Black Knight, White Pawn Ch 20

Chapter Twenty - The End, For Now

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dinner was over.  After dinner tea was also finished, though everyone was reluctant to leave the drawing room, yet not willing to say what was on their minds.

Ciel idly played with the handle of his cane.  He refused to look up, not knowing what to say.  It felt rather sad, knowing another fun game had come to an end, one that hadn't played quite the way he'd thought it would, but one that had been meaningful and entertaining despite that.  He wasn't about to admit it, but he was going to miss the strange pair who sat across from him.

Kyo sat with his legs crossed, arms folded, a slight scowl on his face.  He was ready to be gone, or so he told himself.  But it was kind of nice being treated like someone important, though he did miss his contests with his cousins.  However, there were some things he wasn't looking forward to going back to back home.

Tohru looked down at her hands, folded neatly in her lap.  She was wearing one of Nina's creations, a light yellow dress with a lot of frills.  She didn't often get to wear stuff like it, and though she usually kept things simple, it had been nice, in a way, to have some dress up clothes.  She was going to miss Sebastian, Mey-Rin, Ciel, and Lizzy, but she was trying to be brave.  There were a lot of things to talk to Kyo about first.

Lau and Ran Mao sat at ease; the younger girl curled up next to the Chinese man.  He smiled, his eyes closed as usual.  "Ah, but what a gloomy feeling, don't you agree, Earl?"

Ciel sighed.  It reminded him of that stormy night that had started it all, except this time there was no rain and the time travelers were already there.  "I suppose," he agreed.

Sebastian stood by the hearth as if waiting.  He glanced around the room, making sure no one needed anything.  "Perhaps it would not be a bad idea to liven the evening," he suggested.  "Goodbyes can wait until the morrow.  Why leave on a sour note?"  He smiled.

Tohru looked up and slowly smiled as the idea took hold.  "Oh!  You're right, Mr. Sebastian!  It's not good to be too gloomy!  And we have had a wonderful time even after everything, haven't we, Kyo?"  She turned to her companion.

Kyo looked up from his thoughts in surprise.  "Wha?  Oh, yeah.  It was fun."  Of course, rescuing Tohru from a demon that wanted to eat her hadn't been fun, but if she chose to forget that part, he guessed it was her right.

Ciel just shook his head.  It had definitely been an interesting past week, and not overly boring.  He supposed he could call it entertaining.  "What did you have in mind?"

Sebastian brought out Ciel's violin.  "Perhaps some music?"

Tohru clapped her hands. "That would be amazing!  Please play, Ciel!"

Ciel glanced at the violin with a bit of a scowl.  He didn't like playing in public, and though the group was small, it was still public enough.  "You must be joking."

Sebastian smiled somewhat mischievously as he handed the case to the earl.  "I only thought that since Miss Tohru enjoyed your playing so much the other day, that you might care to grace her with the privilege of hearing you play one last time before she has to leave."

The boy felt a lot of eyes on his as he fingered the case.  "I wouldn't even know what to play," he said in a disinterested voice, though he was caving slightly.

The butler moved a music stand with some sheet music already placed on it into view. "I took the liberty of choosing a piece earlier," he confessed as he indicated the music.

Ciel gave him an exasperated look, but when he saw Tohru's expression, he stopped.  It reminded him of Lizzy, for some reason.  He blinked.  "Very well," he sighed as he stood and place the case in his vacated seat to open it.

Tohru's eyes lit up.  "This should be amazing!"  She turned to Kyo.  "He's almost as good as Momiji!  Just wait until you hear it!"

Lau was smiling as he observed through half closed eyes.  He hadn't heard the earl play before and was decidedly curious.

The door to the room opened slightly and three pairs of noses pressed into the crack, one right above the other as Finni, Mey-Rin, and Bard peaked in.  Behind them, Tanaka stood quietly, drinking his green tea.  He was smaller than usual, having shrunken.  The others would have said he'd lost his steam.

Ciel tuned his violin.  It had been a few days since he'd last played, then he looked at the music Sebastian had chosen.  His eyes went wide.  Ode to Joy?  Was Sebastian trying to be funny?  He grit his teeth, then smoothed his expression.  

Sebastian moved over to the door and opened it, causing the three servants to fall on top of each other.  He smiled knowingly at them. "If you care to join that badly, you might as well come in all the way," he admonished them.

They each gave a rueful smile as they untangled themselves and entered the room.  Behind them, Tanaka just smiled.  "Ho.  Ho. Ho."

Ciel closed his eyes as he held the instrument, then opened them and looked down at the music.  His bow moved across the strings and the sweet music of Beethoven began to fill the air.

