A/N: I think Free Fall will be considerably shorter than Slow Descent. Heh, I suppose the name is appropriate, then, isn't it?

Also, remember that happy endings are rare with my fics.

Disclaimer: Slayers is not mine. Neither is Death Note. Gasp.

Zelgadiss lay on the floor in his cold, damp cell, pretending to be asleep. Lina had decreed that, despite her decision to let Zelgadiss go free after all of this, he should at least spend one night in a cell to think it all over. She'd warned him not to try and escape, or else she'd come after him. But he was perfectly fine with staying there.

Lina was a fool to leave him unwatched, even without his Death Note.

Zelgadiss listened for the slight jingle of keys as the guard moved past his cell. A few moments later, and Zelgadiss was alone—well, almost alone. He looked up at the Shinigami standing beside him.

"Ryuk," Zelgadiss hissed, instantly getting the shinigami's attention. He whispered, "It's not over yet. I have a plan."

"Ohhh?" the shinigami replied in his normal voice. He didn't have a reason to be quiet. The only one who could see him was Lina, and she was elsewhere. "You still got a plan, Zelgadiss? I can't kill anyone for ya, you know."

"Yeah, I guessed that," Zelgadiss whispered. "But I have a plan. Ryuk, if I touch another Death Note, will I get my memories back later?"

Ryuk shook his head. "Nah. Only if you owned that Death Note before you lost your memories."

"All right. Can you get me another Death Note?"

"Hm... maybe. But I'd hafta go through some trouble. How do I know it'd be worth it?"

"It will, Ryuk. Because I know... you hate Xelloss just as much as I do, don't you."

"Well, not that much. He is annoying, though. All mazoku are. But ya can't kill 'em, can ya? What's yer plan, Zel? If it's a good one, I'll getcha a notebook. Well, if I get some apples outta the deal, too."

"All right, then, Ryuk. Listen very closely, and shut up. We have to be quiet. You never know who might be listening..."

---------------

A shinigami moved through the wall into Zelgadiss' bedroom in Seyruun. "Ryuk. Nice to see you again," Zelgadiss said with a smile. "Good job. Exactly what I told you to do."

"Heh. Nice ta have ya back," Ryuk said. "Now about my apples...."

Zelgadiss opened a drawer in the desk. He'd stolen apples from the dining hall earlier and put them here. He had had no idea why he was doing it at the time, but he'd had the feeling that it was important. This was their purpose. "Right here," Zelgadiss said, grinning.

"Hah hah!" Ryuk dove in. "All right!"

"Now, you realize... since Xelloss can see you, you can't watch us the whole time. You know that, right?"

"Oh, don't worry about that," Ryuk said, swallowing an apple core. "I've been following Xelloss for the past week."

"WHAT?!" Zelgadiss slammed his fist down on the desk in outrage! It made a very satisfying THUD. Zelgadiss winced. They had to be quiet. He whispered, "How could you do that?! Don't you realize—"

"Heh. Don't worry!" Ryuk said. "He thinks I've just been doing it because it amuses me. Actually, I said I wanted to see if he could get you in the sack. He even warned me not ta hurt ya."

Zelgadiss sighed in exasperation. "Xelloss is smart, Ryuk. He probably knows something's up."

"Maybe," Ryuk shrugged. "But I'm watching, Zelgadiss. Otherwise, it won't be any fun for me."

Zelgadiss shook his head. "And that was the deal, wasn't it. Fine. But if I do see you, I'm obviously not going to acknowledge you."

"Yeah, yeah." Ryuk shrugged. "I've been watchin' you too, ya know. And Xelloss has been watching me watching you. He thinks I don't notice him, but I do. So he knows you didn't see me."

Zelgadiss sighed. "I guess there's nothing that can be done about it now. And the other me did ask Xelloss not to watch me anymore, so we should be safe. Now. Just one thing, and then we can proceed with our plan..." So far, it had all gone according to plan, mostly... but he couldn't believe that the other him—the one without the memories—had almost slept with that bastard.

"Eh, it's your plan, Zelgadiss. I'm just along for the ride!" Ryuk chuckled.

