A few days later, Ciel got a letter from Alois apologizing for the rudeness he had shown Ciel during the last ball, and invited him to another one a day from today that being tomorrow. Over the few days we had already investigated on just who and what the Trancy household was. And we found out the truth that we were looking for. The Trancy household is the other one known to be home of another family of 'Evil Nobles' that work in the underworld for the Queen. The Phantomhives destroy those in the darkness like the dogs they are, and the Trancys trap those worth in the darkness like any good spider should.
However, a rumor was spread about the last Phantomhive being possessed by demons- referring to myself and my brother- and used the combustion case as a back up to prove this. Even before that, the Phantomhives were accused of being unclean, and thus the Trancys did a purge of the household under the cover up of an exorcism. Over our days of investigation, we found one of the men that had been hired to burn down the Phantomhive home, and Ciel took his life as part of his revenge full of cold blood. Today, Ciel has decided that we will use the ball as a show down, a death match like no other. This'll be exciting.
However, upon arrival I can't believe I'm saying this but I couldn't believe my eyes. Not because of how grand the place is, as it's smaller than the Phantomhive estate. But rather because they have one extra person. He is a Hell Hound just like myself. I can smell it as clear as day. His hair is a dark red, almost maroon I want to say. His eyes are brown, almost black, and seem to have lighter brown rings within the iris. In his mouth hangs a cigarette, lit and letting smoke into the air. His dress code is something casual, with a black and red pinstripe button up shirt under a red vest, the shirt's first two buttons undone to show his chest. His pants are simple black slacks, and his shoes are black as well. He grins to me, showing a set of long fangs. He steps forward to offer me a hand showing black nails that all demons have on their hands. While Claude and Alois greet their personal opposites, I meet my own it seems. "Nice to meet you, My name is Envy, Envy Bless. You must be Phobia Syn," his voice is that of a smooth medium tenor, and he's about six foot even it seems.
"That would be me," I smile out, showing him my own fangs and offering a gloved hand.
"Oh! I see your guardian has met mine. Ciel, Sebastian, this is Envy Bless. Claude tamed him the day after the last ball. Isn't it wonderful?" Alois tells my Master and own Tamed. "Come, I want to show you something". What he shows us is a giant chess board, completed with each piece needed to play. "I figured that this would do as our duel's field. But, how about our butlers and guardians duke it out instead of us? The loser has to do whatever the winner says unconditionally".
"It seems that they were planning for a death-match as well," Sebastian mutters to the two of us.
"That Hell Hound is going down," I grunt out, arms crossed over my chest. Envy is not part of the deal; he's a wild card and I don't like it one bit. Damn you Claude. How did another Hell Hound show up anyways?
"This seems to be a ball to our tastes," Ciel smiles out with a closed eye, "Far better than dressing up in extravagant and unneeded clothing at least. A clock tower on the Trancy grounds chimes long and loud three times, and Sebastian and I kneel before our Master. He rips off his eye patch. "This is an order: Sebastian, Phobia, win at all cost and bring Trancy here. I will give him a quietest by my own hand".
"Yes, my Lord," Sebastian stands to his feet, and he looks down to me, his eyes still glowing with the order he had been given.
"As you wish, Master," I do not get up however. Instead, I shift to my other knee to bow to my Tamer.
"Phobia, you will assist me in winning this game for my Lord. Understood?"
"As you command, Tamer," I nod firmly before standing, my own orbs blowing that signature magenta, blood lust clear in my orbs. We get onto the chess board easily, taking the white side of the board while they take the black side. I tilt my head at the sight of four extra players, but pay it no mind. We will still win after all. And so the game begins...Or not...
"Oh my my my my! What a wonderful ball this is! I Viscount Druitt, am honored to be invited to such a grand ball!" Ahh that idiot blond again? Why is he wearing a blue shrimp on his head?
"Honored guest, what brings you here today?" Claude, the ever good butler, and the triplets that I never bothered to learn the names of bow to the idiot blond.
"I have come here to attend the costume ball of course!" Idiot blonde smiles out.
"Sir, that ball was last week. We have invited Earl Ciel Phantomhive to a private ball today," Claude politely corrects.
"What? No! What a disgrace, I mistook the date!" The man slouches as he walks away, "Why didn't anyone tell me?" However, for whatever reason- apparently because he's been entranced by the dangerous sounding ball theme- he's decided to stay and watch the duel. Idiot.
The lower servants draw their weapons, the maid with two swords it seems, a triplet with a dagger, another with a spear and the last with a cross bow. "Assault! Allicance! The bloodstained laundry basket!" Claude demands and the triplets head for Sebastian and I in a straight line. Who the hell comes up with these assault names? Seriously? Envy and Claude and Merry stay behind. However, the former most of the three makes a fist out of each hand. From the backs of his hands appear three blade claws it seems, each as long as his fingers.
Sebastian merely has his knives which will do. I in the mean time sigh and take off my gloves, tossing them over my shoulders before extending my claws to as long as they can go. I casually itch an itch on my cheek, showing them to my fellow Hell Hound and I love the look of surprise on his face. Wasn't expecting that, now was he? The triplets come at us as they had done last week to me. However, with simple and perfectly timed strikes from us, their weapons are deemed useless.
