Notes that pertain to this chapter:
Hey guys! Sorry I didn't update as soon as I said I would. I planned to post this on Friday, but unfortunately, I found myself unable to log on to this site until today. Hopefully other people have had that problem as well, and it isn't just my computer... :(
Anyway! Finally, we're going to find out some stuff! This chapter is a bit longer, hopefully it will be interesting. :)
Remember that this universe is somewhat AU.
Sometime soon, if I'm not too swamped with homework, I might find time to actually put information on my profile for this site. Sorry to those of you who clicked on my profile, only to find that there was nothing there. I am lazy and somewhat mysterious. XD
She had known who was going to open the door before he did; the only one in the manor who could sense the actual passing of a soul. Sebastian sidled in suavely, turning around to respectfully close the door. Perfect appearance, perfect manners, as always. All of that composure dropped through the floor, however, when he turned back around and beheld her standing there. His pale face went slack and his mouth opened in an almost comical O as whatever he was supposed to be doing was immediately forgotten. For several parturient moments, the demon did not seem able to do anything. Then-
"Master?" he gasped out, venturing forward a step as if determined to make sure that she was not a light-generated illusion. "Master? You're-you're back! And you-this-" He stopped speaking to gaze all around him, his eyes becoming wide enough to take in all the light that only he could see. The girl wondered what it was like for him, seeing her soul directly for the first time. That, combined with the sudden realization of her identity, was probably overwhelming even for someone like him.
"Master Lydia, you're the magna shalom? You've been watching the manor all this time? And in the study-that night-that was-how did-"
"Sebastian." Lydia said softly, smiling slightly inside as she saw the effect that hearing his name off of her lips had on the demon. He stopped sputtering immediately. "I told you I would come back, so why are you so surprised? Stupid demon, can't you even manage a datebook?"
Sebastian looked as though someone had given him a kitten for free. "Master." He purred lavishly, reaching out a hand to touch her head. At that moment, the door behind him burst open and expelled a rather bemused-looking Tanaka, a careworn Madam Red, and a resigned-looking Ciel into the room. The two aristocrats froze at the scene before them.
"My-my goodness!" cried out Madam Red, her wide eyes flicking from the girl to the demon to the dead man on the bed behind them both. "My word! My folly! What is happening here?" Ciel just looked stunned. The demon eyed him apprehensively, moving over to stand beside the young woman. "Young master," he bowed to the boy, "it seems that this is the magna shalom person whom we have been seeking. Most astonishingly, as I have just now discovered, she is also-"
"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Ciel, stepping authoritatively past his demon to stand before the brown-haired girl. He seemed in command, but also a little frightened, as the two observed each other with the same cobalt-blue eyes. "Who are you, and why do you look- you look like- why do you look like my mother?"
The girl felt a rush of endearment enter her heart. She wished that she had something to give to Ciel too, but the truth would have to do. "That is because," she replied, bending down and gazing into his eyes, "I am your sister, Ciel. Our mother's firstborn daughter. You remember me from earlier times, no doubt, but I've grown and changed quite a bit since then."
Ciel gawked at her speechlessly, his eyes roving over the face, the hair, the rich eyes and supple body of the woman who had raised him, with incremental differences here and there. The hair was darker, the skin was more tanned, and one of her eyes was slightly more half-lidded than the other. Apart from this, the woman could have been his mother. A lump suddenly rose up in his throat, and his stomach seemed to be full of jumping frogs. What was happening to him? Before he had time to contemplate this properly, he was practically steamrolled over by his aunt, who has grasped the situation much faster than anyone else. Wailing "Lydia, oh Lydia!" with enthusiastic emotion, she seized the new arrival and squished her into her magenta bosom, wrapping her arms around her niece and beginning to sob. Ciel continued to stare, and Tanaka and Sebastian continued to watch the scene from the sidelines. Lydia herself commenced with trying to comfort her aunt, and from the main hallway, several more people were beginning to peek inside the room. Sensing that this might very well turn into a spectacle, Sebastian inserted himself between Madam Red and his master, separating them gently.
