Okay. Let's take a breather after what happened last chapter, shall we? Join me.

*inhales*

*exhales*

There a little bit better.

Now let's give thanks to the people who're reading this and giving me so many views and to the awesome people that show their support:

-LightandDarkHeart: Yes, the mourning period -w- And liked that you caught the little KH input. BbS is my second fav game in the franchise ;3 I loved writing how they fought together and the relationship they used to have manifest itself somewhat. And yes, soon they will all know a woman's fury.

Now let's continue with the other half of the Sablier Arc now.


Chapter Nineteen

For You


When I opened my eyes, I saw nothing. Or actually, all I could see was nothing. It was darkness in its purest form as it came closer to me and cradled me in its cold yet soothing arms.

Where am I?

I didn't know where I was and the more I thought the more the darkness seemed to lull me, beckoning me to sleep. And truthfully, sleeping sounded like the greatest idea right now. Specially, here. It was so peaceful and quiet and even though it was cold it seemed to be numbing the pain which felt nice.

I couldn't feel pain anymore. The silence was gentle. The coldness was soothing. And the darkness was my sole companion and, really, it wasn't so bad.

But...why am I here?

Why? I can't recall, exactly. But if I can't remember it must have not been so important. Besides, here I don't feel any pain. Why would I want to go back anyway? Here, I can sleep peacefully and soundly. Yes. I want to remain here. Out there is painful and hurtful. Out there was malice and solitude. Here there was none of that. And that was nice.

I'm safe here.


"Claire!" Elliot's shouting voice echoed through the empty place and resonated back to them. They—Oz, Elliot, and Leo—had caught glimpse of the fighting from afar as the twins had engaged with Siva but at arriving they had been driven back by an invisible barrier keeping them at bay. The moment that both twins had perished, the barrier had vanished. Elliot's disbelief quickly crept into him along with the dread that suddenly came over him. "What the hell did you do to her!?"

Siva simply ignored the mundane humans and drew back the blade that she had mustered out of her powers out from Claire's body. At doing so, her body, now limp, simply fell down, her head tilted sideways and her empty and dead eyes half closed.

Seconds after she touched the floor, her body glowed dimly before the light gathered at her chest and exited it. A sphere of white and silver colors swirled inside of the small object while it floated feet above Claire's corpse. Siva began approaching but was amused when the Nightray boy, out of the blue, charged at her with his blade brandished.

Really, how foolish can humans be?

Waving her hand towards him, she summoned spears that came from underground halting his attempt. More appeared from a nearby boulder to throw him away.

"Elliot!?" Oz and Leo shouted in worry and ran towards him. They still were some feet away but she wouldn't allow them to come any closer.

"Y-You bitch!" he growled through gritted teeth.

"Don't interfere." Her voice was cold and rigid. Returning to her prior task before she had been rudely interrupted, she stared at the sphere that floated aimlessly having no longer a living vessel to hang onto. Siva raised her blade once more with the clear intent to destroy it. But her clear hesitancy showed something else in her. Lowering her blade after a few seconds, she came up closer and instead took the sphere in her hands. "The Final Fate. I've imagined the feeling of this for so long and now—" the pureness of the sphere suddenly started being contaminated as dark, black smoke began to enter it and change it completely. Now instead of bright, it lost its shine and became seemingly to a black pearl. "It's really mine."

"W-What...is that?" Leo's dreadful whisper was nothing above that but she somehow heard it.

Twirling to face them, it really fazed Leo how much the ghostly girl looked like Claire. Were it not for her sick personality and that he knew the real one, anybody would have been fooled. She grinned at them cryptically while still holding the black sphere in her palms.

"This is what would have been her legacy; the heart of the heir of the White Sage. This is the heart of Clarice Luna Florence." With that said she held the sphere close to her chest as it became absorbed into her body. She heaved a relieved sigh before her skin and eyes lost that ghastly appearance. Regaining strength, both Elliot and Oz charged at her but all three were pinned down by an immense energy that brought them to their knees. "Now I'll take her place in this history." Without another word, she started leaving. Denying what was about to unfold, Elliot scowled and turned to Claire.

"Claire, wake up!" he cried out trying his best to shout and fight against the power holding them down.

Who is that?

"Come on, Claire get up!" he yelled fervently but only being answered by Siva's cackling at his stupidity.

