Author's note: For the purposes of this chapter, the start and end of the cinematic record happenings/memories will be labeled, and Madam Red's 'narration' of it will be [bracketed and italicized like this.]

I own nothing but my OC.


That Butler, Reflective 3


'thoughts'

"speech"

"Demonic speech"

{setting/stage directions?}

SOUND EFFECTS

An entire sentence like this, without quotes, is narration for dreams or stuff like written letters.

=†=†=†=†= scene shift/time shift


Previously:

Ciel, Chêne, and Sebastian stared, shocked. Grell had just stabbed Madam Red through the heart with his Death Scythe. There was not an once of hesitation in the Reaper. "I'm so disappointed in you... Madam Red." Grell said bluntly, sneering as he ripped his Scythe forcefully from her chest, tossing Madam Red's body away, as though she were nothing. "I can't say I care a shred for... this plain woman you've become." Ciel and Chêne stared, horrified, as Madam red's blood flowed from her wound and transformed into reels of film.


∞—Madam Red's Cinematic Record—∞

"... N..." they heard a young woman's voice call out something muffled. "An! Angeliiina!" The voice was clearer now. A young Madam Red, who didn't look much older than Ciel's current age came into view. The cute, redheaded, and freckle-faced girl looked up from the book she had been reading, and turned to face the speaker. She was sitting in a gazebo.

"Sister." Angelina said as a beautiful young, blonde, blue-eyed woman walked up to her.

=†=†=†=†=

Chêne's eyes widened in shock. She recognized the blonde woman from the portraits in the manor... This was Rachel Phantomhive, Ciel's mother!

=†=†=†=†=

Rachel smiled at her younger sister.

"In here again, I see. Father is calling for you." Rachel told her as she took Angelina's hand. "He has a guest he wishes to introduce us to. We mustn't keep him waiting. She started to lead her younger sister back inside.

"Eh!? But I'm dressed like this..." Angelina said nervously. Rachel was wearing a very pretty day dress, but Angelina was only wearing a rather simple one. "And I haven't powdered my nose!!" She said anxiously, unlike her sister Rachel, Angelina had freckles that she wanted to hide. Rachel turned around and glanced at her cute little sister.

SCURRY. PAT. TIE.

"S—! Sister?" Angelina said, surprised when Rachel suddenly starting brushing the dust off of her, straitening her dress, and combing through her read hair with her fingers. There was a determined gleam in Rachel's eyes as she fixed her sister up really quick.

"There, all done!" Rachel said as she took the flower she was wearing in her blonde hair, and tucked it into Angelina's, satisfied with her handiwork. "You look positively charming. You'll be fine!" She said, smiling and winking playfully at Angelina. "Were you reading again?" She asked curiously as they walked back to their house.

"Yes. I want to study to become a doctor. I want to find a cure for your asthma, sister. I'm unattractive, and I feel out of place at balls, so I may not be able to marry..." Angelina said timidly.

"What are you saying!?" Rachel asked, appalled. "An is lovely and smart. You should have more confidence in yourself." Rachel said proudly, smiling affectionately at her cute little sister. "And let's not forget... You're awfully well-endoooowed~! I'm so envious! Wee! Hee! Hee! Like ripe peaches they are!" She said, grinning mischievously as she groped Angelina's chest. She did have a rather large bosom, especially for such a young girl...

"Gyah! Sister!?" Angelina yelled, flinching and turning blue with shock as her normally well-mannered sister grabbed her boobs. The two sisters started laughing at Rachel's silly behavior.

[My elder sister's health was fragile, but she was kind and beautiful, and did not put on airs, and I loved her. I loved and envied her soft flaxen hair, which was just like our mother's. I met 'Him' when I was fifteen.]

"Rachel, Angelina. Give you greetings to Earl Phantomhive." Their father said when they entered the room that he and their guest had been waiting in. Rachel stared at their guest, surprised. He was a handsome young man. He looked about her elder sister's age, and he had beautiful slate, grey-ish blue, colored hair.

"How do you do?" He greeted them, smiling handsomely. Angelina blushed lightly.

[I despised my red hair, which was just like my father's. And I loathed the color red.]

"Why do you keep your hair so long in front?" Earl Phantomhive asked Angelina curiously when he came by for another visit.

"I am no beauty like my elder sister, so..." Angelina said shyly. "And my hair is this red as well..."

"You oughtn't be so 'ashamed' of being different from others. It gives you character. An's hair is really beautiful. The color of lycoris, a color that blazes the earth." Earl Phantomhive told her. "Red really suits you... and you should take more pride in it." He said, smiling kindly. An looked away shyly as she blushed, embarrassed to receive such praise form such a handsome man.

[And then, I... cut off my bangs. I grew to love my red hair, which was just like father's. And I grew to love the color red. And I grew to love 'Him.']

"My Lady. Earl Phantomhive is here." One of the servants announced.

"Comiiing!" Angelina said excitedly as her maid put the finishing touches on her dress. Angelina smiled as she powdered her nose. 'Will he compliment me again, I wonder?' Madam Red thought happily as she made her way to the sitting room.

[When 'He' visited, I wore the red that he had said suited me.]

"Aah, You're finally here. An. We have some good news for you!" Rachel said excitedly as she and Earl Phantomhive held hands and smiled happily at each other.

