Hey! OMG, I'm sorry for not updating in a while. This chapter gave me very bad writter's block -_- Speaking of which, things are getting tense in both series, Pandora Hearts especialy. *mumbles quietly about Retrace LXX*

Oh, and to clear up any confusion in this chapter, the girl here, her name is offten said as 'Alyss', but her dolls (and the cat) call her 'Alice' (they're pronouced the same). Any other Chain (and the members of Pandora, with the exception of Break that one time) calls her Intention of the Abyss.

I do not own Pandora Hearts or Generator Rex in any way.

Chapter 3: A Bad Kitty Will Tempt You Into A Maze

The cat watches a blond boy walk along down the street, waiting in the shadows and observing the boy with his single and watchful blood-red eye.

"Cheshire can see you, but you don't see Cheshire." He whispers. "Cheshire does not know why you are here, but he has found you."

The boy keeps on walking, oblivious to the cat scraping his overly large claws against the earth.

"Cheshire remembers this blond."

Yes, to the mysterious, and rather human, cat watching the boy, it registers as 'that blond' in his mind.

"You look different, but Cheshire knows it is you."

The boy disappears out of sight and the cat narrows his one eye.

"The blond who wanted Alice to remember when she wanted to forget."

"Ugh…stupid Calculus homework." Noah grumbled as he glared at the numbers on the page, seeming to mock him silently, knowing that he's stumped.

As if an exhausting day at school wasn't enough, his homework for that night was only irritating him more. He had tried calling up Rex once, just to see if they could hang out and what not, but Noah got no reply, only some ridiculous voice mail message only Rex could have thought up.

And so, Noah was now stuck here at home, the numbers on the page still looking back at him. He was just laying on his bed with a textbook in front of him, nothing but silence in his room.

Frustrated, he let his head fall against the open textbook. "Things can't get any worse, can they?"

Then, as if on cue, a noise from outside the room grabbed his attention. This brought him out of his current situation (aka homework), and right into this new one, because to Noah, he could of sworn he heard the sound of glass breaking.

Walking into the living room, he saw that no one was here, and there was nothing that appeared to be broken. Something still felt off though.

It was like someone was watching him.

"That's odd." Noah looked around again, still no one to be found.

"It's not strange at all."

At that, Noah felt frozen, and all he could do was whip around to find that voice, but what he was greeted with was unreal.

A cat- no, a human looking cat stood before him. A shaggy brown head of short hair and one piercing red eye glowing at him.

"Found you, blond brat."

There was no time to react to the events coming next. The cat pounced onto him, sharp claws crushing his shoulders and pushing him down. He expected to hit the floor, but he didn't.

Just as the cat pushed him down, a portal had opened up beneath him and the cat had pushed him inside the vortex.

They had vanished without a trace.

Falling. Noah knew he was falling through a black oblivion. For how long? He did not know.

He was just falling, the cat's claws still pushing down on his shoulders.

He was falling through an abyss.

Suddenly, without warning at all, his body crashed against a titled floor, leaving a small carter as mark of the impact. This left Noah coughing and struggling for air, the cat hopping off him at the same time.

This place that Noah had fallen into, it was strange. It looked like a room that belonged to a girl. The floor was tiled in black and white, and there were even windows. There were countless arrays of shelves, all holding dolls. The only door that could be located was an area of blackness with curtains on ether sides.

By the time the dust cleared, Noah looked at the cat with half open eyes, the cat licking its claws.

"Time for punishment." The cat said plainly.

Noah realized what was about to happen, and he tried to move backwards, but he could barely move as it was, still feeling the effects of the harsh impact the cat dealt.

The cat was faster though, much faster.

"You're finished."

"Cheshire, stop it!" A soft voice demanded. The cat froze, its claws mere inches away from Noah.

"But...this person is-" The cat started, but was cut out again.

"Enough. You're scaring him." The sight that meet Noah's eyes when he turned his head off to one side, watching a figure emerge from another unseen curtain, was literally something unreal.

There, facing him was a girl all in white, even her long hair was white, which included her two braids. The dress she wore was one that was, simply, enchanting; roses adorning her silkily white dress along with the black strings around her neck, sleeves, and wrists. She was also barefoot and had a ribbon tied around her leg. Her smile was gentle, soft and glowing lavender eyes looking at him with curiosity.

In that one moment, it was like time had stopped; her whole form glowed intensely white .

"Wha-" The girl put a finger to his lips to silence him.

"Ah, yes." She stepped away and smiled at him. Her voice was surprisingly smooth. "You. Your name is Noah; Noah Nixon, isn't it?"

"How do you...no forget that, who are you?"

"It's simple. My name, is Alice."

"Alice...?" Without saying another word, she grabbed hold of Noah's arms and pulled him upwards so he stood upright. She turned from him and to the cat she called Cheshire, who was standing off to the side.

"It seems you've made a mistake, you naughty cat you. This is not 'that boy', isn't that so?" The cat nodded at her in response. "It's alright, so, thank you, Cheshire. It's always grand when a guest comes here."

