Possession

Nothing stands between us here
And I won't be denied
And I would be the one
To hold you down
Kiss you so hard
I'll take your breath away
And after I'd wipe away the tears
Just close your eyes dear

-Possession by Sarah McLachlan

"Another one," Rion murmured softly to Len, her brow furrowing in concern as she cast a furtive glance at the closed door he stood before. She passed him the sealed envelope, the envelope with the name 'Rin' woven on the front in extravagant letters. The concern the two shared stayed heavy in the air as they looked to the door Rin rested behind. Then came the crinkling of the letter as Len read the piece that Rion already had. It was the gorgeous writing within that had thrown Rion off at first, before the horrifyingly desirous words inside registered in her head and made her read each terrify phrase.

I love you.

Be mine.

No one else's.

I love you.

I love you.

Love me.

It might not have been terrifying if it weren't for where the letters were found. Outside Rin's hotel rooms, taped on her dressing room mirrors, slipped into the bathroom stall after she'd entered. They came over and over, each and every day, from every which direction. That name became a household name for those close to Rin. Mayu. The name that haunted the halls, whispered over and over in the diva's ears, the name that the others desperately tried to keep away from her. If Rin was this scared already, how would she feel if she knew that less than a quarter of the letters actually made it to her as the rest were hidden, blocked before they reached her? Everyone was tense, terrified, so how must it have been for Rin, for whom it had to be so much worse?

Rion felt tears pricking her eyes as she thought of this, shivers running along her body as she lurched forward and desperately clung to Len, her beloved, and wept soft tears into his shirt. It was horrible that Rin had to go through this, and the worst was her denial. She pretended she was okay, that she wasn't scared. It was just a fan, she said, who'd gone a little overboard. It was just another fan, so she needn't be worried. It was alright, it was okay. Nobody had to worry about her; she was alright. She was alright . . . .

. . .

Mayu slipped through the crowd with a smile, so very overjoyed on this most special of days. Her beloved had a performance today, didn't she? Of course she did; Mayu knew everything there was to know about her beloved. Her beloved had skipped both breakfast and lunch today, for example. She hadn't received Mayu's newest letter thanks to that brother of hers and his girlfriend, though, so Mayu hoped she'd have enough inspiration to go on.

She hadn't met her beloved yet, sadly enough. Too much stood between them. Rin was an idol, after all, the very best of the best. No other idol compared to her, especially not that bratty tealette that was always trying to steal Rin's spotlight. Rin deserved the honours, not Miku. Miku's talents were simply circumstantial; Rin's were real. Rin was the most amazing woman Mayu could ever imagine.

Mayu was a poet, a songwriter. She and Rin were the perfect pair. Mayu could write beautiful songs, and Rin's gorgeous voice could bring them to life. It wasn't that Mayu couldn't sing, herself; it was simply a matter of how much more amazing Rin's voice was. Rin's voice was more pure than the first snowfall; her birth would have been more momentous than that of Christ. Every word Rin ever spoke, Mayu imagined to be directed toward her. Her love for Rin was utterly captivating, and her devotion to Rin would never waver. Never before had she felt anything so powerful as these feelings she held for Rin. It didn't matter that she and Rin had never met. She'd seen every television chat show Rin had been on, listened to her each time she was on the radio, made her way to every single concert Rin performed. She'd heard every word Rin had spoken since becoming an idol, and it had become instantly clear to her that her heart raced for Rin, that everything Rin was, she wanted. There was no one in the world like Rin, and, even if they had never met, Mayu loved Rin.

Mayu hummed a tune as she walked, words springing to her mind. She softly let her voice take to song, recounting the words she'd written for Rin. It was a poem she had written in the letter that she was delivering to Rin right now, but the rhythm was made to match this song Mayu always hummed. She'd recorded the instrumental, as well, and had sent it to Rin in advance. She knew her beloved must have listened to it; she read every letter Mayu sent her over and over, after all. Mayu knew they brought tears to Rin's eyes, so she sent them again and again. No matter the barrier that stood between them, Mayu and Rin would one day be together. Of that, Mayu was certain.

