*AN-....Ahem! Yes, well it's taken me some time, huh? Gomen!! Kudos to Chi-chan for figuring out the chapter title patterns!! They *are* taken from the soundtracks, so y'all might wanna go back and read while listening to the music. They'll fit in, I think, and it'll give you all an excuse to listen to the music again, ne? I'll have more info/ explanations in the Q&A section, but for now, let's just let SLS let off some steam bad couple of weeks. And, we'll all hope no one dies in the chapter. Maybe I'll play some Dynasty Warriors to get it out of my system, ne? Ah well. Enjoy!
Memories of Fanelia
Celena Schezar had the rather unpleasant business of being stuck on an aircraft headed for Fanelia with an elated Zaibachan King; a gaggle of irritating counselors; a foreign diplomat who seemed to find it amusing to harass the General of the Slayers; a Slayer's General who had the temper of a rabid wolfman in the high heat of a Freidian summer while being attacked by fleas; and, of course, the whole lot of Slayers and Hikaris, brought along simply because the new recruits were enough to watch over an empty castle. Tempers were high, the ship cramped, and many-including Celena- were ready to chance Fate by throwing themselves off the landings to see if they had Draconian blood. Celena tried several things to alleviate boredom, soothe her nerves, and overall try to forget that she still had two more days on the floating hunk of scrap with all the loonies on board.
Chatting with the other advisors to the king proved to be fruitless; not only did they not approve of her being there as a whole, she was not even potential queen material (in their opinions), and so they chose to ignore her. This was quite aright with Celena, she sat in on their conversations and listened to what they said as they continued to pretend she didn't exist. They eventually forgot she was there, and she learned some nice juicy gossip that would make her own King and Queen give a hearty laugh as they read over her notes.
Trying to talk to Folken was no easy task either. He holed himself up in his quarters, keeping everyone out and refusing to speak to anyone because he was "busy going over plans for new buildings, and signing treaties that 'somehow' had been thrown out the window and only recently been excavated from the gardens below the royal balcony." Needless to say, he didn't want company- not even hers, and that left Celena feeling miffed and irritable moreso, that is.
When she found herself in this state of mind, she went to go find someone to spar with, as fighting will not only clear one's mind, it will also exhaust the body and make it easier for one to fall asleep. She wanted to see if Dilandau would teach her some of the stunts he'd pulled the previous time they'd fought, but he and the diplomat were having a rather engaging staring/glaring contest, and she decided it would probably be in her best interest not to disturb either of them. Mryth would have been interesting and refreshing to talk to, but Dilandau in a foul temper doesn't make anyone's day better. Besides that, she remembered suddenly that she'd decided she wasn't speaking to him after the previous night, and didn't want to think about how she'd brought it on herself by telling him what she'd been doing. Dilandau was too confusing to deal with, and it would be better to just do something else instead of catching his attention again.
She then went to find the next best thing when it came to practicing; the Slayers themselves. She found them on the main landing deck, most sparring in pairs, some lounging about, some talking to the Hikaris. The women seemed to be doing pretty much the same thing, so Celena headed over to one of the groups where Gatti, Migel, Dalet, Katharine, Cia, and Ralling were discussing something that Biore was holding. Upon closer inspection, she found it to be a blueprint for a guymelef. But not just *any* guymelef, it was a similar design to the Oreades model, save for a few adjustments and more trappings. The conversation seemed to be going along the lines of getting rid of the cooling agent to try a new method of response, and Gatti seemed rather wary of the idea. Ralling, in fact, seemed to be the only one who was really following Biore's explanation; she nodded and pointed to different parts of the sheet, making suggestions and asking about mechanism's functions and designs. Gatti couldn't be convinced, "There are just too many risks changing a model we know works perfectly."
Migel simply watched the three, a look of bemusement on his face as he casually sipped what appeared to be tea. Katharine was hanging on Dalet's arm, giggling as he whispered something into her ear, and replying with something that made the Slayer flush a brilliant crimson. Cia looked rather bored with the whole affair, and when Celena had come within 3 yards of the group, her eyes lit up. She left the arguing trio to run over to Celena, face cheery and almost grateful for an excuse to make an exit.
"Celena!! It's great to see you!! Nita went off somewhere, and everyone is doing something and I'm really bored cause there isn't anything to do and Lord Dilandau just told us not to kill any one and I don't feel like fighting I mean it's ok and everything but it gets boring after a while and we still have two more days on this ship so what do you think we should do? " Celena was out of breath just listening to the girl talk, but Ralling stepped in, relieving her the duty to respond.
"Cia, you need to use more commas and periods in your sentences. As for something to do, don't you have patrol or something?" The taller hiki tried to give the bouncy girl a glare that said 'leave Celena alone, you twit', but Cia shrugged, still hopping up and down in boredom.
"Since Refina was stuck back at the castle, Lord Dilandau's been ignoring us. Well, *most* of us, that is..." She sent a meaningful glance over in Celena's direction, the latter feeling her cheeks redden but refusing to comment. Cia suddenly jumped at an idea that crossed her mind, causing everyone nearby to step back a few paces. "I know!! Celena hasn't met the rest of us yet. I'll go round up the other girls, and we'll all introduce ourselves!!" Celena mentally groaned at the thought of another long group family history, and Ralling gave a short snort of irritation, but Cia was off to gather the girls. Celena allowed herself to be led by Ralling who was also rolling her eyes at the thought of Cia's introducing the others over to a group of the younger girls as Cia went about with lightning speed to assemble them. In a matter of moments, eight girls stood attentively in front of her, and she looked over them curiously.
