CHAPTER 11!!!! Amazing, I've never been able to write so much, it's gotta be all of those wonderful reviews that are giving me encouragement (wink wink)

Dis.: do I LOOK like I own Slayers? Do I LOOK rich? Am I wearing a business suit? Noooo, I'm wearing work jeans (lotsa comfy holes) and a work shirt (covered in paint) no, I don't look rich (thank goodness! I wouldn't be able to stand it!!!! :P )

"Miss Lina?" the priestess asked tentatively. "Can we talk?" Lina blinked and smiled at the nervous girl.

"Of course, do I look like I would bite off your head if you said a word to me?" she teased, and Lindsey stuck her tongue out. "What is it?"

"Well, when I found out you were a master..." she trailed off and looked at Lina expectantly.

"Found out I was a master..." Lina prompted, slightly impatient. Lindsey shook her head and got herself together.

"Well, I'm in training, and I have everything that I need to be a master. Heck, I'm already better than most masters out there." She remarked scathingly. "But I can't find any masters who are willing to make me into one." She looked at Lina with such hope in her eyes that Lina winced and looked away.

"I would if I could, but I'm a Black master, not a White." Lina narrowed her eyes and frowned. Sensing that Lina wasn't done, Lindsey didn't say anything. "However, since I can do some White spells, enough to keep me going, I think that I can pull it off." The overly destructive sorceress grinned broadly at the priestess, who stared at her for a moment before returning the grin.

She opened her mouth and started to speak, but Lina cut her off. "I'll need the help of a strong White sorceress, though it doesn't have to be a master. In fact that would be aver good idea. It would cut down on the power loss in all parties concerned." Turning away from the priestess who stood gaping, Lina walked out of the small clearing. "I'll be back in a while, tell them not to worry."

"Them?"

"Zel."

"Okay." Lindsey said to the retreating form, which soon disappeared into the trees.

Half a mile away Lina stopped and sat down on a fallen log. The crisp breeze blew her hair and Lina shivered, pulling her cape closer.

"Xellos, I know you're out there, show yourself."

"Aww, Lina, how did you know?" he appeared, pouting.

"How do you think?" She smirked. "You're always following us around. It's nothing new." She shrugged. He sighed.

"No fun, I'll have to find someone else around here who doesn't know all of my tricks and-"

Rolling her eyes at the dramatics, Lina broke in, "But I don't know all of your tricks, and that's why I need your help."

"Help? Me? Mazoku? Help?"

"Cryptic words, but if you don't tell anyone, I won't." Xellos pouted again and stuck his tongue out.

"Cruelty to mazoku." He sniffed, then grew serious, or as serious as he got. "What is it that you need?"

"It's simple, really. I need you to go get Sylphiel."

"What do I look like, a dog? I don't fetch." Xellos floated up and hung in the air, his head cocked to the side.

"No, you don't," a glint entered her eyes. "Dogs usually do things willingly. If you don't..." Lina jumped up and held him in a headlock. "I shall personally choke you to death. I'd rather not, though, I think that Zelgadis would enjoy it a bit more." Xellos phased out and appeared a little higher, this time upside down, still smiling.

"All right, I will. So where is she?" Lina glared at him, then re-adopted her semi-sweet attitude.

"New Sairagg, the holy city. She and Gourry had made plans to go back." And you better bring her back ASAP, or you're going to hear about it afterwards. Understand?" the dangerous gleam was back in her eyes and Xellos shivered.

"Yes, slave-driver, I understand perfectly."

"What was that?" Gulping, he repeated the phrase. And immediately disappeared.

"Fruitcake." Lina glared at thin air, which shriveled up. (Myth: That's not very nice, Lina, what did the air do to you? Lina: Oh, lay off.)

Ten minutes later, Lina's temper was boiling. What the hell was taking him so long?! It took no time at all to get there and back, so where-ah, there they are. And they were. Xellos appeared, Sylphiel on one arm, Gourry on the other.

Lina raised her eyebrows, amused. Her anger drained from her and was quickly replaced by laughter. Yeah, they were there. Yeah, they were hanging onto his arms for dear life. Why? He was upside down and fifty feet in the air. She would have kept laughing if it wasn't for Sylphiel, who looked like she was about to faint.

