A/N: Hello! This is my first attempt at a Vocaloid story, so sorry if it's not that great. I hope you enjoy it!

Rin/Len Nocest

Similarities to the Beauty and the Beast.

Disclamer: I don't own Vocaloid or any of the characters. -sobs-

(/.\)

"And that's why you must never go into the woods, Rin-chan," my mother whispered. Her gentle wrinkled mouth smiled at me in the candlelit room. She placed a kiss on my forehead and pulled the covers up over my chin. Smiling one more time, she left the room with her white robes flowing behind.

As the door shut tight, I squeezed my eyes closed. The scary tale that my mother had told me filled my mind with images of monsters. It was really my fault; I had asked her why I was never allowed past the West Gate.

Shivering, I glanced out the window and looked to my view of the looming gate in the distance. It was as if beckoning me to come near, to see if it was really that horrible.

Sitting up quickly, I squinted out of the window. I shook my head, trying to clear my vision, but there was simply nothing there. I thought I had seen a dark figure peering through the metal bars of the gate.

(/.\)

"Rin-sama? Are you listening?"

I looked up from my window and saw my personal teacher waving her hand in front of my face. I must have had a dumb expression, because Miss Sasaki laughed quietly.

"Oh, yes, Sensei!" I realized I got pulled into one of my dramatic flashbacks again. "Sorry for spacing off; it won't happen again!" I got up out of my chair to bow once.

"That's alright," Miss Sasaki sighed. "Just pay more attention, okay?"

I nodded gratefully and sat back down. Sure I was royalty to the kingdom, but that was no way to treat Miss Sasaki, a sensei who had the highest teaching rate around.

"Alright, so where were we?" she asked kindly. Not only was she a great teacher, she had the nicest soul.

After lessons, I strolled around the castle in search of something interesting to do. It was pouring outside, so taking a walk out in the vegetable gardens was a definite no. I tried searching for a mystery around the place, even sinking as low as to ask maids or chefs if they had anything mysterious done to them lately. But everyone always smiled apologetically and said, "Sorry, Rin-sama. We'll tell you if we do!" Or, "It's our best job to keep you safe, Your Highness! A mystery would put you in danger." Then they'd pat my arm gently and go on with whatever they had to do.

It was always "Your highness"and "You need to be safe!". I mean, how safe could a princess of a gated kingdom get?

I sighed and kicked a dust bunny that escaped one of the maid's sweeps. That's when the bell sounded.

Ding. Dong. Ding. Dong.

There was a whole lot of commotion as people ran to and fro. A couple screams sounded as people bustled about. Some guards grabbed me a little too harshly and took me to my room.

"It's best if you stay here, Your Highness," said a guard, huffing as he set me on to my bed. "We'll contact you when you can come back out."

"But wha-" I barely had time to utter anything before they locked the door. I could hear the clinking of their armor as they ran down the hallway.

What was going on? Did something happen? Thoughts swirled in and out of my head as I tried to figure out what was happening. I had never heard the strange bell until now.

I peered out of my window into the gloomy rain and saw several guards and knights swarming around something. They looked like they were hauling something into the castle.

I gasped and ran to the bedroom door, attempting to open it. I yanked several times on the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge.

"Let me out!" I demanded. "I am Kagamine Rin; I deserve a right!" I pounded on the door until my fist hurt from doing so. Sinking with my back against the door, I slowly sat down. Gazing out of the window and into the rain, I looked upon the West Gate. It was strangely opened, with many men in shining armor crowding around it.

This was a mystery all right, and I was bound to find out the answers, whether they would tell me or not.

(/.\)

I woke to a heavy pounding. My heart jolted as I realized I was still sitting against the door, and someone was knocking.

"Your Highness, it is okay to come out now," said one of the guards.

I scrambled up and opened the door swiftly. "What happened?"

"A lightning bolt caused a fire in the woods," he said. "Burned many trees down."

I stood there looking stunned. He was most certainly lying, but why?

"Oh, was that all it was?" I asked, tilting my head innocently. "I was so worried!" Laughing to assure the guard that I suspected nothing, I decided I would play their game. If they wouldn't play fair, I would hunt for my information.

The guard bowed and smiled a little uncertainly, but he didn't tell me anything else. I lingered at my door for a little bit before trudging through the hallways. It was the evening after the rainy afternoon of the bell, and everyone was acting as if everything was okay. They grinned and waved at me normally and asked me if I needed anything, and I would answer back casually. Even the setting seemed to be wrong, for the sun had peeped out and the rain had stopped.

I was too busy fiddling with this weird situation, I accidently bumped into one of the maids.

"Oh, my mistake, Your Highness!" said the high-pitched voice. I turned to see Maid Miku Hatsune awkwardly bowing.

"No, it's fine!" I put up both of my hands to signal it was alright. Maid Hatsune was always a friendly person to others around the castle.

"Ahh… Yes, okay." Maid Hatsune nervously twisted one of her green pigtails around in her fingers.

I hated to be mean to my kind friend on something like this, but I had to know what happened.

"Hey, Miku-chan," I said, noticeably adding the "chan" honorific.

Maid Hatsune blushed with surprise. "Yes, Rin-sama, Your Highness?"

"Could you do me a favor?"

"Anything!"

"Please tell me why the bell rang and what really happened!"

Maid Hatsune turned red and started to stutter. "O-Oh. It was the forest fire, right?" She started to back away slowly. She knew something that I didn't.

"Don't worry," I inched closer to Maid Hatsune. "You can tell me anything."

The green haired girl squealed and bowed quickly. "I'm sorry, Your Highness! I'm late for cleaning duties in the kitchen!" She scrambled off, clumsily tripping over her heels.

I sighed and decided not to urge her for more answers. It was pretty obvious that the people of the castle were keeping something from me, if not the whole kingdom! I wondered what was so dangerous to tell the curious princess. Was it that bad?

I angrily stomped through the hallways and went down the staircase to the infirmary. Strangely, it was guarded by a familiar friend dressed in armor.

"Rin-sama!" The blue haired knight smiled and took my hand, gently kissing the back of it.

"Thank you, Kaito-san," I thanked him. He was one of my best friends who had recently become a knight for the kingdom.

"Why are you guarding?" I asked. He had carefully placed himself in front of the infirmary door.

"Oh, some knights were injured trying to put out the fire." Kaito scratched the back of his head unsurely, as if hiding something important from me.

"Really?" I tried to reach the doorknob, but he made sure to block it with his body.

"They would really like some peace and quiet right now, Your Highness," he told me.

"You don't have to call me "Your Highness", you know," I said for the fiftieth time. "But I would just like to see if they are alright."

"I'm sorry, Your- Rin-sama," Kaito corrected. "But the nurses looked really serious when they said no visitors."

That was very weird. Since when did Kaito refuse my offer? Since when did anybody refuse it? Not to be conceited or anything, but it just didn't feel right.

I walked a little ways down the hallway and fell down. Clutching my stomach, I called for help.

"Your Highness!" Kaito left his post by the infirmary door to help me. "Are you alright?" I could see his face filled with worry as I put on a sickened face. This was my chance.

I got on to my feet and sprinted around the kneeling Kaito, who had a very funny confused look on his face.

"Hey!" he said.

Reaching the infirmary door, I jiggled with the doorknob until it finally opened. The haunting sight I saw next made me think twice about my decision.

A/N: I hope I got most of the honorifics right. Anyways, review to tell me what you thought about it. x)