Darkness in the Twilight

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

By Psycho Ferret and LunarCrystal

To the Ends of Gaea

In the morning, Allen refused to get up until Celena had woken.  When she did, he once more donned the proud Caeli uniform, out of the dirty, bloody clothes from the day before.  He seemed in far better spirits and was getting dizzy less.  Wandering about the halls, long hair drawn loosely back.  He'd been doing that sometimes recently.  he was silent as he walked, but rather content.  The night had proved uneventful.  He'd spoken with Van for a bit about the strategies, the precautions they were all going to start up and after that, Allen had pretty much nothing to do.

That is, of course, until Hitomi finally found him. She couldn't run in the dress that she was wearing, mostly a status symbol for being Queen -- she leaves the crown off when she can, as it tended to poke her scalp -- and lightly touched his arm. "Allen," she said, "Are - Are you busy?"

Allen cocked his head to the side slightly, turning his head towards her.  "Of course I have time for you if you need me.  Nae, I'm not involved in anything at the moment, what is it?"

"Well, I thought you wanted to start learning how to use the pendant," she began, a bit confused that he'd forgotten so soon.

"Oh, of course."  Allen smiled softly.  "It had just seemed as if something was the matter."

"No, no." said the queen hastily, smiling to him. It must have looked strange, though, she had to admit. She hadn't really heard of any queens that would take off running down the hallways -- for any reason. "I was thinking we could start off a little before dinner, is all."

"Oh, certainly.  I'd appreciate it very much."  Allen smiled softly, nodding to her.  He did seem much better than he and the day before, seemed more himself in the uniform.

"Okay!" But then she looked a little confused, looking around, outside the window, behind her. "Um . . . how should we do this?"

"I'm not sure."  Allen chuckled a little.  "Well... how did you do it with Van?"

Hitomi shuddered when she remembered their first lesson. "He woke me up at the crack of dawn to go outside and look for Merle with the pendant."

"Hm... well, would there be a way to do something like that?"

"What do you have in mind?" Hitomi asked.

"I'm not sure, to be honest.  I'm sure there's someone around here doing nothing, there always is."

The queen blushed and smiled. "What about your sister? Celena?"

"It's possible."  Allen nodded slightly.  "Just so long as there isn't some kind of strenuous activity going on.  Which I doubt there will be."

Strenuous activity? she thought to herself. What exactly happened to Celena to render her so - helpless. "I . . . don't think it will be strenuous for her, no. I think I'm getting an idea. Is there a large room we can use?"

"There's several.  We could use the hangar where the guymelefs are kept."

Hitomi agreed, moving ahead of Allen so that he would meet her there. Celena was just starting to sit up in her bedroll, about ready to attempt getting dressed and walking around when her brother came into the room. He seemed - excited. "You look happy," she said.

"Are you dressed?  I'd like for you to help me with something."  Allen smiled softly, waiting for her.

"Hang on, I'm about to get naked," she grinned at him, pulling the cotton night gown off and reaching for the dress that Gaddes had thoughtfully brought for her - another warm garment of wool tweed and cotton, with more ribbons that she would have liked, but it was her only choice.

Allen smiled a bit, nodding to her.  When she was ready, he took her hand and turned, leading her down familiar hallways to the hangar.

"Slow down a minute," panted Celena, tugging him to a stop just before reaching the hanger stairs. She leaned against the wall, breathing heavily, or trying to, and wiping away at the thin sheen of sweat that formed on her brow.

Allen paused, resting a hand comfortingly on her shoulder.  He waited patiently for her to catch her breath, to calm down, worried.

"Sorry," she grinned, clutching at his front.

"Dont' apologize, you can't help it."  Allen rubbed her back softly.  "let me know when you're better..."

For a few more moments, she gasped for small breaths of air, cursing herself for being so weak. Was this how her brother felt, she wondered. Celena leaned on him, pressing her cheek to his front, catching her breath. Slowly at first, before being able to calm her racing heart and take deeper intakes of precious air. He was always so warm when he held her like this, she would think, content with staying there for a few moments longer, using her refreshed lungs to breath in his foppish scent of roses and powder.

 "I think I might be better now." she said, looking up the blue and gold front of his Caeli uniform, "What is it that you wanted me for again?"

Allen just smiled softly, taking her hand in his, turning and leading her down the hallway to the hangar.  "To help Hitomi and myself."

