A/N: It's 'Ragi here to welcome you to the first chapter of "Mark of the Chain" which is a cross of Pandora Hearts and Black Butler. Teru and I have been planning this one for a long time and it's about time I stop putting it off. Warning now, there will be Rated M stuff later on so if you aren't that kind of reader I suggest you halt right here. Also, we are open for requests of couples you want to see. If there is something we think we can work, we will do our best to fulfill your wishes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts or Black Butler. I wish I did but sadly that is not the case.

For once, the grand epicenter of England is awash in silence. The atmosphere is dense with an impending sense of danger. Thick grey clouds begin to slide over the view of twinkling stars, humidifying the air like never before. Within the alleys, sulking in the streets, shadows begin to shift and hum. The rats begin to scatter when forms begin to arise from the darkness cast by the brick buildings. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of creatures invite themselves to the streets of London.

One such creature, nothing more than a wicked imitation of a young boy, casts its crimson eyes to the world that has opened up before it. It walks into the watery light cast by the streetlamps as if the light may burn it to cinders. Once bathed in the shimmering yellow glow, it stares up at the lamp as if it holds some sort of secret that needs to be deciphered.

A lone woman, young and dressed to the fines, notices a small boy standing in the glow of a streetlamp and takes note of his disheveled appearance. His clothes are torn at the arms and his hair is unkempt as if it never known the use of a bath. It is clear to the unfortunate lady that this boy has no place to call him home. That isn't unusual though. The woman has seen many orphaned or abandoned children in the streets so what she doesn't understand is why this one seems so different.

"Can I help you, little boy?" The lady draws closer to the figure in the low light, hand extended. She is right upon him when his blood eyes snap to attention. His mouth suddenly contorts, the edges reaching halfway around his head. He opens his mouth, baring three rows of razor sharp teeth, emitting a deep, throaty sound. The woman cries out for help as the "boy" attacks.

All around London more of these creatures of different shapes, forms, and sizes appear and attack unlucky people who happen to be out in the night. Ear-splitting wails pierce the cloudy sky but those are overpowered by the horrific noises coming from the creatures that arose from the shadows. The streets run red with the essence of life of unfortunate souls who will never feel again.

Eyes of equal color to the blood flicker around an all too familiar room. It is dark and adorned with antique furniture, the main piece being a large canopy bed with a small figure curled up under the sheets. Sebastian could be at the opposite end of the manor and he'd still be able to smell the fear rolling off of the boy. It is almost tantalizing, delectable. The demonic side of Sebastian wants to just pounce and have the boy's soul all to himself. Still, the butler part of him tells him to just leave Earl Phantomhive to his terror. Compromising, he walks into the room and sits on the side of the bed, reaching for Ciel.

Tentatively, as if Ciel might attack, Sebastian places a gloved hand on his master's head. Ciel flinches, entire body tense with fear. When Ciel doesn't complain, Sebastian begins to run his fingers through Ciel's silky blue locks, wishing desperately that he could just stay for a while, comforting his master like this. After a couple minutes, the fear begins to vanish and is replaced by a soft sense of relief. Ciel sighs in contentment as time begins to slow down when his mind begins to shut down for the night.

"Sebastian?"

"Yes, Young Master?"

"Can you hear it? Can you hear the screams in London?"

Sebastian doesn't stop comforting the boy. "They are far away, Young Master. Even if they did try to harm you, I will be there to stop them."

At this, Ciel becomes abnormally quiet. His muscles relax even more as unconsciousness begins to draw near. He lets fuzzy thoughts drift into his head that seem to muffle the cacophony of London on this frigid night. The slight rise and fall of the sheets alerts Sebastian that his master is once again calm. He stands to leave when a hand suddenly grips his own.

"Sebastian. Please stay with me tonight." The frightened tone in Ciel's voice reminds Sebastian that even if he is successfully running a whole company, keeping up with social images, and following the Queen like a little puppy, he is still just a small boy. Despite all of the evil, death, and greed he has faced in his short lifetime he retains the characteristics of human boys his age. The thought somehow brings a smirk to the tall demon's lips.

