Immelmann

Can be seen as a companion fic to Dio's Death but is great as a stand alone too. Dio isn't quite right in the end, but that's alright because Immelmann is always there for him, even if Luciola is gone. Claus Valca still lives.

"Lord Dio, your breakfast is here," a servant announced with a knock on the door before opening it and entering the Guild leader's chambers.

He was not surprised to see the white haired male sitting against the wall on the far side of his king sized bed with his knees to his chest and his face hidden in his arms, which were around his knees. It seemed he never left that position. He was also not surprised to see that the food which had been brought as Lord Dio's dinner….had been left untouched.

At the end of it all, when Anatoray and Disith made an alliance, and the Guild Maestro Delphine Eraclea had died at the hands of Alex Rowe and his ship, the Silvana, the Guild had been in shambles and the heir to the Guild was gone. They were leaderless and both kingdoms of the duel world Prester wanted them dead. The servant male could not blame them. The Maestro had been a cruel and domineering force with no compassion for anyone, not even her baby brother, Lord Dio. Then a miracle happened.

A damaged Guild warship had made an emergency landing in Anatoray and had come across a white vanship. Nearby was the unconscious form of Lord Dio; the Guild was saved. But they had not been able to wake Lord Dio for over a year, and by then the Guild was hiding out in the barren ice fields of Disith, trying to avoid annihilation. When Lord Dio had awoken, he did not remember the battle that had crushed the Guild or released Exile or made the Grand Stream dissipate. He did not remember leaving the Guild to be on the Silvana or the horrendous reunion with his elder sister. He didn't know how his servant and best friend had died.

At the present time, Lord Dio had been awake for approximately two weeks, and he had eaten naught but a handful of food. Though the servants knew that he would soon perish without nutrition, they could not force him to eat. They couldn't even get him to lift his head and speak with them. Lord Dio had cried heavily his first day awake and claimed fault for Luciola's death. Though the servants knew this to be untrue – his sister had actually killed Lord Dio's servant after he helped her little brother to escape the Guild a second time – they could not convince him of this truth.

As the servant bent to pick up the wasted dinner and replace it with a soon to be wasted breakfast, he was startled to hear a voice: Lord Dio's voice.

"Wh-what….," he asked in a raspy voice caused by crying and disuse. The servant turned to face Lord Dio and was again startled to see two blood-shot ice blue eyes peeking out from behind golden clad arms.

"Yes, Lord Dio?" the servant asked in a creamy voice often used to calm small children of the Guild after nightmares.

Lord Dio's eyes snapped to the servant and the man realized that he hadn't been the focus of the Lord's attention. He wanted to look for what had made Lord Dio speak, but now he had Lord Dio's eyes upon him, and he could not turn away until Lord Dio had.

"Who…are you?" Lord Dio asked, his voice just as childishly naïve as the servant remembered it from all those months ago, but now burdened by deep despair.

"Lady Delphine named me Hermes, my Lord," Hermes informed him with a slight bow.

"Hermes…," Lord Dio breathed out. "Luciola was a better name," he muttered, as if pouting, and looked away. Hermes was glad for this show of childishness for it meant that Lord Dio was coming back to them at long last. "Oh…..Hermes."

Lord Dio's eyes were upon him again and he straightened his back in response. Then the white haired teen flicked his eyes down to the foot of the bed next to where Hermes was standing. A package wrapped in cloth sat there.

"What….is it?" Lord Dio asked haltingly. Hermes frowned ever so slightly. Lord Dio's eyes were burning in curiosity and fear.

"They were wrapped up in your robes the day we found you, Lord Dio," Hermes explained. "Would you like to see?"

Lord Dio let his arms uncurl from his knees and nodded almost imperceptibility. Hermes reached down and picked up the bundle. At about this time he realized that the Lord must have left his bed at some point when no one was around, because the package was not visible from where the boy sat. Hermes lifted the package and walked around the side of the bed to become closer to his lord. He carefully unwrapped the cloth, revealing a pair of worn vanship pilot's goggles.

Lord Dio's eyes were wide, but confusion still laced his features as he reached out for the goggles. Hermes realized that Lord Dio did not remember receiving these goggles at any point in time, but he did recognize the goggles themselves.

"What would I-," Lord Dio muttered to himself just as his fingers brushed the fabric of the goggles. Then suddenly he was holding them as if Hermes had handed them to him instead of Lord Dio snatching them from his hands. He held them easily in both hands and was staring ahead as if something great was before him. Then a bright grin lit his face and he laughed. "Immelmann." And then tears were running down his face unchecked, but Lord Dio kept the smile on his face.

Hermes almost asked what was wrong, but stopped himself. Something akin to a tune was bursting forth from Lord Dio's mouth with lyrics marginally hindered by gasps and tears.

"Hey there…it's your birthday, get happy….," he swallowed and suddenly Lord Dio was frowning and crying harder. "Happy wh-when you're born….ha-ppy when your young…happy when y…you're old and….and….and gray…..Con…gratulations….Here's to you…." There was a pause when Lord Dio couldn't take a breath without letting out a sob, but eventually he managed and sung a tiny bit more. "Happy birthday," he sang, and was then reduced to whispers. "….Dear Dio…."

