Yo. Tenshi desu.
A long time since I posted something, no? /giggles
Sorry about the inactivity. The third term of fourth year was pretty hectic, and now, I'm a college student! In other words, I can't promise that I'll be updating much. ((I just finished the first semester yay))
Here's a guide for the Vocaloids' characters in the story:
GUMI/Megpoid as Gumillia (Sniper)
Kagamine Len as Lemy Abelard (Pierrot)
Hiyama Kiyoteru (no official Vocaloid representative as of yet) as Kenneth Freesis (fanmade name for Gumillia's lover)
Megurine Luka as Elluka Clockworker (Magician)
MEIKO as Julia Abelard (Santa)
Kamui Gakupo as Samurai (?)
By the way, I've always wanted to do a post-Lemy's-death AU scenario. Thus, this oneshot was born.
My ship feels, ladies and gentlemen—Wistful Soul and What Could Have Been.
It was an afternoon clad with gloom for Pere Noel, a criminal organization settling in Lucifenia.
There was once a boy in that group. Mustard locks, ocean-blue eyes, a fragile figure. He was, no doubt, the youngest and most cheerful member. Adopted and trained by the group's leader, Julia "Santa" Abelard, he devoted his life to granting bad children a painful death on the streets of Rolled-city. And then, alas—death immediately took hold of his life. Sniper, the eighth member, shot him two days ago while he was out for a mission.
That boy was Lemy Abelard, the Pierrot of Pere Noel. Lucifenia's Ripper.
And his funeral was on the next night.
...
The forest spirit Gumillia, otherwise known as Sniper, put her revolver on the desk and took refuge on a mahogany chair. She tied her short hair into a ponytail and let out a sigh.
A lot had happened the past few days. Her senior, the "Magician" Elluka Clockworker, made an attempt to convince Lemy to leave Pere Noel with her, but to no avail. The young boy reported her treachery, and Elluka went missing as a result. However, she made up a fake hazing scene between a gang of children, lured Julia into giving Lemy a mission, and commanded Gumillia to kill him before she left for good.
As much as she hated to admit it, the deed left the green-haired spirit with a heavy heart.
When Gumillia and Elluka joined Pere Noel, they met unusual people. Lemy, of course, was no exception. However, that didn't stop him from befriending the Sniper. Time passed, and they soon became more than… that.
Whose side are you truly on, Gumillia?
She would ask herself that question every time.
That afternoon was no exception.
...
The funeral progressed silently.
None of the members were shedding tears. No matter how hard they mourned, they didn't come.
Time to time, everyone would glance at the snow-white coffin in front of them. Inside lay a youth with blonde hair. A peaceful look was etched on his face. A crown of roses adorned his hair, making him resemble a beautiful maiden. He was dressed in a cream suit, and was surrounded by myrtles and petals of scarlet and yellow. Anyone who would inspect the coffin's contents would see something out of a fairy tale—the boy was the sleeping beauty.
Everyone in the funeral thought that he was merely sleeping, that he wasn't dead. He'll wake up anytime now. He'll wake up as the cheerful, childish boy he once was, and always will be.
But… no.
Nothing can bring him back.
...
A green-haired lady entered the church minutes after the funeral. She looked at the young boy in the coffin solemnly. She bids him a silent farewell and promptly walks out of the church.
Gumillia roamed around, ate a light lunch, and finally went to the park. No one was around at the moment. The lush scenery did not console her one bit. The Sniper sat on a bench, and rested her head in her hands. She wanted to let it all out, to have a little cry, but nothing.
I suppose not even a sea of tears can express my sadness.
A drop of water suddenly landed on her.
And another.
Then came an armada of droplets.
Gumillia finally looked up. "The sky," she spoke to herself. "It's crying with my tears. Peculiar."
"What's peculiar is that a lady like you isn't basking in the comfort of her own home."
The forest spirit blinked at surprise. Her view of the sky was now blocked with the silhouette of an umbrella. She glanced at the stranger who offered it to her. He was wearing a dark grey coat, with pants of the same color. His head was covered with the richest shade of brown, and his eyes were a vivid hazel. A gentle smile was etched on his handsome face.
"…Hello," was all she could say.
The stranger laughed gently in return. "So, what brings you here, miss?"
Well…
"I came here for peace of mind. I want to feel happy again."
"Ah, I see," he replied as he sat down beside Gumillia. "You must be one of his… friends."
Gumillia almost choked. Who exactly was this mysterious man? How did he know about… about…? She sighed. The weight in her heart made it difficult for her to think about him at the moment.
"…yes." She held out her hand. "My name is Gumillia. Yours…?"
"Kenneth. Pleasure to meet you. Where do you live, by the way? I shall escort you."
