Okay, this chapter is the longest one so far (and it just might be the longest one of them all actually) so I hope it doesn't bore you guys ^-^'
Also, just a small warning: Very near the beginning there's a scene that might be a tiny bit... Gruesome. But what I consider 'tiny' might be nothing to you guys, or it could be a lot (I don't think it will be the latter, however. There's no detailed description or anything). Still, I just wanted to give you a heads-up.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts or it's One-Shot.
"Nnh..."
As Oz slowly regained consciousness, the first thing that hit him was memories of his coming-of-age ceremony that flashed by in his mind, one by one.
He remembered how he nervously paced outside the hall when it was almost time, he remembered walking down that red carpet and up the stairs with practiced determination, he remembered each and every word of the oaths, he remembered the ceremonial sword that...
...Sword...?
The more recent memories hit Oz like a brick, making him recoil in shock and wonder if what he was remembering truly happened because of how utterly unbelievable it all seemed.
Tentatively, Oz sat upright but then immediately doubled over while groaning at the pain he felt pulsating throughout his sore body, which briefly made him wonder how he even managed to survive as he struggled with each minute movement.
His eyes widened.
Survive.
He had survived.
But... What about Gilbert...?
Oz looked to his side and inhaled sharply at the sight before him. Gilbert, who Oz earlier noticed to have a naturally ghostly pale complexion, was now deathly white. His chest must've been bleeding profusely since his expensive white dress shirt was now dyed completely crimson. He could even make out patches of blood on the silky black overcoat.
The gash was also visible, and Oz felt light-headed just from looking at the long, deep, diagonal tear that stretched across the man's chest. Gilbert seemed to be unconscious and his chest, at first, looked as though it wasn't moving. But then Oz shakily reached for the other's left hand, carefully turned it over so that the palm was facing him and lightly pressed the pads of his index and middle finger on the wrist, before waiting patiently.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a very faint but definite pulse.
But his relief was short-lived. That kind of weak pulse meant that Gilbert probably didn't have much time left, and Oz had no idea how long they had laid there, out cold (and in the cold, now that he noticed his surroundings, with an involuntary shiver). Hopefully it was possible to save the man but only if he could get him to a hospital as fast as possible.
With the intention of looking for help, Oz then looked up towards the disastrous wreckage that was once his home and was unable to stop his jaw from slackening as well as the silent gasp of utter shock that slipped past his lips when he saw the extent of the damage.
Apart from a small section of the east and west wings, the entire main structure had collapsed onto itself, thus turning into nothing more than a giant pile of charred rubble. The fire that had consumed it for a time had long been doused by the heavy rain that had now stopped, which would explain why he and Gilbert were not just a pile of ashes right now. But although it stopped the fire from spreading too much, it also meant that it was very unlikely that anyone from the city had noticed any heavy clouds of smoke or a bright, blazing trail of ember in the distance for surely they would have come to investigate by now if that had been the case.
Dazed, Oz slowly got to his feet and rounded the corner towards the entrance to better see the scope of the damage, and to see if there was anyone who could help him.
And when he did, his heart nearly stopped because of what he saw.
Blood.
Bodies.
Ashes.
Death.
Scattered across the front garden were several dead bodies of the Vessalius guards, as well as a few servants and even three or four guests, all of whom were clearly brutally murdered judging from the unsightly state of the corpses and the sickeningly large pools of blood. And poking out from above and beneath the rubble were even more battered corpses as well as limbs, some of which were even disembodied.
The nightmarish image would then burn itself onto his retinas, only to haunt him night after night for a very long time to come.
It was at that point when the pungent stench of death finally assaulted his senses. Combined with the horrendous sight before him, his vision turned blurry and his head began to spin almost painfully, which was all the warning Oz got before he abruptly turned to his side and threw up with such force that at one point he dropped to his knees and had to brace himself with his hands against the cold, wet ground lest he collapsed completely.
When his stomach had finally settled somewhat, Oz took a minute to catch his breath after which he wiped the edge of his mouth with one sleeve and the small tears of pain that gathered in the corner of his eyes with the other, before shakily picking himself up again. Forcing himself to regain back some of his resolve, Oz continued to circle the perimeter of the wreckage, praying desperately in his heart to find any survivors.
