Progression of Evil

Chapter 2
Cendrillon

The clock struck eleven.

Kaito spared a single glance for his friend Luka before another girl was pushed towards him. She wore the same expression as so many of the others he had partnered since six o'clock that night: meek and obedient, the sort of girl who would make a biddable wife but not an interesting one. These girls were trained to be child bearers, not people. Small wonder Kaito was bored.

The girl he danced with, though, had sea-green hair that was gathered in two twin ponytails that reached her ankles. This, and this alone, was enough to make her slightly more memorable in Kaito's mind…until the girl looked at him and smiled. Her eyes were almost the same shade of green, and her face was so kind that Kaito blinked a few times, hoping it wasn't a dream.

He had met this woman before.

Miku was inwardly pleased at the reaction from the prince. She had ensnared him, trapped him using her special smile, just like her father had intended.

"I've seen you before," Kaito said, looking intently at her.

Miku looked down, blushing. "You might have."

"You're...the daughter of the Green Kingdom, are you not?"

Miku looked away. He was wrong. "Please do not speak of our origins. I am here to dance, Kaito-oujisama."

"And dance we shall," Kaito said boldly, and twirled her as the music slowed down to a more intimate tune. He tried to pull her in closer, but she did not sway willingly toward him as the others had. Nodding comprehension, Kaito kept his distance and merely held the waltz tempo.

Miku, in the meantime, worried about the dagger, nestled so carefully between the fabric of her dress and the skin of her body. If she were to get too close to him, he would find it…and all her family's plans would be ruined.

"Remember, Miku-chan," her father had said earlier, before they departed for the Blue Kingdom. "You must not let him know anything. Your job is to attract him, keep him occupied. If we can form an alliance and overthrow the Child of Evil before she is born…"

Kaito looked honestly happy to Miku's calculating eyes. She had moved up in his mental rankings of the women here, and that was all according to plan.

The clock rang out the half hour, and Miku's mind remained on the sharp weapon hidden within her dress, trying to determine the exact time to carry out her father's plan…

I understand, Father.

Rin pulled away from him finally, shocked at his actions, but even more shocked by the response he had elicited from her. Len licked his lips, his eyes still looking upon her with desire, but also carrying a slight touch of the same surprise and fear she herself was experiencing. Len had kissed her. Len had truly kissed her, and she had kissed him back, and it had felt wonderful.

It was also the most heinous sin of all time.

Rin touched her lips, looking in fear at Len, who had his hands on her bare shoulders.

"The time has now stopped. Two people embracing each other…" Len sang his harmony of the line, the melody of which was traditionally taken by Rin. The thirteen-year-old girl, however, had no wish to join in.

"Len…" Rin said softly, and reached her tiny little fingers up to brush against his face. The features were different, so different from her own.

He stood up and then helped her up from her place on the floor. "We'll go to our quarters. There are still too many people around."

Rin nodded and laced her fingers with his as they headed for the staircases that would take them to their room, the room they'd shared for years.

Luka Megurine faithfully reported this development to a shady-looking person in a black cloak, who nodded and walked away, contemplating the fate of the next Yellow Queen.

"Kaito-oujisama…" Miku said as the next dance ended. She glanced at the clock. It was ten minutes to midnight. She needed to act. "I…I have to go. Thank you for the dance."

"Wait!" Kaito held her hand, stopping her. "Can I have your name?"

Miku turned away. "You may not."

"Can I find you again?"

Some of the couples around them had slowed their twirls in order to watch this development between the Prince and his dance partner.

"Please do not try." Miku closed her eyes. No tears, no tears! He was handsome and kind, but there could be no relationship between the Prince of a noble kingdom and her, the servant girl of a rich merchant. Her coming here had been a fluke, only because she was beautiful and she resembled the Green Queen and King. She was a pawn in her family's plan to aid the King. She was just a pawn. There could be no feelings for the Blue Prince.

Miku kept telling herself this as her right hand reached inside the folds of her dress and grasped the dagger. She had to find her father, who would have been looking for the Child of Evil. She was the one to deliver the weapon to the mercenary. If she could just do that…

Kaito's voice intruded on her frantic thoughts. "Are…Are you crying?"

