A/N: Don't kill me if this sucks. Oneshot.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler or the story of Rapunzel.
Summary: The true story of Rapunzel is quite morbid indeed. There is no magical hair, or evil witch. There is simply an unfortunate girl, who was born into an unfortunate life. The essence of evil cannot be condensed into a single antagonist. It is everywhere, to be found waiting around every corner.
Cimmerian: [si-MEER-ee-uhn] adj.
1. Of, pertaining to, or suggestive of a group of people believed to dwell in perpetual darkness
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair...
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a princess. She was by far the most beautiful maiden in the land, although this was unknown to her. Since she was a child, she'd been confined to her chambers. There were no mirrors, not even in the bathing room.
Occasionally she asked her parents, the king and queen, why this was, and they simply said she had been cursed on the day of her birth. When given this explanation, she immediately jumped to the conclusion that she'd been cursed with a horrid ugliness. After all, she had nothing to compare herself to but her mother. But 'twas not the case.
Many years ago, the kingdom was in a rather sad state. The neighboring kingdoms threatened war, and there simply were not enough soldiers to properly keep back invading forces. So, they called upon the dark magic that lived in the earth. It came up and considered the situation. After careful assessment, it offered a deal to the reigning couple.
"In nine month's time, you are to birth a child," it said to the queen. "When that time comes, I shall take it for my own."
The prospective parents attempted to disguise their shock. "But this will be our firstborn child, the heir to our kingdom and everything in it!"
The demon reconsidered. "This is true. If my kind is to remain below this land, we must to keep a civil arrangement with the crown." It thought for a moment. "Perhaps this will be a more appealing offer: when the child is born, I will carve a certain mark into its skin. This will remain, and mark it as mine.
"On the eve of it's birthday which marks the beginning of adulthood, I shall come and retrieve the child as sacrifice for protecting your kingdom."
The couple protested yet again. "But what of our bloodline? How will the kingdom carry on?"
"You shall have enough time to select a mate for the child, shall you not? So many years will surely be enough. That person, whomever it may be, shall be the one to inherit all your riches and your crown."
The king and queen finally bowed in supplication. And so a contract was written up, and then, the night the child was born, a mark was placed upon her back, which marked it as a demon's meal. There was a singular problem. The infant had been born sickly, barely able to draw breath.
The demon found a solution. It placed a sliver of its own essence inside the newborn. This bit of power gave it strength, and would allow her to grow into adulthood.
"One more thing," the demon said. "If the child should ever see it's own reflection, it will be able to sense the piece of me that resides within."
The somber parents, knowing their child's fate, agreed she should never know of it. It wouldn't do for her to live in misery and constant worry, would it? So they hid all the mirrors, and swore the servants to secrecy.
And from that moment on, the child, whose name was Rapunzel, grew up in a tower. The servants, her only friends- or the closest thing she had to friends, anyways- were kind. They told her stories and recounted events that happened in the outside world. The only thing they refused to speak of was her situation. The doing of her parents no doubt.
There was a single window which let her look out at the sunrise. The morning light woke her every day. Servants came with a morning meal. She spent hours brushing and braiding her hair. Then came the midday meal. After that servants brought in various instruments, which she practiced on, or paint, which she used to decorate her walls. Supper was usually an extravagant meal, and then came time for bathing, which the servants helped her with. Her parents showed up unannounced every once in a while. Not regularly.
The window also served another purpose. There was a young man who visited often. The first time she'd seen him, he was delivering a package to the palace on behalf of his family. She'd called to him, and he looked. And their eyes met.
He stood beneath her window to speak with her for hours before leaving. When he did, he promised to come back the next day with a surprise. He indeed came back, with a rope, which he threw up to her, and she secured on the sill of the window. He climbed the side of the tower to enter her room. They talked for hours, and then he made haste, leaving her with a promise. He would visit her at least once per week.
He kept his promise and visited regularly, calling up to her to signal his arrival.
There was a part of her that worried they would be caught, but that part was quashed down by the part that didn't want to be alone.
"Why are you not allowed to leave, might I ask?" he'd asked during one visit.
"I do not really know the reason," she said with a furrow upon her brow. "I have asked my parents, and they give me vague reasons which evade the truth I seek."
