Thank goodness I'm back! I can't stand being over there in that tiny place! In addition, I've gotten one chance after working on my homework, which has already made me hate being a Junior. Anyway, enough with my complaining. Time to get on with the story.
I do not own Pandora Hearts in any way.
Chapter 11: First Assignment
The music had died down by the time morning came around. And when my eyes opened and adjusted to the dimly lit room, my face instantly turned red when I saw Leo lying next to me, his face to me and clearly sleeping.
'Oh, crap! What's he- okay, think. Did we do anything? No. Let's see...' I calmed down and started to recall last night, the memories starting to come back. 'Right. He came in here last night, and he was really cold. I know so because his skin felt like ice. I still remember that icy touch on my hand.'
I breathed a sigh of relief, and relaxed against him. I reached my hand out and ruffled his hair, smiling at how unnoticeably cute he was when he was asleep.
At that moment, Sasha opened the door, and her mouth practically fell to the floor.
"He's asleep." I whispered to her.
"You didn't-"
"No. He couldn't sleep last night, and I swear to God that his skin felt like ice. We didn't do anything, he just needed something warm to help him fall asleep, and I was the closest source."
She nodded and let us be, closing the door behind her. I didn't care what she was going to say to me later, but right now, this felt so...how should I put this? A strange sensation that made me feel safe.
His eyes were hidden, yet again. I understood why though, and now, this actually feels normal.
"Does it fit?" Carrie asked as I looked over my new clothes that I was wearing.
"Yes. I really like these clothes."
"Oh, really?" Her voice was a bit higher right now. "I'm glad."
Yesterday had been quite interesting for us. After we were taken to Pandora in Reveil, we were made an offer to join the organization. Both of us were agreed on the subject, and the deal was struck. After that, we went to some store that she had told me about. Carrie said the clothes that I picked out were indeed old fashioned, but had a modern twist.
That was yesterday, but this is a new day. I'm not quite sure what's on Carrie's mind as she returned home from school, but I knew what was on mine.
"Ah, I see you're reading a new book. You finished Incarecron?" She must of took notice of the book in my hands.
I nodded in answer to her question. "There's a sequel you know, it's called Saphique."
"Really? Hmm. Timeline, by Michael Crichton." She must of glanced at the book cover; a shadowed knight with the title written across the cover in bold red.
"Even though I don't quite understand the mechanics at the beginning, it's very intriguing."
"Yeah, we have all his books."
I smiled and Sasha appeared from around the corner. "Are you two ready or what?"
"Yup." Carrie replied as she finished doing the ties on her sweater jacket. I set the book down on the couch and followed them outside. Outside, the weather was nice, not cloudy, but still some clouds in the sky. According to what Carrie said, the temperature for today would be as high as 63 degrees, which was a good day by her standards.
Carrie had specifically asked Sasha to take us both to the library in town when she headed back for work. She accepted, but she didn't know that me and her were going to be meeting Maverick there for our first assignment. Yesterday, we had both agreed not to tell her that we had joined Pandora yet, but she'll know someday.
I recalled in my mind the phone call Carrie had received just a few minutes after she got back from school.
(Flashback)
"Hey Carrie, it's for you." Sasha said, tossing the phone at her. She caught it and looked at Leo, who was reading a book on the couch.
"Who could possibly be calling me?"
Leo shrugged at her question. She sighed as Sasha walked outside and put the phone to her ear. "If this is Albert, I swear, I'm gonna-"
"Hello Carrie-kun!" Maverick's voice rang through the phone and blaring into her ear.
"Argh!" She jumped, surprised. "You ass!"
"Now that I have your attention, why don't you put it on speaker so Leo-kun can hear this too."
She pushed a button on the phone and set it down on the coffee table.
"Alright, we're listening." Leo said, eyes on the new book he had started reading.
"Right. We have your first assignment for the both of you." He explained. "But first, I need you two to come down to the library in Kara to properly discuss the matter. I'll meet you there in a half hour."
"Wait, I don't know if-" But Maverick hung up before she could finish.
"Apparently not soon enough." Leo said. "Should we get going then?"
"Yeah, I can get Sasha to take us there when she goes back to work." She answered. "It's odd though. It's only been one day and we're already assigned to something."
(End flashback)
As soon as we stepped off the carriage at the library, Sasha nodded her head to us and left. Other carriages were out and on the streets as we stood in front of the library. No one had stopped here since we got off, and, honestly, we were expecting someone to.
