Dlbn: Hello everyone, and welcome to a new chapter!
Nbld: We didn't expect much great reception here, but we're so happy to see that so many people like it!
Dlbn: That's right! It's our first crossover fic ever, PLUS our first Demon Diary fic ever!
Nbld: Two firsts in one!
Dlbn: That's right!
Nbld: Let's not waste any more time and get onto the Review Corner! Thank you to promocat, Paxloria, and Yoitemichaelis for reviewing! Candy for you all!
Promocat: I haven't read it in a while. I need to get back to that ^^" Hope you enjoy :3
Paxloria: You're welcome! Demon Diary is one of my favorites. I'm missing two volumes T_T They should so make an anime for it. I've been saying that for years. Thanks! I've got most of it plotted out, so it will be finished eventually! Yeah, this is set in the middle of season 2 of Black Butler. Yes, that's exactly where it is in the Demon Diary world ^^ Another chapter coming up!
Yoitemichaelis: Aw I'm glad you're enjoying :D Aren't they, though?! They just need to shut up and get together, damn it! :P Next chapter coming up! Quick answer. You'll have to wait and find out ;)
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Black Butler! That all belongs to Yana Toboso. I make NO money off of using this category.
Disclaimer 2: I do NOT own Demon Diary! That all belongs to Kara! I make NO money off of using this category
000
In the kitchen, Eclipse was greeted with the sight of Raenef sitting in a chair at the countertop, Chris rubbing his head while he sat at the kitchen table, and a grumpy looking Erutis sitting across from him and kicking the Cleric's chair rhythmically.
"What is so important that you had to wake us all up, Chris?" Eclipse wondered, folding his arms as he took his place next to Raenef. "This had better be important."
Fire flared up in his left hand to show that he meant a threat from his last words.
"Alright, well, I was in the market square to pick up some berries this morning because I was hungry and wanted some to eat." Chris explained. "And while I was talking to the merchant, he just vanished!"
"Vanished?" Raenef wondered, scratching the back of his neck. "Could he have been a demon or something? Did he say 'go' first?"
"I didn't sense a demonic aura around him." Chris shook his head. "And no, he didn't say anything. I was asking him for a container of ripe blackberries, and he just vanished. The tray fell to the floor and spilled and everything. I freaked out and ran back here. Normal people don't just randomly vanish!"
Eclipse moved his hand to cover his mouth and chin as he thought. "No, I suppose they don't."
"Sometimes I wish Chris would randomly vanish." Erutis muttered, giving Chris a look of death.
The Cleric shrunk away from her, fearful of her wrath.
"We can check it out later." Eclipse informed. "It's possible that a veil between this world and the next could have opened…"
"You mean like a door to the Underworld?" Raenef wondered, clutching Eclipse's arm out of fear.
"Something like that, yes." Eclipse nodded, prying Raenef's fingers off as he looked down into the teen's clear blue eyes. "Master Raenef, a Demon Lord should never show fear…"
Erutis yawned. "Can we go back to bed now? God, Chris, if this was all you had to talk about, you could've just told Eclipse."
"I thought everyone should know just in case something like that happens to one of us." Chris looked around. "It's possible, isn't it?"
"Hm…highly unlikely. This castle has never had a problem with that, as we don't lie close enough to the field to be affected."
"The field?" Raenef wondered.
"It's what people refer to as the gateway between this world and the world of the dead." Erutis informed. "Clerics call it purgatory, I think."
"No, that's the space between this world and the next." Chris said. "Another world in and of itself. Clerics have no name for the gateway between. I don't think we even believe in a gateway."
Raenef looked at Eclipse with wide, fearful eyes. "E-Eclipse…? We're safe here, right? W-We just can't leave the castle, right?"
"This whole area should be protected, but I will advise you not to go far, master Raenef. There are many wild demons and rogue Clerics and killers out there that would love to make a Demon Lord into a snack or a trophy."
Raenef gasped.
"What?! Why didn't you tell me this before!" His eyes grew wider, if possible. "Go!"
With that, the boy vanished.
"Smooth move, Eclipse." Chris leered. "You made your oh-so-powerful Demon Lord into a fearful baby. Well done." He began clapping sarcastically.
Eclipse glared at him out of the corner of his eye and conjured fire. He flicked his wrist and the fire attached itself to Chris' hair. The Cleric grabbed onto his burning flesh and ran around the kitchen, screaming.
"Go." Eclipse said, vanishing in the same manner that Raenef had done.
Erutis laughed, leaning her chin on her hand on the table. "Smooth move, Chris. You pissed off a very powerful Demon War Lord. Good job."
Chris ignored her in favor of running around screaming. With a sigh, Erutis stood and walked out of the kitchen.
