Warnings: Angst, Violence, Gore(supposedly), and OCs.

Author's Note:

Yes, I have finally gotten around to rewriting this fan-fiction and its plot.

Frankly, I must say I'm pleasantly surprised. I haven't updated, much less touched this fan-fiction in a little over four years and I still am receiving favorites and alerts every few months in the long run. I had initially assumed that this fan-fiction would have been long buried beneath new crossover fan-fictions of these two fandoms by now—but well, you readers had certainly proved me wrong (:

Anyhow, that's enough chitter-chattering from me now. Enjoy.

Kuroshitsuji © Toboso Yana

Vampire Knight © Matsuri Hino

Fan-Fiction Plot and Original Characters © Kuro Nightroad/ Me

My Dear Butler, Now and Forever

A Kuroshitsuji and Vampire Knight Crossover

Prologue—Part One

"Begin Again"

The passage of time is changing,

And as the gears of reason rust,

We won't be able to go back…

I hate this world.

Yume no Ashioto ga Kikoeru—Mizuhara Kaoru

The bells of the church were tolling as though they were grieving, the gray skies weighing heavily on the atmosphere of the funeral. The unfamiliar faces continued to fill the main hall, silent as they paid their final respects to the deceased.

The twelve-year-old paid their pitying gazes no heed, for he could only keep his eyes glued to the peaceful faces before him—the young couple seemingly comfortable in the twin crafted coffins lined with obsidian gemstones.

Coffins.

That was what the adults called those fancy boxes, the latter term being what his younger brother had preferred to call them. Zero, however, did not share the same opinion—knowing that it was a term inevitably tied with 'death'.

"Coffins… Death…" He murmured quietly under his breath. His own voice sounded no less stranger and foreign to him even as he tested the words on his tongue. "…Death." He repeated quietly to himself again, unsure of how he actually felt about the word.

Just six years back, the word held no meaning to him when he was first made to attend a funeral.

Death had meant nothing to him when the faces inside the coffins were unfamiliar to him.

And now, two faces that were more than just familiar to him were in there. Now… his parents were in those coffins.

Heavy footsteps approached from behind and came to a halt by his side, prompting him to look up and into deep sapphire eyes. Nothing was said between the two solemn individuals, but Zero understood perfectly what his godfather was trying to convey. He nodded, assuring Yagari that his message had gotten across and with a gentle ruffle of his silver hair, Zero watched as the towering man left for his carbon copy—who hid in a blind spot by the sidelines, sniffling and wiping at his falling tears occasionally.

Ichiru jumped, frantically rubbing away at his eyes, not wanting to be seen looking so vulnerable. However his younger brother broke down as soon as Yagari went down to eye level to speak with him. Zero felt his heart clench again, watching in concern as Ichiru choke on his quiet sobs whilst being comforted by their godfather patting his head gently.

The heavy feeling weighing on his chest soon lifted somewhat when his younger brother was sent over to his side. Thin arms encircled his small shoulders in a tight, squeezing hug and he returned the gesture gingerly. Hot tears soaked into the thick fabric of his black jacket as his numb fingers rubbed little circles on Ichiru's trembling back. Zero then felt a stinging sensation from the back of his eyes.

Slowly… his eyes closed shut.

There was acceptance.

…and there was resignation.

They were both grim, and bitter feelings tight in his gut… although he did not quite understand it.

CRACKLE.

SHATTER!

Furiously, the bright red of flames burst forth from the chandelier above and rained countless shards of burning glass onto the screaming crowds below.

Zero winced from the searing heat, the sharp projectiles cutting into the flesh of his arm as he shielded his panic stricken brother. His tearing eyes darted across to the giant oak doors of the church, repulsed by the sight of both men and women alike scrambling to climb and trample over one another to escape with their lives.

He watched with wide eyes, the crackling flames alive and mad with a frantic fervor as they continued to spread and swallowed even the supporting pillars—cracking ominously before giving a final croak and the roof cave in on the frantic crowds. Dreadful howls and screams filled the air as bodies were crushed and mangled, the horrifying scene making the twelve-year-old sick to his stomach as the fiery red consumed it all after.

