Well so far its going good. You've probably noticed that I haven't really diverged from the plotline of the original as a whole. Don't worry the changes are subtle for now, they'll be more noticeable as the story progresses so hope you guys don't mind.

Let's keep it short and sweet for this one c:


Chapter Three

Excelion


I woke up startled and scared out of my life. Grabbing my pounding head, I couldn't remember my nightmare though. Had it been...one of those night terrors from before? No...this felt different. Completely out of place but I couldn't point out just what was odd about it.

Taking deep breaths to calm myself down, I got out of bed and went over to the mirror atop my dresser. Carefully as I could, I unbandage the top side of my head and noticed that the wound that Chronos had opened had healed completely and nothing remained but a scar over my old one.

I glanced over at the clock and noticed it was nine. Today was the day the Pandora agent would come for me in mere hours. I took a deep breath and decided to change before going out for my last meal in this place. At least it would be for a while.

At entering the kitchen I found it odd how nobody was there but Elliot and Leo. I couldn't help but notice the quietness of it all. How awkward.

I took a sit across from the two and softly murmured, "Morning."

"Good morning," Leo called like he usually did but Elliot refused to answer me. Typical. "As you can see..."

"Don't pout Elliot. It's very unmanly," I teased putting my elbows on the table and resting my chin on my hands.

"Who the hell's pouting!?" he shouted and stood up abruptly. So much so that he knocked his plate and spilled his food on himself. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and turn his glare on me, "See what you did?!"

"What I did?!" I shrieked in disbelief of his audacity to blame me for his short-temper.

"Stop it you two!" Leo called sternly throwing utensils that barely missed us. "It was an accident. Now stop fighting. I'll be right back with something to clean that with."

He quickly left towards the kitchen leaving us to ourselves. Soon enough one of us had to break it but it sure as hell wasn't me.

"It's still all your fault."

"My fault!" I burst out at his muttering.

"Had you not gone and made that stupid request I would've been just fine," he called through gritted teeth.

"Well excuse me, your Highness, for trying."

"I said stop it!" Leo called coming back from the kitchen with a damp towel. "Will both of you just act your age and apologize. Specially you Elliot."

"I have nothing to apologize to her for," he stubbornly confessed.

"You know what-ugh, never mind. You wouldn't understand me anyway!" I blurted out throwing my hands in the air in defeat.

"Fine! I didn't even want to hear what you had to say!" he yelled and stormed outside of the dinning room.

I stood there with my arms crossed and my face flustered from the fight. Finally giving out a frustrated sigh, I glanced at Leo who had sighed just the same. "I'm sorry. I know how hard it is for you to clam him down after fights like these."

"It's fine," he answered me with a smile. "You know, the only reason he's been so irritable lately has been because of you." He came up to me and placed a hand on my shoulder begging me to listen to him. "He's afraid that if you leave his sight that you could be hurt in such a way that would be irreparable. He's afraid that he won't be able to keep his promise to you." With that said he quickly left.

I pursed my lips heavily considering on going to apologize to both. Heaving a sigh, I was about to grab the doorknob when suddenly a great tremor shook the whole place. Things fell from their shelves and the tables and furniture shook intensely. I fell down to a sit trying to keep my balance in this mayhem. Then just as suddenly as it came it went away. Then it came briefly, then again, and again. It sounded like huge, massive...footsteps. This feeling that irked me was the same as when I had crossed the Door. It had to be...

The windows in the room suddenly burst out sending broken shards of glass everywhere while huge, rag hands pushed their way through them. I wasn't mistaken. "Time...of the Abyss..." A distorted voice called from the outside. It was a Chain.

"Claire!" I glanced briefly behind me to see the two that had come back.

"Go!" I yell at them and push them away from that thing. As soon as I see them out of sight I turn towards were a huge stitched-up face was looking in.

At seeing me its eyes widen, "I found Time!"

It was after me!? I couldn't let him hurt the people here. The windows were shattered and it was the safest bet that he would follow me wherever I went. I jumped out of the window not caring about the glass and stood outside.

"Hey, you stupid doll!" It took its hands and head out of the window to look at me. "Over here!" Just when I said that, I jolted out of there and heard the massive steps it gave as it followed behind me.

Now what?! This was all that I had planned so far!

"I am still here."

"Chronos!" I spun on my heels expecting to see him curling around his gem but he was nowhere in sight. "W-Where are you?!"

"I'm not the type of Chain to physically fight against other Chains."

