Hello everyone! I'm trying third person this time! If it works out well, I'll keep writing this way.

Thank you for reading this chapter, and thank you all so much for the favorites and follows! Even if you just read it without doing anything else, it means so much to me! In return, I will try to respond to any PMs or any reviews I feel need a response and read some of your stories – if you've written any – in return.

Disclaimer – The rights to Kuroshitsuji still belong to Yana Toboso. *Sigh*

Warnings – Slight SebaCiel some gore and violence.

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The Butler

The demon sat in his former Master's chair, pondering. He could vaguely remember that once upon a time, a long, long time ago, he was vulnerable. It was when he was a small child, or at least appeared to be. Three hundred years after his creation, when humans first started to dot the Earth, there was a little boy by the name of Adam. He was the demon's first Master.

Adam was a very lonely child, without any parents to guide him in the right direction. One day, his hatred became so great that he managed to summon the demon unintentionally. Sebstian came in the form of a child, hoping this would lessen the boy's fearfulness. All Adam asked was of his friendship.

That was before the demon had found out how cruel humans could be. How filthy and unclean they were. Sometimes he would question how people could think that devil's were the true sinners of this world.

For the first few days, everything was perfectly fine. Sebastian was even starting to develop a true sense of friendship with the child. But the human's hatred ran too deep. Sometimes, even the demon could not satiate his loneliness.

So he'd lain there, battered and bloody, his pride and any sense of happiness shattered, while the child threw himself from that same cliff that the demon so longed to jump off himself. He'd taught Sebastian (At the time, Morpheus) so many emotions. How to love. And how to hate. But even then, he had not felt this crushing sense of loss.

Though the demon was loath to admit it, it was better this way. Ciel Phantomhive had exacted his revenge. Or… had he? Did Sebastian really betray him? Or did he just end what had been drawn out long enough?

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The Bride

White. White, as far as the eye could see.

Today was supposed to be the best day of her life. So why was she so sad? Was it perhaps because, once upon a time, five years ago, her beloved;s funeral taken place that very day? Or was it because her heart simply no longer had the capacity to feel happiness, or excitement?

A long, translucent piece of fabric draped atop her golden hair blurred her surroundings. Or was it perhaps her tears that were blinding her? Her fiancee's seamstress, Hannah, circled around her like a vulture with spotted prey before giving her a smile. Sebastian murmured his approval, no doubt tortured by the memory of his Master as much as the girl was, and Tanaka nodded, taupe eyes lighting up with delight.

The trio gazed at her a few moments more until Hannah broke the silence. "I believe it is time, my Lady. The ceremony is about to begin."

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Fabric trains made of stitched snow. Golden thread spun into ringlets that rested upon sickly pale shoulders. Emerald spheres filled with hope that had long since died along with the girl's – woman's – soul.

Coiled lashes attempted to cover eyes as everyone gazed upon the glowing bride. Her legs trembled as if she'd never set foot on solid ground before that moment. She attempted to match her steps to the methodical tune drifting from the crackling gramophone, but failed miserably. I am the most pathetic bride to ever be wed in this church. This church… The very church that her beloved had been buried in five years ago.

Clear tears slipped down her flushed cheeks, the crowd awing at the beautiful sight. Did those imbeciles honestly think that she was happy? She had finally made it to her new beloved. No, her captor. His blonde hair glittered in the sunlight, almost as blindingly bright as his smile. The corners of her quivering lips attempted to lift up into as bright a beam as his, though it was more of a grimace.

The pastor's paper thin lips parted to begin. After what seemed like an eternity, the old man finally began what everyone had been waiting for. A hush passed over the already silent crowd.

"Do you, Marchioness Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford, take Earl Alois Trancy to be your wedded husband?"

The attendees sucked in shaky breaths. Everyone was on edge, because no, this was not your ordinary wedding. This was a testament to the woman's strength, to see if she had really managed to move on from the tragedy that had struck.

"I-" The Marchioness stopped, moments from voicing what she truly wished to say. I do not. But today, she had finally mustered the courage to speak what she wished. She was a woman now, free to do as she pleased. So she spoke.

"I do."

… Perhaps next time…

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Everything after that was a monotonous blur, all words drifted through Elizabeth's mind, all except for the ones to seal her fate.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." Her legs threatened to fall out from beneath her, her eyes blinded with tears. Tanaka was overcome with enough joy for the two of them. Sebastian, body stiff and his eyes dull, attempted a half-hearted smirk. The pastor spoke once more, though the bride could not hear it over the roaring of blood in her ears. One word caught her attention. Kiss.

The Earl's pale lips were mere centimeters from her own when she blacked out.

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The Gardener

The gardener was outside, doing just as his namesake suggested, gardening. He'd been exuberant when he had heard the wonderful news, that Lady Elizabeth was getting married.

"With the Master's best friend, no less!" He had only realized how bad that sounded until he couldn't take it back. Lady Elizabeth had already felt like she was betraying her late fiancée, but now that she was marrying his best friend… She had burst into a ball of tears as soon as the poisonous words left Finnian's well-intentioned lips. Nevertheless, Lady Elizabeth had still wanted him there. But no, he was too lowly a servant to have access to such a magnificent event.

Only Tanaka and Sebastian were allowed.

And so the sefvants set about the mansion, resuming their duties. Bardroy was in the kitchen, ruining more meat and burning more cupboards. Mei-Rin was in the Dining Room, breaking more silver (How does one even manage to accidentally break silver?!) and smashing more china. And the gardener was, you guessed it, gardening. Which for him, roughly translated to turning plants to ash with acidic liquids such as pesticide.

With him, gardening was a matter of sacrifice, whether he meant it to be or not. He beamed with pride when he saw how nice he made the white roses look, but then he turned around and saw that the spider lilies had all but turned to dust under the wrath of his unlatched pesticide lid. He sighed. Water dripped from the roses' petals, as if they were weeping for their fallen comrades. The gardener himself shed a few tears. How could he not when the spider lillies reminded him of a certain Madame dressed all in red?

The sky was as dark and doleful as the boy's mood. He sat there, thinking, as a certain horrid memory pulled him out of reality. It felt as if it were happening before his very eyes once again.

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He was so proud. He'd finally cooked something on his own! Granted, the cake tasted like rotting salt, and it was charred to the point where black clumps of ash would drift off, but it was still a cake, and the young Master loved cake! After the long journey from kitchen to office, running at the speed of light, it was unsurprising that he was slightly winded so the boy paused before knocking.

Inside, a scream echoed. Noticing the door was already open a bit, he peeked in and saw a strange beast looming over the young Master. Blood dripped from ebony talons that extended out of its fingers. Battered black wings that were more befitting for a raven than a man were hung limply from its shoulders.

He couldn't do anything until it was already too late. The young Master was gone, limp in the trembling arms of the very monster that had killed him. The gardener paused, if only for a moment. Sebastian… Where on Earth was he?! He was supposed to always be by his Master's side, to protect him from things such as this!

The gardener attempted to kill the demonic creature, but it was far more agile than he. He was knocked out in mere seconds.

Finnian was sure it was a hallucination, but before he succumbed to the darkness he thought he saw Sebastian's face looming over his.

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