Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or Black Butler. They, and their characters, belong to their respective creators.

Chapter Seven - Time Travel and Other Considerations

Mey-Rin was almost in a panic as she looked around. She'd only been gone long enough to do laundry and help Bard with a few things in the kitchen. But apparently that was all it took. When she'd come back, Tohru's room had been empty. She'd searched the entire guest wing with no results, going on to some of the main rooms with the same end, but before she could go to Sebastian and admit she'd lost a guest, she had to do her darnedest to find her. After all, she had to be sure she hadn't just wandered off in a delirium and gotten herself lost or something.

Sebastian beat out the cadence to Ciel's violin playing. He'd detected a few sour notes, but, overall, the execution was acceptable for all that it was not at tempo. He made a few mental notes on correction that he would point out as soon as the young master had made it all the way through the music, some areas that needed particular attention.

Ciel concentrated on the music, ignoring the occasional slur of the strings, which he knew Sebastian had heard. He'd probably hear about it in a minute and be made to go back over the passages until they were perfect. It was a tedious exercise, one he would rather do without. Pure music didn't bother with wrong notes, but the feel of the moment.

He closed his eyes as he played the last few notes, holding the final note for poignancy, hoping to delay the inevitable. He opened his eyes in surprise as he heard light applause, turning towards the open doorway. His bow went slack in his hand in surprise.

"That was amazing!" Tohru walked into the room. She was, once again, wearing her school uniform.

Sebastian turned in surprise. He hadn't heard her footsteps coming down the hallway, something that was most unusual for him, even if that person wasn't wearing shoes, which, he noted, she was not.

Ciel blinked as he put his instrument back in the case. "Tohru, I thought you were still in bed."

Tohru smiled. "I woke up and felt wonderful! Then I heard the most amazing violin playing I've heard since Momiji so I had to find out who it was."

"Should you really be up and about," the earl inquired as he cleared his throat, feeling a bit embarrassed. No one had complimented him on his playing before.

Sebastian came back to the present, deciding that he'd figure out the reason behind not having heard her enter later. "The Young Master has made an excellent observation." Hadn't her fever been high enough this morning to cause delirium? He walked over to her. "If I may." He placed his hand on her forehead.

Ciel, meanwhile, closed his violin case, snapping the little clasps on the side. He hoped this was enough distraction to keep from being reminded of his errors in playing, at least this time around.

Quick footsteps pounded down the hallway, swiftly getting louder until Mey-Rin appeared in the doorway, out of breath and in a clear panic. "Mr. Sebastian! Mr. Sebastian! It's terrible! Miss Tohru's gone missing! I can't find her anywhere! What'll we do!"

Ciel looked up, his bottom lip quivering as Sebastian looked over his shoulder. He stared for almost a minute but couldn't hold in the little snorts of laughter any longer and burst out laughing so hard he almost fell over.

Mey-Rin's face clouded over and she put her hands on her hips. "It's not funny! It's inexcusable to lose a guest!"

Sebastian smiled in amusement. "Yes, it would be inexcusable, if it had really happened." He stepped to the side to reveal a somewhat chagrined looking Tohru behind him.

The maid's eyes went wide in surprise. "But how! I looked everywhere! Even down in the servant quarters!"

Tohru's cheeks flushed. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you worry! I just woke up from a very strange dream. No one was around and I heard Ciel playing the violin so I just followed the sound until I came here. I didn't know I would make anyone worry!" She bowed to show how sorry she was.

Mey-Rin blinked and wrung her hands, clearly flustered. "You don't need to do that! I was just worried is all. You don't need to bow to me. I'm only a humble servant, after all."

Ciel gave in and flopped down into the nearest chair, still laughing. "I haven't been this entertained in a long time," he crowed, practically rolling in mirth.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "All the same, it's not fitting for a guest to bow to one of the staff." He gave Tohru a mildly reproving look.

Tohru started, beginning another bow. "I'm…"

Sebastian waved his hand with a sigh. "Never mind. Apparently customs are different where you come from. It can't be helped." He looked sternly at his master. "However, should the Young Master be laughing so about the matter?"

