Finally, back to the anime! I've been meaning to get back, since a bit of the plot still revolves around the whole Ash/Angela thing. I'm planning something awesome for Thalia. A lot of people want me to do the Green Witch Arc, and I plan to! Until then, please enjoy this chapter!
I own nothing!
Black Cathedral
Thalia eyed the dank London streets from her spot. The only part of her that moved, other than her eyes, were her hands. The fingers of her right constantly tapped out a rhythm against her knee, and she was certain that the spot would soon bruise if she didn't stop soon.
She ran a hand over her face, smearing the grime that had already been there, and adding a new layer of dirt and sweat. She counted out the money she'd gathered that day. Two pounds, by the looks of it, and she couldn't help smiling a bit. Today had been a good day. Some bleeding heart of an aristocrat had wandered by and tossed her two shillings earlier.
The coins jingled together softly - but all too loudly in the hollow silence – as she poured them into her pouch, to the jealous, greedy stares of the other street occupants. They were ignored in favour of her thoughts.
I can't keep doing this forever.
This couldn't go on forever, she knew that. She could only beg and steal for so long. Sooner or later the Yard would recognise her face. Although she was fifteen, lack of sufficient food and care had stunted her growth so that she looked younger than her actual age.
A quiet groan slipped from her lips as she stretched her stiff muscles and got to her feet, and went to scrounge for something to eat. She could go without lunch, but she'd been skipping meals for the past week. If she didn't eat something soon, she'd collapse, and then what?
Those thoughts whirled through her mind as she picked her way through the cobblestones, and she failed to notice the pair of eyes that followed her movements. A dull pain flared in her thigh, and Thalia paused to rub it angrily.
It'll fade, she thought to herself firmly. It'll fade, and then I won't have to see it. With that, she took another step forward, and then gasped when a large, meaty hand latched around her wrist. The voice was gruff and throaty, and not at all kind. "Give me what's in the pouch, and maybe I won't hurt you."
"N-No," she yanked at her arm, trying to pull away, and gasping in pain when his grip tightened. Her bones ground together, and she choked on the flare of pain. "Please, let go of me!" Normally she'd fight, kick and scream, but she was hungry...so hungry and so tired...
She jerked when she felt his other hand run frantically over her thin body, and her eyes snapped open. "If you don't cooperate, I'll show you what I do to greedy whores like you," he snarled.
No. No. No!She screamed, and his hand clapped over her mouth. Please, please, someone help me!
Her neck burned, and everything seemed to be going dark. Tunnel vision? The hands left her, and she fell to her knees, struggling to breathe. She couldn't see, but she could hear the screams behind her. They grew louder when she turned in their direction. "Your eyes! Demon! Demon!" Why was he screaming that? Why was it so dark? The heat on her neck spread, she could feel it gliding up her cheeks and down her back.
Thalia would never be sure how long she sat in that alley, only that when she came too, she was alone with the torn apart body of a man lying a few feet away, his eyes permanently fixed in an expression of horror. There was blood splattered all over the ground, on the walls, and on her hands.
oOo
Sebastian's feather glowed faintly around my neck, dangling lightly from the chain around my neck. Beside it was my mother's necklace, weighing down the scuffed silver chain. Two things from two of my favourite people. Now if I got something from Ciel, then I would have a complete set.
My love, I smoothed my hair, and then my dress. I had taken to calling him that in my head, although at some point I was probably going to slip up and end up calling him that in real life. Honestly, I wasn't sure why I was so anxious about telling him. He clearly wasn't afraid to let me know how he felt.
The time just didn't feel right, I decided. Actually, the right time might have been after all those times he nearly died, or I nearly died. Still, at some point, I was going to tell him. I had to, otherwise something would happen and I'd never be able to.
I nodded firmly at my reflection, and then tucked my chain underneath my dress so it was out of sight. I walked out of my room and towards the kitchen. I'm not sure what it was, but something about the atmosphere of the mansion felt odd. Odd, like there was something or someone around that wasn't supposed to be present, and I did not like it.
