A/N: There's some issue with paragraph breaks, so I'm sorry if it's very chunky.

Chapter 7

Dimitri growled. "I thought you took away that freaking cage thing!"

Dawn couldn't help but laugh at his stupidity. "I have a shield around me at all times. You should know that, since you're so well-educated." She knew she'd hit the mark. Dimitri had spent his childhood in confinement, deemed too dangerous to be put with the other kids; too dangerous for a demon. Dawn knew what he could do, but she also knew he wouldn't dare. Not when he knew she had the upper hand in their situation. He was on her land, and therefore, they'd play by her rules.

"Listen, your majesty." He hissed, his red eyes glowing brightly. "I don't know what the hell you want from me, but this won't go unpunished."

"Silence yourself, you idiotic king." She snapped. As she walked back to her throne, Aliana stumbled in, much unlike her. "Aliana? What's the matter with you?" Dawn demanded, frowning.

"Lyra, your majesty. Sir William thinks he knows where she is, and… and he's gone into the old dungeons to look for her." Aliana was obviously panting, and she'd apparently run for quite a while. Sprinting never was one of the angels' talents.

"The old dungeons?" Dawn was in shock at her maid's words. William would never put himself in such danger; the old dungeons hadn't been entered for over a century! Who knew what sorts of monsters the queen had hidden down there? "Aliana, go find Soltun and Sebastian. I want them to throw this man in the newer dungeons while I go look for William." Aliana nodded and scurried off. The guard and demon both dashed in faster than Dawn could anticipate.

"Leave it to us." Sebastian told her, growling at his old friend. "I have some unfinished business with him anyways."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do; both of you." She snapped before running to the dungeon, forcing her skirts to wrap around her legs. White armour covered her knees and shoulders, along with a sparkling diamond breastplate. Her hair, instead of twining itself around her waist, fell down her back loosely. Battle wasn't something she was anticipating so soon, but if she had to, for William, then so be it.

"Well, well, well. I've missed you, my old friend." Dimitri smirked at Sebastian. "Do you go by Sebastian now? Such an obedient name, like a dog's." Sebastian released his claws, only to meet Soltun's glare. Right. Sebastian was annoyed now; nothing she wouldn't do? She wouldn't hurt a fly if she had the choice! Sebastian instead chose to tease the king right back.

"Well, at least I've got a woman who loves me. A queenless king is no king at all, you know." Dimitri wasn't too happy to hear Sebastian's words, naturally. He thrashed against the chains, but to no avail. Soltun had deliberately made it so that he wouldn't be able to move, much less attack Sebastian.

"You're useless, Sebastian, and I can promise you that I'll kill your queen." He snapped.

"Not if we kill you first." Sebastian turned away. "I have to tend to Ciel. Make sure he doesn't escape." He ordered Soltun to do so with confidence. Soltun, despite being his blood enemy, had slowly started becoming his friend. They shared similar goals; protecting Dawn and killing Morganthe.

"You're an outcast, Sebastian!" Don't think we'll welcome you home that easily!" Dimitri called. Sebastian carried on walking, muttering to himself.

"Who said I want to come home?" As he walked away from his king, he knew that the only way he could go home was by becoming king, and that was impossible if he wanted to stay with Dawn. For him, Dawn was more important than his own land, and he'd die fighting for her against his own.

"William!" Dawn called desperately as she ran through the hallways. Her footsteps echoed around her, making her feel even more isolated than she already did. "Dammit, William!" She screamed as a snake slithered past her. Her reflexes proved to be good, as her sword immediately pierced the snake, cutting off its head. As she panted from the scream, she knew the action was just about to start. Turning towards the darkness in front of her, she took a deep breath and proceeded to walk towards what she hoped was her father, only to soon be interrupted by the last thing she'd expected to see. Cerberus; the demon dog with three heads. Why was he in their dungeons? Dawn was terrified, she had to admit, but the adrenaline that had started coursing through her veins was taking action, and she knew she'd have to fight if she wanted William back.

"Dawn, don't move!" She heard a voice call behind her. Turning her head, she saw none other than Ciel Phantomhive and his butler running towards her.

"What are you two doing here? Get out while you have the chance!" She whispered, trying not to wake the dog.

"Sebastian won't leave unless I do, and I'm staying here to fight for you." Dawn resisted the urge to cry and rather smiled at him.

"My lord, the only problem is that this battle will be a dance more than a brawl." She looked at Sebastian. "If he seems like he might get hurt, it's your responsibility to get him out and leave me here, understood?" Sebastian nodded, trusting her. He couldn't do otherwise; else he wouldn't have anything to do at all. He trusted her when he served Ciel; he trusted her to come back someday, and she did. Now, he was going to trust her with her own life, and he knew he was making the biggest mistake of his life by doing so.

Nodding at Sebastian, Dawn turned to the dog. "Hey, Cerberus!" She called, causing him to stir. "You want a piece of me? You'll have to get through my sword!" She jumped into the air and extended her wings in what little space she had. Soaring above the dog, she avoided its teeth by only half a centimeter, landing elegantly on its back. It immediately began jerking her back and forth, and all she could do was hold on to its hair. As it jerked her harder, she leaped into the air and smashed her sword in, holding onto it instead. The three-headed monster's tail smashed onto the floor, earning a yell from Ciel. "Sebastian, get him out of here!" She shrieked.