"That was very polite, Master. Are you sure you are feeling okay?"

Red coloring dyes his cheeks as he rolls over, away from Sebastian. "Please…" he mumbles into the pillow. The devilish smirk grows wider as Sebastian sits on the edge of the bed once again. He resumes his previous petting, watching the bluenette carefully as he fades away. Even though he wasn't told to do so, Sebastian remains by his master's side all throughout the night. Sebastian falls into a sleep, hand still resting protectively on Ciel as if the cries of the unknown monsters would hurt him.

Many miles away…

I'm running. The scenery is unfamiliar to me. I've never seen walls the color of grass. Is the ground supposed to be made of paint? Why am I running anyways? I can practically feel my heart beating in my throat with fear so that must be the reason why I'm running away. Running away from what? By the way my heart is pounding and how fast I'm running, it must be something absolutely terrifying. A noise not unlike that of a wolf's haunting cry sounds just behind me. That must be it, a Chain. There is a Chain chasing me down, trying to kill me. Where is Alice? What about Gilbert? I trust my life to them and yet they aren't here when I need them the most. What a cruel twist of fate. What is even worse, the world of floor paint and green walls ends just ahead of me. It's a dead end. I reach it and turn to face my aggressor. It is a staggering nine feet tall with thousands of beady eyes all placed on the body of an arachnid. This is it. This is my final moment. I will die a death most unwanted. Its pincers open wide, preparing to devour me alive.

"Young Master! Oz!"

Forest green eyes snap open painfully fast at the familiar voice. They dart around for a moment before locking onto the dark haired Raven practically leaning over him. "Gilbert?"

The servant exhales a deep breath, all stress leaving his being at the single word. "I was worried. You were having a nightmare." He leans down and rests his forehead on that belonging to his master. "I'm glad you're ok."

Soft warmth rises to Oz's cheeks as he basks in the body heat of his best friend. He wants to stay in that position forever. He always wants Gilbert's comforting presence beside him. It may be a bit selfish but he trusts Gil to always calm him when something like this happens or if there is danger he cannot escape.

"Will you stay with me tonight, Gil?"

Gilbert doesn't need any further encouragement. He will do anything possible to ease Oz's vicious thoughts. He crawls completely onto Oz's bed and the blond immediately tucks his head into Gilbert's chest, letting the rhythmic heartbeat lull him back into sleep. However, this time he knows that he will be shielded from any nightmare that may befall him. Gilbert softly kisses the top of his master's head while wrapping an arm over him. Nothing will harm Oz if Gil has something to do about it.

"I searched for you for ten long years." The sleeping Oz doesn't respond so Gilbert continues. "You have no idea how many restless nights I spent worrying about you. I've wanted to hold you in my arms like this for the longest time so I hope you'll allow me to be selfish… if only for tonight." The sleeping boy shifts slightly, as if trying to draw more body heat from his servant. Gilbert sighs and joins Oz in his sleep, happy to have him safe in his arms.

A few rooms away from the master and servant, a Chain with long, black hair sits on the windowsill in her room, looking out into the night. Normally she would sneak into Oz's room and sleep with him but there is something different about tonight. She can sense her brethren seeping out of the Abyss like pus from a wound. They are unbound, relentless yet somehow she is not surprised that they are somehow escaping. It is as if she knows the reason why…

Alice jumps down from her perch to the waiting ground below, her white nightgown billowing out around her like a soft cloud. She lands with a small thud and takes off in the direction of London. Sometimes, there are things that you need to see for yourself to know that they are true. Alice intends to do just that. She speeds away from the mansion, nightgown giving her a wraithlike appearance as she disappears from sight.

Morning breaks, letting light filter onto the two figures curled up together on the bed. Everything is quiet, unlike the night they just slept through. Outside, birds are singing their joys to the rising sun. Gilbert is the first one to open his eyes. For a moment, he is disoriented, not remembering that he spent the night with his beloved best friend.

