Kuroshitsuji: Another World

Chapter 34; They love me, I love them not. I love them, they hate the other…

The next morning, I found the balcony littered with wild flowers, but Snake was gone. Outside the door, I found a small mountain of thorn-less, red roses-which (after dressing in another one of Agni's dresses [this one flame colored]) I stepped over and proceeded to find Sebastian. As usual, he was in the kitchen. He was in the middle of preparing breakfast, of which I was in no mood to eat.

"Give it," I demanded tonelessly, holding out a hand for Will's shinigami book.

Instead of handing me the book, a look of relief overcame him as he tried to reach out to touch my face, "Neko…"

"Don't touch me!" I replied coldly, stepping back from his reach, "Give me Will's book. Now."

Sebastian's eyes quickly averted mine as he reached into his waistcoat pocket and handed me the death book, "Neko, I…"

"Shut up," I hissed, snatching the book away and marching to the servant's quarters.

=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=

After finding the room I wanted, I relaxed a bit-watching Bard sleep for a few more seconds. Swiftly but cautiously, I shook him awake-his eyes flicking towards the source of his awakening. I forced a smile onto my lips, determined to get what I wanted.

Good morning, Bard," I whispered sweetly, sitting next to him.

"G'morning," He yawned, sitting up and stretching, "What's the matter?"

"Oh,…nothing," I answered, tracing random patterns on the bed sheet, "I just have a favor that I wanted to ask you…"

"If it's within my ability," Bard said, studying me, "Then I'll try. What is it?"

"Well," I began, suddenly flicking my eyes up to stare into his, "Could you take me to London? Pwease?" I poked out my bottom lip, making my eyes glisten with tears, "Pwease, Bard?"

Bard looked away, a soft blush tainting his cheeks, "Geez, Neko…Don't make that face…"

"So you'll take me?" I asked, pulling my features to normal.

"Yeah, I'll take you."

"Yay!" I replied cutely, hugging him around the neck and swiftly kissing him on the cheek, "Thank you, Bard!"

I let him go, got off the bed, and laughed inwardly at his reaction. He looked like an airless guppy in water. I waved before closing the door behind me.

"I'll wait for you in front," I goggled.

After closing the door, my whole mood and expression fell back into the darkness.

=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=

"Hey, Neko," Bard called from the coachman's seat, "Why or where in London did you want to go?"

"I have my reasons on why," I replied, "but I need you to take me to the mortician's shop."

"Alright," He answered, sounding reluctant, "but why me? Why not Snake or Sebastian?"

"I've been spending WAAAAY too much time with them, besides, they're busy today."

"Oh."

For the rest of the ride, we were both silent-lost in our own thoughts.

=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=

We reached Undertaker's about 30 minutes till noon. Bard, (after I asked him to) left and went back to the manor. I sighed, pushing open the shop doors.

"Hellloooo! How may I-" Undertaker began, stepping out from a random (creaking) coffin, "Nekohime! My darling, what a lovely surprise!"

"Yeah, I know," I replied, sitting on another random coffin, "I need help."

"Oooooh? Maybe I could be of some assistance."

"Possibly," I continued, "but it'll come at a price…won't it?"

"Of course, what doesn't these days?" He replied, closing the coffin he'd stepped out from and moving to lock the front door, "Now, what do you need my help with?"

I bit my lower lip before replying, "You're well versed in dark magic, right?"

"Is that what you need help with or is it just a question?" Undertaker asked, now cradling an urn (which contained his bone-shaped cookies) in one arm.

"Question that leads up to my problem."

"Yes," He answered, tilting the jar towards me, "Want one?"

"Mmmm…sure?" I answered, nervously reaching in to take one. I bit it, realization widening my eyes at the taste, "Is this snickerdoodle?"

"Yes," He replied, munching on his fourth, his trademark drool showing, "It's my favorite cookie."

"Mine too!" I smiled, my day seeming to get brighter.

He gave me another before we continued with my visit.

"So, back to why your here."

I sighed before replying, "I think…I think Sebastian cursed me."

Undertaker arched a brow, amused, "In what way?"

"I don't know, but last night Snake and Sebastian got into a fight…"

"Over you?"

"Yeah, Snake was holding my hand when Sebastian said something in a different language-Snake's touch burned me."

"Hmm," Undertaker though, immediately grasping my wrist. The coolness of his hand began to heat my skin, I pulled back before the pain became unbearable, "Interesting. He's restricting you, but he hasn't claimed you. Are you, by any chance, a demon?"

"That's impossible," I proclaimed, rubbing where his finger's once were, "I'm human, my parents are human, in fact everyone in my home dimension is human!"

"Quite surely, there are witches in your world?"

"Only in books," I replied, sighing, "Not even my mother's name is Hannah…"

"Hannah? Now there's a name that rings a bell." Undertaker murmured, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, "Where did you hear that name?"

"One of my captors said that I was Hannah's daughter," I answered, "but my mom's name is Yurine."

"Is there any chance that you could've been adopted?"

"No, my mom would've mentioned it before kicking me out of the house…unless…" My brow furrowed as I thought further on it.

"Unless?" He pressed on.

"Unless she didn't want me to know if she feared it would drive us apart," I finished, thinking more, "but who's Hannah?"

"I don't know why you don't know about her," Undertaker grinned, moving to scan the dusty bookshelves on the west wall, "Especially since you look like her…that is minus the tanner skin tone, the indigo eyes, the pale lavender hair, and…well…your chest is maybe a tad smaller than hers…"

"And your point is?" I asked, crossing my arms and watching him, "Look, it doesn't matter-I'll STILL be human."

"Yes, that would be true if…" He grinned at me, coming back with a very dusty, yellow paged book. I stared at him, trying to figure out the rest of his words when he poked my cheek with a nail, "…you weren't affected by Sebastian's cures."

My eyes narrowed as his gleeful laugh sounded.

"Oooh, yes," He continued, still chuckling to himself, "Sebastian did curse you alright-but with a curse meant for demon mates! If you really were human, the curse would be null and void, but you're not…"

"SO then explain to me what I am," I demanded, watching him rifle through the book, "and why I had no idea about this."

"I can't," He replied, closing the book, "just as I can't break Sebastian's mating seal."

I sighed wearily, making a mental note to kick Sebastian where the sun don't shine when I got back, "Then can you at least tell explain to me who Hannah is?"

"Yes, but I think it'd be much better for you to find out yourself who EXACTLY Hannah Anafeloz is," Undertaker answered, putting away the book, "Oh, look. It's William!"

I looked up, finding the scowling shinigami standing near the door or the shop.

"Are you done wasting my time yet?" Will asked, peeved.

"Depends, you get laid yet?" I taunted, standing up and walking over to Undertaker and kissing him on the cheek, "Thank you, Undertaker for rescuing me."

Undertaker started drooling again, "No problem, my dear~"

"Alright, now I'm ready." I answered, walking to stand next to him.

Will opened a rift to the shinigami realm, waiting for me to cross through, "Stick close to me, do what I say, and don't get lost." He hissed in my ear, grabbing my wrist and pulling me through.

"Later, my precious Nekohime!" Undertaker called as the rift closed behind us.