Friendship is...a Contract?by ShinigamiOkamiChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 1Red spots blurred his vision, dripping down with a mix of water. It pounded on his forhead, and for a moment he suspected capture and Chinese water torture. Sitting up, he found nothing of the sort. However, there was a loud pop beside him, followed by some high voice. He couldn't make it out, but he heard the sound of hooves. His first thought was a carriage, perhaprs Sebastian coming to pick him up from whatever he'd gotten into. He looked around him, seeing only leaves stained by raindrops and some blood. Standing, he found a sharp pain his shoulder, the source of the crimson that puddled around him. He held the wound so as to keep it from bleeding any more and stood, the shrubbery rustling around him. He was in a ruins of some sort, like a castle or dungeon. He had no idea where that could be, but decided to ask whoever it was he'd heard earlier. He started to call out, but found his voice was lost. There was the girly voice again, and he turned to face it. As soon as he did, he felt like he'd just gotten a punch to the face by Finny. The scarlet blots overcame him once more, fading to pitch black. ~//////~ Opening his eyes once more, he saw a seiling above him, no more ruins or bushes. With much effort, he sat up in the bed. At that moment, the young earl realized three things. One, he was in a girl's room, much like he'd expect Lizzy's to look like; two, he could see out of both his eyes, meaning there was nothing to hide his seal; and three, he was in just his underwear. He quickly wrapped the sheet around himself, making sure to conceal the branded scar on his back, then covered his right eye with the other hand. Carefully, he placed his feet onto the bedroom floor, finding they ached as well, along with most of his body. He went over to the window to get his bearings further. He couldn't distinguish where he was based on the room; and assortment of items lay around it, from books to a frilly dress to a plate of apples to a ox of prankster's toys to a small green animal. From what he inferred to be the second or third story up, he could see ihe was in a town out of a children's book, complete with personified ponies and an overall vibrant color to it. Immediately he knew he must've been drugged and was now hallucinating. Whoever had captured him was a clever foe, but the earl was craftier. A set of footfalls was heard behind him, and he turned to face them. Once again, he'd have to go up against some vile filth of the underworld. Be it demon or angel or wanted criminal, this viscious opponet would meet their match. Bouncing in was a bright, pink pony, her poofy mane and wide smile making her look like something Funtom toys would sell to little girls. He sighed, but he was not relieved, seeing as he was most likely onyl dreaming while his captor was most likely on the phone in reality, demanding ransom money. He hoped Sebastian was on his way to get him out of this mess soon. "So, are you feeling any better? I just wanna apologixe first for buckng you in the face. I just didn't know what you were. I mean, you were out in the Everfree forest after all." The pony greeted rather cheerily. The earl decided to humor the illusion, but was reminded of his current mute state when all he could get out was a squeak and a small cough. "Aww, you poor thing! Don't worry, Pinkie Pie is on the case! I'll get you back to health in no time!" She saluted him, then grinned. "For the meantime, I thought I'd welcome you to Ponyville with...a part-ay! Sound good?" Growing frustrated with the high-pitched pony, he shook his head. "Oh, c'mon, don't be such a fuddy-duddy. Parties are th only way to go." He tried to object once more, but something else made them both stop. He had no clue how long he'd been out, but he hadn't eaten since. His stomach growled once more, and the pony gasped and darted off. He did't know what good it would do getting him something to eat; after all, this was all nothing but a drug-induced nightmare. She returned at a speed that actually rivalved Sebastian's, holding a plate of pastries in her teeth. " 'Ere ya 'o. Ea' up!" He grabbed one, despite his knowlegdge that it would be pointlesss, and took a bite. It was surprisingly good, nice and sweet like strawberries. "Ya like it? Those are straw-diddliumptious berry biscottis. I made 'em earlier, in case you got hungry. I don't know what you eat, but everypony loves sweets!" He took another mouthful, finding they were actually filling. Whatever he'd been injected with, it simulated reality quite well. The pain, the voice ringing in his ears, the taste, even the room temperature were all so real, not to mention the fact he was aware it was an illusion. Normally that didn't happen, and if he had figured it out, he should've awoken by now. "You okay now?" Pinkie asked, genuine concern on her. "Again, I'm extra-super-duper-sooooo-rry for knocking you out. You were hurt all over and your clothes wer all wet, so I washed 'em. Oh, and do you like streamers or confetti at parties, by the way?" The mystery of his clothing figured out, he was glad she ahdn't taken his boxers off as well. He then took back that gratefulness, reasoning that it was just a dream and that he'd be better off just ignoring her. Once more, the pony interrupted his thoughts, her face getting uncofortably close to his. "Hmmm...I think you need a name." He sighed, hoping the mythical creature wouldn't give him something ridiculous. "I'll call you...mmm...hrmm..." She eyd him all over, invading his personal space. "Phantomhive," she concluded with a nod, "Yep, you're Phantomhive." It was obviously that, as the earl knew, and of course she'd gotten it right, seeing as this was his own delusion. "I know because it said so on your clothes, on this little crest thingy." She added, although the noble didn't buy that excuse. His mind had made up something to make him think it was more real, rather than let him regain consciousness after gaining proof that it was most certainly not. "So, Phantom, what were you doing out in the forest?" He didn't answer, not only because he didn't want to but also because he still could not speak. "Oh right," she agreed, "You can't talk! Well, that's okie-dokie, 'cuase I can do most o f the talking. How about just yes or no questions?" The boy didn't respond, to which she groaned. "Well, we gotta communicate somehow!" She perked back up, jumping with glee. "Of course! Why didn't I think of this sooner? I'll take you somepony who's an expert with animals! I can invite everypony to the welcome party on the way there, too." She squealed with delight. With no other choice, he decided to follow. At least maybe he could look around this made-up world for some clues about the captor that had created it. ~//////~ "Is something wrong, sister?" The princess strode over to her celestial sibling, a worried look on her face. The moon princess had been out of sorts for the past day, pacing and muttering, even raising the moon half an hour late the previous night. With a sigh, Luna replied, "No, it is all well..." She paused, gazing out at the midday sun. "We disregard that statement. It is not well, not well at all. We sense a disturbance..." she trailed off, looking at her elder sister. "There is something...off...out in the forest. It was a strange surge of power that came during the storm. We...er, I...wish to go investigate." Celestia sat next to her sister by the window, wrapping her wing around the troubled one. "I thought I felt something amiss too, Luna. Perhaps we can go together to check it out?" Her younger sister nodded, thanking the sun princess for her understanding. "Good. I'm sure it isn't something we can handle, right, sis?" With another nod from Luna, the two went back to the royal chambers. ~//////~ Carefully setting the bowl of salad down, she called over to her pet. The little bunny sprang over, stuffing his face with the lettuce. It stopped suddenly, spitting out a spinach leaf and glaring at its owner. "Oh, I-Im sorry, Angel..." She started apologizing, but the rabbit simply harumphed and scooted the bowl aside. "O-Okay...I'll get another one for you." She trotted into the kitchen to make one more. "HEEEY FLUTTERSHYYYY!! ARE YOU HOOOOME?!" The shouting and banging at her door made her drop the head of cabbage and carrots. She quickly picked up the mess as the visitor pounded on her door again. "It's me, Pinkie! Quick, this is an EMERGENCY! Like, an em-URGENT-cy emergency! Open up!" As she approached the door, it busted down right in front of her. Pinkie simply ignored it and tackled the little pegasus. "Oh, thank Celestia you're here! I just didn't know who to go to otherwise for an animal problem like this." Fluttershy's eyes went wide, searching for the injured creature. What she saw had her backpeddaling and cowering under her own couch. "Wh-what is...th-th-that...? I've never seen anything l-like it..." She stuttered, shaking with fear. Pinkie smiled and dragged her out. "I found it in the Everfree forest," the party pony replied, "I think I hurt him some, but he was already hurt, and I can't talk to him, so I figured the bestest-est thing to do would to take him to you! After all, you're a smarty with animals, riiight?" Fluttershy squeaked, scrambling back to her hiding spot. "No...I-I'm sorry, Pinkie, but...animals from the everfree forest are dangerous and scary! I-I-I don't even know wh-what in Equestria it is..." She felt a very negative vibe from this thing, something that told her to keep as far away from it as possible. "I...I c-can't...B-besides, I'm very busy today. A-Angel still needs me to make some more lunch, so...I gotta get back to that, kthnxbai!" She darted into the kitchen, out of sight. ~//////~ "Here it is, sister..." The alicorn folded her wings in upon landing, scanning the area. "We are certain that this spot is where the odd energy came from." Her nerves were shaken, being back in the very spot where she had been rid of her curse by the Elements of Harmony. Celestia landed beside her, trotting over to the place where she and her sibling had been reunited. "But why here? It couldn't be...no, the curse is gone. It's something else, something more powerful. I can sense a different presence." She looked over and noticed a lump of leaves in the very spot where the Elements had freed her sister. "What's this?" She called to Luna, who was busy inspecting some red, rubbery substance. She studied what was left of a bush, notiscing some dark stains on the foilage. "We see a struggle must have taken place. Somepony was injured here." She showed the sun princess, who grimaced. "What could have happened...?" "Excuse me," a voice called from the shadows, rising. The two alicorns faced the odd form, seeing it stand at about their height on its back legs. It was clothed rather oddly, like something one of the aristocratic ponies of Canterlot would wear. It stepped forward, grinning. "You haven't seen a young boy around here, have you?" ~//////~ Ciel stood in the living room, wondering what he had done to spook the pony. He did get some odd stares as he followed Pinkie to this home, but at least the pony had given him his clothes, including his patch, before they'd left. The only one who had asked what he was on the way here was a mint green unicorn. He sighed and headed for the kitchen where the winged horse had gone into. Illusion or not, he needed answers. The yellow pony shrunk down at his approach, dropping the celery stalk she'd been chopping for a salad. Sighing, he kneeled and petted its head, feeling the silky fur. He'd rode a horse or two in his time, and knew how to handle one that was spooked. She flinched at first, then let him get behind her ear. 'Oh...w-well, you don't seem so bad, I suppose. What's your name, little one?" The earl ignored the fact he'd been belittled by a pony and started to answer. Unfortunately, all he got out was another chirp, then cleared his throat. "Oh, poor dear...You sound sick, or hurt. I think I have something to help." Pinkie leapt in to the conversation, literally. "His name's Phantom! Cool, huh?" Ciel shot the pony a look, preffering to have his full family name used. She must've caught that, because she added on. "Well, it's really Phantomhive, but I think Phantom is cooler. It sound all mysterious~!" She waved her arms like they were noddles, a feat that almost puzzled the earl until he reminded himself that it was just part of a dream anyways. "So, can ya do anything for him?" The timid pegasus got out a glass and started up on some tea, using a type of leaf the nobleman had never seen before. He surmised that it didn't matter the leaf, though; it was just part of some delusion. He cursed his captors for this, forcing him to be in this undignified female land of ponies. He would've taken some nightmare about firey hells or a bloody asylum over this any day. At least he would be familiar with those. "So, what's that eyepatch on him for? Is it another injury?" The pegasus examined him, but not as annoyingly as Pinke had before. He instinctivly backed up as she got closer to his seal. "Oh, I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. If it's too personal, then...well, I won't ask." The pony did have a way with other species, at least. Of course it did, the earl reasoned once more, as it was just a sedated dream. Pinkie, however, understood nothing about personal things. "I had to take it off of him earler when I was pathcing him up and cleaning his clothes. There wasn't any kind of scar or anything, so I have NO IDEA what it could be..." She switched her gaze to him, a detective's smile coming over her. "Maybe we could just find out..." Delusion or not, he didnt want anyone--or anypony--finding out his secrets. "Um, Pinkie, I don't think that's a good idea...He doesn't like it." Ciel nodded in agreement with the pegasus, keeping one hand over his patch while the other was raised in defense. The pink pony ignored both their efforts, reaching to grab the patch. "Pinkie...please, you don't wanna upset him..." She suddenly felt some odd snesation shiver down her spine as her friedn touched a hoof to the patch. Ciel reached to swat the pony down. The tea whistle wnet off, silencing them all. "Pinkie, why don't you help me with that?" Fluttershy sggested. The earl sighed, glad he was able to keep that under control. Even if it was his own set of delusions, he still had no way to keep everything intact. The puppeteer behind this was his criminal holders, the ones who had tied him, drugged him, and were going to get what was coming to htem when Sebastian got there. He mentally called to his butler, wondering what the devil was taking him so long. The pegasus reentered with a tray of tea on some cups, the pink one bouncing behind with a plate of cupcakes. Somehow, the sunshine yellow pony managed to pour him a cup of tea. He didn;t knwo how this would help, but then he thought it over. Whoever it was that had him, they must've gathered intel on him. Even if they hadn't, it was well known that he liked a specific tea. In order to keep it realistic, that's what they would flaovr it in his hallucination. He smirked, having outsmarted the one pulling the strings. This would prove it, and he would wake up. Taking the cup in hand, he brought it to his lips and took a sip. It wasn't Earl Grey. He stared at the cup, a tingling ripple traveling down his throat. The burn from before when he'd tried to speak was washd over by a peppermint honey flavor. He took another drink, just to make sure. It felt so real, so unexpected. "This tea..." he muttered, "It...tastes different..." Chapter 2Each of the fillies took their guess at what was before them, but none could quite put their hoof on it. It was an entirely new creature, probably never even discovered. Its build was about the size of the three stacked together if it stood upright, and even on all fours it would be an impressive stature. It didn't have a muzzle, persay, but its nose was pointed out in imitation of one. With a few more look-overs, they decided to take turns figuring it out. "Ah think it's some kinda monkey," Applebloom said, poking its paw with her hoof, "Since its got these appen...a-panda...th-these things on its paws!" She gestured to the fingers, looking to the others for a response. Shaking her head, Sweetie Belle scooted her friend aside to have a go at it. "No, monkeys have fur. This thing's just all fleshy and stuff. I think it's an alien or something, an extra-terrestial invader. I bet we could find a space ship nearby!" She was shot down as well by the third. The pegasus stood before her challenge, staring it in its pale face. "Hmm...I think aliens are supposed to be green. At least that's what Pinkie said," she stated, although the other two gave her a look that said 'well, that's just Pinkie'. Scanning the creature once more, Scootaloo gasped. "I know what this is!" Inching closer in anticipation, her fellow crusaders awaited with wide eyes. "It's tall, with kinda thin limbs...a white, pale complexion...dark mane...odd features unlike anypony's seen...and it's wearing a suit..." Her description had them all anxiously seeking the conclusion. "It's..." Scootaloo followed Dash's advice and paused for a dramatic effect, eyes narrowed, "...Slender Mane!" The other two breathed a sigh of relief, laughing along. "It ain't no 'Slender Mane', Scoots. That thing ain't even a pony, anyways! You silly filly..." Applebloom laughed some more as her friend's face flushed. " 'Sides, Slender Mane isn't real. It's just an old pony's tale." Scootaloo was about to argue with her friends that Nightmare Moon was just a tale, too, but droppped the argument. The creature beside them started to stir. "We gotta move it elsewhere, girls," Applebloom took charge, as usual, "We cain't have my sis comin' out here to the fields and findin' this...eh, whatever-it-is...Let's move it. The barn's too far, so..." Looking back, she came up with the perfect place, a spot only they ever went to nowadays. "Let's get it to the clubhouse!" Agreeing, each filly grabbed a part of the being and dragged it back, intent on finding out what they were dealing with. ~//////~ Ciel stared at his tea, still wondering why it was not as he had anticipated. Surely such clever captors couldn't have made such a simple mistake. However, the proof was right there, the proof that this might be more than just a drug-related delusion. He looked up to see the two ponies staring at him, surprised. "I mean," he explained, clearing his throat, "It doesn't taste like Earl Grey tea. It's different than I expected, that's all." "AHA!" Pinkie pointed a hoof an inch from his face, grinning. "You CAN talk, you just couldn't earlier! I knew I wasn't crazy! Not that I've ever been crazy before, but, well, you get the point." The earl ignored her, looking to the pegasus shying away. Fluttershy timidly looked to the side, avoiding his gaze and asking, "Oh, so...y-you don't like the tea, then? I mean, i-it's fine if you don't; I can make more." Shaking his head, Ciel took another sip. "No, that's not it. In fact, this has at least helped me to speak again. I say that the tea isn't how I thought it would be because, had this all been some dream of mine, then my mind would have made it taste like a certain type I prefer." The two gave him a blank look, although the pegasus understood some of it. "A dream?! What, are you crazy?" Pinkie rolled her eyes, trotting around to his other side, the one with the patch. "Silly filly...If I was a dream, then I wouln't be real, but I am, so that proves it. Tea doesn't mean anything. It's tea. Duh." She gently put her hoof on his patch, making another attempt to remove it. He moved away, commanding for her to leave it alone. "Aww, but why? It' s not like there's a scar or anything there. There's no need for you to wear a patch! Unless..." she gasped, "You're a pirate!" If Ciel had a pound for every time he'd heard that...the earl sighed, correcting her, "There is a scar, it's just ON my eye, not over it. I'm blind there, actually. Now please, STOP bothering it." The pink pony shrunk away, muttering that she'd see it later on. The pegasus, who was now a bit more up because he actually did like the tea, spoke up. "So, if you wouldn't mind me asking...what kind of animal are you? I've never seen anything like you before." She hoped her question didn't offend him, but, at the same time, she was afraid to know the answer. "I'm a human," he repled, only to met with nother blank face, "Of course, you must not have humans here, otherwise you'd know." Pinkie jumped back in, facehoofing. "Oh, I should've known! Sorry for making up such a ridiculous name for you, Mr. Human." For what seemed like the hundreth time, the young earl corrected her. "No, you did get my title right. My name is Ciel Phantomhive. 