Ciel continued to chortle. "You should have seen the look on your face, Sebastian, when she came flying in. I won't easily forget it any time soon."

"All the same, shouldn't the mistress be resting?" Mey-Rin smoothed her apron, trying to regain any semblance of order.

Tohru held out her hands, palms facing outward. "It's okay! I'm fine now!"

Sebastian moved a chair over to her. "Though it is true I did not detect any signs of a fever just now, it might be wise for you to take things easy for a while. Why don't you sit and relax?" He checked his watch. "It would appear that it is time for me to prepare the afternoon tea."

Tohru took the offered chair. "All right. Mom always did say it never was good to overdo things."

Ciel had, by this time, controlled his laughing down to simple smirking. A rather tedious afternoon had definitely turned around thanks to the recent antics.

Sebastian turned to leave, looking over his shoulder as he reached the door. "Mey-Rin, have you finished the laundry yet?"

The maid gave a funny sort of squeak. "I knew there was something I was forgetting!" She quickly rushed out of the room. Sebastian followed after her at a more sedate pace.

Ciel rolled his eyes. "They're always good for a laugh," he explained. "But the interruption is not unwelcome. It saved me from a lecture on my playing."

Tohru's eyes went large. "But I thought your playing was wonderful! Even Momiji couldn't do any better!"

He smiled. "I don't know who this Momiji is, but I will take it as a compliment. Now if only Sebastian weren't as strict a tutor to give me such a compliment every now and again."

Realizing she'd been talking about something the earl didn't know about, Tohru bowed. "I'm sorry! Momiji is one of Kyo's cousins. He goes to the same school we do, but he lives at Sohma House, unlike us."

Ciel looked up in surprise. "You don't live on the main grounds?"

She shook her head. "No. Shigure says it's stifling there so he bought a house on the other end of town. It's right up against the woods so he doesn't get bothered too much, except by his editor. You see, he's a novelist," she added proudly. "He says he needs the peace and quiet to write."

He picked up his cane and absently played with the handle. "You keep the most interesting of company, Tohru. I admit, I'm curious. What kind of person is Kyo? He mentioned having trained in the mountains and I wondered if you could tell me about that. What kind of training was it?"

Tohru smiled, remembering the conversation she'd had with Kyo on the rooftop after the first time she'd met Kagura. "Well, Kyo has a martial arts master who kind of acts as his surrogate father, I guess. Before I met him, he spent six months up in the mountains training. You see, he really wants to beat Yuki. He thinks that if he does, it will mean everyone will finally recognize him as part of the family. I'd really like that if it happened though I really hope there's another way."

Ciel felt slightly confused. "But isn't he a part of the family? Is he some kind of outcast?"

She debated. "Well, not exactly." What could she say without giving away the secret of the curse? "He's not the most popular of the cousins. I guess it's like when you have a litter of cats or something. There will always be a lot, but the smallest, weakest looking one is always shunned, at least that's what mom used to tell me. It's not always right, though. Sometimes the weakest at birth turns out to be the strongest in the end, or something like that. I hear his real dad won't have anything to do with him."

Ciel stared thoughtfully out the window. Sometimes the weakest at birth turns out to be the strongest in the end. What an interesting notion. It made it sound like a pawn was trying to become a king. He didn't know that he quite agreed with it. But, then again, if a pawn moved all the way across the board, that pawn could be traded for something of more value, like a fallen queen, so maybe there was something to that after all. But a pawn could never become the king, no matter how hard he tried.

"Do you know how to play chess," Ciel asked curiously.

Tohru shook her head. "I'm sorry. No one ever taught me, but I'm willing to learn."

He waved it aside. Though she was willing, he wasn't sure how well she'd grasp the concept of sacrificing one's pieces for the ultimate win, and he would feel bad if he beat a girl like her. "Never mind. Why don't you tell me more about yourself? You're a lot more polite than Kyo is."

"I am?" She looked flustered. "Maybe it's just because you haven't gotten to see the real Kyo yet. I mean, he's a really sweet guy. He may not look it on the outside, but on the inside he has a pickled plum. He just can't see it yet."

He wasn't sure what she was talking about but decided it was best to let it drop. "You have all kinds of interesting sayings," he commented instead.

