A/N: Okay, I'm going to say it. I don't own Hetalia, only the idea.

For the nightmare, the idea came to me from a poem i wrote. I don't know if you guys will read this stuff up here, but i just wanted to share the poem that inspired, got me to write this chapter.

Darkened Flame

Encased in darkness,

Is what happened to me.

Falling forever down

the nothingness I see.

Eyes opening, flames bursting.

That's it, I think, I'm doomed.

To be forever consumed by the fire,

which licks my skin as i fall

deeper, closer to the core.

So what'd ya think? You can tell me what you think after reading the chapter. I'll leave you to read then.


In the embrace of the idiotic, blond American, I slept with an eased mind, but that peace was soon disturbed. My mind, as soon as it was full of happy dreams with the git, filled with horrible things. I thought that since I was with someone who I found to be comfortable around, love, and care about, that I wouldn't have those retched nightmares when I'm with him; I was wrong.

I was having another nightmare, and it felt like it would be worse than the others. My eyes were closed, but I could fell myself falling through cold darkness. It was starting out like all my others did when the curse would speak; only difference, he didn't visit me.

I was unsure if I should open my eyes, but opened them anyway. What I saw was the darkened flames of a fire surrounding me. My body didn't react but my mind did; I was panicking. The farther I kept falling the deeper and closer I went to the core of where the flames came from. I was terrified and didn't want to be in the center of the heat. The flames consumed my body as I went further and I could feel them licking my skin, burning the pale white hue I've always had. My eyes stung as the many tears that I held fell, the heat drying them, making them evaporate just as fast as they are made. Not able to handle what I felt, I saw, I closed my eyes.

Opening my heavy eyelids, I see another scene fold out before me; a burning village. The flames were flickering, moving to any area that wasn't touched. I felt pity, yet, at the same time, pleasure. Not noticing the devilish smile creeping onto my face, I look around with a sort of...loving thought; all this pain, agony, brought on...was because of me. If I was myself, I would've freaked. Feeling drugged, though, I was just smiling at the horrendous site before me.

Screams, shouts. Yelling, hollering. All the loud noises didn't bother me; they excited me. Moving forward, I hooked an arrow to my bow and looked for another victim to die at my hands. There were many targets, many people, but I didn't harm them; I ignored them, looking for something, someone else. Turning corners through the burning village, I see all the different people; dying, living, holding onto life, screaming through the pain that they were given. A couple of the faces I saw held those emotions, statuses, and what made my mind switch off was seeing my friends.

My feet stopped moving as I saw them, huddling in a small corner, trying not to be seen or killed. I chuckled, making them spin around, looking at me with fear coursing through there body, showing their fright in their eyes. My heart became warm as I saw that they feared me, covered with blood, smiling devilishly, eyes full of lust for more killing. Ignoring my original self shouting at me, I step closer to them, aiming my loaded bow at the group.

"Arthur!" The Spaniard tried to stop me, but I pushed him back. He was the first one I shot through the heart. Nothing came out of his mouth anymore.

Romano flipped out and tried to avenge the man he fell in love with; he ended up the same way his lover came out to be, shot in the heart with an arrow. Feli came at me, then Ludwig, Gilbert, Francis, Matthew, Kiku, Heracles, Alec, Alun, Aiden; all of them died the same way. I felt no pity for them. Happiness overwhelmed me.

A chuckle shot out from my mouth and I held the quiver, holding only one arrow. I looked towards the sky, watching the once blue hue become black as more smoke rose up. My chortling became louder, body shaking from the immense laughing. My face felt sore from the smirk that appeared from the chuckling. I must look like a crazy mad man. "But that's what I am!" I shout to the sky above.

Hearing someone clap in the distance, my head snaps down and catches the eyes of a certain Russian. He smiled, showing me that he's pleased, feeling pleasure from having me kill. "You've done well, da?" He chuckled as I smiled madly back at him. A moment later, we heard a crash; looking towards the noise, we see the one who I've been dodging. "Looks like you missed one..." Ivan mussed with annoyance, then hummed. "Kill him, then come report to me, da?" He left me to take care of what I didn't, couldn't do.

Alfred laid on his knees, crying from all that's been happening. I'd say that I felt remorse for him, but I didn't. His body shook from him holding in his new tears, head looking up at me, eyes piercing through me. I could say that I saw hatred in his beautiful eye, only there wasn't; it was sadness, pity, remorse...confusion. I tsked and set my bow up with the last arrow. "Arthur..." pausing, I listen. "Why...? Why do you do this? What happened to you?"

