AUTHOR'S NOTE: It has taken a long time to get this chapter out, and for that I apologize. Thank you for being so patient! I probably haven't edited it as closely as I should have, but I am eager to hear what you guys think of fit. I'm sorry for any typos and awkward sentences. I'm sure as I read it over more and more I will find and hopefully fix them. I just couldn't let you wait any longer. The last chapter was kinda slim on reviews. Thank you so much for those that did review it! Has the story gotten boring? Gone a strange direction? Are you still mad at me for torturing Grell (Sorry, I enjoyed it... I really did)? I guess what I'm saying is.... please review, my poor Muse is hungry. I love hearing from each and every one of you. You really let me know someone is reading this long... drawn out.... procrastinating... character mutilating piece of work. Chapter 2 of Purrfect Love almost done too!!!
Commodities: Chapter 12
Grell watched rain pelt against the window of their tavern room in a seemingly endless deluge. The bottle paned glass sent gloomy shadows across the room with its rounded distortions, made more organic from the weeping water flowing beyond. The shadows snaked down the grayish plaster walls and along the worn wood floor, back-lit by the murky light allowed beyond the thick grip of the storm clouds. He could hear Sebastian behind him, moving quietly about as he set about lighting a fire in the small iron bound hearth.
The demon had grown quiet, leaving Grell to wonder if their emotional conversation in the rain truly had been another fabricated exchange. He didn't know if he should try to talk to the man or leave it alone for the time being. He felt so drained. It was unclear to him which was more exhausting, his forced encounter with Skoll or the mental anguish of Sebastian's treatment. Whichever it was, he felt like no amount of sleep would ever make him feel normal again, which was saying a lot considering his life span was infinite.
The crackle of flames jarred his senses, putting him on edge despite their familiarity. Everything felt just a little bit dangerous. It was like the predator in him was dead, driven to a violent end by the cold truth; he could be hunted, he could be hurt, and he had been polluted in the most intimate of ways. He could still feel Skoll's hands digging into his hips, rocking inside him as he neared his climax. He cringed, wrapping his arms around himself as he grabbed at his shirt sleeves. It had been so humiliating to be spread out like that, everything bared and open. It made him feel so dirty.
At his back Grell could feel the growing warmth of the fire, but it did little to chase the chill of his thoughts away. Sebastian's continued silence didn't help at all. As the moment of Skoll's release played itself over and over in his mind, vivid and unstoppable, he sat down on the bed, doubling over so his face rested against his knees. With his screwed his eyes shut he held his breath. Why wouldn't the moment pass? Why did he have to keep thinking about it? "Sebby," he called helplessly, tightening his grip on both sleeves.
Sebastian glanced up from the fire at the sound of Grell's voice. From his crouched position at the hearth he could see the redhead tightly tucked against himself, red hair falling around his face and down his back in a thick cascade. Sebastian could guess at the cause of his distress, though he really didn't want to play too much into it. Now out of the rain, he could lock his emotional self away, distance himself from the feelings he was uncomfortable with. Yet it seemed unnecessarily unfair. After all, Grell had been quick to let him back into his heart, once his apology had been genuine. But was that really what he wanted, for Grell to latch back onto him when he could get what he wanted without it? The answer was both yes and no, but ultimately he decided to be kind. Even if that meant leaving his emotional barriers down for awhile; something he hadn't done since his time on the isle, with her.
Sebastian moved to the bed in one fluid motion, kneeling in front of the tightly balled reaper. He placed his hands on Grell's trembling calves, peering beneath the thick scarlet wave of his bangs, "Grell?"
He could hear Sebastian's voice just beyond his self imposed darkness. The voice was clear and strong even with him trying to close off everything beyond the false safety of his mind. The same mind that was replaying the ugly things which had been done to him, more vividly captured than any cinematic record he had ever witnessed. If anything ever happened to him, he made the disturbing note that the reaper assigned to him would know what happened as well, in minute detail from his record. He wasn't sure what was worse, an eternity with the memory or a death than that would share that memory.
