DISCLAIMER: I do not own Vocaloid. Or their songs.
Firstly, I AM SO SORRY! I was away from home for these past few weeks, so I didn't write at all, and then I came back and realized that it's been months since I last uploaded a chapter. DX
SORRYSORRYSORRYSORRY!
Without further ado (I've always wanted write that), here's Chapter 3!
Thursday, 1-5-400
Fifth Day: Unwelcome Intruders
The world was so dull. Everyone had green, blue, and purple hair, eyes, and skin. The sun was bright green, and the sky was blue in the morning and purple at night. There was no moon – only tiny green stars.
But I was special. My hair was yellow, and my eyes were white. My specialness made the world a little less boring. Everyone liked me because I was so pretty. Everyone was scared of me, too, because I could also use magic – mainly healing magic, but sometimes fire magic when I was angry.
I had proven my worth and gained many supporters, including a few close friends who had declared their undying faith in me. I had done the same, and we were now inseparable.
My faceless friends and I trekked through the countryside, defeating formless monsters and demons. We had no destination or purpose. We simply moved forward and killed any evil person that we encountered.
One day, we met our match in the form of a dragon. It was a deep, deep blue, so deep that it looked black. But we knew that it wasn't black. Everything here was green, blue, and purple, except for me.
We fought bravely, but the dragon's fire magic beat us down. Friend #1 died, and I sobbed over his dead body, feeling more and more helpless as the dragon continued to attack my companions.
"Rin!" yelled Friend #2. She had managed to wrap her whip around one of the dragon's wings. "Get ahold of yourself! We can't die here!"
"Rin!" called Friend #3. He lay on the ground, bleeding to death. "I need to be healed! We need my sword!"
"Rin!" shouted Friend #4. She was running around, retrieving fallen arrows and lances. "Help me get more weapons!"
Filled with newfound determination, I stood up, wiped away the tears, and called on the magic within me. I couldn't fail now. I was needed.
The dragon's wing snapped, Friend #3's wounds disappeared, and millions of arrows and lances raced toward Friend #4, neatly arranging themselves in rows in front of her.
"Wow!" they all exclaimed together.
Friend #1 suddenly jumped up and declared, "I'm alive!"
Laughing brightly, I hugged him and pushed him towards the dragon. He promptly began banging on his shield with a hammer. The dragon shied away from him, and a brilliant idea occurred to me.
"Keep doing that," I told him.
He complied, and the dragon eventually flew away, unable to handle the noise.
We cheered and picked up the coins that had fallen from the sky when the beast flew away.
"We're having a feast tonight!" Friend #1 shouted.
We screamed our assent, but our cries were cut short a moment later when he fell to the ground, twitching.
Shrieking his name, we rushed over to his side. I picked him up in my arms.
"You can't permanently bring back the dead," he whispered, smiling weakly. Then his head fell back, and he died, permanently this time.
I cried, again, as his body turned to dust.
~=O=~
When I opened my eyes, Luka was, as per usual, kneeling beside me.
"Luka, why are my dreams so weird?" I asked.
"I do not know, My Lady."
"And everyone always calls me by that name, even though I hate it so much."
"My Lady."
"Someone died. Permanently."
"I am sorry for your loss. Water has been prepared."
"Thank you."
I stood up, my body aching from fighting imaginary battles, and trudged towards the washroom. The ground squelched under my toes, still slushy from the storm last night.
The washroom sink was filled with water. I dunked my face in the water, letting my tears dissolve into the warm liquid.
Sad dreams were never much fun. They always made me cry.
While Luka fetched my clothes, I sat on the porch, staring blankly at the piano.
"Will you play?" Luka asked, coming up behind me and dropping a pale green kimono onto the porch.
"Not now. It's a bad time."
"My Lady, you have not touched her since the boy left, I believe."
"Really?" I muttered absentmindedly.
"Really."
"Luka, why are you so perfect?"
"Pardon?"
"You're always next to me when I wake up. You worry about me. You never complain. You're the perfect servant."
"I do not deserve such praise." There was a smile in her voice.
"You deserve to be far away."
"My Lady, are you trying to change the subject?"
"No. I'm just pointing out facts. In the dream, I traveled with friends. We died for each other. Don't you want that, Luka?"
"My Lady, I only need you."
I shook my head. "Without you, I would be nothing. Without me, you could be something. It's different."
Before she could reply, the small buzzer embedded in the wall of her bedroom rang shrilly. From outside, its tinny cries were like those of an annoying mosquito.
