This is the second story to "Where Have You Gone?" Some features won't make sense unless you read the first story. I wouldn't say it's entirely necessary to read it considering they almost have nothing to do with each other, but if you want to understand Ciel's desires and passions then it would be best to read the prequel.
Chapter One: A Burning Rage
It had been 13 years since his parents' death, and six months since his fiancée's murder. Sebastian, his loyal butler, had been the cause for all of the horrific demises. Everything had been strategically schemed in order to perfect the most phenomenal crime. After Elizabeth's death, the young man was framed for her grisly fate and was forced to flee from the depths of London. He soon found himself wanted in locations past that and past that, until finally all of Europe knew of his unlawful act. The Middlefords thought of him scandalous. The Queen herself was on a search to end the parade of her former watchdog. He had nothing left. He had no friends, no family. He was a criminal by his butler's doings and would be on the run for the remainder of his lifetime. Not to mention that he was also a demon, and so his lifetime would be a very long time.
Unfortunately, he was a demon thanks to his own doings.
In order to avoid the calamity of being a wanted criminal, he fled into the Underworld to chase after Sebastian; the reason for his revenge. Sebastian had destroyed his life, his future, his past. Sebastian spread bloodshed and deceit into all of his family members. Sebastian caused him to face this unutterably gruesome future. That butler had gone against all orders, but nothing mattered anymore. The soul in which Sebastian craved so much was no longer under his entitlement, considering the young master now portrayed the likes of a demon.
Ciel Phantomhive would be searching for Sebastian Michaelis. He had been searching for that demon the entire time, and he didn't even realize it. Sebastian had lead him to believe that he was always on the trail to find the criminal, when in fact, the criminal was nonetheless always by his side. The acts were brilliantly thought through, until the young master's soul became corrupt. This had somewhat marked the defeat of Sebastian, but not entirely. Ciel would be safe in relations to keeping his soul, but Sebastian was strong and could easily break the earl. It would be a difficult, no- nearly impossible task to defeat the potency of Sebastian. However, the noble had been searching for the demon all along, and now he knew exactly who to search for and knew of his locations; Sebastian would want Ciel to follow him. It was only the personalities which they withheld, so the young master would have to be extra careful when reuniting with his intricate nemesis.
And so there he stood all alone in the midst of the treacherous Underworld. Demons savagely reigned in the depths of the malevolent pit. Some rapidly flew amongst the smoke-filled sky and some wickedly crawled along the dusty, ashy floor. There was no sun, but only distant flames that lit the world like a luminous candle. Far off were large castles and towns, both crumbled and still standing tall. Dry, desert mountains flooded the map along with black and leafless trees. The Underworld was much like Hell, to Ciel's comprehension, only without the countless torture and endless lava pits. The air wasn't humid, but icy to the touch. It left chills on the body of the naïve half-demon, who slowly and silently and in solitude crossed the desert field.
His crimson and contracted eyes scanned the area in search for the nearby town that Sebastian had spoken to him about in the past as his loyal butler; Urbem Excoquere, Latin for the City of Scorch. Supposedly, it was Sebastian's birthplace. There was bound to be someone in the area who knew of the demon's whereabouts.
It was difficult to see amongst the red of the sky, but his eyes would soon adjust in the meantime. He drug his feet across desert sand. No one was there to aid him or assist him on his weary journey for revenge. He was now on his own. Sebastian wouldn't be there to feed him or dress him or solve his problems. However, it had been a total of 10 years that Sebastian hadn't aided him with any of his duties. The 23 year old Ciel Phantomhive had been forced to abide in his own doings by himself, which had always been great practice for a dire situation such as this.
Ciel approached the towering stone wall of Urbem Excoquere, which was actually a large barrier protecting a town inside from the outside uncivilized demons. He quietly trudged inside the gates and made his way through the crowded pathway. Coarse demons roamed the streets and knocked into the wondering protagonist. They watched him in disgust, staring at his alien eye and his foreign, royal clothes that had yet to be stained with dirt. They knew nothing of his travels or his character. This creature was strange indeed, and so they wouldn't bother to tangle with Ciel unless they knew of his strength and ability.
