ec3-end

            “Are you awake, Gallerian Marlon?”

            The young judge slowly opened his eyes, then he sat up. He looked around him, puzzled – he seemed to be in a deep, deep, endless void.

            Where is this?

            Suddenly his memory started to come back to him, bit by bit, very, very slowly. He could recall…

            My house was burned… by the masses. It was because I proclaimed Ausdin innocent.

            I was with my ‘daughter’, talking about the theatre I built with Ma’s help…

            I told her to not worry as long as we’re together.

            It was bright, so bright, around us, and…

            And now, this void…

            “Do you know where is this?”

            He looked up and he could see a masked girl standing in front of him. Behind her was a gate, leading to a seemingly endless darkness.

            “You are now in the gate to the netherworld. Will you be in hell or heaven? I, the master of the hellish yard, will be the one to judge and decide for you. Do you know that even the most evil person can be spared?”

            “…How?”

            “Don’t you know, ‘master of the court’? Money is the best lawyer even in hell.”

            “…”

            “Even the most evil person can be spared, as long as he pays up.”

            The young judge smirked and stood up, then he leaned down to her ear and said…

            “I’m not giving my money to the likes of you.”

            Suddenly he felt his body so light, and in a few seconds he found himself falling into a deep, deep abyss of void we know as hell…

            That’s right. Your charges are at my disrection.

            At the mercy of my judgement of corruption.

            Therefore, I will not allow anyone to judge my sins. I will not approve any judgement against me.

            That’s right, one day I will once again gather the fragments of the sins.

            And by that time hell will be an utopia for me and my daughter…

~•~

Do you know about the theatre in the forest?

It was built by the collector, a while before his death.

A theatre, deep, deep in the forest.

It only showed a movie, about the ‘collector’s collectibles.

When it was forgotten by everyone…

A ringing sound came from it.

Looks like the collectibles have started their own story…

~•~

The Clockwork Lullaby…

            When he woke up, he found himself in a dark room.

            He was alone…

            “Where am I?”

            He looked around the dark room, and it was easy to see a big spring in hole in the ceiling. As if he was being trapped in big clockwork.

            He tried to reach for the spring, but something was holding him down, making him feel his weight has doubled. He looked at his body and noticed that his hands was in red handcuffs…

            It must be the colour of someone’s blood…

            “Kill her! Kill her!”

            There were blue shackles, tying his feet…

            “Why is this happening…”

            It must be the colour of someone’s tears.

            Suddenly he could hear a familiar ghastly voice…

            "Boy's crimes are getting old. You’re far from me forever.”
            Suddenly he remembered all of those moments.

            Naturally repeating the sin over and over.

            The reason it all ended…
                                                                        ~•~

            “Wait, where is this?”

            “I don’t know, but with all these crosses and gravestones, this should be a graveyard, right?”

            “How did we end here again?”
            The two men walked into the graveyard as they looked around, worried. Strange things were often spotted in graveyards, say, a little girl in white, or men floating around, or the so-called ‘guardian beasts’…

            “Ho-ho-ho, welcome to the evil’s forest…”

            They quickly turned to where the strange voice came from, and they saw a woman wearing a red dress, a blusher, and she was holding an umbrella over her head and a cup in the other hand.

            What a strange woman… It wasn’t raining, and why was she wearing such a dress?

            “What can I help you with? O-ho-ho…”

            If you find yourself to be unfortunate enough to be lost in the deserted graveyard before the theatre, deep in the forest…

            Then you should worship that woman holding a cup in her hand.

            Yes, just praise her, and worship her.

            For she is the one who was once known as the evil food eater.

            “Would you like to be stewed, fried, cooked, or… perhaps, roasted?”

            Just praise, praise and worship our great master!

            “After all, you’ll all end up the same.

            I’ll eat you to the bone~ ª”

~•~

            The girl who once had the pretentious leading part…

            Indulging in selfishness as always, she is the incarnation of the whimsy and selfish mirror…

            “Do you need anything, master?”
            “No, thank you,” the woman said as she put some sugar into her tea. “Or maybe you can wash those plates.”
            “…Yes, of course…” Why those plates stained with blood!

