...What can I say, I lost motivation for the story, and chemistry is a pain in the ass, staying up to write labs. Yes, I'm 15, and I'm lazy. I'm sorry. This chapter will be split in two parts, and hopefully I'll get my motivation back because I really don't know where this story is going. So read the question I have at the end of the story, kay? Thanks guys! - Shannon
Chapter 11: Halfling Transformation
Waking up to the smell of his favorite Earl Grey tea and scones and a wonderfully prepared breakfast by Sebastian was a perfect way to wake up. He also loved waking up on his own time, without being jostled awake by the harsh rays of sunlight hitting his face.
Ciel groaned and blinked in surprise as he woke up. There was Sebastian in the corner, lightly dusting a lamp, and walking around checking on the- wait, what? Ciel's eyes widened in disbelief as he suddenly noticed where he was.
The room looked exactly like his bedroom in the manor. The curtains, the bedside table, the sheets, everything. The resemblance was uncanny, because he knew for a fact that he was in Hell and not at home.
"Bocchan, what would you like for breakfast today? We have your favorite Earl Grey tea, with freshly made cinnamon oatmeal drizzled with honey, nuts and freshly picked berries. It will be accompanied by scones, your choice of a blueberry or banana nut muffin, or toast. What will you have?"
"Uh...Sebastian, what the hell is going on?"
"Whatever do you mean bocchan? Here, choose quickly before your breakfast gets cold."
"...alright."
Ciel was quite baffled. He didn't know what was going on, but he wasn't going to complain. He had missed this, after all.
"I'll take a scone, Sebastian. Er, what's my schedule today?"
"Well, today you will have lessons in fencing and violin with me, my lord. There will be a short break in between each class, and afterwards, we will have a dance lesson prepared for you."
Ciel scowled. All the lessons he disliked. He clambered out of bed awkwardly, and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for Sebastian to dress him like he normally did. He blinked. For a second, he thought he saw his body clothed in his demon attire in the mirror. When he rubbed his eyes and looked again, he was in his nightshirt once more.
"I must be losing it..."
"Bocchan?"
"Sebastian. Pinch me."
"...my lord?"
"Just do it and don't ask questions."
Frowning, Sebastian reached over and gently 'pinched' Ciel. Meaning, he lightly lifted up a flap of Ciel's skin.
"You call that a pinch? Pfft. Weakling."
Ciel rolled his eyes but gasped again as he saw his reflection in the mirror. His demon attire! He looked at himself. He was in his nightshirt...he looked into the mirror again and saw himself in his demon attire.
Nightshirt...demon attire. Nightshirt...demon attire. What in the world?
Ciel's eyes widened even further when he saw himself in the mirror. He was in his demon attire and he was beckoning himself with his finger and a tilt of his head. Ciel vigorously rubbed his eyes and looked in the mirror again. Yup. Demon Ciel was beckoning to him furiously now, snapping his eyes at him and waving his hands frantically. Ciel's eye twitched.
Good lord, is that how I look when I'm irritated? I look like a complete imbecile! Stop waving your hands around like that, I can see you!
Glancing at Sebastian who was arranging the curtains, Ciel quietly padded over to the mirror. Demon Ciel stared at him, his ruby eye flashing dangerously at him. He put a hand on the mirror and beckoned for him to do the same.
Ciel hesitantly looked back. Sebastian still hadn't noticed that he was out of bed. He looked back in the mirror and placed his hand over Demon Ciel's. Demon Ciel smiled for a moment before promptly disappearing.
What...?
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Ciel screamed as the mirror turned into a black void, not unlike the portals in Hell. First his hand got sucked in, then his arm, and slowly, the rest of his body was sucked into the void. As he disappeared into the void, he saw Sebastian look up and smile at him apologetically.
"Sorry, bocchan. It's time to wake up."
Aw man...I didn't even get to have breakfast.
Ciel's eyes were forced open by the sudden bright light he saw through his eyelids. He grunted before blinking and readjusting his eyes. Turning, he saw that he was now in an open field that was white. Actually, no, scratch that. He was in a place that was completely white, no matter where you looked. All Ciel could see was the color white and nothing else. That is, until a single black feather floated down out of nowhere and landed at his feet.
Ciel stared at it for a moment before a flutter caused him to whip his head around. He stared as a barrage of black feathers suddenly rained down on him. He gasped as he was suddenly lifted into the air, and completely rid of all clothing, just wrapped in a wide red sash that covered his nether regions. Ciel smiled grimly to himself as he saw what state he was in.
"It's like the first time I met Sebastian..." he mused to himself amusingly.
A deep chuckle rumbled out of nowhere.
"Quite right you are, bocchan."
Ciel lazily turned his head as he saw 3 figures slowly approach him. Sebastian, Satan, and Naamah. He began to turn his head away when he realized who was standing beside Sebastian. He whipped his head around again and made eye contact with Naamah. Those bold green eyes stared back at him, expressionless. Sebastian noticed this and growled quietly, stepping in front of Naamah to block him from Ciel's sight. Ciel looked at Sebastian and mouthed a 'Thank You.'
The trio stopped in front of Ciel, who was staring down at them questioningly. Sebastian gave him his trademark smirk, Satan smiled at him, and Naamah avoided his probing gaze. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes.
"Care to tell me the events of today, Satan?"
"I'm sorry, that's not allowed. But rest assured, when you make it through, it will be the best thing that's ever happened to you. Your power will be even greater than Sebastian's, and nearly equal to mine."
"...You sound so certain that I'm going to make it through."
Another voice cut in.
"But of course! After all, nothing less is expected of my bocchan, now is it?"
Ciel glared defiantly at a smirking Sebastian and huffed. Hell no, he wasn't backing down to this challenge!
