Cherry Red Lollipops
By
The Kendo Bunny
Dilandau leaned back in his chair, savoring his glass of wine. After
all that had happened in the last two years, it was hard to find any time
for just himself. He and Celena had formed an easier balance between themselves;
one that Allen was having a hard time accepting. He closed his eyes and
sighed. Allen never had accepted him as anything more than a perversion
of his sister, some kind of demented freak of nature. But the truth was
that Celena and Dilandau were now two sides of the same whole, both dependent
on each other for stability. Maybe one day they would be able to separate…
His train of thought was broken off as a pillar of light stabbed the
sky. It must have been Van summoning Hitomi for some stupid reason. While
he no longer tried to kill Van on sight, he still hated him. From downstairs
he heard Allen's voice calling.
"Celena? Celena, could you come downstairs?"
"Celena's not here," Dilandau called back, irritably.
Allen's frustrated sigh floated up to him. "Well, could you bring her
out? This is important."
"Talking to me is the same as talking to her. She can hear you."
I hear this every night I come out! Maybe I should just leave…
Please, don't, Dilandau, Celena's voice echoed in his head.
We
can't take care of ourselves alone… and big brother is only trying to help.
I know that, he growled. But does he have to be such a bastard
about it?
You shouldn't say that about him. He did let us stay here, her
voice was pleading.
Only because of you. He hates me, remember?
He doesn't hate you! He's just not used to you yet…
He should be! I've been here for two years, the same as you!
Well…. He knew me first.
Dilandau sighed. He was sick of the arguments he and Celena had about
Allen. He was sick of how Allen treated him, sick of being cooped up in
this house all the time…
Dilandau? I'm coming out, okay?
No. I want to win this time. Allen has to learn that I'm a person
too.
He knows you are, she said soothingly. He just wants to talk
to me right now, so let's just humor him.
He always wants to talk to you! We're sharing this body for now
and I want the same amount of respect he gives you!
She sighed. All right… but if he gets mad, I'm coming out. Is that
fair?
Yes, he answered at length.
He took one last look at the setting sun and turned to go downstairs.
Allen looked up as Dilandau entered the room.
"Where's Celena?"
"She's resting," he lied. "She doesn't feel like switching places right
now."
"Well, could I talk to her for just a minute? This is important."
Dilandau crossed his arms. "She can hear you."
"I'd rather talk directly to her."
"Too bad. She's not coming out, and I'm not going back in. This is
my night. Because of you, I only get one a week."
"Well, it is Celena's body…"
"IT'S MY BODY TOO!!" he shouted. "I can't help the way I got in here,
anymore than someone can help being born!"
Allen sighed. "All right… I guess this affects you too. I'm going away
for awhile."
"How long?" he asked hopefully.
"About two months."
Dilandau was silent for a minute. Finally, he said, "Celena wants to
know what's going to happen to us."
"I've hired someone to watch you."
"Watch us!? We're almost 17! We don't need a baby-sitter!"
"They're not baby-sitters, they're housekeepers."
"They?"
"Yes, there are two of them. They're twin sisters."
"They wouldn't happen to be catgirls, would they?"
Allen shook his head. "They're humans, and they'll be here first thing
in the morning. Any other questions?"
"Yeah… what was the beam of light today?"
"That was them."
Dilandau's jaw dropped. "They're from the Mystic Moon?!"
"No… however, they spent a few years there, apparently."
"Where are they from then?"
"Fanelia. They weren't there when you burned it."
"You always bring that up," he growled.
Allen looked at him pointedly. "I didn't think it would upset you."
Dilandau glared back. "It wouldn't upset me if you didn't always have
to be a bastard about it. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised."
Allen heaved a sigh and rubbed his forehead. It was so much easier
dealing with his comparatively docile younger sister than this manic hothead.
He had given Celena everything he could, and he didn't understand why Dilandau
still lived in her.
"Anyway," Dilandau continued, "Would you be pleased if your landlord
kept bringing up something you loved but couldn't do anymore? Would you
want King Aston going on and on at dinner parties about how you screwed
his oldest daughter while she was betrothed, and are now pawing at his
youngest, all the while flirting with the middle one?"
Allen glared at him, rage burning in his clear blue eyes. "How dare…"
Dilandau crossed his arms. "I dare anything, big brother. Although
not as much as you do, I'll admit. After all, it takes so much sheer bravado
to…" abruptly the pale boy grabbed his head and began shrieking.
"Celena!" he screamed. "You bitch! You promised me my night!" He went
on screaming and clutching at his head as the silver hair began to turn
golden, the figure grew rounder, the glaring eyes turned from red to blue…
"I'm so sorry, Allen," Celena said softly, bowing a little. "You know
how excitable he is. He's been rather out of sorts for the last few days.
If you'll excuse me, I'll go calm him down."
"Please do," Allen still felt a little shaken. The screaming fits when
unwilling changes happened still unnerved him. The only thing worse was
when he went to calm Celena's down from her nightmares, and found Dilandau
waiting to kill him.
"I'll be leaving tomorrow morning… I hope to see you before I go, Celena.
But if I don't," he crossed the room and gave his sister a fond pat on
the head, "Be a good girl, all right?"
"I will, big brother. Enjoy your trip," she smiled brightly, curtseyed,
and left the room.
Allen watched her go, frowning. Hopefully, the two women he had hired
would do a good job of keeping Dilandau in line. He hated the thought of
leaving his precious little sister alone, but being a Knight Caeli came
with a full schedule. A tour of Gaea, defeating local bandits, visiting
shelters set up after the war… raising morale in general. And Millerna
has persuaded her father to let her accompany the Knights, stating that
if the Caeli could raise morale, then surely a princess would have that
effect too. He had asked Eries to watch Celena, but, of course, the reserved
princess was scheduled for a tour of duty as well.
He had been saved at Van's faint recollection of twin girls who had
once worked in Fanelia's castle and Hitomi's chance meeting of the two
on the Mystic Moon. However, the thing that relieved him most was the girls'
description of what they were- professional manipulators, experts at making
people believe that they themselves were in charge, while the sisters actually
made every decision. If anyone could keep Dilandau under control, it would
be them.