~ Evil Kingdoms ~

:: Superbia [ Pride ]

TwiRight Prank

The night sky was inky black and speckled with stars that twinkled and sparkled mysteriously in the distance as Leonhart slowly made his way through the near deserted hallways of the Lucifenian royal castle, and the beady, glinting eyes of portraits followed him as he moved, and his long shadow flickered ominously across the crimson carpets. There was no sound - save for his own soft, whispering breath, and the gentle pat-pat-pat of his booted feet brushing against the floors.

He reached the Royal Chambers quickly, and gently knocked on the glistening golden doors. There was a moment of deathly silence; and then the muffled sound of feet shuffling across the carpets, and then the alarmingly loud click of the lock being removed - the hollow sound echoed throughout the silent halls like some sort of siren.

A stream of light sliced through the darkness, and a familiar face filled Leonhart's vision.

"Oh, Leon," Queen Anne breathed in relief and opened the door completely and stepped aside, and Leonhart strode into the room.

"It's good to see you again, Ann. How are you?" He asked, his voice low.

"I have been better," The queen admitted coolly as she noiselessly closed the door behind him.

The room in which they stood was expectantly spacious, with rolling silky carpets and impressive windows framed in gold and a large bed with soft, pale yellow sheets pushed into one shadowy corner. On the left side of said bed was a ring of flowers - golden roses and blooming sunflowers and delicate daffodils. A memorial for the recently deceased King of Lucifenia, Arth - killed just before the gruesome war with Belzenia was resolved.

And on the right side of the bed, there were two babies - twins, each with a single tuff of golden hair, and wrapped in white silk. They were sleeping deeply, and their chubby fingers were intertwined.

Leonhart's eyes saddened.

"This is them, then?" He murmured. "Princess Rillianne and Prince Allen."

"Yes," Anne whispered back. She hurried to her children's side, and knelt beside the bed, and gently brushed a lock of pale gold from Rillianne's face. The baby princess did not so much as mumble.

"They are beautiful." Leonhart commented.

"Thank you, Leon." Anne replied softly. Then she swallowed, and squared her shoulders, and wrapped her arms about Prince Allen's tiny and fragile frame. She lifted him up and out of the bed - but paused when she realized Rillianne's hand was still firmly clinging to Allen's. They wanted to be together, she realized with a jolt, even as they slept - they longed to be beside one another, to live as twins should live. Two sides of the one coin. One soul split between two bodies. Together, always...

Tears swelled in Anne's eyes and her breath hitched in her throat, and for one awful moment she thought she was going to burst into tears; but Leonhart placed a consoling hand on her shoulder, and Anne regained her composure. She took a deep, calming breath, and untangled their little fingers.

Rillianne's hand fell gently against the bed.

"Please look after him, Leonhart." Anne breathed as she handed Allen over to him, and Leonhart was shocked by how soft and small and breakable the boy seemed - like even the faintest of winds could shatter him into a million, glittering pieces scattered across the floor. "And be careful. Once the Council of Elders realizes what I've done...I honestly can't predict what they'll do."

"I can't believe they actually wanted to harm this child," Leonhart hissed. "To kill him off simply because they are twins...it's disgusting."

Anne nodded, her expression grim. "T-they talked of drowning him." Her voice shook slightly. "My son, Leon. They wanted to drown my son because he's the younger twin. But that was only one side!" Anne threw her hands up in exasperation and began to pace. "The other wanted to kill Rillianne because she's, well, a girl. They seemed convinced that she couldn't rule because of her gender. You should have seen them argue, Leonhart. They screamed and hollered like school children. None of them dared consider that they could rule together. Or to wait until they were older and it was possible to tell who is the better leader. Curse them all!"

"Anne..." Leonhart said quietly. "...calm yourself. You will wake the children."

Anne opened her mouth to snap something foul and cruel, but immediately thought better of it and bit her tongue. She took yet another breath, one that filled her up like a balloon, and it gushed out of her as she exhaled.