"Excuse me, demon." Ciel scoffed. "You forget two things. You forget your place, and you forget who I am. You know me, Sebastian. After all," his lips quirked into a smirk. "I've never failed to surprise you, now have I?"
Sebastian smirked back at him.
"Never, bocchan."
Satan cleared his throat, and the two of them looked at him.
"The one thing I can tell you, Ciel, is this. During your transformation, you will have help from the three of us. We will choose what way to help you hurry along the process. Just know that when you ask, you have no say in what we do and cannot lift one finger against our actions."
Ciel blinked, before narrowing his eyes and nodding. He stared at the feathers drifting by, before turning his gaze onto Satan again.
"So um…when exactly does this begin?"
Satan raised an eyebrow.
"Do you want it to begin instantly and feel like you're in the worst pain imaginable or have it creep up on you slowly and feel nothing but a dull, aching burn?"
Ciel contemplated for a moment before answering with a smile.
"Bring it on, Satan. I want the worst pain imaginable."
Because, after all, Ciel had always slightly been a masochist. He held his breath as he felt something approaching. The instant he released his breath, Ciel was hit; shockwave after shockwave of pain. He opened his mouth to scream, yell, cry out, anything, but not even a tiny gasp could escape him. The pain had rendered him completely unable to move, it didn't even allow him to fall limp.
Meanwhile, Satan raised an eyebrow and nudged Sebastian.
"He seems to be taking it really well. Most humans faint within seconds, or they simply can't take it and their heart stops. Your Ciel really is something after all."
Sebastian smirked and looked fondly at him.
"Of course! There is a reason I contracted with him, after all. Only humans who catch my eye are worth contracting with."
'And besides…knowing Ciel, he would never back down to a challenge. Not even one as foolhardy as the one I made. That's why, bocchan, you need to make it out alive. For your sake and for my sake.'
Naamah finally spoke.
"…..So what exactly will he have to go through? I know you know, Satan. You just didn't want to spoil it for Ciel."
Satan's eyes glittered with malicious intent.
"He's going to need to pass the challenges the Seven Deadly Sins throw at him. And without his ever so faithful butler at his side, who knows if he'll make it through?"
He turned back and looked at Naamah and Sebastian, who were numbed with shock.
In unison, the two demons whispered.
"The….Deadly Sins…..will challenge Ciel?"
Satan turned his back on them, looking up at Ciel. He reached up and grabbed a jet-black feather, admiring the shine and slight purple-green tint to it before he crushed it in his palm, rendering it back into non-existence.
He turned back to the two of them.
"In Hell, as you two very well-know, Halflings are rare. Even rarer so, are Halflings like him. They are so tainted, yet so pure and immaculate. But Ciel by far outshines any of the Halflings like him. That is why the Seven Deadly Sins wanted him. They chose him, you see. They haven't had much of a challenge or fun in breaking down a person's willpower and morals, so they wanted the next Halfling. Of course, we had to reach a mutual agreement. I agreed to give them the next Halfling. If Ciel passes, he will return the strongest of his kind to ever grace Hell. If he fails…well, you two know very well what will happen. They keep him for eternity, with him as their pet. He'll have to answer to their needs and whatever else they want."
Naamah and Sebastian immediately broke out at the same time and started arguing.
"But Satan! The Seven Deadly Sins are known to drive whoever they challenge crazy! Ciel won't be able to overcome their challenges! Are you willing to risk losing Ciel?"
"Naamah. I have faith in Ciel, there is a reason I agreed to this. I foresaw both outcomes. Both are actually rather pleasing, however I'm sure the two of you will want Ciel back."
"But the Seven Deadly Sins are known to drive even the greatest of demons insane!"
There came a snort from Sebastian, who had a strained expression.
"Naamah, although I understand your concern for my bocchan,
I wouldn't worry too much. Worry, yes, but don't lose your head over it. I have faith in Ciel. After all he's been through in his human life; this will come as another little game for Ciel. He'll see it as a prototype, playing it to see if it's suitable for other…..people."
'It's just too bad that the stakes are so high. I don't want to lose you.'
Naamah opened his mouth to argue again, when Satan silenced them with a snap of his fingers, his gaze immediately sharpening and turning to Ciel.
"Hush! It's beginning!"
The trio immediately hushed as they watched Ciel. His stiff body now yielded, and a black light enveloped him. They watched as a golden light shone out from the black globe surrounding Ciel, and a door appeared. Satan snapped his fingers, and the door opened, showing seven figures.
Naamah sucked in a breath.
"The Sins!"
They came out in order. Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride. Each of them bowed, curtsied, or inclined their head in greeting to Satan. They ignored Naamah and Sebastian.
They fanned out into a semi-circle, facing the trio. They addressed Satan as one, their rich baritone, soprano and mellow voices blending in together.
"Satan. Welcome to our trial of challenges. Would you like to know what we have in store for the human boy?"
"No. Leave it as a surprise. I trust you'll make it worthwhile?"
"But of course."
With that, the Seven simply melted away. The globe of light surrounding Ciel suddenly brightened to a dull gray color. An image suddenly appeared on it, showing Ciel entering into a huge, domed room. They watched as he approached seven doors.
"Which do you think he's going to pick first, Satan?"
"My guess is Pride, Sebastian. What do you think?"
"The same."
"Uhhh….could someone explain to me what's going on?"
The two turned to Naamah, who looked sheepish.
"I forgot, this is your first time. What we are seeing is the trial that Ciel has to go through in order to complete his transformation."
"Ah."
A silence descended on the trio as they saw Ciel contemplate his choices. As Ciel walked towards one of the seven doors, Sebastian and Satan both groaned aloud. Ciel had chosen the Prince of the Seven Deadly Sins: Wrath.
