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Bold= Semara's thoughts with Shadow Star
Italic=Shadow Star's thoughts with Semara
ICSTLY Chapter Five
Really, whatever Mary Sue god there was out there, Semara was quite sure it loathed her with a passion.
Break, Sharon, and her sat around in the sitting room together. Gilbert had stayed back with Oz until he woke up. Semara didn't hear what the rest of the occupants were talking about. She was busy having a mind conversation.
Another one. You can't be serious, Semara thought.
No, I'm not lying. This is really bad. She could be a love rival! Shadow Star thought back.
Oh, no, a love rival, Semara thought sarcastically. Apparently Shadow Star didn't get it, because her reply was serious.
We need to find out who she is! Ask Sharon who gave the mission to Reim!
Against her will, Semara's mouth opened, and she spoke. "Who gave you this mission?" Shadow Star asked through Semara's mouth. Semara shut her mouth as soon as the words were spoken, feeling sick. Shadow Star could control her body? What else could the crazed fangirl do?
Sharon looked at Semara strangely. "Reim said it was a woman working for Pandora. She's quite high-up. Her name was... Crimson Night? Yes, I do believe that was it..."
That's her. That's the Mary Sue. I recognize the name from somewhere...
It is a very Mary Sue-like name. Is it someone, you know, reincarnated, like me?
Shh, I'm thinking, Shadow Star reprimanded. Semara felt slightly miffed at being told to be quiet inside her own head. She stayed quiet, though, and then Shadow Star spoke again.
I remember! When Bloody Wraith came to gloat about me being stuck waiting for another five years for Pandora Hearts to mature, she said she was getting a name change, and she was renouncing her previous gothic life. I think the name she mentioned was-
"Hello."
The one word was spoken in such a sickly sweet way, it made chills run down Semara's spine. Nobody normal would say it that way. Nobody insane would say it that way.
In fact, the only living species that would say 'Hello' in such a way were a form of superhuman that Semara herself was hoping not to be a part of.
Bloody Wraith, Shadow Star growled in Semara's mind just as Semara turned towards the doorway and saw the other Mary Sue.
"I'm Crimson Night," the girl in the doorway said, looking shyly down at her feet. Unlike Semara, who lucked out in the superhuman beauty department, Crimson had gone all out. She had gorgeous red (as in orange-red, not rose red) locks that fell to mid-back, a gently curving figure, and piercing blue eyes. She wore a form-fitting Pandora uniform, with tight black pants and black boots that reached her knees. Semara was acutely aware of her own baggy uniform.
"Night-san!" Sharon said, confusion in her voice. "What a lovely surprise."
"Just call me Crimson, please, Sharon," the red-head said bashfully. "Um, I'm sorry for arriving so suddenly. I just thought that maybe I should meet everybody that I'm going on a mission with tomorrow..."
"That's fine, Crimson." Sharon gestured at an unused armchair across from me. "You can sit down, if you would like."
Crimson stepped lightly across the carpet, then sat down in the armchair with a practiced air. Even the way she walked was perfect, Semara noted with a hint of irritation.
That cow self-inserted into the story! I can't believe her! She re-dyed her hair, gosh what an ugly orange, don't you think so, Semara? And her eyes are a different color, must've gotten those on sale, that blue is so average-
"Who gave you orders for this mission?" Break asked Crimson, giving Semara something to focus on other than Shadow Star's mind-rant inside her head.
"Barma, I believe. Or somebody working for him. We were notified of the attacks only earlier today," Crimson said.
"How about I introduce you to your mission-mates?" Sharon said, and Crimson nodded, giving a beaming smile.
"This is Xerxes Break, he's a Contractor for Mad Hatter," Sharon said, gesturing towards the albino, and then his hand waved towards Semara. "This is Semar Rainsworth, he's the Contractor for Cardturner."
Crimson's eyes fell on her, and she looked confused. Semara knew Crimson would recognize her, oh stars please no-
"It's nice to meet you, Semar. Xerxes, also, quite a pleasure." Crimson breathily finished, looking at the albino in a way that Semara didn't quite know how to name. It was strange that Crimson had used the man's first name. Semara hadn't seen anybody do that yet.
It was her first clue, though.
Thanks the heavens that, for any reason, Crimson hadn't revealed Semara.
That was lucky, she could've exposed our angst plan, Shadow Star said.
"What does the mission include?" Break asked. Crimson seemed surprised that he brushed off her greeting, but answered his question.
"We'll be traveling overnight to a large town called Copperton, where we'll receive free room and board, and rest for a few hours. Then, we'll go send the Chain Hannah back to the Abyss. It's quite simple, I suppose."
