Hey everyone! I'm Princess Sapphire1020, and I'm actually going to try and write a Black Butler fanfic... So I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except Christine Phantomhive, Ciel's sister.
~Their Butler, Able~
The floor was covered in bright white feathers, that made the dark room seem bright. In the middle of the room, laid two children, one a boy, the other a girl, twins, both covered in a blood red blanket.
"If you once reject the Faith," a voice echoed through the room. "you can never pass through the gates of Heaven."
"Would someone who believed in God summon you?" the girl sneered.
The voice let out a chuckle. "I'll ask you again: do you wish to make a contract?"
"Don't be tedious!" the boy exclaimed. "Just execute the contract and grant our wish!"
Suddenly, the feathers started swirling around the room, turning from white to black as they swarmed around the two. As the feathers started to clear a man stood before them... And that's how our story begins...
It was early in the morning at Phantomhive manor. The only sound to be heard was the birds chirping and the sound of rushing water that poured from the fountain in front.
"It's time to wake up, young mistress," a voice urged. "The young master is already up and waiting for you."
Christine groaned as the butler opened the curtains, revealing the bright sunlight in her dark room. He walked away from the window and poured her a cup of tea.
"Today's breakfast is poached salmon and mint salad. To go with it, we have either toast, scones, or pain de campagne." he said. "What would you like?"
Christine sat up in her bed, rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and stretched. "A scone..."
"After breakfast is a visit from Mr. Hugues, the authority on the history of the Roman Empire, and Mr. Damiano of the Poseidon Company will be here after lunch." the butler said as he blindfolded himself before helping Christine get dressed.
"Ah, yes, the man my brother and I have manufacturing stuffed animals in that factory in India?" Christine said as she made sure her long bangs covered her left eye.
"I'm told he's Italian," the butler said as he finished putting Christine's dark green and white dress on her, before proceeding to put her shoes on her, as she drank her tea. "We will prepare to offer him the utmost possible hospitality."
"This aroma... Earl Grey?" Christine asked, completely ignoring her agenda for the day. She and Ciel, her twin, would take care of it when the time came.
"Yes, from Jacksons of Piccadilly," he answered, standing up and taking the blindfold off. "I shall await you at the dinning table." He turned to leave, when suddenly Christine threw a dart at him, which he caught between two fingers. "Yes, milady?" He turned to face her. "As I have told your brother, lets save the games for later."
A small smirk spread across her lips. "Indeed, you're right, Sebastian." With that, Sebastian walked out.
Our butler is an able man...
Christine sat down at the table and frowned. She and Ciel were dressed in the same colors, again... Neither one of them liked to match clothing. Sure they were twins, and did everything together, but they weren't the same person, personality wise, yes they were, but they still didn't like matching like that. So why did Sebastian keep doing that?
Suddenly, Ciel threw a dart at the back of their gardener, Finnian's, head. Blood started gushing out as if it were a fountain, as Finni yelped in pain.
"Ouch! Ow, ow, ow, ow!" he screamed as he ran up to Ciel. "Wh-What was that for all of a sudden?!"
Ciel sipped his tea nonchalantly. "Actually, you should have seen that coming."
Sebastian suddenly entered through the double doors that led to the dinning room. "Finni. Have you finished weeding the courtyard?" He looked at the maid. "Mey-Rin, have you washed the sheets?"
Mey-Rin touched the tips of her index fingers shyly. "Um..."
Finally Sebastian looked at the cook. "Bard, weren't you supposed to be preparing for dinner?"
Bardroy simply smirked and rubbed the back of his head. "Damn," he muttered.
Sebastian looked at the other servant. "Tanaka..."
A chibi version of a butler sat there drinking tea from a green cup.
"Well, you're all right as you are." Sebastian finished.
"Ho, ho, ho..." was all Tanaka said.
"Everyone, if you have the time to dawdle about here," Sebastian said. "Use it to do your jobs!" He said that in such a way it scared the other servants, minus Tanaka, to the point to where they ran out of the room.
"Yes, sir!"
"Honestly..." Sebastian muttered.
Christine and Ciel each took a bite out of their scones.