Sebastian almost face-palmed. He growled angrily under his breath.
"Ciel…..you little idiot you, you should have chosen Pride! Heaven and Hell knows you would've passed that trial. It took me a half century alone to overcome Wrath!"
"Sshh…..it's beginning."
And just like that, Ciel's transformation and Trial began.
Ciel felt like he had been thrust into an abyss. Everything was pitch black. He could not see or hear anything. But rather than being afraid like all the others before him, Ciel accepted this calmly. After all, he had practically lived his life engulfed in darkness. He had always been the one to run through the dark, and to never stray into the light.
An amused chuckle brought Ciel out of his trance-like state.
"Human. You are not afraid?"
"No. Tell me, when do I begin? I'm getting rather tired of being paralyzed."
Surprise was evident in the voice.
"You wish to begin? Most humans want to prolong their stay in the darkness. They do not seek to start of their own will."
"Must I order you to begin? I am Ciel Phantomhive! I demand that you start! I tire of this nonsense."
There was a silence before a throaty laugh came out of nowhere. Seven voices began to speak at once, in hushed and agitated whispers.
'Oh we're going to have fun with this one.'
'Let us begin! I want to go first!'
'I like this one. He is not afraid.'
'He wouldn't last against us.'
'Let's take our time with him! We haven't had fun in so long!'
'Easy does it…..'
'Slow and torturous? Or fast and painless? Oh, the options…..'
Suddenly Ciel felt like he was being pulled towards the voices. He let out a surprised noise before he was once again sucked into oblivion.
When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in a huge, domed room. He cautiously walked forward a few steps and took in the details. The room was massive. There were no windows, but there were seven doors, each with a painting on it depicting a woman or a man. As Ciel came to the center of the room, he heard an audible click. He whipped around as a booming voice sounded from all over.
"Ciel Phantomhive. From here on, you begin your Trial. You have two phases. This is the first. Should you pass, you will be more than halfway through your transformation. Should you fail, you will remain here for the rest of eternity serving us. Begin."
Ciel stood blankly for a moment, before a voice hissed into his ear.
"Choose, human."
Frowning, Ciel looked around at the doors until he found a painting he liked. Ciel nodded to himself for assurance, before making his way across the room. He stopped in front of the door. It showed a man with eyes filled with such rage and intensity that Ciel had to avert his eyes, even though it was naught but a painting. He studied the other parts of the painting. Behind the man was complete chaos. Bodies and blood were strewn everywhere, some with horrible wounds inflicted. The man, however, remained spotless and unharmed.
Ciel sighed and shrugged, reaching out a hand to place on the painting. As he placed his palm onto the painting, he saw the eyes of the man move and stare down at him. Ciel gaped before an ominous voice was heard.
"You've invoked Wrath. Today you die."
Without another sound, Ciel was sucked in through the painting. He thought he could faintly hear Sebastian and Satan murmuring at the back of his head, saying, 'The poor fool. He chose the hardest of them all; he's never going to make it through.'
He snarled.
'Those idiots, just who do they think I am?'
Ciel blinked as he was suddenly thrust into what looked like the aftermath of a horrible battle. His gaze focused on one lone figure sitting in the middle of the battlefield, impeccably clean but he smelt of blood and gore. Ciel walked up slowly. He noticed that with every step he took, he was taking on his demonic appearance. The red sash slowly faded into oblivion, until his previously silent steps now turned into clicks and clacks with each step of his stilettos.
The figure slowly stood up and turned around. He took in the young human/demon before him, his eyes raking up and down Ciel's body. His voice was arrogant, and sounded just a little irritated.
"Of all the ones chosen, they have given you to the Sins to be challenged? What a joke."
He turned his head away but when he heard Ciel's derisive snort his back stiffened in slight anger.
"Joke? No. I am many things, but a joke I am not. Now turn around and face me, Wrath."
The Sin's eyes widened. He turned around and looked at the boy before him, contemplating. After thinking for a while, he spoke.
"Why are you here, boy? Most choose the other six Sins before coming to me. I have a reputation as being the hardest and most terrifying, the Prince of all Sins. Why would a mere human boy dare to even challenge me first?"
"It's obvious why I chose you, isn't it? You're the strongest, the hardest, essentially, you are the best."
"Flattery will get you nowhere boy."
"It's not flattery if you said so yourself."
Wrath cocked an eyebrow. This human boy was certainly interesting. He sniffed discreetly and frowned. Strange. He could smell the boy's confidence, his ease, and not a trace of nervousness or fear anywhere. He could also smell his growing irritation, and soon enough, there was a small spark of anger. Wrath's eyes widened. He licked his lips. His anger, the emotions rolling off of this boy….well, they smelled delicious. He hadn't had a meal in such a long time too. He turned towards the boy and stared at him, causing Ciel to finally crack.
"Enough with this idiocy! Wrath, I am Ciel Phantomhive. You'll do well to remember that name. I am not here to play games! It matters not to me if you are one of the Sins themselves; quit acting like such a coward! Are you scared to challenge a mere human boy? Is that it? I'll prove to you that I can do anything that is thrown at me, demon butler or not!"
Wrath stared, perplexed. An aura of boiling red and black colors was circling around the boy, and his eyes had gradually morphed into the crimson, slitted eyes of a powerful demon. He reached a hand out and grabbed a handful of the boy's aura, before bringing it to his mouth and placing it inside. His eyes rolled back into his head and he opened his mouth wide, releasing an extremely high pitched wail.
Ciel flinched, but otherwise kept staring at Wrath until he returned to normal. When his eyes rolled back down, Ciel could see that there was an animalistic feature to his face now, and a look of hunger. Ciel smirked.
