First time writing in Pandora Hearts fandom~! XD
I'm dedicating this for my beloved Elliot Nightray, I believe that he'll return someday. But still… ;A;
Please enjoy my longest fic yet XD
~Chiri-tan
This fic started on Retrace LVII: Humpty Dumpty had a great fall page 17. Where Elliot's mom appeared.
"Please stop! What are you doing?" Elliot Nightray said to his own mother, shouting. "Let go of me, Elliot. You must not interfere with our mission." His mother said with a blank expression on her face. "The time has come. If we can lead the whole world into the Abyss, everyone will finally live in peace." She reasoned.
Elliot's expression changed to that of a sheer anger and disappointment. "Mother…" He said with a high voice, full of hidden anger. "Vanessa… She was killed by the headhunter!" He shouted, anger returning dominant in his voice. "Did you know that… they're experimenting with chains in the House of Fianna? And Isla Yura is reaping the benefits of the results from the experiments?" He said angrily.
Stop it…
"Xerxes Break said that the chain those children are being forced to form a contract with… is none other than the headhunter!"
Don't say it like that…!
Unexpectedly, the Nightray Lady slapped her own son. "Don't say such dreadful things!" She said. "Humpty Dumpty is a sacred power bestowed upon us in order to fulfill our mission." She continued.
Don't… it's not that noble… I just…
"Mother!" Elliot shouted desperately. But suddenly, Elliot fell to his knees, grabbing his own heart like it's in pain. "Ugh…" He grunted. "Elliot?" The Nightray Duchess asked. 'What is this… pain?' The Duchess smiled softly. "You're undoubtedly being punished for interfering with the ceremony." She takes a look to her pocket watch. "Be a good child and watch," She took out her knife. "It's a real pity that Vanessa died… but it's alright."
Yes, of course it's okay. Because she was going to find out what I don't want Elliot to…
"Once everyone's in the Abyss…" She pointed her knife to Leo's chest and smiled innocently. "We can all live happily together again!"
LEO! NO!
The world has turned into pure darkness for Elliot. But he can hear a sobbing, coming from a very familiar voice. 'Leo? Are you there?' He didn't say anything. But his thoughts are resonating in the darkness. 'Blood? This smells like blood…' He tried to breathe another air before concluding whose blood it was. 'Hey, why are you crying? You're my servant, don't you have any shame?' How could a servant of Elliot Nightray be crying like that…? How shameful. "Sorry…" He muttered.
"I'm really sorry… Elliot…!"
Leo apologized, tears flowing down from his hidden eyes. Before Elliot can ask why he would apologize, he realized what position he's in. His eyes widened in realization. He… is stabbing his own mother. "M-mother…?" He foolishly stammered. "El-li-ot." His mom said his name while stuttering.
'Elli-ot…'
He remembered a hand, bloody hands just like his mother's. He was standing there, a splat of blood on his face. The mansion is on fire and there are bodies lying around him. Why is he in the middle of the bloodshed? Why is his sword soaked in their blood? "Was it me?" He asked to thin air, asking about both his mom and the Nightray tragedy a few years back.
No…
No, no, it's not your fault.
He can remember seeing a girl with black short dress with white stripes. The white on her clothes are smeared with blood-red. She wore two pins on her long hair. One with an overly fat Egg and the other one is a baby-figured monster with the mouth wide open. The mouth was very wide with so many teeth sets and a long tongue.
She looked at Elliot with an assuring look.
They are to blame.
The same girl appeared in front of him right now, crouching besides his mother's corpse. "No, no, it's not your fault." She disappeared and reappeared behind Elliot. "She tried to kill you!" The girl smiled and looked at Leo as well. "Him…" She said. Elliot's eyes widened. "If it hurts, you'd better forget about it. I'll make you forget again." She said, whispering to Elliot's ear.
If it hurts too much, blame someone else.
"Just like when… last time…" The girl hugged Elliot from behind. "You said it was the headhunter." She smiled softly.
"Shut…" Before Elliot can continue, exact same scenery as what he remembered… happened… again. Something had separate Claude and Ernest's heads from their bodies, and now, something is separating his mother's head from her body. And he was the one causing it.
A monster with exact same shape as the girl's pin had stick out its deadly, sharp tongue to his family's heads.
