The Richest Man in London

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are the property of Yana Toboso and Square Enix, Co. Ltd. I don't own them; I just examine all their possibilities. Storyline inspired by "It's a Wonderful Life," directed by Frank Capra.

Part 2

The shadows suddenly parted with a burst of wind, revealing a street bustling with people. Ciel looked up to see Sebastian standing right beside him.

"We could have just walked out the door," he said.

"This method is a little more convenient," Sebastian said.

"A little more visible too."

"Don't concern yourself with that. You don't exist and I am merely creeping the earth in shadows; no one will notice our presence."

Ciel turned back to the street and walked forward, hearing Sebastian's footsteps behind him. Ciel caught sight of a man slipping a hand into someone's pocket in front of him. Screams caught his attention and he suddenly got a close-up of a man beating a small boy with a cane. A few men and women in a group on another street corner were visibly intoxicated and sharing a bottle of wine between them. A couple was walking the street and approached in the open by a man with a knife demanding their money.

Typical nonsense, though it was happening a bit more openly. One thing he realized was he did not see was the blue coats and domed hats of the regular police patrol.

"Are all bobbies out on holiday?" Ciel said.

"No, unfortunately, the police are already spread thin," Sebastian said. "There haven't been any significant recruitment efforts in years."

"I personally advised the Queen of this problem two years ago, I gave her a mound of paper and photographic evidence of the need for stepped-up patrols."

"And just how was that possible?"

Ciel rolled his eyes.

"Oh right, I was never born, hence the conversation never happened," Ciel said. "So that was my major contribution to the world? A pity for humanity."

Ciel continued down the street, reaching one familiar storefront; a gray sign emblazoned with a skull reading "Undertaker" hung over the door. Ciel looked in the window, suddenly finding himself in the dark, cold space reeking of rotting corpses and chemicals. He took a step and slammed the side of his foot against a coffin. He yelped and hastily covered his mouth, seeing the proprietor leaning into a coffin on a wooden mount. Undertaker never noticed anything, his long fingernails gently working through the blonde hair of a young woman.

"Oh aren't you a pretty one," Undertaker cooed.

Ciel shivered, then looked to the floor. Several coffins were lined up across the gray planks, some stacked on each other in twos with a couple stacks of three.

"Undertaker," Ciel called.

Undertaker didn't turn his head, only lowering his face into the coffin and lightly rubbing his nose over the corpse's face.

"So much more beautiful in death," Undertaker said, his lips caressing her cheek.

"Ugh, disgusting," Ciel said, looking up at Sebastian

"No one can hear you, remember," Sebastian said, looking away from the display before them.

"What happened," Ciel said. "I have never seen this many corpses in his shop before."

"Business has been quite good in the past few years," Sebastian said.

Ciel nodded and groaned.

"An increase in murders, probably suicides with a few extra dead drunks thrown in; I see where this is going," Ciel said. "Undertaker is probably making a tidy profit from all this. My lack of existence has indeed had its benefits."

"Indeed," Sebastian said, his smiling face once again covered in the wave of shadows over everything.

The shadows parted to a large room adorned with Chinese screens and tapestries. Ciel coughed with the cloud of incense and opium that rushed at him. He got control of his lungs to focus on the usual small compartments, at least two people in every one, sometimes three.

The proprietor of this establishment reclined in his usual couch at the front of the room with the usual woman practically curled on his lap and smiling wider than usual.

"Harder times mean more need for distractions," Ciel said. "Lau is certainly benefiting."

Ciel took a closer look at each compartment, most were dressed down or in common clothing; men and women in varying stages of dishevelment. He took a closer look at some of the patrons and saw what looked like children his age. His gaze focused back at the sheer number of them, the house was practically full.

"Pathetic all of them," Ciel said.

"Yes," Sebastian said. "The Queen has had little insight into the world of Chinese opium dens, she is unaware how widespread drug use has become. After all, Lau and his cohorts are merely a dirty Chinaman to most of her muscle and naturally Lau and his cohorts think even less of any of the Queen's watchmen."

Ciel frowned and glanced at Sebastian.

