Chapter Twenty-Three: His Butler, Transmitted, His Bodyguard, Strong
Previously: Sebastian gathered Frances into his arms and ran towards the portal.
"Here we go." He said, reddish-brown eyes glaring and focused.
Grell ran beside him. Frances summoned her sword to her hand, just in case. She tried to keep her eyes open, but the light was too bright. She closed her eyes and buried her head into Sebastian's chest as they jumped through the portal.
When Frances felt Sebastian land, she opened her eyes. It was bright and sunny. He quickly placed her upon her feet. They were standing on a smooth cement walkway. Frances could feel the Ciel's disgust.
"Where's the Young Master?" Sebastian demanded, as they looked around.
There was a giant blue and white building before them. Frances gasped. She had a feeling she knew where they were.
"Eh! This is the Grim Reaper Library! That's where the Cinematic Records are kept!" Grell explained.
She was right. They started walking. Frances and Grell keeping up with Sebastian's quick strides. They made it to the door. Sebastian opened it. A long handled scissor-scythe headed for him. He moved his head, narrowly avoiding it. Frances, however, quickly ducked down to avoid the blow. Will immediately pulled it back, his eyes widened a fraction.
"My apologies, Frances." Will stated before he narrowed his eyes at Sebastian as he pushed up his glasses with his scythe, "However, I knew I smelled something unpleasant."
Frances stood back up as Grell entered, calling out, "Will!"
"To think a demon would have the nerve to set foot in our territory…"
"Will, wait! I'm looking for the Doomsday Books on your orders!"
"It's true, Will! Grell was doing his job. An angel took the books." Frances explained, urgently.
He gasped slightly.
"An angel." He repeated, darkly as he glared behind himself.
"Yes." The three of them stated, Frances nodding.
He sighed, once again pushing his glasses up with his scythe.
"It seems I'll be late getting home tonight. (He turned and glanced back to them.) This way."
The three of them began to follow him. As they walked, Frances could feel all the feelings Ciel was feeling as he dealt with the angel on his own. Curiosity, anger, disgust, wonder. She focused as Will began to speak.
"Angels have the ability to tamper with Cinematic Records."
"They can change the past?" Sebastian asked.
"I doubt even God could do that. They merely give you a false sense of peace. Those who have had negative enough experiences to break their souls wish for that past to be wiped out. However, it haunts them forever. (Frances could feel Ciel's pain and shock.) An angel's powers have the past unchanged, but instead, they manipulate your impression of it to make you think it wasn't so negative after all."
Frances felt the Young Master's strange sense of peace. They burst through the doors. Their eyes widened as they saw Angela sitting with Ciel in her lap. His Cinematic Record was pouring out of him.
"Young Master!" Sebastian shouted.
"His past is being rewritten. He's being purified, made clean and white as snow." Angela explained.
"Purified?" Sebastian asked, his eyes narrowed.
"No one wants to harbor hatred. That holds true for him, as well."
"Young Master!" Sebastian called, starting to run towards him.
"Sebastian, don't!" Frances cried, reaching for his hand.
"How rash." Will stated at the same time.
Sebastian stopped. He glanced at Will.
"If you forcibly stop her now, the child's past will become less than human." Will explained, once again pushing his glasses up.
Sebastian gritted his teeth as he continued to glare at Angela. Frances walked up to him and intertwined their fingers as she too continued to glare at the angel.
"Yes, he will become white as snow."
"Purified… My Young Master?" Sebastian asked in a dangerously quiet tone.
Angela noticed their interlocked hands.
"How disgusting." She said, standing as the boy floated up into the air, her eyes focused on Frances', "You would willingly touch a demon, let him leave his scent all over you. You too are unclean. It is no wonder you have so many scars. Someone tried to purify you and obviously failed. No matter, I shall purify you once Ciel Phantomhive's soul is made pure."
Sebastian's grip on her tightened to the point of being painful, a growl escaped his lips, but she merely glared even more at the angel.
"I won't let anyone, especially a corrupt angel such as yourself, even get close to touching me to cleanse or hurt me! He is a demon, but he is far better and much more respectful than you!"
Angela flinched back in shock. Sebastian smirked as he lifted her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss upon it. Angela's face twisted further in disgust. Frances could feel Ciel's sadness, hatred, horror, and then his hard resolve. Suddenly, they saw that he was rewinding the Cinematic Record. Frances gasped.
"He's rewinding the Cinematic Record by himself?!" Grell asked, surprised.
Angela turned to him with a gasp.
"Young Master!" Sebastian shouted.
The Cinematic Record was finished going completely into his body. He started to fall. Sebastian released Frances' hand as the two ran forward. Sebastian caught him in his arms. Frances placed a hand on Ciel's shoulder in worry.