That's...a boy's voice. I know that voice.

"You have to wake up!"

No. Leave me be.

"Claire, you can't die on me, goddamn it!"

I don't want to wake up.

"Clarice!" he yelled out at the top of his lungs, remembering the name—her full, real name— that he had heard. "Don't you dare leave your Master alone!"

Alone...?

That's right. This place might be peaceful and quiet but...

I'm alone. I don't want to be alone. I don't want to go to sleep here if it means leaving El—

"You won't be left alone again."

That's true. You promised me you would never leave me be by myself ever again.

I don't want to leave. I want to live.
I want to be alive with them!

I want to go back!

So long as you champion the ones you love—


A sharp, intense pain suddenly hit Siva drawing her to her knees while holding her chest. Hitching her breath, she watched in disbelief as the dark sphere she had absorbed exited her body and floated a few feet away from her before bursting into a bright light and shattering into irreparable fragments.

"Y-You—" her words barely audible because of the pain she was in. "You bitch! You're supposed to be dead!"

All three stared dumbfounded at seeing the girl that had been dead just a few minutes ago standing a few feet behind Siva. In her hands and standing a head taller was Star Seeker, the Final Fate swirling in its purity.

"Tough luck," Claire grinned with her vibrating spirit back. "Next time make sure I'm actually dead. Then again—" she twirled the staff about until she held it behind her against her waist while holding it with both hands. "There won't be a next time."

"Like hell!" Siva exclaimed and flung a straight row of knives her way. Not taking any chances, Claire quickly brought out Star Seeker and swept it across herself bringing out a barrier that at coming in contact with the weapons absorbed them into another space. Siva clicked her tongue before she materialized a spear and instead of aiming at her, aimed at Oz and the others. Before she even reacted though, Oz had deflected it with a blood-red scythe that he controlled like a master. Eyes wide, Claire stared flabbergasted but Oz only smiled like he would and gave a nod towards Siva's direction.

Understanding, Claire nodded before twirling the staff around once more and imbedding it on the floor before her. Reading her intentions, a bright blue circle's outline came around her and around Siva. Futilely, she attempted to escape but the ring kept her in place.

"No! It can't end like this! I was supposed to—"

"I know what you are," Claire interrupted keeping her gaze on the floor. "It was brief but I caught a glimpse of those nightmares." Just then, she glanced up to meet her enraged gaze. "You...you were the ninety-ninth one."

"You have no idea!" she bellowed, anger taking over her. "The things that happened, the things I did! I was promised my second chance!"

"And, had it not been for me coming back, you would have gotten it." Her voice was full of empathy for her. Despite her hostility, what little she had seen and remembered in that darkness told her a great deal about what Siva really was and why she was here. "But you are a past that does not belong to this present. And, as such, I can't let you roam free."

Focusing on the task at hand, Claire closed her eyes briefly giving her strength to will Star Seeker to do her bidding. Abiding, chains emerged from underneath Siva and began encaging her in binds. Siva's protests pained her but it had to be done for both their sakes.

"This isn't supposed to happen!" Siva yelled infuriated, fighting uselessly against the chains that shackled her entire body.

Claire ignored her shouting and focused giving more power as it swept across both connected rings. "I, as Emiciaro dei la Luna et Esterrelles, now will pass judgment. You who is responsible for the murder of Cloude Nicholas Florence and for the death of Edea Catalane Florence, I shall now give my verdict: exile. You are to be sent back from whence you came from. Back into that darkness!" The chains began dragging her down but because of the time and space passage that they were opening, the delay was great and painful.

Mercy was something that Claire had always denied about herself but, nonetheless, it was a flaw—or gift—that even now burdened her.

"What you suffered—" Claire's voice was heavy and pained as she spoke and held her ground for the path to remain open. "What we have gone through, I would never wish for that on anyone. Not even you."

At hearing her words, Siva's face lowered as if taking them in. Apparently resigned to it, she simply gazed skyward, a sky that although musky and dark, it brought tears to her eyes. "How was I, kyrios? Clary did her best. Hopefully—" what was left of her head just then was beginning to sink below the darkness. "I was of some use...—"

At last she sunk completely underneath it letting only a drop emerge from there before the ring closed on the entrance, closing it for good.

