Chapter 5: His Sister, Chance Encounter

        A single gramophone played through the night, sitting on a desk in a dimly lit room, drowning out the cries of a poor blindfolded prostitute. Her arms were tied behind her to a chair, tears riding down her rosy cheeks. Over the sounds of classical opera, she could hear footsteps nearing her with each step, causing a pit to form in her stomach. Then they stopped, and the blindfold was removed.

        Before she could scream, she was shushed immediately by the man in front of her, a white gloved finger placed upon her beautifully chapped lips.

        Her blue eyes shimmered with tears, the fear in them causing a wicked smile to form on the man’s mouth. He then pulled out a container of red lipstick and a brush, dipping it in the liquid and to applying it to her bottom lip. Frightened and confused beyond relief, she remained as still as she could so as not to risk her life. But lightning from the storm outside struck, startling her, causing the brush to run off the corner of her lip. The man frowned and roughly grabbed her chin, angered at his ruined handiwork.

        Luckily for him, there was a set of sharp metal tools to fix it.

***

        “Is this really the time for a game of chess?” Madame Red moved one of her white pawns on the chess board. The rain pitter pattered outside, drumming along lulling tune that complemented the night sky. In the drawing room, Ciel and your aunt were having a cup of tea and playing a game of chess, while you stood at the back dresser, examining the papers of possible suspects with Sebastian.

        “Obsessing about it won’t help you solve the case, I wish your sister would understand that. Look at her, fussing about over there and driving herself busy with work. Why not just leave it all to Sebastian, dear?”

        “Because he’s simply my chess piece. I’m the one who moves him by giving orders.”

        “Well, your dear sister is not a chess piece. You can’t exactly give her orders.”

        “No, not exactly.” He smiled. “Although, being the head of the family, I could-“

        “Don’t push it, Ciel.” He closed his eye, his smile still remaining. That’s his sister.

        “As you can see, Madame Red, her nature is something out of the ordinary, not at all a pawn. If she were in fact a chess piece, she’d be a queen. Able to move in any direction and as far as she needs to in a given move to accomplish her goal; one of the most formidable on the board. On the other hand, Sebastian is no ordinary piece. He can move as many squares as he needs to.” Ciel picked up one of his black knights and used it to knock over Madame Red’s king. “Like that.” She gasped.

        “That was against the rules, you know!” Angrily picking up her lost piece and placing it back on the chess board, she huffed at the almost childish move. But what did she expect?

        “Indeed.” Ciel interlocked his fingers. “It would be if this was a game, but rules such as that have no true meaning in the real world. There are always knights who break the rules and pawns who betray. If you let your guard down… it’s checkmate.” He then placed his knight upon the chess board, the inanimate eyes of the horse staring straight at her king. For a while it was silent, the room filled with nothing but the shuffling of papers by you and Sebastian and the rain drumming away outside.

        “You must’ve had other options in life besides policing England’s underworld. I’m sure my sister, your mother, wanted something else for you two, and yet, after their deaths, you returned to be the queen’s guard dog and his nose. Is it because you’re trying to avenge your parents’ murders?” Even you stopped at that question. Sebastian’s eyes couldn’t help but fall on you, intrigued by your potential response. But you wouldn’t. That was for Ciel discretion, and you couldn’t speak for him. The contract he had with Sebastian was his and his alone, and therefore so was his ultimate objective. Not once was it ever yours, the choices you and he made were independent of the other on that night, and as he so kindly reminded you, he was the head of the family. Whatever he says, goes.

        “The need for revenge is a funny thing. It won’t bring the dead back nor will it bring them happiness. But then, to answer your question, we didn’t return to the house of Phantomhive for our parents.” His fingers lightly traced the top of his ring. “We did it for ourselves.” So, he was to speak for you as well then. You resumed shifting through the papers and skimming over their words, much to Sebastian’s bemusement. Be that as it may, while you disagreed with him on certain topics, revenge was not entirely out of the question for you. The difference was merely how much you let it consume you. “I want to find the people responsible for what happened and I want to make them experience the same pain and humiliation that we suffered. I want to make them pay for all the nights I had to endure watching my sister suffer immeasurable pain and not being able to do a damn thing about it.” Your grip on the paper you held tightened, making Sebastian smirk.

        Hearing Ciel talk about that time in your life so openly was surprising. It made you a little emotional because you never heard him say that out loud before, although you never really talked about the cult and your time with those people. You never really needed to. Everything you had experienced and how you felt about it was always understood by you both without the need for any real communication, but hearing him actually say those words out loud like that was a little overwhelming. You were honestly a little embarrassed, knowing that Sebastian was watching you intensely the entire time.

        Madame Red stared forlornly at your brother with nothing but sympathy, glancing between him and yourself. Even you were affected so drastically by that… time away. She could never imagine what exactly you were subjected to, and truthfully, she didn’t want to know. It would only break her heart more.

        “I still remember when you were born…” And the night you were brought to them as well. “Though, it seems so long ago.” She rose from her chair and approached Ciel. “You were both so tiny and fragile, I remember thinking, ‘no matter what, I have to protect them’.” She reached out her hand and patted his head. Her voice was so soft and gentle, so full of sorrow and loneliness… you had never heard her speak in such a way before. “You know I was never able to have children.”

        Now that was something that got your attention. 

        Your head immediately perked up, and your hands stopped shuffling the papers, the emotions that had been welling up inside of you put aside momentarily. Sebastian’s eyes met yours with a smile, but neither of you said a word.

        “But then there came you two, and I’ve come to think of you as my own children, which is why I wish you would quit this.” Ciel closed his eye and swatted her hand away.

        “This is a task I’ve freely chosen. It’s still my choice to make, and no one else’s. I don’t regret our decision and I won’t be coddled by anyone. I’m sure my sister feels the same way.” Sebastian nearly wanted to add that he was more than happy when his sister embraced him, but he didn’t indulge in such a childish impulse.

        A rather human desire.

        It appeared that you may be rubbing off on him. He spent so much time around you as it is, but it was a rare treat to see your emotions so blatantly worn on your skin. You were usually able to keep them in check, only subjected to the trivial ones humans experience like frustration, pity, or enthusiasm. The last time he saw you in this state was when you and him first met, stuck in that little cage they put you in, although you were much more open back then. Not that he couldn’t easily decipher your emotions now, but that time was so much different, much more intense. He had to suppress a chuckle. It was a wonder to him what few simple words could elicit from humans. The heart was such a fragile thing.

        He could tell Madame Red’s had been broken for some time now, noting her unusual quiet disposition as he was helping to put on her jacket at the front door. Her reaction to what his master said was tasteful, yet predictable; it was nowhere near as entertaining as yours.

        “I have it now, thank you.” She didn’t leave though, her red orbs instead meeting his own.

        “My lady.”

        “Promise me, say you’ll never leave their side. This is a dangerous world for a just boy and a girl… make sure they don’t lose their way?” It was a plead of desperation for her poor niece and nephew, one that he was more than willing to oblige. Sebastian got down on one knee and bowed his head.

        “Fear not. I swear I shall stay by their sides until the very end.” Satisfied, Madame Red finally left the mansion, greeted outside by Grell and a carriage, the poor butler having to hold up an umbrella to shield himself from the rain.

        “I’m here to escort you back home, my lady.”

***

        You had both already gotten changed into your night clothing by the time Madame Red left. Ciel had called you into his room to discuss your findings, so you currently you were sitting on his bed waiting for the demon butler to return. However, you were exhausted, as evident by the large yawn that exited your lips.

        “I hope this doesn’t take too long. It’s been quite a long couple of days.”

        “Indeed, it has.”

        “Did you really have to be so straightforward with auntie?”

        “I have no idea what you mean.”

        “I’m talking about pushing her away like you did. You know she cares about us, and being shown affection by a family member isn’t a weakness.”

        “I meant what I said. I will not be coddled by anyone.” You crossed your arms.

        “You don’t seem to mind if it’s from me.” If only you knew Sebastian had thought the very same thing.

        “Except I don’t let you coddle me. If we’re going to be more accurate, I usually coddle you. Besides, you’re my sister. It’s different.”

        “Not really, and I’ve hugged you a bunch of times before.” He hummed.

        “We have been close ever since we were young, especially during those times when all we had was each other. Nothing’s really changed since then.” Before you could respond, the door opened, and in walked Sebastian with the papers you had been looking at earlier. “Well, then?”

        “No matter how I look at it, the result is still the same.”

        “Yesterday’s murder, the viscount didn’t do it.”

        “Exactly. None of the people in his mansion could have done it either.”

        “Indeed. No person could move that quickly.” Ciel combed his bangs back. “Anyway, tomorrow we’ll start-” He paused, his now wide eyes suddenly turning to his butler. “Sebastian. You didn’t?” You rolled your eyes.

        “Ciel, don’t be an idiot.”

        “Of course I didn’t, my lord. I told you, I never lie.”

        “He also doesn’t have a reason to murder prostitutes. Plus, it would be going against your orders, so it’s impossible.”

        “Thank you for your confidence in me, my lady.” Ciel glared first at you, and then Sebastian, who paid him no mind. “Now, involved in medicine, ties to secret societies or black magic, lacking alibis for the nights the bodies were found… the only human who fits our criteria is the viscount Druit.” His annoyance slowly turned into anger.

        “You know more about this than you’re letting on, don’t you?”

        “But I’m simply one hell of a butler.” He placed a hand over his heart. “As you well know, I only carry out those orders my master has directly given me.” Before he could lose his temper, you placed a hand on his shoulder to settle him.

        “Calm down, Ciel, he technically has a point. Lucky for you though, I’ve already figured it out. I know exactly who Jack the Ripper is.” The papers in Sebastian’s hands were tossed into the air.

        “You need only say the words, my lord, and I become either your pawn or your knight. Now, master… move me to check.”

***

        It was cold. Bitingly so. Although, being in a dark alleyway in the middle of a rainy night disguised as common city folk, you expected it as such. You almost wish you had Sebastian’s black trench coat that he was wearing, that would at least shield you a little. However, if all three of you dressed in that fashion, you would’ve undoubtedly called attention to yourselves on the way over here. You had to look natural, which is what you were trying to accomplish as you and Ciel casually leaned up against a brick wall outside of a particular person’s house.

        “He’ll show if we stake out this place, right?” Your brother asked.

        “Definitely, if my prediction is correct.”

        “I wish you would just tell me who it is already.”

        “Come on, I’m sure someone as smart as you can figure it out. I’m not the only one good at games in this family. Besides, it’s not an answer I like admitting out loud.” He sighed, leaning his head back up against the wall, pondering over what you said. It was a while before he got a twinkle in his eye.

        “You know, I’ve realized the murdered prostitutes had other things in common besides their profession.”

        “The most beautiful, glossy black hair.” Sebastian mumbled.

        “Are you finally catching on?”

        “But I still don’t understand why he had to kill them all.”

        “Now… that’s a little trickier to answer. I sort of do, yet not really. Not when looking through my eyes, that is. Death is never the answer to our problems in life, even if it was the cause of them.” 

        “So very loveable, it could almost be a sin.” This caused you to raise a brow at Sebastian, wondering if he was seriously talking about death being loveable. Although when you saw what had him so preoccupied, you abandoned your post on the wall and joined him.

        “And what’s more, I-“

        “So soft. Ah, so soft.”

        “And so tiny and fluffy!” A vein nearly popped out of Ciel’s head as he turned and saw Sebastian holding a black cat, with you poking and patting the thing’s head, both completely ignoring him.

        “Listen when I’m talking to you two!” Only Sebastian acknowledged him.

        “Oh. I apologize, sir, but she’s so beautiful and soft.” You just continued scratching the cat’s ears, being rewarded with a purr of satisfaction that seemed to melt Sebastian’s nonexistent heart. 

        “We should name her!”

        A scream pierced through the night.

        Sebastian immediately let the cat go as your heads whipped in the direction it came from.

        “How could somebody have gotten past us?”

        “Let’s go, sir.” Thinking there was still time to save her, you all bolted straight for the house. Since you were the first, you slammed the door right open, but as soon as you saw what was inside, you instantly regretted that decision. 

        A woman’s body lay strewn about in the middle of the floor. Blood splattered every inch of it, from her hands to her face, staining her once beautiful skin and hair and pooling around her mutilated torso. Cold dead blue eyes stared blankly up at nothing, the life that once inhabited them freshly voided. The entire lower half of her was torn up beyond recognition, just a mesh of mangled flesh and ripped apart organs. The stench was putrid, worse than anything you had ever smelled before, but one you knew unfortunately well. It was the familiar stench of cruel death. A tiny droplet of red then splashed onto your face, snapping you out of your surprised trance, though your eyes never left the body. You didn’t even see the one who had caused the blood splatter.

        “Back up Ciel.” But it was too late. You could feel him suck in his breath behind you as he saw the same gory sight as you. Sebastian immediately placed his arms over your eyes and pulled you back outside.

        “Come away!” He moved far enough away so that you couldn’t smell it anymore, but the damage had already been done. Ciel was breathing loudly in your ear, shaking as he tried to process the revolting display of human carnage. It was too much for him to handle; you could hear him empty the contents of his stomach, feeling Sebastian lowering himself a little to allow him to do so. 

        You, on the other hand, just stood there, breathing calmly. For some reason, and you didn’t know why, but it didn’t bother you at all. The image of her corpse was engraved into your mind along with every minute detail down to the last drop of blood, all freshly painted before your closed eyes as if you were still looking at it, yet none of it made you sick like Ciel. Of course, it was a little unsettling due to how ripped up the body was, but nowhere near nauseating. There was no pit in your stomach, no dizziness, no terror, nothing. You didn’t feel any different at all, almost as if you had never seen the body in the first place. It was strange, and you weren’t sure if you liked it or not. 

        You reached up and grabbed onto Sebastian’s arm, giving it a light squeeze to tell him that he could let go. At first, he thought you were latching onto him to cope with what you saw. He had been so focused on Ciel that he didn’t realize until now that you weren’t shaking, hyperventilating, or showing any other signs of human trauma. You were completely unaffected. He couldn’t help but smile. You were handling this much better than his young master was, almost as if you were accustomed to this sort of thing. 

        Splash.

        Someone stepped into one of the puddles of blood inside the house. It was most likely the person who had caused the victim’s blood to land on your face when you first opened the door. There were a couple more splashes, and from what you could tell, the person was slowly approaching you three. Tentatively, Sebastian uncovered your eyes to let you see, but still kept his arm around your collar to hold you back against him. 

        “You’ve made quite a bit of bloody mess of things in there, Jack the Ripper. Or, rather…” The figure finally stepped into the doorway and out of the shadows, revealing to you the true culprit of the crimes that had been plaguing London and you for the past few days. 

        “Grell Sutcliffe.” You finished for him. So your prediction had been correct.

        Grell’s normally yellow eyes were wide with fear, the parts of his face that weren’t covered in blood were as pale as the moon. He reached out a shaking, blood-soaked hand to you both.

        “No, no you’re wrong! I-I heard the scream and rushed to help.” You puckered your lips, crossed your arms, and tapped your foot on the ground.

        “Really? So you heard a scream all the way from my aunt’s manor and rushed how many miles to help and just happened to end up getting covered in blood. Did you hear that, Sebastian? It appears that there’s nothing wrong and we have no other choice but to go home.” You chuckled at your own sarcasm. “I mean come on, is that seriously the best you could come up with? I know you only had a minute, but still, you could the least you could do is make it a little more believable. How stupid do you think we actually are? I can’t believe I ever held such high hopes for you.” 

        “Wait my lady! It’s all true, I swear it!” As soon as Grell stepped towards you, Sebastian tightened his hold and pulled you closer to him.

        “It’s rude to lie to a lady, I would’ve thought posing as a butler for so long would have taught you that. You can drop the innocent act, Grell. It’s over.” This time the butler remained silent. Only the sounds of rain pitter pattering around you and the droplets of blood being rinsed off of Grell’s clothes could be heard. “You know, this is actually the first time I’ve met someone like you in the human world. You played the role of helpless butler well. Your act had almost everybody completely fooled.” The murderer looked down at the ground with a solemn expression. A pool of blood below his eye trickled down his cheek to even make it seem like he was crying.

        “You… you think so?” Then he swiftly brought his head up, eyes gleaming with a sudden mischief, his mouth upturned into a sickening grin with abnormally sharp teeth. “How… kind.” His tone completely changed into something more sinister. Forgoing his old role as gentle butler, he straightened up with a confidence you had never seen before and removed the bow from his head, untying his long brown hair. “That’s great to hear. After all… I am an actress.” Next were his glasses, folding them up and replacing them with something from his inner suit pocket. A comb. “And quite a good one at that.” As he brushed out his long hair, the color along it bloomed as it passed through the comb’s teeth from a dull brown to a bright red. It was actually very pretty, much like the changing color of a cheshire cat. “Of course, you’re not really ‘Sebastian’, are you?” The pitch of his voice raised, which you assumed was his natural voice, as he put on false lashes and replaced his white gloves with a pair of black ones.

        “Sebastian is the name my master gave me, so that is who I am. For now.” He tilted his head down so that he could place a pair of red glasses on that matched his hair, accessorized with beads in the shapes of skulls.

        “Ah, you’re playing the faithful dog. Well, you’re handsome enough to get away with it. Anyway, here we are, Sebastian… no.” He flipped some strands of his hair in a flamboyant fashion. “I’ll call you Bassy. Let me introduce myself. The Burnett butler, Grell Sutcliffe. What do you say, let’s get along!” He blew a kiss right at the demon butler, and you could actually feel him shudder. You didn’t really blame him though. “Ah, it’s so nice to talk to you in my true form! I admit, I was surprised when I first met you. I’ve never seen a demon playing a butler!”

        “But I could say the same about you. I never thought I’d find one of your kind playing a butler either.” Grell began tapping his finger tauntingly against his face. “You’re supposed to be an intermediary between man and god. A Grim Reaper.” Woah. So that’s what he was. You knew he had to be some sort of supernatural being, your guess being another demon or some sort, but you never expected a reaper of all things. “Why would a divine being like you pretend to be a servant?”

        “Why, indeed. For now, let’s just say that it was out of love for a certain woman.” There it was. The final piece of the puzzle. The one that had been eluding you since the start of this conundrum: motive. It even caught Ciel’s attention now, having recovered from the early trauma.

        “And that woman would be?”

        “It should be quite obvious, brother. After all, who did he pretend to serve?”

        “That’s my niece, always so discerning.” A woman dressed in all red stepped out of the house, the color of her clothes nearly blending in with the carnage inside, and joined her place beside Grell. “It’s honestly frightening sometimes seeing the capabilities of a mere child. I can’t say I’m not proud though.” Ciel now removed Sebastian’s arm from over his eyes so that he could see for himself the one truly responsible for this fiasco. 

        “Auntie.” You greeted Madame Red with disdain in your voice.

        “Madame.” Her red eyes stoically gazed at all of you, a look you had never thought possible on her. Until recently.

        “Well, I hadn’t counted on this. I didn’t think anyone would be able to see who Grell truly is. The only question I have is when you, (Y/n) dear, figured it out.” To her surprise, you smiled.

        “On the carriage ride home. You drew immediate unnecessary attention to the fact that you could very well be our culprit. It was strange, but that alone didn’t confirm anything for me. What did was how you kept telling us that you wanted children, specifically a little girl. I couldn’t help but draw parallels to that and forcefully removing prostitutes’ uteri, since prostitutes I would assume have a negative stance on bearing children. And since Grell was your ‘personal butler’, I naturally thought he was involved. I just didn’t know he was a Grim Reaper, that was all Sebastian.” She hummed.

        “I should’ve known to be more careful around you, you’re so observing. But why didn’t you call me out right then and there? Why did you wait and go through all the trouble of dealing with the viscount?” 

        “Because like I told Lau that day, I didn’t have a motive yet. I only found that out recently, but I still kept my eye on you even then. I’ve been watching and paying attention the whole time.”

        “Oh, I knew you were a thorn in our side since the moment we met.” Grell bared his fangs at you in a cheeky smile, but then he put a hand on his heart and sighed dramatically. “You wound me though, knowing that I couldn’t fool a mere human with my superior acting talents. I think I may have lost my touch.” One of his eyes opened, and he couldn’t help but smile again. “I did like you though. Madame Red always talked so fondly about you, going on and on about how you were like her own little girl, and when I finally met you, I can’t say I was disappointed.” He winked, which made you lean back into Sebastian more. Now you know how he felt. Irked at his behavior towards you, Ciel stepped forward in front of you and Sebastian.

        “Naturally, you were on the suspect list from the very beginning. But all of your alibis seemed flawless.”

        “Even you, Ciel, suspected your own aunt?”

        “We were looking for a murderer. Degree of relation to me didn’t matter. None of the humans on the suspect list could have been responsible for all the murders, but if one of them had an inhuman accomplice, that would change the game completely. It had to be someone who could enter and leave a room without being noticed. Someone who could travel from the viscount’s house to the East End instantaneously.”

        “In the end, you two were the only ones who could be Jack the Ripper, Madame Red and Grell Sutcliffe. Additionally, when the murders were first announced, I began to look into them on a hunch and discovered a pattern besides prostitution. They’d all undergone a certain surgery. That was the lead that I had found and the reason we were in London, besides the queen’s orders of course.”

        “On (Y/n)’s suspicion, I looked into them further and found that they had undergone this surgery at the hospital you work at.” Ciel took out a folded slip of paper from inside his clothes. “We made a list of all the patients. One, the only one who was still alive, was a woman by the name of Mary Kelly.” He unfolded it and showed Madame Red the transcript of the woman who was now dead.

        “We knew if we waited around here, you would come for her eventually. But we were… too late.” She saw the looks of sadness on your faces, and she almost felt sorry. Almost.

        “My darling niece and nephew, how unfortunate this turned out to be. If you had let it go, we could’ve played chess again, or dressed you up like we talked about, (Y/n). But now…” Her hands clenched together in fists, and you instinctively hovered over your concealed weapons. “You’ve taken everything!”

        It all happened so fast. The whirring of a chainsaw, Grell launching at you in a blur of red; you tried to grab your daggers, but you were too slow. You wouldn’t make it in time. Except having a demon butler as your brother’s ally really was quite helpful. Sebastian stepped in front of you and pressed his hands together against the side of the chainsaw, stopping it from advancing, and then pushed Grell back. You still pulled out your daggers, twirling them around in your fingers to a comfortable attacking position, and held them up, ready to defend yourself.

        “I’m still too slow. I’m sorry to disappoint you, Sebastian. As your student, this must be embarrassing for you.” 

        “Nothing a few pointers shouldn’t be able to fix. Besides, that is why I’m here, my lady.” Sebastian held a hand in front of you as Grell landed only a yard away.

        “What is that?!” Ciel asked, gesturing to the chainsaw weapon.

        “Grim Reapers use tools for harvesting souls.”

        “A death scythe.” You whispered breathily in amazement.

        “Precisely.” Although, Sebastian didn’t seem too enthused about your eager curiosity of the weapon, and actually, neither was the grim reaper himself.

        “Don’t you dare call it that! This is so much more than a scythe! I worked very hard to customize it!”

        “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful.”

        “(Y/n) don’t apologize to him! He’s trying to kill us!”

        “What? I don’t want to be rude! I mean Sebastian did call him a divine being, I’ve got to show some respect even if he is trying to kill us.” Ciel facepalmed, and even Sebastian frowned.

        “I may have called him a divine being, but this creature warrants no respect from you, my lady. Trust me.” You nearly laughed. It almost sounded like he was jealous of your attention being diverted from him for once, although that was probably a childish fantasy. The Grim Reaper turned rather jovial at your apology, though still apparently slighted by Sebastian’s comment.

        “Ugh you wound me so Bassy! But thank you, dearie, I do appreciate the apology.” He then smirked, beginning to show off his rather gorgeous weapon. “This is a special scythe of my own design. It can hack anyone into tiny pieces! And since you’ve been so kind, I can make your death quick and painless! That is, once I deal with your dog.” Grell winked at you then struck a pose, yellow eyes staring coyly into Sebastian’s. “I’ve been far too well behaved. I’m getting out of shape! I would love to exercise my skills. So. Shall. We. Play?” His pose changed with each word, his movements mocking those of a cat. Sebastian’s eyebrow twitched. You had never seen him so annoyed before.

        “Perhaps you could be a bit more respectful of my position. I’m on duty, after all.” Grell blushed, putting his hand up to his chin like a squealing school girl, waving his death scythe around like it was nothing dangerous. 

        “What a stoic man you are! That makes you even more irresistible.” Was he… hitting on Sebastian? You and Ciel looked at each other, both seeming to have the same question in mind: what the hell was going on? “You know, red is my favorite color.” His voice lowered to a serious lilt, and you went back into a defensive position as he in turn took a step forward, bringing the chainsaw into a lunging stance. Sebastian instantly put his arm out in front of you and Ciel, but that didn’t deter the reaper. “It’s perfect for hair, for clothes, for lipstick… so I painted all those women with pretty, pretty red blood. So, Bassy, now I’ll make you even better looking than you are. I’ll tear you up on the inside, and trust me I’ll make you like it.” He winked. “You’ll be as lovely as scattered rose petals. And then I go after your brats, but the polite one goes last. I feel like she’ll have the prettiest shade, and the best must always be saved for last.” You gulped, tightening the grip on your weapons in response. Sebastian however merely turned his back to Grell, much to his chagrin, and began to unbutton his trench coat.

        “You’re a Grim Reaper. Your job is to quietly harvest the souls of the dying.” He placed the coat over Ciel’s drenched body, then slightly moved your arms to correct your position, smirking as you frowned and blushed in embarrassment. “And as a butler, your job is to follow your master like a shadow. You have violated both of these expectations, and quite frankly…” Sebastian swiftly turned around with a deathly frown upon his face. “I find it sickening.” Grell displayed his sharp teeth.

        “Bassy, you wound me.” The chainsaw began to spin. “You know, I’m more deadly efficient than I seem.” Ciel removed the cotton patch upon his eye, his pentagram seal glowing. He had enough of this foolishness, and he would no longer stand by and allow this creep to taunt them and threaten his sister’s life in front of him.

        “In my name and that of the queen, I order you, Sebastian… put an end to them.” Rustic red turned to a feline fuchsia.

        “Indeed, my young lord.” Sebastian bit the end of his glove and pulled on it. There was a low chuckle by Grell that you could barely hear over the whirring of the chainsaw.

        Then he attacked.

        Demon and Grim Reaper collided with massive tenacity. They were like lightening, you could barely keep up with them out of the corner of your eye. Sebastian dodged effortlessly with each swipe of the weapon, backing himself further and further towards the wall of the adjacent building.

        “Oooh yes! Please run away, we can play tag, Bassy!” The demon butler’s feet moved with grace even as his moves got more elaborate, eventually being forced to backflip and land a distance away from the reaper. However, he was shocked to feel his opponent already directly behind him. Ready to end his existence.

        Luckily, he turned just in time to stop the weapon, putting his hands against the metal sides as he was pushed into the wall behind him, the chains cutting directly through the bricks. But he couldn’t stop it from descending towards his shoulder.

        “But see what happens if you’re not fast enough? You get cut!” The black fabric on his shoulder tore, making the reaper chuckle. “It’s more fun when it hurts a little bit though, isn’t it?”

        Meanwhile, you had your own problem to deal with. Madame Red was advancing, and you stepped in front of Ciel, bearing your daggers to show that you would be able to put up a fight. But the smile never left her rosy lips.

        “You’re still the queen’s guard dog, Ciel, which means that now I’m your prey. Your fangs are bared by your dear sister here, so if it’s hunt or be hunted…” She pulled a knife from within the sleeve of her red cloak. “There’s only one thing I can do!” You met her blade for blade. Then, with only one of them being used, you immediately lunged with your second blade, aiming a blow for her midsection, which she graciously dodged. She then tried to aim for Ciel, but you crossed your daggers together and blocked her, effectively keeping her at bay. You smirked at Ciel behind you.

        “And you said training was useless for me.” Madame Red pushed you away but you kept going, strike after strike, parry after parry. Just like in practice. You kept repeating to yourself, just like your practices with Sebastian. He was much faster than her, so this was easy compared to his sessions in terms of speed. Plus, you had two daggers instead of one, which gave you the upper hand. However, you were still at a huge disadvantage due to your height differences, meaning she was able to strike in more angles and keep you at bay better. Additionally, you also had Ciel to worry about instead of just yourself. One wrong step and she would have access to him, and you weren’t sure if Sebastian would be able to aide you if that were to happen, being busy with his own opponent. It was up to you for now.

        “I always knew you were a fighter, (Y/n), but I never thought you’d be so cold hearted as to strike your own aunt!”

        “And I never thought you’d try to kill your thirteen-year-old niece and nephew, auntie. It seems we all have surprises up our sleeves.” Your (e/c) eyes went wide as she narrowly missed your torso. Dammit. She was aiming for your vital arteries. Being a doctor, she knew exactly where she would need to strike in every possible location, and you only knew some of them. You had to avoid getting closer to her, since a single mistake could very well be your life, but because of your shorter reach, you had to get close to land a blow. There weren’t many options for you but to dodge or risk dying on the spot.

        Even from his position, Sebastian could see the dilemma you were facing. He had always come at you with the strength of an average adult human male so you would be able to combat most human opponents, but a serial killing doctor was noticeably different. Later, he would have to teach you every place a human can die from one strike, that way you didn’t have to be on your toes as much in the future and you could defend yourself properly.

        “Keep your eyes focused, Bassy, otherwise you’ll wind up staining the wall!” Unfortunately, he couldn’t do anything to help you right now. You were on your own.

        It was getting harder and harder to be able to find an opening. Madame Red was surprisingly good, which was unfortunate for you. Your predicament was only made worse when you felt a sharp pain in your side, finding that a scalpel blade had been implanted there.

        “I missed.” You hissed as you pulled it out, blood trickling down your chest and staining your white top red. Thankfully it wasn’t in there too deep and it was basically the size of a small scratch, nothing you couldn’t brush off.

        “Good move.” You came at her faster, swiping at her as much as you could, all the while keeping an eye on any extra surgical materials she may have hidden. As her arm came at you from the side, you blocked with your fist and aimed a side kick to her midsection, forgetting momentarily about her other hand. It was too late to stop yourself as she pulled out a pair of surgical scissors and swiftly cut your calf clean across while you kicked her. You yelped as she was pushed back, lifting your wounded leg by your side as blood poured from it. Sebastian and Ciel’s eyes went wide, while Grell and Madame Red smirked.

        “Unfortunately, you’re not good enough.” You panted, almost completely out of breath as you tried to keep yourself steady. But this wasn’t enough to deter you. Raising your daggers to your eyes, the tips pointed directly at her heart, you challenged her.

        “Wanna bet?” Despite your limp, you pushed through the pain and charged. She was surprised that you were able to move at all, barely evading your attack, your dagger tearing at the base of her shirt and slicing into some of her skin. But what did she expect; the pain you endured on the night you were brought home was much more severe than her little infliction. In a way… she was almost proud.

        The leg wound had taken its toll, and you ended up losing your footing multiple times, and now that she had two blades on her, you couldn’t get close enough. She even managed to slice open your side, crying out as the blade went deep. But even then, you kept going, pushing through the pain. However, luck was not on your side. Your leg wound combined with the soaked concrete caused you to slip, this time unable to stop Madame Red from aiming for your heart. Ciel immediately reached out and wrapped his arms around you, pulling you towards his chest to prevent you from being killed. But at the cost of saving you, he was deeply cut in the bicep. This alarmed Sebastian, who was still fending off Grell’s chainsaw, as he saw his master pull you and himself against the wall, blood beginning to soak his clothes as well.  

        “You’re a doctor. How could you do it!?”

        “You wouldn’t understand if I told you. You’re just children!” Ire akin to a bull’s, she charged Ciel, aiming for his neck. He pushed you out of his arms so you wouldn’t get hurt as she grabbed his neck. “You… you brat.” She was now talking directly to him. Clenching the knife in her right hand, she brought it up above her head.

        “You shouldn’t have been born in the first place!” You were too far away; you wouldn’t be able to stop her. But as she was about to kill him, she paused, her eyes glistening with something you couldn’t decipher. 

        “Master!” Sebastian was frantic. The next thing you knew, his blood was flying everywhere as he appeared behind Madame Red, eyes glowing, his arm extended. 

        “Stop, Sebastian! Don’t kill her!” At the command of his master, he stopped just inches from her head. Madame Red barely even noticed though, as she covered her eyes with her hands. You could hear quiet sniveling as she backed up, dropping the knife she had to the ground. Sebastian meanwhile kept his arm out, breathing heavily with a large gash across his right shoulder, which he then proceeded to grab. Seeing him wounded so horribly, Ciel couldn’t help but gasp.

        “Your arm…” Grell cackled, his chainsaw buried into the wall where Sebastian was just moments ago, blood covering the weapon and the surrounding bricks.

        “How sweet you are, Bassy. Really, what a prince!” With one swift pull, the chainsaw was free. “Sacrificing your own poor limb to save that kid. On the other hand, you’re a disappointment, Madame. Come now, hurry up and kill the brats already. Look, I’ll even help you out by starting with this one!”

        Time seemed to freeze. Your back was turned, but you could clearly hear the buzzing of the chainsaw that was now directly behind you, louder than your own rapidly beating heart. Your (e/c) orbs turned to see the whirring metal inches from your face; Ciel, Sebastian, and even Madame Red watched in shock. Out of fear for your life and anger at this armed buffoon, your brother’s sealed eye glowed, and Sebastian moved to obey his orders. But you were quick.

        Daggers met chainsaw in a sparking match. Grell was strong though, and you were no match for the moving blades on his weapon. Your hands were pushed away, but each time he came at you, you were able to block it in the nick of time. Sebastian couldn’t even get close without either of you cutting himself, so he waited for his chance to interfere. Grell then struck from an angle that allowed you to turn his arm and push your daggers against the side of the chainsaw. The reaper just smirked and pressed the side of his weapon down against you, the whirring blades nearing your head.

        “Damn, and I thought you were out for the count.” Even though you were struggling to hold him back, you managed to quip back at him.

        “It’s almost a real shame we have to fight like this. I really liked you Grell, even if it was a farse from the get-go. Even now, I don’t totally hate you, in fact I have to applaud your performance.”

        “Thank you. You know, I always did find your presence amusing, and it’s not too often a human recognizes my talent for what it is. But flattery will get you nowhere darling, you still have to die!”

        “I know. I just wish you would’ve told me who you really are, I think we would’ve gotten along rather well. After all…” Even though you were in pain, you managed to smile. “My favorite color is red too.” The smile instantly fell right off of Grell’s face, and he stopped pushing his scythe down onto you.

        “…What did you say?” Sebastian used this distraction to his advantage, immediately getting in between you and kicking Grell away, who was much too spaced out to defend against him. The reaper landed a few feet away, but his yellow eyes remained on you in what almost look like disbelief. The demon butler stepped in front of you.

        “Stay back, my lady.” Grell didn’t move to attack, instead he turned the chainsaw off and held it to his side.

        “Say that again.” He then pointed at you. “The last thing that you said.” You tilted your head in confusion.

        “…My favorite color is red?” As soon as the words left your mouth, the reaper’s eyes bulged, his jaw went slack, and he nearly dropped his scythe. 

        “Little (Y/n)… dear heavens, is that really you?”

        “Uhhh-” 

        “Oh my word it is! Little (Y/n)! Darling it’s been ages, I thought I’d never see you again after they took you away! Aw look at you, just as cute as you did all those years ago when we first met all covered in red. Although you’re much more grown up now, and a noble at that! I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you until now, how silly of me. I do hope you forgive me for being so rude and trying to kill you and all, but I wish you would’ve told me sooner! I could never kill a sweet little tart like you!” Sebastian’s eyes met yours in confusion, and you in turn gave him a look that said, ‘I have no idea what the hell he’s talking about’. And you really didn’t. The first time you had ever met Grell was around the time you and Ciel returned to the mansion about two years ago. It certainly wasn’t that long ago, and you don’t think you were that much smaller than you were now. You certainly weren’t covered in blood, you had been well cleaned up before then. 

        “Sorry, I think you might have me mistaken for someone else. I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He immediately stopped all his gushing and blinked at you. Then he clicked his tongue and shook his head. 

        “That’s right, how could I forget. They must’ve taken your memories. Those brutes, always ruining everything fun in that daft old place. No matter. You see, we met a long time ago, way before all this Jack the Ripper nonsense. I believe you were only four.” There was a faint ache sprouting in your head, and you placed one of your hands on it. “Starting to remember already? They must not have done a very good job.”

        Ciel quickly looked to Sebastian, reminding him of his orders. He didn’t know what the grim reaper was talking about more than you did, but apparently he knew you before your life as a Phantomhive. He didn’t know why or how, and he didn’t really care at the moment. All he knew was that you couldn’t find out of your adoptive status, no matter what. He would not risk you leaving him for anything, even to find out about your past; he was always afraid of that, even before the fire. He was always afraid of you leaving him. Keeping your past a secret was one of the first orders he gave the demon, and one of the most important. Sebastian admittedly was curious. He never knew a human could knowingly make contact with a grim reaper, and the place and the people he was talking about, he couldn’t mean… oh your life just kept getting more interesting by the minute. Pushing his curiosity aside for now, he stood ready to obey his master’s orders.

        “But let’s discuss this later.” Grell turned to Madame Red, who hadn’t really been paying attention to this interaction, still covering her watering eyes with her black gloves. “Now, Madame. Kill him.” She slowly lowered her hands.

        Through teary eyes, she could see her sister’s face in his own. He resembled Rachel so much, especially the stunning blue of his eye. It brought back so many memories, but none stronger than the love she held for her sister. And as Ciel stared up at her with fear, she was overcome with the memory of when things were well. When Ciel and you were so little, and Rachel and Vincent were still alive, and she couldn’t help but see those precious memories come to life before her.

        She saw them. All of them. Her sister, her husband whom she loved, Ciel… he was so much happier back then, especially when (Y/n) came into the picture. They were all much happier back then, including her. Ciel was the last remnant of that happiness and the love she once had. The love she still had.

        “I can’t. I can’t kill him. I can’t kill their beloved son.”

        “Really? You’re getting soft-hearted on me all of a sudden? After all those deaths? I mean (Y/n) is one thing, she’s a rare human gem. But him? If you don’t end him, he’ll end you.”

        “Madame.” You don’t think you’ve ever seen Ciel as sympathetic as now.

        “But… this dear boy… this child is my-” She was stopped dead in her tracks. Metal pierced her heart, the chainsaw that protruded from her chest holding her body up in the air. Your jaws dropped as the blood began pouring from her chest and her mouth, before she was discarded by the reaper.

        “Too late for that! How disappointing. What use do I have for you if you’re just another woman!?” Her body was suspended in the air, her face frozen in shock and terror. From amongst the red, something else began to pour out of her chest. Lines of black segmented squares emerged from her body, quickly stretching out into the open air above you. Like snakes, they wove around you, Ciel, and Sebastian, and upon closer inspection you saw multiple pictures of what looked like moments in time. It was film, you recognized it from all the papers you read. The one in front of you was a string of pictures of your aunt and… your mother. Sebastian rose from his crouching position, looking directly at the source of the film.

        “Is that her-?”

        “A part of the reaper’s job is to replay and examine the memories of those who are on the To-Die list. From that we determine what kind of person they were. We see from their own perspective what kind of life they’ve lived, and we decide whether they should live or die.” Sebastian frowned.

        “Their lives flash… right before their eyes.”

        “Ugh, please, that’s such a pedestrian term!” Grell lifted his scythe in excitement. “It is so much more than that. This is the reaper’s true power: the Cinematic Record.”

        You watched it all play out before you. Every moment of your aunt’s life was before your eyes. How she hated the natural color of her hair she had inherited. The time she first met your father, where he called her hair beautiful like spider lilies. And when she realized she had fallen in love with him.

        A tear dripped down your cheek, which made Sebastian notice your vacant expression as you watched the film fly by. You were actually reading it. Grell simply smirked.

        “I see you still remember the lessons I taught you, darling. The secret to how a human can read a Cinematic Record, the one that only works for you.” You paid no mind to either them, instead concentrating on your aunt’s life as the film continued to tell its tale. This time, Sebastian truly was shocked.

        “That’s impossible.”

        “Not for this girl. I told you, this one is special.”

        Their wedding was beautiful. Your parents’, that is, and she thought so too. Even though she was sad and returned to hating the color red, she never hated them. You smiled as you watched her get married herself, eventually becoming pregnant. Her and her husband were so happy, you had never seen her like this. You never knew she had been expecting… but then you saw why. The smile disappeared off your face as you watched the carriage accident unfold, then the doctor informing her of her husband’s death as well as how they were forced to remove her uterus along her unborn child.

        Right after she left the hospital, she found your home in flames, covered with the color she hated. You nearly vomited as that moment was relived right before your eyes. Then there was the funeral for your parents… that was one thing that had always bothered you. Neither you nor Ciel got to say goodbye. Seeing the funeral, even though it was from a different perception, almost made up for that.

        Her happiness had been taken away, and then one day at work came a prostitute, one who you recognized as one of the murder victims, asking her to remove her unborn child. The rage behind those red eyes was immeasurable, and you understood why. Madame Red would’ve given everything to have what this woman had, but she saw it as a nuisance. She would snuff out a life that hadn’t even had the chance to live so that she could continue her occupation. You still didn’t think the woman should’ve died as gruesomely as she did for that, but still, you felt sorrow for your aunt. Even as you watched the first murder play out in horrific detail, you felt only sadness and grief.

        That was when Grell appeared. Not long after, she had heard of your return, and some of the happiness that she had lost returned. You actually remembered that day when she came to see you. She brought you both into a big hug, though now you could see that when she looked into Ciel’s face, she recognized a trace of her sister.

        You thought back to the conversation you had with her when she was dolling you up for the party. How she said she would want do the same for your marriage, and how she wished she had her own little girl. It never crossed your mind that she truly considered you her own. Especially after you told her one day about your favorite color, which was replaying before you right now. You told her that it was because of her that you liked red so much; you had always admired her hair and how unique it was. You never understood why she had pulled you into such a tight hug after you said that… but now you do.

        However, her happiness slowly turned to anger as more of the memories passed, doubt and jealousy consuming her as she continued to murder and take what had also been taken from her. She wished so desperately that her life had been different, that for a moment, she was willing to kill you two to deal her own justice.

        The pain in your head intensified as the film disappeared, the blood still flowed from Madame Red as her body finally dropped to the ground. Grell stared at her corpse with nothing but emotionless disdain.

        “How beautiful you were dyed in crimson, covered in your victim’s blood. I loved you so.” He tossed away his black overcoat and began to approach her. “What a disappointment you turned out to be in the end. You don’t have what it takes to wear red.” He removed the red coat on your aunt’s body and put it on himself. “Your cheap little melodrama ends now.” He then picked up his scythe and turned his back to her. “It’s over, Madame Red. Goodbye.”

        While you were clutching at your head, Ciel grabbed your hand in his and gave it a squeeze, rubbing his thumb gently over your palm to try and distract you from the pain. Also, as a way to comfort you. Your aunt just died, and you just watched every moment of her life play out before you. He heard Sebastian and Grell talking about the Cinematic Record, and judging by the way they reacted to you, humans were not supposed to be able to read it; he would have to discuss this with Sebastian later. But right now, you were still crying for Madame Red. Whatever you saw must’ve been heartbreaking.

        With his other hand, he gently shut his dead aunt’s eyes out of respect. She could finally be at peace, and you seemed to be happy with that. 