'Finally. He'll take me seriously.'
"What? Do you like the taste of my emotions? Can you feel my intentions in them as well? Now challenge me dammit, I didn't come here to be made a fool of! If I can complete and pass all the challenges, I can finally be on my way to becoming stronger."
Wrath's eyes seemed to get impossibly wide at this statement. His breathing grew ragged and harsh, and he struggled to calm himself down while he snapped at Ciel. His voice now sounded like several people speaking at once, the power of his voice sounding like thunder.
"Human boy, do not test my limits! You are not even supposed to be at this stage yet! Why did the door let you pass so easily? You insufferable human, only those who have passed the other stages can come to stand before me. Why should you, a mere human boy of 13 summers come and stand before me?"
A dry voice replied to his little rant.
"Oh, in case you haven't noticed, I'm special. I'm a Halfling."
There was a strained silence before Wrath laughed insanely.
"They sent us a Halfling? What is Satan thinking? Boy, you obviously do not know of your species' history. The last Halfling Satan sent completely and utterly failed his expectations. When we tired of him, we turned him into that."
Ciel looked in the direction Wrath was pointing at. He did not flinch or even bat an eyelash.
"So? What of it?"
"You are not scared? Not intimidated in the least?"
Ciel snarled, his eyes turning crimson red once again. His demonic aura immediately billowed out, enveloping him in thundering mass of pitch black and violent streaks of burgundy and blood-red.
In the second that Wrath blinked, Ciel stood before him, his heels allowing him to glare into Wrath's eyes with the intensity of a Halfling. Ciel cocked his head to the side.
"Wrath. I will say this but one more time. I came here for a Trial, and I will get one no matter what. You either tell me why you won't challenge me and kick me out, or send me to the other Sins before I appear before you again but I will not be made a fool of."
Wrath studied Ciel again before stepping to the side. He snapped his fingers and immediately two chairs appeared. He sat down in one and crossed his legs, looking pointedly at Ciel to do the same. When the Halfling had grudgingly sat down, Wrath leaned forward and placed his chin on top of his intertwined hands.
He started talking in a monotone voice.
"I do not know why the door let you pass. You need one item from each of the other Sins before coming to me. The door serves as a barrier until the items needed are collected. Usually if you are allowed to pass without the items, that means…"
Wrath trailed off in thought before his eyes widened imperceptibly. He glanced at Ciel slyly, before rising up out of his chair and snapping his fingers again. A shining outline of a door appeared. He gestured towards the door.
"Out you go, Ciel. Come back in a few centuries when you have completed the other Sins' challenges. I'll be waiting."
"Tch. Don't get so full of yourself, I'll be back by the end of the day."
Wrath raised an eyebrow as Ciel walked by him. He didn't notice the boy step into the door and disappear.
"You're much too confident, young one. Even the mightiest demons are stuck with us for centuries alone completing our challenges. What makes you think that you, a mere human on his way to becoming a Halfling can-"
At that point, Wrath had turned around to scold Ciel further. He did nothing but look blankly at the spot where the door had been. A grin threatened to appear on his face. He shook his head before looking up at the approaching storm clouds. He heard the rumbling of horse hooves and the shout and jeers on incoming demon soldiers.
"Cocky little brat. Doesn't even know what I'm capable of."
With that said, Wrath flexed his hands, claws appearing and began to slaughter the incoming soldiers.
'This should keep me busy for the time being and satiate my thirst until the boy comes back again.'
Thrust back into the domed room, Ciel's eyes narrowed in irritation as he stalked off angrily to the next painting he saw. His heels clattered noisily against the marble of the floor as he stood before his next painting. This painting depicted Pride, obviously. Ciel sniffed in distaste. The painting of the Sin was flawless, no doubt. But the Sin's face, or rather, faces held the spitting images of the expressions those prideful and idiotic nobles on Earth had always worn.
Ciel sighed, looking at the picture. It showed a pair of twins. The male had shining golden locks of hair that surrounded his head like a halo, and vivid blue eyes that seemed to bore into your very soul. He had a sculpted body that was obvious under his loose and flowing tunic. His sister had cascading locks of shining gold flowing down her back. Her eyes were a shade or so lighter than his, but she held a more arrogant air to her.
Ciel supposed that they were beautiful. If only their expressions weren't so haughty and arrogant. Well, they weren't Pride for nothing. Ciel placed his palm on the painting and prepared to be sucked in. He felt a whoosh of air and closed his eyes. When he opened them next, he was in a humongous bedroom. His eyes zeroed in on the king-sized bed where two beings were residing. They regarded him with a slight sneer, obviously not impressed by him, his looks, or clothing.
Ciel smirked back. He had never cared about another's opinion of him, and he thought he looked damn fine in his demon's clothing. He walked towards them, stopping at the base of the bed and raised his eyebrow.
The male began.
"We are known-"
"-as the Sin Pride. And you-"
"are known as what, human boy?"
Ciel tried not to scream in annoyance. He had known a pair of siblings before who talked exactly like this. One would begin the sentence, and another would finish. It was infuriating, to say the least.
"My name is Ciel Phantomhive."
"And what-"
"does Ciel Phantomhive want with us?"
"You should already know the answer to that, should you not?"
A delicate sniff was heard.
"This one, he-"
"is not intimidated. Shall we-"
"begin, sister?"
"We shall."
The two of them turned wordlessly to Ciel, two pairs of blue looking deep into his mismatched eyes. The both rose at the same time, their tunics and robes billowing out behind them, silken layers trailing on the ground like a wedding train. They stood before him, and each placed a hand on either side of his shoulders. Ciel bit his lip to keep from screaming.
