A/N: This fanfic is an attempt made by a person who happened to get lost completely in the labyrinths of Pandora Hearts mysteries and can't get enough from one tiny chapter per month, to help herself and other people with the same problem by creating an alternative continuation for the story starting from, most probably, the upcoming chapter 52 if it doesn't throw something contradictory to this chapter when it comes out on 18th of August. The author of this continuation swears on the first volume of manga that she'll try her best to keep the atmosphere of the story and characters as much IC as she can, which doesn't rule out the important part of character development. Although new characters would inevitably be introduced (as Christiana is as soon as chapter 1 before you), the plan is to make it close to original and focus on different characters in different chapters rather than making it someone's "centric".
Other important note is that the second genre, "family" is somewhat of an alliance of "family", "friendship" and "romance" genres that didn't get enough place to be labeled each, so the author decided the "family" one is the best way to describe it. The genre contributes not only to "family problems" characters have, but also to the general feeling of one big family the author's having. Beware of that and the fact the author is a hopeless admirer of good old het-pairings)
And lastly, I should, as every author, ask you kindly for your reviews whichever they may be. Please be constrictive in your criticism but also keep in mind that your opinion really is important and may have direct effect at the time the next chapter is coming out. And "if", which also greatly depends on you.
Keep in mind that I did think for about a week about the possible explanations for the grand secret of the past tragedy and I already have some very complex theory planned as I start his fanfic.
I also apologize in advance for possible mistakes and wierd sentence-constuction, I'm not a native english speaker. Or writer.
And now I hope you'll enjoy the first chapter.
Chapter 1. Waltz of puzzles.
Today Alice found in a picture book an illustration to the ball scene and asked me what those people were going and so I explained to her that it was actually dancing, and the whole concept of moving along to the rhythm and melody. Then I had Glen play the piano for us as I tried some practical lessons. As usual, she was a quick learner, and was already waltzing gracefully after a few hours of training. She looked like she was having so much fun.
How happy I am to see her like that...
From the diary of Jack Vessalius, the 10th of August
It was only five o'clock in the morning, but the sun was already rising from its — quite indefinite— bedplace in the east, and its shining rays, coming through the pulled apart curtains, were being reflected in the grand cheval glass near the wall.
The girl standing in front of it gave her hairdo a few finishing touches, carefully aligned her pearl necklace, proceeded to made sure that the thin silver chain her contractor's medallion hang on beneath her clothes was almost invisible to the untrained eye - and revised her mirrored image skeptically. No matter where she was or what she was doing she had to be perfect in every possible aspect. It was the only way for her to ever hope to achieve her goal. And for the meantime she was quite content with having that goal in mind.
So her movements were graceful and – more importantly – absolutely silent as she crossed the room, slipped through the massive wooden door, which had the habit often seen when it came to elderly – that of creaking, - and gently closed it afterwards. From that moment on, not even one unnecessary sound. For the least chance of that helping her current objective.
It took her two hundred eighty six steps and exactly five and a half minutes through the wide half-lit corridor to get to the carved door of the small – private – library of her great-uncle. She reached for the silver door handle to find it unlocked - which was a rather bad sign she couldn't do anything about – and carefully entered.
The place looked like it stayed exactly the same way it had been the one and only time she had ever entered it, twelve years ago. Once again she was taken aback by the air of grandeur filling the space between the bookshelves. The delicate enchanting smell of the old paper, the shine of the golden chandeliers in the shy light of the morning sun... The knowledge of the generation after generation, of the years passed, all gathered here. But more than that. The words before could be said about the general library downstairs, but this place... This place held the information that was considered lost for the world outside the mansion. The greatest legacy of their ancestors, left to the ones who considered truth the most precious treasure in the world.
But enough with that. She let herself get lost in the same thoughts she had the first time she had entered here. She was not a seven-year-old anymore, and things changed since that distant memory. Today she was here for a particular reason and the risk was high enough without additional distractions. She slowly advanced to the far corner of the room, where, as she had expected, the couch stood in its former place. She couldn't resist throwing a long glance on it, - with its white-and-blue-unknown-symbols embroidery, - and shivered as she realized she was standing at the exact same place she had stood before, that day, - the same two and a half steps from it, - then shook her head to chase away those thoughts, turning to look around. What she was searching for shouldn't be far from this point.