"We ought to all go into the drawing room, away from the crowds." He murmured, while Madam Red sniffled and rubbed her eyes. "Yes, I….yes, you're right, oh….it's just so sudden, I'm sorry! We didn't expect him to die while we were resting in the next room like that, oh, but at least he wasn't alone! And you, oh my Lydia, you're here! It's so sudden! However did you-"
"Come this way please, Madam, my Lord, Master. Tanaka, please deal with the crowds." Sebastian requested, ushering them out the back door which Lydia had undoubtedly come in through. He saw Ciel start as he called Lydia 'master,' but really, that was what she was to him. As they passed through the winding catacombs of hallways, he noticed that the young girl was actually very pale, and her walk was wavering. The demon laid a steady hand upon her shoulder, and when she accepted it, her brother looked even more surprised. Sebastian was too infatuated to care. His master was back, and what a soul she had developed in the years she'd been away! What had she been doing, and how had she known to come back at this time? He'd never guessed throughout all these days of pursuing the intruder that she might be getting around so easily because she had firsthand knowledge of the manor and its grounds. He'd never imagined that the magna shalom could be someone he was already connected to! Sebastian longed to feel the touch of her hands on his face again, just like that night in the study, but right now he was content to merely be beside her as the group slipped into a wayside drawing room. The light of her soul was already there, filling up the air with shimmering, cooling light, a merciful balm for the demon. He seated everyone in close-together chairs, and respectfully took his place off to the side near the fireplace mantle. Madam Red was still shaking her head in wonderment.
"I'm sorry to shock you all with my sudden appearance." Lydia spoke up quietly, brushing her brown braids behind her shoulders again and peering shyly at her relations. "I came here at this time because I had something important to do, and it just happened that I ended up staying with grandfather as he died. In his final moments, he thought that I was his wife, and he kept calling me her name. I didn't want to just leave him….and then Sebastian came into the room just moments after he died, you see."
Ciel had gained his voice back. "So you were hiding in the woods outside of the manor this whole time, waiting for the right time to come in?"
"Yes. I'm sorry if I made you worry that I might be a villain or a spy. I wanted to keep aware of what was going on inside of the manor."
"Why didn't you just come in?" blustered Ciel, but he fell silent as Madam Red and Lydia shared an ominous dark look over his head. "Was it because grandfather would have tried to have you killed, just like before?"
Another dark look was exchanged. "Yes." Lydia finally replied, gazing out the window and looking quite unperturbed at this mention of her possible death. "But the passing of our grandfather marks the end of the last of the ardent Phantomhive family purists, so today I have no more fear about that. But obviously, I could only make myself known to him at the very last minute, when he would have no more time and no more strength to try for my death. I came to see him for a personal reason."
"But how did you know when he was going to die?"
Lydia's large, porturbent eyes fixed upon her younger brother's small frame. Only twelve years old, and already he had the bearing of an earl, the unmistakable commanding voice of one of England's top noble families. He had been meant to have it. To his question, she replied softly, "Has Sebastian told you about the nature of my soul?"
"Yes, he said that you're a magna shalom, and I know what that means." Ciel replied, while Madam Red watched the exchange, looking confused. Lydia nodded. "Thus, I suppose I have special spiritual insight in situations such as these. I knew because it was given to me to know. Then I contacted Tanaka."
"I don't really understand all of this," Madam Red declared, smoothing out the wrinkles in her dress, "but what are we doing talking about souls and death? I want to hear about life! Your life!" she reached over and squeezed Lydia's hand like an excited schoolgirl. "It's been so many years, and you've grown so big! Where have you been? How have you been getting by? Do you have a job? Do you have a man? Who-"
"Pardon the intrusion, sir and madams." The greyed head of an under-doctor leaned into the room, startling the three humans. "But Lady Angelina is requested by the head physician to come and sign the death certificate of her father, if she would please…."