000
A carriage drawn by a black horse sat near an alleged crime scene. Ciel Phantomhive stood, leaning on his cane, next to his butler as he inspected the white chalk that had made an 'x' where a man had recently disappeared from. Another male sat not too far away, being questioned by Scotland Yard as he sat on a wooden crate.
"No burn marks, no blood…" Ciel paused. "What in the world could this mean, Sebastian?"
"I haven't the foggiest idea." Sebastian replied, shaking his head. He leaned down to his young master's ear; hidden behind a curtain of blue-black hair. "Perhaps talking to this man might shed some light on the situation. Scotland Yard doesn't seem to be having much luck. And you know how crass they can be at times."
"Hm, yes. Don't I know it." Ciel sighed. He strutted over to the confused man, using his cane as leverage.
"I don't know where I am or who you are!" The man sitting on the box was telling the officers.
"What is your name?" The officer wondered, sounding bored.
"I am Ervin." The man replied. "Look, I just want to go home!"
"And where is home?"
"The town of Pulhel." The man stated.
"And where is that?"
"In the southern side of the world."
"I don't recall a town of Pulhel in the southern hemisphere. It sounds made up." A second officer said.
The male's mouth dropped. "Look, I'm a member of the Thief's Guild of Pulhel! If that's why you're playing these mind games with me, then just arrest me! I'd rather have the Guard kill me then deal with this!"
"You're a Thief?" Ciel wondered. "You certainly fit the part."
The startled man looked up at the Earl, a look of confusion blending into his features. "W-Who are you?"
The constable sighed. "Earl Phantomhive, what a pleasure." His tone was sarcastic, Sebastian made quick note. "No doubt the Queen has sent you?"
"Queen?" Ervin wondered. "Which Queen?"
"Queen Victoria." Sebastian informed. "The only Queen of this country."
"W-Where am I? No one will tell me anything. They just keep asking about someone that went missing before I came!"
"You are in London, England." Sebastian said. "Are you telling me you have never heard of the Queen or Scotland Yard? Or even my master, Earl Phantomhive?"
The man shook his head.
"Phantomhive…butler…this man is obviously unwell and had something to do with the kidnapping of Thomas Smithson." The Constable said, ignoring the protests that then came from Ervin. "Do not humor him, and let the Yard handle things here."
"I'm afraid not!" A feminine voice called from behind Ciel. "The Queen has sent Phantomhive and myself on this mission personally!"
Ciel groaned and turned to see a blonde boy in shorts that were too short and a long purple coat waving a letter feverously.
"As such, it's our duty to handle this!" The boy took some quick steps forward, making the bespectacled butler behind him practically run to keep up with the boy's long strides. "I suggest you bug off and let us do what we were asked. Right, Ciel?"
"You do not have the right to call me by my name." Ciel glared. "It's Earl Phantomhive to you, Earl Trancy."
"Oh, so formal!" The blonde earl shook his head and shoved the letter in his pocket. "For today, just call me Alois, Ciel."
"Earl Phantom-"
"So how about it, constable? Sod off and let us work?"
The Constable sputtered for a few moments. "Such…such vulgar language…" He then cleared his throat and straightened his collar. "Very well, I shall leave you to this. Have this man sent to the Yard when you are through." He and the two officers accompanying him walked off.
"T-Thanks…they were really pressing me…" Ervin informed the Earls.
"Think nothing of it!" The boy stuck out the tip of his tongue. "We're doing this for the Queen, though, not for your sorry hide. So don't mistake it for kindness when it's simply business!"
"To think that you do anything as strictly business and not an opportunity to gain information on a person's weakness or be a shameless flirt is surprising." Ciel snorted.
"Oh, relax, Ciel." Alois said, and Ciel didn't feel like correcting him because it would do no good. "So what in the bloody hell is going on around here? People vanishing and different people appearing? How odd!"
"I don't know." Ervin stated, shaking his head. "I told that rude guy that I don't know where I am."
"Hm…perhaps he has stumbled through the veil." The butler with the black glasses informed. His golden eyes shone in the sunlight.
Sebastian gave him a small smile, closing his eyes. "I was thinking along the same lines."
"Sebastian. What is he talking about?"
"You don't know about the Veil?" Alois wondered, gasping. "Oh, Ciel, do get with the program!"
Ciel glared. "You don't know what it is either, do you."
"Of course I…! …well…um…Claude! Explain for him!" Alois glared at the dark haired Earl, easily frustrated.
Claude chuckled at his master's discomfort. "The Veil is a thin layer that exists between this world and the next." He informed. "It is weak in certain areas, such as the ocean at the bottom of the Cliffside in east Manchester. However, it can sometimes be weakened in places where it normally is strong. Take London, for example."
"So all we gotta do is seal up the Veil to prevent more people from going in or out, right?" Alois wondered practically bouncing on his toes.
"Wait! How do I get home!?" Ervin wondered.
