Author's note: This chapter will have a reference from one of Jun Mochizuki's other works called Crimson-Shell. It's a one-shot that is pretty good and I recommend it for those of you who have the time to read it. The title of this chapter references to something other than Pandora Hearts as well. Can you guess the name? Hint: It's a horror game. Also, there is an attraction that is loosely based off of a part in Pokemon Emerald with riddles apparently from The Hobbit (not completely sure because it's been a long time since I've read it). This chapter was a lot of fun to plan out, so I hope you like it. jellybean-hearts and a friend of ours came up with the idea to use a German named park. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you'll see soon enough. Also, there is a part that may seem like it may be connected to Start Again, so to those of you that recognize the reference, keep in mind that the two stories are not connected. Guest: *bows* Thank you for the compliment~ Manami Nightray: I'm glad to see your enthusiasm. Here's a fun chapter for you to enjoy!

This chapter took quite a bit of effort to write, so it would be nice for more than 2 reviews this time. Please? Chapter 7 did kinda suck, so I put even more effort into this chapter than usual.

I own nothing except my OC!

Chapter 8: Fighting for You

Gil's POV

"I challenge you to beat me at the event happening at Edge of the Abyss' next gig," Alice declared confidently. "If you win, I won't get involved in your affairs. But if I win, then you can't get involved in my affairs. There will be a meeting tomorrow to discuss the details. So, do we have a deal?"

I sighed as I fell back against the couch I was on. I don't even know what kind of event it's going to be yet I still agreed to participate in Alice's "game". There is so much at stake too. Exhausted from worrying about what may or may not happen, I shook my head and forced myself to get up and prepare for bed. Tomorrow is going to be D-Day after all.

That night, my mind was plagued with a mix of fond and bitter memories of the past. Some of them were the fun times I had with Oz and Alice, some of them were the times when Alice bullied me, and some of them, ironically, were the times when Oz bullied me. It's a wonder why I even fell in love with the blonde, green-eyed boy. He is a tyrant and a flirt that loved to pick on me for his own amusement. On the other hand, he is as insecure as I am and is always willing to take on the pain of others for himself. I'm scared of watching him leaving me behind. He is a precious person.

After hours of the headache-inducing dream, I woke abruptly to the sound of my alarm clock ringing noisily. Much to my surprise, I noticed the bright red numbers flash 10:45 A.M. meaning that I only had 15 minutes to get ready and be at the 11:00 meeting in time. I haven't overslept in a long while, so it took some effort to manage to get dressed and look decent, make a light breakfast, make sure I had everything I needed, and take off towards the company building. Unfortunately, I wasn't lucky enough to manage all of this in 15 minutes and ended up late in the end. Alice shot a smirk towards me before turning back to watch Reim conduct what seems to be the end of something. Worried about how I hurried into the room as if I was being chased, Vincent approached me and started to whisper.

"Are you alright, nii-san? Did something happen?"

"I'm fine, Vince. So, what did I miss?"

"The band just finished voting for whether or not to accept this late notice gig. It's apparently at the amusement park that just opened. Elliot was the only one to refuse since they will have to act as "prizes" in an event in the afternoon and hold a concert in the evening."

I wondered why the news of this offer came so late until I looked over to see Alice's mother grinning like she won something. She set this up, didn't she? For as long as I could remember, she has always had a tendency to play tricks since she was quick to become bored. This is probably another one of her ways to amuse herself. By the look on everyone's faces, they seemed to get a similar or the same idea as well.

According to the schedule Reim prepared, the amusement is already open (since 10) and the event will start at 2, so everyone has to be at the park waiting near the outdoor stage at least an hour early. The concert itself starts at 6. Because there was a good amount of time between the event and the concert, the bodyguards were given permission to wander the park as long as they made it back to the outdoor stage before the concert starts. Upon saying that, Alice glanced at me briefly and seemed to remind me of our deal with her eyes prior to everyone being released to kill time until it was time to be at the park.

"The park is three blocks east from here. It's called Wunderbar fun park," Reim informed us hastily so that everyone would hear while they were still in the room and not halfway out the door.