"What a breakneck thing to do…" Sebastian chastised.
Ciel opened his eye and turned to the demon.
"Sebastian… I…"
Sebastian smiled at him.
"You always exceed my expectations. You are truly worth being my soul contr… no, my Young Master."
Frances smiled gently at Sebastian, squeezing Ciel's shoulder. He turned to look at her.
"Frances."
"You did it, Ciel. I'm glad you're all right." She whispered.
Angela snarled quietly.
"Oh, the horror of such unclean hearts! Depraved, stagnant, without light… (Sebastian placed Ciel on his feet, both Frances and Sebastian blocking his body, but not his view from Angela.) I should have never shown you mercy. I shall purify you here and now."
"Then let's do this." Sebastian said, reaching into his tailcoat and pulling out four knives.
Frances clutched her sword tighter.
"Disturbances in the Library fall under Grim Reaper jurisdiction." Will stated, pushing his glasses up, "We'll join them, Grell Sutcliff."
"Oh, yeah!" Grell exclaimed as he jumped beside Frances.
"Oh! The door opens on a passionate battle!" Grell cried, hugging himself.
Suddenly, Undertaker nonchalantly walks by with a trolley of books. They follow his gaze as he excuses himself as he passed by.
"Yes, yes, coming through."
He walked to the shelves, mumbling to himself.
"Undertaker!" Ciel called, surprised.
Undertaker turned and waved to them, smiling.
"Hiiii!"
"Hey! What are you doing here…?" Grell started only to be wacked on the head by Will.
Grell flinched and cried out softly, holding his head. He looked at Will who spoke harshly to him.
"Mind your tongue! (Will looked at Undertaker who was still looking at the books.) This is the virtuoso who passed judgement on the famous Robin Hood and sent Marie Antoinette to Hell. (An image of a young Undertaker in an outfit quite similar to Sebastian's holding a long skeletal death scythe and wearing nearly rimless glasses appeared before them.) He is the legendary Grim Reaper who makes the staunchest of souls give up the ghost."
"Now hold on!" Grell cried, he then pointed to Undertaker, "He doesn't look anything like the fellow in that sequence just now! (He moved over to Undertaker.) How could this dreary old man (He turned Undertaker towards him.) be a legendary Grim Reaper (He moved his bangs.)…? (Grell fell silent, eyes widening before he embraced Undertaker.) Make love to me."
Frances would have let out a laugh if she didn't see Angela float up towards a portal of white light. Sebastian and Ciel turned to Angela with small gasps of surprise.
"As you seem so busy, I'll start my purification with that abbey."
"No!" Frances snarled, throwing her sword at Angela.
"Running away again?" Sebastian demanded, eyes narrowed.
Frances' sword hit Angela in her left wing. She faltered for a second, gritting her teeth. She glared at Frances as she yanked out the sword.
"I shall show you all what happens to a world ruled by impurity."
Angela threw back the sword at Frances as she disappeared. Sebastian grabbed her and the two tumbled to the ground. The sword struck perfectly into the floor of the Library. Sebastian lifted his head, glaring at the angel. He reached into his tailcoat and threw three knives at Angela. However, it bounced off the closed portal and clattered loudly to the ground. They all gasped as they looked around. Everything looked so dull and brown, including the books.
"Wh-What is this?" Ciel asked.
Sebastian helped Frances up, gently sliding a hand down her back, holding her close.
"An angelic seal." Both Frances and Will whispered.
Grell ran to the door to pry it open. He tugged and tugged.
"It won't open!" He cried.
"Did you try pushing?" Frances asked, plainly.
Grell huffed and glared at her.
"I know how to open these doors!" He shouted, hands curled into fists.
Frances rolled her eyes, walked out of Sebastian's arms, and moved past him. She pushed and pushed, yet the doors would not open.
"Grell's right. They won't open." She stated, turning to them.
"I told you!" Grell shouted, angrily.
"Good grief. It would seem we're trapped." Will stated.
Suddenly, a book began to glow and flew off the shelf. They all turned to it. They watched it flip open and turn pages until it stopped. Will walked over to it and picked it up.
"This is…" He started, reading to see what it said, "the Cinematic Record of someone in that abbey."
"The abbey?" Grell asked.
"I see." Will stated, "'An angel of massacre descends on the abbey on the outskirts of Preston.'"
"An angel of massacre?" Ciel asked.
Undertaker took the book from Will's hands and read it.
"Ah, yes, I see." He said.
Ciel walked up to him and gripped his sleeve. Undertaker turned to him with a "Hm?".
"Stop her." Ciel commanded.
"Dear me, an act of charity? Didn't you intent to eradicate that abbey in any case?" Sebastian asked.
