R!Ciel = Real Ciel, O!Ciel = Our Ciel


(Phantomhive Manor - Staircase) No one's POV


"An Imposter? What a silly thing to say." The boy says as he strides down the staircase slowly, gauging the reactions of the people below him. "The head of the house Phantomhive is none other than I," he says with a smile, putting his hand on his chest, "Ciel Phantomhive." His twin brother and his brother's servants look at him in awe, terror, and confusion. He cherishes the looks on their faces. He has always wanted power like this.

"Hey, what's going on Sebastian?" the servant named Bard asks.

"Sebastian?" the boy on the staircase asks, staring at the tall man in black. "I see, so you're the Sebastian. I suppose this is our first time meeting." His expression then changes from his cool facade to a wide smile which carries no warmth. "Thanks for what you did to me on that day."

"Yes, this is my first time meeting a person like you as well," Sebastian responds casually. The usually cheerful gardener by the name of Finny rushes up to his fellow servant and grabs his arm.

"Mr. Sebastian, he is lying through his teeth is he not?" he shouts at the man, then his voice drops to a whisper. "Since the young master we are all familiar with is…"

Sebastian looks at his master, who is staring down at his feet with shock.

"He speaks the truth." Sebastian says solemnly. There is a collective gasp from the servants.

"No… it can't be…" the Mey-rin, the maid whispers.

"Then, who is Smile?" The steward, Snake asks. For once he's the one talking, instead of one of his Snakes. All of a sudden there is a voice from the stairs.

"Master Ciel, here you are, I've been looking for you." Tanaka, the steward says as he descends from the second floor, moving to stand next to his master.

"Oh, Gramps." His master, R!Ciel responds, his eyes still upon the people below him.

"You had vanished from the room by the time I returned with tea."

"Gramps! You knew this whole time?" Shouts Bard from the first floor.

"Indeed. I had planned to take this secret to the grave, but it seems that is no longer needed." Tanaka sighs then continues talking in that tired voice of his. "Allow this old geezer to tell the tale."

Tanaka relieves his story, and the servants look at him with wide eyes the entire time. They're shocked to hear their master has an identical twin brother, and even more shocked to find that he had been lying to them about their identity for as long as they had known him. Tanaka finally finishes his story, and the servants turn to stare at their master wide-eyed. It is Finny who speaks first. He walks up to his master and throws his arms around him.

"I don't care that you're not really who you said you were. You are still the person who saved me!" His two fellow servants nod, but his master says nothing. He's shaking hard, and his breath is coming out in shallow gasps.

Finally, the boy with the eyepatch speaks.

"How are you alive? Was it him…" His brother smiles.

"Ahhh… yes… I believe you are correct in your assumption." Then a frown replaces the smile. "However, I'm disappointed you're not more excited to see me," he says, tilting his head to the side and squinting at his brother, as if trying to read him.

"Did you kill my servant?" The boy with the eyepatch continues, not daring to look up at his brother.

"I don't know what you're talking about" his twin responds, a mischievous smile crossing his face.

"He killed your servant?" Mey-rin mutters under her breath, covering her mouth.

R!Ciel strides further down the stairs, stopping only three steps above the ground floor.

"Why am I the bad guy here?" He says, a scowl crossing his face. He looks down condescendingly at the crowd below him, like an evil king, looking upon his subjects. His voice gets louder as he continues to speak.

"What have I done? It is my brother who is the evil one. Him and his servant. He is the one who made a deal with a demon after all!"

There is only silence. The servants all stare at their master. Snake is the first one to speak, or rather, Emily is.

"That's utter boy may be Smile's brother, but he is insane! This is the 19th century, everyone knows there are no such things as demons! Says Emly."

R!Ciel laughs, leaning against the railing. Tanaka stands behind him, watching over his master.

"I don't expect you to believe it, nor do I care! But it is true," he claims, addressing the servants, who look at him in terror. "Oh! And one more thing…" the boy says turning to look behind himself, then returning his gaze to his twin, "There is one more person I would like you to meet."

Another man makes his way down the stairs behind R!Ciel, his entrance perfectly timed. He steps out of the shadows, revealing his face.

"No!" O!Ciel, "that's not possible!"

"Sebastian?" Finny whispers.

"No," Bard says, pulling his gun out of the holster on his hip, "that's not Sebastian."

R!Ciel is enjoying himself immensely. As if he is on a talk show, introducing a celebrity guest, he waves his hand dramatically in the direction of the nearing man.