Massaging my temples, I started to file out of the room with everyone else until Oz appeared behind me to invited me out for coffee (his most likely filled with an unnecessary amount of sugar). Normally, I would've accepted his offer without considering it for a second, but a sharp glare from Alice made me change my mind. Unwillingly, I made up an excuse that I had something planned with Break, so I ran in a different direction. Vincent wasn't too pleased about it, but fortunately, he saw something that gave me the opportunity to slip under the radar, so I took it and tried to make my lie the truth.

"Gil-kun, are you hiding from Oz-kun?" Break teased as he, Reim, and I walked in the direction of a popular bakery.

"I'm not hiding from Oz," I lied unbelievably while fiddling with the hat I just now took off my head.

"Really? I guess I'll invite him to play cards with us then."

"Wait! Don't call him!"

Break gave me a knowing grin in response to my reaction while Reim sent me a sympathetic look before they both made their orders upon reaching the shop. I gave in, realizing that it's impossible to trick Break, so I decided to humor him and play a few rounds of Tarot to humor him and hopefully have him not bring up the subject of "Oz". Partially to my misfortune, Break announced that we would be playing a betting game with five full rounds. I had to tell him what is going on if I lose, but can remain silent if I win. Reim has to participate in the event if he loses, but he will receive a "secret" prize from Break (I don't really want to know what it is) if he wins. And finally, Break has to do us one big favor if he loses, and Reim needs to do something for Break (which again I believe I should not pry into because it's none of my concern) if he wins while I need to pay for all of his sweets for the next four days. Why Break gets to add extra conditions I will never know, but since I was being put on the spot, I made no comment. It's a wonder why Break is so insistent on knowing even though he's the type to have already guessed the situation beforehand.

"Xerxes..." Reim murmured with a slight edge after five rounds.

"Hm?" Break hummed with fake innocence.

"You coerced us into a game you would win every time, didn't you?"

"Now now Reim-kun, I would never do that."

As soon as he uttered those words, he happily revealed another win. Out of five rounds, I have lost twice and Reim lost three times. Since Reim is a man of his word, he gave in without complaint, so Break eagerly stood up to start heading towards the park once we were finished putting all the cards back in the case it came in. While Break was off in his own world, Reim kindly handed me a bag with croissants to eat for lunch as we followed behind before taking out one for himself. I never even realized that we killed so much time playing cards.

By the time we arrived at the amusement park, only the other band members were there. Elliot was casually playing a few chords on the guitar, Leo was reading a book at his side, and Oz was standing in front of a colorful tent. Break quickly dragged Reim towards an employee to ask about where and when to sign up for the event (that Reim was very reluctant to participate in) leaving me to either talk to Elliot and Leo (which may end up with me being punched by my younger, not blood-related brother) or Oz who appeared to be spacing out. Since I preferred to remain unscathed after a conversation, I chose to talk to Oz despite the fact that Alice's words and my own feelings still lingered in my mind.

"Hey Gil~" Oz greeted me cheerfully upon noticing my arrival.

"Hey Oz..." I greeted back albeit nervously. "Are you planning on going in?"

"Maybe. The employees told me that what is in there is a surprise for the visitors. Do you want to go in too?"

He smiled at me as he usually does, but for some reason, something felt off. Both his smile and the tent felt a bit off. Aware of my uncertainty, Oz shrugged and waltzed inside after telling me that I can only go inside once he was finished in there. His words worried me greatly, but in the end, I respected his wishes and waited outside for his return.

After ten painful minutes passed, Oz left the tent looking incredibly serious. He didn't even realize that I was waiting for him causing me to be a bit hesitant about going in. However, my own curiosity got to me (a rare occurrence) as I stepped through the opening.

"Welcome welcome welcome~ Please take a seat!" a young woman insisted as she gestured towards a small stool. "So, what would you like to know?"

She's so...bubbly. I wonder what she told Oz that caused him to turn out like that.

"Anything is fine."

"Alright. We'll work with romance then. Those kind of fortunes are always the most popular. Pick ten cards from this deck."

The fortune teller (I'm guessing) passed me a large stack of cards that reminded me of the tarot deck Break, Reim, and I were using to play Tarot earlier. As instructed, I took the top ten cards and placed them in the spots she pointed to on the table in front of her. Once I was finished, she closed her eyes and recited the content of each card as she flipped them in order. It was impressive feat to witness, but it still didn't explain why Oz was acting so strange. The moment she reached the end of her reading, I came to the conclusion that what happened earlier with Oz is going to happen now.