"Doing what?" she asked, letting him lead her - which was odd but not uncommon as of late.

"It's hard to describe it if you haven't seen it.  You picture something in your mind and by doing that, can figure out where someone or something is.  Sounds farfetched... but Hitomi taught it to Van and both of them used it rather well."

A funny look came over Celena's face, almost the same whimsical expression she would get before any tragedy ever befell her and her family. She almost laughed, letting out an amused 'hmph'. "Sounds like magic. You're not trying to make a fool of me, are you, my knight?"

"We'll see if I can do it."  Allen chuckled a little.  "At first, I didn't believe in her mystics, but time and time again her tellings were coming true.  And I began to believe."  When he felt the familiar cool air within the hangar, he paused.  "Do you see her?"

"No," she answered after looking around, "You were supposed to meet her here?"

"I was."  Allen pursed his lips slightly, arching a brow, stepping a little further in.  "Hitomi?"

"I'm telling you, I don't see her here, Allen," said Celena, a little indignant with her hand on her hip. Her mouth was turned into a half-smile . . . almost a grin. "Maybe you should try using that magic trick you said you were going to learn."

Allen sighed, turning his head towards her.  "You know, one of the bad things about not being able to see is that I can't tell if you're lying or not."  With that, he started tickling her a bit.  None too roughly or too much, careful of how precarious her health was.

Her immediate reaction was always the same. A high, pleasantly lilting giggle escaped from her throat, coming from her chest and tickling her nose. She vainly tried pushing his hands away, but didn't trying very hard - she liked his games with her, and they had so few pleasures as of late. Moments like this were to be cherished. As a defense, she adhered herself to him like a barnacle, hoping that her tight, playfully crushing hold will force him to withdraw, but her girlish giggles betrayed her.

Allen laughed a little, drawing back and... reached up, ruffling her hair with a little grin.  "Munchkin.  That's what you are, a mischievous little munchkin."

Celena grinned, pushing her head gently into his hand when he touched her hair, nuzzling his palm. "Touch my face again, Allen. I liked it when you did that."

Allen smiled softly, brushing his fingers against her cheeks softly.  "It's still amazing to me, how well I can picture you like this..." 

"Maybe it's because you already know what I look like, cheater," she playfully admonished, poking him in the ribs.

Allen chuckled a bit, shaking his head.  "No... no, I don't think it's it, really. It's possible, but let me believe that what I speak is true."

"Aren't you supposed to be looking for Hitomi?" she asked again while he touched her fair cheek, "I mean, as much as I love you doing this . . ."

"Ah?  Yes, I should."  Allen sighed, nodding slightly.  Neh.  Now how to go about this?  Allen pursed his lips thoughtfully.

Celena, with one last kiss on her brother's palm, let her hands drop and she stepped away from him. She moved to the one of the guymelef docks, finding she needed to sit down on the steps as she was about ready to fall over. Hitomi was in fact there, hiding from Allen's sightless gaze with an amused look on her face. She had motioned to Celena, by pressing her finger to her lips, that the girl was not to reveal her location.

 Celena, of course, was delighted by the whole mystery of it. Magic, she thought. She remembered the stories of the girl from the Mystic Moon, her power to reveal the future - to see the unseen. They were like legends from a fantastic story book, much like the ones her mother used to read to her and Allen as children. It filled her with excitement, and so it was hard to keep her voice steady save for the giggles of intense amusement threatening to be released.

What was it that had been explained?  Picture her... recalling the way she looked in his mind as he'd felt her face, recalling the soft smiles, the laughter, that cute little way she blushed when he'd flirt with her... he focused on it all.  His eyes closed, though it didn't really matter per say, pretty head tipped slightly to the side.  He waited calmly, silently, envisioning the pendant that hung at his neck swaying softly as she'd explained.  But it seemed in vain.

 Allen was a patient man, however, waiting it out, continuing to focus.

There was hardly a sound in the hanger, and for both Celena and Hitomi, it was nearly too dark for them - there were only faint shadows from the torch-light coming in from the upstairs doorway, and in that faint light, the younger Schezar could see where Hitomi stood -- now sitting quietly in an unobvious spot against the wall of the large cavernous room. She had her knees drawn up to her chest, that same thoughtful expression, patient as even . . . she was very dedicated to helping her friend, it seemed.