After breakfast Ciel and Christine walked up the stairs wordlessly until they both paused at a giant portrait of a couple. Their parents. Ciel huffed and kept walking. Christine frowned at the picture and followed him.
"The silver is polished to a mirror like gloss, the table cloth is brand new and wrinkle free..." Sebastian thought. "I've removed all of the bruised blossoms from the mistresses favorite white roses so they look beautiful... And I've prepared lavish amounts of all the carefully-chosen ingredients for the cornerstone of good hospitality: dinner." He held out a glass vase full of beautiful flowers. "This is the first-class hospitality of the Phantomhives."
Suddenly, a bell labeled 'Study' rang.
"My goodness, calling for me while I'm so busy..." Sebastian thought.
"Are guests comin'?" Bard asked "This is our chance!" This caused the other two servants to look at him. "We won't let him keep lookin' down on us like this!We'll provide above and beyond service that'll make Sebastian's jaw drop!"
The other two dropped their jaws.
Bard Roy crossed his arms. "No point in lettin' your own jaws drop."
"But that's a good idea, yes!" Mey-Rin said excitedly.
"That's right! We can't let Sebastian do everything." Finni agreed.
"Alright then! Lets for our strategy!" Bard said.
"Lets do it!" the three cheered.
In the study Ciel and Christine waited patiently for Sebastian to arrive. When he finally walked in.
"We're hungry," Ciel said.
"We want something sweet," Christine added.
"You shouldn't. You have dinner with your guest tonight." Sebastian said.
"We don't care. Make us a parfait or something," Ciel said, Christine nodded in agreement.
"You really should not." Sebastian tried again.
Christine huffed, and she and Ciel stood. "Oh, and about the portrait in the hall..."
"Yes?" Sebastian asked.
"Take it down." Ciel said, earning a shocked look from the butler.
"We, Christine and Ciel Phantomhive, are the heads of the house now." Christine said as she glanced over at her twin to see him playing with the blue diamond ring on his thumb.
A small smirk played on Sebastian's lips, and he bowed. "Very good, my lord and lady."
"So... how exactly did this come about?" Sebastian said as he looked over the messes the three other servants had made.
"I used undiluted weed killer. I thought it would be effective!" Finni said.
"I was trying to get out the tea set we use for guests, but I fell and took the cart down with me!" Mey-Rin exclaimed.
"There was some raw meat on the counter, so I figured I'd cook it... um, with a flamethrower..." Bard said.
"We're sorry Sebastian!" Mey-Rin and Finni cried out.
"Our guest will be here a bit after six o'clock..." Sebastian thought. He checked his pocket watch. "At most, we have two hours left. We don't have enough time to get high-quality meat or tea sets... What shall I do?" "Calm down, all of you. Now listen to me: take a page from Tanaka's book and behave like-" he stopped. "Everyone, listen carefully to what I'm about to say, and act immediately. We'll manage with this."
A carriage drove up the long rode to the manor before fully stopping. Sebastian opened the door and let Mr. Damiano out of the carriage.
Damiano gasped at the sight of the manor from the outside. "My goodness..."
Before them was a breath taking stone garden.
"Welcome!" the other servants bowed.
Sebastian stepped forward. "This is called a "stone garden". It's traditional in Japan."
"Prodigioso! Wonderful! What an elegant garden." Damiano exclaimed.
"We would like to serve dinner here tonight," Sebastian said. "Please wait inside the manor until it is time to dine."
Tanaka led Damiano inside the manor.
"That's the house of Phantomhive for you. I can't wait until this evening!" Damiano said.
Everyone waited until Tanaka closed the door behind him.
"W-We made it in time," Bard said as he wiped his forehead.
"Who'd have thought the gravel I rushed out to buy would make such a great garden!?" Finni exclaimed.
Sebastian turned around to face them and smiled politely. "A Phantomhive butler who can't do this much isn't worth his salt. There's still work to be done. Let's get to it while the young master and mistress are talking business with their guest."
"Right!" the other three said in unison.
In the study Ciel and Damiano played a board game while Christine sat there watching silently.