            She was the theatre’s waitress, but she wanted to do another job…

            “Miss waitress!” “Miss waitress!”

            They turned and saw a pair of kids running to them, smiling happily. They quickly took the waitress’ hands and smiled brightly.

            “Help us with the dishes…” “Will you?”

            “Um…” These kids…

            They twins dragged away the waitress, leaving her with no choice, leaving the master alone with her tea. She watched them left, then she continued to drink her tea.

            “W… wait.”

            The twins stopped and turned to her with an innocently puzzled face – they looked exactly the same – perhaps the only difference was only their wardrobe and their genders…

            While showing on her face, just a little, the sadness of losing her other half…

            They sure made her remember something…

            Allen…

~•~

            This spring-worked tower…

            So that the second hand doesn’t stop, it’s my duty to watch over it.

            “Some tea, haguruma?” (haguruma: gear)

            He turned and saw the blonde waitress standing behind him, holding a white teapot. He silently sighed and turned to the gears in front of him again.

            “If you want to replace me, say it,” he said. “When offering someone, don’t forget the cup.”

            “Oh, sorry,” the girl said as she turned away. “A minute, please…”

            “I don’t want tea,” the man cut. “Go offer ‘Ma’ or the two masters.”

            “Oh, I see then…”

            “Careful on the stairs.”

            He looked at the tower’s gears again as it rotated slowly. They were rusty and old, but they could still work. All thanks to him…

            If the gears of the tower stop, it signifies the end of ‘her’…

            My heart is with the gears of the clocktower.

            To keep them turning, it is my duty to ‘watch’ it.

~•~

The lonely man who built the theatre before his death.

What he loved the most was a puppet doll who played as the director.

~•~

            The previous master is the incarnation of greed.

            One day, his sins would bring destruction upon himself.

            Why didn’t he realize it sooner?

            Now left of half of her body was the scars of an ugly burn…

            A man entered the theatre, panting heavily. He turned back to the door, where he could still the the graveyard that brought death.

            Just what… is that woman?

            He panted for a while, while thanking God for letting him escape alive, then he started to look around.

            He was in a dark room, with tables and all kinds of furnitures. The full moon illuminated the room as its shine got in from the two, big windows.

            “And where is this… now?”
            If you go through the forest, and past the graveyard…

            You will reach an old theatre, where you will be trialed.

            In the trial, you may be found guilty…

            “Let’s start today’s trial.”

            That’s right, I am the new master of the court…

            And the gates of the underworld are about to open.

            “You’re guilty for not respecting the master of the graveyard.”

            The man turned to the girl in blue dress, sitting on the judge’s chair, confused.

            ‘Master of the graveyard’? Is she talking about that creepy woman?

            “You mean that woman with her umbrella? But she was going to eat me!”

            “For that, you’ll be charged with death sentence…”

            The man’s jaws dropped open, not believing what he just heard.

            “What? But…” He sighed and walked out of the ‘court’. “Fine, this is ridiculous! Nobody’s going to be sentenced to…”

            His sentence stopped as he saw the ‘master of the graveyard’ standing before the exit door, smiling wickedly. That was when he realized the situation he was in, but…

            My, my, too bad, there was no escape…

~•~

            “W… wa… wait!”

            “Thank you, master!” the woman said with a wicked smile. “Today’s party will be a blast…”
            “Party!” “Party!”

            The woman left with her twin servants, who were dragging the ‘guilty’ man away, leaving the master of the court alone.

            Tell me, ‘father’, am I supposed to make such decisions?

            She stood up and walked away, but the sight of a man with blue hair quickly greeted her. She smiled and walked to him.

            “Hello, Gear…”

            “There’s nothing beyond there,” he cut. “So how long are you going to keep this farce on?”

            “…”

            Her face quickly darkened, but she didn’t answer and walked past him. He looked at her for a while, then he sighed and looked away.

            Tell me, ‘father’. Am I right to make such choices?

            She stopped and looked back to the man, who was walking away from her. Her thoughts then took over again as she walked away.

            How is this heartless me supposed to understand?

