~ * Winds of Turning *~



Part 4 : Reflections and Thoughts



Merle`s POV :

Eight hours since Folken has been gone . Eight hours since I even was afraid of my own shadow . I know that Folken said that Dilandau won`t actually kill me but what about hurting me ? But the oddest thing is that since then all he has done till now were the average things . Yell at Chesta and Gatti and so on , admiring himself everytime a mirror crossed his path and then yell some more . He hadn`t even once insulted me or started a fight . What`s wrong with him ? Is he ill , or something ? And now he just disappeared again . Who the hell does he think he is ? Perhaps he really is ill . Should I go looking for him ? … Nah !

About five long minutes I found myself on the way down to his room , one question running through my head : Why do I even care ?

Still Merle`s POV :

I , still somewhat unsure , was now standing in front of his doors . I knocked , calling his name . Nobody answered .

Where the hell is he ?

I knocked again , almost yelling his name . Still nobody answered me . Is he even there ? Slowly I opened the doors . I moved my head in the room , not daring to move fully into it . I looked around and saw him sitting in front of the fireplace , looking sternly at the fire . This guy and his fire ! Why does he like it so much ? I popped into the room , still looking at him .

„ Dilandau ? „ , I called again . He sat still , not even moving . i silently closed the doors and walked over to him . I stopped near him , wondering why he still wasn`t even moving . Is he even breathing ? I walked a little nearer, then looked into his face and silently gasped . His eyes were wide open , he even had tears in his eyes . What is going on here ? I began to worry . Poor Dilandau . He looks so lonely . What ? I gasped . Poor Dilandau ? Did I just thought that ? Is insanity infectious ? But then again has my life ever since I had been here on the Vione been normal ? Just once ? I looked back at him . I sighed . I really hate that

guy . Without really thinking I brought my left hand up to his shoulder but then he jumped , looking wide eyed at me , looking like a scarred little child . A little I wondered if he really was that bad but that dramatically changed as his look changed , back into his normal , angered one . He took my arm and squeezed it hard , earning a little yelp from me .

„ What the hell do you think you doing here ? „ , he yelled at me .

„ Sorry , that I just wondered what you were doing . Just forgot that you are the insane one around here . And just for your information : You`re hurting me , you know that ?!? „ , I yelled back .

Not even caring about my health he just started yelling again : „ Then do not disturb me ! „

„ Disturb you ? „ I yelled back , forgetting about the pain , „ In what ? Staring holes into the fire ? Hat is it with you and all the fire ? „

„ None of your business ! „

„ Don`t you have something else to say ? This slogan is getting boring , you know that ? „

„ why , you little … „ he made a move towards me .

„ I`m gonna tell this Folken ! „ , I said , hoping that this would stop him . But why would he ? But he suprised me . He yelled something unidentifying into the room , throwing my arm away . Because of that I lost my balance and fell backwards onto the floor .

„ What`s up with you lately ? Have you not totally gone mad ? „ , I asked him .

„ As if you would even care ! Don`t you have something else to do , like staying away from me ? „

„ Don`t speak to me like this ! Don`t you think that I would rather be back by Van than staying one day longer on this damn , creepy ship together with a mad man ? „

He then stopped yelling , seemed to be thinking about something I rather woiuldn`t know . As he spoke again , turning to look at me , he spoke almost normal : „ You really wanna leave the ship ? Really ? „

What was that about now ? Sometimes i really don`t understand him . Does he even understand himself at all ?

„ Yeah . Or do you think that I like being here ? „

Then he just looked at me . And after a while his eyes held the average look of insanity

again . I stood there , awaiting an answer , lightly afraid and ready to run . Then he smiled .

„ Okay . „

And the next thing I knew was him running at an unusual pace through the corridors , me leaning over his shoulder .

Chesta`s POV :

„ Dallet , any idea what we could do ? I am soo bored ! „ , I said , pacing through the room . Since early morning we were down here , repairing the broken guymelefs . At least that was was Dilandau told us to do . the only problem : There wasn`t anyting broken . But still we stayed here , too afraid to disagree him .

„ Don´t really know . „ , he answered , then asked : „ Don´t you all thing that Dilandau has changed somehow ? He seems to constantly have something on his mind , doesn`t he ? „

„ You mean , how to kill Merle ? „ I said , lightly amused .

„ No , not only that . But still , don`t you think so ? „

Gatti was going to say something , probably about not talking so bad about Commander Dilandau when suddenly the door opened and Dilandau together with Merle ran through it , on the way as it seemed to Alseides . I looked at the others who , too , seemed very confused and then decided to follow Dilandau , having Gatti and Viole at my heels . We made it to Alseides and saw merle sitting stunned on the floor . I was going to go to her as suddenly Alseides began to stir . He came out of his box . I looked up and down Alseides and then back to Merle who had a horror stricken look on her , not saying anything . Yause i couldn`t make out what was happening here I decided to ask :

„ Commander Dilandau ? What are you … „

„ Don`t disturb me now , Chesta ! „ , he interrupted me from inside his red guymelef , making his way towards Merle .

„ But … „

„ I said to not disturb me ! „ , he , now , yelled at me . He went over to Merle , kneeled down and closed the mechanic hand of Alseides around her . Merle , now seeming to awaken out of her trance screamed a little as Alseides went up again , this time taking her with him .

„ But Commander ! You can`t … „

„ Don`t tell me what I have to do ! „

He walked , ready to leave the Vione .