The young man came to a halt by the market and scanned the area with his eyes in hopes of catching a familiar face, but not to his surprise he knew no one. He strolled to an elder demoness sitting quietly on the floor behind a table filled with pottery. "I'm looking for a demon who goes by the name of Sebastian Michaelis," the earl stated. He pulled out a scroll from his inside coat pocket and unraveled a picture of the creature. The photograph was flaunted in front of her face.
It appeared as if the woman was studying it. Her long, curved fingers and nails took a gentle hold of the paper. "Ah… yes," she whispered warmly. "The demon… in which you speak… abides somewhere in this town…" She discontinued her speech for several moments, catching her breath again.
Ciel was becoming impatient with this sort of behavior. He tore the sheet from her grip and grunted as he marched away from her. "Hey wait!" A voice called in the background. Ciel whipped his head around in a frustrated manner to see who the beggar was. A tall and large man waved him back, so the young master returned to the demon's spot. "I might know of his location, but I will need some sort of pay," the animal hummed. Ciel scowled at the filthy creature. He was in no mood or position to pay this slime, but he was desperate for a sign. The stubborn earl carefully pulled out his wallet and began to slip out a few notes, but the small demon looked at noble as if he lacked intelligence. "What the hell is that? I don't want paper! I need gold, you scum!" The demon hissed as he began to shove back on the noble.
The old lady was still dragging words as the other demon pushed Ciel away, and the hideous wretch quickly retreated back to his stand. Ciel masked a look of pure detestation but didn't dare to pick a fight with the wicked idiot. He was unsure of its capabilities and didn't wish to be wounded just in case. Instead, he turned back to the babbling woman, deciding to pay good mind to her again.
"… and if you follow that wall… you will eventually arrive to a door… with… a sign named… Michaelis…" She finally wheezed. Ciel watched her spit and cough out a strange black blood and feared he would catch whatever illness she carried, so he quickly split from the scene without a single sign of gratitude. It would be extremely toilsome considering he had no idea which wall where the door lied. His only clue was that the door was located somewhere within the walls of the city.
The young master followed the corridors of the scorching town, which ironically lacked flames yet was hot. The poor young man had to remove his ultramarine coat and throw it over his shoulder to cool himself off. Being a noble of high rank, it seemed lowly and improper to wear his clothes in such a fashion, but he was sweating and there was no other means of helping it. Along the stone walls sat muddy peasants covered in ashes and rags. They were all old and hideous or young and starving. The scene was far worse than the uncivilized areas in London. Every corner he turned either laid a melting carcass or a body nearing death. The stench became unbearable and he had to cover his face with his coat in order to breathe. It was almost impossible to fathom that such a clean and well-mannered demon such as Sebastian was born in such unsightly slumps.
The nauseated earl finally came to his desired destination after what seemed like decades. There was a wooden door with two plants neatly placed on either side. On the door was a sign labeled "Michaelis." This was the spot. Sebastian was just on the other side of that door. Who knew it would have been so easy to find his designated area?
It would seem idiotic to knock on the door. Sebastian could probably smell his scent and was most likely already forming his escape. It would be wiser to barge into the scene, although Ciel was weak and didn't stand a chance against the sturdy demon. But he couldn't waste another opportunity to let the demon go. The earl's chest began to race as he firmly placed his hand on the warm door. He was about to battle Sebastian Michaelis! The noble slammed the door open and dashed into the room. He did his best to make himself appear ferocious and deadly with his strong stance. "Sebastian Michaelis, come out here and prove to me what sort of demon you truly are!" Ciel roared, taking another bold step into the room. But all was silent. "What? Don't you dare coward out, now?!"
"He's not here!" A cranky voice creaked from one of the rooms. "Silence yourself, already!" A very little, old lady began to emerge from another room. She looked as if she should have died years ago. Her skin was an awful purple-grey and her hair was almost completely missing from her scalp. The woman's pupils nearly vanished from her small eyes and she bore no teeth. Her wrinkles seemed to be hanging off of her face. The large, brown horns on her head were now tarnished and busted and cracked. All she had thrown over her was a dirty lavender tunic that bore holes. The scene was pitiful, but a comment on her well-being wouldn't be made. He was there for answers, and he planned on getting some. She didn't seem all too happy with what had just barged into her home. "Who do you think you are, starting a mess inside my little abode?"
