Chapter Text
"...ui? Rui? Wake up! We've arrived!"
He slowly blinked awake and tiredly rubbed his eyes.
To Rui, the last few hours passed in the blink of an eye. As predicted, they arrived at the VOCALOID Kingdom somewhere around the middle of the night. Their carriages passed through the castle gates and stopped just outside the entrance, where Rui could hear surprised gasps when they exited the carriages (Tsukasa had hurriedly got out of the carriage to extend a hand to the queen and ease her down. Unexpectedly, he did the same for Rui); the opened doors to the castle illuminated the backs of two ladies awaiting their arrival from the otherwise dark of night.
"Queen Miku?!" the red one exclaimed. "Why the… what are you doing… what on God’s earth has brought you to the VOCALOID Kingdom this late at night?!"
Miku cheekily smiled. "Greetings, Lady Teto and Lady Flower! Long time no see! I'm on holiday, you see."
"Greetings, Miku… I was unaware that queens get holidays," the purple one, supposedly Flower, said. "We also were unnotified of your journey here. What brings you to our kingdom?"
“It’s quite a long story! Apologies for my impertinence, but may we discuss it tomorrow?” Miku gestured to the crowd behind her, sleepy and weary from their night journey. “I'm sure these kids must be tired after travelling for so long. Aside from that, where's Lord Kamui and Lady Megpoid?"
"Oh! Uhm… certainly! It must have been a tiring journey for you all. Please follow Flower inside while our servants prepare your rooms," Teto instructed. “Gakupo and Gumi are still sound asleep, as they were unaware of your arrival as well.”
“This way, please.” Flower led them through the doors. Servants who appeared out of nowhere and disappeared just as quickly brought their belongings from the carriages into the castle.
Rui was what you would call 'an eepy cat' at that moment and could not wait to go back to bed and continue his sleep, but the new environment kept him curious enough about his surroundings to stay awake. Even Emu, who had slept soundly in her carriage, was wide awake and looking around the place with sparkles in her eyes.
As he walked, Rui thought that the White Lily Chateau paled in comparison to the royal VOCALOID castle. The hallways were long and winding, large paintings with vague imagery of the rulers were framed, and the doors they passed by were greatly distanced from one another, indicating sizable rooms behind them. It felt less homely, but it sure was big. There were many perfect hiding spots for the Kagamines if they were in any of these doors. Even with the effort of the seven of them, scrounging the castle to look for the twins would take forever.
Flower brought them into a drawing room that was quite spacious, considering how many people there were. There was a servant already inside the room lighting up a hearth. Miku conversed with Flower while Rui and the others were left to doze on the couches.
“What a nostalgic little room,” Tsukasa murmured from beside him. “I remember drinking tea with Lady Megpoid here.”
“You’ve been here before, Tsukasa?” Rui replied drowsily, the fire crackling from the hearth and quiet chatter lulling him into a doze.
“When I was younger, though it’s been quite a while.” Tsukasa smiled nostalgically. “I used to visit with Miku and Saki, sometimes with Toya. Do you remember, Toya?”
The knight turned to them at the mention of his name. “Visits to the VOCALOID Kingdom? Ah, I do… We would play hide and seek in the halls while Her Majesty was with the lords and ladies. Saki was always the best hider.”
“To the point where we got lost trying to find her,” Tsukasa added. The two of them fondly chuckled at the memory.
Emu, who they thought to be sleeping after her curiosity had run her out but was merely resting her eyes, chimed in. “Mnn… Do you all think Rin and Len could be playing hide and seek here too?”
“N-not too loud, Emu…!” Nene cautiously glanced at Flower. “They’re not supposed to know!”
That stirred Emu awake. “Ah! Sorry…”
“It’s best if we keep our guard up,” Haruka warned in a small voice. “We don’t know how much the lord and ladies are keeping from us. I suggest we meet in one room somewhere to discuss any plan or discoveries we make?”
Tsukasa nodded. “Sounds like a good idea.”
As if waiting on a cue, Teto entered the room, two servants by her side. She had a regretful look on her face. “I’m truly sorry, but we could only spare four rooms for you all to retire to. We were not prepared for your arrival. You all will have to share quarters for now,” she said. “Again, I’m truly sorry…”
Miku shook her head. “It’s nothing to apologise for, Teto. It was my mistake not to inform you all sooner of my arrival.”
Oh,’ thought Rui. ‘Sharing rooms?’
