Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ To Mend the Rose ❯ Revelations ( Chapter 9 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Feye Morgan 
Enmu's identity is revealed!
Anime/Manga: Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.12.2003 | Pages: 5 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 251 | Status: Work In Progress
Enmu's identity is revealed!
Anime/Manga: Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.12.2003 | Pages: 5 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 251 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer:
*A struggling Feye is brought into an interrogation room*
Severus Snape: Miss Morgan. Do not lie. Do you own Escaflowne?
Feye: *insane gleam* YES! YES I DO!!!!
*Severus forces veritiserum down Feye's throat*
Severus: Now. Answer the question again.
Feye: *twitches* ...*sob* NO! OKAY! I DON'T OWN ESCAFLOWNE!!! *sniffles* Those mean men took away my ESCAFLOWNE DOMINATION MACHINE!!!! Curse them. *mutters inarticulately*
Severus: And -that- is why you should always study in Chem class.
Feye: ?
Severus: ^_^
Feye: ONWARD!
TO MEND THE ROSE: REVELATION by Feye Morgan
*~*~*~*
Dilandau stood and paced before a squad of fifteen young boys, watching them carefully as they sparred in the training room. They were quick and strong, agile and eager, determined and devoted. And they were good. Very good. They were exactly the soldiers of Dilandau's dreams.
But their faces. Dilandau did not recognize their faces. They were a new group, bright and shining. They were a fresh start.
The silver haired captain walked from soldier to soldier, sharply correcting any errors. He turned to see Folken at the door, smiling as he watched. Dilandau grinned back. As he turned to continue with his training, the room misted over. Dilandau felt himself falling away...
*~*~*~*
Dilandau woke, knowing that it was all just a dream. But it was the best dream he had experienced in a very long time. He knew it had been triggered by Zaibach's offer.
~It -would- be nice to train another group. I'd do it better this time. I wouldn't make mistakes like I did with the others. I'd have a second chance...~
But what if his second group suffered the same fate as the first? Dilandau had believed that nothing could bring down his men. But a single boy had managed to slaughter all fourteen in only a scant few minutes.
~Do I really want to risk that again?~
And then there were the madoushi... The silver-haired boy couldn't remember all that they had done to him over the many years he had been under their control. But he remembered his last visit quite vividly.
~*~*~*~
Dilandau screamed and struggled vainly against the restraints on his arms and legs.
"It has become unstable."
"We need to repeat the Fate Alteration Experiment."
"Sedate it."
Dilandau screamed the names of his dead Dragonslayers as the dark-cloaked demon lowered a hypodermic needle to his arm. The boy let loose a choked sob as he felt the needle pierce his skin. The sedative took effect immediately. His limbs grew heavy, and his screams faded away.
But the sedative merely concealed any evidence of pain. It did not lessen it. The tears trickling from his eyes were the only evidence of the agony the boy was experiencing...
~*~*~*~
Dilandau buried his head in his pillow, trying to shut out the memory.
"I can't go back to that," he whispered. "I can't."
Dilandau lay trembling in bed for a long time before he managed to get up and prepare for the day.
Enmu was once again not inside when Dilandau walked into the kitchen to fix breakfast. The albino peered out the window. The rain had stopped for the moment, although dark stormclouds still threatened from above. Dilandau figured that Enmu was taking advantage of the lull in the storm to get some work done. He just hoped his host hadn't attempted another trip into Palas.
After breakfast, Dilandau wandered over to the living room to read another chapter of the book he had found the other day. Dilandau raised his eyebrows when he looked at the table.
A small metal box with strange antennae was sitting innocently beside the stack of books. Dilandau knelt to examine it more closely. It was not a radio, he decided. There was no speaker or audio component of any kind. The contraption seemed oddly familiar...
Dilandau rose and decided to leave the box alone. Enmu was a rather eccentic person, after all. Who knew what strange items the man might have collected over the years?
But the box looked so familiar. If only he could place it...
Forgetting about the book for the moment, Dilandau wandered into the kitchen. He would ask Enmu about the strange box over a cup of tea. With the kettle on the stove, Dilandau walked outside to find his host.
"Enmu!" Dilandau called. There was no answer. "Enmu! Where are you?"
Dilandau circled the cottage twice. He walked down the path leading out to Palas for a few hundred meters. There was no trace of the blue-haired woodsman.
Puzzled, and slightly apprehensive, the albino made his way back to the cottage. Thunder rumbled from above.
Enmu was sitting inside at the kitchen table, obliviously paging through his copy of "In a Sunburnt Country". He had taken the kettle off the stove and poured tea for both of them.
"Enmu!" Dilandau said as he sat down opposite the man. "Where were you? I looked all over for you yet again, and you were nowhere in sight!"
Enmu looked up from his book, but did not meet Dilandau's eyes. "You must have just missed me. I was working a ways off in the trees."
Dilandau opened his mouth to say that he had called for Enmu repeatedly, but the other man cut him off.
"Looks like you came back just in time. The rain's starting to fall again." Enmu nodded at the window.
