Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Through The Glass ❯ Epilogue ( Chapter 11 )

Epilogue

It's amazing how quickly a month can go by. The days seemed to fly by as I enjoyed what would be the last time I would be with my boys again for who knew how long, and I was trying to enjoy every minute of it, getting to know them better as equals rather than subordinates. They were much as they were before, only a few flirted with me- namely Dalet, Migel, Gatti, and Maveric- when Dilandau wasn't around. I, in turn, tried to show them that I was like Dilandau in that I cared for them, but I wasn't about to slap them for joking around or making a mistake. Chesta was the first one to really try to befriend me- sweet, gentle Chesta who was always ready to give anyone a second chance- then Guimel, then Eric and so forth. Jajuka rarely left my side the entire time, and would chide me for my sweet tooth when I snacked, but I loved to hear his soft voice and feel that I was safe again. Allen was a good brother to me, but I never felt as protected with him around as I did with Jajuka, though I'm sure Allen could have beaten Jajuka in another fight. In all, I learned more about my slayers in those few weeks than I had in the years that we had grown- or at least, that Dilandau had grown up with them as I was a passive observer- and I knew it would be harder than ever to let them go. They promised me that they would write to me- Chesta promised cookies, and Gatti, Migel, Dalet, and Ryuuon promised to visit when they had time to see their families, Maverick promised lengthy love-letters that would make even Allen blush in shame- but it wouldn't be the same, I knew. I had begun to feel even more distant from Allen in the times I was with the slayers, and I realized one evening as I bid them goodnight that I had spent more time in my life with them than I had with Allen, and, though they were not as carefree and simple as life here, my years in Zaibach had been happier, more exciting and more fulfilling than my times sewing in the library as Allen read to me. I loved him, but I loved my slayers as well. I would miss them horribly when they were gone.

Folken was busy all the time, he had begun to accept responsibilities almost immediately after he had been given his position, and he rarely had time to spend with his brother. He'd been given a full blown account of all that had happened while he had been gone, and he later admitted to me that he didn't know how he was going to fix all the problems left behind by incompetent counselors and bloody civil wars. I tried to cheer him up by reminding him he had the slayers to help him, and that Dilandau would be able to stop most of the fights that broke out and keep the army in top shape. Folken simply laughed and said that he hoped he'd still have an army after Dilandau was done with them.

Now, I have to address some matters that had begun to tug at my mind in those days of bliss. Would Gaia be alright, after we had used the forbidden magic of Atlantis to revive soldiers who had been dead for two years? I had hoped so, but times seemed to dash my wishes as news of the death of Kriyliss' king reached Asturia, and of how the king's advisors- all of whom had happened to have been ex-sorcerers- had taken over the throne, and deemed the crown prince an outlaw and traitor, blaming the old king's death on the young boy. The child, who was no older than seven, had been found trying to escape west towards Freid, and was executed upon spot by the Magliss, a new elite force of mages who were skilled in the craft of battle magic and destructive spells. No one knew where this force had come from, but rumors spoke of an intelligent and lethal power that had been found within the bowels of the caves to the south, near the holy lands of the Dragon Clan of Lryiss. It was said to be similar to Atlantis' magic, only that instead of using willpower to grant wishes, you performed some sort of ritual and then received the power of the Gods. However, no one ever survived the reconnaissance missions to report whether this new power actually existed or not. I prayed that this whole event would just be another small error in the balances of Gaia, but in my gut I knew it was not, and I could not help but feel that it was partially my fault because I had broken the promise never to use the magic of Atlantis on Gaia again.

Many of the smaller, more 'uncivilized' peoples of the southern countries had been destroyed by the Sorcerer's new Magliss band, or forced into slavery. The people of Lryiss had been few to begin with; an attack completely wiped their culture and population out. The territories had been unified under blood and magic, becoming more and more like Zaibach had under the rule of Dornkirk. I could not help but shudder when I thought of what might happen if the sorcerers were able to retake Zaibach and gain control of the entire east side of the continent. Gaia would truly be destroyed.

