True happiness
Okay kids. Here's more.
And, to the sir who called me a troll, you have now invoked my wrath. "SEBASTIAN!"
"Yes, My Lady."
"This is an order! Troll the man who called me a troll!"
"Yes, My Lady!"
Oh and one more thing, WHERE THE HELL HAVE I BEEN? Book of Circus? Another Black Butler by the manga and I did not know about it! May have to write a fic for that one when I'm finished with this one.
vVv
Fire - Delicate, beautiful, devastating in itself. A triple threat that captivates and terrifies the mind. A power meant to release trapped souls, celebrate auspicious occasions, add flare also capable of destruction, and casting the shadow of grief upon the world. And in the ashes of the aftermath, only a fragment of the past survives. Amid the catastrophe, a gorgeous array of color blankets the sky in spite of the smoke. Carrying screams and ah's.
Dancing in the petrified sapphire eye of Ciel Phantomhive - flames consumed a white, staining to ashy black, white blazer. The blaze was intense, leaving very little to see if a figure perished amid the smoke. As he reached for the flames, mouth twitching to scream to the owner of that blazer, it was swallowed. Ciel's knees gave in. Disbelief and deniable gripped his heart and mind.
"Allie? Allie!" He wheezed. Shrill cackling boiled his blood. The Turner woman, lost in her delusions, pirouetted over Alliahnna's final place, laughing ass if she had been kissed by god. "YOU...HORRID...BITCH!" Ciel's rage contorted his face. Mrs. Turner glanced back at him with that smile. He drew his gun, aiming for her still beating heart. "I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU!"
"GO AHEAD AND TRY, LITTLE BOY!" She mockingly welcomed. The fires behind her finally started to fade, but burned even hotter. "You'll meet the same fate as-" A fist plowed into her cheek, sending the Turner woman flying into wooden barrels. Ciel marveled at what had happened. He was dumbstruck beyond words.
Sebastian casually dusted himself off, adding to Ciel's confusion when he stood by him. "I was wondering how long you had planned on being scarce." He mocked the figure scraping dirt from her black shorts.
"Well pardon me!" Ciel's eye widened. Long navy hair glistened in the moonlight. "She used a lot more powder than I believed she had." Walking out of the smoke and into the light for all to see her shabby appearance - Alliahnna coughed up smoke and ash. "That packed a serious punch." She flapped her vest and white undershirt, puffing thin layers of soot. The shorts she was wearing were in decent shape. She hardly had a scratch on her.
"It would appear you will have to be more cautious." Sebastian teased.
"Yeah, yeah." Alliahnna saw Ciel approaching her as if seeing a ghost. She laughed nervously, itching the side of her sweating head. "Um...hi...Ciel?" She laughed again. A vein popped in Ciel's head. He pinched her cheek and gave it a hard tug. "YOW! CIEL! STOP IT!"
"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE PERISHED IN AN EXPLOSIVE INFERNO!" Ciel pulled her cheek harder, steadily becoming angered that she had survived. "YET HERE YOU ARE - ALIVE - BANDYING QUIPS?! HOW IN BLAZES DID YOU MANAGE TO ESCAPE?"
"OW! OW! OW! LOOK!" She threw a finger toward the ashy pile. Ciel squinted, spotting the half burned blazer and skirt. "It mostly landed on my skirt and coat! So I made a quick change!"
Flashback
Some of that stuff got in my eyes, Turner tossed the powder onto her, Thankfully it cleared before she had the chance to kill me. Alliahnna's quick discerning spied the places of greater contact with the powder. Turner had the trigger in her hand. It was a close call, Alliahnna ripped the buttons on the jacket, and tore the skirt, but I managed to escape my doomed clothing. The shock of the explosion tossed her through a window. Unfortunately the blast kind of sent me flying and I was a little dizzy.
Flashback End
"And you've been wearing those this whole time?" Ciel addressed the short.
"Of course!" Alliahnna winced. She massaged the throbbing red spot on her cheek. "Did you honestly think I walked around without anything under that short thing?"
"Pardon me! I'm not the sort of brother that worries for obscured undergarments!" Ciel wet a handkerchief and placed it to her cheek. "And if it's so short wear something else!"
"I'm not having this conversation with you again!" Alliahnna faced her back to him, rubbing the sore cheek.
Ciel huffed angrily, boring holes in his pigheaded older sister. He scaled incredulous eyes over her messy form. Aside for the sore spot on her cheek, she didn't look like someone who was just blown up. It reminded him of Sebastian's healing speed. Ciel's been able to blink and Sebastian will have nary a scratch on him. The durability of demons - incredible. The glow in Ciel's eyes seemed to dampen. An ache he hadn't felt in his heart in some time started to prod at him. That's right. Alliahnna's a demon now. Wounds like this only slow her down.
"Ciel?" Alliahnna bent forward, meeting his crestfallen stare. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." He looked away from her. Alliahnna was taken aback by his retreat. She looked to Sebastian. He sighed resignedly, then inconspicuously pressed a finger to his chest. Alliahnna mirrored the motion. A jolt struck the back of her mind. Oh.
"YOU!" Sebastian, Alliahnna, and Ciel interrupted their small drama to acknowledge the shriek. The Turner woman picked herself up, tossing debris from her and her camera. "You little wretch! Why are you not piles of ash for me to stomp upon?"
"Because I'm a magician, that's why!" Alliahnna barked sarcastically. She grit her teeth, directing the crazed woman's attention to her forever ruined clothing. "And you owe me a new blazer and skirt! Do you have any idea how long Sebastian measured me for those?" Unimaginable humiliation reddened her cheeks recalling the hours Sebastian used as an excuse to sexually poke and prod her. Ciel shuddered with dread. He glared back at his butler who was relishing the memory. "If I have to do it again, I'm going to hang you!"
"Then, my little escape artist, allow me to relieve you of that misery!" Mrs. Turner threw more powder at her. Seconds before it touched Alliahnna, Mrs Turner squeezed the camera trigger.