"Assault! Alliance! The bloodstained laundry basket to the cursed three sided mirror!" Claude demands. When did they get spears? The trio comes at us again, however again their tools are made useless with a few well placed strikes by hands and claws.
"Is it me, or is this getting redundant?" I question my Tamer, and he merely smiles lightly. However, I'm surprised as they change it up, and they attach their broken pieces together to make one large spear. I sigh. "They get along rather well, don't they brother?"
"It's what brothers do," Sebastian chuckles out. The trio's eyes flash pink, showing us that they are indeed demons- which isn't at all that surprising- and leap into the air before coming down on us. While Sebastian is doing his little dance with the spear that he's just stolen, I'm making sure that they're lined up as need be, jabbing at them this way and that but not too much so. "Why don't we make sure that they get along even better?" The butler suggests, and I chuckle. He throws the spear at a rapid pace, seeming to be aiming for me who is right in front of their line. However, at the last minute I flip back and land on the flying spear and ride it. As soon as it hits the first brother, I push off and send it flying even further forward, over all pinning them to one of the large statues.
"You guys look better this way," I smirk out as I crouch on the head of the statue they're pinned to. My head snaps up just a little bit too slow, and I find a knife imbedded in my head. I fall off the statue and land with a sickening crunch, causing those around me- save my Tamer- to call out my name.
"Why didn't you help him Sebastian?!" Ciel demands.
"Damn it Merry! He was cool!" Alois growls out. "He was for Envy to play with!"
"Ahh well shit," Envy sighs out, "Now what am I supposed to do?" He spits out his cancer stick and stomps it out onto the chess board. "Thanks a lot you damn silver haired witch".
"With all due respect, Bocchan, I suggest you calm down," Sebastian sighs.
"Why should I?! You just let your own brother get killed!" Ciel snaps.
"Oh what a sad day it is! For a man to lose his brother is like losing his other half!" Viscount sighs oud dramatically.
By the way, how do I know all this is going on? Because, "Master, do you really doubt me so greatly?" I sigh out as I stand up and dust myself off. "Come now, that isn't even close to being able to kill me; you should know that". The blade that has so kindly placed itself in the middle of my forehead is taken out carelessly, and my darkness seals up the wound without a second thought. "That was boring," I tell the maid. "Throw harder next time will you?" I return her blade back to her at twice the speed she had thrown it, it cuts her pretty shoulder nice and deep making blood spill.
She gasps and holds her shoulder as blood seeps through her fingers, "Perhaps I'll just shoot you down then!" She pulls guns out of nowhere and begins to shoot at me like there's no tomorrow. When she runs out of bullets for those two guns, she pulls a gattling gun up from the floor and shoots at me with that.
"You know it's not polite to shoot at a dead man, correct?" Sebastian lightly corrects the woman. "Allow me to return the number of bullets you've shot at him as punishment". From there, there's a flurry of knives sent at the woman, dusting her and eventually pinning her to the ground. He and I step forward to look down at the pinned woman.
"Nice aim," I chuckle out, and look over my claws as though bored. "Shall we finish her off then?"
"I do not see why not," he agrees and smiles whilst showing that he's got plenty more knives than what he threw. As he throws and I lunge forward, two chess pieces are slid in front of us.
"Well damn, you don't need double team her," Envy speaks up from his position of pushing a slab of cement in front of me.
"I request a short break; it's tea time," Claude states from his own position to Sebastian. "I must start making snacks for my Master".
"It is that late," Sebastian concedes, "May I borrow your kitchen?"
I sigh and pull my arm out of the slab of cement that had been the point of my attack when it got in front of me. "A break? Very well," I sigh out, "If my Tamer says it's fine then so be it". I dust off my arm and look to what I impaled instead of the maid. There's a hole the size of my arm in it, and it crumbles. Not surprising really. I leave the board and come to my Master's side, flanking him while Sebastian and Claude make the snakes for their respective masters.
"That was an impressive attack back there, that last one," Envy speaks up from his own flanking position to Alois, a new cigarette hanging between his lips but having yet to be lit. "Not surprising seeing as you are a Syn. The strongest Syn out there to be specific. Your pack still doesn't know how your parents made you in the first place; they've tried recreating another you but none of their breeding programs are working.
I sigh and run a hand through my hair, blood red eyes meeting his dark brown ones, "Eh, it was by chance and hard work that I became this strong. No breeding or anything; my parents were weakest in the pack as it was". I shrug, "Call me a prodigy if you must. But those like me don't come along often. What about you, where do you stand in the Bless pack? Are you dogs?"
"No no," the man answers with a wave of his hand, metal claws still out just as mine are still extended. "We're actually foxes, believe it or not. I'm a fluke like you. Born of weak parents but am strong. You could call me a prodigy too, actually".
"The Bless pack is made of foxes?" That's something I didn't know, honestly.
