I stared at the ground for a few moments until he stood up and kneeled before me.

"Did you really do all that?" I looked him in the eyes.

"Yes."

I blushed and looked away, remembering how he had given me a bath and bandaged me. "Why?"

"I couldn't just let you die."

My eyes unwillingly found his. There was an air of mystery about him. It made me feel both safe and terrified around him at the same time. There were so many questions flying through my mind that I was starting to get a headache. Who exactly was this man? Why couldn't I remember anything from before I woke up? Why did Sebastian rescue me? The clock rang out 11:00 pm and broke my thoughts.

"It's late, young mistress, you should get some rest."

"But I'm not tired."

"Oh really?" He smiled as I yawned.

"Ok, maybe I am a little tired." We both laughed. He took off my shoes, leggings, skirt and put on black pajama pants with pink roses and skulls on them. After that he put me to bed.

"Goodnight, young mistress," He said as he stood up and turned around.

"Wait!" I reached out and grabbed his jacket. He turned around slightly to look at me. My cheeks instantly flushed, "I mean…uh…please don't leave. I…After that night, I just…" He turned around and smiled ever-so reassuringly at me. He lay down next to me. Thunder cracked in the distance and I jumped. He opened his arms for me, offering me his comfort. I hesitated for a moment but another; louder crack of thunder sent me flying to him. I buried my face in his chest and he wrapped his arms around me. I know he was mysterious, and I know there's not much I knew about him, but his embrace felt good. It felt like, for once, I was safe. Nothing could hurt me as long as I stayed here in his embrace. It didn't take long before I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning I woke up alone in the bed. "Sebastian?" I asked to the empty room. My answer was Hannah walking in the room with breakfast. I saw Sebastian behind her and tried to hide my smile unsuccessfully. I thanked Hannah as she placed the plate on my lap and bowed. I looked at her more closely now. She had long dark brown hair and blue eyes. She looked very sad.

"Hannah, why don't you eat it with me? You look hungry." When I asked her, she looked at me like I was the first person who had ever been kind to her. I simply smiled and held a fork with eggs on it in front of her mouth. She finally smiled and ate the eggs. It didn't take long before we had finished the whole meal.

"Thank you, young mistress," she said.

"Call me Krystal," I smiled as she walked out the door. Once she was gone, I threw off the blankets. "Sebastian, I want to try walking. Could you please help me?" I laughed a little at my pathetic request. He simply walked over and held out his hand. I took it and slowly maneuvered myself to stand. I almost fell over but Sebastian caught me.

With Sebastian's help I made my way to the full-length mirror on the wall. I took off my shirt.

"Would you like me to leave, young mistress?"

I turned my head and looked at him, a small smirk on my face. "No, that's ok. You were the one who bathed and dressed my wounds right? Then you've seen me worse then this before," I laughed awkwardly, "Oh, and call me Krystal. I don't know why you call me young mistress, but it makes me feel weird, like you're all my servants or something." Sebastian held my shoulders as I took off my pants. I wanted to see exactly how bad my injuries were. I gasped as I looked at my body in the mirror. I had no idea how bad it was until now. The bandages were bloody already and I could see the ends of the cuts protruding from some of them. I fell to my knees, tears starting to spill down my face. Sebastian kneeled down beside me and put his arm around my shoulders.

"Is everything alright?" He asked.

"Everyone I ever knew and loved burned. It's all gone. I have nothing anymore; No home, no friends, no family. It's all gone!" I broke out into wrenching sobs. Sebastian pulled me into a hug and held me, allowing me to cry my heart out in his shirt.

Over a half hour had passed before I was able to calm myself down. I pulled away, "Thank you. Why do you do so much for me when I'm no more than a random girl?"

He ignored my question. "I can help you get your revenge; on the two men who destroyed your life and beat you."

My eyes instantly snapped up to his. "How can you help me?"

"How badly do you want it?"

"More then anything," I stood up as fast as my body would allow and walked to the drawers. I pulled out light blue skinny jeans and a perfectly fit black t-shirt that had neon paint splatters on it.

After I was dressed Sebastian walked up next to me. "I can help you. I will serve you; cater to your every whim and help you take your revenge. In return, all I ask for is you."

I thought for a moment. All those innocent people were killed because of me, even though I didn't know why. I couldn't let those men get away with it; but what did he mean when he said that all he wanted in return was me? No. I had made up my mind; my family would have done the same for me. "Yes, you have a deal."

He smiled darkly and quickly sat on the bed and pulled me onto his lap. The surprise on my face was clear. His eyes began to burn a bright blood red. "You agree to the terms of this deal, as promised by your blood." He cut my wrist and let the blood drip onto a beautiful white rose. As more of my blood spilled, the rose turned completely red. Then he bit his wrist and let his blood drip on the rose. "I agree to serve and protect you until you fulfill your revenge; in return I get you. I promise with my blood." The rose went black as more of his blood seeped onto it. I was so confused that I could only watch as he brought his face to my neck. I felt his tongue carress my neck. I felt his fangs pierce my skin. He held me tightly as he drank my blood; finalizing the agreement that we had made. I went unconscious.

When I woke up, I had a massive headache. It felt like I had gotten kicked by a mule. I looked at the clock. It was 8:00 am. I was alone in the room so I got up and went to my dresser. I pulled out my school uniforms black skirt; black and white striped knee high socks, a black spaghetti strap tank top, and my favorite pair of converse. I set them on my bed and walked into the bathroom and got a bath ready.

When the bath was ready, I climbed in. I winced slightly at the hot water, but eventually my body got used to it and it became relaxing. I looked at the ceiling, and then tried to remember what had happened before that night. I tried to picture it, I thought hard, but it was no use. I couldn't remember anything. I had spent over a half hour in the tub thinking. I gave up, climbed out and sighed.

I dried myself off then wrapped a towel around myself. I walked out into my room and grabbed my clothes. I got dressed and walked back into the bathroom to put on my makeup and do my hair. I dried my hair and brushed it. I loved my long purple hair, it was naturally straight. I went to put on my eyeliner and gasped. My right eye had turned a strange red and there was a pentagram in it. I just stood there, shocked. I looked in the mirror again, this time actually paying attention. My left arm had a silver-ish blue tattoo that began on my shoulder and ended right before my elbow. I tried to stay calm. I decided to check out the rest of my body, so I took off my shirt.

I took off all my bandages and saw that I had a tattoo of a star and moon on the left side of my stomach. I fell back with my back against the wall of the tub. I stared at the ceiling as tears started to roll down my face. Thoughts of my situation buzzed inside my head. I slowly brought my hand up and ripped open all of my wounds; making them deeper. Blood flowed down onto the floor. I coughed slightly and blood started to trickle from my mouth. I wanted this to end. What was the point of living if everyone I loved was gone?

Sebastian rushed in and grabbed my wrist, forcing me to stop ripping at the cuts. He wiped the tears from my face and got a wash cloth wet. He started to wipe the blood from my skin. While he was cleaning me up, I didn't say anything, I just kept that vacant expression on my face and tuned everything out. It was like my body was there but I wasn't. Sebastian picked me up and sat me on the edge of my bed. I stared straight ahead as he started to put on fresh bandages.

"What exactly were you trying to do in there?" I didn't answer. He sighed, "Krystal, what's wrong?" He sat next to me. I still didn't say anything. He pulled me close and pressed his lips against mine for a short moment. Once I finally gave a response and looked at him, he pulled away. I turned red and turned away from him. He smiled, "That's better."

"Uh…sorry…" I said as I stood up and bowed. I remembered that I had taken my shirt off before, so I looked down. My shirt was still off but my wounds were bandaged up. It hurt to move, but I walked to the bathroom and grabbed my shirt. I winced with every movement, but I tried to not let Sebastian see. I think I failed, because he came and picked me up. He set me down on the edge of my bed and I put my shirt on.

"Now why did you do that?" He asked, kneeling in front of me.

"I just…I was just thinking about…well…stuff…" I laughed awkwardly. "Sebastian?"

"Yes?" he said as he wrapped a bandage around my arm.

"Why can't I remember anything before when I woke up?"

"Those two men beat you so bad that you lost your memory."

"Will I ever get it back?"

"I'm not sure."

I sighed; I was starting to get frustrated. 'Hey, he said that he would cater to my every whim right? Maybe I should test that…' I thought.

"Take me to my old home," 'Maybe I shouldn't…well, I guess I had better at least see…' I thought for a moment. "That is an order."

He smirked and put his right hand on the left side of his chest and bowed slightly, "Yes, master."

He got up and walked to my nightstand and opened a drawer. He pulled out something black, but I couldn't see what it was. He walked back over to me and knelt down, holding my bangs away from my eye. He took the black thing, which I now saw was an eye patch, and put it on me, covering my right eye.

"What's this for?" I touched the eye patch with my finger. "We can't exactly have you running around with that eye of yours now can we? What would people think?" He smirked. I remembered how my eye had changed. I sighed. "Alright, whatever. So when will you be taking me to the village?" "The next day you have off we can go." I simply nod and limped out of the room with Sebastian following. We made our way down the hallway and he led me to a room with a desk in it. I assumed it was my 'office.' I saw the spinney chair and grinned. I quickly walked to it and sat down, whirling around like a little kid. Sebastian sticks his hand out, forcing the chair to stop spinning and flinging me forward. "Ow! What was that for?" I whined, rubbing my head though now on the floor. "We have business to take care of." The look on his face was serious and I automatically felt like an idiot. "Sorry…" I muttered as he helped me up and I sat back in the chair. He pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to me. It had a strange seal on it. I sighed and opened it. Inside was a letter. It read: Dear Krystal, I cordially invite you to a ball at the Trancy mansion. It begins at 5:00 pm. Sincerely, Alois Trancy. "Who is Alois Trancy?" I stare at the writing, "And why does he randomly invite me to a ball when he doesn't even know who I am?" "He is the heir to the Trancy fortune. His father died a few years ago." "I see…Sebastian; we need to go to town." He looks at me, confused. "Why?" I smile at him, "I have to get something to wear to the ball, right?" He smirks and nods. "We can leave immediately." "Perfect!" I stand up, but quickly double up in pain. Sebastian grabbed my shoulder to hold me up. "F**k, I guess I still can't move too quickly…" I shrugged his hand off, not wanting to only be a needy teenage girl. Slowly, I straighten out myself and walk toward the door, heading to the carriage.

I opened the front doors to the mansion and a blast of cold air hit me and I saw the snow covered ground. It couldn't have gotten this cold in only one night…. "Sebastian, how long was I unconscious?" I knew he was behind me.

"About four days."

"What the hell? Why didn't you wake me up?"

He smirked at my temper. "You needed your rest."

I glared at him, making him smirk more. After a while of giving him a hardcore death glare, I stormed off toward the carriage. I could hear him laughing behind me. I didn't wait for him to open the door; I just climbed in and waited for us to start moving. The inside of the carriage was a dark purple with black curtains. Everything is so dark and depressing…Is it bad to say that I love it? I thought and then laughed quietly to myself. Sebastian looked at me strangely. I glared at him again, making sure to send him a clear message that I was still mad at him.

I ignored him the whole way to town, even though I could feel his eyes burning into me. I simply stared out the window apathetically, watching the snow covered forests pass by. Eventually the city came into view and all the forests disappeared. Excitedly, I jumped out of the carriage, running into town. Sebastian sighed and jumped out, running after me. It didn't take long before he grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"Don't go running off alone. Especially in this town…" he scolded. I pouted at him and yanked my arm away, walking off, hoping he wouldn't follow. But, of course, he did.

Finally I stopped at a clothing shop with many beautiful clothes in it. I walked inside. My eyes flitted across the whole store, admiring all the dresses and accessories. I walked by many different dresses; some pink with frills, some long and purple, others more than one color. Eventually I found a dress I adored. I grabbed it and ran to the dressing room to try it on.

I instantly knew it was for me. It was black and light blue, with spaghetti straps. It also had a corset type front. I didn't want to show Sebastian; I was still mad at him, so I just changed back and walked out to purchase the gown.

"That's a wonderful choice," the lady behind the counter said.

"Thanks, I think it looks great."

"That will be $75."

"Aw that's a months money saved up," I whined, pulling out my wallet. Sebastian came up next to me and grabbed my hand, stopping me from pulling out money. He took out his wallet and paid for the dress.

"Thanks," I muttered. I walked out of the store with the dress in a bag and looked around. Well, since I'm here, I might as well see if there's anything fun to do… I thought.

"Shall we go home, miss?" Sebastian asked, walking to the carriage.

"Nope, I want to explore. This is my first time in town and if I'm going to live here from now on, I at least want to know what there is to do." I walked in the opposite direction of the carriage. He sighed and followed me. "You don't have to come with if you don't want to; I have money. Besides, I'm sure that you have things to do."

"My priority is to ensure your safety." I sighed and mumbled myself. I walked around the town for awhile. Eventually Sebastian said he wanted to stop and do some grocery shopping. We stopped at the market. While he was distracted, I took the opportunity to disappear.

Once I was far enough away from him, I stopped and rested for a moment, catching my breath. A cat caught my eye. It was a midnight black with bright red eyes. I smiled when it meowed. When I tried to get closer, it walked away, and then looked back. Does it want me to follow? I probably shouldn't…. I pushed the thought of what it might lead me to and decided to follow.

