 |
| The Lion and his angel Part 01 "Spring has sprung, the grass is green…" Angelea chanted on her way home from school. Indeed, it was a dreamy day in June and there'd be nothing to do this weekend but soak up the sunshine, "And dwell on that dream." she reminded herself. Then, to stifle her feelings, she began to sing loudly, not caring who heard or if she was off-key. The sultry summer night was rich and alive. Angelea was perched in her usual spot on the verandah's railing. With no one to pester her, she was free to remember last night… She'd just settled into bed (duh) and was gazing wistfully out her window when she began listening to her heartbeat. An eerie quote from an old book crept up on her, "… when you hear your heart beat you hear death approaching." She tried to shrug the creepy thoughts off but her heart began to flutter with intangible panic. "Why? Why, I'm not afraid!" Her heart wrenched painfully in her chest, merely increasing her fear, "But I can't die! I'm only fifteen, damn it!" Angelea forced herself into uneasy sleep. (Maybe that had caused the dream.) Stepping into the dream world had been as easy as waking up. She found herself standing in a vast, empty chamber. It was too large and too dark to see very far. She appeared to be in the middle. Angelea had then decided to walk, to where, she wasn't sure. A few feet away, huddled on the floor was a boy. His head was in his hands but a few gossamer strands of hair snaked through his fingers. "Excuse me? Hello? Are you OK?" She knelt down to touch his shoulder but his head snapped up so fast that she gasped. He had blood-red eyes. "Don't you touch me, whore! Don't you come near me!" He stood up, bare to the waist, white, trembling slightly as he lurched away. "Well sorr-y pal! Forgive my concern! And don't call me a whore, you bastard!" She ducked as a fist came flying. "Don't you insult me, woman! What a nightmare!" Angelea swallowed her retort, "Nightmare? This is my dream! You're in my dream!" The boy tossed his head, "I beg your pardon? This is my dream. Or rather, my nightmare." As he said this he choked and shuddered, causing Angelea to feel sorry for him inspite of herself, "Why is it a nightmare?" "That is none of your concern!" He turned and strode pompously off into the gloom. Angelea couldn't help but notice the subtle rippling of his back muscles, or the deep purr of his voice. "Oh hell, might as well follow." Angelea was smart enough to keep her distance. "Are you following me, wench?" The boy faced her with a mocking, self-indulgent smile, "You reacted well for a girl." "Huh?" "To my punch, you're fast." "Uh, sure." "Are you a warrior?" "Me? No way! I'm just an everyday, average school-girl." "Really, how boring." "Oh, you're so very nice." she replied dryly. The boy smiled again, wider this time. He was eyeing her with approval. It was then Angelea that noticed she was wearing nothing but a skimpy nightgown. She blushed furiously. "Oh don't worry about your honour, you seem fit, that's all. Are you sure you're only average?" "Erm, well, maybe I do hike a lot." The boy chuckled, "Indeed." (He just keeps getting better looking) "And this is your dream?" Angelea was indignant all over again, "Well, yeah, I did fall asleep!" "And so did I! Well, maybe I was drugged," "Drugged?" "By sorcerers." "Sorcerers?!" He didn't reply but looked away, eyes dark with pain. "Um, I'm sorry." "It's not you." Whatever shreds of a bond they had held tight and deepened as the dream progressed. Angelea felt like she'd spent her entire summer with him, living alongside him almost like a shadow. It seemed strange that he'd never asked for her name, taking it for granted that she was always there. She knew his only because his subordinates called him, Master Dilandau. Where had the dream turned black? The floating fortress where they'd lived was suddenly ablaze. Maybe she'd done it when she'd burst into flames. Using her wings (wings?!) she'd made to escape. Standing atop the highest pinnacle, she'd noticed seven of Dilandau's Dragonslayers hanging for their lives from a ledge. "They're going to fall!" Somehow she knew and she couldn't, wasn't allowed to save them. She flew down to alight on Dilandau's balcony. He was there, wringing his hands, paralyzed with fear. His men were calling for him. The one called Viole was nearest to the edge. He wanted to climb up but couldn't. Migel was below, with a horribly injured leg, trying to call to Gatti and hang on at the same