The cast:

Miguel-Italy/ Feliciano Vargas

Tulio- Romano/Lovino Vargas

Chel- Spain/Antonio

Chief Tannabok- Cuba/Máximo

Tzekel-Kan- Mexico/Itzcóatl {pronounced (eetz kwatl)}

1504—Spain

"I can't believe you conned your way onto this voyage by convincing them that you were Christopher Columbus' Cousin." Though Wolfgang said that with exasperation, he couldn't help but smile into his beer stein. People said many things about Romulus Vargas. Things like 'he's a boisterous bastard' and 'that guy is a no good, wife seducing—husband seducing when he felt like it—son of a bitch' were often tossed his way as if he gave a damn about what they thought about the company he kept. He honestly didn't.

Because despite what people said, Wolfgang knew the truth. Yeah, his friend was all those things but he was also a brilliant man, a decent friend, and, most importantly, he was a wonderful grandfather to his two orphaned grandchildren.

Romulus grinned, "It wasn't hard. We're both Italian."

"Oh, ja? I didn't know all Italians are relatives. That explains why you are all so simple minded."

"Oi! I resent that." The Italian waved his hands about, "Besides, I got a spot on the ship, didn't I? Now you can quite your nagging about me going with you to the new world." Romulus' grin turned flirtatious, "Though you could've just said that you wanted to sail away into the sunset with me. I wouldn't have waited so long and missed the deadline to sign up."

Rolling his eyes, Wolfgang finished the rest of his dinner, "Please. As if I needed to beg. You practically jumped at the opportunity for adventure." His eyes softened and he turned to look at the children playing quietly in the drawing room across from the kitchen. His oldest was huddled with a blanket next to Lovino watching his youngest play with Feliciano. Apparently they were playing house where Ludwig was the daddy, Feli the mommy and Gilbert was their child. Lovino, who refused to be anything related to the blonde potato eater, was the dog.

Wolfgang sighed, "Do they know?"

"What," asked Romulus without turning away from the cute scene. Lovi had tried to bite Ludwig's hand when the little German placed a bowl with doggy biscuits, cookies really, in front of him.

"That they're not going to come along."

The older Italian closed his eyes sadly and shook his head, "I don't know what's on the other side of that ocean, amico. Honestly, I don't know why you're even taking Ludwig. Why not leave him here with Gilbert?"

"The only reason Gilbert is staying is because he is ill. If he was healthy I would be bringing him along as well." Wolfgang snorted when Feli flicked his brother on the nose and fretted over his blushing husband. He turned to his friend, "The king said that all that land is rich and perfect for colonizing—"

"Land has to be conquered first," interrupted Romulus. "And what the hell does he know? Christopher said that there were people on that land. Savages. I for one don't want to expose my boys to such a thing. Not until I'm guaranteed that they'll be as far from our colonies as possible." Picking up their dishes, the Italian put them in the dish basin, "Besides, it's not like we're not coming back. I say let me build our home first then bring the kids."

Wolfgang got up to help him wash, "And I say bring them along and be done with it. Don't forget that it was my kin who actually discovered that side of the world first. I've heard stories that the people there are not so bad and can be kind of shown kindness."

"And that is exactly why my people are credited with discovery of the new world and not yours."

While the two men looked over their contract and discussed the voyage in further detail, the four children continued to play. Gilbert let out a sneeze and miserably wiped at his nose with the blanket. Lovi made a face, "That's gross. You're not supposed to use that to clean your nasties. Fratello! Tell him not to clean his nasties on our blankie."

Feli crawled over to the older boy and wiped at his nose with a cloth before tossing it into a bin, "Doggie is right, Gill. That's not clean. You'll stay sick if you're not clean."

"But I'm cold and comfy here," whined Gilbert, "I don't want to get up every time I need to clean my nose."

"Listen to Feli," scolded Ludwig. He handed him a small pouch filled with white cloth squares, "Here and don't blow your nose on their blankie."

"Shit, he can keep the damn thing," muttered Lovino earning a gasp from both Ludwig and Feli.

The two boys stared at him with wide eyes while Gilbert simply cackled, "You totally said a bad word."

