Raven woke up and realized with horror that Oz never gave him back his hat yesterday.

So he brought it up at breakfast.

"Your hat? I must have left it behind," said Oz absentmindedly.

Raven promptly grabbed both Alice and Oz so they would help him find his precious hat. Niko yawned, and grinned when he saw Raven run out with a panicked look on his face.

"Morning Break, Sharon."

"Morning Niko," said Sharon.

"Break, you mind if I join you on your little errand later today?" asked Niko.

"Why?"

"I promised Alyss that I would play with her, and Cheshire is supposed to show me where to find her," said Niko.

Break seemed amused, and chomped on his lollipop. Niko's low blood pressure made it difficult for him to wake up in the mornings. By the time Oscar arrived, he was almost awake.

Niko snickered as he watched Oz and the others beat the idiots who had taken Raven's precious hat. He hid in the shadows when Alice ran past him. Her feelings were probably mixed when she saw how Oscar treated Oz and Raven.

Break held her close as Cheshire took them into his domain. Niko grabbed Break's arm so he could tag along.

Chaos lifted his head. Niko had vanished. He was still in the dimension...barely. He was inside a pocket realm where his powers were muted for the most part. He sighed.

Why did Niko always end up in trouble? He was only supposed to locate Cheshire and possibly turn the loyal cat into a Knight. He wasn't supposed to get caught up in the story line.

Raven and Oz returned to Sharon. She would lead them into the pocket dimension and help them find the others. Chaos didn't go with them. It wasn't time for them to go just yet.

Niko whistled as he saw the place that Cheshire called home. He started to walk around, and narrowly avoided being killed by one of the many memories the cat guarded.

Apparently Alyss had yet to clue him in on who Niko was. He whistled a jaunty tune as he avoided all the memories with ease. Finally the cat appeared before him.

"What are you?" he hissed.

Niko smiled at him.

"Alyss is waiting for me. Can you show me the way?" he said with an insane glint.

Cheshire was surprised by that name.

"Wait here..."

He vanished.

Niko cheerfully waited on the steps. He didn't have a long time to sit. Cheshire reappeared in complete shock. Alyss had told him to bring the boy with the emerald eyes and insane smile.

Niko followed the loyal cat without question. Many things which would have disturbed any normal boy flew past him. He paid them no mind. After all, he was the Knight of the Abyss.

They came upon a bright doorway. Past the curtains were shadows. Cheshire pushed past the curtains.

Niko walked past him and said cheerfully, "I hope I haven't kept you waiting, my little Alyss."

The white Rabbit squealed, and ran to him. Abyss was amused, and her black rabbit hairstyle suited her well.

"I hope you haven't come to play wearing that outfit," said Abyss.

"Now why would I deny Alyss a chance to play dress up?" said Niko in return.

He patted the insane white rabbit on the head. She was content. The Lord of Darkness had come specifically to play with her! And he was going to let her dress him up!

Every Chain in the Abyss could feel her positive emotions. Even Alice felt the waves from her dark dream.

Meanwhile Oz wondered what the strange tug in his heart was.

"Now, what would you like to play first, little Alyss?"

Oz tugged his valet along. Raven had difficulty with the fact that their opponent was a cat. While his fear was an amusing joke that the others played on him from time to time, this was hardly the best time to freeze up like he had.

He knew Niko had vanished alongside Break and Alice. The strange thing was that he didn't sense the boy anywhere in this bizarre place. And for some reason Oz could always tell when he was nearby.

Raven didn't notice anything besides the fact that he was facing a cat.

Alyss was having a lot of fun. Niko, the one who Mother called her precious Knight, had come to play with her. She knew he had planned to do something else today too, but he was reluctant to tell her what that was.

"Niko-papa, what are you going to do today?"

Niko smiled.

"Well today I plan on playing with a lonely, yet very pretty little girl."

"And?"

"Alyss, how would you like to have your very own Knight? Someone who would stay by your side no matter what happens?"

Alyss looked confused.

"But I already have a knight. I have a bunch of them!"

"I mean someone who won't break if the Hatter plays with them. Someone who doesn't need the body of another to materialize in the world where Alice is currently living."

Alyss cocked her head.

"Someone who won't break if Hatter plays with them? What do you mean?"

"The Mad Hatter has an unpleasant tendency to destroy your toys, doesn't he? I can make it so your Knight won't be ruined when they play," said Niko.

"I would like that. But who will be my knight?"

Niko smiled.

"I believe he already wants the job of being your precious knight. But right now he's busy trying to protect the memories Alice threw away."

Alyss looked cross.

