AN: Warning, major character death.
"Good night, young master," said Sebastian as he pulled the covers up, over Ciel's figure. "Would you like me to take the candle away?"
"No, leave it here," He turned over. "I'd like some light tonight." Sebastian nodded.
"But, isn't it a little dangerous, my lord? It could fall and catch fire,"
"That's unlikely, Sebastian. I am not that bad of a restless sleeper." Sebastian nodded again and left the room, shutting the door, so the room was left with the weak light of the orange flame. Ciel fell asleep quickly, but as he turned over a final time, the bedside cabinet was knocked and shook ferociously…
Mey-Rin awoke with a start. She could smell something… was it… burning? Quickly, she pulled on her dressing gown and glasses, and ran to the male quarters, hammering on the door.
"Finny! Bard, get up!" she half-whispered. Finny came to the door and opened it a crack, his hair sticking up in odd places.
"Huh? Oh, Mey-Rin, it's you…" he yawned. "What's wrong?" Mey-Rin wrinkled her nose.
"Oh, it's ever so strong, yes it is!" she said. "Come out here!" Finny stepped out of the bedroom and into the corridor, sniffing.
"It's like burning…" he sniffed again. "No, you're right. Bard! Bardroy, get up!" Bard appeared in the doorway.
"What the bloody hell are you two up to? It's nearly two in the morning-"
"But we can smell burning!" interrupted Mey-Rin worriedly. Bard scratched his head.
"What?" his nose twitched. "Yeah… that's burning alright. We should wake the household up, come on." He and Finny ran to Sebastian, while Mey-Rin shook Tanaka awake.
"Tanaka!" she hissed. "There's a fire, we need to get out!"
"Ho ho?" he mumbled. She shook her head and grabbed his arm, pulling him behind her as she ran to catch up with the others. She met Finny and Bard, along with Sebastian.
"Burning you say?" the dark man asked. Mey-Rin wrung her hands.
"Yes! It's terrible, yes it is!" Sebastian put a hand to as his chin, wondering where it could be coming from. At that moment, there was a blood curdling sound of a scream from upstairs. All their blood ran cold.
"The Master!" they all thundered up the stairs, Sebastian carrying Tanaka in his arms. As soon as they reached the second floor, they could see the light of the flames and feel the heat. Sebastian put the older man down and ran into Ciel's now alight bedroom, returning with a coughing boy, bridal style.
"Are you alright?!" asked Finny, hysterical. Ciel nodded between coughs.
"No, really… I'm fine…" he protested. A flaming beam fell from the ceiling, nearly missing the distressed party gathered in the corridor.
"We need to get out," said Sebastian, gathering Ciel in his arms again. They all jumped as another part of the building fell down near them. "Now! Come on!"
"Not without my hat!" shouted Finny, and he flew down the stairs again.
"Finny! Finny, come back you idiot!" bellowed Bard, and he and Mey-Rin ran after their friend. Sebastian sighed, leaning over Ciel to protect him from falling rubble. He ran out of the burning house, Tanaka over one shoulder and they got as far away as possible.
"The servants!" coughed Ciel. "Where are they?"
"They're still inside, master."
"Well, get them out!"
Meanwhile, Bard, Finny and Mey-Rin were frantic, running through the fiery corridors.
"I can't see!" yelled Bard. "It's too smoky!" sweat poured from their foreheads. Finny coughed as they ran along, their feet burned and smouldering.
"I-I…" he coughed again. Mey-Rin stopped and bent over.
"It's the smoke… yes it is," she choked out. "We've inhaled it!" Bard out his hand over his mouth, trying to stop himself breathing it in and pulled his suffering friends along.
"Come on! I've lost too many of my mates, I'm not losing you two!" The servants ran desperately. They came to a burning beam blocking the way, the whole place now on fire, bright and boiling, like Hell itself. "Finny, can you move this?" he shouted over the crackling flames. Finny shook his head.
"The whole place will come down!" he replied. Mey-Rin wringed her hands again.
"How are we going to get out?" She screamed.
"I don't know! Move-" Bard was cut off as a wall came down on top of them all. Dazed, Finny stuck his head out of the rubble, tears streaming. It was hard to see now, the black 'fog' nearly blinding. He lifted the plaster and stone up hysterically, and found his friends lying, bleeding, half dead. He shook them, hardly able to breathe,
"G-Get up!" he shouted. Bard moaned and grabbed his head, sitting up, nearly over come by the surrounding furnace.
"So.. this is where we die, eh?" he said weakly. He shook Mey-Rin and she blinked behind her thick glasses, hauling herself up from the floor.
"D-Don't… don't say that! Don't give up, Bard!" cried Finny, his tears nearly evaporating upon his cheeks. Bard smiled sadly at him, and reached out, taking his small hand in his rough calloused one.
"There's no use in lying, Finny," he said. "You were like a little brother to me, remember that, okay?" Finny shook his head.
"N-No, w-we can't just accept this! We are the servants of Phantomhive, we can't just end like this, right now, right?" Mey-Rin shrugged slightly, now crying. This was it. The End. They'd given up, just like that. The three friends sat there, in silence, clutching each other's hands. As the flames came higher, blocking all routes, they shut their eyes, waiting for the end. And then it came, and they were gone.
Ciel walked among the ruins, his feet treading over the ash and blackened rubble that had once been his home. Fire had destroyed his life twice, abolished his home, and now taken the lives of people he was responsible for. His foot crunched underfoot, and he looked down to see he was standing on a singed straw hat. He bit his lip and lifted it up with his finger and thumb.
"Idiots," he muttered, and dropped the hat. He turned on his heel and stormed off. Tanaka came over to the spot where the hat was, and lit a single candle, leaving it there. He bowed his head once and shut his eyes. Fire. The thing he most hated. The thing that tore him apart twice.