The rest of the evening was spent with Ciel playing, Tohru trying to play, and Sebastian taking over so that there could be some light dancing.  Kyo, of course, refused to dance, but Tohru danced with Lau and Ciel.  The servants danced among themselves, taking turns partnering with Mey-Rin or dancing alone.

Time passed quickly and soon Sebastian had to remind the earl that it was time to sleep.  He excused himself and the young master, leaving the others to decide on their own bedtime.  Lau decided to go to the billiards room.  Ran Mao followed him.  Tohru and Kyo went upstairs.

~~~~~~~~

Ciel sighed as he walked beside his butler.  "I do wish you hadn't put me in that situation, Sebastian," he said a bit crossly, though he'd been pleased with the way things had turned out.

Sebastian opened the door to the boy's sitting room. "I rather thought it a success, young master," he contradicted.  "The time passed freely and the events of tomorrow were at least momentarily forgotten.  It also gave the servants a chance to be carefree after such a long and trying week.  I saw no harm in the matter."

Ciel shook his head slightly as they entered his actual bedroom and Sebastian began to help him undress.  "Be that as it may, you know I don't like performing in public.  Don't make me do it again."

Sebastian placed the boy's nightshirt over his shoulders and began buttoning it.  "Of course, young master.  If it is what you desire."

"It's an order," Ciel confirmed.

Sebastian stepped back after finishing the last button.  "Yes, my lord."  He turned the covers back for the earl.  He was silent as he worked, then looked up with a blank expression.  "Do you have any specific plans for tomorrow, or instructions, rather?"

Ciel climbed into bed and turned to one side.  "I don't want to think about it just yet.  Let it wait until the morning."

The butler tucked in the corners of the blankets and turned to retrieve his candelabra.  "Very good.  I will, however, remind the young master that the area of the tear is quite a walk into the woods.  Should I have horses prepared for tomorrow?"

Ciel grumbled.  "And have several to take back rider-less?  No.  We'll walk."  He stubbornly folded his arms and pretended to sleep.

Sebastian smiled wryly as he blew out the candles and made sure the other lights were out.  "Good night, young master."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kyo and Tohru met in Kyo's room by mutual agreement.  Even though it was getting late, Tohru had a few things she wanted to talk about and didn't feel like they could wait.

She sat on one of the chairs while Kyo sat on the edge of the bed. "Kyo," she looked up at him.  "We've got a few things to decide.  I don't really understand everything that's happened or how we managed to go back in time, but I guess it's true.  So, what are we going to do?"

Kyo folded his arms in thought.  She was right.  There were a lot of things to decide.  Should they tell the others about what had happened when they got back?  How would they explain things like his slight limp?  They had to have their stories straight or something bad might happen.

Tohru idly played with the armrest as she waited for Kyo to sort things out.  "Should we tell them what happened?  Do you think they'd believe us if we did?"

The last question grabbed his attention and he looked up.  "Who'd believe em if we did tell em?  We'd better just stay quiet about it.  We don't need Shigure and Hatori thinking we're nut jobs.  And we really don't need Yuki making fun of us." He was thinking more of what Yuki would do to him, but it still applied.

Tohru looked down at the ruffled on her skirt.  "You're probably right.  But what about the other things?  Wouldn't it be bad if everyone hear told about us after we left?"

Kyo snorted.  "Who would believe em?" But then they had dealt with demons, so it was possible. "We can always make sure they promise or something."  After they were gone, it probably wouldn't matter much either way, but she did have a point.

There were a lot of other questions on her mind but she was getting tired.  Perhaps they could wait, she thought as she yawned.

"Hey," Kyo looked up. "Go to bed.  We can talk about it later.  I mean, it's always possible that this tear will be closed and we won't have to worry about it.  Or it could send us to another time or place.  Who knows what will happen?  But I think it can wait until tomorrow."

She wished he hadn't mentioned those possibilities, but agreed that it was probably better to sleep while she could.  "Good night," she called as she left his room and stumbled to her own.  The possibilities swirled in her mind all night long so that she didn't get much sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ciel groaned as the curtains were opened, bringing in the early morning light.  He covered his eyes with one hand, blinking.  "Sebastian, it's too early," he complained as he rolled over.

