Disclaimer: I do not claim any rights to Black Butler/Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters as they are the sole property of Yana Toboso.

A/N: Hello everyone! Welcome to the second chapter of Checkmate. Even though the first chapter caused some problems for a few reviewers, I hope that they've seen (and appreciated) the corrections I made. In addition, I would like to thank Drowning In Ice for proofreading this chapter and for agreeing to be my beta. You rock my socks! :)

The "IMPORTANT WARNING" I posted at the beginning of Chapter 1 still applies.

-sSs-

Chapter 2: Reflections and Rebirth

The demon Marquis Naberius had not planned on becoming so obsessed with his newest "Master."

Once the covenant was made, he had felt nothing but mild amusement as he integrated himself to the mortal world by becoming the boy's butler and taking on the name Sebastian Michaelis. Although it was beneath him, he willingly became both knight and servant to the last Phantomhive lord. Within the first few months he began to enjoy his new role. There were just so many humans that needed to be "disciplined" and, as his master was now the leader of the mortal underworld, he had the distinct pleasure of carrying that out.

By the time the year was out he had come to crave both his role and his little "Master." It was made all the sweeter because he knew Ciel would eventually be his – mind, body, and soul.

Unlike Hell, where his passion for the arts and the sciences took back seat to his responsibilities as a lord of Hell, he was able to show off his gifts and was in turn envied for them. All who watched Sebastian were left in awe. Everyone, except for Ciel. Perhaps that is where this infatuation began. Ciel was never impressed with anything Sebastian did, whether it was making an unparalleled dinner or taking down the Italian mafia with nothing but knives and forks. The more perfect he was, the more his Master ignored him.

Lord Ciel might as well have been playing hard to get.

It didn't help that Lord Ciel was beautiful both in body and soul, despite the obvious damage of both. His eyes in particular were enrapturing. A cerulean blue, they could both freeze and enflame anyone who met his gaze. Combine that with his porcelain skin, cherubic face, and midnight hair… he was devastating. Sebastian knew from the beginning that if he wasn't careful he might grow attached to the little human. As he was hell bent on consuming Ciel's soul, that might have become problematic.

Sebastian fought these possessive feelings throughout his second year of service to the young Phantomhive lord. However, it proved pointless. By the time he entered his third year of service, the demon butler had changed his plans for Ciel: instead of being his next supper, the young Earl was going to become his Consort. To do this, Sebastian had to turn Ciel into a demon.

It wasn't impossible; it was just rarely done these days. The process, particularly for a mortal soul, was rather gruesome. It was commonly accepted by all demons that the souls of mortals were not strong enough to survive the entire process. In the entire history of hell, only six humans had survived the process intact. The others (and there were many, many others) had either gone completely insane or were nothing but shells of their former selves. However, Sebastian knew that Ciel could be the seventh human to be successfully turned… he just needed to be molded a bit.

-sSs-

The demon lord took a deep breath, savoring the ungodly stench of Hell. From every direction he could hear the screams and moans of tortured souls – a delightful symphony that was occasionally punctuated by the diabolical laugh from one of his demonic brethren. The black gravel beneath his heeled boots hissed and steamed as he tread upon it, but he paid it no attention as he leisurely made his way up the path to his dark palace. Both sides of the trail were flanked by the rows of trees he had diligently made by hand. Instead of wood, these trees were made of interwoven arms, legs, and entrails from the humans he had "served" at one time or another. He always loved to make a lasting impression on his demonic visitors while showing off his artistic talents.

The doors to his home opened as he approached. Out of the darkness came the groveling forms of his shade-like slaves, better known as the dybbuk. In life each of these forsaken human souls had carried out one of the seven deadly sins. As a lord of Hell, Sebastian had the pleasure of getting many the souls who succumbed to pride. Most of these damned souls had gained fame and riches through the misfortune of others and, as a result, they were forever bared from the gates of heaven. They were his playthings, although toying with them had long past become tiresome.

Sebastian ignored their subservient pleading and continued on into his decadent fortress. He gave the grand entrance hall a quick glance, humming quietly in pleasure. All was as he had left it. Everything – walls, floor, and columns – were made of polished black marble with thin ruby veins. Strategically placed on each wall were beautifully morbid paintings of his own making. Several depicted scenes of fallen angels, their shame forever frozen by his masterful brushstrokes. A few other paintings depicted scenes from the past – baby boys being ripped from their mother's arms and thrown into the waiting jaws of reptiles; piles of bodies covered in oozing black sores; men and women, both young and old, burning at the stake while a self righteous mob watched.