"Yeah, so? I've heard worse from Lars down the street."

"You shouldn't curse, Lovi," said Feli, "Doggies don't curse 'cause it's not nice."

Lovi tugged at his pretend tail, which was really his black scarf, from out of his pants and threw it aside, "Yeah, well, I'm not really a dog, idiot. Also, I'm bored. Let's play something else."

"Like what," asked Ludwig feeling a little sad that he couldn't pretend to be Feli's husband anymore. He pulled off his black hat and sat next to his brother.

"I don't know…how about we pretend to be sun gods?"

"Sun gods?"

Feli clapped his hands, "Oh, yes! It's cause we are descendants of sun gods, grandpa said so." The Italian got up and rushed to his grandfather's chest. He quickly unlocked it and stood on his tip toes to dig inside, the hem of his white night gown rising enough for his bloomers to peak through.

Lovino tossed a cookie at both Gilbert and Ludwig, "Oi, don't look at him you perverted imbeciles!"

"Ve, don't be mean, Lovi," said Feli as he came back with a parchment. He rolled it and inside was a drawing of a sun encasing the letter V. Smiling brightly, Feli traced it with his finger, "See? Grandpa says this is our family symbol. We're sun people! Hehe~"

"Our family symbol is an eagle," said Gilbert proudly. "That's cool cause that means we were meant to be, Feli."

"Ve?"

Lovi sputtered out, "What the hell are you talking about? What do either of them have to do with each other?"

"Well, if you think about it, the sun is in the sky and eagles fly in the sky. The eagle will fly as long as there are sun rays warming his feathers."

Feli thought about it before nodding, "Ok. We'll warm your feathers if you guys promise to always fly next to us."

"Deal!" Ludwig shoved his chubby hand out to shake on it but Lovi pushed it away, "What—"

"You can't promise something like that," said the older boy. "You're leaving with your dad and our grandpa tomorrow. How can you promise to always fly next to Feli if you're leaving?"

"Oh…well, it doesn't matter because I promise to come back." Determination filled Ludwig's baby blue eyes, "I promise, Feli."

The Beilschmidts stayed the night with the Vargas. It was more convenient that way and Wolfgang figured that if he was going to have to wake up Romulus that it would be best if he was already inside the house so that he wouldn't have to break in through the window…again. He and his children retreated to the spare room while Romulus tucked in his grandsons.

The next day everyone got up before the sun had started to rise. They gathered their things and made their way to the local orphanage ran by Elizabeta and her husband. Magyar, her uncle, was a good friend of Wolfgang and had offered to watch over the children while he and Romulus were away.

Lovino glared at the door while his grandfather kissed his forehead, "Don't be sad, nipote."

"I'm not sad," spat the eight year old with tears in his eyes. "Why are you even going on that dumb old voyage?"

"I'm going for us. If we can get that land into Spanish hands then we will be rewarded with plots. Could you imagine how wonderful that would be?" Romulus reached over and kissed Feli as well, "I'll be back before you know it and then we can all go to our new home. It's only going to be for a year, boys."

The sound of sniffing pulled the man's attention towards a weeping Feliciano. He'd wrapped his arms around Romulus' leg, "We'll miss you grandpa."

"And I'll miss you two. Don't worry little ones. Elizabeta promised to take good care of you and Gilbert." Romulus took out a small leather pouch and pulled out two small necklaces, "I have a gift for you." Inside were two rings on golden chains. They were far too large for their tiny fingers so they put them around their necks.

Feli gasped, "They have our family symbol!"

Raising his hand, Romulus showed that he was wearing the same ring, "It's so that we always remember that we will always have each other no matter how far away we may be." He tossed his bag over his shoulder and handed another pouch of gold coin to the young brunette woman, "This is for any expenses they may need. Please, I'm counting on you to keep my boys safe and out of trouble."

"Me too," said Wolfgang after hugging his oldest son one last time and gently nudging him towards Rodrich, "Keep an eye out for them."

Elizabeta smiled, "They will be just fine with us. You two have nothing to worry about."