"No!" Miku pulled harder, trying to free her wrist from his strong fingers. She fought, he whirled her around, and her right hand flew out to steady herself…

And the dagger came up bloody as Kaito gasped and staggered backward, clutching his side. The couples surrounding them gasped collectively and someone screamed.

Miku simply stood there, the dagger still loosely clutched in her hand, staring wide-eyed at the damage she had caused. She had killed him. She had killed the kind Prince of Blue. She had killed her country's only hope for an alliance against the yellow Kingdom, and she had killed her family's plans.

Above, the clock struck twelve.

"Shit," Ted hissed, releasing the girl he'd monopolized for the past hour. "What's going on over there?"

The couple had heard the gasps and the sole scream, and all of a sudden Ted pressed Teto close to him to keep her safe from the stampeding lords and ladies who were rushing to the scene.

"It's Kaito-oujisama!" someone shouted. "Kaito-oujisama's hurt!"

"That woman did it! That girl with the green hair!" an accusing voice.

Ted swore into the girl's hair before releasing her. "I'm sorry, maiden, but I have to go help."

"Why? What can you do?" Teto said, her brows furrowing together in confusion.

Ted smiled. "I'm part of the Prince's private guard. In a time like this, I'm really good at crowd control. I suggest you go stand back by the wall where you were so you don't get trampled."

"Promise you'll come back for me?" Teto's hand came up of its own accord, subconsciously trying to prolong their encounter.

Quickly, the tall man caught her delicate hand and kissed it gently. "I will come back for you. After all, I'm your escort, aren't I?" With that, he'd disappeared into the foray, making his way steadily towards the center of the ballroom floor. Teto sighed, staring at her hand, and retreated to her previous pace by the wall just as she heard her nameless escort's voice rise above the chaos, commanding the onlookers to back up and give the Prince room.

"It was such a lovely evening, too…" Teto sighed.

"Tell me about it," Neru commented from beside the pink-haired girl. Teto glanced at her friend, and they sighed in unison.

The clock was striking twelve as Len and Rin reached the servant's quarters inside the Blue Palace. They easily found the room they had shared for years and entered, sitting slowly on the bed, their hands still laced together as if tied by the red threads of Fate.

Rin leaned into Len, and he held her tightly as she shook with fear. "Six hours until everything changes," she said in a whisper.

"It won't change. Nothing will change," Len assured over and over.

"But it will!" Rin said loudly, sitting up, tears welling in her eyes. "How could it stay the same? In six hours I will be taken away and given a new life, a new destiny, and I won't be Rin anymore!"

"You'll always be Rin to me, because I will always be by your side." Len reached out his other hand and slowly stroked her face. She leaned into the caress subconsciously and sighed.

"It won't ever be the same. Not when we feel this way." Rin looked away, blushing. "We shouldn't be doing this. We shouldn't even be here, in the same room."

Len moved slightly. "I'll leave, then."

"No!" Rin clutched at his shirt, refusing to meet his eyes. "I don't want you to leave. When you leave, I'll know everything has changed."

"It's already changing."

"I know!" Rin cried, her voice thick with sorrow. "I know it is, but the final change will be sleeping by ourselves, and I can't bear to have that yet!"

Len blinked as Rin started crying again and held her, ignoring the pain in his hand when she squeezed too hard. He waited until her trembling had slowed, and then gently kissed her forehead. "I should shower."

"Promise you'll come back?"

Len kissed her forehead again. "I told you, I'll always be by your side. I'll never leave you for good, Rin." He stood and headed toward the shower, leaving Rin by herself in the big room she had always shared.

The clock struck one.

"It was that woman! That girl with the green hair!" Someone Miku didn't know yelled, pointing at her. Miku stood there in shock still, the dagger dripping at her side. Her father was coming; she could hear his voice among the crowd's begging for someone to let him through, to let him get to his daughter Miku.

Kaito drew his hand up as the utter surprise of being struck began to fade and with further astonishment noticed that it wasn't even a deep scratch. The girl had missed. For what purpose she was carrying a dagger around the prince didn't know, but he was sure that he had not been her target.

