I promised myself and to all of you that it would be shorter. It's not. Not by that much. Sorry bout that. Updates will be coming more erratically in case you haven't noticed. Real life is coming back to haunt me so I won't have that much time to write. But I will definitely try. This chapter was hard to write. I re-wrote it seven times, I swear. But anyways, to the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 10: The Witch of Elphame

"What is the meaning of this?" Nicnevin said, her voice surprisingly amused, despite being tricked by what she had believed to be her most loyal servant. "I have always loved a good play, but to think the twist would be so…treacherous." She watched as her darling little witch hugged the appointed sacrifice like his life depended on it. They exchanged apologies, holding onto each other for comfort after such close encounters with her beloved guard dogs.

She turned away from the scene, snapping her fingers. It was a bit harder to get it to sound loud enough. The blood had slicked her fingers and made it difficult to make the desired noise. As prompt as ever, Orobas appeared. The horse demon looked about the room dispassionately. Half of the walls of his mistress' private study were splattered with the remains of her newest toy. Poor girl, she hadn't lasted long after the demon had ordered her to prepare for the arrival of his young ward.

The woman smiled at him, a sinister expression indeed. "To think you would do this to me of all people," she said, her eyes becoming sharper, the pupils becoming more catlike. "You know the consequences," she said, "And yet you dare play this game with me?"

The demon did not answer. He conjured his spear and pointed it at his mistress, "A never-ending game tires its players. I intend to reach the end."

The woman growled, before conjuring a similar looking spear. "I always thought you'd be the last one to betray me. Oh how wrong I was…You forget I own you. Do you have the power to go against your master, your god?"

The demon readied its spear, seeming almost indifferent, "A god you say? All that is before me is but a small desperate child, who still does not understand the extent of her powers…or their limits." The witch lifted her spear, her smile freezing up.

She laughed without humor, her eyes darkening till it was black as she rammed the spear towards his chest.

...

...

Anri was not very happy with her current position. Her dress was ruined and it was her favorite one. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to wear her favorite, but she had always believed such things would bring good luck. Now she could see that was not the case. She could hear her little Cici getting hurt down below and she would not, could not, stand for this. She stretched, pulled pushed, did whatever she could. And slowly but surely, those chains began to yield. At long last, she ripped through those bonds and was free. And falling. Oopsies.

But she wasn't afraid. She hadn't been afraid for her own life in a while. Quickly, her hand shot out to one of the other chains hanging in the darkness and halted her descent. It was dark but there was the smallest bit of light emanating below her. Looking down, she squinted and saw a large daisy blossoming in the center of the floor below. It glowed with a soft, golden light. It reminded her a bit of the cottage back at home, with its garden that flourished under her sapling's hand. A daisy…how fitting for someone like Lovino.

Her mind flashed back to the time he would let her put crowns of daisies in his hair. He was so cute. He would run about the fields, returning and clinging to her legs whenever he got scared. Or met Abel. Almost always, he ran to her because her silly little brother did something wrong. He was just a gruff flower that proclaimed he didn't like kids. But it was amusing to see how he tried to cheer Cici up whenever he got scared. He had even made a stuffed rabbit toy for her sapling, going so far as to wear a rabbit mask to amuse the child. The sapling had called it stupid, but he laughed all the same. Oh how she missed her little Cici! She wished those days could come back, it would definitely be better than the things they were facing now.

As delicately as a petal, she slid down to the ground. It was there that she noticed there were various legs and arms sticking out of the ground. The daisy, having filled the room with its roots, must have crushed whatever happened to get in its way.

Fear surged through her. For a moment, she was worried that her Cici had been buried under the lot, but touching the still burning seal on her hand, she knew he was okay. He was alive. The thing about these seals was that they bound the contractors together. The master could summon familiars at any moment, but if they were too far away, it didn't work as well. That and the seal only said that the other person was alive. It wasn't advanced enough to provide communication or location. Anri sighed, it seemed like she had her work cut out for her. But before she left, she remembered something. A blonde, spontaneous something.

Single-handedly, she grabbed the gigantic, chain cocoon hanging in the air and threw it over her shoulder. Bringing it down as easily as if it were a small baby and not a fully grown man-sprite covered in several extra pounds of metal. She ripped apart the chains quite easily, freeing the orchid sprite from his bonds.

"Oh my god, girl you are a lifesaver!" Feliks cried out, clinging to her. "Like, it was totally horrible and is Cici-"

"I have no idea where Cici could be," Anri interjected before the sprite could go on a tangent. She looked at the ground sadly. Could he be hurt? Oh goodness what if he was hurt?

Feliks must have seen the panic flash across her face, as he grabbed her by the shoulder, "C'mon we have to get going right? Like, Cici isn't going to find Antonio all by himself!"

But she hadn't heard a word he said. She tensed at the touch on her shoulder and turned towards the door at the very end of the hall. The altar. If anything, her baby should be in there.

"Anri? Hey, Anri like…girl you're not seriously thinking-"

"I'm coming Cici!" she screamed before charging headfirst towards the door. She tackled the door, which splintered under the force. She sighed, brushing off the woodchips on her dress. "Are you coming or not, Feliks?" she called out, but she couldn't care less what his answer was.

"Of course, but like wait up! I can't like run that fast! It'll totally make me all sweaty and gross!"

Watching Feliks run, she reminded herself that once they got out of this, she would have to up their training regimen. They were all letting themselves go again! After all her hard work to whip them all into shape! Huffing, the chrysanthemum grabbed the orchid's hand before charging headfirst into the darkness. "We don't have time, my sapling needs us!"

Charging through the door, they found themselves being blinded by great white lights seeming to come from everywhere. Squinting, she managed to see a large group of chairs. They were lined up neatly, and had aisles all on the sides. Above them was a single balcony overlooking it all. A stage. They stood upon a stage. And this entire place was one, gigantic theater.

As far as Anri could see, the theater was empty, save for the balcony that overlooked them all above. There was a bit of rustling and in a soft voice that carried across the room, the witch said, "My, my, it isn't your turn yet." With a loud snap, the theater went dark. Something grabbed Anri, something rough, calloused, more like wood instead of human skin. Before the person had a chance to do anything, she kicked him as hard as she could. There was a loud snap from the spot and a cry of pain. A sound of crashing and terrified murmurs washed over them.

