I DO NOT OWN BLACK BUTLER / KUROSHITSUJI.

Warning: I will include some things from the manga, as well as one or two characters (those that should have appeared from the start and those who will probably appear later on in the series) from here on. So to those who do not like this, you have all rights to abandon reading this story. T-T

Chapter II

The bells rattled when they entered the shop. The heels on their shoes made a palpable clunk with their every step. Esper followed her brother to the front desk wherein a man in his 50's stood, a quill in his hand, and was obviously doing some writing before they came in.

"Welcome!" He smiled at them. "My, my…are you children here for your father or something?"

Esper tensed, and on instinct, glanced at Ciel. She felt sorry for the old man who was receiving quite a glare from her brother now. But of course, she was already used to this; people treating them like kids, seeing them like kids, and they should. Although both of them sure wanted everyone to acknowledge them as adults in society, they were, of course, still twelve years old and their body does well to remind people of that every day.

Sebastian stepped up from behind them and showed a note to the man. "Excuse me; we are here to collect the master's cane."

"Oh, it's this cane, huh?" he said after examining the note. "I was wondering who would use such a short cane." Esper wished the man would just shut up for his own good. Alas, he continued with his rambling while getting the cane from one of the drawers behind him. He pulled out a well-flourished black cane with a golden handle and was supposedly about to hand it to Ciel. "I never thought that a child like you—"

A swift movement caught him by surprise and stopped him mid-sentence. The man opened his eyes which he closed unconsciously, to find that the bottom of the cane he was holding just a second ago was now dangerously just an inch away from hitting his forehead. He sweated cold and a shiver ran down his spine as he manically stared at the butler pointing it at him.

"This is a wonderful cane, lacking even the slightest dent," Sebastian commented, ignoring the frantic expression the man gave him.

"Come now, Esper, I'm getting a bit tired," Ciel interrupted and turned towards the entrance, he held out his arm to his twin sister who looked at the old man with apologetic eyes.

"Okay. Well then, good day, sir," she bent her head slightly to acknowledge the man and gratefully took her brother's arm. Sebastian laid a bag of money on the desk and turned to follow the two.

"Keep the change," he said, and the door finally closed, much to the old man's gladness. And once he could no longer hear their footsteps, he sat on the floor, giving in to his wobbling knees.

xxx

Esper clung to Ciel as they walked through the crowded hallways full of fancy shops. And being the girl she was, she gave a fleeting look at every window and beamed at the wonderful paintings and wardrobes.

"Finny's insane strength is really tiresome," Ciel said suddenly. "Is a cane really something you can bend just by accident? Thanks to that, my growth will be affected."

"Oh, you know Finny, nii-chan," Esper giggled. "And it didn't turn out be too much trouble, anyway. Considering that you cared enough to invite me on this little stroll."

Really, how long has it been since they sauntered casually like this without worrying about their usual dilemmas?

"And it was merely an inconvenience; it's not as if the young master has grown, after all," Sebastian supplied.

Even without looking at him, Esper knew Ciel was frowning at the very moment. Ciel sure wasn't very happy being picked upon, especially by the butler. She stifled a laugh, earning a glare from her brother.

"On top of that," Seebastian continued. "We have had to add another troublesome servant to our ranks today. We should return home at once." Of course, their Aunt Ann needed someone to train her own butler…Unfortunately, Sebastian was a kind of an attractive choice and declining her request was kind of out of the question. Ciel sighed, thinking of the face she made just to plea.

"Look Mama, it's the Funtom Company's Peter Rabbit!" A young boy was leaning on the glass window of a store displaying different kinds of toys like stuffed dolls and animals and the like. "It's the new one!" He said and jigged excitedly.

Esper smiled at the sight, and it would've been better if she hadn't been the only one.

xxx

Meanwhile at the garden of the Phantomhive manor, Madam Red's butler, Greil, was helping trim the trees with Finny, Meirin, and Bard.

