Okay. I'm really sorry about the wait. I just have a bunch of random, annoying plot bunnies randomly jumping around my random brain.
Disclaimer-I don't own Gosick. If I did, I would have actually understood what had happened in the last episode. No. Seriously. I didn't get it. In fact, I watched it twice and still had no idea what was going on. Maybe I should watch it a third time...
Staring at the ceiling, a weak sigh escaped from his lips.
Everything felt surreal.
It was as if one moment he was talking to Vikki...the next, handing a book to Victorique...and then, holding hands with both.
The boy reached his hand out-as if he were trying to grasp reality with his numb fingertips.
He hadn't spoken a word since his conversation with Vikki...Victorique...Vikki...
Kujo didn't know what to call her anymore.
Although he knew that she would insist for him to call her Victorique, he could only recognize her as Vikki.
His senses finally came alive when the door to his sleeping quarters flew open in a raucous cacophony of noise.
Kujo's employer entered the room. Panicking, Kujo sat up straight.
The Marquis narrowed his merciless orbs.
"What are you doing here?" the Marquis inquired through gritted teeth.
The younger of the two could do nothing but gulp as his employer emitted a terrifying aura.
"First, you tread on forbidden premises, and now, you are lounging around during work hours. The first time was hardly excusable. And now, you dare defy me a second time!" Kujo's employer gave a menacing glare.
"I apologize for my behavior, sir. I'll get back to my post right away-"
"No. You won't be doing that. From now on, you are relieved of your duty."
Kujo blinked, unsure if he had heard that right.
"Why are you still here?" the Marquis asked. "If you have so much time on your hands, then start packing whatever belongings you have."
"I understand," Kujo murmured. However, his voice started to crescendo, becoming a nearly deafening cry. "But, if I leave, Vic...Vic-"
"Vic-?" the Marquis' eyes narrowed further, causing Kujo to internally shudder. "Leave."
Simultaneously blinking and nodding, Kujo took out a small briefcase and proceeded to pack his few belongings.
Apparently satisfied, the Marquis de Blois left.
"Do not trouble yourself with her," a nonexistent wind hissed.
The gate closed, blocking the view of the mansion.
Gripping his suitcase, Kujo wandered about the streets.
With his meager wages, it would be difficult to find a place to stay.
For now, I guess I'll ask if I can stay with Avril, he thought.
His stomach growled for food. Kujo paid no mind to that as he ambled around the streets.
As the road brightened by dozens of flickering lights overhead, a delicious aroma wafted through the air, taunting him.
Kujo stopped, ignoring his famine and blurry vision.
With harsh, ragged breathing, he attempted to walk on ahead.
He just needed to get to Avril's house. Just needed to...
From the bleak sky, it looked like a piece of the sky fell...followed by another...and another.
Blanketing the ground in a vast expanse of cerulean, it seemed that the falling sapphires would never end.
Panting, he finally made it to her house.
Barely managing to raise his hand to knock on the door, he waited...and waited.
Each interval between consciousness and darkness seemed to become longer as Kujo started to cough.
The doorknob in front of him looked as if it was splitting into two. The previously intricate patterns on it were now imperceptible as it became a broze blob.
He heard a faint clicking noise, followed by an eerie creaking noise. Someone shrieked.
Kujo could barely sense a white mist formed by his chapped lips and uneven breathing.
When his half-lidded walnuts finally closed shut, he became engulfed in a radiant light.
The last thing he could make out was a heavy thud.
So bright.
Everything was just so bright.
Emerald orbs bored into his; a shy smile faintly visible on her lips.
"Are you awake?" the girl asked.
"...Yeah. Were you here the whole time, Vikki?" he asked.
"Yes."
Kujo wanted to ask her so many questions.
Was this before or after her mother left? Was her actual name Vikki?
"Thanks," he mumbled, wishing he could control the words tumbling from his lips. .
"I need to go," the girl smiled. "Bye."
"Oh. Yeah. Bye."
She smiled again.
Kujo finally noticed.
Her smile-it didn't reach her eyes anymore.
He woke up again.
Kujo blinked.
He was in the park again; the park where he had always met Vikki.
Leaves rustled and birds sang.
Vikki...Victorique...Vikki...She...was not here.
And then, he saw it.
It was minuscule and difficult to see in the harsh rays of the Sun but, it was there.
A glint of gold.
He turned in that direction.
Kujo saw a mass of gold, shining in the sunlight.
"Vikki!" he cried.
He didn't know if she had heard it and chosen to ignore his desperate cry or if she hadn't heard it at all.
Kujo reached his hand out, trying to reach her.
His surroundings changed; everything was now a murky ebony.
The gold of her hair shimmered, taunting him...just like how she described her imprisonment.
"Vikki? Vikki! Vikki! Vikki!"
Kujo ran as far as his small legs could carry him.
The light only moved further and further away.
"Vikki! Come back! Wait!"
His pleas were to no avail; the light dimmed, and flickered.
He stopped, finally coming to terms with the current situation.
But, something fell, stinging his cheeks.
Kujo sniffed and made a high-pitched noise from the back of his throat.
Was he crying?
Hiccuping, he wiped his eyes.
"Vikki..."
His right hand tightened around a circular object nestled into his palm.
Hearing something crack, Kujo loosened his grip on the object-causing it to fall from his clenched fist in shattered pieces.
Candy.
The candy he had given to her.
"Why did you leave?"
Another hiccup.
"Why, Vikki?"
The soothing trills of a bird finally roused him out of his slumber.
Panting-coughing, maybe-Kujo clutched his heaving chest to calm himself down.
He vaguely noticed that he was in a pint-sized room. Though heated by a flickering fire, it was not at all cozy; the flames that swallowed blocks of wood created a monstrous shadow on the stucco wall. The window to his far left was agape, leaving rain to dampen his somewhat sour mood and winds to prove his heat source unreliable.
Raising its wings, the forgotten animal made an obscure noise and flew towards his direction.
Although Kujo had instinctively flinched, the feathered creature gracefully landed on the boy's shoulder.
Cooing, the bird (that Kujo had recognized to be a dove) lifted its leg out, exposing a piece of vellum hastily tied onto its leg.
Though somewhat hesitant, Kujo swiftly untied the knot and let the dove free.
Chirping one last serenade, the avian left through the window, braving rain and thunder.
Bading a silent farewell to the bird, the boy slowly unfurled the drenched paper.
He squinted, trying to make sense of the blurred ink before him.
"Marquis...de Bl...Blois, we...acce..pt your offer...in...your..." Kujo stared at it in disbelief, then gave a nervous laugh.
No matter how many times he tried to convince himself otherwise, he knew that this was legit.
His heart wrenched. She didn't have anything to do with him anymore. So, why did he care?
"She's getting married," he murmured to no one.
Why? Why did this even matter to him?
His heart ached, beating a morose rhythm.
Kujo only knew one thing-he couldn't make sense of anything anymore.
Did you like it?
Review please? Criticize? I'm not too sure about this chapter.