WoM- I know I said I wouldn't start anything else until Last Dance was done, but this is definitely gonna stay a one-shot. I just needed to get it out of my system, then I could work on Last Dance again. Really!

...Oh, who am I kidding? I'm weak against my plunnies...

(Don't know anyone or anything, by the way. But then, you probably already figured that...)

Inner Mind Theatre

Click.

Click.

Click.

Click.

Click.

Leather-clad feet echoed loudly against white marble floors as she walked down the extravagant hallway, grey eyes taking in the decorations and detailing with a dispassionate gaze. It was all terribly beautiful, she noticed as she began to study her surroundings more carefully, her mind supplying her with other descriptive words that also fit the sight around her.

Clean.

White.

Perfect.

Eerie.

Lonely.

I feel like I'm in a bad Disney movie. She thought in annoyance, frowning slightly as she looked out a window and found a lovely forest stretched out before her, a chain of mountains looming in the distance like a strong entity that enveloped everything in a protective embrace. Turning away, she continued on her way, not really sure why she felt so compelled to explore this creepy too-perfect castle, but unconcerned with the impulse.

So when she found herself led to a pair of mahogany doors with roses etched into the woodwork, she opened them without complaint and entered the room without the slightest hesitation.

She wasn't even three steps past the doorway when she saw the glamorous looking schoolgirl lounging on a couch that had been upholstered with a rich red velvet. The schoolgirl turned at her entrance, gold eyes raking over her and making her grey ones narrow as warning bells rang in her head.

This was not a girl she could take lightly…

"Oh~? I didn't know we were getting a new girl…" The schoolgirl hummed thoughtfully as she recrossed her legs, flashing said 'new girl' a smile that didn't alleviate the coldness of her eyes. "A pretty interesting-looking new girl, too. I wish they'd let me get away with wearing something like that…"

Ignoring the schoolgirl, the leather-clad vixen let her eyes wander around the lavish room she'd wandered into, which seemed to be some sort of study. She paused slightly when she noticed a raven-haired girl reading silently in an armchair in the corner with a stony expression and an ugly scar running down the side of her face starting from her left temple and ending at her cheekbone dressed in a black ankle-length dress which, although lady-like, didn't distract from the coldness that surrounded the silent teen. Neither she nor the schoolgirl seemed the type to live in creepy, clean white castles that looked like they fell out of a fairy tale, (Actually, the one with the book looked more like an evil witch or something, but she didn't let that thought linger long) but they didn't seem uncomfortable or confused at the situation either, and apparently had a clue as to what as going on.

That suited her just fine.

"Where am I?" She demanded. The girl with the scar didn't so much as glance up from her reading at the question, but the schoolgirl's eyebrow arched lazily, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"Now now, that's not very polite, new girl~" She pouted before smirking again. "Say pretty please."

Without even batting an eyelash, the leather-clad girl turned and started for the door again, in no mood to play games with some vindictive brat. Rolling her eyes, the school girl waved a hand at the door, making it close before the other girl could reach it.

"Oh, lighten up, will you." She said, clearly annoyed. "I'm only having a little fun. After all, we're all stuck with one another, right Mio?"

The dark-haired girl, whom she assumed was 'Mio' didn't respond to the question, seemingly intent on ignoring all of them.

The schoolgirl's eyebrow twitched.

"See? Do you see what I have to deal with?" the schoolgirl grumbled, pointing at Mio accusingly. "She doesn't react to anything I say or do. It's boring! And the others aren't much better, either. I mean, just yesterday-!"

"How did you do that?" The punk girl demanded, cutting the schoolgirl off. "How did you close the door without standing up?"

"You really are very rude you know." The schoolgirl pointed out again. "That's not the way to treat someone who came before you, you know. I mean, I'm practically your big sister! As a matter of fact, how do you feel about calling me Nee-chan?"

"Not even on pain of death." The punk snapped back, eyes flashing as her heart tugged in her chest, her mind wandering to her beloved big brother. Where on earth was he right now? Somewhere else in their weird castle.

"Oh?" The schoolgirl smirked. "Did I touch a nerve there, imoto?" a red haze settled over the girl in leather as she immediately started across the room, intent on ripping those pretty gold eyes clear out of the snarky witch's sockets.

'Snap!'

"That's enough, Natsu. Quit fooling around." The dark haired girl spoke in a surprisingly commanding voice, startling the other two. Rising from her seat, Mio glided over to them with a lady's grace and elegance, cold eyes assessing the newcomer for a moment before turning to the other girl, who was pouting.

"You never let me have any fun, Mio." Natsu whined.

"You have your 'fun' when Kyouko allows it. There's no need for you to disrupt the soul just because you're bored." Mio said commandingly before turning to the leather clan girl. "You. What is your name?"

"Doesn't matter." The punk girl responded tersely, Mio's attitude rubbing her the wrong way. "Just tell me how to get out of this place, will you? I need to find my brother."

"Brother?" Natsu repeated, interest shining in her eyes. The schoolgirl only grinned wider when cold grey eyes pierced her with a warning glare for a moment before turning back to Mio. How lucky, she'd already found the new girl's weakness~!

"You can't leave." Mio said, her words ringing with a sense of finality on the subject. "Not unless Kyouko calls for you."

"Then let me talk to this Kyouko so I can leave." The punk snapped back, making Natsu giggle.

"You don't get it, do you?" The schoolgirl sang, grinning wickedly. "You are Kyouko. So am I. Mio too, sometimes."

"…What?" Her eyebrows furrowed at those strange, cryptic words. Was everyone in this castle nuts or something?

"All of us are fragments of Kyouko's soul." Mio explained. "She created us, and she calls for us when we are needed."

"…But then… what about Nii-san?" The punk demanded. "My Nii-san needs me!"

"Oh~?" Natsu hummed. "Sounds to me like you need him a lot more then he needs you, imoto."

"You'll see your brother again when Kyouko calls for you." Mio said as though Natsu hadn't even spoken, cutting off the rude name the new girl had forming on the tip of her tongue. "Until then, though, you should acquaint yourself better with the rest of the soul, to make for an easier transition."

"Are you kidding me?" the punk girl said dismissively. "I'm not going to be here long, so I don't need to acquaint myself with anyone."

"Actually, imoto, you'll be here forever." Natsu informed her with sadistic cheer. "Well, unless you're needed, anyways."

"Natsu's right." Mio said, surprising the punk girl, who scowled at the cold, superior look the witchy-looking girl sent her. "You don't have any hope of overriding Kyouko's will, and the rest of us know this place and how things work much better then you. You're not going to go far around here toting around an attitude like that, so I suggest you learn some manners."

"We'll see about that." The punk promised as she brushed past the other girl and threw opened the door, fury flaring in her eyes as she stormed down the white halls for a second time.

No one got the better of Setsuka Heel, and no one stood between her and her big brother.

This Kyouko chick had better watch out...

WoM- In my mind, all of Kyouko's roles- both current and former- live in a fairy tale castle in the innermost workings of her subconscious until Kyouko calls for them and try unsuccessfully to kill one another because let's face it, NONE of them would get along. I've noticed that Kyouko has a harder time holding onto Setsu then she did her other characters and, while there's probably a million other explinations for this (Ren, the sleeping arrangements, Ren, the clothing, Ren, Ren, other varioous insecurities and Ren all come to mind, right off the top of my head) I decided that, of course, this is because Setsu is stubborn and only interested in her brother, so of course she isn't going to cooperate.

Anywho, tell me whatcha think! : D