"Not my fault they chose to ruin their lives," Ciel said. "This was an underworld matter that was coming more to the surface of polite society, she has every reason to be informed. Saving souls is hardly my business."

"It is as you say," Sebastian said. "Care for a change of scenery?"

The shadows washed over them again; the air taking a sharp chill, the smell of incense and opium giving way to a more pleasant odor of wood smoke. The shadows parted to reveal another street in London lined with magnificent townhouses with wide yards. The sound of hooves and carriage wheels caught Ciel's attention. A grand carriage pulled up to the curb in front of one white townhouse adorned with wooden decorative pieces in the shape of green leaves near the roof.

The door of the house opened and a man practically jumped down the steps. Ciel took a closer look and grimaced.

"Oh God, this is Druitt's house," Ciel said.

The Viscount was dressed in a black coat but wore a normal black tie instead of his usual cravat, his hair surprisingly combed back. His prancing slowed on the walkway and he approached the carriage with a pseudo-distinguished gait. The carriage driver stepped down from his perch, Ciel caught a brief glimpse of his face over the high collar of his cloak and under his top hat, thinking he looked somewhat familiar.

The driver then lowered the step and opened the carriage door. A woman with graying blonde hair in a fine dress stepped out, Ciel's stomach dropped.

"My dear Marchioness, how delightful it is to see you," Druitt said.

"I certainly hope this house is much cleaner than it was when we were here last," the Marchioness Middleford said, stepping from the carriage.

A small pair of boots with white ribbon laces descended next. Ciel wanted to retch.

Lizzy stepped down from the carriage wearing a more severe-looking blue dress, Druitt lightly stepped to her and went on one knee. The look of discomfort on Lizzy's face made Ciel's blood boil.

"My beautiful robin," Druitt said, taking her hand. "My lovely future bride."

"I'll kill him!" Ciel yelled running forward, only to be yanked back by Sebastian.

"You couldn't if you tried," Sebastian said.

Lizzy curtseyed.

"Merry Christmas, Lord Druitt," Lizzy said. There was no bubbly joy in her voice, no childish ramblings. Ciel only heard sadness.

"My you look lovelier by the day," Druitt said, kissing her hand. "I dream of the day we shall be married, seeing you in a lovely white dress."

"Which isn't going to be for a very long while, longer still if you don't stop this silliness," the Marchioness said.

Druitt jumped to his feet and bowed.

"My apologies, I became a little carried away," Druitt said.

The Marchioness sighed hard.

"Well you have considerably reformed yourself, I will give you that much," she said. "I wouldn't have let you look at Elizabeth otherwise."

"My lady, I will do what I can to be a suitable husband for your darling girl," Druitt said.

Ciel jerked forward again, Sebastian's iron grip keeping him in place.

"You promised Lizzy to that bastard!"

"He is nobility," Sebastian said. "Aside from whispers about him being a bit of a rake, his reputation is solid. A licensed physician, a well-respected man of society, he is also financially stable plus he frequents some of the same circles as the Middleford's. The Marquis Middleford found him a suitable husband for his daughter; Elizabeth might be happier with a free-spirited man who is like a child himself in some ways. The Marchioness took a little while to warm up, though the Viscount has apparently cleaned himself up considerably thanks to her scrutiny."

"But this man was arrested for human trafficking, Uncle Alexis has to know that," Ciel said.

"No, the Viscount's record is clean," Sebastian said. "No one in society ever discovered his crimes, remember?"

Ciel froze and started to shake. He was the one who infiltrated the Viscount's party; would anyone else have discovered his crimes and had enough status for the authorities to believe the accusations?

Druitt put his hand back down to Elizabeth and she meekly took it. Ciel focused on her sad expression before she turned around and walked with Druitt up the path.

"Oh God this is just sickening," Ciel said.

He shook free of Sebastian's grip, though walked away from Druitt's house. This was impossible, there was no way Druitt managed to thaw out Aunt Frances enough to let him have Lizzy. Impossible, or perhaps her family was that desperate to have her married. She had no cousin to make the arrangement with, perhaps her family was that adamant.

