Demon's War

Moving on.

Last chapter barely had anything, I know. But hey, I lost inspiration then. I'm inspired now.

And I changed a small bit in chapter 2. Instead of Alliahnna meeting Laurence, she met the Uncle Trancy.

xxx

9:05 at night. Bell towers tolled to the late hour. Time for all to adhere to curfew and return to their homes. Overcast England skies gently released puffs of late Autumn snow. The early night was cold enough to freeze the fingers of playing children. Little pink sausages soon to be thawed by a hot bath, and cups of hot chocolate. Couples snuggled under blankets gathered by fire places. Treats cooked by the wood burning mantles enticed their fluttering hearts. Curtains left open, glowing with candlelight, highlighted the falling snow in a light orange hue. Beautiful though it is, the cold was not staying outside the homes. Winter's frigid hand was creeping on the horizon. Another week or two, and snow covered streets will be the least of the English People's problems.

Two inches of snow blanketed London's streets. The temperature only dropped the later the night grew. Two young children jogged down the street, stopping at the end of a really long line. Hot steam stacked higher than the surrounding buildings, luring many like moths to flames. A delicious smell carried by the tender breeze tortured the anxiously awaiting tastebuds. Men and women, young and old, waited to partake in what brought on this tantalizing smell.

A sign reading Curry Bread was pasted to a makeshift board. A wooden table supported an open tray of freshly made buns. A sturdier, metal stand held a portable coal burning stove. A kettle on the burners was filled halfway with oil. Tongs surfaced and dunked bread in boiling oil, minding to flip the oval doe periodically. Finished loaves were set aside on a grate, letting the excess drain, and a low heat keeping them fresh and warm. The anticipation had the waiting crowd drooling. watching how the food is prepped gave the perception they would be all the more delicious. Two men dressed in foreign clothing serviced their patrons.

"Here you go..." The younger man handed a man piping hot bread wrapped in a carton.

"Oh thank you so much." The weary man would shed grateful tears where he not frozen to the core.

The amethyst haired Prince of bengal, Prince Soma Asman Kadar, brightened at the man's praise. Though, for the sake of empty bellies, his thanks was not necessary. "Agni's curry bread is nutritious and tasty." Agni, already finishing his fifth batch, languished in the recognition. The greater reward is seeing the starving people fed and warmed. "I am certain you will enjoy it." Another was on the approach to the stand. "Careful, it's hot." Soma handed an elderly woman her bread.

"Thank you, kind sir."

Soma went to get another bundle. A familiar ebony figure had him pause. "It's you..." He gasped.

Agni looked and was taken aback by who had come out to greet them. "Sebastian?"

xxx

Ciel was fast asleep beneath the thick covers. His porcelain skin glowing amid the moonlight. Fingers from behind lightly graced hairs from his face. An adult with the features of a child as he innocently slumbers. As he always has. Alliahnna nested behind him, running her fingers lovingly through his hair. Despair darkened her void sapphires. A seemingly blank expression warped by grief and sorrow.

xxx

The curry bread warmed the frigid souls at the night's mercy. It's been ages since their bellies received something so wonderful. Soma staggering into the tray caused a panic. The bread fell to the snow. People dove to save it, keep it warm. Soma hadn't noticed his accident. Agni, trapped in the daze, let cooking buns burn in the oil. Too horrified were they by what Sebastian just told him.

"It's really true..." Soma wavered. Sebastian remained silent, ashamed of it himself. "No..." Soma trembled in horror. It defied all belief. "Ciel has lost his memory?!"

xxx

Ciel Phantomhive was lost to the world seven years prior. The person living amongst them, carrying on conversations, and dining with them...is a partial fabrication. Suspicions of Ciel rose as time went on. Elizabeth, Tanaka, Finnian, Bardroy, and Mey-Rin gradually became wise to the rouse Sebastian and Alliahnna tried to weave. With Soma and Agni back in England, it was only a matter of time before they showed up and discovered Ciel wasn't himself.

The moment Ciel awoke in the forest, it was transparent as crystal something was amiss. Ciel...wasn't Ciel. The boy that reopened his glossy sapphire eyes after seven years was no better than a shell. Capable of speaking and walking - a stringless puppet led on by the mouths of demons. Asister, hosting demon blood, unwillingly enduring lying straight to her brother's face. Those around him obligated to participate in the lengthy charade.

