Superbia.
A word that carries meaning, weight, sin.
Of course, you may not understand why, but this word has caused arguments, conflicts, even revolutions.
Especially revolutions.
One happened less than a lifetime ago because of it.
Many died.
My sister disappeared.
And many evils were punished because of it.
Now, if you do not know what is the harm of Superbia is, I do not blame you.
I didn't even see it when the revolution happened.
My sister didn't as well.
But, I shall tell you the harm of Superbia.
Superbia means "Pride."
Pride caused a revolution.
Pride caused me pain.
Pride caused my sister to disappear.
And Pride caused my sister to regret.
But, my story is one for another time.
However, the tale I tell you now is also one of Pride.
Come, let us begin.
"What's the time again?"
"Teatime, I believe."
"No, the actual time."
"It's 15:00 now. I may be right, but the clock's too far away for my eyes, heh."
"3:00 past noon, right?"
"Yes, that's right... 3:00."
"You know, they changed how the clock works more than sixty years ago."
"It just reminds me of a more simpler time, heh."
Two nuns sat around a table, the smell of Plateau Tea giving the air a homey, soft smell. The room they sat in was big enough, the window showing the soft, fluttering, falling snow, the yellow wallpaper darkening as the short day continued its course, dust beginning to gather on the recently dusted books, golden lettering slowly beginning to turn into an ugly shade of brown. Two roses poked out of a vase in the middle of the table. One was taller than the other, however, it was wilting into a dry bloody shade. The other rose was wrapped around the other, the thorns of this one facing outward, as if that rose has decided to protect the other. The older of the two nuns, the Mother Abbess of this monastery which they were in, always kept the roses that way. The younger one could not understand why. In this moment, everything was perfect. The future seemed as bright as the candle in the window.
And then the shouting happened.
"HELD CURSE YOU!"
The Abbess dropped her tea, the ceramic clanging onto the ground.
"But, Rin..."
"It's MISS Rin to you!"
It was her. The abbess was shocked. If the voices behind the wall were true, well... Rin was her favourite, along with her brother, out of all of the orphans in the monastery. The abbess looked down.
"Miss Rin, I can't give you my lunch."
"Well, if Micha gave you hers, in her good generosity, why can't you be generous?"
The wall in front of the conversation reeked of saliva, no worse, sin. The abbess reached to grab her tea, but her ears heard of "generosity" in her favourite's rant. She clenched her hands as the tea stained the floor.
"What are you, selfish?"
"No!"
The Abbess' fists turned into balls.
"You're selfish, Oliver. Selfish as Karchess with his iced cream. Selfish as the Daughter of Evil herself! Everyone knows that!"
The Abbess slowly picked up her teacup, the other nun having finished her tea as well. Both nuns knew what lay beyond the room. However, the younger one was waiting for the Abbess' command. Would it come? Would it even be thought?
"Everyone? No, please... I'm not selfish..." The boy, Oliver, sounded desperate. The Abbess wanted the nightmare to be over.
"Do you want to be generous?" Oh Held above, did she want it to be over!
"Anything, anything..." The Abbess pushed her hands to her face, a sudden regret flushing her white.
"Then be generous and give me your lunch."
"What?!"
"Len, he's not giving it. You know what to do."
Did she rope her brother into this mess? Oh heck below, she did.
"Rin, what are you doing?" It was the Abbess.
The Abbess had had enough. Rin needed to stop. Blue eyes pierced in blue eyes. Gazes turned even colder. Ponytails stopped swishing with fear. This was a confrontation.
"Mother Abbess," the surprised girl curtsied. "Me and Len were playing a game. We're very sorry for the mess, Mother Abbess."
Curtsying again, she turned to Oliver, his poor golden eyes becoming blue with tears. There was spit on his face, presumably from the now frowning girl. Len, however, had gripped onto his wrist to get him to drop a bag in his hand.
"Lillian!" The Abbess turned to the tearoom, the other nun getting up.
"Get Oliver something from the lunchroom. I'll be here."
Lillian, the young nun, quickly had Oliver leave the hallway, following in every step that he made.
"You two," The Abbess pointed at Len and Rin. "Follow me. Now."
Len cringed a little. The Abbess has never talked to both of them like that. She never talked to anyone like that.
The Abbess looked behind her shoulder, the tearoom door shutting. She then looked to the other side, where another door was placed. It was white, a badly drawn "Mother Abbes's Office" scrawled on it, most likely with a pen. Len recognized the ink as Rin's handwriting when she was four.
Opening the door, the three went in the Abbess' Office, a quaint room, quiet as the snow gathered on the window. As the three sat in chairs that were around the desk that was in the office, Len marveled at the place while Rin gave an indifferent glance, her arms crossed. The Abbess sat down as well.
"Like the wallpaper? Changed it years ago, and it's still holding up." The Abbess felt proud of what she had.
Everyone knew the Abbess had the best interior design, and I mean it. Some say she was a servant to the Lucifenian Royal Family before the revolution. Of course, with a knowledge of interiors like that, you can turn a hovel into a five-star hotel.
"You heard the tale of the Daughter of Evil?"
Rin slowly sat up in her chair, her indifference bringing pain to the Abbess' heart.
"Yeah. You told us that tale when we were seven and never told us again. Right, Len?"
"Right, right," Len answered quickly, like a slave to his master.
The Abbess sighed.
"You know why the Daughter of Evil was executed?"
Rin scoffed at this. Of course she knew.
"It was because the people didn't like her."
"Why do you think the people didn't like her?" The Abbess was now crossing her arms like Rin, a raised eyebrow pointing to the girl.
"Well, it was because they wanted to steal her palace. Quite a low blow, if you ask me."
