Chapter Twenty-Nine

Butler, Offering. Bride, In the Belly of the Beast

In the streets of London, sunlight shone down from the sky. A calmness enveloped the city, and lingered in the pollen-tainted air. It was a normal day at Undertaker's funeral parlour, dark and cold compared to the warmth outside, and Undertaker was working happily with his corpses and coffins. As he pulled one open and revealed the dead man inside, he smiled widely.

"Well, what a mangled looking corpse this is," he said. "Instead of covering up the wounds, maybe I could accentuate them with pink dye, like the petals of a lovely flower."

He walked over to a basin of water on a nearby table, and dipped his hands into the liquid.

"So much fun, so much fun! What a great job I have!" he laughed.

Undertaker opened up the coffin leaning next to the table.

"Now, let's see... Who do we have next?"

His hidden brow furrowed at the sight before him.

"No. I don't like this one bit. Most unsatisfying."

In the coffin, was Grell, with a vibrant red flower held in his hands over his chest. Undertaker shook his head in irritation.

"Not a single wound anywhere on the body! How pathetic!"

Grell's eyes snapped open at those words, his sharp teeth pulling his mouth into a frown. He snarled and wrapped his black-gloved hands around the mortician's throat.

"Excuse me, but what did you just say?!"

Shaking Undertaker by the neck, his hands only grew tighter.


At the Phantomhive manor, the day had begun, and Marianne was still in her bedroom, tending to her rose. She was curious by how the pure white colour had gradually turned red over the last six months. The blood-like stain had almost completely covered the white, but still remained in perfect bloom. Shaking her head with a smile, she turned her gaze to the mirror, and fastened her choker around her neck, the red jewel glowing against the dip of her collar bones. Marianne was already dressed in her butler's uniform, so used her shirt collar to hide the choker.

Just then, Sebastian came into the room without knocking, causing her to jump.

"Sebastian, you startled me!" she cried. "I swear you are trying to make my heart stop."

The demon chuckled.

"Have I not done that already?"

He brushed a light kiss against her cheek. Marianne blushed under his gaze.

"You are such a tease," she said.

Stealing a kiss from her upturned lips, Sebastian smirked devilishly at her.

"Of course, how else am I meant to make your cheeks redden like your rose?" he asked.

She swatted him lightly on the arm as she tucked all her hair beneath her wig.

"Shush, you! We have a busy day ahead. Let's go find Ciel."


Later, they were walking with Ciel down one of the corridors.

"This morning, you have a dance lesson with Mrs Bright. This afternoon, an appointment with Lord Winsler, the import-exporter…" Sebastian explained as he leafed through the pages of his schedule. He noticed Ciel wasn't looking at him as he spoke. "Are you listening to me, My Lord?"

Ciel looked over his shoulder at him.

"I told you," he said. "I'm sick of dancing lessons. It's not for me."

Marianne tapped him lightly on the head.

"You still need to learn as every noble has to," she chastised.

Sebastian smirked.

"Indeed, you are too modest, Sir. Your dancing soothes the heart of everybody who sees it in action."

Ciel arched a brow.

"By making them laugh, is that what you mean?" he asked. "It is, isn't it?"

"No, I would never say that." Sebastian said.

Marianne shook her head, barely holding back a giggle.


Just then, they heard laughter coming from the kitchen. It sounded like Tanaka, along with someone else. Marianne's footsteps nearly ground to a halt. That laughter, that haunting laugh sounded so familiar, she didn't dare consider who it could be…

When the three of them entered the kitchen, they found Ash sitting with Tanaka, holding up a cup of green tea.

"Look, Tanaka, three upright tea stalks. I think it promises to be an excellent day." Ash said to the old steward.

"Ho, ho, ho." Tanaka chuckled.

Ciel didn't take kindly to the intrusion.

"Wait, I know you!" he snapped. "You're the Queen's butler!"

Ash merely smiled as he climbed out of his chair.

"Greetings, Lord Phantomhive," he said. "I do apologise for this embarrassing display."

As Sebastian closed the kitchen door behind them, the Earl continued to speak.

"Why is the Queen's butler here, sipping tea at my estate?" he asked.

Sebastian smirked.

"I'm so sorry, I thought you were aware of his role, Young Master," he said. "The entire time, Ash has been her personal messenger. His job is to deliver the orders Her Majesty sends out for you, My Lord."