"ALLIE!" Ciel tackled her. Silver and gold sparked the explosive powder. A ferocious blast threw The Phantomhive twins to the stone street. Ciel had his arms wrapped protectively to Alliahnna, holding her close and shielding her from falling embers. Demon or not, I will protect you.
"Ciel?"
Mrs. Turner cackled to the night drawn heavens, expressing in her twisted sense of the happiness and burning passion she's finally achieved. She twirled on her toes, dancing with the camera as if it were her one true love. She then skipped down the street, ducking into an alleyway.
"PRY THAT CAMERA FROM HER GRASP, SEBASTIAN!" Ciel roared. "Capture her at all costs."
"Yes, My Lord." Sebastian bowed to his command. He chased the woman just as she rounded the corner into the alley. She sang to herself, spinning about as she covered the streets in magnesium powder. Sebastian was right on her heels entering the alley. He inane singing making it difficult to not locate her.
"DOO-DOO-DAH-DAH…!" Singing bellowed on top of Mrs Turner's. Sebastian staggered to a halt. A fork, knife, and spoon in between his fingers he thrust his hand up. The whirling teeth of a chainsaw met the stainless silver. Sparks flew everywhere. A familiar red coat wafted in the wind.
Alliahnna and Ciel caught up to Sebastian as he was deadlocked with a new attacker. Ciel was transfixed by the red coat. The tips of the end rippled an old memory. The world faded to the black abyss of his distorted mind. Sparks circling the air morphed into falling rose petals. This color...I've seen it before! An ambiguous figure appeared in the center of those thoughts. Crimson red like a lighthouse in the night. So red...A window exploded at the end of the alleyway, bringing Ciel back to reality.
Sebastian's arm wavered under the weight of the fierce chainsaw. The silverware vibrated fiercely, numbing his entire hand. He was able to feel the silverware ready to break. The crimson figure pressing the chainsaw for Sebastian's head showed rows of razor sharp teeth in a menacing grin. Sebastian narrowed his crimson orbs, glaring heatedly at the the interloper.
"I thought it was you." He hissed.
"I've just been simply dying to see you…" A ring and middle finger were curled into a hand gesture. "Sweet Bassy!" Gold and turquoise eyes of Grell Sutcliffe beamed at Sebastian.
"Who on earth…?" Ciel trailed off in a gasp. "Do you two know him?"
"Unfortunately we do." Alliahnna crooned. Ciel glanced her way to ask further, then fretfully plastered his back to the wall. A malicious aura surrounded her head to toe. A fine gleam sharpened her hateful glare.
"UH...Alliahnna?" He quivered. And he thought Elizabeth was scary when she's angry. Ciel's soul must have left him five times. Six.
"We know this man..." Alliahnna tightened her fingers into fists. The ground seemed to quake as she trudged forward, "Which only means there's one more reaper to rear his ugly head!"
"Reaper?" Ciel quivered.
Sebastian pushed on the chainsaw, only moving it a small distance. Not ample space to properly launch a counterattack. Grell may be a simple fool but that in no way meant Sebastian should lower his guard. He's all too familiar with how deadly the gender confused reaper could be.
"So, Grell, you've been pulling the strings behind the scenes, eh?" Sebastian quipped.
Grell laughed heartily, pressing down on the chainsaw. "I've pulled nothing more than the red strings of fate that connect our hearts together, Bassy!" The heads of the knife, spoon, and fork were cut clean off. Sebastian weaved to the side, spinning along Grell's arm to get behind him. The intense power of the death scythe reverberated his chest. Grell planted his feet, regaining his momentarily lost stance. "And now that I finally have you I shall never let you stray from me!" He cuddled to the chainsaw, pretending it was his dear beloved Bassy. "Soon, my beloved Bassy, I will have you in my arms!" He wiggled his hips like a cat in heat, sneaking a covetous stare over Sebastian perfect form. "And then I will be the one at the mercy of those teasing fingers-" A swift kick to the back of his head sent him flying. Sebastian effortlessly stepped to the side. Grell's face planted in the ground at his feet.
"Very well done, My Lady." Sebastian commended, smiling impishly. Alliahnna tapped her foot boastfully on the stone, playing off how much she enjoyed that.
Grell threw his head up, growling venomously at the intruding girl. "I'll make you pay for that, HUSSY!" Alliahnna put her hands to her hips, standing over the horny reaper in case he decided to get up again. "Hold on…" Grell paused for a moment. "It can't be…" Alliahnna's disgust of the reaper faded as he climbed to his feet. He adjusted his glasses to ensure his vision wasn't impaired. He boldly gave Alliahnna a closer look, taking care not to skip a single inch. Alliahnna couldn't help blushing. Her outward appearance belied it, but there was a drastic change to the young Phantomhive. "IT IS! YOU'RE A DEMON! SHE'S A DEMON! A FULL BLOODED ONE!" He panicked between an irked Alliahnna and Sebastian. Grell sobbed in despair, throwing his hands to Sebastian's shoulders. "OH BASSY! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?" Tears were like waterfalls down his face. A little glob of snot hung from his nose. "YOU...YOU CHOSE THIS CHILD OVER YOUR ONE TRUE LOVE! I THOUGHT WE HAD SOMETHING SPECIAL!" Grell's crying was stopped by Sebastian dropping his heel on his head. Grell crumbled to his knees. His head split open in pain.
"He still doesn't get it." Alliahnna rumbled.
"He does. He just refuses to accept it." Sebastian assured his skeptical lover.
"Then keep kicking him until he does!"
"But of course." Sebastian crossed a hand over his chest, bowing at the hip.
"HOW COULD YOU!" Grell shot up, holding his tender head. "I'm so dainty!"
"PFFT! If you're dainty then I'm Queen Bess!" Alliahnna snarled.
"Now, now, let us all behave rationally." Sebastian edged Alliahnna to safe distance. His soft expression dampened her anxiety. "Grell, do not act so offended. You are the one that struck first."
"I just took an affectionate swipe at you out of excitement!" Grell stressed to Sebastian, pleading for him to believe him. "I didn't mean any harm by it! I was only following that pig!"