The crowd began closing in on Miku, who had drawn the dagger up and now contemplated it. She had failed, she had given everything away, and she had killed the Prince who had shown her nothing but kindness. There was nothing left for her….nothing except the blade. She turned it point-downward and prepared to deal herself the fatal blow…

Her arms raised…Miku squeezed her eyes shut. I'm sorry, Father…

A hand caught her wrist, stopping the dagger's downward plunge. Miku opened her eyes, startled. "Wh….?"

There stood Kaito, his blue eyes concerned for her well-being, his hand gently but firmly pulling the dagger from her fingers and tossing it carelessly aside. "There really should be no reason for a maiden as beautiful as yourself to want to die, no matter how boring she deems my party."

"But…But I…I killed you!" Miku whispered, the tears now freely streaming down her face. Kaito reached up and carefully brushed the tears from her cheeks with a gloved hand.

The he smiled. "If I'm dead, then I must thank you, because I've never felt more alive." He straightened and moved his other hand, which had been covering his side wound. "Pretty little maiden, you've only scratched me."

Sure enough, the wound was a shallow, short scratch, and already it had ceased bleeding and was beginning to heal. Miku looked at it with wide eyes, and when she met the Prince's gaze again, she was already crying. Kaito put his arms around her and smoothly pulled her to him; she cried relentlessly into his chest, shaking with the overflow of emotions that had flooded her mind in the past hour.

"Alright, step back, everyone," a voice was saying. "Kaito-oujisama, are you alright?"

"Yes, thank you, Ted-san," Kaito's chest rumbled as he spoke and Miku was comforted by the noise. "I'll just need a new jacket, I'm afraid."

Ted nodded. "I'll get right on that. Is this…"

"It was all a misfortunate accident. My fault. I tried to stop her from going, and I spun her too hard…it was just an accident, and no harm done."

Ted bowed. "Yes, Kaito-oujisama. I'll fetch the seamstresses for your jacket."

"No need. I'll go myself. I need to make sure this young lady is not attacked by my guests." Kaito swept Miku up into his arms then, ignoring the protests of his faithful guard. "Please keep them under control, Ted-san, and make sure you enjoy yourself!"

With that, Kaito carried the single most interesting eligible girl he had met that night out of the hall and into the relative privacy of the servant's hall, where they could recuperate in peace.

Len relished the feeling of the warm water droplets as they cascaded down his back. So many things were happening tonight, and so quickly. There were less than five hours left with Rin as she was. After those five hours, she would be taken away from him and forever he would be her servant.

Len realized that, even as her servant, he would still love her. He would always love her. He always had.

The blonde boy had been pursued by women before, even more so now that he was almost fourteen years old, but he had never been interested in them, preferring Rin's company to any other. He hadn't really thought about the strangeness of that before, but now he did, and it scared him a little. It was wrong, totally wrong, for him to care about Rin as much as he did. It was wrong, and yet it felt right to him. It felt right to want to hold her when she cried, to want to lace his fingers with hers, to want to kiss her…

Len sighed and turned off the water. Showering was not going to do his scattered mind any good. He reached for his towel and wrapped it around his waist, firmly securing it before he opened the shower curtain…only to find Rin standing there, looking slightly uncomfortable and picking at her dress.

"R-Rin!" Len cried, hiding himself in the curtain. "What are you doing in here?"

"I…well…well, I…umm…" Rin stuttered, blushing furiously. Len was totally not prepared for her to come rushing at him, crushing him in a fierce hug. The towel slipped and Len grabbed at it, thankfully catching it before it came undone. "I love you, Len."

Len blinked and froze. "You…you what?"

"I love you, Len." Rin stepped back, and then stood on her tiptoes and kissed him quickly on the lips.

Len stood there, shocked, his hands working to secure his towel again. "Umm…m-maybe you should…go get d-dressed for bed…"

Rin blushed. "Um…y-y-yeah…" and the shutting of the bathroom door was the only sound Len heard after that.

Slowly he dressed, willing his heart to slow and his face to pale, but when he looked in the mirror, all he saw was Rin's blushing face reflected in his own features.

The clock struck two.

The crowd was moving. The party was collapsing. Teto was on the edge of it all, waiting for her knight, the guard who had proclaimed himself her escort. She was not going to leave without at least learning his name.

"Teto-chan," Neru said, still at her side. "We should leave. Your honored father and mother will be waiting."