'Human' is my species." Pinkie gave a look like she understood, "Oh, okay...See-ahl...hmm...funny, you don't look like a seal. But hey, I don't judge, except on Steel Cook Equestria(it's something else, really, but that's copyrighted)." "Of all the..." the earl sighed, dropping the subject. Of all the colorful mystic ponies, he had to get stuck with this one. "Look, eh, Pinkie," saying such a girlish name made his inner masculinity flinch, "Where exactly did you find me?" The bouncing pony halted and mulled it over. Then, going into a flashback, she replied, "Oh, well...I was out in Everfree forest..." ~//////~ "Wait!" She cried, chasing after the red blur in the sky. "No,no, no! Come back here! Gah!" The wind picked up, sending her target soaring over the trees. She continued to call after, but soon the dot disappeared into the misty forest. She halted at the entrance, wondering if a balloon won for eating 28 zapapple pies was really worth it. It definitely was. She dashed into the foilage at an incredible speed, her senses leading her straight to the balloon. After crossing a rather rickety bridge, she arrived at her destination. The floating prize had its tether wrapped around a branch. Trotting over, she smiled, triumphant at last. She stopped as her foot hit a puddle. It must've rained earlier, she reasoned. The water was red, reflecting her balloon. After splashing it about a bit, she reached up to claim her possession. "Yes! I gotcha!" She hugged it, tightly so it couldn't escape again, then felt nothing as a loud popping sounded right in her ear. She looked down to see the remnants floating down to the ground. Staring at the shreds for a moment, she shrugged. "Oh well. It was just a balloon." She turned to leave, hearing a rustle behind her. She now realized that there was a shrubbery in the middle of the ruins. Tilting her head, she inspected it closer. "...helloooo? Anypony there?" More movement had her backing up as a shadow shifted about under the leaves, stepping in the crimson puddle once more. Looking down, she saw that the water was still the same color as her balloon, maybe darker. A glance at her hooves had her suspecting that it wasn't rainwater at all. "Wha...Why is there...blo...?" She looked up to see an upright silhouette, its clothes wet and blood dripping from its mouth. Whatever this thing was, it was dangerous. As it inched closer, looking around, she decided to take her chance. This thing wasn't going to hurt anypony while she was around. As the thing turned to face her, she got in the position she'd seen Applejack use to buck the orchard, kicking out as hard as she possibly could. ~//////~ "Then that's when I knocked you out colder than a turkey and dragged you bck to my place. I mean, once I realized you were just a little filly, I felt SO sorry for hurting you even more! I cleaned you up and let you rest in my bed." Pinkie smiled, sastified with her story. "It was hard though; I hd to sneak you around town and past the Cakes. Luckily, I have my ways of getting around." She winked, and Fluttershy now wondered what means she had, having seen Pinkie pop out of corners, baskets, and pastries. Before any could speak, though, there was yet another knock. ~//////~ They sat, panting, around the strange being. It had been a difficult task, involving a bit of Sweetie's attempted magic and a certain pegasus' scooter, but the fillies had hoisted the creature into their clubhouse. "Alrighty, gals..." Applebloom sighed, wiping sweat out of her mane, "...Take...hah...f-five..." They all collapsed, exhausted. The fourth member's eyes snapped open, and it got up, taking a watch out of its pocket. "My, my..." It spoke, "How long could I have been out?" Snapping it shut, the creature stood and dusted itself off, using the wall to steady itself, inching along to the door. "H-Hey! Hold up, mister!" Applebloom stopped in front of it, glad the thing didn't just step over or on her. It glanced down with a quizzical look. "Uh..." she tried to think of something to say, but was at a loss for words before the larger animal. Luckily, the fearless Scootaloo hovered over. "Look, you seem kinda hurt, so maybe you should just sit back down. Besides, it took us forever just to get you over here. The least you can do is tell us what the hay you even are." It tried to walk once more, only to find its leg started bleeding. "Hmm..." it sighed, "Seems I can't go anywhere in this condition, anyway." Sitting back down, it ran its finger through its mane and muttered to itself, "My, the young master must be mad at me right now. I've gotta get back to him soon." Sweetie trotted over, careful not to get to close, and examined the wound. "I don't know who it is you need to get back to, but right now we've gotta take care of that injury. It looks pretty serious. Whaddya say, girls?" She looked to her friends, who already had a first aid kit and some gloves. "What'd you say your name was?" She said, facing their patient. "My name is Sebastian Michaelis." He replied, grinning. "There isn't much need for you to help me, though. I heal rather fast, and I'm sure I'll be leaving soon. I do appreciate your consideration, though." He attempted to stand once more, but his wound was more serious than he'd thought. He couldn't place why it was so severe, then recalled the little spar he'd had with a certain shinigami. Once again on the floor, he sighed. "But...if you must..." The three smiled ear-to-ear. "Alrighty, then, mister Sebastian..." Applebloom began, snapping her gloves back. "Time fer a little first aid by..." The three took a deep breath and proclaimed, "The Cutie Mark Crusaders!" ~//////~ The princess led their guest into the royal chambers, happy to have most of their predicament squared away. The one who they'd found out in the forest was actually out looking for someone, and, after getting his name, the two alicorns had invited him to stay at the palace. "Here you are," Celestia opened a door via magic to reveal a regal suite, "I hope you enjoy your stay here. We'll help in any way we can in finding that young one you were looking for." Luna continued to give the creature some odd looks, still unsure about keeping him. The elder sister nudged her sibling, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Oh, y-yes," Luna added, "We welcome you here, to our castle, to Canterlot, to all of Equestria! We hope you find much delight in being a royal guest, sir..." She treid to remember his name, but for the life of her couldn't, as it was an odd one. Grinning with razored teeth, the man spun to face them both, red mane of hair whirling with him. "It's Miss Grell," he reminded her, "And I once again thank you ever so much for letting me stay~! I'm sure I'll find that boy and my Sebas-chan in no time." Chapter 3Swinging open the door, Pinkie eagerly greeted the guest and welcomed them in, despite the fact that it wasn't even her home they were in. Fluttershy didn't seem to mind, though, greeting the newcomer in a cheerful tone. Ciel couldn't really hear much of what they were saying, but he assumed it was about him. "Yeah, he's right in here! I figured you would be interested, but it would've been a bit predictable taking him to see you..." pinkie explained to the visitor, leading her into the living room. "Now let's see...Oh, Phaaantoom~! I wantcha to meet somepony!" Ciel sat up straight, or rather, straighter, as his status and nobility had taught him to sit upright at all times. The new pony, this one sporting a horn, merely gasped at the sight of him. "A...Amazing...I've never seen anything like it! I mean, it's not in any of my books, so..." she grinned, "It must be an entirely new species! Tell me everything you know, girls." She began studying him, as all the others had before, firing off all she could ask in one breath. "Does it walk on two legs? Looks like it. And why isn't there any fur? Well, except this bit on its head...Sweet Celestia! Whah happened to its eye? Is it injured? Is it recent? Where did you even find this creature? Does it have a name?" The boy stopped her right there, shoving her away. "My name is Ciel Phantomhive. My species isn't new; I'm a human, classified scientifically as Homo sapien. And, for the third time, I'm blind in my right eye, the result of an accident a while back, and I'd rather you not pester me about it." He had stood up sometime durng her speech, making himself at eye level, his voice quite audible at the end, as it has risen during his response. The pony had shrunken back, and it looked like he had actually spooked her some. "You...t...hu...?" She mumbled, then her face lit up. "You're capable of speech as well! Oh, this is great. Pinkie, do you mind if I take him back with me? I've got loads of tests to run on this...human, and I'd like to do it as soon as possible. Oh," she turned to him, "I'm Twilight Sparkle, by the way." Ciel was about to argue that he wasn't going back with her, but she had already produced a collar and leash, seemingly out of nowhere. It was also levitating in some orchid aura, and, before he could get away, it was wrapped around his neck. He tugged at it, but it didn't budge a bit. "W-Wai-ack!" He got a gentle nudge by the rope, leading him out. "Well, I guess you can take him," Pinkie said, completely ignoring his say, "Just before to have him home by curfew; I wouldn't want the little guy staying out past his beddy-time~!" The party pony pinched his cheecks, which he again couldn't find how she managed to do with hooves. He ignored that fact though, instead havng to get dragged out by this Twilight pony, fuming and swearing under his breath. ~//////~ Sebastian stared questioningly at the job they's done. The three had patched him up, so to speak, but it was more like wrapping it up as tight as they could until the blood stopped flowing. They had also decided to step out to catch their breath, the white one, Sweetie, actually fainting at the sight of such an amount of blood. He got up, able to walk now; it had only taken a few minutes to heal enough, but the "operation" had actually opened his wound a bit more, delaying his departure by about half an hour. He reached the door and peered out, calling down to the fillies. "I believe I'm ready to leave now. I really must get back to my master now." The cowgirlish one, Apple Bloom, broke from their group discussion and trotted to the base of the tree. "Uh, Sebastian? You know you just got fixed up a few minutes ago, right? You're still not fit t' be goin' anywhere. But don't worry, the CMC's thought-a sumthin' fer ya! You can stay in the barn; it's much more comfy than the clubhouse, and it's not too far." "Wait, I thought we said we'd take him to my lace!" Sweetie said, getting a scowl from her friend. Applebloom stood her ground, arguing, "Look, yer place is all the way 'n the middle o' Ponyville! There's no way we can sneak him there, 'specially with that inj'ry of his. Ah know his clothes are a little ripped, but I'll find him somethin' instead; we don't gotta get him some fancy-pantsy stuff from yer sis, y'know." "I can sneak him there easily," Sweetie rebuttled, "I know my way around. And besides, what if your sister or brother finds him in there? At least I'd have a decent place to hide him. There's this back room that Rarity, like, never goes in! Even I'm not sure what's in there! But it's big, I'm sure, since it's probably just for storage, so there'll be plenty of room for him." The two glared each other down, with Scootaloo unable to take a side. Sebastian hopped down, landing just as well as always. His injury ddin't impair him too much, and he couldn't even feel the pain. "Look, I appreciate your help, but I--" "HE'S STAYING HERE!" Apple Bloom interrupted, ignoring him and focusing on her fellow crusader. "NU-UH," Sweetie fought back, "HE'S GOING WITH ME!" Sebastian sighed, kneeling and taking them both by their manes, gently pulling them apart from each other. They stopped and looked at him, both with the same idea. He started to speak, but they got their pieces first. "Ah've got lots of good eats here," Apple Bloom started, "and the hay's like a bed, so you'll still be comfy. I'll bring out blankets, too." "Well, I've got even better food, and a REAL bed," Sweetie interjected. Sebastian was about to stop her, but he lost his train of though at what she said next. "And...I-I've got..a CAT!" The little farm filly scoffed, as she didn't think having a cat mattered. She started to state so, but Sebastian's voice cut over hers, focused on the little unicorn. "A cat, you say? I've...always been fond of felines..." He admitted, imagining the silky blanket of fur, the squishy pads of their feet, their slitted eyes not unlike that of a demon's. Sweetie smirked at her opponent, victorious as she saw the light in the being's eyes grow. Sebastian weighed it over. He could easily go after his master now; he'd felt his prescence since he'd awoken. However, going with this little one meant getting all the pleasures of whatever beautiful breed of cat they had. He reached out, sensing the earl's soul. The master was in no danger, he concluded, aside from an odd fashion statement. He would survive a few more moments without him; besides, he thought his bocchan looked rather nice in a collar. He stood, dusting himself off. "Alright, I suppose my caller can wait," he inwardly grinned at his play on words, "I'll go with you, miss Belle." The young filly smiled and lead him off, the other two trailing behind. ~//////~ Luna wandered around the halls, waiting for the hours to pass so she could raise the night. She would've waited in her chambers, but there was too much on her mind. The strange creature that had come in--a "shinigami", it had said--was keeping her up. Not to mention, she couldn't figure out if it was male or female; it claimed the latter, but that just seemed too odd. As she trotted, pondering the gender and intentions of the creature, said guest came strolling down, humming some tune. It waved upon seeing her, coming at her at a quicker, skipping pace. She still thought it unnatural that it walked on its hind legs, but, then again, it was also furless, save its hair and clothes. "Hey, I was just looking for you. Celestia-sama said you'd be around here." She disregarde the added suffixes to their names and tried to think of something to say. Luckily, she'd been practicing keeping her voice softer and more informal. "Greetings, Grell Sutcliff," she said at a moderate level, "Wh-What is it you wanted to see me for?" She stood there with a half-smile on her face, trying to act like she didn't think he was up to no good. He grinned back, his sharp, carnivorous teeth making her shiver inwardly. "Oh, well...It'll be getting dark soon, and Celestia-sama said you could help me look for that boy and Sebas-chan~! Plus...well, I'm missing something else, too..." He scratched the back of his head, looking a bit embarrased. "I seem to have misplaced a very important item. It's something every shinigami needs, and I'd be out of the business if I lost it! I mean, I already got it taken from me once...I would just die if I had to go without it again!" Curiousity overcame the moon princess, and she asked, "What is this...special item?" He started to answer but paused, "Well...I'll tell you if you promise to help me look." She sighed and nodded, "Yes, I swear by the moon I shall help you...Now, prithee, what is it?" Leaning in, he replied, "My Death Scythe! It's only the most important instrument in a shinigami's job, and mine is so wonderful. It's red, and works so nicely, and it's an original design~!" He winked and waited for her reply, but she was stuck on the whole "death" part. What is it this "shinigami" did? She put that question aside and nodded, settling to wait until they went to search. If it was dangerous, then she'd just have to stop him herself. ~//////~ Twilight continued down the streets, heading for her home. The creature had given up trying to escape, as she wouldn't ever let such a scientific oppurtunity like this one get away. Sure, she'd gotten