A couple of weeks ago, an invoice arrived to the manor informing Alliahnna that Soma and Agni would come to England to see Ciel. Alliahnna responded to the notice, warning Agni and Soma to stay away. That Ciel hasn't been well as of late, and would only be hurt by their presence. Soma and Agni agreed, as long as they were kept in the loop about his affliction.

Sebastian and Alliahnna used that respite to carry on like normal. Bide their time to cure Ciel. Their time ran out. Trancy's invite would draw them to Ciel. What will happen afterward is anyone's guess. Regrettably, Alliahnna went to Elizabeth and the servants, telling them the truth about Ciel. Or what they would accept as the truth. That he was suffering from amnesia derived from his long comatose. Sebastian insisted Tanaka put away the diary of previous events, having him swear to keep it from the light. Soma and Agni, after learning Ciel had amnesia, were informed Ciel would have no memory of ever meeting them, and were sworn to secrecy. How long any of them will help maintain the charade has Sebastian and Alliahnna apprehensive.

For months it was professed that all was well. Ciel regained much of his gruff, disgruntled, and prude personality in a matter of weeks. Walls famous for barring those he deemed beneath miles away rebuilding. The stand off between him and the world recommencing. Anyone foolish enough to stand in his way due to be mowed down. An illusion to entertain the masses. Present them with the Ciel they knew, and provide closure in his return from death's door. A prodigal son lost long ago. Returned in pieces. Permitting the Raven and Bat to operate in secret. Weave between the webs cast by the heinous spider. In a matter of hours, those secrets may very well be laid bare. Regardless if they choose to go to a costume party. One way or another, Ciel will learn the truth. Whether or not his soul will mend or break is resting on a thin wire. Which way it tips will depend on how hard Alliahnna fights for him.

To her deepest of chagrin, Alliahnna revealed the Trancy Letter to Ciel. An invitation to the Masquerade ball being held on Saturday evening. As expected, he was upset she chose to keep an important parcel from him. He understands her resentment towards the Trancy's - albeit lessening her outrage to mere resentment - as Earl he must collect messages intended for his eyes, read them, and issue a proper response. Subject to whom it refers, who it is from, or where it is going are void in matters of business. As he expected his older sister to be fully aware of. Alliahnna apologized for her lack of professionalism. Inside, she knew he was right. However, she will never apologize for being his sister.

xxx

Alliahnna sat on Ciel's lap, curling up to his chest, hiding her watery eyes. "I don't care how old you get, Ciel." She grasped the collar of his undershirt. Ciel was dismayed by her shaking in his lap. "I'll never stop looking after you. I can't. You're…" Tears streamed down her cheek. She clenched her teeth, "You're all I have left."

Ciel sighed disheartened. It was hard to see her so upset. Even though she's a demon now, his Alliahnna lingers within her. Maintaining a scosh of humanity. Flourishing her maternal nature to ensure he stayed with her. As of this moment, Alliahnna seemingly has all of eternity to live. She will prosper through the eras, meet people and see new invention transcending the wildest imaginations. And each time...she will out live them. Who is to say Sebastian will always be by her side? Alliahnna was alone once already. To be alone for an eternity...she would fade into black.

"And I do not want you to. I want you by my side until the day I no longer live in this world." Ciel shuffled fingers tenderly to her scalp. Those words weighed heavily. That day may come tomorrow, or a year from now. "That said, I must learn to stand on my own two feet, without your third in the reserves." He glared sharply to the wall, as if seeing the future past the closed door. Alois Trancy and Claude Faustus were in that stricken future. Indirectly, the Trancy's interceded their lives. Leaving breadcrumbs for them to follow. An invitation to their front door has lowered barriers. "A challenge has been issued by the Trancy House. As the intended, it is our duty to accept it, and make them regret stamping on our toes." He put a strong hand to her bicep, smiling confidently. "What better place to do so than at their stronghold?"

Ciel managed to earn a small chuckle from Alliahnna. She wiped tears from her puffy eyes. "Always thinking like a cold tactician." An impish smirk deriding her brother's barred soul. He and Sebastian were too remarkably alike. Two who consider the dangers of their actions, but relish the challenge too much to back down. All in order to ascend the stairs to their desires. "Pieces on a chessboard. That's how you view the people around you."

