Disclaimer: Don't own Hetalia. The story of this fanfic is all mine, though.

Sorry for the wait. The'o' key of my laptop's keyboard stopped working, so I had to copy paste all the 'o's. Then I got a new wireless keyboard, which I'm currently using to type from. I'm sorry for the delay.


Chapter 7


Idyjoty – Bel – idiots

Ŭbliudki – Bel – b*****ds

Dy – Bel – yes

Mon amour – Fre – my darling

Frau – Ger – woman

Keshi – dual natured; name of the specially handcrafted guns

Čort – Bel – Damn


Natalya took the red and brown bag from Katyusha. "These are the idols?"

Katyusha ndded. "I've put the map inside as well."

"Do you need a hand with that?"

The two of them looked at the approaching Mathew. "If you wouldn't mind," Katyusha said sweetly. Nat just wordlessly and expressionlessly handed him the bag.

Matt winced, not expecting the bag to be so heavy. "What is this?"

"Those are the idols I spoke to you about."

"Oh," Matt looked up. "The idols of the nine celestial bodies?"

Katyusha nodded. "And the map is inside the bag as well. I have marked the places where you must keep the idols, as well as the order in which you must keep them."

Matt nodded. "Priestess, where is the car?"

Nat pointed in the direction, and with a cheerful smile at both of them, he went towards the car.

"That smile hurts my eyes," Nat said, continuing to speak in their common tongue.

Katyusha laughed. "My darling, you can be a lot more approachable. You will be with them for the next couple of weeks."

"I murdered their father." Nat turned away from looking at Matt's receding figure to Katyusha. "He might have birthed only two of them, but to all four, he was their father."

"Natalya, you were doing your duty."

Natalya shook her head slowly. "If I'd only been doing it for duty's sake, I wouldn't even be bothered. I did it for revenge also. The moment I saw the sorrow in their eyes, I had to admit it." Nat stopped talking, and mentally shook herself. "But enough of that. Are you sure this will work?"

"Natalya, we have gone through the passages related to the purple lotus contract symbol. Whatever little is there says that it is the summoning symbol of a family of powerful warrior demons in the third Realm. Since the demon has gone back, they will realise that their brethren is in pain, because a part of him or her still resides in this Realm. They will try to come here, and they will try to kill Alfred to get that part out, but they will still be unsuccessful."

"We need to separate Doe from the demon first."

Katyusha nodded. "By keeping the idols in place, we will prevent any other entity from entering this Realm. You have as long as six months, which is the prescribed limit. You will have to set the idols in place before the entities from other Realm, the demon's Realm catch on."

Nat sighed. "So, basically, I am paying for my actions."

Katyusha shook her head. "Natalya. You're preventing the world from paying for Alfred Jones Sr.'s actions. These idols are preventing entry into our Realm from the outside, but whatever that man has planned will still be carried out, as long as part of the demon resides within Alfred. You need to separate Doe and the demon before his actions reap their fruits through Alfred."

Nat's frown deepened. "I'm trying to stop something which I know nothing of, which also could disturb the harmony of the twelve Realms, if not destroy all of us."

"I'm sorry I'm placing such a burden on you."

"It's okay," Nat said nonchalantly, picking up her bag. "It's just about as much trouble you had to face raising me up."

Katyusha laughed. "You know that's not true."

"I might not be able to pay you and him back for everything. But I won't stop trying," Nat said, and bowed before her, touching her feet. Katyusha placed her hand on Nat's head, and Nat rose. "I'll try to do my best."

Katyusha smiled at her. "That's all you need to do."

Nat nodded, and began walking towards the car. Katyusha's heart cringed, just as it did every time she had to watch one of her priests or priestesses walk away. She knew that they were all warriors, that their battles lay with creatures far superior and completely unknown to them. She remembered the incidents prior to her becoming the Head Priestess, and smiled. They had told her to forget about the post, or try for one of the teaching disciplines, instead of the warrior disciplines. But for all her kindness and sweetness, Katyusha had been stubborn as a mule.

"We know you, Katyusha!" they had tried to explain. "You'll just burst into tears every time one of the warrior priests or priestesses goes off to fulfil their duty! It is out of your kindness, but, to a warrior, such a thought or action could mean death!"

