Hello, I'm back, and we shall get started right away, because you no doubt need to find out what's going to happen to poor Ciel. Let's pretend there are doctors in hell, for whatever reason.

Ciel blinked slowly, twice, as though he couldn't quite understand what was happening. Then he sank to his knees, and slowly fell over onto his side, where he lay completely still. Above them, the first drops of rain began to pour down onto the ground, striking Ciel's cheeks in a manner that resembled tears.

Sebastian wasn't quite aware of when he'd started screaming, but his throat was quickly going raw, and he couldn't see anything, and Ciel was somehow still falling towards the ground, and this couldn't be happening, it couldn't, and Ciel was gone, gone, gone.

And Claude was striding up to Ciel's body, how dare he, and he had put a foot on Ciel's side, how dare he touch his Ciel, and he had yanked the sword roughly from Ciel's body, producing another squelching sound, and-

How dare he. How dare he!

With an enraged scream, Sebastian launched himself at Claude, much the same way Ciel had only moments ago, and knocked Claude onto his side. Sebastian was punching and beating Claude with everything he had, and somewhere along the way, Sebastian lost control of his form, and the punches became scratches as long black claws extended from the neatly groomed fingernails.

The rain was pouring down heavily now, as Sebastian continued his merciless assault on the one who had so cruelly cut short his Young Master's life. Under such a powerful onslaught backed by such overwhelming emotion, Claude didn't stand a chance. Remembering the demon's sword, Sebastian yanked it from Claude's grasp, much the same way it had been pulled from Ciel's body, and plunged it deep into Claude's heart, twisting it roughly in an attempt to cause as much pain as possible.

Claude's eyes went wide, his entire body jerked and stiffened at the foreign entry into his body. A trail of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes swam in and out of focus. Dull golden eyes locked onto Sebastian's blazing crimson ones, and his mouth turned up into the hint of a smirk for the final time.

"Your...face..." he murmured quietly, "so...beautiful...such...sweet...agony..." Then Sebastian twisted the blade, and Claude's body jerked one last time before golden eyes dulled permanently, and his body went limp under the sword.

Numb, Sebastian slowly got to his feet, staggering over to where Ciel's body lay, and collapsed to his knees, cradling the small boy in his arms. How perfectly Ciel fit in his arms, just the right size for Sebastian to hold in his arms like a child. Droplets were hitting Ciel's face, but the rain had stopped, and it simply didn't make sense. Sebastian held the boy close, refusing to let go, and he planted kisses along the skin, which was still so warm, as though his heart might start beating any minute now. Sebastian gently parted Ciel's lips with his tongue and allowed a soul to slip into the boy's mouth, the sweet flavor something Ciel would have liked. He was always craving sweets, that boy. It's a wonder he never gained any weight.

Sebastian's head fell limply against Ciel's neck, and he thought he felt the illusion of Ciel's fingers tapping against his forehead, in a steady, rhythmic way, the way he might have tapped his fingers on his desk when he was impatient. He heard footsteps, as well, as though Ciel's soul was getting up and walking away. It really was odd, though, how heavy those footsteps sounded. Ciel's feet had always made an adorable pitter-pattering sound on the floors, like rain hitting a window. These footsteps were so deep, they almost sounded like the sound a little heart might make if it were struggling to beat, against all odds. Deep, yet not as deep as an adult heart, it sounded like the beating of a heart that belonged to a child who was, perhaps, thirteen years old.

Could...could it be?

Placing his head flat against Ciel's chest, he heard the small heart beating weakly inside it's ribcage, and felt it against his cheek. Hoping, praying, he placed his mouth on top of Ciel's, feeding him another soul. He could feel it there, too: the feather-light brush of his breath against his lips. Picking up Ciel as though he were a piece of the most delicate crystal, Sebastian walked as quickly as he could back home, fearing that by running, he might jostle the boy. Any sudden movements could cause a hitch in Ciel's already shaky breathing, and if he stopped breathing, he may never start again.

xxx

Reaching the manor after what felt like hours, Sebastian gently set the boy down on his bed, ignoring the stains that were most certainly going to appear. Hastily calling a doctor, Sebastian watched as the doctor carefully peeled off the layers of Ciel's clothing to inspect the wound. The doctor then performed what appeared to be some sort of cleansing ritual, the purpose of it a complete mystery to Sebastian. He then slowly bandaged up the gaping would with a special type of gauze that enforces a demon's natural regenerative abilities, and poured a clear liquid down Ciel's throat. The doctor turned to Sebastian.

"A demon's sword, in essence, is the embodiment of a demon's soul. As you know, a high enough concentration of a demon's soul is dangerous to any demon, and a demon's sword is as high a concentration as you can get. It is truly a mystery why this youngling is even still alive right now, but I can say that if the sword had struck even an inch higher, it would have pierced his heart, and he would be dead. I've removed all traces of soul from the boy's body, and bandaged the wound, which is the best I can do, but it looks like he should be alright. I've given him a tonic which will keep him asleep for at least two weeks." He handed another bottle of liquid to Sebastian. "The injury, however, is extremely serious, and he should remain in bed for at least a month. When he wakes up, I want you to give him another dose right away. He'll require feeding as per usual, and I trust you will take care of that. If there is one thing I cannot say enough, it is this: the boy is not to move until he is fully healed. That means no strenuous activity, I don't even want him walking more than a few fee at a time. Is that clear?" Sebastian nodded. "Then I shall depart." And with that, the doctor was out the door, leaving the two alone.

Yay! Ciel's alive! And for those of you who are screaming deus ex machina (literary term referring to a situation in which somebody randomly swoops in and saves the day by some miracle which really shouldn't have happened in the first place), yes, I know. What can I say? I wanted a dramatic moment where all hope is lost, and then I wanted everything to be ok. What else was I supposed to do? So, it seems I will require an extra chapter to round things off, but that's okay. I think the story is the perfect length. See you next time!