            ‘Father’, can I send them all to hell?

            Is this how we get to the utopia?

~•~

The defendant’s seat is empty.

And the lawyer’s seat is empty.

Now, let’s start this farce called judgement.

~•~

            “Gammon, you know you have the curse from your anchestor’s blood. I’ll tell you how to undo it now… okay?”
            The man pushed away the bushes around him, creating free space for him to walk by. He could see a small building a few yards in front of him, hidden by the bushes and the big trees.

            …Where is this?

            He walked to the building as he looked around, looking for, perhaps, something living around the building. Humans are social creatures, so of course they seek for relation.

            And it was a building. There couldn’t be nobody there.

            What’s this place…?

            He walked closer to the building and entered the backyard of the building. It looked a bit scary and deserted, but he kept walking.

            “He…llo?”

            He walked further in, stepping on the damp soil, then he saw a door in front of him. It was a huge, black door, that looked cold, arrogant, and…

            Unfriendly.

            He gulped as he could feel his heart raced, but he slowly moved forward his hand to the door, going to push it open. His heart raced so quickly so that it sounded like a long hum and not beats. His hand backed off in reflex, but then he gulped again and pushed the door open.

            Whatever.

            The door opened with a loud creak that echoed. He slowly stepped in, and he could really hear his heartbeat as he walked in.

            “Is anybody here?” “Here?” “…Ere?”

            His voice echoed in the dark, big room. He looked around, worried, but then he could see a silhouette sitting behind a table that looked like the kinds in the courtroom.

            “Are you…” He walked forward to it, rushing his steps. “Are you the guardian of this place?”

            “The trial will start now.”

            “…Eh?”

            He backed off in fear, listening to the announcement. He looked around as he could see more silhouette and glares around him – like the jurors watching the court.

            “You worthless, insolent man, attracted by the evil’s blood,” the master of the court said. “I’m authorising you. Tell me why you’re here.”

            “Why I’m here?”
            “I’ll tell you how to undo it now… okay?”

            “I carry this fearsome curse upon my body,” the man testified. “In order to undo it…
            “There’s a sword left by your anchestors in the forest…”

            “I came to find the sword passed down from my anchestors…”

            “They dropped it in this forest for you to find,” a black-headed lady said. “How cute.”

            “Swords should be kept in a gallery…” “Right, Miss Soceress?”

            “You see, even my servants are smarter than your anchestors.”

            The man felt like shouting to the four inhabitants insulting his anchestors, but the master of the court wouldn’t let him do that. She knocked the hammer to the round wooden once and sighed.

            “Please, please, everyone, no interruption.”

            Everyone quickly obeyed, not giving more unnecessary ‘interruption’s. The judge then looked at the defendant, a black haired man, and knocked the hammer thrice and smiled.

            “Death penalty~”

            Tell me, ‘father’. Am I right to make such choices?

            ‘Father’, can I send them all to hell?

            “That’s all for today.”

            The defendant could only stand on his place, feeling as if the building has all crashed down on him.

            It was his world, breaking apart…

                                                                        ~•~
            “Need any help?”

            “No,” the master of the graveyard answered shortly. “Or shut those kids, please.”

            Suddenly the two young servants appeared before her, smiling innocently. She looked at them for a while with a forced smile, while cursing silently.

            Fine. Why these kids?

            They took the waitress’ hands and dragged her away, leaving her without a choice. She couldn’t do anything but to go with them, even if she didn’t really want to.

            “Come on, miss waitress…” “Let’s go see someone!”

~•~

            “Here?”
            “Yes, he’s here…” “In that cage!”

            “And soom our great master will eat him too!” “Isn’t our master sooo great?”

            Gammon sighed loudly and covered his ears, not willing to listen to the conversation. He then turned away to face the walls, facing the darkness, as if he was preparing himself to enter the darkness of the underworld.

            Oh, great, please stop reminding me.

            “This guy?”

            “Yes, miss waitress!” “There’s a visitor!”

            He didn’t turn and kept facing the walls. The waitress looked at him for a while with an inspecting look, as if he was going to be used for an experiment…

            Hm… nice build. He seemed to be strong enough.