Sure enough, the dark clouds had burst once again. The air was filled with the soft patter of raindrops. The world outside was transformed into a dreamscape. The mist rose silently through the trees.
Dilandau looked back at Enmu. "Enmu," he began slowly. "What's that strange antennae box you have on the living room table?"
Enmu stiffened briefly, and then relaxed. He raised an eyebrow quizzically at Dilandau. "What box?"
Dilandau frowned. "That box over th-" Dilandau stopped in mid sentence. He had turned to point at the object in question.
But the box was gone.
"Strange..." Dilandau whispered.
Enmu frowned. "Dilandau? Are you feeling well?" The man looked concerned.
Dilandau nodded firmly and smiled. "I'm fine." He decided not to press the issue.
~I know that box was on that table. I know I've seen it before. What is going on...?~
They passed the time without incident, telling stories and recounting legends. Eventually, however, the topic turned to a subject Dilandau would rather have avoided for the moment.
"Dilandau?" Enmu asked.
"Hrm?" Dilandau was in the middle of taking a sip of tea.
"Have you thought any more about Zaibach's offer?"
Dilandau nearly choked. The question was completely unexpected. The albino set his cup down and frowned slightly in thought.
~Should I tell him about my dream?~ he wondered. After a moment of contemplation, he decided against it.
"I have, a little," he admitted. The silver-haired boy bit his lip. "I must admit that the prospect is not without allure." Dilandau thought briefly of the new squad of Dragonslayers he had seen in his dream. For a moment, his heart leapt again at the thought of commanding them. The next moment, however, a vision of Shesta's dying face banished the hope. "But I don't think I will accept."
"What about this new command they're offering?"
Dilandau traced a pattern on the table with his finger. "Even if I was certain of their sincerity, I would have to decline. Something...happened to my last command. I don't want to risk the chance of it happening twice."
Enmu nodded understandingly, but for some reason he seemed troubled.
Dilandau continued to trace. "Besides, I'm not all that sure of my safety if I accepted." The albino lifted his finger off of the table, completing the invisible drawing of a single rosebud.
Enmu changed the subject. "Well, looks like we've finished the tea." Dilandau nodded, still in thought. Enmu flashed the boy a smile before standing.
Dilandau generously offered to take care of the dishes, at the same time wondering why on Gaea he was acting so nice.
~This isn't normal. It's as if my temper has evaporated~
Dilandau sighed inaudibly. He set the dishes in the sink.
~Wait a minute~ He paused in the middle of reaching for the bucket of dishwater. He stared down at Enmu's cup. Dilandau had seen Enmu take quite a few swallows of his tea. His cup should be empty.
But Enmu's teacup was all the way full.
Dilandau began to wash the dishes automatically, his concentration elsewhere. He thought back to the other times he had shared tea with Enmu. Enmu had drunk his tea then as well...but had his cup ever been empty? Had it ever even been drained a little? Dilandau wasn't sure.
He joined Enmu in the living room a few minutes later. The other man was sitting on the couch, idly paging through his book.
For a moment, Dilandau thought about mentioning the tea to his host. But suddenly, in his mind, the question seemed stupid. Once again, he decided against it.
"So, Dilandau," Enmu began, putting the book down. "The rain is once again confining us. Do you have any ideas for something to do? I think I've exhausted my supply of legends," he added with a wry grin. "Say, I'm sure you have a good supply of stories from your days in Zaibach."
Dilandau stiffened slightly. ~I sure do~ he thought darkly.
Enmu noticed his uneasiness. "Or is the subject too sore for you?" he asked apologetically.
Dilandau sighed and bit his lip. "No, it's okay," he said at last. "I do have some rather humorous incidents back in training camp filed away."
Enmu raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"
Dilandau smiled a little at the memories. "There was one time," he began, leaning back comfortably, "when my friend Viole and I decided to pull a prank on our training officer..."
~*~*~*~
"Are you positive the man was telling the truth?" Allen asked for the fourth tme.
"No, Allen, I'm not positive," Van snapped back irritably, his patience worn out. "That would be why we're going to see him ourselves. This isn't a social visit, or hadn't you gathered that?"
Allen glared at Van briefly before smiling at Queen Millerna, who was walking up to receive them.
"Allen-san, Van-san," she smiled.
The two bowed respectfully. "Millerna-san."
The Queen beckoned them to follow. "My guards found him in the marketplace, yelling for help," the Queen recounted as they walked down the hall. "He wouldn't say what was wrong, but he demanded to speak to a Palace official. My men almost turned him away, but he said one name that got their attention."
"Dilandau," Van said.
The Queen nodded. "There is always the chance that he's fibbing, but that soldier has done enough damage to Palas already that none of us are willing to take any chances, especially with his recent disappearance."
"Has he already told you exactly what he saw?" Allen asked.
"Of course. He will tell it again, however, for you two. I know you have both been...occupied...with the infamous captain recently."
Allen and Van exchanged glances.
They arrived shortly at a conference room. There were two royal guards on either side of the door. Van frowned. "Is he dangerous?"
Millerna looked at Van, surprised. "No, not at all. He's a simple woodsman. The guards are mainly for his protection."
