I lied. I might need to extend this to 30 chapters.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, Cardverse!Hetalia or any character that has copyright. I only own the plot and the dialogues involved. Some references had been used, but they are not fanfics from any author.
Warning: In contrast to what I normally do, I will put this in Rating T because of the lack of violence, gore, strong language and mature themes. I hope it stays that way.
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I am the Queen
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With the King of Spades' mind in shambles, he decided to run off to talk with his queen in private. Even though it was suspicious behavior, the rest of the royalties were forced to let them leave.
The royal couple of Spades strolled through the woods as they attempted to sort their feelings. However, instead of discussing the fearful vision, Alfred opted to confess about his truest nature. A fortune-teller under the blue crown.
Moments later, rain fell on the moving group, but it was not natural in any way. Schrott Fleisch attacked once more with the last strength of the Black Joker- with all the desire to turn this encounter into carnage.
The dark skies and the magic rain bothered Arthur, and it was up to Alfred how everything goes from here.
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I am the Queen
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"Nevertheless, I will never let anyone hurt you, Arthur." Alfred had one of his hands let go of the reins and hold Arthur's hand. "I swear to the Crown of Spades that you will not be harmed ever again. Also on my honor and pride."
Arthur only gave him a bitter smile even though he would not be able to see it. It was nothing less than a promise Alfred could never keep. He knew his love would fight to make it true, but with an enemy as strong as the tyrannical sorcerer king-
A sudden chill ran across the queen's spine. There was something amiss about the surrounding. He turned behind them as he attempted to see through the holes of the canopy. There was a massive black cloud moving parallel their path. It seemed to be raining along the valley. It looked like a normal rain from a distance, but the presence of fire underneath it was alarming. The fire itself was obscured from the view, but Arthur knew what it was.
Before he could speak again- this time with determination, Alfred kicked the horse's side to make it run faster. He also steered the horse towards the cliffs before a ravine. They were going further from the valley they were supposed to follow. The queen knew Alfred knew the fire spelled danger.
"Alfred, we have to help them," the queen whispered even though he did not put up a fight.
"We are," the king responded. "We shouldn't be involved."
The queen stared- better yet- glared at the king's back. "But our allies are down there. Yao is down there."
"You don't understand, Arthur." Alfred led the horse to the edge of the cliff, making sure they will not fall off despite the speed. "Schrott needs you, and going there will only let him get close. We're taking a longer path back to Hearts. No buts from you, my queen."
"I do understand, but the idea of us abandoning them all of a sudden is-"
"It's not sudden, Arthur. The kings knew." Alfred continued to keep his calm as they went along the crumbling path. "This is a decision Spades is willing to make. The jokers are dead, and we are rendered immortal." He gasped softly as the horse slipped. "Letting them die out there will not make a difference to any of us after all. We are the kingdom which core reeks of dominance and power." He was able to get the horse to a more stable footing. "The end doesn't always justify the means, but this is what gave us the label of evil."
Arthur looked back at the dark cloud above the canopy. He could imagine the battle that could have been taking place. The pain screaming along one's body, and the blood painted on the muddy ground. The look on their faces: the look of defeat and desperation.
'What beats sorcery is sorcery.' Arthur pursed his lips. 'Schrott can only be extinguished… through…'
As they entered the woods again, the queen decided to slip off from the rear. He braced himself as he rolled on the rocky terrain. He did not know if Alfred noticed or if the king was on his way to pick him up again. The moment he was able to pull himself together, he darted to a sprint towards the valley.
'Only two of us are allowed to perish.' Arthur kept on running without paying attention to Alfred. 'It's either him- or me.'
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I am the Queen
Rei Haruno- Sakura no Imooto
Chapter 21: Long Kiss Goodbye
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"Arthur!" the King screamed as he felt the queen's movement. At the corner of his eye, he saw him slip down to the ground and roll to keep himself from getting hurt more than he should. He pulled on the reins to make the horse do a hard turn and get to Arthur as fast as he could. But there was something wrong.
He… ran away.
