WOW! Over 100 reviews! Yeh, it's party time! ::breaks out the champagne and twinkies:: I can't belive it! you like me, you REALLY like me! But of course I like you guys too. Thank you so so much everyone who reviewed, I'm really glad you think I'm doing a good job with this story, cuz it's somthing I've enjoyed writing and....good gods i'm talking like the fics ending or something! Well never fear, I've still got lots and lots to write so I'll just let you guys get to the next chapter now, enjoy and let's see if we can make it to 200 by the time this fic is done!
~Sarah~
"So if you walk away
Who is gonna stay
Cause I'd like to think the world is a better place
I'd like to leave the world as a better place
I'd like to think the world..." The Offspring
Chapter 17- Fairy Tales Aren't Real
Dilandau cursed, gripping the controls of his Alseides unit. The wind was shrilling by at incredible speeds and the rain made it almost impossible to see in the night sky.
"Why does it always fucking rain in this goddamned country??" he roared over the wind.
"Dilandau," Folken's voice was faint over the intercom, "I thought I told you to take a few men with you."
Dilandau rolled his eyes, still fighting to keep the Alseides in the air, "Save your breath Stratagos, I'm on a retrieval mission. It's a farm house, it's miles from the capital, there will be NO soldiers, get OFF my fucking back!"
He heard Folken's voice, but it was broken as the signal was lost in the storm. It was just static now. Dilandau grinned. "Oh well, he was probably agreeing with me anyway," he laughed pulling down his eye-scope. It was easier to see through the storm now.
He could bearly see the dark forest below, but if he followed it to the edge he would find her. From his point of view, Dilandau could pick out tiny dots of light scattered here and there through out the forest now. Survivors from the city no doubt. The red eyed general suddenly had the urge to fly down to one of the camp sites, have a little fun perhaps.
But no, he didn't have the time for that right now. 'I'll come back later,' he promised himself, 'once I have that goddamn girl back on the Vione where I don't have to worry about her...' He blinked then. Worry? He scoffed, he wasn't worried She was HIS servant now, and her place was back on the fortress, not running around down here where she could easily find protection from him and the rest of Zaibach. That wouldn't do at all.
"She'll stay put if she knows what's good for her," he growled. The forest had ended now, and Dilandau found what he was looking for. A small farm house stood on the edge of the tree line, made visible only by the light that shone through the windows, piercing through the darkness.
It had been easy, but Dilandau smirked anyway. The red Guymelef began it's decent over the quite house below.
****
Serryn shivered slightly. The small house was dimly lit by the warm fire Narina had started in the stone fireplace, but even with that and the blanket she and Madine had wrapped around themselves, she was freezing.
"Hey, can you get up for a second Madine?" I'm going to go put my shoes on so my feet don't freeze."
"Ok Miss Princess Serryn," the girl smiled, climbing down from her perch in Serryn's lap. Narina smiled from the chair she sat in and went back to her crocheting. Her daughter had warmed up considerably to Serryn after finding out she was a real live princess, and hadn't left the older girl alone all evening.
Serryn had thought it annoying at first. But she really didn't mind so much now. Madine reminded her so much of Aria she could help liking her. She walked to her room quickly and pulled on her boots, the only thing that remained of her uniform. The soft leather instantly warmed her chilled feet up. Serryn smiled heading back into the living room.
"Finish the story you were telling me at supper Miss Serryn!" Madine exclaimed, scrabbling back into Serryn's lap the moment she sat down, "The one about the princess! She was like you right Serryn? Because her castle was burned down by the bad guys and the mean man stole her away from her knight! A knight of Cali, right Serryn?"
Serryn nodded smiling, "That's right, the knight of Cali. They were supposed to be married, and the knight was heart broken when he found that his darling princess had been kidnapped."
"And he went to rescue her!" Madine added, "Because that's what knights do, they rescue people in trouble! Did a knight rescue you Serryn? Is that how you escaped the evil Zaibach people?"
