Ohhh, how I plotted this idea the past couple of days, and I've gone so far as to toy with a sequel if this one goes well. (Seeing as the original has a sequel and all ;D~) XD Researching Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, I was shocked to see how many allusions in PH I'd missed, such as 'Dinah' which is her cat as well…I don't think there's a pairing in this, it's just pure awesomeness…hopefully ;-; XD ENJOY!~

"Hold your breath and suck in your stomach, it will hurt less then…"

"Let go of me! Nnngh…I won't do it!"

"Don't be silly, it's tradition."

"I can't wear this!"

"Vessalius heirs have been wearing it for generations…"

"Well not this one! Please! I don't need to be the Duke, really!"

"Don't talk nonsense." Oscar Vessalius chided his nephew lightly as he tied the last bit of the ensemble shut.

Today was an auspicious day. A ceremony in honor of Oz's approaching ascension. Ten years had passed, long enough to declare Zai Vessalius dead and Oz the new heir…they'd worked over the stipulation of his lack of having Gryphon as a Chain in favor of having a present Duke. It was all contingent upon today though, sort of. The ceremony was a pre-ascension ceremony where a representative from each house, generally the current head, would pay their respects to the prospective duke or duchess and grant their approval or disapproval, the majority was needed for the ascension to be completed. And it always was, the ceremony was more for show and tradition than an actual democratic decision. The legal blood heir, and the one who formed a contract with the house guardian would inevitably become the head. The current lack of Gryphon was a technicality at the moment.

And part of tradition involved wearing the clothes made by the first duchess, after Jack had died and the Vessalius family had gone from a minor noble family to take the place of the Baskerville family as a ducal house.

"P-please, Uncle. I can't even breathe…"

"Well…it was designed a bit oddly…and the duchess' son was a bit smaller than you, granted he wasn't the one ascending at that time…but it's the closest match…" Oscar said thoughtfully.

There was a knock on the door. "Oz…are you alright?"

Oz blanched. "Gil? Go away! Don't come in!"

"What's going on in there?" Alice demanded as she slammed a fist against the door. "I wanna see what all this fuss is for." she grumbled.

"No! Both of you, go! Now!"

Outside, Alice and Gilbert exchanged a glance. Oz sounded fairly…ruffled. Just what did the costume look like that had him so upset, and just how tight was it?

"And now for the finishing touch.." Oscar murmured as he adjusted it in Oz's hair.

"U-Uncle! You can't be, h-hey! No! I'm not coming out like this, stop!"

The door was opened and Gilbert and Alice stared, but Oz had hidden himself behind Oscar.

Oscar chuckled. "Now, now…" he shoved Oz forward and he seemed to be hiding laughter through a cough.

Oz, in a rare moment of embarrassment, flushed crimson while Gilbert and Alice's eyes widened.

"Oz is wearing…a pink dress?" Alice queried and Oz groaned.

In fact, it was not a dress, but an old-fashioned dress robe that had been considered very fashionable amongst nobility…predating even the time that it had been made. But the duchess hadn't exactly had her wits about her when it came to fashion sense. So the dress robe had been made for her second youngest son, complete with a little half-suit underneath, all in the Vessalius white as a base…but smothered in pink. Pink trimmings, pink bands, even pink faux roses, such as the one adorning the white cap in Oz's hair. It was also rather tight on him, making his small body look more slender and with the way the hat pushed his hair…he looked rather…feminine.

Gilbert felt himself flush slightly as he stared at his young master, fighting horror, a sense of fascination, and sympathy coupled with the urge to…he snorted and covered his mouth quickly as Oz shot him a glare.

"If you laugh, Gilbert…I will personally strangle you…" Oz warned with a pout as he crossed his arms.

He couldn't help it. With his arms crossed like that… Gilbert burst into laughter and he quickly covered his mouth again, but a few muffled laughs escaped anyway. Oz did look fairly like a girl in a dress, and an admittedly lovely one.

Oz's eyes widened as Gilbert actually laughed at him before he ran back into his room, horrified. "I never want to see you again, Gil, you traitor!" he cried as he hid himself under his blankets.

"Don't say that, Oz…" Gilbert followed the other into the room and stared down at the lump on the bed that was Oz. "You look very…"

"One more word, Gilbert, just one." Oz's tone was a warning and Gilbert silenced. "Lousy servant…mocking his master.." Oz complained and Gilbert set a hand on the lump on what he devised to be Oz's back. "Sorry, Oz, it's just…you look so-"

"One. Word." Oz reminded Gilbert and he silenced again, but he couldn't stop his smile. It was times like these that he loved. Just…interacting with his master like this, their camaraderie.

Alice came over and jerked the blanket away and Oz groaned and buried his head in his arms.

"Why's it so…pink?" she demanded with a frown at Oscar.

"Well…the duchess at the time was very fond of that color…she felt that it was very appropriate for a young Vessalius noble…"

"Can't I wear something else, Uncle?" Oz pleaded.

"It's just for today. Do it for me?" Oscar batted his eyes at Oz who pouted. "That's no fair, Uncle…"

"All the ascending Vessalius males before you have worn it, it's tradition for all family participating."

"So…then Gil's-"

"-Is pink too, yes."

Oz chuckled deviously and Gilbert let himself process those words a moment before his eyes widened. "Wait…what?" At Oz's growing smirk, he took a step back and shook his head. "Don't tell me.." he said weakly.

"Yup! You're in the ceremony, Gil!" Oz said brightly. "And now that you're a noble too, there's no excuse for you to miss it!"

"But…" Gilbert said weakly.