Marianne stiffened at his words. Ash had been able to come and go from the manor just as he pleased? What if he had gone somewhere he shouldn't? What if he had seen her as she really was? All of those thoughts and questions were spinning about her head in a jumble even she couldn't keep up with. She barely registered when Ciel turned to speak to Sebastian.

"That's not a job for a butler!" Ciel protested.

Ash bowed his head with a smile.

"Forgive me, but I beg to differ." He took a deep breath and spoke at rapid speed. "If I couldn't control the Doomsday Book for those requesting an audience with Her Majesty, and travel here to deliver a simple message, and then stop for an elegant tea break, what kind of butler would I be?"

A proper butler goes without mentioning he had a tea break while he was meant to be working. Marianne thought to herself with folded arms and an arched brow. Ciel was clearly in agreement with her.

"Yes, well, having a tea break is hardly a duty for a butler…" he said.

Sebastian then turned the conversation to the subject at hand.

"If I may, to what do we owe the pleasure?" he asked.

Ash smirked from behind the rim of his teacup.

"Oh indeed," he said, and then began to tell the story. "Outside of Preston, there is a catholic abbey. It was burned down during the Reformation, and is no longer in use. A cult practicing the Eastner religion has begun gathering there."

Marianne's eyes widened. She stepped behind Sebastian and gripped the back of his tailcoat as she tried to control her breathing. Ash continued, not noticing her unease.

"We have received word that the cult's leader is in possession of a copy of the Doomsday Books of all its many followers."

"You mean the land registers?" Ciel asked. "Where all property and livestock is recorded? I don't understand, what could he possibly want with that?"

Ash shook his head.

"Oh no, their Doomsday Books are quite a bit different from that. They aren't the normal records you're used to. They don't cover property. These are the records when you stand for the Lord in Heaven on Doomsday. The Day of Judgement. All your sins and good works are supposedly recorded in them."

Ciel held his head in his hand.

"I'm getting weary of the occult," he complained.

"There have been the most distressing rumours circulating. Apparently, they're planning a coup against the government. Their activities as of late have made the people of Preston quake with fear." Ash explained. "Her Majesty worries. She wants her people safe."

"So, what?" Ciel said with arched brows. "Are you asking me simply to make sure this cult is disbanded? Or is it more? Do you want them to be completely eliminated?"

The white butler bowed low.

"That decision is yours. We leave the choice up to you."

There was silence for a moment before Ciel answered.

"Alright, understood."

Suddenly, a knocking came at the kitchen window. Marianne gasped and looked up to see Pluto in human form. Thankfully, he was dressed in one of Sebastian's old butler uniforms. Pluto was panting happily, his red eyes fixated on Ash. She noticed Ash glare at the Demon Hound out of the corner of her eye. A depressed look immediately spread across Pluto's face before he crawled away. Ash then turned to the trio.

"Who exactly was that?" he asked.

"Oh, he's a servant, nothing more." Sebastian answered.

"Is that so? He seems an interesting sort of servant."

The demon's eyes narrowed. Marianne's hand tightened its grip on his tailcoat. A gulp ran down the length of her throat before she had the nerve to speak.

"Do you have a list of the members, by any chance?"

Ash looked at her out of the corner of his violet eye.

"I can give you the names of a few prominent members," he said. "Let's see… There's Lady Browning and her daughter. There's James Cunningham, the Viscount of Almstead…"

He continued to list off a handful of names, but Marianne was no longer listening. A vicious hand had wrapped around her heart, and began to squeeze…


When Ash left in his carriage, the trio were left to ponder their latest mission in Ciel's study.

"Well, what's next?" Ciel asked.

Marianne served him a slice of Victoria sponge with summer berries as Sebastian spoke.

"According to Ash, the abbey is heavily guarded. That is something to consider." Sebastian answered.

"So, we can't just waltz in through the front door then?"

Marianne shook her head and scowled.

"You'd be surprised how easy it is. While they are defensive, they can also be gullible when you tell a good lie. Lady Browning doesn't bother coming down to London, from what I've heard, and Cunningham spends most of his time at the clubs and courtesan parlours to recognise any of us." She explained.

Ciel arched a brow.

"You're remarkably well informed about them. Why is that?" he asked.

"Don't forget that woman is my aunt, unfortunately."

"And Cunningham?"

"The less said about him, the better. He is a disgusting toad."

Sebastian interrupted their repartee.

"Incidentally, Ash did mention one more thing. Apparently, a large number of coffins have been delivered there in recent days."