time. Refina nearly slipped (Angelea screamed) but was caught by Guimel, "I'll never let you go!" he gasped. Dalet was holding his sweet Chesta, protecting her before himself. "This is sickening, I've got to help them!" Angelea screamed again when the rope holding the slayers snapped, "Master!" Viole shouted before falling into the fiery abyss. "Ohmigod! Oh My GOD!" Dilandau nearly threw himself over, unnatural tears flowing from his beautiful eyes. He spun around to glare balefully at her, "You! You have wings, you could have saved them! Why didn't you?" "Oh Dilandau, they were as important to me as they were to you. I wanted to but I'm not allowed." "Get out of here!" he choked, "Leave Me! I hate you!" "OK. That's fine with me." She was lying of coarse but dreams weren't meant to last forever. She spread her flaming wings and made to go but something held her back. Behind her, Dilandau breathed, "You're a phoenix…" She whipped around to gaze into his eyes for the last time, "I love you! I'm so alive deep inside of you! I've never ever felt this way about anyone before. We'll meet again, on a mortal plane. I promise you." This time she'd have to leave (no, wake up.) "What's your name?" (Now he asks! After all this time! Three months, adventure, excitement! We've kissed, for God's sake, with the scent of roses and summer winds caressing and oh…) "Angelea." "Angel of Grace?" Angelea laughed at the puzzled expression Dilandau wore. Brushing her chestnut hair aside, she flew away, into Friday morning. Angelea sighed, "It's too bad guys like him don't exist here. Who am I kidding? I'll never see him again!" Once again, her heart pulsed inside her. When you hear your heart…(Stop!) You hear Death approaching…(Shut UP!) When you hear…A pillar of light opened around her, pulling her into the forever. She landed in a sunny midsummer field. Going on forever around her was a vast rippling sea of grass. To the east was the shimmer of the ocean, over a dark smear of woods. To the north and west, nothing but grass. And at her back, the south, was a crab apple tree, a creek and, further off, mountains. A warm wave of laziness washed over her and she sank into the shade of the tree. A tiny sound, a rustling in the grasses, attracted her attention. She hoped it might be a snake but it was only a small, fluffy, grey kitten. "Here kitty-kitty." She cooed softly. It gave her a pitiful bleat and butted up against her bare legs. Feeling hungry, she picked and apple and took a bite, savouring its tart fall taste, "It must be early fall if these apples are ripe." A cool breeze stirred her hair and it was then that she noticed how maggoty the apple was. She spat out her mouthful and threw the apple far away. "It wasn't a rotten one, you know." Startled and slightly sick, Angelea faced a dark young man standing exactly in the kitten's place. He wore nothing but a grey fur loincloth and thigh-length grey fur boots. "Uh, uh, uh…" "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. My name's Azrael and I'm your Guardian Angel." "Azrael?" she managed, "But that's the Angel of Death!" "Yes, it's a bit tricky juggling you and that." "Am I dead? Is this Heaven?" "Nope. Elysian." "Uh, and the difference is?" "Elysian is, unbelievably, a place for the living. It's a floating continent and you're back on Gaea." "Back on…so it was your footsteps I heard last night and it was you that brought me to, to" "To your star-crossed lover." "I don't believe in that bull." "I know." "And you're my Guardian Angel?" "Yep." Azrael replied brightly. He shook back his long black hair and became very grave, " On your last night with Dilandau, you became a phoenix. It's a very serious matter because phoenixes have a powerful magic along with the burden of wish-fulfillment." "So, I've been spirited away to the land of the living dead on a parallel world where I'm no longer human but a flaming bird-girl?" "Yes, that sums it up nicely." Angelea moaned and shook her head. When she looked up, the grey kitten had replaced Azrael. In the distance, she heard hoofbeats. Along the northern horizon, two riders materialized. What appeared to be the girl headed straight toward her. A few yards away, the other girl vaulted off her mount and caught Angelea in a fierce embrace. "Uh, hey, do I know you?" Angelea stammered. The other pulled away and simply beamed at her. Up close, she was very familiar, but Angelea was sure they had never met. This apparent stranger seemed to know her like a