Forbidden Chains

By: rainjewel

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Chid grimaced as the heavy thud of Shail's sword came crashing down on his hilt. Chid's sword was knocked from his grasp.

"Damn!" he said to no one in particular. He was annoyed with his lack of skill with his sword.

"Don't worry about it," said Shail, "You haven't practiced in weeks. You can't expect to come back from being ill and beat me," said Shail. He casually flipped Chid's sword to him. The Prince caught the hilt.

"Yeah, I know that," said Chid. "It's just a little hard for me to accept. One more time?"

"You sure? It's your first day back, you don't want to overexert yourself, especially that arm," said Shail. He said it with concern, but his eyes sparkled with anticipation.

The boys had been sparring in a clearing outside of Fanelia all morning. Chid had been being beat consecutively by Shail, and it was starting to show his angrier side.

"Who are you, my mother?" asked Chid. He said half-jokingly, half in exasperation with himself.

"I don't see a resemblance," said Akaro. She was sitting at the base of a tree, watching the sparring young men. She held a daisy chain in her hands.

"That's good, because my kids will certainly be better looking then this blonde troll," said Shail smiling.

"If you live long enough," Chid replied. He slashed playfully at Shail with his sword.

"Alright. Let's play!" said Shail. He drew his sword up and began hacking away at Chid. Chid finally managed to find his feet and matched Shail blow for blow.

Maybe I can finally beat him, thought Chid. He felt his vest clinging to him, sticky with his sweat.

Chid managed to back Shail up to a tree, pinning his arm behind one back and holding Shail's sword hand with his arm. He placed his sword to Shail's neck, holding him there.

"Gotcha," he said simply.

"Not quite," said Shail. He flung himself off the tree with all his might, knocking Chid to the ground. He leapt onto Chid and put his sword to Chid's neck.

"Gotcha," Shail said, smiling. Chid grimaced.

"Hey!" yelled Akaro's voice. Chid turned his head to look at her, as did Shail. A large burly man had picked her up, and he had a white cloth pressed against her face. Her eyes were closed, and her body hung limp.

Shail swiftly stood up, and a man smacked him across the right temple with his sword hilt. Shail's eyes rolled back in his head, and he fell to the ground bleeding.

Chid rose. The man made a grab for Chid, but the Prince ran him through with his sword. He fell, blood oozing from his mouth.

Chid turned to run to Akaro, but his arms were grabbed by armored hands. The man who had captured Akaro was nowhere to be seen.

What the hell is going on here? he thought. The hands that held him had Freid's emblem on the gloves.

"Let me go you bastards!" Chid yelled. He tried to wrestle his way out of his grasp, but it was to no use. A white cloth descended on him, covering his nose. It reeked of ether. Chid held his breath, not letting himself breathe in the conscious-stealing odors.

"You'll have to breathe eventually boy," said a voice. Chid struggled uselessly. His body screamed for air.

"Can't we just smack him, like the other one?" said another voice, this one whining.

"No, this is the heir to the throne," said the first voice. Chid finally succumbed, breathing in slightly. The smell burned his lungs, but the oxygen that came with it was welcome.

"There you go," said the voice soothingly. The second one snickered.

The drug was quick. Within seconds, the odors had numbed Chid, loosening his control. He breathed in again, and the whiteness of the cloth overwhelmed him.

*****

Akaro slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was blurred, and her mind felt...fuzzy. Chid! her mind screamed at her. She sat up and looked around her. She was in a dry, windowless room. The cell was very clean, and straw littered the floor except for a mattress that Akaro was sitting on. Two torches burned brightly in the far corners, and 2 buckets had been placed at the very end of the room. A pale figure was bending over it, and it held a cloth in its hand. Shail.

"Shail, what are you doing? Where's Chid?" asked Akaro. Shail turned to look at her. The right side of his face was painted with drying blood. Akaro gasped and stood up, trying to go see him, but her head swam and she fell against the wall. Shail came to her side and lifted her to her feet.

