Hey Guys! I'm back with the penultimate chapter. Enjoy!

I do not own Hetalia or Disney!

Chapter 10 : The Battle

The battering ram slammed against the doors and rattled all the objects that were putting their weight against them. They were almost thrown away from the doors as the ram hit them again.

"They'll be through in no time," Mei squealed in panic. "We can't hold them off like this!"

"What are we going to do?" Toris asked.

"Let me think, aru!" Yao ordered. Then it hit him.

The villagers slammed the tree into the doors and they shook under the impact. They drew the battering ram back and rammed it into the doors again and the doors crashed open.

It was dark inside the castle with the inner hallway cluttered with a collection of furniture and knick-knacks, lying around like they had just been dumped where they lay. Luciano cautiously lead the way, looking round the furniture for hidden assailants, followed by the other villagers who were a little nervous at the lack of opposition they were encountering after struggling to get in. Flavio picked up a chinese lantern to illuminate his way, never once wondering why it was lit as the mob moved to the center of the hallway.

"NOW!"

The voice seemed to come from the lantern but before Flavio could verify that, the mob was suddenly under attack, not from human assailants but from the objects themselves. Flavio dropped the lantern as it suddenly turned hot and burned his hand. One of the gang was being soundly pummelled by the hat stand and another was facing off against a wardrobe who criticizing his fashion sense. Feliks pulled the thug into his innards, threw him around a little and spat him back out, dressing in a pink jacket, petticoat and a tall orange wig. He screamed and ran to hide his shame.

"It's, like, totes you," Feliks called after him, laughing.

Another of Luciano's lackeys got the shock of his life when one end of the rug he was standing on, reared up and smacked him in the butt, knocking him into an open chest that promptly shut on him. Then spat him out again.

"Yuck!"

Luciano ducked the flying furniture and object d'art that was taking the mob apart and managed to use the distraction to get to the staircase. Unseen by distracted friend or foe alike, he made his way up the stairs and into the castle.

As the rescue party drew near to the castle, Arthur began to sense the magic of the castle and found it to be vaguely familiar. He was still too far away to identify it properly but he knew it from somewhere.

"Are you sure Luciano Maestri is at this castle?" Captain Renato asked, riding along side Matthew and Francis.

"He's leading the mob so he should be," Matthew confirmed. "What did he do?"

"He and his criminal gang kidnapped Prince Lovino when he was an infant and handed him over to the Dark Sorceress!" Matthew was surprised but not completely shocked. He knew Luciano and his lackeys bullied and intimidated some of the villagers who did not fall for his charm. It was one of the reasons Matthew did not like him. Being familiar with the magic realm, Matthew did not question the ages of the gang but knew Natayla had to have something to do with it.

"Her, again," he snorted. Frankly, Matthew was glad she was gone.

"What about you and this Beast?" Arthur asked. He was no longer flying but sitting on Matthew's shoulder and holding on to his collar. "I was told you were held prisoner by it."

"Him, Dad," Matthew corrected. "And, yes, I was but it's complicated. He's not evil and we have to save him."

"We will, Matthew."

Luciano crept down the passageways of the castle, checking rooms, looking for the creature that Matthew seemed to prefer to him. He did not care if the Beast was good or evil, he was a rival and that was all Luciano needed to know. He would eliminate this monster and Matthew would be his.

By force, if necessary!

Finally Luciano came to the staircase to the West Wing and began to climb.

Eduard, Raivis and the other teacups stood above the raging battle waiting for the right moment. When the maximum amount of invaders were below them, Eduard shouted, "NOW!" and hot liquid fell on the beleaguered villagers from above. Not just hot water but a lot of lemon juice too, getting into cuts and scrapes and leaving a nice zesty sting.

Flavio threw a knife at General Winter, the footstool house cat, as he raced through the door to the kitchen. Flavio followed with two of the Maestri Gang in tow into the dark room and saw the footstool backed into a corner, hissing and spitting. The three of them grinned, ready to gut the little stool.

Then drawers opened and sharp knives, meat forks and meat cleavers stood up, menacingly.

"GET OUT OF MY KITCHEN!" came a roar to their right and they turned to see the stove rear up, flames pouring out of his oven and hobs, turning the room into Hell's Kitchen.

Gordon Ramsey, eat your heart out!

They screamed as one then turned from the fiery inferno and ran, followed by the sharp knives that leapt from the drawers and flung themselves at the departing ruffians.

Yao had been backed into a corner by a torch bearing villager who was enjoying Yao's pain as the flame threatened to burn away Yao's outer covering and melt the candle inside him. Toris was at the top of the stairs and saw Yao's predicament, grabbed a pair of scissors and climbed onto the bannister. He enjoyed the exhilarating rush of air as he flew down to explain to the thug why it was not nice to do such things.

Needless to say, as the man leapt into the air with a howl of pain, he got the sharp end of Toris's argument.

Now free, Yao heard a scream and turned to see a villager with Mei in his hands, trying to pull her apart. He ran under the villager and made his candle flame shoot out like a blow torch. The man screamed and dropped Mei as he ran off to find water to put out his now burning backside. Yao caught Mei and hugged her close.