It seemed that the flamboyantly dressed woman had just remembered that her father had died not half an hour ago. "Ah yes, yes, of course I'll come. I'll be back in a moment, children, wait for me! And you, stay here!" She pointed sternly over at the younger, darker imitation of her older sister. "I mean it, too! Don't disappear for another five years the moment I turn my head!" She rustled out of the room briskly, but behind her words, Sebastian could sense a real worry that Lydia was going to do just that. He bit his pale lip, and the moment the door closed, detached himself from the wall and approached his master.
"Master, I have waited many days and nights for your return. May I make you up a room upstairs in the main hallway?" he asked persuasively, kneeling beside her chair and staring up into her tired-looking blue eyes. Lydia did not answer, instead leaning toward Ciel while at the same time casually reaching out to give Sebastian's head an affectionate rub. He caught her hand in his now clawless fingers, nuzzling it like a cat and holding it against his skin peaceably. Ciel was most disconcerted by this occurrence. What had he told that stupid demon about acting human? He would have yelled at Sebastian if his head wasn't spinning so much.
"I've never seen him do that with anyone." He commented, staring hard at the oblivious demon.
"He likes me." Lydia replied, wrapping her long fingers around the demon's own. "Are you all right, Ciel?"
Ciel started as he heard her say his name. "Yes, I'm- well, I'm….all things considered, I guess so."
"You don't have to be okay. Anyone would expect you to be shocked right now." The brown-haired girl smiled faintly. "Your house has been invaded by a huge wave of people, of which I suppose I am one, and your grandfather has just died."
"I didn't like him." The young boy responded, glaring darkly at the carpet. "He wasn't like a grandfather at all."
"Nor did I. Even so, his death will cause some significant changes around here."
"Like you coming back?" Ciel asked, looking up, while his sister stared into the distance reflectively.
"Yes, I suppose so. I am no longer a potential target for death because of my sordid association with the Phantomhive name, so that's a good thing….speaking of which, how much do you remember about me before I left the manor? You look somewhat confused."
"My first memories are of you coming to watch me while our parents- I mean our mother and my father- did things in society. We would play with blocks and read stories and climb out the window into the garden. Those were happy times." The blue-eyed boy murmured, rubbing his forehead as if that would summon back the memories. "Then….then mother became ill, and I saw you only sometimes….and then I didn't see her at all. And then she died, and you left, and you didn't take Sebastian with you even though he was your birthright."
The demon's pale hands tightened around Lydia's, and he pulled her nearer. She glanced at him with impenetrable eyes. "No. I didn't. I don't imagine you were too happy about that, were you?" she asked Sebastian, nudging his head.
"He was absolutely unmanageable for awhile." Ciel replied, answering for his demon. "He was still tied to the manor, or I think he would have gone wandering about the country looking for you. But he wouldn't take orders from anyone. He hid in the walls and broke things and burned all the gardens and neglected his duties and haunted father and grandfather until he drove them out of the manor. He was like a poltergeist. I remember that time very well."
"Sebastian!" Lydia exclaimed, staring intensely down at the kneeling man. "That is exactly what I instructed you not to do when I departed!"
"I am a demon, master." The creature replied, looking up in mock innocence. "It is in my nature."
Lydia huffed, and Ciel glared at him. "So I assume that you took the contract mark with Sebastian in my place, since the manor seems to be in quite good order now?"
"I did." Ciel nodded, folding his arms. "Very soon afterwards. It was to control him. No one in the family could command him, since his previous master had died and his would-have-been-current master had left without sealing the contract. So when the haunting became so unwithstandable that the family feared that outsiders' attention would be directed toward us, they decided that I should close the contract in your place so we could bind his actions again."
