A/N: Last Chapter! Thank you so much for reading! I hope you like it...

The sequel will be posted sometime in December, I believe, and It'll be on my account, Moonlit Fall. I'll probably update this with the name when it comes out, so if you're interested, keep watch!

There's also a part in this chapter that isn't my favorite so I might fix it sometime, but idk :T

I'm off to NaNo :)

EDIT: The sequel prologue is up, its called Will You Stay?

I also might be updating some of the chapters in this story with small edits to fix fluency, maybe a few plot details too, but they won't be major.

DISCLAIMER: Everything belongs to its original creators

Oz was curled beneath a mountain of blankets, his expression relaxed. Gil smiled to himself, grateful that his master was finally able to get some rest. Oz had been exhausted upon his release from Pandora, so Oscar had insisted he try to sleep through the carriage ride home. He'd tried, but had been woken constantly by what sounded like terrible nightmares.

He'd refused to describe them to Gil when the raven had asked.

Gil sighed quietly, watching the moon begin to climb above the horizon through a crack in the curtains. Oz would be hungry when he woke up, he decided, standing slowly and stretching.

The house was silent; most of its occupants had already retired for the night. Gil relished the stillness, glad for the sense of peace that filled him. Soft moonlight cast a gentle glow through the halls.

The servants' kitchen was still a mess from whatever had been prepared for Ada and Zai's dinner, but Gil was pleased to find there were enough supplies to make a quick soup for Oz.

He pulled a bowl from the cupboard, biting his lip. He would have to wake Oz soon if he were to make something like soup, otherwise his master would have to suffer through a cold meal.

He was just beginning to cut the vegetables when the kitchen door swung open. A young man stepped into the room, long brown hair tied back into a loose ponytail. Gil blinked. It was Joseph, one of the house servants.

"I-I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Gil offered the man a nervous smile. Most of the other servants had never exactly liked Gilbert, but Joseph at least had always been warm and welcoming.

"What are you doing?" Joseph leaned against the counter beside him.

"That experience at Pandora really seemed to take a lot out of Oz, so I wanted to make him something warm and healthy to eat…" Gil glanced away, his cheeks coloring.

"Do you actually care about that chain? Genuinely?"

"O-Of course I do!"

"Why?" A hand grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to turn and pushing him back against the counter. Joseph loomed over him, eyes blazing.

Gil stared up at him in surprise. "I-I...What?"

"You're betraying the Vessalius family! How can you even look at that monster without thinking about what it did to poor Mistress Ada's mother?"

Gil grit his teeth, a low growl building in his throat at the harsh words. "How dare you speak about my Master like that!"

Joseph's hand shot forward, striking Gil's cheek and causing him to stumble from the force of the blow. "Your only loyalty should be to Master Vessalius!"

"Oz didn't kill anyone! Anything he's done was forced upon him, he didn't mean to—"

"Master Vessalius spoke to us personally on the matter." Snapped a voice from behind the brunet. Gil's eyes widened. A small group of servants had gathered around the pair.

"That's right!" came the chorus, "Master Vessalius is good and kind, he would never lie about something like this!"

"Oz is someone very important to me, and I will not allow you to say such things about him!" Gil spat.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the first fist met his stomach.

There was something soft brushing his nose.

Gil opened his eyes slowly, a fierce ache beginning to make itself apparent all over his body. He couldn't help the quiet groan that escaped him.

"I'm sorry."

Gil straightened at that, startled to realize that he was, in fact, being carried down the hall on Oz's back. His face had been pressed into fluffy golden hair. "Wh-What're you—"

"You were unconscious." Oz murmured. Gil cursed that he couldn't see Oz's face.

"Wait, it's okay, you don't have to carry me!" He was wise enough not to struggle, for fear of toppling them both over.

"You were unconscious!" cried Oz, and only then did Gil hear the tears in his voice.

"But...I..I'm alright now, I promise." Gil bit his lip at the obvious lie. Oz could feel his pain, there was no way he'd be fooled into thinking Gil could walk on his own.

As he thought, the blond's grip only tightened. "Shut up."

Looking away, Gil asked, "How did you find me?"

"...I took too long," Oz mumbled regretfully. "If I had found you sooner, they wouldn't've been able to do so much damage….but I had to search all over…." He shook his head. Soft strands of hair tickled Gil's face. "I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault at all!" Gilbert cried.

Oz stumbled suddenly, nearly falling as Gil's weight shifted. He managed to push himself upright again, but Gil could feel him trembling.

