I wanted to apologize for one thing as I post this chapter. I skipped quite a bit in the series for this chapter. I also want to say that this will start following the manga in this chapter. Enjoy and please review!

"So this is where you've been hiding."

Hm…that sounds like-

"Sebastian!"

I was now more than awake, standing in my wolf form on Soma's bed, slowly backing away from the black clad butler who looked ready to kill.

"While you have been sleeping away, our guests have been doing your job."

He was getting closer and, after changing back, I had retreated into a corner of the room.

"Well, you see…Soma wanted some company and it's only proper to serve the guests to the best of our abilities…so I just-"

"Proper? Funny, because as far as I know, it is also proper to listen to your master's orders an-"

"He's not my master!"

I covered my mouth, knowing full well, that that was the worst thing to say. I spotted an opening, changed into a wolf, and ran past him; down the hall towards the dining room where I could smell food. And where there was food, there would be people.

"Ah ah ah~ Not so fast. A bad dog needs to be punished for disobeying orders."

His voice was right behind me, but when I turned around, he was nowhere to be seen. Turning back around, I ran into none other than the devil himself. I was quickly pinned to the floor as Sebastian removed my collar and replaced it with another. He got up, smirking as I tried desperately to remove the black monstrosity from my neck.

"What is this? It won't come off!"

"Of course. You see, this is a device recently made in order to train mutts, such as yourself, to listen to orders. The best part is, if that doesn't work I always have this!"

He pulled a small silver object out from under his shirt collar, and I blatantly paled.

"I-Is that-"

"Why yes, yes it is. Now, if you don't mind, wouldn't you join me in teaching the young master his studies?"

I knew I didn't really have a choice, so I just got up and followed him, head hanging low.

The last time I saw one of those was back when I was in that cage…I knew I was going to regret staying with Soma last night.

"Let's go out midget! You'll be my guide!"

"Why me? And I'm not a midget! My name is Ciel!"

"In that case Ciel, I order you to lead the way."

Sebastian walked forward and stopped Soma, looking at him with a silly fake expression, while I stood behind him, bangs covering my eyes.

"I'm deeply sorry but it has already been scheduled for the young master to study and work today."

"Yes, as you can see, I'm very busy. If you want to find that person, then do it yourself."

We soon entered another room and Ciel began to practice violin. I was in charge of keeping the guests entertained, but when I saw Soma get out some other instruments; I made no move to stop him. I believed that Sebastian should learn that, just because you put another collar on me, doesn't me I'll be tamed that easily.

Sure enough, Ciel's lessons were stopped due to Soma and Agni playing their instruments. Sebastian was less than pleased and he looked towards me.

"And why didn't you stop them, Damon?"

"Hm? Oh, because it looked interesting."

He twitched and pulled out the silver whistle from before, before blowing into it. I clutched my ears and fell to the floor in pain.

"H-Hey! What are you doing to Uhmar?"

He stopped and saw that everyone was curious as to what he was doing, but just smiled.

"I am merely training the mutt to behave. Now if you don't mind-"

"Get out!"

They were thrown out, but when we moved on to art, Soma joined us again.

"What? Drawing a bottle is boring isn't it? Drawing a picture is better with naked women right? So woman! Undress!"

May-Rin immediately covered herself as Lau came up behind her to 'help'. It looked like fun, so I joined in.

"I will only undress in front of the one I love!"

"In that case, allow me."

I quickly took off my butler tie and headed down to the buttons on my suit, when that piercing screech went through my head again. May-Rin had a bloody nose and the rest had slight blushes, except for Lau, who looked really pleased until now. Ciel still looked unsure about what was happening to me, so he tried to clarify.

"Sebastian, what does that whistle do exactly? I don't hear anything coming from it, and yet Damon appears to be in pain."

"This is a mere dog whistle. Humans cannot hear the sound because it is above their hearing range. Dogs on the other hand hear a high pitched screeching. It is quite useful in training them, I hear."

"I see. If that's the case…Get out!"

This time, I was thrown out as well, and ordered to organize the Christmas goods that we'd just received from a Phantomhive factory. I did as he said, if only to get away from that stupid whistle. I had also discovered that the collar he'd put on me seemed to be tightening with every word I spoke.

"That bastard Sebastian…with his stupid whistle…and this…collar!"

I was sent from the room when Ciel entered, to get the maces for his fencing lesson. Not even ten minutes into his lesson, did he challenge Soma to a duel. It was quite amusing to watch, but I felt bad for Soma, who obviously didn't know the rules.

"This sword is hard to use because it keeps bending!"

"Soma! You're supposed to jab with the sword! Aim for the chest and side!"

"Thanks Uhmar!"

He began thrusting the sword, but Ciel already had the upper hand. He was just about to hit Soma, when Agni stepped forward and hit a nerve in Ciel's arm. Thus, Ciel fell to the ground cradling his arm. Sebastian walked over to him and asked if he was okay as Agni freaked out about hurting him. I sighed, but the collar tightened again so I stayed quiet as Lau tossed the mace to Sebastian. He caught it and began saying something about being a Phantomhive butler, but I knew his real motive.

"Not only that, but we are behind schedule by ten minutes."

And so, the fight began. They both began doing jab after jab. Narrowly missing each other by no more than an inch. Sebastian jabbed at Agni's head and he parried the blow, hitting upward. Seconds later, they both thrust their swords forward aiming for their opponents head, but they leaned back and dodged. Then the unthinkable happened. The ends of their maces hit and…

SNAP!

