Yeah yeah, I'm doing a Black Butler fanfic. It was a request after all, and I fulfill my requests. For those of you who are new to my authorness, I am catsvrsdogscatswin. As can be seen from my author name, I like cats. I love cats. I have liked them over dogs ever since I was born, and no, not just because Sebastian does. Personally? I like Undertaker over all the other BB characters. Yes, even Grell. I can't stand Grell. (No, not because he is homosexual or whatever it is, because he is made up of so much fail I cannot stand him disgracing the name Grim Reaper like he does. If you have seen Soul Eater or (I don't know if Walter counts, but he is kinda cool after the transformation) Hellsing Ultimate/OVA Shinigamis (Reapers) are freaking cool! And Grell is just…Grell!) Anyway, on from that, this fanfic is more of an exercise to sharpen my writing skills while I muse on what to do next, another Soul Eater or Hellsing, or what. It shall not be romance, because my sister (who has pressured me to do romance on all the other fanfics) does not have enough knowledge of this anime to bug me into doing an OC relationship with the most beloved character. (Which is usually Sebastian, Ciel, or Grell. Thank god. *sigh heavily* I don't have to do THAT bit of unpleasantness.) But on to the main thing, I write one chapter per week because I have high school and homework, I have never abandoned a story mid-plot or until it's finished as of yet, and have thousands of readers for my previous long fanfics. In this story you can expect humor, plot twists (I love making you people squirm with impatience and confusion), interesting characters, and just something that'll really be worth reading. Trust me on this. ;) I never tell I lie, unless it's in my best interest.

"Really? REALLY?! You should know what this means by now."

This is thoughts or mental communication.

'This is communication between the Dina and her cats.'

Rāta's POV:

Snow fell softly over the feathery black darkness that welled up within London's inky streets. I sat on the cold, icy roof, ears pricked forward as I heard something strange. Panting. A man ran below me, looking behind him frequently, and I melted into the shadow of the chimney I was sitting by. He held a gun in one hand. The other was clenched tightly around something precious, something he shouldn't have. Three men ran behind him, looking angry. "Run faster damnit! We can't let him get away! Does Tim even know how hard we worked to steal that thing, let's go get it back!" A faint, tinny voice called out, the leader's voice floating up to my twitching ears. I sighed softly, flitting from rooftop to rooftop, my dark, nearly black emerald eyes tracing the scene, alive with curiosity. The man stopped on the bridge, looking down at his hand as it opened.

A golden ring, with a beautiful blue stone set in the center, elegant and shapely, but strange somehow, tainted. There was an air of danger about it, the air of something deadly, and I shrank back into the shadows. The man let out a breathless chuckle, caught up in the beauty of his treasure. "No one else will have it! This is my ring now!" he whispered, but blinked when he heard a voice. "No, I don't think so." He gasped and his eyes flicked to the air next to him. "You do not deserve that ring." There was a series of lazy little gleams, and the man tensed, shaking with the urge to move, run or attack it didn't matter. He was caught, like a fly in a spider's web.

I looked to his wrist, the one that held the gun, and saw wires wrapped around it, and blood welled up, dripping to the ground. "The Hope piece is in search of a worthy master you see. You do not fit that description." A figure in the shadow of the street lamp said softly, without emotion, and jerked his hand. Wires flashed, and a scream echoed on the Thames as blood welled up and dripped to the snow, white mixing and melting under the hot red. The body was thrown over the bridge, and impacted the ice, plunging deep, killing him beyond a shadow of a doubt as I flitted away, glad to have remained unseen.

Dina's POV:

"Try out the Cītā goods, fine carvings from around the world!" I called out, glad to be bundled up on this frigid day. "My lady please, slow down a bit." A panicked maidservant squealed, chasing after a tiny blonde girl in a frilly pink dress. "Careful. You're going to crack the ice if you keep stomping about like that." She said pertly, and as one might expect, the maid panicked even further. "AH!" she squeaked, picking up her skirts and dancing nervously on the slippery surface as her mistress giggled. "Please understand my lady, if your parents learned that we took a detour they'll be terribly angry, I'll be in a lot of trouble." The noblewoman humphed. "But Harrods's and Liberty were utterly useless, they had nothing to offer." She said primly, turning to face her maid. She jumped once, making the maid squeal again. "I was joking, it won't crack." She soothed, and her maid relaxed a little.

"Excuse me my lady, but there seems to be something specific you've been searching for, might I ask what?" the girl flushed slightly and turned away. "Something special. I need a present for Ciel, it's almost his birthday. A perfect present, one that'll make him happy!" she said, holding her hands to her mouth. She shook her head and turned to her maid. "I mean very veryhappy!" she said stubbornly, and the maid beamed. "Oh Lady Elizabeth that-that is absolutely adorable!" She kneeled, grabbing her mistress's hands. "I understand now, you have my word. I pledge to help you in whatever way I can in this endeavor." She said firmly, and the girl beamed. "Thanks Paula, how sweet!" she said happily, and I coughed slightly, getting their attention. "I couldn't help but overhear, madam, lady. Would you like to perhaps give our wares a try? I don't mind, just take a look if that's alright." I said charmingly, beaming at them as the little girl became interested and walked over. "What's with all the funny carvings?" she asked, poking one curiously.

