Did I already mention how absolutely srry I am? ^-^ just saying again!

Here be a bit gory because we finally get to see why the dead crow brought back memories, a young Harvester William, and a poor poor pitiful Felix. We'll get back to the main plot soon! I cross my fingers! Is that a plot bunny over there?

Disclaimer: This little author who is lucky to have any readers at all sadly does not own Black Butler, Kuroshitsuji, or any other alternate names you can find. (I challenge you.)

Warning: A bit of blood in here, but really, if you don't expect this why are you reading Kuro in the first place? In case you missed it there's a demon butler who kinda kills every three chapters...

Chapter 31: Mountains Part2

Felix wasn't sure when he started being on the outside looking in, but he didn't ask questions as he watched his younger self slip off into slumber. It made him regret not sleeping more, he could recognize two objects out of all of the others; his small little shoes that he only wore outside, despite his father's scolding, and then his small toy stuffed animal.

It was a ratty old thing, black button eyes and torn brown velvet on top of a light fabric Felix couldn't identify. The toy was falling at the seams, the dog's faded pink tongue having ripped some after harsh play in the hands of a small boy. Felix could see his child self hold onto it for dear life; his mother made it and it kept the bad monsters away from Felix's dreams. Scary demons, thieves and criminals, a small sad boy with bright blue eyes-

As Felix recalled his lost memories, some lost dreams started to come back as well...he remembered seeing Ciel in a cage of some kind, laughter and jeers echoing off the walls, sounding as if made by madmen. The stench of rot and rust hung in the air like a heavy blanket of lowliness and uncleanliness.

Ciel screaming for help, Felix not being able to rescue him, then a shadowed beast beginning to slaughter-

His thoughts were cut off as Felix heard gunshots vibrate the walls of the house. His father 's gun. Suddenly he was back to the body, it probably had something to do with consciousness or something of that sort.

He tried to open the door as he heard his mother screaming but he was still wasn't tall enough to reach it on his own. Felix felt his heart pound in his ears and panic pool in his chest. He climbed up his dresser shakily and managed to turn the knob, allowing the door to slowly fall open.

"M-Mama? Father?" Felix heard his small voice call out as he entered the hallway.

The small boy jumped, his bells jingling as he heard a high pitched cry. It sounded sad and mourning, prophetic in a way.

Felix looked up and down the hallway. He saw it, a dark obsidian crow with piercing red eyes. It could've been the golden glow coming from downstairs though. He walked towards it while clutching his stuffed toy tightly. Felix believed that's where they must've lost the button that served as the toy's left eye.

The bird just stared for a moment into Felix's fear filled eyes before flying out the window, making Felix fall over in surprise and then whimper as his bottom felt sore.

He heard hurried footsteps before he saw his father.

His blonde hair was gold in the light of the flames from down below, and his eyes were a burning and eerily cold silver. It was father's mirror...

"Father?"

"You do as Mirror tells you, understand Cain?" Father's voice came out in a strangely calm tone as he reached out and picked up Felix and turning around, going downstairs.

Felix was silent as he surveyed the disastrous scene before him. Flames as golden as his eyes rose up seemingly from nowhere, his eyes followed them as their lustrous red and white tips began to lick the ceiling, leaving obsidian scorch marks in their wake.

"Constance?!", he heard his father yell, "Connie?!"

Felix felt a shiver of fear tremble down his spine. His mother was never usually called by her nickname, it was weird. There was a creaking sound and Felix looked up and saw one of the beams holding their little cottage together begin to fall. He felt it tear into his arm and he gave a pain filled screech before a force knocked the beam away. It was sliced into minuscule pieces seemingly by wind, though Felix could tell it wasn't natural by the way light sparked.

It was father's mirror. He'd cut the beam. Felix whimpered with every step as he wrapped his arms around his father's neck, his tears falling behind them and gleaming like diamonds before hissing as they hit the flames on the floor.

"G-Get Cain out of here...please..."

He recognized his mother's warm voice, comforting and he felt her hand run through his hair, "M-Mama?"

Felix couldn't see her. Where was she? More creaking...

He reached out for her, pulling away from his father, but his hands never reached as Adam carried his child out of the burning house, "Father! She's still inside! She's still-"

He saw a shine of a blade on the burning roof, it's wielder shielded by the huge cloud of obsidian smoke. There was a low rumble that shook the mountain tops.

The moon shined down on them, having only a tiny bit earlier shed light on a mother's affection for her son...it now illuminated the disastrous scene as the home he grew up in crumbled to pieces. Dust spewed out and made Felix's eyes burn as a light film covered his tears.

"Mommy!" He thrashed and his father hoisted him off of his shoulders, holding the confused and shaken boy in front of him.

"Cain...you remember that I love you. I don't say it much but you're my entire world, and I'd die for you in a heart beat. I'm proud of you...how strong you are...brave young man."

"Papa?"

Felix felt more confused than ever. His father picked him back up and felt around the ground before pulling at what looked like a stray stick and some leaves. A small compartment slid open as Adam pushed the stick forward. Dust fell into the hole and Felix jumped as his father put him in there.