"Quite the cat." Noah muttered. Her eyes turned back to him once more, that whiteness still shining.

"Ah, that's right. You were taken in to befriend a weapon." That caught him by surprise. How could she possibly know that? He had never met this girl in his life, vise versa with her, yet why did she know about 'that time'? "But, you grew to be friends with him and ended up revealing everything, even though it nearly cost you your friendship. He was angry for a while, and you knew he possibly wouldn't come when you were trapped. Now though, you're all right now! 'Cause, he's an important friend, almost as a brother!"

That was a weak point in Noah, and the girl had just hit it.

"Shut up!"

Before anyone else could react, a sudden impulse made Noah grab the white haired girl by her slender shoulders and slap her right across the face.

The girl was motionless, still caught in his grip, and yet, in spite of the side of her face stinging, she giggled.

"That's a strange sight." She says with that same soft tone. "I intervened before Cheshire killed you, and yet you attack the very girl who saved you. You are a strange boy indeed."

"Huh?"

She turned her lavender eyes back up at Noah and pulled free as soon as he let his grip slacken on her. "Come."

The white haired girl grabbed his arm and pulled him to a nearby table, which had been previously…floating in midair? Dolls came down next and set little dishes and silverware on the table, confusing Noah even more.

'What kind of place is this?' He wondered as the dolls retrieved chairs for the both of them.

"So…Alice-" He started.

"Yes? Oh! Wait a minute!" She then took one of the dishes, one with sugar in it, and poured some onto the table. "My name is that, but spell it like this."

And so, drawing out the shapes of letters in the sugar, Noah watched as she spelt out her name the way she wanted.

A-L-Y-S-S

"Alyss?" He inquired.

She nodded in response. "Yes. Even spelt differently, it's still pronounced the same as what I've told you before. Now, what is it you wanted to ask?"

"Um, is this…like another dimension or something?"

The answer he got was another laugh from Alyss. "I don't know what you're saying! This is my room, my home!"

"You live here?"

"Yes, Noah-kun."

"Then," He paused, composing his next question in his head. "How did you know me?"

"You see, I simply saw into your world is all, and spotted you, reading your life history." Alyss answered. "Cheshire had oddly gone into that world for some reason, yet, I know nothing of it."

"Nothing at all?"

"No, I only know of my own and another. So, please, would you so kindly tell me about your world?"

"Oh, I see now." Alyss cooed as she poured more tea into her cup, her 'guest' finishing with his story. "So, your world is drastically changed, is it not?"

"Well, you could say that." Noah replied, watching the girl as she poured more tea into his cup also. "But, even so, this seems different. I mean at first I thought your cat friend was an Evo."

The cat-Chain in question was sitting next to Alyss, just blankly watching the two of them. "No. Cheshire is a cat, or more specifically, a Chain. By your explanation though, I can see how you would think Cheshire is, how you say, these beings called 'Evos'."

"A Chain?"

"Yes." Alyss started to explain. "You see, all beings of the Abyss are Chains."

Noah just stared at the purple-eyed girl in confusion. "Abyss? What is that?"

"It is the place you are in right now, one separate from both our worlds. Chains exist here and there, and there are special requirements in order for them to exist in 'her' dimension."

It was a strange explanation indeed. If this really was the place she had called 'Abyss', and the creatures that existed here, like Cheshire, were Chains, then who's to say, this snow-white madden in front of him wasn't the same.

"Alyss," Noah asked carefully, leaning forward. "Are you a Chain too?"

"Oh, me?" She giggled. "No, I am not, because I have another name; The Intention of the Abyss."

"What kind of name is that?"

"The name that marks what I am here. All the Chains call me this." She pushed a dish his way, one with many little cookies and such that read 'eat me' in big capital letters. "This room, where you are presently, is in the farthest reach of the Abyss, where the power is the strongest. I am the sole being that governs the Abyss as the 'core'. You understand now?"

"I guess so." Noah replied, taking one of the cookies. "I thought you were a Chain yourself."

"No. I am 'Alice', the Intention of the Abyss. Most Chains meet me when their contractor get's dragged down here."

"Strange. This thing you call a 'contract', it sounds more to me like a deal with the devil."

She smiled once more. "The humans say that too, that when a Chain appears to them, it is the devil whispering to them."

Noah took a bite of the cookie, splitting it in half. "Mind explaining what a contract is?"

"It is the bond that I mentioned before." Alyss started. "There is an exception to the rule, but, most contracts end the same way; with the contractor being dragged into the Abyss. And then…" She stood up, stepping away and twirling around. "The humans become dolls themselves!"

'Become dolls? That doesn't make sense, unless…' The sudden realization struck Noah like a brick, filling his mind with panic. 'Unless she means the dolls are Chains?'

"No way!" He shouted standing up in a hurry and knocking over the chair.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Alyss asked sweetly.

'No, don't be fooled! Her calm demeanor is fake!'

"I know your game!" Noah wasn't about to be fooled by her, not now, nor ever. "You want to turn me into one of those creatures, don't you?"

"Huh? No, not at all."