Blood smeared his face once more, this time with his mother's blood. The girl was smeared in blood as well. She hugged Elliot tighter from behind, sharing her warmth. "You'd better forget." She said with a soothing, yet creepy voice. "No…" Elliot said. "Everything will be easier if you do…" She assured him once again. "Cut it out…" Elliot insisted.
"I have to… remember…" He said to himself. The deeds he blamed on someone else. The things that were right in front of his eyes… that he pretended not to see… "Don't... You don't need to see the seal, Elliot!" The girl moved to Elliot's front, and touched Elliot's heart, where his seal as an illegal contractor was. "When did it start…?"
"Elliot, don't! Please look away! Humpty doesn't want Elliot to be hurt! Definitely not!" She hugged Elliot's neck and buried his face on her shoulder. "Since when…" Elliot muttered, completely ignoring Humpty Dumpty's plea. "Since when… have I…?" Humpty forcibly kissed Elliot's lips. "Seal them… you're not guilty… Look away…" Humpty's dark eyes met with Elliot's blue ones. But Elliot didn't show any reaction.
"Don't look away…" He said. "Don't look away…" He chanted. 'Don't look away!' He convinced himself.
He remembered when he arrived to the House of Fianna and found out that the children went to the chasm. He remembered taking Leo with him. He remembered that the two of them went looking for the children and had saved them, safe and sound. But… what happened?
'It's embarrassing, but… I slipped, hit my head… and passed out'
Humpty nodded frantically. "Yeah! That's it!"
"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Eliot shouted; his head is throbbing like no tomorrow. "That's not true! Not true! Not true!" He repeated. "Not… true…" Humpty took a few steps back. "Elliot…" Leo muttered. "Why won't he just… look away?" Humpty said in frustration. "Humpty…" Leo said.
'C'mon… I gotta remember!' Elliot shouted to himself. He remembered Leo called him and they found the children, dead in a puddle of blood. He remembered following Leo run to safe a child that was still alive, Helen. And he remembered seeing… it. The chain, Humpty Dumpty was going to hurt his one and only servant. So he took out his sword and charge to it. But the chain had seen something different.
"I thought… Elliot was going to kill Leo…" She declared it with the tone of regret. "So I… pierced through him…" Humpty shivered in guilt. "And then you shouted. You ordered me to stop. That's why I stopped."
"Someone told me that… you won't attack me." Leo said while facing to the chain. "It also told me that you probably thought that Elliot was going to kill me. And that was your instinct to protect me…" Humpty averted her gaze and looked at Leo closely. "Someone...?" She asked. "They've been silent for long… and they told me it's because I rejected them."
You refused to listen… you refused to see… and thus denied our existence.
"Shut up!"
Hindered by your stubborn self-awareness, our consciousness, our memories remained faint. Since you rejected us, we had no choice but to vanish.
"I told you to shut up…!"
But now… even unconsciously, you were seeking our help.
After a long silence, Humpty asked Leo to continue.
Do you want to save his life?
Leo was stunned. He got an opportunity. An opportunity which… he can save Elliot is he takes it. "Can you… do that…?" He asked.
We can't heal those wounds… but we may be able to seal them.
Have him drink its blood… and pronounce its name.
"Its name…?" Leo asked.
That's right. I'm sorry, but we can't recall the… her name anymore. You will simply have to guess by looking at it, her.
Leo took a long gaze at the monster and finally said a name. "Humpty Dumpty…?" And then a girl materialized from the monster. "You…" Her voice was a little shaky. "I can finally see you. I've been missing you!" Humpty was distorted. She changed back and forth from her human form to her chain form. Leo took her blood and made Elliot drank them. "You- Guaaaaaaaaaaa- what are you – Guaaaaaaa – trying to do?" Humpty Dumpty implored.
'Elliot can't die in a place like this. Elliot…'
"Leo…" Elliot panted and coughed in each of his sentences. "What did you… make me drink…?" He asked.
"Elli-!"
"Leo." Elliot cut him. "Are you… alright?" Both Humpty Dumpty and Leo were shocked. There he was, struggling in the middle of life and death. The first person he asked about wellness is Leo? "What about that thing…? What about… the children?" He asked again. Leo was drowned in guilt. Until he finally made his decision. "Elliot."
"Call her name. 'Humpty Dumpty'…"
"Her name…?"
"Yes… Come on…" Leo convinced him.
Suddenly, a figure of Glen Baskerville spoke.
Remember… that thing was drawn here by your presence. That boy recklessly risked his life trying to protect you. And that thing… she was only following her own instinct to protect you.
