A.N. I just got done with editing all of my other chapters, and I'm really happy! So that explains the delay, sorry…It was a lot of chapters to re-update…my mommy was kind of getting mad at me while I was doing it, too. ;_; I'm supposed to be grounded from the internet. Hopefully, there's going to be some fluffy stuff in this chapter, for all you people who like it. (I'm guessing most of you do…^_^ YAY!)
Second Destiny By Another Cat Girl
Chapter 15
Folken looked up from his brooding and his brows crossed more. ~I should go check on Dilandau. They should be about done with him.~
He walked to the sorcerers' cavernous hall and opened the door. Folken looked up to see the Dragonslayers crouched around two figures that he assumed were Dilandau and Celena. The emperor walked forward and stopped, shocked, when he saw Mikusa's corpse bloodying the main control panel.
"What happened?" he asked in alarm.
Dalet looked over from where he stood next to the other Slayers. "That baka tried to kill Lord Dilandau and now he won't wake up!"
A female madoushi rolled her eyes. "The specimen is fine, it's just sleeping."
Folken frowned. "Then someone clean the mess up. All the blood is probably bad for the controls."
He walked forward until he was looking down at the sleeping pyro. He looked remarkably docile when asleep, with a calm, child-like expression. It was as if his demons of the night had stopped haunting him at last.
~Maybe having two people in the same body caused him to have bad dreams for so long. He always was a cranky sleeper before.~
"I wouldn't wake him up if I were you. He'll probably have a nasty headache. Oh, and it's your job to tell him he can't slaughter the other madoushi under penalty of death."
The Dragonslayers looked at each other nervously. Dilandau was going to be in a bad mood again.
The emperor glanced over at the other part of the old Dilandau, the strange girl who gave him the bruise on his cheek. She was standing by the Dragonslayer with glasses and was wrapped in a stolen madoushi cloak.
Folken was dazed by her beauty. How he didn't notice it before was lost on him. Celena's gorgeous white hair slightly curled down on her pale forehead, and when her sapphire eyes glanced up at him, he was shocked at their clarity and depth. It seemed as if she was staring into the dark recesses of his soul and wasn't shaken by what she found there.
"Folken-sama!" Dalet was yelling, and Folken started and turned toward him. "Geez, you don't even answer after five minutes!" He frowned at his emperor, then ducked under Gatti's blow.
"Don't insult him, baka! You have no respect, I swear!"
The emperor frowned. "What do you want, Dalet?"
"Do you have another mission for us, Folken?" Dalet took a look at Gatti, and gulped. "I mean, uh, Lord Folken, now that Dilandau-sama is back, we want to go on a mission as soon as possible."
Folken smiled at their excitement. "I have an assignment for you within the week, and it will be like no mission you've ever been on."
Dilandau opened his eyes. "What is going on here?" he demanded.
"Dilandau-sama!" Shesta had been waiting impatiently for his commander to wake up.
"Let me explain to you what happened, Lord Dilandau," Miguel said and brushed back his brown hair with one hand as he knelt down to speak softly to Dilandau. The other Dragonslayers huddled closer to add to the story.
The emperor's cloak swirled as he turned back to Celena.
"How are you doing?" Folken was surprised that he actually cared about the answer to that question.
Celena smiled at him a little. "I'm alright." She looked around dazedly. "Where am I?"
"In the Vione II, a Zaibach floating fortress. My name is Folken."
Celena shook her head. "The emperor? How did…how am I…here…" she trailed off and he noticed that her cheeks were unusually bright, like she had a fever.
"Are you sick?" Folken didn't wait for her reply as he shed one of his cloaks and wrapped it around her.
Celena glanced around, her eyes not focusing anymore. She collapsed onto Folken and he steadied her with his hands.
"You transformed them when one of them was sick!?" he yelled at one of the madoushi as he gathered Celena in his arms.
