Yay! xD Im super happy about posting this chapter!

The reason? Because this officially marks the halfway point of the rewritten version! xD

So Im giving special thanks to everyone that has hung on to this story so far. And as thanks I'll give you a little sneak peak into what I'm working on after finishing the written portion of this story.

It's another PH story and, yes, it is another OC. But this one is one that I'll think about till I'm super sure about what I'm going to write ;3 So I'm hoping that'll help the character development. It is a pairing but it'd be no fun to just say that now. The OC has been talking in my head this whole time wanting to come out and have her story told but it'll all come in its due time. My hope is to have her whole profile and story outline done before the end of this year c: So that's something to look forth to :3

For now let's give thanks

-LightandDarkHeart: I get what you're saying. When I was reading that while proofreading, I also thought of KH xD And as for what's to happen to Claire well...you'll just have to wait and see ;3

Now let's start! :D

Chapter Twenty-One

To The Snake's Nest

Break had barged into my room early the day after and had been checking all my body, with the exclusion of some that I managed to prohibit.

"I'm telling you that I'm fine!" I bellow for the umpteenth time whacking his hand away from my shoulders again.

It bothered me that Oz had ratted me out by telling Break what had happened during the tea party. That had prompted him to come and check on me. Since early I had endured the scrutiny, or lack there of, from Break's inspection.

"So far I suppose you're right," he admitted and stood back while I buttoned my shirt. Lucky for me that he could only see shadows and that my undershirt was on. "It seems though that your body's nerves are actually not reacting like they're suppose to. The mishap with the tea cup yesterday must have been the start of their deterioration." He stood back and contemplated my situation, "Did Duke Barma tell you nothing else except that you were dying?"

"There was something else." Giving it some thought, I heaved a sigh before continuing. "I'm really trying not to get my hopes high about it. But he did say something about a very low chance of a solution but the possibilities of that are almost null."

"What was it that he said?" Break inquired a bit curious about it.

"Well..." Breathing a big sigh, I take sometime to explain what Barma had told me.

The grin came to Barma's face just as he expressed his next line. "But...there is a slight possibility that you might escape having to not meet ends."

My glare was kept on him when I pushed him to continue. "And what is that?"

"Technically speaking, the pieces left of the heart in you are what keep you alive. But it is true that they were once a whole heart that maintained its own existence. So theoretically speaking, if they could find a force strong enough there is the probability that the pieces can unite again as a whole."

"In other words—"

"In other words, if you can find a force strong enough to unify those pieces you might return that heart to normal and perhaps be able to avoid your end."

"It's understandable, and like he said, theoretically, it would be possible for you to regain it."

"But the chance itself is scarce," I repeated. Maybe the point I tried getting through didn't reach. "And even if I could, what force could be strong enough to make a heart whole again?"

"My interest is quite piqued indeed." He thought about it for a second but then shrugged his shoulders, "Alas, now won't be a time to investigate. I have to go for now."

"Giving Oz his fencing lessons?" My tone was a bit sarcastic to say the least.

"Yes," he replied and sighed. "He may be smart but he isn't talented like you were. Nonetheless, he's learning the basics all right."

"You know, if you get tired of teaching him I could go in for a while and replace you."

"Thanks but no." His declining my offer made me pout but I didn't retort. "You aren't in any better shape yourself, missy."

"Well, some fresh air won't hurt now, will it?"

With that, I followed him out towards the East Courtyard where Oz and Alice where all waiting for Break. Since I wasn't useful for the exercise, I sat back and watched a few feet away from Alice. Somewhere along the—frankly, around the fifty-sixth time I lost count of how many times Oz had lost to Break.

But by now they were talking more than they were fighting. And when they began to speak about something in particular, my ears perked up at having no other thing to do.

Isla Yura, huh? For some reason that name sounded very familiar but I couldn't place it with a face. Ugh, it was on the tip of my tongue too. But before I could finish, Gilbert came bursting out when Break kicked Oz's ass for the umpteenth time.

"So, did you do what I asked?" Break called and Gilbert simply pulled out a folded piece of paper out of his coat pocket with a grimace on his face.

Shortly after, Oz and the rest went inside with the former going ahead and taking a bath. Once he was out and while Gilbert towel dried, Oz read the paper. After they finished their explanation of 'Gil's little job' I sat speechless while straddling a chair and leaning my arms on the head rest.