His prayers were not answered.
With each forward step he took, the more he seemed to faller deeper into a pit of despair. No matter how much he wished for it to change, the view before his eyes remained the same. Wherever he looked he would only find lifeless bodies, most peeking through the rubble, but every now and then he would find a body of a servant or guest that must've been so desperate to escape that it was highly possible that they too had jumped from windows – and had gotten killed for the attempt.
Oz's pace picked up with the increasing anxiety growing in his heart until he was practically running. All the while he found it very hard to believe that the damage he was witnessing was caused by the fire alone, and vaguely wondered if some other powerful forces had been at work when he noted two or three unexplainable shallow craters he had spotted near the entrance as well as the way it seemed as though sections of the building were simply carved off from the smooth, hollow curves on the surface of what was left of the east and west wings.
And then, he was suddenly back to square one. When he saw Gilbert in his line of sight once more, the despairing reality finally sunk in for the young Vessalius heir.
There was no one who could help him... Because he and Gilbert were the only survivors left on this summit of death.
...Unbelievable... Who exactly were those people that broke in? And how on earth did they manage to cause this much destruction? How did they manage to spill this much blood? Those were the questions whirling in Oz's mind as he stared blankly at the wreckage once more, unable – unwilling – to fully grasp the reality of the situation.
His home was utterly destroyed. As far as he could see, no one had made it out alive. And as for those who had been trapped inside...
One by one, the faces of those he knew flashed past his mind's eye.
"No..." he whispered. Oz started shaking his head slowly at first but soon his movements became more vigorous, as though by shaking his head hard enough he might be able to expel the horrid images filling his mind.
All of a sudden a recent memory invaded his thoughts, making him freeze completely.
"I'm proud of you, son."
...Those words... Those were words Oz had never, ever expected him to say. Yet, with a sincere smile he had finally said them to Oz before the boy ascended that final flight of stairs...
But Oz would probably never, ever hear them again.
"This can't be happening..." he whispered, trembling. "This... Isn't happening... No... No...! No, no, NO, NO, NOOOOO!" he screamed, and he would have continued had his parched throat not failed to let out anymore sound at that point.
So in some vague attempt to regain his composure, Oz clutched his forehead and took several deep breaths while trying to clear his head from all thoughts. After each slow exhale his trembling reduced gradually as the fear and sorrow slowly released it's vice grip on his mind, until it finally stopped altogether leaving Oz feeling absolutely drained, hollow, and mentally exhausted.
"...Calm down..." he told himself at last. "You still don't know for sure what really happened... There's still a chance that a few people might've escaped somehow. After all, some even made it outside despite the fact that the intruders tried to prevent that, and there should've been some time before the mansion was actually set on fire..."
And with that thought, Oz somehow managed to suppress the dire urge to just tug at his own hair and scream in frustration at how powerless he was feeling, as well as the brief memory of the faint but undeniable stench of burning flesh he had picked up minutes before he was shoved out the window.
Then his eyes landed on Gilbert once more.
"...Adapt. Adapt to the situation. What's done is done... The past won't change no matter what I do. But I can still shape the future..."
It pained him far too greatly, but now was not the time to mourn... He would put off the dire need to cry his heart out for later, because as miraculous as it was Gilbert was still alive, so at the very least Oz didn't want to let another life slip through his fingers if he could help it. He needed to get Gilbert to the hospital. Immediately.
But how?
Carrying him there was out of the option. The Vessalius mansion had been built on a secluded little hill just on the outskirts of the city. It wasn't as far as it sounded but Oz wouldn't be able to support Gilbert's weight on his own nevertheless. Even if he tried, his pace would be excruciatingly slow and also, it wasn't advisable moving the man too recklessly in case he had any broken bones or if he started bleeding again, if that was even possible (he made a mental note to study each and every single medical journal he could get his hands on for future reference if he ever made it past this traumatic incident).
Feeling the icy night wind snake beneath his damp clothes once more, Oz quickly shrugged off his coat and placed it over Gilbert's chest. He didn't know if it would actually help or not but the last thing he wanted was for the man to catch his death of cold. But the action was also partially done to shield that gaping wound from his sight, since the guilt it sparked within him was greatly hindering his thought process.