sister, "Oh, Angelea," she began, "I've been looking and looking for you and now I've found you and…" "Hey! What do you mean, you've been looking for me? I've never seen you before in my entire life!" The girl laughed and began to lead her away, "Oh, don't worry. You don't know me but I know all about you. I'm so happy." "You know my name but I'm dead sure we've never been introduced." Angelea refused point-blank to go anywhere with a weird stranger. "All right. I'm sorry but it's just that this is so exciting. My name is Celena, Celena Schezar. And he," she added, pointing at her companion in the distance, "Is my brother Allen." Celena ran a hand through her short, fair hair and laughed again. (That's it! Her hair is short and wavy like, like his!) Allen Schezar rode up to the pair. His hair was far too long for a man and streamed out behind him like a golden banner. (Now there's a pretty-boy!) "Celena!" he called, laughing like his sister, "I see you've made a new friend! And what a charming friend at that." Allen paused to send a dazzling smile in Angelea's general direction. "Oh let up Allen, she's not interested in you!" Celena had remounted and was beckoning to a stunned Angelea. (I can't do this Azrael! I don't know these people. I just want to see Dilandau! Talk to him, anything!) Allen, ignoring his sister's protests, gently hoisted Angelea into the saddle. "Charming." She whispered. She could feel Allen's warmth as he smiled again. No one, not even Dilandau, had held her this close. Allen's arms were safe and strong around her as they rode back up the hill. At the crest they stopped and Angelea gasped in awe. Sprawling below her was a castle, a chateaux like none that she'd ever seen before, "Oh! Is that your house!?" Allen chuckled, (which had a ring to it as golden as his hair) "No, it's not but we live there anyway. It was abandoned but furnished when we found it. Odd, yes?" He leaned in closer, his breath on the nape of her neck. (Invasion of personal space! Invasion of personal space! Slap him, kick him! STOP IT!) "Uh, Allen? Do you mind?" "Of coarse not miss, uh…" "Angelea." "Lovely name. I believe it means 'Angel of Grace'?" she winced, "Uh, yeah, sure." (Flashback: The night we last saw each other, Dilandau was furious and afraid but he still had time to say…) "Angelea?" Celena's voice broke up her most precious memory. Allen was carrying her into the house like a bride over the thresh-hold. "He, stop that! Quit it! PUT ME DOWN!" Part 02 Angelea shoved and kicked until Allen set her down. "I'm terribly sorry, I didn't mean for…" "It's all right Allen!" she snapped and stalked over to a mirror in the entrance hall. Feeling annoyed (and violated), she began messing her hair (and absent-mindedly stroking her right cheek.) Allen, looking slightly put out, came over and laid a hand on her shoulder, "Are you sure it's all right?" he asked, in a sobered way. "Yes! No, I…" she trailed off, unsure of what she meant. Allen steered her into the massive kitchen and sat her down in front of a mug of tea. Celena, across from her, had a worried look, "You look harassed." "This is all over my head, you know? Whoosh! And here I am, back on," "Back on? You've been here before?" Allen had returned with his own cup. "Yes, she was!" Celena jumped up. "How would you know, eh?" Celena had a secretive aura around her, not unlike Dilandau when he was scheming something. It disturbed Angelea. Allen, on the other hand, didn't notice but was leaning in closer with interest, "So you have been here before," "We knew right away, when we saw the pillar of light," "And where did you stay?" "In Zaibach, she stayed in Zaibach!" " You stayed in Zaibach?!" Allen stood up, but with shock, "So you must have known Dilandau Albatou!" "Yeah, we were aquainted…" "They were in love!" Celena squealed with indignance. "Celena, will you please stop interrupting me!" all charm vanished as Allen seethed with (What Angelea thought must be) fear. "Well, well, well. So, how long were you aquainted with him?" "All summer." "All summer? Would that have been last year?" "No, last night. In a dream, at least, it felt like a dream…" "Spending almost four months in Dilandau's company," Allen shrugged disparagingly, "You must have gotten to know his, better qualities." Celena shot her brother a look of pure malice and left in silence. "She's rather touchy on the subject." Allen shrugged. "Oh, now I remember your name! Dilandau used to complain about you all the