"We only checked the male's physical status before beginning the transformation because it was the dominant at that point in time," the sorcerer explained blandly.
"I'm taking her to the sick bay." Folken leaned Celena's head on his shoulder and strode out of the room.
*~*
Dilandau sat up against the machine and stared at his Slayers for a moment, contemplating the story of his existence. He hadn't commented once during their long explanation. "Where is Celena?"
"I think she went somewhere with Folken."
"Yeah, she looked kind of sick."
Dilandau made a mental note to check on her later. To meet her, actually. He had a funny prickling sensation inside his brain as if something were changing there.
The pyro's eyes narrowed. "Where in Gaia are my clothes!?"
Some of the slayers jumped back at the tone of his voice.
"They were destroyed, Lord Dilandau," Viole said guiltily.
"Then why don't you go get me some clothes, Viole?" he asked in a dangerously soft tone.
Viole ran to obey and Dilandau got up slowly. His whole body ached for some reason, but he wouldn't admit it to his beloved fighting unit. Even if those sorcerers did give him heart attacks and tore up his clothes…
Gatti knelt in front of Dilandau as soon as he saw his leader's hate-filled expression directed at the sorcerers. "Lord Dilandau. You are not to kill any madoushi."
"Oh, yeah?" Dilandau smirked. "Who says?"
"Folken-sama." Gatti's expression was totally blank.
"That's not acceptable! Folken should die!" The leader of the Dragonslayers slapped Gatti across the face as hard as he could to relieve his stress.
*~*~*
Folken started to hurry faster. Celena didn't look well at all now that he looked at her more closely. Her faint had turned to fitful sleep that he couldn't wake her from. Even in her sickness, though, Folken couldn't help but think of her as more beautiful then any of the fluttery women of the Zaibach court. She seemed more real to him because she could be sick.
The emperor shook his head. Now was really not the time to be thinking things like that. He broke into a run. He considered using his wings for a tiny moment, but decided that it would hinder him far more than help him in the cramped corridors.
Celena started to struggle with him in her fever delirium and he almost dropped her.
"Help me. Don't. Fire…" she whispered and her brows crossed. The dream passed and she settled down, still muttering to herself at her hallucinations.
Finally, Folken reached the sick bay. Doctor Epiton was a balding old man who knew Folken since he arrived in the Zaibach Empire as a teenager.
"This girl is sick. Find out what's wrong with her." Folken was unusually blunt as he set Celena down on one of the beds and covered her with covers.
The doctor set to examining the white-haired seraph, then slowly backed up after a minute and shook his head at Folken.
"She has the common flu, but is unusually weak from her transformation. This girl is very sick, my boy. She might not make it, but I will do my best." He squinted up at Folken through his thick spectacles.
Folken nodded, understanding but not reassured. "Then what should I do?" He felt responsible for her welfare and didn't know what Dilandau would do to him if anything happened to her. Not to mention what he was beginning to feel about her…
"Are you sure you aren't busy, Folken? I mean, you are the emperor, after all." Epiton asked, eying him strangely.
"Yes, I need to get some sleep for tomorrow…" his voice trailed off as he stared at the girl.
"Then wait until you're satisfied with her condition before you go." The old man injected Celena with a blue liquid. "There. There's the cure. Now it's up to her how fast she recovers." Epiton gathered his things and moved discreetly away into the other room.
Folken sat on the bed next to Celena's and frowned at her pallid countenance. After a few moments, he stood up, leaned over her, and placed his right hand on her forehead. He murmured a few words in an ancient tongue and lifted his palm. Her face was starting to regain normal coloring and she settled into a deeper sleep.
Satisfied, Folken left the room without a backward glance.
Epiton smiled to himself in the sweet way only old men can. "Young people…"
*~*~*~*~*
Lord Dilandau put his men to bed and was retiring himself when he was suddenly struck by a memory he didn't have a minute before.