Sniper stood up. "I'll show you the way."
...
She couldn't take a step away from the door.
She glimpsed back at the brunette, whose umbrella was no longer above his body. Thin rays of sunlight poked through gray clouds.
Gumillia never got the chance to know more about him—not a bit. Let alone ask how he knew Lemy.
With double the thoughts spinning in her head, Gumillia retreated to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. One sip, two sips, three sips… and counting.
It didn't help.
No answers and no tears. Just more questions, she thought. Magnificent.
But perhaps…
Perhaps Kenneth can help her.
...
A month had passed, and they became good friends.
Yet not all of the answers were given.
Gumillia remembered their last conversation.
"My last name… is Freesis. Kenneth Freesis. You do know the Freesis Foundation, right?"
"Yes."
"It's funny, though. You're from Pere Noel; and I'm from the organization that yours despised the most. Despite that, we're standing right here, talking to each other in a friendly manner."
"True. We are like two sides of a coin."
"But I guess… this so-called rivalry shouldn't get in the way of our friendship, right?"
Kenneth was the leader of the Foundation, which served as an advantage for getting information about Lemy and the rest of Pere Noel. What useful information.
Gumillia remained uncontent. She wanted to ask Kenneth a lot of questions.
The Sniper rubbed her temples.
Maybe that can wait. She could use some shut-eye.
...
Two hours. Four hours. Six hours passed.
There was nothing but darkness, a harsh shade of ebony. And all of a sudden, that shade grew lighter, less distinguished, until Gumillia was in a dreamworld.
But was she in a blissful dream, or a horrible nightmare?
She was in the middle of Rolled-city. The streets were deserted, and the sky was cloudy. She started running, although for no clear reason. Whatever was the road in front of her, she took it. She kept running until she barged through the enormous doors of the city church.
Gumillia looked around. Instead of the usual setting with chairs and the altar, the church welcomed her in a dark hallway. She took a few steps forward, wondering what was going on.
The doors suddenly closed behind her, and she was engulfed in darkness once turned around, hoping to see anything that can help her figure everything out. Seconds later, a pair of blue eyes appeared where the door supposedly was, and a hot pink glow lit the hallway. She could see a figure near her: a beautiful woman, her face dominated by an insane grin, her pink dress stained with blood. Her pink hair was laid down, unkempt. She was floating a few feet from the ground, slowly approaching Gumillia.
"Miss Elluka...!"
Despite the huge difference between this woman and the person she had known, Gumillia knew that it was the Magician. Nevertheless, she knew what she had to do: run.
Elluka chased her, cackling gleefully and calling her name endearingly. The chase seemed to last an eon, until a white door was in sight. Eager to end the nightmare, Gumillia ran as fast as she could, opened the door, and slammed it shut.
The pink glow dissipated, replaced by light pouring through stained glass windows. Rows of chairs adorned with carnations were lined up in front of her. The Sniper sighed, knowing that she was finally in a familiar place. She then looked at the altar, which had a magnificent stained glass window displaying the Passion of a religious figure, the so-called Messiah, Jesus Christ.
It was then Gumillia noticed someone in front of the priest's table. A boy with blonde hair. He was clad in a clown's outfit which was dominated by the color of blood. A hat which matched his outfit was on the smooth tile floor, lying beside his knees. A crimson hair ribbon fastened his hair, while a crown made of white roses was resting on his head.
Gumillia stuttered.
"L-Lemy…?"
"You made it," the boy replied with a gentle voice. "I'm so glad."
The Sniper slowly approached him. "To think that I would lose you forever."
"I hope not."
"What do you mean?"
He let out a heavy sigh, one which was filled with dread. "I've seen wonders, yes… I've seen my real mama and papa. I've seen Princess Sandman. But the happiness only lasted for a while.
"It feels like as if something bad will happen, that I'll be thrown into nothingness. I don't want this to end, Sniper…! No, not Sniper…" He sniffed, and began sobbing. "You're more than just that.
"Please… s-stay with me… I… I d-don't want to be a-alone…"
Gumillia stood there, astonished. He was never this miserable. His shoulders were shaking, his sobs echoing all over the premises.
She had no idea how to comfort him. She simply let her arms stretch out for an embrace—an embrace that would, hopefully, demolish his misery.
"Do… do you want a… a…?" asked the girl. She cut herself off. You're dealing with a broken soul, a discarded doll. What if it's not enough?
Silence took over for a few moments. The blonde boy slowly stood up, his burden making him exert more effort. But he didn't stumble or fall.
Lemy Abelard turned around, with eyes full of bottled-up tears.
"G-Gumillia…!"
...
And then she woke up.
There was nothing in front of her but a small bulb and the ceiling. Sniper sighed.