"My family specializes in cats statuettes. It's been a family tradition since my grandma's-grandma's- grandma's-grandma's-grandma. They bring luck and joy to a home, or more, depending on the carving." I said rapidly, bowing with one hand over my heart. She nodded, browsing with interest as her maid trailed behind. "This one looks-oh!" She squeaked as Rāta jumped up on the table, rubbing against her hand as she reached for a statuette, purring loudly. "Apologies lady. That carving is one of Rāta's favorites, and she's such a friendly cat anyway." I said, hanging my head a little as Rāta continued to purr and nuzzle the noble child's hand. "Oh she's so cute!" the girl squealed, snatching the poor cat up and hugging her tight as Rāta frantically clawed for air, eyes bulging. "My lady please stop!" her maid shouted, and she relaxed her hold on Rāta, letting her sag in the human's arms and gasp in oxygen. "Rāta, leave the customers alone." I scolded her, and she gave me an affronted look, as if to say "She's the one who should leave me alone!"

I favored her with another glare and she huffed, slinking under the table to huddle by the brazier with Subaha and Śāma who gave her sympathetic mewls. I sighed as she gave me a glare from her dark eyes, pointedly looking towards the girl, who was already zapping through the other booths rapidly. "Oh hush you." I told her, picking up what the chatty girl and her maid had knocked over. "You do as much damage. Watch the stall for me; I'm going to go get a pick-me-up. This frigid air is making me turn into a carving myself." I told her, stepping out and pulling the hood of my cloak over my golden brown hair. My sky-blue eyes raked the other booths, not really caring what they sold or who bought them, but just watching. I grinned, finally coming to the sign I was looking for. "Undertaker"

"Hello hello, it's me, Dina!" I said cheerfully, opening the door as he grinned and looked up from the coffin he was currently preparing. "Oh, 'ello my dear. It's been a while since I've seen you here." He said, looking up in amusement and straightening, moving forward to shake my hand. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked, and I chuckled, shaking his cold, sharp-nailed hand firmly. "The usual Undertaker. Rāta and the others are driving me in circles and I can't take it anymore." I said, shrugging the hood down and accepting the tea in the beaker he gave me. "Well, I can't offer you any entertainment, or at least the kind you've become accustomed to. What is one of your ilk doing in something so strange as a crafts' fair?"he said, sitting down on the coffin opposite me. I chuckled, sipping at my tea slowly. "I could say the same for you." I countered, and he leered, white teeth flashing in the gloom. "You make a fair point. And you aren't going to tell me what you're doing here, are you?"

I gave him a mocking look. "Tell my information to an information broker? Are you insane?" I asked him, and slow grins broke across both our faces. "I would be careful if I were you. Who knows when the doings of your past will catch up to you, even if it is just some hopeless inspector." He warned me, and there was a moment of silence. Suddenly we were interrupted by an auburn-haired man falling through Undertaker's fake door with a yelp. He straightened as I flicked my hood up again, caution prevailing. I blinked as he began talking, shaking my head to clear the biting cold from it and hear what he was saying in case I was in trouble, and Undertaker cracked up, collapsing on the coffin he had been sitting on and shaking the sign from his door. He twitched a few times as the man stared and I rolled my eyes, watching as a boy, a man, and a Chinese man came in, all staring at Undertaker and the other man. "I assure you man, you're on a roll profession, that was hysterical. You could be a world-renowned comedian." He said weakly, getting up and jabbing a black-painted nail at the bewildered man.

"What did you say to him?" the boy asked, looking confused. "I have no idea. I was just talking to him normally. He began laughing like a madman." He said, pointing to Undertaker in silent confusion. "Undertaker is a madman." I said clearly, standing and bowing slightly as they directed their attention to me. "I thought you said this man didn't have any relatives." The Chinese man said, peering around the tall man in a black coat, whose eyes burned into mine. "She ain't a relative. Earl Phantomhive, this is Dina Cītā, an old acquaintance of mine. Dina, this is the Earl of Phantomhive, his butler, Lau, and some copper." He said, pointing to the boy, the tall man, the Chinese one, and the one who had gotten him to laugh in turn. I gave them a feral smile. "Pleased I'm sure." The butler said coldly, and I glared at him. Something was off about his…self. The child looked up at me with annoyance, and I glared down at him as well. He had an eyepatch, but as far as I could tell there was no wound. My gaze traveled slowly up to the butler, who gave me a mirthless smirk. Ah. A demon then.

