• Part 1

    'Once one has rejected faith, it is impossible for him to pass through the gates of Heaven.'


    All was silent as the ferryman, Sebastian Michaelis, piloted his funeral skiff across the calm waters, the only movement -aside from the skiff itself- was the faint images of a young man's Magic Play flickering just beneath aquatic the surface. His sad eyes paid little attention to the course ahead of him, he had traversed this path so many times he knew he could very well navigate it with his eyes closed, but on the flickering film pieces playing out all around him. Even though he had heard much of the events that occurred throughout his passenger's life, certain things were still a shock even to him.

    Ciel Phantomhive, his young passenger, stared straight ahead, trying not to look at the events, both good and terrible, that shaped his short life. But the way he had his head tilted ever so slightly to the left clearly showed that he was observing each event that passed by him, that he was silently reliving each moment in his mind…To his ferryman, to his former butler and loyal servant, it was obvious the bad moments easily trumped the good.

    A soft sigh was just barely heard, if anyone had been on the journey with them, it would have been impossible to tell which had made the noise as neither of them moved. Not even the slightest twitch of the shoulder or partial parting of the lips. Sebastian wished there was something more he could do, even though he had basically made a deal with the devil, Ciel's life should have lasted much longer. It wasn't like a demon to have feelings beyond anything but business, but serving Ciel and his purpose as he had for two years, he couldn't help but feel an attachment to his young master.

    They were both jolted out of their blank stares as the skiff softly hit the docks. The demon butler could feel Ciel's growing apprehension as he tied their small mode of transportation to the dock. His young master hid his emotions well, it was sometimes impossible to tell exactly what he was thinking…But he was only twelve, the fear of not only death, but forever losing his soul was only human.

    Ciel stood carefully in the skiff and stood blankly ahead, silently commanding Sebastian to do what it was he needed to do. As his butler scooped him up with his remaining arm and stepped onto the wooden docks, he cast one more glance at the water to see if his Magic Play was still performing for him. It wasn't.

    Sebastian held him carefully in his right arm, giving his young master enough room to actually sit in his strong hold, and slowly walked through the darkened ruins that was hell. They traveled in silence, Sebastian's eyes staring blankly ahead while Ciel's occasionally flicked about with curiosity…everything seemed so silent, so peaceful, there was no fire and brimstone…this couldn't be hell. Was this just the final pity that Sebastian felt he should bestow upon him? He grumbled to himself, he hated pity.

    Before he could open his mouth to protest, to demand Sebastian take him to the real hell -whatever or wherever that was- they stopped. Again, Ciel's eyes flicked about, this place seemed no different. No fire, no brimstone, no eternally damned souls screaming for a salvation that would never come…the stories and what really was were two completely different things.

    Still without saying a word, Sebastian moved towards a stone bench in what looked to be the remains of a building long since ruined. His steps were slow, but his long strides made him seem if he was in a hurry, which sent another wave of uncomfortable apprehension down Ciel's spine.

    The sense of urgency quickly went away as Sebastian seemed reluctant to put Ciel down. The apparent change of pace sent several different questions running through the blue-clad boy's mind, the most prominent being why Sebastian seemed so hesitant. A demon like him lived on souls and, as far as Ciel knew, he had had none since they made the contract. The only soul Sebastian wanted was his.

    As Sebastian sat him down on the cold stone bench, Ciel immediately became distant, even more so than he normally was when his emotions overwhelmed him. With half-lidded eyes, he stared up blankly up at Sebastian, his butler, his ferryman…his deliverer to hell, "…Is this going to hurt?.."

    Sebastian smiled softly, taking the respectful position he always did in front of figures who were above his given station; standing straight with his right hand placed over his chest, and nodded, "Yes, it will just a little. But I'll try to make it as painless as p---"

    "No." Ciel cut him off with a blunt order, "I want you to make it as painful as you possibly can. I want my final pain to be etched as deep as it can be into my very soul…" The commanding air left his eyes as he looked away, "…don't take any pity on me…"

    Sebastian closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly, "Yes, my lord."

    In a smooth motion, he brought his gloved right hand up to his mouth, took the fabric at the very tips of his fingers in his teeth and pulled away, baring his hand of the article of clothing. He reached out and, despite the boy's palpable fear, Ciel did not flinch away, he readily accepted what was to come and brought a familiar smile to Sebastian's face.

    Regardless of Ciel's demand for pain, Sebastian's touch as a gentle one as he slipped off his young master's eye patch, revealing the luminescent seal covering once blue iris. Ciel closed his eyes as his eye patch hit the cold ground beneath them, finding Sebastian's touch oddly comforting, which only the demon's smile widen.

    Saying nothing more, Sebastian leaned in, opening his mouth just slightly, he could taste the spice of hatred on Ciel's soul even before coming in contact with it. The thickness, the heaviness of the pain, it made his mouth water…he wanted it badly but, as he leaned in, he found he wanted something else…

    Ciel's eyes snapped open, wide with both shock and surprise as Sebastian pressed his lips to his own. He knew his ferryman, his former servant, was to take his soul now that the deal was complete, but was this the way to do it? Or was the humiliation of having another man kiss him the final pain that was to be etched into his damned soul?

    He waited for the feeling of his soul forever leaving what he assumed was merely an illusion cast upon him by the underworld he would never get to roam…not that he truly wanted to walk through the hell he was immediately damned to on his tenth birthday. He wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to be feeling, but he had demanded pain, yet he felt nothing. Nothing but Sebastian's warm lips against his.

