I realize it has been over two years since I posted Libera Me. And I apologize! I have been without Internet and/or a computer for those two years. I just bought a new computer and I immediately started on my sequel. I will post as frequently as I can, I promise.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Black Butler/Kuroshitsuji. If you sue me you will only be very disappointed, I assure you.

Libera Me II: Antiqua Historia

The Void in which they resided was like the dark side of a looking-glass. The colors muted, the air thick; the flowers and lawns that would be verdant and rich in the Phantomhive gardens lacked their vibrance, appearing to be coated with a film of dust. True, it was their home. They had no control over the ambiance of the Void. They could come and go as they pleased, but when there were no contracts to be had and no souls to be feasted upon, the two demons lived as lackluster a life as their surroundings. And those surroundings were lush, indeed. A perfect mirror image of the Phantomhive Manor, a facsimile of the gardens; the library was a flawless replica, and Ciel Phantomhive's study was a paradisiac copy of the one that had come before. If nothing else was done with such superlative detail, Sebastian Michaelis knew in his little black heart that Ciel Phantomhive wouldn't give one iota as long as his study was complete.

In the monochrome world in which they resided, a little repetition was nothing, if not somehow necessary to maintain his sanity. Sebastian went about all the duties he'd performed daily in the Phantomhive Manor; dust accumulated in the Netherworld as quickly as it had on the Surface.
Sebastian feigned tea service every afternoon, and this was no exception. He made his way into the study with his usual flourish, finding Ciel's nose buried in a leather-bound book, face slack with disinterest. It had been several months since he'd seen the boy light up with any kind of enthusiasm. Although, Sebastian reflected, Ciel wasn't necessarily the type to light up with anything other than rage.

As demons, they could not consume human food, but tea time was a pastime Ciel Phantomhive would not do without, so Sebastian brought in the tea service at precisely the correct time each afternoon, empty pot and porcelain clinking with the slightest movement. He'd "pour" his master's tea and declare the day's pastry with his usual embellishment, placing an empty cup and plate before the young earl. Whether the boy believed it was there or not, Sebastian simply had no idea. He would sip from the empty cup and take bites from a pastry that was not there and wipe invisible crumbs from his mouth with a pristine white napkin that was never soiled when he was finished. Perhaps the boy had suffered some dementia after his sudden change... Perhaps the abrupt transformation from contract to demon had formed some aberration in his mind. Frankly, Sebastian didn't care. He would continue in his service as butler to the boy for the rest of his eternity. And he was one hell of a butler.

After the young Phantomhive had finished his "tea" and pushed his still-empty plate and fork away from himself, he picked up his worn leather-bound book and opened it again, leveling his eyes first at the page, then meeting the gaze of the impeccably clad butler gathering the service up and placing it back on its tray.

"I'm bored, Sebastian."

"I am terribly sorry, my master. What may I do to alleviate your boredom?" he replied, only allowing the tiniest bit of sarcasm to flavor his tone. It would not do to have his master upset with him, but even the best butlers could run low on patience from time to time.

"Is there any rule deterring us from seeking out a soul on our own? Or must we wait here for some poor damsel to cry out for revenge?"
Sebastian finished clearing the earl's desk of the tea service and straightened, a bemused expression playing on his features. The boy had a long road ahead of him if he ever wished to learn all the ins and outs of demonhood. "While we would certainly 'hear' a damsel, if you will, call out for revenge here in our monotonous surroundings, there is nothing holding us back from exploring the Surface on our own. I was contracted to a Roman Legionnaire once, and happened by a delicious argument in a dark alleyway in the Capitol. I made quick work of the situation and continued on my way; a midnight snack if you will in the midst of a larger meal."

"We can go away from here for a while, then?"

"Absolutely, my young Master. Where would you like to go?"

"The British Museum. There is an Egyptian exhibit there that I quite enjoy. I would like to see it again."

The boy must've been stir-crazy indeed, if nostalgia was beginning to creep into his conscience. With a sharp bow, the butler left the room with the empty service and made his way back to the kitchen to store it away; then up to his master's chambers to prepare the boy's things for a day in bustling London.

The evening concluded, "dinner" forgone by way of Ciel's "lack of appetite". The butler assumed he'd filled himself on his pretend-cake and tea at 4 p.m. He said nothing about it, though, preferring his master's mental malady versus so many other things that could have gone wrong after his transformation. Finding himself back in the study after Ciel succumbed to sleep, Sebastian began his nightly routine of tidying the room. He picked up the book that the boy had buried his nose in all day and flipped it lackadaisically in his palms. The cover was worn; the gold emblazoned on the front chipped and faded. "A History of Ancient Egypt" it read, and the butler thumbed through the yellowing pages for a moment before sliding it back into its nook on the bookshelf. Years ago, he had regaled the young earl with a lengthy story about his past in New Orleans... Perhaps he would spin another tale about his time with the Roman Legion in Egypt. He hadn't always been one hell of a butler, he mused. He had been a soldier, a warrior, an alchemist... Many lives had been spent in service to various masters and mistresses. Truth be told, his former lives would make an excellent set of tales for print. Pity they would have to be published under "fiction".

