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History
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This article contains plot and/or ending details for Pandora Hearts.
Read at your own risk.
History[]
Toward the beginning of time, The Core of the Abyss came into existence by unknown means. The Core existed something like a deity - being the macrocosm of all the dimensions that formed around her and the single constant dimension: the Abyss. Alongside The Core existed a collection of beings known as The Jurors, who were tasked to watch over each dimension, influencing each of them with the inclusion of unique qualities in order to provide different outcomes for each dimension. Truthfully, each dimension was a "Tale" that would be collected into "The Library" once it had reached its end, and in varying different forms The Core, The Jurors and the Abyss existed in each dimension.
In the material world, The Jurors created a being known as Glen Baskerville, who had a direct connection to The Core and was destined to lead a group of other outcasts who had been chosen to act as Messengers of the Abyss, the Baskerville Clan. As a result of this connection, The Core would consistently experience a hiccup of power with each new incarnation of Glen, which would flow through Glen and distort the reality of someone close to them, resulting in the birth of a Child of Ill Omen. Children of Ill Omen, being created outside of the initial blueprint of the Abyss and possessing supernatural powers that could distort reality as it was imposed by the powers of the Abyss, were immediately shunned by The Jurors - who advised the Glens to drop their respective Child of Ill Omen for the apparent dangers they posed. Without question, the Glens did as directed, summoning forth the Chains of Condemnation using the Black Winged Chains, which would drag their Child of Ill Omen into the lowest regions of the Abyss to have their existence eradicated.
Eventually, a Child of Ill Omen named Lacie dove deep enough into the Abyss to discover its dark heart. Though Lacie was wary to approach the darkness, she could feel a lonely presence from within, and so she called out to it - but she never received a response. Once she'd returned to the material world, Lacie asked her master, Levi about what she'd seen - to which he was unable to provide her with an answer, as such knowledge was reserved only for the Glens. After due consideration, Levi ultimately decided to tell Lacie the truth, taking her aside and explaining to her the existence of the Core of the Abyss, and how someone could disrupt the world monumentally simply by coming into contact with The Core. To further explain his point, Levi revealed that even though only the Glens were permitted to approach The Core in the most dire of circumstances, because of the distortion that is a Child of Ill Omen someone like Lacie could do so as well - making Lacie's own existence a great threat to both their world and the harmony of the Abyss, which is why she had to die.
Even though Lacie could accept what Levi was saying, she couldn't anticipate what Levi's true intentions were. In an attempt to console Lacie, Levi asked if she would be willing to help him with an experiment of his, revealing that he longs for change and would like to try and give humanity the power to control the Abyss. Lacie immediately shrugged off what Levi was suggesting, believing it to be impossible - only Levi hadn't meant that he wanted to take control of the Core, but rather he wanted to offer her a human vessel in order to observe how it could change the Abyss. To do so however, Levi revealed that he would have to impregnate Lacie prior to the Ceremony, so that when she was dragged down into the Abyss by the Chains of Condemnation to be destroyed, her child would be born in the Abyss and carry on living outside of the grasp of the Chains of Condemnation to be taken as the Core's vessel. Horrified, Lacie attempted to distance herself from her master, only to come to a realization and question if doing so would stop the Core from always feeling so lonely all the time, which Levi confirmed. Even though she was reluctant, Lacie agreed to help Levi in his experiment for the sake of the Core of the Abyss.
With her new knowledge of the Core, Lacie once again dove into the Abyss - this time into its deepest regions in order to meet The Core. Lacie greeted The Core happily upon her arrival and revealed twin black rabbit dolls which she had brought with her. Lacie gave one of the dolls to The Core, which it played with briefly, saying that since they both would have identical dolls they would always be connected to one another. Shortly afterward Lacie had to leave, but she promised The Core that the next time she came to visit, she would bring another friend with her. As an effect of the Abyss' power, the rabbit dolls were given life - a joint consciousness shared between two bodies - and despite the fact that the rabbit doll could only observe events as they unfolded between the Abyss and the material world as time passed, it still satisfied Lacie's promise to The Core that they would always be connected to one another.