The Abbess blinked twice. Then again. Something was horribly wrong with her favourite.
"Len, do you know why?" The Abbess answered, her eyes showing fear and regret of the past.
"Well, it was because the princess was very arrogant, and no one liked her because of her misuse of pow-"
Len felt a strong stomp on his foot. He tried to downplay the pain in his mind.
"Of course, I may be wrong." The boy quickly stated.
"Oh no, you're completely right. I saw the Revolution with my own eyes. I even saw her get executed," she lightly applauded, turning her head to Rin at the slight warning in her last sentence.
"Now, Rin," The Abbess pulled her chair as close to the girl as she could, "it's not a good idea to do what you're doing."
Len coughed, his eyes staring at the argument-to-be.
"You need to take a look around yourself and think of others. Especially your brother."
Rin looked up and chuckled a little. The Abbess only frowned more.
"I think about everyone, Mother Abbess, I really do!"
"You only think about yourself more." The Abbess was right. She knew that was a fact. Len knew that as well. Rin blinked.
"I can see it in your eyes, Rin," The Abbess continued to state, "you're not going to change at all."
Len and Rin glanced at each other, fear suddenly holding them by their throats.
"I'm sorry, dear," The Abbess bluntly stated, "I love you both so much, I treat you like my children, even saved you from trouble a lot of times, and this is how you repay me? I did not teach you to exert dominance over everyone! I did not teach you to be... prideful." She lingered on the word prideful a little bit, something wet beginning to leak out of her eye.
The Abbess began to realize why this child was prideful: she treated her like a daughter. All the coddling and spoiling over the years had changed her, and not for the better. She began to feel regret again, a deep regret, like one would feel on a family member's death.
Rin sat up straight, feeling slightly nauseated.
"I'm sorry that I have to do this," The Abbess continued, "but I must tell you that you have to be humbled. How is the matter that I'll attend to. Now leave, the other kids are probably waiting for you in the lunchroom."
Rin stood up, the waterworks beginning as she left. Len stood up with her, but the Abbess calmly asked,
"Could you stay here with me a little, Len? I need to talk to you."
The boy looked back, his sister closing the door on her way out and sat once again. His eyes began to clash with hers, but he was easily shot down.
"So, Len, how's your sister?"
Shuffling in his chair, the boy stuttered an answer,
"Fine, probably."
The Abbess frowned, and Len reacted with a worried stare.
"It's alright, don't be scared of me. I just wanna know how my little Rin-Rin is doing."
Len let out a slightly relieved sigh.
"Rin's not that well. She's become more..."
"Cynical? Sociopathic?"
"No, she's become more boastful..."
The Abbess' heart shot back into her stomach upon hearing the word. Boastful... Boastful... Ever since the Revolution, she hated the word "Boastful."
"I fear it's getting worse each day, she's asking me to fight people who don't do what she says!" Len confessed, each word cutting into the Abbess' heart like knives.
"Do you still do what she says?" The Abbess slowly said, the snow beginning to frost the windows.
"Well... yeah... she's my sister after all..." Len's voice lowered to a whisper, the light outside growing dimmer and dimmer as the unusually early evening began to reign.
The Abbess pondered, glancing at the window once, twice, thrice as the snow fell on the windowsill. Len clearly needed help, of course, but what would Rin feel? Rin was still her child, well at least she felt that way. With a profound sigh, the Abbess punished the girl, each word perking up Len's ear.
"So would you care to join? I'm inviting Michaela-" the Abbess stopped herself.
"Miku?" Len corrected, his interest piquing.
"Isn't it Micha?"
"Well, that's what us kids call her," Len admitted. He was sure he was breaking some kind of rule, he didn't know what.
"Oh, you kids and your nicknames. Don't know why you do them, but ah well," the Abbess moved her hand's position on the desk, Len still holding his hands in his lap. "So, you're coming?"
"Well yes, Mother Abbess, I am. Miku- Micha's being invited. I guess it's a good idea then. When is it again?"
The Abbess' eyes immediately traveled to a calendar. For some reason, Lillian had given her that as a present for Nativity Day, saying that she didn't know how to tell the time. Why she didn't buy a clock, nobody knows.
"It's the 3rd of Januarius, right?"
"January," Len corrected again.
"The thing happens at the midpoint of each month, as we discussed... that's twelve days from now..."
"Twelve days, eh? Alright." The Abbess noticed that the boy was more chipper than before.
"Well, judging by the time, you should probably get going. Something will be served soon... brunch, right?"
"Linner!"
The Abbess turned her head. Linner?
"What's Linner?" The Abbess realized she was getting old.
"Lunch and dinner!" He smiled, the Abbess smiling back at the son she had, although both knew they weren't related at all.
"Well, that's certainly interesting," the Abbess chuckled.
Moving to the door, the boy began to hum a tune as he went out.
"Oh, and don't forget to tell your sister!" The Abbess called after him.
The humming stopped, and the slow sound of walking remained in the hall.
The Abbess sat down in her chair, an exhausting day finally beginning to end. The Abbess took a break. Twelve days, eh? Surely Rin would forget by then. Her knees became weak in her chair as the air turned cold, degree by degree. She wished for warmth. It was always at this time that she wished that It would stop, alone in her office. And as the snow covered the windowsill, the walls turned light blue with the cold. She didn't like the cold. Well, not anymore anyways. All that she could think when she felt cold was It.
It was regret.
Hello, and welcome to my first fanfic! Hopefully this isn't as cringe-inducing as other people's first fanfics, but ah well. This fanfic is a bit of an early birthday present for the Kagamines, (Here's to 10 years more of songs about death, tragedy, and cutesy songs!) being based on the famous Story of Evil, so I hope y'all enjoy this! See you all next chapter!