Nevertheless, the two soldiers followed the trio inside.
The man sitting at the table did look like a rustic woodsman. He was broad-shouldered and tall, his arms built up from years of life in the forest. His clothing was coarse and practical. A stout walking stick leaned against the conference table. The man stood awkwardly at the Queen's entrance, and his eyes widened slightly when he spotted Allen and Van.
"Please, remain seated, good sir. I would like you to tell these two what you told me. This is Van, King of Fanelia, and this is Caeli Knight Allen Schezar." Millerna motioned to each of them in turn. The woodsman sat back down, apparently set at ease by the introductions.
The man cleared his throat. "I was headin' back to m' cottage after I'd been in t' town t' visit some o' my relatives. I decided t' go home a few days early." He paused to clear his throat again. "I was nearly home when I saw someone up i' the trail ahead o' me. I stopped, awful nervous o' course. Then th' person called out t' me as if 'e knew who I was. I really got a fright when 'e said 'is name was Dilandau."
Van and Allen glanced at each other.
"Then 'e came 'round the bend an' int' view. 'E was wearin' regular clothes; none o' his armor or anythin', but I'd recognize 'is face anywhere after seein' all the pictures 'round Palas. Silver-white 'air slightly curled I' th' front, flamin' red eyes, an' skin pale as a ghost. He stared at me for a moment, and I was so petr'fied that I couldn't move. Then 'e did somethin' strange. He said, real nice-like, mind, tha' 'e wasn't goin' t' harm me, and 'e asked if I was a friend of...oh what was th' name? Some odd name...Enmu! Tha' was it! He said 'e was a friend of Enmu's too. When I didn't say anythin', bein' so scared an' all, he glared at me. My feet caught up t' me then, and I took off runnin'." The man stopped and looked up at Van and Allen appologetically. "I'm 'fraid that's all I have to tell."
Allen smiled warmly at the man. "I assure you that it is more than enough. We thank you."
"Could you show us where your cottage is?" Van asked briskly.
Allen frowned slightly at Van. "My, aren't we pushy?" he huffed. Van ignored him.
The man looked at Van, hope in his eyes. "Are y' goin' t' go after 'im?"
Van nodded.
"Sure, I can tell y' the way. But..." the man trailed off, looking worried.
"What?" Van asked impatiently.
The man looked up at Van, a twinge of fear in his eyes. "I don' want t' get involved when y' find 'im. Y' can leave me out o' it."
Van opened his mouth, but was stopped short by a sharp pain in his ribs. He glared at Allen.
"Of course," Millerna said smoothly. "I have an idea. Van, why don't you take this young man on Escaflowne, and he can point out his cabin to you from the air. Then you can drop him off back here, and you can lead one of our air transporters to capture Dilandau. I'll send a small transport for speed. We shouldn't need many men: he's likely alone."
With that, it was decided. Van smiled in anticipation. He would have his questions answered very soon.
~*~*~*~
"And then," Dilandau grinned, "we finally got fed up, tackled him, and took the hat off. And you know what? Dalet's head was shaved!"
Enmu laughed heartily. "That's hilarious!" The two chuckled. Dilandau's stories were very humorous. Apparently as youngsters the sixteen friends had been quite mischievous.
Dilandau recounted several more stories before Enmu glanced up at the window. "Oh, hey! The rain's stopped!" Dilandau watched Enmu as he rose to peer out the window.
Enmu stiffened. His hands clenched the window sill tightly as he looked apprehensively up at the sky. 'I'll be right back, Dilandau. Wait here." Before the albino could protest, he was gone.
"What the...?" Dilandau growled. He stood and peered out the window. "There's nothing there." Dilandau frowned. His spine tingled. Dilandau shook his head and made his way back to the sofa. As soon as he sat back down, Enmu returned. Dilandau scrutinized him carefully. The man's posture was easy and relaxed, and smile once again on his lips.
"It was nothing, Dilandau. Thought I saw a spirit out in the woods." Enmu gave an involuntary shudder.
~But you were looking up at the sky~ Dilandau thought.
"Sounds like you had a lot of fun in training, Dilandau," Enmu said as he sat back down.
Dilandau nodded, still inwardly wary. "Yes, we did."
"Don't you wish you could go back?"
Dilandau frowned. "Why do you keep bringing this up, Enmu?"
"Because I want the best for you. I like you, Dilandau."
"How do you know that going back to Zaibach will make me happy?"
"You were just talking about all the fun times you had," Enmu reasoned.
"That was a long time ago." Dilandau was becoming sharp. He didn't like the sudden change in Enmu. ~Why is he being so persistant?~
"But Zaibach can give you another chance!"
"Maybe I don't want another chance!" Dilandau yelled, standing up sharply. He began to pace the room.
"I'm sorry, Dilandau," Enmu sighed. Dilandau looked suspiciously at the man. "I'm just worried about you. Where else will you go? I can't let you stay here forever, you know. Since the war is over, I think that accepting their offer is a good idea. I don't want to see you throw it away."
"I'm not throwing it away!"
"Then will you go back?"
