Celena reappears
When Celena arrived, she was greeted with the usual sight of the transformation of the Escaflowne into a dragon. Another guymelef had arrived. "Dil-" Celena started but Dilandau cut her off. "I'm fine, Celena, go after Van." "What did you say," The man in the other guymelef asked incredulously. Celena didn't pay any attention to the man or his amazement, she simply did as she was told. There was no reasoning with Dilandau.
The Athena was among the fastest guymelefs ever built, so catching up the the flying dragon was no problem. Van looked over his shoulder and gave Celena a look of annoyance rather than fear. "What's wrong?" Celena asked teasingly, "Not happy to see me?" To Celena's surprise, Van smirked.He and the dragon then changed directions so fast that it took Celena a moment to realize what he had done. Celena muttered a curse and continued her pursuit, which ended fruitlessly. Sighing, Celena headed back to Vione. Whatever happened with Dilandau, she was sure that she would here about it when he got back. If he got back. Celena shuddered at the latter thought, wondering where it had came from.
**********************
Dilandau did return, and not too happy. Celena could only guess that it had to do with the man he encountered. Dilandau knew the man's name, but kept saying the man's name wasn't important. Celena supposed, as she sat pondering in her quarters that it was true, but she couldn't shake this feeling that something was being kept from her. First there was Folken's sudden change in attitude in Astoria and then the man that Dilandau had encountered. Did he know her or something? Whatever was going on, Celena knew she was at the center of it.
'I have to get out of here,' Celena thought to herself, 'I can't think clearly.' Celena stood and headed for the door. Where she was going, she didn't know but it was much better than staying there.
As Celena was walking down the hall, she unexpectedly encountered Folken. "Celena," Folken said formally. "Folken," Celena said acknowledging him, "What can I do for you." "It isn't what you can do for me so much as what you can do for Emperor Donkirk." Folken then turned, signaling for Celena to follow him.
*********************
Speaking to Donkirk made Celena nervous, particularly because it was something that she didn't do very often. "You wish to ask something of me?" Celena said respectfully. "Yes," replied Donkirk from where he sat. Celena was alittle curious about the machinery around her, but tried to pay as much attention as possible. "Celena," Donkirk continued, "You don't know an Allen Shezar do you?" Celena pondered the name for a few moments and then it came to her. He had arrived in Astoria when she and Folken were there, but other than that...
"No," Celena replied. The Emperor nodded approvingly at Folken who spoke. "Celena, we've found out through observation that this Allen Shezar once had a sister. Her name was Celena." "Really," Celena said, "How interesting. Now what part do I play in this?" "Well," said Donkirk, "You aren't his sister, but you do favor her, at least what the young girl looked like, but a lot can change after so many years. Celena, the part you play in this is that you will go to Allen Shezar and play the part of the long lost little sister."
"For spying purposes I assume," Celena said a smile. "Now how am I suppose to convince this Allen person that I'm his little sister?" "Trust me," said Folken, "It won't take that much convincing. However, there is one thing you should know. There is a girl among them, Hitomi," Celena nodded. She remembered her, the bitch who almost got her brother killed. She would certainly have something for her when the time was right.
"Celena," Folken called, causing Celena to break out of her thoughts. "You have to avoid this girl at all costs, don't associate with her and above all else, do not touch her. It would seem this girl has powers that may blow your cover. Be careful." Celena bowed respectfully to Donkirk and exited, Folken with her.
"You leave for Astoria a few days," Folken said as they walked, "in order to give you time to prepare." Celena nodded thoughtfully. "It shouldn't be that difficult, if Allen is as eager as the Emperor suggested. "Listen Celena," Folken said stopping. Celena also came to a halt. "What is it, Folken?" "You need to be careful. This mission is more dangerous than it would appear. There's more than the threat of being exposed. You have to remember that you work for us, and that Allen is NOT your brother, no matter what happens you can't forget this." "Of course," Celena said with a shrug. "And I'll be sure to watch my back and all that." "Good," Folken said with a slight smile, "Because I wouldn't want to deal with Dilandau if anything did happen to you." Celena laughed at that, and then with a wave turned and headed off. It seemed she'd be getting out after all.
The night before she was due to leave, Celena had to deal with Dilandau's constant reminders not to screw up and end up dead, not to fall into any emotional traps, lectures on sticking to her mission until she was called back and blah, blah, blah. "Really, Dilandau," Celena would answer patiently, "I'll be fine." When the time came for Celena to leave, Dilandau had gone out with his Dragonslayers. (Celena had said goodbye to Dilandau before he left, giving him a sisterly kiss on his cheek. A couple of Dragonslayers were present and she knew they wanted to laugh, but they managed not to, their fear of the wraith of Dilandau greater than their urge to laugh.)
*********************
It would have been kind of Folken and the Emperor to mention to Celena that they were dropping her off in the midst of a battle, but somehow that seemed to escape their mention. She arrived on horseback wearing a lovely blue dress that had already grown dusty from the fighting around her. As men and guymelef were crushing the Freid capital, Celena had to make a run for the palace, figuring that would be where Allen was. After she was passed the dead, fleeing and wounded, Celena arrived at the palace, just in time to watch it explode in front of her.
Luckily, Celena was far enough back to avoid the flying debris. Celena looked upward to see a flying airship escaping the scene. Her instincts and mind were telling her two different things. One thought suggested following the airship, another said to remain in the capital and search. But as the buildings crumbled and fighting continued, obviously in favor of the Zaibach empire, Celena decided to follow the air ship. Grabbing a horse whose owner lay dead beside it, Celena followed the after the airship. She would definitely take a long vacation after this was over.
