Hello again. Another chapter here for you. I know it's shorter than the last few chapters, but it turned out alright, I guess. After this, there's only 2 chapters left, and I'll put those up as soon as possible. They shouldn't take very long at all. Yes, I know I left off on a cliffhanger, but now you'll get the answer, starting wiith a flashback from Elliot.

I do not own Pandora Hearts in any way.

Chapter 29: The Seal

(Flashback)

The blade of our swords met, the clash sending out a ring as the metal collided. We pushed away, Leo casting me a grin that seemed to mock me. I stood firm, my eyes narrowed at him and my grip tightening on my sword.

Did it really have to come to this? Master against servant, friends pitted against each other? Did it really have to be this way?

"Enough with this, Leo." I demanded, but he just laughed.

"Oh, Elliot. Are you not enjoying this?" He asked mockingly. "Can't one of us just finish this game? There isn't much time left."

"Then why can't you admit that to yourself?" I charged at him again, but he put up his sword to block the attack.

"Because what is there in admitting it?" He said. "The time will come soon enough, and I'm not delaying that nay longer."

He then tried swinging the sword at me, but I saw it just in time, jumping back a step to avoid it slicing my skin. "Leo, that damn Chain is corroding your body, you can't use it anymore! If you just stop this nonsense now, then we'll find a way, I promise."

He lowered his sword for a second, looking tense, but then he raised it against me once more. "What do you know about promises?"

This time, he was the one who came at me, now furiously trying to cut me down with the sword. I took my own in defense as I skidded back on my feet. The black eyes that I caught a glimpse of for a mere moment as he effortlessly kept attacking.

"Leo-"

"How can you promise someone that things will be alright? How can you promise that you can save someone?" He just kept on yelling these things with every attack. "You can't, can you? Why do you two come so far, when you know nothing can be done and all the promises are broken?"

I glared at him, these words angering me even more. "Leo, you idiot, it's because we came!"

He got close to me, but with my free hand, I pushed him away with all my might. He fell back to the ground with a pained yelp and looked up at me with a menacing glare, the sword having slipped from his hand.

"Do you think if we thought things were impossible we would have come after you? How do you think Carrie feels about this?" I saw him stiffen, but I didn't care what he wanted to yell at me for, I need him to hear these words. "Leo, she loves you, she cares about you. If she didn't, then she wouldn't have come. She loves you beyond all reason!"

I couldn't see past his glasses, but I did see a tear slide down his face as I approached. "Elliot,-"

"I'm not finished yet." He might be coming back to his senses, so I needed to keep this up, just for a bit more. "I don't like this. I hate the fact that my own friend has turned against me. I know they're all dead; all my direct siblings, even my mother. But here, I still have two others that I care about." I looked directly down into his face as I kneeled in front of him and pushed away his bangs, seeing violet once again. "You and Carrie are the only family I have left."

I pulled my hand away, his bangs falling back to where they were. "Elliot, I..."

"It's okay, Leo." I said, standing up. "Please, stop this pointless fight."

He looked up at me, another tear on his pale cheek. "Elliot."

He started to reach a hand out to me, but then he stopped, his hand now trembling and then he drew it back, putting it to his head and letting out a low pained noise. I wanted to help him, but that would of been a fatal mistake. His head snapped up and he quickly grabbed the sword beside him. Surprised, I was just able to miss it.

"Leo!"

"You're it." He softly said.

Our swords clashed again, Leo once again out of control and his normal self locked up. I had to find another way to snap him out of this. Carrie would know what to do, since she's done it once before, but she was unconscious at the moment, so she was no help.

One wrong step though, and he ended up nearly stabbing me with his sword. Even though I dodged it, my feet then tripped up and I fell back wards, my own sword clattering from my hand.

I tried to get up, but I found myself frozen. 'What the hell? Is he using Jabberwock to paralyze me?'

"Aw, poor Elliot." I heard him say as I looked up at him. "Looks like this game is over for you."

His sword was now raised in the air, and I realized what he was doing. 'No, Leo!'

"You've lost this game of tag!"

My eyes widened, knowing that he would bring that sword down on me and I'm defenseless against it.

I'll die again. 'Leo!'

He swung it down, but something came between us and it wasn't me who the sword struck. Leo dropped the sword, whose silver metal held blood. Those red dropped down onto the ground, and standing on her won two feet, the one who had kept Leo from killing me...it was Carrie.

(End flashback)

I recall that, as if it had just happened a moment ago. She was still standing, and I was unable to speak.

"C-Carrie...?" Leo asked, realizing what he had done. He must of regained control after he struck her with the sword.

I thought about what had happened, and everything before that, and I came to a realization that she had done the same thing I did the night I died; she had said she didn't believe in self sacrifice, but yet she had done it, right here in front of my eyes.

She looked up at him slowly, and I saw that she was reaching for something in her coat with a shaky hand. 'What is she-'

"I'm sorry, Leo." She whispered, loud enough for us both to hear.