Their hands were icy, so cold it felt like needles were pricking into his skin, millimeter by millimeter. Their monotonous voices spoke as one.
"You must seek out your highest moment of pride from your memories and surrender it to us. We will examine it. Until you have given us the right one, you shall not be allowed past."
Ciel tried to yell out but instead all he saw was the blue blue blue blue eyes of the Sins growing bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger and-
-plop-
-skeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-
…
"Cinematic Record? My own?"
Ciel stood up and brushed himself off. Similar to when Angela abducted him, he was in a place of his memories. There were thousands of little shining panels floating around.
"I'm supposed to find my most prideful moment in all of this?"
As if on a cue, a few dozen memories came zipping towards him. Ciel put his hand out to stop them, but instead was sucked in.
…
'Blinding flashes of lights. A jumbled mess of memories squashed into one. Greeting people at a ball. Talking to the newspaper, the press. His first meeting with Inspector Randall and his sneering face, and his very own prideful proclamation and announcement of who he was. Throwing the ring out of the window, before proudly turning back and exclaiming his name and place. Proudly displaying his lineage, his name, his fortune, his position in society, his…..
They were memories of the same thing.
'"I am Ciel Phantomhive!"'
'"Earl Ciel Phantomhive, the Queen's Guard Dog, at your service."' Cue smirk
'"Let me introduce myself. I am Ciel Phantomhive!"'
'"With or without this ring, I am still the head of the Phantomhives!"'
"Ciel…"
"Ciel…."
"CIEL PHANTOMHIVE"
Bursting out of his memories, Ciel lay on the cold floor for a moment before coughing and sitting up. He looked around, before looking at the pile of slowly fading memories in his grasp. Getting an idea, he shuffled them up and then firmly packed them into one. He pushed them against each other until they melted against one another, creating one memory out of snippets and flashes of dozens. Ciel picked up the faintly glowing reel before getting up to his feet and calling out.
"Pride! I have what you want! Get me out of here!"
'So fast! He-'
'thinks he has what we want? Let-'
'him try.'
Once again, Ciel was sucked back from his memories and into his real body. He felt his hand clenched around something, and when he looked down, it was the glowing reel he held in his memories. He presented it to Pride, who by now had formed into one person, alternatively flickering between male and female faces.
They took the memory from him with slightly trembling hands and to Ciel's disbelief, swallowed it whole. He shuddered involuntarily as he saw the glow emanating from the reel travelling down their throat. He watched with bated breath as Pride began to hack and cough. Pride hunched over in pain, clutching at their stomach with curled fingers. They continued to cough and hack while Ciel just stood there, idly biding his time.
When a few minutes had passed, the glow emanating from Pride's stomach settled down, and Pride began to slowly untangle itself. Pride stood up shakily and addressed Ciel croakily.
"We do not understand your choice or your memories. Explain."
Ciel smirked and folded his arms across his chest.
"It's a compilation of memories."
"Why is it only one thing repeating over and over?"
"Simple. The proudest moments in my life are when I announce who I am. There is no better thing to be proud of than who I am and what I am."
Pride simply stared at Ciel for a few moments, before separating into two bodies again. Male and female alike murmured to each other, trying to decide whether or not it was satisfactory. After a few moments of debate they turned to Ciel and addressed him coldly.
"We accept-"
"your mediocre Pride. You-"
"may pass to the next Sin."
Pride blended into one person again, and held out a glossy silver feather. Ciel took it, smirked and inclined his head before walking towards another shining doorway.
He blinked as he was once again in the domed room. Taking a look around, Ciel frowned but walked towards the painting. He'd always played by his strengths. Technically, he had all the time in the world now so why not try something he was neither weak nor strong in?
…
Meanwhile…
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!"
Naamah was literally biting his knuckles as he saw Ciel walk towards that particular Sin. Even Sebastian looked pale, and Satan had the courtesy to look away. He patted Sebastian on the shoulder.
"Well, my boy, looks like Ciel may be unfaithful to you."
Sebastian snarled, eyes glowing.
"He would never!"
"Ciel is going against Her! Or Him, depending on what he prefers. No one can last long against Her. Only I have stayed outside the clutches of Her. You fell into Her temptation once before, Sebastian, need I remind you? And you are still, to this day, one of the most loyal demons alive. If even you could not withstand Her, Ciel cannot."
"He wouldn't."
Both demons turned to Naamah, surprised. He gave Sebastian a cursory glance before continuing.
"As much as I hate to admit it, Ciel holds a strong love for you, Sebastian. He is covered in sin, yes, but one who can still know and learn the emotion of 'love' is capable of staying true. He does have his morals and ideals to remember, anyhow."
"For once, I agree with the imbecile."
Naamah bristled up in anger, but decided to say no more. He only turned his eyes on the sphere, riveting his attention on Ciel, who was calmly walking across the floor.
…
Ciel studied the painting before him.
Lust…..
"Many have fallen before you," he murmured, gently tracing the contours of the painting with lithe fingers. "You've broken apart families, relationships, you tempt, and you do everything in your power to drag another into a fiery passion filled affair….Lust. How lucky for me that I've never fallen into your clutches, and never will."
Ciel placed his palm against the painting.
When he opened his eyes once more, he was in a setting quite similar to Pride. Except, there was a naked man lying on his side, his back facing Ciel. The corner of Ciel's lips quirked up as he tried to fight back a smile.
'Typical. A naked male body….Wait a moment. I thought Lust was a woman?'
Lust turned his head and smiled.
"You have a preference for men, little one?"
Ciel's eyes widened.
"That's why you're a male?"