Two more cat girls, a red head, a girl with cropped green hair, a blonde with curly hair, and twins with hot pink pigtails. Celena let out a low whistle of disbelief; a motley crew indeed! No wonder Dilandau dumped them on Refina. However, the girls didn't seem to notice this, as they quickly rattled off quick descriptions of themselves.
The first catgirl, a dun and grey colored ball of fluff, called herself Xiao. Her primary reason to join was the fact that her family had been killed, and she thought Lord Folken was extremely good looking. The reasons kids join the army these days...
The second cat girl, Kyoii, was a sleek, black furred girl, her voice was low and soft. She said she joined the group because there was no longer enough business as an assassin, and that she thought that Lord Dilandau was "beautiful beyond words and worth dealing with commoners for." Besides that, she had been the personal "pet" of Adolphus, and had to find something to do when her 'benefactor' had been killed. She said something about how she and Talin had something in common, and she'd also joined to be close to him. Cia's work was done there.
The red head grinned a bit shyly, though she spoke with an authoritative air that marked her as officer potential. She introduced herself as Mizuru**, and said she'd been given a second chance by Lord Folken, and that she would follow him to the ends of the earth. Celena began to wonder if Folken knew that half of the hikis were in love with him, but shrugged it off, figuring that most women who saw someone like Folken would probably develop a crush fairly quickly.
The green haired girl waved, but didn't say anything. In fact, at the first opportunity, she ran off to go do something, disappearing from Celena's sight. Ralling sighed.
"You've got to excuse Elise, Miss Celena. She was one of our newest recruits and yet one of our best soldiers. But after an accident on her first mission, she lost her voice. She's not really a hikari anymore, but she's a nice girl. She does a lot of personal errands for Lord Folken since she can't communicate with us in melef practice, and she's terribly shy on top of it. You probably won't see her much, and you'll talk to her even less. Take it from us, she's good at what she does." Celena nodded, and then turned her attention back to the next hikari.
The blonde introduced herself as Claire, saying she had been recruited for her healing skills and knowledge of potions. She smiled a bit vacuously, but, as it was in Millerna's case, looks could be deceiving. Claire admitted that being in close quarters with so many good looking guys was definitely a bonus to the job, but she got a little airsick. She'd grown up by the sea, and was not used to being lifted off her feet. Celena couldn't quite relate to that, as she'd felt like she'd been born to pilot, but she nodded and then turned her attention to the twins.
They had to be the most bizarre people Celena had ever met. Calling themselves Mary and Sue, they claimed that they had originally come from the mystic moon, and knew all there was to know about the place. They tried telling Celena that the people there had wings, and that dragons and humans peacefully coincided. When Celena pointed out that Hitomi did not have wings, and she'd seemed fairly petrified whenever the word 'dragon' was used in a sentence, she gathered they were not telling her the truth.
The girls cracked and admitted they had not gone to the Mystics Moon, but they hoped to make the journey one day. How, they didn't say, but Celena wouldn't put it past them to mingle in criminal activities if they thought it would help them get to the moon. They also claimed that they had things from the Moon and had started a cult around a man named Orlando Bloom, and another that they'd seen only glimpses of called Zell Dinct. Celena highly doubted either man existed, and made a mental note to never get caught alone in a room with the two girls. Ralling barked orders at the others to get back to their training, and Cia went off to 'hunt down Nita.' Celena was left to go find a place where she could try to regain some of the sanity she'd lost listening to the twins, and quickly made for the exit to get to the peace of her room.
*I've never met such an odd assortment of people, nor do I plan to again. I have decided that I will hole myself up in my room and not talk to anyone for the next 48 hours. If Princess Eries has done it before, so can I. I just hope none of those girls know how to pick locks, but I wouldn't put it past those weird 'fan-girls'. Now THEY are a threat to society...-Celena S.*
Ralling lent me some books that she said would pass the time, but I just couldn't sit still long enough to enjoy them. Not that I *didn't* have any interest in "The Molecular Construction of Space-Time and Theories of the Space-Time Contingency", but I wasn't up to translating in such a tizzy. I was even willing to read some of the romance novels that Millerna hid under her mattress and pretended not to have and that Dryden pretended not to know about, but I'd foolishly declined packing them in. Anything was better than staring at the tiles on the ceiling for forty-eight hours. I thought it might be fun to steal a guymelef just to do something, but I really didn't want to have to deal with Dilandau, nor prolong the trip any longer than possible. Walking circles in my room didn't seem that entertaining, but I couldn't very well sleep the whole time of the journey. I lingered on the idea of calling the boys in for strip-poker, but then I'd have to invite the girls as well, and I had a feeling they'd lose just to try to impress the guy they were after. Besides, I didn't know how to play poker well- that is, I didn't know how to cheat very well to ensure winning every time.
I finally decided it would be most constructive to read the report I'd managed to get, as well as write my own observations for Dryden and Millerna. Picking up paper and pen, I made my way to a secluded deck, only to see Dalet and Katharine already occupying the shadows and whispering more of their sweet nothings to each other. I toyed with the idea of jumping out in front of them, but I didn't know what state of dress or undress they were in, and I really didn't want to find out. Instead, I left the doorway, and headed for the levi-stone's holding chamber. There were always a few nooks and crannies that one could hole oneself up in, regardless of a ship's layout, and that room proved no different. I selected a cubby hole towards the starboard stone, and leaned against one of the columns, letting the vibrations of the motors and stones calm my thoughts and clear my mind.