"...It's because Arth is dead." She continued coldly, her voice sharp and harsh and icy with hatred. "My dear husband, bless his soul. Because he died in the line of battle, those old fools believe they can do what they wish. If Arth hadn't died and come home, none of this would have happened..."

"Anne..."

"It's true, Leonhart. You know it is. He's one of the Three Heroes, after all - he, Lady Clockwork and Miss Gumillia created Lucifenia from the bottom up."

Leonhart was silent.

Anne sighed, and ran her fingers through her smooth, pale blonde hair - it cascaded down her shoulders in a waterfall of shimmering ringlets - and smiled weakly at her grey-eyed friend, who watched her, frowning darkly, from across the room; baby Allen nuzzled against his chest, sleeping sweetly and deeply and innocently unaware of the danger that churned about him like a heavy, black storm cloud, out for blood.

"You can tell him. When he gets older." Anne mumbled. "But Rillianne can never know she has a brother. Never. It's far too dangerous."

"I understand."

"Yes...of course you do." Anne round blue eyes were dull with despair. "Now, go, Leonhart. And...a-and never bring my son back."

"Yes, milady." Leonhart bowed briefly, and then he swept out of the room, his cape billowing behind him and Allen shivering in the sudden rush of icy air, and the moment is footsteps faded into silence Anne collapsed against the bed and buried her face into the soft sheets and silently sobbed, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks like rivers while Rillianne peacefully slept on, blissfully ignorant of her brother's absence, and a tiny, tiny smile graced her chubby face as she slept and dreamed of playing endlessly with Allen.

000

Eight years later

"Allen! Come on, hurry up!"

"T-this is a bad idea, milady!" Allen squeaked as Rillianne tugged him along, her hand firmly grasping his and forcing him to stumble after her chosen path. The sand of Twilight Beach was cool and refreshing against his bare toes, and the salty sea breeze caressed his blushed and sweat-coated cheeks, and the sounds of the waves crashing against the shoreline was soothing, but Allen still felt the terror of disobeying Queen Anne's direct orders.

Stay put, she'd said. Don't go wandering off on your own, she'd said. And what they'd do? The second Queen Anne turned her back, Rillianne was off and running, scampering madly down the glistening golden sands with a terrified Allen in tow.

"Don't be silly!" Rillianne squealed, twirling around and beaming brightly at her friend. "This is a wonderful idea! Now we can play on the beach all day."

"B-but Her Majesty told us to stay put!" Allen protested, but Rillianne brushed his arguments aside with a careless flick of her wrist.

"Excuses, excuses! Don't you wanna have fun, Len?" She asked curtly, using his childish nick-name in a successful attempt to soften his reluctance. Then she struck him down with the finishing blow - "With me?"

Allen sighed in defeat. "Of course, milady."

"Then cheer up! And stop calling me milady." Rillianne scolded, and she playfully tapped his nose. "It's Rin to you. And that's an order!"

Allen giggled despite his fears. "Understood, Rin!"

As Rillianne squeezed his hand and once again launched herself into a staggering run, Allen couldn't help but wonder how incredibly lucky he was to be here with the little princess.

Allen was a mere servant boy who assisted the cooks and the maids and the butlers around the castle, and whenever he wasn't working, he was off with his father, Leonhart Abaddonia, learning some new trick with swords and daggers. His father was a man of high standing, being the Captain of the Royal Guard, but even then he was miles below the rank of the Queen - meaning Allen was so far down the social ladder, it was a wonder he was even visible.

And yet here he was, playing with Princess Rillianne Lucifen d'Autriche, the heir to the throne. The next Queen! Paying attention to a insignificant peasant boy like him.

"Allen~! Don't drift off!" Rillianne prodded Allen's shoulder and he blinked himself back into reality, and flashed her a warm smile. Rillianne grinned in reply and Allen -

"Ah!" Rillianne shrieked in terror as her foot twisted over a gnarled root and the world swirled around her like a whirl pool and her little body smashed against the sand with a deafening crash. Pain erupted in her leg and Rillianne immediately burst into tears, screaming and wailing at the sky and Allen wrapped his arms around her shoulders and gently lifted her into a sitting position.