Semara started at the familiar name. Copperton was where she had trained for two years with a sword master. It had been hell, but the master had definitely helped her swordsmanship. She yawned. Another mission was good, she thought. Away from the house, away from a certain raven-haired man-
Aw, but you'll be away from Gil, Shadow Star sighed.
It won't be that long. Besides, the absent heart grows fonder, right? Semara thought quickly.
Whatevs. I'm tired, so I'm gonna go to bed. Chat with you later, girl. Semara was surprised that the strange girl actually slept.
"That's great, then," Break said happily. "This old chap is going to retire-"
"Oz is waking up, Break!" Gil poked his head inside the door. "I'- I'm not sure what to do. He needs clothes."
There was a soft, warm light behind his eyelids. He hadn't seen that light in a while.
Oz woke up.
Break skipped down the hallway, holding a lollipop in his mouth. Sharon followed behind, griping about how he shouldn't run with candy in his mouth.
"I'm not running, oujou-sama, I'm merely skipping," Break pointed out.
"I will throw this fan at you, Break. You should be a gentleman and offer to escort me, you know."
"Oujou-sama, Oz is just down the hallway. You also say that a man should give a woman her independence."
Before Sharon could say anymore, Break was gallantly holding the door open for her. Sharon rolled her eyes, and walked through.
Hearing more footsteps down the hall, Break looked down it to see Semar Rainsworth stomp through the door he was currently holding open. The brunette seemed irritated at something. Break ignored him, though. The brat wasn't worth his time.
Oz had obviously just woken up, because he was looking at Raven with confusion in his emerald eyes. Raven looked towards Break with desperation, as he stepped away from the blonde.
"Ah, he has awoken! It's nice to see you again, Oz," Break said. He felt around in his pockets for a candy, and found one down in the bottom. He would have to restock soon.
Popping it in his mouth, he looked at Oz. Oz had changed into some clothes that Raven had hastily grabbed from a closet in the room, covering up the Contract Seal that was there. His eyes were wide, and Break could see something in there that he couldn't see when Oz was unconscious.
Oz's soul was not alone in that body.
But, that could wait. Break knew whatever it was, it would show itself later.
"What? Who are you?" Then Oz's eyes lit up with recognition as he looked at Sharon, then back at Break.
"You're from my- what? Why are you here?"
"So many questions, I'm not sure if I can answer them all..." Break sighed. "How did you get out of the Abyss, Oz-kun?" He was blunt, sick of playing around.
Oz shifted on the bed, thinking. "There was a girl, I think. She.."
That was when his eyes shifted from green to a purplish-red in a second. Break was surprised that the Chain would show itself so fast, but if the Chain was who he guessed it was...
"B-Rabbit," he said, as Oz began laughing manically.
"I'm free! I'm finally free!"
Break took on a defensive form, pulling out his walking stick-sword. He stepped forward, quickly shoving the stick into Oz's head and pushing the hijacking Chain out of the boy.
A girl fell out, falling with an "oomph!" onto the floor. She had long,dark hair and the same strange shade of eyes that Oz had a few moments prior. Oz was now back to his normal state, standing dazed and looking at nothing.
Semar was suddenly behind Break, looking at the girl. "That's a canon for sure," he muttered.
"What?" Break asked. He didn't understand why Semar was making a reference to a very large weapon at the moment.
"What's your name?" the twin asked the girl, ignoring his question. (What was with that brat and ignoring him?)
The girl stood, dusting her checkered front off, and grinned nastily at them both. "I'm Alice," she said.
Break felt fabric touch his other arm, the arm that Semar wasn't standing next to. He looked, and found that Crimson Night was standing right next to him.
Right next to him. She looked up at him, her eyes finding his one, and smiled.
He quickly looked back to Alice and Oz, feeling slightly creeped out. It had been a while since a woman had looked like that at him, and it was certainly not welcome. He didn't want to be flirted with.
"Break, they look tired. Do you want to let them sleep a little bit?" Crimson said, putting a hand on his arm. Break tried not to shudder.
"I'm feeling tired, so I will go sleep as well. Raven, how about you show Oz-kun and Alice-kun to their rooms?" Break was making a fast escape, and he knew it.
"I'm going to go pack, so see you later, sis," Semar said to Sharon. Break set down his walking stick, pulled out the last lolli he had found in his pocket, and left the room, Semar right behind him.
Their rooms in the same hallway, there was an awkward silence most of the way before Break broke it (no pun intended).
"I find it weird that I've been called on a mission. Normally Pandora simply lets me do whatever I wish."
Semar was now walking alongside him, and Break felt him glance at Break.