"I never said that! Look, there are very good reasons why I want to stay away from Zaibach! The same reasons I ran away for in the first place!"
"'Ran away', Dilandau?"
Dilandau bit his lip furiously.
"Look, I don't mean to offend you, Dilandau!" Enmu rose, his expression entreating. "Please don't get angry with me. I only want to help you!"
Faint noises came from outside, but Dilandau paid them no heed. His attention was focused on Enmu.
"Then stop pestering me! I have my reasons for refusing!"
The look in Enmu's eyes was nearing desperation. "Dilandau, surely there's nothing to worry about! Zaibach won't harm you!"
"NO!"
The noises grew louder.
"Dilandau!" Enmu was pleading desperately. "You don't have anything to fear! The madoushi are dead!"
Dilandau paled and stared in horror at Enmu. He backed away a step, ruby eyes huge. "H-how do you know about T-Them?" he gasped.
"Dilandau, I-"
"You're with Zaibach, aren't you?" Dilandau yelled. "Stay away from me!" Dilandau backed away even further, looking desperately around for a weapon.
At that moment, the room burst into chaos. In the middle of Dilandau's threats and Enmu's entreaties, the door to the cabin burst open. With a flurry of screeching metal and shouts, Van, Allen, and a small contingent of Asturian royal guards flooded into the cabin. Dilandau cried out and flattened himself in a corner. His crimson eyes were huge, full of confusion and fright. His mouth worked soundlessly in an attempt to say something.
Van and Allen stepped forward, bare katanas in hand. They did not look at Enmu.
"Dilandau Albatou," Van said, his voice strong and determined. "You are unarmed and will do well to surrender peacefully. We do not intend to harm you."
Dilandau sent panic-stricken glances between Enmu and Van. "W-what's going on?" he asked, voice stricken. He looked at Enmu. "Did you bring them here? Why?"
Allen and Van looked at Dilandau strangely. They peered at Enmu.
"Enmu, answer me!" Dilandau yelled. Enmu looked terrified, but managed to send another plead at the cornered albino.
"Dilandau!" Enmu opened his hands to entreat him. "Come back to Zaibach! We'll protect you!"
~Protect me~ "You liar," Dilandau snarled.
Van and Allen were sending concerned, apprehensive looks at the albino.
"Dilandau," Allen asked carefully, once again glancing briefly at Enmu.
Dilandau fixed his gaze on Allen, and pressed himself further into the corner.
"Dilandau...who are you talking to?"
Some of Dilandau's panic turned into annoyance. "Him! Are you blind as well as stupid?" Dilandau yelled at the knight, pointing at Enmu's terrified form.
Van spoke up with equally worried expression. "Dilandau, there's no one there."
Dilandau gaped at Van. "What are you talking about? What do you mean 'there's no one there'?"
"Just what I said, Dilandau." Van pointed at Enmu. "You're talking to air. There's no one here but us."
Dilandau shook his head. "No! I can see him!" He pointed a trembling finger at the man. "He's..." Dilandau choked.
Then it hit him.
"Oh my god. Oh my god. You aren't real." He whispered at Enmu. "You aren't real, are you?"
"Of course I'm real, Dilandau!" Enmu cried. "They're just trying to trick you! How can I not be real?"
"No. It all makes sense now. All the strange things I've seen. Disappearing in the morning, and then suddenly reappearing again. How I always felt strangely calm around you. The vivid dreams I've been having. How you stacked the wood wrong. How you knew so much about weather patterns. How...I've never seen you actually do any work. I've never seen you eat...or drink. Your tea cups...they were always full...The man...in the woods...you said it was an animal. It wasn't was it? That was a madoushi! And the wire I found! I remember it now! You...you're an illusion."
Enmu was staring woodenly at Dilandau. "It's not true. You're just tired, Dilandau."
Van, Allen, and the soldiers were silently watching Dilandau speak to the air.
And then Dilandau remembered the box.
~That must be the Control Unit. It can't have gone far. Where is it?~
"Well, there's one way to find out for sure, isn't there?" Dilandau whispered. He ventured out from the corner and began searching frantically around the room.
"Stop Dilandau!" Enmu yelled in panic.
"MAKE me stop!" Dilandau challenged. "You can't can you?"
Dilandau's hands slipped behind the bookshelf and stouched something metalic. Triumphantly, he yanked it aside and pulled out the small metal box from earlier.
"Dilandau! PUT THAT DOWN!" Enmu shrieked.
Dilandau raised the box over his head...
"NOOOOO-"
...and slammed it down on the table with all the force he could muster. The box shattered, and Enmu vanished mid-scream, leaving no trace that he had ever existed. Allen and Van stared at the broken metal.
Dilandau looked at the place where Enmu had once been, stunned. The proof before his eyes, Dilandau felt overwhelmed. His systems were overloading. The room began to spin before his eyes. The albino took a clumsy step backwards, and fell unconscious.
~*~*~*~
AN: I got adreneline from writing that. I sure hope you all liked reading it as much as I loved writing it! *cackles evilly* ENMU'S SECRET IS REVEALED!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!
Now, I know there are A LOT of unanswered questions, for instance:
--How come the madoushi who was controlling Enmu didn't just take Dilandau by force?
