Okay this is my first story ever- so please don't shun me if I screw up :] thank you~~!
P.S. so this all started out as a simple day dream of mine where I was trying to think up an adventure that was more exiting than my own monotonous life and thus, this story was born (hold the applause )thank you for reading, oh and I just kinda made up some of the places and names of characters who were not in the actual manga/anime so if there are any look a likes or similarities it's all coincidental. DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN BLACK BUTLER, I am only a humble reader who has spun a story that deviates from the main plot.
Prologue
There was a knock at the office door. "Enter!" said Ciel Phantomhive.
Sebastian walked into the vast office and presented a neat pile of envelopes on a shining silver platter to the young boy. "today's mail, young master." he said. Wordlessly Ciel looked up from his papers and reached for the thick stack of envelopes and silently flipped through them. Invitations to parties and banquets, charities asking for donations, sale updates etcetera, etcetera . Then he stopped at one that he had never seen before. The return address stated 'Ms. Laudie's Home For Girls, 182 Walker Street, Liverpool, England'. Ciel frowned. He didn't know any orphans. Or girl orphans for that matter. He shook his head and reached for the letter opener.
Dear Mr. Ciel Phantomhive,
I would like to first give my late condolences on the loss of your parents. They were wonderful people from what I have been told and may they rest in peace. I do not know if you have any knowledge or if you remember that your father had a very good friend whom he had grown up with. He was your god-father and would have taken guardianship over you after your parents died. Yet he and his wife had perished in a horrible carriage accident a little under four years ago. All that remained of their family was their thirteen year old daughter who had runaway shortly after learning of her parents death. As the closest orphanage to their estate we were to give her housing until she had a permanent residence elsewhere. We were unable to recover his last will and testimony up until about three weeks ago. It stated that if he and his wife were to perish before their daughter came of age, that she would live with the Earl Phantomhive and his family . They certainly made that clear. Their home and finances were to remain untouched until their daughter came of age to claim it all. It has been rumored that she has taken on the role of a pirate captain and was last seen heading towards London. We hope that you might be able to contact her and, if it appeals to you, allow her to take up residence on your estate, as was her fathers wishes. Her name is Seraphina March, I have included a recent update on her file. Please consider the thought of taking her in. I do hope you find her. Thank you very much for taking the time to read this, .
Again I give my condolences and wish you luck with your business.
Sincerely,
- Maria Greene,
Headmistress
Ciel looked up from the letter, straining to remember. Faintly he did. His father's friend would come every so often and would always bring his wife and daughter, Seraphina. She was the most unladylike little girl he had ever remembered associating with. Of course he hadn't particularly cared at the time for he was only a small child when they met. She would always pull up the wildest stories from the depths of her imagination and tell them to Ciel and Elizabeth. She would spin them in such a way that the seemed real. She could hang from trees like a monkey and sprint around the grounds bare footed and many times in trousers too. She never paid any attention to the rules of society and made her own path rather than follow others. She was really the only real friend that Ciel truly had as a child. The last time he had seen her she was stomping away because they had just had a huge fight over something that seemed so insignificant that he couldn't quite recall it. Ciel was not very surprised when he read of her becoming a pirate. She had always dreamed of adventure on the high seas.
Ciel skimmed over her recent file and then folded it up with the letter and replaced it in the envelope.
"Sebastian," he said extending the letter
"Yes, Young Master?" he took the letter questioningly. Ciel smiled and tapped the envelope in Sebastian's hand
"I want you to find this girl. I'll explain later but you must get thing's prepared." he folded his hands and let his chin rest atop of them,
"We are going to have a new house guest soon."