Sebastian faced the general direction Mrs. Turner ran in. "You're after her too?" He ignored the insult of the woman's body type.
"He would be!" Alliahnna snapped. "This demented pussycat stalks you like the plague."
"Sweetheart, if you persist to insult me so informally," A pure white glow filled Grell's glasses. He revved his death scythe at top speed, edging it toward her chest, "I'm going to personally cut that pentagram off you!" Alliahnna remained impassive to the threat. The shrill breezing of the blade spun in her hardened glare. Sebastian wasn't even surprised by their bitter rivalry anymore. It was steadily becoming adorable.
"So, then, I take you both ARE acquainted with this freak then." Ciel stated loudly. Grell gawked at him confusedly, letting the scythe slow to a halt. If what Sebastian told Alliahnna is correct, then Ciel met Grell once upon a time seven years ago. It lowered Alliahnna's spirits to hear. Ciel truly doesn't remember.
"Regrettably yes." Sebastian answered. "His job is to collect souls of the deceased. He's a Grim Reaper." He purred with eerie whir.
"A grim reaper?" Ciel hid how impressed he was by Grell's appearance. He resembled nothing like the storybooks of the grim reaper. He was rather silly looking. Given what he witnessed, that tomfoolery was only a front. "It sounds as if you and he might have something in common."
"Really~" Grell chimed. He liked where Ciel was going. He cupped his hands together, blowing kisses to his demon crush. Hearts blossomed around his deluded head. Dread lines hung beneath his eye.
"Please don't feed his delusions." Alliahnna whined, touching her forehead. "It'll add to his arsenal of reason to chase Sebastian. WHO BELONGS TO ME, BY THE WAY!"
"I met him first so I claim him!" Grell jabbed a find in her shoulder. "You hanging on his arm is nothing but a technicality!"
"I've kissed him several times!" Alliahnna matched the jabs. "How many times has he even let you breathe on him without cringing in disgust?!" Grell and Alliahnna growled heatedly. The sparks between their eyes flared out of control, missing striking Ciel by centimeters.
"Are these two like this often?!" Ciel grunted.
"Not at all, Master. Sometimes they fight." Sebastian jested. Ciel was not in the mood for jokes. "In any event, there has been a recent spate of crime. I imagine that's what brought him here. A sudden increase in souls." Alliahnna blew steam from her nose. That reason alone decreased her displeasure.
Grell sly stalked by Sebastian, fawning over him with hungry eyes. "I'm sure my work load will decrease with you on the case, Se-bas-tian." He flirtatiously poked Sebastian's firm chest. His other hand floated dangerously close to his shoulder. "At last our amorous adventure can begin anew." Grell glided forward to cuddled to him. Sebastian simply stepped to the side, letting him hit the ground. The thud was augmented by a thunderous BOOM close by. Everyone almost forgot about the Turner woman.
"Weren't we chasing a crazy woman with a camera?" Alliahnna joking recollected.
"How can you joke about this?"
"Takes the edge off." She shrugged.
Ciel growled irately. The jokes were beginning to lose their charm. Grell shamelessly used the distracted and lunged futilely for Sebastian, wanting desperately to hold him in his arms. "We don't have time to fool with him!" Ciel declared. Sebastian nonchalantly danced around, evading the lovestruck reaper with ease. "Let's go!" Ciel and Alliahnna took off after the explosion.
"Yes sir!" Sebastian dashed after them. Grell tripped over his own feet. His face met the ground again.
Alliahnna and Ciel sprinted through a street engulfed by a scaling blaze. The night seemed to transform into day. The fire burned hotter and brighter. The only silver lining was that the fire was a straight trail to Mrs. Turner. It was their hope they'd find her before she killed anyone else. But with the wind carrying the fire, throwing the trail in all directions, Ciel and Alliahnna worried Mrs. Turner would get too far ahead.
"Where did she go?" Ciel panted.
"I'm not sure! I can hardly see past the flames!"
The fire burned indiscriminately, swallowing London in a raging inferno as it had done seven years ago. Screaming people guided by Sir Arthur to head up wind of the fire were a as good a lead as any. He and Aberline were pulling people from the blaze, helping them and calling for people to follow them to safety. Frenzied, manic people nearly knocked Ciel and Alliahnna off their feet running in the opposite direction. Yet, amongst all these people, Turner wasn't one of them.
"How the Hell did we lose a looney with a camera?" Alliahnna shrieked.
"That looney moves faster than we gave her credit for." Ciel reluctantly admitted. "We should split. Perhaps-" AAAHHH! Shrill, bone chilling screams howled from the next street. Staggering bodies consumed by fire toppled past the alley, dying with their screams on the wind. Fresh smoke climbed to the air. "OVER THERE!" Ciel ran for the alley connecting the streets, leaping over corpses.
"HELP!" Alliahnna stopped. She glanced side to side, curious of who she heard. She peered up the street a ways. A bloodied hand waved frantically. The skin was pink from burns. "SOMEBODY PLEASE, HELP ME!" A woman trapped beneath some rubble waved fervently to anyone who would see.
"HOLD ON! I'M COMING!" Alliahnna ran to the woman, taking hold of her hand.
"Oh thank you! Thank you!" She wept as if seeing an angel. She squeezed Alliahnna's hand. It surprised Alliahnna how strong she was. The woman was in worse shape than her arm. She was covered in soot. "Please! Help us!" In her arms, wrapped protectively in a blanket, was a baby crying.
Alliahnna reached inside, stroking the baby's fair skin. She removed enough to to clean his tanned skin. He stopped crying at her touch, giggling at her smiling face. "Hold on! I'm going to get you out!" Alliahnna dug loose rubble off to the side, hoping to create a wider hole. She moved to the top of the pile, shoving huge slabs and wood off so the woman and baby weren't crushed.
There was a shift inside of the rubble. The woman yelped, cowering with her baby in her arms. Alliahnna jerked to see inside. The inside was starting to crumble. "Don't worry! I almost have it!" Alliahnna went to move a beam. She needed to pull the woman out.