"It's because of Crimson. Take my word for it," Semar said, his voice steady. Break was surprised.
"What do you mean? Why would she want to go on a mission with me?"
"Never mind. Just, be careful around her, okay? She's not what she seems."
They were almost at Break's room. Break stopped walking, facing Semar.
"Have you worked with her before?" That had to be the only way that Semar could know about Crimson.
"No. I, um, know someone who did. Anyway, here's your room, so I'm going to leave now.." Semar seemed uncomfortable.
"You're hiding something, brat," Break said, his red eye staring into Semar's pink ones. The brunette sighed.
"She's just love-crazy. And I'm sort of thinking that albinos are her type."
Break groaned. "Oh, stars, no. That's why she was so close. Damn, I did not need this. Does she know how old I am?"
"I'm almost enjoying this," Semar said with a grin. Break glared at him, but noticed that Semar had a good-natured smile about him. The twin wasn't trying to be mean, just to tease him.
Was that a first?
There was a slight ache in his pinkie again, and Break clenched his fist.
"Thank you for the heads up. Hopefully the mission will be short, and I'll be back to eating candy and irritating Reim."
Semar snorted. "I'm hoping it's long. There's someone I need to-" He suddenly realized what he had said, and stopped talking. "Good night." Semar started walking down the hall, leaving Break in front of his door.
Break shook his head. That brat was so strange.
As he turned the doorknob, the pain in his pinkie receded, so it was nothing more than a dull feeling.
Shutting the door behind him, Break looked at his own room. There was little clutter, because there was little everything. A simple four-poster bed in the middle, with a wardrobe and a desk filled up most of it. There was a window to the left of the bed, and Break stepped over to it, looking out. There were a few stars, but the clouds covered up the moon. He shut the curtains, and pulled off his uniform, changing into his nightclothes.
Falling into bed, he pulled the blankets over his head, and lay there, eyes open, looking at darkness.
Crimson Night might've been a problem, but once she knew his real soul, she would redirect her affections elsewhere. Break knew that he was nothing more than a tortured man with traces of bravado to cover it up.
He turned on his side, and closed his eyes. Tomorrow would be a long day.
Crimson pulled on her nightgown with a giggle of delight. She was going on a mission with Xerxes Break! The most attractive man in Pandora Hearts!
She sighed as she pictured his beautiful crimson eye, looking at her from under those beautiful white locks of hair. She would be fighting with him, and sitting in a carriage with him...
And Semar. She would be sitting in a carriage with Xerxes and Semara.
Crimson knew who Semar (or should she say Semara) was. It was obvious, when she knew the canon story by heart. Semara was the Mary Sue that Shadow Star had entered.
Yet, why was Semara hiding her gender? Wouldn't that hurt the romance between whoever she was fated with?
Crimson herself wasn't quite sure who Semara was going for. She knew Shadow Star loved Gilbert, but Semara could have been going to Xerxes too.
That thought made her angry. Xerxes was destined to end up with her! Crimson was perfect for him.
Crimson got into bed, blowing out the candle next on the nightstand. After they fell in love and had a few months of happiness, Crimson would probably get bored and leave Pandora Hearts. That was okay. Xerxes would totally be heartbroken, but the story would keep moving on. Crimson knew what happened to him, anyway.
As she drifted off to sleep, Crimson knew tomorrow would be a good day.
Semara stayed up half the night deciding what to pack, and fitfully slept the rest of the night. Morning finally came bright and early with Sharon flicking her awake.
"Everybody's already ready, Semara. You need to get up."
"uidcncyaeognurgh," mumbled Semara, turning her head into the pillow to block the sunlight.
"Break and Crimson are already downstairs packing provisions. You need to get dressed."
"mmmalright..." Semara slowly opened her eyes and sat up. Sharon was already handing her a roll of bandages, and an undershirt.
Her sister picked up the bag that Semara had packed the night before, as Semara quickly wrapped her chest, and pulled on the shirt. In a few minutes, she had her clothes on, teeth brushed, and was holding her bag.
"You're off on another mission, then," Sharon said sadly. Semara smiled at her.
"It's okay, sis, I'll be back soon. Copperton's not that far away."
Sharon wrinkled her nose. "I was thinking, isn't Copperton where you trained with that master for a few years?"
Semara nodded, sticking the little case of baking soda she used as toothpaste and her wooden toothbrush into her bag. "I did train there for two years. Of course, it might be a slight problem if we encounter him..."
"Why?" Sharon asked.
"About a year into my training, he sort of figured out I was a girl."
"What?! How?" Sharon demanded. Semara turned to face her twin, pink eyes meeting identical ones.