I mentioned above the Magliss, and I want to say as much as I knew at that time of their existence. Though very few who saw them fight lived to tell of it, there was concrete evidence that they did exist and that they would do anything and everything to accomplish their goal. It was rumored that they had the blood of the Gods running through their veins, thus making them nearly invincible and very powerful. Almost reminiscent of the Dragonslayers, except that the Magliss answered to the sorcerers, and that there were only about ten of them, instead of fifteen. From what I heard of them, though, one would be enough to kill an entire battalion of high rank soldiers in a matter of moments. I actually met one when I went to speak with Queen Millerna about some of the concerns the boys had had about the terms of their agreement with the combined forces of Gaia. His name was Myrth, and he told Millerna that he was sent as an ambassador of the Kingdom of Cyriell to offer a treaty of peace. Millerna told him to speak with Lord Dryden, and he went off to do so. He certainly looked like he had the blood of something powerful in him- he had pale skin and hair but vivid green eyes, and the ears of an elf. He looked to be of a frail build, though he was dressed in armor that one of the smaller slayers like Chesta or Talin would not be able to lift. In all, he was civil; he spoke to me later, and I actually found him pleasant to speak with, if a little disconcerting. However, that does not come in to this part of my story; I am getting sidetracked. Let me just say that the Magliss are similar to mercenaries, only they have something in their blood that makes them strong and quick, and that they would not easily be swayed from performing their duty. I would even venture to say, in fact, that they were much like a paler, more magic-based version of the boys, though they seemed to lack a leader like Dilandau. Myrth was probably one of the higher ranked officers, though he did not tell me much about himself and I did not press him.

Dilandau, for his part, did not speak to me much over the course of the month. I suppose it was the stress of realizing that he had some sort of punishment being created for him, and that he would not be able to control his men in the same way as before >namely slapping them- I don't think he'd ever slap them again as frequently as before<. At the time, however, I thought he was trying to avoid me, so I tried nagging him into speaking to me, only to get a curt reply or a vague response. It wasn't until we only had a few more days together that I realized he was trying to distance himself from me so that it wouldn't be so hard to say goodbye. It was the same time that I finally realized that we were going to be apart for the first time since we'd been merged, and I didn't know how I would deal with the emotional onslaught of losing him and being alone for the first time. When I tried to talk to him about it, he said we'd both get over it eventually and deal with it until we did. He was cold many of the times I spoke with him, but I understood how he felt and tried not to get angry with him. I did end up smacking him once or twice, but we both settled down afterwards and spoke things through. I was also surprised when I noticed Dilandau seemed cold to his now-King Folken. I didn't know what to think of this, but Hitomi told me it was probably just jealousy. But why would Dilandau be jealous of Folken? Because I used to have a crush on him, and still sort-of did? That shouldn't have bothered him so much.

Oh! Speaking of Hitomi, she and Van were engaged soon after the boys' resurrection. Their engagement was somewhat assumed, though the details that I got from Hitomi are cute- Allen said only *I* could call an event cute- but it was! It went like this:

We were all getting ready to have dinner- when I say 'we', I mean everyone; Dilandau, the boys, Folken, Allen, the Crusaders, Van, Hitomi, Merle, and of course me- and Hitomi was standing by the window, watching the Mystic Moon rise over our gardens. Van came out to get her, and put his arm around her, hugging her close- they seem to do that a lot, I wonder if *my* husband will do that?- whispering to her that dinner was ready and that she should come. She sighed, telling him ok, and gave him a hug before she started to head towards the dining room where everyone was waiting. She said that she turned around after walking for a few moments, and Van hadn't moved. There were a couple of angry rumblings from the dining room from Dilandau, but they both ignored him. Hitomi shut the door to the room, and walked over to Van, who stood standing at the window, staring at the moons as she had a few moments ago. She stopped a few feet away, worried about Van's sudden quiet and almost apprehensive manner.

"Van...?" His brows furrowed a moment as he looked past the moons and to the stars.

"Do you...? Hitomi...do you ... Hitomi do you...?"

"Do I what, Van?" He sighed, then looked at her, face sad. 'Puppy-dog eyes' is what Hitomi said, and I thought of the sad eyes Jajuka had always given me when he wanted to make me do something.

"Do you regret your decision? Do you regret giving up your family, friends, everything, to come here? To come here... to me?" She laughed and hugged him again, and she gave him a small peck on the cheek.