            Maybe those clothes are too big for him, but maybe it’s not. Let’s hope not.

            “Oh, well…”

            She smiled and walked closer to the bars, then he put a hand inside and gestured him to come. He didn’t answer it, though – he kept ignoring them.

            “Name?”

            “What will you use it for?” I’m gonna die anyway. And you must be another of the woman’s underling.

            She sighed and turned to the twins, who were still having the weird, innocent smiles on their faces. She then took their hands and walked away together.

            “You know a little girl can’t really do everything alone,” she said. “Even you guys have each other. I wish I have someone to help me…”

            The kids looked at each other, confused, then they looked up to the girl.

            “Miss…” “Waitress?”

            “Ssh, stop calling me that,” she whispered, soft enough so that Gammon couldn’t hear. “Maybe this guy can be a waiter. I’ll ask your master.”

~•~

            The master of the graveyard was drinking some tea in a house built in the corner of the graveyard. The two servants were playing with clockwork toys – a clockwork cat and a clockwork mouse.

            “Go, go, go mouse! Don’t let the cat get you!”

            “Come on cat! Catch the mouse! You’re hungry aren’t you?”

            She sighed as she put down her cup. The servants were too noisy for a good teatime. Perhaps some people see kids as innocent fellows who only know about having fun, but they can be annoying sometimes aren’t they?

            And the master of the graveyard was annoyed.

            “Go! Go!”

            “Come on! Come on!”

            creakkk…

            “…”

            They noisy house was suddenly quiet after the loud creak. The master drank some tea as the situation became so perfect for an eerie teatime… before the servants ruined it again. This time, they walked to her, holding the broken mouse.

            “Master…” “Master…”

            “Go see Gear,” she said indifferently. “He made it, didn’t he?”

            “Yes, we know, but…” “The clocktower is scary…”

            “So?”

            “So…” “Um…”

            She sighed silently as she looked at their innocent faces. They looked scared, and they wouldn’t look at her in the eye – instead, they chose to look at the ribbons on her skirt, or at each other.

            Kids.

            “Fine,” she said as she put down her cup. “Just this time. Gear is a nice guy, so you guys should really try to get along with him. Maybe that way he’ll make you guys more toys.”

            “Yes, master…” “Thank you!”

            The kids waited for her to stand up, then they held her hand while the boy held the mouse in the other hand. She looked at them, and silently sighed in her heart.

            Despite being a cool ‘master of the graveyard’, I’m not really good at these stuff, too…

            Sheesh, can’t I just eat them?

~•~

            “Gear!”

            The man turned to the voice(s) and saw the twin servants walking to him, one of them holding a clockwork mouse. Walking behind them was a woman wearing red, who looked a bit irritated, but not like she could help herself.

            “The mouse is broken…”            

            He looked at the kids, who were standing in front of them and smiling sheepishly. The man looked at the clockwork toy – he once made it when the gears weren’t as rusty as now.

            “Fine, I’ll fix it.”

            He was taking some tools out from a box very close to his hands when he felt the area around him became darker. He looked up, wondering if a thick cloud was upon the tower, but it turned out to be the lady with the umbrella. She looked nearly like a giant that way, but he wasn’t scared at all. Instead, he opened the box and started to work.

            “Tell me, master.”

            “What?”

            “You know there’ll be nothing, even after all this,” he said. “You can really leave easily, but why stay?”

            “Me? Oh, about that~”

            She gave an evil smile and looked away.

            “Oh, well, I know the end will eventually come, but let’s keep partying until that time, shall we?”

            She then turned to the man and smiled.

            “And you?”

            “…”

            “Oh,” the lady seemed to remember something nice, since she was smiling. “You can’t, can you?”
            “…”

~•~

            The clocktower has stopped.

            …

            This isn’t good. If this goes on, she’ll…

            Fine, I’ll decide it,

            On the left side of my chest…

           

            I am the second guardian of the tower.

            And to watch it is my duty.

            To keep the gears turning, it is my duty.

            Even if it costs my life…

~•~

            “So, to start with, I’ll tell you what to do.”