Yet others showed events that were to come – men standing behind barbed wire, their bodies so emaciated that they looked like living skeletons; ridiculously tall buildings seemingly built out of glass and metal billowing smoke and fire; the charred remains of men, women, and children covered in white, oozing sores lying discarded on the street while huge metal machines flew over them like so much garbage. No matter where one looked, scenes of pain, death and violence would be looking back. They were tributes to the success of his brethren, many of whom had played a large part in making sure these events occurred. It made a demon feel right at home.

The demon Marquis continued on, neither glancing over nor slowing down when a dark shape detached itself from the ceiling and dutifully hovered behind him.

"Welcome back, Master. I made sure everything remained as you had left it. I trust your hunt went well." The dark shape coalesced into a petite Strige demon, whose job was similar to that of a housekeeper in the mortal world. It was her duty to make sure the palace ran smoothly while administering swift and ruthless punishment to any staff who disobeyed her orders. Sloth was not tolerated in Naberius' domain. She glanced down at his clawed hand, just noticing that he was carefully clutching something. He eyes widened when she realized that it was the small, blacked soul of a mortal child. She licked her lips hungrily – the souls of human children seldom made it down to hell and were therefore considered a rare delicacy. "My, lord, might I ask what you plan to do with-"

"That is none of your concern, Carnelle." Sebastian coldly cut her off, in no mood to deal with her impertinent question. "It seems you have become lax and forgotten your training while I was gone… how disappointing. I wonder if the rest of the staff suffer from the same problem? Well, I'll be addressing that soon enough. Now, go to Uphir and tell him I need his assistance. It is a matter of upmost importance." He continued on, determined to make it to his personal wing without further interruption.

Carnelle stood frozen in terror as she watched the retreating back of her master. In her hunger, she had ignored her training and questioned her lord. She quivered in revulsion, knowing what her punishment was to be. She could already feel the groping, bruising hands of the master's personal guard. Her lord rarely punished the staff himself – instead, he gave them to his guard to do with what they will. It accomplished two goals: it punished those who disobeyed him while rewarding his personal guard for their continued loyalty. And because demons could not reproduce, nearly all demons were bisexual. Thus the members of the guard couldn't care less about the wrongdoer's gender. As long as there was an orifice to fuck, they were content. And even then, she had heard one of them say, "A hole is a hole. And if the ones they have aren't good enough, we can just cut open a new one."

Desperate to get back in her master's good graces by retrieving Uphir quickly, Carnelle took off towards the Acheron River, all the while begging in her head, My lord, please! I beg of you, I'll be good, I swear! It'll never happen again! However, there is no mercy in Hell. That was a lesson she needed to learn early once in her existence.

-sSs-

Closing the heavy doors of his study room with a flick of dark power, Sebastian finally allowed himself to look down and admire the soul of his future Consort. It continued to stroke itself against his clawed hand, as affectionate as a little kitten.

He was still feeding Ciel's soul a small stream of his power, knowing that it was essential part of the transformation process. However, he needed the physician's help in order to make a demonic body identical to Ciel's mortal one. Otherwise, it might come out… less than ideal.

Disgusted with himself and his inability to accomplish this monumental task without assistance, Sebastian strode behind his desk and sat down on his throne-like chair made of cured human skin and demon bones. The demon lord soon became lost in thought, occasionally stroking black soul possessively using two clawed fingers.

It wasn't long before he heard a hesitant tap on the study door. Hesitantly, as if terrified of displeasing her master further, Carnelle quietly opened the door and sunk to her knees on the floor.

"Uphir is here to see you, Master."

"Excellent. Now go present yourself to lieutenant Mullock, I'm sure he'll find something useful for you do with that impertinent mouth of yours."

Seeing his kneeling servant tense up, Sebastian asked silkily, "Do I detect a hint of revulsion? And I thought I was being particularly lenient. Very well, I'll make sure to notify Mullock that he displeases you. I'm sure he'll find it amusing. Now go."