Sebastian gently cupped his hands over Grell's ears, tipping his head so that their foreheads met. It was an odd angle since Grell's muscles refused to let Sebastian lift his head, "Grell?" he said again, putting pressure where their heads met, "What do you need?"
Grell half opened his eyes, keeping his neck tightly locked, "I don't know. I just…"
"Why don't you lie down?" he offered, using more force as he pushed Grell into an upright position with his head, "I think you need some more rest."
It was true, Grell needed more rest. But that wasn't really the problem. It was the thoughts, the dark insipid thoughts that wouldn't stop playing. Again and again they ran in an endless loop across his mind, reminding his body of how it felt, each moment recaptured in agonizing detail, "I feel so dirty."
Ah, so that was it, Sebastian thought, "Grell, you aren't dirty."
"I am," Grell argued, giving to Sebastian's pressure as he was pushed back onto the bed.
Sebastian shifted his legs onto the bed, climbing up after to lean over the frantic redhead. He placed one arm either side of Grell's head with one knee beside his waist. The other foot remained planted on the floor for balance, "What makes you think you're dirty?"
Thunder rolled loudly outside, followed by the quick clap of lightning. The bright flash lit up the small bedroom in brilliant overexposure, then receded back again. Grell kept his eyes locked on Sebastian's. That question, that direct question, why he felt dirty. His mouth moved in short tics, trying to form words that just couldn't quite come out. He felt dirty because he had been fingered, fucked, and been made to suffer feeling another man's seed flow into his most intimate of places. He could still feel it, that sensation of being filled, used as nothing more than means for pleasure, a body, a toy. Grell tore his eyes away from Sebastian, resting his gaze self consciously on the dingy white pillow beneath his head, "Everything."
"Hush, I'm sorry I asked," Sebastian decided he didn't really want Grell to answer his question. It wasn't like he didn't have a fairly clear picture already.
Sebastian placed the lightest of kisses on Grell's lips, moving to kiss the soft pout more completely before touching a second featherweight touch to the corner of his mouth, trailing more on his way to Grell's throat.
Grell bristled at the soft line of kisses Sebastian left on him. They should have felt nice, but fresh instincts of self preservation warned and rejected them. Just as before he felt his heartbeat and breath quicken uncomfortably, "Sebby?" He asked shakily, trying to worm his way out from under the other, "What are you doing?"
Opening his mouth, Sebastian laved at the side of Grell's neck, causally undoing the top button of his shirt with one hand as he moved farther down. He could feel Grell's hastening pulse, strong against his mouth as the arteries throbbed against his tongue and lips. He drew back to look the nervous shinigami in the eyes, "Do you trust me?"
The immediate answer that sprung to Grell's lips was, no, he didn't trust him. But he found himself saying something else, "I want to, I just don't think-"
"Then don't think." Sebastian breathed, settling down beside him, "Get some rest, we've got a very long trip come morning."
The isle loomed low on the horizon, a ragged break in the otherwise even horizon. The vibrant green and gray of its hills shone black against the electric orange of sunrise. Sebastian squinted against the burning light, eyes reflecting gold in its intense glow as they skimmed the top of gentle swells pushing towards shore.
The time had finally come to make good, and as they docked the small pelican boat, Relana was already waiting expectantly. The pier stretched before them like a cattle chute, guiding them straight to where the witch stood. She was a pale statue wrapped in green and brown silks, unmoving and unfeeling as the marble she so resembled. Around her shoulders was the ever present black cloak tipped with raven feathers, matching those woven into her hair, all whipping around her slim frame in the stiff breeze. Beside her Sinah watched the demon and shinigami with blank focus, musing quietly about their purpose.
