Author's Notes:I know this one is a bit shorter, but I had a desire to post and here we are :) Merry Christmas to everyone. For the record, "Krähe" means "crow" and "Himmel" means "sky" ("Ciel" hah). Whatever. Please review! ;)
Night was slowly falling on the drowsy camp at the foot of the hill. Sebastian could smell the blood oozing out of the wounds of the injured, the stale porridge cooking over the fire in the compound, the horrible stench of death evaporating into the sky from the long brick chimneys protruding from one of the bigger buildings below. He had always loved the smell of death but this… Seemed a bit too much. There can never be too much for someone like you, he liked to remind himself but as he watched hundreds, thousands of small, helpless, insignificant, week people being led through the door of death, something made him think twice. It was such a time for all - reflecting upon oneself was common among everyone, it seemed. Even the Death Gods were more subdued around the area, reaping the souls needed, cringing silently at the amount of work they were forced to do. All because of one person. One great man. Terrible, selfish, insane. But so great. Sebastian closed his eyes and inhaled the putrid smell once more, listening intently to the screams of those beneath the hill. That had been the last batch of the evening. Soon, his presence would be required around the camp. Paperwork. Duty. Those things meant nothing to him, not really. He was not bound to anyone. This was all simply a matter to occupy his time.
It had been several years since he'd encountered his Young Master on the battlefield in France. He had stood, motionless, as the boy had run with inhuman speed towards the edge of the forest, he had heard him cry out in anguish among the dark trees. He hadn't done anything, though. He had been ordered not to. Unfortunately, he had not been ordered not to care. It was almost comical, how much one puny human being had affected his life - existence was probably a better word - and how he had never stopped to think how deep a ripple he had caused.
Sighing, Sebastian leapt off the hill, his hands clasped behind his back. He landed at the entrance of the camp, brushing off his black uniform, so unlike the fine woolen one he had been forced into as a Phantomhive butler. This suit was coarse, rough, though only upon close inspection. From even a foot away, it looked flawless, right, strict. As it was supposed to do. Making his way towards the gate, he clicked his heels together when the two guardsmen came into view and raised his hand in a salute:
"Heil Hitler!"
"Standartenführer Krähe," came the answer from one of the men. Sebastian nodded to both of them fromally and went through the gate, the hinges, rusty with human blood, creaking as it closed behind him.
THIS IS A PAGE BREAK. YAY FOR KUROSHITSUJI. SEBAS-CHAN AS AN SS OFICER? OH MY.
"We should be moving the camp westward, the Soviet army is at our door and-,"
"No. The west is far more capable of destroying us and-,"
Sebastian leaned back in his chair, one hand propped under his chin as he watched several grown men banter about trivial matters. Like who would survive and who would not. He had thought of stifling a yawn for show to tell the officers just how bored he was but after all, he was not head of this so-called committee. The head was just as engaged in the quarrel as his underlings, spewing spit over official papers, his eyes gleaming with resentment.
It was a beautiful night and he would be damned if he could not get a glimpse at the pale moon that adorned the sky above the death camp, much like it had when he had entered into his contract with him, much like the one that had sealed his fate when Alois had ordered Hannah to take his little master away from him forever. Just for the sake of demonic nostalgia, he would sit on the topmost branch of his favorite tree and gaze up the traitorous moon, its pale face reminding him of one other face he missed sorely.
"There have been no orders from our superiors," Sebastian said quietly, his blue eyes gleaming with malice. It had been a pain getting into the SS with looks such as his and a change of appearance had to transpire. It hurt to look at the azure eyes that stared at him from every reflective surface as his subconscious had betrayed him and chosen that particular shade of blue. Like the sea. No, bluer. "So what you are discussing right now is… worthless."
"Worthless?" The higher ranking officer spat, giving Sebastian a contemptuous look. No, that look could not hold a candle to his little master's, the true master of facial expressions that alone could tell you all the child thought of you. "This is important! I shall write to the Führer if I have to but the camp needs to be moved!"
"The Führer," Sebastian began, almost tempted enough to grin widely, "is occupied with more important matters. What you and your colleagues are talking about right now is empty words. As the armies approach, will shall still have the time to move out if we need to. There are more pressing things to discuss but as I can see, the five of you have no desire to do actual work, so I might as well retire for the night. Sleep well, all of you." As if you could, you murderous dogs.