Marianne's hands twisted together. The demon watched her silently. Ciel pondered his butler's words as he took a bite of his cake.

"Coffins, eh?"


Later, they arrived at Undertaker's parlour. Sebastian opened the door, and they all stepped inside.

"I'm coming in!" Ciel called.

Undertaker had his back to them.

"Welcome, Little Lord." He said.

The boy scowled at him.

"That's enough, Undertaker! I have something to ask of you!"

Undertaker slowly turned his head towards them.

"In that case…"

His face revealed that it was Grell underneath the silver hair and black robes. Ciel flinched at the sight of him. Marianne sweatdropped, and Sebastian looked nonplussed. Grell started towards Sebastian.

"I want the very first loving that Bassy has to offer!" he cried.

Sebastian merely moved out of the way while the Reaper charged head first into the wall. Grell groaned, removing himself from the wall. A trickle of blood leaked from his nose as a skull dropped onto his head with a thud.

"Wait, Grell?" Ciel gasped.

"Hello, My Lord."

Turning around, they saw Undertaker. Marianne's mouth dropped open. Undertaker was completely encased in a large pot filled with salt, all the way up to his neck.

"What are you doing in there?" Ciel asked, his mouth hanging open.

"The bounder told me he wasn't afraid of Grim Reapers, so I buried him in salt." Grell proclaimed.

Undertaker smirked.

"Yes, he did. All the moisture in my body is being sucked right out of it as we speak. It's a great feeling."

The girl facepalmed.

"Of course, he would like to feel like one of his corpses."

Sebastian handed her a handkerchief to cover her mouth with. Ciel turned to Grell.

"Tell me, what are you doing here?"

The Reaper shrugged his shoulders.

"Will gave me a job to investigate, that's all," he explained. "But I couldn't find any information. It was getting late, and I was tired. So, I lay down in a field of flowers. The next thing I know, I'm waking up here in this shop."

He blushed.

"I should be careful in the future not to stop breathing while I sleep." Glancing at Sebastian out of the corner of his eye, he continued. "But I was waiting for a certain prince to come along and revive me with his kiss."

The demon glared at him.

"So, what are you investigating?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing much. It's the Grim Reaper's store of Cinematic Records. Some of them have been stolen."

Everyone grew serious when they heard those words. Even Undertaker.

"Cinematic Records?" Ciel asked. "What are they?"

"Not something a kid needs to worry about!" Grell retorted.

Sebastian went on to explain.

"They are reels of film containing all memories from someone's lifetime. Grim Reapers extract them from the To-Die List, and they decide where the person goes from there."

The Reaper flipped his hair with a smirk.

"That's basically it, though you should be aware that you humans can only see them when you die."

Marianne nodded her head after a moment.

"I suppose that explains why people say they see their lives flash before their eyes when they are on the brink of death. Can't say I've ever seen mine, though it does explain what we saw with Madame Red," she pondered out loud.

Grell spun his head towards her, and made to shout, but was interrupted by Sebastian.

"And these records, how exactly is it that they were allowed to be stolen?"

The Reaper had the decency to look chastised.

"Well, you see, they are stored in the Library when we aren't using them. Good and evil, the full past of everyone who is destined to die. All of their lives are stored there in the form of books."

Ciel's eye narrowed.

"So, you Reapers have a group of books written in preparation for Doomsday."

"This is something you've heard of before, isn't it?" the demon asked Undertaker.

The mortician licked up some of the salt, and gave an eerie smile.

"Undertaker," said Ciel. "If you will, there is something I need your help with."

The man chuckled gleefully.

"Well then, you do know the price for that, don't you?"

He met Grell's glare for a moment before he changed his mind.

"Oh well, on second thought, I guess I'll do it for free."

The trio were all more than a little suspicious.


By sunset, Undertaker was travelling with his mule and cart, coffins loaded in the back. He climbed off his cart when he reached the abbey's entrance.

"I'm here to deliver the coffins that you ordered," he said.

"Coffins?" the guard asked. "Are you certain, Sir? I don't believe I have been informed about a delivery like that."

The guard was dressed in navy blue robes, with red adornments and ribbons, and accented with white. Undertaker smiled at the man.

"I have the order right here," he said, reaching into his sleeve. "My, oh my, where did I put it?"

He rummaged around his robes, searching for the paper in question, pulling out an assortment of objects that made the guard back away from him.

Meanwhile, Ciel, Sebastian and Marianne climbed out of the coffins and made their way towards the bushes nearby, along with Grell, who came along for the ride. The guard opened the door for them.