Oz shifts in his waking sleep, suddenly bringing reality back to Gilbert. Gil runs his hand through the mop of messy blond hair, wanting to remain like this for the rest of his life. Still, he knows better than that. He is Gilbert Nightray, servant to Oz Vessalius and he will not ruin that bond by revealing what he has kept locked away for so long.

The raven slips off the bed, careful to not wake up his young master and begins to leave the room when a soft voice stops him. "Gil, is it morning?"

He stops and turns to face his best friend. "It is, Young Master, but feel free to rest a little bit longer. I'll prepare breakfast and get you when it's finished."

Oz watches as Gil excuses himself from the room. Without Gil, the bed feels so much colder, inhabitable. It becomes too much for the teen so he stands and paces around the room. Even that seems unbearable after a minute. Maybe I should go and help Gil in the kitchen. But even if I go to help him, he'll reject me by saying that isn't something a noble like me should be doing. Gil can be so dense sometimes. Oz halts his movements and directs his gaze to the window. Something seems slightly off about it. Curious, he peers out of the glass.

At first, nothing seems out of place. There's the usual thicket of trees with a winding dirt trail coming out, not unlike a tail. If he looks far enough to the right, the beginnings of the garden can be seen. Oz is about to play off his curiosity when something white flickers into sight from behind one of those looming trees.

Alice's legs are weak and exhausted. Not only was she awake all night but the physical exertion has left her on the verge of collapse. Still, a smug grin is pasted onto her face as if the sleep didn't matter anyway. Her own curiosity has been sated. The cost, however, is a bloodied nightgown and wearisome feet. Her violet eyes lock onto the bright green ones staring out into the morning light. Without a moment's hesitation, Alice reaches her hand high into the air as a greeting, the all-knowing smile on her face unwavering.

At that simple moment, Oz realizes something. Alice knows something that nobody else does.

At the Phantomhive Manor five days later…

Ciel stares into the mirror, seeing nothing but a stranger in his clothes, mocking him. His eye patch is laid carelessly on the sink before him, revealing his covenant with Sebastian. The person in the mirror has a similar set of mismatched eyes that Ciel has grown used to seeing. Still, he doesn't recall ever having such dark circles underneath those seemingly familiar orbs. The skin on this eerie doppelganger has a grotesque grey pallor as if all life has seeped away into a void. Nothing about this person in mirror is Ciel Phantomhive. This copycat, this Anti-Ciel, has the look of defeat, something the real Ciel would never submit to. Yet, he cannot deny the fact that it is he who is standing in front of the reflective surface. There is no other possibility… the one glaring back at him is none other than the Earl Phantomhive.

Ever since the nightly howling began in London, Ciel has been unable to have a fitful sleep. The only time he was actually able to close his eyes and slip from consciousness was when Sebastian stayed with him that first night. Just the memory of waking up and seeing Sebastian so vulnerable beside him causes Ciel's heart to beat abnormally fast. There was something about a humanly demon that makes him want to smile. The ghost in the mirror reflects this tired smile. Suddenly, a figure appears behind the Anti-Ciel, the one that Ciel trusts with his life.

"Sebastian…"

"Young Master, sorry to intrude but you received a letter from the Queen. She wants us to investigate the Chains and find a way to get rid of them."

Ciel stares blankly at the tall figure in the mirror. "Chains?" he parrots.

"Indeed. That is what the creatures that have been crying in the night are called. Apparently, hundreds of people have been killed in London because of them. There is no telling how many of them there are but we need to do something to stop them."

The bluenette pokes at one of the bags underneath his eyes but it doesn't help the situation. "Sebastian, find out more about these Chains."

The butler bows slightly to his master. "Of course, Sir." He disappears from the mirrors sight and Ciel finds himself alone with the monstrous stranger once again. It laughs at him, jeers, and threatens him. These taunts begin to hit home within Ciel. For once, he is truly scared. The one in the mirror knows he cannot sleep at night anymore because of his fear of the unknown creatures called Chains.

