The Queen's New Pet (A Black Butler Fanfic)

Chapter Fifteen

"Thank you." Lyra breathed, her eyes meeting the ceiling again.

"No, thank you Lady Elrose." Ciel said as he and Sebastian moved to her bedside.

"For what?"

Ciel obviously wasn't expecting this question. "W-Well, for u-um not taking o-over her body and-"

"Thank you for taking care of her while she is In Between." Sebastian butted in.

"'In Between?'" Ciel was automatically confused. Lyra laughed slightly, the action causing her to cough.

"I'm sure between Sebastian and Maria they could and will explain what happens during the demon transformation." Lyra spoke.

They all sat in silence for a while, Ciel and Sebastian remembering Maria. In the short time she had been here her spunky attitude had them all begging for more in the lonely, unemotional manor. She made them all come to life. They did not want to lose that light to their lives.

"I never imagined I would die twice. It's not very pleasant." Maria/Lyra's face twisted into a sour expression. Ciel and Sebastian looked sympathetically on, unable to do anything.

"At least I won't die to a particular demon ripping into me to try to get my soul." She cast a glare over in the corner where William's bloody form lay, unmoving.

Out of the corner of his eye Sebastian saw Ciel's visible eye widen considerably. His heart rate also picked up. Sebastian immediately knew what he was thinking.

"It's like Mr. William has never collected a soul in his life. That's not even close to what actually happens." Ciel eased down a little after hearing this. It was only natural that he would be scared.

"It's time. Soon Maria will return to you both. I want you to take care of her, she is giving up perfection in Heaven for you two." Sebastian nodded, and suddenly Ciel understood that Maria was going to live an eternity on earth when his soul would be collected in the future. He wouldn't be with her for long. Should she really be doing this? He opened his mouth to speak but Lyra saw his face and interjected.

"She wants to do this, Ciel. Even with knowing the consequences." Reluctantly Ciel nodded.

"I wish good luck to you all. It may take Maria a while to return, so you can take the body home until she wakes."

Sebastian nodded again and Ciel looked disturbed, upset.

Finally the light in Lyra/Maria's eyes faded, and Lyra died for the second time.

"At least she got revenge and a peaceful death, m'lord." Sebastian spoke quietly after a moment of silence for the dead.

"What William did to her was terrible. I wish she didn't have to die." Abruptly he turned and left the room. Sebastian knew Ciel was sort of sensitive to death, so he understood why his Master was upset. He didn't like it when the innocent died.

Gently Sebastian picked up Maria, already imagining her return. Her pink eyes would outshine any darkness. He had caught glimpses of her demon eyes, but soon she would be demon. Like him.

He brought her up to the carriage to Ciel, who was already in his seat.

He gently laid her next to Ciel, and the girl's form leaned into Ciel, her head landing on his shoulder.

"I feel like there's a dead body on me." Ciel said, glancing down at Maria quickly.

"It is a dead body right now." Sebastian cheerfully replied with his signature smile as Ciel went paler than usual. Sebastian started to close the carriage door but Ciel's voice stopped him halfway.

"What's going to happen when she wakes up?"

Sebastian hesitated before answering. "I honestly don't know, milord."

Ciel nodded, and Sebastian shut the door before jumping up to the driving seat and urging the horses homeward.

Alone in the carriage with the pre-demon, Ciel's mind scared him as he thought of the possibilities. Lyra had said that it would take Maria a while to awaken, but how long was a while? What if she woke up right now? What if she was hungry when she woke up? He had no doubts that Sebastian would protect him somehow, but in doing so he would probably hurt Maria trying to restrain her.

He didn't want her to hurt or killed right after she had gone through the trouble of coming back just for them. Sebastian seemed pretty confident that Maria wasn't going to do anything anytime soon so Ciel would just have to trust the demon.

The ride home made Ciel realize just how tired he was from the day's events. By the time they got home he was nearly sleeping against Maria's dead body, but as the carriage stopped he jolted awake. Seconds later Sebastian opened the carriage door. He silently took Maria into his arms and headed inside the manor where Mei-Rin and Finny met them.

"Find Baldroy and have him take the horses to the stable. I will take care of them momentarily." Sebastian's voice had them scurrying, probably to the kitchen, to find the failure of a cook.

He continued on, Ciel trailing behind him, to Maria's room. Even though she had only been absent for a day or two the air was no longer alive, but stale. Sebastian settled her on her bed before shooing Ciel back to his room to get him ready for bed. Once Ciel was settled, he headed out to tend for the horses. They weren't his favorite animal by any means, but they had had a long day of pulling and standing.

He gently cared for them before noticing something strange. Rūshifa was looking less wild then usual, and the normal thuds of him trying to kick his way out of his stall were not making themselves known.

Sebastian walked over to the stall and looked in. Rūshifa hadn't eaten anything in the days that Maria had been missing. The horse looked up as Sebastian looked in and instantly pinned his ears back, which wasn't unusual. He snorted lowly in warning.

Sebastian couldn't believe he was going to do this, talking to a filthy animal like this mere horse. "She's back you know. Maria."

The horse's ears flicked forward when he heard Maria's name, before he pinned them back again at Sebastian.

Sebastian stepped back from the stall. "I hope you don't mind her when she's a demon too." He spoke loudly enough for the horse to hear.

As he left the stable he could hear the sound of Rūshifa eating again. Something was up with that horse, but he didn't know exactly what it was. With a shrug he returned to the manor, but only after he did a daily patrol around the property.

Thanks for reading! :)