"Ow!" Rillianne sobbed. "Ow! Ow! L-Len, it hurts!"

"Hush, Rin, I know." Allen murmured soothingly, stroking her pale gold locks and softly patting her hands. "It's okay, Rillianne. It's okay."

Allen glanced at Rillianne's leg and grimaced as the cold and eerie red glint of blood caught his eye. A painful rip in her skin stretched over he knee, surrounded by sand and small stones and fragments of broken shells, and blood slowly seeped out from the wound and trickled down her leg.

Wh-what should I do...? Allen wracked his brains for something - anything - that could help him, and sighed in relief as he remembered one of his lessons with his father. Apply pressure to the wound, he'd coolly instructed, and protect it from the elements.

Allen quickly untied the black bow at his neck and carefully tied it around Rillianne's leg, and the princess whimpered and winced with each minuscule movement of the fabric brushing against her knee. She wasn't used to pain of any sort - she was a princess, after all, living in a child-proofed world of luxury, where every surface was smooth or silky and she was never left in the presence of anything sharp or possibly lethal - like a knife - for more then two seconds.

"Are you okay, Rillianne?" Allen asked, frowning worriedly.

Rillianne sniffed loudly. "I-It hurts."

"It'll be okay." Allen promised. "We'll wait here for my Papa, okay? He'll realize we're gone any minute now and come get us."

"R-really?" Rillianne whispered.

Allen smiled broadly and kissed her forehead. "Really. I promise. Until then, just keep still, okay? Try and rest it. And keep the pressure applied."

"O-okay." Rillianne lightly pressed her milky fingers against the black bow and suppressed her urge to sob and splutter. She glanced up at Allen and smiled a pained and faint smile.

"You're really good at this, Allen." She praised. "You could be a doctor someday!"

Allen blushed in embarrassment and fiddled with the hem of his shirt. "A-ah...w-well...um..."

"Thank you is what you're supposed to say, Allen," Rillianne informed him, giggling. Allen's blush darkened and he looked away, suddenly feeling stupid.

Allen stared across the beach and glanced at the sky and smiled. It was tinted with twilight, and the fiery oranges and crimson reds and striking yellows sliced through the sky like slashes of a sword, burning and blazing like fires against the thin black line of the horizon. The sea below was moderately calm, and stained a bloody red with the twilight. Allen watched the sea, and his blue eyes widened slightly as the waves began to churn. They increased in power, and slammed violently against the distant, rocky shore line, and lapped loudly against the beach.

Allen swallowed. Is there a storm coming? No! I hate storms! I'll freak out and let Rillianne down!

"Allen!" Rillianne squealed suddenly and Allen squeaked with surprise. "Look at the sky, Allen! Isn't it beautiful? Even if it played a prank on me. Making me fall over. Bad twilight!"

"Y-yeah." Allen stammered.

Rillianne gazed up at the fiery blanket of twilight, her eyes shinning like stars.

"We can make an orange sky, too, you know." Rillianne said matter-of-factly, and Allen stared at her, confused. "I'm Day, Allen. And you're - "

"Night," Allen interrupted, realizing where she was going. "I'm Night."

Rillianne grinned brightly and nodded. "And together..."

She reached out with her hand, and Allen took it securely in his own.

"...we make a beautiful orange sky." Allen finished.

CRASH!

Allen and Rillianne both squeaked with surprise as a mighty wave collided with the rocks in the distance, and even from their perch on the beach they could see the massive spray of white foam that exploded into the air upon impact. Allen's gut quivered nauseatingly as he stared at the sea - and it was truly was raging now. Waves the size of castles, it seemed to Allen, lurched out of the water and roared like beasts as they came crashing down into the ocean, sending a shower of foam slapping and licking at the red and orange sky.

The water was all red due to the eerie lighting - it was like staring out at a rocking and lurching cauldron of blood.

But there was no wind - not even the faintest of breezes - and Allen couldn't understand how such impressive waves could be possible without huge, destructive winds to match. I-it was impossible, was it not? For the ocean to simply start bucking and jerking on it's own? I-it wasn't a-actually alive...