"The progress of spinning technology in East India is truly astonishing," Damiano said. "We're also developing quite a top-notch staff..."
"You are bewitched by the eyes of the dead," Christine read out loud the square Ciel had landed on.
"Rotten luck. I lose a turn," Ciel said.
"Now is the perfect opportunity! We'd like to expand our company and secure a labor force-" Damiano was cut off by Christine again.
"It's your turn..." she said.
"Ah, yes, then if you'll excuse me..." Damiano said as he spinned the spinner. "Alright, five spaces. So, if I might ask for your support in the form of another 12,000 pounds... I believe it would be a profitable venture for the both of you. I would like to be a vehicle for the Funtom Company to make an even bigger name for itself in South Asia-" There went Christine interrupting him again.
"You lose a leg in the enchanted forest." Christine said, watching as her brother hid his smirk.
"Huh?" Damiano gave the girl a confused look.
"It's your turn again. I lost a turn, remember?" Ciel said.
"O-Oh, quite." Damiano spinned again. "Right, six..."
"No, that's three." Christine corrected.
"What? But..." Damiano trailed off.
"You lost a leg, remember? You can only move have the number of the spaces," Ciel said.
Damiano chuckled. "This is quite a sever board game. Isn't there anyway to regain my leg?"
"Once you have lost something, you never get it back..." Christine said. She reached over and snatched the game piece out of Damiano's hands.
"Your body is burnt by the raging flames." Ciel read the square out loud as his sister put the piece in it's proper place. Suddenly, Damiano felt nervous around these two, as if they could do something to him just by a single look in their eyes.
In the kitchen, Bard sliced pieces of meat as Sebastian walked in.
"How are the preparation?" he asked.
"I'm doin' it... but is it really good enough?" Bard asked.
"Yes, that's perfect." Sebastian answered.
"Sebastian! I found them, yes!" Mey-Rin shouted as she ran into the kitchen with a large pile of boxes. Suddenly she tripped sending the boxes soaring through the air.
Sebastian caught them, balancing one or two on his foot, as Mey-Rin bumped into him gently. "I can't believe you... How many times have I told you not to run in the manor?"
Mey-Rin's face turned bright red as she backed away from him quickly. "I'm so sorry, yes! My glasses are cracked and I can't really see where I'm going!"
Sebastian gently tossed the boxes on his foot to the top of the pile of boxes on his right hand. "But now we don't have to worry about the key players." He looked at the others and smiled. "Good work. Leave the rest to me and take a break. I request that you behave very well- very well."
"He said it twice..." Finni whispered. "He just said that twice..."
Sebastian opened the door to the study. "Dinner is served."
"Ah, the dinner in the stone garden? I've been eagerly awaiting it." Damiano said.
"Then we'll finish playing later..." Ciel said.
"I'm not sure we need to finish it; it's clear that I'll lose." Damiano said.
"It's not our style to abandon a game halfway through." Christine said as she and Ciel stood up.
"Child," Damiano muttered under his breath. Christine and Ciel turned and glared at him with piercing eyes. "I mean the flexible heart of a child is required in a craftsman. That must what made the Phantomhives the nations foremost toymakers." Damiano stood. "The both of you impress me!"
Outside, at dinner, Christine and Ciel sat next to each other on one end of the table when Damiano sat on the other.
"On tonight's menu is a finely-chopped raw beef donburi from our chef Bardroy." Sebastian explained as Mey-Rin stood next to him.
"Don...?" Damiano questioned as he looked at the bowl of layered meat. "And this is... dinner...?"
"Yes. Are you familiar with it?" Sebastian asked. "A traditional cuisine passed down in Japan since ancient times! A treat offered to someone who has done work of note as a sign of gratitude and appreciation! That is the food we call the donburi bowl! We devised this scheme to show but a small token of our thanks for your devoted efforts on behalf of the Funtom Company."
"That's our Sebastian." Finni said as he, Bard, and Tanaka hid in a nearby bush.
"Nice save!" Bard said.
"That's the legendary hospitality of the Phantomhives for you!" Damiano exclaimed. Christine and Ciel had ignored the entire thing and started eating.