"The Phantomhive mansion, ah, such wonderful sight," Greil sighed in admiration as he gazed upon the huge buildings of the manor. "What dignified construction."

"It was only built about two years ago," said Bard who was sitting on the grass gnashing a cigarette stick, as usual. Of course, this was what he was told, same goes to the other two. None of them really knew about stuff about the place before they got here, not that they actually took a chance to ask someone who knew.

"But it's quite magnificent…" Greil commented as he continued to trim some branches. And he was about to let the topic off when he heard a bleary old voice and turned to see an old man in a tailcoat.

"That is how it was meant to be," the man said. Greil yelped in his sudden appearance and wondered who he was but then Finny and Merin commented about the guy being the 'real' Tanaka and how it has been at least three months since he last showed up in that form. "The mansion is an exact replica of the one before it," Tanaka continued. "And by exact, I mean that it has been restored to the point where even the scratches on the pillars are the same."

"Restored?"

"The Phantomhive manor was engulfed in flames and burned down three years ago."

"T-Then…Pardon me for asking, but were Master Ciel's and Miss Esper's parents, by any chance…"

"Yes. The previous master was lost in that tragedy."

"I see—" But the old man had already shrunk back to his neutral form, getting one more yelp from Greil.

"No worries, Tanaka does that all the time. Usually, he doesn't even last three minutes when he uses up as much steam and just falls into a slumber." Greil could only nod. But Tanaka's little slumber was soon destroyed by Meirin's screeching. She pointed at the trees that were now all skull shaped because of Greil's handiwork.

"Why skulls?" Bard exclaimed.

"O-once again I have caused a great deal of trouble…" an overcast shadow brimmed on his entire face. "I'll die! I'll die and repent!" He was already on the ladder, tying a rope around his neck.

"Hey! You don't have to kill yourself over every little thing!" And then out of the blue, someone pulled the ladder beneath him. Greil was strangling in the air.

xxx

The moment Ciel and Esper got in the manor, their eyes sprung wide. The servants came flying to them like deranged chickens, crying for Sebastian. Ciel wouldn't have been bothered by this since it seemed to happen a lot. What made his curiosity grow are the things they were wearing, not to mention the decorations on the walls and ceiling. It was all quite…pink. Finny had pink bunny ears and paws on, Bard was wearing a frilly bonnet for some reason and Meirin…at least she was still normal.

"What is going on here?" Sebastian asked. "More importantly, what on earth are you wearing?"

"Ask that crazy girl!" Bard hissed as he pointed at the doors of one of the ballrooms.

Esper and Ciel looked at each other and Esper couldn't help but giggle at her brother's expression as it dawned on them. Who else would do such a thing but a certain Lizzy Midford?

They opened the doors to the ballroom, only to find more frills and ribbons. And Ciel was suddenly enveloped in a suffocating hug. "Ciel! I missed you." Elizabeth was straddling him.

"Eliza—"

"Phantomhive!" A shrill voice suddenly called from the background. "I still haven't acknowledged you as my brother-in-law so get off of my sister right this instant!"

Edward Midford, eldest son of the Marquis Midford, was glaring at him beneath his spiky blond tresses. Ciel sighed, used to his usual ramblings. Elizabeth was now hugging Esper who returned it warmly. "Hello Lizzy, it's been quite a while."

"I missed you, Esper!" Lizzy giggled. "Edward missed you too, so he insisted to come here with me."

Edward turned red, but made his way to the two girls, nonetheless.

"That's—that's…because I was also asked b—by father to accompany you Lizzy!"

"Either way, it was very thoughtful of you Edward." Esper smiled at him. Edward reached for her hand and was about to kiss her gloved knuckles when a fuming aura came seeping from behind him.

"Now, it wouldn't be fair if I don't forbid you to touch my sister as well, would it?" Ciel was forced a grin. "I, myself, haven't acknowledged your betrothal." They glowered at each other, no one attempting to give up.

