April had come, dotting the flower petals and grass with small, translucent drops. The air was humid, and dew was beginning to cling like a wet blanket to everything it could touch. The rain also had come, and with it brought small green buds of leaves scattered among the tree branches. It was early in the morning. The dawn had just arrived to the kingdom of Amaryllia that day, filtering its bright, warm light through the windows of the houses, shops, and palace that resided in the center of the kingdom.
Within the palace was the ruler of this kingdom, laying still asleep. He was no ordinary human. He was part of a sacred band of magical spirits, born from precious stones. These elite beings were called Oracles, gatekeepers and guardians between both benevolent and malignant celestial forces and the human world. He wasn't human, so he didn't need sleep, but he still loved to do it, because he loved the art of dreaming. Dreaming was a way to release your thoughts and let them fly free like birds in an open land.
Sun caught his golden hair as it crept in through the light curtains and filled the large room. A desk sat in the corner, littered with papers, letters, and quills. A golden candlestick stood among the clutter, looking quite melted after what seemed like years of lighting the chamber for letters to be written, books to be read, and art to be drawn. The walls of the room were a bright buttery yellow, and the floor a golden carpet. Pictures of former Amaryllian rulers hung on the walls. Each and every beautiful face of the Oracles appeared solemn, except the current ruler's mother, Sonika.
She was smiling. He loved her, even though she hadn't given birth to him, or Resurrected him, directly. An Oracle's stone, placed on their body, was their lifeline. Sonika's stone had been stolen the day of his Resurrection. His stone was a fragment of Topaz. A ruler of another kingdom, called Aurangia, had the other fragment of his stone. Their real mother, Anne, had given her stone to be split, which was dangerous, but had been done correctly and no one was hurt or different than they would be if they had come from different stones.
A big bed occupied the far corner of the room. The bed was dark oak and had ivory and gold colored sheets with many pillows strewn about the mattress. Among the pillows was the ruler of Amaryllia, Len Kagamine. He was blonde and had feathery eyelashes around his now closed gorgeous blue eyes. He was lanky and long, yet muscular, and his stone is placed on his back, which stood for wings, symbolizing mentally strength and bravery.
A knock sounded throughout the room. Len's eyes fluttered open as the door opened quietly, its opener trying not to wake the sleeping Oracle up. His servant, Piko, was standing there, wearing a simple tailcoat, vest, blouse, and pants. He was looking quite tired, as though he gotten no sleep. This was probably true, because as a servant, he had many jobs to attend to, making sleep minimal issue. He walked in and placed a neatly folded stack of clothing on the side-table by Len's bed.
"Your Majesty, the monthly Chromic Chamber Summit is this morning." Piko said in a quiet whisper, glancing busily around the room, noticing the melted candle. He yanked it off the stick and embedded a new candle in its spot. He tucked the old one away in his pocket, then continued walking around, fixing small messes.
The Chromic Chamber was a huge stone palace in the middle of the country of Chroma. There, the six Oracles, Len, Rin, Miku, Meiko, Luka, and Kaito, would discuss matters, laws, problems and sometimes just play around. Religious services also happened there, because the Book of Chromic Legend, the bible of Chromic beliefs, was stationed at the Chamber.
"When?" Asked the Oracle, sitting up in bed half awake. The servant replied with a quick "8 o'clock" as he bustled back to the bedside and began unfolding the stack of clothes. Piko flipped the covers off of Len. The Oracle prince stepped out of bed. He wore a white button-down nightshirt, which he slowly began to unbutton. Piko blushed and pushed Len's hands away, unbuttoning the white gown much faster.
"Really, Piko, I can dress myself." Len laughed. When he finished the unbuttoning, Piko picked an unfolded white blouse up from the stack of clothes. He helped Len put it on, doing the same with the rest of the clothes, even though Len didn't need help. Len had taught himself how to dress at a young age, although it was a unnecessary skill for an Oracle to learn. Len liked to live like a human, finding it easy to relate to his subjects if he participated in some of their everyday habits. Truthfully, he found a large number of them to be highly amusing.