"Danke." Bells began to ring from the docks signifying that the ship was being prepared for departure. Sighing, the German picked up his things, "We'll be on our way then. Be good, Gilbert. Listen to what they tell you and stay out of trouble."

The albino sneezed before nodding, "Ok, vati." He hugged Ludwig and grinned, "Try to have fun even if your awesome big brother isn't there."

Rolling his eyes, Ludwig hugged him, "I'll try." He turned to Feli who was trying his hardest not to cry and smiled, "Remember our promise? I'll be back."

"Ve…"

Blushing, he pulled out a small painting of a sleeping Feli, "Look, that way I can still fly beside you even if you're not next to me."

"Aw…I wanted to give you something else to remember me by."

"What?"

Feli shoved his small push broom forward, "This." His brother rolled his eyes at the gift but that didn't seem to bother the younger boys.

Ludwig tucked the portrait into his shirt and took the broom, "But this is your favorite. Are you sure?"

"Si…only now it's not fair. What do I get to remember you by?"

"Oh, well, what do your people usually give when their friends are going away."

Feli tapped his chin in thought, "A kiss I think."

"I see." Ludwig glanced around to make sure Lovino wasn't watching before inching towards his friend. He didn't really know where to kiss him but remembered seeing the people that were going on the voyage kiss their loved ones on the lips. It was quick and simple. Just a peck before the two pulled away.

"Why are you crying," asked Feli. "Did it hurt?"

The young German shook his head, "Nein." He toyed with his hat before smiling, "Well, I'll see you when I come back, ja?"

"Si!" Gentle arms wrapped around Feli's waist and before he knew it, he was placed on Rodrich's shoulders. He waved to his grandpa and Ludwig, "I'll make lots and lots of sweets for you for when you return! Be safe and don't get sick. If you get sick, remember to stay clean!"

Even Wolfgang cracked a smile at that. He waved back to the children and to Gilbert who was embarrassed at having to hold onto Elizabeth's hand. Romulus—god help him—Romulus was practically hanging off the mast as he shouted promises to his grandchildren that he'd be back for him. As for Ludwig, well, he tried to look over the rail to wave goodbye to his brother and friends but was far too short. His father took pity and picked him up, placing him on his hip so that he could see the others, "Will you be ok without your little friend, Ludwig?"

"Ja, I think so." The child clutched the small broom closer to him, "We'll see each other again someday."

~.~

3 months later

Twigs crunched under bare feet as a family of three ran through the jungle. Angry shouts echoed through the trees demanding that they cease their fleeing and face their sacrificial duties with honor. The father caught the smell of sea salt and urged his wife to run towards the beach where he had a small boat waiting for them. Antonio tightened his arms around his mother and glanced over her shoulder in time to see the city's guards take aim with their spear.

"Mama," he yelped. His father pushed her down and through his own before speeding up. They could hear the waves break on the shore line. Now all they had to do was—the family froze.

There on the beach were the remains of a grand ship. Bodies littered the beach, some dressed in strange clothes of various colors. Behind them, they could hear a sharp intake of breath as the guards momentarily forgot that they were supposed to apprehend the family.

"What the hell happened here," asked one of the guards. They pushed back the family and went to investigate.

As his parents murmured to each other about what would happen once they were returned back to El Dorado, Antonio squirmed out of his mother's arms. He wiped his eyes in hopes that his mother wouldn't see that he was frightened. If she did, no doubt she would try something stupid and make another run for it to spare him from the high priest demand that all children born on Uo must be sacrificed to appease the sky gods or else they would eat their sun instead.

He stared at the bodies in front of them in curiosity. A redhead in particular caught his eye. His eyes were half open revealing a rich amber color that was beginning to turn milky with the absence of life. Antonio noticed that he was clutching something to his chest and gently pulled it away from his vice grip. Green eyes widened at the image of Lovino and Feli dressed in white gowns smiling. Well, Feli was smiling, Lovi was glaring at whoever had created the painting.

Antonio couldn't help but smile, "He looks like a tomato. So cute!" The young brunette stuffed the picture into his satchel and crept spared a glance to his parents to make sure that they were still busy talking to one another. He crept to one of the smaller ones dressed in black only to jump back when it moved, "Papa, this one's alive!"

