A/N: Now we're getting things going on the right path. I apologize for the absence, college, cubital tunnel still have me. Now I'm back to updating things again. Expect Louise of Re Zero and GOTF to be next updated fics. It bothers me that we never saw Louise openly grieve over Wardes. i mean, yeah he's a traitor, but still, he was like her closest companion/friend for many years, so you would assume at least she would grieve a little. Thoroughly emotional chapter here, lots of dialogue and shouting. I am humanizing Louise in ways that the original story did...not do very well, to say the least. i want you to see Oz and Louise as being friends/close friends, and then romance much later.

Alice suffers from a lack of attention and focus here, and I want to rectify that by giving her a purpose. Lady focused chapter. In the future, Alice will have some kind of role given to her.

I wanna redirect Paraselene Hearts readers to this fic. I also was not the most sympathetic to Alice in my chapter, so seeing as she was the main protagonist there, we will spend time addressing this. Alice looks like a big jerk here, but she will get better, she is just repeating what she has been told and is inconsiderate and blunt.

This fic does not intend to bash Alice. Merely to point out her flaws. In fact, she is one of my favorite characters.

Truth be told I don't like the first part of this chapter. I cleaned it up as best as I could, but to me it still feels forced.

Retrace X: Reclaiming what's lost

The sun shone brightly outside Tristain Academy.

Tabitha was flying on Sylphid for some recreational purposes, while Kirke lamented her familiar not being as impressive as Louise's, but cheered her friend on, anyway, as she enjoyed seeing her friend happy. She had learned many interesting things about her dragon, things that she had not yet divulged to anyone, such as her being a Rhyme Dragon, a species of dragon thought extinct, and also that she could understand the human language. In due time, Tabitha might tell Kirke.

Tabitha saw her familiar as her friend, as unorthodox a position that may be to hold.

Meanwhile, Kirke was inwardly glad she had not gotten a familiar like Oz, after seeing how destructive he could be with his powers. Montmorency was trying to dissuade Guiche from hitting on yet another girl; it was a perfectly ordinary day. True, Princess Henrietta was planning a war, but none of that mattered at the moment to any of the protagonists of our story.

Ever since she had returned, Louise Valiere had been more withdrawn, more sullen and prone to crying randomly in class, which most of the students noticed. They didn't quite understand what happened, but they knew enough about Louise to know that this wasn't like her at all. Normally, she was rambunctious, loud and full of herself, now she didn't answer questions and just took notes quietly.

For some reason, Guiche, Kirke and Montmorency seemed to suddenly be getting on well with Louise and her familiar. It felt like they all knew something that they wouldn't tell everyone else.

Kirke herself warded them off by telling them it was not their place to butt in, and that Louise should be left alone. Truth be told, they didn't understand all of what had happened, but hadn't tried to pry out of respect for Louise.

Unfortunately, one clueless student had laughed and asked if she was sobbing like an idiot because someone in her stupid family had died, which had caused most of the student body to glare at them, before Kirke just told them flat out that they wouldn't like if their family had died suddenly, and then they pretended they didn't exist.

"We haven't exactly treated Louise the best." Montmorency admitted to Kirke.

"I know that now," Kirke said, stabbing at her food with a fork.

"The Valiere girl doesn't even eat her food now, she just sits there and stares at it, then starts crying. It's so weird." A nearby girl remarked.

The only ones who were really concerned were Tabitha, Kirke and Montmorency, everyone else seemed to view this as another odd thing about Louise to make fun of again.

"Is she really all right?" Kirke asked Siesta, the one who would know the most.

"No, she doesn't really come out much anymore when I come to the door. It's really worrying me." She said.

"Sounds concerning." Tabitha remarked.

"It is concerning." Kirke said, "And that's why we're going to figure out what's happening."

Siesta shook her head, "I wouldn't interrupt right now, there's a bit of fighting going on up there right now, I'm afraid."

"Aha, Louise is back to herself at last!" Kirke cried, her eyes shining triumphantly.

"No, it's not at her familiar."

Everyone looked disappointed.

"She's fighting with that girl I've had to babysit often."

"You mean Alice?"

Everyone knew her name, but they were honestly ambivalent on the girl's presence.