Remember that you… are the cause of all this.
Remember, the fact that you brought him back to life… does not mean that you saved him.
Don't forget that… you did this…!
"Elliot!" Leo abruptly let his hand go from Glen Baskerville's grip. "SAY THE NAME!"
When his headache subsided, Elliot spoke to the silent room.
"… I am… an illegal contractor…?" He asked. Humpty took a deep breath and nodded in agreement. "I am… the headhunter- ?"
'Listen to me… we'll blame it all on the headhunter.'
"Elliot and mother will escape with the guests. Then the two of us will dispose Gilbert and Vincent, as planned." Ernest Nightray said to his brother. "Ernest… I…" Claude was rendered speechless. "Come on! Or have you lost your nerve?" Ernest tried to convince him. "Didn't you brag in front of Elliot, saying that you'd kill the headhunter, even at the cost of your own life?" Ernest said. "Yes… But…"
The truth is, Elliot is listening to their conversation… in rage.
"We've already failed once. Those two will be on their guard."
"All of that was your fault!"
"I thought a fast acting poison would give us enough time to behead him once he died!"
"Please, Claude… We've already come this far."
"Alright, alright…"
He cannot believe this. His blood-related brothers are the ones who killed the Nightray clansmen…?
"Come on, let's go. It would be a real shame to die in a fire we started ourselves."
'I can't believe it! I can't believe it! What the hell are they planning to do?'
"I'll teach them a lesson!" Elliot said, enraged.
"Yes, alright." Ernest said. "And once we've gotten rid of those two… we'll dispose of that Leo as well."
Those words brought sharp pain to Elliot's chest.
"I don't know how Elly can keep him around. We'll find him a proper servant ourselves." Ernest continued.
"You know… to be killed by the headhunter is to be acknowledged as a member of Nightray Family. Could we offer a higher honor to the three of them?" Ernest laughed.
Normally, Elliot likes it a lot if Ernest laughed. But now… it felt sickening. The fire had started, and Elliot took out his sword to kill them. To kill his brothers…
"I can't…" He said. "I can't…" He repeated. He can't kill Ernest or Claude. He… just can't. "I can't, I can't!" He dropped his sword as the thought itself start to consume him. Humpty materialized, looking absolutely cold and angered. "Of course you can…" She said. "We must kill… both of them!" She turned into her chain form and human form back and forth. "Don't worry." Elliot clutched his arm and leaned on the wall. "You're not going to kill them yourself." He slides down the wall, and Humpty placed her hands on his neck and hugged him.
"As they said…" She turned to her chain form.
The headhunter will do the killing!
He remembered blood splattering.
It was the same with Vanessa… the one acting weird wasn't Leo… it was him.
"Hans..." Vanessa said. She saw Leo downstairs
"...You..."
"Are you all right, Vanessa-sama...? And Elliot...?" Leo asked.
Upon hearing Leo's voice, Elliot stirred. '...Leo...?'
"Vanessa-sama...please stay calm." Leo said. "We found Mister Hans...killed downstairs. He was...beheaded."
"Y...ou..." Vanessa seethed. "You...killed him...?" She asked angrily. "You're an accomplice with the people who showed up in the hall...!" She accused.
"No, I..."
"Don't touch me, murderer!" Vanessa pushed Leo down the stairs. Elliot can feel something rumbled inside of him when he saw that scene.
"That's right...everything has been going wrong since you came. My brothers died...and my mother cracked... everything! You turned everything upside down! Don't come closer to Elliot anymore! If you do anything to my little brother, I'll kill you...! I'll kill you!" Vanessa raged to Leo, almost crying. But suddenly, the three of them can hear someone screaming.
"What...the red hoods...? They're coming...!" She panicked.
"Vanessa-sama... I'll go down there and distract them. In the meantime, please escape with Elliot." Leo asked. "Vanessa-sama… please take care of Elliot." After he said it, he ran to the source of sound.
Vanessa was dumbfounded. But her voice noted a little gratefulness. "What... What's with that attitude...?" She said. After a brief silence, Elliot was standing behind her. Vanessa turned her face. "Elli–"
"Elliot, she said that she'll kill Leo…" Humpty said to him. "Yeah, I know."
Then, another blood was spilled.