"At that young of an age?" Lydia asked quietly, appearing disturbed. The boy nodded nonchalantly. "My father approved of it. This stupid demon fought it until the bitter end. He tore half the manor apart on the day the mystics came, and they had to drive him into the sealing room with crucifixes. He kept changing shape into hideous things even after they got his hand attached to the censor; it was quite frightening."
"Sebastian." Lydia groaned again, and the demon growled lowly in response, rubbing his contract hand as if reliving the traumatic memory of being forcibly bound to the wrong master.
"Even after the contract was sealed, he still fought me until I learned how to properly control him. Grandfather taught me how to make him feel pain and restrict him with needles. Eventually, we got him properly trained again." Ciel stated matter-of-factly, gazing coldly at the demon kneeling at his sister's side. "It was a bit of a hedge around the contract, having me take the seal instead of you, since you're the oldest child of his former master. But since that part was only a secondary clause, we were able to bend it that much and still achieve the same effect."
"It was a blatant, flagrant viola- nnnnnnnnh!" the demon's rant was cut off in a furious grunt as a sharp, fire-hot needle was once again shoved through his tongue. He clapped a hand over his mouth and twisted his head, glaring venomously over at the instigator. Perhaps that defiance was a mistake, for it caused Ciel's frown to deepen. The boy raised his eyebrow coolly.
"If it was a violation, idiot, then I wouldn't be able to do this." Without warning, Sebastian felt Ciel's power twist the needle in his mouth, digging it deeper into his bottom palate. The demon threw his head back in pain, crying out incoherently, while impulsively latching onto the closest thing to him, which happened to be Lydia's arm. The black-clad girl was dragged off her chair due to his strength, and Sebastian heard Ciel begin to shout for him to release her in an indignant voice. Before all the words had come out, though, a softer voice intervened.
"No, it's okay. I'm fine Ciel, don't order him. Here Sebastian, hold still, let's see if I still remember how to do this…." Sebastian felt both of her hands press over his mouth as the girl bent toward him, concentrating. The next moment, like before, all of the pain was gone. "There, good! You're okay now. I did wonder if his having a separate contract would break my inborn connection to him, but it seems that that's not the case. Here, let go of my arm, I need to sit down again…."
Lydia lifted herself back into the chair, and Sebastian, who was not stupid, curled up once again beside his newfound source of protection. He pulled her hand toward him swiftly. "He doesn't like that needle-tongue thing, I remember. He used to get so agitated when mum did it to him. I was sometimes unkind to him back then, I'd pretend like I didn't know what he wanted when he was trying to put me to bed because he couldn't talk."
To look at her, it would seem like this was a completely normal incident, but her younger brother's face betrayed a peculiar kind of paralysis. No one had ever crossed him in terms of authority before, not since his parents had died….how was he meant to respond to something like this? Bewildered, the one thing he was sure of was that it was all Sebastian's fault, anyway. He glared at the demon. "His behavior has left much to be desired as of late. I must apologize for him."
"Not unexpected though, it is? He's been sensing my soul hanging around for the past week and a half, he's probably been restless as- no pun intended- hell. I noticed that you stopped letting him come outside, which was probably as good thing." Flipping her braids, Lydia reached down and gave Sebastian's head a casual shove. "I was not ready to be found out yet, and he wasn't helping things by throwing random projectiles at me while I hid in the bushes."
"I did not realize it was you, master. I apologize most sincerely for that. I'm glad you weren't hurt. By the way, how did you manage to dodge some of those things? The skill level required-"
Ciel sat up straighter in his cushioned chair. He did not like what was going on here. Who did Sebastian think he was, slipping so easily back into a position of familiarity with his sister when Ciel himself barely knew what to say to her? Lydia belonged to him, not Sebastian. And where did that stupid demon get the nerve to act so boldly around her? "Sebastian, shut up. You are insulting the company with your constant lapses of memory regarding your place. My sister should be treated as having the same status which I possess. You do not talk to her unless she asks you something. And furthermore, what are you doing hanging off her side in this manner that does not befit a butler at all? Apologize, and remedy your actions at once!"
