Chapter One: Funtom's Broken Toy

Ciel couldn't help but sprawl himself out across the king-sized bed in which he slept. As luxurious as it was, it wasn't the same without a certain butler at his side. Regret sent a sharp pang to his heart and shame boiled in his stomach, threatening to eat him alive. If Ciel hadn't of yelled at the black haired man, perhaps he wouldn't be so helpless and lonely now. Bard was useless for cooking and burnt nearly every meal to the point where it would most likely be poisonous to its devourer. Maylene was no better. She was clumsy, and loud. Most of the serving dishes never even made it from the kitchen before they smashed into pieces. As for Finnian, he was not only loud and obnoxious, but also destructive. However, Ciel found that he was the best of the trio. The best of the entire household however, was Mr. Tanaka. He was quiet, reserved, polite and had served the Phantomhive household for many years. With a groan, Ciel turned in his bed and dug his fingers into the fabric of the mattress, face down on his pillow. He wanted to scream in frustration, in fear. Without Sebastian, he felt incomplete. And just as sleep had its hold on the young male, a shadowy figure stood over him. He had chosen to sleep naked that night, and shivered as the figure pulled the sheets up to his shoulders. Surely it must have been Sebastian covering him up. None of the others dared to enter his room without permission. With that thought in mind, he slipped into a deep sleep and released his hold on the bed. It was a rough night with an equally disturbing dream. But that's what Ciel thought everything was, a dream. When Ciel woke the next morning, he realized just how real it all was. Sitting up in bed, he took notice of the absence of major and minor, but daily things. There was no breakfast served in bed, no clothes laying for ready, no tea, and no one to greet him and pull back the curtains while reciting the list of events for the day. His stomach growled in protest, clearly disagreeing with the neglect it's been given. The blue haired boy ignored it and pulled the sheets over his bare body. He had decided that sleep would be the answer and resolution to everything.

He only managed to get away with this action for about ten minutes before something rather large leapt onto his bed, and proceeded to lick his face with small, whimpering noises. At first, he groaned in response and tried to bat whatever it was away; but that didn't work. As Ciel's fingers entwined in silk soft hair and opened one eye, he realized what was happening. "PLUTO!" The man nuzzled himself against Ciel who was thankful for the sheets between them. Neither of them was sporting any sort of clothing material and despite Pluto being in his human form, the male still carried his animal instinct and tendencies. With Sebastian gone, he retreated to somehow sneaking into the household and nuzzled up to the next best thing- Ciel himself. The silver haired dog-man was rubbing himself all over Ciel, probably trying to get Sebastian's scent. He whined while doing so and lapped at Ciel's cheek. Displeased by the actions, and feeling a little upset himself, he shoved the man off. Pluto fell to the floor with a whimper and stared up at the boy with a hopeful expression. "Go away Pluto." His voice was harsh and bitter as he moved from the bed, wrapping the sheets around his slim figure as make-shift clothing. The boy gave a quiet sigh and bowed his head, thankful the blue strands of hair covered his right eye which bore the Faustian contract. This kept a firm link between Sebastian and himself; which was rather unsettling. Again, his stomach reminded Ciel of his growing hunger with a disgruntled growl. In no hurry, he began to trudge through the corridors and make his way down to the kitchen. Due to being young and of course, small, Ciel had to use one of the chairs as a step-stool to reach the higher shelves and cabinets. Once he had managed to grab the necessary ingredients and dishware for his tea, he began to boil the water over a hot stovetop. Though, when positioning it, Ciel stumbled and lost his footing which caused him to fall. To his demise however, hot water seared across his skin, causing him to cry out in pain with the teapot sitting over his head. With one eye closed, the boy tried to stand but realized he was tangled in the sheets and every movement ached. He must have fallen hard, and the boiling water slapping across his frail skin didn't help.