A quiet mewl alerted me to Minthe's presence, and I bent to scoop her up onto my shoulder. "Good morning, Minthe," I scratched her behind the ears and listened to her quiet purrs. "Can you feel it too?" I asked. She mewed and batted at one of my ribbons, which I decided to take as an affirmation.
On my way, I came across Sebastian and Ciel. Seeing as Ciel was allergic to cats, I put her down and gave her a little pat on the back to send her on her way. "Good morning young master, Sebastian."
A grunt, from Ciel, but Sebastian turned to me. "Good morning, Thalia," he smiled at me, and I promptly looked away because I could feel myself blushing and what the hell, all he did was smile! "Young master, this morning you are scheduled to have a dancing lesson with Mrs. Bright," he focused on Ciel, listing out the younger male's agenda for the day. "This afternoon, you have an appointment with Lord Winsler who runs a trading business." Ciel hummed distractedly, and Sebastian paused. "Young master, are you listening?"
Ciel scowled and kept storming down the corridor. "Didn't I tell you that I'd had enough of dancing?" He snapped. "It doesn't suit me."
"Really?" I wondered. "But dancing is fun. I mean..." I trailed off and flushed, remembering that Christmas Sebastian had spun me around. It had been a while ago, and we hadn't danced since. I suddenly really wanted to, and my gaze unconsciously went to Sebastian. He was staring at me now with a small, knowing smirk and I coughed and looked away immediately. "Yeah, dancing. Wow..."
Ciel was giving me a strange look now, but he wasn't about to ask. Sebastian chuckled and steered the conversation back to its original point. "You are too modest, young master. Your steps have the power to satisfy spectator's hearts."
"By enabling them to have a good laugh?" Ciel muttered over his shoulder. "Is that what you mean?"
"Not at all," Sebastian lifted his arms in an innocent shrug, even though he looked like he was about to laugh. Before he could, however, we heard the sound of someone laughing in one of the rooms, along with Tanaka. The first voice, however, was one that I did not know.
Who's tha-? Oh fuck. "Look Tanaka-san," Ash was sitting on a chair in the room, his legs curled up under himself much like Tanaka. "I've got three stems floating upright! A most auspicious sign that today will be an excellent day."
I twitched and inched behind Sebastian and eyed the man warily. Some part of me almost preferred Gray's presence to his own. At least Gray didn't give me this feeling of dread, just a whole lot of anger. Besides, I think I'd scared him off for the time being.
Ciel stared at the man in shock, and then he frowned. "You are one of Her Majesty's butlers," he stated. "What are you doing here?"
"Master Ciel," Ash rose gracefully, uncurling his legs out from underneath his thighs, and bowed. "I am sorry that something so unsightly occurred in your presence."
Something about Ash made me beyond wary of him, and it wasn't simply because he looked like a male version of Angela, although that was pretty weird as well. They both had the same aura, the same manner, and it scared me. "How is it that Her Majesty's butler came to be drinking tea in my mansion?" Good question. Why the hell are you here?
If Sebastian had spotted any similarities, he didn't let on. And if he wasn't about to, then I definitely wasn't. "You may not be aware of this, young master, Thalia, but Mr. Ash is usually the one who delivers Her Majesty's orders."
The earl looked surprised. "Is that even a butler's job?" Sebastian does all of that and more for you, but then the situations are different.
Ash inclined his head with a small smile. "As a butler," he began. "It is only natural to be able to investigate applicants for an audience with Her Majesty using the Domesday Book, deliver an envelope to Lord Phantomhive shortly thereafter, and relish some tea with Tanaka-san while about this business, conducting all of this during Her Majesty's afternoon nap."
All of this was said without stopping for breath, and after speaking, he took a long sip of his tea. "It's not like the tea was necessary," I muttered quietly. I didn't like the way he kept shooting glances at me. He looked up now and our eyes met. I saw the corner of his mouth twitch upwards in a larger smile, and I shifted further behind Sebastian.
The butler said nothing about my behaviour. "So, Mr. Ash, what can we do for you this time?"
