"Keh, Cheshire does not sulk." Cheshire muttered to himself as he made his way back to where he had left the human. Though he was annoyed at her words he couldn't tamp down on the happy feeling that came with eating such yummy food. He pulled a chicken leg out of the box he had bought from one of the stands and put the meatiest part into his mouth to eat along the way. He savored the distinct flavor, it'd be hard to say when the next time would be that he would get to eat something so delicious again.
His eyes wandered to the area that he had left the human woman. Cheshire walked over to the side of the building and tilted his head to the right in puzzlement. He didn't spot Sienna and yet the bags of supplies that they had gathered earlier remained propped up against the wall. Odd. He hadn't known the woman long of course but this just seemed off. Ditching him in the marketplace was one thing, but leaving her things behind didn't make any sense.
Cheshire glanced around in disbelief. Suddenly a dull thud and a piercing cry ripped through the air. He turned instantly in the direction the sound had come from. It wasn't far off at all. He dropped his box of food on top of one of the bags and leaped atop the nearest building. Taking a step toward the source of the yell he paused. It really didn't matter what the woman had gotten herself into, but at the very least she had done him by a favor by taking him in while he was defenseless. His hesitation lasted only a heartbeat before he took off in a sprint.
As he closed in, further sounds of struggle and more yelling reached his ears. The wind hitting his face as he moved pushed his hood down and the noises reached his ears even clearer. Skidding to a stop a couple buildings back he gazed down into the closest alley. A familiar form entered his sights and he jumped down several feet away from the scuffle. He may be willing to help, but he would never actually put himself into harms way for her sake.
He blinked several times blankly at the scene before him. The scent of fresh blood filled the air. Sienna stood shrouded in darkness with a foot forcing someones face into the ground and the rope she had used on him the other day pulled taught in her right hand. Following the rope a large form struggled frantically at it. The two people at her mercy appeared to be large human males.
His eyes widened as her head of long red hair whipped around and sharp green eyes glared daggers at him through the darkness. A jolt of surprise ran through him when her vicious gaze met his. Something flickered through that cold gaze before they softened slightly. The men struggled at her mercy, but both seemed either breathless or struggling for oxygen.
"Cheshire? Welcome back?" Her voice carried over to him sounding almost nonchalant. She gave a sharp jerk on the rope in her hands and ground her foot into the face of the individual under it.
"Ah- Looks like you've got things under control." He gave his head a brisk shake as if to cast off his startled state. This woman... Hardly looked human for an instant and that unsettled him a bit. In an attempt to cover up his reaction he forced a smirk at her. "Cheshire thought you were in some kind of trouble only to discover you doling out punishment."
"Yep, I'm fine thanks. Just some garbage to deal with. Hopefully the trash in question will have learned their lesson for trying to take advantage of some random sweet girl on the street." She paused as if waiting for something. "Right?" Her voice was threatening, phrasing her demand as a question.
Whining noises and grunting came from the two men in response. "I can't hear you." Sienna moved her foot to the ground and slackened her grip on her rope as she lowered herself to balance on the balls of her feet. Cheshire bit down the the now naked chicken leg between his teeth giving off a loud snap. As if that added to their fear the two men struggled again.
"Y-Yes! Not...again..." The one near her foot rasped and the second choked out an agreement.
"Well alright then, glad we see eye to eye boys. Don't let me catch you again or you won't get off so easy next time." Her voice was low and filled with venom. In a swift movement she somehow snapped her rope from around the one man's neck and it landed quietly beside her like a loyal snake being called back to it's master.
The smell of their fear stung Cheshire's nose, but he took a few strides over to her just enough to maintain a couple feet of distance. These men were nothing but stupid humans terrified of a situation that just backfired on them. They were pathetic and it made Cheshire bristle at them. Humans were vicious and cruel beings that found joy in the pain of others including those of their own race. He seethed with resentment as painful memories threatened to crash back over him.
The two men got up on unsteady feet and took off, gaits uneven and one used the wall for support as he hastened away. Sienna didn't rise. She watched them go in silence. Cheshire spit out the bits of the bone from his food as he watched the woman closely. He had thought she had an intimidating presence before when her brother visited- but this was on a whole new level. If looks could kill he wouldn't have doubted that one she'd shot his way earlier would have done him in instantly.
