BODY {
SCROLLBAR-ARROW-COLOR: white; SCROLLBAR-DARKSHADOW-COLOR: #00ccff; SCROLLBAR-BASE-COLOR: #66ccff
}
Hitomi and Van walk along the path of the forest, watching the sunset as they
go. Well, it's more like Hitomi is walking and Van's in Hitomi's arms. Having
the breath squeezed out of him. Not that he really minds.
"So, you said you wanted lilies at the wedding? I've always likes daisies, but lilies are just gorgeous. Oh! How about babies breath? Do you have that flower on this planet? Its sooo pretty!" Hitomi rambles. Her and Van have been talking about the wedding since they left Millerna and Allen with Merle. Well, it's more like Hitomi's been talking and Van's been listening, and occasionally agreeing. The whole prospect of suddenly being engaged to Hitomi when he's always dreamed of dating her is a little too surreal for Van, so he just sits contently in her arms and listens to her talk about their future life together.
"Do you think Millerna and Merle would look better in pink or sky blue? Or maybe white with purple…oh, so many decisions!" Hitomi says, tapping her chin with her finger.
Van's ears perk up as he hears talking in the distance. He lifts his head and listens harder, trying to block out Hitomi's babbling. "Hitomi, quiet for a sec."
Hitomi stops talking and blinks down at Van. "Hun?"
"Shhh!" Van hisses, and Hitomi frowns and huffs. Van strains his ears and listens harder, and soon he's able to make out a few words.
"Where do you want it?"
"Couch….pretty…be careful…"
"That'll be….fifty…tax?"
"That's fine."
Van scowls as he finds the second voice agonizingly familiar. He can only make out a few words for their conversation, but it's obvious that something is being delivered to someone's house. Van's eyes widen and he whips his head around to face Hitomi.
"Hitomi!! Where are we!?"
"Uhh…" Hitomi starts, puzzled at Van's urgency. "We've just entered Hilitia."
"That's him!!" Van cries, leaping out of Hitomi's arms and racing down the path.
"Van!" Hitomi gasps, taking off after him. They run through the forest for about a minute, until Hitomi is forced to put on her Emergency Breaks™ (from Acme!) to keep from slamming into Van, who has suddenly stopped. Van snarls and leaps into a bush, and Hitomi follows quietly. "Van?" she asks, whispering. Van looks over at her and gestures towards the other side of the bush. Hitomi slowly sits up and peeks over the hedge.
What Hitomi sees are two men: one old and hunched over, and one young and strong. The young man is holding out a piece of paper for the old man to sign. The bearded old geezer snatches the paper from the younger mans hand and writes something at the bottom of it with obvious impatience. He finishes and tosses it at the young man, who is forced to leap up and catch it before it can fall into a puddle of mud in between them. He grumbles something and flips the old man the bird when his back is turned.
"You can leave now." The old man drawls, petting the crate that was delivered to his cottage with enthusiasm. The young man looks down at the old fart with obvious distaste and mutters something else before hopping onto his cart and leaving.
Hitomi shrinks back down with realization. "That old man…that's Omake, isn't it?"
"Yeah" Van growls, his ears flat against his head.
"So, what's in the box?"
"Probably ingredients for spells, or more stuffed ferrets."
Hitomi raises an eyebrow at Van, but doesn't say anything. Stuffed ferrets. Riiiight… "So, how are we going to get him? It's just us two…how are we going to stop him if he knows magic?"
Van stops dreaming about the fifty ways he can slaughter Omake and blinks up at Hitomi. "….Uhhh…"
Hitomi scowls and rolls her eyes. "You men! Always ready to leap into danger without any sort of plan. What were you planning on doing? Chewing on his ankles?"
"Possibly…." Van mutters, bowing his head.
"Arg! Well, I say we stay put until Allen gets here. He's basically the only one who can fight -Err…at the present time, because of your…uh…predicament. But otherwise you could kick ass!" Hitomi sputters when she sees the look Van gives her when she says only Allen can fight.
"Well…I don't like it. We have him unarmed when he's out of his house, and he's in sight. We could lose him if he goes inside. Remember last time?"
"But we didn't even know he was there! We just saw his cabin. He could have been gone for hours, even days."
"Or, he could have vanished. It isn't impossible. Look what he did to me!"
Hitomi sighs and rubs her temple. "Alright, alright, so what do you suggest we do?"
~*~
"I can't WAIT to get you little fella's inside…" Omake giggles, rubbing his hands together. "My little snumpkins will finally have some of his own kind to play with. He'll be soooo happy!" He starts to giggle insanely, than stops and clears is throat. "Well, let's get you guys inside, eh?"
Omake spits on both his hands, rubs them together, then bends down and grabs the crate. "Alright. Doesn't look too heavy. One, two, three! *SNAP* ARRGG!" He screams and lets go of the cart, grabbing his lower back. "Ouchouchouchouch!!" he bellows, running around in circles and kicking anything he sees. "That stupid child made it look so easy!"
He stops, takes a few deep breaths, then bends down and tries again. "Alright. A one, a two, a THREEEEE!! Arrrhhh…" Omake grunts as he pulls, and pulls, and friggen PULLS, but the crate just doesn't move. Suddenly there's a loud 'pop' and Omake leaps up, screaming. "AHH! My ARMS!" He cries, looking down at the ground. Both his arms are laying there, popped right out of their sockets. And skin. Ewww.
"Oh, this will not do at all!" He whines, tapping his foot on the ground and staring down at his arms in dismay. He would have scratched his head, but is unable to due to lack of anything to scratch his head with.
Suddenly there is a roaring sound coming from the forest, and Omake whips his head around to where the sound came from. His eyes widen in shock as a little black puppy comes flying towards him as if out of nowhere, attaches himself to his face and starts biting for all he's worth.
"RAAHHH! HELP! IT'S EATING MY FACE! OH DEAR GOD, IT HURTS!!!" Omake screams, running around in circles and banging his head on walls in a poor attempt to get Van off his face and leave his poor eyeballs the hell alone. It would have been a LOT easier if he had arms, though…
"HELP! SOMEONE GET THIS BASTARD OFF ME! AH! MY EYES! I *NEED* THOSE!"
"I'll kill you, you wrinkled old crone!" Van snarls around bites. Omake stops running around and gasps.
"You!" He growls. Van answers by taking a nice chunk of his remaining hair out of his skull. Omake screams and starts banging his face against the nearest wall. "Getoffgetoffgetoff!!"
