Hayo! Kuro-chan desu!

Sorry for the delay! But here's chappie 35!

ENJOY!~

Chapter 35 – Crystal Contention

"I look forward in this relationship…"

***Len***

"CUT!"

And that was the – okay, I've lost count – WHAT THE HECK IS THIS GIRL DOING?!

"Rin-sama!" she purred as she clings unto flat.

I kept my cool.

This is a girl Len. You should have to control your urges to punch her away from Rin.

"Rin-sama! I've searched for you and I'm so very happy that I've finally found you!" she continued.

"Uhh… who is she?" Mew asked me.

"I. Don't. Know," I answered, annoyed.

"Okay. I understand," she said in a monotone, and added in a teasing tone, "But it seems to me that it's bothering you, brat."

I scoffed, "Why so?"

"Because of that!" then she gestured toward them.

Rin trying to shoo away the creature clinging unto her but the creature keeps on holding unto her. Then, unexpectedly, the creature kissed Rin's cheeks much to everyone's surprise.

Mew chuckled, "See. Because of that!"

We were expected to be early in class because of the rehearsals and the fast approaching festival. The atmosphere around us Rin is still difficult to break because I couldn't say it yesterday.

Well, I was about to when someone just interrupted us.

Mew and Iroha.

They came in the room just when I was about to confess!

And what's more, the sleepover that I've predicted, it happened. Last night. Mew and Iroha (again) invited Rin for a sleepover and she agreed.

Ugh… Talk about timing!

But now, I would say it to her.

I would say to her how much she means to me.

I plan on telling her after class.

That's what I planned – but a new girl appeared.

If the girl only laid her eyes on me, I can handle it, but when her eyes fell on Rin and she suddenly jumped at her, hugged her and even kissed her! That's a different story!

We were rehearsing, like what that teacher instructed when a girl with long blonde hair, it's tips were rainbow in color, appeared and hugged Rin. Saying that she missed her and how long she looked for her.

Rin was only here in Rilla for a few months! How can a girl like her become so attached to her? And not to mention, a stranger!

"M…Mayu. Get off me!" Rin laughed since the girl was also tickling her.

"No~! I don't want to let go of you!" the girl whined.

"I… I won't go anywhere!... Hahaha! M… Mayu!" Rin continued to laugh until she fell onto the floor but the girl continued with tickling her.

Tsk… I crossed my arms, and with an annoyed tone, said, "My enchantress said get off her. So you should really get off her."

Rin's laughing died down as the girl did so. She stood up and looked at me. "Your enchantress?" she asked, blinking her eyes. Hmph! This is Len Kagamine you're facing, I don't easily fall into tricks like that. It's the girls who fall with my tricks.

"Yes, I am her knight. Problem?" I answered and she didn't respond. "You? Who are you?"

Rin finally stood up but the girl grabbed her arms again and hugged her, "I am Mayu. I'm Rin-sama's enchantress."

"Huh?" I raised a brow and I looked at Rin. She bit her lip, giggled, shrugged and ran her hand through her neck. She then mouthed sorry before lip biting again.

I sighed. This girl… Did she do something?

I wanted to ask Rin about this so I borrowed her for a while from that girl.

"W… What is it?" she asked.

"Spill the beans," I said.

"I… uhh… I kinda…"

I nodded, waiting for her to say it.

"I… uhh… I said… something irresponsible to that girl," she started to fidget her fingers, "She was lonely you see because her knight left her so I…"

"So you what?"

She blinked and her blue-red eyes met my blue eyes, "I kinda told her that I'll be her knight?"

"You what?!" I exclaimed.

She bit her lip again and fidgeted with her fingers more, "Should I not?"

"Rin. You're an enchantress, how can you be a knight?" I asked her raising my voice a bit.

She frowned, "Hey… I'm not from around here so how should I know?" she shrugged, "I didn't even know how the hell I became an enchantress myself! So there's a possibility, right?"

"But you told her that you would be her knight, right?" I sighed trying to calm myself, "Rin, being a knight comes not only in words. Once the contract is sealed – wait… you didn't seal a contract, right?"

