AN: Hey, just so everyone knows, my posting has been interrupted since I have gotten a job. I will try not to take too long to post the rest of the chapters. Also, reviews are encouraged.
Warnings: Do I need to anymore? It's not any worse than the previous chapters…
Chapter 8
Alfred blinked awake and groaned as he sat up.
"Ow, damn what the Hell happened-huh?" he looked around and noticed that he was back in their school! "Alright, man! Hey, Arthur! Look we're back, dude!" he looked around and noticed the blonde next to him. Arthur groaned softly, slowly coming to.
"Ugh, what?" he muttered, looking up at Alfred. It took Arthur as second to notice their surroundings were very different from before. He got to his feet and looked about himself. "Is this…our school?"
Alfred grinned widely and threw his arms around Arthur's shoulders.
"Yeah, man! We're back!" he cheered. Arthur grinned and hugged him back, laughing gleefully.
"We're back!" he agreed. Arthur looked around again, and pulled away to walk over to the windows. Arthur yanked one open and gave a happy 'whoop'. The windows opened! That had to mean it was real. Arthur didn't care about the rain falling in on him, or the single rumble of thunder, they were back!
"Alfred, the others ought to be here as well!" he said hopefully. Arthur hurried to the door and pulled it open. Peering out, he could see absolutely nothing. The hallways was pitch black, save for the red glow of the exit sign, and the only sound came from the quiet ticking of the clock, which showed it was 8:00. Arthur frowned. They had surely been gone longer than an hour…Something felt off. Arthur shut the door and stepped back into the classroom.
Arthur spotted movement in the corner of the room and gasped. The black mist continued to move and grow until it covered an entire corner. Alfred followed his friend's line of vision and his smile fell.
"What the hell?! But-But-But we're back! Aren't we?" he got a chill up his spine. The black shadow pulsed and shifted.
"I-I thought we were!" Arthur exclaimed. A blue light emerged from the darkness and as it approached, it took the form of the little girl with the missing eye. Alfred stepped over to stand next to Arthur.
"Hey, man, what does she want?" he asked, nervously. Arthur shook his head.
"I don't know!" he snapped. The girl approached slowly.
"…It was a rainy night after school, much like this one…the day I was kidnapped," she said, looking at them sadly. "I remember…I argued with my parents that morning…"
Alfred's eyes jumped between the girl and Arthur.
"I-I'm sorry..." he didn't know what else to really say. The girl looked down.
"I…I was still upset…so after school, I didn't go home. That's….That's when Mr. Jungsai appeared. He sat down next to me outside in the rain. He listened to me when I told him about the argument. Mr. Jungsai was odd, but nice. He listened to everyone...anyone that needed to talk. But then…." the girl broke off into quite weeping. After a moment she stopped. "You two are nice. I'm so sorry."
Alfred held out a hand to her.
"Hey, hey, it's alright. What do you have to be sorry about?" he asked. The girl sighed sadly.
"Your friend…We….I'm sorry…." she replied. "I did want to thank you, though. For doing what you did for us."
"Wyuna, right?" Arthur asked. The girl nodded, looking slightly surprised. "We brought you your tongue back. Shouldn't you be at peace now? Didn't we succeed?"
Wyuna shook her head.
"No. You didn't," she said.
"But the tongues...and the murderer repented!" Arthur protested. Wyuna looked up at them.
"It isn't about our forgiveness. Repentance is what will move us on," she explained. "But…his repentance is not enough."
Alfred looked between the two, confused.
"What do you mean? What do you need?"
Wyuna was quiet for a moment.
"I'm just glad I was able to get even just you two out," she said softly. Alfred was confused.
"I don't get it…why are you suddenly so concerned?" he demanded. Arthur looked at Alfred.
"Alfred, let's give her a chance to explain herself. I…read about something like this before. When someone dies suddenly and violently, they are left with worries and regrets. With all sorts of emotions and worries swirling around inside their head….and they start acting without any sort of control," he said. Arthur turned back to Wyuna. "Please, we do understand what you're going through. So, can you bring back the others?"