            They walked together until a place separated from the graveyard with a row of fences. There was a vast land ahead, and it looked kind of… unkempt.

            “Girls don’t do labour work,” she said as she pointed to a corner of the fence. “There the gardening tools are. As a gardener, you should take care of the land.”

            Gammon looked at the vast land in front of him, imagining having to water it, plow it, and so on…

            “All these?”

            “There’ll be more fences out there,” she said. “That’s the limit.”

            His jaws dropped. He couldn’t see any fence from his spot – all he saw was empty land waiting to be plowed. He wanted to complain, but something inside him said ‘don’t’.

            She saved your life. You should repay her, Gammon!

            His mind slowly flashed back to the few minutes ago, when the cage was opened.

            “Heeey, so what’s your name?”

            Gammon turned to the blonde girl in military clothes standing behind him, and sighed. She had been bugging him for at least half an hour, and he was pissed.
            “Why would you need it? That woman is going to eat me after all.”

            “Ah, sheesh, how stubborn! But whatever!”

            The girl gave out a hand, along with a smile.

            “Just tell me, alright, mister?”

            “…” Not like that will be useful… “Gammon. Gammon Octo.”
            “Then, Mr. Octopus, come on out!”

            The girl pulled his long hair and dragged him out, making him scream in pain. He turned to her, then he sighed silently as he looked down.

            It’s finally my turn… to be eaten?
            “Come on, Octopus-san!” the girl shouted happily. “You’ve got work to do!”

            “O…kay.”

            “You can start now.”

            “…”

            He sighed silently and took the shovel. He then walked out, entering the vast land, and started to plow.

            So painful…

            “Suit yourself.”

            How?!

            But… she did this all the time?

            He looked up to the little girl. She looked so weak, and just doing a few millisquares already tired him. Her suffering must be kind of unimaginable.

            “Why are you with them, miss…”

            “Just ‘Waitress’.”

            “Why are you with them, miss waitress, while they’re making you do all these?”

            “…Why?”

            She looked away, thinking, while looking at her rough hands. She then smiled and turned to the man.

            “Because it’s interesting,” she said. “From everyone here, who’ll be laughing at the end?”

~•~

            “Finally I debut on stage…”

            “I’m searching because of orders from God,” the master of the court said. “Do you know where the last vessel is? If you do, do tell me.”

            The black haired lady, the sorceress of time, smiled discreetly and chuckled.

            “My bad, my bad,” she answered. “I don’t know. But I fear it would be in her hands…”

            “Then search, search…” “Up there, down there…” “On your right, on your left…”

            The master of the graveyard could only sigh upon the behaviour of the kids.

            “Search for the master of the hellish yard!”

            How long will you keep this farce on?

            The man was sitting in the corner, working on a clockwork mouse in his hands.

            After it ends, there’ll be nothing after all.

~•~

            “Ru ri ra ru ri ra…”

            Who seems to be singing this lullaby…

            Suddenly I hear…
            A singing voice to heal me…

            One day I notice…
            That the song has a real meaning.
            And now it's my lullaby.
            New words are added to it everyday…

~•~

            “Ru ri ra ru ri ra…”

            Sleep now, to the sound of this lullaby…

            The blue haired girl smiled lovingly and patted her belly.

            “My dear ‘irregular’, your task is just about to begin…”

~•~

            Friendship, trauma, justice, illusions, hope, ruin, dreams, greed, love, death…

            All melt and turns eternally in the clockwork lullaby.

~•~

            When all songs are recited, it is believe that utopia will be achieved.
From sword blooms a beautiful flower and
            From seed blooms a beautiful glass
                        When it was polished on the night of the full moon, the stone became four mirrors
                        Shining brightly along with a small bottle
            A blade was wrongly dipped into the spring, a spring the colour of blood
                        The color of blood that was sought out
                                    The doll moving in the invisible wind
                                                Scoops up with a spoon invisible dirt

Finally they return, return to the forest

Along with an uncontainable amount of anger

The lonely man who built the theatre before his death…

The utopia he was wishing for will be completed one day, right?

~•~

Now, let’s play our part in this farce called life.

And now the one with the leading part is…