Ughh. So many things. XD Now I actually have to think about what I'm writing. I'll try and accommodate everyyyyone. XD Let's see…So. The psycho-thing is definitely in, I'll have a little bit of memory loss just long enough for poor Gil to be saddddd, and…the emotionless thing is hard if I'm doing the psycho thing. I'll figure something out. XD Moony and Trix…as usual, you two dorkily make my existence bright XDD Wiv and Chibi, you two are my hugs, and Magician, you just made me giggle all over the place on break. XD~ Now I have to decide how lazy I am or am not feeling…ugh…I guess I'll try not to be lazy, and do what I'm about to do. Even though I want to get on with things. And I dunno how I'll do this. XD
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Gilbert gripped his master tightly as he prepared to exit the Abyss and (hopefully) end up back in his proper time and world. Just a little further-
He felt Raven suddenly take a dive and without ado, they slammed into the ground and Gilbert was sent flying with Oz held tightly in his arms. Gilbert rolled to take the damage of the fall as he clutched Oz to him. "What the-Raven! What-" he cut off as he saw the world around him.
Red-haze covered everything and it looked like a cross between the Abyss and his own world. It appeared like when Lucero had opened his portal…what did that mean? Had they not gotten through?
"It was Gregory." Gilbert started at the familiar voice as he looked up to see a translucent and faintly glowing Vincent before him with an agitated expression.
"Vincent?"
Vincent's red and gold gaze slid down to Gilbert and didn't soften or smile as it usually did. But he did make a mental note of the fact that he couldn't explain what he knew of Gregory, after all, he didn't have his memories of Sablier…or so he continually told Gilbert. "That man…I could…feel it. He went through the portal on his own, it must have…caused our own exit to fail."
"This is the world between the living and the dead, a limbo. The world that was used to connect the Abyss to your own time and world." this from Raven, now in human form again and with gritted teeth as he clutched his stomach.
"Raven…are you-"
"It's nothing." Raven said dismissively as he turned cold eyes onto the world around him. "The issue at hand is how to escape this realm…if that child were still conscious, he would have pulled us through. I imagine his power let up when Gregory exited first."
"Lucero is dead?" Gilbert asked with wide eyes.
Raven cast him a cool and faintly annoyed glance. "I said nothing of the kind. If he were dead…we wouldn't have come through this world cleanly at all…our souls would have been stripped from our bodies…"
Gilbert's brow furrowed slightly. 'Our'. But Chains didn't have souls, did they? Had Raven just simplified it by including himself? Or…
Vincent looked around with his same agitated expression. "We need to find a way out fast…"
"…Why?" Gilbert asked cautiously.
"It isn't only spirits in this world. And the living don't belong here. In time, your souls would be stripped anyway."
Gilbert's eyes widened, he supposed that Vincent had this knowledge from Lucero during his time as a spirit previously. "Can we open a portal with your power, Raven?"
"Have you forgotten already? Until Oz Vessalius is restored to his body, my power is spent on you…no, the one who can free us is Lucero…or Oz Vessalius himself."
"That…the Bellman…he said Oz wouldn't wake up until got his body back..."
"Change of plans." Raven said as his gaze slid to Gilbert. "You're his contractor now. Order him to awaken."
"What?" Gilbert's reply was almost inaudible. He was supposed to force Oz awake with an order? No…he didn't want to treat the other like a Chain…he didn't want this contract between them…the only 'contract' he wanted was the one he'd signed all those years ago…with 'Uncle Oscar' as the witness…
"If we all die here, do you really think that that will help your master? Order him awake."
Vincent tilted his head and forced a smile to his lips. "It'll be alright, big brother…you can fix him, right?"
Gilbert stared up at Vincent with a troubled expression but it would do no good…if they died here, it would be over anyway…so should he try? "…" Gilbert lowered his head and whispered something into Oz's ear before he pulled away and spoke hesitantly. "Oz…I…order you to wake up…"
"Like you mean it." Raven growled.
Gilbert winced and then steeled himself. "…Oz…wake up!"
A bolt of pure white light swirled with red shot from the sky and into Oz's chest and the boy sat straight up with wide, blank-white eyes that slowly circled out into emerald orbs. But there were veins of black in his eyes, like the pupil had bled out in certain places.
"Oz…?"
Oz said nothing for a moment and stared straight ahead with a blank look, before he slowly blinked and turned to look at Gilbert. There was an emptiness a moment before the boy smiled slowly and then slid forward to wrap his arms around Gilbert's neck. "I heard you…you called for me…so I came…I'll always come, if you call." Strikingly similar words to the Bellman's. Oz buried his face in Gilbert's upper neck and his lips brushed by the other's vein, a sensation that made Gilbert shiver even as his eyes widened and he pushed the other away to hold him by the shoulders and stare at him. "Oz…are you alright?"
Oz smiled brightly, and Gilbert was relieved…of course he was alright…wasn't he? "Of course, silly…as long as you're with me, I'm better than alright…" Gilbert seemed puzzled a moment before he simply seemed relieved and ruffled Oz's hair lightly.
