"Hey Birdbrain! I'm back from Haru's!" The fat white cat stopped as Baron and Sebastian blazed by him. His jaw dropped as he watched the raven-haired man chase his friend around the Refuge, the crow struggle to breathe in his laughter fit, and the rather ticked-looking child glare at the world. Scratching his head, Muta asked, "What'd I miss?"

Sebastian glanced at the newcomer out the corner of his eye and stopped immediately. He grinned and ran over to the large cat. As interesting as the Baron was, this cat wasn't so sure to evade him easily.

The second Baron was relieved of his pursuer, he slowed to a halt, doubling over to get a moment's rest. "Thank goodness," he breathed.

"My, my. Look at you!" Sebastian reached out and took one of Muta's paws, running his gloved fingers over the cat's pink pads. "Absolutely lovely."

"Hey! Hey! Paws off!" Muta pulled his paw out of the demon's grasp and moved to swipe his claws through his head. Sebastian easily avoided it, now standing at the cat's side and petting the white fur.

"Oh, how soft. Your fur's whiter than the cleanest sheets and so incredibly soft. I feel inclined to liken you to a fluffy marshmallow!"

Toto fell off the roof, he was laughing so hard. "I knew it!" he called through his laughter. "Hear that Marshmallow Boy?" He really loved Ciel's butler.

Muta, however, wasn't sharing the sentiment. He growled, eye twitching and claws extending from his paws. "Alright buddy! Just what's the big-" Sebastian reached up and scratched behind the feline's brown ear. The fat cat paused then relaxed with a content smile. "Little harder. Down a bit." Sebastian did as asked and was elated to hear Muta purr.

Having caught his breath and being careful to not re-draw the butler's attention, Baron stepped over to Ciel's side. "Well... now that that's over, why don't we go back inside to get this whole thing sorted out?" As awful as it might have sounded, the sooner these two went back to London, the better.

"If it's at all possible," the young Earl sighed. "Sebastian! Quit messing with that cat and get inside, now!" Ciel then flinched and turned to the Creation. "He's a real cat, isn't he?"

Remembering the child's allergies, Baron frowned. "I'm afraid so... Please come inside young lord. I believe I might have something that will help." He and Ciel walked into the Bureau.

Toto finally calmed himself down, flying back up to the second story. He called back to his friend, "Come on Fatso! Let's see if we can help Baron."

"So, you're Sebastian? Pleasure to meet ya." Muta stood up on his hind legs, reaching a height a couple inches over Sebastian's head. "Name's Muta. Come on." The demon gladly followed him inside. A loud sneeze stopped the both of them in their tracks.

Ciel glared at them, holding his arm in front of him as he sneezed again. "The two of you! Keep away from me! You know I'm allergic to cats Sebastian!"

"What's with Kiddo over there?" he asked the butler.

Sebastian sighed. "That is my master, Earl Ciel Phantomhive, head of London's Funtom Company and Her Majesty's Guard Dog."

"Dog? Well, cats and dogs never did get along too well..."

"Just one more moment my lord," Baron called from the tea cabinet. "Muta, do please keep your distance for just a second."

"Sure thing Baron. I'm preferrin' fancy fingers here to the kid anyway."

Ciel glared at the gruff feline. "I am not a kid!"

Muta wasn't fazed in the slightest by Ciel's anger. "How old are ya?"

"My master is thirteen," Sebastian answered helpfully, earning another glare from the young earl.

"Then Earl or not, you're a kid to me. Just calm down kiddo. People shouldn't have to conform their thoughts to cater to your ego."

Insolent furball! Yet another reason for the young nobleman to hate cats. He then noticed Sebastian turned away from him, a hand to his mouth and shoulders shaking with what was obviously supressed laughter. "Sebastian! Stop laughing!"

His butler looked back at him, still smiling happily. "Ah, but he's so delightful my lord."

"I don't care! Shut up!"

"Excuse me." Baron returned from the tea cabinet, holding out a saucer and teacup to Ciel. "Please drink up Earl. I believe this will help with your allergies."

He took the cup and went to take a drink. He paused just before the cup reached his lips, remembering the strange noblecat's 'process' with his tea. "What's in it?"

"Tea brewed from butterbur leaves, infused with local honey and a little Sanctuary magic. Tea of many kinds is proved to be beneficial as a decongestant, and butterbur leaves are one of the most affective herbs for treating allergies, as well as honey produced by the inhabitant bees. All of these combined with some magic from the Sanctuary should temporarily rid you of your allergies while Muta's around."

"If curing allergies is so simple, than why isn't there more of this stuff going around?" The Earl took a sip and already started feeling better.

"I'm afraid it doesn't cure the allergies, only keeps them at bay. And it's not permanent either. Though the major reason there isn't tea like this being produced on a larger scale is because of the Sanctuary magic infused in it. The Sanctuary is a special place, one that few people know about. If more people found out about it, it would be misused and mistreated."

"Not to mention it wouldn't be much of a 'sanctuary' anymore," Toto added.

"But if it's supposed to be so well-hidden," Muta remarked, "then how did they wind up here?"