Grains of sand stuck to every available patch of skin on Ludwig's tiny body. Groaning miserably, he cuddled the remains of his push broom closer to himself as he tried to force the memories of what happened out of his mind. Their voyage had been great until they unexpectedly sailed right into a storm. Romulus had tried to convince the captain of an alternate route but he hadn't listened. He doubted that there were any other survivors.

Ludwig rolled onto his back and blinked his eyes open when a shadow came over his face. When his vision came into focus, he found himself staring into the face of a young boy. He yelped, "Wh-who are you? And where the heck are you're pants?!" He frowned when the boy didn't say anything and insisted at staring at his hair.

Reaching out, Antonio tried to pat Ludwig's hair but the German squirmed away. In all his life, all nine years, he'd never seen anyone with hair made from gold. He raised his hands in front of him to show that he meant no harm, "It's ok. I won't hurt you."

"What?" Ludwig shook his head, "I don't understand." He flushed as the kid tried to touch him again and swung Feli's broom in front of him, "What are you doing? Stop that!"

Antonio's parents heard his screams and rushed to the two children. Their reaction was much like their son's and that unnerved Ludwig greatly. He could practically see their minds rushing as they took in the sight of him.

"Mom, did you see his eyes," whispered Antonio. "They're pretty. Don't they look like sapphires? And his hair is gold. Gold!"

"I can see that, son." Antonio's mom knelt down and extended her hand out to Ludwig with a gentle smile, "Hi, little one. Don't be scared." Her face warmed considerably when the boy cautiously accepted her hand, her eyes getting a gleam of cunning when she saw what was in his palm. "When they take us back, let me do the talking. They aren't going to kill us."

When the guards came back they were shocked to see Ludwig cradled in the mother's arms. He had broken down and cried until he fell asleep so he wasn't sure how he arrived to the city. All the German knew was that he was alone now and at the mercy of the strange people who rescued him. The family had been ushered to a temple by the guards where a dark skinned man dressed in colorful cloth smiled sadly, "I'm sorry, Tochtli."

"Don't be, Chief," said Antonio's father. He wrapped a protective arm around his trembling son, "but please don't think that we were running away from our duties."

Another man, this one shorter with a sharp nose and calculating eyes, rose an eyebrow, "Oh?"

The woman who'd been carrying Ludwig, Gupta he thinks he heard her husband call her, held him tighter, "No, sir. We were simply answering the call."

"…the call?"

"Mhm. You see, the gods sent our son a vision. They told him that the sea was going to give birth to a child. A child of the sun with eyes as beautiful as sapphires and hair made from precious gold and that he was to teach him the ways of the temple."

Itzcóatl's interest seemed piqued and he waved his hand for his manservant to bring him his sacred texts, "A child of the sea and sun. And why would they send this vision to your brat instead of me, the high priest? I speak for the gods, woman, not you." A heavy book was placed in his waiting hand and he thumbed through the pages until he found what he was looking for.

"Antonio is next in line to serve the temple of our creators, sir. Who else is better to teach this boy our ways so that he may be prepared to serve our Gods as they please?" Gupta and her husband held their breath as Itzcóatl read. They prayed that their lie would serve its purpose and keep their beloved child alive.

"What proof do you have that he is a son of the sun?"

Gupta gently coaxed Ludwig's fist open and in his palm rested Romulus' golden ring. Itzcóatl tried to take it but Ludwig's fist clenched shut and he brought it over his heart with a glare.

"Well, well," said Itzcóatl with a laugh, "it seems like…I've misread the stars." He slammed his book shut and pulled Ludwig away from Gupta, grimacing when the child started screaming in a mixture of German and Italian, "What language is he speaking?"

"It must be the language of the Gods," chirped Antonio innocently, making the chief stifle a laugh.

"Indeed." The priest handed Ludwig back over to Gupta where he clung to her and glared at Itzcóatl angrily, his push broom hanging off his back. "Well, we'll see if what you say is true. I'll convene with the stars tonight and if what you say is true then we must prepare for the Gods arrival."