Ash took another sip of his tea, and then smiled. "Well now..." he hummed. "There is a Catholic monastery on the outskirts of Preston that was set on fire during the Reformation, and is currently in disuse. A religious society preaching a heretical doctrine has begun assembling there," he put the empty Japanese teacup down. "Rumour has it that the founder of this society possesses the Doomsday Books of all his followers."
Domesday? "You mean the land register?" Ciel asked. "Where things like livestock and property appear? What good is that to him?"
"Not Domesday, Doomsday," Ash corrected. "The books they are worshipping are quite different from what you have in mind."
These were books that listed everything that a person had ever done in their life. Every good, or evil – pure, or awful thing that they had ever seen, heard and/or done. These records were what would be reviewed when the time came for them to be judged. In a way, they were sort of like your soul in written form.
Ciel pinched the bridge of his nose at the end of the explanation. "Yet another encounter with the occult," he sighed to himself.
"It would also seem that they are planning an uprising against the government," Ash added, sounding more like an afterthought. "The residents of Preston are frightened by this heretical menace, and Her Majesty is deeply saddened by it."
I'm sure she is. "So, what?" Ciel arched an eyebrow. "Does this mean that they are to be dispersed? Or, rather, eradicated?"
Ash smiled, and it wasn't particularly kind. "I will leave that to your judgement," he replied simply. I frowned, and then blinked when a shadow fell over us. Someone barked, and I looked up and caught sight of Pluto crouching outside the window, a large doggy smile on his face. Sebastian had forced him to start wearing clothes, because he didn't like the fact that I was playing with a naked man, even if that naked man was actually a dog.
Pluto barked again, and pounded the window with a fist. Pluto? He wasn't looking at me. He was staring at Ash. He's never seen Ash before, has he? Yet he's being so friendly. I thought back to the dollhouse scenario last Christmas, something I had nearly forgotten. Why had he been so friendly towards that strange puppet? The only people he'd ever been owned by were Angela and I...
I'm not sure what happened next, but Ash turned to stare up at Pluto, and the dog flinched and slunk away. He turned back to face us calmly. "Who was that?"
"Just an employee," Sebastian replied politely. I scowled and tightened my grip on the lapels of Sebastian's jacket (when had I grabbed him?) as Ash hummed again, and stared at me again. His smile made me want to crawl into a shadowy corner and hide until he left. Or just punch him hard him enough for him to stop it.
Luckily, he didn't stay long, and he left soon after, taking his creepy presence with him. I held myself back from sticking my tongue out at him as he left. "I don't know why, but that guy scares me," I confessed.
"Clearly," Sebastian replied. I blinked up at him, and then realised that I was still clinging to his jacket. I released the fabric like it was hot coals and backed over to Ciel instead. "Young master, will you be taking dessert in your study?" Ciel nodded, and I was briefly torn between staying back with Sebastian and following him, before I opted to follow Ciel.
For dessert, Sebastian prepared Victorian Sponge Cake, of which I got a piece. Cake~! "According to Mr. Ash," Sebastian said. "The monastery is heavily guarded. That would make it difficult to infiltrate directly." I swallowed the last bit of my slice and gazed longingly at the rest. "By the way," Sebastian cut another slice and handed it to me. "He also mentioned that a considerable number of coffins have been transported to the monastery quite recently."
Ciel lowered his fork and scowled. "Coffins, huh?"
I lowered my bite of cake, and the piece in my mouth suddenly tasted like foam. Undertaker, of course. That guy. I'd liked him so much, loved going to see him, and then that had happened.
Because the people we care about can sometimes turn around and shoot us in the back. And to think, I'd thought I had lost that mindset. I swallowed and put my plate down. "He's gone missing since our meeting," Ciel commented. "There's a chance that he won't even be at the shop."
Oh...that was true. We could just walk in and take a coffin...
We headed out immediately, since Ciel was pretty happy for any reason to cancel his dance classes. The Undertaker's shack in London was exactly as I remembered, even though I hadn't seen it since last November? Christmas? I'm not sure. The door was open just a crack, revealing the dark interior.
Sebastian pushed the door open and it creaked ominously, letting in more light. "May I come in?" Ciel asked, even as he walked in anyway. "Undertaker?"