"Alright then, perhaps you should come in after all. Your friends over there are welcome as well."

Marianne rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"I told you we could have simply walked in."

The men merely frowned at the exposure of their espionage. Undertaker smiled at the guard.

"In that case then, I'll take my leave of you. I've accomplished what I came here to do."

Sebastian watched the mortician out of the corner of his eye as the guard replied.

"I understand. Thank you for all your hard work. I wish you only the best. May your soul be truly cleansed."

The girl quietly hissed at those words. The demon rubbed the small of her back without saying a word.


As the guard led the mule up the path, Ciel and his group followed behind him.

"I thought it was supposed to be difficult to get in here," the boy complained.

Marianne shrugged.

"I did tell you. Numerous times," she replied. "But I'll admit, this is easier than usual."

As they walked, a monk and a couple of nuns wearing the same uniforms came out of the gardens, carrying what looked to be some vegetables. They were smiling constantly, and it caused Marianne's nose to wrinkle with distaste.

"They have perfect smiles, but they don't see the truth of the world, only that which is shown to them," she said.

"Rather sickening, isn't it?" Ciel agreed.

Sebastian gave a shit-eating smile.

"Perhaps you should be learning from them, considering that you've forgotten how to smile yourself."

The boy shook his head.

"Don't be stupid!" he snapped. "Those smiles were clearly fake, and you know it."


They arrived at the doors of the abbey, and stepped into the main church building. Sebastian held Marianne's hand as they walked to the end of the aisle. Her eyes stared down at the altar sitting so unassumingly at the other end of the room. Her breaths were harsh and shallow. Ciel stood by her side and looked around. There were angels depicted in the stained-glass windows. Their eyes trained so lovingly on the altar, as though waiting for something to be laid upon it.

He gasped when he saw the symbol that gazed down at him from the window that stood in a singular circle high above their heads. It was the same one that was branded into his side. Sebastian saw this and leaned down to whisper into the boy's ear.

"What is it, My Lord?" he asked.

Just then, they heard the giggling of young children. The trio looked around and saw three boys dressed in blue and white run into the room.

"Good evening!" they called.

"Another gorgeous day today, wasn't it?" one of them said.

Grell smirked down at them, showing off his pointed teeth.

"Oh look! Aren't you just the cutest thing?" he said. "I don't do really well with kids though!"

The boy with glasses smiled up at the Reaper.

"Hello there, unclean one. I can see every bit of your impurity."

"Say what?!" Grell snarled.

"What's wrong? Is something bothering you, unclean one?" asked another boy. "Are you not feeling well?"

Grell slammed his fist against the top of the boy's head.

"You brat!" he snapped. "What right do you have to be calling me unclean?"

The boy squealed.

"An unclean one touched me!"

"We need to go and be cleansed!"

The boys ran away with Grell chasing after them.


As they ran, a young nun stepped out of a nearby corridor. Dark brown hair was hidden under her habit, and chocolate brown eyes followed the children as they ran away. Grell stopped when he saw her.

"I'm sorry about that," she said with a gentle smile. "After a certain age, everyone is considered unclean."

She glanced over to the side and saw Ciel and Sebastian.

"I see from your clothing, you're a new convert?" she said. "Don't worry. If you study the teachings of our leader, then you too will be cleansed."

Her eyes then travelled, and stopped on Marianne. They widened for a moment. Marianne stared back at her, her breath caught in her throat.

"Forgive me!" the nun gasped. "You look so much like someone I used to know! If I did not know she was in Heaven, I would have thought she was standing before me again. But you are a boy, so you are not she."

Her head bowed as she said those words. Marianne bit her lip and gripped Sebastian's hand. The demon was the one who spoke up.

"Might I ask who he reminds you of?"

The nun smiled.

"My late cousin, my dear Mari. She truly was a pure soul, completely untouched by the uncleanliness of this world."

Sebastian arched a brow.

"What is your name, if I may ask?"

"Oh! My name is Chastity, Sir. Chastity Browning. It is a pleasure to meet you all."

The demon barely managed to hold back a smile. He pushed Marianne gently forward.

Go on. She is your cousin. You know how to get the information we need.

The girl breathed heavily, and slowly walked towards her estranged family member.

"Unclean? What a bizarre thing to say." Marianne said. "I can't believe you could consider yourself as unclean, or impure."

Chastity blushed.

