A.N. Hi. I'm terribly sorry about the short hiatus I took. Memories is on a temporary break due to me just being unable to write it properly. I've tried writing another chapter for it and... well... it just isn't happening yet, kids. Can you be patient and stick with me? I promise, I'll make it worth your while.
Anyways, this is just something that I've been wanting to write for quite some time. I've had a draft of it saved on my phone, but I just never got around to writing it. This is a crossover between Hetalia and the video game To The Moon. If you've never seen anybody play To The Moon or even played it yourself, I suggest you do so. This game is absolutely perfect. From the soundtrack to the graphics to the storyline. Everything is brilliant. So, I've replaced the characters from the game with Hetalia characters. There will be more significant changes in the plot the farther into this we get, so don't think it'll just all be so linear.
Enough of me talking. I'll let you proceed with reading. This should probably be done in about 12 chapters. Maybe a couple more, but no less than 12. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own the rights to any Hetalia characters or the game, To The Moon. I wish I was brilliant enough for that, but I'm not. I just manipulate them for what I wish to do.
"It's time," Ludwig Beilschmidt's private physician, Kiku Honda, stated.
Elizaveta, Ludwig's maid and caretaker, hushed her two children, Roderich and Matthew. She reached for the phone and smoothed some of her dark locks away from her face. "Shall I call them?"
Dr. Honda nodded, his dark locks falling in a curtain to obscure his eyesight, hide his dark eyes that were full of uncertainty. "Yes, call Sigmund Corporation immediately... I think Ludwig only has a few days left."
Elizaveta nodded slowly, turning to leave the room and go into the hall to make her call. "Alright. I'll call."
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx To The Moon xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
"Goddammit, Alfred! Where were you looking, you wanker?!" Dr. Arthur Kirkland cursed loudly, emerging from their smoking car.
His colleague, Dr. Alfred F. Jones, blinked slowly, feigning innocence.
"What's the problem, Arthur? I was just heroically evading a poor, defenseless animal."
"You crashed the company caaaaar!" Arthur yelled explosively.
"To save a squirrel!" Alfred protested.
"You killed it anyways." He pointed to the road, where a squished, furry mound of what had presumably once been a squirrel lay mangled in the street.
Alfred grimaced. "...oh. Well... we can just tell the boss that I was saving a puppy. He likes puppies, doesn't he?"
"...he's more of a cat person."
"Fine, whatever, we saved a cute kitten from its untimely demise." Alfred inspected the demolished car. "Yeah, this won't get us anywhere. Looks like we have to walk the rest of the way."
The duo started walking away, Arthur grumbling about the boss killing them as they did so. Suddenly...
"Wait, you idiot!" Arthur yelled.
"Whaaaaaaaat?!" Alfred asked in exasperation.
"You forgot the case," Arthur responded smugly, his accented voice practically dripping with his mockingness. "Get the case and hurry up." He hurried away, his white labcoat and light blond locks trailing behind him.
Alfred went to the car and opened one of the back doors. He retrieved the heavy silver case and tore after Artie.
Walking a short while up the path, they came across a boulder. "Who would put a boulder there?!" Arthur thought aloud.
"Maybe it's their security system," Alfred suggested.
"Bloody hell. We don't have time for this. Help me move it, Al. On three, we heave. One... T-"
"THREE!" Alfred yelled and attempted to push it out of the way. It bounced harmlessly off the path, landing in a bush and popping.
The Brit looked beyond baffled as he murmured, "Let's... just... I don't even."
"What WAS that?" the American asked loudly, wondrously.
"Not a boulder. That's for sure. Let's just..." Without another word, the blond-haired doctor stormed off.
"What about that thing?!" Alfred cried.
"We'll figure it out later!" Arthur responded without turning back.
"...riiiiiight." Sighing, Alfred went after him.
After multiple twists and turns through a maze-like forest, they stumbled upon the house. It was a beautiful piece of land, the moonlight shimmering in the distance and lighting the property up. It was massive, overlooking the ocean and a lighthouse. The sight was stunning, almost dreamlike in quality. The ivory light gave everything a gauzy appearance, faded around the edges. It was breathtaking.
"Wow. If this is what I had to look forward to when I was dying, I'd like to die tomorrow," Alfred said.
"Hush, Alfred," Arthur murmured. He knocked on the door, the rapping noise echoing lightly.
"Nightshifts: love 'em or hate 'em?" Alfred asked.