~An elegant blonde woman in a beautiful white dress embroidered with flowers turned from her painting to greet a small child. He held up to her a handful of flowers he had picked just for her that day. She smiled gently and gave him a kiss, then set the flowers in a vase. ~
Dilandau stood perfectly still. ~Mother. I remember my mother. ~
One of his rare, true smiles crossed his features.
*~*~*~*~*
Millerna was in an audience with Duke Chid, the twelve year old ruler of the Duchy of Freid. His blue eyes and bright blonde hair shone in the light from a window high on the wall.
~He looks so much like Allen,~ the queen couldn't help but notice for the thousandth time.
"Aunt Millerna, not that I don't appreciate the fact of you are spending time to come to Freid, but is there any particular reason for your visit besides a social one?" Chid said with perfect respect and sweetness that wasn't feigned.
~Finally! I've been waiting for days to be alone with Chid so I could tell him all about Allen. ~
"Chid, there is a vitally important thing that I need to tell you…" Millerna began, but was interrupted by one of Chid's footmen. He whispered something in Chid's ear before retreating to open the door.
"Ah! This is a great pleasure! Allen is here, Aunt Millerna!" the young duke said in his childlike excitement.
Millerna didn't know what to do. If Allen saw her there, there was no telling what he would do to her.
Suddenly, she set her jaw. ~Why should I be scared? I'm just visiting my nephew. ~
Allen came in and sat next to his wife. He looked at her for a moment, then apparently saw no harm in her and dismissed her from his mind. There were plenty of good reasons why she could be there. He had bigger threats to worry about. Folken and Dilandau. Millerna forced herself to sit still and act as natural as she could.
"Allen! It is a pleasure to see you! I haven't seen you since your coronation." The boy was excited to see his hero.
"I have had much to do. My apologies, Duke Chid," he replied glibly. "I bear sad tidings. My beloved sister, Celena, was kidnapped last night by Zaibach."
Millerna almost choked on her tongue. ~"Beloved"? I thought he hated her. Poor thing.~
Chid gasped. "It's true?"
Allen nodded sadly. "My dear little Celena, in Zaibach hands. You remember her, Chid?"
The small duke nodded thoughtfully. "She was very beautiful, but why would Zaibach kidnap her?"
Allen stared at Chid. "It is an insult to Asturia. They are set on waging war on our country."
Chid looked uncomfortable. "About that…I've heard rumors that you were the one who wanted war. I disbelieved them, of course, but still…"
Allen looked politely interested. "Rumors are seldom truthful."
Chid frowned. "Are you sure that it was Zaibach? Couldn't she just have run away?"
The king looked offended. "I have witnesses, Chid. People saw one of Zaibach's well-known General Dilandau among the kidnappers. They were using those cowardly invisibility cloaks. Some of my palace guard was killed as well. Twelve of them were found in a small clearing after the skirmish was over. Those Zaibach scum didn't leave any of them alive. Their deaths were…brutal."
Chid looked inclined to believe him. "I met Emperor Folken once. He was merciful to Freid when we surrendered to Zaibach. I don't think he's the kind of person that would do that."
Allen put on an amused expression. "Folken is a lying, manipulative coward. Did you know that he helped to destroy Fanalia? He used to be Van's brother."
"Really?" the boy asked breathlessly.
Allen nodded. "Folken is not to be trusted. Duke Chid, I feel a war coming on with Zaibach. If there is any threat of war to Asturia, I need Freid to support its father country. The people of Asturia and perhaps the fate of Gaia rest in your hands, Duke."
Chid nodded emphatically. "Never fear, Allen. Freid will support Asturia, as always. It is our duty and honor to do so."
Allen seemed satisfied. "I have one other thing. I am inviting you to come to Celena's birthday party. It was going to be her eighteenth birthday, her coming out. I am still holding it, in hopes that she will be returned to us. Folken himself is invited. We'll see if his conscience lets him come within a hundred miles of Palas."
"I'll be there, of course," Chid said. "It is very honorable for you to still have the ball in her absence."