Oz frowned. "What is it?" he demanded, he was getting annoyed by Gilbert's less-than-thrilled reactions.

"…to participate in that ceremony…that is only for members of the Vessalius family…and as a Nightray especially, it would be-"

"Your last name may be Nightray, but you're definitely Vessalius first and foremost." Oz announced. "So of course, you'll be by my side with Ada."

Gilbert's eyes widened. "You mean…for that role? Oz…I can't…"

"Of course you can! I say so." Oz said brightly.

It was customary for any siblings to stand at the side of the one ascending, they would each present a token of their kinship with their blessing, and stand at his side when he received a ducal sheathe that would later house the ducal sword at his ascension.

"Oz…that's…for your…" he trailed off. "I'm not…worthy of that position…"

"And why's that?" Oz asked with a frown.

"…if nothing else, I'm not a Vessalius, I can't be in that position. I have no right to give you my blessing…I'm not your family…"

Oz froze as he stared up at Gilbert for a moment and golden eyes widened slightly as he realized how that had come out. "What I mean is-"

"It's okay, Gil." Oz smiled brightly. "You don't have to if you don't want to. Say, has anyone seen Elliot yet, I'd let to get his turn at mocking over with." Oz chuckled and rose with his hands outstretched like a child as he darted out of the room.

"Oz-" but he was already gone.

The glare Alice gave him was chilling and Oscar sighed heavily. "Is that really what you think? That you aren't a member of the Vessalius family?"

"W-Well I…after what I did…"

"You did it to save my nephew. His own father tried to banish him to the Abyss. It just goes to show you that family is more than blood, or birth. Since the moment I found you in that garden, you've been a Vessalius, and since the moment you signed that contract…you've been family to Oz, and he has to you, hasn't he? So is it so strange that he'd want you by his side, fulfilling the role a brother would?" Gilbert's mouth opened and closed. What could he say? Oz was his family…but…he wasn't a part of the Vessalius family, he had no prestige, he was just an orphan who had wound up with a ducal family behind him. That didn't give him the right to stand at Oz's side in the position of…a brother.

"Even without blood, you are my precious son just as Oz is…" Oscar murmured and Gilbert felt a flare of guilt.

"Enough talking!" Alice snapped. "You hurt Oz's feelings!"

"Huh?" Gilbert stared down at her in surprise. It was such a strange thing for her to say.

"Sharon told me about feelings…and about how you can hurt other peoples feelings, that it feels like being sad…well, you hurt Oz's! Saying that you don't want to be his family-"

"-I didn't-"

"It sure sounded like it to me! So go apologize, seaweed-head!" she demanded with her arms crossed. "It's obvious that you're part of his little 'family' whatever good all this family stuff is worth…seems like a lot of trouble to me…but it doesn't change things. If Oz wants you by his side, then you should be proud! You should want to be by his side, don't you feel possessive for it? Would you rather he have someone else at his side in your place?" Alice asked with a glare.

"In my place?" The thought of someone else at Oz's side, if he were ever replaced…that thought pained him. Hadn't he thought that Alice had replaced him? But it was Gilbert that Oz wanted by his side, to fulfill the position of a brother and pass on his blessing for Oz's ascension. He was so worried about declining for all of his reasons of lack of worth, but when it came down to it, truly…he wanted that position, didn't he? He wanted it to be his, he wanted to be worthy of it, he wished…Gilbert wished that it was for him to have and to be…but it wasn't, was it?

"Come on, stupid seaweed-head. We're gonna find Oz." she announced as she shoved Gilbert towards the door and headed out with him, while Oscar looked on with a smile.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Oz sat alone under a tree as he idly twirled a strand of grass around his finger with his legs pulled up against his chest.

"I'm not your family."

Those words made him ache more than he cared to admit. Oz had always thought that Gilbert felt the same. He had grown fond of the other quickly, but he'd still been hesitant, he couldn't believe that someone would always be faithful and loyal…but Gilbert proved him wrong and in taking care of the other, in being by his side, in learning together and laughing together, in living together…he'd come to find Gilbert necessary in his life. Oz saw him as his servant, best friend…and brother.

But apparently…perhaps…Oz really was only a beloved master to Gilbert, and he would never get past that to be 'family'.

Oz felt a tell-tell sting in his eyes but that was as far as he allowed that to go. His emerald eyes flicked upwards in time to catch a flash of white and he blinked in surprise before his eyes widened. A large rabbit in a waistcoat with a pocket watch was chanting.

"I'm late. I'm late. I'm late! Oh…she'll have my head!" the rabbit fussed and Oz stared, stunned.

"Oz…Oz!" he heard Gilbert's voice and he looked over to see Gilbert and Alice as they approached but it was the rabbit that had his attention. "Hey, wait!" Oz called after the rabbit as he chased after it and a confused Gilbert and Alice soon followed.

"Ooh, so late!" the rabbit fussed as it suddenly disappeared. Oz was confused…until he realized that it hadn't just disappeared…it had slipped into a hole…the same as he, in his chase, did not notice until he'd already fallen in….

"Oz!" One moment, Gilbert and Alice had been searching for him and the next, he was running away from them. What was going on? And then…

"Oz!" this time, instead of being solely Gilbert, the pair shouted in unison as Oz disappeared from view and upon closer ipection, had fallen into a large hole.

"He's down there…you saw it, right, stupid rabbit?"

"Yeah. So let's get moving!" Alice announced as she leapt into the hole.

"H-Hey, wait!" …. "Stupid rabbit…" Gilbert leapt in after her. Come what may, he had to find his precious young master….

(*falling asleep…XD I tried. Enjoy XD Next they'll be in Wonderland! Probably. XD