CHAPTER 29 - "FINALE?"

Still on the roof, Lukas said, "Ciel, there's a hatch on the other side of the roof over there." He pointed. "We can get down here, then make our way through the mansion to ground. We do not need to wait for Sebastian. I am embarrassed to admit, but I am not fond of heights."

Lukas started towards the hatch, but stopped when Ciel did not follow. He looked back. Ciel was standing on his feet, looking down over the edge of the roof top.

"Ciel, what are you doing?" Lukas demanded.

"Proving a point, dear brother," Ciel said, and stretched his arms out like the wings of a bird, and tipped forward.

"CIEL!" Lukas screamed. "SEBASTIAN…" he shouted, hoping the demon would hear him.

Ciel plummeted like a stone, but he was snatched just meters before hitting the ground, caught in Sebastian's arms like an angelic savior; they landed softly. "My lord, what a foolish thing to do," Sebastian said. He put Ciel down.

"Now here me, Sebastian," he said just quiet enough for the demon to hear. "I did this for a moment alone with you. You are mine! I wish you to annul your covenant with my brother, as you said prior. Make up some excuse, but to it. This is an order!"

Sebastian chuckled softly. "Why my lord, I never took you as be the jealous type. But I will do as you order."

Lukas had made his way down through the mansion and back to the courtyard, then confronted his brother angrily. "What the hell were you doing?"

Ciel grinned crookedly. "Proving a point, Lukas."

"And what point was that? That humans can not fly like birds?"

"Indeed, but no. That no matter what Sebastian will never let me fall."

"That is just foolish and stupid and in-in-"

"Incomprehensible?"

"Incomprehensibly idiotic!" Lukas snorted angry, then turned away, and visually examined Sebastian. He seemed worse for ware. "Will you be alright, Sebastian?"

"I appreciate your concern, my lord," the demon said. "Yes, I shall be fine, after a little recuperation. But I will not shirk my duties. There is much to be done to rebuild the grounds and the mansion."

The giant hole in the side of the mansion said it all about just how much damage the Fallen Reaper could have inflicted if he had won and was left to his own devices in the human world but also in the spirit one, to wage war against the Reaperdem like he stated. But now the threat had passed and it was thanks to Sebastian's efforts.

He knew Ciel would never say such, so he said, "Sebastian, good work. And may I have the Triad back?"

Sebastian nodded, and reached into his pocket and returned it.

Lukas slipped it back around his neck. He then ventured forth to the square of white stones, but didn't dare step onto to them, knowing what may still lay beneath…

"Is it safe, Sebastian?" he asked. "Is it…gone?" Referring to the Ocularis Infernum or the "Eye of Hell", that prior education had taught him about.

"Quite safe, my lord," the demon said. "The Reaper is no longer a threat, nor is "it" still there."

Lukas gulped guiltily. He hoped he had not insulted Sebastian by calling the Eye of Hell as "it".

"Good," Ciel said, and came to stand next to his brother, then ventured to the centre of the square, unafraid. "Because I don't want "it" on the grounds again!"

Lukas was taken aback by Ciel's straight-forwardness and nothing of being tactful or respectful of Sebastian's true first master.

But Sebastian didn't appear offended. "Of course, my lord."

Ronald Knox "winked" back into existence in the courtyard near them. "Is it over?" he asked.

"Yes, Reaper," Sebastian said. "You are safe now."

Knox straightened his tie embarrassed. "Um, I…wasn't afraid…I just…"

"Indeed. And I concur with your leaving. It was the better part of valor, to escape and fight another day."

Knox nodded. "We Reapers aren't infallible, like humans we can also…" He stopped, as if he realized he was about to reveal a precious secret. Then the Reaper's eyes widened as if he had forgotten something. "Grell!"

Running across an adjacent open grassy field with the others in tow, he found Grell laying on his back in the field, a trail of ripped up soil where the Reaper had obviously skidded along the ground to eventually end up at his final destination. The flamboyant Reaper was just starting to regain consciousness.

