Leviathan's Daughter
GoldenEagle
Author's Notes: Yep. This is the last installment! Read and review!
Epilogue
It had been two months since the Destiny Wars ended, two months since King Van de Fanel had returned to rebuild his kingdom, two months since the heroine of Gaean legend, Hitomi Kanzaki, had returned to the Mystic Moon, and two months since Celena Schezar had... well, * been* Celena Schezar. It wasn't that she was clueless to what had happened to her. She heard the rumors among her brother's crew, she saw how people watched her in awe and fear, and she certainly felt something in her that was unrecognizable, even to herself. Yet all she could truly draw from all this information was that she had some link to the currently fallen Zaibach Empire that was less than honorable.
The warm, Fanalian wind ruffled her silver hair. She sighed contentedly as she looked over the rubble and newly rising buildings below her hilltop camp. It was night and comfortable in atmosphere. It was enjoyable, to say the least. King Van had invited them to have a short view of his kingdom's progress so far and her brother had agreed to come. He had dragged along Celena unwillingly, as he always did, so he could keep close watch over her. Sometimes she felt like more of a prisoner than a noblewoman. But not on nights like these, with the moons shining overhead, the land laid out below her. The King had apologized that there were no proper accommodations yet built, but she was glad that there were not.
She looked down over the growing Fanalia. The palace was being built, but not yet even close to being finished. Civilian residences were growing on the borders of the castle's mapped out courtyards, but slowly, as if the people were just finding their way back, hesitantly. And then there was a large dome, kind of in the forest, secluded. It was magnificent, large. Celena had heard of it as a memorial. People said it held the great Escaflowne. People also said it held the tomb of the King's brother, who was the one who destroyed the Emperor Dornkirk. Yet few saw him as the true hero. Some said he actually helped destroy Fanalia. These rumors only confused Celena, for no one seemed to know the truth.
"Celena, inside! It's late. We have a lot to see in the morning." Allen's voice drifted to her in the warm air and she turned, sighing, returning to the tent within the encampment, the one she shared with her brother, the "Heavenly Knight", as they called him.
***************
Celena turned, breathing hard. Nightmares of fire and blood in her head. Nightmares she never remembered when the morning came. Screaming, Fanalian houses and people burning, and then... Blue eyes, wide and questioning, betrayal, laughter, blood, fire, fire, fire...
Peace settled over her quickly, as water does when someone jumps into a lake, and she sighed. It was a peace she had never felt in the midst of these nightmares. Yet the peace was not unrecognizable. It held a quality that she had known long ago, in times when she was somebody else, in times she could not remember.
*************
Allen Schezar woke from his sleep in a jolt, but didn't move a muscle. He sensed someone in the tent with him, someone besides Celena. He moved quietly, drawing his sword from its scabbard next to his place of sleep. He padded to his sleep and found, to his horror, that he could see the outline of the figure next to his sister's bed, bent over. He moved into the moons' light which flowed through the opening quietly. "I would rise, slowly." He said, his voice low, menacing.
The figure lifted its head and Allen realized that it had been at Celena's chest, ear down, as if... listening? The figure rose, quietly, and as the moons' light floated through the tent opening and onto flaming hair and pale skin, the knight's eyes went wide. "I thought we had already been through this, Allen." The voice said, low and quiet.
Allen lowered his sword. "Persephone. I thought you were-"
"Dead?" She asked with a smirk. All he could do was nod in reply. "Not quite." She turned and looked down at Celena's sleeping form. "Is it true? Is she... him?"
The knight looked down. "No. She once was. But not anymore."
Persephone sighed. "I used to come in, late at night, like this, and listen to his heartbeat. I had no idea... I should leave." She muttered, exiting the tent quickly. Allen followed, right on her heels.
"Wait!" He hissed out, trying not to wake any of the others sleeping in the encampment. She turned to him, her eyes on him cautiously, as if she did not know him at all. He hesitated before speaking. "Stay here. With me and Celena." A pained expression crossed her face and she turned her gaze to the growing Fanalia.