Lord Dio went silent and reverted back to his curled up position, but this time only one arm was hugging his knees and hiding his face. The other was laid loosely across part of his right knee and was holding the goggles with a sort of tender ferocity. After several minutes of watching his lord shake and listening to his quiet tears, Hermes could not keep silent any longer.

"My Lord-," he began, but was suddenly cut off. Lord Dio sat up straight abruptly, looking frantic. He got on his knees and started crawling frantically for the side of his over sized bed.

"Immelmann! Where's Immelmann?" he asked, his voice as frantic as his gestures. He got to the edge of the bed and began a wobbly walk towards the door. Hermes took a gentle yet firm hold on Lord Dio's shoulders and held him at bay. Lord Dio turned frightened eyes on him. "Tell me he's not dead too. Tell me!"

Hermes looked at Lord Dio in shock for only a moment before his face became monotonous as normal. His response seemed to be taking too long and Lord Dio turned from him and began trying to make it for the door once more. Hermes knew that Lord Dio had in him strength enough to defeat an army of well-trained Guild sons, but his current mental and physical state was prohibiting the use of this power and it was easy to keep him still.

"Lord Dio," he tried, but got no response. Lord Dio was still trying frantically to get to the door, continuously calling out for 'Immelmann.' "My lord, who is he!?" Hermes shouted almost harshly.

Lord Dio froze mid escape attempt and looked at Hermes again. The look in his eyes was one of compassion, and that frightened Hermes as much as the fear had.

"He is my pilot and I am his navigator," Lord Dio said fondly, but then his face fell. "Or…I was. No, she was. She always was. But I wanted to be!" he said as if Hermes wouldn't believe him. "I really did. We made such a great team! And Immelmann was the most amazing pilot! He can do anything! Anything!" His tone matched that of a fan; always praising, never criticizing, and childishly naïve. "He's such a fast learner, and he's so smart and handsome and wonderful and did you know he gave me these?"

Lord Dio lifted his right hand happily, in which were the goggles. The white haired teen clenched his hand around the goggles.

"He's probably really worried. I really wasn't myself the last we met. Hermes-" Hermes lifted his gaze from the goggles to Lord Dio "-I really must find him."

A single tear flitted down Lord Dio's cheek.

"Claus Valca."

-

"Lord Dio, are you not going to take a star ship down?" another servant, whose name Dio thought was Jasmine, asked him as he headed for the docking station of the Guild ship. They had been lucky not to have been spotted yet.

"No no, Jasmine. I want to surprise him, them!" He corrected himself quickly. Claus' goggles were around his neck.

The Guild members had been delighted to hear that Lord Dio was animated and active in rebuilding the Guild, but it seemed his only reason for doing so was to search for old friends – who were not of the Guild. They hoped he would pay a bit more attention to his duties once the search was over.

Dio was lucky because Claus had settled down in Disith, so his ships did not have to move between the two planets that made up Prester. Now, he was only a short distance from the large field where Claus and his friends had taken to living. Most of Disith had defrosted quickly after the finding of Exile, so this place was a beauty.

"Sir," the female servant started. Dio turned to her as if impatient, like a child.

"What is it?" he asked, slightly upset at being stopped.

"My name is Theona, sir," she said with a slight bow to show she meant no offense. Dio blinked a few times, with wide eyes, before he waved the thought off and kept walking.

"It's been almost two years since I last saw them," he said as if Theona had not spoken and he had never stopped talking. "I wonder what they look like now."

Though nearing twenty years old, Dio was no more mature now than he was eight years ago when he first met Luciola. No doubt the Maestro was to blame, but they preferred a happy, childlike leader to a domineering and killing one.

"Hey, Theona," Dio asked suddenly, and the woman regarded him with slight shock. They would never get used to him. "Isn't it birth week? My birth week?"

Theona tilted her head, but her short short hair did not move. "Why yes, sir, it is. Why do you ask?"

Dio let out a cheer. He'd become a lot happier when they found that Claus and Lavi and Al were still alive. "That means there'll be cake soon! Have you ever had a cake?" he asked.

They were almost to the hanger now. Lord Dio was going to be left at the edge of the field with Hermes to protect him if need be. Dio assured them it wouldn't be necessary, but they were a bit more cautious of the safety of their only remaining leader.

Theona shook her head. Dio gasped as if offended and she readied herself for punishment. But Dio simply put his hands on her shoulders.

"Then I shall bring some back for you," he promised her. "The little girl Al makes a really delicious cake. You'll like it, I promise."

"Lord Dio," Hermes' voice called to him. He was standing at the door to the hanger, which Dio and Theona were right outside of. "We are ready to take off, my lord."

"Then what are we waiting for? Blast off!" he said childishly and hurried past Hermes' and into the transport ship.