"Err…Omake? I'm down here…"
Omake stops banging and looks down. Van is sitting on the grass a few feet behind him. Omake blinks and looks up at the wall, then looks back down at Van. "Ohhh…no wonder it hurt so much…" He runs up to the nearest puddle and looks down at his reflection. Besides the bite marks, the scratch marks, the missing hair, and the chunk of his cheek that he new wasn't missing before, he sees a HUGE bump right in the middle of his forehead. I'm talking MOUNTAIN bump. Like, birds could nest on this thing.
Omake lets out a ferocious snarl and runs at Van, intent on stomping the living piss out of him. But before he can even lift his foot, a loud 'clang' is heard, and Omake giggles and falls flat on his face. Hitomi stands above the unconscious Omake wielding a frying pan and looking quite smug.
"NO ONE attacks MY Van-kuns."
Van blushes and smiles up at Hitomi. "Nice job."
"Arigato ^_^"
~*~
Omake groans as he opens his eyes and instantly enters a world of pain. His face hurts, the back of his head hurts, his elbows REALLY hurt, and his ankles feel like they're being sawed off.
"Welcome back to the conscious world, Omake."
Omake's head snaps up at the familiar voice. He narrows his eyes as best he can without causing himself too much pain, and resists the urge to spit. "Hello, Van. I see my spell worked rather nicely. You look much better as a dog. You weren't very good-looking as a person."
Before Van could even get pissed at Omake's comment, Hitomi snarls and leaps at Omake, grabbing him by the shirt and shaking him back and forth ruthlessly. "HOW DARE YOU CALL VAN UGLY! HE HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF THE SEXIEST MEN I HAVE EVER MET IN MY ENTIRE LIFE! IF ANYONE IS UGLY IT'S YOU, YOU OLD WART!"
Van's entire body turns a nice healthy shade of red, and he sputters a bit before choking on his own spit and collapsing. Hitomi and Omake hardly notice Van, however. They're way too wrapped up in slicing each others heads off with razor sharp words.
"Old wart!? Have some respect you stupid woman! I happen to be one of the most powerful potion masters on this damn planet! I could have you turned into a puddle of piss if I wished it!"
"If you're so damn powerful then how come we have you tied up and beaten in the basement of your own cottage!?"
That caused Omake to shut up and think. He sputters for a few seconds before huffing and sticking his nose up into the air. "I could get out of here if I wish, I just wanted to give you two the illusion that you're beating me."
Hitomi laughs and jabs a finger at Omake's stomach. "HA! That's a laugh! You couldn't save your own ass if your life depended on it. Which it does. Now. Tell me what the antidote is and I'll let you live."
"Now why would I want to do something like that?"
"Because if you don't, we'll torture you!"
"Oooo, I'm SO afraid! Please little girl, don't hurt me!" Omake says sarcastically, acting afraid. "And whatever you do, don't sic your little puppy on me!"
Hitomi's eyes narrow and she grabs a kitchen knife. "You asked for it…"
Omake's eyes widen when he sees the sharp knife, and he tries to move his chair away from her. "What are you going to do? W-what are you going to do!?"
"Whatever I have to do to get some answers…" Hitomi whispers, lowering the knife closer and closer to Omake. Suddenly she pushes the knife forward, and Omake screws his eyes shut. But instead of stabbing him, Hitomi lowers the knife to a plate. She grabs a fork in one hand, holds the knife in the other, and starts raking both utensils over the plate to make an almost nails-on-chalkboard sound. (1)
"ARG! That's so ANNOYING! Stop it!!"
"Not until you talk!"
"NEVER!"
"Fine. You asked for it." Hitomi growls, and she scrapes harder. Omake grits his teeth and tries to block out the sound, but it's just too…IRRITATING.
"AH! ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, I'LL TALK!"
"Spill it!" Hitomi shouts, dropping the silverware and glaring at Omake.
"T-the antidote isn't really made yet…I mean, I had no intention of changing Van back. I mean, I do hate the little bastard and-"
"Watch what you say about my Van-sama!"
Omake suddenly stops, than grins evilly. "Of course. So sorry…anyways, I never intended to change him back, but I do know the ingredients for the antidote. I have the list in that drawer over there." He says, gesturing to said piece of furniture with his head. Hitomi walks over to it and opens the drawer, taking out a piece of paper and reading it over.
"How do I know that this is the actual antidote?"
"You have my word."
"Your word is about as good as a maxed-out credit card in a shopping mall." Hitomi growls. Omake looks totally clueless as to what Hitomi just meant, but chooses not to say anything.
"Err…right. I take it that means you don't believe me. Well, that's alright. That piece of paper is all I'm giving you. You try it, or you don't. How could things get any worse? Your fiancée is a puppy."
Hitomi opens her mouth to say something, but stops and eyes Omake. "Wait…how do you know me and Van are engaged?"
"Errr…I, uh…well, word travels fast around these parts, you see…besides, I AM a powerful potions master. I can see all…"
Hitomi stares at Omake for a few seconds before shrugging and stepping up to him again. "This isn't good enough." She says, waving the paper around. "I need proof that this is what I'm looking for. So, I think we should take you along with us to get the ingredients. Then, when we make the potion, we'll try it on you first. It shouldn't do anything if it's an antidote, right?"
Omake's eyes widen and he starts struggling. "N-no! I don't want to go! You can't make me!"
"Oh yes she can."
Hitomi and Omake whip their heads around to stare at the newcomer. Allen is standing in the doorway, Van in his arms. Millerna is standing behind him, holding a leash in her hand. Merle is on the other end of the leash, a huge contraption around her neck and a muzzle covering her mouth. It's a good thing she has the muzzle, because at the sight of Hitomi she starts to scream curses and foam at the mouth. Hitomi squeals and hugs Allen, ignoring Merle. "I'm so glad you're here! He's really being a pain…"
Allen chuckles and looks back at Millerna, who nods and hands him something. "Oh, we'll take care of that…"
Omake gulps as Allen advances on him, and prays to whatever god he believes in for mercy.
~*~
"You guys are really sick, you know that? SICK. I hope you get eaten alive by…by swamp monsters or-"
"Oh, shut up Omake." Van says absentmindedly from Hitomi's arms. Hitomi looks back at Omakes state and giggles.