When Celena arrived, she was greeted with the usual sight of the transformation of the Escaflowne into a dragon. Another guymelef had arrived. "Dil-" Celena started but Dilandau cut her off. "I'm fine, Celena, go after Van." "What did you say," The man in the other guymelef asked incredulously. Celena didn't pay any attention to the man or his amazement, she simply did as she was told. There was no reasoning with Dilandau.
The Athena was among the fastest guymelefs ever built, so catching up the the flying dragon was no problem. Van looked over his shoulder and gave Celena a look of annoyance rather than fear. "What's wrong?" Celena asked teasingly, "Not happy to see me?" To Celena's surprise, Van smirked.He and the dragon then changed directions so fast that it took Celena a moment to realize what he had done. Celena muttered a curse and continued her pursuit, which ended fruitlessly. Sighing, Celena headed back to Vione. Whatever happened with Dilandau, she was sure that she would here about it when he got back. If he got back. Celena shuddered at the latter thought, wondering where it had came from.
**********************
Dilandau did return, and not too happy. Celena could only guess that it had to do with the man he encountered. Dilandau knew the man's name, but kept saying the man's name wasn't important. Celena supposed, as she sat pondering in her quarters that it was true, but she couldn't shake this feeling that something was being kept from her. First there was Folken's sudden change in attitude in Astoria and then the man that Dilandau had encountered. Did he know her or something? Whatever was going on, Celena knew she was at the center of it.
'I have to get out of here,' Celena thought to herself, 'I can't think clearly.' Celena stood and headed for the door. Where she was going, she didn't know but it was much better than staying there.
As Celena was walking down the hall, she unexpectedly encountered Folken. "Celena," Folken said formally. "Folken," Celena said acknowledging him, "What can I do for you." "It isn't what you can do for me so much as what you can do for Emperor Donkirk." Folken then turned, signaling for Celena to follow him.
*********************
Speaking to Donkirk made Celena nervous, particularly because it was something that she didn't do very often. "You wish to ask something of me?" Celena said respectfully. "Yes," replied Donkirk from where he sat. Celena was alittle curious about the machinery around her, but tried to pay as much attention as possible. "Celena," Donkirk continued, "You don't know an Allen Shezar do you?" Celena pondered the name for a few moments and then it came to her. He had arrived in Astoria when she and Folken were there, but other than that...
"No," Celena replied. The Emperor nodded approvingly at Folken who spoke. "Celena, we've found out through observation that this Allen Shezar once had a sister. Her name was Celena." "Really," Celena said, "How interesting. Now what part do I play in this?" "Well," said Donkirk, "You aren't his sister, but you do favor her, at least what the young girl looked like, but a lot can change after so many years. Celena, the part you play in this is that you will go to Allen Shezar and play the part of the long lost little sister."
"For spying purposes I assume," Celena said a smile. "Now how am I suppose to convince this Allen person that I'm his little sister?" "Trust me," said Folken, "It won't take that much convincing. However, there is one thing you should know. There is a girl among them, Hitomi," Celena nodded. She remembered her, the bitch who almost got her brother killed. She would certainly have something for her when the time was right.
"Celena," Folken called, causing Celena to break out of her thoughts. "You have to avoid this girl at all costs, don't associate with her and above all else, do not touch her. It would seem this girl has powers that may blow your cover. Be careful." Celena bowed respectfully to Donkirk and exited, Folken with her.
"You leave for Astoria a few days," Folken said as they walked, "in order to give you time to prepare." Celena nodded thoughtfully. "It shouldn't be that difficult, if Allen is as eager as the Emperor suggested. "Listen Celena," Folken said stopping. Celena also came to a halt. "What is it, Folken?" "You need to be careful. This mission is more dangerous than it would appear. There's more than the threat of being exposed. You have to remember that you work for us, and that Allen is NOT your brother, no matter what happens you can't forget this." "Of course," Celena said with a shrug. "And I'll be sure to watch my back and all that." "Good," Folken said with a slight smile, "Because I wouldn't want to deal with Dilandau if anything did happen to you." Celena laughed at that, and then with a wave turned and headed off. It seemed she'd be getting out after all.
The night before she was due to leave, Celena had to deal with Dilandau's constant reminders not to screw up and end up dead, not to fall into any emotional traps, lectures on sticking to her mission until she was called back and blah, blah, blah. "Really, Dilandau," Celena would answer patiently, "I'll be fine." When the time came for Celena to leave, Dilandau had gone out with his Dragonslayers. (Celena had said goodbye to Dilandau before he left, giving him a sisterly kiss on his cheek. A couple of Dragonslayers were present and she knew they wanted to laugh, but they managed not to, their fear of the wraith of Dilandau greater than their urge to laugh.)
*********************
It would have been kind of Folken and the Emperor to mention to Celena that they were dropping her off in the midst of a battle, but somehow that seemed to escape their mention. She arrived on horseback wearing a lovely blue dress that had already grown dusty from the fighting around her. As men and guymelef were crushing the Freid capital, Celena had to make a run for the palace, figuring that would be where Allen was. After she was passed the dead, fleeing and wounded, Celena arrived at the palace, just in time to watch it explode in front of her.
Luckily, Celena was far enough back to avoid the flying debris. Celena looked upward to see a flying airship escaping the scene. Her instincts and mind were telling her two different things. One thought suggested following the airship, another said to remain in the capital and search. But as the buildings crumbled and fighting continued, obviously in favor of the Zaibach empire, Celena decided to follow the air ship. Grabbing a horse whose owner lay dead beside it, Celena followed the after the airship. She would definitely take a long vacation after this was over.