"I can't, Allen. I... don't have those feelings. I can't have those feelings." She sighed, looking down to the dome that held his body, far below. "He had my heart." She whispered barely above the wind. "It is buried there, with him."
The knight looked down, his chest tightening. "Where will you go?"
She gazed back at him before glancing up quickly, towards the moons. "There. I'm going back... home." She choked on the words, the lie. Home. Gaea was her home. But how could she stay here when there was nothing but memories? Memories of an enemy she made her own, of a little boy maniac who she loved but was now a completely different person, different gender, even. No one would remember her. Folken dead. Dillandau now Celena, no memories of her. There was Allen, but she would only let him down. And what of Van and Merle? She never had any true connection to them.
"Why go back?" Allen's voice was hurt, as if she had already let him down.
"I am dead to Gaea. It has given me everything I've ever had and then taken it all from me. Perhaps I can find solace back on Earth- the Mystic Moon."
He sighed, recognizing the resolution in her voice. "I wish you good luck then, Lady Persephone." He gave a quick bow. "Perhaps you could tell Hitomi I wish her the same?"
Persephone looked back, surprised. "Hitomi..." The girl, the one with emerald green eyes, the one in the angel costume. She had a good heart. "Perhaps I will seek her out-" she interrupted her own words. "No. I need no links back to Gaea. None more than I already have."
"Then I guess this is farewell?"
Persephone looked around, a broken Fanalia below her, rebuilding itself, the two moons above her. A deep pain settled in her chest. She would... miss Gaea. "Yes. Goodbye, dear friend." She muttered, tempted to embrace him and cry the tears building in her, but keeping herself at a safe distance. She had handled pain on Earth and had survived by withdrawing from the world. She would do the same now.
"Goodbye, Persephone."
Author's Note: It's done. Yes, I know. A sudden end. I'm thinking of a sequel, but I still need to piece it together in my head, cause the plot is kind of complex. Well, anywho, please review!!! PLEASE!!!
GoldenEagle
Author's Notes: Yep. This is the last installment! Read and review!
Epilogue
It had been two months since the Destiny Wars ended, two months since King Van de Fanel had returned to rebuild his kingdom, two months since the heroine of Gaean legend, Hitomi Kanzaki, had returned to the Mystic Moon, and two months since Celena Schezar had... well, * been* Celena Schezar. It wasn't that she was clueless to what had happened to her. She heard the rumors among her brother's crew, she saw how people watched her in awe and fear, and she certainly felt something in her that was unrecognizable, even to herself. Yet all she could truly draw from all this information was that she had some link to the currently fallen Zaibach Empire that was less than honorable.
The warm, Fanalian wind ruffled her silver hair. She sighed contentedly as she looked over the rubble and newly rising buildings below her hilltop camp. It was night and comfortable in atmosphere. It was enjoyable, to say the least. King Van had invited them to have a short view of his kingdom's progress so far and her brother had agreed to come. He had dragged along Celena unwillingly, as he always did, so he could keep close watch over her. Sometimes she felt like more of a prisoner than a noblewoman. But not on nights like these, with the moons shining overhead, the land laid out below her. The King had apologized that there were no proper accommodations yet built, but she was glad that there were not.
She looked down over the growing Fanalia. The palace was being built, but not yet even close to being finished. Civilian residences were growing on the borders of the castle's mapped out courtyards, but slowly, as if the people were just finding their way back, hesitantly. And then there was a large dome, kind of in the forest, secluded. It was magnificent, large. Celena had heard of it as a memorial. People said it held the great Escaflowne. People also said it held the tomb of the King's brother, who was the one who destroyed the Emperor Dornkirk. Yet few saw him as the true hero. Some said he actually helped destroy Fanalia. These rumors only confused Celena, for no one seemed to know the truth.
"Celena, inside! It's late. We have a lot to see in the morning." Allen's voice drifted to her in the warm air and she turned, sighing, returning to the tent within the encampment, the one she shared with her brother, the "Heavenly Knight", as they called him.