Omake is tied to a leash identical to Merles. He has an electric-shock mechanism tied around his neck that shocks him whenever he doesn't keep up. He doesn't have a muzzle on, but there is one tucked safely away inside Millerna's pouch should he ever talk too much. They would have made him walk on all fours, but since he lost his arms he's forced to wiggle along the path like a worm. The fact that he has no arms and no hair only adds to the picture. He looks like a giant pet slug. A beaten up pet slug…
They also made him wiggle next to Merle, who would kick, scratch, spit or swear at him every minute or two. Omake is NOT a happy camper.
"I'm going to get you, Van Fanel. You just wait and see how badly I'm going to ge-EEEKKKIETCHMP!" Omake squeals as Allen presses the little button on the leash that shocks the person on the other end. Allen chuckles and sticks his tongue out at Omake.
That shock, however, helped Omake remember the plan he had formulated while Hitomi was 'torturing' him. He grins sadistically and looks up at Hitomi. "Say, Van…are you happy with your little fiancée?"
Van looks down at Omake and frowns, knowing something was wrong. "Yes…why?"
"I hope you enjoyed it while it lasted…Hitomi, fries are for good little ferrets!!"
Hitomi suddenly goes stiff and drops Van. Van squeaks and falls to the floor, landing flat on his face. Allen stops walking and stares at the scene with a horrified look on his face. Oh…no…this is exactly what happened when Hitomi…oh, poor Van…
Van grabs his tail and peels himself off the floor. He rubs his face and stares up at Hitomi. "Ouch! That hurt! What was that for?"
Hitomi blinks and rubs her head. "Ah…my head hurts…HEY! How did we get here!?" Hitomi says, looking around the forest with wide eyes. "I thought we were at the cabin…and we couldn't find Omake…"
Millerna blinks at Hitomi, looking as lost as Van. Allen, however, has figured everything out, and looks like he's about to cry.
"Hun? Hitomi, we left the cabin a long time ago. Remember? We couldn't find him, but some guy told us where he might be before Merle ripped his balls off?"
Hitomi scratches her head, then shakes it. "I don't remember that…"
Omake suddenly cackles insanely and does a little victory dance. "Hahahaha! I got you, Van! I told you I'd get you! Hahahaha!"
Van glares at Omake and looks back up at Hitomi. "Hitomi…you don't remember anything?"
"Well, let's see…I remember walking up to the cabin, Allen kicks the door down, and no one was there. Then, I suddenly felt this…presence in my mind, like someone was trying to control me. Make me believe something that wasn't true…I can't describe it…then everything went black, and now I'm here…"
Van goes completely pale, and swallows hard. "Make you believe something…that isn't true…" Van murmurs as he realizes what's happened.
"Van? Are you okay?" Hitomi asks when she sees Van start to sway.
"Hahaha! Of course he isn't!" Omake cackles, wiggling up to Van. "I was controlling her thoughts the whole time! I made her think that you guys were going out, that you cheated on her, and that she actually wanted to marry you!" he whispers harshly. Van grits his teeth as his heart is slowly sliced into a few dozen pieces and tossed into the air.
Allen snarls loudly and unsheathes his sword. "I'll fucken kill you!" he screams, charging at Omake.
"No!!" Millerna shouts, grabbing Allen's arm and holding him back with all her might. "We need him! We need him alive!"
"It doesn't matter…" Van croaks. "I have no desire to be human anymore."
"Van??" Hitomi asks, concerned. She kneels down in front of him and try's to pick him up, but he shys away from her. "Van? What's the matter? Please tell me what's wrong!"
"Nothing. I'm fine. Excuse me…" Van whispers, and he turns around and runs into the forest.
"Van!" Hitomi shouts, getting up and running after him. She's stopped short by a firm hand on her shoulder, and she looks up at Allen with a confused expression. "Allen, what's wrong with Van? What did I say?"
"You…didn't say anything. I'll explain later. Let me go after him."
"But-"
"Trust me, Hitomi."
Hitomi sighs and nods. "Alright…I just wish I knew what was wrong with him…"
"It's fine. Everything will be alright." Allen reassures before sheathing his sword and taking off after Van.
Hitomi stares after the two men with a heavy heart, and Millerna walks up behind her and puts a comforting arm across her shoulder.
~*~
Allen stops and looks around, frustrated. He had no idea it would be this hard to find one black puppy. He had been searching for a good ten minutes, and still wasn't anywhere near Van. Poor Van…he didn't deserve this. You could almost see his heart breaking. I'll get that sick bastard if it's the last thing I do… Allen hears a twig snap behind him, and he whips around, sword drawn. Allen breathes a sigh of pure relief and sheaths his sword, smiling down at the newcomer. "Van…"
Van looks up at Allen with a blank expression. "Allen. Why did you follow me?"
Allen sighs and sits next to Van, who sits down in turn. "Van…I can assure you that it's not what it looks like."
"OH!? It's not!?" Van snarls, taking Allen totally by surprise. "You mean I haven't been totally blind and stupid? Thinking that ANYONE could want me, especially Hitomi!? And it happened so suddenly, too! With the whole Millerna thing…something was obviously up, but I was too damn slap happy thinking that…that…" Van's voice starts to crack, so he stops and looks down.
"Then I guess I was blind and stupid, too, if I didn't see it."
"You're not blind or stupid…"
"Exactly. And do you know why?"
Van looks up at Allen with a very confused expression. "Hun?"
"The reason I didn't suspect anything was because I KNEW Hitomi loved you, and I just thought she was finally voicing it."
Van's eyes widen and almost fly off his head, but his eyes suddenly narrow and he growls at Allen. 'That is NOT funny!"
"Of course it isn't, because I'm not kidding! You ARE blind!"
"Gee, thanks Allen. I already knew I was in idiot, but all I need was for you to fucken tell me to complete the damn picture!"
"LISTEN to me, Van. You are blind, but not in the way that you think! You're blind because you couldn't see before that Hitomi was OBVIOUSLY head over heels for you! You're blind because you didn't see that you were OBVIOSULY head over heels for her too, until a little while ago! You were not blind in thinking that Hitomi wanted you, you were finally SEEING."
Van doesn't say anything, just stares at Allen with wide eyes and a wider mouth, so Allen continues.
"You're so damn wrapped up in thinking that no one could love you, that you miss it when someone actually does!"
That part did it. Van finally snaps out of his stupor and forms actual words. "A-are you sure??"
"Of course I'm sure. If you really looked, you'd see the signs too. Instead of moping around, why don't you pay more attention to the way Hitomi acts around you? Stop being so damn arrogant and try opening up to people a bit, then maybe you would see people's true feelings a bit better."
