Disclaimer: Dammit, I don't own them.

A/N: I'd like to thanks everyone who has reviewed my fic. *sniff* You guys are the best! *sniff* Especially you Dilandra! You rule! Thanks for reviewing almost every chapter!

Seasons of Loneliness
By Blue Shakira


Chapter Eight: The Unknown

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Unnnghhhh…!"

His mind is clear now. I'm glad…..

"Huh? Who said that?!"

~Don't worry. I'm not here to harm you.~

"That's not what I asked…."

~I know.~

"Who are you?"

~It's not important.~

"Can you at least tell me your name?"

~My name? I will remain nameless until the time comes for you to meet with me face to face.~

"Oh, great. I'm jumping with joy."

~Rules are rules and I can't tell you my name just yet.~

"Fine, don't tell me your name. But will you tell me how the hell am I speaking to you in this dark place? Where the hell are we?!"

~It's simple. We are in your mind.~

"My mind?!"

~Yes.~

"That's impossible!"

~Why do you say that?~

"Well…..because it's just impossible for someone to be in my mind!"

~Not if that someone else is communicating with you through telepathy.~

"Huh?"

~I'm speaking to you by using mental communication.~

"Argh…..do you always invade people's minds this way? I bet you are reading all of my thoughts at this moment."

~Dilandau, that's not fair.~

"Sure it is. It's not everyday someone pops into my head--Hey! How do you know my name? Are you attacking my mind?!"

~Everyone knows your name, Dilandau. You ARE the leader of the Dragonslayers.~

"Still….."

~Fine! I'm not invading your mind! Happy?~

"Not really. So, what do you want?"

~Nothing much. I'm just here to help you.~

"I don't need your help."

~But you haven't even heard me out!~

"And I don't know who the hell you are! Now get out of my head!"

~No.~

"If I had the chance, I would hurt you!"

~Very funny.~

"I'm dead serious."

~Which makes it funnier. You can't harm a being that is far from human…..~

"What do you mean by that?"

~Oh, nothing! Anyway, there is a child that needs to be protected from a very sinister and evil person……the mother is in danger as well.~

"Then go help the kid and the mother. While you're at it, make sure you stay out of my head."

~You are clueless, aren't you?~

"……"

~Does the name Vladimir ring a bell?~

"Vladimir? That's the name of the guy Hitomi is running from!"

~I'm glad you are becoming interested. Now you know who I'm referring to.~

"Grrr….I'll kill that man before he touches MY family!"

~Your family?~

"Julian is my son! I just found out. I couldn't believe it, but I saw him with my own eyes…..He has my hair, but his eyes are emerald…..like his mother's."

~I know.~

"Don't say anything."

~What do you mean?~

"You're going to say something about the way he was conceived…..."

~No, I'm not.~

*Pause*

~Hitomi will forgive you.~

"How do you know? Have you invaded her mind, too?"

~No!…..but I know in my heart that you wanted to hear that.~

"Why are you doing this to me?"

~Doing what?~

"Your making me feel like the worst of scum…."

~I'm sorry, Dilandau. It was not my intention.~

"Forget about it. What can I do to protect Hitomi and my son?"

~Vladimir can be very tricky. I suggest you keep them inside the castle walls at all times. And make sure they stay away from strangers.~

"What? That's it?"

~No. Like I said, Vladimir is tricky. At this very moment he is planning something sinister. However, I can't seem to sense him anywhere. He must be hiding his energy…...He uses powerful spells that make him unstoppable. Something like black magic.~

"What the hell is he?!"

~He's….a monster.~

"Like that helps!"

~Listen to me, Dilandau. He is not an enemy like the one's you have faced in the past. He's very powerful and will stop at nothing to accomplish his evil plans. There is a strong reason why he wants Hitomi and your son…..but his true motives are not clear.~

"At least tell me why you think he want them!"

~I can't…..~

"Dammit! Do you enjoy torturing me?!"

~Forgive me. Until I am resurrected, I can't tell you more than what you already know. For now, I'm only allowed to guide you.~

"What do you mean resurrected? Are you……dead?"

~Tee-hee! You can say that. My kind are not living beings like you and for that reason, I must be resurrected as a human so I can help you. However, it is only a temporarily process…..~

"You mean to tell me that you can't tell me anything until you become human?"

~Actually, I'll be part human. I will still be able to transform into my true self when necessary.~

"And this will happen….."

~Tomorrow……at midnight.~

"That long?!"