"Well, I better- Rāta!" The black-furred feline dodged human feet and legs, hurling herself into my legs and clawing up to my shoulder, mewling frantically. The demon's eyes widened, and the kid scowled at the interruption. "Well, see you later then Undertaker. I dare say you know where to find me." I said cheerfully, giving him a sarcastic salute and walking out into the frigid cold. "Alright then you nut, what's with the shrieking?" I asked her irritably, and she hissed. 'Shut up! I found something! Remember that murder I witnessed last night? I found the ring! I found the Hope Piece!' she squalled, and I set her down, letting her lead me to a statue of the Queen, who had a blue-gemmed ring on her finger. "Good work Rāta. Maybe you aren't such a burden after all." I told her, stroking her head as she wound around my legs and purred. "Here it is." The Undertaker said behind me, and I turned to see him pointing to the ring as the inspector gasped and Lau nodded. "Ah, it appears a sculptor must've happened upon the ring and then designed a beautiful ice sculpture to complement it, our mystery has been solved." He said, and the inspector gestured to his men. "Collect the ring, right now!"

They ran forward, but before they could take it a pompous voice interrupted. "What do you think you're doing, thieves?" They turned, and I saw a fat man with a large silver beard glaring at them, along with some others. "That dear lady will be awarded to the contest's victor. You wouldn't want to defile her now would you?" a man asked, kissing a white rose that he held in his hand and wagging a finger at us. The kid shuddered violently, and Rāta hissed. "Viscount Lord Druitt!" he stammered. "They're holding some contest. Why is he a judge?" he added in a murmur, and Lau nodded. "Yes, wasn't he just arrested for human trafficking ? What naughty man…" he agreed, and the inspector narrowed his eyes. "He was released a few days ago."

The kid snorted. "Must've paid well." The inspector approached the judges, ignoring that comment. "Excuse me, but this statue's now under the charge of Scotland Yard." He said briskly, and Beardy shook his head. "Oh no! I don't care if you are from Scotland Yard sir, the Frost Fair's an event for our citizens, I will not let you disrupt it!" The man in white, the…Viscount, wasn't it? Yes, Viscount twirled over to the statue. "Just look at her beauty, such an exquisitely noble lady! We could never allow her to be violated by anybody." He said, hugging himself as the kid gritted his teeth. "You're one to talk." He muttered under his breath, and I chuckled, along with Rāta. "If you insist on possessing this lady, you should offer something of equal beauty." The Viscount said calmly, and Beardy nodded. "A well-spoken pronouncement from a true lover of art and beauty. As he says, if you want this statue, win this contest!" he barked, pointing to the inspector as he blanched.

"There's merit to your argument. The ring belongs to whomever is the winner of the contest. Nice and simple." The Phantomhive said smugly, and the others turned to him. "Really Ciel?" the inspector asked, and Ciel, as he was so named, looked up at him. "Don't worry inspector, I'll get the ring." He said calmly, and the man gaped. "But its stolen property! Not to mention the fact that it's our key evidence in serial kidnappings of young girls-" His eyes widened and he clapped a hand over his mouth as Rāta and I perked up, interested. 'I think we have a new job…' she sang excitedly, grinning. "I see. That's why the Yard are so frantic to find it." Ciel said smugly, and the man blinked. "The legend is true! Every person who has owned the ring has met a horrible end! It's a cursed stone and you'd still try to win it?!" he asked, in shock, and Ciel lifted his head. "Cursed eh? Then it sounds like the perfect ring for me." He said, lifting his hand as I saw a flash of blue from his ring.

"Come to think of it, isn't that a family ring you wear set with a pretty blue stone as well lord?" Undertaker asked, and Ciel nodded. "Yes." Undertaker smirked. "Perhaps you should be careful. Diamonds are quite hard. But because they're hard, they're also…brittle. If you go too far, you may be shattered as well…" he warned in an ominous tone, and I faded into the background, slipping away through the tents and coming back to our own stall. I put Rāta down, petting her hair a few times and then pausing. "It's settled then. Go fill out an entry form." An Irish–accented voice said calmly from behind us, and I closed my eyes, feeling for a knife. "Seriously?!" another voice said, and the first man snorted. "Are you an Irishman or aren't you?! We know more than the bloody English about ice and snow!" The second man and what sounded like another gasped. "And if all else should fail…" the man trailed off, and I narrowed my eyes. I waited a full minute before sheathing the blade. 'Rāta, I'm going hunting for a rat. Keep the mice away?' She looked up at me, and white teeth flashed in the weak winter sun. 'While the cat's away, the rats will play. When the cat is home…' We both chuckled. 'To Death they roam.'

Ooh, dun dun dadum. Sorry, I do love cliffies. The next chapter'll probably be up tomorrow, since I used to do day by day updates and I'll most likely have it finished before I start to publish the actual story, but maybe not, because I just might not. I know I started a bit into it, but the Ice Festival episode was my favorite, I just really wanted to. Well, Review, Request, Rcomment. Auf Wedersien!