"It's not that I want to help them. I don't want her to have her way. That's all." Ciel explained.
Sebastian smiled, knowing as Frances knew it was a small lie. Frances could feel that he did care just a little bit about these people.
"But what are we meant to do about it? We're stuck here." Grell said.
Frances smiled.
"That's not quite true, Grell. The Death Bookmark can help." She said.
"Bookmark?" Ciel asked.
"Yes. It's the ultimate Reaper tool which only the managerial class of the Grim Reaper Staffing Association can use." Will explained.
Undertaker chuckled pulling out said bookmark.
"A pink placeholder."
"It's no wonder you and Lady Elizabeth get along so well." Frances giggled.
Undertaker chuckled.
"I love that darling girl." He said as he placed the bookmark between the pages, "Now, if we use this to halt the story, we can take a red pen to it. The woman's name is Matilda Simmons. "She is being purified in the abbey by the angel Angela…"."
Ciel stepped up beside him to look at the book.
"The sentence breaks off there."
"So I put, "… but then Sebastian Michaelis appears."."
Sebastian disappeared. Grell cowered away.
"Bassy!" He cried.
"Wow!" Frances exclaimed in awe.
At the abbey, Angela was smiling. Pleased that her cleansing was going rather well. Suddenly, she picked up a scent and noticed a woman glowing.
"That woman smells like a demon though not as much to be marked by one…"
"Yes." Sebastian's voice said.
He suddenly blinked next to the pew the woman was in, smirking at Angela.
"You see, she's interacted with my Frances."
The woman looked up at Sebastian.
"You!" She cried.
"What a pious demon you are, to wish to die at an angel's hands, Sebastian Michaelis." Angela commented.
Sebastian jumped up and landed right where Angela was a moment ago, having flown into the air. He quickly spun around and threw several knives at her. She avoided them all, landing on her feet, a few feet from Sebastian.
"Do you think a demon can compete with an immaculate-winged angel? Wingless demons are chained to the earth… for eternity."
She suddenly let out a scream. Frances had appeared behind her and plunged her sword into Angela's left wing, dragging it down and exiting the bottom of her wing. Blood dripped onto the floor in quiet splashes.
"Oh, is that so?" Sebastian asked, calmly and proud, though he wished she took a little more time in torturing the angel by dragging her sword slowly through her wing, "In that case, may you be chained to the Heavens."
Angela turned around just as Frances moved back and Will appeared and used his scythe to shove Angela, by her throat, to the wall high above them.
"Grell Sutcliff." Will said, tossing another scythe to his left.
Grell blinked in and took hold of it. He spun around with it excitedly.
"Oh! A brand-new death scythe!" He shouted.
The scythe soared up and into Angela's right hand. She gasped and gritted her teeth.
"Yes!" Grell fist pumped.
"Wash it and return it when we're done here." Will ordered.
Grell's face fell.
"You're so mean." He sighed.
Grim Reaper Library
"Frances Marlino appears before Matilda to assist in the battle."
"William T. Spears and Grell Sutcliff appear before Matilda as she watches the battle."
"That's a handy tool." Ciel commented.
"Yes, though limited." Undertaker stated.
Abbey outside of Preston
Sebastian walked towards Frances and stood beside her.
"This is an entertaining little diversion. Let's treat ourselves to a game of darts, shall we?"
He threw two knives at Angela. They landed on different parts of her left arm. She winced and grimaced in pain.
"Oh, I missed. (He glanced at Frances.) Would you like to finish taking off her wing?"
Frances smirked, reaching into her pocket, and summoned some daggers to her hand. She took them out.
"I'm not truly a knife throwing person, but I suppose we can see where these land." She said, pulling out four knives.
She threw the knives one at a time. The first one landed in Angela's stomach causing her more pain.
As she did this, Grell cried, "I want to play too!"
"You have poor taste." Will said with disdain, glaring at Grell.
Suddenly, Angela started screaming an otherworldly deep, dark, scream, causing them to look back at her with shock. Her eyes were completely white, a glow surrounded her body as her screaming grew louder. The building shook with the power of her scream. Frances spun around.
"Everyone, please evacuate safely and calmly." She ordered, sternly yet calmly, running forward.
"What?! Does she mean to destroy herself along with us?!" Sebastian demanded.
"Snuff out the unclean. Snuff out the unnecessary." Angela said in a dark otherworldly voice.
People started running including Matilda. Frances assisted those that wanted to escape.
"Boys, the ceiling is falling!" Grell cried out.
There were quite a few who remained in place. Frances didn't bother with them, knowing there was no point in helping those who wouldn't try to help themselves. Pieces of the building began to fall around them. A huge piece even landed on the priest in his coffin.