"I miss everyone, yeah, but regret?" She looked at the moons again, then closed the curtains, giving him a smile. "No, I don't regret it Van." He relaxed then, and smiled. She said that she felt 'all-fluttery-like' when she saw his face, and then even more when he pulled her into his arms, gave her another kiss, and whispered into her ear,

"I love you, Ms. Hitomi Kanzaki." She giggled, blushed, and told him she loved him too. Then, there were more grumblings from the dining room- they were holding everyone up, making them wait to be served the soup that was undoubtedly getting cold. Van started to lead her towards the door to the dining room, then stopped. 'I'll *never*

forget the way he looked when he turned around to look at me again. It was just so... so.... ADORABLE!!!' At this point in her narration, Hitomi burst into giggles and blushes, but I managed to get the rest of the details from her. She said that Van was biting his lip when he turned again, staring at his feet.

"Hitomi....."

"Yes, Van?"

"May I call you.... Mrs. Hitomi Fanel?"

"YES!!!!!" With that, she jumped him and they fell to the floor, laughter ringing through the mansion, and smothering the other with kisses and whispering sweet nothings and vows. An angry foot tapping on the floor brought them out of their reverie, and they looked up from their tangled position, to see Dilandau scowling down at them. His eyebrow twitched as he growled at them, and Hitomi told me that Van swore he saw fangs- I tried looking in Dilandau's mouth later on to see if this was true, but he wouldn't let me near him when I told him what I wanted, so I never got to see if they were there or not.

"I know you're both very happy, but either get a room or come to dinner. My men and I are hungry; even if you've forgotten about dinner, the rest of us would like to eat. I'll give you two options: Either go to a room or come to dinner. If you make my dinner any later than it already is, I will make sure that my slayers will visit you during the night when you two would rather be alone. Now, are you coming, or should I tell everyone you're too busy?" They got up and followed the irritated General into the dining room, where they were congratulated and another party was thrown in their honor that night. They left early, and the next morning when they came down they'd already decided on a date for their wedding. We had yet *another* party, and the servants were beginning to grumble about all the extra work, so Allen asked the Slayers to help out with some little things around the house. Van and Hitomi spent even more time together, and they were rarely seen without a goofy grin on their face. I didn't want to ask why- I already knew and didn't want details.

She later told me it was a matter of necessity that they were married right away, but I knew they'd have gotten married quickly anyway, despite circumstances. As it was they had a small ceremony with only a few invited guests, then they threw a massive party upon their return to Fanelia, where the people were elated to find that not only had their King come back with a queen, but with a child on the way as well. Millerna and I had guessed that something like that would happen seeing how much time alone the two spent together, but at least we all knew that the child would adored by its parents and its people, as well as doted on by its uncle, Lord Folken, and its godfather, Allen. Allen had given the two his blessing, and had seemed happy enough to accept his title as 'Godfather' to the child. But, I think he felt like his love life was a disaster and that he'd never find anyone who would really appreciate and accept him for who he was. I think he was just stressed out with everything going on in his normally quiet household, and that he was over-reacting about everything. There was also "Aunt Merle", who told me that while she still loved Lord Van, she liked Hitomi and she knew that the new queen would make Lord Van happy in ways that she never would. "And besides," she told me as I helped her pack, "there are a lot of cute guys in the Slayers, maybe I'll kidnap one of them!"

As I said, the month went by quickly, and I was awash with emotion the day the Slayers were supposed to leave. I'd made Allen throw an expensive and flamboyant farewell party for them, and I personally delivered the Slayers the short term uniforms that had been made for them until better ones could be finished. They were just blue shirts and black pants, but they all looked rather good in them, I thought. Dilandau got a red shirt and a white overcoat, which marked his rank as General, and I was very impressed to see he managed to keep it clean during the meal- I would have spilled honey or cream or something that would easily stain all over the front. The female Slayers wore outfits similar to Queen Millerna's style of clothing, and Folken was dressed in a dark blue tunic over a black shirt and black pants. He also wore a very stylish cape; a new fashion from up north that was quickly heading south. Jajuka, however, wore the simple tunic of his earlier days with leggings underneath. When I asked him why he didn't change into his new uniform, he told me it was because he had been assigned to guard me, and that he didn't want to get it stained while he worked beside me in the gardens. I hugged him fiercely, ran over and squeezed Dilandau, and then went to tell Allen- whom I had correctly assumed had not heard of these arrangements. He told me that Jajuka was welcome, but not at the cost of keeping Zaibach safe. If he was needed, he would have to return to the capital. But I didn't care- Jajuka would be there with me, so I wouldn't be totally alone!! I would have to forgo escargot, but, as Dilandau would say, I could deal.

