Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ To Mend the Rose ❯ Insight ( Chapter 7 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Disclaimer:

Feye: *cackling* HERE IT IS! I HOLD THE RIGHTS TO ESCAFLOWNE IN MY HANDS! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

*suddenly, a giant carrot swoops down from the sky and gobbles up the rights*

Feye:...

Carrot: *burp*

Feye:...so...I guess I DON'T own Escaflowne after all.

Carrot: *hic*

Feye: However, I DO own Fred the Vicious Attack Rubber Chicken, as well as the basic plot to this story. Oh, and I also own Enmu. Kind of. ONWARD!

TO MEND THE ROSE: INSIGHT by Feye Morgan

Van was sitting against a wall in the palace library. His forehead was knitted with concentration, a scowl seemingly permanently etched on his face. Once in a while, the sound of rustling paper would break the silence as the young king turned over a page or discarded a scroll for a new one. There weren't many other people in the library. Most everyone was outside, enjoying the sun and the open markets. There were some who had chosen to stay inside, however, when they had seen the dark thunderclouds in the distance. Somewhere far away in the forest, a storm was in full swing.

Those who had decided to reside amongst the scrolls and books gave the king a wide berth. Few glances were thrown in his direction. It was clear to all that the boy wanted his space.

It was, therefore, a surprise to those few around when a tall blonde Caeli knight strode into the library and headed directly for Van.

Van glanced up briefly before returning his eyes to the papers before him.

"Hello, Allen."

"Any luck, Van?" Allen sat down beside Van, and craned his neck to look at the paper the king was currently holding in his hands.

Van shook his head and tossed the paper aside with a snort of disgust.

"I'll take that as a 'no'."

Van waved his hands in exhasperation at the papers lying strewn around him. "Not a -single- blasted mention of the madoushi -anywhere-. Even the records on Dilandau don't even mention his past! It's as if he was born a ten-year-old!"

Allen sighed. "What did you expect, Van? Not many people even know of their existance outside of the higher ranks of the Zaibach military, Dornkirk, and probably Dilandau. Dornkirk is dead, as is most of the military, and Jichyia only knows where Dilandau is."

"I know, I know," Van snapped. He instantly regretted it. "I'm sorry, Allen," he sighed. "I'm just...-frustrated-. I never expected all the answers to lie neatly in these scrolls, but I expected some -hints- at least!" Van leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. "I don't know why, but this whole affair is bothering me to no end! -Why-? -Why- would Dilandau just desert out of the blue?"

"I don't think it was as 'out of the blue' as you say."

"That's what's troubling me the most."

They sat in silence for several moments.

"I don't know what else to do," Van sighed wearily.

"I've gone over every single shred of the Zaibachian military records I was given," Allen said. "There's nothing else. Just that single mention on Dilandau's file."

"Why did they put it so blatantly there, and not allude to it enywhere else?" Van demanded.

"It probably wouldn't mean anything to anyone except the Four Generals, Dornkirk, and the Madoushi themselves." Allen paused momentarily. "And perhaps to Folken."

"Folken?" Van's fixed Allen with a sharp gaze at the mention of his late brother's name. "Why Folken?"

"He was Zaibach's Strategos, remember? He probably knew something of Dilandau's past."

Van's features tightened. *If only you hadn't died, brother* Van shook the thought away. "So what do we do now?" he asked Allen.

"Without the madoushi records, nothing. Emperor Tsura wouldn't cooperate even if we held him at swordpoint, the Generals are dead, and-"

"Wait! That's it!" Van suddenly grinned.

"What?" Allen asked, annoyed at being interrupted.

"The Four Generals! Only three of them died! General Adelphos is still alive. He would know: he was in charge of the army Dilandau served in."

Allen's eyes widened. "You're right. But, where is Adelphos? He didn't come to Palas, did he?"

Van bit his lip. "I don't know. He might have stayed at the Zaibach capital while the Emperor is away." Van's eyes narrowed with concentration. An idea was forming rapidly in his mind. Van thought in silence for several minutes. "The problem is getting an audience with him," Van mused to himself absently.

"Wait, Van. You don't mean to go to Zaibach, do you? Are you crazy? You have negotiations! Jichyia knows what they'll do to you over there if you show your face!" Allen's complexion was tinged purple.

"Relax, Allen. I didn't mean Adelphos."

"Wha-? Van. Fill me in right now."

"Do you remember Meiden Fassa?" Van asked Allen.

Allen's lips tightened with distaste at the mention of Dryden's father. "Very well, actually."