I put my pen to the paper, but thoughts came quicker than I could write, so I eventually gave up and settled on staring out the hole in the floor for the massive rock in front of me. Clouds passed by, but I didn't really heed them. Instead, I turned my thoughts to the confusing and complicated thing that was my life.
Allen. Yet another offer for marriage to a man of good stature and well standing in the courts of Asturia. Yet another idiot who wanted a little toy wife to show off to his friends and pop out his brats. Yet another man over three times my own age. Where did Allen find them?? And how could I get rid of this one?
The first had been one of the lower knight's circle. He had been frightened when he met me for the first time, though I was more than polite. I stood a good two feet higher than him, and I got the advantage of glaring down at him the whole time. He squeaked like a mouse, and had a habit of kicking his legs under the table when he was nervous his feet didn't touch the ground. He'd bid us a quick farewell, then ran off as though we were man-eating giants. Sometimes, being a freakishly tall height for a woman is a good thing. Thank you, Mother and Father.
Number two had been a man who towered over both Allen and myself, and his eyebrows stuck out an alarming three inches. He looked like a cross between a dragon and a bear, coarse and furry and not at all pleasant to be around. Luckily, he scared the begeezes out of Allen, who had apparently only corresponded to him by mail, and he did not receive an invitation back to the house.
Then there was Slyvvrk, a man whose name sounded as his person and character looked. He was a merchant from some of the more shady parts of Zaibach's merchant elite, and how Allen ever came to meet him, I'll never know. Jajuka, however, saved me here; apparently the two had met before, and hadn't parted on the best of terms. They didn't part the best of friends this last time either: Jajuka ended up growling the whole time, then chased him off the property after tea. Jajuka then returned, and barked and snarled at Allen for a good hour about bringing slime into the mansion to meet me when he himself would never have subjected me to knowing of the dirt's existence. Properly cowed into submission, Allen promised not to bring anyone like that again.
The next idiot Allen found for me had been a Duke, and his garish clothes made the actors in the traveling circus' outfits look simple. He was all frills, lace, poofy sleeves- gods help the moron who came up with Asturia's ridiculous poofy sleeves fashion- and boots with buckles that sounded like bells as he walked. We walked around the gardens for a while, and I learned of all his achievements the past few years of his life, his collection of imported rugs from all over, his many houses in the country, and all of the women who were trying to gain his attention in the hopes to wed. He was rather enjoying himself, when a bee began to buzz around us, giving me something more interesting to focus on. The Duke tried swatting it away, telling me not to worry when he saw me looking at it apparently, I looked terrified of it. He waved his hand around several times, which only infuriated it more. He ended up hitting it, which made it angrier, and it moved for the kill. It was a rather macabre and amusing expression that lit his face when I caught it in midflight and crushed it in my bare palm. I had to call Gaddess to help me drag him to a chair near where he fainted, and Allen gave me a lecture later that night about doing things that would ruin my name. Four down.
I found myself in the company of two very rich, very prestigious parents of a son that they 'never really did understand. The poor boy was so confused, he didn't know what he wanted to do with his life; he didn't realize he had enough money to do whatever he wanted, but no, he chose to be a soldier. They'd hoped that after he'd miraculously returned to their home two years after the war, they could make him see it was wrong to go off, but no, he went right back to fighting for his emperor. You mustn't think poorly of our dear boy, he just needed a nice wife to make him settle down, and that was where they wanted me to help. Maybe a pretty thing like you could set our dear Dalet straight?' I was laughing so hard after they'd said Dalet's name, they decided I was not good enough to marry their son and took their 'business' elsewhere. I don't know what Dalet would have said if he'd come home again to another Fiancé, only to find out it was *me*. I'm not sure I would have wanted to face the wrath of Katharine, either. She had a tendency to hug Dalet rather tightly and glare at the girls who looked at him the wrong way.
I pretended to be mad for Lord Soen, a spacy wraith for Mr. Barken, and a giggly nincompoop for Jorlen Campdell. Jorlen actually liked the dumb blonde act, so I had several meetings with him before I finally came up with the idea of using Dilandau as a lover. I 'accidentally' got caught reading a letter, wearing his dog tags, and saying things like, "Oh, red is his favorite color too!! I love it when I get flowers from him! You're so sweet, Jorlen, just like My Dil-" Of course, that little bit was enough to get the rumors going, everyone knew the only 'Dil-' I was acquainted with was Dilandau, and when I giggled and denied everything, well, it caught like wildfire!! Allen, needless to say, was pissed.
I looked over the information Allen had given me of the next candidate, and sighed wearily. Duke Trelyn was tall, but only a few inches over me. Delightful to talk to, but only if you were polite. An old soldier; a tad coarse but not vulgar. He liked riding horses, and but he only kept an old gelding he'd had for years. He didn't ask anything from anyone without ever repaying it. He enjoyed doing things with children, and funded many of the humanitarian projects of Asturia. He was close friends with Dryden and Millerna. I had, in fact, met him several times and found him very pleasant to talk to, as well as very supportive of my odd ways that always sent Allen into a tizzy. He was impressed by my knowledge and skill with weapons, and flirted with me good naturedly every time we met. He was a wonderful man to spend time with. He was also over 60. His youngest son was twice my age and his eldest grandchild was a few years younger than me. *Allen...*
I glared at my pen, wishing I could snap it in half without risking the chance of ruining of my clothes. I didn't really care about them, but having to get up and go change again would be just one more thing to add to my 'lets make Celena miserable today' list, which seemed to be getting longer by the minute. I really needed to stop thinking about Trelyn. Something would present itself and when it did I would be able to-
"Ah! Miss Schezar, I am sorry. I did not see you there. You have kome for some quiet as well?" I looked up from my pen glaring to see the ambassador looking down at me, a smile on his face. I sighed, but motioned him to sit by me, which he did momentarily.