The cat led me around many corners. The farther we walked, the less people there were. My gaze rested mainly on the cat, occasionally leaving to look at where we were. The cat stopped in a dark alley and meowed again. Uh-oh. I think this was a bad idea… I thought. I began to creep backwards, but huge, glowing yellow eyes stopped me. The cat meowed again, yet it somehow sounded like laughing. I wanted to run. Get away from there. But my legs were locked in place; I couldn't move. F**k, this is bad…Whatever you do, just don't let them know you are scared; That always only makes it worse…I think… The mystery person walked forward, allowing me to see the outline of his body, but I couldn't make out any details. "Now what is a beautiful lady like you doing out in a place like this alone?" He asked. His voice was deep and mocking. "I was shopping with my boyfriend." I sounded much more confident then I felt. "Oh really? Then where is he now?" I could hear the smirk in his voice, like he knew I was lying. "He's getting something from the store and will be here soon." Oh God, I hoped I was right. He took another step forward, in response I was able to make myself move, and took a step back. He laughed. "You really are beautiful. I could have a lot of fun with you," he moved with inhuman speed and he was in front of me. I opened my mouth to scream, but he stopped me by forcing his lips upon mine. As much as I tried to push him away, it didn't work. He was just too strong. He held me close to him. I felt his tongue on my bottom lip, attempting to pry its way in. I kept my mouth tightly shut; until he bit my lip, forcing me to open it. I felt his tongue slither its way into my mouth. It felt disgusting. His hands found their way up my shirt. I screamed, but it was muffled by his mouth on mine. I clamped my teeth down on his tongue hard, but he didn't seem affected. Was this guy human? That should've at least made him let go! Unfortunately, that only made him more angry. One hand found its way to my breast while the other held me tightly, and painfully close to him. I closed my eyes, hoping this would all be over soon. I knew I couldn't fight him. Tears started to fall from my eyes. I guess this is a lesson; there are severe consequences for venturing alone into unfamiliar places... Suddenly there was a low growl and I felt myself being pulled away from the man. I kept my eyes closed. The man held on to me tightly, but the mystery savior was stronger (Thank goodness) and was able to pull me away. Within seconds there was silence, so I opened my eyes… Sebastian stood in front of me, his eyes were glowing a bright, burning red. He looked pissed. "Sebastian!" I threw my arms around him and started to cry harder. He didn't say anything; all he did was wrap his arms around me protectively and stare at the stranger. If he hadn't shown up, I have no idea what I would have done. I felt his arm slide under my knee and the other around my shoulder. He scopped me up like a bride. I closed my eyes again and wrapped my arms around his neck; still crying. He took me to the carriage and told the driver to take us home. He set me in his lap and held me the whole ride home. When we got back to the mansion, he brought me straight to my room, ignoring the servants' questions. It took a long time for me to calm down, but eventually I did and I sighed, looking at the ground. "I'm sorry Sebastian…I just…I was mad at you, and wanted to get back at you…so I just kinda…left while you weren't looking. I'm so sorry…" I could feel tears well up in my eyes again. He surprised me by pulling me into a hug. "Don't ever do that again," he said. I didn't hug him back. I felt ashamed and hurt and scared. "What's wrong?" "He was going to rape me wasn't he?" There was silence for a few minutes and when he finally spoke, he sounded like he was far away. "Yes, he was. And after that he was going to kill you and devour your soul." My eyes went wide. "He…was going to...devour my…soul?" I stammered. "He was a demon." His gaze was serious, almost angry. I looked away quickly. "I'm sorry…" He didn't say anything. I was trembling like crazy. He hesitantly put his hand on my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me. I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly. At first, he didn't reciprocate, but after a few moments, he softened and wrapped his arms around me. We stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity. Once I had calmed down again, he laid me upon the bed. He began to walk away, but what I said made him stop in his tracks. "Is that what you want to do?" "What?" "Rape me and then devour my soul…?" He walked back over to me. "If I was going to rape you, I would have already done it, right? And as for devouring your soul, it is tempting; very tempting." I stood up and walked to the window. I unlocked it and opened it, feeling the cool night air fill the room. I sat down on the ledge and stared into the night sky. The stars twinkled like a child's eye when they first eat something sweet. Sebastian's footsteps permeated the air and broke the stabbing silence. He put his hand on my shoulder, but I didn't look at him. My eyes stayed focused on the gigantic moon. "Krystal," he whispered. "What?" "You should get some rest. The ball tomorrow is going to take a lot of your energy." I sighed and stood up. Nothing was said when I walked past him, but he took hold of my arm, making me turn around. Our eyes met. "I'm sorry, Krystal. I should have kept a better eye on you." "No, it's my fault. I shouldn't have run off like that. I should have known something bad would happen. I just wanted to get back at you because I was mad and didn't know what else to do…" He pulled me into another embrace. His breath was hot against my hair, and I liked it. His sweet vanilla scent filled my nostrils whenever we were close. He gently kissed my cheek then pulled away. "Goodnight," he said as he left my room. I climbed in bed and lay back against the pillow. My fingers touched where the sensation of his lips still lingered on my cheek. I felt weird. I've never felt this way before. Is this love? Could I really be falling in love with a Demon? I shook my head, not wanting to think about that. My eyes drooped shut, and I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

The sun beaming through the window woke me up. I flipped over, groaning. Why can't I just sleep in for once? I thought. I yanked the blankets up over my head. It wasn't long before I heard someone open the door and walk in.

"Miss Winters, it's time to wake up," A young woman's voice said. I peeked out to see it was Hannah.

"Go away…" I mumbled.

"You must get up, Ms. Winters, otherwise Sebastian will be angry."

"Screw Sebastian. Go away." I heard her footsteps and then she tried to pull the blanket off. I growled. It surprised both me and her, because we both gasped and she took a step back. I opened my mouth to say something, but she ran out of the room before anything could escape my mouth.

Great, I growled. How the hell did I growl? Now she's probably terrified of me…. I thought. I sighed and pulled the covers up again. Now I really didn't want to get out of bed. It wasn't long before I heard the door open again, and more footsteps came in. I didn't bother to open my eyes and see who it was; I didn't want to.

"Young mistress, it is time to wake up." It was Sebastian. Well, who else did I expect? Santa clause? I didn't say anything. I'm not sure why, but maybe I was hoping he would go away. I heard him sigh. "Don't make me do something I don't want to do."

Again I said nothing. This time he yanked the blanket off. I opened my mouth to yell at him, but I felt another growl build up. Automatically my jaw clamped shut. He looked at me like he knew; which freaked me out even more. I wanted to get out of here, so I got up and walked to my drawers. I grabbed a purple mini skirt and a white tank top with thin straps. I styled my hair up and tied white ribbons in it. I also grabbed my purple fingerless gloves and boots that went up past my knees.

Quickly I got dressed and put the eye-patch on. I nearly ran out of the room. Downstairs was chaos, everyone was running around doing things. Hannah was walking my way with a cart. What it was carrying was covered by a sheet. She saw me and in her eyes I saw a little bit of fear…or curiosity; Maybe both. She looked down and walked faster.

"Hannah, can I talk to you for a second?" I said when she got closer to me.

"Yes, young mistress." She kept her head down.

"Um...sorry about earlier. I don't know what happened, or how it happened. It just sort of happened." She looked at me for what seemed like minutes.

"It's alright," she finally said. I smiled at her and she smiled back. Just then Sebastian came up next to me.

"Get back to work, Hannah," he commanded. She bowed and went back to pushing the cart. I sighed.

"Sebastian, can we go to town today before the ball?" I asked. He instantly tensed up.

"Why, young mistress?"

"I want to explore a little, and get something sweet to eat."

"We have sweet things to eat here," he said. The tone of his voice made it clear that he didn't want to take me to town because of what happened last time. I sighed.

"Please? I promise that if you need to stop to get something, I won't leave your side." Wait, if I command him then he has to, right…? "That's an order."

He had an apathetic expression, but I'm pretty sure he was pissed. He got down on one knee and put his right fist over his chest, bowing. "Yes, master."

We walked outside and into the cold autumn day. The trees had lost almost all of their leaves and were preparing for the winter months that were soon to come. Sebastian opened the door to the carriage for me and I climbed in. He drove us to town and stopped by a corner next to a clothing shop.

I ran my hand along the rough brick wall as we walked to the entrance. Sebastian, the gentleman that he is, held the door open for me. I walked inside and looked at all of the beautiful gowns that cluttered the racks. I wandered around the store, looking for a nice dress to wear to a ball. Thing is, I've never been to one before, so I have no idea what is expected. It didn't take long though, till I found one I thought was perfect. It was short and black with white lace.

I took it out to the checkout and Sebastian paid; as usual. I thanked him and walked outside, carrying the bag. I wasn't worried because I knew he wouldn't be far behind me today.

"Krystal?" I heard a girl's voice say from behind. I turned around. "Krystal, it is you!" The girl ran up and gave me a hug. Sebastian tensed up and was ready to pull her away. All I could do was look at her confused. She looked sort of familiar. I was sure I had seen her before.

She was a little shorter than me, maybe an inch. Her hair was about shoulder length and orange. She had a red ribbon tied in her hair like a headband. Her eyes were a dark sapphire blue. She was wearing a white dress and a cross necklace.

"You really don't remember me, do you?" She asked, stepping back so she could look me in the eyes.

"Should I?" I felt bad that I couldn't remember her.

"It's me, Naomi."

"Naomi?" My eyes widened. She nodded. "Naomi!" I hugged her tightly. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too!" She grinned widely. Sebastian looked totally confused.

"Sebastian, this is Naomi; my best friend. I haven't seen her in a long time. We have been best friends since we were babies, but she left the village to live with her parents."

She smiled sweetly, "Hi Sebastian."

"Hello."

"Sebastian, is it alright if Naomi comes home with us? We need to catch up," I smiled and kissed her on the cheek and we both laughed.

"You must to attend the ball tonight."

"She can stay in the mansion until we get home."

"Alright," he sighed, not wanting to argue right now. Me and Naomi squealed with excitement.

"Now let's all go get something sweet to eat!" I grinned and grabbed both their hands, pulling them down the street to the sweet shop I saw the last time we were here.

I was surprised at how different their hands felt in mine. Naomi's hand was small and soft; as if she had never worked a day in her life. Sebastian's hand was soft and strong. It made me feel secure knowing he was right next to me.

When we finally reached the shop, Sebastian held the door open for us. While me and Naomi were walking up to the counter, Sebastian found a table and stood next to it. I smiled and walked up to him.

"Sebastian, what would you like to eat? My treat today, and that's an order," I winked and laughed.

"I am not hungry," he said. I frowned and grabbed his hand, pulling him up to the counter. He always did things for me, now it was my turn to do something for him, and I wasn't going to let him get out of it.

"Pick what you want to eat," this time it was a command, not a question. He smirked and finally chose strawberry cheesecake. Naomi chose carrot cake and I decided on a piece of chocolate cake. I saw Sebastian reach for his wallet, but I knew he was going to do that, so I was ready with the money. I put it on the table and smirked.

We walked back to our table, sweet treats in hand. Sebastian sat next to me and Naomi sat across. It didn't take long before we dived into our delicious delicacies. This was the best sweet shop in town; that's why I brought them here. When we finished eating, Sebastian led us back to the carriage. Naomi climbed in first, then me, and then Sebastian. "Hey Sebastian, you've hardly said two words today, are you alright?" Naomi asked. "I apologize, Miss, I am not much of a talker," he said with a smooth voice. She giggled and nodded, "I understand, I used to be the shyest person in the village. So where do you live now, Krystal?" "I live in Sebastian's mansion." "Living alone with a mysterious, sexy man? Do you do anything 'fun'?" she winked. I could feel my cheeks burn and I slapped her arm. Sebastian chuckled, which made goose bumps run up my arms. "So why don't you live in the village anymore?" I could feel my heart ache. Why did she have to ask that? That was the one thing I'd hope to avoid. Panicked, I looked at Sebastian for help. His eyes flashed to me for a quick second. Naomi wouldn't have noticed. "Krystal will explain things later. But for now, she must get ready for the ball. We have servants at the mansion, they will keep you company while you await our return," he smiled. Naomi frowned, "Alright…" Sebastian put his hand on my shoulder and I looked at him questioningly. I saw why when the carriage jerked to a stop and Naomi fell forward. I laughed and helped her up. The moment Naomi climbed out of the carriage she started freaking out like a little kid at Disney Land. I laughed and took her hand, leading her inside. "Wow! This place is so big! And it's all dark and gothic, it's perfect for you!" she gushed. I smiled and laughed. This is the first time since that night that I actually felt happy. "Young mistress, you must start getting ready for the ball." "Yeah, yeah, I know," I grumbled. Naomi laughed and waved bye to Sebastian as we walked upstairs to my bedroom. I had barely closed the door before her questioning began. "So who is Sebastian? Why are you living with him? Why does he call you 'Young Mistress'? How long have you been living together? What happened to your eye? Why do you wear an eye patch?" "Jeez, it's nice to see you too." "I'm sorry, you have to get ready. I'll wait till tonight to start asking you questions," she laughed. "Thanks." I said sarcastically. "So who invited you to a ball?" "This guy named Alois Trancy. I've never even heard of him before, but I guess I have to go." "I wonder how he knows you…and why he invited you to a ball." "That makes two of us. Well, I'm going to go take a shower, you can make yourself comfortable." I smiled and walked into the bathroom. I stripped all my clothes off and removed the eye-patch. I sighed, looking at the constant reminder of my agreement with a demon; my eye. I started the water and waited till it heated up. Once it was hot, I climbed in and closed my eyes. The hot water felt good. It was like it washed away all my pain and worries as it slid down my body. I climbed out and grabbed a towel. Looking around I saw I forgot my dress. Sh*t, I thought, well, at least it's only Naomi out there. I opened the door and walked out, grabbing the bag with my dress. I looked at my bed; Naomi was listening to my iPod so she didn't notice me. I smiled and went back into the bathroom and got dressed. The dress fit perfectly, and I loved the way it looked on me. I decided to leave my lower-back length hair down. I put the eye-patch back on and then did my make-up. I looked at myself in the mirror, satisfied with how I looked. But then I noticed something; my teeth. My canines were longer, and a lot sharper. My teeth resembled that of a cat, sort of. Great, what else is going to just randomly happen? I sighed and walked out of the bathroom. Naomi was still listening to my iPod. I walked over to her and tapped her on the shoulder. "Krystal, you look beautiful! Sebastian is SO going to have the hots for you tonight!" She giggled. I slapped her shoulder again. "Listen, Sebastian doesn't like me like that, and I don't like him." At least, I don't think I like him… "Oh please, it's so obvious! The way you blush every time he touches you, or says something nice. You can't hide things like that from your best friend." I sighed. A knock on the door saved me from explaining my complicated and unsure feelings for Sebastian. "Young Mistress, it is time to leave." I heard Sebastian's voice say from the other side of the door. "Come on in," I said. The door opened and in walked Sebastian. He was sexier than ever. He was wearing a suit with a red scarf and glasses, which I don't know why he was wearing because he didn't need them. I couldn't look away. Luckily, Naomi broke my trance. "Hi Sebastian!" she smiled. "Good evening, Miss Naomi." "Well Krystal, I hope you have fun tonight," she gave me a hug and whispered in my ear, "Try not to have too much fun with Sebastian." She giggled as my cheeks flushed. We said our final goodbyes and walked outside to the carriage.

"So, do you know Alois Trancy?" I asked Sebastian when we were about half way there.

"You could say that."

I leaned against the wall, looking out the window for the rest of the time. I felt kind of awkward because Sebastian was looking at me the whole time. I did my best to look at anything but his eyes. It seemed like only seconds until the carriage came to a stop.

"We are here," the driver said and opened the door for us. I climbed out and looked around. The mansion was huge.