I smirk at the stupid questions. "I do this because I love feeling the enjoyment." He looked away from me, I leaned down to his ear. "I enjoy to kill...everyone." A tremor went through his body as I chuckled. "And nothing happened to me," I state, standing back up and pointing my arrow at him, "I just became what I was supposed to be. I was born to be like this."

"No..." he looked back up at me, his eyes holding fierce determination, positive belief, … love. "You weren't born to become this monster." Something inside of me broke as I heard that word come out of his mouth. "You're not the same Iggy, Artie, Arthur!, that I know. You have changed; into the monster that you've feared and have been fighting all of your life. Why did you give up? How could you forget the feelings you felt towards the ones who helped you, supported you? How come you stopped fighting? What happened, Arthur?" I didn't move even though something, someone was telling me to. He was right; I fought so much against this...monster. Why did I stop? "You have to continue fighting! Arthur! Fight against this monster! Do it for us, for me, for you!"

My arms trembled as I was beginning to fight with the curse again. "No!" The monster shouted as I was winning. "I finally won you over, I'm not going to let you destroy me, get ride of me yet!" Before I could put my arrow down, the monster inside of me released the arrow that was positioned to pierce Alfred's heart.

"Alfred!" I shout, sitting up in the bed. I still felt connected to the dream, so when I looked around his room, all I saw was the burnt town, dead bodies, his...corpse. "Alfred!" I grabbed my head and started to cry. I killed him! Why? I moaned, groaned at the loss. Why...? Why did I have to kill my friends, my brothers, him?

"Arhtur..." I cried harder as his voice haunted me. "Arthur." I shook my head, trying to get him out of my head. "Arthur, look at me!" I stopped moving and decided to look up.

He was there. The git was right in front of me. It looked too real for it to be a dream. I reached out towards him, touching his face first then feeling his chest. He was here, he wasn't dead. "Alfred." He pulled me towards him, hugging me, cuddling me as I cried against his chest. "I...I thought you were dead." I say between gasps of air. "I though that...I killed you, Alfred. God, I killed you."

"Shh..." he rubs my back, calming me down as he says that he's not dead. "I'm right here, Iggy. I'm still alive, Arthur, I'm not dead." I clung to him each time he tried to sooth me, calm me. His hold became tighter around me and I soon felt tears fall onto my head. "I'm here..." he whispered. "I'm still alive. I haven't left your side, I'm never going to leave you alone."

I slowly started to relax in his embrace, still holding his shirt and concealing my face into his chest. "You better not, git." I choke out. "I'd die out there if you weren't with me anymore." His body tensed at my confession. It was true. That's how I felt now; if he wasn't here with me, I'd be lost, forever consumed in the darkness, friendless, going crazy, losing to the curse... "I don't want you to leave me." I whisper.

He pushed me away to look at my face, seeing my worry, fear, loss of mind. He kept looking at me, but soon kissed me. I was shocked, surprised at this sudden action, but didn't fight against him; I welcomed it.

-|)-*-(|-

Hours later, once I woke back up, I remembered the horrid dream I had. Sitting up in his bed, I held my head, rocking myself back and forth, calming myself from the scenes that just wouldn't leave my mind. Stop... I beg, plead in my mind for the images to cease, pause, erase from my mind. Just stop these bloody...images...stop.

"Why should I stop them when your the one who made them up?" My head jerked up, looking, scanning for the familiar, hated voice I longed to get ride of. "You were the one who dreamed that up, not me." I heard his malicious chuckle in the back of my mind, echoing out into Alfred's room. "You're getting closer to becoming me...master, you're finally succumbing to the dark, evil lust for killing."

"No..." I cover my ears, but the action just made it worse; he was louder when my ears were concealed from the world. "No! I'll never ever become that bloody monster you want me to be!" I was feeling dizzy, sick as he was still chortling which consumed my mind and started to give me a headache. "Shut up! Just shut the fuck up! I hate your laughing." He didn't stop, but soon disappeared after saying his final word. We shall see about that...hehe...master.

I flailed as I jumped off the bed, feeling arms support me. My eyes being closed, I struggled within the hold of someone I couldn't see. I thought that the arms belonged to the black demons that have been trying to pull me down into the dark pit with them, but soon found out who they belonged to. "Iggy...calm down it's just me." I stopped moving, opened my eyes, peered up into the blue irises that Alfred had, feeling tears run down my cheeks. He became concerned instantly, and kissed my fallen tears away. "I'm here, Arthur, I'm still here for you."