Carnelle did as she was told, making sure to keep her eyes off the ground and her body relaxed. But inside, she was falling apart. While all the staff feared the members of the guard, the lieutenant was the stuff of nightmares, even for other demons. Mullock had not risen to his current rank by toadying up to the Master. No, he had earned his position through pure viciousness and strength. Towering over ten feet tall and covered in oozing putrid lesions, he was a true monster who was unfortunately also monstrously well endowed. When he finds out that I find him repulsive… Trying not to crumple to the ground, Carnelle staggered towards the barracks.

-sSs-

Sebastian remained seated as the cloaked figure of Uphir bowed before approaching his desk. In a hissing voice, Uphir asked, "Greetings, my Lord. How might I be of service to you?"

"I need you to help me create a demon body."

Uphir raised a single eyebrow in amusement. Fortunately for him it was hidden by the cowl-like hood of his cloak. Keeping any hint of mirth from his voice, he replied, "My Lord has more power than I could ever hope of possessing. Creating a demon should be child's play for someone as great as you."

Sebastian waved his statement aside. "That is not the problem. I know I have the necessary power. However, I need this demon body to house a mortal's soul. In addition, it must look identical to the human's body."

Uphir twitched, unable to mask his surprise. It had been over a thousand years since a demon lord attempted to animate a demon body using a human's soul. The last lord who had attempted this and actually succeeded had been Stolas, one of the High Princes of Hell. If Uphir had not been there to assist in the procedure, the mortal soul would have rejected its new body and destroyed itself in the process. Even then, it had been a close call. And to make it look identical to the original? A truly daunting task.

Seeing that the Marquis was disgruntled by Uphir's minor faux pas, the demon physician bowed his head in silent apology before replying. "Excuse me for my impudence; I was merely caught off guard. I would be honored to assist you in this endeavor. If I might make a suggestion? It would be best if we did this as soon as possible – otherwise the soul will become use to its incorporeal state and the process will become all the more difficult."

"By all means, let us do this now."

"Excellent. May I see the soul in question?" Glancing as it, Uphir hummed in appreciation. "Yes, truly magnificent, and so very young. Well my lord, in order for his body to be exactly as you wish, it will require a personal sacrifice..." Suddenly suspicious, Sebastian glared at the demon physician – daring him to finish his statement. Uphir hastily continued, "It will require a sacrifice of flesh, such as a limb or an organ."

Sebastian contemplated for a brief moment before coming to a quick decision. "Come, let us go to my private quarters. I know what I shall offer."

-sSs-

The circle of power was completed. Within, the demonic Marquis's personal seal had been painstakingly drawn using virgin blood. With a nod from Uphir, Sebastian carefully placed Ciel's small black soul inside the seal where it lazily glided to the center before sinking to the ground.

Stepping back, Sebastian began the incantation:

I llac nopou eht Secreff fo Senkrad,

Ot tsissah em ni sihte ksat.

Guorht eht rewoup dehtfig ot em

I lahs irrac tou sihte krad deed.

The seal began to glow an ominous red, yet the soul inside did not seem overtly phased. It continued to float right above the floor, but now a hazy outline of a humanoid body started to manifest around the soul. It was at this point that Uphir took over the incantation.

Eht eid si tsac, eht tnanevoc nward.

Morf sihte dnob a wen eno si degrof.

Guorht eht llew fo ruoy Retsam,

Uoyi lahs eb damer.

Uphir approached Sebastian and, in one swift movement, punched his clawed hand through Sebastian's chest. When he ruthlessly pulled out his fist, he held Sebastian's still beating heart. This was then thrown into the dark circle of power where it landed next to Ciel's soul. Sebastian continued to stand stoically despite the gaping hole in his chest. This seeming mortal wound would not heal until the spell was complete and it was essential that he invoked the next part of the incantation.

Ti si guorht sih dereffo ehself tat

Ruoy niks llew eb edam llap sa enob.

Reve dehsi-melb-nu yeb sebenuow denae emit.

Ruoy seye llew eb sa eulb sa seriheppas,

Rouy merof tob gnuoy denae elppus.

Deeh Em!

Ro few lahs tel gnihton esele mo cot sap.

Grem flusruoy ot rouy wen merof,

Denae od os won htrof etsah.