It was a concept familiar to the Black Lily due to having many siblings back in the day. Luka’s nature made it so that she could never ignore a lost and weary child without caring for them in some capacity. Due to that, their little house was often over-capacitated. But with the decrease of Black Lily children in recent years, Rui hasn't had to share a room with anyone in a while. His last roommate had been Mizuki before they went away.
Emu jumped around excitedly. “I want to room with Nene!”
Miku nodded cheerfully. “So you shall, Emu!”
The arrangements for the four rooms go as follows: the knights in one room, Emu and Nene in one room, Tsukasa and Rui in one room, and Miku in the last room all by herself.
’A room with Tsukasa...’ On the outside, Rui simply smiled. However, in his mind, he was similarly jumping for joy like Emu a moment ago.
Flower retired for the night while Teto took over and led them away. They walked through more winding hallways and corridors — at this point, Rui would get lost if he tried to navigate the castle alone. Miku and the knights’ rooms were farther down the halls, so they first reached the girls' and boys’ rooms, which happened to be in the same corridor.
“Goodnight, Miku,” Tsukasa bid to her while Emu and Nene entered their shared room down the corridor.
“Goodnight, my dear! Sleep well, and I shall see you all in the morning.”
A voice of exclamation came from the girls’ dorms — possibly from Emu — and Teto couldn’t hold back a cringe. She apologised for the room arrangements again before continuing down the halls with Miku and the knights in tow.
“What could be so bad about the rooms?” Tsukasa muttered as Rui opened the door to theirs. His eyes locked onto the first thing that stood out.
There was only one bed.
Oh.
Rui could see the problem now.
He turned to look at Tsukasa. The White Lily was blushing and also staring at the offending bed.
Rui looked around the rest of the room. He saw his and Tsukasa’s belongings by the bed, a desk by the large curtained windows, a lounging area with a fireplace and couches, a bookshelf by the lounging area and a little dining area. But there were no other beds, just the one pushed against the wall. It was a four-poster bed draped with yellow curtains. The pillows and cover were also of the same colour.
Of course, Rui had shared beds with his siblings before as well. There was a time when he and Akito shared one. It had been Akito’s first night at the Black Lily House, and he was having troubling nightmares at the time.
Rui usually shared his beds with others out of familial love, but to share one with someone he didn’t see as family, someone who he cared deeply about, but in a different way...
He could feel the heat rising to his cheeks. Tsukasa turned to look at him then.
“Well…” Tsukasa started. “If you’d like to take the bed, I can sleep on the couch.”
Rui gaped at the suggestion. “The couch? Why would you do that? Come join me on the bed, Tsukasa.”
Tsukasa’s cheeks got redder.
Uhm. “Ah- er- uhm- well, I've fallen asleep around you quite a few times now, so I don't suppose this should be any different to then.”
“Oh… Oh, right! I suppose so,” Tsukasa acknowledged. “It's just…” Suddenly, he became uncharacteristically bashful. “I've… uhm. I’ve learned that I'm prone to snoring. I worry it might bother you.”
’Cute?!’ Rui chased that thought away and shook his head. “I don't mind. Anyhow, the bed seems big enough for both of us. It wouldn't be fair to have it all to myself.”
Tsukasa gradually smiled, though it did not erase all of the shyness from his countenance. “Alright then.”
They both got ready for bed. Rui had the bath first and was already settled in bed when Tsukasa concluded his turn. He dimmed the lights before joining Rui under the covers. The bed was big, so they could afford to lay a distance apart. However, it didn’t feel quite right.
“Goodnight, Rui,” Tsukasa said.
He hummed. “Goodnight, Tsukasa.”
Rui shut his eyes and listened to the small noises in the room: Tsukasa’s soft breaths, the low crackle of the fire from the fireplace, the little shuffles in bed. Several minutes passed; Rui was still awake. He stared at the ceiling for what he felt to be hours while Tsukasa tossed and turned in his sleep. Despite being tired just a moment ago, Rui could not rest. He did not have insomnia, but sometimes sleeping took a bit of effort for him. He always slept better with white noise or company. It’s why he winded his music box every night. But his music box was at home, and so were his siblings.
Rui frowned. He wasn’t going to sleep anytime soon.
At the corner of his eye, Tsukasa turned again in his sleep, facing the Black Lily. Rui turned his head to look at him.
Much to Rui’s surprise, Tsukasa was not yet asleep and staring back at him. Caught in the act, he turned pink and sheepishly said, “You can’t sleep either?”