        “That just leaves you, little (Y/n), darling.” You looked up to see Grell staring at you. “I have to say, I really was surprised to see you here among these people, and I was especially excited to know that you can still read Cinematic Records. I’m glad to see my lessons stuck. Have you remembered anything from that night then?” You doubled down as the pain in your head intensified, the small ache transforming into an agonizing throb that seemed to ram against your skull; it was as if something was trying to break free. “I can tell you everything, you know. I’ll never forget the first time I saw you stained with blood. You told me then that your favorite color was red too.” He stepped closer. “You should join me. Leave Bassy and his kid alone to play by themselves. There’s a lot more I can teach you, oh, and we could go shopping for all new clothes together! We can pick out a pair of glasses to replace your old ones.” Ciel glared at him, though he either didn’t notice or didn’t care. “Come now, aren’t you at least a little curious as to why you can read a Cinematic Record?” Your brother tightened his hold on you. Even if you wanted to, he wouldn’t let you go.

        “Well, what are you waiting for?” Sebastian instantly looked down at his master. “I thought I ordered you to put an end to Jack the Ripper. It’s not over yet.” Ciel turned around to face Sebastian, still keeping his arms on you to steady yourself. “One is left. Stop standing there and kill him!” The surprise melded off the butler’s face, and in its wake was a determined smirk.

        “Certainly.” Grell scoffed.

        “I was going to spare you if you had just given her to me. Professional courtesy and all that, but if you insist…” Grell turned on his chainsaw and brought it up over his head. “I’ll send you and the boy straight to heaven together!” He swiped at where Sebastian was aiming, but he missed, the demon butler bending his body and stopping mid-attack to avoid the scythe.

        “Heaven? You’re joking.” Grell gasped as he felt a weight on the tip of his blade, Sebastian standing as stiff as a board on top of it like it was nothing. “I know nothing of heaven.” As soon as Grell turned around, he was met with a side kick which he fortunately ducked just in time. As Sebastian landed just a few feet away, Grell blushed and accusingly pointed his chainsaw at him.

        “You would kick a lady in the face!? Where are your manners, sir!”

        “Terribly sorry, you see I’m one hell of a butler.”

        “Ha! You think a demon like you can beat a reaper?”

        “Certainly. You see if my master tells me to win, then I shall win.” Grell placed a hand on his hip and huffed.

        “You care a lot about that puny little brat, don’t you? I’m jealous. Demon or not, you’ll still be destroyed if I reap you with my death scythe. Aren’t you frightened?” Sebastian merely placed a bloodied glove over his heart.

        “Not at all. I belong to my master. My soul and my body, down to the last hair, are his. The contract remains, so I follow his every order. That’s what it means to be a butler.”

        “But you’re not hers. You’re only obligated to follow his orders, so why do you care about her?”

        “Be that as it may, as the younger sister of my master, I have been given orders to defend her with my life.” He tightened his gloves, prepared for the fight to come. Whatever may have happened to you in the past with the reaper was irrelevant, all that mattered now was his master’s orders. All by a chance encounter on a rainy night like this one so many years ago, he now had a duty to protect you at all costs, and he would uphold that duty until the day his master’s soul became his. Especially now that your life was just starting to get interesting. “And that is exactly what I shall do.”

        (A/N: Here’s that second chapter I promised! Hope it’s not terrible, haha. Story’s finally getting juicy though, hope you liked the sneak peek into the reader’s past 😉 . I don’t know when I’ll be able to get to this again, but thanks to everyone who’s been sticking it out this long with me. Life gets really busy sometimes, so it’s hard to find time sometimes to write, but I try to manage. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy the holidays and I’ll see y’all laters ~_~)

Chapter 4: His Sister, Capricious

        Sounds of city chatter were muffled within the inside of the carriage, which bounced with every step of the horses’ hooves. It wasn’t unpleasant in the slightest, in fact it was actually quite relaxing. However, the mood within wasn’t so. It was unusually quiet; there was none of your usual banter with Sebastian, who was currently driving your mode of transport, nor with your brother. Just silence. No tension, no anger, no sadness lay in the air. Just pure, peaceful silence.

        But silence was nowhere near the norm for your bunch.

        Ciel sat across from you, dressed in his black and blue public attire: a black coat, a big blue bow that matched his uncovered eye, and his top hat. In his hand was a red sealed letter, and he stared down at the seal, deep in thought.

        “I do hope coming all the way out here is worth the trouble.” He mumbled.

        “I’d say this is more for you than me. You’re the one who’s stressed about everything all the time. Although, you are the earl, so it’s only natural you have more responsibilities and duties than someone like me could ever imagine. So, I suppose it’s not your fault you drown yourself in work all the time and barely get any sleep or socialize much.”

        “Are you done with your little lecture?”

        “Oh, angered that your little sister is right?” He rolled his eye, which you merely found amusing. “Ha, like it or not, I do know a thing or two about compassion.”

        “It’s not stress that’s bothering me.”

        “Sure it isn’t.”

        “Hmph. It’s not like you don’t have a major role in the company either. Plus, you wake up at ungodly hours, perform manual labor, practice martial arts, and not to mention constantly sticking your nose into my business where it doesn’t belong. I’d say you have just as busy a schedule as me, if not more so.” It was your turn to huff now. “I’m sure you’d like a break from time to time as well.”

        “Personally, I don’t mind noise too much. It keeps everything lively and interesting, a constant variety in your life. There’s never a dull moment among noise.” You crossed your arms and leaned back against your seat. “Why do I even need to be here anyway?” Your game with him was also a constant one, but, secretly, he enjoyed playing it. 

        “Because as you said, you’re my sister.”

        “So you can’t live without me yet you find me annoying? Hypocrite.”

        “You know that’s not what I’m saying.” He sighed. “Why must you make things more difficult?”

        “To alleviate some of your stress with humor, of course.”

        “I think you’re only making it worse.”

        “Sure, if you say so, but I wouldn’t be here if that were the case now would I?”

        “You know exactly why you’re here.” You smirked. So close; he nearly admitted it this time. Maybe one day yet you’d hear the magic words, ‘I need you’. The carriage began to slow before finally it stopped, and not a minute later door opened, letting in some much-needed sunlight in your opinion. Your game would have to be put on pause.

        “My lord, my lady.” You swore his smirk turned up ever so slightly as he said this, and you frowned as he helped Ciel down.

        “Sebastian.” Your displeasure didn’t last long as you hopped out of the carriage into the fresh air. “How was the city?”

        “The usual.”

        “Boring as always then for you?” He chuckled as you all began to ascend the stairs to the smaller abode your brother owned.

        “I wouldn’t necessarily call it boring. There is always amusement to be found somewhere in a city such as this.”

        “Oh, I’m sure London is nothing compared to the kingdoms you must’ve seen in your day.” 

        “Please, you make me sound so old.”

        “What, a few thousand years, at least what I assume, isn’t old in the demon world?”

        “Let’s just say, if I was a human, I may as well only be twenty.”

        “Still old from a child’s perspective though, isn’t it.”

        “Yes, I can see how a child might think that.” He smiled as he opened the front door, allowing you three to enter. Your game with Sebastian was similar to the one you played with Ciel, but ultimately quite different. One that the demon butler didn’t dislike in the slightest.

        “I don’t want to make you seem too old now, but it must be so dull for you after years to see the same old thing.”

        “Cities have their own appeals. They are always bustling with people, always changing more than you may think, and many interesting things happen because of it.” You nudged Ciel in the side.

        “See, even Sebastian agrees.” Your brother rolled his eyes as you smiled back at the butler. “You’ve got a good point. The change in lifestyles is a reason we’re here, after all.” You all began to make your way upstairs, following the sunlight shining in from the large paned window just up the first set of stairs.

        “I hate this. There are too many people in London.”

        “There is no helping it, my lord.”

        “Yeah, Ciel. It’s a city, what do you expect? Besides, it’s not that bad. You might even learn how to socialize here if you put some effort into it.” He stopped mid step.

        “Odd coming from someone with barely any friends herself.”

        “Except I have more friends than you at the moment. You’re basically a social outcast, brother.” He went quiet for a moment, before he scoffed and continued his ascent. 

        “Hmph. Your only friends are the servants, so do they really even qualify? Besides, I don’t have time for that, much less to waste time coming all the way out here.”

        “It’s tradition for the nobility to migrate en masse to town from the country every season.” Sebastian informed.

        “The season, eh? No matter how it’s phrased, I still say it’s a waste of time if you ask me.” 

        “Getting away from the manor could prove a nice change of pace. It’s a break from those four at least.”

        “Hey those are my friends you’re talking about. They’re not so bad.”

        “Cleaning up after them is always a chore though, even you must admit, my lady.”
 
        “…Yeah I guess you’ve got a point. They can be pretty clumsy.”
 
        “That is an understatement.” You laughed at Sebastian’s remark. “In any case, we can all enjoy a little peace and quiet for a time.”
 
        “Some peace and quiet does sound nice.”

        “Maybe that’s not so bad-” You didn’t even get the chance to finish your statement as Sebastian opened the door, you three met with the absolute mess the office was in, which was caused by none other than your three uninvited guests. 

        “Ugh, goodness sake! Where do they keep the tea in this house?” Madame Red groaned as she rummaged through the book case, tossing one of the books aside as she searched for her target. Her butler was just sitting at the desk stacked with more books, also helping his master in her quest. Lau, who was dumping out one of the flower vases onto the floor, sighed as well.

        “I can’t find it either.”

        “Don’t be silly! Of course it’s not in there.” For some reason, none of them noticed you all standing there, dumbfounded as they continued to ransack every nook and cranny of the room. You placed your hand over atop your face, massaging your temples with your fingers to brace yourself for what was about to occur.

        “Oh boy. So much for tranquility.” Ciel then angrily stepped into the room and barked out at the intruders.

        “Madame Red!? Lau!? Why are you here!?” Instead of acting surprised at your presence, your aunt merely rose back up and sent you both a smile.

        “Ciel, (Y/n)… you’re early dears.” To get rid of the uncomfortable silence, you smiled at her.

        “Hey auntie.” Then you caught sight of her butler, trying to hide behind the mountain of books on the desk. “Hi Grell.” His cheeks grew a great scarlet red.

        “Hello as well, Lady (Y/n). It’s nice to see you.” Following suit, Lau rose to his feet with the empty vase still in his hands and smirked at the both of you.

        “Your sudden appearances here in town must mean one thing.” Thinking what the other was, Madame Red finished for him with a smirk of her own.

        “The Queen’s Guard Dog and his nose have a new scent to follow.” Everyone stood in suspension, Ciel’s hardened gaze unwavering as he met his aunt’s. To ease the sudden serious atmosphere of the room, you held up your hands in mock surrender, smiling.

        “Caught us red-handed, Madame Red.” You giggled at your own joke.

        “Quite so. Call it an aunt’s intuition.” 

        “Come with me.” Unlike your cheerful exterior, Ciel’s voice was cold and demanding. It silenced the whole room and compelled everyone to obey and follow him out the room.

        Tension settled over your merry bunch, the heavy weight of the subject of your appearance on everyone’s minds. That is, until it was promptly broken by your cheeky whispering to the butler walking beside you, although quietly enough so that only he could hear.

        “So what was that about peace and quiet, Sebastian?” A continue on your regular game. Both your gazes remained fixed in front of you so that neither your guests behind you nor your brother leading the pack could hear your conversation.

        “Just a few seconds ago it was quite so, but now the only thing that’s breaking it is you, my lady. You’re the only one I can hear besides myself.”

        “I’d hardly call this peaceful, so really I broke nothing that wasn’t already in pieces. But if you want to go by your logic, then you’re guilty as well, since you just admitted that you are willingly talking to me.”

        “How childish.” You grinned.

        “What else did you expect? You did choose to engage me, after all.”

        “So I did. I suppose you’re correct.”

        “You don’t sound so glum about it, and I can usually hear your underlying sarcasm too. It’s not too hard to pick up once you’ve heard it for so long, so what gives?”

        “If I’m not mistaken, it sounds like you’re the one who’s disappointed by my indifference. Are you trying to annoy me on purpose?”

        “No, well not usually. Actually, I’m glad you’re not irritated with me right now. I wouldn’t want to piss off the only person in this whole group of misfits I can actually talk to. From Lau to how… invasive Madame Red can be,” a shudder passed down the poor demon butler’s spine, “especially now that she’s found out about my lead, I figure we have to look out for each other now so neither of us loses their minds.”

        “How very considerate of you, my lady. Truth be told, I was thinking the same thing. You’re my last line of sanity in this bunch.” For some reason, that actually made you feel really happy. Now you of all people understood Sebastian harbored no true emotions towards you as much as any other human; you were only his master’s sister to him. However, pretending to be needed by him for something so trivial was nice, even if to him he was only using you. “Although, I’ve never had anyone willing to, as you say, ‘look out for me’ before. You’re the first.”

        “Really? What a shocker, I wonder why.” His lips twitched to a smirk at hearing your playful sarcasm. He absolutely loved to play along during these conversations. You were surprisingly entertaining.

        “Yes, as surprising as it may be, I’ve always been more of a solitary person.” That nearly made you laugh, and you had to bite your lip to keep you from doing so, less you face Ciel’s wrath.

        “But you seem so independent. Why would someone like you have to rely on anyone for anything?”

        “Even the strongest of us can grow weary being at the top. This is a nice break from that.” That made you quirk a brow. After all your time conversing with him, you could tell when he was being completely sarcastic, slightly sarcastic, or serious. And this time was definitely serious. You had to admit, you were completely caught off guard. Sebastian usually wasn’t so open, even to you. True, many personal conversations had been shared between you two, but he was essentially admitting to a weakness, something he never did. Being an immortal, doing such a thing would normally end his life. You felt honored he trusted you with this information, and again you felt a warmth in your chest. The powers of a demon’s manipulation truly surprised you.

        “Well, I suppose you should start getting used to it now. I don’t know about you, but personally I don’t think I’ll last if they stay here much longer, no matter how much I love my aunt.”

        “Indeed. We’ve swapped one group of halfwits for another.”

        “Except these ones are completely insane.”

        “It appears we’ll just have to wait for true relaxation.”

        “I didn’t know you could relax.” Red orbs briefly flickered to you, before settling back ahead.

        “There’s a lot you don’t about me, my lady.”

        You had to pause your game once more as you all entered the dining room, where you and Sebastian had to temporarily part ways. He left to quickly prepare everyone tea, while much to your aunt’s delight, you all took your respective seats. You and Lau sat next to Ciel and Madame Red sat across from him, Grell standing behind her looking unusually somber. It took a minute for the tea and another for the pastries to be served, which everyone except you partook in, and once everyone was finally settled, Ciel got straight to the point.

        “He struck again… another prostitute was found gruesomely murdered in Whitechapel. These killings are far from normal, the level of violence we’re seeing is unprecedented.” Sebastian then took over.

        “The most recent victim was a woman named Mary Ann Nichols. It appears a special type of blade was used on her. She was torn up beyond recognition.”

        “The murderer’s distinctive style of killing has earned him a unique name from the press: Jack the Ripper.” Lau, who was normally so carefree and playful, listened with nothing but the utmost interest.

        “A frightening name… eh?”

        “That’s why we’re here earlier than expected. We hurried into town to look into the situation for ourselves.” The man then set down his cup, a coy smile playing upon his lips.

        “Oh, so you’re letting your sister tag along this time, then? I thought you were more overprotective than Madame Red here.” You merely gave a huff in response.

        “Well it just so happens that I was the one who found our lead. Naturally, I have to be here to carry out my own work.”

        “Ah of course. The guard dog’s nose. The one who snuffs your enemies out before they’re even aware of it. I should’ve known. Be that as it may, are you sure you’re both brave enough to stomach the crime scene?” Ciel’s eye did not waver, showing no signs of emotion as he kept his gaze locked on Lau. 

        “What do you mean by that?”

        “The sight of the dismembered body will certainly be horrific…” Slowly and gracefully, he stood up, making his way towards Ciel with deliberately long strides. “And one can only imagine the stench… blood and gore everywhere. Surely it would be more than enough to drive some men, and even more women, mad. Are you prepared to see such a thing?” He then pinched yours and Ciel’s cheeks so as to further prove his next point. “You’re just young children, after all.”

        “I don’t think any person can truly be ready for such a scene, no matter how hard they try and prepare themselves.” All eyes moved to the one who spoke, surprised by your tenacity. Lau still however refused to let go of your poor face. “Even police officers, those who have been trained for these situations, or those who’ve gone mad or blind with rage with some motive to spur them on, still have trouble being exposed to such sights. So your question is invalid, Lau. Anyone can read about bloodshed all they want in the paper and think what they will, but experience is much different than simply hearing about it. Until you’ve experienced horror yourself, you can never fully brace yourself for it, because really you don’t know what you’re bracing yourself for. Besides…” (E/c) orbs stared at the man over folded arms, glazed over like they were possessed by an unseen darkness. “How do you know exactly what we have and haven’t seen before?” It wasn’t clear if you were mad or not, but one thing was obvious: you were serious, and the man did not take that fact lightly. He knew better than to provoke you of all people. Besides facing your brother’s ire, you could be more terrifying than most knew.

        “A wise answer from a wise young lady, almost as if you speak from experience yourself.” You made no response.

        “To speak for myself, I am the head of the Phantomhive family in service to my queen. Don’t ask foolish questions, you won’t always get such a deserving answer.” Madame Red simply took a sip of her tea, watching the tense scene unfold before her, knowing all too well the wrath and wisdom of the Phantomhive siblings. Grell looked like he was about to have a heart attack just watching this, he couldn’t believe the man had even dared made such a move in the first place. Finally, Lau removed his hands from your faces.

        “You’re right. So sorry.”

***

        Quite a commotion disturbed the usual bustle of London. A congregate of curious onlookers crowded around a certain dark alleyway, the only thing keeping them from entering were a few officers holding everyone back. At the front of these people were none other than you and your team of misfits, and snagging that spot was a bit difficult given how big the crowd had gotten. You might’ve been there sooner if not for the one-hour argument with your brother about accompanying him. Obviously, your stubbornness won out.

        One band of your bunch stood at the front of the crowd, while the other, your own little trio, made their way to the alley through the guards. A man behind the weak line of defense was going through some papers, and seemed less than amused to see someone who clearly wasn’t an officer approaching him. But nevertheless, he put on a friendly smile.

        “Sorry, young ones… I’m afraid a crime scene like this is no place for young children. Now why don’t you two just run along home.” You sighed and mumbled to yourself, knowing full well this was going to be a long conversation. 

        “Here we go again.” Only Sebastian heard your comment, and found it amusing since he and your brother were thinking the exact same thing.

        “We’re here to see the victim’s body.” That certainly caught the man off guard.

        “The body!? Surely you’re kidding me!”

        “Aberline!” A new voice interjected, one you were quite familiar with. It came from within the alley, where a man cloaked in its dark veil slowly emerged into view. “Well, if it isn’t Lord and Lady Phantomhive. What are you doing here?”

        “You know these kids, sir?” His confusion brought a smug smile to Ciel’s face.

        “We’re here to help, Sir Arthur. It seems your investigation is dragging a bit…” He held up a letter sealed with the official signa of the queen herself. “You know who sent us, of course.” A flash of surprise crossed Sir Arthur’s wrinkled face, and his subordinate nearly fell over as you took the papers out of man’s hand, examining them quickly.

        “There’ve been no major clues. Interesting.” Unfortunately, they were snatched right back from you by Sir Arthur, who was very clearly upset at having his pride in shambles.

        “We at Scotland Yard are more than capable of handling this case, I assure you. There’s no need to interfere.” You chuckled.

        “I’d hardly call it interfering if we’re now an official part of the investigation. I believe the correct term is necessary assistance, don’t you agree?”

        “But you are a separate entity of Scotland Yard, and therefore your presence is very interfering.” 

        “Splendid. Shall we go, sister, Sebastian?” The butler bowed his head.

        “Yes, sir.” You exhaled an exasperated sigh.

        “Fine, if you insist.” With unusually satisfied smiles and without any further fighting, you three walked back through the crowd away from the crime scene, your band of misfits who quickly took notice soon following.

        “Now what, dears?” Ciel hummed.

        “Now we go see someone who may be of use.”

        “Someone who is much better company than those blokes.”

        “That’s questionable… at best.”

        “Well at least he can actually help, and he’s not as difficult or stubborn either. He won’t be influenced by humiliation like that jerk. Besides, I like him. He always gives us a good laugh.” 

        “My lord, my lady! You don’t mean–“. You had never smiled more in Lau’s presence than you did in that moment.

        “Oh yeah. You know it.”

***

       Cities were only known for their biggest and busiest streets, since those are usually the ones that are visible, but few knew its secrets and the dark quiet areas it kept hidden from most. Only those more adept to secrecy and who deal in the shadiest of businesses knew of these places. Unlike the activity of the crime scene, the building you stood in front of was one of those places. Albeit a bit more grim and gloomy than the others on the block, you couldn’t help but smile knowing who was on the other side of the door. Lau, however, apparently had no idea.

        “So… where are we?” Grell nearly had to hold your aunt back as she went red in anger.

        “You don’t know?? Then what was all that about!?” Feeling too giddy to bother with Lau’s normal instigating antics, you simply sent him a smile.

        “Don’t you know, Lau? This is a dear friend of ours!”

        “More like an acquaintance.”

        “Only to you, my socially inept brother.” Madame Red massaged her temples and ignored Lau, moving instead to look up at the sign that adorned the top of the building.

        “The Undertaker?”

        “Yes, this is his funeral parlor, and as the name implies, he’s an undertaker.”

        “You sound quite chipper to be here, my lady. I wonder why that is. After all, this is such a dark gloomy place.” You frowned at Sebastian.

        “You know why, and I already explained it. He’s a dear friend, so why wouldn’t I be happy to pay him a visit! Plus, it’s been so long, I can’t wait to see him.”

        As soon as you moved, Sebastian took action, beating you to the door so that he could open it for you and the rest of your party. Dammit, he was always so quick; sometimes you felt that you could never win your game. If only you had supernatural powers too, you would at least be on equal grounds. Staying silent as you were forced to comply with his mannerisms was even worse than if he made one of his usual comments about you being a lady and all; it had much more power and he knew it, which was incredibly irking. Nevertheless, you simply ignored him and walked on in, the others right behind you.

        “If we’re looking for answers, this is the place.”

        The interior was even darker and gloomier than the outside, the dim lighting making the atmosphere creepier than it already was to the three unsuspecting newcomers. Four coffins were laid in a special pattern on the floor, with the biggest one taking the head at the back and the others leaned against the walls. Dozens of mixtures and various concoctions lined the shelves, along with a human figure of the skeletal and muscular anatomy.

        “Heh heh heh heh.” A scratchy laugh echoed about the room, spooking the first timers. “Welcome… I thought I’d be seeing you before long.” Madame Red, Grell, and Lau looked about in confusion and slight fear for the origin of the voice, but they found nothing. Until you all heard the loud sound of a coffin lid opening. “My lord and lady… it’s so lovely to see you both.” Out peaked a tall pale man with long silver hair and black clawed nails from one of the coffins against the wall. His grin that stretched from ear to ear was filled with sharp pointy teeth as his covered eyes, gleaming with an unknown excitement, peered at you from behind long silver bangs. “Do I finally have the pleasure of fitting you two for one of me coffins today?” Needless to say, his presence greatly disturbed the others who were huddled into each other in fear, even the usually lax Lau.

        “Hi Undertaker! It’s nice to see you again!” Then there was you, your jovial attitude misplaced among the grim atmosphere.

        “Lovely to see you as well, my dear. Now, what would most suit your tastes? For you, I would recommend-.” 

        “That isn’t why we’re here… we wanted t-“. Undertaker hushed Ciel by putting one of his long fingernails against his lips.

        “No need to say-I’m already aware… very well aware.” Giggling with excitement, he removed his hand and put it up to his own mouth. “One of my recent customers was a bit unusual shall we say…?” He brought his hands together, nails clacking against each other in a rather sinister motion. “I helped though… I made her look beautiful again.”

        “I would like the details please.” Finally realizing the true purpose of this visit, Lau smiled.

        “Oh, I see now. The funeral parlor is only your cover business. How much is it for information?” Undertaker smiled like a puppy about to get a treat, then rushed over to the eccentric male at lightning speed, standing so close to him that Lau had to lean back. Madame Red and Grell were certainly surprised at his zero appreciation for personal space, hoping theirs weren’t violated in the same manner.

        “I have no need for the queen’s coins. There’s only one thing that I want from you….” Suddenly, his gleaming eyes full of desire turned towards you and Ciel, and in seconds Undertaker now stood in front of you. 

        “Please my lord, my lady, give it to me and I’ll tell you anything!” Ciel’s blue eye went dull from exhaustion as Undertaker shook with anticipation, making you chuckle. The cloaked man then pinched your cheek and squealed. “Yes, exactly my lady! Give me the extraordinary gift of true laughter! Just one joke and all me information is yours!” He hugged his shoulders and rocked from side to side, waiting for someone to grant his wish.

        “Lunatic.”

        “Hush Ciel, that’s not very nice to say to a friend.”

        “(Y/n), he’s not-“.

        “Of course we’ll give you a joke Undertaker. Now let’s see, which one haven’t you heard yet?”

        “I must insist that you leave it to me, my lady. I have one that will, as they say, knock his socks off.”

        “Sure, Lau. Take it away.”

        “Thank you.” The tall man cleared his throat. “It’s a classic. On which side does a tiger have the most stripes?” He paused for effect. “On the outside! Get it? Ha ha!” Not one of you laughed. It was clever, but not necessarily funny. You were honestly expecting to hear a cricket’s chirp due to how dull that was, but alas it was your aunt that broke the silence.

        “My turn. I live for gossip, so this story’ll make you laugh so hard, you’ll simply curl up and die! So, Alice’s beau gave her the most extraordinary…” Much like Lau’s flat joke, no one paid any attention to it. Now you didn’t deny you had an ear for gossip, but even for you this story was boring and you couldn’t care less about it or the people involved. When it was finally done, you all sighed in relief.

        “Now, my lord, my lady, it looks like you’re the only ones left. I gave you a special discount last time because of my lady’s kind donation of embalming fluids, but I’m not going to do it again!” Ciel growled, and then you patted him on the back.

        “Calm down, brother. What did you expect? It’s not like he’s a servant or anything, you can’t just make him do whatever you want all the time now. Besides, this is the price he wants for his services so it’s not unreasonable.”

        “Yes, my lord, his stubbornness can’t be helped.” Sebastian finally stepped forward. His face was stoic, rusty red orbs locked on the Undertaker in a most serious fashion, matching his rigid yet sturdy composure. It even caught Ciel off guard a bit.

        “Sebastian?” He closed his eyes and adjusted his gloves.

        “Everyone… please wait outside.” He then turned his head over his shoulder, eyes piercing straight into your souls. “No matter what happens, do not attempt to listen to this.”

        “Oh, are you going to tell the one about the priest? Or the maid? Or maybe the one about-“

        “If you must know, it’s…” He leaned down close and whispered into your ear for just a few seconds. Your cheeks instantly went bright red along with the tips of your ears, but still you laughed.

        “Ohhh that one. That always cracks me up, although I think you’re right. They definitely can’t handle it.” Ciel immediately glared your way.

        “And what exactly is it that we can’t handle that you can?” Jumping to the wrong conclusions, Madame Red covered her mouth as she gasped, before running over to you and covering your ears.

        “Sebastian, are you teaching my niece dirty jokes!?” You couldn’t help but laugh and brush her off before she got any more defensive.

        “No no, auntie. We read it in a book from the library a while back. It was actually a joint effort, but I won’t say anything more than that.” 

        “After this is done, we’re going to have a serious talk.” Ciel practically glared daggers at you, while you merely smiled in return. 

        “What? It’s not my fault I want to get a good education. If that requires an extensive reading material, then so be it-“

        “Come, on.” Ciel grabbed you by the wrist and started dragging you out of the shop.

        “Hey, it’s only you guys who haven’t heard the joke before. I don’t see why I have to leave.”

        “That doesn’t mean you need to hear it again.”

        “Aw! But I love how Sebastian sets this one up!” Your cries fell on deft ears as he ignored you and pulled you out the door, joining the rest of your company, who found it amusing at your brother’s need to protect his little sister. It was actually quite adorable for them, but embarrassing for you. When the door was shut, you crossed your arms in annoyance. “You’re no fun.” Ciel huffed, but said nothing more.

        It was only a minute later before you all heard laughter shake the entire building. Literally. The vibrations were so strong that the Undertaker’s sign fell to the ground. 

        “I think he liked it. At least someone has good taste around here.” Ciel glanced over to you, somewhat finding your annoyance at him amusing.

        “We’re still having a talk after this.” Sebastian opened the door soon after, smiling.

        “Please do come back in now. I believe he’ll tell us everything we want to know.”

        “Oh my…” You walked in to see the Undertaker draped over the counter, with a wide beaming smile and drool forming at the corner of his mouth. “I’ve now seen a face of ultimate bliss.” 

        “Good to hear, Undertaker!” Ciel frowned, but said nothing in response. The unusual man had you all seated, fixing each one of you a cup, or rather a beaker, of tea before he began to divulge in his information.

        “An interesting pattern I’m seeing these days. I often get customers who are incomplete.”

        “Incomplete?” Sebastian asked.

        “Yes.” Undertaker held up his human model, with half the cranium exposed and one side being completely of the muscular system. “The uterus is missing, which is quite odd.” Quite odd indeed. What would be the point of removing such an organ? An insane man who sleeps around and doesn’t want the women to get pregnant? That was the only possibility that came to mind. He then turned the model around and began poking at the head. “The killer makes a big mess of the body, but that particular part is always precisely excised.”

        “He did it on a road that was public, though not high traffic. Wouldn’t an amateur have a difficult time carrying out such a complicated procedure quickly enough?” Undertaker smiled widely over his shoulder at Sebastian.

        “You’re a clever one, butler. That is exactly what I was thinking.” He stalked over to you, standing behind and draping his arm over your shoulder. Ciel was certainly not pleased at the contact, especially when he leaned in close to your ear. Too close for him, but you were so deep in thought, and you didn’t seem to really mind or pay much attention, so he signaled for Sebastian not to advance. For now. “You see, first he slits their throat with a sharp weapon.” He moved his hand from his shoulder to around your neck, swiping clean across to demonstrate. “Then he rips into them right here…” His other hand went over your stomach, curling his sharply pointed nails and pulling out. “…and takes that precious womanly part.” He poked you in the cheek, but still that elicited no reaction from you.

        “To answer that question then, he isn’t an amateur. This person has at least some prior medical experience.” Undertaker cackled, taking his arms away from you and standing up, much to Ciel’s relief. The gears in your head were turning, and he could see that clearly; you were onto something.

        “There will be more slain, I’m certain. Sadistic killers like this one don’t stop until someone makes them. Will you stop him?” He now stood right in front of Ciel. “Can you snuff him out? Like good little guard dogs?”

        “I’m bound by the honor of my family. I eliminate any threat the queen asks me to, by any means I find necessary.”

***

        “His information narrows down our suspects.” Ciel began, glancing over to you to see if you had found a solution yet, only to find you still staring down at the carriage floor. You had been like this since you had left the funeral parlor, which was a little concerning. Currently, you were all huddled inside the carriage discussing what the Undertaker had revealed, the only one absent being Grell, who was the coachman. Usually, you were quick to come to a conclusion, but given the circumstances, this puzzle was obviously giving you a harder time than others you had solved before. He knew it was best not to disturb you during your thinking progress; it would only mess it up and further prolong solving this case. Sebastian recognized this too, and opted to go through the information himself with the rest of your group, as a way to voice your thinking process aloud and help you along.

        “First of all, we look at those with the necessary skill set, crossing out anyone with an alibi for the nights on which the murders occurred. Removal of the organs would suggest some kind of gruesome ritual. We should concentrate our investigation on people involved with secret societies.” You shook your head.

        “Not necessarily. Secret societies are limited in what they perform, and there can be other vindictive or personal motives at play here. It might not even be someone who’s performing a ritual.”

        “That possibility is the most likely though, as organs are commonly used in archaic practice.”

        “I do agree with you there. I don’t oppose including it in our suspect criteria list. It’s at least a nice start.”

        “As if that narrows the field?” Madame Red interjected. “Why, even I would have the medical skills necessary for this.” You instantly perked up. Something about the tone of her voice, and the way she brought it up, was a little strange. A thought then entered your head… no. It couldn’t be. Sebastian’s rustic red orbs flickered over to you for the quickest second, before traveling back to Madame Red. “Besides which, the season is ending soon. Any doctors who followed the nobles to the city will be returning to the country, and then what-“

        “Then we’ll have to conclude the investigation quickly.” Sebastian smiled, while Lau frowned in disbelief.

        “Impossible.”

        “I should be able to do this much at least, otherwise what kind of butler would I be?” The other two were a little taken aback at his confidence. “I’ll make up a list of viable suspects and begin questioning them for you immediately, my lord. My lady.” He bowed to you, and you nodded to show your acknowledgement, not at all bothered for once by the title he liked to tease you with.

        “Thank you, Sebastian.” You really were deep in thought.

        “Of course.” He then opened the carriage door, causing Lau and Madame Red to nearly choke, as he merely faced them with a smile. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.” With a wave of Ciel’s dismissive hand, he slid right out the door and closed it. The two adults pressed their faces up against the window to watch where he’d gone, almost like children.

        “He knows that we’re moving, right?”

        “Sebastian will take care of it for now. We can head home and have a cup of tea while we wait.” They sat back down, the only thing they could do now being to wait for Sebastian to return.

        “Are you alright, (Y/n), dear? You’ve been awfully quiet since we left.” Madame Red questioned you, causing your (e/c) hues to finally look away from the ground to your aunt.

        “Yes, you’re usually very quick on mysteries like these. Have you finally met your match?” You didn’t spare a glance to Lau.

        “I already have a couple people in mind. It’s the motive that has me puzzled.”

        “Does motive truly matter in the long run if you already know who the culprit is?”

        “It makes all the difference, Lau. Motives can reveal many things. They are the key angles to solving these puzzles, not all puzzles are flat, you see. Sometimes different angles need to be seen in order to fully put the pieces together. Otherwise, we may end up with the wrong conclusion, like looking at the top of a playing card without realizing how paper thin it actually is.”

***

        It wasn’t long before Grell had arrived back at your temporary manor. Lau was kind enough, for once, to open the door for your group as you entered the manor. To his surprise though, there was Sebastian, waiting to greet you in the doorway.

        “Welcome back, everyone. I have awaited your return. The afternoon tea is ready for you in the drawing room.” Ciel handed him his hat, which he took graciously, and began walking with you to the drawing room. Madame Red and Lau stared at him as if they just saw a ghost.

        “Hold on! How are you here?” 

        “I finished up that little errand, so I made my way home to edify you.”

        “You made the suspect list already.” Madame Red almost seemed nervous.

        “Well, yes. I made a list of names based on what we had discussed,” he held up multiple sealed rolls of white paper, “and then I contacted them all and asked them the relevant questions.” While Lau and Grell stared at him in amazement, Madame Red wasn’t convinced in the slightest.

        “Come now, Sebastian. That’s impossible, even for you.” The seals were cut clean off, revealing neat cursive writing from top to bottom. 

        “Richard Oswald, doctor to the Duke of Bailey, was at the White Horse pub with friends. He has no connection to secret societies.” Ciel stopped in the hallway and watched with amusement as his butler rattled off name after name of the people he spoke with. “Madam Heavitt, surgeon at the Royal London General Hospital was with a man at the Stipple Inn. She has no connection to secret societies.” Grell couldn’t help but blush at the tenacity of this butler. “William Somerset, doctor to the Earl Chambers was at a party hosted by Vie count Harwood.” Madame Red’s jaw dropped in amazement; she didn’t even notice her hat fall to the ground. When he was finally done listing off all the names and the information he gathered from them, all the parchments laid flat on the ground. “From this information, I have narrowed down our list to one possible suspect.”

        “One. Are you sure, Sebastian?” The butler turned to you and bowed.

        “Yes, my lady. Positive.” 

        “Are you certain you’re just a butler, not a secret military intelligence officer?” Madame Red asked incredibly.

        “See, my lady, I’m simply one hell of a butler.”

***

        Night had befallen London hours ago, its streets no longer quite as busy as it was in daylight. A group of strangers made their way in a carriage towards a huge mansion on the outskirts of town. At least, that’s what you had to convince yourself your group was. You were not going to be playing yourself tonight, but rather nobles from outside of London. Sebastian adjusted his fake glasses as he relayed the information he gathered earlier in the day.

        “The Viscount Druit, also known as Aleister Chambers. He graduated from medical school but has never gone into practice. Lately, he’s thrown several parties at his home. But behind the scenes at these same soirees are secret gatherings only his intimates may attend.” 

        “I’ve heard that he’s into black magic and those occult sorts of things.” Accompanying you was Madame Red, her fancy red strapless dress fitting perfectly against her frame.

        “So your suspicion is that he’s holding these parties to perform ritualistic sacrifices of local prostitutes?” Lau was also with you, dressed in a dashing black suit and tie.

        “Tonight is the last party of the season.” The carriage came to a halt and the door was opened. Out stepped two identical young ladies, wearing bright pink fluffy dresses with matching atrocious pink flower hats made for a formal ball. Hair done in pigtails to match, except for the colors, your bangs spread out to further contour your faces, you and Ciel looked almost like twins. “Which means this is our last chance.”


        You blended pretty easily with the crowd inside, no one suspected a thing as you all stepped off to the side to discuss the plan of action for tonight.

        “Ciel and (Y/n) will be my nieces visiting from the country, and Sebastian will be their tutor.” The butler in disguise smiled cheekily while adjusting his beaded glasses. The brown suit and pink ascot that matched your dress was extremely out of character for him, especially with the parted haircut.

        “And just why do we both have to act like your nieces!?” Ciel barked quietly.

        “Because, dear, I’ve always wanted a girl! And now I get to have two!”

        “You’re kidding me!” You had your arms crossed tightly over your chest, or as tightly as you could without choking yourself. A deep frown decorated your makeup covered face, rouge and blood red lipstick hiding your blush.

        “I offered to be the only one who had to dress like this, but you said no.”

        “I told you there’s no way I’m letting my sister act as bait for a potential murderer by herself.”

        “Well, I’m the only girl here besides Madame Red, but you still decided to cross dress so stop whining about it. But I totally agree that this is absolutely ridiculous. Do we seriously have to wear these? It’s so… pink. And my face feels heavy and hot.” Madame Red got in between you two and whispered into your ears.

        “You wouldn’t want them knowing you’re a Phantomhive, now do you? Besides, I’ve heard that Lord Druit has an eye for any pretty little thing in a skirt, and we do want to catch his eye, right? Now we have two pretty young dears in a skirt for him, how can he not notice?”

        “‘By any means necessary.’ You do remember saying that, do you not sir?” Both you and Ciel glared at the demon butler, recognizing that it was a jab at Ciel but to you as well. You sighed while adjusting the black elbow gloves that fit uncomfortably snug against your skin. All you wanted was to get this night over with.

        “Oh, (Y/n) dear, you do look rather nice in a dress. You should wear them more often.” Madame Red smiled, but you scoffed. 

        “And lose the rest of my dignity? I think not. Now if you excuse us, we’ll go and scope out the field before my oxygen level runs out.” Pulling on the white collar around your neck in response, you sucked in one last breath before walking off with Sebastian and Ciel into the fray of the crowd.

        “First thing’s first, we need to locate this murderous viscount.”

        “At least Elizabeth isn’t here. I would never want her seeing me like this.”

        “No kidding. Do you know how many of these things she’d shove me in if she saw me wearing this? Ugh. At least you know why I absolutely abhor these things now, right?”

        “Yes, actually I do.”

        “Oh, that dress is so adorable!” All three of you turned around at the familiar voice, finding that it was in fact your cousin. “I adore all the dresses here! They’re lovely!” You immediately hissed in Ciel’s ear.

        “Way to jinx it, moron!”

        “S-S-Se-Se-“

        “Sir, I mean, mistress, please calm down.” Luckily, she didn’t appear to have seen you three yet, so you all quietly ducked and tiptoed through the crowd. “Let’s move quickly.” Suddenly you heard her squeal.

        “You two in the pink! Your dresses are just beautiful! And they match you both too, how cute!” You stood like deer caught in headlights, but Sebastian grabbed you both and made you pick up the pace. 

        “Moving this way now.” Elizabeth tried to follow, but you were able to maneuver through the crowd without her seeing where you went. She stopped at where a big fanciful cake was being held, turning all around to find the two girls she had lost, her perfect blonde curls whipping about.

        “Where are they?” Eventually she left, allowing you three to peak around the corner of the cake stand you had hidden behind.

        “This isn’t good, I didn’t expect her here.” Sebastian whispered.

        “If someone was to see the head of my family dressed this way…”

        “The Phantomhive name would be ruined for generations.” Ciel gripped the table cloth with all his might.

        “She’d never let us forget. Either of us. I’ll have to model for her for weeks! She might even make you model too.” Poor Ciel shuddered.

        “Let’s go join Madame Red.” Sebastian and you nodded, quickly going to find your aunt… only to discover her in a luxurious chair, fanning her face as she cooed to her many gentlemen callers that were surrounding her. Like a red Cleopatra on her throne.

        “You are such a dear!” Grell stood awkwardly by her side, unable to do anything in this situation.

        “Looks like she’s having a grand old time.”

        “Thanks a lot, auntie! Now what are we gonna do?” There was a gasp behind you.

        “There!” Oh no, it was Lizzy! There was nowhere to hide this time. Oh, you could just see all the barf-inducing overly girly dresses you would be forced to wear. Sebastian, being the only one in control, grabbed your arms and pulled you along.

        “Come this way, my young mistresses.” As she was gaining on you, Sebastian spotted a servant holding a tray of drinks and quickly went over to him. “You, man. That young lady over there requires lemonade.”

        “Yes, certainly, sir.” The man walked up to Elizabeth, stopping her in her tracks. “Lemonade, my lady?” While she was distracted, Sebastian led you two outside to the balcony, where there were fewer prying eyes. You panted, fanning yourself with your paper fan to cool off. For once, you were glad to possess a female accessory.

        “Why do these things always happen to me?” Ciel grumbled.

        “This’ll teach you next time not to jinx the situation.”

        “Lord Druit looks as gorgeous as ever tonight! His hair shines like the sun!” You heard some of the ladies inside gushing over someone. You three looked at each other, nodded, then peered over the corner of the balcony door, watching a group of women crowding around a young man in a white suit. He had long blonde hair, and when he turned around, you could see sharp, rather handsome features, along with light purple eyes. That was your target.

        Game on.

        “That’s the Viscount Druit. Let’s go.” 

        “Yes.” You put your fan away, eyes locked onto the viscount. 

        “Right.” Just as you stepped out of your hiding spot, music began to play. A small orchestra was bowing a melodically jovial piece, inviting many couples to waltz out onto the dance floor which unfortunately obscured your view of the viscount. There was now a barrier of dancers in your way, moving so that there was no way you could just walk right through.

        “Damn. We’ll never get close to him.” 

        “We have no choice.” Sebastian declared. “We will have to dance our way over to the viscount.”

        “Our only problem is they’re two ‘ladies’ and one gentleman. How do you expect us to dance like that?”

        “Simple. I will dance with you, my lady, while the young master retreats around the other dancers. It allows us to look proper, while also allowing us to be able to approach the viscount from any angle. He won’t be able to escape.”

        “What? Why dance with me though!?”

        “Because between the two of you, you are undoubtedly the better dancer. The young master might risk embarrassing himself and losing the viscount’s attention.” Ciel crossed his arms and grumbled.

        “I hate to admit it, but it’s true. We all can’t dance over there at once, and I’m not the best dancer. Do not do anything will risk getting us exposed, Sebastian. That’s an order.”

        “As you wish, mistress.” 

        “Be careful, Ciel.” Sebastian barely gave you a chance to wish him luck as he pulled on your wrist, dragging you out to the dance floor. You gulped, immediately losing your nerve as Sebastian faced you. “Ah man, I don’t even think you taught us this one! I’m definitely going to mess this up. Also, aren’t I a little too young for you to be my dance partner? Won’t it look weird?” He merely smiled down at you.