And there it was. The low bookshelf to the left. It was the most probable place, so close to the couch, but as it was semi-obvious that it would be there, the its exact position shouldn't be easy to figure. So she started searching. Systematically, from the top she went on, checking all the books that had any chance of being the one. Slowly, cover after cover, she came to the end of the last row. So, as expected, no shortcuts. She looked again at the gathering of those books, this time thinking about the whole thing as a puzzle to be solved.
Start from the heart of things – the symmetrical center. "The Righteousness of the Rationality." Then the same row, the right side, - and here it was, 18th book to the right, like the 18th letter of the alphabet, "Superficial Systematics". He's mocking her. The very first book on the highest row, the beginning. "Peculiarity of Paradoxes". Now the real challenge starts.The author of this book, Baron Albert von Nouer, from his younger days was famous for an exceptional intolerance for any sort of ambiguity and then at the age of seventy he suddenly went on to publish a book where he described every paradox he had ever encountered in his life, with unexpected love shown for the subject. The last copy of that rare book was believed to be lost in the fire in his Downflow Mansion 78 years ago. So then, looking down the rows... "The Thing He Loves". If she remembered correctly, on 78th page started the detective novel called "The Nemean Lion". That bookshelf didn't have twelve rows, so it had to be the 12th book on the first row...
No, too simple, she stopped herself. Too obvious, superficial. The twelve labours of a half-god. Half-gods stand between the first row of the sky and the fifth row of the center, earth, but it's only the first labour, the commencement of his way to Olympe fame, so only one row up, fourth row it was. As for the book... "The Charm of Illusions", like the one the lion fooled all the heroes with, all but one, so the book to the left, "Crossroads of Time". The obvious crossroad of time would have been the present, but was it really what it should have meant? Let's see.
The book was written seven years after the Tragedy of Sabrie, after Lebleaux became a new capital, and was dedicated mostly to the changes the culture went through in the previous century, noting how some traditions disappeared to give place to new ones and others went through considerable changes and evolution, but nevertheless stayed existing. The peculiar fact about that book was that while the author had no idea (or at least shouldn't have had) about what really was the Tragedy of Sabrie and what caused it to happen, some cunningly keen observations on literature, art and decorations of the time led him to assume that in the recent years some new and shady cult had been gathering in Sabrie before the unfortunate events. Then he went on to assume by some minor details it was a clandestine part of the religious cult that had just become quite popular at the time. Such accusations, even as mere speculations, had caused a huge uproar that threatened to become an international scandal. The book was banned for half a year till the part involving the cult wasn't cut out... For a moment, she wondered which version was this, but didn't bother checking – it just had to be the original one. So, the newly gathered Pandora organization's members didn't take much interest in the study as their obvious conclusion from the knowledge accessible to them was that the shady cult mentioned was actually Baskervilles and their long preparations for the opening of the Abyss. But now, with the symbol of the snake surfacing and such a timely return of Isla Yura to the country, in might be, the thought suddenly came to Christiana, not so beyond any doubt and worth a good and close re-investigation.
But she would have enough time to concern herself with that later, if – it all came down to that, - she were to succeed here and now. So no extra thoughts off subject, she had to return to her search. So, seventh row, sixth book, "Dialogs", fourth dialog, "The Shadow of the Religion", page 69. Fourth row, collected articles "Enlightenment. Reflections." Page 96, "Mathematics. Golden section."
Alright, golden section it is. Here goes the first line of division, the divide again, and another time and...
So, the result was "Legends of the Past" by Maximillian Zoldilier. One of her most favorite books. The book that revealed many mystifications made in the past, explained the truth behind many historical events. The book that made a revolution at the time of its publication thirty seven years ago, the book that stopped its storyline exactly at the moment of Tradegy of Sablie with that famous line: "And here, my friends, the new era of mysteries starts. I entrust you with the task of finding out the truth from now on." It might have been those words what truly inspired her to the quest of finding out the truth about those events of one hundred years ago rather than any other reason she imposed on herself. Some pure and selfless motivation for the sake of knowledge...
