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

Chapter Twelve

Sebastian raced back to the Undertaker's to retrieve Ciel. The boy Earl looked up sharply as his butler suddenly burst through the door. Instantly he knew what was happening.

"Thank you for your time, Undertaker." He said, already standing, and Sebastian slipped on his coat with hurry. Soon they were walking out to the carriage.

"Sebastian." The butler looked up at his name, already fearing what Ciel was going to say.

"I'm going with you." The demon had seen that coming. Knowing how serious this was to Ciel, the boy would force him to take him along if he refused. So, the butler simply nodded and Ciel got into the carriage.

Then they were off. When they hit the forest paths it got a little bumpier, but none of that mattered now. Night was falling rapidly, Sebastian was planning on using the darkness to conceal their getaway. He would probably have to kill William, seeing as he wouldn't give up unless he was dead. His hands tightened on the reins. William had also probably noticed Sebastian when he had tailed him earlier in the day. He hoped Maria was okay. William was an uncontracted, full demon, not to mention the fact that he was crazy. Sebastian urged the horses to go faster.

Ciel felt the carriage slow down before stopping. This was it. They were in the lair of the enemy. The door swung open and his butler's familiar face appeared. Ciel stepped out of the carriage.

"Would you like to stay here milord?" Sebastian's tone said he strongly suggested it. Ciel shook his head no, as Sebastian knew he would. Silently the two slipped up to the house. Well, Sebastian was silent. Ciel was stumbling and cursing lowly under his breath. He was going to make this difficult for Sebastian to sneak in properly.

"She's in the basement." He spoke lowly to Ciel. He could sense her, but it was very weak, as if she was nearly dead. "I believe she is undergoing the transformation as we speak."

He immedietely felt Ciel tense, and he felt the Earl's impatience to just storm the place and retrieve the Queen's kitten.

There's only one demon here: William.

"How about we go knock on the door, milord?" He was smiling as he spoke. Ciel looked at him with a strange look in his eye before the two headed for the front door.

Sebastian knocked on the door loudly and clearly.

"What are you doing? I thought we were sneaking-" Ciel was cut off as the door swung open and a very sharp looking sword swung towards Sebastian. The demon butler ducked under the sword before rushing in and tackling whoever had attacked, which had to be William. Ciel cautiously crept into the old, dark house and saw the two forms of the demons fighting across the room.

Basement. I need to find the basement. His mind chanted as he looked for a door or hallway that would lead to stairs heading down. There was only one hallway leading from the room, so Ciel picked it and ran. Before he reached the hallway, however, he stopped and turned around. His eye showed the intricate design of his and Sebastian's contract seal.

"Sebastian. Destroy that filthy creature." He could see the pink glowing in Sebastian's eyes as he turned towards his master.

"Yes, my Lord."

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Maria opened her eyes to a filmy landscape. It was some sort of black and white meadow, the long grass black and the sky a light gray, the white clouds floating lazily around. She was the only splash of color in the place.

Am I dead?

Is this a dream?

She remembered drinking the contents of the bottle before passing out.

I must be transforming.

Whether it was the dreamscape having an effect on her or she was in shock, Maria felt peaceful with this conviction. She was transforming into a demon, but she wasn't freaking out. She felt only peace.

"It's called dying." Maria slowly turned to the voice, the suddenness of its appearance not spooking her. There was only slow, sluggish peace. It was like laying in a hot bath, that wouldn't go cool after a while.

She saw the owner of the voice. It was an exact mirror of her, only the face was more mature and the woman was slightly older. The woman was also in full color. Her clothes were of a much older fashion. Instantly Maria knew who it was.

"Lyra."

"Maria." A staredown ensued between the two. After a few moments Maria broke it to ask a question.

"Where is this place?"

"This is the land between the living world and the worlds of the dead."

"Worlds of the dead?"

"Heaven and Hell."

Oh.

"So... why am I here?"

"I have been watching over our family for a long time, waiting for my moment to act."

That's right, she wants to take over my body to be with William. Knowing this, Maria tensed slightly, only to have the peace overwhelm her into relaxing again. Lyra was relaxed too, so apparently she wasn't going to act - yet. Lyra continued.

"Soon, your physical body will die. Your heart will stop beating. That is when you choose whether to go back to earth as a demon as a servant for Hell or continue on to Heaven." Her voice sounded whispy and calm.

"So all people can go to Heaven if they want?"

"Only specific people can choose to go back, if they undergo the transformation like you or are chosen by Hell itself. God is still there to judge if the regular humans are going to Heaven or Hell."

"So I just need to wait until I die before I can go back?"

Lyra tilted her head in curiosity and confusion.

"Why would you want to go back? Why do that when you can choose to go to perfection, to Heaven? Instead, you wish to go back to the sinful earth to be a slave of Hell."

"Why do you want to go back?" Maria challenged instead of answering, sitting down carefully on the grass. Lyra followed suit, a few yards from where Maria sat.

"To be honest, I don't."