Chapter 21. Help.

Matthew immediately turned around and found Gilbert floating in mid-air, unable to move, with his guns dropped to the ground. Matthew looked up to where he had heard Alfred and found a balcony set ablaze.

"Get down and stay down," Francis looked over at Matthew as he walked closer to Gilbert.

Matthew glared at him before putting his hands up in front of him and kneeling down to the ground. Francis smiled and stopped, just a foot in front of Gilbert, whose left hand was closed tightly over what Matthew figured would have to be the ring.

"How many times have I tried to kill you?" Francis smirked. "Let us see. There was when I tossed you halfway across the world." Gilbert's right arm suddenly twisted before seeming to flatten and Gilbert let out a scream in pain. Matthew tried to stand up, but Francis glanced at him and Matthew felt something force him back to a crouch. "When I had you tossed into a burning building." Gilbert's other arm repeated the same process, but his hand remained solidly closed and he screamed once again. "When I left you in the collapsed cave." Now it was Gilbert's leg and another scream. "When I tried to drop you off that building." Gilbert's other leg and another scream.

"That was you?" Gilbert muttered under his breath and it was barely audible, but Matthew was able to hear it.

"Of course," Francis smirked. "It seems your ribs have almost healed," he hummed and flicked his wrist. Gilbert yelled out in pain and coughed up blood as Matthew winced. He had never seen Francis be this bad… "And that concussion." Francis flicked his wrist again and Gilbert's head snapped back before he crumpled to the ground.

"Gilbert," Matthew finally moved and quickly knelt down next to Gilbert. His breathing was very ragged and his eyes were closed tight in pain.

"You should not worry about him anymore," Francis chimed above them. "He will finally get over that habit of getting in my way."

Matthew quickly picked up one of the pistols and pointed it right at Francis's head.

"Shut up," Matthew glared at him and Francis's eyes actually widened in shock.

"Mathieu," Francis spoke, but Matthew just cocked the gun.

"I will shoot," Matthew stated. He knew how to shoot guns, since Alfred had his gun craze and needed someone to do target practice with him.

"I just-"

Matthew fired and Francis froze. His ear began to bleed and Francis shakily put a hand up to cover it.

"That was your warning," Matthew stated and cocked the gun once again.

"Fine, then," Francis sighed and swiftly turned around to go back to the people at the pool. Matthew set the gun down and turned back to Gilbert.

Matthew honestly had no idea what to do. He was scared to move Gilbert with all of his injuries, and he had no idea what to say to him.

"Didn't know…you could…shoot," Gilbert mumbled out.

"You shouldn't talk," Matthew shook his head.

"Me?" Gilbert smirked slightly. "Not talk? That's a…joke."

"Gilbert," Matthew scolded him.

"Fine," Gilbert sighed, opening his eyes slightly. "You talk."

"What?" Matthew blinked.

"Your voice is nice," Gilbert said simply.

"It's not like you're about to die," Matthew muttered.

"Humor me," Gilbert said.

"I don't know what to talk about," Matthew shook his head.

"Franny," Gilbert shrugged, or at least it looked like he tried to.

"You mean Francis?" Matthew asked and Gilbert faintly nodded. "I-I don't know what to say about him."

"Anything," Gilbert stated.

"Uh, well, he wasn't always like this," Matthew sighed, not really knowing what to do. Francis was talking or doing something with the others that were on the edge of the pool. "For a while he was just…like a big brother to me. He was nice, if not a bit perverted, and took care of me and Al. But, I don't know what happened. He just kind of slowly started getting meaner and meaner to other people. But it kinda seems like he has a soft spot for us…"

"Help me sit up," Gilbert muttered.

"What? No," Matthew shook his head.

"Ja, help me sit up," Gilbert demanded, his voice coming out louder.

"No," Matthew glared at him. "You're hurt and you're staying still until we can get help."

"I have a plan," Gilbert stated. "You need to trust me."

Matthew let out a sigh and glanced at Gilbert's left hand, which was still closed tightly.

"Fine," Matthew sighed and looked down at him. He had no idea how he was going to help him up without hurting him. There was no way.

"Don't worry about hurting me," Gilbert sighed. "I can take it."

"This really isn't a good idea," Matthew shook his head, but tentatively held onto his shoulders and helped him get to a nearby wall to sit upright. He also carefully moved Gilbert's legs so they straightened out, ignoring Gilbert's pained noises and the way his legs definitely didn't feel right. "What is your plan?"

"Guess we'll find out," Gilbert faintly smirked.

"Really, Gilbert?" Matthew groaned.

"Relax," Gilbert sighed before taking a deep breath, seeming to prepare himself for something. "Oi! Franny!" Gilbert winced a little as he yelled, but he forced himself to regain composure and looked over at Francis.

"Oui?" Francis gave him an amused smirk, like he knew he couldn't do anything.

"When I was little," Gilbert kept his voice loud, though it was obvious to Matthew that it was extremely painful to him. He wanted to make him stop, but he knew he would never be able to do that. "You said I would take away your power, right? Don't know what you're afraid of...You don't even have much power now."