"It is no secret that he had, and perhaps still has, connections with Zaibach. That's why he was so keen on Escaflowne. Zaibach was desperate for it, and they would give an incredible amount of money for it. Money...and information."

"You're saying that Meiden knows about the madoushi? Impossible. Zaibach would never trust top classified information to that snake."

"Not knowingly, that is."

"Van." Allen's voice was laced with annoyance.

"Geckos are not very bright, but they are extraordinary thieves. The best thieves on Gaea. I'll bet anything that Adelphos or Folken made some slip about the madoushi while tantalizing Meiden to work for them. Once Meiden got a sniff of that, he wouldn't rest until he got his hands on it, so he would send the Geckos to steal the papers. Those creatures could sneak into Dornkirk's own room without being detected. When the Geckos returned with the papers, he would make brilliant copies, and put the originals back. Of course, he wouldn't reveal the information. He would keep it secret, and use it as a blackmailing weapon if Zaibach ever threatened to turn on him."

Allen pondered Van's theory for a minute. "It makes sense, doesn't it?" he said slowly. "There's only one problem: Meiden is also in Zaibach right now."

Van nibbled his lip again and his mind continued to race. "True," he said after a moment. "But Meiden wouldn't exactly carry those papers around with him, would he? He would stow them carefully away, probably somewhere in his extensive library here in Palas."

Allen snorted. "Do you have any idea how huge his collection is? It would take months just to examine the papers he has out in the -open-."

"It would if you didn't know your way around."

"And I suppose you do?"

"Nope. But Dryden does."

Allen groaned.

*~*~*~*

There was no further mention of the stranger Dilandau had confronted in the forest. Enmu showed no signs of uneasiness, and was his usual bright, cheery self when he emerged from his nap.

"Hello, Dilandau!" Enmu peers out the window. "Still raining hard, I see."

Dilandau closed his book and set it on the table. "You were right when you predicted a storm, Enmu. I haven't seen rain like this for a long time."

Enmu chuckled. "That's because you were in Zaibach, Dilandau. It doesn't rain over there like it does here, what with the mountains and the sea positioned like they are."

Dilandau blinked. ~How does he know about moisture circulation? Ah, well. His folks are from the city, after all~ It appeared to Dilandau that Enmu was a lot brighter than most cottage folk were stereotyped to be.

"So, what were you reading?" Before Dilandau could reply, Enmu snatched up the volume from the table. He blinked. "Interesting choice here. Why Fanelia, out of curiosity?"

Dilandau shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe because Folken Strategos came from that country."

Enmu nodded and set the book down. He took a seat next to Dilandau. They sat there for some time in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

"So...have you given much more thought to Zaibach's offer?" Enmu asked.

Dilandau sighed. He had given it much more thought than he was comfortable with. "My first instinct is to reject it as a lie. A trap. But...somehow it doesn't seem like a trap. It's too elaborate. If Zaibach lost the war, they should be much more concentrated on the negotiations and reconstruction than to be putting effort into a capture attempt. It just...doesn't fit." Dilandau sighed and ran his hands through his silvery hair.

"Well, I don't know what to tell you," Enmu said. "If it is a trap, it's an awfully elaborate one."

"Not really. They're just spreading the word."

"But if they did want to capture you," Enmu mused out loud, "Then wouldn't they have sent out soldiers to hunt you down?"

"I don't know that they haven't. Although, they would probably have come across this cabin if they had started searching the woods. I don't know what to think."

"Well then, let's just forget about it for now, shall we? It's about time for lunch, if you're hungry. I can tell you about the time my father saw a fox spirit in the forest."

Dilandau's eyebrows lifted delicately. "I'd like to hear about that."

The albino listened raptly to Enmu's many stories over their meal. But though he laughed and smiled with his host, he was still troubled over his dilemma.

The rest of the day passed without incident. They brightened the inside of the cottage with candles and flowers daringly plucked from Enmu's small garden, at risk of being drenched. Drenched Dilandau was indeed when he returned with the flora. Enmu provided a fresh change of clothes for Dilandau, and hung the old ones by the door to dry out. They passed the remainder of the day with tea, more stories, and quiet reading. By the time Dilandau was ready to retire, his mind was settled and eased. Enmu's cottage was a welcome respite from daily toil.

~Enmu seems to think that I might be better off going back to Zaibach~ Dilandua mused as he slipped into bed. ~After all, I can't stay here forever. And if Zaibach's offer is true...~

Dilandau drifted off to sleep with those thoughts in his head. ~Perhaps the future isn't so bad after all. Enmu can help me straighten things out~

Outside, the storm showed no signs of abating, and the mist began to form.