***************
Celena turned, breathing hard. Nightmares of fire and blood in her head. Nightmares she never remembered when the morning came. Screaming, Fanalian houses and people burning, and then... Blue eyes, wide and questioning, betrayal, laughter, blood, fire, fire, fire...
Peace settled over her quickly, as water does when someone jumps into a lake, and she sighed. It was a peace she had never felt in the midst of these nightmares. Yet the peace was not unrecognizable. It held a quality that she had known long ago, in times when she was somebody else, in times she could not remember.
*************
Allen Schezar woke from his sleep in a jolt, but didn't move a muscle. He sensed someone in the tent with him, someone besides Celena. He moved quietly, drawing his sword from its scabbard next to his place of sleep. He padded to his sleep and found, to his horror, that he could see the outline of the figure next to his sister's bed, bent over. He moved into the moons' light which flowed through the opening quietly. "I would rise, slowly." He said, his voice low, menacing.
The figure lifted its head and Allen realized that it had been at Celena's chest, ear down, as if... listening? The figure rose, quietly, and as the moons' light floated through the tent opening and onto flaming hair and pale skin, the knight's eyes went wide. "I thought we had already been through this, Allen." The voice said, low and quiet.
Allen lowered his sword. "Persephone. I thought you were-"
"Dead?" She asked with a smirk. All he could do was nod in reply. "Not quite." She turned and looked down at Celena's sleeping form. "Is it true? Is she... him?"
The knight looked down. "No. She once was. But not anymore."
Persephone sighed. "I used to come in, late at night, like this, and listen to his heartbeat. I had no idea... I should leave." She muttered, exiting the tent quickly. Allen followed, right on her heels.
"Wait!" He hissed out, trying not to wake any of the others sleeping in the encampment. She turned to him, her eyes on him cautiously, as if she did not know him at all. He hesitated before speaking. "Stay here. With me and Celena." A pained expression crossed her face and she turned her gaze to the growing Fanalia.
"I can't, Allen. I... don't have those feelings. I can't have those feelings." She sighed, looking down to the dome that held his body, far below. "He had my heart." She whispered barely above the wind. "It is buried there, with him."
The knight looked down, his chest tightening. "Where will you go?"
She gazed back at him before glancing up quickly, towards the moons. "There. I'm going back... home." She choked on the words, the lie. Home. Gaea was her home. But how could she stay here when there was nothing but memories? Memories of an enemy she made her own, of a little boy maniac who she loved but was now a completely different person, different gender, even. No one would remember her. Folken dead. Dillandau now Celena, no memories of her. There was Allen, but she would only let him down. And what of Van and Merle? She never had any true connection to them.
"Why go back?" Allen's voice was hurt, as if she had already let him down.
"I am dead to Gaea. It has given me everything I've ever had and then taken it all from me. Perhaps I can find solace back on Earth- the Mystic Moon."
He sighed, recognizing the resolution in her voice. "I wish you good luck then, Lady Persephone." He gave a quick bow. "Perhaps you could tell Hitomi I wish her the same?"
Persephone looked back, surprised. "Hitomi..." The girl, the one with emerald green eyes, the one in the angel costume. She had a good heart. "Perhaps I will seek her out-" she interrupted her own words. "No. I need no links back to Gaea. None more than I already have."
"Then I guess this is farewell?"
Persephone looked around, a broken Fanalia below her, rebuilding itself, the two moons above her. A deep pain settled in her chest. She would... miss Gaea. "Yes. Goodbye, dear friend." She muttered, tempted to embrace him and cry the tears building in her, but keeping herself at a safe distance. She had handled pain on Earth and had survived by withdrawing from the world. She would do the same now.
"Goodbye, Persephone."
Author's Note: It's done. Yes, I know. A sudden end. I'm thinking of a sequel, but I still need to piece it together in my head, cause the plot is kind of complex. Well, anywho, please review!!! PLEASE!!!