Wyuna shook her head sadly.
"That's…not possible anymore. I'm sorry. The school has taken too many lives. The agony and despair has filled every inch of it and there's no room left. It's begun feeding on the minds of us spirits….It won't be long before a return to being a vengeful spirit who attacks people without mercy," she explained. "You need to return. You need to return to the school, and appease all four of us. If you do, we will no longer be the cogs that hold the spaces together."
Alfred frowned.
"You've got to be kidding me! We have to appease you again!? Why wasn't the first time good enough?" he demanded. Wyuna turned away.
"It's….I don't want to remember…." she replied. Wyuna disappeared and reappeared right in front of Arthur. "But, if you really want to know. I'll tell you everything….everything that happened."
Wyuna reached out and took Arthur's hands in hers. Arthur shuddered as she merged into his being. Alfred was shocked.
"Arthur!?" he exclaimed.
"It hurts…It HURTS!" Arthur screamed as everything around him dissolved into blackness.
'What…? What's going on? I thought I passed out…but I'm awake. Why can't I see? I…I can't move! Why can't I move?!'
"Why can't I move?!" Arthur exclaimed in fright. After a moment his vision cleared. Arthur blinked and waited for his eyes to adjust.
He turned his head this way and that, examining the room he was in and the fact that there were three boys on either side of him. Arthur quickly recognized them as the kidnapped students from the newspaper. They were alive, but bound hand and foot and blindfolded. Arthur and the children were all lined up on the floor. He could tell that he, too, was bound at the wrists and ankles.
Arthur felt his heart break when he heard the child furthest from him begin to sob. The boy on his right began to whimper and call for help. Arthur's eyes widened when the teacher, Mr. Jungsai came into view. He stood over them, looking down at them with blank eyes. The teacher knelt down over Arthur, and to Arthur's horror, tied a blindfold over his eyes. Arthur began panicking even more.
"No! I can't see!" he cried out. Arthur tried to calm himself and listened intently to what was going on around him. He could hear the children sobbing in terror – could hear the crying echoing off the walls of the tiny room. Arthur could hear himself start to beg and plead to be let go, but he received no response.
"In…order."
Arthur froze. That had to have been the teacher's voice. He didn't know what he meant by in order though.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! AAAAAH! AAAAAAAGGGGHHHH! YEEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
Arthur felt his heart nearly stop. He'd never heard such screaming before. It was pure, primal terror. From what he could tell, it was coming from the boy furthest from him. The screaming went on for what felt like an eternity. Arthur whimpered quietly. What was that monster doing to that boy?
After what was surely an hour, the screams stopped.
"NO! NO! No! No! No….NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Arthur gasped. It was the boy right next to him screaming now.
"AUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGG! Ung….oolh…."
The sound of something heavy falling repeatedly right next to him sent shivers down Arthur's spine. There were several sickening splats, and he felt something wet and thick hit his face. The sounds continued until it just sounded like squishing. There was a gurgling and sputtering - then the sound of something tearing, and heavy splats. Silence.
Arthur was shaking. The boy had finally died. He squeezed his eyes shut, horrified at his own thoughts. Arthur had been waiting, wanting, that boy to die, just so he didn't have to listen to the sounds any more. He hated himself.
Arthur was brought back to what was happening when footsteps approached him. That meant…he was next! Arthur gasped as his hair was grabbed and his head yanked up. He felt someone fiddling with his blindfold. It fell away, and Arthur cried out in surprise.
Staring back at him, grinning ear to ear, and holding a pair of large, blood soaked sewing scissors, was a blonde boy of about twelve. The boy began to giggle. Arthur heard the sound of the scissors snipping open and closed, the sound echoing ominously off the walls.
The boy lifted the dull, rusty scissors up and slowly lowered them closer and closer to Arthur's left eye.
"No…No! No! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
The pain was indescribable.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Arthur wanted to fall unconscious. He could feel his consciousness start to fade, only to be brought back by the pain.
"Hehehehehehahahaha!"
The scissors were brought down, over and over and over again.
"AAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHAAAAAA!"
