Sorry it took so long for me to update. I forgot I told my beta that I was going to edit this (poorly) by myself this time since we're all busy with our own things...Oops...
Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this. Like before, I apologize if my characters are somewhat out of character. My goal is to write fanfictions for the Kuroshitsuji fandom to be as in character as possible... because... frankly, I thought the Anime was too short.
Okay... enough with my ramblings... Please enjoy the second half of this fanfiction~! Please leave feedback! I'd love to hear from readers as to how my first Kuroshitsuji fanfiction turned out.
"Bocchan… has your resolve shattered so quickly?"
"W-what are you talking about? S-Sebastian?" He looked around frantically in the dark… was he floating? Where is he? Where's Sebastian? "Show yourself!"
All he heard was a soft chuckle. "Are you so eager to have a taste of something you have lost that you would throw everything away in an attempt to only touch it? To surround yourself with lies in an attempt to take back the childhood that was stolen from you?"
Ciel gritted his teeth. "Shut up, you cat-obsessed idiot!"
Another light chuckle. "Humans are so amusing; they will hold on to anything that may help them escape from the situation they are in, even if they spin themselves in a cocoon of lies. How pathetic, to see that even you have succumbed to such a desperation."
Ciel swung his fists wildly about himself in an attempt to strike his butler. "SHUT UP! You bastard!"
"Ah… yes… Indeed, I shall. In the mean time, it is time to wake up, Young Master…"
Ciel's eyes snapped open, startled, only to find himself in absolute darkness. The lack of even a small crack of light made him feel very uneasy.
"S-Sebastian…?" He called out sleepily into the darkness… and waited. Ciel continued, feeling about in the darkness; he was on a bed, sleeping on a pillow, covered by a warm blanket. His arm carelessly hit the surface of the wooden bed frame, the clang of porcelain hitting wood reached his ears. He stiffened, startled at the sound that his arm made against the wood before he finally remembered what had happened. That's right… I'm a porcelain doll… It is not something easy to become accustomed to.
Slowly, Ciel pulled himself out of bed, and made his way towards the nearest wall; arms outstretched exploring the darkness. It was a moderately-sized room, smaller than his own in the Phantomhive estate, yet it felt strangely comfortable – the feeling growing with each passing day. He continued to search around the walls of his dark confinement for a door, elated once his porcelain fingers brushed against what felt like a doorknob.
He curled his fingers around the doorknob and turned it slowly and quietly pushed open the door only to be blinded by the brightness of the sunlight that has bathed the entire store in its glow. He stumbled back a few steps, caught off guard by the blinding light and blinked a few times - waited for his eyes to adjust. The doll shop was empty except for Drocell, who sat on a simple wooden chair in front of a simple wooden table in the middle of constructing a new doll for the shop.
Drocell, upon hearing the sound of soft footsteps within the room, immediately stopped working and turned his attention to his lovely doll. He greeted his doll with a small smile. "Have you slept well, my beautiful doll?"
"I… suppose… "
There was a short pause.
"Since you are awake," Drocell said, "I reason, it is be a good time to dress you in something even more beautiful for the morning." The caring, gentle tone of his voice immediately dispelled any doubt of sincerity in Ciel's mind.
He got up from his wooden chair and set the unfinished doll aside and gently guided Ciel to the back of the store. A slight chill ran through Ciel as he remembered the very hallway and its menacing and dim lights. Strangely enough, while he walked quietly alongside the doll maker, this place offered him a sense of… warmth and comfort; something that was rarely felt even within the many rooms of the Phantomhive estate.
Drocell picked him up and set him on the another wooden chair that sat against the wall, he smiled slightly, "Please wait for a moment." The orange-haired doll maker walked to a dark, unlit corner of the room and opened the door of a closet. Curious, Ciel leaned to the side in an attempt to see what the doll maker has planned for him to wear.
"What are you looking for?" The tone of curiosity was evident in his voice. His question was immediately answered when Drocell turned around. In his hand he held a set of clothing in an ivory-white.
