Disclaimer: I do not own this plot, the characters or the song. I simply own my twisted interpretation.
"Let me hear your voice once again, my love
Please come and mend my heart with your words…" *
Why? Why was she still singing like a dying caged bird? Singing of love lost and utter pain… Why the hell was she even yearning for the violet-maned Prince right now? He had been the one to lock her up in this prison cell. He was the one who cut off her long tendrils of pink hair, the ones he so often complimented her for. And he simply threw her away without so much as a word while the guards brought her here. He had shunned her without asking what her story was. No, he had decided to listen to the maliciously jealous priestess who was merely pretending to have his best interest at heart. The Prince couldn't see passed her sweet little mask… Not like the enchantress could. Not only that, he even dared to take one of her most precious possessions…
Cerulean eyes flickered with hidden and unknown emotions as the pinkette let her thoughts swirl within her head. Nonexistent tears rolled down her face as she stared at the window with her stormy orbs. Why do you believe her? she asked internally whilst staring at the pink hues dancing in the sky. It was almost time from what she could observe; perhaps she only had a little over a few hours to live. The guards would probably barge into her cage any minute now and drag her out to prepare her for the burning or something of that sort. A shudder wracked the woman's lithe body at the thought of being utterly humiliated in front of everyone. Though, the humiliation would be nothing in comparison to the emotional hell she was currently in.
It was then that the small cell thundered with the sound of the door opening. The femme didn't even bother to look at the door as she already had an idea of who it was. Her eyes didn't leave the window, not even when the guards began shouting and taunting her.
"Well look what we have here!" jeered a male guard as approached Luka, haughtiness reflecting in his eyes. "Aw, it seems the whore has given up on fighting her fate already!"
A feminine chuckle rang through the cell as a female guard took a step closer into the cell. "Well, regardless if she gave up or not, she does have a visitor waiting right now."
The male scoffed, a smirk playing at his lips while he spoke. "Oh? Does she have another customer waiting?" At this, Luka's lips creased into a wicked frown while the female guard simply chortled.
"Perhaps, but whoever it is, they said it was really important and our heads would be on a silver platter via the Prince's orders if we did not allow them to visit the witch," the female stated with an amused tone lacing her voice; the threat taken in jest.
"Oh, really? Well then, by all means, send them in!" the guard yelled with hilarity. Chuckling, the female guard left for a moment only to return with someone covered in a cloak. That someone walked forward into the cell, only stopping when they stood in front of the pinkette.
"Well stranger, you have ten minutes or so. Make the most of it while you can," the female guard shouted as she and the other guard walked out of the little cell, closing the door with a thud and walking down the hallway; their voices becoming fading echoes as they walked away.
When the voices and footsteps could no longer be heard, the pink-haired witch let out a heavy breath. The atmosphere was no longer heated and taunting despite this "visitor" being there. Actually, the presence of this individual was calming and kind; not at all hostile and mocking like the guards. Nor was it jealous and conniving like the teal-haired priestess. To the young witch, it was relatively refreshing to have someone new there. But the question of what they wanted to visit for still remained.
A few more moments of silence followed until the hooded individual removed their dark cape. Messy green chin-length locks of hair fell from their head as a gentle feminine smile adorned a childish face. Needless to say, Luka was puzzled. Who was this younger girl and what the hell was she doing here visiting her of all people?
"Well, hello there, Miss Luka. I know this is not exactly the best of circumstances…" the green-eyed girl began as she took a tentative step towards the witch with a smile still adorning her features. "But it is very nice to finally get to meet you, miss. I have heard so many lovely things about you. You are even prettier than what I imagined!"
Confusion, indignation and calm swept through the young witch's soul all at once as she continued staring at the girl before her. Was she joking with her? But taking a good look at the girl, the pinkette could tell she was being genuine. The greenette was dressed so conservatively and held this kind aura about her; it was absolutely stunning to Luka. Who could've made this young girl want to meet her in the first place? It was then that she noticed a familiar insignia on the girl's dress and remembered what the female guard said. Gakupo…
It was almost as if the girl could feel her pain because her green eyes danced in sympathy and understanding. "Ano, I'm Gumi… And I am a childhood friend of Prince Gakupo."
That being said, Gumi offered the blue-eyed witch a tender smile. Nodding in understanding, Luka offered her own tiny smile. "I see… well, it is awfully kind of you to visit me. Thank you."
Silence then managed to find them once again after Luka spoke, making the green-haired maid fidget somewhat before she spoke again. "You probably don't want to hear this, but… the Prince really is in love with you."
Broken laughter ripped through the air of the cell as the pinkette laughed at the thought. "If that is true, he surely has an odd way of showing it… Heh, I would hate to see what he does to those he hates," she mused bitterly while Gumi's gloomy eyes rested upon her.
"I know you don't believe it after all that has been done to you…" the greenette paused, her bangs covering her eyes as she looked down. "This is… this is all my fault."
