A Soul's Tourniquet
Unlucky Thirteen
Shadows: Hiya everyone! Here's the second part to The Hunt Begins! Hope you enjoy it. Remember, I do not own Kuroshitsuji or and characters affiliated with the series. All rights go to Toboso Yana!
KAISHI!
"Does your butler double as a hound?" Francis snickered as Sebastian continued to led the way.
"He… Is sort of like that." Was the boy's response.
"Then we shall begin here." Sebastian stated, bringing the horses to a stop. "The rules are as follows: Maintain your territory, twenty-five meters on either side… And avoid shooting at birds flying lower than the prescribed altitude… Are we agreed?" Sebastian inquired, turning to the Marchioness and his young Master.
"Yes." Both replied in unison.
The demon smirked before taking out his pocket watch. "The game is now underway. The time limit shall be three hours."
"See you, Ciel!" Francis grinned, and took off on her horse, intent on winning this child's game.
And so the hunt begins…
"Lizzie, get off here. I can't hunt otherwise." Ciel groaned, knowing that the blonde female was undoubtedly going to give him a hard time about it.
"Ehhhhhhh! But we finally get to spend time together!" Elizabeth pouted.
A gun shot rang out in the distance, far enough that only the demon butler was able to hear it go off. "One, Nil." Sebastian stated, surprising both children. "As expected of the Marchioness… She has already shot a bird. It seems she will be a formidable opponent, even for you, young Master, hm?"
Ciel glared at his butler angrily before shooting off a round of his rifle into the air, scaring his fiancée half to death from the sudden sound. Granted he hadn't aimed his weapon, the bluenette had successfully shot down a bird, momentarily tying the score.
"Too bad for Aunt Francis… But I'm not very good at losing any kind of game." He sneered, a cocky grin plastered on his face. "Lizzie, it's dangerous here so stay with Sebastian. All right?" Ciel added, helping Elizabeth down from the horse before taking off into the woods. The young Phantomhive wasn't about to go down without a fight.
"—I'm glad." Elizabeth began, causing the demonic servant to look at her. "Ciel seems to be feeling a little better. Aunt An loved Ciel best, so… I was worried. I don't want Ciel to suffer anymore. I always try to cheer him up in my own way, but… it never seems to work out. I always overdo things and make him angry."
Sebastian kneeled next to the girl, a hand placed over his heart. "I am certain my Master senses… your kind consideration as well, my Lady."
Elizabeth smiled. "Eh heh heh! Thank you. You're sweet, Sebastian."
Another gun shot rang out, causing the two to look up into the sky.
Sebastian smirked, once again pulling out his pocket watch and checked the time. "Five, Four. It is a close contest. Let us cheer them both on."
"A hunting trip huh? That means they'll be away from the manor for at least a good three hours. If not longer." Rebecca sighed, glancing over to the nearly broken servants.
After Sebastian had left, Mey-Rin had somehow managed to break several more dishes, and Bard had blown up the first cake he had made, almost doing the same to the second one.
"What now?" Ben wondered, looking about the dining room momentarily. Several piles of the Christmas and Winter roses had been made in one of the corners after he and Finny had brought them in from the destroyed courtyard. Rebecca had managed to set the table without any problems luckily.
"Well, I suppose we make an attempt to decorate the dining room for Ciel before he returns from his hunting trip. But truthfully I'd rather not leave these three alone in here to decorate while you and I attempt at making a cake."
"Leave th' cake ta me! Mum owns a bake shoppe in Kingston so, I know a thing er two." Benjamin grinned.
Rebecca nodded. "Seeing as how the Earl enjoys his sweets, I assume a chocolate cake would be best."
"Right. Come on Bard! I'm gonna need yer help in the kitchen."
The injured chef grinned happily before limping out of the room after Benjamin.
"That leaves us to decorate the dining room. Finny, use some of the roses and put them on the table, but not all in one spot. Mey-Rin, help me fill up the vases with the roses that have longer stems." The ebony haired teen smiled, directing each servant to their task.
"Yes, ma'am!" The two replied happily, and quickly set off to do what they had been told.
"The Marchioness shot ten pheasants, a brace of foxes, and three rabbits for a total of fifteen points. Young Master shot eleven pheasants, three foxes, and one rabbit for a total of fifteen points… The result is a draw. Is the acceptable?" Sebastian inquired of the two hunters after tallying up their scores.
"It most certainly is not! I prefer definitive results, one way or another!" Francis hissed, folding her arms across her chest in a defiant manner.
"How odd, Aunt Francis. It seems we agree on this point." Ciel smirked, causing the two to glare at each other from opposite ends of the table.
"Then… the tie will be broken with another round this afternoon… and now, if I may…" Sebastian suggested.
"Fine." Ciel spat, not too enthusiastic about this game turning into a draw.
"No complaints here." Francis agreed. "But I daresay we've over hunted here. We'll have to find a new location for the afternoon." She sighed as the butler poured her a glass of wine.
"Ah… Not to worry, Marchioness. Big game still lurks on these grounds." Sebastian smirked.