"How else do I keep the world in perspective? Protect that which is mine and mine alone? Take back all that was taken from me?"

"Good questions." She giggled.

Alliahnna used to do that. When she believed it was her against the world. The entire world was her story book. And the people in it were characters whose fates determined how she wrote the tale. It was how she would cope. Characters - friends - have died because she darted to the climax of each chapter too soon. Nevertheless, she would begin a new chapter, make up for the lasts falling action. By seeing the world as a fable in place of the fairytale she tried to immerse herself in, she was willing to accept things as they are.

The day Ciel returned, she'd thrown her story aside, and returned to that fairytale. Her brother was back from the dead. All would go back to the way it was - or so she deluded herself. Nothing is as it was. Her fairytale was as much an illusion as her nightly dreams. Whether she had a part in it or not, an all new tale has begun. The Queen's Dog - The king on the chessboard, and main Protagonist of the story - making a grand comeback, tormenting death's looming hand. His tempting soul dangled by a thin thread, drawing ravenous monsters far and wide for the most infinitesimal taste. The Raven and The Bat - Knights and secondary characters - vehemently stand by his side, keeping the monsters at bay. Slowly, and surely taking the board.

"What will be your choice of costume?"

"Huh?" Ciel tilted his head at the odd question.

"I plan to go as Artemis, Goddess of the Wilderness. Very pretty. Not too shabby at hunting either." She winked. Ciel laughed off to the side. Somehow, that sounded perfect for her. "What will you go as?"

"I guess you'll have to wait and see." He teased. Alliahnna childishly puffed her cheeks.

xxx

The invitation told Ciel much about his new rivals. Pompous, impertinent braggarts who find appreciate auspicious grandstanding. A collection of multisyllabic words labeling the Trancy Household as High Born showboaters. Never doing anything inconspicuous. The entire world needs to know they are here, and know what they are capable of. The Masquerade ball will be the same. Tonight, the Trancy's will play one of their many hands. And the Phantomhive's will be there to snatch victory right out from under them.

Friday, Ciel spent a majority of the day studying his new enemy. Sebastian found him documentation and record works detailing the Trancy lineage. Alliahnna regaled Ciel on what she learned when Alois and his Uncle dared to tread upon Paris seven years ago. She left him a memento so he'd never forget about her. And never cross her so foolishly again. When Saturday reared, he felt the tingling anticipation of entering the enemy threshold.

Bardroy, Finnian, and Mey-Rin drove the carriage, driving their Masters and Sebastian to the much anticipated ball. Anticipated by some, not all. Finnian shrilly sang of his excitement that he and the other servants would be allowed to attend. So long as they dressed up. In that instance Trancy won them over feasibly. It pleased Ciel and Alliahnna in a way. Someone deserves bliss in these harsh times. Although, it would be nice if Finnian would lower his singing voice.

Inside the carriage, Ciel, Alliahnna, and Sebastian sat in a long silence, mulling over what they've learned of the enigmatic Trancy's. The drawn curtains blocked the outside from listening to them.

"Alois Trancy…" Ciel muttered his name. A horrid after taste festered his tongue. "You say he is the current Earl? In place of an Uncle you met seven years ago?" He questioned Alliahnna.

"Yes." Alliahnna twisted her lips. "I had the displeasure of meeting Alois and his uncle when they ventured to Paris." Rage of that day burned fiercely. "A maid I considered a best friend lost her leg and her job because of him," A dark grin stretched her cheeks. She licked her lips, "So I demolished his knee. And everyday since then, he's babied that wound. The pain radiating whenever I'm near."

Ciel shuddered, edging away from Alliahnna. "I'm surprised you didn't amputate the limb."

"I came close." She admitted, flipping her bangs. "But where's the fun in amputation? With each step he takes, he relives the suffering I put him through." She may get a second shot at him tonight. Not even Claude can shadow him forever. "After his father, Laurence Trancy, died suspiciously nine years ago, Alois assumed the role of Earl and has continued to do so for many years now. However," Alliahnna crossed her legs and arms, "Rumors of Alois' legitimacy arose during his term as Earl. " Alliahnna divulged in grave detail. She glanced dully to the passing scenery. "Suspicions brought on by The Uncle, Arnold Trancy, who lost his right to Earldom after Alois was born."