Ciel's face flushed from embarrassment. It didn't cross his mind that Michaelis would be the name of some random woman. After all, Sebastian Michaelis was the name that he had given his butler; the butler wasn't born with it. That would mean that this trip would be far more difficult than comprehended. The earl looked away from her and scratched the back of his neck. "S-Sorry!" He stammered, backing away to the door again. He was just about to leave, but another name echoed in his mind. He slowly turned back to stare at the grouchy woman who masked displeased expression. "Do you know a demon by the name of… Lucifer?"
"And what if I do, huh? Any money on you? Scraps? You're not just going to bust into my home, ask me questions, and then not offer me anything, are you?" She huffed. Ciel sneered. He wasn't about to waste any more time with this foul beast. He turned on his heel once more, but she stopped him again with another cry. "Wait, please stay!" She begged, suddenly changing the mood. Ciel stopped, not turning back. "I might know a thing or two. Please stay. It's rare that anyone comes to visit me anymore!"
Ciel's stomach growled. He looked back at her. The woman widely grinned and nodded, knowing exactly how to make him stay. She rushed back into the room she had recently exited from and returned with what looked like normal human bread. He thought that demons only consumed souls and had no use for human food, but apparently it wasn't so. The eager noble sat down on her small couch, which oddly enough was only blocks of wood stacked onto each other with a blanket thrown over it. The old woman then set the bread on a small coffee table. To eat only a loaf of bread would be new to the noble who only consumed the most intricate of foods, but it would have to do since he hadn't eaten in so long.
The strange creature only silently observed Ciel as he picked at his wheat. She widely grinned at him. "That Lucifer demon stole eight souls from me in my lifetime. He's quite the swindler."
"Sounds like who I'm looking for." The cautious earl's eyes slowly drifted from his meal as he glared at the sneaky woman in wonder. "So you do know of him?"
The greedy wretch bowed her head and cackled. She stretched her long, dark nails above her head and stroked her dry, dirtied head. "He's quite the charmer too. Tall and broad and manly and skin like diamonds, that boy is. He used his flirtatious skills to work all my hard earned souls from me. I was a fool to believe he'd desire an elder demoness like myself, but we all fall under odd spells now and then." Her golden eyes moved from the table to the young man, and she seductively flickered her tongue around. "What makes an innocent boy like you want to tangle with a dangerous man like him? What makes you want to talk to Lucifer so badly?"
The noble's eyes narrowed and he looked away from her again. It wasn't her business to poke around in his, and it didn't seem necessary to tell her. However, it deemed on him sapient if she knew of his troubles so that maybe she could get a better understanding of his crave to find the butler. "He's deceived me as well. I used to be human, you see, but I formed an order declaring that I'd become demon as well. But that's not why he turned against me." Ciel spoke clearly and softly, reflecting on the dreadful past. He nervously folded his hands and sighed. "Before that time came, he had murdered my parents and every family member I had ever loved. After I became a demon, he killed off my fiancée and turned everyone left against me … He's the master of trickery."
The hag was no longer wickedly grinning at him, but was now masking an expression of deep sorrow. She crawled onto the table and passionately placed her feeble hands on his and looked up at him. "What may I do for you?"
The noble moved his hands away from her and placed them on his lap as he leaned back against the bench. "I'd like to know of his whereabouts."
"Well, he lives in the castle, for that matter. If your desires are to speak to the King then you'll have to be of high royalty. Sorry, trashboy."
"Trashboy?!"
"Maybe if you're lucky, you can schedule an appointment with him, but it will be difficult. Only the most important of people actually mange to get a spot in with him." She went on, almost not stopping for a breath. "I might be able to help you out, but only if you help me." Her sunset eyes glimmered when she said these words, and the earl suddenly felt uneasy with this scheme.