"Now that the rules have been decided… Let's eat!" Elizabeth smiled happily, clapping her hands together. "This smells diviiiiine… Eh?" The young blonde turned in her chair slightly after noticing a shadow come over her, only to spot a large bear towering behind her. "EEE—!"
"LIZ—!"
"KYAAAH!"
"LIZZIE!" Ciel shouted. Without thinking, the boy lunged forward out of his seat, knocking his fiancée to the ground and shielding her with his body.
A gun shot once again echoed throughout the woods. Slowly turning to look behind him, Ciel watched almost horror stricken as the bear still towered over him and Lizzie as if momentarily pausing in its attack. Instead, the animal teetered slightly on its hind legs before fall over onto its back, the barrel of Francis's rifle smoking as an after effect of the gun power being ignited.
"Phew."
"Aunt Francis…!" Ciel still held Lizzie tightly, his mind still comprehending that there was something dangerous around them. After a moment, the bluenette loosened his grip on the girl and smirked. "…Heh! Sixteen to fifteen. It looks like I've lost this game… Aunt Francis." He admitted, swallowing his pride for the moment and admitting defeat.
"Hmph. You've still got at least a decade to go before you can even think of winning against me. However… I commend you for daring to protect my daughter… with your life. And… I am in your debt." Francis replied, bowing to her nephew. Had the boy really been too preoccupied with protecting her daughter that he failed to notice that it was in fact his butler that killed the bear? Regardless of the fact, she wasn't about to spoil it all and have her nephew gloat about actually winning. "I would expect nothing less from the man who is to become my son… Lord Ciel Phantomhive. Now the game is over. Let's head back."
Sebastian walked a few steps ahead of Francis as they continued back to the Manor, effortlessly carrying the large mammal that the older female had shot, over his shoulder.
"Hey. Over here… butler." Francis called in a low voice, grabbing the black clad male's attention. "You forgot this." She added, holding out one of the knives he had forgotten to grab.
"…Oh? How careless of me to forget a piece of precious silverware…" Sebastian chuckled.
"Indeed. You forgot it in the bear's head. It was you who struck it down, right? My bullet missed. With my daughter in danger, I had trouble aiming properly. I must be getting old. But a butler's duty is to save face on his Master's behalf. So why did you let me win?" The older blonde inquired, wondering what the male's motives were.
"The young Master has an inordinate talent for games. Consequently, he seems to overconfidently believe that he 'cannot lose'. But at times, it will be necessary for him… to carry himself with humility while striving for his goal… otherwise, he will eventually trip up… as the place for which young Master aims is not an easy one to reach. Perhaps it is not my place to say this but… I would like you to be an exemplar for my Master, Marchioness." Sebastian replied, slightly surprising the woman.
"Hmph! So… in other words, you used me."
"Ha ha. I did no such thing… My Master is now but a 'child'… yet he is also the 'Head of the family'. An 'adult' who will be firm with him… is just what the young Master needs."
"Don't say such proper things with that lecherous face of yours." Francis dead panned.
'Do I really seem that way to you?' The demon wondered.
"So if done for the sake of his Master, a butler's duty includes admonishing said Master by letting him get burned as necessary…?"
"As I am… merely a butler… I only did what I thought best for my Master."
"Hmph. You're a tricky fellow." Marchioness grinned.
"As the hunt was a success… I shall do my best to—"
"Ah! Welcome baaaack!" Finny, Bard, and Mey-Rin yelled happily as soon as the young Phantomhive walked in.
"Wh-What is with you lot…!" Ciel demanded, surprised by the sudden cheeriness.
Finny held up the cake Benjamin had finished baking only a half hour before the Earl and Sebastian had returned. "Look what Ben made! He let us help decorate it!" He smiled.
The bluenette looked at the cake in surprise. Though granted that it looked like the decorating was something a five year old would do, the cake actually looked edible.
"Rebecca helped me decorate the dining room too!" The strawberry blonde added.
"She helped me set the table, yes." Mey-Rin replied, feeling slightly accomplished with herself.
"I made Donburi full up with young Master's favourites!" Bard grinned.
Sebastian and Ciel stared at the three servants before them. In the demon's eyes, everything was a complete mess. Luckily though it could easily be cleaned up and it didn't seem as though he would have to worry about anyone getting food poisoning provided they didn't eat Bard's donburi.
"Hmph. They beat me to it." Francis sighed, taking a few steps forward towards Ciel. "That's what I came here to say today. Happy Thirteenth Birthday… Ciel."
Rebecca and Benjamin had walked into the room shortly after Sebastian and Ciel had returned. Luckily nothing had broken within the time the two teens went to clean up the kitchen.
"Hope 'e don't get mad at us fer doin' all o' this." Benjamin whispered to Rebecca, slightly worried about the current look that was plastered on the boy's face.
"And everyone… I hope you will continue taking care of both my daughter and my son." Francis smiled, looking to each of the servants, including the two that were standing near the doorway.
"Thank you… so much." Ciel smiled, surprising everyone expect the Marchioness.