"I thought he said to meet him here." It was clear Carrie was becoming impatient. Ever since a few days ago, she had been acting a bit more like Elliot. This was just an observation. It wasn't like she was doing this on purpose. It was as if...this was part of her personality.
"Why, hello you two." A voice piped up from behind us. We turned to see Maverick and Tracy behind us, dressed in their normal attire and the blond caring a box in her hands.
"Don't you two look lovely." Tracy said. "You would look so cute together!"
A blush instantly spread across Carrie's face. "W-what? No, y-you see, we're only friends!"
"Don't tease them, Tracy." Maverick shushed her, then turning his attention back to us. "Now, why don't we go inside so we can talk about your assignment."
Me and Carrie exchanged a look, then walked inside with the two others.
"Alright." Maverick said as we sat down at a table in a corner of the library. "I know it's rather quick for you, but this will be your first assignment as agents of Pandora. Tracy, if you would?"
She nodded and untied the ribbon around the box, then opening it. Inside was a book about the same size.
Carrie peered in the box, then glared at Maverick. "Are you serious?"
"Very." He replied. "Not to long ago, this was received in Marriot."
"A book?" I asked.
"Yes, Leo." Tracy answered. "You see, this book contains some important information that hints at Oz Vessalius. This information could possibly shed some light on the riddle that is linked to him. And, I'm sure this would interest you too Leo."
"Why? I can't see how it would involve me."
She giggled at my question. "Well, there is mention of a certain...Elliot Nightray."
Carrie turned her attention to Tracy "What do you mean?"
"Well, you, Carrie, search for the truth of 200 years ago, and recently, you obtained information regarding this person. However, you still are missing some components to the puzzle, aren't you."
She narrowed her eyes at her, seemingly annoyed at what she said.
"What does this have to do with Elliot?" I asked, tension in my voice.
"We're not sure, but, rumor has it that this importation would reveal more truth as to the mystery of the Chain he was contracted with."
In that one moment, memories flashed through my mind. So many dark and painful memories. I found myself unable to breathe for that split second moment as I saw each memory.
"Leo?" Carrie's voice was faint and far away, as were the others.
"Ah, a memory of that person it seems." Maverick's voice echoed.
Those vivid memories were there, and sending pangs of pain throughout me. Things like this, they're unforgivable, and I...was the root of this suffering.
"Cut the crap." Carrie hissed. I looked at her, an icy blue stare in her eyes directed to Maverick and Tracy. "Why bring up such a thing, when you don't even comprehend his death? If you really know about Leo's past before I met him, then you would understand why he's saddened by these things."
"Carrie," I started, but she turned to me, a calmer expression, but the icy look in her eyes remained.
"It's alright. I know." She turned back to them. "Yeah, I know he died. I know it was by self sacrifice, the one thing that annoyed him. I...I kind of feel the same." Her hand curled into a fist. "I'm not sure, but, I will search for the truth, and if I have to fight for that, I will struggle against all odds, and I won't die."
Everyone was silent, and I just looked at Carrie in awe. At that moment, that had sounded just like something Elliot would have said, only she was more calm. 'That was...'
"Well, now that that's settled. Let's get back to the task at hand." Maverick said, breaking the silence. "We need you two to deliver this book to the storage in Reveil where we keep the records."
"Why not just take it there now?" I asked.
"This town is on the way there, and you two aren't very susceptible of an attack if you do this. What, you think you've only been agents for one day and we'd send you off on a dangerous mission? Not at all, this is very simple, since it's only your first time."
"That certainly helps." Carrie sarcastically growled.
"Ah, Leo, we have something for you too!" Tracy exclaimed as Carrie was handed the book.
"What?"
She presented another box, smaller than the first one and opened it. When she did, I just stared at it for a moment while she smiled.
Inside the box, it was a little dusty, but it was my old gun.
"How did you...?" I picked it up carefully, recognizing each detail.
"We discovered it about two months ago. We knew it belonged to someone, but we just didn't know who. Upon closer inspection of the records, we learned it was yours."
"Whoa, wait?" Carrie looked at it too, then turning her gaze to me. "This gun is yours?"
I nodded. "Yes. I would carry it with me all the time, even at Lutwidge. I felt obligated to have some sort of protection for myself and Elliot."
"Oh, I see."
"You two should get going." Tracy piped up. "Even though this mission is simple, be careful."
"Now then, Tracy and I should head back to headquarters. Tracy only came so she could get out of the paperwork we have to do regarding the Northridge case." Maverick nudged the blond, who didn't seem happy to be reminded. She muttered something under her breath, then walked away.
"Right then." Carrie sighed, tightening her grip on the book. "Come on, Leo. We've gotta head to Reveil."