"We're a younger pack so it's not surprising that you don't know much about us. But yes, we are a fox pack. But like you Syns, we've got multiple tails. The more tails, the stronger we are, of course".
"How many tails do you have?" I question.
"I've got nine; that's as high as we can go".
"Heh, I've got ten," I tell him casually, "That's the highest we can go as well". After a break where even then those two are competing, those two being my brother and Claude, and after the Viscount is done making everything seem over the top, the battle resumes. I lick my lips in anticipation. I wonder how long it will take a ten tailed wolf to kill a nine tailed fox?
"Shall we dance?" Sebastian offers to Claude, and I grin.
"Very well then," Claude states, and holds Merry close. For a second I was wondering what the hell he was doing, however once he's done shoving his arm down her throat, he pulls out a blade I haven't seen or heard of in a long time.
"Ahh, the ancient demonic sword of perpetual darkness, Levethian!" Sebastian coos.
"I think you asked him to dance, wrong brother," I laugh out lightly. "I'll give it a go". I look to my 'dance partner' and bow low, claws curled smoothly as I offer a hand. "Might I be honored to dance with you this evening?" I question of Envy.
"I can't say no to a request like that," he replies with a chuckle. The metal that makes up his claws becomes longer, to the point that they're as long as my own claws, and are those little thorns on them? Well then.
"Tamed. Take down your opponent no matter what," Sebastian states.
"Yes, Tamer," I crouch low, baring long fangs and splaying my claws.
"Slave, do not lose," Claude demands.
"Yes, Slaver," Envy replies, and falls into his own stance.
We take off at the same time, lashing out and snarling like the pair of dogs we are. Well...Wolf and fox but no matter. He lashes out at me with a glare in his eyes, a lash that I block with the back of my hand and counter attack with my other one. This he blocks, and we kick one another away. However, we don't stop there, ignoring all that is around us. Even our own masters. A kick here, a swipe there, a snarl and a yelp. Teeth come into the equation soon enough, and it's an all out battle royal. His blood is disgusting, tainted with spiders. I know now that not only is this fox the spider's slave, but also his sex toy. How wrong.
"Why do you listen to him," I spit out a chunk of Envy's arm, and it reforms with a burst of light. My opposite indeed. "I can smell and taste the taint in your blood. He's had sex with you many times after you became tamed. Can you not bring yourself to fight back?"
"I am his slave," Envy states, "And like any good slave, I love my slaver without any condition. I taste no crow in your blood; how can you not give yourself to your Slaver?"
"I am tamed, not a slave. The connection we have made is that of brothers. Unlike yourself and Claude. It's sick, the fact that you've let him penetrate you," I tell him.
"You know as well as I that there are plenty of gay demons. Are you so against that?" Envy snarls, shoving his claws into my gut, tearing them out and then repeating the action two more times.
I kick him away with a growl as my darkness heals me as though nothing had happened; I am perfectly fine. I follow up that kick with swipes of all kinds until finally my hand is shoved through his shoulder and under the collar bone, popping out on the other side. This breaks said collar bone, and my claws latch onto his back to create more damage. "I have no issues with male-to-male relationships, nor female-to-female. However, the sick part is the fact that you take it unconditionally. Even those who are normal gays produce some sort of relationship. You're nothing but a whore it seems".
"Like I care. The sex is good and I have a home. I love him, believe it or not," the Bless states with a growl and a grunt.
"You're an idiot. You put those who are tamed as well to shame. Stick up for yourself damn you," I growl, tripping him and pinning him to the ground.
"You say that as you pin me as though you were about to take me," Envy throws back.
"Please, I enjoy women way too much to even try a man," I sigh out. My head snaps up even as I hold him down, and I smell my Master's blood. "Ciel...What are you doing?"
"King Alois?" Envy's attention snaps to the mansion as well. "King Alois! Don't worry, I'm coming your Highness!" He struggles in my grasp.
"You're not going anywhere," I shove my fingers into his right lung, while my thumb claw points at his throat to make him stop struggling.
"Phobia, time to go; it seems that the ball is over for now," Sebastian states while running.
"Phobia! Make him let me go! I had him Phobia! I had Alois in the palm of my hand!" Ciel struggles.
I sigh, and pull my hand and fingers from Envy's person. I push off, and rush after Sebastian and a pissed off Ciel. "What happened?"
"Bocchan decided to leave on his own and challenge Alois to a sword duel. He cut up his own hand just to trap Alois and stab him in the stomach," Sebastian states. "Taste Ciel's blood. Tell me what it does to you," he tells me.
"...Why?"
"Some of his blood got onto Claude, and when he had a simple taste he fell into a trance like state. I left before anything else happened," Sebastian answers.
"I see...Excuse me, Master," I tell the boy and, after retracting my claws to their shortest state, run a finger along his bloody hand. I pop the digit into my mouth and I just about stumble with how...Wonderful it tastes. "His blood is divine; so pure. Like an angel's blood mixed with a virgin's".
"...And you know the taste of both things, how?" Sebastian questions with interest in his keen eyes.