The mortician in question was standing over a coffin and giggling in his insane manner. "Welcome," he greeted, and I tensed. Sebastian's manner changed just slightly, prepared for any sudden moves the reaper might make.
"I didn't expect you to be here, Undertaker," Ciel scowled. "At any rate, I have a favour to ask of you," Ciel said. Behind him, Sebastian shut the door. I blinked and wondered why Undertaker hadn't begun to taunt us. After our last meeting, I'd expected him to be full of snickers and jabs.
I got my answer a few seconds later when he spoke. "If that is the case," he turned, and I caught sight of green eyes behind familiar red framed glasses. What the-!? "Then let my humble being relish this excellent romance!" Grell ran at us, losing the wig and hat along the way (where had he gotten those?). "Sebastian!"
Sebastian dodged him easily, allowing the reaper to smash into the wall behind him. Grell, huh? I hadn't seen the scarlet-obsessed reaper since that time. "What are you doing here?" I arched an eyebrow. "And why are you dressed like that?"
I couldn't help frowning when he sidled up to Sebastian. "Investigating something on Will's orders," he answered dismissively. "However, I didn't find much information, and I got hungry and sleepy. And then, while I was having a nice, restorative nap in a field of flowers, I somehow ended up being carried here." There he paused, and then he continued thoughtfully. "It could have been a mistake not to breathe while sleeping. But I was waiting for a prince to wake me up with a nice, long, tongue kiss..."
No. "What was the subject of your investigation?" Ciel asked, while Sebastian casually ignored the googly eyes being made at him.
The reaper finally stopped giving him lovestruck expressions. "Certain Cinematic Records have been stolen of late," Grell revealed. "There's no need for a brat like you to know about them," he said to Ciel.
"It is a film upon which a person's life is recorded," Sebastian explained, probably to annoy Grell. "A Death God extracts it from the person doomed to die, and passes judgement on his life and death after watching it."
I nodded understandingly, and then eyed Grell as he flipped his hair. You are not the person I want passing judgement on my life when I die. William would be much better. Even if he doesn't like me, at least he takes his job seriously. "Let me make this clear: you humans can only see it on the brink of death."
That was probably what people meant by seeing their life passing before their eyes when they were about to die. "They are something that can be stolen?" Sebastian questioned.
Apparently so. The records were kept in some sort of giant, Reaper library when they weren't in use. What form were they kept in? Books. The stolen Cinematic Records were probably the ones the founder of that cult was using to preach. After all, the library held the records of everyone who had ever lived, and who was still living.
Creepy. "A book created solely for the purpose of Doomsday," Ciel murmured thoughtfully, and then he turned to the reaper. "Grell, I need you to help me with something."
The redhead frowned and flipped his hair haughtily. "Hmph, like I'd do anything for a kid like you-!"
"I'll let you kiss Sebastian." He paused, and I ground my teeth behind my poker face. You can't keep promising that!
"Oh no," I snapped, stalking in front of Sebastian. I jabbed my finger at Grell, my eyes narrowed into flints. "You'll help us, because you need help too. You help us get into the monastery, and we'll help you find those godforsaken books. Do we have a deal?"
His eyes were wide in shock, and he sneered at me, but nodded sulkily. "Fine," he muttered. I felt myself relax, and I realised that Sebastian and Ciel were staring at me – Ciel with an impressed smirk, and Sebastian with a gleaming eyes.
Grell put on the Undertaker's wig again, the rest of us squeezed into the largest coffin the mortician had. It's so fucking cramped. "Oi, where the fuck do you think your hands are?" I hissed at Sebastian. I knew it was Sebastian, because his eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, and when he smiled I could see the outline his teeth.
"My apologies, my dear. I assumed that was your leg."
"Like that's any better?"
"Could the two of you pick a better time to flirt?"
"We're not flirting!"
"I suppose it has gone a bit further than simple flirting."
"Would you stop?!"
"Hey, no touching my Sebby!" Grell's voice filtered in through the coffin.
"Stop talking, don't talk to the coffin!"
"Would all of you just shut up?!"
