Hey everyone, here it is the sequel to One Life for Another. Thank you all who saw the sneak peak and are following I apologize that it took so long. I do not own Black Butler or its characters besides my Ocs. By the way, a few years have passed so Ceil is an adult along with Elizabeth, Cindy, Prince Soma and Ryder.
Also to add grim reapers hybrids age differently than humans they age faster as kids but slow to a grim reaper span when they are teens. Without further ado A Life to Change enjoy!
Ch. 1 The Job
"Oh, it feels so good to be back to London it's been a while hey Agni?" The white-haired servant smiled as he carried his prince's heavy bags inside the room in the inn." Yes it's been years my prince now we should hurry to Phantomhive's mansion." Agni stated tightening the bindings on his hand. The prince's eyes widened in happiness and he began jumping on the bed laughing.
Soma was now in his early thirties and yet he still remained the same spoiled rotten prince." I get to see my brother again!" he said looking at the clock and gasping." Quick Agni we must not dottle!" Soma said dusting his clothes and running out of the door. Agni laughed before following him to the carriage.
It was pitch black outside as the carriage journeyed into phantomhive's territory. The carriage entered the rusted gates and slowed until it was near the steps of the mansion. Soma and Agni stared bewildered, thick fog covered most of the area giving the residence a ghostly atmosphere. The garden was nothing but thick tangled weeds and hedges looked as if they would wither as well." What has happened to this place?" Soma questioned remembering the years when this place was so beautiful and lively." I don't know my prince but I am sure Ceil will tell you."
Suddenly the door of carriage was opened by a tall, slender man with dark brown hair, Soma screamed jumping into Agni's lap. He was wearing a suit similar to Sebastian's only there was a silver vest underneath." Excuse my intrusion gentlemen but am I clear to assume you are prince Soma and his servant?" the man asked in a thick German accent." Y-yes who are you?" the prince said stuttering." Forgive me my prince, I am Vincent Rockberg the butler of the Phantomhive family."
Agni and Soma looked at one another in confusion." If I may what happen to Sebastian?" Agni asked noticing Vincent's face turn somber." I am afraid Mr. Michaelis passed away years ago I'm sorry but my master hates for the topic to be brought into light."
The two remained silent for a moment, Soma allowing a few tears to run down his face at the loss of the butler. True, Sebastian did frighten the prince but he still cared about the man." If it is alright my master and mistress are expecting you inside." Vincent said as the pair followed him inside. The mansion was dark despite a few lamps lit in the halls but it was still gloomy.
Vincent led the pair to the main staircase." Please wait here, my mistress desires to escort you herself." He said before disappearing down another hall. Soon the two saw a young woman with long blond curls adorning her back slowly approach them from the top of the staircase.
She wore a thin black silk dress and her lips were adorned with red lipstick as she smiled brightly as if unaware of the mansion's depressing scenery. Agni narrowed his eyes, the woman looked so familiar, he kept staring until the answer hit him." Sire! It is Lady Elizabeth!" Agni announced. Soma gazed at the woman in shock this attractive and alluring noblewoman was the cute, overly obsessed with pink little girl from his past.
Upon hearing their revelation, Elizabeth embraced the two men squeezing them tightly." Oh, it's good to see you two again! Things have been so deary here but with you two here all the good memories are flooding back!" she said with excitement not noticing Agni and Soma were struggling to breath." E-Elizabeth… could… you let... go?" Soma struggled to say as Elizabeth immediately released them." I'm so sorry I don't know my own strength." She said shrugging cutely as the boys rubbed their necks while taking in the air." It's alright, my lady no need to apologize we are unharmed."
"So you married Ceil?" Soma asked." Well of course naturally we were betrothed as children, so when the time came we decided to marry. I'm sorry you couldn't attend, Ceil didn't want many people at the wedding, so we had a smaller one in the garden, before it lost its beauty disappeared." Elizabeth said remaining silent upon recalling how the garden use to be full of life.
" My lady…please tell us what happened here?" Agni pleaded waiting for Elizabeth to meet his gaze. She took a breath gazing sorrowfully between the prince and his butler." After Sebastian's death, Ceil slipped into a state of depression. He couldn't eat, sleep, or carry on with his duties as the head of the house. Day by day he grew thin and weak soon Ceil had be bedridden. The servants didn't know what else to do and the doctor had said if this continued he would-."
Tears streamed down Elizabeth's face and she whimpered like a kicked puppy. The memory was just too painful. She felt a hand on her shoulder and calmed giving the prince a warm smile before continuing." The next day they sent a letter to our mansion and I arrived here to care for him as long as he needed me. When I saw Ceil, he was completely broken but I stayed with him every day and night praying for his recovering. Eventually, he did return to his duties as head of the house but I had noticed something odd with his behavior. Ceil…changed he grew frantic having panic attacks frequently sometimes Ceil would see shadows and think it was assassins come to do away with him."
