Ha..ha...ha..I'm a horrible person...I keep getting these out later than promised and I have no excuse...So I'm just gonna stop promising things. I will finish this eventually. The rate of which I do it will vary. I will go through boughts of laziness and then burts of creativity! So yeah, that's gonna happen soon or later. Anyway, I know I said the whole 'familar feelings' thing was gonna be explained in this chapter, but my leading up to it turned out to be longer than I expected it to so probably next chapter that will be explained. So please enjoy this. Sorry again for the wait. I hope you still enjoy it and haven't stopped reading because I suck at dead lines. So please review. It does motivate me. God bless and thanks for reading!

Chapter Thirteen-The Ring

"What have I done to get sentenced to this hell," he sighed.

"Oh cheer up Ciel! The party's going to start soon so we can't have a gloomy face among the attendents now can we?"

"I beg to differ."

"Oh poo, you're still in a bad mood? Is it because your brother couldn't attend?"

"Partly," he admitted.

"Well I don't see why you're being such a grump about it. He said he had to do something at the police force, and jobs are important to people. So pretty please put a smile? For me?"

"Ivy, your guests have arrived!"

"Oh, coming Hammy! I'll be right there! Now Ciel while I'm gone I expect to see your change your attitude! Well see you soon! I'll be right down!" she called.

In a delightful flutter, somthing like that of a butterfly, the young woman skipped down the stairs with grace and ease. However, so like the sickening little beetle he had become, Ciel remained closed and stoic in the skeleton of his own creation. For his mind was on others things, rather than a simple party of which he had been forced to attend. Sebastian had been acting particularly strange that day, and as soon as Ivy departed Sebastian followed with a mere farewell and an approximate time when he would return. What had happened to his control over the demon? Being offered no more than an approximate was beneath the young earl, yet it seems to be occuring on a more frequent scale.

And Ciel was not pleased...

And while our dear young master was struggling with a loss of control, our hellish butler was on his way to the Carter Castle Motel. Now the Mortician did give him a time of three A.M. on the dot, but old habits die hard they say, and such a thing was true in this case. Centuries of serving under various masters had given the demon a near militant attiude concerning punctuality, and therefore it was a well engrained instinct to show up to appointments long before they commenced.

Oh so many times had Sebastian brought the young man to several appointments hours before they began, and thus was forced to entertain the foul wretch. Yet today he was finally alone and in peace, and with a ungodly amount of luck his Young Master was kept busy by the Comity. For the time being, he was free.

Ciel on the other hand wasn't so lucky.

"Oh it's so nice to see you all! Oh hi Dasan! Oh and Lydia! Oh Warren hi! Oh Ciel! Ciel! Come on and greet everyone!"

They were met with a rather unappreciative nod.

"Oh poo. You're no fun at all."

"Were you really expecting different?" he asked.

The young girl found herself pouting, spirits weakened, and hopes dashed upon the rocks. She wasn't exactly sure why. She had recovered from more melancholy situations prior to this time, but when Ciel was upset it bothered her more so than when any other person was upset. She cared for him more, she supposed, and felt a connections between them, one she couldn't quite explain but felt it nonetheless. Oh how silly she must appear, the Comity leader admitting defeat.

But what's a leader without a wonderous group of followers, and that was exactly what she had.

"Don't worry Ivy, we'll have this one smiling like a fool in no time," assured Dasan, desperate to see the brunette smiling. Lydia too felt compassion and joined in his attempt.

"Y-Yeah, I'm sure he'll h-have a great time, b-by the time the night is over."

And in a final retalition to Ciel's depressing mood, Warren fought against the feelings too.

"So don't get so down, alright?"

She smiled.

"You're right! We can't give up now can we? That's not the way our Comity rolls! Now then, are we all accounted for?"

"Afraid not, Little Pearl. That new boy you mentioned has yet to arrive."

"Oh no, Hammy are you serious? But the party's starting so soon! Where could he be?"

"Well Warren and I were the only ones to see him besides Ciel, and we didn't know where he lived so we had to call the school to ask."

"But the Principal didn't give us any number or address. She just assured that he'd be show up eventually. They seemed to know eachother I guess."

"Actually, she's me mum!"

Quickly the group turned in the direction of the mysterious voice, and most were met with a welcomed sight. As Alois stood in the doorway the Comity welcomed him with open arms, and he graciously thanked them for the kidness they bestowed. However, Ciel, always the odd one out, stood away from the group and for a while the focus was taken from him, not that he minded though. The more time spent on his former rival the more peace he had to himself, and the more he could invent ways on how to get back as Sebastian for leaving him in this mess. Unfortunately, luck was not something he had particular abundance in, and soon his moment of peace came to an end.

"Come on Ciel! We're going to play party games! I've got the whole evening planned out and if we're going to cram everything in we have to start now!"

"I'm not much one for party games."

"Well hopefully we can change that tonight!"

A dark shadow appeared in her eyes, and she hung her head low.

"C-Ciel?"

"Is something the matter?"

"Well, yes and no. I've been thinking a lot about you, a-and how you're so grumpy all the time, and I was thinking that...maybe it's not your fault. I was thinking that m-maybe you're just sad because you've never had a friend..."

