Black Butler

Prologue

"My mother told me everything that had happened twenty-five years ago. About you and Vincent. My grandparents. The Dolsens. How Uncle Reymond was taken from her. I need your help. My mother told me what the price would be. I'm willing to pay it. I learned everything that made my mother suffer and who had done it. You're the one that helped my family all those years ago. It may have been twenty years ago, but I'm praying that you will help us one more time."

"And just what do you want?"

"Revenge against the Phantomhives."

"Well, this is what I wanted, isn't it?" Alibaster Drakeford commented as they stared up at the house before them. At the silence, he turned to the woman beside him. "Aurora?"

"He's there…" She whispered. Her eyes narrowed as she gazed at the house. I can hear him…feel him…" She clutched at the front of her shirt. "But why? Has he made a contract with the Phantomhives this time? It must be so."

"He?" Alibaster asked.

"Crow."

The man's eyes widened for a moment before narrowing as a small smirk spread across his face as they returned to the mansion before them. "So, the monster that killed Uncle Reymond is within there as well? It's like killing two birds with one stone," He then glanced back at Aurora. "Or rather, a cat."

Aurora couldn't help but pull a small smile at his pun. "Behave yourself, Alibaster. All good things to those who wait."

The man snorted.

Alibaster Drakeford, the age of 24, was at the height of 6'3' with reddish-brown hair curled behind his ears as the Drakeford ring rested on his left hand. His eyes were a dark grey in the night as he was wearing a suit of blue and white.

"Lady Aurora is right, Lord Drakeford." A third voice joined them. "Patience."

"Victor," Alibaster sighed at his servant. "You always take her side."

The man chuckled. "That's because I've seen what she can do. What they both can do." Victor Jones was not a child anymore; nor was he a mute. He was now in his early thirties at the height of 6'2' with his short blond hair and bright blue eyes. "And though she is strong, Vincent beat her last time."

"Please, Victor. That was 25 years ago. I doubt Aurora will let that happen again. Besides, she has you and me both here to help her now. That little dastardly bird-friend of her's will not win again, right Aurora?"

The woman sighed. "We will see."

Aurora Rush looked like she was in her twenties at the height of 5'9' with long, black hair and eyes mixed with the color of Amethyst and Ruby. Dressed in leather pants and boots, her shirt was a dark pink as diamonds hung from her ears. A leather jacket hung to her ankles as matching gloves were worn on her hands.

"What's this? No faith in yourself, Aurora?"

The demon's lips spread into a soft smile as she continued to stare down at the house. "Oh no, the faith is there. It's always been there. It just depends on whether or not I want to use it any time soon."

Alibaster glanced at her again. "You won't leave me hanging, will you Auntie?" Aurora didn't respond; she just lifted her feet and jumped off the hill. Alibaster and Victor watched as she landed on the steps of the manor. "I hate it when she does that," he sighed. "She does it because I can't do it and it ticks me off."

"You get used to it, my Lord." Victor told him.

"I've told you not to call me that." The man hissed as he led the way after Aurora. "I am not a Lord. I am not my father."

Victor closed his eyes and followed in silence.

~One…two, three…five humans~ Aurora counted. ~and Crow. All on the upper floor; sleeping. Crow knows I'm here, though. And knows I have companions. If he didn't then he's an idiot but I highly doubt that will happen.~ She glanced over her shoulder as Alibaster and Victor walked up the stairs behind her. "Ready?"

"I was ready the moment Mother told me everything." Alibaster told her.

In silence, a small smile on her lips still, Aurora lifted up her right foot and kicked the door of the Phantomhive Manor in.

"Well, they know we're here now," Victor smiled. "It won't be long before they come down here to see what happened."

"On the second floor, to the southwest, the four humans. Take care of them for me, will you Victor?" Aurora asked him. "The two that we're after are the other way." Victor nodded and hurried up the stairs, leaving the two on the first floor.

"Are you going to be able to do this?" Alibaster asked. "If he tries to get in my way?"

"Do what you want, Ali," Aurora told him. "Let me take care of him." Stepping forward, she led the way to the dining hall where the demon was now at, waiting on them.

As she stepped in, she received a flashback of when she first arrived to the Drakeford Manor. The two children stood by her side as their distant relatives all looked at them. She had taken the identity of some woman that their mother had known and…well, the name kind of stuck over the years.

There was only one form in the head chair of the dining hall, staring at them with a frolicsome smile.

"Well, well, well," The man's voice held a playful tune. "Look whose come out of hiding."

Aurora's smile didn't waver. "Who was hiding? The one in plain view or the one who didn't search?"

Alibaster moved in with a frown at the sight of the man in the chair. "This is Phantomhive? I was expecting something…more."