Clinging to his shirt, I let loose all the tears that wanted to fall. My eyes started to sting as more fell; turning red from all the crying, vision blurring as I almost lose consciousness again, vague movements seen of hands drying my tears. The blond American started to hum for me, calming me down, lulling me back to a composed state. "Alfred," he was still humming but gave me a signal saying he was listening, "I...I don't think...I should stay here any longer."

His baritone hum stopped as he pushed me away to look me in the eye. "What do you mean?" I looked away, hiding the already known tear stained face I had. "Arthur..." he hugged me again. "I don't want you to leave...and I can't live in the woods with you; I'd be too far away from the main village to get my missions..." he trialed off as I heard his voice hitch. He was worrying about me, afraid for me. He wanted to look after me, but how could he when I'm living in the woods with my wolves again? "Iggy...please stay a bit longer..."

Sighing, I push myself away. "I'll...think about it, git." He chuckled halfheartedly as I left for the living room. I was watching, looking at the floor as I walked and didn't realize the visitors who were there. A noise, a gasp was heard, getting my attention as I looked up. My eyes widened as I saw the group, instantly looking away from them. "What the bloody hell are you three doing here?"

Alec stood along with Aiden and Alun. The big redheaded brute cleared his throat and took a step forward. "We heard that..." he paused as he hesitated on saying the name. "...Ivan has come back." I flinch at the said name and hold my arms as I compose myself from breaking down once more. "We were...worried. We wanted to see how you were...taking in that fact."

"Well I'm bloody fine." I falsely state to them as I turn my back to them. Alfred came out, glancing at me, them, then headed into the kitchen. I looked at him, hoping, begging for his help to get my brothers out of the house; he just ignored me as he set up some dishes for a short breakfast. Scowling, I look away from him and pout. "Go away," I spat with hate, "I don't want to see your bloody faces right now."

"Arthur, please, just listen; hear our words." Aiden, the Irish twin, took a hold of my arm, lightly turning me to face them. His eyes held concern, compassion, brotherly love. I scoffed at his act of care, and turned from him. "Arthur...we want to tell you how we really feel about you. Our brother."

"Besides that you guys hated me?" I slowly look at them again with acid showing in my angered eyes. I didn't want them here; they should get the hint and leave. "That's all you did back them, hate me. You used me as a bloody punching bag, a sack filled with flour, a dead corpse from a pig." They winced at the comparisons I made. "What more could tell me about how you felt?"

"Shut up mate and listen." I glare at Alun, the Welsh twin, and he glowers right back. "We did that because mum said so; we all said that the last time." I snorted and Alec got angrier. Alun didn't let the Scot speak though. "Honestly, mate, we hated doing those awful, dreadful things to you, but mum wanted us to scare you away, to never come back."

"Well, talk about a bloody well done job." I spat at them, my own fury rising, building up. "I bloody understand where mum comes from, but what I don't get is, why do that towards a bloody four year old who barely grew enough strength for any damn thing in the world."

"You were different than all the other four year-old's that were born in the town." I stare at Alec, puzzled, perplexed, confused. He heaved an annoyed, angered sigh as he stared intently at me. "You weren't born like a four year old." I blinked. What does that bloody mean? "You were born prematurely." This fact stunned me a bit. He sighed again and took a seat, motioning me to do the same. I hesitated, but sat across from him as the others took a seat next to him. "Mum was due for you in the month of May, but you came in April; the 23rd to be exact." I nod and he continues. "We were older than you by a couple of years, but we could tell; you were different from us, from everyone. Though this was true, Mum still loved you just as much as she loved us, but we believed she loved you even more. You could say that's when we got jealous.

"When you were born, Mum knew that you'd take after her, but in a horrible way. She told me that I had to look after you, and the other two, when she wasn't around; she didn't want anything to happen to you, us." He leaned back into the couch.

"You were only a couple weeks old when you first spoke." He chuckled. "You first words weren't "Mummy" or "Daddy", they were "brother". That made the three of us overjoyed, but something else happened. You started to walk at two months, which isn't that odd, I think. What got us is how intelligent you were; you were around eighteen months when you were able to speak fluently, write essays, speeches, laws, stories. You were able to understand the world around you at the age of two, and you hated the way it was ruled by the king that had power over us. When you were three going on four, you told us stories holding determination as you stated that you would become the next king that would rule us; you'd try to give us a better life, not filled with poverty, but with enough riches to last us a year without worry.