That is more or less how the entire ride to the monastery went. By the time we arrived, I was annoyed, embarrassed, and my left foot had fallen asleep. Long story short, I was in a terrible mood. This mood was made worse by the fact that entry clearly wasn't as difficult as we'd been made to think, since the guy at the gate more or less invited us in with the largest, most practiced smile I'd ever seen outside of Ciel and Sebastian's faces.
The monastery loomed over us, dark and soot-black, with arches and pillars and windows that reminded me of eyes. Men and women in red, black and white robes moved about the grounds, their heads slightly lowered. They only looked up to flash each other large smiles, and then they moved on.
I took a step closer to Sebastian. "This place freaks me out," I muttered quietly. It had the same aura as Ash, only magnified to fit its size. We were led into the main hall of the monastery, and something caught my eye. Something at the top of the stained glass mural of an angel. That sign.
My hip burned with phantom pain, and my fingers gripped Sebastian's sleeve reflexively. Hold me, I wanted to say. But I didn't, because I was stronger than that, and I wasn't about to be reduced to some crying mess. At least there weren't any freakish dolls around.
Fingers touched the back of my hand, and I blinked several times and turned to Sebastian. His expression was one of concern. I shook my head, and looked over at Ciel. The boy looked nearly catatonic, and I leaned over to him. "Ciel?"
He blinked, catching himself and coming out of whatever frozen state he had been. He waved off my concern quickly, and turned when we caught the sound of children laughing. Three little boys skipped out from a door near the back of the hall. They were dressed like choirboys, in the same red, black and white clothes as the adults.
They caught sight of us, and hopped over, looking cheerful and carefree. Seeing them made me feel uneasy. "Good evening," they chorused, all smiles. "Today was a wonderful day again, don't you think?"
One of them wore large, round glasses that seemed a tad too large for his small face. "Oh, they are so cute!" Grell commented with a smile. "I have no interest in kids though." I should sincerely hope not.
The children stopped in front of him, with the boy wearing glasses in front. "Good evening Mr. Unclean," he beamed. "You really are dirty, through and through!" The other boys expressed similar sentiments, all with wide, concerned smiles on their faces. Grell froze, and scowled at him. "What's wrong Mr. Unclean?" One asked, and he received a punch to the head for his trouble.
They then promptly ran away screaming about they too were now unclean, and needed to be purified, which incited Grell to run after them with the intent of punching them more. "Grell, you can't hit children!" I called after him.
Luckily, they escaped, and bumped past a nun (let's call her a nun) coming out from one of the corridors. The woman watched them go with a beatific smile. "Don't mind them," she turned her smile on us. "After a certain age, all people are considered impure. You must be new converts," she studied our clothes. "Don't worry, once you are immersed in the teachings of the Founder, you will be cleansed."
Well that isn't creepy at all. She wandered closer to me with a smile. On another note, do I know you? She looked vaguely familiar to me. I think I'd probably shared lodgings with her at some point. Yes, that was it. We used to wash each other's backs*. What's her name again? Cathy? No, I think it started with an M. Mary...Martha...Madeleine...
"Matilda!" My eyes widened when the name came to me.
She giggled and waved a hand at me. "I was wondering when you were going to recognise me." I hugged her, trying not to flinch at the freaky aura around her. "I'm so excited that you're a new convert!" She beamed at me.
"What? Oh right, right," I smiled while trying to distance myself from her as naturally as possible. "Speaking of which, what do you mean by impure? I've hugged you. Does that mean that you have to be cleansed or what?" I wasn't just asking for information, I was genuinely curious.
Matilda smiled at me, that strange, perfect, saintly smile. "So many questions," she laughed. "I will explain everything to you and your companions in detail." Whoop! Score one for me! No doubt Sebastian would have tried to seduce her, and there would be nothing of the sort while I was around. I'd kill him if he dared do that.
...huh, where did that come from?
When she turned to address Ciel, I met Sebastian's curious smile with a grin, and quickly composed myself when she turned back to me. "In the meantime, you must be cleansed and given new clothes. I don't believe we have anything for you at the moment, but I'm sure we could procure some by tomorrow. Thalia, come with me." Oh, wait, you meant now?