"Well," serryn's smile wavered, "no, not exactly. I escaped on my own."
'That's a lie. If it wasn't for Dilandau, I'd be dead right now,' she argued with herself silently, 'but then again, if it wasn't for Dilandau I would never have been in that situation in the first place...'
Her thoughts her brought back to the present by Madine's voice. "How come the bad man kidnapped the princess, Serryn? Didn't he know that the knight loved her and was going to marry her?"
"Well, yes he did, but the captain of the bandits was in love with the princess as well. He also wanted to marry her." Madine's eyes widened.
"He loved the princess? But she didn't love him too, right?" she asked, worry evident in her features.
Serryn shook her head, "No, because the Princess knew he was an evil man. He liked to steal, and burn peoples houses. He even killed sometimes." Madine gasped, but she frowned then.
"Well, if he could love the princess, maybe he wasn't that bad really...maybe he was just scared, or hurt. You said that when he was little, the bad man had lost his entire family... Maybe that's why he was so mean to other people!" Madine yawned then leaning her head against Serryn's shoulder, "I bet the princess could show him how to be nice again..."
Serryn smiled. The little girl was very smart for her age. "That's right Madine. That's just what the princess did. She helped the man realize that what he was doing was wrong by showing him she understood the pain he felt deep down inside of him. The man then realized he was wrong to have taken her prisoner and let her return to her one true love. Then he and his men parted their separate ways, to make the bad things they had done to others in the past right again."
Madine, smiled a sleepy but content smile, "I knew it. Because nobody's a bad person, deep down inside..." the little girl was asleep then, her breath in deep even breaths rustling through Serryn's pale hair.
Serryn sighed, running her fingers through the girls chocolate colored hair. "Nobody's a bad person, deep down inside...if only it were true." What she wouldn't give for life to be like the simple fairy tales told to children. Where no matter how bad things got there was always a happy ending. 'Well, I did find Aria, and I'll see her soon. That's my happy ending.'
Narina looked up from her stiching then, "Is she asleep?" she asked, in a hushed voice. Serryn nodded and the older woman smiled. "It makes me happy to see how lively she is around you now. She's always been so distant and closed ever since her father died."
'Her too?' Serryn thought, sadness touching her heart, 'everyone's fathers dead. At least you still have your mother.' "Hold on to her" she said, bearly a whisper. She felt guilty suddenly. These people were being so kind to her, and still she kept secrets from them. Secrets that could endanger them.
"Miss Narina..." she took a deep breath, hoping the older woman would understand, "I wasn't attacked by the Zaibach."
Narina blinked, a confused expression crossing her face. "You weren't? Well, then who DID attack you?"
"Therran soldiers did."
Narina frowned, "Now why would Therran soldiers attack you, princess?"
Serryn's teeth clenched. It was now or never. She wouldn't lie. "Because....because I'm a-"
Her voice was interrupted by a loud banging coming from outside of the house. Serryn's heart jumped. 'No...'
Madine had woken somewhat and was looking around groggily. "I wasn't asleep," she assured them.
"What in Gaia was that?" Narina exclaimed, rising to her feet in alarm and heading for the door. But she had only gotten half way across the room when the door swung open, banging loudly against the wall.
Serryn screamed. She didn't know why she was stupid enough to think he wouldn't find her. Rain or no rain.
"Well that's a nice way to greet me princess," a rain-soaked Dilandau stepped into the fire lit room scowling, "I should let you get lost more often."
Narina gasped, "You...you're a Zaibach!" she exclaimed, obviously recognizing Dilandau's armor. She grabbed a broom that had been leaning against the wall, "Get out of my house this INSTANT!"
Dilandau glanced at the woman, brandishing a broom at him, and laughed, "You've got to be kidding me! Out of my way woman, this is none of your concern," he stated, moving to shove his was past Narina, but paused as she raised the broom.
