Chapter 16: Explanations, Reunions, and a Magical Collar

Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter! I'm so sorry it took me so long but here we are. As always I would like to give some shout outs to the people who left reviews from the last chapter.

Elvira Silver: Thank you so much. I appreciate your review!

ZabuzasGirl: Thank you and here ya go sweetie!

Lady Mary Michaelis: Hello old friend, it is so good to hear from you again. Thanks for luck!

S-Lioness: Here you go!

Micky-Moo: Thank you so much! Here ya are!

Quote of the Story: "Ooh

Can you feel me when I think about you?

With every breath I take

Every minute, no matter what I do

My world is an empty place

Like I've been wanderin' the desert

For a thousand days (oh-huh)

Don't know if it's a mirage

But I always see your face, baby

I'm missing you so much

Can't help it, I'm in love

A day without you is like a year without rain

I need you by my side

Don't know how I'll survive

A day without you is like a year without rain

Ohhohoh, woooaaahh woah"

-A Year Without Rain by Selena Gomez

Without further ado, here is the next installment of A Demon's Angel!

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When our group pulled into the driveway of Phantomhive Manor, I saw that Pheobus was waiting for me on the front steps.

Pheobus! I exclaimed in my mind since were not alone as I launched myself from the moving carriage into his waiting arms. I missed you!

I missed you too sweet Ariel, I heard him sigh in contentment into my hair.

"Undertaker," Ciel greeted Pheobus politely. "Are you staying for a visit?"

"Well hello little earl!~," Pheobus returned, using the nickname he gave my brother. "Yes, I will be staying for a bit."

"I am not little anymore," Ciel grumbled out.

"You will always be little earl to me.~" Ciel sighed in exasperation while I giggled which caused Pheobus to chuckle.

Would you like to take some tea in the parlor? I asked him since my brother was likely going to be working in his study.

Yes. While we have our tea, I have something I need to speak with you about something.

Alright. Just let me go make the tea. I removed my arms from his waist and I made to enter the manor when I felt a tug on my skirt.

"Ariel, can I come with you?" Pluto asked with his big puppy dog eyes.

"Not right now Pluto, but I promise you that I'll come play with you later." He nodded dutifully before he ran off, changing into his dog form mid-stride.

Who was that?

Oh, that's Pluto. He's a demon hound.

How did you manage to find one?

I'll tell you over tea. With that last thought I skipped inside the house to the kitchen. No one was in there yet so I was by myself as I prepared some rose tea for Pheobus and I. I might as well make up some sandwiches while I'm waiting for the tea to steep, I thought as I took out what I needed. As I worked, I found myself humming and dancing about the room. I couldn't help but giggle to myself when I realized this.

I don't want you alone with that shinigami, Sebastian told me when he slipped into the kitchen.

You forget that he is my mate as well Sebastian, I reminded him calmly.

But you are mine, he growled though our bond. That made me slap down the knife I was using against the counter.

Now you listen here Sebastian, I spat through our bond in anger. He looked surprised at my angered state. Don't even think that you can order me about. You lost any sort of hold you had on me when I chose Pheobus.

Why did you chose him over me?!

Hmm, why don't we see, I remarked while I showed him how I had tried showing him my feelings up until when I decided to give up on him to pursue Pheobus.

It's not my fault your brother forbade me to touch you Ariel! I wanted so badly to hug you and hold you but I couldn't until you released me from his order!

That is too bad Sebastian. I've already made up my mind. Once I had said my part I picked up the knife and finished the snack I was making, leaving a shocked Sebastian rooted where he was standing. Just as I had arranged a trolley with the tea set and the snacks, I heard a deep, animalistic growl in my mind. What, I questioned in my mind before I felt myself being pinned to the kitchen wall by Sebastian.

My mate, he growled while his eyes glowed that swirling red. My eyes in turn narrowed at him.