"No!" Ciel called. Dawn growled and pushed her sword deeper into the beast, making it jerk around even harder. It wasn't working; her sword wouldn't go further than a little bit through the skin. She pulled it out and screamed as her back hit the wall. Her rapid regeneration along with the adrenaline eased the pain quickly and she stood up, feeling fiercer than ever before.

"I'll kill you!" She screamed, running towards the beast. She had been provoked by the sight of a trail of blood on Ciel's face. "I'll kill you and I'll make it hurt so bad, you'll be whining like a little puppy!" Her sword was drenched in blood, but she didn't care. Not for now, anyways. She ran around to face the dog, and made her most reckless move yet. She ran to the dog and jumped up, striking its neck with her blade. She'd found a weak spot, fortunately, and her blade went deeper inside the monster. As it began swaying, she jumped onto its back. Her armour was covered with blood that had been and still was gushing out of Cerberus' neck. As it fell to the floor, dead, she sighed and jumped to the floor, panting heavily. "I told you to get him out of here, Sebastian!" She huffed.

"I had no reason to. You were drawing its attention enough, it wouldn't notice us." Sebastian chuckled as she frowned at him.

"My lord, are you well?" She asked politely.

"I'm fine." Ciel replied, still surprised that Dawn had pulled off that stunt.

"Then you can go back and I'll carry on. William's in here and I'm not leaving without him." She explained. Ciel nodded in understanding and gestured for his butler to follow him, leaving Dawn to look at the path ahead of her and walk forward.

Dawn had no method of telling the time, but she felt like she'd been in that dungeon for the nine months she had to wait to go back to the manor. Finally, she caught up with William, who was resting in one of the hallways. He had probably been through Cerberus and gotten wounded. She ran to him and smiled at him. "What are you doing here, Dawn?" He asked, his voice weaker than she'd ever heard it.

"Aliana told me you came down here. How could you do such a thing without my permission, papa?" She asked, frowning at the blood on his sleeve.

"There's no time to waste. My arm's wrapped with a piece of my tailcoat. You go find Lyra and bring her back; we'll go back together, okay?" William looked miserable that he couldn't help his daughter in what could very well be a battle.

"I'll be back, Papa. You just be careful." She pulled a knife from her belt and gave it to him. "Keep an eye out for rats and snakes." He nodded and smiled as she walked forward once more, not once looking back. William knew his little girl was no longer a little girl. Here she was, fighting her own battles with her own sword. She was the one telling him to be careful, not the other way around. He was proud of her, but he was also worried. His daughter was now the queen of a land at war. A land in ruins, and he was afraid she wouldn't be able to shoulder the responsibility, despite how sure he was of her strength and intellect.

"Lyra!" Dawn cried as she saw the maid. She was tied with a thick rope, and her mouth was covered with a handkerchief. She ran to her and pulled off the handkerchief before working on the knots.

"Your majesty, you must leave! King Dimitri's men are here, and they may kill you!" Lyra spoke quickly, despite her not having any breath.

"I honestly don't care, Lyra." As the ropes fell to the ground, Lyra stood up as Dawn heard footsteps behind her. They were heavy and echoed around the room ominously. Turning around, Dawn saw Drake. "Drake?" She whispered in disbelief, her eyes wide.

"We meet again, Dawn. Or should I say your majesty?" He leered at her menacingly, but she wasn't fazed .at all. She had just been surprised to see him.

"What do you want?" She demanded.

"To kill you." He snapped. "Like you killed Firana and Katrina." He glowered at her, trying – and failing – to intimidate her.

"Not gonna happen. Lyra, get out of here." She bent over to the maid and whispered into her ear. "William's outside. Go and see if you can do anything for his arm." Lyra nodded and scurried off. Despite being worried about her queen, she knew she would only get in her way if she stayed. "I hope you're prepared to suffer the same fate as the other two."

"You mean other three." Drake growled quietly.

"Three?" Dawn blinked, surprised. "I only got rid of Firana and Katrina."

"And Strundella." He spat.

"Wait a minute; I haven't seen Strundella at all." Dawn frowned. "She's dead?"

"Might as well be." He muttered. "She wants to join you, apparently."

"Where is she?!" Dawn cried, worried for the only friend who stayed loyal to her.

"Relax. I wouldn't lay a finger on her and you know that." Drake seemed unimpressed that she would assume such about him, but Dawn didn't care.

"Anyway, you could either follow her or follow the other two girls." She held her sword up.

"I'd rather die." He snapped. Dawn didn't need any more confirmation that he wouldn't join her. She took her battle stance and prepared for her final battle.