Even though it only lasted for a while, the dream was completely... unbelievable. The deserted streets, the hallway, Elluka, Lemy, everything. Gumillia didn't wish for the Pierrot to suffer so much in the afterlife, and she never will.
But... she had to follow Elluka. After all, she was the one who gave her life and accompanied her. She sisn't want to disappoint her.
The Sniper's eyes began to grow wet. It was time.
Elluka and I had no other choice but to part. And now...
The first tear rolled down her cheek.
Now my friend's dead and I don't know what to do with my life, now that both of them are gone.
Overwhelmed by the idea, Gumillia wept.
Overwhelmed before by a thing called indecision, she left her bedroom and fixed herself.
...
"We need to talk," said Gumillia to Kenneth as they roamed the park. Nighttime had arrived, and the moon was shining above the pair.
The brunette looked at her, his face bright with moonlight. "Is something the matter?"
She sighed. This is it.
"What's the big idea? Why do you give a damn about Lemy Abelard's death?"
"Pardon?"
"You heard me."
Kenneth remained silent for a few moments. And then...
"It's about time I told you the truth.
"I assigned myself to investigate about him. Why he- a helpless orphan, of all people- was the one chosen by Julia Abelard as the Pierrot. Of course, I knew his purpose, his reputation in Lucifenia. The fact that one of Pere Noel's most skilled members was murdered all of a sudden puzzled me. When we became friends, I discovered a most intriguing thing."
The forest spirit glared at him. "Name it."
The man sighed. "I found a letter addressed to you, and decided to keep it for future references. It revolved on your friendship with him."
Gumillia's eyes widened. "He actually...?"
"Replied? Yes." He then pulled out a piece of paper. "I suppose you should have it."
She was speechless. I never expected this, that he would actually say something about the two of us leaving and starting a new life.
That he would approve of us reaching our dreams with each other.
That he would agree to leave Rolled-city and find happiness.
The Sniper unfolded the paper, and began to read.
Gumillia,
I honestly don't know what to say.
It's like everything is going so fast... first, I discovered a traitor in Pere Noel, and now you want me to start a new life with you!
Truth be told, I respect how you feel. You're concerned for me. I understand that because I feel the same way. I want the best for you, for our friendship! I'd be delighted to join you. We could live happily and have a lot of adventures together!
But then... I don't want to leave Santa just yet. She still needs me. Plus, she showed me the world and helped me gain a chance to live my life. I owe her a lot.
I'm really sorry, Sniper, but I'm not yet fully ready for this. But I promise you: when this is all over, we'll leave this city and be together forever! Never forget that Pierrot loves you! Pierrot has loved you, and will love you, for so long; and Pierrot's love will never fade!
If anything happens to me, please don't worry! Smile! Pierrot wants you to be happy.
See you around!
-Lemy
Gumillia stared at the letter for a few moments.
Together, forever.
But it's too late for that.
She then felt Kenneth's hand on her shoulder. "I'm very sorry about your loss, Gumillia. Maybe I should've told you sooner. But given how much happened that time, I didn't want to be a burden. I wish to stay by your side and be your firend until the very end. But if you want me to stay away... it's fine with me."
He embraced her in a comforting manner, and she embraced him back. "You thought your revelation would be a burden," said Gumillia. "But it wasn't. It was a blessing. Thank you for everything, Kenneth Freesis."
She looked up at him with a teary smile. "Thank you."
...
"So, I heard that you have a lover."
Gumillia turned around. It was the purple-haired Samurai, the sixth one in Pere Noel.
The man spoke again. "Am I right?"
Wait, what? Silence dominated her for a couple of moments. Why is he asking me about this?
She had no choice to answer.
"Well, yes."
"Then…"
Samurai took a deep breath.
"…your feelings for Lemy will soon cease to exist."
Gumillia's eyes widened.
"Correct?"
"..."
They stared at each other. Nothing else occupied the girl's mind. Just... him.
"No."
The Samurai looked at her, slightly taken aback.
"I didn't let Lemy's death bother me that much, and I allowed an enemy to take my heart, but no. I have never lost my feelings for him, and I never will."
He stood there silently, absorbing what she just said. Another deep breath. And then he spoke.
"I respect your feelings," said the Samurai with a chuckle. "You'll be together once again, hopefully. I wish you a good future. But for now, we must part for a good night's rest!"
The purple-haired man turned and walked away, smiling at Gumillia before going ahead.
The Sniper had a peaceful night's sleep.
Powerful forces will try to get in the way of love and friendship. She knew, but decided to hold on. Love and friendship conquer all things. Well, that's what they say.
Once she enters the afterlife, she and Lemy will be reunited. All will be well.
Hopefully, said Samurai. Well...
Who knows?