"Grell, man, you alright?" Knox said, helping the Reaper to sit up. "That was some wild fall after Ironstadt hit you."

"Indeed," Sebastian agreed.

With the demon's voice, the Reaper seemed to acquire a second wind, and jumped to his feet. Seeing Sebastian alive, after witnessing him ripped apart and devoured by the three headed serpentine monster, and attacking the Ironstadt in retaliation, he puckered his lips in a kiss. "Bassie!" leaping to the butler.

Sebastian held out a hand. "Decorum, Grell. There is still the issue of your involvement in my master's aunt's death. We could settle it here?"

Grell took a couple of steps back, and smiled nervously. "I'm glad you are alive, Bassie."

"Indeed."

Knox sighed.

"Why the sigh, Reaper?" Sebastian asked Knox.

"He might as well be "dead", so to speak, after Will gets through with us," Knox said. "We got involved in human affairs against direct orders. Will's gonna have our heads!"

"I am sure he will be forgiving," Sebastian said reassuringly, "seeing you aided in our plight in defeating the Fallen Reapers."

"Such undiscipline," a new but familiar voice said from behind the two Reapers. And both Grell and Knox yelped in sudden fright, when William T. Spears, Head of Reaper Affairs, suddenly "winked" into existence in the grassy field. "You are both fined one demerit point for disobeying orders."

"Awwwwwwwwwwww!" both subordinate Reapers whined.

Knox had captured Ironstadt's soul within his Deathscythe, but he knew it was unwise to argue with Will. Despite having his Deathscythe destroyed, the spirit of the monster had been immediately sent up to the Reaperdem detention centre for containment.

William T. Spears adjusted his glasses situating them to the bridge of his nose. "It would seem we own you a debt of gratitude, demon."

"Two, by my count," Sebastian said.

William nodded reluctantly. "Indeed," eyeing Grell. "The Jack the Reaper incident. I had nearly forgotten. And I wish I had. I so loathe owning such a despicable creature as yourself anything."

"Watch your tongue, Reaper!" Lukas spoke up.

"Pardon?" Will looked at him.

"Sebastian saved us all, including these two Reapers from a terrible fate. Show some gratitude and respect!"

William narrowed his eyes in contempt, then eyed Sebastian. "I suggest you muzzle your pet, demon."

"I am not his pet! I am a Phantomhive and Sebastian and I have a covenant, and throughout everything that has happened and everything we have endured here today, I honor him with the respect of valor he deserves. To me, he is more than just a demon, more than just a butler," Lukas turned to smile at Sebastian, "he is…a friend."

Sebastian blinked, seemingly taken aback.

"Fool," William said, without giving Sebastian time to make a reply. "He will devour your soul, human, and whatever debt you may think you own him, it means nothing. In the end, you and your brother will lose everything. You are delusional if your existence means anything from this point on."

"That is where you are wrong, Reaper!" Ciel spoke up. "I have ordered Sebastian to annul my brother's contract with him, and he has agreed. He has returned Lukas's life back to him."

William rudely grabbed Lukas's tongue and pulled it out to see it. He knew where the covenant had been placed by Sebastian, watching everything through the Looking Glass Receptacle Ball. But now it was gone.

Lukas slapped the Reaper's hand away. "Don't you ever touch me again, Reaper!" He looked to Ciel. "Why?" he demanded.

Ciel smiled crookedly and was about to respond dishonestly to protect his brother's feelings, when William said, "Because he is selfish. He wants Sebastian to himself. He and the demon have been bonded for two years without you and he is jealous he would have to share."

"Is this true, Ciel?"

Ciel frowned, as if out-maneuvered. "Reaper, you are outspoken. Leave us, now!"

"Very well," William said, knowing he was correct. "We shalt take our leave. And I certainly hope we shalt-not meet again, demon."

"You're welcome," Sebastian said graciously, as if responding to an unsaid "thank you".

William scowled, then "winked out" with the other Reapers.

"Not even a bloody thank-you!" Lukas snorted angrily. "How ungracious and rude!"

Sebastian said nothing in answer, but did nod in agreement.