CHAPTER ONE
The thick fog rolled in from the briny sea in waves, a hazy white swirled about the crooked, twisting London streets in the dark, starless night. It was rather quiet at this time of night. And it was at one shoddy, rather rundown pub that rested not even two blocks from where the ports were, that a well quenched band of pirates had taken refuge from the unrelenting fog. The group of pirates now stumbled out of the pub and spilled on to the dampened cobble stone. Many of them wore simple black or brown trousers, dirty shirts and well used boots. Some were barefoot, but only if they didn't fear infection of wounds. One was dressed rather differently. The Captain had a long, billowing coat, tall boots, worn leather pants and a black cloth shirt with a large tri-cornered hat. Her wavy auburn hair traveled down to mid-spine and was tied back with a simple strip of leather. Most of the crew had multiple arrays of daggers, shirkens, pistols, and every single last one had a sword strapped to their sides in case of any ...attacks.
"Cap'n shall we be 'eadin back now?' asked Ash, the first mate. He had been part of the crew ever since he was little, when the very first captain had been recruiting sailors. He had seen their current captain grow and flourish in the few years she had been on board.
"Aye, it's 'bout time we should." replied Captain Thorn(Seraphina, but her nickname is thorn.)She stood tall and strong, shaped into an intelligent young woman by the world in the years of her adolescence. She truly had grown ever since she ran away, knowing many secrets of the world that otherwise would have remained untouched and undiscovered by the likes of her self. "C'mon lads lets get to it." Seraphina (I might switch from thorn to Seraphina on accident. Sorry!) was well respected throughout the crew, having beaten each one in either a wrestling, fencing or plain fist fight, she had rightfully earned her place as captain after the previous one had retired.
The crew had made it almost half a block when Thorn raised her hand and all movement and chatter ceased. There was a tall figure clad in a black rain coat just up ahead, standing like a ghost in the fog. "Name your self," She commanded.
The figure moved forward, "Miss Seraphina March, I presume?" the man inquired, up close, Thorn could now see that it was a man. closing the distance between himself and the band of pirates, He walked straight up to Thorn whilst ignoring the growls of the crew. She nodded.
"Aye. And you are...?" she asked, looking up at him. He was rather on the tall side, standing a head taller than Thorn, with straight cut jet black hair that was cropped in neat, almost inhumanly neat, points just above his shoulders with off center bangs that half covered his right eye. He had a strong looking lean build. 'Almost like a cat...' thought Thorn. Underneath his rain coat she could see a crisp butler's uniform, tail coat and all. 'what on earth...?'
"I, my good lady, am Sebastian Michaelis, trusted butler of the Phantomhive Family. The young master sends his regards and asks me to deliver a message and a letter to you. If you shall accept." said Sebastian with a deep bow. Thorn nodded and smiled, memories of her child hood floated to the surfaces of her mind.
"I do, but we must converse later, in my cabin. We needn't be over heard out in the open." she said. Sebastian smiled a gentle-manly smile and fell in line with Thorn and her crew as she led the way to her ship, 'Akuma' (author's note/ yes I went there and named it that. Muahahaha XD) (for those poor souls whom do not know- akuma means demon in Japanese)
Later, in Thorn's cabin
Thorn sighed as she sat down in her well used chair in front of her abused wooden desk. There lay piles of paper full of information on other pirates, ship's routes, hidden treasure, and letters to many people that she had met over the years. She pushed all the papers away to reveal a large and heavily detailed world map that had been pressed into the desk. Looking up she spotted Sebastian standing formally by the closed door. "Please have a seat, Sebastian" she gestured to the two plush chairs by her desk. He nodded.
"Thank you miss March." and took up one of the arm chairs.
"Please, call me either Thorn or Seraphina-if you want to be serious," she wrinkled her nose. "I hate formalities. Now please, If you would be so kind as to explain your...visit."she said leaning back in her chair, studying Sebastian with intense grayish green-blue eyes. They never had a certain color. Her eyes. They used to be a simple greeny blue but ever since the ah, incident, they sometimes shifted their color from a piercing violet to icy blue or grass green or gray. Or even a mix like they were right now.
Sebastian hesitated. But she had given him permission, so he said, "Yes, miss Thorn. You see not long ago, the young master received a letter from an orphanage for girls. A "Ms. La-"
" Laudie's Home For Girls' yes, I know that place"she said grimacing as though the thought of the place left a bad taste in her mouth. Thorn waved her hand, motioning for him to continue speaking.
