Chapter Text
"The stars are very beautiful tonight, hm?" Elizabeth asked nicely as the two sat on a blanket in the garden, sprawled out and watching the stars above them.
"Yes," Ciel responded in slight interest. The night was the perfect shade of the darkness needed to view the twinkling orbs above them; the night air just the pleasant amount of coolness. If Ciel was more invested, he'd be able to point out the various constellations that were out that night.
"Paula told me there's going to be shooting stars out tonight! Maybe we should make a wish!" Elizabeth added in an eager tone. "If you wish on a shooting star, it's bound to come true!"
"That's just a fairy-tale," Ciel declined, shaking his head. Elizabeth pouted. "Besides, shooting stars aren't actually stars,"
"They're really pretty though," Elizabeth glanced back up at the star just as the first one streamed by, illuminating the sky in silver. "Come on, just make one wish? Please?"
"I have nothing to wish for," Ciel sat up straighter on the blanket.
"Then...you'll be fine. If you have nothing to wish for, wish for something minor. Since you don't believe in it anyway, then it won't come true!" She mused, clasping her hands together and closing her eyes. She then mumbled something under her breath.
"What'd you wish for?" Ciel asked curiously, but Elizabeth just laughed.
"It won't come true if I tell you!"
"Fine, fine," Ciel glanced up at the sky again and saw a few more stars falling. He felt Elizabeth's eager eyes on him, silently coaxing him into making a wish.
Well, that sort of thing was only in fairy-tales. So he should just wish for whatever he wanted, and that'd be that. It wouldn't come true, and Elizabeth would be satisfied.
I wish my parents and brother never died.
"I made my wish," Ciel announced after a time, making Elizabeth beam and hug him tightly.
"Yay! I hope it was something good!"
"Doesn't matter what it was, it won't come true anyway," Ciel sighed, though he still had a strange feeling in his gut. Something he couldn't shake. Something that remained with him for the remainder of the night, even as Elizabeth left the manor and he was tucked into bed.
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Ciel was woken up in the morning to the bright sunrise of the early morning being streamed into his room. He grumbled a bit and tried to roll over in bed, upset at being awakened so early. "Leave me alone...let me sleep for a few more minutes...and close those curtains, Sebastian!"
"Sebastian? That is not my name..." A soft voice reached his ears as Ciel sat up in a panic. He glanced around his room to see himself tucked into a small blue bed covered in frills as a bigger bed in the same colour lay just across the floor from him.
In fact, everything in the room seemed to come in pairs.
"Your older brother is already awake and breaking his fast. Your parents wanted to let you sleep in a bit, but your fiancée was adamant about eating with you, so they promised to wake you up. " The maid explained nicely; she had straw-blonde hair and kind brown eyes.
"No," Ciel responded sternly. "This is all a dream...my parents are dead." Fiancée...Elizabeth was there awfully early, he couldn't remember her asking to stay the night. And she wasn't often that pushy when it came to his health.
"Did you have another nightmare?" The maid pulled the curtains closed and gave Ciel a gentle smile. "Come on, out of bed and get dressed," She motioned over to a pale blue day-suit with capris; a rack next to it was empty.
"Where is Sebastian?" He asked instead, making no moves from his bed.
"The dog? With Lord Ciel, most likely," The maid sighed. "Please don't be difficult this morning,"
"Lord Ciel...? My brother is dead too,"
"Lord Cedric, please don't be difficult," The maid scolded in a firm tone. "Please get dressed and meet with your family for breakfast,"
Ciel instead remained in bed, mulling it over even as the maid grew impatient and dragged him out.
According to her, his family was still alive. Then, what became of Elizabeth? Was she still his brother's fiancée, or his? Did he even have a fiancée that point? According to the maid, he did, and already she seemed bossy. Ciel wasn't sure he ever wanted to meet her. It seemed that despite the brothers' ages, they still shared everything, even a room.
His most pressing question, however, was what happened to Sebastian. If his family never died, then he never made his contract, which meant Sebastian was no more.
Or did he exist, just under contract to someone else?
As the maid parted his hair back and finished dressing him, Ciel got a glimpse of himself in the mirror; a pair of matching blue eyes blinked back at him. No seal to be seen.
"Please don't say anything to upset your parents this morning," The maid warned as she ushered Ciel into the dining room. He walked unsteadily, soon coming across the lively dining room.
Vincent and Rachel sat next to each other at the head, smiling sweetly at each other. His brother sat near the end of the table, engaging Elizabeth in lively conversation. The remaining Midfords sat across from them, while Diedrich of all people sat close to Vincent and Rachel. Ciel blinked a few times at the scene, trying to process it.