"We've prepared a wine whose bouquet won't clash with the scent of soy sauce. Mey-Rin." the butler gestured to the maid, who wasn't moving. "Mey-Rin!"
"Y-Yes, Sir!" Mey-Rin exclaimed.
"Don't just stand there; poor him a glass of wine," Sebastian whispered to her.
"R-Right! Yes!" she said, her face turning red.
"Hey..." Bard whispered to Finni. "Isn't Mey-Rin actin' kinda weird?"
Mey-Rin seemed to stumble a bit before getting to the table, no noticing the fact that she was talking to herself. "S-S-Sebastian, you shouldn't make that face in public... That face... that face...!" Instead of getting the wine into the glass, she wound up pouring it onto the tablecloth, causing Finni and Bard to freak out, and Christine and Ciel to freeze in horror.
"Mey-Rin! You're spilling the wine!" Finni cried out.
But before the wine could spill onto the ground, Sebastian quickly pulled the tablecloth off, without disturbing the items that had been on top of it. The other servants stared in amazement as they tried to pry Mey-Rin away from the spot she had froze in. Damiano didn't notice a thing, since he had been eating the entire time.
Finally, he put his bowl down and realized something. "Hmm? Where did the tablecloth go?"
Ciel looked at Christine, who nodded once. "We saw a speck of dirt on it, so we had it removed."
"Please, pay no mind," Christine said.
Sebastian bowed. "My deepest apologies. Please, take your time and enjoy dinner."
Damiano chuckled. "Well... I'm staggered, Lord and Lady Phantomhive. What a truly able man he is."
Ciel smiled softly. "He merely did what was proper as our servant."
"My master is quite right. You see, I am merely one hell of a butler." Sebastian said.
"My, I thoroughly enjoyed that!" Damiano exclaimed. "Now then, about the contract..."
Ciel and Christine sat down.
"Before that. we must finish our game," Christine said.
"My sister, Christine, will be taking my place in the game," Ciel said.
"A-Ah, quite. But I'm afraid I have another appointment to go to..." Damiano said, trying to get out of having to play this creepy game, with this girl.
"Children are avid for games..." Christine said looking at him from under her lashes. "You know that as well as I do..."
Damiano nodded. "In that case, may I ask to barrow your telephone for a moment first?"
Christine and Ciel both nodded. Damiano got up and left the room, only to be stopped at the doorway by Sebastian.
"I've brought tea," the butler said.
Damiano simply walked around him. "I'll be right back."
Ciel picked up his tea cup and stared at it. "What is this? The aroma is so weak."
"I brought Italian tea in difference to our guest," Sebastian said.
"Italian tea?" Christine questioned.
"In Italy, coffee is the mainstream drink, so it's difficult to find high quality tea there." Sebastian said. (AN: It's true about the coffee, I'm Italian and I know for sure that I drink more coffee then I do tea.) "Is it not to your liking?"
Ciel stared into his cup. "No. I don't like it at all."
"I'll go prepare the pudding." Sebastian said.
"Yes, let him enjoy the Phantomhive hospitality to its fullest." Christine said.
Sebastian bowed. "Yes, my lady." When he stood, his eyes were glowing red.
"Christ, I can't stand babysitting!" Damiano said into the telephone. "Yes, the factory is long since sold off. Now I just need to pocket all the cash I swindle out of those brats... The employees? Who cares about them?" Suddenly Damiano looked behind him with the feeling of being watched. "Nevermind... I'll leave the rest of the formalities to you... Sure, it's no problem. In the end, their just kids."
Damiano walked past the painting of Vincent and Rachael Phantomhive. He stopped and looked at Vincent only to see a ghostly image appear over his face. Damiano rubbed his eyes and looked back at the painting. The image was gone...
"That again... It must be my imagination." Damiano said to himself.
Suddenly Christine's words came back to him in a whisper. "You are bewitched by the eyes of the dead."
Damiano froze, then smiled. "Ridiculous." He tried to find his way back to the room where the Earl and Countess were. He opened a door, no that room. "Huh?" He tried another. "This isn't it either." He tried again. "Or this one..." He walked down the hall. "This mansion is huge! I can't find my way back to the drawing room."