Sebastian saw Sinah even before they docked, his ethereal daughter, memory of her mother, clothed in a dress of indigo. As before, she showed no sign of recognition. No sign of anything really. If it was possible, she was even more stoic than he. Relana had dressed her in a dress of indigo, wrapped in a cloak of soft gray, decked with the downy gray feathers of gull. A few silvery feathers had been tied into her hair as well, the first signs of her occult ties. Sebastian was fairly certain that they had not been there at their last meeting and it make him feel cold in his skin, like he was losing the daughter that in all honesty, he never had.
Once face to face, Sebastian could feel Relana straighten, giving Grell a very hard look. For his part the reaper returned her look somewhat warily, not trying to give too much away. Apparently they had met at some point without Sebastian's knowledge. What an exchange that must have been, he thought to himself.
"Hello again," Relana said sardonically, ignoring Sebastian, "I should have guessed he would use you for this, seeing as you already reeked of him when I saw you last." She squinted a bit, leaning in as if to get a better look at the red haired man before her, "But it seems he isn't the only demon you've been keeping company with, how disturbing."
Sebastian watched from the corner of his eye as Grell flipped his hair back over his shoulder in a show of confident strut, opening his mouth for a retort. No matter what he was about to say, Sebastian knew it could not be good. He cut him off before he had the chance, "Grell, this is Relana of the Earthen Realm, and this is Sinah, my daughter."
Grell froze with such conviction that it took both Relana and Sebastian by surprise. It was like time just forgot to move him forward at that moment, leaving him in stasis. The only sound between the four of them was the heavy pound of the surf, coarse white noise to cover the tracks of thought. Sebastian kept his expression carefully controlled and though his cold gaze asked the same for his companion, it was completely lost in the other's shock.
The witch watched in silent satisfaction as the reaper's composure faltered heavily, jade eyes growing to near impossible width and sharkish mouth falling open in shock as time seemed to remember his existence. Apparently the demon had neglected to mention a few things to him. She found that interesting, to say the least. Not that she knew why he should care, unless there was something more between them than even she had considered.
Sebastian cleared his throat in the uncomfortable silence which followed, pricked by Relana's inappropriate smile. Her bitter qualities were things at the top of his 'best to forget' list. Nothing would satisfy him better than when he could leave the isle and never find a reason to return, "I think it would be best if we got this underway."
"Of course, Demon," Relana cooed, catching Sinah's hand in hers as she turned on heel. She walked purposefully towards the open cave mouth set a couple hundred feet back from the beach, gait light and unfettered. Again, he noted just how inappropriate her reactions were. She really was a monster, though not one like him. She was unsettling like an unbalanced dog, wagging her tail one moment while she crushed her victim's throat the next. He barely heard her over the pounding surf as she added, "It only took you four times longer than agreed."
Sebastian swayed gently in his bonds, upside down over the Ciel's frozen casket. He was close enough that he could touch the boy with the tips of his hair if he stretched, yet he felt a world apart, as if he faced the boy in a dream. It seemed like an eternity since he had seen him, memories gently fogged out of focus. His attachment was gone, sealed away with the soul he had consumed. Would that attachment reaffirm itself once set free? Or would it dissolve into nothingness with the broken contract? Beyond that, he began to consider what might happen if the powers in Hell caught wind of his barter. Whatever was left of Ciel, in his current state, belonged to the dark. Affixing the bonds as they once were meant he was out of Hell's reach, and given the chance at a new life, would never find himself in in the unfortunate position of being condemned. It was a bit dependent upon who would eventually judge him, but if he was in England he was sure the shinigami would look kindly upon his record. As he hung, he could feel the last vestiges of emotion draining. It was probably better that way. He knew better than most how dangerous feelings could be.
From his vantage point he could see the strange serenity of Ciel's cold repose. The soft cheeks and pouty mouth he remembered from each morning before he awoke. The frail body he had clasped to his in every moment of danger, light and meager even then. He supposed the calm made sense, considering he was dead, but in some of his other dealings there had been less gentle finality. He had been correct to assume the ice would keep Ciel's body safe, though the flesh at the very tip of his nose, ears, and fingers had begun to turn gray, a sign that his reprieve from decay was not infinite.
