Chapter 1

Okay, this is just a story I came up with on the ice. Yes, I do ice-skate, and I'm working on my axel, so don't you dare say I don't know what I'm talking about! Quick warning, this will eventually turn into a L/Z. This is what I'm going to be working on while I'm not working on R&F.AU, so the characters will be OCC, somewhat.

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            Red hair glimmered in the lights over head. Red eyes blinked as the wind blew into them. Lina Inverse did a Mohawk and aligned her feet perfectly. Her red shirt was wet from sweat as she went through her program over and over. Taking a deep breath, she pushed her self up while pulling her arms in, doing two full rotations and landing in the proper position, a perfect double loop.

            As Lina went into a layback spin, a new figure emerged onto the slick white surface. His long golden hair flew backwards as he glided up to Lina. Gourry Gabrief placed his hands on Lina's waist, gently enough not to hut her, but strong enough to lift he. They skate backwards for a moment, Lina winced more than once because of her partner's sloppy footwork, and then Gourry lifted her above his head, and leaned back to far.

            Both went crashing down hard onto the slippery ice.

            "Oh god, are you two alright?" Filia Ul Copt, Lina's trainer, skated towards the two with grace.

            "Gourry!" Lina erupted. "We have been doing this move for three weeks now! It's a simple lift! You should be able to do this!!!"

            "Sorry Lina," Gourry replied sheepishly.

            "Look, you two have been working very hard today, why don't you head home Gourry?" Filia suggested with a sweat drop. Gourry hurried off the ice and Lina skated back with Filia. "Lina, I take it you need a ride?"

            "Yeah, you wouldn't mind, would you?" Lina asked as she changed out of her skates, a beautiful and well-kept set of Ridels.

            "Of course not, Lina." Filia replied, pushing a few golden strands of hair out of her blue eyes. She led Lina to her car, a lovely yellow Eclipse. As they got in the car, Filia turned on the radio tot eh news station to learn of traffic.

            "So, any new leads on a partner for me?" Lina asked, pushing her sunglasses onto the top of her head.

            "Nope, none of the trainers I've talked to seem to have what we're looking for." Filia responded, switching on her turn signal. The sun was high overhead; it was only mid-noon. Filia smirked, so what if she told a little lie, Lina was going to be so surprised!

            "Uh, Filia? My house is that way." Lina jerked her thumb behind them, pointing towards a set of apartment buildings.

            "We're not going to your house, I'm taking you to the mall." Filia smiled as she pulled into the parking lot. "You need a break."

            Lina rolled her eyes, not only was Filia her coach, but a close friend as well. "All right, lead the way!"

            Zelgadis Greywords sighed as he ran his stony blue fingers through his wire-like hair. He winced when he heard his partner, Amelia; once again crash into one of the plastic windows that lined the mall's rink. Amelia was everything Zelgadis was not. She was hyper and cheerful all the time, and she was human. Zelgadis was calm, and took everything in life.

            "Mr. Zelgadis!!!" Zelgadis cringed when the cheerful voice rang out.

            "Yes, Amelia?" He answered, though not looking at her blue eyes.

            "Mr. Xellos is, oh, no, wait, he's over there!" One word came to mind when he thought of his trainer: Fruitcake.

            Xellos skated up to Zelgadis; his amethyst eyes that matched his shoulder length hair were closed, as usual.

            "Well, hello there, Zel-kun!" He said, and watched with an amused smile as Zelgadis shivered slightly.

            "What do you want, Fruit? If it's not about a new partner, I don't want to hear it." Zelgadis said the last part quietly, so Amelia wouldn't hear. The last thing he wanted was to have her crying again.

            "Well, I just came to tell you that I might have a promising lead." He watched as Zelgadis's expression lightened. "You see, my friend has a young skater, around your level, who is also in need of a new partner."

            "New partner?" Zelgadis repeated, raising a stony eyebrow slightly.

            "Yes, it appears her old partner was not exactly what she was looking for." Zelgadis once again winced as Amelia hit the plastic again.

            "Well, she can't be as bad as Amelia. When can I meet her?"

            "Um, well, I still have to work that out."

            "Meaning you haven't even asked yet."

            "Come now! I have so, Zel-kun! I'm supposed to meet them here in a few minutes!" Xellos said in his defence.

            "I'll believe that," Zelgadis said as he skated off to work on his program. "When I see it."