FOREWORD: Er… I haven't worked on this for a long time, huh? Oh well. And I'm confusing people, right? Er… that's all part of the job XD

NOTES: The first and last bits are in some void or another, where Akane and Celes comment on the story. So if you don't wanna read it, you don't have to, since it won't affect anything.

DISCLAIMERS: I don't own DNAngel, nor Cinderella, 'cause if I did, then they'd all be blowing up monsters or something. Right, people, right…

IN THE LAST STAGE: Besides the usual, who cares? Dark and Daisuke are still stuck in this world and they have no idea how to get out. And now they've been invited to the ball.

Other:

(--) Daisuke

((--)) Dark

a time space and switching over to different places and characters.

&…& my own rambling opinions. I kinda stopped using it anyway…

Italics are used when Dark and Daisuke – and now Krad and Satoshi - are talking outside the lines of the story. So it shouldn't be too confusing to work out what's going on, hopefully… If you do get confused, just tell me and I'll fix it up.

:--: Satoshi thoughts

:--: Krad's thoughts

COMMENTS: Oooooh… another stage………… (waves flags in salute)


Stage 8: We're Invited to WHAT!


Akane yawned and rubbed her eyes.

What was she doing here again?

Begin Stage 8-

"And due to the fact that you're part of the upper-lower-middle-class blah, blah, blah," Patty read out, bored as she could be. She didn't even know why she was reading this piece of yellow paper; she just wanted to avoid seeing those really, really, really ugly people she had to clean up after, and that was saying a lot.

Daisuke was off somewhere in another room arguing with his alter ego, and upstairs in some other room that held a piano… the family was trying to sing. Well, screech and wail would have been a much better-fitting title to what they were trying to do. As far as the girl could think, they were sucking in as much oxygen as possible, and letting it all go in one long, loud, rather toneless… er… note. And they called that singing.

Plugging her ear as the next wail bounced down the corridors, Patty decided to talk to the redhead about it first, seeing that he was the true owner of this house or whatever it was and all, and it wasn't like they needed to go anyway.

Or did they?

Knocking on the door, Patty poked her head in and Daisuke looked up.

"Hm? What's wrong?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing," she shoved the letter in his direction, "But you might want to read this first before we come to a conclusion."

The redhead took it, confused, and scanned the letter for a moment. Then he looked up, "So… they're inviting… uh…" he trailed off, now knowing what to say about it.

((Those really, really, really, really, really ugly bitches?)) suggested Dark innocently.

(DARK!)

((Hey, I was just saying.))

"Yeah, they're inviting you're, er, permanent guests," concluded Patty simply, taking the letter back and grimacing, "I swear, if I have to see their faces one more time today, I will scream."

"Kyu?" With blinked from his position of sitting on some counter thing and then hopped around the redhead, who was still trying to tell Dark off for his vocabulary. What was wrong with people these days!

"So… who's going to hand it over to them?" asked Daisuke, looking over his shoulder as he picked up a broom, "They won't read it unless we shove it under their noses, so one of us will have to…"

"Aw… can't we just leave it on the table and leave it to them?" the purple-haired girl said, "I mean, it's their own loss if they don't read it. So there. I mean, I can't even remember why I'm here."

((Trying to keep Daisuke's sanity intact,)) Dark told her, although she obviously couldn't hear him. Of course, his host could, so that could only mean one thing…

(Dark! What are you talking about!) he screamed mentally, and swung the broom at nothing in particular, (You're so mean sometimes! I don't get you at all! Just because you're my alter ego and everything…)

Patty sweat dropped as she watched the boy swinging the broom at nothing and seemed to be angry. So weird…

"Anyway, why don't we just go? It'll be a blast." She waved it around, "We've got a few days, so yeah."

"Er… I don't know…" Daisuke became slightly doubtful and… blinked. Just blinked. He had no idea what else to say about that. "Why? What would be… the point? And the last thing I need… is to face my friends… even in pants… still… and the… er… family won't be too happy either."