Anyway, she's close.Thirty seven years. Her favorite number, she mused, what a peculiar fact in was it had to be that year she decided to do it, or, better to say, that year Oz Vessalius had to return back from the Abyss. Third row up from the floor, seventh book. "Logical solutions." Damn him. She had to go through all that thinking just to get this was the book she was searching for. So charmingly like her great-uncle. He succeeded in making her feel utterly stupid when she should have been celebrating her little victory.
She took the book out from the shelf and opened it. Inside, among the empty pages of the counterfeit duplicate a hole was cut and a small notebook was inserted.
What she was searching for. The diary of her ancestor.
To take it out was an extreme risk on its own, but then, she had chosen the best time, today her great-uncle had an important meeting to attend. He wouldn't have time to examine the diary tonight. That was the bet she had to take. She carefully placed the original book back on the shelf, exactly the same way it stood there before, then she made her way to back to the door, closing it silently behind her...
"Christiana-sama", the voice came from behind when she barely made a few steps from the library's door. She shivered and turned sharply in the direction of the voice to find the butler, Edward, standing in front of her with the tea tray.
"Oh, Edward-san, you startled me", she said, trying her best to make her reaction seem like a mere surprise and unexpectedness of the meeting. But unfortunately she couldn't count on being good enough to lie to Edward. He had worked here long before she was even born, so he knew her way too well. "Good morning," she proceeded to greet him. She made sure to low down her right hand that had moved up involuntarily, so her left hand down at her side wouldn't look suspicious. She didn't forget to wear a dress with long wide sleeves just in case something like this happened, so it at the time the diary was safely covered by the blue satin.
"Good morning to you too, Christiana-sama." Edward answered with a slight bow, eying closely her left hand and particularly its sleeve. So it didn't escape him.
Edward-san was always quite kind to her, considering her position, but then there wasn't a question about the side his loyalties laid. "I see you've gotten up quite early today".
"Yes," she agreed calmly, since such an observation should have been considered natural if she were to meet someone in the hall at six o'clock a.m. "I've got to prepare for the outcoming event, there's a lot of things that should be taken care of."
"Ah, the ball at Isla Yura-sama's mansion, I presume." Edward nodded leerily. "You'll be at work there, no doubt?" he added.
Actually, it wasn't part of any official information about the operation Pandora was planning, but then — it was Edward-san.
"Yes, that is quite probable," she answered evasively.
"Then allow to wish you luck, Christiana-sama" Edward bowed again. "I would take no more of your valuable time."
"I thank you." Christiana bowed as well and then continued her way down the corridor. Only after a few steps safely separated them she allowed herself to breathe out.
She couldn't risk looking back thus unable see Edward's face as he stood there and watched her go. So she couldn't see he was smiling.
Then, as she disappered round the corner, he himself made his way to the library's door and its golden handle.
"Good morning, milord," he greeted his master as he entered. "Would you care to come down and have your tea?"
As they came out of the carriage — Alice first and violent as always, alhtough it should have been noted her movements had become slightly more graceful in a dress, Oz second, following her closely, and him last, following Oz in turn, - thus joining Break and Sharon who came in the other one, Gilbert, dressed in the black formal suit, had his contradicting thoughts and emotions form into a general feeling of uneasiness. On one hand, they brilliantly pulled off the scheme that successfully granted them the access to Isla Yura's mansion. But on the other hand, not only had they to keep that venomous person in sight while other Pandora members would be searching for the sealing stone, but he personally had to combine that with his permanent task of protecting Oz from any kind of danger, which unquestionably came first. And right now he felt like he was sabotaging that task as their act at the moment could have been compaired to walking into the snake's lair on their own free will. Not to mention that the way they were getting what they wanted with Yura so easily was way too good to be true...
"Gilbert, keep it up!" Oz called him as he was falling behind.
So he hurried on ahead and started to put his concentration on his tasks rather than some general and useless thoughts of reason. The logic could never stand its ground when it came to Oz and his decisions — but then, it was hewho decided to follow this illogical person to the end of the world and the depths of the Abyss be it necessary, protect him with his life and dedicate his whole existence to that person's sake. And he never doubted or regretted that decision. Never. Didn't he?