"No," the man in the chair stood up with a smile. "My name is Sebastian Michaelis. I am the Phantomhive butler and you are currently trespassing onto Lord Phantomhive's grounds."

Alibaster smirked. "Our apologies but we didn't come here for pleasantries. Go and fetch-"

"Stop playing games, Crow." Aurora's smile was gone now as a serious look took over.

"My apologies, Cat. Or are you still going as Aurora Rush?" Sebastian asked.

"There's no need for me to change my name around the man that I helped raised." Aurora told him. "Meet Remora's son, Alibaster."

Sebastian looked a bit surprised for a moment. "That son?" Aurora's silence answered his question. "Well, would you look at that? I thought for sure that she would have gotten rid of it after Reymond died."

Alibaster smirked. "So, you're the one that killed Reymond. I finally get to meet the monster. You look different than you did in the pictures Mother would draw."

Alibaster was right. Crow looked different than he had when he was Vincent.

Sebastian Michaelis reached the height of 6'1' with short black hair and red eyes; there were no glasses this time. Dressed in the black trousers, tailcoat, and vest of a butler he wore the Phantomhive crest on his shirt cuffs and tie as a chain led to a pocket and a lapel pin with the crest as well with white gloves.

"Well, I can't go around looking the same all the time, now can I?" Sebastian smiled. "I take it that you're not here for tea. Is it revenge that you seek, perhaps?"

"Me? Yes," Alibaster nodded. "But not against you. Aurora is the one that you'll have your little chat with. I'm after Phantomhive, not his pet."

Sebastian looked at the man for a moment before glancing at Aurora. "You taught him to talk, didn't you?"

"She taught him more than that, Vincent." Aurora turned to see that Victor was walking into the room as well.

"Did you take care of the others?" Alibaster asked him.

"Yes. I didn't like hitting a woman but I wasn't about to just let her shoot me, either." Victor sighed and then looked at the butler and he made a silent comment about the other three that worked at the manor.

"You've grown, Victor." Sebastian commented.

"Twenty-five years will do that to someone." Victor replied with a smile.

"Ah, yes, you two know eachother as well, don't you?" Alibaster turned a bit. "You can all chit-chat later. I want-"

"Sebastian," A cold, young voice cut the man off. "Who are these people and why are they in my house?"

Aurora turned to the door to see…something that she didn't not expect. She planned on seeing Vincent Phantomhive, not this…this child. He was no older than twelve at 5 feet in height with short, dark blue hair and a left, blue eye as his right was covered by his hair while he was in a pair of white pajamas with an angry look on his face.

"My apologies, master," Sebastian gave a short bow to the child. "But we were just talking."

"Master?" Alibaster stared at the child. "You are Ciel Phantomhive?"

"Yes." The child answered.

"Where is Vincent?" Aurora asked, glancing around the hall. "I didn't expect he would leave his child here alone with so few guards; especially this late at night."

"My father is dead," Ciel told her with a foul look.

"Father, hmm? I have to say that your father was more adorable as a child than you are," Aurora told him. "A lot kinder, too."

"We've just met him, Aurora." Victor told the woman. "You can't say that. After all, we are trespassing in his house."

"Who are you?" Ciel demanded. "And how do you know my father?"

Victor cleared his throat as Alibaster took a pose. "May I introduce Sir Alibaster Drakeford."

…

"Who?" Ciel asked.

Alibaster stumbled and pulled an angry face. "I hate this kid already."

"Sebastian, do what you want; just get rid of them" Ciel told his butler as he turned to leave.

Sebastian and Aurora stared at eachother for a moment before glancing to the child. "I'm afraid I can't, Master Phantomhive."

Ciel, Alibaster, and Victor all turned to look at the butler in surprise as Aurora stayed still, a smile on her again face. "What?" Ceil asked.

"I said that I'm afraid that I can't place a hand on this lady here. It would be rude of me."

"Rude of you?" Ceil's anger was rising. "Rude of you? You are-"

"I don't mean rude in a human way," Sebastian cut him off.

The child stared at the woman for a moment before it hit him. "You're one of them, aren't you? Another demon?"

Aurora smiled again. "The children catch on quicker these days, I see. Some of them, anyway."

"Indeed." Sebastian agreed.

"Sebastian, what is the meaning of this? I ordered you to-"

The butler turned and stared at the child. The look on his face made the words stop in his throat. "I made a choice once before and raised a hand to a woman that I cared for and it nearly killed me. I will never make that mistake again." He turned back to Aurora with that teasing smile of his. "Now if her companions wish to attack then I will have no problem with taking care of them."