"Our father!" He says with a wide grin, his voice almost at a shout. "Look, brother! Doesn't it make you happy? It is our father, back from the dead!" Lightning from the storm outside strikes near the mansion, and a white light flashes across the room, illuminating Vincent's face. He too is not the same as O!Ciel remembers. He too has features that look more like his butler's than any other human's. He looks more evil. Just like R!Ciel. None of the kindness that used to be in his eyes exists now.

His father smiles, but just like his eldest son, there is no warmth in his smile.

"I must say, I'm not surprised they mistook me for the butler," he says, talking to no one in particular. "Even I can tell that he and I look very much alike. I can only wonder if this is on purpose," He stares at Sebastian as he says this, the butler returns his gaze calmly, his face showing almost no emotion, per usual.

"On purpose?" Mey-rin whispers, staring wide-eyed at Vincent Phantommhive.

"I truly do wonder how you were revived," Sebastian says, narrowing his eyes at Vincent, as if trying to see through the man, "If what I had heard is correct, even your bones burned to ashes. Truly, the two of you are a masterpiece. I must have underestimated him. He has proven to be able to do the impossible."

"Ahhh… yes, father is certainly an amazing man," Vincent responds.

"Father?" the O!Ciel asks as a shot simultaneously rings out through the mansion. Everyone turns to look at Bard, who is panting heavily, his gun pointed at his master's father, or rather where he was standing the moment Bard decided to press the trigger.

Instead, a figure dressed completely in black stands there, holding a piece of wood adorned with strange black symbols, which seemingly blocked the chef's bullet, though it does not showcase even a dent. Thunder crackles and lightning flashes, revealing the Undertaker's face. For once the man is not laughing.

"I just went to aaalllll the trouble of reviving him and someone is trying to kill him? That's not very polite now, iiiss it? I don't understand why no one grasps the beauty of my creation!"

"Well, you certainly have created quite the mess now, haven't you, Undertaker. Or should I say... Cedric?" Sebastian asks with a smirk. The Undertaker chuckles.

"I always knew master butler was quuuuiiittteee the bright candle, but I still seem to have underestimated his intellect."

"Cedric?" O!Ciel asks. "How did you figure that out Sebastian?"

"I suspected he was somehow related to you, my lord, especially after finding your grandmother's name on his 'most treasured possession.' What your father said only confirmed it. Your grandfather's name on your father's side was - or is - Cedric, hence the Undertaker's name." Sebastian looks at his master from the corner of his eyes, smirking as he finishes.

"And why haven't you told me about this yet?" his master asks, scowling.

"Why, because you never asked."

O!Ciel shoots Sebastian a nasty look, then turns towards his grandfather.

"I assume you're the mastermind behind the Sphere music hall as well then, am I correct?" he asks, having seemingly regained most of his bravado. The Undertaker chuckles.

"Ahhhh… yesss my lord. If I do say so myself… although I did receive a bit of help from a little friend of mine."

"Am I safe in assuming that 'friend' is the fortune teller, Mr. Bravat?" Sebastian asks, rubbing his chin with a gloved hand. The Undertaker laughs again, making a motion to zip his lips.

"I've told you waaay too much already. To reveal any more I must get proper payment…" The Undertaker giggles, leaning against the railing. O!Ciel sighs, dropping the matter, not willing to provide his grandfather with laughter.

R!Ciel chuckles.

"There is quite a lot to tell you, brother, and I'm quite thirsty. Perhaps we could talk this over with a nice cup of tea? Earl Gray, preferably." And with that, he's already strolling over in the direction of the manor's dining hall.


(Phantomhive Manor - Dining Hall) No one's POV


The four Phantomhives sit on the right side of the dining room's long table. R!Ciel and O!Ciel sit opposite their father and the Undertaker. A warm cup of tea sits in front of each of them.

Sebastian stands behind O!Ciel, and the servants stand nearby, glancing nervously at the people sitting at the table.

The boy with the eyepatch takes a sip of his tea. The dining hall is filled with blinding light for a second as lightning strikes near the manor.

"My other questions aside, what is it that you want from me?" O!Ciel inquires. He's concerned what the arrival of his relatives will mean for his status, as well as his contract with his butler.

There is silence, and R!Ciel is the first to respond.

"Father will be taking over as Earl, of course, with me as his future successor." He sips his tea calmly. There is another flash of lightning.

"No!" O!Ciel shouts, slamming his hands on the table. The four servants flinch at his reaction.