"Yes. It explained your parents death, your running away, and your current predicament. They said that they had only recently been able to uncover your parents Last Will & Testimony. The letter also stated that your father wished for you to live at the Phantomhive mansion if they were to perish. Your home and finances have been untouched and are at your disposal at the age of eighteen. The young master asks if you would do him the honor of coming to live in his mansion." he said. "That is if you would like to. It would be honoring your late parents last wishes." Sebastian reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a crisp, starch white envelope and extended it to Thorn. "Master Ciel has ordered me to deliver this to you." She nodded and took the letter.
Dear, Thorn
I am so very pleased that this letter has reached you. I hope your feats as a pirate have been fruitful and as great as you thought they would be -
Victoria snorted at this- yes, her feats as a pirate certainly have been...fruitful.
-when we were children. I would like to keep things short as I expect Sebastian has explained most of the situation to you. I would be honored to have you come and live with me at the mansion. Only you though. No pirate crew or boat. Please send me a letter giving me your answer. If you choose to stay then please send Sebastian back with your reply. If you choose to come then please take all the things you need, Sebastian will assist you in getting to the mansion. I do hope you choose the latter option. I would look forward to seeing you after so long.
Sincerely,
Ciel Phantomhive
A wide smile spread across Thorn's face. Of course she would go. She had missed Ciel very much and jumped for joy when she got wind that he was alive. Thorn had gone to the funeral to pay her respects. But she didn't venture to the actual party. You never knew who would be there. So she stayed secluded, atop a nearby hill, till they disbanded and then she allowed herself to go to their graves and look back on the memories.
Flash-back
…...Thorn stood at the edge of the freshly turned earth. Staring gloomily at the dull gray headstones that were overflowing with fresh flowers. She sighed, wishing that she had had enough time to say a proper goodbye... The night she ran away was a stormy one. She slipped into the Phantomhive mansion and stopped in the parlor. Ciel had already gone to bed and the Earl and his wife were sipping cups of tea, mourning the loss of their good friends. "Hello." she had said calmly. The couple looked up, startled.
"Thorn," said the Earl. "what are you-" he began but she had cut him off,
"I've come to say farewell. I must go and...think things through by myself." Thorn said, moving forward she gave Mrs. Phantomhive a warm hug, " You have always been good to me. I pray for your health and hope you live a long life." she then straightened and gave the Earl a firm hand shake, "Tell Ciel I will miss him. I will return. Hopefully. Please take care, Sir." and before they could fully process this information, she raced out of the house and into the night...
Whilst Thorn had been lost in her memories, a woman clad in a deep crimson red gown had slowly walked back to the graves, not wanting to leave her love and her sister just yet. When Madam Red saw Thorn she almost cried out with joy. She had missed her so much. But upon seeing her, hunched over and unmoving, the Madam remained quiet. Letting her mourn. She moved forward and placed an arm around Thorn's drooping shoulders, "Seraphina. How we all have missed you." said Madam Red. Seraphina looked up, not very surprised. She had seen the red hem of the Madam's dress and knew she was there.
"Hello. It's been a long while." She said with a sad smile. The Madam nodded. "Too long." They heard the loud shuffle of feet as the funeral procession began to leave the church. The funeral had come to an end. Seraphina looked at them with alarm, "you best be going, sweet heart," said Madam Red. She gave Seraphina a warm hug and put a slim finger to her lips, "don't worry,"she winked at Seraphina, "I won't tell." and then watched her turn and swiftly disappear into the gloom of the graveyard...
End-Flashback
Thorn cleared her throat and stood up, placing the short letter on her desk. "Alright, I accept. Hmm but, it is much to late to head out now. I shall start packing and then I'll inform the crew and we can leave at sunrise." she meandered over to a large oak cabinet on the far side of the room and threw it open. There wasn't much there. A large cloak, two dresses in case she needed to go undercover, a few shirts and some spare pants. She pushed said items aside and rummaged down at the bottom and tugged out a large, old square suitcase. It had been used many times. The edges were worn and the leather cover was battered. Thorn smiled down at it "this was my fathers. He'd use it when ever we went on a trip."