Tohru's eyes lit up. "I heard most of them from my mom! She was the best! Always working so hard, even when times were tough. She was always smiling and laughing. It didn't matter what was going on. She taught me everything I know, including how to cook." She stopped. "Oh! Speaking of cooking, I was going to ask someone for the recipe for last night's soup! Kyo really seemed to like it so I thought if I made it for him when we got home…."

Ciel just stared at her. What kind of girl was this? "You cook?" Was she a servant then? Did people from wealthy families do such menial things? Of course, she could be like his departed aunt, Madame Red, but still, not even she cooked. And what was this about her mother working?

Her smile got bigger. "You bet! Mom always said cooking is an art that not everyone can master. Every dish has its own flavor and purpose. It's like a painting, or a piece of music. It's not something that just anyone can do. We each have our own talents and cooking is one of mine. Maybe, while we're here, I can cook something for you, to show my gratitude for taking care of us."

Sebastian entered the room at that moment, carrying a tray with the usual pot of tea and two cups. "Did I hear something about showing gratitude through cooking?"

Tohru blushed lightly. "It was just an idea I had. But if it's okay, I'd love to be able to make something for everyone."

Sebastian glanced over at Ciel. This was a rather interesting turn of events. "What say you, Young Master? It would appear that such an act would set her mind at ease."

Tohru almost jumped up from her seat. "Oh! It would! It really would! I don't like having people do things for me without being able to do something in return! Everything has to be balanced!"

Ciel ran one hand down his face, but he was smiling. "Very well. For the sake of balance, why not?" He glanced over at his butler. "Do you have dinner preparations already under way for tonight?"

Sebastian took out his pocket watch. It was just after four, which meant he was hoping Bard wasn't doing anything to ruin what he had in the oven, a chunk of sirloin roasting with various vegetables in a rich broth. "It would appear that it is late enough that tonight's dinner preparations are already underway. Perhaps it would be more prudent for her to prepare the evening meal tomorrow, which would allow me to procure any items she may need that we do not have on hand."

The young earl nodded in agreement. "Very well. Now that the matter is settled, would you mind pouring the tea?"

Sebastian smiled at his master's ironic tone, but proceeded to pour tea for both the young master and Tohru, leaving the pot on a small table, as per usual, and passing out slices of a cream cake made that afternoon.

Tohru looked at her piece with a smile, but recalling that they were not usually alone, she looked up. "What about Kyo?"

Sebastian smiled in reassurance. "Don't worry. His tea will be brought to him by Mr. Tanaka."

Kyo was glad the day was finally over. He'd been overly quiet at dinner, still trying to wrap his head around the idea of their having time traveled. And he'd skipped dessert, saying he was tired, which was mostly true.

After he'd mostly gotten over the shock of his discovery, he'd practically ripped the library apart looking for anything even remotely connected with the concept, but, since it was only the nineteenth century, he hadn't found much.

If it had been their own time, he'd probably have at least found some theories, not that he'd understand them. Granted, if it was their own time, he wouldn't have to worry about it. Everything was making him think in circles. It made his brain hurt. Maybe if he worked backwards? But even doing that didn't seem to be helping.

A quiet knock came at his door as he sat, cross-legged, on his bed. "Yeah, who is it," he called, not giving his full attention. He had a lot to figure out and quickly or they'd never get home.

Sebastian opened the door. "The Young Master wondered if you were feeling unwell and sent me to look in on your well being," he said as he stood in the doorway, debating on whether it would be wise to enter the room or not. But an order was an order. He had to at least look in on the lad. But, perhaps, if Kyo were willing, it would allow him to learn a bit more about him.

Of all things to be worried about, Kyo thought, rolling his eyes. Well, he supposed it wasn't entirely unwarranted. And the butler was probably nosy enough to try and weasel it out of him anyway. After all, he seemed the type to want to know everything. The guy hadn't done anything to Tohru. Yet. Maybe there was some honor in the guy. Maybe.

Sebastian waited patiently, amusement turning up the corners of his lips. This boy was certainly an interesting one. He'd already cleaned up the library after he'd practically ransacked it. And judging from the texts he'd picked up, there was definitely something specific on his mind. But he wasn't going to force him if he was unwilling. "May I come in?"