"I deserve the title, after all that I've done for our family. I have started my own company and continued our family's role as the watchdog. I have made great sacrifices to do such things. I won't let you take the title of the earl away from me," he hisses through his teeth. The Undertaker laughs,

"My, my, what a reaction from our earl who is usually so caaaalm and collected heheh."

"Come now, no need to be upset, we fully understand the sacrifices you have made, however the title of Earl of Phantomhive rightfully belongs to me, so I'm afraid I will be taking it. I thank you for your sacrifices, Astre." the Earl's father says calmly.

"Astre?" the three servants repeat. Sebastian chuckles from his place behind the young earl, putting a bent finger on his chin.

"Astre, is it?"

"Yes, that is my name." Astre replies stiffly, before getting right to his point.

"Look, father, brother, I'm unsure how you were revived, and I'm unsure how much of your… soul you have kept. I'm not completely sure whether you are the same person or not. Whatever you are and however you got here, I'm not willing to hand over my title to you. If either of you wish to take my title as the Earl of Phantomhive from me, you will have to take it by force." He stares at his father across the table, narrowing his eyes. "Now, I am quite tired and require sleep, please excuse me."

With that, the young lord gets up and leaves, followed by his butler, and then his three servants, who follow hurriedly behind, leaving the three guests alone with only Snake, who's staring blankly at the table.


(Phantomhive Manor - Master Bedroom) Mey - rin's POV


Baldroy, Finny, and I follow the young master… Astre… and Sebastian into his room. He says nothing of our presence as he sits down on his bed, kicking off his shoes and staring at his feet. I feel a million questions bubbling up in my head, one of the questions is overpowering. What will become of us servants if Astre is no longer the Earl of Phantomhive?

Astre looks at us for a few moments, then sighs, slipping one hand under his eyepatch, then pushing it forward, letting it slip to the ground. When he opens his eyes I brace myself, expecting to see the hole where an eye once was in his eye socket. Instead, he opens his eyelids to reveal another eye. It looks the same as his other one, except for the fact that it's covered in a bright purple pentagram. I gasp, along with Bard and Finny. Even Sebastian looks surprised. What the heck? All of a sudden I remember what Ciel -the real one- had said earlier.

"It is my brother who is the evil one. Him and his servant. He is the one who made a deal with a demon after all!" I hadn't thought anything of it before. I had assumed it was just gibberish, and there had been so much new information to take in I had simply forgotten about it.

"I suppose I owe you the truth," Astre says, interrupting my thoughts, "after all, you know most of it already."

"That… that's the mark of a demon!" Finny stutters, backing up a few steps. I wonder how he knows, considering he lived underground for most of his life. Astre nods.

"No it's not," Bard says beside me, casually lighting a cigarette. I grab the tiny cylinder away from him and stuff it in the pocket of my dress.

"You're not to be smoking in the master's room, Bard," I scold. He rolls his eyes, and continues to speak.

"Demons don't exist, Finny, they're jus' made up by religious folk."

"Made up or not, that is the mark of a Demon."

"I suppose," Bard huffs.

"Aren't you just a tad bit curious how I received this mark?" Astre asks, looking at us curiously.

Bard shrugs casually. Finny doesn't say anything.

"It's because you made a deal with a demon," I respond. Lightning flashes. "Just like your brother said."

Astre nods, and beggins explaining. He tells us about when his family's house burned down. Then he tells us about him and his brother, Ciel, being kidnapped. According to him, Ciel was the one who was older, stronger, and to Inherit the house of Phantomhive. When he was killed in to summon a demon, Astre decided that he would take his brother's place as Ciel - the Earl of Phantomhive. The young master finally finishes, leaving us in silence. He has a pained look on his face, most likely from the memories of his story.

I had always had a vague idea of my master's past. I'd known that his parents were killed in a fire, and I had a feeling that he was searching for revenge. However, I hadn't ever imagined how much worse he had endured. Losing his parents was the least of his problems back then. Just like my master, I had a rough childhood. It seems everyone living in the manor had. I always assumed the pains I had to face as a child, as well as a young adult, were either worse than what my master had to face. Listening to his story proves me wrong.

"So you sold your soul to a demon to get your revenge," Bard says, breaking the silence. The young master says nothing, he only stares at us.

"Stupid…" Bard says, smirking, "selling your soul for some petty revenge. I thoug' you were smarter than that." Bard's clearly gone too far. Astre's face twists in rage. Lightning fills the room once more. The storm is worsening.