"Please! There's no time!" The woman latched onto Alliahnna's arm. She moved as much debris as her weak arms would let her, creating a hole just big enough. She handed her baby through. Alliahnna, on instinct, received the baby. He cooed and giggled at her, warming her. "His father lives in Cambridge! Look for Michael Ryner! He lives at 2-1-0 Algrove!"
"Wait! What about you?!" Alliahnna placed a hand on the gap. "You should bring your son to him yourself."
"I'm afraid I'm not going anywhere." The woman managed a weak, resigned smile. She cast her somber look to her ankle. She was caught in a hole, trapped by heavy rubble. Alliahnna's heart sank to her stomach. She shook her head, unable to accept what the woman was willing to. "Please miss." The woman tenderly touched Alliahnna's hand. She wore Alliahnna down with her smile. She knew the end was near. "Alexander has yet to meet his father. I'd like for them to begin a life together. Please...make sure that happens." Her voice cracked. She batted her big green eyes. Tears fell over her cheeks.
Alliahnna detested the notion. She couldn't leave this woman to this fate. To die because of another's delusions. Alexander deserved both parents. He deserves...to live. Which is every parent's wish for their child. Alliahnna sighed in defeat. "What is your name?"
"Henrietta."
"I am Alliahnna." She bowed her head. She turned her hand, holding onto Henrietta's. "I promise, Henrietta, Alexander will meet his father. They'll both know..." Alliahnna choked on her words. Tears glossed her twinkling sapphire eyes, "What a brave woman you are."
"Thank you...so much...Alliahnna." Henrietta sniffled. Rocks sprinkled from a tipping roof slab, rolling off Henrietta's tomb. Henrietta stroked Alexander's cheek one last time. "Mommy loves you, Alex. Be a good boy."
Henrietta slithered her arm inside. The crackling of rocks gradually became louder. Pebbles bounced off Alliahnna's head. The structure was waning. Henrietta sat on her knees, closing her eyes. Alliahnna rose grudgingly to her feet. She knew, with her powers, she would be able to save the woman. As she turned on her heels, walking away to leave Henrietta to her fate, Alliahnna dwelled on the look in her eyes. The look of someone ready to die. Who did not wish to be saved.
The roof was unable to keep itself aloft. Henrietta inhaled, then released one last breath. The roof gave way. Alliahnna rounded to another street. BOOM! The earth trembled beneath her feet. She tensed her body, refusing to look back. She tightened her embrace to Alexander, remembering why it was she left Henrietta.
Another explosion resounded across the sky. Rather than startle or dishearten Alliahnna, it erupted ungodly rage in her heart. She need not look ahead too far, or worry which street to blindly traverse next. The smoke emitted from the Square housing Big Ben.
"Be proud, Alexander." She stiffly forced her legs to keep her moving forward. "That brave woman was your mother. Rather than be saved, she chose to die in hopes you would live. But do not fret." Alexander watched Alliahnna with perplexity. He was entranced by her glowing pink eyes. "Mrs. Turner will pay for taking her from you."
vVv
With all the commotion, crowds had amassed to London's City Square. Thick clouds of smoke ushered cries of fear. Stragglers escaped the burning city, following the rest of the crowd to a haven where they could wait out the storm.
Scotland Yard attempted to keep the sea of people flowing in a steady and calm fashion. Curious onlookers wanted to witness more of what was happening, hoping for closure as to the cause behind their suffering. Yard officers herded them along, assuring them there was nothing for them to see. That line would not work forever. For now it was all they could convey without violating the law or causing further panic.
Grell and Sebastian arrived on scene as the crowd disappeared to the opposite side of the city. Magnesium powder was spilled all over the place. Traces floated on the breeze, being carried by the wind to the portion of city already in a blaze. Grell and Sebastian were drawn to the tower of Big Ben. There was a smoking hole a ways up. Little of the historical landmark had been defaced. From the ground, Grell and Sebastian could see Ciel being cornered by Mrs. Turner. Her camera aimed for him.
"Master!" Sebastian gasped.
"My, my, quite a development." Grell cooed. "Who knew pigs could climb so high."
"SEBASTIAN!" Grell and Sebastian glanced to see Alliahnna sprinting toward them. Sebastian arched a curious brow.
"NNNOOOO!"Grell screamed in horror, lightning striking his very core at the thing she carried in her arms. "IT'S OVER! MY CHANCES FOR ETERNAL LOVE HAVE BEEN REAPED!" Chibi reapers of Alliahnna mocking his hand sign danced in the background. He sobbed rivers on the ground, howling in a fit, cursing Alliahnna. "Where's Ciel?" She asked Sebastian, ignoring Grell.
"He is up there." Alliahnna followed his stare to Big Ben's bell tower. An explosion knocked Ciel against a pillar. Alliahnna gasped in dismay. Sebastian meandered toward Alliahnna, keeping the sputtering child in direct line of scrupulous sight. "He cornered the Turner woman, then had the tables turned on him. Now she's poured enough magnesium to reduce the city to rubble," He slapped palms to her shoulders, unnerving her with a dark stare, "And then you arrive with a child in your arms." He growled the last part. Alliahnna shivered as his grip tightened. He lowered his head, hiding the welling despair. "I understand we had a tiff a while back, and your faith in me was lacking." He scooped up her hand, pressing the top of the palm to his lips. "But I swear I never intended for you to hide this from me."
Alliahnna honestly hadn't caught on to what he meant. Then she remembered Alexander was in her arms. "He's not ours, Sebastian!" She shouted. Sebastian and Grell sprouted to life. Grell was twinkling in delight while Sebastian seemed a little disappointed. "This little bugger here belongs to a woman who died in the city. She asked me to find his father in Cambridge."
"OH HAPPY DAY!" The sun rose on Grell's field of wildflowers. He wrapped his arms to Sebastian's, rubbing his cheek on the firm bicep. "Ahh...all's right with the world! Now I have a chance to bear you that child I promised you."