A man who wore similar clothes to Sebastian walked up and greeted us. He glared at Sebastian, and Sebastian glared back. It was clear they didn't like each other.

"Krystal Winters, please follow me. My master would like to greet you." Was all he said before he turned around and walked away. Of course I followed, Sebastian close behind me. The man walked quickly through the crowd of people, and I struggled to keep up. He finally stopped next to a blonde boy who looked a little younger than me. The boy had piercing blue eyes that had nothing but evil reflected in them. He was dressed in a purple suit like thing. The boy saw me and smiled an evil smile, but then slapped the man hard across the face.

"Claude, you took too long. Were you admiring Sebastian? Or were you trying something funny with our guest?" I was surprised at the boy's disrespectfulness.

"I apologize, Your Highness," Claude said.

"Hello Krystal, I am Alois Trancy and this is my mansion." He came up and gave me a hug. One problem though, this wasn't a friendly hug, it was more like a possessive hug, like he was challenging Sebastian or something. "Come, we must dance now!" He smirked and pulled me onto the dance floor. I looked back at Sebastian standing next to Claude. He was looking past us, and had a blank expression, but I could see anger filling his eyes. I guess I had no choice, since Alois' grip on me was tight; I had to dance with him…

In the middle of a song, he pulled me into a hallway, out of view of everyone else. He slammed me against a wall, pinning my hands so I couldn't fight. His body was close to mine.

"How about we ditch the ball and go somewhere where we can have fun? That way your stupid dog won't be able to sniff you out." He smirked.

"Stupid dog? You mean Sebastian?"

"Forget that scum. I could do so many more things for you," he started pulling me down the hall, farther away from everyone.

"Listen, Alois, I have no idea what's wrong with you, but I'll pass on whatever you want to do to me." I tried to pull away but he slammed me against the wall again and kissed me hard on the lips. I yelped and pushed him away with all my strength. This time, he got mad.

"Rejecting someone who was so kind as to invite a lowlife like you to a ball? How disrespectful can you be? You must be punished!" He punched me hard on my right cheek. Before I could do anything, he punched the same spot again. Tears were beginning to form in my eyes. Then he pushed me to the ground and started kicking me. I coughed up blood and he laughed. Flashbacks of that night rushed into my head, making me burst into tears. Claude walked up behind Alois.

"Your highness, I believe she has been punished enough."

"Don't tell me what to do!" He screamed at Claude. Claude was staring straight at me as if I was food and he hadn't eaten in months. Alois turned around and stuck out his tongue, licking his lips. I noticed something that shocked me. Even though my vision was blurry, I could still make out the pentagram symbol on his tongue. It was very similar to the one I had in my eye. Claude said nothing as he took off his glove and put his hand over Alois' mouth. The same symbol was on Claude's hand. It started to glow and then Alois went unconscious. Claude was staring at me again. Not long passed before Sebastian came running and stood in between us. They glared at each other like two lions ready to fight for a piece of meat. I'm pretty sure they were going to fight, so I tried to distract them.

"Sebastian…" I whispered; my voice weak. He looked at me and then back at Claude.

"Would you kindly point us in the direction of the bathroom?" Sebastian asked, picking me up gently. Claude pointed down the hallway.

"It's the second door on the right." He carried Alois in the opposite direction as Sebastian carried me. I closed my eyes as his strong arms held me tightly and protectively to him. I heard a door open and then close again.

"It was just like that night…they were laughing as they beat me…" I choked through tears. Sebastian got a wash cloth wet with warm water and began wiping away the blood. He said nothing while he was putting bandages on my fresh wounds. When he was done, he pulled me into a hug.

"I apologize, young mistress, I should not have brought you here."

I smiled softly, "It wasn't your fault. There's something wrong with that kid… Hey, did he make a contract with a demon?"

Sebastian seemed surprised by my question because he tensed up slightly and put a blank expression on his face. "Why do you ask that?"

"Because when he licked his lips, he had a symbol similar to mine on his tongue, and Claude had the same symbol on his hand…" He didn't respond, so I slowly took his hand. He watched me carefully as I hesitantly removed his glove. On his moonlight pale skin, there was the exact same symbol on his hand that was in my eye. I touched it with my pointer finger and then looked him in the eyes.

"Claude is a demon isn't he?" Sebastian nodded. "Why did they invite me here?" He avoided my question.

"Come, let us go back out."

"I don't want to. What if I see Alois again? Or Claude? He was looking at me like he…like he wanted to…devour my soul…" The words had trouble coming out.

"I will be with you." I sighed. I guess the sooner I go back out, the sooner I can go home. I stood up, still dizzy. I held onto Sebastian's arm as we walked back to the ballroom to keep from falling.

The room was still packed with guests dancing, talking, and laughing. It disgusted me how they could be so happy. Do they know what Alois is like?

Sebastian held out his hand. "May I have this dance?"

I looked at him, a slight blush creeping to my face. "Um…I'm not a good dancer…"

He smiled, "Don't worry, I'll lead." I hesitantly put my hand in his. He pulled me close, our bodies almost touching. He had one hand on my waist and the other was holding mine. The hand he wasn't holding was on his shoulder. I felt like I was flying. He was such a good dancer, I didn't want to leave his arms, but he eventually stopped and smiled.

"It's getting late; we should get home so that Naomi doesn't get worried." I sighed and nodded.

On our way back to the mansion, I looked at him. "Hey Sebastian?"

"Yes, young mistress?"

"Can you be there tonight…when I have to explain things to Naomi? I know she's going to ask, and I'm not sure if I can do it…"

He smiled, "Of course."

"Thanks," I breathed a sigh of relief.

When we arrived back at the mansion, Naomi was waiting for us. She ran to greet me with a hug and smiled at Sebastian.

"How was the ball?" she asked.

"It certainly wasn't what I expected," I laughed, not technically lying. She smiled.

"So, now it's time for you to fill me in on the details since we were apart." I sighed and looked at Sebastian. He gave me a reassuring smile.

"Let's go in the kitchen and have some tea while we talk," I offered. She nodded and grabbed my hand as we walked. Sebastian made Earl Gray tea while Naomi bombarded me with questions.

"So, why did you move from the village?"

"Uh…I didn't exactly move I kinda just left; Or, had to."

"I see. What happened to the village? You looked upset when I asked you before…"

I looked at Sebastian for help again. He sat down next to me and put his hand on my knee, trying to distract me while he explained.

"In the middle of the night, two men set the village ablaze. They took Krystal and her parents to the top of an old apartment building. They burned her parents alive after they beat them," his hand rubbed my leg gently. I knew what he was trying to do, and I focused on his touch instead of his words, "Then they beat her, almost to death, and chucked her off of the roof. They made her watch everyone and everything she loved burn. The village was destroyed."

"Oh my God! Why would they do that?"

"They wanted revenge."

"Revenge for what? Even still, that's horrible. They are some seriously sick and sadistic people! Wait, how are you still alive?" This time, I spoke.

"Sebastian saved me and brought me here. He nursed me back to health." I smiled, "Without him, I would be dead. I will always be grateful."

Naomi stood up and gave Sebastian a hug. He didn't hug her back. I couldn't hear what she said, but she whispered something in his ear. "Thank you for saving my best friend. I don't know who you are, but without you, she would be a wreck, if not dead. I'm not sure if you can see it, but you mean a lot to her.; and not as just a friend." I noticed Sebastian blush slightly. What did she say to him? I thought. A yawn escaped my lips and they both looked at me and laughed.

"You've had a long night; it is time for you two to go to sleep." Sebastian took my empty cup and put it in the sink.

"Oh Krystal, one more thing before you go to bed."

"Yes?"

"Why do you wear an eye-patch?" Uh-oh, I thought, this can't be good… I looked at Sebastian, unsure of what to tell her.

"She has a scar over that eye and it is hard for her to see, so it is better if she wears the eye-patch." Naomi nodded and smiled. She believed his excuse. I breathed a sigh of relief. Sebastian saved the day again.

"Allow me to show you to your room, Miss Naomi."

"Okay," she nodded and gave me a goodnight hug. As Sebastian took Naomi to her room, I went to Sebastian's. I took off my dress and put on a black thin strap tank top and fuzzy black pajama pants with hearts and skulls on them. I set the eye-patch on the table and climbed into the big bed.

It wasn't long before I heard the door open and Sebastian come in. I opened my eyes to peek at him. He took off his jacket, tie, and shirt, revealing his pale, muscular torso. Then he took off his pants and replaced them with black pajama pants. I wanted to laugh. Yes, he did look incredibly sexy, but Sebastian was just not the type of person you would expect to see wearing pajama pants.

"Sebastian, where are you going to sleep?"

He turned around and smiled, "I apologize, I did not know you were awake."

I blushed, "No, it's your room. I should find somewhere else to sleep now that I'm not, like, dying." I laughed awkwardly. He smiled softly.

"It's alright, I would prefer you sleep in my room, that way I can protect you easier."

"Well then," I patted the spot on the bed next to me, "Time for bed." I laughed and then rolled onto my side, groaning because I was still really sore from today… He climbed in bed next to me and started giving me a massage. Goosebumps raced up my arms.

"Um…what are you doing?"

"It is clear that you are still in pain. This will help." I wasn't going to admit this, but it felt so good. He knew the exact spots to massage and it did make me feel better. It was less than a minute before my eyes drooped closed and I fell asleep.

"Shut up you stupid bi*ch!" screamed the man with short spiky black hair. His dark green eyes were burning with hate. The guy standing next to him punched me in my face multiple times. Blood trickled down my nose as they dragged me upstairs, making sure I hit each step as hard as I possibly could. I couldn't scream, I couldn't whisper, I couldn't make a sound. Tears streamed down my face. The salty tears and metallic scented blood permeated the air. The guy with blonde hair took out a knife and stabbed me repeatedly. He made sure to miss all vital areas so that I would still be alive. I screamed at the top of my lungs and sat up instantly. I was shaking. My face was damp. I shakily brought my hand to my cheek; I had been crying. I looked next to me. Sebastian was missing. I was glad that he was gone; I don't want him to see me like this. I hugged my knees to my chest and buried my face in my arms, sobbing almost as hard as I had that night. Why had I dreamed of that? It's been almost two weeks since then and I haven't dreamt of it at all until tonight. What triggered it? I stayed like that, hoping everything would go away if I just closed my eyes for long enough, but my hopes were destroyed when I heard the door open and someone walk in. "Young mistress, what's wrong?" I heard Sebastian's deep, smooth voice say. I couldn't say anything. Why did he have to come now? I don't want him to see me like this… He placed his hand on my shoulder. I didn't look up. All I did was hug my knees tighter and bury my face deeper. "Krystal…" was all he said as he pulled me into a tight hug. He held me until my tears ran out and my crying turned into dry sobs. "What happened?" I let out a long breath before I spoke. "I had a dream about that night…" I felt his arms tighten around me. "I have never dreamed about it…why now? Why? Right when I was starting to forget about it…" I rested my head against his chest and closed my eyes. "Sebastian, I'm sorry you had to see me like that…" "It's quite alright. I'm glad I did, because if I didn't, you would have been crying all alone." I laughed quietly. "I'm surprised you actually care…" "Why wouldn't I? I've cared for you since that night when I rescued you." "Yeah, but I always thought there was a reason, like you wanted something from me." He pushed me away far enough that we locked eyes. "Krystal…" was all he said. He leaned in and gently pressed his lips to mine. My eyes widened and a blush crept up my cheeks, but then I kissed him back. His lips were soft yet strong and his breath smelled like vanilla. After a moment he pulled away. "Tomorrow we will go to your village if you still wish so." He said, standing up. "Yes, I still want to go…" He nodded and walked to the door and opened it. "Goodnight, Young Mistress," he said then closed the door. I climbed into bed and sighed. Why did he kiss me? More importantly, why did I feel the way I did when it happened? Could I really be falling in love with him? It doesn't matter, even if I am in love with him, I'm sure he doesn't feel the same way about me. I'm just a human girl… I closed my eyes and fell asleep, hoping that the dream wouldn't make a second appearance.

"Krystal!" I heard Naomi shout, running into my room and jumping on my bed.

"What do you want?" I groaned, pulling the blanket up higher.

"You have to get ready to go; we are going back to the village today!"

I froze. "Sebastian told you about that?"

"Mhmm, he said that he was taking you back there for the first time today and that it might be a good idea for me to come along too. I am curious to see what happened…"

I sighed and looked down. "I don't know if I can do this just yet, Naomi…" She grabbed my hand and smiled.

"Yes you can. I know you are strong Krystal, you can do this. I'm right here with you, no matter what. I always have been and I always will be." She smiled. My eyes watered up and I hugged her tightly.

"I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Well, you don't have to know, because I'm not going anywhere." We both laugh. There was a knock on the door.

"Enter." I said.

"Good morning, Young Mistress and Miss Naomi," Sebastian said as he walked in with a silver platter. He set it on my lap and opened it to reveal a giant breakfast. Clearly he knew how to feed two hungry teenage girls. Naomi winked at him and I smiled at him.

"Thank you, Sebastian." He nodded.

"After breakfast, get ready to go. We will be leaving as soon as you are ready." I nodded and he walked out of the room.

Naomi was the first to take something off of the platter and eat it. She grabbed her favorite fruit; strawberries. I wasn't very hungry.

"Krystal, aren't you going to eat anything?" She asked taking a bite of another strawberry.

"I'm not hungry, I'll eat something later." She frowned but let it go, standing up.

"Well, what are you going to wear then?"

"I don't know normal stuff? It's not like we're going to a funeral or anything like that…" I climbed out of bed and walked over to my dresser. Opening the drawer, I grabbed the first thing I saw; a simple black t-shirt and dark blue short shorts. I threw on my black chuck taylors and a studded belt.

"You don't even have to try and you look beautiful!" my best friend whined.

I laughed, "So what are you going to wear?"

"What I have on now silly." She was wearing an orange sweatshirt and blue jeans with dirty sneakers. I smiled sadly and walked out, meeting Sebastian at the door of the carriage.

"Let's go…" Sebastian opened the door and I climbed in, Naomi behind me and Sebastian behind her. The driver whistled sharply and cracked a whip; the carriage took off.

The trees in the forest slowly turned into charred stubs of what they once were as we got closer to the village. Before I knew it, I was trembling. I was hoping that the bouncing of the carriage would cover it up, but I don't think it did; both Naomi and Sebastian were looking at me worriedly. I tried to smile at them, but it didn't work out too well so I just grabbed my iPod and turned it on full volume. The song was 'Already Over' by Red. I felt tears well up in my eyes as the song continued and we got closer and closer to the village, but I wouldn't let them fall. I wanted to change the song, but I was frozen. Unable to move as the carriage slowly came to a stop. I looked out the window; we were here. My village. My home. My life, my past, everything. It was all right here in front of me; resting among the ashes.