a few stares and queries, but her long, scienc-y answers easily drove them off. "So," she decided to start up a conversation, "I figure I'll start out with a few simple things, like temperature, blood pressure, things like you'd get in a doctor's check-up. Next, I'll go on to running tests on your chemical makeup, like blood samples, hair samples, etc. Oh, and I'd love to check out what's under the patch." He growled, stopping and pulling her back. "I already told you I don't wish to have that meddled with." She yanked on the leash, egging him on, "I know, but maybe I could cure you of your blindness. After all, I am a unicorn, and I'm also a bit skilled at medicine." Pulling back again, he protested, "I said, 'no!' and I meant it. If you're going to do anything that involves my injury, then I refuse to go back with you." He resisted the light tugs even more, even yanking back on the leash. The aura surrounding it felt a bit tingly, but he ignored that and tried to get some slack between his hands and the collar. If he could pull it back far enough, he could undo the knot and slip away Scot-free. He hadn't realized he'd actually been putting up a bit of a fight for the unicorn, considering he wasn't very strong physically. He;d made his way onto the dirt road, puddles still here and there from a previous rain. With another forceful pull, he managed to step into the way of traffic, namely a random grey pegasus zipping by on her mail rounds. He was knocked back, landing a pool of mud. He stood, slipping on the dirt and making his way back over to Twilight with a very unhappy look. "Great," he clenched his teeth, "Bloody great. Now look what you've done!" He gestured widely to his person, which was completely caked with mud. "I'll have to have Sebastian come and bring me a new..." He halted, remebering he had no clue where his butler was, or if Sebastian knew where the young earl was. Twilight saw his expression change, first to one of a loss for words, then to a sorrowful remmbrance. "Um...l-look, I'm sorry. How about we get you a fresh change of clothes, alright?" She saw his few seconds of grief vanish again to expressionless. "No," he exhaled, "Let's just go." He felt a tug at his neck, and saw she was eading him in a diferent direction now. "It's fine. After all, I guess this is kinda my fault," she blushed, "I'll take you to somepony I know personally. She'll be more than happy to fix you up, trust me." ~//////~ "What IS this thing?" Rarity exclaimed, backing away. "And why on EQUESTRIA did you bring it HERE? This has got to be your WORST POSSIBLE idea ever, dear." She stared down her fellow unicorn, who lowered her head in embarrasment. "I-I'm sorry...I didn't think you'd be this upset..." Rarity looked ready to blow, but calmed herself down at the last moment. "N-No matter, darling...I'll just..." She tried to think of something, then graoned in defeat. The being was about to reassure her that he'd be leaving shortly, but was distracted by her pet, Opalescence. "This cat...it's..." he picked it up, admiring it, "...luxurious. The pelt is like so plush, the paw pads so pink and fleshy, the purr reverberating from is a perfection of smphonies...and what a name for such a gorgeous feline...named after a finely cut gem, is she not?" Rarity just dropped ehr jaw, awe-struck. "Y...yes...she is..." The man smiled, stroking the pet in his lap. In all her days, Rarit and never seen her cat so relaxed. Her little sister snapped her out of ehr thoughts. "So," she chimed, "Can we keep him here for just a bit?" The older sibling looked to her younger, then to the creature. "Hmm...well...Sebastian, right?" She checked his name, getting a nod. "...Well, I guess--" A customer knocking put her answer on hold. "'ll be right back!" She called, already galloping for the door. She slowed her pace, wondering what her little sister and friends were evne thinkng. She was amazed they'd managed to get him all the way from the acres to her home, but what she couldn't belive even more was that they'd thought they could hide the thing storage area she reserved secifically fro all her rarest jewels. If she hadn't have needed that silver rupee for Fancypants' new belt, she never would've seen the injured, tall-as-Celestia-herself creature. She opened the door, a bit surprised to see Twilight. She was about to make up some excuse to "please hold on a moment" while she hid the unusual thing, but saw her freind had found something similar.At that moment, she could think of one exclamation to sum up her emotions: "Not another one!" ~//////~ Ciel stared at the other unicorn, processing her words. There was another human here, one who just might be able to help him. Quickly, he pushed his way past and asked, "Who else is here?! Is it--" "Ugh, absolutely filthy, this one. Twilight, whereever did you find this?" Twilight quickly stated Pinkie found it, which is where Rarity held up a hoof and continued on. "Oh, whatever, I need to get him cleaned up. Come on, little, eh...thing...let's get you into some other clothes..." She led him back, taking the leash from Twilight via another glow of magic. Ciel didn't spot any other human, but he didn't get much chance to look as he was put into a changing room. "Now, let me see..." the unicorn strted taking measurements, being the umpteenth one to have to get a close look at him. "Hmm...well, since the anatomy is completely different, I'll have to adjust all the ratios, but I should be able to put something together...be right back. Umm...Stay." She left with that command to make him a new outfit. After only a matter of minutes, she reentered with a black button up shirt, a royal blue jacket, and some black pants. The only oddity is that the entire emsemble was sparkling brighter than the cutlery once Sebastian ahd finished polishing it. It was literally covered in glitter and gems. "Now, let's just get you undressed..." She lifter off his muddled overcoat, next going to undo the shirt. "Ah, th-that's just fine, madame. I can change alright without assistance." He shoved her out, not wanting to have his clothes taken off by yet another pony. He finished geting off the shirt and pants with only minor difficulties. Slipping on the trousers was easy, but he struggled to get the shirt on right. He'd been having his butler dress him for the past years, and now the whole affair of getting his arms throught the right holes seemed to be quite troubling. He stumbled back and into the wall, resulting in an audible thud. "Everything alright in there?" Rarity called, about to poke her head in. Ciel took a peek in the mirror and saw the scar on his back showing up quite well. "Yes," he replied, half-lying, "Just...b-bloody peachy...ah..." He stammered as he tried to pull his arm through the sleeve right, ramming his elbow in the mirror int he process. Rarity burst in, exclaiming that he better not have broken anything. He immediately pushed her out again, covering the scar. "I said I was alright," he assured. The unicorn ignored him and used her magic to open it all the way. Ciel knew what was coming; this was going to be just like when he was getting fitted for another certain event, and Lizzy nearly saw the mark. Only his time, his butler wouldn't be there to save him. He was ruined. "My...my word..." the unicorn gasped, and the earl knew what questions and events would unfold next. What he didn't expect was her to touch the scar. He went to move the hand away, but stopped as he realized whose it was. "Sebas...tian...?" He looked up to see his butler there, hiding his secret for him with a smile. "Yes, my lord?" ~//////~ Hopping in the chariot next to the night princess, Grell eagerly cheered about finally getting to set on his search. Luna had already raised the moon for the night, so it was just he and her, ready to fly down to their first destination: Ponyville, a personal suggestion of Celestia's. "Oh, Luna-chan! This view is amazing!" He looked out ove rthe night as the soared downwards to the town. "And a full moon, what a perfect setting! You know, the moon was shining this brightly that day I found Sebas-chan...ah, what a lovely reunion that was..." His thoughts drifted into nostalgic images of that night when he'd fought as Jack the Ripper against the butler, seeing his deep crimson blood raining down on him as he nearly sawed him to bits...It was one of the most lovely nights of his life. "We shall be landing soon, Grell Sutcliff," Luna interrupted his thoughts, gesturing to the incoming outskirts of the villa. "Shall we start our surveying there?" She pointed to her left to a bright section of the town, a few lights on. Grell nodded, still fantasizing about he and Sebastian's next meeting. The chariot parked near a bakery, letting the passengers out. He took a few steps, only to be stopped by a shout from above. "HIIII THERE!" Another pony, smaller than Luna, waved at them from the window of the bakery. She started to fall, but was caught by another, this one a pegasus. "Thanks Dashie," she said as the two touched down next to them. "Ah, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, we bid you a good evening." The moon princess stepped in front of the shinigami, who had been waving back the whole time. She hoped the short attention span of the party pony would stop her from asking anything. Her nerves had her speaking a bit louder with the royal voice. "We wonder, h-how have you been faring?" She grinned, hoping in the name of...well, anypony, that neither of them noticed. Dash peered around, raising an eyebrow. "Uh, Princess Luna...what the hay is that?" Luna was about to respond, but Pinkie beat her to it. "Oh, that's another human, I think," she explained, "Remember I was just telling you about the one I found? Well, Twilight's borrowing it right now, but she said she'd bring him back soon. So, what's your name, mister human?" Luna stared at the laughter element, dumbstruck. She didn't think there'd be more; this was getting out of hoof. "Oh, I'm Grell, a pleasure to meet you!" The shinigami thought nothing of the situation; then again he had been searching for a couple others, although she wasn't sure they'd ever find anything else like him. "You say you met a human, hmm? Please, tell me more!" Pinkie nodded and invited them in, "Okie dokie Grell-lokie~! We can talk about it over some fresh extra-red velvet cake I made!" The shinigami's eyes lit up at the color red, skipping after like the party pony was the pied piper. Luna sighed and followed, getting a shiver up her spine. She looked up at the moon, her celestial self. The shinigami had complimented it, but that just seemed to make it seem more ominous. A call from Pinkie inviting her in snapped her out of her thoughts, the gleam of the moon staring after her as she went in. Chapter 4Putting the shirt over his master properly, Sebastian got it buttoned and covered with the jacket in no time. Of course, there would be some snide comment from the earl on the butler's tardy arrival, but the master and his secrets were safe now. "Well, Sebastian, you finally showed up," said Ciel right on cue, not making eye contact, "You know if you hadn't gotten here just then it would've been disastrous." The butler smiled, knowing that was as close to any sign of gratitude he would get from the boy. "My apologies, young master." The two stepped out of the dressing room, Rarity cooing over how cute the young human looked in that outfit. Ciel wasn't partial to shiny, glittery tops, but it'd do for now. Clearing his throat, he adressed them. "I believe my time here is done. My butler," he gestured to Sebastian, "Has come to fetch me and take me back to my world now. Although some of you irritated me with questions and even more questionable testing..." He adjusted the tie, slightly bowing. "I appreciate the hospitality. Now, if you'll excuse me...Sebastian, lead the way back." His butler did not move, not even a step in any direction. "M'lord, I am afraid that I have not yet found a way back to the manor." The earl sighed slowly, crossing his arms. "Well, what were you doing all this time then? Laying around on the job?" "Now hold on," Rarity interjected, "I'll have you know that he had sustained an injury. Luckily, my sister and her friends were there to patch him up and take him back here. So, it's not his fault." Ciel scoffed at the excuse, but decided he didn't need to argue any more. "Now if you'd like, you can stay with any of us until you do figure out all of this. Oh, and by anypony, I meant Twilight." She flashed at smile at the other unicorn, who nodded and lead them out. Rarity sighed, glad to have some peace to work. "Oh, Sweetie Belle?" She called to her younger sister, thinking it was probably best to let the little one know her guest was leaving. When she got no preply, she shrugged and trotted back, figuring her sister must've left with her friend to play. "Well, she better not be out too late, and if so she can sleep over at her friend's. She just better not get into any more trouble." ~//////~ The three tip-toed through the acres, making their way back to the clubhouse. "Can you believe there was ANOTHER one?" Sweetie exclaimed, to which Applebloom nodded and added, "Yeah, and who knows how many others there might be? Why, there could be a whole 'nuther species just like 'em!" Trotting up to the house, the three began to delve into their own theories about the humans when Scootaloo noticed a shine coming from the barn. "Hey, girls...whaddya suppose that is?" She pointed a hoof to the glinting object, which looked to be about their size. Curious, they went over to inspect it, seeing the moon reflecting brightly off the side. Dimly lit by the starry sky, the barn's interior beckoned them in. As they each shakily moved closer to the metallic wonder, they realized it was something none of them had seen before. "Looks like we got another mistery on our hooves..." Scootaloo said, reaching a hoof out to poke it. Sweetie slapped it away, warning her to be careful. "Y'know, Ah bet it belongs t' that one feller, Sebastian! After all, they're both unknown things, so they pro'bly go together." The two agreed with the farm filly's logic, staring at the red and silver spectacle. "And Ah think it's meant fer cuttin' things, like big things..." She pointed to the serrated blade, careful not to touch the spines. "Yeah, like a moster fighting weapon!" Scootaloo exclaimed, to which they all started voicing their own beliefs as to its purpose. "Hey,Applebloom? Y'all out here?" AB flinched at the sound of her big sister's voice. The cowgirl was most likely coming out to check on the animals, and if she discovered them here--no, if she discovered the strange object here--they'd be caught in the act! "C'mon out sugar, Ah don't got time fer hide-an'-seek. 'Sides, it's nearly nine ah'clock at night." After no response, she stepped closer. " Now I know Ah heard ya..." Suspicious now, Applejack peered around the door slowly, scanning for any sign of the crusaders. "Huh..." she adjusted her hat, stepping away, "Must'ah been my imagination." Meanwhile, The CMC tore down the trail as fast as they could in the wagon, towing the object in a wheel barrel behind them. "Good thinkin' Scoots! We'll be there in no time!" ~//////~ Luna shifted in her seat next to Grell, who was in the middle of another story. "And so when Ronny opened the cabinets, he was covered in the stuff! I sure am glad he can take a joke, though, unlike William." Dash started cracking up about how genius it was, and Pinkie was practically rolling on the floor. Luna failed to see the amusement, but she let out an unconvincing chuckle anyways. "Man," Dash laughed, "That's even better than the time I--" "Excuse us," Luna interrupted, growing tired of casual conversation, "But we had a previous task, did we not, Mr. Sutcliff?" She eyed the shinigami, who sighed and stood. "I believe I told you to address me as the lady I am, but at any rate, you're right. After all, I still need to search while it's night." Pinkie bounced over, stopping them from leaving. "Oh, riiiight! I was gonna tell you about that human I met before! His name's Phantom--well, short for Phantomhive--and I think he's with Twilight right now. I can show you where she lives!" Luna, not wanting to involve the other ponies any further, cut her off. "We know where Twilight Sparkle lives, so your assistance is not necessary, although we appreciate the offer. Now, if you shall permit us leave, we really must hurry. The night only lasts so long." She was practically shoving Grell through the door now, trying to keep anypony--especially Pinkie Pie--out of it. The shinigami, showing a surprisng amount of strength, backed up against the alicorn's force. "Oh, I don't mind if Pinkie and Dash-kun tag along, really!" Dash commented about needing to get back and cover the night shift for weather patrol, but Pinkie eagerly jumped at the chance. Luna would've teleported the shinigami and herself out of there before the agreement was made, had her standards not to be rude to a host told her otherwise. Due to that, the party pony followed them out the door and into the twilight streets. ~//////~ "LOOK OOOOUUUUTTT!!!" The warning, whether to the driver or the pedestrians, came too late.The wagon slammed straight into the unicorn, knocking her to the side. She lifted it with her magic, setting the makeshift vehicle and the three fillies operating it to the side. The butler landed with his master in his arms. "My, that was a close one." He set the earl down, who got an irked look from Twilight. "Oh, I;m just fine," she said sarcastically, "No need to warn me of oncoming...umm..." She trotted over to the object lying on the ground, tiliting her head. "What is this?" The crusaders bounced over, greeting Sebastian as they went to check on their cargo. "It's somethin' we found in the barn. We figured since it's another s'picious object, it'd belong t' Sebastian!" "That thing does not belong to my butler," Ciel answered, stepping forward,. He and Sebastian shared a glance, both knowing the same conclusion. "Since it's here, however...it's owner can't be far behind..." ~//////~ The moon rose higher as the night grew later. Luna trotted in silence behind the ponies and shinigami, listening to their idle chatter as they made their way to the Ponyville library, Twilight's home. "It should coming up just around the corner here," Pinkie bounced, stopping as they turned to see there were ponies and people