 Celena figured that, because she knew she would have stood up by now and declared their game over from boredom. She sighed softly. "Allen?"

Allen sighed heavily, shaking his head.  "It's not working."  Allen was patient, but even still he had to have a point where he couldn't do it anymore. 

Concentrate, Hitomi thought, bowing her head as she too tried to concentrate. It would not happen this way on the battle field, she wasn't so naive to think otherwise. But she was determined to teach him how to at least see his enemies with his mind before he fought in any battle again. She would not see him die needlessly.

 I'm here, Allen. Remember me? Hitomi Kanazaki - now Hitomi Fanel, Queen of Fanelia. Try to picture me in your mind, the pendant swinging, clearing the fog and revealing my hiding place. You can do it, I believe in you. Allen . . .

Allen fell silent again, listening to her voice, remembering it.  He sighed a little, calming his frustration.  She believed in him, wouldn't that be enough?  Clenching his jaw slightly, forcing himself to calm down, he smoothed his mind over, his eyes still closed.  Focusing, following her instructions.

 It seemed like forever before he slowly turned towards where they sat huddled away, inclining his head in Hitomi's direction.  Did it work?  He could only hope.  He had no way of actually knowing.

Hitomi saw this, and lifted her head. It seemed like she perked up within seconds as she noticed he was turned toward her, like he was looking at her. Did he sense her? Could he see her there huddled against the wall. She could barely tell in the dim lighting, what might have been on his mind . . . he might have had reservations. Of course he would, she thought, he's never done this before. But as he faced her, she couldn't help but think, not bad for the first time.

Allen arched a brow.  "Over there.  Against the wall," he murmured softly, brow slightly furrowed after a moment.  Did he get it? 

Hitomi stood, her chin lifted regally, and she smiled. "Well done." she said.

His face softened, rather relieved.  A smile flickered onto his lips.  "Only because of your help this time, Hitomi." 

"But you did it, and that's what matters. You'll get better at it with practice. Van was able to shoot an arrow straight and true to the bulls eye by doing it. Maybe you can too, some day." She went to him and touched his hand lightly. "You did well."

 Celena came up to them, smiling as well, "It really is magic, isn't it?"

Hitomi laughed, "Something like that."

Allen smiled softly, clasping Hitomi's hand in his gently.  "Thank you, Hitomi... this means so much to me, you know."  Of course she knew.  She had felt helpless during the Great War, she'd wanted to help the others  And then she found a way to do it, to help everyone...

***

Hitomi was more than happy to help Allen develop his skills in dowsing, though the pendant he wore was little more than a trinket that dangled around his neck. It was really all she could do while she stayed at the fort. Many days passed, and there was no word of the Basram army marching yet - so they were safe for the time being. That was still no reason to be hanging about idly, as Van argued fertively.

 Fanelian reinforcements had come and situated themselves in the extra barracks wing, at least 300 strong, and most needed to be settled into the common rooms or the meeting hall just to have a place to sleep. While various plans were discussed for strategic defenses, Celena had more than once gone to find Hitomi to coax her into teaching her dowsing as well. . . without much success.

 "I don't understand. I try just as hard as you do, and I can't see anything." pouted Celena, sitting on Allen's bed. They finally got out of that uncomfortable little stone room, although Celena still found herself feeling much too fatigued to be moving about too much. It was nearly dinner time and she had *just* gotten dressed.

"I think, perhaps, it's because I need it.  I cannot see and that is an anchor for me.  It is a way for me to do something that I otherwise would not."  Allen smiled softly, shaking his head.  "You don't have a necessity for it.  You can see just fine the way you are."  Allen tugged the sash about his waist, pulling on an open coat, turning his head towards her as he walked the few paces to the door.  "Are you ready?"

"Yes," she nodded, standing up carefully. She took a few deep breaths, as it seemed that every time she stood, she got a little dizzy and short of breath. A few moments, and it passed. Her hand outstretched, Celena approached her brother and took his hand. "I have a question for you."

"Hm?  What is it?"  Allen opened the door, leading her outside of it and towards the mess hall.

"Do you suppose . . . that maybe it was meant to be?" She asked carefully, hugging his arm fondly.

"What was?"  Allen cocked his head to the side a little, walking with her, the murmur of the soldiers in the hall becoming a little louder as they drew closer.

"Losing your sight." she said simply, slowly down a bit as her breath began to leave her again. How long did it take for lungs to recover from a bloody case of hypothermia and pneumonia? her mind screamed.