"There's our little sleepy-head!" Rachel teased upon seeing him, motioning him over to a seat next to Diedrich. There was still one more empty one. "Did you have a good dream?" She wore her hair braided to the side with a dark green day-gown covered in frills with a single pink rose at the front of her bodice. Ciel felt his expression start to soften slightly as he continued to stare at her. She looked just the same as she always had in his memory, just a bit more filled-out.
"No." Ciel retorted, sliding himself into the chair and staring down at the breakfast. Toast and porridge and eggs with tomatoes. Not the worst thing to eat. "I had a nightmare,"
"Oh no! What was it about?" Rachel pressed, genuinely looking concerned.
"...That all of you were dead,"
"Good thing it was just a dream, hm?" His brother mused at him, smirking. "It would be quite sad if we all died and left you all alone in the world," He was dressed identical to Ciel, the only way to tell them apart being the way their bangs parted.
"Are you guys excited about heading back to Weston in a few days?" Alexis asked politely, and Ciel started to eat as Edward answered in the affirmative. Much like his own parents, Alexis remained the same appearance-wise; clad in a casual brown suit today. He stared curiously at his light pink tie-did he always have that?
"Gotta get ready for when your House gets beat in the annual cricket tournament again, right cousin?" Edward laughed at Ciel.
"I don't go to Weston,"
"Of course you do. Both you and your brother go. It was quite surprising you two ended up in different Houses, but you still collect friends from all around the school, so I suppose it all worked out in the end," Vincent commented. He still dressed formally, even for breakfast, so Ciel found himself wondering if he had a mission to do later. His suit was black with blue trim, and still looked the same as ever.
"What House am I in?" Ciel asked instead, after a few seconds of silence.
"Sapphire Owl! And I am in Scarlet Fox, and our dear cousin is in Green Lion!" His brother smirked.
So, it seemed Edward was still in Green Lion in this universe. That was good, Ciel mused to himself. Everyone's general appearance seemed to be the same as well, aside from his own. Even Elizabeth looked the same, despite being dressed in a cream yellow gown so flouncy a dessert cart would be green.
"Why is Diedrich here though?" He continued, making Rachel's features soften.
"Honey, how bad was your nightmare last night? He is a very close friend of the family," She frowned a bit at him. "You don't remember?"
"I know that, but I thought he moved back to Germany,"
"He did, but moved back a few years ago due to wanting to be closer to us," Vincent confirmed. "Speaking of which, do you think she's ready to join us for breakfast?"
"She should be," Diedrich nodded. "I'll have a maid bring her in,"
"Good. She seemed quite upset that Cedric almost slept in," Rachel furrowed her brow.
"Oh, that silly girl. She'd spend her whole life in her books, wasting away if it weren't for us!" Ciel's brother laughed meanly. Elizabeth joined in awkwardly.
"I think she's awfully sweet," She added, the only sentence she had spoken throughout the whole meal.
"Who are you all talking about?" Ciel asked.
"Your fiancée," Vincent answered.
"Elizabeth isn't my fiancée?"
"Why would she be? She's always been mine!" His brother shot back. "You're acting very strange this morning and I don't like it at all!"
"Who then...?" Ciel's mind drew a blank. The only other girls he knew were the sisters of the Weston boys, and Doll. But neither option seemed very likely.
"Hello sweetheart. Can you eat today? Do you feel good?" Diedrich's voice turned softer as he addressed someone who was being wheeled into the room on a wheelchair.
"Yes, I feel perfectly fine!"
Ciel's heart nearly stopped as the maid gently pulled the girl out of her wheelchair and sat her down in the chair inbetween him and Diedrich. She wore a very fancy embroidered gown from her homeland in deep shades of emerald. Even now, her hair was cut into a cute little bob kept neat with white bows on either side.
"Good morning, darling," Diedrich carried on as Sieglinde adjusted her position slightly.
"Morning! I hope you slept well!" She greeted Ciel happily with a kiss on his cheek.
"I know you're a bit confused this morning from your nightmare," Rachel begun slowly. "But surely you at least remember your fiancée, Sieglinde Diedrich?"
"Her last name...is Sullivan..not Diedrich..." Ciel weakly protested. The last shred of appetite he had was fully gone.
"Are you trying to imply something?" Diedrich asked roughly. "Yes, her mother walked out on us. But that doesn't mean anything. She is my daughter, true as true,"
"Your...daughter...?"
Something had gone horribly wrong in the overnight hours, and it had finally dawned on Ciel. Either everyone in his world had gone completely crazy, he was still dreaming, or, and the last option was truly impossible, but he found himself considering it more and more as the time passed.
That the wish he made on that shooting star the previous night was a real wishing star, and his superficial wish had come true.
What had he just done to himself?