Millerna was about to burst. ~Allen probably had her kidnapped so he could further his cause against Zaibach. And then he's going to use her ball to make the royalty of Gaia follow him! I can't believe he thought of this himself! ~
Allen left with an air of confidence and Millerna slumped into a defeated posture.
Chid frowned. "What's wrong, Aunt Millerna?"
"If he starts that war, Asturia will be defeated, Chid. And Freid will be nothing but a memory."
"Then you don't have much confidence in us, Aunt Millerna. Have faith. It will all turn out alright in the end."
Millerna smiled weakly. ~I can't have faith in Allen. ~
She left Freid to look for Dryden. He was the only solution to Asturia's problems that she could see.
*~*~*~*~*
ACG: Awww! Don't you think Folken is the cutest! I think you can tell what couples I prefer, but there is going to be major love triangle thingies and crap before they will all live happily ever after. I swear, Hitomi WILL be in the next chapter! I've been trying to write the next chapter in, but it never quite fit until now, so hah!
Nihongo: 2502 words. Not as long as my last chapter, but I'm starting to outline my chapters before I begin. I wrote two big paragraphs to summarize what was happening in Zaibach and Asturia…Asturia's paragraph was longer…weird…-_- *Allen looks from side to side and hops along a trail in a bunny suit* *starts singing* "Little bunny Foo Foo, walking through the forest…hitting up on all the chicks by bopping them on the head…"
Feye Morgan: I'm glad that someone else hates sorcerers…but they DO have their uses. How else was I going to separate them? Yeah, Mikusa was the only bad one, for now! I don't know about the fencing and stuff…we'll have to see. I mean, I absolutely hate the stories where Hitomi is totally out of character and beats Dilandau the first time using a sword…oh, well. I could do something like that, but not nearly to that level! O_o I KNOW how hard it is to learn sword…It's hard! I think she'll have learned it a little from Dilandau, though, okay? ^_^ Thank you for reviewing for me! I love it!
esca chick: Thank you! I like the idea of having them separated. And how can you be two genders without being totally messed up? My way, of course!
Ryuko: I'm so sorry about the erased review! But thank you for doing it again for me! Your reviews always cheer me up because they're long and juicy. And it doesn't really matter what couples my readers like. They'll have a taste of all of the different love triangle combinations before I'm done. ^_^ ^_^ I am SO GLAD that you are continuing that story, and I am sure that it will be better than the first chapter!
Kyna: You love it! Woo hoo! I love it, too! And thanks for reviewing. Tell me if it got better nearer the last chapters (I think it did)
Anime Obsessed Raye: I fixed the quotations! Thanks for telling me! O_o Who's Nanashi? Anyway, I, too, got the mental picture of some of the least important Dragonslayers falling asleep on each other in the hall as they were walking. I'm glad you like Allen the Drunkard. I'm kind of sad that I ruined his character like that. I mean, he wasn't that bad and now he's just this bad guy I made up and not like Allen at all. Oh, well. I guess I'll just have to write another fic…
Blue Demon: I can't tell you all of my secrets! But I CAN say that Celena and Dilandau will be in each other's company for a while yet! I'll decide about the couples if you guys bother me enough about it!
Macky: ^_^ You are a good reviewer! Thank you for the compliment! I hope you like the stupid politics in this one…;_; I hate politics!
Xelena: O_O O_o o_O o_o I am staring at one of my favorite people! You reviewed like 10 times! Thank you! You seem so obsessed with Dilandau…I'll put more flames and stuff in it. I'm sorry, I feel as if I've been neglecting the poor pyro…And Allen WILL die at the end. Or have some more painful fate, like forever having little children throw rotten food at him in some village square…for the rest of his life! And Merlot will share a similar fate. Muahaha! You get a hug from Shesta, Dalet, Gatti, and Miguel. I hope you liked the separate body thing. More Dilly time!