CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The lion and the unicorn were fighting for the crown

The lion beat the unicorn all round the town

Some gave them white bread, some gave them brown

Some gave them plum cake and drummed them out of town.

The Unicorn cantered to a halt, and the glowing path of light beneath its hooves fell away in a shower of fading sparks. It breathed heavily, making small gasping sounds, its sides rising and falling unevenly.

Oz dismounted cautiously, marvelling at the sensation of standing on light, and looked around. They were in the highest reaches of the Pathways, far up above the dark ocean of Abyss.

"What now?" Alice asked dubiously.

Lotti let go of the Unicorn's neck, and shifted her position, making herself more comfortable. "You can use your power to get out of here yourself if you want," she said. "I'm tied to the Unicorn, so I leave when it leaves."

"Hmph." Alice folded her arms. "Like I'd let you out of my sight for even a second. We'll go together."

Underneath them, the Unicorn shuddered. DO NOT BE SO SURE, it broke in. Something in its voice made Lotti shiver.

"What do you –"

The Unicorn grinned.

IT IS A VERY LONG WAY DOWN.

Lotti went white.

Clack-clack. Clack-clack.

She walked through the corridors of the place that had been her home, once upon a time, and she forgot, and she remembered.

Once it had a tall tower, and in it they had locked up a lady all alone. And there were rooms, pretty rooms and beautiful gardens, and he didn't despise her, not then – long ago, before…

"Unicorn, don't - you will NOT –"

BE SILENT, GIRL.

"Serafina –"

I! SAID! BE! SILENT!

The Unicorn reared up on two legs, screeching, and then it twisted around and kicked out hard. Oz slipped - lost his footing, and he fell and then he was gone.

"OZ!" Alice roared, her eyes feral –

Clack-clack-clack, went her feet against the floor. What made that noise? Was it shoes or was it claws?

"Oz," she repeated, a whisper this time. But he had fallen into the darkness below too quickly for farewells. She whipped around. "What's down there?" she snapped. "Where'd he go?"

"I don't know!" Lotti yelled. "Why are you asking me!" She had flung her arms around the Unicorn's neck once more and laced her fingers together, her knuckles white.

I SENT HIM AWAY, AWAY, YOU HEAR? It laughed gratingly, and shuddered beneath the two of them. Alice clung on stubbornly.

"He's in Abyss, right?" she said urgently. "That's what's below us. He can't be anywhere else –"

"Alice, I don't think so," Lotti said breathlessly. "If he was just in Abyss…Oz is powerful. He would have come back."

Alice was breathing fast, her fists clenched so hard that her sharp nails were biting into her flesh. She leaned forward and spoke into the Unicorn's ear. "Where IS HE?" she growled.

FOLLOW HIM AND YOU WILL FIND OUT

Alice sat up straight and swung one leg over the Unicorn's back to sit sidesaddle.

"Alice, NO –"

But Lotti's grasping finger's clutched at empty space. Alice had slid off soundlessly, scythe in hand. She was gone in an instant.

The mansion was empty.

Why was it empty? It had never been like that before.

Was this place even real?

The Chain swayed and staggered, and if anyone had been watching her at that exact moment they would have seen her shape flicker, fade, warp into something else entirely, before snapping back into the form of a gaunt, nightmarish beast.

Why…why was everything like this? Why did it have to turn out this way?

Lotti scrambled off the Unicorn. "What did you do that for?" she demanded, glaring at it. "Where did you send them?"

It stepped towards her.

"Don't think I'm going to just jump after them like that stupid rabbit decided to. Did they fall into Abyss or not?"

ABYSS

"You –"

AN ABYSS

"…an Abyss?"

OF A DIFFERENT SORT THEY ARE TRAPPED.

"I'm your contractor, Unicorn!" She produced a knife from somewhere in her cloak and gripped it tightly.

THE OTHERS ARE GONE I'M FREE NOW I HAVE NO NEED OF THIS FORCED CONTRACT!

"You can't break it." She brandished the knife. "I'm not going down without a fight."

I WILL NOT KILL YOU. Something deep within its dead eyes seemed to flash. BUT I CAN GET YOU OUTOFTHEWAY... ILLEGAL CONTRACTOR.

Lotti had barely taken a step back when the Unicorn lowered its head and pointed its horn at her. It stamped its foot against the ground, flexing its claws, and the world flashed bright and white, and full of fiery pain -

The Unicorn left her there in the pathways.

She stumbled forward, her claws sliding and clattering. Why was there no one here? No one, nothing, just dead walls.

She had not lived in this place for a long, long time.

xxx

The first thing Oz noticed was that his power was gone. He gasped and clutched at his chest, desperately seeking the crackling flow of energy that was always just within reach- and found nothing. He reached into his pocket, looking for the familiar weight of the golden watch. It wasn't there.

Okay…not good. Where was he? Where was Alice, Lotti? Had the Unicorn taken his power? He opened his eyes and gingerly sat up. The last thing he remembered was shouting, a jolt - and then the sensation of falling. He must have fallen off the Unicorn's back. But he wasn't in Abyss…

He stood with difficulty. Supporting himself against a nearby tree, he attempted to ignore the lingering sensation of falling through darkness, because he wasn't. He could feel twigs crunching under his boots, and see the dark sky stretching out above him, and the trees towering around him.