He seemed troubled by this, but left it at that. They went on to speak about other things. She loved to learn about him and his interests. For instance, she learned that he loved her hair loose. Any time she had it braided atop her head, he coaxed her to take out the weave.
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair for me," he whispered. And she let her hair unravel, at which time he threaded his fingers through it, ever so gently, and drew her in for a kiss.
Over time, after many nights of this, they fell in love. Their love grew deeper, and Rapunzel hoped to some day be married to him. She invited him into her bed, and the experiences they shared remained at the forefront of her mind.
Then, one night, he did not come. Nor did he the next night. The servants noticed a change in her, some kind of depression. In the mornings her stomach twisted within her and occasionally her breakfast came back up. She avoided the subject, instead focusing on creating music and art in her free time.
Lately she'd been feeling rather lonely. Her eighteenth birthday loomed closer and closer. Perhaps this was the year, she thought.
Once, a long time ago, her mother let slip that she would be able to leave for some birthday in the future. This was quite awhile ago, but her words stuck. They were ever present, just behind whatever she might be thinking at any given moment.
She'd noticed the servants acting rather oddly lately. They came in to take her measurements around the bust, waist, and hips. One day they measured the circumference around her head. Out of the corner of her eye she saw them whisper to each other behind their hands.
Finally, her mother came to visit her. "You've unfoubtedly noticed the servants doing some unusual things lately, yes?"
"Yes, Mother," she said. "I was wondering what that was about."
"As you are aware of, your birthday draws nearer with every day."
Rapunzel nodded.
"Your father and I have decided it is about time to throw you a debutant ball. There will be many a prospective husbands for you to choose from."
Her eyes widened in surprise. She was going to be married? What of her love, then?Well, at least when she was married her husband would not confine her to her chambers. It would only be proper for his wife to attend official events and things. She would use her new freedom to search for her love.
Her mother continued. "The ball will take place a fortnight before your birthday, and you will choose a man. The wedding will take place on the eve of your birthday."
So quickly? Should she not be courted first? The servants had told her tales of such things before, after all. She opened her mouth to protest, but her mother had already taken her leave.
The days passed, each one just like the last, but the knowledge of what would happen loomed before her. The day drew nearer, and nearer, until it was the very day she would make her debut.
The servants woke her early, and spent the entire day preparing her for the ball. They brushed her hair, and braided it into an elegant masterpiece atop her head. They dressed her in a royal blue gown, and her feet slipped into a pair of slippers. A diadem adorned her head, the diamond resting just in the middle of her forehead.
She was ushered down the hall. Much as she tried to take in her surroundings, the other bodies blocked her view, and all she saw was the floor beneath her feet. Then they entered the grand ballroom, and her father escorted her down the stairs. All eyes in the room were trained on her. Having had no practice with stairs before, her knees trembled a bit, but steadied once she got to the bottom.
The night was filled with dancing, and many men bringing her knuckles to their lips to bestow a kiss upon them. Then, in a second, her attention was caught by one particular man who greeted her. The expression on his face was one which held a secret, that which was known only to them.
A vast array of emotions whirled through her. Shock, confusion, suspicion, then anger. "You stopped visiting me."
"Indeed." He gazed down at her, an apology written across his face. "But I'd heard your parents were to throw you a ball, and I wanted to surprise you by attending. I'd never have been able to keep a secret from you."
As much as she wanted to be angry with him, it simply wasn't in her.
After him she danced with several other men, but she kept him in her sights. At the end of the night, she was led to the top of the stairs, where she was to announce her decision. She said his name in a strong, sure voice.
The ball ended, and she was ushered away from the ballroom, and down a corridor to her room. Once again, there were too many bodies to properly see anything.
Her love- now her fiancé- came up to visit her that night. It would be the last time, he said, before they were married. Preparations must be made, after all.
The following days passed in a blur. Excitement coursed through her veins as a sense of simple happiness bloomed within her.
The sun did not wake her in the morning. Heavy clouds obscured the dawn, bringing a sense of foreboding. This was not the first cloudy morning she'd experienced, but it had been so beautiful lately, and to be so dark the day before her wedding...
No matter. She patiently waited for the help, and before long breakfast was brought to her. The servant left. Rapunzel ate, and had just sat down to brush her hair when she noticed that her chamber door was ajar.
