A/N: Okay, I just want to thank those who read and reviewed. Unfortunately, I don't know if people have been reading except for togepi 2498 and the two people who reviewed anonymously. So thank you 'Haha' and 'Random Reader'. Hopefully you guys, and more, will read and review this story as it goes on. Anyway, let's go. Continuing straight from teh last chapter guys!
Disclaimer - I'm not that much of a creative genius to have made up Hetalia and I have never had as much childhood trauma as the creator of the Mother games had.
From meeting you in grade school,
To the day I dug your grave...
My love lives on...
"Don't go!" Arthur screamed out, sitting straight upright in his bed; knocking over Matthew who had been watching over his papa in his unconsciousness.
"Owie…" Matthew whimpered, not even getting a 'good morning' as Arthur rushed by. The blonde ran all throughout the farmhouse, opening door after door and calling out for a blonde who would not be there.
"Francis!" Arthur cried out before he sank to the ground, grassy eyes wide as they stared straight ahead into the empty room. "He's gone… It's real…"
The sound of shattering ceramic from downstairs, brought Arthur out of his panic as he shoved Matthew out of the way when he walked over, rushing down the stairs and into the kitchen. A part of his heart still expected to see Francis in the kitchen making breakfast, but Arthur frowned; his eyebrows furrowing as he saw Alfred climbing up the counters and trying to get at the loaf of bread that was in the highest cabinet.
"What are you doing?" Arthur asked, his body still a bit numb from the previous night's events (had it been the previous night? Arthur was still so numb that he didn't know what time it was). Alfred only glanced back, his blue eyes cold as he replied,
"Getting something to eat."
"You are going," Arthur gritted out as he stomped over to the counter and pulled the boy away, "To break your neck! Do you want that? DO YOU?" Alfred was kicking, biting, and screaming; trying anything he could to get away from the older blonde.
Matthew slowly walked in on the scene, his eyes widening in horror before he tried to speak up, "Stop fighting! Please stop fighting!" The two in front of him paid no heed, still struggling against each other until they heard a voice.
"Arthur." Said blonde looked towards the kitchen window, seeing his oldest brother standing there. The auburn-haired man jerked his head in the direction of the barn. Arthur sat both twins down at the table, setting the bread down before immediately going to see what Richard wanted.
Both men were quiet as they walked through the farm compound until they were behind the large, red shelter. Arthur looked to the ground, his feet kicking against the dust and grass, before Richard finally spoke, "We need to decide… Ahem, on what to do. With the…" He sighed, looking up to the sky, "With the body."
"You're going to make me bury him." Arthur whispered, the disbelief of all this still flooding his mind. Richard shook his head,
"We can't just let him stay out in the elements like he is, Arthur! A black sheet can only do so much!"
"God! Damn it!" Arthur coughed out, his breathing threatening to speed up as he took in what his brother had said. Finally, he closed his eyes; anything to hide himself from this, and asked,
"Where?"
"Arthur, listen –"
"Just tell me where, damn you!" The blonde screamed, not even wanting to hear any excuse of sympathy. Richard wanted to say something else, but this tragedy combined with Arthur's naturally bred stubbornness? No, it wasn't needed.
"At the Sunset Cemetery."
It was raining again. It seemed to do nothing but since that wretched day. The Sunset Cemetery of Mirror Falls was, usually, a calm, lovely place for those who passed onto their eternal slumber. But with the downpours of rain, it was a dark, grey, solemn area. Most of the dirt and soil had combined into a soggy, dreary mix of gunk that was nearly impossible to get through. But that wasn't stopping a familiar merchant from making his way through the miserable ooze to the highest point of the Cemetery: a lone cliff that overlooked the entire town. It was one of the only parts of the cemetery that had some color: the pelts of grass that were currently being dug up.
It was on that plot of land that Arthur was working tirelessly at emptying a hole of suitable depth and width. The rain had soaked the man from clothes to bone, his hair plastered to his face… But Arthur's eyes remained focused as he dug.
"Hey, Arthur…" Sadiq began as he saw the blonde completely engrossed in his work. "Ya know, Heracles is really good at digging. I could call him to… do this for you." Arthur seemed not to hear the merchant as he forced the shovel into the soft earth, stomped down, and pulled up before setting another pile of dirt to the side. "Arthur…"
"I couldn't protect him." The voice was so faint that Sadiq wasn't sure if he had heard it right. Then, "I couldn't do something as simple as making sure that nothing happened to Francis… The least I could do," He forced the shovel into the earth again, "Is dig his grave."
When Sadiq left, an hour of trying of trying to help later, Arthur eventually finished digging. He climbed out of the hole, his hands slipping a few times on account of the rain before he managed to get out completely.
