Disclaimer: Esca belongs to Sunrise, ad nauseum.
Previously In Ch.3 of "Speak" Migel recovers his memories after an encounter with Celena Schezar three years after his supposed "death"....
Author's Note: indicates flashbacks. Meyman Saluria--you are a terrible guesser.
My computer has a personal vendetta against me.
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Speak No Evil-Ch.4
Resumes from where Ch.3 left off, Schezar's party, Palas
Celena puckered a brow and stared at Migel. He had grown in both height and stature since he had served Dilandau, but his hair was the same chestnut brown, and his eyes, still that intense green.
"Stop gawking at me," Celena whispered to Migel, "You're starting to attract attention." When he kept on looking at her with awed eyes, she lost her patience. Celena made her voice very dramatic. "Yes, it is I, Dilandau. Just, never mind the hows, it's complicated. Understood?"
"Yes." Migel managed to say. Allen's sister sounded and acted incredibly like Dilandau.
"There is one thing I don't understand," She said slowly, "They told me you were dead. Killed by that disgusting little doppleganger."
"Zhongi." Migel said with a shudder. Despite the heat of the ballroom, Migel felt a chill run down his back. He gulped in air as if to reassure himself that he was still breathing. Out of morbid curiosity, Migel asked the strange girl beside him what ever happened to his assassin. Celena shrugged her slim shoulders delicately and threw him a flirtatious glance. "Dilandau ... played with him for a little while before snuffing him out like the bug he resembled. That doppleganger screamed for much longer than you would expect. Of course, Dilandau found the incident most amusing." Migel gave an answering smile. "I--"
"No, we can't speak here; far too many prying eyes. Follow me." Celena led the way through a pair of tall glass doors which opened to reveal the back garden. The moonlight was quite romantic, though courtship was the furthest thing from both their minds.
"Well? Aren't you going to tell me what happened?" Celena demanded when they were alone-and for a moment, Migel saw again, not Allen's sister, but his former commanding officer.
"I was injured. Loss of memory brought about by my attack. I'm sorry." Migel said quietly. Celena rolled her eyes and smirked.
"And now you're a knight Caeli--how convenient. I'm starting to think that maybe you quit on us because you didn't want to fight the war anymore." Her eyes glittered dangerously. Migel clenched his jaws and exhaled. This had to be the strangest conversation he had ever had. And yet, here in the ambiguity of the moonlight, it was easy, almost natural, to think he WAS talking to Dilandau.
"I would never have abandoned you." Migel said emphatically. His words seemed to please the silver haired girl beside him.
"Dalet was very upset when he found out about your 'death.'" She said casually. At the mention of his friend, Migel's face lit up.
"Dalet! Where's he now?" Migel asked, his voice warm as if he was smiling.
"8 feet, 3 inches under."
"What?"
"God, do I have to spell it out? He's dead."
"Dead! Dead." Migel echoed in shock, "Then where's Chesta?"
"Dead."
"Ga...Gatti?"
"Dead. They're all dead. All of them. Every single fucking one." Celena's coldly mechanical voice rang through Migel's head. This didn't make any sense. He could SEE them in his mind's eye perfectly. He suddenly remembered something utterly irrelevant: that he never did give back Gatti's book.
"Gatti, old man, stop looking after those tomes like they were your children." Migel had teased.
"Ha! You're just jealous 'cause I'm so smart!" Gatti retorted.
Migel thought numbly, his friends...they were all gone? He felt like he'd woken up into a nightmare. Migel tried to swallow and asked, "They died in the war?" Celena seemed to find that very funny--but her giggles had tears behind them. "You mean 'did they go down in a blaze of glory'? Hardly; they were massacred in a single battle." Celena shrugged. "Incompetent fools."
Migel glared at her. "Don't speak of them like that!"
"DON'T talk to ME in that tone!" Celena snapped back.
"They were you're men--how can you be so cold? I thought you cared about them!"
Without warning, Celena slapped him so hard, his bangs shook into his eyes. Celena's china-blue eyes widened. "Oh! I'm...sorry." Migel starred at her in shock. Dilandau NEVER apologized. Just who the hell was she? Dilandau? Or just some silly aristocratic girl playing with fire. Migel gave her a withering look and began to walk away. Celena flew to his side immediately and clutched at his shoulders. Her surprisingly strong fingers dug into his flesh.
"Oh please, Migel-don't go." Her voice was softer now, almost husky.
"Excuse me." Migel shook her hands off him and continued walking away.
"It was Van! He murdered them."
Migel stopped abruptly. Celena began to talk quickly. "One of the scouts reported that the Crusade had been spotted. I told the unit to get into the melefs and give chase. It was easy to spot the ship, practically dangling in the air for us to shoot down. But we only wanted the Dragon, remember? So I gave orders to land. There were fifteen of us altogether, against one melef. It was supposed to be easy! But, but something happened. Escaflowne was more powerful than anything I'd ever seen. He was like a madman--that butcher! Chesta was the first. Poor Chesta..." Celena's voice broke and a tear tickled from the corner of her eye. "He had been so upset that morning because I'd called him a mush-room head."
Celena suddenly raised her tearful eyes pleadingly to Migel. "Well, his hair looked like a mushroom!" She said rather defensively, then she glanced away again. "The boy was always so damn earnest. Baby blue eyes. Much too soft and innocent to have served Dilandau ... he ... he cried out my name when his melef was destroyed. He said my name, with his last breath." Celena's voice had dropped to a whisper. She began to sob silently.
Migel looked at her hesitantly. Should he go over to her?
"Gatti was next. He--at least--tried to fight. So did Dalet. The others were too shocked to react fast enough. Didn't matter in the end. They were mauled down one by one. I think I lost my mind then. Maybe I began to first lose it when they told me you were dead ... oh Migel, if you had been there that day, maybe...." At Celena's unspoken accusation, Migel felt guilt and shame wash over him. He was racked with self-doubts, if he'd been there at Dilandau's side, if he hadn't lost his memory, if he'd escaped Freid...would Dalet, Gatti, and Chesta be here today? Celena was right. He HAD abandoned his comrades: he felt terrible.
"Their deaths must be avenged. The Dragon must be destroyed." She told Migel quietly. Migel nodded slowly in agreement.
"For the Dragonslayers...." Celena watched Migel carefully.
"For the Dragonslayers." Migel repeated, his voice was coldly decisive.
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Author's Note: The plot thickens. Celena Schezar is a very difficult character to define. I've drawn her as a girl who shares Dilandau's memories but not his...shall we say...charm? She is NOT a victim of her past, instead, a willing participant. She's strong-willed and spiteful ... but she lacks Dilandau's soldierly essence. (LLPR, right?) For those who are interested, my other series, "Marlene" is starting to pick up steam--though school may prove to be a problem. THANKS FOR REVIEWING CH.3--IT SERIOUSLY GAVE ME THE ENCOURAGEMENT TO WRITE MORE, ASAP.
REVIEW CH.4!!!