The pink-haired woman's head snapped in the girl's direction as she looked at her in curiosity and bewilderment. "How is my current predicament your fault? You hardly know me!"
A sheepish and heartbroken smile passed over Gumi's lips as she knelt down in front of Luka. "Because… I saw you two together one day while collecting groceries for the Prince's chef. You two seemed so happy and I was overjoyed that my dear friend had found someone whom he loved and loved him back. I then told Miku that the Prince fell in love with an enchanting beauty... I should have known that she would've gotten jealous. But I didn't… I did not think that she would go as far as claim that you were a witch so you wouldn't take Prince Gakupo away. It's still quite shocking to see her behave this way…"
The pinkette's eyes softened as she saw the girl's guilt and sadness written over her face. This just made things more complicated, but perhaps it was better that she know. "So you are saying that the accusation of me being a witch… it was simply a lie?"
Gumi's face was momentarily blank until she began nodding vigorously. "Correct! Miku had no idea at all that you truly were a witch. It was simply something to get you away from the Prince. It wasn't until you confessed that she knew. Her driving force was and still is her selfishness and jealousy."
With this new knowledge, Luka could not help but frown a bit. What a bratty little child the priestess is! she growled internally. She had known that the girl was jealous but… this was just insane. But before the witch could bury herself into her chaotic thoughts, the younger female spoke up.
"Ano… since you are a witch and all, why haven't you tried escaping yet?" the green-eyed maid asked with her head tilted to the side. She looked like an innocent child asking her mother a simple question.
Grimacing slightly, the pinkette let out a sigh as she stared at the window. "Because... I currently do not have my amulet with me which allows me to control my magic. And I would prefer not to destroy the entire town and the forest around it because of my magic."
At this new information, the maid made a bewildered face. "You're really that powerful?" she asked excitedly, receiving a nod from the pinkette as an answer. "Wow… I can't believe I'm standing in front of someone with such an amazing amount of power."
It's not that great, really, Luka thought to herself as she let small but gentle smile caress her face at the look of wonder on Gumi's face. It reminded her of a young child seeing something new for the first time. So innocent and warming; so naïve of the horrors the world held. The witch's thoughts were quickly interrupted with a question: "If I manage to get the amulet for you, would you be able to get away?"
"What?" the blue-eyed woman asked the maid in surprise.
"If I bring you your amulet before you're put at the stake to burn, would you be able to run away?" the green-eyed maid asked in all seriousness, staring at Luka's face.
It took Luka a moment to respond to such a question. "Um… I suppose so. But I doubt you can get it," she stated solemnly, staring at the cell door as distant laughter quietly reached her ears. Is time up already?
"And why is that?" the green-maned girl asked befuddled, glancing in the door's direction before returning her gaze to the pinkette.
"Because… the Prince currently has it in his possession," the pinkette said with an undertone of hurt and anger.
"Ah," was all Gumi said for a moment as she stood there thinking to herself. A smile soon spread across her girlish face. "You'll get your amulet before you reach the stake."
Staring at her dumbfounded, Luka shook her head wildly. "Do not do this for me. You could get into trouble! I do not want you risking anything for me!"
Gui only smiled cheerily at the witch, shaking her head once at her statement. "You're not the only one I'm doing this for, Miss Luka. Saving you will make Gakupo happy; I know this for a fact. He'd make himself sick with guilt if you burned at the stake because of how much he loves you."
The pinkette could feel her eyes tearing up, so to prevent any tears from spilling, she bit down on her lip and sighed. "You are foolish for doing this," she said coolly while she stared at the door once again. The footsteps from earlier were getting louder.
"Maybe, but it'll make my lord and dearest friend happy in the end." With that final statement, the maid put on her cloak back on. Not a moment later, the guards came into the cell with thundering laughter and the groan of the cell door opening. There are more guards then before, the witch quietly noted.
"Time's up!"
"Yes, I know…" replied Gumi with a flat voice, the cheery childishness dissipating from her voice as she quickly hurried out of the cell and out of the prison. All that was left were Luka and the guards.
"So, the witch has a little time before the preparation for her burning at the stake… How about we have some fun with her?"
A few laughs were the guards' answer as they walked closer to the pink-haired woman who currently had an indignant look on her face. She was going to have to use all her willpower to keep her magic from under control. No need to be guilty of murder, she mused bitterly.
The gentle flapping of wings and light squawking danced in the air in an odd melody in front of the town's church as black birds pecked at the bread on the ground. Purple-blue eyes observed the fowls while a gentle hum of amusement escaped the lips of the long-haired male's lips as he sat there on the steps and basked in the birds' presence.
With a gentle smile on his face, Prince Gakupo was still as he sat there amongst the birds. He did this every early afternoon around the same time. It was always the same thing every day; he would spread out bread crumbs on the steps of the grand church and just sit there for about an hour or so watching the birds. They didn't seem to mind him being there observing them; they were used to his curious presence and they didn't make a fuss about him being a royal like the people of the town did. Perhaps that was the reason why he did this every day.