"Compared to Mari, I am just a pale ghost. She drew everyone to her like the angels she is sure to be singing with."

Marianne shook her head.

"You call her Mari, but that isn't her name, is it? It's short for something. Won't you tell me what it is?"

"Her name was Marianne. But I always called her Mari. She said she preferred it over Mary."

"She must have wanted the distinction. To get away from the association with the Virgin Mary. Am I wrong?"

Chastity's head bowed.

"…You're not… wrong… per say…"

Marianne then gave her a winning smile, one she knew would make her cousin's defences crumble.

"We really don't know anything about the religion you practice here. Would you be so kind as to tell us a bit more about it? And maybe a bit more about what has been going on since Marianne's… departure?"

Chastity nodded her head.

"Alright…"


The two girls went into a nearby barn, where Chastity sat on a bale of hay and removed the habit from her head. She combed through the tangle of brown curls and looked up at Marianne.

"What would you like to know?"

Marianne stared down at her without emotion.

"You can tell me what has happened since Marianne left this place."


Outside, Sebastian leant against the door, a smile on his face as he listened to his mate pry the information out of the girl with demonic ease. Ciel and Grell watched him, the Reaper fuming at the expression on the demon's face.

"I don't think I've ever seen him smiling so much." Ciel muttered under his breath.

"That's it!" Grell bellowed. "I'm going to put that witch on the To-Die List!"

He tried scribbling her name onto the list, but no matter how hard he tried, her name simply wouldn't appear.

"That's odd. I've added names to the list before, and I've never seen it refuse to write a name."

Another thing to add to Marianne's list of unusual characteristics: she can't actually die. I wonder if it has anything to do with being a demon's mate…

Ciel pondered that thought before shaking his head.


Marianne continued to give Chastity a beautiful smile. Chastity only stared at her with stars in her eyes.

"Oh, your smile simply opens the gates of Heaven. I can almost see them!" the girl cried.

Marianne lost her smile at that point.

"I find that very unlikely," she retorted. "There's something fishy here. Now, you've told me how everything has progressed since the loss of your cousin. Would you be willing to me and my friends about your religion?"

Chastity enthusiastically nodded her head.

"Yes, of course!"


Once the small party had gathered, Chastity continued to comb her fingers through her curls.

"The Doomsday Books of those who live a long life are impure. Our great leader is trying to cleanse the impure passages and make them clean again, but that isn't all," she explained. "Apparently, the Doomsday Books contain more than just our past. Our futures are there as well. Can you believe that?"

Sebastian arched a brow.

"The future? Interesting. You don't say?"

Chastity nodded her head.

"It's true. But only the chosen children of the Heavenly Choir are eligible to hear the words of the future written in the Books."

"What is this Heavenly Choir?" Ciel asked. "Do they all sing hymns or something?"

"It was established after our Virgin Mary's death. The Heavenly Choir were brought together in the hopes that she would rise again and return to us. So, they are gifted with the same privileges she was. And as for the singing, that may not be the right word, exactly… But I hear beautiful sounds. They come from our leader's bedroom."


After they left Chastity alone, they gathered at the abbey's courtyard.

"If only boys are chosen for this Heavenly Choir," said Sebastian, speaking to Ciel. "That means you're the only one of us who can get close to this priest."

Marianne held Ciel close to her, stroking his hair.

"I honestly don't want to go anywhere near that man. But we don't have much of a choice." She said.

The demon smirked at her.

"You may be able to get away with it. Despite your age, you could pass for a very feminine boy, and look younger than you are if that was the case."

She nodded.

"That could work."


"Rubbish!" Grell shouted out. "Just look at this outfit! They'll let me in, no trouble!"

The trio turned towards him, and were shocked to see him dressed in one of the boy's uniforms, right down to the small size…

"I think I'm going to be sick…" Marianne muttered as she put a hand to her mouth.

Sebastian wordlessly handed her a handkerchief, quite in agreement with her. As Grell posed for them, the boy he stole the uniform from was crying.

"He's making me impure!"

Ciel shook his head.

"I hate this guy!"


Singing was heard, loud and beautiful. Marianne covered her ears almost immediately and buried her face into Sebastian's chest. The others looked up and listened. The boy smiled brightly when he heard the song.

"The time has come now for the cleansing ceremony!" he cried.

Grell arched a brow.

"Cleansing, eh?"

Sebastian reached down and stroked his mate's hair.

"You have always felt something strange here. You are right. Something here does smell." He said.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone looking down at them from one of the windows. They ducked out of sight when they knew they had been spotted.

