Hey people~ whats up? xDD
I just gotta say, sorry for last week, the whole temporary hiatus thing.. heh heh. That (hopefully...) won't be happening this week, but just to be on the safe side, the next update is going to be posted, earliest on Saturday next week. I will give you my solemn vow that I will not stop [attempting to] type until this story is finished!
Now, enjoy the chapter!
Chapter VI:
A Cruel Jest on Pitiful Twins
Written by Shyion
Len wasn't there.
The beams of coloured light cut through the darkness, illuminating nothing but the empty rows upon rows of chairs that lined themselves, leading up towards the central altar at the opposite end of the Cathedral's Main Hall.
Luka walked slowly into the hall, the tapping of her feet reverberating against the stone pillars and bricks that made up the majestic building.
"I would assume you are looking for the young boy." A priest said, walking from one of the corridors at the back of the Cathedral to stand behind the altar, his bald head shining clearly in the light as he looked at her kindly. "You were the one who came in with him earlier, yes?"
"Yes, Father." Luka replied, walking towards the altar and stopping just in front of it. "Do you know where I can find him? I told him to wait within the confines of the Cathedral."
"I met him as you left earlier." The priest smiled, looking towards the glass stained windows. "A troubled child, certainly troubled by his fate and his current life." He looked at her again. "Yet I am sure he will be able to survive through it, I can see that he has some purpose set out before him, whatever that may be."
"Yes, he does, despite everything." Luka replied calmly. "He has a very strong spirit, despite everything."
"Regardless, he walked down that corridor, not too long ago." The priest pointed towards the opposite end of the Cathedral. "He probably went exploring, to take his mind off things."
"Thank you very much, Father." Luka bowed, before quickly moving towards the corridor.
The priest smiled as he watched her leave, wondering at what kind of fate did the young boy have in store for him, and why he seemed just so very, very familiar.
It wasn't long before Luka encountered the same courtyard that Len had entered, the sun still shining brightly, illuminating the marble statues of angels and saints that dotted the yard. And sitting at the base of one, its shadow covering him completely, sat Len, his hands pressed to his forehead, holding two things tightly.
Slowly, Luka approached him, unsure of what had happened, before stopping still at Len's words to her.
"Luka..." He began. "What is my name...?"
"Len Kagamine." Luka replied immediately, almost certain of what had happened.
"And for how many years...Have I been living, as Len Kagami, Luka?" Len asked again, his hands still covering his face.
"It has been seven years, my Prince."
Len responded with silence for a long period of time as he thought about what he had heard. "From what I remember..." He began suddenly from the silence. "Rin, my sister...How is she?" he asked again quietly.
"She is doing fine, my Prince." Luka replied, looking at him calmly. "As of current, she has taken over as Monarch of the Kingdom of Yellow in your father's stead, who had unfortunately passed on last year."
"I know, Luka." Len said. "I know. I remember what has happened from the past seven years." He looked up at the sky, tears still evident on his face and cheeks. "I've realised what I've done is not exactly most favourable. But I've also realised, the reason why I fought, and why I killed that day." He turned his face to her, a small period of silence before beginning again.
"Thank you, Luka." He said simply. "Thank you for taking care of me for the past seven years." He smiled at her through his tears, showing despite outward appearances his joy at finally rediscovering himself. "Thank you very, very much."
She knelt down directly in front of him, looking at the ground and at his feet, smiling as tears of her own began to dot the grass. "I am yours to command, my Prince." She said.
"I am sure you know what I would like to do now, Luka." Len said, looking at the open locket in his right hand.
"Yes, my Prince." Luka said, looking up to him. "I have already made arrangements for that."
Len chuckled quietly. "Thank you again, Luka. Thank you again." He looked skywards up to the sun, which was now covered behind a cloud, as the Cathedral's bells behind him rang the twelve o'clock hour.
Beams of light shone through the square gilded windows, illuminating the room in its full splendour, certainly something not to scoff at.
At the middle of the room's left, propped next to the wall, stood a four-poster bed, its finely-woven quilt made of silk both soft and smooth, its cooling colours illuminated within the light. An oaken bedside table stood at both sides, finely carved and finely engineered, resting upon the right table, a picture frame with the visage of a young girl, dressed in a small white Ball gown with yellow trimming, the table's left twin holding nothing above it. On the opposite end of the room sat a sturdy brick fireplace, a warm fire crackling within it to radiate heat and warmth throughout the room. And on its final wall, the room featured a grand oaken double-door, its framework a weave of plants and vines surely a visage of the oak's original lands. Two maids stood on either end of the door, waiting for their mistress' call, their bodies upright, their feet firmly planted on the soft velvet carpet that covered the room.
