Aidana smiled sweetly at Celesi. "Your new protector's off flying in his mecha for the afternoon."

Celesi shrugged. "And?"

Aidana curled her fist around her agiel, pleased at the pain it gave her. "I begin to regret giving you the sabbatical Chiyla claimed you needed."

Celesi replied, "Leaving me beaten and bruised outside the tavern after your argument, my body still imbued with the spell of subzero ice keeping all possible helpers and dangers away, I'm supposed to calmly return to MY place as YOUR assisstant. Sorry, but I actually began to heal a little from ten years of joyous friendship with you."

Aidana said, "Look, I know I'm not the perfect friend for you, but we get along as well as we can. Would you have preferred I let you alone when the soldier made for you? We were six years old for Christ's sake, and yet I was decades older than you! I look at you today and still see the trembling little girl with tears streaming down her face. And yet you almost killed me yesterday. Have I really messed you up that badly?"

Celesi looked at her 'friend' rather harshly. "For seven years, yes, the term inseparable would describe us exquisitely. But when you joined the Nephets, you tossed me around like a toy. Yes, you cared enough to keep me from the ritualistic blood ceremony, but otherwise, I was taken advantage of, expected to be there to hear about the night's exploits, the day's work. And, just for the hell of it, try out your new tortures on me. If there was parenting involved, that would be called abuse, and we'd be separated. But since we live in god forsaken Zaibach, most parents sent away on missions or killed from them, you became my family."

Aidana wanted so badly to grab Celesi by the shoulders, and shake sense into her pretty little head, but knew the slight little girl would only use it to prove her point—Except...

She turned. "Did you feel that tendril?"

Celesi nodded, and tugged on it. "The animosity of before...it's unraveling."

Aidana closed her eyes, and instinctively shot a bead of power into the corner she sensed, and it connected solidly. She smiled. "Strategos Folken." Her smile turned to a glower. "Messing with me is one thing. Putting your spells in Celesi's head quite another."

Folken walked to the light, albeit reluctantly. "The girl with no psionic abilities dares threaten me?"

Aidana turned an innocent, confused look to Celesi. "Did I threaten him? I didn't think I did so. I thought I merely told him there's a difference in my opinion between you and I."

Celesi smiled softly. "In voicing your opinion, you implied your threat, although not voicing it."

Aidana uttered a small "Heh," and smirked. "Maybe your time off gave you time to open up just enough."

Folken threw a great heap of animosity onto Aidana again, without the pretense of the day before. "Why don't you go back to hating her?"

Celesi heaped a large dose of mourning onto Folken, much more effectively, being raised by psionic mages as she was. "Why don't you go mourn your brother?"

Aidana cackled aloud, seeing what the girl did. "My best friend's BACK!"

Celesi rubbed her eyes. At two AM, the night was early for Aidana, but late for her companion of a decade.

Aidana sighed. "Still the young little—"

Celesi mumbled while blinking, "I'm not a crack baby, Aidan..."

Aidana smiled. "I have an idea!"

Celesi yawned, fighting to be awake enough to avoid shock. "Oh god."

"Let's go to the olde bar towne of ye Zaibach."

Celesi woke up, trying to decipher the ridiculous old English. "You're incredibly cruel to that poor language just to wake me up."

Folken, done sobbing as he saw his audience utterly ignoring him, he went to wail in his room for his yet living brother.

Celesi rolled her eyes. "You have GOT to be kidding me."

Aidana looked up at Celesi from her bed she lay sprawled upon. "I like you when you're so tired you're not yourself anymore. You're actually interesting."

Celesi held up the dress incredulously. "In a balor's domain, chained to Errtu himself, I would complain wearing this in public!"

Aidana rolled her eyes. "Sheesh, and I thought you'd have a VALID disagreement. Maybe things'll even out by four when I feel pity on you and let you come back to sleep."

Celesi tried to look at the costume objectively. She even tried it on to humor Aidana, forgetting for her brain was so scrambled that the second she completed doing so Aidana would pull her out the door.

The tube top covered her chest—though briefly, it did cover it. Showing off cleavage she didn't know she had. Black silk, it was an exquisite look by itself. She imagined Dillan's arms over her bare shoulders, and blushed.

Folken's spell of uninhibited behavior was wearing off.

The skirt dipped low enough to show her stomach. Aidana pointed out it was to show off either abs or belly rings—neither the girl had, was also pointed out with a laugh. More black silk, she loved the feeling of it. She wished it was a traditional gown. With a neckline she liked—not Aidana.

The 'overcoat' was a laugh, in her opinion. Silk mesh covered her from shoulders to almost her knees. Here Aidana intervened.

"No no no! Here, hold it down, right below your shoulders. Spread it across your back—like that.

Perfect." She aligned the edge of the coat perfectly across her shoulder blades, then shook an accusing finger at her. "The extra length is for your back being wider. It's not to be clutched tightly to disclude the world. Your break to reality's over. You're back with me, now."