After that Oz released a weary sigh and collapsed onto his back beside Gilbert, utterly exhausted. Gilbert had done quite some damage to him as well but despite the fact that he tried to kill Oz, he couldn't and just wouldn't let the man die.
"He was supposed to kill me... But instead he saved my life. Yet I..."
And then a thought hit him.
"Wait... If I can't get him to a hospital, then perhaps I could at least bring a doctor to him?"
Oz abruptly sat up.
"Maybe I could even get some people to help carry him properly and report this accident to the authorities. But that would mean making two trips to the city; one to get help and the other when we carry him back... There's no guarantee that he'll still be alive by that point though."
He took Gilbert's limp hand in his once more to check his pulse and after a while Oz's eyes widened as the urgency of the situation hit him.
"His heartbeat is so weak that I'm starting to wonder if it's actually there or if I'm just imagining it..."
The fingers resting on Gilbert's wrist curled into a fist.
"He doesn't have time for two trips, dammit! The only option that leaves me is carrying him but how can I possibly do that on my own?!"
Anger washed over him and he felt his eyes sting, but he refused to let the tears of frustration fall. Instead, he found himself hanging his head in defeat.
"Why?!" he silently spat. "Why am I so useless? Why am I so helpless? Why, dammit... Why...?"
"Time... I wish I had time... That's all I need. Then two trips could be made, and Gilbert could be saved..."
There was a brief period of silence, before...
'There is a way to save him, human...'
Oz's eyes flew open and he was instantly alert when he suddenly heard a distorted, young female voice that sounded almost as though it were echoing within his mind.
'...At a price, of course.'
Oz immediately got to his feet while calling out, "Please, tell me! How do I save him?!"
He waited for some sort of response. It came almost immediately, again, in his head.
'So you're not even the least bit bothered as to who I am? Or rather, what I am? Aren't you amazed at-'
"I am," answered Oz hurriedly. "But right now there's a more urgent matter at hand. Please... He doesn't have much time left."
The voice laughed bitterly. 'Time... I can provide you with all the time in the world, boy. But only if you're able to handle it all, that is,' she finished, cryptically.
Oz did his best to remain calm, but he was honestly starting to lose his patience. "How?"
'...Why are you so keen on saving that man, anyway? He tried to kill you, didn't he? And don't you find it unusual how he's not dead despite-'
"I don't care!" snapped Oz, before quickly regretted his outburst. The last thing he wanted was to offend this mysterious presence that could apparently help him, especially after he had cut it off twice. "...He probably had his reasons," continued Oz, calming down a bit. "Whatever it was, I'm not mad at him because..." Then he lowered his gaze in shame. "Someone like me... Doesn't deserve to live..."
"It would've been better if he simply shot me that time... I still don't understand why he didn't. At least he would've been able to complete his mission quickly and escape safely..."
"...I lost my mother eleven years ago," started Oz all of a sudden, so softly that he didn't even realise he was speaking. "She... Died while trying to protect me... Now the rest of my family is probably dead too, as well as so many other innocent people. So at the very least, I want to save this one life tonight. That's why..." Oz clenched his fists. "Please! Tell me how to save him! I don't want to be so powerless anymore... I don't want to be so worthless anymore..."
The voice was quiet for a long time, making Oz panic since he thought that he really had offended it after all. But thankfully, it eventually spoke again.
'Do not devalue human life so carelessly, boy.'
"...Eh?"
'Human life is the most precious thing to my kind. And it's usually those like you who are especially valuable to us.'
Oz was now thoroughly confused. "Your... Kind?"
'I won't sugar-coat my words, boy. Listen carefully! I am what a selected few call an "Abyss". There are others like me, but just so you know I happen to be one of the strongest. We are residents of the Realm of Darkness and are attracted to people's wishes.'
"Wishes...?" echoed Oz.
"...I wish I had time..."
The voice seemed to know what Oz was thinking.
'Yes. That wish. Normally people only make such wishes when they're at the verge of death, because that's when their souls scream out to us the loudest. But you're the first human I've come across whose soul was able to scream it's loudest even though death doesn't personally haunt you.'