And at its centre, stood an oaken table covered in its entirety with swirling and beautiful carvings. Resting above this was a glass sheet, firmly embedded into the table to ensure any spills be easily cleaned, the glass allowing people to see the carvings even to the table's centre. Around it, were four elaborate ebony chairs, adorned with cushions that featured patterns ever so beautiful. Directly above it hung an elaborate chandelier, the candles within its holders dead in the light of day.
The quiet taps resounded throughout the silent room as a metal spoon tapped upon a fine ceramic plate, the Princess eating her meal quietly, savouring each and every bite made by the chef in her employ. Before her, stood her loyal minister, upright with his sword hanging by his side, a sheaf of papers in his right hand held over his stomach.
"How are the preparations, Gakupo?" Rin asked him.
"My Princess." Gakupo replied, glancing quickly at the sheaf of papers within his hand. "Things are going according to plan; the Ball will be held on time by the next coming month. Invitations have already been sent out to the various Lords and Ladies as per your request."
"Very good, Gakupo." She looked up and smiled at him gently. "Thank you for your work." She said simply, before turning back to her lunch. "I am sorry that you have to contend with this without any additional help, but our previous ex-head servant, just didn't really serve up to standards."
"Thank you for your praise." Gakupo replied, bowing gently. "Yes, I acknowledge that, my Princess, but rest assured it will cause no problems. After all, we can only have the best for you."
"True, very true, Gakupo." Rin chuckled softly. "Our chef staff has really outdone themselves this time, Minister. Will they be cooking for the Ball, come next month?"
"Of course, my Princess." He said. "I had specifically hired a specialist in a variety of cuisines for the Ball, and had asked each to cook in turn for my Princess, for herself to assess."
"Indeed, you are a minister that none but all would envy, Gakupo." She said, smiling at him. "Well, this man is definitely a pass for the Ball, that much is assured."
"I will take note, thank you my Princess." Gakupo bowed again.
She laughed happily. "You don't need to keep addressing me as Princess all the time in private, like here Gakupo. How many years have you been within our family's service anyway?"
"A long time, Princess Rin." He smiled at her.
"Ah, speaking of service actually." Rin looked up, her lunch finished as one of the two maids moved to collect the plates and move them to the kitchen. "How is our agent, Luka, doing?"
"She is doing well, Rin." Gakupo began. "Of course, as the head of our intelligence service, she is very busy, but she had contacted me recently to say that she will be attending the Ball in celebration of your birthday. I'm quite sure it was on the spur of the moment, considering everything."
"Excellent." Rin smiled. "It's been a long time since I've seen her; I wonder how she is doing...I haven't seen her since father was still alive."
"I am certain she will be happy to see you too, Rin." He said, smiling at her.
"And how are the preparations for my suit going?" She asked him. "I'm not really fond of this idea myself, but I feel that this should show the Prince of Blue something about the Kingdom of Yellow." She began to gaze dreamily at the ceiling and the chandelier.
"Yes, your suit for the Ball is being prepared on time." Gakupo said, looking at his papers again. "I must say that the designs are quite elaborate, and I do agree with your point; I too am not really one for this Ball either."
"Well, I won't spoil my anticipation, so I won't ask to look at the designs." Rin said thoughtfully. "I wasn't fully sure about how they would feel, attending such a large – scale Ball where so many people are coming. That's why I asked you last week about my idea."
"Yes, wearing masks to the Ball." He chuckled. "It will certainly save them some embarrassment if they happen to trip over due to the unusual dress-code. I have included that on the invitation."
"I have a feeling that they won't have any problems though." Rin waved her hand nonchalantly. "I heard these kind of things are quite popular nowadays in smaller – scale Balls, so I'm sure they have had a lot of practice. It's just to give them some peace of mind, until the end when they will have to remove their masks to show who they really are!" She laughed with glee at the thought, as Gakupo himself began to smile.
Not even a single moment of silence could be heard within the Grand Hall.