"Adversity is headed your way both physically and mentally. If you make the wrong choices, the relationship you hold most dear will suffer a blow. You have allies to help you, so utilize them wisely. The one thing you want most is closer than you think," the fortune teller explained gently. "Gilbert Nightray, remember that kindness is a double-edged sword."

"What do you mean?"

"Sorry, but we're out of time. The event will be starting in fifteen minutes, so I'll be closing up shop early. Let's see... 1 hour would be 3.85 euros."

Did she say the event will be starting in fifteen minutes?

Recalling Alice's challenge, I frantically asked for the fortune teller to tell me where I needed to go to register for the event before paying her for her services. Since she did a very good job and helped me out, I properly compensated her with a tip and then raced towards my destination. I need to sign up quickly or I'll lose by default! Fortunately, I managed to sign up before registration closes, and by the time I returned to the band's meet-up place (also the starting point of the event), Alice, with her participant badge, Vincent, and Echo were there and the tent had completely disappeared.

"Where did it-" I began before I was interrupted by the sound of a microphone being tested.

"Hello everyone and welcome to Wunderbar fun park! It's two o' clock, so it's time for the park's special event to start!" an employee announced with overwhelming enthusiasm.

The crowd around me briefly erupted in cheers, so the band took this as the signal to go up on stage behind the MC while he started to explain the rules of the game.

"As you all already know, the participants will be split into 4 teams based on the your band member of choice. The point of the game is to clear all the obstacles and reach the end to receive any favor from the members of Edge of the Abyss along with tickets to see their concert later this evening."

The crowd cheered once again while also calling out their favorite member's name with starstruck eyes (the girls anyway). For a newbie band, I'm surprised how much competition there is. Of course, Alice emitted an aura that showed that she wasn't going to back down, so I had to be wary of all my opponents especially Alice and Vincent and Echo who were also there (most likely due to Vincent's overbearing attachment to me. Echo is a mystery though). Once the MC cleared his throat, the crowd went silent so he could continue.

"The event each group will take will be determined by the roll of a die. Whatever number a band member rolls will be the attraction the corresponding group will go through. Participants will be awarded points based on how well they do in the event. First place always gains 100 points. Others will gain points based on performance. The instructions for each attraction will be explained by the employees there so let's start!"

Immediately when the MC mentioned the word "start", he pulled the sheet off of a large contraption in the shape of a hand and motioned for one of the members to pull the lever below. Wanting to get it over with, Elliot went first. The hand shook vigorously before releasing a die that fell onto the stage to reveal the number 6. Pumped, the MC announced that the Elliot group would start off participating in the Black Rose hunt before an employee lead them away to escort them to the attraction.

Next, Leo went up to pull the lever to reveal a 1. Guitar Hero? What's that? Since it wasn't what I will be doing, I pushed the question to the back of my mind to focus on my group's number. After Leo, Break pulled the lever and gained a 5. Go-Karts. Then finally, Oz went up to pull the lever. I strongly hoped that the attraction wouldn't put me at a disadvantage as I watched the mechanical hand shake and throw the die.

"Number 3! Trickhouse maze!" the MC exclaimed. "Good luck to all the participants!"

A maze? It's not an extreme disadvantage. While the MC and the band members walked offstage, I followed the employee leading us towards an attraction that looked a lot like a haunted house from the outside. She explained the mechanics of the attraction and how everything was set up except for where the tricks were hidden to keep a little mystery. People would be going in groups of seven and will be timed to determine who will proceed to the next round. The maze's exit is at the top of the house and there are many contraptions that can alter the maze to the disadvantage of others. So much for not being put at a disadvantage. To help out those who have difficulties finding these contraptions, there are apparently four people stationed at intersections that will give the participant a riddle. It is optional to solve it, but if you do, you will get a hint on where to find one of the hidden "tricks" or what path to take to the exit. A participant may also take as long as they need to solve the riddle if needed. Alice and I exchanged a few competitive sparks before walking into the trickhouse with three other people neither of us recognized and two people we knew well enough (Vincent and Echo).

