So guys, is this a surprise or what? How to Train Your Demon's first Halloween special! Includes a shout out to one of the Phantom of the Opera's most popular costumes and a few references to past chapters.
Again, thank you all so much for reviewing, faving, reading, and alerting. The specials are made out of love for you all.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji or HTTYD
Ciel resisted the urge to scratch his face from behind the mask. Damn, this thing is itchy. He didn't realize how much he hated social occasions until this night. Scratch that- he didn't realize how much he hated social occasions held by Earl Trancy until this night. According to his father, Earl Trancy always threw the strangest, creepiest, most awkward balls known to London.
That sentiment must be true.
The All Hallow's Eve masquerade was accompanied by the danse macabre from a nearby harpsichord, though it looked more like an organ in his opinion. Canterbury was seated at the keys, playing away, his face indifferent behind the domino he wore. Ciel found dominoes stupid- why bother wearing a mask if everyone could recognize you anyway?
At least his own mask had an extended beak nose that obscured most of his features. The mask was decorated with gold embroidery and the traditional Phantomhive blue- to be honest, he hadn't even wanted to wear one. Elizabeth had begged him to.
"Cieeellll," a voice rasped behind him.
He turned around. A blond boy was creeping towards him, covered with a leather mask that looked disturbingly like human skin, but the indecent shortness of his trousers gave him away.
"Hello Alois."
With a groan, the boy ripped off his mask and pouted. Alois bared his teeth, fake fangs shining under the chandelier's light. "You're no fun, Ciel."
"I don't scare eas-"
"BOO!"
Ciel yelped, a figure covered from head to toe in a white sheet having snuck up behind him. Cheeks red, he turned to glare at the offending person. Doll revealed her face, laughing uncontrollably.
"Doll! That wasn't funny."
"I thought it was, Smile."
"And I thought you weren't invited." This was an aristocratic occasion after all.
"Ol' Trancy doesn't seem t' care too much. E' thought I was a pretty boy and let me in." She grinned proudly, but the implications made Ciel want to dash out of the mansion. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be close enough to an exit and he had a feeling he would just get lost in the gardens, leaving him easy prey for the Earl.
He scanned the crowd of costumed people, more unknown faces than familiar- there was a rather impressive Masque of Red Death costume (he suspected it to be Grell, no one else would be that showy) and a traditional grim reaper around the refreshments (it was probably Professor Spears, no one else would be that boring). Thompson was standing stiff as a rod, the plate of champagne in his hand. He would go for one, but that would involve pushing through the crowds of people.
There were so many frills and colors that he was sure he'd trip before he made it there.
"Where's your demon?" Alois asked.
"His name is Sebastian."
"So where's your demon?"
Ciel sighed. "In the kitchen, helping the others. He should be done by now."
"Claude said tonight would be filled with souls. It'd be a demon feast." The blond grinned, impish in the dim light. "And there'll be ghosts, Ciel, lots and lots."
"Dare ya t'talk t'one," Doll said, eyes challenging Alois.
"Only if Ciel comes with me."
"Smile, let's do it, all o'us go ghost hunting!"
"I'd rather not."
Ciel found himself staring up at the light fixtures, the candles threatening to fall on them, dark wax dripping. The music was becoming more unsettling. There seemed to be skulls lined by the windows. There was a breath on his neck.
"Alois, stop that."
"What?"
Ciel frowned. Alois was standing across from him, next to Doll. Neither would be able to blow breath on his neck. Odd.
For the second time that night, Ciel nearly screamed, when Elizabeth all but crashed into him. "Ciel! I've been looking for you all night!"
"So have I." No, he hadn't.
"Come on, the dance is about to start!"
Only Lizzie could still manage to look cute on All Hallow's Eve. Ciel assumed she was a witch of some sort- a witch with a penchant for purple, frills, and flowers.
"I'd rather not-"
Elizabeth pulled him toward the center of the ballroom, Alois and Doll disappearing in the background. He felt himself pushed and shoved through several different bits of fabric and body parts. He swore he saw Druitt jump down from the ceiling. They waltzed, a masked figure glowering at him the entire time. It was Edward Middleford- typical.
"Lizzie, I thought I would get first dance with you!" he shouted past the shoulder of his dancing partner. "Shut up, little boy!" the woman said. It really was a wild night- Edward was dancing with Nina Hopkins, of all people. The Nina who preferred females, the Nina who was a fashion designer from hell, the Nina who was two times Edward's age.
"Sorry!" Ciel shouted back as Elizabeth pulled away in giggles.
"Phantomhive, you're a terrible dancer!"
Charles Grey passed them, hands entwined with another male (Charles Phipps? Was that it? Ciel didn't remember). "Jealousy is bad for the soul," Ciel quipped, taking the lead in Elizabeth's waltz. A violin had joined the music.
