Gil finds him. He always found Gil, but he's sitting in what's come to be called his forest by the locals, and Gil comes crashing through the brush and teeters on the bank of the stream.
"Need a hand?" Oz asks, giddy because it's Gil, seaweed hair and golden eyes and all, his Gil just like Oz knew him, here again!
Gil accepts it, and soon Oz is showing him all around his forest, all the good hiding places, the good trees, his favorite bushes, and a clearing he has called his since he found a small shrine to the rabbit guardian of the forest there. Gil says his name is Alan but he's called Gil, and Oz doesn't even ask how that happened because of course Gil is Gil! Gil is so very Gil-ish that Oz can never think of Gil by any other name.
Oz stays. Gil comes to his forest every day, and they play like they used to. Gil is happy, and Oz is happy, except for one thing. Gil doesn't remember him. Gil has no reason to suspect that Oz is anything other than human, and while Oz suspects that if he told Gil about his own nature Gil would remember, he will not tell. Gil is happy, and who is Oz to tear this peace from him? Just a stuffed bunny turned real, a Chain who is somewhat human, the slayer of Jabberwock, strongest in the Abyss, and that means nothing in the face of Gil's friendship and happiness. He will not fail this time.
Gil comes to his clearing in the winter night, and falls asleep in the snow. Idiot. Oz covers him with a red and white blanket that used to be B-rabbit's coat until he repurposed it to several more practical things, and stays the night by his side, warm and furry, then shrinks from a rabbit the size of a large dog to his small rabbit shape, and leads him out of the forest. Size-shifting is useful.
Oz tells his legend to Gil and hides his sorrow at the fact that he had to in a gruesome embellishment of the sort he had always done when he was telling stories to Gil. He locks away the regret as he says that anyone who'd seen his third shape (preferred shape, human shape) was long dead. Time claimed them all one by one, save for the one whose side he stood by now. That one had died second after all. Oz promises himself that this time he will fulfil his duty as a lord to protect Gil. Last time he hadn't been willing to use his powers and Gil died as a result. Not this time. This time he will fight with everything that he is. This time will be different.
He tells Gil their story, pretending that that's all it is, and waits to see if it will nudge Gil's memories, but nothing happens. Oz doesn't know if he's relived or disappointed. He hopes he's wrong about why Gil dies.
Gil tells him about his newborn little brother Vincent, and Oz knows that this is his last chance. Things are coming together again, and if Gil doesn't remember him this lifetime, he never will. But Gil is so pleased to be an older brother and Oz can't deny the joy being able to see the years he's always missed at last. Something about Gil's statement that it had been his idea to name the baby Vincent tells Oz that his friend is still in there though, and that this time will be the one. He refuses to believe otherwise.
They almost look the same age now, and Gil tells him about nightmares he has. Nightmares that remind him of the stories Oz told him, and Oz knows that the time is coming. Joy and apprehension mix. He has come to love this Gil as well, because he is still Gil, and he has the irrational fear that remembering will destroy something precious. Gil's happiness. Gil's life. Whenever Gil remembers he dies. But he squashes the fear and allows himself to hope, while becoming ever more wary. He will not let anything happen to Gil this time.
Gil comes to the forest and says that his father was murdered. Oz follows him home, unseen, a small black rabbit, and watches over Gil more closely. He'd told Gil that he would wait until the other boy could come again, but when Gil had responded by calling him master, just like he used to that very first time, Oz made his decision. If he's right and Gil remembering triggers his death, he had better not let Gil out of his sight for a moment.
A band of thugs come to the small village, demanding Vincent's death as they camp in his forest, his and Gil's clearing, and Oz will not put up with that. He might not have been exactly fond of Vincent before, but it's silly to continue to hold a grudge over the fact that the boy's previous incarnation had once cut his ears off when he was a stuffed toy. Alice had made Gil mend him, and everything had been all right. Besides if anything happens to Vincent it will hurt Gil, and he can't let the last tie he has to his human life be sad. Gil was his best friend, almost his brother, and Vincent belonged to Gil, so Oz would protect his servant's property.