Nothing ever changed and people most certainly didn't disturb him around this time or this part of town anyways. People generally weren't around the church unless it was a Sunday and a service was going. So of course, the purple-maned man wasn't exactly expecting anything to happen today. That is until a bonnet that was being swept away by the wind fell at his feet.
"My bonnet!" a fair voice rang through the air, capturing the Prince's attention as he picked up the cap from the ground. He could swear he stopped breathing for a moment when his eyes fell upon a beautiful woman with salmon pink locks. She looked a bit out of breath, but a beautiful smile was gracing her features as she approached him hesitantly. "Ah… Thank you for catching my bonnet. I've been chasing it for quite a bit now. I thought I was never going to get it back."
Finding it hard to form words at the moment, Gakupo simply smiled at the woman and handed her the bonnet. "You're welcome," was all he managed to say while he felt his heart was pounding at a mile a minute, observing the young woman as she placed the cap on her head. He couldn't quite get over how lovely he found her to be and this strange feeling he had in his heart.
With a smile still on her face, the pinkette bowed her head slightly causing her long locks to spill over her shoulder. "Thank you again, Mister…?"
"Gakupo. My name is Gakupo Kamui," he answered coolly despite the fact that he suddenly felt very nervous. Everyone knew him as the Prince by name and acted like "wonderful" people towards him in order to gain his favor. And then there were the countless women he had encountered that suddenly started to try flirting with him when they discovered who he was; he was hoping this woman would be different. Though, he somehow knew she truly was by the feeling in his heart.
"Ah… You're the Crown Prince, aren't you?" the woman asked him curiously, her gentle smile never leaving her face as he simply nodded a response. A light giggle escaped her lips as she bowed her head again. "It is a pleasure to meet you then, Prince Gakupo. My name is Luka Megurine. Again, thank you for saving my bonnet."
The purple-haired man beamed a smile at her, nodding at her. "You're quite welcome and the pleasure is all mine, Miss Megurine."
"Oh, no need to be so formal with me, sire. Luka is just fine," she stated calmly, holding her bonnet down with her hand as a gust of wind passed through, her pink locks of hair dancing freely in the air.
The male couldn't help but reach out and pass his fingers through a few strands of her hair once the wind settled down, causing a light shade of red to dust over the woman's face. He had stepped closer to her and the closer distance between them was quite dizzying for the both of them.
"Luka… such a… pretty name, " Gakupo stated dreamily as he continued playing with her hair, accidentally brushing her cheek with his fingers and causing the two of them to blush. It was then that the Prince let go of her hair and awkwardly coughed, looking to the side due to slight embarrassment.
"Ah, um… Thank you," she said slightly flustered, a blush still decorating her pale cheeks as she looked away from him and began staring at all the blackbirds. From the corner of his eyes, the Prince watched Luka stare in concentration, only to shake her head a second later and spoke. "Ah, well… I suppose I should be going. Sorry to intrude on you, sire."
Just as the pink-haired woman was walking away, Gakupo quickly yelled after her. "It would be nice if I could see you again!" That declaration alone stopped the woman in her tracks, causing her to look back at him and give him gentle smile.
"I suppose you can if you so wish it, sire," she stated with the smile still on her face and with tenderness in her eyes.
A big grin made its way to Gakupo's face, nodding towards her. "I do. Can I see you here tomorrow?" he questioned anxiously, excitement and joy dancing in his eyes. The very thought of her rejecting his demand never coming to mind.
A moment passed before the pinkette answered with a nod and her ever kind smile. "Yes, sire. I will look forward to seeing you here tomorrow then." With that, she bowed her head quickly and turned on her heel, walking away and waving goodbye to him.
Prince Gakupo stood there a few moments longer, staring in the direction of where Luka went. There was this warm feeling he had at the pit of his stomach, this odd feeling he absolutely enjoyed. He couldn't really describe it, but he knew it was because of the pinkette. He honestly could not wait to see her again.
Turning towards the blackbirds that were still pecking away at the bits of bread that remained, the man couldn't help but smile. I cannot wait for tomorrow, he thought to himself before leaving the birds to eat and heading back towards the castle.
A loud knocking at the door made the Crown Prince jump momentarily. He had been daydreaming and thinking about the day that he first fell in love. But before he could return to those thoughts, he ripped his gaze away from the sky beyond the confines of his window. Huffing a bit, he simply glanced at the door when his composure returned. "Come in."
The purple-maned man didn't need to turn around to know who it was that had just entered his bedchamber. The light shuffling of feet and overly warm aura just told him all who it was; his beloved sister figure, Gumi. And although he would normally be very happy to talk to or see her, today just hadn't been a good day for anyone to talk to him. He was certain that she knew that for certain from their little encounter earlier when she came to inform him of Miku's visit.