"I'm glad to know that you're awake. Serena's here with us, and she's fighting reversion. I'm trying to make her as comfortable as possible. I have no idea where Chid is, or if he's even here. Don't worry, he can certainly take care of himself," said Shail. His eyes shone with concern. "Can you stand on your own feet?"

"Yes. You don't mean reversion to Dilandau do you?" Akaro whispered. She regained her balance, but her vision was still blurred. She shook her head a few times, and her eyes focused.

"Who else would I revert back too?" asked a voice. Akaro looked to her right side. Sitting on the floor was Serena. Her face was tight with pain, and her body was covered slightly with a light sweat. Strangely enough, she was wearing boys clothing.

"You know?" asked Shail. He looked at her unbelievingly.

"Dilandau destroyed Freid. I live there. I think everyone knows Serena's story," said Akaro. She took the black cloth from Shail. It was part of his tunic, and it was cold and damp with water. Akaro knelt by Akaro and mopped her face.

"Shail, I'm quite a celebrity," said Serena, "Thank you Akaro." Akaro dabbed her arms and chest with the cooling cloth.

"Why are you reverting back to Dilandau?" she asked.

"Because..." Serena began, but she gasped in pain instead, then went limp.

"She's unconscious," said Akaro obviously.

"She needs her medicine," said Shail. He took off his ripped shirt, and shredded it into long strips. The Prince then took the scraps and tied Serena's hands and behind her back, then proceeded tying her ankles together. The bonds were fairly loose.

"What are you doing? What's this medicine? Someone better explain this situation to me," said Akaro. Her voice was higher then usual due to panic. She fought it off.

"Look. When Zaibach captured Serena, the Madoushi had to change some of her DNA to become Dilandau. Most of her DNA is still her own, but some of it still belongs to him. Every 3 days she has to take medicine to keep the monster at bay, or his thoughts, feelings, and memories overtake her mind.

When she was captured, she was on her 3rd day and hadn't yet taken her meds. This is her 4th day without medication and he's coming on strong. She's only reverted fully back a few other times, and I've been there with her, so I know what I'm doing!" Shail said in a burst of energy. Akaro saw that the situation had taken the toll on him. He probably hadn't slept in quite sometime.

"I'm sorry. I just didn't know. What happened to you guys? All I remember is some hairy brute knocking me out with ether," said Akaro. She remembered the man's slimy skin. She shivered.

"It's alright. I was knocked over the head, and Chid was captured by the use of ether too. At least, that's what Serena said," said Shail. "The dumb guards tried to knock her out with ether. One of side effects of her medication is that she's not affected by anesthesia. Serena remains fully conscious and alert, but she has no control over body, so it remains motionless. They also effect her height, which is why she's so tiny."

"How do you know all this?" asked Akaro. She watched Serena. Her face was placid, yet Akaro could sense that there was some great conflict going on inside her mind.

"I spend a great deal of time with her. She's one of my best friends," Shail replied softly. He looked at Serena, and his eyes were moist. The woman stirred, her eyes opened.

"Shail, I'm going let him come through. I hope he likes my outfit. I chose it just for him," Serena said a little bitterly. She motioned to her brown pants and green tunic. She looked at her bound hands, then smiled wryly.

"Good, I'm glad to see you took the necessary precautions. Don't worry too much, I'm stronger then he is, and I can use all my energy to control him mentally," Serena said. She looked upon the two apologetically.

"It's alright. I know what to do. I've met him before," Shail said with a forced smile. He's trying to cheer her up, Akaro thought. She continued sponging Serena's skin.

"I'm going to go to sleep now," Serena said faintly. Shail nodded, then hugged her close to himself. Serena smiled in amusement.

"I'll watch over you," he promised.

"You shouldn't have to be doing this," she whispered. Then her great blue eyes closed, and she slept. Shail laid Serena on her side. Akaro stood and walked to one of the water buckets, drenching the cloth with more icy water.

"Here he comes," whispered Shail. Akaro turned and ran to Shail's side. Where Serena had been just a moment, a boy of 17 or 18 now lay, his ashy hair and white skin blinding in the dark cell.

"Dilandau," said Akaro in recognition. She'd never seen the legendary DragonSlayer in person, just in paintings. He was absolutely, without a doubt, breathtakingly beautiful. His frame was thicker and his face was older then the paintings depicted, but he was still very much the same.