"This colour, I reason, will look beautiful against your skin…"
Ciel let out a yawn, trying to focus his gaze on the garments set out for him. I'm… so sleepy … "A-are we going somewhere…?" He struggled to stay awake as Drocell began to dress him.
"Would you like to accompany me on some errands today, my beautiful doll?" He finished buttoning the last button on Ciel's clothing, tying a matching silk ribbon around his neck.
Ciel nodded, rubbing his eyes. Why do my arms feel so… heavy? It seemed to take all of his strength to lift his arms to rub his eyes. Drocell helped him stand on his feet and dressed him in a warm coat before leading him outside – a gentle smile plastered his face.
Locking the door of the shop before going on their way, strolling around the streets of London, they passed a newsboy standing in front of a newsstand.
"Phantomhive Earl Mysteriously Disappears: Nowhere to be Found!" The newspaper boy waved a copy of the newspaper while he announced the headline. The two of them stopped dead in their tracks before turning their attention to the newspaper boy.
"Wud ya like a copy, 'ood sir?" The newspaper boy handed Drocell a copy of the newspaper, the headline in large, black bold print with a very detailed black-and-white picture of the Earl, sitting in his chair, frowning. "Qui' a case ain' it? Disappearin' withou' a trace an' all…"
Drocell's violet eyes focused on the newspaper boy for a split second before scanning over the article.
"Two weeks into the search for the missing Earl Ciel Phantomhive... Scotland Yard is baffled...With no ransom note…" He looked at his doll, who looked back at him with his deep, sapphire eyes.
"Is… something wrong?" Ciel asked with a loud yawn, barely paying attention. He had to struggle to keep himself from wobbling.
"No," Drocell smiled back at him and returned the newspaper to the newspaper boy, "We shall continue on our way," He took Ciel's hand and led the way into the heart of London.
=.=.=.=
A tall male figure clad in a black cloak stood far away, watching the doll maker leading the child through the crowd of people in the bustling streets of London.
Ah… Young Master… I have finally found you. How amusing it is to see how easily you have been manipulated by that puppeteer. His ruby red eyes followed his master as the two of them walked by, Though it is quite befitting; You may be the Queen's watchdog, the head of the Phantomhive household, and the president of the most successful toy company in England… but you are still a child. And a child's mind is malleable... He quickly disappeared – reappearing in a dark alley not too far away. It was time for an interception. You cannot run from a demon, Young master. He walked out into the busy streets, just in time to have Ciel bump into him.
"I-I'm terribly sorry, sir!" Ciel stumbled a few steps backwards, startled. He looked up to be greeted with a pair of fierce, red eyes. "S-Sebastian?" He looked around quickly, as if frantic, to see that Drocell has disappeared – swallowed by the thick crowd of people.
"I see you are still alive, young master." Sebastian greeted him with a slight bow, his lips curved into a smirk.
It took all of Ciel's will power not to slap him across his face in an attempt to wipe that annoying smirk off of his face. "You… bastard…" He managed to choke out, his hands bunched into tight fists as he glared at his butler. Wait… was he still his butler…?
"Ah… I see you seem quite surprised to see me, young master," Sebastian bowed slightly lower, his smirk growing wider, "I am honoured."
"…"
"Oh… you are speechless. I see that in your haste to make a contract with me, you have not taken the terms of our contract completely to heart," He mused.
"Shut up! You damned bastard," Ciel hissed between his teeth.
" I see you are still upset with me, Bocchan," Sebastian noted blandly, "However, even in our current situation…this will not change the fact that I am responsible for your well-being until our contract is fulfilled."
"Tch," Ciel scoffed, his deep, blue eyes continued to glare at his butler, "You're doing a fine job of that you damned demon." He commented with sarcasm, his tone laced with annoyance. Couldn't his supposed "one hell of a butler" butler tell that he was reduced to a talking doll?
"Ah... I am pleased to know that your resolve has not shattered completely," He lifted a gloved hand and gently placed it against his master's porcelain cheek only to have his hand swatted away angrily by his master.
"Who gave you permission to touch me?"