"Fritz Krähe, you will stay as is your duty and-,"
"Meine Herren, my only duty is to myself right now. And it is screaming for sleep."
"Are you disobeying direct orders from your superior?"
"No. I am disobeying direct orders from an idiot. Good night."
PAGE BREAK ROGUE SS OFFICER SEBAS-CHAN? WHY NOT?
"Hello, moon. You were probably wondering when I would show up," Sebastian greeted the nightly orb with a smile and a bow. Breathing in the now clearer air, he leaned against the trunk of his tree and raised his head to look at his only companion. The past few decades had been filled with loneliness for him, fully justified, of course, as he had been abandoned by his master. The little lord had probably thought it had been for the best as he had bade his last goodbye in the forest so few and yet so many years ago. That night had turned Sebastian's life around yet again: was he to stay or go, as his little master had wished? He had gone away, sometimes watching from afar as the little robin turned into a teenaged eagle, spreading his wings gingerly and fighting the difficulties of his demonic life. As horrible as having been imprisoned, tied to one person, demon, for the rest of his life was, Sebastian couldn't help but feel a tingle of pride as he thought of the last kill he had seen Ciel do: that French officer back in the days of the first war. It had been clean, accurate, passionless, an ideal murder for a demon. He was proud of his little master.
"I believe we haven't talked since about a week ago, dear moon. Well, it is my regret to inform you nothing exciting has been happening around here. Vile human beings burning others to death. Vile officers having vile discussions over menial things. Nothing else. I sometimes wish, I, as a demon, could have the power to travel through time. Just to skip these years here. Although…" Sebastian let out a small chuckle: "Even if I did possess such a power, I doubt I would use it. It is my wish to catch the Young Master for a while, just to see his for a split-second. That would be more than enough for someone like me."
He remembered how much his little master had loved the moon. The pale light waxed and waned and the boy had used to stare out his window for hours, just watching the silvery disk gleam.
"Sebastian?"
"Yes, Young Master?"
"Why is the moon so pale?"
"You see, it does not shine by itself, Young Master. It reflects the light of the sun which is on the opposite side of our world right now."
"You mean our world, Sebastian. Not yours."
"Of course, my Lord."
"Does your world have a moon?"
"No. Neither do we have a sun."
"What lights up the place where you live?"
"The glimmering of the thousand and thousands of souls."
"You disgust me."
He hopped off the branch, landing neatly onto two feet only to come face to face with the commander:
"What have you been doing up there, Krähe?"
"Watching the moon."
"Is that so?"
PAGE BREAK THIS WAS NECESSARY DON'T ASK ME
"So, Standartenführer Krähe, would you care to explain to this room why your commander has found you outside of the camp you have been assigned to, at night, gazing at the moon? One would think you were doing… work for our opponents, so chose your words wisely." The officer pulled Sebastian by his arm into a stuffy conference room, forcing him to sit in one of the hard-backed chairs. A bright light shone right into his eyes, making him cringe for show, as his irises never contracted of natural causes in his human form. Amused, he took in his surroundings and then stopped short.
A small figure was sprawled over a fat Standartenführer's knees, its arms around his shoulders in a tantalizing gesture. The form was wearing an SS uniform, its cap tilted slightly to the side and its legs enveloped in shorts instead of pants. It was a boy, hardly fifteen of age, it seemed, a beautiful dark blue sheen to his hair and a stunning blue eyes glimpsing from under a long slate-colored fringe. The other eye was covered by a patch.
Ciel.
"Please refrain from staring at officer Himmel. I'm afraid he is very shy of his deformity."
"Deformity?"
"An Englishman. Out on the front line. Shot me right in the eye." Officer Himmel slipped off his master's knees and strode towards Sebastian, a hard look on his face. He wanted to sigh - the boy's façade was fascinating but for a split second he was able to see the recognition there. The longing. "But you already know that, don't you, Krähe?" He turned to the others in the room and pointed an accusing finger at Sebastian: "I know for a fact that this man is a British spy."
I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THIS IS GOING
"Shot you, didn't they?"
"Yes."
"Did it hurt?"
"Yes, Young Master."
"I told you to call me-,"
"Ciel. I know."
"Tche."
"I better be off, you told me to leave once. I have to follow that order."
"Sebastian-,"
"Ciel?"
"Nothing. Leave."