Allen slowed down as if on cue, shrugging slightly.  "I don't quite believe in fate, in something being "meant to be" as you put it.  If I believed in it... then what faith would I have left?"

Celena didn't answer, but only stopped as she quietly gasped for breath, forcing herself to breath deeply again. There was a sound in the air, muffled and shrill . . . coming from outside. "Do you hear that?"

Allen frowned slightly, nodding.  Resting a hand on the hilt of the sword Gaddes had managed to recover for him, the blonde waved a hand at her.  "Go to the mess hall and get Gaddes, tell him to meet me at the front entrance."

 With that, Allen tugged his arm out of her grip, turning and heading off quietly down the hall.

The shrill noise became louder, before the impacting into the walls of the fort with a mighty Boom. It cracked the floor, shook the walls, the whole building jarred, and Celena fell, losing her balance and crying out in surprise. There were more sounds of the cannon fire outside, this time accompanied by the thunderous footsteps of guymelefs.

Allen cursed, stumbling a bit at the impact and slipping off his feet.  he gritted his teeth a bit and stood, eyes narrowing slightly.  "Well, Van, you wanted to stop sitting around idly..."

Allen frowned, knowing it'd be stupid to stay at the entrance with all that going on and turned, heading quickly down the hall, quick, steady strides.

Frantic footsteps echoed down the halls as hundreds of soldiers poured out of the rooms, the mess hall, the meeting hall - some of them falling with another jarring impact of cannons hitting their fort. The ceiling began to crumble and knock dust from the wooden beams. It didn't take long for the cannonfire to become more frequent, almost sequential.

 The numbers were doubled with the Fanelian and Asturian soldiers joined together, their battle cries rising in a glorious cacaphony of glory and determination. Only stragglers were running down the halls now.

"Celena!" Allen cried out to her, shaking his head.  "Get below!"  He met up with Van by complete chance,  and the both of them silently agreed that they'd stick by one another as much as they could.  If they fell, their armies would crumble.  That much would be obvious enough.  Sword out of it's sheath, tip dipped toward the ground as he stalked out beside the younger, darker man... they made a dashing pair, really.  Both as proud as the other, as determined to win, to fight.

 "We have to get rid of the cannons and the melef units..."

"Right." said Van readily, running down the halls, down steps to get to through the meeting hall, but the passage was blocked, caved in. Van cursed.

 "Damn it. We can't go through this way." He said, turning them around to go back. "How can we get outside, Allen?"

"The hangar might still be open," Allen replied quickly, turning his head towards Van before sharply gliding off towards the room spoken of.  Hopefully it would still be open.

 "You didn't bring Escaflowne, did you?"

"I did," affirmed the young king, running as fast as he could with Allen following so close. Another jarring cannon ball impact made Van lose his footing and sent him flying forward. He landed with a grunt, hitting the floor and the wall as he skid to a halt.

Allen stumbled, frantically grabbing at the wall and catching himself on a doorframe, thought eh weight he fell with momentarily knocked the wind out of him.  The blonde coughed a little, frowning, biting back a groan.  He didn't have time for that right now.  "You alright?"

The fall had knocked the king's head hard, but nothing Van couldn't shake off with a few moments to orient himself. "The room's spinning, but I'll be fine." he said, trying to stand. "You?"

"Just knocked the wind out of me for a moment."  Allen nodded, pushing himself away from the wall before padding over to Van's side.  "Alright, let's keep going.  We dont' have time to waste."

"No kidding." he said, pushing up to his feet, careful to hold on to the wall to steady himself. "Escaflowne is next to Scherezade." he told the knight, "I was just hoping I wouldn't have to use him again."

"Undoubtedly.  It would be better if any of us didn't have to again."  Allen nodded slightly, heading off towards the hangar again, every once in awhile having to stop to either keep his balance or push away the dizziness that was slowly crawling back.  Though it seemed less frequent and strong.

Van was ahead of the knight, reaching the doorway and quickly running through, overpassing the stairs completely and landing swiftly to the ground. He only looked behind him briefly to make sure Allen was still behind him. "Hurry," he told him curtly.

Allen nodded slightly, picking up his pace slightly, using the wall to guide him.  His pace was brisk, though still careful, as always.  "How far along are the repairs to Scherezade?"  He doubted they were far at all, but he had to ask.