He had to deal with this. He took out a quill and paper. He had to continue with his plan, but he also had to make sure that he didn't wind up in bed with the demon.

------------------

The next morning, Zelgadiss woke up, refreshed. He'd slept better than he had in months—well, two months, anyway. He wasn't really sure what had happened in the month before that, but he guessed he probably hadn't slept very well.

He rolled out of bed and walked over to the desk. Oh yes, there was that diary entry that he'd written the night before. He remembered writing it, but for some reason, he couldn't for the life of him remember what he'd written.

So he skimmed it:

Fifth day of the Sixth Month

Today was... different. Very different. I'm starting this journal just to figure out what's going on in my head. I probably should have done this earlier... all this confusion needs sorting out.

I can't believe I'm falling for that mazoku. He's just that charming, I suppose. But what is he after? He said he "cares" about me. But can I trust him?


If he really does want a relationship with me, then I'll have to be careful. I wanted to sleep with him—yes, that's right, I wanted to sleep with him, and I shall have to hide this new journal from any prying eyes to make sure no one else finds out—but he said no. Why? Perhaps he's trying to manipulate me. He always has some ulterior motive.

Anyway, if I do decide to have a relationship with him, I should take it slowly. We've already had sex once, but that was so close to rape that we should try to distance ourselves from it. We shouldn't have sex for a while. As much as I want to, we shouldn't even kiss. Maybe touch a little, but that's it. Nothing else. We need to develop the emotional part of this relationship first.

Zelgadiss put the note down. Right, that's what he'd written... and it did make sense. It was strange that he had barely remembered writing it, though. Maybe he'd just been really tired after all the events that had happened yesterday.

Still, this note was important. No matter how much he wanted to sleep with the demon, he should wait. That made perfect sense. But one thing bothered him about the note. Rape? When had he considered what Xelloss had done rape? Sure, he'd been kind of rough about it, but he hadn't been forced into it. Not from what he could remember, anyway. Hm, strange.

Then his stomach rumbled.

He folded his note to himself up and stuck it in his pocket. He could try to think it over later. For now, breakfast.

Amelia, Lina, and Gourry were already up, chowing down on their dinner. Breakfast was first come first serve in the castle, after all, and Lina always wanted to be the first served. That forced Lina to be up by seven, when they started serving, which forced Gourry and Amelia to be up at the same time if they wanted anything to eat.

Fortunately for Zelgadiss, he required little sustenance. He picked up a cup of coffee and some toast.

"Hey, Zel!" Lina waved briefly before returning to her fork fight with Gourry.

"Morning!" Amelia said, leaning back in her chair, having eaten her fill.

"Mmmfmmf," Gourry waved.

Zelgadiss sat down beside Amelia, a little ways away from the fight. "You're looking cheery this morning," Amelia observed.

"Oh, am I?" Zelgadiss was smirking, wasn't he?

"Yeah! Did something happen?" Amelia asked.

"He's probably just glad he doesn't have to serve her anymore," Gourry pointed out before getting a plate thrown at his face.

"Oh! Right. Poor Zelgadiss-san, having to serve that monster hand and foot..." Amelia said. She dodged the plate thrown at her quite nimbly.

"Nuh-uh," Lina growled as she gnawed on a turkey leg. "That's not it! I saw you walking off with Xelloss!" she grinned.

"Uh...." Zelgadiss swallowed.

"Oh! Is everything all right, Zelgadiss-san?" Amelia asked, looking concerned. "Did Xelloss want anything from you? I heard that...um... when you were captured, Xelloss had been the one to leave you there."

"He did?" Xelloss had told Zelgadiss that Xelloss had betrayed him. So that was probably how. "Huh. Well, no, he didn't want anything..." except him.

"Oh no," Lina said as she swallowed the last egg whole. "Xelloss always wants something. What did he want?"

"Nothing," Zelgadiss shrugged.

"Bullshit."

Zelgadiss sighed. "Look, Lina..." How to put this?

"Did I hear my name?" Xelloss, right on cue, appeared beside the table. He had probably been listening in to the whole conversation. Apparently, not spying on Zelgadiss didn't mean he couldn't spy on the others.

