*Familiar~Stranger~2*


Dilandau stood on the hanger with all his Dragon Slayers nearby. Rafe stood by Gatti.
"What's going on?" He asked quietly.
"Lord Dilandau has this strange power that Hitomi gave him when she healed him that let's him see things that are coming or are hidden. He has obviously sensed Asturia, Fanelia and Fraid attacking." Dilandau whipped around and glared at him, then turned back as he noticed an approaching Leva ship.
"They brought guymelefs!" Dilandau hissed angrily. "Everybody get into your guymelefs and attack!!" The Dragon Slayers ran to their guymelefs and left the Vione. Rafe looked around in confusion. *We don't even know who's on board. We're just assuming that it's the countries that are attacking us?* Dilandau could sense Rafe's uncertiny and flew over to him. "Look, I KNOW that it's them, so stop doubting me and attack!!" He snapped, then flew ahead. Rafe sighed, caught up to them and instantly started attacking. He was shocked when he saw all the guymelefs inside the ship.
"They're all from those three countries." He said quietly. One charged at him and he started battling with it. It started to force him backwards, but he dug his feet into the ground and pushed the attacker with as much strength as he had. Suddenly, his enemy pulled out a second sword while pushing back with the other sword and swung at his head. He jerked his head to the side, the sword just missing him. Without warning, the sword whipped to the side, catching the side of his guymelefs head and breaking the armor. He ducked down to get out of range, but
was a second too late and it sliced open a small cut over his eye. It was small, but it stung like mad. Rafe ignored the blood running down his forehead and into his
eye and kept fighting.
Dilandau looked over at Rafe as he finally managed to defeat his enemy. *His guymelef is gonna need a serious repair job when he's done!* Dilandau then looked around. *Now where's that ever-reckless king of Fanelia?* He then spotted him charging at Miguel and smirked as he ran at him.
"There you are." Van must have heard him because he quickly turned around. Dilandau could almost feel the anger pouring out of him as he attacked.
"First you burn down my country." Van snapped as he swung down at
him. "Then you corrupt my sister to join Zaibach, instead of claiming revenge for our family. But what I find most angering, is you let her die!!" He drove at him and struck Dilandau in the side. Dilandau fell to his knees, looking up at Van while gripping his side.
"N-no, you're wrong. I, I didn't let her die. If you want the one responsible for her death, go talk to Allen Shezar. His sword is the one that wounded her." Van didn't move, seeming almost transfixed. "And if you want the ones responsible for not being able to save her, it was-" He stopped for a moment, the pain in his side growing. "The sorcerers." Dilandau finished. He then opened his guymelef and got out.
"What are you doing?!" Van demanded.
"I can't finish this battle with my guymelef so damaged and my side injured. So I have a deal. Let the Dragon Slayers go and you can take the leader of Zaibach instead."
"Lord Dilandau, no!!" Miguel said, running up beside him. Dilandau glared at him.
"You had better get me back out!" He hissed quietly, then pushed him away. Van studied him cautiously, then nodded.
"Fine, we'll do that." Suddenly, one of Fraid's men ran up.
"Your Highness, I got the newest Dragon Slayer in one of the cells in Allen's Crusade." Van groaned. *Perfect.*
"Kay, fine."

*15~minutes~later*

"Yes, THIS was a good idea." Dilandau muttered as he yanked at his hands that were tied behind his back.
"Well, I'm sorry, I didn't know that you were going to play hero and surrender, SIR." Rafe snapped. They heard footsteps approaching and turned to
see a guard standing at the bars.
"When you think you're done arguing, then we'll take you first." He said, pointing to Rafe.
"And what on Gaea do you want me for?" He demanded.
"Questioning, now shut up."
"The charm never ends around here." He muttered as the guard came in, untied his hands and walked out of the hall.
"They call it questioning, now?" Dilandau muttered. "Ha, nice cover-up. Only a rookie on the battlefield wouldn't know that this so-called, 'questioning' is just getting answers from beating." To his surprise, they only led him to the other end of the dungeon. "I thought they always did the beating in the other room." He said quietly. He looked up at more footsteps and saw Van walk in, then stand by the door of his cell.
"I've always hated this part." He muttered as he watched them hang Rafe up by his wrists. Dilandau glared at him.
"So why do you stand there and watch?" Dilandau snapped, glaring at him. "Why don't you stop it instead?" Van looked down at him, hatred in his eyes. *He still blames me for Hitomi's death.* Dilandau realized.
"Because I have no control over it now." He looked over as he heard the first sing of the whip and watched it lash across Rafe's back. Van winced as it cut into flesh, leaving a thin trail of blood behind it.
"Why do you care if my men suffer?! You've killed a fair amount yourself." Van looked at him in a way that sent a chill sliding up Dilandau's back.
"Because I killed them in defense for the things I care about. These men are tortured, and for no reason." He then turned and left. Dilandau looked at Rafe and felt guilt for the first time since Hitomi died. He had several cuts across his back overlapping, as well as many across his now bare chest. He was obviously in a lot of pain but he refused to answer their questions. They gave up and let him down, then shoved him roughly into the cell. The men turned to leave, but one stopped.
"What about the one in red?" He asked. One of the larger men walked over to him.
"You're welcome to try, but no one's been able to get anything except curse words out of Dilandau Albatou, and then when he gets out, you're usually his first target. God, you new around here, aren't you?"They then left. Dilandau looked over at Rafe.
"Well, I must say, you held out well." Rafe looked at him, rejection and hate in his narrowed eyes.
"Yeah, but why do you care? The only thing you care about is whether or not your Dragon Slayers are strong enough to win this battle, or take over that country. I'm surprised you noticed anything outside the warfield." Dilandau's heart almost stopped. *That's exactly what Hitomi said before she left Zaibach.* He realized in shock. They heard an explosion at the control room.
"And that would be a few of the Dragon Slayers coming to get us out." They heard men shouting, charging, then everything went quiet for a few seconds except for blades crashing, a body would hit the floor, and it start over again. Soon it was right outside their cell, a guard crashed to the ground, and Miguel leaned his head over the side of the cell.
"Ah, here you are." He took some keys he'd stolen from a guard and unlocked the door. Dilandau and Rafe stood up, but Rafe's legs buckled under him since his back hurt too much. Dilandau walked over to him and helped him up,
laying Rafe's arm across his shoulders to support his weight. Rafe looked at him in surprise.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I think it's called helping someone. You obviously can't walk on your own." Rafe was about to retaliate, but decided against it and they headed to the Leva-ship that the Slayer's had brought.