Then somehow as he was catching up the strange thought crossed his mind — he would have expected the stupid rabbit to say something ugly in that usual disgustingly commanding tone of voice. God gracious, he had already started to expect such a thing? He already got used to being insulted by that girl? Damn, she wasn't even a girl, that stupid chain...But then, he couldn't help looking at her and in turn was shocked to find her without the least intention on picking on someone else, actually switching places with Oz and timidly going after him, all nervious... Nervousness? Why?
And then it came to him, like the time it came to him at Cheshire's dimension. She was only a little afraid of big crowds. And, in fact, so was he. And from the moment he felt conscious about that he couldn't stop trembling inside as well. He was always feared of big crowds, as long as he could remember himself but as just a child taken as a servant into Vessalius household he couldn't logically explain that fear while Oz and Oscar-sama used to make fun of him for that. Now he knew it probably originated from his younger days with Vincent when because of his brother's eye people kept picking on them, and the bigger the crowd the worse it got. He later had to participate in many social gatherings as an adoptive son of the duke Nightray and he did it, for Oz's sake, but then he had never really gotten used to them and tried to escape the formality each time he had a chance. Right now, he hadn't.
There was hardly any logic between that and the fact that not only had he caught up with Oz but also got ahead of him to be first to come inside. But it was the way he could be the first to notice any potential threats, as unlikely as they were to be in the open at the official reception, and protect Oz from them. So went in, trying not to mind all the gossiping that followed , while most of the guests took their time greeting Oz and presenting him with a feather, thus showing their acceptance of his coming out into the society, he did his best to keep the situation under his surveillance, but no disturbances could be noticed so far, while the only problem with Isla Yura was that he was making things too easy for them, constantly following them around, as if saving them the trouble of tracking him in the room. It was highly suspicious — but nothing could be gone about it for the time.
"So I repeat again" he reminded the stupid rabbit for the thousandth time, "although we had to keep Yura in the room in order to help Liam and other Pandora members with their search, we shouldn't draw too much attention to the fact, we have to act nonchalantly and act be as natural as possible..."
He was honestly amazed at the way that girl interpreted his words. It was a perfect solution they should have thought of — and, to say the truth, it was also a spectacularly dazzling sight to see as much as it was a wise move to make. He was taken aback by the scene as was everyone else in the room, so he would barely notice the lady who was passing by and stopped in her way to fan herself just a few steps to his right. If the next moment he wouldn't hear a low but clear methodical voice saying:
"If you invite a lady to the dance, she might tell you something interesting. And not only to you but to Oz Vessalius-sama and the lady he's so gracefully dancing with right now."
He was so surprised by the unexpected proposal that he couldn't find any words at all to respond. While the lady — as he looked at her closely, he noticed she was definitely very familiar, but as he had never truly paid much attention to the people that weren't connected with Oz, he couldn't remember where could he have seen her, and as he had seen great many things in his life it could have meant potential danger rather than being a good sign, — continued on:
"As for the host you're so dutifully keeping your eye on, it would become much more efficient if you were to agree to my offer, as you're being plainly obvious even to the unattentive guests of this ceremony, if you allow me to say this as a professional judgement."
And as if she was answering the question the look in his eyes posed, she gently raised her hand to the space before her chest that was, as was the lower part of her face, hidden from the rest of the crowd by her fan, and, taking hold of the silver chain around her neck, revealed the object that hanged on it — the silver sign of Pandora's contractor. She showed it for a well-timed moment before letting the chain go. So, she was a member of Pandora. But why she was contacting them, and why was she contacting them now of all time? And what information could she possibly give them?
Then he doubted he could make any sort of move without consulting with Oz and Break first.
"I'm afraid" he started without much confidence, "I do not dance." He really wasn't very good at dancing, but right now it was the best excuse he could come up with.
"A son of duke Nightray, a member of one of the four Great Dukedoms, does not dance?" the lady sounded surprised, but he had a certain feeling she was only making it up, "I hope you're not trying to make fun of me, Gilbert Nightray-sama. Or I might decide to treat this as an insult."
