Chapter Thirty-Five

Butler, Up in Flames. Bride, Betrothed

Tanaka sat at a desk, writing in a journal.

This is the second fire we've had since my service with the Phantomhives. All I can do is document the story of this grand estate. That is my role. However…

"I suppose that role is coming to an end."

He closed the book quietly, leant back in his chair, and stared up at the sky through the charred remains of the roof. The old steward moved around the burned estate as though it was still standing.


In the cargo hold of the ship to England, the two men were talking.

"That's a strong wind ablowin' eh?"

"Aye, and it's warmer than it ought to be. And see rough waters."

"I hope we'll make port in London soon."

As they walked past some crates, Marianne and Ciel peeked out of their hiding place.

They heard a noise. Turned around. And they found themselves face-to-face with a grinning Undertaker.

"Found you, Lord and Little Butler."

The girl sweatdropped.

"The Undertaker?" Ciel gasped.

They got out of their hiding place. Undertaker offered them some of his bone biscuits. Ciel's stomach grumbled loudly. He reached for one, but Marianne slapped his hand.

"Ciel, say please."

He growled, but complied.

"May I have some, please?" he asked.

Undertaker gave him the bag.


As they sat eating the biscuits, the two of them sat opposite Undertaker.

"That tiny, whiny bloke, Will was the one who brought me into this expedition. Apparently, they're short-handed in London, and roped me into it by promising to waive my library fines." Undertaker explained.

Ciel stared at him, his mouth stuffed with food.

Will's coming to London?" he asked.

"Yes, there's much work to do. We have a great many souls to collect in London this evening."

Marianne shivered, feeling the coldness of death trickle down her spine.

They heard shouts from above deck.

"Hey! Look at that!"

Undertaker smiled.

"Ah, it's seems that it's begun."


Ciel and Marianne hurried up to the deck. They looked over the side, and the girl clapped her hands over her mouth when she saw what was before her. London was burning. Undertaker approached them from behind.

"My, they certainly put on quite the show, don't they?" he laughed. "And now, I must be on my way."

Marianne turned and called out to him.

"Hold on!" she cried. "Why did you come here?"

The mortician smirked.

"We have our history together, don't we? In light of that fact, I thought I would give you fair warning."

He looked at Ciel.

"My young Earl, before much longer… Your humanity will be at an end."

A gulp ran down Ciel's throat.

"My humanity will be at an end? What do you mean?" he asked.

A woman cried out and fell to her knees. He and Marianne stared at her for a moment before turning back to Undertaker, only to find he was gone.

Father's gone. He isn't with me anymore, which means the end of my humanity is…

He touched his eye patch.

"It's useless. Wrong."

They looked out at the blazing horizon.

The hatred. My pain. They're burning out… Everything is burning… Burning away…


As the streets of London burned, people ran from the flames as quickly as they could. In an alleyway, a woman lay on the ground covered in soot and ash, and holding her baby in her arms. It cried loudly, but she didn't hear them. Grell loomed over them, and knelt down before the child.

"Oh, you're hurting," he said. "I well understand. I'm quite sorry, but I'm simply not at liberty to finish you off right now."

He got to his feet and walked away, his long red hair and coat swaying behind him.

He stepped out into the open street and sighed.

"So much to do."

Pluto's roar was heard in the distance.

"Ugh! That's revolting!"

And then, he walked away.


At Buckingham Palace, Ash was speaking with the Queen.

"Majesty, the Holy Flame has begun the salvation of your land," he said.

Victoria was curled up in her bed. She didn't look at him.

"Ah, I see."

"Ah, isn't it wonderful?" he sighed. "We shall finally be greeted by the unpolluted England of the new century."

She whimpered.

"Something's wrong, Majesty? Ever since we returned from Paris, you seem to be in poor health."

Victoria brought herself upright and unbuttoned the front of her nightgown.

"Ash, come, see this. It hurts," she said.

The angel stepped towards her. She revealed her skin.