A pregnant Lacie visits her old friend, the Core
Close to twenty years later, Lacie returned to the dark heart of the Abyss with her doll, greeting the Core and mentioning how long it'd been since they'd seen one another. Unfortunately, Lacie also admitted that it would be the last time they could see each other in such a way - which made the Core "sway" with discomfort - though she revealed that she'd be delivering her child in the Abyss very soon and asked that the Core seek it out and make friends with it in her absence. Lacie then put down her black rabbit doll beside the Core's own doll and left the Abyss, leaving the doll to enter a state of repose.
Not long after, Lacie was dragged down into the depths of the Abyss by the Chains of Condemnation, where she gave birth to twins while she was being destroyed. The Core wasted no time and immediately embraced Lacie's children, both of whom she'd named Alice. While happily cradling the children, the Core made them age instantaneously, both becoming adolescents mere moments after their birth. While the Core took one of the twins as her vessel, becoming the Intention of the Abyss, the other twin took one of the black rabbit dolls and left the Abyss of her own accord. Unexpectedly, the moment that the Core joined with the Intention, the harmony of the Abyss shattered, and the golden paradise which it had once been became a mutated and hellish dimension of uncontrollable pain and suffering.
Satisfied with her accompaniment, The Core remained dormant within The Intention - who, over time, began to copy the doll, Oz's, habit of visiting the material world by switching bodies with Alice. Soon after Alice's induction to the Baskerville Clan, she encountered a man with whom her uncle Oswald had been acquainted to, named Jack Vessalius. Upon witnessing Alice's encounter with Jack, The Core, speaking through the Intention, retrieved a fragment of Lacie's soul which she'd saved from the Abyss because it was a collection of her thoughts and feelings toward Jack. The Core offered this last piece of Lacie to Oz, asking him to take it to his body in the material world and deliver it to Jack. Though Oz was successful, his actions deluded Jack to believe that Lacie had become one with the Abyss rather than being killed.
The Core intervenes in the conversation between Jack and the Intention.
With his own dark agenda in mind, Jack asked if the Intention could sever the "Chains", which Levi had unintentionally revealed to Jack would drop the entire world into the Abyss, pretending that he wished to do so in order to truly be with the Intention. Seeing the danger of the situation, the Core stepped in and possessed the Intention, telling Jack that such a thing would be impossible because using her power in such a way would be foreign to Alice's body and would destroy her. Furthermore, the Core admitted that her mere presence had been wearing Alice's existence down, and so she wouldn't allow any further damage to be inflicted on the body which Lacie had left behind. Realizing that he was speaking to the Core, Jack attempted to address the Core personally, only to have her retreat back into the Intention's subconscious. After reviewing what The Core had told him, Jack instead suggests that the Intention creates a Chain capable of severing the "Chains" of the world, which the Intention happily agrees to do by molding Oz's second body into Oz the B-Rabbit.
The clashing of B-Rabbit's and the Core's power
Soon enough, Jack succeeds in opening one of the Doors to the Abyss in order to form a Contract with Oz the B-Rabbit and severs The Chains of the World. What Jack hadn't anticipated was that Oswald could mend The Chains using The Black Winged Chains. With his plan gone awry and Oz low on power, Jack rushed to the Tower to ask the Intention to refuel Oz so that he could sever the "Chains." Unexpectedly, Alice tricked Jack into revealing what he'd done - as she could hear Oz screaming in agony and had lost contact with the Intention - which ultimately lead her to one conclusion. Alice grabbed a nearby pair of scissors and stabbed herself in the heart in order to sever Jack's connection with the Intention. As her life faded, Alice met her sister in their mental junction, where the Intention revealed that Jack's hold on her could never be stopped so long as she had her memories of him. Intent on having Oz destroy her memories of Jack, the Intention used Alice's corpse to make a connection with Jack, then projecting herself in order to reach Oz - only to be stopped dead in her tracks when addressed by Jack. Fortunately, Alice's soul carried on, diving into Oz's body and claiming it and his powers as her own so that Oz himself never had to hurt anyone again.