The king watched Arthur ran away from him. His queen was heading towards the valley to fight- and would possibly try to destroy Schrott. For a moment, he froze. For a moment, he was scared. This scenario would jive with the dream. Arthur was there right in front of him, bleeding like crazy on the ground. He could remember the separate flashes of Arthur's heavy breathing, and a blood crawling down his arms.
Arthur could not go there. He should not. Alfred would not be able to live through seeing his love's blood on his own hands. He could kill everyone and kill them all again, but never Arthur. Maybe, maybe, just one time, he could stop his vision from happening. All his visions about Arthur had not happened yet after all.
So with a fragile hold on his motivation, he whipped the reins and rode the horse to catch up with Arthur. A bitter grin curled his lips yet it was wriggled by doubt. When he was getting nearer, he mounted on the horse's back only to hop off and tackle his queen to the ground. They ended up rolling twice before Alfred pinned Arthur on the ground.
The queen yelped at the tackle and at the further actions. He was about to yell at Alfred, but he listened. The king did not say anything, nor did he grab Arthur up without considering his brute force. He was silent. The sorcerer looked over his shoulder to see his king's face. Alfred lifted himself a bit, giving enough room for the queen to roll and face him. He stared at the king's wry smile.
"What are you planning to do?"
"What about you?" The king scoffed under the grin.
Arthur lifted his torso a bit before pulling himself away from the king. Alfred got up on his own first before helping the queen up. The sorcerer looked at his love before gazing towards the direction of the valley. He took a deep breath and turned to face the king again.
"Defeating Schrott could be a long-shot, but I wanted to believe we can do it. Not because we must, but because we are indeed more powerful than he is. This era is not for him to reign anymore."
"I know. I want him destroyed more than you can ever imagine." Alfred walked past Arthur and closer to the edge of the ground they were on. He looked down at the steep trail down back to the cliffs next to the valley. "But it doesn't mean that I am willing to let you get near the battlefield."
"Alfred, I can" -Arthur frowned at the king- "fight him. I have the same abilities as he does. More powerful even!"
The king turned to him and walked till he was merely inches away. He held the fuming queen's face with both of his hands. He whispered, "You can't go out there. I would let you if only" -he swiftly slid his hands to Arthur's shoulders and pushed him down to sit on a tree stump next to him- "you can control that magic like this."
"What do you-?"
Arthur was cut off as he felt the tree from under him grew around him. The trunk swirled and swallowed most of him, only leaving his head out. It was too late to notice the blue circle underneath the king. The queen could only look at his love as he felt betrayed by him. However, Alfred stood there unmoving. He soon reached out to caress the queen's face.
"I'll be back to free you, Arthur. For now," -he took a deep breath- "I have a king to kill." He leaned in to give him a long kiss before stepping back. After showing a final smile towards his beloved, Alfred walked away.
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I am the Queen
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For it was magic, Schrott's flames ate the stones around them. The air had gone warm and thin; temperature ravaged them as if in high fever. It was hellish in the valley despite the cold rain. The royalties overworked themselves just to stand up to the once king of sorcerers who miraculously gained enough power to virtually wipe them from existing. However, their hearts were strong as their will to stop the world from falling into despair again.
With swords thrown on the ground and bodies writhing in pain, the three kings stood before the sorcerer. Francis was badly wounded, one eye shut from a deep laceration. Ivan barely held his formidable stance, clearly forcing his body into a limit. Ludwig had his hands trembling in exhaust, deploying his defense magic more than his body could handle. And yet Schrott was still there, one-winged and less sturdy.
"Hah, if this is all you do to stop me, then I don't have anything to be afraid of!" The sorcerer forced a laugh. "With that King of Spades deserting you, you will never win!"
"We can kill you even if he ran off." Ivan spoke in his serious tone, no smile rising from his lips unlike normal. He only had a few left in him, but showing weakness never got him anywhere. Besides, Alfred was just as strong as he was, wasn't he?