"I've killed my fair share of angels in my day for various reasons. As for virgin blood, that's just a guess," I answer with a chuckle.
"Stop tasting my blood and take me back here this instant!" Ciel demands.
"Forgive me, Master, Sebastian is my Tamer. I ultimately answer to him," I smile out lightly, darkness gathering at my hands and recreating my gloves once more to hide my bone claws.
It is some time later that we get something new to do, and I feel as though something will be coming to an end so very soon. Perhaps it is the journey to restore Ciel's soul. Perhaps, it is the end of a life dear to me. Both refer to Ciel. No matter. The three of us sit in a carriage as we've headed out of our home. Ciel has orders from the Queen. Recently, boys of different classes have been having their eyes gouged out by an unknown being. Poor humans, they have so much to live for. We're on our way to investigate, of course. And in doing that, we're going to a victim's home. He is of a lower class, low-middle I think, with blond short hair and simple clothing.
"I told you! I don't know what exactly happened. Someone thrust their fingers into my eyes and everything went red. Now I can't see any more. I can't see anything ever," the boy states. Ciel is standing a few feet from the boy, Sebastian and I both flanking each of his sides silently as the boy does his duty as an 'evil noble'.
"Can you describe the culprit at least?" Ciel presses.
"He was a brat probably the same age as me," the boy answers, "He looked wealthy...Damn bastard!" He begins to cry, drips of blood sliding down his face in place of tears. I actually feel bad for the kid. I've had my eyes gouged out before and it was weird being blind for the whole two seconds it took my darkness to make me a new pair.
We continue this nonsense for a good part of the day. Going from victim's house to victim's house asking the same thing and getting he same answers. A wealthy boy it seems. I sigh. What kind of rich kid wants to collect eyeballs?
"They're taunting us," Ciel smirks out.
"Eh?" I question.
"If you connect the Phantomhive house to the Trancy house, and then the crime scenes, you get a cob web. This is all his doing," Ciel states, oh so sure of himself.
"Perhaps it is the butler acting on his own," Sebastian offers as well.
"So he survived...I have to admit he's good," Ciel smiles to himself. "Tell me, a butler will always be honest with their Master, correct?"
"That is correct," Sebastian confirms.
"Very well...Are you keeping anything from me regarding Alois Trancy?" Ciel's gaze is hard. But, unfortunately for him, his question was worded wrong. This I and my Tamer know.
"No, I am hiding nothing from you about Alois Trancy," Sebastian answers honestly. And he's really not.
"Then, my-" the boy is cut off as I take a hold of him and Sebastian and I jump away from the explosion that was supposed to hit us. I glare over my shoulder as we come to an opened box. "The Spider butler!" Ciel assumes.
"No, I smell no spiders," I tell him as I place him into the box.
"It stinks," he whines.
"Yes, spiders do stink," I chuckle out.
"Please deal with it for now until we return," Sebastian requests.
"If you need to, breathe through your mouth. I hear that works too," I tell him with a grin.
"Why?" Ciel questions me.
"Please stay in here and don't come out no matter what," Sebastian tells Ciel as he closes the box. "I see," he mutters as we take off. "So they used the Queen's orders to lure us out, and then attack us".
"They being those who deal with things when souls are annoying to deal with," I add on.
"Exactly!" A lawn mower heads for our forms, and we jump out of the way to leave. The Shinigami we see is on the younger side, early twenties at most. His hair is blond on the top and black on the bottom, with him wearing goggle-glasses that rest on his face and in front of his yellow-green eyes. My Tamer tosses a knife into the lawn mower, causing it to die on the boy, which he doesn't seem too bothered by
"Oh? It seems we are meeting for the first time," Sebastian greets.
"That we are. I'm John Knox, die!" He poses in a way that reminds me of Grell and I blink stupidly. He sighs, "Ahh, sorry about that. That was seriously stupid. My senior Grell told me that I needed a catch phrase so I got one of the desk girls to make me one".
"Yea, catchphrases are stupid over all," I tell him with a shrug and a grin.
"Don't worry, you and your catchphrase will be gone soon enough," Sebastian pleasantly smiles out.
"We'll see about that!" Will appears behind us, using his hedge clippers to get us to move.
"You're here too? Good to see you again," I wave casually.
"I knew you two were part of this, Sebastian Michaelis and Phobia Syn," Will sighs. "Because of Grell, I have to work over time".
"So Alois Trancy is dead then? You couldn't pick up his soul?" I question.
"It would appear as that's exactly what is going on," Sebastian answers me for Will.
"We should get a move on...Ciel's scent isn't where we left him" I tell him.
"So he didn't go along with my request...Let's get going; he's called for me," Sebastian states and takes off.
"Sorry guys," I dodge the lawnmower, "I've gotta catch up with my brother".
"Are you trying to hit me as well, Ronald Knox? A Shinigami should be able to use their weapon with accuracy. Are those glasses for show?" Glasses?...I take this moment to lunge and use a finger to knock off the Shinigami's glasses. Huh...So they've got really bad eye sight. Wonder why? None the less, I sink into my shadow and hop out of Sebastian's only to dodge a blade claw.
