PART FOUR

"What are we going to do? My poor Allen!" Milerna is kneeling on a pink fluffy towel, tears streaming down her cheeks. Hitomi kneels beside her, her arm around her in a comforting fashion. "I was always fooling myself," sobs Milerna. "Thinking I could get over him that easily! I love him. I have always loved him. I only married Dryden because I had to!"

"Aww. I know. I know what you mean. I love Allen too." Hitomi coos. "We all do. He was my first love. well after Amano. and that Elijah Wood- what a fox."

Milerna stops crying and says, "Hitomi!" When Hitomi pays attention to her again, her expression returns to agony. "I just don't think I could continue without him," she continues. "What ever will I do.? Waaaaaaaaaa!"

"Now, just a minute. What about me! Milerna, I'm your fiancé!" Dryden is getting all choked up. "The least you could do is PRETEND to love me!"

"Stop! Just Stop! We can't fall apart like this!" But no one heeds Van's pleas.

"Think of the children!" Cries Merle through all of the chatter.

"Well what about me? What about MY feelings? Huh, Milerna?" says Dryden.

"Hey!" Everyone turns to see a very sexy figure on the beach, not letting a little water fight ruin his afternoon. It is Cloud Strife, and he is relaxing at the beach. "Stop stealing my lines."

"Shut up, you spiky-headed jerk!" Shouts Dryden. "Stay outta this!"

"Whoa! Did you just insult me, you pathetic hippie-wannabe?" Cloud retorts, standing up and puffing out his chest.

"Guys! Settle down!" a helpless Van cries.

"What did you call me, you rejected, weak little runt!" Dryden fires out.

"Stop this verbal bashing!" interjects Milerna, but she is unheard.

"Won't somebody PLEASE think of the children?" wails Merle.

Cloud and Dryden are face-to-face, eye-to-eye, glaring angrily, breathing heavily. Merle is yowling, Milerna is weeping, and Hitomi is going into her crazy vision-mode and mumbling incoherent phrases. Suddenly, when all seems like it is about to give way to total chaos, Van bellows at the height of his voice, "Can't you see that this water game at the beach is tearing us apart!"

Everyone stops. They all turn to face Van. Quiet falls over the beach. Van lets out a long sigh. He says in his regular tone, "Milerna, Hitomi. There are some wounded over there who need your help. Dryden. if we're going to rescue Allen, we need some strategy. We have to work on this right now."

There is a silence, and in the distance, terrified screams can be heard.

"Allen!" cries Milerna. Everyone's heart sinks.

"Oh, Vaaaann!" The taunting voice of Dilandau floats over No Man's Land. "You shot my dear little Chesta in the head. But we have your precious blondie, and we'll kill her..." Dilandau's maniacal features return to normal as he looks over his shoulder. "What? She's a he?! Are you sure? Well, okay. And we'll kill HIM! Mwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!"

"Wow. That guy's crazier than me." comments Cloud. "I'm outta here." With that, he takes his leave. As he stalks away, everyone reads the words 'SOLDIER Academy' printed in big white letters on the butt of his black swimming trunks.

* * *

"Poor Chesta. It's a shame he had to die." Says Dilandau in a sly tone. Allen is tied to a palm tree. His captors have beaten the hell out of him. He is bound, but not gagged. The Slayers want the enemy to hear everything. Dilandau walks menacingly up to the helpless Allen, and Allen just stares. Gatti moves to Dilandau's side with a bucket, and Miguel with a big water gun. Dilandau takes the gun into his hands. "You were cocky, killing one of ours, on our own side."

He begins loading the gun with water from the bucket at an agonizingly slow pace. Allen feels the sweat drip down his nose. "I guess," continues Dilandau, "All is fair in war." He moves to Allen swiftly now, and points the gun directly between his eyes.

"Where are your friends now? Allen Schezar!" Just as Dilandau pulls the trigger, he moves the aim of the gun from Allen's face to his right knee. The water hits and a painful scream erupts from poor Allen.