"My sincerest apologies, Bocchan," Sebastian bowed, that smirk faltering slightly.
Ciel continued to stare at his butler coldly in silence, feeling his legs wobble in the slightest.
"Then I shall eagerly await your call…my lord." Before Ciel knew it, Sebastian had done the unspeakable; turning and walking away from him. Him! As Sebastian's cloaked figure melted into the crowd, Ciel attempted to chase after him. There's no way he will let Sebastian get away with this! His porcelain legs ran as fast as he could possibly make them, down one street after another until he ran into a dead end with Sebastian nowhere to be seen.
Ciel gritted his teeth angrily – his body quivering in a mix of anger and disbelief. Unbelievable! That bastard left him all alone again! Turning around to leave, Ciel felt his legs wobble, to the point of giving out. Am I tired…? W-what is this feeling…? He took a few more wobbly, slow steps; it was getting harder and harder to walk. Staggering onward, he felt his legs finally give out from under him. He collapsed onto the dirt ground – his body numb and unresponsive. His vision began to lose focus. In his fading consciousness he saw the unfocused outline of the doll maker walking towards him, closer and closer.
A stray tear fell from his eyes. You were supposed to never leave my side, Sebastian. What… happened…?
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
…
…
W-what is this place? He was floating, surrounded by … feathers? Damn… not this dream again…
"Bocchan…"
Sebastian? He could feel himself drifting lazily around in this odd place. It felt… nice.
"Bocchan… it is time for you to wake up…"
But… this place feels nice… it's peaceful and quiet… I… don't want to wake up yet…
"Bocchan… you must…" Was there desperation in his voice?
No… I'm sleeping…Where is your voice coming from?
"Bocchan…" He felt two arms slowly wrapping themselves around him. Mm… That feels nice too. It's nice and warm…just… let me sleep for a few more minutes… "As long as the contract exists, I will protect your life. However, if you make a mistake of your own accord, you will only experience the most brutal of suffering. You are aware, are you not?"
There is no contract anymore… He took out my contract eye. Our contract is over Sebastian…you don't need to protect or serve me anymore…
"Ah… that is where you are wrong, my Lord."
I am?
"The contract mark is simply something demons put onto their contractor so that we may locate you wherever you may be." Ciel closed his eyes only to feel a gentle touch on his right eyelid. "And the closer that mark is to the eye, the stronger the enforcement. Without the contract mark on your eye, it was slightly more difficult to locate you. That is all."
Ciel reopened his eyes to find himself being carried in his butler's arms; both of them floating in this world of grey. Why am I dreaming about you Sebastian?
"Bocchan…this is no dream… this place is the border between the realms of life and death."
Life and death? Am I dying…?
"Yes you are. And the longer you stay here, the closer you will be to death. And the harder to bring you back to the realm of the living."
How… did this happen?
"Bocchan… please do not speak more. You need to wake up now. Or you may never wake up again."
Was this the doll-maker's doing?
"You will find the answers once you wake up, Bocchan. Now please do not linger here any longer."
Never leave my side again, Sebastian. That's an order.
"Yes, my Lord," Sebastian gave a slight bow, "I shall be forever by your side; until the end. Until I hear the words, 'check mate'."
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
Ciel's opened his eyes slowly to find himself standing in an eerily familiar dim-lit room. He tried to move, only to find his body as heavy and unresponsive as ever. Suddenly, something that resembled a thin thread of silk caught his eye. Squinting slightly, the thin, silk-like thread became easier to see. His eyes followed the string trying to find the source or whatever that string was connected into; following it as long as he could to its source only to find it disappearing into a dark corner of the room.
Well, that was unproductive.
He then retraced the thread with his eyes to find where it was attached to. He can feel a throbbing in the back of his head; the pounding in his head getting louder and louder as he traced the thread – it was getting closer and closer to him. He tilted his head slightly to see where the thread ended; attached securely to his wrist. He let out a startled cry, his body jerked out of reflex, throwing himself off balanced and toppling over.