"Enough! I just want out of here!"

"I don't get it." She pouted. "Why is my guest being so mean to meeee?"

"Alice, don't cry!" The dolls chimed in floating down from some unseen place, and the white haired girl began to cry. "Don't listen to that meanie."

"I've done nothing wrong!"

Alyss continued to cry, and all the while Noah stared at her, wondering why in the world she was so upset. Cheshire, on the other hand, bounded over to Alyss, making an effort to comfort her. After a moment, the cat sharply glared at Noah.

'Not good.' He thought, noticing the threatening look in the cat's eyes.

In an instant, Cheshire pounced on him once more. Pain ran through his body at once, colliding hard with the floor. The sudden attack had left Noah breathless. Alyss took noticed of this and slowly walked over to the two, tears still falling.

"D-don't kill him, Cheshire." She whispered wearily.

"This blond must be punished." Cheshire hissed, his face ever closer to Noah's. "He made you cry, Alice!"

With tears still falling down, a sudden solution suddenly came upon Alyss; a solution that would be drastic in itself.

"C-Cheshire, listen." When the white haired girl said this, Cheshire looked away from Noah and up at Alyss. "Come h-here."

Noah watched as Cheshire stood and Alyss led the cat off to a nearby shelf, picking up a cup of tea along the way.

'What kind of madness is this?'

He couldn't hear what they were saying, or doing for that matter. They were talking to each other, that much he could tell, but as to what they were talking about and what they were doing, he couldn't determine that.

Regaining his composure, Noah slowly got back on his feet, brushing off his clothes as he did so. While the other two conversed. Noah looked around the room for a possible escape from this mad world. No, all he saw were the dolls, who were now floating near Alyss and Cheshire, and the darkness beyond the curtains that he saw before. A better part of Noah told him that the way beyond the curtains wasn't the way out.

After a moment passed, both the white haired girl and Cheshire came back over. In both hands, Alyss carefully carried a cup of tea.

"I do apologize for Cheshire attacking you. Please finish your tea." She held out the tea cup to Noah.

'What's with the sudden change in her attitude?' He wondered silently. 'She was balling her eyes out a second ago.'

Still being wary of Alyss, he took the tea cup and drank from it. However, something seemed off and there was the strangest look in those lavender eyes that Alyss possessed.

"So, I do wonder-"

Alyss was suddenly cut off by the sound of glass breaking. A faint grin crossed her face when she saw that Noah's hands were shaking, fear seen in his blue eyes. In the next moment, his knees buckled and he collapsed onto the black and white floor.

The white haired girl looked at Cheshire and nodded. She then walked over to Noah and knelt down beside his trembling body.

"W-what did…you…"

"It seems one of my dollies has been naughty." Alyss cooed.

"What are…you talking…about?" For some reason he was having trouble breathing.

"A naughty doll has slipped some poison into your tea." Her smile was so filled with delight, which frightened Noah even more that what she had just said. "I do not have an antidote on hand."

'Is this her plan? To let a doll kill me off and then turn me into one of those Chains?'

"However, there is a way to save you."

Noah looked up at Alyss suddenly, seeing hope in those words, but still not understanding her game.

"Cheshire." She called.

Upon her command, Cheshire came over, but did something unexpected. With his sharp claws, the cat made a cut on his arm and then, knelt down beside Noah as well and let Alyss cup her hands together and the cat's blood pooled in her hands. Helpless, and only able to watch, Aylss drained the blood from her hands into Noah's slightly open mouth.

"Alice, is this best?" Cheshire asked.

"Yes." Her smile portrayed something different, an elegant and devilish smile. "Now, do you remember what my cat's name is?"

Noah had begun to cough from Cheshire's blood being forced into him, but he managed to answer her question.

"Ches…hire…"

Her smile got even wider.

Suddenly, he felt as if nails were being driven into him. He couldn't even muster any strength in his voice to cry out against it. Noah then looked at Cheshire, only to see his form glowing, actually, dissolving!

"You should be lucky." Alyss giggled. "Cheshire is special. He doesn't need a contractor, but that in no way means it's impossible for him to obtain one."

Every second that Cheshire continued to dissolve, Noah noticed now that as the cat turned into black smoke, it seemed to be drawn to him like a magnet. He was utterly shocked as the smoke passed right into his body.

"When you called his name, you sealed the contract."

For an odd reason, Noah now felt that there was something watching him, but from his subconscious. And where had that cat gone?

"This is the way of the contract." Alyss stood up as the blond before her twitched with pain. "We'll see if you are strong enough to handle Cheshire."

The pain was too much to fight. He couldn't fight it.

"Lucky you. You get to be Cheshire's first ever contractor!"

The last thing Noah heard before blacking out was the sound of Alyss' crazy laughter.

Okay. So, I will try and have the next chapter up as soon as possible. And in that time, Oz will give hints to the truth only he knows. Will Gil or Alice catch on, I wonder? But then again, they've probably remembered and are hiding their own secrets. Meanwhile, we'll see how Rex is doing, and we'll see what in the world happened to poor Leo.