The darkened ground was tainted red from blood. The houses were crumbling and black from ash and smoke. All the beautiful sweet grass and tulips were gone; replaced by a sickly layer of dirt. Bodies were still strewn across the ground; unrecognizable.

I walked through the disturbing area silently until I found my house. The walls were barely standing and the roof had disappeared. The windows were broken and glass fell everywhere. Carefully, I stepped inside, looking at the place I once called my home; my safe haven. It was now barely a pile of junk. I found a photo of my family and gently picked it up; as if it would crumble to bits if I held it wrong.

There was my mother with her long, dark brown hair and flawless peach skin. A light blush always decorated her cheeks. Her pale blue eyes were always bright with optimism. She was wearing her favorite red dress with matching high heels. Her smile could light up a pitch dark room. My father was to her left, his arm around her waist. He was tall and strong. Short auburn hair hung down messily. His beautifully tanned skin matched his deep, soulful, chocolate brown eyes. He was wearing a black suit; the coat unbuttoned. A faint smile crossed his lips. I stood in front of them, at about 14 years old. I was wearing my favorite shirt. It was my dad's old t-shirt. Light blue jeans were tucked over my converse shoes. My dark purple hair fell just past my shoulders; I had cut it a few weeks before. The tattoos that now decorated my arm and stomach weren't there, and my eyes were my normal dark purple. My parents each had a hand resting on my shoulder.

We looked perfectly happy. Perfectly normal. Perfectly alive… I fell to the ground, trembling, tears burning my eyes. Why did I come back here? I should've known I couldn't handle it yet. I closed my eyes, wanting it to just disappear. I didn't want to remember. No, I didn't want to hurt anymore. It was my fault. I should have died instead of them. I heard footsteps and looks up. It was Naomi.

"Krystal…" she frowned and picked up the picture, grabbing my arm and forcing me to stand up. She pulled me into a tight hug, which only made me cry harder. It wasn't long before another set of footsteps came. I looked at Sebastian.

"Why?" I asked him. A weird feeling filled my body. My anger flared. "Why did you save me? Why couldn't you just let me die so I can be with my mother and father again? You heartless bastard! WHY?" I pushed away Naomi and ran. I ran away from there; to the mansion, to the creek; anywhere but there.

I ended up collapsing, out of breath underneath a big oak. I had no idea where I was, and I didn't care. The sun was setting on the horizon. It would have been a beautiful sight; the mild oranges mixing with the easing pinks and relaxing purples. The cool, early winter breeze chilled me, but it felt good; the scent of the oak clashing with the wintery smell of the air. It was the perfect night.

I felt sick, like I had a fever. I eased myself to the ground and curled up, wrapping my arms tightly around myself. It felt as if a warm liquid was spreading inside my body; filling me with some unknown thing. My bones felt as if they were shifting under my skin; shrinking, changing shape. My blood boiled, but I wasn't in pain. The world started spinning. My eyes slowly drooped shut and I drifted into unconsciousness.

When I awoke I was still under the oak, but it seemed larger now then it had been before. It was dark out, so I had only been asleep for a few hours. I staggered to my feet, feeling strange. My tail swished. I blinked for a moment. I don't have a tail…. I walked to the creek, which I could hear nearby. Strange, I thought, Even though it is pitch black out, I can see perfectly fine. Well, almost… I approached the creek, feeling strangely thirsty.

The bright moonlight illuminated me, allowing my image to reflect back from the water. I gasped. What was reflected back was a dark purple cat with one purple eye and one red one with a pentagram in it. This can't be me…It's probably just a dream… I jumped in, hoping it would wake me up. It didn't, so I tried biting myself until blood was drawn. This can't be…How…?

A twig snapped in behind me and my ear twitched. I spun around. Sebastian was standing there. I took a step back. He's here to kill me…And devour my soul. He wants to hurt me, just like everyone else has… He could never accept someone like me, especially since this happened…

"Krystal, it's time to come home." I took another step back. He knelt down and held out is hand. I wanted to go to him. Run into his arms as I had so many times before when I was scared. But I couldn't now. "Please come, Krystal…"

I shook my head and closed my eyes, backing away. He sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling out my favorite food; a chocolate covered strawberry. My nose instantly twitched, smelling the familiar comfort food.

"I won't hurt you, I promise." His voice was soft and caring. It was comforting. I took a hesitant step towards him; then another. And another, until I was less then an inch away from his fingertips. I sniffed the strawberry.

"Go ahead, take it. It's yours. I promise I will do you no harm. Please, come home." I looked at him for a long moment, his eyes soft and sweet. I sniffed the strawberry again, and then licked it. Sebastian smiled. The taste of my favorite food poured into my mouth. I couldn't help but meow. I heard him chuckle. I put a paw on his finger and took a bite of the strawberry.

"There are plenty more at home. Will you come back?" His smile was so welcoming. I took a step back, taking my paw from his finger and looked at him. Well…If he was going to hurt me…he would have done it. I mean, I ran away, there are no people around. It would be so easy.

"Yes," I said but blinked from shock. How had I talked? I'm a cat… Sebastian smiled and held out his hand again, asking me permission to pick me up and carry me home. I walked back to him and licked his fingers, giving him the okay. His other hand scratched the top of my head softly, between my ears. Without my permission, I started purring and couldn't stop. He chuckled and put his hands under my arms, picking me up and cradling me to his chest lovingly. I put my back paws on his arm and my front paws on his shoulder, propping myself up. Again, without consciously deciding anything, I was licking his cheek. He chuckled and I could feel it in my paws.

"Thank you, Sebastian." I was now curled up in his arms, my tail hanging down.

It was still dark when we arrived at the mansion. I was asleep in Sebastian's arms until all of the servants came running up to him, shouting 'where did you get the cat' and 'its sooo cute!' and a lot of other things. I meowed loudly and jumped, climbing on Sebastian's shoulders, hoping to avoid their hands reaching out to pet me.

"I'm so sorry little kitty, we didn't mean to scare you!" said James. Sebastian grabbed me from his shoulders, ignoring my meows of protest. I was careful to not let any words slip from my mouth, knowing that would be impossible to explain to the James and the others. He set me on the ground.

"Please behave yourself." I meowed again, trying to climb back up his leg, but he kept setting me back down. "Just let them pet you once so they can get it out of the way." He chuckled when I glared at him and sat down, giving Finny, the brown haired boy, and Hannah and James the ok to pet me.

They all reached down at the same time. It was ok until Finny accidently stepped on my tail. I hissed and clawed him on the cheek automatically, but instantly felt bad because he was always so nice. I stood up and rubbed up against his legs, purring in apology.

"It's okay, little kitty. I forgive you." He smiled, "May I hold you?" I swished my tail cutely in approval. He grinned and gently picked me up. I meowed cutely and licked his cheek. He laughed and then looked to Sebastian.

"Well, we should probably let you take her. We don't want to overwhelm her with too much in one night." I rolled my eyes, but nobody saw. He handed me to Sebastian, said goodnight, and headed off to bed with the others.

"Well little kitty, let's get some rest." He smiled. I laughed.

"Don't call me little kitty." I playfully bit his wrist, knowing it wouldn't hurt him. He grinned and carried me up to his room.

When we got to his room he set me down and went to his dresser. When he stopped to look through his drawers, I jumped up, trying to grab the ends of his coat. He laughed and took off his jacket and shirt, placing them on the dresser. When I saw him unbutton his pants, I walked to the other side of the room to look for something to play with. It wasn't long before I heard the movement of blankets.

"Krystal, come on. You need to get your rest." I looked at him, and then yawned. He chuckled. "Come on," took his arm out from under the blanket and patter the spot by his chest. Ah, the perfect place to curl up, I thought as I ran and jumped up on the bed. I curled up by his chest and he rested his arm on me. I closed my eyes, not wanting this to end. I soon fell asleep curled up right where I wanted to be all the time; next to Sebastian.

Clear, crisp sunlight cut through the room, waking me up. Sebastian's arm was still resting on me; I was still a cat. I sighed and got up, stretching out my whole body.

"Well good morning." I jumped at the sound of his voice.

"Sorry, I thought you were asleep…" I looked down.

He reached out and scratched the top of my head gently, "Don't be sorry; I was awake."

I smiled, "Okay. So what is on the agenda today?"

"Nothing for you, not until you turn back into a human."

I padded closer to him, "Hey Sebastian?"

"Yes?"

"How did I turn into a cat? And why?"

"You are part demon. The emotional stress you were suffering caused the change."

"Did you know I was part demon?"

"Yes." How did he know? I mentally shook myself. I'll think of that later, right now I need to at least try and relax. I looked around and on the nightstand I saw the picture of me and my family. My eyes were locked there, I couldn't look away.

"I brought it back here when I took Naomi home yesterday." I looked back to him.

"Thanks…"

He smiled and spoke as he got out of bed, "Well, there are things to be done around the house, so I must be getting ready." I meowed in displeasure, which made him laugh.

We walked down the hallway and to where the servants slept. An evil thought crossed my mind and I smiled, running ahead. I climbed up onto Finny's bed and meowed loudly in his ear. He nearly fell off the bed he jumped so high. I ran to Sebastian and climbed up his leg to his waist, then to his chest, where he held me, laughing.

Finny stood up and glared at me. My response was a cute meow, which worked because he then smiled and scratched behind my ears. The other three servants woke up because of the noise.

"Today Ciel will be returning." Sebastian said, still holding me in his arms.

"Oh no! That's today?"

"What time is he coming?"

"We have so much work to do!" The servants babbled. I jumped out of Sebastian's arms and explored the room.

"He will be returning this evening for dinner. We have much cleaning to do for his return, so I expect the best of you today. Krystal and I will go out shopping for groceries."

"Speaking of Krystal, where did she go? We haven't seen her in a while."

"She is visiting a friend in town; she will be back before Ciel gets here." All of the servants nodded excitedly.

"We will do our best Sebastian!" They all ran off, leaving me and Sebastian alone.

"Who is Ciel?" I asked curiously.

"My master. We made a contract a few years ago. He was visiting family in Japan and ordered me to stay here to wait for someone."

"It's almost as if he knew I would be staying here…" I trailed off then looked at him, "How are we going to get me back to my human form?"

"All you have to do is think about transforming."

I did as he said and within a second I was back to my human form. He smiled and opened the door for me, "Shall we go shopping?"

I sighed and frowned, "I guess." He chuckled as we walked out of the room and down the stairs to the front door. Everyone was running around, frantically trying to clean. I almost got run over by a desert cart but Sebastian pulled me out of the way.

"Let's hope they don't destroy the mansion while we are gone," I laughed.

It was snowing outside when we climbed into the carriage.

"This is the first time I've seen snow in years. Sebastian?"

"Yes?"

"Can we play outside later tonight?" I laughed at my stupid request.

He smiled and said, "Yes. When Ciel returns-"

"I'll work as a maid," I interrupted, "I shouldn't have taken his place in the first place. If it's alright, I would like to work as a maid so I help around the house." I smiled, feeling bad that I had no idea Ciel even existed until today.

Sebastian frowned, "I am sorry to put this on you."

"It's alright; he was your master first. I don't expect any special treatment from you now that he's back." He was silent, as if thinking. "So if it is alright for me to stay, where would I be sleeping?"

"I will discuss that with Ciel this evening." He seemed distant.

We pulled up next to the market. I climbed out of the carriage and looked at the list we had written out before we left. I sighed, "This is such a long list…" I mumbled to myself. It took an hour to get everything we needed.

When we got back to the mansion, everything was scattered and messy.

Sebastian sighed, "There's only a half hour till master returns…"

I looked at him then at the room. "You start cleaning, and I'll cook. That way we should be able to get done in time."

"No, it's alri-"

"Nope, no lip out of you. If I'm going to work as a maid, this is a good time to start." I grabbed the bags and walked into the kitchen to start cooking.

"Hmm…What is a good dinner that you eat on special occasions…?" I thought for a moment. "Oh, I know! Miso Salmon with Momiji Manju for dessert!" I smiled and grabbed the ingredients for everything.

An hour had passed and the food was almost done cooking. I hadn't finished the desert because I figured I would do that while Ciel was eating so it would be warm when it was time. I heard the door open but ignored it until Sebastian came into the kitchen.

"Ciel is here," he said, then walked out.

I sighed, "Here goes…"

When I walked out of the kitchen, there was only one person I hadn't seen before. I assumed it was Ciel. He was a boy about 14 years old and wore mostly dark blue. His eye was blue, but he had an eye patch on, which was proof that Sebastian really had made a contract with him. He was about an inch shorter than me and had a bored or annoyed expression on his face.

"Sebastian, who is this girl?" there was a hint of annoyance in his voice. Sebastian waved once for me to come introduce myself. I walked closer to them and bowed.

"I am Krystal Winters. It's a pleasure to meet you," I smiled nervously.

"Sebastian did always have a soft spot for cats…." He mumbled, and then took off his coat. I looked at him strangely. Did he know about me?

Sebastian, Ciel, and I migrated to the dining room. Sebastian held a chair out for Ciel and he sat down.

"Dinner is ready for you, sir," I bowed and brought out the Miso Salmon. Sebastian served it while I stood off in the corner, not knowing what to do or say. A few minutes into the meal, I left to finish preparing desert.

"Young master, I would like to discuss something with you." I heard Sebastian say.

"It's about that girl isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Well, what about her?"

"Would it be alright if she stayed here at the mansion? She volunteered to work as a maid." There was a silence before Ciel said anything.

"Alright, she can stay. Besides, you've already made a contract with her," he smirked at Sebastian just as I walked in with the Momiji Manju.

"Sir, dessert is homemade Momiji Manju. I hope you enjoy."

"Krystal, I have decided you may stay here at the mansion; but you do not have to work as a maid." That shocked me, and by the look on his face, it shocked Sebastian too.

"No no, it's alright; I would feel horrible if I didn't do something around the house."

Ciel chuckled quietly, "Please, a young woman like you; you do not have to do a thing. It's quite alright; you have nothing to worry about. This mansion is already in capable hands," he glanced at Sebastian and smiled.