Ciel dimmed somberly. "Nine years ago…" He muttered.

A number that haunts his darkest dreams. An inferno consumed his home, and claimed the lives of his parents along with it. 'FATHER! MOTHER!' He screamed for them. He and Alliahnna narrowly escaped with their lives. Figures, shaded by Ciel's trauma, abducted him at his moment of vulnerability, and marked him for life. Alliahnna, kept safe by Scotland Yard, was spared that horror.

Ciel blocked the horror from his mind, returning to the business at hand. "Alois' mother committed suicide. In turn, Alois was kidnapped at a young age." He knit his brow, finding the next part to be out of tune. "Then he returned home shortly before his father passed away. Along with a mysterious new butler." Whom Ciel was confident was a demon in human skin. "Is that the whole of it?"

"Yes." Sebastian softly replied. "Arnold Trancy inaugurated himself to Earl whilst Alois was absent. He lost a great deal after his miraculous reappearance."

"Which bred the illegitimacy rumor." Ciel assumed. "Has proof or confirmation reared?"

"Arnold Trancy has tried many times…" Alliahnna grunted irritably. "I remember him speaking with Schneizel in regards to outing Alois as an imposter." That headache pinched the back of her head. "Unfortunately, man disregarded his claims due to a well known fact that Arnold resented Laurance for ever having children."

"Denying his claim."

"Precisely."

Sebastian touched fingers to his chin. "A young boy robbed of his life before it has a chance to begin…" He mumbled, earning the Twins' attention. "Unspeakable horrors forced upon him, forever scarring him. Death is presumed, all for him to return home with a mysterious aid." Alliahnna and Ciel's poker faces cracked under the summary. "His story seems familiar somehow."

"Indeed." Ciel grunted. "It's a common one."

"Too common." Alliahnna groaned. Children robbed of one life, tortured, and forced into another. Shells of their former selves.

xxx

The trip to Trancy Manor dragged on aimlessly. It felt as if they would never arrive. Ciel and Alliahnna became anxious, close to bursting out of the carriage and running to the manor. Entering the courtyard lifted their unease, replacing it with a sense of impending doom. What new dangers lurked within the ancestral home...Ciel and Alliahnna were on the edge of their seats.

Bardroy stopped the carriage at the front entrance. Sebastian exited first. He bowed, holding the door. Alliahnna and Ciel exited the carriage. Their stiff legs regained their strength. Fresh air, sunshine, and solid ground. "HAA!" Alliahnna threw her arms in the air. "LAND! Finally!" She dropped to the ground, petting the ground. She drooled over it. "I've never been so happy to be out of carriage!"

Ciel and Sebastian exhaled soberly, shaking their heads at her lost decorum. And at the enemy Earl's residence, no less. Perhaps her lack of shame is an inhibitor rather than an aide.

"Right…" Bardroy saluted, "We servants have to go in the back door." He snapped the reins, getting the horses moving.

"We'll park the carriage and see you this evening, Master!" Mey-Rin giddily announced.

"Wait till you see the costumes we chose!" Finnian bustled. "They're brilliant!"

Alliahnna jumped onto Ciel, laughing gleefully. "I'm actually excited to see what they picked out." She poked his cheek, "I especially can't wait to see your costume."

"While I appreciate you getting into the spirit of things," Ciel growled, shoving her off by the face, "CAN YOU, FOR ONCE, BEHAVE LIKE A PROPER LADY?!" Jagged teeth commanded. Alliahnna's hands darted fervently to embrace her little brother. Ciel was not in the mood for her ridiculousness. They are on the precipice of possibly engaging in dangerous dealings with the Trancy House...and she's behaving like a complete KNOB! "Your were so serious on the ride here! WHY CAN'T YOU BE LIKE THAT NOW?!"

Alliahnna hyperness subsided instantly. Her cooing silenced on the spot. She slumped in Ciel's palm, baffling him. "Because, Little Brother," A serious, inhuman expression peered past his fingers, sending chills down his spine, "I hate Alois with all my being." She removed the hand, "It will be due to my idiocy I do not act unaccordingly. It will be on murderous impulse I kill that boy." She proclaimed emotionlessly. Her glare darkened, " So I ask that you grant me leeway."

