Yikes I've been neglectful, busy with school, hardly any time to write! But here it is chapter 1 of Shadowed Past.

**Disclaimer** I don't own Slayers, blah blah blah
**** - Denotes a change in POV
Italics - a person's thoughts

Chapter 1: The Chase


Lina's stomach growled for the third time in the past hour. She hadn't anything to eat since lunch, and she knew she was hours away from the next village. Fatigue began to press upon her eyelids, her back ached from from carrying her pack.

"Lina! Can we rest?" asked Gourry. "I'm so hungry, do you have any bread left?" Before she could answer he plopped himself on a rock. Sighing she walked over towards him, "I suppose so, I still have some food left from our lunch earlier."

The sun was beginning to set, Lina set her pack down while Gourry began to gather firewood for the fire. They settled next to a small stream for the night, after their meal, they laid down to sleep.

Sleep came easy for Lina that night, a warm summer breeze blew her hair across her face. She smiled thinking of her new journey, an old priest a few towns over had died leaving a plethora of magical knowledge thousands of years old written in scrolls. Supposedly no one had claimed them yet, and Lina was determined to make them hers. A lazy smile graced her lips as she fell asleep.

Lina's eyes snapped open, she had the eerie sensation that someone was watching her. Careful not to bring attention to herself, she slowly reached a hand to grab her dagger that was tucked into her belt. Before she could take action, she heard a twig snap, at that moment Lina leapt up to see a surprisingly beautiful young woman with long hair jump back in surprise. She looked ethereal, her black hair tumbled down her back, her eyes shone a vibrant green. Her lily white cheeks deepened into pink as she realized she ahd been caught.

"What are you doing here? Who are you" Lina demanded. The woman's eyes rounded in surprise, but then softened, she opened her mouth to speak, when suddenly she paled. She looked behind her, and wringed her hands. Softly she spoke "You should run."

Lina looked increduously at the women, "What the hell for?" she demanded.

They stared silently at each other for a few moments, then, suddenly she pushed Lina backward onto the ground before sprinting into the nearby woods.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" screamed Lina while rubbing her backside. She checked to see if Gourry had been woken up by all the noise. Stupid jellyfish, you are like a log. Annoyed Lina turned away from Gourry, with her curiosity piqued she ran after the woman.

****Ayura's POV

I ran fast through the woods, I could hear his footsteps gaining. Maybe you could teleport, his magic detectors would just show that you teleported, but not where you went. It seemed like a good plan, it had worked before.

Abruptly she stopped her running, to catch her breath, and so she could put her plan into work. If only I didn't use that healing spell earlier on myself, he wouldn't have detected you. You've been careless, if you weren't so foolish you wouldn't be running now, you fool! She mentally chided herself. Her heart pounded loudly, she was sure he could hear it. Here he comes she thought grimly.

The footsteps became louder, she knew he was coming, at least she wanted to face him before she teleported away. It was coming, she could feel it, and there he was.

****

There she was, after chasing her for almost two months, she was right in front of him. Her foolish mistake of using a simple spell led him to her. He should have known her sentimentality would lead her to Lina. He should have thought of that earlier, then there wouldn't have been any need for this inconvenient chase. He gazed at her, her cheeks were aglow from running from him, she was as beautiful as ever, even more so, if it were possible.

She was the first to speak "Xelloss" she began, her harsh words betrayed her elegant beauty "So you finally found me, after all your searching. So what are you going to do, lock me up again, punish me? I won't let you take me back there! NEVER!" Anger clouded her eyes, her hatred for him seemed palpable.

Xelloss looked fierce, he quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist "I know what you're trying to do, you think you're going to teleport again, right? I know you, everything about you. This time you're not escaping! If you teleport somewhere, I'll be coming with you."

He sneered at her "Almost thought you got away did you?" he asked pulling her closer to him, bringing her body against his and tightening his grip on her wrist.

She gasped at the sudden lack of space between them.

"Xelloss, you're hurting me, let me go!" she squirmed under his vise-like grip. No matter how hard she pushed, he held on to her.

"Alright, now it's time, you're to be punished, some very important people are mad at you." Xelloss said, lowering his face just a few inches from hers. Forcing her head against his chest he leaned down and sniffed her hair, he had missed her, but he wouldn't let her know that, not until later.

"You stink of humans" he growled at her. He reached up, grabbed her long, black hair, and painfully wrenched it back. Smiling at her long, graceful column, he began to suck on her neck. She gasped again , and pushed away from him harder.

"Xelloss! What do you think your doing?" she demanded. He ignored her, two months away from her had been too long.

Suddenly before another word could be uttered, the sound of bush rustling could be heard, Xelloss quickly turned his head to see who it was, he saw a flash of red hair, Lina's hair. Startled he blanched, and loosened his grip. Seizing her opportunity, she wrenched herself away and teleported without another thought.