Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ When Escaflowne Rescued Trilladen ❯ Doctor's Notes ( Chapter 12 )

SPOILERS!

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CHAPTER 12

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Doctor's Notes

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In the southern most borders of Asturia is a peaceful place. The most noted and successful healers on Gaea collaborated to form a special hospital for those who suffered ill effects of evil sorcery. Peoples from Ispania and as far west as Fanelia and all points in between came to the Healers' Sanctuary for cures, hope, and a means of coping with dark magical forces that robbed one's soul of peace. Now that the Zaibach Empire was in ruins, more and more cases of shattered lives found respite within the clay walls and green vines of Healers' Sanctuary.

The sheer numbers alone were a bitter testimony to the brutality of the late Emperor Dornkirk that took on a huge disproportionate quality. It was nothing short of a holocaust of the spirit of too many unfortunate victims that were chosen sometimes without reason just to be experimented on. Knowledge was gained without conscience by the learned. Wisdom was forsaken for a lust for power that came in the form of favors from a monster. Thus injured souls somehow, through the mercy and power that governs the stars, found Healers' Sanctuary.

Such was the case of Allen's Schezar's sister, Celena. Allan had asked for a miracle. He got one in that he found his long lost sister, only to discover that she had become not only a victim, but had changed into one of Dornkirk's most dreaded monsters. Through dark magical experiments engaged by unscrupulous wizards, the sweet and innocent blue eyed angel that had truly been his sister was transformed into Dilandau. Still, Allen thought nothing of family honor or shame. Such notions in a time of crisis seemed trivial and pretentious. He was her big brother, and Knight of Heaven or not, he was her protector, and better still, he was not alone in this world-he had family again.

As for Celena, retreating within a world of her own making was her way of not dealing with the dark side of her soul that had been exposed like rotting flesh. She had been Dilandau. Now she was an eighteen-year old gentle-born aristocrat in the protection of her older brother, Allen Schezar, wondering where Mama was. For in her mind she had become the little girl from her past before being spirited away by Zaibach henchmen, before being confronted with the darkness of her soul.

The days at Healers' Sanctuary were progressive however, in that Celena chose to live not as Dilandau, but as the innocent young child she had been before she had become that monster. This was encouraging to Mantuka, the healer who worked with her most. Her blue eyes and silver hair captivated him. The code of ethics did not permit him to entertain thoughts beyond the clinical, but his heart was more drawn out be her dilemma than had been with any other patient he'd treated.

Being acutely aware of this, Mantuka took great pains not to be alone with her while tending to the fragile balance she manipulated in her mind of displaced reality and denial. Rather, he worked with a team of the best physicians to help her come to terms with the light and the dark elements of her spirit. Once that was accomplished her recovery depended on her ability to fuse her two personalities to become whole again. But she could not do this until she accepted that she was a being capable of both good and evil. Truly all peoples were made up of good and bad qualities.

The distress that plagued Celena was that she had to confront the darker points of her personality as a tender youth, rather than deal with them through out her life, one incident at a time as most people do. As people gain experience in life and reconcile themselves to the flaws in their nature, maturity settles in as they accept the whole myriad of colors that make the their soul. But to find out by the age of ten what monstrosities one is capable of can only lead to an emotional and mental breakdown.

Mantuka shuffled through reports and letters bearing down on her criminal case as Dilandau. Only a fortnight ago, a dispatch had to be sent to a foreign attaché out of Drisdan to explain that Healers' Sanctuary is a place of safety for those who dwell within, regardless of what may have transpired in their past. In that dispatch Mantuka felt very justified not divulging details of Celena Schezar's recovery and explained to the diplomat that as a patient she is entitled to peace and solitude from the world that had betrayed and abused her in her youth.

Feeling smug in the notion that he had just averted any further unpleasant circumstances in her life, he sat down and went about the business of writing to her brother of her progress.

To Allen Schezar, peace is proffered from Mantuka of Healers' Sanctuary.