"You know the answer you bloody owl."
"It's probably going to be another all nighter, you know."
"I know."
"And I doubt they'd have any coffee... hell, or even any tea for you, my darling British man."
"Shut up, Al."
"...And the ocean waves will sing lullabies..."
Dr. Kirkland sounded exasperated as he murmured in a strained voice, "Not over your blathering, they won't."
"And your eyelids wil-" Alfred was interrupted by the sound of a deadbolt being unlocked.
The door swung open, and a young woman stood there. Slight in stature and thin, she was beautiful. She had dark, lustrous hair, lush berry-colored lips, and large, doe eyes. "Dr. Jones and Dr. Kirkland, I presume?" she asked lightly, a reserved smile causing the corners of her mouth to slightly pull up.
"Yes, that is us. Erm... are you Miss Beilschmidt?" Arthur stammered, nervous under the warm gaze of the gorgeous woman.
The woman's perfect eyebrows raised in surprise. "Miss Beilschmidt? Heavens, no. I'm Elizaveta, his caretaker. Running around are my kids, Roderich and-"
Elizaveta was interrupted by a young boy running headfirst into Dr. Jones. He seemed to be about six or seven, fueled by an endless supply of energy and propelled by scrawny, short legs. The kid looked up, his startling blue-violet eyes full of pure innocence, much like his mother's.
Elizaveta shook her head in mock dismay. "That's Matthew. Mattie, apologize to Dr. Jones."
The young boy ran his hands through his medium length, golden locks. "Sorry, sir, Dr. Jones, sir," Matthew stammered before barreling off down a hallway, screaming, "RODDYYYYYYYYY!" at the top of his lungs.
Arthur smiled fondly as the boy's small voice trailed away. "He's adorable. How old is he?"
Elizaveta grinned. "Matthew is seven and Roderich is four. By the way, I must thank you two for coming out on such short notice."
Alfred grunted. "No problem. I tend to be bad at predicting deaths as well. Now, I don't mean to interrupt your little chat, my friends... actually, I DO mean to interrupt your little chat. My arms are going to break pretty soon. Can we make our way up to Mr. Beilschmidt's room?"
Elizaveta blinked, her face flushing slightly in embarrassment. "Of course. I'm sorry, Dr. Jones. Right this way." She led the Dynamic Duo to the right, towards a staircase. They all plodded up the stairs, Alfred stomping gracefully and grumbling under his breath about the weight of the machine. Once up the stairs, the three crossed through a little doorway into the master bedroom.
In the bed laid a man who looked so fragile, easily broken by just one wrong move. His hair, a brilliant, sunshine yellowy-blond, was peppered with gray hairs around the temples. His face was serene, a mask disguising what he was probably feeling, the possibility of the pain and suffering, the heartbreak and the sadness.
"That's Ludwig," Elizaveta sighed sadly. She pointed to a man across the room, clad in a white labcoat much like the ones Dr. Jones and Dr. Kirkland were both wearing. "That's Dr. Honda, Ludwig's main physician."
Dr. Honda crossed the room, stopping in front of Alfred. He held out his hand to shake. "Pleasure to meet you, Dr. Jones."
Al cocked a blond eyebrow. "I'd love to shake hands with you, but I'm currently unable to. My arms are quite... preoccupied." He gestured with his chin to the very obvious shining metal object in his arms. "Where can I plug this in?"
Dr. Honda pointed to an outlet across the room. "Over there."
"Come on, Al. There's no time to waste." Yet Arthur, who spoke somewhat harshly to Alfred, stood in his way.
Downstairs, Roderich and Matthew began playing the piano. The melody was smooth, rhythmic. It was repetitive, but sweet sounding. Elegant.
"...those kids are pretty good for their age," Arthur remarked nonchalantly to Alfred.
"You're the one who says there's no time to waste. And, incidentally, I'm the one carrying the weight of a small meteoroid."
Dr. Jones scurried over to the outlet and nearly dropped the machine onto the floor, pretty content with the satisfying thud it resulted in. He began setup, Arthur falling into suit by his side.
"Are you sure a common household power outlet is sufficient?" Elizaveta asked, sounding mildly concerned, twirling some dark tendrils of her hair absentmindedly around her right index finger.
"No worries, we're the experts." Alfred sounded extremely cocky until the lights dimmed, going out. "...oh, crap." They came back on right as Elizaveta seemed to be on the verge of saying something. Alfred called, "Standard procedures! Just keeping ya on your toes!"
