"Stupid brother…" She was there again, at his grave. Kagamine Rin stood in front of the gray headstone, looking down with an intense, sorrowful frown, but no tears fell from her eyes.
It had been at least a year since her twin brother's death, and it still hurt her heart greatly to think he was really gone. Len had been a healthy person up until he died, happy even, before Gumi had left for America. He had been sad, yes, when she left, but when they and the rest of their Volaloid group had gotten word of the planes crash –no survivors-Len had lost every hope of ever making himself happy again.
He could have prevented her leaving, too, but it wasn't like she or anyone else was going to blame him for it. All he had to tell her though, 'don't go.' That's all he had to say to her. Gumi herself had talked to Rin before she left, she'd told Rin her feelings for Len and that if he asked anything of her, she would do it without hesitation, even if it meant not going to America, even if it meant she wouldn't be on a cooking show and getting more money.
That wasn't what had been important to Gumi, and Rin knew that Gumi was important to Len, as well. "Stupid brother, why couldn't you have realized Gumi would have stayed?"
She had only agreed to the stupid offer because she felt out of place with the rest of their group. Among them, her voice had a special quality to it, something that made her unique and most people overlooked and didn't even hear. Her singing career wasn't as big as the rest, therefore, wasn't bringing in as much income. She was struggling, not fitting in with the crowds, with their group, but she was happy with Len, whom she had fostered and nurtured a strong relationship with.
In the end, that's why Len had let Gumi go, because he thought it was what she had wanted. In the end… it was what had destroyed them both. When Gumi died, Len was barely a shadow of his former self. He still attended his and the other's concerts, he still practiced, maybe even more so to try and forget the pain of losing the one woman he loved. But all of his songs ended up being about her, and thus the cycle of pain dragged into his career.
Len was a healthy young man, but his will to live on, his heart hadn't been in the fight anymore, and eventually his body had failed. Death by heartbreak, it had been one of the most heart wrenching times in their group. Losing Gumi both to another company and then to death had been hard enough, but losing Len because they lost Gumi? They're group hadn't been the same since.
"You know, we're going on tour, so I won't be able to come visit you for a while, big brother." Two figures appeared behind Rin, gazing at her with smiles full of sorrow and acceptance.
"She really loves you, Len. I'm sorry that I caused all this." Tears welled up in the green-haired woman's eyes and fell from her cheeks, only to disappear before they even hit the ground.
Rin heard nothing but the wind and the rustling of leaves.
"It wasn't your fault Gumi, you were only doing what you had to. If I had known then what I know now…" Gumi placed her hands on Len's shaking fist, his blue eyes snapped opened and looked into Gumi's luminous green eyes.
"It's no use in blaming anyone, it was no one's fault. Neither us or any of them knew what would happen when I got onto that plane."
"We're traveling all around Europe, brother, and then we're heading towards America to do a few concerts at conventions. I'm sure you and Gumi would have been excited to go." Gumi and Len moved so they could see Rin's face, there were tears in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "I've said it twice already, but you're really stupid, brother. Why didn't you just tell Gumi not to go? She would have stayed!"
Breathing in deeply, Len smiled sadly at his little twin sister, "I know, Rin, I'm sorry I was so stupid."
"Even though things turned out as they did when Gumi left, you should have been stronger, brother. You should have lived for yourself and for Gumi!" An irritated, angrily, determined expression turned her lips downward, "since you couldn't do it, I'll live for the three of us. I'll live life to the fullest three times over! I'll learn more, play more, see and do more! Better yet, I'll live like tomorrow is my last day. Just wait and see, big brother, you'll be overwhelmed about the stories I have to tell you when I die because of old age after a full life. Then I'll punch you in the face for leaving me!"
Both Len and Gumi smiled at Rin's words, "I'll be looking forward to that, little sister."
"Yes, I can't wait to hear all about it." Gumi agreed.
"By the way, I hadn't told you before you… left, but I think I found the guy I want to marry someday. He's a really great person, kind and caring, and he's been a lot of help with everything that's happened." A slight smile twitched at her lips, "I don't think you'd approve though. You always said no matter who I chose no one would be good enough, but you can suck it, brother, you don't have a say in it. Even if you were here."
For a while there was no more sound except for the wind occasionally picking up. During this time Rin continued to look down at her big brothers grave, just gazing, her mind swirling with thoughts and memories, with anger and irritation, and with loneliness and sorrow. Gumi and Len looked down at the grave as well, and all three stayed that way for a good ten minutes, not even hearing the footsteps of the man who was Rin's boyfriend, coming up behind her.
"Rin, my love, are you alright?" He gently placed his hands on Rin's shoulders.
Len looked up in surprise, shock evident on his face, but then his expression softened, "you're right Rin, I don't approve." However, the gentle smile and the tears in his eyes said otherwise.
Rin's head shot up, had she really..? "Shut up, big brother, you have no say in my love life." She whispered to the wind, feeling whole-heartedly that her beloved, idiot big brother would hear.
Stepping forward, Len wrapped his arms around his little sister, "I love you Rin, be happy, okay?"
Tears welled up in Rin's eyes quickly, her boyfriend jumped in surprise, not knowing where the sudden flood of emotion was coming from. Overcome with the feeling her brother was hugging her, right now, in that spot, she couldn't help but sob.
"I love you too, big brother, you take care of Gumi, okay? Wait until I see you, I'm gonna punch you in the face so hard time will reset!" Her boyfriend wrapped his arm around the crying girls shoulders and led her away from the gravesite, presumably ignoring her comment, leaving behind the spirits of Len and Gumi, smiling lovingly at the retreating couple.
"Good luck, Rin, we wish you the happiest life possible." Gumi smiled, clasping her other hand around Len's, who squeezed her hand back.
"I was so stupid Gumi, I should have said those two words back then, even if it seemed selfish to do. 'Don't go,' could have saved us all a lot of heartache."
"Tell me now, Len." Len's blue eyes widened as he looked into her eyes, almost confused by what she was asking.
Her kind and warm smile told him everything he needed to know though, and with a smile of his own, he cupped her smooth cheek, stroking it with his thumb. "Don't go, Gumi. Promise me you won't go."
Green eyes crinkled with a smile of love, "I won't go, not without you, Len."