It's walls stood towering at least five times the height of an average person, its floor of an equally grandiose size, was laid carefully with a mosaic of shattered marble, its surface almost completely smooth to the touch, reflecting the bright flames of the dozens upon dozens of grand Chandeliers above, and the numerous candles that adorned the walls. One side of these in turn, was coupled together with titanic – sized gilded arched windows, their fine yellow satin curtains drawn apart to reveal the dark night, and it's ever – bright eye, the moon.
The opposite wall was accompanied by intricate, ancient tapestries that despite their age, their colour still proves true due to undoubtedly expensive maintenance. At the centre stood a raised platform, two hand-carved ebony staircases leading from its edges as the oaken door that stood on the platform remained wide open. Its two porters admitting guests as fast and as orderly as could be. Their entry was accompanied by soft music played by a highly structured orchestra that stood to one side of the room. Either side of this platform, and slightly more in front, stood tens of round tables, each having the capacity to seat ten people at once, all prepared for the coming Ball that would be the Princess' Birthday Party.
Dozens of Lords and Ladies milled about the room, both taking great pains to dress up exactly as would the opposite sex, their faces hidden by intricate masks, their clothing equally as elaborate, in as many styles as there are words within a dictionary, the flames from the chandelier and candles sparkling clearly. Even more numerous were the number of servants that stood to attention, lining up against the only free wall in the room. Behind them stood two grand oaken doors, undoubtedly leading towards the kitchens that would supply the food for this banquet.
"Indeed, you have done an excellent job, as always, Minister." The young princess addressed her minister as they stood in the corner of the room, watching the guests mill about.
Princess Rin, today to her Birthday, wore a full black, tailed tuxedo with matching black leather shoes, a white undershirt and matching fine white gloves that covered her hands. A fine golden yellow trim outlined the hem of both the coat and as well as the trousers she wore, a jabot collar hanging from her neck in matching yellow with the shoulder pads she wore. Her flaxen blonde hair was tied into a small ponytail that hung just below shoulder level, with a fine, sequenced golden spider mask covering her eyes.
"I am only doing my duty, Princess." Gakupo replied humbly, he too watching the crowd before him.
As a member of staff, he was allowed to remain in his original dress for the sake of ease of service. For today, he wore a full black robe accompanied by golden trimmings at its hem, the cloth tied loosely around his waist by a matching yellow sash. Underneath this he wore a bright yellow long-sleeved shirt with loose, draping black trousers as well as black leather shoes, his long purple hair tied together in a single tail.
"Today will certainly be a day the Lords and Ladies in attendance will never forget." He continued. "Rarely before has there been such a banquet at such a large scale, and with such a theme. I am sure that this will convince the continent of our Cultural development, as they put it."
Eventually, the hall was filled to capacity, and all were in attendance. As the Lords and Ladies, in their opposing dresses, suits and masks, were lead to their seats, the central yard of the hall was left open as the Princess, and Gakupo stepped up onto the platform, its oaken doors now closed shut. As their feet reverberated through the halls, the full attention of the Hall, and its residents, turned to them.
"My Honoured Guests." Rin began as she obtained silence from the room, Gakupo standing dutifully beside her. "Thank you very much for attending today. Much effort has been put into this to ensure you have an excellent evening tonight." She waved her hand over the room, as she continued speaking. "No expense has been spared, and I, as both your Princess and host, hope you enjoy this Ball, to celebrate my 14th Birthday!"
A wave of applause greeted her final statement from her audience, their faces hidden neatly behind a myriad of masks as food was brought out to them from the kitchens.
Such a variety was truly unprecedented indeed, the smells a blend of the most exotic that many of the guests had ever had for a single dinner. And to top it all off, this was only the starter course alone; soups, salads and breads, the main course still lingering behind in the kitchen where even more smells could be found, with even greater prospects of what laid in store for these Lords and Ladies.
As Rin surveyed her guests below, she was just about to turn around to enjoy the party herself, before noticing something very intriguing.
Each Lord and Lady had their own specific house colours that were related, but still different, to the Kingdom of Yellow's own royal Yellow and Black. And of course, everyone she could see, was dressed in their own specific house colours. Except for one girl, who was dressed in the same colours of the royal Yellow and Black.
Wait, it was a man underneath those clothes, she said to herself mentally, as she smiled slightly.
Indeed, this particular man, was dressed almost exactly as would a woman, his movements and actions coming to him so naturally that one would be hard – pressed to differentiate between a man or a girl!
