Huh. That's funny. I say that I want this many reviews, and all of a sudden I have more anonymous reviews than normal. Kinda weird, isn't it? XD Thanks everyone, I got a total of thirty-three reviews, which is…just…spectacular.
Thanks to XxRed CapxX, Chikanpo, (anon), Campanella, 67rosary-bead42, XxKyeru-TanadaxX, Mars Djinni Spark (anon), Elizabeth (anon but I still love you XD jk), yuthika vemosa, and stardrop10. I loved all of your reviews, and the immediate response made me want to write.
So, I've been reading more fanfictions, and then I reread my story and I'm like "Wow…I really need to work on my writing..." Of course, I realized this after I'd typed up the story. And I really didn't feel like writing it over again, so here you go!
I tried to scream, but nothing came out.
Oh, God.
God.
Why did thi-nope. Can't think about that right now. Gotta help Len! Oh, God! Len's gonna die! He's going to die!
...
I blocked my mind of everything. Everything, except for the fact that if I didn't do something, I was going to lose someone who was more important to me than anything else. I tugged on the skirt of my dress, not that it did any good. The darn thing refused to come off! Curse immaculate tailors! Curse silk threads! Aw, just curse everything! (except Len, please.) However, the lace around the rim came off and I immediately got it over my head. I got Len settled on my lap so that I could see the wound. I bit my lip and tried to staunch it with the wadded-up lace. Once the delicate lace touched the wound, it was stained bright crimson.
The blood was everywhere. On the sand around us, on my dress, on me, everywhere. I knew I wasn't going to last much longer. I mean, I wasn't the one stabbed in the back, but I couldn't stand it! Not the blood. Not the sight of Len dying right in front of my eyes.
God, thanks for sending him into shock and knocking him unconscious. I know that's not really a good thing, but...every frenzied moment that I made wasted another moment of his life that was draining fast.
The last thing I saw before the darkness swallowed me completely was a blur of teal rushing to my side, taking Len off of my lap, and calling for help.
I woke up in my bed.
That's it. I just woke up in my bed with a throbbing headache and one person sitting next to me. Luka looked up from where she was fixing my...black...dress...
"Rin, I'm sorry."
My hands flew to my face as I tried to cover up all of the blue tears that threatened to leak out. I peeked out at Luka, who paled. "No, he's not dead. He's just...fading. Quickly. Do you think that you can move? We need to get you over to his rooms and..." I nodded, the ribbon that was miraculously still there bobbing on top of my unruly yellow mop. After I got out of my bed, Luka firmly held on to my hand and hesitated, then grabbed the crab that was sitting on the nearby desk and held it to her chest. "This might be able to help."
Luka led me into Len's bedroom as tears ran down my cheeks. At the moment, I didn't really care whether people saw them or not, I just wanted Len to be okay. Surprisingly, there was only a single court doctor there, who quickly tried to shoo us away.
"I'm sorry, madams, but the prince is in no condition to be receiving any visitors at the mo...men..." He trailed off and stared at the floor while Luka glided over to him and whispered in his ear, brushing a bit of purple hair out of his face. He quickly flushed and rushed out of the room as Luka came over to me and sat me down in a chair, placing a new tablet in my lap. "Rin, he's not doing well, like I said."
Everything she said went in one ear and out the other, because I was staring at Len. He was pale, way too pale, and he was barely breathing. I caught myself wishing that he was gasping for breath, or something, because then I would know for sure that he was alive, right? I reached over and placed my right hand over Len's left, and started to cry. Len's eyes fluttered open.
"...Rin." The way he said my name, it wasn't a question. It was simply a statement, and he was telling me that we were both still here, right now, in this room. I picked up his left hand and held it up to my cheek as I silently sobbed. "Hey, Rin, it's fine. It's fine. I'm fine, just glad that...you didn't get hurt...too." He cracked a small smile, barely perceptible on his face. "Stop crying, okay? Everything's gonna be okay." I shook my head and he smiled again.
"I love you, okay? So now will you stop crying?" I started to shake my head, but then nodded and bit my lip. Len chuckled. "Atta-Rin." He laboriously sat up and leaned over to kiss me. I obliged, and I didn't care if Luka was there, shyly looking away.
As soon as we broke apart, Len started coughing. With one hand, he held his chest to try to ignore the pain probably shooting through his body from the stab. With the other, he covered his mouth as he continued to cough violently. I stood up and tried to help a little bit, but he shook me off. Len drew his hand away from his mouth and stared at it for a moment, then hid it. I tried to look at it, but he wouldn't let me.
Len spoke up in a hoarse voice. "Luka..."
She nodded. "Yes, sir."
Luka took me by the shoulders and led me into the next room. "Rin, please try to understand. He doesn't want you to see him like this, no matter how much you love each other." I nodded, dumbstruck, and reached for the crab in Luka's hand. She handed it to me. "So...you really are?" I nodded and wrote something to her. You talk to them for me. I'll trade anything! I don't want Len to die! Luka looked at me somewhat skeptically. "Rin, I know. I know she's going to drive a hard bargain." I grinned, because Neru had given me the perfect bargaining chip.