"The mosquitoes are calling," I said.
"I hear them."
Luka jogged over to the room. She pressed the red button next to the buzzer – I heard the click – and harsh voices began pouring out of the speakers that were positioned on the wall between our bedrooms.
Through the discordant noise, I managed to make out the name that my biological father had given me.
"It seems that they are looking for me," I sighed, standing up. "They better have a good reason for ruining my holiday."
"My Lady, you are still in your nightgown."
"It's fine. I want them to feel guilty for waking me up."
I strolled towards the front gate, stopping to pick a few fallen tulips off of the ground and tuck them in my hair. Storms were pleasant, but they always left such destruction in their wake. I would have to perform a few mass funerals today.
Just imagining all those flower petals floating down the brook made me shiver. In fact, I was still thinking about all of my dead treasures when the gate came into view.
My knees almost gave way.
"Good gods," I exhaled. I quickly plucked the tulips out of my hair and placed them on the ground. Then, swallowing my anxiety, I forced myself to approach the visitors and nonchalantly asked, "To what do I owe such an honor?"
The head of security noticed me and hollered, "Attention!"
Her men immediately shut their mouths and stood up straight, arms by their sides and knees locked.
She then turned to me and bowed. "Lady Rin Majesty."
Her tone was mocking, but this was not the same as Leon's teasing sympathy. She truly believed that she was better than me. Unfortunately, I could not disagree.
The head of security was a tall, lithe, ebony-haired beauty whose pale skin was marred only by the large black tattoo beneath her right shoulder. She was currently wearing tight black leggings and a gray tank-top. Apparently, she had forgotten to change into her dark-green-and-brown uniform this morning.
Being the deadliest killer in the Empire gave her certain privileges, such as a lack of living enemies and the ability to break rules without being punished.
I mimicked her tone. "Mew."
"Shall I begin, then?"
"Please do."
She began reciting in monotone, "At approximately 13:00 on the Eve of New Time, a young thief stole from a bread vendor. The guards cornered him in a small area near the Cherry Blossom Gardens. He disappeared. At approximately 8:40 on the day of the Festival of Time, he was seen slipping away from the general direction of the gardens. Yamaha, the palace security team, was alerted, and that area of the wall was put under surveillance. At approximately 6:30 on Crowning Day-"
"Today," I interjected.
"Yes," she answered without blinking. "Today. Once again, he disappeared from the area. We suspect that he escaped into the gardens."
"Impossible. The people know that this is the Majesty's domain."
"Nothing is impossible, Lady Rin Majesty. Anything could get in."
Her eyes seemed to be saying, 'But you can't get out.'
"What do you want, Mew?" I snapped.
"My, my . . . is the princess feeling unwell?"
"She is. You woke her up. So make this fast."
"We would like to search through the grounds."
"Request denied."
"Denial rejected." She held out a thin scrap of paper with a hauntingly familiar signature on it. "The Majesty has given us his explicit permission to search for the intruder."
"And if I continue to decline?"
"If you continue to resist, he will assume that you are so averse to company that you do not wish to attend the Moonflower Parade."
I was trapped, and she knew it. One of her soldiers giggled and whispered something to his friend.
Lifting my chin, I haughtily replied, "You may enter." I stepped aside and watched as they opened the gate and marched past, their heavy boots trampling the fallen flower petals.
They spread out into pairs and entered the forest, loudly yelling into their communication devices while stomping on twigs and branches.
"Clumsy pack mules," I growled, striding back home.
They were probably trying to scare the intruder out of hiding. Well, at least they wouldn't be able to sneak up on Len – if he was even here.
Luka was standing on the porch, coolly glaring at the two soldiers who were supposed to be watching us. Their stony eyes surveyed the house without blinking.
"Let's go in, Luka," I said, grabbing her arm.
She followed me into my room without a word. However, once the doors were closed completely, she scoffed, "Soldiers."
"Luka," I admonished her.
"I apologize, My Lady. Mosquitoes, not soldiers."
"Luka."
"My Lady, you do not like them either, I believe."
"I don't. But that doesn't mean I can say such things when there could very well be a man stationed right outside."
"Their-"
A voice abruptly cut her off.
"Your dog acting up, Rin?" Len whispered in my ear.
Of course, he was in here.
"Lost your mind, Len?" I countered quietly. "Also, call me Saku."
"I asked first, so you answer first."
"There is no need to respect the wishes of a madman."
"Who said I was crazy?"
"I only assumed, because only a madman would return here after I told him not to speak of us."