"Your highness, we will be walking down to the Breakfast Hall now," Piko informed, attempting to straighten Len's messy hair with a comb. However, it was quite hopeless, as Len's hair had a mind of its own, and has ever since his Resurrection.
"Piko, no need to be so stiff," Replied Len, tying a ribbon around his collar to finish off his look. Piko gave an awkward little laugh, turning quickly to open the door for the Oracle. Piko handed Len a silver cane with a handle of topaz, with carefully carved golden vines wrapping around the handle and body of it. Len smiled, giving Piko a light pat on his head. He followed Len out the door, blushing with embarrassment.
The halls of Amaryllia's palace were always bustling. Lords and ladies, usually dressed in stiff-looking gowns and tailcoats, hurried around, delivering news and gossiping in small groups. The floors were made of light oak and the golden plated interior shone by the light from candles on the walls.
The Oracle noticed a certain group of girls standing next to a window. Piko also seemed to see them, because he steered Len away from the women. Len could see a raspberry colored head bobbing throughout the others. Len knew who this was, as no one else had this color of hair.
"Len!" Called a high, familiar voice, as the red haired girl, Lady Teto Kasane, dressed in a yellow and pink gown, ran into Len's arms from the group of quietly talking young ladies. Len's face contorted into an expression as though he had sucked on a lemon. Teto was Len's betrothed.
Though he knew Teto always tried to be sweet, lovable, and understanding, she was awfully clingy and immature. She could also be haughty and rude to other girls, because she thought that she had to be especially important to be betrothed to the Oracle prince. Len dreaded every moment with her, and he had no idea how he would stand being married to her.
"Lady Teto." Len responded bitterly, jerking her into a stiff hug. Teto looked up at Len and her face brightened up like the candle on Len's writing desk. She smiled happily and squeezes him, excited. Len gulped remembering his first meeting with her last week. Piko had stated that day that they were to get married in 3 weeks, the day of Oracle Resurrection, which was a usually delightful holiday that celebrated the Oracles' birthday.
"Two weeks! Only two weeks until we get married!" she cheered, giving Len a peck on the cheek, much to Len's dismay. Len pulled his face away the second the girl's lips touched his cheek. He glanced up at Piko, by his side, who looked very urgent. The silver haired servant motioned to the window, where Len could see a carriage pulling up to the end of the path.
Len felt a wave of pleasant emotion flow over his insides. He saw a tealette Oracle step out of the carriage, diamond jewel gleaming at her chest in the sunlight, meaning she thought with her heart and feelings. She wore a white colored gown which swung at her feet when she walked. However, Len's happiness faded away when he saw how hurriedly she walked to the entry of the palace and he could feel somewhere within him that something was not right.
"Lady Teto, I must depart, as I have to make sure I catch the carriage to the Nucleus." Len responded, hoping to get out of the situation as soon as possible. Teto gave him a last hug, and bid him goodbye, then left him and swaggered over to her group of now jealous friends. One of them, with white hair and red eyes, wove in his direction before being swept away by an annoyed looking Teto.
Piko gulped and lead the Oracle to the corridor on the right, which had a heavy oak door at the end. This hallway is darker, since the candles haven't been lit yet, as this early in the morning, the rest of Amaryllian royalty hadn't been call eo breakfast yet. Piko stopped and waited for Len, who flicked his hand and sended glowing magic balls of light to each candle. Piko resumed walking, bumping into plenty of cleaning maids who gave him dirty looks, before realizing that, of course, it was Piko, His Highness's butler, and the should probably treat him with respect, because he was the highest ranking servant.
Piko opened the heavy double doors and awaits for Len to go in. Len did so and Piko went after him, closing the door behind the two. The walls were laid with a swirling ivory and gold wallpaper, and the floors a matching quartz tile. In the middle of the immense room, a long thin dark oak table was set with a yellow tablecloth and cream-colored dishes, set for the lords' and ladies' breakfast. In the back, glossy oak door lead to the kitchen.
