A/N SOOO, stupid website doesn't want me to reply to anyone's review. I sincerely hope it goes away soon, because I like letting y'all know how much I love ya~

So apparently my sexy yaoi scene was well received. And that makes me very happy~ I was really hoping to get the next chapter out sooner, but fate intervened and I went to this student film festival that lasted for FOUR FREAKING DAYS, and I barely slept at all, and it was only yesterday that I started getting my mojo back. I WAS THAT EXHAUSTED.

But it's all a-okay now. So, without further ado, I present to you the next chapter! :D

Disclaimer: It was my birthday last Monday, so as a present I received Kuroshitsuji AND The Princess Bride. However, fate was a bitch and took it away from me. So I was left with nothing.

Chapter Fourteen – The Three Terrors of the Fire Swamp

Sebastian and Ciel raced along the ravine floor. The sounds of horses in the distance made them stop, and turn to look back. Standing at the top of the ravine, they could see the dim outline of Alois in the sunlight. Ciel gasped, but Sebastian did not seem concerned.

"Your fiancée is too late!" He crowed. "Just a few more steps, and we'll be safe in the fire swamp!"

"We'll never survive," Ciel observed matter-of-factly, as Sebastian grabbed his hand again and pulled him along.

"Nonsense, Young Master," Sebastian replied good-naturedly. "You're only saying that because no one ever has!"

Inside the Fire Swamp, things could not have been any worse. The entire place gave off a frightening aura, enough to make Ciel shiver and cling harder to Sebastian. N-not that he was afraid, or anything! It was just the smell! Yes, the gassy smell that made him nauseous! That was why!

And of course, it was also the smell that made him jump a mile when a strange noise cut through the air.

Sebastian chuckled at Ciel's reaction. "It's not that bad, really." Ciel looked at him incredulously. "Not saying that I want to build a summer home here or anything, but the trees are really lovely!" He smiled at the scenery. Ciel continued to stare.

Sebastian shot him a knowing look, then continued on his way.

And really, the only thing keeping Ciel from screaming in fright was the warm, strong fingers wrapped around his own.

As they crept across the forest floor, a strange sort of popping noise seemed to come from the ground. Ciel looked at Sebastian questioningly, but the butler only shrugged in reply, indicating that he had absolutely no idea what the hell it was, either.

They continued along, until all of a sudden, out of the ground, a spurt of flame shot out, catching the hem of Ciel's shirt. He shrieked and panicked, but Sebastian remained calm, and extinguished the fire almost instantly. Ciel was breathing heavily, and he looked amused.

"Well, now, that was an adventure wasn't it?"

Ciel glared at the smug look in his eyes. He probably thought he had been scared, that bastard. Well, he'd show him. "Singed a bit?"

Sebastian shook his head lightly. "You?" Ciel shook his in reply. Smiling (oh, Sebastian had simply the most gorgeous smile in the world, Ciel melted a little whenever he saw it) he pulled the smaller boy up beside him, and they started walking again.

It wasn't long before they heard the strange popping noise again – but this time, instead of getting hit by the fire spurt, Sebastian grabbed Ciel and twirled him out of the way.

Sebastian raised his eyebrows at Ciel. "Well, one thing is for sure," he stated lightly. "The fire swamp certainly keeps you on your toes."

Ciel merely shook his head and pulled Sebastian along further.

As they moved deeper into the swamp, the brush became thicker, and Sebastian pulled out his sword to cut through them. Ciel was feeling less and less confident by the minute. Sebastian noticed this, and began to speak to reassure him. "Don't worry, Young Master," he squeezed Ciel's hand. "Soon this will all be but a happy, memory, as we will be safe on the ship Revenge, which as I'm sure you know is my ship, as I am the Dread Pirate Michaelis."

"How is that possible, anyways?" Ciel wondered, for the strangeness of the situation had suddenly occurred to him. "He has been marauding for twenty years, and you only left five years ago. Plus, you look so young, you could have only been five when you started?"

Sebastian chuckled. "I am often surprised at the curveballs life throws us," he replied affectionately, once again, lifting Ciel out of harm's way from a fire spurt. "You see, everything I told you before about saying 'please' was true." He chopped another vine from out of their way. "It intrigued Michaelis; it seemed he had a soft spot for romance. So finally he said, 'All right, Sebastian, I've never had a butler before, so I'll try it out with you. But I warn you, I'll most likely kill you in the morning.

"For three years, it went on like that, 'Good night, sleep well, I'll most likely kill you in the morning.' It was a very good time for me; although I thought about you every day, I was learning how to fence, how to fight, anything anyone would teach me that I didn't already know. And then, one day, it happened."

