One Shots

The Wager

"It's incredibly quiet tonight. Where did everyone go?" a man said out loud to no one in particular.
"Indeed it is. I don't believe we've met before." someone said from outside the door.
He opened the door to find a girl dressed in a manner that resembles Goth Lolita clothing. That's an odd fashion choice.
"No, we haven't." the man said. He extended his hand, a weak smile on his face.
"Cecil Alara. You are?"
The girl took Cecil's hand and shook it.
"I am Celestia Ludenberg. It is a pleasure to be your acquaintance." the girl said, also smiling.
Her smile was beautiful, yet haunting at the same time.
"How are you this evening, Miss Ludenberg?" Cecil asked, returning his hand to his pocket.
"Apart from my lack of finding someone superb, although it could do with more tea." Celestia said.
"I could make us some. Lord knows I could use something calming after today." the man said, relieved at the fact that he could relax.
"Good, you can make some while I sit here and wait." Celestia said, entering the house.
"It'll be a moment." Cecil replied.
He gave her a curt nod and rushed off to the kitchen to prepare the tea.
The guest takes a seat and crossed her legs as she waited.
Cecil returned some time later with two cups and some Chamomile tea. Setting it down, he poured Celestia hers.
She held the cup up and stared into it.
"What kind of tea is this?" she asked.
"Chamomile. Helps one relax."
He poured a cup for himself and took a seat across from her.
"Is there something wrong with it?"
Celestia placed the cup back on the table with a slight slam.
"I don't drink filthy Chamomile tea. If it's not milk tea, then it's disgusting." she said.
"Should've figured." Cecil said smirking, as he took the tray back up.
"I can try making some, though I can't guarantee it'll be—"
"I expect nothing near perfect from you. As long as it's not disgusting, I can bear it." Celestia said, interrupting Cecil.
"Alright, it'll be another moment."
He disappeared into the kitchen again and returned with the requested tea after some time.
"Thank you." the guest said, taking the tea, this time drinking it.
"You're welcome." Cecil said, taking a sip of his Chamomile tea.
"So Alara, how've you been this evening?" she asked, making a complete 180 from being hostile.
"It's been rough. Things were pretty hectic earlier."
"That's putting it mildly, Cecil." he thought to himself.
"Oh? Care to explain the situation in more detail?" Celestia asked, intrigued.
Cecil lets out a sigh as he placed his teacup down.
"A priestess decided to threaten my sisters and. . .well, I lost it." he stated.
"I see. I assumed you killed her. Am I wrong. . . ?" she tilted her head with a smile plastered on her face.
"No, I didn't. I made my point and returned to our discussion." he replied.
"You beat her with a chair and tried to crush her windpipe." Cecil thought to himself once again.
"My, I guess I took you as a different kind of person. An idiot who goes on violent outbursts." Celestia said.
"She knows what she's doing. . ." Cecil thought.
"Tch. . I suppose I am now." he said, brushing it off.
Another sip of tea.
"I regret doing it. And when Maki finds out. . ."
"Oh, so you did injure her. I don't think she'll be too mad, she was a violent brute as well." Celestia said.
"Aaaand the bitchiness is out. . ." Cecil thought.
"In the afterlife, we are no longer held by earthly bonds, morality, laws, any of it." he said.
Though he did crack a slight smile.
"Tell that to her. She's the one who threw a tantrum when I didn't care for the princess." Celestia said.
"Sis considered you a, well, sister. You simply tossed her aside in favor of that Mikan of yours." Cecil said.
"It's not my fault that Mikan is superior in every way. I feel like she is more worthy of the title Ultimate Princess than Nevermind." the oddly fashioned girl replied.
"A klutz that falls over herself constantly is worthy of being called Ultimate Princess?" Cecil snorts, turning away.
"Yes, and it's quite a lovely flaw, no more of a perfection. She's intelligent and has earned her title. Unlike the airhead."
"Thank you, calming tea." Cecil thought.
He simply smiled.
"How do you know Sis didn't earn hers? I'd imagine being a princess isn't as easy as everybody thinks." he said.
"It may not be, but being a nurse is even harder. Miss Nevermind's had nearly everything given to her, with little problems. While my Mikan has studied hard to be a nurse, not only that, she was bullied. At least until she met me." she said.
"She doesn't know any fear. . ." Cecil thought.
"Oh, I won't diminish your dear lover's accomplishments. And we're getting off track here." he said, taking another sip of tea.
"You did show what I said earlier to be true; In that theater, you dropped all bonds that you had except for one." he continued.
"Indeed. There are a few bonds that I care for. And there is only one that I'll show emotion for." she stated.
"Which is why Maki was so pissed in the first place. Because you refused to show anything while Sis cried over losing you." Cecil said.
"I'm sorry, I didn't ask Maki to feel like that. I don't hold any bonds towards her, she has to earn that." she said.
"And I didn't ask Maki to kill me. Look what happened in the end." Cecil said, finishing off his tea and still smirking.
"Y'know, I feel bad for you, Ludenberg. You cling to a single person. What would happen if you lost her?" he asked.
Celestia's face had a worried, scared expression.
"D-Don't even joke around like that, Alara! Even though she is nowhere to be found, she's okay. . .shes not dead!" she snapped, standing up.
"Did I hit a nerve?" Cecil asked, his emerald eye narrowing on the gambler.
"Unlike you, I have Maki, Sonia, and Shizu. My family."