Grell moved around him deftly, tightening the ice laced ropes around his naked shoulders before running them up his back to his ankles. The instructions weren't too particular about the binding, though Grell knew he would have to have clean access to the demon's chest and stomach for the ritual. Just as in reaping, the memories would need to be cut from the flesh. However unlike his usual job, he needed be to find the light reflecting at the back of the reel and separate Sebastian's from Ciel's. He only hoped there wouldn't be too many other glows to confuse him. This was not his area of expertise and even with that knowledge he was already taking some liberties with the instructions. For instance, the book had called for Sebastian to be completely nude, but Grell was quite sure that it was unnecessary. He had opted to leave his pants on, unwilling to recross the fledgling boundaries imposed by his ordeal.
Sebastian wasn't sure what to think about this new, careful, subdued Grell. A mere week ago, the reaper would have offered, no demanded, to rip the clothes right off his body. Now he seemed uncomfortable at the idea. It was somewhat disturbing. Had everything that stamped Grell so peculiarly erased in one evening of hurt? His personality had been so strong, so absolute. It was what made him... well, him. Of course the logical side of his mind chimed what it made little difference. It was done, whatever his night with Skoll did to him was already the past. It mattered even less considering after he was done with the witch, he would make a point to melt back into the shadows and leave Grell to get back to his life without him. It would be better for all concerned. Or at least it would better for him.
To his side he saw Grell's knee balance on the edge of the dais as he reached up farther, securing the last end of rope to his ankles. A sharp tug rocked his suspended body towards the reaper, causing his check to brush against the Grell's inner thigh.
Grell was quick to correct the sway, placing a hand against Sebastian's inky hair, "Sorry."
"It's alright," Sebastian replied gently, "I think I'm just glad to get this over with."
Sebastian's gaze traveled across the iridescent cavern as his angle would allow, coming to rest on the pair of witches a few feet away. They both watched him with cool observation, twin-like pillars of ice amongst the rainbow spires, unmoving.
Grell followed his gaze, moving between the knot he was working on and the girls, "So, you never mentioned you had a family."
The comment was laced with something akin to envy, though it was obvious Grell was trying to hide it, "Not exactly a family," Sebastian corrected him.
"Is that why you wouldn't kill her?" he asked, twisting Sebastian around to fasten the last knot around his chest, "You had a… thing?"
"Thing?"
"You had a kid with her and things went south, so you can't bring yourself to-"
"Oh Grell," Sebastian laughed, sound bouncing off the chilly walls of the cavern mirthfully, "It isn't like that."
Grell paused, looking down at the tied demon in puzzlement. That seemed to be the extremely obvious fact of the matter. One woman, plus one demon, equaled the rather creepy and quiet child. "Huh?"
"It was her sister. I was in a relationship with her and that that was the result of our love." He stopped cold, watching Grell's face fall to hurt at the statement. He had forgotten to consider that the reaper might still be coming to grips with the complexities of why he wouldn't love him. The excuse that he 'couldn't' just flew out the window, "It was a long time ago," he concluded lamely.
"Yeah well," Grell chuckled sadly, "It isn't my business anyway, right?"
"No, not really," was the idle reply.
"I'm all done here," Grell said quietly, bringing his face down to Sebastian's as he rested his arms on the edge of the iced rim. He looked into Sebastian's unreadable amber eyes, his own mirroring a sad turmoil, "This is your last chance to renege on this. Just say the word and I'll cut you down so we can paint the walls of this place red."
Sebastian smirked knowingly; that was the Grell he could recognize, "It's good to know you're not completely lost to yourself."
Grell placed a chase kiss on Sebastian's reversed lips, "I had to offer. So is that a yes?"