"Alice had no right to throw away our memories!" she said.

"You're right about that. But... sometimes the past can be so painful that the only way to live with it is to throw it away," said Niko sadly.

Alyss looked at him. He reminded her...of herself.

"Don't be sad Niko-papa!"

"You're right, Alyss-chan. The only way we can get rid of the bad memories is to make some good ones. So what do you want to play next?"

Suddenly they both felt something shift. Like something was about to break at that very moment.

"Oz has snapped. He has seen what happened to Alice."

"Oh dear. I'm afraid I must soon rescue Cheshire, Alyss. But I will be back when he's all better, I promise," said Niko.

Alyss looked upset.

Niko went down to her eye level. For some strange reason his body had aged while he was in the Abyss of Madness. Alyss had weaved his hair into the familiar braid of the Vessalius. He looked rather like a longer haired version of his father.

"Alyss...I need to go help your little sister right now. She has been waiting for so long for her other half. Just as you have been waiting for Jack. So don't be so angry at her okay? Oz wasn't meant to be for you."

"Oz...wasn't meant for me? Who is?"

Niko smiled.

"Jack is the one for you, Little Alyss. Just as you and Alice are two sides of the same coin, so are Jack and Oz. It just took them longer to find each other."

That was something Alyss could understand. Niko stood.

"It's time, Abyss. Will you help me add Cheshire to the Anarchy fold?"

"Always, Niko. With him, another piece shall join our side," replied Abyss.

"It's so much easier to gather the players when the realm belongs to you," said Niko.

Abyss gave him an insane smile. Niko began to hum, and the incluse that adorned the chest of the illegal contractor's sprang beneath his feet.

Alyss watched in amazement.

"Always a dead end

There is no escape

I place my sorrow upon a bird in the sky

And I'll let it fly

This place is ephemeral

An eternity that binds me

Coming or going

All that passes by are dreams."

The incluse began to move. When it made a full rotation, Niko vanished.

"Mama, where did he go?" asked Alyss.

Abyss smiled.

"Niko went to save your Knight. Oz has lost control of the B-Rabbit, and will destroy most of the dimension. Break will take the memory from the cat."

Abyss looked to the side.

"Without that memory to stabilize it, that realm will fall. But Cheshire at least, will live."

Alyss looked sad that Cheshire was going to be hurt.

Abyss gently held her close. Alyss was one of her favorite Masters.

Niko arrived to see the true form of Cheshire.

"Now now, Cheshire. Alyss likes your human form, remember?"

The cat creature was almost too far gone to hear him. Niko whistled. Break and Raven stared in shock as the mark of the Abyss appeared under his feet.

Children of Anarchy, your master calls upon you to add a brother to the fold.

Niko threw out his hands.

"Sons of Anarchy!"

All seven Anarchy brothers appeared in their humanoid forms. Each of them had cat ears and a long tail, but their appearances did vary.

Cheshire howled. Niko heard what he cried out as he severed the power that connected him to his beloved master.

"ALICE!"

The incluse below Niko's feet hummed in tune with the Anarchy brothers. The dimension began to fall apart around them. Niko was pushed to Alice and Oz as Equus took them out of the realm.

Chaos smirked as all of the Anarchy brothers vanished as well. They had been told to watch Sharon, and the introduction of their newest brother had prevented them from fulfilling Break's request.

Niko realized with some annoyance that he was in Pandora HQ. Inside his pocket was the wounded Cheshire. He would have to wait before he could heal the cat.

While Oz distracted them by running, Niko walked up to Oscar.

"I suppose we have livened things up a bit?" he said dryly.

Oscar was surprised that no one seemed to notice him.

"How...?"

"How am I completely invisible to your friends?" said Niko amused.

Oscar nodded.

"Simple really. I have a charm on me that repels idiots. They don't know I'm even here. Would you like me to help your nephew?"

Oscar nodded. Liam would have a great deal of trouble hiding Oz and Alice.

Niko smirked. Oscar had a chill go down his spine.

When Niko released Oscar's shoulder, he vanished.

Niko walked calmly to where he knew the rabbit would run. Cheshire was crying.

He took the wounded cat out of his pocket.

"Now this won't do. You won't be able to protect her if you can't walk," said Niko.

"Alice..."

"You don't have to protect the memory anymore Cheshire. Break will destroy it. And besides, I have an even more important task for you," said Niko.

Cheshire glared at him. Niko smirked, and allowed the darkness to envelop him. Why should he walk there when he could portal instead?

Chaos was waiting.

"This the new one?"

"He needs to be healed before he can join her, Chaos."

