Porcelain Angel
Chapter One: The Girl Who Fell
[Rin x Len Fanfiction
Noncest Version]
-R&R-
'Emotionless, stone cold eyes that stare into your soul. They are monsters to be hated for what they are, what they've done and what they possess. They are not human. They deserve to be despised.'
"Len, what does the ocean look like?"
The sudden question from the quiet Luka startled him, glancing to his sister who was sitting up from her futon, the blanket still on her lap. Earlier she had been sleeping quietly, as she always was. At times Luka's sleeping figured frightened him, sometimes he dare thought she was dead and not breathing anymore. Such a small frail chest and body structure she had, making her appear weak and always giving him the urge to shelter her from the wind and rain that she would encounter in her life. She stared at the azure coloured sky that was becoming lighter by the second, the sounds of birdsong reached their ears as his sister smiled coyly, waiting for his reply. He thought about it for a second as he took in a breath of fresh morning air, he answered her.
"If you stand on the shore, the water stretches as far as you can see, to the horizon." He began quietly, closing his own eyes to imagine the scene. Which he could remember so very clearly, the sea and beaches of Tokyo, such beautiful scenery his sister will never see.
"It changes colour with the light and the sky, from green to blue to grey. At twilight, you can't tell the ocean apart from the sky. Ripples and waves continuously flow toward you, eventually break into foam. Creep up to your feet with cold sensations and slide back. The ocean makes a sound like water surging and retreating. Seagulls circle and cry, there is the smell of saltwater in the air and the sun shines on your back, giving the greatest warmth in the world."
It was silent as his sister pictured it in her mind from his description, the sound of the morning breeze rustling the old trees outside of their home, he could hear his own breathing and his sister's too. Luka soon had a small smile on her face, as if she could clearly picture it within her mind. "It sounds so beautiful," she breathed softly, "Will you take me to see it one day?"
How hopeful she sounded, full of trust and peace; she didn't know she would never be able to see the colours of the sky again. It made his chest contract and squeeze together tightly, so much that it hurt. He could feel the uncontrollable feeling of sadness plummeting back down onto him again. Forcing a smile onto his dry lips he nodded his head, "Yeah."
He had told a lie on a whim. He had soothed Luka back to sleep and reluctantly got up onto his feet. There was so much on his mind right now, mixed emotions; fear, guilt, sadness, confusion. He didn't understand why he felt like this, or why there was so much on his mind right now. The only thing he knew was that he needed a break from everything, a break from reality; even if it's just for a little while.
The cold morning wind hit him in the face hard, like a hungry tsunami; sending cold shivers down his spine, the hair on his arms and neck prickled, goose-bumps began to show on his scrawny arms and legs. The jeans he wore were worn-out and old, while his jacket pressed and flapped with the wind. Despite it being freezing cold in the beginning of March- when the warmth of spring should've taken over, here in his old hometown Hiroshima, the air and grass still lingered with the scent of winter.
At first he just wandered about the forgotten little town, wondering if his friends in Tokyo were okay. What those people did to this town was unforgiveable, shaking his head clear from those nasty, unwanted thoughts he stared to the grey coloured sky that seemed to be displaying his own emotions from within. He could remember the scenes of that day when everything went wrong.
.xxx.
Screams pierced the air, so loud and high-pitched able to break glasses, reaching up to the sky through skyscrapers. He had woken from his peaceful slumber on a Saturday morning; it woke him like lightning striking trees. Never did he know that it would be his final time seeing Tokyo like how he remembered it. Pulling his curtains up with great speed he pulled up his window and stuck his head out, eyes wide with fear he glanced at his once familiar surroundings. The buildings were wrecked and cars were thrown aside and left to burn, what scared him most were the human looking monster models, Vocaloid. Singing models made to bring pleasure to the world through song; they had malfunctioned and turned into emotionless, killing machines. And now, they are tearing apart the city they were born and raised in.
There were a group of at least twenty of them, within seconds some had vanished, as if teleporting to another country and another land to wreak havoc. The leader was a humanoid model with two raven black pigtails; her eyes were full of hatred as she opened her mouth and took in a deep breath. All the citizens and mothers with children seemed to be holding their breaths, praying to God for salvation and protection; but that did not come.
