Flowering Evil
Prologue
"Let's write a wish on a piece of parchment and send it out to sea in a bottle. If it doesn't break, then surely there will be a wish granted." The girl forced a smile as she said this.
"Rin, don't leave me. The adults say you be gone for a long time. You can't go! J-just, all of a s-sudden, you're just leaving me all of a sudden! You know all we have is each other, you can't! You're all I have!" her brother sniffled. Brushing the tears from Len's face, which was a mirror image of hers, Rin smiled sadly.
"Len, there were expectations of us since we were born. I can't say no to the adults, because what they do is the correct thing, right? I'm sure they'll let us meet again. Now, don't make us part like this. Let's enjoy the time we still have together." Len hesitated before nodding; he gulped to prevent more tears from falling. Rin pat his head, "Be a good boy while I'm away."
Floating away is a little glass bottle that hold the wishes of two children, destiny divided pitiful twins. Their futures ripped into two by the selfish wishes of adults. As the bottle fades into the horizon, not a sound is heard but Len's whispered "Goodbye…"
10 Years Later
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was a young queen of age 14 who ruled over a cruel and despotic kingdom. She lived in a luxuriously furnished mansion and owned a pet horse named Josephine as well as a servant with a face very similar to that of her own. All that and more belonged to her.
"How silly! If I didn't have enough money, I'd extort it from the foolish people. I'd eliminate all those who disobeyed me. There's nothing else to it. Tsk! I don't see the point of this, it's just troublesome." Rin said, slouching in her chair as she flung her schedule to the ground for the maids to clean up. "Oh my, it's snack time." Right as the hour hand struck three, there was tap on the door. "You may enter, Len."
"For a second, I thought you'd be late." Rin smiled at the servant boy as he set down the silverware. He chuckled, pouring the amber liquid into the tea cup.
"Never, my lady." Steam emitted from the porcelain cup, upon which a single yellow rose was portrayed: the kingdoms emblem. "Chocolate au Mousse served with Earl Grey." he said as he presented his sibling her dessert. Len and Rin Kagamine were twins, born blessed by the bells of church (3:00.) They had been separated for ten years. During their time apart, Len was brought up as a butler while Rin was crowned queen of the Kingdom of Yellow. They shared the same topaz eyes, fair skin, face, and golden hair. They would be identical if Len did not tie is shoulder length hair up in a pony tail. Rin was struggling to get the leftover chocolate off the plate and onto the spoon. "You don't have to clean the plate." Len laughed.
"But what you make always tastes so good!" Rin whined.
"Ah, the chef wouldn't like hearing that. Excuse me madam." he said as he took the opportunity to collect her dishes, "Is there anything else?" Rin paused
"Yes…actually, yes."
"Well, how may I be at your service, madam?" the servant asked his mistress.
"It's about Kaito." Rin said. Kaito Shion was the prince of a kingdom from overseas, the Kingdom of Blue. Rin first met him at a peace delegation ball, before her reunion with Len. Rin had her head propped up on one arm. Her eyes staring off into what seemed like the distance, but what her eyes reflected was a long dinner table with a feast laid out before her as she remembered when she had met Kaito. Pathetic, this can't compare to what I have at home Rin thought. Peacock, quail eggs, boar…Rin listed the foods on the table mentally as the pompous man with the curled powdered wig continued rambling on and on about…ah, whatever this ball was held for. Peace delegation? Think that was it.
Rin completely lost track of time and continued staring through her glass of wine. The glass distorted the shape of the woman sitting across from her. Her head was big and her body small for several seconds. Rin tilted her head, and the woman's body became fat and her head was squished at the rim of the cup. That's when all of a sudden, everyone on the table stood up. Rin hurriedly followed. This is where I choose a foreign representative to dance with…I think.
Surveying the men, she was quite disappointed by what she saw. That was when Rin spotted the prince of the Kingdom of Blue. He cut a striking figure in his suit of white the sides striped with blue, with a matching white cape with blue silk ribbons coming from under his golden epaulettes trailing behind his neck, Kaito wore his signature blue scarf. When the music began, Rin laced her fingers through his, and they swept through the ball room making conversation on random topics. Rin blushed, hoping the orchestra's music would drown out the loud thumping of her racing heart. She glanced up at Kaito's feminine face which was framed with his sleek, indigo hair (it's natural hair color of people born of the Kingdom of Blue. People of such hair color are rare, like albinos, and are often blue bloods, or royalty.) As Rin gazed into his deep blue eyes, she was sure, that that euphoric feeling that pulsed through her veins, enthralling her, was love.