She knew she would cry – in fact, she had secretly cried during the first couple of missions after becoming Head Priestess. They knew it, too, and when things had drawn to a stalemate, he had walked into the room.

"Only compassion can heal a wounded heart," he had said. "The heart of another hardened warrior can never refresh the minds of the battle weary. If there will be anything to come to for us priests, it will be her heart. Nothing else. So, consider it."

Katyusha smiled as she watched Nat's silver braid swish from one hip to another. Katyusha saw so much of him in Nat, things that even Nat couldn't herself see. He wasn't her father, but might have been, considering the role he had played in Nat's life.

Katyusha closed her eyes, and silently prayed for the strength he had passed onto Natalya.

"Umm…"

Katyusha opened her eyes, and turned around to see Alfred. She smiled at him. "I have something for you," she said.

Alfred, who was about to say something, closed his mouth and frowned. "Hmm?"

Katyusha's hand sifted through the contents of her pocket, and brought out a brown-and-green bracelet. She took his hand, and tied it around his wrist. "It will keep you safe. Natalya is wearing a similar one on her arm as well. You can call out to her when you are in danger. She will respond to your call."

He nodded.

"Are you wearing the guns?"

"The little crossbows?"

Katyusha nodded. "They were designed by our predecessors, in order to protect ourselves from hostile creatures from other Realms. I will warn you; those creatures may also possess weapons which will do more than mere bodily damage. So be careful."

He nodded. "Th…Than"—

"Go. And be safe."

He blinked at Katyusha's warm smile. He smiled back, and walked away.

"Alfred?"

He turned around.

Katyusha's eyes twinkled with amusement. "The car is that way."


"Everyone's here," Eliza noted as soon as she sighted Alfred approaching them.

"Those priest clothes were really comfortable," Gilbert muttered as he took stock of his black shirt and camouflage pants.

Eliza hummed in agreement. "We can't wear them outside the temple, though. Only priests and priestesses can. We are neither."

"And if you want to become a priest to wear them," Nat said drily, "you'll still have to wait for sixteen years to be able to wear them outside."

Matt frowned, and turned to Nat. "But everyone in the temple wears them."

Nat looked at Matt. "Only those who finish their education are allowed to wear what you wore and roam around outside. Those who haven't finished their education wear saffron shirts and dark green pants when they leave the temple." She acknowledged Alfred with a nod, and opened the door of the car. "Let's go."

Matt went around the front of the car, and sat down next to her.

"Do you know how to read map?"

He nodded. "Where is…?"

She leaned over, and pulled it out of the bag at his feet, his braid falling over his leg in the process. When she gave him the map, she conveniently ignored the slight tinge of pink on his cheeks and looked out. And then she noticed something.

She stuck her head out of the window. "Get in," she said curtly to Gilbert. She watched Gilbert exchange a worried look with Eliza, and she knew something was wrong.

"Get in, or you can wear the priest drab for the rest of your life," she said drily.

"It isn't that," Eliza said, and Nat picked up on a tinge of shame in her voice. "It's just…"

It finally flashed to Nat. She put her head back in, and turned to Matt. "Does your brother know how to read maps?"

Matt frowned. "He does. Why?"

"Those idyjoty refuse to sit with him. Go sit at the back."

Understanding dawned on his face. His lips compressed into a thin line, and he gave her a curt nod. He opened the door and got out, leaving the map on the seat. Moments later, Alfred got in, not even looking in her direction. His visage was hardened, but she could see the hurt in his eyes. The three of them filed into the seats behind her, and she took the time to give Elizabeta and Gilbert a cold look which told them exactly how ashamed of them she was.

Without another word, she revved the engine, and drove away from the temple.


Nat rolled the car to a stop, and killed the engine. She turned to Matt, the only person in the car she wanted to actually speak to.

"Go and stretch your legs. We aren't reaching Kilorbu until nightfall." Without sparing anyone else a glance, she got out of the car.

She walked towards the line of trees, taking out her handbook from her pant pocket – she'd removed her coat during the long drive. They were moving towards the coast, and it progressively grew hotter. The plan was to reach the shrine in Kilorbu and settle there for the night, before finding the exact spot Katyusha had marked out on the map. She didn't have any problems with the accommodation – no one would say 'no' to one of the senior-most priestesses of a warrior discipline, at least not any religious group or infrastructure.