Alliahnna's brow twitched. "First of all..." She stomped a foot in his face, "MEN CANNOT BEAR CHILDREN!" She thrust the foot. Grell crashed in the base of Big Ben. "AND WHAT THE HELL DOES HE MEAN BY THE CHILD I PROMISED YOU?" Sebastian had his hands raised in mock surrender, laughing nervously. "Just what in blazes were you both into before you met me?!"
"My Lady, certainly we can discuss at a more opportune time." He implored her. "My Young Master - your brother - is atop Big Ben with a craze woman threatening to kill him." Mrs. Turner's cackle echoed to the streets to prove his point. A couple more explosions overemphasized the importance of his rescue. "I promise to explain Grell's delusions at a later time."
"There's no point. The deluded are beyond comprehension." Case in point - Grell lied dazed with stone slabs crumbled on top of him. Alliahnna glared to Mrs. Turner, able to hear the broken woman rant on about being married to someone you don't love. "This woman is a victim of never feeling love, and has gone mad in that grief. She indiscriminately seeks to rid the world of those who deprive her of happiness. And unfortunately my brother has thrown himself in her crosshairs." She watched Ciel intently. He had his head thrown back in derisive laughter. A smile stretched across her face. "How like him to mock the misery others created for themselves."
Sebastian was caught off guard by Alliahnna's praise. Normal elder siblings would be twisted by fear. Fallen into a panic. But not her. Even with having lost her brother once before, inevitably to lose him again, she watches from the sidelines and supports his every motive. The gleam in her eyes - unwavering admiration, faith, and love - continuously extended to her younger sibling.
Yes...this is it. That fire...Sebastian drank the ambrosia of her resolve, That passion...He licked his lips. The full brunt of her will so invigorating. Hardships and grief never once dampening your spirit. It was quite the rare phenomena. Sebastian felt wings attach to his heart and make it flutter. And not in the slightest does she contrast to you, Master. Sebastian moaned his young master's name in his mind. Her will passes unto you - always has - feeding your drive. Ciel proceeded to keep his unfired gun trained on the woman, prepared - if not reluctant - to shoot her if she came any closer. You future's been stolen, dreams have been shattered, and your only family is no longer apart of this mortal coil. To which he regretfully lowered his head.You were left with nothing but despair. Yet you face the reality and fight. Never once losing your nobility. He smiled dreamily to his fighting master.
"Yes, that's it my young 's the quality of soul I want to consume." He purred in a whisper.
Alliahnna's had knots in her stomach. Sebastian's words tempted her to vomit on the street. He is a demon, after all. She repeatedly reminded her fragile heart. He would have devoured my soul had I not chosen life. She sadly looked at the butler, wishing with all her heart she could forever keep both men she loved by her side. The only consolation...is that it will be you who takes him from me.
"Well you can't devour him if he's dead." Alliahnna antagonized the drooling butler. "And I doubt Will will appreciate Ciel cheating death twice." She smirked.
"A very good point. On another note..." Sebastian trailed off. The hands on the clock face struck midnight. Sebastian tightened his glove, saddling up to apprehend the Turner woman. "Now then, Alliahnna, you and I should be hurrying. We only have five minutes."
"Oh?"
"According to Grell's death ledger," He parted the ledger in question open to a specific page.
"HEY! THAT'S MINE!" Grell howled, holding his bleeding nose.
"One Margarette Turner will burn herself to death at five past midnight."Alliahnna glanced a second time at the clock face. "You and I have five minutes to apprehend her and drain her of information."
"Wait a minute," Grell shoved Alliahnna out of the way with a palm plastered to her face, "What are you getting at?" The hand muffled Alliahnna's curses and insults. Her hands wavered fiercely.
"I have orders to capture her and that is what I shall do." Sebastian elucidated, fixing his uniform.
"You've arrived at the party too late for that."
"I am never too late to follow an order from my master. If I was what kind of butler would I be?" He assumed his signature posture. A hand placed to the right of his chest, sworn allegiance to Ciel's wishes.
"Are you forgetting he made it to a courthouse within seconds of my testimony?" Alliahnna was on the other side of Sebastian, fixing a white blazer and skirt to her form. Grell glanced confused to dots outlined where Alliahnna once stood. She flipped her hair free of the blazer, letting it flow in the wind. "Five minutes is four minutes and 30 seconds more than we'll need to settle this matter."
"You'll be joining us, won't you?" Sebastian offered Grell. "We do have a task."
Grell bestilled his - figuratively - beating heart. "You want me to come along?"
"And so the insanity spans." Alliahnna groaned. Sebastian pressed fingers to her lips. Her hair coiled to snakes, snapping at the butler.
"You might have noticed my lord's surly demeanor. I'm certain he'd make a rather unsuitable model." He flashed a sly smirk to Grell, feeding the darkening pink tint. "You'd make a marvelous subject for a photo, though. But if you don't want to..." He trailed off, turning to Alliahnna.
Grell blossomed with glee, cupping his hands to his fluttering heart. It was an absolute dream come true. "Allow me to show you some of the more enticing shots I've cultivated!" He threw the red coat away, striking a teasing pose.
Alliahnna sighed irately, finding it difficult to ignore the strutting reaper in the background. "There will be no living with him after this." Her grave was dug and she was tempted to throw herself in it.
"As if he was preferable to live with before?" Sebastian retorted quizzically. Alliahnna bobbed her head agreeably. She stiffened sensing a presence behind her. Sebastian's unnerving chuckle sent chills up her neck. "I'd much rather curl up in a flat with a warm, adorable kitten. Feisty yet submissive. One that purrs in pure bliss when I..." He snaked an arm around her shoulders, sneaking the free hand to her bare stomach, "Tickle her tummy." He nibbled her ear.
Alliahnna whimpered. Sebastian's lips and tongue toyed with her ear. "Sebastian...baby...not place!" Alliahnna struggled to deny him. Her knees knocked together.
"You mean that baby?" He turned her head. Alliahnna blinked confusedly, question marks replacing her eyes. Aberline waved at Alliahnna, cradling little Alexander in his arms.