In the next instant, I was able to move again, but she quickly pulled Leo close to her and drew a dagger from her coat, sending it deep into Leo's chest, right above his heart.

There was a silence, and I was unable to comprehend what had just happened. I only know what I saw and heard. They loved each other, I knew that, yet...why?

Blood dripped from the both of them as she removed the dagger, leaving me speechless as they both fell to their knees.

'Why...Carrie?'

'I'm sorry.' Tears kept falling as we fell to our knees, our blood dripping down our bodies and mixing on the ground. His breath touched my skin and he looked up at me, his violet eyes frozen with shock. In my mind, only two words were repeating like a broken record. 'I'm sorry.'

The dagger fell out of my hand as I looked down at him; he was crying. "C-Carrie, I...why...?"

"Leo..." I couldn't stand to look at his eyes directly, but I couldn't help but to do so, even though it was only lenses I could see. "I received a letter, and it...told me a way to help you. I knew it had to be within my own thoughts, and this was the only way to save you in time." I wrapped my arms around him, holding my lover close. "Forgive me, Leo."

His body trembled and was growing colder in my arms. I knew I had to activate whatever power it was that dwelt within me, but, even though I was silently begging, it wasn't answering my call.

'Come on, please!' I wouldn't be able to hold on much longer ether, the wound dealt to me making me feel dizzy. 'If I really have this power, then let me use it!'

"Carrie..." I looked at Leo, his face paler than usual. "I feel so cold."

'No! Please let me use that power!' There wasn't much time left, he was slipping away from me quickly.

"Carr-" I then pressed my lips to his, my eyes closing as he held me tight, not wanting to let me go. I hope this wasn't the last kiss we would ever share, because I didn't want this to be the end. I had never wanted to do what I did, but it had to be done if I was going to activate this so called power. I didn't need the dagger to channel it.

I pulled my lips away, and he just looked up at me. Then, with a shaky hand, he did something unexpected; he took off his glasses and pushed away those long bangs that covered his eyes. They were filled with tears and the same rich violet color was there.

"You...you look wonderful among the lights." He let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes, his head falling against me.

'No!' He didn't move. I need to use this power now! Why won't it answer me?

"Leo...?" Nothing. His head still rested against me.

'Let me use that power now!' Elliot had now gotten up from behind me and had slowly moved next to me, not speaking as he stared at his friend.

"Leo, don't..."

'God help me!'

Suddenly, there was a small click and I felt something unlock. It was flowing inside me, making my heart race and it was slowly building up, spreading out to my fingertips. Was this...yes it was!

"Elliot," I spoke softly. "Get away from me."

"Huh? But you-" I stopped him with a light chuckle.

"Please, Elliot." I said, turning my head to him. "It'll be alright."

He seemed to realize my words, because he nodded and took a few steps back. I then tightened my grip around Leo's cold body and held him even closer, now putting my head atop his shoulder. The strange energy I had been feeling was spreading throughout my body, and within it, there was a spark, and then it exploded.

A loud clap, like thunder, resounded about, and light started glowing underneath us. The glow spread up us, surrounding us both in it's light. The wind picked up around us, blowing our hair up. I heard something faint, like an echo, and I looked up and faintly saw the eyes of Jabberwock. It didn't cast a threatening stare at me, only blink and fade away.

I closed my eyes and smiled, letting the energy transfer into Leo. I felt it flow directly from me and into him. Next, the wound I had received earlier, it seemed to be healing, I could feel it. That must mean that the one I had dealt to Leo must be healing as well. Then came a series of clicks, like a clock. They kept repeating and getting faster and faster until it stopped.

The incuse must of reset itself!

There was then a ringing in my ears and then a flash. After that, everything calmed down, and I looked back at Leo, his face had a bit of color back to it and he was no longer cold. I smiled and took his hand, and then we fell sideways onto the ground, each of us rolling onto our backs, but our hands remaining together.

I couldn't move, I felt like every last bit of strength had been sucked out of me, then run over by a bus. Even if I couldn't move, I heard something, like a cry. It was sharp and quick, and when I managed to look over at Leo, I saw his face scrunched up in pain. In the next second, I barely saw his eyes as they flung open. His back arched slightly as he let out a loud gasp and a purple shard bust from his chest, shooting up into the air, eventually falling back to earth and landing away from us.

'The fragment.' I thought.

I watched him fall still, then my eyes closed as well, both of our bodies in well need of some rest.

The fragment was removed and the incuse had reset, and I had used that power. I can't help but to let sleep capture me.

So, Carrie finally uses her power. We'll let them rest while I write out the next chapter, I mean, they deserive it after something like that. Also, if anyone remembers about the dream Carrie had about seeing Aaron's death, the truth behind Anastasia's death will be reveiled in the next chapter, along with Leo finding out a secret about himself as well.

As always, feel free to leave a reveiw.