He…recognised this place, didn't he?

Blood – flesh under his claws – screaming –

He clapped a hand to his mouth, forcing down bile at the remembered taste of blood. Michael's blood. He saw a dark stain splashed across the trunk of the tree across from him, and then he knew for certain that this was the place where – where –

No. Forget that. Don't think about him. You can't afford to remember…

Oz calmed his breathing and glanced around again. The forest was exactly as he remembered, but this time he was alone. The place was dead silent. How had he arrived here? This couldn't be the actual forest – he had fallen down, not up. This wasn't Abyss…but it wasn't the real world, either.

He took an unsteady step forward, feeling the lack of power inside his veins as a dull, empty throb. What was this place? What was he meant to do here? He took another step -

-and from behind him, the sound of crackling leaves made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He wasn't alone. Slowly, very slowly, he turned around.

Eyes identical to his own caught his gaze and held it. He made out an elegant feline face, sleek golden fur, dark wings spreading out from its back -

"You're..."

The lion's wings rustled in the faint breeze. Oz could only shake his head in wonder.

So this was why he couldn't access his power. He was…this must be somewhere created by his own memories. That was the only possibility. And this Chain -

Oz reached out shakily to touch the beast's muzzle. This Chain was…him. He had nothing to fear…

"Hello," he said.

The lion blinked.

Oz swallowed, and pushed his hand out decisively. His fingers met fur.

The lion jerked back, snarling, and Oz found that he was suddenly terrified beyond all rational thought. He scrambled backwards wildly, wanting more than anything to get away from this beast. Its claws unsheathed, and its lip curled. Its eyes had sparked into furious, rage-filled life. There was a sick jolt in Oz's stomach as he realised that he recognised the emotion in those eyes – he had been that beast, this beast was him –

It pounced, and he rolled out of the way just in time. As it turned out, it seemed he had quite a lot to fear. Oz lurched to his feet and began to run, branches whipping at his face and arms and legs. Behind him there was the sound of the lion's thudding paws.

There was a slight dip in the land, and Oz found himself running downwards. Glad for the extra boost in speed, he widened his strides, letting his legs carry him down the slope. Listening for the sound of the Chain chasing him, he heard nothing, and relaxed, slowing to a jog –

These trees looked awfully familiar.

With a dreadful, sickening rush, Oz looked up to see that he was standing in the exact same patch of woods he had come from, and the lion was standing in front of him, calm and silent. He whipped his gaze around, and saw only the very same trees and undergrowth, and beyond that, the same woods again beyond each other, a thousand times over-

Face me, the lion said, and Oz jumped.

Coward, it sneered. Would you accept it if you killed your friends? Alice. Gil. Lotti. Do you just accept everything that comes your way?

Oz stared, and his hands shook.

We killed Michael, and you push him out of your mind like he was nothing.

"You did–"

We're the same.

"No, we're not –"

We're the same.

Oz shook his head, but swallowed his disbelief. Well…while the lion wasn't trying to kill him, he might as well make the most of it.

"So… why am I h-"

The lion's eyes flashed, and it growled. Don't ACCEPT!

"I was just…" Oz trailed off mid sentence.

We're the same. Do you know why we're here?

"Well, I didn't think I should guess, that would be a bit silly –"

What do you think?

"Well, I was thinking that this is inside my head, so the Unicorn did something…the Abyss isn't really real, right, so when I was falling into it a…thing happened, and now I'm not really falling, I'm in here…in another dimension created by my mind…with you."

The lion just gazed at him with narrowed eyes.

"So…we're the same? You're what I am when I'm a Chain?"

Yes. The lion curled its lip and growled.

Oz swallowed, his mouth and throat dry as bones.

I killed Michael, the lion said, and Oz knew that I was him, and that they were unquestionably the same. Oz Bezarius, face me now!

Heart fluttering in his chest like a panicked bird, Oz shook his head, took a step back – and still the lion slunk forward, its gaze condemning him.

I killed Eques. Face me now.

Oz's legs trembled, every fibre of his being screaming at him to get away, get away, don't listen to it! Don't think about it, don't face it, don't -

I am your sin. I'm every bloodthirsty instinct and killing thought that ever crossed your mind. I'm your jealousy and your obsession and your insanity and your lies. There's one thing I'm not, though, and that's your fear. Face me now, coward. The lion's teeth glinted and its muscles coiled and tautened as it prepared to spring.

This was his sin, and it was going to kill him.

Oz turned and ran.

The lion landed behind him, and he swerved to the right, shame burning in his face. He felt himself beginning to run downhill. No – no escape – he couldn't dwell on this place, couldn't keep thinking about the warm blood that had dripped dripped dripped

Would you accept it if I killed your friends?

There was a scream. Oz faltered, slowed. The sound of thudding paws had ceased. The lion had stopped chasing him. Where had it gone?