From there, Alice attempted to destroy the Intention's memories with the power of B-Rabbit, only to have the Core intervene. Believing that Alice intending on harming the Intention rather than just destroying her memories, the Core refused to allow Alice to proceed. Even so, Alice carried on with her attempt, but the clash between the Core and B-Rabbit's powers resulted in an explosion that tore apart the Intention's memories and separated Alice from her own memories by transporting her to the Abyss - memories which were later saved by the Intention. With the Intention safe, the Core faded back into her subconscious, while the majority of Sablier dropped into the Abyss.
Plot[]
Sablier Arc[]
When Oz was drawn into the Hole while wandering through Sablier by memories, he ran into the memory of Glen Baskerville. Glen's Jabberwock tried to attack, but Glen settled it down, stating that Jack was not his enemy. After Jabberwock retreated into Glen's body, he stated that the power of the Abyss was in disarray and that the golden world of the Abyss was now covered in a layer of darkness. Glen asked whether this was because of the Intention of the Abyss, stating that such a thing did not exist in the beginning, rather there was a Core that ruled all, though the Baskervilles never thought that it would gain an ego of its own. Glen then states that such a thing should never have happened.
Swan Song Arc[]
With the destruction of the material world on the rise after Jack managed to sever "Chains" for a second time, Alice ventured back in time alongside Oz, Gilbert Nightray and Ada Vessalius in order to stop Oswald - who had taken control of Leo's, the present Glen Baskerville, body in order to kill Lacie before she ever met Jack - thereby preventing the "Chains" from ever being broken. When it seems as though Alice is in danger, Cheshire takes her in his arms and flees the scene, where he and Alice formulate a plan to make contact with The Core of the Abyss in order to save The Intention before it's too late.
Although the two are attacked by Oswald before they can reach the Tower, Cheshire fends Oswald off so that Alice can proceed. Storming into her old room, Alice attempts to make contact with her past self, but to no avail - something which she had anticipated given that people from the future who are not Glen or a Child of Ill Omen are unable to influence the past. Fortunately, Alice is confident that the Core of the Abyss should be able to hear her no matter who she is, and so Alice instead attempts to address the Core. As the Core possess the past incarnation of Alice, Alice reveals that she'd come to save Alice—the Intention—demanding that the Core allow her to meet with her sister in the Abyss. Confused, the Core asks what Alice means by "save". Confirming her intent, Alice states that she's going to save Alice (The Intention) from the Core, only to correct herself by saying that she's going to save Alice from the Intention of the Abyss itself.
As the Core attempts to decipher what Alice means, a large crack spreads across the floor underneath her. The Core tells Alice that she's not sure what she means by "save", wondering if Alice is trying to say that she can no longer be with the Intention. Confirming this, Alice explains that her sister can't handle the Core's power, and that because of it both the Intention's body and mind are on the brink of collapse. The world around the Core starts to crack as she insists that Alice is lying to her, but Alice stands strong and reveals to the Core that she's telling the truth - as the Intention imparted her wish directly onto someone she'd known (Xerxes Break). Alice then admits to the Core that she'd seen it in the junction shared between her and her sister, she laid witness to the Intention crying painfully because of her burdens as the Intention. The Core, now screaming, tells Alice that the Intention's body was left for her by Lacie, and she'd always taken proper care of it to ensure that it doesn't break. Attempting to get through to the Core, Alice tells her that no matter how important she may believe it is to her, there isn't any other way, as the Intention's already worn. Outright denying Alice, the Core breaks down, covering her face and crying while the world cracks all around her. As she cries, the Core mutters about how if the Intention wasn't allowed to be with her anymore, then she'd have to go back to being alone.