She froze. This had never happened before. Never in her life had that door been left open. She shook her head. Looked away, then back. Yes, it was indeed ajar.
Ever so slowly, she took a step forward. And another. And another. All the while thinking she'd surely be caught and punished, although she was not really the one at fault here. It was the servant who'd left it open. This caused her to pause. She did not wish to bring trouble to her kind servants.
Plus, in a few days, she would be married. Then, surely she'd be free to wander about as she wished?
Finally, though, her curiosity got the better of her. She slipped on a warm cloak, pulling the hood over her hair. Hooking one finger around the door, she dragged it open just slightly. Her eyes were wide and alert as she took in a sight she'd only caught glimpses of before. It was a long hall, with decorative draperies hung on either wall.
Not a soul in sight.
She gently tugged her bedroom door shut behind her. It closed with a soft click and she froze, fully expecting to be caught red handed. When nobody happened upon her, she made her way silently down the hall in bare feet. Every few steps she paused. It would not do to be caught in the hall.
Before long, she came across doors on either side of the corridor. She stilled, listening carefully for voices behind the thick wood.
Silence. But, perhaps she should not go in any rooms. It would not do to get lost in her own palace.
Suddenly, from the other end of the corridor, opposite the way she'd come, she heard the soft laughter and gentle voices of two of her handmaidens. Panic momentarily overtook her, and she stood rooted to the spot. Then, gathering her wits, she twisted the door handle and slipped inside. She held her breath. The voices grew louder, louder, and then...fainter. Rapunzel heaved a sigh of relief. They had not detected her.
She looked around. She appeared to be in some sort of storage room. There were cabinets and antique vases scattered haphazardly throughout the room. Stepping carefully so as not to brake anything, she made her way through the room.
Biting her lip hesitantly, she debated whether she should press her luck, or try to make her way back to her room. But she supposed the others may still be around. Best to wait awhile. Sly fingers fiddled with the latch on the cabinet.
Her instincts sensed...something. A dark feeling emanated from the cabinet. It called to her, begging her to open it. She managed to resist for a moment, but soon the urge overtook her good sense. A trembling hand flicked the latch open, and she pulled the door open. A single sheet of parchment sat at the bottom of the cabinet. On the inner wall of the cabinet above it was a pentagram. Her eyes latched onto it, and then she felt a tingling on her back, just between her shoulder blades. Her brow furrowed in confusion as the itch became more intense.
She glanced around the room again, and her gaze landed on some kind of reflective surface. The reflection was clearer than one saw in bath water. This must be that object called a mirror. She made her way over to it and froze. This was the first time she'd ever seen her own full reflection.
Blue eyes gazed back at her in shock. She'd known her eyes were blue- the servants had told her so- but she'd never really been able to imagine the color. These eyes spared a moment to take in her appearance from head to toe. White-blond hair obscured a long neck from her view. She pulled her billowy dress tight. Her waist seemed truly tiny compared to her round bosom above and generous hips below. Two slender legs stretched down to the floor.
There was something else. For just a moment, as she gazed into her own eyes, there was a flicker. Glowing red eyes and slitted pupils stared back at her. She blinked. The image disappeared.
Giving herself a mental shake, she turned around, dropping her cloak to the floor. She fiddled with the tie on her nightdress. She'd never had to undress herself before; that was the servants' job. But surely it could not be that difficult... She pulled on a string, and the tie fell away. Not hard at all.
Shrugging the dress down her shoulders, she looked over her shoulder. What she saw made her eyes widen in fright. A black pentagram was drawn on her back, just in the middle of her spine. Her arms reached around, fingers straining to touch it. Two fingers brushed over it, and she startled.
Hot to the touch. She pulled her hand away.
What was one to make of this? Surely this was all some kind of dream. Soon she'd wake up in her bed, safe and warm...
No. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. She walked back to the cabinet. Picking up the document within, her eyes scanned the elegant scrawl. It looked vaguely familiar. She read it through once, twice over. Shock shook her to the core. No. This couldn't be, could it? Once again, the idea that she was dreaming crossed her mind. She dismissed it once again. No way would her mind be able to think up such a convoluted scheme.