The inside of the trickhouse was definitely...unexpected. The decor was bright and fancy with several staircases leading to a line of doors. I quickly examined the room for a "trick" to no avail, so I simply picked the staircase third from the right. Upon stepping through the door, I was confronted with a room lit dimly by purple and blue lights and walls that barely have me enough room to move. Navigating was an incredible challenge with the paths constantly changing as I walked, but eventually, I made it to the first riddler, Break.

"Break, you're one of the riddlers?" I asked in confusion. "Are the other members here too?"

"They are. But more importantly, why are you here? In Oz-kun's group no less?" Break teased.

"I'm here as his bodyguard!" I blurted out.

"Alright. If you say so. Here's the riddle then. What is alive without breath, as cold as death; never thirsty, ever drinking, all in mail never clinking?"

Alive without breath? So something that doesn't "breathe" like humans do? Makes sense. Cold as death... Sea creatures out of water? Never thirsty, ever drinking, all in mail never clinking... Mail as in chain mail... Scales are similar to chain mail...

"Fish?" I guessed simply.

"Correct~ Now would you like to know where to find one of the tricks or would you like to know how to get out of this area?"

Trying to prevent myself from making a mistake, I completely weighed my options before choosing the latter. Though the former would help buy time by hindering the other players, I didn't feel comfortable with the idea at all. Break commented on how he expected as much from me as he handed me a small map that showed the way to the next room. It included alternate routes if ever the paths change due to tricks, but it only covered this room making the way out of the maze in its entirety still far from reach. Still, it was helpful, so I confirmed my decision and accepted the map.

"Gilbert-kun..." Break began with a kind smile.

"Hm?" I mused with my mind focused on the map in front of me.

"I'll be rooting for you~"

Slightly unnerved by his sincerity, I nodded in gratitude before following the paths drawn out in the map and opening the door to another room full of stairs. This time around the area was dark and lit only with blacklights. Interesting enough, the floor was covered in a white powder that made the footprints of the players show up on the ground. I could only see one set of footprints, so it was safe to say that I wasn't too far behind. Hopefully those footprints don't belong to Alice.

After crumpling the map in my hand and stuffing it back into my pocket, I picked another door at random which lead me into a part of the maze that was also partially dark like the last time, but this time had small lanterns attached to walls made out of strong wood. Much to my dismay, the wood on the floor in this room was weak and creaky making the atmosphere ominous and unsettling. I made sure to move through this area quickly and answer Leo's riddle (Wind is something that cries without sound, flutters without wings, bites without teeth, and mutters without a mouth), so that I would be out of this place as soon as possible. Strangely enough, Leo flashed me a mysterious smile like he knew that something is going to happen.

Before I could make sense out of why Leo and Break seemed to know something I should know, I was already out of the second half of the maze and going through the third half.

To be honest, this would probably be the most difficult section of all. According to the note Leo wrote on the back of the map he gave me, the third section is a combination of two sections thus will have two riddlers instead of one. The fact that this section is actually two in one isn't the bad part though. The thing that makes this section difficult would be the fact that the path is pitch black and neon lights lining the floor will only appear once you've traveled through that area. Also, hitting the checkpoint will reset the lights behind you to give everyone else the same obstacle. With the paths constantly changing, this is going to be a incredible challenge.

"-ce..."

That voice sounds familiar!

"You sure you don't want to answer?"

It's Oz! Swiftly, I followed the sound in hopes of catching up. If I could hear Oz, then I must be near the middle. I nodded, believing that my hypothesis must be true, as I hurried along until Oz was in sight. Wait. I shouldn't look so excited about this or it may appear suspicious. I can't let him know why I'm here. Once all of Oz was visible, I slowed down to an awkward stroll and stopped the moment Oz noticed my arrival.

"Hey Gil~ You're participating in the event too?" Oz wondered curiously with a bit too much enthusiasm. "Are all the bodyguards doing this?"

I admitted that I was participating and that I didn't know what the other bodyguards were doing with an exception for Alice. I don't know why, but he seems kind of nervous. No... I'm just imagining things. Oz didn't seem to pay any mind to my brief pause and simply asked the riddle anyway once it looked like I was paying attention. Something taller than trees that never grows...

"Mountain," I replied easily.