time!" Angelea clapped a hand to her mouth but it was too late (Damage control! May Day!) "Oh really? And, uh, what did he say?" Allen's voice was thick with distaste. "He said you were a sleazy man and a 'dreadful womanizer' And you know, I'm starting to agree with him on that point!" Allen snorted, "I suppose you know he was a drunken, raving lunatic!" "He was sanest when he was drunk actually. He was more tolerant of the Dragonslayers. Never hit or berated them. And Lord Folken was able to talk with him, it softened him up I guess." "And you didn't?" "That was different." Angelea blushed prettily and Allen smiled despite the topic, "I don't think I'll ever forget the night that we first met. It was well before all this Destiny War business. I was 19, he would have been 13." "What happened?" 13 year old Dilandau hated cotillions. It had taken five Dragonslayers to drag him (kicking and screaming) out from under the bed where he had been hiding. And then it took a long 'discussion' with Folken to convince him to wear the lacy, itchy ruff with his dress clothes. He cheered up only when he learned that the alcohol flowed freely at the banquet. Dilandau had planted himself (took root) in a chair and refused to be moved for the rest of the night. (Mmm) not far along the table was a rum punch. Dilandau decided to start the evening off lightly. As the evening progressed he grew steadily more drunk, the empty bottles carefully hidden under the table. Over the heads of his many admirers, Allen spotted a youth at the table in a stupor. Politely excusing himself from Princess Eries (charming girl, a bit stiff, shame) he headed over and tapped the boy on the shoulder. Dilandau swiveled in his chair to face a man whose hair looked like it had been trimmed with a bowl. He was wearing the uniform of the Knights of Heaven. (Oh great! A hero!) "What do you want?" he snapped, trying to get both of the bowl-heads into focus. "I beg your pardon sir, but aren't you a bit drunk, er, young to be having that, that," Dilandau had just reached for a brandy that the waiters were handing out. "Now, now. No more for you." Allen tried to prise the glass from his hands but the boy's grip was too strong. The glass slipped and exploded on the floor. Dilandau shot up, sober enough to kill something. "See here, young man," Allen withered slightly in the presence of such fury, "What's your name?" "Dil-dil-Lilandau Albatou." Allen took a step back, "So you're the infamous young lord. Funny, I was expecting someone more sober, er, saner, er tall-taller." Allen stammered. The boy suddenly went cross-eyed, gurgled a little and nearly vomited on Allen's suit. "I wuh-want Folken," "Don't worry, I'll find him. Oh please stop." Allen pleaded when the boy sat down and began bawling. It was then that he chose to puke, all over himself, and Allen made a hasty retreat. Folken and a dogman swooped down on Dilandau and attempted to clean him up. From a safe distance, Allen sincerely hoped that he was getting an earful. Angelea and Allen laughed for a long while, "Aw, my poor Dilandau! Floored before he could drive." "Drive what?" "Oh, nothing." Angelea giggled again, "Hey, where's Celena?" "Hm, yes, where did she get to? Why don't I give you a tour while we look for her?" "OK, why not?" They sauntered up a magnificent, gleaming wood staircase and onto the first floor. "Our rooms are all on the second floor. These are all spares." Angelea peeped through an open doorway, half-hoping Celena would appear. The room beyond looked like a dorm. There were several beds and wardrobes and a door led to a bathroom. "Who'd want to set up dorm here? Do you think that this was a school or something?" she turned quizzically to Allen. "I have a hunch. Actually I want to show you something." At the end of the hall, they went up a spiraling stone stairway until they reached the fourth floor. Allen led her down another passage and into, "WOW! This place is huge! I bet you could fit my whole house into this gym!" "Yes, it's great for keeping up with my 'training'. I wondered why anyone who simply lived here would want such big swimming pool. It's as if the place was expecting lot's of," "Trainees?" Angelea suggested, "This is almost like the gym on the Vione. Look, there are even catwalks for melef pilots to…" Allen sighed, "It must be hard to be away from the one you love." "Yeah." Angelea was curled up on the sofa. She was reminiscing about her brief period on Gaea when Celena finally wandered