"Around that time, Mum told us that we couldn't be the great brothers that you looked up to anymore. "You have to make him hate you. He acts more like an eight year old than a four year old; he'll understand within time if you meet up again." She told us this and never gave us the reason why we had to be ass holes to you. "Just do this for me, for him. He needs to stay away from towns." We didn't understand, but when you got your first bow and arrow, we saw what she meant. "The curse will show once the archer has his first weapon in hand." She always spoke like that, riddles. Not until you turned four and held that arrow at someone and killed them did we see that "archer's curse" appear before us.

"We thought that the jealousy we felt for you back then could have us make you run away; we thought that the fact of our mother dying at the hands of that bastard, Ivan, would give us enough reason to hate you and drive you out; we thought that seeing you in that...monstrous form would convince us, prove to us that you shouldn't be living in the town with us. It didn't." He leaned forward, holding his forehead with his hands. "We drove you out with guilt weighing us down. We wanted to apologize to you, give you another chance and clear your name of a blame you shouldn't hold, but..."

"We couldn't find you." Aiden finished for our redheaded brother. He glanced at the large man and patted his back. "Alec here took it harder than us since he was the eldest; he was also the one who was closer to you." He looked at me again with a small sympathetic smile.

"Could you ever find it in your heart to forgive us, mate?" My gaze fell on Alun, then Aiden, Alec.

Right in front of me were my blood brothers, confessing, asking, begging, pleading for forgiveness for the wrong they did in their lives; I didn't know if I should forgive them, show the mercy or not. "I loved you, Art." I stared at the Scotsman as his eyes filled with held tears looked at me. My throat started to hurt from just looking at him. "I still do. You were the best little brother a drunken Scotsman could've asked for when he was in a fucking drought." Alun and Aiden didn't seem fazed at the confession, in fact they agreed with him.

"Why don't you just forgive them, Iggy?" I jump as I look at Alfred, remembering that he was also in the house. When I saw his face, I noticed how tired he was; he looked lifeless, almost dead. Have I made him worry that much? My heart twisted in pain from the thought of me affecting him that much. The idiot noticed my stare and smile blankly. "They're your brothers. Brothers will always be hard to deal with, so there are times when you'll dislike them." He stare fell onto them. "I think you shouldn't hate them. From what I just heard, it's not there fault, and it wasn't they're idea to hurt you." His tired eyes landed on mine. "If I was in your position and Mattie was in theirs, I'd forgive him instantly and hug my brother as we both ball our eyes out." He chuckled but the happiness of the silly thought never reached his voice. "Forgive them, Arthur. Make them stop feeling guilt. They probably won't stop feeling the blame, but at least take off a certain load from their shoulders."

I continued to stare at the blond American that I continued to fall for and sighed. "I guess." I turned to them and saw the hope rising in their eyes. I shake my head with a smirk. "I'll forgive you twats, but-" I didn't get to finish my sentence; Alec had hugged me along with the other two. I chuckled. "All right, you can stop hugging me." They didn't want to, but soon let up. Once they were on the couch again, I smiled at them. "Brothers or not, I'll still hold it against you." They nod. "But," their eyes lock with mine; I stared at them with fierce anger, frightening them, but soon soothed my glare into a kind, caring gaze, "you're my brothers. I may dislike your behavior, but that doesn't mean I'll stop loving you brutes." They smiled and chuckled.

"Think that right now, but it won't last for long." My body freezes as his voice came into my mind again. "When I take control, which will be soon, this simple fact will enrage you to the point where you'll kill them without a second of hesitation." His chuckle sent a shiver down my spine, making me cringe, slouching back into the chair I sat in. "Nothing will hold me back when I appear." Just as quick as his voice appeared, it went away.

I shivered again, but they didn't notice anything. I don't want them to notice. I scan my brothers faces and see their happiness. I don't want them to bear another worry, problem on their shoulders. I glance at Alfred and saw that he looked better. I was confused. Did I just imagine him looking sick...almost dead? I shake my head and smile. I'm losing my mind, but I know one thing, we all were smiling and I couldn't forget, wouldn't forget this moment, I'll never ever try to cause anymore pain to the people I care for.

-|)-*-(|-

After the trio left, another arrived. "Ve!" Feli jumped onto me, making me wince and remember that I'm wounded. I ease him off of me, with the help of his brother, and tell him I'm still injured. He smiles with sympathy. "Sorry, ve, I was just happy to see you again."

I smile, pat his head, chuckle. "I understand. It's okay." His smile turns warm, happy. I return the same grin.