On the one hand, she was a noble and should be given respect, but she came from an entirely different world and her mannerisms were so strange, let's just say she lacked respect. She snatched food off tables, she was entirely rude abd seemed self-absorbed, to them at least. They wondered why Louise didn't get along with Alice, given how similar their personalities were.

"Wait, so this Alice girl is fighting with the Zero?" Said practically everyone else, who had been snooping.

"Will you mind your own business?" Montmorency snapped.

"Yeah, really, guys, this is embarrassing." Kirke said, shooting sharp stares at some of the boys, who paled. No more dates with them.

"Aw, man, I wanted to see the Zero mess up at something." A student named Malicorn complained.

Just for that, Montmorency dumped water on him.

"I think the nickname the Zero has gotta go." She said. "We have taken it too far."

"Indeed, we all should have been there for Louise and we never were." Guiche said summarily.

"Kirke was a bully." Tabitha said flatly.

"I realize now that I've been really horrid towards her. I want to change and try to be her friend, but I'm not sure she will accept." Kirke's eyes were downcast. Maybe in some alternate timeline, they could be friends.

Tabitha placed her hand on Kirke's shoulder.

"Try."

"But what if she doesn't accept me?" Kirke said, tearing up.

"Have to try." This time, Tabitha's voice was firmer but also soft.

"If we don't try, I won't be a gentleman." Guiche said, "But I admit, I too have been rather cruel to Louise-chan. She deserves as much respect as any other noblewoman does. To be truthful, I have tried to hit on Alice-chan-"

A pot of water that was on the stove suddenly began to boil.

"Um, Guiche-"

But Guiche ignored his classmate and unwisely continued on.

"The truth is, I told Alice-chan that her violet eyes are so beautiful that she came from a valley of lavenders, I told her thst her hair was ravishing, and I asked her out on a date with me. You know how she responded.

Even Montmorency's familiar was covering her eyes, and hiding in the corner, afraid of her mistress's wrath. The pot of water was now smoking and hissing loudly.

"Oh, Guiche~," Montmorency called in a sing-songy voice.

Guiche, not realizing danger was around, turned to face her. "Yes?"

Almost everyone backed away, recognizing the innate danger of her.

Steaming hot water was thrown at Guiche as a furious Montmorency chased him.

"You two-timing bastard! What are you thinking, hitting on that young kid without any respect. She's lost her entire world and her family, but you're slithering up to her like this! Besides, you're in a relationship with me, so stop hitting on other girls!"

"But, MonMon, it's my duty..." He whined.

"Guiche, you traitor! Sometimes, I wonder if you love me at all! But did you try to kiss her?"

At this the water coiled itself around Guiche's throat threateningly.

"I tried to but she threw me down a set of stairs."

"Oh, poor Guiche, I feel so bad for you." She scoffed.

"I think you got what you deserved," Kirke said smugly.

"You're the one that's hitting on every man you meet!" Guiche cried.

"I'll have you know my family is proud of hitting on everyone, male or female."

"Not appropriate." Tabitha said but she was blushing.

"Are you two an item?" Guiche asked.

"Why would we be?" Kirke asked, but her face was red.

"Kirke is cute. Should see what she looks like in a bathing suit."

"WHAT?" Everyone nearby shouted.

"You know," Siesta said, showing her evil side, "I think Louise has a crush on Princess Henrietta."

When asked to continue, she explained how attached Louise's letters to her were.

"This is important information! This explains Louise's lack of interest!"

"Guiche-"

"Is a typical man, vile and filled with bad thoughts. But not all of them are like that, for example, take Oz, he's kind and gentle."

"HE'S A RABBIT!" Everyone sane screamed.

"Oz-san mentioned to me that he is a chain." Siesta said.

Everyone was even more curious on Louise's unusual familiar now.

There had never really been any satisfactory answers given about it to them.

Kirke and Tabitha agreed to both sneak upstairs and listen in on Louise's altercation with Alice.

Meanwhile, up in Louise's room

"Louise, Siesta brought you food," Oz called.

"Don't want it." The same depressed voice he'd grown resigned to hearing answered.

Since the day he had turned Wardes to dust, Louise had been a shell of herself. He thought that she could simply overcome this.

Apparently, humans thought about this longer than chains did.