Rui awkwardly shook his head.
“I always slept better with my plushies. I should’ve brought them here, but that would’ve been silly,” Tsukasa murmured.
Rui pondered for a moment. He thought about reading one of the storybooks he brought along, but he had better ideas than that. “I could be a plushie for you,” he said after a bit.
“Huh!?”
He blushed, suddenly overcome with sheepishness. “We could sleep better this way.”
Tsukasa flushed. “Well! U-uh… we could… if you don’t mind…?”
Rui gently laughed before extending an arm forward.
’This is a first… Seeing Tsukasa flustered is quite cute…’ This time he chose not to chase away the thought.
Tsukasa pulled him closer and into an embrace. In turn, Rui wrapped his arms around the other. They huddled together and got comfortable. Tsukasa was as warm as a furnace, just as Rui thought he would be. Not that he thought of that often. Nope. He smelled like lilies, lemons, eucalyptus and sunshine. Rui could already feel himself slowly relaxing.
Tsukasa was giving him an indescribable look of fondness. “Is this alright?” he asked.
“Mm-hm,” Rui murmured as a reply. “More than alright.”
He closed his eyes. “Goodnight then, Rui.”
They both quickly fell asleep, at peace and comfortable in each other's arms.
In the morning, Rui woke up to sunshine pouring from the room window and Tsukasa’s smile.
Everybody gathered at the dining hall to have breakfast and introduced themselves to Lord Kamui and Lady Megpoid. They sat at a long dining table with the girls on Miku’s right side and the boys on her left. Haruka and Toya at her sides. Rui was sat at the end of the row with Tsukasa and an empty chair.
“Oh, Tsukasa, it’s been so long!” Lady Megpoid chattered.
He nodded cheerfully. “Indeed it has, Gumi!”
“You’ve grown so big. And Toya, too!” she said. “You’ve become a fully-fledged knight now. I’m so proud of you~!”
Toya smiled. “All thanks to KAITO’s training.”
“And Nene, too! You’ve even brought dear Emu along. It’s a delight to meet you finally!”
“Wonderhoy, Lady Gumi!” Emu beamed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, too!”
Gumi tittered and focused back on the songstress.“Tell me, Nene, will you indulge me with your voice after our meal?”
Nene startled. “Y-you want me to sing?” she asked, fidgeting with the hem of her dress.
Feeling left out in this catching-up session, Rui glanced at the person at the other end of the table who hadn’t been acknowledged by Gumi yet. Haruka didn’t catch his gaze, as she was scrutinising the rulers who sat before her, but Tsukasa took notice and gently squeezed his shoulder.
“Gumi’s merely greeting the familiar faces first. I guarantee she’ll want to know all about you once she gets to know you.” He reassured Rui with a smile.
The meal was alright. Save for Gumi carrying the entire conversation enthusiastically, the VOCALOID rulers were tense and silently eating their food. Teto awkwardly coughed. Eventually, Lord Kamui sighed and waved a hand at Gumi. She took the hint and piped down.
"So, uhm, what brings you to the VOCALOID Kingdom, Miku?" Teto asked once more.
Miku glanced up at her just as she was about to eat a spoonful of eggplant soup. “My, my. Jumping straight to business. Are we, Teto?” She lowered her spoon gracefully. "I came here with the utmost urgency to commission some worthy jewels to gift to my comrades!"
Gumi flinched. "R-really?” she commented. Her face was laced with shock. But when Flower loudly coughed, she quickly hid it. “Uhm… how thoughtful!"
The other VOCALOID nobles exchanged glances with each other.
"Yeah!” Miku agreed. “The celebration for my kingdom is fast approaching, but I’ve carelessly forgotten to get something for my friends! So then I thought, 'Hey! I remember the VOCALOID Kingdom having cool rocks. Why don't I go over there and find something nice for my friends?' I was so excited to get here that in my haste, I had forgotten to send a letter notifying my arrival! I do apologise about that, by the way. You know how I am: forever ditsy and forgetful~!"
"...Is that so?" Flower replied. "It's nice that you decided to come to our kingdom, but did you have to bring, uhm, what, six of your people with you, guards included?"
Miku pouted. "Do not question the position of my minions! They're retainers! They'll be helping me choose the gifts."