"Arrogant!? I am *not* arrogant!" Van growls.
"Yes, you ARE. You don't ever bother yourself with finding out about other people. You totally ignored Hitomi when you first met her. I bet the only words you exchanged with her were 'Do you need to go to the bathroom?' or 'There's your room.' And she told me about your first conversation too. Woo, REAL smooth. You acted like a total ass, didn't you?"
Van chooses not to say anything, just bow his head.
"Not that I'm any better in the 'woo, I'm so cool, lookit me' department, but that isn't really your problem, is it? It's more an 'I don't need to know about you because you don't concern me' department. It's more a ' I want to deliberately depress myself so I'm not going to talk to anyone about how I feel or what I'm about because I'm scared shitless' department, isn't it? It's more a-"
"ALRIGHT! I get it, damnit…" Van mutters.
Allen smirks and shakes his head. "Truth sucks, doesn't it?"
Van nods wordlessly, lost in thought. Allen grins and sits up, his work done. "Well. What do you say we head back? You're worrying everyone to death. Err…everyone meaning me, Millerna and Hiotmi. And I'm sure Merle's worried too. If she even knows what's going on…"
Van laughs a strong, healthy laugh, and walks along side Allen. "Umm…A-allen?"
"Yeah?"
"….Thanks. You're a good friend."
Allen smiles warmly at Van, then whoops with joy, throwing his hands up in the air. "There we go! You're on the road to recovery!"
~*~
Millerna and Hitomi sit on a large rock, laughing their asses off as they toss Omake his dinner. They're basically ripping little pieces of bred off a loaf and throwing them at him.
"Hey! Omake! Over here, boy!" Hitomi jokes, tossing another piece of bread at him. It hits his forehead, bounces off, and lands in front of Merle, who gobbles it up without even blinking. Omake whimpers.
"That's the fifth time she's done that! Can't we do this somewhere else?" Omake whines.
"No. If you're too damn slow to catch your dinner, it's your problem." Millerna says, throwing another piece of bread at him. It sails over his head and lands in front of Merle. She looks at it, looks at Omake, grins evilly then picks it up and plops it into her mouth. "Oooops, silly me, look at that awful aim!"
"Geeze, Mil. Stop being such a little girl and throw properly!" Hitomi teases.
"Alright, alright I will." Millerna says, ripping off another piece and tossing it. It sails above Omake again and lands in front of Merle, who it's it right away.
"HEY! You said you would aim!"
"I did." Millerna says, grinning evilly. "I was aiming at Merle. She has to eat too, you know."
"She HAS eaten! She's eaten everything you've thrown! I haven't had a single bite!"
"Well, that's your problem." Hitomi says, tossing another piece of bread that rolls past Omake and lands right at Merle's feet.
A few seconds later, Van and Allen emerge from the forest, both smiling. Hitomi and Millerna stop torturing Omake and stare at them. Hitomi hops off the rock and runs to meet Van.
"Van! Are you alright? What's wrong? What happened?"
Van is about to answer, but stops and stares at Hitomi with wide eyes. She…she actually cares how I am? She looks so concerned. How come I didn't notice this before? Allen was right… Van smiles up at Hitomi and nods. "I'm alright Hitomi. I just…err…had a moment. Or something…"
Hitomi raises an eyebrow at Van, and is about to answer when she hears a frighteningly familiar voice.
"BURN! BURN THE TREE'S! BURN THEM ALL! I HATE NATURE!"
"Dilandou-sama…if we burn the tree's we'll die with them…"
"Are you calling me stupid!?"
"O-of course not! Forgive me!"
"Damn right…"
Everyone freezes and look at each other and mouth the same word.
Dilandou!?
"What the hell is he doing here?" Allen whispers, unsheathing his sword.
"I don't know, bu-"
"VAN!" Hitomi is cut off a scream, and they all twirl around to see Dilandou emerge from the bushes, sword drawn. "Oh, wait, that isn't Van, it's just Pansy Boy." Dilandou deadpans, looking directly at Allen. Allen snarls and raises his sword.
"Who the hell are you calling a pansy!? If anyone here looks like a damn girl, it's you!"(2)
Dilandou screams, and is about to charge Allen, but Miguel runs out of the forest to stand in between them, holding a duck in his hands. "Dilandou-sama! Stop!"
"Why the hell should I!? How dare you tell me what to do!"
"But Dilandou-sama, Omake is right there!" The duck responds, much to the Esca-gangs surprise. Dilandou lowers his sword slowly and looks in the direction the duck pointed to. As soon as Omake sees Dilandou, he starts screaming. Like, really screaming. Like girly kind of screaming.
Dilandou chuckles and walks towards Omake. "Well, we've finally found you…"
"OH, DEAR SWEET FERRETS! GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME! EEEEEIIIII!!" he screams, scrambling away from Dilandou. Allen pulls on his leash, causing him to fly forwards and get shocked. Dilandou eyes the leash and grins. " I like that thing…"
"Dilandou? Why do you want Omake?" Allen questions.
Dilandou snaps his head around and narrows his eyes at Allen. "Why? WHY!? Because he turned Chesta into a friggen duck, that's why!"
Everyone gasps and looks over at the duck, who waves shyly.
"But why?" Van asks. Dilandou's eyebrows fly up, and he walks over to the tiny puppy, tilting his head to the side.
"Oh…don't tell me…Van?"
Van nods slowly, and Dilandou's head fly's backwards in cold, hard laughter. "Oh! This is TOO good! My enemy…reduced to a little puppy! My mood is permanently lightened! Haha!"
"Yeah, laugh it up, asshole." Van mutters.
"Well…it seems we both need to get something from the same person, so…I say we call a truce." Hitomi ventures.
"No way!"
"Absolutely not!"
"Well *I* wouldn't mind…"
"Whatever, as long as I'm not a duck anymore…"
"I will NOT co-operate with the enemy!"
"I'd rather die!"
"RAAH! MEN!" Hitomi screams. Everyone stops bickering to stare at her. "LISTEN to me, you pig-headed sacks of testosterone! You WILL co-operate or I will make each and every one of your lives a living hell, DO YOU GET ME!?"
"We get you, sir! Errr…m'am…" They all respond at once, saluting her.
"Good! Now, Dilandou, you lead the way since you like to slice things. Allen will follow up, then Me, then Van, then Miguel and Chesta, then Millerna and Merle. Omake is with Allen. Alright, let's go!" She ordered, clapping her hands together. Eveyone obediently got into their order, and Dilandou unsheathes his sword and starts to clear the way at her say so.