"Let them wait. I will not leave without my escort." Teto looked down at her friend. "It's not proper for the Red Princess to leave alone."

Neru blinked and then muttered, "But apparently it's alright for her to arrive alone." She turned and disappeared into the stampede before Teto could rebuke her for her impudent remark. The princess shook her head, twin-drill ponytails moving almost on their own.

"Excuse me," his voice said. "But I'm looking for an exquisitely beautiful lady in a pink dress with red hair. Have you seen her?"

She smirked at the white-suited guard. "I'm afraid you must be more specific, sir. There are plenty of red-haired women in this hall, and plenty more in pink gowns."

"Well, the lady I'm searching for will be standing alone, and her hair will be fashioned into two very cute drill ponytails. She's small, and her face is kind and cute." The guard drew Teto into his arms as he spoke. "Fair one, I'm here to escort you home."

Teto blinked. "All the way home? I…"

The man smiled. "I will escort you anywhere on the planet. Kaito-oujisama has released me for one week."

Teto looked into his eyes. "I should tell you, then, that my home is the Red Kingdom."

"Oh?" The guard regarded her in a new light. "Then we'd best get started!" He held out his arm for her to take, and when she'd placed a gentle hand on it, he led her towards the main entrance, where horse-drawn carriages were waiting. "Sir, the Red Princess' carriage, please," the guard said, and Teto almost gasped. How exactly had he figured out her identity? She still didn't know his name!

But then the guard leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Sorry, fair one, if I offended you by calling you 'Princess.' You are just like a little princess to me."

Teto waited until he had helped her into the carriage, climbed in after her, and shut and latched the door before responding, "You were closer than you know."

The guard regarded her carefully and was silent.

The clock struck three.

"Please allow me to escort you home," Kaito said gently to the girl with sea-green hair, the girl who had cried at the thought of her killing him.

His love.

She shook her head. "My father is waiting at the gate." She got up to leave, but again his hand grabbed hers.

"Wait."

Miku turned slowly.

"Will I ever see you again?"

Sighing, the girl replied, "Kaito-oujisama, if you ever come to my country, doubtless you will find me there. I am not one to hide." She left then, her precious glass slippers click-clacking down the wooden floors.

"Rin, you should sleep," Len suggested quietly after she had been snuggled against him for some time.

"No," Rin protested, but her next move was a yawn that left her incapable of closing her mouth for several minutes.

Len couldn't help himself; he had to giggle. "You're obviously tired. Go ahead and sleep for a few hours."

Rin turned troubled blue eyes to him. "But…if I sleep…the time will go faster. I don't want it to! I want to spend every last minute with you." She hugged him tightly. "I love you, Len."

Len said nothing and looked away, blushing. "Y-you shouldn't say that."

"Why?"

"It's…it's wrong for you to love me."

Rin sat up and regarded him with a frown on her face. "Len, in three hours I am going to be taken away and changed completely. I am going to become the queen of a country everyone hates, and I am going to become someone I'm not now. What I do here, now, is not important to anyone but me and you."

Len didn't look at her, afraid of the emotions he might see in her face, afraid that his face would mirror it. Strange that he should be afraid of mirroring her, Len thought to himself. Time was that he relished in it. "Go to sleep, Rin."

"If I do, will you stay with me, just like before?" She looked so cute, Len decided after a quick peek at her. There was no way he could deny…

"You sleep in the bed. I'll go elsewhere," Len said, and he stood to find another bed. His arm reached towards the heavy door.

"No!" her tiny fingers grasped his shirt. Len stopped. Her voice was still echoing around the chamber, her vehemence loud and clear. The blond boy turned back to her. "I don't want to yet." Her eyes grew sad and yet fearful, and she clutched tighter at his shirt.

Len knew immediately what the fear was for. "Monsters, Rin? Really?" He firmly took her hand from his shirt and brought it to his lips. "Isn't that just a tad childish?" Her kissed her fingertips, his lips like butterfly wings. She sighed and sank into the bed.

"Will you tuck me in?" Rin yawned cutely and Len caved. He made sure she was comfortable before drawing the bedclothes around her slight form and wrapping her snugly. Her hand found his and she laced their fingers together. "Stay," she commanded sleepily.