"No, I'm afraid not. I've come this far and I would hate for everything to have been for nothing."
The way Sebastian said, 'everything' turned Grell's thoughts inward. He didn't really want to think about the price HE paid for Sebastian to get this far. Though it may have actually made him feel better if Sebastian abandoned this course. Their mutual crime would bring them together in a way Grell could definitely appreciate. Love and sex aside, it was a bond he had enjoyed with Madame Red. He would have liked to have that again, if he couldn't have what he really wanted, "I'm ready," he said, drawing back.
In his inverted view of the world, Sebastian could see Grell reach into his pocket and pull out a very familiar coil of chain. The teeth gleamed in the iridescent light of the cavern, sharp barbs strung along a running link that could only have come from the reaper's very distinctive scythe.
"Where's the rest of it?" Sebastian asked, muscles tightening against his restraints despite his resolution to go through with the ritual.
"My flat," he mumbled, looping the devious tooth laden chain around his good hand with great care before using the kerchief from Sebastian's coat pocket to protect his fingers from the dangerous edges, "I didn't want anyone getting suspicious, if they checked up on me. Besides," he continued wryly, "I don't think my instrument has the precision I need for this."
"No, I wouldn't think so," Sebastian agreed calmly, "So is this going to be painful?"
"Quite," was the short reply.
Grell hopped upon the edge of the dais, teetering before he placed a light hand against Sebastian's calve.
"I don't think that will make deep enough cuts," a voice said beside him.
Grell looked down at Relana with a scowl. When had she moved? The more that woman talked the less he liked her and considering their initial meeting ended up with him face down in the street, he already had a poor impression of her as an individual, "Do you have something better?"
She looked up at him coldly, flipping the bone handle of a short dagger in her palm, "I do, actually."
"Was that the thing you used on me?" he asked cynically.
She turned the dagger this way and that in the light, studying it with mock interest, "No, I think that was another one. This is actually much sharper."
Grell careful knelt and took the blade offered, subduing the short twinge in his back begging him to turn that knife back on its owner. It would serve her right.
Grell started by feeling along the soft skin of Sebastian's stomach with his bare fingers, touching the gentle dip at the center as he looked for the right spot. Even though the demon hung quietly in his bonds, Grell couldn't help but feel very wrong about what he was going to do. He had a blood lust in him, but it got squeamish when things slowed to a methodical pace. That was where his other feelings had a chance to trickle through his mind. There was a gentle side to him and it was currently making it hard to concentrate. Despite that he touched the tip of the blade just above Sebastian's navel, pressing down with careful pressure. The blade cut smoothly, slicing the skin with disconcerting ease. The witch had not been lying when she said it was very sharp.
Dark blood, hot despite the chill of the room, began to drip down the knife blade, onto the handle and his hand in increasing measure. He could feel the familiar wetness drip over his knuckles, twisting a short trail around his slender wrist before falling. The sensation did little for Grell's state. He could feel the uncomfortable flush of nausea tracing over his skin, followed by the chill which would only intensify it. He dragged the knife downward, cutting a very straight and deliberate path towards Sebastian's chest. The knife was just deep enough, and as the wet gore began to flow in earnest, running up Sebastian's body and face before dripping in thick rivulets from his hair to Ciel's unmoving corpse.
Thick spatters rained onto the boy's body, instantly melting the fine velvet of ice which covered him. It was like the beginnings of a storm, light at first but with quickly increased insistence.
Grell watched the blood flow over Sebastian, following the contours of his body as it traveled up his neck and down over his chin. It began to flow up over his closed eyes like blinding paint, covering his visage in crimson. Nausea grew as he made the lateral cuts across the crook of each of Sebastian's bound arms, quickening his breath. He needed to finish quickly or he wouldn't be able to do it at all. He knew he shouldn't be bothered by the blood, but after everything it was the last thing he wanted to see. Even if Sebastian had agreed to indulge in the blood lust, killing the two silent observers, Grell was beginning to realize the only thing which would save him from feeling sick would be the rush of the murder. He couldn't be sure how he might feel once the adrenaline was gone.