"A-Allen, what's happening?" Rillianne whimpered in a tiny, tiny voice, and she clung to Allen's hand as though it were her life line.

Allen swallowed and squared his little shoulders. I have to be strong. For Rillianne.

"I-I don't know," Allen confessed, and his voice - save for the initial stutter - was strong and confidence. The complete opposite of how he felt. "But it's okay, Rillianne," He added as she began to tremble. "It's okay. I'm here. You're not alone."

Rillianne nodded shakily and Allen moved closer, curling his arm around her shaking shoulders and stroking her hair with his free hand - the other remained connected with Rillianne's fingers.

And then -

Thump

And then the demon appeared.

It materialized simply out of no where - the huge and hulking beast of glossy black scales and burning red eyes the colour of freshly spilt blood. It's great feet crashed against the sands and caused the very earth to shudder with vibrations, and it's long, thick tail flickered violently through the air - the tail ended in an arrow head, glinting and black, that looked sharp enough to slice through diamond. The demon itself was gigantic - it was the size of several grown men standing atop one another, and then some. Talons of a dark grey colour sprouted from it's enormous four-fingered hands and feet, and those joined to the hand curved slightly. Black mists swirled around it's incredible form, and, somehow, not matter how hard Allen stared with his wide eyes, he couldn't focus on it's face - it was a shifting, blurred mass of black mist. All he could see clearly were those red, red eyes.

Allen and Rillianne stared up at the demon with horror-stricken expressions. They both trembled uncontrollably and tears rolled freely down Rillianne's face, while they swelled threateningly in Allen's eyes. Rillianne's nails bit into the flesh of Allen's palm - blood bubbled out beneath them and crept across his hand.

"Children," the demon boomed. It's voice was harsh and sharp and chilling, and sent shudders of terror ripping up and down Allen's spine. "I am hungry. The scent of your blood drew me near. I shall feast..."

"No!" Rillianne sobbed and she buried her head in Allen's shoulder.

"P-please don't eat us!" Allen squeaked.

The demon's eyes flared with rage.

"Why should I not?" It demanded hotly. "I shall tell you something, boy! I am cursed to be hungry forever. I could eat the entire world still feel as though my belly is empty." - Allen frowned softly at this. He couldn't help but feel some pity for the poor beast - "Hunger burns within me. It is torture. And, hear this! It was a mere human who cursed me!" It took a thunderous step forward and Allen and Rillianne screamed in perfect unison. "So why, little boy, should I spare you and your sister?"

"R-Rillianne isn't my sister." Allen corrected without thinking. It was automatic. Many children their age and younger often mistook Allen for Rillianne's imaginary brother. She was an only child, of course, but their uncanny resemblance to one another often led to such problems.

The demon stared at him long and hard before abruptly letting out a terrible, piercing laugh that sounded more like the high-pitch scream of some poor soul in utter agony then actual laughter. Allen whimpered and pressed himself closer to Rillianne.

"Ha! Strange. I have heard different things." The demon chuckled menacingly. "But enough of that. Back on topic. Why should I spare either one of you, boy?"

What should I do? What should I do? Allen's heart was racing in his little chest and crashing almost painfully against his ribcage and he could scarcely think, his mind reeling from fright. Fear roared in his veins and sweated ran down his torso and cheeks in winding rivers, and Rillianne, clinging to his arm and trembling violently, wasn't helping matters at all. But he couldn't give up - not yet! I have to protect Rillianne. I-I have to. I must. She's my best friend...

"...I'll give you my snack." Allen breathed at last.

"Your what?"

"M-my snack." Allen repeated shakily.

"It can't have mine!" Rillianne screeched before neither Allen or the demon could utter a word.

The demon's red eyes narrowed and Rillianne gasped and wriggled even closer to Allen.

It turned back to Allen. "Your snack? Is that it?"

"A-and me, then!" Allen cried desperately. "Take me and my snack! But leave Rin alone!"