--How could Enmu affect Dilandau's mind if he wasn't real?
--What the heck does the Control Unit do?
*A struggling Feye is brought into an interrogation room*
Severus Snape: Miss Morgan. Do not lie. Do you own Escaflowne?
Feye: *insane gleam* YES! YES I DO!!!!
*Severus forces veritiserum down Feye's throat*
Severus: Now. Answer the question again.
Feye: *twitches* ...*sob* NO! OKAY! I DON'T OWN ESCAFLOWNE!!! *sniffles* Those mean men took away my ESCAFLOWNE DOMINATION MACHINE!!!! Curse them. *mutters inarticulately*
Severus: And -that- is why you should always study in Chem class.
Feye: ?
Severus: ^_^
Feye: ONWARD!
TO MEND THE ROSE: REVELATION by Feye Morgan
*~*~*~*
Dilandau stood and paced before a squad of fifteen young boys, watching them carefully as they sparred in the training room. They were quick and strong, agile and eager, determined and devoted. And they were good. Very good. They were exactly the soldiers of Dilandau's dreams.
But their faces. Dilandau did not recognize their faces. They were a new group, bright and shining. They were a fresh start.
The silver haired captain walked from soldier to soldier, sharply correcting any errors. He turned to see Folken at the door, smiling as he watched. Dilandau grinned back. As he turned to continue with his training, the room misted over. Dilandau felt himself falling away...
*~*~*~*
Dilandau woke, knowing that it was all just a dream. But it was the best dream he had experienced in a very long time. He knew it had been triggered by Zaibach's offer.
~It -would- be nice to train another group. I'd do it better this time. I wouldn't make mistakes like I did with the others. I'd have a second chance...~
But what if his second group suffered the same fate as the first? Dilandau had believed that nothing could bring down his men. But a single boy had managed to slaughter all fourteen in only a scant few minutes.
~Do I really want to risk that again?~
And then there were the madoushi... The silver-haired boy couldn't remember all that they had done to him over the many years he had been under their control. But he remembered his last visit quite vividly.
~*~*~*~
Dilandau screamed and struggled vainly against the restraints on his arms and legs.
"It has become unstable."
"We need to repeat the Fate Alteration Experiment."
"Sedate it."
Dilandau screamed the names of his dead Dragonslayers as the dark-cloaked demon lowered a hypodermic needle to his arm. The boy let loose a choked sob as he felt the needle pierce his skin. The sedative took effect immediately. His limbs grew heavy, and his screams faded away.
But the sedative merely concealed any evidence of pain. It did not lessen it. The tears trickling from his eyes were the only evidence of the agony the boy was experiencing...
~*~*~*~
Dilandau buried his head in his pillow, trying to shut out the memory.
"I can't go back to that," he whispered. "I can't."
Dilandau lay trembling in bed for a long time before he managed to get up and prepare for the day.
Enmu was once again not inside when Dilandau walked into the kitchen to fix breakfast. The albino peered out the window. The rain had stopped for the moment, although dark stormclouds still threatened from above. Dilandau figured that Enmu was taking advantage of the lull in the storm to get some work done. He just hoped his host hadn't attempted another trip into Palas.
After breakfast, Dilandau wandered over to the living room to read another chapter of the book he had found the other day. Dilandau raised his eyebrows when he looked at the table.
A small metal box with strange antennae was sitting innocently beside the stack of books. Dilandau knelt to examine it more closely. It was not a radio, he decided. There was no speaker or audio component of any kind. The contraption seemed oddly familiar...
Dilandau rose and decided to leave the box alone. Enmu was a rather eccentic person, after all. Who knew what strange items the man might have collected over the years?
But the box looked so familiar. If only he could place it...
Forgetting about the book for the moment, Dilandau wandered into the kitchen. He would ask Enmu about the strange box over a cup of tea. With the kettle on the stove, Dilandau walked outside to find his host.
"Enmu!" Dilandau called. There was no answer. "Enmu! Where are you?"
Dilandau circled the cottage twice. He walked down the path leading out to Palas for a few hundred meters. There was no trace of the blue-haired woodsman.
Puzzled, and slightly apprehensive, the albino made his way back to the cottage. Thunder rumbled from above.
Enmu was sitting inside at the kitchen table, obliviously paging through his copy of "In a Sunburnt Country". He had taken the kettle off the stove and poured tea for both of them.
"Enmu!" Dilandau said as he sat down opposite the man. "Where were you? I looked all over for you yet again, and you were nowhere in sight!"
Enmu looked up from his book, but did not meet Dilandau's eyes. "You must have just missed me. I was working a ways off in the trees."
Dilandau opened his mouth to say that he had called for Enmu repeatedly, but the other man cut him off.
"Looks like you came back just in time. The rain's starting to fall again." Enmu nodded at the window.
Sure enough, the dark clouds had burst once again. The air was filled with the soft patter of raindrops. The world outside was transformed into a dreamscape. The mist rose silently through the trees.
Dilandau looked back at Enmu. "Enmu," he began slowly. "What's that strange antennae box you have on the living room table?"
