Mira: Helllloooooo... Alright. Before I begin I came up with an original thought on Baskerville's, the Abyss, and Forbidden Children So it probably won't be canon. I haven't been able to keep up with Pandora Hearts so I am a little lost to begin with anyway. Hey, no internet and no money means no manga. So sad... Anway, I hope you enjoy it and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.
A pure decaying darkness hidden within the shadows... That was a way to describe this place. Edmund stood silently as his eyes trailed along the twisting interlocked black chains that made up the core of the Abyss. This was the center, the burial grounds of the Forbidden Children. It was a cold empty place, and even though empty there was a deep feel of pain and agony that pressed down on him...suffocating... He closed his eyes deeply as Harry stirred in his mind. This place dragged the darkest and most horrid things out of a person. The memories of war, death, pain, loneliness, madness, they swirled around in his mind trying to make purchase and drag him below. With a shuddering sigh Edmund pushed Harry back once more and opened his eyes.
Alex remained crouched upon an area of interlocked chains. Her fingers trailing lightly over rusted blood stains and bits of decaying fabric. She had shot straight toward the area upon arriving, so it was obvious who that nest of black metal had belonged to once upon a time. Edmund glanced at similar nests within this place. So many lives had been destroyed and so carelessly... All because of superstition and fear. If he had known about this he would have faced the Baskerville's himself. It hit too close to home, reminded him of blood purity and creature inheritances... The Baskerville's could have done better... They could have trained those children, harnessed their powers. Instead they were obsessed with an order that was now forgotten and allowed fear of the unknown to consume them. It was quite pitiful...
In truth...he and Alex were exactly the same. Clinging to what they knew, the past that was long forgotten and needed to be moved past. Alex still clung to the thought of being Lacie's copy. So much so that her own personality and self had faded away. The shades of white and soft lavender replaced with black and cruel dark purples. She had become a dark twisted form of her Onee-San, she was no longer the honest pure girl that had been Alex. While Edmund himself had become so obsessed with filling his new role he had pushed Harry aside. Forgotten his power and world wisdom, when he needed to embrace and merge the two. Especially now...
"You know we cannot continue like this, right?" He questioned slowly, as his eyes turned once more to his friend.
Alex paused, her hand slowly retracting from the chains as her manically reverence expression slowly clouded over in self doubt. "I never seem to do any good... I couldn't stop Jack. Vincent didn't trust me with what was happening. Gilbert never listened to our cautions about Jack. I couldn't allow Lacie to view the life i had promised her. And Glen...I let both Glen and Oswald down... What good is Alex?" She muttered.
Edmund chuckled lightly. "And what good are Harry and Edmund? None of us have much worth, Alex dear. Alone we are rather insignificant and pathetic... However, we aren't alone anymore." He said walking to stand by her. "Alex...we haven't been alone for quite some time, we have been too foolish to recognize it though. We have so many bonds, and they are stretched out through time. Some are even forcing their way from other times just to help us, or to stand at our sides... How can we possible insult everyone we have a bond with...by not being the person that they find important? Raymond, Lacie, Alice, Alyss, Oswald, Glen, Gilbert, Vincent, Cheshire, even the Baskerville's and Jack... They are expecting the people we are, not the broken remains we have become. How can we do any good...if we can't even be ourselves? What is the point in fighting and trying...if we can't even be true in our intentions..."
Alex blinked slowly looking up at Edmund, slowly a small familiar smile crossed her face. Not the Black Queen sadistic grin, nor Lacie's beautiful smile, instead it was simply Alex's small insecure upturn of her lips. "I see..." She said quietly as she turned her gaze above, to the golden orbs and lights she could still see even after she had become a chain. "This is what you have been trying to say... Alyss was tricked, yes. But you made a mistake as well...not trusting in those that you knew. Because they made such a drastic change and so fast, you didn't know if you could still trust them." She muttered toward the brightest orb. "You were so afraid of losing your remaining link to Lacie that you didn't even pay attention or try to understand what was going on. And in doing so, you made everything worse then it was. We have mistakes to fix yes...but so do you, Intention."