Baron replied, "A very good question Muta. One we're still trying to answer. It would seem that neither of them are aware of how exactly they got here, and they say they were in London before waking up out in the courtyard."

"They told me as much when I met them. I was out on my perch when they arrived, though I didn't see exactly how they got here, since I was asleep," the gargoyle told.

"Fat lot of good you did then," the feline grumbled.

Toto's feathers ruffled. "You want to talk about 'fat', how about we talk about you, Butterball?!"

" 'Butterball'?! I'm gonna pluck out all yer feathers for that!"

"Like you could even reach me from down there Heavyweight!"

Sebastian wsn't entirely sure what was going on between the cat and crow, but it was... fairly entertaining. Cats were so spirited here!

"Muta, Toto," Baron warned, "not in front of the guests, please." The feline and crow sent one more death glare at each other before turning away. "Now then, I'm not entirely sure how it is you came to the Sanctuary, but I do know of someone who might know. They are experts on portal magic, after all."

"Portal magic?" Ciel asked skeptically.

"Precisely. It's most likely you both arrived by portal, though whose portal is yet to be determined. Though our friends will be able to track that down and be able to get you home. We just need to get you to them first."

Muta stiffened then groaned. "Aw man. Baron, are you sayin' we have to go there? Again?"

"That is exactly what I'm saying Muta. You know they're much better with portals than we currently are."

"Who exactly are these friends of yours?" the young lord was impatient to ask.

"King Lune and Queen Yuki, as well as their many advisors and magicians. I'm afraid they're not of this world, but we do have a way of getting to them through the Bureau. Just give me a moment." Baron headed back to his desk and started rifling through the drawers.

As Baron searched his desk for something, Sebastian turned towards Muta. "Might I ask why you are apprehensive to travel to this world you've been to previously?"

The cream-colored cat sighed. "I don't exactly fit in much there."

"Not that you fit in much of anywhere," Toto quipped.

"Shut it Birdbrain! Anyway, the people there are way too proper for my taste, and though King Lune pardoned me, most still consider me the most notorious criminal in their history."

Sebastian blinked. "My, whatever did you do?"

"Ate all the fish in the lake," he answered, smiling roguishly.

Ciel scoffed, "Doesn't sound much like a notorious crime to me."

"Well you wouldn't, but to cats, that's a pretty big deal."

The demon's eyes flashed, and he almost tackled Muta excitedly. "Did you say cats? There's a world of cats? And we're going there?!"

Ciel suddenly stood. "No way! I am not going to a world of cats! Is there no way to just get us back to London?!"

"Ah, here we are!" Baron pulled a purple gem shard out of one of the drawers. "I'm afraid, Lord Phantomhive, that we do not have the proper knowledge of portals as the cats in the Cat Kingdom do. This shard can only get us to the Cat Kingdom and back, but once we get to King Lune, he can make you both a portal back to your own home." Though the feline lord did regret the idea of taking Sebastian to the kingdom of cats.

"Can't we just take a train or something?" Ciel practically begged.

"I'm afraid a train to London from here would take many a week, public transportation being even more difficult now that you're no taller than a child's toy."

Oh how ironic that was. "And why can you not just make us grow back to regular height?"

"Magic is very specific, my lord. I do not know what it was exactly that made you this size, so I do not know the correct spell to use to counteract it and return you to normal. No, the best bet is a cat portal, and we'll be sure to be quick while we're there for sake of your allergies, as well as a few... other dangers."

Ciel's eye twitched. "What 'other dangers'?" This adventure was sounding less and less fun the more he heard of it.

Toto explained, "Any human that travels into the Cat Kingdom will turn into a cat if they do not leave by their world's next sunrise."

Baron checked his watch. "It's about noon in London right now, so we have more than half a day to get to the Cat Kingdom, talk to King Lune, and get you both through a portal back to London."

"Which is much more time than we had last time we went there," Muta added.

"Plus the current king is much more sane than his father, so we should have little difficulty getting you home from the Cat Kingdom."

"It sounds as though that is our only option of returning to London, lest you'd rather become one of your own toys," Sebastian remarked, a sly grin on his lips.

Ciel glared at his butler. "Shut up Sebastian. You just want to see the cats."

Sebastian's face brightened instantly at the idea. "I shall not lie my lord. To travel to a world inhabited by cats would be my idea of bliss."

"I feel I must tell you, Sebastian, we will be in the presence of royalty: they walk, talk, and think very similarly to humans, so I do hope that you will be able to control yourself."

He stood like the prim and proper butler he was. "I will act as though we are meeting the Queen of England herself."

Ciel scoffed. "Sure you will. Well, if we have to go, then let's get it over with. The sooner I get home, the better."

Silently agreeing, Baron pulled on his suit jacket again and grabbed his hat and cane. "As you wish my lord. Muta, are you coming?"

The fat cat shrugged. "Sure, why not? Might be good for a laugh this time around."

"Glad I didn't have to coerce you this time. I assume you'll want to stay behind again Toto?"

"The new king might be more sane than the last, but a bird like myself in a land of cats just isn't a good idea. I'll keep an eye on the Sanctuary while you're gone."

"Suit yourself. Come along then, to the Cat Kingdom."