The Core has entered a crazed state, summoning some of the Intention of the Abyss' Dolls as she proclaims that she won't hand over the Intention, because she wants them to be together forever. Only then does the Core wonder whether taking Alice as well and uniting the two sisters would cheer up the Intention. Determined to obtain Alice as well, the Core sends the dolls after Alice, only for them to be stopped before they can reach her, as they're shot down by Gilbert, who'd been sent by Oz to help Alice. Gilbert asks Alice what's going on and what exactly she did to make all this happen, prompting Alice to explain that since she'd heard them talking about how they needed to get to the place where the Intention is, she thought that she'd try and separate the Core from the Intention. Hearing this, the Core goes off on a tangent, insisting that she's going to take the Intention and ordering Alice not to get in her way. The Core easily overpowers both Alice and Gilbert with lengths of chains, leaving Gilbert laying on the floor unconscious while an unconscious Alice is suspended with black material reminiscent of tar that's been generated by the Core. As the Core coils around Alice, she invites Alice to come along with her so that they can be together forever.
Just then, the world outside of the Tower shatters as the Core brings Alice to the dark heart of the Abyss once again, generating a field of power that will tear apart any existence that attempts to approach and throw them into the time vortex of the Abyss. Though all seems lost, Gilbert manages to enter the dark heart of the Abyss alongside Alice and the Core, where he urges Alice to wake up. Guided out of her slumber by Lacie's melody, Alice sees that she and Gilbert are now in a distorted version of her room in the Tower with The Core wrapped in Chains and some of the Intention's Dolls orbiting around her.
Gilbert shoots a few of the Dolls, prompting Alice to question what's going on - to which Gilbert asks if Alice really doesn't remember how the Core brought them there during her rampage. The Dolls question how Gilbert managed to get there on his own, as he's supposedly not meant to be there. This makes the Core speak up about how the Intention's wish is simply Alice, and so she asks Alice to join with them and become one; justifying that doing so would finally cheer the Intention up. Enraged, Gilbert steps forward with Raven's power, ordering the Core to shut up - as Oz had left him in charge of Alice and so he won't allow the Core to just do as she pleases with Alice. Upon hearing Oz's name, the Dolls ask who Oz is as they worry that someone else may be coming. However, the Core assures the Dolls that no one else could possibly be coming, since they're inside a black storm raging within the Abyss, and to approach it would result in the scattering of their existences. Although the Dolls are overjoyed, Gilbert insists that Oz will come for Alice, asking Alice for support on the matter.
Alice agreed with Gil and tried to help Gil fight against the Dolls. While the Core laughed manically in the chaos and send her Dolls to Alice once again, Gil use his chain to destroy the Dolls. Gil knew that it will be difficult task to protect Alice from the Core since he is losing stamina. The Core began to call Alice and Alice suddenly declared that she had enough. She yelled at the Core that even if she brought her (Alice), Alice (Intention) will not get any better. The Core rebuffed what Alice just said but Alice tell the Core to listen to Alice (Intention). She tell the Core that if Alice (Intention) is really dear to her, she should listen to what she (Intention) want to said. The Core ignored Alice's request and repeatedly said that she doesn't want to be alone again. To Gil and Alice's shock and horror, the Core reveal a big hole from inside her chains as she stare with a mad expression. The Core began to reminiscence the first time Lacie met her and said her name in a sad tone. She immediately began to attack Alice and Gil as the two dodged her attacks. While the Core continued to her attacks, she tell herself that without Lacie by her side, she felt so cold. With tears in her eyes, The Core sadly declared to Lacie that she doesn't want to be alone; she call for Alice once again as the Intention sleep peacefully inside her.
To be continued
In order to avert further tragedies, the Intention of Abyss destroys her body along with Alice and Oz, restoring the Core's power.
Jack Vessalius, the instigator of the Tragedy of Sablier, offers his body as a new physical vessel following the death of the Intention of Abyss before his soul disappeared from his still living body. As it was the Core's fear of loneliness that led to the Tragedy to begin with, the latest incarnation of Glen Baskerville, Leo, declared that the Core was not to be further isolated. He then promised to end the persecution and ritual sacrifice of Children of Ill Omen, acknowledging that they are not symbols of misfortune. Vincent Nightray, the last known surviving Child of Ill Omen, was given the role of her companion. The Core was then named.