"Like, you better get your scrubby hands off of me you jerks!" the orchid snapped beside her. They stood back-to-back, randomly kicking and punching anything that dared to come too close. Say what one will, Feliks was a terrifying force to be reckoned with given the chance.

"Where's Cici? Tell me right now!" Anri commanded although she didn't expect a reply. Throwing another hard left hook, she felt slightly bad for probably breaking that poor person's jaw. Then again, they weren't telling her the info she wanted so she supposed it was justified.

The witch laughed, the sound seeming to come from all sides. "Oh, you'll see him soon enough. Him and his sweet little lover. But until then, sit back and enjoy the show~!"

…

The spotlights went out, and stars danced in her eyes. She punched blindly, but her fists caught nothing. And then there was pain, blossoming at the back of her head. For what seemed like a second, her mind went totally blank. Before she knew it, she was once again bound. Except this time, she was bound to a chair, sitting in the audience section in the very middle in front of the raised stage. There was a dull stone altar with a single light shining down upon it. From the small illumination, she shifted her head to take a look at her surroundings. And to her delight and worry, she found she was not alone. Feliks was on her left while Abel was on her right. Leaning back, she found Govert and Michelle sitting behind them, leaning on each other's shoulders in their sleep.

So they were all here. But, ever the optimist, she supposed at least they had been imprisoned together. Now if only she had someone to talk to…

First order of business then, kick Abel till he wakes up. Or head butt him. Whichever was easiest, Abel was not picky with how he woke up. Not having much use in her legs, she leaned her head back and smashed it into her brother's forehead.

The aconite sprite woke up quickly enough. He spluttered a bit, trying to reorient himself and probably stretch, only to find that he was stuck to – as Abel might say – a motherfucking chair. Honestly he needed to wash his mouth sometime. Another thing to add to the list when they got home, ask for more soap from Feliciano.

"What the fuck….why the fuck are we tied to motherfucking chairs?" Abel all but shouted. He always managed to express his anger in that nearly monotone voice of his. She headbutted him again for cursing. Danger or no, it was not a good habit to exercise.

"What the fu….Dang it, why are you hitting me?" Abel growled, trying to lean away from her.

"No cursing, it's a bad influence on Cici!" she whispered. Don't ask her why she whispered. It just seemed, odd to speak so loudly when everything around them was so quiet.

Abel looked at her incredulously. "Is this really the time? He already curses like a sailor!" he hissed quietly back.

"That doesn't mean he can't change! Don't encourage him!"

"He's not even here!"

"You need to get used to it anyway!"

Abel groaned, putting his head back against his chair. "Why the hell are we even arguing about this? Brat's not even here." He stopped to look around, "Wherever 'here' is."

Anri sighed, before telling him, "I don't know. I…I got caught…me and Feliks…" She stopped and bit her lip, guilt running through her. What kind of plant was she to let her sapling be taken away so readily?

Abel sighed, "So were we. Damn bastard escaped though." Bastard? Oh, he meant Antonio. She admonished him with a light head butt. The subsequent 'ow' led to the others waking up.

"Like where…" Feliks quieted down, hearing how loud and odd it sounded when his voice echoed through the room. "Like where are we?"

Michelle and Govert struggled a bit. Leaning back, Anri saw that the two's bonds had gotten tangled and their heads were stuck together. "Ouch! Let go of me, ya hear? I ain't this type of girl!" Michelle screeched, trying hard to pull away.

"Ahaha, this must be some big misunderstanding rig – ow! Can you stop struggling?" Govert whined, pulling back as well. Needless to say, it just got even more tangled.

"Like, can you not scream like that? You're like totally messing up the mood for this scene," Feliks drawled, focusing his gaze back onto the stage. Anri followed his stare and found that the cold, stone altar was no longer empty. Instead, a large crystal ball sat upon it. It was almost comical how large it was, about half the height as Abel was tall. And inside that crystal ball, a clear scene of her sweet little Cici and that charming, little Antonio mumbling soft words they could not quite hear.

Whispering gently to the sprites behind her to shut up, she watched.

Lovino was wiping his eyes. Was he crying? Squinting, Anri could make out purple bruises forming on her dear boy's neck. "Stupid bastard, what took you so long?" he said, his voice sounding far softer than usual. The pirate laughed, a bit of hysteric relief in his voice. "What's so funny bastard?" the herbalist snapped, trying and failing, to glare at the Spaniard.

"Oh nothing…nothing…it's just, you're just so cute Lovi~!" The following hug made Abel crush the armrests. He began to emit a very scary aura.

Being next to him, Anri could hear him mumble something along the lines of, "Get your goddamn hands of the brat you little motherfucker". She sighed quietly, some flowers would never change.

Behind her, she heard Michelle whisper very, very loudly to Govert, "I thought Abel gave him his blessing."

The ivy said from the corner of his mouth, "I think it's the chair. Maybe a splinter is getting stuck in his ass and that's why he's all prickly with him again."

The rosemary whispered excitedly back, "So when do you think they'll finally kiss?" Anri had a feeling this conversation would not end well.

Govert continued on, oblivious, "I bet on tomorrow morning." The dark aura surrounding the aconite grew more intense, almost palpable, with dark purple clouds hanging over his presence.

And then Feliks joined in, "I like, totally bet it's gonna go down right now. Like, look how close they're getting, they're practically kissing already!" the orchid hissed to the two above.

Michelle huffed, "Well I think-"

"I think you three should shut up while you still have your heads on," the grumpy blonde growled, trying his hardest to glare at the three of them. When that failed, he opted for sending waves of his discontent with that dark aura of his. "I did not give that bastard my fucking blessing to go molest my kid," he hissed.

Of course, since they were all tied up they didn't have much to fear for what they said next. Feliks tutted, "Like, you let him go through right? It's totes the same thing."

"Yeah, so does it really matter if they go all kissy-goo-goo on ya?" Michelle added. Govert was smarter though, laughing nervously and trying not to fuel the fire.

As Abel started making this scary gnashing sound from grinding his teeth together, Anri decided it was best for them to redirect their attention to the screen.

Lovino was patching Antonio up. The chrysanthemum winced at the wounds. Some cuts had gone dangerously close to some very important arteries. The pirate was very, very lucky. "Stupid bastard, what did you do while I was gone, fucking roll around in glass? Look at this!" the herbalist snapped, although Anri could see he was biting his lip like he always did when he was worried. He trembled slightly, touching one shallow wound that just missed his jugular.

