AN: Alright, we're almost done here. I hope everyone is enjoying this story. As always, reviews are appreciated.

Warnings: The usual


Chapter 11

Feliciano and Ludwig stood at the base of the ladder. It seemed as though they were in a sort of underground tunnel system.

"How odd. Who would have thought there would be something like this beneath a school," Ludwig commented, heading down the tunnel with Feliciano. Feliciano nodded, holding onto Ludwig's arm as they walked.

"Yeah. Maybe it was for an emergency? An escape system," he replied cheekily. Ludwig chuckled.

"Maybe," he agreed. They came to a split in the path. Ludwig could see a door at one end, however it was boarded up, so that made their decision for them. Taking the right path, however, brought them to a swift stop.

The tunnel widened and on either side were shelves lined with heads. Some were…fresher than others. Feliciano gasped and hid his face behind Ludwig's arm.

"Oh!" he covered his nose at the smell. Ludwig grimaced.

"I'm sorry Feliciano. We'll get through here as quickly as possible," he assured him. Ludwig led Feliciano past the shelves, only to see that in the widening tunnel there were three rows of five shelves all filled with heads.

"Mein Gott," he whispered in shock. A blue light appeared in front of them. It hovered in place for a moment, before floating between the shelves farthest to the right. After floating through a second set of shelves, it moved left, between another set of shelves, back to the right, through the final two sets of shelves and down the tunnel.

"Feliciano…I think we have to follow the way that spirit went. Stick close, and don't go anywhere I don't," Ludwig told Feliciano sternly. Feliciano nodded and summoned up the courage he had to stop hiding and instead watch where he was going. He nearly threw up when he saw the heads.

Ludwig led him through the pattern the spirit had given. Right, right, left, right, and a final right. He sighed in relief, supposing that, had they done it incorrectly, something bad would have happened. Ludwig and Feliciano continued along the tunnel. At the start of a corner was a lever.

"Feliciano, I'll pull it this time. I don't want you to be in danger," Ludwig explained, approaching the lever. Feliciano blushed slightly and approached the lever as well, placing his hand on Ludwig's.

"We'll pull it together," he replied with a smile. Ludwig smiled.

"Deal," he agreed. They pulled the lever. There was a rumbling in response, and the lights above their heads swung slightly. When nothing killed them, Ludwig assumed it was safe to continue.

The duo continued to follow the winding tunnels, over an odd makeshift bridge that covered a gap, and through a room filled with crates. They came to a door and stopped.

"We might as well check it out," Ludwig said, walking inside. Immediately, he regretted his decision. The room was covered in blood. There were buckets everywhere, filled with limbs or internal organs. In the center of the room was a metal table, coated in blood. Behind it was a locker, and hanging from the ceiling were bloody and rusted hooks.

"AHH!" Feliciano screamed and backed out of the room, hands clutched over his eyes. He backed into a wall and fell to the floor, hiding his face as he cried. Ludwig was about to go comfort Feliciano when he spotted someone in the corner. He walked over. Giving a sad sigh, he turned around. It was Arthur. He was slumped in the corner, a vicious looking knife embedded in his heart.

Feliciano continued to weep, his body shaking with each heavy sob. He gasped quietly and stood himself up, grabbing hold of the wall to steady himself.

"L-Ludwig...?" he stepped into the room and attached himself to Ludwig again. Then he noticed Arthur. And the tears began to flow again. Ludwig hugged Feliciano.

"I'm sorry. Let's go," he said, starting for the door. The sound of footsteps, and something heavy dragging on the ground approaching the door caused him to stop, though. Ludwig knew they would get out of the room and away in time. They had to hide.

"Feliciano! Quick, under the table! Don't make any noise," Ludwig hissed, bringing Feliciano to the metal table. He dropped down and rolled under the table. Feliciano did as he was told and clamped his lips together, his crying muffled as he scooted closer into Ludwig. Fearing they were going to be found and killed, he leaned over and kisses Ludwig on the cheek before clutching onto the German's sleeve.

Ludwig held Feliciano close.

"Feliciano. If we're found. I will hold whoever it is off. You will run. No objections," he whispered into Feliciano's ear. The footsteps drew closer, and soon, Ludwig could see the legs of a man enter the room. Ludwig quickly clamped his hand over Feliciano's mouth when he saw what had been making that dragging noise. Lovino's body was hauled into the room and over to the table. It was suddenly dropped and the man made a noise of surprise.

Feliciano whimpered uncontrollably, tears rushing down his face as his hold on Ludwig's arm tightened. Ludwig tried not to look into Lovino's lifeless eyes, but it was hard when the body was right there.