"As you may have guessed, the Veil opening is entirely random and unpredictable." Claude informed, adjusting his black wire glasses. "We have no way of telling when it will open, much less how to get you to the location of the next opening in time and push you through. You may be stuck here for quite some time, Ervin. I suggest making yourself comfortable."
"Claude, you didn't answer my question." Alois pouted, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Yes, Your Highness, that is all we have to do." Claude put a hand on his chest and bowed slightly to accentuate his apology to the blonde.
"Seems easy enough." Alois nodded. "But how do we do it?"
"And what of the missing townsfolk?" Ciel wondered, tapping his cane on the ground. "How do we get them to return?"
"Unless someone on the other side of the Veil wasn't hungry and saw the arriving townsfolk as a meal, we stand little chance of returning them. Without someone on the other side knowing and being willing to help, it is likely not happening." Claude informed. "Like I said, the Veil is highly unpredictable. The slight breaks in it are what allowed your butler," He spat 'your butler' like the words were poison, "and myself to this world."
"I thought Ciel and I summoned you." Alois blinked in confusion.
"Yes, but if it wasn't for the Veil breaking, we wouldn't have been able to respond." Sebastian replied before Claude could and make him look like a clueless fool.
"Makes sense." Ciel nodded.
"Wait…they're from the other side?" Ervin wondered, gulping. "They're d-demons…?"
The others turned to look at him finally.
"Demons?" Alois wondered. "Don't be absurd!"
"Does that mean you two are Demon Lords?" Ervin stood quickly. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't realize I'd wandered into the territory of two Demon Lords! My apologies!"
"I already said you were being absurd!" Alois rolled his eyes.
"A Demon Lord?" Sebastian wondered. "Ciel and Alois are mortal."
Claude chuckled. "A Demon Lord is a very powerful Demon; each ruling a different vector of hell." He informed. "I highly doubt two thirteen year old boys would qualify."
"Claude!" Alois hissed. "Put a sock in it!"
"A D-Demon Lord rules over lesser Demons in their own territories. Like Pulhel and Egae…" Ervin replied. "Are you telling me things are different here?"
"Pulhel and where?"
"It seems we have stumbled on an inter-dimensional issue." Sebastian pointed out.
"I would say so. A world parallel with ours." Claude nodded once.
"W-What are you talking about?" Ervin wondered. "I'm tired, I want to rest…"
"You can stay at our manor." Sebastian informed. "It's not often we have guests to entertain."
"Lady Elizabeth." Ciel pointed out.
"It's not very often we have interesting guests to entertain."
Ciel rolled his eye. "You're too hospitable."
"I-If your Demon Lord is against it, then…"
"I am not a Demon Lord." Ciel tapped his cane on the ground. "I am Earl Ciel Phantomhive; head of the Phantomhive household. Sebastian is my butler. That is all."
"Oh! I better introduce myself, too!" Alois added. "I am Earl Alois Trancy, of the Trancy household! This is my servant, Claude!"
"A p-pleasure…but if you're not Demon Lord, why do you have demons serving under you?"
"Contractual obligations." Sebastian informed with a smile. "Come, we can discuss it over dinner."
"We're coming too!" Alois invited himself. "This is our job as well!"
"Fine, for a little while. Then you have to make yourselves scarce." Ciel glared. "I don't want filth like you in my manor."
"Ooh, so bold." Alois stuck out his tongue, which was tattooed with an ornate golden star in a circle. "Careful, Ciel. With a tone like that, some perv may just steal you away and turn you into one of his boy toys."
Ciel glared. "The only perv I have to worry about taking me is you."
Alois giggled. "Guilty as charged!" He clapped his hands and stuck one in the air. "Olé!"
Ciel rolled his eye. "Come, then, Ervin." He ordered. "We must discuss more about this world you supposedly hail from."
Ervin stood n shaky feet. "Y-Yeah…c-coming…"
"You look poor…" Alois informed sadly.
"I am poor…"
No one spoke for a moment.
"Your social standing is of no concern to me." Ciel stated. "I don't see any more information that can be obtained here."
"Don't you ever take a break from talking like a stuffy old man?" Alois huffed. "You're thirteen. Start acting like it!"
"I act fine, thank you."
"No you don't~" Alois sang.
"Faustus, I suggest you shut your master up before I do it for you." Sebastian warned, smiling sweetly.
Claude glared as Alois shrunk back behind his butler for security.
"C-Claude…you wouldn't really let him shut me up, would you?" Alois' lower lip trembled.
"Of course not, your Highness." Claude replied, making Alois giggle in happiness.
"Let's go." Ciel ordered, a bit more forcefully. "We don't have all day, and it's nearly supper."
He walked past the others. Sebastian turned on his heel and followed his young master.
"Wait up, Ciel!" Alois called, chasing after the dark haired male.
Claude and Ervin were close behind.