"Constable you need to find that savage and toss him in a hole somewhere."

A man's voice caught Ciel's attention; a voice that sounded vaguely familiar. Ciel looked up, seeing he was suddenly in a different neighborhood. The houses were less extravagant, though still worth much. Somehow this neighborhood looked rather familiar. He did hear the barks of several large dogs close by, his memory becoming a bit more refreshed.

A bobby stood right next to a rather dodgy-looking man in a nice suit in front of one house. Ciel took a better look: Harold West, the unscrupulous trader from the curry competition. A woman in Indian dress, Meena leaned against his arm with tears in her eyes. This was all making too much sense.

"That bastard tried to get on my property to harass my wife," West said.

"You have to catch him, he is crazed," Meena sobbed. "Spoiled little brat who won't listen to reason."

"That's right, constable," West added. "I don't want to think on what he would have done if I didn't have dogs here. My man is chasing after him now, you should catch up with him."

"Now calm down sir, give me a description of this miscreant," the bobby said.

Ciel knew exactly who it was, and who his "man" was.

"They're talking about Soma," Ciel said. "The idiot just barged in didn't he."

"Yes," Sebastian said from behind him.

And he found Meena…and Agni with West. The implications of this made Ciel's blood run cold.

"I suppose we should see where he's gone to," Sebastian said.

Shadows surrounded them again and they reappeared in a grubbier section of town. The usual street banter was pierced by Agni's voice screaming Soma's name. Agni ran past Ciel, practically knocking him over while calling for Soma. Ciel ran after him, hearing Sebastian's footsteps behind him.

Agni got ahead of him by several meters, though Ciel just needed to follow his voice and his footsteps in the mud. The yelling faded, leaving Ciel running in the general direction of Agni's fresh footprints. The prints stopped at a building where a few other Indians congregated outside smoking pipes and talking. Ciel passed by them without any effort, but then Sebastian said they were both immaterial; he could have passed through them if he wanted. He found himself in a cramped lobby, a blood-curdling scream from up the rickety stairs drew his attention. He ran up the stairs to the second floor, following the screaming and crying to a room at the end of the hall. Without a thought he shoved against the door with his shoulder and indeed passed through it like a ghost.

Agni was on his knees, his head buried in his hands and bloody tears streaming down. Ciel then looked up and screamed; Soma Asman Kadar was dangling by the neck from a rope tied to a rafter on the ceiling, an overturned stool sat a short distance over. His eyes were closed but his face was ash white, his neck taking an unnatural angle. A hand suddenly cupped over Ciel's eyes and pulled him back. Ciel pried Sebastian's hand off and tripped forward, eyes turning to the hysterical Agni practically prostrate on the floor.

"My…M-my prince," Agni sobbed. "What have I done? What have I done!"

His cries turned to wails. Ciel looked back at Sebastian, who looked on the scene with a frown.

"A pity for Soma, he had no one to turn to when he found Agni betrayed him," Sebastian said. "A pity Agni never had the chance to explain his reasoning."

"And he found Meena in the same moment," Ciel said with a sigh.

Agni came back to his knees.

"I have betrayed you, my prince," he said, a hand going inside his robe. "I am not worthy to share your fate, but I am a more fitting sacrifice."

Agni pulled out a long knife and aimed the point at his chest.

"Agni no!" Ciel cried.

He shoved the blade through his body with a gasp, blood pouring out from the wound and flowing from his mouth. Sebastian cupped his hand around Ciel's eyes again and yanked him away. Ciel fought his grip, but Sebastian only clutched him tighter. He suddenly let go, causing Ciel to run across the room.

The room was empty now; no bodies, no linens, only an empty bed and a hollow space. Ciel stood for a moment, his mouth hanging open.

"This is what this room looks like today," Sebastian said. "What we saw were year-old shadows. The landlord eventually evicted all of the Indian boarders, saying they were too dangerous. Many families were tossed into the streets."

Ciel rubbed his face and took deep breaths.

"I've seen enough, Sebastian take me home," Ciel said.

Sebastian paused and gazed at him for a moment wearing a deepening frown.

"As you wish," Sebastian said.