"What about Mr. Shion?" Len was surprised; his mistress would usually be happy about this subject.
"There have been some rumors; I would like you to investigate them." Rin continued, "They say that the prince of the Kingdom of Blue is currently courting the princess of the neighboring kingdom: the Kingdom of Green. She goes by the name of Miku Hatsune. I want you to go to the Kingdom of Green and see for me if the rumors are true or false." Len frowned, but even so, he bowed.
"If that is what the princess wants, then I shall answer to it." Rin's grave expression dissolved, as if it had never been there I the first place.
"I knew I could depend on you." She grabbed Lens elbow, "Len, you're the best, I trust you!" she gave him the same innocent smile she had ten years ago. The smile Len would give up anything to protect. He nodded, and pulled his arm from her grasp. "I'll have the stable boy prepare one of our finest horses for your journey to Green. I hope you don't mind riding Josephine?" Rin continued. Len nodded again, signifying his approval. With the tray and used dishes, he exited. Before the door closed, he bowed once more.Len's always so good to me, Rin smiled to herself.
As the door closed behind Len, he sang, "The flower of evil blooms so prettily, with vivid colors. The poor weeds surrounding it, ah, become its nourishment and wilt away." He hummed as he walked down the hall to his room to pack for his journey.
Len had finally reached the Kingdom of Green after his long journey. He stepped off the horse, giving the reigns to the inn keeper of the motel he was staying at. "Watch her for me." he said as he tossed the man a silver coin. Len grabbed his felt beret and pulled the bill over his face as he headed off to the marketplace. The marketplace was a loud and crowded place. Merchants yelled and advertised their products. The strong odor of fish, green onion, onions, garlic, raw meat, exotic fruit and spices, BO, and various other scents, all combined, filled the air. Len stopped at several stalls and surveyed they merchandise, then decided to buy an apple for Josephine. He tossed the apple into the air and caught it again repeatedly as he sang, "The flower of evil blooms so prettily, with crazy colors. Even though it's a very beautiful flower, ah, it has too many thorns, so it's untouchable."
As he sang, a gust of wind blew, taking Len's hat with it. Len chased after it into a meadow of wild daisies. A small hand with long fingers and nails perfectly shaped like almonds gently plucked his beret out of the air and handed it to him. Len gasped when he saw the lady's face. Her round, innocent eyes changed from sky blue to green as she shifted in sunlight. Her skin were the petals of a Pearly Gates climbing rose. And her smile was as innocent as the ones that his twin sister often gifted him with. He stood there breathless, his heart beating rapidly. It was love at first sight.
"T-thank you." He stammered, blushing. The girl replied with another smile.
"Miku!" a man yelled, "Here you are. I was waiting for you."
"Sorry Kaito." She brushed her lips against his cheeks, and then she gently pressed them against his lips, asking, "Will you forgive me?" Kaito blushed and took her hands in his. Hand in hand they left. Miku's, no, Miku Hatsune's green hair flowed after her. Green: the rare hair color that only royals of the Kingdom of Green would have. So the rumors were true. The prince of Blue was indeed courting the princess of Green. I hope Rin won't do anything rash, Len thought. His fear of what his sister was capable of over ruled the disappointment of unrequited love.
"Here's your snack ma'am." A small slave girl said nervously as she entered carrying a tray with a slice of cake and a glass of milk balanced on top.
"You're late." Rin said in a cold tone. She threw a chilling glare of disdain at the girl. "You were late," she repeated, "by a whole fifty six seconds in fact." The slave girl flinched
"I-I'm s-s-sorry…" Rin grabbed the girl by her collar and flung her at a wall.
"You insolent brat! Do you not understand?! I've been served with such below-basic level of treatment since Len left. Honestly, is he the only decent servant we have here?!" The girl lay at a crumpled heap by the wall, gasping for breath. Rin dropped her snack tray on top of the girl. Frosting from the cake slid down the girls face along with her teardrops. The shards of glass from the shattered cup holding the milk left scratches on her skin. The girl whimpered. "You may leave." Rin said as she grabbed her fan and slid it open. What in the world is taking Len so long?Rin wondered. That was when she heard a tap on the door. Rin smiled, but hid it with her fan. "You may enter."
"So Len, do you have the information I asked you to collect?"
"Yes…Yes, I do."
"Are the rumors true then?"
"Somewhat…"
Rin clamped a fist on the arm rest of her throne stiffly.
"Explain in further detail." she said angrily. Len winced. He was angering her, and he knew it. Good. That meant that Len knew the extent of her dislike for that Princess of Green.