The butler smiled in amusement.  "Has the young master forgotten what today is?"

Ciel pulled the covers over his head.  "I don't care and I don't want to know.  Now let me go back to sleep!"

Sebastian sighed.  He knew Ciel wouldn't like it, but it had to be done.  He took firm hold of the bedding and pulled, exposing the young earl to the somewhat cooler air of the room.

Ciel stubbornly hid his face in his pillow.  "I'm not getting up," he said, somewhat muffled by the fluffy encased feathers beneath him.

Sebastian rolled his eyes.  "Young master, have you forgotten that today is the day your guests will be leaving us?  It would not do to be the last of the party assembled for this expedition.  And I thought you were eager to see this unusual phenomenon.  But, if you would rather sleep…."

Ciel grumbled but rolled over and sat up.  "Very well, since you put it that way."  He slid to the side of his bed and held out his arms so that his butler could help him dress for the day, though he'd rather have stayed in bed and avoided the whole ordeal.  He rather felt that once they were gone, things would become more boring than usual, and he definitely did not like that idea.

It didn't take too long for Sebastian to have his master ready for the day, and the young boy soon had a cup of tea in hand, along with the morning paper.  He sighed as he sipped the brew, inclined to feel more gloomy than usual, and definitely not looking forward to today's events.  "What time were we to leave," he inquired.

Sebastian checked his timepiece.  He'd kept watch on the temporal tear most of the night, trying to judge how long it would remain somewhat stable.  "I would advise not waiting any longer than eleven to reach our intended location.  As such, I will be packing a light picnic that may be enjoyed before we return to the manor.  This, of course, means that we must leave within the next two hours, at the latest if we are to reach our destination in time.  Beyond that, I cannot guarantee any success in their returning to their original time and place."

He did not mention that he couldn't guarantee it at all, but he supposed that went without saying as he finished tidying up the bedroom.  "Breakfast is already prepared and will grow cold if you wait too long to come down," he added as he swept out of the room.

Ciel sighed.  Well, it didn't leave much time.  He just hoped that Kyo and Tohru were already up and about.  He didn't want to have to wait for them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kyo groaned.  He hadn't slept as well as he'd have liked, but at least he hadn't been up all night, which was a plus.  He slid out from under the covers and found his school uniform neatly folded on a chair, waiting for him.  It almost felt weird to put them on, but relaxing and nice at the same time.  There were no fancy frills and buttons, and he didn't need to worry about whether or not the collar was too tight or not.

Having dressed himself, and idly wondering why Tanaka or Finni hadn't been there to help out, he made his way into the hallway where he ran into Tohru, also dressed in her school uniform.  "Hey," he greeted.

Tohru yawned.  "Good morning, Kyo," she smiled, though there were circles under her eyes.  She looked like she hadn't slept much.  She self-consciously smoothed her short skirt, almost missing the longer length of the skirts Miss Nina had made for her.  She sort of wished she could take them with her but knew it would raise too many questions that neither wanted to answer.

Kyo paused, not exactly sure how to proceed.  "So, I guess today's the day."  He felt a little unsteady on his feet without the cane.  He was tempted to go back into his room and grab it from its perch, leaning next to the dresser.

Tohru looked down at her shoes.  "I suppose so.  I'm going to miss it here, though," she admitted.  "It's been nice."

Kyo chuckled slightly.  "Yeah."  He edged a bit uncomfortably.  "Um, maybe we should go down and have some breakfast.  I think we're not going to be sticking around the house much longer and you need to keep up your strength."

Tohru looked up with a smile.  "You too, Kyo.  Don't you think you should use that cane still though?"

Kyo waved it off.  "Nah.  It'd only get in the way.  I'm good without it."

"If you're sure," Tohru paused, wondering.  Well, he did know his limitations, she supposed so she shrugged it off.  "We'd better go down before they send someone looking for us."

Kyo snorted.  "That's the last thing we need."  He took her hand in his and walked with her down the hall and stairs to the dining room.

