A/N: And, finally, the last part. It's a bit scattered, I think, along with a touch repetitive and a lot short, but it's alright. Nowhere near what the wait called for, though, and I am REALLY sorry about that!
Title: Things Change
Author: liketolaugh
Rating: T
Pairings: Ciel/Elizabeth
Genre: Friendship/Family
Warnings: May contain violence in later chapters
Summary: Prince Soma led an odd life, but it only got stranger after he met Ciel. Prince Soma's life, from when he was little to after he met Ciel. Series of oneshots.
Disclaimer: Sadly, Black Butler is not mine.
Life Lessons
"No, Agni," scowled Prince Soma. He coughed. "I want to go out!"
Agni, hovering in concern, receded a bit, bowing his head. "Jo aagyaa," he murmured. Prince Soma was sick, but it was his job to follow his prince's commands, was it not?
He believed so, but seeing Prince Soma walking with a slight sway and coughing every few minutes, flushed with heat, made him wonder. Nonetheless, he followed quietly, carefully not going above his station but keeping a closer eye than normal on Prince Soma as he went out to walk about the city again.
He stiffened as he saw Soma pause in the middle of the street. He edged forward as the boy swayed. "My prince?" he pressed hesitantly.
From his new position right beside Soma, he saw his suddenly unfocused eyes close. "Prince Soma!" he gasped as he lunged forward to catch the boy as his knees folded beneath him. "Prince Soma, are you all right?"
Why had he let it get this far? What kind of khansama was he when he had let his prince drive himself to that state? He berated himself for his foolishness and carelessness as he carefully and quickly carried Soma back to the palace, laying him on his bed and beginning to nurse him back to health.
When Prince Soma finally woke, he looked up at Agni and frowned. "Agni?" he muttered, confused. "What happened?"
"You collapsed," Agni explained softly, still berating himself. "My prince, I cannot allow you to put yourself in that state again. You could have been hurt."
Soma frowned again but sighed. "Fine, Agni," he mumbled, turning over and falling back asleep.
Prince Soma frowned thoughtfully and tried to explain again. "I believe that when they are truly needed, the gods will interfere. They will lower themselves and help people who need it, or give them a chance to prove themselves. They may be absent until then, but I believe that they will help when it really matters."
"But how?" Agni asked. He didn't understand, why put faith in such... ideas? They seemed completely insubstantial - merely wistful thoughts and hopes.
"I don't know. It depends on what someone needs, I suppose. If they need to lead them in a new direction, they will appear and lead them. If they need to make sure two people meet, they will. Even if they need to make sure that a murderer is killed or a war begun in order to make the world better, to take a chance, I believe that they will. That is the nature of the gods." Soma frowned, struggling to explain himself, why he believed, why Agni should believe in them, believe in their abilities and their actions and that they would help, too.
Agni's eyes widened as he took this in and connected with it. So, to people with faith, the gods could be what his prince was to him. His prince - so far above him - had lowered himself to help Agni. To give him a fresh start - exactly what he needed to be something good, something of any worth at all.
He had taken Agni, let him be better, taught him, made him new, made him special.
His Prince Soma had taken a chance - saving a cruel man like Arshad, and made him into what he was now.
Prince Soma was his god.
And if his god had faith in these beings of power, who was he to deny their existence and power?
And that's the last one. It was harder than I expected, actually. A LOT harder. Please review! Also, I have more or less no ideas for future chapters (though I'm sure they'll come eventually) and so I'm totally open to suggestions on that front. But please respect the above pairing - there will be no Ciel/Sebastian and only a hint of Soma/Agni if it is so desired. OK? OK.
Edit: OK, that's a lie. I have one idea that I uncovered while rereading the sections of the manga containing Soma and Agni. Well, the sections I have, seeing as I don't have volume four yet. But I digress. Next up is Soma's POV of meeting Ciel. Yes, I'm totally skipping before that, because come on. Bleh! ANYWAY, and after that I might do some of Soma thinking about Ciel. In his 'big brother' kind of way, not the scared-of-him POV in Afraid. But I'm still open to ideas and, additionally, I should probably stop talking now.
