Author: Lily Kalanoa

Story: Beside the Lake

Genre: Slayers - Drama

Rating: K/ PG – PG13

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

Warnings: Shounen ai

Pairings: Xellos/Zelgadis, sort of. Failing Zelgadis/Amelia. Amelia/OC

Spoilers: None

Author Notes: It's so cute! It starts off in some pretty nice angst, but slowly dissolves into adorable fluff. In many Zel/Xel stories, it's always Zelgadis that brushes off the infatuated Amelia, claiming many very believable reasons why they'd never work as a couple. Actually, this is common in any story with Zel paired with someone other than the princess. Anyway, it got me thinking – what if it were the other way around? What if it was Amelia that realized it would never work between them? This is what came of that little plot bunny. I hope you all enjoy!

A / N 2: Okay, what the heck? Up for several days, two watchers, but no reviews? What's up with that! This is a cool story people, come on, throw me a bone, please? I didn't attach my standard warning, so I may post anyway, but usually no reviews means I'll take it down. So I changed the summary to try and attract more people and I'll at least post up ch2. But no reviews means you'll never find out how it ends!

-o-o-o-o-o-

The ride into the city is long and hot. Amelia shakes her head slightly, refocusing on what she had been saying. As she opens her mouth again, I let out a sigh. Over the past hour, Amelia had been recounting the wonders of Cellia, but it was obvious to even the least observant that the heat was getting to the girl. Every ten minutes or so, she would grow silent only to pick up again, repeating most of the facts she'd already glossed over.

"It's really a beautiful city."

"With architecture that's simply to die for," Lina mumbles.

"And such pretty fountains!" Gourry intones, not realizing he is repeating the speech ver batum.

"Yes, yes. But the guilds are what they're really proud of. Merchants guilds with such fantastic wares. Everything you could ever want. And sorcerers guilds so plentiful there's practically no magical trinket you can't get."

I start to tune the young princess out.

"But it's the palace that will really impress you all. The queen's a good friend of mine, and she's so nice. There's everything you could want. So much food . . . and beautiful guest rooms . . ."

My head droops toward my chest and my vision blurs slightly. Catching myself, I snap my head back up to look at the road ahead. Amelia has gone quiet again, but no one is complaining. The heat is getting to everyone, myself included.

Amelia shakes her head again. "You'll love the castle. They have the best chefs . . ." For the first time in the last hour, Amelia stops with something other than heat exhaustion. "Lina, I don't feel so good. I think we should stop."

I stare at the princess, feeling slightly betrayed. Why hadn't I suggested that?

Lina sighs. Loudly. "We're less than two hours from the city. I can actually see the castle's towers. I just want to get there and get some food!"

Oh yes, that's why I hadn't suggested we stop. My chin drops towards my chest once more and I find myself staring at the ears of my steed. "Three hours. Lina, she has a point, our horses need the break, even if we don't want to stop."

Gourry pulls his horse to a stop, complying with the suggestion without even thinking about it. "Lina, I'm hungry!" he whines. "I'm thirsty and hot!"

Lina angrily stops her horse and dismounts. "I know! It has to be at least a hundred and ten degrees! Look, Zel," she growls, turning her so far unvented and quickly growing wrath on me. "I know it's hot. I know we're all tired. I know we want to get to town. And I know the horses need to stop and rest. But where," she stalks forward, grabbing double fistfuls of cloak and pulling me off of my mount as well. "Where the hell do you think we're going to get water for them?! We need to get to town in order to get them, or us, anything!"

I gulp slightly and lower my eyes, then look off to the side. Defeated by my silence, Lina releases me. Now that we have stopped, all the horses but Amelia's have settled onto the ground. Even Gourry has enough sense to know they cannot be moved until they have rested some.

Lina growls again. "Fine, as long as we're stuck here, may as well try and get some water. I'll need help with the spell, though." I hold perfectly still. I lower my eyes and roll my shoulders, becoming smaller and less noticeable to the fiery redhead. "Amelia. It's only a small help, but I need a second person to do it."

Escaping notice, I sigh with relief and take a step back. My hands itch for my canteen, but it had been emptied hours ago. The woods we are in are sparse, barely qualifying as a light forest. As a result, there is little shade to be had. Gourry had removed his armor, strapping it securely with the rest of his gear. Lina, likewise, had shed her cape and gloves. Amelia had completely ditched her normal traveling clothes. Instead, she wore a short, dark pink skirt and a flowing yellow blouse. I frown and step further into the sparse shade. I'm still wearing my customary clothing, cape and hood firmly in place. The only notable difference is my mask, bunched around my neck to allow breathing more freely.

"Zelgadis!" I jerk at Lina's harsh voice. Had I zoned out? "The horses are up, we're ready to go!"

I walk forward slowly. Strange, it isn't like me to get so easily lost in my thoughts. But quite some time has passed, I can see the work Lina and Amelia have accomplished, a small font of water bubbling from the soil. The others are already riding off and I have to scramble onto my mount to not be left behind. We've gone nearly two miles before I realize I'd forgotten to refill my canteen.