entering. "OH! That must be Phantom and Twilight! I don't know who that other human was, though." Grinning wider, Grell quickened the pace. "That isn't a human...that is my love, my angelic demon, my lamb with a wolf's hunger, my raven with a dove's feathers..." He reached for the handle, the excitement building up in him as he prepared to reunite with the demon. ~//////~ Twilight closed the door behind her with her magic, listening to the explanation. "And so, that very shinigmai has obviously come here as well. I suspect he may be behind it, as well..." Ciel deduced. "Of course he couldn't have done it alone; there must be others invovled, although I doubt it was other shinigami, as they are known to breach their codes like this." "So, when do you think he'll show up?" Twilight inquired, examining the "death scythe" that Sebastian was carrying. "And what is this thing used for?" The demon looked to Ciel, who shook his head; these ponies didn't need to know all the details, let alone what exactly a shinigami's job was. "At any rate," Ciel changed the subject, "We need to leave before he catches up to us. I personally don't want to have to deal with him again, and after previous encounters, I'm sure you aren't too keen either, Sebastian." The butler didn't reply, preffering to forget the nuisance of a reaper. "So, let's get out of here before--" "...MY DARLING SEBAS-CHAN!" The door flew open on the end of Grell's quote, revealing the shark-toothed grin of the grim reaper himself. With open arms, the red reaper came sprinting to the demon. In less than a second, the shinigami was on the floor, Sebastian standing over him with a clenched fist. "S-Sebas...chan..." the reaper stood, composing himself. "Ahem...although I can't believe you would dare hit a lady in the face like that, I will forgive you since I must have caught you off guard. So, how about we try that again~?" Ciel stood over the shinigami, who was again having his face shoved into the library floor. "We were expecting you, actually," he stated, gesturing for Sebastian to present the chainsaw, "And we know you must be behind this. So, you can tell me right now, or I can wait til after my butler is finished with you." "What, prithee, is...that?" They all turned to see the moon princess standing in the doorway, Pinkie standing behind her. "Yeah," piped in the party pony, "It looks so weird, but shiny! What does it do? OH! I know! It's a backscratcher! Man, I reaaallly need one of those." As the others rolled their eyes at the usual Pinkie nonsense, Grell stood up slowly with a gleam in his eyes. "No...that's..." he laughed, feeling the excitement overcome him, "My Death Scythe! Oh, Sebas-chan! You found it for me!" He ran to grab it--and possibly sneak a hug. "How can I ever repay y-" Sebastian was getting tired of having to slam the man's face in the ground, sighing and dangling the scythe just out of reach. "I believe my master asked you something, first." "What, you mean how we got here? Honestly, I haven't clue." Sebastian revved the engine on the machine, catching the eye of everypony. Grell began stammering, "N-NO! I really don't know! Don't you t-trust me, darling? A-A-After all, I-I wouldn't lie to my future husband! How unfaithful would that be?" Getting irritated by the denials, the demon inched the blades closer. Luna yanked the device fromt eh butler's hands with her magic. Although she had her doubts about the shinigami, she didn't wish him to be injured. Eyeing the Death Scythe, Luna knew her suspicions were right; this thing was dangerous, and if that shinigami possessed it, then he may be a threat as well. There was some writhing aura to the scythe that made Luna feel as if she were trying to hold a riled dragon with a pair of tweezers. It had a power to it, deadly and grave. She wanted to be rid of it, too, as well as be rid of the shinigami. Unfortunately, the reaper didn't repay her in thanks; rather, he leapt up from under Sebastian's foot and darted forward. He spun about with incredible speed, snatching the scythe from Luna's loose grip and dashing out the door before she could utter a word. "Sebastian! Stop him!" The words left the earl's mouth just as quickly as the butler left the room. Instruting the crusaders to wait inside with Spike, Twilight followed after, Pinkie and Ciel right behind. ~//////~ Grell was perched up on a nearby building, the moon behind him. "Now, doesn't this scene look familiar~?" He giggled, putting a finger to his chin. "Oh, riiiight! It's just like that fateful night, is it not, my love? Of course, there is the addition of ponies to the cast, but that doesn't matter. What is of most significance is you and I, darling, the lead role! Oh, a glorious encore this is, indeed! So, Sebas-chan..." He revved the chainsaw, "Care for a re-enactment date~?" With acute aim, he dove and slashed, catching a part of the butler's coat. The demon countered with a kick to the reaper's head. "Not the face, I say!" Greall pleaded, slicing and slashing defensively. "You're awful playful tonight, aren't you~? Oh, but don't worry; I'll steal the show soon." He went right back at it, the two exchanging slahses and kicks. The ponies looked on, wondering what to do. "We should help Sebastian! C'mon!" Pinkie was ready to dive in, pawing the ground and snorting like a bull. "Right, we have to help. Luna, can you--" "Sebastian can handle himself." Ciel looked on calmly, getting a questioning look fromt eh ponies. "How do you know that?" Twilight asked. Scoffing, as if the answer were obvious, the young master replied, "Simple. I ordered him to stop the shinigami, so he will." Doubtful, the unicorn poised in preparation for when the butler did need their help. She noticed the princess was being more quiet than Fluttershy, watching with wide eyes at the battle. Clouds rolled past the moon, covering it up and darkening the view. The two opponents had fought their way to the top of another building, silhouettes dancing in the dim night. The scythe was knocked into the air, and no sooner than had it reached its peak was it in the hands of one of them. The other got a stern neck-breaking kick to the head, plummeting to the ground. "My dear Sebas-chan," Grell cooed, landing beside the butler, "If only we could have more time! But alas, it must end here." The princess for once agreed with the shinigami; this fight ended now. She wondered why she and her sister hadn't stopped this monster in the first place. Benefit of the doubt, Celestia had said, but Luna knew better. Alighting her horn, she levitated the device, but Grell kept a firm grip. "Luna-chan! What do you think you're doing?" He protested, "Let go so I can--gah!" Before he knew it, his feet were no longer touching the ground as he and his scythe were lifted. She tried to shake him off, but the reaper was perservering and made sure not to let so much as one finger slip. "STOP IIITT!" He hollered as she spun him around, stopping him facing Ciel. "Oh, now there's an even better idead~!" He chuckled, revving the engine. Luna struggled not to release the death-ridden weapon, no matter how much it fought against her. However, when it came to life in her magical aura, she panicked and let go, falling to one knee. Always the eager opportunist, Grell dashed to the earl, whose eyes widened some at the sight of a chainsaw-wielding maniac slashing at him. Sebastian, sensing his master's fear, darted in to either take the blow or stop the attack, whichever best saved his master. He was too late; Luna threw herself into the line of fire. Twilight covered the crusader's eyes, not wanting the fillies to see as their lunar princess was dyed red. Luna started to fall, when everything froze. Nopony could see it, and neither could Ciel, but a rush of film spattered out with the blood. "Her Cinematic Record..." Grell mused, "Well, this is something. I didn't expect ponies to have Cinematic Records. Hmm..." He stepped forward, peering into her life. ~//////~ "My sister and I were as close as ever. We ruled all of Equestria together, alternating the day and night with our extraordinary powers. The sun's rays that Celestia brought forth warmed everypony's hearts and gave them life and light to frolic in. Why couldn't I see that? Why couldn't I have seen how happy she was? Why6 didn't I see how happy everpony was? Why...did I let jealousy...overcome me? "I tried to take away the light and shadow them in eternal darkness! If my sister hadn't have stopped me, I would've...well, who knows? In the end, she did, thankfully, even if it meant I was to be imprisoned for a thousand years in my own celestial embodiment, the moon. "Luckily, the second time around, I had the Elements of Harmony to put an end to my horrible deeds. So many mistakes, so many lives I nearly destroyed by taking away the sun. I tried to get rid of the sun itself! I tried...to get rid of...my sister..... "I don't deserve to still be here...I shouldn't be forgiven...I am evil. I am darkness. I am the night....no....I am...Nightmare Moon." ~//////~ The record cut off as a surge of shadowed mist flooded the air. "Hey, what gives?!" Grell shouted as his Death Scythe was knocked from his hands, clattering to the ground. A dark shadow swept over them all, knocking them back. The ponies quickly retreated, fearing the worse. Ciel stood, hovewever, watching it unfold. That alicorn ahd just saved his life, risking hers instead. Now, whatever the Death Scythe had done was taking its toll on her. From what he had gathered, alicorns were immortal, and he wasn't even sure how a shinigami's weapon would work on something that wasn't human. As he was analyzing the possibilities, he almost didn't see flash of darkness enveloping the area nearest Luna. It pricked at his feet, pushing him back. "Sebastian!" He called, to which the butler picked him up and ran, trying to escape the pursuing shadows that clawed at his legs and attempted to pull him back. The few seconds of running halted as it caught them, moving faster than the demon. The chase seemed to move in slow motion in the earl's mind as he desperately sought for some way to make it out. The space had to have a limit to it; the darkness couldn't expand forever, he noticed, as it began to slow its pace. They could make it; he knew his butler wouldn't let him die. Grell picked up the sscythe and dashed away, his superior speed outmatching the darkness. "Even if I am a lady, I'm still a shinigami to die for! Take this!" He revved the chainsaw and flung it directly at the source of the miasma. A surge sprng forth upon impact. Ciel's eyes widened at the sight of the nightly darkness completely envelop the demon's leg, ceasing with the linb in its grip. Sebatian was cemented there, the mist creeping up his leg and toying with the earl's dangling feet. Pulling himself closer to the butler, he barked orders. "Sebastian! Stop standing there and run! I order you to save me! Do you hear me? I command you!" "Yes, my lord," the demon whispered, and kneeled, setting the boy down in front of Twilight and Pinkie. "Watch over him for me," he said to the pony, then turned back to his master. "Sebastian, what the hell do you think you're--" The butler placed a finger on the boy's lips, hushing him. "I am going to save you. However, I'll have to deal with this first. I shall return shortly, mi'lord." He stood and faced the darkness, fiery eyes glaring at the shadows dancing right at the edge of where the ponies and the earl were. Taking a step, he strolled into the abyss. As the miasma accelerated its capture, he started to a run, going head-in. The night retreated with him, taking him in. Grell rushed forth as well, snatching the scythe up once more. "Oh, no you don't! You can't have my darling Sebas-chan!" He sank the rotating blades into the heart of the darkness, hearing a distorted shriek. With a pulse of mist, the streets became utterly dark. The moon and stars had vanished, leaving nothing. Luna was collapsed on the grass next to Grell, the scythe stuck in her side. "Princess!" Twilight galloped over to the fallen mare. She immediately regretted it as a pair of feathered wings fanned out, flapping mechanicaly as the body attatched lay limp. The eys turned to look at Twilight, soulless yellow beads plunging into the unicorn. The chainsaw dislodged and fell next to Grell, not a stain of blood on it, much to the dismay of the reaper. She looked down at the shinigami, lightening her horn. "YOU, FILTHY SHINIGAMI, ARE TO COME WITH US!" She bellowed, lifting him. "AND TO YOU, PONIES OF EQUESTRIA...NIGHTMARE MOON..." she grinned, chuckling as she straightened her posture in the air, "HAS RETURNED!" A thunderclap and flash of lightning struck the ground before the alicorn, allowing her to soar off in a puff of smoke. Coughing, the ponies and human stepped forward, using Twilight's horn to see in the pitch black. "This is terrible!" Pinkie exclaimed, summng up the situation quite well. "So that red guy was evil! And I let him have some of my cupcakes...how could he? Not ot mention N-N-Nightmare Moon! Twilight, what are we gonna do?" The unicorn hung her head, sighing, "I'm not sure..." Ciel searched the area, getting worried as he saw absolutely nothing. There was no butler. "Where...where are you...dammit..." He swore, catching the ponies attention. "Sebastian! Stop hiding." He waited, not getting an answer. "I said come out! Now!" A breeze blew by, echoing in the silence. "Sebastian...what the devil happened? Where is he?" He turned to them, not getting a repsonse from them, either. "Where are you?!" ~//////~ "Wake up, vermin." The prodding in his side, prompted Sebastian to stand, dusting off his clothes. Around him, millions books were shelved to the ceiling the lower levels below a mirror image. He stood, seeing the spectaled face of the shinigami who had woken him. Adjusting his glasses with the tip of his scythe, he spoke, "I don't know what you think you're doing here, devil, but this is no place for your kind. How you got here is beyond me, and why you were sleeping on the floor is a bigger mystery. Not to metnion I don't see your master around. Has he let you off your leash for the time being? That would be most troublesome." Sebastian smiled back, "It's good to see you, too, William. And I am not the problem here; your subordinate, however, has given my master and I much ill fortune lately." He chuckled inwardly as he saw the slight change in expression behind the shinigami's glasses, clearly irked. "As for my master," the demon continued, "He is actually in need of some assistance, and I do believe your help would make up for the mishaps that certain reaper caused." "How awful. Once mroe I need to apologize to a lower being, even more regretably the same one a second time. I'm guessing it's Sutcliff again, too, so please tell me what he's done and I'll assist you." With as straight a face as ever, Sebastian answered, "He slashed Princess Luna, an alicorn ruler of Equestria, revealing the equine's cinematic record and apparently waking some villainous evil inside her called Nightmare Moon. Now, I fear my master is trapped there in Ponyville, and I wish to find some way to bring him back. You might as well, since you'll have to fetch your subordinate, who may or may not have sent us all there in the first place." William stayed completely silent as he processed the ridiculous story, trying to decide whther to help the demon or kick him out for mocking him. "You've finally lost it," he said, fixing his glasses, "Or at least, that's what I'd tell anyone else if they tried to convince me of something so ludicrous. I suppose I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, though." The shinigami walked over to a row of doomsday books, searching for the right one. "Although if this really is a joke, I'll have to shove my scythe--oh, here we are." He took down one that looked to be only a decade old, belonging most likely to a child. "Ciel Phantomhive's book. Let's just take a look..." After flipping through the ages to the most recent one, he skimmed over. "Either the boy's lost it, too, or had a bad dream," he said, "Again, I'd say that to anyone except one I know to be of sane mind. Let's see...hmm...looks like there's more..." The letters jotted themselves down on the page, forming a new paragraph. "Seems he's looking for his lost dog. And...hmmm..." Adjusting his glasses once more, he read, "Ciel is calmed down by Twilight Sparkle, who offers to let him stay at her house for the time being..." He gave the butler a glance, seeing no surprise at that sentence. "And then..." he continued, "Before he can leave, he is taken instead by..." He paused, not wishing to say the name. "Sebastian, does that read..." With a nod from the butler, he sighed, "Where did you say they were?" "Equestria, more specifically a town called Ponyville. From what I gathered, equines and other subspecies, such as unicorns and pegasi, are the dominant inhabitants, as Ciel was the first human they'd ever seen." The butler stated it all as fact without so much as a snigger. He was telling the truth. "Very well," he said, taking out a pen, "I can try to bring him back." He scrawled in, "Ciel Phantomhive is suddenly relocated into the shinigami library." They waited, seeing nothing happen. The words vanished with a black glow, similar to the magci unicorns used. "That's odd," Will commented, "I suppose I can't get him back ehre then." He wrote instead that Sebastian appeared next to Ciel, but once more the dark magic crossed out the words. Sighing, Will surmised, "Something's interfering. I cannot get anyone in or out." Sebastian smiled, "That's quite alright. I shall find another way. Until then, I have another request in lue of that." Relunctantly, the shinigami complied. "I wish for him to be put in the care of the one who found him. I believe it is Twilight Sparkle." Raising an eyebrow, the reaper inquired, "Are you sure you'd trust that a pony could defend him?" With a devious grin from the butler, he understood. "As a reaper, I do have that sort of power--with the consent of the demon involved, of course, since he is already marked prey." Senastian nodded, prompting Will to put the pen to the paper. "There. 'Until Sebastian returns or Ciel returns home, the one who found and is caring for Ciel will become his temporary Butler with equal powers.' Is that alright?" "Yes," Sebastian thanked him, "That is perfect. I can now concentrate on getting him back home. He should be fine in the care of Miss Sparkle, after all."