"L-Len..? No!" Rillianne wailed, but Allen ignored her.

"Please! Don't hurt her. She's my best friend. L-look," Allen groped out his pockets and withdrew a small bar of dark brown chocolate that seemed black in the dense shadow of the demon. His small hand shook visibly as he held it out to the monster, and his voice was strained and tiny. "h-here's my snack. I-it's not much, but you can have it. Then you can eat me. B-but let Rillianne go home."

"Allen!" Rillianne screamed and tugged at his shirt, but again she was ignored.

"P-please." Allen begged. "Please."

The demon, for once in it's immensely long life, was rendered speechless. Never had it seen such a brave and honourable display of loyalty and love - and from a child, no less! He had seen great men cower and weep openly before him, begging pathetically for their life - some even throwing unfortunate and terribly confused strangers or bewildered and betrayed loved ones out before them, insisting that their life be taken instead of their own.

But this child...

The demon leaned down and roughly wrenched the chocolate from Allen's hand, and Allen squeaked in alarm and hastily withdrew his hand, shaking from head to toe. The demon parted it's massive jaw and revealed line upon line of yellowed fangs that dripped with saliva and a fat, dark purple tongue speckled with strange and grotesque bumps of some sort and the roof of it's mouth was black as night.

The demon tore off the wrapper and it fluttered soundlessly down onto the sand as the demon threw the chocolate onto it's large tongue - and, instantly, the mighty jaws slapped down with a deafening clap and both Allen and Rillianne cried out, startled by the sudden explosion of noise.

The demon stared down at them, eyes smouldering like hot coals.

Allen's heart seemed, to him, to have stopped beating all together. In fact, it seemed his entire body had just down, and all that was left was a dense and icy fear that enveloped him completely in a suffocating mist of terror and despair. It's going to eat me. It's going to eat me. R-Rillianne -

The demon reached out with a gnarled hand - fingers twisted and broken horrifically in gut-wrenching positions - and the cold, grey tip of it's curved talon brushed lightly against Allen's forehead. A shudder shot down his spine, and a harsh sob burst through his lips, and he squeezed his eyes shut, silently praying that the pain of being eaten alive would be swift and -

"As thanks, boy," the demon hissed. "I shall tell you something useful about your ocean."

Allen gasped softly as a sweet and soothing voice filled his ears, and sung to him a tale of the ocean and the magical and mysterious wonders it held and still holds. He hung to the voice's every word; and then it trailed away and became faint and finally vanished, and Allen opened his eyes, and stared up at the empty space of air the demon once occupied.

"A-Allen...i-it's gone. A-Allen? Are you okay?" Rillianne's warm fingers brushed Allen's cheek, and they were shaking. Allen gently took her hand in her's and smiled a strained and weak smile; fear still churned viciously in his chest, despite the alluring and warm voice he had heard moments ago.

"I-I'm fine, Rillianne." Allen breathed. I've got something to tell you, too. Something amazing. But please wait, okay? Until we're older...

000

Queen Anne, of course, did not believe a word the children said concerning their not-so-friendly demon companion, and both received an ear-lashing so terrible Rillianne stormed from the room wailing like a toddler and Allen was reduced to tears. He stumbled weakly from the room shortly after Rillianne fled with a shocking tantrum, and caught sight of the tall and muscular frame of his father.

"Allen." Leonhart said, smiling warmly, and he reached down and ruffled the boy's golden locks. "Why are you crying, son?"

"Q-Queen Anne...Sh-she was so mad!" Allen whimpered, clinging to his father's trousers and sobbing into the rough fabric.

"Did you apologize?"

"Y-yes. O-of course, Papa."

Leonhart's strong arms wound themselves around Allen's little frame, and effortlessly lifted the boy up off the ground, and seated him on his massive shoulder - like a golden-haired, blue-eyed parrot.

"Then all is well." Leonhart concluded. Allen sniffed and wiped the tears from his eyes.

They walked in silence for a time, the only sound the silky whispering of the new lush and golden carpets as Leonhart's large, leather boots brushed against the soft material. Allen kept his eyes focused on said carpets, unnerved by the paintings which lined the walls and stared him down with their dark, dark eyes and forever disapproving frowns.