"The arm is still on supports." said the king, moving to Escaflowne and climbing the steps. He was rushed, his blood pumping with anxiety of battle. He didn't want to use Escaflowne again, not against supposed allies. He did not crave war or bloodshed - but if he had to protect his loved ones, his wife and friends - his people . . . he would use it.

 As he climbed the steps so hurriedly, a thought occurred to him and he stopped, "Are you sure you can fight, Allen?"

"I have fought before, Van.  I will not stand back and let others die when I could do something about it.  If nothing else, I will distract them enough for you to take care of them.  Remember, the melef units and the cannons go first.  That's the only way we'll be able to fend them off."  If we can, this time...

 Allen turned sharply, jogging to Scherezade's front and climbed to it's legs, pulling himself inside nimbly.  Once again, the flood of familiarity came to him.  "Luck be with you, Van.  I'll see you when it's over."

"You too, Allen." said Van, climbing inside the Escaflowne and situating himself at the controls. With a deep breath, it powered up and the mecha stood, gargantuan and regal. "We'll see those Basram bastards fall before the fort walls before they reach here."

Escaflowne went out first and when he heard the melef pass, Scherezade stood, still one-armed, but effecient nonetheless.  Sword in hand, determined, the giant took booming steps forward, stepping out into the moonlight.

"Allen!" called Van from his cockpit, turning the head of his melef toward Scherezade. "I see a line of four melefs, down below the hill. Straight ahead of you, the wall is destroyed, you can get out through there. Will you be alright?"

"I'll be fine!  I'll see you back there when this is all over!"  A one armed half-salute was given before the melef turned, passing through the space mentioned, then quickly recalling the layout of the land, headed towards the quartet of enemy melefs.

 He could only hope that both of them made it back.

The melefs were smaller than guymelefs - but there were four of them, and only one of Scherezade. Not to mention having both arms on their armors. Spotting the Asturian guymelef, the giants barked orders among themselves, watching as the mecha approached. They quickly spread out, ready to surround the single guymelef and take it down with crima-swords.

Allen murmured a soft prayer, hoping that the others would win out, that they'd prevail.  How could he win out against four units like this?  Blind and with the unit one-armed... he wasn't sure he stood a chance.  But he wouldn't give up.  He was ready when the first attack came and he turned, using the missing limb to his advantage, and the strike fell a little short, only grazing the side of the armor as the sword was lifted to meet the approaching blade from a second unit.

These melefs didn't waste any time, using their crima claw to melt and grab onto some part of Scherezade. The scene was familiar, as the Asturian giant was surrounded and now captured and immobilized, while three held it with the hot liquid metal of crima. The melef that had withstood Allen's arching attack had been successfully knocked back. Another melef came rumbling down the hill from the fort.

 "Coming, boss!" yelled Kio from his cockpit in the Asturian melef.

"Thank someone," murmured the night, gasping at the heat.  The armor would melt.  The open wires would spark, anytime now.  Allen struggled against the stronger melefs, jaw clenched.  He wouldn't relent, that much he made clear enough.

Kio charged the one melef that was closest to Scherezade's malfunctioning appendage, bringing the sword down with a thick clash against the crima, breaking the lethal streams that had held Allen's face plate and sending them flying. Kio made another quickly move, swinging the sword around in an arc and crippling the melef, both of the armor's legs now twisted and broken - hanging on only by wires.

 "There's still two more, boss! Behind you!" yelled the soldier.

Allen nodded, turning the melef sharply, broadsword arcing at the closest one at his back.  The parry was quick from him, but Allen felt a surge of vengeance surge up.  These men were destroying his home.  With a guttural cry, he shoved the blade point first into the main body of the melef before him, hearing it begin to short circuit.

Kio released a strangled, frustrated cry - the first Basram melef that Allen had knocked back had gone unheeded by the large barrel chested soldier as he fought the other remaining melef. It struck Kio from behind, pulling the soldier's armor to the ground harshly and knocking him about the cockpit. Still on the ground, he held up the sword, blocking an oncoming attack of the melef ahead of him, the one behind heading for Allen.

Allen's eyes were closed, his attention turned to the second melef that had been at his back before, parrying and slowly easing into the offensive.  Gaining ground easily, the blonde pilot rather swiftly disabled that one.

 Only to feel the other one's presence too near him to react.