Piko strutted to the head of the table and pulled out the soft cushioned chair from underneath the glossy surface of the table. Len followed and sat down on the chair, as a maid with bushy long green hair brought a covered dish to the table. She hurried away after bowing deeply to Len. Piko glanced at the concealed plate on the table in front of the hungry looking Oracle. He walked over to the dish and lifted the lid.
When Len saw what was on the dish, his eyes brightened and he looked up at Piko like a 5 year old receiving a tricycle for his birthday. Piko smiled a bit and replaced the filled plate with Len's empty one.
"Your breakfast this morning is chocolate and banana filled crepes." Piko announced to Len, and when he finished, Len grabbed his fork and took a bite. The moment the piece of crepe touched his tongue, the entrance door swung open, revealing another Oracle, the same with the beautiful sea colored hair. She was the one that had arrived not to long ago in the carriage. She was crying. Len slammed his fork down, swallowing the piece of crepe without chewing it. His eyes widened at the sight of her face.
"Miku!" Exclaimed Len, as the Oracle of that name ran over from the door's entrance, her long teal pigtails flowing behind her. "Piko, you have been excused." Ordered Len hurriedly, as Piko sensed the situation. He bowed and scurried into the kitchen, muttering about "a new cake recipe he had been thinking about and how this was the perfect time to try it".
Miku pulled out the chair on Len's right and sat down. Len reached for her hand, which was on the table and she allowed him to take it. She then bursted into tears and squeezed the hand that holds hers. Len noticed her jewel, that pure white diamond, looking more dull than it usually did- and, shocked, he saw that it was cracked. This meant someone had cracked her gem- things like this didn't happen on their own. Though jewels from the earth were strong and not easy to break, Oracle gems were delicate and could crack at the slightest mishandling.
"I hate him, Len! I hate him! I don't want to-" Miku started. Len was perplexed. Her betrothed, Lord Yuuma, was known for being kind, yet mysterious. Miku had been happy when she was delivered the news that he was her future husband. Len wondered what he had done to Miku; and the thought of it just made his blood boil.
"Miku, what did he do?" Len asked worriedly to the broken girl, anger at Lord Yuuma lacing his words like cyanide.
"I want it over, Len! I want to leave this place and never come back!" Yelled Miku, her face red with sadness and anger and things Len had never seen her angelic, doe-eyed face express.
"Miku, we are completely alone. What happened? What did he do?!" Len inquired softly.
"He hit me, Oh, Len, he hit me! When I told him I loved him! He HIT me! He said he hated me, and I swore his eyes were red, and then slapped me! On my chest! My stone! It hurts so much-" Miku cried. Len drew in breath. He thought about someone hitting this angel and it hurt, it hurt to think about.
"Calm down, it's okay. Everything's fine. I promise. You're alive." Len said, his words smooth and rich like chocolate.
"My stone! It's cracked now! He cracked my gem!" Len inhaled sharply. Though the stone wasn't fully broken, breaking an Oracle's stone was a complete insult to the Chromic Empire. That was an offense bad enough to serve in prison. He would make sure that Yuuma would pay for it.
Miku stood and cupped her hands around her gem, as though it might fall out of her chest at any second. Len scooted out his chair and got up from its cushion-y heaven. She let out another loud sob. "It won't hurt for long." Reassured the blonde Oracle. Len took a couple steps over to the other Oracle; and, very tenderly, as to not hurt her, examined and traced his long thin finger down the long crack that ran from the top of her stone to the middle.
"Miku.." Whispered Len. His voice was soft and kind, and it wraps around Miku like a blanket and she felt safe. "You want to leave?" He asked. Miku nodded. Len remembered her words: "I want to leave this place and never come back!" He swallowed, thinking about them leaving. It was a wonderful thought, but Len knew they shouldn't, it would drive their country into chaos.
"It's almost time for the meeting at the Nucleus. Have you eaten breakfast yet?" Asked Len. When Miku shook her head, Len gestured to the plate of crepe. "You can eat this crepe. I'm not hungry at all anymore."