Alliahnna bounced her arms. Dots outlined Alexander's vacant place in her arms. She hadn't noticed until now. "I'll never understand how you do that." She smiled.
"I will teach you once our mission is complete."
vVv
Clouds of smoke erupted from Big Ben's Bell Tower. The explosion shook the sturdy structure. Rocks and broken marble littered the still in immaculate condition tower. Ciel sought refuge behind a pillar. Yet to be ignited powder riddled nooks and crannies cornered him near the railing, and a plummet to his death. Mrs. Turner's aim was becoming dangerously close to accurate. And every second Alliahnna and Sebastian wasted sorting whatever tiff Grell caused was costing him chances of living - and his patience.
"I'll roast anyone that calls me a pig!" Mrs. Turner forewarned, sprinkling a pouch of magnesium powder to the strong breeze. "I don't care if you are just a little boy." She squeezed the trigger. The powder heated to a spark , exploding inches behind Ciel.
The explosion blew Ciel's eye patch off his seal. The length of his patience had now reached its end. "How long am I supposed to wait on you?" In the recess of his worries, he was concerned for Alliahnna who had disappeared some time ago. Had she gotten hurt again, or was she gallivanting throughout the city? He hadn't the foggiest. Nor was he sure she'd answer his call. Nevertheless, one demon was at his beckon call. "COME! SEBASTIAN!" He invoked the contract.
"Indeed, My Young Lord." Sebastian purred in his mind.
"You think talking yourself will help?" Mrs. Turner mocked him.
"My older sister does it when she's in a fix!" Ciel barked, grinning blatantly. "I see the appeal. It drowns the inane ramblings of crazed halfwit!"
Mrs. Turner's face twisted in demented rage. She growled shrilly. The camera shook in her grasp. "You and that bitch have smart mouths! Perhaps it's time I burned that away first!" She angled the lens, held the trigger. Ciel tensed, awaiting the explosion. A grinding noise postponed the attack. Ciel heard it too. Mrs. Turner glanced back. It was coming from behind her. She peered over the ledge. She was dumbstruck. "Impossible."
Sebastian was sprinting up the side of Big Ben. He dashed up with such ease. It may as well be another straight path of sidewalk. Grell rode his death scythe to the lead, making little revving noises. Alliahnna was hanging by the black bow tied to Grell's red coat. She smirked in humor.
"This is almost fun." She sniggered.
"I am certain you can scale the building yourself." Grell snarled.
"How else am I to add insult to your injuries?"
"Careful, My Lady. Grell may end your ride."
"But then he'd never get to pose for hose pictures." She crooned. Grell squealed in ecstasy, cupping his hands together imagining the poses and struts he would display for his beloved Bassy. "Besides, consider it payback for his intruding." She narrowed her eyes. Sebastian threw a sardonic smirk to the horizon. And she calls me jealous.
While Sebastian, Grell, and Alliahnna defied the laws of physics, Mrs. Turner was trapped in a daze of them. "It's impossible! Unthinkable!" Mrs. Turner was shaking in her bloomers. "Who are these people?"
"That's my butler, and my sister." Ciel boasted. "And some freak."
"DEADLY EFFICIENCY! THAT'S MY MOTTO!" Grell flexed his hand in his deadly serious gesture. His pink tongue licked his sharp teeth. Sebastian traveled the groove Grell's chainsaw left, lining himself up perfectly with the Reaper.
"STAY OUT OF THIS, WHOEVER YOU ARE!" Mrs. Turner poured an entire small barrel of powder onto Grell. He defended Alliahnna and Sebastian from being touched. Out of desperation she threw the barrel at them. Alliahnna swung up, kicking the barrel miles in another direction.
Mrs. Turner took up her camera and ignited the powder. The explosion was powerful, but Grell wasn't slowed an inch. In fact, he wasn't even scratched. Alliahnna was nervously impressed. "Perhaps I should have become a reaper." She mumbled.
"What's this?" Mrs. Turner gasped. "Why haven't you caught fire?" She repeatedly crushed the trigger. Grell crashed past the explosions, never losing his smile. The specks of smoke washed off him like dirt. The dust doing nothing more than smoothing his complexion. Mrs. Turner roared animally. Her burning happiness was extinguished on the wind. She kept pumping the trigger in a fury.
Ciel, on the other hand, found himself impressed. Alliahnna peeked past Grell, winking to Ciel. He sniggered impishly. "Using the Grim Reaper as bait? What will Sebastian and Allie think of next?"
Mrs. Turner staggered from the edge. Grell flipped up into the air. Alliahnna catapulted past the destination. "DING!" Grell landed in the tower. Mrs. Turner wavered at his flamboyant entrance. She hissed through gritted teeth. The interloper who dared not ignite in the fires of his passion would burn ten fold.
Alliahnna flipped over the tip of the tower and landed to one knee behind her startled brother. "Hello, baby Brother." She raised her head, teasing him with a wink. "In need of some help?"
Mrs. Turner put Grell at the end of her camera. "Take as many as you'd like!" Grell dared the mad woman, flexing in a half spread eagle pose. The camera lens captured his pose, as well as exploded the background. Grell remained unharmed. "We ladies ripen like succulent with every photograph! I can feel it now, I am about to burst like a bright red berry!" He twirled on his toe, hugging his welling pleasure. "It's pouring! Gushing right out of me! What a marvelous feeling!" Grell could hardly stand it anymore. He leaped about the bell tower, spinning like a ballerina. "SO enticing! SO exhilarating! I'M THE VERY QUEEN OF FRUITS! The ripest of reapers! YES!"
"Well then, perhaps I shall bite you." Sebastian purred, licking his thumb. He stood in the arch of the tower, smirking at the dismayed Turner woman.
"PLEASE! PLEASE!" Grell blew heart filled kisses.
"I'll take a bite too!" Alliahnna drove a flying kick in the side of his head. Grell crashed into a pillar buried by rubble again. "I'll bite your hands clean off so you'll never touch him again!"
"I expected you both sooner!" Ciel interrupted the drama before it had a chance to grow.
