Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts, nor the characters. They all belong to Jun Mochizuki. I only own the plot and my OCs. ~
16 years after the prologue…
"Oi, Oz! Where's my meat?" Alice demanded; crossing her arms expectantly.
"You glutton, Oz doesn't have to get you anything!" Gilbert growled.
"Shut up, Seaweed Head!"
"Make me, you Stupid Rabbit!"
"G-Guys, don't fight!" Oz stammered.
"Kekekeke! Stupid Rabbit's a glutton! Stuuuuupid Rabbit!" Emily; the doll that sat upon Xerxes Break's shoulder cackled as Break emerged out from a nearby cupboard.
"B-Break, you too?" Oz sighed.
"Me? Why, Oz-kun, it's cute little Emily speaking here, not me." Break gasped mockingly; snickering in to his overly-long white sleeve as an argument unfolded between Alice and Gil.
"Stupid Rabbit! Stupid Rabbit!" Emily chanted with a laugh.
"That's it!" Alice snarled; losing the last bit of her patience she had. "You moronic clown and stupid Seaweed Head! Shut up now! Got it? Shut up, and keep your damn mouths shut!"
"Ohh, did we hurt poor Alice-kun's feelings?" Break inquired with a chuckle.
Oz could've sworn that he was able to see the black energy of B-Rabbit explode from the angry Chain, as she went chasing after the red-eyed, white-haired man. "You wretched clown! Get back here so I can smash your face in to the wall!" Alice screeched
"A-Alice, how about we go out for the day? You, me and Gil?" Oz proposed; smiling nervously as Alice looked over to his direction, and using this, Break escaped in to the cupboard.
"Will we get meat?" Alice asked.
"Of course! Let's go, Alice, Gil!" Oz smiled enthusiastically; leading the way out of the Rainsworth manor; shouting a quick farewell to Sharon and Break; wherever he may be. As they exited; Gil spotted something on the lush green grass not too far from the gate to the manor.
"Hey…Oz? Stupid Rabbit? Look over there." Gil said slowly; pointing to the figure that lied on the ground.
"I-It's a person!" Oz realized; as he began to run over to where the figure was. It looked like a 13 year old girl; her eyes closed and her long, straight dark brown hair splayed out. She wore a white collared long-sleeve shirt, a red tie, a ruffled skirt, knee-high socks and black boots that almost reached her knees. Her clothes were dirty and torn, and there was a cut on her cheek; dried blood dotting her pale skin. There was also a cut in her shoulder; blood on her white shirt.
"Is she dead?" Alice asked curiously; looking down at the girl.
"I-I think she's breathing," Oz whispered. "We have to get her medical attention, now!"
She slowly blinked open her eyes; her gaze clearing. She looked up to see five faces looking down at her. One with emerald green eyes and golden blonde hair, one with golden eyes and messy black hair, and one with purple eyes and brown hair.
"Wha—?" She sat up in alarm, and immediately felt pain.
"It's okay, don't move around too much, or your wounds will open up." The blonde-haired one said.
"G-Get away!" She screeched; squeezing her eyes; which were blood-red, closed. "S-Sinenth!"
An extremely icy wind fluttered in to the room; as a breathy voice echoed around the room. "Azura…What is wrong, for you to call me so sudden?"
"Sinenth, do something!" She yelled; her eyes closed in terror and her hands clutching her head. "I'm scared! Sinenth!"
"I will make them vanish for you, Miss Azura." The icy whisper said; as another rush of cold air swept through the room.
"Oz!" The brown-haired, purple-eyed girl barked. "This scent…I remember it from the Abyss." She looked at her. "In fact, this girl's scent is practically the Abyss' scent itself!"
"That can't be…" Oz said. "She's only a kid…"
"Sinenth!" The girl screeched again; hiding her face in her knees.
A more intense blast of icy air filled the room; as ice pillars began to form around the bed that the girl was resting in. It became colder and colder, and ice pillars began to shoot out at an incredible rate. Alice's purple eyes flashed as she leaped out of the way; a sharp ice pillar shooting out from where she had just stood.
"Alice!" Oz yelled over the howling wind.
"Oz! Seaweed Head!" Alice called; as another pillar shot up. Soon, the bed that the girl was on was completely surrounded by large spikes of ice.
"Oz, watch out!" Gil sprang towards Oz; knocking him away as another pillar appeared. It narrowly missed Gil as he took out one of his guns.
"It's a Chain, right?" Gil growled. "If I shoot it, then it'll stop trying to kill us!"
"You can't kill the Chain, you'll end up killing her too!" Oz protested; as Alice scanned around the growing ice spikes.
"Your safety is more important than some girl's!" Gil responded; his golden eyes blazing like flames; leaping out of the way of another spike.
"No!" Oz yelled stubbornly.