The villagers had had enough. Somehow, fighting in a castle where anything and everything can attack you was more terrifying than facing a beast. When Flavio finally ran for the outside, the others began to follow suit and the furniture and ornaments began to cheer as the last villager ran out the door and Yao made Toris feel sick when he picked him up with his tassels and whirled him round.

No one realised that not every attacker had gone!

Luciano slowly opened the door to Ivan's chambers with his bow, ready to fire. His hatred for the beast had grown as he moved through the castle. It had all the signs of a royal residence and Luciano hated royalty. If their father had married their mother, Flavio would have been the heir to the Italian throne, with Luciano running things from the shadows.

But their father just left and ignored their existence, leaving them in poverty. Their mother had died when they were ten, leaving them alone in the world. Everything bad that had happened to the twins, Luciano laid at the door of the Italian Royal Family. Kidnapping the actual heir had been a gift. The prefect revenge on the Vargas Royals.

His vision swept the wrecked room, staying a minute on the floating flower under the glass dome but his interest was lost when he spotted the shadow sat by the window. His prey in sight, Luciano took aim with his bow.

Ivan knew he was not alone as he turned toward the presence that had invaded his chambers. He saw the man with the bow aimed at him and resigned himself to his fate. Without Matvey, his life meant nothing to him and he had no desire to spend a pointless eternity as he was so he turned back toward the window and just hoped it would be quick.

Either Luciano's aim was off or, more likely, he wanted to draw this out.

Luciano released his arrow and Ivan roared in pain as it struck his shoulder. When Luciano finally saw the Beast, he was furious that he had been thrown over for this monster. What did Matthew see in this animal? Suddenly, Luciano did not want this to end quickly. No way could anyone prefer this creature to a normal person. He had Matthew under a spell, that was it! He would make this monster suffer before he killed it and freed Matthew. He would make it pay for thinking it could take what was his.

While the Beast was still reeling from the pain, Luciano kicked him through the window, ripping the arrow from Ivan's shoulder, onto the flat top roof visible from the window and leapt out after Ivan. Another kick had Ivan moving toward the end of the roof.

"Why don't you fight back?" Luciano sneered. "I expected more from something like you. Were you in love with him? What made you think that Matthew or anyone would choose you when they could have someone like me? You're dreaming, monster!"

Lying at the edge of the roof, Ivan was just waiting for the end but he was reassured that, no matter what happen to him, Matvey would never choose this man who he was sure was the man Matvey had been so scornful of. Luciano pulled a piece of stonework from a nearby wall to use as a makeshift club and approached Ivan with it held over his head.

"It's over!" he announced. "Matthew's mine! He was always mine!"

Ivan waited for the blow.

"NO!"

Matthew, Arthur and Francis galloped into the courtyard, followed by the soldiers, just as the villagers were running out. Arthur flew to the ground and regained his full size.

"Apprehend them all," Captain Renato ordered. "Until we know which of them are Luciano Maestri and his gang." The soldiers began to round up the mob. Arthur looked up at the castle in shock. He realised where he knew the castle magic aura from. He had a feeling he knew who the Beast really was.

"King Ivan!"

"What was that, Dad?" Matthew asked.

"This is King Ivan's castle," he replied. "Even if I didn't recognise the aura, I'd recognise the castle. It's King Ivan, no doubt."

"But that means...," Matthew realised what his Dad was saying. When Matthew had been talking to the Beast about King Ivan, he had been talking to King Ivan himself. Why had he not said anything?

All the time he had been reading that book, both at home and in the castle, he had been basically reading Ivan's story. It was almost like Hercules and the library steps had deliberately steered him toward it.

When the last of the mob had been captured, Matthew realised that Luciano was not among them. He spotted Flavio, dismounted and grabbed him by the front of his coat.

"Where's Luciano?" he demanded, shaking Flavio.

"He must be still inside," Flavio replied, smugly. "He's probably found and killed the Beast already."

"NO!" Matthew screamed, threw Flavio away from him and ran into the castle, followed by Arthur and Francis.

Ivan was pulled from his apathy by Matthew's voice and looked down to see Matthew racing toward the castle, followed by Francis and a Fae. Matthew was back! He had returned to him.

Suddenly Ivan was not so eager to embrace death.

As Luciano brought the stone club down, it was caught in Ivan's paws and Luciano found himself facing off against a much stronger opponent as he was forced back while they grappled for the club. They both found themselves sliding down a sloping roof as they fought. Falling from the edge, they fell onto another flat roof. When Luciano recovered, Ivan was nowhere to be found.

Luciano spotted a monstrous shadow and struck at it with the club he had somehow managed to hold on to. The head shattered as Luciano hit a stone gargoyle and he realised that there were a few of them, all in a row.

"Come on out and fight, monster!" he shouted. "Matthew's mine. The sooner you die, the sooner he's free!" Ivan sat in the shadows, hidden among the gargoyles.

"Do you really think you had any chance with him?" he mocked. "Who could love a monster? Matthew will be mine!"