        “It’s unlike you to lose your nerve in these situations. Are you that afraid of dancing with me in public?” You frowned, a deep blush appearing. “It will be simple, my lady. Just follow my lead. You already know that I’m one hell of a dancer. Besides, as your tutor, propriety allows me to dance with you at a public function such as this one.” He placed one hand on your waist and with the other he took your right hand in his.

        “Do we really have to do this again?”

        “Shall we dance now… young mistress.” Somehow, that was even worse than when he called you ‘my lady’. He didn’t wait for a further response and began to sway with the music, forcing you to put your hand on his shoulder to keep up. You melded within the rest of the dancers, your (h/c) pigtails twirling with grace along with your dress. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Elizabeth, staring in admiration at all the dancers. “We cut across, like so.” He made sure his back was to her so that she couldn’t see you, as you stepped farther along the side of the circle of dancers. You just hoped Ciel, wherever he was, was able to avoid her too. Once you were out of her line of sight, he made sure to steer clear of her the rest of the dance. 

        When it was finally done, you let go of Sebastian immediately, distancing yourself from the butler. 

        “You really are an excellent dance partner, my mistress.” You groaned at the awful nickname as you fanned yourself. “Have you really become exhausted so quickly, my lady?”

        “You try dancing in a circulation cutting torture device. It’d take the breath out of the most athletic. And if you want to talk about exhaustion, we should talk about my mental state and not my physical one.”

        Two hands clapped behind you, and you turned around to see the viscount himself, staring at you with those dark chilling purple hues.

        “Your dancing is exquisite. Like a lovely little robin, my sweet lady.” Oh God, you already wanted to throat punch this man. However, you mustered up the sweetest smile you could and fanned your face to make the blush on your cheeks more noticeable. You even heightened the pitch of your voice just a bit as an added effect.

        “Thank you, sir. I appreciate the compliment.” Your (e/c) eyes caught sight of Ciel, coincidentally coming up from behind the viscount. What perfect timing. You sent your brother one quick knowing look, which he acknowledged, before you smiled his way. “Ah, sister there you are! I was just talking with this nice young gentleman over here! Come and say hi!” You waved him over, and he did as you told, joining your side. The viscount’s eyes widened with interest at seeing a matching pair of young girls; you had clearly piqued his interest. Sebastian then bowed and whispered into your ear, though loud enough for the viscount to hear.

        “Young mistresses, allow me to fetch you something to drink.” Now you were left alone.

        “Good evening, my Lord Druit.” Ciel curtsied along with you, speaking in a girlish voice. Oh were you going to make fun of him for this when you got home.

        “Yes, good evening, my lord.” He approached you in particular, gently grabbing your hand.

        “I do hope you’re enjoying the party, dear Robin.” He placed a kiss on it, and then did the same to Ciel. “And you as well, dearest songbird.”

        “Oh, yes, certainly. It’s a wonderful party!” Ciel put his hand behind his back, while you continued to fan yourself.

        “To tell you the truth my lord, we’ve both been waiting to speak with you all evening.”

        “Oh?” Ugh. He already sounded like a pig and he’s barely spoken. Sensing your growing ire, Ciel took over.

        “We’re bored to death of dancing and eating.” The smile on his faced widened, and he took this as a chance to advance, placing a hand on each of your waists. 

        “What spoiled princesses you are, little robin and songbird. Looking for something more entertaining?” His fingers creeped down your side towards your bottom half, and you swore if you weren’t on a mission, you’d beat him to a pulp where he stood. For yourself and Ciel though… who looked probably more uncomfortable than you did at the moment, you had to pull through and finish what you started. After all the lessons you two had to take on being proper ladies, you had to endure it. So, playing innocent, you peered up at him with wide innocent, childish eyes.

        “You know of other amusements? We’d be most interested.” He leaned down close to your face, mere inches away from your nose, and cupped your chin up with one of his gloved fingers. You hoped he didn’t feel you tense.

        “Of course, I’d be happy to show them to you, robin. My sweet little thing.” After this, you were going to ask Ciel if this scumbag could be at the very least put in jail or executed swiftly. Luckily for you, Ciel felt the same way, especially at how he was handling you. It was clear that you were the favorite of the pair, and he didn’t deny that you were quite pretty tonight, and after he saw you dance through the crowd, he didn’t doubt that you had unknowingly impressed the viscount. But that made him all the more enraged that this creep was hitting so bodly on his sister in front of him, as if you were a toy being presented to him. To try and calm yours and his own anger, he tried to speak for you.

        “Oh really? Like what?” His blue eye happened to look over, and he saw Lizzy standing there, watching you three. He subtly nudged you in the direction of her, and you quickly took note.

        “You want to know?” You nodded enthusiastically, hoping that whatever this creep’s plans was that it involved being as far away from Lizzy as possible. If she came over, your mission was doomed. This had to finish by the time the current dance was over.

        “Yes, I’m simply dying to, my lord.”

        “You two might be a bit young, yet.” Ciel chuckled. 

        “Now don’t tease us, my lord. We’re ladies, not little girls.” The song ended, and you happened to glance over at Lizzy. Crap. She was coming over now. He then grabbed both your faces and turned them to his.

        “What has you so distracted, my delightful butterflies?”

        “Oh-h! It’s nothing!”

        “You’re the only one who has our attention, my lord.” There was no more time. This was it, you were going to be exposed.

        Suddenly, a large object was slammed into the ground just in front of Lizzy, blocking her line of sight of you two and the viscount. A familiar brown suited man crouched beside it. Sebastian. He had come to save you. Slowly rising from his crouch, he stood tall, revealing a white masquerade mask covering his face. 

        “Ladies and gentlemen, if you would all please gather ’round, this evening’s magic show will now begin.” Lizzy was immediately enraptured, forgetting all about the twin girls in the matching pink dresses. “Pardon me, sir.” Lau, who had been fanning Madame Red, looked over to Sebastian, who was pointing at him. “Would you kindly assist me?” The cocky man tilted his head in faux ignorance.

        “Assist you? Certainly.” The viscount stood up and put his hand up to his chin.

        “I don’t recall scheduling any parlor tricks this evening.” This was your chance. Ciel smiled at you, seizing the opportunity.

        “My Lord, we’ve seen more than enough parlor tricks. Can we go, please?” His attention was on you faster than you could think.

        “Yes, anything for you, my sweets.” He curled his finger towards him, beckoning you to follow. You and Ciel obeyed, allowing him to lead you away from prying eyes and towards a darkened staircase. At the top was a pink curtain, and the viscount pulled it aside so you could go through. “Right this way, dears.” This was it, now or never. 

        To ensure what you were doing was hidden, Sebastian’s back completely covered the staircase while he distracted the crowd with his magic show.

        “A normal cabinet. Once I’ve climbed inside, shut it tightly and bind it with these chains. Then…” He pulled out a recently sharpened sword that glistened in the chandelier light. “Simply run it through with the swords.” Everyone, especially Lizzy, was entranced by the air of suspension, watching with anticipation as Sebastian stepped into the box. “I shall emerge perfectly unharmed. This is no mere trick or illusion. Prepare for a performance of true magic.” The door then shut, and the chains were bound.

        Lau, fully aware of the deceit at play, acted as if he was unsure about continuing on.

        “Well, here goes nothing.” He then leapt up into the air and plunged the one he was holding into the top of the box. To the crowd’s amazement, he kept ramming sword after sword into the sides at random as if he were a merciless ninja carrying out an order to kill. He had even broken the chains with his precise aim strength. Once all the swords were used up, he gestured to the box, and when the doors opened, Sebastian emerged without a scratch on him, the ends of the swords visibly punctured through the interior walls. Applause echoed around the room.

        “Amazing!”

        “True magic!” Even Madame Red was impressed.

        “Sebastian! How incredible!”

        “Indeed. For a moment there, I worried I’d kill you.”

        “It actually hurt more than expected. I didn’t think you would aim straight for my head. Anyone else would have died.”

        “So, what’s the trick to it, anyway?” Lau asked, causing Madame Red to blanch.

        “You stabbed him that many times without knowing!?” Sebastian cheekily turned around to face them.

        “Like I told you, there were no tricks or illusions. Just magic.”

***

        The viscount led your farther and farther into his estate, seeming to grow darker the deeper you delved. Finally, he opened a bare wooden door, where beyond you saw the faintest trace of purple. But you didn’t think much of it, chalking it up to being the eerily dark lighting.

        “We’re going somewhere I’m sure you’ll find very amusing. I know I do. Please.” His eyes roamed over you two as you stepped into the room, especially as he shut the door behind you. There was no escape. You were immediately bombarded with the smell of unidentifiable chemicals that made you want to gag. It was damn near suffocating. 

        Suddenly your vision began to blur and you lost most of your balance. You looked up to see just a smidge of the viscount smirking down at you, purple bulbs of light surrounding him and making you dizzier than you were. You couldn’t help yourself and tripped back onto Ciel, causing him to collide with the door. He put his arm around your waist, squeezing it tightly, the last line of protection he could offer before you two slid down the door and fell unconscious.

        “See? Aren’t you enjoying yourselves…” Lord Druit kneeled down and twirled his finger around a lock of your hair. “Little Robin and songbird?”

 ***

        You don’t know why your unconscious mind thought back to when you were being fitted for your dress, but for some reason, the memory was strong.

        You grunted as the strings on the corset tightened. Madame Red, who had already gotten herself ready, was fitting you with one of her old corsets, and you had to be propped up against the wall for her to tighten the damn thing as much as possible.

        “Don’t worry dearie, just a little more.” You were already out of breath and you weren’t even at the party yet.

        “Jeez, is this seriously what you do every day, auntie?”

        “Of course! Ever since I was a little girl. Although I tend to keep mine on all night so I don’t have to adjust it every day.”

        “And you’re still alive how?”

        “Well, it’s not like a corset has ever killed anyone before.” You screamed as she pulled on the strings considerably harder this time.

        “I don’t believe it for a second!” She merely chuckled as she tied up the last bit of string.

        “There. All done.” You breathed a sigh of relief. The lace pressed tightly against your skin as you rose up from the wall, barely able to expand your diaphragm. You almost regretted volunteering to be bait, but there was no way you were going to let Ciel deal with a murderer all on his own. Plus, if you didn’t dress up like a girl, you wouldn’t have been able to be involved at all, considering the type of party this was. Masculine clothing worn by a girl at a formal party was more than undesirable.

        “Now we just have to do your hair and makeup and you’ll be ready!” She began fluffing your hair, brushing it out and playing with it so that it did what she wanted. “Really dear, I’m surprised you offered yourself up on a silver platter like that. You’ve always been so averted to women’s clothing, it’s a wonder you’re letting me do this at all.” 

        “I’d do anything to protect my brother. He’s not exactly the strongest, and while I believe he can handle himself, this is not the kind of situation he has experience with. Even I know that this requires a woman’s perspective, to put it lightly.” You both laughed at that. You couldn’t really remember what Ciel had said, something or other about protecting you, the usual lecture and nonsense he spouted which you simply ignored. But you had a way of persuading him, a tactic you liked to call stubbornness, and so you won over with the compromise of being double bait.

        “Ah yes, men are ever so helpless without us. Whatever the case then, I’m just glad I finally get to doll you up. You know, I’ve always wanted a girl myself, so this is almost like a dream come true. Close your eyes and relax your eyelids.” You did as you were told, smiling at her excitement. It had been years since you’ve seen her so genuinely happy. The smile upon Madame Red’s face was always cheerful on the exterior, but you remember her before she lost her sister, your mother, and the smile back then was much… different. You couldn’t really explain it. You knew she didn’t have any children of her own, but maybe she did before and for some reason can’t. It never occurred to you to ask. Maybe later when you weren’t about to go on a mission. 

        You couldn’t help but wonder how Ciel was doing with his fitting. At least you had a woman’s figure to work with, Ciel must’ve been faring much worse than you. Although, you had to actually have your hair and makeup done, while he just had to wear a wig and some basic coverings.

        “Just a touch more of red, and voila! You’re finished! Don’t you look wonderful?” You blushed while looking at the total stranger in the mirror. (H/c) locks in curled voluminous pigtails, your face a paler shade of (s/c), your cheeks were rosy and lips as red as a rose. Of course Madame Red would add her own touch of color. You wanted to say you looked like a clown, but your aunt was so happy, you couldn’t disparage her final result. 

        “Thanks auntie. I never imagined I’d ever look like this. I just wish it was for something other than business.”

        “Maybe one day you’ll let me do this for you regularly, or even for your wedding day. I know you’re a bit young, but it’s never too soon to think of these things. You are a noble after all, we tend to get married off rather quickly.”

        “But auntie, I don’t think I’ll ever get married. I wouldn’t even know who would marry me. Mom and Dad never picked a suitor for me, and I’m not exactly as social as you.” She gently placed a gloved hand on your cheek, lifting it up so she could look straight into your eyes.

        “Trust me. One day, you’ll find your prince. It’ll be someone who will take care of you and love you unlike any other, someone who wouldn’t dream of hurting you. I promise. Otherwise they’ll have to answer to me.”

        Your eyes opened to a black void. There was a blindfold around your eyes, preventing you from seeing anything, although judging by the lack of light hitting the cloth, you guessed you were somewhere dark. Rope was around your neck, binding your hands and arms in front of you in a clasping position. You couldn’t move an inch, but you felt the faint presence of someone’s shoulder touching yours. A very familiar shoulder.

        “Ciel, is that you?” You whispered.

        “Yes, it’s me. Are you okay? Did he hurt you at all?” 

        “I don’t think so, just tied up. What about you?”

        “I’m fine too.”

        “Do you know where we are?”

        “We were both knocked out when we entered the viscount’s room, so I have no idea where’s brought us.”

        “And now what you’ve all been waiting for.” You immediately shut your mouth at hearing the viscount’s voice. “Tonight’s crown jewels.” Light peeked through the black cloth, accompanied by excited whispers floating around the room. You guessed you were being presented in front of people. “I’m sure they’d make a lovely decoration, who wouldn’t want a matching set? Or sweet little pets. You can keep them whole and healthy, or sell them for parts if you’d like to.” Now you were definitely going to clobber this asshole when this was all done. “This one has two different color eyes, but for the discerning collector that will add to her unique attraction. The other has a matching pair of radiant (e/c) that I find are the one of the most exquisite I’ve seen in a long time.” This was a black market auction, he was selling you off. “The bidding shall begin momentarily, and remember, if you don’t want the matching set, I’d be more than happy to split the purchase with you in the end.” His voice was to your side now, and you had the urge to rip your restraints off and kick him where the sun didn’t shine. But you couldn’t struggle right now and cause a scene, that would ruin your intel gathering.

        The selling you for parts comment is what got your attention. If at least some of these people were interested in human body parts, it could be possible that he removed the prostitutes’ organs and sold them here to these creeps. But you weren’t positive. The cloth then began to shimmy against your eyes, indicating that someone was removing it.

        “We’ll start at a thousand guineas.”

        “2000!”

        “3000!”

        “3500!” The blindfolds came off, and beams of dim lighting entered your vision, making your face reflexively scrunch up.

        “5000!” You blinked your (e/c) eyes open, looking out through metal bars at the masked crowd of men and women alike, smiling up at you as they continued to bid. How utterly disgusting. You then gazed at Ciel, his eyepatch removed and his purple seal revealed, though they were too stupid or ignorant to notice the unusual shape on his pupil.

        “Sebastian, come get us now.” The candles went out and the room suddenly went dark. Lord Druit backed up and spun left and right, but he couldn’t see an in inch in front of his face.

        “What’s this?” The only thing now visible was the pentagram in Ciel’s eyes, staring blankly out at the crowd as the room was filled with multiple swift grunts, kicks, and screams. When the candles were rekindled, Sebastian stepped out of the darkness, standing over a pile of unconscious bodies that were just moments ago bidding for your life.

        “Really, sir, are you good for nothing but getting yourself and your sister captured? How sad.” He slowly began to approach the cage you were in.

        “Glad to see you recognize it’s not my fault.” You mumbled. “Your shadowing presence once again saves the day. I thank you for that.”

        “As long as the contract remains in place, you’ll follow me everywhere whether I ask you to or not, won’t you.”

        “This type of ‘contract’ is sealed by a mark a demon places on his prey. The more noticeably placed the mark is, the tighter the demon and prey are bounded to one another. The demon serves…”

        “And in exchange, the prey can never escape.” He pried apart the bars like it was nothing, then he put a hand on his heart and bowed.

        “Yes, I will be with you everywhere, until the end. I shall be at your side no matter what.” He extended out his hands to both you and Ciel. “Even should I perish in this world, I’ll still be there, in the very depths of hell, my lord.” He helped you to your feet, and with a swift flick of his finger, the ropes were cut clean off. “This is how I differ from humans; I do not lie.”

        “Good. You will never lie to me, no matter what, understood?”

        “Yes, my young master.” You happened to look over at the unconscious body of the viscount, his long blonde hair strewn about on the floor. Even though he wouldn’t feel a thing, you went over and kicked the him right in the head, causing Ciel’s eye to twitch and Sebastian to smirk.

        “That is for touching me like a damned creep.” You kicked him a second time. “And that’s for trying to sell me and my brother off like property.” 

        “Careful now, young mistress. You don’t want to kill him now.” You scoffed.

        “I know, I didn’t kill him, and you can drop the mistress thing, you know. Our roles have already been played out, which is why I gave him what he deserved. I have principles to uphold for myself, and the only reason I held back before was so that we could complete our investigation.” Ciel sighed, not necessarily blaming you for anything, just glad that you didn’t exterminate his only suspect. As well as the fact that you were safe.

        “I suppose this solves the Jack the Ripper case. Well, that was easier than I had expected.” There was something still nagging you in the back of your head, and the more you stared at the viscount, the more you thought that a piece was still missing from this puzzle.

        “That’s what still has me suspicious. It’s nearly impossible for this to turn out so well given how skilled Jack the Ripper is supposed to be. You would think that a man of that caliber would be more careful.” A quick glance around the room confirmed some of your troubling thoughts. “Besides, while he tried to sell us tonight, I don’t see any organs or any other body parts for that matter. There’s no actual proof here that he’s the killer.” Sebastian smiled.

        “While your intuition is usually impeccable, my lady, it is not unnatural for a result such as this to occur. In my many years, I’ve seen many different scenarios play out in quite strange and unpredictable ways. It might be that this time is no different.”

        “…I guess it’s possible.”

        “I imagine Scotland Yard will be here before much longer. We should take our leave.” You were so distracted by your wandering thoughts, you didn’t notice Sebastian sneaking up behind you, yelping as he swiftly took both you and Ciel up in his arms. “Well, my mistresses, are you ready?” You frowned at the butler, who most definitely did that on purpose, then blushed when you made eye contact with Ciel. He was just as embarrassed as you, probably even more so.

        “Very funn-” He took off, forcing you and Ciel to hold on tight to his neck, as he leapt out of the window and into the night. Your dresses flowed with the wind, and you tensed as he landed on the rooftop nearby grabbing tighter onto him, to which the butler chuckled at.

        All the while the party continued on, with the oblivious guests dancing and entertaining themselves throughout the night, unaware of the black market deals that had just occurred. Lizzy, who stood out on the balcony admiring all the pretty dresses that passed her by, turned around as she heard tiles clacking against each other. From where she stood, she could almost make out a figure on the next building over. She rubbed her green eyes and blinked, the figure she once saw completely disappearing.

        “I could have sworn I saw something up there.” Nothing but the dark tiled roof and the navy blue sky greeted her though. “I guess I was wrong.”

***

        “Jack the Ripper strikes again?” Lau read the headline on today’s newspaper, written in clear bold on the front page. Madame Red frowned.

        “So the viscount wasn’t our man after all.” Ciel banged his hands on his desk, gritting his teeth in anger as he reread the headline over and over, the bold print seeming to mock him and his failure. His eye were aglow with frustration and rage; this wasn’t supposed to be how it ended. Sebastian and you stood off to the side, watching in silence as Ciel processed this whole thing. The butler was also perturbed. He was never wrong before. Only the viscount fit every requirement on his list, it was nearly impossible for this to have happened. You couldn’t help but look at Madame Red, watching the way her face contorted in frustration and disappointment… you then smirked up at Sebastian, whispering so that no one else could hear.

        “I believe you owe me an apology.” Rustic red eyes peered down at you. Instead of being angered, he actually felt impressed, smiling that devilish way to prove it, though he couldn’t believe his wit was outdone by a human’s. You were indeed right all along; it was never the viscount in the first place. Rather, it was someone else entirely.

        He then began to notice that you were a little preoccupied, and couldn’t help following your line of sight. It was Madame Red, you were watching her like a hawk. Now that was interesting. His eyes flickered between her and Grell, landing on the equally disappointed clumsy butler. He doubted you knew, but still, he should’ve known better by now.

        While you were at times capricious, he had learned quickly that your judgement was almost always absolute.

        (A/N: Hey guys, I know it’s been awhile. Life has been super busy and all, and I’ve finally gotten to relax and take a break from it all. Hope you enjoy this chapter, and as a surprise I actually have the next chapter completely written. I just have to edit it, so that should come out in the next few days/week. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoys the rest of their holiday break! See y’all laters! ^_^)

Chapter 3: His Sister, Omnipotent

Girlish screams resounded throughout the entire mansion. China clinked around and threatened to fall and crash on the beautifully carpeted floor had Lady Luck not looked down upon the tea cart’s steering abilities. Fingers wrapped tightly around the edge of the runaway tea cart for dear life.

“Oh dear oh dear oh dear!” Grell could do nothing to stop its rampant rampage.

You were sitting at the dining table, and Ciel was about to take his seat. The servants were crowded close to Ciel as usual, but the commotion outside drew their attention, as well as yours, to the door. Just as Sebastian pulled out Ciel’s chair and allowed him to sit down, the doors burst open. In came the tea cart with Grell crouched on top, his butt facing front, heading straight for Finny.

“Fin, watch-!” But it was too late. The cart had already crashed, spilling some of the piping hot tea on the cart onto Finny’s shirt. “-out.” You cringed as you heard the steaming liquid make impact. Your poor best friend stood up and hopped around, pulling the stained part of his shirt up to try and stop the harsh burning sensation.

“Hot! Hot! Hot!”

“Fin, get your shirt off! Quickly!” You stood up and went to go help him. Meanwhile, Grell was crouched by the broken cart, slightly swaying from his dizziness. He snapped out of it when he heard Finny’s cries, then rushed over to him, somehow beating you in the process.

“I’m so so sorry!” Grell looked around for something to help him, when he spotted a napkin on the edge of the table. “I’ll wipe it off!” He grabbed the folded piece of cloth, but didn’t realize that he also grabbed the table cloth as well. Ciel’s lunch was pulled away from him just as he was about to cut his food. All the silverware crashed to the floor, making Grell jump and realize his mistake, causing him begin panicking once again. This was just not his day.

The other servants were showing their complete displeasure by glaring at the clumsy butler. You, on the other hand, felt bad for the poor man. Misfortune seemed to follow him wherever he went; it was so sad to see someone cursed with unluckiness to this extent. Ciel put his fingers up to his head and sighed, and Baldroy leaned in to whisper to him.

“Master, why did you agree to take on such a useless igit?”

“You’re one to talk, Bard.” He sighed again. “It didn’t seem like such a bad idea. I thought Sebastian would be the only one inconvenienced. I never expected that I would be affected by it as well.”

“Ho ho ho.” Grell cowered under the servants’ intense glare.

“I’m so sorry for causing all this trouble. I simply don’t know how I can apologize enough. Wait, that’s it! The only thing I can do now is die!” You were more than surprised when he pulled out a knife and aimed it at his heart. “I shall atone with my death!” Bard stepped forward, raising his hands out.

“Woah! Calm down a second!”

“Ummm should we take the knife away?” Mey-Rin asked, though she made no move to take it. Without a word, Sebastian placed his hand on his shoulder, stopping his suicide attempt.

“There is no need for that.” When Grell didn’t move a muscle, Sebastian removed his hand. The poor suicidal butler looked behind him up at Sebastian, who smiled innocently. “Just think of the horrible mess you would make. It’d take hours to clean up all the blood.” Ignoring Sebastian’s uncaring comment, you seized the opportunity to quickly step in and take the knife away from him. Grell now turned to you.

“Well, besides that.” You glared at Sebastian, who merely smiled back, then swiftly back to Grell. “You shouldn’t have to die for a silly little string of bad luck.” Kneeling down so that you were eye level, you sent him a kind hearted smile. “Every life’s important. And besides, if we were going by those rules, I would’ve been dead a long time ago.” You leaned in and whispered into his ear. “One time, when I was trying to clean the chandelier in the living room, I fell right off the ladder, and the chandelier came with me. It shattered everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Compared to that, breaking a few plates doesn’t seem that bad, huh?” His green eyes seemed to sparkle with admiration as he stared up at you. Pure joy radiated off him as he clasped his hands together.

“Thank you Lady (Y/n), thank you Sebastian. You are both so very kind.”

“(Y/n) was sweet, but Sebastian… That was kindness?” Finny and Mey-Rin shook their heads. The butler in question rose back up with an unbroken teapot and frowned.

“Now what I’d like to know is how you could ever think it was acceptable to serve the master such weak tea.” He set the pot down on the table and grabbed the sugar, scooping a couple teaspoons of it into the tea. “Watch me. A spoonful for each person and one more for the pot.” Now he grabbed ahold of a pot of boiling water and added it to his mix. He smirked as the steam rose from the teapot, a sweet aroma wafting through the room. “Finally, add half a pint of boiling water and let it steep until done.” As Grell admired the butler even more, the servants all frantically took notes, except for Tanaka of course. You merely rolled your eyes at the sight and scoffed.

“Picky, picky, picky.”

“One must always serve their master with nothing but perfection, my lady.” His condescending smirk only made you roll your eyes again. Sebastian set a new cup of tea in front of Ciel, who began to drink it without a word. The butler then pulled his pocket watch out and checked the time. “Master, are you ready? It is almost time.” He snapped the watch shut. “I have your carriage waiting for you in the front drive now.”

“Fine.”

“As for the rest of you.” He now addressed the servants. “I want this place absolutely spotless. Understand? Grell, perhaps you should just sit there and relax so you don’t cause anymore trouble.”

“Oh come on. It’s not like he’s gonna learn anything by doing nothing.”

“Perhaps another day, but for now it would be better for him to remain here so that he won’t be an inconvenience.”

“Whatever you say O’ Great Butler.” Your little nickname caused Sebastian to chuckle out of amusement. He then turned around and began to walk out of the room, until he stopped at the doorway.

“Oh, and Grell, if you do decide to seek your eternal rest, please see to it outside, and try not to make too big a mess.” Grell all but beamed with pure joy.

“What generosity. What great kindness.”

“(Y/n), are you ready to leave?”

“I almost forgot I could actually escape the manor for once.” Ciel glared at you, and when he didn’t say anything, you smirked. “But yes, I’m ready.” Pleased with your response, your brother set his teacup down.

“We’re leaving now then.”

***

Big Ben chimed throughout the bustling city of London. The horses leading your carriage were barely heard over the clip clopping of other horses and citizens walking the streets. In the distance, a paper boy screamed for people to buy a copy of the paper he held up in his hand.

“Get your paper here! All the latest news! Prostitute mysteriously murdered!” You quirked a brow as you passed the lad.

“That’s odd. When these kinds of things happen, it’s more than not a drunken man who didn’t want to pay, and it’s not hard to track someone like that down.”

“It’s none of our concern. Besides, it probably was some drunken lunatic who ran farther than the police thought.” You hummed.

“I don’t know. I’ve got a weird feeling about it.”

“Are you afraid someone will attack you, my lady?” You scoffed at the butler sitting across from you.

“As if. I’d like to see them try even stepping foot near the manor. Now that’d be a show.” Fun dying down, you focused your attention back on the window, pondering. There was just something you couldn’t shake. Something wrong. “But something does seem… off. I can’t explain it.”

“Don’t let it bother you. Like I said, I’m sure it’s nothing.”

“If you say so brother.” Just then, the carriage came to a halt.

“We’re here.” Sebastian informed you as he rose. He opened the door, closing it once you two stepped out. A few people passing by gave you strange looks due to your attire, but you merely glared back, sending them scurrying on their way. Rolling his eyes, Ciel opened the door to the shop and entered, followed by you and Sebastian. An old plump bald man sat behind the counter, writing something down, when he noticed the few new presences in his store.

“Hm? Oh, hello children. Did your father send you for something?” Before you could even open your mouth, Sebastian stepped forward and held out a slip of paper.

“Actually, the young master’s here on his own business. We need to pick this up.” Hesitantly, the man took the paper and skimmed it over.

“Oh, you’re here for that walking stick.” He grabbed a hey and used it to open a drawer behind the counter. “I was wondering who would have a use for something as short as this.” Gently, he lifted up a relatively small black cane and handed it to Sebastian, who took it graciously.

“Naturally, I didn’t think a child-” His breath hitched in his throat as the cane found itself just a centimeter away from his nose, pointed at him as if it was a gun. Heedless to say, Sebastian wasn’t the only one smirking.

“Straight as an arrow. A magnificent stick indeed, good sir.” The man remained frozen in place out of shock, as the butler slowly pulled the cane away and placed a small bag of money on the counter. All three of you began to make your way out of the store, a mix of annoyance and mild amusement at the scene made. “Keep the change. Good day.” You turned around before you could exit, locking eyes with the man’s still shock form.

“A piece of advice: don’t assume things about others. Truly, it does save a lot of trouble in the future.” You sent the poor frightened shop owner a faux innocent smile, chilling him more, before joining your company outside.

Eventually you all made your way to the station lined with all kinds of different shops. Display cases showing different products, from shoes, to mirrors, and even jewelry, were displayed for all passerbys to see.

“That ridiculous strength of Finny’s is a menace. How could someone accidentally break a walking stick. It’s a pain to specially order a new one.”

“He has problems with controlling it. He forgets about it a lot, actually.”

“That’s not an excuse after so many years.”

“Hey, give him a break. You know as well as I do what he’s been through, and what people like us do to try and suppress that. I thought you of all people would understand him.” A tense moment passed as you glared at Ciel. Sometimes you couldn’t understand why he could be so obnoxiously unsympathetic to anyone, including those who had been treated similarly as you had been. It boggled your mind sometimes, but he was still your brother.

“Still, it’s a hassle to have to fix everything he breaks.”

“Certainly, what a pity to go through all that trouble. You nor the young lady have had a growth spurt in years.”

“Jerk.”

“And speaking of trouble, I don’t know how well Grell is going to work out. We shouldn’t stay away for too long.” Out of the corner of your eyes, you spotted a boy pressing his hands up against one of the display cases. A little stuffed rabbit with a top hat and monocle stared back, causing the excited child to burst with joy.

“Hey look mama! It’s the brand new rabbit toy from Funtom! See?” You glanced back at Ciel, knowing full well that he did in fact hear the child, despite his dismissive demeanor. Sebastian joined in your observation, both of you seeming to wonder what was going through his head.

***

“The Funtom Company. The maker of toys and confection that has grown rapidly in the last three years. And this estate testifies to the company’s prosperity.” Grell admired the scenery aloud as he trimmed the bushes on the front lawn. “The manor is magnificent, don’t you think?” He posed the question to the buff servant smoking a cigarette on the ground. Baldroy removed the tobacco stick from his mouth and stared up at the manor.

“You know it’s only been around for about two years now.”

“Odd. But it looks so stately and dignified.”

“Of course it does. That was the intention.” The new sophisticated gentlemen voice caused Grell to turn around and scream in surprise. Finny and Mey-Rin looked up from their work to see the commotion, only to be surprised.

“Look! It’s the real Tanaka!” Finny exclaimed.

“We haven’t seen him in months!” Tanaka ignored the excited cries of his friends and continued speaking.

“This manor was built to be an exact replica of the previous one. It is identical in every single detail, from the window panes to the stairways, and even the cracks in the pillars.”

“Identical?”

“The original Phantomhive manor burned down three years ago. The entire estate was engulfed in flames. It was a great tragedy.”

“Oh. Oh I see.”

Not one of you said a word on the ride home. Ciel was the one leaning his head against the window this time, and you were still left wondering what was going through his head. Though, you could only imagine. His title, his role, the stress, the memories; it must be hard to watch other children’s innocence, when he himself had lost it long ago. How ironic that he was the head of a children’s toy company, a role your father once held.

“Forgive me for asking, but master Ciel’s and lady (Y/n)’s parents, did they…”

“Yes. Sadly, they both perished in the fire.” Grell solemnly returned to putting the finishing touches on the hedges.

“How terrible. Those poor children.” Tanaka suddenly began to feel weary, and the man shrank down once again, swirling in a state of dizziness. “Oh no! Tanaka!” Baldroy crossed his arms nonchalantly and stood next to Grell.

“His energy and stamina levels are way below a normal person’s. Being real Tanaka exhausts him. He just needs to rest himself for a while.” Grell stared at the Tanaka he had come to know, pondering over the other servant’s odd explanation.

“Uh, that’s interesting.” High pitched screaming cut through the air. The two men looked over to the other two servants, who were staring at something ahead of them in horror. Mey-Rin shakily pointed at the cause of their discomfort. Curiously, Grell turned around, and upon seeing his huge mistake, screamed.

“Why are they all skulls!?” Baldroy exclaimed.

“No! Not again! I’ve made another unacceptable mistake!” He made a run for one of the trees, where a noose just so happened to be hanging. A basket on the ground provided easy access for him to reach it and slip his head through the rope. “I can’t go on any longer!” The three servants quickly ran over and tried to stop him.

“Quite trying to die all the time!”

“But I have to! It’s the only way to redeem my honor!” Someone pushed the step out from under the poor man, who dropped down. His face reddened as he began to suffocate.

“GRELL!”

***

It felt like an eternity of awkward silence before you finally arrived back at the manor. Not even Sebastian had some sarcastic or condescending remark to make; he didn’t even speak until you three were at the front door.

“I’m sure you’re tired master. I’ll prepare tea for you immediately.” Sebastian held the door open, but you stopped right in your tracks. The demon butler grew puzzled, but he too was shocked as he peered inside.

Pink, fluffy bunnies, glitter, ribbons, and heart shaped streamers covered the entire entrance in a nightmarish display of a little girl’s dream party. It was simply atrocious, and the plethora of decorations was beginning to give you a headache.

“I’m gonna puke.”

“My mansion!” Sebastian appeared slightly ticked off.

“What happened to this place? Why, it’s a disaster.” You scoffed.

“That’s putting it mildly.” Baldroy, Finny, and Mey-Rin came running out of one of the rooms on the side and made a beeline straight for you.

“Sebastian! (Y/n)!” The boys clutched onto your shirt while Mey-Rin crouched low next to Sebastian, all of them crying as if they had just seen something awful. Now that they were up close, you could see their rather strange attire. Mey-Rin’s dress was puffier than usual, Baldroy had a bonnet on his head like a baby, and Finny had on bunny ears and bunny paws.

“Guys, calm down.” None of them listened and continued to cry, which further pissed Sebastian off.

“What is going on here? And why on earth are you dressed like lunatics?” Baldroy pointed behind him.

“She’s crazy! Crazy!”

“Who is crazy?” Ciel asked firmly. All of them heard gurgling come from the room the servants had run out of. They refused to budge, but you, Ciel, and Sebastian all curiously peeked in the room, only to see Grell hanging from a noose wearing… two bright orange bows around his head and neck. You and Ciel gasped, and while he merely stood there, you rushed into the room to try and get him down.

“Grell! What the hell happened!? Are you okay?” As you stood under him trying to see if you could reach the poor man, Ciel flashed him with an annoyed frown.

“What are you doing now?”

“At the moment, I believe I’m in the process of dying, master Ciel.” His voice was choked so much you were surprised he wasn’t already dead. Ciel groaned as you tried to jump up and untie him.

“Get him down Sebastian.”

“Yes, sir.” Sebastian slowly approached Grell, but he realized that he wasn’t tall enough to reach the knot on the rope.

“If you give me a lift, I’ll untie him.” The butler smirked.

“Of course, my lady.” He grabbed the sides of your waist and hoisted you up in the air, then faced you towards Grell.

“Not exactly what I had in mind, but as long as I can get him down.” You were about to reach for the dying butler, when something came out of nowhere, dashing right past you. Grell was swung away by the wind created from the thing’s speed, while Sebastian accidentally let you go, and you fell to the floor with a thud.

“CIEL!” Oh no. You recognized that squealing high pitched voice anywhere. The person tackled your brother in a bear hug, and looking to confirm your fears, you found that it was indeed her. You immediately jumped behind Sebastian, who smirked down at you once he realized who it was. “Ciel, you’re back! I missed you so much!!” The poor boy caught in the death trap was completely caught off guard, not too pleased by the intrusion and physical contact.

“Elizabeth, what a surprise!”

“Oh, how many times do I have to tell you? Call me Lizzy!”

“No, no, not her, not her.” You were all but shaking in your pants, and Sebastian knew exactly why. Elizabeth and you played as children a lot, but she would always try to shove you into a dress, which was something you abhorred. But despite your clear dislike for the girlish attire, she was relentless, and to this day has never stopped trying to get you into one of those uncomfortable tents. Suffice to say, the whole thing, despite how annoying it may be to handle, was utterly amusing to him.

“It’s just your cousin my dear lady. You should go say hello.” You gripped the ends of his tailcoat harder in fear.

“Screw off.”

“That’s not very nice. Why would you ever want to avoid your childhood playmate?”

“You know why! You try being shoved into one of those lung crushing devices.”

“I’ll pass.”

“Exactly.”

“But I won’t keep you hidden forever.”

“You just want to see me humiliated, don’t you?”

“Humiliated is a strong word. I’m only certain you’d look lovely in a little pink dress.” Shudders went down your spine at the mention of the ghastly color, and he felt them through his suit.

“Just thinking about it sickens me.” He chuckled.

“Let’s get Grell down before he dies first, then I’ll think about continuing as your shield.”

“Fine.” As you reluctantly allowed yourself to be lifted up once more, Lizzy pulled Ciel back into a hug and nuzzled his cheek.

“Oh you really are just the cutest thing ever! Aren’t you, darling boy, I could just eat you up!” Almost instantly, her joyous expression dropped as she searched the room. “Speaking of cuties, where’s-”

“Lady Elizabeth.” She almost immediately discarded Ciel, in favor of his butler, who now stood in front of her holding Grell up by his suit.

“Oh, hello Sebastian. How are you?” Her eyes fell onto the choked out butler in his hand, and she pouted. “Aww, you took him down?”

“Yes. He detracted from the beauty of the room.”

“But I made such a lovely decoration out of him.”

“A decoration?”

“Yes! Just look at it all! Isn’t the salon so cute now?” Ciel looked on in tired horror at how ‘cute’ she made his manor.

“Ugh, my mansion. It’s so pink.”

“From now on, only the cutest things belong in the Phantomhive manor. Don’t you agree, Antoinette?” She clasped her hands together and looked over to Tanaka, who had makeup and a blonde curly haired wig on.

“Ho ho ho.” Sebastian nearly sweatdropped.

“Oh, and Tanaka.”

“Speaking of cute things, where’s my darling (Y/n)? I was hoping to see her this time.” Ciel glanced over to Sebastian, who smirked.

“She’s right-” When Sebastian stepped aside to reveal yourself, there was no one there. You had vanished. But the smirk never left his face. “Would you like me to go fetch her, Lady Elizabeth?”

“Oh, not right now. I can always find her later. I have a present I need to give you, Sebastian.”

“Ah?”

“Here.” She swiftly put on a pink flowery bonnet on his head, which made the other servants double over in stifled laughter. All three of them thought the same thing. If only (Y/n) was here to see this. “You’re always dressed in black. I thought this would be a nice change. What do you think?” The butler sent them all a threatening glare, and all three of them stood to attention, terrified. Pleased, for now, Sebastian placed his hand on his heart and slightly bowed to Lizzy.

“I am deeply honored you went to such trouble for a humble servant. Your generosity overwhelms me.”

“Happy to help.” Ciel managed to take his eyes off the deplorable state his mansion was in and focus back on the energetic girl responsible for it.

“In any event Lizzy, what are you doing here? Auntie didn’t let you come alone.” She ran over to Ciel and grabbed both his hands.

“I sneaked away because I wanted to see you and (Y/n), silly!” She yet again pulled him into a hug, gushing over him.

“You sneaked away? Don’t you think you’ll get into trouble?” By this time Grell was able to recover from his near death experience, and stared confusedly at the pair.

“Sebastian? Who is this girl?”

“She is the daughter of the Marquess of Scotney. Her full Christian name is lady Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford of Scotney.”

“Scotney Ethel Elizabeth Cordelia-” Grell’s tongue almost literally became tied at the long name.

“She is actually my young master’s betrothed of several years.”

“Ah, his fiancée, yes of course.” The other three servants were utterly repulsed.

“Master.”

“Marrying.”

“Her?” Baldroy, Finny, and Mey-Rin responded in that order, not being able to get a full sentence out due to their shock, and repulsion.

“Lady Elizabeth is of the nobility after all. She is the daughter of a marquess. Nobles marry other nobles. That is how it works.”

“Does Miss (Y/n) have a fiancée as well then?” The other servants tuned in closely, curious as well.

“Unfortunately, no.” They all but sighed in relief, glad that you didn’t have a crazy man on your hands either. “Her parents died before they could make proper arrangements.” It wasn’t entirely the truth, but he didn’t lie either. Adopted children in nobility were harder to marry off, since they were not of actual blood, and therefore could be easily manipulated into having no rights to their parents’ wealth. Your origin also being unclear did not help at all; most other nobles might assume your parents were not nobles themselves, and the idea of marrying someone who is technically lower in status wasn’t ideal. But it wasn’t impossible to provide you with a husband, it was just that it took more time, which your parents clearly did not possess.

“Oh, I see.”

“Oh, I know! Now that the manor is decorated so prettily, why don’t we have a ball tonight?” The entire room stood stock still as Lizzy grabbed Ciel’s hands and twirled him around. “You can be my escort and we’ll dance around all night long, isn’t that a wonderful idea?”

“A ball? No!”

“You’ll wear the clothes I pick out for you, won’t you? Pretty please? They’ll be so cute on you!”

“Listen, I don’t want to-!” She let him go and turned around, ignoring his protests.

“And of course I’ll be dressed for the night as well! And (Y/n), if I can find her!” Sebastian smiled innocently.

“Leave that to me, Lady Elizabeth.”

“Oh perfect!” She ran right up to Grell. “You come with me! I want to make you even cuter than you already are!” She dragged Grell out by the noose still wrapped loosely around his neck, the poor man screaming his disapproval behind her. Ciel wasn’t happy either, and tried to stop her.

“Wait I said no ball!”

The door slammed shut.

***

Sebastian sauntered down the long hallway with a carefree smile. If he could, he would’ve been whistling a little tune as he did so, but that would ruin his plan. His shoes clicking on the floor was the only sound to be heard, finally stopping when he found the particular room he was searching for. The noise ceased for a painstakingly long minute, until he slowly opened the door. The sight of your empty room greeting him.

“My lady, where are you?” He dragged out every syllable like he was talking to a child, as he stepped inside and glanced around. “Hmm.” His crimson eyes locked on the closet, and a new devilish smirk adorned his features. With slow strides, he walked to the door and opened it up. Your normal wardrobe was all there, hanging up, but this was not what he was focused on. Above your clothes was a shelf that spanned the entire closet, mostly enveloped in shadows due to the ceiling. Some bundles of blankets covered what could be seen, but when he pulled one particular blanket off the corner, you were revealed huddled against the wall. “There you are.”

“Shh! Please just go away.”

“But Lady Elizabeth requests your presence. It’s been so long since she’s seen her dear cousin, and she only wishes to dress you up for the ball tonight.”

“Come on, what do you- wait, did you just say ball!?”

“Correct. Lady Elizabeth wishes to hold a ball here tonight.”

“What!? Ciel didn’t do anything to stop her?”

“You know Lady Elizabeth. She doesn’t exactly listen to reason.” You groaned.