"Xelloss!" Lina said, waving her fork at him. The last bit of food was on the end of it, and Gourry was attempting to steal it. Lina nimbly dodged his attack and swallowed the sausage. "I saw you and Zelgadiss together. What did you want from him?"

"Ah... well, you see..." Xelloss looked over at Zelgadiss. Zelgadiss blushed and looked away. Xelloss grinned and walked over to the chimera. "I would like your permission, Lina, to date your friend!"

Lina spat out her water. All over Gourry. "WHAAAAT?!" she cried out.

"Hey..." Gourry pouted as he mopped himself up with a napkin.

Amelia blinked at them in surprise. And blinked some more.

"It's true..." Zelgadiss said, blushing bright red and looking away. "We're dating."

Lina paused a moment. Then she started laughing. "Hahahaha. All right, you got me, guys. For a second there I believed it."

Zelgadiss blinked. "Uh. Yeah, we got you good. Heh."

"Lina... they're not joking," Gourry observed. Damn him.

"Really..." Lina examined the two of them. "Well, all right, guys. Do whatever you want. Just don't hurt him, Xelloss."

Xelloss grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it!" Then he muttered quietly, "Unless my master requires it, of course."

"What was that?!" Lina glared.

Zelgadiss frowned. It had been too quiet for Lina to catch, of course, but he'd caught it. He looked at the table. Was a relationship with a demon really worth it, fully knowing that he'd stab you in the back at the drop of a hat?

"Nothing, nothing!" Xelloss replied, sitting down beside Zelgadiss. "But anyway, there's a more important issue that needs addressing." His face grew serious, and he looked evenly at Lina.

That got her attention. "Hm? What's up?"

"You remember our friend from before?" Xelloss asked. "The one with big black wings?" He looked over at Zelgadiss and began studying his expression, but Zelgadiss honestly no idea what he was talking about. He shrugged.

"Yeah. What about him? I thought he left when the object was destroyed." Lina asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"He did, but then he came back about a week ago," Xelloss replied. "He's been following me around a bit."

"Oh. So? He can't do anything, can he?" Lina asked.

"The thing is, he shouldn't be in this world unless his... object is here as well."

"His penis?" Gourry asked, blinking. Lina blushed and broke a pot over his head. He fell over, unconscious.

"I think I shouldn't be here," Zelgadiss said, standing up. "If I leave, you can all talk about this freely, right?"

"Well, yeah..." Lina said, "But..."

"Then I'm leaving," Zelgadiss replied, his face blank. "I'll be back down in an hour." Zelgadiss began making his way to the stairs.

"Zelgadiss-san, wait!" Amelia cried out and ran up to him. "You should be a part of this, too!"

"No," Zelgadiss replied. "I shouldn't. Not unless you want to risk a 'relapse.'" He started walking up the stairs. There was nothing Amelia could stay to stop him, and she knew it.

"Hey!" Zelgadiss heard Amelia say to Xelloss. "You should try to stop him! I mean, if you care about him...."

Xelloss shook his head. "No, it's better if he didn't listen in." He couldn't try to stop him if he wanted to. After all, he had to do everything possible to make sure Zelgadiss did not change back. Those were his orders.

---------

Zelgadiss lay down on his bed with a flump. Gods, what to do... He could try writing it down, work it out on paper. He got up and sat down in front of his desk. Paper. Where did he keep the paper? He opened one drawer, found it empty, and worked his way down until he found a drawer full of said paper. He put his hand in it to take out a piece, and brushed his hand against something black.

And he Remembered.

"Gah..." Zelgadiss held his head in his hands as the memories flooded back to him. No, not now! "I give up the Death Note," he whispered hoarsely, and the memories were gone.

He gasped. What was that? All of a sudden, he had a really bad headache. He shook his head. Maybe he just needed to lie down.... he made his way over to the bed.

"Zelgadiss?" Xelloss appeared beside him. "Are you all right?" His face looked concerned.

"I thought I asked you not to spy on me," Zelgadiss muttered.