She looked into her handbook. The symbol Katyusha was trying to achieve through the placement of the idols was a standard barrier symbol – simple yet powerful. But it wasn't specific, and they would have a lot of trouble on their hands if the demon's brethren could make it through the barrier.

Even worse, if the ŭbliudki made it here before we put up that barrier, Nat thought to herself, and continued to study her handbook.

All of a sudden, pain shot through her entire arm. Grimacing, she rolled her sleeves up, to see that the amulet around her upper arm had tightened.

Alfred.


Fucking hell. I was back here again.

This time, I couldn't feel the demon, so that was a good thing. Neither could I feel my father's presence…not very sure how to feel about that.

I slowly walked forwardactually, there seemed to be no particular direction in here. There was a light burning some distance from me, and I walked towards it.

"Alfred!"

Relief flushed through me when I heard her voice. "Natalya."

She walked, and stood next to me. "Did anything happen?"

I shook my head. I couldn't look away from her. I was so relieved. "Nothing."

She grunted softly. "Do you have the keshi with you? The guns?"

I nodded, and realised she couldn't see me. "I have them with me."

"It's called keshi because it has two forms. That is the literal meaning of keshi – dual formed. The crossbow form is useful for healing and calming down spirits. The Jenno, or gun, since that's easier, it used to fight spirits. Do you understand?"

"…Kind of."

Natalya sighed, but I couldn't help it. I looked at the light before us. "What's that?"

"Some memory of Doe's. Every time you come in here, Doe's memories will be shown to you," Natalya said. I heard her move towards the light. Gulping, I took a deep breath and moved forward. I was the hero, and the hero was always the first to face an adventure!

I walked past her, and the light grew larger and larger, until I stumbled into a field. I felt a lack of solid ground under me, and I fell.

Well, almost. A force grabbed my collar and yanked me up. I felt my feet touching ground, and I looked back.

Natalya let go of my collar, and continued to don what I thought to be her default look on her face – disgust, condescension, and something very similar to apathy. Or she looked like there was a lemon stationed permanently in her mouth.

"Well, wasn't that surprising?" I asked, laughing loudly. She didn't look at me – instead she looked straight below, her frown full of curiosity and the slightest bit of confusion. Curious myself, I looked in the direction of her gaze.

It was that woman again.

"You know her?"

I must have thought out loud. "I…don't know exactly who she is. I've seen her…in here."

Natalya turned from me back to the woman. She was seated underneath a tree which seemed to be atop a hill. There was a blanket spread out, and she was seated on it, alone.

"I think I know who she is," Nat said.

"You do?"

She hummed. "Dy. But it doesn't seem like we can join her."

I looked down. It was a strange sight. Natalya and I were atop a cliff overlooking the hill, but the cliff seemed to be disjoined from the hill itself. My gaze downwards showed me nothing by an abyss of white, an abyss deeper than any dark, pitch black gorge.

My head began spinning. I felt her grip my arm, and she pulled me next to her. "Get a hold of yourself," she whispered, but for some reason, her voice wasn't as harsh as usual.

My vision cleared, and I saw a figure approaching the lone woman. It was the tall man with a goatee.

"Have seen him somewhere before, too?" Natalya whispered into my ear.

Her breath fell hot against my ear. I swallowed a shudder. "She was dancing with him. It was just before you came."

"The last time?"

I hummed my agreement. Somehow, their voices rang clearly in my ear, even though they were so far away.

"Why are you here?" she asked him.

"For you and you alone, mon amour. There is no other reason for me to be anywhere if you aren't there."

She blushed. "Stop embarrassing me, Francis."

"When is he going to come?"

"In an hour. Another meeting came up."

The man she called Francis sat down next to her. He gently caressed her cheek, and she leaned into him. Natalya spoke quietly next to me.

"That's Francis Bonnefoy, and that's Alice Kirkland Jones. She's your…stepmother."

"That's old hag Alice?" I squeaked. No freaking way!

"That's her a lot younger, yes," Natalya said silently, and continued to watch.

So did I, turning back to them. She was leaning into Francis (Mr Goatee guy), her bushy brows drawn together, her face full of emotions I could relate to – sorrow, anger and frustration. Francis stroked her hair.