Alice had become jealous of Oz talking to Louise often, so she became sullen, too, but still talked to him, and him only.

Alice had also refused to exchange witty banter with Louise like usual, showing that even Alice, crude as she was, was capable of tact. Alice was a good girl, as Oz had tried to explain to Louise many, many times, she just had...issues explaining herself and her abilities. The way she treated others needed some improvement, Louise said.

"I don't want to eat, not ever again." Louise grumbled, curling herself up more in her bed.

"You have to eat," Oz said, "I know you're still depressed about that Wardes guy, but now is not the time to refuse to eat. He was trying to use you!"

"So what?" Louise sobbed, lifting her head up to reveal that she was still crying. "What do you know, Oz? All you know about him is what you saw then! You don't know anything about the man he used to be! He used to be a kind, gentle man that tried to help people, and now...look what happened."

"Louise, he was always like this, he was just using you. I understand how you feel."

"No, you don't! No one does! Everyone here, they're all too innocent, they don't understand it, but Oz...you killed someone in front of my eyes!"

"He was asking for it. He tried to kill you." Oz explained, but this fell on deaf ears.

"Is that what chains are supposed to do; supposed to kill without my consent? If that's how it is, then...then, why didn't you tell me that?"

"Even I don't know all the rules of what chains are supposed to do. No one does, except for the Intention of the Abyss."

"Isn't she the ruler? Shouldn't she know? She's the one who created all of these chains!"

"No. Because the Intention of the Abyss hasn't been herself for a long time now." Oz said quietly. "She can never return to the person she once was, you see."

As Louise continued to sulk, Oz thought back on how he could not bring himself to tell everyone exactly what had happened, because a chain had to keep the secrets of their contractor. Even though he wanted to, he had obligations he had to fulfill. A chain who betrayed a contractor was unheard of.

It simply was not allowed.

Also, the Intention kept speaking to him lately, telling him things that he should be doing. However, he did not listen, for the Intention, though she had created him into the Abyss, was not his master. He knew this and Cheshire knew this, though why the cat chain continued to serve Alyss was unknown to him. Still, she persisted, telling him that he should return home, go back.

But he had no real reason to go back. He had a home here, with Louise. Plus he didn't have any memories, anyway, and the other chains were always trying to kill him. They weren't very nice to him. But still, his mind downcast, he glanced over at her.

However, despite her initial protests, Louise's stomach grumbled, and she reluctantly accepted the food, which was a loaf of bread, some stew, fruit, and a hot cup of tea.

"Make sure you eat it all." He chided as she took bites out of the loaf, slowly.

"I'll eat as much of it as I want to." She grumbled.

Oz looked hurt, before she promptly apologized for taking it out on him.

"No, really, Louise, it's all right."

She had every right to say those things to him, he was a chain, after all. She was his master. But wasn't that wrong?

Wasn't he supposed to be her equal as the chain and the contractor?

A little voice kept whispering these rebellious thoughts in his head, even though he tried to ignore it.

He could recall someone else who had violated his regard for his own life, who had made him kill against his will-what had the name of that person been?

It started with a J...but as soon as he thought of it, his head felt like it was going to burst.

"Don't be like Jack." He stated.

"Who is Jack?" Louise asked, staring at him in utter confusion.

Alice had wandered in, meanwhile and was happily eating, far away from Louise, until the second she heard the name.

Her tray of food promptly crashed on the ground.

"Jack?" She said, looking alarmed, "Do you mean...Jack Vessalius?"

Upon hearing the last name, his head started to spin more and more.

"That Jack Vessalius, the one that tried to take over the Abyss, using a chain to do so?"

Louise's blood ran cold upon hearing that.

Who would try to do something like that?

"He tried to make the whole world go into the Abyss, if I recall correctly." Alice said thoughtfully, "But it's not like you'd care about it, seeing as you're so busy getting worked up over a dead guy, but in our world, the chains can't be controlled by regular humans."

Louise tightened her fists. "Who decides that? That sounds utterly stupid and arrogant."

Alice snorted. "Clearly, but not as arrogant as these nobles who think they can tell Alice Baskerville what to do. In my world, the Baskervilles are the leaders. Everyone respects them and looks up to them, and we're the ones allowed to contract with chains, while the regular people who do so are illegal contractors. They get tossed into the Abyss, it's what they deserve."