"Ah, yes, well, I was nearby, and I'm afraid I couldn't help but feel some very negative emotions coming from you..."

"Mmf," Zelgadiss muttered by way of response. "I got a bad headache. That's all."

"Ah, I see. Don't worry, I won't do it again," Xelloss said, smiling. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to..."

"Mmm."

"Feel better!" And with that, the mazoku was gone.

Around noon, Zelgadiss trudged his way down the stairs for a snack. There, in the dining hall, sat Xelloss, Amelia, Gourry, and Lina, doing the usual lunch-eating routine. Zelgadiss went to snag himself a bite when Xelloss said, "Ah! Zelgadiss! Feeling better?"

"Yeah," Zelgadiss muttered. He grabbed his food and went back up to his room. Where he was met with Xelloss' smiling face.

"Why don't we eat out somewhere?" Xelloss suggested.

Zelgadiss sighed. "If you didn't notice, I'm not in the best of moods, Xelloss." He pushed past the mazoku into his room.

"Which is why we should go out to eat," Xelloss replied. "And besides! You haven't forgotten about going to find your cure in the wastes, did you?"

"Ah. No," Zelgadiss replied, perking up a little. Then he frowned.

"What?"

"Somehow, I don't think spending weeks traveling alone with you is the best idea."

Xelloss' heart sunk at that.

"Uh, not to say that I don't like spending time with you, Xelloss... it would just probably be too much at once. You know?"

"Hm. I see your logic," Xelloss agreed. "But don't worry. I can come and go as I please, you know. I could just spend a few hours with you at a time."

"And you won't spy on me while you're gone?"

"Well..." Xelloss considered. "If I didn't spy on you, then what if you got yourself in trouble? Hm... ah! I know!" He pulled an amulet out of a pocket. He looked at it for a moment, and the jewel flashed. "There. Now, whenever you're in danger, call on me. If I'm free, I'll appear."

"Thanks," Zelgadiss said, taking it. "Only if you're free, though, huh."

"Well, yes, unfortunately. But I should be mostly free in the next few months, unless something unforeseen happens." Then he grinned. "But don't start using that as a get out of jail free card! Use it too often, and I might think you're not even trying!"

"Ah. Right," Zelgadiss replied. "I'll try to only use it when there's no chance of me losing..." then he smiled suggestively at him. "Or if I want some time alone with you..."

Xelloss grinned. "Well, that, I can forgive." He took a step closer to the chimera and leaned forward.

Zelgadiss felt his heart skip a beat. He leaned in to meet Xelloss' lips, then pulled back. "Ah..."

"Hm? What's wrong?" Xelloss asked.

"N-nothing," Zelgadiss replied. "I just... don't want to move too fast." He blushed.

"This, after saying you want some time alone with me? Tsk-tsk, Zelgadiss, I think you're sending me mixed messages." Xelloss wrapped his arms around Zelgadiss' waist and pulled him a little closer, turning Zelgadiss a very deep shade of purple.

"Well, not to say I don't want to spend some time alone with you... I just.... um..."

"Want to move more slowly?" Xelloss whispered in the chimera's ear, sending shivers down Zelgadiss' spine.

"Y-yeah..."

"And last night... didn't you say you wanted me then and there?" He licked Zelgadiss' ear.

"Y-yes..." Zelgadiss felt himself starting to grow hard.

"Then why the sudden change of heart?"

"I... um..." Zelgadiss suddenly found himself unable to speak.

"Hmmm?" Xelloss asked, running his hand up the chimera's back.

"I... think we should..."

"Yeees?" Xelloss nibbled on Zelgadiss' ear.

"I-think-we-should-take-it-slow," Zelgadiss burst out. "To... um... make sure we develop the... emotional side of the relationship..."

"Ohhh...." Xelloss said, pulling back a little and looking into Zelgadiss' eyes. "I understand."

"You do?"

"Yeees," Xelloss replied. "But I think you're being too cautious, Zelgadiss. After all, we do already know each other fairly intimately..."

Zelgadiss went cold. He pushed Xelloss away. "Wait, Xelloss."

"Hm?" Xelloss looked startled.