"W-well if y-you insist…" I stuttered, unsure of if I should fight back or just agree. I bowed, "At least let me do the dishes then…" Ciel nodded and I walked into the kitchen carrying the dirty dishes from the dining room.

~~~~~~Sebastian~~~~~~

"Young master, where will Krystal be sleeping?" I asked Ciel.

"That's a good question. I'm sure we have plenty of extra rooms; she can just take one of those."

"I request that she stay in my room."

Ciel looked at me carefully, taking in every detail that might reveal a reason behind my question. He smirked, "A man sharing a room with a young woman? Uncanny." He laughed, "Alright, I really don't care where she sleeps; Just don't do anything stupid." Ciel stood up, "I will be in my office."

I nodded as Ciel stood up and walked out.

~~~~~~Krystal~~~~~~ The kitchen door opened and I heard footsteps. "I'm almost done, so you don't have to worry." I said, not bothering to look back. Pale hands with black nails grabbed a towel and started drying the dishes. I smiled, "Thanks Sebastian." "I talked to young master about your sleeping arrangements." "Oh? Where will I be sleeping then?" "In my room." I was so surprised I dropped the plate I had and it shattered on the floor. I stepped on a few pieces while picking up the majority of them. Before I could finish cleaning up my mess Sebastian picked me up and sat me in a chair while he finished cleaning up. "I'm sorry," I said when he knelt down in front of me to look at the cuts I had gotten. My hands weren't too bad, only a few small cuts and scratches. The worst cuts were on my feet where I stepped on the jagged glass. He got up and took the wash cloth off of a table and got it wet with warm water and came back to where he was kneeling before. I flinched slightly when he started taking out the glass. It wasn't long before he had bandages on the wounds and was standing up. "We should probably re-wrap your other wounds as well." "I'll be fine… It doesn't hurt at all, its okay," I must have answered too quickly, because the look on his face made it obvious that he didn't believe me. Truth is, my injuries still hurt a lot. I still had a slight limp too. I glanced at the clock on the wall; it was 10:15 pm. "Well, I'd better get to bed…" I stretched and started to walk towards the door. Sebastian laughed. "I will put young master to bed and then I shall return to my room." "Alright," I said, walking out of the kitchen and up the stairs. At the top of the staircase there was a giant painting of a tall man with dark blue hair. He was wearing a cape and top hat, carrying a cane. Sitting in a chair next to him was a woman in a purple dress with dark blue hair. This must be Ciel's mother and father, I thought. I wonder what happened to them…. I walked slowly back to the room, not wanting to go in there yet. I opened the door and breathed a breath of relief when Sebastian wasn't there yet. I walked to the dresser and pulled out my favorite black pajama pants and wife beater. It wasn't long before I was changed and in bed. The door opened and Sebastian walked in. He must have thought I was asleep already because he was silent as he got changed and climbed in bed, though he did put his hand on my arm. Sleep soon overtook me. Someone screaming woke me up. I groaned. "Every morning is something new…" I sighed. The big bed was empty when I got up. "That's not surprising, he's always up early." I grabbed a long sleeved black shirt, a small purple coat thing, a short purple skirt and black combat boots. I saw a red ribbon on the dresser, so I took it and tied it in my hair. I heard the door open and the footsteps of someone walking in. "I'll be down in a moment, there's no need to come check on me." I said, not bothering to look who it was. That was my first mistake. Someone's hand reached around and covered my mouth tightly while his other arm held me so I couldn't move. I could hardly breathe. No matter how hard I struggled, nothing worked. He was just too strong. A strong force on the back of my head knocked me out. My eyes slowly fluttered open, though my vision was a little blurry. My wrists and ankles were tied with a rough rope so tightly I could barely feel them. "So the brat is finally awake? Good. I want her to be awake for the whole thing." A high pitched boy's voice said not that far away. Is that Alois Trancy? I thought. "Take off that stupid eye patch, Claude. Let's see if she really did make a contract with that scum Sebastian." Claude? It's definitely Alois… "You know, for someone who hasn't hit puberty yet, you have a pretty sharp tongue, kid." I smirked. My vision had finally cleared up and now I could see that I was right, it was Alois Trancy and Claude Faustus. "You stupid bi*ch! You think you can talk to me like that?" Alois screamed. "I believe I just did." He walked across the room and kicked my stomach. I coughed and blood dripped from my mouth. I laughed and he beat me some more. Man this kid has anger issues. Claude pulled him back. "Your Highness, this is only setting back our plans." "You're right Claude, just get it over with." Claude ripped off my eye-patch and looked blankly at my eye. Alois burst into a laughing fit. "It's true! You did make a contract with him! How stupid, he can't do anything. He's a useless waste of space! Claude is way better then that sh*t Sebastian. Claude, this gives us even more reason to do our experiment on her. Do it already." "Yes, You're Highness," Claude said as he took a large needle from a table. "Sh*t…" I muttered as he walked closer. I tried to untie the rope, but it was way too tight. I closed my eyes while he put the needle to my skin and injected something into my bloodstream.

My body started burning. It was like liquid flames were flowing through my veins. Unwillingly, I screamed in agony. I clenched my jaw, grinding my teeth and shut my eyes tightly.

Suffer through it; it has to end sometime. Just focus on something else. I thought. How can I focus on anything with this horrible pain shooting through me?

I instinctively curled up as best as I could while I was still tied up. I felt as though I had been put in the middle of a massive fire. Flashes of that night rushed into my head, making the pain worse.

I have to do something…. An image of Sebastian on the night of the ball slinked its way into my thoughts. Sebastian, that's it! I really hope this works…

I opened my eyes and whispered through the pain, "S…Sebastian…come…get me…that's….an order…" my eyes started to glow slightly and a giant version of the symbol began to glow on the floor with me in the middle. I could feel my last bit of energy fade and my mind slipping into unconsciousness. "SEBASTIAN!" I screamed. Right after, I went unconscious.

~Sebastian's POV~

Where could she have gone? I thought. I was standing in the study, leaning against a chair. A scream pierces my thoughts. SEBASTIAN!

"Krystal!" I said aloud, only now realizing she was in trouble. Grabbing my coat I burst out the door and jumped from tree to tree, not bothering to keep a human pace.

Simply following my instinct, I found myself standing outside the door of the Trancy mansion. She was here. I kicked the door down, but there was the sound of a carriage stopping. I turned around to see who it was. Ciel stepped out of the carriage.

"Young master, go back home."

"A butler should not tell his master what to do. I cannot allow you to rescue Krystal alone. I care about her too, you know." That was all he said while he walked into the house. I sighed and walked in after him.

"They are upstairs in his room." I said, leading him upstairs. I knocked down the door in a split second and walked in, Ciel not far behind. We both stood there frozen with shock. In the middle of the floor was a small light purple fox with six tails and a crescent moon and star on its upper back leg. Its paws and the tips of its tail were a dark purple. It was in the center of my symbol, which was glowing on the floor. It was Krystal.

"Sebastian, take care of Claude; I'll take care of Alois."

I bowed, "Yes, master."

Alois sneered. "Claude, make it quick."

"Yes, You're Highness." Claude bowed and we walked outside.

"My my, it is quite strange that you would make a contract with two humans at the same time. Not only that, but both you and Ciel came to rescue her."

"I have my reasons, none of which are your business."

"Well then, my master did say to make it quick." With that, we started fighting.

~Upstairs~

"What did you do to her, you little punk?" Ciel couldn't hide the anger in his voice.

"Oh, we just decided to test out a little rumor we heard. Someone said that a girl who, with the way they described her, was your little toy there. They said that she is descended from a certain someone, and that if you injected her with that person's blood and nightshade, well, you know the rest." Alois smirked, clearly thinking that he had won.

"You little bastard, why would you do that? You know that if it goes wrong, she could bring him back!" Ciel grabbed a sword and ran at Alois, but Alois quickly grabbed a different one and we broke out fighting.

"You'll die for hurting her!"

"Why do you care? Do you like her? The look on your face says you do." Alois started laughing. "You don't even know anything about her."

Anger burned in Ciel's eyes as he lunged at Alois again and again.

The sword thrust into Alois' shoulder, making him fall to his knees in pain. This was Ciel's only chance to grab Krystal and run. He was going to take it. He threw the sword to the ground and ran to the little fox's side.

"Still unconscious…" he muttered to himself. Trying to be as gentle as he could, he picked her up and ran. The staircase proved a problem. Almost three times he tripped and fell. Luckily though, he caught himself. The little six tailed fox in his arms breathed heavily as he ran. Finally outside, he saw Claude and Sebastian still fighting.

~Sebastian's POV~

I had finally gotten the advantage over Claude, my knives at his throat, when Ciel came running out cradling a small purple fox.

"Sebastian!" he called.

A low growl built in my throat. "If you ever set foot near Krystal again, I will kill you." And with that, I pulled away and ran to Ciel, picking him up and ran at an inhuman pace towards our mansion.

The sweet scent of chocolate covered strawberries spread through the air, inevitably finding its way to me. My nose twitched in response to my favorite smell, but I didn't want to open my eyes. My body was sore all over; I could barely move. From the way it felt, I had a few broken ribs, and all my older wounds had been ripped open.

Another wave of the delightful smell filled my nose. A soft groan escaped my throat as I opened my eyes. I just couldn't resist the temptation of chocolate covered strawberries. At first, my vision was blurry, but it didn't take long to clear. The soft morning sunlight sneaked in through the window, illuminating the room. Ciel sat in a chair next to my bed, smiling sweetly. A wave of confusion washed over me. What is Ciel doing here? Shouldn't he be doing work….?

"Good morning, Krystal." His voice broke my thoughts and the silence they created.

"G-good m-morning, Master Ciel," I stuttered, still confused.

He chuckled and pushed the plate of chocolate covered strawberries towards me. "Here, you must be hungry."

My stomach growled and we both laughed. I couldn't resist a chocolate covered strawberry. As I stood up I stumbled, Ciel catching me. I glanced down and saw I had paws. A groan escaped my mouth. "Great..." I mumbled.

"Be careful, you are still very hurt."

I sighed. "That's right, Claude and Alois…" Without giving my body permission, I took a bite of a strawberry. Instantly my mood got better. I looked back at Ciel. "How did you know my favorite food was chocolate covered strawberries?"

"I know more about you then you think." His expression as serious but a hint of longing shone in his eyes. That's…slightly creepy… I thought to myself.

"Don't you have work to do?"

"It can wait. You are much more important."

"Where's Sebastian?" I wondered. Not wanting to make it obvious I was uncomfortable, I nibbled on another strawberry.

"He is making breakfast and should be up here soon." I simply nodded. Without saying a word I jumped down and walked to the familiar mirror that had once showed my broken and battered body from that night. I ignored the pain and stared. A six tailed, purple fox stared back.

I growled, "Is there anything I can't turn into?"

I saw Ciel walk up behind me. "Krystal, do you remember anything before that night?" he asked.

I frowned, "No…The farthest back I can remember is when the men came…"

"I see." I looked up at him. His features were sullen, as if someone he had known recently died. I rubbed up against his leg, hoping to comfort. His lips twitched up slightly and he picked me up, ignoring my cries of protest. "You are quite a cute little fox," he smiled politely. Thank goodness he couldn't see my blush.

Just then there was a knock at the door. Sebastian walked in carrying a silver platter smiling at us. "Good morning, Young Master, Lady Winters." He said as he set the platter down and lifted the lid. Instantly the smell of waffles spread. A grin made its way to my foxy face and I ran to the food. Both Sebastian and Ciel laughed but I ignored them, not realizing how hungry I was until now. A thought eased its way into my brain.

"How do I change back into a human?" I asked aloud, though not really meaning to.

Sebastian whispered something to Ciel and he nodded. "Krystal, do you know what Alois injected into your bloodstream?"

I thought for a moment. "No…"

"It was the blood of someone very powerful, and very important. But also very bad." Sebastian strode to my side and picked me up. Of course I didn't protest.

"How is it bad? Why did they inject me with it? Who's-" Sebastian held my muzzle shut with his hand, but he was careful not to hurt me.

"It's bad because they were doing a test. This man's blood will only react with a certain someone and if that person decided to…resurrect said man, well…things would not turn out very well." Sebastian explained.

I growled. "That explains virtually nothing. So I'm assuming that person is me, because, and I'm not sure about you, but I think I reacted to the blood." Sarcasm coated her words. "The thing I want to know is who the blood was from?"

"Your father." Sebastian's expression was serious and cautious.

"My…My what?" I asked in disbelief.

"Your father." Sebastian's voice was tight. Clearly he hadn't planned on telling her this fact.

"But…he died in the fire." I thought for a moment. "Didn't he?"

"Yes, your father did die in the fire." It was obvious they were trying to get away with telling me as little as possible.

"Then how did they get his blood? And what's so important about it?" After a few minutes of no response from either of them I sighed. "Alright fine. At least tell me how to change me back."

"That is a very good question…" Ciel said, deep in thought. "Sebastian, we need to investigate. Start at the Undertaker."

"Yes, my lord."

"Take me with you." There was no question in my voice; I had already made my decision.

"No." Sebastian tensed.

"You have to. Either you take me with you, or I'll follow with no one to protect me or anything. You know I will too." They both sighed and I smirked. I had won.

"Fine." They said in unison. They obviously didn't like the idea of me coming, but they resented me following and having no protection even more.

"When do we leave then?" I smiled mentally.

"We leave this afternoon. Sebastian, prepare everything." Ciel sounded resigned, as if his mind was somewhere else. "I'll be in my office." He left, leaving me and Sebastian alone once again.

Sebastian turned to me. "I will prepare lunch later and then we will leave." Then he too walked out. I sighed and hopped on the little couch thing on the window, looking outside. It was a beautiful day regardless of the biting cold.

The leafless trees somehow retained beauty as the snow perched itself on the pointy branches going in every direction. A blanket of perfectly smooth white covered the land for miles. Fluffy clouds floated in the pure blue sky, making it dark but not so dark that it feels gloomy. The town was visible from the window. The joyful citizens enjoying shopping, eating, and just walking around made me feel a little bit awkward and irritable. Couldn't they understand that the world wasn't a happy place? There was evil everywhere and all they could see were the wonderful things filling up their happy little bubble. Their lives so untouched by the darkness that threatened to consume mine. Of course what did that matter? I was merely a useless existence in the universe.

The time seemed to go by so quickly. It seemed like only minutes till Sebastian rapped on the door, bringing lunch. He was dressed in his usual butler outfit, carrying a large silver platter.

"Good afternoon, Lady Krystal." He smiled politely as he put down the tray and poured some tea.

"Hello Sebastian."

"We will be leaving in half an hour. Please be ready." I nodded and watched as he walked away. Leaving me alone to eat and get ready. I didn't eat much so I just went downstairs. Everything seemed so big; it was kind of annoying being a fox.