The man bent down – luckily not enough to see under the table – and lifted Lovino's body up. There was a thunk as it was dropped onto the metal table. After a moment, the man left the room. Ludwig only relaxed and let go of Feliciano's mouth when the footsteps completely faded.

Feliciano was frozen in place as he whimpered. His body shook and he looked as though he might pass out. Ludwig held Feliciano.

"I'm so sorry, Feli," was all he could think of to say. They needed to get out of the room, though, so Ludwig got out from under the table, bringing Feliciano with him.

Feliciano pulled himself up from the floor and fell into Ludwig, the trauma of the recent events finally getting to him. Ludwig pulled Feliciano close.

"Feli!? Are you okay?" he asked in surprise. Feliciano groaned once, his eyes glazed.

"...Sì. I'm...alright..." he mumbled. His head was spinning and he felt sick to his stomach. Ludwig could see Feliciano looked a little sick.

"Do you need to throw up?" he inquired, rubbing Feliciano's back. The woozy Italian shook his head as his vision began to return to normal.

"N-No...I think I'm alright. I just want to leave this horrible place," he replied, sniffing and wiping at his eyes again. Ludwig nodded and led Feliciano out of the room.

"We'll get out," he said. As they left the room, Feliciano took one last look back at his brother's body on the table.

"Ti voglio bene, fratello. Mi mancherai," he whispered as he turned back, head down. Ludwig sighed. He wished he could do something to make everything better. Feliciano suddenly pulled away from Ludwig and began to walk away.

Ludwig was startled and followed after him.

"Feliciano! Where are you going?" he demanded. Feliciano kept his head down.

"No where..." he replied quietly. Ludwig grabbed his shoulder.

"Than stop going nowhere," he snapped. Feliciano shrugged the German's hand off.

"Leave me alone, Ludwig!" he cried and ran off down the dark hall. Ludwig chased after him, but the Italian was too fast. Ludwig didn't give up though. He hurried down the tunnels, and soon came to a fork.

"Verdammt!" Ludwig snarled. He was surprised out of his anger, however, when he heard familiar voices coming his way. Ludwig watched in shock as Ivan and Yao rounded a corner and spotted him.

"Ah! Ludwig. Is good to see you," Ivan said as they walked over. A smile creased Yao's lips and he squeezed Ivan's hand.

"It is indeed good to see you. Have you found any of the others?" he asked, his nervousness of PDA suddenly gone. Ludwig sighed and nodded.

"Yes. I was just with Feliciano, but he ran off, I was looking for him just now. Earlier we met up with Alfred, Arthur, and Matthew. However, Arthur is now dead, and I don't know where Alfred and Matthew are. Lovino, Gilbert, Antonio, and Francis are all dead as well…What about you both? Have you seen Mr. Vargas?" he replied.

Yao's eyes went wide with the news of their friends, then he looked away at the mention of their teacher. His hand tightened around Ivan's. Ivan gently squeezed Yao's hand in comfort.

"Mr. Vargas and Kiku are dead," he told Ludwig. Ludwig nodded.

"I see…Well, we are together now. Hopefully we can find Feliciano, Alfred, and Matthew soon," he said. Yao nodded.

"We will find them. I have no doubts," he replied with a small smile. Ludwig was not so optimistic, but he nodded anyway. Ludwig, Ivan, and Yao headed along the tunnel to the right. It turned quite a few times, widened in some spots, and got narrower in others.

The sound of crying from up ahead got their attention some ways in, and they hurried along the tunnel. They came to a wider area and saw Matthew kneeling on the ground, sobbing. Yao released Ivan's had and hurried over.

"Matthew?"

Matthew jumped slightly and looked up, teary eyes wide in shock.

"Y-Yao?" he gasped. Matthew had thought he would be left down there, alone, until he died. He was so relieved to see the others. Yao gave a comforting smile and nodded.

"Shì de, it is me. And Ivan and Ludwig," he replied, helping the blonde up. Matthew wrapped his arms around Yao and cried against his shoulder.

"A-A-Alfred…he…he's d-dead!" he wept. "Arthur left me alone! I'm so glad to see you all!"

Ludwig grimaced. How could Arthur have left Matthew alone like that? Yao blinked in surprise and returned the hug, rubbing Matthew's back soothingly. He looked up at Ivan with watery eyes. Ivan placed a hand on Yao's free shoulder. Matthew eventually stopped crying, and he stepped back with a blush.

"I'm sorry for crying on you," he apologized quietly. Yao smiled and placed his hand on Matthew's shoulder.

"It is ok. That is what friends are for."

Matthew nodded and gave him a small smile. Ludwig cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry, but we should keep going. We still have to find Feliciano, and stop Peter so we can leave," he said. Ivan gave a hum of agreement.

"R-right. Okay. I'll be alright," Matthew replied.

