Butterfly.
Pretty.
Fly fly.
Catch!
Pretty wings. Up down up down.
Fly away? Want to leave me?
DEAD. EAT. No leaving now.
Look.
Man. I like this man. Pretty man.
Stretch arms. Hug? Smile.
Angry. Why so angry? Why?
Jajuka? Going inside?
But. Want to touch the man.
Madoushi man is shouting.
Smile. Smile...smile...
Table.
No.
Needles! Madoushi! PAIN!
NO!
SCREAM.
Whisper. "Where is this?"
"Centralized headquarters."
Louder. Demanding. "Why? How did I get here?"
"You were transported here after receiving medical attention. I believe that blow to the head during the last sparring session may have jumbled your memory."
Pause. Thoughtful expression. "I see." Adjust clothing. Irritable. Upstart peon better watch himself. Visions of Crima Claws blasting through unguarded Guymelef backside. Smile. "Have they been assembled?"
Nod. "We begin training tomorrow. I assume you'll want to oversee it yourself?"
Sneer. Low, eager voice. "Of course. I want to be there to personally
make sure these fools know who's their commanding officer."
Grave. Mother.
Sorry, mother. Sorry...
Brother. Princess. Smile.
Moth! Pretty.
Fly fly.
Catch!
Don't fly. Don't leave me alone.
Crush. Mash.
Open. Dead...no...
NO!
"Celena?"
What? Allen...? "Celena?!"
Angry. "Wha--What is this? Are you a doppelganger?!"
Look around. Unfamiliar! Panic! "Where am I? WHERE AM I?!" Scream. "JAJUKA!!"
Uncloaking Guymelef. Comforting sight. "Lord Dilandau!"
"Jajuka!" Grateful. Euphoric!
Fading Allen. "Dilandau? Wait!"
"Yo, Celena. Hey. Wake up."
Gaddes had tried snapping his fingers, clapping, and poking. He'd found her standing in the middle of a hallway, thankfully one that few people frequented, the expression on her face vapid enough to rival a porcelain doll's. Just when Gaddes was about to full-out slap her (how he would explain that to Allen he wasn't certain; however, having her remain in such a state was not the better alternative), her mouth began twitching. Recalling her outcry at their last sparring session, he clamped a hand over it, just to be sure.
The shock of having his palm slap against her jaw jolted Celena from her reverie. She blinked a few times, clearing away the confusion, then began flailing her arms about wildly.
"Whoa, easy there." He released her. "I came to find you since you weren't at the garden. Van's airship is arriving and you need to go stand and look pretty." He grinned.
Celena took a few moments to sort through the haziness. She remembered walking out of the garden, turning a corner, and discovering the castle's seemingly neverending supply of decorative rooms. As she was admiring the way the daylight streamed in through the windows, enhancing the coloration of the furniture, she'd felt a sharp pain in the back of her head, as if a string had snapped on the web she'd built to reign in her/his memories. Her vision had blurred...
"Are you all right?" Gaddes's frowned in concern.
"Yes," she whispered. Then, recalling her current situation, she repeated her answer, louder. "Of course! I think I must still be exhausted from yesterday." She forced out a shakey laugh. "A nap in a bumpy carriage isn't exactly restful."
"Oh?" the Crusade commander looked wounded. "And I thought I'd driven it so smoothly."
Celena genuinely giggled at Gaddes' morose expression. She looked up at him. Although he was smiling, concern still bent the flesh of his forehead. She drew in a shakey breath. "Gaddes," she pleaded, "if... if you see me starting to look like that again, wake me up?" Her eyes widened and her heart throbbed in panic. Should Allen, or anyone else for that matter, catch her in that state...
He frowned. His tone gained an edge, "Celena..."
"No! Please!" Desperation laced her words. Celena knew her sanity was deteriorating, but the thought that she may never see the King sent her anxiety spiralling. Dilandau's desires were easy enough to ascertain now that she was privy to his more inner thoughts; he was still hellbent on revenge, and for more reasons than just his scar. This insight was proving to be more and more the curse; for her own motivations and rememberances were buried in his; Dilandau had been the dominant consciousness for too long. Seeing the Fanelian King was at least a desire that they both genuinely shared, and she absolutely needed to find out why.
Gaddes sighed. "All right, all right, can't refuse those puppy dog eyes. What's going on now, anyways?" An eyebrow arced up in curiousity.
She bit her lip. "I promise, everything will be better later." Then, in a brighter tone, "Shouldn't we get going?"
"Sure, little lady." Although he smiled back at her, he was unethused. This would be Big Secret Number Two he'd be keeping from Allen, and their close relationship had already been bruised by Big Secret Number One. He couldn't afford to do so again, for his sake and for Celena's.
Gaddes led Celena down corridors and hallways that became increasingly more populated. At every corner they turned he would look back to see whether or not she was still following. Thankfully, she was, glancing at him every so often to be sure of her path, then resuming looking at everything around her with bright-eyed wonder. Other than her pallor, there was a childish innocence about her that he couldn't help appreciate. It was only in her eyes that the aura fell; for those blue depths were haunted by the knowledge of the psychopath that lay within. Gaddes only hoped Van would only see the Celena that was marvelling at an exotically decorated pheasant that was rolling by her on its way to the banquet hall.
And not the one that had been determined to spill his innards onto the
forest floor.