Alex and Edmund stood side by side within the core of darkness. The golden lights strengthened and blinked around them. The purity and last remains of the original Abyss swirled around them. Trying to escape the prison they had been shoved within. The prison Lacie had hidden them within as she realized the Abyss was becoming tainted. It only took a single strand of light or purity to grow and consume the darkness. Just as the darkness would continue to surround and protect that purity. To protect the fading golden light, the darkness of the care had consumed it to keep it protected and strong. In doing so, the darkness had slipped out and unknowingly spread the tainted darkness and madness that was growing.
The pure untainted darkness that had been a guardian and order, had become a tainted enemy and chaos. But within the core the remains of the true Abyss still existed. However, they continued to grow dim, especially with the abuse and misuse that was being done to the Abyss. That was what the Baskerville's had been created to do...to keep the darkness and the light pure with order. However, they had slowly come to fear and distrust the darkness of the Abyss. The Darkness that had waited in the core to protect and punish those that would misuse the Abyss. The Forbidden Children had originally been the same as the Baskerville's. But as the Baskerville's were chosen and created by the light to protect the order of the Abyss, The Forbidden Children were born from the Darkness to protect the light that were the chains of the world and insure the stability of the Abyss.
When the children were suddenly sacrificed back to the darkness the balance was thrown out of order and became very delicate. The Baskerville's removed their counter balances, they mirror images in fear of the connection they held to the Abyss. Only the leader of the Baskerville's had any right to visit the core and speak to the Intention or the Darkness of the Abyss and to have a connection. For every Glen their was a Forbidden Child, the mirror reflections of one another. Balance. One needed the other, like Darkness needed light. No one remembers who made the decision, or why one of the Glen's first decided to destroy its counter part. All that is known is that instead of embracing and working with their counterpart as they had, the Glen's started using their other half as a sacrifice to ascend.
Slowly this action had caused the Darkness to become unbalanced and start leaking within the light of Abyss...thus it started to become tainted. However, even with the Intention's good will it was unstoppable. Glen started ignoring the Intention and refused to visit the core any longer. With no one to heed it's cries or words the Intention started fading away becoming weaker. Until Lacie... Lacie who was just as sad as the Intention, Lacie who understood the Intention's loneliness, Lacie who listened to the Intention, Lacie that brought hope and happiness back to a bleak and almost painful existence. Lacie who made a plan with a Glen to make sure the Intention would never be lonely again. And finally Lacie who was sacrificed and taken away from the Intention. Lacie only left behind a friend and her children. All that was left of her...
Until the day Alex was forced to the core while she became a chain. The Intention was amazed to realize that the soul of the girl had already been shattered, it had been split and mixed with a piece of Lacie's own soul. This girl that the Intention remembered Lacie talking about so fondly. The same girl that had a thread connecting her to not only Glen, but the stranger that had passed through the Abyss and was equal to and thought of as kin. This girl...was the connection the Intention needed.
Not only did she have Lacie within her, but she finally had brought a connection between the core and Glen once more. Yes, this could be useful, this girl could be used to break the cycle of corruption. She and the kin being, known as Edmund/Harry, they could bring the balance about. That was why the Intention allowed her to retain her humanity, why she agreed with Alyss that she should keep her memories, no matter how broken and twisted they were, it was why she granted the girl the return of her abilities as a Forbidden Child, why she allowed her to retain her human body.
Maybe now, finally... The cycle of history could be broken, maybe the mistakes could be fixed, the balance could return once more...
"Ada! My precious niece!" Oscar Vessalius exclaimed happily as he dashed down the stairs toward his darling niece with a wide grin.