The small group continued through the tunnel, but soon came to a large open space. Standing in the center was the ghost girl.

"Hello," she said. Yao nodded his head in greeting but clutched to Ivan's arm.

"Ní hǎo."

The girl looked them over.

"You must be Arthur's friends…I'm Wyuna," she said. "It's very lucky you have made it so far."

Ivan frowned.

"You are spirit from earlier…one of the ones who hurt Kiku," he said, clearly not happy. Wyuna nodded sadly.

"I am sorry. I wasn't myself. But there's no time to talk about that. Peter is here, in the room just beyond the next one," she replied. "Whether or not you'll be able to go home, depends on him."

Ludwig frowned.

"Wait, we can't leave without Feliciano," he said. Wyuna looked away.

"He's…fighting his own demons now. If he can overcome them…He will join you. Now go," she told them. Yao furrowed his brow.

"What do you mean Feliciano is fighting his own demons? He doesn't have demons," he replied. Wyuna smiled sadly.

"You would be surprised. But we can't talk any longer. If you're going to appease Peter, it must be done now," she said. "Remember. Appeal to his human side. Get him to feel remorse. Then you can leave."

Wyuna disappeared. Ludwig growled slightly. He hated leaving Feliciano behind, but he had no choice.

"Let's go," Ludwig said, leading the way into the next room.

The room was so small they could barely all fit. In the corner was a rotting corpse hanging from the ceiling.

"That must be the teacher," Ludwig commented. Matthew looked sick.

"We should keep going," Ivan said, ushering them into the final room. The room was pitch black and the air foul. A dim light appeared in front of them, lighting up a mound of dirt. The sound of dirt being shoveled echoed throughout the room, and they could see the mound of dirt being moved. A hole was revealed, Peter's decomposed body resting inside.

"Stay away! Don't come near me! Don't look at me!" Peter's voice snarled. Yao jumped at the sudden loud voice and clung tightly to Ivan. He certainly hoped they could appease this boy. Ludwig stepped forward as Ivan moved to guard Yao and Matthew.

"Peter…believe me when I say we mean no harm," Ludwig said.

"LEAVE! Now!" Peter shouted. "I'll kill you!"

The room began to shake.


Feliciano stood in a room, facing a television. He didn't know why he'd run away, but something had compelled him to. Feliciano stared at the static. It flickered and he was sure he'd seen something. The TV flickered again. And again.

"NO! DON'T!"

The sound was distinct. The TV flickered once more before a clear image appeared. It showed the girl's bathroom.

"Please! Don't do this, Feli!" Lovino pleaded and struggled as Feliciano tied a rope around his neck. "Feli…ciano!"

Feliciano ignored his brother. He finished tying the rope and kicked the bucket out from under him. Lovino's body dropped and began to swing as the older Italian thrashed about.

"Fe…li…ci..ano!"

The screen went fuzzy once more.

Feliciano dropped to the floor, horrified, and let out a scream of despair.


Ludwig, Ivan, Yao, and Matthew felt their bodies stiffen. Try as they might, none of them could move.

"Urg! What the hell!?" Ludwig demanded. Peter's ghost materialized in front of the hole. Yao's breathing quickened and his mind raced. Were they going to die?

"I can't move!" Matthew exclaimed. Ivan gasped as his ears started ringing loudly. Ludwig was getting a headache, but he wasn't going to let the pain show. He wouldn't give Peter the satisfaction.

Peter walked around Ludwig, Ivan, and Yao and came to a stop in front of Matthew. There was a loud slap, and Matthew crumpled to the ground, crying out in pain. Peter smacked him again, leaving scratch marks on his face.

Yao gasped and tried to fight against whatever had paralyzed them.

"No! Stop! What are you doing to him?!" he cried. Peter ignored them and continued to scratch and hit Matthew.

Ludwig and Ivan both gave a noise of shock when they saw a second Peter appear. This one wasn't as tattered looking. He sat on the ground, looking sadly at his hands.

"Ludwig, that spirit before said to appease him! Do you know how?" Ivan asked. Ludwig had an idea, though he didn't know if it would work.

"Peter! I have something of yours! It was a part of you!" he shouted. "Look at me!"

Peter looked up, but didn't move.

"I also have the hamster your mother gave you," Ludwig told him. Peter looked confused.

"Who…are you? Where's mother?" he asked. "Where am I?"

The paralysis holding Ludwig vanished and he stumbled forward. He quickly took out the tongue bag and hamster plushy. Yao continued to clench Ivan's arm and try to see Matthew.

"H-Hurry, Ludwig!" he cried. Ludwig moved closer. Peter clutched his head.

"UUUUUUUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" he screamed. The Peter near Matthew disappeared. Feliciano ran through the door and gasped.