"Ah, Prince Gakupo, it's almost time…" she stated with hesitance and worry lacing her voice. Had he been looking at her, he would've seen the heartbroken and sympathetic gaze she was giving him. "You… you need to look your best, your Majesty."
A sigh escaped Gakupo's lips, glancing at the object he currently held in his hand. It was a beautiful necklace, consisting of a shining silver chain attached to a marquise-shaped cerulean jewel. His eyes softened in sadness and longing at the necklace; it had belonged to Luka. He had taken it from her yesterday before she was taken away and put in prison. He was sure that no one knew he had it aside from himself and Luka, and even if they did, he was certain no one knew why he bothered keeping it with him. Something to remember her by…
"Very well," he spoke eventually, putting the trinket down on a small table near the window before walking towards the doors of his person bathing room.
"I shall lay out your clothes for you then, your Majesty" the greenette replied gently as she watched him reluctantly close the doors behind him. She waited until she heard the lock to the doors click and the water to the tub running to dash over to the amulet. I have to grab it and make a run for it before it's too late!
"How pretty… It suits her so well," the young maid quietly mused to herself as she admired the pink-haired witch's jewel for a moment before slipping the amulet into her pocket. She then quickly moved around the room and pulled out a new outfit for the Prince to wear.
"Your clothes are ready for you, your Majesty!" Gumi bellowed through the bath doors before she scurried out the bedchamber. She had a job to do not only for Luka's happiness and wellbeing, but for Gakupo's as well.
Tendrils of purple floated aimlessly in the soapy, perfumed water as Gakupo sat in the tub, a forlorn look shadowing his face as he stared at the patterned ceiling. He didn't like today and he felt like dying at the moment. In less than two hours, the love of his life would be taken to the stake and burned, and his heart was breaking with each passing moment.
She is not the love of your life. Miku said that she just cast a spell to make you fall in love with her, his brain told him. And although he would agree with his logic most of the time, he absolutely could not agree this time; his heart wouldn't let him. There was something telling him otherwise, something telling him that there was no way that Luka would do such a thing to him.
The prince was so into his thoughts that he didn't even hear when the young maid told him that his attire for the burning was out and waiting for him. Right now, he just wanted to shut the world out. Wanted the world to just leave him the living hell alone right now with his misery. Hell, wanted to disappear even. He just didn't want to deal with this whole situation and this horrible pain right now. God, how he wished he wasn't a prince; he wouldn't have this wretched dilemma if he was just a commoner.
Like lightning cutting through an obsidian sky on a stormy night, an image of a certain lovely woman with ravishing blue eyes and pink tresses flashed through his mind. She looked so heartbroken and lost when I had cut her hair and sent her away, he glumly said internally. His heart began aching all the more in trembling waves when he realized he was the reason for the pain she was currently feeling. I wonder how she is right now… She probably hates me, no doubt.
Stop thinking about her already. You will only drive yourself mad, you fool, his logic butted in and the purple-blue eyed male couldn't help but laugh. The logical side of him was right; though, he had to admit that he was the cause of not only his own misery, but Luka's misery as well. Things shouldn't have to end like this with the pink-haired enchantress. He loved her with his very being…
But you cannot be with her now. That opportunity never existed, the Prince's logic reminded him. To this, Gakupo absentmindedly nodded while a few crystalline streams fell from his eyes.
"I know that now…" he spoke aloud with desperation and anguish lying beneath the steadiness of his voice. "But I still… love her."
"Priestess, I believe everything is in order to your liking for the burning at sunset," a brown-haired male informed the tealnette who was currently standing there by the stake in front of the church, inspecting everything she could.
"Thank you. That shall be all, Kiyoteru. You should retire for the rest of the day; you have worked really hard today. May God bless you for your assistance in extinguishing a horrid devilish woman," the young woman said in a light tone, warmth emanating from her girlish conniving features.
The man named Kiyoteru couldn't help but nod and blush at the priestess. "Y-yes, ma'am. Thank you for your kindness and your blessing!" With that, the brunette male scampered off and left Miku to her own dark musings.
"It's almost time," she stated calmly, excitement and satisfaction dancing in her teal eyes as she watched some of the townspeople trickle in. People of all sorts began settling into place around the stake in a circle.
Perhaps they are here to watch that wretched witch burn, she thought, a sickeningly sweet smile ever growing on her features at the thought. Everything had been going just as she had hoped it would. A laugh brushed out of her lips. She had absolutely no regrets up until this point. Absolutely none. Sure, she had to hurt her beloved Gakupo in order to get this far, but the ending of it all would justify her actions. Gakupo would become all hers after this was finally all over.
You are a fool if you think that will happen, a little voice in the back of Miku's head chimed in. This in turn caused the tealnette to frown; minutely of course, but still frown.
It will happen, Miku argued back.
She is a witch, one with powers and abilities far beyond your own mortal ones. You won't win this in the end, the voice warned gravely, causing the priestess to have an internal hissy fit.
"So long as I get what I want in the end, I don't giving a damn about what happens to the witch," she muttered angrily to herself as she watched the group of spectators grow in number with each passing moment.