W-where the hell am I? He felt around the dark room, crawling around the room – too afraid to get up. Why was there this… string around my wrist? He tugged on it slightly, immediately noting its durability despite its delicate appearance. He tried to move his arm but was held in place by the string. What is going on here? He gave his arm another desperate jerk with the same result. Damn it!
Ciel froze when he heard footsteps from the other side of the room, coming closer and closer. The door slowly creaked open allowing light to penetrate the dark room. This… this is…! Ciel's eyes widened with realization. The room was filled with the life-sized dolls; The room where he casted away his former life to...to do what...? He felt the wrist that was bound by this mysterious thread pull him into a standing position.
"What a naughty little doll you are," Drocell stated, slowly walking into the room, "You are not supposed to move."
Ciel stood there, frozen in a state of anger, fear, and disbelief while staring at the doll maker. He was walking towards him, closer and closer, in an agonizingly slow pace.
Bocchan… call my name…
Drocell was now in arm's distance away from him before he felt another piece of thread attach itself to his arms and legs, rendering him immobile.
"You truly are one of a kind, my beautiful doll. So full of life."
Call the name you have given me, Bocchan.
"Sebastian…" Ciel felt a dull burning sensation in his right eye. Was he here? He looked around. Nope.
"Oh?" Drocell leaned closer to examine his surfacing contract in his eye, "Your eye is damaged once again and such an… odd mark it is. Another replacement, I reason, is necessary." The orange-haired doll-maker turned and walked out of the room to retrieve his tools and another glass eye to replace his 'damaged' eye – leaving Ciel all alone. Unable to move his body, he quickly scanned the room. This room… it's filled with these strings….! But… where do they lead to?
Then Ciel saw them – the crowd of life-size dolls with the strings attached to every movable joint on their bodies. Unable to help himself, he cried out in alarm while trying to wriggle himself free. He felt something move behind him and heard it clatter to the floor. His heart skipped a beat when he heard the sound of a little girl crying.
"I… don't want to go back…"
That sound…! His mind flashed back to the day he made his decision to stay. It… it was all a lie? But… why? Tears of frustration, embarrassment and anger stung his face. I was such a fool. How could I be so stupid…?
He turned his head as the shadow of the doll-maker made its way to the door. "I hope you are not purposely hurting yourself, my beautiful doll. Such an injury is not beautiful…" He set the glass eye aside.
Bocchan… now is not the time to hesitate…
"S…Sebastian…" Ciel called out weakly, his body trembling and his vision blurred by tears. What is this… lightheaded feeling?
"Such a peculiar doll you are," Drocell said as he walked to a nearby drawer and took out his tools, "So lively… but a doll full of life – such a willful doll, it is not beautiful." He slowly walked to his trembling doll and pried his contract eye open forcefully.
No… not this time. I will not succumb to such a thing. Never again! He glared at the doll-maker with his eyes as the pentagram on his eye began to glow. "Sebastian!"
Immediately, the sound of clicking heels rang loudly in a slow, calm pattern – coming closer and closer.
"Good grief, Bocchan… it took you longer than expected to call for me. Have you found the answers you were looking for?" Sebastian's voice was coming closer and closer to that dark, eerie room.
"I have had enough of this! End this immediately! That's an order!" Ciel snapped back through gritted teeth, seething with rage at his butler's light, carefree tone.
"Yes, my Lord." Sebastian's shadow blocked the light emitted from the hall with only his glowing demonic eyes piercing the darkness.
Within a second, Ciel felt the thin strings holding him prisoner break with a satisfying snap before being released from his tangled imprisonment and the comfort of his butler's arms carrying him. Is this… safety…?
"Such a troublesome young master you are. You do seem to have a knack for getting caught in such situations. Though this time, you were a bit too close to death as I would have liked."
Ciel glared at his butler, "This is no time to be spouting your sick jokes you idiot!"
"Indeed… I do apologize."
"Now hurry up and end this! I don't care how; just do it!" It was madness, perhaps even hysteria that Ciel felt at that moment. He felt his heart pounding against his chest and his head throbbed painfully while his nails dug into his butler's shirt – clutching onto what he hoped was his sanity, trembling.