He was dressed in a Ball gown that reached up until his ankles, yellow stiletto – heeled shoes showing slightly. The Ball gown was a mixture of black and yellow, its many layers below all coloured yellow with a black trim. It's final upper layer was coloured black, reaching all the way up to his chest in a Bertha collar style, the cloth hanging only on his upper arms. The upper layer also featured small images of yellow roses, carefully sewn on near the bottom of the gown, contrasting brilliantly with its black backdrop. At his waist, he had tied around a bright yellow bow turned to his back, its tails falling to just about his thighs. He also wore full black, Opera – length gloves that reached up above the elbows, until the biceps, leaving his shoulders bare. And finally, perched above his flaxen yellow hair that hung down to just above shoulder length, was a single black rose, held in place by a black hairband. For him, a simple white Venetian style mask covered the upper part of his face, the mask itself framed in black.
"Gakupo, who is that?" She asked her minister, standing beside her humbly. He opened his eyes, and followed her gesturing hand.
"I am afraid that I do not know, my Princess." He said to her. "The mask covers his face very well. Would you like to meet him later?"
"Yes, I would Gakupo." She said. "I need to know what house he is from, and why he is wearing the royal colours."
"Of course, my Princess." Her minister bowed, smiling slightly to himself.
It must have been several hours after the first course was served, and now many of the Lords and Ladies had stepped up to begin perhaps the most important phase of the Ball itself; the Dance. In the background, the servants and maids busied themselves with cleaning up the plates and dishes left on the tables, while the Orchestra continued with their playing, a new crew having finished rotating in specifically for this phase.
Princess Rin herself, having finished her own dinner, sat complacently at the table she was dining at, immediately below the raised balcony, at its very centre. She smiled as she watched the festivities continue in front of her, not really one to go up and ask the permission of any man to dance with her. She sighed.
"It's troublesome this way, really." She said softly to herself. "The men are supposed to ask the girls, but now, it's the girls who are supposed to ask the men!" She sighed to herself again. "If he were here, I wouldn't hesitate, but now..."
She turned her head to survey the Ballroom, before seeing Gakupo approaching, followed closely by another woman.
The newcomer was dressed in a dark grey greatcoat with yellow trimming, black trousers and leather shoes. Her mask covered the top half of her face, and was coloured yellow with the image of a black rose overlapping the left eyehole. But even so, only a few people sported the long pink hair as did this person.
"Luka." The Princess smiled as she stood up, shaking Luka's hand as she approached. "How have you been?"
"Very well, my Princess." She smiled at the small girl, holding her hand warmly. "I trust you have also been well over the past year?"
"Yes, I have." She replied simply. "Gakupo has helped me tremendously over the past year with a lot of things."
"That is good." Luka decided to sit down on one of the empty seats, wishing to hear more of Rin's life in the castle for the past year, the Princess herself doing the same.
A few hours had already passed before Luka stood up again, turning to look at the crowd of people in the Ballroom dancing to the soft music, looking for something.
"There is someone that I would like you to meet, my Princess." She said to Rin, helping her up as she found what she was looking for. "Ah, there he is."
Rin followed her gaze, eventually resting on a man coming towards them. It also happened to be the same person she had spotted before on the balcony as the festivities started.
She watched him intently as he approached and curtsied before them, albeit unstably, letting him stand up fully again before speaking.
"Might I ask," she began "who exists beneath that mask, so as to wear the colours of the Royal House of the Kingdom of Yellow?"
"My Princess." The man replied. "That in itself, is my gift to you as your birthday present today." He smiled gently before continuing. "I do not wish to spoil my birthday present right now and after all, are we not supposed to remove our masks at the end of this Ball?"
Rin sighed; she herself liked surprises, and was very curious as to who this person under the mask is. "Very well, but I will need a complete explanation for the colours you are wearing by the end."
"My Princess." The man said, curtseying again.
"Since you are here however," the Princess continued, "would you like to dance?" She said hesitantly, holding out her hand to him. As the host, she was expected to at least join in the festivities, no matter how awkward they might be, and since this man was here now, then why not? She thought.
"I would be honoured." The man took her hand gently as Rin looked him over again. He fit so well into his clothes, it really was impossible to tell whether it was a man or woman beneath the mask. She shivered at this thought, yet something nicked at her mind about this person.