Lust chuckled, his laughter a deep and seductive sound that sent the hairs on the back of Ciel's neck standing up.
"You seem unsure of your choice. Perhaps I should help you?"
"Tch. Don't be so cocky to think that you can tempt me. I don't need the pleasures of flesh."
A devilish glint appeared in Lust's eyes.
"We'll see about that."
Lust slid off the bed. Ciel kept his eyes trained on Lust's face and face alone. Hazel eyes with flecks of amethyst and deep hues of forest green. Magnificent eyes that you could get lost in and find yourself falling into. Short, cropped inky black hair that only further accentuated Lust's sharp and angular, although handsome, features. Slight scruff to give him that rugged, masculine, and sexy appearance.
Without meaning to, Ciel found his gaze slipping lower and lower by the second. Ah, gods. Ciel had never seen Sebastian's body, but if he did, he assumed that it'd be quite similar to Lust. Muscular, and yet not overly defined. Lean and lither, but not scrawny. Defined abs, leading into…..
Ciel tore his gaze away, mentally berating himself. He watched as Lust walked towards him, a slow and seductive pace with a cocky little smirk that only added to his attractiveness. Lust ran a hand through his hair and flashed a smile at him, showing rows of pearly whites.
Ciel smirked. None of this would have any effect on him. He crossed his arms and slightly jutted his hip out to the side. Lust stopped in front of Ciel and looked him over, licking his lips appreciatively.
"Normally I don't get ones as…young as you. Tell me, what is your name?"
"Ciel Phantomhive."
"Ciel…..that means sky, does it not? A lovely name…"
Ciel snorted.
"Get on with it. What is your challenge?"
Lust grinned.
"Normally, one would have to withstand my advances for a prolonged period of time. But you are practically immune. But! I would not be called Lust if I didn't know how to tempt a person, whether it be your age or older."
"Try me. I won't succumb."
"I accept your challenge, Ciel. However, you cannot give me a time limit. I have as long as I want to take you and your body, or until I know without a doubt that you will not and never will succumb to me."
"Well, what are you waiting for?"
Lust studied the young boy before him. Maybe the boy didn't know it, but give or take a few more years; he himself could soon be an embodiment of Lust. He was attractive enough, that's for sure.
He tipped Ciel's chin up with his hand.
"Ciel, look at me for a minute or two and don't break eye contact."
Ciel met his gaze defiantly, cerulean eyes unblinking and confident. He watched as Lust's eyes roamed over his face, before settling on his own eyes. They would rapidly look from one side to the other, as if searching for something within his eyes.
'Keep on looking, you'll never find what you're looking for. You'll never…'
Ciel's eyes widened in shock as Lust's eyes snapped and sparkled in unconcealed glee.
"Found it!" He positively crowed.
'Found it? Found what? What could he possibly use against me?'
Ciel couldn't help but shiver when Lust gently dragged his thumb across Ciel's plump bottom lip, slightly opening his mouth. His eyes narrowed when he noticed that Lust started to walk around him slowly, circling him like a predator would its prey. He stiffened when Lust came up behind him and spoke into his ear, his breath causing shivers to go up Ciel's spine.
"So, you think yourself immune to me, do you? Even ones as young and inexperienced as you have felt some form of Lust, whether you're conscious of it or not."
Ciel jumped in alarm when Lizzie materialized before him.
"Lizzie!" He cried out, arms reaching towards her. He flinched back when Lizzie turned and gave him a seductive smirk, purring her next words at him.
"You lust after your fiancée, do you not Ciel? All your life you've seen Lizzie as nothing more than something 'cute', so why not let me show you something more…..mature?"
Ciel could only gape in astonishment as Lizzie…..no, Lust, transformed Lizzie into a girl with no more on than…..lingerie. He quickly averted his eyes, a scarlet blush hastily making its way across his face.
"Cover yourself up!"
"You don't like it?"
"NO! I do not wish to see my fiancée in this state! For the love of God, COVER UP! YOU'RE NOT LIZZIE. YOU'RE NOT REAL! Don't defile her image with such…such indecency!"
"Interesting indeed…"
Ciel looked up with relief when Lust rematerialized, regarding him with more interest than before.
"You do not lust after your fiancée?"
"I love her. I love her as my cousin and family, nothing more and nothing less. I do not love her the way she loves me, so no, I do not lust after her."
"….Let's try this then."
Ciel actually let out a squeak when Lust transformed himself into Naamah. This was awkward. He lowered his eyes shamefully as Lust continued to try and get some type of reaction from Ciel with Naamah's body.
"D-don't…not this form….."
"Oh? What happened to the strong boy from earlier?"
"But Naamah….."
"Hmph. I knew a demon once called Naamah. Spineless brat, he was. Took everyone's things, didn't have a sense of getting his own damn things instead of taking other demons'. Fine. I'm getting impatient too. Any normal human would have crumbled by now, but not you. Let's try one more, shall we?"
Ciel blinked. A flash of black fabric passed before his eyes, and they widened.
'No….He can't possibly be thinking….?'
A velvety smooth voice caressed his ear, the warm breath shooting shivers down his spine.
"Bocchan….."
"Ah!"
Ciel leapt away from the imposter. Sebasti- no, Lust, smirked, and advanced towards Ciel, who kept backing up.
"I see this form affects you, Ciel."
"No! You're wrong."
"I'm right," Lust purred, seductively running a tongue over his lips. He walked over to the stunned Ciel, before standing behind him and looping arms around his slim waist and chest.
He whispered softly into Ciel's ear.
"You care for your demon contractor, am I wrong?"
"I don't-"
"You care for him. You yearn for his approval, his affections, his touches; you yearn for…..a demon's love. But a love that will never be returned."