"Good evening, Envy," I greet pleasently.
"Evening," he smiles back, and lunges.
"You wouldn't happen to know where my Master is, would you?" Dodge, dodge, kick, knee, elbow, headbutt.
"Ahh, he's with my Master right now, getting the attention he needs". Stumble from elbow, hold forehead from headbutt. Slash, punch, punch kick, turn kick, face, slash, slash, dodge, get hit by another elbow. Counter attack.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I demand with narrowed eyes. Dodge some more, dance around his kick. Catch his fist and block those claws.
"Exactly what it means. I'm sure he's loving every second with my Master," Envy licks his lips. "Sebastain's right, we're not worthy to even lick his soul. But Hannah is also right, as that only counts when Ciel is perfect".
"What have to done to him?" I snarl, no longer wasting time and shoving a hand through his gut without the help of my claws. I hold him high above my head, ignoring the blood that drips on my face.
"Oh nothing. Just a bit of mind scrambling is all," the Hell Hound cackles lightly.
"Bastard!" I snarl again, and throw him over the edge of the building, racing in the direction I smell Sebastian to be. What I see though is not pleasant.
"This is an order: leave my sight!" Ciel demands, a putrid hate for Sebastian on his face.
"A butler must always obey his Master's commands," Claude taunts with a smile.
"Very well," Sebastian bites out, and turns to walk passed me without another word. I growl low in my throat, glaring at the demon and the Hell Hound that appears in a burst of light, and then turn to follow my Tamer. Our walk is silent until we've made it to the woods, and it is then that we let our anger forth if only a little bit. "I cooked the dinner too long. And this is the result. Now I have to serve it...But as a Phantomhive butler, I have to lean up some cobwebs". His black-green demonic energy laces his person as his eyes glow the signature magenta.
"I'll help you with that. There's a fox den that needs to be taken care of, and as the butler's wolf, I need to take care of it as soon as possible," I tell him. Darkness dances on my person like fire, and my shadow is angry and shivering it seems.
The next day is when we act, standing in the woods on Trancy grounds. Ever since last night we have been angry, and rather silent. It's wonder neither of us have lashed out at anything that we saw. However, we care calm and collected despite our silent anger. Sebastian makes the first move, breaking down the first tree with a mere push. I take down the second with nothing but a pull. We continue to take turns in taking down a part of the Trany ground trees just to get the attention of those we seek. I can smell Ciel there, and I'm sure that Sebastian can by far feel him there. No one takes a meal from my Tamer. No one. Our goal is met though as within a few minutes a certain spider and a fox come onto the walk way, standing on the other side of a circle of plants that separates us from them.
"Ahh, it seems like a storm has come through. Do not worry little birds, my Master has been assured that all will be fine," Claude coos ever so gently. He places the bird in the bush that separates us from them.
"These flowers would suit his Highness well, don't you think Master?" Envy coos as he picks one of the pink flowers for Claude, who places it in his hair.
"Yes, they would definitely suit my Master," Claude smiles to us as we merely stand there silent. However I know that Sebastian is tempted to take his life then and there. But not yet. Ciel has to be in the right of mind first. Lest things won't go right.
"Ahh I was right in letting that butler go! Pictures of Sebastian fighting for the sake of love! It makes my heart spin!~" A familiar voice speaks up. A tendril of darkness drags him out of his hiding place before he can even think about moving to a new one. Sebastian in the mean time picks up a pillar high over his head, that cold look still in his red eyes. "Sebastian! When did you get here?!"
"That's my line," the butler replies, and promptly drops the pillar onto Grell's face without a care. "Phobia. Take him; I will prepare a tea that will help heal is wound".
"Of course," I nod and pick the red head up, shouldering him like a sake of potatoes. We take off, and I set the red head down at the table Sebastian sets up in his usual efficient way.
"This is a tea that contains rock salt; which will help to heal your wound," he tells the Shinigami once he's up and moving. "I doubled what the tea calls for, and doubled it just again," he bends down and offers the man the cup. "Here you go". His smile is as it normally is when given to Ciel.
"Umm...For Sebas-chan to make tea just for me is en-," Grell tries.
"You don't want to upset him, do you?" I coo from my side of the table. I have my own tea- strawberry flavored leaves helping to make it up and permeate through the air.
"Well...No," Grell admits, and takes a sip only for scream out in pain. Salt really does wonders.
"Now, why don't you tell us further on what you were talking about earlier?" I smile out to him with a tilt of my head. "Something about letting that butler go?" Grell hunches in his seat a bit guiltily before sighing and letting up. From there, he explains everything that had gone down that he knows it.
"I see, so Claude killed Trancy when he was on his way to the Phantomhive manor," I mutter.
"Yes. His soul turned into a ring, thicker than blood or gold," Grell nods out, whincing as he takes another sip of his tea. "And then he thought up a ritual to make things work further for him".
"So he over wrote the two souls," Sebastian states.
