Fear was neither a spirit nor a god. It didn't have any authority to take control of one's mind. It was just a mere emotion that messed up everybody's mind. However, if fear was just an emotion, how it could take control of your entire body in only a tick of a clock? Feliciano's limbs froze and bile began to bubble in his stomach once again after all the pleasant surprises he had encountered in this little…adventure. Selfish thoughts began to fill his innocent brain. Maybe he should just abandon that man. Close the door, run and leave him for dead…that sounded like a good idea until Feliciano's conscience kicked in.

For a man to die because of Feliciano's selfishness…the consequence for that choice would be a special spot in hell. Feliciano feared hell as much as the next man. And at the moment, he and that poor man in the hallway were practically in hell's equivalent. He had to help that man. How could he have thought of such selfish thoughts? Feliciano took a deep breath. He might have not been the strongest boy at school, but at least he could keep true to his status as a dummy with a heart of gold.

The woman's head jerked up at Feliciano's loud entrance and hissed, bearing her yellowed and pointed teeth at the boy. With her bony fingers and her sharp fingernails, she began to crawl quickly towards the trembling boy. Feliciano caught his heart in his throat and forced his legs to dash out of the door. Once he was out, he slammed the door on the woman, but something stopped him.

"Not…so…fast…dearie…" hissed a raspy voice from behind the door. Feliciano's eyes grew until they were as big as saucers. He looked at the gap between the door and the wall and gasped when four of the womans fingers were sticking out, applying pressure to the door. "No! No! No!"

Feliciano pushed the door back, hitting the edge of the door against the canvas' fingers. The woman screamed as Feliciano pushed harder. He could see cracks against the woman's fingers as he pushed. Dust emerged out of the cracks and one finger fell of the woman's hand, revealing a rather graphic decapitated finger. Feliciano pushed more until all fingers flew off, leaving the woman with her thumb. "I will get you, you little bitch!"

As Feliciano was about to regain his composure, the glass window was smashed open and the woman in blue leaped out of the window sill. Feliciano screamed at the sudden turn of events and without thinking, he reopened the door to the small room and slammed the door shut. The boy leaned on the thin wooden barrier as the canvas woman scratched and punched the door. Oh right, the rose!

The boy pushed the door's lock and wobbled towards the wilting, blue rose on the ground. Hmm…he has never seen a blue rose before, and a natural one at that. The tips of the petals were transitioning into brown and a few of the tips began to cripple. He needed to get to that vase in the next hallway. "Why, there you are! Mummy has a little surprise for you~" a familiar voice sing-songed, sending chills up Feliciano's spine.

"NO! NO! GET AWAY FROM ME, NOOOO!"

[+]

Feliciano slammed the hallway's door shut, puffing out a tiny part of his exhausted soul with every pant he released. He jabbed his finger on the door's lock and ran to the illuminating vase at the center of the hallway. He gently placed both his red rose and the mysterious blue rose into the water, lacing their stems together. Feliciano watched with gleaming eyes how the blue rose's petals with curled up tips straightened out and the browned portions reverted back to their azure nature. When the healing finished, the boy removed the flowers and looked once again at the blue rose.

"Ten petals? Ve~…he won't faint that easily. Lucky…" The Italian shook off the thoughts about the pain he had felt the last time his rose had run out of petals. He didn't want to experience that again. Without a second glance at the west wing's doorway, the boy dashed towards the east wing. He quickly slammed open the door and rushed to the man lying on the carpeted floor. Feliciano got down to his knees and pressed his hand on the man's face. It was sweaty…Feli silently sympathized.

As a response, the man rested his cheek in Feliciano's hand, pressing against the smooth skin. It was a relaxing act. At least there was someone in this hell hole that was a living human being and not some kind of half human, half painting. Feliciano could never look at art the same way again.

"Mmm…" The man groaned. Feliciano smiled and slicked back a few strands of blond hair that stood out of the man's forehead, away from his other golden locks of hair. Abruptly, the man's eyes flew open, upon realization that the electrifying pain in his body has ceased.

"W-What's this…? The pain stopped…? Hah?" he asked out loud, feeling another presence in the room. Feliciano felt joy rise up in his exhausted and wounded chest for the man was fine. He felt like some sort of hero. So this is what Alfred felt like. The German's blue eyes darted towards the Italian, panic building behind those stoic, aqua eyes. Feli sighed and attempted to make a conversation. "Ve~ Signore, are you alri-"

"GAH!" The man grunted loudly before flying onto his bottom and hurriedly pushing himself away from Feliciano, fear evident in his eyes. Feliciano put down the two roses and raised both his hands to his chest, trying to assure the man that he was a human, but no words were escaping his parched mouth. The man was the one gulped loudly and moved to speak first. To be specific, yell angrily first.

"W-Well, what is it now?! There's nothing left for you to take, I tell you!" He yelled, scaring the living daylights out of Feliciano's youthful form. The boy in return, screamed in fear. "GYAH! I-I'M SORRY, I W-WAS JUST WORRIED I-IF YOU WERE OKAY, I SWEAR! P-PLEASE DON'T HIT ME, I HAVE RELATIVES IN BAVARIA!"