The girl's red eyes shot open. That person's words…the one protecting the boy named Oz…He has someone he wants to protect. Just like how Onii-chan wanted to protect me, she thought. "Sinenth! Stop!"
As soon as she yelled the order, the wind silenced and faded. The ice spikes shattered, and the iciness vanished. "Sorry…I'm…I'm sorry…" She whispered; her red eyes wide.
Oz sighed in relief. Gil slowly put his gun away; and Alice watched the girl with her burning gaze. "Sinenth, eh?" Alice spoke.
"That's my Chain…" The girl murmured quietly.
"I remember Sinenth. His power matched B-Rabbit's," Alice said thoughtfully. "Sinenth…the Ice Dragon."
"I'm sorry for having Sinenth attack." She said quietly; fiddling with a strand of her dark brown hair.
"It's fine, really." Oz replied with a friendly smile.
"What's your name?" Sharon; who had entered the room not too long ago with Break, asked.
"I-I'm Azura Cross." She answered; looking up nervously.
"Azura-san, why were you out there; on the ground?" Sharon asked gently.
"I…I remember that I was looking for my twin," Azura began. "B-But then, I was dragged in to a really scary place. I don't know why, but then, Sinenth rescued me. We made a Contract, and he was able to free us! But when I woke up, I was here; and I panicked, and had Sinenth attack."
"I see. It sounds like you were dragged in to the Abyss." Break said.
"Do you know why you would be taken to the Abyss, Azura-chan?" Oz asked.
"N-No. But…when I was 7 years old, my brother and I were adopted by some wealthy people. I was surprised; because we're the Children of Misfortune; you know, we have red eyes. I don't really have any memories; actually. A-And I woke up one night, and I saw my brother. He said he was going out for some fresh air, and told me to go back to sleep. S-So I did, but…he never came back. The people who adopted us abandoned me, a-and I had to care for myself. But I spent the next 6 years looking for my brother. When I was 13, I was dragged in to the Abyss." She explained quietly.
A Child of Misfortune…Gil thought; thinking of his brother; Vincent Nightray.
"Tell me, Miss Azura, who were the people that adopted you and your brother?" Break asked.
"Oh, um…the Cotter family."
"The Cotter family…they were murdered 10 years ago." Sharon said quietly.
Her eyes widened. "No…No! T-They were alive just yesterday!"
Alice looked at her. "When you're in the Abyss, time is warped. If you were there for a day, it may have been a decade in the real world's time. Oz was gone for a day, and when he came back with me, it had been a decade."
"But…then that means I'm what; 23 now? And what about my brother?"
"Yes, you'd be 23 now, Azura-san." Sharon said.
"I'm sure your brother is somewhere, Azura-chan." Oz said encouragingly. Azura clenched her hands together; feeling their gazes on hers. However; Gilbert's gaze seemed to burrow deep in her. She looked up; to meet his gaze. She quickly averted her eyes.
"As soon as you have healed, I'm sure you can find your brother." Sharon said with a tender smile.
"N-No!" Azura blurted out. She didn't want to leave these people. They could help her find Aaron. And she didn't want to leave Gil quite yet. He happened to intrigue her. "I-I mean, c-can you help me find my brother? Please?"
"I'm sorry, Azura-chan, but Alice here needs to find her memories." Oz said apologetically; motioning to Alice.
"Y-You're interested in the Abyss, right?" Azura asked; clenching the bed sheets in her fists.
"That's right." Break said; watching her with sudden interest.
"I have a connection to the Abyss. My brother and I both. I-If you can help me find him, maybe we could help you." Azura reasoned.
"How would you have a connection to the Abyss?" Break asked; eyeing her with a critical red eye.
"Alice-san said that my scent is practically the Abyss' scent, right? That's not normal, is it?"
"The kid has a point." Alice commented; scenting Azura again. "Yep. She's been out of the Abyss for hours, and the scent hasn't vanished yet. And it's not Sinenth's scent; his scent smells like…crisp mint. That's what Sinenth smells like."
"S-So please? Please help me find my brother. I can't live without my twin!" Azura pleaded.
"I think we should keep Azura-san with us," Gil said quietly. "After all, if we let her go, who knows what would happen out there. The world these days doesn't take kindly to red-eyed people. She could be kidnapped and sold because of her eyes. Besides, the Stupid Rabbit's nose is hardly ever wrong. She must have some sort of connection to the Abyss."
"Then Azura-chan will stay with us!" Oz declared with a goofy grin. "I think Azura-chan will get along really well with Alice! Hey Alice, will you be friends with her?"
Alice stared at her. "Hm. 'Friends', huh?"
"Come on, Alice. You'll get along with her. She doesn't have memories either."
"Hmph. Maybe." Alice responded.
Azura laughed lightly. "Thank you all so much. Thank you!"
Gil smiled slightly. She was mysterious, and captivated him. He wasn't sure why, but she just did. When she laughed, she was very cute. Why am I feeling like this already?