Ichiru crumpled to the floor, wrecked with violent coughs and his eyes brimming with tears. Zero quickly crouched down, attending to his brother—eyebrows creased with worry even as he were coughing and choking on the black smoke as well.

Similar eyes of amethyst as his own, glassy and full of fear, stared up at him.

No words were needed, for he understood exactly what was running through his brother's mind at that moment.

He wrapped his arms around his brother firmly in a protective hug, pressing the latter's nose to his jacket.

"Everything will be alright." We aren't going to die here.

Zero felt a soft nod against his shoulder, and he managed a rare smile in spite of their current predicament.

"So this place, is not yet dust…?"

The brothers flinched at the calm voice that spoke, recoiling in fright at the dark figure emerging through the flames of the fallen, burning chandelier. Though partially obscured by a pure-white mask as though he were to attend a masquerade, the dark figure's chiseled and defined features was that of a man in his late thirties.

One could not help but feel how out of the place the man was, his donning of an expensive gold and black suit beneath a heavy red cloak amidst the brewing chaos. He continued down the burning charred aisle, his lifeless eyes of dark crimson piercing and glimmering the golden red of the flames dancing up a storm through the crumbling church.

They watched him approach with heightened caution, their grip on each other rigid and painful with their knuckles white as a sheet of paper.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

The man was like a phantom despite his echoing steps.

Thud. Thud.

Squish.

Thud. Thud.

Crack.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

And he did not seem to feel a thing as he walked through the countless corpses, their blood staining his polished shoes a fresh red.

The brothers felt chills creeping up their spines, the realization of imminent danger dawned on them as the man came to a stop before their quaking statures. Ichiru buried his face in the crook of Zero's neck, positively shaking in fear as his brother pressed him closer—whilst staring defiantly back at the man towering over the both of them imposingly.

The man then unexpectedly kneeled down on a knee before them.

Much unlike the eerie and bloodcurdling impression the man had initially given both brothers, the hand that brushed against Zero's hair was cold, yet gentle. The man spoke again, and the twelve-year-old gave an involuntary shudder.

"Do you wish to live?"

Yes.

Zero felt as though he was staring into an abyss, his entire body numb under the scrutiny of the empty gaze on him. The endless black within those dark pools of crimson seemed to beckon him to take its outstretched hand and never let go.

"Answer me, boy. Do you wish for you and your brother to live?" The man asked again, offering his hand to the brothers.

Yes.

Dazed and uncertain, Zero reached for the hand offered to him instinctively.

Slowly…

Slowly…

Yes.

That's it…

I want to live.

"ZERO!"

There was a desperate tugging on his jacket, his brother's frantic voice pulling him out of his stupor and he looked down at Ichiru, watching him with terrified eyes. Without another thought, he nodded reassuringly and quickly withdrew his hand. They backed away carefully and clung firm to the other, unable to tear their eyes away from the man's eyes—still transfixed on them with a strange glimmer that neither could put a finger on.

RUMBLE.

There was a tremor, shaking the entire structure.

The man straightened, surveying what remained of the crumbling church. He casted a sidelong glance at the pair of brothers with a quiet murmur, and retreated back into the flames—disappearing as though he had never been there.

"…Farewell."

CRASH!

Author's Note:

I'm really sorry that this is so short but like mentioned above, this is only the first part of the prologue. Yes, I split the potentially long prologue I had planned out in half—simply because I have yet to finish the second part. So again, I'm sorry, but the next chapter will be the second and final part of the prologue before we can dive right into the more serious sexy man-on-man action that I know A LOT OF YOU DEAR READERS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!

How am I absolutely positive of this? 'Cause I got spammed with tons of email notifications of favorites and follows during the time while I was gone haha.

On another note, all readers please be informed that I will be removing the old chapters before uploading part two of the prologue so I can get the notifications up and running for those who followed this story. And NO, I won't be putting the old chapters up any where else, so I don't want to see or hear any complaints or questions about this matter later on. Okay?

Well, I think that's all for now. Here's hoping I can have the rest of the prologue up by the following week or maybe even earlier if possible (:

Until the next chapter then!

~Kuro-Chama