A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! Yeah, I know its a bit early, but I decided to give you this early. This chapter is a gift for you... I would also like to apologize for my chapters coming out so few and far between. You, the reader, and insane devotee to this story, can only hope I succeed in making this chapter longer than is normal. Now let's get on with it!!!

Disclaimer: "All Right, Santa! I know you have the deed, don't you?" Pablo/Cecil said, while holding a Civil War Rifle stolen from the Santa Claus Memorial Museum. Earlier, during a tour of Santa's Workshop, Pablo/Cecil had stolen the Civil War Rifle, and decided that the best course of action would be to force Old Nick into giving him the Deed to Escaflowne to him for a Christmas present, even though we both know that he wasn't a very good boy this year... "Just put down the gun, son.... And I'll change my mind about.... about putting a piece of coal in your stocking!" Pablo/Cecil ignored this. "Alright, Nicky, ole boy," He said. He then shot a blast into the roof. "Listen up, fat chunks, give me the deed or the next one goes into a reindeer!" He spoke to 'fat chunks' as he reloaded. "And you, Mrs. Fat Chunks, get me some cookies and milk! NOW!!!" Mrs. Claus scuttled out of the workshop quickly, and quickly brought back a large box of..... ICE CREAM!!! No, just kidding, cookies... but that would have been interesting, now back to my memory... "Thank you." He said. "Now, Mr. Fat Chunks, I want da teed..." Pablo/Cecil started, while stuffing one of the cookies into his mouf, I mean mouth. He swallowed. "Now, give it to me!" With that, Pablo/Cecil fell on the floor. It seems that somehow, Mrs. Clause had put some sleeping pills into to the batter instead of chocolate chips, just for some situation such as this... which would also have explained the three year old expiration date on the box... Pablo/Cecil was then sent to the workshop to work off the damages he made to the roof... Pablo/Cecil did try and make a deed during that time, but was caught and had to continue his labor for an extra 3 days..... And that's why your present broke apart in the wrapping, okay! I made that present, so stop complaining!!!!

Chapter 29: Checking in

BlackMage could barely contain his glee. Fanelia would easily fall with its troops in Zail. And by sending his fleet to back up FireLord, Zail would be freed from Fanelian attacks. Once the Mystic Moon was conquered, he and FireLord could each command not just a country, but an entire planet each! And, if he played it right, he wouldn't have to kill the child either. BlackMage could see his plans taking shape...

Miles away in the lands of Zail, Fanelia had sent in their cavalry, waving idiotic banners, and waving stupid signs... Some of these signs included: "WE WILL WIN!" and "STOP ABORTION" which seemed not only to prove Fanelia idiocy, but allowed FireLord's archers and crossbowmen to kill many of the enemy.

Returning back to BlackMage's fortress, 7 little children strolled up and into the castle. "We wanna see BlackMage right now!" they screamed at the guard. "Get'em now!" The guard laughed at them, and told them to run home to their mommies... (The guard had obviously just been installed.... Any other guard in BlackMage's retinue would have immediately recognized the fire in the eyes of the eldest one of the children, Dilandau Albatou.)

After the guard recovered from Dilandau's slap (you must honor the Dragon-Slayers every time they're hit... They're not so weak as to become unconscious.), he discovered that the children had vanished.
Dilandau, Dallet, Guimel, Viole, Chesta, Miguel, and Gatti, in that order, ,marched down the corridor in single file, straight to the Guymelef Hanger. After the guard there checked them in, (he recognized them) each warrior of the illustrious Zaibach hopped into a guymelef, and flew off to Zail, where the battle was, and where they would soon be...

In the pavilion where Allen, Hitomi, and the Fanelian generals were talking....

"We didn't to do well on the whole today, sirs, and madam." One man reported. "They took down 500 men for the one we took down... And we're not even sure that's our doing... he might have been drunk, and that would have explained his falling from the ramparts...."

"Let me get this straight... We lost five HUNDRED men, and we only killed ONE, ONE, and it was by accident!?!?! WHAT IDIOTS ARE YOU!!!!" At this point Allen would have been shouting out the most vile curses had it not been for the presence of a lady. (Well only a lady in Allen's book... Even the Fanelian Generals didn't agree with him on that!)

"YOU INCOMPETENT MILITARY LOSERS!!! I'm taking over from now on! Allen will be my advisor, but all of you, GO HOME!!! Get a regular job, SOMETHING YOU'RE GOOD AT!!!" Hitomi ordered. "I may not have fought in any battles personally, but I saw Van..." she paused for a moment "but I shall certainly do better than you..." She turned to Allen. "Tell the troops we attack at dawn..."

***

BlackMage was so close to rage that the only thing that suppressed it was the fact that 'Lord' Marlon had decided that the best way to learn to rule was to follow BlackMage everywhere. Now when the gesture had started the day before, BlackMage had felt his power growing over the child, but now BlackMage wished he were not there so he could truly express his anger at the two guards through worse punishment than what Chiruichi had gone through. 'How could they!?! They knew! They KNEW that I wanted Marlon to learn how to work a guymelef with the best group of fighters! And what do they let those fighters do?! Get away!'

Luckily for BlackMage, or unfortunately for the guards, Lord Marlon had taken on the mannerisms of BlackMage. "Have them executed." he ordered to the soldiers accompanying them, not that he understood the order. What he knew was that whenever BlackMage, his current hero, disliked someone he had them executed.

BlackMage was delighted. With the poise Marlon had ordered them, he had demonstrated that he was completely under his control. Now if only he could get him to Zail... then Fanelia would fight with Trimu and Zail against the lands of Galken. Not even with all of her technology could he be defeated... How wrong he was...

A/N: Yeah, I know... I really was going to make this a long chapter... but all the dramatic endings are at the short points! This will just have to keep you happy until I post again... Enjoy your Christmas holidays! Have a happy New Year, which you may find interesting is that in Vietnam, Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, is celebrated on January 31st... What that has to do with this is questionable... Whatever... JA!!!