"Ah, I see..." The lords and ladies whispered among each other, hesitance and unsure present in their tones of voice. Eventually, Teto made a gesture to Gakupo in the middle of their private discussions with a level of desperation that did not go unnoticed by Miku and The Six Retainers.
Gakupo straightened in his seat and called a servant over. "We can fetch some of our finest gems for you to browse. Would you like to have a look after the meal?"
Miku nodded enthusiastically. “Sure!”
Gakupo whispered something to the servant, perhaps a set of instructions, and the servant scuttled away.
After breakfast, Gakupo prepared to lead Miku to the treasury. The other rulers had already disappeared into the many castle halls. Meanwhile, the girls suggested to the rest of the group that they go to their room for a “tea party” when the queen suddenly grabbed Tsukasa’s arm.
“Tsukasa, my dear, you’re coming with me!”
“What? Why-” She quickly pulled him away from the group. “WAAAAAAAH!”
’Oh… Bye, Tsukasa….’ Rui watched the two disappear with Gakupo through the doors.
The knights exchanged a nod with each other, then Toya said: “I shall accompany them to the treasury,” and ran off to catch up with them.
“Tsukasa and Toya are gone… what do we do now?” Nene muttered.
They were still seated at the table, but servants were cleaning up their plates and cutleries, being ordered about by a butler. The butler was busy tending to the servants but would occasionally glance at the group with a glint of suspicion.
“We have that party you and Emu were talking about,” Haruka suggested. Rui realised that the knight was aware of the butler’s gaze and was getting them out of prying eyes.
Emu slid out of her chair. “Let’s go then!”
The girls’ room looked nearly identical to Rui and Tsukasa’s, a tea set in the dining area being the exception. Rui noticed that there was also only one bed in the room.
Rui looked at Nene, asking the more situation-relevant question on his mind. “You two were truly planning to have a tea party?”
She shrugged. “It was Emu’s idea. Better to have refreshments while discussing secret plans.”
They all sat down at the dining table while Emu served them tea. Haruka got to the chase immediately after accepting her tea from Emu with a “thank you”.
“I’ve noticed,” she began, “ever since we stepped foot on castle grounds, we have constantly been watched. Even when the lords are not tending to us and have us in their sights, they have eyes placed everywhere to track our movements here.”
Emu frowned while pouring Nene’s tea. “Does that mean they know we’re searching for the Kagamines?”
“No, I don’t think so.” Haruka clarified, “They’ve been caught off guard, just as planned. They’re only cautious because they’re guilty of the Kagamine twins’ prolonged absence.”
“Had they been aware of our intentions, they haven’t said anything about it yet,” Rui said. “Lady Megpoid seems to be really friendly with you all. Perhaps they’re truly unaware of our advancements.”
Nene waved a hand in dismissal. “Well, that’s just how she usually is…”
Rui nodded. “My point exactly. Aside from the presence of wariness, the lord and ladies haven't yet suspected that we're searching for the twins. As long as they believe the queen's words, they won't suspect anything from us.”
“We must do everything we can to preserve their ignorance,” Haruka advised. Everyone took sips of their tea while she continued. “Last night, Her Majesty gave orders to me and Toya. She wants us to investigate while she distracts the lord and ladies with her presence. But we still have the servants to worry about.”
“There’s no way we'd be able to get away from them; there's too many of them!” Emu pointed out before she stilled, cogs working in her head. “But… the servants are only in the castle, right? What if we went outside?”
“I don’t suppose their eyes could extend that far. We’d be out of their sight,” Rui answered. “But would the Kagamine twins be outside the castle gates?”
“The Kagamines could be anywhere,” Nene replied. ”Anywhere in the VOCALOID Kingdom, at least.”
“I suggest we first obtain intel on where the Kagamine twins could be before we get ahead of ourselves.” Haruka stated, “Searching every nook and cranny of the kingdom with no clues would either take us forever or lead us nowhere.”
Emu deflated in her chair. “You’re right…”
“How long do you think Queen Miku will be able to distract the lords and ladies?” Nene asked Haruka.
Haruka shrugged pityingly. “As long as it takes for Her Majesty to choose fitting gifts for her comrades. Her Majesty can be indecisive, but I believe she’ll take her time merely to buy us more of it.”
“Perhaps Lady Megpoid could be our person of interest for this investigation?” Rui suggested. When they questioned why, he explained: “Forgive my language, but from what I’ve gathered from her character during breakfast, Lady Megpoid is a yapper. Though I mean it with good intentions, I also believe we can exploit this. If we can get her to slip up on her words, she may give us key information we need to find the twins.”
