Odds and Ends

It was Friday when Len confronted Rin on his worries.

He saw it the minute Rin walked through the door into their house. She was slumped over, walking in a sluggish, trudging way. Her short golden hair was hanging in her face, her usual bouncy energy and aura gone, disappeared with the rain.

The twins walked home from school, their feet splashing in puddles. Rin's feet dragged along through the mud. She sighed and opened up the door to their house. Their parents were away again...but when were they ever home in the first place? Len didn't know. His and Rin's parents were often away, and their older sister Luka practically raised them.

But Luka was at college at the moment, so it was just them.

But Len wished it wasn't sometimes. He wished his older sister was there to help him and Rin when they struggle. They were usually home alone those days, and Rin had been feeling down for the past few weeks, which worried Len thoroughly. Luka would usually know what to do in that situation, but he wouldn't be home until late at night, when the twins were in bed. Well, if they weren't playing video games till three in the morning, which they used to do. Ever since Rin became depressed, all she wanted to do was go into her room and be alone. Len could swear sometimes that he heard crying coming from in there once or twice.

Len threw his bag down on the sofa next to his sister. She glanced up at him with sad, leaf green eyes. "What's wrong?" He asked her.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." Rin stuttered, tucking her feet up, curling into a small ball.

"Yes, you do. Rin, please, you've been acting so down lately. What's wrong?" Len asked, sitting down beside her.

"I don't wanna talk about it." She mumbled. Len tapped her on the shoulder and smirked.

"You can tell me anything, Rin." He smiled, his crystal blue eyes twinkling.

All of the sudden, Rin burst into tears and flung her arms around her brother's head. Len stayed quiet until he could hear what she was blubbering clearly. She hyperventilated and wiped snot from her nose repeatedly. When she looked at her brother again, she tried giving him a smile, but it seemed more like a grimace to Len. "I didn't tell you what was going on earlier because…" She rubbed her arm, sniffling slightly. "Because I was scared."

"Of what?" Len asked, concerned. Whatever Rin was scared of, he could help.

"Of Teto." She almost whispered, tears running down her face.

Len knew Teto, and he didn't like her one bit. She was always showing off and flirting with him whenever he got a single second alone with Miku, who he was crushing on majorly. Miku was kind, sweet, selfless, and deserved so much more than what she got. Teto, on the other hand, was a total drama queen, and also a spoiled brat who wanted to be in the spotlight. Also, she was extremely jealous of Miku being a popstar and her not being considered a Vocaloid. Teto was the most bitter and evil person Len knew.

"Why?" He asked.

Rin rested her chin on her knees. "I wanted to try out for the cheerleading team the other day. When I did, Teto started laughing and calling me a freak because of some of my songs. She told me my song 'Sweet Magic' was too babyish and it ruined my reputation and that everyone was talking about me behind my back. She also said I wasn't pretty enough and I'm also only a Vocaloid because I'm your sister, and people only want a duo. Teto claimed I wasn't pretty, and I wasn't a good singer, that you always stole the show." Rin started bawling and covered her face with her hands. "Teto's been mean to me ever since."

Len felt his heart drop to the bottom of his stomach. How could somebody ever do something like that to someone as funny and sweet as Rin? She was by far the nicest person Len had ever met, and also the better singer out of the two of them. He only had one song he was really famous for, 'Butterfly on your Right Shoulder', and Len hadn't really liked that one anyways. He loved all the ones he did with Rin as the main singer with him, like 'Remote Controller'. That was his favorite song out of all of the songs the Vocaloids did. He and Rin had never had so much fun in their lives.

"Rin."

"I know, I'm a failure!" She cried, burying her face in her knees, sobbing.

Len took her hand, and Rin glanced up, sniffling. "Rin, you are not a failure. You are the best sister anyone could ask for. And if Teto doesn't agree with me, she's a jerk. She's just...an overly jealous, power hungry pig."

Rin smiled at him, her dimples showing whenever she was happy. "You really think so?" She asked him.

He wrapped his arms around his little twin sister, who cried over his shoulder. Rin had never felt so relieved. She exhaled deeply, sighing in relief. It seemed as if a huge weight had been lifted over her shoulders.

Len grinned and looked into her ivy colored eyes. "Remember that one song that Miku wrote? 'Odds and Ends?'" He asked, brushing a tear off of her cheek. She thought about it, then nodded.

"The lyrics kind of represent this situation.

'Compose and link together the emotions you want me to call out.

Paint your ideals! I won't let anyone meddle with your feelings.

The voice of these odds and ends will ring out, clumsily connecting unvarnished truths.

I'll sing out with all my might.

At that very moment, the world's colors began to change.

Sadness, happiness: One person and these odds and ends came to know it all.

Lyrics become songs, and once again they pulse around the world for you.

Entrust your will to that voice, and now your emotions resound.'"

The second Len started to sing, Rin burst into tears. Len hugged her and sang out the words that his best friend and crush had sung so well. Miku was beautiful, kind, sweet, charming, and just plain adorable.

Without her, the song wouldn't exist.

oOoOoOo

A few days later, Rin was back to normal. Whenever Teto walked up to her, Rin just ignored her and left, pretending she wasn't there. Teto may have been angry about it, but everyone just pretended the red haired 'Vocaloid' wasn't there to bother them. Some girls from the cheerleading team flaked away and started to hang out with Rin instead. Kasane even stopped flirting with Len for a few days (only a few days, she sprung back soon afterwards, she always did).

But Len still thought of what he had said to Rin. He hadn't exactly thought about 'Odds and Ends' like that ever before. His own words puzzled him.

But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense to him.

You see, Miku wrote the song after she was criticized for her song 'Yume Yume'. Everyone said it was babyish, kind of like 'Sweet Magic.' Even though Len thought his sister had looked absolutely darling in her kawaii chef hat, some people didn't think that. But it happened even worse to Miku. People started bullying her and spreading rumors about her. Teto started more rumors than anybody though. It got so bad, Miku had to leave the school system. She went to another school, a boarding school.

When Miku started writing songs with horrible meanings after that, Len spoke to her. He had told her that she needed a song that really inspired people. Miku, who had been especially depressed that day, dried her tears and thanked Len. A few days afterwards, she created 'Odds and Ends'. When Miku told Len it was dedicated to his words of inspiration, he nearly cried. He did cry when he first heard the song though.

It was truly the most amazing song ever. It was a song about being yourself, and not letting anybody crush your heart. Miku had hidden it in the lyrics. 'Odds and Ends' was about Miku's triumph over her depression, about how she arose from the ashes.

And Len's sister had done the exact same thing.

'Darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer.' -J.R.R Tolkien

A/N

I...I've never wrote anything so meaningful before. I almost brought myself to tears writing this. To think it started out as some silly project I felt like writing one afternoon. I have something to say. I feel as if I need to reach out to some of the readers.

This fanfiction is dedicated to those out there who feel alone, who think nobody is there for them. You may feel like not a single being on this earth can understand you, but someone does. You are all wonderful people, surrounded by wonderful friends. And if they aren't good friends, then go searching for someone else. They'll care about you more than the others did. And I know we're all human, and we all have issues, but please, I beg you, never treat someone the way Rin and Miku were treated.

Everyone has something going on in life. I know that. Sometimes, people like Teto only think about themselves. And that's okay. I know there are mean people out there, but everyone has a heart of gold. They just need to show it on the outside, by smiling like a ray of sunshine. And, if you do that, then the bad people of this world can be turned upside down. They can change. Everyone deserves a second chance.

And last but not least, remember that I care for you. That's all I can say really.

I hope you all have a good day. I'll be thinking of you.

-Luna.