Although Miku was completely confident in her ability of manipulation and getting what she wanted, she couldn't help but somewhat worry if the voice is right. No, it's not…
"Miku! Where are you?" Gumi excitedly questioned loudly as she entered the church, her voice reverberating softly. She had such wonderful news to tell her teal-maned friend!
"Not so loud, Gumi. I'm right over here," the young priestess responded as she took a quick break from cleaning the statues that were lining the sides of the church so Gumi could see her.
"Oh! Sorry!" the young maid responded in a quieter volume, the excitement not once leaving her voice as she moved closer to her friend. "I have something to tell you. It's about our dearest friend, Gakupo."
Before the priestess could return back to cleaning, she momentarily looked at her friend with subtle curiosity. "What about him?" she asked cautiously.
"He's fallen in love! He plans on marrying her soon too!" the greenette blurted out giddily.
"E-eh?" Miku grunted in response, shocked at the news. Her Gakupo was marrying who now? "Who… who is she?" she asked in strained voice.
"Her name is Luka. She's new to this town, but she's a really lovely woman. She's beautiful and kind to him. He always seems to sing whenever he's met with her. He just seems so happy!" Gumi said with her childish jubilance, completely missing the priestess' bitter face.
"Ah," was all the priestess said for a time as she went back to cleaning, her face hidden from Gumi's viewpoint. "This really is news…"
"You know Miku, I'm surprised you didn't know this before I did. They always meet in front of the church and all," the maid said with a smile on her face, twirling a few times out of excitement.
"T-they do?" the tealnette asked in surprise, her eyes the size of saucers from her shock.
"Mhmm. They don't like being too public and everything, and the church is a pretty good place to meet since rarely anyone walks past here unless there's service. They usually just sit on the stairs, feed the birds and enjoy each other's company."
"How nice for them," Miku responded in flat spite, anger and jealousy hinted at in the edge of her voice.
Surprised at her friend's tone, Gumi stared at Miku with a look of concern on her face while she took a few steps closer to her friend. "Ano… Miku, are you alright?"
At that very instant, the priestess put on a cheery façade and faced her friend with a fake smile in place. "Of course! I'm just so happy that Gakupo has found someone that loves him so much… And that he actually reciprocates their feelings."
A small pang of guilt hit Gumi when it finally dawned on her that the priestess had always loved the Prince as more than a friend. How stupid could I be? she questioned herself as she placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Miku, I-I'm sorry. I forgot that you l-"
"It's fine. All over and done with," Miku responded hastily, keeping her façade intact as she returned to cleaning. "We need to make sure Gakupo is happy."
Observing the slightly older female in front of her, the maid nodded with a smile on her face. "Yes. He deserves some happiness just like everyone else does."
Silence soon followed. An awkward, heavy silence. Gumi stood there for a moment watching Miku before her eyes started to wander. A quick glance at an old grandfather clock sent the maid into a panic the very next second. "Oh no! I have to get back before Prima puts my head on a silver platter! Goodbye, Miku!"
Before Miku could say anything, the greenette was out the doors which left the teal-eyed girl to herself. It was then that tears quickly began spilling from her eyes as she curled into a fetal position on the floor. Her small frame shook quietly against the cold stone of the floor as her weeping increased.
"Why Luka and not me…?"
Gumi's lungs gasped for air as she made her way through town to deliver the pendent. She couldn't help but notice how unusually quiet and empty the town seemed as she continued to run down the streets. It was as if the town deserted save for a few people that were quietly walking about.
The greenette stopped for a moment, catching her breath against a shop. She only had a bit more to go in order to deliver the pendent to the pink-haired witch and then she would be able to run away, saving some grief for both her and the Prince. I have to keep moving, she quietly scolded herself as her aching legs began moving. Though, her attention was soon caught by two voices.
"Now, please take a look, at this sad story! Don't forget to have your handkerchief ready!" cried out a young blonde female.
"In a faraway place, there was a witch! She fell in love with a prince!" cried out the male twin blonde soon after as the duo walked down the streets.
"They spend a lot of time together in happiness, that the witch has almost forgotten her time-stopping magic!" the two shouted out at the same time.
The young maid couldn't help but stare at the twins, resisting the urge to follow them and continue to hear their shouting. They're talking about Gakupo and Luka after all, and they need me more than these two do, she reminded herself, going back to running towards the jail. She couldn't waste any more time. However, she couldn't help but get chills from the very last thing she heard from the twins in the distance.
"In a faraway place, there was a witch. She deceived and seduced a prince. The happy time is now over for him who was once under the witch's charm…"
A sharp hiss escaped from the pinkette's lips at the harsh contact of a palm across her face as the guards dragged her out of the cell. Moments ago, the guards had tried to abuse her in an inappropriate manner due to their sick sense of fun. The witch's behavior sure was a surprise for them. They did not expect her to lash out at them by thrashing about violently, shackle-bound and all, and biting them viciously if they came too closely to her.