She had no clue as to what Siva had meant with those words but she didn't have time to think about them. Turning back, she caught the glimpse of Cloude's body underneath her cloak. This brought a saddened smile to her lips and a single tear to fall from her left eye.

"You can rest in peace now, akribos. I'll always keep you with me and I'll always be your ixote. No matter what...—"

Having no more strength to maintain consciousness, Claire fainted and would have fallen down had a pair of arms not caught her in time. Elliot lowered her slowly and kept calling out her name for her to wake up.

"Calm down," Leo whispered as he and Oz approached the two. He pointed at Claire and they all saw how her chest slowly rose and fell. Elliot checked to make sure and placed at ear against her nose and parted lips only to feel the warm air that she exhaled. It sent chills down his spine but it meant such a great relief that she was alive.

"God, fucking scared me," he mumbled to himself.

"We should find Gil and Alice and head out as soon as we can," Oz called out to which they agreed and left promptly after.


The Grey Garden. That was where I was right now. Hadn't I fainted? How did I get here in the first place?

"I asked Lacrimosa to bring you here. Well, your consciousness at least?"

Spinning on my heels, my eyes widened at seeing Cloude there. He wasn't bloodied or dead. He was here with me. Impulsively, I launched myself at him to embrace him. For some reason my tears began to fall but this time from bittersweet happiness. I could feel his arms coming around me to return the gesture.

"Cloude..." I cried out and pulled away to see him. But then a thought came to me and my smile turned to a frown. "I don't get it though. Are we both dead?"

He shook his head keeping his lips pursed and faintly smiled. "Only I am."

"T-Then how are we—"

"The Grey Garden is our haven. Well, what I imagined it as anyways. Lacrimosa's powers created this place and what's left of me still lingering came here for refuge."

"But, how did I live then? I was so sure that Siva had killed me after she tainted my heart."

"She did," he answered bitterly. "But you managed to destroy it and with it any chance of her or any other semblance of you to become part of your timeline. That broke the chains that were taking your soul prisoner."

"That doesn't answer how I'm still alive," I countered with a taut line on my lips.

His hand came up and brushed my bangs behind my ears before answering. "When I died I didn't just pass on Lacrimosa to you. My last wish was to give you a second a chance...after all those times. And I figured out that if you were to die that I would give you my life to come back. Or at least part of it..."

"Part?"

"Your heart was the thing shattered. It was the pieces left from my own that were inside of you that retained your soul in your body. But they weren't capable enough to bring you back." A smile suddenly broke on his face, "You should thank your friend for that."

"Friend?" I inquired feeling more lost than ever. Between when Siva killed me and me coming back to send her away everything was a big blank.

"What you needed was something that would make you want to come back. He gave you that reason. They all did." He patted my head gently and continued talking, "You must go back to them. There're things you still need to settle there."

"Yeah, you're right!" I called out with a smile and wiping my tears away. Then it hit me. "What will happen to you?"

"Fortunately and unfortunately so, only a little of my soul was left for me to meet you here. After you leave I will as well. However briefly, though, I wanted to talk to you properly at least once."

My gaze fell down to the floor at his words. "I've remembered a lot about us at the Baskerville's. Much of our childhood with mother is still blurry though. All in all, I still have many holes in it. Could you fill me in on anything."

"Don't worry," he assured me. "If you follow Oz Vessalius you'll surely be able to get there. Whatever was done to you can be undone. Those chains can be linked back together." Suddenly, I gasped when I noticed that his body started to become see-through.

"W-What's happening?"

"My time's running out," he explained glancing down at himself. "Don't cry, sis. No matter what we're twins and we'll always be together, remember?"

And oddly enough, I did. For once in my life, I remembered what he meant. It was the same thing we said when we would stay up at night at the Baskervilles, thinking of home. More than anyone else, we had each other. And as we laid there back to back and feet soles touching, warmth spreading between us, he would always say that. And without missing a beat I always answered back.

"Yeah,forever and always."

He hugged me again and this time held on tightly as if he never wanted to let go again. "Goodbye Claire."

There wasn't any helping the vast sadness and emptiness I felt at hearing him say those words. But a little part of me that still believed in the good things spoke for me. "No, it's a see you later, Cloude."


At waking up, I heard the singing of birds and the rustling of leaves. My sight was still a bit blurry from sleeping but gradually focused. My whole body was exhausted so all I could do was turn my head to have a look around.

