A/N: HEY GUYS!
The crew is back in London! But, there's something strange going on~. Honestly, this particular part, I had NO idea what to do. But, then again, this is a little kick starter to what Clara will be deciding, later in the story. Yeah. We're at chapter 32 already, but there's a lot more to the plot! I kind of took a while to introduce the story… and have fun in the Phantomhive manor. But hey. That's what happens when you write a lot, but then don't give yourself particular points in your story to finish, in a certain number of chapters. After this point, I kind of keep track of just how far my story is going. This particular part/arc is kind of repetitive, in terms of inner dialogue, but I try! I truly do!
But I'm finally pushing the plot along. It starts at about chapter 40/42ish. It took me a while to decide what I wanted to do, but I have some ideas, now. So I'm not continuing this story too blindly. However, I did write these upcoming chapters, so I plan on posting them!
I thought about writing more then two scenes in a chapter, but I don't like posting more then ten pages at a time. I've noticed that chapters that have more then ten pages, on word, tend to be overwhelming to read. For me, at least. But, that just means there are more chapters. So, whatever.
Maybe I'll post more chapters today… We'll see. I am enjoying this little break in my week! And, I'm a little more adamant to write the chapters I'm working on, so that's good! I am ENJOYING your support, guys! And you guys ENJOY the REST OF YOUR WEEK! Study hard. Get good grades. All that jazz.
Okay! SEE YOU LATER!
! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !
These guests… were strange.
Each human was killed in the same sort of way, at different periods of time. However, it looked like each one of them self-combusted into flames, from the inside out.
Fire is the cause, but why?
I understand demonic fire and holy fire, but this is… different. Something I haven't seen before… at least, in my memories I do not recall such a fire. The burns burnt most of the remains, and parts of flesh had been left behind at the scene of the crimes. All within the span of… three days? That is what the boy said, three days.
All happening at night.
It's troublesome because some of these humans were nobles. Part of the aristocracy, so of course these humans now cared about who had done it…
I'm just not sure.
Their cinematic records had disappeared, burnt into ashes like the rest of the bodies, so I couldn't find anything. Nothing to give me any sort of clue as to who or why this had happened. A supernatural force, I reckon, but in the morning I'm going to have to see the sites where these bodies had been discovered.
It's a bit too troublesome for me to let go. Especially now that I have my little dearie by my side, and more Phantomhives running about? I'm sure she'll end up investigating this particular anomaly –
"How's it going?" I heard a familiar voice, her sweet youthful tone causing me to glance up from my work, before I gave her a meek smile.
"Difficult."
"Wow, the mighty Undertaker cannot figure out the perp?" she smirked mischievously, and I couldn't help but let a light chuckle leave my breath at her strangely uplifting mood. "I brought tea. You should take a break."
"I shouldn't. At least, until I come up with a good response to give the earl –"
"Take a break. It wasn't a question, but an order," she scoffed in such a familiar tone that I couldn't help but smirk to myself. While most would find her snappy words irritating, I couldn't help but be amused by her bossiness. "Besides, it's been three hours, already. The dinner is already cold."
"You can go to sleep, my love –"
"Nope. Not until you do, or at least until our work is done," she huffed, placing the tray of tea upon a cleared table, and I sighed tiredly to myself.
I could argue, but even I understand it's best to have a little break to recharge one's self… even if it's only for a moment. "Fine," I stated as I walked over to her, and I smirked at the slightly confused look she gave me, probably curious to why I caved in so quickly to her demands, until her eyes fell upon the new guests.
"… Fire, huh? Did it happen at the same time or something?"
"No. Between the span of three days. Seven corpses within the span of three days. We should figure out the exact time periods of their deaths –"
"Are you saying you cannot see their soul memories?" she asked in such a way that startled me, but just slightly.
After all, I've come to understand that there are things this girl knows, yet does not outright say. Still, the blunt way she asked and the way she stated her question made me think that she's seen such an anomaly before… via demon intervention, probably. "They were burnt away."