They were now on the ship and heading back to the Vione, and Dilandau was fully enjoying himself watching Rafe's cuts being cleaned.
"Good $%#!! What the $@&% are you putting on me?!"
"I think it's called alcohol." Dilandau teased. He was called aside by a Dragon Slayer and reluctantly left the cursing Rafe. "What is it?"
"Lord Dilandau? The infomation you wanted from the socerers about Hitomi's death?"
"What about it?"
"Well, we, we never found any information on Hitomi Kanzaki, sir."
"Did you try it under Hitomi Fanel?"
"Yes sir, still nothing." He dismissed the Dragon Slayer. *This is very odd. I haven't been able to find any info on Hitomi's death yet. It's as if she just, disappeared.* He looked over at Rafe and saw he was getting his chest wrapped in bandages. Dilandau walked over to him when he was finally left alone. Rafe looked up as he heard him coming.
"Lord Dilandau, I, I'm sorry for what I said to you before. I-" Dilandau crossed his arms, a signal that Rafe grew to know as, shut-up. He looked down at the ground.
"Don't be sorry. I deserved it." Rafe looked up in shock. "But don't expect me to forgive you the next time you say something like that to me again. Understood?" Rafe nodded. "Good, now get out of here, and be careful not to reopen your wounds."
"Thank-you Lord Dilandau." He got up and left the room in the direction of the dorm. When he knew he was out of earshot, a frown crossed his face. "I may be sorry, but I meant every word." He opened the door to the dorm and fell back onto
his bed. Instantly, 3 Dragon slayers tackled him.
"Rafe, where have you been?!" Dalet said, actiong like a concerned mother. He then noticed Rafe gripping his chest in pain. "Rafe, you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, considering I was whipped 20 times on my back and chest, and you guys just landed on them."He gasped. Suddenly Miguel fought his way through the crowd.
"What did I tell you idiots?! I warned you he was injured, but, no, it just totally didn't mean a thing, as usual, you guys never listen." He kneeled by Rafe as he managed to sit up. "Are you alright?" Rafe looked up at him.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He rubbed his waist. "I'll be okay. None of them were reopened." Miguel nodded, stood and, glaring at the others, left. Rafe laughed silently at the expressions on their faces as they quickly apologized and left.
After a while, Rafe looked over at Miguel. "Hey Miguel?" He looked up from sharpening his sword.
"Yeah?"
"Has Dilandau-sama always been such a jerk like he was back in the Asturian dungeon with me?" He said, anger growing in his voice. Miguel looked startled for a moment.
"N-no, not as far as I know, why?" Rafe's eyes flared.
"It was like he was actually TRYING to get me mad." Miguel looked at him, blinking in shock, then started to laugh. Rafe was astonished. "And what is so funny?!"
"I'm sorry, it's just that you remind me so much of Hitomi that if you were the opposite gender, you would be her." He then calmed down. "But you obviously can't become Hitomi because she died 3 years ago when Dilandau-sama was 17." Rafe was getting very annoyed.
"Will someone tell me just who this Hitomi is?!" Miguel looked up at him, startled at the sudden outboast.
"Rafe, are you okay, you don't look so good all of a sudden." Rafe didn't answer as he was now bent over, panting and gripping his shoulders tightly. Miguel stood up, mesmerized. "Rafe?" Suddenly, Rafe's shoulders contracted slightly and Miguel heard the sickening crunch of bones. Miguel looked over at the Slayers. "One of you go tell the sorcerers. The rest of you, get out of here, I don't know what's going to happen." They all took off, Biore going to tell the sorcerers, and Miguel looked back at Rafe in time to see him calm down. "Hey, you okay?" He looked up at him.
"Yeah, I'm okay." Then Miguel noticed something that almost scared him. Rafe's eyes were a vibrant emerald green for a second, then Miguel heard another crunch of bones and he looked up to see where that noise was coming from, then looked back down at Rafe, who now seemed like this had never even happened, with his normal blood-red eyes.
"Rafe, what just happened to you?"
"I, I'm not sure."