That's when I noticed that I was back in my room...in the Nightray Household. Just then a slight stirring by my right caught my attention. Moving slowly, I caught the sight of something I had never seen before.

There, sitting on a chair but resting his upper body on the side of the bed, was Elliot with his head resting on his crossed arms and facing my way.

How sweet. Quietly and gently sitting up on my elbows, I shifted so that I could get a better peek at him. Despite having a frown most of the time, he actually had a pretty face. Finally, I managed to sit up slightly without waking him. I didn't know what came over me but my hand was suddenly reaching out and gently placed on his head. He mumbled something but didn't rouse. Having that to reassure me, I brushed my fingers through his hair, brushing it soothingly. Despite how it looked his hair was fairly soft and, compared to mind, was rather nice. Funny, if he would actually be like this when he was fully awake he could pass from slightly tolerable to actually appealing.

Then again I wouldn't want him to be anybody else than who he is. With that thought, what Cloude had told me came to mind.

Bending slightly, I brushed my hair behind my ear so it wouldn't graze and wake him before I placed a soft kiss on his temple and whispered as quietly as I could. "Thank you." Raising up again, I continued gently brushing his hair.

"Since when are you so chummy with him?"

The instant I heard Leo's voice I retracted my hand and hid it beneath the covers. "W-What are you talking about?!" I hissed loudly and turned to see him coming in through the door of the room, a huge grin on his face. He came up close and simply stared. "What?" I demanded still not raising my voice.

"Don't worry, I won't tell."

"There's nothing to tell in the first place!" I shouted without meaning to and quickly clamped my mouth shut with my hands the moment I heard groggy murmurs beside me as Elliot woke up.

"You're...up?" he asked still a bit dazed from his sleep.

"Y-Yeah," I stuttered still somewhat startled by Leo's stupid accusations.

"She's been up for quite a few minutes. Want to know what she di—"

"Shut it, Leo," I warned through gritted teeth but he only glanced at me with a goofy grin. Oh, he was enjoying this. Bringing a chair over, he sat on the other side of my bed while Elliot sat up and stretched in his. "A-Anyways...how did I get back here?"

"Well—"

So I sat there in bed while the two told me what had happened after I fainted. They had carried me not too far away and had found Gilbert. Oz had encountered his father—very awkward and infuriating situation according to Elliot— and also saw Break whom had been carried on his back by Gilbert. Strange, why was Break there? Not wanting to interrupt with questions that they didn't have the answers to, they continued their storytelling up to the part where the earthquake hit.

"Earthquake?" I repeated a bit curious while sipping at an iced tea that Leo had brought for me sometime in between the recounting of their tale.

"It happened shortly before Pandora agents reached us," Leo replied to my question.

"We had to leave quickly after and parted ways," Elliot finished for him.

"I see."

"You should've seen it," Leo cooed out of nowhere, almost amused. "Elliot was being so shy towards Oz-kun. He actually called him by his name too!"

"W-Who cares about that?!"

That gave me a good laugh. Who would have guessed. "Aw, is the Young Master embarrassed to admit that he's friends with Oz?"

"Shut it," he said through gritted teeth. Leo and I laughed but my giddiness soon went away when I recalled Oz and the others.

"How long have I been out?"

"Two days almost," Leo answered and thought for a bit. "We were expecting you to rest more seeing as...well—" He pursed his lips and only reached out to grab my hand and hold it tightly. I turned to Elliot searching for some answer but instead he did something that was so unlike him. He grasped my knee over the covers and held it just as tightly.

That's right, they saw me being killed that night.

"Well," I reply trying to bring some relief to them. "I'm all good. Guess not even that can keep me down, right?"

It took them a few seconds but both smiled at simply having me seemingly happy and kicking.

"Yeah, true." Elliot let go quickly and sat back. "You're almost like a damn cockroach."

"Very funny," I spoke sarcastically through gritted teeth.

"But you should rest some more regardless," Leo intervened before a fight could start. "You're body could still need it."

"Don't worry, I heal fast. Plus—" a huge smile broke out from me. "Oz needs me; I'm his bodyguard after all. He's practically dead without me."

"But you can't!" That one sentence from Elliot started a whole other argument. After arguing for hours on end, both finally agreed on me leaving but only if I rested for another day there. Compromising with them was easy, like kids almost. "Well, if you're that well the—"

"Elly!?" Before any of us could say anything, the door to my room burst open and in came the last person I could imagine.