With two final, somewhat shallow, slices against Sebastian's exposed neck he was done with the blade and let it drop to the ice covered floor. He avoided watching the pulsing river flowing over the demon, bathing the boy beneath in a twisted rebirth, only glancing up to follow the deep cuts he had made with quick slashes from the barbed coil of his saw. The whole time Sebastian remained silent and still, unreadable as he bled out.
The familiar strips of film emerged from the glowing slashes, playing back Sebastian's memories in faded color. They twined around the pair in serpentine ribbons, arcing in ever wider circles around the cavern. Grell wanted to watch the memories, but knew if he didn't do what needed to be done, those memories would be all that was left. Demon or not, Sebastian could still die of blood loss. He had already bled so much.
The light at the back of the reel was easy to spot, flickering brightly from the maw-like wound between Sebastian's chest and stomach. It glowed intensely yellow, sunny and bright in its illumination. That was Sebastian's light, the ironic marker of strength and vitality unique unto him. With it was other lights, each quite dim, less distinct. A sickly orange one shook and fettered to one side, barely an ember in comparison. A barely visible green light hid in the glow of its bright neighbor, veiled and shy in its small shine. Neither looked to be Ciel's light, too pallid and slow. Grell reached his uninjured hand inside slowly, trying his best to avoid the inevitable touch of warm living tissue. It was impossible and he knew it, but he tucked his hand against itself anyway, making it as unobtrusive as possible. He felt the heat radiating from the lights, moving them aside as he searched for the one he knew would be Ciel. A very small, intensely bright red one coiled itself around his wrist, burning in anger as it slithered along. Grell ignored it, knowing it would recede when he withdrew. The lights had nowhere to go if they left the body, none except one.
That was when he found it, the electric blue glow was unmistakable as it shone from within the demon. Its light was brilliant, though its heat minimal. A light almost devoid of passion, filled with a great sorrow and lacking the right rhythm of human experience. It flickered off beat, completely out of sync for a mortal soul. Grell gently drew it into his hand, closing his fingers around the glow as he pulled it from the demon's body. It did not fight, as if it didn't care whether it stayed or left the warmth of the body it had found itself in. Yes, it was definitely Ciel.
Relana watched as the memories flew about the room at brilliant speeds, twisting like living creatures set free from their cage, wild and unbound. There were memories which were unfamiliar to her, of times before her sister, of times after. There were memories of the boy which lay bathed in the blood of his former servant and memories of conquests and battles past, memories of Hell. But there were memories she recognized as well, memories she could never forget. Memories of that day...
"Promise me," a woman dressed in pale pink asked, looking up with trusting gold flecked eyes, "Just promise you'll protect her. She is my only sister and as I give her to your keeping, please keep her safe."
The handsome man dressed in white smiled with genuine warmth in return. He knew she would ask for that, if nothing else. As her dark hair fluttered free from its patterned braids woven with baby's breath and tiny white roses, he couldn't deny her. It was all she wanted and it was all he wanted as well. There was no better promise for the day than that, "I will keep your sister safe on pain of death, I swear with my life and my love for her that it shall be."
The woman smiled brightly, clutching the small nosegay of pink and white roses to her chest, "Thank you."
Wide banners of blue and white silk fluttered happily in the ocean breeze, lit by the late morning sun rolling lazily across the summer sky. Roses of white and pink were gathered everywhere, their fragrant petals loosing to the ground in a pleasant rain, coming to rest on the white satin runners of a processional aisle. The grass was in contrast to the pastels, vibrant and deep green, bordering everywhere there was no decoration. It was a wedding and everything seemed in perfect readiness.