    When Sebastian felt no attempt to return the kiss from his young master, he pulled away, a faint glint of disappointment shone in his blood red eyes. Keeping in the respectful mannerisms of a once and forever loyal butler, he said nothing and awaited the questions that were sure to come.

    A silence that could only be described as uncomfortably awkward preceded any sort of reaction from the last member of the Phantomhive family. Cautious hands pressed against his chest, not feeling for a heartbeat as he knew he no longer had one, but feeling as a blind man would to 'see' what was in front of him.

    "I..." he began, obviously confused about what had -or hadn't- happened. "I'm alive?" He seldom felt confused, he could easily say it was a feeling he didn't like, that dislike shone clearly in his haunting blue eyes, "Sebastian," The familiar tone of annoyance was clear in his young voice, "why am I still here? You upheld your end of the contract, allow me to fulfill mine!" an odd sense of determination about the matter masked his annoyance, "Take my soul!"

    Sebastian smiled a little, even now, his young master was true to his word, no matter how terrifying the word he had made was. With his normal, almost calming voice, he finally spoke, "I cannot."

    Ciel gritted his teeth in frustration, but surprise glimmered in his eyes, "Why not?!" Demons were about their principles, he knew well enough that Sebastian wouldn't back out of the Contract...Unless his end of the deal had yet to be completed. An uncomfortable pang of anger, guilt, and resentment towards not only himself, but Sebastian and many others as well, shot through him like a guard's bullet. Had he really died before his time? Had he taken the coward's way out by letting himself fall from that bridge?

    This alone made him wish that his soul, and even his physical self, was festering somewhere inside his former butler.

    A soft, mildly regretful smile graced the face of the demon in a human guise as he held up his right hand, which he had bared of his clean white glove just moments ago. Without verbally answering Ciel's question, he turned his hand so that the back was facing his young master, revealing that it was void of the black mark that bound them to each other in life.

    Ciel still didn't quite understand, and it showed in both his face and tone, "It was on your l---"

    A deep, almost amused chuckle rose from Sebastian's throat as he attempted to move the arm that the massacring angel, Ash, had removed. The 'phantom limb' he could still feel and still wished he had for a number of reasons, "The mark that binds is no longer mine."

    Ciel scoffed, "That shouldn't matter towards your end of the bargain..."

    "A contract doesn't matter in the least if both signatures aren't present, young master."

    "If we're no longer bound, then stop calling me 'young master'." Ciel spoke in near disgust, but he looked away in slight disappointment. Sebastian had become a rather comfortable, as well as incredibly useful, part of his life. Only now did he realize that he hated to let him go.

    Again, saying nothing for the moment, he gently used his right hand to brush away the hair blocking Ciel's right eye, revealing only to himself that the seal that bound servant to master was still in the twelve-year-old's iris.

    Despite the fact that he still wasn't free, he smiled warmly, "Our contract was broken long before this, I'm certain...I left my post for far too long. I momentarily renounced my service to you during the fire in the streets London." An apologetic sigh passed over his lips before he continued, "Losing my arm, losing my personal link to your soul as collateral for my services was my punishment..." he moved his hand away from Ciel's face and lowered himself to one knee, bowing respectfully to his master as he always had, "You no longer belong to me...But I will now forever belong to you, my lord."

    Slowly, he raised his head, showing his normally calm smile, "As I promised you before, I will forever be at your side, even as you traverse through the void of hell."

    Ciel looked away, a smug look on his face, "As expected of my pawn…I…thank you for being among my most loyal."

    "Nothing less should be expected from a servant of the Phantomhive family."

    Still keeping his gaze averted, Ciel nodded in agreement. After a moment, a delicate, uncharacteristic blush rose on his face as he remembered the kiss, "…the lip contact?.." He asked with a tone of uncertainty.

    Sebastian chuckled, "Merely a kiss, my lord. Did you enjoy it?"

    "Enjoy it?!" Ciel huffed as he snapped his head to look back at Sebastian, his face was burning, but he couldn't tell if it was embarrassment or if he was pleasantly flustered, "How on earth could I have enjoyed it?! You're another man!" He raised his hand to slap Sebastian, to put his permanent servant in his place once more, "I'm engaged to Li---" He stopped himself and brought his hand back, apology in his eyes even though Sebastian had not flinched, "…to Lizzy…" How could he possibly say that? Before they could even say ''til death do us part', death had already parted them.

    Sebastian looked up his young master with his nearly unreadable eyes. He could see the sadness in those deep blue eyes, Ciel may not have actually loved Elizabeth, but it was easy to see he regretted leaving her alone in the world of the living. "Young Master?.."

    Ceil looked away, this time, he knew it was embarrassment burning his face…Embarrassment that he actually did enjoy the kiss Sebastian gave him a moment ago, "…"

    Sebastian chuckled and rose from his respective bow, "Come, let's go."

    Ciel looked up at him with confusion in his eyes, "Go? Go where?" Where was there to go in this literally god-forsaken place? When Sebastian didn't answer him, he nodded, finally understanding, and once again took up a commanding air, "Sebastian, I order you to take me back up to the land of the living. Give me back my life."

    The common smile once again returned to Sebastian's face as he again placed his hand in the middle of his chest and bowed his head, confirming the order and his absolute obligation to fulfill it, "Yes, my lord."