Author's Note: Yes yes, horrible name… If you can think of something better, PLEASE tell me, cause as it stands, the name sucks . hehehe. Anyway. I'm trying to put up what I have of all my side stories that are all lonely on my computer, cause I'm switching computers and this just makes things easier… in a way. Anyway. Here's Slayers Passion! I do not own any of the characters…

Lordess

Zelgaddis froze, his rock body stiffening with alarm. His blue eyes traveled across the ancient (yet preserved) ruins for the source of the noise his delicate hearing had picked up. Everything seemed to be in place however; the rock still disintegrating at the edges, the dust untouched, and the occasional weed between the tiles still reaching high above the marble.

He frowned to himself, turning back to the decrepit book in his hands. "Could have sworn I heard something," he muttered half heartedly under his breath.

"Well that's because you did..."

Within an instant, Zelgaddis had dropped the book in his hands and unsheathed his sword, it's ring echoing across the pale marble of the room. The sword was swung towards the voice, his body swinging in sync with it. Zelgaddis' eyes widened as his eyes traced along the crimson blade towards the mysterious speaker.

"Good evening Zelgaddis," the purple haired priest said brightly, his eyes closed in their usual blissfully happy expression. He smiled and tilted his head to one side, the mop-top hair style flowing with his movement.

"...Xelloss..?"

The dark priest smiled further. "Would anyone else follow you into haunted ruins?" he asked with a small titter. He sat in mid air, legs crossed in an almost feminine fashion as he held his staff in one hand, it's red orb looking more like an eye than a jewel. "But you know that already... Why are you so jumpy, Zelgaddis?"

The chimera gave an exasperated sigh, his surprise fading quickly. He pulled the sword back and sheathed it properly, looking at Xelloss skeptically. "I've run into a lot of people who want me dead..." he replied simply, his black clothes rippling with his movement. "Course... running into you isn't much better..." Zelgaddis bent over to pick up his book, his red cape floating around him.

Xelloss frowned curiously, tilting his head the other way. "That's kind of harsh... Would I kill you?"

"No... You'd torture me first..."

A smirk as dark as night spread across the priest's lips, his amethyst eyes opening revealing the split pupils. "I'm glad you know that..." His voice edged towards it's sadistic state. His expression quickly changed back to it's jovial happiness, however, as Zelgaddis turned to face him.

"So why are you following me around anyway?" the chimera asked, placing a gloved hand on his hip in annoyance. Xelloss raised a gloved hand, waving his index finger as he spoke.

"Well I was planning on bugging Lina-san but she was busy dragu-slaving the town she was in!"

"So you chose to bug me?" Zelgaddis let a cold tone slip into his voice. It appeared the Mazoku Priest would be staying for a while... Xelloss stood from his sitting position, his boot covered feet touching the floor softly.

"Of course I did!" he replied.

"Why?"

"Everyone else was busy."

"Amelia?"

"Giving the normal justice routine to some Seryuun criminals..."

"Gourry?"

"On the wrong end of Lina's Dragu Slave..."

"Filia?"

"...I didn't check."

"Then go bother her."

With that, Zelgaddis turned his back to Xelloss, beginning to walk deeper through the grand hallway. Xelloss tittered at the chimera's anger, the negative emotion floating through his body nicely. "Are you still searching for a cure?" he asked, trying to sound genuine but already knowing the answer.

"What gave it away?" the lavender haired chimera asked sarcastically. Xelloss tilted his head, the frown of curiosity forming once more.

"Zelgaddis?"

"What?"

"How far would you go to look human?"

The chimera tilted his head over his shoulder, frowning slightly with seriousness. His blue eyes had acquired a stern sense to them as they met Xelloss' closed amethyst ones. His voice, as he spoke, was sincere and honest. "As far as it takes."

Zelgaddis turned away once more and Xelloss' smirk reappeared. Power rose within him as he stretched one palm forward. "I was hoping you'd say that," the priest whispered darkly as the black power swirled gently before his palm.

The chimera gave a sigh. "And just what do you-" He paused as he turned, his gaze falling on the spell Xelloss held. His eyes widened with fear and before he was even given the notion to move, the mazoku had sent his power forward at an unbelievable speed. The black energy collided with the chimera's hard back and he was thrown forward.

Pain shot through his entire body as she spell faded and Zelgaddis slid to a stop on the floor. He wanted to scream with the agony that raced through his back, but found himself only able to muster a small whimper of discomfort. His ears picked up the faint sound of a chuckle and he collected all of his remaining strength to push himself up enough to turn his head towards the dark priest.