"They're not fully fused together. But I still don't get it. Why are you so focused on that boy's soul? If you want something to eat there's much easier targets," Grell insists.
"That sounds like something someone else said," Sebastian smiles lightly.
"What?"
"The relaxed, slovenly face of that demon will show you the answer," are my Tamer's words. His eyes glare at the Trancy household, and I sneer at the sight. There's a call from the Trancy butler, and we stand. "Time to go Grell," Sebastian states, and takes off in the form of a graceful pose.
"Oh! I just remembered that I have an appointment at the salon!," Grell tries.
"Through out the rest of the day," I grin out, standing and smoothly walking up to Sebastian and hugging him close around his waist. I know that my Tamer isn't the only one the Shinigami has a thing for. Sebastian in turn tilts my head up and touches noses with me.
"We will be going eight more lovely poses," the black haired demon finishes for me. From there, we release one another and take off, Grell hot on our heels with a stupid grin on his face.
"Do we really have to pose like that?" I sigh out as we run.
"If we want to use Grell as we please, then unfortunately we do," he answers me and I grunt. It takes us little to no time at all to get to the town we know Alois to come from, ignoring its burnt down walls and the bones that litter the ground.
"What are we doing here?" Grell demands as we walk through a beaten down wall.
"Oh? Come right on over here, honored guests. I'll make your time a good one," a woman speaks up from the side, showing us a slender leg. However, seconds later she laughs, "I can't do it any more, I'm too old and tired".
"I thought this place was supposed to be deserted," I tilt my head.
"Everyone but me is gone," she answers. "It was destroyed by a demon".
"A demon?" Sebastian presses.
"I didn't believe it at first, but...I came to do just that. A boy named Luca had made a deal with a demon, but I was spared by him for helping him and being nice to him one day. He told me of his deal with a demon to make his bother's dream of everyone here dying come true in exchange for his soul. However when it happened- like I said I didn't believe him at first- I was spared. The demo-" she doesn't get to finish her story, as a bullet is sent through her forehead and she falls over dead. We look over our shoulders to find one of the triplets holding a smoking gun.
Sebastian looks my way "Phobia, fetch".
I grin and nod, reaching out with a hand and a tendril of darkness follows my silent command. It whips its way toward the trio before they can get away, wrapping around them as a spider would its prey and then hanging them upside down from the near by tree.
"Grell, if you would use your skills please," Sebastian continues to request.
"What? I'm not just some lackie you know," Grell huffs out.
"My, it sure is hot out today," Sebastian sighs out, running a hand through his hair ever so gracefully, and then giving Grell a rather compromising look.
"I'm pretty sure that that's just you," I smirk to him coolly, and step forward, opening up his jacket and button up shirt ever so slightly to run gloved fingers over his bare skin.
"Ohhhhhh! I can't stand it any more! Lovely man-love yes!" Grell coos and I mentally gag. I hate acting gay. I can do it as a joke verbally, but physically doing so is pushing it a bit too hard. The red head starts his death scythe of a chain saw and lunges forward, taking the lives of the triplets. Their Cinematic Records burst forth from their bodies.
"Huh, so that's who burnt this place down," Grell states as we learn that it was Claude that Luca made the deal with Claude to make Alois happy in turn for his soul.
"I figured that that is what happened," Sebastian states. It is then that we see Ciel helping that made, Hannah, up.
"But we never figured that that would happen," my eyes narrow. "Grell, we're done here".
"What?"
"You heard him, you're no longer needed," Sebastian backs me up as we turn to leave. From there, we take off at full speed. It takes us little time to make it to the Trancy household, however it's still night time when we make it there. My Tamer knocks, and instantly we take to our hiding places.
"Man, you're pretty damn good at hiding, ain't ya?" Envy coos out as he and Claude- who had answered the door in the first place- turn to look at Sebastian.
"Yes, I am actually," I state blandly as I step my way out of Sebastian's shadow, hands in my pockets.
"What are you doing here? Your orders-," Claude begins.
"My order was to not show myself in front of my Master. However, it doesn't go against those orders for me to be seen by just you two. We've come to return this," Sebastian pulls the tainted rose from his jacket pocket, taking a quick sample of its scent. He tosses the rose into the air towards the taller demon, and in a flash his fist is in the man's gut, sending in flying.
"What a surprise," Claude states as he picks himself up and puts his glasses back on after coming to a sliding stop on his back. "That a demon would break a sacred convent.
"You broke it first," I tell him, lunging forward and kicking Envy in the gut, sending him flying and into a rolling halt. "Bringing this guy into the game first of all; the deal was between the three of us".
"It was also supposed to be a struggle for his soul after he had gotten his revenge. And until then we could use one another as needed. Supposed to be," Sebastian states from his spot next to me.
"My, look at this...It's those spider mites that turn a flower's petals a bad color," Claude shows us the underside of the rose in his hand. "Insects have murdered my rose," as he speaks, it becomes gray and basically turns to dust which blows away in the wind that passes us by.
"Which means that the deal is null and void," I murmur.
"Human souls are so pure and white, up here in their world," Claude states.
