It all started before the solstice.
A cold, merciless winter marked the beginning of a new era, one that would be known for its wars, for its killing, for its deaths.
The beings fighting in that war knew it would be all over in the blink of an eye. Their armies couldn't take it for much longer, their people were dying rapidly and soon they would meet their end. There was no option left other than to perish.
They all knew better other than to wage war against a powerful empire, especially against Germany. There was no reason anyone in their right mind would do that to themselves, much less to innocent people forced to go in.
Then, one of them dared to take a chance. He, the one known for his wisdom, gathered six others to start the ritual, a pact promising to keep the peace between all of them, but it came with a price.
And it all started at the dark mansion in the woods.
"So are we all here?" Arthur asked, finishing the pentagram with what was left of the chalk he held. He spun around to meet the six other men in the room, scanning them with his eyes as if to see how they were. "There's no time to lose."
"You know, it was difficult enough to find our way here with those creatures roaming around." Gilbert closed the door behind him, after Lovino took the front. "For a moment I thought we wouldn't be able to make it."
"That is the exact reason why I asked you all to come in pairs." Arthur replied nonchalantly. "I'm assuming you're in one piece and good enough to start the ritual."
"Are you sure this is going to work?" Sadik asked, raising an eyebrow, his voice holding a pinch of disbelief.
"Not only am I sure, but I also know it will." The Englishman replied, dusting off his robes. "Now, each of you grab an object and find your spot on the circle" he pointed to the long table before them. "Mihai was kind enough to lend us some material for the ritual, so we might as well get through with it."
"Don't be too cocky, though." Herakles looked up from the couch he was slumped in. "Your spells tend to fail more than to work." His commentary earned a snicker from Sadik and Yao, and a glare from the Englishman. Gilbert looked away, while Lovino and Feliciano came to a silent agreement of reacting to the joke.
"He's not wrong." Yao simpered, covering his mouth with his hand. "You do have a certain reputation among the others for making things catch on fire."
"Quit pestering him." Feliciano raised his voice above the others, to put an end on the conversation. He understood the attempt of making the situation lighter, but that was not the time or place for them to joke around, especially the joke took a toll on Gilbert, who was probably the most affected by the war. The laughter stopped and the silence took its place in the room again.
"This better fucking work, my brother's life is on the line." Gilbert mumbled, looking down at the table.
They did as said, each of them grabbing a totem, amulet or symbol scattered on the table, and they held tightly against their own chest as if their own lives depended on it. In a way, they weren't wrong.
The room remained in silence for a few moments, while the seven men concentrated on the enchantment, calmly repeating the words in their mind before the real action began.
For a moment, the circle seemed to glow a faint shade of green, the air in the room seemed to grow dense and dry, and they could feel the powerful presence radiating from the center of the pentagram. The flames from the five candles placed on each end of the pentagram went out, from the gust of wind coming from the open window. The room grew cold and the circle went back to its dull form.
"I see it really worked, Arthur." Sadik spat, mockingly. Arthur and Gilbert glared at the Turk, making him shut up instantly. The Englishman opened his mouth to retaliate, when he felt a tug in the pit of his stomach.
There was a sudden shift on the atmosphere.
"Over here, boys."A masculine voice spoke up from the back of the room. There was definitely something wrong. The nations turned around to face the unfamiliar voice, finding a man in a full black suit, looking completely uninterested.
"I see you've appeared out of the circle." Arthur stated, warily. He nudged Feliciano to hand him the holy water and Kiku to pass him the salt. Who knows what that demon could be capable of, considering it was out of the protection circle. "Why is that?"
"I'd recommend you to check to check your equipment before you even start a ritual." The demon smirked, still not making eye contact. Realization dawned on the nation's eyes, his body becoming stiff all of a sudden. Something must have erased the chalk on the floor where the pentagram was. There was no way of knowing, the disturbance could have been so slight the nations wouldn't have noticed.
Arthur gulped. Even if the demon did try something, all of them held sacred objects with protective properties, while also having two exorcists in the group, Feliciano and Lovino. Nothing to worry for now.
"So, did the cat get your tongue?" The suited demon finally looked at them, a pinch of irritation in his voice, even if his eyes reflected boredom. "I don't have all night, you know?"
"I want my brother back." Gilbert asked, looking down. "I want Ludwig back, because your minions took him." He clenched his fist, trying to let out any anger lingering in his body before things got ugly.
"I want this war to stop." Feliciano spoke up for the first time that evening, strangely with enough courage to make his voice heard. He stared at the demon, his amber eyes looking deep into the crimson red ones of the suited man. "This has hurt enough people, and I don't want to see anyone suffer anymore."
"Very well." The man nodded, walking slowly toward the Italian. "So you're trying to say," he quickly turned around, facing again the Englishman "you called a simple crossroad demon, a pact-maker, to deal with your stupid problems?" His tone was condescending, spattering mockery on every word coming out of his mouth, his accent being more and more prominent.
"Crowley." Arthur said in a threateningly tone. "You know very well the war started because one of your kind couldn't keep it to himself. All I'm asking is for you to finish what you've started."
Crowley grimaced. He didn't like that comment one bit. "As you wish. So what will it be for you, then? I take it you've become too soft for this, and need my help to fix your crap."
Arthur took a deep breath. "Let your minions out of our affairs and we won't butt in yours. Make it clear for them to mind their own business, as we have enough on our minds to deal with at the moment." That should be about right. It was what he wanted after all, a sacrifice for a greater good. A sacrifice to keep things in order so the world wouldn't go to shit yet again.
"Is that all?" Crowley looked around, meeting the other three nations' eyes. "Don't you have anything to ask for?"
"I'll save mine for later." Came Herakles' quiet response. The Greek man had decided to remain silent for the most part, as no useful opportunity for speech came up earlier that evening. "I might use it later, who knows."
Lovino, and Sadik nodded in agreement, with nothing more to add to Herakles' point.
"One more thing, actually," Kiku interrupted. "Make it more than ten years for the deal to expire. You have no right of taking what's ours to fill your quota, as we are a special case. We have a purpose to serve as representatives of our lands, and as keepers of peace in this world."
Feliciano smiled at his friend's remark. Crowley had no say in this, as it was, in fact, the truth. The nations were indeed a special case, and if he did try to take their soul, it would go against their own deal. Wreck havoc; end the contract that is supposed to maintain peace. There was no loophole for him.
And so it was done. With the demon planting a kiss on each nation's lips, the deals made that night were sealed for as much time as needed.
Everything was set for a smoother era of existence, if it weren't for one thing. A stray creature, a lesser, simple demon overhead the conversation through an open window left unattended. How could his boss end his fun like that, without even considering the possibilities of their control over those beings? Surely, he probably was being forced into it! How the very same King of Hell could make a deal about "peace" with lesser, dirty creatures just like that? He was going to show Crowley, show how things could be handled his way. How things could be handled with the violent way.
Unsatisfied with his share of the deal, he planned to make one of the nations his own puppet. And why not start with one of the most problematic of the group? The one and only Vuk Mišić, known for starting the Great War, and for his short temper. Who knows what he'd be capable of doing with such nation at his feet? He needed to start small, right? Something that his boss wouldn't notice at first or maybe would recognize as a temper tantrum thrown by the nation, to only then attack bigger nations such as America or Russia.
And with that, after overhearing the conversation his boss had with the nations, he disappeared in the shadows of the night, and headed to the start of his plan.