Thanks to Time Turner, Abc, Adorable Reader, ThisIsTheEarth, Under Celestial Stars, Lovesbugsalot, ScandinavianTrash, NekoRyuuKo and KathAmbrosius67 for reviewing.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.
Chapter 8
After their stomachs had been filled and with Feliks driving a lot more carefully than he did before, the seven humans fell asleep. Feliks didn't mind. It allowed him a chance to think about everything.
He was happy for Vlad. He had finally found that which had eluded him for thousands of years. Something he thought he would never find. And while he was a little rough around the edges, Feliks had a feeling that Lovino would be good for him.
But if he found out… It could be the last encounter between Vlad and the Winter King. Vlad's hope could be completely destroyed, and Ivan would have what he's wanted for centuries: for Vlad to become a demon. And then they'd be doomed.
Vlad's gift was very valuable. Even Feliks, who had no use for it, could see that. And he had seen how demons gunned for Vlad, but there was only one that was a threat. But for Vlad to reveal his gift to you, it was a symbol of trust – the most precious symbol of trust.
Feliks glanced towards the sleeping Lovino. The phoenix could see exactly what was hidden under Lovino's harsh exterior, and he couldn't help but think it was well-suited.
Both of them had suffered, through sacrifices of blood and tears.
…
Two hours later found them driving underneath a canopy of trees. The road cut through a rather dense forest, and the shade made it seem as though night had already fallen.
Feliks looked around at the ones that were awake: Lovino, Jason and Matthew. It was time to have fun.
He slowed down, before he sharply turned to the right, and the three yelped when they saw him apparently planning to drive into a tree.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Lovino shouted, and Marcello and Hans were woken by the shout.
The humans all braced themselves when they saw the tree, only for the van to go right through it, as though it wasn't there. In fact, they had ended up on a dirt road, though it was surprisingly smooth.
"What just happened?" Matthew questioned.
"Like, glamour spell," Feliks explained. "Like, this road is totally hidden to everyone that doesn't like know where it is. The same with my house. Like, no one that I don't know could come here. Well, unless the barrier totally breaks…"
"Are you trying to give us heart attacks?!" Jason demanded.
"Like, you're safe. No probs. And the other two slept through it."
"Al can sleep through anything," Matthew sighed.
"Si," Marcello said. "Feliciano is the same."
Lovino was quiet for a moment, before he turned to Feliks.
"Would Vlad be able to find us?" he asked.
"Like, totes," Feliks said. "Like, this is one of his favourite places to totally crash, when he doesn't take a long nap."
"How long will it take for Vlad to fly here?" Lovino asked.
Feliks smiled a secret smile.
"Like, it shouldn't take him more than an hour or two. Like, his flight speed is totally incredible."
"I know," Lovino said. "I need to talk to him."
"Oh? Like, what about?"
"None of your damn business!"
"Touchy, especially for someone like you."
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"Like, it means I can see what kind of angel you like are, and the type…"
"I said I don't want to know."
"Like, I promise that it isn't something totally lame."
"I don't care. I don't want to know."
"Fine," Feliks huffed. "Like, wake the other two. We're here."
Feliks heard gasps of astonishment when the humans caught sight of his home, and he felt his chest swell with pride. He had worked hard to get the house like that, and it would seem as though it was paying off.
The house was huge, boasting four storeys. It was made of a dark grey stone, the roof a dark pink. There were large French windows, with the exception of the third floor. There was a huge front porch with rosy marble pillars.
Feliks most certainly had expensive taste.
"Like, welcome to my house," Feliks said. "Like, I hope everything's to your liking. Like, you can pick any bedroom you like – I totally have loads."
"This isn't a 'house'," Jason said. "A house suggests that it's one, maybe two storeys. This is a monstrosity."
"I agree," Marcello said, staring up at the large structure in front of them.
They each took their bags, going inside. As soon as they were inside they scattered, trying to find a suitable room for each of them.
Lovino went up to the third floor, trying to see why there were no windows.
At first he couldn't find anything out of the ordinary, until he found a bedroom that was obviously used, though it had been a while.
He looked in the closet, and asides from various shirts and pants, he also saw trench coats hanging there, similar to the one that Vlad had worn.
Feliks had said that Vlad liked to come here. This must have been Vlad's room.
Lovino looked around. The room looked comfy, with a large bed, an armchair and a bookshelf. There was no vanity – Vlad had no reflection, so why would he need one?
Lovino left the room and went into the one next to it, choosing it for himself. It was only when he turned on the light that he gasped.
It was a portrait of Vlad, with someone who looked like a miniature version of him, though his hair was brown and his eyes were more of a red-violet. He was sitting on Vlad's lap, and they both had soft smiles on their faces.
Lovino recognised the style as Italian Renaissance. And to see Vlad painted like that made a blush creep on Lovino's face.
"Like, this floor is pretty much Vlad's."
Lovino spun around to see Feliks, and he was quick to set his scowl on his face.
"He can share," Lovino said.
Feliks chuckled, before looking at the painting.