"...What do our wishes have to do with anything?"
'We are able to grant those wishes if the human agrees to make a Contract with us, but in return our Contractor must sacrifice control of their bodies to us and serve as our vessels for as long as they live. That is the price of our miracles.'
"So in other words... You possess us," stated Oz bluntly.
He could've sworn the voice was smirking when it spoke its next word.
'Exactly. However, we don't just choose any human as our Contractor. Usually we're attracted to wishes that our powers are able to grant, but even then the human might not be able to fully support our powers. Therefore, the stronger we are, the stronger our vessel needs to be, both physically and mentally.'
Oz had one final question. "And what happens to those that can't support your powers?"
The voice was punctual with its answer.
'They die.'
There was a period of silence as Oz took in all he had been told, which the voice broke as it began speaking once more.
'It has been so very long since I last found someone even worthy of being my vessel. Your mind is already quite strong, boy. I can sense it. But I also sense that you have room for tremendous growth. That's why you should be honoured for being able to host a powerful Abyss such as myself, as well as being my very first Contractor.'
"...It's not like I've got anything else to lose anyway. If all she wants is control of my body, I am more than willing to offer it if it means I can save a life in exchange. As for what happens after... Well, I can't think of why a mysterious entity such as this would want to possess me for anything other than something bad. But at this point, it really doesn't matter anymore, does it?"
At last, Oz gave his answer.
"Fine. I will make a Contract with you, and in return you must help me save this man. What must I do?"
Suddenly the air seemed to grow far colder than was normal for a frosty December night, and within a matter of seconds he felt an ominous presence from behind. Oz spun around, not knowing what to expect.
He inhaled sharply at what he saw.
Before him, a giant humanoid figure with a rabbit's head was materialising. Its fur was black while its eyes were two narrow, deep crimson slits. Lethal talons protruded from its fingers and on top of its left ear there were two small, circular gold earrings. It wore an overcoat adorned with red and black diamonds; its cuffs were also white and tied around its neck was a large, white bow. The rabbit-like figure also wore black pants with white, knee-length laced boots.
In its left hand it wielded what first appeared to be a large, red scythe. But the first most noticeable difference was the giant, golden pocket watch attached to the upper end of the handle from where the chain began. It's extremely long chain was wrapped around the handle just below, before the rest of it trailed out and around the Abyss's form. At the end of the chain was a lethal arrowhead. On the upper right-hand side of the watch were three more similar arrowheads that seemed to be protruding from within the watch itself. Opposite the arrowheads on the left was the scythe's deadly blade, also seeming to mysteriously originate from within the watch. Finally, there were large, silver chains encircling the Abyss, the ends of which seemed to be emerging from and fading into nothingness.
The rabbit-figure smirked, and Oz could see rows of jagged white teeth sharp enough to rip through flesh effortlessly.
"You leave the rest to me," it replied, in the same female voice Oz had heard in his head, only this time it was louder, clearer, and much more sinister.
And then, from its semi-solid state it began to glow until it was nothing more than a radiant sphere of light that shot towards Oz, completely surrounding his body for a few brief seconds before suddenly entering it through his mouth.
"Hn-ngh...! Aaagh... AAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
Oz howled in pure agony as the mighty Abyss infiltrated his mind and body. He dropped to his knees, screaming when he felt a searing pain in his chest next to his heart as though something was trying to forcefully make space for itself there, before grabbing onto the left side of his face when he felt a sharp, burning sensation below his left eye. A small but strong red light seeped through his fingers from a tattoo that was slowly being carved onto his skin.
It was now make or break. If Oz was incapable of hosting this particular Abyss, he would die before the tattoo completed. But the Abyss was not wrong when she believed in Oz's potential to be her vessel.
The tattoo was roughly taking the form of a long, upside-down triangle that took up most of Oz's cheek. The top side curved at the end to outline the boy's left eye before coming back down sharply where it curved inwards like the other side, and together they formed a curved 'm' shape. The middle of the 'm' connected with two short upside down trapeziums, the one below being smaller, and then it branched out diagonally on either side before coming back down to meet at the triangle's bottom point which nearly touched Oz's jaw line. There was a small patch of unmarked skin within the lower triangle in the shape of a cross.