"Ludwig! Ivan, Yao, Matthew!"

He ran towards the group and knelt by Matthew, grimacing at the scratches on the blonde's face.

"Feliciano!" Ludwig exclaimed, happy to see the Italian. The second Peter suddenly disappeared and everyone was able to move again. Matthew managed to stand and leaned against Feliciano a little.

"I think it worked! Quick, everyone get out your paper scraps!" Ludwig ordered, taking out his own. Ivan and Matthew produced their scraps as well. Yao and Feliciano dug through their pockets and pulled out their scraps. Ludwig looked over at Ivan and Yao.

"Arthur explained that we need to do the chant like last time, only this time, we do it once more for Peter. Then we put the scraps together," he explained. Ivan and Yao nodded.

The five gathered into a circle and began to chant.

"Peter we beg of you! Peter we beg of you! Peter we beg of you! Peter we beg of you! Peter we beg of you! Peter we beg of you!"

They pressed their pieces together and a white light flashed throughout the room, momentarily blinding them all. As the light faded, they could see the room was back to normal.

"Is everyone alright?" Ludwig asked, panting slightly.

"Si!"

"Shi."

"Da!"

"I'm okay…"

"Good," sighed Ludwig. He looked over at Feliciano. "Feli…what happened when you ran off?"

Feliciano looked down at the floor sadly.

"I…I'll tell you later," he replied. Ludwig nodded. The five were startled by the appearance of Wyuna.

"It's time to go. Now's your only chance," she told them. "You need to leave the building before the gate to your world closes. Hurry!"

Wyuna disappeared as the building began to tremble.

"Quick!" Ludwig shouted. He grabbed Feliciano's hand and began sprinting towards the door, Ivan, Yao, and Matthew right behind.

The five ran out of the rooms and back along the tunnels. The maze like paths were even more difficult to travel through as the building shook harder and rocks from above began to fall. Somewhere in the distance the sound of a bell tolling loudly could be heard.

Matthew gasped as he tripped over a rock. Ivan grabbed him and hoisted him up onto his back.

"Hold on," he said. Matthew wrapped his arms around Ivan's neck and held on tight. The group continued sprinting through the tunnels until they came to the area with the shelves of heads.

"Sohn von einem Weibchen!" Ludwig swore, trying to remember the pattern they had to run in.

"I remember it! This way!" Feliciano told them, leading them through the shelves. Ludwig smiled at Feliciano. He would have to praise him properly when they got out.

The bell tolled a second time. They hurried through the long tunnel and were grateful when they saw an open door at the end. The five hurried up a flight of stairs and through the door and out into the school.

"Now where?" Yao asked as the bell tolled a third time.

"There was exit somewhere. It had lots of little shoes," Ivan remembered. Ludwig nodded and they hurried through the halls. The bell tolled a fourth time as they rushed up and down stairs, through halls, and around holes in the floor. They got turned around a few times, and the bell tolled a fifth time.

By the sixth toll, the five found themselves out on the walkway.

"Does this count as out?" Matthew asked.

"We'll find out," Ludwig said, jumping over the fence. Feliciano followed, stumbling slightly, though Ludwig caught him and steadied him. Yao leapt over next, followed by Ivan and Matthew. The bell tolled a seventh and final time. The world went white.


Thunder rumbled loudly and a streak of lightening flashed across the night sky.

"Mmmm…Huh?" Feliciano mumbled softly, eyes opening slowly. He looked around and saw the others sprawled across the floor. The floor…which wasn't broken. Feliciano's eyes widened.

"We….We're back! We're back home!" he exclaimed, waking up Ludwig who had been lying beside him.

"Urrgg…hm?" he muttered, rubbing his head.

"Ludwig! We're back!" Feliciano shouted gleefully, tackling Ludwig in a hug.

"Aiya…" Yao moaned as his eyes fluttered open. That ceiling looked familiar…"HUH?!"

"Yao! We're back!" Feliciano cheered. Yao blinked and looked about, seeing that was indeed true. Yao sat up, only now realizing he'd been laying across Ivan's lap, and grinned.

"We're back!" he agreed elatedly. They heard Ivan and Matthew waking up simultaneously. Matthew slowly sat up and looked around dazedly. Ivan groaned blinked his eyes open.

"Ivan! We're home!" Yao told him excitedly. Everyone got to their feet and stared at their classroom.

"We made it…" Matthew whispered in shock. Ivan grinned and pulled Yao into a hug. Feliciano giggled and dragged Ludwig over, before doing his best to hug them all at once.

"We're home!"


Translations: Ti voglio bene, fratello. Mi mancherai = I love you, brother. I will miss you (Italian), Sohn von einem Weibchen = Son of a bitch (German)