“Some fiancée he is, can’t even stop her from doing something ridiculous.” Sighing, you placed your hand on your head, a headache forming. “There’s no way I’m gonna be a part of this.”

“But she only wants to dress you up to dance and have fun. There’s no harm there.” You frowned at his sarcasm.

“What do you want?” He gasped dramatically and gave you a faux pouty face.

“Are you trying to insinuate that I would blackmail you for protection against your cousin?”

“Yes. Yes I am.”

“How dreadful for you to think so lowly of me.”

“Sebastian, please not now. Look, if you don’t tell Lizzy where I am, I’ll do whatever you ask for the rest of the week.”

“Really? Such a tempting offer. But should I really accept? I wouldn’t want to disappoint the lady-”

“Two weeks.”

“Now that certainly sounds promising, but is it enough to-”

“No questions, no complaints, no refusals the entire time. Just please, don’t tell her where I am.”

“Hmm, well… alright. I’ll accept.” He handed you back the blanket, and began to walk off. Before you could cover yourself once more, he glanced at you over his shoulder. “Oh, I almost forgot, the young master wanted to see you too. But I don’t believe he wouldn’t have been able to if Lady Elizabeth was playing dress-up with you. So to fulfill his order, I was going to hide you anyway, but thank you for your promise nonetheless.”

“God dammit Sebas-!”

“Is that my darling cousin I hear?” You immediately shut your mouth. Unfortunately, you could do nothing more but cover yourself up, unable to dish Sebastian out, which made the demon butler’s smirk widen. Just as you finished covering your hiding spot once more, Lizzy barged into the room. “Are you playing hide-and-see- oh! Hello again, Sebastian. Is (Y/n) in here by any chance?”

“I’m afraid not. I’ve already searched the entire room.” She frowned, disappointed once more.

“Awe. Where could she be?”

“I don’t believe she’s anywhere upstairs, but perhaps she’s in the library.”

“Of course! She always did love books. Don’t trouble yourself, I’ll go surprise her!” She started running out of the room, waving to the butler as she exited. “Thanks Sebastian!”

“It’s no trouble.” When she was out of earshot, he turned back to the closet. “You can come out now.” You pushed away the blanket, crawled out from the shelf and hopped down, glaring at the demon butler as you crossed your arms.

“Are you happy with yourself?”

“Extremely.”

“Didn’t know demons could feel happiness.” Sarcasm dripped from your tone, which made him chuckle.

“Now that Lady Elizabeth has been sent on a wild goose chase, the young master would still like to see you.”

“I know I know, I’m going. Let’s hurry before Lizzy realizes I’m not actually in the library.”

“First I have to go get the teacart. It’s time for the master’s afternoon tea.”

“…You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

***

Ciel sat with his arms folded and head down on his desk, completely frustrated at his careless fiancée. He didn’t even move when he heard the door open and close in a near panic, knowing already who it was.

“Wew. That was a close one.” Sebastian rolled the tea inside as you made your way over to the desk. “So, why did she suddenly show up like that? Does Auntie know?” Ciel groaned.

“No. She snuck out.”

“Won’t she get in trouble?”

“She’s not concerned about it. She said she only wanted to see us.”

“Ugh, great. And what’s this about a ball?”

“It’s not as if I could stop her. You know how she is, once she gets an idea, she won’t stop until she gets what she wants.”

“Yeah I know. Well, there’s clearly only one solution to this matter.”

“And what is that?”

“We pack up in secret and move to China.” That got Sebastian to chuckle.

“(Y/n).”

“No, I’m serious.”

“We can’t just move to China.”

“Yes we can. Lau can get us there, he’s got a boat and everything! We hide out there for a few weeks, get fake names, all the good stuff, until Lizzy gives up this ball nonsense and goes home.”

“We’re not moving to China.”

“Fine. Suit yourself.” Sebastian poured your exhausted brother a cup, and approached the desk.

“I believe the wisest course of action is to go along with her plan. I don’t think she’s going to listen to reason nor give up on this idea.”

“What?” You asked in disbelief. Ciel finally propped himself up so Sebastian could give him his tea.

“Can’t you just give her some tea or something and get her down from here? I don’t have time for this stupid ball.”

“China sounds real promising right about now.”

“Master, Lady Elizabeth would like a dance. You cannot refuse her. And my lady, she wants you to enjoy yourself as well.”

“Not if she shoves me in a tight knitted lung suffocating dress.”

“Is that really the only reason you can’t accept going to this ball?” Ciel merely took a sip of his tea and glanced at you, seeming to have your own silent conversation that only you could understand. Neither of you said another word. Sebastian continued to stand in front of the desk, not once taking his eyes off you both.

“Master.”

“What now?”

“I know I’ve never seen you dance before, nor you milady, but I assume that you can.” Ciel picked up a few pieces of paper, covering his face and pretending to ignore his butler. Sometimes you really knew how much of an idiot your brother was, especially since Sebastian saw right through the facade.

“We’ve… never danced before.” The demon butler lowered his head in understanding.

“Oh, I see.” He picked up a cake and began to cut it with a knowing frown adorning his features. “Well, that explains why you’re always such a wallflower at social engagements, and why you, milady, never want to attend them.”

“I have too much work to do, I don’t have time to waste on dancing.”

“And I never go because I just don’t want to. I’m not exactly a social butterfly, so it’s not like I’d ever need dancing.” Sebastian sent a small glare your way before removing the papers from Ciel’s hands and leaning in to his face.

“With all due respect, dancing is a necessary skill for someone of your position,” his eyes flickered to you, “and your stature, to possess in your line of work. Social contracts are important to maintain.” By this point, the sight of that blackberry cake made it hard for Ciel to take him seriously. Honestly, even though he had just sounded so annoyed just two seconds ago, you felt the same. It was an amusing sight. “The world expects a noble gentleman and lady to possess at least rudimentary dance skills. If you turn down too many invitations simply because you cannot dance, your reputation in high society will suffer greatly.” Ciel finally pulled himself together and shooed him away with the flick of his wrist.

“Fine, we’ll do it.”

“Wait, we-?”

“Now stop the lecture.” He took the piece of cake from Sebastian, who stood back up. “Call us in a private tutor or something.”

“Us?”

“Mrs. Bright or Mrs. Rodkin should work well enough.”

“Hold on, I didn’t consent-!” Sebastian ignored you and instead took out his pocket watch.

“We don’t have sufficient time to call in a tutor for you both, my lord. There’s only one option.” The room resounded with a snap of his watch. Sebastian placed his hand on his heart and smiled. “With your permission, I will be your dance instructor.” Your eyes practically bulged out of your sockets and a blush overcame your face.

“What? There is no way we’re dancing with you. Besides the fact that it would be weird as hell, I don’t even think we fit the height requirement for you.”

“Do you even know how to dance?” Ciel asked accusingly, which caused the butler to smile with pride.

“The Viennese Waltz is my specialty. I was a guest at the Schonbrunn palace in Vienna from time to time.” A smile overtook your countenance, momentarily forgetting your dancing predicament.

“Wow, did you really know the Habsburgs?”

“Yes, I was acquainted with Emperor Charles V.”

“That’s so cool.”

“Now then.” The tall male stepped in front of you, and held out his hand. “If you would do me the honor, my lady. May I have this dance?” Your cheeks flushed at the sudden invitation, and you crossed your arms in defiance.

“No way.”

“Perhaps I should remind you of the deal you made? No questions, no complaints, no refusals.”

“…crap.” You groaned, but nonetheless, reluctantly took the demon’s hand. Ciel didn’t have to think too hard to know what had happened.

“Lizzy?”

“Lizzy.” Ciel nodded in understanding, knowing that his butler must’ve agreed to hide you. However, he would have to ask about this ‘deal’s’ conditions; God only knows what you would do to get away from Lizzy. Right now, though, this was just too good to see you so embarrassed, even if his sister was about to dance with his butler. “I’m warning you, you’re going to get your feet stepped on a lot, and not all of it will be on purpose.”

“That is the point of teaching, my lady. Besides, I don’t mind, even if it is on purpose.” More heat rushed to your cheeks, especially when he placed his hand on your waist. “The gentleman will always place his hand firmly on your back, and you will place your hand on his shoulder.” It was a bit of a stretch, quite literally, but you somehow managed to do it.

“This is ridiculous.”

“Don’t be so shy. Now, let the gentleman lead, and you follow.” Sebastian slowly began to move, and you tried to match his movements, watching your feet to make sure you did your best not to step on his. Despite how much you wanted to stomp on him, you figured this would be over the sooner you succeeded. “Look up. Don’t think about stepping on my feet. Just follow the sway of the music.” You begrudgingly complied, and you came face to face with his devilish smile. So far, you had no stumbled too much. “Not bad. You’re a natural at dancing, my lady.”

“Don’t speak too soon- woah!” He caught you off guard by giving you a twirl.

“I believe I haven’t told a lie yet.” You frowned, but continued on until he was done showing you everything. “Now the gentleman bows and the lady curtsies.” He bowed, and his eyes flickered up to yours, waiting. Begrudgingly, you sighed and pretended to curtsy. You would’ve bowed, but your deal prevented you from going against what he wanted. Satisfied, he rose and stepped off to the side.

“Now, for the young master’s turn.” You snickered.

“Ha, now you have to dance with Sebastian.”

“Actually, he will be dancing with you, my lady.”

“What?” Both you and Ciel answered simultaneously. You vehemently shook your head.

“No way.”

“You’re a lady who now knows how to dance, so you’re the ideal practice partner. Unless the young master would prefer me as his partner-”

“That won’t be necessary.” Ciel abruptly stood up from his desk, cheeks flushed bright red, and made his way around to you. “I refuse to take dancing lessons with a man.”

“Come on Ciel, reconsider-”

“Let’s just get this over with.” His hushed voice silenced you. Never had you seen him so embarrassed before in your life, which, if not for the circumstances, you would’ve been laughing at.

“Let’s begin. To lead, you start the first step on your heel. Be sure to keep your hand firmly upon the lady’s back.” Reluctantly, Ciel brought his hand up to the small of your back, and his other held your hand, just as Sebastian had done with you. He could barely look you in the eye as he did so, and neither could you. “When the music starts, lead with the left foot. Now.” Thus he began. Ciel took you step by step, and you followed. Even when he accidentally stepped on your foot, causing his blush to darken.

“Sorry.” He whispered, still taking you through the dance.

“It’s fine.”

“Next, we’ll try a natural turn.” As he commanded, you helped Ciel with the move, which Sebastian had done with you. He was almost overwhelmed, but he managed to compose himself. “Slide your foot forward.” When he tried, he ended up colliding into your leg and fell forward. Right into your chest. Immediately you pushed him off, blushes decorating both your already flustered cheeks. Sebastian glared down at Ciel in a criticizing manner, though his master was too busy being embarrassed to bother noticing. Despite how utterly amusing this scene would normally be, the butler sighed out of frustration. “Your natural ability for dancing isn’t so much lacking as it is nonexistent, my lord. It is a wonder you and the young lady are related-” Ciel sent Sebastian a ferocious glare, all traces of embarrassment vanishing instantly, effectively silencing the butler.

The entire room became engulfed in tense silence, and the playful smirk Sebastian still sported made it even worse. Not once did either party falter in their dispositions. A silent message seemed to be exchanged between the two males, and you stared confusedly between the two, wondering what this was about. On the surface, it appeared Ciel couldn’t handle the insult well, though you had a feeling it was something else. Much darker than mere sensitivity. Eventually, Ciel broke the intense eye contact, and averted his gaze to the window. “Nevertheless, you cannot simply cling for dear life on your dance partner.”

“It’s hard to concentrate when it’s my sister who is my partner.” You ignored the glare he sent Sebastian’s way again as he said your title, and crossed your arms.

“I’m just going to assume that’s not an insult.” The butler approached Ciel’s still raging form and pinched his cheek, raising it up into a forced smile.

“Most importantly, you need to wipe that gloomy look off of your face. The lady will take it as an insult.” You snickered, causing Ciel to glare at you now, before Sebastian pinched the other cheek. “Now, let’s have a smile. Pretend that it’s fun.”

“Let me go!” Ciel smacked his butler’s gloved hands away. The outburst not only startled you, but Sebastian as well.

“Master.”

“Calm down Ciel, he’s just messing around.” Your brother gave no response, instead turning his back on you both.

“I can’t smile.” The sudden serious tone made you freeze. He was gazing down at his hands, so you couldn’t see the way he fiddled with his ring. “I’ve forgotten how.” Briefly, he paused, but you dared not interrupt. “I don’t know how to pretend like I’m having fun. Not anymore.” For a moment, you were totally still, staring at Ciel in shock. He was so vulnerable, so weak. The walls he had built up were beginning to rot, crumbling away, despite in the presence of Sebastian. Perhaps earlier, with the boy, had gotten to him more than you thought. His thoughts must’ve returned back to the fire that took everything way; you could tell it was still burning in his head. It raged in every memory he had of your parents, from the happiest moment to that fateful night. Forever inflamed to curse his conscience for the rest of his life. Just as it did with you.

His thoughts threatened to drown him, drag him back into a dark abyss, one of hatred and self loathing. However, your ringed hand placed itself over his own, bringing him out of that threatening darkness. He looked up into your empathetic (e/c) orbs, shining with a happiness he had been astounded had never disappeared from your childhood. The ring on your own finger, identical to his, meant more than a normal comforting touch. It represented that you had faced the same hardships as he. You had lived through horrors a child never should have, yet you still remembered how to be happy. Unlike him.

“It’s easier to smile than to frown, you know.” As if to prove it to him, you were giving him the gentlest smile you could muster. “Madame Red told me that, and it’s true.” How on earth you didn’t end up like him was astounding, yet a miracle. Only for you, he let his lips twinge up into the slightest smile, one that the untrained eye would never catch. Except for you. Your smile brightened when you noticed his. “C’mon. Let’s make Lizzy happy.”

***

Grell stood in front of the full body mirror set in the midst of the ghastly decorated room, his own wretched reflection greeting him back.

“How… awful!” His eyes lingered on the bunches of sky blue fabric that adorned his dress, then over to the two bows tied in the center, to the choker tied around his neck replacing the noose that had been there earlier, and finally to the pink flowers tied with a sky blue sash in his hair. “This is the most humiliating outfit ever!” Baldroy, dressed in a pink school girl’s outfit, complete with a curly brown haired wig, patted his shoulder knowingly, suffering from the same fate himself.

“Think you’re going to have to make peace with it.” Finny and Tanaka stood behind Baldroy for support, also dressed in nightmarish outfits. The former wore a cat maid’s dress, complete with ears and even a bell, while the latter bore a princess’s outfit. However, this did nothing to help poor Grell’s disgust, once again cringing at his own appearance.

“This dress, it’s atrocious. So white and girly and frilly.” He was nearly in tears as he looked up to the ceiling and clasped his hands together in a dream-like fashion. “If I have to dress up, why can’t it be in a sexy shade of red with a waist line that would flatter my figure?” That was definitely not what they expected. Baldroy was most taken aback, as he gaped at the whining man.

“That’s your problem with it!?”

“I can’t live with a shame as deep as this!” With his dress in his hands, the display as he ran made it like he had wings, flying to the nearest window. Without hesitation, he opened it up and began to climb out. “No! I’d rather die!” The other three did nothing, only watching from afar the dramatic scene unfold. Baldroy had his hand on his hip and Finny had his arms casually behind his head, waiting for the Grell to actually carry through with his self-served death sentence. Realizing that they made no move to stop him, Grell timidly turned around, looking at the servants as if expecting them to do something. “Eh, you… aren’t going to try to stop me this time?” The two males frowned.

Off to the side, Lizzy had taken up use of the mirror Grell had just moments ago, admiring her red dress that Mey-Rin was tending to.

“Blue is definitely Ciel’s color, it would look so good on him. You should see it! Once I found them I got them today in London. They’re great! He’ll look dashing!” Once Mey-Rin finished tying the band around her head, she backed away, allowing Lizzy to turn around and face her. “Now time to get you dressed up. I’ll make you look SO adorable!” She went to reach for Mey-Rin’s glasses, but the servant grabbed them and squealed, running backwards to avoid the lady’s reach.

“I’m really far-sighted! I can’t see anything without me glasses milady!” Lizzy merely rushed back over to her with a bubbly smile.

“You don’t have to see a ball to have fun! Now hand those over silly!” Mey-Rin squealed again as the energetic lady began grab at her glasses. The poor servant’s grip tightened around them as they were attempted to be pulled from her face.

“No, no, no, please!”

“Leave her alone.”

“Yeah, stop bothering the poor girl, Liz.” Both girls immediately stopped before turning their attention to the top of the stairs where those familiar voices came from. Ciel stood at the top, donned in a dashing noble blue suit. Sebastian and you were behind him as his entourage, the former holding his master’s walking stick. With a regality unmatched, Ciel began to descend the stairs, with you and his butler in tow.

“Ciel! You look adorable!” As your brother descended the last step, Lizzy smothered him in a hug and twirled him round and round, earning a low snicker from you. “That outfit is absolutely perfect!” When she brought him back to his feet, she let go of his now dizzy form to gaze at you. “And (Y/n)’s here too!”

“Hey Liz-” You grunted as your cousin pulled you into a bone crushing embrace.

“Oh it’s been so long! I’ve missed you so so much!” She began spinning you around now, and when you passed Ciel and Sebastian, they were both smirking at your discomfort. Unfortunately, you could do nothing about it, but smile at the one who was trapping you.

“I missed you too, Liz.”

“Where have you been all day? I was looking all over for you!”

“Oh, uh, I was planning on surprising you at the ball.”

“But you’re not wearing a dress! I was going to give you to wear. You would’ve looked so pretty!”

“Really? I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” You lied through your teeth effortlessly, which only went unnoticed by your naïve cousin. Sebastian glanced down at you and raised a knowing brow, reminding you of his dastardly trick from earlier. You gave a quick glare back before turning back to Lizzy, who was looking dejectedly down at the floor. Before you could try and comfort her, she perked right up, startling you.

“That’s okay! As long as you’re here, we can all still enjoy the ball together.” You mentally sighed, relieved that for once she put the dream of finally putting you in a dress aside. “Come, let’s dance!” She grabbed Ciel’s hands again, about to start the ball, when she happened to peer down at the heirloom ring on his thumb. Her normal cheery countenance dropped into rage as she held up his hand to his face.

“Ciel, why aren’t you wearing the ring I brought you? It matches your clothing perfectly! Now where did it go?” Ciel abruptly turned his head to the side and snatched his hand from her grasp.

“The ring I already have on will work.” Clearly, she didn’t like that response.

“No! I went to so much trouble and that thing isn’t cute at all!” She turned and collapsed onto her knees, bawling her eyes out. The overdramatic display caused Ciel to deadpan. “Why wouldn’t you wear the ring I picked out especially for you! You’re so cruel! I just want everything to be perfect for our lovely…”

“That’s not it. Lizzy, this ring is-” Suddenly, she got a gleam in her eyes.

“Ha! Fooled you!” Ciel didn’t have to react as she jumped to her feet and snatched the ring from him. “It’s mine now!” Furious rage silently boiled within him as he stepped forward.

“Lizzy.” Unfortunately, she missed the threatening tone he spewed and held the ring up to her eye. Recognizing it instantly, as well as the significant importance of that ring and what the consequences may be if anything happened to it, you tried to talk some sense into her.

“Liz, seriously you shouldn’t mess around with it. That ring’s-” But she wouldn’t listen.

“This is far too big, the one I bought will fit perfectly. Just put it on-”

“Give it back!” Nearly everyone went as rigid as a statue at the harsh shout one would never expect to come from Ciel. But none more so than Lizzy. She was completely distraught, and it only increased as he slowly held out his hand, demandingly. “Give me that ring. Now, Elizabeth.” You remained silent, not wishing this time to interfere. It was not your place to work this out between them.

“Why are you so angry? I… just wanted…” When she refused to give him the ring, his blue eye narrowed and his lips curled into a snarl. It terrified your poor cousin, who took a step back out of fear. “What’s wrong? I just wanted to make everything look adorable, that’s all. So why…” She dipped her head, a swirl of emotions going through her head. “Why are you so angry?” Tears of not only sadness, but rage, poured down her cheeks, and she raised her hand. “I hate this ring! Take it!” Time seemed to freeze. From the moment Lizzy threw it to the floor, to the shatter that followed as soon as it made impact, breaking more and more with each bounce, each frame passed by exceedingly slow. It took a moment for the shock to settle in.

Then Ciel lost it.

In a matter of seconds he ran up to his fiancée, who cowered before the sight of his hand was raised, ready to strike her. But the blow never came. Ciel tensed, before looking to see Sebastian, his gloved hand around his wrist, red eyes boring down at him.

“Master.” Hot air tickled his neck as his butler spoke in a low tone, not missing the underlying warning in it. Sebastian wrapped his other arm holding the walking stick around Ciel, his voice now much more chipper. “You forgot the walking stick we went through so much trouble to get.” Your brother barely registered taking the stick, keeping his gaze locked onto his broken ring in a seemingly traumatized state. He was panting, staring at its shattered remains with a far off look, rage still ever present.

Lizzy still trembled in fear, and she looked up to meet your gaze. It held neither sympathy nor apathy, as you too stared at Ciel’s broken ring in thought. Though it wasn’t yours, it was still a precious heirloom, one of the last tangible objects connected to your late parents. But unlike Ciel, you recognized that Lizzy had no idea about its true value to you both; though that still didn’t excuse her brattish behavior. Realizing that she would not receive help, your unfortunate cousin began to cry once more.

Sebastian stepped around Ciel and stood before her. With a smile that appeared caring to the untrained eye, he placed a hand over his heart and spoke in a gentle tone that made Lizzy stop crying.

“Forgive my master Lady Elizabeth, but that ring was something very important to him. It’s a precious heirloom passed down to the head of the Phantomhive family. He’s grown quite attached to it; it’s truly one of a kind.” Lizzy gasped out of shock, finally realizing the true extent of what she had done. “Please try to understand why this upset him.”

“I-It was that important? And I destroyed it?” Her voice was barely a whisper, but it reached everyone’s ears. Ciel paid no mind to it, instead picking up the broken ring. He stared at it for a moment, before walking off to the open window, Lizzy following his every movement. “Ciel, please I…!” There was no answer as he stared out at the tranquil woods surrounding the manor. Without a word, he flung the ring straight out the window, earning a collective gasp from the servants as well as yourself. Lizzy instantly ran over to the window as he began to walk away. “Ciel, wait! What are you doing!?” She leaned outside, desperately trying to search for it. He seemed to have thrown his sentiment for it out as well, for he did not share any concern for it anymore, only glancing over his shoulder to look at his distressed fiancée.

“It doesn’t matter. It was nothing but an old ring, after all.” He took a few more steps towards the center of the room. “Even without it…” He halted as he stood in front of everyone, before slamming his walking stick to the ground. “I’m still the head of the Phantomhives, and that won’t change.” It was Sebastian’s turn to be amazed now. His red orbs widened, as a silence overtook the floor. Such inner strength he never thought would be exposed. It made him smirk, and even you smile, though you both had different reasons for such. Lizzy, however, still was upset, and seeing this, Ciel approached her. “How long are you going to cry?”

“I-I’m so sorry.” She sniffled, matching his gaze with her tear filled eyes. The young lord put his top back on and took out a handkerchief, rubbing the tears and the snot away from her face.

“Your face is a mess. Completely unsuitable for a lady.” As she blew into the cloth, he smiled, an actual smile. “How could I possibly ask a lady with a runny nose and puffy eyes to dance?” At this she quieted down and peered up at him with wide surprised green eyes.

“To dance?” Low staccatos suddenly flowed smoothly throughout the room, and the two turned around to the origin of the music. You and Sebastian stood on the railing, Sebastian on the violin, taking the lead with a waltz melody, and you on the viola playing a low harmony to accompany him. The servants stared up at you in amazement.

“They’re incredible!” Mey-Rin praised.

“I knew (N/n) played the viola, but Sebastian plays the violin too! Is there nothing they can’t do?” Grell couldn’t help the growing grin now adorning his features.

“Ah! I’ll join them!” He picked up the ends of his dress and ran over to the base of the stairs, where he began to sing a surprisingly beautiful baritone melody that matched Sebastian’s. Not only were you caught off guard, nearly messing up your notes, but the others were as well.

“What the hell!?” Baldroy yelled. “He can actually sing!?” While Lizzy was paying attention to the music, Ciel held out his hand for her to take.

“So then, we are agreed. We’ll forget our cares and dance the night away. It’s decided.” She couldn’t help the wide smile overcome her face. Gently, she placed her hand in his. The princess was finally getting her dance with her prince charming; it was like a dream come true.

“Yes.” Off they danced to their heart’s content.

Watching from afar, you couldn’t but smile as you continued to play. Ciel actually seemed to be having fun, even if he only was faking it. Seeing him like this brought up memories, ones you had thought were lost long ago, and that you would never see again.

As your part closed, you lowered your bow and your instrument to your side, admiring the couple from above. Until you felt a tap on your foot. You glanced down, only to see Finny, cat suit and all, holding out his hand.

“May I have this dance? That is, if you don’t mind having it with a cat maid.” He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head with his other hand, embarrassed beyond all belief. You couldn’t imagine having to wear that thing, but all in all, he actually looked pretty cute. You giggled, causing your flustered friend to blush more.

“I’d be flattered, my dear cat sir.” You looked over at Sebastian, silently asking permission to leave your instrumental post. He gave a nod of approval, then proceeded to play your next harmony part along with his melody. You set your viola and bow on the stairs, then hopped down and took your best friend’s hand in your own. Effortlessly, he began to lead you through the dance. His movements were smooth, and not once did he miss the beat, even as you twirled. He didn’t even step on your feet. “Wow, you’re great at this. Where’d you learn to dance, Fin?” He couldn’t hide the blush that rose.

“I haven’t had much practice, but Lady Elizabeth taught me earlier, and the others too. This is actually my first real dance.” He expected you to be unimpressed, disappointed even; he was surprised you actually wanted to dance with him at all. You were a noble, so you must’ve had far more experience and much more talent than he did. But surprise overtook him as he found you laughing. When you finally calmed down, you explained your situation.

“I only learned today too! Sebastian taught me. Ciel too.” He almost stopped dancing, completely caught off guard.

“Wow, even Master Ciel?” You nodded, laughing at his surprised expression. Coupled with the cat outfit, it was almost too much for you. To make it more hilarious, you leaned in to whisper in his ear.

“Just between you and me, he was definitely not the best student.” This time he laughed along with you. When you both settled down, Finny couldn’t help but notice the blush slowly rising to your cheeks. “This is also my first dance too. Heh, I guess it’ll be pretty memorable, huh?” You held up a piece of his dress to prove your point, making his cheeks redden more. He was about to respond, when something bumped into his leg, startling him. You both stopped moving to look at what the cause was, only to smile down at a familiar… well, almost familiar, face. “Oh, hello Tanaka. Wanna dance with us?”

“Ho ho!” Finny let go of your hand so that he could grab the older butler’s and pull him closer to you both. You grabbed Tanaka’s other hand, and along with Finny, hoisted him into the air. All three of you laughed as you danced round and round, having the best of times, despite the boys dressed in their silly costumes. Occasionally, you switched partners between Finny and Baldroy, who also wanted a dance with you. Everyone was laughing and having fun, enjoying each other’s company.

Like a fairytale, you danced the night away.

***

Crickets chirped in the grass around you as stars twinkled in the night sky. Lizzy’s soft snores joined the symphony of nightly noises, long having fallen asleep from the exciting night. A red blanket covered her unconscious, happy form lying in the carriage.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure she gets home safely. You can count on me.” Grell assured. Doubtful, Baldroy placed his hands on his hips.

“Are you sure?” The clumsy butler smiled confidently and placed his hand over his heart.

“Indeed, I’m more deadly efficient than I appear.” He now approached Sebastian, taking his gloved hand into his own. The demon didn’t appear to enjoy the contact, but bared with it nonetheless. “Thank you so much Sebastian. I’m in your debt; you’ve taught me a lot about what it means to be a butler.” He dreamily closed his eyes and let go of the butler’s hand, who pulled it swiftly back to his side. “They say before someone dies, his life flashes before him. And I know that when I see the light of death, this momentous evening will appear to me in my dying vision.” Sebastian’s eyes narrowed and his lips pulled down into an uncharacteristic frown.

“Hm. Interesting that you would say that.” The other servants cringed, remembering the many overdramatic attempts at suicide that the displeasure of dealing with earlier that day.

“That’s true. He hasn’t been very good at dying so far, has he?” Mey-Rin joked. You, on the other hand, had a feeling Sebastian wasn’t referring to the numerous close calls with death. No, it was something else. Something that Sebastian wasn’t telling you, and probably wouldn’t even if you prodded.

“Ho ho ho ho.” It wasn’t long before Grell was off, the neighing of the horses fading the farther they trotted down the lighted path to the main road. Giving your limbs a good pop, you yawned.

“Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m tired. We’re gonna need a lot of sleep after this.” Baldroy yawned too, probably even more exhausted than you from having to deal with Lizzy all day.

“(Y/n)’s right. After this nightmare, I’m ready to hit the hay.”

“I thought the dancing was wonderful, yes I did!” You hummed in agreement, though the memory of all that pink… it still haunted you.

“Except the decorations still hurt my eyes.”

“Well at least you didn’t have to wear some ridiculous outfit.”

“I could’ve hidden you Bard, but you never asked.” The man threw his hands up in exasperation.

“That’s because you were gone before we could!”

“You’ve just gotta be quicker than that. Besides, you boys looked so cute in those outfits. Don’t you agree, Mey-Rin?”

“They were absolutely adorable!” Both boys blushed.

“Like (N/n) said, it was a memorable first dance.”

“That’s the spirit, Fin!” Baldroy crossed his arms.

“Whatever. I’m going to bed.” He swiftly turned around and began to trudge into the mansion.

“Right behind you big guy.” You caught up to your friend, followed closely by Finny and Mey-Rin. “In the morning, we should burn all the decorations down with your flamethrower, Bard.”

“(Y/n), don’t you dare burn down my mansion.”

“Relax, Ciel. I was thinking we drag everything outside. We’ll have a perfectly good bonfire and everything!”

“The answer is still no.” You smirked.

“But I never asked, did I?”

“(Y/n).”

“Fine, fine. I won’t give you a heart attack this time.” Ciel sighed heavily, rubbing his temples out of frustration as he watched his sister disappear inside the manor. God could you be a pain sometimes.

“I think I’m ready for bed too.”

“Of course, my lord.” Up ahead, though muffled by distance, Finny’s voice cut through the silent night. Whatever he said, it made you laugh, and Ciel twitched in irritation, which Sebastian took notice of with amusement. Mischief twinkled in his red orbs, as an idea formed in his head. “Tonight was a success. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Including Lady (Y/n) and her dance partner.” Ciel’s tired glare shifted dangerously to his butler.

“I noticed. I found it concerning, especially considering how close they’ve become.” His uncovered eye locked with the pair up ahead, narrowing as he watched you converse. “Keep an eye on them from now on.” Sebastian’s smirk widened.

“With pleasure, my lord.”

***

“It’s finally over. What a horrible day it’s been.” Exhaustion was evident in Ciel’s unusually quiet voice.

“So then why aren’t you in your own bed?” You placed your hands on your hips, which was covered by your knee-length white nightgown. Ciel wore his own matching white nightshirt and pants, ready for bed as well. Except he was sitting at the edge of yours. He merely smirked.

“Do you have something against sharing a bed with your brother? I recall doing that many times when we were younger.” Rolling your eyes, you climbed into bed and sat next to him. Though, despite your annoyance, you couldn’t help but flash him a smile.

“Yes, but we’ve grown up so much since then, haven’t we. I mean, we learned how to dance today, and you had one with your fiancée.”

“Don’t remind me.”

“You seemed to be enjoying yourself there for awhile, my lord.” Sebastian commented as he set down a candelabra on your nightstand. You snickered at the memory of their happy faces.

“Yes, Mr. I forgot how to smile and Mr. throws your important ring out the window. That entire show practically radiated with enjoyment.” Ciel’s gaze lowered to the ground, and he rubbed his thumb that once held his precious heirloom.

“Don’t be so foolish.” Sebastian frowned.

“Are we the fools here?” Ciel refused to respond, too deep in thought. Sensing his own darkness, you grabbed his right hand with your own and smiled, as Sebastian knelt before him and took his other hand with his. “I know the importance of this ring, and yet you put on that act for Lady Elizbeth.” When he took his hands away, the ring that was once smashed out of hatred, was now in one piece, back in its rightful place on its owner’s thumb. Ciel gasped.

“Surprise!” He was absolutely speechless as he stared into your cheery eyes. “I might’ve taken a break to go and retrieve it while Sebastian was performing, but he did all the hard work.”

“If I couldn’t do this much for my master, well, then what kind of a butler would I be?” His then voice lowered to a near whisper. “But you should take care. It is precious, this ring. It has seen so much.” Ciel’s forlorn gaze on his fixed ring made your own eyes lower, and your hand inch towards his, ready to offer comfort.

“That is true. It’s always there.” He gently grabbed your fingers. “These rings have seen the deaths of many masters. Our grandfather. Our father. And eventually these rings will witness our own deaths as well.” He closed his eyes. “It’s heard the dying screams of the Phantomhive family for generation upon generation.” His hands traveled up to the sides of his face, and his voice began to quiver. “I close my eyes, and I hear them too. Voices echoing in my head.” They traveled back down his sides, and up to his knees as he pulled them into his chest. Saddened half blue half covered orbs gazed at the floor. “If I throw the ring away, I won’t have to listen to the screaming anymore. At least that’s what I believed.” He closed his eyes once more, and a small shaken smile tugged at his lips. “Ridiculous, yes?” You couldn’t take it anymore. His body tensed as you rested your head against his shoulder.

“Ciel. If anything, it’s seen more life than death.” His eye widened, staring down at your tired form in utter shock. “These rings have witnessed not only our ancestors’ deaths, but their entire lives, and if I’m not mistaken, their lives lasted much longer than their deaths.” Your tired lids began to close, and a yawn escaped your lips. Still, you were conscious enough to grab onto his ringed hand with your own. “Perhaps you should listen past what you hear as death, and listen for the sound of their life, and how great they lived it, even with all the hardships they faced.” His breath hitched as his entire body was frozen.

In that very moment, the screaming he had heard not moments ago stopped. As if they were but ghosts of a distant memory. And all because of your wisdom that was beyond your years. Just like so many times before, you saved him from the darkness that threatened to pull him deep within its grasp. The corners of his lips twitched up into the smallest smile he could muster. This time, it was genuine. Only for you could he remember to smile like this. Truly, you never did cease to amaze him.

“May I stay here, until you fall asleep?” Half asleep, you chuckled.

“Showing weakness? In front of Sebastian, no less?” You could feel him tense under your head, and for a moment, he said nothing. Until he relaxed some.

“Just a simple request. Don’t read into it.” Yawning, you gave your answer with a smile.

“Of course, brother. You can stay.” As Ciel ran a hand through your (h/c) locks, your eyes tightly shut. But you didn’t fall asleep. Instead, you remained awake to enjoy the tender moment that didn’t come too much anymore. In your soothing comfort, you couldn’t help but speak your mind. “You shouldn’t be so afraid to show weakness, despite your circumstances.” Your voice was but a whisper, yet it reached Ciel’s ears like the loudest sigh. “We all have weaknesses, even me. It’s what makes us human. You can’t avoid it, brother, no matter how hard you try. It’s not worth it, trying to hide it. Even Sebastian has a weakness, though if we searched our entire lives we would never be able to figure it out. Not like it matters anyway. Still, don’t be afraid of weakness. Being scared is natural; it’s nothing to be ashamed about because we all have it.” Nestling further into his shoulder, you began to drift off. “Goodnight, Ciel.” As he felt you succumb to slumber, a content feeling washed over him. He brushed some stray strands of hair out of your face, admiring the peace he himself could never achieve.

“Idiot. You’re my weakness.” Every word you had spoken, he had taken to heart. Wounds that had been there for a long time, finally felt like they were starting to be healed. But not all of them. He touched his forehead to yours. “As long as I’m alive and head of the Phantomhives, I won’t let anything happen to you.” He gripped your ringed hand tighter, careful not to disturb you. “I promise.”

Sebastian smirked at the affectionate display. It had certainly been a long day for everyone, and his master had again and again reaffirmed his strength. His assertion of his title earlier, and now his possessive claim over his sister. Normally, such a weakness would make the demon sever the contract, but the pure determination to protect his sister fueled his corrupted soul as much as his thirst for revenge. It was invigorating to say the least, and it fueled Sebastian’s own desire to satiate his starvation. He had to stop the chuckle that nearly bubbled in his throat. Instead, his crimson orbs flickered to the window, staring up at the nightly sky.

“My, how high the moon has risen. You must get some rest, then. Don’t want to make yourself ill, do you?” Ciel refused to make eye contact as he twirled a piece of your hair between his fingers, before letting it fall back against your head.

“Yes. Let’s leave then.” Gently, he laid you down on your side, making sure your head rested on your pillow. He hopped down off the bed as quietly as he could, taking extra care not to wake you, before pulling the blankets over your unconscious body.

Sebastian’s gaze once more landed on your form, as he watched his master’s delicate care. Such a small little creature; it was surprising that such a little thing possessed so much wisdom, so much insight on the world. Your very life was well understood by you, and as you said, you were only human; even your faults you recognized quite well, and unlike most of your species, you weren’t afraid to admit them. In fact, you embraced them. You had even seen some truth with his own existence, though you didn’t voice this to taunt him. You were merely stating a fact, one that almost all humans failed to see. How you, a child, possessed such philosophical intuition was beyond him. Perhaps that was why he liked you so much. Your comprehension of the world was intriguing, aligning to his own and yet not at the same time. It allowed to think, say, and do things most mortals could not achieve. Heedless to say, you never failed to bring entertainment when he was around you. Even now, as you were fast asleep, he couldn’t help but be fascinated by all the potential you held within. He was so distracted, he nearly missed the command of his master. “Come, Sebastian.”

“Yes, my lord.” He watched as Ciel turned on his heel, before grabbing the candelabra he had set down earlier and following after his lord. But he couldn’t help but gaze back at you and admire your sleeping form.

Oh, what would he do without you when the contract was over. Indeed… what would he do? Again, he had to stop the chuckle that nearly escaped his throat, as he watched your chest rise and fall at a steady pace. So at peace, so at ease. Adorable. It was almost hard to look away as he followed his master to the door.

Both Ciel and Sebastian looked back at the sleeping girl, who incited different emotions within each. Your brother eventually forced himself to walk out into the hallway, but Sebastian remained. He was about to follow Ciel, but he glanced over his shoulder once more, his red orbs locked onto your form. For a split second, a flash of fuchsia shone against the darkness of the night, a predatory gleam blazing within. The demon’s smirk widened.

“Sweet dreams, my lady.”

***

Footsteps echoed throughout the otherwise quiet halls of the mansion. The flames from the candelabra guiding their way through the darkness, as master and servant walk side by side. Tense silence encompassed the halls, almost deathly so, as neither male spoke. That is, until Ciel’s voice cut through the air like a knife.

“About earlier, in my study.” Sebastian raised his brow at his young master, who glared up at him, fury dancing in his eye. “You know my orders. That little comment nearly gave it all away. Everything could’ve been ruined; she could’ve figured it out!” Sebastian merely smirked at the angry outburst, and placed his hand atop his chest.

“I apologize, sire. It was not my intention to purposefully reveal anything to her.” Ciel scoffed, knowing full well his butler was lying, though he didn’t indicate it out loud.

“Right now, she believes we are of the same blood. Damn well make sure it stays that way.” He broke eye contact, averting his gaze to the darkness ahead. “You know as well as I how intelligent she is. One slip-up, and she could put the pieces together in a heartbeat, and if that ever happens…” He couldn’t even finish his sentence. No emotions displayed in his uncovered eye as Sebastian gazed down at his master.

“Yes, my lord.” Hopefully, it never would happen. As long as Ciel lived, at least. Your wisdom from earlier demonstrated your capabilities. Truly, you were his omnipotent sister. And that’s what scared Ciel the most.

“She must never know.”

(A/N: Yay next one’s done! Wew this was a long process. Forgot almost everything after school took over my life months ago, so yeah. But, hopefully anyway, it worked out. Anyways, thank you guys for showing your support in the comments. I love reading them and how much you care about the story. I also really love the theories. It makes my day to know there are theorists for my stories out there, making theories that I actually have all the answers for… but I can’t tell you yet, that would spoil everything 😉 . You already caught a glimpse of the adopted situation, but that surface is only scratched. I have a plan for it. Also, yes, there will be much dressing in the Jack the Ripper case 😉 . Hope you guys enjoyed, it gets spicier next time. So, I’ll see y’all laters! ^_~)

  Chapter 2: His Sister, Strongest

   

“Bloody hell! This wire’s done for!” Baldroy yelled, lying upside down on the floor while holding a chewed up wire. Finny and Mey-Rin were by his side.

        “Oh, not the rats again.” The latter whined.

        “This is gettin’ ridiculous. I mean, I heard they’d been plaguing London lately, but I never expected them to be such a problem this far out in the city.” A little squeak sounded in front of them, and they looked down only to see a small rat running across the hallway.

        “AHH!!” They all jumped back.

        “Aww, he’s kinda cute.” You said as you were passing by, carrying two glasses of juice. You crouched down to the little furry creature, admiring it. All three servants gasped. 

        “What kinda talk are you talking woman??” Baldroy exclaimed, making you a little nervous.

        “It’s just a little rat, calm down.” 

        “They’re quite dirty and nasty, yes they are.” Mey-Rin said.

        “And they carry diseases, (N/N)! We can’t let it roam around the manor and have it affect you or the master!” Finny scolded. He backed away, grabbed a column with a bust on it, and lifted it over his head. “Now I’ve got you, rat!” 

        “No!” You all shouted, but it was too late, he already threw it. The column smashed the floorboards, creating a small cloud of wooden dust, while the rat jumped away unharmed. Finny sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

        “Looks like it got away, heh heh.” Baldroy glared at him.

        “What are you laughin’ for? Are you trying to kill us too, you igit!?” Tanaka merely stood off to the side, watching the ruckus that ensued.

        “Ho ho ho.” You blew some wood dust off your hair and continued walking down the corridor. You opened the door to the billard room, as a man at the pool table in the middle made his shot. The room itself was full of nobles sitting around wherever they pleased, including your brother. You gently closed the door behind you, muffling the sounds of the three servants still unsuccessfully trying to catch the rat. You rolled your eyes, smiling at their funny antics, then made your way across the dimly lit room to Ciel’s dark brown leather chair. You sat on the armrest and handed your brother his drink, all the while taking a sip of your own. 

        “Thank you (Y/N).” 

        “No problem Ciel.” Yelling still sounded on the other side of the wall, which caused the current lord at the pool table, Randall, to halt his turn. 

        “Quite a commotion going on out there. It seems you’re experiencing a rat problem as well.” You smirked.

        “Nothing that we can’t handle, of course.” Randall in turn smirked himself.

        “I wouldn’t presume otherwise.” 

        “Speaking of which, how long are you going to let the vermin run wild?” Another lord, on a green chair next to a plate of sandwiches, spoke as he chewed a bite of the sandwich in his hand. He swallowed it and began to grumble. “Filthy monsters. Someone really ought to take care of them, don’t you think?” 

        “And someone will.” Lau, a close friend of you and Ciel’s, said in a calm tone. His eyes were closed in relaxation as Ran Mao, ‘his girl’ as you liked to call her, sat on his cross legged lap, her hands on his shoulders in a seemingly seductive manner. “He is just waiting for the opportune moment.” 

        “Indeed.” Madame Red, you and Ciel’s aunt, lifted her head, her red hat revealing more of the red features of her face. Madame Red always dressed in red, as apparent by her red trench coat and hat. It never failed to compliment her short red hair and especially her unusual red eyes. She playfully smirked at the lords in the room. “He prefers to settle things with one blow.” Ciel smirked as well. “Will you pass on this turn too, Lord Phantomhive?” 