"Like hell it isn't! I will not let you harm my daughter or the princess, get out!" She swung the broom heading for the red eyed Zaibach's head. Dilandau didn't flinch, instead grabbing the handle and jerking it out of the woman's hands. He then proceeded to break it in half and toss it away. Narina gasped stepping back as Dilandau pulled his sword from his sheath.
"NO!" Serryn shouted, placing Madine on the floor and dashing to stand in front of Narina, "Don't hurt them Dilandau! I'll go with you, just don't hurt them!"
Dilandau's eyes narrowed, but he shrugged returning his sword to it's sheath, "This is getting so fucking boring, I'm starting to regret coming after you," he growled.
Serryn's fists balled as rage rose up inside of her, 'then why did you, you bastard?' she mused, glaring at him. "I have to get my things," she muttered, turning to head back to her room. Narina flashed an angry glance at the silver haired boy, before following the princess. She grabbed Madine's wrists as she passed, not even thinking for a moment to leave her daughter alone with that monster.
"Serryn! Don't go back with him," she exclaimed, closing the door behind her as she watched Serryn gather up her staff and the rest of her few possessions, "there's no reason you should. Stand up to him!"
"I can't," Serryn replied through clenched teeth, "he's my commander, and if I don't obey him, he'll kill me. He'll kill you and Madine as well, at least this way I can save you."
"What do you mean he's your commander? Serryn, what's going on?"
A single tear slid down the princess cheek. So much for happy endings. "I'm a Zaibach soldier," she replied, loathing her own words, "When the Therran soldiers attacked me, it was because I was helping HIM," she gestured towards the door, "attack the capital...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lie to you."
Narina's hand covered her mouth, her face shocked. Madine's eyes had widened. "You're a bad guy Miss Serryn?" she asked in a shaky voice, "But why?"
Serryn couldn't bear to look at the child's face. She looked so betrayed. "I'm sorry," she repeated, "they tricked me..."
'What a pathetic excuse,' she jeered herself silently, stepping back out into the living room, avoiding Narina and Madine's faces.
Dilandau was leaning against the wall, cautiously peering out the window. Serryn frowned, "Dilandau, what are you-"
"SHHH!" Dilandau hissed, "There's a group of men heading for the house." He said, drawing his sword.
~Sarah~
"So if you walk away
Who is gonna stay
Cause I'd like to think the world is a better place
I'd like to leave the world as a better place
I'd like to think the world..." The Offspring
Chapter 17- Fairy Tales Aren't Real
Dilandau cursed, gripping the controls of his Alseides unit. The wind was shrilling by at incredible speeds and the rain made it almost impossible to see in the night sky.
"Why does it always fucking rain in this goddamned country??" he roared over the wind.
"Dilandau," Folken's voice was faint over the intercom, "I thought I told you to take a few men with you."
Dilandau rolled his eyes, still fighting to keep the Alseides in the air, "Save your breath Stratagos, I'm on a retrieval mission. It's a farm house, it's miles from the capital, there will be NO soldiers, get OFF my fucking back!"
He heard Folken's voice, but it was broken as the signal was lost in the storm. It was just static now. Dilandau grinned. "Oh well, he was probably agreeing with me anyway," he laughed pulling down his eye-scope. It was easier to see through the storm now.
He could bearly see the dark forest below, but if he followed it to the edge he would find her. From his point of view, Dilandau could pick out tiny dots of light scattered here and there through out the forest now. Survivors from the city no doubt. The red eyed general suddenly had the urge to fly down to one of the camp sites, have a little fun perhaps.
But no, he didn't have the time for that right now. 'I'll come back later,' he promised himself, 'once I have that goddamn girl back on the Vione where I don't have to worry about her...' He blinked then. Worry? He scoffed, he wasn't worried She was HIS servant now, and her place was back on the fortress, not running around down here where she could easily find protection from him and the rest of Zaibach. That wouldn't do at all.