. . .

My body aches to breathe your breath

Your words keep me alive

Rin closed her eyes, but those words were burned to her brain. She knew the poem by heart, despite only having received the letter an hour prior. She didn't tell Len or Rion about it; they'd only worry. She'd caused them enough anxiety already. So, she smiled. Pretended. She skipped out of her room and grinned at their worried faces, chirping at them to cheer up. They gazed at her dubiously and looked for solace in each other. Since they weren't looking, Rin allowed her cheerfulness to fall for a moment. She felt so tense, and every unexpected sound or movement made her jump. The moment any eyes turned onto her, though, that fear seemed to disappear. She was as energetic and cheerful as always. Rin didn't want to burden anyone, after all, and her fans came to see her sing, not mope. There were expectations of her.

Rion and Len walked on either side of Rin as she headed to her stage, and she laughed at them for being so worried. It was a comfort to have them, though, because she feared that her obsessive fan would grab her if she were alone. She'd never been so afraid in her life. She'd considered quitting her singing at first, but the positive reinforcement that she got from her fans after every show was something she needed in her life, and she didn't want to let them down, either.

As Rin stepped onto the stage, cheers exploded from her audience. A smile lit her face, and she called out, "How's everybody doing tonight?" The crowd screamed joyfully back to her, and her grin widened as she laughed. "Well, you'd better keep your energy up because we're starting with a fast one tonight! Let's go, everyone! Sing along if you know the lyrics!" As the lights shone on her from behind, causing her to become no more than a silhouette, she let out a slow, deliberate snap. Music shot up from behind her, and her voice broke out into the song as she bounced around the stage, carefully conducting each choreographed step and hitting each and every note. The choreography had been changed a bit ever since she'd first started getting the letters, so she had to keep the alterations in mind. She no longer danced near the edge of the stage, which caused an immense guilt when she saw those arms reaching out onto the stage, longing for nothing but the simple touch of her hand. Any of those hands could be Mayu's, though, and that fear was so stifling that she didn't even consider going near the rest.

During intermission, Rin swigged down a bottle of water and flopped down into a seat. She felt exhilarated and exhausted all at once, and her blood raced to go back on stage. She wanted to preform more, to hear those cries more. Rion and Len came to check on her, but she insisted that she was completely fine. She tried to keep those letters off her mind throughout the intermission, and they were far from her thoughts when she made her way onto the stage again. After she'd belted out the last note on the third number of the act, though, things went downhill.

The lights flashed out. Rin's heart thundered, complete panic about to overcome her, but they only remained down for seconds. She looked to the band members, who simply shrugged. They didn't know what had happened, either. Rin made herself smile, though she thought she might cry from fright. She laughed to her fans and apologized for the interruption, inviting them to get ready for the next song. The band started playing, but the audio didn't sound throughout the room. Rin signaled for them to stop, looking back with a sort of scowl on her face. They quickly retreated from their positions to try to locate the problem.

That was when the music started playing, a song that none but Rin recognized. A shiver of terror ran down her spin, and she froze in her spot. She knew that song. It had been on a CD that had been with one of the letters.