He stood there, letting the downpour of rain wash over him. Arthur slowly looked over to the side of the grave he had just dug. Francis's body lay there, wrapped up in sheets of his favorite colors: blue, white, red. There were also three full bouquets of roses along with a pillow and some blankets there. Arthur picked up one of the blankets and opened it up before jumping back down into the grave.
One by one, as if making a bed, Arthur laid the blankets out in impeccable order. He climbed up and got the pillow; fluffing it up before he sat it down.
Finally, the part that he had been having panic-attacks about. As gently as he could, Arthur took Francis's body and began to slowly make his way to the grave. The rain was making things hazardous so he moved as slow as possible, carrying Francis's body down, down, down into the space. He laid the bundle down, dusting off the sheets.
He couldn't help himself. He unwrapped the upper part of the sheets, revealing Francis's peaceful face (Michael had worked through the night and morning to make the body as presentable as possible). His hands had been cleaned of blood and were now folded over his chest.
With a shaky hand, Arthur moved a hand to the lifeless face. 'So cold…' His mind briefly registered before he pressed his lips to the sleeping one's forehead. "Francis," He began quietly, "I have to fill up this space or else you'll get drenched. But when I do, you'll get covered in dirt. I know," He choked back a growing sob, "I know how much you hate dirt, you bloody frog… So, if you have any protest… Any at all, please Francis!" The tears were streaming down from his eyes, "Wake up… Please…"
The body didn't stir.
Arthur shook his head before he forced himself to climb out the grave and retrieving the rose bouquets. "Extravagance all the way…" He chuckled, his voice hollow as he placed each and every rose around Francis in a beautiful arrangement, "It's what you would have wanted…"
By the time Arthur climbed out of the grave for the final time, Francis's resting place looked beautiful enough to rival any church or shrine. He grabbed the shovel and, clenching his teeth, he began to fill the space back up. He tried his best to start at the bottom, so he could see Francis's face as long as possible, but eventually dirt began to sprinkle over the fair blonde's face… Then cover…
Then… He was gone.
The last thing that left was… to erect the tombstone. Arthur used what little strength he had to pull up the block of marble and granite. When it was steady, the blonde man sat up against it; trying to catch his breath.
He looked back at the stone memorial, reading what had been engraved on it:
Francis Bonnefoy
Tender to roses,
Lover of all,
Mother to the twins Alfred and Matthew,
Dearest to Arthur Kirkland.
May God watch over this gentle soul for all eternity.
Arthur sat there at Francis's tombstone all day. He didn't even get up to eat or check on his sons.
Arthur, despite everyone's suggestions, didn't want to actually have the funeral at that moment. No, he kept putting it off and waiting… putting it off and waiting… Until three years later. It was one week, on a rare sunny day, that Arthur announced to Alfred and Matthew, "Go to your room and put on anything that's black. We're going to the Cemetery today."
"But…" Matthew tried to speak, but a cold look from Arthur as the man walked into the room he once shared with his rose and shut the door. "Oui Papa." Alfred looked at his brother, then the door that Arthur had gone through before shook his head and went towards their own room.
Sunset Cemetery was filled with everyone from Mirror Falls. Yet everyone had been quiet on that day. But was it any different from any other day since Francis's death? No, not really. But everyone was preparing to give their final respects to their favorite romantic. They had been especially quiet when Arthur walked to the grave.
The blonde ignored all the stares he got as he moved closer to his love's final resting place, a bouquet of roses in his hand. He looked up and saw two familiar faces walking down from the cliff.
"Lili. Vash." Arthur murmured as the two were walking back from placing their own flowers at the gravestone.
"Oh, Arthur." Vash replied, moving Lili behind him, "You gave us a real fright those two years ago. I'm sorry about what happened to Francis… But your outburst was unnecessary!"
"Big Brother…" Lili tugged on Vash's arm, signaling that that was enough, "Please." Vash frowned but he let it go as he began the walk back to their new house. Arthur walked up to Francis's grave and briefly noticed that Jeanne was there with Matthew; . It seemed as though all of them had come here at separate times. But –
"Oh, Arthur." The tired blonde was pulled from his thoughts as Tino walked to the grave, which had already amassed a great amount of offerings by this time, and placed an exquisite sprig of evergreen on a hard to find empty spot. "Berwald is still at the Bell Tower, I'm afraid," Tino sighed, "He sends his condolences."
Without another word, Arthur moved to place his flowers on the grave, barely noticing his father who was rigth next to him.
"This is impossible…" Michael whispered, "Even our oldest citizens have yet to die, why does such a young soul... Have to be one of the few to fill this empty Cemetery?" He shook his head before turning to leave, "I can't do this. I have to go calm myself…"
Arthur, once again, seemed to be out of focus when his father left. He only turned his head when Chineme came along, carrying a myriad of different things for the grave.