Chapter 1Red spots blurred his vision, dripping down with a mix of water. It pounded on his forhead, and for a moment he suspected capture and Chinese water torture. Sitting up, he found nothing of the sort. However, there was a loud pop beside him, followed by some high voice. He couldn't make it out, but he heard the sound of hooves. His first thought was a carriage, perhaprs Sebastian coming to pick him up from whatever he'd gotten into. He looked around him, seeing only leaves stained by raindrops and some blood. Standing, he found a sharp pain his shoulder, the source of the crimson that puddled around him. He held the wound so as to keep it from bleeding any more and stood, the shrubbery rustling around him. He was in a ruins of some sort, like a castle or dungeon. He had no idea where that could be, but decided to ask whoever it was he'd heard earlier. He started to call out, but found his voice was lost. There was the girly voice again, and he turned to face it. As soon as he did, he felt like he'd just gotten a punch to the face by Finny. The scarlet blots overcame him once more, fading to pitch black. ~//////~ Opening his eyes once more, he saw a seiling above him, no more ruins or bushes. With much effort, he sat up in the bed. At that moment, the young earl realized three things. One, he was in a girl's room, much like he'd expect Lizzy's to look like; two, he could see out of both his eyes, meaning there was nothing to hide his seal; and three, he was in just his underwear. He quickly wrapped the sheet around himself, making sure to conceal the branded scar on his back, then covered his right eye with the other hand. Carefully, he placed his feet onto the bedroom floor, finding they ached as well, along with most of his body. He went over to the window to get his bearings further. He couldn't distinguish where he was based on the room; and assortment of items lay around it, from books to a frilly dress to a plate of apples to a ox of prankster's toys to a small green animal. From what he inferred to be the second or third story up, he could see ihe was in a town out of a children's book, complete with personified ponies and an overall vibrant color to it. Immediately he knew he must've been drugged and was now hallucinating. Whoever had captured him was a clever foe, but the earl was craftier. A set of footfalls was heard behind him, and he turned to face them. Once again, he'd have to go up against some vile filth of the underworld. Be it demon or angel or wanted criminal, this viscious opponet would meet their match. Bouncing in was a bright, pink pony, her poofy mane and wide smile making her look like something Funtom toys would sell to little girls. He sighed, but he was not relieved, seeing as he was most likely onyl dreaming while his captor was most likely on the phone in reality, demanding ransom money. He hoped Sebastian was on his way to get him out of this mess soon. "So, are you feeling any better? I just wanna apologixe first for buckng you in the face. I just didn't know what you were. I mean, you were out in the Everfree forest after all." The pony greeted rather cheerily. The earl decided to humor the illusion, but was reminded of his current mute state when all he could get out was a squeak and a small cough. "Aww, you poor thing! Don't worry, Pinkie Pie is on the case! I'll get you back to health in no time!" She saluted him, then grinned. "For the meantime, I thought I'd welcome you to Ponyville with...a part-ay! Sound good?" Growing frustrated with the high-pitched pony, he shook his head. "Oh, c'mon, don't be such a fuddy-duddy. Parties are th only way to go." He tried to object once more, but something else made them both stop. He had no clue how long he'd been out, but he hadn't eaten since. His stomach growled once more, and the pony gasped and darted off. He did't know what good it would do getting him something to eat; after all, this was all nothing but a drug-induced nightmare. She returned at a speed that actually rivalved Sebastian's, holding a plate of pastries in her teeth. " 'Ere ya 'o. Ea' up!" He grabbed one, despite his knowlegdge that it would be pointlesss, and took a bite. It was surprisingly good, nice and sweet like strawberries. "Ya like it? Those are straw-diddliumptious berry biscottis. I made 'em earlier, in case you got hungry. I don't know what you eat, but everypony loves sweets!" He took another mouthful, finding they were actually filling. Whatever he'd been injected with, it simulated reality quite well. The pain, the voice ringing in his ears, the taste, even the room temperature were all so real, not to mention the fact he was aware it was an illusion. Normally that didn't happen, and if he had figured it out, he should've awoken by now. "You okay now?" Pinkie asked, genuine concern on her. "Again, I'm extra-super-duper-sooooo-rry for knocking you out. You were hurt all over and your clothes wer all wet, so I washed 'em. Oh, and do you like streamers or confetti at parties, by the way?" The mystery of his clothing figured out, he was glad she ahdn't taken his boxers off as well. He then took back that gratefulness, reasoning that it was just a dream and that he'd be better off just ignoring her. Once more, the pony interrupted his thoughts, her face getting uncofortably close to his. "Hmmm...I think you need a name." He sighed, hoping the mythical creature wouldn't give him something ridiculous. "I'll call you...mmm...hrmm..." She eyd him all over, invading his personal space. "Phantomhive," she concluded with a nod, "Yep, you're Phantomhive." It was obviously that, as the earl knew, and of course she'd gotten it right, seeing as this was his own delusion. "I know because it said so on your clothes, on this little crest thingy." She added, although the noble didn't buy that excuse. His mind had made up something to make him think it was more real, rather than let him regain consciousness after gaining proof that it was most certainly not. "So, Phantom, what were you doing out in the forest?" He didn't answer, not only because he didn't want to but also because he still could not speak. "Oh right," she agreed, "You can't talk! Well, that's okie-dokie, 'cuase I can do most o f the talking. How about just yes or no questions?" The boy didn't respond, to which she groaned. "Well, we gotta communicate somehow!" She perked back up, jumping with glee. "Of course! Why didn't I think of this sooner? I'll take you somepony who's an expert with animals! I can invite everypony to the welcome party on the way there, too." She squealed with delight. With no other choice, he decided to follow. At least maybe he could look around this made-up world for some clues about the captor that had created it. ~//////~ "Is something wrong, sister?" The princess strode over to her celestial sibling, a worried look on her face. The moon princess had been out of sorts for the past day, pacing and muttering, even raising the moon half an hour late the previous night. With a sigh, Luna replied, "No, it is all well..." She paused, gazing out at the midday sun. "We disregard that statement. It is not well, not well at all. We sense a disturbance..." she trailed off, looking at her elder sister. "There is something...off...out in the forest. It was a strange surge of power that came during the storm. We...er, I...wish to go investigate." Celestia sat next to her sister by the window, wrapping her wing around the troubled one. "I thought I felt something amiss too, Luna. Perhaps we can go together to check it out?" Her younger sister nodded, thanking the sun princess for her understanding. "Good. I'm sure it isn't something we can handle, right, sis?" With another nod from Luna, the two went back to the royal chambers. ~//////~ Carefully setting the bowl of salad down, she called over to her pet. The little bunny sprang over, stuffing his face with the lettuce. It stopped suddenly, spitting out a spinach leaf and glaring at its owner. "Oh, I-Im sorry, Angel..." She started apologizing, but the rabbit simply harumphed and scooted the bowl aside. "O-Okay...I'll get another one for you." She trotted into the kitchen to make one more. "HEEEY FLUTTERSHYYYY!! ARE YOU HOOOOME?!" The shouting and banging at her door made her drop the head of cabbage and carrots. She quickly picked up the mess as the visitor pounded on her door again. "It's me, Pinkie! Quick, this is an EMERGENCY! Like, an em-URGENT-cy emergency! Open up!" As she approached the door, it busted down right in front of her. Pinkie simply ignored it and tackled the little pegasus. "Oh, thank Celestia you're here! I just didn't know who to go to otherwise for an animal problem like this." Fluttershy's eyes went wide, searching for the injured creature. What she saw had her backpeddaling and cowering under her own couch. "Wh-what is...th-th-that...? I've never seen anything l-like it..." She stuttered, shaking with fear. Pinkie smiled and dragged her out. "I found it in the Everfree forest," the party pony replied, "I think I hurt him some, but he was already hurt, and I can't talk to him, so I figured the bestest-est thing to do would to take him to you! After all, you're a smarty with animals, riiight?" Fluttershy squeaked, scrambling back to her hiding spot. "No...I-I'm sorry, Pinkie, but...animals from the everfree forest are dangerous and scary! I-I-I don't even know wh-what in Equestria it is..." She felt a very negative vibe from this thing, something that told her to keep as far away from it as possible. "I...I c-can't...B-besides, I'm very busy today. A-Angel still needs me to make some more lunch, so...I gotta get back to that, kthnxbai!" She darted into the kitchen, out of sight. ~//////~ "Here it is, sister..." The alicorn folded her wings in upon landing, scanning the area. "We are certain that this spot is where the odd energy came from." Her nerves were shaken, being back in the very spot where she had been rid of her curse by the Elements of Harmony. Celestia landed beside her, trotting over to the place where she and her sibling had been reunited. "But why here? It couldn't be...no, the curse is gone. It's something else, something more powerful. I can sense a different presence." She looked over and noticed a lump of leaves in the very spot where the Elements had freed her sister. "What's this?" She called to Luna, who was busy inspecting some red, rubbery substance. She studied what was left of a bush, notiscing some dark stains on the foilage. "We see a struggle must have taken place. Somepony was injured here." She showed the sun princess, who grimaced. "What could have happened...?" "Excuse me," a voice called from the shadows, rising. The two alicorns faced the odd form, seeing it stand at about their height on its back legs. It was clothed rather oddly, like something one of the aristocratic ponies of Canterlot would wear. It stepped forward, grinning. "You haven't seen a young boy around here, have you?" ~//////~ Ciel stood in the living room, wondering what he had done to spook the pony. He did get some odd stares as he followed Pinkie to this home, but at least the pony had given him his clothes, including his patch, before they'd left. The only one who had asked what he was on the way here was a mint green unicorn. He sighed and headed for the kitchen where the winged horse had gone into. Illusion or not, he needed answers. The yellow pony shrunk down at his approach, dropping the celery stalk she'd been chopping for a salad. Sighing, he kneeled and petted its head, feeling the silky fur. He'd rode a horse or two in his time, and knew how to handle one that was spooked. She flinched at first, then let him get behind her ear. 'Oh...w-well, you don't seem so bad, I suppose. What's your name, little one?" The earl ignored the fact he'd been belittled by a pony and started to answer. Unfortunately, all he got out was another chirp, then cleared his throat. "Oh, poor dear...You sound sick, or hurt. I think I have something to help." Pinkie leapt in to the conversation, literally. "His name's Phantom! Cool, huh?" Ciel shot the pony a look, preffering to have his full family name used. She must've caught that, because she added on. "Well, it's really Phantomhive, but I think Phantom is cooler. It sound all mysterious~!" She waved her arms like they were noddles, a feat that almost puzzled the earl until he reminded himself that it was just part of a dream anyways. "So, can ya do anything for him?" The timid pegasus got out a glass and started up on some tea, using a type of leaf the nobleman had never seen before. He surmised that it didn't matter the leaf, though; it was just part of some delusion. He cursed his captors for this, forcing him to be in this undignified female land of ponies. He would've taken some nightmare about firey hells or a bloody asylum over this any day. At least he would be familiar with those. "So, what's that eyepatch on him for? Is it another injury?" The pegasus examined him, but not as annoyingly as Pinke had before. He instinctivly backed up as she got closer to his seal. "Oh, I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. If it's too personal, then...well, I won't ask." The pony did have a way with other species, at least. Of course it did, the earl reasoned once more, as it was just a sedated dream. Pinkie, however, understood nothing about personal things. "I had to take it off of him earler when I was pathcing him up and cleaning his clothes. There wasn't any kind of scar or anything, so I have NO IDEA what it could be..." She switched her gaze to him, a detective's smile coming over her. "Maybe we could just find out..." Delusion or not, he didnt want anyone--or anypony--finding out his secrets. "Um, Pinkie, I don't think that's a good idea...He doesn't like it." Ciel nodded in agreement with the pegasus, keeping one hand over his patch while the other was raised in defense. The pink pony ignored both their efforts, reaching to grab the patch. "Pinkie...please, you don't wanna upset him..." She suddenly felt some odd snesation shiver down her spine as her friedn touched a hoof to the patch. Ciel reached to swat the pony down. The tea whistle wnet off, silencing them all. "Pinkie, why don't you help me with that?" Fluttershy sggested. The earl sighed, glad he was able to keep that under control. Even if it was his own set of delusions, he still had no way to keep everything intact. The puppeteer behind this was his criminal holders, the ones who had tied him, drugged him, and were going to get what was coming to htem when Sebastian got there. He mentally called to his butler, wondering what the devil was taking him so long. The pegasus reentered with a tray of tea on some cups, the pink one bouncing behind with a plate of cupcakes. Somehow, the sunshine yellow pony managed to pour him a cup of tea. He didn;t knwo how this would help, but then he thought it over. Whoever it was that had him, they must've gathered intel on him. Even if they hadn't, it was well known that he liked a specific tea. In order to keep it realistic, that's what they would flaovr it in his hallucination. He smirked, having outsmarted the one pulling the strings. This would prove it, and he would wake up. Taking the cup in hand, he brought it to his lips and took a sip. It wasn't Earl Grey. He stared at the cup, a tingling ripple traveling down his throat. The burn from before when he'd tried to speak was washd over by a peppermint honey flavor. He took another drink, just to make sure. It felt so real, so unexpected. "This tea..." he muttered, "It...tastes different..."
Chapter 2Each of the fillies took their guess at what was before them, but none could quite put their hoof on it. It was an entirely new creature, probably never even discovered. Its build was about the size of the three stacked together if it stood upright, and even on all fours it would be an impressive stature. It didn't have a muzzle, persay, but its nose was pointed out in imitation of one. With a few more look-overs, they decided to take turns figuring it out. "Ah think it's some kinda monkey," Applebloom said, poking its paw with her hoof, "Since its got these appen...a-panda...th-these things on its paws!" She gestured to the fingers, looking to the others for a response. Shaking her head, Sweetie Belle scooted her friend aside to have a go at it. "No, monkeys have fur. This thing's just all fleshy and stuff. I think it's an alien or something, an extra-terrestial invader. I bet we could find a space ship nearby!" She was shot down as well by the third. The pegasus stood before her challenge, staring it in its pale face. "Hmm...I think aliens are supposed to be green. At least that's what Pinkie said," she stated, although the other two gave her a look that said 'well, that's just Pinkie'. Scanning the creature once more, Scootaloo gasped. "I know what this is!" Inching closer in anticipation, her fellow crusaders awaited with wide eyes. "It's tall, with kinda thin limbs...a white, pale complexion...dark mane...odd features unlike anypony's seen...and it's wearing a suit..." Her description had them all anxiously seeking the conclusion. "It's..." Scootaloo followed Dash's advice and paused for a dramatic effect, eyes narrowed, "...Slender Mane!" The other two breathed a sigh of relief, laughing along. "It ain't no 'Slender Mane', Scoots. That thing ain't even a pony, anyways! You silly filly..." Applebloom laughed some more as her friend's face flushed. " 'Sides, Slender Mane isn't real. It's just an old pony's tale." Scootaloo was about to argue with her friends that Nightmare Moon was just a tale, too, but droppped the argument. The creature beside them started to stir. "We gotta move it elsewhere, girls," Applebloom took charge, as usual, "We cain't have my sis comin' out here to the fields and findin' this...eh, whatever-it-is...Let's move it. The barn's too far, so..." Looking back, she came up with the perfect place, a spot only they ever went to nowadays. "Let's get it to the clubhouse!" Agreeing, each filly grabbed a part of the being and dragged it back, intent on finding out what they were dealing with. ~//////~ Ciel stared at his tea, still wondering why it was not as he had anticipated. Surely such clever captors couldn't have made such a simple mistake. However, the proof was right there, the proof that this might be more than just a drug-related delusion. He looked up to see the two ponies staring at him, surprised. "I mean," he explained, clearing his throat, "It doesn't taste like Earl Grey tea. It's different than I expected, that's all." "AHA!" Pinkie pointed a hoof an inch from his face, grinning. "You CAN talk, you just couldn't earlier! I knew I wasn't crazy! Not that I've ever been crazy before, but, well, you get the point." The earl ignored her, looking to the pegasus shying away. Fluttershy timidly looked to the side, avoiding his gaze and asking, "Oh, so...y-you don't like the tea, then? I mean, i-it's fine if you don't; I can make more." Shaking his head, Ciel took another sip. "No, that's not it. In fact, this has at least helped me to speak again. I say that the tea isn't how I thought it would be because, had this all been some dream of mine, then my mind would have made it taste like a certain type I prefer." The two gave him a blank look, although the pegasus understood some of it. "A dream?! What, are you crazy?" Pinkie rolled her eyes, trotting around to his other side, the one with the patch. "Silly filly...If I was a dream, then I wouln't be real, but I am, so that proves it. Tea doesn't mean anything. It's tea. Duh." She gently put her hoof on his patch, making another attempt to remove it. He moved away, commanding for her to leave it alone. "Aww, but why? It' s not like there's a scar or anything there. There's no need for you to wear a patch! Unless..." she gasped, "You're a pirate!" If Ciel had a pound for every time he'd heard that...the earl sighed, correcting her, "There is a scar, it's just ON my eye, not over it. I'm blind there, actually. Now please, STOP bothering it." The pink pony shrunk away, muttering that she'd see it later on. The pegasus, who was now a bit more up because he actually did like the tea, spoke up. "So, if you wouldn't mind me asking...what kind of animal are you? I've never seen anything like you before." She hoped her question didn't offend him, but, at the same time, she was afraid to know the answer. "I'm a human," he repled, only to met with nother blank face, "Of course, you must not have humans here, otherwise you'd know." Pinkie jumped back in, facehoofing. "Oh, I should've known! Sorry for making up such a ridiculous name for you, Mr. Human." For what seemed like the hundreth time, the young earl corrected her. "No, you did get my title right. My name is Ciel Phantomhive. 