Author's Note: Wow... WOW. How long has it been since I've updated a story or uploaded a new one. It must of been the end of May when I last updated The Gate Beyond. O.o I really apologize about that! I've... been going through a bit of hard time in my life where I had to decide between the crossroads. Anyway, I'm almost done with Chapter 9 of The Gate Beyond, so that should be out soon. AND THIS STORY. As you might be able to tell, this whole story was based off a hetalia animation called [MMD] ANTI THE∞HOLiC. I have so many plans for this story and I literally give the whole plot away in this chapter, but I do it in such a subtle, dismissive way that I doubt you'll notice. xD Anyway, I'm not perfect, so I make mistakes! If you see I make a spelling or grammar mistake, let me know so I can change it! That's all for now, and I hope you enjoy! SAPPHIRE OUT!
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia (though I wish I did xD) or the animation that inspired this story. It's just fan stuff! :D
Chapter One: The Truth is Gray
"Take cover!"
Alfred, Kiku, and Matthew dove behind a corner with the sound of explosions echoing where they had been only moments before. The three prepared their weapons as quickly as they could, the sparks of magical spells coming closer with each passing moment. Matthew's dark blue, almost violet eyes flitted between his gun and the sparks that no doubt meant doom for them. The thin and tall blonde looked over to his brother with worry evident in his dark blue orbs.
"Alfred, they have overtaken the base. There's no way we can get it back under Gijutsu control until reinforcements arrive. We have to retreat until then!" Matthew explained with a sense of urgency and desperation in his voice. Alfred had always had a hero complex that tended to make him ignore the given facts, which always made a retreat extremely difficult. Even if Alfred was technically the president and leader of the Gijutsu Empire, that didn't make him any less of a pain of a brother.
"No way! That would mean admitting defeat to those sorcery-loving freaks!" Alfred shot back, "Besides, as long as we hold out until Gilbert arrives with the reinforcements, we'll be perfectly fine."
"I'm not sure if that is a good idea, Alfred-san," Kiku said quietly, a Japanese accent evident in his voice.
"Don't worry, dude! Everything will be fine if we can just get to the hangar," Alfred shrugged off the comment easily, "Now let's get going!"
Despite having reservations on the plan, Kiku and Matthew followed after Alfred in a mechanical-like fashion. This was war, after all. They were soldiers and Alfred was their leader, so they had no choice but to obey him. Staying true to his hero complex, Alfred remained in the front and slyly moved between spells and corners, while Kiku and Matthew stayed at the rear and shot down any soldier with the Magic Empire emblem on their uniform who came into sight. They moved through twisted and confusing hallways that would've been absurd to any normal person, but gave someone a strategic advantage if they had memorized each passage. This fact at least caused them to lose the Magic Empire soldiers from time to time until the sorcerers managed to catch up with them.
It did not take the three long to finally reach the hangar. It was large area that would normally house aircraft if the flying vehicles were not out fighting on the front lines of a battle. The floor was a simple stretch of concrete and the walls that were made of metal and bricks pressed together reached up a few hundred feet into the sky. The group ran towards the only safety of the room, which consisted of a few large supply boxes with a corner directly behind it.
Now in a somewhat protected position, the three reloaded their weapons, moving in the same military, mechanical-like fashion that they had moved in earlier. The movement had been drilled into them with vigorous training that had taken months of conditioning to get them even remotely close to the point of rivaling the Magic Empire. They remained stock still and in a crouching position, straining their ears to hear any sign of the enemy entering the hangar.
It did not take long for the enemy to arrive in the large building, but instead of the marching soldiers that the group expected, only a single man had entered with a light step and breathing that was unusual for a Magic soldier. Knowing the all too familiar sounds, Alfred frowned visibly and tightened his grip on his gun. It could only belong to one person. The leader of the Magic Empire himself and someone he had once thought to be an older brother figure in his life.
"Clever architecture you have here, Alfred," Arthur Kirkland taunted in his ever-present accent, "For a non-magic user, anyway. It's nothing that can detain my soldiers for long." Alfred glared at the cold, concrete ground and was only able to remain silent because of Matthew laying a comforting hand on his shoulder. The American looked at his brother gratefully, then relaxed his form as he waited for what Arthur would say next.
Arthur let out a bone-chilling chuckle at the silence. "Don't even bother trying to pretend that you are not here. I can sense your presence quite clearly, especially since you have that horrendous stench of hamburgers always on you. Matthew just laid a hand on you and . . . it seems as if Mr. Honda is preparing to shoot me through the cracks of the supply boxes. Really, I thought you were smarter than that, Mr. Honda!" The Japanese man winced and pulled the gun back that he had been, in fact, preparing so that he could shoot Arthur. A part of him felt as if he should be shocked that Arthur had been able to sense his subtle movements, but after being a friend with the Brit for a great portion of the time before the war, he was not all that surprised. There was a reason that the man was the leader of the Magic Empire. He had the most powerful supernatural skills of any wizard alive, even surpassing Vladimir, a famous wizard from Romania, and Lukas Bondevik, an even more famous wizard from Norway.