The raven grit his teeth. It wasn't right to make his master carry him like this.

"Oz, put me down,"

Instantly Oz's arms released him, and Gil slid from his shoulders with a startled yelp. Hitting the ground sent a sharp sting along his spine, but he resisted the urge to cry out, for fear it would only increase his master's guilt.

Oz whirled around frantically, eyes watering with mortified tears. "G-Gil! Are you alright?"

Gil laughed shakily, feeling horrible for using the contract to force Oz to listen to him. "I told you, I'm fine."

Oz helped him to his feet, but he refused to meet Gil's eyes.

Gil sighed, allowing Oz to tuck him into bed and closing his eyes for a moment to block out the pounding in his head. He'd been forced to lean on Oz the rest of the way back to his room, more injuries making themselves known to him as he tried to walk on his own.

Oz leaned over him, his eyes soft for a moment as he brushed some of the hair from Gil's face.

A sudden thought occurred to the raven, something that had been nagging at the back of his mind, but he hadn't found a moment when he truly felt it was right to ask.

"Hey, Oz?"

"Mm?" The blond pulled the covers closer to Gil's chin.

"Did you….really believe I would ever...say such horrible things to you?"

Oz blinked, frowning slightly as he tried to place the context of the question. His eyes widened. "O-Oh."

"Did you?"

Oz sighed, running a hand through his hair, glancing away. "Gil...I…."

"O-Oz…"

Did Oz really still not trust him? Gil swallowed. It hurt.

"You should try to get some sleep. I'll be right here, so don't worry, alright?"

Before Gil could protest, Oz blew out the candles, engulfing the room in darkness.

When Gil woke, Oz was gone. It was still dark, the faint scent of candle smoke still lingering in the air. He couldn't've been asleep for long.

Somehow, it felt like betrayal.

Scowling, he pushed himself to his feet, cursing the pain that struck his body. Oz would know he was awake.

Gil staggered out into the hall, watching for cracked doors in the hopes that Oz would be nearby. Unfortunately, there was no sign of his master until he reached the gardens.

Oz was there, the moonlight casting an almost angelic glow over his golden hair. Before him, Gil was startled to see Joseph and a few of the other servants who had attacked him.

It looked as though they were only talking. Gil frowned, moving closer in the hope that he might be able to surreptitiously hear. Oz's eyes flickered over to him, and in his apparent distraction, Joseph lunged forward, the silver blade of a sharpened kitchen knife glinting in the half-light.

Gil shot forward in horror, his mouth already open to call out a warning, but Oz sidestepped the attack skillfully.

"What do you think you're doing?" cried Gil, racing to Oz's side and pushing the blond behind him.

"Go back inside," Oz hissed, gripping Gil's wrist earnestly.

Gil swallowed hard. Oz's anger was another facade, put into place to protect Gil from the truth of his master's anxiety.

"Yeah, Gil, go back inside," sneered one of the servants, aiming a forceful punch at Oz's side. To Gil's relief, Oz sidestepped again, but the rest of the group began to advance toward him.

A heavy wave of uselessness crashed down onto Gil. He was already swaying on his feet from the ache in his limbs, if he was hit again, he wasn't sure how long he'd last.

Oz and Joseph seemed to realize this at the exact same time.

Joseph swung a kick at Gil's leg, something he only just managed to jump away from. Oz snarled something unintelligible, struggling to push through the throng.

Joseph laughed breathily, aiming kick after kick, punch after punch, slowly forcing Gil backward, away from Oz. At last, his back was met with the solid wall of the manor.

"Take a look at where your loyalty's gotten you, Gilbert. Take a good, long look, because I promise you it'll be the last thing you ever see!"

The brunet raised the knife above his head, swinging down with a speed and power Gil hadn't known he was capable of.

"NO!"

There was a flash of silver, hot blood splattering across Gil's face as Oz's scythe ripped the servant's body in half.

The night was silent but for Oz's ragged panting. His eyes were wide, crimson, nearly glowing in the frail moonlight. Torn bodies were strewn across the path behind him, painting the stones with blood.

Gil's knees buckled, his body convulsing as he retched into the dew-soaked grass.

Oz seemed to snap out of his breathless daze, inhaling sharply, stumbling slightly at the sight of the gore around them. "G-Gil!" He staggered forward.

Gasping, Gil scrambled back, bumping his head against the rough brick wall. "S-Stay….Stay...away…."

Oz paused, his eyes flashing with surprise. "...Gil…?" He reached out a tentative hand toward Gil's shoulder, fingers slick with blood.

