Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ The Happy Sequel To Escaflowne ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

SCENE 23: Int. Breakfast room, castle. Everyone is assembled except CELENA.

MERLE: JAJUKA!!! That was mean!

JAJUKA: What? (smiles mischievously)

MERLE: You marked MY tree!

JAJUKA: It's not your tree any more!

HITOMI: Uh...can we talk about something...else?

CELENA enters. She looks very upset and tears are flowing down her face.

HITOMI: Celena...?

ALLEN: What's wrong?

CELENA walks up to ALLEN and slaps him on the cheek.

ALLEN: CELENA...?!?

CELENA: YOU MADE HIM LEAVE, DIDN'T YOU?!

ALLEN: Wha...? Oh yeah.....I thought it would help you.

CELENA: You are SO OVERPROTECTIVE! I'M NOT FIVE YEARS OLD ANYMORE!

CELENA runs out of the room into the garden, sobbing noisily.

MERLE: I told you she'd be mad.

MERLE grabs some food and runs into the garden, too.

FOLKEN: You told him to leave?

ALLEN: Yes. After he CAUSED her FLASHBACK!

FOLKEN: I don't think he caused them, Allen.

VAN: I doubt he left for good. He's probably bringing back other ghosts to haunt us again, plotting his revenge.

HITOMI: Van....I don't think he'd do that, not to Celena's friends.

VAN: That's what he'd like you to think!

FOLKEN: Van, you're paranoid.

VAN: Oh, THANKS.

FOLKEN: Any time.

ALLEN: I just didn't want him to cause her any more pain!!!

JAJUKA: (gently,) Don't you see, in sending him away, that you're the one causing her pain?

FOLKEN: They're in love, Allen. You can't control her life anymore.

ALLEN: But......!

SCENE 24: Ext. castle garden. CELENA is sitting under a tree, crying and holding her poetry book. MERLE slowly creeps up and shoves a roll into CELENA's face.

CELENA: Wha...? Oh, hi Merle.

MERLE: Hi Celena.

MERLE sits down next to CELENA

MERLE: I brought you some food.

CELENA: Thank you...you're so kind, Merle.

MERLE: Uhhh...thanks.

CELENA: I think you're the only one who knows how I'm feeling.

MERLE: No...I'm sure I'm not. Folken and Jajuka and Hitomi seem to understand. Of course Van-sama doesn't, but he's paranoid.

CELENA: Why does he hate Shesta so much? If he's really so scared of Dilandau, shouldn't he hate me? Where does Shesta come in?

MERLE: No one could hate you, Celena. Well, Shesta's a different person now, I can tell. I think Van-sama can recognize it too, he just is too caught up in past experiences to acknowledge Shesta's change. You know, Shesta changed for you. I'm sure he didn't leave permanently. He probably just went somewhere to do something for you.

CELENA: (hugs MERLE) do you really think so?

MERLE: Hai!

SCENE 25: Int. sitting room in castle. Everyone but MILLERNA is sitting around, looking nervous. The most nervous is DRYDEN.

HITOMI V.O.: Well...About a month after Shesta left, Millerna's baby was born....

A NURSE enters.

NURSE: Everyone! Millerna's child has been born! You may all come in to see the child!

Everyone files into a small bedroom, where MILLERNA is sitting up in bed, looking tired but happy, and holding a small white bundle in her arms. DRYDEN strides up to MILLERNA

DRYDEN: Let's see the boy!

MILLERNA: (laughs) well...that just proves even YOU don't always get what you want, Dryden. Meet your daughter.

DRYDEN: 0.0

EVERYONE laughs.

MILLERNA: Well, you can hold her...

DRYDEN: Okay....

DRYDEN gingerly takes the baby in his arms and looks into her face, pulling away the blanket a bit.

DRYDEN: Hey, she's pretty!

MILLERNA: I was thinking about what we should call her...

DRYDEN: Yeah?

MILLERNA: How about Marlena, after my sister, Marlene?

DRYDEN: Sure, why not?

ALLEN V.O.: Marlene......

DRYDEN: (to MARLENA) hey Marlena, look at everything! See everyone! Welcome to the world, little one.

HITOMI: The first one of us to be born without memory of the war...

VAN hugs HITOMI. HITOMI smiles and whispers something into VAN's ear. VAN smiles slowly and ruffles HITOMI's hair.

VAN V.O.: Looks like Marlena will have a friend. But...ours will probably be cuter.

SCENE 26: CELENA is sitting alone in the garden, a book open in front of her. Voices of other characters can be heard from offstage.

HITOMI offstage: Celena's been so unhappy ever since Shesta left.

JAJUKA offstage: I wish I could make her feel better.

ALLEN offstage: Why the *heck* did I tell him to leave! I prefer him being here then Celena's melancholy!

CELENA V.O.: They think I can't hear them, but I do. It's just...so hard...why did he leave?

CELENA begins to read her book

CELENA V.O.: " 'And when I return,' he said, 'I will bring you a rose, as red as your lips. You will always be on my mind, heart of mine, other half of my soul,' " So sweet! But I know that at least he returns to Ariana, and they get married and live happily ever after. I wish that I had that security, I wish Shesta promised me a return and a red rose...

