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

Chapter Sixteen

An unnusually stronger wind blew across the meadow, making the sea of grass ripple in unison. Maria's hair blew into her face, and she brushed it away. She looked up and saw that Lyra had returned with the wind.

"Hello." Maria said, and Lyra nodded back in greeting.

"How was death?" Maria asked, standing up slowly.

"The second time around was much more pleasant than the first, I must say. It still was quite painful though."

"So, is it time for me to go?" She couldn't wait to return to Ciel and Sebastian.

"I suppose so. Your body is empty and waiting."

"Alright. How do I do it?"

"I imagine you walk into the light, like all souls. You will reawaken a demon, ready to serve Satan by bringing souls to Hell for an eternity of pain and sorrow for them." Her thoughts slipped out as words before Lyra could stop them.

Maria's heart had stopped beating already, but if it was beating it would have stopped right there. "I... forgot about that part." She whispered nervously.

Lyra looked at her, concerned. If she was doubting her decision...

"Well, you must hurry and decide. Remember that souls who take too long to go into the light get sucked in eventually. If you don't have your mind made up I don't know what will happen to you." She eventually responded. Maria nodded, gnawing her lower lip nervously. It wasn't a decision that should be rushed, after all it was basically picking your second life. An eternal second life.

"How much time do I have?"

"I'm not sure." She never thought about what demons did in the second life. This changed a lot. Maybe everything.

She was so screwed.

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It had been 2 days since Maria started the transformation. Ciel was worried, and Sebastian didn't know if this was usual ot not even if he had undergone the process himself.

All he could was encourage his Master to be patient while trying to tell himself the same thing.

Aside from Ciel worrying, Rūshifa was acting weird as well. The next morning Sebastian found the horse out of his stall and nibbling on the bushes beneath Maria's window. Strangely unsettled, Sebastian simply put him back into his stall with some difficulty coming from the horse, and double checked that he locked the door before going to attend his daily duties. He decided not to tell Ciel.

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If she became a demon, she would be sending people to a painful eternity in Hell. How could she forget? She was destined to Hell until William broke the contract. Ciel was going to Hell.

Maria slumped back down onto the ground as Lyra patiently awaited an answer. Heaven or Hell?

There was no sense of time in the meadow, but Maria could still feel the time ticking down. She didn't have many minutes left. The soothing pulse of the meadow drifted over her, but for once it had no effect. She panicked. Would Sebastian and Ciel eventually forget her if she went to Heaven? She wouldn't get to say her goodbyes and apologize to them.

But then again....

Sending people to Hell, consciously knowing where they were going? She didn't know if she could do that. She never really had a background of religion since she had accepted Hell when she contracted William so long ago. All she knew was that Hell was awful, fire and heat so intense your flesh would probably bun and never grow back. That is, unless Satan allowed it, only to have him burn it off again. All of this she knew from William, Heaven she knew next to nothing about other than there was no pain, hunger, or sorrow there. It was perfection.

Both girls' attention was grabbed by the bright light starting to glow at the end of the meadow again.

"I'm not ready, I'm scared. What do I do?" Maria panicked.

"Relax, Maria." The tense tone of Lyra only made her more freaked out.

"I'm not ready!" The light was now glowing at its full brilliance. Maria's spiritual body, the one in the meadow, had gradually become lighter as she transformed into a full soul after Lyra's return.

Now the light started sucking her towards it, Maria too terrified to fight it. As if fighting would do anything anyway. As she was enveleped into the glow Maria saw Lyra following her into the light, ready to go to Heaven like she wanted.

But where will I be going?

Meanwhile, in the stable, a bright white light burst forth from Rūshifa's stall, which spooked the other horses. The light disappeared as quickly as it came. Very slowly a hand appeared over the stall door and unlatched the lock.