"Burned?" she asked, and I slowly nodded my head as I began to clean my hands in a basin full of water, the water becoming tinted and gritty before I grabbed a rag, wiping my hands, and placing the rag next to the basin.
"Yes. There are a few ways a record can disappear from a body," I began, taking the hot tea pot and pouring the tea into a large beaker, sighing to myself as I leaned back into the table and began to sip at the warm drink. "They can be ripped out by a demon, meaning that the soul wasn't properly reaped by a shinigami blade as the human dropped dead, or cleared away by an angelic presence. Any possible burns on a record are usually an interference of an angel… or possibly a fallen devil that still uses fire, in some sort of way. But, usually there is something remaining. In these guests… no records are there.
"Burnt away entirely," I finished, sipping once more on my drink, and I watched with a curious eye as the child began to make her way over to the corpses, looking at the seven humans with an intrigued gaze as I smirked lightly to myself.
I've learned not to interfere when the girl grows quiet and begins to think. It's more amusing to watch her soft breathing, as she takes in the sights around her, and the way her eyes move about in a wide critical stare, analyzing every little detail. I smirked as she began to reach into the decaying flesh of the dead, looking over parts of organs, charred bones, and even joints and ligaments. As if… she knew exactly what she was looking for…
Does she know?
"… Have you seen such a thing as this before, my dear?" I decided to ask, placing my half drunken tea back onto the tray, noticing her eyebrows scrunched together, her eyes narrowed and in deep concentration, and I couldn't help but pout.
Not because the child isn't answering my question, but for the fact that I cannot be more helpful.
"Hmm…" she began, catching my attention as she picked up a particular organ, a heart, noticing the burns, but then she put her finger into the organ, as if she was feeling for… something. "… Seven bodies, huh? Only seven?"
"Do you think there's more?"
"Could be. This could be a cult," she began, my eyes blinking in slight confusion as she continued with a tired sigh, placing the heart back into the body before grabbing a rag and wiping some of the excess blood and gunk off of her fingers. "I've seen a lot of weird things in my day, but this?... A combination of a few things. Mainly magic; sorcery. More specifically, necromancy," she stated, and I couldn't help but look at her a bit wide eyed.
Once again, the way she casually said such a word made me wonder what this girl truly knows. What she's done and seen in the future. "Why do you think such a thing? –"
"Simple. Or rather, I've seen this cult before. They called themselves the New Jerusalem. They came out of America, but the cult began to expand into Europe and Africa, before everything went to total shit. What I figured out is that the cult leader was being manipulated by a corrupted angel. One that had fallen out of heaven's graces, but it thought it was doing the will of its creator –"
"Of course," I smirked, trying to lighten up the mood a bit, and she cast me her own smirk before casually getting back to her little explanation.
"Yes… well, I killed that angel. It shouldn't be around, but…" she frowned, and I couldn't help but feel concerned.
As if… there was a strange foreboding in the air… That this little happy life will be taking a turn for the worst.
"… It had followers. That angelic ass. Some survived, and could have been thrown back into the past with the rest of us… If they did… I-I don't even want to think about what they've been doing for the past few months," she shuddered in disgust, causing me to frown. "The mortals may think this is just some human sacrifices, but what they're trying to do is revive the dead. Use necromancy. There's a few spells that use the old memories left in a body to revive the dead and bring them back to the living… but no one can bring back the dead, except the Son of God," she scoffed. "Any other creature that tries screws up, badly."
"So," I began, getting the girl's attention as I continued somberly, "what are we to do?"
"There should be thirteen. After thirteen, the group will stop trying… whatever it is they're experimenting," she explained to me, reaching into another body and pulling out a heart. A heart, much like the other one, has burnt marks… but also strange holes that practically mirror the heart holes in the other bodies. "It looks to me that they're keeping the humans alive, taking out their hearts out of their beating chests, and then trying to do… something. But, it always ends up with the soul and body burning up into flames. They need to have very strong magic to be doing this."
