Thanks for everyone who reviewed/followed/faved! 3
This chapter was beta-ed by the lovely and awesome Serena Heartfilia.
Semara knew she talked in her sleep. Her sister had warned her often, as had her mother. Yet, she couldn't control it.
She didn't say a lot when she talked, at least, that's what Sharon told her. A few words, phrases, mumblings. Often, Semara had nightmares that detailed her talking in her sleep and giving away her true gender. It hadn't happened yet. She also couldn't tell whether she talked in her sleep or not when she woke up.
Semara's eyes slowly cracked open, and for once, she didn't mind the bright sunlight filtering through the drapes.
It was a symbol of home.
Semara wanted to lay there, in the large queen-sized bed, but her traitorous stomach grumbled.
"Ah, well. Better start the day," she muttered, and clambered out of bed.
Choosing, for once, not to don the crisp Pandora uniform, she opted instead for a plain baggy white shirt, and black pants. The gun belt... She strapped it on, but left the guns unloaded. Better safe than sorry.
"Good morning, Semar-sama," a servant said, bowing, as Semara stepped down the stairs.
"Morning," Semara said back, grinning. She couldn't help it. It all felt so... familiar. She nearly skipped down to the dining room. The sun was beaming through all the large hallway windows, and in her imagination birds were singing.
"Morning, Sharon!" Semara said, entering the dining room. As expected, her sister was already up, seemingly always waking up at an ungodly hour of the morning.
"Semar," Sharon said. "You look cheerful."
"I'm home, I suppose. What's for breakfast?" Semara scooted down next to her twin. Sharon was writing a letter to someone, her food pushed aside. Sharon finished writing the sentence she was on.
"French toast. No, don't take mine!" Sharon batted away Semara's hands from her food. "Go get your own, brat."
"Ah, but you love me, dearest sister?" Sharon frowned, and pointed towards the kitchen.
"Yes, dearest brother, but I want my own food. Go get your own."
Semara let out a good-natured grumble, and walked into the kitchen. The cook and his helpers jumped at the sound of the door moving in its hinges, and looked up from a large bowl of light-brownish dough.
"Good morning, Mr. Chef," Semara said politely. "Can I get some French toast?"
The gray-haired chef waved to one of his assistance, a tiny young woman, who opened up the oven. She quickly placed two slices of the toast on a china plate, sprinkled icing sugar on it, and handed it to Semara.
"A little more icing sugar, please?" Semara looked at the woman hopefully. The woman rolled her eyes.
"You're as thin as a stick, and yet enough sugar and food for a horse, Semar-sama. Pardon me saying, but you're the same every time you come home."
"I'm trying to build up muscle," Semara said. "Pleeease?"
The woman grudgingly sprinkled a little bit more powder on the toast, and gently pushed her out of the kitchen.
"We've got a lot of work to do, Semar-sama, with Reim-sama arriving today, and your welcoming dinner, so if you don't mind, please let us work," the assistant said, and shut the creaking door.
Semara sat down next to Sharon again, and began to eat. Sharon was still writing a letter, the scratching of the pen on the paper the only sound in the room for a while, besides Semara's not-so-lady-like chomping.
"Who's that for?" Semara asked, over a mouthful of French toast.
"Grandmother. I'm telling her how you are, and the only words that come to mind at this moment are ill-mannered, and disgusting. Swallow before you talk."
Semara wiped her mouth. "I've been nomadic for a few years, Sharon. I'm gonna have a few bad habits."
"It's unladylike, and I wish you could get over them."
"I'm not a lady, Sharon. I'm a man," Semara said, reaching for Sharon's tea.
"Hmm."
Semara could feel the disapproving aura that Sharon had. Honestly, though, Semara didn't care. Even if she could be a woman, she would probably still be un-lady-like, and tomboy-ish.
"So, what's the schedule for today?" she asked.
Sharon finished writing, and folded up the paper.
"I believe Mother wishes to go into the town, later in the morning, and Reim's coming sometime this afternoon, as you know. So, unless you're going dress shopping with her, you'll have the morning free."
"Dress shopping sounds lovely, but I'll pass. Is the armory still stacked up?"
