Labyrinth of Dreams Chapter 18: Prince Charming and Fairy Godparents, a Kuroshitsuji + Pandora Hearts Crossover fanfic

Disclaimer: I own only the Blaire siblings.

A/N: Here's the 18th chapter! Goodness, this one's a pain in the ass. I was not in the mood to write a good chapter, so I hope you'll point out my mistakes if you find any.

To Rees: Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you're still asking for more. I hope you'll enjoy this one. :)
To Animelovernewbie: Yeah! Here's the first part of the reunion!
To everyone: Enjoy! :D

Chapter XVIII: Prince Charming and Fairy Godparents

"U-Uhm, L-Lord Phantomhive?" Isabel bravely approached the Earl, who was currently picking wardrobes for his little visitors. The Blaire siblings and Vincent Phantomhive had just entered a high-class boutique.

"Yes, Miss Blaire?" Vincent bothered to look at his back and threw the confused young girl a smile.

"I-I apologize for asking, b-but what are we supposed to do, sir?"

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. Please wait for a bit. This won't take long." He went back to what he was doing, 'though took another glance back at the siblings after a couple of seconds. "What color does you like best, Miss Isabel?"

"U-Uh—I… I l-like the color pink, sir."

"I see. How about Miss Ilyasviel?"

"R-R-Red, m'lord!" Ilya answered, embarrassed.

"Hm, I guess I'll have you choose, then. Go and pick the dress to your liking. Oh, and don't forget the apparels to go with that, as well." With that, the two girls almost exchanged shocked expressions. An Earl had just told them to pick something to wear—not just ordinary dresses, but expensive gowns middle class people won't get to wear every day. "Go on. I'll buy it for you. You should do the same, Mister Ivenrei."

The three both hesitantly and excitedly went to choose for the best clothing.

Ah, that day did seem full of surprises. Just that morning, the siblings were surprised to hear the sound of a stopping carriage in front of their humble house. There went out a man in his 30's who introduced himself as the Earl of Phantomhive. Well, of course, it gave out a real shock for them. To think that an Earl went all the way to visit them—it was a great honor, indeed; although they were confused why. It was then when Isabel noticed a certain resemblance between the Earl and Ciel. She wasn't mistaken about it, though. Even Ivenrei noticed it after remembering what Oz had told him about Ciel having a different father. Out from that revelation, they quite got a little bit idea to why the Earl just asked them to come with him to London. And now they were there at that boutique picking up their own expensive garments.

"Do you like that one?" Vincent asked with a smile. He just saw Isabel looking at a pink Lolita gown.

"U-Uh…I…I j-just thought that it's pretty, sir," Isabel answered, almost fidgeting at her own words.

"Then, it's settled."

"N-No, I… this kind of dress won't suit a fifteen-year-old girl like me."

Vincent let a small laugh. "Of course, it will." Before Isabel could protest, the Earl already called the one selling the stuff. "Excuse me. Can you please take this young girl's measurements? We would like to buy this set. Can you give her the one fitted for her?"

"Of course, m'lord. That would be 5,000 guineas," the lady answered with her happy business-like tone.

"F-Five… Five thousand guineas just for a dress? If I'm not mistaken, it's the same as in pounds," Isabel blurted out in her mind. She suddenly had the urge to snatch the dress and replace it with something cheaper. But who is she kidding? No matter what she ended up choosing among those pile of dresses and accessories, all of it would be expensive. Plus, now that she thought about it, £ 5000 is a little cheaper for a high-class boutique such as this.

"Will that be all, m'lord?"

"As for now. I still have two sets coming. If you will be so kind to wait for it." With that, the lady nodded and decided to take Isabel's measurement first.

At that first and last stop, the siblings ended up having all that they had chosen, with additional stuff. Vincent had bought them things from their headdresses down to their shoes. The three thought that they would be sent home after that, but instead they were brought to the Phantomhive Mansion for a special dinner party. It was around five when they got there. Instead of going through the main door, they all went in from the back in order not to spoil any surprises.

Meanwhile, Oz and his friends had just finished preparing for their visit to the Phantomhives and were currently waiting for the escort the earl had mentioned at his letter. At exactly six in the afternoon, the said person finally arrived.

"Ah, good day, sir! You must be the one the Earl sent. I apologize for—" Oz had to stop after seeing the look on the man's face. From what he could see, the gentleman was probably a German. Why would the earl sent a stern-looking man to fetch—as majority would describe—children? Whatever it was, it had to have a reason.

"Are you the Vessalius kid?" the man asked with a flat tone.

"U-Uh, y-yes, sir! A-And these are my friends… I would like to have them come too, if it will not be a bother, s-sir," he added, introducing Alice, Sharon, and Gilbert.

"Come in. Vincent would kill me if I refuse."

"So, it's a request between friends, hah?" Oz nodded and went inside the carriage after Alice and Sharon settled in, followed by Gilbert who was simply pissed off by Diederich's cold greeting.