"So, that's where they're heading, huh?" A girl in a cloak said.
"Apparently, yes." Another person also wearing a cloak replied.
"Hmm. And the other one with that girl? Is that egg shell of a boy back together?"
"Judging by his face and his calm aura, yes."
"But that means he has answers we're striving for." She chuckled and spun around. "Dan, this will prove to be quite an interesting outing."
"It's gonna take us at least a half hour to get to Reveil. We're just lucky Maverick and Tracy provided us with transporation." I said, holding the reins in my hands. I knew very well how to stear horses, it wasn't that hard. "You got your gun ready, just in case?"
He nodded and showed me it, hidden under his coat. "Ready, but I'm just teling you now, I'm not a good shot."
"As long as you can actually try and hit something, be careful with that though."
This country road was moderatly open, so I did doubt that we would be attacked, otherwise we might see them before they could even begin. This was the shortest acess road to Reveil, going by a large medow with trees on ether side of the road.
I was a little bit hesitant as to calling us out on a book delivery, however, this book was to be taken to the where the records are stored, which is somewhere in Reveil. Apparently, this book holds some hidden secrets that have ties to Oz Vessalius and some myserious riddle that involves him.
'I've never heard of any riddles mentioned in the records, but if it's in this book, what exactly is this riddle?'
"Do you think there's any possiblity of getting attcked by theives or anything?" Leo asked after a few minutes of ridding along on the road.
I turned my head to him, our faces close becuase he was sitting right next to me.
I blushed a little before answering, not really used to someone this close to me. "Um, I don't really know for sure. Like Tracy said, this may seem like a simple task, but we need to be on our gaurd."
"A possiblity always exists."
"I know that. Different possibilties exist, no matter the sittuation."
"Aw, such cute words from a pretty mouth like yours." My eyes widened at this new voice, and we both turned aorund to see a cloaked figure on top of the carriage, their hazel eyes looking down on us. "Your beliefs are right."
I pulled on the riens to make the horses stop just as they lunged towards me. Whoever this person was, they were strong!
"Carrie!" I heard Leo say as I landed on the ground, the force of the impact knocking the air from my lungs. It left me dizzy as I saw him jump down from the carrigae, but someone came up from behind him and pinned him to the ground.
"W-who are you guys?" I struggled to say.
The one who had attcked me first smiled and pulled the hood of their cloak off their head. "I'm Heather, and my friend over there is Dan."
For some reason I couldn't understand, there was a werid look in her eyes. I noticed that the person she called Dan had revealed their face as well, almost silver eyes blankly watching this scene.
"What do you want with us?" I managed to say to Heather.
"Hmm? Oh, nothing from you. It's what you have."
"You want that book." Leo spoke up, even though he was pressed to the ground.
"Well, you're very smart indeed." Heather chuckled. "Now, mind telling us as to where it's hidden? We know it's here and you know where."
"Heh. Sorry to disapoint you, but we're on a mission." I looked over to Leo. He must of known that I was formulating a plan, because he slowly nodded to me. "And we don't intend to fail!"
My chest didn't hurt with the same pain as when I'd been pushed to the ground, so I spang up and grabbed Heather's arms and pinned them behind her back. She tried with all her might to strugle, but I wasn't about to let her go.
"Dan! Help me." Sure enough, he let go of Leo.
"Leo! The book!" I yelled, letting go of her and hopping back onto the carriage as Dan nearly collided with her.
"A diversion?"
I was starting to climb back up to the driver's seat, when he grabbed the back of my shirt, trying to pull me down. I let out a growl and kicked him in the chest, making him let go of my shirt. But when he fell down, I saw Heather approch the carriage.
"Dammit." I sneered. When her hand closed on the handle of the door, I takled her, trying to get her away. She over powered me this time though and pushed me back. I got up as she turned from me, ready to attack her again, but I didn't notice the dagger her had in her hand till she turned back around.
*Bang*
The sound of a gunshot made us all stop. Everything was in a cold silence, until Heather looked at her shoulder to see a red stain forming there.
"W-what the-" She didn't finish as she collapsed, Dan running up to catch her. I took one look at them and took this opportunity to get back up into the drivers seat, Leo up there too. I snapped the reins and the horses took off, leaving those two behind.
"That was you right?" I asked as soon as I was sure they were out of sight.
"Yes. It was rather surprising to see I actually hit something, even though I haven't used my gun in a while." Leo replied. "But you didn't get hit ether, right? You were in the path and I was worried it would of hit you instead."