Sharon groaned. "Why must you always want to go to the armory? Yes, it's full, full of swords and any other masculine weapon you would ever need, Semar."
"Awesome."
"What is up with that word? Doesn't that mean large, or big?"
"In my mind, it means large amount of good."
"Of course. The armory means a large amount of good." Sharon slipped the paper into an envelope, putting a seal on it.
"Good morning, Sharon-sama, Semar-sama." The twins both looked up at the voice.
"Ah, good morning, Raven-san. Come to eat with us?"
The black-haired man nodded, and set down his plate of toast. He settled into the chair across from Semara.
Semara was trying not to kick something, such was her irritation at this new development.
Wait, no, let's try to be positive, she told herself. 'How can I turn this to my advantage?'
She was staring at her toast, and then it hit her. Grabbing it, she began eating.
Very loudly. Very messily.
Sharon stopped what she was doing, and looked up in confusion at Semara. Semara ignored her look, and kept chomping very, very loudly, making sure to get as much powdered sugar on her face as possible.
Raven also seemed shocked at Semara's atrocious eating, but was too polite or shy to say anything.
Semara finished one slice quickly. Her disgusting eating would most certainly lower Raven-san's opinion of her, which would obviously make him dislike her more, and therefore avoid her.
Of course, any dignity she had was now going down with the French toast.
Sharon seemed to guess what Semara was doing, and sighed.
"Semar, are you almost done eating?" she asked.
"Yeah," Semara said.
"How about you go practice sparring now? Give me and Raven-san time to talk about Pandora matters."
"I work for Pandora too," Semara reminded her.
"Just... go. Spar."
Semara obligingly stood, and left the kitchen. At least she wouldn't have to be near Raven-san.
Shelly held a red dress in front of herself.
"How does this one look? Better or worse than the green one?"
Break sighed.
"Better."
"What about this one?"
"Worse."
For the past ten minutes, all Shelly-sama had done was hold dresses up in front of the mirror. Break understood that she wanted his opinion, but couldn't she ask her daughter?
"Shelly-sama, shall we go eat breakfast?" he asked, silently hoping she would agree, and end the long trail of dress-trying-on.
"Just a few more minutes. I must look my best for going shopping this morning," the woman said.
Break tried not to grown. He loved the Rainsworths, but sometimes their habits, especially those of dressing up, were unbearable.
"What are you going shopping for?"
"Dresses, of course. Maybe flowers."
"Flowers? What for?"
"The bouquets on top of the dining room table."
"Ah. If I may ask, why don't you get Semar to give you his opinion? If you wanted a male one."
"Semar... is not the best to ask on female clothing."
"I'm better?"
Shelly sighed. "I love my… son, but his clothing choices are not always what I'd pick."
"I see." Break didn't see. Semar's clothing hadn't seemed all that outrageous or ugly. Of course, Break had only seen him in the Pandora stand-issue uniform. "Why do you need to wear your nicest dress if you're simply going to buy more?"
"Women always like to look their best, Xerxes."
"Of course. I suppose since I'm not a woman, I wouldn't know."
"Speaking of that, you need a woman in your life, Xerxes. It would do you good."
Break rolled his eyes. "Shelllly-saaama, I am going to die within two years, maybe less. I don't believe it would be worth it, to go and find one, then die within a month of marriage."
"Haven't you ever considered getting married? Having kids?"
"I'm a dying Contractor. It's not an option."
"Xerxes, just listen. Haven't you imagined what it would be like?"
Break had, just a few times. But that future wasn't for him. His past was too dark, his soul too torn for him to ever consider giving someone else the burden of caring for it.
"Yes. I have. I would hate to give a woman a year stuck with me." He flopped back on the bed, arms out to the side, looking at the canopied ceiling.
"Hmm. Then you've obviously never been in love. When you're in love, I'm sure your feelings will change."
"It's not likely that'll happen in my remaining life, Shelly-sama." Break sighed, rolling over.
"Oh, stop being so grim. Anyway, I think I'll wear the red one," Shelly finally decided, and Break leapt off the bed.
"I'll leave you to change, then," he said, and left quickly.