"Aren't you hot, all bundled up like that?" I flinch at the silky voice. What in all the hells is he doing here? We aren't going anywhere particularly dangerous or noteworthy for magical reasons – no matter what Amelia might say. We aren't currently on any epic quests. The only other time he shows up was when we're about to be attacked by some horrible mazoku. "Oh, no need to worry, Zel-chan. I'm not expecting any trouble, this is a purely social call."

I growl at him. "Stay out of my head, fruitcake."

"Don't be silly, I'm not telepathic. You're just easy to read."

"Social call, huh?" He doesn't reply and I risk a glance at him, not turning my head. I let my eyes wander over his form, floating several feet off the ground to match my height upon the horse. He's dressed in his normal attire and shows absolutely no signs of the heat. Briefly I wonder if it affects him at all, astral being that he is.

"You should drink something." Without warning, he pushes a canteen under my nose. I take it out of reflex and raise it to my lips without thinking. I hesitate, just before the water washes into my mouth. "Come now," comes Xellos' silken voice again, "it's not poisoned or anything."

I lower the canteen and look at him fully. He'd read my mind again, saying nearly exactly the words I'd been silently turning over in my head. With another growl, I throw the canteen to the ground. Xellos frowns, an almost hurt look crossing his face. "Really, Zel-chan, that was uncalled for and rude!" His face suddenly brightens into its customary smile. "Well, if you won't take a drink from my watering hole-" I blush at how perverted that sounded- "I can at least get you to town faster!"

Wondering what he was talking about, I turn to get a better look at him. Slowly, he lowers his staff, jewel end lightly touching my mount's rear end. "Xellos, what-" is all I can manage before the horse rears up suddenly then races at full charge down the path. All I can do is hang on, arms wrapped desperately around the creature's neck as I scream, bug eyed, and wind ruffled.

At this pace, I reach the castle in no time at all, though several of my supplies have been lost along the way. When the horse finally stops, startled by the guards at the gate, my grip finally fails. I manage to get my feet under me before I hit the ground, but my knees give out, sending me into the dirt regardless. One guard is trying to calm my horse, catching at the reigns and stroking its neck gently, but the other two have their weapons trained on me, wary looks on their faces. It's another minute before the others arrive, putting an end to the awkward silence. Amelia flies from her mount, landing in a triumphantly righteous pose between the guards and me, brandishing her family's crest. They spare a couple more nervous stares in my direction before backing off, ushering the princess and her companions through the gates and into the city. I leave my horse with the guard, he is undoubtedly happier there and there is nothing I need that hasn't been lost on the mad trip.

Amelia walks beside me, guiding her own horse towards the palace that would be our first stop. I revel in her presence, willing the cheerful spirit to banish my own dark clouds. "Thanks," I mutter, staring at the ground.

The girl beams at me in response and I feel myself blush even more. "Anything for you, Zelgadis-san! Those poor fools were just startled is all, it had nothing to do with you!"

I feel my cheeks color more, for a different reason this time, and move to pull my mask into place despite the heat. Amelia is the main reason I continue to travel with Lina's group, but sometimes she says the absolute worst thing possible. It was almost better to be in Xellos' usually silent company. I shake my head quickly, chasing away that thought. While it is true that Xellos is almost companionable when he's quiet, but those moments never lasted. Worse, they were usually a set up for some twisted prank. Amelia may be child-like in some ways, but her straightforward nature is infinitely better than that creature.

The palace is enormous and beautiful. The very first corridor we walked through is richly decorated, fine carved marble covering every surface from the vaulted ceiling to the sparkling floor. Years ago I would have looked at the place in wonder, admiring the beauty of it all. Now all I can think is how the light reflecting off the polished surfaces shrinks the shadow of my hood that much more. I step closer to Amelia, following her lead as she heads through the corridors.

Our first stop is the kitchens – I should have realized that. And, of course, compared to the prospect of food, not to mention food prepared by a royal chef or ten, everything is meaningless. I'm hungry, too, but can't bring myself to eat much. My body needs food and I know that, but with so many people around . . . I lower my mask, quickly eating a humble bowl of noodles and getting some water back into my system. I can feel the cooks and servers watching me.

Finished with my meal, I lean slightly towards Amelia, hoping to catch her attention without catching her fury for interrupting her meal. "Amelia-san? You mentioned something about a library?"

The princess acts as though she hasn't heard me for a few moments, devouring several more morsels before looking at me. "Library?" She glances back at her food, as if deciding if it is safe to leave it for a moment. The answer, of course, is that it isn't safe to leave it, not with Lina and Gourry sitting at the same table. But she looks back at me with a smile. "Right, I'll take you there right now!" That is all the warning I have before she's pulling me out of my chair and back into the corridors.

I can stop her, of course. If I just sit still, there is no chance the petite girl could move me at all. But just her hand on my wrist makes me feel so light a breeze could move me along. I follow eagerly, just slow enough that she feels the need to keep a hold of me for fear I might stop walking without her guidance.