Alfred finally snapped and drew himself to full height, his sky-colored orbs glaring at the man before him. Arthur was not necessarily short, but neither was he tall, and settled around average height. His eyes were a sharp, intense shade of green and bushy eyebrows sat upon his eye sockets. His hair was a wild, untamable mop of light blonde hair and could never find a perfect place to lay still. He wore a black waistcoat with the collar of a white button-up shirt sticking gracefully out with a black tie around it. He also wore midnight black slacks, matching boots, and white gloves that stopped at his wrists and gave him the overall look of an aristocrat, or as Arthur would say, a gentleman.
"Ah, there you are. You've grown quite a bit, haven't you, lad? You just turned nineteen, correct?" Arthur smiled softly and seemed unusually kind for someone at war with the person in front of him.
"Screw you!" Alfred snapped angrily, "I do not want to hear any of that crap!"
Arthur looked deeply hurt at the reply, but tried not to let it show. "Don't be like that, Alfred," He said quietly, then gestured towards the door, "Come on, why don't we end this? I don't want to hurt you."
"I don't want to hurt you either, but this war will not end until you, along with the rest of your empire, give up magic. I've seen what magic does to people and what atrocities a magic user can commit. Science and technology are the only way for peace, Arthur!" Alfred shouted with logic that seemed quite simple to himself, but obviously had Arthur disagreeing with every word.
"I realize you have encountered some people in your life that grossly and darkly misused magic, but that does not mean that all magic is like that! Killing off all magic users will do nothing for peace, for there are people who use technology that can completely and utterly misuse it as well!" The Brit yelled, his anger increasing with each passing moment, "Some magic is used for healing, or keeping the earth in balance. Some people are even born with the ability to use magic and will one day become the greatest and kindest wizards of the generation. Shall you kill off the people who have no choice but to have and use magic in their lives as well?"
"All of those who are born with that ability will be understood, but will have to be imprisoned in some shape or form, because magic can change the most kind heart into the darkest thing you can imagine," Alfred answered simply with an unwavering voice. Arthur looked at him sadly as if the American's words were equivalent to a stab to his heart, then lowered his gaze onto the supply boxes where the other two Gijutsu soldiers hid.
"There you have it. That is your one and only warning."
"Warning? What are you even talking about?" Alfred growled irritatedly, "This is our fate, Arthur. I thought you would've realized that by now. While time keeps turning, we will keep fighting on and on until a victor arises. That is a fate and scenario that are all too easily calculable. I will never surrender to you and leave this war on magic, so stop this nonsense."
Just as Arthur was about to plead with Alfred more, the distant sound of newly renewed gunshots filled the hangar. Alfred grinned at the noise and rubbed his hands together. "Seems as though Gilbert has arrived with reinforcements."
"Bloody hell! They won't last!" Arthur cursed and turned his body around to run, but stopped in his tracks when the sound of a gun clicking echoed through the hangar.
"Why should I let you go? Why shouldn't I kill you where you stand?" Alfred asked in a cold tone, his gun primed and ready as it pointed at the back of Arthur's head.
"Because that would create a martyr, and you're smart enough to know what that means. I also know you; you're not that far gone enough to murder me."
Alfred remained frozen for a moment, his gaze strange and calculating, until he finally lowered his weapon. The leader of the Magic Empire smiled for the quickest of seconds before he burst out of the room to find his soldiers. Alfred sighed and put his pistol into its holster, then looked at the two others who still crouched behind the boxes. "Come on, you two. We don't have anything to worry about now!" He assured with a forced grin. Kiku and Matthew exchanged glances, but stood up with no comment on that matter.
"It was unwise of you to stand up like that, Alfred-san. You could have been hurt," Kiku scolded gently.
Alfred simply laughed at the comment. "Pfft, he wouldn't have hurt me. Besides, I have nothing to worry about, because I'm a hero!" He laughed even harder at the look the Japanese man gave him, but stopped the laughter dead in its tracks when he looked at his brother. His brother was looking off to the side, appearing very distant, and he seemed a little pale as well.
"Mattie? What's up, dude? You look pale," Alfred noted quietly. At the sound of his name, Matthew snapped out of his reverie and blinked in confusion at the American.
"What?"
"I said you look pale. Are you all right?" Alfred repeated.
"Oh," Matthew replied a little dumbly, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. I just have a little headache, that's all."
Alfred immediately became extremely worried at Matthew's answer. "Headache? Mattie, you know what that could mean for you. Did you take your medicine today?"
"I ran out of my medicine a couple days ago . . . "
"What?! Matthew, you know what happens when you don't take your medication after a period of time! Why didn't you tell me?" Alfred asked in shock.
Matthew shrank in his spot and looked at the ground. "I know, I know . . . I just didn't want you to worry. You already have enough on your mind," He muttered quietly.
"Mattie . . . " Alfred sighed and put a hand on his brother's shoulder, "It doesn't matter what's going on; I want to know these things. You're my brother and are more important than anything in this world to me. You've always been with me, even back at that time. I don't want you to get hurt, okay?"
Matthew looked up with his attempt at a smile. "Okay. I'm sorry I didn't say anything," He apologized in his ever-present quiet tone.
"It's all right, dude! Let's go meet up with Gilbert. The battle seems to be over by the lack of gunshot noise. After that, I'll see about getting your medicine. Sound good, you two?"
"Hai, Alfred-san."
"Oui, that sounds fine!"
"Then let's get goin'!"