"And what is it?" Ciel asked, catching the demon's attention.

"Nothing, Sir. Nothing more than a rotten apple. Dead fruit from a fallen tree."


They returned to the chapel. The congregation gathered in the pews. Sebastian, Ciel, Marianne and Grell were tucked away at the back; the girl huddled into Sebastian's side as her hands continued to cover her ears. Somehow, she was able to keep her eyes open. As one of the disciples played the organ, the priest came towards the pulpit. Two robed figures followed behind him, their heads cast down. Standing before them, candles flickering against his shadowed features, the priest spoke.

"Tonight, the unclean will be made pure again. It is time for the cleansing."

The two figures had their robes removed by other disciples, leaving them completely bare. Their backs were painted with the same mark as the one in the stained-glass window. Ciel's eye narrowed at the sight. The priest was handed two books by one of his followers.

"I suppose those books are Cinematic Records." Sebastian said.

"I'm too far away to tell." Grell sighed.

The priest opened the first book.

"I shall read the Doomsday Books of those impure, lost children," he said. "First, Jill Pheasant. Second child of a farmer. She conceived a child in sin. Then, we have Thomas Atkins. He has committed no evil deeds per say, but he has spent his life meaninglessly. And that is a grave sin to us."

As he spoke, the two sinners began to tremble, and a black energy pulsed around their bodies. The congregation prayed silently, while Marianne could only watch as impassively as she could.

Ciel gasped when he saw the large window that depicted a stained-glass angel with golden hair begin to glow.

"I say!"

The image was replaced with Jill pouring tea, her pregnant belly showing against her slim form. It changed again to Thomas as he happily fished in a river.

"What's happening?" Ciel asked.

Marianne's voice came out as a whisper.

"He's showing their sins to the world, and letting others cast their judgements while they are 'cleansed'. He is removing their sins to make them 'pure' again."

They listened to the priest preach.

"Snuff out the unclean, and the unwanted, and the unnecessary! Snuff them out, all of them!"

The girl's hand gripped onto Ciel's when she heard him gasp.

The window shattered just as it showed Jill holding her child, and returned to the form of the stained-glass angel. The two sinners screamed in agony as their bodies were purged of the blackness of their sins.

"And now," said the priest. "Despite what they have done, these people are no longer unclean. Our brother and our sister, now as pure as snow!"


The congregation were in awe, chanting the same thing over and over again.

"Our Angel! Our Angel!"

"What a great blessing this is!"

The cleansed people were covered with robes once more, and helped to their feet.

Sebastian looked down at Marianne and Ciel, saw her breathing deeply, and him only staring ahead of him.


Later that night, they sat in the church pews. Grell was sprawled out on the back pew.

"Something's wrong here," he said. "Those books that the priest had, there were definitely not Cinematic Records."

"They weren't?" Ciel asked. "Does that mean he doesn't have the power to see the past and the future?"

Sebastian was quiet as his hand rubbed against the small of Marianne's back. Marianne kept her arms folded, constantly glancing around as though she expected something to jump out from the shadows.

Just then, they heard a gasp. Turning to the door, they saw Chastity, accompanied by two nuns.

"Oh! You're still here! I'm so excited!" she cried. "The Heavens have truly smiled upon you this day!"

Marianne drew herself closer to Ciel's side.

"What do you mean?" she asked.


It was when they were led away to the changing rooms that they realised what was going to happen. Ciel struggled against the nuns who tried to pull off his clothes. Marianne was barely managing to keep her own set of determined disciples at bay.

"Stop it!" the boy shouted. "I can do it myself, okay?!"

One of the nuns shook her head.

"Nonsense! You have been chosen to be in the Heavenly Choir, so we must cleanse you from head to toe."

The other nun caressed the bare skin of his shoulder.

"Oh my!" she gushed. "What amazing skin you have!"

Ciel snapped himself away from her, and tried to pull his shirt back on.

"Don't touch me!"

"You don't need to worry. We can touch you. We have already been cleansed."

Marianne shook her head.

"I don't think either of us appreciate your need to remove our clothes for this cleansing. We are perfectly capable of doing it ourselves, thank you very much," she said firmly.

Sebastian then entered the room.

"Pardon me," he said. "I can take care of this."

The nun protested.

"No, you can't! You're still unclean. You can't help here."

The demon looked at her with a look that could almost be considered angelic.

"My goodness… You think I'm impure?" he asked.