~~~~~~~

Lau was probably the only one smiling at the breakfast table.  He grinned behind half closed eyes as he ate Sebastian's delicious cooking, thoroughly enjoying himself while Ran Mao sat as close to him as physically possible.  "Your hospitality is exceptional, as always," he complimented.

"Thank you," Ciel said as he patted his lips with his napkin.

Sebastian glanced around the table to make sure everyone had what they needed to enjoy the meal, mindful of the passing time.  He would remind the young master if it became necessary, knowing he was dragging his feet.

The sound of utensils clacking against stoneware filled the silence as everyone ate, though Lau and Ran Mau seemed to be the only ones with any sense of an appetite.  After pretending to eat for about five minutes, Ciel threw his napkin down.  "Enough of this.  If we are all to be this gloomy, we might as well leave now and be on our way."

Lau laughed lightly.  "I didn't think I was being gloomy, but if you insist, I won't complain."

Ciel rolled his eyes.  "You're not the only person here," he reminded.  "I wasn't just referring to you.  But no one is really eating and we're all dancing around like shadows.  We all know today is going to be a hard day and going on in this stupid manner is only going to make it harder."

Sebastian smiled.  It was about time the young master showed a little more fire.  "Does the young master still wish to forgo the use of horses?"

Ciel glared at him.  "We've been through this already, Sebastian.  Don't ask again."

The butler bowed slightly.  "Very well.  I will not ask again.  Would anyone care for more tea?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Less than half an hour later, everyone was assembled in the front hall, ready to head out.  Finni, Mey-Rin, and Bard stood to one side, as they were not coming.  Someone had to look after the manor while the master was out, after all.

"I'm going to miss you," Mey-Rin cried as Tohru hugged her.  "You've been the nicest person I've ever waited on!"

Finni stood uncomfortably and Bard's eyes glistened slightly.  The young boy's cheeks were red as he tried not to look at Tohru's long, slender legs, once again visible in her school uniform.

Tanaka stood to one side of the servants, sipping his tea, still in his somewhat chibi state.  "Ho. Ho.  Ho."  He smiled behind his mug of tea.

Sebastian clapped his hands.  He held a picnic basket slung over one elbow.  "Everyone, please pay attention.  The young master will be going out for the majority of the morning and part of the afternoon.  Please make sure to keep the manor spotless while we are gone."

Ciel tipped his hat to one side, his cane in one hand.  "Are we ready then?"  He looked around at those going, Lau, Ran Mao, Tohru, Kyo, Sebastian and himself.

Sebastian moved to one side and pulled something out from the vestibule, a walking stick.  He presented it to Kyo.  "Though it would be unseemly for you to bring this with you to your own time, I very strongly encourage you use it while making your way through the undergrowth as it is likely there will be times when you may want it."

Kyo looked at the stick but took it.  The butler was right.  His leg already felt a bit strained from going up and down the stairs that morning.  "Fine.  Why don't we get started already?"

Tohru clutched her math book and nodded a bit grimly to Ciel.  "I'm ready."

Lau grinned.  "We're ready," he confirmed as Ran Mao snuggled up against him.  "Let's see this interesting phenomenon."

"Very well," Ciel said as he pointed is cane towards the door.  "Sebastian, let's go."

The butler smiled as he opened the door for them and they all walked outside, down to the front lawn.  "We will be traversing towards the left," he instructed.  "Into the forest.  Though the path is not too rugged, it may prove challenging.  I admit to wondering how Miss Tohru was able to navigate it while in the pouring rain and fatigued as she was."

Tohru blushed.  "I wasn't thinking about that," she stammered.  "I just wanted to find a place to get out of the storm."

Ciel smiled.  "I do not blame you for that.  And it has indeed been a most interesting week because of it."  He walked forward towards where Sebastian had pointed out, where the forest met the grounds.

Kyo sighed as he followed, not bothering to use the cane just yet.  The grass was pretty smooth, after all.  He had to give the gardener credit for that, even if the kid had been pretty annoying when he'd tried to help him out.  Well, whatever worked, he supposed.

The forests dark trees did not take long to engulf them once they'd left the usual path.  Birds and other animals moved about, making noises.  But the sun still shown down through the branches, giving plenty of light to the travelers.

Ciel stumbled on a root but caught himself with his cane.  "Unpleasant place, isn't it," he commented  "Much easier to navigate on horseback."  He thought about the times he'd gone into the forest to hunt, mostly for sport when Lizzy's mother dropped by.  She was a very competitive woman, after all.

Lau walked smoothly, even though his eyes were closed. "I thought it rather charming," he commented.

Ciel rolled his eyes, though he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised.  "Sebastian, how much further?"

Sebastian smiled in amusement.  "Is the Young Master tired already?  We have barely entered the forest and still have some miles to walk, though not as the crow flies.  We cannot make a straight path due to the terrain."

Tohru blinked at the butler's comment.  Had she really wandered that long before finding the mansion that night?  It didn't seem possible.  She glanced over at Kyo, who had decided to use the walking stick after all.  She hoped his leg wasn't hurting.

Ciel resisted groaning.  It would do no good if he did, and only give Sebastian more reason to tease him.  He thrust forward with determination, though he knew that, before too long, he'd have to allow himself to be carried because it would likely prove too much for him.

Lau continued to smile, strolling as though this were merely a good morning walk among flowers.  Ran Mao clutched at him like a frightened child but made no sounds.  "Ah!  What a beautiful thing nature is," he commented, breathing in deeply.

Kyo glanced at him like he was crazy but didn't comment as they continued all to walk in a group, more or less.  He had to duck under a branch that unexpectedly flew towards him.  "Hey!  Watch it, will you?"  Unfortunately, he wasn't sure who'd let the branch fly because he'd been paying more attention to the ground than the area right in front of his nose.

Tohru smiled slightly.  He was back to his usual self.  "Come on, Kyo!"  She strode ahead, catching up with everyone else as they'd both fallen behind.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Half an hour later found Ciel panting.  He leaned against a stout tree trunk as he tried to catch his breath.  "I didn't know… that… walking in the woods… could be so… exhausting."