Anyone watching the show would vouch that there was no confusion in Rin's gaze that sparked for even a moment. The only thing anyone saw was an incapacitating fear that shone vividly from her before her beautiful voice began to sing to that tune. They didn't recognize the words of that poem Rin had received earlier; instead, the crowd filled with excited murmurs at the sound of a brand new song, startled by their impression of her simply acting to play up her new piece. It wasn't until later that one member of the audience and then another acknowledged that the lustful yearning of the lyrics didn't quite match her frightened expression. She was a gentle doe caught in the stage's headlights, keeping her eyes now firmly shut in what some misconstrued as passion. She drew tightly into herself and stayed as far as humanly possible from the stage's edges. And, though her usual habit was to call out a cheerful goodbye and thanks to her crowd before making her way off stage, she didn't move for quite a while once the song was over, and a new song didn't begin. Her crowd began their whispers once more, silencing only when her smile broke completely and she dissolved into tears. Well-known idols Len and Rion rushed onto the stage as the girl fell to her knees, covering her face with her hands as the microphone amplified her sobs. Rin's terror resonated throughout the theatre as Len and Rion gently brought her to her feet and guided her off the stage, allowing security to herd the confused crowd onto the streets.

Rin didn't leave her room for days after that.

. . .

"That's ridiculous!" Rion exclaimed, her eyes blazing with anger as her voice blared through the room. She nailed the messenger with her vicious gaze, getting up in his face as she shouted. "Rin didn't do anything wrong! She was just singing! You have no proof that that song isn't one she wrote herself!"

"I'm sorry, Rion, but this girl's got a lawyer," Len sighed, glancing around himself to be sure that no one had noticed their conversation. "Keep down, okay? I don't want this to get back to Rin if it doesn't have to. She's having a hard enough time dealing with all this already."

"This is insane, though," Rion hissed in almost a whisper, sitting back in her seat and glaring down at the table. She crossed her arms over her chest and snapped, "Why the hell would a fan sue her? Mayu should be happy if Rin sang a song she wrote, if that is really the case."

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Len questioned, frowning. His concern for his sister had taken its toll on him, as well, which was visible in the dark rings under his eyes. "This girl wants to get closer to Rin. If Rin has to come testify, they'll have to be in the same room together. That's closer than any fan could ever get."

Rion looked up to Len, annoyance flickering in her gaze. "That's crazy. There's no way they'd let this psychopath anywhere near Rin, right? I mean, some of those letters are just plain terrifying. I don't know how she gets the courage to get on stage with those coming in every single day." Rion then shook her head, unable to believe any of it. "There's no way Rin could handle meeting Mayu in person."

Rion and Len both jumped at the sound of Rin's voice. "Actually, I'd like to meet her." They jumped from their seats, whipping their heads toward the girl who stood in the doorway. Her hair was roughly brushed, her makeup barely covering the darkness under her eyes. There was nothing she could do to take away the bloodshot in her gaze, but she'd managed a smile that was so disconcerting to Len and Rion that her eyes were barely noticeable.

"What are you talking about, Rin?" questioned Rion in disbelief. "Are you crazy?"

"I'm just curious," Rin remarked, looking at the table rather than either of them. "How could someone write so passionately about me without ever even being in the same room as me? I've never been in love, so I don't know what it feels like." Rin smiled up at them now, her uncertainty and fear clear in her eyes, however, and said, "I'd like to meet this person who loves me so much. I'm curious."

"You're crazy, Rin," Len argued. "For all you know, this girl might love you so much that she'd kill you so that no one else can have you. Have you even thought of that? This isn't just some innocent little girl, Rin."

Rin flinched then, her smile fading. No, she hadn't thought of that. She'd stopped herself from thinking that. After all, if she thought that, then she'd . . . she'd . . .

Rin ran off without another word, slamming her door shut behind her and forcing it to lock. She sank into her bed and wrestled against the sobs that tried to surface, squeezing her eyes shut to stop her tears from leaking out. She was trying to be brave, confident. She hated being this afraid. What she'd said to Len and Rion hadn't been a lie, but she was too afraid to go anywhere near that psychopath. No matter how the girl might love her, Rin could never love someone who caused her such horrible anxiety and terror. She'd do anything it took not to never hear about the girl again. She would die if that was what it took to keep the girl away. Rin sat up then, her eyes falling on a bottle of sleeping pills on her bedside table. Yes. She'd do anything.

. . .