Ciel and Sebastian were just getting their coats on when I got downstairs. "Trying to sneak away without me?" I sounded as annoyed as I felt.

"I apologize Miss Winters, but it is too dangerous for you to go. You are already wanted by many people."

"See, thing is I don't care. I hope something happens because then I could take some of my frustration out." Before either of them could respond, I jumped into the carriage and sat down on the seat, looking out the window. My ears were up, listening to the sounds of the wind crashing against the walls as the horses clomped forward towards town.

With every passing minute it got a little bit darker outside until the sun started to set in the distance. The oranges and purples clashed, making a beautiful medley of colors. The spiny leafless trees blew in the breeze, as if leaning away from the old town. No one spoke; the only sounds were of the passing world.

Less than a half hour passed before we stopped in front of a small, old looking building. The sign on the front read "Undertaker."

We climbed out of the carriage and Ciel sighed, "Let's get this over with."

"Undertaker, tell us about an antidote to his blood." Ciel demanded.

The long white haired man grinned. "That is an interesting subject. I wonder why you need information on that person's blood. Did something happen?"

"That is none of your concern. Tell us what you know." He demanded again. Sebastian stood in front of me to make sure that the Undertaker couldn't see me.

"If you can make me laugh, I'll tell you what you want to know." The undertaker said, leaning back against his desk and grinning madly at us.

Ciel sighed and simply said, "Sebastian."

"Yes, Master," he replied. He sneakily handed me off to Ciel and did an impression of the queen of England. I wasn't paying attention so I didn't know what Sebastian did, but suddenly the Undertaker's insane laughter broke the pressure in the room. Once he calmed down, he smiled wickedly.

"Alright, what do you want to know?"

"We need an antidote to that person's blood." Sebastian said walking up next to Ciel.

"Why would you need an antidote?" the undertaker asked suspiciously. I walked out from behind Ciel and looked up at the Undertaker. He grinned widely and started to laugh again. "My dear Sebastian, what have you gotten yourself into now? Has this little one reacted to his blood?" he picked me up and examined me.

Sebastian quickly took me from the undertaker's grasp. "Yes, she has. Now tell us what you know."

The Undertaker put up his hands in defeat then sat on his desk. "The only thing that can change her back is the poison from The Spider mixed with lominus and dracuin powder. I have some dracuin powder. For a price…" his grin grew wider.

"Name it." Ciel scowled.

"Oh, you don't have to pay me back now, but I'll tell you when I want your payment." The look in the Undertaker's eyes was mischievous and insane. He opened a door in his desk and reached in; pulling out a small vial filled with sparkling dark blue powder and tossed it. Sebastian easily caught it with two fingers and led me and Ciel out.

We walked out into the darkening evening and climbed into the carriage.

"So…what do we do now?" I asked, sitting on the windowpane as we rode out of town.

"We need to get The Spider's poison and the Lominus." Sebastian spoke while Ciel stared out the window.

"Who's 'The Spider?' and what's Lominus?"

"Lominus is an herb. England refers to Ciel as the Guard Dog and Alois as the Spider." He replied. I looked at Ciel. He stayed silent for the whole ride. My eyes eventually found their way to look out the window at the passing horizon. The brick melted to dirt and then to forest. I assumed we were going to get the other two items.

We came to a sudden stop in the middle of the woods. Sebastian climbed out first, followed by Ciel who picked me up and carried me the rest of the way. My eyes widened as we walked into an area covered with spider webs. I jumped down from Ciel's arms and trotted ahead. Of course I walked right into trouble…

The giant spider web sliced me up in too many different places. My blood trickled to the ground. A yelp escaped my mouth. The web was like a long, thin, insanely sharp razor blade. A giant spider larger than the carriage appeared and laughed demonically.

"You came back on your own? How lovely. I'll have fun with you." The spider said. I looked up at it and stepped back in shock. It was Claude Faustus. I made the mistake of looking into his hypnotic eyes; I was frozen in place while he slinked closer, fangs dripping.

"Move, damnit!" Ciel shouted, running up and tossing me aside just as Claude lashed out. He flew into a thread in the web and screamed as a long gash traced down his back. The impact of his head smacking the rock hard ground sent him into unconsciousness.

Sebastian sighed, "Let's make this quick, Claude; I have dinner to prepare." The two started to fight and I looked around, wanting to help but knowing I would probably be more trouble than help. A small plant with orange leaves and glowing blue flowers caught my eye.

"That must be the Lominus…" I thought aloud. If I could get that, it would make Sebastian's job easier. I stared at the two demons tearing into each other and closed my eyes, gathering courage. Before I lost my nerve I charged. Ignoring the pain from the cuts, I weaved through the web, avoiding the razor like threads as best I could.

Panting, I reached the plant and stared at it, not knowing which part to pick. My instincts told me the flower, so I gently took the flower's stem in my mouth and plucked it. Only a few small scratches were made when I trotted to Ciel and sat down, holding the flower in my mouth. When I looked up I saw that Sebastian had knocked Claude out and was holding a vial to one of his fangs, collecting the poison. I looked back at Ciel.

"Let's get you both home," said Sebastian, picking Ciel up bridal style. I walked silently beside him while we went back to the carriage and climbed in. I was vaguely aware of everything as I stared blankly out the window.

By the time we got back, it was around 1:30 am; according to the stars. I jumped out after Sebastian and followed them inside. The glowing blue flower still dangled from my mouth as I walked to the kitchen with Sebastian. He set Ciel down for a moment to put the ingredients on the counter. I jumped on the table and stared out the window. I was barely away of footsteps walking to me.

"May I have the flower, please?" Sebastian asked. I opened my mouth and dropped it; of course, he caught it easily and walked to the counter and placed it next to the other items. He walked back over to me and bent down, but I ignored him. "Let me see your wounds." He said. I turned to look at him with a slightly feral look in my eyes. His hand reached out to examine me, but I quickly growled and bit it, drawing blood. He raised an eyebrow and tried again but this time I backed away. My ears were back and the fur on the back of my neck was standing up. He sighed and reached out to grab me but I jumped off the table and ran to the door the turned back to look at him. He had Ciel in his arms and was looking at me with a strange expression. "I'll bandage Ciel and then come to your room to take care of you." He said. I growled; a feral sound that wasn't normal for me, and ran to my room, closing the door behind me.

I jumped up to the windowsill and stared outside. Everything felt different. I felt like a wild animal. My logic was slipping away and I was doing things by instinct and impulse instead of reason.

I looked at the reflection in the window. It wasn't me. It was a wild beast with feral eyes and an untrustworthy personality. I didn't even notice the trail of blood I had left, or the pool that was slowly forming around me. I guess my wounds never stopped bleeding. The extent of them was pretty bad, but I didn't even notice the pain. My eyes stayed glued outside.

Standing next to a tree was a tall man who appeared to be about 19. He was muscular and pale with hypnotizing blue eyes and brown red hair. The man wore all white and had a trench coat on his shoulders but it wasn't buttoned.

When I looked into his eyes, my blood boiled. It felt like I was on fire again, but not as bad; more like something was changing inside me. I screamed in my mind but what came out was a howl of pain. I clamped my eyes shut and fell onto my side, writhing in pain. My bones felt like they were growing and changing. The man stared at me unblinking the whole time. Eventually the pain stopped and I stood up and stared out the window again at the man. He stared back. He looked incredibly familiar, but I had lost myself to the animal and I couldn't think. I looked at my reflection in the window again and stared with apathy at the creature that reflected back.

I was taller and more muscular with nine tails and red eyes. Soft white fur replaced the light purple fur that was there before. I looked back at the man, who stayed stone like in his place. I sat down and watched him. We stared at each other for a long time until I was faintly aware of the door opening and footsteps walk up behind me. I didn't even need to look at the reflection in the window or turn around to know who it was. The cinnamon scent mixed with the scent of a demon told me it was Sebastian.

I ignored him at first, but the man's eyes shifted from me to Sebastian, so I turned around and looked at the familiar demon apathetically. He was staring at the man below with a blank expression; though I could see a hint of anger in his eyes. When I looked back out the window, the man was gone.

"I see you've evolved," Sebastian's voice broke the tense silence. I turned around and sat down, staring at him blankly. Now that I had changed, my nose was as tall as his chest while I was sitting. "Let me take care of your wounds."

I growled, but this time it was more feral; more demonic. He pulled a small medicine bottle out of his coat pocket. It was filled with a faintly glowing light blue liquid.

"Drink this," he commanded. I growled again, standing up. He sighed. "Don't make me force you." My response was another growl. He sighed again and walked towards me, opening the bottle. I don't know how but I reacted instinctively. My eyes started to glow and a fire exploded right where he was standing but he casually jumped out of the way. I growled again but he was instantly behind me, pulling my mouth open. As hard as I resisted, he was too strong and held my mouth open with one hand. I was happy that at least my teeth had broken his skin again and his blood was trickling into my mouth. It mixed with the medicine that he poured down my throat.

A warm, comforting feeling filled my body and I relaxed, almost falling over. It didn't last long though, for I had slipped into unconsciousness; but I was vaguely aware of my bones changing back to the form of a human.

Sebastian opening the curtains to the crisp morning woke me up. I opened my eyes slowly and squinted at the bright sunlight. My eyes soon adjusted to the light and I looked at Sebastian pouring tea.

"How do you feel?" he asked, stirring the tea.

"Strange…" I mumbled, taking the tea when he handed it to me.

"You had quite a night last night." I stared at him for a long moment and then lifted up the blanket, looking at my battered, bruised, and cut up body. I sighed, not wanting to take off the bandages. "The worst wounds had to be stitched. You've been asleep for about four days and it's time to remove the stitches and check on the wounds." He lifted up the blanket and I noticed his ungloved hands. His right hand had a deep bite mark on it. I grabbed his hand and looked at it. He watched me carefully as I brought my mouth closer to it.

"Did I do that?" I whispered, mostly to myself.

"Yes, you have plenty of bite to match your bark," he laughed. I frowned and then started to lick the wound. His blood tasted odd; I liked it, it tasted good, which scared me.

"Your blood tastes good…" I thought out loud then went back to licking it. After a while he pulled my face up with that hand and looked me in the eyes.

"Krystal, do you feel different?" I legitimately thought about that question.

"Yes…"

"What is different?" He asked, but I got the feeling that he already knew everything and was only trying to help me figure it out.

"I don't know…"

"What is at the bakery in town today?" he asked. "Can you smell it?"

I closed my eyes and focused; sniffing the air deeply and focusing in on the thing I wanted to smell. The scent of vanilla frosting, cake batter, and many other ingredients filled my nostrils.

"Blueberry cake with vanilla crème frosting and sprinkles. That's the special today. They are making a lot of little cakes." I said, opening my eyes and looking at him curiously. I felt like a small child who was just learning things.

"And what song is playing in Nakoto's restaurant right now?"

Again I closed my eyes and focused. I could hear the music that was playing. "Moonlight Dentutsu."

"Very good. Do you know why your senses are enhanced now?" I shook my head and frowned.

"Because your demon side has been awakened."

"My demon side? I have a demon side?"

"Yes. You were awakened last night."

"How?"

"Your father." I froze.

"Didn't he…die during the fire…?" I couldn't hide my shock.

"He resurrected."

"But…how would he have awakened me? He's not a demon…"

"That's where you're wrong," he said, putting a hand on my cheek. "Your father was not only a demon; he was the king of demons. When you were born, he locked your demon side so you could live a normal human life."

"That man….was…my…father….?" I could barely speak.

"Yes; the man you saw out your window last night was your father."

"He's alive," was all I was able to mutter before I started bawling. I couldn't tell if it was from happiness or sadness. I think it was from both.

Who knows how long had passed before I had stopped and Sebastian smiled softly at me.

"Let's take those stitches off, shall we?" he pulled the blanket off and reached to unwrap the bandage on my upper arm. I grabbed his hand and looked at him, scared.

"Please don't." I whispered.

"I have to." He said, pulling his hand away and reaching for the bandage again. I quickly pushed him away, tears forming in my eyes. I don't know why I was so scared, but I didn't want any more pain. He grabbed both my hands and pinned them above my head with one hand, melting his lips softly with mine. Pleasure overwhelmed me and I closed my eyes, kissing him back and taking in his cinnamon and vanilla taste. His other hand lightly traced down my cheek and then down my neck to my arm, sending shivers up my spine. He pulled away so I could breathe and I was painfully aware that he was unwrapping the bandage with his free hand. I tried to break free but his lips found mine again. They slowly moved to my cheek then kissing down my neck slowly till he hit my collarbone; kissing softly till he found my soft spot. The pleasure made it impossible to focus on anything else. After a while, he pulled away, smirking.

"There, all done. That wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked. I looked down and saw that all the wounds had been re-bandaged and I could feel the stitches had been removed in some of them. I frowned and played with my fingers. He smirked and put his pointer finger under my chin, pulling my face up to look at him. "Let's not have to do it the hard way next time, okay?" he smiled. I blushed and he chuckled softly.

"I'll bring up lunch when it's ready." He said, standing up. He bent down and kissed me softly, making me blush. Then he left.

Why did he kiss me again? Does he…like me? I closed my eyes and sighed. "No, he would never like me like that."

Not long after Sebastian left, Ciel walked in. He was limping and was leaning more on his cane than he usually did.

"Lord Ciel, you shouldn't be walking around in your condition!" I said, standing up, ignoring the pain, and taking a step towards him.

He raised his hand to stop me, "No, it's alright; you're in worse condition than I am." He limped over to me slowly and then pushed me back down onto the bed. "I'm relieving you of your duties until you are healthy."

"I'm fine, but you need to rest, we don't want your little friend to see you like this."

My little friend? Oh crap! Naomi! "How do you know about Naomi?" I asked, a little surprised.

He laughed, "It's only natural that I know who is staying in my mansion; whether I'm here or not."

"Did you know I was here?"

"Yes, I did."

"Ciel?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you let me live here?" A slight blush crept to his face, though he tried to hide it.

"I have my reasons." Was all he said before turning around to walk out. "Your friend will be back in a few days."

"Where was she?"

"Sebastian sent her to visit her cousins in America."

"Good, she needed to check in with them," I smiled. His lips curved up slightly and then he left. I sighed, "What am I going to do? This is all too much information at one time. Should I even let Naomi come back? Apparently this place is filled with dangerous demons…" I closed my eyes for a long moment and without thinking I changed back to the nine tailed demon thing that I was last night. I sighed audibly and opened the window. I might as well learn how to use the demon part of me…

I was looking out the open window, enjoying the breeze and testing out my newly enhanced senses, when I saw that man again. Sebastian said he was my father, but…how? He was walking along the river about a mile from the mansion.