Enmu stiffened briefly, and then relaxed. He raised an eyebrow quizzically at Dilandau. "What box?"
Dilandau frowned. "That box over th-" Dilandau stopped in mid sentence. He had turned to point at the object in question.
But the box was gone.
"Strange..." Dilandau whispered.
Enmu frowned. "Dilandau? Are you feeling well?" The man looked concerned.
Dilandau nodded firmly and smiled. "I'm fine." He decided not to press the issue.
~I know that box was on that table. I know I've seen it before. What is going on...?~
They passed the time without incident, telling stories and recounting legends. Eventually, however, the topic turned to a subject Dilandau would rather have avoided for the moment.
"Dilandau?" Enmu asked.
"Hrm?" Dilandau was in the middle of taking a sip of tea.
"Have you thought any more about Zaibach's offer?"
Dilandau nearly choked. The question was completely unexpected. The albino set his cup down and frowned slightly in thought.
~Should I tell him about my dream?~ he wondered. After a moment of contemplation, he decided against it.
"I have, a little," he admitted. The silver-haired boy bit his lip. "I must admit that the prospect is not without allure." Dilandau thought briefly of the new squad of Dragonslayers he had seen in his dream. For a moment, his heart leapt again at the thought of commanding them. The next moment, however, a vision of Shesta's dying face banished the hope. "But I don't think I will accept."
"What about this new command they're offering?"
Dilandau traced a pattern on the table with his finger. "Even if I was certain of their sincerity, I would have to decline. Something...happened to my last command. I don't want to risk the chance of it happening twice."
Enmu nodded understandingly, but for some reason he seemed troubled.
Dilandau continued to trace. "Besides, I'm not all that sure of my safety if I accepted." The albino lifted his finger off of the table, completing the invisible drawing of a single rosebud.
Enmu changed the subject. "Well, looks like we've finished the tea." Dilandau nodded, still in thought. Enmu flashed the boy a smile before standing.
Dilandau generously offered to take care of the dishes, at the same time wondering why on Gaea he was acting so nice.
~This isn't normal. It's as if my temper has evaporated~
Dilandau sighed inaudibly. He set the dishes in the sink.
~Wait a minute~ He paused in the middle of reaching for the bucket of dishwater. He stared down at Enmu's cup. Dilandau had seen Enmu take quite a few swallows of his tea. His cup should be empty.
But Enmu's teacup was all the way full.
Dilandau began to wash the dishes automatically, his concentration elsewhere. He thought back to the other times he had shared tea with Enmu. Enmu had drunk his tea then as well...but had his cup ever been empty? Had it ever even been drained a little? Dilandau wasn't sure.
He joined Enmu in the living room a few minutes later. The other man was sitting on the couch, idly paging through his book.
For a moment, Dilandau thought about mentioning the tea to his host. But suddenly, in his mind, the question seemed stupid. Once again, he decided against it.
"So, Dilandau," Enmu began, putting the book down. "The rain is once again confining us. Do you have any ideas for something to do? I think I've exhausted my supply of legends," he added with a wry grin. "Say, I'm sure you have a good supply of stories from your days in Zaibach."
Dilandau stiffened slightly. ~I sure do~ he thought darkly.
Enmu noticed his uneasiness. "Or is the subject too sore for you?" he asked apologetically.
Dilandau sighed and bit his lip. "No, it's okay," he said at last. "I do have some rather humorous incidents back in training camp filed away."
Enmu raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"
Dilandau smiled a little at the memories. "There was one time," he began, leaning back comfortably, "when my friend Viole and I decided to pull a prank on our training officer..."
~*~*~*~
"Are you positive the man was telling the truth?" Allen asked for the fourth tme.
"No, Allen, I'm not positive," Van snapped back irritably, his patience worn out. "That would be why we're going to see him ourselves. This isn't a social visit, or hadn't you gathered that?"
Allen glared at Van briefly before smiling at Queen Millerna, who was walking up to receive them.
"Allen-san, Van-san," she smiled.
The two bowed respectfully. "Millerna-san."
The Queen beckoned them to follow. "My guards found him in the marketplace, yelling for help," the Queen recounted as they walked down the hall. "He wouldn't say what was wrong, but he demanded to speak to a Palace official. My men almost turned him away, but he said one name that got their attention."
"Dilandau," Van said.
The Queen nodded. "There is always the chance that he's fibbing, but that soldier has done enough damage to Palas already that none of us are willing to take any chances, especially with his recent disappearance."
"Has he already told you exactly what he saw?" Allen asked.
"Of course. He will tell it again, however, for you two. I know you have both been...occupied...with the infamous captain recently."
Allen and Van exchanged glances.
They arrived shortly at a conference room. There were two royal guards on either side of the door. Van frowned. "Is he dangerous?"
Millerna looked at Van, surprised. "No, not at all. He's a simple woodsman. The guards are mainly for his protection."
Nevertheless, the two soldiers followed the trio inside.