"Mr. Shion has indeed been courting Ms. Hatsune." Len stated gently. There was long pause. Len wished he could see her face so that he could read her emotions, but all he saw were her stone cold eyes, staring at him from above the black lace that trimmed her folding fan of yellow silk.
"Kill her." Her voice sent chills down his spine.
"But my lady!"
"Kill her." Rin's voice wavered a little at the end. Len frowned. Was she sobbing? "Just do it! I command you to kill Miku Hatsune! It's an order!" In one quick motion, Rin stood, folded her fan and hurled it at Len. It flew pass his neck, missing him. Rin folded to the floor. "Please….please…help me…" Tears streaked Rin's face. She grabbed helplessly at his hand, "You're on my side, right Len?" Len sighed. He kneeled down and held her.
"Even if the entire world becomes your enemy, I will protect you. So just be there, smiling and laughing." Len knew what he had to do.
In the silence of the night, a secret government meeting was held. In a quiet voice, Rin said to the council members, "You may annihilate the Kingdom of Green."
"You are my lady, I am your servant. Destiny divided pitiful twins. If it's to protect you, I'll become evil for you." Len said to the moon as he mounted a mare that blended in with the darkness of the night. Hidden under his mantle was a silver dagger, given to him for one purpose, and one purpose only.
"RUN! Princess Miku, escape! Escape before it's too late!" a maid cried as she ran into her mistresses' bed chambers.
"What is the matter? What's going on?" Miku asked, confused by the maid's alarmed face.
"There she is!" a man yelled. The clanking of armor filled the halls of the palace.
"Run!!!!" the maid shouted as she pushed the princess away from the door. She blocked the entrance, the soldiers rammed swords through her body, but the corpse would not budge. The princess's eyes widened with terror. She wanted to scream, to vomit. It was so repulsive, the bloodshed, the gore. She covered her mouth and reached for the door to the secret passage way that leads to the woods. Her sweat was cold.
Miku raced through the forest blindly. She ran, and ran, and ran until she bumped into a hooded figure. His face was hidden by his mantle.
"I'm sorry." the man said as he rammed a silver dagger through her heart. As he did, his hood fell over.It's the princess of Yellow, she thought, and then, she recognized him. He was the boy with the hat. Her hand shot forward. She laid it on his cheek, staining it with blood. In a quiet voice, she spoke.
"You'll never reach where I am going. You'll be far from me, forever." An eerie smile crept over her face, and she was dead. Len sat there for several minutes.
"If the princess wishes to that girl dead, I will answer that. I wonder why my tears won't stop..."
And so, the Kingdom of Green was destroyed. Many homes were burned down, many lives were lost. The lament of the suffering people couldn't reach the tyrant princess. Kaito sobbed as he took another sip of beer. "Miku…" he whispered the name of his lost love, and broke into tears once more.
"Hiding in your bed chambers crying for the little dead princess, how sad." a hand grabbed his bottle of rum. It was a woman with crimson red hair. She gulped down the rest of his drink straight from the bottle and slammed it back down on the table, exhaling with pleasure. The prince jumped up, but staggered because he was drunk.
"Who are you, where did you come from, and why?" the prince asked cautiously. The girl found his reaction funny, but she continued on anyways.
"Oh yeah, introductions. Almost forgot. I came in through the window, 'cuz the guards wouldn't let me in. My name is Meiko Sakine. I work as a swordswoman under the name of Daughter of Vengeance. I, too, have suffered from the evil deeds of the tyrant Princess of Yellow. Wanna' team up with me to take her down? How does that sound?"
It was three years ago when the event that changed the course of Mieko's life occurred… "The military policemen work for the autocrats, but are not and all the livestock have died off. My family, too, has died of starvation. I am short on both money and meal!" the red haired village maiden pleaded with the tyrant princess. The princess Rin simply yawned.
"Oh my, it's snack time." The princess rose from her throne in one graceful movement. The servants at the door opened it for her. Rin walked past the girl as though she wasn't even there, her gown's train sweeping after her. Before she exited, the elegant, yet evil princess turned towards the helpless maiden and said, "Oh, you're still here. You may be excused." With that said, she left. Meiko shook with rage.
"I'll never forgive you for this!!" Meiko swore, tears leaving paths on her face.
"I try avoiding acts of violence and wars as much as possible, but if it's for Miku…" the prince trailed off. The swordswoman smiled
"Shake on it?" and they came to an agreement, a pact. When she left the Palace of Blue that night, Meiko looked up to the moon and whispered, "Evil flower, I'll scatter your petals someday with my sword of vengeance. That day is coming closer and closer by every second."