in. "You're missing Dilandau?" "Mm-hm." "I have nothing against Allen, I love him, he's a great guy, but you should worry more about Dilandau." "I was." "I heard you and Allen talking. About the first time he," "Met Dilandau. Oh, yeah!" (Angelea tittered) "Dilandau wouldn't want you fraternizing with Allen." "You act like you know me and him so well! What the hell is your problem?" Celena stiffened. In her anger, she paled to ivory. A scar (like the one Van gave…) was appearing on her right cheek. "This," she growled, "Is my problem!" A tearing and popping wrent the silence as muscles and bones expanded. Before Angelea's very eyes, Celena was morphing into, "DILANDAU! Ohmigod!" "Now do you understand, oh Angel of the Raven hair?" "But, but how? How could Celena be you? There's just no way!" (Ah, but you've known it all along) Azrael's gentle voice was soothing to her frazzled brain. (Don't you remember?) The very last time Angelea had seen Dilandau, she had been a ghost. He was strapped, no bolted, to an operating table, unconscious. Angelea's ghost had kissed his white mouth before flitting to the edges of dreaming. Her spirit had given him the strength to break free, kill the main sorcerers and escape to the Dilate. She remembered seeing Celena in his dreams. (So, Azrael, that explains everything except…) "Why were you Celene in the first place?" "But I'm not! Don't you see? I was placed in her because I needed a body of my own. I'm really just a, a" Dilandau shuddered, "A demon." "Well I don't care! Now that we're back together." He merely smiled softly, reminding her forcefully of Azrael. "But what happens to Celene?" Dilandau shrugged, "She's willing to 'sleep', be dormant forever. She felt badly that no one had ever loved me and was enthusiastic about helping me to find you. Apparently, an angel told her it was my destiny to fall in love." "So she's sacrificing herself so that we can be together?" "Yes." "I, I don't think I'm comfortable with that. I don't want an innocent girl caught up in this. Give me time to think." "I've waited long enough for you. Only I hope you don't mind if I hang on to consciousness for a while. I haven't been this free for almost two years! By the way, the time we spent together was last year, during the Destiny Wars. We haven't aged because the Atlantis machine back-fired and gave us all back the lost year." "Yeah, I remember that freaky destiny-thingy old Dornkirk had." There was an uncomfortable silence as they both cast about for something to say. Finally, Angelea cleared her throat tentatively, "So, um, does it hurt turning into a girl?" Dilandau laughed a little, "No, it nearly kills me! There is nothing, nothing more excruciating. Mind you, it hurts more for Celene because she has to expand." "Owe." "Like you wouldn't believe." Dilandau suddenly seized Angelea in a passionate kiss, "Mmph, I've missed you so much, Raven-phoenix." "Quiet and kiss me." They broke apart gasping slightly. "Wow! I'd almost forgotten what a sweet kisser my Angel is." Angelea fondled his hair playfully, "It would be an understatement to say I've missed you but, what the hell. I've been going crazy without you." "I'm sorry I yelled." "I'm sorry I couldn't have done more." "S'all right." "Uh, does Allen know?" "Yes." Dilandau grimaced, "Yes and he won't be pleased. I had better just go to bed early." "Don't tell me you're hiding from golden-boy?" "NO! I'm just a bit sore." He kissed her again, "G'night." "Sleep tight." They both retired to their separate rooms. Angelea woke late and dressed in a hurry. She wandered into the kitchen just as Dilandau was finishing the washing up. He pulled a face, "I hate doing chores! This is what subordinates are for. Oh yes, and Allen and I had a gorgeous fight and he's stormed off somewhere." Angelea leaned against the butcher's block and mulled this over. Dilandau placed a glass of water before her, "Drink?" "No, thank you." He gulped the water in a nano-second and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. Giving her a sidelong glance, he laughed. Sunlight was streaming in the windows as they wound their fingers together. (This is bliss. Peaceful, beautiful bliss) "I love you so much." She sighed, "But I can't, I'm not comfortable knowing someone else is going to…" "Shh. Don't think about it. We've waited to be together. Don't you think we deserve happiness?" (Yeah, but not at the expense of Celena) <> Dilandau <> Fanstuff <> Site <> Sign <> Contact <> a.s.c.e.n.d |