I was taken to a large, communal-looking bath, and scrubbed within an inch of my life by three other nuns who really did not understand the benefits of personal space. Ah well, at least I was clean by the end of it. Cleaner than I'd ever been, barring that time Sebastian had ambushed me in the bath.
One of them paused during the bath, and touched the back of my neck. "Miss, what is this thing on your back?"
"Uh..." I twisted my head around and caught the frowns on their faces. "A tattoo," I lied. "Why? Is something wrong?"
They shot each other glances, and one placed her hands on my shoulders. "It resembles the mark of a demon," she explained. "I do not know why you chose to have this on your skin, but you must remove it soon, before one of those damned creatures thinks you're its Mate."
Well, it's a little late for that. I nodded silently, and resigned myself to the rest of the bath. When they were finally finished with me, Matilda led me to a room where I was allowed to change into a new dress. It was white, with lilac ribbons, and the colour clashed with the red in my hair.
"So..." I rubbed the last few drops of water from my hair with the towel, and glanced over at Matilda. She was sitting on one of the beds in the room, still smiling. I wanted to tell her to take a break, that no one else was here. Instead, I tossed my towel over my shoulder and stretched. "You said you'd tell me about this cu-...I mean, this following."
If she'd caught my slip up, she didn't comment on it. "You will be so happy here, Thalia," she chirped. "Our Founder is such a wonderful person. See, the Doomsday Books of those who live long lives become tainted." I settled beside her, focusing on her forehead so I wouldn't have to look into her eyes. "Our Founder purifies the tainted parts for us, so that we become pure again."
"Really?" I murmured. She nodded ecstatically, and then added that the Doomsday Books contained both the past and future of its owners. "So, this Founder can predict your lives?" That sounded...really ominous.
Not only that, he could also become privy to secrets about peoples' pasts that even they weren't aware of. "However, the only ones that learn about that are the children chosen for Heaven's Choir."
"Why?" I arched an eyebrow, finally making eye contact. "What are they singing? Do their hymns come from the books or something?"
She blushed and averted her eyes. "The nuances of it are probably different from simple singing," she giggled slightly, still refusing to meet my eyes. I arched an eyebrow and waited for her to answer. "They let their beautiful voices be heard from the Founder's bedroom."
...the fuck?! "O-kay," I drew out the first vowel and slowly slid away from her. Before I could get too far away, she suddenly threw her arms around my shoulders in an embrace. "Um, what are you-?"
"You'll fit in perfectly, Thalia," she whispered into my ear, and I stiffened at her next words. "The Founder said so. You're perfect. You're pure."
oOo
"...and that is more or less all she told me," I finished my explanation, leaving out the last bit. I'd met everyone else in a corridor on the ground floor. The night had just arrived, and the sky was lit up with stars. The moon, however, was absent. "Let me tell you, this is one fucked up place," I shuddered and folded my arms across my chest. "Let's leave."
Sebastian hummed and glanced down at Ciel. Grell was nowhere to be found, not that I was complaining. "As only boys are being selected for Heaven's Choir, the young master is the only one able to get close to the Founder."
HELL NO! "Really?" Ah, there was Grell. "Entering Heaven's Choir is something even I can do!" He was dressed in a choirboy outfit that he had stolen from one of the little boys. The kid was still crying. "So, how do I look?"
"Please give the child back his clothes," I replied immediately. "You are not a child, and I don't think you even identify as male." The reaper pouted at me, and then glared down at the sobbing child who was now yelling something about becoming unclean. "Grell, honestly, take of that-" I blinked at the sound. It sounded like a choir singing, and it was coming from the main hall. "What's going on?"
The child stopped crying, and beamed. "The time for the Founder's purification ceremony has come!"
"Purification?" Grell frowned.
Sebastian stared at the windows above the main hall. "As I thought, something really stinks," he muttered. I frowned up at him and asked him if something was wrong. "Nothing," he replied, but he was scowling. "I have just perceived the stench of an apple that has fallen to the ground and rotted through."