~Hey, it's not easy to turn me into a human. It takes about a day to complete the process.~

"But what if Vladimir attacks tomorrow?! I still don't know much about him! How can I fight a man that uses magic?!"

~He won't attack.~

"But….."

~He personally won't attack, but he will send some of his men to the castle. He will study your strengths and weaknesses before he decides to capture Hitomi and your son. But knowing him, he will wait until after I arrive…..~

"Why would he wait for you? What if you're wrong?"

~I can't tell you. Dilandau……please, trust me.~

"I don't know….."

~Listen, Dilandau. I will talk to you when something comes up. I'll try to help you the best I can. I won't leave you in the dark…..I promise.~

"I guess….."

*sigh* ~I have to go now. You're due to wake up any minute now.~

"What? Am I sleeping?"

~Sort of……Don't you remember fainting?~

"I didn't faint!"

~Yes, you did! You passed out a few seconds after Hitomi said you were a father!~

"Then why does it feel like I been sleeping for a long time if I only passed out. Doesn't that last only a few seconds or something?"

~Well, um…..I sort of messed with fate.~

"What do you mean?"

~Oh, nothing much. Actually, you were suppose to have passed out for a few seconds and then wake up. But I didn't want to wait until nighttime to speak to you…..and I sort of added a little something.~

"I don't like the sound of this….."

~Tee-hee….it wasn't that bad. I just made you fall down and hit your head on a nearby chair.~

"You made me hit my head!"

~Oh, don't worry. The only thing that changed was that you grew unconscious for a longer time…..~

"Damn you, Unknown."

~Huh? What's 'unknown'?

"You."

~Me?!~

"Well, you won't tell me your name. So, I decided to come up with one. You're too annoying to be an angel and you said you weren't human. So, I guess I'll just call you 'The Unknown'. And by the sound of your voice, I presume you're a woman."

~Very funny.~

"I'm not laughing."

~Forget it. You'll be waking up soon anyway.~

"Great."

~Dilandau…..~

"What is it?"

~Good luck.~

"Huh?"

~You'll see when you wake up. I'll talk to you soon…...~

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Was it a……dream?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dilandau slowly began to open his eyes. His vision was blurry at first, but it soon got better. He felt tired and sore, but what really annoyed him was the pain on his head. He placed his hand on the side of his head. His hand touched something that felt like cloth wrapped around his head, covering the injury he had.

So, it wasn't a dream. It was real.

'Stupid, woman,' he cursed mentally, remembering what the Unknown had told him. 'I'll get her for this…..it doesn't feel like a small hit on the head.'

He looked at his surroundings and realized he was in a room. He placed himself in a sitting position on the bed he had been lying on. He began to recognize where he was at. 'This is the room that Folken had told me to sleep in during my stay in the castle….,' he thought.

He saw his bags on the floor and his sword on the round table.

"Your finally awake," a woman's voice rang in his ears.

Dilandau felt a lump on his throat. He managed to get off the bed. He looked at the figure sitting by the table. He was a bit surprised since he hadn't notice that someone else was in the room. He hadn't expected HER……

"Hitomi," he whispered.

Hitomi stood up from the chair she was sitting on. "You hit your head pretty hard," she said, quietly.

"Oh," he replied. He took a step forward but a groan escaped his lips. He shook his head and stumbled a bit. He felt warm arms around his waist. He looked down and saw Hitomi keeping him from falling. She looked up and their faces were mere inches away.

"My angel," he murmured.

Hitomi felt lost in his beautiful crimson eyes. Part of her wanted to be like this forever. To stay in his arms and never let go. Then she remembered what he did to her. That part of her wanted to push him off and run away.

But time froze.

Both of them continued to gaze into each other's eyes and forgetting the past. After a few more seconds, they both instinctively began to move their faces closer to meet with a kiss.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

To Be Continued……

Author's Note: *dodges tomatoes and all kinds of stuff thrown at her* Ok…..so this chapter was mainly dialogue between Dilandau and the 'Unknown'. Don't worry, I'll unmask her soon enough. And she's not a character I made up either. Can anyone guess who it is? (Not like I gave any hints but still…...) I know the ending was kinda confusing and mushy. The next chapter will explain why Hitomi is in the room and how hard Dilandau hit his head 'cause we all know that 'Unknown' didn't tell him the whole truth. And will Hitomi and Dilly kiss? I won't say. Y'all know the drill. Read and Review.