At that very moment, Luka felt absolutely horrendous; she was tired, weak, heartbroken, furious and vengeful. And to add to the matter, she had the bitter iron taste of blood in her mouth from biting on of the guards so hard. She just wanted the burning to be over with already so she could be left alone in death; sweet, peaceful and lonesome death. She wasn't at all hoping for a means to escape; hell, she was hoping right now that Gumi had finally come to her sense and decided against helping her escape. However, she knew better.
The blue-eyed enchantress' thoughts were disturbed when she felt something searing hot against her flesh. She looked to see the source, only to find that she was soaked from head to toe in scorching hot water. Her skin felt so sensitive, so much so that she started fidgeting a bit despite the fact that her shackles still didn't give her that much liberty to move. A muffled shriek erupted from the woman as she felt someone scrub her sensitive skin with a rough cloth.
"Stop it! You are hurting me!" she screeched at the robust woman who was currently making Luka's skin raw from the harsh scrubbing. The young witch whimpered a tad as the woman further hurt her skin, causing small gashes in her skin. The pinkette had to bite down on her lower lip to keep herself from actually screaming through this horrid torture while more scorching water was poured all over her.
After twenty minutes, Luka was released from the severe scrubbing, her once creamy skin now marred with red gashes and small cuts. Her pink short locks were wet, sticking to her skin. The rags she had been forced to wear earlier were now changed to a beige dress made out of a rough material, irritating her wounded skin all the more.
At the moment, she was being led to a cart to be taken to the stake, hands still bound. Despite the fact that she felt like calling out bloody murder only a while ago because of her "bath," the pinkette's face was void of emotion right now. She just didn't feel anything now.
"Oi, stay right here," a guard commanded her as he walked away for a moment. During this time, a small sigh escaped Luka's pale lips. Time to go, she thought to herself, her body stiffening when she heard a familiar girly voice call out to her.
"Miss Luka!"
Hesitantly, the blue-orbed woman turned towards the direction of the voice, spotting an out of breath Gumi. The witch's heartbeat quickly increased. Oh no! She actually made it back here! That means…
"I-I got your amulet, Miss Luka," Gumi said out of breath, huffing as she walked over to a flustered Luka and pulled out the amulet from her pocket. She didn't even hesitate to place it around the woman's neck, a tired smile on her face. "You can be free now."
"You shouldn't have done this. You'll get in trouble if you get caught by anyone," the pinkette responded with worry and slight anger on her face. Deep inside, there was a part of her that was utterly grateful that the maid had gone through so much trouble. However, the more stubborn part of her was upset because if she ran away, she would still be living with this heartache.
"But seeing Gakupo live with a sense of relief that you aren't dead because of him is worth it… And maybe one day you two could be together," the green-eyed girl responded, a sad yet hopeful look dancing across her face. "But I know… that going on living will probably be more painful for you than to die at the stake in a little while. I just… hope that you choose to live for your sake and Gakupo's."
The maid's subtle request left Luka flabbergasted and upset. How could this young girl understand so much? How could she possibly be so unselfish and wish for her dear friend's happiness, not giving a damn about her own safety by helping a witch? And for some reason, the witch started crying and smiled at the maid, nodding. "I… I will… out of respect for you, Gumi. Thank you."
The younger female stood there staring at the witch, a gentle understanding smile gracing her lips as she nodded. It was then that the sound of the guard's footsteps reached their ears, sending young Gumi to run off, waving at the witch in such a way, it almost seemed like she was wishing the witch "good luck."
"Well now, we better get going. Don't want to disappoint everyone that's waiting for your death," the guard said with a sickening smile on his face, amusement washing over his voice. Luka had to keep herself from sneering at him or doing anything.
You should just leave now. You have your amulet now, a voice echoed at the back of her head as she was placed in the cart, shackles locked in place to keep her from escaping her confines.
Not yet, she responded to the voice internally, her face giving nothing away of her emotions as she was driven through the town. Her face didn't change in the slightest at the slurs and horrendous names the remaining people in the streets called her. A small sigh left her lips, tears slowly forming at the edges of her void eyes.
"I just want to see your face… One last time…" she muttered to herself, the sight of the church coming perfectly into view.
Why? the purple-haired male questioned himself with heartbreak as he finally arrived to the church, pacing to and fro while awaiting his beloved lady. His normally happy and patient demeanor now shattered. Only a while ago, his dearest friend Miku had come to him with hesitation and sadness. Apparently, she had news for him from another kingdom about a threat; this threat being a pink-haired witch looking to overthrow kingdoms and staking a claim on the lands.
When the teal-eyed femme had told him this, he had just simply denied that Luka could ever do such a thing. She's far too caring and loving to do such a thing, he had told himself. But when the young priestess had provided a letter from a neighboring kingdom and a wanted poster with a pink-haired woman that shared an uncanny resemblance to his love, his heart shattered.
