Chapter 1

+|Aurora|+

I need milk…eggs…flour…more flour…We go through ingredients so fast… Sebastian Michaels, loyal butler to Earl Ciel Phantomhive, was shopping for the necessities for meals at the household for the next few days. He was so absorbed in his work that when he bumped into a smaller [to someone of his six feet or so of height, anyway] person, he was startled by the sudden contact.

"I'm sorry, Miss." He said, realizing that the person he had run into was a young girl, around his young master's fifteen years of age, accompanied by a maid. She turned and he gulped. Beneath her light veil of night black bangs, her violet eyes burned with irritation.

"Don't be." she said, her voice cold as dry ice. He shivered involuntary, but studied the girl carefully. In contrast to her dark hair, her skin was pale as alabaster, almost translucent. She was a few inches shorter than Earl Ciel, and was very slightly built. Despite this, she stood tall; obviously a proud girl. She turned to her maid. That was when Sebastian noticed how ragged she really was.

He had known something was off about her. But now, he saw that her dress was dull, dirty and ragged; the parasol she carried was in bad condition; her gloves were as filthy as her dress; and the reason she'd seemed so slight was that she was so skinny, it appeared that she had been starving herself. Her maid was no better.

"Um, pardon me, Miss, but are you alright?" She blinked, as if suddenly realizing how closely he'd been examining her. She stood up straighter and glared at him.

"I, Aurora Schultz, Duchess of the Schultz estate, am perfectly fine!" Schultz… Sebastian knew he'd heard his master mention that name before. But how they were connected remained beyond him. "I… don't need … your …" she never finished her sentence, because at that exact moment, she swayed and then collapsed. Sebastian caught her and looked at the maid. Her eyes were pleading. Without saying another word, Sebastian motioned to her and led the way to the carriage he'd taken into London.

"Sebastian!! What do you mean by bringing strange commoners to the estate?!" Ciel Phantomhive stood at the top of the stairs in the entrance hall of his mansion, watching as his butler helped a young, filthy girl his age and her maid into the house. What was he doing, defiling the hall?! Sebastian kneeled, bowing low to him.

"Forgive me, Young Master, but this girl says her name is Aurora Schultz and I believed that you have mentioned her before, and so, might want to meet her." Ciel swayed for a second, leaning on the stair rail. So quietly that he knew only Sebastian could hear him, Ciel said,

"Th-that's impossible… Aurora Schultz died five years ago… That's…" He straightened, looking Sebastian straight on. "Sebastian, get those two settled in a guest room, have baths prepared and clean and proper clothes." Sebastian stood and nodded.

"Before that is done, allow me to remind you, Young Master, that we do not have any maiden's clothing anywhere in the mansion, except Meirin's maid uniforms." Ciel frowned. Did Sebastian always have to be so difficult?

"Well, did you finish your shopping?" he demanded. Sebastian thought for a moment then shook his head. Ciel sighed. "Then get clothes while you're finishing that." Sebastian bowed.

"Yes, Young Master." he replied simply, and turned on his heel, relaying his orders to the other staff before going out. Ciel watched as Bard and Finnian helped the maid and her unconscious mistress up the stairs. He stopped Bard.

"What is it, Earl Ciel?" He asked. Ciel looked at him as if he would kill him if he didn't follow his orders- which he probably would if unstopped by Sebastian.

"When 'Aurora' is well enough, I would like to speak to her. Tell Sebastian that he is to make sure that she, under no circumstances, escapes this mansion before then. Am I understood?" Bard nodded, shaking. "Good." Ciel turned and went up the stairs ahead of him, heading to his room.

Ciel was sitting on top of his bed, reading idly. It wasn't that he was reading because he was bored or to entertain himself.

He was trying to distract himself.

Sure enough, however, it wasn't working. Sighing, he set the book aside. He was still remembering how he believed Aurora had died…

Ten year old Ciel Phantomhive watched in horror from the front lawn of the Schultz estate as a fire ravaged the mansion of his best friend. He was struggling against the Schultz's butler, Edward's, strong arms, as they prevented him from attempting to rescue his closest friend.

"Master Ciel, you must stop." he begged imploringly.

"NO!! Aurora's still in there! I've got to save her!! Aurora! AURORA!!" His struggling motions slowed as he realized that there was no chance his small, ten year old body would be able to best Edward's strength. He hung his head, the tears coming silently and suddenly. This was it; he'd lost everything close to him; his parents, and now his best friend. 'Everyone I ever loved' he thought with a shock. 'Everyone I ever loved is gone forever…'

Ciel sat for a moment, realizing that he was still crying, even though the memory was from five years ago. He'd lost all the people close to him because of two tragic, disastrous fires. Just then, there was a soft knock that sounded from behind his door. He looked up, startled. The knock was too quiet to be Sebastian, and none of the other staff ever came up here at this time of night!

It could only be Aurora.

He wasn't sure why he believed that if he questioned her thoroughly he might discover that she wasn't some ruse created by Sebastian's demonic power to test his strength, but some part of him knew that this was the real Aurora, his real, beloved best friend Aurora. He found the thought that something precious he thought he'd lost had come back. Something once lost will never return. He smiled ruefully at the events that were contradicting the statement he'd made only three years ago. The knock sounded again, more insistent than before, making him jump. He took a deep breath.

"Come in." He whispered, practically holding his breath. The door creaked open and she stepped in. She chuckled, looking him up and down.

"Still wearing the same types of clothes to bed as when we were kids, I see, Ciel." He looked down, cheeks red, and examined his nightwear. He was wearing a white, loose-fitted button down shirt, and under shorts. It didn't help that he could picture every aspect of what Aurora would look like right now. Her night black hair was most likely loose, her light layer of bangs playing into her violet eyes, bright with amusement, her rose-red lips curled into an amused smile, her already slight figure even more accentuated by one of the many dresses and nightgowns Sebastian had bought for her and her maid earlier that day. And suddenly her thin arms, so strong despite their appearance, were hugging him, one wrapped around his neck, the other around his waist. His blush deepened. This was definitely not like him.

"I missed you, Ciel…" Her whisper set his heart aching, and he hugged her back, feeling her warmth in his arms; so reassuring that she was real and not some dream his mind had conjured.

"I missed you too, Aurora." He whispered back, burying his face in her hair. "I missed you so much."