He lures the thugs after him, letting his eyes shine red, and they chase what they believe to be a Child of Misfortune until he has them a nice distance from his clearing, unwilling to sully the place that is precious to him and Gil with their filthy blood. He doesn't even use his scythe. His chains are more than enough for this bunch.
Gil would be safe this time. Oz would make sure of it.
He watches as a man from the village comes into his forest and finds the bodies. He makes them fall to dust, and shadows the man back to the edge of the forest. He has to get his amusement somehow, after all. Besides, from the edge of the wood he can make sure Gil is all right.
Gil still hasn't figured out that A: Oz isn't human, and B: Oz is the forest guardian. Sometimes Oz wonders about his servant's intelligence. Even though he knows Gil is an idiot, he occasionally has to reconfirm the fact. Apparently Gil is destined to be an idiot forever. Gil came to see if he was safe, and while it means a lot, he would think that Gil would have figured out by now that Oz can take care of himself.
He follows Gil again. Gil's mother hits him and screams at him for visiting the forest. Oz makes a decision.
Telling Gil to stay away hurts, Oz thinks as he watches Gil leave his clearing for what might be the last time. Their friendship might bring Gil some joy, but Oz watches from the shadows and sees the grief it brings. He remains content to watch from a distance, guiding and helping as he can, without bringing anymore pain to Gil. His servant has suffered more than enough because Oz is selfish.
He bolts upright out of his hammock. Gil is coming. Gil is close and afraid. Oz moves. He darts through his forest with ease and speed. Even in human shape, there's a reason the phrase is 'run like a rabbit' and he does so. From what he can feel of where Gil is, Gil's going for the clearing. The sounds of branches cracking and rough cursing reach his sensitive ears. Gil is being chased. Oz summons his power as he lands in the clearing. Even if Gil fears him after this Gil will live. Last time he didn't use his powers and Gil died.
Not this time.
Gil is down, a small bundle clutched to him (Vincent?) Oz wonders briefly, then all thought falls out of his mind as he sees the blade descending towards Gil's head. Faster than a thought his chains shoot out, impaling the man and saving Gil, and striking at the others, keeping them from reaching Gil. No one hurts his servant except him.
Gil safe behind him, he acts. The men rush forward, hoping to overwhelm him, and his scythe appears in his hands. Blood falls and bodies splatter before him, and he remembers the first time as Gil lay dying, and the ruin he brought to Gil's killers. To this day, there are no Baskervilles.
Death is in his hands and in his steps, and these aren't Baskervilles or contractors, merely men. His chains strike and strike and he swings his scythe, and as he spins to kill the last man at close range and strikes down the one trying to flee, he sees Gil staring at him, not in horror, but —Awe maybe? He doesn't know. He smiles at Gil anyway as he brings down the scythe, ending the last threat to hisGil.
"Oz?" Gil croaks, and Oz realizes what he looks like, bloodstained, surrounded by bladed chains hovering around him like flying snakes, bloodstained scythe in his hands, and Gil can't fail to realize what he is now. Even Gil isn't that idiotic.
"It's all right, Gil." He lets his weapons vanish, regretting that he can't do anything about the blood, and comes towards Gil. Gil backs up a step and Oz stops, sitting down. "You're safe." He sniffs the air and notices a red glow in the sky in the direction of Gil's house. "But I think your home's burning down."
Gil gets an inscrutable look on his face that Oz remembers and his heart leaps, because only his Gil had ever had that expression! "You have a lot of explaining to do, master."
Gil remembers him! Gil really remembers! He can barely contain the grin as he answers, "In the morning." The bundle is Vincent, and Oz leads them to one of his nests, and keeps a watch as they sleep. He has not failed this time. Perhaps in the morning he can convince Gil to remake the contract with him.