Some people may have been here from day one, joining me on Ibara's first adventure. I reread most of that story and decided to revisit it. I wanted to age this up for a more mature audience. I've changed many things about this story, but if this is your first encounter with my writing there's no need to go and read the first story to get what's going on. As I stated in the description, this will be Sebastian/Ibara and will have some explicit content. I will tag those chapters as explicit so you have a bit of a warning and can skip it if you wish.

Hopefully this will be as well received as the first story, I got a lot of love and support on it. I hope to be posting often and will do my best to do regular updates.

Unlike the first story, I plan on making this more plot based. The plot will be following the anima more than the manga as that's what made me first fall in love with this series. I hope you enjoy it, feel free to PM me and leave comments.

Sebastian and Ibara's sexual relationship will escalate pretty quickly but I want to write their romance while keeping Sebastian in character.

Enjoy.

December 13th ,1888

December was Ibara's least favourite month, despite being her birthday and Christmas. She simply couldn't stand the cold, it felt like she could never get warm even though every hearth in the manor seemed to be lit. She shuddered, her small hands clutching the heavy blanket strewn across her shoulders as a cup of Earl Grey sat untouched on the table before her. Her green eyes were wide as her mother continued to read her favourite story.

It was the French tale of a girl forced to sleep among the ashes she would sweep by day, her stepsisters shunning her and forcing her to be their maid. But one night, when the king announced he would be having a ball so his son could find a wife, the girl meets her fairy godmother and is transformed into a figure of staggering beauty. She enchants the prince but loses her shoe when she flees the party to make it home before her fairy godmother's charms wear off and doesn't see it returned until the prince arrives at her door with it. The two marry and live happily ever after, an ending she hoped for herself one day.

She had probably heard the tale a thousand times but she never tired of it, much to her twin's chagrin. Though they were twins, the two were very different from each other. Her eyes were an olive green while her brother Ciel sported eyes of the deepest blue. Where his hair was dark as the night sky like their father's, her hair was caramel like her mother's. They both had skin as fair and smooth as porcelain, and aside from the differences in colour, their features looked much the same. Their eyes were wide, almost doe like, they had pert, perfect noses, and their lips were full like rose petals.

Speaking of her fair twin, Ciel was perched on the other end of the chaise, half paying attention to their mother, he was mostly invested in reports on their family's company's profits from the Christmas Season. The toy company saw most of its revenue collected during the second half of December and their parents wanted both of them well versed in the company's business.

"Et c'est la fin." Rachel Phantomhive finished. She closed the book, setting it on the table next to Ibara's tea and gave them a small smile. "Ibara, it's time for your music lesson."

Ib scowled and huddled farther in the blanket, reluctant to venture out into the cold.

"Must I? I've practiced every day this week. Can't I have a break?" She pleaded. Her mother shook her head.

"I'm afraid not. Your aunt is having a party next week and she asked that you play." Rachel looked at her son. "Ciel, you too. You two play so beautifully together, it would be a shame not to show you off."

Ciel glanced up over the edge of his papers.

"Mother, I couldn't possibly practice now. I still have several pages left to review before dinner." He protested, making her chuckle.

"Now dear, we both know your father doesn't expect you to read that whole thing at the expense of your other lessons. If you wanted to finish it, you should have gone into another room and focused on it more." Rachel admonished. Ciel groaned.

"But I didn't have much time to look it over. Ib had it first." He complained. Ib stuck her tongue out at him earning a stern look from her mother.

"She didn't have it that long, Ciel." Rachel pointed out. "Either way, you both need to rehearse. Then after your music is your dance lesson. And don't give me that face, Ciel Phantomhive. I know you despise them but it's necessary for you to become adequate dancers to fit into society."

And on that note, Rachel Phantomhive sent her children off to their tutors for their afternoon lessons.

