Hello! Alright, I'm going to lay out a couple of ground rules for my version of Hell, because if I didn't, I'd have to cut off the story to explain things, which I don't want. So, here you are, Demons 101: The Cultures and Customs of Hell.

-Demon children, called fledgelings, are an extremely rare occurrence, with one fledgling being born every thousand years or so.

-It is in every demon's nature to care for a fledgling, should they not have a parent. To abandon or kill a fledgling is a crime punishable by death.

-All demons go into mourning upon hearing news of a fledgling's death.

-Demons wear black. When they are not wearing black, it means something is out of the ordinary. I will explain which colours mean what in the story.

-Upon hearing news of a fledgling's death, all demons must show the colour of mourning (white). Those who have killed a demon child will be unable to wear that colour, making it easier to identify the culprits.

-Feeding methods are the same as in my other story, "A Change of Plans". For those who haven't read it, basically mouth-to mouth/kissing.

-When hungry, a fledgling will wail, causing any nearby demons to come to it's aid.

-Fledglings can die of starvation. Fully-grown demons cannot. Fledglings need sleep, fully-grown demons do not.

Yes, the clothing part makes no sense whatsoever. I wanted to make my version of Hell completely different from all the normal versions of Hell. I succeeded, didn't I?

Enjoy!

A tall, handsome man sighed as he glanced around the arid landscape. This was closer to what humans expected of Hell, but it wasn't where most demons lived. He simply enjoyed the solitude. In truth, Hell was much like Earth. It had lush forests, bright (albeit red) sunshine, crystal clear lakes...in fact, the man thought that Hell was an even more breathtaking place than Earth. The red sunshine, coupled with blue skies and clear water gave the world a soft purple glow, while the constant mist gave the landscape the feel of a perpetual twilight. All in all, it was extraordinary, even in dry, mountainous places such as the one he currently stood in. The man sighed again. He enjoyed simply walking and letting his imagination carry him wherever it pleased, and today was no exception. His thoughts, however, were cut short as he rounded a corner and saw a young fledgling lying motionless on the ground.

He raced towards the child and picked him up off the ground. His hair and clothes were dirty from laying on the ground, and he looked pale and sickly, as though he hadn't fed in ages. But how could the fledgling die of starvation? Surely he wasn't the only person to travel through these parts, and no demon would ignore the wails of a hungry fledgling. Not that it mattered anymore, the man thought with a frown. He gently lifted the fledging into his arms and turned back towards the main area of Hell. A fledgling had been killed. The Lord of Hell needed to be informed. The culprit needed to be identified and punished. His clothes changed from black to white as he walked towards the palace, signifying the worst of all sorrows: the death of a demon child.

xxx

As he entered the palace gates, there were gasps from everyone, and the room became filled with white as the surrounding demons all donned the colour of Mourning, the better to spread the news and identify the killer. The secretary stepped aside, head bowed, and allowed the man to pass into the main hall.

The moment he entered the room, the Lord of Hell sat up in his throne, shooing away the servants. The man bowed before the throne, the fledgling still in his arms.

"My Lord Satan, I bring grievous news."

Satan was tall, like many demons, and handsome. He had deep violet eyes, black hair, and wore a simple black suit with a purple tie to match his eyes. The suit and tie, however, turned white as he caught sight of the motionless child held in the man's arms. He knelt down next to the man to examine the child.

"Starvation. This fledgling was abandoned." He said with a scowl before looking up at the man. "Where did you find him?"

"I was wandering the mountains when I happened across the fledgling. He was alone, there were no demons nearby. I brought him straight to you, My Lord." Satan nodded.

"Spread the word. We need to identify the murderers as soon as possible. They will be brought to justice, and-" He stopped short with a gasp. The fledgling had emitted a high-pitched grunt, the tiniest of wails. The fledgling was alive.

Sebastian, being closest to the fledgling, wasted no time in feeding the young demon the souls he had recently consumed, stopping only when eyes, an uncommon, sapphire blue, opened to meet his. As the fledgling silently took in his new surroundings, the two demons changed their clothes, the man to relieved gray, Satan to salmon pink, indicating the search for a criminal. Satan then touched the child's face, getting his attention. With a gentle smile on his face, he spoke.

"I'm glad you're awake, young one. What is your name?" The little fledgling cleared his throat before speaking.

"Ciel."

"Can you tell me what happened to you, Ciel?" Ciel shook his head.

"I don't know. The last thing I remember is being hungry, and then I woke up and you were here. I...I should remember, but I-I can't. I don't know why." The fledgling scrunched up his face, trying to remember, but Satan gently patted him on the shoulder.

"It's alright. The hunger has taken away your memories. They will likely come back with time and a good parent." At this, Satan turned to the man.

"You will care for this child?" The man bowed, wrapping his arms tighter around the fledgling.

"He will want for nothing." Satan nodded.

"Good. I will see see to it that the culprits are caught and brought to justice. Report the condition of this fledgling to me, and tell me if he regains his memories. You may go." The man bowed and rose to leave, carrying the sated child with him, who was beginning to fall asleep.

"Oh, and one more thing." The man turned back towards Satan, an inquisitive look on his face.

"Your name?" The man smiled as his fledgling nodded off against his shoulder, with the young demon's breath tickling his neck.

"Sebastian Michaelis, My Lord."

So, as I said, this is my latest story. I don't know what's gotten into me today…well, I got on the computer. Once I get on, I upload like crazy. I don't have time to actually write because I'll need to practice, but I have stories, and I would publish them if I wasn't lazy ^^