Tohru blinked.  She wasn't tired, but then she was used to walking in the woods.  She did it practically every day coming and going to and from school.  But she supposed Ciel wasn't overly used to such activities.  "Maybe we should take a break," she suggested.

Kyo was more than willing to sit down on a tree stump.  He wasn't necessarily exhausted, but he hadn't thought about how much work it would be with a still somewhat injured leg and using a cane.  He was definitely glad for the cane at this point.

Sebastian pulled out his pocket watch and looked at it.  "I suppose we may permit a five minute rest," he said after looking at the numbers.  "If it is not unbecoming, I would suggest that I go ahead to see if our tear is still intact.  I will return in time for the break to be over as I can travel faster alone."

Lau lifted his head up a bit at the butler's comment.  "Ah, a fast runner, yes?"

Sebastian gave a secretive smile.  "One might say that."

Ciel waved him off.  "Fine.  Just don't be late."

The butler nodded. "I shall return shortly."  He sprinted off into the trees, picking up speed once he was out of sight.  Lau didn't know he was a demon yet, after all.

"Quite the amazing butler you have there, Earl," Lau commented.

Ciel ignored the comment as he found a stump to sit on as well, and pulled at his aching feet.  "If I'd known this was going to be such a tiresome journey, I would have used the horses," he commented with a bit of a groan.

Tohru looked his way.  "If you need me to, I could try and carry you on my back, you know, like giving you a piggy back ride."

The boy blinked at her, then rolled his eyes.  "No, that won't be necessary.  If it comes down to it, Sebastian will carry me.  I wouldn't want to burden a lady no matter how exceptional."  He didn't add that the butler wouldn't care for the idea either.  He had to remind himself, however, that Tohru came from a different time and therefore, different ways of thinking and living.  Perhaps it wasn't out of character for her to offer.

Kyo snorted at the idea of Tohru carrying the earl on her back.  It was a very ludicrous one and he was glad the boy had refused.  Besides, it wasn't something she should be doing anyway.

Lau turned his face towards the sky to let the filtered light play across it.  "Doubtless it would be amusing to see her try," he commented quietly, thinking of seeing the young girl trying to carry anyone on her slender shoulders.  It really was a pity that she had to go back.  And he knew the ever-silent Ran Mao would definitely miss Kyo as well.

Ciel sighed heavily and tapped his cane.  Five minutes sure were a long time when one didn't want to be in the situation they were in, he decided.  Though he wasn't sure if he wanted this to be done and over with or wished that it didn't need to be done at all.  He had grown rather accustomed to having those two around, even if they were troublesome, and he wondered if he'd ever see them again.

There was some rustling of the undergrowth and Sebastian reappeared.  "It would appear that we are right on schedule," he said before anyone could ask.  "The tear is still fairly stable and I hazard to guess that it will be another hour at most before we have to worry."

Ciel stood, scowling.  His feet were still sore but he decided it didn't matter.  "What are we waiting for then?  Let us continue."  He strode forward in the direction Sebastian had come from, causing the demon to smile.

"Young master, though that is the direction I just came from, it is not entirely the direction we should be heading."  He strode ahead to correct his master, turning him slightly more to the right.  "If you continued that way, you would eventually run into a pack of wild animals that might be glad to invite you to dinner.  Whether or not you'd be glad for the invitation, of course, is up to you, though I doubt you would like it as you would be the main course."

The boy scowled even more and snorted as he turned in the direction the butler had indicated as the right direction.  "You might have said that sooner."

Sebastian didn't respond, as he knew it wasn't necessary, but he did move to take the lead as the others began to follow after the pair through the trees.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About half an hour later, the somewhat weary and worn out group entered a small clearing where a large branch crossed right down the middle, like it had been flung there by some unseen hand.

Sebastian stopped just inside the small clearing.  "We have arrived," he announced and the others stopped a few steps behind him to look around.

Lau scanned the area behind closed lids.  "I do not see the 'tear' we are looking for.  You are sure it is here, Mr. Sebastian?"  He turned to face the butler.

Sebastian nodded. "Oh, believe me.  It is here, and still intact, I might add."  He moved forward and pointed one white-gloved hand towards the fallen branch.  "It is located directly above the middle of that fallen limb.  If you look closely, you can see a slight shiver of the air, like the visible signature of heat rising."

Ciel strode towards the branch and squinted.  The air did shimmer ever so slightly, as the demon had said.  "I see.  So it does.  Sebastian, how much time do we have left?"

The butler pulled out his pocket watch and gazed at its face before snapping it closed and looking at the rippling air.  "I would say no more than ten minutes," he answered.