"Heh. I like her. She's got spirit." Dilandou remarks, smirking.
End of Chapter 5.
"So, you said you wanted lilies at the wedding? I've always likes daisies, but lilies are just gorgeous. Oh! How about babies breath? Do you have that flower on this planet? Its sooo pretty!" Hitomi rambles. Her and Van have been talking about the wedding since they left Millerna and Allen with Merle. Well, it's more like Hitomi's been talking and Van's been listening, and occasionally agreeing. The whole prospect of suddenly being engaged to Hitomi when he's always dreamed of dating her is a little too surreal for Van, so he just sits contently in her arms and listens to her talk about their future life together.
"Do you think Millerna and Merle would look better in pink or sky blue? Or maybe white with purple…oh, so many decisions!" Hitomi says, tapping her chin with her finger.
Van's ears perk up as he hears talking in the distance. He lifts his head and listens harder, trying to block out Hitomi's babbling. "Hitomi, quiet for a sec."
Hitomi stops talking and blinks down at Van. "Hun?"
"Shhh!" Van hisses, and Hitomi frowns and huffs. Van strains his ears and listens harder, and soon he's able to make out a few words.
"Where do you want it?"
"Couch….pretty…be careful…"
"That'll be….fifty…tax?"
"That's fine."
Van scowls as he finds the second voice agonizingly familiar. He can only make out a few words for their conversation, but it's obvious that something is being delivered to someone's house. Van's eyes widen and he whips his head around to face Hitomi.
"Hitomi!! Where are we!?"
"Uhh…" Hitomi starts, puzzled at Van's urgency. "We've just entered Hilitia."
"That's him!!" Van cries, leaping out of Hitomi's arms and racing down the path.
"Van!" Hitomi gasps, taking off after him. They run through the forest for about a minute, until Hitomi is forced to put on her Emergency Breaks™ (from Acme!) to keep from slamming into Van, who has suddenly stopped. Van snarls and leaps into a bush, and Hitomi follows quietly. "Van?" she asks, whispering. Van looks over at her and gestures towards the other side of the bush. Hitomi slowly sits up and peeks over the hedge.
What Hitomi sees are two men: one old and hunched over, and one young and strong. The young man is holding out a piece of paper for the old man to sign. The bearded old geezer snatches the paper from the younger mans hand and writes something at the bottom of it with obvious impatience. He finishes and tosses it at the young man, who is forced to leap up and catch it before it can fall into a puddle of mud in between them. He grumbles something and flips the old man the bird when his back is turned.
"You can leave now." The old man drawls, petting the crate that was delivered to his cottage with enthusiasm. The young man looks down at the old fart with obvious distaste and mutters something else before hopping onto his cart and leaving.
Hitomi shrinks back down with realization. "That old man…that's Omake, isn't it?"
"Yeah" Van growls, his ears flat against his head.
"So, what's in the box?"
"Probably ingredients for spells, or more stuffed ferrets."
Hitomi raises an eyebrow at Van, but doesn't say anything. Stuffed ferrets. Riiiight… "So, how are we going to get him? It's just us two…how are we going to stop him if he knows magic?"
Van stops dreaming about the fifty ways he can slaughter Omake and blinks up at Hitomi. "….Uhhh…"
Hitomi scowls and rolls her eyes. "You men! Always ready to leap into danger without any sort of plan. What were you planning on doing? Chewing on his ankles?"
"Possibly…." Van mutters, bowing his head.
"Arg! Well, I say we stay put until Allen gets here. He's basically the only one who can fight -Err…at the present time, because of your…uh…predicament. But otherwise you could kick ass!" Hitomi sputters when she sees the look Van gives her when she says only Allen can fight.
"Well…I don't like it. We have him unarmed when he's out of his house, and he's in sight. We could lose him if he goes inside. Remember last time?"
"But we didn't even know he was there! We just saw his cabin. He could have been gone for hours, even days."
"Or, he could have vanished. It isn't impossible. Look what he did to me!"
Hitomi sighs and rubs her temple. "Alright, alright, so what do you suggest we do?"
~*~
"I can't WAIT to get you little fella's inside…" Omake giggles, rubbing his hands together. "My little snumpkins will finally have some of his own kind to play with. He'll be soooo happy!" He starts to giggle insanely, than stops and clears is throat. "Well, let's get you guys inside, eh?"
Omake spits on both his hands, rubs them together, then bends down and grabs the crate. "Alright. Doesn't look too heavy. One, two, three! *SNAP* ARRGG!" He screams and lets go of the cart, grabbing his lower back. "Ouchouchouchouch!!" he bellows, running around in circles and kicking anything he sees. "That stupid child made it look so easy!"
He stops, takes a few deep breaths, then bends down and tries again. "Alright. A one, a two, a THREEEEE!! Arrrhhh…" Omake grunts as he pulls, and pulls, and friggen PULLS, but the crate just doesn't move. Suddenly there's a loud 'pop' and Omake leaps up, screaming. "AHH! My ARMS!" He cries, looking down at the ground. Both his arms are laying there, popped right out of their sockets. And skin. Ewww.
"Oh, this will not do at all!" He whines, tapping his foot on the ground and staring down at his arms in dismay. He would have scratched his head, but is unable to due to lack of anything to scratch his head with.
Suddenly there is a roaring sound coming from the forest, and Omake whips his head around to where the sound came from. His eyes widen in shock as a little black puppy comes flying towards him as if out of nowhere, attaches himself to his face and starts biting for all he's worth.
"RAAHHH! HELP! IT'S EATING MY FACE! OH DEAR GOD, IT HURTS!!!" Omake screams, running around in circles and banging his head on walls in a poor attempt to get Van off his face and leave his poor eyeballs the hell alone. It would have been a LOT easier if he had arms, though…
"HELP! SOMEONE GET THIS BASTARD OFF ME! AH! MY EYES! I *NEED* THOSE!"
"I'll kill you, you wrinkled old crone!" Van snarls around bites. Omake stops running around and gasps.
"You!" He growls. Van answers by taking a nice chunk of his remaining hair out of his skull. Omake screams and starts banging his face against the nearest wall. "Getoffgetoffgetoff!!"