Let. Me. Go. I ordered him venomously. His growling in my head only grew louder as he was forced to release me. You can stay away from me until you cool yourself off. I didn't even stay long enough to see his facial expression when I closed off our mental connection. In all reality, it hurt me to do so, but I can't have Sebastian trying to pick a fight with Pheobus or him thinking that I was his possession.

"I'm back," I announced to Pheobus as I entered the large parlor with the trolley. "Sorry I took so long."

"It's alright," he assured me with a soft smile as I prepared his tea for him. Once we both had our tea and a half of a sandwich, I tucked my feet underneath myself and began to tell him of our trip. At the beginning of my story he had a raised eyebrow, but his face turned stony when he heard about Angela.

Do you want me to stop telling the story?

No, go on. I nodded hesitantly but continued on from where I left off. However, once I reached the part with Angela and Pluto, I switched from using my voice to showing him through our connection. While I showed him, his face went from passive to shocked to laughing hysterically.

What are you laughing about? I demanded with a huff as my cheeks burned in a blush.

Your face was so cute.~ I could only pout as I showed him what happened after that. When he saw Sebastian trying to stoke that feeling in me, he stopped laughing abruptly. For the rest of the story he stayed expressionless as I felt the gears in his head whirring as he thought. Thinking it best to let him think, I continued to sip my tea and nibble on my sandwich.

I want you to stay away from Angela, he said at last.

No problems there. Now what was it that you wanted to talk with me about?

I wanted to talk with you about our bonding.

Okay. Shoot.

Well, there are three bondings that must take place in order for us to be bound together.

Okay. What are they?

The first, mental bonding, we have already went through. As for the second, physical bonding, and the third, spiritual bonding, we have not gone through yet.

How do we do them?

For physical bonding, we memorize every inch of each others' body. I could feel my face heat up at this. Spiritual bonding is where we become one in body and soul.

And how do we do that? His head dropped at my question.

So you seriously don't know.

Know what? He chuckled in exasperation.

We'll get there later. All I could do was shrug my shoulders and continue to eat. You are so adorable, he sighed while picking me up so that I could sit in his lap with my back against his chest. A contented sigh left the both of us as I snuggled back into him and he placed his head on my shoulder.

This is nice, I thought in a dreamy sigh. Pheobus made a noise of agreement from the juncture where my neck met my shoulder before he gave it a kiss. I giggled at the ticklish feeling. That tickles Pheobus.

Oh it does, does it? he teased, his hands moving to hover over my sides.

You wouldn't dare, I challenged playfully, turning to see his beautiful yellow-green eyes sparkling in happiness.

Oh, I dare. That is when he began to tickle my sides making me twist this way and that trying in vain to get out of his reach.

Pheobus, hehe, st-, hehe, stop, hehe, stop it! Haha, stop, hehe! By the time he stopped tickling me and I had calmed down, I was straddling his lap with my forehead resting against his as he chuckled at me.

Do you want to go outside? I can feel Pluto getting restless.

Sure. Just let me take this back to the kitchen. Meet me at the front door. He gave me a peck on the lips before he let me up from his lap so that I could run back to the kitchen where Bard was sitting.

"Hey Bard," I greeted him happily. "Would you mind taking care of this for me? You can have the sandwiches that are left and the tea if there are any left."

"Sure," he grinned happily. "Thanks Lady Ariel."

"Not a problem Bard. See you later." Since that was all taken care of I skipped out to the front door where Pheobus waited for me.

Like a gentleman he held out his arm for me when I came to his side so that we could walk side by side out to the backyard.

"Ariel!" Pluto exclaimed when he saw me, changing into his human form to tackle me to the ground in his excitement.

"Hey Pluto," I returned as I sat up with him still in my lap. "I'd like you to meet my mate Undertaker. Undertaker, this is Pluto."

"Hello," Pheobus said.

"Any mate of Ariel's is my master too," Pluto told him with a fanged grin. "Oh, Ariel. I wanted to talk to you about something."