"Heh, sorry Lovi, I was just…worried about you," the pirate said, laughing slightly but hissing when the herbalist applied a salve to his cuts. In a quieter voice, he leaned on the young Italian, "Why did you come after me?" he asked, putting a hand over the other's shoulder so he couldn't run away, "You could have gotten killed."

The Italian didn't look the pirate in the eye and remained silent. For a while, it seemed like he wouldn't answer, that the question would be left to hang in the air. "Bastard…what did you think I was gonna do? Fucking drop into my life and expect me to leave you out there…you're my-" He caught himself and turned red, spluttering, "I-I mean, I didn't use up all my stuff to save your sorry ass and then let you-"

"-fucking die on me? Of course, Lovi, of course," Antonio finished for him, tapping their foreheads together. "I'll just take that as a compliment, mi tesoro."

Lovino rolled his eyes, trying to snort away the embarrassment and so obviously failing. It seemed that whenever he tried to be keep the color from rising it only got worse. Anri could barely hold in the giggles when the pirate stayed like that, causing her boy to splutter even more. Ah, children in love. Looking to the side she saw Feliks wasn't even trying to hold the squeals and giggles. On her right the sound of grinding teeth intensified.

The herbalist sighed, refusing to look the pirate in the eye and pulled away. He pulled from his bag the map of the castle, trying and failing, to figure out where they were. "Oi, bastard, did you pass some freaky looking doll room covered in plants on your way here?"

The pirate took a moment, "Uh…no, but I did see a lot of mirrors." Abel looked like he wanted to bang his head against the wall.

Her sapling looked just about to do the same, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, "Narcissistic bastard."

"Eh? I mean it! Those were the only things I got to see before I found you, honest!" he cried out, putting up his hands in surrender.

The herbalist grumbled again before rolling up the map and standing up. "Ugh, this is pointless if we don't know where the fuck we are." He looked outside worriedly. It was dark out, the sun having disappeared long ago and the moon acting as the primary light source. Sad to say it wouldn't be much going deeper into this wicked place, and once again, Anri feared for her little sapling. The Italian grimaced, "We're running out of time." He looked pointedly at the Spaniard, a flicker of self-loathing passed over his face.

He looked away from the pirate, clenching his fists, "Antonio…you need to-"

"Go with you? Of course I will!" A vein throbbed in the little sapling's forehead.

He grabbed the pirate by the cravat and pulled him down to his level, "No you fucking idiot! You need to go!"

The pirate pretended not to understand, although his eyes told a different story. "Of course I'll go. Go with you, you mean?"

The herbalist shook him, eyes flaring, "No you stupid bastard! I mean…" His voice began to tremble a bit, "G-go without me. You have to get out of this place." Antonio's expression hardened, dropping the playful façade and opened his mouth to speak. But Lovino would have none of it.

"You fucking bastard, just shut up and listen!" The Italian took another shuddering breath, "This…This has nothing to do with you. Just go. I need….I-I need to find my f-famiglia and that bitch isn't gonna make a deal with me if you're around." His hands trembled, but the grip on the other's collar only tightened.

The pirate put a hand on those curled fists, "But Lovi-"

"But nothing!" the young brunet shrieked, "Stop being a dick and just listen! You need to go! I didn't risk everything to get you out my fucking mess to see you get killed!"

The Spaniard's eyes flashed, "And I didn't claw my way out of hell and abandon everyone just so you can run off into danger again!"

The Italian didn't register the words, "Shut up! Can't you understand a simple order? I'm not taking you!"

"You can't make me, Lovino," the other growled, and the herbalist flinched involuntarily.

"Y-you fucking jackass! Don't you see that I-"

"No, Lovino don't you see that I'm worried about you? That I care for you? It's enough to know you're here in this…this hell. I'm not leaving you to face that witch alone!" He roughly pulled away the fists holding his cravat and he hugged the herbalist close to his chest. "How could you even suggest that? How could I ever leave you to run into danger like this Lovino?" he murmured softly, intending to assuage the herbalist's indignant fury.

But the Italian couldn't accept that. He pushed the other man away at arm's length, "No! No fuck you, no!" Lovino backed away, looking ready to bolt for the door. The pirate followed him, mirroring his footsteps.

"Lovi…Lovino, mi amor, please-"

The herbalist put his hands over his ears, "No, no I can't do it! I can't fucking do it!"

The pirate's voice was softer now, "We can do it together, we can-"

"No I can't!" the herbalist screamed, tears welling up in his eyes, "I-I can't fucking drag everyone down again!" His back hit the wall, having nowhere else to go. Lovino leaned against the wall, covering his face in his hands. "This is all…T-this is all my fault…" Guilt. Shame. And an abundance of self-loathing. All this hung in the air, clinging to his small, shivering frame. The Spaniard stayed silent, his hands remaining motionless at his sides. But slowly, he walked towards the herbalist, coming so close that their bodies were but a few inches apart. Antonio raised a hand, almost hesitantly. He hovered over the other's cheek, yet the softest whimper that escaped the other's lips made him change direction. Instead, he placed a comforting hand on top of his head. The herbalist peeked through his fingers, his bright, multi-colored eyes looking at him in confusion. Lovino probably expected another caress to the cheek, another affection he always supposed was faked. But instead, Antonio placed a hand in the little sapling's hair. The young brunet looked up at the pirate, ruffling those soft tresses, while wearing a comforting smile. There was no strain, no attempted grin or creepy smirk, just a genuine smile. Not removing his hand from the other's hair, Antonio spoke, "It's not your fault. You've tried your best…you always have." The boy remained silent.

"And this isn't your fault. I'm not humble enough to say it's all mine. But I will confess that my appearance may have had an impact." The herbalist snorted, although it sounded more like a sniffle. The pirate got closer, placing another hand on the other's shoulder. "But it isn't all my fault. Just as it was never any of yours. Things happen Lovino. You can't blame yourself all the time for what happens to you or to others."

The Italian shook his head, uncertainly pulling his hands away from his face to look back up. In a shaky voice, the young brunet spat bitterly, "But I could have done…something! I could have done better, just did it myself-"

"And would you really have been able to do everything yourself? All alone?"

"I-I would have figured something out!" he yelled, frustrated, "I should have just gone alone, so my stupid fucking ideas don't get everyone killed."

The pirate gave an exasperated sigh before smiling again, pulling the other yet a little bit closer. "There are such things as being too big to tackle alone. And you know, Lovi, you give yourself too little credit. You're smart-"

"I'm an idiot."