Dilandau looked over his shoulder for a moment, surveying the "New and Improved" Vione >Vione, Mark 2, called Vione again because it was easier than coming up with a new name<. It had been landed in one of the fields behind the mansion, refueling while the supplies were replenished and what little luggage the passengers had was loaded. The luggage was mostly comprised of gifts Celena had given the Slayers that morning along with their new clothes. She hadn't given him anything- she said she wanted to save it until they were ready to go. So, he turned his attention back to the new airship, mood dark. He scowled when he saw that the new 'Vione'- dubbed thus by Celena, of course- and he noticed that what it looked like was a cross between the Crusade and an old Zaibach land-cruiser. It was a smaller, less intimidating airship than the older version, and had not been completely finished. The soldiers onboard had saluted and apologized to 'Emperor Folken', saying they had not had time to complete such an immense transport in such little time, and they had not had the resources to ask the Ispano for aid. Folken merely said it was alright, then went to inspect the ship with his brother, his new sister-in-law-to-be, Allen, Gaddess, and a handful of slayers. Dilandau was left outside to bark orders at those who remained outside, and to oversee the loading of the supplies. Boring. So, there he was, things were all set and ready to go- except for the stupid fuel. They were all waiting for the damn thing to finish filling up so they could get on their way, and everyone was edgy. Folken because he didn't know how he'd be received by his new kingdom, the Slayers because they were going back to the country that had been the reason they'd died, the crew because they had 17 people on board who had been supposedly dead for two years. Dilandau? He was edgy because he was in a bad mood. He was in a bad mood because he wasn't sure he wanted to return to Zaibach. Zaibach was his place of birth and home, but Celena was here, in Asturia, with no one except her brother and the Slayer he'd assigned to watch her again, Jajuka. He wasn't sure if he felt willing to leave her here like this, alone and helpless, able to fall prey to any sorcerer who was in the vicinity. But he had a duty to do, and that was to make sure that Folken didn't screw things up in Zaibach while protecting the country. No small feat, but he'd have no difficulty. He *was* Dilandau, after all.

And then- it was time to say goodbye. Celena walked up with Allen, Van and Hitomi, her eyes watery and her lips trying to smile. He straightened himself to look more confident, but he knew that she could see right through the facade. For one of the few times in his life, he was worried about what the future might hold. Celena held her wavery smile, her eyes glassy, and he knew that she was thinking along the same lines as him. He drew himself up further, then said in a cocky voice,

"Well, we've got to head out. Folken needs to fix everything that Dornkirk destroyed and counselors ruined. There's a lot of work to be done ahead of us." There was silence, and he waited a moment, then turned to leave, only to be almost knocked off his feet by Celena running up and hugging him. The others in the group began talking, giving the two what time they needed to say their goodbyes. Dilandau drew in his breath, and closed his eyes, putting his hands on hers. She nestled her face into his shoulder, squeezing him tighter.

"I'm going to miss you so much!! I feel... empty without you." He release her hands, then turned to face her. Not caring what onlookers thought- mostly Allen, who kept giving them looks from a few feet away- he pulled her towards him and hugged her fiercely, as though holding on for dear life. He took in the scent of her hair for the last time, and felt her heat as she tried smothering him into her embrace. He absently played with her hair, looking across at her, since they were basically the same height.

"You won't come back with me...?" She shook her head, but a small smile was beginning to return.

"No. My place is here, for now. Allen needs someone to keep him in check." The knight looked over at the sound of his name, but then went back to talking with Folken on matters of the country. Dilandau broke off the embrace, and held her a few feet away. A smirk was on his face as he looked her over.

"Take care of yourself, alright? I don't want to hear you've been doing something not befitting the station of an Asturian Noblewoman." She laughed, rubbing at her eyes and then moving his bangs out of his eyes.

"Of course I'll be fine! I'm not the one who goes around risking my neck. *I* have some sense!" They laughed for a moment, then there was silence again. Celena was the first to break it, voice soft again. "You'll... you'll visit... won't you?" He shrugged, face still again.

"It depends. Maybe if Folken gives me time off, and maybe if I'm allowed into Asturia without having to have an armed escort parading around with me." She smirked, folding her arms.