"Fallen?" The singing rose in crescendo, and I turned to stare at the building, and then back to Ciel. "Well, after Grell returns those clothes back to the child, why don't we go see what this ceremony entails?"
The main area was lit by candles, and every pew was filled apart from the back row, which was where we took our seats. Grell did make a scene when I claimed the seat closest to Sebastian. "You can't have that seat!" He whined. "I want to cuddle with Sebastian! You're not even going to take advantage of the position!"
"Would you be quiet?" I hissed back. "People are staring! And I will sit next to Sebastian if I damn well please, and I don't have to cuddle with him!" I did end up cuddling him, and I'm not sure how it happened. I'm sure Sebastian didn't mind, and he probably preferred me to Grell anyway. I blame this on the fucked up aura of this place.
Between ignoring the poisonous looks being shot at me, and studying the people around us curiously, I really wasn't paying too much attention, so I couldn't help jolting when the cadence of the organ music changed. A man walked onto the stage. His robe was different from other ones, it was more regal, and he was wearing a hood that hid most of his face. My grip on Sebastian's arm tightened just a fraction.
And then he spoke. "Tonight," he started. "All sinful uncleanness will be purged from here!" Two people were pushed onto the stage, a man and a woman. The only thing covering them were gray blankets, which were stripped away, revealing a large black version of the insignia that had been tattooed on their backs.
Another man stepped onto the stage, and handed the Founder two books. Are those them? Were those the missing Cinematic Records? Sebastian asked Grell, and the reaper pouted, letting up his glares to reply. "We're too far away to be sure," he huffed.
"Let us read from the Doomsday Books of these impure, stray children." One of the books was opened, the woman's. "Jill Peasant," he intoned. "Born the second daughter of a farmer, fell pregnant at the age of fifteen. Thomas Atkins," he opened the man's book. "Though he has not committed any noticeable evildoings, he has let the years pass meaninglessly, and that is a grave sin."
My eyes widened in shock when both suddenly began to shake and scream. Black miasma seemed to encompass them, and yet everyone seemed so calm. Murmurs and whispers of prayers filled the room, and then the glass mural of the angel began to glow gold. "What...?" The light grew brighter, and we were watching the people, watching their records like a cinema reel. I fought the urge to bury my face in Sebastian's shoulder.
"Get rid of the immoral! Get rid of the useless!" I jerked. I'd heard those words before. "Get rid of the barren, get rid of the unclean!" Unclean. That was what the puppet had called Ciel, but not me. What made me any different? Well, apart from the fact that Ciel had handed his soul over to a demon. "Get rid of it!"
The visions shattered, and they both screamed as though their souls were being pierced by hot needles. Finally, the glow receded, and the newly purified couple were draped in new blankets and led away. The Founder spoke, and there were cries of adoration from his congregation.
You know what, I don't give a fuck anymore. "Hold me," I muttered to Sebastian, and I snuggled closer when he draped his arm over my shoulders and pulled me to his side. God knew I needed the comfort. "Now what?" I looked over at Ciel. The boy was staring fixedly at the stage. No, at the Founder. "Ciel?"
The ceremony ended soon after, and the four of us stayed behind to discuss the events. "This is strange," Grell moaned. "The books that guy was carrying weren't Cinematic Records."
"Then that would mean that he has no power to see the past," Ciel said. So what were all those visions we saw? Could the books be copied? Would still they retain a bit of their power if they were? I wanted to ask, but I was certain that Grell would probably respond rudely, and then I'd respond rudely, and then it would become some sort of catfight, and then Ciel would tell us both to shut up.
Besides, all would be revealed soon enough, I was certain of it. "Ah, you are still here!" We looked over. Three nuns beamed at us, their hands clasped together (except for the one who was holding the lantern). "Heaven's grace has been bestowed upon you!"
By that, they meant that Ciel had been chosen for the Heaven's Choir. If this was not necessary for our mission, I would have panicked and hugged him tightly while screaming no very adamantly. I did none of this, however, and instead watched as my little cousin was led off by the nuns, with Sebastian right behind him.