"I have to talk to him," I said. I looked back at the door and closed my eyes, then turned back around and jumped out the window. I landed silently and easily on the soft grass. I ran, never taking my eyes off of the man. I made one mistake though; I didn't have anything to say…

Long before I got anywhere near him, he turned around and smirked, watching me approach. The closer I got, the slower I walked. I stopped about ten feet away from him. He took a few steps towards me. I don't know why I was scared, but I was. Maybe it was because I was scared he really was the king of demons and he really was my father. I'm not sure…

"It's been too long, Krystal." He smiled lovingly. "I missed you." I stayed frozen, unable to speak.

"I see you figured out how to change without my help," he smiled. I was finally able to find words.

"Who…are you…?" my voice shook.

"Aeron Fate, king of demons." He put a fist over his chest and bowed, then stood straight and smiled.

"F-father….?"

All he did was smile and say, "I'm back, love."

I stared at him wide eyed as tears began to form in my eyes, slowly pouring over one by one, wetting my fur. I couldn't fight it; I just started crying. I closed my eyes and fell to the ground, in human form, clenching my stomach.

Strong arms picked me up. I didn't bother opening my eyes, I didn't want to. The person who had picked me up sat down and leaned against a tree, sitting me in his lap and hugging me tightly. My eyes finally opened to look at whoever was holding me. It was my father.

Without my permission, my arms wrapped around his neck and I hugged him back. "I missed you." I whispered between sobs.

"I love you." Was all he said.

~~~~~~Sebastian's~~~~~~

"It's been too long, my king." I said, stopping to stand a few feet away from the demon king holding the sleeping Krystal.

"Ah, Sebastian. I see you've found my daughter again. You must really want her." Aeron smirked. "Of course, you'll never be able to have her. Now that I've come back, she will be my little girl forever." His voice was kind, but it held his threat.

"We'll see about that." I said apathetically.

"My dear Sebastian, why must you defy your king?" he sighed, "Of course, you've always been a bit troublesome." He looked down at Krystal and then back up at me. "I did notice that you made a contract with her, though. That will be a problem."

"Yes well why don't we let her decide who she'll want to be with? For now though, you are welcome to come to the mansion." I offered.

He smiled, "I would be honored." He stood up, Krystal in his arms, and followed me to the mansion. Ciel was walking down the stairs when he stopped to look at us.

"Aeron Fate, I never thought I'd see you back here again." Ciel commented.

"Yes, well you've grown quite a bit. I'm sorry to see that your parents were murdered." He said, bowing his head slightly.

Ciel shrugged, "What happens happens. There's nothing you can do about it. Will you be staying with us?"

"For the time being, yes. That is, if you don't mind."

"It would be a privilege to have the demon king resting in my house. Feel free to stay as long as you'd like. Sebastian, why don't you put Krystal in her room and come down for tea and we can discuss further." Ciel offered. I got down on one knees with my fist across my chest and bowed.

"Yes, master." I took Krystal from Aeron's arms. Aeron smiled kindly and handed her over without a disturbance, but the disdainful look in his eyes was clear.

I brought Krystal up to my room and placed her in my bed, tucking her in. I traced her cheek softly before leaving to go downstairs. I found Ciel and Aeron sitting in chairs, the tea already made.

"Take a seat," Ciel said to me. I nodded and sat down in a chair next to him.

"My dear Ciel, may I ask how long my daughter has been staying here?" Aeron asked after taking a sip of tea.

"She has been here a few months. I was away until a few weeks ago, though; Sebastian has watched over her till I returned."

Aeron glanced at me, a small smirk on his face. "I see. Has she caused any trouble?"

"None at all. She's actually been very helpful. Do you remember Naomi?"

"Ah, yes. Krystal used to be best friends with her. As I recall, she left the village to visit family not long before the massacre."

"Yes, well she has been staying here too. She should be back tomorrow or the day after."

"That will be an interesting encounter." He smiled.

"Master Ciel, it's getting late. It is time for you to go to bed." I said, standing up.

"Yes, yes. Aeron, feel free to choose any empty room." Ciel said, standing up and following me out. Once I was done preparing him for bed, I went to my room to find Krystal still sleeping. I took a bath, changed clothes, and climbed in bed beside her.

~~~~~~Krystal's~~~~~~

"Krystal, it's time to wake up. There is much to do today." Sebastian's voice spoke while opening the curtains.

I groaned, "Go away. I have a headache."

He chuckled, "No, you must wake up." He pulled off the blanket and I rolled over, trying to hide my face in my pillow. Unfortunately, he was his usual stubborn self, and pulled the pillow away too. I sighed.

"Alright, fine. What do I need to do today?" I sat up.

He was pouring tea as he spoke. "You need to get ready. Once ready, you need to prepare for Naomi's return. I would also like to request that you run to the store and pick up a few things."

I nodded, "Sounds like fun." There was a hint of sarcasm in my voice. I stood up and stretched. "What? No hug?" I asked, walking up to him and giving him a hug. It took him a moment before he wrapped his arms around me, but then I pulled away, smirking. He raised an eyebrow, but walked to the door.

"Wait," I said, grabbing his hand, "You can stay. I actually kind of want to talk to you."

"Oh?" he said, walking back and sitting on the bed. I went to my dresser and took out dark blue short shorts, a 7 Fatal Mistakes tank top, and knee high black and purple striped socks. I tossed them on the bed and walked into the bathroom leaving the door open.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" he asked as I filled the tub with hot water.

"First, close your eyes." I commanded. I waited until he closed his eyes before I undressed and climbed in the tub. "Okay, you can open them now." When he opened his eyes a faint blush crept to his face. It was barely noticeable. "What ever happened to my dad? Last thing I remember I was crying in his arms, and then I woke up in your bed."

"Your father had tea with Ciel and I and we discussed a few things."

"Like?"

"He is going to be living here for a while."

I stopped shampooing for a moment, "Really?"

"Yes."

"That's great! But…it's still strange to have seen him die and then…he just suddenly shows up again." I sighed and frowned, sinking lower into the tub.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, instantly standing next to the tub. Thankfully, there were bubbles and he couldn't see anything.

"It's just a lot to take in at one time. I mean, I just found out I reacted to this mysterious person's blood, then I find out that that person is my father, and then my father, who was murdered right in front of me, magically shows up. It's just…hard. Plus Claude and Alois giving me trouble…" I sighed again. Sebastian touched my cheek.

"It'll be alright. I'll always be here to protect you," He said softly. I couldn't stop the blush from creeping to my cheeks.

"Uh...Thanks. I'm done now, so you can leave if you want." I said awkwardly. He smiled crookedly and left my room. I climbed out of the tub and dried off with a clean, soft towel. It didn't take long to get dressed and throw on some make-up.

I trotted out of my room and down the stairs to find Sebastian cooking in the kitchen. "So, what should I do first?" I asked, eagerly walking to his side.

He smiled and handed me a grocery list, "Could you please go into town and pick these things up? I will give you the money, and a carriage is prepared." I nodded and he pulled out his wallet, handing me $75.

"I should be back soon." I hugged him quickly and then ran out the door.

~~~~~~Sebastian~~~~~~

Krystal seemed eager when she left to go shopping. I went back to cooking for Naomi's return. A smirk played on my lips when Aeron in. He leaned against the door and stared at me.

"You sent her out alone?" he asked, his voice dark.

"Yes, she will be fine. It's merely a trip to the grocery store."

He walked closer to me and scowled. "If anything happens to her, you will be punished." He said, venom dripping in his words. I smirked.

"I assure you nothing will happen to her."

"You'd better make damn sure of that." He growled and then walked away.

~~~~~~Krystal~~~~~~ It didn't take long at all for the carriage to stop on the corner of the street. I quickly hopped out and looked at the list Sebastian gave me. It was mostly grocery items, but there were a few other random little things. Things like white candles, a few pastries, and some Earl Grey tea. "Let's start with the candles." I said to myself. There was a small Shoppe just half a block away. I put the list back in my pocket and started walking. I didn't like being so close to people, so I tried to stay off to the side as everyone walked by. I was relieved when I walked into the un-crowded little store. "Hello, may I help you?" I boy who looked about 14 with brown hair asked me. "Yes, can you tell me where to get white candles?" I smiled politely. The boy nodded. "Right this way, miss." He led me to the side of the store. The shelves held an array of candles. There was purple, pink, white, red, blue, and green. Some were scented rose, peach, mango, ocean breeze. I smiled and grabbed a few white candles. "Is that all?" "Yes, I'm ready to check out." He led me to the counter and I paid him. "Thank you very much!" I smiled and walked out. The next thing on the list was the pastries. "I'll go to Nakoto Bakery." I was happy to be able to get out of the house and walk around. As much as I hated being away from Sebastian, I had to admit that being alone for a while to just walk around was an amazing feeling. The sky was clear blue with puffy, cotton like clouds. The sun raised high in the sky, warming the earth while the slight breeze cooled it to be the perfect temperature. It seemed like no time had passed at all until Nakoto café was right in front of me. I walked in and looked at the pastries he wanted me to get. I told the woman what I wanted and she packed them up in a box and handed it to me. It looked like there was one for everyone. I shrugged and handed the woman the money. "Thank you. Have a good day," she smiled as I walked out. I looked at the list of groceries and sighed, "I should drop this off at the carriage before I go to the market…" I walked back to the carriage and placed the bag of candles and pastries on the seat. "Now to the market." I said, walking to where the market was. It was a few blocks away, but not too far. But, of course, something had to go wrong. About three blocks from the market, a few men were blocking the way. There was about five. Two had brown hair, one had blonde hair, and the other two had black hair. They all looked to be about 19. A few of them whistled. The blonde on took a step forward. "Hey beautiful, how about some fun?" he smirked. It was clear what he had in mind. His eyes weren't on my face and he was getting uncomfortably close. "I'm fine, thanks." I tried to step around him, but he but his arm around my waist, stopping me and pulling me to him. "Aw come on, I can show you what a man is really like." His friends were now starting to form a circle around us. "I said I'm fine." This time, I was more assertive and I tried to get away again, but he yanked me closer again. This time though, one of his hands was under my shirt on my stomach and the other was squeezing my butt. I elbowed him in the stomach, making him let me go and clench it. I took my chance and tried to run away, but his friends stopped me. Now I was starting to get a little scared. The blonde man scowled and walked angrily toward me. "Come here, bi*ch!" he spat, slapping me across the face so hard that I fell to the ground, tearing up. The whole right side of my face was cherry red. They all laughed. The blonde one walked towards me and knelt down. "Let's not do this the hard way, though that does make it more interesting." He said. "That will be quite enough." A man's voice said. It was familiar, but it wasn't Sebastian's. "Yeah? Who the hell are you?" The man ignored the question and I heard a smack. "Leave now, or find out what it's like to be in a hospital." I could tell they all ran away by the sound of their footsteps. The man picked me up, but I close my eyes. I could tell we were moving and he was walking because of the small breeze. Finally I opened my eyes and who I saw terrified me. "Claude? Wh-What do you want?" I asked, my voice getting high. "I want nothing. You were being harassed and I stepped in." "Why did you help me? Don't you want to kill me or something?" "I have no orders from Alois to do anything." Was his simple reply. "Oh..well…thanks…." I looked away. He was silent so I looked up at him, "Uh…can you put me down now please?" He stopped walking and set me down. "That's going to turn into quite the bruise." He commented. I sighed. "Yeah I know…" I looked at the clock tower. "Shit, I still need to go to the market…" "I'll accompany you." I stopped and stared at him, "R-really? You don't have to…I'm sure you have things to do." He nodded and so I slowly started to walk towards the market again. It didn't take very long to get there, considering it was only about three blocks away. With Claude there, I couldn't help but be slightly paranoid and fearful, even if he was just there to help. When I had gotten everything I needed, I went to go pay. I ended up having just enough. "Sebastian must know what everything costs," I said to myself. I looked at all the bags and frowned, "There's no way I'm going to be able to carry all of these bags…" I sighed, totally have forgotten Claude was there. I jumped when he reached down and picked up all the bags with ease. "Thanks…" I muttered. He walked me back to the carriage and put everything inside, but when he turned to walk away, I grabbed his sleeve. "Claude, why did you help me? Don't you always stay by Alois' side?" Claude smirked, "I'll see you later…Princess…" and he walked away. I froze. He…Knows who I am? I mentally shook myself and climbed into the carriage and we headed back to the Phantomhive mansion.

The carriage slowed to a stop in front of the mansion doors. Aeron was leaning against the door; his arms crossed, his eyes close, and one ankle crossed over the other. I opened the door and climbed out of the carriage and he walked towards me.

“Good morning, Krystal,” he smiled.

“It’s hardly morning, more like afternoon.” I grinned. He looked inside the carriage and then at me.

“Do you need some help carrying things in?”

I smiled sheepishly, “Yeah…” he chuckled and reached in. grabbing everything and waiting for me to go on ahead. I went to the door and opened it for him, then walked inside.

“I assume we should just take this to the kitchen.” I guessed. He nodded and we went into the kitchen, where Bardroy was burning something. As usual… I sighed, “Bardroy, why don’t you go take a break.” I said as my father set down the bags.

He frowned, “But I need to finish this!”

“Here, I’ll take over for you, and you can take these to Sebastian.” I said, handing him the bag of candles. He hesitated, but then smiled, “Alright.” He took the bag from my hand and almost ran out of the room. I sighed, “Thank goodness. Let’s see if I can fix this before its too late…”

“Krystal, I will be in my room if you need me,” said my father. I nodded, only half paying attention to him as he walked out of the room. I couldn’t help but stare at the mess.

“How can he be such a bad cook?” I muttered, cleaning up some of it and then trying to figure out what he was trying to make. “It looks like he was making filet mignon. At least trying too…” I sighed, “Alright, let’s test out my cooking skills…”

I threw all of the burnt food away and got out fresh ingredients. First I made a simple salad. I knew it wouldn’t take long, that’s why I made it first and immediately put it in the fridge. I looked at the meat and mushrooms and cheeses and other ingredients and realized something. This was probably going to be as bad as Bardroy…

I grabbed a knife and laid out all the mushrooms. “This seems easiest.” I said, beginning to cut the mushrooms. They were turning out worse than I had expected; the slices weren’t even.

A sigh escaped my lips, “I have no idea how to make this…” White gloved hands placed themselves over mine. My eyes widened and I almost jumped.