"What use are you to me then?!" I cried out pissed off at his flat out declaration. Just then I see the Chain starting to catch up to me. "Please, tell me you're not useless!"

"I do have this."

I stopped in my tracks abruptly when I felt something heavy start shaping in my hands. It was then that I felt a heavy pair of medallions on my palms. They had the letter X nicely carved into them and were connected to a transparent, pink sash that seemed to float about me as if it had a life of its own. It shone in the sunlight and when the rays hit it just right I swore the whole thing was an eerie silver color.

"W-What is this?!" I called pulling it closer to me.

"It's name is Excelion, the Tenth Hour. It's sash is sewn out of the strongest metal known in the Abyss, Orichalcum. I cannot fight in your stead but I can provide you with weapons that you can utilize to fight. These weapons can be used against humans just as much as they can be used on Chains. It will draw out your innate strengths and has the affinities of my own imbedded in it."

In that instant the Chain had caught up with us and threw its hand at me to attack. Without me noticing, I jumped out of its way and landed upon the hand it had tried to use against me. I jumped once more onto a tree branch when he attempted to attack me with his other one. How in the hell...?

"As I said, Excelion draws out your innate strength. Now follow your instincts and defeat it."

I had to trust him on this. Propelling myself from the branch, I jumped out in midair just above the Chain and threw one of the medallions about it. The sash moved as I had thought and went around its neck just as I was falling on the other side. Grabbing it in my free hand and twisting the two ends, I pulled as hard as I could and landed on the floor with force on my feet. I heard the loud slashing sound before the Chain's head fell to the floor while its body slowly sank into a black hole that had appeared on the floor.

The sash had nothing on it. No stains, no tears. It was just dancing behind be while I held it as if...it were happy. Suddenly it disappeared from my hands in a burst of silver particles.

"If ever you find the need for it's power again, call its name."

Clapping came from behind me, making me spin around on my heels and face a man. His white hair was short and his bangs covered the left side of his face. The other half peered into me with a dark, red pupil. Just then I noticed his clothes. That uniform...I've seen it before.

"You...You must be that messenger. The one from Pandora's..." my voice isn't higher than what it needs to be. I don't want to sound to expectant and be wrong.

"Correct," he answers with a grand smirk. "My name is Xerxes Break. Nice job you did there, by the way. Although, I've got to say, the house sustained quite some damage."

"Minor," I corrected. That's the reason I ran away and made it follow me. The least damage that house took, the best for everyone. "They'll get it running faster than we could say."

"Glad to hear." He clapped his hands and took my attention away once more before motioning towards the road that led out into the town. "For now, let us leave."

"What? Now!?"

"But of course, we still have to test your capabilities with a little thing." He started walking away but turned when he didn't see me following. "Something the matter, Miss Claire?" I didn't answer him but instead glanced back at the small panic that was dying down at the mansion. We were quite far so none of us could hear each other. But even from here I could see other Pandora Members helping out. From here, I could even see Elliot and Leo helping around too.

I won't get to say goodbye.

"We must make our leave now, Miss Claire. If you want to protect them, it is far easier when you know what you're doing." Angered at his personal attack on me, I glared at him for an instance but faded away when I saw his smirk. What...an asshole.

"And the paperwork?"

"It's being taken care of," he simply answered. It was kind of intimidating that he had so much done already. Nonetheless, I followed him towards the carriage. Opening the door for me, he kindly let me in and sat across from me. I couldn't help but glance behind us as the mansion kept ebbing from my sight and finally disappearing all together. Heaving a sigh and slouching on my sit, I glanced up at him only to catch him with that same smirk while eyeing me. Creep.

"A-Anyway." I tried sitting up straighter but would only slouch back down. "What exactly is this test you spoke of?"

"It's more of a little game, if you will," he explained while still keeping that weird grin and eyes on me. "A friend of mine will help us with that and if you succeed then you'll be in for a special treat, Miss Claire." All the while he spoke, he took out a box and shook it, making noise. Poking his hand into it, he took out candies and lollipops. Odd.

"Hey! Get me outta here!"

I jolted in my seat, startled by the high-pitched voice that came out of nowhere. What. The hell. Was that.

"Oya~ so sorry, Emily," he called out and pulled a small doll from his pocket and placed it on his shoulder. "Forgot you where there."

"Yeah, right!" The doll, it answered back at him. I slouched down on my sit and sighed confused and frustrated. This had to be the weirdest person I have ever met. The rest of the ride over to wherever we were going was spent in silence. Soon enough we found ourselves before another great mansion.