"Arthur…" The dark-skinned woman began, readjusting all the items in her hands, "I would have thought that you came here earlier."
"Why?" The blonde asked, letting the woman pass. She set up a vase of flowers, a cake, five candles and a bottle of wine with a glass. She quickly lit the candles before she clasped her hands for prayer. After a moment, she whispered,
"Alfred was… here almost as the crack of dawn, oh." Her dark eyes opened, "I remember calling out to him, asking 'What are you doing out by yourself, now? Where are your father and brother?' But he…" She turned to Arthur and sighed, "He simply gave a soft smile before he ran off."
"That boy…" Arthur groaned, running a hand through his hair, "Acting like a fool now of all times." He looked around the area, seeing and hearing the following:
"I wish I could grab fate and punch a hole in its face!" Paul seethed, clenching his hand into a fist; his eyes stinging with tears.
"If only…" Antonio whispered, "If only we started looking earlier…"
Before long, Matthew walked up to him. The now eight year-old's face was heart-breaking: his amethyst eyes red and watery, his mouth in a sad line as he hiccupped before he looked up and began,
"Why did you lie to me..?" Arthur sighed,
"What are you talking about?"
"You… Auntie Jeanne… And grandpa… You always say that… That anything could come true if we prayed with all of our hearts." Matthew began, rubbing at one of the streams of tears on his face. He immediately looked up and cried, "I've been praying for three years! Maman can't even cook for us, or tend to his roses, or brush my hair when it's messy anymore!" Everyone watched on as the small child let out his grief and frustration, "I can't stand this! I loved him too much for this to happen! I don't want this!" At that moment, Jeanne walked over and let Matthew buried her face in her black dress.
"Long time no see Arthur." The blonde woman offered, "I haven't been here in such a long time. But I moved down from my home after I heard about Francis. These past three years have been miserable…" She let out a shuddering sigh as she looked at her best friend's grave. "Just after… I had such a wonderful time with my nephews…" She let her fingers play with Matthew's hair for a moment before she thought of something. "Speaking of which, where is Alfred?" Arthur seized up as he remembered what his brother's wife had said earlier. He pulled Matthew away from Jeanne and commanded,
"Matthew, stop crying." The boy, of course, couldn't. But he did look up at his father when he asked, "Where is your brother?"
"I…" Matthew looked away, "..Don't know." Arthur growled before he surged forward and pulled Matthew via the scruff of his neck and screamed, shaking the small boy like a madman,
"TELL ME! Damn you, stop keeping secrets from us and tell me where Alfred is!"
"Arthur, non!" Jeanne screamed in horror, trying to claw the man's hands away from the frightened child.
"I don't where he left to!" Matthew screamed, "He took Papa's homemade knife and went into the mountains to get revenge for Maman! But I don't know where!"
"You raised an honest child Arthur." Jeanne sighed, but she was truly worried about the current development.
"Little bastard!" Arthur screamed, throwing Matthew down to the ground, "Why didn't you stop him?"
"I…" Matthew whimpered, tears rushing down his face, "I said that I wanted to go too… But he said he wanted to go alone…"
"Matthew!" Arthur screamed before he looked around and tried to calm himself before he seethed, "Grow up! If you know what's good for you, you will grow up Matthew!"
Matthew's eyes were wide before he stood on shaky legs. His entire frame was trembling before he shook his head and bolted off, sobbing and screaming. The small blonde tripped, cutting his knees, before he stood back up and ran more.
"You have lost your mind…" Jeanne's eyes reflected everyone else's astonishment as she shook her head at what had just transpired. "He's just a boy. He's your son, Arthur!"
"I need to find Alfred." The blonde covered his eyes, letting out an exasperated sigh as he added, "Please, don't coddle him, Jeanne! He could have single-handedly killed his brother!"
"Arthur!" But before the cry left her lips, Arthur had bolted straight for town. He ran. He ran and ran and he ran. He had to prepare for the search.
"I have to go to the Prayer Sanctuary and get the sword I had made from that Serpa fang.", he panted as he went in that direction.
"What do you mean 'Alfred is gone'?" Michael screamed, tearing at his hair when Arthur told him the news. The younger blonde was quiet as he looked at the Serpa Fang blade. He pulled out a hair from his head and dropped it on the fang's sharpened edge and watched as the hair split in half. "Why do you keep doing this?" Michael called out to the dragon-painting on the wall.
"I'm leaving with the sword," Arthur announced as he was almost at the door.
"Arthur, please!" Michael grabbed his son's arm, "Don't go without offering a prayer first!"
"Get off of me!" Arthur growled, shaking his father away, "Last time I prayed here, it cost me Francis. Do you think I'm going to pray to a god that will do that to me?" Arthur sheathed the new sword into the holster before he stormed out of the Sanctuary.
