"W-what about him? What have I got to do with him?" I ask, my lip snarling. What is so important that Sebastian would call Ciel by his first name?
"Please, Miss," Sebastian was desperate.
"F-fine," I growl, standing up on my own and pushing the butler's hand away.
"Follow me, Miss," Sebastian asks, and jumps out the window. I follow. Soon, I find myself in a forest, Sebastian in front of me.
"So? What is it?" I demand. To be honest, I'm terrified, but I love the adrenaline.
"The real reason the Young Master and I came to Japan," Sebastian leads me though the wood. For some reason, he grabs my hand.
"Tell me where we are going, Sebastian," I'm nervous. Really nervous. What the heck is going on? Then there are lights. Bright lights. And circus tents. Purple circus tents.
"What? But I thought...?" My hand goes to my mouth. No... This can't be happening!
"I don't know how, but their back. With a some new additions," Sebastian motions to the tents. I walk a little ways, and see the back of it. People moving around. And a few people catch my eye.
"J-Joker... Beast... Peter... Wendy.... Jumbo...!" As I say the names, my voice gets higher in fear. I stumble back. "No..." I see Doll look straight at me, sharpening the end of her umbrella to a sharp point.
My breath hitches. My heart beats faster. My chest feels like its about to burst. "No, no no! This isn't real! This can't be happening!" I exclaim, hiding behind Sebastian. Doll, who is in her circus costume, stands and jumps. Where?! Where did she go?!
"I didn't expect to see you here, Shadow," the voice says behind me.
"No! Leave me alone!" I push Doll back. "T-take me back, Sebastian! Take me back!"
Obliging, Sebastian lifts me to his chest and runs off. I cry into his suit. After about a minute, we stop in front of a fountain in a park.
"Why? Why did you show me this? I thought you hated me!" I exclaim, wiping tears from my eyes.
"I only obey my Master's wishes, but no one said I couldn't help my Mistress. I do not hate you. The Young Master does," Sebastian says.
"I..." I can't think of a reply.
"The Young Master wants to infiltrate the Circus, find out how they are back, alive and well," Sebastian says. I sit on the edge of the fountain. "He also has a plot to overthrow you. He doesn't want you as his successor. He wants me to watch you, so he can kill you."
"W-what?" I look up at the demon, shocked. "Why are you telling me this?"
"You are my Mistress, and I turned you. We have a connection," Sebastian explains. "That, and I'm bored. I need some entertainment."
"Your kidding."
"No," Sebastian thinks for a second. "Are you ever planning on leaving Japan? Returning to England?"
"No. Why?"
"Mey-Rin, Finny, Bard, and Tanaka miss you. As does Miss Elizabeth and Mr. Edward."
"Wait, their still alive? Really?"
"In a way. Mey-Rin had a beautiful daughter, Finny a boy, and Bard twins. Tanaka has a painting hanging in the hall, as he passed a while ago, and the Midford household still holds strong."
I hold back more tears. Of course their dead. How could I have had thought they were even still alive? Of course I'll never see them again. "I might. What are the kids' names and their specialties?"
"Mey-Rin's daughter is Tatiana,who is as good a marksman as her mother; Finny's son: Frederick, blessed with strength; and Bard's twins are Destiny and Daniel, both good fighters and even better cooks. Tanaka's grandson, Timothy, took his place."
"And the Midford's?"
"Elizabeth the II has the throne now. Miss Elizabeth claimed the throne after Queen Victoria died, as it was found that she had relations to the Queen. Mr. Edward was a professor at the school he went to, and has a two sons and a daughter who now live in the Midford residence."
"Mm hm," I mumble. "How could Noah's Ark be back? We killed them. All of them. I remember their bodies!"
"I'm afraid I don't know, Miss Charlotte, but I suspect they have to
do with the murders that have been happening."
I put my head in my hands. "Why? Why do you my help?"
"You are the Mistress Phantomhive. It is your duty."
"Yes. I guess it is. And Noah's Ark Circus will have no idea what hit them."
=-=📚=-=
After school the next day is Haruhi's first day as a host. I'm dressed as a butler (And my outfit will beat Sebastian's any day) with my right eye uncovered, but my bangs hide it as well as I can.
I pour tea for the guests as I watch the hosts do their job, but find them all watching Haruhi.
"Why's he so popular?" Tamaki chirps, watching from his sofa.
"He's a natural," Kyoya says, adjusting his glasses.
"No training needed," the twins add in unison.
"Have you forgotten about me?" One of the sassier girls crabs, and I sigh, pouring her more tea as Tamaki turns back to her. I leave to go over to Mitsukuni and Takashi's table, and when I'm done I hear, "Haruhi! Come here for a minute!"
I turn to face Angel Druitt 2.0, as well as everyone else.
"What's up?" Haruhi asks, standing over the sofa.
"I'd like you to meet someone," Druitt 2.0 motions to the redhead next to him. "This is my regular guest, Princess Ayanokoji." Or, in my mind, Princess Bitch.
Miss Charlotte.
Oh, shut up, Sebastian.
I ask that you not speak with such profanity.
Heh, what do you know? You say 'hell' on a daily basis.
That's because I'm simply one hell of a butler.
I internally sigh and focus my attention back to what's going on.
2.0 is spinning Haruhi round and round for something she did, apparently, and Haruhi calls, "Mori-senapi! Help me!"
With lightning fast speed, Takashi is standing with Haruhi in his arms. Takashi blushes a little. Did he realize...?
"Mori-senapi, you really don't have to go that far..." Tamaki hold up his hands in front of himself. "Come on, little one, let Daddy give you a big hug!"
I sigh, and walk off to refill a pot of tea in the kitchen.
=-=📚=-=
When it's time to leave, Haruhi is the last one there, besides me, and we are looking around for her bag when I point out the window. "Found it."
"Ugh, really?" Haruhi groans, and we take off to go get it from the pond. On the way, Haruhi stops, but I keep going, not even going my full speed. It feels like I'm walking.
We end up fishing almost everything out of the pond, when I leave to get a drink. Looking up from the water fountain, I see Kyoya looking down on me.
"I truthfully only sixteen," Kyoya says.
"And why are you telling me this?" I stand up.
"Because you told me your age, so I tell you mine. Why did you cover up your eye again?" Kyoya writes in his book.
"Because I don't like it."
"How did you get it?"
"What?"
"The mark on your eye."
"It's the Sealing mark from the demon that turned me. It's a variation of the Contract mark that shows up on humans."
"Oh."
"Does that answer all your questions?"
"... Yes." And then I hear him murmur. "Shadow..."
I go stiff. How does he know? Is he part of it? And why bring up that name? That name...
Shadow.