"Gakupo!"
Frozen stiff, the purple-orbed Prince stopped in his tracks with his back to the lovely female that called out to him. His heart was aching right at this very moment, pleading with his good sense so he wouldn't do anything stupid to hurt his beloved. Unfortunately, he was allowing his brain all the control this time around. From a young age, he was taught to do the right thing for the kingdom; the right thing right now being to rid himself of a greedy enchantress that would turn the kingdom to shambles.
"Miss Megurine," he stated monotonously as he turned to face her, his demeanor a perfect mirror of a stone cold wall. He needed to be strong; he needed to not let his emotions get the better of him right now. However, his self-control slightly wavered at the dejected look that flashed through the pinkette's brilliant cerulean eyes; it was killing him to see her like that.
"What… what's wrong?" Luka questioned hesitantly, pink tendrils spilling over her shoulder as she stepped closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder in concern, only to have her hand smacked away by the Prince.
"I would much rather prefer you call me by my title. Peasants do not have the luxury of being familiar with someone such as me," he responded flatly. "Though, I suppose it does not matter as you will not be around me at all to be formal with me anyhow."
Confusion washed over the femme's face, hurt clearly displaying in her eyes while her voice wavered with heartbreak. "W-what? What do you mean? Have I done something wrong?"
Despite the incessant nagging that his heart was currently doing, Gakupo held onto his emotionless mask as a pair of guards appeared behind Luka and grabbed hold of her arms. His mask was perfect even as the duo held onto the delicate pinkette so harshly, preventing her from running away or thrashing about.
"What- What is this?" she exclaimed loudly, tears slowly spilling from her eyes as she tried to wriggle out of the guards' grasps.
"Luka Megurine, you are under arrest for dealing with Witchcraft. And for such a severe offense, you will also be put to death," one of the guards stated listlessly.
"…What? You must be joking!" Luka whimpered loudly, her thrashing and wiggling ceasing as she ripped her gaze away from the guard to Gakupo. "Gakupo… please, don't tell me this is true. Please."
Heart clenching, Gakupo simply took a step forward in front of Luka, drawing the small dagger from his belt. For a moment, the blue-eyed femme thought he was going to stab her. But to her surprise, he simply grabbed hold of her pink locks and cut them off with a quick flick of the dagger. On top of that, the Prince took the amulet hanging from her neck and shoving it into his pocket. Her heart just broke into two at his next few words.
"Lock her up and make sure she does not escape."
A broken sob escaped the female's lips as they roughly dragged her away, her beloved's back to her as he began to walk away. Not even all the power in the world could keep the tears from spilling down her cheeks. How could this be happening? she questioned herself brokenly as she was put into shackles and onto a horse, being taken to the jail.
And with the pinkette gone, the purple-haired male's body wracked with a soul-shattering sob as his mask broke. That's when he began to run, running all the way back to the castle and straight to his bedchambers. The only words escaping from his lips along the way being "I'm so sorry, Luka…"
I'm so sorry and I love you.
"Penitenziagite! Penitenziagite!"
"Witch!"
"Devil's whore!"
"Horrid damnation!"
The Prince couldn't help but wince at the horrible things that he heard as the pink-haired female finally arrived. Imagine his horror when he saw how riled up everyone had gotten and even started throwing things in her direction, the guards even joining in on the jeering and throwing of objects. His heart was roaring in anger and longing to protect the pink-haired woman he loved so much.
Gakupo was so wrapped up in his own horror and anger that he didn't even notice the happy and wicked smile that had made its way onto Miku's face. Her eyes were dancing in utter delight at how hated the pink-haired witch was and how horrible she was being treated. Finally, things were going to turn back to normal; a world with Luka Megurine would no longer exist. The pinkette would just be a wretched distant memory and the teal-eyed girl was absolutely all right with that.
The townspeople were going wild, the insults whizzing through the air until Luka was finally tied up to a cross, firewood covered in oil below her ready to be lit on command. It was then that the teal-haired priestess began to speak and the crowd fell to a hush.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have gathered here tonight to witness the burning of a witch!" At this, the crowd hollered with bloodthirsty cheers, only to fall back into silence when Miku continued to talk. "This witch has enchanted our beloved Prince, Gakupo. She cast a spell not too long ago to make His Majesty fall in love with her. She has done this in order to gain control over him and take over this land. For dealing with witchcraft, she would be kept in jail for the remainder of her life. But for using magic against His Highness, she is to be put to death at the stake!"
While the crowd went crazy with approval and shouting, Miku stole a glance at the Prince to see that he was staring at the witch. A wildfire of jealousy and rage ran through her as she did her damnedest to keep a sincere and innocent mask on her face. The need to be rid of the witch was growing far too much for her to contain anymore.
Only a moment more and you'll finally be gone, Luka, the priestess thought with a wicked smile as she glared at said woman with all the hate she had. Just you wait.