"I have, Mryth, though I'm beginning to think the only private places on this flying junk heap are the restrooms, but even then you have to worry about being walked in on because there aren't any locks on the door. Cheap builders..." The mage laughed, staring out the opening in the floor as I had before taking up my glares with my pen. He seemed somewhat troubled, though I couldn't say I blamed him- fighting with Dilandau was not going to make anyone's day all fun and games. If it was an especially bad day, it would probably send the fainter of heart hiding under their beds. I put a hand on his shoulder to try to try to comfort him- I hadn't know him that long but like I said before, there was *something* about him... Mryth started, eyes wide and surprised at my touch. He then changed his look to the great stone before us.
"I have heard that these stones are pieces of Atlantis; rocks that housed the will of the ancients and helped grant them their wish to fly. But if they are tied to that kursed place, why do people use them without fear of being tainted by the evil? Do they not know of the stone's origins, or do they not kare? Your people are strange to me, Miss Schezar. I would not speak my mind if I did not believe that you have many of the same thoughts as I. You are not like others I have met." I had no idea where he was coming from, actually, but I answered his question as best as I could.
"From what I understand, the stones gravitate towards places that are supposedly places where the first Atlantians landed, so to speak, on Gaea- after they created it using the last power of their wishes. I read in a science book, however, that the areas seem to be magnetic hot spots, so to speak. Places where the poles are out of whack, or something. I never really read the rest of it, because I was less interested in the fortresses that I traveled in than in the melefs they housed.
"I don't know if I believe either story, but I like to think that the people of Atlantis came here to find the peace they craved but never got in their old home. I think there are others like me, and that they want to believe that they are helping fulfil the dreams of the ancients by using the stones. That, or they don't care about the stories, and are more interested in making a profit by cutting travel time in half. I simply don't know. But what about you? You sound like you've got something against Atlantis. Don't tell me you're one of those people who doesn't think there's anything to learn in the legends of Atlantis; pride, greed, corruption and hate are what destroyed those people, and I'd hate for it to happen to Gaia." He smirked a bit at that, and I could hear him murmur under his breath quietly.
"...Among other things...." He then turned to look at me again, amethyst eyes bright. "I know of what you speak, Lady. They must be stopped, for there to be true peace. We must all konquer our differences and work to destroy that which tore Atlantis apart. The tragedy that happened so long ago must not be repeated. I will not allow it to happen..." He trailed off, staring at the drag-energists glinting on his hands and looking somewhat miserable. I fought the urge to say it was the sorcerers causing the pain and suffering, but he looked up, seeming to have caught my thought.
"I serve the sorcerers because they have the power to kreate the peace. Wether they will or will not fulfil this promise to the Magliss, we will do what we must to attain peace. Even if it means enslaving all of Gaia. There must be no more deception, nor more betrayal, no more suffering. I know I sound foolish to you, Lady, but this is the oath of the Magliss, and we are bound by blood and magic to our kontract with the sorcerers." I shook my head, leaning back and staring at the high metallic ceiling above us.
"No, Mryth, I understand where you're coming from. You're very passionate about peace, I only hope the sorcerers are half as honest and forth-coming as you. I hope that our shared vision of peace comes true with little bloodshed in the upcoming future. Things are so complicated when they don't need to be..." We both sat in silence for a bit, sharing the thought of attaining peace at whatever the cost, and neither really liking the look of the future close at hand. Or, at least, I was thinking about it- who knows what was going on in Mryth's head. He stood suddenly, and looked down at me.
"Lady Schezar, I must speak kandidly. I am drawn to you- though you may be human, and I a Magliss, I find you alluring and enchanting. Would you hit me if I said I love you?" I stared up at him, blank faced and wordless. The thought of punching the polite and courteous man next to me never entered my mind; however, someone saying they loved me would very likely get a kick in a very sensitive area. Staring blankly at someone is a good way of hiding any emotion, especially when you're not sure which one to portray. So, I did that. He continued as though he didn't notice.
"I have not seen such passion for many years. Where I kome from, a woman who showed such perseverance would not have lasted long in a system so rigidly set in tradition and rules. She w- I love your spirit, your intelligence and your heart that seeks peace in such troubled times. You are a blessing to your people, and it would be drastic if they were to lose you before your peace was attained. That is why I will promise this; I will never harm your person in any way, though we may soon find ourselves against each other. But, I do have advice for you; advice I was not given the time to karry out myself, but had hoped to. Follow your heart. Whatever the konsequences, follow your heart and fulfil your dreams to live each day as though the sun will never rise for you again. Live your life with a passion, and never look back. If you ignore what your heart tells you is right, you will never find true happiness."
"Mryth what are you-"
"Lady Celena, do not marry for honor, for money, or for sympathy. I kan tell by your manner you are konfused and do not know where your heart lies... but believe me in that you will find your true path of life. Follow it to your destiny, and never look back."