The nuns all blushed.

"Maybe you aren't unclean after all…"

"No, he isn't!"

Marianne chuckled under her breath.

Well, that's one way to get rid of them.


In the large bathing pool, Sebastian assisted Ciel in washing himself. Marianne sat at the side, keeping her eyes averted.

"Aren't you getting a little carried away today?" Ciel asked.

Sebastian arched a brow.

"No. I just wanted to handle things smoothly," he replied. "It was a good thing I came when I did, otherwise Marianne would have been exposed as a woman, and it is only boys who are permitted to get close. I would rather you not have to meet the priest alone."

He brushed Ciel's hair out of his face.

"My Lord, I have no intention of allowing you to get yourself in danger."

Ciel smiled.

"I never thought I'd hear you say that, Sebastian."

Marianne smiled at them.

"Anyway, even if the Doomsday Books are fakes, they still seem to have some sort of power. Things have changed since I was last here. It's like they're being helped by something that isn't human," she said. "And did you hear how he said unclean? It's like what that doll was talking about…"

"Before you tried to stab it to death, you mean?" Ciel commented. "You're right though. And this mark…"

He lifted his arm and showed the brand on his side.

"It's all I have left to cling to now. The only thread the spider has left me to grab onto. It's my only clue."

The demon paused in his task of washing the boy's back.

"And by grabbing onto that thread, you'll be able to drag yourself out of Hell, is that what you truly believe at this point?" he asked.

Ciel shook his head.

"No. I'm not pulling myself up. I'm dragging them down to suffer in the soulful Hell with me. Well, that's my plan anyway."

Sebastian smiled.

"I would expect nothing less of you."

"There's only one thing I want to hear from you now. And you know it."

Bowing his head, the butler smiled under the shadow of his hair.

"Indeed, yes My Young Lord."

Ciel then reached for Marianne's hand.

"And you shall be there with me. Are you willing to drag them all down?"

She pressed her lips to his forehead.

"They have chosen this, so now they must face the consequences of their sins. They believe they are pure, but they deserve to rots in the depths of Hell. I help take them down to where they belong."


Later, Marianne and Ciel were dressed in their choir boy uniforms. She felt the sweat building on the back of her neck from the heat of her wig. They walked into the church once again, led by three other disciples, and stopped before the priest.

"Leader, we've brought them."

Marianne made sure to avoid his eyes, and chose to glare up at the angel instead.

"Well done," the priest said. "You may leave us now."

The disciples left them alone.

As they walked away, the girl noticed an attendant standing behind the priest as he addressed Ciel.

"You look very clean, Ciel. Very good." He gestured to the side. "Come this way."

He then looked at Marianne.

"Edward, I have not seen someone as pure as you for a long time, but the unclean seem to reach out and latch onto you. Come join us."

Joining hands, Ciel and Marianne followed him to the table. Ciel looked at the book lying there.

"Thank you for choosing us- I understand it's… quite an honour." He said.

Suddenly, the priest reached out and rested a hand on Ciel's shoulder. Ciel gasped at the strange gesture.

"Very good. Now, there is something I would like to read to you," said the priest.

Marianne kept silent as Ciel continued to ask his questions.

"May I ask you, what is a Doomsday Book, really?"

The priest's hand rested on the book's catch.

"For our purposes, it's a story I'll read you for as long as you want," he said. "Tonight's a treat, isn't it?"

Ciel let out a strangled cry.

"Mother said that since it's my birthday, I can sleep in the same room as her and Father tonight. And she's going to read me as many stories as I want."

"Tell you what? I'll read to you until you fall asleep. Tonight's a treat, isn't it? It's your birthday."

Ciel watched the priest's hand reach towards his head. It stroked his hair up out of his visible eye.

He giggled as his father pushed his hair up out of his face with a smile.

His eye softened as he lost himself in the memory.

That hand… It's his…


He snapped away from the man when he heard someone speak.

"Cleanse yourself."

Marianne immediately stepped between them, her hand reaching for her thigh holster.

"Cleanse yourself of the sins you've committed. Right here, and right now."

Light flooded through the brand marked window, shining down upon the pair. The priest attempted to grab onto Ciel's neck, but Marianne whipped out her dagger and sliced into his hands. He retreated for a moment, clutching his wounds, but no blood was spilt. With the light coming through, stitches were visible beneath his hood. Ciel saw this as he held Marianne's arm.

That's right. It can't be… It can't!

"Sebastian, this is an order!" he shouted. "Kill this man!"