As Celena's primary healer I am happy to report to you of her progress, though slow in its painstaking process, yet inevitable considering the strength of her character.

Celena has reverted back in her mind to the happier times of her childhood, choosing not to remember her years in captivity and subsequent transformation as her alter ego, Dilandau. Though there are some among us who feel this is cause for great concern, yet I sense the hope in this. The measure she has taken to protect herself from things she is too frail to cope with are put aside as she reacquaints herself with the identity she knew as a child.

She will need time to feel safe and secure enough to face the one known to us as Dilandau. A t present, she misses your departed mother. Because she remembers you as a youth and does not have substantial memory to draw upon to meet you as a grown man, I feel you present too much of a shock to her to see you at this time.

I am confident that this situation will change with time. She is reliving more vividly her days as a little child causing her great joy. This remarkable foundation as a member of a loving family bodes well with our attempts to rehabilitate her. The danger we must eventually confront as healers and those concerned about her future is the inevitable recollections of her transformation into her alter ego as Dilandau.

This is necessary if we are to help her bring this aspect of her soul into place, but matters are seriously complicated. The nature of the dark magic used to change her physicality from female to male in appearance would be traumatic for her to have endured. She was not only horrendously confronted with her dark side, she was convinced of its absoluteness not only in mind, but also in body.

You may wonder as to the severity of her evil nature as Dilandau. I can only offer you this comfort. In the many seasons of practicing the healing arts, I have concluded those whose spirits seem sweetest and most valiant, are also the ones whose inner battles are that much more fiercely fought.

In short, the lightness of one's spirit is truly an accomplishment of choice-for it is often those spirits who do battle the most with the traits of darkness within their own hearts burdened as much from temptation as from true evil assaulting the soul. We all have within us good and evil tendencies, or light and dark colors of soul, selfish and charitable traits.

Unlike Celena, most of us have the luxury of coming to terms with the whole through a life long learning journey. She was savagely introduced to the myriad of colors that make up her soul as a child and was incapable of comprehending the whole, much less defend her sense of self. She understandably succumbed to the brutal conclusion that was forced upon her personality traits-that she was Dilandau and nothing more.

Though this may have been instrumental in releasing and developing her strengths of personality, it was ultimately crippling in that the basic good of her nature was denied from freedom to choose for a time.

The progress I see being made in Celena is simply this, she has the choice of being either Dilandau or Celena, and she chooses to be Celena. What must come about for a full recovery is her acceptance of Dilandau within her. As we all have a little bit of Dilandau within us all and have need for redemption of spirit, it is my hope that we here at Healers' Sanctuary can facilitate her need to be comfortable with her whole self, fused together. With this her free will shall truly express itself as she heals and finds that it remains intact.

I remain respectfully yours……

Mantuka of Healers' Sanctuary.

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"Dilandau? Where are you? I can't find you. I need you Dilandau. Where are your Dragonslayers? Where is your Seidist Unit? Dilandau…."

Celena stared at the Trillium sprouting from the forest floor like a wood sprite. The voice in her head was back and her heart skipped a beat. Trying to regain control of her mind was like trying to hold water in a sieve.

"Celena? Are you listening to me?" Mantuka gently asked of her. He and Terrard were supervising her trip into the neighboring forest for flowers and healing herbs. A task she normally found enjoyable. "We have to head back now. T'is late, sweet girl."

As if falling out of a trance Celena shook her head and looked in Mantuka's direction in a blank eyed bemused state. Trying to snap out of it, she blinked hard and looked down at the Trillium wilting in her hand. When did I pick this? I shouldn't have picked this. It is rare and will not last out of soil. Did I pick this?

"Celena! Are you quite all right?" Mantuka walked quickly to her side.

Her silver hair was tousled in her face and she looked as if she would pass out. Finally she responded. "I'm hungry, Mantuka."