A woman dressed in white stood in the arched doorway leading from the back courtyard to the finely decorated garden. Her honey colored hair, with its wild curls tamed with sea shell crusted combs was piled fashionably atop her head, with longer locks streaming down her back in an elegant cascade. She faced outward, face beaming, deep blue eyes alight with a secret happiness. Clinging to the gauzy lace of her skirt was a very small child dressed in the palest of blue dresses, eyes as dark as her mother's except for their intensely red color. The child's gaze followed her mother's outward, one tiny fist held to her mouth as she covered it in content baby spittle.
The scene changed, growing dark and cold as it moved to the interior of the villa. A handsome man with black hair stood arguing heatedly with a tall woman in outdated medieval garb. Her hair was pulled tightly away from her face into an intricately woven ponytail which nearly touched the floor behind her. As angry words were exchanged and fingers were pointed for emphasis, it was quickly clear the two were related somehow. The same angular features, regal bearing and vivid brown eyes were just a few shared traits, offset by pale skin and the same shining inky hair.
As the discussion turned darker still, the man stepped away, eyes narrowing with a feral pink light.
The woman laughed, bringing a fan of red Spanish lace to cover her face coyly, "Do not threaten me, you brash and foolish boy. You are not so old as to know everything and when you DO know everything you will thank me for what we do."
"I will not let you! I will not sit by while you ruin everything I have built here! I am happy, do you know what that is? DO you know what that means?"
"You will starve yourself here! You will DIE," She seethed, "It is disgraceful to waste away like some sickly goat in a dust covered valley. There is nothing worth that, least of all a human!"
"She is different," he growled, "She is my chosen, and I am hers. We made a contract and I intend to uphold it till my dieing breath!"
The woman closed her fan dramatically, pointing it at him in a sharp thrust, "How long do you think that will be, my dear? That dieing breath you are so eager to waste on her? Ten years? Twenty? Twenty-five perhaps? You who were blessed with immortality, power, hunger and fight- chained for what? For love?"
"You don't understand-"
"I don't WANT to understand. I will not allow you to do this to yourself. You blight us all with this show of weakness!"
"Then kill me. Leave her and the child alone, kill me in their place." His breath came in deep huffs, filled with anxiety. "Then I am no longer a blight- I am no longer anything. It will be done."
From somewhere beyond the villa walls, someone screamed their lover's name in fear. A look of panic rose to the man's face as he turned to face the sound. The woman only smiled a very familiar smirk, "You will eventually thank me, you are so young in the world still."
The man took off at a dead run through the villa, the tails of his white formal coat trailing frantically behind him like twin doves racing. His footfalls echoed loudly as he ran, dark hair falling in spiked disarray from its careful combing and perfectly placed clothing coming unchecked. He didn't care, it mattered so little in comparison to the thoughts running through his mind. He was already too late, he should have known it was a delaying tool. Where was she? Where was her sister? Where was anyone?
The scene changed again, banners curling painfully in the wind as the sky fell to gray. The woman with light brown eyes held the child's face against her neck as she looked on in horror at the scene before her. It was over, destroyed, everything. Her sister's demon lover sat on the blood soaked grass, clasping the dead woman to his chest as he cried sooty black tears. Behind him, three demons in the billowy clothes of an era long passed watched in satisfaction.
The woman's face turned from shock to sadness, then quickly to anger as she took a couple short steps towards her fallen sibling.
"I'm sorry," the man said imploringly, "This isn't- I didn't want-"
"We're leaving," the tall woman said, looking sharply to the demon at her side, long hair snapping about like a bull whip, "It is time for us to go."
Her consort smiled a razor grin, double canines showing with sinister intent, "What about the other one, and the child?"
"Leave them," she dismissed, "The child is one of us, or is at least close enough. The other, well, let her raise the child. I don't think we want to be bothered with that."
"No, surely not," the third demon agreed, shaking her head, sending her straight platinum locks about her shoulders like pale vine tendrils. "Let the human do it."