"You never said I couldn't come back."
"The danger was implied."
He changed the subject and asked, "What are all these people for?"
"The wall is being watched. They saw you enter."
"I asked around. These are some of the Majesty's gardens, aren't they?"
"Yes."
"But you're living here."
"Yes."
"My Lady," Luka murmured. "They have finished. They are gathering here."
I pushed Len towards the closet and ordered, "For now, hide. When they can't find anyone, they will leave."
He obediently entered the closet and curled up into a ball in the corner. I closed the door behind him. "When I get out, you're answering questions," he said, his voice muffled by the wall separating us.
"Maybe."
My bedroom door suddenly flew open, and Mew entered. Startled, I flinched and stepped away from the closet. Her eyes immediately turned towards the closed door.
Luka quickly stepped forward and asked, "Why are you here?"
"I am searching the premises," Mew replied, approaching me. "Lady Rin Majesty would not mind if I peeked in there, would she?"
My heart pounded faster.
"You have no right to look through her personal space," Luka said, holding out an arm to stop Mew's progress.
"She would not mind, would she?"
"Lady Mew, your behavior is verging on rudeness."
"Are you going to report me to the Majesty?"
"No, but-"
"Because, believe me, it would brighten up his day considerably. He loves to watch caged animals squeal."
Luka's face hardened. "I will not. However, if your actions cause harm to My Lady, the Majesty will not stand idly by."
Mew slowly turned towards Luka. "Is that a threat, girl?" she asked loudly.
Luka smiled pleasantly. "The squeals of caged animals are nothing compared to the croaks of dying ones."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I have heard that your recent actions have angered-"
"Luka," I interrupted. "That's enough."
Luka unwillingly dropped her arm.
Mew sneered at her and then asked me directly, "Would you mind if I peeked in there?"
"I would mind."
Her eyes narrowed. Boiling-hot anger threatened to break through her thin façade. "Do you disallow it?"
"I would not dare," I replied.
She seemed surprised, but her surprise did not stop her from walking over to the closet, flinging the door open, and then entering its dark recesses.
My heart nearly jumped out of my throat. I held my breath and shut my eyes tightly, waiting for Len's screams or Mew's triumphant cheers. When neither came, I cautiously opened my eyes.
The closet was a mess. Everything had been carelessly tossed onto the floor and shelves. Even a spare mattress was propped up against one corner.
Mew was quietly giggling in her hand, most likely assuming that I was embarrassed by the disordered state of my closet. It helped that my face was unnaturally pale from anxiety.
Without bothering to check under the mess, Mew hastily bowed to me and exited the room. I heard her call out, "Men! We're leaving! This place is clear!"
Luka followed the soldiers, saying, "I will see you out."
No one protested, and they marched away, Mew's unrestrained laughter ringing through the air.
It was too easy. Just like that, she was gone.
I held a hand to my chest and waited for my heart to calm down. When the arrogant laughter had faded into the distance, I entered the closet and leaned against the mattress, which was trying to move.
Under the pretense of trying to free a blanket from under the mattress's corner, I mumbled, "Don't. There may be remaining soldiers. Luka will tell when they're all gone."
The mattress obligingly froze. I began tidying up the closet.
"I'm glad you're alive," I grumbled, slowly picking up a rumpled pillowcase, "but you've ruined all of Luka's careful work."
After the second towel was folded, I added, "I rather enjoy talking to you this way. You can't reply or irritate me in any way."
And when the last towel had been tucked onto the shelf with its companions, I observed, "It must look like I'm talking to myself."
What followed was a long silence punctuated by my muted comments and the rustling of cloth.
"She really was overconfident. You were lucky."
"Silence can be unnerving."
"Maybe I am talking to myself."
"It could have been a moving rat. No. Luka abhors pests. And I saw you come in."
"I'll bet you're laughing at me right now."
"Stop laughing. You know, I can see the mattress shaking."
I finished folding the last blanket and slowly began placing them onto the top two shelves.
"Where is Luka?" I wondered out loud.
"Can I come out now?" Len asked.
"No. Don't speak. Luka should be back by now. I'll go check. Stay put."
"This position is uncomfortable."
"Don't move. I'll be back soon."
I had just stepped onto the porch when Luka rushed towards me, her eyes wide.
"My Lady! There is a man – very persistent man – who says that he has been sent by the Majesty, but he bears no signature. Please stay in the room. I will call the security team.
"Luka," I calmly replied. "If he is from the Majesty, then he will not harm me."
