Disclaimer: not mine.

Warning: distortions of the underworld, OCs, slight OOCs.

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, guys. I never expected this fic to get this much attention but it's encouraged me to write more. Sorry if the update was a long time coming but my work progress has always suffered the same speed. My apologies, and thanks for your continuing support. I hope you'll like this chapter.

Entrance Fee: chapter two

30 June 2009

"The name Sebastian Michaels is derived from Father Sebastian Michaelis, isn't it?"

Ciel was glad for Sebastian's spell. The constant screams of hell's resident would've sucked the energy out of the strongest man but the new silence made him tense with worry. It was an unnatural silence. Ciel wanted to break it, even if only with his own voice. "What's your real name, demon?"

They have been walking for hours, or at least that was how it seemed to Ciel. He wasn't sure if time applied in hell, where everything seemed to drag on forever.

"We demons do not initially have names," the handsome demon explained, "but we grew tired of being referred to by numbers, so we chose names for ourselves."

"Why then did you name yourself after a Dominican prior?"

"Because it's funny."

"Funny how?" Ciel said. "Funny because he was the human who tried to categorise demons or funny because he was part of a murderous inquisition despite claiming to be a holy man?"

"He is funny in the same way that you are funny," replied Sebastian.

The spell enabled Ciel to hear the barest of Sebastian's whispers like a light tremor between his ears. The young boy fancied that he could feel Sebastian breathe inside his head. The demon suddenly stopped without warning. Ciel walked right into Sebastian's back and inhaled the scent of blood and regret.

"We're here."

There was a deep chasm running across the ground like a terrible wound. In the vastness that was hell, the land was separated into two by this chasm; one side belonged to the human king and the other, to the demons and their superior. The only physical object connecting the two was a flimsy wooden bridge held up by rope. Despite the absence of wind, Ciel saw it sway.

He swallowed. "Do you usually take this path?"

"I usually fly." Sebastian's face was stuck in this perpetual mocking smirk that Ciel couldn't tell whether or not he was joking. Sebastian laid a hand on a tall, rough-hewn stone marker standing about two feet from the bridge and fingered the carved symbols running up its length. "Do you read Dante, young Phantomhive?"

Ciel raised his head and eyebrows.

"Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate," Sebastian recited in a flawlessly. "Abandon all hope, ye who enter. One of the demons thought it so appropriate, he set up this stone marker and carved these words to warn the mortals on this side from crossing over to ours."

"Why?"

Sebastian shot a look that matched Ciel's curious one. A slow grin spread across his face. "Because not all demons wish for humans to enter purgatory unnecessarily."

Ciel nearly snorted. A well-meaning demon? He would love to meet that one. But whatever snarky thoughts he had about nonexistent sincere demons were cut short when the ground beneath his feet started to tremble.

"This is your last chance to turn around, young Phantomhive. Once you cross this bridge, you will be among demons."

Ciel was cross. "I've already come this far. I'm not going back emptyhanded."

Sebastian smirked. "Very well. We should cross the bridge now." He offered Ciel a hand. The petulant boy took one look at the patronising smirk plastered on the demon's face and stomped towards the bridge himself.

He was halfway across when the ground shook again. The bridge swayed precariously under his added weight. Ciel held on to the rope so tightly his knuckles turned white. He tried to move but his legs refused to cooperate. They were frozen stiff with fear of falling over to - to what exactly?

He tipped his head over, peering over the edge of the bridge. Before he saw anything, calloused fingers slid over his eyes.

"That view is reserved for our permanent residents only."

Ciel let out a warbled gasp of surprise as he was hoisted onto a pair of arms like a girl. Sebastian quickly carried him over to the other side. There was a distinctive change in the balance of Sebastian's stride when he arrived at compact ground. Ciel was about to insist Sebastian put him down immediately when a sudden chill ran through his entire body.

Even the air froze when the Weekly Ascension took place. Ciel stared, wide-eyed with horror as a tower of green souls shot up from the darkness underneath the bridge. They glided against and between one another, looking like a singular writhing being, as they struggled to reach the surface.

Sebastian's spell blocked out all sounds but Ciel could feel the screams of pent up agony and determination wrestling deep inside him and it hurt. Ciel didn't realise he was screaming until he felt fingers cover his lips, coaxing him to stop. But the damage was done. They have heard him.

Ciel cringed as the screams he felt inside his head started to converse with one another.

"Look'it there in the demon's arms!"

"It's a boy?"

