"Oh, so it's just you. However did you get in here?"
"Heh, I just told the gate-guard that I had an appointment! Let me right in. But why's it so quiet around here?"
"I see. Perhaps I should see about getting a dog, instead ...."
"Hey!"
"It's midday and Remi's sleeping. Of course it would be quiet. Now ...."
As the sound and fury of spell card combat erupted, Remilia Scarlet turned around and moved farther into the basement of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Towards Flandre's room, vacant for far too long. She slipped inside, already able to feel the change in atmosphere from her sister's absence. She set down the broom and inspected the room. No one else cleaned this room - only Remilia herself did, unless, as had happened on occasion, Flandre took it upon herself to clean up. Remilia didn't trust others in here. Not for their safety, no - she could always get more servants - but because no one else could ever clean it well enough. Not even Sakuya, perfect as she was, could do a good enough job to satisfy her mistress.
Remilia looked around the room, at Flandre's possessions. Her sister collected things - odd things, sometimes, or strange things - and she had no idea how Flandre managed it. She picked up one of many skulls that were sitting on the mantle - inscribed on the inside was "Anselm, 1574" ... the first city that Remilia had destroyed for her sister. And she knew that this skull had indeed come from that place, as did the skull marking the other city she had wiped away. And the vampire skull Flan had taken from that castle, and other skulls from places that Flan had destroyed herself. She had eight pianos. She had so many things ... some Remilia had gotten her, others she had acquired herself. And Remilia didn't understand it. Were they for her enjoyment? To while away boredom? Did she want to play with them alongside Remilia? She didn't know. She had little use for things, herself ....
She surveyed the room, checking under the bed, in the corners, the many mirrors, everywhere that cleaning would be required. Of course, there was very little that needed to be seen to, even to her enhanced senses. She'd already cleaned the room three times since her sister had left. The only messes were those she made herself. She sat on one of the chairs and hugged her knees. Was Patchouli right? That if anything really dangerous happened to her, they'd be able to save her? Patchouli kept pushing her away whenever she wanted to scry for Flan - "You keep getting in my way," she would say. But what else could she do? Could she really trust anyone, even her friend, with seeing to her sister's safety without her there? And, of course ... "Headless." Did that entity have something to do with Flandre's disappearance? Was it truly as innocent as Flandre believed? Remilia took a deep breath. Thinking about that would just make her frustrated, make her break something.
She wondered if she had done as well with Flan as she could have, and shook her head. Flandre didn't care who or what had made them, she was just happy they were. Remilia hated their creator, and if she ever found him ... she hadn't yet found a punishment cruel enough to sate her appetite for revenge. It hadn't done anything for them that was the problem. She could never know if she did something wrong, never had someone she could ask for advice. She had simply done the best that she could ... and she didn't think she'd done even that properly. How many times had she failed her sister? And how many of those times had she been forgiven ...? A knock on the door sent her scrambling forward, snarling and talons bared.
"Milady? The shrine maidens are almost here for their appointment." Remilia froze. Yes, they were supposed to have a meeting here, and Remilia needed to be there. She'd nearly forgotten. Remilia Scarlet took a deep breath and closed her eyes ...
... and the Scarlet Devil opened them.
