Ahem. Sorry I haven't updated in a while...a few months...so long. I've urm, been busy...okay, I was just too lazy. Thank you for those people who reviewed last chapter.

Chapter Ten

Revelations, New and Old

Dilandau's plan: to go fetch Van and Hitomi, kill Morgana, then go back to the usual pastime of stalking Allen Schazaer.

He had contacted Gatti, Dallet and Viole, but to his immense concern they didn't seem able to talk properly. Celena immediately guessed that the camera had picked up Allen in an uncompromising situation. Dilandau had cringed in horror. Never before in his chosen career had that happened to him, nor did he intend it to happen any time soon. Suddenly this Allen hinting business was starting to get risky.

Dilandau shook himself mentally. What was he talking about? He loved risks!

"You know what, I've just realised something," Celena said suddenly.

"What's that? Dilandau grunted as he manoeuvred his guymelef along a dangerous, narrow, rocky path.

"When Allen saw me in his room, it was the first time in years he had seen me," Celena mused. "He said he missed me, yet did he come after me when I disappeared again, NOOOO, he didn't. Don't you consider that disgusting?"

Dilandau smirked. "No, I consider that lucky. Where were you anyway?"

Celena chuckled into her headpiece. "Well, during a game of hide and seek with Allen I took my opportunity and ran away. Unfortunately I was kidnapped by Zaibach scientists, but then I was rescued by a cool, furry lion dude."

"Ah, the lion dude, I know him. He's cool. He's a good friend of Emperor Donkirk."

Celena paused whilst debating to ask some delicate questions. She decided to go for it. "I managed to escape Zaibach with my cool, furry lion friend. Back then it was a peaceful place ruled under the just Emperor Donkirk? What's it like now?"

"Hell." Celena flinched at the cold way he said it. "The people will only listen to Emperor Donkirk, but I fear it's only a matter of time before Folken gains control of him."

"Then we have to move fast," Celena said firmly.

Rain and thunder and lightning always made an interesting combination. Funny things always happened when there came rain and thunder. Lightning just put a spark into it.

Hitomi soaked in the rain, breathing in the dampness that the rain brought. Oh sure storms were interesting. Hitomi had no doubt that Morgana would be making her move soon. Sigh. Another storm. She needed a way of saving Van against Morgana and quick...just as soon as Van fixed Escaflowne, that was.

There came a twinkle in the sky, something that was not lighting, drawing Hitomi's attention to it. The two twinkles shone bright, heading towards them at a very dangerous speed.

"Van, company!" Hitomi yelled.

Van looked up at the sky, squinting through the rain. "Is one of them red?"

"Yes!"

The prince shook his head. "Speeding as usual," he muttered. "It's alright, it's Dilandau."

Hitomi grinned. All right, reinforcements. "I thought that they were suppose to take care of Allen."

Van shrugged. "Things happen."

Two guymelefs landed elegantly beside Escaflowne. One opened to reveal Dilandau, who grinned madly at them. "Don't worry, you're saved, I'm here!"

"Put a sock in it!" a girl yelled out. The other guymelefs opened to reveal a girl with short blonde hair. Hitomi recognised her immediately from her visions.

"Oh my God, you poor thing!" Hitomi screeched, hugging the startled blond. "Don't worry, I've taken courses in therapy."

"It's okay, really," Celena insisted. "I've joined the Dragonslayers."

Hitomi sighed in relief. "That's okay then. You know, when Allen told me he had a sister, I felt horrified for her."

Celena chuckled, and then eyed the other girl curiously. "Say, what kind of therapy are you trained in?"

"Well..."

"What do you mean gone?" Chesta demanded angrily, pushing a frightened Zaibach soldier against the wall.

"Lady M-Morgana sent them on a mission to the canyon this morning," the wrinkled scientist stammered.

"Ugh, not good." Miguel stabbed the scientist, leaving him to bleed as they walked off. "What now?"

"Split," Guimel replied. "Two of us go and rescue the twins, the other stay here and monitor the situation."

Miguel, about to sheath his sword, suddenly pulled it out again. "I'll stay," he offered. "I'm the most stealthiest of us three."

The two nodded and headed to their hidden guymelefs, hidden beneath the floating fortress. Miguel patrolled the once familiar hallways with caution. The sound of footsteps hurried his way, and he thoughtfully leapt up onto pipes running along the ceiling, flattening himself.