"So basically—" I called before rephrasing what they had said. "You got Gil to steal information from Reim?"

"Don't say it that way!" Gil sputtered, very much embarrassed. "Reim has been nothing but helpful towards us!"

"An yet you stole from him," I reiterated my point again.

"Regardless of that," Oz interrupted my guilt tripping Gilbert while he eyed the paper. "With this we might be able to take advantage in order to find a way to approach Isla." His eyes suddenly widened and I knew he'd found something good.

"What did you find?"

He pointed at the paper and paraphrased. "He's invited Isla Yura to his villa in Reveille two days from now."

Okay. I cannot fathom how in the hell I keep getting smuggled into these situations. Of course I understand that the brat needs protection but why like this!?

"I swear I'm going to ask for a raise after this. Taking care of your idiot ass is taking too much of a toll on my psyche."

"Oh please, you're exaggerating," Oz called after his ramble with Gilbert. "I'm a wonderful kid~"

"Yeah, a wonderful-ly major pain in my ass," was my retort through gritted teeth.

Before anybody else could say anything we overheard someone calling to us. "Hey, what are you doing over there?!"

Oz's face became blank and suddenly changed in a sweet smile. Following his lead, I did the same just as the servant came up near our group. Oz's voice went up a pitch higher when he answered him.

"Us?" Oh god, I almost spit out from how much a shock I got from his acting. Disregarding that, Oz, Alice and I were in maid uniforms so it was easy for us to sneak in without being doubted. Gilbert had come in with a male uniform and Break hadn't disguised himself at all.

Back with the servant that had spotted us, I was surprised that he had actually blushed at seeing Oz. The brat then played the part of the lovely, innocent maid and got him to tell us where Barma was. Once he was gone and I couldn't hear his footsteps anymore I burst out in laughter from how he had blushed at Oz.

"No matter how much you look at it, I'm still a guy! Don't blush at me like I'm some cute girl you're drooling over!" he raged through gritted teeth.

"B-But did you see his face!?" I bellowed in laughter while holding my stomach. "I can't believe it!"

"It's all right, Oz. You're gorgeous."

"Shut it, Gilbert."

"It couldn't be helped," Break commented while chuckling too. "The male uniforms were too large for Oz-kun."

"Yeah, short stalk," I agreed while calming down for a bit. "Maybe you should get watered to grow some more!" My burst of laughter returned again making Oz glare at me.

"Enough, already!" he called mad. Quickly after Break left we continued out as planned and got to the room. We tiptoed our way there and Oz slowly cracked the door open but jerked his hand away when he heard a very annoying voice coming from inside that startled all of us.

The more we listened the more I came to think that this guy was fucking nuts! Investigating the Abyss? That this country had to do with the Tragedy? What nonsense was he spouting!? Oh god, the more he spoke the more disgusting he was becoming.

"Oz..." At hearing Gil quietly hiss. "Oz!"

"What is it?! It's just getting to the good part!"

"The stupid rabbit's gone!" Oh great, the one time we needed her to sit still.

"What? Is that why you invited the Nightray Duchess to join your cult?" Madame? "To satisfy your thirst for knowledge?"

"Gil!" Oz called out in a quiet whisper. "Go find Alice! I'll stay here!" Gil turned about with a perplexed gaze on his face.

"What are you—"

"Just go!" he hissed back. I wasn't planning on leaving the shorty behind so I nodded towards Gil and he reciprocated the gesture knowing I would take care of him. We stayed behind and listened in on the conversation.

But the moment Duke Barma opened his mouth, nothing good came out of it. "Hm, well then, how about this? I'll introduce you to Oz Vessalius."

Shit! "O-Oz, you don't think...?" He didn't answer. He was just as shocked as I was at hearing him say that.

"I know you've been looking for him this whole time," Barma continued with a smug grin on his face. If this goes on I swear to god I'll punch in his little, stupid face! "Well, that annoying brat is just your type." Fuck, he's going to snitch on us! "Look—over there."

Before we could scurry out of the door's way, they busted open with Yura having been the one opening them. Oz and I both stared away, startled and petrified in terror. But the moment I saw his face clearly, I knew he was plainly sickening. The guy was actually blushing. Oh yeah, this went from mildly displeasing to greatly creepy in a matter of seconds.