"I'm sorry." Sebastian knelt repentantly.
"Yes. Traffic was murder!" Alliahnna flipped her hair. "The quality of transportation lacks."
Grell loomed over her. A trail of blood leaked from his rock covered scalp. "Then next time, hussy, you can scale the building like everyone else!" He prodded her forehead.
"PATHETIC WRETCH! I WILL BURN YOU TO ASH!" Mrs. Turner incurred a dagger glare from Grell and Alliahnna. She was caught off guard by the stares. "Umm…" Sebastian glared back at her. He whisked around. He threw his foot up, kicking Turner's camera into the air. Turner was knocked off her feet, absolutely stunned a man struck at a woman. "How could you?"
"I could have done much more had I wished." Sebastian reassured her, fixing his collar. "I have my orders and follow them I shall."
"Where did you come from? Who are you people?"
"I am simply one Hell of a Butler."
"I am the Queen of the Reapers. The ripest fruit there is!" Grell caught the falling camera.
"And I'm the sadist who ties them together." Alliahnna appeared beside her. "I on the other hand am under no such obligations to restrain myself." Alliahnna stomped Turner's ankle. A sickening crack ushered a wail of pure agony. The heel ground the bloodied, broken ankle. Turner threw herself back, holding her head, screaming. Alliahnna watched her writhe indifferently, letting that woman feel not even a fraction of pain Henrietta felt. "You're only being spared for the sake of obtaining answers! Consider yourself blessed!" She pressed then removed her foot. Mrs. Turner panted in relief. Numbing pain shot up her leg. She came close to vomiting at the state of her ankle. She'd never walk again if she made it out of there."
"Tell me everything. From start to finish." Ciel demanded, taking little interest in the woman's wound.
It was over. It struck Mrs. Turner like a bolt of lightning. The burning happiness she'd finally been granted came to a crashing end. It all came pouring as tears. Mrs. Turner threw herself at their mercy. She trembled, sobbing heavily in utter despair.
"It was him. He was the one that told me what to do! And if I did, he said I'd find true passion." The elusive he. Perhaps the spider mentioned in the Queen's letter. Mrs. Turner showed them her puffy cheeks. The woman was broken beyond repair. "He said the most gorgeous men would fight to the death over me!"
Alliahnna grunted scratching her cheek, not amused by the turn of events. "The gorgeous men part was right." Ciel, Sebastian, and Grell. She never admit the part about Grell aloud. "But the reason behind the battle was far off."
"And he would be?" Sebastian inquired. Ciel and Sebastian gawked dumbfounded.
The magnesium powder. It was converging around her. "The man with the golden eyes! He promised me!" Unbeknownst to her, she suddenly caught fire.
Grell and Alliahnna gasped in awe. "I don't understand. Her soul's burning like he victim's did." Alliahnna watched Turner walk onto her feet, actually laughing.
"Burning passion!" She hugged her arms to her shoulders. "HAPPINESS…" She screamed with a twisted smile.
"HOLD ON! I WANT TO KNOW!" Ciel lunged for her.
"MASTER!" Sebastian yanked him back by the collar.
"THIS CAN'T BE!" Grell shrieked.
"RUN!" Alliahnna dragged Grell by the wrist.
After an entire night being at the mercy of pot explosions and minor bursts, the bell tower of Big Ben succumbed to Mrs Turner's spree. Marble debris collapsed to the streets below. Black smoke swallowed what little still stood.
Grell, Alliahnna, and Sebastian carrying Ciel landed at a safe distance from the explosion. It hurt Ciel and Alliahnna to see Big Ben falling apart. Turner's death was their silver lining in the atrocity. Ciel twisted from Sebastian's hold, dusting himself of the fracas.
"Ciel? Are you alright?" Alliahnna padded him, checking him for any permanent damage.
"I'm fine." He blushed. He hated how she fussed.
"Good." She cracked her knuckles. "Then I am free to do this." She punched him on the top of the head.
"OW! What's that for?" Ciel howled, a massive lump on his head.
"For rushing headlong into a bombers lair without the slightest inkling of what to do after you caught her!"
"I was planning to question her!"
"Question a mad woman with a camera that can blow Buckingham Palace to cinders!" She pressed her forehead to his. "Oh yes, Ciel, that's a plan brilliant for the Yard!"
"I did not see you coming up with any plans, COMMANDER!" He smashed his forehead to hers.
"FORMER!"
"NUANCE!"
"NUISANCE!"
"SADISTIC SAINT!"
"INCORRIGIBLE IMP!"
Sebastian sighed dismally and parted them. "Now, now, if you both cannot behave you will go to bed without dinner." He shifted a reprimanding finger between them. Ciel and Alliahnna scrunched their noses. They huffed angrily, facing opposite each other. Sebastian touched a hand to his throbbing head. "You both age me."
Grell gazed up at Big Ben in failure. The Death Ledger is never wrong. Turner was supposed to die and then her soul would be collected. But it burned up with its host. "This doesn't make sense! It was right here in the ledger!" Grell animatedly flipped the pages, looking for the passage where he clearly saw Turner's name and cause of death. "How can the soul I am supposed to collect simply burn up! This can't be happening! It's fundamentally wrong!" Sebastian found solace in Grell's failure. The reaper ran to Sebastian's side, snuggling to his arm. "I must make my report to Will. Alas this will have to be our final photo." He stretched the camera ahead. He snapped a photo. Sebastian turned away bordley. Alliahnna decided to take the high road and ignore him. Besides, Will would likely confiscate the camera for chuckles. "Next time it'll be a more intimate lover's portrait, Bassy. Toodle-loo! Bye- Bye!" Grell jumped to the rooftops, vanishing in the dark of the city.
"FINALLY!" Alliahnna smashed her head into a wall, cracking an indent.
"I'm sorry, Lord." Sebastian apologized to Ciel. "I know you asked me to capture the Turner woman. However…" He curled his palm. Alliahnna was somberly surprised.
"That's all that's left? Nothing but a pile of ashes." Ciel poetically mourned the woman. The wind carried the ashes off, guiding the long lost woman to her eternal happiness. "I'll inform her majesty that these works were that of a woman crazed with longing."