Once the men were out of both sight and their footsteps faded into silence she sighed and stood up. "Idiots. People like that are unbelievable." Exasperation was clear in her voice. She turned to Cheshire, but this time her face consisted of the softness he recognized. He couldn't get rid of this uneasy feeling though and probably never would. If she could be even remotely similar to that maddened child he feared with his entire being he'd never be able to see her in any other light. It was positively unsettling.
"Cheshire bought some chicken. It's probably cold now though." Now it was Cheshire's turn to sigh in slight annoyance. It wouldn't be nearly as good cold, but he'd eat it anyway.
"Sorry Cheshire. I suppose today was going a little too well after all." She turned to him as she spoke and another bout of surprise struck him. From the back she'd seemed normal and when she'd looked at him he hadn't noticed anything else but her eyes. That certainly wasn't the case now. Her clothing appeared to be in disarray and the front of her shirt was torn. A dark red line ran horizontally from the center of her throat to the right only a couple inches above her collarbone. Blood trickled in tiny rivers down her neck into her shirt.
He had assumed the scent of blood was from her supposed assailants, but apparently she hadn't gone unscathed. She covered the wound with her hand. "Ah! If you're here... The groceries!" She suddenly gaped at him. In the same beat she took off. Cheshire tsk'd at how quickly she took off, apparently more worried about her groceries than her wound. That seemed a lot more likely to him than for her to leave her things behind. He mused at this before catching up to her with ease.
"Cheshire is faster." He mused at her and picked her up mid stride into his arms with one arm under her legs and the other supporting her back. She yelped in surprise but her arms instantly flew around his neck.
"Cheshire! Warning would be nice!" She whined loudly into his chest with her head pressed against his shoulder. This Sienna he liked. Comforted by this he bounded powerfully between the walls of the alley to get on the rooftop and traveled back the way he'd come. Sienna made a few more sounds of protest and when they stopped he had to look down to see what changed. She faced away from him and stared out in front of them in awe. Not understanding what fascinated her he passed it off without another thought.
They returned to the spot her things had been left only to discover than one of the bags had disappeared. After much cursing from Sienna they picked up what remained and made their way back to her home. Cheshire was happy that the bag that had been taken wasn't the one that had carried his food. During her fit of frustration she had ripped some of the cloth from her shirt that had hung loose from her previous situation and tied it around her neck over her wound. The metallic scent of her blood made his nose tingle a bit but he easily counteracted that with eating more of the chicken.
Back in her small home Cheshire put his bag down on the counter in the kitchen where Sienna had placed hers. He entered the living room only to find it empty. "Sienna?" He asked aloud.
"In here Cheshire." She called back. He followed her voice to find her in the bathroom leaning over the sink wiping at her wound while staring at her reflection in the small mirror there. She sucked in a breath as she worked.
"Is it deep?" He asked while casually trying to catch a glance of it as she worked.
"No. The jerk didn't do it intentionally so I guess I got lucky." She cursed under her breath and dropped the rag she was using into the sink and ran water over it.
He blinked at her blankly. Not intentionally? What was that supposed to mean?
"He figured he could... persuade me into obedience with a knife at my throat. I took advantage of his false security and ended up leaning into the blade when I fought back. The bastard had kept the stupid thing pretty sharp, it broke the skin so smoothly I hadn't noticed at first. Stings like a bugger now though." She tone was strangely monotonous.
"Didn't notice-" Cheshire shook himself to avoid being swept away in the images she formed with her disinterested words. "Weren't you scared?" The words tumbled from him before he realized it. It was a stupid question and he knew it. He'd smelled her fear from the event, but his irrational side was at the forefront of his mind. He understood the feeling of being cornered all too well, but he couldn't fathom her plaintive tone.
She stopped and turned her emerald eyes on him. "Of course I was. I just weighed my options and decided it was worth the risk in contrast to what they likely had planned for me." She looked away and returned to her work. "Isn't it scarier being at another's mercy? It isn't uncommon for victims on the street to end up in the clinic and their intentions were clear enough." Her voice gradually quieted to a whisper.
Cheshire understood that they were no doubt going to hurt her, but he wouldn't be able to guess at the details that might be worse than getting yourself cut up. Thinking about that he glanced down to his long claws that he kept exceptionally sharp. He'd had plenty of chances to turn his most basic weapon on this human and there was no doubt her flesh would part cleanly beneath them. As an afterthought he supposed she could have done much the same to him while he had been vulnerable under her care, but had chosen to treat his wounds instead.
