Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ The Happy Sequel To Escaflowne ❯ Chapter 8 ( Chapter 8 )

SCENE 29: int. same room as where Hitomi and Van's wedding was planned. Celena's wedding gown is laid out on a table and HITOMI, MILLERNA (holding MARLENA), CELENA, NARIA, ERIYA, and MERLE are exclaiming over it. Meanwhile, the men are off to the side. SHESTA wanders over to them.

SHESTA V.O.: Well....I don't really have anything against Allen and I guess I don't mind doing this to make Celena happy.....

SHESTA: Hey, Allen?

ALLEN: WHAT?

SHESTA: Would you be....um...our best man?

ALLEN: I want NOTHING to do with this!

FOLKEN: Allen.....

VAN: I don't want anything to do with this either!

SHESTA: I wasn't asking YOU. I don't want you to have anything to do with it either!

JAJUKA: Allen....I think...Celena would be hurt.....

ALLEN: Well she listens to you, not me. You be involved.

FOLKEN: She'd want you to.....

ALLEN: I doubt it.

FOLKEN: I'll be in it.

JAJUKA: Me too.

ALLEN: I'm not even going to watch.

JAJUKA: (to Folken) Hey...another Zaibach reunion.....

VAN: I really HOPE not! Don't tell me THEY're going to be there, too.

SHESTA: Hmmmm......(laughs)

SHESTA V.O.: of course not. But Van doesn't need to know that!

CELENA has slipped over and is watching the men.

CELENA V.O.: But...why.....can't they learn?

SHESTA walks back to CELENA

SHESTA: We've got Folken and Jajuka!

CELENA: Allen.....

FOLKEN: Oh don't bother yourself about him. He's just being a jerk.

CELENA: I don't understand! Why can't people realize...the war is over! Why does everyone still carry such hard feelings?

SCENE 29: Int. Celena's room. CELENA is sitting on her bed, holding a book, crying.

CELENA: This is so ridiculous! Why can't people just get along? Fighting with words, swords, the difference isn't so big! Why can't they forgive each other? Aren't they sick of those hard feelings!

we can see the book, it is ROMEO AND JULIET

CELENA: I feel like this girl, Juliet, in this book Hitomi gave me. Her family can never learn how to stop hating Romeo's family...and there's no point for them to even hate each other! Why do Shesta and Van hate each other! And why don't they hate me? I was Dilandau....shouldn't Van hate me, not Shesta?

MERLE gently pushes open the door and sits down next to CELENA

CELENA: Oh! Hello.....sorry.

MERLE: There's something I should probably tell you.

CELENA looks at MERLE questioningly.

MERLE: I know you're upset about how everyone is disagreeing, but there are actually some understandable reasons for the way Van-sama is acting. A lot of things happened during the war...there were many times when Van-sama almost died. Sometimes he still has nightmares about it.

CELENA: But why does he hate Shesta? Why not me?

MERLE: Like I said before, he knows you're nothing like Dilandau, that you had no control over that. He just needs to realize that Shesta isn't the same person he was during the war.

CELENA: But how?

MERLE: It will just take time for both of them to realize that. Shesta probably had a pretty traumatic experience, too. I mean, he actually DID die---he probably has nightmares, too.

SCENE 30: Int. wedding hall. Everyone but ALLEN is in the room, but VAN is standing in the back doorway in the Van/Heero I-don't-trust-you pose TM. The bridesmaids are HITOMI, MILLERNA, ERIYA, NARIA, and MERLE. MERLE is the maid of honor. The ushers are FOLKEN and DRYDEN. The best man is FOLKEN. JAJUKA is giving CELENA away. RUHM is officiating once again. The wedding happens. Yay. Another pretty montage of scenes. CELENA tries to hide her disappointment/sadness in ALLEN. Anyway, pretty pics of CELENA walking down the aisle, CELENA and SHESTA kissing, etc.

SCENE 31: Celena and Shesta's bedroom. They are asleep in bed. Angle over CELENA's face, which at first looks peaceful, but grows more and more agitated.

CELENA V.O.: For a few nights after our wedding, my sleep was peaceful. However, about a week after our wedding, I began to have horrible, violent, sad dreams, flashbacks of my time as Dilandau.

Celena watching Dilandau with Zaibach destroying Fanelia, which Claire hasn't seen this ep. and Heather can't remember anything except guys bleeding out of their eyes (0.0) Anyway, I'm sure there's a pillar of fire SOMEWHERE that dream-image Celena is standing in. Very freaky.

CELENA V.O.: He...I did this...to Van? Then kept trying to kill him? How cruel---how sad! Why...?

Through a pillar of smoke Van can be seen, facing away from the viewer. Hitomi is off to the side. Folken calls, "Van!" Van looks up onto the balcony where Folken is standing and says, "brother." Folken drops Van's sword to him.