"Err…Omake? I'm down here…"
Omake stops banging and looks down. Van is sitting on the grass a few feet behind him. Omake blinks and looks up at the wall, then looks back down at Van. "Ohhh…no wonder it hurt so much…" He runs up to the nearest puddle and looks down at his reflection. Besides the bite marks, the scratch marks, the missing hair, and the chunk of his cheek that he new wasn't missing before, he sees a HUGE bump right in the middle of his forehead. I'm talking MOUNTAIN bump. Like, birds could nest on this thing.
Omake lets out a ferocious snarl and runs at Van, intent on stomping the living piss out of him. But before he can even lift his foot, a loud 'clang' is heard, and Omake giggles and falls flat on his face. Hitomi stands above the unconscious Omake wielding a frying pan and looking quite smug.
"NO ONE attacks MY Van-kuns."
Van blushes and smiles up at Hitomi. "Nice job."
"Arigato ^_^"
~*~
Omake groans as he opens his eyes and instantly enters a world of pain. His face hurts, the back of his head hurts, his elbows REALLY hurt, and his ankles feel like they're being sawed off.
"Welcome back to the conscious world, Omake."
Omake's head snaps up at the familiar voice. He narrows his eyes as best he can without causing himself too much pain, and resists the urge to spit. "Hello, Van. I see my spell worked rather nicely. You look much better as a dog. You weren't very good-looking as a person."
Before Van could even get pissed at Omake's comment, Hitomi snarls and leaps at Omake, grabbing him by the shirt and shaking him back and forth ruthlessly. "HOW DARE YOU CALL VAN UGLY! HE HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF THE SEXIEST MEN I HAVE EVER MET IN MY ENTIRE LIFE! IF ANYONE IS UGLY IT'S YOU, YOU OLD WART!"
Van's entire body turns a nice healthy shade of red, and he sputters a bit before choking on his own spit and collapsing. Hitomi and Omake hardly notice Van, however. They're way too wrapped up in slicing each others heads off with razor sharp words.
"Old wart!? Have some respect you stupid woman! I happen to be one of the most powerful potion masters on this damn planet! I could have you turned into a puddle of piss if I wished it!"
"If you're so damn powerful then how come we have you tied up and beaten in the basement of your own cottage!?"
That caused Omake to shut up and think. He sputters for a few seconds before huffing and sticking his nose up into the air. "I could get out of here if I wish, I just wanted to give you two the illusion that you're beating me."
Hitomi laughs and jabs a finger at Omake's stomach. "HA! That's a laugh! You couldn't save your own ass if your life depended on it. Which it does. Now. Tell me what the antidote is and I'll let you live."
"Now why would I want to do something like that?"
"Because if you don't, we'll torture you!"
"Oooo, I'm SO afraid! Please little girl, don't hurt me!" Omake says sarcastically, acting afraid. "And whatever you do, don't sic your little puppy on me!"
Hitomi's eyes narrow and she grabs a kitchen knife. "You asked for it…"
Omake's eyes widen when he sees the sharp knife, and he tries to move his chair away from her. "What are you going to do? W-what are you going to do!?"
"Whatever I have to do to get some answers…" Hitomi whispers, lowering the knife closer and closer to Omake. Suddenly she pushes the knife forward, and Omake screws his eyes shut. But instead of stabbing him, Hitomi lowers the knife to a plate. She grabs a fork in one hand, holds the knife in the other, and starts raking both utensils over the plate to make an almost nails-on-chalkboard sound. (1)
"ARG! That's so ANNOYING! Stop it!!"
"Not until you talk!"
"NEVER!"
"Fine. You asked for it." Hitomi growls, and she scrapes harder. Omake grits his teeth and tries to block out the sound, but it's just too…IRRITATING.
"AH! ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, I'LL TALK!"
"Spill it!" Hitomi shouts, dropping the silverware and glaring at Omake.
"T-the antidote isn't really made yet…I mean, I had no intention of changing Van back. I mean, I do hate the little bastard and-"
"Watch what you say about my Van-sama!"
Omake suddenly stops, than grins evilly. "Of course. So sorry…anyways, I never intended to change him back, but I do know the ingredients for the antidote. I have the list in that drawer over there." He says, gesturing to said piece of furniture with his head. Hitomi walks over to it and opens the drawer, taking out a piece of paper and reading it over.
"How do I know that this is the actual antidote?"
"You have my word."
"Your word is about as good as a maxed-out credit card in a shopping mall." Hitomi growls. Omake looks totally clueless as to what Hitomi just meant, but chooses not to say anything.
"Err…right. I take it that means you don't believe me. Well, that's alright. That piece of paper is all I'm giving you. You try it, or you don't. How could things get any worse? Your fiancée is a puppy."
Hitomi opens her mouth to say something, but stops and eyes Omake. "Wait…how do you know me and Van are engaged?"
"Errr…I, uh…well, word travels fast around these parts, you see…besides, I AM a powerful potions master. I can see all…"
Hitomi stares at Omake for a few seconds before shrugging and stepping up to him again. "This isn't good enough." She says, waving the paper around. "I need proof that this is what I'm looking for. So, I think we should take you along with us to get the ingredients. Then, when we make the potion, we'll try it on you first. It shouldn't do anything if it's an antidote, right?"
Omake's eyes widen and he starts struggling. "N-no! I don't want to go! You can't make me!"
"Oh yes she can."
Hitomi and Omake whip their heads around to stare at the newcomer. Allen is standing in the doorway, Van in his arms. Millerna is standing behind him, holding a leash in her hand. Merle is on the other end of the leash, a huge contraption around her neck and a muzzle covering her mouth. It's a good thing she has the muzzle, because at the sight of Hitomi she starts to scream curses and foam at the mouth. Hitomi squeals and hugs Allen, ignoring Merle. "I'm so glad you're here! He's really being a pain…"
Allen chuckles and looks back at Millerna, who nods and hands him something. "Oh, we'll take care of that…"
Omake gulps as Allen advances on him, and prays to whatever god he believes in for mercy.
~*~
"You guys are really sick, you know that? SICK. I hope you get eaten alive by…by swamp monsters or-"
"Oh, shut up Omake." Van says absentmindedly from Hitomi's arms. Hitomi looks back at Omakes state and giggles.
Omake is tied to a leash identical to Merles. He has an electric-shock mechanism tied around his neck that shocks him whenever he doesn't keep up. He doesn't have a muzzle on, but there is one tucked safely away inside Millerna's pouch should he ever talk too much. They would have made him walk on all fours, but since he lost his arms he's forced to wiggle along the path like a worm. The fact that he has no arms and no hair only adds to the picture. He looks like a giant pet slug. A beaten up pet slug…
They also made him wiggle next to Merle, who would kick, scratch, spit or swear at him every minute or two. Omake is NOT a happy camper.