She crossed her arms, her expression tells that she's starting to get annoyed, "I kissed her. But it was only here," she pointed near her lips.

"Tsk," I clicked my tongue in annoyance. So she also did kiss her. Wow. (Sarcasm here) "I don't know anymore," I shook my head.

"What's the matter in proposing to be her knight?" it was her turn to ask.

"Rin. Knights can only have one enchantress in their whole life. That's the same for enchantresses. But once a partner dies, a new one is destined to replace that partner. If one chooses the wrong knight/enchantress, then it greatly affects your destiny in life. So in order to get the destiny that you want or the best destiny there is for you, you need to choose the enchantress/knight intended for you," I explained thoroughly. "What you did was a very life-turning point. That girl there-" I pointed back at the room, "-she has her own destined knight. If you really did make a contract with her – then, not only her fate changed but also did yours," what I said sounded like a lecture but I don't care. I want her to get the point.

"So… you're saying that she should've waited for a knight to come?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Yes!"

She was silent and looked down on her hands, which she just noticed, was fidgeting.

"Okay," she nodded, "I got it. I won't do it again," but the tone she gave was of in a verge of tears. She took a deep breath as if trying not to let the tears fall. "But… just-" she blinked her eyes and looked away me, "-just… let me say this." She sighed and looked at me, her blue-red eyes on fire, indicating she's furious. A single tear came down from her eyes, "Your way of living here SUCKS!" then she walked out of me.

After Rin walked out, I came back to our room. The girl was not there anymore. They said that she went out after us. The class rep asked me where Rin is and I just glared him daggers making him shut his mouth. I told them that the rehearsal is postponed to tomorrow since I'm not feeling well and I left the room.

On my way to our room, I met her by the corridor. Standing against the walls, staring intently at me.

"What do you want?" I asked her rather coldly.

She chuckled, "What you said is yet another thing to be appreciated Len," she smiled rather sweetly, "And to think I want to be your enchantress once. Maybe, this is the freedom talking or just a current me opinion but – I'm really happy I failed to replace your enchantress."

The way I heard it, it was near an insult but since this is a girl speaking, give her the treatment a girl should have.

I approached her and pinned her over the wall. I touched her chin and raised her face to face me. "Ohh… did you really try to become my enchantress?" I whispered at her seductively, "I'm sorry if you couldn't. I like my enchantress as it is now. And I'm a law-abiding person so…" I slowly moved my face nearer her, close enough to kiss her. But I was stopped by her.

"Do you really want to kiss me or you're just upset because of what happened with Rin-sama?" she asked her smile still there.

I 'tsked' and moved away her. "You're no fun," and my frown came back.

"See. You're just upset," she continued with her child-like attitude. "And besides, you love her. There's no way you can kiss another girl when she's inside your heart."

I smirked bitterly, "So you knew?"

"Of course. It's pretty obvious that you got jealous even if a girl was just clinging unto her. What else would it be other than love?" she said, her smiling expression never changing.

I looked at her and smiled at myself, "A wolf dressed in sheep's clothing?" I said to her but she didn't mind. She just shrugged. "What do you really want?"

"I just want to be with Rin-sama and that's all," she turned back on me, "But I know that one day, I'll want more than to be by her side. There will come a day that I would really want to be her enchantress," she dropped her smile, raised her hands and showed me her fingers. She activated her legame and there appeared black strings tangled on her fingers. The strings were tangled on her fingers that the end can't be seen.

"Black string signifies the feeling of hate. This is the feeling that I felt with my previous knight. Then… I killed him with my own hands," she said coldly, her expression blank. "That's why my string is tangled. There's no other end because I severed the connection by killing him," she put down her hands and stared at me.

"After I killed him, I was desperate to found another knight and I found you. I want to become your enchantress so I planned to kill Rin-sama but failed to do so. Instead, she proposed to be my knight even though it's impossible. She actually tried to make a contract but like me, failed. But when she kissed me, I received a fragment of her memory. She was like me once. Desperate to found someone to be with. And I knew then why she proposed an impossible thing. Because she was also saved by something impossible," then she glared at me, "I found someone who can understand what I feel. I am not letting her go. I would do what it takes to replace your place beside her only to stay with her."