A few minutes after the twins' conversation, Sharon was sitting on a stone bench outside, watching Semara fencing. She was waiting for Shelly-sama.
Semara swung the foil, moving her right foot forward, and narrowing her eyes. Sharon sighed. Her sister could be so... intense sometimes. Why couldn't Semara just enjoy the sun shining? The green grass swishing under her feet, or the cliche sound of birds singing?
The area they were in was beautiful. It was on the side of the mansion, with several cherry and maple trees surrounding a circle of grass. The gardeners had planted flowers around the benches, and Sharon reached down to pick one, smelling it.
"Semar, why do you need to practice? You're not on a mission," Sharon called to Semara. Semara didn't let her hand drop, stabbing at some invisible enemy.
"I like practicing. There's nothing else I can do, anyway," she said.
"Sharon, the carriage has arrived!" Sharon heard her mother call from the front of the mansion. Sharon stood delicately, smoothing her dress.
"Alright, Semar, I'm going now. Be good while we're gone."
Semara finally dropped the foil to her side, waving to her sister.
"I will, Sharon."
Sharon beckoned Semara closer, and the short-haired girl came.
"Be careful. It's just going to be boys in the mansion for a few hours, besides you," she whispered.
Semara rolled her eyes.
"Sharon, I have a Chain. It'll protect me if anything happens."
"Still. Also, the cooks are making ice cream in celebration of your return. Do not eat any while we're gone."
Semara pouted.
"But I liiike ice cream, Sharon."
"It's supposed to be for when Reim arrives. I must be off, so have fun!" Sharon left her sister, walking across the grass, and around the side of the villa.
Semara lifted the foil again. She was imagining that there was a Chain in front of her, a challenging Chain. She pictured Rose in front of her.
Rose was one of the hardest Chains Semara had ever faced, and the most recent. She had sat out in the rain for half a night, waiting for Rose to show itself. It finally did, as Semara knew it would.
They always did.
Rose, at first, had the illusion of a small human girl, with long blonde hair and green hair ribbons. It hadn't fooled Semara's Chain, Cardturner, at all. Cardturner alerted Semara, just as Rose transformed into a large snake-like beast. Evidently, Rose could see some memories of Semara's, since she kept turning into Semara's childhood fears.
The problem was, they weren't just her childhood-with-Sharon fears. They were her childhood from before fears.
As in, Hazel's childhood.
Semara was thrown completely off-guard when Rose shrunk from a giant spider into the towering figure of her dad, Hazel's dad. He had a furious expression on his face, and that distracted Semara from seeing the vines shooting towards her. Cardturner protected her, and Semara quickly got back on guard.
Once Semara got over Rose's forms, she was easy for Cardturner to defeat, by one of the Chain's trademark playing cards shot through the Contractor's heart.
It was the last form that Rose took that really shocked her, though.
Rose was quickly being dragged into the abyss by some unknown power, white light appearing around her. Rose looked at Semara with black, soulless eyes, and then turned into Grace. She looked exactly like Semara's lost sister from her old world, the same long, brown hair, the same dimples, and the same eyes, no longer black.
Grace, or really, Rose, reached out desperately to Semara.
"Please, please," she begged. "Save me..." Semara took a step back, not breathing.
It was a horrible reminder that she was still connected to her memories of the ancient past.
A bird sounded near Semara's head, and she jumped, woken out of her thoughts. She stabbed furiously again.
"I'm not- gonna- be- some stupid- tragic- Mary-Sue!" she said, between killing air molecules. She wouldn't let herself get depressed, just from having an angst-filled past. It would make her more Mary-Sue-ish.
Break grabbed a sword from the armory. He felt sick of being inside, and wanted to enjoy the cool, fresh air outside.
Where was that Rainsworth brat? Break knew Raven was probably inside oiling his guns, or something, but Semar Rainsworth hadn't been in the dining room.
He heard some strange swishing sounds, and followed the sound. They were coming from a different side of the villa.
Semar was swinging madly at nothing, his eyes narrowed. Break snorted. He didn't look very skilled at the moment, simply angry.
"Ah, are you here to enjoy the weather as well?" Break called out. Semar dropped his fencing sword, looking at Break. The brunette was wearing a baggy white shirt, tucked into black breeches. His boots were stained wet with morning dew from the grass.
