The Dawn Breaking Over Our Horizon

Untitled Part 2 unedited

The next two hours spent at the Phantomhive estate consist of me running after Lizzie in a desperate attempt to tone down her overhaul of the mansions decorations. No doubt the head of such an imposing estate would abhor such frilly things. Unfortunately, the only spaces I could persuade Lizze to leave alone were the bedrooms, the study, and the outer gardens. The bedrooms and landscape only because we did not have the time or supplies to do everything she wanted to.

The poor servants could not escape Lizzie's attention, Tanaka was forced to wear a blonde wig and asnwer to Antoinette, the gardener Finny had bunny ears, the chef a new bonnet, and the maid had yet to fall to Lizzie's demands. The saddest sight was the other butler, Grell, forced to wear a bright orange bonnet while dangling by the neck from the ceiling. I don't know how such a young girl could string up a fully grown man as such, especially since I was having such a hard time getting him down myself. I'd spent the last thirty minutes trying to come up with a solution.

All I could do was place a chair under his feet to stop Grell from choking and think of possible solutions, I am on my own with this because I need the other servants to keep a watch on Lizzie to at least put a damper on her incessant decorating. My only advantage was my height, but I am much too weak to lift the poor servant off the hook embedded in the ceiling despite that advantage, nor can I reach the hook even standing on a chair. Just as I am about to give up, my hands dropping from my hips, my arm gently brushes against the kodachi at my waist.

The family heirloom passed down through the generations, my namesake, twinkles with its glossy black sheath in the fading light from the windows. I roll my eyes and strike my forehead with my palm. Of course, I could simply cut him down.

Drawing the short sword, Akatsuki, I remember the dawn and the endless possibilities that come with it, my own name sharing such potential and meaning, and take a step onto the chair halting Grell's demise. I send a small prayer to the gods, asking that they assist me in saving this young man, so full of life and potential, with a sword named with the very intention of protecting that part of life, and begin sawing at the rope.

My full attention focuses on the rope as it loosens with every slice, I can not afford to slip up with this weapon so close to our heads. Not to mention how both of us are standing on the edge of a small dining chair, with a sharp weapon drawn over head. Halfway through my task, I start to doubt the safety of our positions just as a small ruckus begins out in the foyer just outside the parlor.

The noise and my own thoughts cause my focus to slip and the chair under us rocks violently, forcing me to grab onto Grell's haning body and squeeze. The poor man garbles in shock and pain, adrenaline flushing through our bodies as the chair once again stabilizes.

I look up at him and smile in apology, too scared to try speaking, and start cutting the rope once more, much more focused on this task than before.

Unfortunately, before I am able to actually cut the rope the door to the parlor opens slowly and two heads peak in. Once the two strangers fully understand what is going on, both men rush in, the younger one breaking the silence and my concentration, "What are you doing now?"

The sudden flurry of activity makes me look sharply to the new people and jerk away from the servant, suddenly very aware of how close we are to one another. My jerking movements tilt the chair precariously and knock me off balance, the Akatsuki slips from my grasp and I try to twist my body to allow me to get a better hold of the hilt. These sudden movements spell our doom as the chair tumbles to the ground, no longer supporting Grell's weight and tossing my body to the ground.

I close my eyes, clearly envisioning the near future. My kodachi had been flung upwards out of my reach as I fell, and what goes up must come down. In this case, I have no doubt the trajectory will allow the Akatsuki to sheath itself into my chest. I force my heart to slow, accepting that my own actions shall lead to my death, my last wish is that Lizzie would be keot from seeing my dead body before the funeral. She doesn't need that image in her mind.