"In short…" I said, analyzing what she said and I smirked, "…you're seeing me as a rival, is that it?"

She scoffed, "By the way you treated her, I can't look at you that way."

My irritation with this girl rose. If only she's not a girl, I may have punched her already.

Len – calm down.

Her smile came back as if mocking me, "I look forward in this relationship that we have, Len. Good luck at your side!" she winked and wave goodbye as she ran pass me. "And oh!" she added, I didn't bother looking back at her, "My string is still black. It's a proof that Rin-sama and I didn't make a contract. I hope that helps," and her fading steps made me know that she's not near me anymore.

Okay… I just had a rivalry… with a girl.

I face palmed, exhaling the irritation I kept.

Now… what should I really do?

***Rin***

I've already memorized my lines and last night, I've been practicing it with Iroha and Mew so I didn't go back to our rehearsal. I feel bad in leaving in our first practice but I just feel worse after hearing what Len said.

I learned from Luka that in this world, everything is run by destiny. What you become is beyond your or other people's powers. It was already written so struggling won't help. I understood its concept but I did not critically thought of it. I just did when Len told me about it.

I felt pity towards Mayu that's why I did that. I was hoping that maybe, she won't feel alone anymore if I would offer to be her knight. Seeing her today made me very happy because it's a proof that I reached her.

But Len thinks otherwise.

I know the responsibilities of being a knight. I've learned it. They keep the enchantress happy in exchange of helping them reach their goals.

Mayu killed her knight because he cheated on her. He chose another enchantress and even planned to kill her for the contract to be void. Mayu loved his knight with all her heart like an enchantress should and she was just blinded by hate when she knew of the lies her knight had been giving her.

She was left alone and I know that feeling. It is not nice.

So she decided to find someone new.

Her methods were corrupt but her reason was simple.

She wants someone to be there beside her.

And the fact that she should wait until destiny says that she'll meet her new knight horrifies me.

If we waited… then I can't imagine how many enchantresses Mayu could've killed to get a knight of her own.

The feeling of loneliness, I know, is a silent killer. It does not kill you physically but emotionally, it does. It murders conscience easily. It blinds self-awareness. It fattens greed and malnourishes guilt. And most of all, it makes you forget about happiness and affection.

Just thinking of that feeling gives chills to my body. I don't want anyone to feel that.

Waiting for destiny to do its work sucks.

We are given free will.

What's the use of it if we just rely on destiny?

If it's true that destiny is the only thing that makes your future… then, are our efforts all in vain?

Besides, destiny doesn't work on me.

This body is long dead. Only science keeps me living. If I know, my body is also fast deteriorating and it's just a matter of time.

I sighed and I crouched on Iroha's bed.

Was he angry at me?

A thought popped out in my head. I remember his tone of irritation and I clearly heard it alright earlier. He was way out of being annoyed.

I tossed on the bed and started to argue with myself.

Why would I care anyway? It's not that he likes me.

And I turned again feeling hurt by what I just thought.

Damn it! Rin! Get a hold of yourself! Don't think about him for now. Don't think about what you feel about him! It's unrequited. And it's better if it stays that way.

I closed my eyes. I laughed at my gesture. Closing my eyes is not necessary anymore. I'm blind. I can only see darkness.

I sighed as I missed the different colors of the surrounding.

I missed seeing.

If only someone could fix my lenses for me.

Dad.

I missed him.

If only I could go back home now.

My mind was clearly floating back at my world. I didn't even notice the tears racing through my cheeks.

I blinked my eyes hoping that they would stop but they wouldn't. It upset me more. So what I did was to grab a pillow, put it over my face and cried my heart out.

***KuroUsagihime***

Mayu was happy all day long. When her master told her where they would be going and who their purpose is, she was definitely overjoyed.