"Whatever," shaking her head, she waved the letter around again, "But it's not like we're doing anything interesting anyway. So why not? I'm sick of this place and cleaning it up for no reason."

"Uh-huh…" a suddenly, toneless, high-pitched shriek forced them to cover their ears. It was the sort of shriek that shattered glass and it did; quite literally. Dark watched that happen with a vague hint of amusement while his host tried to tone out the tone that was killing their eardrums.

When it died off – the… er… sister fell into a coughing fit, so that was great and all – and Patty unplugged her ears gratefully.

"Maybe we should just give them the invite," she admitted grudgingly, "But I really, really, really don't want to face them… like face-to-face. Too much pain… it's horrible." She swooned to prove her point and Daisuke couldn't help but grin at her antics.

Then he went right back to thinking. "How about a paper airplane?" he suggested.

"Suddenly I want to throw that broom in their faces," replied Patty.

"Er… okay…"

"But it's the only plan we've got, so full speed ahead," she smiled sweetly and he sweat dropped.

What the hell was she planning this time?

The redhead mentally hit himself for that. He really had to stop allowing Dark to influence him like that.

But that was kind of hard, seeing that Dark was a part of him.

He sighed.

Oh well. As Patty had said, 'full speed ahead.'

((What… the… hell?))

(You're asking me? I have no idea anymore! This is so confusing!)

((I thought this was Cinderella.))

(Yeah.)

((… The dude who thought of this is so messed up.))

(Er…)

"Hey, what's on your mind?" this was Patty.

"Uh… a lot? Considering who else is in there."

"Oh yeah. Sorry about that."

"So… what do you think about the ball?"

"What a drag. But I might be able to steal a thing or two worth while."

"…" Daisuke sweat dropped.

000

"… What?" Satoshi stared at his father in disbelief. Merei was standing right next to him, also looking shocked, appalled, and close to tears. Then again, she was obviously putting up the 'I'm a little girl' act, so… yeah. But they were both looking daggers at the older man now, who still hadn't gotten over the fact that he had just been face-to-face with a bunch of thieves with no one to protect him.

"Yes, we are holding a ball for your return," he muttered, "And you can't get out of it because I've already sent out the invites. Everyone will be there and--"

"—you're going to be forced to marry some bimbo that no one knows of," finished Merei with a bored look glazed over her face, "Yeah right, dad. Not only are we too YOUNG, but Satoshi has the reputation of chopping people's heads off now; ain't that right, bro?"

"…" Satoshi stared at her.

"Well, we can still choose a fiancé," the King said off-hand, "And someone has to take over the kingdom when I'm gone."

"… And why us?" the blue-haired boy/prince said coolly, pointing a finger up at him, "You know that this will mean I'll be off on another trip around the world for the next couple of decades."

"How can you say that? You have to take over!"

Merei bristled as well, "Yeah! I'm not taking over, that's for sure!"

"Well, you can't force me into it," was all Satoshi said in the end, to conclude the conversation. He was about to leave the room, but some guy burst in, proclaiming in an annoyingly loud voice.

"MAJESTY! SIR HIKARI WISHES TO SPEAK TO YOU."

"Oh, shut up," the king really wasn't in the best of moods that day, clearly.

"BUT SIR--"

"Just send him here and get out!" roared the king.

Satoshi raised an eyebrow and Merei sniggered, "Dad looks ready to blow up on the next person who enters. Poor guy, I do feel sorry for him--" she stopped when she caught sight of Krad.

"…"

"…" taking a deep breath, Satoshi and Merei's father greeted the blonde courteously, who was looking out the window like it was the most interesting thing in the world. "Ah, yes. I was wondering when I would be getting an update report. Even though it hasn't been that long…"

Krad's eyes flickered over in the general direction of the three people and then sauntered over to him, noting the fact that there was a lot of rubble on the ground as such.