"That never stopped you before." The both relaxed a bit more, then all turned when Dalet walked up, saluting and standing tall.

"Emperor Folken! Lord Dilandau!! The ship is ready, Sir! Awaiting orders to launch!" Folken nodded, then turned to the group again.

"This is where we leave you. We are forever in your debt for your kindness and hospitality, Sir Allen, Lady Celena. If , at any point, you need anything, I will do all in my power to help you. Please visit us when things have begun to settle down; we'll have a feast in your honor." He shook hands with Allen, kissed Celena's hand, and said a few last words of goodbye to Hitomi and Van before walking over to the loading ramp and disappearing into the ship. Dilandau smirked, and he took Celena's hand as well, kissing it just as Folken had. She laughed and batted him away, then held up a hand.

"Before I forget..." She pulled out a package from behind her back and handed it to him. "Open it up!! I wanna see your reaction!" He did so, and opened the box to find a golden diadem resting on a pillow. He looked up at her, and she grinned. "It's on a red cushion and everything- just like the last one. Except this one doesn't have the stone in it- I hope that's ok. Here, lemme put it on you!!" She grabbed it from him, put it on his head, then arranged his hair over it until she was satisfied. "There!! You look great!" He smirked, and then reached behind him.

"I have something for you too, Celena. Not a grandiose, but..." He handed her a small box, which she opened to find two small articles nestled in the box. She looked up at him, mouth open in surprise.

"Your dogtags? But... But they were lost..."

"I didn't tell you? Rusent had a spare pair on him, and they 'happened' to be mine. I don't need them, but I thought it might be something you'd want, seeing as you have to wear those stuffy collared dresses. It'll make a certain focal point, if you know what I mean." She blushed, then looked at the other item, taking it out and opening it.

"Is this what I think it is....?" He nodded, and she jumped him again, hanging from his neck. "Thank you, Dilandau!! Now we'll be able to keep in touch all the time!! Thank you!!" She was about to knock him over when a throat cleared, and a soft cough interrupted them. Dalet stood where he had been the whole time, and Allen was there, glaring at Dilandau with a look that could spoil milk. Van, Hitomi and Merle stood a few feet behind him, watching the display with slight smiles. Jajuka stood to the side, watching everyone with a blank expression. Dilandau shook Celena off and then walked over to Allen, looking up at the tall knight with a scowl.

"If I hear that you've been bothering Celena about anything, I'll personally see to it that you regret it. Take care of her, or you'll have to deal with me." Allen nodded, then pulled his little sister to his side. Jajuka saluted.

"Lord Dilandau!" Dilandau saluted back.

"Take care of her, Jajuka, though I know you will." The dogman beamed, and put his hand on Celena's shoulder. Dilandau then looked at Van.

Van looked at Dilandau.

Dilandau nodded, and Van did the same. There was silence, then Dilandau held out his hand.

"I'll forgive you your past, if you pardon mine." Van looked at the outstretched hand, then took it, shaking it firmly. Hitomi smiled, and said to Dilandau,

"Take care, General." He took her hand and kissed it, murmuring thanks for all her help. Van stiffened a little at that, but he didn't move. Merle gulped, then waved weakly.

"Bye, Dilandau..." He looked down and smirked, then turned to go.

"I'll make sure Guimel writes to you." She flushed deeply, but didn't respond. Celena hugged Dalet before Dilandau barked at him to hurry up. As the two walked up the ramp, Celena shouted and waved.

"GOODBYE DILLY!!!!!!!!!!!" He froze, then turned around, arms crossed. Then he smirked, waved, and went inside. The door closed, and the ship began to rise. Celena ran towards the ship, waving goodbye and jumping up and down. Van visibly let out a sigh, looking tired and perplexed.

"I think he's cracked... again." Allen shook his head no, still watching the ship.

"He's changed because of Celena. They've both changed, for better or worse, but I think it's for the better- at least in his case. I'll have to watch Celena..." They all stood, watching and waving until the airship was little more than a speck in the sky. Celena then turned to Allen, and waved smiling. Allen waved back, smiling as well. "Yes, I'm going to have to watch her....."