"What're you implyi-"
"You love him."
Ciel stopped and froze, suddenly unsure about what to say or do. His hand hung limply by his side. Lust picked it up, and gently pressed a kiss to it, crimson eyes boring into Ciel's.
"You're not sure if he loves you back or not, even though he has…..somewhat proclaimed his affections for you. Can you be so sure? Can you believe, without a doubt, that he will care and love for you that same way you do for him?"
"I….."
"You don't need to answer. Which is why," Lust's arms, tightened, bring Ciel into an embrace. Lust tilted Ciel's face to look at him. Resting his lips above Ciel's, he spoke his last few words. "I can give you the choice. He doesn't need to know. No one ever needs to know. What happens here can stay here. You can pretend that I am the Sebastian you cherish so dearly, and I can comfort you with the pleasures of the flesh…..I can be what he cannot be for you. I can be your comfort, your warmth, your lover…if only for today. I can wipe your memories for now, and you can pretend as if I am the real Sebastian."
With each word that fell from his lips, Ciel's eyes had started to grow hazy and blank. He found himself speaking without really knowing it.
"I…..I want….."
"Yes, bocchan? You want….?"
An uncertain word spilled forth from his lips.
"You."
Lust's eyes glittered.
"Looks like I win this one," he whispered, before bringing Ciel into a heated kiss.
…
The waves of pure fury and disbelief rolling off of Sebastian were almost tangible. Even Satan sensed that it would be wise to leave him to his own thoughts, but he came up and put a hand on Sebastian's shoulder.
"Calm yourself, Sebastian."
"How can I when my Ciel is being….being tricked by some mere illusion? And of me no less!" Sebastian all but snarled.
"If you so choose, you may go in and help him."
Seething, Sebastian nodded his head. He stepped forward, ready and intent on stopping anything from further happening when he felt Satan's foreboding hand again.
"Only after he has finished."
Sebastian turned on him, livid.
"After? What good is that? By that time, Lust will have deflowered my bocchan!"
Satan's retort came flying at him, sharp and reprimanding.
"You had the chance to do so! He is your pet, and you decided not to take advantage of that fact so it is your fault if you didn't get the chance to 'take' him. You're too patient, Sebastian!"
"He needs to be loved!"
"He is just a pet! What makes him so different from any other pet down here in Hell?"
"He's Ciel, that's why he's so important."
Both demons whipped around after hearing the soft reply.
"And if neither of you are willing to go help him, I will. I'm not willing to stand by and watch Ciel be taken by another demon either."
They watched, horrified, as Naamah strode towards Ciel. He reached a hand out and placed it on the dull gray globe, only to have his eyes widen and be blasted away a moment later. As Naamah stood up and brushed himself off, the globe that Ciel was in began to part.
"What…?"
The three demons watched, mystified, as Ciel's eyes opened slightly. However, they were blank and unfocused. He extended a hand towards them, and spoke hoarsely.
"No one…..interferes….this is my….trial...and mine…alone."
Then the globe closed again, and the three demons stood still.
Satan smirked.
"There you have it, boys. Leave him to do his job, and we'll do ours when he comes out."
…
Ciel couldn't understand it. He was in bed with Sebastian, but when had he brought him here and why was this happening? Not that he was complaining, but still…..this was just a bit unnerving. He felt like there was something he needed to remember, and fast. But for now…that mouth across his skin was just too distracting.
He moaned throatily as Sebastian sucked on his neck. He felt Sebastian's smirk against his throat, and he fought back a blush.
"Se-ah! Sebastian….?"
Ciel writhed and tried to bite back another moan, Sebastian unrelenting in his desire to explore every inch of his skin.
"Yes, bocchan?"
"Why are we….ah, hah…doing this? How did this even happen?"
A smirk, a heated lip-lock, and gasps of pleasure.
"I've wanted to do this for a long time now, bocchan. The perfect opportunity came up so I took it. You're enjoying it too, aren't you?"
"Ah…..yes, but…..what if I told you to stop?"
Sebastian paused momentarily, his disbelief showing clearly.
"Now why would you say such a thing, bocchan, when you yourself wanted me to satisfy you?"
"Excuse me? I said such a thing? Why don't I remember any of this?"
"You were too busy vying for my attention, maybe all this kissing has gone to your head?"
"Tch. Impertinent demon."
Ciel opening his mouth to speak against but Sebastian silenced him with a kiss, forcing his tongue into Ciel's mouth. Despite Ciel's rising irritation and anger, he couldn't help but relax and moan into the kiss, his arms coming up to snake around Sebastian's neck. As soon as the kiss ended, they stared deep into one another's eyes. Then, with narrowed eyes, there was a resounding CRACK in the room, and Sebastian's head was whipped to the side, his eyes wide with shock and his left cheek smarting.
"Ciel….?"
"You fool! You always do this! Going against my wishes, and thinking that I'll be willing to go along with your perverse thoughts. Well, screw you!"
Sebastian's eyes narrowed.
"Oh? Screw me, you say? Very well, bocchan."
Sebastian kissed Ciel again, this time harshly, muffling his cries. He broke off when Ciel needed air, only to silence him again as he crept his hand up and under Ciel's shirt. As he continued kissing him, he tweaked one of Ciel's nipples, feeling it harden before leaning down to tease him with his tongue. Unwillingly, Ciel threw his head back and gasped in pleasure, before trying to order Sebastian to stop.
"Sebastian! This is an order. Stop this foolishness at once, you imbecile."
Ciel's words were laced with so much venom and underlying threats that Sebastian had to stop. He looked at Ciel, and looked as though he was going to get off of him. Ciel smiled, sitting up to release himself from Sebastian's clutches when Sebastian's face loomed in eerily close to his, glowing red.