She would be seeing her savior. The one who broke the glass she made around herself. And not only that she would see her but they would also help her.

Her master is a very busy and eccentric person. Mayu doesn't even know the significance of every experiment that her master did. Nor the connection of everything her master said. She tried to understand but end up shaking her head because of being confused. But when her master told her that they would be going to Crypton Vocaloid Academy, she asked why and her master answered, "To meet Rin Kagamine," she didn't ask further and with a huge grin, packed all her things.

They arrived after a few hours and she immediately left her master without telling. She immediately found her and in a heartbeat hugged her.

Mayu was dying to meet her again after she realized how wrong she was.

Rin was the one who made her understand.

And she was totally grateful with that.

She knew that it's impossible to make a contract with her but she didn't care. She wishes to be with her always, like an enchantress like her would do loyally to the knight that they love. Whatever it takes, she'll do anything just to be by her side.

She was reprimanded by Rin's knight, Len. She knew that once, she wanted to be his enchantress, but now, the feeling is all in the past. All she can see about him is the big word of 'RIVAL' on his face. He's a huge wall that she should overcome to be with her savior and she is so motivated to defeat him.

When Rin and Len went out the room, she followed them and heard them arguing. She can't help but smile at the idiocy that her rival is doing. He certainly doesn't know how to deal with girls. She can't help but to wonder why girls fall in love so easily with a jerk like him.

Rin walked away and Len was furious.

Mayu tried to follow her but lost her.

She stood against the walls as she thought of her master's words to her.

"That girl is the reason of all the disturbances happening in Rilla. I advise you to stay away her."

She understands what her master said but she couldn't understand the reason why.

Rin is a nice person. She can't possibly be the cause of the disturbances. There's no way she can.

The disturbances that her master said were the calamities that are caused by enchantresses who, for some reason, went havoc and broke down emotionally.

These enchantresses lived a peaceful life with their knights but then, for unknown reasons, their strings becomes so tangled that their feelings for each other would become so weak, thus, creating a reason for the knight to change their enchantress.

This is pretty much the same with Mayu's experience. The knight got tired of her. End of story. She killed him. Another end of story.

Whenever she remembers it, she can't help but to glare at her fingers and wish to cut them off so she can't see the horrible string of hate.

She heard steps and quickly, she fixed her face and stared at her rival.

They talked and told him what she wants.

She told him straightforwardly with a smile on her face.

But deep inside, how much she wants to cut his throat so Rin will be hers forever.

She shook the thought off her head but she can't. She wants so badly but the thought of seeing her savior sad and desperate like she became after she killed her knight broke her heart. She can handle Len but she can't handle Rin.

She bid her goodbye to her rival and went to report to her master.

She went to the room where she left and bowed down to the one who kept her. Her master ignored her because she was talking to a blonde bespectacled lady in their business tone. She stood beside her master and stared at the one who was also standing beside the lady, another blonde man who was smiling at her. She smiled back and listened to her master and the lady's conversation.

"-till the end of Cultural Festival," Mayu's master said.

The lady nodded, pushing her glasses upward, "I'm aware of that Miss Gumi but I was wondering… the festival is just two weeks away. The Elementals are supposed to be here the day before the festival… so…"

"Why so early?" Gumi chuckled, "Well. Well. Well… I have something or someone of interest here."

"Some…one?" Ann blinked. Automatically, a single intriguing person popped into her head. She smiled at the Enchantress of Land nervously. She was about to say something but Gumi cut her off.

"Don't deny that you didn't think of someone Sweet Ann," Gumi rubbed her hands, her eyes full with dark circles stared at the school headmistress intently and grinned crazily, "…I want to know more about them. And in knowing about them, I want to see them…" she said in a dreamy tone, "And in seeing them, I want to see more and more of them that I want to dissec-" she continued, out of control.

Ann stood up and slapped her hands on her desk causing the high enchantress to frown and stare at her, "I DON'T PERMIT YOU TO USE OUR STUDENTS AS TEST SUBJECTS!"