I'm just starting to wonder if she might stay with me in the library for a while, she's done it before. If I offer to go over spells with her, she'd probably jump at the chance. She seems to enjoy that part of our relationship best; she's determined to be as strong as possible and is overjoyed whenever I agree to help her train. Unfortunately, I never get the chance to ask as a robust woman rounds a corner, nearly colliding with us.

One look at the ornate dress she's wearing and I know this has to be the queen, but she can't be much older than Amelia herself. Wider by a considerable margin, but only a few centimeters taller. As soon as the two women get over the shock of nearly running into each other, Amelia squeals loudly. The queen matches the delighted sound, managing to reach an even higher octave that pierces through my sensitive ears. "Amelia-chan!" she cries in that same high voice.

"Lilia-chan!" Amelia matches her.

"I had just been told you had arrived, I was coming to meet you!"

I can feel a vein in my head start to throb. Is it really necessary for every one of her sentences to end in an exclamation mark? I'm certain Amelia wouldn't do it if the queen didn't, unfortunately . . . "We got here a few minutes ago! Oh, Lilia, I have so much to tell you!"

For the first time, the queen's eyes flick to the side, looking at me curiously. "What," she whispers before turning back to Amelia and starting again. "Who is your intriguing companion?"

The vein in my head begins to pound harder. 'What' indeed . . . "Oh! This is Zelgadis-san. We've been traveling together for a while now!"

One hand drifts up, tugging my hood just slightly lower over my eyes. If I'm lucky the girl will interpret it as a metaphorical tipping of my hat. "Pleasure to meet you."

She turns back to Amelia without even returning the pleasantry. "You must tell me all about your travels! Phil-san has told us you've been traveling for quite some time!"

The two girls begin down the hallway again, leaned close together as if they are sharing horrible secrets. "Ah, Amelia-san," I stutter out, taking just one step after them.

The princess looks back at me with a look of shock on her face. "Oh! Of course. Lilia-chan, I was showing Zelgadis to the library. That's all right, isn't it?"

Lilia looks at me again and I can see the frown hidden in her eyes. Her gaze travels up and down my form several moments longer than would be polite before turning away from both of us. "Of course! Gene? Would you show our guest to the library?"

A shadow moves away from one of the pillars in the hall. It is a fairly tall man, clearly part of the queen's personal guard. He gives a deep bow to the young woman before walking down a different hallway, not even glancing at me. I feel my fists shake, but follow without comment. This is, after all, a palace and I am dealing with the queen of this province. Idly I wonder if she treated all people she saw as commoners this badly, but behind any doubts I know this was because of how I look.

The library isn't far and in just a few minutes the guard opens the door for me to enter. He stays outside, probably even returns to his guarding duty. Just as well, I don't need a watcher and I'd rather not have the company. The door has barely closed when I get the sudden sense that I'm not as alone in the vast room as I thought. I feel his presence even before the damn trickster speaks. "I was wondering when you'd get here, Zelgadis-san." Xellos floats into view in front of me, smile firmly in place. "I've already been through some of the shelves, but there's not much that will interest you."

I ignore the mazoku, turning to the case nearest me and begin looking over the titles only to have my view blocked by the sudden appearance of a red leather-bound volume. "I did find this, though." Sparing a quick glance at the trickster, I focus on the book's cover and my eyes widen. 'Rezo the Healing Priest' is printed in plain gold script. "I doubt it will be of much help," Xellos mutters as I take the tome, "but you never know."

He disappears, leaving me truly alone in the cavernous room. He's right, any book about Rezo is unlikely to have anything helpful to my particular case, but it's always fascinating to find new information on the man. For a few minutes I debate sitting down and leafing through the book, but eventually decide against it. There could easily be more interesting works on these shelves; I would only be wasting valuable time by settling so readily for this one.

Tucking the red book under one arm, I return to browsing titles. It isn't long before I realize that, while extensive, the library is filled mostly with fiction. Heroic tales of knights and sorcerers fighting off dragons and other beasts of evil. Not for me, thanks, I lived those tales – I don't need to read about them. I'd only found one other book that was even vaguely promising and I'd gone through nearly half of what was here. Feeling my hopes sink a little further, I look at the rest of the shelves. Surely it isn't all fictional? My eyes are growing increasingly heavy and I give up the search for the day. I'll look over what I had found and look through the rest tomorrow.

-o-o-o-o-o-

A / N 2: I've decided to put this on all my Slayers fics (currently a grand total of two) because I write several different theories. Even though it doesn't matter for this fic, I want to rant. In Slayers fandom, there are several different takes on Zel's curse and on Xel's natural form. In the case of Zel, his third part is viewed as demon, mazoku, and a few other things. For this one, I'm sticking with canon and he is brow demon with no mazoku blood or powers.

Xel, on the other hand, tends to be more confusing. Some fans believe he was once human, some don't. Some think he's pure mazoku with a human-ish natural form, others opt for the 'black cone of energy'. As I said, I write several different theories, depending on my mood and the story, so my work isn't consistant and can't be used as a guide. Anyway, I already said it doesn't matter this time, so take this one as you will, I just wanted to rant about this for a couple minutes, I've put a lot of thought into it. I hope you like my insanity!