"Um…these…people…" Greil said uncertainly.

"They are the children of Marquis Midford, Sir Edward and Lady Elizabeth Midford. Lady Elizabeth is the bocchan's fiancée," Sebastian explained.

"Fiancée?" The servants excluding Sebastian and Tanaka all exclaimed in unison.

"Hey! Are you forgetting about me, butler?" Edward was pointing at Sebastian now.

"Ah," Sebastian chuckled. "And Sir Edward is the Ojou-sama's fiancé." Ciel couldn't help but snicker, Sebastian was sharing the same sentiments as him after all.

"Fiance?"

"They are all of nobility after all. It is only natural for a noble to be wed to another noble, is it not?"

"Ah! That's right!" Elizabeth said suddenly as she beamed at the decorations she worked on. "Since the mansion has been decorated so nicely, we should have a dance party." Ciel's twitched, not that he despised parties, especially dance parties, but it was quite…out of his caliber. "And then you can escort your fiancée and we can dance around in circles. How wonderful! And of course I'll have to do my make-up! Excuse me for a while~" And she was out of the room before Ciel could say anything.

"Well milady," Edward was holding Esper's hand once again. "Can I do the honor of escorting you to this dance?"

"Of course." And he finally pecked at her knuckles. Four holes were on him suddenly but then he was already out the room before they could get onto him.

"What a troublesome duo."

xxx

Esper sat on a chair opposite her brother's work table. She looked at her brother who was sighing exasperatedly with his face on the table. "Ciel-nii, at least give it a try?"

"Ugh."

Sebastian stared at the two. "I have never witnessed it, but does the young master have any proficiency at dancing?" The two fidgeted and sipped from their teacups simultaneously. The butler sighed. "What about you Ojou-sama?"

"Well…Aunt Ann taught me…a little. She said it was mandatory for a lady," Esper tried to hide her blush under her dirty blond bangs that covered her right eye.

"And she is right. If you are at events such as banquets and dinner parties, it is an irreplaceable cultural skill," Sebastian gazed at Ciel. "If you wish to be a gentleman with the finest degree of class, it is natural for you to be able to dance. If you were to refuse to dance with a lady, your reputation at social gatherings could be thrown into the gutter."

"I get it. I get it. I just have to do it, right?" Ciel said nonchalantly. "Call me a private tutor or something. Lady, Bright, Lady Rodkin, or someone like that."

Sebastian glanced at his watch. "I'm afraid there is not enough time to call for the madams…" he put the watch inside his coat's pocket. "While I am a poor replacement, I shall take on your dance supervision." He grinned.

"And I could be your partner, nii!" Esper smiled, her ears red from excitement.

"Well, if you insist." He stood up, then and made his way to his sister. "Then, can I have this dance?" Esper took the hand Ciel had offered and they made their way to the center. They decided to take on the walts and Sebastian guided them through.

"Oh, sorry," Ciel sweated on the second time he stepped on Esper's foot. He became more and more fidgety as each second passed, worrying most about his footwork.

"Now, young master, that is not the way to lead a dance; you must look directly at the lady's eyes, not your feet." They stopped. Sebastian poked Esper's shoulder and bowed slightly. "Can I borrow you for a while Ojou-sama?"

"O—Okay? I guess."

"Watch carefully, bocchan." Sebastian put Esper and himself in a dancing position, holding her closer beyond Ciel's liking. Esper looked down at the floor, unsure of where exactly to direct her gaze, when a gloved finger lifted her chin up. She stared at those smirking red eyes, and her ears went red immediately. Sebastian started to move according to the steps, not taking off his eyes at his partner, nor did his smile fade. The dance went on quickly but gracefully.

"Now, would you try your best to materialize something like that?" Ciel could only answer with a 'humph.'

xxx

The Halls were quite lively as the twins descended down the staircase with Sebastian. They both wore handpicked clothes by Elizabeth. And they were almost of the same navy blue color. As they reached the bottom, they noticed that everyone else was dressed 'accordingly' as well.