Celesi sighed, rolling her eyes. "As you wish, 'Mi'Lady.'"

Aidana smirked. "And hopefully, the slayers'll come out for a drink after their delayed 'melef exercise."

Celesi's eyes sparkled, but Aidana held her still. "We still have to do your make up, hair, and doll you up with some jewelry."

An hour later, Aidana was satisfied. Three hairbrushes of each four kinds, ninety six bobby pins and twenty nine black threads weaved into thousands of braids, Celesi's updo would last through the oscars, and probably be the most memorable and tried repeated. Chrome pyramids—tiny ones as Celesi insisted—dangled from her ears. The matching shackles around her wrists made her look—once again—like Aidana's slave.

Aidana smiled, bringing out the last chain. The only ornament in the center was made of clear crystal, and read, "ICY."

Aidana shivered. "Now spell us."

"What if I don't?" she asked.

"Then you get to be trained tonight." she answered.

Celesi chanted the incantation that would make Aidana a burning inferno to the touch, and herself a subzero ice cube.

Finally satisfied, Aidana closed her book, and rose to find her own dress

She looked at a scarlet garment for a long while before donning it.

The skirt was solid, two straps overlapping for the top. Ties on opposing sides held it up on the sides, with the tie at the neck in the back.

Aidana smiled. "I don't think I've worn a dress since I last saw you."

Celesi rolled her eyes. "Just don't go biting everyone when you get drunk."

Aidana pouted, "I'm hurt."

Celesi just ignored her.

At the tavern, someone grabbed Aidana, but immediately let go, swearing.

The two took a booth in a dark corner.

"Why are we sitting in the dark?" Celesi asked in a whisper.

Aidana smirked. "The 'Slayers always sit in that corner, just ahead of us." She smiled at Celesi. "The spell only works if they touch first, ne?"

Celesi sighed, giving up hope. "Will you never learn..."

Dilandau watched Dillan slip away, separating himself from the group.

"Just where do you think you're going?"

Dillan turned. "To bed. In case you hadn't noticed, it's nearing four A. M. I'd like to have black circles a little thinner than everyone else's when morning comes, and not as severe a hangover."

Dilandau backhanded him. "You can come, without drinking, and then you'll avoid another hangover similar to this morning's."

Dillan rolled his eyes. "And just why is going to a tavern a required activity for a Dragon Slayer?"

Dilandau slapped him again. "Questioning my orders? Maybe it's time for a second visit with the little slave..." Dillan growled, but caught up with the others.

A crush seemed to complicate matters much more than necessary.

At the tavern, Dillan sat between Chesta and Miguel, ordered a margarita, and sat back, watching the others.

Completely unsurprised, he watched Aidana settle herself into Dilandau's lap. What surprised him was the amount of men going over to the dark corner, swearing as they emerged, coming back with frozen limbs and members.

Curious, Dilandau asked Aidana what was there. The comment spurred another make out session, and Dilandau's curiosity abated.

Dillan curious himself at this point, decided to investigate.

He found it difficult to push through the drunken crowd.

What he found in the corner shocked him.

Curled into a fetal position, shivering against the wall as the foulest language was thrown at her, as she was touched in every place imaginable.

Dillan's eyes lit with liquid fire. He shoved the current tormentors away, and lifted her to his chest.

The albino paled and grimaced as the freezing ice coated his skin.

Celesi peeked her head out, saw Dillan, and cried out with relief, touching him.

The icy coolness melted away into the warm young woman nestled in his arms.

Back in the 'Slayers bunkroom, he calmly asked, "Why were you in there alone?"

Celesi, curled up on his bunk sighed, letting her overcoat drop.

With it went Dillan's jaw.

"Aidana claimed we were going club hopping, for old times sake. But she ditched me for Dilandau—as usual."

Dillan sat down beside her, and gently hugged her. "You know, you can let her go alone."

Celesi laughed at that. "Just like you can disobey Dilandau. But there are consequences for doing something against one above you."

Dillan sighed, remembering the earlier discussion. He moved her into his lap, and hugged her against him. "Always the consequences."

Celesi turned around. "How long do Folken's psionic spells interfere with my personality?"

Dillan paled. "What did he take control of?" he asked, fearing he already knew the answer.

"Inhibition. Before we left, I humiliated him, hoping he'd removed the spells on us. Aidana seemed her usual self, as we talked like we used to; but then again, I'm normally not so open. But the utter fear of everyone—that was designed to immobilize me for capture."

Dillan imagined his Celesi in the hands of the sorcerers, and tightened his grip on his angel. She was not only beautiful, but intelligent as well. "Me and Aidana are going to have a little talk the second her hangover lessens."

Celesi smiled, closing her eyes. "My protective savior."

Dillan lifted her, and walked to his locker. He let her curl up there as she would. He wanted to tuck her into the warmest, comfortable bed on the vione. But he knew that would only bring her trouble.

He would rather her safe than spoiled.

A/N: and there is chapter three, much better than the last thing I wrote.