"N-Nothing. Forget it. . ." she said.
Celestia was clearly upset.
"Be quiet. I have Mikan. . .and Pekoyama is someone I share a bond with." she said.
Cecil raised an eyebrow.
"So you do care for someone else?" he asked, pouring her another cup of tea, motioning for her to sit back down.
"Not in a romantic way of course. She's someone I don't mind talking to, and she doesn't annoy me." she said, regaining her composure and sits back down, crossing her leg once again.
"Now see? Don't you feel at ease knowing that?" Cecil asked.
"No. I won't be at ease until I find Mikan. Are you getting at something?" she asked.
"Just placing all your eggs in one basket isn't the way to go. . ." the violinist said.
"Oh? It'll be much better for me. How would you react if Maki, Sonia and Shizu were to die at once? More pain?"
"I'd join them."
"Idiot. You're only proving my point."
"Maybe I am, but it is unlikely that all three of them would die and that I'd still be alive."
"Them all being dead, maybe. But not turning to despair. Your. . .'sisters' turn to despair quite easily. They're idiots too."
"So what if they do? They're still my sisters." Cecil replied.
He has accepted that people will fall under the right circumstances.
"Nothing of it. It's just selfish, that is all, not a care about anybody else." Celestia said.
"She's being a bitch, but she's very vulnerable." Cecil thought.
"Funny you say that. Even in despair, my sisters still care about their friends and family." he said.
"You say that, but they could snap at any second. They become unstable, very unstable." she replied.
"You do know that Sonia has killed me twice, right? Once when I was in despair. and once in a Killing Game." Cecil said.
"And you're still willing to be so close to her? Those that I hold dear to me would never hurt me." Celestia said.
"Yes. The first time, Sis did it to save me. The second time, well, it wasn't her fault. She triggered my NG code." the man said.
"To save you? What was she saving you from there exactly?" she asked.
"Myself. At the time, I was fallen and was set to kill Maki and Shizu." he replied.
". . . I guess I can understand that. I would want Pekoyama to kill me if I wanted to kill Mikan. But that would never happen." she said.
"You never know, Miss Ludenberg." Cecil said.
"Sorry, but this isn't the face you'd see in despair." Celestia said, smiling.
"I'm sure I would if Mikan were to die before you." he said, bringing the cup to his lips.
"You're pushing it, Cecil. . ." he thought to himself.
Celestia took a deep breath, trying not to lose her temper.
"M-Mikan will not die. . .nor in front of me. . . I will not allow it." she said.
"But if she did? You'd feel worthless, wouldn't you? Because you couldn't save the one person you love." Cecil said.
" . . . "
She takes many deep breaths, but it's hopeless. She slowly stated to shake.
"SHUT UP!" she yelled.
"Anyone can fall into despair, Ludenberg. Anyone." Cecil said.
"You would have to torture Mikan in front of me for that. And I'm willing to gamble on me never falling." she said confidently.
"You seem so sure of yourself. Maybe you will, maybe you won't." he said, setting his cup down. "There's one way to know for sure."
"Nobody is laying a finger on Mikan." she snapped back at him as soon as he finished.
"And it sure as hell won't be you or Maki." she added.
Cecil raised a hand in front of her as if to quiet her.
"Now now, that's not what I meant. There's a special video you can watch. Get through it and you win. Don't and. . .well, let's not think about that, shall we?" he said.
"Special video. . .sure. I doubt it would do a thing to me, but someone as weak as you. . ." she just stands, not finishing.
"Heh. So you're not going to take this bet, Ultimate Gambler?" he asked.
"It's not much of a bet since you are not wagering on it. But, I assume we are not watching said video in here, are we?" Celestia asked.
"No, and sadly, I have no such video on hand." he said. Like he'd keep a video of him murdering Maki.
"Where is the video? Were you offering something you didn't have?" she sighed, placing a hand upon her chin.
"Simply a thought. I do believe Sonia has one, though." Cecil said.
"That would seem even more entertaining. Let's ask the princess if she would care to join." she said.
"I suppose. Though I'd rather not view it myself." he said, shuddering.
"Never again." he grimly thought.
"Wouldn't this make a fair gamble? You have Nevermind there to help you, while I don't." Celestia said.
"True. . ." he sighed, conceding her point.
"Fine. I'll watch it too." he said.
"Good. Now show me to where Nevermind is. I haven't the slightest idea where she may be." she demanded.
"I would assume her new dorm." Cecil said. He rose and beckoned Celestia to follow.
Celestia kept a close eye on where she is and where she was going.
"How close are we to arriving?" she asked.
"Here." he said, rather uneasy about the whole thing.
He knocked on the front door.
"Sis? You home?"
"The door is unlocked." somebody said from the inside.
Celestia silently stood behind Cecil, letting him enter first.
"Excuse the intrusion." he said, opening the door and quickly walking in, his head hanging a little low.
"Sis, do you have a Despair Video?" he asked.
Sonia's eyes spotted who was behind Cecil. She placed her hand onto the handgun on her side,  pulled it out of it's holster and aimed it at Celestia.
"Why is she here?" Sonia asked Cecil.
The gambler looked surprised.
"Why the sudden hostility? I thought I was your. . .'sister'?" she asked.
"Celestia, you're going to get yourself killed." Cecil thought.
"Sonia, please. Celestia and I were talking and we need to settle a little wager." Cecil said, stepping between the two.