"Why isn't he older? Or younger?" asked Akaro. Shail put a finger to his lips, then checked the boys pulse.

"A person only grows physically when their body is in the physical world. Serena, technically, isn't 25, only about 21 or so, due to the years lost to Dilandau, including some reversions," Shail whispered. He checked the bonds, and loosened them slightly.

The boy moaned in his sleep, then his eyes fluttered open and he looked around his surroundings. Dilandau's eyes were slightly glazed, but the rose-colored irises clearly depicted that his intellect was fully there. Shail withdrew his hands from the boy's wrists.

"Hello there Dilandau. You're skin is cold and stiff. Are you cold?" Shail asked in controlled friendliness.

"Hello Shail. We meet again. Don't worry, you don't have to be friendly. You know as well as I do why my skin feels that way," said Dilandau. He smiled icily. Akaro shuddered inwardly at the sound of his voice. It was aristocratic, soothing, and very dangerous all rolled into one.

"What does he mean?" asked Akaro. She looked at Shail quizzically.

"He's fighting Serena. He's under her control, and he's struggling with that. Most of his energy goes to dealing with his energy battle, so his body heat isn't very high," said Shail. His blue-violet eyes never left Dilandau's cold ruby ones.

"Untie me," Dilandau said, with all the authority in the world.

"Not in your dreams. You can't control me Dilandau. We might be trapped in Zaibach, but I'm not a DragonSlayer," said Shail. His voice dripped with poison. Akaro saw Dilandau's eyes flash with the mention of his fallen comrades. Shail stood up and turned his back on the albino, then walked and sat by the door. We're in Zaibach? she thought distractedly.

"Untie me," Dilandau repeated, "Or, when I break loose from this wench's control, I'll..." his voice broke off and his face constricted. Akaro saw his eyes roll up in his head, but he snapped them back into focus.

"Serena," he hissed. Sweat poured off his body. Akaro leaned down to him. She couldn't help but feel compassion for him.

"Are you in pain?" she whispered. She slowly mopped the sweat from the boy's brow. He froze, then spoke.

"Untie me or fuck off," Dilandau replied. Akaro felt anger well up inside of her. She was fighting to keep her hysteria over Chid's whereabouts under control, and she wasn't about to be told off by some psycho.

"Listen, you gender-bending little pyromaniac, you either shut up or I'm going to go stark-raving mad and claw the shit out of you!" Akaro said through clenched teeth. She heard Shail laughing lightly behind her. "Goddamnit, don't piss me off. I've been kidnapped by a stinky brute, thrown in a dry cell, and I'm worried sick about Chid so don't mess with me!"

Dilandau looked at her furiously, but didn't say anything. Akaro placed her hands on his arms and pulled him upright. His skin was like cool porcelain. Dilandau sat up practically automatically, his body rigid to her touch.

"Don't touch me," he said without emotion. His voice was ragged and dry. He shivered a little. Akaro took away her hands, then walked over to one of the water buckets, grabbing the one with the ladle into it. She drenched the cloth again, but in the other bucket. Shail watched her curiously, holding his bleeding head.

"What are you doing?" he asked. Akaro threw him the cloth.

"He's thirsty, and you need to get some rest and clean up your face. I'm very, very close to a breakdown, so I think it would be best to keep myself busy," said Akaro with all the sweetness she could muster. She walked to Dilandau and sat by him. His eyes were half-lidded, his body poised. For what she didn't know.

"I'm not thirsty," said Dilandau absently. His lips were dry, and so was his skin.

"Shut up. Your body, not to mention Serena's, has lost a lot of water do to sweat. You're parched and I can tell," said Akaro in an exasperated voice.

"I don't want it," he said again in that authoritative voice of his. He enunciated each letter, making his lips spit the words. He winced sharply, and doubled over in pain. Akaro supported him the best she could, and Shail came over, the cloth wiping away the last of the drying blood.