Through Allen's sobs, Dilandau says, "That is for stealing water guns. And this," he aims at his face, "is for Chesta!" He pauses for a moment to wipe a tear from the corner of his eye, and then pulls the trigger.

Allen's final cry is "Milerna!" and then his cries are silenced. Van and the others hear the sudden abruptness of his sobs, and fear for the worst.

"What's wrong, Van?" Dilandau calls sadistically. "Miss your friend?" His voice becomes hard and cruel, "try another stunt like that, and that wimp's girlfriend will be next!"

To Dilandau's satisfaction, he hears Milerna's distressed screech from the Great Wall.

* * *

Van hands out guns to Milerna, Hitomi, Dryden, and Merle. "If there is anyone who doesn't want to go, say it now." No one responds. "Okay." He sighs and takes guns for himself. "You each have two water guns, and no refills. Most of us may not come back alive. You have one mission and one mission only- Kill Dilandau. Got it?"

"Umm, Lord Van." Squeaks Merle. "Please be safe!"

"You too, Merle." Van smiles. "Alright, let's move!" With his command, Van leads the way to the Ocean in a crouch. They all don scuba gear and swim past No Man's Land.

Once behind the shack, they remove the scuba gear and gather their guns and shields. They are behind enemy lines and are about to ambush the Slayers.

With great war cries, they jump out from their hiding place and rush wildly into battle, taking everyone by surprise. They run in shooting wildly. Gatti shoots Dryden down because he couldn't get his shield up in time, and Milerna blasts Gatti away, shooting him three times. Merle shoots at nameless guy number four and seven while Hitomi falls next to her at the hands of Dalet.

During the frenzy, Van makes it through all of the hectic battle to where Dilandau is, expecting a showdown. Instead, he stops short and stares, his jaw slightly ajar- what he finds there horrifies him.

* * *

Meanwhile. Dilandau seems troubled to the Dragon Slayers. "They're coming." He says. "Be prepared."

"How do you know, sir?" asks Miguel.

"Van will take chances. I know him. What I don't know is, how many he will bring with him, and how he is getting here. I don't know how he got here the last time, but he'll probably do it again."

"We'll protect you, sir!" declares Dalet bravely.

"Good. I'm counting on it. Lock and load boys. We will have close- range combat to deal with soon enough."

"Hey everyone what did I m. miss?" Folken walks up to the beach umbrella defense line and examines it. He sees Dilandau and all of the guns. He chuckles. "Playing war, huh?"

"Lord Folken!" addresses Dilandau formally. With annoyance, he adds, "ladies."

"So, who you up against?" Folken asks, becoming interested. "What're the rules? Captain down, you lose?"

"Van is coming, Folken. But we don't know when or how or from where! I can tell my men to be prepared, but they will still have the element of surprise. What we need is an element just as surprising."

"Nude mud wrestling between Naria and Eyria?" Says Folken with a grin.

Dilandau shudders. "No, no. You! Van's brother. He trusts you. He'd never expect to see you here, pointing a gun at him."

"I suppose not. But I don't."

"Trust me! This will be perfect. I can't wait to see the look on his face."

Folken's face becomes quite serious. "I'm not killing my brother! I'll not betray him again."

"Oh you'll betray him Folken. You'll do whatever I say, or your precious feline friends will die horrible, horrible deaths. Think I'm kidding? Check out Allen!"

Folken winces at the sight of the murdered figure of the once fair Allen Schezar. He bows his head in defeat. "Alright, Dilandau. You win."

Suddenly, a great noise rises from near the water gun shack. The ambush has begun. People from both sides are being killed. Van fights his way valiantly through the hoards of Dragon Slayers in bathing suits and comes face to face with Dilandau and Folken. His jaw drops as his gaze meets his brothers'.

Folken, understanding the peril Naria and Eyria are in, puts on a smug face and smiles at Van, as if he were on Dilandau's side all along.

"Brother." utters Van, and is again rendered speechless.

Gleefully, Dilandau chuckles at the horrifying situation, and aims his gun at the unaware Van Fanel.

To Be Continued.

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