"Well, he sort of figured out that once a month I had to do tons of laundry, and he did the math... I couldn't lie."
"But you're a Contractor! You don't get periods... Oh, you hadn't made a Contract yet. Does he know not to reveal it?"
"Yeah, I think he does. I told him it was because of 'family issues' and he decided to keep me as a student."
There was a knock on the door, and the siblings jumped.
"Semar-sama, they are ready and waiting downstairs," a servant's muffled voice came through the door.
"I'll be right down, thanks," Semara said. Sharon sighed.
"Your hair is still tousled," she said, but Semara batted away her hand.
"It'll be fine. I've gotta go, so I'll say goodbye here. Bye, Sharon." Semara hugged her sister.
"Be careful, Semara," Sharon said, hugging her back. "Don't get revealed unless it's on your own time."
Xerxes Break was feeling very awkward. Crimson had beat him down to the entryway, and was sitting on the bench across from him. She had been staring at him the entire time.
Also, she had called him Xerxes when she had greeted him. Break didn't like people who weren't close to him calling him by his first name. Only a few people got to do that, Sharon included.
He wanted to tell her, frankly, to buzz off, but truthfully it had been a very long time since he had dealt with a woman's affections. He wasn't quite sure how to go about doing it.
A loud thumping noise broke his train of thought.
Break looked up from a bench in the front entryway to see a messy-haired Rainsworth leap down the last stair.
Semar seemed more tousled that day. His hair, like Sharon's, seemed to always be naturally perfectly flat. That morning, however, it was sticking almost straight up in places.
"We need to do something about you going down the stairs," Sharon said to Semar, as she followed him down the staircase.
Semar dropped his bag and sighed. "Have you guys already had breakfast?"
Crimson sighed. "Break and I," (at this moment Break could've sworn there was a very specific emphasis on "and I) "prepared food for the way. There will be some for you, I suppose."
"Why, thanks." Break could've also sworn that there was a sarcastic lilt to Semar's voice.
Sharon met Break's eyes, and shook her head, rolling her eyes. Apparently she thought there was something going on between her brother and Crimson as well.
"I'll meet you guys out in the carriage, then," Semar said, picking up his bag again and heading out the door.
"Goodbye, oujou-sama," Break told Sharon. Sharon smiled, and much to his surprise, wrapped him in a hug. "Be good, alright? And protect Semar. My brother has a habit of... well, just watch him. Okay?" Sharon looked up at him, her body still that of a short thirteen-year-old.
"Whatever you say, oujou-sama. He does seem rather feather-brained."
Sharon gave him a glare, then pulled away. Break picked up his one bag.
"Take care of Oz and Raven. Also, watch over that girl. She's quite important," he said to Sharon. "I'll be in the carriage, Crimson."
Break made his escape from that dangerous blue-eyed gaze.
In the carriage, it was just him and Semar. The brunette had gotten the seat next to the window, and Break sat across from him.
"What's going on with you and Crimson?" Break asked Semar suddenly. He had been wondering that for a while.
Semar gave him a weird look. "Uh, nothing. I just find her irritating. She's a love-crazed maniac. I thought we talked about this last night."
Break rolled his eyes. "Then why does she not like you?"
Semar shifted. "Wellllll, see, I think she sort of thinks I'm, um, moving in on her territory."
Break started. "What?"
"You hear me. She thinks I'm interfering with her, uh, 'kill?'"
"What's her territory?"
Semar groaned. "Seriously, old man? You haven't figured it out? She's after you. You're her 'kill.'"
"So why does she think you're in her territory?" Break asked. "Wait a minute. Are you after me too?"
Before Semar could interject, Break continued. It totally made sense.
"Are you gay?" Break said suspiciously.
"No! She just thinks I'm gonna, I don't know, go after her."
"Are you going to?"
"No. Get a life."
The statement was lost on Break, but he knew it was meant to be insulting. His next retort was cut off by the sound of another bag being loaded onto the top of the carriage. They fell silent, listening to the sound of Crimson telling the coachman to "be careful!."
Finally, the door opened, and Crimson stepped through carefully. Break stifled a groan as Crimson immediately chose a seat next to him. Right next to him.
"Sorry I was so long. The coachmen needed help, so I decided I could be the one to help him," Crimson said.
Break didn't say anything. Semar caught his eye, and grinned, sticking his tongue out at Break. When Crimson glanced up at Semar, though, he quickly resumed his mask of innocence.
The carriage started with a bump, and they were off. Reim had said that they would get into town at night, and it was morning. Break was in for a long ride.
"So, Xerxes, do you have a girlfriend?" Crimson asked. Semar suddenly fell into a fit of coughing that sounded suspiciously like muffled laughter.
