Revised.

Old A/N: I'll just cut straight to the next chapter... no commentary... I know you're all... so excited... to... see this... next part... lol

Okay

Here it is.

O0O0O0O

Only the memory of what Taiahna had seen last time she'd burst into Dilandau's tent stopped her from running straight in.

"Dilandau? Are you there? It's me."

"Enter." called the voice through the door. Taiahna walked in through the entrance, her eyes full of tears. The tent looked like a grey blur with a splotch of red and black, Dilandau.

"I- had this vision and it-" Taiahna sat down and began to cry. Dilandau leapt up from his stool not sure what to do.

"Why don't you go tell Strategos Folken about it?" he suggested, horribly uncomfortable that there was a crying female in his tent.

"It was him." The scene replayed in her mind, tut the most horrifying part was she was seeing what would have happened if she'd stayed... "Make it go away!" she sobbed. "I don't want to be seeing this!"

Dilandau put a hand hesitantly on her shoulder. 'What do I do?' He wondered.

Abruptly, the man in the vision switched to Dilandau; Hot blood ran down her cheek, her own blood. A dagger in hand. A maniacal smile.

Taiahna pushed Dilandau's hand off of her.

"Please, just leave me alone."

"I was just trying to help..." He trailed off. He then left the tent in search of Folken.

'

Damn you to your master Folken. You're going to pay for this.'

O0O0O0O

"We're going to WHAT?!" yelled Ahire'lee in disbelief.

"I said," began Allen in a testy voice, "that we're going to rescue my sister from the Zaibach army."

Ahire shook his head furiously. "Un-un. No way, buddy! I may be a thief, but I'm not an idiot!"

"I need someone to act as a scout for me and some other men. You're the only man we could find at such short notice."

Ahire crossed his arms and looked away. "No. I'm telling you flat out, no. I'll not risk my life for some stupid sister."

Allen frowned deeply and lifted the smaller man off the ground by the collar of his loose white shirt. "Now listen to me Ahire, and listen well. I'm only going to say this once. I have permission from the King to take not only your hands, but your head if you refuse. This is not a request. It is a command. Either you come with us unwillingly and we throw you in the dungeon until you die, you refuse completely and you are beheaded, or you agree, and when we get back we will set you free."

Ahire looked to be thinking very quickly. His eyes darted to random objects in the room, trying to figure out how he might make his escape. He then sighed and sagged in the realization that he really only had one choice.

"Fine. I'll go with you."

Allan smiled viciously, showing his canines. "Excellent. I knew you'd see it my way."

A moment or two passed when neither man moved.

"Can, uh, can you put me down now?" asked Ahire in an intimidated voice.

"Sure." replied Allen dropping him. Ahire cracked his neck and looked away, crossing his arms. Allen pretended to be adjusting his baldric.

"So, how's your mother?" asked Ahire, trying to start some sort of conversation.

"She's dead."

"Oh... that's nice..."

O0O0O0O

A small boy watched the Zaibach war camp from the top of a tall pine. He climbed down slowly and carefully, taking care not to rip his new red shirt on any of the sappy branches. He approached the camp fearlessly. The boy looked around almost curiously and marched straight into the camp. He weaved in and out of the soldiers, and was not remarked by a single one. He stopped occasionally to push his wiry black hair from his deep brown eyes as he looked around for a ceratin tent; the tent of the Strategos. He spotted the tent not too far off behind him, so turning around, he walked right through a soldier, then through the fabric of the doorway, and into the tent.

O0O0O0O

"Dilandau, wait! Don't hurt Folken."

The warlord stopped in mid-step and turned around.

"Why should I not? Didn't he hurt you in some way?"

"Not exactly."

Dilandau relaxed, and resheathed his sword.

"Oh. Then why is it you're so upset?"

"It was a vision! Is was him and me and..." she shuddered. "I don't want anymore of these visions of what could be!" She dissolved again into tears.

'Oh great'. thought Dilandau, 'Just greaaaat.' He walked over to her slowly, as though he were sneaking up on something with the capabilities to bite his head off (which in all actuality, he was...) and knelt down close by.

"Listen girl, it-" Dilandau was practically knocked over when Taiahna threw herself at him, sobbing onto his shoulder.

"It's not fair! Why do these things always happen to me!" she wailed.

Dilandau, with a very pained expression on his face, patted her hesitantly on the back. "I'm sure that-"

"Every time things are going right, or at least as right as the situation will allow, I get a stupid vision that messes up everything!"

"You really shouldn't-"

"I can't believe it! Men are such pigs! You should have seen some of the things Folken was doing in that vision!"

Dilandau, who was beginning to become annoyed, simply decided that it was best if he just agreed with her. He obviously wasn't going to get a whole sentence in for a while.

"Of course."

Taiahna finally realized what she had been doing and pulled away, sitting back on the stool with her arms crossed. Dilandau stared at her quizzically.

