dreaming of? Why did it feel so familiar?

"Augh!" Lina kicked off her blankets, standing up to stomp over to the window. It had even been a good day, the bandits landing a few scratches on her notwithstanding. That was some good treasure they had. And the inn they were staying at was famous for their stew. She and Gourry had made sure to test that thoroughly (and also test their desserts. Their chocolate pie was amazing and Gourry was lucky he only got his hand smacked for trying to steal a bite). So an ending like this so such a good day was just… not needed. She just wanted to sleep soundly, maybe have that dream again where she was a princess and some of the more… irritating people she had met were cleaning her floors. Fibrizo on his hands and knees scrubbing her floors never failed to make her wake with a smile on her face.

Maybe it was a warning. Things were about to get interesting again.

"Ugh." Lina leaned against the windowsill, sighing. They had just finished helping Pokota with Taforashia. But it seemed the more she did, the more she got her name out there, the more trouble decided it needed an ass kicking from her. Not that she wouldn't dish it out. Of course she would! She was the beautiful sorcery genius, Lina Inverse! It just… got a little tiring to turn around and have some sort of monster in her face.

The hairs on the back of her neck rose and she turned quickly, almost expecting to see someone there. She didn't know if she wanted to be relieved or disappointed she was alone. But she was, and she went back to the bed, sitting down with a sigh.

She'd feel better once she had breakfast. And tomorrow, she had some stuff to sell too.

Yeah. Tomorrow would be a better day.

The irritation and suspicion smoothed back into sleep, and Xellos rested his chin in his hand, humming thoughtfully to himself as he sat forward on the tree branch. Lina certainly was an interesting character. He wanted to see her face twist in these emotions, but orders kept him on the outskirts of town. He wasn't to interact with Lina Inverse at this time. And if it changed by any reason, his Mistress told him, he just so happened to be in the same area as Lina Inverse. The fact she could be a very potent focus for chaos and usually lead him to what he was looking for was only a side effect.

But now she was asleep, and it didn't seem she had found anything interesting. None of what she had stolen from the bandits today held anything more than a basic charm. She would be able to sell it for a sizable amount, but nothing more. A sigh escaped his lips. In time, she would find a mess to get into yet again. That was the nature of Lina Inverse, after all.

For right now… Xellos slipped off to the Astral plane. He didn't quite wish to check up on Amelia. The Princess would most likely be acting in her official role at the moment. The Princess of Seyruun didn't exactly engage in the type of chaos Lina did on a regular basis, and Amelia's own purity and love of the world did make him slightly queasy to be around for too long. He could visit Filia, but that would solely be for his own enjoyment. Unless someone purposely went to pull her into a mess they created, she would remain apart from it all.

Which left…

When Xellos reformed on the physical plane, his humanoid projection floated on the grass just in front of a small encampment. He didn't draw closer, not at first. True, the person held within was asleep, but Zelgadis wouldn't remain so for long. The chimera had been traveling long enough not to remain asleep when intruders came near. It would be hazardous to his wallet, and very possibly to his health if the bandits figured out how to harm him. Zelgadis probably saw himself as mostly invulnerable to harm save what the highest of the Mazoku could do… and yet didn't realize he was perhaps one clever bandit away from suffocation, drowning, or perhaps even being cooked alive.

Mm. He wasn't about to tell him. The panic when it happened always was sweeter when it took him by surprise. But when it happened… well, his Mistress hadn't said not to save any of them. Zelgadis could easily find trouble by himself as well. Many forgot his own form came from desire, from greed. To be stronger. Rezo had granted that greed in a way Zelgadis hadn't wished for. The chimera now may be at a loss where to go now, may not realize how to continue on knowing Rezo had created his form without knowledge of how to reverse it, but Xellos had faith that greed would resurface.

And when it did, Xellos would be there.

He had to ensure Zelgadis wouldn't be waking any most uncontrollable monsters, after all.

Was he being watched?

Zelgadis's consciousness floated to a slight wakefulness, and he slit his eyes open, his hand automatically reaching for his sword before he registered what was around him.

No. Nothing.

His mind drifted back to sleep, a horribly familiar, horribly irritating giggle easing him into dreamland.