"… Magic. You believe that's what it is? You cannot be more specific?" I had to ask, knowing that the term of 'magic', by a human, is only used in a broad sense. There are many ways the word of 'magic' can be used. Hell, what I do, what I am, is a form of magic in itself. The dead coming back to life. The children of Death. I wouldn't exist the way I do, if some sort of 'magic' wasn't involved in such a process.
A very curious process, of course.
"I can," she suddenly stated, and I couldn't help but cast her a stern glance, "… but I shouldn't tell you –"
"You should. I can be helpful," I told her, and she simply sighed tiredly in response.
"… My family's magic," she suddenly said, and I couldn't help but cast her an utterly confused look.
"What? –"
"Or curse. Whatever. More specifically, my ring," she continued, holding up her right hand and pointing to her ring finger. Noticing my utterly confused staring, she sighed, tiredly, and I gave her a meek smile, hoping it was enough to cause the girl to continue her explanation. "The family ring. The Phantomhive ring. I've noticed, on Vincent's hand, that his family ring doesn't hold the same… strange energy as mine does. Well, scratch that. It's still a cursed ring, sure, but my Phantomhive ring had some demonic energy attached to it. Whoever wields it, between Vincent's time and mine, ended up working with a demon," she stated, and I couldn't help but frown at her words.
To think, a Phantomhive child will go so far as to align themselves with a demon… and get eaten. To sell their eternal soul to a pathetic creature… How… pitiful, and terrible –
"But this demon wasn't an ordinary demon. In fact, it's a devil. A fallen angel. It didn't have an alignment to any of the current seven lords in hell. Perhaps it was aligned with someone, probably their, so called, king, but wasn't born from. Not in service to. It worked independently. For its own gains.
"And that devil will continue to harass my family, even when I'm born," she stated, and I watched with concern as her hand began to reach for the right side of her face. For her… eye.
She told me that she was clawed at, by a demon, but never what demon. Or explain why the pain still lingers, even though I see nothing. No scars, no demonic spark or mark in her eye. Just… it's there, for some reason.
"That's why the ring is given to the head of the family, and only the head. Why we didn't just hand the family ring off to just anyone. It wasn't just because my family tends to run into trouble all the time, but because the ring just… shows up, and that devil along with it. But… what has concerned me," she continued, and I couldn't help but stare at her with a weary glance as she continued with a tired sigh, "is that… I haven't seen that ring pop up, at all. The children didn't have it, the reapers didn't take it off of my body… That ring usually reveals itself, but even Claudia didn't just hand the ring to me. I've thought perhaps there can only be one ring at a time, one Phantomhive… but if my ring is being used by the cult… i-it makes some sense, Undertaker," she told me, her voice a bit shaky as she spoke my name.
But…
All I could think about is some disgusting, foul scented devil clawing at my Clara's soul. At any child's soul… Wow…
The Phantomhives truly are an unlucky bunch.
Makes me wonder how or why they've lasted for as long as they did, if it wasn't for some sort of reason.
"How could they be using your ring, then?" I decided to ask, but she simply sighed in response, a thoughtful look overcoming her features, before she turned to me and looked a tad teary eyed.
I would hug her, but we both have the gunk of the dead on our hands. It's best that I don't dirty her pretty little dress.
"My powers. My abilities… they're fire based. It's my style. I-it's hard to explain, but I'm sure that's why these bodies are burnt to a crisp," she scoffed, gesturing to the bodies still lying upon metal tables, before continuing, "and… my mum, I think I told you, but she tried to use necromancy, many times before… Why I think this is happening," she decided to continue, walking over to the basin of already dirty water to wash her own hands, and then dry her hands with a decently clean rag, "I think… they want to start up the apocalypse, now. Now that they know it can happen."