Just then, a knock suddenly sounded from the door.
“Come in?” Nene beckoned questioningly as Emu simultaneously spouted: “Come in!!”
The door opened, and Gumi appeared on the other side.
Rui startled. “L-Lady Megpoid?” ‘Speak of the lady and she shall appear!’
She smiled. “Greetings! Please, Gumi is just fine.”
“What are you doing here, Gumi?” Nene asked.
She paused to look at Nene before startling. “Ah! Please excuse me. Where on earth have my manners gone? Apologies for the intrusion, but… uhm, we — as in, us VOCALOID rulers — haven’t seen our guests anywhere in the castle and were wondering where they could have gone. I came looking for you all to… inquire what you were doing this fine morning?”
With Tsukasa and Toya out of the team momentarily, Rui was the only boy in the room filled with girls. A sense of Déjà vu enveloped him. “Girl talk?” he said, it being the first thing that sprang to mind.
Emu nodded quickly. “We’re having girl talk. You should join us, Lady Gumi!”
“Oh, no, no,” Gumi declined. “I’ve already intruded and interrupted your chat. Whatever girl talks happen in the room shall stay in the room.” She glanced at the hallways outside and fidgeted the door handle nervously. “Uhm… I’ll leave you all be and meet again during lunchtime, yes? Alright? Just stay here ‘till lunch! I’d love to get to know you all better! Will be seeing you all, okay? Okay, bye!” She quickly ran away, slamming the door – making Rui flinch – and scuttling down the hall.
Silence.
“...That wasn’t suspicious at all,” Nene sarcastically remarked while sipping her tea.
“The rulers behave more and more oddly as time goes on…” Haruka added.
As Rui drank from his tea as well, cogs whirred and turned in his head, his mind trying to piece together reasons for the lord and ladies’ strange behaviour.
“Stay in the room…” Emu muttered. “Wondering where we went… don't go anywhere…” She gasped, having come to a conclusion. She slapped the table, shaking the crockery on it. “What if Rin and Len weren’t hiding?!”
“Emu?” said Nene.
“What if they were playing tag instead of hide and seek?” She made a flurry of wild gestures. “I’ve got it now!”
“The Kagamines playing tag…?” Haruka pondered.
“You’re suggesting they’re freely walking around the Kingdom?” Rui clarified for her.
“Yes, yes!” Emu stood up from her chair. “The VOCALOID rulers are keeping eyes on us because they’re hoping we don’t wander where the twins are! That’s why they’re so nervous!”
“Are the Kagamines avoiding us?” Haruka wondered to herself.
’If that were the case…’ he thought, ‘It could explain Lady Gumi’s actions a moment ago. But… the Kagamines have been gone from the SEKAI Kingdom for months, long enough to worry everybody there. What are they doing here that warrants utmost secrecy? Did they ask the lords and ladies to keep their whereabouts from Queen Miku and the others…?’
“That… could be it,” Nene said, then knocked a fist on her head. “But now I’m even more confused. Why are they avoiding us? Why do the VOCALOID rulers not want us to see Rin and Len if they’re perfectly fine?” Her voice raised a tad, flustered and frustrated. “Why are they making us go on this wild goose chase?”
’No good… There are too many things that don’t make sense. But if I could just think about it a little harder…’ Rui stood up from his chair. “I'm going outside for a change in scenery. Some fresh air might help me think better.”
“May I follow?” Nene asked immediately. “A stroll somewhere would be good for me.”
Haruka nodded. “A break is needed. I shall report our findings to the queen when she returns.”
He smiled. “Let's go find the garden then.”
“If you're going outside, watch out for anything suspicious…!” Emu advised. After all, if Gumi advised them to stay in their rooms, then she and the other rulers must be doing something behind their backs. “I’m going to talk to Lady Gumi when I can!”
Rui nodded. “I wish you luck in your endeavours, Emu. We’ll see you both back at the dining hall.”
At the VOCALOID castle gardens, Rui found that it did not compare to the one at the White Lily Chateau. The species of flowers growing there only varied by a few, and there were no magically changing climates to accommodate the plants. The ground was covered with flat artificial grass spanning miles and miles, the walkable path outlined with a maze of neatly trimmed tall hedges.
