A/N: Here's part two! This is how far I've gotten in my planning of this story, so the next chapter might take a little longer, sorry. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: Everything belongs to its original owners


Gil closed the library door quietly. It was well past midnight, and despite telling B-Rabbit he was headed to bed, Gil had found himself unable to get to sleep. There had been an old history book open on one of the tables, flipped to a page about chains. Gil took a deep breath, his fingers lingering on the doorknob just a little too long.

A way to change the past…

He swallowed hard.

"—told you to get that chain out of my house. Now the Baskervilles are coming for it."

Gil paused in front of the door to Oscar's study. Baskervilles?

"What? Did you tell them he was here?" Oscar's voice was low and dangerous.

"It needed to be taken care of."

"Zai! B-Rabbit is the only thing keeping Gil content right now!" Oscar took a deep breath. "I've tried to be there for him, but only B-Rabbit can bring him out of this pain. Do you even care about the people you affected when you refused to save your own son's life?"

"That creature is not my son!"

Gil's fists clenched. There was a harsh sound of flesh on flesh, and Gilbert flinched at the realization that Oscar must've struck his brother.

"How dare you talk about Oz like that!"

"Why do you care for a demon?" Gil blinked at the sudden change of topics.

"Why do you hate B-Rabbit so much?"

There was a sudden loud crash from downstairs, like an explosion of some sort. Zai chuckled.

"They're here."

Gil gasped. He didn't know what Baskervilles were, but if they were after B-Rabbit...He spun on his heel and raced off toward the chain's room. The study door slammed open and Oscar hurried out after him.

"Gil? Why are you still up?"

The raven ignored him, stumbling slightly as the ground shook with the force of another bang. The dark stench of smoke colored the air. Gil pushed himself to run faster, able to make out the form of B-Rabbit staggering into the hall.

"Master?"

Gil grabbed the chain's wrist, pulling him toward the stairs. "We have to get out of here!"

"What's going on?"

Shaking his head, Gil slammed his shoulder into the one of the courtyard doors, dragging B-Rabbit out into the garden. There was a distant rumble of thunder, faint sunlight just beginning to crawl across the sky. "I'm not sure, all I know is that we're being attacked by—"

"—Baskervilles!"

There, before them, stood four figures draped in crimson robes. Gil froze. B-Rabbit pushed the raven behind him as one stepped forward, pulling off her hood to reveal the long pink hair of Lottie Baskerville.

"What?" Gasped Gil, "You're the Baskervilles?" His fists clenched. "What do you want with B-Rabbit?"

Zwei removed her hood as well, baring her teeth at him in a feral grin. "We've come to take Oz Vessalius to the Abyss. Be a dear and get out of our way."

B-Rabbit went rigid.

"O-Oz is dead! You killed him!" Gil's heart was pounding.

"B-Rabbit! Gil!" Oscar hurried to their side, brandishing the small handgun Gilbert had never gotten the chance to see him use. He stared at the duke.

"Master Oscar...they...want Oz…"

Oscar blinked down at him in confusion. "What?"

Lottie's gaze flickered over to B-Rabbit. "You still didn't tell them?" She smiled. "And here I really thought you were friends…"

B-Rabbit's face was ashen. Lottie turned to Gil with a wicked smile. "This chain has known the truth about your master all along...and he kept it from you, content to watch you suffer—"

"Shut up!" B-Rabbit lunged forward, a huge scythe materializing in his hands as he flung himself at Lottie.

"Leon!"

The lion's claws met the scythe with a fierce clang. The other three Baskervilles sprung into action, chains appearing in the garden in bright flashes of light. Cursing, Oscar moved in front of Gil.

"Stay here! We'll take care of this!"

Gil was too stunned to move, a strange cold feeling creeping through his blood like liquid ice. The truth about Oz?

B-Rabbit yelped, caught from behind by a giggling Zwei. His scythe mowed through the tallest Baskerville's chain as it attempted to tear into him while he was held down. Oscar was shooting frantically at the other hooded Baskerville, but when he caught sight of B-Rabbit struggling against Zwei's grasp he switched targets and managed to hit her shoulder. She stumbled, and B-Rabbit twisted away from her.

Gil had been so busy watching the battle that he was completely caught off guard when Lottie's chain appeared beside him, claws flashing and managing to slash his forearm. He gasped, not expecting the sudden hot sting as they ripped through his skin. The chain moved to strike again, but this time B-Rabbit darted in front of Gil, deflecting the attack with his scythe.

"Go inside!" The chain hissed, weariness bleeding into his voice. He wasn't used to exerting his powers anymore.

Gil bit his lip, deciding to at least move away from the action a bit, but one of the hooded Baskervilles caught the motion, and Gil was forced to duck away from a shower of spikes from the giant porcupine like creature. As he scrambled to reach the other side of the courtyard, his foot twisted in a dip in the dirt, sending him sprawling to the ground with a grunt.