Benjamin and Bard both shared the same goofy grins plastered on their faces, Rebecca trying to hold in a laugh as best she could.
"Sebastian, you have my gratitude for attending to us today."
"Yes, my Lady." Sebastian bowed.
"There's just one thing I thought I ought to mention. Take good care of the ruined garden… the burnt kitchen… and perhaps you should give those two servants of yours…" Francis smirked, motioning to the two teens. "A day off from their services, seeing as how they went through all the trouble of attempting to fix what the other's destroyed."
"Yes, my Lady." The demon laughed nervously.
"Free Booze!" Ben shouted, a mischievous glint appearing in his eye.
"Yeah! Free Booze, Free Booze!" Bard chanted.
Rebecca rolled her eyes, failing to notice that the black clad butler had taken his leave of the room.
"Ah! Rebecca, you're not wearing your bracelet!" Mey-Rin pointed out when she noticed something amiss on the other maid.
The ebony haired teen looked down at her wrist briefly before looking back up to regard her co-worker. "I must've left it on the counter in the kitchen. Save a piece of cake for me." She smiled, and quickly left the room. 'Mother would be furious if I ever lost Nana's bracelet.' Rebecca thought as she ran down the hall.
The teen slowed down as she reached the kitchen, but ended up standing against the wall and peaking in through the doorway when she noticed Sebastian inside. 'What's Sebastian doing in here all by himself? I thought he was still in the dining room…' She wondered, carefully watching as he pulled out another cake from the cabinet.
"Alas… I suppose we shall not be needing this." He sighed, quickly fixing his hair so it no longer remained brushed back like Francis had it for a majority of the day.
Rebecca quietly watched as he removed one of his gloves. Though the lighting wasn't the greatest for human eyes, she was still able to notice that, unlike hers or any of the other servants, Sebastian's nails were coal black. And she was just barely able to make out what looked like a star, etched into the back of his hand. The girl forced down a gasp that was forcing itself up against her throat. Slowly she began stepping away from the kitchen doorway, unsure of what she should do. 'H-He really isn't human… Th-There's just no possible way now…' She panicked, pressing her back against the wall to support herself.
"Miss Sommers…"
"KYAAAAAH! S-SEBASTIAN!" Rebecca shrieked, the butler' sudden voice causing her to fall to the ground.
The black clad male looked down at her with an amused smirk. "Might I inquire why you aren't enjoying the party with the others?" He asked.
"I uh, j-just came to get my b-bracelet. I-I left it on the counter when I was helping my b-brother to clean." Rebecca stuttered, trying to claim her nervous, though failing miserably at it.
Sebastian nodded once and held out his hand, helping the girl back to her feet.
"Th-Thank you." She replied quietly, quickly moving past the butler and into the kitchen, grabbing said trinket off the counter where she had left it, and rushing passed him once again as she headed back to the dining room.
The amused smirk never left the demon's face as he watched the human teen run back down the hall. He knew that she had been standing there for some time, but whether or not she actually saw something, well, he would find that out tomorrow if she avoided him during the day.
Maybe keeping her around a bit longer wouldn't be such a bad idea like the demon originally thought.
Rebecca hadn't stopped running until she reached the dining room. The previous implication that the black clad wasn't human didn't frighten her as much as it did now. 'No! What am I thinking! Of course he has to be human; my eyes were just playing tricks on me in the dark! But…' The teen finally took a deep breath of much needed air, trying to clear away the images of what she had just seen.
"Ah! Young Master! Young Master! It's snowing!" Finny chanted, causing everyone to look up and out the window.
"Yes. Pretty, Isn't it—?" A said smile befell the young Earl. I had snowed on that night as well.
'Winter is meant to be the end of things. When the flowers and trees finally die, and the animals either hibernate or migrate south for the season. But… Something tells me that this is only the beginning.' Rebecca worried to herself, deciding against telling the Earl what she might have seen.
"—It's cold. Agni, what is this?" The young Indian male wondered, holding out his hand as the snow continued to fall over the London streets.
"It is known as 'snow' and falls in Great Britain during the winter… my Prince." The white haired male, Agni, explained.
The younger of the two pulled off his hood to get a better view of his surroundings. "Great Britain, eh…? It is rather beautiful. I want to take it back and show it to mother." He smiled, watching as the crystal like flakes continued to fall from the clouds above.
I know, It's a short chappie, but I wanted to put the manga version of Ciel birthday in instead of the anime cuz personally, I didn't like how the anime version played out.
Rebecca isn't sure what she saw, but she definitely knows something's up with Sebby XD. Originally I was gonna have her find everything out in one chapter during the curry arc, but Rebecca is much smarter than that, so, I decided to slowly make her start piecing things together, starting with her seeing Sebby's nails XD.
Soma and Agni will be introduced formally next chapter and someone might not be staying at the Phantomhive manor for much longer. ((Me no telly who it is! It's a surprise!))
Thank you Noface, and I Am Pandora for reviewing last chapter!
Remember to review! More reviews equal more updates!
Ciao for now^^