There was silence for a moment before they heard a response.

"Yes, My Young Lord."

Sebastian smashed through one of the stained-glass windows, and was swiftly followed by Grell. The demon threw one of his silver knives, and embedded it into the priest's head.


As they watched the man fall to the floor, the attendant tried to strike Ciel and Marianne from behind. Marianne sliced through the cape, but there wasn't a person inside. Instead, white feathers rained down upon them.

"I thought it was you." Sebastian said. "And I was right."

Flying above them on brilliant white wings, was Angela. Her skirt was feathered and white, and her bodice and sleeves were flowing with lace that matched the choker around her neck. She smiled down at them with glowing violet eyes.

"Angela…" Marianne whispered.

Grell stared up at the white woman in confusion.

"Bassy, what the Hell's an angel doing here?!" he cried.

Marianne quickly took Ciel into her arms and tried to move away. But Angela was too quick for them. Seeing that she had to take both of them, the angel grabbed them and flew up into the air.

"Stop!" Sebastian ordered.

"Let us go, now!" Marianne shouted.

Angela shook her head and produced the book from the table.

"Oh look!" Grell cried. "That's a real Cinematic Record right there!"

The angel manipulated the records to tangle around the demon, leaving him trapped like a fly in a web.

"Do something, Grell!" Sebastian snapped. "Use your Death Scythe!"

Grell, having had his Death Scythe confiscated on the completion of the Noah's Ark Circus troupe collection, was back to using the small scissors he had been stuck with at the doll's tower.

"Just a second! I'm working on it, okay?!"

Sebastian arched a brow.

"What are those sad things?"

Grell shrugged with tears in his eyes.

"Well, what do you want me to do? Will just took my other Death Scythe away from me again!"


In Angela's grasp, Marianne struggled to keep her away from Ciel. Angela leant down to whisper in their ears.

"I will show all of it to you." She said. "All the light and darkness. Every moment in your past."

She met Marianne's dark blue eyes.

"And you, you pure creature, shall bare witness as he is cleansed."

The girl gritted her teeth.

"I won't let you touch him!" she snarled.

Managing to get an arm free, she reached out and used her dagger to slice through the Cinematic Records. Angela gasped, her stance faltering at the unexpected move. Marianne saw an opportunity.

"Do you trust me, Ciel?" she asked.

Ciel looked up at her.

"Yes."

She smiled.

"Then brace yourself."

Marianne pushed Ciel out of her and the angel's grasp.

"Sebastian, catch Ciel!" she cried.


Ciel fell through the air, watching Sebastian as he descended. He shut his eyes and waited for the moment when he hit the ground. His breath caught when he felt something wrap around him. Ciel opened his eye and saw the demon gazing down at him, eyes glowing magenta in the darkness. In his butler's arms, he felt safe, if only for the briefest moment.

Sebastian held him close as he swiped off the cut pieces of Cinematic Record. He watched Marianne and Angela as a white portal opened behind them.

"NO!" he snarled.


Marianne tried to reach out to them, but Angela's grip was too tight. The angel had already lost one of them, she wasn't about to lose the other.

"SEBASTIAN!"


Grell finally managed to get through all of their trappings.

"I cut it!"

Holding Ciel tight, Sebastian prepared to take the leap after his mate. Ciel gripped his shoulder.

"Save her, Father! Save Mother!"

Sebastian barely had time to process those words, but nodded his head. He turned his attention back to the portal.

"Alright, here we go!"

Angela took Marianne through the closing portal, and Marianne could only watch as Sebastian, Ciel and Grell leapt after them as it disappeared into nothingness.


This has got to be one of my favourite episodes to edit and rewrite. There is just so much happening!

Many of you asked that I didn't have Sebastian seduce the nun to get information, so instead I introduced Chastity and had Marianne get the intel instead. As a family member, Marianne could easily extract what she needed, and it sets the foundations for the next chapter.

To make sure none of you get confused, the abbey is the same place Marianne's grandparents and aunt were patrons of.

As for Ciel's outburst, I haven't decided if he's accepted that Sebastian and Marianne are his parents now, or if it was a Freudian slip. You will find out next chapter.

I'm already looking forward to writing the next chapter. Hopefully I won't be cutting it so fine.

I should also like to announce that I will not be updating in a fortnight due to being on holiday, and therefore with no access to a computer. So, it will be in three weeks before the next one. Hope you all can bear with me!

Should you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Please read and review!