"Mon amour, come with me," he whispered. I say he whispered because, somehow, even with the distance between us, I could hear his whisper as if he was whispering into my ear. Eww.

"Francis, I…I want to."

"But you can't," he said, smiling sadly at her. His eyes were full of love and pain.

Her green eyes were swimming with tears. "I can't."

Holy cow…old hag Alice and goatee dude? I mean, I could see the resemblance between this pretty lady and the crazy old bat, but I never though…

I felt his presence all of a sudden. I felt Natalya's focus shift at the same time as I felt his presence. I turned, and I saw him standing on an adjacent hill. Wherever the hell we were, distance didn't seem to make a difference – we could have been miles apart, but I could see all their faces, hear all their voices as if they were right before me.

"That man…"

"That's your father." I must have looked confused, for she continued, "If he was as old as you are now, you could have passed off as twins. You look just like he did."

That did not sit too well with me, but… It suddenly occurred to me. MY dad could see old hag Alice and goatee dude.

Even as I turned around, the solid hill before me swayed like mist and disappeared, and Natalya and I were left in the darkness again.

"Wha…What's going on?"

Natalya grabbed hold of my arm. Her grip was firm and reassuring. "We're going back."


Both of them opened their eyes at the same time, but the expressions in their eyes were completely different – Natalya's eyes were calm and collected, whereas Alfred's eyes were wild with fear and confusion. His eyes found Nat's, and the calm in her eyes flooded through him.

"Are you guys…?" Matt trailed off as he watched the two of them silently communicate with each other. Alfred's fear completely vanished, and Natalya looked up at Matt.

"Can you tell us something about Alice Kirkland and Francis Bonnefoy?" she asked him, and looked at Elizabeta and Gilbert, extending her question to the two of them as well.

They all frowned. "You mean the two of them separately or the two of them togeth—ouch!" Gilbert cried out when Eliza whacked him in the head. "What's your problem, frau?"

"We just saw Bonnefoy asking the old hag to leave dad, and dad standing there and watching them," Alfred said quickly and quietly. As Nat watched the expressions across their faces change, all she could think was, Well, that was well phrased.

"Well…" Eliza hummed, thinking.

"Alice Kirkland and my father were married when we were just entering our teens," Matt said, and Nat turned from the warring duo to him. "Dad divorced Alice, and from what Alfred says, it must have been because of Mr Bonnefoy. The divorce was done very quietly, and the two of them never spoke about it to anyone."

"Francis…he was Mr Jones' business associate and advisor," Eliza offered, and everyone turned to her. Everyone except Gilbert, Nat noticed. "He had made a name for himself in agriculture and cuisine, and Mr Jones wanted to expand business in those fields. That's how they met."

Nat frowned. Something was not adding up, but… "Let's get moving. We need to reach Kilobru before midnight, at least." She turned, and walked towards the driver's seat of the car. By the time she'd strapped in, Alfred was seated by her side, and the other three were in the back of the car.

"If you get hungry, there is food underneath your seats," she said, facing them. "I shall not stop, so that will be your dinner. Don't spill anything," she warned, and turned back, happy that they'd all felt icy fingers of fear thrumming down their spines when she'd looked at them. When she turned to Alfred, she saw him grinning, staring outside the window. He turned to her, his grin somehow managing to grow larger, and winked at her. Nat gave him the death glare, but it didn't seem to have any effect on him. With a roll of her eyes, she revved the engine, and drove away.

She felt him turn after a while to look at her, and his grin came back on his face. Nat sighed slowly, knowing that he'd caught her smiling.

Čort, but his grin was infectious.


A/T: Once again, I'm very sorry for the delay. There's been a lot going on at home, lately - my new college admissions, my dad's new calling, my mom's job uncertainty, all of that, so...yes, it's been a pain. And then, my laptop had to go and screw itself up, and now, that laptop's 'o' isn't working, so I had to wait until the wireless keyboard came. And we're back on track!

The scenes where Alfred and Natalya see Johnny Doe's memories are in italics, with their speech in normal font. Just clearing that up.

And, then, there's the mysterious 'him' Nat and Katyusha talks about. Both ladies have mentioned the same 'him' in previous chapters. And this guy is pivotal to the entire story - he's the reason any of this is happening at all. You'll get to know about him soon enough.

Well, that's another chapter. I'll see you next time!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

R. K. Iris.