The parts of her that were Albert's were dark and rotting; a purplish red with the scent of death clinging to the air. Ash's eyes narrowed at the sight.

"It hurts so much." Victoria told him.

He pursed his lips.

"Forgive my touch," he said, reaching out and pressing a finger to her neck.

The skin came away in a gelatinous sludge.

"His body is beginning to rot."

He removed his stained glove. It disappeared in a blue flame. He offered his hand to the girl Queen.

"Please allow me to perform a cleansing."

Victoria hugged herself.

"No! I can't lose him! Leave me this at least. Leave me his body, just as it was," she begged.

"Majesty." Ash implored.

"He doesn't need to be cleansed. He's perfect just as he is."

She grabbed onto his sleeve.

"Please, do something, Ash. Save him for me."

A cold expression seeped across the angel's face, a scowl pulled firmly at his lips.

"You smell," he said. "You are unclean."

He went out to the balcony, spread his white wings, and took flight.


"Yes, she may be the Queen, but she's only human," he said to himself, tears in his eyes. "And a foolish human at that. How terribly sad for Her Majesty. The pain and all the tears that have fallen in this corrupt land. Their Genesis was when humans were divided into male and female. We can show great mercy, but still…"

Two droplets fell from his cheeks.

"The humans can't be saved."

He flew towards the fires of London.

"No salvation."


Victoria sat in her room, hugging the rotting flesh of her body. She sang softly to herself.

My dear Albert is falling down

Falling down

Falling down

Putrid blood trickled down her cheek. The flesh of her neck broke apart. She clutched it painfully.

Albert, my dear, is falling down

She took the piece of flesh and pressed it to her cheek.

My cherished husband


Ciel and Marianne stared at London as it drew closer. The girl wrapped her arms around him and held him close.

Losing my humanity… Soon. Will it be on this ship, or somewhere else?

The ship turned away from London. Realising what was happening, they ran to one of the ship hands on deck.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ciel demanded.

The man sighed.

"We can't go back to London when it's in this shape, can we? We're just going to have to do circles around here," he said.

"But why?" Ciel asked. "I mean, we're practically there, aren't we?"

He pointed out to a ship that had remained on course for England.

"Fine, we'll get on that one. Get us a rowboat."

The man sneered.

"For two boys? Tell me, why should I even bother? Now, if there's money changing hands…"

Marianne stepped between them.

"That's enough of that. You are being foolish. We have to return to London," she said firmly.


Ciel gulped.

Do I really? For what?

Everything faded to black around him as his thoughts turned inward.

In the end… He thought to himself. I didn't kill her Majesty. No… I couldn't kill her.

He remembered how he spoke of his resolve, after the case at the Abbey…


"If I let go of hatred, then the person I've been since that day disappears with it. That's not me! It's not me!"

"I will not let it go… I will not lose my hatred!"


He came back to reality.

If I let go of my hatred, then I don't exist. But then…

"Who stands here now…?" he asked himself. "Who am I?"

Marianne stroked his head.

"Ciel, are you alright?" she asked.

He didn't answer. The man shouted over to them.

"Wake up, kid! I'm a busy man, you know! So, maybe you should…"

Ciel started laughing. Hysterically. Marianne stared at him with wide eyes. The man started to get scared.

"Bloody Hell… What's wrong with you? Are you mad?" he demanded.

The boy was still laughing as he removed his Hope Diamond ring.

"Take this," he offered.

The man's eyes went wide at the size of it.

"Oh wow, that's incredible…" he said. "Just look at its shine."

Ciel smirked.

"It's a blue diamond. You don't see one of these every day," he explained.

The man pulled himself away from the allure of the diamond.

"Wait. What the Hell is a kid like you doing with something like that?" he asked.

"Take it, and give me a boat!" Ciel snarled.


London continued to burn. Flames lapped at Big Ben and scored through the streets. After having taken the rowboat to the other ship, Ciel and Marianne walked down the gangplank and onto the dock. They were immediately greeted by a collection of ruffians.