"Correct. Map or hi-" Oz started to say before he was interrupted by the sound of an intercom.

"Contestant 12 has made it through the maze!" a unfamiliar voice announced.

"I think that's Alice. You'd better hurry if you want to win. Just take the map," Oz commented as he shoved the map into my hands. "Elliot has reign over the last section, so the map is incomplete. You'll have to figure out the rest for yourself."

"Okay. And Oz..."

"Yeah?"

"I-"

Don't say anything! Not yet!

"Never mind. Thanks for this."

I didn't let him say what he was about to say. Instead, I continued going through the maze without thinking about anything other than getting out of here. I need to focus on winning first. I can't let Alice win. My heart felt like it was being squeezed as I wandered through the ever changing pathways. I want things to stay the same. That's all I want.

With time to spare, I reached the last riddler, Elliot, who looked rather displeased to see me. I'm not surprised since I keep avoiding him to not get punched. That and I had no intention of returning to the Nightray manor. Much to my relief, he reeled in his temper to the best of his ability as he told me the final riddle:

A box without hinges, key or lid,

Yet golden treasure inside is hid.

It was an odd one in a way. Normally, I would've thought that the answer was a treasure chest, but a chest has hinges, a lid, and a key. At a loss, I went with the first thing that came to mind which was egg. It has something yellow on the inside and is similar to a box (the shell), so maybe it might be right.

It was. As all the riddlers did before him, Elliot asked me if I wanted the last part of the map or a hint on where one of the tricks was. Naturally, since I was already at the end and only needed to know the last path to take, I chose the map and took the time to hear Elliot out since no one else has passed me yet.

"I'm not going to tell you to come home because I know you won't. You just need to stop running away, dammit!"

I promised him that I would stop. It was the least I could do since he was the only one kind to Vincent and I back in that house. Being an adopted child was suffocating. I felt comfortable with my brother by my side, but I just had to get out of that cage. In addition to that, I didn't want Oz to see the way I was living. He's already in so much pain. I didn't want him to take on my own.

As I expected, I was greeted by an unnecessary amount of confetti, a camera, and a different employee telling everyone in the park that "Contestant 50 has made it through the maze." I wasn't too keen on impressing people so I kept a neutral expression as I rejoined everyone else in the Oz group. Only five events left to go.

About an hour later, all 50 people had gone through the maze and was ranked according to time. All the bodyguards were ranked at the top in the order of: Alice, myself, Vincent, and Echo. 42 people were allowed to advance to the next round, so Alice declared war on everyone to lessen the number of rivals before focusing on her true opponent. Vincent smiled in a way that sent chills down my spine while Echo seemed unusually fired up because of Alice's provoking.

The die was cast yet again to decide that the second event would be a test of strength. It was pretty straightforward up until a girl I didn't recognize asked the announcer to allow the girls to have a handicap to be on par with the guys. As a result, the guys were given a lighter mallet (meaning more acceleration would need to be put into it) while the girls get the original mallet. How inconvenient. Alice is already strong too.

Some guys wanted to express their discontent with this arrangement, but their pride kept them from doing so as they tried to hit the bell with the handicap. It's a good thing I read a book that informed the reader on a way to do well at this attraction. By the end of the event, the group was down to 33 contestants. The main reason for this would be due to Alice blowing everyone out of the water putting those past the first three places far behind. Echo-chan, unfortunately, was one of those people, yet she didn't lose her spirit behind her expressionless face. Now that I think about it, why is Echo participating? Could she be doing this for Vince? Or is it for Oz? I turned back to see if I could make sense of her goal to no avail. She was an enigma.

"Event number 3: Go-Karts! At this attraction, the usual rules apply with no extras. May the fastest one win!"

Since all of these attractions were in the fairgrounds, it didn't take long for the first group of participants to grab a go-kart while hoping that they picked the fastest one. Not surprisingly, there was unfair play at work causing me to lose speed and end up behind Alice and Vincent. It's a good thing I am pretty far ahead in the rankings and just dropped down a place. Vince... You know don't you? I'm sorry, but I can't let you stop me.