"You were the one who… told me to kill my siblings?" Elliot said to Humpty, who didn't change her expression. "I didn't tell you what to do. The drive was always there. I'm just… using them." Humpty explained. 'How can I not see it?' Elliot thought to himself. 'Now that I think about it… if you manage to realize it, it means all is not lost… So… if I couldn't realize it… it must mean that…' Suddenly, his heart experienced the same pain as before. Humpty jolted as she realized that her head was bleeding.
She rubbed her blood and abruptly turned to Elliot's place. His chest, his seal was stained with red. The Nightray heir's eyes widened as he saw his own blood. "…It's too, too late…"
Something struck Leo, it was a strange feeling. He looked around to see Humpty screaming, distorting more than she ever does. He saw that Elliot is also in pain, and he approached him. "Stay back, Leo!" Bursts of energy threw Leo across the room. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Humpty screamed harder, and she finally burst into her chain-form "!" Elliot eyed her… it with fear and disgust.
"AAAAAAAAH! The wish… of the Will…" Its body snapped and cracked everywhere. "Of the Abyss… Eat… the Black Rabbit…" As Humpty Dumpty's body dissolved into liquid, it covered Elliot's body with it, bringing him to darkness.
Elliot couldn't see a thing. It's dark, only dark. Pitch black. "It's dark…" He said to the darkness. It is… He heard Humpty's soothingly creepy voice agree. Close your eyes and sleep… She said, caressing Elliot's hair, though invisibly. "S-sleep?" Elliot asked, confused. I will make you forget… She said lovingly. Once again, all the pain and sadness… She used her invisible hands to close Elliot's blue diamond eyes. Though he can't see Humpty's hand, Elliot felt his eyes closing.
But, he saw a light. It showed him his step-brother, Gilbert, along with that Vessalius brat and his chain. They are fighting with lots of other Humpty Dumpty. The Vessallius brat was unconscious, and Gilbert didn't summon Raven, he's fighting with his handgun. There was also Echo, helping Gilbert taking Humpty Dumpty down.
Elliot also heard something about 'killing the contractors' and Humpty Dumpty was covering the children of Fianna house with its tongue. "Gil…bert… Echo…" He said. "O-"Before he continues that sentence, he fell into deeper darkness. Don't watch… don't think… don't remember. Humpty's voice calmed him. How did it feel… when you found out that you killed your brothers? That you killed your mother and your sister? She said.
It hurt, didn't it? She sounded so sure. Just because you remembered didn't mean you can do anything, right? Humpty smirked silently. 'Is this voice…Humpty Dumpty's?' Elliot wondered. 'Or is it mine…?' He remembered what Humpty said earlier to him.
"I didn't tell you what to do. The drive was always there. I'm just… using them."
Humpty Dumpty never told him to do anything; she's just putting what he thinks into motion, bringing all his hidden drives to kill those who tried to hurt Leo. 'That's right…' Elliot agreed. I can't be helped…anymore.
Just because I remembered what happened… Doesn't mean my family will come back to life.
My sins won't disappear
Nothing will change
Everything…was just too late–
He was going deeper into darkness. Humpty smiled as she dragged Elliot deeper. That's right… it can't be helped anymore… let's just… forget about it…
Until Elliot heard his own voice shouting to him.
Are you an idiot? !
He widened his eyes in surprise.
You realized it, didn't you? !
He saw himself shouting to the Vessalius brat when they were in Latowidge.
Then… you're already…
"That's right…" He said to himself. E-Elliot, don't…
"Isn't that… what I told that brat myself? !" Humpty Dumpty cracked, she shouted hard. Elliot stabbed his hand with his own sword. "I will not... Forget…" He clenched his sword. Humpty Dumpty let out a disappointed growl. "I will not… look away...!"
My memories, mistakes, wounds, past, future…I don't plan on giving any of them up!" Elliot shouted angrily to Humpty. "I can't let you steal…" Elliot began, his tone is full of anger. "E-Elliot… please… don't…" Humpty sobbed. "What makes me Elliot Nightray!" He ended, accusing. Fully rejecting what Humpty did to keep him from breaking. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Humpty cried and turned to her chain-form for the umpteenth time. Don't… reject me!
As she cried, she can feel part of her body cracked… and Elliot suffered the blow as well.
"Don't, Elliot. A contractor shouldn't reject his own Chain..."
Upon hearing a familiar voice, Humpty Dumpty growled. "Vin… cent...?" Elliot asked. "...I'm surprised." Vincent Nightray said with genuine tone of surprise. "You were the core contractor for Humpty Dumpty?"