Though, the weather there was lovely. Rui and Nene sat together on a bench they found after aimlessly walking around the garden for a spell, basking in the soft sunshine from above. There were a few gardeners scattered about and tending to the plants. Those who passed by kept silent and nodded to the pair, either minding their own business or quietly eavesdropping for whatever reason. Needing a more refreshing topic to discuss aside from the headache-inducing Kagamine case, they instead spent time talking about their lives so far, telling stories of things that happened while they were apart. The garden was soon filled with the quiet murmurs of two childhood friends catching up with all the time they never spent together.
Lunchtime rolled around, and the pair slowly returned to the castle. But while they were navigating through the quiet and empty hallways, they heard two voices echoing from one of the corridors. The two stopped their pace immediately, Nene freezing in place while Rui strained his ears to catch bits of their conversation.
”...Do you think they’re still here?” A boy asked.
“Uhm… maybe. Gumi said they’re in their rooms, but maybe we should play it safe…” A girl replied.
“Does that mean we have to eat in our rooms again?”
“Probably…”
“T-that…” Nene gasped. “That’s Rin and Len!” she told Rui.
“That’s them!?” he whispered. “They’re actually here?”
”Wait, today’s the day, right?” The girl reminded. “Today, right, right?”
”Yeah, yeah! Gumi told us to get ready quickly. I’m so excited!”
Another voice came into the picture; a servant approached the twins, telling them to hurry back to their rooms before the guests saw them. Suddenly, rapid footsteps were heard coming their way, getting closer and closer. It was hard to precisely tell where they came from because of the echo bouncing off the winding hallway and many corridors.
Rui and Nene panicked; the footsteps could either be the twins, more servants coming for the twins, or one of the lords or ladies – also coming for the twins. Whoever it was, they weren’t ready to deal with what would happen if they were near the Kagamines. Best case scenario: they bump into the twins. Worst case scenario: the VOCALOID rulers become alert. Rui didn’t know what would happen after that, but he was sure it wouldn’t end well.
They tried to hide, but there was no furniture to duck behind, nor were they stealthy enough to blend in the shadows.
“What do we do?” Nene asked frantically.
Rui didn’t know, so he held his breath. They braced themselves. The source of the footsteps rounded the corner from one of the corridors and into the hallway. But instead of bumping into the Kagamines, a servant, or any of the rulers, they saw Toya instead.
“Ah, you two!” he exclaimed.
“Toya…!” Nene heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness it was just you.”
Rui asked quickly: “Toya, did you hear them too?”
Toya nodded. “I heard whispers from the corridors,” he declared. “There’s no mistaking it. I heard the Kagamine twins.”
“We found them,” Nene affirmed. “We know where the twins are, they’re okay. Rin and Len are okay… Now we just need to tell the queen.”
The three of them booked it to the dining hall, already late for their meal, passing by servants who looked at them with confusion. Toya explained that he had been sent out into the halls by Miku before he stumbled into the corridors and heard the twins. He was to inform the group that she and Tsukasa would take longer than expected in the treasury and come late for their meals, but they still arrived earlier than the three.
This time, the seating arrangements were Emu, Haruka, Miku, Tsukasa, Toya, Rui and Nene. Gakupo and Flower were the only VOCALOID rulers present on the other side of the table, as the rest were busy and could not make it in time to have their meal together with everyone. Aside from Toya’s explanation, they did not speak a single word on their way there. And now they sat in their chairs, buzzing with all the restlessness in the world from their new discovery.
’Do the twins not know how much they’ve worried the entire kingdom? They’ve been waltzing in the VOCALOID castle for months without telling anybody…’ Rui thought bewilderedly. They’ve found themselves in quite a complicated state of affairs, and all their questions have yet to be answered.
’They sounded like they were about to go somewhere…’
“You want to go to town and find someone to make your gifts?” Flower asked Miku, Rui having tuned out table conversation until now.
“That’s right,” Miku confirmed. She then shrugged apologetically. “Your rocks are cool, but I can’t just gift them to my comrades like that! What use would they make of them? So, I was thinking of getting Kaito a gun embedded with sapphires–”
Rui looked at the queen, appalled. Everyone else did as well.
"--and then maybe a new sword for Meiko with a ruby hilt, and then... a hat decorated with morganite for Luka? or maybe a bow? Oh, a purse, maybe!" Miku nodded to herself. She had not mentioned the Kagamine twins at all.
"Erm..." Flower... erm'ed.
Quickly, Gakupo leaned over and whispered something to her. She “oh’ed” as a reply. "Sure," she then said to them.