"That... what happened between us. It was kind of like... well, rape, wasn't it?" Zelgadiss asked.

Xelloss blinked. "Well, I suppose you could look at it like that... but I did have your consent, you know. I didn't think I'd have another chance, you see... Where's this coming from?"

Zelgadiss shook his head. "It's nothing. But... because of that... I want to take it more slowly. All right?"

"Sure," Xelloss shrugged. "Then why don't we go ahead and start getting ready to leave?"

"Leave?"

"To search for your cure, of course."

"Ah. Of course. I'll go pack some provisions. Meet you back at the castle in a few hours."

"Agreed," Xelloss said as he watched the chimera leave and step down the stairs.

When the coast was clear, he frowned. Rape? Zelgadiss hadn't referred to it like that before. That, coupled with Ryuk's appearance over the past week or so... Something was up. No, he was being unreasonable. That wasn't enough reason to suspect Zelgadiss. Ryuk could have left his Death Note somewhere else in this world and simply been following Xelloss and Zelgadiss around for his amusement. That was a possibility.

Besides, to doubt Zelgadiss... it hurt. Xelloss shook his head and sat down on Zelgadiss' bed. He really shouldn't be trying to start a relationship with a mortal. Especially not when he was an assignment. But at the same time, Zelas had said, "See where this new interest takes you." That almost made it an order to let himself fall for the chimera.

Still, it would be nice to know for certain that Zelgadiss wasn't relapsing. He looked around the room. If he were Zelgadiss, where would he hide a notebook? In the bed? He stripped the bed bare and looked in the pillow case, between the mattresses, under the bed. Nope. On the bookshelf? One by one, he placed the books on the floor, looking in them, between them, under them. Under the bookshelf, behind the bookshelf. Nothing. He sighed. In the dresser? No, it was empty. Not hidden in the drawers, not hidden behind the drawers, not taped under the drawers. Not behind the dresser, either.

Xelloss shook his head. He really shouldn't suspect Zelgadiss... but now that he had started the search, he might as well finish. The desk, Zelgadiss' pack, and the floorboards and walls were left. Wait. Zelgadiss' pack? Zelgadiss had gone shopping, hadn't he? Xelloss smirked to himself as he looked around the room at the mess he'd made. Uh-oh. Yes, he sensed the chimera coming back in the castle. He'd forgotten his pack.

Xelloss, with the speed of a high-level Mazoku, proceeded to put the room back in order. Done! He grinned. Being barely corporeal had its advantages. But he still wanted to look through Zelgadiss' pack. Just in case. Zelgadiss had almost reached the stairs now, though. Xelloss teleported over to the pack and ruffled through it. Nothing. Just the standard traveling pack. Zelgadiss was almost up the stairs. Floorboards? Nothing loose, perfectly normal. Walls had no secret compartments. All that was left was the desk.

Nothing beneath the desk, in the desk, taped under the desk. Just some paper and pens. He frowned. Well, might as well search through the paper and pens. That was the obvious spot to hide a notebook, wasn't it?

Zelgadiss was in the hallway. Hand on the doorknob. Xelloss cursed under his breath. He looked down at the paper. It looked normal. No time to search through it. He closed the drawer and moved back towards the center of the room.

Zelgadiss opened the door to find everything exactly how he'd left it. Except he didn't notice that it was exactly as he'd left it, because nothing was amiss. "Hey, Xelloss," Zelgadiss said. "You still here?"

"Well, nothing I really need to do at the moment..." Xelloss replied, shrugging.

"All right. Why don't you help me shop?" Zelgadiss smiled warmly at the mazoku.

Ahh, to think that a few months ago Xelloss could only dream of that warm smile. Xelloss hit himself mentally. He was so lovesick it was pathetic. He found himself smiling back. "Sure, why not?"

Zelgadiss grinned. "All right, let's go!" Zelgadiss picked up his pack, still laughing at himself for forgetting it (he'd really been out of it recently) and left, mazoku beside him.

Then Xelloss realized he probably should have finished searching Zelgadiss' room. This "new interest" of his was certainly clouding his judgment.