Author's notes: Omg so many positive responses and so fast! I love you all for your input! It helps me so much to hear what people think!
To jenmoon1: thank you again for reviewing, I seriously appreciate getting constant feedback! You taking time to review consistently means so much cos I get to hear from someone and know if they enjoy what I'm writing!
To Moneera: yes! Get an account! It's really worth it! You're such a wonderful reviewer (seriously, you've made me want to cry because you're so kind and sweet!), please get signed up! Also ding ding ding! You're right, Sitri refers to Sebastian as Malphas as that's his true name, and Sitri doesn't care to learn his 'master's' name for him (Sebastian) because that's beneath him! I plan to use this in a later story! Well done for picking up on it! In case anyone else was wondering, Sitri according to the Ars Goetitia is a Prince whilst Malphas is a Great President. Now, the ranks in demon hierarchy can be debated, but I feel that a Prince is above a President so Sitri is a higher rank and thus doesn't need to show respect to Malphas (Sebastian) nor his Master (calling Ciel "Little Lord"). I'd like to hear other people's thoughts on this, please let me know!
So far, Ciel, Sitri and Rachel have snuck in and know the team from the train assassination are present. They've managed to sneak underground and Sitri can sense Sebastian and angels! What does this mean?
Warning: Sebaciel, OcxOC, gore (LOTS OF) and swearing
(Sorry this was a massive author's note, I'm just so excited it was needed!)
That Butler, Sneaking
When Ciel started to reawaken, he could feel a cold stone floor under him. Water dripped from somewhere overhead into a puddle nearby with a small rhythmic plopping.
'Where…' he thought hazily as he began to open his eyes,; he heard footsteps approaching. Familiar voices floated over and he decided to feign sleep so he could listen,
"That was too much for the Young Master's body, Sitri. Pulling him through the void like that" came the chastising voice of his housekeeper. He heard their footsteps approach him and the rustle of fabric that meant Rachel was kneeling beside him. A gentle hand touched his cheek,
"Still asleep… what do we do now?" the girl asked, sounding lost. The other set of footsteps came up beside her and he heard a familiar rumble of a chuckle,
"Well I can think of a few things" Sitri purred. The sound of rustling fabric, a squeak of surprise and someone gently hitting a person's chest resounded; no doubt Sitri's 'plans' had involved inappropriate touching.
"G-get off! Watch where you're putting your hands! What if the Young Master awoke just then?" snapped Rachel, sounding slightly out of breath. Sitri's chuckle rumbled over again followed by more rustling,
"Then I could give the boy a lesson in sexual education. With you as my willing assistant" the demon replied lewdly, his voice practically a purr and earning another hit from Rachel. Ciel felt like sitting up then and there to order the demon off his housekeeper, but he resisted.
'If Sitri is involved in this case, then he might say something now whilst he thinks I'm sleeping' the boy thought, relaxing his body further to feign a deep sleep.
Ciel felt the mood change as Rachel sighed, he heard more shifting and felt Sitri sit down beside her. Rachel's sighs now sounded slightly muffled from being hugged by Sitri; she sounded extremely tired.
"The chains are draining you again?" Sitri asked, his voice concerned and also slightly muffled in the hug. Ciel heard the dull clink of Rachel's chains.
'We're back inside the college then' Ciel realised, guessing Sitri's powers had brought them through the walls of the new building to the room they had been listening to previously.
"I'll be fine, you worry too much" came the blatantly tired reply followed by more rustling as he figured Rachel was laying down. He heard Sitri shift nearer to her,
"I have to worry, you seem insistent on doing too much, Jezebel" came the serious tone. Ciel was surprised; he thought Rachel said she didn't have a name anymore.
"Don't call me that name! I hate it" Rachel snapped before laying down again. "That's not me anymore" She sounded sad now.
Ciel heard a wet sound, a soft kiss being placed on lips, and suddenly felt embarrassed to be listening in to something so personal.
"'A scheming and evil woman', according to the Bible… I'm sorry you've become associated with that. Those pathetic winged dullards and their petty name-calling managed to convince the damn entire human race that you were evil and demons were the traitors! But… you're suffering… It's my fault" Sitri also sounded sad now. There was a pause, "All your suffering has been my fault"
Ciel was so surprised by how sad the usually bouncy demon sounded that he almost looked over, he listened as there was more rustling followed by a deeper murmuring sound. A deeper kiss, from Rachel this time, designed to stop that sad voice.