According to this contract, her parents had essentially sold her to a demon. They'd willingly given her up in exchange for power. Some part of her mind tried to reason with her; after all, they'd done it for the good of the kingdom...
A kingdom which she'd never seen, aside from the sliver outside her window. They would sacrifice her with no thought of her well being, not bothering to wonder if she'd like to meet the people of the land she'd been sacrificed for.
She felt a darkness stir within her. Angrily, she crumpled the contract. She made her way back to her room without incident, where she lit a candle at her bedside. She held the contract above it, letting the flame lick at the parchment. Once it had caught, she took it over to the window, where she watched as the flames consumed the contract, turning the agreement null and void. She thrust her hand into space, and watched in a satisfied manner as the ashes floated away, carried by a gentle breeze.
Just then, a burning sensation took root in her back.
The mark. It burned hotter, hotter, and hotter still, until she felt it all through her being. It filled her up, this black fire. Turned her to dust from the inside out. Her soul was consumed by it to be transformed to ash and smoke. Just then, she felt a horrible pain in her middle. She curled into a ball again, hands clutching at her stomach. The pain eventually eased, and she felt warm liquid trickle from between her legs.
She was left spent, useless on the cold floor of her bedchamber, cheek pressed against cool stone. Glazed eyes stared unseeing into space. There was an emptiness inside her. She supposed that was where her soul had been before it was burned away. The urge to fill that emptiness overwhelmed her.
With some dismay, she sat up and realized it was still daylight. Right. It couldn't have been more than a few hours after breakfast. She stood. There was one thing that had all of her attention, one carnal urge that took over every one of her senses in its intensity. She paid no mind to the blood streaming down her legs.
Then she heard a voice. "Rapunzel?"
It was a man, calling to her from outside the window. Something stirred within her. The man... Her fiancé! He shouldn't be here, should he? She glanced over to the window, where the rope hung. She must have accidentally bumped it when she'd thrown the contract out the window. He mustn't see her this way. She turned to remove the rope from where it was secured at the sill, but it was too late. He stood just inside her room.
His eyes widened in shock when he caught sight of her. "Your eyes- what happened?"
She didn't bother with a response. The feeling that had momentarily escaped her was returning full force.
Hunger. This was all she felt. The only emotion she knew. Had there been others before this? She could not recall. This hunger was like a pain that tore all the way through her, ate her alive. It demanded sustenance, having already consumed her own soul in its need.
She reached for him. "I need you. My love."
Then the darkness overtook her, as she ripped the soul from his body. Instinct urged her to tear out his throat before he could scream. She felt herself slip away. The last shred of any good thing she'd ever felt, or done, faded away as she ate her fill. Pleasure filled her as the void inside was filled.
But there was something else. She could not quite put her finger on it, but there it was, just at the edge of her consciousness. She was not yet complete.
She made her way into the hall once again. She was not worried about being caught this time. A quick end would come to any who stood in her way. Her internal compass led her down the corridor, and another, and another, until she found her way to the double doors of a balcony that led outside. They swung open at her will.
Rapunzel stood just there, eyes closed, and felt a sliver of something inside her pulling at something out there, like a magnet. That something from outside drew closer, and closer. Finally she opened her eyes. Before her stood a demon, a dark beast from the underworld. It's eyes appraised her carefully.
"Ah, yes. I sensed that something was amiss," it murmured. Unholy red eyes with slitted pupils, filled with curiosity, studied her. Those luminescent globes were familiar in the strangest way.
"You, demon," Rapunzel replied, voice steady. "You are the one who made a contract for my soul."
"Indeed."
That hunger roared inside her, urging her on. She stepped forward.
"I believe you have something that belongs to me." Rapunzel stepped forward again, close enough to reach out and touch the demon. "Do I?" it asked.
"Well, not quite," she clarified. "But I will be taking it all the same."
That sliver inside her, the tiny piece of the demon's essence he'd placed within her so long ago, that which had allowed her to become this thing, longed to be reunited with the rest of itself. Like attracts like, after all.
The urge to consume burned hotter, and in a flash, she reached out. The demon was not ready for this turn of events. Why would a demon, even a fledgling, want to consume another demon? It was not as if they even possessed whole souls of their own.
A strange sense of satisfaction filled her. She couldn't remember why, but she had the sense that this beast had personally wronged her.