"No, only old men do that. I'm here to practice."
"I'll spar with you, then."
"Afraid not, geezer. Your back might break."
Break felt annoyed. The old man jokes were getting, well, old. He stepped forward.
"Try me."
Semar shrugged, and assumed an on-guard position. Break did the same. Then, the fight began.
Semar swung first, aiming for Break's knees, but Break was ready for it, and defended himself. They clashed swords for a few minutes, neither getting distance.
His first observation on the man's skill was wrong, Break decided. Semar Rainsworth was actually quite skilled, easily returning his offensive with some of his own. Semar had a wild way of fighting, his short hair flipping around, and eyes flashing. It was strange, fighting him. He looked nearly the same as an older version of Sharon, but with shorter hair. The eyes, also, were different. More... experienced.
"I'm surprised. You're actually holding your own," Break said, parrying a slash. He could never keep silent while fighting.
"I could say the same for you," Semar said, trying again to hit Break's wrist.
"Although, there is one issue that I can't get over."
"What's that?"
"You fight like a girl," Break said. Semar didn't actually fight like one, but he felt like jibing the man.
Semar's eyes widened, and he looked furious. Dropping all guards, he went straight for Break's neck. Break took that moment to strike, slapping the blunt edge of his foil onto Semar's wrist, sliding his foot underneath Semar's knees, and effectively dropping him to the ground.
They both paused, Semar laying on his back, with Break's sword at his neck.
"I yield," Semar groaned. Break chuckled.
He moved away from Semar, letting the sword down. Semar sat up, rubbing his wrist.
"Ow. That really hurt, old man. My pinkie's throbbing."
Break pulled a candy from his pocket, popping it in his mouth.
"I hit your wrist, brat. Do you have arthritis?" he said.
"No. My pinkie is on fire. Do you have no eyes, or something?" Semar said, standing, and dusting off his pants.
"I have one eye," Break said. Semar looked at him.
"Seriously?"
Break sighed, and turned. He started walking away.
"Wait up!" Semar yelled, from behind him. Break didn't stop. "I don't care that you only have one eye, geezer. Honestly. So don't get all offended or anything."
"I'm not offended, brat," Break said. "I'm going to get ice cream. The cooks just made some."
He really wasn't. He didn't care what people thought or didn't think about his missing eye. It was simply a mark of his dark past.
"Ice cream? I shouldn't..." the man muttered behind him. "But Sharon's not here..."
"Something I should know about?" Break called back. He knew the ice cream wasn't supposed to be eaten, but Shelly couldn't berate him.
Semar caught up with him, a glint in his eye, but an innocent expression on his face.
"No. Your ears must be dying. You should get hearing aids."
"...Hearing aids?" Break had never heard of them.
"Nothing. Slip of the tongue."
Break suddenly realized something. Ever since he had started the spar with Semar, his pinkie had been hurting. There must've been something really wrong with it. Maybe it was the way he was holding his sword?
"What's up?" Semar asked him. Break realized that he had stopped walking, and Semar was several paces ahead.
He ignored Semar's question, and kept walking.
"Do you know what kind of ice cream it is?" Semar asked him.
"Chocolate."
Semar ran off ahead, dashing between the doors. Break wrinkled his forehead, looking at the space where the man had been.
"I suppose he may like chocolate ice cream as well," he said to himself.
Raven was, in fact, oiling his guns. He was thinking about something he often considered, which was Oz Vessalius.
It had been years since Oz had vanished into the Abyss, nearly ten. Break assured him that it wouldn't been another year.
Which meant in a few months' time, Oz would be back.
Oz.
"Raven-sama?" Raven looked up from the black gun. It was a servant. "Break-sama and Semar-sama are having ice cream downstairs. Would you care to join them?"
"I'll be there in a minute," Raven said, quickly putting his gun back together. Ice cream sounded nice.
The cook politely served him a bowl of cold chocolate dessert, handed him a spoon, and sent him into the dining room. Break waved cheerily at him.
"Hello, Raven! Glad you could join us." Break had his feet up on the table.