As soon as the words were spoken, I wanted to take them back. I'd always assumed that the Majesty cared for me, albeit in a twisted sort of way.
But what if he'd changed his mind? Would I end up like Mama?
"Never mind," I quickly said. "I retract that statement. What is he like?"
"Tall. Violet hair. Carrying a wooden sword . . . he seems harmless, but the most harmless ones are always the most dangerous."
"Do you lack confidence?"
"My Lady?"
"If he is dangerous, do you lack the confidence that you would be able to save me?"
"No, My Lady."
"Then bring him. There's no need to call Mew and her underlings. It's bad enough seeing them once in a day. Besides, no one would hire an assassin to kill me. There are other, less expensive ways."
"But, My Lady, there is a rat in the room, I believe."
"He's hidden in the closet. I'll tell him to hide unless he wants to die."
She nervously chewed on her bottom lip. Seeing her, I almost changed my mind. Luka was usually so imperturbable.
"What's wrong, Luka? You're very agitated."
"He says . . ."
"What?"
"The man," she hesitantly began. "He says that the Majesty has sent him on an errand."
"Please elaborate."
"You two . . ."
"Luka."
"My Lady . . ."
"Luka."
She looked straight at me, her sky blue eyes glinting in the sunlight. "The two of you are to be betrothed."
For a moment, I couldn't breathe. Then I felt my heart begin to hammer into my chest.
I fell to my knees, gasping. It hurt. It hurt so much.
"My Lady!" Luka exclaimed, kneeling beside me. I waved her away.
"Just . . . just a minor thing. Get the man. He will . . . he must explain. Just shocked, is all."
She nodded and rushed away.
With some difficulty, I stumbled into my bedroom and collapsed onto the mattress, clenching my fists and gritting my teeth, waiting for the pain to pass. In the corner of my eye, I saw the closet door slide open slightly. A cerulean eye stared at me through the crack.
"Go away," I whispered. "There's another visitor."
The eye blinked, and then disappeared. Slowly, my knotted heart unraveled and I was able to breathe again.
"She must be in her room," Luka said from outside. "Your news startled her."
"Understandably," a man replied.
At the sound of his voice, my chest began to tighten again. This was the man that I was marrying.
In the end, I was just another puppet – a very tired puppet.
"Luka," I called out. "Come in."
I lifted my head briefly to see the two people standing in the open doorway, the sun beating down on their backs. There was Luka, and then there was the man next to her.
He was tall and skinny, and for some reason his appearance reminded me of Mew's. His long violet hair was held up in a ponytail by a thick, stiff cord; two locks hung down on either side of his face. He wore a white and indigo hakama and carried a closed fan. A thin sword hung loosely from his left hip, secured by a purple string that was tied at the front of his waist. He was very handsome and regal, and very reserved.
I put my head back down.
"Why have you come?"
"My Lady," Luka hissed.
"Luka, I have no energy to be nice."
"It is fine," the man said. "Lady Rin Majesty, it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Gakupo Kamui. I am an official in your father's court."
"My biological father."
"Is there another?" He sounded confused.
"No. Please continue."
"Should I step outside while you . . . tidy up?"
I realized that I was still wearing my nightgown. Even Luka, disturbed as she was, hadn't noticed.
"That's fine. Please continue."
He spoke again in a gentler voice, "As you know, six years ago, your father announced to the Empire that you had died in the same attack as your mother."
"Yes."
"So he would like for you to attend the Moonflower Parade as my fiancée."
"Are we pretending?"
"No. He has requested that I accept you as my wife afterwards."
This was a slap in the face.
"Do I even have a choice?" I whispered, mainly to myself.
But the man heard, and replied, "No. Neither of us have a choice." He knelt down and said, "Lady Rin Majesty, I understand how you must be feeling, but can you please get up and look me in the eye?"
At least he was direct. I sighed, and then sat up to find myself face-to-face with a pair of gorgeous violet eyes.
"Your eyes are pretty," I said impulsively.
He smiled, and a hint of pink tinged his cheeks. The reservation disappeared from his face.
"Thank you. Yours as well. You know, I am feeling slightly less unwilling to take you for my wife."
"The feeling's mutual," I answered honestly. "You aren't nearly as unpleasant as I'd expected. Would you mind dropping all pretenses and being frank?"
"I would be very pleased," he said very sincerely.
An honest official. This was a rare find.
"But I still don't know you. What should I call you?"
"Please, call me Gaku. And you?"
I smiled. "Saku. We rhyme."
"Very well, Lady Saku. Can we be friends?"