Len sighed. How could he disobey? He would not move. He was her knight.

The clock struck four.

"Luka!" Kaito called as he saw the distinguished lady roaming the ballroom. She stopped and looked at him expectantly as he approached.

"Well?" Luka asked in her sensuous voice. Kaito held out his arm and she took it, permitting him to lead her back out to the balcony where they had talked before.

Kaito released his friend and answered her unspoken question. "She is certainly different, and I would enjoy the chance to get to know her."

"In other words," Luka said frankly, "You're dead-set on having her as your bride, despite the fact that she stabbed you."

"Honestly, Luka, that was the most interesting thing to happen to me all night." Kaito sighed. "I don't even know her name."

"She resembles the prince of the Green Country, does she not?" Luka asked quietly. "Mikuo-oujisama?"

Kaito blinked in sudden recognition. "That's why I thought I'd met her before! She looks so like Mikuo-san, it's almost uncanny."

"I didn't know Mikuo-oujisama had a sister."

Kaito frowned. "He doesn't. That's why it's so strange. She should never have been able to enter."

Luka's eyes widened. "Kaito…"

"Don't think I haven't considered an evil plot, because I have." Kaito began pacing around and around the balcony. "I just don't think that she could do something heinous like that."

"Kaito, she was carrying a dagger!"

"Yes, but when she'd thought that she'd actually killed me…" Kaito paused and looked at his friend. "There was no way of faking that. I wasn't the target, and she wasn't the killer. Probably she was merely the sheath for the weapon. Deliver it to the right place, and then she's free to go."

Luka blinked. "Kaito, she played another role, whether you like it or not. She was the distraction. Somewhere in the midst of your party, someone was planning a murder, and since they didn't want the Prince of Blue interfering…"

Kaito sighed and considered this, leaning heavily on the balcony rail. "But she's gone. She's disappeared into the Green Country, back to wherever she came from."

Luka outright laughed, startling Kaito. "Do you really think she'll stay hidden forever? A beauty like that, with her resemblance to Mikuo-oujisama?" She laughed again. "Not a chance. That little girl's going places. I'd keep an eye on her, if I were the heir to a fabulously wealthy kingdom."

The clock struck five.

Len sat on Rin's bed, deep in thought about the blonde girl who slumbered on so innocently. A lock of hair had fallen across her face and he wanted so badly to brush it back behind her ear.

I must not touch her hair. Must not touch her hair. Must not… Len repeated firmly to himself. If he touched her hair, he'd end up caressing her, and then he'd end up kissing her, and then he'd end up crying when she had to leave. Best to leave it go.

She stirred in her bed and slowly opened her eyes, brushing her hair out of her face. "What time is it?"

"A little past five."

Rin closed her eyes again and squeezed his hand. "Less than an hour. I don't know if I can do it. I'm not ready."

"They'll come for you whether you're ready or not," Len pointed out softly.

The delicate thirteen-year-old girl looked at the door with sadness, as if expecting her captors to come early. "This is going to change everything, Len."

"It won't," Len gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I will always care for you, just as I always have."

"Are you sure?" Rin looked at him. "Are you sure that once this is all done, you won't look at me with disgust like everyone else?"

Len sighed. "I'm absolutely, totally, positively, and irrevocably sure, Rin. I…" he hesitated. "I love you, Rin. I love you, and nothing that happens now is going to change that."

Rin sat up slowly. "Len…"

"I promise I will always be here for you, whether you want me or not." Len kissed her hand. "My princess, I will forever be your loyal servant."

Rin started crying then, and her other hand came up to cover her mouth. "Len…"

The clock struck six.

"Are you ready?"

Rin looked back to the other end of the hall, where another figure was standing in isolation. "No. But it doesn't much matter, does it?"

"Correct. You're already learning. Come. Your servant will arrive another day."

Rin sighed and picked up her bag, swinging her black cloak around her shoulders. The time had come. Her destiny had arrived to spirit her away from the life she'd always known. She spared another glance for the figure at the end of the hall.

Len.

Her twin brother.

Her love.

She had to leave him, and when they met again, she would not be Kagamine Rin anymore. She would be something far more destructive and demonic.

She would be the Daughter of Evil.