Kyo heaved a sigh as he rubbed at his thigh.  It burned a little from the exercise.  How were they going to explain that one away?  Well, at least they had a few minutes to rest and recuperate before they had to leave.  And maybe, just maybe, they'd have a few more once they got back to their own time, supposing it didn't send them to some other time and place instead, which he hoped didn't happen.

Tohru bit her lip.  "I guess it's really time," she said sadly.  "I mean, it's a good thing to be able to go back and everything, and I miss everyone horribly, but I'm going to miss all of you a lot too."  Tears pricked at her eyes.

Kyo's eyes opened in alarm at the sight of the water in her eyes. " Hey!  None of that now!  Don't cry!  It's not like it's a big deal!  Come on!"

Sebastian raised his eyebrows, somewhat amused.  Apparently the boy was the type who couldn't stand to see a girl cry.  He'd have to keep that in mind should they meet again.

Ciel found himself suddenly caught up in a tight hug as Tohru reached down and wrapped her arms around him.  Once the initial shock had worn off, he gave a slight hug in return.  "I admit it will be less fun with you gone," he said, his voice a bit more husky than usual.  "I've rather enjoyed the time we've had.  I almost wish it wouldn't end, but I suppose all good games come to an end one way or another."

Tohru finally let Ciel go.  "I won't ever forget you," she promised him, then moved on to Lau and Ran Mao, though she didn't hug them, but offered her hand.

Lau shook her hand, though he was a bit confused by the gesture.  He'd hoped for a hug.  "Try to not miss us too much," he said lightly.

Tohru sniffed and nodded, then turned to Sebastian.  "Thank you, Mr. Sebastian, for everything, for looking after us and for saving everyone.  I know you helped out a lot.  It was nice being treated like someone a little more than ordinary for a while."

Sebastian blinked in surprise as she hugged him around the middle.  He had to take a second to regain his composure as he placed a hand on her back like one comforting a small child.  "Think nothing of it.  I was only doing my duty as a servant to the Phantomhive Family.  The young master is the one whom you should give thanks to, not I."

Tohru let go of Sebastian and nodded, swallowing hard.  "Thank you," she said again, looking at Ciel.

Kyo felt unnerved by all the tears and farewells.  "Hey," he limped over to Ciel and shook his hand.  "It's been fun, but I can't say that I want to do it again, okay?"

Ciel smiled at the older boy.  "I doubt such a thing will," he said as he shook Kyo's hand.

Kyo went around, shaking everyone else's hands, pausing at Sebastian.  "Hey, thanks for, you know, helping out and letting me do my thing."

Sebastian smiled and bowed slightly to the boy.  "It has been an honor."

Ciel let out his breath.  "There is one more thing that must be taken care of before you go."  He turned to Lau and Ran Mao.  "As stated before, you are not allowed to mention a word about our friend's curse.  You are also not allowed to tell anyone of their origins.  Should anyone ask, they were merely here visiting a friend. Is that clear?"

Lau smiled and Ran Mao clung to him.  "Of course," he replied.

Ciel turned to the demon.  "Sebastian, this is an order.  If anyone in this party breaks the promise they have just made, you will take care of it.  Immediately."

Sebastian's eyes went wide in surprise, but he bowed, more lowly this time.  "Yes, My Lord."  He glanced sideways at the two Chinese, wondering what they thought of this exchange.  He then straightened up and looked at the area of the special tear.  "It might now be wise to cut our goodbyes and send our guests on their way," he advised.  "I believe the rift will soon close."

Ciel nodded.  "Very well."  He walked towards the branch, gesturing for the two time travelers to follow.  "It has been enjoyable.  If we ever meet again, however unlikely that may be, I hope you will remember us and our friendship."

Tohru bowed, the tears dashed from her eyes.  "It's been a pleasure," she said.  "And we won't forget.  If we ever meet again, I'll treat you to more of my cooking."

Kyo scowled, his arms folded.  He'd propped his cane against a tree.  "Yeah, yeah," he said crossly.  "Let's go already.  How do we make this work?"

Sebastian moved forward a few paces.  "You should be able to simply walk forward through the rift and be transported back to where you came from."

Kyo nodded.  "Fine." He grabbed Tohru's hand.  "Come on."  

Hand in hand, they walked towards the rift.  The air shimmered around them as they neared the fallen branch, almost like the very air was throwing rainbows out into the world.  A few more steps and they were suddenly gone.

Lau blinked, opening his eyes halfway.  "My, but I didn't think it would actually work," he commented.  "Most interesting indeed.  Perhaps it is time for us to go back now as I doubt the earl will care to see us for a while."  He tucked Ran Mao more firmly under one arm and they walked off.

