Title: Lacie's Pendulum
Author: Aerith Queen of Cetra
Summary: .:GilbertxOz:. In order to save Oz from the clutches of the Abyss, Gilbert must make an illegal contract; with Oz as his Chain.
Genre: Romance / Angst
Beta'd: Nu-uh!
Warnings: Shonen ai (boyxboy stuff), blood, creepy Abyss things in general and creepy Vincent in general.
Disclaimer: Oz in the latest chapters makes my heart happy 3 Oh and I don't own! XD
Author's Comments: Holy frak! I've FINALLY gotten round to writing a Pandora Hearts fic! And a GilxOz one at that! Huzzah! This fic was inspired by the chapter that said that humans can become Chains... and well... it just went on from there! XD
I: The Toll of the Bellringer
A thing long expected takes the form of the unexpected when at last it comes.
- Mark Twain -
"You must open the Door to the Abyss and call upon the power of the Raven. It shall be the one to grant your wish... it shall open for you the path to find your lost Master..."
Those were the only words given to Gilbert by the legions of Pandora as they granted him passage to the Nightray's Door.
It was unnecessary though, for they were words thrummed into Gilbert's head constantly over the years, words which had become a prayer to him. But the way they were spoken now, the final time, was a vow of finality that hit the dark haired man hard in the chest.
The agents of Pandora said no more and simply observed as Gilbert traversed the spiral staircase towards the Door to the Abyss, followed immediately by his obedient younger brother.
Not one of them would dare try to interfere with the rite of making a contract with a Chain, for fear that they too might be dragged into the Abyss. All except for Vincent, loyal and dedicated Vincent, who would follow his brother to the depths of hell and back if need be.
But Gil had few people as dedicated as his brother which was why the two were alone, standing before the intimidating gateway.
Even the designs and seals across the stone doors sent shivers up the servant's spine, only halted by the tentative but reassuring touch on his wrist by the younger blond.
When Gilbert gave a shaky smile, Vincent suddenly lurched forward, wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug. He smiled and whispered in his ear, "Good luck."
It was all he could do to nod and watch his younger brother retreat from that spot and stand by the exit vigilantly.
Gilbert was alone before it now. He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes.
'Raven... Chain of Darkness... I call upon your power, your strength, to serve my desires and restore what I have lost... with you, I seek to make a contract...'
There was a cry, a bird cawing and screeching and he felt his eardrums throb at the noises, his hand immediately touching his temple to stave the sound.
The Door seemed to respond to his thoughts and wishes and it wrenched open, releasing a torrent of wind at the man and he dug his feet into the ground to steady himself, arms raised in a shield.
Black feathers spiralled around him, each pinion tearing through him like knives through a simple graze of his skin. He grunted slightly, already expecting some sort of retaliation to his demands from such a wild Chain.
But then those eyes were bearing into his soul from the open Door. Eyes of rage and thunder and malice, and any courage Gilbert had built up over his years of training, years of preparation for this very moment, fell away like leaves in a harsh autumn gale.
He was no longer a confident, young adult, he was once again a fourteen year old child standing before the Door, in front of a being of unfathomable strength and wrath.
The power of the Raven screamed at him, begging for release but Gilbert froze in fear.
And then there was a face in his mind, a smiling face. Closed eyes, strained cheeks, a hint of teeth. A beautiful, inspiring expression which made his heart light.
"Oz... Yes... This is all for Master Oz..."
He pulled down his arms shakily and continued to murmur under his breath.
"This is for Master Oz... This is for Master Oz..."
Gilbert's spell-like words seemed to strike the black bird with a power unheard of as well as something quite akin to courage, and the creature seemed to vanish.
Vincent's eyes widened. "The power of the Raven... it was repelled? But why?"
He watched his older brother creep closer to the Door, obviously panic-stricken.
"No! Come back! I need you, to save my Master..."
In the midst of the chaos, there was a voice, trapped in an echo of darkness, but all too familiar.
"Gil... Gil..."
"Master?!"
'What do you want?'
A new voice whispered in his mind, daring to overlap the one calling his name. It was his own yet... it wasn't his own. The words echoed profoundly through the maddening mantra of his name by the voice that he had waited years and years to hear again but it was different, thudding through his mind and clouding his senses.
"I want... my Master back..."
'What do you want?'
It was only barely, through the insane agony of hearing the Vessalius' whispers, that he managed to call out a logical response.
"Master Oz..." He gasped out. "I want Master Oz."
'What will you do to get him back?'
"Anything..."
'What will you do to get him back?'
"Anything!"
'What will you give to get him back?'
"EVERYTHING!!"
The voices stopped, the insane turn of his name gone and silence prevailed. He couldn't even hear his own breaths at that moment no matter how heavily his chest heaved.
And then there was that voice again, speaking only a single word which froze his very insides.
'Accepted.'
Gilbert only realised now that he was holding his hands to the air as the Abyss coiled in around him from the Door. And it was only now that he realised, with the Raven gone and the memory of his Master's soothing voice his still aching ears, that tears were streaming down his face but he was unsure why.
He was sad enough, yes.
He was joyous enough, yes.
He was terrified enough, yes.
But his nature was inclined not to cry at such things, perhaps it was simply the Abyss' influence that opened up to him in this way.
Chains suddenly erupted from the darkness within the Door and struck him through the chest, hitting Gil's heart full force and he screamed for all his worth.
The pain was excruciating. Every vein in his body trembled with an electric shock, stretching into the shape of the metal ropes that shot through them.
They encircled his system before shooting back to his heart and bursting into his skin and he felt something there, something he could not see. An eternal, black ink seeping into his system.
Gilbert stared down at where the chains hung from his chest. He gulped, grasping his breath through his shaking teeth as he stared back at the Door to the Abyss.
The chains still connected to something beyond that Door and that something was being pulled out at an alarmingly slow rate and Gil could only watch, heart daring to stop, as those chains dragged a crucifix from its depths, wrapped tightly around the wood to hold a body in place.
"M-Master Oz?!"
The dark haired one grimaced at the boy's silence, his eyes closed and chin rolling against his blood dyed chest.
The chains finished their turn and unwrapped from around his body, retreating into Gil's heart with speed unimaginable and pain incomprehensible.
The crucifix was swallowed into the Door again and Oz's body slumped and fell, the floor rising to hit his feet before reaching for the rest of him.
Oz never hit the ground thanks to his good, little servant who had already leapt forward and snatched him tightly in his arms, cradling his head to his thumping chest and resisting every urge to make a sound at that moment.
Not a word, not a tear, not a smile, nothing. The fragility of the moment needed to be protected and for Gil, for the time being, it was enough.
For he now had his Master back.
Vincent watched from the exit, back against the wall, arms crossed and face pensive as Gil cradled the golden boy.
He shook his head, allowing only the smallest of frowns to rebound on his face. His red eye gleamed in the dim light of the room, its power and ferocity daring to push back even the darkness of the Door.
And focused on all things beyond it.
The things we have done can never be undone... somewhere, somehow they will always be remembered...
Uh! I hate this chapter so much but I wanted to get this story up, so I'll post it like this X_X Gil... did something really silly there, didn't he? XDDD Making a contract with an Illegal Chain? Tut tut! Well, it's not like he realises that Oz is a Chain XDD;;
Oh aren't I the cruel one! Tell me how cruel I am in some reviews and I shall be inspired to increase the cruelty by +10 points =D