"Hehehe! You're a stubborn one, aren't you?"
"AAAAAHHHH! Please! Help me! Someone!"
"You know…the pain would be over if you'd just die already….Hehehehe! There! It's all mushy! Now…let's scoop it aaaaalllll out."
Arthur could only moan pitifully.
"Okay….moving on! Open wide and say 'Aaahh'! Hahahaha!"
"NO! NO! Please, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Matthew could hear Andersen following him as he ran back into the first building. He stumbled over a bit of rubble, but kept going.
"Maaaaaaattheeeeeewwwwww!" called Andersen's voice from behind. Matthew made a noise of fright and ran faster.
"I'm going to kill you, Matthew!" Andersen called cheerfully. Matthew began to cry. Why did Alfred have to leave him?
"Come out, come out wherever you aaaaare!"
Matthew was beginning to tire out. He panted and wheezed as he turned down one hallways after another.
"Run, rabbit, run! Hahahahahahahahahahaha!" Andersen cackled, chasing after the smaller blonde. A sudden pain shot through his head and Andersen collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"NOOOO! DON'T KILL ME! DON'T KILL MEEEE!"
"Arthur snap out of it!"
Arthur's eyes flew open with a gasp. He sobbed loudly, clutching at the ground in front of him. Arthur panted and wheezed, then began to cough.
"Arthur?" Alfred asked, placing a hand on the Brit's shoulder. Arthur turned and sobbed against Alfred's shoulder. Alfred jumped slightly in surprise, then awkwardly pat his back.
"Uhh…It's okay, dude, please, calm down. Really, everything is fine," he said.
"That's what happened to me," Wyuna told them sadly. Alfred looked startled.
"What? What happened? Arthur, what did you see?" he asked. Arthur eventually calmed enough to be able to speak.
"I…I saw…the killer," he panted.
"Huh?"
"Alfred…the killer isn't the teacher…That's why the repentance wasn't enough!" Arthur exclaimed. Alfred's eyes widened.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait. You, were actually there!?" he asked. "You saw the whole damned thing?"
Arthur nodded.
"Yes. I saw…everything. I saw it through Wyuna's eyes," he replied. "The murderer…is a little boy. Peter, I think his name was."
"What? You mean…a child killed them? How could a child do that?" Alfred exclaimed. "That's impossible! What about that teacher?"
Arthur shook his head.
"The teacher was just an accomplice. In fact, the entire time Peter was killing those children, he was in the corner of the room, shaking in fear," he replied. "I still don't know why he helped, though. Anyway, we have to tell everyone else about this."
Alfred rubbed his head, still looking a little baffled.
"Yeah," he agreed hesitantly. Arthur sighed.
"If we don't…Peter could catch them unawares and kill them," he said. Arthur turned to Wyuna. "Wyuna, please, take us back. We'll find a way to put you and the other spirits trapped there to rest."
Wyuna looked unsure.
"I…wouldn't recommend that," she replied. "Due to what you and your friends have done, those spaces are in a state of unrest…If I brought you back, even if I stayed normal, I wouldn't be able to bring you back home again."
Arthur frowned in worry.
"But if we don't go back, everyone will die," Alfred piped up. Arthur nodded.
"Yes, so, please take us back," he requested again. Wyuna sighed.
"Alright," she agreed.
Arthur and Alfred found themselves in a dilapidated classroom.
"I'm really sorry…I wish you both the best of luck," Wyuna said. The two turned to see the ghost girl standing near the doors. "I have something for you. I think your friend Ludwig will find it useful."
Wyuna approached Arthur and handed him a marble statuette of a dragon. Alfred scratched his head.
"Why don't you just give it to them?" he asked Wyuna looked away.
"Peter's following them around the school right now. I can't get close. There's another statue like this one. If you find it, please make sure he gets that one as well."
Arthur nodded.
"I will make sure of it," he promised. Wyuna gave a brief smile. Her gloomy countenance returned.