With that, my soothsayer stood and walked off, blending into the shadows that only he and Dilandau could ever find in the middle of the day.
Dilandau watched Celena out of the corner of his eye as she pulled at the frilly collar of the ambassador's robes. He kept the rest of his mind busy glaring at his men and women, all standing at attention before him. Their attention was elsewhere, however, they murmured quietly amongst themselves, some uneasy, some excited. Dilandau also felt the pull of the emotions his men were facing, but being the general of the elite group, he was above such emotions and decided to squash them. Fear was most prominent, followed by guilt. They'd torched the city less than five years ago, would they receive a likewise welcome this time? Excitement caused by spotting the various merchants setting up their wares, performers in the streets, and the overall joviality of the people below was just as catching and the fear. Dilandau allowed himself to be uneasy- though he had shook a truce with Van, that didn't mean he relished the idea of being in VAN'S country, staying in VAN'S castle, eating VAN'S food and drink. It also didn't mean he *didn't* enjoy the occasional dreams of receiving the order from Folken to hunt down the young king, or happening upon the boy in a dark alleyway, unarmed, alone...
He felt eyes on him, and saw Celena give him a glare. Apparently, she'd just caught that last bit of fantasizing, and she didn't happen to share his feelings. He gave her a slight smirk and a nod, but she'd just remembered that she wasn't talking, looking, or even acknowledging his existence, so she'd turned to strike up a conversation with that damn elf. He scowled as he saw the blatant shun, but he couldn't really blame her. He'd overstepped the line a bit- even for him- but she didn't need to act as though he'd tried to do anything bad. One little kiss and she went overboard, about to call him everything dirty under the sun. He didn't know if he should have been amused at the idea of her being embarrassed when he held her in his arms, or pissed that she was so angry and fled as soon as he let her go. He *was* just helping her out, anyway. It was the least he could do, to play out this little farce for her. He owed her that much. Not that Dilandau Albatou was in debt to anyone, but favors could be given to those close to him.
Damn. What would he say if Allen asked their relationship? He wouldn't put it past the little prick to corner him and try to get an answer; but then again, the knight did have other things to worry about... Dilandau grinned for a moment, vowing to stay close to Celena to hear her reaction to her brother's "surprise". If she didn't kill someone after she heard, he'd be sorely disappointed.
The grin faded again though, and his mouth fell to a tight line. She was so naive sometimes, it was almost pitiful. She was stuck in her own little world- chaotic as it was, she hadn't noticed the more chaotic things that had been going on around her, and now that little world she'd created was sure to fall, crash and burn around her. The worst of it was, he didn't even know if he was going to be there when it fell all around her, and scattered in the wind like dust. He cursed lightly under his breath, causing his second and third in command to raise eyebrows. Gatti and Migel did not reach their positions by pulling straws or perfect attendance, however; they knew when *not* to question their general, and when it would be wise to leave if they didn't want to end up slapped or a punching bag. Instead, the two returned to their conversation, glancing at their general from time to time.
"Lord Folken! We are approaching the landing dock, and we are preparing to descend. It is suggested that you either sit or hold onto something as we make our descent, sir. We will have the hatch opened as soon as we've touched terra, sir!" Terra flinched at this saying, but Dilandau ignored the librarian. Why the hell had he brought everyone again? He turned to Folken to see what his leader wanted to be done, but Folken was looking out one of the windows, eyes wide and mouth open. Then, much to his chagrin, Celena walked over to Folken and put a hand on the man's shoulder. He couldn't help but overhear what was said-not that he wouldn't have moved to a better location anyway...
"This is the first time since.... before that you've been back, isn't it? Doesn't it look wonderful? Everyone looks so happy." Folken nodded, expression cautiously a guarded calm.
"It is. I'm glad... to see that Van has made such an excellent king. I had heard it, of course, but to see this after when I last saw it.... I am very impressed with his achievements. However, I do believe that much of the organization is because of their queen- Van could never keep anything organized very well. They have done a wonderful job. I only hope that Zaibach will one day be as happy a kingdom." He was about to say more, but a 'thud!' indicated that the airship had landed, and, as promised, the hatch began to open almost immediately. Dilandau motioned for the first group to descend the stairs, and the men filed out, banners high and faces blank. Folken held up an arm for Celena, who took it with a smile, and they descended the ramp together, followed closely by Dilandau and Mryth.
"LORD FOLKEN!! CELENAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" A flash of orange bounded towards the pair, and both found themselves being held by a very happy-to-see-them Merle. The cat-girl jumped up and down in excitement, releasing them only so they could both look at her while breathing at the same time. "It's so great to see you!! Lord Van is coming but he said I could come before him since everyone insists on having all these bodyguards around him and it's so great to see you, Celena wait'll you see the prince he's soooooooooooooooooooooooo cute, he looks just like Lord Van, except he's got Hitomi's eyes-let's hope he's not as weird as his mom was when we first met her- oh, she's doing fine by the way but she's so tired and Lord Van's been with her, but everytime he looks at them he can't stop grinning and oh it's just so good to see you!!!!!" She squealed this last part again and made as if to launch herself again at Folken, but another, happy voice stopped her in mid leap.