The King of Hearts straightened his back and took a deep breath. Once more, he activated his magic, turning his body into a complete shell of the strongest ore. He charged again towards the sorcerer whom just readied his fire spell in an attempt to throw him away or burn him to death. As soon as Schrott fired his spell, Ivan and Francis had already run to his side to deliver a coordinated attack. Not only was he not stunned, but the sorcerer was also amused at their efforts. He jumped out of the way just in time before those two would slice him in three.
But jumping out of the way only gave Ludwig the opening for the spell dissipated. He charged directly towards the sorcerer and hit him with a magic shield. Schrott was sent flying towards a big rock which he crushed upon contact. The two other kings brandished their swords and did not wait for him to rise from the rubble. Francis pierced forcefully upon seeing the sorcerer's body lying. But Schrott managed to blast him away with a shadow spell. Good thing he blocked it with his sword, or else he could have been scorched to cinder black. Ivan took the distraction as an opportunity and slashed off the sorcerer's arm. He, too, was blasted away with the same spell yet from another hand.
"Amusing, but not invincible." Schrott laughed under a groan. He just lost a hand, but he knew the enemies were just as unfortunate- or worse.
The King of Clubs shook his right hand with his sword on his left. He could not deny it was burned with shadow hand that slapped him away. However, it was not enough to render him defeated. Francis only held on his damaged eye and groan softly at the pain it was causing. Also by that burnt palm on his left. Ludwig struggled to stay on his feet, magic eating away his life force.
"Look at you" -Schrott gestured at them- "giving your lives away for a cause. Making peace with other kingdoms just to make sure you have a common enemy." He laughed out. "But all of that will be for nothing!" He swished his only arm to the side, and five purple circles drew around his feet. Multitude of arms made of shadow shot out from the circles and flew to grab them.
Not just the three kings. All of them.
The three dashed out of the way and into the path to save the nearest one they could. Kiku gathered enough strength to sit and flared a barrier to protect himself, Feliciano, and Lili. Ludwig used his magic shields to deflect the hands aimed for Basch and Roderich. Elizabeta managed to stand and attempted to fend for herself before Francis grabbed her to dodge the hands. Ivan sliced and slashed the hands nearing Yao before picking him up and getting out of the way.
Schrott kept on laughing and laughing as the hands continue to attack the royalties. The ones who were moving finally took a stand next to the others. Kiku kept on holding on to his barrier, only to feel heartbreak as he looked at the dead knights of their entourage. Some of the royalties were only kept alive by the truth that the jokers were dead. And to think that they should guarantee that Ludwig, Feliciano, Yao, Basch, Lili, and Francis walk out of this conflict alive.
"You are weak! You had always been weak!" Schrott clenched his fist as he made the circles wider. More hands shot out of the gap, making Kiku grow his eyes wider.
However, blue circles embraced the purple ones on the ground. Everyone noticed the change- especially when the circle started closing and the hands started dissipating. The sorcerer ground his teeth as he realized someone was countering the spell- and that someone had stronger magic than his shadow hands. He turned to the direction where the caster was, only for him to laugh in malice.
"KING OF SPADES!" he called out as Alfred emerged from the smog of the battlefield.
The king's eyes were lit bright blue with a circle of the same hue swirling around his feet. His sword was unsheathed and ready to strike, as much as his glare at the sorcerer.
"I should have known you're a magic user as well! I should have eradicated you first!" Schrott laughed as he ready a fire pillar to plow down the blue king.
"You tried to do that a lot of times, but I'm still here!"
The circles disappeared as well as the unnatural light in his eyes. Schrott threw a pillar towards him, which he dodged fast to get closer. The sorcerer hopped and hopped away as he continuously cast spells to hit the man. At this point, Kiku released the barrier and huffed in exhaustion. His king and his jack joined him in an attempt to protect him if need be. The other royalties joined their colors as they watched from afar.
Schrott threw a fire ball which missed Alfred yet created gust of wind and soil to obscure Alfred's sight. He then casted a pillar to ravage through where the king should be. It was indeed too late for Alfred to evade, and fire ate everything. The royalties gasped collectively, setting their eyes on anything that could have been the blue king's remains.
