The face of Death
When Celena came to, she was yet again in a bed. Mirana seated at her side. "Good, you're awake," Mirana stood. "I promised I'd watch you until you were conscious." Celena looked about her. "Where am I?" "You are on the Crusade, an airship. Don't worry, Allen is fine." Recalling her own reaction to his confrontation with her brother, Dilandau, Celena decided to allow Mirana to believe her concern had been for Allen. The girl left before Celena could ask her where Allen was.
After a few moments, Celena kicked off her covering and gets out of the bed. She couldn't get any information just lying in bed. Celena was exploring the airship when she saw a disturbance outside Celena ran out and found a couple of girls who calling after the Escaflowne as it took off. "Where is it going?" Celena asked as she jogged up. A cat girl turned to regard Celena, who immediately realized that jogging wasn't such a good idea. It made her dizzy. "Are you okay?" the cat girl asked. "Not really," Celena admitted as she sat struggled to stay on her feet. "Hey, you're Celena!" said the cat girl enthusiatically, "Wow! I'm Merle." The other girl cleared her throat. Celena saw that she had short, neatly cut blonde hair. It was her, the girl from the Mystic Moon. "Oh yeah, this is Hitomi," Merle said, lacking her previous enthusiasm.
Hitomi offered Celena her hand, but remembering Folken's orders, Celena took a shaky step back. Hitomi regarded her oddly but before Celena could offer her an explaination, a sight behind Hitomi turned Celena's blood to ice.
The group now regarded the Escaflowne. It was apparently surrounded because Van was striking down invisible mechas, dragonslayers. 'Oh no' Celena thought as she watched in horror as they fell. The little cat - girl, Merle was cheering for Van, who was going through the mechas mercilessly. Celena wanted very much to throw Merle off of the ship, but was too numb to move. She watched her brother's Mecha reappear as he and Van struggled. Van was about to strike a fatal blow when the Escaflowne locked up and fell over. Celena gripped the rail, her legs nearly giving out. Dilandau got away, but as the airship landed, and the company rushed over to the fallen mecha, Celena stayed where she was. She looked at where the other dragonslayers had fallen. She briefly remembered each of them, even passing a pale faced Chesta after her arguement with Dilandau. Tears streamed down Celena's face but she didn't notice. Suddenly, despite her arguements with her brother, his crazed manner and bloodlust, she knew that she loved him very much. 'I don't want to be here' she thought helplessly. She wanted to go back and never to see any of these people again. A shout from one of the people, jarred Celena back from her thoughts.
Unable to take anymore, Celena leapt the rail and ran forward into the company. The girl Hitomi lay slumped on top of the Escaflowne, the jewel on the breast of the mecha was no longer glowing. Mirana felt Hitomi's pulse and then gently put her arm down. "It's stopped." she said grimly. Celena couldn't say whether or not she was sorry the girl was dead. Looking at Hitomi's slumped and lifeless body, she could only think that such an age was not a time to lose one's life. Celena felt a pang of pain, remembering that the Dragonslayers weren't much older. Merle shook Hitomi violently, and then began to slap her. The action makes Celena start to sob shakily, but she didn't know why. She had seen people die before, after all, she had been in conflicts and battles before, but this was a face that death had yet to show her. It was a face that she knew she would never forget.
Suddenly, the jewel on the breast plate of the Escaflowne began to glow and Hitomi came to, as did Van, who climbed out of the mecha. Merle rushed forward and hugged Van, who's eyes fell on Celena. In an instant she remembered, they had met before.
When Celena came to, she was yet again in a bed. Mirana seated at her side. "Good, you're awake," Mirana stood. "I promised I'd watch you until you were conscious." Celena looked about her. "Where am I?" "You are on the Crusade, an airship. Don't worry, Allen is fine." Recalling her own reaction to his confrontation with her brother, Dilandau, Celena decided to allow Mirana to believe her concern had been for Allen. The girl left before Celena could ask her where Allen was.
After a few moments, Celena kicked off her covering and gets out of the bed. She couldn't get any information just lying in bed. Celena was exploring the airship when she saw a disturbance outside Celena ran out and found a couple of girls who calling after the Escaflowne as it took off. "Where is it going?" Celena asked as she jogged up. A cat girl turned to regard Celena, who immediately realized that jogging wasn't such a good idea. It made her dizzy. "Are you okay?" the cat girl asked. "Not really," Celena admitted as she sat struggled to stay on her feet. "Hey, you're Celena!" said the cat girl enthusiatically, "Wow! I'm Merle." The other girl cleared her throat. Celena saw that she had short, neatly cut blonde hair. It was her, the girl from the Mystic Moon. "Oh yeah, this is Hitomi," Merle said, lacking her previous enthusiasm.
Hitomi offered Celena her hand, but remembering Folken's orders, Celena took a shaky step back. Hitomi regarded her oddly but before Celena could offer her an explaination, a sight behind Hitomi turned Celena's blood to ice.
The group now regarded the Escaflowne. It was apparently surrounded because Van was striking down invisible mechas, dragonslayers. 'Oh no' Celena thought as she watched in horror as they fell. The little cat - girl, Merle was cheering for Van, who was going through the mechas mercilessly. Celena wanted very much to throw Merle off of the ship, but was too numb to move. She watched her brother's Mecha reappear as he and Van struggled. Van was about to strike a fatal blow when the Escaflowne locked up and fell over. Celena gripped the rail, her legs nearly giving out. Dilandau got away, but as the airship landed, and the company rushed over to the fallen mecha, Celena stayed where she was. She looked at where the other dragonslayers had fallen. She briefly remembered each of them, even passing a pale faced Chesta after her arguement with Dilandau. Tears streamed down Celena's face but she didn't notice. Suddenly, despite her arguements with her brother, his crazed manner and bloodlust, she knew that she loved him very much. 'I don't want to be here' she thought helplessly. She wanted to go back and never to see any of these people again. A shout from one of the people, jarred Celena back from her thoughts.
Unable to take anymore, Celena leapt the rail and ran forward into the company. The girl Hitomi lay slumped on top of the Escaflowne, the jewel on the breast of the mecha was no longer glowing. Mirana felt Hitomi's pulse and then gently put her arm down. "It's stopped." she said grimly. Celena couldn't say whether or not she was sorry the girl was dead. Looking at Hitomi's slumped and lifeless body, she could only think that such an age was not a time to lose one's life. Celena felt a pang of pain, remembering that the Dragonslayers weren't much older. Merle shook Hitomi violently, and then began to slap her. The action makes Celena start to sob shakily, but she didn't know why. She had seen people die before, after all, she had been in conflicts and battles before, but this was a face that death had yet to show her. It was a face that she knew she would never forget.
Suddenly, the jewel on the breast plate of the Escaflowne began to glow and Hitomi came to, as did Van, who climbed out of the mecha. Merle rushed forward and hugged Van, who's eyes fell on Celena. In an instant she remembered, they had met before.