        “I’ll pass. It’s my policy not to shoot if I know that I’ll miss.” You clicked your tongue.

        “Then I’ll take it for you.” Your eyes locked with each other’s for a brief moment, a silent message passing between the two of you. Without a word, Ciel reluctantly handed you the pool stick, and you smirked as you took it. Confidently, you headed over to the pool table and began to line up your shot.

        “That’s all very well, but when will you handle the problem? I doubt you will hand your sister the reigns for that, will you.” You ignored this comment, instead focusing on your aim.

        “Anytime you like.” You shot, successfully hitting balls 2 and 5 into holes. Randall looked impressed, while Lord Vanel, a lord with long tied back blonde hair and a large scar that ran from the center of his forehead down to the middle of his left cheek, quietly scoffed, and began to line up his shot next. 

        “You’re not bad for a…” You raised a warning brow at Lord Randall, causing him to pause with a gulp and reconsider his wording, “…young lady such as yourself.” You nodded approvingly, though knowing full well what he was originally going to say, and took your seat on the armrest of Ciel’s chair once more. You handed the pool stick back to him, and once again you both exchanged glances, before staring back at Randall and teasingly smiling at him.

        “The rats will soon come looking for their forbidden cheese, and I have the key to the storehouse.” 

        “Ugh.” You saw Vanel straighten up, looking irritated down at the pool table, and you could see why. He had a bad shot.

        “Even so, locating the nest and eliminating the vermin promises to be a tedious task. You should concentrate on preparing me and my sister a suitable reward.” You smirked, as Randall’s expression fell into a frustrated one.

        “What a vulture!” Both yours and Ciel’s eyes narrowed, and traveled slowly over to him. 

        “Sir Randall.” Ciel’s voice was laced in a threatening authoritative tone. “I’d be careful how you besmear our family name.” Your eyes remained locked onto his, and his visage dropped. It was truly terrifying to see both the hardened glares of the Phantomhive siblings. On the other side of the room, Vanel laughed.

        “Ha, you’re in trouble now, Randall.” You didn’t necessarily appreciate the tone Vanel used, as it almost sounded like he was doubting you and your brother’s strength, but the joke did lift the atmosphere in the room, so you held your tongue. “What next, Lord Phantomhive?” Ciel closed his eye and stood up from his chair.

        “It’s time to put an end to this worthless game, don’t you think?” He walked over in the direction of Randall, and stopped just a few steps past him. Neither gentlemen made eye contact with the other. “How soon can you secure the payment?” 

        “Tonight, I’ll have it by then.” Ciel continued past him and seated himself on the edge of the pool table.

        “Then I’ll send a carriage for you later.” He aimed to take his shot, and smirked. “I’ll even prepare some light entertainment for you. Does that sound good?” You saw the sandwich eating noble widen his eyes, as he realized the move Ciel was about to make.

        “You passed your turn twice now, and you’re after them all in one go?” You quietly cursed Ciel, since he wouldn’t have had this opportunity if you hadn’t taken his turn for him, yet he was taking all the credit.

        “Naturally.” You rolled your eyes.

        “Careful, or your greed will undo you.” Randall warned, glaring at him. Ciel merely smiled a faux smile. He took the shot, the red ball being the first knocked into a hole, followed by the black one into another.

        “Am I undone?”

        Carriages left the manor on the stone path, and from the window in the drawing room, you watched each and every one. Those lords were either dependent pigs, overconfident jackasses, or both, and it annoyed you to have to take part in the family business today. The only reason you showed your face to them, and why Ciel allowed it, was because they knew of you too well to become irritated, or for whatever reason suspicious, if you were to carry out your usual business of helping the Phantomhive servants.

        “Your tea. We have a special Darjeeling blend to offer from Fortnum & Mason today.” Sebastian’s voice, though addressed to the entire room, drew you out of your thoughts. Everyone, except for yourself, held up their cup of tea. Lau brought his up to his nose, as well as Ran Mao.

        “Smells lovely. Tea can be excellent when made well.” Sebastian approached you next with a smirk on his face.

        “Would you like some tea, my lady.” For the second time today, you held your tongue, since you were in front of more people than just Ciel. God how you hated that nickname of his. 

        “No thank you, Sebastian, but I appreciate the offer.” Next to you, Ciel rose a brow, but didn’t question your answer. Sebastian’s smirk remained, as he already knew you would refuse his offer, just like every other time. You never took anything he would prepare for you; he wasn’t your butler or your servant, so it wouldn’t feel right. He knew your view on this, but he always persisted, probably on orders or to purposefully annoy you, or both. Whatever the reason he pulled his shenanigans was, he moved on nonetheless, pouring some more tea for one of the other guests. Out of the corners of your eye, you noticed a distance behind Sebastian Madame Red’s butler, Grell, admiring him. 

        “Grell.” The lady called sternly.

        “Ah yes, my lady.” She fixed him with a scolding glare.

        “Learn something from Sebastian.” Grell’s worry formed into a sad frown, and he looked down at the floor dejectedly.

        “Uh, yes.” He sounded so sad, and you felt bad for him. He always seemed like a really nice man, and although he was clumsy with his work sometimes, he still at least did his job. This was one of the reasons why you didn’t want to live like a noble. Not to say that your aunt was bad, she wasn’t, but this kind of treatment with servants was just a lifestyle you saw many times over, and you wanted nothing of it. Although, you had to admit, your aunt was a bit… eccentric at times, and she was never shy of showing it. Like now.

        “I mean just look at him.” She brought her hand up to Sebastian’s bottom and started feeling it up and down, and the shivers that went up his body were visible to everyone in the room. Even though it was highly inappropriate, it was funny to watch Sebastian’s clear discomfort, and a giggle escaped your lips at the sight. Ciel cleared his throat.

        “Ahem! Madame Red.” A blush decorated her cheeks.

        “Oh, sorry. Couldn’t help it.” She sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. “He looked like he needed a physical. Just a doctor’s habit.” Yeah, doctor’s habit alright. Lau set his cup of tea down on the table.

        “So, do you believe the drag trafficker you’re after was one of your guests today?” He stood up, awaiting Ciel’s answer.

        “Perhaps.”

        “Yes.” You voiced instantly. Everyone turned their attention to you. “The trafficker was definitely in that room alright.”

        “Already?” Madame Red asked in surprise. “Well, that’s why you’re the best (Y/N).” This was the other reason you were in that room, to discover Ciel’s intended target. Besides helping Finny, Baldroy, and Mey-Rin around the manor, you were Funtom’s secret security. You were the one mainly responsible for double checking the company’s accounts to see that no one tampered with them, as well as root out any traitors that managed to sneak their way into the company. You were an excellent judge of character, part of it being natural, and the other part of it from observing Sebastian’s deceit to people on a daily basis. Lying was easy to pick up on. It was how the pig, Damiano, was found out, because you had found something off about the transactions from his branch of the company. 

        “So you did figure it out.” Ciel spoke.

        “It was obvious, I knew from the start. I think you know who it is too, brother.”

        “Oh, then might you tell us lady (Y/N)?” Lau pressed.

        “I’m afraid I don’t have substantial condemning evidence against him. Not yet at least, so I can’t reveal his identity, but I’m confident as to who it is.” You could see Sebastian smirking as he stood to attention. 

        “Then why don’t you leave the extermination to Lau?” Madame Red questioned, while Lau walked over to you and Ciel’s chairs and crossed his arms over the top of them. “A rat knows best where a rat’s nest is, doesn’t he?”

        “I’m but a tame guinea pig dedicated to my lord and lady.” He placed his hands on top of both yours and Ciel’s head, and leaned down next to you two. “If the earl instructs me not to act, I’m bound to do nothing.” Suddenly your necks were snatched away by a very angry Madame Red, who’s emotion matched the color she was named after.

        “Watch it! Keep your filthy paws off my darling niece and nephew!” Lau casually leaned against Ciel’s chair.

        “You wound me. I would never paw at them in their own home.” Her hands immediately released you two, which made you two almost fall to the ground if not for the fact that Ciel grabbed your hand and hoisted you up. You mouthed a ‘thanks’ while Madame Red continued to argue with Lau.

        “Are you saying you would if you were elsewhere? Careful, you’re on thin ice now, sir!” You sighed at your aunt’s overprotectiveness, but you understood why she was like this. After the fire, it was only reasonable that she would be more than just concerned of something happening again. She lost her sister and a dear friend, so she wasn’t about to lose her only remaining family. Lau merely laughed off her behavior, having grown accustomed to it by now.

        “Sorry, I’m joking of course.” Sebastian turned around, and saw Ciel and you leaving the room. 

        “Master?” Ciel and you stopped at the open doors, both of you looking tired as Madame Red and Lau continued her bickering.

        “You’d better be! I hope you understand how protective I am of my dear niece and nephew. I would lay down my own life for them and I’ll…” You couldn’t hear the rest, as it was blocked out by Lau’s laughter.

        “Oh, the rats are here.” Your brother mumbled.

        “You could say that again.” You both trudged through the hallway with the sound of Madame Red’s voice fading in the distance, only to be replaced by Baldroy’s loud crescendo. 

        “It went that way!” 

        “And here too.” Ciel mumbled as Finny ran past the two of you in a gray cat suit holding a tabby cat. Mey-Rin followed with a pile of mouse traps.

        “Get it!” She yelled. Finny ran back past you two with the cat now biting the top of his cat suit, while Baldroy ran past you again as well with a ladle. Now Mey-Rin returned struggling to hold even more mouse traps in her hands. Here’s a real circus. You sighed.

        “I guess I’ll go help them.” You turned around and called out to them. “Fin! Get back here! Finny!” You were about to head off after him when Sebastian suddenly blocked your way.

        “Master, milady.” Of course he acknowledged you as well. Ciel turned around and faced his butler. “Today’s dessert. It’s a deep dish pie prepared with fresh apples and raisins. It will be ready soon. Would you like to eat with your guests?” 

        “Bring it to my study.” He turned around, his back facing the both of you now. “I’m done here.”

        “Certainly, my lord.” Sebastian put his hand to his chest and bowed. You sighed as Ciel’s form grew smaller. 

        “Yeesh, he’s grumpy today.” You muttered under your breath. 

        “Lady (Y/N), would you like some too?” A small fake smile graced your lips, knowing that he was simply teasing you.

        “No thanks. It’s for Ciel.” 

        “Ah!” Finny came running up the hall, still in the cat suit, with the cat latched onto his butt by its fangs, and Baldroy came running after him in the same predicament. Mey-Rin almost ran into Sebastian with the mouse traps, and his playful smirk quickly turned into a very visible frown. As Tanaka came by with a small butterfly net, the rats squeaked, directing your attention to the floor. There were two rats, one on your right and one approaching from the left. Sebastian’s eyes acquired a predatory gleam to them, then he swiftly dipped down and snatched the rat on the right. As the rat came up from the left, you quickly stomped your foot on the ground and caught the rat by the tip of its tail. You picked it up and dropped it into Tanaka’s net along with the one Sebastian caught. 

        “That’s enough of that. Stop playing and get back to work.” Sebastian said while clapping his hands together. All three of them looked down in shame. You sighed.

        “Alright Finny, let’s get that cat costume off you and-” Finny instantly put his hands out to stop you. 

        “No no no, it’s alright (Y/N).”

        “Yeah, after all that trouble, we can get it ourselves.” Baldroy gave you a thumbs up.

        “So don’t you worry about us now.” Mey-Rin said, holding up the extra mouse traps. You rose a brow.

        “Okay, then. If you say so.” Sebastian walked past the three servants and you followed him. When you both were a good distance away, he looked down at you, his frown replaced with his usual smirk.

        “And where are you going, my lady?” 

        “I’m helping you with the cooking, of course, because apparently now there’s nothing else to do.” 

        “You always trouble yourself with work, when you could be doing something you enjoy.”

        “Maybe I enjoy cooking, and no, I’m not leaving you be. It doesn’t take a genius to hear that underlying wish. Besides, I really don’t want to deal with my aunt right now.” 

        “That… certainly makes sense.” He all but shuddered, which you were positive was from recalling how your aunt felt him up.

        “Are you thinking about your new lady friend?” You taunted.

        “Besides that little… disturbing comment, I actually find you quite entertaining.” 

        “Do my ears deceive me? An actual compliment from Sebastian Michaelis? Shoot me now.” 

        “It appears you’ve just made my point.” You laughed.

        “Well, it’s nice to know I mean something then.” As you stared up at his smirk, an image of his frown from earlier crossed your mind, making you let out a small chuckle.

        “And what are you laughing at now?” 

        “When Mey-Rin almost fell on you, you looked so damn annoyed, and it was just too funny. Usually don’t show your displeasure so much.”

        “Yes, I suppose I don’t. A butler does not show their emotions when caring for their masters, but I felt in this instance that the servants were being incompetent, especially over two little rodents.”

        “You forget how much weaker humans are than you.”

        “Believe me, I have not forgotten that.” You swore his eyes flashed a different color, but you brushed it off.

        “Still, it’s nice to know something bothers you so much, since your little antics bother me.”

        “I have no idea what you’re talking about, my lady.” You frowned at him. 

        “I’m going to find more rats and let them loose.”

        “And as a Phantomhive butler, I will catch them before you have the chance to do so.”

        “Let’s just go finish the cooking oh great butler sir.” 

        “Of course, my lady.” He smirked down at you as he emphasized the title once again. You muttered a few small curses under your breath as you both continued on your way to the kitchen.

        Ciel sighed a out of relief as he entered his study and closed the door, effectively shutting the chaos out behind him. Between his overprotective aunt and all the rats he had to deal with, he was glad to have escaped it all for the moment. 

        “Finally. Some piece and quiet.” He took one step forward, without ever knowing the outstretched hand reaching towards him, until it was too late. His cries of worry were muffled by the rag pressed against his mouth, silencing him, until he eventually fell into the void of unconsciousness.

        “No Sebastian, I did not add any ‘special ingredient’ to mess with my brother.” You walked beside Sebastian, both of you holding a tray of pie.

        “You’ve done it before.”

        “It was one time! And for your information, I took responsibility.” Sebastian raised a brow. “Oh come on, you have to admit, it was pretty funny when he bit into his eggs and all he got was a mouthful of salt.”

        “To think you’ve called me evil.” 

        “Well he deserved it at the time, and you let it happen too.” Sebastian sighed just as you arrived at Ciel’s study. He knocked on the door.

        “Young Master. I brought your pie and afternoon tea.” When there was no answer, you got a bad feeling, and Sebastian sported the same suspicious look as your own. “Master?”

        “Ciel?” He slowly opened the door, and you peered in only to see a mess. Books and papers were scattered all over the floor, the few chairs in there were overturned, and the large windows behind Ciel’s desk were wide open, the curtains flowing slightly by a breeze from the outside. It was clear what happened. Sebastian and you both gasped simultaneously.

        “This is terrible!” Sebastian looked down to the floor. “The refreshments will all be wasted now.” You sighed.

        “You’re always so pessimistic. If we find him quick, everything may still be warm. C’mon! We have no time to lose!”

        In a far away part of England, in an area full of crowded slum cities, smog clouding the air, and run-down construction sites, a mansion lies on its borders, surrounded by armed men patrolling its perimeters. Its owner, confident in his security, begins to berate his captive, who was unconscious only moments ago.

        “The policeman of England’s underworld, one of the nobles who have done the royal family’s dirty work for generations. The Queen’s guard dog, tasked with disposing anyone who disagrees with her.” The man grabbed a cigar from a full box, and clipped the edge of it off. “Just how many nicknames do you have, and how many families have you crushed, Ciel Phantomhive.” The captive lifted his head, his one blue eye glaring directly at his captor. Clear signs of a fresh beating shown on his face from the various cuts and bruises. Blood trickled down his no longer fresh skin. 

        “I thought it would be you.” The man lit his cigar and took a whiff of it, smirking down at Ciel the entire time, his giant scar standing out among the rest of his features. “You shame your family, Azzurro Vanel.”

        “Haha, come now, my little lord Phantomhive.” He began to approach Ciel. “Do you know how hard it is for the Italian Mafia here? You Englishmen have nothing but tea on the brain.” He crouched down so that he was now eye level with his captive. “It’s difficult to penetrate those small minds of yours, so we have to think outside the box to make money. So, I found the drug trade.”

        “The Pharmacy Act of 1868 listed opium as a restricted substance. It is the Queen’s decree.” Ciel opened his one blue eye. “And I will eliminate those drugs and the vermin who sell them.” 

        “Ugh!” The vermin placed his hand on his head. “You know, this is why I hate all you Englishmen. The Queen this, the Queen that. You act like this woman is your own mother.” He leaned in and cupped Ciel’s chin. “You line your pockets while pretending the whole time that you’re better than the rest of us. But in the end we’re no different from each other. Why can’t we get along?”

        “I’ve left orders about your key. If I don’t come back, my servants will make sure the authorities get it.” Ciel smirked. “I’m sorry. I have no interest in getting along with someone like you.” The vermin stood up and pointed his gun at his captive. 

        “You brat! Don’t underestimate me! My men are already waiting at your estate. Where is the key? Spit it out soon or your servants will start dying one by one.” Ciel tilted his head and mockingly smiled.

        “Oh, I think they’ll be alright. But you’d better hope your lap-dogs know how to fetch.” He was met with a swift kick to the cheek, making him fall to the ground. Vanel’s cigar dropped to the floor, but his angered state paid no mind to this as he put a phone up to his ear. 

        “Did you hear that? The time for talk is over.”

        “Oh dear, this is most troubling. Where could the master have been taken?” Sebastian put his hand not holding a tray, up to his chin, pondering the current situation. 

        “Hm, where indeed.” You mumbled sarcastically.

        “Sebastian! (Y/N)!” At the sound of your names, you both looked up to see Mey-Rin, out of breath, running towards you. In her raised hand was a piece of paper she frantically waved about. “I just found a letter, yes I did!”

        “Addressed to whom?” Sebastian questioned. 

        “To the servant of the Earl of Phantomhive!” As Mey-Rin continued trying to make her way to you, another presence was outside in the trees, eyeing the window you happened to be standing next to. He pointed his sniper rifle and focused his aim on Sebastian, and he was about to pull the trigger, when the butler turned his head and looked directly at him. He immediately lost his composure, almost dropping in his gun from shock. Noticing this little exchange yourself, you followed Sebastian’s gaze and saw what he was eyeing. You smirked at the startled man perched in the tree, his attack at the moment failing.

        Unfortunately, the distraction caused you both to miss Mey-Rin trip over her boots and fall right into Sebastian, the pie from his tray catapulting into the air. The sniper, meanwhile, cocked his gun, found his target once again, and pulled the trigger. Glass shattered from the now broken window, and Sebastian immediately grabbed your hand and pulled you down along with him and Mey-Rin, your pie now airborne as well. You both landed on your backs, while Mey-Rin collapsed onto Sebastian’s chest, as a bullet whizzed by and shattered an expensive pot into pieces on the floor, joining the ones from the broken window. The pies from before fell onto Sebastian’s tray, and you sighed out of annoyance at the predicament.

        “Mey-Rin… the letter please.” Sebastian spoke calmly with an indifferent expression. The girl’s face turned a deep shade of red as she propped herself up from the handsome butler’s chest.

        “Eh? Letter? Oh, yes sir!” She quickly scurried off of Sebastian as he leaned up and gave him the letter. You and him both stood to your feet, and you peered over Sebastian’s arm as he opened the letter so you could see what was written.

        “‘If you want to return your master safely, come to Nova Garden Bethmal Green as soon as possible’… Goodness, what a dreadfully written letter.” If you don’t come before sunset, we will cut your master’s fingers off one by one and send it…

“Yeesh, talk about overkill.” You muttered.

        “Sebastian!” Finny called out down the hall, as he approached you two with Baldroy in tow.

        “What is going on here?” Madame Red asked angrily as she appeared behind you two with Lau. Sebastian smiled.

        “Sorry for the noise, my lady. I assure you nothing’s wrong. Please don’t concern yourself.” As Madame Red observed the mess around you, Ran Mao peeped out behind Lau to see the chaos as well. Even Grell was present, and squeaked at the sight of the broken glass. 

        “Humph! Nothing, are you sure? Would my dear niece agree with you?” Sebastian glanced down at you, curiously awaiting your response. You simply smiled at your aunt, identical to Sebastian’s.

        “I would in fact agree, dearest aunt.” Another benefit of observing Sebastian’s behavior: you learned to mimic it. Lying, when necessary, was almost as easy as breathing. Your aunt huffed again, though this time in reluctant approval, then Sebastian addressed the three servants.

        “Everyone, I have business to attend. Would you mind cleaning this up?” He handed the tray with the two pies over to Baldroy, who happily took it. Sebastian walked past the cluster of people, and you followed him.

        “So when you say clean, that means we can eat it, right?” Baldroy asked with a closed eye smile, but as he turned around to hear an answer, he found the hallway empty. “…Sebastian?”

        Your footsteps echoed through the corridor as you fell in sync with Sebastian’s pace.

        “Excellent job holding yourself, milady.”

        “It was no big deal, just an annoyance.”

        “Even after discovering your brother missing and reading that dreadful letter?” The sarcasm practically dripped from his tone.

        “It doesn’t surprise me, not at all. Like I said, it’s a huge annoyance.”

        “I assumed this would upset you of all people.” 

        “No, I knew the rat would strike at one point. I just didn’t think it would be so soon.” You sighed heavily again. “Now we have to go and retrieve my brother. This certainly puts a damper on the schedule, doesn’t it?”

        “Indeed, for me it will.” 

        “What?”

        “You will be staying here, of course.”

        “Awe come on! I can take this guy on! He’s a coward, after all.”

        “I have been ordered by the master to keep you safe, and that means remaining here in the manor, away from danger.” 

        “I can fight though, you’ve taught me everything I know. But what’s the point of your lessons if I can’t utilize them? If anything, allowing me to go will let me gain experience in the field, which in a way, is actually protecting me.” You placed your hands on your hips. “Besides, if there are shooters here, I might as well stay with someone who can stop them, which is you.” A smirk graced his lips once more.

        “You really do have a knack for finding loopholes in the master’s orders, don’t you?” You beamed.

        “It’s one of my specialties to get under my brother’s skin. Don’t worry though, it’ll be fun.” Sebastian was hesitant in giving you an answer, thinking your logic over. “Time’s ticking.” He chuckled.

        “Alright then.”

        “Yes!” You fist bumped the air, and you could feel Sebastian’s smirk widen at your enthusiasm.

        A car was speeding down a dirt road like a lightning bolt, the engine revving like thunder. Two men were at the head of it, one of them on the phone with an angry rat.

        “Sorry, I missed!” 

        “What do you mean you missed!? You are complete idiots! Never should have hired scum like you!” The phone started to go static, and his next words were only barely understood. “Just get back here.” The man holding the phone thought he saw something out of the corner of his eyes, and when he turned around, through the dust the car was kicking up, there was indeed something there. A figure was running right towards them.

        “Sir, something’s off. I see something… What’s that!?” On the other side of the staticky phone, sitting in his purple leather chair, Azzurro Vanel smirked.

        “Ah, you little girls see a bear in the woods?” The men on the other side whimpered then screamed like banshees, and Vanel now took the matter seriously. “What is it? Did someone find you? Talk to me.” He rushed out every word, desperate for an answer. 

        “Hurry it up!” The men on the other side ignored their boss, and sharply turned the car. The driver floored it, but it did no good. “It’s coming… closer!” 

        “That’s it! I’ve had enough of your games already!” 

        “No good, it’s here!” All Vanel heard was the scream of the men, the static of the phone, then the crash of the car. Sweat poured down his brow in disbelief. “Ah… hello? What happened?” On the carpeted floor in front of Vanel, with blood still dripping from the wounds on his face, Ciel chuckled.

        “That’s too bad. Sounds like your little game of fetch is over.” Vanel’s eye twitched out of irritation, and without another word, he landed a kick in Ciel’s gut, then another, and another, until he couldn’t control himself anymore and a flurry of kicks followed.

        “Just shut your mouth, you damn brat!” After a few more kicks of now released anger, he snatched up his phone and tried talking to his men. “You listen to me! If one of you don’t answer right now, I swear I will kill you!” Through the static, an unfamiliar voice picked up.

        “…Hello…” 

        “Who is this?” 

        “…Pardon me, but I represent the Phantomhive Estate.” Vanel gasped, and his eyes widened. They slowly traveled over to Ciel, who’s unmoving body faced the wall. “I was wondering if my master might be available.” The Italian shook with fear. “Hello? Is anyone there?” He thought he heard a feminine chuckle in the background as well. “Hello?” 

        “A-Ah… I-I…” He was a stuttery mess, all he could hear was his heart pounding against his chest. 

        “Woof.” Ciel’s voice was heard loud and clear, and the already terrified vermin froze. A second passed, then Ciel heard another voice on the other end of the phone chuckle, and he froze as well.

        “…Very good, young master. I will come to get you momentarily.” Sebastian hung up the phone before Ciel could respond, and stared ahead at the two gentlemen still in the car he had hunted down. He smirked. “Thank you for letting me use your field telephone.” The car teetered off the edge of the cliff, the only thing keeping it there was Sebastian crouched on the hood of the car, and you leaning down on its side. You checked your nails nonchalantly, a little bored at the pace this was unfolding, while the men shuddered in fear. “And now there are a few things I’d like to ask you about, if that’s alright.” 

        “And don’t keep us waiting. One of us is very impatient.” Your narrowed (E/C) eyes met their terrified ones, and their jumpy reactions made you smirk.

        “Yes, don’t disappoint the lady, if you don’t mind.” The men nodded their heads.

        “First, I’d like to know who you work for.” They merely sat there, trembling, ignoring what you had told them seconds ago. “Hurry up now. Like the young lady said, we’re not exactly what you would call patient. And you do remember what happened to the Humpty-Dumpty, don’t you?” You had to stop yourself from laughing at Sebastian’s sense of humor during such a serious situation. When they still continued to say nothing, you and Sebastian exchanged looks, and with a nod of your head, you heaved yourself off the car and walked a few steps away. The car rocked more dangerously this time, and the two started squealing and whining.

        “Ah! O-Our employer’s name is Azzurro Vanel! He has a hideout up in the city! It’s in the East End.” Sebastian closed his eyes and smiled, then stood up, making the car rock again. “We just work for him!” You scoffed at their pointless pleading, but Sebastian showed no distaste.

        “But of course, I understand. I’m very sorry to have interrupted your work, gentlemen.” He bowed. “I’ll let you go now. Have a safe trip.” He jumped off the car and landed in front of it. With an indifferent frown, he tossed the men their phone back, and you joined him at his side as the vehicle toppled off the cliff and plummeted into the trees. You both turned away when they disappeared beneath the trees.

        “Told you the rat was him.”

        “One must always be sure, my lady.” You rolled your eyes as he took out his pocket watch. “Oh dear. Look at how late it’s gotten.” An explosion sounded behind you, followed by an enormous flash of light. Fiery smoke billowed up from the cliff, and you looked behind you to catch a glimpse of the light show. However, the putrid smell of burning earth invaded your nostrils, making you turn back around instantly. “If we don’t move quickly, we shall never have dinner on time.” Sebastian began walking ahead, and you quickly caught up with him.

        “I kinda feel bad for them now.” 

        “And why is that? They tried to kill us, after all, and they work for the one who’s captured your brother.”

        “It’s not like they ever had a chance to succeed, and they did only work for him. And, I don’t know if you know this, being a demon and all, but death by explosion off a cliff isn’t exactly the best way to go.”

        “Aw, do you have a soft spot for other humans?”

        “Of course I do. I wouldn’t be if I didn’t.”

        “There are many who don’t care for their own kind though.” He sighed dramatically. “One of the reasons I will never understand humans.”

        “Trust me, I don’t understand them either.” It was silent for a moment. “Empathy is just another emotion you won’t understand, will you, Sebastian?”

        “I guess not.” Another moment of silence passed, until you smirked. 

        “When did you read about Humpty-Dumpty, hm?” Sebastian chuckled.

        “You’re never going to let that joke go, aren’t you?” You smiled innocently.

        “Not in the slightest.”

        Back at the Phantomhive manor, Madame Red, Lau, and Ran Mao were all riding in a carriage home since neither Sebastian nor you had returned with Ciel yet. Madame Red appeared unusually dejected. 

        “Are we certain nothing’s wrong?”

        “If that butler says everything’s fine, I’m inclined to believe it.” Lau responded calmly with his usual expression. He pulled Ran Mao closer to him. “He’s been in the earl’s service for so long, and it’s quite plain to see there’s some sort of unshakable bond between those two. You can always find him at the earl’s side, like a shadow. It’s the same with his sister as well. Wherever those two are, that butler isn’t far behind.” 

        “So long? But Sebastian didn’t arrive until two years ago. That’s not much time at all…”

        “Oh really? How odd. My memory is so unreliable. Isn’t that right, Ran Mao?” The girl said nothing, and Madame Red frowned and crossed her arms.

        “Useless.” Somewhere in the carriage, Grell whined, thinking it was directed at him. 

        Meanwhile, at the rat’s nest, everything turned to mass chaos, as the rat himself was losing it.

        “Listen up! The Phantomhive boy has help on the way!” All around the manor, footsteps echoed as the men rushed through the interior and perimeter of the manor. “Move it! Tighten security at the gate! Not so much as a single rat gets through!” Men lined up along the balcony and around the gate, readying their guns, and focusing on anything in front of them that moved. Behind them, two figures walked up the steps to the porch. One of them, a male, put their hand to their head, pretending to get a better view of the place.

        “My my, what a splendid home.” 

        “It could use a touch of nicer color, but otherwise I’d have to agree.” They all gasped and turned around, spotting a butler and a weirdly dressed lady.

        “Hey! Who the hell are these two?” One of them called out as they all quickly pointed their guns at the two. The intruders didn’t even flinch. 

        “Ah, my apologies.” Sebastian put his hand on his heart, and you both smirked. “You see… we represent the Phantomhive household.”

        “Oh dear, we need Sebastian here, and (Y/N). Where did they go now?” Mey-Rin groaned as she leaned her chin on the kitchen table.

        “I wish I knew… I hope they’re okay.” Finny groaned, in the same position as Mey-Rin.

        “(Y/N) can take care of herself, and I don’t care where Sebastian is or what he’s doing.” Baldroy removed his chin from the table and slammed his palms on the surface, on which held the two pies. “This is all I’m worried about.” He turned to Finny. “Does ‘clean it up’ mean we can eat the pies or not!?” He brought his head back and grabbed the back of his head with his hands. “I have to knooooowwww!” 

        “I’m sure one bite each would be okay.” Finny suggested.

        “No, Finny! You know how Sebastian is! If we eat something we’re not supposed to he’ll bake us into his next pie!” Mey-Rin got up and slammed a bottle of milk down on the table, a serious glint shined in her glasses. 

        “You need to calm yourself down Baldroy. Like (Y/N) always says, a soothing drink may help. Here, give this a try.” Baldroy crossed his arms.

        “Milk… not that it’s gonna help me.”

        “Milk is an important part of your diet! It’ll help you grow strong bones, yes it will!” Finny remained on the table, his stomach grumbling. How I wish they were all home now.

        All around you were broken bodies twisted in ways they shouldn’t be twisted, soaking in their own blood. You were breathing a little heavily as you stood in front of the last person you knocked out, one of the other men’s guns in your hands. Though, you hadn’t even needed to shoot it yet. Those lessons Sebastian gave you really did pay off, otherwise you would’ve never been able to take on as many as you did, which was still significantly less than Sebastian’s count. 

        “My arm! He’s shattered the bone!” You turned around to see one man left standing, or rather crouching, with his left arm indeed shattered. You twirled the gun in your hand as you walked over to the scene, Sebastian still standing in front of him.

        “Pardon me, but I’m in a bit of a hurry.” He pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time. “5:34.” You stared down at the screaming man with indifferent eyes, then brought the gun up and struck him in the head. He fell to the ground with a thud as Sebastian put away his watch. “I thought you had a soft spot for other humans.”

        “Not when their screaming is so annoying, and when they deserve it for working with vermin. Besides, I did him a favor; he won’t be feeling pain now that he’s unconscious. Nice moves, by the way.”

        “Thank you for the compliment. Now, we must be heading in. The young master is still waiting, after all.” 

        “Right, of course.” Sebastian opened the front door without hesitation, and you followed him in. The first thing to grace your vision was a long dining table with plates and bowls set out as if they were prepared for dinner, yet no food was in them. How strange. Dark marble flooring led into the dark walled two story dining room, and you looked around for any suspicious places gunmen could be hiding, as Sebastian shut the door. Your eyes narrowed ahead, noticing movement, and you took one step forward, but was stopped short by gunshots from above to your left. You sidestepped behind Sebastian, who used one of the trays to block the barrage of bullets coming from the railings of the second floor. “I think I deserve a tray, don’t you think?” He smirked and handed you one without a word. With Sebastian at the lead, you both ran towards the table, still blocking more oncoming bullets. “I call the ones on the right.” 

        “As you wish.” Sebastian turned his tray in his grasp and threw it at the men up top like a boomerang. It successfully hit each in the neck and knocked them down, while at the same time, you ran to the right railings, blocking more bullets with your own tray. You flung it at one of the columns, and when the men saw it stuck in the wall, they laughed, thinking you had been completely off course. How wrong they were. You sheathed the gun you had picked up earlier, and, still running towards the railing, jumped onto the tray, and used it as a leverage to leap over the railing and into the midst of the men. Before they knew it, you knocked one of them in the head and started to take the rest on.

        Meanwhile, Sebastian jumped onto the table and ran across it, easily avoiding the bullets whizzing towards him. He grabbed a handful of plates and flung them towards each shooter, all he aimed at falling as a dish crashed against their heads.

        “Move, damn it! Call the boys in the west tower! We need to rip these bastards apart!” Sebastian stayed crouched on the table, one of the bowls shattering in his hand from a bullet. 

        “An entire swarm of rats…” He mumbled, then pulled out his pocket watch. “I’ll get nowhere at this rate.” He sighed, then heard your battle cry above. He peered up at your own fight, and he smirked once again. “Perhaps it won’t be as long as I thought.”

        “That’s it! I’m gonna eat it!” Baldroy shouted. “Mey-Rin, tea! Finny, go get the silver!” Mey-Rin, Finny, and even Tanaka saluted him.

        “Sir, yes sir!” Finny immediately went to the silverware drawer and opened it.

        “It should be right in here… what the?” Mey Rin and Baldroy peered over the confused boy’s shoulder.

        “Something wrong?” Baldroy asked.

        “I don’t understand. The silver’s supposed to be here, but I don’t see a single knife or fork….” 

        Sebastian unsheathed one hand of knives and one hand of forks, the silver clinging as he did so. He leapt back from the table and landed on the railing above, then threw each utensil at once, each landing in the head of a man. He devilishly smirked.

        “Who the hell is he!?” One of the men anxiously questioned before being struck in the head himself.

        “Now now, if I couldn’t do this much at least…” He jumped into the air again and threw another hand of knives. “Then what kind of butler would I be?” They all made their mark, and then he threw another hand, which hit all the guys you were currently fighting. You rolled your eyes and frowned. 

        “Show off.” You muttered, then used the tray you had implanted into the column earlier to help yourself get back on the first floor. There were still some remaining on the ground floor, and you wasted no time in taking them on. Not too long after, all the men were down, most surrounded by a small pool of their own blood, just like outside. You twirled your borrowed gun in your hands and casually walked towards the table. You peered up at the golden chandelier above, and saw Sebastian hanging from it by his feet. “I think you can come down now.” You called up to him, though he seemed to ignore this.

        “Oh dear, that took longer than I thought.” He let his feet casually slide from the chandelier and landed gracefully on the floor. “Already 5:43.” 

        “It wouldn’t have taken so long if you weren’t so intent on playing with them.” You playfully teased him.

        “My my, I seem to recall aiding you with the ones you were responsible for.” You scoffed.

        “That’s because you just wanted to show off. Look, there’s not even a scratch on me.” He put his pocket watch back in his pocket and strode over to you. When he was just inches away, he crouched down in front of you, his crimson hues staring directly into your (E/C) ones. He raised his hand and wiped his thumb across your cheek, making you cringe a little out of surprise. He brought his gloved hand back to reveal a small streak of blood. You wiped your cheek yourself and saw a few more tiny droplets on your hand.

        “It appears there are.” After one long look at the blood, you sighed.

        “I guess I must be getting sloppy then.” Sebastian stood back up and patted your head.

        “Yes, you still have much to learn.” You swatted his hand away with a frown, and started making your way towards the stairs. 

        “Let’s just get my brother already. Wasted enough time as it is, don’t you agree?” Sebastian smirked, and followed you up the stairs.

        Azzurro Vanel stood quite a distance away from the door, shakily holding a pistol aimed directly at it. Loud footsteps echoed through the quiet room from the hallway, growing louder as they came nearer. Sweat poured down his brows as they stopped right in front of the room, and everything went silent. His jaw dropped as Sebastian slowly opened the doors, you by his side, and instantly pointed his pistol at you two. You both stepped in nonetheless, and Sebastian bowed. 

        “I have come to retrieve my master.” Your eyes fell on Ciel’s bound form on the floor just behind the rat, and instantly narrowed.

        “And my poor brother.” You saw Ciel visibly flinch as he heard your voice, but you didn’t care at the moment. The rat scoffed.

        “Is this a joke? I was expecting giants, and instead I got some scrawny dandy in a tailcoat and the earl’s little brat sister in a costume.” Your right eye twitched, and your hands balled into fists. “Who are you anyway? There’s no way that you’re just a butler.” You frowned when he didn’t acknowledge your presence.

        “No sir. You see, I’m simply one hell of a butler… I promise.” Now you smirked, but the vermin simply brushed the remark aside and chuckled, not realizing how grave that statement was.

        “It does not matter anyway, I have no intention of fighting you, either of you. Not yet…” He grabbed a tuft of Ciel’s hair and put him in a choke hold, pressing the barrel of his gun to his temple. You rolled your eyes. “But you better have what I asked for!” Sebastian frowned, clearly annoyed as well.

        “Idiot.” You muttered under your breath.

        “Yes, I do.” The butler reached into his pocket and pulled out the ransom described in the letter. “It’s right here.” A loud bang rang in your ears. Your eyes widened as much as Sebastian’s as blood spurted from the new wound in his head, some of it landing on your head. You felt two large arms encircle you and swiftly pull you out of the way before Sebastian was pelted with a barrage of bullets. Ciel gasped, and his eyes remained locked on his butler as he fell to the floor, then quickly over to you, as you tried struggling out of the man’s grasp. Through a ripped painting on the wall was a tiny room filled with the shooters responsible for the surprise attack. The rat let out an insane chuckle.

        “Oh, sorry dandy. I really am, but this round is mine.” The men began to approach Sebastian’s body. “There’s no way I was going up against the Phantomhive, lord of the game, without a trump card hidden.” He pushed the gun harder against Ciel’s head. “I damaged the goods a little bit, but that’s alright. I’m sure you’ll fetch a pretty price, even in this condition.” Using the gun, he flipped Ciel’s eye pitch over, revealing his now swollen closed eye. “As for your sister over there, imagine how much she’s worth. I’m sure it’s much more than even you, being such a pretty young thing and all.” He chuckled again. “I wonder which fat lord will want the innocent little sister of the earl of Phantomhive.” 

        “Eww.” Ciel glanced over to you, silently telling you to shut your mouth.

        “Don’t worry, you have so many enemies.” The rat tapped his gun under Ciel’s chin. “I doubt you’ll be alive for that much longer, maybe your sister too.” Ciel’s eye didn’t waver, not even under all these threats.

        “Alright. I’m tired of messing around. How much longer are you planning to play dead?” The presumed dead butler’s fingers twitched.

        “Not long.”

        “And you, (Y/N). Stop acting so pathetic. I know you’re more capable than that.” You smirked.

        “Awe, come on. I was just playing around too.” You sighed. “Oh well.” As the man behind you was distracted by Sebastian’s twitching form, you twisted his wrist then flipped him over onto the floor. You jabbed his injured hand against his back with your knee, and watched the show unfold, the rat now comically a panicked mess.

        “B-But how!? How are you…! You just…!” The men surrounding Sebastian back away as he began to rise.

        “Guns today are so much more efficient than they used to be.” His back straightened vertebrate by vertebrate, until only his neck was bent back. “They can shoot so many more bullets now.” He brought his hand up and snapped his neck forward, spitting something into the palms of his gloves. He unfolded his fingers to reveal the now blood soaked bullets that had just been shot into him, and smirked. “Perhaps you’d like these back.” The rat was certainly taken aback.

        “Ah! What are you doing!? Kill him!” The men hesitantly drew their guns up, but Sebastian was quick to throw the bullets into each man, including the one you were currently holding down, killing every one of them. You rose from the corpse and clapped your hands together, pretending to dust yourself off.

        “Thanks for the help, Sebastian.”

        “It was no trouble my dear lady.” You chose to ignore that dastardly nickname and smirked at the rat, as he let go of Ciel’s hair in his terrified stupor. Sebastian merely stood there, holding out the end of his tailcoat, now tattered and covered in holes. “Oh dear. What an awful thing to do to a perfectly good tailcoat.” He feigned disappointment.

        “You could have avoided that. Idiot.”

        “Oh give him a break, Ciel. He was just having fun after all.”  

        “I don’t care.”

        “Master, how unfortunate. They don’t seem to have taken very good care of you.” 

        “Now I think that’s something you could have avoided, Ciel.” 

        “Shut up.” 

        “Hey, it’s not like I’m happy about it either. I want to kick this rat all the way down to hell.”

        “Would you like to partake then, my lady?” You smiled in mock innocence.

        “Hmmm, it’s tempting, but I think you should have the final turn in this little game.” 

        “Very well, as you wish.” He began to approach the rat. “Master, you look like a helpless little child all bound up like that. But then I guess that’s appropriate.” The rat grabbed Ciel again and pointed his gun to his head, although this time he was visibly shaking.

        “I-If you come any closer, I’ll shoot him!” 

        “Can we move this along? His breath smells awful.” You chuckled as Sebastian stopped.

        “But if I come any closer, he might kill you.” Ciel’s eye narrowed.

        “Well then, are you saying you want to break the contract?” 

        “No, of course not.” Sebastian brought his hand up to his heart. “Nothing has changed. I remain your faithful servant, my lord.” 

        “What the hell kind of nonsense are you talking about!?” 

        “You’ll find out soon enough.” You decided to speak. The rat’s pleading eyes looked your way, but you showed no sympathy, no remorse, for what was about to happen.

        “Master, you know what you have to do…” Sebastian brought his hand up to the right side of his face, and titled his head, his bangs covering the other half. “Now just say the words.” Ciel opened his normal blue eye, then his left, which displayed a purple pentagram, a devil’s mark.

        “This is an order. Save me now.” His markings glowed, and the rat, seemingly unfazed, grit his teeth. You still didn’t worry a bit.

        “No, it’s over!” The trigger was pulled, but the rat looked on in horror when he saw that no hole was put into the earl’s head. Ciel simply turned his head, both his eyes now glaring into the rat’s soul. “What the… but that’s impossible!” The very bullet he meant to shoot, was then held in front of him.

        “Are you looking for this?” He stared forward in complete shock, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets, as Sebastian stood next to him, the bullet still in between his fingers. “Here then, let me give it back to you.” He dropped the bullet in the rat’s pocket, then an excruciating pain took over the vermin. His right arm, previously holding Ciel, twisted around multiple times, and he fell back to the floor, crying in utter pain. You hummed in satisfaction. 

        “Now that’s what I’m talking about.” The rat was still whimpering as you joined your brother and Sebastian, who picked his young lord up, not bothering to untie him yet. 

        “I must say, the game wasn’t as much fun this time, Sebastian. And (Y/N), why must you always put yourself in danger?”