[The 'man' I loved dearly was going to marry the elder sister I loved dearly. I wore my favorite red dress to their wedding. If the two I cherished were so happy... Then I too was happy.]

"Waah! Waah!" A newborn infant cried. It was Ciel. Rachel had just finished giving birth to him.

"Madam! It is a fine baby boy!" The head nurse announced happily.

"I'm glad... that he was born to us." Rachel said happily, crying tears of joy as she held her baby boy in her arms. "An. You hold him. He's your nephew." She said, smiling at her younger sister. Angelina carefully held Ciel in her arms.

"He's so precious..." An said, blushing slightly at Ciel's cuteness.

[My beloved and my beloved big sister's—]

"When he grows up, please play with him a lot." Rachel asked.

"Of course!" Angelina said.

"Heh Heh! Your nose is just like His!" Rachel told Ciel happily, unaware of Angelina's feelings.

STAB!

Angelina paled in shock at her sister's words. She felt like she had been stabbed right in the heart.

[I began to despise... the color red once more—
After that, I started attending the many social events that I had once hated. I flitted from one ball to another, wearing gorgeous makeup and bright red dresses. And soon people began calling me Lady Red.
But I also threw myself into my studies and... against my parents' wishes, obtained my license to practice medicine.]

"Auntie An, read me a story!" Ciel asked Madam Red excitedly.

"Read Meee!" Elizabeth parroted Ciel, smiling brightly.

"Heyyyyy!! Ciel! Lizzie!! What have I told you about calling me 'aunt'!? Call me 'big sister'!" Madam Red scolded them, vein mark throbbing on her head as she practically breathed fire at the two mischievous children as they giggled and ran off to play with Ciel's dog, 'Sebastian.'

"I feel a little guilty for always having you play with them." Rachel said, smiling wryly. She wasn't supposed to overexert herself, in case it triggered an asthma attack.

"I don't mind!" Madam Red said, smiling. "I like Children, and—"

"Ah! It's father!" Ciel yelled excitedly as Earl Phantomhive walked up to stand beside his wife.

"Welcome home!" Rachel and the two children greeted him, smiling happily. Madam Red stayed where she was, alone, despite being so close to her loved ones.

"I thought I'd play with the children since the weather is so fine. I left the rest to Tanaka, so..." Earl Phantomhive said, smiling as he lifted Ciel high up in the air, and the boy laughed excitedly.

[My warm and loving sister and her husband. My adorable nephew and his cousin. The people who I held most dear.]

Madam Red tucked her hair behind her ear as she stared wistfully at the Earl of Phantomhive.

[But... somewhere within me, there was always... an emotion I could not let go...
And so I married a man I met at a ball. I said to him 'there is a man I cannot forget'... but in return, he said, 'I don't mind.' He was a sincere and honest man. And then I too found myself with child.]

"Is it a boy? Is it a girl?" Her husband asked, smiling happily as he hugged Madam Red and leaned his head against her enlarged womb, listening to the baby's movements.

"Hee-Hee! Men are so impatient. We don't know yet." Madam Red said, smiling wryly.

[He cherished me—and I was happy.]

RATTLE. RATTLE. CRASH!

"A runaway carriage just slammed into slammed into someone! Call for a doctor!" A man yelled.

Madam Red woke up in a hospital.

"Your husband died upon impact. You suffered an internal hemorrhage, so we surgically removed your womb, together with your child. It was the only way to save your life..." The doctor informed her as Madam Red stared numbly at him, too broken to even react.

[—Or so I should have been.]

"An, how awful... How simply awful...!" Rachel cried. Tears streamed down her face as she hugged Madam Red.

[My sister often visited the hospital... to cheer me up.]

"An! I heard from the doctor! They say you'll be able to leave the hospital soon?" Rachel asked excitedly. She was so relieved her sister was getting better.

"Thanks to you." Madam Red said, smiling wryly.

"We must celebrate, then!" Rachel said excitedly. "I know! My son will be celebrating his tenth birthday soon. Why don't we celebrate your recovery together then too!?"

"B-But..." Madam red said hesitantly.

"Don't worry~! The correct way to celebrate a recovery is to drink and be merry with lots of people!! Gah! Ha! Ha! The liquor will taste that much better when you're free!" Rachel said, grinning as she patted Madam Red enthusiastically on the back.

[And then... that day arrived.]

'In the end, I could not refuse..." Madam Red thought, sighing, as she gazed out the window of her carriage.

[In truth, I had no desire to go... For I... I...]

SCREEECH.

"!?" Madam Red said, surprised when her carriage came to a sudden halt. She opened the door, and leaned out to talk to her driver. "Why the sudden stop?" She asked.

"M-Madam. Th-There...!!" The coachman said, horrified as he pointed ahead to the Phantomhive manor. Madam Red gasped, horrified by what she saw. She jumped down from the carriage and ran a little closer to the manor. She stared at it, her eyes wide with shock and dread. The manor entire manor was being engulfed in a flaming inferno.

[The color... that dyed that grey December sky... was that most hateful... RED—]


Author's note:

I decided to split this into two parts, like it was in the manga because it's sooooo long. (^_^;) So the next chap will be the other half of her Cinematic record, and hopefully a little more action!