He bowed briefly, "Majesty, are you absolutely sure that there is only one thief in the crimes that have been committed?"

"I… huh?"

"Last night I came across two thieves… both in the same area. Again, are you sure that there is only one suspect?"

He got a blank stare in return.

"… Maybe I'll just go and do some of my own research." He muttered to himself and left the large room.

:… YOU:

:Hello Satoshi-sama.:

:What the hell! How can you be so calm about this:

:I just am.:

:…:

Satoshi shook his head and chose to say nothing else.

000

The singing lessons that the girls… or something… had was rudely interrupted by a flying fur-ball by the name of With and he crashed into one of them, bounced into the piano, onto the ceiling, and right back out again. This caused widespread panic and they began to shriek and run around in circles.

Obviously, Daisuke's stepmother wasn't happy. "COME BACK HERE YOU STUPID FURBALL!"

"Kyu!"

She would have chased after With, but noticed the already open letter sitting at her feet. That was, if letters could sit, but what the hell. She picked it up and pulled out the piece of paper.

Outside, both Daisuke and Patty covered their ears for the shriek that would follow.

Then the door burst open and the three women ran out like it was the end of the world. Considering the fact that most to all people would run and hide to keep away for them, they seemed to be excited enough; but then again, that wasn't a good thing.

"We're invited to the ball!" shrieked one of the two ugly stepsisters.

"I'm going to wear the most expensive dress made!" screamed the other.

Then the arguing started.

"No you're not!"

"Yes I am!"

"Who said!"

"I did!"

"But that's not possible because I'M going to be wearing it!"

"Over my dead body!"

"Girls! GIRLS! SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME--!"

By this time, Daisuke and Patty were out of the house – and yes, the redhead did change into more acceptable clothes – and now they just wandered around the streets with no sense of direction or… anything. It was a lot better than staying in a house with three shrieking women that could burst the eardrums and shatter glass, and no one payed any attention to them anyway.

Glancing into random window and paying no attention whatsoever at the items within, Daisuke couldn't help but think about the past few days, and what was going to happen in the next few days.

It was going to be pure hell.

Patty seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"At the rate they're going, I'm really beginning to hope that they die from a heart attack," she muttered, looking at a set of spoons through a window with vague interest. "I mean, come on. Do you think we can buy some earplugs while we're out here?"

"Well… it's kind of hard to buy anything if we don't have the money." He pointed out simply.

She paused for a moment and thought about it, "Ah… I see. Well, then, I guess we'll just have to meet back at the house then, hm?" she walked off and waved to him, "See ya!"

"…?"

((I guess it's her way of saying that either she needed her own space, or that she knew that you needed some time alone.)) Dark put in mildly, sensing the boy's confusion.

(With you around? I highly doubt it,) Daisuke replied with a shrug. (I wonder where the others are then…)

Well, seeing that the next few days were going to be hell, he might as well make the most of it. Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his pants, the redhead walked off aimlessly.

And with that, he was tackled by Takeshi, questioned by the twins, and With ran off and had to be chased around the entire town.

Yep, life couldn't get any worse…

… Until he got back home, anyway.

End Stage 8-

Oh yeah; whoever was behind this was really going to pay…

000 Daisuke and Patty now have to help the… people to get ready for the ball and… it's different? Oh yeah. Stay tuned! XD ---

What a drag. And I have no idea what I was doing, since it has been a long time since this was done. But I've got to get something finished, so… yeah. That's my excuse.

Reviewer talkback:

Hakudoshi-chan: Er… maybe I did it intentionally? (blinks) Or I'm just stupid enough to do it and confuse the rest of the world. Yeah, that would be my excuse. I even forgot the main plot of this story… (sweat drops) Thanks for reviewing!

kitedragon: I don't know. It just came to me on a whim, so I thought what the hell? Why not? This seems to just jump around with the most ridiculous ideas possible, but whatever. (sighs) What a pointless story this is… and thanks for the review!