December 14th ,1888

Ibara sat in the living room, her family surrounding her and her twin. Elizabeth, her cousin and Ciel's betrothed, was gushing over how lovely her gown was. Over and over she marveled over the lacing of the bodice, a puffiness of the skirt, the rich colour of it and how the purple "brought out her eyes in the most stunning way". Ciel was seated to her left, as he always was, and nodded along with Lizzy's commentary. Both were itching to get away from the party, despite it being in honour of their thirteenth birthday. Already their Aunt, Madame Red, as well as most other aristocrats in their parent's circle had made their way out about an hour ago leaving Lizzy and her father's sister's family the only ones remaining.

At long last, their final guests departed, and the twins were escorted to their rooms for bed. Ibara climbed into bed, the heavy sheets lifted away and the bedwarmer removed, and she snuggled in, her mother and father each kissing the top of her head goodnight. She waited until her parent's footsteps faded away, listening carefully as she feigned sleep.

Not even ten minutes later, a knock came from her door. Three quick raps, a short pause, and then another tap. On silent feet, she rose from her bed and opened the door, revealing Ciel with his arms laden with layers upon layers of clothes. She beckoned him in, bidding he be quiet and he dumped the clothes onto the floor before the hearth.

"Give me a second, I don't want my bed to go cold." She whispered, removing the bedwarmer from beside the fireplace and replacing it into her bed. Once that was done, she moved to her wardrobe, layering clothes upon clothes until she was certain she would be warm. Seeing that Ciel hadn't made a move to even begin to dress, she rolled her eyes.

"Ciel, really?" She scolded. "You're thirteen. You should be able to dress yourself by now."

His cheeks went bright red.

"Tanaka always does it." He argued. She simply clicked her tongue and began to help him layer up. Once they were both dressed, they slipped from her room and down the servant's staircase next to her room. All the servants would be busy cleaning the living room, dining room, and grand hall or they would be attending their parents. Too busy to notice the twins making their escape into the snowy outdoors.

As quick as they could in their many layers, they made their way to a pond on their property, about 20 minutes' walk from their manor. Ciel was quickly out of breath, his asthma acting up in the cold, so Ib slowed down for him.

"Do you want me to carry you?" She offered making him scowl.

"No, I can walk perfectly fine myself." He hissed. "Just because you have inhuman powers doesn't mean you have to coddle me with them. I'm not a baby, in fact I'm two minutes older than you I'll have you remember."

"I know you're older than me, you only remind me every waking hour." She rolled her eyes. It was true that she had inhuman strength. And inhuman speed and other supernatural gifts. She had been blessed on her mother's side, her mother's blue witch blood coursing through her veins and not her brother's. Ciel was the human to her demon, the blessing to her curse. Where he was normal, if not fragile, she was left living a life of secrets. If word ever got out that she was more than human, God only knows what the public would do to her.

She gave him another look over as they reached the crest of the hill that shielded the pond from prying eyes. They stood at the top, gazing over moonlit ice, and simultaneously took a deep breath. Here they could forget their titles, forget their obligations, and forget that they were anything but normal. Here they could simply be Ibara and Ciel. They wound their way down the other side of the hill, coming to stop at an overturned log. They both took a seat and linked their hands together.

"Happy Birthday, Ib." Ciel said, a small smile on his face. She returned it warmly.

"Happy Birthday, Ciel." She replied. They simply sat for a moment, taking the time to enjoy the peace and quiet after the hustle and bustle of the day of festivities. They both sat in silence before Ibara broke it again. "Hey, you know what?"

"What?" He replied. She smirked before shoving snow into his face, releasing his hand to scamper away as Ciel fell backwards off the log.

"Ibara!" He cried. "Oh, you are going to PAY for that!"

She laughed as he began to chase her, slowing down to make things fair. After an hour, both chilly and covered in snow, they decided to make their way back to the manor, their annual tradition fulfilled. Both of them were still laughing, bumping shoulders as they made the journey back.

Suddenly Ibara fell silent, dread becoming a heavy stone settling into her stomach.

"Ibara?" Ciel said, looking at his twin's face with concern as she came to a dead stop. "What's wrong?"

Ib simply pointed and Ciel's followed her finger, his gaze widening as his eyes settled on their home that was now a blazing inferno. Shocked, they locked eyes and then burst into a sprint, panic settling in heavier than the blanket of snow around them.