"I'm going to get you, Van Fanel. You just wait and see how badly I'm going to ge-EEEKKKIETCHMP!" Omake squeals as Allen presses the little button on the leash that shocks the person on the other end. Allen chuckles and sticks his tongue out at Omake.
That shock, however, helped Omake remember the plan he had formulated while Hitomi was 'torturing' him. He grins sadistically and looks up at Hitomi. "Say, Van…are you happy with your little fiancée?"
Van looks down at Omake and frowns, knowing something was wrong. "Yes…why?"
"I hope you enjoyed it while it lasted…Hitomi, fries are for good little ferrets!!"
Hitomi suddenly goes stiff and drops Van. Van squeaks and falls to the floor, landing flat on his face. Allen stops walking and stares at the scene with a horrified look on his face. Oh…no…this is exactly what happened when Hitomi…oh, poor Van…
Van grabs his tail and peels himself off the floor. He rubs his face and stares up at Hitomi. "Ouch! That hurt! What was that for?"
Hitomi blinks and rubs her head. "Ah…my head hurts…HEY! How did we get here!?" Hitomi says, looking around the forest with wide eyes. "I thought we were at the cabin…and we couldn't find Omake…"
Millerna blinks at Hitomi, looking as lost as Van. Allen, however, has figured everything out, and looks like he's about to cry.
"Hun? Hitomi, we left the cabin a long time ago. Remember? We couldn't find him, but some guy told us where he might be before Merle ripped his balls off?"
Hitomi scratches her head, then shakes it. "I don't remember that…"
Omake suddenly cackles insanely and does a little victory dance. "Hahahaha! I got you, Van! I told you I'd get you! Hahahaha!"
Van glares at Omake and looks back up at Hitomi. "Hitomi…you don't remember anything?"
"Well, let's see…I remember walking up to the cabin, Allen kicks the door down, and no one was there. Then, I suddenly felt this…presence in my mind, like someone was trying to control me. Make me believe something that wasn't true…I can't describe it…then everything went black, and now I'm here…"
Van goes completely pale, and swallows hard. "Make you believe something…that isn't true…" Van murmurs as he realizes what's happened.
"Van? Are you okay?" Hitomi asks when she sees Van start to sway.
"Hahaha! Of course he isn't!" Omake cackles, wiggling up to Van. "I was controlling her thoughts the whole time! I made her think that you guys were going out, that you cheated on her, and that she actually wanted to marry you!" he whispers harshly. Van grits his teeth as his heart is slowly sliced into a few dozen pieces and tossed into the air.
Allen snarls loudly and unsheathes his sword. "I'll fucken kill you!" he screams, charging at Omake.
"No!!" Millerna shouts, grabbing Allen's arm and holding him back with all her might. "We need him! We need him alive!"
"It doesn't matter…" Van croaks. "I have no desire to be human anymore."
"Van??" Hitomi asks, concerned. She kneels down in front of him and try's to pick him up, but he shys away from her. "Van? What's the matter? Please tell me what's wrong!"
"Nothing. I'm fine. Excuse me…" Van whispers, and he turns around and runs into the forest.
"Van!" Hitomi shouts, getting up and running after him. She's stopped short by a firm hand on her shoulder, and she looks up at Allen with a confused expression. "Allen, what's wrong with Van? What did I say?"
"You…didn't say anything. I'll explain later. Let me go after him."
"But-"
"Trust me, Hitomi."
Hitomi sighs and nods. "Alright…I just wish I knew what was wrong with him…"
"It's fine. Everything will be alright." Allen reassures before sheathing his sword and taking off after Van.
Hitomi stares after the two men with a heavy heart, and Millerna walks up behind her and puts a comforting arm across her shoulder.
~*~
Allen stops and looks around, frustrated. He had no idea it would be this hard to find one black puppy. He had been searching for a good ten minutes, and still wasn't anywhere near Van. Poor Van…he didn't deserve this. You could almost see his heart breaking. I'll get that sick bastard if it's the last thing I do… Allen hears a twig snap behind him, and he whips around, sword drawn. Allen breathes a sigh of pure relief and sheaths his sword, smiling down at the newcomer. "Van…"
Van looks up at Allen with a blank expression. "Allen. Why did you follow me?"
Allen sighs and sits next to Van, who sits down in turn. "Van…I can assure you that it's not what it looks like."
"OH!? It's not!?" Van snarls, taking Allen totally by surprise. "You mean I haven't been totally blind and stupid? Thinking that ANYONE could want me, especially Hitomi!? And it happened so suddenly, too! With the whole Millerna thing…something was obviously up, but I was too damn slap happy thinking that…that…" Van's voice starts to crack, so he stops and looks down.
"Then I guess I was blind and stupid, too, if I didn't see it."
"You're not blind or stupid…"
"Exactly. And do you know why?"
Van looks up at Allen with a very confused expression. "Hun?"
"The reason I didn't suspect anything was because I KNEW Hitomi loved you, and I just thought she was finally voicing it."
Van's eyes widen and almost fly off his head, but his eyes suddenly narrow and he growls at Allen. 'That is NOT funny!"
"Of course it isn't, because I'm not kidding! You ARE blind!"
"Gee, thanks Allen. I already knew I was in idiot, but all I need was for you to fucken tell me to complete the damn picture!"
"LISTEN to me, Van. You are blind, but not in the way that you think! You're blind because you couldn't see before that Hitomi was OBVIOUSLY head over heels for you! You're blind because you didn't see that you were OBVIOSULY head over heels for her too, until a little while ago! You were not blind in thinking that Hitomi wanted you, you were finally SEEING."
Van doesn't say anything, just stares at Allen with wide eyes and a wider mouth, so Allen continues.
"You're so damn wrapped up in thinking that no one could love you, that you miss it when someone actually does!"
That part did it. Van finally snaps out of his stupor and forms actual words. "A-are you sure??"
"Of course I'm sure. If you really looked, you'd see the signs too. Instead of moping around, why don't you pay more attention to the way Hitomi acts around you? Stop being so damn arrogant and try opening up to people a bit, then maybe you would see people's true feelings a bit better."
"Arrogant!? I am *not* arrogant!" Van growls.
