n o . o n e - s i d e d . c o i n

No One-Sided Coin
[by victoria p.]

Rating: G

Summary: "There is no such thing as a one-sided coin." Dream, Brief Lives

Notes: Thanks as always to Jen, Pete/Melissa, Dot, and Meg. written for skywaterblue, who requested "Del, Destruction, anger."

Date: April 2, 2004

"Destruction is needed. Nothing new can exist without destroying the old." Destruction, Brief Lives

***

"They were yours," she says, eyeing him warily, perched on a bit of smoking wreckage. Well, one eye -- the green one -- is focused on him. The other seems to stare off into nothingness. "They were mine, too, though."

He shakes his head. "They didn't need me for this. They did this on their own." Those who belong to his realm, unlike the others, need no guidance, no tempting, no direction. They are all too eager to destroy without making anything new, and he has washed his hands of them.

"And yet, you're here."

"We've all been here, or will be here at some point or another."

"But you don't have to be."

He hesitates, then, "No." They both know he's lying.

"I wish you'd come back."

He sighs. They've had this conversation before. "There's no need--"

"We need you." He shakes his head, but she ignores him and jumps up. "I need you."

"Del--"

"Well, look who showed up. It's a regular family reunion," Desire drawls, sauntering up to them, suit immaculately pressed, not a hair out of place. There never is, not unless it suits Desire's purpose.

"Desire," he says, folding his arms over his chest, wary.

"Ooh, is that pose supposed to intimidate me? You'll have to try harder, brother dear." He grits his teeth but says nothing. "Good job," Desire continues blandly, looking around the site, full of smoke and bodies and rescue workers. "Very impressive."

"They did this on their own," he repeats.

Desire laughs. "Of course they did. But we all played our parts."

"And to what end?"

"What end? Is there reason in madness now?" Desire replies. "There was once, perhaps, but this is the product of desire driven through despair, and into delirium." A smile that sends a shiver down Destruction's spine. "We work well together."

Delirium has lost interest, is skipping through the smoke, but she looks up at her name, and smiles in return.

"There is no such thing as a one-sided coin," she says. "Dream said that to us once. Remember? Before--"

He nods, but he knows the only thing created here is more destruction.

end

~*~

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Disclaimer: All Sandman characters belong Neil Gaiman, DC/Vertigo etc. This piece of fan-written fiction intends no infringement on any copyrights.