"Have you heard, Len? The people are rebelling." Rin said as she watched her brother prune the roses. Her brother shot her a worried look. Rin was getting thinner and paler each day. Len paused.
"Yes, I have heard of such news." The twins stood frozen for a while. They knew exactly what was running through each of their minds. It won't be long before the townspeople overthrow us, but this is what we so rightfully deserve.
"What's for today's snack?" Rin said, breaking though the silence.
"Today's snack is brioche." Len replied. His sister laughed a laugh that was ever so innocent. For a second, Len thought they could go back to how they were ten years ago.
"We will not tolerate this tyranny any longer!!! We shall rebel!!" Meiko cried, punching her fist in the air. The townspeople, clad in the red armor the Prince of Blue had provided them with, cheered and imitated her by punching their fists in the air.
Rin stared out the window, "They are coming for me." she mused
The angry mob of townspeople clad in red armor, led by a swordswoman in a similar outfit, broke through the walls of the Kingdom of Yellow. Meiko grabbed the nearest flag that bore the kingdom's emblem, and ripped it. "A single yellow rose, how befitting." She grabbed a torch, and lit the flag on fire, "The yellow rose stands for jealousy." The Soldiers of Yellow attacked the mob, but weakened by the many years of battle, Rin's army was easy to defeat.
"This is the time for vengeance." Meiko said to herself as she danced through the battlefield, wielding the sword of vengeance. Slicing here and there, the corpses of her enemies lay behind her in a trail of scarlet red. Ah, the Maiden of Red blooms in the war field. By night fall, the valiant warrior had reached the princess's palace.
Len stared blankly at the battle scene outside the window. Vassals were fleeing from the palace. Some hid in the woods, others joined the mob. Soon, no one was left at the castle but the twins. From above was Kaito's army which specialized in archery, from below was the revolutionary army clad in red armor. Even with reinforcements, the Army of Yellow would not stand a chance. Len sang, "The flower of evil blooms so prettily, with doleful colors. The paradise for her, ah, crumbles so easily like a house of cards." There was nowhere to run.
Reinforcements came, but the swordswoman showed no fear. She whistled, and a shower of arrows from above rained down on them. The Army of Blue, which consisted of only archers, reloaded their arrows, ready to shoot on the prince's signal. Stepping over the corpses, the Daughter of Vengeance raced towards the palace, followed by the mob. Soon, the palace was surrounded.
This is what we rightfully deserve, but even so, I shall defy them, Len thought. With that, he raced into the throne room. The princess sat on here motionless, just waiting to be taken away.
"Len" She smiled weakly, "you're still here?" He ran over and embraced his little sister. "Len?"
"Here, I will lend you my clothes. Wear this and escape immediately. It'll be alright, we are twins, no one will notice."
"No! Len! Dearest brother! Don't make me do this!"
"Be a good girl when I'm away." Len said patting her head. If you are proclaimed as evil, then I also have the same evil blood running through these veins.
The rebel army broke into the castle, and the lovely, young princess was finally captured. "You insolent fools!" he cried. The palace was set on fire. The golden flames licked the dark night sky. Embers glowed in the air like fireflies. Out of the corner of his eye, the fake princess saw a fleeing figure in a hooded cloak. "The flower of evil falls apart so prettily with vivid colors." And those were the last lyrics.
"For crimes against the Kingdom of Yellow, we will now read the sentence of our Princess, Rin Kagamine. Her crimes include, but are not limited to: the neglect of her country's needs and the assassination of the Maiden of Green. Her punishment shall be retribution: she shall compensate for her evil deeds with her life."
Two guards led a small, thin figure over to the guillotine. The one who was called "princess" was forced onto his knees. Len spotted Rin in a hooded mantle in the crowd. If we were reborn again, I hope to play with you once more, he wished silently. The hour hand of the clock hit three. The accused smiled, "Oh my, it's snack time!" The church bells struck, to announce the end, and the blade fell. Out in the crowd, a cry of anguish was heard as the other half died.
Epilogue
On the edge of a small port in a small town is a girl stands quietly, looking out to the sea that holds her memories, a story that she cannot tell.
"Always you did those things for me, even though they were troublesome. I've realized that I've only been selfish, and hurt you for so long. You are the only one who would hear me, but you're no longer here. The sea will express my gratitude; it will express my only wish." Floating away in a little glass bottle are the regrets of a girl that finally saw how she sinned, but however, could not repent. "If only we could be reborn…"
end
Contains material from the VOCALOID song series known as Aku no Story (Story of Evil.) No copyright infringement intended.