Humpty didn't say a thing and wailed. Growling like a chain she is. "Your Chain's gone crazy too..." She growled. "...Mine's been bugging me as well," Vincent continues like nothing happened. She growled louder. "The Will of the Abyss, the Will of the Abyss, over and over." Humpty Dumpty didn't stop growling, but it went silent for a bit. Its mouth distorted even more. "That… thing…" Elliot said.
Don't call me that!
"I said don't, Elliot." Vincent warned him sternly. "Chains are unstable and they can't interfere too long over here without a contractor, for them, being rejected by their contractor is the same thing as death…"
I don't want you to die at all, Elly…
"Of course, for the contractor," Vincent resumed. "That would be like committing suicide with the Chain." Elliot didn't say a thing after hearing his step-brother's words. "Because of that, see," Vincent smiled. "We should get it over with–"Elliot's chest throbbed. He clenched his chest and groaned. It hurts!
"Humpty…!" Leo said. His tone was filled with worry. Why… Leo? Humpty asked, appearing besides her chain-form transparently. Why can you see Humpty? Why is it that you're the only one who can see just Humpty? Why is it that Elliot can only see Dumpty? ! She cried desperately. "Humpty…" Leo muttered.
"...Too bad." Vincent Nightray said while smiling. "Oz is awake now..." He reasoned. Oz… Vessalius? He's the one… who has been destroying all Dumptys? Humpty silently mourn.
"– That wound." Vincent pointed to Elliot's chest. "When an attack on the Chain affects even the contractor, it's proof that the seal's hand has progressed to the point that now it's too late." Vincent smiled solemnly. "Now, even if we defeat the Chain, there's no way you'll be saved."
"What do you want, Elliot...? Who do you want to kill you... me or Oz...?"
Elliot!
GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Humpty shouted and Dumpty growled.
"Haha… neither." Elliot said. Dumpty's head cracked and Humpty's head bleeds.
"...You people...are going to kill me...?" A spear-chain pierced through another of Dumpty's body. Elliot said in the middle of his short breaths. "Get real..." He said. "This is… my fight!" Elliot continued, trying his best to ignore all the pain.
I'll take with me… all the confusion, fear, regret and hatred... that were born in me...!
"I won't… allow this…" Elliot stated. Humpty Dumpty's head cracked.
–I won't burden him.
"I don't permit… the existence of a Chain such as you!" Humpty's head bursts heavily with blood. Dumpty's head was half-destroyed.
How could I… burden that brat with my life?
Elliot remembered saying that self-sacrifice is a nonsense… he really find it ironic now.
Leo… Humpty said, her voice shaken and hurt. I want to thank you for being able to see both Humpty and Dumpty… I want you to know that I don't regret any of this. I don't regret protecting you, or contracting Elliot…
"Humpty…-san." Leo muttered.
"Humpty Dumpty, I reject everything that you are." Elliot said with a... smile.
KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Humpty Dumpty exploded; all parts of Humpty Dumpty are gone.
And Leo is the only one… who can hear Humpty's long, desperate, and lonely scream.
She is in darkness. She doesn't know if she's in Abyss or not. But she can be sure of two things. She was alone, and there were no Dumpty around for the first time in her life.
…Her hairpin, the one that resembles her chain-form, Dumpty, is gone.
She hugged her knee and started to sob. She liked being up there. She liked being able to see and protect Leo directly. She liked her life up there… a lot.
"Hi, Humpty …" A man with red hair and red eyes approached her. He casually opened his blood-red robe and scattered them on both Humpty and his shoulder.
"You are… Glen Baskerville of one hundred years ago…" Humpty said, or stated. She knew she isn't wrong.
"Yes, I am…" Glen closed his eyes. "Humpty, can you tell me the reason why you went into such lines for Elliot Nightray's sake?" He asked, but he didn't look at her face. "The one you should have really went over the lines for… was Leo. But why..?"
Humpty didn't say a thing. She sobbed and wiped her tears with her arms. She was wearing a pure white sleeveless gown with her usual hair down. The only difference was her hairpin. There were two of them, Humpty the fat egg, and Dumpty the monster. But Dumpty is now gone…
"I repeat my question, Humpty Dumpty. Why did you go overboard for Elliot Nightray's sake?" Glen asked, losing his patience. Humpty chuckled and finally faced Glen, smiling.
"Because all Humpty wants… is to keep Elliot safe."
And that's there it is to it.