Kyo waved a hand, neither dismissing nor inviting. "Whatever. I don't care."

The butler decided it was invitation enough and entered the room, closing the door behind him. He went to stand respectfully at the end of the bed, waiting. Who would make the next move, he wondered. Would he have to be the one, or would Kyo do it? Either way, he could easily observe that he had something on his mind and that it was less likely that he was ill. There were none of the usual signs to indicate such.

Kyo tried to concentrate on his previous line of thought, going back over every little detail that he could remember before they'd shown up on the castle front step. The only unusual thing was the crazy storm that had almost seemed to herd them around until they'd gotten so lost that neither could have known which direction was which. Was that the answer then? But that didn't make any sense either. Weather didn't have that kind of power.

Sebastian watched him struggle over some thought, wondering what he was thinking. He waited for several minutes while Kyo wrestled with various ideas before stepping in. "It would seem that something troubles you. Perhaps I can be of some assistance?"

Kyo snorted. "Not likely. Not unless you know how to travel in time."

Understanding flashed in his mind. So that was the issue. At the very least, this young man still believed that he had traveled in time and was trying to find a way back. He wasn't sure just how much truth there was in that, but he could at least humor him if nothing else, then investigate it later, after everyone had gone to bed that was. "I might know something about the concept."

"Right." Kyo scowled. There was nothing for it then. "Okay, it's like this, I'm not sure I believe we really are in 1889 or whatever year it is. I can't deny that we're in England, unless this is some kind of conspiracy to make us think that. So I was-"

"Trying to understand how you were able to travel back in time," Sebastian finished for him. "Understandable. I would probably do similar if I were under the same circumstances. Perhaps if you told me the circumstances that led up to this point, I might be able to help."

The boy snorted again. "Yeah right. I've already thought about it and I can't think of anything besides a lot of rain. And everyone knows rains doesn't send people flying back through time."

Sebastian raised his eyebrows. "Indeed. However, I am not everyone and would like the details. Perhaps I can see some detail you overlooked. Having a fresh pair of eyes to look over a problem never hurt anyone. And if you don't like my line of thinking, you can disregard it."

Kyo debated. Would it hurt anything to tell him? He already knew about the Curse, more or less, though he doubted the butler knew how he transformed into a cat in the first place. Well, that didn't really matter now that he knew it happened. He didn't have to go into details about that anyway, just tell the events of that day, right?"

Seeing Kyo caving, Sebastian smiled. "Why don't you start with the beginning of that day and go forward from there?"

Ciel lowered his arms, his nightclothes settling down around him as Sebastian finished buttoning the last button. "Time travel," he mused. "Is such a thing really possible, Sebastian?"

The butler contemplated. As a demon, he knew things others did not, had abilities others could only dream about. And though time travel wasn't something he'd previously considered, he had to deem it possible, especially after speaking with Kyo. It was definitely something to look into. "It is possible. I plan on investigating the matter myself. It might be that I find the point where they first appeared, if the rain has not completely obliterated all traces of their scent. I will, of course, inform you of any results in the morning."

The earl sighed. "I noticed Lau didn't join us today. I'm very tempted to have him reprimanded."

Sebastian smiled. "Perhaps he was concerned about the state of the roads. It might be best to give him the benefit of the doubt." Lau was like a cat in many ways. Though he was really only a pawn, he still behaved like he was more than what he was. But then, all people were pawns, in one way or another.

Ciel climbed into bed while his butler brought up the covers. "The morning will bring many interesting things," he mused as he looked at his night table, the patch that usually covered his eye sitting there, a stark reminder of his own troubles. "I was surprised, however, by Tohru's quick recovery."

Sebastian took up the candelabra. "As was I, Young Master. It would seem that there is more to her than meets the eye. A pure soul at the very least."

Ciel smiled in amusement, guessing, in part, where his butler's thoughts dwelt. "Just don't be getting any strange ideas. They are both under my protection until I say otherwise."

Sebastian bowed. "I wouldn't dream of it. Good night, Young Master." He left the room, blowing out the candles as he left.