"It's titled 'Brothers Lost'," Feliks said. "It's Vlad's little brother. Like, the two were forced apart by that demon. They see each other very rarely."
Lovino frowned, thinking about his time separated from his brothers. This painting was probably five hundred…
Wait.
Vlad was nine thousand, yet this painting couldn't be older than five hundred, give or take a few years. So why…?
"How's it possible?" Lovino asked. "I mean… Vlad's brother should have died nine thousand years ago."
Feliks ran a hand through his hair, looking as though he was exhausted. Given how energetic the blond proved to be, it was a great feat.
"There's something you should like know about demons," Feliks said. "Contrary to popular belief – they don't like mess with humans. They're not the ones like corrupting you, possessing you – those are spirits. Demons see humans as a total waste of time. Their lives are like too short. It's not fun to them."
Lovino was confused for a moment, before things started to click. He looked back at the portrait.
"Vlad wasn't a human, was he?" Lovino asked.
"Nie. He was something else entirely."
"Why didn't he say anything?"
"For Vlad to reveal his past, he like has to totally trust you. The more like crucial information he shares, the more he trusts you. Like, you need to know that Vlad's been living in constant fear for the last nine thousand years. He, like, lost his family, his friends… Sure, he like made new ones, but he still had lost others. He lost his home, and he like totally lost his hope. Do you know how many times he's tried to kill himself? Like, his very existence is torture for him. Normal vampires like commit suicide by walking out into the sun. Vlad tried that. He burned from dawn 'til dusk, and like he didn't die. He couldn't. And what Vlad used to be… to want death is like a sign that he had totally lost everything about who he used to be. Like, can you imagine being depressed for thousands of years?"
Lovino swallowed a lump in his throat. He had become acquainted with depression – it was hard not to when being a prisoner of them. But thousands of years? That was too cruel a fate.
"What was he?" Lovino whispered.
"Like, that's for him to tell you," Feliks said. "I'm already pushing his trust by telling you like all this stuff. I'm not going to break it."
Lovino nodded, accepting the explanation. Maybe he could get the answer out of Vlad. He turned back to the portrait.
"So, who's the painter?" Lovino asked.
"Da Vinci," Feliks said.
Lovino spun round, his eyes wide.
"Wait, Leonardo da Vinci?!"
"Tak. There's also a few by Michelangelo. The two of them were like friends of Vlad's. And when they found out what he was and used to be… Well, they admired him, like, that's for sure. He's like even been considered a muse by both of them."
Lovino didn't know where the pang of jealousy came from, but he squashed it down.
"Can you show me the other paintings?" Lovino asked.
"Like, totally."
…
Vlad awoke at sunset. Dimitri had gone, leaving him alone in the Vargas house.
He sighed, before he looked down at the clothes that Lovino had lent him. There was still a bit of the boy's scent on the clothes.
The corner of Vlad's mouth twitched into a smile, and he made his way to the front door. However, before he could reach it someone appeared in front of it, making him jump in shock.
"Dammit!" he exclaimed. "Eshe, what are you doing here? And did you have to scare me?"
Eshe's mouth twitched into what might have become a smile, but she composed herself swiftly.
"I need you to get my son as well," Eshe said.
Vlad sighed.
"You know, I didn't expect you of all people to have a Nephilim child," Vlad said. "Fine. Where can I find him?"
"He's on your way to the phoenix friend of yours," Eshe said. "So you will only need a quick stop instead of a detour. I will go ahead and inform him of your arrival."
"Great," Vlad said. "That might make things easier."
…
Lovino had gone downstairs to join the others. He looked out the window to see that the sun was setting, and knew that within an hour or so, Vlad would be with them.
'Why do I even care?' Lovino thought. 'I don't. I…'
He couldn't finish that thought. He didn't know why he couldn't wait to see Vlad, and why the thought of Vlad calmed him, as though giving him peace of mind.
'It's just because he saved you,' Lovino thought. 'It's gratitude, and nothing else.'
He wanted to see Vlad, and he wanted to know more about the vampire's past. And no matter how much he tried to convince himself that it was only fair, that the bastard owed him for invading his mind, Lovino couldn't help but think that there was something more.
…
Vlad sighed as he landed in front of a house, having followed Eshe's directions. He could smell the scent of Nephilim, though it was muted by magic, most likely to keep the occupant of the house safe. Knowing that there was a chance for failure, Vlad lifted his fist and knocked on the door.
After a few moments a young man opened the door, and Vlad estimated that he had to be about seventeen. He could clearly see the resemblance with Eshe.
The man stared at him before sighing.
"Are you the one that my mother said would be coming?" the other asked.
"Da," Vlad said. "Vlad Lupenesku."
"Gupta Hassan," the other said. "You would understand if I don't invite you inside, of course?"
"Da," Vlad said. "It's understandable."
Vlad noticed as a dog came to stand next to Gupta, though he paid it no mind. The dog wasn't bothering him.
"My mother said something about you protecting me," Gupta said. "Why?"