Are they like demons? What about grim reapers? Is it something like Agni who has strange magical powers despite the fact he is only human? Ciel turns away, not wanting to see that Anti-Ciel in his reflection. No matter what they are, I have Sebastian. I may be putting too much faith in a demon but Sebastian will protect me no matter what. He hurries to snatch his eye patch on the sink without daring to cast a miniscule glance at the mirror.

The rest of the day goes on as normal. Ciel attends to all matters of business as Mey Rin, Finny, and Bard wreak destruction. It is as if life hasn't changed but in reality, it has. A single thought looms in the back of his head like an itch that cannot be scratched. There are creatures, Chains, that are ruining whatever piece of mind Ciel may have ever had.

It is nighttime when Ciel finally sees his butler once again. With a day being tended to by the three silly servants, seeing Sebastian is a bigger relief than he would like to admit. Besides, with the possibility that a Chain may come, it gives an astounding sense of security to have the demon close by. Once again, though, Ciel is too proud to admit that.

Like any other normal day, Sebastian undresses Ciel. He carefully unbuttons each button, slides each layer off of him as if the slightest friction would rip Ciel's skin open. Once Ciel is completely bare, the cries of the night begin up once again. Sebastian sees the fear strike directly into his Young Master's being. His entire skin crawls as his fingers begin to shake. A gloved hand clasps Ciel's shaking fingers, holding them tight. Unusually soft red eyes search the younger's face for a moment.

"I am here beside you, Young Master." The sentimental moment slips away before Ciel can fully commit it to memory. Sebastian has his nightwear in hand and is preparing to clothe him like normal. He buttons it up and gestures for Ciel to get into bed as if nothing ever passed between them in that single moment.

"I do not wish to hinder your sleep, Young Master, but I feel it necessary to relay all of the information I have gathered about these Chains."

"Continue," Ciel commands as he begins to get settled in his bed.

"I was not able to find out anything about the Chains themselves but I did find a connection between them and the family Vessalius. Supposedly there are bonds between several families and these Chains."

Ciel pauses for a moment. The entire day his butler was gone and that was all he could find? He considers yelling at Sebastian, telling him to get as far away as possible but his promise to the Queen helps him retain his cool. "Tomorrow morning go to these Vessalius people and have them come over so that we may 'speak' with them. When they get here, we will interrogate them about this situation."

"Understood."

Sebastian excuses himself from the room, leaving Ciel to think in the darkness. Soon, very soon, those hideous cries in the night will be gone. He will be able to go to sleep once again. As he lies in his too large bed, the sounds of death reach his ears, making it impossible to close his eyes. Yes, soon it will all be over.

Next morning…

"Wake up, Oz-kun! There is someone here for you! A mighty fine looking man as well…" The sound of Break chuckling stirs Oz from his sleep. On either side, Alice and Gilbert are waking up as well. How they are able to not fight over sharing the same bed is beyond Oz's comprehension. He is willing to just accept things how they are. Still, there is still something about Alice that worries Oz. Ever since she came home that one morning she's been slightly off.

She knows something.

Oz reluctantly gets up and throws on a decent robe before following Break out of the room, leaving Alice and Gil to fight over something insignificant. The two of them wind through the halls in silence until coming to the front entrance of the mansion. Break opens the door to reveal a tall dressed in all black with eyes as red as blood. They train on him for a moment before he breaks his sight to bow deeply.

"Oz Vessalius I presume? I am Sebastian Michaelis, head butler for the Phantomhive family. I've come here on request of the Earl Phantomhive to have you come and visit for a while."

"Phantomhive?" Oz parrots. The name, no matter how far away from London you are, is recognizable. The curry buns and massive toy market are familiar to any and all. To have such a renowned family request a visit is amazing… and here Oz is… in a robe.

His pulse races through his veins as the butler stares him down. Those red eyes are captivating, drawing him in as if by some strange magic. He can't help but to blush from behind that gaze. "I would… be enchanted…" Oz replies, though unconscious of doing so.

Break watches this play out with interest. He takes a quick glace to the demon butler and grins. This character seems to be very interesting to say the least. He might just have to stop by the Phantomhive manor to see how this whole scenario plays out.