Gumi laughed, "Okay. Okay," she answered rather coolly but she was still frowning and staring at Ann eye to eye.

Ann knows Gumi very well. HECK. ANYONE KNOWS HER! She's an experiment freak. And no one wants to be with her because she sees everyone as her test subjects, ready to be dissected like frogs anytime she wants.

She's a knowledge freak. She does anything crazy just to get the answer of a question she cannot answer.

Ann has the ability of archives. She has the knowledge of different things that are written in history. Once, when Gumi knew of her, she wanted to dissect her of all things so she can know everything about her. Ann was traumatized by this enchantress until now. She just gets the courage of talking back to her because of Gumi's sudden interest of Rin. She doesn't want anyone to feel what she felt that time.

GUMI is CRAZY. She is beyond crazy. Everyone knows that.

But maybe… people just don't see what Gumi can.

Gumi is an Enchantress of Land. She is life. She was born at the same time Rilla was born. She controls the land, where life came from, thus, she's immortal. She was born the same time Rilla was born, thousands of years ago. She is the oldest of all the oldest. And seeking knowledge is the only drive that she has to live through her endless life.

But that doesn't explain why she loves dissecting, right?

Gumi stood up from where she's been sitting and waved goodbye to the headmistress. She just went there to talk about some things about the current happenings around Rilla since poor Ann is trapped in her own property.

She grinned as she walked by the door and intended to turn around enough to show the headmistress her crazy smile, "I don't need permission anyway. I do what I want," she shrugged and closed the door making the headmistress pale and worried.

Mayu was beside her as they walk to their room. Their things are already there and also the reason why Gumi was still keeping Mayu was already there also.

Gumi opened a door and there were three beds. Two were of a normal adult size and the other one was smaller.

Mayu walked in and to a green luggage that her master herself packed.

She smiled as she opened it welcoming a teary eyed green haired green eyed boy at the age of eight. His mouth sealed shut and his body paralyzed with a spell that her master did. The boy was wet by sweat, tears and snot. Mayu sighed and dropped her smile while she looked at the pitiful boy inside the luggage.

She smiled back as she turns to her master. "Can you please release the spell, Gumi-sama?" she said sweetly.

Gumi was already on her bed, swinging her feet up and down. In Mayu's request, she stared at her, "Just make sure that he won't be noisy, okay?" she asked childishly, adding a pout.

"If that's what you wish Gumi-sama," Mayu answered. Gumi then clicked her fingers followed by the gasping of the boy. Mayu put her pointer finger on her lips looking down on him, the boy got her gesture and cried quietly. Mayu attended the boy, asking him if he's alright. The boy sobbed quietly as he nodded.

The boy was wet due to his sweat and tears so she told him to shower first. The boy did so.

Mayu, for Gumi, is nothing more than just a tool, the fact that she attends to her knight is only a bonus. She brought Mayu into her roof because she's an alive example of a 'broken enchantress' as what she calls them. Mayu was very aware of this. The murderous thoughts in her mind won't stop. She already tried many times to kill this enchantress but many times also she just comes back to life.

Gumi is immortal.

Nothing can kill her.

"Don't think of doing it again," Gumi said, her hands raised, closing and opening her fists. "Even if you hide with your attitude, it's hard to hide your personality. I can read you as easily as the alphabet."

Mayu didn't say a word; instead, she started unpacking their things.

"How was she? You went to her right?" Gumi asked.

"She was fine," she answered.

"What does she look like?"

"She looks like just what I described her. Blonde, petite and have a heterochromia. The right side is red while the left is blue," Mayu paused for a while as she noticed something different with Rin.

"Whatever it is you're thinking, spill it," her master commanded.

"Her eyes showed nothing. Just blank."

Gumi dropped her hands. "Blank?" her sudden silence means she's thinking. Mayu just shrugged. Maybe she's just imagining things. She continued with her work but was put to a stop when Gumi continued, "She's blind," nonchalantly.

Mayu looked at her master. She was already sitting on her bed, an interested expression and wild grin on her face. "I want to see her."

Yosh!

There you go.

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