The scream sounded again. He wavered for a moment, but then turned and ran towards the sound. Whoever it was, he didn't want this. He didn't want them in danger because of him…

He burst through the bushes - and stumbled at the sight of the victim. It was Alice, clutching her chest, blood trickling through her fingers. Her knees wobbled and she sank to the ground.

Wouldn't you like to be that one – the lone knight-?

Oz couldn't think. The bottom had dropped out of his stomach and there was a roaring in his ears. No. She wasn't dying. No, she – Alice didn't bleed, she was untouchable -

She looked up and saw him. "Pathetic manservant," she mumbled, and her head drooped.

Shrugging off his vest, he rushed to her and kneeled, attempting to clumsily wrap it around her middle. There was so much red, her rapid Chain's heart pumping the life's blood out of her.

"Alice," he whispered. "Alice, Alice, Alice –" His hands shook, and his vision faltered.

"Relax, I'm not dead yet," she muttered.

Oz's breathing came harsh and fast. The forest was calm, the sky peaceful. Tears blurred his vision as he finished tying the knot around her wound.

"Alice," he whispered, and drew her to his chest, burying his face in her shoulder. Was this real? Was he dreaming? It didn't matter. In no reality whatsoever could Alice be allowed to die.

"Hey, Oz."

"Yes?" he stammered, his voice cracking.

"Y'make a good knight," she mumbled.

Oz stared at her. Tears began to slip down his cheeks.

Behind him, the bushes began to rustle, and he heard leaves crunch beneath softly padding feet.

He began to turn, but too late – the great cat leapt, wings guiding its flight, and Oz clutched Alice closer to him, shielding her as the lion dove at him –

Just for that second, as it passed through him, its being melding perfectly with his, Oz understood everything quite clearly. He was able to kill, and he wanted to kill, and there was a creature in front of him whose scent was fresh and hot and full of blood, and how had he not seen - it was all so simple…

Alice didn't scream, but just gave a faint sigh as his jaws sank into her neck and her eyes went blank. Bone splintered and muscle tore and hot blood spurted into his mouth and down his throat, and the lion laughed with the pleasure of it all as she fell back, back, back, her hair streaming in the air like shining dark ribbons -

Accept this, Oz Bezarius.

Oz screamed, and screamed, and sobbed, and gathered Alice to him, clutching her hair hard enough to rip it out by the roots, and his tears dripped off his chin onto her dead white face.

We're the same.

You did this.

You're a Chain inside, you're a beast -

Desperately he kissed her mouth, cradling her cheeks, whispering against her face come back, come back, this isn't true! Her lips were warm still, and as he pressed his face against hers, trying to trap that warmth, she changed. Her face turned demonic, fake, like a doll. Her mouth stretched into an impossible grin and her eyes turned to black holes, and she crumbled away with the breeze.

Oz sobbed even harder.

Oz –

He looked up, and of course it was there. He inhaled deeply, looking down.

"I…I won't run away," he said.

I killed-

"I know," he said, his voice thick with tears. "I know, and I'm so so sorry. I can't fix it. I can't change it." He looked directly at the lion for the first time. "And I'm not going to run away."

Good. He thought he caught a hint of approval from himself, and felt a little happiness. That's all you needed to do.

"Michael…Eques…I tried to forget about them, when they didn't deserve forgetting…"

I know. We're the same, Oz Bezarius.

Oh, damn it. Oz could feel himself starting to cry again "I…I killed them," he said, and the lion padded closer. "Oh. Oh…"

You're not going to shut it off and lock it away and pretend?

Oz took a shaky breath and nodded.

Good. The lion sat back, satisfied.

"Will this hurt? What's going to happen?"

Something in its eyes flickered, and it wavered, suddenly uncertain for the first time.

I can't absolve you of your guilt, because I am your guilt, don't you see? I don't know what else to do but this…

"I'm…I'm forgiven, though. Right?" said Oz.

Why don't you ask yourself that? The lion shuddered, then shook its head and stepped forward. I promise it'll hurt…but only for a second.

It pounced, knocking him backwards. Oz yelled out in shock and pain, limp in the lion's grasp. Its eyes flashed, and it reared back, snarling. You're meant to fight. You're not meant to just accept your death!

Oz shook his head. "What do you want me to do? What am I supposed to –"

You tell me! Oz, WE'RE THE SAME. The lion that had been so purposeful before, so angry and confident, shook its head and roared mournfully to the endless woods.

"I guess that's why you hate me so much," Oz muttered, his lips twitching. "Trust me to -"

The lion howled, and it lunged down, and Oz thought he could see every one of its gleaming teeth –

xxx

Oz: I iz ded _

Again, sorry about the wait! I promise it won't happen again, for real this time, as I've actually finished the story! –celebrates- This is the first part of the final chapter, which is over 9,000 words. (It actually is.) For everyone's sanity, I split it up into three parts for posting. However, the rest of the story is for all intents and purposes chapter 14.

Hope you liked it! Reviews are greatly, greatly appreciated. I hope to have the next instalment up very shortly.