"She'll stay put if she knows what's good for her," he growled. The forest had ended now, and Dilandau found what he was looking for. A small farm house stood on the edge of the tree line, made visible only by the light that shone through the windows, piercing through the darkness.
It had been easy, but Dilandau smirked anyway. The red Guymelef began it's decent over the quite house below.
****
Serryn shivered slightly. The small house was dimly lit by the warm fire Narina had started in the stone fireplace, but even with that and the blanket she and Madine had wrapped around themselves, she was freezing.
"Hey, can you get up for a second Madine?" I'm going to go put my shoes on so my feet don't freeze."
"Ok Miss Princess Serryn," the girl smiled, climbing down from her perch in Serryn's lap. Narina smiled from the chair she sat in and went back to her crocheting. Her daughter had warmed up considerably to Serryn after finding out she was a real live princess, and hadn't left the older girl alone all evening.
Serryn had thought it annoying at first. But she really didn't mind so much now. Madine reminded her so much of Aria she could help liking her. She walked to her room quickly and pulled on her boots, the only thing that remained of her uniform. The soft leather instantly warmed her chilled feet up. Serryn smiled heading back into the living room.
"Finish the story you were telling me at supper Miss Serryn!" Madine exclaimed, scrabbling back into Serryn's lap the moment she sat down, "The one about the princess! She was like you right Serryn? Because her castle was burned down by the bad guys and the mean man stole her away from her knight! A knight of Cali, right Serryn?"
Serryn nodded smiling, "That's right, the knight of Cali. They were supposed to be married, and the knight was heart broken when he found that his darling princess had been kidnapped."
"And he went to rescue her!" Madine added, "Because that's what knights do, they rescue people in trouble! Did a knight rescue you Serryn? Is that how you escaped the evil Zaibach people?"
"Well," serryn's smile wavered, "no, not exactly. I escaped on my own."
'That's a lie. If it wasn't for Dilandau, I'd be dead right now,' she argued with herself silently, 'but then again, if it wasn't for Dilandau I would never have been in that situation in the first place...'
Her thoughts her brought back to the present by Madine's voice. "How come the bad man kidnapped the princess, Serryn? Didn't he know that the knight loved her and was going to marry her?"
"Well, yes he did, but the captain of the bandits was in love with the princess as well. He also wanted to marry her." Madine's eyes widened.
"He loved the princess? But she didn't love him too, right?" she asked, worry evident in her features.
Serryn shook her head, "No, because the Princess knew he was an evil man. He liked to steal, and burn peoples houses. He even killed sometimes." Madine gasped, but she frowned then.
"Well, if he could love the princess, maybe he wasn't that bad really...maybe he was just scared, or hurt. You said that when he was little, the bad man had lost his entire family... Maybe that's why he was so mean to other people!" Madine yawned then leaning her head against Serryn's shoulder, "I bet the princess could show him how to be nice again..."
Serryn smiled. The little girl was very smart for her age. "That's right Madine. That's just what the princess did. She helped the man realize that what he was doing was wrong by showing him she understood the pain he felt deep down inside of him. The man then realized he was wrong to have taken her prisoner and let her return to her one true love. Then he and his men parted their separate ways, to make the bad things they had done to others in the past right again."
Madine, smiled a sleepy but content smile, "I knew it. Because nobody's a bad person, deep down inside..." the little girl was asleep then, her breath in deep even breaths rustling through Serryn's pale hair.
Serryn sighed, running her fingers through the girls chocolate colored hair. "Nobody's a bad person, deep down inside...if only it were true." What she wouldn't give for life to be like the simple fairy tales told to children. Where no matter how bad things got there was always a happy ending. 'Well, I did find Aria, and I'll see her soon. That's my happy ending.'
Narina looked up from her stiching then, "Is she asleep?" she asked, in a hushed voice. Serryn nodded and the older woman smiled. "It makes me happy to see how lively she is around you now. She's always been so distant and closed ever since her father died."