"The three of us are prepared for the challenges ahead, now that we have our tongues. But, you should know, that due to our short awakening, the balance of these spaces have begun to collapse. Be very careful," she told them. "Also, please remember, in order for Peter to feel remorse, you have to appeal to his humanity. You must purify his soul….My mind is already being attacked. The next time you see me…run."
Arthur and Alfred watched as Wyuna disappeared. Alfred looked at Arthur.
"We should focus on finding the others," he said, unusually solemn sounding. Arthur agreed. The two left the room and began to search the halls. Arthur spotted something on the ground and walked over to it.
"It's Feliciano's ID and paper scrap," he said, surprised as he picked it up.
"We can return it once we find him," Alfred replied with a smile. Arthur nodded.
Ludwig had sat down and allowed Feliciano to sit in his lap. Since the Infirmary was locked and this place, though rather bad smelling, was looking safe. Ludwig would allow Feliciano to rest for a little while here before they got going again.
Feliciano leaned against Ludwig's broad chest as he slept peacefully. His small, lithe chest moved up and down with each gentle snore. He had fallen asleep almost instantly after Ludwig invited him to rest. The Italian was indeed, exhausted.
Ludwig watched Feliciano sleep. He was glad his friend had managed to fall asleep; after all that had happened, he had thought sleep would be impossible. Ludwig leaned his head back against the wall behind him. He hadn't told Feliciano about Gilbert and Antonio, despite knowing he'd have to eventually. Ludwig didn't want Feliciano to break down any further.
Feliciano grumbled once in his sleep and turned into Ludwig's chest; his fist clenching his friend's shirt tightly. Ludwig gently stroked Feliciano's hair. It was nice to relax. The room shook like mad, sending a beam from the ceiling crashing down right in front of them.
Feliciano woke with a scream and wrapped his arms around Ludwig's shoulders, hiding his face in the German's chest.
"Ahh! Ludwig, what's happening?!"
Ludwig held Feliciano close.
"An earthquake!" he replied, moving to shield Feliciano from the debris. The shaking subsided and everything was calm again. "Scheiße."
Ludwig stood, bringing Feliciano with him.
"I think we ought to leave. If there's another one, we're sitting ducks in here," he said. Feliciano nodded quickly and stepped over the fallen beam carefully.
"Where do you think we should go?" he asked, opening the door. Ludwig shook his head.
"At this point, I don't know. This place seems endless. I would imagine that if we just keep going, we'll run into the others eventually," he replied. Ludwig hated not having a clear course of action, but he didn't have much of a choice. Feliciano gave a nod and grabbed Ludwig's hand.
"Let's go this way," he urged, attempting to pull the German to the left with a smile that would melt the coldest of hearts. Ludwig nodded.
"Very well," he agreed. It wasn't like it mattered what way they went. Ludwig walked with Feliciano along the hallway, noticing things seemed a little different. He couldn't exactly place what was different about it, though.
As they walked along, Ludwig heard the sound of voices coming from a distance.
"Feliciano, come this way," he said, pulling the Italian along behind him as he turned down a different hall. They soon had to stop, however, because there was a hole blocking there path.
"….I think…I hear Alfred's voice," Ludwig muttered. Feliciano listened for a moment then gasped.
"That Is Alfred!"
He squinted his bright brown eyes in an attempt to see across the hole.
"Alfred! Are you there?!" he called. Ludwig listened for a response.
"Alfred you twit! It came from over here!"
Ludwig couldn't help but chuckle.
"It seems Arthur is with him," he commented. Ludwig then called out in his booming voice, "Alfred, Arthur! Over here!"
Alfred's voice replied this time.
"Huh? Hey, Ludwig, is that you, dude?!" he asked. Feliciano giggled and waved to the darkness.
"And Feliciano! Hehe!"
Ludwig watched as Alfred and Arthur came into view.
"It is good to see you two. It would be better if this hole wasn't in the way, though," Arthur said with a smile.
"Yeah. I have to admit, though, that I am surprised we managed to find each other. This school is like a maze," Ludwig replied. Feliciano latched onto Ludwig's arm after he heard a creak.
"And it's scary too!" he cried. Alfred nodded.
"You two look like you've had a better time than we have. Are either of you hurt?"