Sensing the family's tension, Chief Máximo stood up, "Surely we should give them time to arrive. It could be years."

Itzcóatl scoffed, "I know. After all a mere minute for them could be decades for us mere mortals." He paced in thought before nodding, "Fine, your son will be spared but if I find out that this was all a lie, a mass sacrifice will be ordered and I'll make sure that everyone knows that it was you and your family's fault that the sky gods were cheated."

The family bowed to their chief and scurried back to their house. There they offered Ludwig a change of clothes but he refused. It wasn't descent he insisted but Gupta gave him a stern look and pointed to the dark blue cloth. At night, after refusing to eat, Ludwig stared out the window dressed in the blue cloth. His lower lip trembled as he thought about his dad. He'd fallen over board and Romulus had stuck by him, surviving long enough to get him to shore. Everything else was a blur to him but he knew that he was alone now. Burring his face in his hands, Ludwig sobbed.

Antonio heard the sobs and hopped out of his parents bed. He crept across the hall into Ludwig's room, "Hello?" The boy sighed when he didn't get a response and went back to get the picture he'd taken from the beach. Gathering his courage, Antonio climbed onto Ludwig's bed and touched his shoulder, "Don't cry. You're safe now."

Ludwig pulled his hands away and stared at Antonio in confusion, "I don't understand you." He was met with the same look of confusion, "Guess you don't understand me either…" The brunette bit his lip before presenting the painting to Ludwig. "Oh! Where did you find that? That was Romulus'"

"It's neat, huh? This dead guy had it. Maybe these are his kids?" Antonio pointed to the angry looking child excitedly, "Hey! Do you know who this one is?"

"That's Lovino," said Ludwig as he wiped his nose on his arm. Remembering what Feli told him, he winced and took his black robe to clean the muck away instead. "He's Feli's big brother."

"L-Lovino?"

"Hey, ja! Can you understand me?"

Antonio cocked his head to the side and shook his head before pointing back to Lovi, "Lovino?"

"Ja and this one is Feliciano. They're brothers."

"Feliciano…"

"Ja but don't get any ideas. Feli said that he's going to marry me when we grow up. Lovi…well you can keep him. I don't really care."

Again Antonio tilted his head in confusion. Sighing he pointed to himself, "Antonio."

It didn't take Ludwig long to understand that the boy was giving him his name. A small smile blossomed on his face as he pointed to himself, "Ludwig."

"Ludwig, huh?" Antonio grinned, "Nice to meet you! I can tell that we're going to be good friends. After all you did save me." He reached over and tried to hug the blonde but Ludwig scurried out of his reach. It didn't bother him though, perhaps it was a cultural thing. Shrugging, Antonio leaned back on his arms and nodded out the window, "I think you're going to love it here, Ludwig. El Dorado is a beautiful city and our chief is really nice. Don't worry about all that talk about sacrifices. Because of you me and my family will be spared from any future reapings."

He noticed Ludwig finally taking in the scenery out his window and his smile grew, "It's amazing, huh? Papa said we can take you to go look around your new home." Antonio patted the boy's shoulder then motioned around him, "Home."

Ludwig didn't say anything to that. Instead he reached over for his push broom and curled in for the night. The next day Tochtli and Antonio showed Ludwig around as they ran errands for Gupta.

Much to the young German's surprise, the people all smiled at him and offered greetings in their language. The gentle tone they used on him helped keep his nerves under control. Why on earth were they so kind? Shaking his head, Ludwig figured it was best this way. In a way, they reminded him of Romulus and Feliciano. What more so intrigued him was the fact that the whole place seemed to be made of gold.

Antonio's father looked much like he did with the exception that he had long black hair that he kept in a ponytail. His kind brown eyes looked down to Ludwig as he motioned to his city, "Our glorious city was built by the divinity of gods who saw fit to bestow the gift of a paradise, peaceful and harmonious, upon us mere mortals below."

Giggling when a large bird plucked Ludwig's hat from his head, Antonio coaxed it back down with bird feed so that his companion could retrieve it, "They made El Dorado the magnificent and golden one thousand years ago."