"Look, here they come!" one of them sneered.

Another grabbed onto Ciel's shoulder.

"Are you a Frenchman?"

Marianne pulled the boy out of his grasp.

"Let him go!" she ordered. "What are you doing?"

"You bloody Frenchman! You started this fire in the first place, didn't you?"

"You want to start a war with England, don't you?"

Ciel remembered Lau's words…


"Yes. It would seem that your beloved Queen is trying to plunge Europe, not to mention the rest of the world into full-scale war."


The boy tried to protest.

"Now wait just a moment!" he cried. "I am not…"

He was interrupted by one of the passengers being choked by a ruffian.

"Quickly men, another frog!" a man yelled.

The ruffians dashed off to help their compatriot.

Marianne watched as the woman cried for the beaten man. Watched the ruffian's rage as he pummelled his poor victim into the ground. She saw the human depravity oozing from their bodies with every blow unleashed.

He is sending the city into madness.


She grabbed Ciel's hand and ran into the burning streets. They stared at the sight.

"Such a fire…" Ciel gasped.

People were running all around them. They were robbing one another of their valuables. Children were crying and screaming. Marianne pulled Ciel out of the way of a couple hurrying past them. They saw a burnt man on the ground, the people were running over him, as though he was no more than dirt beneath their boot.

"Mother, are we in Hell?" he asked.

Marianne wrapped her arm around his shoulders, and led him down the street. She felt him wavering in his steps, so hoisted him up onto her back, his legs curled around her waist. Her feet stopped when they were about to step on a corpse; she stared down at it silently, her resolve unwavering.


"Ah, they're here." Ash smirked, staring down at the pair from the rooftop. "So, Mary and the boy have made their way back to London. Huh, impressively done. Perhaps I shouldn't have underestimated her determination."

He glanced over his shoulder at his companion for the evening.

"Tell me," he said. "What do you think of the view?"

His companion said nothing.


As she walked, Marianne looked up and saw the overhang of a building start to crumble above her.

"Look out!"

She and Ciel were pushed out of the way by MeyRin.

"You must have a death wish, yes!" she snapped.

The maid adjusted her glasses and saw who she was speaking to.

"Marianne! M-Master!"

Ciel's unfocused eye immediately zoned in on her.

"MeyRin, what are you doing here?" he asked.

She blushed.

"Oh dear, I'm so very sorry, My Lord!" she apologised. "I know it's my duty to protect the estate! But I- I just-!"

Ciel tapped Marianne's shoulder, and she placed him on his feet.

"Calm down," he ordered. "You're not in any trouble. Just tell me why you're here."

MeyRin answered him with tears in her eyes.

"It-It's Plu-Plu!"

Marianne arched a brow.

"What about Pluto? Do you mean to say he's the one who started this?"


Ash smiled at his companion.

"What are your thoughts?" he asked.

Staring back at him with an impassive expression was Sebastian.

"Next to the Great Fire of London in 1666," he said. "Well, this one seems to burn most slowly."

The angel smirked.

"Indeed. You're right," he responded. "This city is so unclean, it takes time to burn filth. It will be long before London is utterly purified."

Ash gave a smile that bordered on the grotesque.

"Even so…" He extended his arms outwards, the flames rose up with them. "Good shall prevail. This fire will burn everything out. And then, at long last, a cleaner land will be able to emerge. The door will be open to a new century."

Sebastian's eyes cast downwards, hovering on the street below.

It seems checkmate is fast approaching. He pondered silently. What will you do with your pawns, my boy?

He watched Ciel, MeyRin and Marianne run back towards Trafalgar Square.


Bard loaded more tranquilisers into his shotgun. Pluto was breathing fire from the top of Nelson's Column. His snarl exposed his vicious fangs before he roared up to the ash-filled sky. He released another torrent of flames soon afterwards. Bard looked through the scope of his gun.

