When Escaflowne Rescued Trilladen Chapter 12

SPOILERS......SPOILERS.....SPOILERS.....SPOILERS.....SPOILERS.....
Don't say I didn't warn you.
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Chapter twelve: Doctor's notes 
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	In the southern most borders of Asturia is a peaceful place.  
The most noted and successful healers of 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 rob one's soul of peace.  Now 
that the Zaibach Empire was in ruins, more and more cases of ruined 
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 chosen without reason to be 
experimented on.  Knowledge was gained without conscience by the 
learned.  Wisdom was forsaken as 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 Schezar's sister, Celena.  Allen 
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 
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 Dillandua.   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.
	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 Dillandua.  Now she 
was an eighteen-year old gentle-born aristocrat in the protection of 
her older brother, Allen Schezar, wondering where her Mama was. For 
in her mind she had become the little girl from her past before being 
spirited away by Zaibach henchman, before being confronted with the 
darkness in her soul.  
	The days at Healers' Sanctuary were progressive, however, in 
that Celena chose to live not as the monster Dillandua, but as the 
innocent young child she had been before she had become Dillandua.  
This was encouraging to Mantuka, the healer who worker 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 by her dilemma than had been in some time.  
	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 dark elements of her spirit.  Once that was 
accomplished her recovery depended on her ability to fuse her two 
personalities. 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 up 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 Dillandua. Only a fortnight ago, a dispatch had 
to be sent to a foreign attach� 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 to exert themselves in her life, he 
sat went about the business of writing to her brother of progress.
		
		  To Allen Schezar, peace to is proffered to you 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 when contemplating 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, Dillandua.
			  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 
was given as a child by your loving mother and yourself.  She will 
need time to feel safe and secure enough with herself to face the one 
known to us as Dillandua.  At present, she misses your departed 
mother.  As she remembers you as a youth and does not have 
substantial memory to draw upon to meet you as a grown man, it would 
present to much of a shock to her to see you at this time. 
		 I am confident that this situation will change. 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 efforts 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 Dillandua.  
		 This is necessary if we are to help her bring this 
aspect of her soul into place, but matters are seriously complicated 
as you may understand that dark magic was employed to change her 
physicality from female to male in appearance.  So she was not only 
horrendously confronted with her dark side as a child, she was 
convinced of its absoluteness not only in mind, but also in 
appearance and self-image.
		You may wonder as to the severity of her evil nature 
as Dillandua.  I can only offer you this comfort. In the many growing 
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 
special spirits who do battle the most with the powers of darkness 
within their own hearts as much as from temptation and evil from 
without. We all have within us good and evil tendencies, or light and 
dark colors of the soul, selfish or charitable traits. 
		 	Unlike Celena, most of us have the luxury of 
coming to terms with the whole as a life long learning journey. She 
was savagely introduced to it as a child, incapable of defending the 
whole and ultimately succumbing to the brutal conclusion that was 
forced upon her personality traits-that she was Dillandua and nothing 
more. Though this may have been instrumental in releasing her 
strengths of personality, it was ultimately crippling in that the 
basic good of her nature was denied freedom to choose-for a time.
			The progress I see being made in Celena is 
simply this, she has the choice of being either Dillandua or Celena, 
and she chooses to be Celena.  What must come about for a full 
recovery is her acceptance of Dillandua within her.  As we all have a 
little bit of Dillandua within us all and have need for redemption of 
spirit, it is my hope that we here at Healers' Sanctuary can 
facilitate her to be comfortable with her whole self, fused together 
with the realization that her free will is intact to do either good 
or evil.
			I remain respectfully yours,
				Mantuka of Healers' Sanctuary.

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	"Dillandua?  Where are you?  I can't find you.  I need you, 
Dillandua.  Where are your dragon slayers?  Where is your Sadist 
unit? Dillandua...."
	Celena starred 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 herself 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 will not last out of soil.  Did I pick this trillium?
	"Celena! Are you quite all right?" Mantauka walked quickly to 
her side.
	Her long silver hair was tousled in her face and she looked 
as if would pass out.  Finally she responded. "I'm hungry, Mantuka."
	With a sigh of relief he led his dear patient back to the 
safety of clay walls and green vines of Healers' Santuary.  "We'll 
get cook to make you something.  Sweet meats and scented cakes sound 
good to me, how about you?"
Celena nodded her head and let Mantuka walk her back to her peaceful 
paradise.
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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 Dillandua 
would 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.  On 
the way to his quarters in the monastery Gogan hailed him down by 
with news.
	"His Holiness?"  Gogan called to him with deference.  He 
could tell the high priest was in a bad frame.
	"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 even touching Mugwa in casual 
contact, 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 foil 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 of dignity and self-
importance Mugwa walked ceremoniously 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 handed 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 divulges 
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 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 shuddered then shrieked 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 shape with fierce 
eyes.  "Do not think I will die today. No, I live today, not die.  I 
do not die and you will not betray me!"  The doppleganger opened his 
mouth to become gaping jaws of doom hideously large and black as he 
intended to swallow Mugwa's life force.
	Mugwa called out in a desperate attempt to fetch his pet 
griffin, Destroyer, and the hissing lion responded by flapping his 
scale wings loudly through the corridor and 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 that of a 
mummy.  He now looked as depraved as he truly was, the best warning 
the dopplegagner 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 
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. 
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