'What is wrong with this girl? What is her power doing to her now? Taiahna sniffed and wiped her nose, but otherwise did nothing.

"Girl... are you alright?"

Taiahna wiped her eyes, red from crying. "Yes, I'm fine. I just really needed to get that off my chest. Thank-you."

"Sure..."

"I'll make sure not to do that again."

'

Oh, I get it. She's embarrassed.'

"Don't worry about it."

"Sure. I bet you think I'm completely pathetic now."

Dilandau frowned in puzzlement. "Why would you say that? I think you're doing a pretty good job of holding your own. I've seen grown men sob when I just look at them normally."

Taiahna laughed and sniffled a bit. "Thanks for trying to make me laugh. Even if you're joking at your own expense."

"No, really. They do."

O0O0O0O

A soft child's voice wafted into Folken's tent on the autumn breeze.

"Folken..."

The Strategos swung around, looking for the source of the voice. "Who's there?"

"Folken... brother..."

Folken faced the doorway to see a young boy with black hair and deep brown eyes. He was wearing a red shirt and a pair of beige pants. Folken frowned. "Who are you boy? What are you doing here?"

A look of hurt came onto the boy's features. "Don't you remember me brother?"

"Brother? I have no brother." Then in a rush, it all came back.

A young man with teal hair plays with that same little boy. The younger boy laughs gleefully as the elder lifts him up and swings him around.

The little boy approached Folken and held his hands.

"Where have you gone brother? This is your body, but where is your soul?"

"My- my soul?" asked the elder questioningly.

"Yes brother. Your soul. Where is your soul?"

"The Keeper owns my soul. I gave it to him in order to live. I don't know why I wanted to live anymore if I would just be drawn back into this world of endless wars. I think I may have wanted peace once... I can't remember... it's all so unclear... It gets worse by the day..."

"Think brother. You can remember. I know you can. I believe in you."

A man with black wings lies dying. The tip of his own blade pierces his heart. He blinks, but when he opens his eyes, he is no longer on the cold metal floor.

He stands in a garden. He notices something different about himself, and looks down. His arm, once a monstrosity of artifice is now real again. He spots a gate at the far end of the garden.

"Well if this is death, then-" He stops in his tracks. "But no, I can't leave. Not again. I have to-"

A woman in a red dress taps him on the shoulder.

"Hitomi?? What are you doing here? Are you dead?"

She laughs. "Of course not. You don't have to be either Folken. All you have to do is sacrifice your wings."

"My wings? But isn't that my soul?"

The likeness of Hitomi smiles provocatively. "Well, yes." her expression turns pained. "But what about your brother? He knew the moment you died. He'll go out of his mind for losing you again."

A loud scream echoes through the garden , and the sun dims momentarily. "BROTHER!!!"

The ground beneath them shakes as the trees begin to fall away, leaving nothing but black scorched rock.

"Decide Folken. You don't have much time."

The earth splits in half and molten lava begins to rise to the surface.

"Alright!" he cries defeated. "But only for Van!"

Hitomi's laughter turns dark and corrupted as Folken realizes that he has just sold his soul to the Keeper.

"For you brother!"

"AAAUGH!!" Folken held his head and fell to the ground. "It was for you brother!" he wept.

"Come home Folken."

Folken screamed in agony as the little Van took his hand. A bright light flashed through the room as Folken's soul was separated from his body. Folken's soulless body sat on the ground still shaking, but a young and innocent Folken stood up and smiled at his brother. He raked his fingers through his long, soft floppy hair.

"But Van, I thought the Keeper had my soul."

The young Van smiled. "No, the Keeper never did. He just made you think so. The worst the Keeper can do is confuse you. Now let's go home Folken."

Van took Folken's hand and left the twitching shadow of his past for greater things; home, and the Creator. The thing on the floor that had once been Folken began to laugh insanely. It spoke softly in a voice that was not Folken's at all.

"Now, the army is mine."

O0O0O0O

"Dilandau?" she asked in a small voice.

"Yes?"

"Have you just given up on me?"

He smiled, facing the other way so she could not see. 'It's all falling nicely into place.'

"Given up on you?" he pretended not to understand what she was getting at.

"Before you wanted... well... you know..."

He carried on his act. "Wanted what?" he asked, walking back towards her.

"You wanted... me in bed..."

"Yes, and?" he continued feigning ignorance.

"You don't want it anymore?"

"Of course I do." Dilandau chuckled softly. "I'm just under the command of the Strategos not to touch you without your permission." He strolled again in the other direction, pacing like a great cat.

"Oh. Okay."

"Was... that all?"

"Well... what if I were to give you my permission? Would you be gentle with me?"

Dilandau faced her and grinned wolfishly. "As gentle as a warlord can be."

"Then take me."

Dilandau crossed the space of the tent in three quick strides and began to kiss Taiahna. Their hands wandered over each other as Taiahna wondered if she would live to regret this decision. Dilandau began unbuckling his armour. Taiahna helped with shaking hands.