"Brother! You're here at last! I was beginning to think you'd never come!!" Folken smiled and went to clasp arms with his brother, who beamed up at him. Dilandau's blood went cold for a moment, seeing the young king, but Celena had materialized next to him, and squeezed the hand she had somehow managed to grab. She gave him a smile that said 'everything will be ok, relax' before letting go and walking up to the happy new father.
"King Van of Fanelia, I send you greetings and congratulations from King Dryden and Queen Millerna of Asturia. Please accept my own felicitations as well, I am very happy for you both." Van, still smiling cheerfully, went over and gave her a tight hug, ignoring the quick tenses of his brother, the dog-man who was her protector, the ambassador for the Southern Continents, and the slayer's general. He was just as excited as his cat-girl friend, and led the way to a waiting carriage, seemingly oblivious to the many guards who had accompanied him. Dilandau did not miss them, however, and motioned for Gatti and Ralling to follow. They nodded, and several slayers and hikaris followed the two brothers towards the carriage. Migel, in turn nodded at his general, then turned to send the patrols for guarding the airship off on duty. The remaining slayers and hikaris headed towards the ship to get the baggage, then piled it in a wagon to take to the castle. Dilandau smiled in satisfaction to see his orders so smoothly carried out, then turned his attention back to Celena. They needed to talk, and quickly.
Celena, however, was already on a horse, headed towards the castle with the rest of the party. Apparently, she wanted to go see the baby too. Jajuka, mind-reader that he was, was holding a horse for him and trying to look nonplused by the remaining soldiers that were glowering behind their Fanelian helmets. Dilandau ignored their glares and jumped on the horse, trotting after Celena and her furball-friend and willing himself to remain calm as he rode past the people who stared on in silence.
*You're going to give yourself an early heart-attack if you don't calm down, Dilandau. Relax. Just don't mention anything about fire, burning things, backwater little countries, or your scar, and people should leave you alone. After I see the young prince, Merle and I are going shopping. There's going to be a ball at the end of the week, and I want something new to wear. You should invest in a visit to the inns to calm yourself down- though you might want to disguise yourself a bit...* He frowned, stretching in the saddle a bit.
//Celena, I need to talk to you, and soon. Before Allen talks to either of us alone-//
*No shit. I want to set some rules about our little fling, Dilandau. If you try to kiss me again, you're never going to share Van's joy in knowing that you've brought children into the world. *
//If you insist on carrying out this fiasco, I think I should have some say in it too. Why should you get to throw my name around without me receiving any perks? I'm not being unfair, asking for something in return, Celena.// He could feel her stiffen at that, though she remained cheerful around her furry friend who was doing most of the talking, and not caring if she had an audience or not.
*If you think you're going to lay a finger on me, or do anything that will threaten my good name-*
// I was thinking of Allen's vino. Now who's having indecent thoughts? I wouldn't dare threaten your person, unless you're offering something better..//
*You're a chauvinistic pig sometimes, Dilandau.*
//You're beginning to squirm in your seat, Celena. Relax, I'm joking. Now wait for me, I want to ask the furball something. We'll talk later.//
*But-*
//LATER. We need to have a nice long chat, but it can wait until after everything's settled down and you've gotten shopping and baby cooing out of your system. We'll talk tonight, since Allen isn't here yet.//
*How did you know-*
//He would have been here to greet you, if he was here. Now, see if you can get the cat talking about what they've done for Folken's quarters, and how we're all to be situated. I want to know where everyone in our ship will be staying, and she knows the castle's arrangements like the back of her paw.// he could feel her sigh, but knew she'd do as he asked, and cantered towards the group, Jajuka and the 'bodyguards' close at his horse's heels.
Hitomi smiled as she saw her husband walk into the room, and her gaze wandered over the others who'd followed him in with a warm greeting. Celena saw how pale the girl looked, and yet she was remarkable cheerful, considering she wasn't allowed out of bed yet. The young queen put down what she had been working on, and shifted to a more comfortable sitting up position. Celena looked briefly at what she'd been doing, and was able to see three different types of script on the paper she'd been writing. Common writing, something that looked like the runes off of the Atlantian relics, and then a script that looked to be made up of curved lines and swirls- She guessed this was the Mystic Moon's writing. Hitomi caught her gaze and scowled at the book.
"They won't let me out of bed- though I'm perfectly *fine*- so I decided it might be fun to try transcribing Japanese to Fanelian to Atlantian, but I'm beginning to think that idea was influenced by all the herbal teas I've been drinking. It isn't as fun as it sounded before..." She scowled at the said book again, then went back to smiling again.
"Folken, I'm so glad you've made it- we were afraid you might be too busy to come." He smiled and lifted her hand. Gently kissing it in courtly fashion.
"I'm never too busy for family, my dear. Besides, how could I resist coming to see my new nephew..? Van, you haven't told me his name yet! Or are you going to make it a surprise?" Van grinned sheepishly, but Hitomi laughed.
"We haven't agreed on one yet. So, you'll know when we know- or, I suppose we'll all find out at the end of the week- you've heard about the banquet, I'm sure?" There were several nods and a few minutes of small talk, but a soft cry stopped conversation, and Hitomi, leaned over the edge of the large bed to lift the newest Fanel into her arms. Celena was kneeling beside the bed in a minute, cooing at the babe that quieted down in his mother's arms. Van beamed with even more pride and Folken commented on the boy's fine looks, and congratulated them once again. Merle was grinning and leaning over and saying 'how much fun he was gonna have with his aunt Merle when he was older, and how they'd go off and do lots of cool things together, and maybe they'd visit Miss Celena sometime, and go off to see his Uncle Folken.' Hitomi rocked the boy gently, then looked up at Folken with a smile.