A high-pitched robotic voice escaped from her small lips, it was like nothing he had ever heard before. It was full of emotion, hate, anger and something more, The scream was loud, as if she was screaming through a megaphone, the vibration and force in her voice shook the earth and made every house on the core of the earth wobble. Dust picked up and broken pieces of cement, window shards and dry leaves were sent flying, everything turned white. The people blocked their ears and screamed in agony as they fell to their knees, grovelling before them. The humanoid robots, Vocaloid. Not him though, it didn't hurt his ears, their high-pitched voices and sounds, all he could do was stare and feel his hand fall onto his chest and clench tightly. He watched in silence as the robots tore apart the city, setting the famous Tokyo to flames. They wrenched humans apart and threw cars across the roads denting houses and buildings. From his apartment he stood, wordless, unable to move, he wasn't afraid of them like everyone else was. He was curious. He could tell from their cries that they weren't angry like what the news reporters were saying, they were in pain. Their words were incoherent, their screams and cries filled the sky that was gushing crimson, smoke rose to the sky and tainted the sky grey.
"Help me…."
.xxx.
Covered in cold sweat as if awaking from a frightening nightmare, he took some deep breaths. It's over now. He told himself, again and again. From then on, every night he would repeat the same words, this way he would not be afraid, this way he could remain 'strong' to his two sisters. He reminded himself that he had to stay strong for Luka, his little sister who needed him. He should be grateful for what he had; his life, his senses and his memories. Digging his cold hands numb from the cold into his pockets he could still remember the phone call he received a few days after the Vocaloid attacks.
"Hello?" He spoke softly into the receiver, what he heard made his blood run cold. Gritting his teeth he could feel his eyes blurring he took some deep breaths and answered in the most emotionless voice possible. "Yeah."
How could they be so cold and heartless? They even went as far as to go to Hiroshima and rip apart the small towns, not only that; they also killed as much as they could. He could still clearly remember how he felt that day. Not angry like the rest of the survivors were, he in a way, wanted to sympathize with the Vocaloids. The sounds of his other sister, Miku's sobs made his heart break completely. A lump was caught in his throat when he tried to comfort her, not knowing what to say. As an older brother, he should reassure her, that everything would be okay. But that day, he was not so sure of that. From the Vocaloid attack on, people have turned their backs against each other, refusing to trust their own kind. Those who have gone bankrupt and poor after the attacking were left to starve, humanity finally showed its cruel side. With his parents gone, him only being in the first year of high school meant he had to return to Hiroshima to care for his two sisters. Now, he was working on a farm, barely earning enough money for them to eat and wear clothes. Miku, being the cheerful and helpful girl she is persuaded him to let her work. Len didn't agree though, he couldn't make his sister work to help a family, she had already seen enough of the dark side. But Miku still had to work, the thought of his sister selling her body to richer, 'noble' men made his stomach sick.
While he walked slowly across the sandy beach, he felt the feeling of the sole of his feet sinking into grains of sugar, it was somewhat comforting. The way he described to beach to Luka, closing his eyes he took in a breath of the salty sea air and relaxed his stiff shoulders. He could hear the sound of crashing waves, lapping up millions of sand particles and returning them to the Ocean floor. Len heard the sound of wings and turned to see seagulls hovering close to ground level, giving out hungry cries. The pollution in the ocean had destroyed many of their food. Feeling pitiful for the hungry bird, Len squatted down and closed his eyes. He pictured fishes swimming in the water, within a few seconds he received a reply for the animal.
'There's nothing left…'
With that reply, the bird took off and vanished to the horizon. Turning to face the endless sea, he closed his eyes. Wanting peace, comfort and understanding, from what he was unsure. He wondered what it would be to be like Luka, never being able to see anything. She had tried to explain being blind to him a few times- but he didn't understand. She had said,
"Being blind doesn't mean you can't see anything. In a way… You can see shadows and colours. It's not that bad, I can hear things much better than you can."