Lydia was sensing a worrisome conflict of interests here between Ciel and the demon. Obviously, her brother did not know that this was the way in which she had interacted with Sebastian since she was born. She somewhat suspected that the demon might have had a hand in subliminally influencing her young mind to accept his desire for closeness. Regardless, the older Lydia had never been able to bring herself to be bothered by Sebastian's 'hanging off her.' He had explained countless times that demons needed physical closeness and touch in order to alleviate their constant pain. Her nature had always been a soft one, and she had felt sorry for him. She didn't see that changing anytime soon, especially considering that she was now a magna shalom. However, despite the fact that he was misinterpreting the situation, Lydia understood that Ciel was upset because he thought that Sebastian was disrespecting her by not staying back. His concern touched her very much; but this would take a long time to explain, and Lydia did not want to spend her first hour with her brother in five years talking about demons and bad things that had happened in the past. It didn't feel right. She wanted to know about her brother and how he was getting along, but if he kept clashing with Sebastian….she could send the demon away, but that also seemed like a careless thing to do after not seeing him for such a long time. He would be most upset. But maybe if it was only temporary….
"Sebastian, there's actually something I'd like you to do." She cut in before the demon could begin with the obligatory apology, although he had noticeably neglected to remove himself from her side. "Please go back into the deathroom and retrieve for me something which you will find on the left hand of the late grandfather Phantomhive. You'll know what it is as soon as you see it."
"While you're at it, make sure you put the body in its winding sheets and seal it in the coffin, Sebastian." Ciel added, flicking his hand at the demon. "Do it right away before it causes as odor."
Sebastian narrowed his eyes, but bowed obediently and stood up. With the fluid motions of a black cat, he strode over to the door; as his hand touched the handle, however, a thought struck him and he turned back around. "Master, you will be here when I return, yes?"
"Who do you think you're to give the item to, moron?" Lydia snorted with a cockeyed smile, and the demon felt slightly better, although he still didn't want to let his newly returned master out of his sight for even a moment. There were so many things he wanted to ask her….but there was too much going on right now, he could see that he would have to be patient. Sebastian sighed as he walked briskly down the hallway. He was very, very tired of being patient at this point, and he was anxious about Lydia's intentions as well. She had come back to stay, hadn't she? Hadn't she?
/
Sebastian was making his way quickly back from the deathroom when his young master's demanding voice behind him caused him to turn around. He was very surprised to see Ciel standing there in the hallway, and not with his sister in the drawing room. Before he could open his mouth to ask, Ciel calmly stated, "I am being called for by the family, so it seems that I must go and deal with them for awhile. My sister is where we left her, so go and bring her the object that she desired. Don't let anyone besides Madam Red, Tanaka, or myself into the drawing room, and do not speak about her presence here to anyone. The situation is still far too….unstable for her safety to be guaranteed in this manor. I will deal with you later." With this ominous statement, Ciel turned on his shining heel and marched off down the hall, leaving Sebastian to hurry off in the opposite direction, toward the drawing room. It made him very anxious that his master had been left in there by herself, for Ciel had been right on one count. The manor was still very unstable.
Pushing open the door, Sebastian beheld Lydia's slim body tilted sideways on the oriental couch, her face worn and tired because of the day that she'd been having. Softly and respectfully, the demon approached the resting girl and knelt down by her side, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Hello, Sebastian." She yawned. "You have it?"
"Here you are, master." The demon intoned quietly, producing the elegant blue Phanotmhive ring from his suit pocket and hovering carefully over Lydia. He attempted to slip it onto her finger, but she turned her hand down quickly and let it drop into her dress pocket. The demon frowned.
"Master, please allow me to remain with you, for the safety of the manor is not yet assured."