"You're sweet."

"Have you fucking heard me talk?"

"You're brave."

"I'm a coward and you know-"

The pirate put a hand over the herbalist's mouth, kissing the younger male on the forehead. "And you're everything anyone could ever hope to be."

The Italian spluttered, "S-shut up! Don't say things that aren't true!" He tried to pull away, but found that he was trapped against the wall. "Pervert! Fuck you, you stupid bastard!" The pirate laughed, pulling away. But not before placing another kiss, this time a light peck on the cheek.

"You're one-of-a-kind, Lovino. Don't you dare forget that." And this one-of-a-kind boy slapped this one-of-a-kind pirate. It sounded like it hurt, but looking at the other's face, it had hardly changed color, not a single red mark to be seen.

But the pirate pouted nonetheless, clinging to the other's arm, "Owww, Lovi that hurt!"

The herbalist rolled his eyes, "Deal with it you-"

He was interrupted by a loud screeching sound. The entire place shook, forcing the two to drop to the ground. And the shaking wasn't restricted to those in the crystal ball. The sprites felt the subsequent shaking. Sad to say they weren't able to do anything about it, being trapped as they were. The images in the crystal faded and the lights went out.

...

...

"What the flying fuck?!" Lovino screeched, "An earthquake?" Anri and Abel had said that there had been a lot of earthquakes on Sicily back in the day. Lovino hadn't experienced one himself, but damn was it scary. There was a loud scream; this one less, sibilant and more human. It sounded frustrated. And soon after, the shaking stopped. What the hell just happened? Antonio looked just as bewildered and with flaming cheeks, he realized that throughout the ordeal, the pirate had shielded him. And now he was really, really close. Like practically smushed on top of him.

"I think it's stopped," Antonio said, not caring that he was practically straddling Lovino really, really awkwardly, "What do you think that-"

"Get. Off. Of. Me." The Spaniard looked down to see the fuming herbalist, although he couldn't tell if he was turning red from anger or just blushing like usual. He decided to go with the latter. If they weren't in such a dire situation, he probably would have teased the other by snuggling. But not today. A pity.

He got up, pulling the herbalist gently after him. Lovino was pissed that he was being treated like some fragile girl, but let it slide upon looking around them. "Damn…" he said, shocked and awed by the destruction all around them. The ceiling had miraculously not caved in on them, but a couple big chunks had been taken right out of the wall. There were two, notable holes at two walls directly opposite of each other. One hole led to the outside. Another led down to a trashed corridor. All the doors that way were blocked except for one sitting at the end of the hall.

A choice. Escape or go back in. It wasn't a really hard decision. The hard decision was how he was going to get Antonio- "Fucking bastard what do you think you're doing?!" he screeched, as the pirate nonchalantly trotted down the desolate hallway to the door.

The pirate looked back, wearing that dopey expression on his face, "Um…walking…?" When the herbalist growled he added, "To the door…?" No fucking shit.

"I mean why the hell are you walking down there?! Didn't I tell you to go home?!" he said, pacing angrily towards the pirate. "Can you just-"

Antonio stopped him, leaning in and kissing him right on the nose. That shut him up fast. O-only because it caught him by surprise! Who the hell does that? Like, fuck he thought the guy was gonna k-k-kiss him on the m-m – he couldn't finish that train of thought as the red spread all the way to the tips of his ears. "And I told you that I wasn't going to leave you. So I'm here to stay, and you can't make me go~," he finished in that stupid sing-song voice.

The herbalist opened his mouth to protest, but the guy just walked off. He hated people who just did whatever the hell they wanted. Fuck Antonio. If he wanted to die so badly then…then…fuck he couldn't even pretend he didn't care anymore. He wondered when the hell that stupid pirate wriggled his way into his steel trap of a heart. "Are you coming love?" the pirate asked, looking back at him.

"Who are you calling 'love' bastard?" he growled, but ran over, making sure to stay close. N-not like he wanted to or…or…s-something like that. Shut up. They made their way to the door, avoiding the jagged pieces of rubble along the way. Jesus was kind of earthquake was that? He didn't think those things ruined castles in such a selective way. It seemed like the only spots that were fine had some symbol of a scorpion in a circle. Weird, but he knew the significance. Scorpions were supposed to ward off evil, demons in particular. And he ended up, against his will, grabbing the pirate's hand. I-If only to make sure he didn't run away. Antonio didn't say anything when his hand brushed against his. He didn't even put on that shit-eating grin of his, staying silent. He supposed it was the heaviness in the air that was doing it. It was tense, like the quiet before the storm. As they neared the door at the end, Lovino had a strong feeling that he was trespassing…he was going to see something he shouldn't see.

Being right in front of it, he felt himself get a bit sick. And he felt a rush of guilt for having doubted that stupid butler. "Poor bastard…" Lovino said aloud, turning away from the severed head of Orobas that had been nailed to the door. It looked fresh, blood still dripping from the cut and its mouth left open. Antonio ducked his head in respect for the…dead? Could demons die like humans did? But all the same, he supposed any creature would be in pain after being beheaded.

Lovino clenched his fists. Damn bitch. He reached angrily for the doorknob, ready to throw open the damn door, when the horse spoke, "Be wary. The hawk knows not the acuity of her prey, but is no less fierce as a predator." That was all it could say before going slack once more. His heart hammered in his chest, waiting a bit more in hope that it would say more.

It didn't. That wasn't helpful, but he expected nothing less from that stupid butler.

He felt his hand shake, touching the door's handle, but it was steadied when the pirate put his hand over it. Together, they threw open the door. They were expecting guards, scary things outside. Hell, they were expecting Nicnevin herself to be waiting and ready to kill them. This was different.

Instead of some horrifying room filled with dolls, mirrors, or a combination of the two, they found themselves in a forest. It was dark, but not terrifyingly so like when Lovino was trapped in the doll room. The entire place was seemed to glow with an odd purple hue and there were packs of gold, glowing fireflies going about, like little lanterns in the night. Great trees towered above them, with branches stretching out to the sky, but it was not so dense that they were unable to see the sky above. It was nighttime, with the full moon out and all the stars glittering brightly in the distance. And looking before them, there was a path where the trees separated. It led to some clearing beyond, but the flower bushes blocked any view of what lay out there.