Vincent's lips had curved into a frown and his eyes were cold as he stared in a mixture of jealousy, bitterness, and the flickers of rage. As if Oz wasn't bad enough on his own, there was something amiss with the boy…he could tell…and his brother was too much of a dope, too wrapped around the other, to have even noticed yet.
Gilbert eyed his young master a moment. Oz was in his arms, smiling and warm, but why did something still seem off? He assumed that the startling, jagged black lines in his eyes were an effect of the contract, but…
"Oz Vessalius, with your powers, you should be able to access the remains of the original portal."
Oz stilled before he slid his gaze slowly to Raven and eyed the other from the corner of his eyes. "And your point?" he asked softly, faintly mocking.
"…" Raven didn't reply, simply stared at Oz as Gilbert frowned at his young master.
"Can you get us out of here, Oz?" Gilbert asked as he continued to eye his master, to try to divulge what seemed off.
Oz whirled around instantly and smiled. "Siiiillllyyy. Sure I can…" Oz pushed himself up by Gilbert's shoulders and stepped aside where he held out a hand and focused as dark shadows emerged from the ground and slid around him.
"Oz!"
The shadows moved in a swift circle and dissipated to reveal a transformed Oz. He had a little black cape that was red on the inside, and a version of the nobleman's outfit he'd worn at his Coming of Age ceremony, albeit that the pants were a crimson and violet version of his plaid shorts, and the top had dangling black spikes and jagged gold trimmings. A miniature top-hat with black rabbit's ears was tucked on the corner of his head, and a choker at his neck held a blood-red jewel with a little raven-design on the inside. The finisher was his long scythe. Oz slid his gaze to Gilbert and the jagged edges in his eyes had grown to full slits side by side with the now jagged emerald ones. "Hold onto Vincent and Raven, 'kay? We'll all go together that way…" Oz chuckled.
Gilbert and Vincent wore similar stunned expressions, and Raven's lips were curved into a thin frown. But Gilbert managed to pull himself from that moment to grab Raven's hand and then Vincent's. He wouldn't hesitate to do as Oz bade or asked, Oz was his master, after all.
Oz's smile widened as he stepped forward and then swung his scythe above his head with ease, as he did so, he whistled shrilly and a hideous screech came in reply as a disfigured-looking bird launched from the trees beside them. With an effortless twist, he slashed his scythe through the creature and didn't move as it's murky blood blasted down and seemed to avoid him.
"Oz! Why…?"
"Everything has a price, silly, didn't we just hear that? To open a gate to the living world…isn't it right to end a spirit here?" Oz said instructively, as though to a child.
"But…Oz…" Gilbert didn't count it as murder, the thing was a monstrous creature of some kind but still…to see Oz take any existence so lightly, for him to behave so carelessly…he knew now, without a doubt, that this Oz was not quite correct.
"Tell me what you want me to do, alright? I want to hear you say it." Oz said suddenly as he bounced over to Gilbert and looked up at him charmingly.
Gilbert stared down at his young master with a mixture of confusion and dawning horror. "Oz…you're not…well right now, I think…"
Oz scoffed. "That's not right…isn't there something that you want me to do? Just tell me, 'kay? If it's for you, I'll do it for sure." he smiled again.
Gilbert looked to Raven and then to Vincent, the latter of whom looked both disgusted and troubled but he hid it quickly as Gilbert looked his way. "Big brother…we don't have time…just humor him for now, please?" Vincent murmured as he gripped his brother's hand more tightly. For the moment, while Gilbert and Raven were in this realm, he could touch them as though he were corporeal. Oz had been a soul all along, but the same effect had been in the Abyss. Vincent suspected that for Oz, at least, that would not change even once they were back where they belonged.
Gilbert stared back down at Oz again before he said softly. "Oz…please…will you open the gate?"
Oz sighed dramatically. "That's not what I meeeeaaannnt. That's okay, we'll practice! But for now…" Oz's expression became more serious and his eyelids lowered to give him a faintly dreamy, slightly cold look . "…Of course I'll open the gate for you, for my master."
Gilbert's golden eyes shot wide open as the budding horror of before eclipsed his expression at that one little world that threatened to shatter him. "Oz, no-"
The boy swung his scythe into the air and a red and black miasma swirled around the blade and seemed to cut through the air itself as he tore open a portal himself. The power grew and the portal burst around Oz and his scythe, and enveloped them all in darkness.
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Bwah, in a bit of a hurry. But I think I might post another chappie tonight too! XD I debated on this little interlude (if I was lazy, I'd have skipped it XD) but I went ahead with it. And Oz got to look so darned cute! I think this chapter was a bit fail, but it'll get us onward. XD Hmm. I did just envision a nice scene with a darkly Oz patronizing a stunned Barma. And then Gil comes and Oz plays nice again. Or something. XD ANYWAY! Please enjoy my darlings!