Break was bewildered at this question. They had just met, and already Crimson was asking if he was courting anyone?
"No," he said quickly. "I don't really want," (or need, he added in his head) "a woman."
"Maybe it's just because you haven't met the right one yet," Crimson said. "I used to have the same point of view on love."
Where was all that random talk on love coming from? Oh, damn, what that Rainsworth brat had said might've actually been true.
"I still have that point of view on 'love.'" Break said firmly. "I'm not looking, and never will be."
The small space was filled with the sound of the wheels bumping over dirt road for a while. Slowly, Break became aware of a pressure on his shoulder, the shoulder that Crimson was next to. He looked down, and realized that Crimson had fallen asleep.
On his shoulder.
Groaning out loud, Break looked over to the Rainsworth brat for some kind of assistance. Semar caught his glance, and shrugged.
"Like I said, she's a fiend. She'll make moves on you in any situation."
Break was stuck for the rest of the ride, and he knew it.
After a while, Break realized that another sound had joined Crimson's soft, sleeping breathing.
Semar was leaning against the hard wood side of the carriage, fast asleep. He was softly snoring, his hair getting even more messy as his head pressed against the wall.
That hair aggravated Break. Honestly, why was it so messy? All Semar needed to do was pat it down a little bit.
Break himself resisted the urge to reach across and fix Semar's hair.
The man looked uncomfortable, though. Unlike Crimson, who was sleeping happily on his own shoulder (her cheekbone was pressing into his shoulder bone, and it was starting to ache) the brunette's head moved with the carriage's bumps, hitting the side. Semar's eyes were closed, and he didn't like he was getting any good quality sleep.
Strangely, Break wanted to offer his other shoulder to Semar. Of course, that would've been complicated, and that time it might've been Break's sexuality that would be questioned.
Break himself knew he was definitely straight (despite his cool demeanor he couldn't go into a brothel without blushing like a bride on her wedding night) but he really had wondered about Semar. The man seemed not to be affected by Crimson's beauty at all. Of course, neither was Break, but a man really did have to be blind not to notice. Also, Semar's face wasn't that masculine, more like a girl's than a man in his early twenties.
Crimson sighed, and Break shifted slightly. The woman rubbed her eyes, sitting up straight. She looked at Break, and then blushed.
"Oh, dear, I'm sorry," she said. "I hope I wasn't a bother..."
"It's fine," Break said tersely. It was a bother, but he wouldn't say so.
"Do you want to eat now?" Crimson asked, gesturing to the small bag that contained the food. Break shrugged. He had brought plenty of candy for the way, but did feel like solid food. "Sure."
The carriage went over a large bump in the road, and everybody in the carriage feel to one side. Crimson accidentally fell sideways, into his lap. Break wasn't sure about the accidental part.
Crimson apologized again as she sat back up, and Break sighed. He felt a gaze on him, and looked up to find pink eyes meeting his. Semar raised an eyebrow, and Break frowned. The brat thought it was funny that Crimson wouldn't leave him alone.
Crimson pulled out some bread, and passed the bag to him. Break ripped off another piece of the loaf, then offered some to Semar. Semar took it.
"How many hours has it been?" Semar asked.
"About two. It's just past lunchtime," Break said.
Within twenty minutes of them finishing their small meal, Crimson was sound asleep on his shoulder again, much to Break's delight.
"I'm sorry about her," Semar said, some time later. Break snorted, and Semar continued. "I mean, it is sort of funny, to watch her go after you. But, I know it's hard, right? If I were completely honest, I'd say that she won't give up for a while."
"That's wonderful, brat. This is going to make the mission even better," Break said sarcastically.
Semar shrugged. "Whatever you say, old man."
The silence ensued for a few minutes, and then Break pulled one of his candies out of his pocket. It was a special lollipop, the limited edition vanilla-lemon kind, and he only had two left. He unwrapped it, popping it in his mouth. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the young Rainsworth glance his way, swallowing. Semar must've still been hungry.
Sighing, Break fished out the last limited edition vanilla-lemon lolli, and tossed it at Semar. The Rainsworth caught it.
"Stop drooling and eat it. It's the last one of its kind," Break said.
Semar unwrapped it, and popped it in his mouth. "Thanks, Break."
"You're welcome, Rainsworth."
It felt like a truce, almost, at that moment, but Break didn't know why. His pinkie was starting to hurt again, darn-it-all, and that blasted girl was still sleeping on his shoulder.
Nonetheless, though, it was a truce.
Yes, I am a very sarcastic writer, I apologize for that... ;)
Thanks for reading! :)