As they gawked at the beautiful scene before them however, the door slammed shut. The two of them turned around, but found that no a door or even a wall behind them. In fact, all that was behind them was pure and utter darkness. As both of them had had enough of wandering blindly in the dark, they silently agreed to move forward.

"It's beautiful," Antonio said aloud, looking all around before snorting, "It's ironic isn't it?"

The herbalist stifled a laugh. It was probably hysterics and exhaustion that made him find that even remotely funny. "Yeah, yeah I guess."

"Sad to say I've seen it before," the pirate added nonchalantly. The Italian whipped his head around.

"Say what?"

The pirate shrugged, "It's beautiful, but I can think of a great many other things that are even more magnificent." His eyes darted to the herbalist, and he smiled at him, "Yes, there are many things more beautiful things than this."

The young brunet turned pink, "W-well, whatever, just keep walking idiot." He wasn't suggesting what Lovino thought he was suggesting right? Probably just a joke, he told himself. That didn't make the fuzzy feeling in his chest go away though.

"This place reminds of me of England though. At one point we went inland, and we saw the most interesting of places." Did they really have time for this? All the same, the Italian listened to the Spaniard anyway, "A ring of stones! Ancient things and as tall as the greatest castle. Surrounding that place is a beautiful river, with a shining forest just like this one. It's even better than this little made up place."

The herbalist was even more surprised, "How did you know this was all faked?"

He shrugged again, "I just had a gut feeling." Che. As if that answered anything. They didn't talk again, choosing to walk in silence. At some point, they ended up holding hands again. If only so Lovino could make sure the pirate wouldn't run off to go stare at the damn flowers like the stupid idiot he was, so don't get any dumb ideas!

Still, it was kind of ironic that Nicnevin had a room like this. So far, he had only seen gigantic messes and terrifying décor. This was so…fragile looking. Well, technically it wasn't real. The herbalist knew it was fake the moment he stepped in. No flower is without thoughts, without dreams, unless they were dead.

Soon enough they reached the clearing. Before them, was a great body of water that stretched farther than the eye could see. The sea reflected the sky above, making it seem as that was all there was left, stars and moons. The Italian realized that this scene was an exact replica of what he would see at the beach. Except there was no sand, they were standing at a muddy cliff that ended abruptly into the water. Extending all the way out across this little ocean was a crisscrossing set of wooden walkways. They looked pretty unstable, but it was the only thing they could use to cross.

"I suppose we have no choice but to go forward," Antonio said, more to himself than anything else. He smiled at Lovino all the same, "If we weren't in mortal danger, I would have called this a romantic evening. Wouldn't you?"

"Shut up and get moving bastard! We don't have all day!" he groused, kicking him half-heartedly. He looked back up at the sky worriedly. "And we don't have all night either." What time was it? It was never good to stay when dawn broke, as they said by that time the demon would… he shook his head, cautiously following the pirate on the unstable docks.

They walked quietly, Antonio going first and Lovino right behind him. The entire time they walked, all the pirate did was ramble about stupid things. He acted like nothing was wrong, speaking as easily as he did back at the cottage about those little anecdotes he thought Lovino would like.

"That drinking contest ended in a tie…I think. I'm not sure, since all of us were so out of it. But all mi amigos say Gilbert won. Every time I say we tied, everyone just rolls their eyes and says, 'sure Capitán'. I can't really blame them. Gil is German so he's really good at holding his liquor!"

"Heh, so is drinking a part of the pirate résumé? Because I don't drink, so I guess I can't join your crew," the Italian replied, gazing into the water. They were continuing their game of, let's-bother-Lovino-with-stupid-suggestions-of-becoming-a-pirate.

Antonio stared at him, "You've never drank before?"

"Che, does it look like I want the hangovers my Nonno always ends up with? Fuck no."

The Spaniard laughed, "It's not that bad. But, well, I can make an exception for mi tomate dulce~!"

"Hold the fucking phone, I don't want to cure all your hangovers either…bastard," he snapped half-heartedly, not a bit of venom in his voice. Damn, he was losing his touch. But looking at the pirate behind him in the soft, flattering moonlight, he couldn't help but soften up just a tiny bit. Unknown to the herbalist, the pirate was thinking the exact same thing.

"Aw, but all I would need would be for you to kiss it better! Won't you do it, just for me?" Antonio said, stopping to turn around and give him puppy eyes.

He snorted, "You wish, stupid bastard." But all the same, the pirate laughed and Lovino couldn't help but smile too. And then it was back to scowling and staring out into the water. He didn't have the heart to talk anymore, so he let the bastard continue his stupid rambling. Things seemed oddly calm now. He was going to enjoy the peace while it lasted.

Of course something had to go wrong. Things were much too calm. He should have known…should have known that something was off.

Looking in the water, not paying attention to the stupid pirate, he saw a face. It was his face, except it was younger, more innocent. It was him, as a child, so happy and carefree. Behind him was a scene of wildflowers and a quaint little cottage not so different from his own. In the doorway stood his parents, both were alive. They waved at him. Feliciano stuck his head out the window, calling for him to come inside. Before he realized what he was doing, he was kneeling at the water, putting a hand to that image.

Somewhere, a voice was calling to him. Something about not going in…but his mother and father were urging him to come inside. His pretty mother made lunch. He wouldn't get any dessert if he didn't come inside and kept playing around.

He leaned forward. Something grabbed him and he frowned. Why was he being stopped? He was going to turn away to see what was keeping him in place, but his father called him again. If he finished lunch early, they would go fishing together. Yes that would be nice he said. He leaned forward again. But he was pulled even farther away. They were fading…they were fading! He fought to move, kicked at the thing holding him back. Then a hand reached out to him. His mother was offering her hand. He grabbed for it, only for it to disappear. She was getting farther and farther away.

"Mother!" he screamed, and struggled. They ran towards him, screaming his name. He kicked and punched, but he was getting no closer to them. All he could think about was getting to his family. His happy little family, where everything was right and nothing went wrong…

…

Meanwhile, the unfortunate Spaniard was running. Running from what you may ask? Why, from the gigantic swell of corpses surging across the walkway of course!

Antonio tried to stop him, tried to get the brunet to look away. He didn't know what Lovino was seeing, but down there…all he could see were corpses, emaciated faces stretching out to grab them both. He smashed his halberd into them, trying to see if that would make them stop. But it didn't. Instead, they rose up to strike at him, like some great, decaying snake. "Lovino wake up! Those aren't your parents!" he yelled, trying to knock some sense into the mesmerized herbalist. He paid no heed to the words, his eyes glazed over and his arms outstretched to the wave of dead bodies coming towards them.