 Again, the screech of metal, though nowhere near as horrendous, as the wielded blade was shoved through the neck of the melef, crashing out the front of the helmet. While the blade had missed Allen, it was difficult, damn near impossible to tell.  Scherezade was hunched over on a knee, going still.

 The knight's heart raced as he had felt the cockpit begin to crush with the force of the blow and he'd been more than sure he was going to die.  More than sure.  The gash at his shoulder was rather deep and his right arm had been caught up in the folding metal already weakened by the heat of the earlier attack.  One of the pieces of the grating had been jarred loose and when the sword was victoriously withdrawn, the exceptionally heavy shard was tugged with it.

 Allen's cry of pain was muffled by the shock that jolted through his body as a leather-clad thigh was painfully impaled by the thin, but jaggedly sharp piece.  His shoulders slumped, tears of pain flickering into his eyes as he neared unconsciousness.  His mind was trying to protect him, trying to force him to shut down before he panicked.

Awkward footsteps of an additional melef was heard, taking irregular steps, but growing in pace as the pilot seemed to be learning the controls as it worked. Soon, the melef was nearly flying down the hill, charging right into the Basram armor that had taken down Scherezade. Kio was still on the ground, and he managed to drive his sword through the energist crystal at the Basram melef's middle. The new pilot seemed intent on Allen's surprise attacker, however.

 Screams of anger, more than battle cries came from the Asturian giant, hitting the surprised Basramese with a dull crima sword.

"Leave him alone!" echoed a female voice from inside the cockpit.

Allen would have reacted to the voice had he not been trying to stay awake.  Had he not been focusing on the reek of blood that spilled onto the floor of the cockpit.  With the shaking ground as the heavy steps of the melef unit approached, the grating in his leg shifted, causing flashes of pain to jolt through him and he whimpered, yet more tears of pain slipping from his eyes as he was tugged back from his near unconsciousness.

 The smell was heavy, thickening, oppressing.  That was his blood, his mind reminded him over and over. His arm hurt, the appendage immobilized by the bent up manner of the metal. Kio had managed to get up on one knee while the downed melef struggled with his blow. He brought the sword point up, aimed it over the panels of the Basram melef's chest and pinned it through like a fly in an insect collection.

"Stay in there a while," said Kio, venom dripping from his angry tone. He had to help his boss, releasing the panels that opened his own melef.

 Celena was in the additional melef, still battling the Basramese and holding up pretty well on her own. She can do almost anything if she held enough determination. The ground quaked beneath their thunderous steps, giant footfalls that shook everything inside and out of the body. Kio had to regain his equilibrium more than once before making it to Scherezade, quickly studying the damage and pulling on the shards to open the face plate.

 "Boss, boss!" said the big man frantically, "Where are you hurt? Quick! We need to get you out!"

Allen groaned weakly, the face plates shuffling open lazily, the damage done unto them rather extensive.  Getting Allen out would be a problem, no doubt.  The blonde had slumped forward, the movement tugging on his trapped arm, but he didn't seem to notice, his opposite arm hanging limply at his side.  The piece of grating  was stuck rather good in there, the majority of the blood leaking from that wound, idly dripping onto the floor wetly.

Kio, being the strongest and largest of any of the crew, was able to pull away the faceplates nearly all the way - with a few desperate, experimental tugs. In doing so, he was able to reach in passed his captain's slumped form, searching desperately for the release on the panels. Hydraulics working harshly, they reluctantly slid open. The knight's arm was pinned and held fast in the interior of the mecha. Kio wouldn't dare to pull on it, with all the blood that was already seeping from the gash at his captain's shoulder.

 "Boss!" he tried again, knowing how important it was to try to keep his captain awake, "Come on, boss. Wake up!"

 Celena, meanwhile, had begun to slow down, the Basramese overtaking her, the distant sounds of hundreds of men battling in the distance were vaguely aware by her. The melef was driven to her knees, her breath starting to catch. Just as the Basram armor was about to drive it's sword right through the interfering melef, Celena - feigning weakness, brought her sword up to block just at the last second.

 The Basram melef stood, astonished for but a second, before the blocking sword found it's way deep into the energist crystal on the melef's shoulder. With a hiss of steam, the melef fell backwards, jarring the ground once more with it's heavy impact. Celena, gasping, released herself from the cockpit, falling to the muddy, cold ground. Her brother - that's all that she cared about now that the melefs were all down or dead.

