A/N: Thank you for the reviews. And just in case you're wondering where's Len, he'll enter the story soon. Perhaps as a prince or a knight. You'll have to just wait and see. }:)

Disclaimer: I don't own Vocaloid or any of the characters.

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"What's out there past the West Gate that is so scary, Mother?" I pulled on the hem of her robe sleeve to get her attention.

She looked up from the book she was reading and smiled down at me. She picked me up and set me on her lap, setting the book on a side table. Silent for a minute, she gazed away as if deep in thought.

"Mother?" I poked her arm.

"It's alright, Rin-chan," she answered. "I was carried away with a memory."

So that's where I got my habit of flashbacks and daydreams from.

"I hope I don't frighten you when I say this, Rin-chan." Mother pulled a strand of hair around my ear. "There's a scary monster out there."

"Scary monster?" I thought about the figure I believed was peering through the West Gate last night.

"Yes, he preys on anyone that ventures out into the woods," she said softly. "That's how your father died and left the hardships of the kingdom to me."

My eyes were wide open now. "What is the scary monster? An animal?"

Mother pressed her lips together and closed her eyes. She seemed to be carried away with her thoughts again.

"Mother?"

She opened her eyes and answered quietly. "The beast."

(/.\)

I gaped at the sight my eyes allowed to give me. Was this real?

"Your Highness!" a nurse squeaked. "With all due respect, weren't you permitted to stay out of the infirmary?"

I heard Kaito sigh and put his hands on my shoulders behind me. "I'm sorry. I will take her out now."

My eyes were locked to the patient lying on the cot, as Kaito gently steered me out of the room. The dull ring of the screen near the cot signaled the person was long gone. I had barely realized I was out of the room when Kaito leaned down.

"You weren't supposed to go in there," he scolded.

"What happened to that girl?" I remembered the pale naked girl with bloody scratches all over her body. Her red twin curls hung limply over her lifeless face. But that wasn't even close to the worst. She had the words "I'm coming to get her" clawed into her stomach, and "7 days" embedded into her forehead.

Kaito was speechless.

"Well?" I pressed.

"She was burned by the fire pretty bad."

I frowned. "So I suppose the fire burned those words into her too, huh?"

Kaito put his hands on my shoulders once more. "It would be safer if you didn't know, Rin-sama." He gave me a look of pity.

"But I would like to know! Kaito, the whole castle has been keeping secrets from me today!"

He cringed. "It's for your best. Trust me, I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"Was it the beast?" My voice echoed dryly through the hall. When I received no answer, I suspected it was true. "That's right, isn't it?" Kaito said nothing. "Then tell me, what does he want from our kingdom?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Rin-sama," Kaito told me blankly. "You must have been hallucinating."

"Huh?"

"I'll take you up to your room straight away!" He took my hand in his, and he pulled me to my room upstairs.

"What do you mean? I wasn't hallucinating!"

"You've had a long day." Kaito patted my head. "Get some rest." He opened my bedroom door for me and signaled for me to go in.

I obeyed and turned back to him. "But Kai-" The door gently shut in my face.

Confused but exhausted, I climbed into bed with my clothes still on. I was frustrated with Kaito not answering to his fullest, but I decided I would hunt for answers tomorrow. But not before stealing a glance at the West Gate out of my window. A dark smudge loomed by the strong metal bars, but I was sure it was just my sleepy imagination.

(/.\)

I woke up, and my first instinct was that I had a terrible dream. But when I glanced down at my clothes that were still on, I knew it couldn't have been. Running to my window, I took a good look at the West Gate. The dark smudge before was gone.

Sighing with relief, I pulled on some new clothes. Making sure I looked presentable enough, I strolled out of my room. To my surprise, my mother was waiting for me.

"Ahh, you're awake." My mother smiled. "How about we go get some breakfast?"

I nodded and followed my mother down to the dining room. We sat down to a banquet of all the breakfast foods you could wish for.

"So, Mother, are the knights that put out the fire alright?" I decided to start with simple questions, but then I would press her for real answers after we started talking.

"Fire?" A wave of confusion spread over her face. "What fire?"

"The fire in the woods," I said cautiously. "Remember? The bell that sounded yesterday?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Rin-chan," Mother answered. "Did you have a dream last night possibly?"

I blinked. "What about that girl in the infirmary? The one that was all bloody and had those words on her!"

Mother laughed. "Rin-chan, you must have had a very interesting dream!"

I had no idea what to say. It couldn't have been a dream, could it have?

"The infirmary!" I said, getting out of my chair. "Excuse me, Mother." I turned and ran from the dining room.

The infirmary. The girl must still be there!

I dodged maids and guards walking about. Reaching the infirmary, I was surprised there was no longer a guard there. I flung the door wide open and laid my eyes on the familiar cot.

"Your Highness?" asked the same nurse from yesterday. "Everything alright?"

I gazed at the empty cot. "Where's the girl?"

"What girl?" the nurse asked politely.

"The one with the red curls!" How could you forget?

The nurse looked at me like I was crazy.

"Rin-chan," someone said behind me. I turned to see it was my mother. "You run really fast. Why did you come here in the middle of breakfast?"

"I-" I scratched my head and looked back to the empty cot.

The nurse got up and felt my forehead. "Are you alright, Your Highness?"

I stepped back. "Yeah, I think so."

The nurse eyed me carefully and nodded. "You come back if you feel dizzy."

I thanked the nurse and closed the infirmary door. Turning to my awaiting mother, I had the sensation that it really had been a dream.

Mother gave me a worried look. "Are you sure you are okay?"

"I'm fine." I looked away. "I think I'll just go to my room for a little bit, if that's alright."

"Sure," she approved. "Take as much time as you need."

I went upstairs to my bedroom to lie down. It had just been a horrible dream, that's all. There was no ringing bell, no red haired girl with words on her stomach, no dark figure that loomed outside the West Gate.

I got up restlessly and stuffed some clothes in a bag. I carried the bag as I walked out of the room and to the kitchen. Grabbing an empty bottle, I filled it with water.

"Rin-chan?" I recognized my mother's voice again. "What are you doing? I thought you were going to rest."

"I'm going for a stroll through town, Mother," I said. "I believe it will clear my head."

"You are?" she asked. "Then I'll get a guard to go with you."

"Why?" I asked curiously. "I've never had one go with me before. I can take care of myself."

She hesitated uncertainly. "You're right, you can go by yourself. Just be careful." Placing a kiss on my forehead, she escorted me outside. The sun shined, and not a cloud reminded me of the rainy scene I had thought was real yesterday.

"Goodbye." I waved and walked down the pathway eagerly. My mother had the same worried look on her face as I left. Why was she so worried if she told me my claims were only a dream?

I was going to find out if yesterday really happened. I was going to search out the real truth and find out if they were all really lying.

I was going to venture past the West Gate into the woods.

A/N: Cookies to anyone who can guess who the girl with twin red curls was. I don't think it's too terribly hard. xD