"I'd gladly relive it all because it meant I got to be with you" she replied, another kiss following suite and a sigh.
"If I had realised what those feathered bastards intended to do to you, I would have ripped their throats out before they could suggest putting these chains on you" Sitri sounded sad and angry. Ciel heard the chains clink as they were touched. "I still remember every death you've experienced too over these centuries. Every life you could have lived if you hadn't have met me. All those times… seeing you stare with dead eyes where those 'angels' had torn you open when they got bored of letting me be happy with you… It's… I…"
Ciel heard another kiss followed by soft soothing murmurings,
"Hush, don't talk like that. They can't get me now, not like this" Rachel soothed, Ciel heard the chains clink again. "And as long as we keep Ciel safe, they'll never be able to get any part of my soul"
Ciel found himself confused at this,
'Any part of her soul? What do I have to do with Rachel's soul? She is a soul herself! Unless… she's not a complete one…?' Ciel focused again on their conversation.
"You're right, my dear. But, how long do you intend to stay here playing this role? I want you to be whole again" Sitri's voice sounded pained. "I miss… seeing the real you, all of you"
Ciel frowned at this; just what did this all mean?
"To be honest, I don't know. I…I don't want to take it from Ciel, my piece of soul has become a part of him and he could suffer if I did. But if we leave it until his and Sebastian's contract is fulfilled then Sebastian may feel it belongs to him now and eat it" Rachel's worried voice explained. Sitri shuffled slightly, shaking his head,
"Watching the two of them, I'm not so sure Malphas wants to eat the boy's soul anymore. He seems to be enjoying this contract too much, despite how starving hungry he is. Trust me, Malphas doesn't usually wait around when he's hungry, much less starving. No, I think he's developed some feelings towards the boy instead. Which at least means Malphas is some help when it comes to protecting that part of your soul, but it also means you won't be whole again for a long time" Sitri sighed. Ciel heard Rachel chuckle softly, much to his surprise,
"Sebastian reminds an awful lot of you back when we first met. So naïve to your own feelings" the girl giggled again. "Do you think they'll realise their feelings for each other?"
Ciel found himself blushing more now, what was this about he and Sebastian having feelings for each other?
"I hope so. But then, I would feel like I should warn Malphas about the risks of loving humans. The angels would take any opening shown to try and destroy a demon's happiness, those bastards just can't leave us be" An angry swish suggested Sitri's tail was out and wagging, "Besides which, they seem to plotting something big and I would feel happier having Malphas as a comrade"
"It seems the angels have decided to use humanity to fuel their plans again. I can feel it, the energies and souls of this plane are being pulled into a particular space, like they're being collected. It's just like before, back when you and the others fell" Rachel shivered. Ciel heard a rustle, which was Sitri wrapping a protective arm around her again.
"They aren't getting away with this one. And they aren't going to get you either" Ciel could hear the threat in Sitri's voice and imagined the glowing pink eyes. Another kiss followed this; deeper and longer than the others. Ciel couldn't help shifting uncomfortably at how much of a voyeur he felt like listening to those noises, especially after their comments on his and Sebastian's feelings. It made him imagine Sebastian doing similar things to him and he struggled to concentrate.
He heard the pair stop and realised they were watching him. He'd moved too much and they must have noticed he was awake. Movement came closer and suddenly a familiar voice was by his ear,
"Good morning Sleeping Beauty" hurred the demon's voice, breathing against the shell of his ear. The earl jumped a mile and spun around, face flushed, to glare at the demon,
"W-what are you doing?" he snapped, rubbing his ear to remove the moistness left by the warm breath. Sitri laughed and grinned down at the boy,
"Just checking you hadn't died on us! How do you feel?" the demon's eyes twinkled with mischief. Ciel scowled at him and winced, realising his broken arm seemed to be throbbing now. Rachel knelt forwards,
"Young Master… you seem in pain" she observed quietly. Ciel looked over at her, her blue eyes had become more unhuman, glowing gently like demons' would do, and her chains were draped over the floor and going through the ceiling. He also noticed how she seemed to be panting with exertion,
"I could say the same to you. You look exhausted" he replied coolly, brushing off her concern.