"I don't think so, bocchan."
Ciel narrowed his eyes and shut them tightly, willing for this to be a nightmare. When he felt Sebastian's hands roaming over his body again, a little voice in his started speaking up.
'Sebastian wouldn't do this. Sebastian knows when to stop. Sebastian knows when to not disobey an order. This is simple. He's not Sebastian. Remember…'
"Lust, stop this at once! Get your filthy hands off of me! I don't permit you to touch me!"
Sebastian stared at Ciel, surprised. Ciel stared back, dread growing in his stomach. What if he was wrong? What if this really was Sebastian? What if-
"Ah, it seems like you've caught me."
Sebastian gave a sheepish smile and Ciel watched as his features slowly melted away and turned back into Lust. Lust smiled at Ciel, before climbing out of the bed and running a hand through his hair. When his hand reappeared, he held a shimmer burgundy feather between his fingers, and offered it to Ciel.
"There you go, little one. You've passed. I'm impressed, too. Most succumb quite easily but you, my boy, are a challenge. "
Ciel looked at him before giving him a curt nod. He took the feather, and looked around as the shimmering doorway once again reappeared. He stepped through, giving one last glance at Lust before disappearing.
Ciel opened his eyes, once again in the big domed room. He looked around, debating on which Sin to take on next. He sighed, massaging his temples. As fun as it was to go up against the Seven Sins, he was growing rather tired of this game. Hurrying his steps, he trotted off towards the next one.
Ciel wrinkled his nose in disgust at the painting before him. There, in all of his…..'glory,' was the Sin Gluttony. There was a pale, sallow man with huge bags under his eyes with hungry and panicked eyes. He was surprisingly thin, and his garments seemed to hang off of his willowy frame. Ciel swallowed and placed his hand on the portrait.
Ciel almost fell to the floor when the stench hit him. Gagging, he almost threw up, but managed to control himself. The smell of rotting meats, slowly decaying fruits and vegetables amongst sour milk and curdled yogurts and other mishaps were all combined and almost unbearable.
"….Who are you? Have you come to bring me more food?"
"….."
Ciel only stared at Gluttony. He was seated at this HUMONGOUS table. It must have been over 100 feet long; obviously it was of fine design but had been treated badly over the years. Strewn all over the table were dishes, plates, pots, pans filled with remaining scraps of food, some half eaten and left to rot, and others completely demolished. Gluttony was seated at the middle, looking pale and sickly. His eyes twitched and jumped back and forth, wandering all over the room, presumably in search of food.
"I need more, dammit!"
Ciel jumped as Gluttony slammed his fist down on the table, breaking dishes in the process. Scraps of fine china fell to the floor with quiet clinks. Ciel started when Gluttony raised his eyes and looked at him with….a disturbing sort of hunger.
"You…..what manner of a being are you? Are you edible? All beings are edible, are they not?"
Ciel began to back away slowly, growing increasingly nervous as the seconds ticked by. Gluttony slammed his chair back and looked at Ciel, spittle and drool hanging from one corner of his mouth. His eyes began to glow dangerously as he climbed over the table, flinging plates and pans out of his way as he clambered over noisily. He quickly began to approach Ciel, licking his lips.
"I wonder what you taste like, little one."
"I'm not edible! I'm a fucking human!"
Gluttony stopped suddenly, his probing hands merely inches away from Ciel's face.
"Human?"
Ciel shivered as hundreds of voices penetrated the room.
"Human? Human? Human? We have a human? Human?"
Gluttony threw his head back and howled for several long moments. The voices ceased chattering and there was silence for a few moments, before they returned in full force and laughing hysterically.
"Human! They come to torment Gluttony once again! !"
"SHUT UP!"
The voices slowly faded out, chattering, and vanishing altogether. Ciel looked at the Sin with pity. Gluttony raised his face and looked at Ciel, his eyes finally clear.
"You….human boy….what are you called?"
"I am called Ciel, Gluttony. I've come to take your test."
"My…..test?"
"Yes, your test! I need to pass all of the Sins' tests before I can achieve my goal!"
"Ah…"
Wordlessly, Gluttony began walking back to the table. He stared at it for a moment before sweeping dozens of dishes and pans to the floor, breaking some in the process. Gluttony climbed over and sat in his chair, then looked at Ciel and patted the space in front of him. Ciel wrinkled his nose but went and sat on the table's surface.
"My…..test is one that only humans have access to. In all my years of existence, I have tasted the purest food, the choicest flavor, the cream of the crop. I long to remember what the food is called, what it looks like, and what it tastes like. You are to go into the archives of my mind and find that one specific memory to me, so that I may relive it once more."
"…You expect me to find this one lone memory of yours among hundreds of thousands of memories?"
"For some reason, this particular memory is very partial towards humans. I have observed over the many tries that the memory will often show itself to the human, but they are usually too slow or dull-witted to see it and catch it in time. Something tells me you'll be different…."
Ciel studied the Sin in front of him and slowly shook his head in acceptance.
"Alright. Lord knows how long this will take….."
Ciel suddenly gasped out in surprise when Gluttony grinned.
"Yes! Alright, Ciel. In you go."
And without further ado, Gluttony reviewed the true capacity of his mouth and swallowed Ciel whole.
So here's my question. And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE answer this if you review! Add it into your review, it's not that hard.
Should I discontinue this story BUT edit it and repost it again sometimes next year when I've cleaned everything up a bit and gotten more organized and prepared?
OR
Do you guys want me to continue, but update at random times? I don't have a schedule. Hell, I usually start writing as soon as I finish posting a chapter up and I need to think about ideas.
So answer, and thanks for waiting for this chapter.