"Oh my, the swords seemed to have broken."

Ciel and Lau were in shock at what happened, but Lau snapped back to reality a bit quicker.

"Oh~ It looks like the match is a draw then."

"Yeah, Ciel's butler's pretty strong. Agni's the best fighter in my palace. This is certainly a first!"

I looked at Ciel, noting how he was still in shock, and leaned over to him.

"What's wrong Master? Never lost before?"

He turned and glared at me, grabbing my shirt collar to yell at me, but was interrupted when Agni came over.

"Earl Ciel? I'm sorry for what happened. Does your arm still hurt?"

"No."

"Oh! That's good."

Ciel was still less than convinced, so I passed on a little message to him.

"He's human, if that's what you're thinking."

He apparently didn't believe me so I just shrugged my shoulders and headed outside for some much needed air.

"Hah…Hah…"

The collar had tightened significantly, when I headed to the edge of the yard to vent my frustrations. It was getting harder to breath and at this point, I was wheezing on the floor of the nearby forest; my back up against a tall tree.

"Se…bas…tian"

The butler didn't show, although I knew he could hear me since he was using that stupid dog whistle to 'call' me. I wanted to get up, but I couldn't due to the lack of oxygen. So I sat there, thinking about my old captors and what ever happened to them. I didn't want to go back, but that stupid whistle reminded me of them. A couple shadows approached and I recognized their scents.

There's no way! I escaped! Why are they here now?

I tried fighting back, but I had no chance as I slipped into the black oblivion.

Ciel and Sebastian had headed to the Undertaker's place, a month or so after the curry incident, to obtain information on children who were disappearing.

"Are you here, Undertaker?"

Laughter erupted from an unknown source and a skull rolled to Ciel's feet, as he appeared behind them.

"Welcome Earl!~ Finally want to get into one of my special coffins?~ Hee. Hee. Well, have a seat. I've just baked a cake~'

After settling down, the Undertaker asked for a laugh in order for the wanted information.

"Sebastian."

"You're going to rely on him?~~ What happened to the little pup from before?~~"

Ciel's fists tightened, but he didn't say anything, so Sebastian answered.

"She's been missing for a while now. I haven't been asked to find her, but she should return sooner or later. Even without that on, every pup returns to were they consider home."

"Heehee. I see~ but I wonder if the Earl is just a child who can't do anything?~"

That got Ciel's attention, but it took him a while before the Undertaker revealed that he hasn't received any information on the children. They tried to get more information, but it was useless. They had to go straight to the source.

"Is this it?"

They were both standing in front of the Noah's Ark Circus entrance, before sitting in their seats for the performance.

"Ladies and gentleman! Boys and girls of all ages! Welcome to the Noah's Ark Circus."

The man was young, wearing a black coat over a checkered vest and a white shirt. Typical circus garb. He bowed slightly as he took out juggling balls from seemingly no where.

"My name is Joker. If you'll look here-"

He was cut off when he dropped the balls, inciting laughter, but brushed it off as he showed the other performers. A bald man, covered in tattoos came forward, blowing fire onto a torch.

"Here we go! With one shot from the fire eating man, the show of the century begins! Next, is our gasp-inducing flying Blanco!"

Two children were swinging through the air and he introduced another man throwing knives at a tomato that was sitting on a woman's head.

"He never misses his mark! The bull's eye knife thrower!"

Ciel was beginning to get bored, seeing that none of the missing children were here nor was there anything special about the performances.

"And next is the princess of our circus and her death defying tightrope walk!"

"If they don't intend to make show of the children, perhaps the circus's movements and the childrens' disappearances are just a simple coincidence?"

Ciel said that, but he looked doubtful. His thoughts kept straying to what the Undertaker mentioned earlier about Damon.

There's no reason why she hasn't come back yet, unless she just didn't want to be at the mansion any longer…but I can't see her doing that. If she wanted to leave, she could've done so before. So why then? Did it have to do with Sebastian and that whistle?

Sebastian stood up and Ciel glanced at him.

"What is it? Did you find someth-"

He was cut off as Sebastian was asked to come onto the stage. Ciel gave him permission thinking that he could be using this chance to learn the truth about this circus. He didn't expect Sebastian to go straight to the tiger.

"Ah, such round eyes…I've never seen such soft, vividly striped ears…How lovely."

Ciel had forgotten about Sebastian's cat fetish and now, it seems, he was regretting it. The tiger chopped down on Sebastian's head and the tamer believed that she was misbehaving.

"Betty! Let him go!"

She pulled out her whip to hit the animal, but didn't expect something to interfere.

THWACK!

A long growl was emanating from a large, beautiful, red ginger wolf who stood defiantly in from of both, Sebastian and the tiger. The tamer looked scared for a minute, but composed herself and went to hit the wolf with the whip.

"You too! Get back!"

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

The beast was hit three times with the whip, but didn't move until Sebastian grabbed the end of it. The tamer was even more shocked as Sebastian spoke.

"They did nothing wrong, besides…if you simply swing your whip, you will never be able to train the tiger. The wolf, on the other hand, may never be tamed…Right, Damon?"

The wolf's ears twitched before it went back to it's cage in the shadows, where it licked at it's wounds. If one looked closely, they would swear it smiled.

It's about time, Sebastian.