Rachel looked away guiltily before focusing on Ciel's arm,
"This place is taking any human energy it finds. Both you and I are affected. It's even dulling Sitri's hearing" the girl explained, gesturing to the demon. Ciel looked at said demon with a mix of feelings; he still didn't trust Sitri entirely, but felt more understanding towards him after hearing their conversation. So Sitri hated the angels and wanted to protect Rachel at all cost? Would that mean he would protect Ciel as well or throw him to the lions? The young earl just wasn't sure what to think of him now.
"We've just done a patrol of this floor. It would seem to be a store room of some kind, there's sacks everywhere" the demon explained, curious at the boy's staring. He leant in, touching the boy's forehead, "Are you well, Little Lord? You seem to staring into space"
Ciel jumped slightly at the touch and shook the demon's hand off,
"I'm fine, don't touch me!" he snapped and relaxed again. "So they're using this to store some kind of supplies. Was there any sign of Sebastian yet?" He felt the knot of anxiety return to his stomach, which only worsened as Sitri shook his head.
"Sorry, but no. I can't sense Malphas anywhere on this floor" he replied. Ciel chewed the inside of his lip,
"How far can you sense things right now, Sitri?" the boy asked, mulling over what to do next.
"Just this floor and above. There seems to be something blocking me any further down" Sitri explained. Ciel nodded in understanding,
"So the building is pretty much a front, the real business is conducted underground. Makes sense, it's easier to move things without being seen and any noises could be muffled by thick floors and ceilings" he realised. Sitri smirked,
"Also makes it harder for prisoners to escape" he pointed out, his demon side showing briefly. Ciel nodded, a grim look on his face as he thought the unpleasant conclusion of anyone trying to escape an underground fortress. Then he resolved himself,
"So then, we know where they will most likely have Sebastian locked up" Ciel looked determinedly at the pair. Rachel nodded, also determined, and Sitri smiled, mildly amused. "There's no time to waste, let's get down there now!"
Rachel bowed and Sitri mock saluted,
"Yes, My Lord" she spoke.
"Sure thing, Little Lord. All in the name of love!" Sitri jeered, earning a smack from the boy.
"Stop that!" the boy cried, flushing again.
Ciel noticed as they snuck around, that the hallways seemed unusually quiet. They were sparse, concrete walls and floors not covered with any decoration. A stark contrast to the rest of the school, despite the no decoration rule of Madame Gagnon, and no doubt built to just serve a purpose.
"It seems too quiet…" he spoke, looking back at the other two. "Where is everyone?"
"Probably out searching for you, My Lord" Rachel pointed out. Ciel considered this, but it wasn't a very good argument,
"Still, there appears to be no one around at all!" he whispered back, incredulous. As they rounded the corner, they came upon the double doors of a delivery lift that had been recently used. A smear of dark coloured liquid travelled from the doors where something wet had been dragged around the opposite corner and out of sight. Ciel shuddered and tried to put the thoughts of what it was out of his mind,
"I guess, we'll have to use this" he spoke with great reluctance as he pressed the down arrow. As the doors opened, the stench of rotting flesh and blood wafted out, along with an unusually high heat. The inside of the lift was smeared with blood and excrement, handprints covering the walls as their owners had tried to escape whatever awaited them. On the floor, entrails and indistinguishable pieces of flesh littered the once carpeted surface.
Ciel and Rachel retched at the sudden horrific sight whilst Sitri's nose twitched furiously from the smells.
Dry-heaving, Ciel slammed the close button and shut off the horrors from them once more. The two humans gasped for air, staring wildly at each other.
"Just… what…" Rachel began, leaning on the wall for support. "W-what was…"
Ciel started shivering uncontrollably; the smell reminded him of his time with the cult, the stench of blood and death around him every day during that time. It also reminded him of more recent times, aboard the Campania with the Bizarre Dolls, created by Undertaker and the Phoenix Society. He fell to his knees as he remembered ordering Sebastian to kill the mindless hoard that threatened to tear people apart in their search for souls, himself helpless as he watched the laughing demon massacre the corpses.