Ludwig gestured to Feliciano.
"He twisted his ankle. Otherwise, we are fine. Have you seen anyone else here?" he asked. Arthur looked down.
"Yes. I was originally here with Francis…but, he's dead," he explained. Ludwig nodded somberly. Feliciano froze and tears began to gather in his eyes, his grip on Ludwig's arm tightening. Alfred hung his head sadly.
"Yeah... And I was with Mathew. But I we got separated and I can't find him now..."
Ludwig placed a comforting hand on Feliciano's back.
"I see. I am sorry to hear that," he said. Arthur looked at them.
"Have you two seen any others?" he asked. Ludwig tensed.
"Yes. Lovino is gone. As are Gilbert and Antonio," he replied. Feliciano tensed then looked up at Ludwig with sad, tear-filled eyes.
"W-What? You never told me they..."
He blinked and the tears fell down his cheeks. Alfred sighed heavily, not sure what to say anymore.
Ludwig looked ashamed.
"I'm sorry, Feliciano. I didn't want to upset you further," he said. Arthur couldn't believe they had lost so many people.
"Well…we have to make sure we don't lose anyone else. We will find Mr. Vargas, Matthew, Ivan and Yao, and we will get out of here together," he said, looking determined. This was his fault, Arthur wouldn't allow anyone else to die. Then he remembered something. "Ludwig, Feliciano. We found out that Peter is the killer, not the teacher. Please keep an eye out for him."
Alfred looked at Arthur from the corner of his eye. He could only imagine the guilt his friend must feel by now. He gently placed his hand on Arthur's shoulder and gave a small squeeze. Feliciano sniffled and wiped his eyes.
"Y-You mean the little ragazzo from the paper? How could such a small child be the cause of all this?"
Arthur shook his head.
"I'm not positive, but it seemed as though he managed to manipulate the teacher into kidnapping the children and restraining them. How he managed to convince the teacher to do that, I don't know," he replied. "However, I do know that if we can get Peter to show remorse for what he did, the child spirits will move on, and the spaces will come together and we will be able to leave."
Feliciano blinked once in confusion but nodded.
"Ok. So, how do we find him?"
Alfred turned to look at Arthur.
"And once we find him, how do we get the little dude to show remorse?" he thought out loud. Arthur frowned.
"I don't know yet, but we shouldn't go looking for him until we find a way," he said. Ludwig nodded.
"Yes. Feliciano and I will search this side of the school, and you two can continue on that side. We should make this place the meeting spot, and mark it so we can find our way back when we find any information that could be of use," he replied. "Besides, we still have to find the others."
Arthur then remembered something.
"Alfred, Wyuna gave you that statuette to give to Ludwig. You should be able to toss it across to them, right?" he said. Alfred reached into his pocket and nodded, pulling it out.
"Yeah. I should be able to. Hey, Ludwig, how's your catch?" he chuckled. Ludwig sighed.
"Just toss whatever it is over," he replied. Alfred wound up like a baseball pitcher and, with a grunt, threw the little statue over the hole.
"A little ghost chick gave it to us. She said it was for you."
Ludwig caught the statue before it smacked him in the face. He grumbled and glared at the American.
"Did she say what it was for?" Ludwig asked.
"No. She just said you'd know what to do with it when the time came," Arthur replied. Feliciano looked at Ludwig's hand clenched around the little statue.
"What is it, Ludwig?" he asked, getting impatient. Ludwig looked down at the statue.
"It's a dragon," he said, a little surprised by how intricately the marble statuette had been designed. Ludwig looked back up. "Alright, I'll keep this with me. So, when we find the others and a way to get Peter to remorse, we'll meet back here."
"That's right. Be careful you two," Arthur replied. He tugged on Alfred's sleeve and they walked off. Feliciano waved.
"Stay safe, i miei amici," he called, worry riddled through his voice. His grip on Ludwig's sleeve tightened slightly, afraid that the German would disappear if he let go.
Translations: Scheiße = shit (German), ragazzo = boy (Italian), , i miei amici = my friends (Italian)