The man suddenly calmed down and the panic from his face faded away upon realizing he had scared a child without knowing it. Feliciano began to wail at what had just happened and the man awkwardly stood up and slowly moved towards Feliciano's sobbing form. "O-Oh…I-I thought you were…that thing…I-I'm s-so sorry, please don't c-cry…um..What do I do know?" This man didn't seem to be good at dealing with crying kids, or emotional people in general. Feliciano's wailing stopped and were replaced by silent sniffles and hiccups.

The man brushed away a tear from the Italian boy's crying face with his thumb and silent sat there, awkwardly watching for the child to stop sobbing. Feliciano choked back the sobs that tried emerging from his eyes and turned to look at the man with red eyes. "O-Oh…o-okay…w-well…are you okay?"

"I…guess I'm fine now…w-wait." The man paused, eyes widening at Feliciano. "Mein gott, could you be someone from the gallery?"

Feliciano paused for a minute and nodded. A smile emerged from the man's scary face as he released a sigh of relief. "You are! Thank Gott…there's someone here besides me…" Feliciano smiled and motioned to sit in an Indian seat, waving his blue rose in front of the man's face. The blonde took it with a smile of thanks and sat before the boy, the small smile never leaving his face. "So…do you have any idea what is going on?"

"N-No…I was just walking around and suddenly, everyone vanished and the lights went out…" Feliciano explained. It started when he saw that abnormally large painting in the back of the gallery. How strange…did that thing have anything to do with the entrance and exit of this world? "Ve~ Signore, did you happen to see a really large painting before you appeared here?"

"Ah…no…" The man replied before pausing and resuming their little of whatever information they have gathered all the way there. "So, I see you don't have any idea how it got to this point either…it would seem we wound up in the same situation…"

"Ve~" Feliciano nodded in agreement as the man continued his monologue, his blue rose in his hand. "Even down to these roses, wounds appear on me when a petal falls off. I thought I was doomed without it. Danke for getting it back for me at my time of weakness…"

"It's okay, but be careful with your rose signore…if you run out of petals you might…pass away. It almost happened to me a while ago…but luckily I signed some kind of book that helps revive you if ever y time you run out of roses…." Feliciano added with a frown. The man hummed as he thought. "What kind of book was that…?"

"I'm not sure…a log book or a record book, if I remember. But they were filled with blank pages. All I did was sign my signature and when I almost died, something…whatever it was, revived me. All I know is that the things that came to revive me were tiny, like elves." Feliciano replied. The man nodded in understanding. "It's not good to sign some things you're not sure you know. Be sure to remember that when we are out of here."

"Alright." Feliciano answered with a small smile. The blonde nodded. "Now, first thing is first…we have to find a way out of here before more Scheisse appears. I think I'll go mad if I stay in this dreadful place for too long…"

As always, Feliciano nodded and stood up, dusting his pants free of lint from the olden carpet. The man's face merged to surprise as if he had forgotten something. Feliciano cocked his head to the side in worry. "I still haven't gotten your name yet. That was rude…"

Feliciano smiled at the mistake, trying to stay positive in hell's equivalent. "My name is Feliciano Vargas…but you can call me Feli or Italy...but most of the time, my brother calls me bastardo a lot…whatever that means. I guess you can call me that too."

"N-No…I guess I could stick with Feli." The man said as he waved his hand. "I'm Ludwig Beilschmidt. Now that the introductions have been completed…we need to find a way out…now. I certainly can't leave a child alone in this kind of place…why don't we stick together?"

"Okay, captain." Feliciano said while making a mock salute. Ludwig smiled at the childish gesture and began to walk towards the next door. Unbeknownst to him, he was about to pass one of those weird paintings that had a tongue sticking out of it. When Feliciano had remembered that it would spit on the first thing that passes by it, he called out to Ludwig. "Ve! Ludwig, watch ou-"

SPLAT

"FUCK!" Ludwig screeched as he stumbled behind, earning a few giggles from his newly found companion. Feliciano bit his lips to prevent himself from laughing even more. "I-I was a bit startled..that's all…anyway, let's move, watch out for those kinds of things, Feli."

Feliciano nodded as they moved forward. He looked up at Ludwig and smiled. It was much better to be walking around in a dark hell hole like this with a friend than walking in the real world alone. Somehow…the Italian felt as happy as he was before he had gotten into this mess, now that he had a new friend by his side.

A/N:

Omaigah, hi…I know you want to kill me all for not updating. But yay, I got into my first choice of college. Since this is going to be my last summer vacation for the next three years (slavery how cruel) I will try to update this faster and I will try to finish this story this summer. I will try to update weekly. Yay.

THANKS FOR THE FAVORITES, FOLLOWS AND REVIEWS FROM mrg6, KazariMaple, Februarysnow and the Guest ~! I will hug you now…da. Nyet? Okay then *ahem*

Okay…in the next two-three chapters we will finally find out who the heck is playing as Mary! Yaaay.

Constructive Criticism is appreciated.

DANKE FOR READING~ :D