It only took five minutes to land the transport ship, but that was too long for Dio and he was fidgeting by the time the doors opened. He didn't rush because he didn't want to leave Hermes behind. So they made slow progress through the tall golden grasses.

"Why is there so much grass?" Dio asked. "Are we even going in the right direction? Where's the house?" he complained. It had been half an hour since they landed. "This field isn't that big, right?"

"There it is, Lord Dio," Hermes said, pointing just to Dio's left. He brightened immediately. The top of the house could be seen over the grass in that direction.

"Hurry, Hermes, Hurry!" he said happily and ran towards the house. The grass suddenly ended and they were in the clearing around the house. Dio kept running until he got to the back porch. "How did we end up in the back?" he asked curiously, then smiled and laughed silently, his braid bouncing. "Immelmann! Immelmann come out!" he said with his hands cupped around his mouth.

There was no vocal reply, but a pot crashed to the floor in a room Dio couldn't see. Hurried yet soft footsteps were heard, and then Alvis Hamilton was standing at the back door, staring at him in shock. She kept her still small hands on the sides of the door frame while she looked at him with large wide eyes. Dio smiled and knelt down a bit to get to her level. Hermes stood ten feet behind him, off the porch.

"Why hello again," Dio greeted with a kind smile.

"Dio?" Al asked uncertainly. Dio's smile grew just a little bigger.

"Yep," he said with a little nod, making his braid bounce again and the goggles shift on his shoulders. "Is Immelmann home?"

That seemed to do it for Al and she left the door frame to hug Dio close to her. He felt his Guild robes become wet with her tears and his face showed his surprise at the sudden display of affection. Al nuzzled her face into his stomach and Dio laughed.

"Hey, that tickles," he giggled. "Stop crying, it's alright. Why are you crying?"

"Because now Claus'll smile really big and he'll mean it," she said into his shirt so much that he almost didn't catch it. "We all missed you so much! Dio is Dio again!"

Dio understood. Last time he'd seen her he'd been a killing machine under his sister's will. His memory of that time was fuzzy and he wasn't sure he ever actually wanted to remember it clearly. He must've killed so many people during the ceremony…

"And where is Immelmann?" Dio asked, gently tilting Al's face up to look at him.

"On the front porch," Al said in her cute, soft voice. She released Dio's waist and instead took his hand. "The others are out getting supplies for the party."

"Party?" Dio said, muting his excitement. They must mean his birth week party!

"Your birthday, Dio," Al said, thinking he'd somehow forgotten. "We always celebrate birthdays, even when they aren't here," she said sadly. Dio got the idea that maybe his party wasn't the only one that got missed by the guest of honor. "Claus! Claus!" she called as they reached the front porch.

Dio caught a quick glimpse of the living room as they hurried passed it. There were bright colors and several small children he didn't remember. He wondered who's kids they were, and then they were on the front porch. Claus was sitting in a rocking chair to the left of the front steps, Dio's left. He had his eyes closed and facing the sky.

"Yea, Al? You need help with the cake?" Claus asked.

"Cake?" Dio said in excitement. "You mean it's not done yet?"

Claus' eyes snapped open and it looked like he'd just suffered a severe heart attack. Then he turned his head to look at Al holding Dio's hand and it appeared he'd just had another one.

"Hello, Immelmann," Dio greeted cheerfully with a closed mouth smile that somehow had more joy in it than the sun had rays.

"D-dio?" Claus asked, standing up unsteadily and just staring. "Is that….is that really you?"

"Who else would it be?" Dio asked, looking disappointed. "You and Al both act like I'm some kind of impostor. I won't let you join in my party then," he said as if it were a brilliant plan. "Oh, but I want Immelmann to be there. He always gives the best gifts."

This was a stupid comment, because Claus had only ever given Dio one present. Well two, the goggles, and a way to regain his memories. But Dio didn't think about that. He just wanted to celebrate his birth week with Immelmann and the others.

Dio gasped when Claus was suddenly hugging him. This was quite out of character. Al laughed at the look on Dio's face. Claus pulled back with a blush.

"Sorry, but….I had to make sure I wasn't just seeing things," he said embarrassedly, as if ashamed. Then he smiled and looked Dio straight in the eye, like he always did. "The others'll be so happy to see you! It's just me and Dunya's siblings and Al right now, but everyone'll be back soon from town. Then we'll celebrate your birthday."

"Oh no! The cake!" Al suddenly cried and ran back inside.

Claus and Dio watched her go with little smiles on their faces. Dio then looked at Claus and Claus looked at Dio. Then they both started laughing and didn't know why. Hermes stood off to the side and didn't get it.

Fin.

If you read Dio's Death, know that I actually look back on it and don't like it very much. I think I made Claus a bit out of character in it and that upsets me. This side of the story is much nicer, I think. I love it!

Please read and review to lemme know what you think!

I'm sorry if I got any details wrong. I actually researched Prester and each character via Wikipedia before I started, and I had just finished watching the whole series, so I don't think anything's wrong….but there's always a chance. So I'm sorry if I made a mistake. -bows-