Vlad sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Your mother isn't human," Vlad said. "She's actually an angel, which makes you a Nephilim. That makes your blood appealing to vampires, except for me. I don't feed from humans. Anyway, angels can't be in this world for too long, since the atmosphere here has become rather stifling for them, almost toxic. You inherited angelic powers, so the angels are hoping that you and people like you would be able to stop the vampires. I'm probably the only one that knows how to deal with Nephilim – how to train them, how to protect them – and so they asked me to help. Any questions?"
Gupta remained silent, before he looked down at the dog.
"Can we trust him?" Gupta asked.
Vlad saw the dog nod, looking towards him. He arched an eyebrow.
"I'm going to take a wild guess and say your mother gave him to you," Vlad said.
"You would be correct," Gupta said. "If you were untrustworthy, he would have attacked you by now, vampire or not. And he seems to think we can trust you."
"And the part about your mother not being human?"
"I suspected that there was something a long time ago. It would explain why I can use magic."
Vlad nodded, though he was a little surprised to hear that the other could use magic.
"Are there others?" Gupta asked. "Others like me?"
"Of course," Vlad said. "A group of them are with a friend of mine – not a vampire – for protection. His home also offers a lot of room for us to practice with."
Gupta scrutinised him for a moment, before nodding his head.
"Very well," he said. "Is there something I need to bring?"
"You can bring your dog," Vlad said. "I'm sure my friend will have clothes for you to wear. We're flying, so I'd prefer to travel light."
Gupta nodded his head in understanding, before stepping out of the house, the dog at his heels.
He watched Vlad closely for a moment, before locking the door. He sighed, picking the dog up and making it comfortable before turning to Vlad.
"Alright," Gupta said. "Let's go."
Vlad nodded, unfurling his wings. He held the man in his arms, noticing how it didn't feel the same as it had felt with Lovino, and he pushed up off the ground, letting his wings take him to Feliks's home and the rest of the Nephilim.
…
Lovino was drumming his fingers impatiently, looking out the window the entire time. He waited anxiously for Vlad to come.
Feliks sat down next to him and Lovino scowled at the phoenix, who was smirking, before turning back to the window.
"Like, a little tip," Feliks said. "Vlad can show you his memories. Like, I know that you're going to ask him and stuff."
"Si, I know," Lovino said. "He accidentally showed me one last night."
"Oh? Like, what was it about?"
"I can't completely remember. I know what the bastard that did it to him looks like, and they were saying something about pushing, dragging and falling."
Feliks stiffened, and Lovino looked at him, an eyebrow raised.
"I know which memory you're referring to," Feliks said. "Like, it just slipped?"
"Si."
Feliks sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"That was one of Vlad's worst," Feliks said. "It was right after he… he became a vampire. But the demon wasn't satisfied. He wanted to drag Vlad down further, until he was a demon. Like, demons can turn other magical beings into demons, or at least make them twisted enough that they're considered enough like demons. Vlad holds the record of holding out against the demons the longest."
"What's going to happen if Vlad becomes a demon?" Lovino asked.
"Like, it's not going to be pretty. Vlad has a special gift, one that can like only be used if he gives it to someone. And, like, the demons totally want to use it to start a second war against Heaven."
Lovino nodded his head, and Feliks sighed.
"Like, memories in the mind can be changed," Feliks said. "Like, they can be altered. Memories in blood, however, like can't."
"What are you saying?" Lovino asked.
Feliks smirked.
"Like, Vlad can use his blood to transfer memories too," Feliks said, standing up and leaving the Italian alone.
Lovino blinked, recalling that Vlad had said something like that. He understood that Feliks recommended that Lovino ask for Vlad's blood.
But why? Why was the phoenix interested in it?
…
Vlad sighed in relief when he saw Feliks's house, and he looked down to see that Gupta's eyes had widened in surprise, not expecting such a large estate.
Vlad landed carefully, letting the Egyptian down, who in turn let his dog down. Vlad led the way, opening the door and stepping inside.
He heard footsteps rushing to greet him, but to his surprise it wasn't Feliks, but instead Lovino.
"Who's that?" Lovino asked, seeing Gupta.
"He's one of you," Vlad said. "His mother asked me to bring him."
Lovino eyed the Egyptian as he passed, who didn't spare him a glance, and when he was gone he turned his attention to Vlad.
"I want to see your memories," Lovino said. "I want to know who or what you were. And it's only fair, since you saw things that I didn't want anyone to know about, without permission, might I add. It's only fair."
Vlad looked at Lovino for a moment before he sighed, nodding his head.
"Fine," he said, lifting his hands. "It's only fair."
"Wait," Lovino said. "I want you to transfer the memories through blood. That way, I know the memories you're giving me aren't fake."
"Did Feliks tell you that?" Vlad asked, lowering his hands. When Lovino nodded, he sighed. "I can't give you my blood."
"Bastard, why not? It's only fair."
"I can't give it to you tonight, at least. Your body still needs to expel vampire venom. If I give you my blood now, it will turn you into a vampire."
Lovino swallowed nervously.
"Then when?" Lovino asked.
"Two or three days," Vlad said. "By then, it should have been expelled from your body."
'And it would give me time to prepare for it.'