Sebastian fell silent, and watched as his sacrifice of flesh began to expand and contort. It was as if invisible hands were molding the heart like a lump of clay. Within moments, the heart had grown and morphed into a young male's humanoid body - an exact duplicate of Ciel's mortal one. Reluctantly, as if knowing what was about happen, Ciel's soul flew into its new demonic body. The corps began to convulse and shake immediately upon the contact with. This was the critical moment – if the soul did not meld with the body, there was no hope for the Marquis' new plaything. The soul would simply fizz out like a dying candle. Uphir again picked up where Sebastian had left off while feeding the spell much of his dark healing power.

Uoyi llew kool sa uoyi edid rofeb

Tub yht selor llew eb desrever,

Rehew ecno rofeb uoyi evag redro,

Won ti si uoyi ohwe lahs evres.

Syawla rebmemer ot mohew uoyi gnoleb

Denae ylpmoc ot sih reve hesiw

On regnol ae latrom era uoyi Ciel

Won uoyi era ae Trosnoc,

Reve ot mianer yeb ruoy S'Retsam edis!

Sebastian's chest wound immediately began to heal and a new heart began to grow. The spell was successful, Sebastian thought in elation. He watched as Ciel took his first breath, and lecherous thoughts began to fill his unholy mind. He had many things planned for Ciel's succulent little mouth.

"My lord, if that is all…?" Uphir hesitantly began. He had an idea what was going on in the Marquis' head and, while he wouldn't mind watching, he highly doubted the lord would feel the same way.

"Leave us."

With a bow Uphir carefully backed out of the room before turning around and hastily exiting the premises. He knew how possessive some of the demon lords could be. And I don't want to be anywhere on these lands when the Claiming begins.

Sebastian's red eyes began to glow brighter as he continued to watch the struggling Ciel.

-sSs-

Footnotes:

Dybbuk - a malicious or benevolent possessing spirit believed to be the dislocated soul of a dead person

Stolas - Great Prince of Hell, commands twenty-six legions of demons (twenty-five according to other authors), and teaches astronomy and the knowledge of poisonous plants, herbs and precious stones.

Strige - winged female demons from Macedonia who preyed on little children, drank their blood and ate their entrails. They were supposed to be the descendants of the Harpies

Uphir - A demon physician

Here is a translation of the incantation (notice that most of the words are just normal English words spelled backward – I did this because I figured demons would be tricky that way). I know it doesn't rhyme or anything, but I didn't see a reason to do so since any rhyming I did would be ruined when I translated it.

Demonic Creation Incantation

I call upon the Forces of Darkness = I llac nopou eht Secreff fo Senkrad,

To assist me in this task. = Ot tsissah em ni sihte ksat.

Through the power gifted to me = Guorht eht rewoup dehtfig ot em

I shall carry out this dark deed. = I lahs irrac tou sihte krad deed.

The die is cast, the covenant drawn, = Eht eid si tsac, eht tnanevoc nward.

From this bond a new one is forged. = Morf sihte dnob a wen eno si degrof.

Through the will of your Master, = Guorht eht llew fo ruoy Retsam,

You shall be remade. = Uoyi lahs eb damer.

It is through his offered flesh that = Ti si guorht sih dereffo ehself tat

Your skin will be made pale as bone, = Ruoy niks llew eb edam llap sa enob.

Ever unblemished by wounds and time. = Reve dehsi-melb-nu yeb sebenuow denae emit.

Your eyes will be as blue as sapphires, = Ruoy seye llew eb sa eulb sa seriheppas,

Your form both young and supple. = Rouy merof tob gnuoy denae elppus.

Heed Me! = Deeh Em!

For we shall let nothing else come to pass. = Ro few lahs tel gnihton esele mo cot sap.

Merge yourself to your new form = Grem flusruoy ot rouy wen merof

And do so now forth haste. = Denae od os won trof etsah.

You will look as you did before = Uoyi llew kool sa uoyi edid rofeb

But thy roles will be reversed, = Tub yht selor llew eb desrever,

Where once before you gave orders, = Rehew ecno rofeb uoyi evag redro,

Now it is you who shall serve. = Won ti si uoyi ohwe lahs evres.

Always remember to whom you belong = Syawla rebmemer ot mohew uoyi gnoleb

And comply to his every wish. = Denae ylpmoc ot sih reve hesiw

No longer a mortal are you Ciel = On regnol ae latrom era uoyi Ciel

Now you are a Consort, = Won uoyi era ae Trosnoc,

Ever to remain by your Master's side. = Reve ot mianer yeb ruoy S'Retsam edis.