The Spaniard cursed, throwing the younger male over his shoulder and running for their lives. There was no end in sight, no shores and no island to reach. A few bodies, some looking suspiciously like his own familia began to climb up the walkway, clawing at his feet. He had no qualms about squashing them underfoot. His family was dead. End of story. He didn't need these ghosts of the past coming at him. And to see his newer crewmates amongst the corpses, their lifeless, rotting bodies charging at him, was just plain insulting. Francis would never wear such an ugly expression, even when dead. Roderich wouldn't be so sloppy. He would be immaculately dressed even in death.

Jesus, if they really wanted to scare him, to make him hesitate, they should have done a better job.

"An…tonio…" an old man that looked like his own father said, reaching out to him. "Please…"

"Get out of my way!" he snarled back, smashing his blade into it. The body flew into the water, sinking to the bottom where it belonged. Another one, this one looking oddly like a mummified Elizabeta, came running at him with a frying pan. He easily blocked the swing, throwing the pan and kicking the corpse into the water. Pitiful. The real Hungarian woman would have smashed his halberd, decaying or not.

"Wake up!" he yelled again to the herbalist, although he knew it was useless. The herbalist continued to struggle, trying to reach out to whatever corpse that he thought was his brother. He felt the walkway shake, and then seem to buck beneath him as if it were alive.

"So you're the one that killed me…Heehee, I'm gonna kill you then~!" a familiar voice said. Looking down, the walkway grew a face…the girl that had been choking Lovino from before. He killed her, he had been sure of it. "bYE Bye!"

Before he knew it, he was being thrown into the air. Mierda.

Unlike what young Lilou believed, the water did, in fact, hurt when you fell in too fast. The crash knocked the wind out of him, which wasn't exactly the best thing considering he would have needed it. Lovino had gone limp over his shoulder. Opening his eyes, he could see the blurry shapes of the other corpses grabbing at them, dragging them under. But he refused to let go of the young brunet and held on tightly. His lungs were burning, he wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to fight back. Hell, he was lucky to still be conscious at this point.

Just when he thought they were dead, that it was over, he found that the corpses had dragged him somewhere else. Down below, there was a large bubble of light. Wait what? Looking again at the corpses' faces, they seemed to smile kindly at them. Before shoving the two roughly into the bubble.

Light. Air. Life. Antonio coughed repeatedly. All he could do at the moment was lay there, desperately taking air. As soon as he could breathe and the spots from his vision cleared, he got up. Rolling over, he immediately checked Lovino's pulse. He only relaxed when he heard the regular heartbeat and the gentle breathing. "Don't ever scare me like that again, Lovi," he said sadly, brushing the unconscious man's cheek. "But where are we now?" he said aloud, looking around. They were in some meadow. The sun was setting and they were at the edge of some village. He was so lost right now. First they were running for their lives, then the monsters saved them, then they were here. Wherever 'here' was.

He saw a few farmers running into the village. "Hurry up or we're going to miss it!" said an old man. A sandy-haired boy besides him scowled.

"Why don't you help then? The wood isn't going to cart itself!" They broke into a loud argument. Curious, the pirate, after making sure that Lovino wasn't in any mortal danger, walked over to the two.

"Excuse me…" he said, waltzing up to the two men. They kept fighting, not paying attention. "Perdón!" he said louder. They didn't even so much as glance or snap at him for bothering them. He attempted to grab the old man's shoulder, who was now yelling at the top of his lungs, to get his attention. But his hand went right through the old man, passing as easily as if he were waving his arm in thin air. "Erm…are we…?" He shook his head. He was pretty sure that if he died he would probably be on fire. In a pot of boiling oil. While people force fed him English food. He shivered.

No, he was probably not dead. So where were they? He decided it would be better to just follow where the crowd was going. Putting the herbalist onto his back, he followed the irritated farmers into the town square.

"Ah…oh no." He grimaced. It was a good thing that Lovino was not awake. Being a witch, he probably would not have liked what they were seeing.

A monk stood on a raised platform in front of the pyre. He stuck his nose into the air, and flared his nostrils as if he was about to sneeze. "We cannot but, with all thankfulness, acknowledge the success which the merciful God has given unto the sedulous and assiduous endeavours of our honourable rulers, to detect the abominable witchcrafts which have been committed in the country, humbly praying, that the discovery of those mysterious and mischievous wickednesses may be perfected…." Blah, blah, blah, righteous church drivel. The pirate rolled his eyes. But the skepticism turned into surprise and confusion. There, tied to the pyre, was a young girl. And it was no ordinary little girl. She had beautiful hair, so fair it was almost white. She glowed with youth and vitality, which at the moment, was being used to plead hopelessly to the crowd. Her face, while young and seemingly innocent, was unmistakable.

"It's her…" he said in horror, looking upon what appeared to be a child version of the very enchantress that brought them to this place. What on earth was going on?

…

...

Lovino woke up. Was he…dead? He clenched his fists, wiggled his toes. But he couldn't feel them. He had thought he had died the moment his hand touched Feliciano's. Or the moment he touched that corpse. It was only when they managed to touched that he realized what was happening. He cursed again. He had to fall for the trick again, fall and reach for something that was impossible. He felt hot, frustrated tears fall and he clenched his fists. So what now? God he had failed…he had died hadn't he?

He opened his eyes, hissing at the light. The room he was sitting in was so…white. Everything in the room was white, from the walls to the floor to every bit of furniture and even the food placed on the table before him. Looking outside the windows, he could see nothing but a blank canvas. He looked down at himself, finding that he was still wearing his clothes. He was the only dash of color in this room. Was this how it was like to be-?

"Death, the great equalizer. It is believed by men to be the harshest of all the angels, for it discriminates not between age and gender. It is hated and loved by man and animal alike, although they will never truly understand it." Lovino looked up to see the horse-headed demon before him. He was sitting comfortably in the chair across from him, his hands folded on the table. He was dressed completely in black, as if for a funeral.

His mouth went dry. "Are we-"

"I think not. Your slumber is not permanent. The sacrifice saved you. You will awake in due time." The horse waved a hand and a window behind him showed the outside world. There, Lovino was asleep. Antonio was carrying him on his back. "The dead are not as cruel as their deliverer. They took you to safety."