Christine's whisper echoed again. "You are bewitched by the eyes of the dead."
Damiano stopped as a tall figure with that ghostly image slowly walked towards him. Damiano immediately began to run away. "Stay away!"
Finny and Bard were moving the picture Of Vincent and Rachael when Finny stopped.
"Huh? Wasn't that our guest?" he asked.
"Hey! If we don't move this thing quick, Sebastian'll yell at us again!" Bard said.
"Right!" Finny said.
Damiano continued to run.
Suddenly Ciel's voice rang through. "Lose a turn."
Damiano ended up falling down the stairs. Mey-Rin ran to help him.
"Are you alright?" she backed away. "His... His leg is twisted the wrong way, yes!"
"Hey. What's wrong?" Bard asked.
"O-Our guest...!" Mey-Rin said pointing to him.
In pain, Damiano looked at the portrait that Bard and Finny still had in hand.
The ghost image appeared before Vincent's face again but this time it whispered in Christine's voice. "You lose a leg in the enchanted forest."
Damiano began crawling away leaving the servants confused. He kept crawling until he saw a pair of legs in front of him. Slowly looking up, he saw Sebastian looking down at him with a smirk on his face.
"Where are you going, sir?" Sebastian asked. "We aren't finished entertaining you yet. We still have to serve pudding."
Damiano jumped back and began to crawl again, but the butler followed.
"If you lose a leg you can only go half a number of spaces anyway," Sebastian said. "so why not relax and make yourself at home?"
Damiano crawled into a dark room and shut the door. He sat against it and tried to catch his breath. "Damn, I can't see a thing..." He heard footsteps getting closer and backed into something. "A cupboard?" He opened the door to it and got in just as Sebatsian entered the room. "Damn... It's so cramped in here!" His hand suddenly touched something. "Huh? What is this?" He sniffed what was on his hand. "It smells sweet..." Suddenly it started to get hot in the cupboard and something slid back, revealing Sebastian's eyes.
"What an impatient guest you are. To think you would try to get at the pudding in the oven..." he said.
"O-Oven!?" Damiano exclaimed. He then began to pound on the door. "Open up! Please, open the door!"
Instead Sebastian got up. "Don't Italians know? Plum pudding, mincemeat pie... There are many puddings here in England that contain animal fat." He closed the little hatch he had slid back.
Ciel's words echoed again. "Your body is burnt by the raging flames."
Sebastian walked past Bard. "Thank you for your hard work today. Would you like some lemon meringue pie? Sweet things relieve fatigue."
Bard and Finny immediately accepted.
"Ah, yes, Bard- a tradesman will be coming by later. Have him replace the oven in the kitchen." Sebastian said.
"Huh? The oven?" Bard questioned.
'Mr. Damiano, I hope you enjoyed the Phantomhive hospitality, down to the very marrow of your bones.' Sebastian thought, as he saw Damino limp his way from the mansion and down the road.
Ciel and Christine smirked as they heard Damiano's cry of 'mamma mia'.
Ciel chuckled. "What an ugly scream."
"He's sounds like a strangled pig." Christine giggled.
"He sells the factory without telling us," Ciel said. "and then he says he wants to 'secure a labor force'?"
"Did he really think that he could keep that a secret? That stupid trickster..." Christine said as she moved her piece on the square that read happy end and knocked it over.
"As you said, once you've lost something, you never get it back." Ciel said.
Sebastian walked down the stairs and looked at the spot where the portrait once was, and noticed a faded mark. "It looks as though we need to redo the wallpaper as well." He looked at the front entrance where he could see Christine and Ciel playing with their parents when they were younger. Christine called to their parents in pure happiness before going back to playing with her twin.
Sebastian walked into the scene unnoticed by anyone and snapped his fingers, returning the room to the way it was now. "The head of the house of Phantomhive, eh?" With that, he left.
Alright! First chapter down! I hope you enjoyed it. If you didn't already know, this is going to follow the story line of the anime, and I may add my own chapters in here or there. So please, favorite/follow and leave a review! See you next time!