I shook his outstretched hand. "We can. You don't seem like the bad sort."
"I am glad to hear it."
"Shall we begin now?"
I stood up, saying, "Come. We'll go to Luka's room. I'll get to know you a little better. And any restless rats can wait awhile."
I said the last part loudly so that Len would hear.
Gaku swiftly followed me out of the room. "What does that mean?"
"We have a pest problem." I sat down. He gracefully knelt beside me. "Never mind that. Why do you carry a wooden sword?"
He lifted his left eyebrow. "Why do you say that it is wooden?"
"Luka told me." I gestured towards Luka, who was standing between the two bedrooms. She had stopped chewing her bottom lip and was watching us with wide eyes.
He laughed lightly. "That surprised me. I keep it to scare people off. I only have one bodyguard, and I do not like walking around with her. I am very surprised that your servant was able to recognize it as wooden."
"It is too light," Luka said simply.
"She is observant," Gaku remarked.
"Smart," I corrected him. "The smartest servant anywhere. Luka, can you help find any remaining mosquitoes? And make sure that those rats don't sneak around and hear what they shouldn't hear."
She bowed and left.
"Troublesome things," I explained to Gaku.
"I agree. I especially dislike the mosquitoes. They buzz horribly, and their bites are irritating."
"I'm glad we agree on something. What do you like less than mosquitoes?"
He smiled, apparently glad to speak about such a light topic, and opened his mouth to reply.
We did not speak for long, and we only discussed inconsequential subjects – his journey here, the light wind, the flowers outside, the storm last night, and so on. It was only after an hour or so that I grew impatient and began using a different sort of tone.
"Do you have weaknesses?"
"Oh, many. Conflict is one. I am a very weak man."
"You don't look the part."
"I am."
"You can't use your sword?"
"My swordsmanship is extremely limited," he sheepishly admitted. "I would be more likely to hurt my ally than my opponent. That is why I carry a wooden one. My true weapon is my words. I have a gift with them, you could say."
"According to my mother, words change nations. When did you enter the court?"
"Four years ago. I was 18 years old."
"That's young. What is your relationship with the Majesty?"
"We are close. His Royal Majesty will often talk with me about his private affairs. I think he likes me."
"What kind of things?"
"Sometimes, when he is drunk, he will mention your mother."
I struggled to retain my composure. "My mother?"
"Yes. Sometimes he will speak of you. Only three officials know of your existence – Yuuma, Mizki, and I. The others are under the impression that you were killed for your insolence."
"At my mother's funeral?"
He looked away uncomfortably. "Yes. I was not there, so I do not know . . ."
"It's fine. I've gotten over it." I frowned distastefully. "But Yuuma and Mizki? Why them?"
"They are shrewd, and they have known His Royal Majesty for a long time. Personally, I think that they are aging and their ideas are old-fashioned."
"I like your straightforwardness."
"I am straightforward?" He chuckled. "You are far less . . . fragile than His Royal Majesty made you out to be."
"What?"
"He described you as a sheltered little thing. He said that you needed a trustworthy husband."
"A husband that he can keep an eye over," I scoffed. "A husband that will obey his every whim and make sure that his little pet doesn't run away. No offense intended."
Gaku raised his eyebrow again.
"His Royal Majesty cares deeply for you."
"Yes," I agreed. "He loves me so much that he wants to keep me all to himself."
"That is-"
"That's enough of that. What exactly did you come here for?"
He seemed taken aback, but managed to reply, "I merely came to inform you of our engagement."
"Then will you be leaving now?"
He uncertainly stood up. "I suppose. I did complete my task, after all."
"Then good-bye, Gaku." I held out a hand, which he shook. "I apologize for my rudeness, and for the interrogation. It's a bad time."
He smiled brightly, obviously still unsettled.
"I understand. I think that we will get along just fine. So I will see you tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow."
Luka appeared, right on time. She must have been waiting outside this whole time.
"Shall I show you out the gate, Lord Gakupo?"
"Thank you very much, Miss Luka."
Gaku nodded to me and left with Luka. I watched them leave.
Poor man. He was just another puppet, like me. But he was a much better person than I was.
Once they were out of sight, I opened the closet door and said, "They're gone."
A disheveled Len burst out from behind the mattress.
"Finally!" he practically shouted. "There's nothing more boring than waiting in a closet. So will you answer some questions now?"
"No. I'm tired."
I pointedly collapsed onto my bed and hugged a pillow.
"You promised!"
"I said maybe."