The machine whirred, signaling its powering on. Dr. Jones began programming it, typing in commands and recalibrating and whatnot.
"So, you two can grant him any wish?" Elizaveta questioned, looking intrigued.
"We can try to grant his wish," Dr. Kirkland answered honestly, grimacing slightly.
"But we always succeed because we're awesome," his American counterpart interjected.
Shaking his head in dismay, Arthur asked, "So, what's the wish?"
"The moon," Elizaveta answered simply.
"...the moon?"
"The moon. He wants to go to the moon."
"Geezers keep getting crazier, eh?" Alfred muttered to himself.
Shooting an icy glare at his companion, Arthur walked over to Ludwig's doctor. "How's he doing?" he questioned in concern, his thick eyebrows furrowing.
Dr. Honda frowned. "Not too well. If I were to guess, I'd say he has a day or two left."
Dr Kirkland nodded. "That's plenty of time," he stated, running a hand over his tired face.
"So, can you do it?" Elizaveta asked.
"...it depends." Arthur's voice was full of uncertainty, enough that is alarmed the Hungarian. Until-
"He meant to say 'yes'," Alfred interrupted, smiling broadly.
Scowling, the Brit commanded lightly, "Why don't you tell us about our client here?"
"I... I don't really know much," the woman admitted sheepishly, coiling and recoiling her dark chocolate locks around her fingers again and again. "Ludwig's a bit of an odd man... he's a recluse. The two years that I've worked here, he rarely ever spoke... to anyone. No phone calls, no words exchanged between him and me or him and my children... He worked as a craftsman for most- if not all- of his life, and his husband died two years ago... I don't really know many details."
Alfred nearly snorted. "I would've known more if I were his vacuum cleaner, for God's sake," he muttered, semi-jokingly.
Arthur stared venomously at the American, looking as if he were about to punch his coworker. "Shut up, you git. Just do your thing."
"Well..." Elizaveta began slowly, hesitantly. "I suppose if you look around the house, you could find out more. I don't believe Ludwig would mind, since he signed for you two."
The Brit hummed in approval. "Hm. Alright. So be it." He walked over to Alfred, sighing. "Alright, Al. Which one of us gets to play detective today?'
Dr. Jones beamed up at his counterpart, rising from his perch by the machine. "I'll do it!" he proclaimed proudly. "Not only am I the hero, but I also once played Sherlock Holmes in a high-school musical!"
"...I remember you playing Watson."
"Eh. Same thing, dammit. Just configure this." The American gestured wildly at the large platinum-colored contraption. "I got it started anyways."
Elizaveta smiled a bit at the duo's interactions with each other before quietly stating, "My kids can show you around. They're probably both at the piano still- Roderich hardly ever leaves it."
Alfred nodded sharply, briefly, his glasses sliding down his nose. He readjusted them before walking towards the door. He was about to go out into the hall and down the stairs when he heard Dr. Honda call after him, "Wait, Dr. Jones. Come back here, just for a moment. I have something for you." Sighing, he retreated back into Ludwig's room and made his way over to the doctor. The Japanese man handed over a small electronic device, compact enough to fit in his pocket with ease. "This will keep you updated on Ludwig's status."
The young American glanced down at the screen, examining the small machine. It displayed the German man's heart rate and his blood pressure, showing Alfred that both were steady enough for him to take his time exploring the house.
Cautiously, Alfred asked, "There isn't a self-destruct button on here, is there? I have a knack for finding those and... well... it never ends that well."
Dr. Honda snorted. "Just go, Dr. Jones."
The first room Alfred managed to stumble into was the bathroom. Eyebrows furrowing almost immediately, he began to scan the area. Turning on a lamp as he went, the doctor's trained, brilliant blue eyes found nothing out of the ordinary, nothing that would tell him about the man that lay dying in his bed. Everything was impeccably cleaned, from the rich brown tiles to the large white claw-foot tub. There were plants: a potted orange flower that the American could not name, but it was lightly fragrant, and plain-looking green foliage near the tub. The sink was pearly white, not even watermarks on the gleaming chrome spout. Nothing was lying out, medications, soaps, or even toothpaste. It was as if everything someone would need in daily life was wiped from this room, leaving it devoid of anything but the bare necessities.
Frowning a bit, Dr. Jones emerged and went to Ludwig's bookshelves. Nothing. Nothing important looking, nothing that caught his attention as being suspicious. Absolutely nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Exasperated, he exited the room and nearly stormed downstairs to talk to Elizaveta's children.