Ciel watched them leave.  He wondered if they knew the way back but didn't care.  He wasn't sure how he felt at the moment.  And if it was necessary, he could always have Sebastian find them and send them in the right direction to return home later. Right now, he wanted to just do nothing but wait.

He turned to his butler.  "Sebastian, do you really think that rift took them back to their time?  Might it be possible that it sent them somewhere else?"

Sebastian turned to his master, his expression schooled to a more solemn but thoughtful expression.  "I suppose it is entirely possible for it to take them to another time and place, though I do not believe such is the case.  I believe I caught a glimpse of another forest beyond, one that didn't quite look like our own. I would like to believe that it was a slight reflection of their home."

Ciel sighed.  "It does leave a somewhat comforting feeling to hear that."  He found a stump and sat down.  His feet hurt and he didn't want to stand any longer.  His stomach grumbled ever so slightly, reminding him of the absence of having had elevensies, something he knew Sebastian had brought with him, but he didn't call for the refreshment.  Instead, he played with the dirt in front of him with his cane, digging little holes that he swept back to non-existence, much like the past few minutes seemed to have done to his life.

Sebastian stood politely to one side, waiting, the picnic basket laid to one side.  "Might one inquire what is on the Young Master's mind," he asked.

Ciel looked up.  "Sebastian, is it possible that you might chance upon them sometime in the future?  Will you live that long?"

The demon tilted his head in thought, one hand cupped around his chin.  "I suppose it is entirely possible that such an event could occur," he admitted, "as demons do live for quite some amount of time, as far as humans measure such things.  Why do you ask?"

Ciel glanced back down at the holes he was making.  "No reason."  He continued to poke at the dirt for several minutes, thinking.  Then looked back up to see his butler patiently waiting.  The demon knew him all too well, he sighed.  "Sebastian, this is an order.  Should the chance present itself for you to see them in their own time, you are to make sure that Kyo doesn't do anything stupid to hurt Tohru so that they can be happy together.  Don't do anything drastic, but do make sure things turn out well for them."

Sebastian smiled.  Chances were possible, as he'd said, that he would run into those two again, but Ciel would be long dead by that point.  However, since it was an order given now, it would still hold, one way or another.  Not to mention he was curious about how those two would turn out himself.  "Yes, My Lord."

Ciel sniffed at the air like he smelled a bad odor.  "Now, take me home at once."

The butler glanced questioningly at the boy. "Without partaking of your little snack?"  He was a bit surprised by that.  He could hear the rumble of the boy's stomach.

Ciel stood.  "I have no stomach for this place any longer.  Let us return to the Manor at once and with all haste.  I would dine back at the place and then sit to myself in the study."

Sebastian gave a knowing smile.  The young earl would likely sulk in thought for the rest of the day, not that he could blame him for it, but it was amusing.  "Very well, young master."  He swept up the picnic basket in one hand and Ciel in the other.  "Please do hold tight," he requested. "I would hate to have you fall from my arms as I run."

And with that, he set out towards the mansion, his master in his arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The air rippled around the two time travelers as they walked through what almost felt like some kind of tunnel.  It definitely had not felt this way coming over, Tohru thought.  It had been more like a thump after being dropped, but this was more like walking uphill.  She supposed it shouldn't be surprising as they were going forward in time instead of back.

Suddenly, Tohru found herself face down in the dirt.  "Oof!"

Kyo, who was just behind her, didn't notice that she'd gone down until it was too late and tripped over the same thing she had, falling on top of her.  "AH!"  A cloud of smoke heralded his transformation to a cat and the rift closed behind them.

Tohru rapidly rolled over to see Kyo stretched out near her legs, his clothes scattered.  "Kyo!  Are you all right?!"  She hesitated to touch him.

Kyo shook his fur and slowly got to his feet, wincing as he put weight on one back leg.  "Ugh.  Let's not do that again."

Tohru looked around.  The trees were familiar.  In fact, she rather thought that she saw where her tent had been all those months ago.  Then she stopped in shock.  "Kyo, I don't think it worked," she said in a frightened voice.

Kyo ranged around a bit, working on his sore leg.  It was a little hard to do as a cat though.  "What?  Why not?"

Tohru looked up at the mostly clear sky.  "It's not raining.  It was raining when we left.  Remember?"

Kyo looked up.  She was right.  "Don't tell me!  That means we're stuck somewhere else in time!  No!"

Somewhere in the trees, someone was whistling.  The sound came closer and closer.  Both Tohru and Kyo turned anxiously towards the sound.  Who would they run across this time?  Would it be friend or foe?

"I can't take much more of this," Tohru declared and scrunched up her eyes so that she didn't have to see.