"I didn't hear, so it doesn't count. Why are you living in the Majesty's gardens?"
"Shush, boy. Let me rest."
"Rin, it's not even noon yet."
"My name is Saku. I am easily tired."
"Why were there so many people? I couldn't hear a thing. The walls are so thick."
"That's good. You do not need to hear anything. You should leave."
"Come with me."
My eyes flew open, and I sat up.
"What?"
Len flushed and quickly shook his head. "Not like that! It's just . . . I came back because I felt guilty. I couldn't even enjoy the Festival of Time, or the Uncloaking. It's your fault."
"Mine? And what about Waitingday?"
"No one likes Waitingday. It's nothing but prayer."
I smiled ruefully. "It's the only day I can celebrate."
"That's my point! I couldn't stop thinking about you, locked up in here. So I decided to take you out."
"You risked all our lives in the process. If you had been caught, I wouldn't have been allowed to go to the Moonflower Parade. Think before you act."
He rolled his eyes. "When it comes to things like this, thinking is pointless." Then he paused thoughtfully. "Wait . . . only royalty and officials are in the parade. Are you a royal?"
"No."
"Then you're an official."
"No."
"You're lying."
"Who said that I would be in the parade?"
"You did."
"I said that I would go to the parade. Listen closely." I lay back down.
"Then if you're not a royal and not an official, then why're you living in the Majesty's gardens and why're all those people coming here like they didn't know that this is the Majesty's private property?"
"I'd like to point out that you didn't know until you 'asked around.'"
"Everyone has this sort of unspoken knowledge that these grounds are off-limits." He was beginning to sound exasperated.
"So why are you here?"
"I already told you! I was feeling sorry-"
"My Lady," Luka cut in, appearing in the doorway. "The man is gone. Shall I exterminate the remaining pests?"
"It's fine. Luka, please show him out."
Luka firmly took hold of one of Len's wrists and began dragging him away.
"But," he protested, "you need to come with me."
"I'm too tired."
"Do you like being confined?"
"No one likes being confined."
"Then why don't you fight?"
"What a silly question. Goodbye. Please be smart and never come here again."
Apparently, he stopped struggling, because I heard no more.
I continued lying there, staring at the open closet door and the fallen mattress, but sleep would not come.
After what seemed like an eternity, Luka returned.
"My Lady, he has gone over the wall."
"Did you tell him about the surveillance?"
"Yes. He has a message." She then proceeded to imitate Len's voice perfectly. "'Tell Rin that I'm not that easy to get rid of. Who does she think she is? A princess? She'd better answer my questions next time.'"
I couldn't help but smile. "What a strange boy."
"Yes. What did you think of Lord Gakupo?"
"He is kinder than other officials. He is a good and patient man. He will make an excellent husband."
"My Lady, could you love him?"
I turned onto my back and gazed at the ceiling.
"Luka, that's a silly question. He will be the husband that the Majesty personally picked for me."
"And the boy?"
"If he cares about his life, he'll stay away."
"My Lady, do you-"
"I'm going to sleep, Luka. Call me for lunch?"
"Yes, My Lady."
I closed my eyes and hoped that sleep would come.
REVIEW RESPONSES (for Chapter 1 & 2, since I forgot to do them in Chapter 2):
~ Kiseki-tan: At least I updated Chapter 2 quickly . . . right?
~ Toan Daxland: Well, I'm pretty new to this. So any advice and/or opinions and/or criticisms are greatly appreciated. :D
~ Happiness Sunshine and Gum: Your username is adorable! And thanks for the review! It was very bouncy.
~ Clavemien Nigram Rosa: Thanks for reviewing both chapters! I won't answer your question, because that would give away the ending. . . . Yep. It has nothing to do with the fact that I haven't decided on an ending yet. :P Okay, in all honesty, I don't know. But I'm a fan of happy endings, so probably not.
SONGS (for all three chapters, since I forgot them in both of the previous chapters):
Chapter 1: "Clockwork Lullaby" by Mothy, "Dreamy Cherry Blossoms" by Hitoshizuku-P
Chapter 2: "Dreamy Cherry Blossoms" by Hitoshizuku-P, "Flutter, Flutter" with piano by Tamaazu-P and lyrics by Nayuta Momoka, "Skeleton Life" by Lamune-P
Chapter 3: N/A
Also . . . is it just me, or did the website get a makeover? Besides the new image thing, I can't edit my chapters directly - I had to delete one, edit, and then re-upload it. Or am I missing something?
Anyways, thank you for reading!
Sweet dreams . . .