The two youngsters were still at the piano, their fingers flying over the keys as they continued to play the same melodic tune. It was repetitive, yet beautiful. A little haunting, serene. "What do you want?" the younger boy, Roderich, questioned. He seemed to be doing the most work in playing the large piano, his seemingly-expert skills coming in handy as he played the major portion of the song.
"Your mother told me that you two would show me around the house," Alfred responded simply.
"Hm... okay. Maybe we will," Roderich shot back, smirking.
"...maybe...?"
"...I think we just need a little convincing, that's all. Right, Mattie?" The younger of the two turned his brilliant violet eyes towards his brother, beaming. His brother simply flushed and looked away shyly, still tinkering away with his part of the melody.
Alfred cocked an eyebrow, nearly snorting in contempt. "Alright. Let's talk. What do you punks want?"
"We want... we want the candy cane that Mom hides from us," Matthew responded quietly, blushing deeply.
"Uh... what?"
"There's a giant candy cane on top of a high shelf that we can't reach. It's in the kitchen. Ma put it there to save for when we do chores. Get it for us, and we'll give you a tour of the house!" Roderich quickly lifted a hand from the ivory teeth of the beast he was taming, smoothing some of his dark tendrils of hair back smugly.
"What do you say?" Matthew asked, his voice so light Alfred had to strain to hear it.
"Well..." Dr. Jones began slowly, hesitatingly. "You're lucky I really don't want to walk up the stairs again, or I'd just go and tell your mother."
"The kitchen door is right next to the stairs. Now go!" And with a simple hand gesture, pointing the man in the direction of the door, Roderich went back to playing the piano with gusto.
Sighing, Dr. Jones walked towards the kitchen. "It's like a damn quest to get my night started," he grumbled under his breath, going through the doorway into the room. It was a simple kitchen, not extravagant in the least. A plain table with four chairs took up a good portion of the room, two sinks, plants, a lamp, and a small coffee-table taking up a good amount of what was left. There was a giant cabinet pressed against one wall, and the American could vaguely make out what appeared to be the candy cane on top of it. He knew there was no way he would be able to reach it, even if he jumped, so he took the small coffee-table and pushed it in front of the cabinet. Standing on top of it, Alfred retrieved the candy cane.
Sighing, he left the kitchen and made his way back to the children at the piano. "Alright, kiddos, I was against a lot of odds back there... but you know what? I'm the hero here. I saved you and got your candy cane." Alfred brandished it like a weapon, pointing at Matthew's and Roderich's faces. "It's probably a decade old and tastes like rubber... but hey! You could use it as a walking stick!"
Contently, Matthew took the object held out to him and tucked it away into his jacket. The brothers rose from the piano and stood before Alfred.
"Alright. Where do we begin?" Dr. Jones questioned.
Roderich's entire face seemed to light up, his violet eyes sparkling with excitement. "Oh, I know!" he exclaimed loudly, his voice echoing in the nearly-silent house. "There's this funny room in the basement."
"...I don't like that room," Matthew whispered, biting his lower lip.
"Uh... what kind of funny room are we talking about here, kids?" Dr. Jones' brows furrowed in confusion, maybe even a little bit of concern.
"You'll see," Roderich replied, grinning devilishly.
"It's weiiiiiird," Matthew whined, looking quite distraught over the possibility of going in there.
"We have to get the keys first. The old man hid them inside the study." Roderich took the corner of Alfred's labcoat in his hands and began practically hauling him towards the study. When they got into the room, he started pointing frantically at the desk. "The keys are in there!"
"What has my job come to?" Alfred asked under his breath, shaking his head, as he strolled over to the desk. He opened the drawer and- sure enough, there were keys in there. He snatched them and closed the drawer. "Okay, kids. ...to the funny room we go!"
"Roddy used to throw books at me and call it a bookfight," Matthew said softly, making a face. Leaning in, he whispered to Dr. Jones, "He's kind of mean."
Alfred chuckled lightly, ruffling Mattie's blond locks. "As long as I'm here with you guys, I'll make him stop being such a meanie-face to you. Okay? I promise."
Mattie's eyes brightened, and he beamed. "Really? Thank you, Dr. Jones!"