"V-Vanessa? What's the matter?" Elliot asked at seeing her sister, her breathing labored and her brow furrowed.

"I—I heard that she—" before she could finished her sentence her gaze fell on me. "Claire!" Surprising all of us, she ran over to me and hugged me. I was frozen still when she began telling me how worried she was about Elliot and I. After the shock had passed, I simply patted her and hugged her back.

"I'm back, Milady," I replied with a smile. She pulled back and nodded, her face bright with happiness.

"If you're done—" We both turned to Elliot who had stood up along with Leo and faced us. "We have something to show you, Claire."


After quickly changing into something neat and comfortable, the two walked me out while Vanessa followed beside me. They didn't want to say what it was they wanted to show. Simply that I needed to see it.

Soon we found ourselves on the backyard of the Nightray Manor where most of Madame's flower bushes and orchard trees where. They led us through a small path and into a clearance where a lone, tall cherry blossom tree was. Since it was the middle of winter most of the petals had fallen and the tree was quite bare but what little green leaves it had gave it a very aged appearance.

The closer we got the more I became nervous about what they wanted to show me. Soon they turned about and in turn made us stop.

Elliot scratched the back of his neck, a clear sign of his own anxiety, before he spoke. "We thought it'd be best for you to see it before you left. You know, just so you knew it would be here." Before I could ask what all the cryptic speech was about, they moved aside to show me what laid at the base of the tree.

What lay there upon the grass was a small tombstone, tilted upward slightly from the top. On the black granite clear engravings where there.

Cloude Nicholas Florence

Dear son of Edea Catalane Florence
Beloved younger brother of Clarice Luna Florence

All I could do was stare dumbfounded at what I was seeing. It only took me a couple of steps toward it before I felt weak in the knees and fell before it. They called out worried but I ignored them and simply contemplated the small yet gorgeous sepulcher. My hand moved towards it and gently caressed his name that was so neatly engraved on it.

"It wasn't easy bringing him back here." Elliot's words suddenly reached me when he came up beside me and crouched there. "And father threw a big fit about having him buried here. But in the end, I managed something. At least, here, you'll have somewhere to come to meet him."

I felt something behind me, close to Elliot, and felt a small hand on my shoulder. Gazing over it, I saw Vanessa's small smile, encouraging me on. She didn't know exactly what happened, you could see how left out she felt, but the gesture comforted me.

At feeling something beside me, I gazed over to my other side to see Leo kneeling down with his hands pressed together, silently praying. When he finished, he turned to me with a small smile and held my hand assuring me it was okay. "Isn't that great?"

Without hesitance, I nodded a couple of times with a smile on my face. "Thank you so much, you guys."

Closing my eyes, I did as Leo and sent a small prayer to the place where he now was, wherever that might be.

I'll cherish this forever, Cloude. This second chance you have given me. I'll make it worth the shot you gave it.

"See?" I murmured to his tombstone knowing that somehow, somewhere he would hear me. "Didn't I tell you, ixote? I promised I would see you later."

Without me knowing, words from my past echoed in my head. Weird, I could swear someone had said these words before to me too.

Don't you cry for the lost
Smile for the living
Get what you need
And give what you're given
Life's for the living so live it
Or you're better off dead

Thank you could not begin to express just how grateful I am. I'm happy for what you've done. And with it I can help everyone else and do all I've set myself to.

Thank you. I'll live this life for you too. Thank you, my brother.


Well that certainly was a sad kicker in the beginning but in the end it was quite nice. The lyrics used in the end are from Life's for the Living by Passenger. That song really spoke to me on this chapter and specially since a year ago a very close friend of mine, who was like s big brother to me, passed away. I mourn him and am saddened every time I see his grave but I know that he would have wanted everybody to remember him with a smile c':

Ref.:

-Emiciaro dei la Luna et Esterrelle: Emissary of the Moon and Stars

-ixote: brother

These next two are actually Atlantean and are from Sherrilyn Kenyon's series, Dark-Hunter Series.

-Akribos: this is actualy a real word, apprently. It's Greek and means 'dear' or 'precious'.

-Kyrios: lord (respectful)

And those are it I'm guessing. So hoped you liked this chapter and stayed tuned for the next one!