"While there are creatures in hell that fester and rot down in Hell like an infected wound," Sebastian agrees.
"Demons get bored after such a long, long time, living immortally like they do," Envy sighs out, dropping his current cigarette to the ground and grinding it into the dirt to put it out.
"And to chase away that boredom, they fight," I smirk out.
"This isn't just about Ciel Phantomhive's soul any more," Claude states, fixing his gloves.
"No, not any more. This is much more personal," Sebastian copies the man.
"This is gonna be a blast," I smirk out, taking off my gloves and cracking my neck.
"You said it. To first blood then?" Envy suggests.
"I'd rather not play 'tag'," I sigh out, "To whomever kills whomever first".
"If that's how you wanna play, then so be it," Envy sighs out. Those barbed blade claws of his show their metallic selves while my own claws extend to their full length before we clash much like we had on the chess board. We snarl and go at it like two starved beasts fighting over a pile of carrion food. I won't even bother to tell you what all goes down during the fight word for word or attack for attack. That'd be boring. However I will say this; we're pretty damn even. The only time we stop though, is when something interesting stops the other two.
"Sebastian! Sebastian!" Ciel calls out.
"It seems you're being called for," Claude taunts, "You've been spotted".
"Sebastian help me! Help me Sebastian! Sebastian!" Ciel continues.
"Order-disobeying Sebastian Michaelis, you are no longer a butler!" Claude declares ever so proudly.
"Sebastian I'll fall! I'll fall if I reach the top! And I will reach the top! Help me Sebastian!" Is another round of calls. However, his tone is wrong. It's too needy and too easily seen as bait.
"That's not our Master," I state, licking some of Envy's blood from one of my claws as before 'Ciel' started calling out I had shoved my hand through his stomach and thrown him over my shoulder.
"He's right. That's not Bocchan," Sebastian states, moving from the place he had tried to hide in when he thought that that was indeed Ciel. "That is...,"
"Claude," Hannah appears out of no where, hands clasped in front of her, "Master is". Ahh, so she did something to make Alois become Ciel...Or Ciel become Alois ...Or something like that. "Currently controlling Ciel Phantomhive's body. The soul that Ciel had taken in had been sleeping, waiting ever so patiently for his time. And, using his eye as a medium, used a crack in Ciel's mind to take over. He's currently holding the body hostage".
"And why don't we just kill you to make him turn back?" I tilt my head, words cruel.
"If you kill me, he will-"
"I'll fall!" Alois in Ciel's body calls out.
"While Master has Ciel's body, we cannot lift a finger," Claude tells the rest of us.
"Sebastian! Save me!"
"While his body is being held hostage and you cannot lift a finger, perhaps you can offer up your minds," Hannah states.
"Our minds?" Envy raises a brow.
"You'll traverse through the maze that is Master's heart to get to him, engraving his feelings into your soul," she leaves us with that, and appears at 'Ciel's' side.
We on the other hand appear at the entrance of the maze. "This is stupid," I sigh out.
"Collecting stamps as we go along? What is this, a human kiddy game?" Envy agrees with me.
"We will not let them so much as lick Bocchan's soul. Right, Phobia?" Sebastian eyes me.
"Of course brother. No one takes our Master's soul from you," I nod out.
"Come to me! Embrace me to the ends of the earth!" Ugh, Alois in Ciel's body is annoying as all hell.
"The only thing I'll embrace is Ciel Phantomhive's soul," Claude states firmly.
"That's utterly disgusting," Sebastian takes off.
"What? He's hungry," Envy defends, and we take off as one.
The maze is one made of roses of multiple colors and sizes and scents. And it's not long until we come to the first stamp. I tilt my head towards the box and run a hand through my hair- gloves on once more.
"First question," Claude reads out.
"What is Alois Trancy's real name?" Envy continues.
"Tch. Easy. His real name is," I begin with a rolling shoulder shrug.
"Jim Macmacken". Sebastian states. However, there's a sound of a buzzer, and we're wrapped up in thorny tendrils that pick us up.
"Eh? But we were right," I squirm, kicking my legs with a huff.
"I see, a rose maze with evil spirits possessing the plants. Wrong. Alois Trancy's name is as it appears; Alois Trancy," Claude answers the question and there's a dinging sound. A wall of thorns and flowers becomes a pathway.
"The kid makes up the rules here, guys," Envy chuckles out as he and Claude continue on their way. What? The kid makes up the rules? Tch.
The two walk up to the table that holds the stamping station and once they've collected the first one they're on their way. The tendrils move to wrap around us more. Sebastian and I struggle against the tendrils, I myself give a growl or two.
"Ahh how wondrous! Those looks of pain! It's like you two are martyrs of love!" Grell appears out of literally nowhere with a camera in hand again and a grin across his face.
"Shut up Grell," I sigh, and with a sharp tendril of darkness I cut myself free. Another sharp tendril does the same for my Tamer. And we're off with Grell at our tail for some odd reason. It doesn't take us long to make it to the next question.