"That's just not fair." Louise protested. "Everyone should get to use these chains if they want to. Did you ask what the chains want?"

Alice looked at her, puzzled. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you're talking about. The Baskervilles get to become true comrades with their chain. But you, on the other hand, are in for a real treat."

"Quit sneering at me like that, and tell me what you know, you spoiled brat!" Louise shrieked.

"All right. If you're done whimpering like a pathetic dog over a person who tried to kill you, then I guess I'll tell you."

"Don't you dare insult Wardes like that!" Louise cried, her wand drawn.

"What did you really know about him, anyway? Did he charm you with some sweet words, to make you feel good? You see, that's the kind of man that Jack Vessalius was, according to m teacher. He was nice, kind, and he wooed everyone with his words, even the previous Glen Baskerville, Levi. Those who didn't take to him were told that they were crazy. He was so nice, how could he ever do anything wrong? This is where the details get blurred because those involved didn't remember all of it, but apparently, Jack Vessalius became obsessed with throwing the world into the Abyss for reasons unknown. Jack never told why he did what he did. Sure, one man wrote a diary claiming that Jack survived the disaster, but nobody really believed that load of rubbish."

Alice paused in between speaking to drink a glass of water. "What is known is that he used a very powerful chain to overpower Glen."

"Who is this Glen?" Louise asked, while Oz watched, his headache getting worse.

"The most powerful of them all, with five chains in his body. Glen gets passed down from generation to generation, passing his chains down into his descendants' bodies. My uncle Oswald is the descendant of the man who faced off against Jack. Unfortunately, he lost his life in the process."

"So what happened then? And what chain did he use?" Louise asked, looking intrigued.

"The name of the chain that he used..." Alice said, without looking at Oz, "Was supposedly the Bloodstained Black Rabbit."

"Black Rabbit?" Louise said, glancing over at Oz in horror, whose face was frozen.

"Bloodstained...black rabbit?" He shook violently.

"Oz, what's wrong? I'm just stating the truth. I mean, it's what was told to me in school, that the being that was used by him to slaughter the Baskervilles and dance in their blood was you. I mean, there can't be any other B-rabbit other than you, right? Unless you're telling me you're over 100 years old, but that's impossible, not even chains can live that long."

Oz was trembling at this point. "How...that's not...that's not true. It must be a mistake."

"There's no other B-rabbit but you. That's what she told me when she brought me here after all. That white-haired girl, she told me you're the B-rabbit, and if so, that means you're the one that Jack used."

The more Oz thought of this, the more out of control his powers became. His chains formed in the room, his scythe was thrown at a chair, vaporizing it. Pieces of dust floated around the room as Louise's things started to be thrown around.

"Oz!" She cried.

Oz's eyes were now shining bright red. "No...can't hurt her."

"What?" Alice said obtusely.

"Look what you did. You made him unleash his powers."

"I was stating the truth. The main reason we're told to stay away from the Abyss is because of B-rabbit. They say that the B-rabbit is one of the deadliest creatures in the Abyss, and will kill anyone he comes across. Now, having met Oz, I know that he's not like that, but it's hard to dismiss when you see things like this."

At this, Louise's face turned puce with fury. She marched across the room and slapped Alice across the face.

Alice reeled back, surprised, staring at Louise. "What, what did I do wrong?"

Things were no longer flying around, but the chains were still there as Oz lurked in the corner, lost in his own insanity.

"The things you said about Oz, my familiar! They're not true!"

"They are true! He is the one that destroyed everything!"

"What makes you so sure that the history is right?"

"It's from a world you don't belong to, so keep your mouth shut." Alice scolded.

"Neither do you, you don't know our history, yet you keep sticking your nose into everyone's business. You don't even bother to associate with the other nobles here or get to know them because you think you're superior to us, with your great world full of chains and your supposedly equal society where the Baskervilles get to sit around and pass judgment on everyone else like they're gods, some society that is! At least commoners can pass their time here in peace!"

"Commoner? Ha, you guys don't get it, do you? Everyone in the Baskervilles has freedom."

"Only your kind, with the special chains that you guys have, matter. Screw everyone else, am I right? I know how these things work." Louise ranted.