'Human' is my species." Pinkie gave a look like she understood, "Oh, okay...See-ahl...hmm...funny, you don't look like a seal. But hey, I don't judge, except on Steel Cook Equestria(it's something else, really, but that's copyrighted)." "Of all the..." the earl sighed, dropping the subject. Of all the colorful mystic ponies, he had to get stuck with this one. "Look, eh, Pinkie," saying such a girlish name made his inner masculinity flinch, "Where exactly did you find me?" The bouncing pony halted and mulled it over. Then, going into a flashback, she replied, "Oh, well...I was out in Everfree forest..." ~//////~ "Wait!" She cried, chasing after the red blur in the sky. "No,no, no! Come back here! Gah!" The wind picked up, sending her target soaring over the trees. She continued to call after, but soon the dot disappeared into the misty forest. She halted at the entrance, wondering if a balloon won for eating 28 zapapple pies was really worth it. It definitely was. She dashed into the foilage at an incredible speed, her senses leading her straight to the balloon. After crossing a rather rickety bridge, she arrived at her destination. The floating prize had its tether wrapped around a branch. Trotting over, she smiled, triumphant at last. She stopped as her foot hit a puddle. It must've rained earlier, she reasoned. The water was red, reflecting her balloon. After splashing it about a bit, she reached up to claim her possession. "Yes! I gotcha!" She hugged it, tightly so it couldn't escape again, then felt nothing as a loud popping sounded right in her ear. She looked down to see the remnants floating down to the ground. Staring at the shreds for a moment, she shrugged. "Oh well. It was just a balloon." She turned to leave, hearing a rustle behind her. She now realized that there was a shrubbery in the middle of the ruins. Tilting her head, she inspected it closer. "...helloooo? Anypony there?" More movement had her backing up as a shadow shifted about under the leaves, stepping in the crimson puddle once more. Looking down, she saw that the water was still the same color as her balloon, maybe darker. A glance at her hooves had her suspecting that it wasn't rainwater at all. "Wha...Why is there...blo...?" She looked up to see an upright silhouette, its clothes wet and blood dripping from its mouth. Whatever this thing was, it was dangerous. As it inched closer, looking around, she decided to take her chance. This thing wasn't going to hurt anypony while she was around. As the thing turned to face her, she got in the position she'd seen Applejack use to buck the orchard, kicking out as hard as she possibly could. ~//////~ "Then that's when I knocked you out colder than a turkey and dragged you bck to my place. I mean, once I realized you were just a little filly, I felt SO sorry for hurting you even more! I cleaned you up and let you rest in my bed." Pinkie smiled, sastified with her story. "It was hard though; I hd to sneak you around town and past the Cakes. Luckily, I have my ways of getting around." She winked, and Fluttershy now wondered what means she had, having seen Pinkie pop out of corners, baskets, and pastries. Before any could speak, though, there was yet another knock. ~//////~ They sat, panting, around the strange being. It had been a difficult task, involving a bit of Sweetie's attempted magic and a certain pegasus' scooter, but the fillies had hoisted the creature into their clubhouse. "Alrighty, gals..." Applebloom sighed, wiping sweat out of her mane, "...Take...hah...f-five..." They all collapsed, exhausted. The fourth member's eyes snapped open, and it got up, taking a watch out of its pocket. "My, my..." It spoke, "How long could I have been out?" Snapping it shut, the creature stood and dusted itself off, using the wall to steady itself, inching along to the door. "H-Hey! Hold up, mister!" Applebloom stopped in front of it, glad the thing didn't just step over or on her. It glanced down with a quizzical look. "Uh..." she tried to think of something to say, but was at a loss for words before the larger animal. Luckily, the fearless Scootaloo hovered over. "Look, you seem kinda hurt, so maybe you should just sit back down. Besides, it took us forever just to get you over here. The least you can do is tell us what the hay you even are." It tried to walk once more, only to find its leg started bleeding. "Hmm..." it sighed, "Seems I can't go anywhere in this condition, anyway." Sitting back down, it ran its finger through its mane and muttered to itself, "My, the young master must be mad at me right now. I've gotta get back to him soon." Sweetie trotted over, careful not to get to close, and examined the wound. "I don't know who it is you need to get back to, but right now we've gotta take care of that injury. It looks pretty serious. Whaddya say, girls?" She looked to her friends, who already had a first aid kit and some gloves. "What'd you say your name was?" She said, facing their patient. "My name is Sebastian Michaelis." He replied, grinning. "There isn't much need for you to help me, though. I heal rather fast, and I'm sure I'll be leaving soon. I do appreciate your consideration, though." He attempted to stand once more, but his wound was more serious than he'd thought. He couldn't place why it was so severe, then recalled the little spar he'd had with a certain shinigami. Once again on the floor, he sighed. "But...if you must..." The three smiled ear-to-ear. "Alrighty, then, mister Sebastian..." Applebloom began, snapping her gloves back. "Time fer a little first aid by..." The three took a deep breath and proclaimed, "The Cutie Mark Crusaders!" ~//////~ The princess led their guest into the royal chambers, happy to have most of their predicament squared away. The one who they'd found out in the forest was actually out looking for someone, and, after getting his name, the two alicorns had invited him to stay at the palace. "Here you are," Celestia opened a door via magic to reveal a regal suite, "I hope you enjoy your stay here. We'll help in any way we can in finding that young one you were looking for." Luna continued to give the creature some odd looks, still unsure about keeping him. The elder sister nudged her sibling, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Oh, y-yes," Luna added, "We welcome you here, to our castle, to Canterlot, to all of Equestria! We hope you find much delight in being a royal guest, sir..." She treid to remember his name, but for the life of her couldn't, as it was an odd one. Grinning with razored teeth, the man spun to face them both, red mane of hair whirling with him. "It's Miss Grell," he reminded her, "And I once again thank you ever so much for letting me stay~! I'm sure I'll find that boy and my Sebas-chan in no time."
Chapter 3Swinging open the door, Pinkie eagerly greeted the guest and welcomed them in, despite the fact that it wasn't even her home they were in. Fluttershy didn't seem to mind, though, greeting the newcomer in a cheerful tone. Ciel couldn't really hear much of what they were saying, but he assumed it was about him. "Yeah, he's right in here! I figured you would be interested, but it would've been a bit predictable taking him to see you..." pinkie explained to the visitor, leading her into the living room. "Now let's see...Oh, Phaaantoom~! I wantcha to meet somepony!" Ciel sat up straight, or rather, straighter, as his status and nobility had taught him to sit upright at all times. The new pony, this one sporting a horn, merely gasped at the sight of him. "A...Amazing...I've never seen anything like it! I mean, it's not in any of my books, so..." she grinned, "It must be an entirely new species! Tell me everything you know, girls." She began studying him, as all the others had before, firing off all she could ask in one breath. "Does it walk on two legs? Looks like it. And why isn't there any fur? Well, except this bit on its head...Sweet Celestia! Whah happened to its eye? Is it injured? Is it recent? Where did you even find this creature? Does it have a name?" The boy stopped her right there, shoving her away. "My name is Ciel Phantomhive. My species isn't new; I'm a human, classified scientifically as Homo sapien. And, for the third time, I'm blind in my right eye, the result of an accident a while back, and I'd rather you not pester me about it." He had stood up sometime durng her speech, making himself at eye level, his voice quite audible at the end, as it has risen during his response. The pony had shrunken back, and it looked like he had actually spooked her some. "You...t...hu...?" She mumbled, then her face lit up. "You're capable of speech as well! Oh, this is great. Pinkie, do you mind if I take him back with me? I've got loads of tests to run on this...human, and I'd like to do it as soon as possible. Oh," she turned to him, "I'm Twilight Sparkle, by the way." Ciel was about to argue that he wasn't going back with her, but she had already produced a collar and leash, seemingly out of nowhere. It was also levitating in some orchid aura, and, before he could get away, it was wrapped around his neck. He tugged at it, but it didn't budge a bit. "W-Wai-ack!" He got a gentle nudge by the rope, leading him out. "Well, I guess you can take him," Pinkie said, completely ignoring his say, "Just before to have him home by curfew; I wouldn't want the little guy staying out past his beddy-time~!" The party pony pinched his cheecks, which he again couldn't find how she managed to do with hooves. He ignored that fact though, instead havng to get dragged out by this Twilight pony, fuming and swearing under his breath. ~//////~ Sebastian stared questioningly at the job they's done. The three had patched him up, so to speak, but it was more like wrapping it up as tight as they could until the blood stopped flowing. They had also decided to step out to catch their breath, the white one, Sweetie, actually fainting at the sight of such an amount of blood. He got up, able to walk now; it had only taken a few minutes to heal enough, but the "operation" had actually opened his wound a bit more, delaying his departure by about half an hour. He reached the door and peered out, calling down to the fillies. "I believe I'm ready to leave now. I really must get back to my master now." The cowgirlish one, Apple Bloom, broke from their group discussion and trotted to the base of the tree. "Uh, Sebastian? You know you just got fixed up a few minutes ago, right? You're still not fit t' be goin' anywhere. But don't worry, the CMC's thought-a sumthin' fer ya! You can stay in the barn; it's much more comfy than the clubhouse, and it's not too far." "Wait, I thought we said we'd take him to my lace!" Sweetie said, getting a scowl from her friend. Applebloom stood her ground, arguing, "Look, yer place is all the way 'n the middle o' Ponyville! There's no way we can sneak him there, 'specially with that inj'ry of his. Ah know his clothes are a little ripped, but I'll find him somethin' instead; we don't gotta get him some fancy-pantsy stuff from yer sis, y'know." "I can sneak him there easily," Sweetie rebuttled, "I know my way around. And besides, what if your sister or brother finds him in there? At least I'd have a decent place to hide him. There's this back room that Rarity, like, never goes in! Even I'm not sure what's in there! But it's big, I'm sure, since it's probably just for storage, so there'll be plenty of room for him." The two glared each other down, with Scootaloo unable to take a side. Sebastian hopped down, landing just as well as always. His injury ddin't impair him too much, and he couldn't even feel the pain. "Look, I appreciate your help, but I--" "HE'S STAYING HERE!" Apple Bloom interrupted, ignoring him and focusing on her fellow crusader. "NU-UH," Sweetie fought back, "HE'S GOING WITH ME!" Sebastian sighed, kneeling and taking them both by their manes, gently pulling them apart from each other. They stopped and looked at him, both with the same idea. He started to speak, but they got their pieces first. "Ah've got lots of good eats here," Apple Bloom started, "and the hay's like a bed, so you'll still be comfy. I'll bring out blankets, too." "Well, I've got even better food, and a REAL bed," Sweetie interjected. Sebastian was about to stop her, but he lost his train of though at what she said next. "And...I-I've got..a CAT!" The little farm filly scoffed, as she didn't think having a cat mattered. She started to state so, but Sebastian's voice cut over hers, focused on the little unicorn. "A cat, you say? I've...always been fond of felines..." He admitted, imagining the silky blanket of fur, the squishy pads of their feet, their slitted eyes not unlike that of a demon's. Sweetie smirked at her opponent, victorious as she saw the light in the being's eyes grow. Sebastian weighed it over. He could easily go after his master now; he'd felt his prescence since he'd awoken. However, going with this little one meant getting all the pleasures of whatever beautiful breed of cat they had. He reached out, sensing the earl's soul. The master was in no danger, he concluded, aside from an odd fashion statement. He would survive a few more moments without him; besides, he thought his bocchan looked rather nice in a collar. He stood, dusting himself off. "Alright, I suppose my caller can wait," he inwardly grinned at his play on words, "I'll go with you, miss Belle." The young filly smiled and lead him off, the other two trailing behind. ~//////~ Luna wandered around the halls, waiting for the hours to pass so she could raise the night. She would've waited in her chambers, but there was too much on her mind. The strange creature that had come in--a "shinigami", it had said--was keeping her up. Not to mention, she couldn't figure out if it was male or female; it claimed the latter, but that just seemed too odd. As she trotted, pondering the gender and intentions of the creature, said guest came strolling down, humming some tune. It waved upon seeing her, coming at her at a quicker, skipping pace. She still thought it unnatural that it walked on its hind legs, but, then again, it was also furless, save its hair and clothes. "Hey, I was just looking for you. Celestia-sama said you'd be around here." She disregarde the added suffixes to their names and tried to think of something to say. Luckily, she'd been practicing keeping her voice softer and more informal. "Greetings, Grell Sutcliff," she said at a moderate level, "Wh-What is it you wanted to see me for?" She stood there with a half-smile on her face, trying to act like she didn't think he was up to no good. He grinned back, his sharp, carnivorous teeth making her shiver inwardly. "Oh, well...It'll be getting dark soon, and Celestia-sama said you could help me look for that boy and Sebas-chan~! Plus...well, I'm missing something else, too..." He scratched the back of his head, looking a bit embarrased. "I seem to have misplaced a very important item. It's something every shinigami needs, and I'd be out of the business if I lost it! I mean, I already got it taken from me once...I would just die if I had to go without it again!" Curiousity overcame the moon princess, and she asked, "What is this...special item?" He started to answer but paused, "Well...I'll tell you if you promise to help me look." She sighed and nodded, "Yes, I swear by the moon I shall help you...Now, prithee, what is it?" Leaning in, he replied, "My Death Scythe! It's only the most important instrument in a shinigami's job, and mine is so wonderful. It's red, and works so nicely, and it's an original design~!" He winked and waited for her reply, but she was stuck on the whole "death" part. What is it this "shinigami" did? She put that question aside and nodded, settling to wait until they went to search. If it was dangerous, then she'd just have to stop him herself. ~//////~ Twilight continued down the streets, heading for her home. The creature had given up trying to escape, as she wouldn't ever let such a scientific oppurtunity like this one get away. Sure, she'd gotten a few stares and queries, but her long, scienc-y