"Are you sure?" Inquired Miku, wiping tears from her eyes and swallowing down the rest of them that hadn't escaped yet.
"Yes, Miku- when you're done, we can go to the carriage and you can ride there with me."
"Okay." Miku said, grateful, and sat down at Len's chair, the warmth and smell of him tightening the blanket around her heart even more. She ate quickly. Len had sat down across from her at the foot of the table, gazing out the windows, deep in thought.
What is he thinking about? Miku thought, swallowing a piece of crepe. She wanted him to sit next to her, she just wanted to be closer to Len so badly she felt the urge to move herself and the plate next to him. What was this feeling?
Miku felt it wasn't supposed to happen to her, and she felt regret, but at the same time, she liked it- she liked the feeling itself and the feeling of possibly breaking a rule.
"What are you thinking about?" Miku asked curiously, waking Len up from his daydream.
"I was thinking-" Len began, but before he could finish, a young girl with bubblegum-colored hair tied into a sidebun came rushing into the room.
"Lady Miku." She said, panting. "You're going to be late to the meeting." At that moment, Piko rushed out of the kitchen, hearing the maid's entrance.
"Uni, I'll be right there." Miku said sweetly to her lady in waiting before stuffing the last bite of chocolate covered crepe into her mouth. Miku looked urgently at Len, who stood up and nodded, adding a small smile.
"Piko, would you mind if we traveled with Princess Miku?" Len asked his butler.
"Not at all, Your Highness." Piko replied, bustling over to Len, who was around 6 inches taller than the servant, straightening his hair, bowtie, and collar, before he realized what he was doing and rushed back a good 6 feet away from Len with his face looking an unhealthy purple.
"Go alert Sir Yohio that we will not be traveling in his escort." Len ordered Piko in a kind voice.
"Anything, Your Highness." Piko planted his hand on his heart and bowed deeply, hung there for a short while, then swung up and scurried out past Uni, out the double doors, and into the crowded hallway.
Miku cleared her throat. "Len, we need to go. We're going to be late anyway, we shouldn't be even more late." She said, using her fingers like a comb to brush out her twintails. Len knew that she could be bossy, but this balanced out her usually innocent, shy, and cute nature.
"I know, Miku, but we're going to have to wait for Piko." Len said, swallowing. He glanced at his cane leaning against the table and he thought, "Please, Piko, come quickly."
"What's up with Piko? He's very... odd, to say in the least." Miku asked. She laughed, and it reminded Len of a small tinkling bell.
"I've never known. He doesn't act that way when I'm not there." Len answered humorously. He brushed a naughty lock of sun colored hair out of his ocean colored eyes.
"How do you know?" Miku responded with another giggle.
"Stories," Len smiles. Another laugh rang throughout the room. He saw Uni, holding her hand in front of her mouth. "You should see him when you aren't there. He's hilarious. He tells funny stories from when he was an apprentice, like the one with the chickens-" Uni burst out into a mess of giggles again.
"Oh, Uni." Miku said, looking hopelessly at Len, who smiled and glanced at her stone again. It was losing even more of its charm and was beginning to look like it had never been polished.
"Miku, your gem." Len gestured toward her chest. Miku looks at it and all of her happiness from moments ago seemed to never exist. "You need to see Luka once we get to the Nucleus!" At this second, the doors swung open, and Piko came jogging in again.
"I have taken care of Sir Yohio." He said, nodding his head at his master. Uni giggled again. Piko looked quizzically at her, face pink, and Len, behind his servant's back, gave a strained smile and put his finger to his lips.
Miku rushed to the window. There, her carriage had stopped and the two white horses leading it were pawing at the cobblestone road in front of the entrance to the castle. Two puny humanoid figures were standing in front of it, deep in conversation. "My carriage is here." Miku announced, putting her hand above her eyes like a visor to shield them from the spring sun. She could now see what the figures seemed to be doing.
"They're sending for us to come to the carriage to get to the Nucleus! Let's go!" Miku proclaimed, running to Len and taking his left wrist. She lead him out the door, Uni and Piko following behind, confused. "You can be so slow sometimes!"