Ciel felt as if the world was a bizarre spin of colors and costumes, the light and shadows mixing garishly with the music. He saw his servants in the corner, cleaning and drinking (what were they supposed to be? Deformed animals? Mythological creatures?). He saw Hades somewhere. Bird masks. Gypsies. Witches. Fangs. Wolves. Lau and Ranmao in the corner, dressed in kimonos. Tanaka in a Qipao. Hannah taking over Canterbury's duty. Vincent laughing with the nobles. Earl Trancy trying to grope his father. Vincent slapping him away.
The music stopped and Ciel stumbled dizzily, letting go of Elizabeth's hand.
The party shouldn't have bothered him so much. He felt himself tugged by the sleeves, or more likely dragged away from the crowd. Doll and Snake, as a male Medusa, were at his side, chattering and arguing with Alois.
It was too much. "Sebastian!"
"Yes, young master?"
Speak of the devil.
Sebastian smiled down at him, a similar beak nosed mask covering his face.
"Ciel's just scared because I spooked him," Alois declared.
"Shut up," Ciel shot before turning back to Sebastian. Claude was tap dancing behind the butler, spectacles shining and face too serious to be taken seriously.
The boy stepped forward and Sebastian followed him aside. He wasn't sure how to proceed with the conversation. He sighed. "I feel... strange. It's not asthma, no, it's not really fear. I think I've been through enough to not fear this masquerade."
"Has Earl Trancy been making lewd advances?"
"What? No- thank you for that imagery!"
"I'm glad to be of help." "That was sarcasm, Sebastian."
Ciel felt a chill down his spine. "I feel like there's something touching me- icy."
Sebastian frowned, stroking his chin in thought. The demon's eyes flashed red briefly. "Young master, what you feel is normal. All Hallow's Eve, as your kind calls it, is prone to wandering souls."
"So what, there's a ghost following me? What does it look like?" Please don't be a creepy old man. Baron Kelvin was eyeing them as they spoke.
"Bland, but on their one night of freedom, these spirits can be... malicious."
"Then what should I do!?"
"Take it outside," Claude interjected. The demon was behind Ciel by then, staring rather smugly at Sebastian. The other butler seemed affronted by Claude's sudden proximity to the boy. Alois jumped on Claude's back, affronted by Ciel's proximity towards the spider demon. Hannah was then by Claude's side, insulted by his closeness to her master. The triplets were then by Hannah, insulted by Claude's closeness to their mistress.
Ciel had nowhere to run. He feared a fight would break out between the demons. How did one comment do this?
"Jim! Let's play!"
A little servant boy had run up to Alois, brown hair bobbing as he jumped excitedly up and down. Who the hell is Jim!?
"What kind of name is Jim says Oscar?"
"Who's Jim?" asked Doll from the side.
"Young master, who is Jim?"
"Ciel! I found you- and who's Jim?" Elizabeth asked between pants.
"Little brother- you're missing out on the party! And what kind of name is Jim?" Soma arrived, dressed in fantastic Indian garb, Agni similarly costumed beside him.
Alois stared at them all, face as red as a tomato. He grit his teeth.
"Luca, my name is Alois, remember?" He took the servant's hand. "And let's go outside, right now."
"Alright Jim!" Luca chirped.
"Sebastian, are we really going to trust Claude Faustus on this?"
Ciel crossed his arms, the incredibly creepy carvings lining the Trancy walls staring down at him. They were out of the ballroom, but he still had the manner of the ghosts to settle. It wouldn't do good for the masquerade guests to go home with malicious spirits. Or rather, it wouldn't do Ciel any good if ghosts tried to haunt him. For one thing, he would feel self conscious while bathing, and another, there would be people witnessing any embarrassing quirks he had (such as his tendency to trip or fail at sports).
"Claude and I have a common goal this time, but-" Sebastian looked uneasy. "If he attempts to betray me or viciously murders me in the process, I would appreciate it greatly if the young master would take care of Sebia."
"One: you will not let Claude kill you, that's an order. Two: I hate cats, I'm not doing that, Sebastian."
"We can hear you, Ciel!" Alois' voice called from down the hall. Damn it!
"Michaelis, you know that I am superior to you in every way!" Claude's voice. Ugh. Ciel assumed it was some insult toward his butler since Sebastian's fists clenched.
"Come, young master."
They walked down the corridor. People said the Phantomhive Manor was haunted, but the Trancy Manor seemed worse. The Trancys were creepy people. But the Phantomhives were not. Nope. Not at all.
Sebastian was sure he and the other demons would appear more menacing if they weren't surrounded by goofy pumpkin carvings. Then again, he didn't choose the location. Claude Faustus did. And everyone knew what kind of taste Claude had. In fact, Sebastian wouldn't be surprised if the spider demon spent his free time crocheting or licking flowers.
"Sebastian, problem?" Claude rasped in English.
"None at all." Sebastian replied with more words than necessary and Claude knew it.
Hannah stood at a point between them, forming a triangle with the two males. Thompson, Timber, and Canterbury stood in a circle around their mistress, a pentagram of blood having been drawn at all points of their arrangement. Most of the blood had been Sebastian's because Hannah decided it was only fair since it was his master that wanted to get rid of the "ghosts" so badly.