        “Way to spoil the moment.” You and Sebastian turned around, and were about to exit this awful place, when the rat spoke up. 

        “No wait! Come back! Be my bodyguard and I will pay you ten times what he does!” Sebastian paused, then set Ciel down in a purple lounge chair by a barren fireplace. You joined Ciel’s side, sitting on the floor next to him with your legs crossed, like an excited child. “Alright, twenty times! You can have all the liquor and women you want, too!” You snickered at the ridiculous attempts at bribing, which of course wouldn’t affect Sebastian in the slightest. Nothing of human desire would. He only abided by one principle that the rat could never hope to achieve. The butler ignored the offers thrown his way, as he knelt down and began to break Ciel’s restrains. The rat gasped.

        “I’m sorry, Mr. Vanel. It’s an attractive offer, but I have no interest in such materialistic things.” He held out the broken bonds to his side, and dropped them. Sebastian then stood and faced the rat with his usual smirk. “You see, I am simply one hell of a butler.” His eyes turned from crimson to a demonic fuchsia, his pupils now slit.

        “Ah… right, okay…” The cornered rat had nothing to say, nor could he process the sight in front of him. On the floor, shadowed feathers floated around Sebastian, and soon this vision started to spread to the entire room, with Sebastian’s demonic eyes still glowing at him. You leaned your head on the armrest of the chair, while Ciel crossed his legs and rested his chin on the knuckles of his hand. 

        “As long as my master holds the contract, I am his loyal servant.” Sebastian used his teeth to remove the glove on his left hand, as the shadows spread faster and engulfed the rat. “A wish, a sacrifice,” This time he covered the right side of his face with his left hand, which held the same mark as Ciel’s eye, “and this… all of these things keep me bound to Lord Phantomhive.” Ciel’s purple eye glowed as the rat glanced at it. “Until the day I swallow his soul.” It was then the rat truly realized what he was up against, what the nature of the Phantomhive butler was, how deep a mistake it was to challenge the master of a demon. You smiled in bliss at the scene before you, and Sebastian joined his lord’s side just behind the chair. Ciel had the final word.

“Unfortunately for you, this game is over.”

        The sky above glowed a fiery orange and pink as the sun began its descent below the horizon, indicating the end to a long day. All was quiet, yet peaceful, as you walked side by side Sebastian carrying an unconscious Ciel in his arms. Not a word was exchanged between you two the entire journey home, even as the manor came into view, simply because nothing needed to be said.

        As your feet stepped on freshly cut grass, Ciel opened his eye, the eyepatch having been put back on before your arrival. You were about to make a remark on how hilariously exhausted he was, when you noticed the way he stared at the manor ahead. His eye widened, and he gasped at something not visible to you. But unfortunately, you knew very well the illusion he was hallucinating. You of all people would know, for you had fallen victim to it as well. The fire from your childhood never really left your minds; it was always there, a permanent scar that unfortunately could never be erased, no matter what you did. 

        “You are awake, master?” Ciel seemed to snap out of his delusion, and when he realized the image wasn’t real, he lowered his gaze to the ground, refusing to answer Sebastian’s question. You placed a hand on his knee, the best comfort you could provide at the moment, but it proved enough. He seemed to accept it, as his blue eye moved up to stare into your empathetic (E/C) ones, and softened.

        “Master! (Y/N)! Welcome home!” Finny The Phantomhive servants, your friends, all excitedly ran up to you three.

        “Oh dear!” Mey-Rin exclaimed in surprise.

        “Master Ciel, you’re injured!” Finny worriedly pointed out. “And so are you (Y/N)! What happened!?” 

        “It’s okay, Fin. We’re fine.” The male started inspecting some of the fresh marks on your skin that you hadn’t noticed before, though they weren’t nearly as numerous as Ciel’s.

        “I just tripped and fell, and my idiot sister tumbled down the stairs.”

        “Hey!”

        “But it’s nothing to worry about.” The two servants suddenly stared up at Ciel with blushes on their faces and their hands bunched up under the chins. “What, you don’t believe what your master tells you?” 

        “Oh no, we do.” Mey-Rin assured.

        “It’s just… you look so cute, being held like a baby and all.” You burst out laughing, and Ciel sprouted a deep red blush. Even Sebastian appeared a little surprised by the comment.

        “Put. Me. Down.” Sebastian complied without a word, while you still bellowed, only now you were on the ground. Ciel angrily turned towards the servants, who were still aweing him with looks of adoration. “Stop looking at me like that, honestly!” Now he turned towards you. “And you, why are you laughing so much!?” His irked stated only made you laugh more. When you could breathe again, you answered.

        “Because Finny’s totally right! Ahah!” 

        “Master… I’m so terribly sorry.” Sebastian suddenly spoke ominously, as he put his hand up to his heart and took a knee. “I’ve committed a blunder unacceptable for a Phantomhive butler. How could I ever atone? I hang my head in shame.” Tense silence passed. “Dinner is not ready.”

        “Watch out, baby Ciel might throw a tantrum.” Ciel’s eye glared as you and Finny tried to stifle back your chuckles. But your brother quickly composed himself, which was suspiciously uncharacteristic.

        “Fine then. If you think it’s so funny, then you can be a baby.” 

        “Huh?” Without a second’s notice, Sebastian scooped you up and pressed you against his chest, just how Ciel was moments ago. You blushed and tried pushing yourself out of his grasp. “Hey! Let me go!”

        “Don’t put her down until we’re inside the manor. That’s an order.” Sebastian smirked, as you continued to push against him in vain.

        “As you wish, my lord.”

        “That’s a dirty trick, Ciel!” You crossed your arms and frowned, acknowledging the fact that there was unfortunately no way to escape this humiliation. What made matters worse was now Finny and Mey-Rin were fixated on you. 

        “Aww (Y/N), now you’re the baby, yes you are!” 

        “You look so cute held up like that!” Finny continuously poked your cheek, making you more annoyed by the second, until you finally exploded. 

        “Fin! What the heck!!” 

        It was going to be a long walk home.

        “You know, you could have gotten yourself killed today.” Ciel began to scold while Sebastian was bandaging him up. You playfully rolled your eyes.

        “Yet I didn’t.” Your brother sighed, as he leaned back in his study chair. 

        “(Y/N), I’m being serious.”

        “Relax then. Look, Sebastian was there, so nothing too bad was ever going to happen.” 

        “Reckless as you are, something might have. Do you realize how worried I was when I heard you on that phone? That whole time I was wondering whether or not if you would wind up with a bullet in your head.”

        “At least I’m not the one who let himself get captured by a rat.” He scoffed.

        “That is completely different than rushing blindly into danger.”

        “Well they already had shooters posted at the manor, so there wasn’t much difference in danger, if you ask me.” 

        “Were there now?” 

        “Yes, one almost shot me and Sebastian, and broke a window and a vase in the process. Had to explain that one to Madame Red.” You muttered that last bit out. “But besides all that, I held my own out there.” 

        “I have no doubt you did, with Sebastian’s help.”

        “She did handle herself quite well.” The butler chimed in. “With a little improvement, she might sustain no injuries in a fight again.” You smiled as the butler began taping up your own wounds, which weren’t much.

        “Thank you, Sebastian.” 

        “Of course, my lady.”

        “Will you ever grow tired of that nickname?”

        “It is your proper title, and I am obliged to address you by it.” 

        “All that aside Sebastian,” Ciel began, ” you should have been more adamant on having her remain here.”

        “I’m afraid she was quite persistent in attending with me. I could not deter her.”

        “Unacceptable.” 

        “Lay off. It’s not his fault I’m so annoying.”

        “If anything, you’re more stubborn than annoying.” 

        “Thanks for the compliment, brother.”

        “But you’re still reckless and irresponsible with things that don’t concern you.”

        “Not to mention worried for my brother.” At that, Ciel shut his mouth. “That’s the main reason I went, even though I knew it was going to happen, and how everything would turn out.” You laughed. “I just can’t help it, you’re my brother.” Ciel smirked, prideful of that fact. “And I was mad too, so it was a combination of both. Stupid rat. You know how much I wanted to give him a good punch to the face? Especially after he called me a brat!”

        “I think you’re the one who needs to calm down now.”

        “Are you kidding? I was calm as could be over there! It took all my self control to hold back on that stupid shit! Especially since I knew it was him all along and could have done something beforehand.” 

        “I wasn’t aware you had any self control at all until today.”

        “Ha ha, very funny, Ciel.” 

        “…And I didn’t know you were so skilled in a fight either.”

        “All thanks to Sebastian. If it wasn’t for his lessons, I really would be six feet under.” Sebastian finally finished up covering your cuts with gauze, and stood up.

        “Such kind words, milady.” Ciel sighed.

        “Yes, and even though you acted against my wishes, that’s why I’ve decided to allow those lessons to continue.” 

        “You were thinking of stopping them?”

        “I was… but I’ve made up my mind.” 

        “Thanks…” For a moment, all was silent. You could have started arguing with your brother, as you usually would, but decided against it. This time, it wasn’t worth it. You then rose from your chair, breaking the silence. “Well, I guess I’ll go help clean up the mess, now that the rats are gone” You made your way over to the door, and you were about to exit the room, but you stopped. “Words of advice, Ciel… trust in me.” You closed the door, and a minute later both Ciel and Sebastian heard your voice down the hall. “Finny! Why are you dangling from the chandelier!”

        “I saw a mouse, and got scared! I’m sorry!”

        Ciel rolled his eyes at the ruckus outside, as well as for his sister. She was such a pain, quite troublesome, but remarkable nonetheless. Indeed, (Y/N) was the only one he knew who would have no problem going up against an army of armed mercenaries and then pretend as if nothing was wrong. Ciel wondered how he’s remained relatively sane with her.

        “What a day.” Sebastian broke him out of his thoughts. “Shall we attend dinner now, master?” He rubbed hi temples as a headache was coming on.

        “Let’s wait until the mice are done scurrying outside.” He turned his chair around to face the window, thinking about today, and what you had told him earlier. He would never admit it out loud, but he admired how devoted his sister was to him, and how skilled she had become, both physically and mentally. The image of the burning mansion still haunted him from today, and he knew it did her as well, yet she never seemed to be affected by it. She never seemed forlorn, never broke down in front of anyone, never let it show. And she carried on with life, with an attitude no one else could match. Between the two of them, she was indeed strongest.

        (A/N: Yo, another chapter finally. Sorry about being slow as always, and if this one isn’t as good, but all week I’m busy, and it kinda sucks. I’m only free on Saturdays, unless I have something then ((which I have for the past three weeks)) and a little bit of Sunday depending on how much homework they give me. Plus drama that has been going on for the past three years and something else that has affected the school as well, which then ties into the drama… it’s just a whole big mess and I feel tired all the time. Senior year sucks epic butt! Yay! Anyway, hope you at least enjoyed the chapter. I’ll try to get stuff up and published as much as possible, which, by the way, includes another story on the way. Over 100 pages are written for it, just gotta edit it. No I’m not stopping this one, I just write what I’m in the mood for, otherwise it’s not good, so unfortunately y’all gotta deal with it. Also no, I’m not telling what this new story is too, though I’m probably gonna publish another story before that, which I have two chapters done for that one… before you ask, yes I’m all over the place, but I don’t care. I love it. There’s your Charlie XCX reference for the day XD . And with that, I’ll see y’all laters ~_~)

Chapter 1: His Sister, Able

        Soft snores filled the otherwise quiet, dark room, as you peacefully lay tucked under your covers, sound asleep. The door creaked open slowly, careful so as not to disturb your slumber. Red eyes peeked in, surveying the room, and once they caught sight of the still sleeping girl, the male they belonged to entered the room. The door was shut just as quietly as it was opened, and the male walked over to your sleeping form. He placed a hand on your shoulder and lightly shook it.

        “It’s time to wake up, Lady (Y/N).” Your eyelids opened slowly, revealing your tired (E/C) eyes. You yawned sat up, rubbing your heavy eyelids.

        “Sebastian? What are you doing here? And why so early?” You tiredly groaned. Sebastian smirked.

        “Oh but I’m not early.”

        “Huh? What are you talking about?” He went to the side of the bed and opened the curtains, letting in a blinding amount of sunlight into the room.

        “It’s 8 o’clock.” Your eyes widened.

        “What!?” You shouted as you shot up from the bead, only to trip and fall face first onto the hardwood floor. Sebastian, who still remained at the curtains, chuckled, which made you growl as you rubbed your head. You quickly sat up and went straight for your closet. “Why were the curtains closed in the first place!? They’re so I don’t oversleep!” You pushed away hangers of different clothes. “And now I’m late.”

        “The young lord simply wanted you to sleep in today.” You turned around to face a smirking Sebastian.

        “What ever for!?”

        “He believes it would be better for your health.”

        “Dammit Ciel!” You sighed, again searching for the right set of clothes. “That’s not for him to decide.”

        “I do agree with his decision though. Waking up when it’s still dark out to do servant’s work is not proper for a young lady such as yourself.” 

        “I do it because I want to though, so why should he care.”

        “He is only doing this for your own good, milady.”

        “For my own good my ass, and for the hundredth time you don’t have to call me that. But at this point, I know you’re just doing it to annoy me. Why do I even bother.” A small chuckle sounded behind you.

        “I’m only addressing you with the proper title, lady (Y/N).”

        “Now I definitely know you’re trying to be annoying.”

        “Oh, and why would you accuse me of something like that.” You looked at Sebastian with a raised brow and a knowing frown.

        “That’s real funny.”

        “Whatever do you mean.” You rolled your eyes at his clear sarcasm. You finally found all your clothes: a plain (F/C) shirt, some black pants, and some worn out shoes still fit enough to wear, and now hurriedly set them down on your bed. “Okay, I’m up, I slept in, can I please have some privacy to change now?” He chuckled again.

        “Oh, but there is one other thing the young master asked me to do.”

        “And what is that?” You asked slowly, suspicious of his tone. 

        “He asked me to help you dress today.” Your face turned a bright red and you opened your mouth in disbelief.

        “What!? No no no no!”

        “It is the young master’s wish. He wants for you to act more like a proper lady.”

        “Why does that include someone else, and a male at that, dressing me!? That itself is indecent.”

        “Yet it is how a person of your title should be treated.” You scoffed. Why does Ciel always do this? He knows that’s not me.

        “You can help me by not helping. Does that work?”

        “You know that is not what the lord intended for (Y/N).” You groaned.

        “Fine.” You stomped over to your nightstand and angrily pulled out a cerulean blue sapphire ring, one of two that were ever made. “Could you please only put my ring on then?” Sebastian stared at you, his brow raised in amusement. “What? Putting jewelry on is part of an outfit, and therefore a part of getting dressed. So you would be fulfilling your order, since I’m assuming he didn’t say to help with my full attire, and I won’t have to be humiliated.” He chuckled.

        “You have me there, milady, although I wouldn’t say you would be humiliated.” You frowned, but nonetheless timidly held out your right hand to the tall butler. You kept your gaze on the floor, refusing to make eye contact with him, which only made Sebastian’s smirk widen. He knelt down on one knee and slipped the Phantomhive heirloom onto your index finger. 

        “Thank you.” You grumbled while slowly pulling your hand away. “Now can I please have some privacy?”

        “Certainly.” He bowed, which made you uncomfortable, and he knew it. You had never been one for formalities belonging to the rich. They may have suited your brother, which was fine by you, but you didn’t want to be associated with that. You felt guilty when you were presented with luxuries, and so you tried to live as simply as you could. Unfortunately, that constantly caused conflicts with your brother, who didn’t believe you should live the was as you do, and that led to situations like this one. Sebastian’s piercing red eyes followed your movements as he slowly raised himself back up and proceeded to exit the room. You were lucky he didn’t try to mess with you further today.

        Letting out a relieved breath of air, you proceeded to quickly change out of your long baggy white nightshirt into the clothes you picked out. Simple and comfortable, just how I like it. You opened your nightstand and pulled out a small brush, which you used to steady your messy (H/L) (H/C) hair. Once you tamed your hair, you set the brush back down and wasted no time in exiting the room, only to find Sebastian waiting just outside your door for you. 

        “Ugh! What do you want now?”

        “I was only waiting to assure that you were properly taken care of.” You scoffed as you started making your way down the hall.

        “Sebastian, I’ve known you long enough to know you don’t actually care. So, you either want something or Ciel ordered you to watch over me.”

        “Oh, who said I didn’t truly care about your well-being?” You raised a knowing brow at him.

        “Psh, you’re hilarious, you know that?”

        “There’s a lot you don’t know about me lady (Y/N).”

        “You’re correct, but I know enough, and I have something called common sense. And again, you don’t have to address me as lady.”

        “As you’ve said plenty of times, milady.”

        “Yeah, you’re definitely still doing this on purpose.” 

        “Of course, all my actions have a purpose.” 

        “And does one happen to be annoying me?” 

        “I will admit, you’re reactions are quite amusing.”

        “Wow, you actually admit it for once. That’s quite a surprise.”

        “I’m simply one hell of a butler.”

        “Ha ha, very funny Mr. demon. Like that’s not getting old.” Before you knew it, you had arrived at your destination, an elegantly crafted door, which you proceeded to slam open. 

        Ciel sat behind his desk working on a stack of paperwork, and without even looking to see who had so abruptly entered his drawing room, sighed as you stomped up to his desk. 

        “(Y/N) please, don’t start.”

        “Oh I’m gonna start! You know full well I wake up early for a reason.” He sighed again, not once looking up from his paperwork.

        “And I ordered your extra sleep for a reason.”

        “You can’t just mess with someone’s schedule like that!” 

        “I can if it is better for you.” 

        “Well it’s not this time. You’re just treating me like a child, and you’re only a few months older than me!”

        “(Y/N), you know you shouldn’t be acting like a servant.”

        “Don’t even start on how I should be living.”

        “(Y/N)-“

        “I’m not living your lifestyle, that’s not me.”

        “(Y/N).” He lifted his head, his one blue eye piercing directly into your (E/C) ones. “Come here, please.” You frowned, but the plead you detected in his tone lured you to him. In this situation, you did feel like a child, and he the parent. But as you stood in front of Ciel, he pulled you into a hug. You were not expecting this, but this didn’t shock you in the slightest. Now you felt how you did when you both were younger, when things were different, before that night. “I only do this to protect you, and let you be happy in life.” You sighed, wrapping your arms around him in return. This was one of the few moments Ciel actually showed his most vulnerable state. Considering what you two had been through together, it was no surprise that he would share such tender moments with you. Besides, you were his sister after all.

        “I know, but I’m not such a little kid anymore.”

        “You’re thirteen years old like me.”

        “And you run an entire company as well as handle matters from the queen. It’s not like you’re living the life of a child.” IT was your turn to sigh now. “Things have changed.”

        “I know, but I still don’t approve (Y/N).” 

        “As your loving sister, I don’t care.” You smirked and pulled away from the hug. “I have to go, I’m already late enough as it is.” 

        “Indeed you are.” You smiled as you turned around, ready to leave. “Oh, I almost forgot to mention.” You turned your head over your shoulder. “I’m having a meeting today with Mr. Hughes, the authority on the history of the Roman Empire. I thought you’d be interested.”  Admittedly, you were fascinated with ancient history, and the Roman Empire happened to be one of your favorites. Ciel truly knew you best.

        “That is interesting, thanks for telling me.”

        “And Mr. Damiano is visiting tonight as well.” You smirked.

        “Oh really? That’s tonight?” 

        “Yes, so promise me you’ll stay out of the way please, and you won’t be attending dinner. Sebastian will be bringing your meal to your room.”

        “Awe come on! I never get to see the fun!” 

        “Why on earth you consider that ‘fun’ puzzles me beyond belief.”

        “It’s funny to watch!”

        “The answer is still no.”

        “It’s not like I’m going to mess anything up. I just want a part this time.” He sat there with his eyes closed, one hand holding up his cheek, the other impatiently drumming the wood of his desk. “Please?” Ciel thought about it some more, weighing all the possible consequences. He did not want to deal with this right now.

        “…You may join us for dinner only.” 

        “Yes!” 

        “I’m only allowing this so that you can grow accustomed to dealing with these people, and so you’ll stop whining about it. And no sneaking out.” 

        “Oh, sure, of course.”

        “(Y/N) I’m serious. I know you’ve seen my other dealings before, but you shouldn’t be seeing them now, or have seen any at all.”

        “I know, and I’m being serious as well.” Ciel knew you were lying. He was certain you would try and see his business, but it wasn’t like he could do anything to stop you. “See you later, brother.”

        “Will you be getting breakfast?”

        “We both know it’s already late enough as it is, I have no time for that.”

        “You really should eat.”

        “Well if only I had woken up earlier, I would have had time. But oh well, more sleep is important isn’t it?” Ciel sighed heavily as you exited the room. Sebastian bowed, dismissing himself out the door as well. Ciel rubbed his aching temples. His sister could really be a handful, a huge troublemaker, and a pain in the ass at times, but she was indeed his able sister.

        You walked down the halls of the manor with a triumphant smirk on your face. Not even Sebastian following you deterred your mood.

        “I’m assuming you do indeed plan on sneaking out tonight?” You smirked.

        “Ciel disapproves, yet hasn’t made a move to stop me if I so choose.” You glanced at his mischievous red eyes. “And to be perfectly honest, of course I’m going to watch.” 

        “Why does a young lady like yourself enjoy observing such… events.” 

        “And why are you so concerned?”

        “To be perfectly honest with you, I’m simply curious.” You hummed.

        “Who says a young lady can’t enjoy ‘such events’ in the first place?” His smirking complexion did not change. “And like I said before, it’s funny. To watch unfortunate events happen to those who more or less deserve it, and in such an ironic way, is humorous to me. Does that answer your question, Sebastian?” His smirk widened.

        “Yes, yes it does.” It was then you arrived at another door, just a bell rung. Sebastian sighed. “So much to do and he calls me now.” He bowed. “I will see you tonight, lady (Y/N).” 

        “See you later Mr. Sebastian.” He turned around and began heading back to Ciel, not without you noticing the amusement sewn into his smirk. 

        When you opened the door, you were immediately greeted with the sound of chatter from three different yet very familiar faces.

        “Oh, that’s a good idea.” A woman declared. She was wearing a maid uniform, glasses that covered her eyes, and her red hair tied back in pigtails.

        “Right, we have to stop relying on Sebastian for everything!” A man with a higher pitched voice said. He had pinned back strawberry blonde hair, turquoise eyes, and wore a plain attire with a straw hat on his back. 

        “It’s settled then, we have a plan of attack!” A buff dirty blonde haired man with a chef’s outfit exclaimed with a cigarette hanging from his mouth.

        “Yeah!” All three of them cheered. In the midst of their celebration, they noticed that you had entered the room, and all immediately ran to you and squeezed you into a group hug. “We were all so worried about you!” The three cried out, which made you giggle. It was only made worse when a small older man waddled up next to you and joined in on the hug.

        “Ho ho ho.”

        “Good morning Tanaka, and good morning everybody.” They all pulled away and each began to interrogate you.

        “Why in the heck are you so late this morning?” The buff man said.

        “It was my brother again, Baldroy.”

        “Oh, what did the master do this time?” Mey-Rin questioned.

        “Messed with my sleep schedule. He had Sebastian close the curtains so the sun couldn’t wake me up.” You grumbled while crossing your arms.

        “Master always tries to do what he thinks is best for you, (Y/N).” Finny said. You smiled at his optimism.

        “I know, but I wish he wouldn’t.”

        “Well, if I was in his shoes I’d do the same thing, knowing you.” 

        “Finny!”

        “What? I would. Even though I’m not your brother, I’d still protect you like I was.” Finny bear hugged you again, and even though his strength felt like he was crushing you, you still hugged back. Over the course of the few years these three became servants for your brother, you and Finny became quite the best friends. You felt the closest with him, especially since you both shared interests in nature and animals, and despite your temperament at times, you both had very kind natures.

        “And we’d do the same thing, (Y/N)!” Mey-Rin exclaimed, raising her fist in the air.

        “Yeah, and if anybody ever comes close to hurting you, one shot from me flamethrower’ll burn ’em to the ground!” You sweatdropped.

        “That’s a little extreme Baldroy. Awesome, but extreme, especially since no one’s gonna hurt me anytime soon at least.” 

        “Oh it’s always better to be safe than sorry, yes it is.” May-Rin smiled, but then a look of worry struck her. “Ah! If we don’t start working, Mr. Sebastian will yelling at us again! Let’s get to it!”

        “Right!” You all shouted.

***

        The sun beat down on you as you were crouched down to the ground, tending to the garden’s bountiful flowers. You used your gloved hand to wipe some of the sweat from your brows, and stood up to admire your work.

        “The white roses sure are beautiful this year.”

        “I know! They’ve all bloomed so wonderfully- OW!” You laughed as Finny sucked his pricked finger.

        “You’d think you’d be able to watch out for the thorns by now Fin.” 

        “I can’t help it (N/N)! They just appear out of nowhere!” You and Finny laughed and continued to talk and joke around with each other, carrying on as any good friends would do, unaware of the sole blue eye observing from afar.

***

        Ciel watched you from the window in the drawing room as you interacted with Finny just like you did any other day. He sighed as Sebastian poured his tea.

        “I don’t understand why she would voluntarily degrade herself to servant’s work.” Sebastian’s smirk remained as he handed his master his cup of Earl Grey tea.

        “She feels the need to reject the life of aristocracy.”

        “I wish I knew why though.” 

        “She claims she feels uncomfortable with such a lifestyle.” Ciel’s eye narrowed dangerously at his butler.

        “You’ve talked to her about this?”

        “She has admitted this to me on occasion, yes.” He looked back to the window.

        “Hm. Very well.” At the current moment, he could see you waving Finnian over to where you were knelt down. The young man rushed over and crouched down next to you, appearing to be admiring something you had found fascinating in the ground.

        “(Y/N) is quite the interesting human, isn’t she.” Again, Ciel’s eye glowered at Sebastian.

        “You could say that.” Ciel said, a threatening undertone to his voice.

        “So different, yet unique in her own way.”

        “A handful as well.” Sebastian chuckled.

        “An amusing one.” That was crossing dangerous waters.

        “If by that you mean not a bore to have around, then you are certainly right. Unless you are insinuating something else.” His eye once again fell on Sebastian’s mischievous red hues, daring him to continue any further. He heard something in his butler’s tone about his sister that he did not appreciate in the slightest. Sebastian merely did nothing.

        “I apologize if I came across that way, my lord.” Ciel knew his butler was not sincere, but let his comment slide, for now.

        “I’m hungry. I’d like something sweet to eat.”

        “You shouldn’t eat now, master. You don’t want to spoil your appetite for dinner with your guest this evening.”

        “I don’t care about that. Make me a parfait.”

        “I’m sorry, sir.” Ciel just about had it, but he chose to control his anger, since Sebastian did have a point, and it seemed he wouldn’t budge. 

        “Fine then.” He turned back to the window to see Finnian and you talking about something animatedly, then the lad messed with your hair, which made you laugh.

        “It seems Finny and (Y/N) are rather close with each other.” 

        “Yes, they get along quite well. Whenever I’m around the servants, she seems to be more drawn to him than the others.” 

        “Interesting.”

        “Do I detect a hint of jealousy, Master?” Sebastian couldn’t help but voice this out loud. As Ciel was watching you two, he noticed the way his master’s eye twitched, how his lips curled down, and the way his fingers clenched, all ever so slightly. But of course, Ciel merely scoffed.

        “What a preposterous idea. What would possibly make me jealous of Finnian?”

        “Perhaps how much time she spends with him instead of her own brother, or how they don’t seem to argue with each other as much as you do with her.”

        “That’s enough.” Sebastian’s smirk widened. 

        “As you wish, Master.” He turned to walk out of the room.

        “Wait.” 

        “Hm?”

        “The portrait in the hallway… take it down. I am Ciel Phantomhive, son of Vincent, and I am the head of the house now.” 

        “Consider it done, my lord.” The butler bowed and left the room, knowing full well that his master’s wish was out of pride, as well as a warning. The doors closed shut, and Ciel glanced back down to his sister, who had no idea of the conversation he just had.

***

        You stood up, clapping your hands together to get some of the dirt off your gloves.

        “To think, all we have to do is finish weeding, and the garden will be perfect.” 

        “Yup, and I’ve got this thing here to help us get the job done.” Finny said, hauling out an overly huge weed killer spray that seemed a little too strong.

        “Fin… I don’t think you should be using that to weed the garden. It looks too strong.”

        “Oh don’t worry (Y/N)! I swear, this’ll make it so we’re done super quick!”

        “Whatever you say…” A cough drew both your attention behind you, where Sebastian stood. 

        “Time for your afternoon lesson, (Y/N).” You nodded then waved goodbye to your friend. 

        “See you later Finny!” He waved back while holding the weed killer.

        “See you later!” 

***

        “Your attacks are still not swift enough. You must be quick on your feet, or you will never be able to land a hit on any opponent.” You panted, your hands still up in a fighting position. You lunged to the right and left hooked Sebastian, who just effortlessly dodged your attack. You launched a barrage of kick and punch combinations, all either dodged or blocked. Sebastian then lunged at you, silverware protruding from his gloves. You pulled your own two daggers from around your combat shirt and somehow blocked his swift attack. “Good.” He launched his own flurry of attacks, which caught you somewhat off guard. “Always expect the unexpected.” Eventually you got into a good rhythm of blocking and countering. With one final attack from Sebastian that you blocked, you two froze in place. Once you caught your breath you sheathed your weapons, ending your session. Sweat dripped from your forehead, and you knew you looked like a mess, while Sebastian didn’t even break a sweat. “For a human, especially a young one, you are quite the fighter.”

        “Well it must be boring for you to train a human such as myself when you’re, you know…” He chuckled.

        “Your skills have quite improved though.” 

        “Hm. I was lucky I convinced Ciel to allow this in the first place.” A couple years ago, you had expressed your interests in learning how to fight with Ciel, who had outright refused, claiming that you had no need and of course how unladylike it was. Even though you actually didn’t ask to be taught, you grew so annoyed with him you argued your reasons for wanting to learn. You had argued saying that being a lady didn’t matter, and anything could happen to you, so you needed to learn how to protect yourself. Somehow, you managed to convince him to let you train, ordering Sebastian to give you lessons every afternoon. To this day he disapproves of these sessions. “He still hates that I’m doing this.” 

        “Yes, he constantly complains how you have no need to fight.” 

        “Which is utter bullshit.” He chuckled.

        “You have such a different way of thinking, unlike most humans I’ve seen thus far.” 

        “Are you saying that because one day I’ll be able to kick your ass?” His eyes flashed fuchsia, although it was not a threat, more in amusement. 

        “You would end up dead before you could even try.” 

        “It’s what we humans call a joke. I would never actually be able to land a hit on you, I know you hold back most of your strength during our sparring matches.” His smirk widened and he slowly began walking to you. “I’m not just another stupid human.” He now stood in front of you with a smile, and ruffled your hair.

        “Good girl.” You swatted his hand away and frowned. “Your lessons are over for today. Shall we go check on how the servants’ progress is going.” He waited patiently for you to follow after him. You sighed as you caught up to him.

        “This’ll be fun.”

***

        Sebastian’s disappointed and frustrated red hues stared down at Finny’s upset form, while you watched on with your arms crossed and your head shaking side to side in a disapproving manner.

        “Now, how exactly did this happen?” Sebastian said, gesturing to all the wilted flowers that used to be white roses.

        “I thought things would go faster if I used extra-strength weed killer on the garden.”

        “I told him not to do it.” Sebastian sighed out of even more frustration now.

        “Let’s see how the others are doing then.” He said in an irritated manner. Finny followed you and Sebastian inside, looking completely dejected. You knew this was not just a simple screw up for Finny, you knew how actually upset he felt, what had happened to him in his past. You put a hand on his shoulder.

        “It’s okay Fin, you had good intentions, and you did your best. It just didn’t turn out how you expected is all.” 

        “I didn’t mean to kill them, I just wanted to do good work for once, and not destroy anything.” He mumbled the last part out, and you squeezed his shoulder a little more.

        “It was an accident. Besides, it’s not like everybody’s perfect. Everyone breaks something at some point. Like remember the time I forgot to water all the petunias? Or broke the one grandfather clock because I was trying to steal Baldroy’s flamethrower for something?” 

        “Oh yeah, I remember that. You torched it by accident when you and Baldroy were playing tug-of-war with his flamethrower.” You laughed at the memory.

        “See?” Finny smiled and blushed.

        “Thanks (N/N).” By the time Finny was all cheered up, you three arrived at the room Mey-Rin was supposed to be in, only to find her on the floor with a broken cabinet collapsed on her and a bunch of shattered tea sets all over the floor.

        “I was trying to reach the tea sets we use for guests, but I tripped and the cabinet fell.” You and Finny immediately rushed to help Mey-Rin out from the rubble. Meanwhile, smoke was coming from the next room over, and when Sebastian opened the door, he saw Baldroy covered in ash, with his hair singed into an afro, and most unfortunately for the butler, burnt food on the table.

        “There was a lot of meat to be cooked for dinner, and it was gonna take a long time, so I uh, used me flamethrower.” Sebastian’s hardened glare focused on all three of the servants, while Tanaka… merely stood off to the side.

        “Oh we’re so sorry! We didn’t mean to!” Mey-Rin and Finny apologized. Sebastian seemed to be in thought for a moment.

        “Calm down, all of you. Perhaps you should try taking a page out of Tanaka’s book and start behaving like…” It was then he seemed to think of an idea. “Everyone, listen closely and do exactly as I say, understand? We must be quick about this. We might save this night yet.” He explained the plan to the three servants, and with the basics down in your head, you began to formulate your own role. 

        “Right, I’ll help clean up and find the china while you guys work on the garden. When we’re all done I’ll head over to Baldroy and help anyway I can.” Everyone nodded at you and headed off to where they needed to go. 

***

        Soon enough, Mr. Damiano arrived, and the servants were all out to give him a proper welcome. However, you weren’t a part of it, as you were to be introduced at dinner. Instead, having the finished the clean up before Sebastian left, you helped find the ingredients and tools for Baldroy, and stared working on it to give him an example of what Sebastian wanted from him. You were actually not a bad cook, having trained with Sebastian when he had to learn for Ciel. After you finished this, you went to go find the china, which was actually more difficult than you thought, since there were plenty of boxes in the attic to search from. You finally found them just as Mey-Rin returned.

        “Mey-Rin, over here! I found them!” She ran over to where you were and began picking up the boxes full of china.

        “Thanks again (Y/N). You’re really helping me out a lot.” 

        “It’s always a pleasure… uh, do you need help with all those?” You were referring to the five boxes she had stacked on top of each other, while you only had two. You wondered how she could possibly see past the unsteady tower of boxes.

        “No, it’s quite alright.”

        “Are you sure? I really don’t mind carrying a few extra.”

        “Oh, I’m sure. It’s the least I could do for you, and for Mr. Sebastian.” 

        “If you say so.”

        You and Mey-Rin were carrying the boxes down the hall when Sebastian began approaching you two, and without thinking, she started running towards him still carrying the boxes.

        “Sebastian! We found them- AH!” She tripped, and the boxes began tumbling to the floor. Luckily, Sebastian was quick enough to catch four of them on his foot and the other in his hand, while simultaneously pulling Mey-Rin to his chest before she could land on the floor.

        “Oh, honestly. How many times have I told you not to run in the manor Mey-Rin?” He asked in a gentle voice, which made you roll your eyes, although for Mey-Rin, it was like a dream come true.

        “I-I’m so sorry sir! My glasses cracked and I can’t see a thing.” Her entire head was red and her speech a stuttering mess; you were surprised that she was able to separate herself from Sebastian’s chest. 

        “These are the last items we needed for dinner. Splendid work, everyone. And now I believe you can leave the rest of it to me and relax for a bit. But I need you to do well, very well, during dinner tonight.” Sebastian said with a smile, though everyone could see there was some underlying tone to his voice.

        “He said it twice.” Baldroy whispered.

        “Ooh that’s serious.” Finny remarked ominously.

         “(Y/N), that means you too. You should head upstairs and get ready for dinner.” You smirked.

        “Don’t worry about me Sebastian, I’m already ready.” You turned around and waved back to your friends. “Now if I may be excused, I have to go wait until dinner.” Even though you couldn’t see him, you knew Sebastian was smirking. He knew what you were really going to do, and where you were actually going. 

***

        “The progress we’ve been making with the East India Company is quite astonishing. We already have the makings of a top notch staff.”

        “Bewitched by the eyes of the dead. What terrible luck. It appears I’ve lost a turn.” From outside on your ledge by Ciel’s window, you could see the annoyance flash on who you assumed was Damiano’s face. It was certainly amusing, especially since all the man wanted to do was talk about money, yet Ciel completely ignored him, and so he rightfully should. 

        “Right, now is the perfect time. We should begin expanding the company and building a strong labor force. It would-“

        “Go on. It’s your turn.” You could see the annoyance grow, but just like before, it disappeared quickly. No doubt you knew Ciel noticed this as well. 

        “Oh yes. I just spin this then.” He spun the spinner, which landed on five, and so moved his piece five spaces forward. “Okay there, five spaces. Now what I wanted to ask you. Perhaps you could contribute another 12,000 pounds to support our expansion? I believe it will be quite a profitable venture for you, my lord, and I would consider it an honor to help expand the Funtom Company.” 

        “Lose a leg in the enchanted forest. And it’s your turn again. I lost a turn, remember?” 

        “Oh, I see.” He spun the spinner again. “Right, I move six.”

        “You don’t. That’s three.”

        “What?”

        “You lost a leg, if you recall. Now you only move half the number of spaces.”

        “Oh my.” He laughed, as if he actually found the rules funny, which was actually quite annoying to you. The board game was something you played with Ciel all the time, and it was a regular board game, nothing too special about it. This man was only interested in business, so much so that he had trouble tolerating Ciel, and this is how you assumed he masked this fact. “This is a gruesome board game, isn’t it? Is there no way for me to restore my leg?” 

        “I’m afraid once something is truly lost, sir, that one can never get it back. Your body is burnt by raging flames.” You knew what Ciel was thinking about, and it struck a chord in your heart as well. Your parents were dead, and both you and Ciel knew nothing could get them back now. To make it worse, burning in flames made you think of that night, the one when your parents died. It brought back images that you would rather keep repressed. You don’t know how long you sat there, but you snapped out of it only when you heard Sebastian open the door. 

        “Pardon the interruption, but dinner is served.” Sebastian’s eyes flickered swiftly to yours then back to Ciel and his guest, but you weren’t sure if he was only acknowledging your presence, warning you to get going, or most likely, signaling Ciel that you were eavesdropping. Damiano didn’t appear to notice, but you were sure Ciel did, although you wouldn’t be surprised if he knew you were there all along. 

        “Oh, dining out in that exquisite stone garden? Shall we go, my lord?” 

        “Very well. We’ll finish the game later.” 

        “Oh is there any real need to finish it? It’s obvious I’m going to lose.” 

        “I’m not in the habit of abandoning games halfway through.” You had a feeling he might have been partially making a reference to you. 

        “How childish.” You heard Damiano mutter. Instantly you glared at him, and so did Ciel. “Oh I-I mean sometimes it takes a child’s eyes to see what’s really important. It’s a true gift. Maybe that’s what made the Phantomhives the nation’s foremost toy makers. It certainly impresses me.” Ciel nodded in reluctant and fake approval, and started heading for the door. However, your contempt for that little comment did not go away, and you kept your glare on the man as you disappeared back inside the manor.

***

        “On tonight’s menu is a dish of finely-sliced raw beef, donburi, courtesy of our chef, Baldroy.” Mr. Damiano stared down at the meat in confusion.

        “A pile of raw beef. And this is dinner?”

        “Yes, but surely you’ve heard of it? This, good sir, is a traditional Japanese delicacy, a dish offered as a sign of gratitude to someone who has accomplished great work. That, sir, is the wonder of donburi!” 

        “Oh, donburi!” He said, as if he actually recognized its name.

        “This is a token from our master, to show his thanks for all your hard work on the company’s behalf. He wanted you to know that it’s much appreciated.”

        Finny, Baldroy, and Tanaka sat in the bushes in front of the table, hidden from the others’ views, silently cheering as Sebastian pulled off his plan perfectly.

        “Now that’s our Sebastian for you!” Finny whispered excitedly. 

        “He saved the day.” Baldroy smiled. 

        “Ho ho ho.” 

        “Excellent, what an inspiring idea! The legendary Phantomhive hospitality in action!” Just then, the doors to the garden opened, and everyone turned their attention to the new figure standing in the doorway.

        “I apologize for being late, brother. I had rather urgent issues to take care of.” You could feel the silent rage directed at you by Ciel, undoubtedly because of your attire. You didn’t change your clothes at all, and someone outside of the manor would certainly have a hard time understanding why a lady such as yourself wouldn’t be wearing a dress. It seemed Ciel tried to hold back his disapproval, but nevertheless gestured to you.

        “Allow me to introduce you to my younger sister, (Y/N) Phantomhive.” You bowed slightly, all rage you showed earlier for the man seemingly vanished. 

        “Pleasure to meet you.” 

        “Ah, so you are the famous Phantomhive sister I’ve heard so much about.” He said, discomfort clearly heard in his tone.

        “I’m flattered, sir. And you must be Mr. Damiano, head of my brother’s India branch. I’ve heard so much about you as well.” You took your place by Ciel’s left side, all the while Damiano’s stare lingering on your clothes. “Don’t worry, sir. My choice of attire is for a reason. I’m not too keen on the taste almost all women have in dresses, and much rather prefer something a bit more comfortable.” Ciel’s eye traveled to yours in an emotion you didn’t care to acknowledge. Damiano quickly turned nervous.

        “Oh no, I didn’t mean to come across that way. I hope I did not appear to be staring.”

        “It’s quite alright, everybody is curious about something.” Reluctantly, everyone began to eat. The awkwardness was saved when Sebastian approached Damiano with Mey-Rin holding a bottle of wine behind him. 

        “The vintage we are pouring tonight was specially selected to compliment the flavor of soy sauce. Mey-Rin.” She refused to move. “Now, Mey-Rin.” 

        “Yes, sir!” She still didn’t budge. Sebastian leaned down and whispered something into Mey-Rin’s ear. You smirked, knowing exactly what her problem was. “Of course! Yes, sir!”

        “Hey.” Baldroy whispered. 

        “What?”

        “Is it just me or is Mey-Rin acting a little strange?” 

        Mey-Rin shakily started pouring the wine, only she wasn’t pouring it in Damiano’s wine glass, but instead right onto the table. 

        “Ah!” Baldroy whisper yelled.

        “Mey-Rin, stop it! Can’t you see you’re spilling the wine!?” 

        Damiano didn’t seem to notice yet, as he was too busy eating his bite of food. Ciel’s eye widened at the forming puddle, and Sebastian’s eyes narrowed in concentration. You watched indifferently while eating your own meal as he grabbed the table cloth and swiftly pulled it out from under the dishes and glassware, all of them barely moving the slightest. Sebastian held the bundled cloth so that the wine puddle was hidden from view, as Mey-Rin realized what she had done and quickly backed away. Damiano looked down at the table in confusion as he finished his bite of food.

        “Oh? Where did the tablecloth go?” Ciel closed his eye and a smirk fell upon his countenance.

        “A speck of dirt, most unsightly. I had the cloth removed so that it wouldn’t distract us. Think nothing of it.” Sebastian bowed low. 

        “Please accept my apologies, sir. Do continue. Enjoy the meal at your leisure.” A smile lit up Damiano’s features.

        “Oh, oh my! Lord and Lady Phantomhive, once again you have truly impressed me. What an able butler you’ve acquired.” You discreetly smirked up at Sebastian. 

        “Pay no mind. He merely acts as befits one of my servants.” Ciel answered. 

        “My master is quite correct about that. Naturally, I’m simply one hell of a butler.” 