Ludwig stood on his tip toes in hopes to grab his hat and was suddenly lifted high enough to do so. He glanced over his shoulder and paled when he saw that it was Chief Máximo. The heavyset man was now sporting a brown head band to keep his chocolate colored dreadlocks out of his face. His dark amber eyes glowed cheerfully as he lowered him back down, "But all of this was granted for only one millennium."

The German watched as Chief Máximo patted the bird gently, "I know my legacy is to fulfill my promise to my people who have trusted me to ensure that the Gods will approve of us still. So don't worry little one. No god is willing to the slaying of innocents just to appease them. I've managed to get our illustrious high priest to cut back on the sacrifices."

Antonio whooped in joy, "That's great news, chief!"

"I'm glad you approve. But I hope that you understand, Tochtli, Itzcóatl is expecting the arrival of our creators. Whether that's tomorrow or in a decade from now doesn't matter."

The noir haired man rubbed his arm in thought, "I understand. Don't worry, Chief, everything will be fine."

"For all our sakes, I hope so."

Antonio pulled Ludwig towards the river and pointed excitedly at the baby turtles. Ludwig sighed in exasperation and reminded him that he couldn't understand a word. They would later spend the rest of their childhood learning each other's languages, and Ludwig the ways of El Dorado. He would also later learn what his supposed role as a servant for the gods would entail much to his horror.

~.~

In Spain Ten Months Later

"Draw a circle that's the earth, draw a circle that's the earth I am Italian," sang Feliciano happily as he helped Elizabeta bake some cookies. The king had sent out another ship with supplies to those who sailed a few months ago with his grandfather and he was sure they would all come back. Hence the baking.

A knock to the door made Feli squeal in joy and hop off from his stool, "Ve~ They're here! They're here, Lovi! Gilbert, they're back!"

Rodrich huffed, "Calm down, Feli." He patted the boy's head and moved to open the door but instead of being greeted by Romulus and Wolfgang, they were face to face with a messenger.

The news of what became of the ship and her passengers devastated the poor children. Gilbert refused to believe it happened and locked himself in his room. Feliciano, however, took it the hardest. That night, Lovi found him in their shared room staring at the ring their grandfather gave him, "It's not possible, fratello. Tell me this is a nightmare. Tell me that they'll come back like they promised. Please."

Lovi pulled his little brother into his arms, "I can't do that, fratellino…I'm sorry." He let Feli muffle his cries in his clothes and not once complained about how dirty it was. It took a long while for Feli to calm down but when he did, Lovino pulled him away and looked him in the eye, "But I can promise that you and I will never be apart. We're all we have now—"

"What about, G-Gilbert," asked Feli with a hiccup.

The older boy waved the thought away, "Who cares? You're the only one I care about from now on we'll depend on only each other to get by."

"You can't promise me that."

"Damn it, yes I can! You know why? Cause, I won't go anywhere unless you're with me. We'll be together forever! You'll see, Feli. You and me? We'll be the greatest pair in all of Spain! Everyone will know the names Lovino and Feliciano Vargas!" Lovi kissed the ring around his neck, "We're descendants from Sun Gods remember? What could possibly happen?"

Hi, guys! It's been a while, huh? Here is the prologue for The Road to El Dorado. I'm sorry it took me a while, I'll admit that I was busy with another project but I'm ready to get the show on the road. Also, Halloween is just around the corner and I was wondering if you guys would like a scary story? I know it's a bit old but I swear I LOVED The Conjuring and I guess its the Hetalian in me but I swear when I saw it, I could only see the Nordics as the Family with England and America as the two that were helping them. I think it would be a fun thing.

As for this story, I can't help it. I love me my Gerita but rest assured its main focus will be Spamano. As for Tzekel-Kan, I went with an OC for Mexico. His name is Aztec that means Obsidian Serpent and Antonio's dad's name is Aztec for Rabbit...oh! Also, Uo is the second month on the ancient calendar so I associated it with February which is Spain's birth month.

I think that's all I have to say for now. Here's hoping that I don't screw this up.

~Until Next Time