answers easily drove them off. "So," she decided to start up a conversation, "I figure I'll start out with a few simple things, like temperature, blood pressure, things like you'd get in a doctor's check-up. Next, I'll go on to running tests on your chemical makeup, like blood samples, hair samples, etc. Oh, and I'd love to check out what's under the patch." He growled, stopping and pulling her back. "I already told you I don't wish to have that meddled with." She yanked on the leash, egging him on, "I know, but maybe I could cure you of your blindness. After all, I am a unicorn, and I'm also a bit skilled at medicine." Pulling back again, he protested, "I said, 'no!' and I meant it. If you're going to do anything that involves my injury, then I refuse to go back with you." He resisted the light tugs even more, even yanking back on the leash. The aura surrounding it felt a bit tingly, but he ignored that and tried to get some slack between his hands and the collar. If he could pull it back far enough, he could undo the knot and slip away Scot-free. He hadn't realized he'd actually been putting up a bit of a fight for the unicorn, considering he wasn't very strong physically. He;d made his way onto the dirt road, puddles still here and there from a previous rain. With another forceful pull, he managed to step into the way of traffic, namely a random grey pegasus zipping by on her mail rounds. He was knocked back, landing a pool of mud. He stood, slipping on the dirt and making his way back over to Twilight with a very unhappy look. "Great," he clenched his teeth, "Bloody great. Now look what you've done!" He gestured widely to his person, which was completely caked with mud. "I'll have to have Sebastian come and bring me a new..." He halted, remebering he had no clue where his butler was, or if Sebastian knew where the young earl was. Twilight saw his expression change, first to one of a loss for words, then to a sorrowful remmbrance. "Um...l-look, I'm sorry. How about we get you a fresh change of clothes, alright?" She saw his few seconds of grief vanish again to expressionless. "No," he exhaled, "Let's just go." He felt a tug at his neck, and saw she was eading him in a diferent direction now. "It's fine. After all, I guess this is kinda my fault," she blushed, "I'll take you to somepony I know personally. She'll be more than happy to fix you up, trust me." ~//////~ "What IS this thing?" Rarity exclaimed, backing away. "And why on EQUESTRIA did you bring it HERE? This has got to be your WORST POSSIBLE idea ever, dear." She stared down her fellow unicorn, who lowered her head in embarrasment. "I-I'm sorry...I didn't think you'd be this upset..." Rarity looked ready to blow, but calmed herself down at the last moment. "N-No matter, darling...I'll just..." She tried to think of something, then graoned in defeat. The being was about to reassure her that he'd be leaving shortly, but was distracted by her pet, Opalescence. "This cat...it's..." he picked it up, admiring it, "...luxurious. The pelt is like so plush, the paw pads so pink and fleshy, the purr reverberating from is a perfection of smphonies...and what a name for such a gorgeous feline...named after a finely cut gem, is she not?" Rarity just dropped ehr jaw, awe-struck. "Y...yes...she is..." The man smiled, stroking the pet in his lap. In all her days, Rarit and never seen her cat so relaxed. Her little sister snapped her out of ehr thoughts. "So," she chimed, "Can we keep him here for just a bit?" The older sibling looked to her younger, then to the creature. "Hmm...well...Sebastian, right?" She checked his name, getting a nod. "...Well, I guess--" A customer knocking put her answer on hold. "'ll be right back!" She called, already galloping for the door. She slowed her pace, wondering what her little sister and friends were evne thinkng. She was amazed they'd managed to get him all the way from the acres to her home, but what she couldn't belive even more was that they'd thought they could hide the thing storage area she reserved secifically fro all her rarest jewels. If she hadn't have needed that silver rupee for Fancypants' new belt, she never would've seen the injured, tall-as-Celestia-herself creature. She opened the door, a bit surprised to see Twilight. She was about to make up some excuse to "please hold on a moment" while she hid the unusual thing, but saw her freind had found something similar.At that moment, she could think of one exclamation to sum up her emotions: "Not another one!" ~//////~ Ciel stared at the other unicorn, processing her words. There was another human here, one who just might be able to help him. Quickly, he pushed his way past and asked, "Who else is here?! Is it--" "Ugh, absolutely filthy, this one. Twilight, whereever did you find this?" Twilight quickly stated Pinkie found it, which is where Rarity held up a hoof and continued on. "Oh, whatever, I need to get him cleaned up. Come on, little, eh...thing...let's get you into some other clothes..." She led him back, taking the leash from Twilight via another glow of magic. Ciel didn't spot any other human, but he didn't get much chance to look as he was put into a changing room. "Now, let me see..." the unicorn strted taking measurements, being the umpteenth one to have to get a close look at him. "Hmm...well, since the anatomy is completely different, I'll have to adjust all the ratios, but I should be able to put something together...be right back. Umm...Stay." She left with that command to make him a new outfit. After only a matter of minutes, she reentered with a black button up shirt, a royal blue jacket, and some black pants. The only oddity is that the entire emsemble was sparkling brighter than the cutlery once Sebastian ahd finished polishing it. It was literally covered in glitter and gems. "Now, let's just get you undressed..." She lifter off his muddled overcoat, next going to undo the shirt. "Ah, th-that's just fine, madame. I can change alright without assistance." He shoved her out, not wanting to have his clothes taken off by yet another pony. He finished geting off the shirt and pants with only minor difficulties. Slipping on the trousers was easy, but he struggled to get the shirt on right. He'd been having his butler dress him for the past years, and now the whole affair of getting his arms throught the right holes seemed to be quite troubling. He stumbled back and into the wall, resulting in an audible thud. "Everything alright in there?" Rarity called, about to poke her head in. Ciel took a peek in the mirror and saw the scar on his back showing up quite well. "Yes," he replied, half-lying, "Just...b-bloody peachy...ah..." He stammered as he tried to pull his arm through the sleeve right, ramming his elbow in the mirror int he process. Rarity burst in, exclaiming that he better not have broken anything. He immediately pushed her out again, covering the scar. "I said I was alright," he assured. The unicorn ignored him and used her magic to open it all the way. Ciel knew what was coming; this was going to be just like when he was getting fitted for another certain event, and Lizzy nearly saw the mark. Only his time, his butler wouldn't be there to save him. He was ruined. "My...my word..." the unicorn gasped, and the earl knew what questions and events would unfold next. What he didn't expect was her to touch the scar. He went to move the hand away, but stopped as he realized whose it was. "Sebas...tian...?" He looked up to see his butler there, hiding his secret for him with a smile. "Yes, my lord?" ~//////~ Hopping in the chariot next to the night princess, Grell eagerly cheered about finally getting to set on his search. Luna had already raised the moon for the night, so it was just he and her, ready to fly down to their first destination: Ponyville, a personal suggestion of Celestia's. "Oh, Luna-chan! This view is amazing!" He looked out ove rthe night as the soared downwards to the town. "And a full moon, what a perfect setting! You know, the moon was shining this brightly that day I found Sebas-chan...ah, what a lovely reunion that was..." His thoughts drifted into nostalgic images of that night when he'd fought as Jack the Ripper against the butler, seeing his deep crimson blood raining down on him as he nearly sawed him to bits...It was one of the most lovely nights of his life. "We shall be landing soon, Grell Sutcliff," Luna interrupted his thoughts, gesturing to the incoming outskirts of the villa. "Shall we start our surveying there?" She pointed to her left to a bright section of the town, a few lights on. Grell nodded, still fantasizing about he and Sebastian's next meeting. The chariot parked near a bakery, letting the passengers out. He took a few steps, only to be stopped by a shout from above. "HIIII THERE!" Another pony, smaller than Luna, waved at them from the window of the bakery. She started to fall, but was caught by another, this one a pegasus. "Thanks Dashie," she said as the two touched down next to them. "Ah, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, we bid you a good evening." The moon princess stepped in front of the shinigami, who had been waving back the whole time. She hoped the short attention span of the party pony would stop her from asking anything. Her nerves had her speaking a bit louder with the royal voice. "We wonder, h-how have you been faring?" She grinned, hoping in the name of...well, anypony, that neither of them noticed. Dash peered around, raising an eyebrow. "Uh, Princess Luna...what the hay is that?" Luna was about to respond, but Pinkie beat her to it. "Oh, that's another human, I think," she explained, "Remember I was just telling you about the one I found? Well, Twilight's borrowing it right now, but she said she'd bring him back soon. So, what's your name, mister human?" Luna stared at the laughter element, dumbstruck. She didn't think there'd be more; this was getting out of hoof. "Oh, I'm Grell, a pleasure to meet you!" The shinigami thought nothing of the situation; then again he had been searching for a couple others, although she wasn't sure they'd ever find anything else like him. "You say you met a human, hmm? Please, tell me more!" Pinkie nodded and invited them in, "Okie dokie Grell-lokie~! We can talk about it over some fresh extra-red velvet cake I made!" The shinigami's eyes lit up at the color red, skipping after like the party pony was the pied piper. Luna sighed and followed, getting a shiver up her spine. She looked up at the moon, her celestial self. The shinigami had complimented it, but that just seemed to make it seem more ominous. A call from Pinkie inviting her in snapped her out of her thoughts, the gleam of the moon staring after her as she went in.
Chapter 4Putting the shirt over his master properly, Sebastian got it buttoned and covered with the jacket in no time. Of course, there would be some snide comment from the earl on the butler's tardy arrival, but the master and his secrets were safe now. "Well, Sebastian, you finally showed up," said Ciel right on cue, not making eye contact, "You know if you hadn't gotten here just then it would've been disastrous." The butler smiled, knowing that was as close to any sign of gratitude he would get from the boy. "My apologies, young master." The two stepped out of the dressing room, Rarity cooing over how cute the young human looked in that outfit. Ciel wasn't partial to shiny, glittery tops, but it'd do for now. Clearing his throat, he adressed them. "I believe my time here is done. My butler," he gestured to Sebastian, "Has come to fetch me and take me back to my world now. Although some of you irritated me with questions and even more questionable testing..." He adjusted the tie, slightly bowing. "I appreciate the hospitality. Now, if you'll excuse me...Sebastian, lead the way back." His butler did not move, not even a step in any direction. "M'lord, I am afraid that I have not yet found a way back to the manor." The earl sighed slowly, crossing his arms. "Well, what were you doing all this time then? Laying around on the job?" "Now hold on," Rarity interjected, "I'll have you know that he had sustained an injury. Luckily, my sister and her friends were there to patch him up and take him back here. So, it's not his fault." Ciel scoffed at the excuse, but decided he didn't need to argue any more. "Now if you'd like, you can stay with any of us until you do figure out all of this. Oh, and by anypony, I meant Twilight." She flashed at smile at the other unicorn, who nodded and lead them out. Rarity sighed, glad to have some peace to work. "Oh, Sweetie Belle?" She called to her younger sister, thinking it was probably best to let the little one know her guest was leaving. When she got no preply, she shrugged and trotted back, figuring her sister must've left with her friend to play. "Well, she better not be out too late, and if so she can sleep over at her friend's. She just better not get into any more trouble." ~//////~ The three tip-toed through the acres, making their way back to the clubhouse. "Can you believe there was ANOTHER one?" Sweetie exclaimed, to which Applebloom nodded and added, "Yeah, and who knows how many others there might be? Why, there could be a whole 'nuther species just like 'em!" Trotting up to the house, the three began to delve into their own theories about the humans when Scootaloo noticed a shine coming from the barn. "Hey, girls...whaddya suppose that is?" She pointed a hoof to the glinting object, which looked to be about their size. Curious, they went over to inspect it, seeing the moon reflecting brightly off the side. Dimly lit by the starry sky, the barn's interior beckoned them in. As they each shakily moved closer to the metallic wonder, they realized it was something none of them had seen before. "Looks like we got another mistery on our hooves..." Scootaloo said, reaching a hoof out to poke it. Sweetie slapped it away, warning her to be careful. "Y'know, Ah bet it belongs t' that one feller, Sebastian! After all, they're both unknown things, so they pro'bly go together." The two agreed with the farm filly's logic, staring at the red and silver spectacle. "And Ah think it's meant fer cuttin' things, like big things..." She pointed to the serrated blade, careful not to touch the spines. "Yeah, like a moster fighting weapon!" Scootaloo exclaimed, to which they all started voicing their own beliefs as to its purpose. "Hey,Applebloom? Y'all out here?" AB flinched at the sound of her big sister's voice. The cowgirl was most likely coming out to check on the animals, and if she discovered them here--no, if she discovered the strange object here--they'd be caught in the act! "C'mon out sugar, Ah don't got time fer hide-an'-seek. 'Sides, it's nearly nine ah'clock at night." After no response, she stepped closer. " Now I know Ah heard ya..." Suspicious now, Applejack peered around the door slowly, scanning for any sign of the crusaders. "Huh..." she adjusted her hat, stepping away, "Must'ah been my imagination." Meanwhile, The CMC tore down the trail as fast as they could in the wagon, towing the object in a wheel barrel behind them. "Good thinkin' Scoots! We'll be there in no time!" ~//////~ Luna shifted in her seat next to Grell, who was in the middle of another story. "And so when Ronny opened the cabinets, he was covered in the stuff! I sure am glad he can take a joke, though, unlike William." Dash started cracking up about how genius it was, and Pinkie was practically rolling on the floor. Luna failed to see the amusement, but she let out an unconvincing chuckle anyways. "Man," Dash laughed, "That's even better than the time I--" "Excuse us," Luna interrupted, growing tired of casual conversation, "But we had a previous task, did we not, Mr. Sutcliff?" She eyed the shinigami, who sighed and stood. "I believe I told you to address me as the lady I am, but at any rate, you're right. After all, I still need to search while it's night." Pinkie bounced over, stopping them from leaving. "Oh, riiiight! I was gonna tell you about that human I met before! His name's Phantom--well, short for Phantomhive--and I think he's with Twilight right now. I can show you where she lives!" Luna, not wanting to involve the other ponies any further, cut her off. "We know where Twilight Sparkle lives, so your assistance is not necessary, although we appreciate the offer. Now, if you shall permit us leave, we really must hurry. The night only lasts so long." She was practically shoving Grell through the door now, trying to keep anypony--especially Pinkie Pie--out of it. The shinigami, showing a surprisng amount of strength, backed up against the alicorn's force. "Oh, I don't mind if Pinkie and Dash-kun tag along, really!" Dash commented about needing to get back and cover the night shift for weather patrol, but Pinkie eagerly jumped at the chance. Luna would've teleported the shinigami and herself out of there before the agreement was made, had her standards not to be rude to a host told her otherwise. Due to that, the party pony followed them out the door and into the twilight streets. ~//////~ "LOOK OOOOUUUUTTT!!!" The warning, whether to the driver or the pedestrians, came too late.The wagon slammed straight into the unicorn, knocking her to the side. She lifted it with her magic, setting the makeshift vehicle and the three fillies operating it to the side. The butler landed with his master in his arms. "My, that was a close one." He set the earl down, who got an irked look from Twilight. "Oh, I;m just fine," she said sarcastically, "No need to warn me of oncoming...umm..." She trotted over to the object lying on the ground, tiliting her head. "What is this?" The crusaders bounced over, greeting Sebastian as they went to check on their cargo. "It's somethin' we found in the barn. We figured since it's another s'picious object, it'd belong t' Sebastian!" "That thing does not belong to my butler," Ciel answered, stepping forward,. He and Sebastian shared a glance, both knowing the same conclusion. "Since it's here, however...it's owner can't be far behind..." ~//////~ The moon rose higher as the night grew later. Luna trotted in silence behind the ponies and shinigami, listening to their idle chatter as they made their way to the Ponyville library, Twilight's home. "It should coming up just around the corner here," Pinkie bounced, stopping as they turned to see there were ponies and people entering. "OH! That must be Phantom and Twilight! I