Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Following Jupiter ❯ Always ( Chapter 16 )

Chapter 14

Always

When you say your prayers try to understand

I've made mistakes; I'm just a man

When he holds you close, when he pulls you near

When he says the words you've been needing to hear

I'll wish I was him 'cause those words are mine

To say to you till the end of time

And I will love you, baby - Always

And I'll be there forever and a day - Always

I'll be there till the stars don't shine

Till the heavens burst and

The words don't rhyme

And I know when I die; you'll be on my mind

And I'll love you - Always

*****

Leaunna couldn't sleep. After Van had left her in the room so bitterly she tried getting to sleep, even after shifting many positions she decided that it was time to take the pendant. She was sure that she would never have another chance to.

She got out of bed and started to walk towards the door and opened just a crack. She poked her head out to see if anyone was coming. To her avail, no one was. She snuck out of her room and crept down the hall. She remembered where Allen and Van had advised her not to go and she decided that would be the first place she would check.

She turned a corner and saw a shadow in candlelight and froze. It was Allen.

`What are you doing up so late?' He asked caringly.

`Well,' she started. `I………couldn't sleep.' She said putting her hands together and lowering her head.

`Oh? Why don't you come have some tea with me.' he requested.

`Some………tea.' Leaunna looked up and stared questioningly in his eyes and then nodded. `Lead the way.'

Allen smiled sweetly and walked briskly in front of her. `Follow me.' he said and she obliged. He led her down the partially lit hallway and to a room where she new instantly this is one of the rooms she shouldn't be in. Allen opened the door and motioned with his hand that he wanted her to go in before him. Nervously, she walked in and he came in after her, shutting the door behind him.

`Nice.' She looked around the well-furnished room and her eyes lay on the fire of glowing coals. On the mantle of the fireplace was a necklace. She eyed it and then quickly turned around to look at Allen who was sitting down. He moved his hand so that it was pointing at the chair beside him.

`Take a seat.' He said. `I'll go get the tea.'

`Okay.' She replied, taking a seat. Allen left and shut the door behind him. She couldn't wait any longer, she knew Dilandau would leave soon and it was now or never. She cautiously got up and walked over to it. She reached her hand over to it and then retracted it. She was unsure if Allen was setting a trap or not, he seemed way too nice than when she first met him. She looked towards the door and stared. Nothing happened. She didn't hear anything either, so she grabbed the top of the jar and lifted it off slowly and grabbed for the pendant. When she held it in her hand she let out the breath she was holding since Allen left.

She was walking towards the door when it opened. Allen was standing in front of her, holding a tray, which held two cups, a teapot, and a candle. He saw her holding the pendant and shouted at her.

`What do you think you're doing with that?'

`You set me up.' she said seemingly and laughed. Allen dropped the tray and went for his sword. Leaunna turned around and ran straight for the window. Allen stopped and stared at her dumbfounded. What was she going to do? he thought.

She braced herself with her hands in front of her face and crashed through the window and started to fall like a rock in water. Allen ran to the window after her and saw her grow wings. Blood sprayed and painted a mist in the night air and was soaking into her clothing, still holding the pendant. Allen gapped at the scene. `Draconian?' He thought.

Allen cursed and ran out the door to outside the castle. He then followed her by foot to the forest where she was to meet Dilandau.

Somewhere halfway in the forest Leaunna fell to the ground completely drained and tired. Stumbling she walked to where Dilandau was to meet her. It had taken too much out of her. She changed too quickly she figured. She collapsed again but pushed herself to move on. Allen wasn't too far behind when he saw he awkwardly walking in front of him. He slowly moved until he was near her but far enough so that she didn't hear him. He hid behind trees as not to be seen.

She stumbled out into the opening and she stared out at a vast forest and a small waterfall. Below she saw a figure walking away. Even though her voice was meek she managed to yell out his name. The figure stopped and turned around and looked up.

`Leaunna.' He said softly. She smiled and walked closer to the edge. She raised the pendant in her hand stained with droplets of her own blood. It shown beautifully in the partial moonlight as it reflected on her face.

`I told ya you could trust me.' She said tauntingly in a sly voice. `Are you coming up or am I going to have to go down?' She asked.

`Come down here.' He said. `Were going to leave.' He jerked his thumb towards the bushes.

Leaunna smiled inwardly. `Here' She threw the pendant down. It spun around and around and landed in front of Dilandau's feet. He bent down to pick it up. Leaunna was looking for a place to climb down when she suddenly felt something pierce her back and then she felt numb. She yelped and Dilandau, who heard this looked up.

`What's-' He began but stopped when she saw the shimmering blade that was protruding through her stomach. `No' he shouted.

Leaunna began to pant. Trying to do something, but the only thing she could do was stand there. The person behind her moved closer and in doing so pushed the blade even further to the hilt. She looked to her side and saw the familiar face of Allen. He had the expression of remorse and cried a few tears.

`Sometimes,' He started. `Even angels deserve to die.' He brought the blade up as far as her could and threw her over the edge of the waterfall. She fell, upside down until she landed in the pool in the bottom halfway on shore and halfway on land. Her eyes were half lidded and she wasn't showing signs of breathing. Dilandau stopped trying to get up the cliff, and ran over to her. He threw himself to the ground near her and held her head in his lap. She took a sharp breath and looked up dully into magenta eyes that were filled with care. The sound of waves crashed around them.

`Do it.' Dilandau whispered to her. `Heal yourself, you did it before.'

`I………can't.' she whispered back as blood began to pour out her wounds faster and faster. `I just cant!' she hissed and the tears started to flow down her stained face.

`You can't go………I………need you. Without you I'm nothing. Do something.'

`I'll love you always Dilandau.'

`Why can't you heal yourself! Why is this time different?' He shouted as he felt tears stinging his eyes.

`I lost my strength getting to you. I got the pendant for you.' She half-smiled. A few tears slid down Dilandau's cheek as he whipped the pendant across the forest floor and held her face. `I don't care about the pendant as much as I care about you Leaunna. Please………you're all I have.' His tears splashed off her forehead and her tears were flowing down her cheeks non-stop. They stopped suddenly and so did her breathing.

`Leaunna?' Dilandau breathed. `Please………' his bottom lip quivered and his whole body shook. He bent down and kissed her forehead and closed her eyes. `Why does everything I love die?' he said as he pushed Leaunna the rest of the way into the water and watched her sink. He collapsed to the ground and began shaking violently. `I'm alone. I'm alone again. All alone.' Allen started walking towards the form that was lying on the ground crying hysterically and put a hand on the shoulder. The person looked up and huge crystal blue eyes stared at similar ones.

`Allen?' the figure sniffed.

`Celena………' He whispered and brought her close into a suffocating hug. `Celena, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I needed you with me. I need to protect you and she was stopping me.'

`What's………what have I done?' Celena asked sadly. `Why am I crying? Why are you crying………what has happened?'

`Nothing……… Celena nothing has happened. Nothing.'

They sat there by the rushing waterfall as Allen held his sister in an unbreakable embrace.

The End