The man sitting at the table did look like a rustic woodsman. He was broad-shouldered and tall, his arms built up from years of life in the forest. His clothing was coarse and practical. A stout walking stick leaned against the conference table. The man stood awkwardly at the Queen's entrance, and his eyes widened slightly when he spotted Allen and Van.
"Please, remain seated, good sir. I would like you to tell these two what you told me. This is Van, King of Fanelia, and this is Caeli Knight Allen Schezar." Millerna motioned to each of them in turn. The woodsman sat back down, apparently set at ease by the introductions.
The man cleared his throat. "I was headin' back to m' cottage after I'd been in t' town t' visit some o' my relatives. I decided t' go home a few days early." He paused to clear his throat again. "I was nearly home when I saw someone up i' the trail ahead o' me. I stopped, awful nervous o' course. Then th' person called out t' me as if 'e knew who I was. I really got a fright when 'e said 'is name was Dilandau."
Van and Allen glanced at each other.
"Then 'e came 'round the bend an' int' view. 'E was wearin' regular clothes; none o' his armor or anythin', but I'd recognize 'is face anywhere after seein' all the pictures 'round Palas. Silver-white 'air slightly curled I' th' front, flamin' red eyes, an' skin pale as a ghost. He stared at me for a moment, and I was so petr'fied that I couldn't move. Then 'e did somethin' strange. He said, real nice-like, mind, tha' 'e wasn't goin' t' harm me, and 'e asked if I was a friend of...oh what was th' name? Some odd name...Enmu! Tha' was it! He said 'e was a friend of Enmu's too. When I didn't say anythin', bein' so scared an' all, he glared at me. My feet caught up t' me then, and I took off runnin'." The man stopped and looked up at Van and Allen appologetically. "I'm 'fraid that's all I have to tell."
Allen smiled warmly at the man. "I assure you that it is more than enough. We thank you."
"Could you show us where your cottage is?" Van asked briskly.
Allen frowned slightly at Van. "My, aren't we pushy?" he huffed. Van ignored him.
The man looked at Van, hope in his eyes. "Are y' goin' t' go after 'im?"
Van nodded.
"Sure, I can tell y' the way. But..." the man trailed off, looking worried.
"What?" Van asked impatiently.
The man looked up at Van, a twinge of fear in his eyes. "I don' want t' get involved when y' find 'im. Y' can leave me out o' it."
Van opened his mouth, but was stopped short by a sharp pain in his ribs. He glared at Allen.
"Of course," Millerna said smoothly. "I have an idea. Van, why don't you take this young man on Escaflowne, and he can point out his cabin to you from the air. Then you can drop him off back here, and you can lead one of our air transporters to capture Dilandau. I'll send a small transport for speed. We shouldn't need many men: he's likely alone."
With that, it was decided. Van smiled in anticipation. He would have his questions answered very soon.
~*~*~*~
"And then," Dilandau grinned, "we finally got fed up, tackled him, and took the hat off. And you know what? Dalet's head was shaved!"
Enmu laughed heartily. "That's hilarious!" The two chuckled. Dilandau's stories were very humorous. Apparently as youngsters the sixteen friends had been quite mischievous.
Dilandau recounted several more stories before Enmu glanced up at the window. "Oh, hey! The rain's stopped!" Dilandau watched Enmu as he rose to peer out the window.
Enmu stiffened. His hands clenched the window sill tightly as he looked apprehensively up at the sky. 'I'll be right back, Dilandau. Wait here." Before the albino could protest, he was gone.
"What the...?" Dilandau growled. He stood and peered out the window. "There's nothing there." Dilandau frowned. His spine tingled. Dilandau shook his head and made his way back to the sofa. As soon as he sat back down, Enmu returned. Dilandau scrutinized him carefully. The man's posture was easy and relaxed, and smile once again on his lips.
"It was nothing, Dilandau. Thought I saw a spirit out in the woods." Enmu gave an involuntary shudder.
~But you were looking up at the sky~ Dilandau thought.
"Sounds like you had a lot of fun in training, Dilandau," Enmu said as he sat back down.
Dilandau nodded, still inwardly wary. "Yes, we did."
"Don't you wish you could go back?"
Dilandau frowned. "Why do you keep bringing this up, Enmu?"
"Because I want the best for you. I like you, Dilandau."
"How do you know that going back to Zaibach will make me happy?"
"You were just talking about all the fun times you had," Enmu reasoned.
"That was a long time ago." Dilandau was becoming sharp. He didn't like the sudden change in Enmu. ~Why is he being so persistant?~
"But Zaibach can give you another chance!"
"Maybe I don't want another chance!" Dilandau yelled, standing up sharply. He began to pace the room.
"I'm sorry, Dilandau," Enmu sighed. Dilandau looked suspiciously at the man. "I'm just worried about you. Where else will you go? I can't let you stay here forever, you know. Since the war is over, I think that accepting their offer is a good idea. I don't want to see you throw it away."
"I'm not throwing it away!"
"Then will you go back?"
"I never said that! Look, there are very good reasons why I want to stay away from Zaibach! The same reasons I ran away for in the first place!"
"'Ran away', Dilandau?"
Dilandau bit his lip furiously.