Celena was tired, emotionally and physically, but that didn't stop her excitement from keeping her asleep. Allen and Jajuka had gone to bed earlier, and now the house was quiet, save for Natal's soft hooting every so often. She peeked out the door, just to make sure that there was no one about, then closed it softly, pulling out the gift Dilandau had given her. To anyone who didn't know what it was, it would look like a small, portable mirror, a bit heavier than most, but nothing out of the ordinary. To those who knew of Zaibach's greatest accomplishments, they would know it was a small, handheld communications device developed in the last days of the Empire's existence. Had the rule of Dornkirk continued, these would have been widespread throughout the continent. But, he'd died and the work had been forgotten- save to those who still had interest in it. Dilandau had somehow managed to find one- outside of Zaibach, no less, and had given it to her to keep in touch. She found he power button, pressed it, and waited for the screen to flicker on. It did so, and Dilandau sat in a chair, in the midst of his favourite past-time: drinking vino. She shook her head, laughing.

"Will I ever get to see you when you're not drunk?"

"I'm not drunk, I'm happy. Took you long enough, I've been waiting for some time. Had to occupy myself *somehow*..." He sipped his glass, and she smiled.

"How's the trip?"

"Not bad, we're almost halfway there. We're over the badlands of Freid right now, and we're expected to pull into the capital around noon tomorrow. I'll give you a full account in a letter, don't worry. You should get some sleep, it must be four in the morning over there."

"Allen wanted to talk with me all night about responsibilities and things like that. It wasn't fun." Dilandau set the glass down, looking at her.

"Want me to send Migel and Gatty after him?" She shook her head, waving him back t his drink.

"No. I've decided that if he bothers me too much, I'm going to burn the house down and run away to Zaibach. Although, Millerna's been saying something about taking me under her wing and finding something for me to do. I might be going to the sea instead of the 'barren wasteland', as Allen calls Zaibach. I don't know, I'll just have to see." Dilandau smirked.

"I think that's a bit of me left in you! Allen must be thrilled." She put her hand on the glass, and he did likewise.

"I'm you, you're me. Nothing Allen can say or do will change that, Dilandau. ....I've got to go, Dilandau. I think Jajuka's awake, and he knows what this is. ...Take care." He smiled, and responded,

"Goodnight, Little Bird." She stuck out her tongue, then the screen went black. She put the handheld away, then crawled into bed, staring at her candle. The future was going to be different and strange from now on, but she knew that no matter what, she'd always have someone to listen, someone who'd be there. Miles away from her and yet right there through the glass, her friend and her 'fire', Dilandau.

~Fin~

Well, wasn't that fun??? Through the Glass, everyone! It's done!! ....Excuse me a moment *goes off to blow her nose* Sigh... Now, we've got Reflections of the Heart to look forward to!! Yay! Except it has to be rewritten now 'cause of the Magliss... Why'd I have to put them in, anyways??

Celena: That's what you get for typing this at 4 in the morning, SLS!!

Dilandau: Enough of this stupid talk! Get on with the questions already!

SLS: Righto! Now, you all gave me a couple of questions, and hopefully I'll be able to answer them for you- if not here, than in RotH. Let's get started, shall we?

Q1: What's with the stupid ending sentence?

A- ....Ok, so I stink at endings. You have a better conclusion? Lemme have it and I'll post'em up, nk?

Q2: Why the hell did you have to make it a sad ending?

A- This one isn't sad! RotH will be IF you choose it to be.... I'll have a warning, don't worry!! ^_^

Q3:And is it really true that the Slayers are back?

A- Yup ^_^

Q4:So now that you've brought them back, what do plan to do with them, eh?

A- *singing* A sorcerer-hunting they will goooooooo!!

Q5:Awww what is the punishment anyway... ??

A- ....My secret.

Celena- She doesn't know yet!! ^_^

SLS- Quiet, you!!

Dilandau- You'll find out when I do...

Q6:What's going on with the Dilandau/Celena aspect of the story?

A- Dilandau is returning to Zaibach to kill sorcerers for a living, Celena stays in Asturia to darn Allen's socks. Romance-wise, Dilly doesn't want to admit he has a heart, Celena doesn't know what her feelings towards Dilandau are, or if she *really* liked Folken more...

Celena- "cause he's so hot!!!

Dilandau- *grumbles, visions of Folken's head on a pike go through his mind*

Q7:Where does Folken get off sticking his nose in their relationship?