She waved her hand sleepily, invitingly, and though he would not have done so with any other human, Sebastian took the initiative and sat beside her on the sofa. He bent toward her, drawn tantalizingly in by her light. It felt so good, so cool…. "Master," he whispered earnestly, "there is so much I want to know. Where have you been? Why have you come back now? And what in the name of all in the world has happened to your soul?"
Lydia's lips tilted up in a tiny grin at that last question. She yawned again, drawing in a deep breath afterward. "I went to many places after I left the manor, and did many things. There would be no point in my trying to tell you about them all now, however. There's far too much to say. And why did I come back? It was time. I told you, it was given to me to know when I would return. Although a little more of an advance warning would have been nice…." She grumbled, grinning again into her pillow, "….but on the other hand, it might have only served to make me think about it too much. Ah, I guess he does know me, after all."
Sebastian froze at the mention of The Named. "Did he tell you to come back? Just like he told you to leave?" he demanded lowly, unconsciously sliding his claws out of his fingertips. Lydia nodded, supremely unbothered. "And you just did it, just because he asked you to, didn't even give you a clear reason, just-"
Lydia was laughing. Sebastian sputtered indignantly to a halt. "Sebastian," the dark-haired girl intoned, sitting up and giving him a playful nudge, "we both know that you can't comprehend the way he does things. How could you? You're a demon. Don't talk about things that you don't understand."
The demon clenched his clawed fists in sudden worry, glancing up uneasily into the bright blue eyes of the other. Even those were full of brilliance. "Did he do this to you, then?" he inquired softly, reaching up to reverently stroke the side of her face. He was seized with the sudden longing to take his gloves off and lean into her fully.
"He did it for me, not to me. I was entirely complicit in the change." The girl corrected.
"But what happened?"
"You shouldn't be so surprised, Sebastian." Lydia said to him gently, pulling his hand down from her face. "You were there when it began." When the demon continued to look intensely curious, she smiled and made a tiny motion to her right arm, shaking up the sleeve so that more of the bandaged limb was visible. The demon's red eyes widened.
"Was that- but- but how?"
"Once I let go of my darkness," Lydia mused quietly, her face swimming in a dream-like state of memory, "there was much more room for light."
"But, I saw you after that." The demon protested, frowning in confusion. "During those months between the time of that incident and your mother's death, you were with her at the manor quite often. I never detected any change…."
"It was a very gradual process. Or should I say, is a gradual process. Even now…." Lydia yawned yet again, burying her tanned face into the couch's pillow. Sebastian leaned forward intently.
"You mean that your soul is still expanding? How is that possible, master?"
"I am tired." The dark-haired girl announced, shutting her eyes against the light from the windows. "I'm going to take a nap now. My mind can't process all that's been happening so quickly. Grandfather is dead….and his last wish will be forever unfulfilled. What a foolish man he was." She shifted her soft head drowsily. "Find me a blanket, please. And close those curtains." Sebastian agreed with her wholeheartedly there as he fetched a woolen blanket from the opposite side of the room and closed the curtains, still curious, but determined to be patient. Lydia buried herself fully in the fuzzy blanket, only her head sticking out. Her long strands of dark hair looked like roots, the way they cascaded down her face. The demon hovered uncertainly over the resting human in the silent room, and after a few moments, she opened her chocolate brown eyes and gave him a bemused glance.
"Go ahead, then, if you're just going to stand there like that."
The form of the demon fell to the floor like a passing shadow, and the next moment, a soft-furred black cat clawed his way up the blanket and came to stand on top of the human. He took his time in finding the perfect place to lie down, as cats were known to do. Eventually, he curled up into a ball on top of Lydia's stomache, slowly rising and falling along with her. The human laughed, a soft, amused sound, and casually draped a small hand over the scruff of the cat's neck. The room subsided into silence as the girl fell slowly asleep and the cat remained alert, his feline ears pricked up on constant guard against danger. No danger approached, and the content demon happily nuzzled the still, ringless hand of his master. No matter what had happened to her, she was back now….
Softly, almost undetectably, the cat began to purr.