The Orchestra was just finishing their current piece as the two stepped out onto the floor, as Gakupo approached the conductor, whispering something to him very quickly before leaving. The conductor himself nodded his head once as Gakupo left, before shifting through his notes in front of him for the next piece to play. Finding it, he signalled to the players in front of him for the piece to be played next. Soon all was ready, and the music began to play, a soft, JazzWaltz piece.
"As always, Gakupo." Rin whispered to herself as she and her partner set themselves up, dancing slowly to the music on par with the other guests.
A few minutes passed by as they danced with the movements of the hall and the music, Rin's feet moving of her own accord as she had been trained previously, her own conscious mind absent as she puzzled over this strange man in front of her.
"You are very good, my Princess." The man said softly as they danced. "Especially when considering that you are dancing as a man and not a woman."
"I can say the same thing about you." She said in reply, her mind pulled back from her thoughts. She looked at him carefully again, and noticed something else.
Around his neck hung a polished golden pendant, its engravings glittering in the light of the fires that surrounded them.
"This pendant..." She murmured, her feet still moving to the music as it approached closer to its finish.
"Do you like it, my Princess?" He said, smiling at her gently. "I'm aware that the Princess herself, has one?"
"Yes..." She replied softly. "Yes...I do..." She trailed off as the music finished, the final piece for the evening's festivities.
Taking their final steps, the two disengaged from each other, and as the man curtseyed to her, Rin watched him, her mind unsure of what will happen, her heart suspecting what shouldn't be possible.
"Honoured guests." A voice echoed through the hall as attention was diverted to Gakupo, who stood on the entrance balcony. "On behalf of my Princess, who is busy on the floor at the moment, we thank you very much for attending this Ball tonight, and hope very much that you have enjoyed yourselves." He bowed deeply, before standing up again. "Now, to end the suspense that I'm certain is plaguing you all, please all remove your masks, to show everyone your true faces, for laughs or praise, depending on your abilities displayed this night!"
Almost as one, the guests throughout the hall removed their masks, eager to see who their partners were, and almost as eager to show their own true faces, gentle laughter flooding the hall.
Practically ripping off her own mask, Rin stared intently at the man in front of her, desperate to know this man, this ghost, that stood in front of her.
"You couldn't be him..." She murmured, watching his hands move slowly to the clasp that held his mask in place. "He had died...seven years ago..."
The clasps undone, he slowly removed the mask, holding it in his hands as he brought it down to his chest, the thud of Rin's mask dropping onto the floor occurring simultaneously.
Smiling at her, was a mirror image of herself, exactly the same as her own reflection every time she looked in a mirror.
"This is my birthday present to you, my dear Princess, my Sister." The man said calmly as he leaned forward, clasping her right hand and bringing it up to his mouth, kissing it softly.
"Len Kagamine..." She whispered. "Are you a ghost, brother?"
"Nay, or else how could I be holding your hand?" He replied, laughing gently. "Or how could I have danced so gracefully with you, just moments before?"
"Then...You?" She stuttered, tears welling up in her eyes.
"I am as real, as this day is real." Len replied, pulling a handkerchief from a pocket within the folds of his dress, dabbing them gently at her eyes. "I am as real as the sun, and as real as every man and women that stands in this room is. And most of all, I am as real as the fact, that you had a brother. A twin brother." He leaned back, watching her fondly.
"Why...How..." Rin stuttered, her hands tightening slowly on her brother's.
"I do not know, my dear sister." He replied her sadly. "But to make up for the last seven years, I give you my person, as my present to you." Now he brought his free hand on top of his sister's and his own, the two pairs clasping together tightly as he whispered softly to her:
"Happy Birthday, Rin." He smiled at her once more, tears filling both their eyes as the tolling of Midnight rang strong from the Cathedral, the soft murmurs of the men and women surrounding them, watching them, mingling with its crisp strikes.
15/11/09
Ahohohohohoho! (Sounds familiar? xD, the music inclusion should also ring a bell for those of you who are lifeless enough [me included]).
So, Rin and Len knows! And yes, I was tempted to leave it at a cliff hanger, but knowing that this update was late, I just KNOW some people _ would murder me if I even attempted it.
I thank you immensely for your support! 500 PV so far! I'm very happy that so many people like this story, please to continue to read and enjoy the story. Of course, you could also drop a review if you want to...*nudge, nudge*
Don't worry, if you don't, the story will still get updated regardless!
...I just realised I didn't put dates on the last few, but damn...it's been over a month now xDD