Thorn's cabin doubled as a room. There was a small couch to the left of the door, a soft looking mattress at the back right corner, her desk in the center, the cabinet which had a dresser standing next to it by her bed and shelves that covered the walls that were overflowing with books. Many old and some new. Most in different languages. All looked well read and loved. There also lay small devices and trinkets from all around the world. Thorn plopped the suitcase on her bed and said to Sebastian as she reached up to some of the shelves and pulled down many books and a couple of odd little contraptions and figurenes, "If you wouldn't mind could you go to the dresser and grab a dress, the cloak, some pants, a shirt and a pair of boots." she placed the books into the case.
"Yes, Miss Thorn." he said, retrieving what she asked. "Please, allow me to help in any way I can." he said, folding the clothes and placing them neatly above the books. Thorn nodded and went to the dresser and opened the bottom drawer. She carefully reached in and pulled out a large dead body! (jk its just a box...that contained a large dead body! no I'm kidding. it really is just a box.) The container was a medium-sized rectangle. It had a sleek, inky black finish and had golden swirls that creeped up around the corners. There was a simple lock on the front that fit to a small key. Thorn sighed and got up to put the box inside the suit case as well. Sebastian gave her a questioning look. She ignored it and placed the container in the cushion made by her dress.
"What ever happens," Thorn gave Sebastian a grave look, "you are NOT allowed to tell Ciel about this box." she said, spitting on her left hand and held it out to Sebastian. "Swear it."
Sebastian raised his eyebrows but decided not to question it. He removed the pristine white glove on his left hand and followed Thorns example. He took her hand in his and gave it a firm shake, "I swear I shall not tell him...if not pressed. I must follow my masters orders. I will dodge the question if possible, Madam." he said to her. Thorn pressed her lips together, not completely sure if she concured with Sebastian's version of their verbal contract.
"Good." she let go of his hand and he replaced his glove after wiping the spit off on a handkerchief. He extended it towards her but she simply wiped off on her pant leg. "Well, best get some rest. We rise at dawn"
~The next day-Dawn~
"Ash!" shouted Captain Thorn as she emerged from her cabin. The first mate appeared by her side, awaiting orders. "Gather all of the crew onto the main deck. I have an announcement to make." she told him. He nodded and started to relay her command through out the crew. Soon enough everyone had gathered.
Thorn stood before her crew with Sebastian standing a little ways off. "I have a rather large announcement to make so listen closely. I shall be leaving. It is to honor the wish of a person left unsaid. I know not how long I will be gone." there were cries of disapproval from the crew, but Thorn raised a hand and all was silent. "I know, it's not to everyone's fancy but that's how it's gonna be, lads." Thorn turned to Ash who stood close by, "I as the Captain of this ship, give you the authority to lead as a mock Captain in my stead. I trust that things will stay strong in your capable hands, Mr. Ash." She gripped his hand and leaned in next to his ear, deftly slipping a letter into his coat pocket. "Give this letter to Victoria. It contains the address where she will need to drop of my...medicine." she said in a whisper low enough that only she and Ash could hear. And Sebastian too, but nobody but the butler himself knew that... ' There may be something of intrest about this human after all. I may just have to keep a close eye on her...' He thought, staring at Thorn.
Ash nodded, eyes burning bright with the prospect of showing his worth. Thorn smiled and turned to Sebastian. "Well Sebastian, with a new day" she picked up her suitcase that she had resting by her feet, "comes a new adventure."
End Of Chapter I
So? whatdya think? please write some reviews and critiques. Was it too long? Did I format it okay? Should it move faster? I like to write in book format a lot so I'm not completely sure if I did it right because I saw a lot of stories that had little or no paragraphs. See, I'm like a dog still wet behind the ears so...yeah. Tips and suggestions and the likes are most definitely welcome~~ thanks :)