"B-b-b-b-b-blond haired, emerald eyed boy! A-Are you really!?" Fuck this shit. I got up and toddled over to where Alice and Gil were and simply tried to catch my heart from jumping out of my chest from that scare. Fuck it, sorry Oz but you're on your own on this. "Jack Vessalius-sama!"

"I'm not. My name is Oz Vessalius. Nice to meet you!"

Fixing my ribbon on my neckline one last time, I walked out of the changing room and into the parlor where everybody else was waiting and walked to sit next to Alice.

This guy was quite frankly a disgusting person.

"Oh my," Yura called startled. "What a surprise! To have the chance to meet Oz-sama like this! How naughty of you Duke Barma, you should have told me right away that he was present!"

"Ah, yes! I am a bit of a prankster."

"A bit?" I mumbled under my breath before crossing my knees and leaning my elbow on it while cupping my chin on that hand. Silence reigned over us for a couple minutes before the quack of Yura spoke up and broke it.

"O-Oz-sama?!"

"Yes!" Oz called out quite startled.

"T-There is one thing that I've been wanting to ask you for some time now?"

"I see...What is it?"

"Is it true that Jack Vessalius, the hero of this country, rests in your soul? Or is it just a made up story?"

Oh boy, he was a skeptic. Not blaming him but still this would make our job that much harder. Then, he mentioned Oz's father making Gil react to his insolence. "H-How dare you?!"

He didn't care if it happened to be a fluke but if it were to be true, he would allow him entry to his mansion. That's it. This is what Barma had planned all along by telling on us when we snuck in.

But...he can't do it.

I had already spoken to Oz before about letting me speak to Jack. But just like he couldn't back at Latowidge, he couldn't just summon him at will. At hearing him say that, Yura stood up and began to leave. Out of the blue Oz grabbed a knife from the table and raised it high in the air.

"Oz!"

But before he could do any harm to himself, his other hand came and halted his right. It was even shaking from the force it took to stop the attack. Suddenly, a bright jolly laugh came out from him and I noticed that it sounded like Jack's. "This kid... I wonder what he was planning to do if I didn't stop him."

"What a surprise..." Barma said a bit dumbfounded from his expression. "Did you really come out?"

"Yes." Wait a minute. Was it me...? No, perhaps it had been too long since I've heard him but, this didn't seem quite like the Jack I remembered. "You are Arthur's descendant, are you not? Your eyes are just like his." Barma kneeled before him and that frankly shocked me. He wasn't one to fool around like that. Another proof came when Yura asked him to recite the pledge of the cult and he said it tit by tat. But even so...I felt something was off about him. And as soon as he finished, Oz fainted.

After exclaiming in glee, Yura left for a while to compose himself. The moment he was out of earshot, Oz woke up and went to sit down on the chair.

Then he spouted something that made me want to kill him. "That man is a real idiot!" he bloated while fanning himself. Now I saw that the disgust towards Yura was mutual. "Fooled by a bit of clever acting!"

"Clever acting, my ass," I hissed and almost smacked him behind the head for making me seem like such a fool. Heaving a sigh, I hid my face with my hand. "I can't believe I fell for it." When Gil started mentioning how it was only Oz that he had invited my mind started working again. That's true. Even if he was able to enter, it wouldn't mean much since he wouldn't be able to search for the stone while with Yura.

"So young Vessalius, have you decided upon your next course of action?" Barma inquired with a grin of his own.

"Yes, of course," Oz replied, still clearly pissed at Barma. So after Yura came back, Oz hit him with the news.

"You can't come to my mansion!"

"Yura-sama might not know this but in this country noblemen are only allowed to attend social gatherings only after they have undergone their coming of age ceremony," Oz cried out with false innocence. Oh and he was hitting him hard too! Throwing all that bull about his father interfering if he even considered doing a ceremony. But it needs to be done. Please let it work.

"Oz-sama...do not worry. If the party were to be held in my mansion, no matter how influential your father is, he would never dare interfere!"

Gotcha. We're in.

"Let's do it, Oz-sama!" he called out and grabbed Oz by the shoulders while the brat lowered his face, falsely crying into his hands. "Let's hold your presentation ceremony at my mansion!"

So yeah, a bit short but that's all for now folks cx My head is killing me so I'll keep this short.

Please stay tuned for the next chapter!