"We'll retreat, as well, Grell Sutcliff." Will said.
Grell ran towards Frances as she stood by the exit, helping people get out.
"Well, really! Never mind overtime pay, I'd like to request a day off."
Sebastian followed Will before stopping to look at Angela. Frances could feel his unease.
*This isn't over.* She thought.
Sebastian ran towards her. She saw the dark smile cross Angela's lips from beneath the shadow of her hair. Sebastian picked her up and ran out of the building with her.
Once they were a good distance away, they saw the building completely crumble. He set her down.
As the dust settled and the sun made its appearance over the hill, they could see the demolished building with various body parts poking out. Frances could see and hear people gasping and crying from what they witnessed and experienced. She and Sebastian saw Ciel with Undertaker, Grell, and Will. Ciel walked up to them. He glanced at her before looking away. After a few seconds, he held out his hand. She took it. She could feel his nerves but also his resolve. He gave her a hug. She hugged him back, running her hand up and down his back. She felt his slight ease. After a few minutes, he pulled away. He walked towards the rubble. Sebastian and Frances exchanged a small smile before he followed the boy. She watched them walk off towards the rubble. Undertaker appeared at her side.
"My, my. So, the little Earl does have some lovey-dovey feelings." He commented, an amused smile upon his face.
Frances merely smiled.
"But, of course. He will never admit it though."
"But, of course." He chuckled.
She heard the people still crying. She turned from watching Ciel stop and stare at the ground. She looked up at Undertaker.
"Excuse me, Undertaker. I'm going to assist them as much as I can." She said, gesturing to those who were still in shock over what had happened.
Undertaker chuckled.
"Let me assist you."
She smiled, "Thank you."
She gave everyone blankets (Undertaker holding a pile of them for her as she passed them out.) and found out what they were going to do next. Many were returning home to London while others merely walked off. As she passed out the blankets, she could feel Ciel's nerves and then surprise followed by his anger then disbelief. As she was about to figure out a way to get all these people home, Sebastian and the Young Master approached her. She could see and feel the melancholy from the young boy.
"All these people are from London. We'll need a way to transport them." She informed them.
Sebastian smiled at her. He placed a hand to his chest and bowed.
"Leave it to me."
She smiled. Soon wagons and horses arrived thanks to the demon. After delivering everyone to London and the Young Master was once again in his noble attire, they went to Undertaker's shop. Frances and Sebastian stood on the right side of the Young Master while he sat on a coffin. Will was standing near Undertaker who sat across the Young Earl as Grell walked over to him with a tray of tea. Will looked over his shoulder.
"By the way, why were you in the Library? I thought you'd retired from active service."
Grell stood beside the retired Reaper, holding out the tray of tea and winking repeatedly at him. Frances couldn't help but smile.
"Well, you see, he reminded me of something. (Grell pulled away confused after Undertaker took his drink.) There were some Cinematic Records I'd neglected to return."
"Oh, please." The Young Master sighed.
"Come to think of it (Undertaker placed a black nailed finger to his mouth in thought.), two of the books I had checked out were about the Earl and Countess Phantomhive. (Frances and the Young Master looked at Undertaker with surprise.) Their true Cinematic Records, with no alterations by angels… Do you want to know they said?"
Sebastian and Frances glanced at the Young Master. Frances could feel his slight curiosity before his resolve.
"No, I don't." The Young Master said, setting down his tea onto the coffin he was sitting on.
Frances handed her empty glass to Grell with a smile. The Young Master placed his top hat on.
"Let's be off, Sebastian, Frances."
Sebastian placed a hand on his chest and bowed slightly.
"Certainly."
"Yes, Young Master." She said.
She quickly hugged each of her friends, ignoring Sebastian's jealously aura. She stepped back and waved.
"Bye you three. Try not to cause too much mischief… Grell."
He huffed. She gave a giggle, he joined her after a few seconds. She turned to Sebastian who had already opened the door for the Young Master and her. She thanked him and walked out. Sebastian gave a polite bow before closing the door. He followed after the Young Master and Frances quickly catching up to walk beside Frances who discreetly slipped her hand into his and nuzzled into his side. He looked down at her with a small smirk. She looked up at him. She leaned up as he leaned down and they shared a chaste kiss. They pulled away smiling at each other before looking at the Young Master's back.
"Are you sure that was wise, my lord?" Sebastian asked, "If you read the books, you would know who to take revenge on."
"It's fine."
"Feeling sentimental?"
"That's not it. It's only…" He whispered, Frances barely hearing him.
*The thought of being touched by that again…*
Frances could feel his disgust.
"It's not my custom to repeatedly disgrace the dead." He said, not faltering one step.
Frances and Sebastian smiled slightly.