"No, I'm fine." Actually, my arm did sting a little, but that didn't matter right now. Those two wouldn't cause us anymore trouble...for now it seems.
"Thank God, we made it to Reveil!" Carrie said, breathing out a sigh of releif.
"Those people from before didn't follow us here at least." I said.
"Yeah, that's true." She pulled on the reins slightly, making the horses slow down. "Hey, do you have any clue as to where we're suposed to deliver this to?"
"The place where they store the records, of course."
"I know that, Leo. But where that is exactly is what I'm saying."
She was getting iritated, but I didn't really mind, it never lasted long with her. Still, it takes me back. At that time, things were peaceful, and even though those memories are shadowed, they were still good memories worth trying to hold onto.
"I blame those two for not leaveing us with any sense of direction as to where we deliver this book to." She sighed, annoyance lingering in her voice.
We continued through the city, trying to think of any possible location as to where we were supossed to devliver the book. Finally, I suggested we look at a library that we passed earlier. Carrie was hesitant on looking there, just because it wasn't really of any interest to people, but then she gave in to my suggestion, saying that the best place to hide it is in plain sight.
When we found the library, we both looked at it for a few minutes. It was built similar to the one in Kara, but bigger. We exchanged a look before Carrie opened the carriage and removed the book, hidden in a secret compartment under one of the seats.
Walking in, Carrie gasped at the imense space inside the library. "Whoa! It's like the time I went to 's Library in South Lolii."
"It must be big then." I inquired.
She laughed. "It doesn't look like it from the outside, but it's like this on the inside."
We continued on, Carrie sugesting that we look in the upper section of the library because all the historical reference books are there. Once we got there, we were surounded by row after row of books. It was quite odd though, there was barely anyone here, maybe because this was such a big library.
"Argh! This is madening!" Carrie exclaimed out of frustration after reaching the end of another row. "There's nowhere this book could go."
While she was venting her frustration, I was looking at the books for some sort of clue. They were orgainzied in a very interesting maner, each haveing a number. Each book in numerical oder, lined up one after the other...
I saw a fimilar number on one of the books; 337
"Carrie, can I see the book?" I asked.
Her face returned to its normal expersion, looked at the book, then handed it to me. "What is it?"
I looked at the bottom of the book's spine to see a number engraved in it.
"This is the same number as this book here." I said, gesturing towrds the book I'd been looking at only a few moments ago.
Carrie tilted her head to the side and looked at the number on the book, then to the one I'd been looking at. She narrowed her eyes and pulled out the book, then glancing up.
"Ah!" She started digging though her pocket until she pulled out the pendent she'd been given. We had each recived one as a symbol that we worked for Pandora. "It's so simple!"
Now I was the one who was confused, but I glanced at what she had been looking at and realized what she was thinking. "There's a socket here that fits the shape of the pendent."
"I know." She replied, putting her pendent in the socket. It made a small click as she did and she stepped back. We waited for a few minutes, but nothing happened.
"That's strange, I'm sure that would of-" I stopped when I heard something move, and we turned around to see a bookcase that had been up against the wall moving off to the side. I walked over to see what was behind it, and I saw that there was a spiral staircase there.
"Carrie, these steps lead down." I called over to her.
Carrie smiled and walked over to see the staircase as well. "Good work, Leo."
"Not much light down here." I muttered, carefuly making my way down the staircase, Leo foolowing behind me. "Watch your step."
Unfourtunatly, when we got to the bottom of the staircase, my feet tripped up and I started to fall forward. However, Leo grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back up, saving me from falling face first into the stone floor.
"Thanks." I sheepishly said.
"No problem. Sort of deja vu, you know?"
The memory of the day we met flashed through my mind. "Yeah, I know."
Feeling along the wall, my hand stumbled upon a light switch. Without hesitation, I turned the switch, lighting up a big room filled with books, documents, and many other things. I looked around for a moment before looking back at the book Leo was carring, then turning my eyes to him.
"These must be where the records are stored." I inquired. "Only accesable by members of Pandora."
"If that's true," Leo said as we walked into the room. "then how do people know if they're kept under lock and key?"
"No one would dare leave the actual records without a lock. Each library must has a copy of the records, storied in books." I inquired.
Seeing a table, I set down the book. I took a look at it, noticing the cover of it, no title. I bit on my lower lip, and put my hand on the cover, opening it slightly.
"What are you doing?" Leo asked, walking over to me.
"I think we deserve to know what's in here if those two people wanted it so badly." I opened the book and a few pages with it. I scaned some pages, not really interesting things here, but I stopped when I saw something written with a photograph of Oz Vessalius.