"Uncle Oscar!" Ada called equally as happy as she walked swiftly to meet her cheerful uncle. With a smile and a giggle she wrapped her arms tightly around him as he tackled her in excitement. A few moments pass in complete happiness until Ada realizes that her uncle is making odd little gasps. Turning her head she sees that his face is slowly turning blue and he was gasping for breath. "Ah! I'm sorry Uncle Oscar!" She exclaimed loudly as she released him and took a step back as he gasped for air.
"My, my...you got stronger..." He chuckled weakly as he finally calmed his breathing. Looking up at his beautiful niece he couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. With a chuckle he reached up and rubbed her hair softly. "I'm proud of you Ada...don't ever forget that..." He said softly as he took in the young lady his sweet little niece had become. All grown up with an illegal contract and everything. "I'm so proud..." He cooed nuzzling his cheek against hers in a rapid motion.
"Uncle Oscar, your beard itches." Ada said with a small smile at the familiar gesture as she finally escaped his hold.
"I take it you and Alex finished your training with Edmund and Grimm?" He questioned cheerfully as they started heading toward his office.
Ada nodded happily. "Yep! Alex and I know how to fight together now~!" She said brightly. "And Uncle Edmund taught me sword play very well!" She said happily.
"That's good, that's good!" He said happily with a nod. "Speaking of those two, where are they? I didn't see them get out of the carriage with you."
Ada looks to the ceiling thoughtfully. "They had work to do they said. Alex and Edmund both need to find and talk to some people. They said they would come back as soon as they finish." She said slowly with a tilt of her head. "Speaking of, where is big brother?"
Oscar paused for a moment before turning toward her. "He and the others are in Sablier."
Alex sat cross legged before the gravestone she had been staring at for quite some time. The rain that had started to pour did little to drag her away from it. She blinked the rainwater from her eyes slowly, before focusing once more on the words before her. Alexandria Rainsworth. The name was there, in engraved stone within a beautifully sculpted stone. Directly between the two other beautifully, lovingly engraved names. Aster Rainsworth. Darius Rainsworth. Her fingers had trailed over those two names for hours before she stopped between the two. She had never thought that she would have her own grave, never once did she think the family that had given her away would made such a dedication to her. She couldn't think straight and she had no idea how she should feel about such a thing.
This place was filled with graves, old and new...familiar and not. And yet, she couldn't bring herself to care for a single one, except for these three. Her beloved younger siblings and herself. Not even her mother or father's graves called any attention to her. And her Onii-Sama's was completely ignored. She wanted nothing to do with those traitors, they couldn't even protect her little ones. What use had they been? Onii-Sama-no...Edgar had merely been a pawn between the Baskerville's and the Royal Family. He might have been a Baskerville, but he had been a weak member not even truly worth remembering. His chain had been useless and he had n o skill whatsoever.
She had often asked Glen-Sama why he kept him around. He would always say something about Baskerville's deserving loyalty for their own. Even if he truly didn't care for them. Not that it mattered anymore. Her mother had stepped up and taken a place of one of the Grand Dukes after everything that happened. Perhaps she had just wanted to remember the cause of what gave her such a position. If they had never sold her to the Baskerville's...if they had thrown her away, killed her at childhood as they had planned. What would have been different?
Still, perhaps this was what she needed... She might have a piece of Lacie's soul within her, but she had allowed it too mix to far. She had lost Alex and started to become Lacie. Lacie's insanity and cruelty had taken over, it had eclipsed Alex's shyness and passive nature.
Lacie was opinionated and loud, she had always needed noise or something to do or she might get sad. Alex had enjoyed the silent and longed for moments where she could just enjoy being around others, and was insecure about everything especially her relationships with others. Lacie was sure of herself and her decisions never allowing anyone to doubt or question her. Alex always looked toward someone when she was unsure of something and cared for their opinions more then her own. Lacie had been manipulative and never showed her true feelings, she only showed those that others wanted to see. Alex wore her heart on her sleeve she was completely honest and didn't believe in lies or false truths, she would never pretend to feel something she didn't even as she worried others wouldn't like it.