He still didn't understand. Didn't being blind mean that the world was completely dark to you? He felt his heart clench tightly again, he pitied Luka, he pitied Miku, he pitied the people who have lost their loved ones and he pitied the killing machines. He didn't know why he could show such compassion. He didn't know himself the way others knew him. Letting out a quiet sigh he stared into the distance and murmured quietly, in a hopeful voice.
"Show me some answers…"
.xxx.
It happened so suddenly that Len had no chance to catch her, no hope of doing anything but watch as she fell from the sky. One moment Len was alone on the beach, staring off into the distance lost in his thoughts and guilt. The pale sun sparkling off the waves, nothing in the sky but a few passing birds and dissembling white clouds; the next second a frail girl floated down from the heavens. At first Len thought she was an angel, innocent and beautiful, sent as a gift from God to answer his prayers. When he studied her falling shape his heartbeat quickened, she was a human with no wings. It was too late; she struck the shimmering sand with a soft, muted sound.
Turning towards the figure he dashed through the damp sand, feet sinking in millimetres and spraying more fresh sand onto the old ones, leaving a trail of footprints. He dashed toward the crumpled figure of a girl. Shreds of crimson and indigo did little to conceal the fact. She lay still on the sand, not moving an inch and looking as if her breathing had stopped. Falling to his knees he found himself staring at her, her skin was pale and smooth, like porcelain, she reminded him of a porcelain doll. Like instinct, his hands gently brushed her face, brushing away the stray strands of her silky golden hair. The side of her face was smooth and soft like velvet. She was beautiful and fell from the sky like an abandoned porcelain angel who fell from Heaven.
He swallowed and the thought that she was dead struck him. It made his heart race as he unconsciously laid his hands on her barely covered breasts, this was the first time he had ever laid hands on a girl's chest, it was firm but soft. From that single touch he felt that she was breathing faintly, quickly snatching his hand back he felt his cheeks flush a dark pink as he studied the girl's figure again. What a peaceful look she had on her face, her hair was short but silky and her eyes remained closed. She had a small nose and a small mouth, everything about her seemed so small compared to him.
Then the porcelain angel opened her eyes, they were the colour of the ocean, vast, deep and mysterious. She looked at him with the glassy stillness of a tide pool, unfeeling, uncomprehending, as her crystalline eyes seemed to stare right into his soul. Len spoke to break the silence, he reached for her small cold hands, "Are you alright?"
The limpid pools of her eyes overflowed, small crystalline pearls of teardrops sparkling like starlight for an instant as they melted into the golden sands. She didn't seem to realize that tears were flowing, or even the fact that she was crying. She didn't seem to even understand the words he spoke, she bit her lip before averting her eyes, as if wanting to hide her sobs. They hid an emotion. He could feel something emerging in his stomach again; it made him want to cry with her. He didn't know why, the feelings the girl was showing to him through her mind was so pure, so innocent. Wiping her tears away with his thumb, he tilted her head up so that their eyes were locked together. "Please stop crying." His eyes were soft with compassion and his words were a mere whisper, though they couldn't communicate in words, the meaning must have travelled to her heart as the girl took in some quick breaths and looked up to him. The way a dog looks to its owner who abandoned him. Those eyes she had were like a porcelain doll, in a way emotionless; but in another, flowing with unread emotions.
"Which careless child threw you away?" Len murmured quietly, the girl didn't reply. He showed a small smile, a true smile he hadn't done in a long time- ever since the Vocaloids attacked. One arm wrapping around her waist while the others scooped her beneath her legs he lifted her feather-light body in his now-strong arms, he hid a surprised look when the girl rested her head against his chest as he carried her across the sparkling beach, on the way to his home.
The girl's ear rested against his chest, applying little pressure. She was listening to the steady beating of his heart, the frightened look she had earlier on her face had changed to bliss. He couldn't help smiling, it reminded him of how Luka looked when she had a great dream. Heading towards the Japanese styled old house close to the beach, he told her quietly.
"This is my home. It's nothing much but very good. We stay here for spring and summer, we move houses in winter to a much warmer place."