"Ciel! Esper! You're so cute! I just knew you'd look good in those," Lizzy said as she span them around.

"You look wonderful, Esper," Edward beamed as he approached her.

"Edward," she bowed as she acknowledged him.

"N—no need for formalities!" He chuckled awkwardly.

"Ciel!" Lizzy glanced at Ciel's hand. "What about the ring I prepared for you? There was a cute one that matched your clothes, wasn't there?"

"I'm fine without it."

"No way! After I went to all the trouble of making everything so cute…"

"Phantomhive! How dare you make my little sister cry!" Edward exclaimed. "I'll gladly put on any ring she wants me to wear!"

"It's okay, Lizzy, here I'll just let nii borrow my ring as a replacement." Esper handed the signet ring to Ciel and he put it on his thumb.

"But it's also not cute at all!" Lizzy grabbed it from his finger and held it in the air. "Got it! It is really way too big for you. The one I got is just the right size for you—"

"Give it back!" Lizzy was startled at his sudden outburst, she turned and found a fuming Ciel frowning at her. "Give that back right now, Elizabeth."

"Ciel, what's with you?" Edward asked, he noticed that Esper was also getting tensed.

Elizabeth enclosed her palms around the ring, "why are you so angry? I went out of my way, and…"

Ciel was positively angry now and his eyes hid nothing of his anger. Esper sweated cold and held out her arms to blond girl. "Lizzy, can you please…return the ring to me now? That ring is…"

"I—I was just trying to make everything cute. So why are getting so angry?" She cried. "I hate this ring!"

The ring went crashing to the floor; the stone it held broke in to two and into tiny little pieces. Ciel and Esper gawked at the sight. Ciel gritted his teeth and was on his way to slap Elizabeth when Sebastian stopped him and gave him his new cane. He was panting hard. He glanced at his sister, who he expected to have trouble breathing as he was now but he calmed at the sight of her…She was picking up the ring and they looked at each other.

"The ring was incredibly important to bocchan and ojou-sama," Sebastian explained to the sobbing Elizabeth. "It was one of a kind and passed down through many generations of Phantomhive family heads. Please forgive my master's rudeness."

"Th—that precious of a ring…I…"

Ciel then grabbed the ring, or what's left of it from Esper and threw it out the window. This surprised everybody. But what moved them more was what came next.

"It was nothing but an old ring. Even without it, the head of the Phantomhive household is me." Sebastian smiled at his master's outburst. Esper regained her posture and made her way to where a gaping Edward was.

"Well, shall we dance?" she smiled at him.

"Y—Yes!"

Ciel invited Elizabeth as well, making her cry even more, but she accepted nonetheless. Sebastian played the violin for them, accompanied by Greil's singing and the night went on smoothly.

xxx

They were getting ready for bed, Esper was already dressed in her nightclothes which Meirin helped her into. She was still waiting for her brother and Sebastian to finish their everyday ritual as she lay on the bed. She was quite exhausted and kind of sad, remembering what happened to the ring. She unconsciously fumbled with her finger.

Sebastian and Ciel now approached the bed. Esper stared blankly at them as her brother reached the bed.

"Nii, putting a façade like that in front of Lizzy…" she sighed a chuckle.

CIel held her hand and Esper felt something cold slip on her thumb. When she peeked, the ring was on it, without any signs of a single crack. She stared at Ciel in disbelief.

"Ask that guy," he pointed at the butler by their bedside.

"It is only natural for who serves under the Phantomhives to be able to do this," Sebastian leered at her. "Please take good care of it."

She smiled her sweetest smile at him. That night, though, her dreams were filled with the screams and heart-wrenching cries from the final moments of each family head who ever wore the ring which witnessed their deaths.

xXxXx

Sorry for any errors (English, not my mother tongue). Please feel free and tell me what you think ..thanks :)