Yet another chapter has arrived, but you already know that, considering you see this. Two things:
1) Thanks to everyone who reads this story and/or alerts it. You have no idea how happy it makes me!
2) Thanks to Sorceress-of-Abyss and Illusions of Space for reviewing. After coming home from lectures, those really brightened my day.
As always, enjoy!
Disclaimer: If I owned Pandora Hearts, (insert ironic idea here). XD
"Adele, please wake up, it has been so long since I've seen you," I heard a voice echo through the labyrinth that was my mind. If I recalled correctly, that voice belonged to Edith. I could easily place her three-year-old voice, even though I couldn't respond.
I was drowning in nostalgia and burning in my regret. I felt both unbearable pain and numbness. I was being crushed and pulled apart at the same time. What did I do when I created that contract?
Edith...Lorina...Mother, Father...I wanted to see them so much. Though, the only thing I could see were Joker's bright eyes in the blackness of my mind, like moons in the night sky. They were the eyes that would haunt me for years.
What was going on? Everything was looping continuously. Was the same thing happening to my comrades?
I plopped down on the doorstep of an old brick house, looking out onto the street. Maybe I can get out of this situation if I think things through.
After a moment my gaze shifted from the empty street to the bright blue sky, examining the clouds. I sighed, expecting them to reform as clouds do, but they were frozen in place. I squinted at the clouds, suspicious. Upon a second look, I noticed that there were unnatural breaks and edges as if the sky was painted sloppily.
Then, I observed something even stranger. (if you can believe it) The sky was...cracking, splitting and chipping off. I stood up quickly, becoming alarmed. I doubted the sky was supposed to do that.
'Smash!' A large hand had broken through the cracks. It couldn't have belonged to a human, though. It had to belong to a chain. I stifled a scream and stepped back, almost tripping over myself. The sky wasn't supposed to do that, as far as I knew. The appendage moved downward, dragging chucks of the 'sky' with it. It crumpled like paper, and revealed a space behind itself.
The hand connected to an arm, one of a rabbit-like chain's. By this time, I had turned to stone, scared beyond words.
A blond head had appeared from behind a chunk of 'sky', "C'mon already, Adele."
When I recognized Oz, my encasing shattered, and I ran to him, relieved. I still had no idea what that rabbit was but I had confidence in knowing it wouldn't maul me if I came near it...probably.
As I reached him, I asked, "What's going on?"
"Just look around," he replied grimly.
And look I did. The 'sky' I had been under was a dome, a cage, keeping me inside and others out. On the outside was the remainder of Rebbion, a broken, flaming mess. My jaw dropped considerably.
"Worst of all, we can't find Gil," Oz informed nervously.
The chain scoffed, "That isn't even bad. Seaweed head probably just ran off again."
"But Alice, what if he's in trouble!"
Wait...Alice? "That chain is Alice?"
They both gave me a look that said, 'You didn't know?'
Oz explained, "Of course, Alice is my chain. B-Rabbit."
Of course! That made as much sense as monkeys riding unicorns! I mentally sighed, how do they expect me to know this stuff?
'Bang!' At that moment, gunshots rung out. Seven in quick succession, to be exact. A wave of worry and fear washed over me. I knew only one person, other than Reim, who kept a pistol with him; Gilbert.
The fear portion spiked, screeching for me to run as fast and as far away as I could. I might've listened to it, if not for the third voice. It was barely a murmur, and and I could only make out, 'help...Gilbert' but it was enough to keep me planted to my spot.
After a moment of inner turmoil, I returned to reality. I found that Oz had already run in the direction of his servant, followed by a more than reluctant Alice.
I then indulged the third 'me' and frustrated the second by running off after my two comrades.
He stood motionless in the intersection that once was, back toward us. I now understood the reason for the gunshots. Five chains were laying on the ground, dead.
Oz ran to his friend, overjoyed, "Gil!" And proceeded to glomp him.
Alice became tense. Now, I wasn't as much of and expert on love as Sharon was, but I could tell Alice was a little more than jealous at the exchange.
"So, what happened here?" I asked, hoping to avert Alice from her deadly anger.
Both Oz and Gilbert turned to me, but Gil spoke, "Chains are arriving in hoards. There must be a gateway nearby. We have to act soon, before the next drove gets here."
We decided that it would be best to search around together, since separating didn't help us before. This time, our plan was a success, and we found the familiar opening after a few minutes.
"I call destroying it!" Alice exclaimed, excited at the sight of the gateway. As for me, the memories it brought back made me sick. It reminded me of the metallic taste of blood, and its disgusting smell.
"Sure. The sooner we get rid of that thing, the better," Gilbert muttered, annoyance nipping at his tone.
After Alice changed into rabbit form, we found it wasn't as easy as we thought it would be. Yet again, a chain arose from the abyss.
It looked like a tangle of wires, no humanoid body parts except for one red and one blue eye, glowing from a particular patch of cords.
'Electrode. Don't touch him,' the murmur had grown slightly stronger, but I still had to strain hard to hear it. That's when it hit me. It wasn't my thought, it was Joker's. I barely recognized her voice. It had been about 9 years since I heard it, after all.
B-Rabbit chuckled darkly, "Come out to play, huh? Well I'm game."
I watched amazed as she slashed at the chain with her scythe, but cringed at the sight of Electrode using her weapon as a conductor and electrocuting her when she came in contact with him.
"Alice!" Oz shouted, hearing her chain-voice scream in pain.
Joker sighed softly, 'Those idiots. I would never make a mistake like that. Let me out and we can finish him quickly.'
'No way,' I thought back, contemplating if I really should listen to her.
Alice fell to her knees, returning to normal after breaking away from the tangle of wires. "What the..?" she gasped, trying to catch her breath.
Oz kneeled next to her, steadying her as he looked to Gil, "Can you use Raven?"
"Raven makes physical contact. It would be useless to even attempt to attack. I'm sorry." He looked down, minutely ashamed. Why he would be was anyone's guess.
'Now?'
In caved in, 'Why does it feel like I'll regret this?'
I erupted in a purple flame as Joker materialized, giving a smirk that announced her victory.
Oz and Gil eyed me unsure, seeing as Alice had collapsed into her manservant's arms.
Joker opened her fans, still dripping with the Jub-Jub Bird's blood, and flung them above the chain's head. I gave her a questioning look, but she held up one slim finger, signaling me to wait.
The fans sliced a small rock, one that was supporting a larger one. As you can probably guess, it ended up with a boulder crushing a pile of limp, sizzling wires. The solution was that easy?
Gilbert gaped as Joker giggled, muttered, "Imbeciles" and disappeared. Oz only laughed. I found myself smiling too.
After a few moments of almost-silence, the three of us that were conscious were doubled over in laughter.
Aww happy end of chapter :3
Sorry for one day late, I just wanted to change the ending a little. I was unsatisfied with my work, and you guys get the best!
And finally, yes, that little moment with Oz and Gilbert was intentionally made that way. Eat your hearts out! ;3