"The damn tranquilisers don't work!" he snapped.

Finny stared mournfully up at the Demon Hound.

"Plu-Plu…" he moaned.

"So," said Bard as he turned to the gardener. "You really think we did the right thing, chasing Pluto all the way out here?"

Finny looked at him as he continued.

"The reason we were hired in the first place was to protect the estate, isn't it? Doesn't even look like we can do anything to help here."

The gardener shook his head.

"The house itself isn't what I want to protect," he said. "I want to protect the relationships in it. All the good times we had together. For us to have that, everyone, everyone has to live, including Pluto."

He stared up at the Demon Hound with watery eyes.


Just then, Ciel, Marianne and MeyRin ran up to them.

"Master!" Finny gasped.

"What were you thinking, bringing the Master here?!" Bard snapped at MeyRin.

MeyRin shook her head.

"He said so! It's not my place to say no," she answered.

Ciel's eyes widened at the sight of Pluto.

"Pluto!" he called out.

Marianne placed her hands on his shoulders; her eyes rested firmly on Pluto.


Ash laughed loudly.

"An ironic world, isn't it?" he said. "You fought against me for your master's sake. And now, here you are, standing beside me watching his little tragedy play out."

Sebastian stayed silent.

I cannot act at the moment. Not without Ciel's order.

"And now, for a while at least, I have no master to follow," the demon said.

Ash considered him for a moment before he smiled.

"Through all of this, I thought to myself, I might not mind joining forces with you. We can rule the newly reborn world. The clean world, when it springs from the fire!"

Sebastian refrained from showing his disgust.

"How would that work?" he deadpanned. "I thought I was the epitome of the uncleanliness you so detest."

The angel only continued to smile.

"When you look at them closely, all things are two sides of the same coin," he replied. "Morning and night. Man and woman. Light and darkness. But when they are put through the purifying flames, they become one."

He smirked.

"They return to the essential existance beloved of the Father."

Sebastian arched a brow.

"You want a doll. Another artificial thing to satisfy your hunger for power."

Ash shook his head.

"No. I want the Virgin Mary to bear our saviour again. Her purity will bring the beloved Son into the world; a leader for the new world to follow," he explained.

He removed his cravat, revealing his lack of an Adam's apple.

"Is there something else you want?"

His voice merged together with that of Angela. Sebastian wasn't surprised by this piece of information. Ash/Angela opened his tailcoat, waistcoat and shirt to reveal a pair of pearl-white breasts.

"If you hunger, I can come to you as a woman as well?"

They smirked at him with full pouting lips. Sebastian turned away and glanced down at the Phantomhive party.


"What are you up to here?" Ciel demanded.

Finny was bashful as he answered.

"Well, it's just… We wanted Pluto to be how he was. We're sorry," he apologised.

Bard nodded his head.

"And I've already run out of tranquiliser darts."

The boy growled.

"Are you idiots?" he snapped. "You have real bullets, don't you?"

Marianne silently stared at him.


Sebastian's eyes widened when he heard those words.


The servants gasped.

"Master, are you telling us that we should shoot him?" MeyRin asked.

Marianne motioned her eyes up to the Demon Hound.

"He has the eyes of a beast. He is no longer the Pluto you know and love. His mind is already gone. Nothing remains but a mindless creature doing his master's bidding, and we are not the ones giving the orders anymore," she told them. "He is only a feral beast now."

"A beast?" MeyRin whimpered.

Ciel nodded his head in agreement.

"You know what it's like, don't you? To have even your pride stolen from you? To be left behind hollow? It's a tragic way to live!" he proclaimed.

The servants were silent, waiting for the final word.

"I order you, MeyRin, Finny, Bard; kill the Demon Hound, any way you can!"

Tears built up in their eyes, and slowly trickled down their cheeks. It took a while before they all saluted.

"Yes, Sir!"


Ciel nodded his head. Bard loaded bullets into his rifle, and then, he and MeyRin took aim. Finny lifted a large rock from the ground. The maid removed her glasses and stared up at her target. Marianne took Ciel's hand.