"Are you leaving now then?" Sienna asked. He looked up to see her leaning against the door frame, facing him with her arms crossed. He nodded in response. Her throat now had gauze taped over the wound.
"Alright. I picked something up for you as a parting gift if you don't mind receiving such things from a human." She offered but didn't move. He gave her a puzzled look. A gift? Why? It's not like he'd done anything in particular for her and their trip to the marketplace was supposed to be compensation for her 'generosity' as she had put it. Did it really count as generosity if you expected something in return for it? He realized she was waiting for a response.
"Cheshire doesn't need anything from you." Despite his words he was curious. He hadn't paid much attention while she was shopping, the surrounding food stands that offered freshly cooked food had appealed to him a great deal more.
She gave a short laugh. "Well, the point is that you'll use it but I wouldn't say it's something you need. Anyway, it's rude to refuse a gift from a girl you know." She smiled at him.
He wasn't sure what made this so amusing but he gave a curt nod back to her. "Fine." He flicked his tail and crossed his arms to insinuate some reluctance but in actuality his curiosity won out.
She passed him and went back to the kitchen. She went into one of the bags and started shifting the contents around. Perhaps her 'gift' for him was in the bag that was taken? Either that or she'd just said it for amusements sake.
"How is it that out of the two of us, you're the lucky one today?" She grumbled a little bitterly. She pulled something out and held it out to him in her palm. The item was a dark red velvet ribbon with a small brass bell at the center. His eyes widened at the item and one hand unconsciously flew to his throat wear his old bell had been previously. A mix of shock, bitterness and loss swept through him.
"I remember you crying out before about a bell. Now I don't know what the other one was to you, but if anything this could be a place holder? I saw it while I was shopping and I thought it might suit you. Take it as an extra little thing of appreciation. It was.. Interesting while you were here if not a little fun even if that wasn't the reason you were here in the first place. Maybe it'll be a little reminder to visit again sometime, or not. Make of it what you will." Sienna closed her fingers around it and flipped her hand as if to hand it to him.
Cheshire hesitated. There was no way this could ever replace his lost bell. It had been far too precious due to the memories locked within it. He wasn't sure how to feel about this 'gift'. When she appeared to be about to drop her hand he held out his palm up to take the item. A smile spread across her face as he accepted it. Looking at it closely it was nothing like the one he had lost. The tone of the colors were darker than it had been. The bell itself was also smaller with intricate designs fanning out from the opening at the center and a darker brass color instead of a sparkling gold. He closed his fingers around the fabric and turned his hand to let the bell dangle. It made a duller tinkling sound too. He closed his free hand around the cloth of his collar where the old item used to be.
"Do you like it?" Sienna interrupted his scrutinizing of the item. He met her gaze and quickly averted it to the floor.
"Ah- Y-Yeah..." He replied haltingly. What was it with this strange person? Whatever her intentions were, he wouldn't be wearing it around his neck even though the ribbon appeared long enough. His failure was still too fresh for that to happen. Xerxes Break... He would hunt down the Mad Hatter as soon as he paid the Intention a visit. He hadn't thought up a plan on how to get his treasure back from him yet, but it'd be his newest priority.
The thought of facing that man again made fear prickle along his skin. His chain, Mad Hatter, was an abomination that should never have been created in the first place. It's abilities centered around destroying it's own kind and it's contractor, a ruthless man that seems to be pursuing the Intention with a vengeance. No matter his reasoning, he was an ungrateful fool.
"Good... Take care, Cheshire."
Cheshire's skin was beginning to crawl with his anxiety, fear and something he didn't quite recognize added another layer to his unease. With a silent trembling breath he tried to fight back the dark things that threatened to consume him. Without casting the woman another glance he teleported himself out of her home and straight into the Abyss to return to the individual that has always been most important to him. For her sake he would be able to overcome his insecurities. His world with resume once again with her in the center.
Author's Note:
Firstly, sorry for making you wait so long for this chapter! Summer has been unexpectedly busy, but I want to assure everyone that I'm definitely carrying on with the series. Thank you for your lovely comments!
I'm taking Senna Bluefire's advice and have started reading the manga after all. Thank you for the suggestion! It gives me a little more to work with for the characters from the series that are going to start making their appearances very soon in this story.
I hope all of you are having a great summer! Thanks for reading~!
*Constructive criticism is very welcome here and I would really appreciate it.
Please comment and let me know what you think.
Pandora Hearts © Jun Mochizuki
Writing & Original Characters © Fukisako