"Would you like to hold your nephew, Folken?" Folken looked startled, to say the least, and Van quickly assured him it was easy to hold him, after you knew how. He took his son from Hitomi, and gently laid him in his uncle's arms after adjusting his hold a bit. Folken stood, smiling down at the young child, and murmured softly to him. He gave his brother a sideways look.
"He reminds me of you. You always liked it when people talked to you, and when you were rocked." He turned his attention down again, watching the tiny hands curl and uncurl. "He doesn't scream nearly as much as you did though. If you weren't happy, the whole kingdom knew it. His good nature must come from his mother." He smiled again, and then carefully returned the infant to his mother. Hitomi chuckled as Van flushed, and then looked to Celena.
"Would you like to hold him, Celena?"
"Me?? I mean, uh.. I'm not very good with kids, Hitomi.. He's just... so small... I'm afraid I'd hurt him!" Merle made a snorting laugh sound, and picked up the child to put him into her arms.
"He's not gonna bite, Celena!! Honestly, I never thought you'd be scared of anything!! It's one of the best thing's you'll ever do in your whole life!! C'mon, it's easy! Just hold him like that- perfect! Now, make sure his head's supported..." Celena stared down in wonder at the small human the nestled against her, and smiled softly. Merle had been right- there was nothing like holding a baby, and she gave a soft laugh as he opened his mouth to give a huge yawn for such a little person. His eyes opened sleepily, for a few moments, and she caught a flash of brilliant green before they closed. If they remained that color as he grew older, his eyes would have an intensity that would rival both his parent's gazes. Then, suddenly, he began to bawl. She stiffened immediately, looking frantically to Hitomi.
"What did I do???" Hitomi laughed, taking the boy from her.
"Nothing, he's just hungry. He gets grumpy when he hasn't been fed, just like his daddy!" She sent Van a smile, who lovingly ruffled her hair in response.
"It's a Fanelian thing, right Brother?" Folken nodded, winking at his sister-in-law.
"Aye, but it's especially prevalent in your case. " They looked like they were about to keep bantering on like this, but Merle, not to be ignored, huffed and pulled herself up tall.
"If you two don't mind, the young Prince is hungry! So, if you'd be so good as to leave so that Hitomi can have some privacy!!" She ushered the two out the door, then turned to drag Celena out with her.
"C'mon Celena!! If we don't go now, we'll never get through most of main street!! We've got to find a dress in less than three days, plus shoes, and accessories! Unless you've got a way to stop time, we've gotta go! We'll catch you later, Hitomi! And DON'T GET OUT OF BED!! Remember, you've gotta be strong enough for the banquet!" Hitomi nodded and waved goodbye as they left, calling out after them.
"Have fun, you two!! Don't get into any fights with the merchants about ripping you off again, Merle! Celena, make sure she doesn't maim anyone, we don't want to have to break her out of jail for the feast!!"
Dilandau paced up and down the room that he'd been given, not really in a bad mood, but not bounding with joy, either. Celena still had ten minutes before she was technically late, but he knew she liked to be punctual, and tonight they needed all the time they could to map out a strategy. As if on cue, a soft rapping at the door was heard, but she walked in before he said 'enter', and plopped herself down on one of his chairs.
"I'm sorry if I've kept you waiting. I had to convince Merle it was too late to go out and find someone to trim our dresses, and that it could wait til morning. Now, before we get started, you should be a gentleman and ask me if I'd like a drink. Allen's due in less than three hours, and he's got that twit of a princess with him. If I have to face her sober, I might end up killing her. Do you have anything lethally potent?" He handed her the already filled glass, and sat down across from her, putting his feet up on the table.
"So, where do you want to start?" She finished draining her glass, and then set it down next to his feet, leaning back in the chair and crossing her legs in a very unladylike fashion.
"I don't know. Is it too late to change my name and move to Freid to become the high priestess of some little desert faction?" He nodded, filling her glass.
"Don't you think your nephew would notice you there, too?" Celena scowled at the ceiling.
"Damn. I forgot about him. Do you really think dear Chid would hand his Auntie Celena over to his distant Father?"
"You're not running away to start a cult, Celena. Forget the idea and let's talk about what you've already got going. Now, how deeply does everyone think we're involved? Are we stealing kisses behind the guymelefs, or are we always anxiously awaiting your monthly?" She scowled at him, shaking her head.
"That's a very vulgar way of putting it, Dilandau. But, to answer your question, I think we're to the point of beginning to plot behind Allen's back to elope and get married off in Zaibach. Apparently, I've got curtains picked out and everything."
"That serious? Damn. You could have at least WRITTEN to me and told me about this, or you know, CALLED!" She scowled at him again, going for the decanter.
"It's not my fault the bloody letters were lost and the calls blocked! I tried getting a hold of you! But I didn't think things had gone that far- not til I heard from Millerna that there were people in the court saying my sudden disappearance was due to the fact that you'd whisked me away, and that we were currently off on a beach somewhere, enjoying our honeymoon. Millerna set them straight, of course, but I must admit, I didn't think we'd gone that far yet." He sat back in his own chair again, sipping at the vino thoughtfully. He thought out loud, because he knew her reasoning would follow a similar path.