Very soon it was complete. Oz's irises slowly turned crimson and his pupils became long and narrow, while his scream melded into a fit of insane laughter as the Abyss slowly gained control of each and every one of Oz's senses, one by one. His voice remained, but it now had a distinct monstrous undertone to it which belonged to the voice of the Abyss. However, it would eventually subside once the possession was complete.
The possession itself was not supposed to be such a traumatically painful process. Usually the Contractor would simply feel a sharp pain coming from their chests but otherwise there would be no other side effects, like Oz's blood-curdling screams or the waves of excruciating pain pulsating through his body originating from the general area of his heart.
But then again, Oz's Abyss did mention that she was one of the most powerful ones out there.
As his laughter died down, the now possessed Oz held his hands before him and slowly flexed his finger, staring at them with wide, blood red irises filled with mad delight.
"Finally..." breathed the Abyss, now in Oz's voice. "After fifteen long, wasted years of futile searching... B-RABBIT FINALLY WALKS THE EARTH! AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA!"
Once her second fit of crazed laughter ceased, B-Rabbit gently wrapped the arms that were now, in effect, hers, around the torso that was also now hers and closed her eyes, hugging it lovingly.
"It's perfect," she mumbled. "This boy is perfect. As I suspected, he has much potential. Oh, the things I could do with him~" But then, upon noticing a minor flaw in her otherwise perfect vessel, she frowned.
"Hmm... He could use a bit more calcium, though. A few extra centimetres would do him good."
Suddenly she felt a sharp pain near her heart. For the briefest of moments, Oz's eyes turned from crimson to emerald as his conscious mind tried to resurface and she could hear Oz's voice just like how Oz had heard her voice earlier.
'Are you implying that I'm short?!'
After some heavy concentration, B-Rabbit smiled sardonically once she had fully suppressed Oz's mind so that he was no longer in touch with the world around them.
"He's stronger than I thought if he was able to break through in this state and override my control like that. I heard that the Contractor usually goes out like a light once they're under but it actually took me a bit of effort to put him to sleep."
After that, B-Rabbit stood up shakily, still adjusting to the amazing feeling of being in a real, tangible human body, albeit a battered and thoroughly exhausted one. Still, a body was a body.
"Time to get to work," she muttered breathlessly, as she stretched her arms high above her head a bit.
She approached Gilbert while holding out her hand, on top of which a smaller, covered version of the giant golden pocket watch chained to her scythe began to materialise in a sphere of gentle, purple light. Once it had completed materialising and slowly fell onto her outstretched palm, she couldn't help but regard it for a while.
"My power materialised into a simple, tiny object... I don't feel comfortable leaving it out in the open like this but I have no choice. It'll be very difficult maintaining any form of time-stop while being so far out of range without completely draining this boy's energy and effectively killing him. So the best I can do is leave something behind in my place. And that's manifested time manipulation power itself."
She kneeled beside Gilbert while pressing a small button on the side of the watch. The cover sprang open to reveal the same clock face as the one tied to her scythe; the outer ring displayed the numbers and both clock hands currently displayed twelve o'clock while the inner circle was hollow in favour of revealing the watch's intricate golden gears.
As soon as the lid had been opened, a large, invisible barrier began to expand over her and Gilbert but before it touched the ground, B-Rabbit closed her eyes and concentrated hard, eyebrows furrowed. The watch began to glow and the barrier started to softly pulse a light purple colour as it began to reduce in radius, until finally it was just enough to cover Gilbert. At that point she stopped concentrating and the purple glow faded, making the barrier invisible again.
"To think that I am able to do things like this only now... This is the power of a Contract – a key that unlocks my dormant powers."
B-Rabbit glanced at the watch and as expected, the hands had moved very slightly, like a timer should. After only a brief pause of hesitation, she concealed the watch on Gilbert's chest just below the fold of his coat, before standing up and releasing a sigh. B-Rabbit took a few steps back until she was well out of the barrier's range, then she closed her eyes again and this time allowed Oz's mind to take over.