"Xellos! Quit tormenting her and bring her down!"

"What about me??" Gourry wailed. "I hate it when you guys fly me up like this."

"You'll live." Was Lina's nonchalant answer. The three descended and Sylphiel breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"I was sure I was going to fall." Sylphiel shook her head in wonder. "How do you do that, Mr. Xellos?"

"That is a secret." He replied and disappeared to find some new victims. Sylphiel shook her head and turned to Lina.

"In case you were wondering, Amelia is at the palace, with her father. So what did you need me for? Mr. Xellos wouldn't tell me. He just kept saying 'that is a secret' over and over." Sylphiel delicately wrinkled her nose.

"I need your help in making a priestess-in-training into a master."

"Oh, is that all? I thought there was something to do with another Dark Lord, or something." She smiled happily and continued. "I would be ecstatic to help!

"Good, because now we have to walk." Lina stood up from the log she was on and stretched. Some bones cracked and Lina gave a sigh of contentment. The small group made their way back to the rest.

"Where the hell have you been?" Zelgadis growled. Lina blinked.

"I went and got Sylphiel and Gourry." She cocked her head to the side. "It didn't take that long, only about forty minutes."

"It took you a day and a half!" Zelgadis growled again. Lina narrowed her eyes and stared up at the sky. It was a different shade. I wonder why I didn't notice that before, Lina pondered, but shook it off. She didn't have time to wonder, not with Zelgadis about to flip his lid. Then it hit her, why it had only really taken about forty minutes.

"Zelgadis, we're in the Forest of Time." Zelgadis paused in his tirade and listened, narrowing his eyes at the unknown term. "Parts of the forest's time have a different flow. In some places a few minutes might have gone by, while in another area, years could have passed." Lina frowned; she hated this place with a passion.

"How do you know? How did it happen? It's not normal." Zelgadis clamed down and listened to her.

"I know because the Forest of Time surrounds the mountains of Tamar." Lina rolled her eyes and shivered, suddenly cold. "It happened...because a...person was too greedy for his own good and got himself cursed." Lina answered shortly, looking disgusted and unnerved at the same time.

Zel looked at her sharply, noticing the change in her attitude and the way she had said it, but didn't mention anything to her in front of the group. Lacey and Lindsey had talked and become good friends quickly, Zelgadis had sharpened his sword, but Kevin had stayed asleep the entire time and he was beginning to get worried.

"Lina? Your brother..." He trailed off and pointed at Kevin, curled up in a blanket.

Lina started towards her brother but stopped, grimacing. "Fireball!" yowls and screeches ensued, followed by an "Aqua Create!"

"How could you do that?! To me! Your brother!" Kevin ranted at her once he was healed.

"You mean you're brother and sister?" Sylphiel and Gourry said in unison. Explanations took up the rest of the day.

"I can't believe that I didn't see it before. It makes so much sense." Gourry stated, surprising Lina.

"Gourry! You thought!" She stared at him. "Well, whatever you're doing with him, Sylphiel, keep it up, I think it's working." Patting him on the shoulder she continued. "Don't over think yourself, I'd hate for your new found brains to turn to mush."

"But I thought they were yogurt!"

"Never mind, never mind. Just forget everything I said, okay?"

"Everything?"

"No, not everything, just-never mind, I'm going to go make dinner." Lina sighed, rubbing her temples. Life could be so very annoying.

Reiko5: Yup! Xellos is working on that. But he has...something ;) he has to do before then :P Xel is one of my fav. Char. too! :P he's so cool. And cute. Sorry it took me so long. I had the chapter a while ago, but I kept forgetting to post it :P

Critter: you're right, that is how I work. Slowly(SLOWLY) getting better. (BLUEBERRIES!!!!)

Anonymous: :P well, thanks for your approval of my story. I try hard to put them IC and I thought I was doing a good job, but oh well, is this chapter better? Hope so, though I already had it typed before you reviewed. :P

THANKS to all of the reviewers, I really really appreciate it. Did you know that when I check my e-mail and read them I'm a happy person for the rest of the day! My sister says I should check my e-mail more often :P but I have a question. If you read the story, why don't you review? It might make a difference...:P