The Older Phantomhive

Chapter 1

What?

My gaze set upon the burning manor before me.

What happened? How could this have happened? Is mother and father okay? Are the twins okay?

Only questions fill my mind as I watch what used to be my home, my sanctuary, burned to the ground.

Am...I...the only one...left?

"Si...erra...Sierra!" I just barely hear what sounded like Lizzy yelling my name. "Sierra, what happened? Where's Ciel?!"

"I...don't know."

"...What?"

"Lizzy...I'm sorry...but I don't know how this happened," I whispered brokenly with a lump in my throat. As I went to look at her, she fell to the ground weeping for her fiance. I just stood in shock before falling to the ground myself.

Footsteps could barely be heard over the sounds of the burning manor. Turning back, Lady Francis, her husband Marquess Midford, and their eldest son Edward, stood in bewilderment of the burning manor.

"Sierra!" I could hear the boys' voices from this morning. "Where are you going? It's our birthday!" Ciel had mentioned.

"I'll be right back! I just need to go to London with Auntie Anne!"

The lump in my throat had broke along with my overflowing tears.

"Sierra, Anne, have a safe trip okay? Please make it back before dinner?" Mother and Father had a reassuring look.

"We'll be back before 6 o'clock Father, Mother!"

Why did I leave with Aunt Anne? Why didn't I stay?

"M-Mother...Father..." My breathing had started increasing. "W-w-where are you? Where are the twins? Where is everybody?"

"Sierra..." Lady Francis uttered my name.

"A-aunt Francis...where are they?"

"I...I don't know, Sierra."

"T-they had j-just turned 10 today. How could this have happened? Did they escape?"

"Sierra," Edward kneeled next to me with his arm around my shoulders, "I don't think they made it."

"They had to have, Edward. Please, they had to have gotten out of there."

"When the fire dies down then we can go check for any possible survivors," Marquess Midford suggests.

"B-but wouldn't that be too late?"

"Sierra, unfortunately that's all we can do for now."

At this point, the only thing that could be heard other than the tears silently hitting the grass beneath everyone's feet, and the sound of crinkling fire of the burning manor.

Edward, gripped my shoulders to get me to stand. With my gaze still set on the manor, I was brought to the Midford's carraige. I didn't get the chance to protest or say anything before everyone was in the carraige and we made our way away from the burning manor that used to be my home.

When time had passed and no sign of life had emerged; a funeral was to be planned. Tombstones have been made, bodies burned have been recovered. Mother, father, even our pet dog Sebastian's burnt corpses were found, but no sign of my brothers. We had even found Tanaka ouside the front of the burnt down manor and quickly transferred him to the nearest emergency center, which happened to be my aunt's hospital.

Time seemed to have been taking an eternity before Tanaka had finally awoken.

"Tanaka?! Tanaka?! Can you hear me? Auntie Anne, I think Tanaka is waking up!"

"Sierra, please go wait in the hall," Auntie Anne says.

"B-But...Tanaka..."

"He'll be fine, I just need to make sure he's ok. But I need you outside in the hall in order to check on him."

"...Okay Auntie Anne."

"Thank you Sierra, it won't take but a moment."

And finally, after what may have been hours, Auntie Anne came out of Tanaka's room.

"He's awake, let's go talk to him," she says with a small smile on her face as she reaches out her hand. I take her hand in mine and rush into the room.

Tears came to my eyes as I saw Tanaka sitting in his bed.

He's alive.

Possibly...one of the only ones...alive.

"T-Tanaka." I let go of Auntie Anne's hand as I rushed to Tanaka.

"Young lady Sierra, my am I glad to see at least you are okay," Tanaka wrapped his arms around my shoulders as I did the same around his abdomen.

"Tanaka, if you don't mind us asking, what happened?" Auntie Anne hesitantly asked.

"Please, out of everything you might say, please don't say everyone is...dead..." I had whispered.

"I'm sorry, Young Lady Sierra, Madam Dalles, I'll try my best to remember. After you and the Young Lady had left for London, we were preparing for the boys' birthday party. I had told them that I would come up to dress them for the dinner party at 6 o'clock. After that, this group had attacked and killed everyone in the manor, as well as destroy everything in their path. I had been on my way to the boys' room when I had noticed that they weren't there. I had found Young Master Ciel before I myself had gotten attacked. After that I don't remember much, but I think they were taken somewhere, not killed."

"S-So, they...might be alive?" A tad bit of hope could be heard in my voice.

Talking to Tanaka was a little bit of relief taken off my shoulders. To atleast hear that my younger brothers may be alive, was a relief.

Day by day, instead of two tombstones where mother and father lay. Since this was planned before Tanaka had awoken, four tombstones lay for mother and father and the boys'. Nothing has been heard of with the boys' whereabouts, however, a part of me wants to think that they'll be coming home soon.

Oh how right and wrong I was.

One very long month had passed, and I finally heard something.

I had been helping Aunt Anne around the royal hospital when we heard a commotion out in the lobby. And standing in the doorway, was one of the twins and a man clad in black.

As soon as he and I made eye contact, I ran to him and gave him the biggest hug I've ever given someone. Tears running down my face as I couldn't even utter a word. But his first words to me, was: "I'm using his name."

Huh?

I pulled away from him. "W-What do you mean?"

"I'm going to be using Ciel's name, in honour of him. He sacrificed his life for me."

"C-Ciel's-"

"Yes." I backed up as the tears have finally stopped flowing. Hands covering my mouth before I can even say anything.

"Ciel?" Aunt Anne had finally managed to speak. "W-Where's your brother?"

"Aunt Angelina, our younger brother, he's gone. But I do need to ask a favor, may I recieve an eye patch for my eye?"

"W-What happened to your eye?" I whispered. My eyes unconsciously glanced at the man clad in black. Only to recieve a closed eyed smile. Immediately, my guard was up. I don't know what it was, but a part of me is just screaming to not trust him.

"...I'll tell you later." Was all Ciel said before following Aunt Anne.

_______________________________________________________

He told me you were dead.

And you believed him?