"So," Alfred comes up from behind me, grabbing me by my waist, "I guess you've heard also." I try to push myself away from his grasp, blushing at the action he made, almost as if he's telling someone that I belong to him. "Feli," the young Italian looks at the gunman, "you told them. Am I right?"

He nodded. Romano crossed his arms with a scowl. "Of course he told us. We're also Arthur's friends; we have a right to know." The temperamental Italian looked between the American and I, smiling at what he was seeing. "I can see that he's fine though. He'll be nursed back to his frickin' healthy state soon." He smirk as I blushed even more. Feli chuckled as he also saw the intimate actions Alfred was trying to pull; I pushed him even more to distance ourselves.

"He's right." Antonio smiled at me warmly, comfortingly. "You'll take great care of him, Alfred." The blond man beside me finally flushed along with me, reluctantly letting me go. "How long can you keep that up though?"

Al composed himself and stared at his friend questioningly. "What do you mean?" The Spaniard glanced away, the Italians did the same. Alfred grew inpatient. "Damn it, just tell me. What the hell do you mean?"

They were still silent until Antonio spoke again. "I fear the relationship between you two won't last as long as you hope it will." He was confusing us even more. He sighed. "What will you do about the missions that the King wants you to do?" Alfred blinked. "Are you going to tell him to give them to someone else? Are you going to beg for him to let Arthur join you?" The American looked away from his friend, the Italians, me. "You do know, that the King has heard of what happened, right? He knows that Arthur's hurt; he won't let him join you even if you made a deal with him." He went silent and looked away from us again. "He's also heard about what Ivan said, how Arthur is wanted by the group that's planning to kill him." Alfred's neck snapped as he focused on the other.

"Who told him?" He asked, fearing the worst for me. "How much does he know about Arthur?"

The Spaniard went quiet again. Romano continued for him. "What the bastard is trying to say is that his royal highness know every damn thing about this Brit of ours." I glanced at Alfred and saw that he was tensing up. "He's thinking about cutting him from his forces."

"But Arthur hasn't even been on a mission yet!" Alfred tried to defend me, complaining about how unfair it is.

"We know, ve." Alfred and I looked at Feli. "But...just be glad that the King isn't telling you to take Arthur back from where you found him." That was a solid point, but when I looked at Alfred, I saw his clenched fists shaking, full of anger.

"That bastard." He spat. "Just because he fears Arthur's curse...he never thought that if Arthur could control this curse we could have an advantage against our enemies?"

"It doesn't work that way." I spoke. They looked at me, shocked to hear a single word come out of my mouth. I glanced away and sigh. "All the people who has had the curse fell into the darkness, killed many people, murdered most of the royals in their countries...died at the hands of a dear friend of theirs." My throat felt like I was choking on something as I told the truth. "That's my fate as well."

"No!" Surprised by his shout, I stare at Alfred. He was more than just angry, he was livid. "That isn't your fate." He glared intently into my eyes, trying to make me see what he believe, showing me that he's concerned, worried about me. "I hate it when you say that your destiny is at the hands of falling into the curse, killing the people you care for, dying only by the person who cares, worries, loves you." His eyes started to fill up with unused tears. "Arthur-"

"Alfred." Antonio cut him off, making the blond growl, glare at him. The Spaniard had a look of seriousness appear on his face. Alfred instantly knew what was up.

"Why are you really here?" He asked them. This time they didn't hesitate to say anything.

"We were given orders to send you to another mission." The American besides me groaned from annoyance, hatred. Antonio made a sound that caught the man's attention again, cautioning him some more. "This mission, believe it or not, will be with Arthur." Our eyes went wide from shock. "I know that we just said that there's a fat chance of him ever working for the king, but this will be the Brit's first and only mission for the king."

"What is it?" Alfred asked, fearing the worst will come from the swordsman's mouth.

The Spaniard smirked sympathetically. "It deals with the worst Russian out there," my eyes widened as I knew who he was talking about, "Ivan's back, as you know, and the king wants to know what the Russian has up his sleeve, what his ideas are." His eyes landed on me as I tried not to flinch. "The only way we will know what is in that messed up mind of his is if we use Arthur to our advantage." He smiled at Alfred. "So we are going to use him to our advantage; by having Arthur get information from that Russian scum."


A/N: The breaks were supposed to look like a bow and arrow but it won't take the arrow tips :( oh well. So yeah, as i said at the top, i got this entire thing from the start of a poem i wrote in class. Man that's so cool even though i suck i writing poems; they just don't come out right for me.

Well, i hope you like the update because i know that i'm happy about finally updating this story.

Thanks for reading! R&R.