Disclaimer: hetalia isn't mine.
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"No - please-"There was pain.
"Aah - I'm sorry-"
There was blood.
"Please don't!"
There was sorrow.
And the little footprints he had left.
It had been years, several years since he last saw his caretaker, Antonio, or simply, his unrelated brother. After leaving what he only had left, Arthur set out on the journey of his life: to seek powers. It was, as he liked to call, tear-filled stained with blood experience, and it was nowhere close to the days when he was still on his tiny little feet guided by Antonio, loved and cared for unconditionally. It tasted like drops of wine, bitter and sweet, mixed with the screams and blood he made spilt. Arthur slaughtered many people, from innocent to not, from young to old, he had hunted them all down without a mere glance, without even a second thought. And finally, he got it all, the money he wanted, the power he sought for, it was worth it in the end.
Or was it not?
Arthur knew that in order to take what isn't yours in the first place, he would have to pay dearly. But the price for powers was too much for him, therefore, he had to leave Antonio behind without a proper goodbye.
"I promise, I will return to you."
He could still vividly recall the times of his past, when they used to spend hours staying close. It was so emotional and real for him, even if more than a decade had passed. More than that, Arthur recalled the night he left Antonio - a heavy rainy night when the clouds had covered the bright hopeful moon for their lives. His brother, after a day of 'hard work', had limped back to their poor and rundown house with bruises all over his body while his clothes were ripped and torn, dirt plastering all over his features. Even as Arthur lied, pretending to be asleep, his heart still ached badly as he stared at Antonio's back through the darkness.
Rage was what eating him inside when Arthur crept quietly outside that night, starting his own journey alone. It bubbled up in his veins like madness, and the thought of tearing those who hurt Antonio never left his mind.
Arthur could recall Antonio's face amidst the darkness, a swollen eye with cuts on his tanned skin. He looked terrible, and yet, even with all the pain he felt, Antonio still limped to his bed and crouched down just to brush Arthur's hair, smiling tenderly while Antonio's tears dropped down onto his baby fat cheeks. Arthur tried to stay asleep, he did, but under the thick blanket Antonio gave him, he was gripping the sheet hard, his small hands shaking and his throat suddenly felt dry.
The last time Arthur saw him, Antonio was sleeping quietly. He looked so peaceful and calm, as if nothing in this twisted world could wake him, stir him from the dreams he was seeing. He had looked too pure and kind, and it was like knives cutting through Arthur's chest. Even if Antonio never told him anything about his job, avoided all his questions about his own injuries, Arthur still knew he had been raped every time, beaten to near death just to get them both some money to live off. It broke his heart more than anything. Arthur had wanted to avenge Antonio, but he was only 10 by then. Therefore, Arthur left him, fighting and desperately searching for powers so when he came back, he could beat all those people who hurt Antonio. His mind and goal at that time were quite simple, he was unaware - unprepared for the outcome that would happen. Therefore, now that he looked back, he is afraid, petrified to think that his selfish act might have sucked Antonio into his own chaos and died. Arthur fears for his life, and so, he couldn't just sit still this time. He is strong now, isn't he? He has all the power, money in the world but he still misses the most precious thing in his life. Antonio. This time, it would be Arthur to protect Antonio, and he would show no mercy to the ones who dared to even go near his dear brother.
But first, he had to find him.
He must.