Gil smacked his hand away. "Don't touch me!" His breathing was ragged, shallow. "Don't….Don't touch me…"

Oz jerked back sharply, his eyes wide. "Gi—"

"Don't touch me."

"I-I—" Oz backed away, his breath quickening in panic. He stared down at his bloodstained hands, eyes filling with desperate tears. "I...N-No….I..." He shook his head, an anguished wail tearing from his throat.

He dug his fingers into his hair, streaking blood through the soft gold. Trembling, Oz spun on his heel, tearing away into the darkness of the garden before Gil had a chance to collect himself.

Gil stared, horrified, into the glazed eyes of the man he had once looked up to, the man who had been kind to him in a time when others were not. Slow tears crawled down his cheeks, mixing with the blood on his face and dripping down onto his quivering hands.

But yet, this man had betrayed the only one who was ever truly there for him.

The night was still.

Gil buried his face in his hands, a wretched sob sliding from his lips, breaking the silence of the night.

What had he done?

Oz...

Oscar brushed a gentle hand through Gil's hair, giving the shivering boy a soft squeeze. "It's alright, Gil," He murmured, pulling the raven close. "It's alright."

Gilbert shook his head, moaning into his hands. "It's not! It's not alright, Master Oscar! Oz is out there all alone and it's all my fault! How could I….how could I ever have said that to him?"

The sun was high in the sky, but Oz had not returned to the manor. Gil was terrified. What kind of mental state his master could be in after murdering several people, after Gil had said that….Gil shuddered.

Murdering…

He pushed the thought to the back of his mind. Oz had been trying to protect him. If Gil had been able to take better care of himself, none of this would've happened. Those servants would still be alive...Nausea rose up in his stomach.

"I'm sure he's fine," said Oscar, though his worry bled into his voice. "He's probably just worried that Zai will have him carted off to Pandora if he returns."

Gil paled. He hadn't thought of that. What if Oz could never come back? Would Oscar be able to protect him?

Oscar stood slowly, his hand lingering to card through Gil's hair. "I'll give it a few more hours, then I'll see if I can find him, alright?"

Gil gave a slight nod, though he had no intention of waiting any longer. He hadn't been able to feel Oz through the link at all since he'd vanished.

He had to make sure Oz was alright.

He had to fix this.

Gil shivered, pulling his coat tighter around his shoulders, although they'd been blessed with a streak of warmer weather, winter would soon be upon them. He walked quickly through the forest, leaves crunching underfoot. He was certain that this was where Oz had gone.

And, sure enough, he soon found the blond curled up beneath a tree, his face buried in his knees. The blood had been washed from his skin.

"Oz," Gil breathed. A trickle of fear wormed its way into his chest, making his stomach churn. Oz probably didn't want to see him.

Oz didn't look up, didn't acknowledge him, didn't make a sound.

Gil swallowed. "You must be freezing," he murmured, moving to Oz's side and draping his own coat around the chain's shoulders. He could feel him trembling.

"Jack was right."

Gil stiffened. "Oz, no—"

"I-I'm just a monster…."

"You were protecting me," said Gil firmly, praying his uncertainty didn't bleed into his voice. Oz didn't seem to notice, still refusing to look up at him. "They attacked us, you were just trying to keep us safe, you didn't mean to lose control like that."

"That wasn't Jack," Oz breathed, raising his head at last. His eyes were bloodshot, his skin deathly white. There were deep circles beneath his eyes. "I killed them."

Gil sank down beside him, wrapping the blond in a tight embrace. "Joseph would've killed me, you saved my life, Oz. Thank you."

And he realized, with a sinking sensation in his gut, that it was true. Oz was in agony over what he'd done, but Gilbert would be dead if he hadn't lashed out in time. It was sickening.

This really is all my fault.

"I'm surprised you didn't feel Duldum's energy."

Oz went rigid.

Zwei stepped languidly into the clearing, a slight smirk pulling at her lips. "Oh, B-Rabbit, have you really fallen so far?"

Oz's trembling grew, his eyes widening in horror. "You….were controlling them...they weren't acting off of their own impulses, they were innocent!" His hands flew to his mouth. "They were innocent…"

Gil gripped his master's shoulders anxiously. "Oz? What do you mean?"

"She...her chain….it can bind people to her will. She was controlling the servants, forcing them to attack us. They shouldn't have died…." Oz was breathing rapidly. Gil could feel the other's heart racing.

Closing his eyes to swallow down his nausea, Gil managed, "I still would've died. You still saved me, Oz! Don't think it was a waste!"