"For the love of Rin!" Len exclaimed. Since the rulers of Chroma were viewed as gods to the humans, Len enjoyed to make jokes like swearing upon their name. Luka, the head priestess, did not think it was funny, but he did it to be annoying.
Plenty of people in the corridors made way for the two rulers, bowing, grateful for their fair rule. Most of them were very honored Princess Miku, ruler of the Chromic kingdom Cerceta, was visiting the Amaryllian palace, but all of them, bowing, honored, or not, were most likely confused as to why the Cercertan Princess was running, dragging the Amaryllian Prince by his wrist, and their escorts chasing after them in a frantic dash.
Either way, they met a professional looking female with bright magenta hair in a bright red dress at the door. Her face looked familiar to someone Len knew, but he couldn't pinpoint it yet.
Miku's hair was messy and her pure white dress was wrinkled. The red-clad woman looked disapprovingly at the sight in front of her, but she sighed and bowed. "I, Your Highness Len, am Miku's caretaker, Lady Miki. I have been sent by her chaffeur to send for her. You are both very late for the meeting." She said matter-of-factly, thin red eyes glaring up at him like snakes.
"Actually, Miki, Len will be traveling with us." Miku replied sharply, dropping Len's wrist. She waved her hand and a black and silver comb appeared in her palm. "Why didn't I think of this sooner?" She muttered.
"Traveling with us or not, we need to depart." Miki spun around swiftly and attempted to push open the the heavy tall doors. "Uni!" Miki demanded, tapping her right foot impatiently. Both Uni and Piko hurried over to the door and proceeded to try to push it open.
Len felt sorry for the two servants so, behind his back, he made a pushing motion with his hand, summoning magic to help the two open the door. The door flung open, and Miki stomped out into the daylight. The sky was clear except for small, pillowy clouds, drifting in the air, and everything was green.
Len's town was a lot like his palace. It was bustling with activity, but it was also friendly. Everywhere you went you could hear music and voices and the pounding of a dancer's feet on the road, performing for an enthusiastic group of Amaryllians. Len's kingdom specialized in the arts. Len knew violin. As a ruler of a Chromic kingdom, he had to be taught one of his kingdom's tributes: drawing, dancing, or playing an instrument. He had picked an instrument, because the other two options sounded tiring. Also, his mother had been famous her violin playing skill. He had chosen to inherit Sonika's violin instead of getting another made for him.
Piko caught Len's side. "Thank you, Your High-"
"Piko, please. I would have opened it like that if Miss Snake Eyes wasn't here." Len whispered into his ear. Piko smiled thankfully up at his master.
Miki haulted at the entrance of the carriage and opened the door for the two Oracles. They entered, taking places next to each other, Len by the window on the other side. Just as Uni was about to enter, Lady Miki slammed the door in her face.
"Open it yourself, Spoiled. You're a servant. That's what you're supposed to do, isn't it?" Miki spat at Uni's Mary Jane shoes and swaggered over to the conductor's seat, her attitude completely changing when she caught sight of his face. "Hello, Mister Al.."
The carriage door creaked open quickly to reveal a distressed-looking Miku. Uni look relieved, but tears filled her eyes and were beginning to flow down her cherry-like cheeks. Miku offered her Lady-In-Waiting her smooth, pure, soft hand, and she took it.
"Thank you so much." Uni responded, wiping the tears from her eyes and sitting down on the cushy dark green leather benches that lined the inside of the small carriage. The sides of the carriage were a lighter teal, and the windows on each door were lined with silvery paint.
Piko also crept in, sitting next to Uni and across from Miku, who sat close to Len's side, diamond looking dull as ever. "Are you ready?" Yelled an impatient-sounding Miss Miki through the walls of the carriage.
"Yes!" Len shouted back to the rude caregiver. Miku flinched at the crack of Mister Al's whip and Miki's flirting, fake sugary sweet voice, and they were off, off into the busy streets of Amaryllia and the cheerful crowd.