"Xelloss..." he said in a hoarse whisper. The purple haired one smirked, his dark chuckles echoing off the marble walls. He tossed his staff from one hand to the other as he gazed down at the wounded chimera.

"My my," he said as he tittered some more. "That body of yours is strong, indeed. Most would be knocked unconscious from the pain of that blast." He watched as Zelgaddis' face twisted into a look of anger. Negative emotions flowed from him and into the priest, sending shivers down the mazoku's spine. Anger, hatred and pain as far as he could detect. All normal reactions for what was happening.

Xelloss, however, was surprised to feel another agonizing emotion that raged within the chimera's body. He was even more surprised to see that same emotion be reflected behind Zelgaddis' eyes. It almost baffled him. "Betrayal?" he asked out loud, concealing his puzzlement with his usual smirk. "Zelgaddis, did you trust me?" The smirk grew. "How sweet."

"Shut up..."

The mazoku walked forward, his cape trailing behind him with each step taken. He tsk-ed Zelgaddis as he stopped before him, squatting to get a better view of his face. More importantly so he could see those betrayal filled blue eyes.

The lavender haired one attempted to scoot himself away, still unable to find the energy or strength to stand. He failed in this endeavor, only causing more pain to flow though his rock hard body. Xelloss watched curiously as he gave small twists of discomfort, obviously trying anything to stop the pain. He smirked and shook his head. He reached his hand towards the chimera's head. Zelgaddis, once noticing, immediately tried to jerk his head away. Xelloss' hand followed however, and placed itself gently over his eyes.

Zelgaddis' mouth moved into a scowl, but that expression was wiped away as his entire body went slack. His mind went black and his eyes fluttered shut. His upper chest slumped to the floor, followed by his head. Xelloss gave another smirk as his hand left the eyes of the sleeping chimera.

"Goodnight Zelgaddis..."

'Run. Keep running. That's all you can do to save yourself. You know he's bad. All his intents are bad. Run. Run. RUN!'

The boy's mind kept screaming warnings that echoed through his skull that made his brain swirl in confusion. He breath was coming in haggard gasps as he forced himself beyond his limits. His limbs ached, his heart beating fast enough to make him nauseous. The branches that lashed his face were for the most part ignored, except for the added sting they added to his already worn body.

A broken cry escaped his dry lips as his feet got caught on a limb of a fallen tree. His small body tumbled to the ground, rolling over several times before coming to a stop. He struggled to push himself up, finding it difficult from the sudden pain in the shoulder he landed on. The boy swayed slightly once on his feet, and he made to run again, but froze as he caught glance of the figure behind him.

"N-no!" his small voice mustered as he staggered backward, blue eyes wide with fear. The figure, dressed in red, said nothing and made no movement, except to curl his lips into a dark smirk. The boy's hands flew to his head as he felt his body go through the painful transformation to his present form. He screamed with the agonizing change. "Stop! Stop this now, Rezo!"

The figure's smile widened. "But this is what you wanted, Zelgaddis," the elder said softly and calmly. "You wanted strength. You wanted power. And I gave that to you."

The boy shook his head more violently. "This isn't want I wanted! I didn't want this body! I didn't want to be a freak!" he yelled. His stone hands gripped the steel-like hairs more violently as he fell to his knees. Tears began to stream down his cheeks. "I'd give up all my power if it meant getting my human body back!"

"Is that so?"

Zelgaddis froze, trying to stop his tears as he heard the voice change from the Red Priest's to the Mazoku Priest. The chimera clenched his teeth, raising his sapphire eyes to meet Xelloss' amethyst ones. He was slightly surprised to see the complete seriousness on the monster's face, but made nothing of it, feeling only a deep betrayal towards the creature.

The chimera pushed down a painful lump in his throat. "What did you do to me?" he asked in quiet, raspy voice. Xelloss shook his head slightly, his serious expression not changing.

"I merely put you to sleep," he muttered, gazing about the fading scenery. "I thought it would be easier for you, but it appears you're always haunted by that figure of yours, even while you rest."

"Shut up..."

The dark priest only closed his eyes in return, his normal smile settling in it's place. "You don't have to be so rude, Zelgaddis." He took a few steps toward the chimera, who was still kneeling. "Do you always have such dark dreams?"

Zelgaddis' hands clenched the dirt at his fingertips, his face settling into a scowl. "What do you care, damn Mazoku?"

The smile changed slightly and there was a slight pause. "Try to have better dreams," Xelloss whispered before his body vanished from the chimera's mental vision and Zelgaddis was left to dream again.