Two men clad in white coats hurried under him. Scientists, Miguel realised. He looked towards the direction from where they had come. It was time to do a bit of investigating.

Millerna tried to control her tears as she read the revealations of Marlene's diary. Oh her poor misguided sister! Chid must never know of this, it would destroy the poor boy.

"Ah, Millerna?"

The princess looked up and gaped in surprise as she saw her dead sister sitting before her, looking at her sadly. "Marlene!"

Princess Marlene smiled. "Sister my spirit is in unrest." Then she slouched in her chair. "Don't get me wrong, Chid's a cute kid and all that but I can't believe I was deceived by that playboy Allen. I love the Duke dearly but I know he feels hurt by the fact Chid is Allen's chil..."

"Don't say it!" Millerna screeched, covering her ears.

There came a knock at the door and Princess Eries came into the room, carrying a letter.

"Hello Millerna, hello Marlene." She stopped and stared. "Marlene? Why are you here?"

Their sister sighed dramatically. "I cannot rest."

Millerna and Eries looked at her questioningly.

"So..."Millerna asked.

"Basically I want revenge." Marlene's spirit explained.

"Ohhhh...." Eries and Millerna nodded their heads in understanding. Eries brightened up and looked at Millerna.

"This is for you, it's a message from Hitomi and Celena who sent it to Viole which he sent to Gaddes who then gave it to me to give to you." She handed her little sister the letter and Millerna opened it gleefully.

A big smile appeared on her face as she read and she looked up at her two sisters conspiringly.

"Sisters, I have a plan."

Celena and Hitomi had bonded extremely well and whilst Van and Dilandau engaged in a serious conversation about Morgana the two of them lay on the grass making daisy chains and nattered away about stuff and stuff and more stuff. Then Dilandau remembered something and went off to his guymelef to fetch something, leaving Van to join the girls.

"So do you think Allen would look better with braids or a frilly bow?" Celena asked, as she sketched out future plans of revenge.

"Ugh," Van said, disgusted by the images.

"Hm, I was thinking more bald, if you know what I mean," Hitomi explained.

"Yeah, that would be good, except then we couldn't do more stuff to his precious locks," Celena explained. "Besides, I had fun putting that pink dye into the bottle."

"Do you think you could give him green highlights?" Hitomi begged. "Or maybe luminous yellow?"

"Hey Hitomi!" Dilandau said loudly. "I have something for you. Courtesy of Millerna."

"My duffel bag!" Hitomi exclaimed happily.

"Is it from the Mystic Moon?" Celena asked. Hitomi nodded. "Then you must have all sorts of interesting stuff in there."

Hitomi lit up when she remembered what she had in there. She fished out a small, cylinder object.

"What is it?" Celena said, opening it and revealing a red stick. Hitomi explained it was called lipstick and old her how to use it. Celena, Van and Dilandau grinned heartily.

"Hitomi, you're a genius," Celena sighed. "Guys, tell the Allen watchers that Allen's gonna get a full makeover."

"Not yet," Dilandau told her. "First Millerna is going to give him the therapy he deserves."

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Come in," Allen called feebly from his place on his bed.

The door opened and in came Millerna, Eries and an invisible Marlene. Marlene shuddered when she saw Allen lying on the bed. How could she have liked him? Ugh!

"Aw Allen, how are you feeling?" Millerna said in a sickly sweet voice.

"Terrible, my hair's ruined and I have patches all over my skin." Allen pouted.

Millerna and Eries shuddered. Too much information. Eries forced herself to smile.

"Well, don't you worry, Millerna here has come up with a therapy to help ease away the pain. It's called acupuncture. Just lay down, no face down, that's it, and relax."

Millerna pulled out a box of needles. Hitomi had written that if they weren't placed in the right spot, they could cause immense pain. Oh well... She took one long, sharp needle and looked down his back for a good spot. Her eyes gleamed.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Chid looked up sharply from his work. He turned to the crew of the Crusade.

"What was that?" he asked, slightly panicked.

Gaddes patted his head lightly, whilst the other crew relaxed in the sounds of Allen torture.

"It's nothing," Gaddes replied. "Just the wind."