The next morning found them about the city, overcast and dull; it was very nearly like being in the Void again. But Ciel's face was noticeably brighter, even if he didn't wear a smile as often as any other boy his age. They walked unnoticed through the thick crowds, stopping here and there, wondering at the change around them. It had been quite some time since either of them had ventured forth and the city was growing; thicker with people, denser with buildings, the evidence of the fire years previous washed away with time and progress. Now there were curious motorized buggies with shrill horns and pungent exhaust rattling through the cramped streets; ladies in notably less dress than before roaming to and fro, distinctly not selling services at the street corners. Men still looked the same, Sebastian noted, and was glad at least for that timeless invention called the "suit". He did have to bite back a bark of laughter when one particular lady noticed the young earl's confused stare and marched over to him, her slinky shapeless lace dress sashaying about her thin frame, and leaned down to meet his glare. After several moments of abashed silence, the earl averted his eyes and she laughed, loudly and very un-ladylike, reaching out to pinch his cheek and wink at him with her Kohl-lined eyes. She nodded politely to Sebastian who stood behind Ciel, ever watchful of his young master, and pulling a cigarette out of thin silver case, she sashayed past them, heading into the mass of bodies on the sidewalk.

"What just happened, Sebastian?" the boy muttered, turning his confused glare on his butler.

"I believe you were just teased, my young master. Perhaps you should take care not to be caught staring at young ladies."

"I couldn't help myself," he mumbled under his breath. "I've never seen anything like what these ...ladies... are wearing. What year is it here? Have I lost myself in that Void, forgetting the time and that things surely would change on the Surface?"

"You are simply not accustomed to viewing such startling change. Once you get used to it over so many years, you'll find that not much ever really does change. Wardrobes and technology are the only inconstant. Human nature remains the same, no matter what one uses to cover the body. Oh, and I believe we have been in the Void for approximately twenty years since our last trip... which was to spy on Mistress Elizabeth at her wedding, as I recall."

"We weren't spying, Sebastian. I was merely doing my duty and checking on her. I may have made the choice to give her up and relinquish my guardianship, but she is still my cousin and I feel obligated to make certain she is as happy as she can be given my absence and especially after the death of her family."

"And for the last twenty years, you felt you were no longer obligated?"

"Dammit, Sebastian, I didn't know it had been twenty years!"

"My apologies, master. If it please you, I can fill you in on the time you lost while you were in the Void..."

"You continued to watch her, Sebastian?" Ciel was very nearly at a loss for words. That he'd lost track of so many years baffled him, but that his butler had not and even continued his own obligations without his knowledge surely shouldn't have surprised him. But for some reason, it did, and he was both relieved and upset about this new discovery.

"She remained childless throughout her marriage. Her husband was doting and gave her every material possession she desired; but he, being much older than she and, quite frankly, not particularly interested in what Mistress Elizabeth could provide, looked on her more as a daughter and rarely bedded her. He kept a string of lovers all over London and when Mistress Elizabeth found out, she felt she had failed as a wife. She was twenty-five when she suffered a terrible miscarriage and the doctor told her she'd never bear a child."

Ciel's face was slack, his mouth slightly agape. He remembered suddenly the tale Sebastian had woven some time ago about his own chance at love that had ultimately ended in disaster and grief. At the end of that tale, Sebastian had asked him a question and he had thought long and hard about the answer. What will you do about Mistress Elizabeth, knowing how my tale has ended?

He had slept on it. He had envisioned bringing Lizzie to the Void but knew that the monochrome reality would drive her mad. He lacked the power to transform her mentally or physically and he knew that he would never appear to be more than a thirteen year old boy. She would age unless he ordered Sebastian to make her a demon and that existence in and of itself would surely kill her. He thought in the long run, that taking the road Sebastian had not, would certainly be the best course of action. He would be the smarter demon. He would give up his human life and the ties that bound him to it. He would not see the girl he'd been betrothed to tied to a monster for the rest of eternity. But he had tied her to a different sort of monster, hadn't he?

"Master? Are you quite alright?"

Ciel shook his head to clear the cobwebs that muddled his brain. "I need to sit, Sebastian."

He started away, not waiting on the butler to follow, and made his way across the street to a park bench directly opposite where they had been standing. He turned and plopped down unceremoniously, his hand reflexively covering his eyepatch. The demon butler stood before him, patiently waiting for him to gather his thoughts.

"What else? Sebastian, what else have I done to her?"

"My young master, you mustn't think like that. It will not do to get your hackles raised simply for trying to do right by the young lady. I know, whether you will admit it to yourself or not, that you loved the Mistress-perhaps not precisely the way she would have preferred-but you cared very deeply for her and you did what you felt was right concerning her wellbeing. In any case, I believe my story of Cybille DeMoreau did nothing short of sway your own decision about her. It's not always the best decision to hold onto the things one loves... But it's certainly not always the best decision not to, either."

Ciel glared up at the butler, his face etched in anger and pain. He had the saddest sort of queasiness roiling in his stomach. A feeling of guilt he was not accustomed to experiencing. He had watched his childhood sweetheart-his fiancee-married off to a buggerer of boys and one three-times her age! He had never suspected! The man was kind to her, at least, he consoled himself... But to be married off and coddled like a child and never bear her own children to coddle and forget her situation... Ciel was physically sick. Had it been anyone but his Lizzie... Any other woman in the world and he wouldn't give a damn. But his Lizzie, she'd deserved better. And knowing what he knew now, he would've chanced the Void because he knew he, at least, would have given her children to take her mind off the dullness of her surroundings. But then, maybe he was getting ahead of himself... How does a perpetually thirteen year-old boy demon marry and make children when he himself would always remain a child?

"Would you like to go see her, Master?"

"I... I do not know, Sebastian. I feel I must. But to see her now... knowing this... I do not think I can keep the truth from her any longer."