"So, when we're seen in public, we should be glancing at each other, but trying to be furtive about it. When we catch each other's eye, you should blush every so often. We should be caught in secluded areas, talking in quiet voices or holding hands or something equally as corny. Do you agree?" She filled her glass again, looking levelly at him.
"It sounds like you're enjoying the idea of making everyone think we're trying to be secretive, but not really succeeding. Dilandau, has anyone ever told you that you have a sick sense of humor?" He grinned, lifting his glass to her in salute.
"You do, all the time. Cheers." He tilted his head back to gulp it down, but choked halfway there as she spoke again.
"Dilandau, do you love me?" Spluttering, and wiping his mouth, he coughed out what he could from his windpipe, and rasped out a
"What??" She looked at him frankly, then titled her head to the side.
"Do. You. Love. Me?"
"What the Hell kind of question is that?" She frowned, getting defensive.
"I'm just trying to figure out why you're doing this for me, that's all. I mean, you haven't asked for money-yet, but I don't think of you as using blackmail to further your position, and besides, there's nothing of mine you want-"
"I want some of Allen's vino, we've been over this-"
"But Dilandau, risk your name, your *career* for a few bottles of wine? I think not. Are you doing this because it amuses you, or do you actually have warm feelings towards me?" He looked at her for a long moment, and she almost regretted asking, but stood firm and met his gaze levelly. At last, he laughed and refilled his glass.
"Of course I love you." She blinked, unready for such a succinct answer.
"W-what?"
"I said, of course I love you. You're like a sister to me." She stopped at that, giving him an odd look.
"A sister?"
"Of course! What, did you think I actually wanted to elope with you? I care for you very much, Celena, but if we eloped one of us would kill the other off in less than a week, and even if we did survive longer than that, we'd fight all the time. " She frowned down at him, which was a feat, considering he was sitting up straighter than she was.
"Then, if you consider me like a sister, should you really be kissing me like you were back at the castle?"
"If we're to play this joke to its end, yes, why not give them a show?" She made a disgusted sound, and stood.
"I would be sick if Allen even thought about kissing me the way you did, Dilandau. But I'm glad we've cleared things up. Good night, 'Honey'."
"Nighty Night, Sweet cheeks." He raised his glass in salute as she passed, through the door, a solid clunk as it fell into place. Footsteps echoed down the hall for a few minutes, stopped, then returned. The door opened again, and she walked over to her seat again. She remained standing though, and put her hands on her hips.
"What are we going to tell Allen?"
"That he can leave your future the Hell alone, and that you're doing quite well finding a husband, thank you very much. And, that if he has a problem with it, he can speak to me. Leave the rest to me and get some sleep. Four glasses of vino on top of traveling and then shopping with that crazy cat-girl is enough to knock a dragon out, let alone you. Get some rest, and I'll see you in the morning." She looked down at him critically for a moment, then grabbed the bottle before heading out the door.
"Four glasses nothing. Allen and that Airhead will be coming in tonight, and I'll have to greet them. I want to be mellow when I welcome them and pretend to be happy to see them. Open up the bottle you keep in your extra boots, and let a girl have the rest of this. G'night!" With that, the door once again closed with a thud, and the rapid click of heels echoed down the halls and was lost. Dilandau, not at all ready to take his own advice and get some sleep, decided that he did *not* need his boot's stock of vino, and instead went to his traveling chest's stash of hard liquor. The rest of the night for Dilandau, needless to say, was a blur.
**Mizuru is one of Hitomi's best friends in the Esca video game. She joined forces with Zaibach, and I think she had a thing for Folken who doesn't??? For more info on her, or pictures, check out her profile on the Those Who Hunt Dragons website, which is here: http://kiss.to/twhd
Oh, and for anyone interested, Valice and Claire are recycled from never posted OCxF and OCxD fics I wrote, Xiao is the name of the cat-girl who looked like Merle in Dark Cloud, Mary and Sue, well.. Hehe...
AN- Well? Are we all ready to kill Dilly-kins yet? ^.^
Dilandau- For Gods' sakes, DON'T CALL ME THAT! And no, everyone loves me, why'd they want to kill me?
Celena *now slightly inebriated* Lee'em lown, 'ees jus doin whachyuu tol'em to.
Dilandau- *blink blink* Celena, did you spike the bottle with something else?
Celena- *giggle*
SLS-... on that cheery note,I hope you all had a safe and Happy New Years! Dilly sure did...: http://www.mediaminer.org/fanart/view.php?id=134316
My mom got a scanner for Christmas, and I've been enjoying it tremendously! ^_^ Sorry it's so late a chapter, but between school, present-making, work, sickness, and traveling, time slipped by. Oh. Plus I got Kingdom Hearts for Christmas. YAY WAKKA, TIDUS, SQUALL, SORA, and RIKU! ESPECIALLY RIKU!! WAIIIIII!!! *squeals in fangirl appreciation, and runs to catch Riku* ....Um, yeah! Anyways, hope this chapter makes up for my lateness *hangs head in shame* It gets a little darker after the next ch, so be sure to have kleenexs for the end of the story. I have decided what paring it shall be... and y'all will hafta wait to see! Drop me a line in the reviews or email, k? SirLadySketch@hotmail.com Lemme know what you think!
Oh, and Since I'm putting so many random links in this AN, y'all should check out this pic of Zell... *swoons*: http://www.mediaminer.org/fanart/view.php?id=21745
Can we say BOOYA!?!?!?!?!?! ^_^;; I'm done now, really... *goes off to drool at Zell again*