The sorcerer seemed to know that it was not enough to neutralize the blue king. He paused on his tracks and watched the pillar continue burning. From its blazing red-yellow flare came out a figure on top of a blue magic circle. It was Alfred… half-burnt yet walking. His sword's handle and hilt were melted into his bleeding hand, and his clothes were tattered by flame. However, his eyes were again lit in bright blue.
Faster than ever, his wounds healed as his burns dissipated as if not inflicted. Before their very eyes, the blue king regenerated most of his body lost to the fire pillar. In contrast to everyone's shock, Schrott only smirked.
"I see now why you keep on being annoying. You inherited Elizia's time magic. Oh what wouldn't I give to have that kind of power to reverse time? Or even imitate that effect." The sorcerer readied his next attack. "But your body isn't fit to contain such power. You will die in using it more than you can."
"Trust me I've been testing my limits again and again." Alfred held his hand fused with the sword to prepare for an attack.
"Let me help you with that!" Schrott laughed out again as he called forth a giant circle in mid air. It looked like a door of some sort, which made the royalties stand back. He continued laughing as the door started opening.
"This is the gate of the netherworld! I call forth the spirits of the sor-!"
The sorcerer was about to fire a spell again when he felt pang crawl all around him. He groaned loudly at the sudden feeling. The circle started breaking as he felt getting weaker until it shattered with a harsh gust. Everyone managed to stay standing yet Schrott was being overcome by pain. He writhed on his feet, making the royalties beware. The sorcerer coughed out black liquid and clenched his teeth.
"Argh, that cunning joker!" He held out his amputated arm and noticed the flesh melting into what seemed to be ink. "The more I used magic, the faster the body deteriorates when the spell is activated." He glared at Alfred and tried to stand straight. However, even his legs were melting.
The sorcerer yelled in aggression and had his wing burst into a blob of ink. The black substance painted the ground like thickened blood. Alfred and the other royalties realized his body was being destroyed in minutes. Elizabeta softly cried, "Gilbert."
"Gilbert cursed his own body," Roderich spoke under a huff as he tried to straighten. "He knew Schrott would take over and could die with his flesh."
"I never thought the Black Joker was this" -Yao clenched at his spear- "selfless. Giving up his own body, aru."
Basch held onto his sword. "Then again, he might just jump out."
Schrott writhed in pain some more as he felt more and more of his borrowed body was becoming liquid. He reached out his trembling hand and laughed. "Then I'll just take someone's- what?" He glared at his hand. "I can't-"
Alfred readied his sword and took no extra time to deliver another slash. The melting man dodged every swing of his blade, spurting black ink on the king. The sorcerer who was down with no reliable limbs ground his teeth more as Alfred was successfully advancing. However, the king twitched as he realized something was wrong.
"The goo…" he murmured as he looked down on his free hand which was splattered with the black liquid. Soon, it started smoking along with the other spots where the liquid was. "It's acid!" He yelled before screaming in pain as his body finally reacted to the melted flesh of the joker. He kept on healing himself with his time magic but the spots never went away.
Schrott frowned at the scene before him and soon laughed out. "The Joker's blood is indeed acid to the ones he harvest! I didn't think even Elizia's magic cannot help you with that! Now I shall kill you with the curse of the Black Joker!" The sorcerer laughed before launching himself towards Alfred in an attempt to dissolve him and take him to the afterlife with the dying sorcerer.
Alfred's eyes widened as he froze, watching the melting man fly towards him. He would move out of the way if he could, but the pain had already paralyzed him. He was wrecking his own ears with the screams of his subconscious. From all the way, Yao yelled his name and tried to run across to save the king.
Howling wind swooshed overhead and hit the melting man, throwing him away further from the blue king. It was not just wind, though; it was a ball of purple-colored matter with the sound of fierce winds. It seemed to have hit Schrott and vanished. Alfred slowly turned towards where it came from- as well as what everyone else did. There stood before the smog was another figure.
"I dare you" -he lowered his hands- "to touch my King."
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End of Chapter 21
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Thank you for reading! Please review! My anon is on!