Next Arthur went to Sadiq's bazaar. The man had a collection of usable items that he was always more than willing to give people. Hell, what's the use of having stuff if people can't use it right? ( 1 ). When Arthur walked in, Sadiq (dressed in black since he had visited the Cemetery earlier) greeted,
"Hey Arthur! How ya holdin' up?" Arthur gave a sneer as he replied,
"Well, let's see: I went to my lover's funeral, had a scone for breakfast, and - Oh yeah!" Arthur slammed his fists down onto the counter before screaming, "Thanks to Matthew, Alfred went after that damn Serpa to try and get revenge!"
"What?" Sadiq yelled, "That boy's gonna get himself – Why am I sitting here talking?" The merchant ran to the back of his store and brought out a box. "They're Thunder and Sprinting balls. Take 'em and get your boy back!"
"Thank you Sadiq," Arthur nodded as he took the box and left.
Arthur ran through the town, back and forth as he tried to prepare for the long journey ahead. He was basically done with the preparations when there was a call of, "Mr. Kirkland!" Arthur blinked, he knew that voice,
"Peter?" A blonde boy, dressed in blue and white clothing jumped over to Arthur and began,
"How are ya?" Arthur sighed. His young cousin was always so damn oblivious to situations. But he couldn't hold it against the child.
"Fine Peter. Shouldn't you be studying?" The blonde boy shook his head,
"Not when you look so sad!", as he tugged on Arthur's hand, "Come on into my humble abode! I'll get you some of the Nut Bread that Lili helped me make!"
Peter had, one day, decided that he was tired of living with their father. So, out of the blue, he decided to build and move into his own home (of course his cousins helped). So he managed to live on his own for a couple years in his tiny house.
"Here we are!" He exclaimed as he finished wrapping up half of the nut bread that Lili baked for him that morning. Arthur was, admittedly, a bit amused when Peter gave it to him.
"Only half?"
"Well…" Peter looked away, a blush on his face, "I'm expecting company later today. They said that they have business to attend to, so I want to have something to give them when they get here!"
"Alright," Arthur sighed, taking the bread, "Thank you though, I appreciate it." Arthur gave a short wave before he left Peter's small home.
"I suppose that I should go thank Lili…" Arthur thought before he shook his head, "I don't have time! But…" He looked towards a certain area of town and noted that it was where Vash kept a dog kennel for raising dogs and puppies to be animal herders. "Vash should be there… He could thank Lili for me." The blonde walked over to the kennel.
It was surrounded by a wooden-gate, so the dogs wouldn't get any ideas. The smallest puppies began barking and yipping as Arthur jumped the fence and walked inside. Just as he was about to call for Vash, however, he noted that the younger blonde wasn't alone. A strange man was petting one of the older dogs, right between the ears, as he spoke to Vash.
"Such wonderful dogs…" The strange figure, with his cream-colored hair, violet eyes, and heavy clothing that seemed suited for a winter storm was all smiles as he kept complimenting the members of Vash's kennel.
"Thanks." Vash beamed at the kind words, "You know, when people praise my dogs, it makes me feel good too!"
"So…" The stranger went on, "We have an arrangement, da?" Vash thought for a moment before he nodded. But he had to ask,
"What do you need them all for anyway?" The stranger chuckled,
"Yours is to receive, not to ask." He turned around to leave, not before saying, "I will be back with something nice for you and to work out all the loose ends soon. Until then, Comrade." The stranger walked past Arthur. The blonde had only glanced at him when he first came by, but the stranger looked at the other man with a gleam in his eye before he whispered something unintelligible.
In an instant, Arthur felt a pain in his chest like no other. He fell to the ground, clutching at his heart and hyperventilating as if he was being compressed by heavy stones. "Hey!" Vash yelled, when he saw Arthur's suffering, "Get up Arthur! Come on, what's wrong with you! Get a grip, would you?"
The yells and shaking seemed to be enough to jar the older blonde out of his attack. He sat up and took a few much needed gulps of air before he stood on swaying legs, panting, "Thank you Vash. But I have to go… Alfred's missing… Have to… Find him." Vash was about to say that the blonde should rest, but after the event three years ago, he knew not to get in Arthur's way.
"Be careful." He whispered as Arthur walked out of his kennel yard. ( 2 )
A/N:
( 1 ) Mirror Falls (and the original Tazmily Village) don't have currency. If you need something, just ask for it and take it. Seems pretty sweet.
( 2 ) This scene is based on a scene in the actual game that you're not actually supposed to see. But thanks to the Let's Play of Mother 3 by the famous Chuggaaconroy, I was able to see it. I put this scene in because, well, it's important for the plot…
Oh no! What will become of Alfred? Will Arthur find him in time? And who was that stranger? Find out next time…
Thanks for reading! Please review!
-Tyranno's girl.