„ Now do something useful and open the hatch ! „

I looked around me and saw that the other slayers were still looking at Alseides , trying like me to understand anything of this .

„ Do it already ! „ , he yelled again and I , knowing that it wouldn`t use anything to talk to him when he is like this and hoping the best for merle , went over to the side towards the laver which would open the hatch and moved them .

Then all we saw was Alseides , jumping out of the ship , leaving us alone .

„ What just happened here ? „ , Guimel asked .

„ I have no idea . „ , i answered him , somewhat defeated .

Dilandau`s POV :

Why haven´t thought of this before ? This is so easy ! I mean , think about it . Folken can do something when I would do something to her against her will , right ? But what can he do if she wants to leave the Vione ? What can Folken do against that ? And now I finally will get rid of this cat ! God , I am so great !

„ Dilandau ! „ , I heard her scream from beside , „ What are you doing ? „

„ Why , Merle . I thought that you wanted back ? „

Okay , I don`t really know where Van is right now , but she just said that she wanted to leave the Vione , right ?

„ But … „ , was all she said after my response .

I looked over to her . She looked down at Alseides hand which was encircling her . She looked scarred ! Finally , I could scare her ! I am so great !

I looked back down , seeing us nearing the earth and with a loud noise Alseides came to a stop right on it . Now was the time . I was finally really going to get rid of her ! Finally ! Now the ship is mine alone again ! No annoying girl jumping around , getting on my nerves !

I sat her down on the earth and looked one last time at her before I flew back up in the air again . Back to the Vione . She still just looked at the earth . Somewhat lonely . But who cares ? She`s away ! I smiled as I flew higher and higher , seeing her getting smaller and smaller .

Merle`s POV :

I can`t believe it . He left me . he really left me ! I should be happy now , shouldn`t I ? I wished for it , didn`t I ? But why …

Come on , Merle . get a hold on yourself ! You have to find Van ! Find Van and tell him of ll the bad things this lunatic has done and then Van will make him pay for everything ! But not after making me feel happy again . And I can get very sad ! Yeah ! That I will do !

I smiled trriumphant . But then I remembered something . Where is Van ? Or much better : Where am I ? How could I ever find Van if I don`t even know where I am ? Good question .

I took a step forwards , not really knowing where else to go . Then suddenly I heard a noise behind me . The breaking of wood . Did Dilandau came back ? Or perhaps is this Van ? New hope raised up in me as I quickly turned … just to look into the eyes of something big . Something big and bad . What was the name for it ? Oh yes . It is a big and bad looking dragon !

I ran into the other way , hoping to get away as quickly as possible from it . Suddenly all around me fire suddenly started to burn , not letting me go anywhere . I saw the dragon coming near me and did the possibly last thing I could .

I screamed …





Dilandau`s POV :

I almost was halfway back to the Vione and was extremly happy . The cat was away !

Finally . And now I am going back to the Vione and then …

I suddenly stopped still in the air . I looked back behind me , takind in the landscape under me . There was something . But what ? Perhaps I shouldn`t have brought her … What am I thinking about ? It was good , remember ? Bad , bad kitty ! I hate her , remember ? And after all , she is a cat ! She can take care of herself , can`t she ? At least she said that . Yeah ! Don`t care ! Now I will just fly back to the Vione and torture the slayers a little bit for not doing what I wanted them to do . Yes that I will do !

But suddenly something else pierced the air around me . A scream . A scream ? At this

time ? At this place ? And they call me a maniac ? But then could this be Merle ? Could she be in danger ? Ahh , get a hold of yourself , right now ! Always tell yourself this : Bad kitty ! bad little kitty ! Bad unuseful kitty ! Bad …

Merle`s POV :

Oh my God ! Now I really am dieing . And not even Van is here ! Where is this guy if you need him ? Probably making out with Hitomi . It is all her fault ! If she wouldn`t have come here I wuldn`t be stuck in this situation , now would I ? Who does she even think she is ? Coming here , stealing my Van away from me and now getting me killed ! I really hate her . And at the moment I so wish that I could tell her this right now . This bad bad thing is getting nearer and nearer . I always thought that I would die grey and old but not like this ! This isn`t supposed to happen ! Right ? Oh my God ! Now it is standing right before me . Either he will burn me now directly or kill me painfully and eat me later on . What a way to die ! Oh no ! He sucks air in . Now he is going to burn me . Oh no . Okay . Let`s think about something nice . Perhaps then it wouldn`t hurt so much . Think about Van and Folken and Van and nice fllowers and Van and …Suddenly I was slammed on the earth . He seemed to not having hit me somewhere . But everywhere I look ios fire now . I will defenitivly die here . And I still wanted to so many things . The dragon now brought his one claw high up in the air . And here it comes .

Nobody`s POV :

The dragon missed Merle just about few feet . But cause of the hard impact as his claw connected with the ground some trees fell over , one directly on Merle . In the last moment she managed to get away but still the tree came lightly in contact with her head , making her feel dizzy all around . The last things she saw before passing out were fire and the dragon fighting with something as big as itself .

Nobody even noticing some eyes watching them from distance , ready to jump to help if it would be needed .



What was the dragon fighting with ? What about merle ? Will she ever see Van again ? Will she ever tell Hitomi that she hates her ? And who belonged the eyes to ? I know it !!!!!



Okay ! So , what do you now think about it ? And actually I am thinking about the D/M

pairing . Should I make it ? Isn`t that a little bit too weird ? Tell me !