"I suggest you drink, Dilandau. Don't punish your body," said Shail. His voice sounded relatively concerned. Shail looked at Dilandau, who was breathing hard with pain. He crouched before the soldier for a few moments, then sighed and returned to his place by the door.

"You can't destroy me. I am you, and you are I. We're locked Serena," Dilandau said almost lovingly. Dilandau sat back up, panting. "I think I'll have that drink of water now," he said.

Akaro ladled the water to his lips, and Dilandau drank it in small sips. As he drank, Akaro noticed a thing white line on Dilandau's right cheek. She'd hadn't noticed it before. When he was done she set the bucket aside and sat beside him. He closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, his hair falling in his face.

"Is she hurting you badly?" Akaro asked. She wanted to reach out and brush away some hair that had fallen in Dilandau's eyes, but she knew better.

"She's only hurting herself," he said softly, not moving. Akaro felt him tense in anticipation of pain, but relaxed when none came.

Dilandau opened his eyes finally, and stared at Shail across the room, as if he were a scientist studying a new specimen.

"He looks so familiar," said Dilandau almost silently. His voice was so different. "Maybe it's just the surroundings," he murmured. Akaro puzzled at these words.

"What are you talking about?" she asked him. Shail looked up from where he was sitting, the bloody black cloth in his hands. Dilandau's eyes widened.

"No...you're...it can't be..." Dilandau whispered. His wine-colored eyes sparkled. "Strategos!" he called out. A violent wave of pain shook him. Dilandau arched his back, his teeth clenched, then passed out, falling onto Akaro. She caught him in her lap. He was heavier then she expected.

"What the..." she murmured, her voice trailing off. She saw Shail coming over to her side. She brushed the hair from Dilandau's face, and looked at him. Physically, he seemed to be unharmed. His face was more relaxed now. Truly a Devil with an Angel's face, Akaro thought.

"Here, let's lay him on the mattress," said Shail. He slid his arms under Dilandau's unmoving frame and lifted him up from Akaro. He walked slowly to the other corner of the room, then laid the boy on the mattress. Shail sat down beside him, leaning his head back against the stone wall. Akaro went and sat beside him.

"You need to go to sleep. There's no point in guarding a locked door. We are not in control of the situation here. Not to mention that you look really burnt out and weak," Akaro said. She could tell that the fatigue was getting to her too

"I'm just woozy from losing too much blood. I think I'll be okay. If only my damn head would stop throbbing!" Shail exclaimed. "You're right though." Shail sighed then lay down on the mattress, placing his arms behind his head. He stared at the ceiling for a little while, but his eyelids gradually drooped down, and finally he slipped off to sleep.

"You silly chivalrous fool. I know you'd never admit it, but you are," chided Akaro. She brushed some of Shail's hair fondly. What is my obsession with hair? she thought amusedly to herself. Because you've always liked Chid's hair so much, a voice answered in her head.

Akaro gripped her chest as a wave of sorrow washed over her. Tears spilled from her eyes. She hadn't cried over anything that had happened this past month, and she was proud of that. But now, she couldn't control her emotions. Everything that had ever happened to her ran through her mind, and hit her very hard.

Akaro doubled over, her sobs racking her body. She stuck her paw to her mouth, smothering her cries. After a few more minutes, she calmed herself. She lowered her body to the mattress, placing herself between Dilandau and Shail. She had a feeling that Dilandau was a bit more appreciative of her then the Fanelian Prince, and would be less homicidal if he woke up to her face and not Shail's.

Akaro lay on her side, facing Dilandau. Tears dripped off her face, wetting the pillow. She took a deep breath in an effort to calm herself. Dilandau opened his eyes at the sound.

"What are you crying about?" he asked. His voice was soft, and his eyes had lost the their usual iciness. Akaro looked at him in confusion then wiped her tears away.

"Everything. My life in general. When did you become a caring person?" asked Akaro. She looked at Dilandau in complete bewilderment.

"I've watched what you had to go through. You surprised me. You've been stronger then I expected you were," he whispered. "Stop crying. Chid is alive. You have a life, something I don't."

Dilandau closed his eyes. Akaro watched him until she felt his breathing slow and his body relax. Only then did she close her eyes and drift into sleep.