A- Celena has always had a crush on Folken, since the first time she "saw" him in her mirror. There are several things that point to her having a crush on him, if you just go back and read carefully. Folken, in his own right, thinks she's one of the only intelligent noblewomen he's come across, and she has the bonus of being pretty too. If you were in his situation, don't you think you'd fall for her too? I mean, half the Slayers unit likes her, *plus* she helped bring them all back to life... I think he has every right to fall in love w/ her!!

Celena- what she means is that this was originally supposed to be a FolkenXCelena fic, but now it'll go either way. I can't decide!! They're just both so.... CUTE!!!

Dilandau *begins to burn things w/ name of Folken being mentioned, and flinches at being called cute*

Q8: How can you separate the two of them, eh?

A- It's pretty easy... See, I sent Dilly back to Zaibach, and then kept Celena in Asturia.... Hence, they're not together anymore!!

Celena- I don't think that's what she meant....

SLS- Alright, alright... It gives me a springboard for RotH, plus, it makes some tension between Dilly/Celena, Folken/Celena, Dilly/Celena. They can think of their relationships from over the miles, then try to confront them when they next meet. I'd have them all happily married, except then I'd have nothing to do a sequel with....

Dilandau- YOU'RE WRITING A YAOI!??!?!? ME AND FOLKEN???? *passes out*

Celena- *giggles* I think you scared him there...

Q9:How long till the sequel?

A- Hopefully a week, maybe two. I'm working on it! It was done, but then I added the Magliss, and a whole new issue has come up w/ them.... I'm adding another love interest for Celena!!

Celena- Another cute guy trying to win my heart!!! *hearts and sparklies float around her head*

Dilandau- *eye begins to twitch and he takes out his katana to sharpen it*

Q10:Hmm.... the scene where Dilandau fights against the sorcerer, what's-his-face? The R-dude, I do kinda wish it would've been a little bit more described, since that was like a big showdown, him kicking the ass of big evil guy of the story.... some highlight, getting rid of him.

A: ... Again, my secret.

Dilandau-*snaps out of trance* She can't write action. Just soppy romance. What REALLY happened was this:

I threw Rusent off his horse, we rolled for a while- that jerk SCRATCHED me, TWICE!!! I kicked him, he started throwing magic around, we fought, yadda yadda yadda.... He used some weird powers to pick me up and throw me all over the place for a bit, but that sucked up a lot of his strength so he fell after throwing me up into a tree. I fell out, pretended I couldn't move, and he came to stand over top of me all victorious and everything, saying how I'd never be able to stop him, so on and so forth. Then he started yaking about his precious Magliss and how he helped awaken their powers with the help of some chick, and how after he drank her blood he was going to be immortal and that's how he got all her powers. He kept going on and on, just standing there, but then he bent down to give me the final death-blow with his finger and well.....

Celena- Well what???

Dilandau- ... I bit him....

Celena- ...Oh. Well, that's not out of character for you ^_^

Dilandau- Except that I made him bleed. Ugh! I might be a psycho, but I'm not a vampire!! Anyways, I threw him off balance, whipped out my sword and sliced his head off. It rolled away while I burned the rest of it ^_^ *begins to light matches again*

Celena and SLS- *crickets chirp* ..... Yeah... well, there you are. Dilandau drank the sorcerer's blood and then burned the evidence...

Dilandau- Except for the head!

SLS- Right, except for the head..... Mmmhmmm...... Anyone out there want to write that scene a bit more.... graphically? Dilly's version was..... interesting, though it lacked... pizazz... Right, next question!

Q11: The name Sorcererslayers sounds kinda, well, bit long to say ^^;;

Dilandau- I agree. It's stupid, and I'm in the middle of taking it up with Folken now. We'll have more later.

Q12: ...And I'm kinda itching to see more Celena/Dilandau moments.... please?

A- Hehehe.....

Celena- I don't like that laugh....

Dilandau- You haven't read the drafts, have you Cele?

Q13:It's over so soon?! There must be sequels! Lots of sequels!

A- Ummm.... 'Through the Glass' is, yes. Then there's 'Reflections of the Heart'. There will be two endings for that- a happy and a sad one. You can take your pick of events, nk? Because of the two different endings... well, I can't make a third part!! It would clash with the other's end, and then it would get all confusing. Now, if someone wanted to write a sequel to my sequel, well..... I could go for that ^_^

Q14: How was Otakon? I didn't see you there/ didn't go!