Van shouts, "brother!" then Dilandau emerges from the smoke, his sword drawn. Hitomi shouts, "Van! Behind you!" Van turns around, blocking Dilandau with his sword still sheathed. Van unsheathes his sword and starts trying to get away from Dilandau. Dilandau shouts, "I should have killed you when I had the chance! I hate you!" Van is able to hit Dilandau on his face with the tip of his sword. Dilandau falls onto the floor, complaining about his face.

CELENA V.O.: That...that's why he hated Van so much? Because Van cut his face? Well--that--that's a stupid reason to want to kill someone! He's wearing armor! Where else--his face is the logical thing to attack! But...Dilandau made Van suffer so much! No wonder he doesn't like it when Dilandau is mentioned. So...that's why he doesn't like Shesta! This war was so pointless and sad and caused so many people pain! I must apologize to Van for Dilandau's actions. I know that wont by any means atone for what Dilandau did, but still....

Tears begin to pour out of CELENA's eyes, her hands clench together, then suddenly we are thrust to the present. CELENA is sitting up in bed, a shocked expression on her face. She stands up, lights a candle, holding it as far away from herself as possible, her fingers trembling with fear.

CELENA V.O.: Van said he'd be up tonight in the library...I remember! I hope he's still there!

CELENA walks out of the door and into the hallway.

SCENE 32: Int. library. Van is sitting on a sofa, reading a book of Gaean folktales that Folken read to him when he was a child. A knock is heard on the door.

VAN: Come in

CELENA enters, sets the candle on a table near the door and walks over to VAN. VAN half-smiles

VAN: Hello, Celena.

CELENA: Hello...I need...

VAN: What do you need?

CELENA: I need...to...tell...

SCENE 33: Int. Celena and Shesta's bedroom. SHESTA wakes up and sees that Celena's side of the bed is empty.

SHESTA V.O.: Celena...?

SHESTA gets up, lights a candle, and runs out of the room.

SCENE 34: int. back in the library, continuing earlier scene.

VAN: (concerned) What is it you need to tell me, Celena?

CELENA: To tell you...that...to say...that I'm sorry...I'm...

VAN: What are you sorry for, Celena?

CELENA: Sorry...for...for...Dilandau

CELENA wavers on her feet. It is apparent she's having another flashback. Her eyes flash red, then open, wide and blue, then clench shut. She passes out and falls backwards. VAN rushes to catch her before she hits the floor.

VAN: Celena! Wake up!

VAN V.O.: She's having a flashback! She's having a flashback the way I have flashbacks!

CELENA V.O.: Help!

The door bangs open. SHESTA is in the doorway.

SHESTA: What's going on?

VAN: She came to apologize for what Dilandau did to me. Then she had a flashback and passed out.

SHESTA V.O.: She did, eh? I wouldn't've, not to you.

VAN V.O.: And thanks to you she HAS these flashbacks! Thanks to you for plenty of MINE as well!

SHESTA V.O.: I have to thank you for some of my flashbacks, Van.

SHESTA: Is she all right?

SHESTA V.O.: If you did anything to her I'll...

SHESTA and VAN's eyes meet. They see the hatred of each other but also that the other really does care about CELENA.--VAN sees that SHESTA does love her for herself, not just duty to who she used to be, and that SHESTA has become much gentler. SHESTA sees VAN's friendly concern for CELENA.

VAN V.O.: Shesta...does love her. He doesn't want her to be Dilandau---he loves Celena.

SHESTA V.O.: Van didn't try to hurt her, he sympathizes with her--understands what she's going through

VAN V.O.: Shesta...deserves life

SHESTA V.O.: Van...deserves life

SHESTA and VAN V.O.: The war...is over

CELENA wakes up. She is trembling. SHESTA rushes over to her and takes her hand.

CELENA: Shesta...?

SHESTA: Shhh....I'm here. Are you okay?

CELENA: Anno....anno...hai! I just...had a flashback...

SHESTA and VAN V.O.: How well I understand...

CELENA: Anyway...Van?

VAN: Yes?

CELENA: I wanted to apologize...for what Dilandau did to you

VAN: No need to. You weren't at fault. The war is over...that's all we need.

SHESTA: (to VAN) It is over.

CELENA looks confused for a moment then understands. She smiles serenely.

CELENA: I'm going to bed now.

SHESTA: Okay, I'll join you in a second

CELENA: Okay.

CELENA picks up the candle, holds it stretched out in front of her as far as her arm can reach in one arm then holds her nose with the other hand. She kicks the door open, walks out, then kicks it shut.

SHESTA: (lightly) She's so funny with candles.

VAN: (suddenly) I forgive you for what you did to me if you forgive what I did to you.

SHESTA: You forgive me? I forgive you, too. You seem to be a much nicer person than during the war.

VAN: You forgive me for your death?

SHESTA: The time I was a ghost and met Celena was better than anything when I was first alive. I didn't deserve life when you killed me. I hope--in your eyes--I deserve it now.

VAN nods, acknowledging it but unwilling to actually say so.

SHESTA: (small voice) I'm...sorry.

VAN: I'm...also...sorry

VAN and SHESTA leave the library.