"Look, I don't mean to offend you, Dilandau!" Enmu rose, his expression entreating. "Please don't get angry with me. I only want to help you!"
Faint noises came from outside, but Dilandau paid them no heed. His attention was focused on Enmu.
"Then stop pestering me! I have my reasons for refusing!"
The look in Enmu's eyes was nearing desperation. "Dilandau, surely there's nothing to worry about! Zaibach won't harm you!"
"NO!"
The noises grew louder.
"Dilandau!" Enmu was pleading desperately. "You don't have anything to fear! The madoushi are dead!"
Dilandau paled and stared in horror at Enmu. He backed away a step, ruby eyes huge. "H-how do you know about T-Them?" he gasped.
"Dilandau, I-"
"You're with Zaibach, aren't you?" Dilandau yelled. "Stay away from me!" Dilandau backed away even further, looking desperately around for a weapon.
At that moment, the room burst into chaos. In the middle of Dilandau's threats and Enmu's entreaties, the door to the cabin burst open. With a flurry of screeching metal and shouts, Van, Allen, and a small contingent of Asturian royal guards flooded into the cabin. Dilandau cried out and flattened himself in a corner. His crimson eyes were huge, full of confusion and fright. His mouth worked soundlessly in an attempt to say something.
Van and Allen stepped forward, bare katanas in hand. They did not look at Enmu.
"Dilandau Albatou," Van said, his voice strong and determined. "You are unarmed and will do well to surrender peacefully. We do not intend to harm you."
Dilandau sent panic-stricken glances between Enmu and Van. "W-what's going on?" he asked, voice stricken. He looked at Enmu. "Did you bring them here? Why?"
Allen and Van looked at Dilandau strangely. They peered at Enmu.
"Enmu, answer me!" Dilandau yelled. Enmu looked terrified, but managed to send another plead at the cornered albino.
"Dilandau!" Enmu opened his hands to entreat him. "Come back to Zaibach! We'll protect you!"
~Protect me~ "You liar," Dilandau snarled.
Van and Allen were sending concerned, apprehensive looks at the albino.
"Dilandau," Allen asked carefully, once again glancing briefly at Enmu.
Dilandau fixed his gaze on Allen, and pressed himself further into the corner.
"Dilandau...who are you talking to?"
Some of Dilandau's panic turned into annoyance. "Him! Are you blind as well as stupid?" Dilandau yelled at the knight, pointing at Enmu's terrified form.
Van spoke up with equally worried expression. "Dilandau, there's no one there."
Dilandau gaped at Van. "What are you talking about? What do you mean 'there's no one there'?"
"Just what I said, Dilandau." Van pointed at Enmu. "You're talking to air. There's no one here but us."
Dilandau shook his head. "No! I can see him!" He pointed a trembling finger at the man. "He's..." Dilandau choked.
Then it hit him.
"Oh my god. Oh my god. You aren't real." He whispered at Enmu. "You aren't real, are you?"
"Of course I'm real, Dilandau!" Enmu cried. "They're just trying to trick you! How can I not be real?"
"No. It all makes sense now. All the strange things I've seen. Disappearing in the morning, and then suddenly reappearing again. How I always felt strangely calm around you. The vivid dreams I've been having. How you stacked the wood wrong. How you knew so much about weather patterns. How...I've never seen you actually do any work. I've never seen you eat...or drink. Your tea cups...they were always full...The man...in the woods...you said it was an animal. It wasn't was it? That was a madoushi! And the wire I found! I remember it now! You...you're an illusion."
Enmu was staring woodenly at Dilandau. "It's not true. You're just tired, Dilandau."
Van, Allen, and the soldiers were silently watching Dilandau speak to the air.
And then Dilandau remembered the box.
~That must be the Control Unit. It can't have gone far. Where is it?~
"Well, there's one way to find out for sure, isn't there?" Dilandau whispered. He ventured out from the corner and began searching frantically around the room.
"Stop Dilandau!" Enmu yelled in panic.
"MAKE me stop!" Dilandau challenged. "You can't can you?"
Dilandau's hands slipped behind the bookshelf and stouched something metalic. Triumphantly, he yanked it aside and pulled out the small metal box from earlier.
"Dilandau! PUT THAT DOWN!" Enmu shrieked.
Dilandau raised the box over his head...
"NOOOOO-"
...and slammed it down on the table with all the force he could muster. The box shattered, and Enmu vanished mid-scream, leaving no trace that he had ever existed. Allen and Van stared at the broken metal.
Dilandau looked at the place where Enmu had once been, stunned. The proof before his eyes, Dilandau felt overwhelmed. His systems were overloading. The room began to spin before his eyes. The albino took a clumsy step backwards, and fell unconscious.
~*~*~*~
AN: I got adreneline from writing that. I sure hope you all liked reading it as much as I loved writing it! *cackles evilly* ENMU'S SECRET IS REVEALED!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!
Now, I know there are A LOT of unanswered questions, for instance:
--How come the madoushi who was controlling Enmu didn't just take Dilandau by force?
--How could Enmu affect Dilandau's mind if he wasn't real?
--What the heck does the Control Unit do?