Allen shifted just slightly, groaning.  Not again..

The blonde cried out weakly as the shard was jarred again, as it shifted and in doing so, pulled at his leg again.  He didn't lift his head, though he was awake, his breathing shallow.  He coughed, the motion jerking at his arm painfully, an almost-yelp slipping from his lips.

Kio was still desperately trying to find a way to get his boss out, seeing the knight's sister running up to them, stumbling up to the kneeling Scherezade and staring in horror... all the blood - it must be a shock for such a fragile little lady, thought Kio. There was nothing he could do, not without help, and he couldn't very well ask Celena to help free the knight. Allen was firmly pinned inside. Frustrated, he jumped down to the ground, looking around to call out frantically to any soldiers that might be able to help them. There was no one around, everyone on the other side of the hill now, fighting to keep their home from burning - from being overrun by Basram armies.

 Celena, though horror-struck and sickened at the sight of so much crimson dripping from her precious brother, climbed as best as she could. Her breath was wheezing terribly, but she tried hard to ignore it.

"Allen!" she said loudly once she'd reached him, touching his bloodstained face. "Allen, hang on! We'll get you out, okay? We'll get out of here somehow." The girl was too desperate, too determined to cry now - too many tears had been shed in vain before, and now there would simply be no time or patience for them.

"Ce-Celena... get inside..." he murmured hoarsely, weakly, lifting his head a little.  There were tracks of pained tears on his own cheeks, though for now none others were being shed.  A slight, faint smirk lingered on his lips. 

 "Don't... think I'll make it.  ...Sorry..."

"No!" she practically screamed at him, not caring if he winced at her tone or the harshness of it - the desperate underlying sadness seeping in it, "No! You won't die. I won't let you! We're . . . We're supposed to be together, remember?" She clutched at his front, grasping the blue fabric and twisting it in her panic, her face drawn close to his paling one. "Remember, together forever. You can't leave me! You can't!"

He leaned his head heavily against her shoulder.  "See you back at the fort," he murmured softly, delirious, shuddering as another wave of pain passed through him.

Her arms flew around his neck. She was very sure of one thing, and that was that she would not leave him there, not to die alone. Blind, in pain . . . no. She will not allow it. As he shuddered from pain, she closed her eyes tightly, praying silently, frantic for anything to happen to help them. For someone to come and save them.

 Save us! Save us, please! her mind cried out into the darkness of space, Save us!

"Don't want... to die," he muttered, coughing a bit, a little flicking of blood smattering against his lips.  He groaned, beginning to slip towards unconsciousness again.  If he could get there, the pain would stop...

Celena held him to her, this precious being, her knight who was so dear to her shattered heart. She didn't think it could break anymore than it already has. She heard his words, felt his shudder, but did not see the subtle glow and shine of the trinket around his neck. It grew in warmth against the knight's chest, and began to illuminate the clutched form of the siblings.

 The light grew, the wind picked up fiercely, but not the freezing wind of winter. It circled them, enveloped them. There was light all around them soon enough, and Celena gasped. She felt lighter than air, her feet lifting - the blue-white light surrounding them was blinding. She still clutched her brother, but could see nothing. Nothing around her but the intense light, the feel of Allen still in her arms. She was scared, and screamed, cried out . . . There was nothing beneath her feet, she could see nothing.

Allen wasn't' sure what was going on--not that he did anyhow in that state.  He wasn't aware of the familiar glow that surrounded them both, but those who had been with him during the Great War knew more than well enough.

 They were losing their commander.

Kio watched the beam of intense light, wide-eyed. His stomach sank, his comrades just coming to them as they were lifted . . . like fair haired angels in each other's arm, the knight and the girl passing through the metal of Scherezade as if it weren't there. They all gasped, cried out in surprise. Only a few seconds did they have to stare at the amazing spectacle, before the beam vanished.

 The Schezars were gone.

Gaddes and the others stared in shock at what had happened, at the sudden disappearance.

 Allen and Celena were gone.  Who knew when or if they'd come back?  Gaddes felt his heart tug.  He couldn't protect them when they were gone.  He couldn't offer advice to them... Some small, selfish part of him was happy.  One of the last memories he would have of Allen, at least for now, would be that shared kiss that they had indulged in.  And this way, with their presence gone, it couldn't be ruined.