Quick A/N: I've become obsessed with Kuroshitsuji lately. I'm not sure how well I'll do writing a fanfic about it, but I'm giving it a try. This book will be very long. As you read, please remember to review, follow, and favorite! There will be references to some events in the anime/manga along with some characters that may or may not be dead showing up again, but I'll try to warn you if any spoilers crop up. Until then, please enjoy the story. After all, if I couldn't write a decent piece of fanfiction, what kind of Kuroshitsuji fan would I be?
To Hell and Back Again
It was a cold and rainy night near the beginning of October. Rain poured down, drenching the Phantomhive Estate and its surrounding grounds in cold water. The estate's residents were tucked safely inside, away from the cold and wet of the evening, watching the rain stream down the windowpanes of the house. Glowing fireplaces illuminated the house with warmth and light.
Unfortunately, the Phantomhive Estate would be receiving a visitor shortly, one who had not been lucky enough to receive an escape from the foul weather. He'd been riding for well over an hour, maybe more than two, bringing an urgent message directly from the Queen. Though the messenger had not been told the details of his message, the Queen had informed him it was of the utmost urgency, and must be delivered immediately to the Earl of Phantomhive.
As the glowing lights of the mansion came into view, the man breathed a sigh of relief. His mission was nearly over. Once he'd given this letter to the Lord Phantomhive, he could ride for home and enjoy a nice evening with his family. How nice that would be…
Sebastian Michaelis looked up in surprise at the sound of the front door's knocker clanging above the drone of the rain. "I wonder who that could be. We weren't expecting any visitors, were we, Young Master?" The tall demon asked.
Ciel Phantomhive looked up from his book, snapping it shut with his usual expression of boredom. "No. Go see what this is about, will you?"
"Of course, Young Master," the butler replied, and with that, his disappeared into a dark hallway. Ciel, left alone with his thoughts in the library, had already come to a conclusion about the situation. Only dire circumstances would require a message to be delivered in this sort of weather; England was in trouble, again.
Sebastian peered cautiously out a window before opening the door to their guest. In the not-so-uncommon case that someone had arrived to either threaten or kidnap his master, the demon wanted to be prepared. Alas, it appeared to be just an ordinary messenger. Sebastian opened the door, releasing a gust of cold air, wind, and a bit of rain into the front hall of the Phantomhive Manor.
"Good evening, sir. What brings you out here in such foul weather?" Sebastian asked. The man standing before him removed his hat respectfully.
"I come with a message from Her Majesty, the Queen, for the Earl of Phantomhive. Would you please deliver it to him for me?" the messenger replied.
"Of course. What would you have me tell the Young Master?" Sebastian said, smiling.
After fiddling in his pocket for a minute, the messenger produced a sealed letter, stamped with the Royal Seal. Handing it to Sebastian, he said, "Her Majesty wrote this up herself for Lord Phantomhive just this afternoon. She wished for me to report that it was of the utmost importance, and asked that Lord Phantomhive deliver his reply as soon as is possible. If that will be all, good evening, sir."
Sebastian fingered the letter thoughtfully. The paper was cool to the touch, but impressively dry. "Yes, that will be all. My master extends his thanks for your quick delivery. Have a safe ride," the demon said finally. The two men bid each other a nod of farewell, and the door closed between them.
A message from the Queen… How intriguing, Sebastian thought as he ascended the stairs leading to the library. Ciel was waiting for him. The boy had been to restless to continue reading his book, a novel titled "The Count of Monte Cristo."
"It appears as if you know what was delivered for you," Sebastian remarked, passing the letter to his master. The Earl of Phantomhive took a long sip of his tea. He opened the letter, unfolding a sheet of parchment bearing a message startling for both its length and bluntness.
Ultramarine eyes flicked back and forth across the paper, moving faster after each line. The young Earl's brows furrowed with worry. By the time he'd finished reading the Queen's message, Ciel was on his feet, shouting, "This is an outrage! How dare they! They won't be able to get away with this!"
Sebastian eyed the Young Master with surprise as the boy went to his desk, produced a sheet of paper and a pen, and set to writing a response. All the while, a fluent string of profanities and other assorted curses poured from Ciel's mouth. The demon had been unaware his master's vocabulary contained such foul language.
"Young Master, do watch your mouth. Even demons rarely employ such profanities as those," Sebastian commented, bringing the tea set over to Ciel at his desk. Tea often helped his master settle whatever issues were nagging at him.
"This is not the time to worry about that, Sebastian. The Queen says dark symbols have been appearing around London. The public has been whipped into a frenzy, and there have been an increasing number of riots. She says the Yard thinks the dark symbol and the rebellious spirit are somehow linked, which is why I've been called in to help. Sebastian, what if the person or group behind this is somehow tied to… those events?" Ciel's blue eye was as serious as his butler had ever seen it. This case had become personal for the Young Master. Perhaps if he'd been capable of doing so, Sebastian would've felt sorry for whoever they were now hunting. When Ciel Phantomhive set his mind to something, nothing could stop him, and he was ruthless in his revenge.
"An interesting theory, Young Master. Shall I presume we will be traveling to the London house quite soon, then?" the butler inquired.
For once, Ciel did not look the least bit unhappy about having to leave his beloved countryside estate behind for his home in the city. "We will leave first thing tomorrow morning."
"Now," Ciel declared with a yawn, "I will finish writing my reply to Her Majesty, then retire for the night. Prepare a bath, Sebastian."
The demon bowed, and left the room with a reply of, "Yes, my lord."
Ciel slumped in his chair. His mind was racing, and he could scarcely concentrate on the letter he was supposed to write. Usually, Her Majesty sent him on jobs that did not relate too directly to him (at least, they rarely appeared relevant to him at a first glance, as the Jack the Ripper case had proven). But this time, his job struck close to home.
"As the Queen's Guard Dog, it is my job to chase down whatever bone she may throw for me. Whether it be my favorite bone or one I have never seen before is irrelevant. I must concentrate on the task at hand," Ciel announced, speaking to himself as there was no one else in the room. He took another long sip of his tea. It was beginning to cool; good thing he was nearly finished with it.
The Earl finished penning his letter, then folded, enveloped, sealed, and stamped it. He would have Sebastian deliver it first thing in the morning when they arrived in London. They would have to bring the entire household this time; Ciel couldn't guess how long this case might take.
Rain still pounded relentlessly against the windowpanes as Ciel stood and left the library. Arriving in his room, the young Lord noticed a bath had already been prepared, and Sebastian was waiting for him. It was yet another display of his butler's extreme competence. One hell of a butler, eh? Well, the demon certainly got his job done.
Seeming to sense his master's thoughts, Sebastian smirked, and said, "Yes, my lord. I am simply one hell of a butler."