The sharp toothed demon grabbed the shoulder of the distraught man, "Time to go, brother mine."
And with that, all four disappeared in a fall of dark smoke.
Then there was Hell, and the black haired man stood amongst the sulfurous flames, rage mirrored in his feline eyes. He still wore the white coat, stained heavily with the blood of his fallen lover as he approached the trio of demons before him. He would kill them, all of them, as surely as they had killed his chosen one. However, they looked upon him with unworried eyes, sliding glances to one another in their shared secret.
"You will stay here until summoned to light once more, my young and arrogant boy," The woman cooed, pulling her own blond lover close with a slender arm.
He smiled, tilting his head to meet hers, "Find yourself a suitable mate. Then maybe you will learn something worth knowing."
Molten bars crawled up from the ground, enclosing the dark haired demon in an avian cage, cooling to black iron.
Relana had seen enough. She closed her eyes to the swirling reels and let the darkness calm her aching heart. There was a lot she hadn't realized and now after everything, she realized how far she had fallen from herself. To make it worse, it had been over something she had completely misinterpreted. A tragic event made more painful with the dark and bitter anger welling from the basest recesses of her soul. If only her sister knew what she had become over that day and how foolish she had been to allow herself to be so.
Grell held the shuttering blue light in his palm carefully, green eyes reflecting its vivid luminescence. He had seen so many of these in his time as a shinigami, but none so odd as Ciel's. He understood why Sebastian had agreed to the contract, why the prey had been worth the wait. The light was like its owner, brooding and contrary, old and yet innocent. What Ciel would do with it over his new found lifetime was uncertain, but Grell couldn't help but be a little glad he would be able to live. The thought was odd though, considering he didn't like the boy. He was certainly more interesting than previously believed though, which had a bit to do with it.
With an unsteady hand, Grell brought he light down to its owner's body, tipping it onto the boy's frozen chest. It plopped onto the blood covered body, swaying like a slug in search of food. The reaper covered the light with his hand and pressed down firmly. He could feel the gore rise over his fingers as he did, cool and thick, oozing over his knuckles. It was almost done and he was glad of that. He was quite sure that once he was finished he would make a point of finding a quiet place to throw up. Looking back he wasn't sure why murder had got him off so much. It had been different then, he rationalized.
The light disappeared in a quick sputter, reuniting with its true home in a happy flash. Ice crackled, melting away instantly, warmth radiating out from the little body beneath Grell's hand. It was beautiful, it was fascinating, it was birth after death, unholy revival forged through undeniable forgiveness. It was a new day with a new chapter and the end of a short tragic story. He stood in awe of its power and of his own. It was one he thought he would never have in any capacity, the power of bestowing life.
Grell's hand slipped away from Ciel's body as it rose from its cold coffin, hovering in air ethereally. Death's pallor lifted and all the cold fell away, leaving nothing less than the blood covered life within. Sebastian watched as well, head spinning from lack of blood. He wanted to see, to know what happened next, but he could barely keep his eyes open. He felt so tired and dizzy, like the world was at all sorts of strange and unbelievable angles. Where was he? He couldn't quite remember. Everything was so blurry and getting worse. He knew that if he could just hang on a little more, he could figure it out. If he could just...
The reaper reached for Ciel, pulling him into a protective embrace. He could feel his warmth, his light returning to its full strength. No, returning stronger than when it left, almost as if its trial had galvanized him beyond the damage of his other life. That was how it seemed to him. He looked down at the bloody boy in his arms, feeling pleasantly at peace with the world despite the its horror, all traces of sickness evaporated.
Blue eyes opened from their crimson baptism anew, staring up groggily into the jade gaze and toothy smile of the reaper above. There was a moment of sleepy confusion. What was going on? Grell looked from Ciel to Sebastian and back again. Where to begin? "Welcome back, Ciel Phantomhive, it seems you have escaped the promise of Hell."