Dawn was immediately at an advantage. Being an angel, her thoughts were clearer. She could fight using tactics, in direct contrast to the demons' charge tactics. Drake took the first move, running at her with one fist held out. She very easily dodged, sliding aside. He almost ran into a wall, but stopped himself. He was like a bull, in some ways. She proceeded to dance the Viennese Waltz, sliding around the room as he rammed himself at her constantly. Getting bored of their little game, Dawn instead held her sword to her side as she slid away, cutting his hand. He yelled out in pain, and she saw the red glowing in his eyes. They were on her territory, so he couldn't take his true form, which was better for her, of course. Dawn didn't know if she could handle a demon at full strength, and she didn't exactly want to find out from Drake. As she jumped into the air, his eyes followed her in surprise. Her sword in front of her, she charged at him, her sword impaling him in the chest. As his fist collided with her armour, a small dent was visible, but nothing more. Leaping back, she pulled her sword with her and smirked at him. He fell to the floor, growling. "I'm sorry, Drake." She whispered as she kneeled in front of him, the tears in her eyes looking like a constellation of stars. "I wish we could have been friends forever, but…" He was desperately trying to take his breath, and it made Dawn's chest hurt. It didn't feel right, killing him. As she saw him writhe in pain, she changed her sword to her staff and began slowly closing the wound in his chest. His eyes widened as he felt his body regenerating instead of disintegrating.

"Wh-why?" He croaked, slowly sitting up.

"Because it doesn't feel right… Katrina and Firana… They've killed people. They harmed my mother. You… Drake, you've never really killed anyone, have you?" Drake's face was flushed.

"Whatever." He muttered. "I guess I kinda owe you one for letting me live, so I'll back off. Sound good to you?"

"I don't mind you backing off, but if you ever want to help us, I'm here." She smiled as she finished healing him. He was still weak, though. She made handcuffs of light on his hands, stopping him from moving. "Sorry; can't be too careful." He nodded and let her help him stand up. Slowly, her armour went back to being her usual white dress and she walked with him back to the hallway.

"Dawn?" William ran to his daughter, pulling her into the arm that was still fine. "Are you alright?" He demanded, his eyes darting between her and Drake.

"I'm alright, Papa. How's your arm?" Dawn replied, smiling at him.

"Better. Lyra wrapped it right for me." William grinned at his daughter. "Who's he?" He asked, looking at Drake.

"This is Drake. He's…" Dawn searched for words. "An old friend of mine." Drake was in shock.

"Why's he in handcuffs, then?" The reaper raised an eyebrow.

"Because he hasn't killed, but he's on Dimitri's side." She replied. William immediately glowered at the young man. "But he won't hurt us. He owes me for letting him live." She continued.

William nodded. "We'll have to get past Cerberus, though."

"No we won't. I killed it." Dawn proceeded to walk forward, Drake next to her. William was in shock and did his best to chase after his daughter, Lyra scurrying clumsily behind them.

"How did you do it?" William asked in awe.

"It had a weak point near its neck." Dawn shrugged as if it was nothing. As they arrived at the beast, Drake whistled.

"Wow. No wonder you were ready for me. I must have seemed like a piece of cake compared to this guy." Drake smirked at her.

"Actually, you have a mind, so it was practically the same. Only difference is that I had time to prepare for you. I wasn't really expecting Cerberus to be in here." She extended her wings and took Drake's arm. "William, take my other hand. Lyra, you can take William's. Everyone nodded and she took a deep breath before lifting off, doing her best to lift herself and the three others with her. Lyra seemed the lightest, but William and Drake were no feathers. As she landed on the ground on the other side, she found herself panting. "Remind me to do some strength training on my arms, okay?" Lyra nodded, as if this was her duty. As they approached the entrance to the dungeons, they carefully stepped up.

Aliana was waiting for them and as soon as she saw the younger maid, she hugged her tightly. "Are you okay, Lyra?" She demanded, worried.

"I'm fine, Aliana. Her majesty saved me." Aliana curtsied to Dawn, but Dawn was already preoccupied.

"Lyra, take William to the infirmary. Aliana, you're coming with me to the dungeons. Keep an eye on Drake." Dawn issued her orders with authority, but she was polite to the maids. Both maids curtsied and Lyra walked off with William. "Come on." She told the maid and Drake. "Drake, is Dimitri able to control you?" She asked.

"I doubt it. I'm older than him, and if he tries to control me, I can control him right back and make him blow himself up with his powers, thus making myself the new king. It's a possibility, but I'll only do it either if necessary or when I feel capable." Drake explained. Dawn smiled, feeling like her old friend was with her once more, instead of the monster he had been in the dungeon. As they stepped into the basements, they saw Soltun at the door.

"Hello, Soltun." Dawn greeted.

"Hello, your majesty. Have you located Lyra?" He asked, bowing.

"Yes; she's taking William to the infirmary. Nothing really serious, but he needs care." Soltun nodded and sighed.

"Your king," He spoke to Drake. "Is a royal pain." Drake chuckled to himself and nodded, as if he heard it from everyone. Dawn removed Drake's handcuffs and held his hand, earning a small smile from him.

"Sorry for being a jerk to you about the girls. I know they deserved it." He whispered. Dawn nodded and squeezed his hand reassuringly before following Soltun to see the king.