"Don't mention it, kid." Sighing, Dr. Jones left the study with both kids trailing not far behind him. He went into the basement, per Roderich's instructions. When he started walking down the stairs, however, the four-year-old took off sprinting down the steps. Alfred shook his head, knowing that if the kids got hurt, it would be his head on the line. Arthur was damn frightening when he was mad, and when children were involved? He shuddered just at the thought and made sure to keep these kids safe. Once he reached the bottom of the stairs, Alfred was sure to flip on the lamp. Right next to the light was a door he presumed to lead to the funny room. He took out the keys and found the one that fit the lock. With only a slight hesitation, Alfred unlocked the door and, after opening it, walked inside.
Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw next.
It was pitch black in the room, almost like a cave. Fumbling around, Dr. Jones found the lamp and turned it on. The light poured through the room, revealing why the kids thought it was so 'funny'. The entirety of the room was filled with origami rabbits. And, for some puzzling reason, a stuffed toy platypus was on a wooden pedestal-looking object, almost like a trophy. Alfred decided to take the hideous creature with him, not knowing if it had a major tie-in with Ludwig's past. He tucked it away into the folds of his labcoat, somewhere that would be safe as the exploration of the house went on, and the trio ventured forward.
Shaking his head, Alfred exited the room. The two children were waiting, almost anxiously, for him. "Wasn't that a weird room?" Matthew inquired, his eyes wide.
"What do you kids know about those rabbits?" Alfred asked curiously, eyebrows furrowed once more.
The young blond shook his head, appearing dismayed. "Nothing. The old man didn't want anyone to go inside and see, so we never told him we saw those."
"There are more of them, actually," Roderich blurted, his cheeks blooming with color.
"Where?"
"Inside the abandoned lighthouse," Matthew sighed. "It's just beneath this cliff."
"Want to go see? I have the keys!" The younger boy held up the gleaming keys, as if to entice Alfred into going forward, venturing through the forest to the lighthouse, to inspect the load of paper rabbits.
"...let me guess. You aren't supposed to go in there, either." Dr. Jones felt like he already knew the answer, but gave the kids the benefit of the doubt.
"...no."
"Remind me to never keep any locked cabinets around you two."
"So, do you want to go see the lighthouse?" Matthew asked, looking up at Dr. Jones curiously. "We'll take youuuuu."
"...well, it's rather windy outside. But... oh, to hell with it. I'm Dr. Alfred F. Jones. I'm the hero! Mere wind can't stop me!" He turned to the children, grinning. "Let's go see this lighthouse."
Together, the trio left the house and walked out into the woods. With Dr. Jones leading the group, they headed south towards the bottom of the cliff. Though he acted so nonchalant about the view, Alfred was actually in awe; Mr. Beilschmidt had an amazing piece of property to build this house upon. The forest was rather dense, thick, lush foliage and trees lining the dirt path upon which they tread.
Suddenly, Roderich yelled, "It's here! Mattie, look!"
Alfred paused, rather confused. "Uh...?"
"My novelty beach ball! Wait... who popped it?" The young boy's dark brows furrowed in his childish anger.
Dr. Jones glanced at what the boy was talking about. It was the 'boulder' that he and Dr. Kirkland had been flummoxed by. "...oh," was all he managed to say before moving forward. He continued on, leading the kids in what he hoped to be the right direction. Alfred assumed it must have been the right way- hopefully the kids would interject whenever he took a wrong turn. But, knowing these two, they probably wouldn't. Sighing, he just continued walking.
On the way to the lighthouse (or what Alfred hoped to be the way to the lighthouse) the three passed by the company car he'd so amazingly crashed. "It's smoking!" Roderich crowed. "Who's the dummy that crashed it?"
"That was... er... Dr. Kirkland. Yeah. He's a really bad driver... let's go."
Finally, after what seemed like hours (and one near-battle with a squirrel later) they reached the lighthouse. The structure was massive, well-kept, lit by the ivory moonlight. It was beautiful. But something on the side caught Dr. Jones' attention. "What's that?" he wondered aloud, walking towards it. As he got closer, he realized it was a gravestone. Etched into the smooth gray rock were the words 'IN MEMORY OF FELICIANO VARGAS'.
"Feliciano Vargas, eh?" Alfred questioned. "Was that Ludwig's husband?"
"I don't know," Matthew replied, almost sadly.
"Come onnnnn. The lighthouse is right here!" Roderich cried.
Sighing, Alfred left the gravestone and walked towards the lighthouse. "Alright, alright," he muttered. "Let's go into the lighthouse."
(to be continued)