Lacie showed everything she felt with her face, while her eyes were always blank or clouded. Alex showed her emotions with her eyes, while her face was always rather blank. Lacie was violent and confrontational. Alex was gentle and a truly fragile person. Lacie loved this world and found everything in it beautiful good and bad, even if the people annoyed and disgusted her. Alex feared this world because it always left her all alone, however she loved the people within it and lived just to be in their company. Lacie is happy and Alex is lonely.
Alex needed to push Lacie away and start being Alex again. Sable was a monster of the Abyss, Lacie was the remains of a heart that needed to fix things. Alex...was still alive and needed to stop hiding away behind others because she was afraid. She had been able to break free sometimes. With Vincent, and Edmund, Alyss, and Leo...but she needed stop pretending.
Reaching down she picked up the silver rose that had been sitting beside her, twirling it around in her fingers she smiled faintly. Reaching out she placed it upon the center grave and stood brushing herself off, despite how useless the action was. Glancing up at the incoming rain she tilted her head slightly and smiled before turning away.
Edmund blinked slightly in confusion as he looked around himself. His eyes moved to follow the image playing before him.
"This is the Baskerville Mansion it might be more elaborate, but it doesn't hold the warmth your place has Edmund."
Edmund watches as a 17 year old Alex, walks through the estate with a 21 year old Edmund by her side. Edmund took in the obvious differences in Alex then. Her hair was short, only falling a bit past her shoulders. He remembered she had just recently started growing it out, it had been a request from the Baskerville's and Glen. Her clothing was always in shades, of white, silver, and lavender. She wore a beautiful light blue jeweled rose clip to keep her hair away from her face. And a silver locket on a thin delicate chain rested around her neck. The cameo was of a similar blue rose surrounded by a pale purple that was almost white.
"Now don't say that, you make it sound like my home is a cold cruel place." The white haired man that had introduced himself as Glen spoke with an odd smile, as he places hand on her shoulder. "You make it sound like you can't stand this place, even if it is your home as well." he said with a smile.
Alex stares blankly at him. Edmund had come to realize that while Alex's face didn't always show her feelings, her eyes always did. Right now they had a loneliness that was near painful. "You mean cage..." She muttered lightly turning away.
Edmund watched as his younger self moved forward and grabbed her hand with a grin. "Why don't you show me your favorite place here? I don't really need a tour of a large boring place. Especially since I may never see any of it again. I would rather see the places you will probably be if I visit." He declared with a squeeze of her hand. It was obvious that while she respected and obeyed this 'Glen' that she didn't feel comfortable around him at all.
Alex blinked slowly, and a small insecure smile crossed her face. "Alright..."
Edmund blinked shaking the image away from him mind. That was right...he had visited Alex at the Baskerville Mansion after they met at his party. He had met the white Glen long before Jack had. Gilbert and Vincent didn't weren't found for another two years. Alex had shown him her favorite clearing and the lake. And then she had taken him to that tower and he met...
"My name is Lacie, its nice to meet little Alex's friends."
That expression was sweet happy even, but those eyes were dangerous. They were similar to Alex's, however the shape and color were different. Alex's eyes were wider then Lacie's and the color was darker almost as if there was a darker color mixed within, unlike Lacie's bright blood red eyes. Alex was much thinner and more fragile in appearance to Lacie. Lacie was delicate yes, but was strong and well taken care of in appearance. Alex was malnourished and neglected in appearance, although she also showed signs of it starting to be corrected.
But there was also one more person within this tower. A male older then both Lacie and Alex, but younger then himself. Black hair that framed his pale face, reminding Edmund of a man named Snape, and almost inhumanly beautiful purple eyes. Purple eyes that watched Lacie protectively, loyally and Alex gently, fondly. There was a great deal of emotion for the two, but on different levels. For Lacie it was what he remembered Ron and the others showing for Ginny. For Alex though...it was-