This must be where he intends to take me to that person and test me. Getting out of the carriage, I could only stare and admire. I hadn't been out much since Elliot was pretty much a shut it kind of kid. "Is this..."

"Welcome to Pandora, Miss Claire," he called and started leading me through the building. I could have gotten lost by the second had he not guided me. Soon, we stopped before a door which he opened and let me in first.

Inside there were only two other people, a girl and another man. Break came up forth and motioned his hand towards me, "Reim-san, this is Miss Servant."

"Claire!"

"I apologize for any inconveniences that Xerxes might have caused you Miss Claire," the man, Reim, said as he positioned his glasses back on his nose. He gave me a small smile before bowing slightly, respectfully. "My name is Reim Lunettes and I am one of the servants of the Barma Household." I quickly reciprocated the action in respect. What a nice guy.

"The idiot-haired duke!" Emily suddenly burst.

"Now, Emily. It's not nice to tell the truth," he reproached with a slight snicker.

"Xerxes!" Reim burst out. Giggling slightly I was glad that it wasn't just me who's nerves this guy got on.

"Break, don't." We all turn at the soft voice of the girl that now spoke. Break listened, to my surprise, and sat down across from her and started eating the sweets assembled there. She sat near the table and was delicately drinking tea. Another noble, huh. "Our apologies, Claire was it."

"Y-Yes." Couldn't help but think of how pretty she was. She couldn't be that much younger than I either. What difference a world makes for people.

She placed her cup down and placed her full attention on me. "It is a pleasure to meet you. My name's Sharon Rainsworth, granddaughter of Duchess Sheryl Rainsworth."

"I see. The pleasure's all mine." No wonder she seemed quite...girly. The Rainsworth's were the only monarchical House in the Four Dukedoms.

"My valet, Break, brought you here under my request. I, perchance, saw the suggestions Duke Nightray gave to Pandora and you caught my attention quite splendidly," she continued on with a small smile.

"Funny enough since I only got my Chain a few days back, Lady Rainsworth," I add while scratching the back of my head. "I don't think I have any qualities that would deem me of any attention." Not that I know of, at least.

"And yet, if I recall correctly, Chronos has some special abilities to it."

"Abilities that I am not aware of," I intervene not wanting to get her hopes up. Whatever they're expecting of me, I certainly don't have.

"Which is exactly the reason you need to be tested," she finished and went back to her tea.

"And why Reim-san is here as well," Break added impromptu. I glanced his way only to see that a pile of dishes was stacked beside him and he was still eating more. "With his help, we will see if you are capable of wielding your Chain. March Hare is a pretty sneaky fellow. However, I presume that with Chronos' abilities, you should have no problem with it."

"And by the looks of it you've been digging into that information for a while, haven't you?" My question is more of an accusation towards him than anything.

"Indeed." Well that didn't faze him. What a let down. "Those abilities would be rather helpful to us in an upcoming mission."

"And why would I help, first of all?"

He came up from his sit and walked up to me with an empty plate in his hand. Slightly bopping my head with his plate. "Well, see it this way. If you help us—" he showed me his plate once more before my face and showed me the cake that was now on it. How? "We help you. After all..." he passed me the plate and grabbed a fork from the table. Quietly he stabbed the chocolate delicacy, making the utensil stand on its own. "Don't you wish to know your origins?"

My eyes widen in shock but I try to hide it the best I can. Thankfully, Reim spoke out of place, "Wait a minute, Xerxes! Is this the reason why you wanted me here!?"

"But of course," Break called pouting like a child. "Whom other than that sneaky bastard of yours to help us test Miss Claire."

"You bastard..." Reim hissed under his breath. "You do know I have other work to do. By that I mean your own as well."

"I'll take that as a 'yes' then," Break smirked and patted my head. "So, if you are willing to do it and pass, then we'll be 'mutually helping' each other." He walked off and took a sit back near the table once more.

He almost made it sound like I had to pass. Nonetheless... "And if I don't."

He gave me a dark smirk sending a chill down my spine. Why did I open my big mouth? "Then you'll just have to keep trying until you do."


Pretty short. I know.

But I'm keeping the original lengths of chapters from the previous story c: Hope that doesn't bother anybody. Well for now, it's been a great kick start. Let's keep the snowball rolling uphill! Once I get back to writing the new chapters, it'll be all downhill from there x3

Thanks for reading and hoped you enjoyed it ;3