"Wait why?"

The horse cocked its head to the side, "Because you will deliver them. The queen has stolen many souls. They are trapped here. Many have forgotten their true face, leaving them to take the form of whatever you wish to see. They took you here, away from the doll master."

They were both alive…right? He stared at the horse, mind reeling from the influx of information. "But why the fuck are we down there?"

"Memories. There are things you must see to understand the truth. As a wise human once said, 'know thy enemy'. Nicnevin knows nothing. The arrogant queen sees little of her subjects, not knowing the true nature of her betrayers until the final blow is dealt. You will be the last strike. You must defeat her on your own little witch."

"W-wait a second! Why…why the fuck do you even bother? Looks like you can do all the work. Kill her yourself! Why ask for my damn help?" Because he was useless. He was being thrown around like a ragdoll while everyone around him just…

The demon sighed, pouring itself a cup of tea, "I am the servant, in the truest sense now. Little can be done on my part. However, you are alive, human, and free. You are the one human with enough potential to topple the queen's throne."

"Why does everybody say that? I don't even know where to start. Fuck, she's practically invincible!" he snapped, exasperated.

"Mankind is furthest from the possibility of invulnerability. For humans, to be invincible is to be vulnerable. Think boy. When does the hawk lower her claws, to rest in her nest content? When is the hunter to strike to secure his prey?"

"I don't get your goddamn riddles!" Lovino screamed, frustrated, "I just…when she's invincible and vulnerable? I don't…" Then it dawned on him. "Shit…shit you have got to be fucking kidding me…" he said, slumping in his chair.

The horse nodded, "The only true path is one marked with thorns. Be wise. The hawk knows not the ferocity of her prey. The young falcon may become king of the sky yet." He looked up, as if checking some invisible clock, "It is time. The stage is set and the players are here. Be wary, for the queen has seen your heart, your desires. May her kind words bewitch you not, so that we may all live to see another day. I expect nothing less but an acceptable ending from you, Lovino Vargas."

He hesitated for a second. To think, that a demon, of all things would be his greatest ally. He was shifty and creepy and he wasn't sure if he trusted this. Hell, he wasn't sure if he trusted anything in this house anymore. As if reading his thoughts it continued, "Man's enemies are not demons, but human beings like himself. It would be prudent of you to remember this poignant proverb."

"I guess I'd say thanks, but you could have warned about this fucking mess in the first place so I won't," Lovino snapped. Though he wasn't really angry, just tired.

"Goodbye little witch, may we meet again on better days."

"I don't fucking think so. Just cause you aren't eating my face now, doesn't mean you won't do it later bastard!" he yelled, just as the illusionary world shattered around him.

…

He woke up on the pirate's back, trying to figure out what was happening. He groaned, feeling as if he rammed his head into a wall and Anri helped pile drive him through it. "Ugh…what's…Antonio what's happening?" he groaned. The pirate started, turning his head to smile with relief at him.

"Dios mio, you're awake!" the pirate said, his voice warm and terribly tired. "For a while, I thought you wouldn't wake up!" He laughed, as if to reassure himself that yes, Lovino was alive.

"I know…I know…" he replied, sighing. "Let me down idiot, you look like you're about to drop dead." The pirate reluctantly complied and put the herbalist down. His legs were wobbly for a second, and he had to lean on the Spaniard to get his balance again. He heard voices all around them, and he was startled to realize they were in some town, crowded with people. He also noticed that they were like fucking ghosts since the townsfolk seemed to slip right past them. "What the fuck is happening?"

The Spaniard's expression flickered, "I don't know, but I don't think you want to see-"

"Stop please! Please don't do this! I didn't do it! I'm not a demon I swear!" a girl's voice screamed. Her voice was soon drowned out by the jeers and insults of the villagers.

"Liar!"

"You killed my son!"

"Die, demon!"

The girl continued to scream for help, for mercy. Lovino turned away, holding onto the pirate's hand tightly. He moved over, shielding the young Italian from the scene. His eyes burned, he remembered hearing those exact words himself. He peeked past the crowd, beyond the pirate, to see that face…that familiar face.

"It's her?" he whispered to Antonio, not believing his eyes. The pirate nodded grimly.

"There's no mistaking it, I would never forget that face…" he said, his eyes flashing. He seemed conflicted between saying he wanted her to burn and saying he wanted to save her. Because what sane human being could be so cruel as to say an innocent child deserved this? To spit in the girl's face and watch her burn as she screamed and begged for mercy? Animals…each and every one of them.

The girl screamed again, her wails growing in intensity as the priest lit the pyre. Shit…Lovino felt sick, and covered his eyes. Whether it was Nicnevin or not, he couldn't watch. He was shaking, trembling like a leaf. He could see it now…himself sitting on his very own pyre, screaming and begging… Antonio held onto him and he felt himself be shaken out of it. Like a dying man, he clung onto the pirate, hoping his presence would anchor him to reality and away from the past.

Then everything exploded. The sound of blasting concrete and screaming townsfolk assaulted their ears. On an impulse, the pirate covered the herbalist from the explosion, but they weren't hurt. The debris flew right threw them. Although Lovino himself wasn't too sure if that was a good thing as a severed head went flying through them.

When the dust cleared, the two could see Nicnevin on the ground. Her arms and legs had been severely burned, the skin having been peeled away and blackened to the point that they were unrecognizable stumps. In a circle around her, were the splattered remains of whoever had the misfortune of standing too close. Hovering before her was a demon. The body was that of a man, and it had the head of an owl. Behind it was a pair of great black wings, and it wielded a great black saber, with a familiar pentagram inscribed in the blade. Marquis Andras, the great demon of discord, spoke before her.

"You who have summoned me…do you wish to die?" it asked, raising its blade.

The girl sobbed, "I want…I want to live…"

It cocked its head. "Foolish girl. I eat, I do not save."

"I-I…I…" She was no longer able to speak coherently, the pain having overpowered her rational thoughts. The demon looked upon her, not speaking and not moving. The girl moaned and cried, repeating desperate calls for help. It seemed to have come up with some sort of plan. "How about a deal child? I will save you, heal you, but in return, you shall feed me…" It swung its arm, gesturing to the terrified townspeople.

