Here it is, the last chapter. The grand finale. (In case there's no sequel) Be warned, it's a tear-jerker, so if you are particularly sensitive, have your tissue ready. BP
Light and Shadow
Celena climbed quickly out of her guymelef. The Escaflowne had removed it's sword from the Oreades, but she still had to struggle to open it. Dilandau fell forward, bleeding terribly. As Celena removed Dilandau from the fallen mecha, an airship landed nearby. "Lord Van!!" Merle shouted, leaping off of the deck. Alan and Milerna were not far behind her. They all came to an abrupt stop beside Hitomi. "What....happened here?" Milerna asked putting her hand to her mouth. The ground was scorched and small fires still burned. Folken's body lay still, his blood soaking the ground around him, and the Athena and the Oreades were both down and bloody. Van was getting out of the Escaflowne.
Nothing and no one else mattered as Celena lowered her brother gently to the ground. "Dilandau..." she said in a quavery voice, "Why did you do that?" He coughed, blood spilling out of the side of his mouth. "I....couldn't...let ....him hurt you...." He said. He was shaking again, and blood was flowing freely from his wounds. Celena tried desperately to put pressure on the wound, but the blood kept coming. "Oh God," she said tearfully. "It's...okay, I think." Dilandau said weakly, "I can't feel anything anyway." Celena knew that wasn't good.
"No, Dilandau," she said holding him against her, "It's going to be okay. I'm here. I'll take care of you, just like I promised. Do you remember?" Tears were running down Celena's cheeks, and she was as helpless to stop them as she was the blood. "I remember," Dilandau said. He began to close his eyes. Celena shook him, desperate to keep him conscious. "Stay with me Dilandau," she was sobbing, "please stay with me." Dilandau closed his eyes, his breathing becoming gurgled and forced. Celena found her own breathing becoming in sync with his, until finally his stopped.
It was a few moments before Celena got over the shock of his death, when she did, she cried in a way that she had not in years. She was alone again, just like she had been when she first met him, but she would not see his shadow emerge from the darkness that had crept upon her. She held him to her crying. After she had calmed down some, Celena decided that she could not simply leave her brother here. Slowly and tearfully, she lifted his body, cradling his head in her shoulders. When had she become so strong?
Allen came forward, to the side of his heartbroken sister. Celena glanced at him and then at Dilandau's lifeless face, and then she looked straight ahead. "I know that much has changed and things will never be the same, and that I have a past and a family that I must reconcile with, but for now, I'm going to bury my brother.
Allen and the others watched her go, hardly hearing a word from the other airships that had landed, announcing and cheering the death of Domkirk and the fall of the Zaibach empire. For Celena, it hardly mattered. It was over when Dilandau took his last breaths. And so she carried him onward, into the light of the setting sun. It was over.
******************
The End
(Author blowing nose on tissue) okay. That's probably the saddest ending I've ever had, but it's over. I was thinking about doing a sequel to this, which I probably will, but first I must recuperate. BP
Light and Shadow
Celena climbed quickly out of her guymelef. The Escaflowne had removed it's sword from the Oreades, but she still had to struggle to open it. Dilandau fell forward, bleeding terribly. As Celena removed Dilandau from the fallen mecha, an airship landed nearby. "Lord Van!!" Merle shouted, leaping off of the deck. Alan and Milerna were not far behind her. They all came to an abrupt stop beside Hitomi. "What....happened here?" Milerna asked putting her hand to her mouth. The ground was scorched and small fires still burned. Folken's body lay still, his blood soaking the ground around him, and the Athena and the Oreades were both down and bloody. Van was getting out of the Escaflowne.
Nothing and no one else mattered as Celena lowered her brother gently to the ground. "Dilandau..." she said in a quavery voice, "Why did you do that?" He coughed, blood spilling out of the side of his mouth. "I....couldn't...let ....him hurt you...." He said. He was shaking again, and blood was flowing freely from his wounds. Celena tried desperately to put pressure on the wound, but the blood kept coming. "Oh God," she said tearfully. "It's...okay, I think." Dilandau said weakly, "I can't feel anything anyway." Celena knew that wasn't good.
"No, Dilandau," she said holding him against her, "It's going to be okay. I'm here. I'll take care of you, just like I promised. Do you remember?" Tears were running down Celena's cheeks, and she was as helpless to stop them as she was the blood. "I remember," Dilandau said. He began to close his eyes. Celena shook him, desperate to keep him conscious. "Stay with me Dilandau," she was sobbing, "please stay with me." Dilandau closed his eyes, his breathing becoming gurgled and forced. Celena found her own breathing becoming in sync with his, until finally his stopped.
It was a few moments before Celena got over the shock of his death, when she did, she cried in a way that she had not in years. She was alone again, just like she had been when she first met him, but she would not see his shadow emerge from the darkness that had crept upon her. She held him to her crying. After she had calmed down some, Celena decided that she could not simply leave her brother here. Slowly and tearfully, she lifted his body, cradling his head in her shoulders. When had she become so strong?
Allen came forward, to the side of his heartbroken sister. Celena glanced at him and then at Dilandau's lifeless face, and then she looked straight ahead. "I know that much has changed and things will never be the same, and that I have a past and a family that I must reconcile with, but for now, I'm going to bury my brother.
Allen and the others watched her go, hardly hearing a word from the other airships that had landed, announcing and cheering the death of Domkirk and the fall of the Zaibach empire. For Celena, it hardly mattered. It was over when Dilandau took his last breaths. And so she carried him onward, into the light of the setting sun. It was over.
******************
The End
(Author blowing nose on tissue) okay. That's probably the saddest ending I've ever had, but it's over. I was thinking about doing a sequel to this, which I probably will, but first I must recuperate. BP