It took three months for news of the incident and the court case that never happened to finally die down, and fans' attentions finally turned elsewhere. Rion and Len were scanning the online forums to see if anyone was still talking about Rin's situation, but everyone seemed to have forgotten it already. It was a relief for the two; they'd been dealing nonstop with this issue for so long now, but it finally seemed to be in their past. After he told Rion the good news, they smiled grimly at each other, recalling that horrible moment.

"Rin!" Rion exclaimed, knocking violently on her friend's door. Rin was still locked up in hiding, and no one had been able to get a response from her throughout the entire day. She'd taken all the spare keys with her, so Len had gone to fetch security to knock the door down. Rin still wasn't answering, and there was no way she was simply asleep. Rion feared what she'd see behind the door. "Rin, let me in! It's just me, I swear! I'm not going to hurt you!" Even worse than her panic was the immense guilt swallowing Rion whole. She remembered Rin asking for sleeping pills earlier. Maybe she was so afraid that she'd . . .

Before Rion could finish that terrible thought, she heard a voice behind her. "Hello. I heard you needed help." Rion whipped toward the girl, who she didn't recognize. Mayu recognized her, though. She knew everyone who was ever with her beloved Rin.

"Who are you?" Rion questioned, taking on the defensive and stepping to block the door. Mayu simply smiled. What a silly girl Rion was. She was simply trying to help the diva save the beautiful girl who hid behind the door.

"I came to knock down to door," Mayu simply replied, sincerity emanating from her. She was no one to be afraid of. She loved Rin, after all. She'd never do anything to hurt her.

Rion's tension faded, and she slowly questioned, "Did Len send you?"

Mayu had passed Len on her way here, yes, so she replied, "In a way." Then, brandishing her ax, she requested of Rion. "Please step aside now."

Rion's eyes widened at the weapon that she'd failed to notice in Mayu's grip, and she quickly obliged, scurrying far away from the door. She stared at Mayu in disbelief as the girl swung the ax with ease, slicing it through the door. As the wood splintered, she withdrew the ax and prepared to strike again, but, before she could, Rin's voice sounded on the other side.

"What the hell, Rion? Calm the hell down! I'll come open the door!"

"Rin!" Rion exclaimed, a great smile brightening her face. "Oh my gosh, thank goodness!" She turned to Mayu and insisted, "Thank you so much! You have no idea how worried we've been about her!

Mayu simply smiled and offered Rion a letter. The girl tentatively took it, and Mayu requested, "Please give this to Rin." Rion nodded hesitantly, confused, and looked down at the letter. Her heart seemed to freeze when she recognized the same handwriting that was on all of Rin's horrifying letters. She looked up to Mayu, prepared to shout for security, but the girl had vanished. Rion stood in stunned silence as Rin opened the door.

"Rion?" Rin wondered, gazing curiously at her friend. When she noticed the letter in her hand, she gazed at it with morbid curiosity. She recognized the handwriting, and the thought of what was written in that letter terrified her. But, at the same time, she so wanted to read it. She ripped the letter from her friend's hand, and Rion snapped to her senses. Hoping to save Rin's heart from the letter's content, Rion tried desperately to retrieve the paper. The two continued their struggle until they heard Miku's shrill shriek rip through the air.

The two ran down the hall toward Miku's shriek and were shocked by the immediate image of feet hanging directly before Miku's horrified face. As Miku stared at that swinging figure, traumatized, Rion gazed up at the sweet, horrid smile on Mayu's frozen face, her eyes still open as they became glazed over. The plush rabbit she'd been carrying earlier had dropped from her lifeless hand to the ground, and Mayu's body hung from the ceiling by little more than a noose around her neck. As Rion had been captivated by this gruesome image, Rin had managed to take back the letter, and her eyes stayed glued to the four simple words written there.

Never forget me, love.

Author's Note: Please vote on my poll for other Vocaloids you'd like to see paired with Mayu this month! Thank you for reading! Also this is based on the actual story behind the song.