“Allow me to help you then,” my favorite voice said, guiding my hands. I could feel his breath on my hair, and it made me shiver slightly. “Thank you for running those errands.” He said. I just nodded, not being able to speak from his closeness. When the mushrooms were cut, he stepped away and smiled, “There.”

“Thanks…” His eyes were on my cheek.

“What happened?” he asked, touching it gently.

I flinched, “Ow!” he removed his hand, and looked at me with worry.

“Help me finish cooking,” he said, handing me a pan with the meat and a sauce in it. I nodded and followed his directions on how to do things. Before long, everything was cooking.

“Go sit down,” he commanded. I did as I was told and sat in one of the chairs. He took a clean wash cloth and got it wet with cold water then came and knelt in front of me. He carefully dabbed the right side of my face with it. Each time he touched me, I flinched a little bit.

“Krystal, what happened?” he asked softly. I was silent, staring at the ground. He put his pointer finger under my chin and pulled my face up to look him in the eyes, temporarily leaving my bruise alone. “You can tell me,” his voice was soft; encouraging. I gazed at him for a long moment and then sighed, closing my eyes.

“I got slapped by a man. But…they ran away.” I didn’t say anything about Claude because I knew Sebastian would get pissed. He nodded.

“Why didn’t you call me?” he asked.

“Because…someone helped me...” I couldn’t look him in the eyes.

“Who?” he demanded. Again I was silent, so he frowned. “Krystal, who helped you?”

“Claude…” I said quietly.

“I see,” was all he said. He went back to dabbing my cheek. We sat in silence for a while until he stood up and put the washcloth back. He leaned down and kissed my bruised cheek softly. His lips lingered for a few moments and then he stood up straight and left. I sighed.

“I wonder if he’s mad at me…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~Sebastian~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was walking up to the young master’s room when Aeron called out to me. “Sebastian, why don’t you come in here; I would like to speak with you.” I raised an eyebrow but walked into his room. He closed the door so no one would hear our conversation. I stared at him expectantly.

“Have you seen Krystal’s face?” He glared.

“Straight to the point, I see. Yes, I have. I’ve tended to it.”

“Which could have easily been avoided if you went with her. You know very damn well that she is a princess, you should have been protecting her.”

“Now, now, no need to be so protective. She same back with only a bruise. Besides, I can only help her if I’m with her or she calls me.” I said. He growled and clawed my face. Three long gashes ran from the bottom of my eye to my chin. Blood flowed down my face. I sighed.

“Now I have to change clothes. How disappointing…”

Aeron growled, “Watch yourself, dog!”

I laughed and then smiled, “Naomi will be arriving shortly. Please be prepared for 20 questions.” I said then bowed and walked out.

I walked down the hall to my room and went into the bathroom. I took off my shirt, tie, vest, and jacket and tossed them on the bed. My left shoulder was soaked in blood and I sighed, wiping it off with a towel. After I had the blood cleaned up, I got some clean bandages from the closet and bandaged the wounds. Just then the doorbell rang.

~~~~~~~~~~~~Krystal~~~~~~~~~~~~

Me, Ciel, and my father were sitting in the living room when the doorbell rang. I stood up to go answer it, but Ciel raised his hand to stop me.

“Sebastian will get it,” he said.

My father laughed, “Being reduced to a submissive servant simply for a soul. It’s pathetic.”

“Don’t talk about him like that!” I snapped, but immediately turned red and sat down. He raised his eyebrow and stared at me. He was about to say something when Naomi came running in, followed by Sebastian.

Naomi grinned and jumped into my lap, giving me a bear hug. I laughed, “Welcome back!”

“I have so much to tell you!” she said excitedly.

“Hello, Naomi.” Aeron smiled politely at her. She turned and looked at him questioningly, but then her eyes went wide.

“A-Aeron?” she stuttered. He nodded and smiled. “Didn’t you die during the fire? Krystal told me about it.” I looked at my father, anxiously awaiting his response.

“No, I was able to make it out alive. But the three of us are the only survivors.”

Naomi nodded. Sebastian came back into the room, “Shall we move into the dining room? Dinner is ready.”

Me and Naomi were the first to stand up and follow Sebastian. Ciel and Aeron followed after.

“Ah, this place is just as beautiful as I remember it!” Naomi smiled and did a little twirl. I laughed and sat down in one of the chairs. As expected, Naomi sat next to me. Ciel and Aeron sat down while Sebastian went into the kitchen to bring out the food.

As Sebastian was setting down everyone’s plate, Naomi was looking at Ciel. “I don’t believe I’ve met you. I’m Naomi Shimasawa,” she smiled.

Ciel nodded in acknowledgment. “I’m Ciel Phantomhive.”

“Ciel Phantomhive? So...you’re the master of this mansion?”

“Yes.”

“I see.” She smiled, looking at her plate. “This looks delicious!” she grinned, digging in. I did the same, but Ciel and Aeron were much more sophisticated. Once dinner was done and Sebastian had collected the plates and brought out dessert, Naomi turned to me.

“Guess what?” she asked eagerly.

“What?”

“I met a guy!” she squealed and I joined in.

“What’s his name? Is he cute? What’s he like?” I asked, grabbing her hands. I was barely aware of Sebastian watching us curiously, a slight smile playing on his lips. Aeron and Ciel were talking amongst themselves.

She giggled, “His name is Kiyoshi Minori. He is SO hot! And he’s amazing and nice and really sweet and I think I’m in love!” while she spoke, she blushed. “But the best part is that he asked me to travel the world with him!”

My eyes got wide, and I grinned, hugging her tightly, “That’s great! Are you going to?”

“Well, I told him I would think about it. He knows about you and he understands that I need to talk to you about it first. So…should I go?”

“Are you asking my permission?” I raised my eyebrow. She only looked at me, eagerly. I smiled, “As much as I don’t want you to be far away, I want you to experience wonderful new things and places. Yes, you should go. Make sure to have fun, but be sure to keep in contact with me.” I said.

“Of course! Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I love you Krystal!” she shouted. Sebastian left the room to go do clean up the kitchen. Naomi stood up and grabbed my hand, pulling me up with her. “Ciel, Aeron, me and Krystal are going to be upstairs in her room.” She said, not giving them a chance to respond because she dragged me out of the room. As we walked past the kitchen where Sebastian was doing the dishes, she slowed down a little bit.

“I can’t wait to hear about you and your man.” She giggled.

“I don’t have a man.” I looked at her, confused.

“Oh please, it’s obviously Sebastian.”

My cheeks began to flush. “There is nothing between me and Sebastian!” I said defensively. Naomi laughed and dragged me upstairs to my room, closing the door behind her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~Sebastian~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was just finishing the dishes when I heard Naomi and Krystal talking in the hallway.

“I can’t wait to hear about you and your man.” Naomi giggled.

“I don’t have a man.”

“Oh please, it’s obviously Sebastian.”

“There is nothing between me and Sebastian!” Krystal said defensively.

“Oh? It seems I am a subject of conversation.” I smirked and followed them to the room and stood beside the door, eavesdropping.

~~~~~~~~~~~~Krystal~~~~~~~~~~~~

Naomi and I sat down on the bed and she immediately started asking questions.

“So, what’s the deal with you and the sexy butler?”

“There is no deal between us. He’s just the butler and I’m just a guest in Ciel’s house. That’s all.”

“Oh come on, I know you like him. It’s obvious.”

“Why do you think I like him?”

“Well, you are always glancing at him, whenever he compliments you or touches you, you blush. Even when he’s close to you, your mood changes.”

I sighed, “Well, what if I did like him? It wouldn’t matter. He would never feel the same way about me…”

She frowned, “Why do you say that?”

“Well, he’s attractive, charming, all the girls and guys love him, he holds Ciel higher than anyone else, and he’s a man; I’m just a teenager. He would never go for me. I’m not special like him.”

Naomi smiled softly and gave me a hug. “How does your face feel?”

“You noticed?”

She laughed, “How could I not? The whole right side of your face is covered in a bruise.” I sighed.

“Yeah. It hurts, but it will heal soon enough.” I pulled away and stood up, “I’m going to go take a shower and head to bed.” She nodded and I opened the door and skipped out. Only a few steps out of the room, I bumped into something hard, knocking me down. I closed my eyes, preparing for the impact of the fall; but I never hit the ground. Someone had caught me and wrapped me in their arms. I opened my eyes to see that it was Sebastian. I instantly turned red, blushing.

“S-Sebastian. I’m sorry!”

He smiled, “It’s quite alright. You are special.” For a moment I looked confused, but then a thought popped into my head.

“H-how l-long have you been standing there?”

He smiled softly, “Long enough.”

“Great…” I muttered, turning redder. I glanced up at him and noticed the bandages on his cheek. “What happened?” I asked, touching them softly. He grabbed my hand gently and pulled it away from the bandages, placing it on his chest and holding it there. I blushed even more.

“Krystal, I would like to talk to you tonight. Please wait for me in my room.”

I nodded, unable to speak. He smiled and kissed my lips lightly. “I will be there soon. I just have to put Ciel to bed.” After he said that, he walked away so I went to his room and closed the door, sitting on the bed and waiting for him to return.

The night was clear and crisp; perfect for a night out. I opened the window and stared out into the night. The stars were sparkling and there were no clouds. The only sound was the occasional breeze. The scent of roses was potent. I smiled and took a deep breath.

“It would be wonderful to be out on a night like tonight,” I said to myself.

“Than why don’t we go out?” said a voice from behind me. I nearly jumped out of the window from surprise. I turned around to see Sebastian standing only a few inches behind me.

“Don’t do that!” I frowned, my heart still racing. He chuckled.

“Shall we go out to the garden, milady?” he bowed slightly. I hesitated, but then sighed.

“You’re lucky it’s such a beautiful night out.” I smiled. He picked me up and then jumped out the window, landing easily and quietly on his feet. “Show off…” I muttered, which got a laugh out of him as he set me down.

I immediately stretched and did a little twirl. “Nyah! It’s feels so good to be outside!” I grinned at him. He smiled and grabbed my hand which made me blush.

He led me back into the garden, which was filled with beautiful flowers; mostly white roses. There was a small pond towards the back of the garden, which is where he led me.

“Isn’t their something you wanted to talk to me about?” I glanced at him. He smiled and pulled me to a bench, sitting me in his lap. I blushed, looking at the ground. I tried to stand up but he laced an arm around my waist, holding me there.

“How does your cheek feel?” he asked.

“It hurts, but it’s a bruise; it’s bound to hurt.” I laughed shyly and looked at his cheek. “What happened to your cheek?”

“I had a disagreement with your father,” was all he said. I frowned and touched the bandages gently.

“Did he really do that?”

“Yes.” I frowned again and wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him. “I’m sorry he did that to you. He has no right to hurt you.” I said softly. He wrapped his arms around me.

“It’s perfectly alright. He just has a temper.”

I sighed, “I don’t know how you two know each other or why you were fighting, but please don’t argue anymore…” I could feel his arms tighten around me.

“Sebastian?” I asked hesitantly.

“Yes?”

“Did…did you really hear mine and Naomi’s conversation earlier?”

There was a pause before he smiled, “Yes. I did.”

I sighed and closed my eyes. “Great…” I muttered. His hand touched my cheek.

“Why do you ask?”

“Because now you know how I feel about you…”

“Is that such a bad thing?” his thumb was caressing my cheek softly.

“Well, you don’t feel the same way about me…”

He smiled softly, “Don’t jump to such conclusions.” His lips suddenly found mine. My eyes widened for a moment, but I closed them and kissed him back. He tasted of cinnamon with just a hint of vanilla. When he pulled away and started kissing down my neck, I tangled my hands in his raven black hair.

“Does this mean you do like me?” I asked. He smirked and bit and sucked my neck playfully, giving me a hickey. He kissed his way back up and bit my lip, asking for entrance. I happily let him in. Our tongues fought for dominance and we explored each others mouths.

“Sebastian!” Ciel’s voice said. Sebastian suddenly pulled away, looking back towards the mansion. He sighed and stood up.

“I apologize, but the young master needs my help.” He started running back to the mansion. I took off after him, not far behind thanks to my newly enhanced speed. We ran up to Ciel’s room, where Sebastian froze from surprise.

“Eriko?” I followed his gaze to a girl with mid back length black hair with sapphire highlights. Her violet eyes stared into Sebastian’s red ones. She was holding a sword to Ciel as she held him down.

“Sebastian, it’s nice to finally see you again,” she said. “Don’t worry this will all be over soon.” Her smile was sinister as she brought her sword back to bring it down and kill Ciel. Right when she was about to hit him, Sebastian was between them, holding the sword between his hands.

“I can’t let you do that, Eriko.” Apathy coated his voice.

“Get out of the way Sebastian! I must kill him!” she shouted.

“No.” Sebastian pushed her away, pushing Ciel in my direction.

Eriko scowled, “He took you away from me! He’ll die for that!” She lunged for Ciel again, but I stepped in front of Ciel, getting cut badly on my shoulder. “Why is it always me that gets hurt?” I muttered. I noticed Sebastian’s eyes start to glow faintly when he saw me get cut.

“Enough, Eriko,” he commanded.

“No!” she lunged again at Ciel, who was behind me. Instinctively, my eyes glowed and I stared at her. A huge flame burst up from the ground, burning her a little bit. She screamed and jumped back only to lunge again but was stopped by silver knives pinning her to the ground.

“Chain her, Sebastian.” Ciel ordered. Sebastian bowed and walked away. When he came back, he had chains. He chained Eriko’s hands and ankles, but gave her enough leeway to move and removed the knives.

“Sebastian, how could you listen to that bastard?” she asked in disbelief.

Ciel grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the door. “Sebastian, prepare tea and we can discuss this. Come, Krystal; we will wait in the living room for them.” He pulled me out the door and down the stairs to the living room. Once we were sitting down, he turned to me and frowned.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“Huh?”

“Your shoulder…”

“Oh, right,” I touched my wound gently. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. I went through worse on that night, so this is nothing…” he gazed at me for a long moment and then nodded.

A few silent, awkward minutes passed and Sebastian walked in with Eriko and tea. Eriko sat down in a chair across from me, but still away from Ciel. Sebastian poured the tea and handed everyone a cup then sat down next to Ciel.

“Eriko, why did you come here?” Sebastian asked, crossing his legs. She stared at him.

“I came to take you back,” was her simple reply.

“Take him back where? Who are you, exactly?” I couldn’t help but ask. She glared at me.

“Sebastian is my brother and I came to take him back home.” I stared wide eyed at her.

“You’re…Sebastian, you have a sister?”

“Yes, she is my younger sister Eriko Chandra.”