'Her too?' Serryn thought, sadness touching her heart, 'everyone's fathers dead. At least you still have your mother.' "Hold on to her" she said, bearly a whisper. She felt guilty suddenly. These people were being so kind to her, and still she kept secrets from them. Secrets that could endanger them.
"Miss Narina..." she took a deep breath, hoping the older woman would understand, "I wasn't attacked by the Zaibach."
Narina blinked, a confused expression crossing her face. "You weren't? Well, then who DID attack you?"
"Therran soldiers did."
Narina frowned, "Now why would Therran soldiers attack you, princess?"
Serryn's teeth clenched. It was now or never. She wouldn't lie. "Because....because I'm a-"
Her voice was interrupted by a loud banging coming from outside of the house. Serryn's heart jumped. 'No...'
Madine had woken somewhat and was looking around groggily. "I wasn't asleep," she assured them.
"What in Gaia was that?" Narina exclaimed, rising to her feet in alarm and heading for the door. But she had only gotten half way across the room when the door swung open, banging loudly against the wall.
Serryn screamed. She didn't know why she was stupid enough to think he wouldn't find her. Rain or no rain.
"Well that's a nice way to greet me princess," a rain-soaked Dilandau stepped into the fire lit room scowling, "I should let you get lost more often."
Narina gasped, "You...you're a Zaibach!" she exclaimed, obviously recognizing Dilandau's armor. She grabbed a broom that had been leaning against the wall, "Get out of my house this INSTANT!"
Dilandau glanced at the woman, brandishing a broom at him, and laughed, "You've got to be kidding me! Out of my way woman, this is none of your concern," he stated, moving to shove his was past Narina, but paused as she raised the broom.
"Like hell it isn't! I will not let you harm my daughter or the princess, get out!" She swung the broom heading for the red eyed Zaibach's head. Dilandau didn't flinch, instead grabbing the handle and jerking it out of the woman's hands. He then proceeded to break it in half and toss it away. Narina gasped stepping back as Dilandau pulled his sword from his sheath.
"NO!" Serryn shouted, placing Madine on the floor and dashing to stand in front of Narina, "Don't hurt them Dilandau! I'll go with you, just don't hurt them!"
Dilandau's eyes narrowed, but he shrugged returning his sword to it's sheath, "This is getting so fucking boring, I'm starting to regret coming after you," he growled.
Serryn's fists balled as rage rose up inside of her, 'then why did you, you bastard?' she mused, glaring at him. "I have to get my things," she muttered, turning to head back to her room. Narina flashed an angry glance at the silver haired boy, before following the princess. She grabbed Madine's wrists as she passed, not even thinking for a moment to leave her daughter alone with that monster.
"Serryn! Don't go back with him," she exclaimed, closing the door behind her as she watched Serryn gather up her staff and the rest of her few possessions, "there's no reason you should. Stand up to him!"
"I can't," Serryn replied through clenched teeth, "he's my commander, and if I don't obey him, he'll kill me. He'll kill you and Madine as well, at least this way I can save you."
"What do you mean he's your commander? Serryn, what's going on?"
A single tear slid down the princess cheek. So much for happy endings. "I'm a Zaibach soldier," she replied, loathing her own words, "When the Therran soldiers attacked me, it was because I was helping HIM," she gestured towards the door, "attack the capital...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lie to you."
Narina's hand covered her mouth, her face shocked. Madine's eyes had widened. "You're a bad guy Miss Serryn?" she asked in a shaky voice, "But why?"
Serryn couldn't bear to look at the child's face. She looked so betrayed. "I'm sorry," she repeated, "they tricked me..."
'What a pathetic excuse,' she jeered herself silently, stepping back out into the living room, avoiding Narina and Madine's faces.
Dilandau was leaning against the wall, cautiously peering out the window. Serryn frowned, "Dilandau, what are you-"
"SHHH!" Dilandau hissed, "There's a group of men heading for the house." He said, drawing his sword.