"Tch. Seba…" his voice trailed off with another painful realization that his butler was no longer with him. Bowing his head, he slammed one fist into the side of the counter and for the first time, in a long time, Ciel cried. Only three tears escaped however, as a gentle gloved hand caressed his cheek. He didn't flinch, or move away. He didn't even look up at the person that the hand belonged to, but said person carefully scooped up the young boy into their arms, and carried him off. "Now, now. It is weak of you to cry about such a petty loss young Phantomhive…" That voice. Ciel had no problem picking it out. A voice that was soft and rich like melted chocolate, yet just as poisonous as a spider's bite. Opening his eyes, he recognized the white of a formal uniform and a violet vest over a crisp, white undershirt. His hair was pure white, and his eyes a beautiful lavender color. This man was tall, even taller by a few inches than Sebastian. Ciel knew this man all too well, but wondered where his badges had gone. The beautiful pin that decorated his breast pocket to show loyalty to the Queen of England was not there. He was none other than, Ash Landers. He set Ciel down upon the bed and turned away to his wardrobe to retrieve clothes. "Relieve the sheets to their proper place. I will take it upon myself to clean them." The angel spoke softly and for a moment, Ciel felt safe. Letting the sheets slip from his small form, he turned his head away, remaining silent. Ash returned setting a pair of dry clothes upon the bed beside Ciel, and gently moved a towel across the boy's body. Turning his head, Ciel tried to catch any mischief in those lavender eyes or the smile in Ash's expression; but nothing was there. Not a single trace of menace or cruelty. Before he knew it, Ciel was dried and comfortably dressed with the utmost care. The angel treated him like a fragile doll; a prized possession. "Today's plans are to relax and handle paperwork in your father's study while I prepare a nice tea and some scones to dim your starvation until dinner." A small smirk began to lift the corners of the angel's mouth. However, his features were serene and gave nothing away. Standing, Ciel steadied himself and walked off with an uncaring expression. When entering his father's study, he felt more alone than he had since that night. The night his parents were killed and the Phantomhive manor burned. All of which was upon his birthday. How unfortunate, and yet fortunate at the same time. He pressed one hand gently on the eye-patch he sported over his right eye and growled. With one quick movement, he threw the walking cane in his free hand across the room where it clanged against the wall and fell to the floor. When Ash next returned, Ciel was silently seated in the tall, black hair behind the desk, legs crossed and chin resting on his clasped hands with his elbows propped onto the tabletop.

"This letter…" Ciel had started to speak and Ash raised his head with a pleasant smile in return to let the young male know he was listening. While Ciel spoke however, Ash continued to pour the tea into a small cup and serve the boy. "-Is from the Queen of England." The white haired male nodded once to confirm his words. Ciel brought the small cup to his lips and gently sipped from the hot contents. "What does it say?" Ash took the letter and slowly opened it, careful not to rip it messily. He was surprised the boy hadn't asked why he was obeying the orders or why he was helping him. But that was perfect, it meant Ash was getting close and would soon be well accepted into the Phantomhive household. "By order of Queen Victoria herself, the Phantomhive heir and complete household is now and hereby after, removed from the council and service of Her Majesty." Ciel set his cup down rather noisily with a startled expression upon his face. His hands shook and he stared at the male quietly. "W-what?" Ash nodded and pocketed the letter. "I'll have this for safe keeping, but Mr. Phantomhive, you've been replaced; as well as I. Alois Trancy and Claude Faustus have taken our positions as the Queen's royal guard and loyal lapdog." Ciel narrowed his visible eye at the man and threw one of the scones at him. Ash turned to the side, carefully evading the thrown object and upon raising his right hand whilst doing so, he managed to catch it. "Now, weren't you ever taught not to play with your food?" With a small chuckle, he leaned over the desk to gently replace the scone upon the plate which brought him close to Ciel. Upon moving to straighten himself, his lips brushed the young boy's ear and he murmured, "Let us not forget who has taken it upon himself to care for you in the absence of your servant whom abandoned you." This struck a nerve, causing Ciel to clench his hands into fists and glare at the white haired male. Raising one hand, he smacked Ash across the face with such force, that the Phantomhive family ring actually left a mark upon his flesh. The male stared at the boy, lavender eyes wide with surprise. For a long moment, the two remained silent. Ash stood, still as stone and Ciel was half raised from his chair, leaning toward him.

"Do not speak of Sebastian."

"You miss him. He only wanted your soul, like any other demon."

"Shut up."

"Once you were to die, he would steal your soul and move along. That's all he wanted, all he needed. You meant nothing to him, and never will be but another snack along the way."

"You will bite your tongue!"

Ash fell silent and smirked. He had clearly upset the young boy as he stood now, shaking with frustration. He drew back and bowed, crossing one hand over his chest to rest above his heart. The line was breached, and he now treading on thin ice. Perfect. "My apologies." With that, Ash left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. Ciel sat in silence with one hand gingerly placed over the black eye-patch. Before him, the scones went untouched. He had no appetite, and since Sebastian had left two nights before, he still didn't. Ciel did, however, relish in the tea. It tasted wonderful and set his nerves at ease along with his troubled mind. He knew however, that this miniscule remedy would do no good with his lonely, sleepless nights. To his surprise, not even Elizabeth had come to visit. It was to be expected though. Ciel had yelled at her before Sebastian's departure. He even made her cry and told her to never return. For fiancés, they had a lot of arguments; but Elizabeth just wasn't his type. She was clingy, girly, peppy and got far too excited over matters to even possibly be his companion in marriage. How long would Sebastian be gone? Ciel couldn't even bring himself to accept the fact that he may never return. Not until, that is, Ciel was finally dying. He would return in time to finally consume the young boy's soul, that much he was sure of. The silence of the study enveloped him and the emptiness matched his own. He lowered his head to rest upon his arms over the desk and closed his eyes. Sleep consumed the boy, dragging him down into a dark abyss.