"A-anything…please…make it stop…" she moaned. The demon hooted once before raising a hand. A magic circle swirled over the crumpled girl's body and she rose up. Her wounds were healed and her arms and legs were stronger than ever. She looked down at her body in amazement, getting up shakily.

"Now…feed me." The girl smiled. A sadistic little grin as she ran over to the terrified townsfolk.

"With pleasure!" she yelled, grabbing fully grown men as easily as if they were ragdolls. She threw them to the demon's feet, laughing. She was relishing her newfound powers, finally becoming strong and able to enact her revenge. "Hahahaha! I'll kill you! I'll kill you all! I'm the one in charge now!" she laughed, dragging every man, woman, and child over to the beast sitting in the town square. When she finished, she confronted the demon once more.

"I suppose we're done here, there is no one else to kill," she said happily, still giddy from having her revenge. Her smile immediately dropped and she fell to the ground screaming. Her arms and legs, which had previously been healthy, soon crumpled back into the burned, broken limbs they were before. She screamed and cried, "W-why?! Why I…I did what I was told! Y-you…you…got your meal…" She stammered, her brain turning to mush as the pain returned.

The demon chuckled, "Foolish child. You cannot truly believe that I would be satisfied with just this. Provide me more souls, feed me, and I will let you live, I will sustain your life source." The girl whimpered again from the pain. "But should you ever stop, you shall be reduced to your current state and I will reap your soul."

"That's…that's not what we agreed to!" she yelled, gritting her teeth to hold back another scream. "It's…it's not fair…"

"Life is never fair," the demon said callously. "You know your duty, go reap more souls for me and you shall live." He healed her once more and the girl sat up, significantly more distraught than before. The demon gave her pendant to wear that would take the souls she took from the world and then sent her on her way. The girl walked off, staggering out of town looking more lost than ever.

They stood there in the town square for a while, minds reeling from the awful events that just occurred. Antonio, being Antonio, recovered first. "That doesn't change who she is…what she's done." The herbalist looked back at the pirate. His face was hard, without an ounce of pity.

Lovino agreed but…he…understood. He knew what it was like to feel that way, to be so angry to be driven to the point of murder. He wondered…if Antonio had seen himself what the herbalist had done, would he say the same thing and leave? He shivered.

"Lovino, you're not like her," the pirate said quickly, noticing him slump his shoulders. He grabbed his shoulders, "You're-"

"Oh I beg to differ, I find that the boy is exactly like me." The two of them whirled around to see her. Nicnevin, in the flesh, walking towards them. Despite having seen bits of her gruesome past, she continued to smile. "You understand don't you, my darling witch? I had to do what I could to survive, just like you," she crooned, walking over to them. The Spaniard pushed him back, putting himself between the old witch and the young one.

"Stay away from him," the pirate hissed, brandishing his halberd.

She ignored him, but stopped just where the halberd's point touched her chest. "Lovino, you know don't you? He would never understand. Humans never do," she said, growling at the last part.

"I think you've forgotten that you're human as well, you and Lovino," the pirate snapped back, pushing the witch with the point of his blade.

"Me. Human? Never. As you can see I have transcended beyond such ill labeling. Humans are disgusting creatures, wallowing in their own filth. They are cruel, deceitful, always acting for themselves. They would betray their own brethren should it benefit them." She extended a hand to Lovino, her eyes never leaving his face, "Witches belong with witches Lovino. Stay with me, I swear I will never betray you…I will love you and care for you always."

"Liar," the pirate snarled back, "You'll only use him, hurt him just to save your own skin! You aren't actually believing this, right Lovino?" The herbalist gulped. "Lovi?" the pirate asked uncertainly, glancing at him. The herbalist, still shaking, looked up and nodded.

"He would never understand what it means to be a witch. He will only throw you aside!" She took another threatening step forward, "Would you truly trade the lives of your family, your own kin, your sprites? All for the sake of a single, putrid human?" she asked, looking upon Antonio with disdain. She waved her hand, the entire scene around them collapsed. They now stood on some raised, circular stage, a gigantic pentagram inscribed in its center. There were other circular pillars all about them, and on each sat one of the sprites, unconscious. They were each decomposing into their own respective plants, although without soil or water, they were wilting.

"Anri! Abel! Everyone! Fuck what the hell did you do?!" Lovino yelled, horrified. He staggered away from the pirate, getting a better look at the pillars. He realized they were floating over some sort of abyss. The light only shining from above like one gigantic spotlight. Antonio rounded on the witch.

"What have you done? Release them!" the pirate yelled, looking every bit like the menacing pirate.

The witch laughed, turning the attention back on the herbalist, "Well Lovino? You have a choice. Give me Antonio, join me! And I will set all your little henchmen free. Refuse and I will have no choice but to take him by force." She extended her hand, "Witches belong with witches my dear. Humans…they have caused nothing but pain. All they do is take our happiness, steal it for themselves. But I will give you everything. Everything that the humans have denied us."

"Lovino…" But the pirate didn't say more, only shaking his head to look imploringly at the herbalist. He looked conflicted. He couldn't say to not do it. He didn't want to say he should. Who was the pirate to say about the lives of Lovino's own, precious family?

The young Italian stood there, unsure. His started to back away from them, holding his sides. His eyes darted between the pirate, the witch, and those stupid sprites. Those familiar words echoed in his head, Man's enemies are not demons, but human beings like himself.

He thought he could see the horse again, floating in the back, 'The queen has seen your heart, your desires. May her kind words bewitch you not, so that we may all live to see another day.'

He looked at Antonio, the pirate was worried, but not for himself. He was concerned for him, his lips slightly parted as if ready to give him reassurance, tell him again that he would do all he could to protect him, that everything would be okay. He looked Nicnevin in the eye. The woman was smiling kindly at him; looking upon him with such affection it seemed as if she truly loved him.

He took a deep, shuddering breath. This had to be done. "Nicnevin," he said, his voice surprisingly calm, giving no emotion at all. They all tensed as the herbalist looked up at the two with determined eyes. "You have a deal."

...

...

I put Lovino in mortal danger way too often. You know I was torn between traumatizing Lovi and then not. I decided against it. You're welcome. Things will wrap up for this arc (yeah there's another shitty arc coming your way) in the next chapter. As always, I love all your reviews, your favorites, your follows, all of your support is truly what helped me overcome this writer's block. I thanketh all of thee.

Oh and P.S., I just realized the numbering for all the other chapters are off. Like when I announce the title of the chappie, I put the number wrong. Oops.