In the next event, a Wunderbar fun park exclusive called Black Rose Hunt, I did what I could to return to my original place or pass Alice. Basically, it's a shooting game with a haunted house setting. The player must shoot only the infected humans to gain points. In addition to that, killing chains (that are not human) allows the player to earn bonus points. However, killing ordinary civilians results in a loss of points. Since this is something I excel at, I was able to do rather well, so Alice dropped down two places and I returned to my original second place spot. It's unfortunate that Vincent is a prodigal marksman though. I need to make sure to pass him too. It's obvious that he isn't very fond of Oz, so he might try to keep me from seeing him.

"Event number 5: One-on-one basketball!"

Determined to win, I removed my coat so it wouldn't get in the way, triggering fangirl squeals, and followed the tourney until I was pitted against Vincent. It's been a long time since we've ever done something like this. Even if he cheats, I will beat him fairly. Vincent smiled as he dribbled the ball briefly before aiming to bypass me. I don't need to be first. I just can't have Vince or Alice get first place. I also can't let Alice pass me no matter what place I am. Aware that there is only one event left, I couldn't let myself lose here.

"17 to 19. Contestant 50 wins this round!"

Based on the scoreboard, Alice was able to regain her footing and end up slightly ahead of me by a few points. I have one last chance. The last event is...

"...Guitar Hero!"

With only 8 participants left, made up of the entire bodyguard crew plus four others, we went all out on this final challenge that was going to be a test of how quickly I could learn how to play a game like this on varying difficulties. The guitar for this game felt foreign to me since it had buttons instead of strings, but I wasn't going to let that stop me. This is also rhythm-based making it a little easier to work with. Alice has never played this game either nor has Vincent, so we are all in the same position. This is it. If I come before Alice and Vincent doesn't get first, then this reality will stay the same. It all depends on this game.

More or less fifteen minutes later, everyone had finished their turn, so the rankings were determined based on overall score. The scoreboard listed the following:

1- Participant 12 (Alice) and Participant 50 (Me)

2- Participant 24 (Vincent)

3- Participant 42 (Echo)

4- Participant 19

5- Participant 28

6- Participant 11

7- Participant 36

"Looks like we have a tie, so it's time for the tiebreaker!" the MC proclaimed with a booming voice as he waltzed right into the room to replace the other announcer.

With a flourish, the MC gestured towards a machine that read "Dancing Stage EuroMIX 2" while informing Alice and I that this will be the final battleground. I was hoping to finish this up quickly... From afar, I could see the other groups watch from outside the arcade. Not only that, but the band members started to walk in as spectators much to my chagrin. I can't focus on him now! I need to figure out how to play this game!

"If you don't know how to play, the directions are simple. Follow the arrows on the screen by stepping on the same arrows below your feet. The one with the highest score after 3 games is the winner," an employee elucidated in monotone before slipping 8 tokens into a small slit in the front, setting up a two-player game on standard mode, and selecting the first song called Healing Vision (Angelic Mix). "Also, you will lose points if you use the bar. Good luck."

Alice and I stepped onto the platform with anticipation as arrows started to appear on the screen. I made sure to pace myself in this song since, like Guitar Hero, this would only get much worse. As expected, we made it passed the first song without too much difficulty, but the next one, Can't Stop Falling in Love (Speed Mix) on heavy mode, nearly drained us of all our stamina. We barely made Cs. However, we weren't out of the woods yet. The last song chosen, according to the whispering amongst the people in the crowd, is known as the most difficult song in this game's series. To make things worse, it was set to expert mode. With what little energy I had left, I forced myself to stand properly and prepared for impact.

I am never playing this game ever again...

"Most difficult" was putting this song in a nice way. It was more like insane. Alice and I scraped by with Ds, but neither of us had the energy in our legs to check our score. Alice even used the bar once because of the intensity. I wanted to, but I didn't want to lose points. If Alice wins this round, then I don't know what I'll do.

"Alright. The scores are in... The winner is..."

...going to be announced in the next chapter. It's pretty obvious though. I didn't give everyone perfect scores on every game since that's unrealistic, but because of that, I also didn't come up with a set point scale (it'd take too long). This is by far the longest chapter I have ever written (which I'm pretty happy about), but also the one with the most repetitiveness. Please forgive me for that. It's a habit that usually appears when I write for a long time. And with that, I hoped you enjoyed this and I'll see you in the next chapter!