"We're demons, I fail to see why these renegade souls should trouble the children."
"Perhaps you're lacking in brainpower," Claude replied."
"Spider, that was funny," Sebastian added.
"I hope you both drown in holy water."
Those were the words actually exchanged between the demons but to the humans holding torches beside them, they seemed to chanting the words to an ancient ritual. Ciel, Soma, Agni, Jim- I mean- Alois, Luca, Elizabeth, Doll, and Snake: in that order, they stood with crafted torches.
"This was your idea, spider, are you not sure this would be easier if we simply hunted the souls ourselves?" Sebastian asked.
"Too time consuming. Some of us demons have a life, Sebastian."
"Don't lump me in with you, Claude. I'm clearly superior to you," Hannah hissed.
"Let's start already!" Sebastian finished.
Meanwhile, Ciel was trying to decipher what ancient, deep words the demons were chanting. If only he knew.
Hannah raised her palms first, concentrating an amount of dark matter in the pentagram. The blood glowed. Her servants joined in, rasping and chanting, baiting the dark spirits to come. Claude shot Sebastian a look.
As much as he did not want to do it, there was little Sebastian would not do for his master. He had already kissed Grell for the boy, after all. He took Claude's hands in his own and they began exchanging energies, a cycle of eternity and sin surrounding them. There was a high amount of negative energy produced by the demons, so much that the pentagram was flaring white.
Sebastian wouldn't be surprised if they attracted all the negative souls on Earth. That seemed to be the case, if the cyclone of laughing spirits was any indication. His hair flew back and even Claude struggled to stay standing against the dark winds. Some of the humans were screaming- the young master wasn't among them.
He opened his mouth, consuming a few of the darkest beings- ah, his hunger hadn't been satiated in so long. Claude was doing the same. It was a feast, a glorious, awkward feast. They re-focused their energy again and the laughs became screams, shrill and stretching as the cyclone tumbled into the ground, seeping into the pentagram and drying the blood.
Abruptly, the noise stopped and the pentagram was etched in the dirt, smoke rising.
"Soma, let go of me," Ciel said, his torch no longer giving out light, having been snuffed by the ritual that just occurred.
"I'm just making sure you're not scared, Ciel!" Right.
Ciel glanced at the rest of his companions, all of them huddled together in some way. Snake had covered his eyes with snakes. Was I the only one not terrified by that? I wasn't scared at all. Not one bit. Not one.
"Sebastian, tidy yourself up."
"Yes, my lord."
The demons straightened their clothing and hair, seemingly proud of what they accomplished. Ciel was a tad relieved that Claude hadn't pulled any tricks. Just a tad. Not that he believed any harm would befall Sebastian. Nope.
"Jim, that was amazing!" Luca squealed, laughing brightly. It was a bit disconcerting.
"My name is Alois!"
"Whatever you say Jim, says Wilde."
"I'll kill you, Wilde!"
At last, Soma let go of Ciel, only to latch onto a petrified Agni, both of them shaking. "That was... interesting," Agni said.
Elizabeth and Doll flew at Ciel. "Smile, wasn' that amazing!?" "Ciel, I'm so scared!" Elizabeth didn't sound scared at all. Ciel suspected this was a ruse to trick him into physical contact. It worked.
Sebastian took his place by his master's side, as if he expected a compliment. "Where did the spirits go?"
"Some of them we ingested ("I did not need to know that, Sebastian.") and most of the others... are in Hellopnikosia."
"Sebastian, we've been over this. Hellopnikosia isn't a real-"
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRR"
"Ho ho ho."
Ciel screamed.
He jumped into Sebastian's arms, the demon equally shocked by the noise. Finnian.
Finnian, Bardroy, Maylene, and Tanaka had jumped out form behind a tree, standing on each other's shoulders and delivered the noise. Humiliated, the boy and his demon found themselves the center of a bout of offending laughter by the servants.
"Alois, your 'father' throws the worst parties," Ciel growled.
"I think you mean the best, young master," Bard declared.
"My name is Alois!" Jim, I mean Alois, asserted for the third time that night.
Vincent Phantomhive stumbled out of the mansion doors, a drunken Viscount Druitt on his back. His eyes were wide and horrified. "I have seen Baron Kelvin drunk. Ciel, it was prudent of you to lead the children away. It was not a sight for children." He shuddered. "Not for adults either."
Ciel remained in Sebastian's hold, unwilling to acknowledge the earl's statement.
William stumbled out next, his hood pulled down, and pushing at his spectacles. "All right- I know you demons did something tonight. The paperwork will never end now! Honestly, this is why I hate All Hallow's Eve."
Before anyone could say anything, Luca spoke.
"Jim, your name is Alois!"
Ciel wasn't sure if he should love or hate All Hallow's Eve.
Thanks for reading and please review! I hope this was fun to read- I felt so bad last year for making you guys miss a halloween special- hope this makes up for it!
Also, I planned for Kelvin to walk out naked, but decided against it because that's just too scary.