"I would like to say Ceil overcame his condition but he never did. Once we were married Ceil stripped Mei-rin of her maid status forcing her to become an assassin once again. She sits most of the day and half the night watching for intruders on the roof. He moved her to the attic as well so she can be closer to her post. Finny was placed on a hard daily training regiment to keep his strength up, he is not allowed to tend to the garden anymore and Ceil uses him as a muscle.
Ceil's main cook Bard if you didn't know already was killed along with Sebastian, but I have brought from my home three of our best chefs. Although they are good at their job, they will never replace Bard."
She declared finishing her tale. Elizabeth looked at the faces of Soma and Agni they were filled with confusion, shock and outrage at the same time." This is horrible I blame whoever murdered Sebastian it's their fault my brother is this way whoever it is must pay!" the prince shouted his fist clenched in pure rage for the first time, he felt what Ceil had wanted revenge. Agni was shocked but understood how the prince was feeling and secretly he too wanted revenge for his close friend.
Similar to Ceil being a brother to his prince, Agni had confided in Sebastian and declared him a friend. They were evenly matched in every way possible so naturally Agni saw Sebastian as the brother he never had, but now he was dead. Rage fuel within him, Agni held his bandaged hand feeling it pulse with strength. He looked to his prince and bowed.
" As you wish my prince." Elizabeth's sad expression was replaced with a smile." I think it is time Ceil is waiting so follow me." She said as they walked upstairs, until they reached his office. Prince Soma moved to open the door but was forcefully pulled back by Elizabeth who knocked on the door twice.
"Who is it?" A voice asked nervously from the inside." Lady Phantomhive my sweet husband and company." She replied in a love-struck tone." Have you fully investigated them, can they be trusted, Elizabeth?" Ceil said from inside the office." Yes my sweet now please let us in." The door opened quickly as a tall and lean muscle-built man answered the door. He had short blonde hair, blue eyes and a mustache.
" Thank you Finny!" Elizabeth greeted with a smile, Finny only nodded and stepped aside allowing all three to enter. Soma and Agni stared in awe at Finny last time they saw him, he was a small, scrawny looking boy who happily spent his days tending to the garden.
Looking at him now, Finny was lean, built and was very handsome. Women would have easily been all over him, probably the reason why the former gardener never left the mansion. Finny was never good when it came it girls, he was friendly but clueless and fearful when it came to romance. The only woman he really connected with was Mei-rin but there was only a close friendship between the two servants.
"Please take a seat." Ceil quietly said as Elizabeth walked cautiously behind him and looked out the window to Mei-rin on the roof who gave a thumbs up to the woman. She nodded and closed the curtains, moving to her husband's right. Finny stood nearby on his left, eyes concentrated on their guests. Soma and Agni concentrated their on Ceil, his dark blue eyes were lifeless and dull. Their dark bags under the lids and his skin was a ghostly pale." Soma it has been a long time, how is India?" Ceil his voice was quiet, but held strong authority." It was pleasant, I was fulfilling my duties as a prince while attending to family matters. How have you been?"
The lord waved his hand in a dismissive manner." Busy, now let get to the point shall we? I called you here for a purpose, you probably know about the events that have happen with your absence from London?" The pair nodded." Good I will make my intentions clear I want revenge for the death of my butler, my cook and my peace of sanity. I can no longer happiness and peace in my home, even my marriage doesn't bring essentially comfort."
Agni noticed Elizabeth take a slow breath and turn her gaze elsewhere. Her fists silently clenching behind her back." I feel as if the ones responsible will eventually come back for me and need someone to go after them that is where you two come in."
Soma and Agni looked at each other confused." You want us to hunt down and kill the man who did it?" Agni asked. Ciel stood, flinching a bit when the floorboards creaked." No instead I want you to hunt down his children and bring them to me. Their father I will kill myself." The lord pulled out of file from his desk compartment and gave it to the prince." Inside was the photo of a little boy and girl.
Agni looked at the photo." My lord these look like children?" If there was anything the man was uncomfortable with it was kidnapping children." These are old photos, they are adults now." The servant nodded understanding Ceil probably couldn't find any adult pictures of the targets. Soma stared the photos his staying lingered on the girl for some odd reason, in a way she was quite attractive.
His gaze broke when he noticed Agni giving his prince a questioning look. Soma rolled his eyes and cleared his throat before putting the photos in his pockets." Where will we find them?" The prince asked." In the town square tomorrow night and be careful these two are not ordinary." Ceil said signaling for Finny and Elizabeth to follow him to his bed chamber.
Soma and Agni stood from their chairs." What do you mean? Soma asked. Ceil turned a shiver going his spine." They are creatures known grim reapers."