"I don't believe it is your place to judge Bard," he says with a scowl.

Bard mumbles a: "yes sir," and stares angrily at the young master. Sebastian only chuckles.

"But he is quite right, my lord." Astre frowns, glaring at Sebastian out of the corner of his eye.

"Shut it, you." I clear my throat.

"If I may speak my lord," I say in that awful voice inflicted by my glasses, "where… who might this demon be?:" My master smirks.

"Do you really have no guesses?" he asks, tilting his head at me. I shake my head. I could guess all day, but I have little idea what a demon would be like, and my guessing would most likely be very far from the truth. I glance around the room. Surely it couldn't be anyone in here. Suddenly, I gasp.

"No…" I mutter under my breath.

"Mey-rin?" Sebastian asks, tilting his head. I blush slightly.

"Is… is it you?" I ask, pointing my finger at Astre. There is a moment of silence, then Sebastian bursts into laughter, and Ciel, no, Astre scowls.

"He does rather give that impression, doesn't he?" Sebastian asks between deep cuckles.

"Are you implying that I act demonic?" the young master asks, scowling at Sebastian.

"Don't take it as such an insult my lord. Besides, I was implying nothing of the sort." Sebastian chuckles again.

"Shut it." Seeing the havoc my assumption caused, I quickly apologize, blushing further.

"Please do excuse me young master! I… I just assumed that it… I don't know… was somehow inside you because… well.. Um… I don't know who else it would be, I guess?" Astre clears his throat.

"It's quite alright Mey-rin, no need to apologize."

"Thank you sir," I mumble, looking down at my intertwined hands, rubbing my thumb over my knuckles.

Lightning flashes yet again. The storm is continuing to strengthen, and you can now hear the rain hitting the roof, in a muted, rather soothing sound. I wonder randomly if our "guests" are still downstairs.

"Sebastian," Finny mumbles suddenly from right next to me. I had almost forgotten he was there.

"Yes, Finny?" Sebastian asks. Finny ignores him.

"It's Sebastian isn't it." Finny mumbles again, staring at his feet. He looks confused, but not afraid. Sebastian chuckles. For some reason the sound makes me blush. I will myself to calm down.

"Quite discerning, aren't you Finny?" I don't understand what's happening.

"What?" I ask. Then I remember the topic of our conversation. I feel the blood drain from my face.

"Waiiiittt a second…" Bard says. "So you're saying that…"

"Yes," Astre responds, "Sebastian is the demon I made a contract with, taking the form of a human." There is silence once more.

"So that's why he's so… perfect," I say a bit too loud without thinking. Baldroy snickers and whispers in my ear.

"I think he heard that Mey, not so loud next time." I feel a massive amount of blood return to my face as Sebastian laughs.

"I heard that, but I still would have, had she said it more quietly. My hearing is quite good compared to that of a human's," he says, as if that's going to make me feel better.

"If Sebastian is a demon, then why is he so nice?" Finny asks from the spot next to me. Sebastian smirks, clearly enjoying our compliments, most likely not the reaction he suspected. The young master looks disappointed at our reaction, as if he was hoping for tad more fear and hatred directed at his perfect butler, as opposed to compliments.

"He's nice because that's his job," Astre says, rolling his eyes, "though really, he's not very 'nice' at all in my opinion."

"But the young master is quite delicate, isn't he?" Sebastian teases.

"Quiet."

"Young master, might I ask why you told us this?" Bard says, leaning against the wall and moving and unlit cigarette through his fingers. "I honestly don't see why it matters."

"I would like to know as well," Sebastian says, glancing sideways at his master.

"It's quite simple really, I have a feeling everything I don't tell you will eventually be used against me." His tone darkens. "My father and brother were the only ones who could beat me in chess, after all." After a short silence, he dismisses us. But he stop us before we walk out the door.

"You all will be sleeping in Sebastian's room from now on. He will see to moving your beds."

"What!" we all shout at once. I force my mind to stay calm. Calm down Mey-rin, calm down.

"My servant, Agni, was killed by at least one of the three people downstairs. Agni, as you know, was a very able man, quite difficult to beat. I don't want to lose another servant, so you will be sleeping were it's safe. Sebastian's room is rather spacious after all, I believe you can all manage to fit." I stare at him, mouth open with shock, until he says, "you are dismissed."

I leave the room with the other two servants, my hand on the gun beneath my dress.