Louise picked up Alice by the lapels. "I'll not hear a single word out of your mouth, especially after all the utter tripe you just said. You launched Oz's powers because you said he was a terrifying monster that killed people. Don't you care about Oz's feelings? If this Intention girl and you care about him, why did he react like that when you guys said that stuff? Maybe you don't even know him and you're just projecting your fears onto an innocent chain that had nothing to do with it."

Alice was silent as Louise continued her rant.

"Don't you understand what it's like to be outcasted? To have everyone look at you like you're a freak for something you can't control? To be told that you're worthless and that you're a zero, that you're nothing? No, I don't think you do. You have an uncle and parents who love you. You don't have a care in the world. You have people who are actively looking for you, who care about you."

She glanced at Oz before continuing her tirade. "Oz...Oz has no memories of the past. He just remembers the here and now. He sees you spreading this garbage about him, someone he has come to trust is saying the same shit that everyone else does, how do you think he feels? I think you should apologize to him, because if I ever hear you insult Oz like this again, I will send you back to this Intention and make her take you back to this wonderful world of yours. None of us want anything to do with you as long as you treat him like this. He's my familiar and I am the only one allowed to insult him. I'm the only one allowed to put him down and say anything unkind about him. He's mine. He's my friend, so don't you dare hurt him!"

Oz's ears perked up. Friend?

Seeing the two of them fighting like this didn't help.

"He's my friend, too." Alice admitted, tears coming down her face. "But I just wanted Oz to know, because he doesn't seem to know what his powers are, as he seemed scared. I did it out of concern for him. I didn't want it to come across as I was afraid of him!"

"Well then why couldn't you say it that way?"

"I'm not scared of him. I just..."

"That's enough." Oz cut in. "While I appreciate you standing up for me, Louise, the thing is that, I have to protect Alice, you know."

"Oz, you don't even really know her, and you're supposed to protect me! Besides, after the things she just said, how can you trust her? You don't know anything about her or what she wants."

"I'm out of here." Alice left the room in a hurry.

"Oz, are you all right?" Louise asked.

"Is Alice all right?" Oz asked, as usual more concerned of others than himself.

"Oz, you need to care about yourself, you're my familiar. What would I do if you couldn't control your powers? You could hurt people here."

"Aren't you afraid that I could hurt you?" He said.

"No, I'm not afraid of you."

"Even when I was using my powers to destroy Wardes? Your eyes looked indecisive."

She paused. "No, I realize my inadequacy and that I was wrong to be afraid of you. You were trying to protect me. You stepped in and used your powers to protect me, which is what fam-no, friends do for each other. I have something radical to say, Oz. I want you to be my friend."

"Didn't you say that was impossible?"

"Well, that was the earlier less improved version of me. Think of me now as the better me. The better me here is asking you to be her friend. I really want you to stay here, Oz. I care about you, and even if you are some monster who killed people, you're different now. People called me that, too. I know what that's like. I don't care if she was saying that, the way that she phrased it was ignorant and hurtful. I know that I've behaved that way in the past, too, but I was never able to act that way toward you. When you said you had no memories, my attitude toward you changed. I found myself wishing I could forget everything, but looking back, it's obviously not fun, is it?"

"No, not at all."

"Well, my parents haven't always treated me the best, and you've seen how people treat me at school. I think both you and Alice are wonderful people."

"Alice is scared and has no one here to trust. She could be kidnapped if we don't do something." Oz stated.

"Come to think of it, I didn't consider her circumstances. I'm sorry, Oz. Your master, no your friend made a mistake. Please forgive me. Are you fine with being friends with a messed up person who cries too much, yells a lot and is a zero?"

"I turn everything to zero, so that doesn't matter to me."

"I don't know if I should cry or hit you." Louise admitted and the two hugged.

Guiche opened the door.

"Oh my god, Louise and Oz are!" He gasped.

Louise noticed that Guiche was staring at her breasts, which were a bit exposed due to the pajamas she was wearing.

"Oh my," Kirke said, "It seems like we interrupted the ship from sailing."

"What ship? There's no boat anywhere." Oz said.

Louise cast an explosion then at Guiche, which turned into a fireball which left him blackened.

"Serves you right." Montmorency said from behind him.

Guiche wondered why everyone teased him so much.