Below closed eyelids, blood-red irises faded back to emerald green as the tattoo slowly vanished.
Oz began to stagger as a strong wave of fatigue hit him once he regained control of his body, but B-Rabbit's sharp, commanding voice just managed to stop him from blacking out.
'Don't collapse! I know the feeling is strong, but we don't have time to waste.'
Oz nodded, though he immediately felt silly for doing so since there was no one to see it.
'The longer I possess you or the more power I use, the more fatigue you'll feel afterwards. It's common for a new Contractor to faint once they regain control, so don't worry. But for now you absolutely mustn't. Persevere, otherwise he won't make it.'
"I understand," said Oz, as he turned to face Gilbert while fighting the wonderfully dark fog clouding his mind that threatened to lull him to sleep. B-Rabbit began to explain, partly to distract him from the fatigue and keep his attention where it needed to be.
'I am known as the Bloodstained Black Rabbit, or B-Rabbit for short, and I am the Abyss that reigns over time. I can control it and manipulate it according to my will. For now, I've manifested my power in the form of my pocket watch to create a time-stop barrier around his body, so everything within it, including his heart, have temporarily been frozen in time.'
For the first time since the entire ordeal began, a spark of hope lit within Oz's eyes when understanding dawned to him.
"But that means I have time..." he whispered.
'Yes, but it's not unlimited. Eventually the barrier will weaken and die altogether without us to sustain it. So hurry and do what you must do. Go to the city, explain the situation and get some help, maybe even a doctor if you can. But as soon as they're near, I need you to run ahead so that I can remove the barrier, or else they'll come under its influence if they're within its range.'
"But then... What about Gilbert?"
'I could continue to keep only him frozen in time since we'll be near him, but we can't risk anyone noticing your eyes or the tattoo, nor am I going to risk draining too much of your energy since you're not exactly brimming full of it at the moment. So, after that his time is limited, but he'll have just enough to make it.'
Oz nodded again, not really trusting his voice at the moment. The unbelievable power B-Rabbit was already displaying rendered him speechless and the weight of the life that was now on his shoulders made his mouth dry up from nervousness. B-Rabbit had done all she could. She had provided him with time, just as Oz had wished. But now the rest was up to him.
With one last glance towards the man frozen in time, Oz broke into a sprint. His speed increased further due to the downward slope of the hill so hopefully it would help him make up for the time lost later in the upward climb.
Time...
Oz had honestly been sceptical. He thought that he was hearing things at first; that his mind was playing tricks on him to prevent him from slipping into insanity due to guilt and grief. But then B-Rabbit actually showed herself, and certainly the painful possession process that followed was no dream. After that Oz wondered if B-Rabbit could really control time, but his doubts were cleared once again when she shared the memories she gained while in control of his body after her mind subsided.
Despite all that had happened, despite all that was going to happen, Oz somehow managed a small smile.
"B-Rabbit?" he called.
'What is it, boy?'
"Oh, that's right; you don't know my name yet, do you? You can call me Oz, if you want," he corrected.
'Is that all you had to say... Oz?'
"No," admitted Oz. "What I wanted to say was... Thank you, for everything you're doing."
B-Rabbit was silent for a long time, unbeknown to Oz, due to astonishment. During her time in the Realm of Darkness, she would sometimes hear stories about the Realm of Mortals. She learned that a Contract with a human was simply an agreement where both parties would gain something from each other, and that in effect it was simply a regulator on how much they used each other. And because it was usually established that they were using each other, words of thanks were very, very rare. It was only those fools who were deceived into believing otherwise that used such words.
So why on earth had this boy said it even though he knew he was being used?
She just couldn't seem to think of an answer, except maybe...
No, it couldn't be... Was he...
"...I don't want to be so worthless anymore..."
Was this boy thanking her for using him?
At the end, she wasn't truly sure. But after some time, she echoed a thought.
'...You're a strange boy, you know that?'
I hope it didn't confuse you guys when I started using 'her' even though it was Oz's body. I found it awkward at first but I couldn't see how else to put it, since using 'B-Rabbit' and 'his' – considering that Oz referred to her as 'she' in the one-shot – in the same sentence sounded even more awkward lol.