The girl didn't seem to be listening to his words but he didn't care, it seemed more like a reminder to himself also. His parents had died here while he was in Tokyo for high school, his sisters were put through a lot before he got here. Many of the neighbours were demanding the debts their parents owed them, getting enough food and shelter itself was already really troublesome. Biting his lip to stop the tears from flowing to the thought of losing his parents, he walked across the beach of what remains of his hometown, Hiroshima.
.xxx.
The place where he had grown up as a kid, running around and being called a 'Country Bumpkin' by all those city businessmen which only ever came for the land Hiroshima offered. Len liked it in Hiroshima, it was peaceful and a quiet place. Everyone here were like family, they worked on farms together and picked fruit together. He had been very close friends with everyone.
He would return home after playing Cops and Robbers with his friends, muddy on his knees and elbows, sometimes with cracked scabs. Rushing home he would yell, "I'm home! What's for dinner?" and his mother would answer through the kitchen, "Your favourite." Len would be able to smell the dinner and take of his shoes and rush to the kitchen and give his mom a big hug. His mom would scold him for rolling around in the mud and he would be sent to have a shower before dad returned; and when dad did return, the three of them would settle and eat. When Miku was born, the family became a lot livelier and Miku would occasionally make lots of troubles for her parents. But they loved her just the same.
Then Luka was born. Though Luka was weak ever since childhood and partially blind (then turned completely blind) mom and dad loved her just as much; dinners would be lively and loud, everyone would share what they did- Luka sometimes being the only sane one.
After eating and mom washing the dishes, dad would sit and watch television; the three of us were left. We invented many games to play, lastly we would shower before crawling into our futons and let our father tell us a story before we sleep. Everyday his mom and dad will remind them how much they love them; though at times the family was troubled with money, everyone loved each other and forgave each other easily.
.xxx.
Thinking about his parents, Len felt his throat swell up and found it hard to swallow as if something was caught up in his throat. His vision blurred as he felt warm tears trickle down from his cheeks, biting his lip harder he sped up his walk. The girl seemed to realize that he was upset as she glanced upwards at him, her eyes once, scintillating with a rare emotion, understanding, sympathy. Her slim, smooth arms slipped around his neck as she pulled herself up just a little so that their bodies brushed, this stopped Len's tears for a second but he broke down into them again. The water continuously flowed from his eyes, like a waterfall. He refused to sob in front of a girl so he held it in but soon he began to hiccup lightly, the girl was curious about him but she wiped his tears away the way he did when she was crying. She used the ragged cloth she was dressed in, it made his stomach twist and turn uncomfortably.
"I'm being good for the environment aren't I?" he managed a croaky laugh as he rose his head and closed his eyes, letting this sadness engulf him completely for a few heartbeats. He could be weak and a loser around this girl he just met, because she wouldn't judge him. He had to be strong, for Miku and for Luka. Because he was their older brother, he had promised to look after them, the promise he made with his parents. He didn't understand her. The girl continued to wipe his tears away, relaxing his stiff body he let out a breath he held in for so long. He looked at the girl who stared back at him as he murmured, "Thank you."
With that, he carried her back to his home.
.xxx. [I do not own Vocaloid]
AN: Hello everyone~ I know it's kind of weird for me to be writing a story without first putting it onto my to-do-list but this idea suddenly hit me really hard and I've gotten the temptation to do it. And you know me; I can't help but write when I want to. So here's a new story, (which may mean my other stories are slowed down D: But still, hope you guys enjoy!) Because this was a story out of the blue, updates may be EVEN slower. I am aiming for at least 7 reviews before I work on the second chapter. ~This is a new writing style for a sadder type of fanfic… I hope I'll be able to make some of you'se shed tears.
Next Chapter: It Was Rin Who Started It
A kiss in the rain, misunderstandings and conflict between brother and sister. Problems collapse on top of him. He doesn't understand why but something in his heart tells him she's in pain. She doesn't want to be pitied. She can sense the love coming off from Len, but will she ever be able to understand the complicated human heart?