"Come on, let's go!" she said.

He nodded his head, and they ran off.


Ash smirked as he buttoned up his shirt and waistcoat.

"He's everything I would expect from someone who would employ a demon such as you," he said. "Unfeeling and ruthless. A soul forever beyond redemption. As I said before, you and I should join…"

He saw that Sebastian had disappeared from the rooftop. His brow furrowed as a deep scowl set itself on his face.

"So, that's it then? No matter how much time goes by, angels and demons will forever be on opposite sides of the coin."


Bard placed his finger on the trigger, and readied himself to take aim.


Ciel and Marianne found a black horse standing near a fountain. The boy climbed up onto its back and took the reins. Marianne reached under her shirt and pulled away her bindings, her breasts swelled beneath, straining slightly against the buttons. On the ship, she had swapped her work shoes for a pair of black button boots that went over the top of her trousers. Sh removed her tie and tied it around her waist, and finally, removed her wig and tossed it into the fire.

"Hurry up, Mother!" Ciel snapped. "This is no time for a wardrobe change!"

She smiled at him.

"Ciel, this is just the right time. I refuse to be hindered by anything, and that includes my own clothing."

She got on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. They heard the gunshots in the distance, followed by Pluto's roar.

"Let's go!" said Ciel.

He urged the horse on.

Now, all I can do is run. If I'm going to lose my humanity, I will do it with the soul he craved and thought worthy to become a demon. Only then, only then can I regain my pride.


The two of them arrived at Buckingham Palace and climbed down off the horse. Ciel approached one of the guards standing at the door.

"I am the Earl Phantomhive, Ciel Phantomhive. I request to see…"

He then noticed their blank expressions, their completely unmoving posture. Marianne tapped the boy on the shoulder.

"Come on, I don't think we'll be getting any answers here."


They stepped inside, and found more guards lining the corridors. Their footsteps echoed on the marble floor.

"Time is standing still." Ciel commented.

Marianne shook her head.

"I don't think that's why they're standing still. This could be a trap for all we know."

"No time to decide that!"

They began running.


They went through the corridors, searching methodically as they went. Just then, they heard the familiar music of London Bridge is falling down. An open door awaited them. Ciel pushed the door open slightly, and the two of them stepped inside. He gasped.

"Her Majesty!"

Victoria lay on the bed, blood seeping into the white sheets from her rotten flesh. Marianne covered her mouth, the stench of death lingered in the air.

"She wanted to be with him to the end, so she let his rotting body kill her."

She placed her hands on Ciel's shoulders and led him back towards the door.


A scream broke through the silence. They turned around to see a maid. Ciel grabbed Marianne's hand and they bolted out the room. Two guards came running towards the source of the screaming.

"What happened?" one demanded. "Who is that?"

The two of them continued to run. The maid went up to the guards.

"It's Her Majesty!" she cried.


The warning bell soon rang out.

"The Queen's been murdered!"

"Who did it?"

"Who's responsible?"

"Who is this murderer?"

Ciel and Marianne soon found themselves surrounded by soldiers; guns were aimed at their chests. The girl clenched her fists quietly as Ciel spoke to the men.

"I am Ciel. I am the Earl Phantomhive, as my father was!"

The guards looked at one another.

"Phantomhive? You mean to say the Queen's Guard Dog has turned against her?" one of them asked.

Ciel glanced at Marianne.

"I have cast off that title. And no, I am not the one who killed Her Majesty."

She nodded her head, and palmed her dagger.

"You think to talk your way out?"

The rifles were aimed. Ciel smirked at the question.

"No, I'm certain I can't. But still, no matter what you do to me, I will not be stopped now!"


A shot rang out. Ciel gasped, grabbed his side, but felt no blood.

What…? How?

He looked up.

No…

He hadn't seen Marianne move. She stood between his and the bullet's path. Ciel watched it go through her side, and blood explode from the wound.