Throughout the priestess' little spiel, the witch's eyes never left the tealnette's figure. Watching her every movement, Luka quickly caught onto Miku's delighted tone of voice and ecstatic facial features. It didn't shock her in the slightest that no one seemed to catch on that the priestess was far too happy about the burning of a witch; they were calling her horrid nicknames and throwing stuff at her after all. It most certainly didn't surprise her to see that the young tealnette was glaring at her either. I bet you can't wait to get rid of me, huh?
When the young priestess finally turned around to give another small spiel to the crowd, Luka allowed herself to start looking around for a certain face in particular as she tuned out the girl's childish voice. It most certainly didn't take too long to find who it was she was looking for. Her heart nearly broke all over again when she saw Gakupo staring at her with those beautiful purple-blue eyes of his, emotions swimming in his eyes. And just by his gaze alone, she could see that her beloved was currently at war with himself. His duty or his love…
It didn't occur to her that she was crying until she felt that her shirt was wet. But now that she was crying, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing and she couldn't stop the surge of emotions that followed. Anger, sadness, confusion, betrayal, love, hope, and longing along with a sea of emotions that she couldn't decipher on her own. All she wanted at the moment, however, was to run to Gakupo and run away with him. To go to some place where no one knew their names and no one could keep them from each other; they could forget this life in this town and create a new one just on their own. But I can't ask that of him… he belongs here with his people, she decided internally while her sobs continued as she suddenly began to sing.
"Eleka Nahmen Nahmen, Atum Atum Eleka Nahmen…" **
This sudden outburst of words caused the crowd to break out in a roar of disapproval and fear. It didn't surprise Luka the slightest bit that Miku took this opportunity to set fire to the oiled wood located below the pinkette.
"She's calling out to the Devil! Quickly! Before she finishes chanting her wicked spell, envelop her in flames!" That being said, a handful of guards threw torches of fire at the wood, the flames instantly enveloping the wood and starting to burn the short-haired female.
It was then a sudden burst of anger swept through the witch as she shouted at the priestess. "If you are willing to go this far as to call my love for Prince Gakupo "witchcraft," then I will be sure that everything you hold dear goes down with me in flames, priestess!"
A small look of horror washed over the priestess' face at the threat, Luka knowing why she had that look. The one thing that Miku held dear to her was Gakupo himself. Now, the pinkette wasn't selfish, but she knew the threat would scare the daylights of the tealnette. In fact, the teal-maned girl was so scared, that she started screaming for the guards to make the fire larger. Though, Luka wasn't paying attention to the capricious girl beneath her; she was currently looking at the Prince.
If anyone had told her that Gakupo cried over her because of how much he loved her, she would laugh at them like she had with Gumi a little earlier. But now, the pale-skinned femme saw for herself that he was indeed crying over her. Even over the distance, Luka could feel the unfailing longing, unshakable love and profound regret coming from the purple-haired male. His eyes were just swirling with such strong emotions; a saddened smile graced her face for one more time as a few tears spilled from her eyes again.
A large gust of wind suddenly swept through the town, nearly knocking the townspeople over like a bunch of dominos and extinguishing the fire while a pillar of light covered the blue-eyed witch. Confused screaming and howls filled the air as the wind got even stronger.
It took every bit of strength and balance Gakupo had to keep from being knocked over on the ground. But for some reason, this torrent of air was soothing to him as well as the pillar of light; though, he had to close his eyes that instant from the blinding effect of the light. Just then, he felt someone embracing him tightly. It was warm and familiar, a sense of love radiating from the person who held him. "Luka," he murmured just before the warmth was swept away with the wind, the bright light and the gust of wind dissipating at once.
With the wind and light gone, everyone looked and found the witch gone. Angry shouts reverberated in the air while an enraged howl escaped from the priestess' lips. However, all this was lost on the purple-haired male.
Purple-blue eyes on the twilight sky, he could make out the shape of a winged-person flying away towards the sunset as black feathers twirled down to the ground. Sticking his hand out, the Prince caught one of the feathers and kissed it while tears spilling from his eyes; both of joy and of utter despair.
"Goodbye… Luka," he whispered to the wind, oblivious to the chaos around him.
* Leia (English Version) – Laurel
** No Good Deed – Idina Menzel
Sorry it took so long to finish this fic. Life is seriously a crazy thing. And as far as I am concerned, this fic is finished. However, I do have an epilogue of what I think would happen in a few years after this occurrence. I am more than willing to post it up if enough people review and ask for it.
A shoutout to my derp of a friend Luka who kept badgering me about finishing this fic (and kept bribing me with awesome music). He's part of the reason I updated. The other reason being that I promised my fans (Unyielding Wish in particular) that I would update soon, so here I am.
I have a few fanfics (mainly one-shots) planned up thanks to endless plot bunnies, so you might see some fics from me in various ratings in regards to: Vocaloid, Inuyasha, Once Upon A Time, Bleach, Naruto, Teen Titans and Young Justice.
Ci vediamo,
Sonnielion.