"That was easy," Nene muttered beside Rui.
Gakupo crossed his arms, trying and successfully looking intimidating. "I'll allow it, but you can't go to Aria On The Planetes to forge the gun and sword."
"What? Why not?" Miku asked, taken back.
Gakupo did not immediately respond. He leaned over to Flower again before straightening back and said: "The shop was infested with vermin, so they had to burn it down."
"Really!?” Miku gasped. “Oh dear… how unfortunate! Since when did this happen?" Rui wondered if her response was out of genuine concern.
Flower supplied a response. "...A few months ago. Actually, the shop has already been rebuilt. But you still can't go there."
"...And why ever not?" Miku asked again with a hint of impatience to her words.
"There's... still vermin in there."
"Nothing like a few rats could stop me," she harrumphed. "But I'll take your word for it. No to Aria On The Planetes, then. Where else can I get the gun and sword forged?”
Flower and Gakupo kindly suggested their best smithies and tailors in the kingdom, and soon everyone finished their meals. The group went their separate ways without a word. But all of a sudden, they were summoned to the queen's room to discuss important matters. Matters such as “how to embed sapphire gems into a freaking gun” probably.
“What did you all do during the morning?” Tsukasa asked Rui while on their way there.
“We had a tea party,” he simply replied. “Many revelations were had. Just before lunch, Nene, Toya and I discovered something everyone needs to hear.”
“You both and Toya…” Tsukasa muttered. “Is that why you three were late?”
Rui nodded. “You all will hear of it very soon.”
The queen’s room was pretentiously gaudy and extravagant, most likely furnished to house nobles of high status who care not for a personal touch or a hint of taste. It was not a room suited for someone such as the queen herself. Speaking of whom, Rui was surprised to see Her Majesty brooding on the couch by the fireplace, sitting at the far end and leaning on her hand supported by the armrest. She had an uncharacteristically deep scowl on her face, her mood as rotten as an apple fallen from its tree and left to the mercy of worms and insects. The rest of the group had already arrived but were sitting around the queen rather than beside her, either to give her space or afraid of spoiling her mood further.
“M-Miku? Are you alright?” Tsukasa asked, beelining straight for the couch and sitting beside the queen without hesitation.
“Frankly? I’m afraid not, my dear.” She sighed heavily, falling back on Tsukasa to lean on his shoulder. Tsukasa startled for a fraction of a second but soon had a hand around her waist for comfort.
“I apologise for my sudden uncouth demeanour, but I’ve had quite enough of the lord and ladies’ secrecy. You must understand my frustration towards the VOCALOIDs for refusing to explain Rin and Len's whereabouts. It’s been going on for months now, and… I merely want to know if they're safe and sound.” She was massaging her temples out of stress, her eyes wearily shut. “Is that too much to ask for?”
Her whimsy and humorous personality was nowhere to be seen, revealing a tired and confused ruler wondering where her comrades had disappeared. Seeing the queen not caring for appearances and worrying herself to exhaustion for her friends, like a sister to her younger siblings, made her look vulnerable.
“In truth, I had forgotten to acquire gifts for my friends because I’ve been worried sick over Rin and Len,” she confessed. “I've thought about them every day since they hadn't returned the first week of their disappearance. And I thought that if I acted like everything was normal and okay, it would be, and the twins would return home soon. But the pressure I’ve received these past few months was hard to ignore. It was too overwhelming for me to bear.” She dropped her hand and leaned limply on Tsukasa, defeated. “Even Luka was furious with me when I failed to explain where the twins had gone. I had to bear it, though. I’m the queen of my people, I have to be strong.”
Tsukasa carded through her hair. “You’re still human, Miku. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed by all this. It was out of your control.”
“Human,” Miku nearly cracked up but didn’t say anything in response. Instead, she said, “Please take a seat anywhere you’d like, my dear Rui. Watching you stand around is making me even more anxious.” She paused before facing the rest of the group. “Have you all uncovered anything while I was away?”
They all looked at each other. Rui, Nene and Toya stared at each other to see who would dare to be the first to share the news. Before Haruka could report their findings, Rui, without moving from his spot, picked up his courage and quickly said, “We found the Kagamines.”
Everyone in the room except for the three stared at him. Miku had sat up to face him with her mouth agape.
“You must sit down right now, my dear. Explain everything, now.”