She was wearing a polite smile and acted with full accordance of the unspoken rules of a proper social conversation but somehow rather than giving him an annoying feeling of participence in a formality without any actual meaning but to waste time of those who had to much of it to spare, it felt like a mockery of those formalities gone in form of sophisticated parody. It probably was the look in the young woman's eyes, open and straightforward, the one that isn't normally expected in such conversation. For him, such a look was easier to work with, it revealed the intentions of its owner and spared him the difficult task of finding those intentions out by weighing all the possibilities. And at the moment, that look asked him - would he be brave enough to step up and find out if she was up to her word and there was indeed something valuable to be gained from cooperation with her, or would he just back down?
Logically speaking, there wasn't any definite reason to believe her just because she made it seem she was a member of Pandora. He knew not all of Pandora could be considered Oz's allies even if that was an outside picture. But then for some reason, the one memory that flashed through his mind was that of Oz answering the question of the Intention of the Abyss why he chose Alice, that highly illogical answer. Right now he just felt that the opportunity in from of him was worth trying out.
"I did not have any intention of insulting the lady", he answered. Come to think of it, while she introduced herself to him as a member of Pandora she still didn't give him her name. "So would you give me the honour of dancing with me, miss...?" he made a small pause and only than it came to him that it was as far from a proper way to ask for an introduction as it could get. But the young woman in front of him only raised her pointing finger slightly as if inviting him to wait a little longer for that answer before taking his hand.
They made only a few starting circles - barely attracting any attention as it was all still focused on the other pair, while his eyes were shifting to follow the slippery owner of the mansion without much difficulty - when she spoke, keeping on the appropriate smile that did not at all connect with the meaning of the things she was saying:
"I'm pleased to see you accepting my offer. And just as I said, I would tell you something interesting. Let me start by asking you to pass the message to Oz Vessalius-sama and" - there she made a little pause, "Xerxes Break-san and other members of you group as well as Rainsworth dukedom if necessary that I would like to request for a meeting with, quite frankly, an intention of cooperation and knowledge exchange in mind. And as an advance proof that I do have something to talk about I would tell you two things to choose from, for which I possess a written confirmation — the religious cult now headed by Isla Yura had some of its trusted members gather in Sabrie on the threshold the Tradegy and — following the other field - the best-known way to make the seal stronger is to give it a form of the circle, which is, of course, only the beginning of the search for the sorcerers." The pause was just right to make it sound like she knew something more than a mere existence of the sorcerers who made seals using Jack's body, the information in itself not so widely shared.
They made a few turns before he gathered the right answer.
"I will pass the message to them while I cannot guarantee anything about the answer. But it would be help to decide if we knew how you came to know those things and why have you decided to exchange your information with ours. What is your goal in all of this? And" he repeated a delayed question again, "who are you after all?"
It was after that last question that their dance smoothly came to an end and he found himself again at the same place he started it, left with the feeling he had been after some sort of spell — the sole fact he actually danced could well fit the requirements for a magic act, coming from him, - and it was the moment that spell broke.
"You've asked a lot of questions, Gilbert Nightray-sama" the lady said as her final act, "but only one answer is needed for them all."
"My name is Chirstiana Barma."
And with a curtsy made as an appropriate appreciation for the dance, she proceeded forward and left the room soon afterwards.
Oz and Alice were still dancing and he allowed himself to get lost in thoughts as much as to let Isla Yura out of his sight...
Her intuition had never failed her. And as she hurried to leave the room as fast as she could without attracting too much attention to the fact, she had a very disturbing feeling something was about to go wrong. Deadly.
A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. If you did, please do not hesitate to tell be so, because the continuation of this story depends greatly on the reviews I'm getting. I know there wasn't much new information in the chapter, rest for an introduction of a new character, but if you look closely, you'll see a couple of good hints hidden here and there. Try finding them.
And if you didn't get any part of the deduction of Christiana's in the first part, I can do a little explanation in the beginning of the next chapter, but only if you tell me to, since actually I'm even a bit ashamed how easy it was.
I await your thoughts, suggestions and predictions about the turns this story is going to get.