Ciel scoffed at the idea in excuse not to aid her. "Does everyone want something in this town?!" He stood up from his seat and took out a coin from his wallet and tossed it onto the table with a flick of his thumb. "Thank you for the bread, but I have no time to assist you." He turned to walk out, but the infantile woman jumped from her perch and clawed onto the earl's leg. Ciel's heart jumped. He instantly whipped his gun from his coat and jammed it against the old woman's head. "Get off of me! Now!"
The demon only cackled again and glued herself to his slacks. "You know those sort of human weapons won't do you any good against a demon like me!" She hissed. The small creature crawled up his clothes and perched herself on his shoulder. Her tongue wiggled in his ear as she spoke; "I'm an old woman, you see, and labor is far beyond my reach now. Bring me a shinigami and I will gladly be able to help you on your quest."
"Shinigami?" Ciel questioned as the demon flew off of his shoulder with her black and dusted wings. "What could a demon like you possibly need a shinigami for?"
She curled herself up on the table and eyed him, bearing those awful pointed yellow teeth she flaunted before. "Demon men are so cruel and don't know how to treat a lady. I want a hunky man; one who will do my bidding for me. I'd like to have you, but… you're only human and won't be able to easily complete my tasks." She lifted her neck and batted her eyelashes. "Bring me a benevolent shinigami- and not a human! I would most likely eat him… I'll be getting your pass into the castle in the meantime!"
The earl's gaze questioned the furtive woman's, but he stepped out of her abode and closed the door shut.
"Also," the woman shouted from behind the door, "I wouldn't go around telling everyone you were human. We don't like those sort of people roaming on our turf." And everything became silent again.
So his journey would begin. Thankfully, he knew two shinigamis. The difficult task would be to convince one of them to travel into the Underworld. It would be complicated to drag Grell down there without the presence of the seducing butler. If he wanted that redhead to come down, he'd have to tell that death god everything. However, the shinigami would be tempted to tag along with him, which would make his journey far more perplexing. It would definitely be clever to beg for the Undertaker's help. That imbecile would easily fall into Ciel's beseeching hands. He could only hope that this strange little demoness would think that the Undertaker actually portrayed "hunky" nature. How annoying a task it would be.
Ciel strode through the dying streets with his head held tall and his coat inelegantly thrown over his face, subtracting some of his noble points. The stench was still unbearable and he couldn't afford to hurl all over the only clothes he had with him at the moment. His next move would be to return to the human world in search for that shinigami. Thankfully, the Undertaker wouldn't be hard to find for the fact that he always lounged around in the graveyards. The real question pertained as to how the noble would return to the surface. He had only just learned how to warp into the Underworld, and had yet to learn how to put his other demon abilities to use. Regardless of the issue, Ciel would have to spend that time investigating how to transport his being back to the surface.
The anxious earl looked side to side before vanishing into an alley. He figured he would attempt to return to the human world the same way he had appeared in the Underworld. The half-demon closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He concentrated on the exact location he wished to reveal himself; the graveyard in which Undertaker most often resided in. He could feel his feet began to go numb, until the loss of feeling crawled up his legs and spread throughout his entire body. A deep, thick fog began to engulf him. He coughed a little, and soon became blinded by the dense smoke. His head began to feel light and his breath began to slip from his lips. The feeling he was experiencing had never been this excruciating on his way to the Underworld, so why was it such trouble retreating to the surface? The earl suddenly lost all sight; everything went black.
All of a sudden, the bewildered youth found himself floating in the midst of the sky. He was hovering over a small and shallow pond. Without a second notice, Ciel plummeted into the pool, letting the water splash every which way. He panicked and coughed as he staggered to flee from the icy water. That wasn't exactly the location he had in mind to land, but at least it was close to his destination. There stood England's finest church. The stone walls untouched by time and the stained glass windows vibrant from the glistening sunshine flaunted themselves gracefully. The soaking young master stood from his ground and let the water drip from his body as he made his way into the elegant structure. The doors flung open with a single push and almost no effort.
Inside calmly sat the Undertaker in one of the cathedral rows, patiently awaiting his guest. The familiar grin enveloped on his cheeks as he dipped his top hat to his friend. "Good evening, earl."