Gasping, he rolled onto his back just in time to see the second spray of spines shooting toward him.

"GIL!"

There was a flash of dark hair, and Gil found himself staring up into a pair of wide red eyes. B-Rabbit made a strangled sound. Gil's gaze travelled down to stare in horror at the spike protruding from the chain's stomach.

"What…"

B-Rabbit smiled, his lips quivering, eyes glazed with a faint sheen of tears. "G-Gil...I'm...so sorry—" his breath hitched, "—I-I should've...told you...but I…I was scared of what...you would t-think of me…" He suppressed a small sob, breath ragged and shallow.

As the first drops of rain began to trickle down, Gilbert watched the color melt from B-Rabbit's hair, dripping onto his cheeks and mixing with blood and tears and rain. B-Rabbit smiled sadly, blood pooling around his teeth, running over his lips, down his chin. Crimson eyes faded to dull, wet green. Gil stared up into the face of Oz Vessalius.

"I'm Oz."

Gil couldn't breathe.

Oz was B-Rabbit. B-Rabbit was Oz. The chain's blood splashed down onto his cheek.

Oz is a chain.

Oz is alive.

He remembered the thin, trembling boy with silky rabbit ears, who had panic attacks and was kept awake each night with violent nightmares.

He remembered the scars that marred his chest, the bruises, the burns.

That was Oz.

It had been Oz all along.

He thought he might be sick.

Dirty, ashy blond hair filled his vision for a moment as Oz tilted sideways, collapsing onto the wet ground with a thud.

Gil stared at his limp form in horror.

Oz drew in a ragged breath, and it was as if the sound unfroze his trembling body. Gil jerked forward, pulling the boy into his lap and holding him close to keep out the cold. A part of him wanted to rip the offending spike from his master's stomach, but the small bit of rationality still hovering in the back of his mind warned against it.

"MASTER OSCAR!" His voice cracked. The duke raced to their side, eyes widening as he understood the situation. He called for the servants to bring a doctor, eyeing the Baskervilles warily.

"Hold on Gil, help's coming. Keep him awake, I'll make sure none of them can get to you."

Nodding, the raven shook Oz's shoulders gently, curling his own body over the chain to keep him out of the rain. "It's gonna be okay...I-I promise…" He bit down hard on his lip to hold in a sob.

Watery green eyes gazed up at him, unfocused. "Gil…"

"I-I'm right here..."

Oz's pants were soft and shallow. "I'm sorry…" The words were barely a breath. His features crumpled, slow tears sliding down his cheeks. "...I-I'm so sorry—"

"Don't waste your breath," Gil whispered, blinking furiously. "I'm not mad at you...I...I never was…"

"But I knew I c-could help...and I just….watched you suffer…"

Gil hugged him tighter, frightened by how cold the chain's body felt against his skin. "I already told you...no matter what...you're my precious Young Master...my...precious best friend…"

Oz shook his head weakly, tears flooding his eyes once more. He was silent for a moment, the only sound his ragged breathing in the misty morning air. Gil held back a small whimper.

"G-Gil...I.." Oz's chilled fingers clasped around one of the Gilbert's hands, clinging tightly to the warm skin. "...I'm sorry…I...don't deserve t-that title…"

"S-Stop.." Gil gripped the blond's fingers back, rubbing gently along his palm to keep the blood flowing.

"'Jus' a chain…" Oz mumbled, his eyes glazed, head lolling limply into Gil's lap. His fingers fell slack in Gil's grip. The raven shook his head, eyes widening as he squeezed Oz's hand tighter, receiving no response from the blond.

"N-No—"

Gil twisted his fingers down to the chain's wrist, feeling desperately for a pulse. There was nothing. Dull green eyes watched him lifelessly.

"No…no….no, no, no...Oz, you can't—"

"Master Oscar told me all you had to do was say a chain's name and drink their blood...I don't understand…"

B-Rabbit smiled slightly.

"B-Rabbit, make a contract with me."

Gil sucked in a sharp breath, pressing Oz's cold fingers to his lips and closing his eyes.

"Make a contract with me, Oz!"

Oz's body jerked, inhaling suddenly. Gil's eyes shot open, staring down in shock at the wide red eyes gazing into his own. Immediately, white-hot pain flooded his veins, burning and twisting into his blood like fire.

Gil screamed, fingers digging into Oz's ribs as he struggled to stay conscious in the flow of agony. He was faintly aware of Oscar gripping his shoulders and dragging him back, away from Oz's body. The pain ebbed slowly, the world still blurred from his tears as he leaned back, gasping, into the duke's arms.

Oz was still once more, but this time, Gil could feel the other's heartbeat pulsing faintly alongside his own.

There was a strange numbness in his blood, a mix of ice and fire that settled into a deep warmth that seemed to hold him close and pressed away his concerns with a feeling that was distinctly Oz.