A: Ok.... I know no one *asked* me that, but.... I had a lot of fun, except for a couple of points... The LARP person was really rude to me, and I missed the costume contest because I was waiting for my LARP tag- which I never got... @..@ Plus, I made a COMPLETE fool of myself in kareoke. If anyone heard/saw me sing/stumble/make a fool of myself and botch the song, PLEASE FORGIVE ME!! I was gonna sing Sora's song, but they didn't have it... So I did Yubiwa, which I was going to sing in English until I realized that I only had the Japanese lyrics in front of me... >.< Talk about embarrassing!! But I spent lots of money afterwards and felt better after talking to someone dressed as Dilandau ^_^ Plus, a really cool Dilandau stopped me in the hall and got my picture ^_^ As soon as I find a pic of my costume, I'll put a link down, nk? Until then... You can pretend I looked exactly like Sora ^_^ OH! And they had the Esca movie playing- I watched that for a while, and I was proud to say that I knew everything they were saying without having to watch the subtitles because I've watched it so many times. Sad, ne? Ah well.... Anyways, suffice to say, I had fun!

Closing comments:

Alright, I'm sure you've all skipped most of the above and will skip this too... but oh well! All I want to say is that I hoped you enjoyed the story, I had a lot of fun writing it and then reading your responses. Please let me have lots of input, I enjoy getting email, make your friends read it and make them give me criticism- it'll make my stories better, promise! Thank you for putting up with my lengthy Author's notes, side notes, bad spellings, typos and everything, hope they didn't bother anyone too much. And, of course, thank you for reading!! I appreciate all the support you've all given me, and I hope that you'll keep writing to me, and keep sending in the reviews! Can we make it to 100? That's 20 more reviews!! Hopefully, RotH will do at least that, and I'll try to get it out asap. But, in the meantime, here's a little something to whet your appetites... Enjoy, and thank you!!

SneakPreview >aka RotH in less than a minute< NOTE: Quotes not necessarily in order of appearance!

"Allen, stop flirting with the Princess!! We're at war here!!"

"Celena's run away.... again."

"Lady Celena, what a pleasure to see you!!"

"....Hi...."

"It's a boy!!!"

"My Lady Celena, your brother has given me your hand in marriage. Have you nothing to say?"

*SMACK*

"I am here to keep the peace of our two countries- the sorcerers do not wish for blood to be shed."

"Celena, this might be the last time I'll be able to tell you...."

"Celena, meet your new sister-in-law!!"

"Celena.... I love you."

"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?"

"Lady Celena, we can't find them... They've all disappeared!"

"So, you're the one who's started this war... Do you revel in the blood spent for your rule?"

"Please... Let me go...."

"The Castle is under attack!!"

"No!!! I won't let you hurt him!!"

"I need you, here by my side. Please... consider my offer."

"How do you kill that which is already dead?"

"Folken!!"

"Lady Celena!!"

"Dilandau!!"

"DIE!"

"Celena.... Goodbye....."

"No.... No, Chesta, Dalet, Guimel.... they can't be dead!! They're with him!! Don't lie to me!!"

"Celena... Will you marry me?"

"BURN!!!"

"I'm here to receive the powers of the Gods. Tell me how, mystic!"

"Will you forsake the one you love? Keep heart!"

"I will do what I must to keep Gaia at peace! This is my vow, my oath, my pact!"

"I am here then... to end your suffering..."

"Thank you... I can rest at last.... My people await for my return. The Magliss are in your debt, Knight of the Dragon Blood."

*Kissy Kissy ^_^* <- more kissing scenes for the fans. I've added at least five ^_^

"*SHE* married Emperor Folken??"

"Lady Celena... forgive ...me...*dies*"

"Cookie?"

"Please... don't leave me alone!"

"You're not alone..."

"Not if we're togther, right?"

"Right."

~Fin~

Well.... That made sense to ME at least... Hope ya'll are completely and utterly intrigued.- or baffled. Baffled works too. Have a guess on what's going to happen? Email me! SirLadySketch@hotmail.com Don't forget, the quotes aren't all in order!! And now, everyone, I bid you farewell. Until next time, this is Sir Lady Sketch, signing out! August 1, 2002