don't know who that other human was, though." Grinning wider, Grell quickened the pace. "That isn't a human...that is my love, my angelic demon, my lamb with a wolf's hunger, my raven with a dove's feathers..." He reached for the handle, the excitement building up in him as he prepared to reunite with the demon. ~//////~ Twilight closed the door behind her with her magic, listening to the explanation. "And so, that very shinigmai has obviously come here as well. I suspect he may be behind it, as well..." Ciel deduced. "Of course he couldn't have done it alone; there must be others invovled, although I doubt it was other shinigami, as they are known to breach their codes like this." "So, when do you think he'll show up?" Twilight inquired, examining the "death scythe" that Sebastian was carrying. "And what is this thing used for?" The demon looked to Ciel, who shook his head; these ponies didn't need to know all the details, let alone what exactly a shinigami's job was. "At any rate," Ciel changed the subject, "We need to leave before he catches up to us. I personally don't want to have to deal with him again, and after previous encounters, I'm sure you aren't too keen either, Sebastian." The butler didn't reply, preffering to forget the nuisance of a reaper. "So, let's get out of here before--" "...MY DARLING SEBAS-CHAN!" The door flew open on the end of Grell's quote, revealing the shark-toothed grin of the grim reaper himself. With open arms, the red reaper came sprinting to the demon. In less than a second, the shinigami was on the floor, Sebastian standing over him with a clenched fist. "S-Sebas...chan..." the reaper stood, composing himself. "Ahem...although I can't believe you would dare hit a lady in the face like that, I will forgive you since I must have caught you off guard. So, how about we try that again~?" Ciel stood over the shinigami, who was again having his face shoved into the library floor. "We were expecting you, actually," he stated, gesturing for Sebastian to present the chainsaw, "And we know you must be behind this. So, you can tell me right now, or I can wait til after my butler is finished with you." "What, prithee, is...that?" They all turned to see the moon princess standing in the doorway, Pinkie standing behind her. "Yeah," piped in the party pony, "It looks so weird, but shiny! What does it do? OH! I know! It's a backscratcher! Man, I reaaallly need one of those." As the others rolled their eyes at the usual Pinkie nonsense, Grell stood up slowly with a gleam in his eyes. "No...that's..." he laughed, feeling the excitement overcome him, "My Death Scythe! Oh, Sebas-chan! You found it for me!" He ran to grab it--and possibly sneak a hug. "How can I ever repay y-" Sebastian was getting tired of having to slam the man's face in the ground, sighing and dangling the scythe just out of reach. "I believe my master asked you something, first." "What, you mean how we got here? Honestly, I haven't clue." Sebastian revved the engine on the machine, catching the eye of everypony. Grell began stammering, "N-NO! I really don't know! Don't you t-trust me, darling? A-A-After all, I-I wouldn't lie to my future husband! How unfaithful would that be?" Getting irritated by the denials, the demon inched the blades closer. Luna yanked the device fromt eh butler's hands with her magic. Although she had her doubts about the shinigami, she didn't wish him to be injured. Eyeing the Death Scythe, Luna knew her suspicions were right; this thing was dangerous, and if that shinigami possessed it, then he may be a threat as well. There was some writhing aura to the scythe that made Luna feel as if she were trying to hold a riled dragon with a pair of tweezers. It had a power to it, deadly and grave. She wanted to be rid of it, too, as well as be rid of the shinigami. Unfortunately, the reaper didn't repay her in thanks; rather, he leapt up from under Sebastian's foot and darted forward. He spun about with incredible speed, snatching the scythe from Luna's loose grip and dashing out the door before she could utter a word. "Sebastian! Stop him!" The words left the earl's mouth just as quickly as the butler left the room. Instruting the crusaders to wait inside with Spike, Twilight followed after, Pinkie and Ciel right behind. ~//////~ Grell was perched up on a nearby building, the moon behind him. "Now, doesn't this scene look familiar~?" He giggled, putting a finger to his chin. "Oh, riiiight! It's just like that fateful night, is it not, my love? Of course, there is the addition of ponies to the cast, but that doesn't matter. What is of most significance is you and I, darling, the lead role! Oh, a glorious encore this is, indeed! So, Sebas-chan..." He revved the chainsaw, "Care for a re-enactment date~?" With acute aim, he dove and slashed, catching a part of the butler's coat. The demon countered with a kick to the reaper's head. "Not the face, I say!" Greall pleaded, slicing and slashing defensively. "You're awful playful tonight, aren't you~? Oh, but don't worry; I'll steal the show soon." He went right back at it, the two exchanging slahses and kicks. The ponies looked on, wondering what to do. "We should help Sebastian! C'mon!" Pinkie was ready to dive in, pawing the ground and snorting like a bull. "Right, we have to help. Luna, can you--" "Sebastian can handle himself." Ciel looked on calmly, getting a questioning look fromt eh ponies. "How do you know that?" Twilight asked. Scoffing, as if the answer were obvious, the young master replied, "Simple. I ordered him to stop the shinigami, so he will." Doubtful, the unicorn poised in preparation for when the butler did need their help. She noticed the princess was being more quiet than Fluttershy, watching with wide eyes at the battle. Clouds rolled past the moon, covering it up and darkening the view. The two opponents had fought their way to the top of another building, silhouettes dancing in the dim night. The scythe was knocked into the air, and no sooner than had it reached its peak was it in the hands of one of them. The other got a stern neck-breaking kick to the head, plummeting to the ground. "My dear Sebas-chan," Grell cooed, landing beside the butler, "If only we could have more time! But alas, it must end here." The princess for once agreed with the shinigami; this fight ended now. She wondered why she and her sister hadn't stopped this monster in the first place. Benefit of the doubt, Celestia had said, but Luna knew better. Alighting her horn, she levitated the device, but Grell kept a firm grip. "Luna-chan! What do you think you're doing?" He protested, "Let go so I can--gah!" Before he knew it, his feet were no longer touching the ground as he and his scythe were lifted. She tried to shake him off, but the reaper was perservering and made sure not to let so much as one finger slip. "STOP IIITT!" He hollered as she spun him around, stopping him facing Ciel. "Oh, now there's an even better idead~!" He chuckled, revving the engine. Luna struggled not to release the death-ridden weapon, no matter how much it fought against her. However, when it came to life in her magical aura, she panicked and let go, falling to one knee. Always the eager opportunist, Grell dashed to the earl, whose eyes widened some at the sight of a chainsaw-wielding maniac slashing at him. Sebastian, sensing his master's fear, darted in to either take the blow or stop the attack, whichever best saved his master. He was too late; Luna threw herself into the line of fire. Twilight covered the crusader's eyes, not wanting the fillies to see as their lunar princess was dyed red. Luna started to fall, when everything froze. Nopony could see it, and neither could Ciel, but a rush of film spattered out with the blood. "Her Cinematic Record..." Grell mused, "Well, this is something. I didn't expect ponies to have Cinematic Records. Hmm..." He stepped forward, peering into her life. ~//////~ "My sister and I were as close as ever. We ruled all of Equestria together, alternating the day and night with our extraordinary powers. The sun's rays that Celestia brought forth warmed everypony's hearts and gave them life and light to frolic in. Why couldn't I see that? Why couldn't I have seen how happy she was? Why6 didn't I see how happy everpony was? Why...did I let jealousy...overcome me? "I tried to take away the light and shadow them in eternal darkness! If my sister hadn't have stopped me, I would've...well, who knows? In the end, she did, thankfully, even if it meant I was to be imprisoned for a thousand years in my own celestial embodiment, the moon. "Luckily, the second time around, I had the Elements of Harmony to put an end to my horrible deeds. So many mistakes, so many lives I nearly destroyed by taking away the sun. I tried to get rid of the sun itself! I tried...to get rid of...my sister..... "I don't deserve to still be here...I shouldn't be forgiven...I am evil. I am darkness. I am the night....no....I am...Nightmare Moon." ~//////~ The record cut off as a surge of shadowed mist flooded the air. "Hey, what gives?!" Grell shouted as his Death Scythe was knocked from his hands, clattering to the ground. A dark shadow swept over them all, knocking them back. The ponies quickly retreated, fearing the worse. Ciel stood, hovewever, watching it unfold. That alicorn ahd just saved his life, risking hers instead. Now, whatever the Death Scythe had done was taking its toll on her. From what he had gathered, alicorns were immortal, and he wasn't even sure how a shinigami's weapon would work on something that wasn't human. As he was analyzing the possibilities, he almost didn't see flash of darkness enveloping the area nearest Luna. It pricked at his feet, pushing him back. "Sebastian!" He called, to which the butler picked him up and ran, trying to escape the pursuing shadows that clawed at his legs and attempted to pull him back. The few seconds of running halted as it caught them, moving faster than the demon. The chase seemed to move in slow motion in the earl's mind as he desperately sought for some way to make it out. The space had to have a limit to it; the darkness couldn't expand forever, he noticed, as it began to slow its pace. They could make it; he knew his butler wouldn't let him die. Grell picked up the sscythe and dashed away, his superior speed outmatching the darkness. "Even if I am a lady, I'm still a shinigami to die for! Take this!" He revved the chainsaw and flung it directly at the source of the miasma. A surge sprng forth upon impact. Ciel's eyes widened at the sight of the nightly darkness completely envelop the demon's leg, ceasing with the linb in its grip. Sebatian was cemented there, the mist creeping up his leg and toying with the earl's dangling feet. Pulling himself closer to the butler, he barked orders. "Sebastian! Stop standing there and run! I order you to save me! Do you hear me? I command you!" "Yes, my lord," the demon whispered, and kneeled, setting the boy down in front of Twilight and Pinkie. "Watch over him for me," he said to the pony, then turned back to his master. "Sebastian, what the hell do you think you're--" The butler placed a finger on the boy's lips, hushing him. "I am going to save you. However, I'll have to deal with this first. I shall return shortly, mi'lord." He stood and faced the darkness, fiery eyes glaring at the shadows dancing right at the edge of where the ponies and the earl were. Taking a step, he strolled into the abyss. As the miasma accelerated its capture, he started to a run, going head-in. The night retreated with him, taking him in. Grell rushed forth as well, snatching the scythe up once more. "Oh, no you don't! You can't have my darling Sebas-chan!" He sank the rotating blades into the heart of the darkness, hearing a distorted shriek. With a pulse of mist, the streets became utterly dark. The moon and stars had vanished, leaving nothing. Luna was collapsed on the grass next to Grell, the scythe stuck in her side. "Princess!" Twilight galloped over to the fallen mare. She immediately regretted it as a pair of feathered wings fanned out, flapping mechanicaly as the body attatched lay limp. The eys turned to look at Twilight, soulless yellow beads plunging into the unicorn. The chainsaw dislodged and fell next to Grell, not a stain of blood on it, much to the dismay of the reaper. She looked down at the shinigami, lightening her horn. "YOU, FILTHY SHINIGAMI, ARE TO COME WITH US!" She bellowed, lifting him. "AND TO YOU, PONIES OF EQUESTRIA...NIGHTMARE MOON..." she grinned, chuckling as she straightened her posture in the air, "HAS RETURNED!" A thunderclap and flash of lightning struck the ground before the alicorn, allowing her to soar off in a puff of smoke. Coughing, the ponies and human stepped forward, using Twilight's horn to see in the pitch black. "This is terrible!" Pinkie exclaimed, summng up the situation quite well. "So that red guy was evil! And I let him have some of my cupcakes...how could he? Not ot mention N-N-Nightmare Moon! Twilight, what are we gonna do?" The unicorn hung her head, sighing, "I'm not sure..." Ciel searched the area, getting worried as he saw absolutely nothing. There was no butler. "Where...where are you...dammit..." He swore, catching the ponies attention. "Sebastian! Stop hiding." He waited, not getting an answer. "I said come out! Now!" A breeze blew by, echoing in the silence. "Sebastian...what the devil happened? Where is he?" He turned to them, not getting a repsonse from them, either. "Where are you?!" ~//////~ "Wake up, vermin." The prodding in his side, prompted Sebastian to stand, dusting off his clothes. Around him, millions books were shelved to the ceiling the lower levels below a mirror image. He stood, seeing the spectaled face of the shinigami who had woken him. Adjusting his glasses with the tip of his scythe, he spoke, "I don't know what you think you're doing here, devil, but this is no place for your kind. How you got here is beyond me, and why you were sleeping on the floor is a bigger mystery. Not to metnion I don't see your master around. Has he let you off your leash for the time being? That would be most troublesome." Sebastian smiled back, "It's good to see you, too, William. And I am not the problem here; your subordinate, however, has given my master and I much ill fortune lately." He chuckled inwardly as he saw the slight change in expression behind the shinigami's glasses, clearly irked. "As for my master," the demon continued, "He is actually in need of some assistance, and I do believe your help would make up for the mishaps that certain reaper caused." "How awful. Once mroe I need to apologize to a lower being, even more regretably the same one a second time. I'm guessing it's Sutcliff again, too, so please tell me what he's done and I'll assist you." With as straight a face as ever, Sebastian answered, "He slashed Princess Luna, an alicorn ruler of Equestria, revealing the equine's cinematic record and apparently waking some villainous evil inside her called Nightmare Moon. Now, I fear my master is trapped there in Ponyville, and I wish to find some way to bring him back. You might as well, since you'll have to fetch your subordinate, who may or may not have sent us all there in the first place." William stayed completely silent as he processed the ridiculous story, trying to decide whther to help the demon or kick him out for mocking him. "You've finally lost it," he said, fixing his glasses, "Or at least, that's what I'd tell anyone else if they tried to convince me of something so ludicrous. I suppose I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, though." The shinigami walked over to a row of doomsday books, searching for the right one. "Although if this really is a joke, I'll have to shove my scythe--oh, here we are." He took down one that looked to be only a decade old, belonging most likely to a child. "Ciel Phantomhive's book. Let's just take a look..." After flipping through the ages to the most recent one, he skimmed over. "Either the boy's lost it, too, or had a bad dream," he said, "Again, I'd say that to anyone except one I know to be of sane mind. Let's see...hmm...looks like there's more..." The letters jotted themselves down on the page, forming a new paragraph. "Seems he's looking for his lost dog. And...hmmm..." Adjusting his glasses once more, he read, "Ciel is calmed down by Twilight Sparkle, who offers to let him stay at her house for the time being..." He gave the butler a glance, seeing no surprise at that sentence. "And then..." he continued, "Before he can leave, he is taken instead by..." He paused, not wishing to say the name. "Sebastian, does that read..." With a nod from the butler, he sighed, "Where did you say they were?" "Equestria, more specifically a town called Ponyville. From what I gathered, equines and other subspecies, such as unicorns and pegasi, are the dominant inhabitants, as Ciel was the first human they'd ever seen." The butler stated it all as fact without so much as a snigger. He was telling the truth. "Very well," he said, taking out a pen, "I can try to bring him back." He scrawled in, "Ciel Phantomhive is suddenly relocated into the shinigami library." They waited, seeing nothing happen. The words vanished with a black glow, similar to the magci unicorns used. "That's odd," Will commented, "I suppose I can't get him back ehre then." He wrote instead that Sebastian appeared next to Ciel, but once more the dark magic crossed out the words. Sighing, Will surmised, "Something's interfering. I cannot get anyone in or out." Sebastian smiled, "That's quite alright. I shall find another way. Until then, I have another request in lue of that." Relunctantly, the shinigami complied. "I wish for him to be put in the care of the one who found him. I believe it is Twilight Sparkle." Raising an eyebrow, the reaper inquired, "Are you sure you'd trust that a pony could defend him?" With a devious grin from the butler, he understood. "As a reaper, I do have that sort of power--with the consent of the demon involved, of course, since he is already marked prey." Senastian nodded, prompting Will to put the pen to the paper. "There. 'Until Sebastian returns or Ciel returns home, the one who found and is caring for Ciel will become his temporary Butler with equal powers.' Is that alright?" "Yes," Sebastian thanked him, "That is perfect. I can now concentrate on getting him back home. He should be fine in the care of Miss Sparkle, after all."