"Uh...yes…" Ciel sheepishly agreed. He's unfamiliar with how scary she can be when she's serious. Today, he wagered, she'll be the scariest person in and out of costume. Ciel faced the manor to regain composure for the initial meet. His head tilted up. The manor was the second most intimidating thing within reach. There was...a familiarity to it.

The three came to the threshold. Sebastian raised a hand to knock. His knuckles barely twitched. The heavy oakwood doors opened with a foreboding creek. It caught Ciel off guard. Alliahnna scoffed at the clairvoyant display. Her chest tightened as Claude Faustus was the one welcoming them. Sebastian sensed her rancor, edging behind her in case he need intercept.

"The rite honorable Earl Ciel Phantomhive, and Earless Alliahnna Phantomhive. We've been expecting you." He respectfully bowed. "Claude Faustus - the butler of this estate." Butler, he called himself. Ciel, Alliahnna, and Sebastian stared insulted. He believes Ciel ignorant of the wolf within that skin. "Please come in." Claude opened the door wider, stepping aside to let them enter.

Alliahnna entered on Ciel's right, blocking Claude's direct path to him. He and she locked gazes. Alliahnna bared teeth at the prideful smirk he snuck. Sebastian stopped at the arch, drawn by a peculiar guest in the veranda's nook. Ciel and Alliahnna paused at his reaction, following his gaze.

"What's that?!" Ciel spat.

A spider lurked in a web just above the doorway. Alliahnna's skin crawled. "Ah yes…" Claude hummed. "The Trancy coat of arms bears a spider. So, out of respect, we preserve their lives." He educated them.

"But of course." "Besides, when it comes to spiders, the harder your try to kill them the faster they cling." He broadened a menacing smirk.

Claude's blank expression held fast. Not so much as a flinch. "That is true. Spiders are a the most stubborn of insect." He kept a straight face. But his voice expressed a certain glee. "Intrude upon their web for any reason, and you will become ensnared. Death encroaching." He narrowed an eye. No reaction. . "But the cling of a spider…" He glided attention to Alliahnna, "Pales to the cling of a bat." Her tensing up teased a tug at his lips. He let the smile show this time. "Once they spy a delectable meal, and their fangs sink in," Alliahnna's discomfort to his undivided attention reflected on his glasses, "Their gluttonous impulse forbids them from ceasing until every last drop is drained." Ciel shared the other lens, becoming trapped in the web. He broke into a sweat. His knees quaking. Ice flooded his blood. It was as if he was seeing into his soul. Alliahnna's head lowered, and she inched forward.

Sebastian thrust himself between them, a hair's length to Claude's face. He shielded Ciel fear with an extended arm. Ciel gasped at his sudden intrusion. Alliahnna, barricaded by Sebastian's leg and elbow, had her talons stayed by her caught wrist. Half her face was hidden by her bangs. She unyieldingly wriggled her talons to cleave Claude's flesh. Claude stared impassively to the threat. Although, he must admit, for a brief second...he lost sight of the attack. Were it not for Sebastian, she may have torn a stitch in his uniform. He miscalculated. Looking at the scary girl, her powers are growing. Faster than he anticipated. He will have to come prepared next time.

"A zoologist and a butler." Sebastian mustered his sincerest, if not forged, crow smile. "Most impressive, Claude Faustus. But I must correct you on your observation of bats."

"Oh. Was I in error?"

"Indeed. You see, spider are unsightly and frightening. Easily killed with the stamp of a foot." He partially opened his eyes, absorbing Claude. "Bats, gluttonous as they are, are the perfect pesticide for these unsightly insects. And are far too clever to be trapped in their pitiful webbing." Claude's brow knit. A twist smirk tugged one side. Alliahnna's struggled stopped. A smile crept to her lips.

Ciel, rooted by the other worldly intensity, quivered glancing between the three demons. What's happening? Sweat beaded past his terrified eyes. What is this? The world blurred and sharpened irregularly. This isn't… Alliahnna's smile, Sebastian's smirk, and Claude's malevolent elation, They aren't conversating? A torrential storm brewed around them. There are threats. Lightning clashed in their eyes. Promises of war. The very ground was shaking under him. Or is that him shaking? He was shrinking in their presence. Giants waging a battle as he evaporates in their presence. What...have I walked into?

To be continued