"Yes, you ARE. You don't ever bother yourself with finding out about other people. You totally ignored Hitomi when you first met her. I bet the only words you exchanged with her were 'Do you need to go to the bathroom?' or 'There's your room.' And she told me about your first conversation too. Woo, REAL smooth. You acted like a total ass, didn't you?"
Van chooses not to say anything, just bow his head.
"Not that I'm any better in the 'woo, I'm so cool, lookit me' department, but that isn't really your problem, is it? It's more an 'I don't need to know about you because you don't concern me' department. It's more a ' I want to deliberately depress myself so I'm not going to talk to anyone about how I feel or what I'm about because I'm scared shitless' department, isn't it? It's more a-"
"ALRIGHT! I get it, damnit…" Van mutters.
Allen smirks and shakes his head. "Truth sucks, doesn't it?"
Van nods wordlessly, lost in thought. Allen grins and sits up, his work done. "Well. What do you say we head back? You're worrying everyone to death. Err…everyone meaning me, Millerna and Hiotmi. And I'm sure Merle's worried too. If she even knows what's going on…"
Van laughs a strong, healthy laugh, and walks along side Allen. "Umm…A-allen?"
"Yeah?"
"….Thanks. You're a good friend."
Allen smiles warmly at Van, then whoops with joy, throwing his hands up in the air. "There we go! You're on the road to recovery!"
~*~
Millerna and Hitomi sit on a large rock, laughing their asses off as they toss Omake his dinner. They're basically ripping little pieces of bred off a loaf and throwing them at him.
"Hey! Omake! Over here, boy!" Hitomi jokes, tossing another piece of bread at him. It hits his forehead, bounces off, and lands in front of Merle, who gobbles it up without even blinking. Omake whimpers.
"That's the fifth time she's done that! Can't we do this somewhere else?" Omake whines.
"No. If you're too damn slow to catch your dinner, it's your problem." Millerna says, throwing another piece of bread at him. It sails over his head and lands in front of Merle. She looks at it, looks at Omake, grins evilly then picks it up and plops it into her mouth. "Oooops, silly me, look at that awful aim!"
"Geeze, Mil. Stop being such a little girl and throw properly!" Hitomi teases.
"Alright, alright I will." Millerna says, ripping off another piece and tossing it. It sails above Omake again and lands in front of Merle, who it's it right away.
"HEY! You said you would aim!"
"I did." Millerna says, grinning evilly. "I was aiming at Merle. She has to eat too, you know."
"She HAS eaten! She's eaten everything you've thrown! I haven't had a single bite!"
"Well, that's your problem." Hitomi says, tossing another piece of bread that rolls past Omake and lands right at Merle's feet.
A few seconds later, Van and Allen emerge from the forest, both smiling. Hitomi and Millerna stop torturing Omake and stare at them. Hitomi hops off the rock and runs to meet Van.
"Van! Are you alright? What's wrong? What happened?"
Van is about to answer, but stops and stares at Hitomi with wide eyes. She…she actually cares how I am? She looks so concerned. How come I didn't notice this before? Allen was right… Van smiles up at Hitomi and nods. "I'm alright Hitomi. I just…err…had a moment. Or something…"
Hitomi raises an eyebrow at Van, and is about to answer when she hears a frighteningly familiar voice.
"BURN! BURN THE TREE'S! BURN THEM ALL! I HATE NATURE!"
"Dilandou-sama…if we burn the tree's we'll die with them…"
"Are you calling me stupid!?"
"O-of course not! Forgive me!"
"Damn right…"
Everyone freezes and look at each other and mouth the same word.
Dilandou!?
"What the hell is he doing here?" Allen whispers, unsheathing his sword.
"I don't know, bu-"
"VAN!" Hitomi is cut off a scream, and they all twirl around to see Dilandou emerge from the bushes, sword drawn. "Oh, wait, that isn't Van, it's just Pansy Boy." Dilandou deadpans, looking directly at Allen. Allen snarls and raises his sword.
"Who the hell are you calling a pansy!? If anyone here looks like a damn girl, it's you!"(2)
Dilandou screams, and is about to charge Allen, but Miguel runs out of the forest to stand in between them, holding a duck in his hands. "Dilandou-sama! Stop!"
"Why the hell should I!? How dare you tell me what to do!"
"But Dilandou-sama, Omake is right there!" The duck responds, much to the Esca-gangs surprise. Dilandou lowers his sword slowly and looks in the direction the duck pointed to. As soon as Omake sees Dilandou, he starts screaming. Like, really screaming. Like girly kind of screaming.
Dilandou chuckles and walks towards Omake. "Well, we've finally found you…"
"OH, DEAR SWEET FERRETS! GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME! EEEEEIIIII!!" he screams, scrambling away from Dilandou. Allen pulls on his leash, causing him to fly forwards and get shocked. Dilandou eyes the leash and grins. " I like that thing…"
"Dilandou? Why do you want Omake?" Allen questions.
Dilandou snaps his head around and narrows his eyes at Allen. "Why? WHY!? Because he turned Chesta into a friggen duck, that's why!"
Everyone gasps and looks over at the duck, who waves shyly.
"But why?" Van asks. Dilandou's eyebrows fly up, and he walks over to the tiny puppy, tilting his head to the side.
"Oh…don't tell me…Van?"
Van nods slowly, and Dilandou's head fly's backwards in cold, hard laughter. "Oh! This is TOO good! My enemy…reduced to a little puppy! My mood is permanently lightened! Haha!"
"Yeah, laugh it up, asshole." Van mutters.
"Well…it seems we both need to get something from the same person, so…I say we call a truce." Hitomi ventures.
"No way!"
"Absolutely not!"
"Well *I* wouldn't mind…"
"Whatever, as long as I'm not a duck anymore…"
"I will NOT co-operate with the enemy!"
"I'd rather die!"
"RAAH! MEN!" Hitomi screams. Everyone stops bickering to stare at her. "LISTEN to me, you pig-headed sacks of testosterone! You WILL co-operate or I will make each and every one of your lives a living hell, DO YOU GET ME!?"
"We get you, sir! Errr…m'am…" They all respond at once, saluting her.
"Good! Now, Dilandou, you lead the way since you like to slice things. Allen will follow up, then Me, then Van, then Miguel and Chesta, then Millerna and Merle. Omake is with Allen. Alright, let's go!" She ordered, clapping her hands together. Eveyone obediently got into their order, and Dilandou unsheathes his sword and starts to clear the way at her say so.
"Heh. I like her. She's got spirit." Dilandou remarks, smirking.
End of Chapter 5.