But no matter. It was the bloodlust that pushed her forward, and she let go of resistance. Giving in to her base instincts, she reached out with her other hand and ripped the demon in two. Surprise made it an easy kill. She tore it to pieces, and consumed the shreds, licking blood and gore from newly dark fingertips.
This filled her. Finally, some satisfaction.
Rapunzel left the kingdom after that; there was really no reason to stay. Time passed. Eventually, she felt the hunger again. Without a second thought, she consumed human souls.
Although, much to her dismay, she found herself unable to simply take. Every time her cravings began, she had to make an exchange. A willing soul would call to her, and once she'd done as they wished, their soul was hers for the taking. This went on.
Time was endless. Eventually, she found new servants. She was a princess, after all. There was no reason she shouldn't be waited on, hand and foot. Initially, they talked all the time, so she commanded them to be silent unless spoken to.
Centuries later, the memories from her human life were fuzzy and indistinct. The old name meant nothing to her, simply an unused word from a dead language.
Human souls were food to her. Nothing more than sustenance. And she was purely a consumer. Time passed, and in the haze of blood and hunger, she forgot her name. But then that changed. One night, a young boy called upon her. His hair a shock of red atop his head, brown eyes wide in fright- or excitement.
"Wow, you really came!" he said, clasping his hands together.
"I am here, yes," she confirmed. "But shouldn't you be afraid of dying, boy?"
"Of course I'm scared! I'm about to piss meself!"
"Then, why call me?" she asked wonderingly.
He smiled, eyes twinkling. "Because it'll make my brother happy!"
Her eyes widened in shock. This child would willingly give up his life for another person? Just for another person's...happiness? She knew the meaning of the word, and wondered if she'd ever experienced it before. After all, her life from before was nothing more than a blur, a brief blip in her long existence.
They came to an agreement. She was to kill the inhabitants of the village nearby. All the while she wondered about the boy. He was different.
Beforehand, she watched the boy and his brother from a rooftop. He bowed to the other boy, hand over his heart. "Yes, Your Highness!" This boy, Luka, and his devotion to his brother astounded her. Something stirred within her that she couldn't remember having felt before. She looked him, and he was...precious.
Even so, she was a demon. There was only one thing she could do for him: grant his wish. And grant it she did. Afterward, a sense of sadness filled her as she completed their agreement and devoured his soul.
It was the first time a soul she'd eaten had been grateful.
His gratefulness stayed with her. It cultivated this... thing inside her. She realized it to be emotion. To actually feel something after all this time was a shock. Truth be told, she'd forgotten what it had been like. To feel. But here it was again, and she was unwilling to let it go.
And there was something else. She could feel Luka's presence within her. He was lonely, longing for his brother. He showed her images and feelings filled with love and devotion. And she began to long for him also. So she kept Luka's soul close to her mind, unwilling to let him get sucked into the void that was her wretched soul.
It was only a few years later that she found him. She agreed to work with Claude as a subordinate. As if. While the demon Claude remained ignorant to her true goals, she created a plan. Alois, unfortunately, was also unknowing. But it was enough, just to be near him. He took out all his frustration on her, but the pain he inflicted was nothing compared to the emptiness inside. She accepted it all happily; better it was to feel his wrath rather than nothing at all.
When the time finally came, he insisted that Claude be included also. His love for him was bright and consuming, unforgiving. Of course she would do anything for him, and agreed to the terms. Alois loved him, and so she loved him also.
Briefly she wondered what would become of the others who'd been affected. She pondered how the boy, Ciel, would handle his life. She wondered if Ciel's demon, Sebastian, would find peace with the new arrangement. Most likely. Forever was a long time to hold a grudge.
Finally, the time came, and the four of them were together. The rocks tumbled down upon them, but it was not painful. She held the shell of Claude and felt the souls stir happily within her. Death welcomed all, greedy as it was. They drifted off into the unknown. Finally, peace had been found.
She wondered what this meant. Had the Almighty God felt pity and given them this peace? Had He really shown two evil creatures mercy? With ease, she pushed all the wonderings from her consciousness. It was all of no relevance now.
They floated through time and space, and Creation itself, and there they remained, evermore.
A/N: Review please, but go easy on me-I already know it's probably pretty rushed. Mucho impatient.