Mother!

He remembered Sebastian's words that day…


"Think carefully. Should you reject the faith once, the Gates of Paradise will forever be out of your reach. Do you wish to form a contract with me?"


Marianne breathed in and out, felt her skin immediately knit over the wound until there was nothing. Her blood still stained the floor. She drew her dagger, and removed the glove on her left hand. Her engagement ring glinted in the light. She sliced the dagger over the palm of her hand. Ciel saw her eyes, one of them remained dark blue, but the other? It glowed the same magenta of a demon's.

Is this the end of my humanity? He asked himself.

He didn't care, and offered up his own hand to her blade. The metal swiped over his palm. And together, they squeezed their fists to make it pool onto the marble floor.

Ciel removed his eye patch. Their blood moved into the shape of their shared demon seal.

"We shall not end here!" he said. "Not by the hands of that wretched creature!"

Marianne nodded her head.

"We are a family. Our power is too strong to be broken by death."

The seal glowed vibrant red on the ground.


"I see you've awoken, my child."

Ciel looked up and smiled. More shots were fired and the room was filled with dust clouds. When they cleared, they saw Sebastian looming over them, the bullets held between his gloved fingers.

"You came back…?" Ciel asked.

Sebastian smiled.

"It is exactly as you said, Ciel. You won't end your humanity, not here, not now."

He threw the bullets back at the guards, and all but one fell to the floor dead. The demon bowed over his child.

"Ciel, I ask your forgiveness for taking unauthorised leave."

The boy pouted.

"What was so important that you would leave your mate and child?" he asked.

Sebastian smirked.

"Oh, I was seeing to preparations for your transition," he said. "Spicy, bitter; but sometimes sweet. It is a multifaceted soul indeed. Braised to perfection. Thanks to you, you have made me truly proud to be your demon father. I shall have the ultimate soul, that no other shall ever touch."

He then looked to Marianne.

"Of course, I was also overseeing everything for our bonding ceremony. There are many things that need to be done, my dear."

She chuckled and pressed her lips to his.

"Then I shall look forward to it."


They turned their attention to Ciel. The boy's eye glowed.

"Father, I order you, take me right now to this Angel of Massacre!"

Sebastian smiled.

"Yes, my child."

The remaining guard watched them, shivering. Ciel climbed up onto Sebastian's back, and Marianne was gathered up into the demon's arms. They went past the guard without looking at him.

"He can't be human…" the man stammered.

Sebastian's eyes narrowed as he looked at him over his shoulder.

"No. Indeed, I'm not." He gave a smirk. "I'm simply one Hell of a butler."


Sebastian ran through the flaming streets of London, his precious cargo in tow. The sound of gunshots was loud, perfectly in harmony with Pluto's growls.

"Can they do it?" Ciel asked.

"Assuming the servants fight with all their might, I believe they will be an even match for Pluto." Sebastian told him. "They should have a good chance of winning."

"And whoever loses?" Marianne inquired.

"We'll be seeing them." Ciel smiled. "We'll be seeing them again in Hell."

The girl turned her eyes up to the dark red sky.

"It's beginning."


From the corpses of the fire, black shadows rose up and entwined before flying through the sky and towards the half-completed Tower Bridge. Ash stood at the gap of the bridge, absorbing the souls with a look of ecstasy on his face.

"It's coming to me!" he cried. "The despair of the unclean must ultimately be transformed into the divine!"

He smirked.

"And it feels… good!"


One more episode and season one is finished! I think there will be a filler chapter or two before we go into the next season though. I must have Sebastian and Marianne bonded before we delve into it.

Although, many have asked whether or not they consummated their relationship, and I didn't write it in. While Sebastian would have happily done so, he has too much respect for Marianne, who was brought up with saving herself until marriage (or the demon equivalent of it as the case may be). So, to answer, they have not done the deed. Marianne is just very fond of using his shirt as a nightgown.

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

Please read and review!