"Question: Unsullied by Earl Trancy, Alois Trancy wanted a beautiful death with a pure body," Sebastian reads aloud. Before us are two doors, one with an X and the other an O.
"Huh? What's with this?" Grell tilts his head.
"Well, normally the answer would be no," I sigh out, "But I'm guessing it's a yes".
"According to the trend of the last question, I agree," Sebastian nods to me. "Grell, you'll fly for us, won't you?"
"'Fly?' What's that supposed to-," he doesn't get a chance to answer as Sebastian picks him up bridal style which sends him into over load. However that's fixed as he's sent flying through the door with the X. He's promptly blown up.
"Haha! I was right!" I grin, and kick down the door with the O on it, hearing a 'correct' bell as a result.
"The answers are manipulated by the hand of the Master. What a meaningless game," Sebastian huffs out.
"Please, we'll win no matter what," I assure, "Let's have some competative fun with this brother. Even if they win, if you order me to kill them, I will. It's no biggy even if you cant' step in; I've got your back".
"Have I ever told you how much I regret not accepting you earlier on in your joining my side?" Sebastian questions me with a light smile.
"No, but thanks," I grin out, playfully baring my fangs to him. Things go on, and we continue to struggle our way through the maze question after question. However, at some point the maze changes. It's my turn to read the question we've come to. "Question: Has Ciel Phantomhive already achieved his revenge?...Eh? Master?"
"This question...," Sebastian purses his lips. "Is the answer...Yes?" That it is, and the way to the next stamp is given to us. He stamps our book, and I tilt my head. "Peter Rabbit; a common item of Funtom Corporation".
"So, Master is fighting too huh?" I look in the direction of the body with currently two souls in it.
"Bocchan...," Sebastian mutters, and we continue on our way. The next question is also from Ciel's mind. "Question: Why was Ciel Phantomhive's soul not eaten by Sebastian Michaelis?"
"Because of the contract," I state as the butler removes his left glove to show the contract mark on his hand. "Sebastian lost his arm, and while targeting the small amount of time that he lost the contract Claude stole his soul". Ha! I'm awesome, the answer's correct. To say least that the rest of the answers we had to, well, answer were easy as all hell. I don't know about Claude's and Envy's but our questions all had to do with Ciel himself. We had an all too easy time getting to the final question. However, again things were changed up. We met up with Claude and Envy.
"Sebastian! Sebastian!" A welcomingly familiar voice calls out. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Oh. He saw you. He saw you," Claude taunts from his hanging spot in the hole in the floor that he was going to fall through if he hadn't grabbed a hold of the edge. He pulls himself out, Envy apparently had been attached to his feet as he comes out with him.
"You went against his orders for real now; there's nothing you can do," Envy taunts Sebastian.
"Sebastian! What do you think you're doing? No matter, what, you'll always be my butler! This is an order: devour my soul already!" Ciel demands.
"Yes, my Lord," Sebastian all but beams as he kneels, and I actually do beam. However, something changes.
"Hahahahaha! Devour his soul? Sebastian will? Claude will? Forget this game! I've found those who love me," Alois speaks up with a crazed grin. He turns to face Hannah, and he walks away with her, "Let us leave, Hannah," he tells her, and they leave through a hidden door.
"What...Just happened?" My brows furrow.
"Looks like Hannah plans on over writing both contracts and turning it into her own," Envy answers me.
"Do you know what this means?" Sebastian looks to Claude.
"We know who the current enemy is," Claude agrees wordlessly, and they take off.
"O-oi! Sebastian, are you kidding me! How can a Crow and a Wolf team up with a Spider and a Fox?" I call after him, exasperated. I hate it when he doesn't consult me.
"Tamed! Until Bocchan is safe, we will work with them!" Sebastian calls over his shoulder sternly.
"Gah! As you command, Tamer," I sigh out with a simple bow and then shoot off at a speed that allows me to be on Sebastian's heels. "You better be right about this temporary alliance, brother".
"The hell?! No way am I working with a wolf, Master!" Envy runs after us.
"Slave, you'll do as you're told," Claude states calmly.
"Tch. Fine," the fox sighs out. It is moments later that we begin to have to fight off tentrils of thorn covered plants that attack us. "Alois would think something like this up".
"The kid's annoying," I growl out, easily ridding myself of a vine that tries to wrap around me. It doesn't take us long to get to the door that Alois and Hannah had walked through, and it takes us even less time for us to find them.
"Bocchan!" The two butlers call as one.
"Don't call me that any more," Alois states, pushing away from Hannah whom had been embracing him. "I've found someone who loves me," his right eye's seal switches from Sebastian's to Claude's, to a blue- I'm assuming that's Hannah's- one, back to Claude's, then Sebastian's and then back to Hanna's apparent one. "I...I'm happy...Now," he sways as he walks towards us, tears dripping from his eyes and a smile on his face. "I don't need either of...You," it's after this that that he passed out, however Hannah caught him.
"I have contracted both Alois' and Ciel's souls," Hannah states, "Over writing both seals that had been made to each of you. Master is mine now, and so is Bocchan," she answers, a cool smile on her face.