"It's a soul!"

"He's alive."

With that last word, those screams started to thrum with energy and twisted themselves together into a singular voice that poked Ciel's soul like hot iron with every word. "Give us the boy, Number Nine."

Ciel was trying so hard to block them out he didn't even notice Sebastian's fingers digging into him. He only heard his voice, reverberating calmly in his head. "Leave, you heathens. This boy is protected."

The souls cried and wrenched themselves away, and were ceremoniously dragged back into the darkness as their spurt of energy was lost. Slowly, the pain disappeared along with the ebbing screams and silence returned to Ciel. He slumped bonelessly in Sebastian's arm, relief weakening his every muscle. He saw black edging his sight and knew that unconsciousness was not long in coming. He curled his fingers into the front of Sebastian's shirt. "Tha - than..."

"Sleep, my Phantomhive."

Cheek pillowed against a strong chest and the last of his energy leaving him, Ciel did just that.

X

Number 56 looked up from his book when he felt Number 9 - or Sebastian, as he liked to be called - enter the First Circle. With a guest, he noted with a raised eyebrow. A human guest. The other eyebrow joined its neighbour. Snapping his book shut, he floated off his perch on the top of the wall and fell into step with Sebastian. He clucked his tongue at the limp human boy in Sebastian's arms. "What happened? Did he take a wrong turn and fall in here?"

"Something like that," said Sebastian. "Why are you on guard duty, Emm?"

Number 56 shrugged. "Lost a bet. Don't change the subject. That's a living human in your arms. There's no way he could've fallen into the demon realm by accident." He stared at Sebastian's impassive face and smiled crookedly. "He didn't, did he? Sebastian, is he a citizen from the human kingdom? You know we're not allowed to bring any of them over without the lord's permission."

"This boy came to hell himself. He isn't a subject of that human king."

"Sebastian, that boy is alive. Living human beings belong on the other side of hell with the other living beings. What did you tell the human king?" Number 56 paused. "You lied, didn't you?" His lips curled into a mystified grin. "Why, I wonder."

Sebastian walked on, refusing the other demon an answer. But Number 56 continued to dog him. "No, I take that back. I don't need to guess." Sebastian picked up the pace but Number 56 is relentless. "I can see your mind, Sebastian. I can predict - you're going to use that boy to escape this place." Sebastian walked even faster and Number 56 finally stopped in his tracks because Sebastian was about to enter the Second Circle and Number 56 wasn't allowed in there. "Our lord will not let you leave."

Sebastian turned and regarded Number 56, eyes narrowed coldly. "Then I will make him," he retorted before continuing on his way, unaware of the flicker of Ciel's red eyes.

X

Ciel opened his eyes several minutes after they left the other demon. He let out a soft groan to tell Sebastian that he was awake, tongue darting out to lick his lips and instead, tasting salty skin.

Above him, Sebastian gurgled bemusedly. "I hope you do not make a habit of licking demon fingers, young Phantomhive." Ciel straightened in alarm and nearly fell out of Sebastian's arms in the struggle. "Please don't do that. I don't want to drop you."

"Drop me? What are-" Ciel let out a small scream when he realised that he and Sebastian were at least ten feet above the ground. Sebastian hadn't been kidding about the flying. "Where are you taking me?"

"To my friend's den," Sebastian replied. Ciel blinked. Did he just say den? "You're tired and need some rest. This will also be a good time to tell me your story."

"My story..."

"You said you came to hell to find a demon, which means you have a request in mind. I think said demon has a right to know the details before considering the aforementioned request, don't you think?" Sebastian said it in such a teasingly chiding manner that Ciel hid his face.

He didn't raise his head until he felt the familiar bob of Sebastian's stride on ground and by then, they were already indoors.

Ciel blinked owlishly at the sight of paneled wood and carpeted rooms. This looked like home. "This is where demons live?"

"This is where my friend lives. He's in charge of the Second Circle, so he can fashion his residence any way he likes. He's rather notorious among you humans. I think you know him as...Asmodeus?" Sebastian pushed open a door, revealing a wide expanse of a room that looked very much like Ciel's sitting room back on earth, sans the two males making out on the chaise.

Sebastian cleared his throat. The two men broke apart. One of them fixed Sebastian with an annoyed glare. "What are you doing here, Sebby? Shouldn't you be having tea with - oh!" he exclaimed, upon seeing Ciel. He grinned cheekily. "Well, don't you paint a pretty picture."