"They? –"
"Demons. Devils. Maybe even the angels. Whoever is responsible for this. A war will break out, and what starts it is the dead rising out of their graves. Armageddon. The rapture, some call it… It… isn't as glamorous as you may think it is. I don't think you know what zombies are, but more like… moving decaying dolls that don't have a mind of their own, except to move, to bite, and to move until they are unable to move anymore. It's not dead mortals coming back to life and get to live another life. It's just… terrible," she sighed, shaking her head, before she gave me a meek smirk. "Well… that's my theory, anyways."
"A very good one. Better than anything I can come up with," I decided to smirk back in response, though her words of foreboding worried me.
Not the end of days. More…
The fact… that she knows something I do not. That she had to see terrible things, and her explanations are truly terrible. It's not as if I can understand what she's attempting to explain, without seeing such happenings for myself. And besides…
While such topics are quite fascinating to look into, the tired and weary look on the young girl's face made me feel… uneasy.
I… don't want her to leave me, for any reason.
She better not disappear.
She better not.
! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !
Eight… ten… and now eleven.
Eleven bodies, burnt and killed in a similar manner, and you couldn't stop yourself from sighing, deeply. Personally, you didn't want to have to wait, like this. Wait for thirteen corpses, for the earl to show up since he investigates this stuff, and then wait for the results. Honestly… you don't even want to wait.
You want to leave. You want to go out there and stop this, yourself.
But… you're trying to lay low. And you don't have your powers, anymore. Sure, you still have your skills. Your training. Techniques, but not your reaper skills. You cannot take on a hoard of hell raisers… you cannot take on the world's problems, anymore…
So… why do you want to, so badly?
You sighed, tiredly, as you sat down onto a stool, staring at the three bodies you were currently looking over. Logging their information into slips of paper to be filed away, and soon forgotten about. If this was the future, you'd be taking very intricate pictures, making sure to catch every detail.
The burnt bodies. The burnt hearts. The holes, the strange parts you've come to notice.
But, on these last three bodies, the killers have become sloppy. You could tell…
They are demonic, in nature, but more troubling…
There's an angel there, too. An angelic presence. You just cannot tell if it's a fallen angel, turned devil… or an actual angel, at work.
If it's an angel… this'll be ten times difficult, but if not…
You… don't… want Vincent to get involved. Besides, if they're using your ring, then maybe you should be the one to get involved. To draw out a Phantomhive… they may just end up killing the man, and while you fear that could cause your own presence to disappear, and you in turn die, you're more scared of losing such a good man. Maybe an irritating man, but Vincent has given you no reason to hate him. And, he preforms his duties as Watchdog almost perfectly. Seamlessly… you would hate to see his wife cry over his death, his children mourn. For the Phantomhvie name to be rolled around in the dirt, as it often is.
You rubbed at your face, using your arm rather then your dirty hands, though you're sure you got some sort of dirty goop on your cheek as you tried to get a particular itch. This is… stressing you out. Terribly. You know it, but you aren't going to stop. When you could sense your reaper powers, your reaper self… loss of sleep or even basic needs didn't bother you. Now, it is.
But before you could fall backward, almost slipping off of the stool to hit your back upon a table, you felt arms wrapping around you, and a face nudging the side of your cheek. "Clara~… You need sleep."
"N-no. No, I need to work –"
"The guests won't be going anywhere. Besides, you're not looking well," you heard Undertaker say, but you sighed deeply in response. When you didn't even argue back, make some sassy snappy comment, he sighed as well, and you flinched just slightly as he kissed your cheek, and then set a clean bowl of water upon the table behind you. "Wash your hands. We can work on this in the morning –"
"I can't sleep," you stated, bluntly, causing the man to frown, but you followed his orders as you stood up, cleaning your hands as you continued with a tired, but blank look on your face.
As if your soul wasn't exactly in your body, anymore, but had drift away. Fallen asleep… was too weary to care, anymore. "… I… I don't want Vincent to handle this case," you decided to say, not exactly saying what you were feeling, but it was close enough.