"I see you tremble in anticipation." She went to answer, but he silenced her with another kiss. "Don't speak. I want to savour this moment... remember it forever..."

The last of Dilandau's armour fell to the floor with a soft thud. He removed her clothes as well as the rest of his own. The silver-haired general pushed his blood-red beauty back onto the bed. He licked his lips eagerly and then flicked his dagger to his hand from the bedside table.

"He said I couldn't scar you emotionally." Dilandau held Taiahna still with one hand on her throat as he pressed the dagger down the length of the cut on her right cheek that was just starting to heal. He watched in fascination as it bled. "I can't kill you now, because Folken needs you, but at least I can steal your innocence." As he entered her, Taiahna's eyes opened wide as she felt him inside her.

She fully realized that he had not changed at all.

'It's too late to turn back now...'

Pain turned to pleasure as he began to move.

Taiahna wrapped her legs around him and brought her lips to his ear to whisper,

"D-don't stop... Don't ever st-stop..."

O0O0O0O

Taiahna awoke next morning sore all over. She felt a searing pain in her cheek, and as she ran her fingers down the deep cut the previous night came back to her in a flash.

"...but at least I can steal your innocence..."

"Oh no." she sobbed. "No, no, no." She looked over her shoulder to see Dilandau gone. "He doesn't care. Folken was right. He was always right." Taiahna curled up, hugging her knees and crying. "I have no one to blame..." she whispered, "No one to blame, but myself..."

Dilandau walked with his head up high through the war camp towards Folken's tent. He had quite a victorious smile on his face, and many of the soldiers who knew about the situation congratulated him on his recent conquest.

"Good morning general!" said Dallet. "Did things go well with... ahem?"

Dilandau smiled. "Of course. You didn't doubt me, did you?"

Dallet jumped back in fear. "No, Sir! Never, Sir!"

"That's a good thing to learn Dallet. Never doubt my word."

"Yes, Sir! Of course, Sir!"

Dilandau grinned mischievously. "So what was the pool up to?"

"Five hundred, Sir."

"I expect you'll be sharing with me?"

"Of course."

Dilandau shooed Dallet away as he reached Folken's tent. "And now to see to some unfinished business."

There was not a sound as Dilandau entered the tent.

"Strategos? Are you here?"

Dilandau heard a deep, rasping laughter emit from the corner of the room. A chair scraped as a dark form stood up and walked from the shadows.

"Why hello Dilandau." said the voice.

The general's first instincts told him that something was horribly wrong.

"Where's Folken? What have you done with him?"

The voice laughed again. This laugh had a chilling effect that made even Dilandau uneasy.

"What part of his was salvageable is gone. I am what is left."

"And what is that?" asked the silver-haired man cautiously.

"I am his dark side. I am the part of him most corrupted by the Keeper. I am the part of him that kills without though or remorse; the part of him that will kill you."

O0O0O0O

Taiahna by now had stopped feeling sorry for herself and decided that she would seek out Dilandau and have a talk with him. If she didn't decide to kill him. She pulled on the leather pants from yesterday and found a clean white shirt in the armoire. She strapped on an extra sword, tied back her long red hair and started to leave the tent when she was hit by a vision.

The visions she'd had before had just happened, like she was watching a play of some sort, and she'd be breathless afterwards from shock, but this vision hit her like brick, knocking her to the ground with its force.

"I am the part of him that will kill you." says a shadow.

"I don't think so."

Dilandau draws his sword and strikes a fighting position. A furious battle ensues between man and monster. Taiahna is not sure who to label which. Dilandau knocks the shadow to the ground, prepared to impale it through the heart, when a blade passes through Dilandau. The shadow laughs as the decoy from the ground fades away. Dilandau sinks to the ground with a look of shock on his face as he dies.

Taiahna is once again in the tent, breathing hard.

"What do I do?" she cried to no one in particular.

If you let him die, the shadow will take control of Zaibach.

If you let him live, the shadow will be gone, but Dilandau will take control of you.

"No! Not you again!" Taiahna clutched her head, and shook it violently. "Go AWAY!! I don't want any more voices or visions!! NO MORE!! I don't want to fight anymore!!"

"Taiahna."

Taiahna swung around to see the source of the voice. It was Folken, but he looked a lot younger, a childlike innocence glowing from within him.

"Taiahna, my brother once said what you say now."

"And what did he do?"

"He fought. But not for himself; for Fanelia, for Gaia. Fight for Gaia, Taiahna."

Taiahna swallowed back more tears. "I'll fight then." She stood shakily and flew from the tent into the open sunlight.

"I'll fight for Gaia."

End Part Ten

O0O0O0O

Old A/N: Please don't hate me!!

cringes and dodges numerous sharp and pointy flying objects

New A/N: ... yeah. It originally took me a long time to get this chapter out. More SOON.

Planeswalker