"What?" Ciel was hanging on to his every word. "Don't just leave me hanging, continue!"

"Well, Michaelis had grown so rich that he wanted to retire! So he pulled me into his cabin one night, and told me a secret." Sebastian lifted Ciel, carrying him bridal style. Their faces were so close. Their noses almost touched. " 'I am not the Dread Pirate Michaelis,' he said. 'My name is Arthur. I inherited the ship from the previous Dread Pirate Michaelis, just as you will inherit it from me.

" 'The man I inherited it from was not the Dread Pirate Michaelis, either. His name was Luffy. The real Michaelis is happily married, and been retired for nearly fifteen years and living like a king in Brazil.' Then he explained that the name is the important thing when you want to be a pirate. For example, no one would ever quake in fear of the Dread Pirate Sebastian, now would they?

"So, we sailed ashore, and got an entire new crew, and Arthur went around as my first mate, calling me Michaelis. And once the crew believed it, he left the ship, and I have been Michaelis ever since." He set Ciel down, and smiled. "Only now that we're together, I shall retire and hand the name over to someone else." He stopped at the slightly dazed look on Ciel's face. "Does everything make sense to you?"

Ciel nodded slowly, still looking a little lost. He turned to continue walking, and promptly fell into a sand pit.

Sebastian's eyes widened, and for a moment he stared at the small circle of sand, as though not believing it had just swallowed Ciel whole. However, he soon realized that staring did him no good, so he grabbed a vine hanging from a nearby tree and dived in after him.

The sand pit really was a sand pit. Even though his eyes were closed, small pieces of the grit wormed their way under his eyelids, stinging at the eyeballs. He was careful not to open his mouth, as that would mean instant death, and prayed Ciel was smart enough to do the same.

If any normal person had attempted this feat – rescuing someone from quicksand, they would have immediately perished. But we all know Sebastian is no ordinary man, and it only took him a minute to grab hold of the familiar tiny wrist he knew in an instant was Ciel's. And he began the perilous upward swim.

If he hadn't had the vine, even Sebastian would have died.

But, praise all, Sebastian was a very smart man, and within seconds his hand breached the surface.

With all his strength, he shoved Ciel out above him, and soon followed suit. Their gasping could have wakened the dead, as they collapsed on solid ground. Ciel coughed and puttered like a madman, rubbing furiously at his eyes to get all the sand out.

It was a good five minutes before either of them was able to talk. But when they could, the first words out of Sebastian's mouth were, "Young Master, are you alright?"

Ciel coughed again. "I'll live," he rasped.

Sebastian felt relief blooming across his face, although he attempted to mask it. Not before Ciel saw, though. He allowed a tiny smile to grace his lips. "Why? Were you worried?"

"About you? Never," Sebastian replied, helping Ciel to his feet. "I know you can take care of yourself."

Lies. All lies.

He pulled Ciel into a tight embrace, pressing his face into his chest in pure relief. But through his haze, a stroke of fear shot through him.

Staring at him, from a tree in the background, was a very large, very scary looking mole-rat-rodent-dear-Jesus-save-me looking creature.

He gulped, and then moved to pull Ciel forward. "Come, let's keep moving."

But Ciel shook his head, pulling back. "We'll never succeed!" he cried, his pessimistic nature breaking through. "We may as well give up here!"

Sebastian, refusing to look at the rat-scary-ass-things and give them away to Ciel, took the younger boys face in his hands. "Nonsense," he said gently. We have already succeeded."

Ciel looked at him in despair.

"I mean," he said, beginning to walk, and pull Ciel forward with him, "What are the three terrors of the Fire Swamp? One; the fire spurts." He smiled at Ciel, who was starting to look a little less pale. "And those were absolutely no problem, were they? Two; the lightning sand," and here he twisted around and pulled Ciel into his arms, "which you were so clever enough to discover. So I doubt we'll have that problem again in the future."

"Sebastian!" Ciel tugged on his arm to make him stop talking. "What about the R.O.U.S.s?"

"Rodents Of Unusual Size?" Sebastian shrugged. "Personally, I don't think they exist."

It was, of course, right here that one just had to jump forward and attack him.

...

"AAAAAAHHH!"

A/N Run, little children! Beware the R.O.U.S!

But seriously, those things are messed up. So damn scary... I was right terrified of them as a child, haha...

Um, sorry this took so long, by the way. I really hate making y'all wait, it makes me feel bad. But I do my best.

Reviews are the April to my October :3

RASMUS FTW~~~