"Clara, I'm sure the boy –"
"No. N-no you don't get it. See it. I mean, firstly there's an angel mixed in on this," you began, pointing to the bodies, the last one that had arrived specifically, before you grabbed a rag, wiped your hands, and then ran your hands over your apron, sighing tiredly to yourself as you did. "More importantly… it shouldn't be his problem."
"I hate this too, but Vincent is the Queen's Watchdog, regardless if I believe he should be helping the damn royals or not –"
"They are trying to lure out the Phantomhives," you stated, rather bluntly, but slowly you walked over to him, suddenly wrapping your arms around his upper waist and letting yourself slump into his chest. You could feel his body tense up, but you didn't care. You're too emotionally exhausted to care, right now. And if he's going to make you stop… then you're going to get some comfort, damn it. "If Vincent shows up, I'm sure they're going to try to kill him. Or use him, in some way, but if he dies… aigh! I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let that idiot die," you scoffed, "because this is honestly my problem to handle, not his.
"But… I'm afraid," you continued, gripping his robes tightly as you leaned in closer, letting out a shaky breath as you whimpered underneath your breath at the thought. "I'm just… a human. My reaper powers… I-I could take them out quickly, but now… I-I could end up dead. Even if Vincent dies, they'll still go after me if I remain."
"Love," you heard Undertaker respond, his arms tightly wrapping around your body, pulling your shoulders into his chest, as he sighed deeply, "… I won't let any of those filthy creatures lay a hand upon you. You have my word."
"Okay, fine," you scoffed, your blunt and irritated response causing the man to let out a slight snicker of his own, and the sudden movement of his chest causing a meek smile to appear on your face, and a blush to brighten your face. You paused, collecting your thoughts as you breathed, deeply, before continuing. "I… I know I shouldn't be saying this, but… I miss being a reaper," you had to say, sniffling as you held back the tears that wanted to slip down your face. "I felt so… me. I-I don't know. I know I should be happy with what I have, but… I feel like something is locked away, again. That I'm pushing a part of myself away… and it hurts.
"It hurts… so much that I cannot be more helpful. I just want to… get rid of those bastards and be done with it," you grumbled, only to feel a finger upon your chin, tilting your head upward so you were staring up at the rather tall man, with a frown adorning your face.
"Clara, you don't need powers to be helpful… but I would rather keep you away from danger. Especially of this particular variety –"
"Don't," you scoffed in disgust, your grip around the man slowly slipping, and you took a step away, only to be brought back to the man's chest, and you growled lowly, glaring up at him, while he smirked simply in response. "… You know, I was just starting to like you, but if you honestly think that women need to be protected and all that crap, I'm going to have to stop this relationship here. I'm not a doll that needs to be properly cared for. I can handle myself."
"I'm sure you can. In fact, I believe you can… in most situations," he began, but as he noticed your irritated glare he continued, "but… you are human. And, why can't I be worried?"
"I would be worried too if you put yourself in a terrible situation," you decided to say, but then you shook your head, "but you don't get it. You males think that you can protect females. Seriously, what's up with that? –"
"Males like to feel dominant. Own or possess something. Not all, mind you, but I'm believing that's where your fears for the opposite sex stem from," he smirked, causing you to outright huff at him, turning and glaring at nothing in particular before you could feel his nose brushing against the side of your forehead, causing you to freeze midbreath. "I'm sorry. However, I do not want you to go after such monsters."
"B-but –"
"And yes, I worry about the boy too… Just… you must stay calm, my dear," he sighed, and you couldn't stop yourself as you heard his tired breath, your hands moving on their own as you reached for his face, causing his eyelids to open and his reaper eyes to gaze upon you, glowing in its pure glory.
You smiled, meekly, your finger brushing away some stray hairs from his face, before you sighed to yourself, trying to hold back the need to cry. "If I do nothing, I'm sure this'll end up blowing out of proportion… My biggest fear is that these demons are going to try to bring about the apocalypse, early. H-how can I just sit by and let it happen?" you sniffled, a hand letting go of his face while you put your hand to your mouth, quickly wiping at a tear to stop yourself from outright sobbing.