The sounds came closer, along with the crunch of brush and twigs underfoot.  With a final push of swinging branches, the mysterious whistler entered the small area and stopped in surprise.  "My, my.  Now what do we have here?"

Tohru opened her eyes in surprise.  She recognized that voice!  She looked up to see Shigure staring down at them.  "Shigure?"

Shigure blinked in surprise at them.  "It looks like you two were being naughty," he said in a slightly snide voice.  "What have you two been up to?  I wondered why it was taking you longer than usual to walk home."  His expression turned to a mischievous smile.

Kyo growled at Shigure, but before he could spring on the pervert with his claws out, there was a loud pop, then smoke as he transformed back to human form.

"Ah!"  Tohru ducked her head down, blushing as usual.  "Just let me know when it's safe to look again!"  The transformation got her every time, possibly partly because it was never predictable on when they would transform back to human form, and that they were always naked.  After all, she was a modest girl.

"I see, so you just had an unfortunate incident.  How disappointing."  He didn't look disappointed, however, as he fanned himself with his long sleeve while Kyo quickly redressed himself, keeping his scarred leg out of sight of the older Sohma.

"I'm decent," Kyo announced as he finished pushing one arm through his shirtsleeve.   He sat with his legs crossed, scowling to hide his discomfiture.

Tohru opened her eyes and looked at her companion, then at Shigure.  "Yes, an unfortunate accident," she said in response to Shigure's comments.  She glanced at Kyo, not sure how to account for the obvious limp that would show the moment he stood up.  "We both tripped."

Kyo growled.  "Speak for yourself will ya?  I was doing fine until you fell over!  Sheesh!"

Shigure glanced at the two and burst out laughing.

"It isn't funny!"  Kyo would have surged to his feet if his leg hadn't been so sore.

But, despite the younger boy's words, Shigure didn't stop laughing.  "That's got to be the funniest thing I've heard all day!  Wouldn't it be a real shame if you actually got hurt because of it?!"

Kyo clenched a fist.  "You're really starting to piss me off!"

Tohru saw Kyo getting ready to charge. "Kyo!  Don't!"

Kyo was halfway into launching himself forward when his foot caught on a root, sending him face down in the dirt.  He let out a yell of rage and pain.

Tohru wrung her hands.  "Oh!  I told you not to do that!"

Shigure stopped laughing enough to blink in surprise, realizing that the boy really was in pain.  "Well now, you should have listened, shouldn't you?  I suppose this means I need to go call Hari."  He put a hand dramatically to his forehead.

"Like hell you will!"  Kyo snarled and struggled back to his feet.  That was the last thing they needed, Hatori discovering the scars, which would lead to questions and uncomfortable situations.  "I'm fine."  He limped rapidly away, heading in the direction of the house.

Shigure stared after him.  "Well, I guess it's not all that bad after all."  He shrugged and turned to Tohru.  "And what about you, young lady?"

Tohru's eyes went wide.  "Oh!  No!  I'm fine!  I'll just be going on!"  She sprinted after Kyo, occasionally stumbling over roots as she went.

Shigure put a hand to his chin in thought.  "If I didn't know any better, I'd say those two were up to something."  He thought about that for a moment, and then shrugged.  "Of course, that would never happen!  What was I thinking?  Back to work then, I suppose."  He ambled after them at a way more leisurely pace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several weeks had passed since the incident of time travel and things had settled back down to some semblance of normal.  Tohru and Kyo occasionally exchanged glances with each other when mysterious things were brought up, like how their books were missing, but nothing came of it.  The books had turned up a few days later.

The two were walking home from school on a bright sunshine filled afternoon.  Yuki had again stayed behind for student council reasons so they were alone once more.

Tohru paused as they reached the same section of road where they'd first veered off course all those weeks ago.  "Kyo," she turned to her companion. "Do you ever wonder what they're all doing?  What kind of adventures they might be having?"

Kyo snorted.  "Tohru, they're long gone by now.  Well, except maybe that butler guy.  I don't think he'll ever die.  But don't worry about them.  We're probably never going to see them again so it's not worth thinking about."

Tohru blinked but nodded.  "You're right.  I'll try not to worry about it."  She smiled brightly.  "So, I was thinking of making teriyaki for dinner.  Does that sound good?"  She stepped brightly back onto the road.

Kyo scratched at his head as he fell into step behind her.  "Teriyaki?  I don't mind, so long as there's no onions or leeks involved!  And no liver!"

Tohru laughed, knowing him all too well.  It was finally back like usual.  They were both happy, healthy, and strong.  And the nightmares of adventures shared had ended, leaving behind only happy memories.

High above them, in the tops of the tree branches, a dark crow watched them as they walked home together, hand in hand.