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Mugwa was in a frenzied state of rage. Again I have lost the brat! I cannot wait any longer! She will regain her whole as Celena and I will have no champion. Celena is useless to me, but Dilandau would be very helpful. He could destroy the Prince and break King Han's spirit, maybe even the Queen's. He stormed out of his private garden to go get dressed for tonight's religious meeting at the temple. One the way to his quarters in the monastery Gogan hailed him down with news.

"His Holiness?" Gogan called to him with deference. He could tell the high priest was in a bad frame of mind.

"Yes, what is it?" Mugwa snapped as he continued to stride purposefully to his bedchamber to dress in the proper colored robes for tonight's mass.

"Your spy from Drisdan is back, sir, with news of the girl!" Gogan had to nearly run to keep pace with Mugwa as he relayed this new development. Mugwa stopped dead in his tracks and Gogan almost collided with him. Revolted by the thought of touching Mugwa, Gogan swerved to fall at the high priest's feet. Mugwa smirked maliciously down at him. "Show him to my office at once!"

Gogan scrambled to his feet and ran off to find the doppleganger. Mugwa resumed his urgent stride to his rooms to change, wanting to meet the foul creature in full religious garb. After putting on his purple robes with the golden brocade with the symbol of humility and penitence embroidered on it he sniggered at the poetic irony of his attire.

Entering his office with an assumed air dignity and self-importance Mugwa walked ceremonioulsy over to the doppleganger feigning nonchalance. In truth he inwardly shuddered at the sheer presence of the freakish creature.

"I expect payment first, before I tell you where she is." The doppleganger hissed at him. His large black eyes revealed contempt for the priest.

Mugwa walked over to an ornately carved table by his bed where a bejeweled solid gold box was prominently displayed. It was the size of two fists of a man put together. Mugwa sighed and lifted it up and handled it over to the doppleganger who snatched it up like a starving man given food for the first time in days.

As creepy as this infernal creature is, I will have to wait before I kill him. He will be of no use to me until after he his news. Then he is nothing more than food for my lovely griffins. "What news do you bring me?" Mugwa meekly asked.

"The girl Celena is charged in the charged in the care of Mantuka of Healers' Sanctuary. He would not give me details of her prognosis, only confirmed for me in his stupid arrogant manner that she was under his care and protection." The doppleganger opened up his chest and stuffed the golden box along side his intestines, or seemingly. Mugwa shrieked like a schoolgirl as the doppleganger seemed to melt into the floor and vanish.

Mugwa ran to the door and screamed for Gogan. "Gogan! Be alert! The visitor is escaping with a family heirloom! He cannot be seen, but a griffin can smell him out!"

Gogan was already moving fast, but it was too late for him. A large stone, as large as a giant man fell on top of his head crushing his skull. From there the doppleganger resumed his true shape with fierce eyes. "Do not think I will today. No, I live today, not die. I do not die and you will not betray me!" The doppleganger opened his mouth to become the gaping jaws of doom, hideously large and cavernous as he intended to swallow Mugwa's life force.

Mugwa cried out in a desperate attempt to fetch his pet griffin, Destroyer. The hissing lion responded by flapping his scaly wings through the corridor to rush up to his distressed master. The doppleganger once again was mortar and stone and was long gone before the winged lion could rip his flesh from his bones. Seeing hot fresh blood on the stone floor next to his master, he quickly devoured the dead Gogan.

Mugwa lived through this misadventure, but was old, aged, with a face so thinned to be skeletal, nose protruding like a mummy's who was dead for centuries. He now looked as depraved as he truly was, the best warning the doppleganger could manage for others in such a small space of time. As he made good his escape, his thoughts turned to the future pleasures he would indulge in, compliments of a monster. A satisfied grin plastered his shifting face.

Leaving no time for regrets, Mugwa allowed the beast to feed. He would need a full belly for his next mission. Walking over to it, Mugwa placed his hands upon the head of the lion, closed his sunken in eyes, and gave telepathic orders to the mythical sentry. Barely finishing his last bone-crunching gulp, the griffin took off in search of his Master's prey.