Ciel cocked his head, confused, until he remembered that he was still in Sebastian's arms. He elbowed Sebastian in the chest, making him drop him. Ciel landed on the floor none too gracefully but with more dignity that one who had been in another man's arms. He beat Sebastian's hands away when he tried to help him up.

The demon Asmodeus laughed. "You sure know how to make me laugh, Sebby. Dominic, would you mind leaving us for a while?"

The other demon climbed off Asmodeus, nodding a greeting at Sebastian on the way out, which Sebastian ignored.

Asmodeus arranged his feet so he was sitting properly and gestured for his guests to do the same. "So what can I do for you, Sebby? An entire decade without a visit and now, you drop in unannounced with a boy of all things. What level is he?" Sebastian said nothing, which probably was answer enough for the other demon, because he smiled. "Uh oh, Sebby, what have you done?" he singsong-ed.

"I need a place to house him," said Sebastian straightforwardly. "Being from England, I assumed he would feel most comfortable here."

Ciel frowned, not ever remembering telling Sebastian where he came from. Asmodeus grinned. "You don't really have to ask, Sebastian. You know I would love to indulge you. He can have the South Wing. I hardly ever venture down there. You will be with him, I assume. I'm not going to be caretaker for your human."

"You won't have to worry," Sebastian assured him. "He is mine."

Asmodeus' grin turned a touch cruel. "I know."

X

The South Wing was as large as the entire Phantomhive estate, which was saying something. The corridors stretched off into so many directions, it was like being in a maze. Were it not for Sebastian surprisingly accurate intuitive sense of direction, Ciel would have been completely lost.

Sebastian led them to a magnificent bedroom and gestured for Ciel to make himself comfortable while he made sure that there was no one else around to eavesdrop on them. He locked the door behind him with a click.

Ciel was testing the firmness of the bed when Sebastian came down to sit beside him. He quickly stopped trying to bounce on the bed when he caught Sebastian smirking. He scowled heavily. "This wasn't what I expected hell to be like at all."

"What had you expected?" Sebastian wanted to know.

"I don't know. Pillars of fire and great gnashing of teeth? Mountains made up of human bodies? 'Abandon all hope, ye who enter', remember? Anything but this," said Ciel, flailing slightly.

"Perhaps you misunderstand that every human who comes to hell are afforded a grand tour like this. I have to tell you, young Phantomhive, you are the first. No human comes down to hell alive, unless he is summoned by the mortal king and even then, he only remains on the side of the humans. You are the first living person to step on the side of the demons. Don't you feel privileged?" said Sebastian with a nasty grin.

Ciel started. He bit his lip and looked away. Sebastian could only grin. If only this boy knew how his little actions inflamed his passions sometimes. Had Sebastian not been completely intrigued by this boy, he would've taken him the moment he touched the bed.

"I heard, you know," said Ciel, "you and the demon talking. He says that you weren't supposed to bring me here. That you were going to use me to escape. What are you planning?"

"What makes you think I will tell you anything about me when I haven't heard a single thing about you?" said Sebastian.

"Because you need me."

"And you need me."

"I could always find another demon."

Sebastian laughed. "You would be hard-pressed to find another demon who would be willing to lend you a hand, my Phantomhive. As you have heard earlier, it is against the law to bring anything living over to this side. It was one of the conditions agreed upon by Lucifer and the mortal king, Speces, when he signed a contract to loan some land here in hell. Speces could've stopped me from taking you from his court, had he remembered that rule. Fortunately, human memory is such a fallible thing."

"What will happen if he remembers?" asked Ciel.

"He'll want my head, I imagine. Possibly, he would try and bargain for more years on his contract. Lucifer already finds him insufferable. He'll have a fit if Speces finds enough footing to get more years."

"Then why did you bring me over? If you were going to get into so much trouble, why bother?"

"Because I loathe that king, and because our lord loves me." Again, Sebastian wore that smirk. Ciel couldn't guess the truth behind them. "I think I have answered more than enough of your questions. Now you answer one of mine. What brings you to hell?"

Ciel pressed his lips together, tight with displeasure. "Have you ever seen a human with red eyes, Sebastian Michaels? Luminous, iridescent red." He lifted his gaze to Sebastian to show the way the colour of his eyes changed with the flickering candlelight. Dark orange, ruby red, bright magenta, earthy brown and sometimes, a curious bice blue. "I've been cursed, Sebastian. That's why I came to hell: to break the curse my family placed on me."

TBC...