When they returned back to the main courtyard, they found Savannah's body had also disappeared with her and Ironstadt's Triads. Sebastian reached into pocket to feel for Mathu Kelvin's Triad , but it was gone as well. That haughty Reaper must have retrieved it like the others.

He gave a brief glance to Lukas, obviously the boy had not yet noticed that his Triad - the one given to him by the Undertaker - was also gone. The Undertaker, whom Sebastian knew was a Reaper masquerading as a human by the feel of his aura, for which Ciel did not know, but for which Lukas assuredly did. But Ciel being an intelligent young lad would probably figure it out for himself, someday.

"I've decided. The stone garden, get rid of it," Ciel ordered.

Sebastian bowed. "I will have Finny begin to remove the stones when he returns," he said. "May I inquire what I shall say to the servants? They will wonder why?"

"I changed my mind. As simple as that."

Two weeks passed without further incidents and the Phantonhive mansion was settling into a routine.

Contract workers were brought in to repair the damage to the backside of the mansion caused by both the Fallen Reapers and prior damage caused by the deceased twins - Sasha and Samuel Ironstadt. The workers and the servants in regards to the latter damage were told that it was an unfortunate and fowled attempt at disposing left over tiny veils of nitroglycerin left over by the prior attack on the grounds. And since nitroglycerin was such an unstable liquid, it was a believable excuse.

Over this fortnight, issues and discussions had been forthcoming about what their next move would be and to whom they should begin hunting in regards to the transgressions against the Phantomhive family, but both boys agreed all would be dealt with independently in due course.

And Sebastian didn't mind waiting, for now.

In the Dining Room, the nightly meal was served, and Ciel and Lukas sat at opposite ends of the elongated table, much like they should as heads of the household. To eat along side the other on the side would negate their status, despite it being closer to talk to one another.

"I wonder what happened to the shard of the Hope Diamond the Reapers had?" Lukas spooned some vegetable gazpacho soup into his mouth. It was traditional to eat it cold. "Didn't Sebastian give it to you?" he asked Ciel.

"Yes," Ciel said, taking a sip from a goblet, "and in all the commotion I accidentally dropped it." He put it down. "Sebastian has combed the area, but it is no where to be found."

"It could not have fallen far," Lukas wondered, then gulped nervously. "Do you think it could have been sucked down to Hell with the Fallen Reaper after the fact, pulled down by…"

Sebastian shook his head, standing afar next to a wall. "I would know," he said.

Ciel shrugged, after ingesting a spoon full of soup. "It matters not. I consider the matter finished."

"Finished? Do you not worry that someone might find the shard and use it sinisterly?"

"No, and I believe it is an issue that deserves no more discussion."

"No more discussion? Are you mad? There is a powerfully cursed shard of the Hope Diamond lost somewhere fueled with dark energy! Are you unconcerned?"

"Yes, and why must you be so difficult?"

"Difficult?" Lukas slammed his hands on the table, rattling the dishes. "You insufferable, pompous… Sebastian may have been our savior against the Fallen Reapers, but it does not make you - the only one with a covenant now - untouchable! You and I still have many more enemies out there!"

"Indeed, and we will deal with each in time. Now, I will would like to eat my dinner in peace, without further argument on already settled issues."

Lukas growled under his breath and gave a sideways glance to Sebastian who was masking his face with a gloved hand in abashment. The argument was embarrassing him.

Lukas snorted one last protest. "Intolerable," he said. Even in the short time he had become re-acquainted with his brother, he had learned of Ciel's ever-arrogant behavior and hated it. "You'll never change."

"Are you quite finished?"

Lukas dropped down into his seat, his arms crossed. "Yes, for now. I should have left for good when I had the chance weeks prior."

"You still can."

"Pardon?"

"If you insist on being a child and arguing, you're welcome to leave. I won't stop you."