And so he did. The whole group explained everything. They explained every thought that occurred and every revelation that had been made. When the trio described their encounter in the hallways before lunch, Miku had switched to a thoughtful sitting position, a bittersweet look on her face.
“Perhaps I've slighted them in some way without knowing,” she pondered. “They refuse to see me, and the ones housing them reject or deflect my advances.” She rubbed her eyes tiredly. Tsukasa rubbed her shoulder to comfort her. “I’m relieved to hear they’re alright, though. God knows what would happen if that weren’t the case. Luka might actually bring an end to me.”
Rui hadn’t thought of it that way. But if the Kagamines didn’t want to see Miku, wouldn’t they have said so? This whole situation is from a lack of communication from every party involved, but Rui believed the twins weren’t childish enough to make it so convoluted if that were the case.
“Pardon me, Your Majesty, but I don’t think that’s the case,” Nene said for him.
“I’ll never know the true case if nobody in this castle will tell me a damn thing,” Miku said dejectedly, then stood up. “Now then, shall we make our way out? It’ll do me no good if I wallow in here all day. I still have things to do. Outside the castle, that is.”
“Hold on, Your Majesty,” Rui motioned with a hand, recalling the twins’ conversation from earlier. “If I remember correctly… the twins were also planning to go out.”
Emu suddenly gasped. The queen jumped to attention. “Why didn’t you say so earlier, my dear? Where are they going? Did you happen to overhear?”
Rui shook his head. “No, I didn’t. But Gumi might know where they’re going. They mentioned her name.”
“Gumi also said she was going out!” Emu exclaimed. “I asked her if we could perhaps have some tea and chat, but she said she would be out of the castle in the afternoon!”
"She must be going somewhere with the twins then!" Nene declared.
The queen reacted with a look of disbelief yet awe. "You children... are quite the detectives, aren't you all?" Her eyes started to light up, hope shining in them. "Now if we could only find out where they were heading to..."
"If it helps," Toya started, “I had heard an earlier part of the Kagamines' conversation. They mentioned another person, I believe. Someone named ‘IIya’ was waiting for them?”
“IA?” Miku corrected. “She’s the owner of Aria On The Planetes, the blacksmith I was planning on going to! My goodness, you all, why didn’t you mention any of this sooner!?”
“We hadn’t had the chance," Haruka said with a hint of embarrassment.
Miku grinned, regaining her vibrant mood. She swiftly walked over to the large desk in the room and picked up an ornate and valuable-looking box holding all the gems she picked for her friends' gifts. She turned to them and said, "My beloved children, if we wish to make it to Gumi and the Kagamines' location on time, we must make haste for the workshop immediately. While I was uselessly sulking, I imagine they'd have already made their journey there. Come now, time is of the essence!”
As they made their way to Aria On The Planetes, Tsukasa looked his way and smiled. Rui noticed this.
"Hm? Is something the matter, Tsukasa?"
He shook his head and looked back to the road. "I'm just happy. Very happy. We're about to find the Kagamine twins. This mess will finally be over soon, and Miku can rest easy again." His gaze wandered to the queen, leading the group with quick steps. "It's been hard for her since Rin and Len left without a word."
Rui nodded in understanding. "I'm glad I could help."
"You were an amazing help! I wish I could've been there during your investigation. Everyone was... so cool. So many things happened today, and you even found the twins on the first day of our journey. It almost feels too good to be true." Tsukasa turned to him worriedly. "I'm painstakingly waiting for the other shoe to drop."
"Let's just hope we find them in the workshop once we get there." Rui took Tsukasa’s hand, squeezing it reassuringly, making the other smile gently. "Her Majesty's plan worked extremely well. With the lord and ladies caught off guard, Haruka immediately knew something was up. I believe we all did, too."
Tsukasa pondered. "Now, we just need to confront them… They need to explain all their actions."
When they arrived at the blacksmith’s shop, the two dropped hands. The workshop was empty, but the charcoals in the forge were still burning red, and the temperature surrounding the building was still relatively sweltering.
“Where’s the blacksmith?” Nene asked.
“Perhaps in the shop itself tending to her customers,” Miku answered. “Let us enter, shall we?”
They all held their breaths as the queen opened the door. Inside, it was dimly lit, but the light from the door barely shone enough to illuminate the backs of Gumi, Rin and Len at the counter, talking to IA, the blacksmith.
They turned their heads at the disturbance, and the former three had a look of horror on their faces.
"M-Miku!?" the twins both exclaimed.