"I-I'm scared!"

"Be my brave little boy. Remember that you're never alone, Mirror is with you. You're special Cain...be good. I'll be back for you." Adam smiled and kissed his boy's forehead before slipping the top of the compartment shut, shutting his son away to safety and clouding him in darkness.

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William's three week time limit was almost up. By judging the moon's ascend into the sky he could tell it was around 11:30. Cutting it close and it wouldn't look very good on his test results...

"GRAHHHH!"

The adult male humanoid ran at him like a bull. It was almost humorous in the way these creatures attacked. Like mice attacking a cat. Though shards were much more than mice...they were mice with a powerful unseen ally. He looked over his target, the mother's shard wasn't one that could be used for Harvester's blades, it was too warm and had healing purposes and no offensive abilities...the man and his son however...

"Mirror Offensive: Gatling!" Adam shouted and the sound of his gunshots echoed through the rubble that used to be his home.

They flew out in brilliant streams of red and blue light, glowing like bands of moonlight. They shot through the sky and down towards the Harvester, the being's black hair glinting in the light of the sovereign moon. The usual silvery tint of the moon was shaded a light red, as if reflecting the blood of Constance that both the man and beast could scent beneath the piles of stone.

"It is your family's time to die Adam Summet." William stated and waved the bullets away with his large scythe.

He was the picture of death itself; a large black cloak over his waist coat, blouse, and slacks. He pushed his glasses up and raised his scythe again, preparing to kill him.

Adam let out a cry of rage as he charged at William once again, a flimsy knife in one hand while the shard within his body created a glowing gun around the other. It was almost sad...

Almost.

William whipped his foot around and sent the man flying a good near ten meters away from the house, not much around to serve as a proper grave besides the dusty earth and a few trees...

And unbeknownst to Will, Adam Summet had landed on top of the compartment holding his dear son.

xxxcxxxxcccxxxxxcxxxxcxxxxx

Felix jolted as he heard a loud thud from above him. Something was on top of the trap door, something big. It had to be the bad man! What did his mother call them? Harvesters?

His heart thudded in his chest like horses running through the valley. Felix wondered if he was going to die...if his mother was hurt really bad...where was his father?

The hole was darker than black; a never ending emptiness that Felix wondered if he would ever escape. He heard small shuffles of feet tinier than his own, small little pops and cracks, some groans. The entire compartment stank of earth and mold, small ice crystals were on the walls, the ground constantly in a state of permafrost. Felix pulled his knees closer to his chest and pulled his robes around him.

He didn't know how much time had passed since his father had told him to wait, but it felt like a bazillion forevers to Felix's small mind. He considered going out to see-

'No! We're not leaving!' Mirror's voice spat defiantly.

"B-But papa and mama-"

He was cut off by footsteps.

"Adam James Summet...your time is up."

"My son...will survive." Felix heard his father's croak above him.

There was the sound of something being swung before the wooden trap door was run through. A liquid of some type dripped as the weapon was pulled out. Light poured in as his father's body was rolled over.

No...no...

"DONT LEAVE ME IN HERE!"

His body tried to move, but he felt Mirror keep him at bay.

"HE'LL KILL THEM MIRROR! DON'T BETRAY ME! LET ME OUT OF HERE MIRROR!" Felix called out in a small weak voice, "MIRROR!"

There was no answer.

"MIRROR WE CAN SAVE THEM! PLEASE!"

'I CAN'T!' Mirror shouted back, 'YOU'LL DIE!'

"Please, Mirror, we need to save them. We need to protect them from the Harvesters that Papa talked about. Mirror...are you going to betray me?"

'I'm not letting you out of here, it isn't your destiny to die. You're needed...I'm sorry.'

Felix let out a blood curdling scream in defiance, but there wasn't any reply as the trap door was flung open. His tears sparkled as they fell and something dripped onto his right cheek. He wiped it away and his hands shook as the red liquid stained his fingers.

"B-Blood..."

There was the sound of a blade being lifted and Felix looked up with shocked golden eyes. The man from before held a huge scythe above his head.

"Cain Summet..." The man stated in a monochrome voice, "Your time is up-"

Suddenly the scythe vanished in a flash of bright light and the man caught his breath before checking the watch on his wrist and glaring at the object.

Felix felt himself stand up and start to scramble up the opposite side of the compartment.

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The face of the small clock face mocked him as time continued on. 12:00. 12:00. 12:00.

His father had completed the test by 11:20. His father by 11:00. And he...

William's eyes darted to the boy trying to escape and he growled, swinging his leg down to make the boy return into the dark hole.

...he hadn't even finished by midnight.

William snorted and wiped the dirt off of himself, his thick mane of black hair blowing regally in the night wind. He looked down at the red haired child and glared. It was all this maggot's fault for not being in the bedroom like he should have been. He was supposed to have been asleep and died in the house.

"You ruined my plans human..." William hissed, "Now I have to create a tale to cover up my failure. No matter. You'll die in the hills..."

He disappeared in a flash.

A/N: Well William was wrong in the end there wasn't he? Not easy to trick the Gods though. Except Pluto of course.