Won't You Stay This Time?

Solo Butler (Part 2)

~~Third Person POV~~

The rain continued to pour down relentlessly as the water in the river flowed without mercy for anyone in it, slamming against all surfaces as if trying to break all in its path.

"Lady Elizabeth! Lady Claire!", Mey-Rin called out to them. They couldn't see Claire and Lizzie was hanging on to the back of the seat in the boat, but they knew something was wrong since Lizzie had told them already. They were both stuck in a boat in the middle of the river, the only thing keeping them from being washed away being a rope tied to the boat.

"Hold on tight, miladies!", Bard called to them as he grabbed the end of the rope tied to shore. Mey-Rin quickly stopped him from making any further movements.

"No! You can't do that! Pull too hard, they'll capsize, yes they will!", she said as Ciel, Quintin, Sebastian, Lau, Ran-Mao, and Finny ran up to them.

"Lizzie!", Quintin called.

"Claire!", Ciel called. Lizzie looked up with a few tears in her eyes, looking at everyone on shore.

"You came for us...", she said in a bit of shock before narrowing her eyes in determination. She grabbed the ore and put it in the water, using it as support to steady herself as she stood up in the boat. Claire, against the pain, also attempted to stand, revealing herself for the first time to the others. "I saw the stag... on the other side of the–" Suddenly, the boat was rocked violently as water hit its side and the two let out screeches as they fell back in the boat as they had been.

"Careful!", Ciel called. "Please, just don't let go!"

"Stay right there!", Quintin called. Lizzie looked up again.

"We're going to find it!", she said. "We are!" She sat up again. "We will find the stag..." She quickly looked back at Claire to check her condition. It looked as if the pain had lessened, but it was clear from Claire's expression that she was still in pain. Claire nodded to her, signaling that she would be okay, and Lizzie turned back to the flat surface of the boat.

"Oh, Lizzie... why must you–?", Quintin began as Lizzie started to slide herself across the flat surface of the boat to try and reach where the rope was tied.

"Whatever we have to do, you both will find happiness!", Lizzie called as she kept trying to reach the rope, Quintin and Ciel's eyes widening.

"Master, what shall we do?", Sebastian asked.

"They won't last long like that", Lau said as he walked up behind Ciel, Quintin, and Sebastian. He pointed in the distance. "Just look there." They followed his instruction and saw the old-fashioned floodgate, one that had yet to be remodeled. It was just barely holding back the water.

"An old-fashioned floodgate", Sebastian stated. "One that my master and Lord Ianes had fully intended to begin rebuilding next month."

"It's sprung a leak", Lau pointed out. "When it bursts, the water it's barely holding back now will flow upstream, and this whole area will be washed away." Ciel and Quintin stood in worried thought for a few moments while Lizzie continued trying to reach the rope and Claire stayed curled up in pain. Ciel looked down as he made up his mind on what to do.

"Sebastian", he said. Sebastian looked at him while Ciel touched his eyepatch. "This is an order." Ciel lifted his head as he removed his hand from his eyepatch. "Stop it from flooding!"

"And Ladies Elizabeth and Claire, what would you have me do about them?", he asked.

"Do I need to repeat myself?", Ciel asked as he removed his coat. "I'll protect Claire and Quintin will protect Elizabeth." Ciel threw off his hat. "That is our duty to do." Quintin was shocked his name was suddenly being brought into it, but he soon narrowed his eyes in determination as he also removed his coat. Sebastian smiled.