"There you are, dear! You're all set!" Rachel clapped her hands together after a job well done. She was asked by her husband to help the sisters with their clothes and hair. She had just finished helping Ilyasviel and was now letting the girl see her reflection in the mirror. Both sisters had their hair let loose, with pretty headdresses sitting atop their heads. Ilyasviel was wearing a small imitation coronet, with a huge ribbon attached on its side, and a black Lolita dress with red ribbons and laces. Isabel, on the other hand, had a small hat as a headdress—a white ribbon and a huge rose were attached on it—and she was wearing the same pink dress from before, 'though hers has a longer skirt compared to Ilya's. Isabel believed that she had gone through a huge transformation like the girl who was given a chance to attend the ball through the help of her fairy godmother. Although, in Isabel's case, she had both a fairy godfather and a fairy godmother.

After a while, there came a soft knock from the door. Vincent entered with Ivenrei following behind. In contrast to the girls, the lad was wearing an elegant dress-coat with a matching black thin ribbon and trousers.

"May the young ladies care to join us in the drawing room?" Earl Vincent asked. After thanking and bidding the Countess a goodbye, Isabel and Ilya joined the two males outside. On their way to the next hallway, they came across the ever-faithful butler of the Phantomhives. "Ah, there you are, Sebastian."

"My lord, I deeply apologized for this delay. I have delivered the tea for our guests in the drawing room," Sebastian responded. "Let me accompany you." With a nod coming from Vincent, Sebastian eagerly followed—only to be halted by a distant high-pitched voice of a boy.

"Sebastian!" When the demon butler turned around, he was welcomed by a sudden bear-hug by Ciel. "Finally, I caught you!"

"I-It's Ciel!" Ilyasviel announced in a whisper. Her siblings both let a happy face.

"Young Master, how many times do I have to tell you never to run in hallways? You might hurt yourself," Sebastian said in a calm voice, returning the hug the boy offered. Apparently, Ciel didn't notice his father and the siblings.

"I'm sorry. I was just excited to play with you."

"Oh, I apologize, young master. But I think we have to set that aside for later. You see, your father has visitors right now whom I need to attend to."

"Visitors?" Ciel looked ahead and saw his father, who gave a little wave, and three other individuals whom he didn't recognize at all. "Oh, I'm sorry, daddy. I didn't know."

"It's alright, Ciel." Vincent smiled at both and then gave Sebastian a little order. "It's fine. Just resume on playing with Ciel. I'll attend to them."

"I am deeply sorry, my lord. It's not like we're actually playing right now. Oh, well…"

"That's quite not right. Ciel didn't recognize us," Isabel told her siblings as soon as they settled inside the drawing room with teas and snacks.

"Maybe our meeting was in stored in his short-term memory only," Ivenrei assumed.

"I don't think he actually forget about us," this is time it was Ilyasviel who countered the earlier statement. "Maybe he was just really looking forward to playing that he hadn't had the time to look at people. Remember, he didn't even notice his own father."

"I see, you have a point."

Vincent stared at the three youths opposite his seat. He was trying so hard to conceal his smile. But it turned out futile in the end when Ilyasviel accidentally casted an eye on him. Even if he didn't want to pry into other people's business, he had no choice but to say something to soothe their minds. "I'm sorry about earlier. I'm certain that my son didn't mean it."

"O-Oh no, sir. It's not really a big deal for us. I'm sure he had his reasons," Isabel explained.

"Yes. I think it's because of our appearance right now."

"B-Besides, sir. We're not really that close to him. He spent his short stay in our house resting. It's always Oz whom we were able to have lengthy conversations with."

"I see." Vincent nodded and then took a sip from his tea before releasing another question. "About that… How was that boy?"

"Y-You mean Oz, sir?" Another nod. "He's a sweet brother. He kept watch of Ciel the entire night."

"Hmm…" There was an amused smirk on the Earl's lips now. Oz is really an interesting lad.

Ivenrei noticed that smile. Somehow, it was both soothing and mysterious. "If I'm correct, the Earl is the second husband of Oz's mother. Is what Isabel said a bad thing? Right, come to think of it, we already met the Earl's wife… and Oz said that his mother is dead. Could the countess be the second wife already? Ah, family matters sure is complicated."

"Is something wrong, Mister Ivenrei?"

"E-Eh, uhmm… No, there's nothing, sir."

"Is that so—" Vincent was cut off from that when a meek knock penetrated their ears. "Excuse me. Please, enter."

When Zwei heard the approval, she slowly opened the wooden door and took a peek inside. "I heard you were here—Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know we have visitors."

"It's alright. Come in, Zwei." Zwei followed her father's order and went to stand near his seat. Vincent smiled and took her hand. "This is my daughter, Zwei Phantomhive. Zwei, these are Miss Isabel, Miss Ilyasviel, and Mister Ivenrei Blaire. The three of them are siblings and the ones who took in your brother," he introduced, pin-pointing at each of his guests. Zwei smiled and curtsied. The three shyly greeted her back.