"Why don't I show you how she works?" Zwei snickered, taking a step toward them. Silvery strings materialized around Oz, binding him like a marionette. He gasped.

Green eyes met gold. "Run—"

Gil barely had time to stand before Oz's chains were speeding toward him. He only just managed to roll out of the way.

"S-Snap out of it Oz!" he gasped, his breath rasping in his lungs, raw from the cold. Another chain snapped at him, piercing the trunk of the tree behind him as he ducked. Gil swallowed. That would've been his head.

Zai Vessalius stepped into the clearing, leaves crackling beneath his pristine shoes. A crimson cloak was draped around his shoulders. His cane gleamed in the afternoon light.

The chains that had risen around Oz fell limp with a clang.

Gil took the opportunity to try and get closer. "You don't have to be afraid, Oz. I promised you that I would accept you no matter what, that there was nothing you could say, nothing you could do that could ever cause me to leave your side! I'll always accept you, Oz! Always! Even if you won't accept yourself!"

No matter what happens, I will always be by your side.

Oz's eyes widened. The strings flickered for a moment.

"Enough." Zai's voice was firm. "You've already dragged this out longer than I would've liked. Finish it."

Zwei gave an exaggerated sigh. "Time's up!" She grinned. "Finish him!"

No matter how much time may pass,

A pack of chains appeared around Oz, sharp silver gleaming in the sunlight. Gil lunged toward Oz, dodging chain after chain, ducking and rolling and twisting away from their deadly points.

Even if our roles may reverse…

He realized that Oz must've been resisting Duldum's control, because Oz's accuracy was always spot-on. There's a chance! I have a chance, if I can just get close enough—

One of the chains slashed across his collarbone and down along his shoulder, searing pain blossoming everywhere it touched. Gil cried out, stumbling, thrown to the ground from the force of his momentum. Warm blood oozed over his skin, onto the grass.

I wish to always be your servant.

Oz gasped, one hand gripping his shoulder tightly. The chain's around him vanished, and Gil was startled to see the strings binding him snap and fall away.

"G-Gil!" Oz's knees buckled. He was breathing hard, his brows knit together in worry.

I will never betray you.

"I-It's alright," Gil gasped, struggling to push himself up on one arm. He blinked, his vision blurring for a moment as everything spun. There's so much blood…

Oz's gaze flickered to the side, inhaling sharply, eyes widening. He looked back at Gil, his expression pained.

"Gi...Gil….I…"

And I will never let anyone hurt you.

Gil could feel it, deep inside his heart, his soul, deep inside his very being. He could feel the decision his master was about to make, Oz's anguish swirling around inside him and tearing away at his heart. "Oz, don't—"

"I...revoke the contract!"

The pain was immediate, burning, tearing, ripping through Gil's blood, searing his bones, scorching his heart, his mind, shredding all that was left of him. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think….There was so much noise….Screaming, someone was screaming—

His vision blurred into focus as Zai marched past him, feet crunching over the deadfall. He leaned over Oz's prone form, reaching down to lift the boy by his hair. Oz met Gil's gaze, hanging limply from Zai's grasp. He was panting hard, each breath tearing painfully from his chest.

Because you are….

Gil tried to call out, but his throat was raw. All he could manage was a desperate, strangled sound. Please….No...

Oz watched him lifelessly, the sorrow in his eyes burning itself into Gil's mind. Gil gripped the grass with trembling fingers, dragging himself forward on his stomach. He had to make it in time, he had to—

My Master!

Purple light flooded the clearing as Zai summoned his chain.

Oz's expression crumpled, slow tears sliding down along his cheeks. Each breath he took rattled through his chest. Gil pulled himself forward, dizzy from blood loss, trembling, barely able to keep his head off the grass.

The ground beneath Oz melted away into light, shadowy chains crawling up from the glow to tangle around him.

"N-No…." Gil managed to rasp, the words tearing painfully from his throat, "O-Oz—"

Oz met his gaze, eyes dull with despair and regret.

The chains tightened, jerking Oz down, into the darkness of the Abyss. He screamed, a scream that would never truly leave Gil's mind, one that would never cease to haunt him, echoing through his dreams. A scream of terror.

The light faded from the clearing.

Gil couldn't breathe, tears curling under his chin as the scene played through his mind, over and over, Oz's face, the fear in his eyes—

He couldn't breathe.

Oz was gone.

Really gone, truly gone, lost in the all-consuming chaos that was the Abyss. If only Gil had been faster—

He couldn't breathe.