"What's this?" I glanced down at the writing next to the photo, my eyes widening slightly at the writing.
When the one whom we await descends upon the promise land, the bell will toll to break the silence. The blade of a friend glitters crimson, and the drops carve a path to a dstant place...
"This is..." I remebered what they said before to us, how there was a riddle about Oz Vessalius. I think this is it. I'm not entirerly sure, but this doesn't seem like a riddle.
"More like a phrophecy to me." Leo said.
"Looks that way, doesn't it?" I took another look, trying to figure out a meaning, but I couldn't just stand here forever. Taking out my cell phone, I turned the camera on and took a picture of the photograph and the writing. "Hey, what's here?"
I saw another photograph sticking out of the back of the book. Pulling it out, I saw a group of people, one of them I reconised as Leo. "Ah! Leo, look."
"I remember this picture." He smiled at the photograph, clearly recalling the day it was taken. It seemed like a moment frozen in time, a perfect stand still moment. Every one of their expressions was different, and I found myself laughing at a few of them. When my eyes fell back to where Leo was, it seemed like he was trying to get someone in the picture with him, one who looked annoyed.
"Hey, Leo, who's this?"
He looked at the person I was talking about. "Oh. That's Elliot."
I looked to Leo, then back at the photograph. "I see. I can see why you called me by his name when you woke up at the hospital."
'We look so...similar.' I had to admit, it was true. Our hair color, eye color, each feature of our faces; it was almost like looking in a mirror. Even though I should leave this picture here, I'll take it anyways and frame it at home, mainly beacuse I think that something like this shouldn't be kept hidden on dust.
"Okay, let's get out of here." I closed the book and we walked back towards the entrance, until my eyes caught sight of a name.
"Carrie?" I didn't really hear him as I looked at the bookshelf next to me. On it was a small book with a name written on it; Anastasia. There was some nostalgic feeling as I looked at it, and a sudden impulse made me grab it from the shelf.
"I'm comming."
"Are you sure you should of taken that book?" Leo asked me as I started to open the little journal. Me and him were outside the libray, resting up before we went back to Kara.
"Come on, what's the harm." I opened it and read the first few paragraphs to myself.
My name is Anastasia. What I have written in here is the recorded events of not only my adventures, but tales of a girl trapped in a tower, two friends who seem like opposites, and my best friend.
I'll start with him, because that's why I got this journal. My best friend is a very sickly boy who can be very shy and stubborn sometimes. Like I've said, his health is poor, but he'll go outside against his parent's wishes. Although, on occasions, if he stays outside for too long in summer or winter, he'll get very sick. Ah, I feel sorry for him. I remember a time where he was so ill that he almost died. Another time he was bedridden for almost five months! I was so worried that I visited him every day.
Still though, he's a good friend. Even though I stay near the Vessalius house and I still go to see him. Over time, I've...I've grown to like him more than just a friend, and I wouldn't hesitate to draw my sword and protect him.
Reading this short entry about this girl and her friend, I too felt pity for him. Yet, it said she was willing to protect him. What she said seemed familar to me, like from someplace like a dream.
"If you want to know what's worth dying for, him. I'll die to protect him."
Ah, again with this? This is getting tiersome. Sometimes, I would hear stuff like this at ramdom in my head. And, lately, I noticed that I had started to hear them more offten after I met Leo. I sighed and put a hand to my head in frustration.
"Carrie, are you alright?"
"Hmm?" I turned my head up to Leo. "I'm fine, just spacing out."
As I closed the journal though, the words written there and the ones I heard were still lingering in my mind.
Now that we were back home, all I wanted to do was read, today was tiersome. Carrie had gone out to buy some thing, but I wasn't paying any attention.
"Leo, guess what." I looked up from my book at her voice, which meant she had just returned from town. So much for relaxing. "I just bought this for you."
She took something off the table in the kitchen and I saw that it was some kind of-
"That's...!" What she was holding out for me was my outfit that I usualy wore. Every piece of clothing was there, all down to the red ribbon around the collar. "I used to wear this. How did you get that?"
"Ah, really?" She shook her head, trying her best not to get off topic. "This just arrived at a store I go to sometimes. I thought you'd like it."
"Thanks, I-" Wait, something was off here. "Um, why did you buy that?"
She seemed to blush, but a smile spread across her face. "Leo, you're gonna be my date to the school dance this Friday whether you like it or not!"
'Eh?'
I thought that would be fun. And by the way, the journal Carrie now has holds important information that will be explained later in the story. Plz feel free to reveiw if you want to.