"I do not enjoy the thought of killing children. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth, no matter how much of an ass you act like." Alibaster sighed, glancing at Ciel. "I suppose that I shall just have to wait, then."

"Wait?" Ciel asked him. "For what?"

"For you to get older, of course. Then I could do everything to you that I want to without feeling remorse!" He grinned like it was a simple thing.

Ciel pulled a horrified face. "What do you want with me!" He cried.

Alibaster's face fell into a glare at the child. "Twenty-five years ago your grandparents were a part of a ring of child-slaves. They helped a man named Dolsen kidnap my mother. She was a child at the time; your age, if not younger. They kidnapped her and that foul bastard…" Alibaster's voice shuddered with rage. "Impregnated my mother. Impregnated her with me!" Ciel's angry look fell to one of sadness as he continued to listen. "When I learned the story I swore to myself that I would make the Phantomhives pay for what they did to my mother! And now I find out that you're the only one still alive? It's not fair. And so, I shall wait. Wait for as long as I have to to get my revenge."

The child closed his eyes and his hand lifted to his chest. "Revenge. I know well of that word." He opened them again. "Drakeford," He took a step forward. "The slavery ring is still on its move."

Aurora's anger flared up. "The Dolsens?" She demanded.

"We're not sure. We're trying to find out through the work from the Queen but we have yet to find anything." Ciel answered her. "Just give me some time. I want my own revenge."

Alibaster stared at the child for a moment before turning to Victor. "Return to the cabin and gather our things. Bring them here."

"Here?" Aurora asked him, raising a brow as Victor gave a short bow and went along his way.

"Listen here, Phantomhive," Alibaster turned back to the child. "I don't care what your own revenge is, though I'm sure I'll find out, but right now all I care about is you not pulling a fast one on me and running off before I can finish my task. You have an extra three living in your house now, Phantomhive, and I expect tip-top service."

Ciel pulled a disbelieving face. "You can't just walk in here and move in. You threatened my life. Do you think that I'm really going to-"

"Phantomhive, I'm not a fool. I know the rules of Aurora and her little friends. You don't have a life to threaten anymore after promising it to a demon." Alibaster told him. "But I will be sure that it is my hand that carries out the death of the last, remaining Phantomhive for my mother, not his." He referred to Sebastian. "So get used to having a second Lord in your house, Phantomhive."

"You simply cannot do that, Ali," Aurora told the man standing beside her. "You can ask, but I doubt that Phantomhive will like the thought of you just barging in. I mean, after all, he has so many others living with him already."

Ciel's eyes hardened at her pun. "Listen here, I will not tolerate your words in this rate. If you think you can just come in here-"

"Ha, you may think that you can talk like that to Crow," The redheaded woman smiled. "But I do not put up with foul little brats. Not after having to deal with this one," She jabbed a thumb over at Alibaster. "You have no control over what I do so therefore I can do or say whatever it is I wish."

"Can you not control her?" Ciel asked the older man.

Alibaster shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Auntie Aurora's actions are all her own."

"You have a contract with her, don't you?" Ciel asked. "To help you get your revenge?"

"Yes and no." Alibaster wiggled his right hand a bit. "I don't have a seal like you and Sebastian here have, if that's what you're asking."

"You…you don't?" Ceil and Sebastian both looked at the smiling woman.

"No. Aurora is doing this, as I like to say, completely free of charge." Alibaster smiled at the demon beside him. "So, Phantomhive, breakfast at seven?"

Ciel was staring at Aurora for a moment before sighing and turning to leave. "Yes, that's fine."

"Then away I shall go. Sebastian, show me to a room, would you please?"

"Of course," the other man smiled. "Go out to the hall. I shall be there in a moment." Alibaster shut the dining hall door behind him and left the two demons alone. "Free of charge?"

Aurora closed her eyes. "Of course. He is the remainder of the Drakeford family. I can't just let him leave the line in ruin just because he wants revenge for what happened to his mother. What kind of person would that make me?"

"Person? Do you see yourself as human now?" Sebastian took a step around her before placing his face up beside hers. "Or is there a second game going on here?"

"A second game?" She continued to smile. "Now what would make you think that, Crow?"

"With you, Cat, there's always a second game and it's a game that I do enjoy to play." Sebastian pulled a face, like he was about to say something else but he cleared his throat and shook his head, pulling back from the woman. "Shall I give you your own room as well?"

"Yes," Aurora smiled. "After spending twenty-five years by yourself it sort of sinks into you."

The man smirked before turning and opening the door for her. "Then allow me to escort you."

"A butler indeed." She glanced at him. "Why degrade yourself to the orders of a brat such as this?"

"To answer your question," Sebastian gave her a smirk. "I am simply one hell of a Butler."