Luka sighed and pressed the button. While the crab chirped repeatedly, I bit my lip and looked around, waiting for one of the witches to pick up. Finally, we heard a click.
"...yes...?"
"Hello, Neru. This is Luka, speaking on behalf of Rin."
"...Rin? Who's that? Don't bother me, I'm busy."
I glanced at Luka and grinned. This was going marvelously!
"Well, if you don't know, you don't need to. All that you need to know is that she has a deal for you, something that would benefit you greatly."
We nodded and Luka read the deal directly off of my tablet.
"This Rin, here, has someone that she needs to have healed. Somehow," Luka winked at me. "Somehow, she came across immortality. If possible, she wants to give up that immortality and sa-"
"Rin. So it's THAT Rin, isn't it? The Rin that came to me a couple days ago, wanting to be human for her precious prince? Well, I suppose it's getting pretty annoying talking for her. Here."
We looked at each other with confusion. What in the world did that idiot mean? I froze and a chill ran up my spine as a crab scuttled onto the windowsill. I walked over to it and picked the crab up. In its pincer was...wow. This is probably the only time I'll ever like Neru.
The crab was holding a glowing orange shell.
My voice.
Once I picked up the shell, the crab dropped off of the sill, and I knew it was back. I turned to Luka, cradling the shell in my hands.
"Luka, let me talk to her now."
Luka almost dropped the crab we were using and stared at me. "Y-your voice..." I took the crab from the maid.
"Yes, Luka, I'm talking." I hacked. Poor voice, hadn't been used in over two years...
"Hey, Neru. Thanks a lot for the favor."
"...didn't want Teto to kill me with seaweed..."
Oh. That certainly explained it.
"Anyway, I need to save that prince. Someone stabbed him, and I was kinda hoping that I could trade that eternity that you gave me for..."
"You want to trade some of your extra life to save him and stay up there a while longer. I'm right, aren't I? I know I am."
"Actually..."
"Shut up. I know. But...you'll have to pay. We can discuss the payment once you come back down here. I'll give you fifteen years, okay? Now then...I have a call coming in. I suppose I'll have to wish you good luck."
I was about to say something, but the crab disconnected. I set it down on a table, trying to ignore Luka's eyes boring into my back.
"R-Rin..." The life was seriously squeezed out of me as Luka suddenly hugged me. "OhmygoodnessRIN! I'm so glad for you! You somehow squeezed some sort of sympathy out of that Neru! Now you get fifteen more years with Len AND your voice back!" I hugged back, and froze.
Oh God.
Len.
"Let me go! I have to go see if Len's okay!" Luka released her hug and watched me with a sad smile as I ran out of the room.
I entered Len's room to a spectacle. Thin glimmering strands of golden magic were streaming from me and into Len, who sighed. I rushed to his bedside and held my breath, not knowing whether he was okay or not. Len turned to me and slowly opened his eyes. I swear, I'd never been happier to see those bright blue eyes of his.
"Oh, God, Len! Don't scare me like that! Y-you almost died!" Len cracked a smile. "Hey, Rin. You're talking. Knew you could..." His eyes closed, but I didn't freak out. I knew he was just going to rest. So I leaned over and planted a kiss. To my surprise, he kissed back. Guess he wasn't quite asleep yet.
As I quietly left the room, I looked at Len, who was resting quietly.
"Hey, Len."
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
"Love ya too."
"Yeah, I know."
I smiled to myself as I stepped into the hall and closed the door.
Turns out that Len's stabbed was that strange servant, Iroha. Now she's on the death roll, soon to be excecuted by guillotine. She went missing just a little while after her assassination attempt. The auburn-haired demon turned up again when she tried to kill Len again two years later at our wedding.
Yes, I said wedding.
Len and I were finally married when we were eighteen. King Kaito and Queen Meiko were there, and they assured us that they didn't intend on dying or retiring any time soon, so we could find a nearby house and "settle down and give us lots of grandkids," as a drunk Meiko put it. Miku came with some guy with white hair; I never bothered to remember his name. Miku wanted us to have lots of kids so that one day, her little fantasy would become reality. (Let's just say that lots of people wanted us to have kids...)
Nevertheless, we were both bright red by the end of the reception and hurried out of the hall.
Life was good. But we only had thirteen years left together.
We spent it the best way possible:
Together.
Hm…is that a good enough ending? Of course, it's not the end. I have an epilogue that I'm working on, and I have good plans for it…
I've set a goal for my reviews. I'm hoping to get a total of 50 reviews by the end of the story, so maybe…40? 45? By the end of this chapter, I want 42 reviews! Does that sound okay? That's just nine (hopefully more) people taking the time out of their day and telling me that they are enjoying my story, or that I have some things that I need to work on. Anything would be appreciated!
Now for a question…
Why does everyone hate Miku?
Really! I'm curious! Tell me, please!