"Fire, believe it or not, symbolizes passion." Alliahnna educated her naive brother. "She wasn't crazed with longing. She wanted to be loved, Ciel. To feel it. Without it," She shook her head, "She felt wasted."
"I am continually impressed." Sebastian uttered, stroking his chin. "Humans seem to be capable of anything when they are desperate for love."
"Demons and Reapers too, apparently."
"What a ridiculous waste." Ciel scoffed. "All that for some intangible concept like love."
"Laughable, isn't it sir?" Sebastian sniggered.
"Pathetic as well."
"Perhaps." Alliahnna put her hands to her hips. "However, the three of us know all too well never feeling love from anyone takes a toll." She darkened her stare at Ciel. "We it not for my love, Ciel, you would still be in a comatose state and my soul devoured." Ciel swallowed nervously. He had the sense he had inadvertently insulted Alliahnna. Sebastian gradually realized what he had said. Rather careless of him. "Do not be bothered." She ruffled Ciel's hair. "You both have your views, and I have mine. Unfortunately our ways of thinking just caused a woman to burn herself alive."
"Oh well. Not everything is burned away." Ciel picked up his discarded eye patch. He forced his seal upon Sebastian. "Research this spider! It may have made a move during this case. I want to know everything there is to know!"
Alliahnna and Sebastian exchanged grim expressions. Nevertheless, Sebastian dropped to one knee in accordance with his master's wishes. "Yes, My Lord."
"Before that, there is a matter I must attend." Alliahnna announced. Aberline lingered near the battle sight, afraid to leave with a seemingly orphaned child. Alliahnna graciously received Alexander from him, bowing in thanks for watching him.
Ciel was knocked on the head by a rock. He blinked at the small child. "Was I absent that long?" The bay reached his hands to him.
"His name is Alexander. His father lives in Cambridge."
"Where is his-" Ciel halted the question. He looked to the burned city, already sure of what became of the mother. "Keep him at the manor for the night. By morning, depart for Cambridge. Be sure to give the family our condolences."
"Of course." Alliahnna smiled warmly.
vVv
Night made way for the morning in relatively short time. Everyone closed their eyes for a second, and were greeted by morning song birds. The morning went unappreciated momentarily. Alliahnna skipped breakfast, offering to eat upon her return from Cambridge.
Alexander was cleaned up, hair fixed, and clothing applied. Alliahnna almost felt like a mother. It was a nice feeling. She managed to save baby clothes from hers and Ciel's toddler days. Alexander was adorable in maroon and grey. She tickled his tummy, savoring that laughter.
"Planning on having one of those?" Ciel teased, entering her room.
"Perhaps." Alliahnna cradled Alexander, bouncing him soothingly. Ciel was flowing with glee at his sister. If one didn't know better, with how splendid she was with Alexander, you'd think she was his mother. "Would you want a niece or nephew?"
"As long as the baby was healthy, I'd settle for twins." He chuckled.
"Isn't one pair of twins bad enough for this family?"
"Are you kidding? We were possibly the best part of our parents lives. Well, aside from their wedding day."
"No arguments here." The two laughed at their childishness. Alexander joined in the laughs, making them laugh harder.
"I wish I could accompany you." Ciel pet Alexander's head. "But duty calls. I must finish my report to the queen, and answer inquiries from Scotland Yard."
"Do you mind if Sebastian comes with me?"
"Not at all." Ciel reassured her with a gasp in his tone. He cleared his throat bashfully. "It might...give you two...you know? A chance to talk?" He slyly looked between her and Alexander.
Alliahnna kissed Ciel's forehead. "Don't give him ideas, little brother. He's already eyeing me like a dog." She teased, exiting into the hallway.
Ciel balanced himself on the foot of Alliahnna's bed, losing his courage. "This is still going to take getting used to." He wheezed. Then he smiled dreamily. "But worth it to see her smile like that more often." He admired a photo of them in each other's clothing in their youth days.
vVv
For the sake of the somber occasion, Alliahnna dressed in a mournful grey dress. Her hair was tied in a bun. A braid wrapped to the side of her head was lined by a neat floral pattern. the carriage ride to Cambridge was like the night. It started, minds slipped into an abyss, and then it was over.
The address Henrietta passed on to Alliahnna led her and Sebastian to a prime piece of real estate. A quaint mansion nestled in a valley of green, green grass. Trees spanned about, creating a peaceful ambiance. A brown picket fence protected a garden of lilies.
Alliahnna felt a twinge of regret and sorrow. She was sad to be parting from Alexander so soon, but felt worse of the news she had to deliver. Standing on the veranda at the threshold, the smell of pine coming from a porch swing, she felt her nerve leave her.
"Would you prefer to wait in the carriage?" Sebastian gently proposed.
Alliahnna shook her head. "Henrietta trusted me to do this. I won't let her wish fall." He stretched hand shuddered. The knuckles knocked on the wood, sending jolts shooting throughout her body. Thumps of approaching footsteps made her swallow a nervous lump. Sebastian supported her with hands to her shoulders. The door was unlocked.
A young tan skinned man, close to Henrietta's age, answered the door. An older gentleman was behind him. The two eyed Alliahnna and Sebastian suspiciously. "May we help you?"
"Michael Ryner?" Alliahnna hummed.
"Yes? How do you-ALEX?!" He cried. Alexander burst into laughter, reaching for his father. "ALEX!" He snatched Alexander, positively beamed with joy. The older man reached around, giving his - assuming - grandson a kiss on the forehead. "This is a wonderful surprise! Did Henrietta put you up to this? I know she said she'd be in London for a while longer, but still. Where is she?" He looked around. "Is she in the carriage?" Michael's joy faded. Alliahnna and Sebastian gazed at the ground woefully. "Is something wrong? Where is my wife?" He pleaded.
"Mr. Ryner…" Alliahnna took a breath, steadying herself. Tears spilled from the corners of her eyes. "I am so very sorry."
Till next time, folks