"It seems everyone wants to," I joked while I stood up. "What is it?"

"Remember how I wanted you to be my one and only master?"

"Yes."

"Well, I want to perform the ceremony with you and get this other collar off me."

"Alright. What do we have to do?"

"Well, first you'll need to have your wings." I only nodded and let my transformation take over until I was left with my wings, my outfit, and the background music of heavenly song.

"Now what?"

"I need to bite you and you need to ingest a little of my blood." I shuddered at the thought but nodded none the less.

"Alright," I agreed while holding out my wrist to him. A quick pin prick of pain pierced my wrist for a few seconds then lessened as Pluto licked the wound. He then bit his wrist and held it out for me. I quickly swallowed a mouthful then moved away to await further instruction.

"Now that you have my blood in you, the words should come to you." I closed my eyes in concentration as foreign words rose from the depths of my mind that spilled from my lips easily. Upon me uttering these words, Pluto's hand began to glow red as he held it out to me. "All that is left is to take my hand." Without a second thought I reached out and took his hand, letting the light envelop the both of us as the light transformed into a blood red mark on his right shoulder and a blood red bracelet on my right wrist.

"What is this for?" I wondered out loud while admiring the new jewelry.

"This is a physical representation of me being bound to you. If you order me, both will glow and I will be forced to obey."

"I don't think I'll need that," I assured him. "This will just be a plan B just in case if something happens to you like what happened back at Houndsworth." He smiled at my words and tackled me with another hug, except this time I didn't fall because I had the help of my wings.

"Let's play!" Pluto suggested.

"Would you like to play with Pluto too?" I asked Pheobus seeing as though he had stood back with a confused expression on his face.

What was that?

That was me becoming Pluto's one and only master. His eyes widened at my words but he brushed it off.

"Sure." Pluto let out a yip of happiness as he grew to his dog form and waited patiently for me to get airborne. Pheobus one the other hand jumped up to stand on the top of the trees so that he would be level with me as I flew.

"Ready!~Set!~Go!~"I announced, taking off in a burst of speed being closely followed by Pheobus and Pluto.

Hours later, when it was time for dinner, Pheobus left saying that he needed to get back to his shop. Sometime during our little games of chase, Pluto had vanished. (I wonder where?) When he left I headed into the manor to get something quick for dinner, then go check on my brother. For some reason he locked himself up in his study.

"Ciel," I called out hesitantly after knocking on the thick oak door. He didn't give me an answer so I opened his dark study to see that he was fast asleep in his chair with his head resting on his fist. Aw, I thought as I went up to him.

I'm sorry for this morning Ariel, Sebastian sent me from the other side of the desk. I jumped a little, seeing as though I didn't know he was there.

I accept your apology. We should really get Ciel into bed. Even though I thought it, I couldn't help but want to look a little bit longer at the completely relaxed face of my older brother. This was a rare time to ever see his face this peaceful. It made me hesitate to try to wake him up to get him to bed.

"Ariel," called Pluto from behind me. My brows furrowed in confusion at how Pluto could be behind me, but they leveled out when I saw that he was hanging on the outside of the window.

"Hold on a minute Pluto. I'll let you in." Carefully and quietly I used some air to levitate Pluto in the air so that I could open the window and let Pluto in.

"Ariel, can I sleep with you tonight?" Pluto asked with his large red eyes.

"Of course you can Pluto."

"Yay!"

"Pluto," I scolded him. "My brother is asleep."

"Yay!" he tried again in hushed tones.

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Hey guys, hope you liked this chapter. As for the ending, I'm going to see if you guys can't figure out who is all in the picture. Don't worry though, in the next chapter I will tell you who was in the picture and will congratulate anyone who gets it right with virtual Valentine's Day sugar cookies! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions feel free to leave a review. And remember, reviews are magic!~

-White Wolf