"I do not?" Francis didn't seem to falter, though Matthew was definitely confused. In a flash, Francis was in front of them and Matthew took a few steps back. He glanced at the guns, but there was no way he would be able to get them quickly if something happened, nor could he get them right now without being noticed. "I do believe I have a fairly large amount of power now."

"Compare what you have to the power of a genie," Gilbert smirked, apparently happy he got Francis's attention.

Francis seemed to consider this as the genie appeared out of nowhere to glare at Gilbert.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" the genie glared at him.

"Relax, Brows," Gilbert stated. "I'm awesome…I've got this." He winced slightly at some pain somewhere on his body and Matthew was at a loss as of what to do. "You know, if you think about it, the genie can do anything he wants, with more freedom…than you have…He gave you the most of your power…right?"

"You do have a fairly good point," Francis hummed. "But why are you telling me this?"

"I can't do anything," Gilbert barely shook his head. "I can barely move…Might as well help the winning side…"

"Gilbert!" Matthew and the genie yelled at him at the same time.

"Oui…" Francis muttered. He turned his attention back to the genie, who glared right back at him. "Fine, then. For my third wish, I wish to become an all-powerful genie!"

"Yes, sir," Arthur cast his look to the ground before snapping his fingers.

Matthew got a very bad feeling in his gut as the wind picked up and Francis actually began to glow and even float.

"Maple…" Matthew muttered.

"Birdie, lamp," Gilbert said, but Francis didn't seem to notice.

Matthew glanced at him for a second with an "are you crazy?" look.

"Lamp. Now," Gilbert said louder. That was when Matthew understood. Right under Francis was a lamp that seemed to have just appeared. It was an old fashioned Arabian lamp, like a classic genie from the fairytales… Matthew glanced at Gilbert, not sure what he was up to. "Birdie," Gilbert looked him in the eye, but it was obvious that he was on the verge of collapsing.

Matthew dove for the lamp and quickly tossed it to Gilbert. It hit him in the arm, resulting in apparently immense pain for him, but it slid all the way down his arm and to his fingertips.

"Hey, Francis! Lookie here!" Gilbert called to Francis, who seemed to just then return to reality, and glanced down at him, but his eyes widened at the sight of the lamp. "Not so all powerful, huh?"

"Non!" Francis yelled out and reached towards Gilbert.

"Too late," Gilbert smirked. "I've already rubbed it…Now you gotta grant my wish."

"What do you expect to do to save yourself?" Francis smirked.

"I wish for you…" Gilbert blinked, obviously barely keeping himself awake, "to go back to yourself…when you had no…power…"

Just like that, Francis dropped to the ground, face-down. The lamp at Gilbert's side disappeared and several guards around the pool disappeared as well. Those that were left shook their heads, as if just snapping out of a trance. The four at the edge of the pool quickly got up and started towards them. The genie's eyes widened as his own lamp appeared in his own hands.

"Don't…kill him until…" Gilbert wavered. "I…w…" Gilbert's eyes closed and he relaxed against the wall.

"Gilbert," Matthew said nervously and quickly knelt beside him and checked that he was breathing. It was very ragged and weak, but it was there.

"We need doctors, now!" Ludwig yelled to some of the guards and the rest of them came.

"What happened?" Antonio asked.

"Is he…dead?" Feliciano looked down shakily at Francis.

"Gilbert is a bloody genius," the genie sighed, chuckling slightly. "He's not dead."

"Then what did he do?" Elizaveta asked.

"Erased half of his life," the genie stated.

"How did he do that?" Antonio asked.

"With magic, almost anything is possible," the genie sighed, looking down at his lamp. A couple doctors burst out of the castle with a gurney and Gilbert was carefully lifted into it. The doctors began to assess Gilbert's injuries tentatively. "He wished for Francis to go back to how he was before. And this is how the wish worked out. Half of his life is gone and will never affect him. He will remember what he did, but the memories won't affect him, either."

"He's back to the way he was before what?" Matthew asked. The doctors were muttering amongst themselves and it didn't sound very promising.

"Before he got his first taste of power," the genie sighed. "Not everyone can handle power very well, that is the main reason I am usually only obtainable by certain people, who can handle it. He got something, I'm not sure what, but he didn't react to it well. He wanted more, and continued to obtain it at any cost. I am surprised he managed to stay as sane as he did for so long. Something must have kept him down to Earth."

"Like what?" Antonio asked. "A person?"

"He didn't fall in love with anyone," Matthew shook his head. "He only stayed around the castle and me and Alfred."

"Then that would have been it," the genie nodded. The doctors began arguing amongst themselves quietly. "How long as he been around you two?"

"He was around the entire time we grew up," Matthew muttered.

"He helped to raise you," the genie stated. "Something like that must have done something to him."

"What do we do with him now?" Feliciano asked.

"Gilbert said not to kill him," Matthew stated.

"He is a criminal," Ludwig stated. "He should at least go to the dungeons."

"E-Excuse us," one of the doctors cleared his throat and everyone turned their attention to them. "We have a very big problem."

So, Francis got a lot of love last chapter. So people do care about him. I'm going to tell you right now, my first plan was to kill him. But then I developed his character more and decided I really liked him, so I changed how this scene happed. And now I've got this awesome cliffhanger for all y'all to worry about.

Please review! I love you all!