        “Humph.” Humph indeed. On the one hand, you wanted to gag at his overrated catch phrase, and on the other, laugh at the fact Damiano had no idea what that phrase truly meant, and what was coming to him.

***

        “That was a thoroughly enjoyable dinner, my lord. Now then, about the contract…” You were back into hiding beside the drawing room window, listening in on the conversation.

        “Before we discuss that, we must finish the game.”

        “Ah, yes of course. I do have a pressing appointment, perhaps another ti-“

        “Children can be very demanding about their games. Surely you wouldn’t want me to get upset.” You were proud of Ciel’s indirect demand, as the look on Damiano’s face showed how he was almost at his breaking point. 

        “No, no of course not. Perhaps you would permit me to use your telephone?” He stood up and made his way to the door, which Sebastian opened at the same time. 

        “I’ve brought some tea for you and my lord.” 

        “I’ll be right back.” You noticed he didn’t even try to hide his annoyance, and you took this as your cue to follow him. 

***

        “I’m tired of babysitting this child earl. Yes, I’ve already sold off the factory. Now all that’s left is to pocket the extra cash. I’m trying to squeeze more out of the brat right now. The employees? Who care about them?” He stopped, staring at the cracked open door behind him and gasped, thinking that he saw something there. But he quickly realized it was nothing and turned around, putting the phone back up to his ear. “Nevermind. The rest of the formalities are for you to deal with. No, it’ll be easy. Please, he’s only a child.” (E/C) eyes glowed from rage. It seemed that Sebastian was already starting the fun, so you set off to start yours as well. 

***

        Damiano walked up the stairs and into the hallway, trying to find his way back to Ciel. He passed the portrait of your parents, when suddenly he stopped. His eyes widened in fear, and as he turned and looked over his shoulder, he saw a white misty face with black holes where eyes were supposed to be overtop Vincent Phantomhive’s head. He frantically wiped his eyes and looked back at the portrait, only to see nothing. “Impossible. I’m seeing things.” You could practically hear Ciel’s haunting voice. 

        Bewitched by the eyes of the dead. Damiano stopped again, then chuckled. 

        “No, that’s ridiculous.” You smirked as he continued walking down the hallway. He had absolutely no idea that the fun was just about to begin. 

        “Huh, not here either.” He said, closing the door and moving on to the next. “Or here. This manor is like a giant maze. I can’t even find the drawing room.” The floor creaked with each step. 

        Bewitched by the eyes of the dead.

        He stopped dead in his tracks, and saw a figure with the same ghost like face he saw before ambling towards him. 

        “Ah! S-Stay away from me!” Damiano stumbled backwards and ran in the other direction, screaming for his life the whole way down. The figure Damiano thought he saw moved sideways, and the light of the hallway revealed the portrait of your parents, which made you stifle back your laughter.

        “That’s odd. Was that our guest I heard just now?” Finny appeared at the rear end of the portrait, looking down the hallway curiously.

        “Hey! You heard (Y/N)! We need to move this, or Sebastian will start yelling again!” 

        “Right!” You smirked. It had been your idea to move the portrait, as you had heard Ciel wished, at this exact time so this trick could be pulled off. You slinked back into the shadows of the hallways, excited to see how the rest of the evening went.

***

        “How embarrassing! I really messed up this time!” Mey-Rin looked up gushing at the ceiling in a daydream. “Oh, but at least I was able to get close to Sebastian!” She gasped and started waving her arms around. “Oh what a shameful day it all! What kind of lecherous maid am I!?”

        Damiano was still running down the hallway, breaths coming out in short gasps as adrenaline pumped through him.

        You lose one turn.

        He heard Ciel’s haunting voice. He tripped, falling down the main stairs and severely twisting his right leg, snapping it in several places. You observed from atop the railings across the side of the stairway he had come from, as he lay at the bottom of the steps. Mey-Rin heard the commotion next to hear and rushed to him. 

        “Sir, are you alright? Ah!” She gasped from shock, covering her mouth with her hands. “His right leg! It’s twisted round. What happened to it?” Just then, Baldroy and Finny approached the bottom of the stairs, still carrying the portrait.

        “Hey, what’s wrong?” Baldroy asked.

        “Our guest! Something’s happened!” Damiano managed to open his eyes and turn his head to the side, where he stared directly at the face of Vincent Phantomhive, but instead saw that ghostly white face from before. It mouthed Ciel’s words. 

        And now you lose one leg in the enchanted forest.

“Ugh!” He grunted and clenched his teeth in pain, but somehow found the strength to start dragging himself on the floor away from the portrait.

        “Sir? Uh. sir? Come back.” You reveled in his cowardice and fear, how he scurried about on the ground, like the scum you thought he was. You snuck away again, without the others knowing you had even been there. 

        Damiano dragged himself through the hall, trying to find an escape, until he was blocked by familiar pair of black pants. His eyes widened, as he looked up, and was face to face with Sebastian, smiling innocently down at him as if nothing was wrong. 

        “Surely you aren’t leaving the Phantomhive manor yet, sir?” 

        “Ah!” Damiano screamed and tried pushing himself away. 

        “We haven’t given you the full Phantomhive treatment yet. We still have dessert to serve.” Damiano tried crawling away from Sebastian, who was now walking at a leisurely pace behind him. You almost burst out laughing right then and there. “You’ve lost a leg, remember? Now you can only move half the number of spaces. So why not just relax a bit and make yourself at home?” Damiano picked up his speed, Sebastian letting him and slowing down his own pace. Damiano came across the nearest door he could find, somehow was able to open it, and once he was shrouded in darkness he closed the door as quickly and quietly as he could. It just so happened that this was the room you were in as well, and you watched as he scrambled around, trying to search for a better place to hide. 

        “Damn, it’s too dark.” The sound of Sebastian’s footsteps got louder and louder, causing a look of panic to cross his face. Out of fear, he scooched backwards until he hit something hard. “Is this a cupboard?” He felt around for a handle, and when he did, he opened the door and crawled right on in. You saw Sebastian’s feet stop right in front of the door just as Damiano shut himself in. Sebastian entered the room, letting light in from the hallway shine on the objects inside. “Damn, these are really tight quarters.” You could hear him sniff something. “What’s this? Smells like sugar.” The space he was in began to light up, and behind him Sebastian opened a small panel, his red eyes peeking through the opening, staring at the trapped man in a condescending manner.

        “What an impatient guest we have. You couldn’t even restrain yourself until dessert was out of the oven” 

        “Th-the oven!? Open up! Please open the door!” He pounded on the metal walls, but unfortunately for him, Sebastian had put the latch down, preventing the doors from opening. Sebastian stood up and put his hand on his head in mock contemplation. 

        “Perhaps the Italians aren’t familiar with our customs. There’s plum pudding, mincemeat pie; there are many traditional desserts here in England that make use of meat. I find them all quite tasty.” Sebastian smirked. Damiano looked up at him in terror and started screaming, begging to be let out, but Sebastian merely closed the panel. 

        Your body is burned by raging flames.

        Damiano let out an ear piercing scream, and when it died down some, it revealed the sound of your roaring laughter. Sebastian smirked, glancing over at your doubled over form on the counter. 

        “I had a feeling you would be down here.” You wiped a tear that escaped your eye.

        “I couldn’t help myself. Didn’t you see his face? It was simply priceless the entire time! Besides, I couldn’t let you have all the laughs.” 

        “Oh really now.” 

        “I asked Finny and Baldroy to move the painting earlier to mess with him more!” 

        “Ah, so that was you.” 

        “Yup, and it turned out to be hilarious!”

        “So, you witnessed everything, did you?”

        “Wouldn’t have missed the show for the world.”

        “I suppose you could call it a show.”

        “Yes, outstanding performance by you, Sebastian. You were excellent as always. Oh, but let’s not forget the star of the show, who’s still screaming for his mommy! Ha!” You laughed once more, and Sebastian’s smirk only widened. 

        “You really are quite the interesting human, aren’t you.”

        “You see, for Ciel’s sake, I’m simply one hell of a sister.” You mocked his catch phrase, causing a chuckle from the butler. “Would you like me to help with the… cleanup?” Sebastian put his hand on his chest.

        “I would be honored, my lady.” 

***

        “What was that? Someone screamed.” Baldroy said worriedly.

        “Don’t know.” Finny shrugged, then noticed two familiar figures walking towards them with trays in their hands. 

        “Oh hi Sebastian! Hi (Y/N)!” You and said butler both smiled.

        “Thank you for your hard work today. As a reward, how would you like some lemon meringue pie? The sugar will give you energy.” Sebastian held out the tray of pies.

        “And we also brought you tea to go along with it. You guys definitely deserve it.” You felt hands wrap around your legs, and sure enough, you looked down to see Finny clinging onto both your knees. You saw Sebastian was suffering the same fate from Baldroy.

        “Thank you so much Sebastian and (Y/N)! Thank you!” You and Sebastian sweatdropped. Once the two boys settled down and let go of your legs, you and Sebastian set the trays down on one of their crates, and they began to happily eat their pies. You both turned to leave, when Sebastian stopped and spoke to Baldroy.

        “Oh, yes, and Bald. A workman will be coming by in the morning. When he arrives, kindly let him know we’ll be needing our oven thoroughly cleaned.” Baldroy tilted his head in confusion. 

        “Huh? The oven?” You smirked and glanced at Sebastian, who did the same to you.

        “Let’s just say it’s… pretty messy.” Baldroy and Finny nodded at your odd statement, but continued eating their pie, trusting what the both of you said.

***

        “Ugh!! Mamma mia!!!!” Ciel laughed across from you as he watched the burnt Damiano stumble away from the manor. 

        “What an unattractive scream. He sounds almost like a pig off to slaughter.” 

        “He kinda was, or at least, almost was. If it were me, I would’ve left him in there to die.”

        “Yes, but allowing him to live means he will suffer for the rest of his life. I thought that more fitting for him.” 

        “Good point, but I still wish he weren’t alive anymore.” He hummed, and looked down at the table.

        “What presumption. First he sells the East Indian Company without telling me, and then he dares to ask me for more money. Did he think to retain my trust?” 

        “And I’m a witness to it. You should’ve heard him on the phone, and when he insulted you I swear I almost jumped him several.” Ciel sighed.

        “You are so impatient, (Y/N).”

        “hey, it’s not like I actually did it, and I pulled myself together for dinner. Even you have to admit that.”

        “Your performance was acceptable. I was actually impressed, except for your attire.” You rolled your eyes.

        “I don’t wear that stuff for anything, especially dinner with a jackass who’s not even going to remember that little detail.” He smirked.

        “Yes, I know.” You chuckled.

        “You really should have come down to watch with me. If you thought his scream was ugly, you should’ve seen his face. Oh, it was the best when he got trapped in the oven!” You laughed, recalling tonight’s events, while Ciel rolled his eye. 

        “I don’t care to see such messy business like that, and neither should you.” You shrugged. 

        “That gluttonous pig deserved it, that’s what makes it funny and enjoyable to watch.” 

        “(Y/N), understand that I not only wish to protect you, I wish to protect your mind, your soul. It’s not proper for-” 

        “I wish I could protect yours.” Ciel’s blue eye widened, shocked. He slowly looked up from the table to see you staring out the window, your head resting on your palm, a forlorn expression adorning your usually playful complexion. Silence passed, neither of you saying a word. He finally closed his eye and sat his elbows on the table, putting his hands to his lips in thought.

        “I’m afraid once something is truly lost, one can never get it back again.” You smiled bitterly.

        “I know.” Ciel again looked up at you. “Hey look, he’s still trying to hobble around out there. You should see this!” But Ciel did not even speak; he merely observed your change of emotion, contemplating your response. You could truly be a mystery to even him sometimes, but at this moment in time, he knew exactly how you felt. It was written all over your face. He knew you felt sorry, sad, for him, yet at the same time acceptance and happiness. You knew it was his choice, and you accepted this, and you were willing to be happy despite this. He figured this is how you got along with Sebastian so well, despite knowing his fate. As Ciel looked at your smile as you pointed and laughed out the window, managing to hold these feelings in not only for him, but for yourself and everyone around you, he knew you really were his able sister. 

        (A/N: Here it is, a whole actual chapter. In case you couldn’t tell by the dialogue, this story won’t be different from the anime except with the addition of your character. I know there are differences in the manga it’s just I haven’t read it so yeah. Anyway, it’s been almost a week since the last day of school, but they’re already making me go back for senior pics, where they’re gonna shove me in an outfit then a white cap and gown, freaking white for Pete’s sake! But besides that, hopefully updates are quicker than they have been, and look out, I’ve still got a lot more to publish. With that, I’ll see y’all laters 🙂 )

Overview:

Found hurt and abandoned by the Phantomhive mansion, you were taken in as an adoptive child, and adoptive sister to Ciel Phantomhive. You were both always happy, and Ciel and his parents loved you as if you were their own. But after the fire, you and Ciel disappeared, only to come back with a mysterious man, the one and only new Phantomhive butler, Sebastian Michaelis. Since you were there during the kidnapping, you knew of Sebastian’s nature and what he was, and being Ciel’s sister, he would make sure Sebastian protected him as well as you, the only other survivor of the Phantomhive fire, the only close family he had left. So naturally, you three were the closest, tightest group anyone could get, and, no one could separate you three. Where Ciel went, you and Sebastian were not far behind. But, among such closeness, there are bound to be consequences…

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Black Butler and its original plot, only your character’s own contribution. I do NOT own any pictures I use unless I say so

WARNING: Cussing ahead

 

 

Prologue:

 

 

      The air was unusually cool this dark night on the outskirts of London. The full moon seemed to glow eerily, shining upon the paved street, illuminating its details perfectly. It was nothing much, just a gray stone road surrounded by grass and a few scattered trees here and there.

        The clip clop of horse hooves could be heard trotting on the stone, cutting into the silence of the night. Two horses, one bay stallion and one bay mare, were pulling a black carriage along the seemingly deserted road. Inside this carriage sat a handsome man and a beautiful woman, who was currently staring out the carriage’s window. The man sat there, admiring the woman before him, yet wondering what was on her mind. The woman let out an audible sigh.

        “Vincent, do you think Ciel is faring well?” The man, Vincent, smiled and lightly chuckled.

        “You worry too much Rachel. I am sure he is perfectly fine with Angelina. They get along so well, and she treats him as if he were her own.” The woman, Rachel, sighed again.

        “I know.” She uttered softly. It was silent for another moment. “It’s a shame she can’t have her own child, she would’ve made an excellent mother.” Vincent smiled once again.

        “I think that’s why your sister loves him so much, he’s like the son she’s always wanted.” Rachel beamed.

        “Oh, just imagine though, if Madame Red could have her own. Wouldn’t that be lovely?”

        “It would. She would be truly happy again. Plus, Ciel would have someone else to grow up with.”

        “That’s all I’d want for her.” The sound of thunder and droplets of rain hitting the carriage and the ground outside drew the couple’s attention to the windows.

        “That certainly came fast.”

        “Yes it did. Such tremendous force too.”

        “I believe it’s a sign to get home as soon as possible.” Suddenly, something caught Rachel’s eyes.

        “Stop the carriage!” She shouted, and the horses immediately stopped their clip clopping. Victor became worried at his wife’s sudden panic.

        “What’s wrong dear?” She ignored his question and swiftly opened the door, rushing outside with Victor following not too far behind. That’s when he saw what caused his wife’s state of panic. There was a small child, a little girl no more than five years old, covered in scratches and blood, stumbling around like a zombie. When she reached the edge of the road she collapsed, her now soaked hair covering her face. “Oh dear.” The couple ran to the girl and crouched down to her level. Victor checked her pulse, and when he couldn’t feel anything, put his head over the girl’s heart.

        “Is she alive?” Victor stilled for a moment, but then suddenly sighed in relief.

        “It’s faint, but she has a heartbeat.” Rachel searched the area around her, looking to see if anyone, specifically people who might be her parents, were there.

        “I don’t see anyone else nearby. She’s alone.” Victor stood up and scooped the child into his arms.

        “We have to get her out of the rain and get her some help immediately. Angelina can treat her. Come on.” The two raced back into the carriage with the child in hand.

        “Step on it! Hurry, please!” The horses instantly picked up speed, galloping on the wet road as fast as they could without risk of slipping.

***

        “Madame Red, when will mother and father return?” A little boy, with short bluish hair and dark blue eyes, asked a woman with short crimson hair styled in a bob cut and matching crimson eyes.

        “I’m sure they’ll be home soon dear, don’t worry! But come on, let’s play some more before they get back!” The little boy nodded his head, and smiled along with the red haired woman. A crack of lightning and the sound of thunder drew their attention away from each other and to the ceiling. “My, it sure is coming down hard. I hope Rachel and Vincent don’t have too much trouble with this.” She glanced at the boy and quickly tried to dismiss what she had just said. “B-But I’m sure it’s actually nothing! They’ll just be traveling slower to avoid slipping is all.”

        “Are you sure they are going to be okay?”

        “Of course I am!” A knock drew the pair’s attention to the front door. “I’m sure that’s them now! Let me go open the door for them.” However, both hadn’t realized juts how frantic that knock was. Madame Red went to the door and opened it, only to find her sister drenched with a look of worry on her face, holding something bloody in her arms. Victor was right behind her. “Rachel, what-?”

        “Angelina, please! You must help her!” That was when her sister revealed the unconscious, wounded child in her arms. Madame Red gasped.

        “Oh my! We have to get her inside, quickly!” She grabbed the girl from her sister and rushed inside, Rachel not far behind.

        The boy watched his mother run into the house, and happily tried to skip over to her, not noticing how distressed she appeared.

        “Hi moth-” He stopped when she paid him no mind and watched as she ran right past him. His father came running by as well, and he tried calling out to him as well. “Father?” Victor ran past him as well, leaving Ciel behind wondering what was wrong. He followed his parents.

        The two women ran into the bathroom and set the girl in the bathtub. Immediately Madame Red felt for a pulse, and thankfully she felt a faint beat. She reached for her tools.

        “She’s still alive, but barely. I have to patch her up quick though, she’s lost too much blood already. If these injuries aren’t sewn then she’ll bleed out. I’ll have to check for internal injuries later.”

        Ciel caught up to his parents only to see his mother and aunt in the bathroom, huddled around the bathtub, and his father standing in the doorway.

        “Father, what’s going on?” Victor looked down at his son and smiled reassuringly as a way to try and dismiss any worry. He knelt down to his eye level and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

        “It’s okay Ciel. Someone just needs our help is all.” Ciel didn’t understand what he meant, but he showed no sign of confusion. “Now whatever happens, you need to stay out here, alright?”

        “Yes father.” Victor smiled, and stood back up, staring at Madame Red as she continued working. Ciel could hear the voices of his mother and aunt, but he couldn’t decipher any of what they were saying. All he could do was be with his father and wait.

        “From the way these injuries look, she was attacked by something, or someone. Did you happen to see anything?”

        “No. She was limping on the side of the road before collapsing. That’s all we saw, there was no one else around.” Madame Red hummed in thought as she continued stitching all of the open wounds. After a few more minutes of tense silence, she finished the sutures and began bandaging the injured areas.

        “She’ll live now, she just has to rest.”

        “We have a spare bedroom that she can stay in for the time being.”

        “Good, let’s get her there quickly.”

        Ciel stood with his father the whole time his mother and aunt were tending to whatever needed their attention. Even when they were finished, his father blocked his line of sight of the two women so that he couldn’t see what they were carrying. He went to follow them to see what it was, but his father stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it. Ciel looked up at his father with big innocent and curious eyes, which his father smiled at. “Ciel, I think it’s time you go to bed tonight.”

        “But, I wanna know what-“

        “All in due time, son.” Ciel’s face fell, his sad blue eyes staring down at the floor. “Come on, how about I tuck you in.” Ciel looked back up to his father, and nodded. Victor grabbed a candle from the hallway, took Ciel’s small hand in his own, and led him to his bedroom. The little boy climbed into bed while his father held the candle out so that he could see.

        “Father, why won’t you tell me what mother and auntie were doing?” Victor sighed and sat on the bed as well.

        “It’s very complicated. We just need to sort things out first, then we’ll tell you. Is that alright?” Ciel nodded. A moment of silence passed. “You want to know something?” Ciel looked up with newfound curiosity. “I don’t know too much either. In fact, none of us do.” Now Ciel was beyond confused.

        “What do you mean?” Victor smiled at his son’s expression.

        “It’s been a very long night for all of us. How about you get some sleep.” Victor stood up and walked to the doorway. “Goodnight Ciel.” He blew out the candle, encasing the room in darkness, and closed the door. Soon, Ciel’s racing thoughts exhausted him, and he eventually succumbed to sleep.

        “Do you have any idea who this child is or who her parents are? Do you recognize her at all?” Madame Red questioned Rachel and Victor. They both shook their heads no.

        “I’ve never seen her before, and I don’t know of anyone who could be her parents.” Rachel said while looking to her husband, who was just as clueless as her.

        “Angelina, when do you think she will wake up? Perhaps she could tell us herself.” 

        “It might be a while, a day or two give or take.”

        “Then she should at least stay the night, and meanwhile we’ll go to Scotland Yard in the morning to see if they can do anything, at least spread the word that there is an unidentified injured child. If they can’t do anything, then hopefully she will wake up and be able to tell us who she is and what happened to her.”

        “I will head home tonight and ask around myself. Send for me if something goes wrong, or if you find something out.”

        “We will. Thank you for everything sister.”

        “No problem. Good luck.”

        “Good luck to you as well.”

        Two days passed, and Ciel found that he wasn’t any closer to finding out what had his parents and aunt so fascinated. His father and mother didn’t allow him in the bedroom where the mysterious thing was, and they still refused to tell him what had happened the other night. Constantly he would walk by the locked bedroom and wonder what was behind those doors. Sometimes he would see his parents go in, and even his aunt on one occasion. If he tried to open the door, his father would always stop him, saying ‘not yet son’. On the second night, he went to see his parents in their bedroom, but part of their conversation caught his ears.

        “Nothing’s turned up at all, Victor. Not even from the police.” Ciel stopped in his tracks and pressed his back against the wall and tried to listen in on what they were saying.

        “I know Rachel, I don’t think we have a choice anymore.” He heard shuffling that was approaching his hiding spot, which he took as his que to leave. He ran back to his bedroom as quietly as he could, where he closed the door and sat on his bed, just in time as he heard someone knocking on his door.

        “Ciel? Are you in there?”

        “Yes Mother.” His parents stepped into the room, leaving the door open. Both exchanged expressions Ciel didn’t understand. “I-Is everything alright?” His father looked back to him with a gentle smile.

        “Come on, we have something to show you.” Ciel nodded then hopped off his bed, His father took his hand and led him out of his bedroom. They made their way through the halls, and as they rounded a corner and began approaching the forbidden locked door, his heartbeat sped up. When his father stopped him in front of it, his mind was racing. Finally, the room he spent so long trying to get in, trying to find out what was behind it, he was now going to see what was in there. His father turned the key and pushed the door open slightly. As Ciel entered, it seemed to just be another spare bedroom, but something caught his eye, and he immediately understood what made this room so special.

        There, resting on the bed, was a girl no older than he was. She was covered in white bandages, from the whole right side of her face to her chest, and all on her left arm with some on her other arm. He could still see other features, like her (S/C) skin and her (H/L) (H/C) hair sprawled on her shoulders. To Ciel, she looked so peaceful. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up to meet his father’s eyes.

        “Who is she?”

        “We found her all alone and very hurt, so we brought her home to have your aunt heal her.” His mother answered.

        “…Oh.” Ciel was stunned silent, he didn’t know how to respond. All this time they were handling a person! He couldn’t believe it. “Is she okay now?”

        “Yes, she’s way better, but she’s been sleeping for awhile now.” Victor explained.

        “But what does that mean? I thought you said she was okay.”

        “She is, but she was hurt so much that her body needs more time to rest. That’s all.”

        “In fact, your aunt says that she should be waking up very soon.” His mother assured. Suddenly, they heard a small noise coming from the bed, making them all go silent. All three looked to see that the young girl was stirring.

        With a little groan, (E/C) eyes fluttered open, with nothing but bright light in their view. Her head ached all over, and she wanted nothing more than to get the brightness out of her eyes. Her head turned on its own, and her eyes landed on two taller figures, both peering down at her. When her vision cleared, she saw the features of a smiling man and a woman, but she didn’t recognize them. Their faces seemed to hold warmth and kindness in them; she didn’t feel scared of them.

        “Hello dear, how are you feeling?” The woman asked. The little girl blinked.

        “Fine.” She whispered, although they could still hear her, as their smiles widened.

        “That’s good.” The man spoke. “Do you remember your name?” Her mind was blank, nothing came to mind, but after a moment her head started to hurt, and a name came to mind.

        “(Y/N).” Her hand travelled to her aching head out of reflex, and she rubbed it to try and stop the pain.

        “Does your head hurt?” The girl nodded. “Do you remember what happened to you?” This time, the girl shook her head.

        “I don’t remember anything before now.” The two adults exchanged concerned looks, which only made the girl more uncomfortable. “Who are you guys?” They looked at each other knowingly, then turned back to the girl.

        “We’re your mom and dad.” The man said. The two adults felt Ciel’s surprise behind them, but said nothing on the matter. Silence passed.

        “Oh.” Their answer seemed weird to the girl, but it didn’t necessarily feel wrong, and they seemed like really nice people. Their faces brightened up, and her heart felt much lighter. The girl smiled too. They then moved to show a blue haired young boy who looked to be around her own age. His blue eyes were mesmerizing, and she found herself locked on his gaze.

        “And this is your brother, Ciel.” The woman said.

        “Hi.” The girl said in almost a whisper.

        “H-Hi.” He said back.

        “My name’s (Y/N).”

        “A-And my name’s Ciel.”

        “You have really pretty eyes.” A small blush appeared on his cheeks, and he turned away out of embarrassment.

        “T-Thanks. You have pretty eyes too.” She gave him a close eyed smile, and his blush deepened.

        “I like you.” He turned his head away.

        “You seem very nice.” She beamed.

        “Aww, thanks! Say, what do you like?” Ciel looked back up to her, and she could clearly see the bright red on his cheeks.

        “Huh? O-Oh, uh, I-I guess I like playing, and candy and desserts.”

        “I like sweets too! Especially cake! What’s your favorite flavor? Mine’s chocolate!”

        “Ooooo I love chocolate!” Ciel was now at the edge of the bed, looking up at the girl now with a much more relaxed visage, and propping his cheeks up with his hands on the mattress.

        “I also like animals, do you?” Ciel pouted a little, and crossed his arms over the bed.

        “I do like dogs, but I get allergies from cats.”

        “Awwwee! But cats are so fuzzy and clever! And dogs are fluffy and playful, so that’s good that you like one of them then.”

        “Do you have a favorite animal?”

        “Don’t ask such a hard question silly! I love them all! It’s easier to say what my favorite color is.”

        “What’s your favorite color?”

        “That’s easy, its (F/C)!”

        “My favorite’s blue.” She pointed at him.

        “Ha! I knew it! Your hair and eyes are blue, so I knew your favorite color had to be blue!” He blushed, but smiled nonetheless. He then climbed up on the bed and continued to talk with the girl, both becoming oblivious to the two adults still present. They smiled at each other, and quietly left the room. An older man in a black suit stood outside the door. 

        “Tanaka, would you watch the children while we go inform Angelina of the girl’s condition?” Victor asked, and the butler bowed.

        “Of course, sir.” 

        The two children conversed throughout the evening under the supervision of Tanaka, as Victor and Rachel immediately went to Madame Red with the information they had gathered from the girl, which was unfortunately only her name. They had felt bad for lying to the girl, but if they simply introduced themselves as strangers, they figured it would have scared the girl more. Unfortunately, Madame Red still couldn’t turn up any news about the girl even with the new knowledge; she couldn’t even figure out a last name. It was almost as if the girl hadn’t existed before.

        When the two adults came back to the room, albeit disappointed, they found the two children sound asleep, side by side each other. They smiled, and left them be, closing the door quietly behind them. They had no choice but to make a decision, that they would go along with the lie they told the girl.

        You were now officially (Y/N) Phantomhive.

        From that point on, you and Ciel grew up as close and as happy as any siblings could be. You both played together, learned together, even took baths with each other, when your parents made you of course. Ciel never told you the truth of where you came from, and neither had anybody else. His parents explained everything to him, but even still, you were the best friend Ciel could ever have, blood related or not, and that was more than he could ever ask for. It seemed like nothing would ever tear your family apart.

***

        Flames erupted all around the mansion. Tears poured down your cheeks as you stood alone in the burning hallway, trying to find anyone who could help.

        “Mom! Dad! Cie-” You coughed from the large amount of smoke entering your lungs. Your body shook as you forced yourself to keep moving down the hallway. You opened a door you knew well, but the sight made you freeze. You held your hand up to your mouth, as you saw the bodies of your parents and dog, Sebastian, lying on the floor, flames dancing across their backs. “No! NO!” You looked to your left and to your right, and that’s when you found the shadow of a figure you recognized well. You rushed over to Ciel and hugged him. “Ciel!” He seemed surprised, but immediately hugged you back.

        “(Y/N)! You’re still alive!” You sobbed into his shirt as his own tears dripped onto you.

        “Mom and Dad! They’re-” You started coughing, and Ciel took your hand.

        “Come on sis, we need to go!” He ran with you following behind him.

        You both ran down the hallway as fast as you could through the scorching flames while dodging falling chunks of ceiling. When the two of you rounded a corner, you ran into the legs of a tall man. You gasped, but as you both looked up you were met with the distressed countenance of Tanaka. At seeing you two, he pulled you both close to him.

        “You two are alive! I need to get you two out of here now-” The words stopped coming from his mouth as he covered his stomach, now soaked with blood, his blood. His eyes glaze over as he collapsed to his knees and continued holding his gut. You and Ciel took a few steps back, as the knife that had been used to stab poor Tanaka was withdrawn. The man it belonged to smiled sinisterly and began taking long steps towards you. Both you and Ciel turned around to run, but the man grabbed you two and threw you over his shoulders. You beat at his back, screaming for you and Ciel to be let down, but the smoke from the fire caused you to feel more and more weak, and before you knew it, you passed out.

***

“These two are rare ones indeed, and worth a lot of coin, more than four children.” You and Ciel sat tied up in a cage, watching as the transaction took place.

        “Alright, I’ll take ’em from you.” The man dropped coins into your kidnapper’s hand and shoved them in his pocket. You scooted closer to Ciel out of fear, and he in turn did the same to you. Both of you were uncontrollably trembling, knowing full well what may lie in store for you two. The man who ‘bought’ you chuckled and smirked at you.

        “You two are perfect.”

***

People in masks held you down, pressing your stomach against the hard cold floor, as they brought out a brander. You whimpered and struggled against your chains.

        “Settle down, we have to mark you. You’re both such noble beasts, after all, and what’s a beast without its brand.” Your breathing quickened, and you began to cry. “Now hold still.” You sobbed as you felt them lift your shirt up. You struggled even more, but one of the masked men shoved you down and then you felt a huge burning sensation on the middle of your back.

        “Ahhh!!” You squirmed and writhed in pain as your flesh burned.

        “(Y/N)!! No- ah!!” You heard the singe of flesh being burned.

        “Ciel!” You struggled harder, wanting desperately to save your brother, only to have one of the people push you down with their foot.

        “You lot need to learn your place.”

***

You and Ciel sat in your consecutive cages, back to back against the bars that touched the other’s cage. Your knees were pulled up to your chests, and your bangs covered your saddened expressions. Both you and Ciel were completely drained of energy, and overall defeated. You were in dirty rags, chained around your ankles, and beaten with wounds covering your entire bodies.

        “I wanna go home so badly.” You whispered shakily.

        “Me too. I want to see Mom and Dad again.” You heard a tear drip onto the floor.

        “But, Mom and Dad are, are…” You sniffled, then felt something poke your back. You turned around to see Ciel’s hand pressed against the bars, and you did the same, squeezing his fingers with your own. It was the closest thing to contact with each other you two had.

        “I know.” He sniffled as well, and his tears joined yours as they fell to the ground.

        Feet stomping on the tiled floor alerted you two to the masked people who were now approaching the cages. You squeezed Ciel’s fingers tighter, and he did so to yours in reassurance, as well as fear. They laughed as they drew nearer to Ciel’s cage. One pulled out a set of keys and began to unlock the door.

        “Your turn first, boy.” You drew Ciel’s hands as close to you as possible, but it was no use, as they opened the door and effortlessly dragged Ciel out, causing your hands to let go of the other’s. You went to the front of your cage and gripped the bars, watching as they strapped Ciel to the ritual table. You banged and clawed at the bars, trying your best to bust out of them and save your brother, but your efforts only ended in vain. You saw them bring out a knife, and you beat on the bars even more. Ciel cried out as one of the masked men impaled his stomach.

        “Ciel!” Blood spurted from his mouth and he arched his back from the pain. You rammed the bars with your shoulders twice, but when they wouldn’t budge you stopped, your shoulders hurt too much to pull that off again. You could only grip the bars and watched as your brother writhed in agony, unable to do nothing to stop it. You cried as his screams grew louder and you lowered your head, not wanting to see Ciel’s torture. You wished for someone, something, anything, to save you, to free you and Ciel from this hellhole. Please. Someone… help.

Suddenly, a flash of black brought your attention back up to the ritual the men were performing. Your eyes widened as you saw a black shadowy figure just in front of the ritual table, blocking your view of Ciel. The figure’s black wing like limbs were outstretched, and you could see its claws and… the sharp heeled stilettos it wore. You didn’t know what kind of creature wore shoes, or what kind of creature it was in the first place, but you were too mesmerized by its otherworldly appearance and strong dark aura to be concerned. You didn’t even pay attention to what the masked people were now doing.

        After a few moments, the black figure seemed to kneel in front of the table, revealing Ciel’s now stone cold expression. A scream pierced the room, and you recognized it as Ciel’s, making you once again pull on the bars. Then, out of nowhere, something exploded, and the force of it slammed you on the back of your cage. You rubbed your head as you sat up, only to see the whole room engulfed in flames. You panicked, but your eyes landed on Ciel sitting up on the table, and the figure still kneeling in front of him. Around them were the bodies of the masked people, laying in their own pools of blood. You didn’t know what to feel, disgust or relief that they would no longer harm you. Although, the intensity of the flames ravaging the room quickly distracted you from this, and as you looked back up to Ciel, you saw him turn and point at you, the figure as well turning its head to reveal glowing fuchsia eyes, staring right into your own frightened (E/C) ones. The smoke from the flames caused you to cough violently, keeping you from focusing on Ciel and the figure. Before you knew it, you were out cold.

***

You slowly awoke with a splitting headache, and you put your hand on your head in an attempt to stifle the pain. It felt as if you were walking, but oddly, your legs weren’t moving. In fact, you didn’t even think you were upright; it felt like you were pressed against something. As your vision cleared, you could make out that what you were lying against was a black suit. White gloved hands held you bridal style, and as you looked up, you saw a face with pale white skin, short black hair, and blood red irises. Those eyes traveled down to rest on your tired (E/C) ones, but you quickly averted your gaze below, where you saw Ciel walking just a few feet ahead of you with bandages wrapped around the right side of his head. You looked back to those glowing red hues that still stared at your form.

        “You, you’re that demon.” You whispered. You got no response from the man, he merely continued walking. You looked over his shoulder at the building you recognized as the one you and Ciel had been trapped in, only now it was covered in flames. The sight made you smile. Finally, you were free. You pressed your head against the demon’s shoulder and closed your eyes. “Thank you.”

        Sebastian watched as the little girl in his arms once again fell unconscious. He found it interesting that you figured out what he was, but even more so the fact that you felt grateful toward him. He didn’t expect a child to think a demon as their savior, then nestle into him as if he were a true protector. This child was certainly strange, yet amusing, and that made him smirk. He was certainly looking forward to the future adventures to come.

        (A/N: Here’s another story for ya guys! Black Butler time, let’s go! Although, I haven’t watched it in a year… time to binge!! I’ll see y’all laters -D-)

 

 

Chapter 4: Closer and Closer  

 

        “Desine! (Stop!) Desine!” The demon’s pointed blue snout stopped just short of your hand. “Ea est cum meā! (She is with me!)” The demon’s red eyes narrowed slightly, but nonetheless it halted. Slowly, it closed its mouth and stood straight up, and a divine feminine voice spoke.        

        “Stultam feminam (Foolish woman). Tu debes esse plus responsabilis! (You ought to be more responsible!) Paene interfeci eam. (I almost killed her).” You laughed sheepishly.       

        “Me paenitet (I am sorry). Oblivisci te habere hīc. (I forgot that you lived here.)” The demon huffed.         

        “Wow.” You turned around to see Rin gawking at the demon with a look of pure awe in her eyes. “She’s so pretty.” You smiled, then smirked back at the demon, who merely huffed again. You turned back to Rin, took her hand, and slowly led her towards the demon, the entire time not showing any sign of fear. I guess traveling with three demons means she’s gotten used to other demons too… when they’re not trying to kill her at least.    

        “Rin, this is Kaekilla. She’s a water demon. Kaekilla, this is Rin, a new traveling companion of mine.” Kaekilla locked her eyes with the enlarged brown ones of Rin. She flicked her dark blue serpent-like tongue out and huffed slightly.        

        “Est voluptatem congregare te.”        

        “She says nice to meet you.”          

        Just then, Kaekilla swiftly raised her head to something behind Rin, and as the little girl turned around, she smiled from ear to ear.         

        “Lord Sesshomaru!” Said demon looked upon Kaekilla with a subtly questioning look in his yellow orbs as Rin sprinted from the river bank all the way to Sesshomaru and jumped on his pant legs. He paid no mind to her, instead focusing on Kaekilla, while Jaken kept trying to pry Rin off of Sesshomaru.         

        “Qui estne illem daemonium, (Y/N)? (Who is that demon, (Y/N)?) Esne secunta eum circum sicut canem? (Are you following him around like a dog?) Non scivi esse delicium. (I did not know that you were a pet.) ”        

        “Hey! Quid Infernale!? (What the hell!?)” The water demon chuckled.         

        “What are you two saying?” Jaken screeched, momentarily stopping his attempts at trying to sepearate Rin from his master, and raising his staff in anger.  Here we go. “Don’t you know you shouldn’t speak in secretive gibberish in front of Lord Sesshomaru!?” You rolled your eyes.         

        “She doesn’t speak our language, imp. She only speaks Latin.” Jaken crossed his arms, and ‘humphed’ in irritation.         

        “And where did you learn to speak such a language.” You shrugged your shoulders.   

        “I don’t know. I kinda just picked it up.”        

        “Who is she.” Sesshomaru suddenly questioned, or rather demanded an answer.        

        “She is the water demon of this river.”         

        “A water dragon demon.” You turned to look at Kaekilla, puzzled by his statement.     

        “Yeah, I guess she is. What’s so important about that though?” But you got no answer in response, from either the dog or water demon. They stared at each other as if having their own silent conversation, but what they were thinking, you had no idea. After a few minutes of this, Kaekilla broke the eye contact and looked down at you.        

        “Amica tua sinit bibere aquam. (Your friend is allowed to drink the water)” You nodded.         

        “Hey Rin.” At the sound of her name, she turned her attention on you instead of Sesshomaru’s pant leg, where she was still clinging to. “She says you can drink the water if you want.” Her smile grew tenfold, and she bolted back to the water bank. Sesshomaru turned on his heel to leave, but not before giving Kaekilla one last look that you couldn’t quite decipher. He then disappeared through the brush, followed by a still fuming Jaken as Rin continued to drink. Kaekilla huffed, drawing your attention to her.        

         “Non vere oblinda est meam tam facile. (You really shouldn’t forget me so easily.)”         

        “Whatever you say.” Your smile soon turned into a frown. “Quid eratne omnem illum de? (What was all that about?)”         

        “Erat nihil. (It was nothing)”        

        “Vere? (Really?)” Kaekilla’s red eyes remained locked on yours, telling you that she would not answer. The only thing that could be heard was Rin happily splashing the water in the background. You wouldn’t try to force the answers from your demon friend, you knew it would get you nowhere.         

        The orange and pink glow in the sky alerted you to the sunset over the horizon, and you decided it was time to take Rin back to the campsite so that you all could rest. “Come on Rin, it’s getting dark out. We should head back to Sesshomaru, and I’m sure Ah-Un misses you too.” She nodded her head and stepped out of the water, waving at Kaekilla as she did so.        

        “Goodbye miss water demon!”        

        “Vale! (Goodbye!)” You called over your shoulder as you led Rin to the bushes. Kaekilla bowed her head.

        “Vale nam nunc. (Goodbye for now.)” Her body sank back into the river, disappearing with the water, as you and Rin entered the forest.         

        By the time you reached the campsite, the sky was almost black, with only a tiny bit of sunset colors staining the horizon. Rin immediately ran to Ah-Un, who still sat tethered to the tree you tied him to earlier. Sesshomaru was standing at the top of the hill you had been at with Jaken was sitting near him. You decided to collect some wood to start a fire, which didn’t take long, as there were plenty of scattered branches around the field. You dumped them all in a pile, very quickly got a fire started using two of the sticks from the pile, then made your way over to Ah-Un and Rin. As you approached, you heard Rin chatting excitedly about something with Ah-Un.        

        “And then this big huge water dragon came out of the water, and she almost got me, but Miss (Y/N) saved me! The demon spoke some kind of weird language… what did Miss (Y/N) say it was again?”        

        “It’s called Latin, Rin.” You said sitting down, gaining the attention of the little girl. She smiled up at you, and Ah-Un seemed like he was doing the same thing.        

        Welcome back (Y/N).         

        “Hey Ah-Un.”         

        We heard what happened.        

        “Did you now?”        

        Yes, Rin was just telling us all about it.        

        “So I heard.”        

        She didn’t even need to tell us though, we knew what happened as soon as you ran off earlier.        

        “And how did you do that?”         

        It is an ability we have, of course. Rin sat there puzzled, wondering what Ah-Un was talking to you about.        

        “What is Ah-Un saying to you?” You hesitated, looking down at Rin’s large curious eyes.        

        “Just how you were so brave back there, and that we’ve had a long day.” Rin giggled. You glanced at Ah-Un, who casually swung his tail, unreactive to the lie you just told to the little girl.        

        “That is true, and I’m pooped.” It was silent for a minute, as the last ray of sun disappeared under the horizon, and was replaced with a black sky littered with stars. Crackling was heard as the fire you started picked up. “How about I get us some food to eat?”        

        “Really? I usually get it myself.”        

        “Oh really?” You shot a glare towards Sesshomaru. Of course you’d make a child fend for themselves. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that tonight. I’m actually a pretty good hunter.”         

        “As if, human.” You glared at Jaken, whose back was, fortunately for him, facing you.        

       “For your information, imp, I’ve been hunting and gathering food for myself for years.”  

        “Years? How long have you been in these forests?” Jaken questioned you with a scowl.         

        “For a long time, but that’s none of your business.” He humphed.         

        “How long have you lived here?” Rin asked softly. Your frown turned into a slight smile.        

        “Like I said, for a really long time. Years and years.”        

        “With no parents?” Your eyes widened at this, caught off guard by her question. You did your best to try and suppress your discomfort.        

        “Nope. Just me.” Rin seemed to be pondering something, deep in thought, but about what, you didn’t want to find out. You pat her back. “Now how about I go get us some meat. Is that okay with you?” She nodded her head without another word.         

        “Good luck finding any creature about tonight.” Jaken commented, which made your frown return.        

        “Then luck will be on my side. I know I can find something.” You turned on your heel to leave, not before noticing the empty space on the hill where Sesshomaru had been, and made your way into the forest.        

 

        (E/C) eyes stalked the ground below them, watching for the slightest movement of any creature to catch their attention. At night, most creatures didn’t stir from the homes, sleeping the day’s activities off, but you knew that wasn’t all true. Owls hooted and crickets chirped, but from your position up in the trees, there was nothing big enough to sustain everyone at the camp.         