"So, she's Ciel's sister? Her hair is almost silver," Ivenrei resumed in his thoughts.

"Do you want me with something, Zwei?"

"Oh, I just wanted to ask if you saw Ciel."

"He's with Sebastian right now. What do you need him for?"

"I-I just want to see my little brother. I-Is that… something wrong, dad?"

Vincent laughed a little. "Of course not, my dear. But, can I just ask for a favor this time?"

"It's alright, dad. Anything for you."

"Thank you. Can you please accompany them for now? Just until the party starts."

Zwei looked at the direction of the Blaires and offered them a smile. She nodded and took her seat, while Vincent bid them goodbye for the meantime and head out to meet another batch of visitors.

The door of the carriage Oz and the others finally opened. A huge, beautiful mansion that stood in the center of that white-filled forest greeted them. Even though the cold wind was biting through their skins, the image in front of them defied all the external negative feelings they had. The place was just surprisingly different from where Oz grew up. It has a comforting, yet somewhat dark aura.

The Phantomhive's footman greeted them with a shy, yet warm welcome. That instantly added to the appeal of the mansion; plus the perfectly decorated main hall caught their tastes, as well. Oz casted his eyes around the whole room and was only stopped when he heard footsteps coming down from the stairs. There emerged the Earl, together with the Countess, Zwei, and the Blaires.

"Thank you for responding to my invitation, Lord Vessalius. I am pleased to see all of you here tonight," Vincent greeted, followed by Rachel. The four youngsters all returned their greetings. Oz felt like his heart would burst any moment now from nervousness, but still managed to answer the couple with the same sincerity.

"So, Oz was invited?" Ivenrei thought. "He was addressed as a lord, not by his name, even though he's like the Earl's step son." He sneered this time and mentally scolded himself. "Why am I even concerning myself with these things?"

"Ah, yes. I hope you'll remember. I specifically went to take your other friends here so that you'll have the chance to see each other again." When Vincent informed the blonde, his eyes darted off to the side and saw the siblings. His mind rejoiced and his body voluntarily ran to greet his friends.

"Miss Isabel! Ivenrei! Miss Ilya! I'm so glad to see you!"

"Yes, we feel the same way! Thanks the Earl!" Ivenrei said in return, while Ilyasviel followed with a smile. Isabel stepped forward and took Oz's hand, which earned a shocked, and almost protective, expression on Alice's and Sharon's faces. "I'm so glad to see you again, Oz." Oz knew the red stain on his cheeks was quite apparent now due to the sudden realization that his hands were touched by Isabel. Still, though, he tried his best to conceal it and properly responded to the girl. They both managed to return to their usual posts before the earl spoke again.

"Now then, this is my daughter. I hope you all could spend the time with each other."

Oz's stare fell at the silent teenager at the countess' side. "So, that's her… She sure is pretty. I understand now why Ciel wanted to marry her." His mind was instantly caught by the image of the blue-haired boy waiting patiently for him. He and his sister sure do have those resemblances, but still, he couldn't feel the boy's presence in her.

"Why don't you all introduce yourselves with each other first? We'll see you later at dinner." Vincent turned to his back now, but before entirely doing so, he told Oz, "Don't worry, Oz. I'm sure he'll be here in a minute."

Just then, the moment the couple were no longer in sight, a pair of hasting boots were heard.

"Sister! Sister, where are you?!" By the corner, there emerged a running Ciel.

"Ciel, I'm here!" Zwei responded. When the young boy saw her, he had his happy demeanor on; but it was soon replaced by a surprised, longing expression when his eyes finally adjusted to the presence of the others. Instead of running to his sister, he ran straight to a certain blonde-haired boy.

A/N: Oh, poor Zwei got neglected by her beloved baby brother. It was all Oz's fault. Hahaha! I'm sorry this got a little out of hand. I tried to make it as interesting as possible. But I guess I just can't. I'm currently hooked with Nova x Liberta Pairing of La Storia della Arcana Famiglia, so my mind is not really that working when it comes to my Ciel x Oz fantasies right now. (As a side note: Anyone knows that Anime? If you do, can you make me a fanfic concerning these two gorgeous guys? Please! Nova looks like an older version of Ciel, and he's 15, while Liberta is like Oz in some ways. Tee-hee. I can see Oz in him, maybe because he has blonde hair and green eyes too. I think Liberta is around 18 years old.)

By the way, I have to apologize again for this. I just want to end this chapter, since I only have two more chapters to go (presumably). Anyway, please look forward to it!

Oh, and yes… about your reviews. Do you guys want me to reply to your messages every time you send me one? I just want to ask since I know some doesn't like it. After all, everyone is different. Just tell me at the end of your message if you want me to. Okay? I'm willing to have a chit-chat with you!