ACG: *Looks askance at audience* -_- Please Review. Or Else.
Disclaimer: This disclaimer brought to you by: Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII!
ACG: "Hey, Sephy? Do I own Escaflowne?"
Seph: "From the wrenched sight of your apparel, I would inference that you don't own anything. At all."
ACG: "Argh. But he's right." ;_;
Seph: "I am going to go speak with my brother Folken. Farewell, Hobo-ish Cat-Girl."
ACG: "Brothers? Eh, well, One-winged angel. Black-winged angel. Makes sense.
ON WITH THE FIC!!! I OWN NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Second Destiny By Another Cat Girl
Chapter 2: Breakfast
Last time:
((A few hours later, Celena smiled. She was having a good dream about decapitating Merlot. Her eyes glowed red for a moment.))
Celena woke abruptly, sensing intense heat around her. Her eyes opened wide in terror. Her room was completely in flames. Fire licked the walls and ceiling eagerly and the air was thick with smoke. She coughed hoarsely as the black vapors invaded her lungs and tried to move, but her blankets had wrapped around her as she slept, trapping her like a net.
"Help! Someone help me!" Celena yelled, and coughed again, struggling with her covers. Celena realized with alarm that her blankets were starting to catch on fire at the foot of her bed. She squinted through the rising heat that seared her eyes, and saw someone standing in the midst of the flame.
"Wait! Help me! Please!" she shouted. The figure turned excruciatingly slowly. The fire was almost at her feet. The man walked through the smoke, and she gasped. He had white hair like her, but with red eyes that shone with a demonic light. He smiled crazily, and started to laugh, as if enjoying what was happening.
"Who are you!?" she screamed hysterically. "Why don't you help me!?"
The man laughed harder. "You can't even save yourself. You're so weak."
The man's eyes suddenly flashed, and she was swept away into fiery nothing.
"No!" Celena sat up in bed. The morning light poured into a room completely devoid of fire damage.
"What? Wh...who?" She shuddered and tried to wipe the sweat from her forehead, but couldn't because her blankets pinned her hands to her side, making her uncomfortably hot. Celena untangled herself and stepped away from her bed.
"That...dream." She shook her head, already forgetting the nightmare. She looked across the room and saw the image of a man appear and fade away, the memory of his evil laughter remaining for a few moments. Celena shuddered.
She looked down and noticed that she was still wearing the dress that she had worn for dinner, and smiled at the thought of her falling asleep so quickly.
"Jajuka must have put me to bed." She walked to her closet and changed into a blue tunic and brown pants, which she didn't usually wear because of the impropriety. Today seemed...different somehow. She didn't feel like wearing a dress.
The door opened as she was putting on her pair of soft boots. She glanced up cheerfully as Jajuka entered.
"Good morning!" she greeted, and finished tying the second lace.
Jajuka frowned slightly as if he were worried and stared at her attire. "Are you feeling alright today, Celena?"
"Of course, Jajuka," Celena answered. "I think I had a horrible dream, although I can't remember it very well. Something about..." she thought for a moment, then smiled and shook her head. "Never mind. It's gone."
Jajuka's frown deepened and then he smiled one of his rare smiles. "I have a present for you from your brother. He told me it was for your birthday, but I wanted to give it to you early."
He held out a small pink box with a pretty ribbon, which she grabbed eagerly. She opened it hurriedly and gasped at the simple beauty of the ring that lay inside. It was a plain silver band with a blue stripe of color all around it. She lifted it and tried it on the ring finger of her left hand. "It's beautiful. I love it, Jajuka!"
"King Allen said it belonged to your mother. It has great significance to him. He said it would honor your mother to wear it with you." Jajuka placed strange emphasis on the last sentence, but Celena didn't notice.
"So, Jajuka! What are we going to do today? Take a ride in the Crusade?"
"I'm afraid not, Celena. You have to eat breakfast with Prince Merlot."
She scowled. "Oh, no. I thought it would be a good day, today."
"Don't complain," he said chidingly.
She grinned. "I certainly hope he doesn't get scared off because I'm wearing this, because I am not changing!"
Jajuka made a tsking noise. She laughed and went downstairs. He stared at the floor for a minute, thinking. Then he said, "I hope, for all our sakes, that she keeps that ring on her finger."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Prince Merlot was wearing an electric lime outfit that seemed to glow painfully against Celena's vision, making her squint. They were eating out by the gardens, after Merlot had gotten over the sight of her in pants.
"My lady, I hope you are comfortable," he said shrilly, and managed to move the chair for her to sit down.
Celena busied herself with staring into space. She paid no attention to the ratty little man, lest she explode, but then he actually said something interesting.
"…feeling alright about the episode at dinner. My manservant told me he could've sworn your eyes turned red, but I, of course, said that that was completely ridiculous because I didn't see it and I was sitting right there…"
"Red eyes? What did you say?" she questioned interestedly.
Merlot looked nonplussed for a second, then he said, "Just that your eyes looked reddish at the table, probably from the same sickness that made you take your leave…"
He continued, and Celena wondered if the manservant was right , or if he was just making it up to add to the other superstitious whisperings about her. She shook her head, convincing herself that it was nothing to get upset about.
Servants set the table industriously. Instead of using his napkin, Merlot tucked the edge of the tablecloth down his shirt, still talking vigorously. Celena made a disgusted face, and looked down at her breakfast of fresh fruit. She smirked, placing a piece of green melon on the edge of her fork and flicking it at him. Merlot flinched as the launched fruit thwakked him on his nose and bounced to the ground, leaving its juices splattered all over his facial features.
He frowned accusingly at her, but she looked up at him innocently. "What is on your face, prince? You should go wash it off." She grinned in victory when he wasn't looking and was relieved that he was leaving her by herself for a minute.
Unfortunately, as he got up and walked by her, he stupidly pulled the whole tablecloth with him because it was still tucked in his tunic. Both of their meals splattered onto Celena, and she exploded with anger.
"Look what, you did, you disgusting piece of…" she bit her tongue, trying not to insult the thick idiot.
Merlot squealed, "Oh, I'm sorry, my lady Celena, I'm so clumsy!"
She shook her head and stalked to the kitchens with the slime following behind, her anger rising.
A.N. T__T One review?! And here I thought I said three! You make me sad! The story won't be as good if you don't tell me what you think of it! A HUGELY GARGANTUAN THANKS goes to my first reviewer, Crazy4dillyandvan! You are my hero! Remember, people, all authors live on reviews, and I'm a teenage author, so it applies especially! I NEED them! Just click the button on the bottom of the screen and tell me good things, and my hands will type faster and with greater skill! Oh, and Dilly's in the next chapter, so review and it will come faster!