"What?"

"Well it's just that, you never seem to know how to react to me or any of the other Comity members. So I thought maybe you don't know how to be a friend because you've never had one...I didn't offend you did I?!"

"I uh..um...I-I uh.."

He found himself at the loss for words. Did she honestly care for him? Had she honestly put this much effort into observing his way? He had previously assumed she was another sugar high bother the new milenium had produced, but perhaps she was something more?

"Uh..."

He cleared his throat.

"N-No. I'm fine. Do you have anything else to say? I'd like to get this over with," he said, revering back to emotional cacoon.

"Oh well it's just that...Well I thought that.."

"Spit it out, will you? I don't have all day."

"Oh! I-I'm sorry! I'll, I'll just get to the point. Um, well you see, a long, long time ago back in the 1800s, way back in England, w-where you're from, my really super great grandmother was engaged to this guy named Phanthomhive."

The world seemed to crash around him.

"W-What...Did you say?"

"I-I said my really super great grandmother, I think her name was Lizzy, was engaged to this guy named Phanthomhive, but he died like really young, l-like our kind of young, so they never got married. She was really upset about it all because apparently she lost another close person she had, named Lady Crimson or something like that, so she was really distraught about the whole situation. So during the open casket, when she was saying her last goodbyes, she stole the guy's ring so she'd always have a piece of him with her wherever she went, even if he was gone, and she passed it down through all the generations, and last year Daddy gave it to me on my birthday. It's really, really important to me. I think it's such a sweet thing for her to do, to always want her love's memory to be strong, a-and since friends trust other friends, I thought that maybe you'd like to hold onto it..J-Just for a while, to show that I trust you and I want t-to be your friend...C-Ciel? Is something wrong?"

He didn't respond. How could he? You try taking such a shocking blow and try to react to the situation. You couldn't I assure you, even the strongest would find themselves at loss.

"Well...um...here," she said slipping the sapphire stone on his thumb,"I-I hope you like it."

Slowly, ever so slowly, the numbness in his body began to fade. A shiver chill was replaced with a warm glow as the familar jewel was place in his posession again. Gently he ran his finger across the gem, and a flood of memories came back to him, memories that stung, memories that shined, memories he had forgotten, memories he could never forget. One by one, his mind played them all again, as if he was watching his cinematic record before his eyes, reminding him of a past life, his true life, the life he had lived long ago.

"Ah! Would you look at that! It fits you perfectly! It's like it was made for you! Oh that must be a good omen! It means we're going to be the best of friends someday! Can't you just see it Ciel? Can't you?!"

"I...I..."

She giggled.

"Me too! Now come on! We've kept the others waiting long enough! It's time the start the party games! Come on! Come on! Come on!"

"W-Wait Ivy, I-Hey! I never said I was going to play your damn party games!"

Ignoring his protests, Ivy dragged him into the game room for what was to be an eventful night, but things weren't happening just to the Young Master. A certain subserviant pawn was also in line for a rather exciting evening, and as he arrived at the rooftop of the perscribed location he was met with an unexpected guest.

"Well, I certainly didn't expect you here so early," he said.

"I could say the same thing about you. I did tell you three o'clock. Didn't I?"

"My apologies. I wasn't aware my earliness would be a bother. Well then, please allow me to soften your displeasure. A dirty limrick. There once was a woman from-"

"No need for any of that. As much as I enjoy a good joke, this is a time to be serious. The boss doesn't like us to joke at a time so serious."

"The boss? I was under the assumption you had retired from the Reaping Profession."

"Ah, that's where you're wrong. I've just been promoted to Reaper First Class. Comes with many a perk I'll tell ya, but I do miss the good ol' days dealing with the beauty of death. Such a pretty thought isn't? Mortality and whatnot. Everyone is always concerned themselves with life that no one ever stops and thinks about the end and its true glory and wonderment. The physical form is nothing more than an empty shell for mere humans, a shell that will someday rott and decay, lost to time and memories, burried six feet under while the worms feast on their flesh. Such a pretty, pretty sight. Everyone should get a chance to become so pretty, and the Boss agrees. So he doesn't much care when people aren't given the chance to die, when they trap their soul within a sinful shell, like an ugly prision, don't you think?"

Sebastian's eyes narrowed and glowed a demonly red.

"Are you refering to the Young Master by chance?"

He snickered.

"Don't be so sensative ol' fellow. The final resting place of souls isn't my concern. I merely transport them to one who truely deals with that matter. I may not agree with what your kind engages in, but there's not much I can do about it really."

"Glad to-"

"However, tasks such as those are right up their ally."

"What do you-"

"So glad you could come ."

"Now the fun can really begin."

Sebastian turned to face the voices and his eyes met with sight of Harmony and Justice. Ever vigilant, he remained unphased by their presence, and ever curious as the cats he so admired, he asked their purpose.

"Oh you'll find out soon enough, Demon," said Justice,"but you must be patient, however difficult that virtue may be for you to achieve.

"The show will begin at exactly three o'clock as promised. Until then, we wait for the actors to arrive."

"And then...We can discuss the fate of your Young Master...Ciel Phanthomhive."