User blog:GreekTelepath/The Pierrot (Oneshot Fanfic)

Hi everyone. Back with another fanfic! This is a oneshot with Rin and Lemy, taking place in an alternate continuity within the Pierrot novel. Alternative title: "How I Would Have Handled Rin's Character".

Rin got off the carriage, stepping onto the lantern-lit streets of Rolled. After thanking the coachman, she saw the carriage move away from her along the street, disappearing into the inky darkness that seemed to envelope the city. Standing before her was a magnificent mansion, none other than Abelard estate.

November 10. This was the date of the scheduled meeting between Lucifenia’s government officials. For Rin, this was her only window to speak to Lemy without being obstructed by that horrible woman. Briskly walking up the steps, Rin looked around her to make sure no one was going to see her enter the mansion. Thankfully, it was the dead of night, and not a soul was to be found on the streets.

No one dared to go out, not with a killer roaming the alleyways.

Rin knocked on the mansion’s door, just loud enough to be heard from the inside. After a while, a young woman opened it and ushered her inside. It was Phoebe Aymieux, the Abelard family servant. She was also the older sister of Rin’s caretaker, Angela.

The three of them had arranged for this meeting. After begging Angela to help her see Lemy, the woman acquiesced and sent a letter to her sister. Fortunately, Phoebe knew all about Julia’s comings and goings, and determined that night to be the perfect opportunity for Rin.

“Master Lemy’s room is just down the hall, third room to the right,” Phoebe instructed. Rin felt the servant’s eyes watch her closely, scrutinizing her every movement. Rin knew Phoebe had no other reason to help her other than her friendship with Lemy.

Rin stopped in front of Lemy’s door. Removing her hood, she slowly opened the door. Inside, she could see Lemy’s room was luxuriously decorated, with a four-poster bed, a large toy chest, and an ornate table and chair. Lemy was in his bed, lying on his stomach and playing with his toys. Noticing Rin’s presence, Lemy’s eyes lit up as he bounced off of his bed.

The child excitedly ran up to Rin and wrapped his arms around her. Rin returned the hug, feeling Lemy’s warmth. The boy was the closest she ever had to a real family.

~*~*~*~*~

Lemy’s heart fluttered at the sight of his friend. Although her face was different from the one he knew, Rin’s personality still shined through - her gentle-looking eyes, the way she arced her eyebrows, the small smile on her mouth. She looked both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

Lemy broke the hug and pulled away. “Why are you here?” he asked excitedly. “Did you bring a present? Where do you live now? What are you---” “Lemy, please.” The boy stared at Rin. Her once kind expression was now serious, grim even. It was evident that now was no time for jokes. “I need to talk to you about something,” she continued.

Rin walked over to Lemy’s bed and sat down. She looked exhausted - probably from her journey into the city, Lemy guessed. “...What is it?” he inquired. Rin sighed. “You read the Saint Fauro newspaper right?” she asked. Lemy nodded in response. “I do it while I read breakfast. Mother says reading will make me smart.” “Then you know what the reporters are writing about,” Rin began. “They’re talking about a killer, Lemy,” she continued. “He roams the streets at night and slaughters innocent women! And eyewitness reports say he’s dressed as a clown, a pierrot.” Lemy instinctively flinched at the word. It was his codename, after all. “—I know you’re behind all this.”

Lemy wasn’t surprised. The night he rescued Rin was a memory fresh in his mind. It was the first time he had ever killed someone. “They’re whores,” Lemy said. He felt the anger welling up in his heart. How he despised them, those filthy women. If he could slaughter every last one of them in Bolganio, he would. He would bathe in their blood and do a little dance. “Prostitutes or not, they’re still people, Lemy!” Rin exclaimed. Lemy could hear her voice break, as if she was on the verge of crying. “Hasn’t it ever occurred to you that maybe they have no choice but to do that? That maybe they’re forced to sell their bodies because they’re poor?” Lemy remained silent. “Don’t you know,” Rin said, choking back a sob. “What it’s like to be poor?” Lemy didn’t reply, but the both of them knew the answer was yes. He remembered huddling together with the orphans one cold winter night when the orphanage ran out of money for lamp oil. He remembered having just a little left to eat because food prices had gone up. He remembered having to beg Nickelle to lend him his only toy since he didn’t own any, and many of the other children didn’t either. “I hate them,” Lemy finally replied. “And so you kill them? You spill the blood of innocent people? People you’ve never even met?!!” Lemy was surprised by how Rin had raised her voice. She was getting hysterical now. Tears rolled down the side of her face. “You’re my friend, Lemy… I’m so worried.” “About what?” Lemy retorted defensively. “That you're… changing! You’re turning into something else!” “I’m doing something good. I’m fixing the world’s mistakes.” “People aren’t mistakes! No matter how bad they are, they don’t deserve to die!! Whatever your crazy mother told you—” Lemy could feel everything around him go dark. Even though the room was well-lit, blackness seemed to slowly swallow them up.

He wasn’t familiar with this feeling. But he knew deep down what it was - boiling, white-hot anger. Anger from the deepest depths with his soul. “No one…” Lemy paused. His emotions were getting the better of him, and it was getting increasingly difficult to put them into words. “——Talks like that about Mother.”

Even though it happened within less than a minute, for Lemy it felt like a lifetime. Everything was going in slow motion. He felt his body leap up off the bed, open his bedside drawer, and pull out a knife. Then he found himself lunging towards Rin, burying his blade into the side of her torso.

Just as she was about to get out the door.

Rin’s outfit began to stain red. The stain was getting bigger and bigger. Lemy’s breathing became heavy as he stared in disbelief. It was like he wasn’t himself anymore. He felt like a puppet being drawn forward by invisible strings, even though he knew for a fact it was all his doing. It hadn’t even occurred to him to call Ney.

Rin muttered under her breath. “You’re a monster…” she said, turning the door’s handle and running out into the hallway.

Lemy sat down on his bed. Rin Chan, his closest friend— no, not just that. She was like his sister. She loved him for who he was even when all the other children shunned him. And he stabbed her.

Lemy felt like something inside him had changed. He wasn’t the slow-witted orphan who got lucky. He wasn’t the kind, spoiled sweet boy who didn’t like to eat his vegetables. He wasn’t the innocent child who would make a pouty face at Julia whenever she left early for work.

He was none of those things now. Instead, he was....

——Fifth Pierrot.