A red rose falls onto her book from above, but we can only see from CELENA's eyes. She looks up, confused, and sees SHESTA's face, smiling and...alive. He is wearing a light-blue long-sleeved shirt and beige pants.

CELENA: Shesta...?

SHESTA: Hey.

CELENA stands up and SHESTA embraces her. She runs her hands over his hair, his shoulder, his neck.

CELENA: How......?

SHESTA: Never mind how. The point is I can now be with you.

CELENA: And I thought Allen had made you leave for good!

SHESTA: Oh, Allen? As if he could make me do anything!

CELENA: Don't speak that way about him.

SHESTA: Of course. But Celena...I was wondering...

CELENA: What?

SHESTA: Well...I did this so we could be together always, and I was wondering...if that is what you, too, would want. So.....will you marry me?

CELENA hugs SHESTA exuberantly

CELENA: Of course! I love you, Shesta!

SHESTA: I love you, too, Celena. This is what enabled me to return to you this way.

SCENE 27: Int. a sitting room. ALLEN, VAN, FOLKEN and JAJUKA are sitting on couches around a table.

ALLEN: So...yeah, that was the end of that.

FOLKEN: It reminds me of this time, when Van was young, he had this teddy bear.....

VAN: Folken, shut up.

FOLKEN: Well, anyway, so....

VAN: Folken, shut up.

FOLKEN: Do be quiet, Van. Anyway...

VAN: FOLKEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JAJUKA: Do we even want to know?

VAN: No! You don't! It's....boring!

ALLEN: Doesn't sound it.....

FOLKEN: Well, actually, it's a very interesting story...see....he thought this frog would get it back for him if he dropped it down a well so.....

VAN: He's making this up!

FOLKEN: No I'm not and you know it!

Just then, CELENA and SHESTA walk by the open door.

ALLEN: Oh, Celena's found a friend at the market! I knew this would happen sooner or later as soon as she got over...

VAN: 0.0

ALLEN: I wonder who he is?

VAN: 0.0

FOLKEN: 0.0

SHESTA and CELENA enter.

CELENA: Hello!

ALLEN: WHAT?!?!?!

SHESTA: Nice to see you again, too.

VAN: Wait.....what.....huh?

FOLKEN: Um...hello Shesta.

SHESTA: Hi.

JAJUKA: Welcome back!

VAN and ALLEN glare at JAJUKA. JAJUKA shrugs.

SHESTA: Well...this is a very warm welcome I've recieved!

VAN: Couldn't you have stayed DEAD?

SHESTA: Couldn't you have DIED?

CELENA: No! Don't, you two! The past is behind us! We no longer need to speak that way!

SHESTA: Of course. (still glaring at VAN)

SCENE 28: int. dinner table. Everyone is sitting around the table, eating. No one is sitting by SHESTA except CELENA. Finally JAJUKA comes over to sit on his other side. NARIA walks over to SHESTA.

NARIA: (in a whisper) Um....Shesta? Can you tell my sister and I and Folken-sama how you managed to.....

SHESTA: Of course (whispers something into NARIA's ear.)

NARIA: Thank you!

NARIA runs back over to FOLKEN and ERIYA.

NARIA: Eriya, can you take the side with the claw, please?

ERIYA: No, it's your turn

FOLKEN: Nani O?

ERIYA and NARIA: Never mind Folken-sama!

FOLKEN: Right.

Suddenly, CELENA and SHESTA stand up. Talking ceases and everyone looks at them. CELENA gently nudges SHESTA, who nods slightly to her.

SHESTA: Celena and I would like to announce our engagement.

MILLERNA: Oh! That's so wonderful!

HITOMI: I'm so happy for you, Celena!

CELENA: Thanks

CELENA smiles radiantly

JAJUKA: Congradulations!

JAJUKA V.O.: Boy has she grown up fast.

ERIYA: Yeah, congradulations!

NARIA: How sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MERLE glances at VAN.

VAN: 0.0

ALLEN: You WHAT?!?!?!

CELENA: Are going to get married.

ALLEN: Absolutely not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What could lead you to think that you could...that I would let you.....?!?!

CELENA: No, Allen, you've misunderstood. I didn't ask you permission, I only informed you of what we've decided.

DRYDEN: Ooooh!

ALLEN: Dryden....damate.

SHESTA: Yeah, we didn't ask YOU, Allen.

CELENA: That was unnecessary, Shesta.

SHESTA: Sorry.

MILLERNA: Well....we need to go plan the wedding!

HITOMI: Yeah!

VAN stands up and walks out. ALLEN follows. CELENA looks hurt.

SHESTA: It's okay, Celena...

CELENA: No....it's not. How can I get everyone to realize that all of that is past? It doesn't matter anymore!

FOLKEN: Well...I think Allen is being unreasonable, but Van has a pretty good reason for what he's doing, if you remember, Shesta.

SHESTA: As if I could forget!

MERLE begins to cry and runs out of the room.

CELENA: No...Merle...wait! (turns to SHESTA) we have to somehow reconcile this! These hard feelings have gone on too long!

SHESTA: (stiffly,) Yes...I suppose.

CELENA: Shesta...?