Lukas unconsciously clutched the butler knife next to his bowl of soup. Sebastian had brought two baskets of nice soft bread for each of them earlier that he had finished off quickly. The knife had not been used because Sebastian had buttered the bread prior and it had been placed down merely for etiquette purposes. But Ciel's attitude made Lukas reach for something to squeeze, something to contain his anger…

"Why are you brooding, Lukas?" Ciel said. "From what I remember of them, mother and father never snapped to judgment, nor were they quick to -"

Lukas snapped his wrist, throwing it at Ciel with swift velocity. It embedded itself in the right wooden high portion of Ciel's chair just above Ciel's collarbone.

Sebastian hadn't stopped it.

"If I learnt anything from my secret training it is that I am quick. Not even Sebastian had time to stop it."

Ciel had to turn his head to see the knife sticking out from the chair on his right side, because he was blinded due to the eye patch covering his eyes. But he didn't remove it. He looked back at Lukas.

"Nay, you are not," he said calmly. "You fail to realize the situation before you with the duel, and that you missed on purpose even then, shooting the pistol out of my hand whereas you could have killed me. Whereas I missed," he gave Sebastian a knowing look, then turned back to Lukas, "and you knew you would here, even with your amnesia lifted. You may have been trained as an assassin, brother, but you are not a killer at heart. You have defeated your programming. You could not kill me, even without Sebastian. We are family, and family protect one another…from harm."

Lukas growled under his breath once again. "You are so - "

"Pugnacious."

Lukas blinked his eyes in momentary confusion. "No, I was about to say…"

"I am describing you, Lukas, because you are so eager to argue," Ciel said flatly. "We must begin to train that out of you. Perhaps you picked up this argumentative trait from your associations with Bryon Kelvin?"

"You know I can't answer that. Despite observing my cinematic record under the care of the Undertaker, certain memories are foggy and distorted from a perspective sort of view."

He looked at Sebastian briefly. The butler had made him realize perhaps not all what he had seen before, when his life passed before his eyes in his cinematic record was certain truth, that what was shown to him should only be taken on surface value and not "the whole truth", and that there was more to just his parent's superficiality and status quo nature when it came to them regarding his plain face and attempting to surgically alter his appearance to make him more socially appealing. They had been trying to help him, he knew. They really loved him. It was unfortunate that Bryon Kelvin then took advantage of their kind heartedness and did what he did, lying to Vincent and Rachel that he had died on the operating table.

"Maybe over time they will return," Ciel said, regarding Lukas's faded memories. "So I suggest you forget about the past and focus on the present. We have much to discuss about the state of our enemies and their elimination."

Lukas nodded. "At least that we can agree upon, brother. But finding Bryon Kelvin will be a hard task."

"Believe me, Lukas. I want him just as badly as you do for what he has done to our family. No one attacks the Phantomhive's without paying a high price."

Lukas agreed. "A very high price!"

After dinner, they retired to the Drawing Room, where Sebastian served them tea. Ciel sat in the high chair, while Lukas sat on the leather couch.

Lukas sipped the tea, smelling a very strong, but sweet and lovely aroma. "Is this honeysuckle tea, Sebastian?" he said excitedly. "I was given to think that it was only available on the island of Australia or in China due to its exclusivity despite imports? Very nice choice."

"Thank you, my lord. I wanted to try something new. There are only so many times one can partake in Earl Grey." The butler gave him a thin smile.

Lukas chuckled. Earl Grey was his favorite tea. "I approve." Sebastian nodded. "I hear there are talks of an independent commonwealth being established by the British colonies on Australia. Brother, have you heard any of the latest news regarding that part of the world?"

Lukas observed Ciel looking downcast at his tea cup sitting in his lap, his eyes looked wide, almost in a state of remembrance shock. It appeared he had not taken a sip of tea due to this moment of reverence. It almost appeared that a sudden past memory had captured his mind at the moment triggered by something.

"Ciel? Are you feeling well?"

Ciel snapped out of his apparent daydream. He blinked, and frowned at the tea, as if the very smell of it brought out an unconscious repulsion.

"Do you approve of the tea, sir?" Sebastian asked.

"No," he said strongly, and retrospectively. "I do not approve. Not at all."

To be continued...