Geeze… you hate being this weak. This whiny… but you cannot help it.
You're just… so… terrified. Fearful of an outcome worse then the one you had to endure.
You just… don't want anything bad to happen, to anyone you care about.
"You told me there will be thirteen bodies," he decided to say, your eyes slowing staring up at him as he continued, his tone more thoughtful then aggravated. "So… we shall wait for the last two to show up, and then we can set a plan in motion."
"W-what? Seriously? –"
"I don't want to," he scoffed, but then he placed a quick kiss upon your forehead, and you couldn't help but stare at his chest, wide eyed, before he continued, "but, even I do not want the poor boy to get hurt. And, if you're so sure you can get rid of them…"
"I-I… I don't even know how deep this will go," you admitted, but he sighed in response.
"Either way, I can tell you will stop at nothing to put an end to this murder spree. So, let me help you," he stated, and you couldn't help but stare at him.
Honestly surprised. "W-what? Why? Shouldn't you try to lock me away or something in order to protect me, like an idiot? –"
"I know from experience you Phantomhives will do what you think is right," he smirked, snickering at your utterly confused face as he began to nuzzle his nose against the top of your head, and you couldn't stop yourself from squirming, mainly out of nervousness and uncertainty, "and, I would rather be involved and be of service, to you, then let you drift away from me."
"… S-so… wow. Are you sure?" you asked, your movement to look up at him causing the man's face to leave your head, but he smiled lightly in reply.
"I am sure. Now, why don't we have a nice cup of tea, hmm~? We still have a long day to get through," he told you, but before he could let you go, you grabbed his cheek, his eyes looking at you curiously, until you began to lean upward.
You gently kissed the man on the lips, a kiss so slow, yet… so nice, as if you had released some built up energy you weren't willing to let go of, until now. You sighed, softly, regretting that you pulled away, but you gave him a meek smile before you continued, "S-sure. Just… don't do something crazy, either."
"I'll think~ about it," he smirked, but then he let out a confused huff as you poked the man on the nose, grinning deviously at the unsure look he began to give you.
"Talk to me, before you do something crazy. 'Kay?"
"… Yes," he agreed, only to let out a slight chuckle as you suddenly leaned upward, kissing him once again, but this time you weren't so hesitant about it. "My, my~. Have I placed you under my spell~?"
"No. You're just so sweet," you told him, smirking, before you let him go and began to make your way up the stairs, pausing when he didn't move. "… Are you coming?"
"Right behind you, my lady love," he smirked, but you couldn't stop yourself from blushing, slightly.
Geeze, what's with this guy?!
But… wow. You really are tired, you realized as you gripped the railing on the stairs to stop yourself from falling backward, only to feel the man's arms around your shoulders, keeping you from tumbling backward. "I got you, love. I won't let you fall."
"I honestly hope so," you mumbled underneath your breath, feeling a tad teary eyed, but you pushed your emotions aside and, instead, thought about making your way up the stairs, with Undertaker guiding you.
Are you…
Really this weak?
Gah!... This sucks!
! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !
I will say this, before we move on to the next chapter. I don't think it's wrong that Clara cries. In fact, I would encourage the need to cry, when you need to. Trust me. Bottling up your emotions until they explode is a terrible thing to do.
Thing is, Clara has learned to hold in her emotions, since she was young. But, I'll say this in a much later chapter [if I remember] I decided to base her after a particular child, from a particular anime I've been watching lately. Just because the interactions with those particular children is so cute! And yes! I'm having a bit of a baby fever over here. Whatever.
But, because of that particular show, I decided to add a bit more to her background, but now I have her background pretty much solidified. I know what happened and where she's going. So, no worries! And I'll state what show that is, if I remember to say it… around chapter 40ish? More likely, around the 46th or 47th chapter. But, there we go! That's all I wanted to say.
So, crying is okay. Showing emotions is okay. Just, Clara doesn't think that way… and maybe she'll be able to work out those problems she has? Later?