"Young Lord!" called Rachel, pulling Ciel from his nightmare. He stared at her, almost not recognising her, his eyes wide and unstaring for a moment, as she grabbed his hand. "My Lord, we must move from this spot, are you ok?"
"W-what…?" he panted, his senses returning again. He blinked, "R-Rachel…?" He returned to the present situation and forced his fear aside, nodding. He removed her hands from his gently, "Yes.. yes… you're right. We'll have to find… another way down"
Shakily, the boy got to his feet, that threatened to collapse again under him, and he noticed Sitri sniffing around the opposite corner which the trail followed from the lift. He realised grimly that the trail was blood, no doubt about it, and watched Sitri with disgust.
"Do you enjoy this smell or something? Wretched beast" Ciel snapped, using his fury to help recover from his shock. Sitri smirked and licked his lips, pretending it was a delicious smell.
"Of course, all demons enjoy the smell of blood and decay. It whets our appetites" the demon replied, eyes aglow. Ciel realised he was being ridiculed and tutted,
"Stupid demon! So what is it you've found then?" he snapped irritably. Sitri pointed into the shadowed corridor,
"That stench, I can faintly smell it coming from over this direction. There must be another way down along here" he explained. Ciel peered around; a single bald light hung from the ceiling.
It was a long and straight corridor, with no doors to be seen, and it offered no chance to hide should someone come around the corner. The light flickered too, casting long shadows and giving the corridor an eerie feeling. It made Ciel's skin crawl, looking down it.
"If there's no door down there, we run a risk of being trapped or caught" Ciel argued, looking doubtful. He scowled at the demon's mocking laugh, who then leant down to his height.
"Are you scared, boy?" the demon purred, eyes glowing. Ciel tutted again and pushed the demon's face away,
"Don't underestimate me! I've seen far worse things than a dark corridor!" he snarled as he started his journey down into the shadows. Sitri contemplated him,
"Yes I'm sure you have" he murmured. He and Rachel followed the fuming earl, all three moving as silently as possible and straining to hear if anyone was approaching.
As they reached the end of the corridor, Ciel noticed sounds drifting up from the far wall. He listened hard; they sounded like machinery grinding along with shouts.
'A workshop?' he wondered, following the sounds. He noticed they seemed to be coming from a section of wall, a slightly different colour to the rest. 'A false wall!'
He started combing the wall; his fingers groping around for a switch to open the concealed door. Suddenly, they heard voices echoing up the corridor they had just come up along with footsteps. Ciel looked back in panic down the hall and his fingers groped with urgency.
"My Lord, we should hide!" hissed Rachel, reaching to pull him away. He shook her off; if they didn't go down now they might be found.
Ciel's fingernails dragged on the stone with desperation, groping at every nook and cranny. As the voices grew louder, Ciel's fingers raked into a small crevice, finding a small nub of metal sticking out of the wall. He flicked the switch.
The wall creaked slowly, moving aside to reveal a staircase. The overwhelming stench and heat returned, making his eyes water, but he paid it no mind. He grabbed Rachel and dragged her in after him, Sitri dashing after the two, and he flicked the switch to close the wall again.
He held his breath as they watched it close; two burly men just appearing in the distance through the narrowing gap before it sealed shut again.
The three let out a collected breath they'd been holding; turning to face their new path. Ciel looked at the pitch black steps and gulped; he turned to Sitri,
"Sitri… do you sense anything?" he asked, feeling anxious of the answer. The demon's eyes lit up pink and he hurred slightly,
"Yes… I sense Malphas nearby and…" he drifted off as he concentrated. Ciel's heart started beating madly,
'Sebastian is down here!' the relief at this almost made him forget Sitri hadn't finished his sentence. He looked over at the demon with concern,
"And?" he repeated, pressing the man for more information. He started when Sitri growled low, teeth bared in an angry snarl that showed his brilliant fangs and eyes now cat like with slitted pupils. His form started to shift in relation to his anger with his fingernails lengthening into claws and his body becoming darker. This sudden change caused both Rachel and Ciel to look at each other in surprise then up at the demon prince with fear,
"And there's angels down here too" he growled low.