That infuriated Ivan, that this thug would lay claim to his soul mate without reference to Matvey's feelings. He would not leave Matvey to this man's mercies.

Luciano felt something behind him but as he turned, he was grabbed by the throat and held out over a deep drop as he dropped the club. He suddenly was not so eager to fight to get Matthew. No one was worth his life and he began to panic.

"NO!" he screamed. "Please don't drop me! I'm sorry! I'll do what ever you ask, just please don't kill me!"

Ivan was almost amused as he watched the cock-sure hunter crumble into a shivering coward and considered consigning him to his fate but he was not the Beast he had become since the curse nor even the man he had been before it. And Matvey would not like him to kill in cold blood, even if the victim was someone Matvey hated.

Ivan dragged the weeping Luciano back onto the safety of the flat top roof and forced him to his knees, scowling into Luciano's face.

"Get out of my castle!" the creepy, calm tone was back. "Don't come back and NEVER bother Matvey again!" Ivan threw Luciano to one side in disgust.

"Ivan!"

Ivan looked up to see Matthew stand on the balcony from Ivan's chambers. It took a moment to realise that Matthew had called Ivan by his name. It sounded so sweet coming from his soul mate's lips but then, for a moment, Ivan began to panic. If someone had told Matvey then surely Matvey was now cursed too.

But Matvey was still human. He seemed unaffected and Ivan came to the conclusion that either someone from outside the castle had figured out who he was and told Matvey or Matvey had somehow worked it out for himself. A Fae appeared behind Matthew, followed by Francis and four soldiers. A Fae Ivan recognised as Arthur of the Kirkland Clan and it made sense. Arthur would have recognised the aura of the magic embedded in the castle and, indeed, the castle itself and told Matthew. Matthew was safe from the curse and who would have thought that he was Arthur's son!

Matthew held out his hand and Ivan began climbing the roof to the balcony. When he reached the edge, he cupped Matthew's cheek with one paw and Matthew held it against the side of his face. Arthur was surprised at such a display of affection but did nothing to interfere.

Nobody saw Luciano climbing up after Ivan, drawing a hunting knife from his boot.

Ivan could not believe that his Matvey had returned to him. Suddenly his cold, dark world was light and warm again.

And then he roared when an agonising pain shot through his side as Luciano plunged his knife into it.

To those not familiar with Gordon Ramsey, he's a British celebrity chef, famous for his fiery temper and foul mouth. He hosted a show called Hell's Kitchen, hence the reference

Well, Matthew knows who the Beast is but will he lose him now?

To ArtemisIsis13 – Don't beat yourself up about it! You can't be glued to the net twenty-four seven. Ivan really does love Matthew and the way Ivan saw it, even if he kept Matthew and Francis died, Matthew would blame Ivan and not love him so the curse would never be broken anyway. This way, Ivan gets to keep Matthew's good opinion so he didn't have anything to lose. Luci's clueless about just how many people are after him but there is a surprise coming as far as he and Flavio are concerned (you've already got a clue from this chapter). Arthur will begin to have more luck in HT5 when we begin Alfred's story and see if you can guess the pairing. Luci's definitely the real Beast because not all monster come with beastly faces. As for hearing the singing in the forest, yeah! I suppose it would carry but then it's surprising just how noisy a wood can be at night and there's a little distance between the two group but I realise I'm asking people to suspend disbelief on that one. I agree! Not a very wise move on Matthew's part but he was desperate and I love 'Luci Goosie'

I don't!

Tough! Yes! The family's back together, well almost, and a few people are going to feel a bit stupid for not believing Francis and you're right! Angry mobs loses some of their fear factor when they singing their heads off.

Right! I have to get a concussed Luci ready for next week's chapter. I hope you haven't scrambled his brains too much.

To themusicalcat – I've been very careful with my laptop so I haven't been losing any more of my writing (Thank God). I'm glad you liked Premonition and HT5 is almost done. I loved that scene in the Disney version. It showed that Beast really had changed and I wanted that for Ivan too. Flavio deserves a slap. He might not be as bad as his brother but he's still a jerk. At least someone loves Luciano although you might be the only one (beside the Badboy Bimbo Trio, of course). Ah, Viktor! A reason to stay sane! And Alfred will be coming back soon. F CE is just not the same, is it! Yes! Ivan, keep the faith. It'll all come right in the end!

To grovyleanime – So pleased you're enjoying this. I hope you read and enjoy some of my others too.

To Scarlet Phantom – Of course I don't mind you doing pictures of my stories, I'd love to see them. And I'd love some ideas for punishments. I think I'm letting Luci off a little too lightly but I'm afraid you can't kill him, you'll see why in the next chapter (if you haven't already guessed). And I don't think Luci really loves Matthew. I think he's just obsessed with him because Matthew's the only one who says no. You know the old cliché, Always want what you can't have!

That's that for this week. See if you can guess who I've paired Alfred up with before the week after next. A virtual cookie for those who get it right.

Happy Valentine's Day for Saturday!

So until next week,

Hasta la Pasta