"Allen," Leonhart said suddenly.

"Yes, Papa?"

"When we get home...there is something important that I must tell you."

Allen titled his head to one side, puzzled but admittedly curious. "Something Papa must tell me?"

"Yes," Leonhart confirmed darkly, and Allen frowned anxiously. "It is something I have not been able to tell you for many years because of your youth. But now...I believe you are old enough to know. It concerns your precious friend - Princess Rillianne."

000

20 years earlier

Elluka Clockwork smirked up at the ancient and wrinkled face of the Eldoh Tree, and his narrow grey eyes were dull with anxiety and his mouth was a thin and firm line and around them a strange and unnatural mist swirled about the clearing in which the great tree grew, circled by a cluster of smaller and faceless trees who whispered softly as the wind blew.

At the tree's base lay a young woman with a head of short, emerald green hair and her eyes were elegantly closed and her skin was pale as snow and cold as ice.

"I do not like this, Elluka." The Eldoh Tree murmured uneasily.

Elluka's smirk grew, and she ran her slender fingers through her hair - now a rich and vibrant shade of cherry-blossom pink, a gift from the body of Lukana Octa, whom she had possessed in order to obtain the item of Lust. Her eyes, however, still held their brilliant and sharp shade of sky blue, and her usual air of superiority and smugness still clung to her very skin.

"You promised me, darling. Two request." Elluka reminded him cheerfully. "This is my first request. Using the body of Gumina Glassred, you will give this friendly tree spirit a physical form."

"...Very well." The tree grumbled, defeated, and he slowly closed his eyes and Elluka took a few steps back, her cloak whispering and murmuring as it brushed lightly over the green grass.

Suddenly, the air began to tingle, and the forest burst into life - birds trilled and bees buzzed and animals cooed and screamed and hooted from beyond the green-tinged darkness - and the curious mist began to churn like storms clouds, and became faster and faster and faster until it whipped through the air like the violent winds of an enraged tornado.

The motionless body of Gumina Glassred was lifted delicately off the earth by the furious winds, and, slowly, grimly, her mouth fell open, and the winds instantly swirled inside, as though mercilessly sucked in by some unseen force - rushing down her throat and engulfing her figure and soaring and surging through her torso - and then her eyes snapped open, and they blazed a bright and vicious green.

Elluka grinned triumphant as her new pet was lowered gently back onto the earth, her naked body glowing faintly with the magic and the power and the new-found life that coursed through her veins. She curled her fingers in and out of a fist and rolled her shoulders and her eyes flickered around the clearing, seeing everything and memorising even the faintest and most insignificant of details - and then her fiery emerald gaze locked with the seductive and alluring blue of Elluka's eyes.

"Come, Gumillia," Elluka purred. "We have a country to create."

OH. MY. GOD. I. AM. SO. SORRY. THIS. TOOK. SO. LONG.

I-it wouldn't be written! I-I swear! I tried and tried and tried again to write the stupid thing but...!

Well, anyway, it's up, and that's what matters :D I love Allen's and Rillianne's story. Their tale is so complex and interesting - and there's so many secrets! Just recently I learned Allen may not have been Miku's killer!

In this chapter, Allen doesn't know he and Rillianne are related. Leonhart will tell him soon enough, though. Also, the bit at the end with Gumillia and Elluka is supposed to show how Gumillia came to exist and why she looks like Gumina Glassred. Also, I learned recently that Elluka used the body of Lukana Octa to get the item for Lust. Sorry if I confused anyone!

I've decided, because this story is so long and complex, I'm going to write it novel style - the next chapter will be Closure of Yellow, which will tell the story both from Rillianne's POV and Allen's POV. I predict...it shall be long. Like...really long. So be prepared!

Thanks for reading! Please review! :D

PS- MERRY CHRISTMAS (lol so late) AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR PEOPLEZ!

PPS - anyone else notice the EXTREME over use of the word 'terror'? xD