"Why must you interfere with my work?" Drocell's mechanical voice interrupted the duo's little argument, "Who are you, and why do you steal my beautiful doll away?"
"I am not your - !" Sebastian gently covered his master's mouth.
"Please calm down, Bocchan. I shall settle this as quickly as I can." With Sebastian's gloved hand over his mouth, the only thing he could do was nod.
"Then I shall do everything I can to take my precious doll back." As Drocell said this, the dolls around the room began to twitch before they stood up – their porcelain and wax hands entangled with the puppet strings wrapped themselves around the various weapons around the room. "Make the dolls with iron bars, iron bars. Make the dolls with iron bars. My Fair Lady…"
Upon hearing the eerie tune, Ciel felt his porcelain body turn stiff and watched in pure horror as his body began to move on its own – trying to escape his butler's grasp. "S-Sebastian! What is going on?" His body wriggled out of Sebastian's grasp, landed on the ground and stiffly stood up and mechanically walked towards the doll maker. "SEBASTIAN!"
"Such a talkative doll you are," Drocell stated - watching his doll return to him and felt his little doll flinch as he rested a hand on his porcelain cheeks, "Perhaps I shall silence you." Tools flew into his hands from all directions of the room while he sang his eerie song.
"…Little doll of porcelain, porcelain, porcelain…"
Ciel felt his body lean back, exposing his throat to the doll maker – he could feel the tears building up inside him. His eyes scanned the dimly lit room frantically. Where is Sebastian now?
"…Muted doll of porcelain, porcelain, porcelain…"
Ciel's body trembled uncontrollably, feeling the cold metal of Drocell's tools make contact with his throat – the sharp edge of his tool preparing to pierce throat his neck.
"…Forever… silenced…"
Ciel clamped his eyes shut – his head being the only body part left in his control – waiting for the inevitable pain that will likely pierce his body.
Suddenly, Ciel heard the sound of cracking, splintering wood before his body finally gave out and collapsed into Sebastian's waiting arms. "It is over, my Lord."
So… warm... Ciel unconsciously leaned towards his butler's hold before opening his eyes to look at him. Strange… he's never felt like this near his butler before.
"How strange," The sound of Drocell's voice started Ciel out of his moment of comfort, "I am human… but I have stuffing falling out of my chest and arm…"
Ciel looked at the broken remains of the doll maker and the dolls that littered the floor silently before burying his face into his butler's chest, "I've had enough. Burn this place to the ground."
"Are you certain, my Lord?"
"Don't argue with me. Burn this place to the ground; that's an order!"
"Yes, my Lord."
With a wave of his white gloved hand, the candles in the room ignited while the flame burned bigger and bigger – swallowing everything in the room.
Ciel could not help but let out a sigh of relief, though the fire continued to spread like a contagious disease throughout the entire shop. He can hear the frantic cries of civilians at the sight of the shop bursting ablaze and the heroic voices of those that dared try to extinguish Hell's flames. A Demon's flame cannot be extinguished so easily. He has never felt anything so comforting in his life. And with that, Earl Ciel Phantomhive fell into a peaceful slumber.
…
Sebastian stealthy carried his young master to safety – taking care to avoid the eyes of humans. He stopped, a good distance away; far enough to get away from ashes and desperate screams of frantic humans before focusing his gaze on his master's sleeping face. His milky-white skin, no longer reflecting the light of the fire that burned the doll shop slowly into ashes, was soft and smooth – his cheeks having a soft pink tint as he slept. You look like a vulnerable, defenseless child, Bocchan…
Sebastian leaned closer to his master's sleeping form, "Welcome back, my Lord."
Well... this is it! My first Kuroshitsuji fanfiction! I hope you guys enjoyed it. There was a hint of fanservice wasnt there? xD Not the ending you were hoping for? Anyways, I shall be posting up an epilogue sooner or later... maybe a bit of fanservice? Stay tuned! Thank you for reading this and please leave some feedback!