"Great manners, old man," Semar said. Raven tried not to laugh. 'Old man' was actually quite a fitting nickname of Xerxes Break.
"Don't use that tone with your elders, brat," Break replied. "It's annoying."
"Says the one who cheated in a duel," Semar grumbled. His pink eyes glared across the table at the albino.
"I never cheated. I spoke truth."
"I am not a girl! I don't fight like one!"
Raven was confused.
"You two dueled?"
Semar set down his empty ice cream bowl, running a finger along the edge.
"Yes. Break cheated. He... made a rude comment about my fighting skill."
"Oh. Alright then. When are Shelly-sama and Sharon-sama returning?"
"Mother said around noon, so another hour." Semar licked his chocolate-covered finger. "I know what they get like when they're shopping for dresses, so it could be at least two."
"Semar-sama, I've been wondering," Raven said. "What is your Chain?" The question was sudden.
Semar tilted his head at him, thinking.
"Cardturner. Not that famous, just so you know. It's not incredibly powerful," the man said.
Break snorted.
"Of course. As is the same with your swordsmanship."
"Shut up. Are you asking to see it, or something?" Semar asked Raven. The black-haired man couldn't help himself, and nodded.
"Cardturner," Semar said, with a casual voice, but his expression was intense. Something black, like shadow, started emanating from the brunette. Two hands suddenly appeared on Semar's shoulders, resting just below his neck. They looked human enough, if a bit shadowed, and held a deck of cards. The only creepy thing was that there was no body behind Semar. The hands came from nowhere.
"Cardturner uses these playing cards as weapons, and when it throws them, they turn into knive-sort-of-things," Semar explained. "Of course, this is Cardturner's docile state. I'm not in any danger, so its hands just rest on me."
"Looks weak," Break remarked. "Just a few floating hands, and thin cards. Nothing like Mad Hatter."
Semar narrowed his eyes, and suddenly one of the hands lifted. With a graceful flick of the pale wrist, one of the cards was embedded in Break's chair, a few inches from the white locks of hair.
Break frowned, pulling on the card. It slipped out, and he examined it.
"It's still paper," he remarked. The card turned to black dust, and drifted back to Cardturner. Semar bowed his head, and the Chain disappeared.
"I can't wait to get back on a mission," Semar said. "Then I can leave..." His eyes were anxious.
"You want to leave?" Raven asked. "I thought you liked it here, with your sister."
"I love them. But, there're some things here that keep me on edge."
"I hope it's not me," Break said. Semar rolled his eyes, and stood up.
"I'm going to read," he said, and dramatically left, swinging the dining room doors shut.
Break took a last bite of his ice cream, eyeing Raven suspiciously.
"It seems like every time you arrive, he suddenly leaves."
Raven frowned.
"Am I doing something?"
"Maybe..." Break rubbed his pinkie. "Do you get arthritis from having a Chain?"
"Not that I'm aware of," Raven said. "Why?"
"No reason. Goodbye," Break said, and crawled under the table. Raven sighed. Break and his weird disappearing skills... He would never understand it.
Not bothering to check underneath the tablecloth, Raven left the dining room. Break wouldn't be under there.
Reim Lunettes had left the inn he was staying at quite early, to arrive at the Rainsworth villa earlier. It was a long and bumpy countryside ride.
The carriage finally stopped, and the brunette opened the door. Nobody was outside, to his surprise. He looked at his pocket watch.
"Nearly noon. I suppose I'm earlier than I told Shelly-sama," he said to himself. He had a small bag, and grabbed it before climbing the small steps to the door.
The knocker was gold, and had a rose engraved on it. He knocked loudly, then stood back.
"You got here first," a voice said from next to him. Reim nearly jumped out of his shoes.
A girl stood next to him. She must've been around Sharon's physical age, thirteen, and had a black frilly dress on. Her hair was sea-green, and eyes brown.
"Who- who are you?" Reim asked quickly. She couldn't have been a servant.
The girl giggled. She fluffed her pigtails up.
"I'm Shadow Star. I've got a message for Hazel. Oh, or should I say, Semara."
Thanks for reading! Just to clarify, I'm not intending for Semara's true gender to be revealed for a while. I like to let things... build ;)
To be continued...