        A rustle of leaves suddenly made you turn instinctively towards the sound. On the ground, just barely noticeable, a group of raccoons scampered about. Luck really was on your side. Crouching low, you stalked ever closer on the branch you were perched on, and just at the right moment, you pounced. As you acquired your kill, you were not aware that you yourself were being watched by a pair of calculating golden eyes.

       

        You returned to the camp, your face radiating with pride as you carried with you your victory trophies. Rin was sitting across from Jaken around the fire, and Ah-Un was lying down next to Rin, both heads resting on the ground. When they heard you coming, Rin turned her head over her shoulder to look at you, Ah-Un lifted his heads up slightly, and Jaken did nothing but look at the ground with his usual scowl.        

        “Back already human? Did you already give up?” Your smug smirk only widened.         

        “I don’t know Jaken, does getting a whole bunch of raccoons count as giving up?” Jaken’s eyes widened, especially at the sight of you holding up the three raccoons you killed.         

        “H-How did you get those so fast? Wait, how did you even see in the dark? You’re a human!”         

        “Told you I was an expert hunter, imp.” Jaken eyed you suspiciously as you walked over to Rin and sat down next to her. He was more than a little curious of how an average human as able to catch animals in the dark. You, however, ignored his glaring and pulled out a makeshift knife, and began skinning one of the raccoons for Rin. If she hadn’t been fending for herself before, you were she would have fainted at the sight instead of happily watching you until you were done. You held out the meat to Rin, inviting her to dig in, but she only appeared disgusted by it. Confused, you pulled it away from her and looked down at the meat, seeing nothing wrong with it yourself. You heard Ah-Un laugh, and you looked to see he was indeed almost smiling through the muzzles he wore.        

        Most humans need to have their meat cooked before they can eat it. Your brows creased with even more confusion.        

        “You need it cooked?” Rin nodded her head, disgust still present on her face.         

        And gutted too.        

        “Gutted too? I’ve always eaten it completely raw.” You shrugged your shoulders. “Okay then, let’s gut and cook these things, I guess.”         

        “I’ll help skin the rest, Miss (Y/N).”         

        “It’s okay Rin, I’ll take care of it tonight.” You began gutting the raccoon, and once you were done you stood up and walked over to the trees, searching for sticks to use to hold the meat over the fire. Finding a few large ones, you stuck the meat you had already prepared onto one of the sticks and returned to your spot at the fire. As you placed the raccoon cabob over the flames, you began skinning the next one for yourself.          

        “Say, Miss (Y/N)?” She asked, tugging on your pant leg as you worked.         

        “What is it?”        

        “How did you meet Kaekilla?” You chuckled.        

        “Well, it was a lot like how you did at first.” Rin tilted her head in puzzlement, and you noticed out of your peripheral Sesshomaru appeared to be listening to you as well, as he had his left ear slightly leaned towards you. “Well…”

***         

        Water. Just a little drop was all you needed. You had gone days on end without it, wandering the forest for ages it seemed, and not a trace of any lake, river, stream, or even a puddle. There hadn’t been rain for weeks; you were running out of options.         

        Just as you were about to give up for the day from exhaustion, you happened to push past a bush and stumble upon a small river. The sight of the flowing water filled your chest with joy. Without a second thought, you sprinted towards the bank, cupped some water into your shaky hands, and drank greedily. You didn’t even stop to consider how contaminated it was, where it was flowing from, or even if there was something else that lurked in the water. You were just so parched, so tired, that this most primal need clouded your judgement.         

        You didn’t see it coming. Only when you heard something below the water’s surface did you begin to back away, and not a second to spare, as something arose from the water. Droplets rained on your entire body, and the water parted reveal a large creature with a long scaly figure, its most concerning features being a long snout full of razor sharp teeth and terrifying glowing red eyes. It growled, and you rolled out of the way as the creature lunged at you, its long maw snapping and claws slashing. The creature missed, but immediately shot a stream of scolding hot water at you, which you barely dodged. However, some of the water grazed your shoulder, sending searing hot pain down your arm.        

        What you now knew to be a demon growled in front of you as you clutched your injured shoulder. For a second, you thought you could make out jumbled words, but you had no time to ponder this as you dodged another shot of broiling water.         

        “I didn’t know this river was your territory! I’m sorry!” You yelled, trying to calm the demon down, only to end in vain. You heard it again, the words, only this time you could make out what the feminine voice was saying. Although, they were words not native to your tongue.     

        “Foeda humana! (Filthy human!) Decede! (Leave!)”         

        “Me paenitet! (I’m sorry!) Non ego ausa sum inruere! (I did not intend to intrude!)” The words came out of your mouth before you even had time to think about them. The demon stopped in, presumably her, tracks, staring at you with those narrowed crimson eyes.         

        “Intelleges meam (You understand me.)” You didn’t know how you could understand her, much less speak her language, but you found yourself nodding anyway at the demon’s question. Her long, slender, serpent-like form further emerged from the water, and you noticed now that she resembled a giant water wyrm. “Quid estne tua nomine? (What is your name?)” You slowly began to approach the demon, who now did nothing to stop you.         

        “(Y/N)” You stopped just in front of her jaw.         

        “Mihi nomen est Kaekilla. (My name is Kaekilla.)” You bowed out of respect, acknowledging your new friend, staring into those glowing red eyes as she did the same into your (E/C) ones. A connection had been born.

 

***         

        “After that, she allowed me to use her river, and I’ve basically known her ever since.” You said while finishing the rest of your raccoon, which you had decided to cook so as not to disgust Rin.         

        “Wow, so she tried to eat you too.”        

        “Sorta.”         

        “Do you have anymore stories?” You raised your brow at the sudden change of topic, while also thinking about other ‘exciting’ events in your life.          

        “Perhaps, but maybe tomorrow night. It’s getting pretty late, and you should get some sleep.”        

        “But I’m not sleepy.” You smirked at her tired tone and the way she was rubbing her sleepy eyes. She yawned, and you raised a rather sarcastic brow.         

        “Oh really?” She paused.          

        “Maybe just a little.” She yawned again.          

        “That’s what I thought. Well, I’m tired too, so how about we all hit the hay.” Rin whined, but you assured her it was for the best. “Jaken, could you douse that fire for us?” You said quickly as you walked over to the tree Ah-Un was still tethered to.         

        “Do I look like a slave to you?”         

        “Thanks!” You said, before he could yell at you anymore. You could hear him fuming, but nevertheless, he did eventually douse the fire. At the tree, you jumped from branch to branch, until you found one high enough with a good view of the moon. You slumped down on the branch and put your hands behind your head as you leaned against the trunk.         

        Staring at the moon, you began to get lost in your racing thoughts. So much had happened to you in the course of a day. For so long you had been on your own, barely any other contact with anyone, human or demon. Now you were traveling with three demons and a little girl, an unlikely situation you could have never predicted in your lifetime. Rin was a little sweetheart, Jaken was just fun to mess with, Ah-Un was a great friend albeit very stubborn when discussing matters around you, and Sesshomaru…         

        You glanced down at the hill to see him there, back from wherever he had disappeared to earlier. He was odd, quiet and reserved, and not a demon of many words. He was more bite and no bark, ironically befitting a dog demon, and this was demonstrated by the scratches he gave you this morning to prove a point, whatever it was. Speaking of your shoulder, it had healed a while ago, of this you were certain, but you still found it hard to believe that his apparent poison had no effect on you. If it was so deadly, why were you not dead right now?         

        Lifting up your cape, you saw the white cloth Rin had given you this morning wrapped around your shoulder, where dried blood still caked its surface. You unwrapped the cloth to reveal no scars, scratches, dried blood, nothing to show that there had been three deep claw marks there just this morning. It came as no surprise to you though, you knew your wounds would heal quickly, that’s how it had always been if you had any kind of injury. But you wondered what this truly meant if a demon like Sesshomaru was so interested in that fact, and you began to wonder if he knew something you didn’t.         

        You found yourself gazing back down at Sesshomaru, who was staring at the moon as you were, and you then began to think of the mysterious business he had at Mount Hakurei. There was nothing you could think of that he would want, and you doubted he would even fathom telling you. Whatever it was though, at least he allowed you to travel with his group. They really started growing on you, at least Rin and Ah-Un did. Jaken… not so much, but it was still such a break from the loneliness you had grown so accustomed to that it didn’t seem as bad to you anymore.        

        Sighing in content, you stared up at the many stars that littered the sky. A yawn slipped past your lips, and your eyes began to droop, wishing to close right then and there. Wow, I really am tired. You chuckled at yourself, then wrapped yourself up in your cape as you did every night, and drifted off to sleep.        

        Little did you know, you had not been the only one wondering about the topic of yourself tonight. Just as you had been eyeing Sesshomaru, he had been eyeing you as well. His golden orbs were currently locked onto your sleeping form, and just below he saw Ah-Un curled at the bottom of the tree directly under you, with Rin huddled in his lap, sound asleep herself. He recalled the odd way his dragon was acting around you as well. The attachment the dragon demon held to you was unusual, even more so the fact that you could understand him somehow. In fact, he was surprised you spoke an ancient language, the one you used to speak to the water dragon demon, yet you claimed to have never officially learned it. He had also listened to your story of how you befriended the water demon, as well as observed your hunt of the raccoons.         

        To him, you seemed less a human and more of an animal, but it was not in the same as how he viewed other humans. It wasn’t that he was necessarily, albeit somewhat, disgusted by you, but you truly acted as if you were not human, rather something else more wild. By far though, the strangest thing about you was how you were unaffected by his poison claws. Nothing before had stood a chance against them, even the vapor was deadly to whoever was unlucky enough to smell it. But when he attacked your shoulder tis morning, it was almost as if the poison disappeared on contact with your skin, despite having practically melting the tree right behind you. He had absolutely no explanation for that, and he also had none for why your injuries from your first encounter with him had all but disappeared in the short span of a night or how you a human such as yourself survived that many number of serious injuries. Even the marks he inflicted you with this morning had stopped bleeding in a matter of minutes. It was clear to him you were no ordinary human, and as he stared back at the moon, one question ran through his mind. 

        Who truly was this human, and where did she come from?

 

        (A/N: Wow, I banged this out in mostly a day, that’s the first time that’s happened in a while! Ha! Well, look, I’m getting my updating together now that it’s the last week of school. All we have are finals the next two days ((which are half days and honestly nobody cares about)) then the last day of school which is also a half day. After that, it’s summer break! I’ll have much more freedom, which is weird because all I’m thinking about is how I no longer have a crapload of homework. Also, I’m gonna publish some other stories that are already partially written so that you guys can read them and see what you think. I will say, most of them are not fanfics, but I don’t wanna give too much away about what they are just yet >;) ((no, they are not lemons don’t even get any ideas)) . And with that, I’ll hopefully see y’all laters X) )

Chapter 3: Meeting the Dragon

 

        Rin continued to drag you through the trees, and not long after you, Sesshomaru, Rin, and Jaken arrived at a small open clearing. Sesshomaru kept on walking through the field, Jaken angrily stomped away to the fireplace in the center, and you and Rin stood at the edge of the clearing. The first thing you noticed, besides the small fireplace Jaken was at, was a two headed dragon tied to a tree. It had green scales all along its body and long flowing manes on both heads. Covering its mouths were muzzles attached with reins, and on its back was a saddle attached to some kind of chest piece. The dragon looked over at you guys and immediately locked both pairs of yellow eyes with your own (E/C) ones. It never once took its eyes off you. It seemed to stare straight into your soul, and you found yourself staring back with as much intensity. You couldn’t understand why it was so focused on you, and you didn’t understand why you were drawn to him so much either. This dragon seemed to be an ordinary demon, nothing more than anything you encountered before, yet there was some kind of connection between you, one you couldn’t quite comprehend yourself. Rin seemed to finally notice your interest in the dragon, and thinking nothing of your intense staring, happily led you to the dragon.

        “This is a really good friend of mine.” She pointed to the right head. “This is Ah.” She then pointed to the left. “And that’s Un.” As the both, or rather three, of you continued to stare at each other, Rin looked back and forth between you and giggled. “I think he likes you.” You didn’t hear her though, you were still too fixated on Ah-Un to listen.

        From afar, Sesshomaru was observing your interaction with Ah-Un. He had been watching the entire time, curious about the odd way his dragon companion was behaving. It was unlike the dragon to care much about something, so why would you be an object of fascination to him. He wondered where this situation was going, and what his dragon would do next.  

        Ah-Un suddenly rose to his feet and began walking towards you and Rin. You didn’t move, as you felt no threat, even as Ah-Un was now only an inch away from you. He bent his heads down to your eye level, so that his golden slit eyes were close to your own. He then closed his eyes and nudged your shoulders with his heads. You had no idea what was going on and no idea how to react, but something seemed to take over your actions, and your body moved on its own. You cupped each side of Ah-Un’s heads and brought your forehead to his. 

        Hello (Y/N). Your eyes widened at the two male voices in your head. It’s just us, Ah-Un, as Rin so graciously calls us. You couldn’t believe what you were hearing.

        “Wow, I didn’t know he could talk, even with those muzzles on.” 

        “He cannot.” A deep monotone voice sounded behind you. You turned to see Sesshomaru, who was now only a few feet away.

        You are the only one who can hear us.

        “Oh.” You stared at Ah-Un in confusion. “How does that work?” Both heads looked at each other for a moment, and seemed to exchange unspoken thoughts you couldn’t hear. They then looked back at you.

        You don’t know?

        “Know what?” Ah-Un said nothing in return, and you rose a brow at him. 

        “Woah, I didn’t know you can talk to dragons!” You slowly reached out, and began stroking Ah-Un’s noses.

        “I don’t know about all dragons, but-” 

        “What’s he saying now?” You looked at Ah-Un, then back at Rin. “He says that you’re always such a little ball of sunshine.” Rin giggled.

        “Aw, thank you Ah-Un.” Said dragon closed his eyes and swished his tail around. You laughed.

        “He says you’re welcome.” Rin smiled up at Ah-Un, while Jaken stomped furiously towards you and stood next to Sesshomaru.

        “Why is it that only you can understand him? If anyone should be able to, it should be Lord Sesshomaru.”

        Oh, look at the weak little toad with a stick, who follows a dog everywhere he goes, trying to tell us how things should work, even though he spends most of his time up his lord’s ass to know anything anyway. Damn little suck-up. You covered your mouth, trying to stifle back your chuckles. Jaken certainly wasn’t amused.

        “What’s so funny?”

        “Nothing.” You answered immediately. He crossed his arms and stared furiously at you, while you mumbled something under your breath to Ah-Un. “More like a weak little banshee if you ask me.”

        “What was that!?” You chuckled along with Ah-Un, who had his eyes closed and his necks down to the floor laughing. “Incompetent foolish-“

        “It is time for us to go.” Sesshomaru spoke up in his usual monotone voice. Jaken stopped his ranting and looked to his lord, who began to head off. You stood there, watching him, as Rin untied Ah-Un and Jaken gave you a look of disdain. He took Ah-Un’s reins as Rin climbed onto his saddle, ready to go, but Ah-Un was not having it with Jaken. He stood his ground as the toad demon pulled and pulled on his reins, and didn’t move a single inch.

        “Come on you accursed beast! Would you just cooperate for once!” 

        Not with that attitude no.

        And we don’t follow you, pipsqueak. Both Ah and Un spoke separately, which nearly made you laugh.

        You guys are hilarious.

        We’re only speaking the truth. Both heads spoke at the same time again. You rolled your eyes and stepped behind Jaken as he continued to struggle trying to get Ah-Un to move.

        “I can take him if you want.” Jaken looked over his shoulder at you and huffed.

        “If you want to try your luck human, be my guest.” He dropped the reins onto the grass, then scurried off after Sesshomaru. You picked them up and started leading Ah-Un after the demons.

        Ahh much better. You are someone we can follow.

        Thanks you two.

        “Wow, Ah-Un likes you way better than master Jaken Miss (Y/N).” Jaken turned around to see you leading Ah-Un with no trouble at all. His jaw dropped for a few seconds, but 

        “Hmph! That is the only thing this human is good for.” He grumbled. You laughed at seeing Jaken’s angry little face and turned back to Ah-Un. 

        “So, what was it you were telling me I should know?” Both heads exchanged glances with each other then looked back at you.

        We can’t say.

        “Why not?” 

        “What are you guys talking about?” Your eyes traveled back to meet Rin, who gazed up at you with such childish curiosity.

        “Nothing important, I guess.” 

        “Can I join in too?”

        Anytime Rin. You smiled.

        “Sure, of course you can, and Ah-Un agrees too.”

        “Yay!” She lied down on her stomach and placed her hands under her chin. “So how come only (Y/N) can understand you Ah-Un?” You rose a knowing brow and smirked at the dragon.

        “Yeah Ah-Un, why is that?” You asked in a sarcastically curious tone. Apparently I’m not the only one who’s wondering.

        We see that. He said sarcastically.

        “Come on Ah-Un, tell us, pleeeeaaaase?” You stared into Ah-Un’s huge golden eyes for a moment, then looked back at Rin.

        “He says it’s not a conversation he can have.” Rin crossed her arms under chin.

        “That’s no fair, how come we can’t know?” You huffed.

        “I know right.” You mumbled. It was silent for another moment. “He says it’s not his place to tell us.” 

        “Awe man.” You huffed, and the conversation was dropped. Minutes passed, and no one said a word.

        “Hey Ah-Un, what’s your favorite food?” Rin suddenly broke the tense silence.

        “He says any sweet fruit.”

        “Really? You have a sweet tooth?”

        “He says of course he does.”

        “Oooo what’s your favorite color?”

        “He says dark green.”

        “Mine’s orange, but I love all light colors.” The rest of the day was filled with simple conversation between mostly Rin and Ah-Un. You actually learned a lot about both of them. For example, Ah-Un is a couple centuries old, loves flying, prefers the moon, has briefly been to several other countries before, breathes fire, has no siblings that he knows of, and likes to go swimming. Rin is only eight years old, loves to run and play, prefers the sun, and can swim a little. As they had talked, you were able to keep up with the otherwise silent Sesshomaru and Jaken, who either seemed to not care or ignore your conversations entirely. It eventually came to be late afternoon, and you guys were still conversing.

        “So Rin, where did you grow up?” Said little girl frowned.

        “I don’t remember my village’s name, or where it was.” 

        “Really?”

        “Mhm. They didn’t like me much.” 

        “What!? Who wouldn’t love a sweet ball of cuteness like you?” Rin giggled, but soon that happy expression was replaced with a frown.

        “My family was killed when I was younger, and after that… I never spoke. They didn’t like that.” 

        “Shitty excuse to not like someone. I’ve a mind to go there and smack some sense into those people.” She pulled her knees up to her chest.

        “You couldn’t even if you wanted to.”

        “Why not?” 

        “Because they’re all dead.” Your eyes widened, as tears began to fall down Rin’s face.

        They were all killed by wolf demons.

        “Oh.”

        It was very traumatic for her, especially since she had been dead herself when Lord Sesshomaru found her, killed by those very same demons.

        How is she alive now?

        He used his Tenseiga on her. It’s a sword forged from his father’s fang, and it has the power to heal and revive if it’s used.

        Wow, that’s really cool. So that’s why she follows him around.

        She had found Sesshomaru before though, right after he lost his arm. You looked at Sesshomaru, specifically at his missing arm. That is a story for another time though. You back down at Rin with a remorseful frown. After all, you knew this pain all too well. You put a comforting hand on Rin’s shoulder, and the contact made her look up at you. You smiled meekly down at her. 

        “I know how you feel, Rin, more than you think.” Her tears stopped running, and she stared at you with curious eyes. “I’m actually-“

        “We will stop here.” Sesshomaru’s voice cut into your conversation, interrupting you, which you didn’t necessarily mind, although Rin seemed as if she wanted to know what you were going to say. You looked at the position of the sun and saw that it was almost sunset. Wow, time sure did fly. Rin hopped off Ah-Un’s saddle as you led him over to the nearest tree and tied his reins around the it. 

        “I’m going to go find water! I’ll be right back!” Rin yelled as she ran towards the trees. You smiled and waved as she disappeared, then turned to Jaken who sat down on the grass, crossed his legs, and folded his arms. 

        “And what are you doing? Channeling your inner anger?” He huffed.

        “I’m resting, stupid human.” You rolled your eyes, but your smile. Ah-Un lied down under his tree, resting as well, and so you decided to do the same. As you scanned the area you were in, you found that you were on top of a small hill, and it seemed to have a nice view of the land. You went to the edge of the slope and sat down, looking out over the landscape before you.

 

        Rin skipped through the trees, humming a merry tune as she headed towards a river she knew was nearby. Once she caught sight of it, she bolted to the water, then got on her knees and began to drink it. The area was unnaturally silent, the air somehow tense, but Rin wasn’t aware of the chilling atmosphere. She was unaware of the slight rumbling beneath the water, how the river rippled even though there was no wind to move it. She wasn’t aware of the presence hidden right in front of her.

 

        You took in the smell of the grass and the sight of the beautiful trees around you, enjoying the fresh environment. Ah-Un was still lying down, Jaken was sitting next to the tree Ah-Un was tethered to, and Sesshomaru was off in the distance under another tree, staring off in a particular direction. You ignored their presences, and watched the sun over the horizon as a breeze blew your (H/L) (H/C) hair. Suddenly, an ominous chill ran down your back. Something was terribly wrong. Your eyes widened and you gasped. Immediately you sprung to your feet and took off into the trees, with Sesshomaru’s piercing golden eyes followed your form as you disappeared into the forest.

 

        Rin continued drinking the river’s water, and when she had her fill she splashed some water on her face, still humming a little tune. A growl interrupted her peaceful moment. Her entire body froze as the river visibly shook and the water began to part. A long slender blue figure emerged from the water, which caused Rin to fall back on her butt. She scooted away from fear as narrow red eyes stared down at her. Its mouth opened, ready to attack, and Rin screamed desperately for someone to save her. All of a sudden a rustle sounded from the bushes, and the next thing she knew a figure appeared in front of her. The demon lunged, and you swiftly rose your hand up to it.

        “Stop!” 

        (A/N: Here’s the third chapter for you guys! I know nothing too much has happened yet, but thing’s have to flow, ya know. I’ve been writing a few different things ((some not yet revealed 😉 )) over this Christmas break while simultaneously playing the new South Park game ((which is freaking hilarious btw XD )) that I got for Christmas. Plus, school started last week and I’m pooped from all the work and activities I do ((fours of sleep the other night with no breaks and yesterday was the same)) and it’s going to be like that for the rest of the year, so definitely expect slow updates like this one ((sorry about that guys I wish I didn’t have so much shit)). Well, hope you guys had a good break too if you had one at all, and with that I’ll see y’all laters *D*)

 

Chapter 2: The Newest Companion

 

       When early morning came and the sun rose just above the horizon, you awoke. You stretched your tired limbs until you heard relieving cracks in your shoulders and legs. You sat up, sighing in bliss as you basked in the morning’s light and stared at the beautiful sunrise before you. You then adjusted your cape so that it was behind you again and cracked your back, twisting from side to side. When you turned to your left you saw there was a little girl staring up at you from the ground below, only to discover that it was Rin.

        “Oh, it’s you Rin.” She nodded her head, her eyes beaming up at you with pure joy, quite different from the pale expression she wore last night. What made her change from scared to happy so fast?

        “Good morning Miss (Y/N).” You smiled again at her adorableness.

        “Morning Rin. You don’t have to call me Miss you know. (Y/N)’s fine. What are you doing over here?” You stroked your chin in thought. “I guess if you’re here, then your camp must be close by, right?” She nodded her head.

        “Yep.”

        “I’m guessing the two demons are back there?”

        “Well-“

        “There you are, you annoying child!” Jaken rushed out of the bushes and stopped in front of Rin. “Lord Sesshomaru will have my life if you get into trouble.” It only took him a second to notice you. He faced Rin. “No wonder you ran off to here of all places.” He turned to you. “I see you’re still here.” The imp grumbled.

        “It’s only the crack of dawn you know, the day’s just barely begun. Of course I’m gonna be here you stupid imp.”

        “Watch your tongue, human.” He spat.

        “Calm down Jaken, I’m just messing with you. Jeez, get a sense of humor and take a joke.”

        “Well I don’t appreciate being ‘messed with’ by a human. It’s degrading.” You crossed your arms over your chest.

        “Someone sounds grumpy.”

        “Do not talk to me like that!” A rustle drew everyone’s attention to the bushes, where Sesshomaru emerged. “L-Lord Sesshomaru! What are you doing here?” He glanced at Jaken, Rin, then you.

        “Morning to you too Sesshomaru.” His emotionless gold eyes showed no indifference. “I was actually about to just get breakfast.” You quickly scanned the trees, and once you found what you were looking for, jumped to the next tree over. You hopped from branch to branch, looking around the trunk every now and then. “Now I know demons don’t usually eat human food, but I’ve found that it’s different with each, so if you want any you can have some.” Finally locating what you were trying to find, you picked it off the tree. “Here Rin, catch.” You tossed the object down to the little girl, who caught it with ease. She rose a brow and tilted her head in confusion as she examined what was in her hand.

        “What is it?” You picked one off the tree yourself and took one big bite out of it. 

        “It’s a kind of fruit that blends in with trees.” You answered with your mouth full. Indeed, the fruit was a dark brown color that had a dark green bottom, perfect tree camouflage. The bite you made revealed the fruit’s dark orange colored inside. “They’re kinda like mangos actually, very sweet, and tropical like.” You took another bite while searching for another one. You picked a third one which you casually tossed to Jaken, who certainly didn’t expect it coming and barely caught it. While Rin took a bite of the fruit, Jaken examined his.

        “Mmmm, it’s good.” You smiled down at Rin. Jaken frowned.

        “How could such things grow here? I’ve never seen them before in my life, and how come we could never smell them?” You shrugged your shoulders.

        “Don’t ask me. I’m just the one that found them.” You answered with your mouth still full.

        “How?”

        “When I was up in the trees a few years ago one caught my eye, then I discovered what they were and over time I figured out how to find them easily.” You took another bite while Jaken gave you a questioning glare.

        “I better taste this to make sure you are simply not trying to poison Lord Sesshomaru.” You laughed.

        “Why would I try to give you guys food poisoning? Besides, if I was going to harm to someone, I’d do something way better than poisoning.” You chuckled. Jaken grumbled something under his breath that you decided to ignore, as he took a bite of the fruit.

        “It is sweet.” He said, chewing the fruit slowly. Sesshomaru stared at the scene with an emotionless gaze the whole time, and you noticed this silence from him. You held up your fruit.

        “Want some?”

        “Human! Do not speak to Lord Sesshomaru!” You rolled your eyes.

        “Too late for that Jaken.” You swore the little imp’s face was burning red.

        “Why you little-“

        “I do not eat human food.” Jaken silenced himself at Sesshomaru’s words. He was surprised that he had actually bothered to answer you, but what Jaken was truly surprised about was that he hasn’t killed you yet. You were of no use to Sesshomaru, plus you were pretty rude to him before which Sesshomaru would have no patience for, so it was puzzling to see why his lord kept you alive. Ignoring Jaken, you shrugged your shoulders at Sesshomaru’s answer.

        “Suit yourself. More for me and Rin then. Hey Rin, you want another one?” Finishing the fruit in her hand, she nodded her head energetically.

        “Mhm. Yes please!” You picked another fruit and tossed it down to her, which she began to munch on immediately. You hopped down from the tree, landing on the ground with ease. Sesshomaru’s eyes traveled to your own, and you noticed how his eyes analyzed seemed to analyze your every movement.

        “You’re wounds, they’ve healed.” He spoke, which Rin now noticed as well.

        “Oh yeah, they’re all gone!” You looked down at your body and smirked proudly.

        “Told you they’d be gone by morning.” Sesshomaru kept his emotionless gaze on you. He took long strides towards you, stopping only a few inches away from you. You rose a brow, confused at what this demon was doing. Suddenly, his claws glowed green and he rose them up in the air. You were too shocked to move, as he sliced your shoulder open with his claws, making you hiss in pain. Rin gasped and covered her mouth. She had no idea why Sesshomaru would randomly attack you like this, even Jaken was a bit taken aback by his lord’s sudden actions. He would actually be cheering him on if it wasn’t for the fact that his lord’s attack was very strange. He had only injured your shoulder instead of aiming somewhere more fatal. After all, when Sesshomaru strikes, he almost always means to kill, so why didn’t he this time. There was also something amiss about your injury, which confused Jaken even more so than Sesshomaru’s sporadic attack. You winced as you clutched your shoulder in pain, and your darkened (E/C) eyes traveled up to the demon, filled with rage.

        “What the hell was that for you freaking bastard!?” For a moment he was silent, his golden eyes showing no reaction to your outburst. Then he held up his claws in front of his face, and they glowed green once more. At first you thought he was going to claw you again, but you realized he was not in an attack stance; it looked more like a demonstration of something.

        “You were not affected by my poison.”

        “What?”

        “Lord Sesshomaru has poisonous claws that liquefy his targets.” Jaken explained. Is that what the green glowing is on his claws? Jaken then pointed behind you with his staff. “Behold, the power of Lord Sesshomaru.” He said proudly with closed eyes. You turned around and saw a huge hole in the tree, it’s edges now a brown drippy goop. “Your shoulder should have ended up like that tree, yet it is merely scratched.” You looked back down at the three deep claw marks in your shoulder that were now bleeding out, which, unlike the tree, was unaffected by the acidic poison. You rubbed your new stinging wounds, trying to ease the pain.

        “So? Maybe I’m resistant to it somehow.” You grumbled. Long, tense silence followed.

        “What are you.” You looked back up to his serious golden eyes. More silence.

        “I’m human, what else would I be?” He remained unmoved as you maintained eye contact with him. A tug on your sleeve brought your attention down to Rin, who looked up at you with an innocent big-eyed gaze. She held up a piece of white cloth, which you didn’t know where she got from, but nonetheless you smiled and accepted it.

        “Thanks Rin.” You said softly. She giggled at you while you wrapped the cloth around your shoulder and tied it off. It still bled out some, but eventually it stopped, which you were grateful for. Having calmed down after another few moments of awkward silence, you tried to make conversation with the group to ease some of that. “So, may I ask, where are you guys heading to?”

        “That’s none of your business!” Jaken yelled. You scoffed.

        “Jeez, don’t get your panties in a twist.”

        “My what!?” You snickered.

        “Nothing.” You felt a tug on your shorts, which was Rin once again.

        “Where are you heading to, Miss (Y/N)?”

        “Again, you don’t have to call me miss. (Y/N) is fine, and I’m not really going anywhere far, just up north to Mount Hakurei.” Rin gasped.

        “That’s where Lord Sesshomaru is traveling!”

        “Huh, that sure is a coincidence.”

        “And what business does a human like you have at Mount Hakurei?” Jaken frowned and crossed his little arms.

        “Why do you care?”

        “Because! We-!” He gasped and covered his mouth, stopping himself from revealing anything else.

        “Hmph, that’s what I thought.” You smirked. “But if you must know, there’s some shady things going on down there. I just wanna check it out and make sure nothing too serious is going on.” Rin lit up with joy.

        “Oh Miss (Y/N), will you join us?” She gave you her best puppy dog eyes, but that didn’t faze you, as you held up your hands in mock surrender.

        “Sorry, that’s not my decision to make.” You glanced at Sesshomaru, who merely stared back at you, then back to Rin. He seemed to be the leader of the group, so if you wanted to go with them you’d have to get his permission, and you certainly weren’t going to ask. You weren’t just going to intrude into their group, especially after what just happened between you and Sesshomaru. That would be pretty awkward in your opinion. Rin turned around and gazed up at Sesshomaru.

        “Can Miss (Y/N) come with us? Please??” Sesshomaru stared down at Rin with cold indifferent eyes, though you swore you saw something else through his emotionless cover. His eyes then moved to you. You still had your hands up, trying to show that you had nothing to do with this. You didn’t really care if you went with them, although you were more comfortable traveling alone at this point in your life. You had survived for years on your own, and it had gotten you this far. Sesshomaru turned around and began walking away from you, which caused Rin to stare sadly at his back. You put your hands down, accepting his answer. You knew that he would’ve chosen this from the beginning, you figured he would reject Rin’s request. So you certainly weren’t expecting what he said next.

        “Come, human.” Rin gasped, then bolted to you and hugged your leg, while Jaken stared at his lord jaw dropped. You were surprised as well, though you frowned at his commanding tone. You looked down at Rin, who grabbed your hand, and led to Sesshomaru’s retreating form, along with a now grumbling Jaken, back to their campsite.

 

        (A/N: Oooo, you’re part of the group now! Why do you think that is? ((no, there is no romance yet, that would be WAY too soon)) There is an answer that you’ll know in the next couple of chapters 😉 . Hope you enjoy, and I’ll see y’all laters ^*^)

 

 

 

 

 

Overview:

A wandering girl, alone on her own, independent when no one was there for her; that has been her whole life. Memories long repressed, and the future, or rather past, now ahead, you survive in the forests of feudal Japan with nothing but your instincts and quick wits you’ve gained over the years spent in solitude. When a certain demon discovers you one night, what will happen to you then? What will happen when you are sucked into the world of Inuyasha, with the strangest encounter you’ve ever had?

 

Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of Inuyasha or pictures that I use unless I say so

 

 

Chapter 1: Bloody Human

 

        A late summer sunset spread like blooming fire across the horizon, signaling that night was almost upon the forested land of Japan. Wild animals scurried away into their homes, getting ready to settle down and sleep, away from the dangers of the outside. Village people went inside their own homes, and any wandering travelers either find an inn or start a fire, avoiding the dangers of night as well.

        Yet there are those who still prowl through the darkness. Demons, predators, and others alike, who stalk the shadows, and wait for just the right moment to strike the weak, and those who leave themselves unguarded. Few people would dare to walk the night and encounter such ferocious beings, even some of those creatures themselves would not risk such dangers. The creatures who are strong enough thrive at this time, but for some, staying up at night is not an option, especially if you have someone you want to protect.

        A group of individuals, a demon, his loyal imp, a little girl, and a two headed dragon, stop at a clearing in the middle of the woods. Their place of rest was no concern to them, for the demon was powerful, so much so that the night predators refused to go near him. The little girl led the two headed dragon to a tree and tied it up so it wouldn’t escape.

        “There you go Ah-Un.” She smiled as she pet Ah-Un’s heads. Once he was secure, the demon wandered off, leaving the imp alone with the girl, much to the imp’s displeasure.

        “Rin, go make yourself useful and get some firewood.” The imp ordered, waving his wooden staff around.

        “Yes, Master Jaken!” The girl cheerily replied back. She picked a random direction and ran off into the trees.

        “Why did Lord Sesshomaru even let her accompany us in the first place. Hmph! That girl is more a burden than anything else. What could possibly be worse than this?” Jaken mumbled to himself.

        Rin pranced through the forest, searching for branches that could be used for firewood, just like Jaken had ordered. She skipped through some bushes, but came to an abrupt stop, dropping the branches she had already gathered, out of surprise. The body of a girl, some years older than herself, covered in scratches, cuts, and bruises, was laying on the ground. She was on her stomach with the right side of her head turned up, her (H/L) (H/C) hair strewn about her neck and face, eyes closed tightly shut, arms layed limp by her side with her palms pressed down on the ground, and legs stretched out behind her. A black cape messily covered her upper body down to the middle of her calf, covering her other clothes and most of her legs from view. Although, Rin could still see the many gashes littered about her pale (S/C) skin, some small and some big, and she could smell the fresh blood all around her. The girl seemed dead. Memories of the wolf demons who had killed everyone in her village flashed in her mind, causing her to tremble in fear of those memories and the sight of the body who reminded her of them. She couldn’t take it, and let out an ear piercing scream.

        A sound echoed throughout the woods, making the demon looked to where it came from. He knew it was Rin, and she sounded distressed, but he didn’t know what caused this. There was no threatening smell, and he didn’t sense anyone else around but those in his group and some harmless woodland creatures. He grunted in irritation, and began walking in the direction of the scream to investigate.

        As soon as Jaken heard the scream, he immediately took off to Rin’s location. What kind of trouble has this human child found now? He didn’t care about her well being, but if she wasn’t well, he knew his lord would be furious. When he parted some bushes, he found the girl he was looking for quivering in fear.

        “Child, what is the matter with you?” At the sound of Jaken’s voice, Rin turned to him with tear filled eyes, and ran to the green imp, hugging him with all her might. Jaken was irritated to say the least, that she was touching him. He shoved her away and went to see what had made Rin scream, and almost get him in trouble with his lord. His feet then stopped in front of the body. Rin hid behind Jaken, still shaken up and crying, watching what the imp was doing over his shoulder. The smell of blood covered any scent of what could be death, so he poked the body with his staff, only to get no response. “It is just a dead human, nothing more, so stop making such a loud ruckus over a little-” Both Rin and Jaken felt a presence behind them, interrupting Jaken’s scolding. Rin turned around and gasped.

        “Lord Sesshomaru!” The little girl dashed behind the demon, who stared down at her in disinterest. His cold golden eyes looked back at Jaken, who was stunned to see his lord.

        “Jaken. What is all the commotion.” Sesshomaru spoke in a deep emotionless voice, one that terrified all who could hear it, especially his subordinate.

        “N-Nothing my lord! I-It was just the human brat screaming over a measly little thing! Nothing important here my-” Sesshomaru ignored the imp, and began taking slow steps past him. Rin ran behind Jaken, who didn’t care this time, wandering what his usually distant lord was doing. The little girl peeked over Jaken’s shoulder, curious as to what her lord was doing as well. Sesshomaru’s feet stopped at the human body, and his narrow golden eyes stared calculatedly at it. Just like with Jaken, the smell of blood was too strong to know if she was dead or not, even for his advanced sense of smell, although her apparent condition confirmed her decease. After all, no human could survive with such injuries as these. His eyes travelled back to Rin, who was looking at him with a questioning yet frightful gaze. Sesshomaru recalled her village’s demise, and how she had once looked like this body before him. He assumed Rin remembered as well.

        “This human is dead. It cannot be helped.” With one last look at the body, he started back towards the trees he had come through. As Sesshomaru’s feet moved further and further away, Jaken frowned, pushing Rin off of him, mumbling ‘filthy humans’ and dusting himself off afterwards. Rin ignored his rough actions, and stepped towards the body, not once taking her sad brown eyes off the girl’s unconscious face. Jaken watched Rin with irritation. He wished she would leave, since being stuck with practically babysitting her meant that he could not return to his Lord’s side until she did as well. Rin took no notice of his heated glare directed at her, and only continued to stare at the girl.

        Suddenly, the girl’s fingers twitched, and her eyelids fluttered slightly open, revealing slivers of (E/C). Rin gasped, too shocked to even move. The noise caused Sesshomaru to stop in his tracks, and his narrow eyes travelled behind him. Jaken crept closer to Rin to see what the problem was now, only to be surprised himself. The girl’s fingers now dug into the dirt, regaining her senses, and a groan escaped her lips.

        “Where am I?” You asked. None of the trio moved from their spots. The pounding in your head caused you to let out another groan. Your vision was blurry, but you could still make out at least two figures in front of you, a little girl and a little green imp, who you could tell was a demon, with some kind of stick. You used the little strength you had left to push yourself up, and that’s when you noticed the other demon a few yards away, surrounded by a blurry white, and analyzing you with what looked like rather blurry slit golden eyes. Your headache worsened as you propped yourself up more, so you put your hand over your forehead. As your vision cleared, you could see the scared expression of the girl and shocked one of the imp right in front of you. You could also see that the other demon was much closer now, standing a couple feet behind the girl. “What? What are you guys staring at?” You groaned out. All pairs of eyes remained locked on you, and you stared back with your own look of confusion, as well as pain.

        “How are you not dead?” The imp questioned. You rose a brow.

        “What are you talking about?”

        “You are covered in wounds that would normally kill humans.” You looked down at your body, and sure enough, there were cuts and gashes from your head to your feet, but you merely shrugged them off.

        “These? Ah they’re nothing, compared to what I’ve been through at least. They’ll be gone in the morning.”

        “What? It is impossible for wounds like that inflicted on a mere human such as yourself to heal that quickly.” You shrugged your shoulders.

        “Trust me, they will. I just need to rest is all.”

        “How did you get such injuries. What business do you have in these woods.” The taller demon asked, more like stated, in a deep monotonous voice. With your vision clearing up some, you could make out long silver hair, a colorful outfit with a pauldron over his left shoulder, and lots of fluff on his right side.

        “I just let my guard down while fighting this one demon is all. Damn creature was attacking a village. Stupid thing, but it put up more of a fight than I thought.” You looked up at the silver haired demon, and smiled sheepishly. “No offense. You two seem okay.”

        “Do not speak to Lord Sesshomaru with such disrespect!” The imp yelled. You tilted your head.

        “Never heard of him. And besides, imp.” You leaned down to his eye level and smirked. “I can talk however I want.”

        “First of all, my name is not imp, it is Jaken. And second, he is a highly powerful lord and should be treated as such.”

        “Well, Jaken, it’s not like he’s my lord, so I don’t really care.” ‘Jaken’ was absolutely fuming at this point, and you swore you could see steam coming out of him.

        “Insolent human.” He mumbled.

        “Make that only one of you seems okay now.”

        “What was that!?” You chuckled, and that’s when you noticed the little girl staring at you intently, as if she just saw a ghost.

        “Aw hey there, what’s your name?” That seemed to snap her out of her daze, and she shyly looked away from you. However, you could still hear a little squeak come from her.

        “M-My name is R-Rin.” You smiled, which made her blush.

        “That name’s pretty cool. Mine’s (Y/N), nice to meetcha Rin.” The little girl blushed some more and shied away.

        “Nice to meet you too.” She whispered.

        “Well, I best be on my way.” You planted your foot on the ground and shakily stood up, your legs trembling from the excruciating pain. You noticed the white haired demon, ‘lord’ Sesshomaru, follow your every movement with his cold calculative eyes, but it didn’t bother you.

        “Are you okay miss (Y/N)?” You grunted, pushing yourself up further.

        “I’m fine. I just need to get up a tree.” When you were standing up as much as you could, you limped towards a big tree behind you. Getting there proved to be harder than you thought, due to the constant pain shooting up your legs, and when you were close to the tree you tripped. Rin reached her hand out about to try and help catch you, but you caught yourself by putting your hands on the tree’s trunk and using it for support. Once you made sure you were balanced, you used your remaining strength and jumped up, landing on the branch that was above you. You did so again and again until you were a good height up, despite how much your aching muscles cried out. Your body collapsed on the final branch you landed on, and you leaned your back against the trunk, finally able to rest.

        A few minutes passed, and the trio still stood their ground. As Jaken grew more impatient, and since you didn’t seem to be doing anything else now of interest, he tugged on the sleeve of Rin’s kimono, though he despised doing so. However, he would rather touch her than stay around here with you, since to him you were worse and more annoying and mouthy than Rin could ever be. Besides, he assumed his lord wouldn’t want to stick around either, and would want to return to the campsite as soon as possible.

        “Come on child. Let’s leave this human and go finish setting up camp.” He tugged on Rin again, but she was hesitant to leave. She was still curious about this girl, but she didn’t exactly have a choice with Jaken’s constant pulling, and disappeared with him into the bushes. Sesshomaru, however, didn’t move from his spot, even when the other two left, and continued to stare at you.

        Once some of the pain began to dissipate, you wrapped yourself up in your cape, using it like a blanket, and faced towards the moon, away from the demon, and slowly began to fall asleep. Sesshomaru’s eyes didn’t leave your form, until he saw that you were no longer awake. He finally turned away, and began walking back the same way Jaken and Rin had gone, disappearing through the bushes, leaving you alone once more.        

 

        (A/N: Hey guys! A Sesshomaru story, I know right? He’s one of my favorites! And he’s a dog demon! I love dogs in general, demon or not, they’re one of my five favorite animals ((Yes I have five! I love all animals but I consider those five favorites of my favorites))! So, with that, I’ll see y’all laters! -p-)