Cheshire wasn't paying attention. He felt like a failure.

"Besides, he needs help recreating his human form. Alyss can't exactly have a small cat for her Knight."

Cheshire looked up. Alyss' Knight?

Niko smiled at him.

"You, Cheshire, are going to become Alyss' Knight. Your special duty is to protect her no matter what, and be her eyes and ears in this world. But you can no longer be what you were before."

"I can be Alyss' Knight?" said Cheshire, hopeful.

"You will have to abandon your previous form as a Chain, but yes. Alice, the B-Rabbit, has already chosen hers. Oz is coming along nicely as her Knight. So what do you say, Cheshire? Will you join us?"

Cheshire meowed, and curled up next to Niko. He would help them, since they wanted to protect his Alyss.

Seven cats yowled as one. Cheshire could feel his missing parts grow back, and his power as Chain was shattered.

When he woke up, he was a cat again. Niko had something in his hand.

"You would look silly without this around your neck," he said, as he tied the black ribbon around Cheshire's neck. On it was a tiny golden bell. It was very similar to the one that had stored Alice's memories of Sabrie.

He couldn't speak though. Cheshire looked at Niko in confusion.

"Unfortunately the conversion to Anarchy takes a while to fully complete. You'll have to stay with me for at least a week before you can take human form again."

He didn't like that, but he would have to live with it.

"And as for your new form, we can't have you calling yourself Cheshire all the time. Which is why Alyss has agreed to let me rename you."

He cocked his head. What did he mean, new name?

"Child of Anarchy, thy past is thine own. But while it can never be truly forgotten, the present places it's own demands on your soul. You true name is now...Madness."

The newly named Madness meowed. It was hungry. Chaos bounded up and sat on Niko's shoulder.

"Let's go cause some Chaos."

Chaos meowed, happy.

Niko ended up watching Oscar drag the half awake Oz to the school. He yawned.

Every time he brought another Anarchy brother into the fold, he felt sleepy for a week. He went outside to find a nice spot to curl up under. Break had an annoying tendency to pester Madness after he realized who the cat was.

Apparently he was still cross about the cat having his left eye. If he kept it up, then Niko would do something to annoy him back.

Madness curled up with his new brothers as Niko laid out the sheet he had swiped. The maids would no doubt get on his nerves about it later.

Oz and Raven were acting strangely when Oscar brought them back to the house.

Apparently they had run into Elliot Nightray. Raven had been completely rejected by his little brother, and Oz had been severely annoyed by the boy.

Niko watched with amusement as Sharon tried to bond with Alice. And when she went into her girly mode, he carefully edged away from the girl.

Thirty minutes later she returned with a vengeance. Niko stayed far away from the scene as Sharon lit into Oz. Apparently she had learned that he and Alice had already kissed.

"Sharon, you do realize that in order to make a contract the Chain has to share some of it's blood? Alice probably did that to make the contract with Oz," said Niko from his refuge behind the couch.

Raven seemed to be shell shocked that they had kissed...and ended up being hit by the door when Oscar arrived with juice.

(Which ended up being wine.)

Niko didn't mind his first taste of alcohol. Even though he was technically underage. He was only eleven after all!

Chaos and his brothers appeared to join in on the fun. Even Madness popped his head out to annoy Break.

(Break sensed who Madness was, because he was glaring at the cat. It probably didn't help that he had two red eyes so similar to his own.)

Niko seemed to have a high tolerance for the stuff, because he was among the few who weren't passed outright.

At least until he saw the ceiling flash above him and he fell asleep.

Chaos and Discord chuckled. They picked up the boy and took him to his room so he could sleep it off.

"So what's your new cat's name?" asked Oz.

"Everyone, meet Madness," said Niko as he dropped the cat into Alice's arms.

Her eyes opened in surprise, as she petted the cat without thinking.

"Is...is this Cheshire?"

"He was Cheshire. I saved him from the dimension collapse. If you want, you can help me take care of him until he's ready to head back to your twin."

"My twin?" said Alice, confused.

Niko smiled.

"Haven't you ever wondered why the Will of the Abyss was so interested in you? Why you were always able to talk to her in the Abyss?"

"The Will of the Abyss...is my twin?" said Alice.

Niko nodded.

"I have seen Alyss, and you two look identical. One for the Abyss, one for the Human realm. That is how it has been, and how it will be."

"How do you know all that, Niko?" asked Sharon.

Niko chuckled.

"When you have lived in madness as long as I have, nothing surprises you. After all, anyone remotely interesting is mad, in some way or another.*"

(Cyber props to anyone who can recognize this quote!)