Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia

Wow. Can you guys believe it? There's only going to be one more chapter after this one. You guys are all awesome for reading up to this point and I'm honored that you dedicated your brainpower to 100k+ words of fanfiction. Read on!


Matthew became alarmed and immediately asked what sort of crime his father had committed. The bear shook her massive head and recited the lost sacred articles.

"To my descendants I leave instructions,

To always look after each other,

To always forgive one another,

To never kill each other over trivial matters,

To love thy subjects as thou loves thy king,

To always ask questions,

To observe the world as it is,

And to remember that the great tree which has blessed my lands for thousands of years is always watching, and always listening. Many years shall pass before you may understand, but I will always pray until my body becomes one with the land and the sea- that you will never desecrate that sleeping god." Every time she listed something, Matthew winced and knew that his father had broken many of the listed item, especially the one about the tree.

So now they knew what his crimes were, but why was he and Ivan dragged into it as well? As if the bear could read his thoughts, she answered his unspoken question.

"As I am, I cannot harm or kill a human because of… varying circumstances. It took much energy to bring Gregory here, and I can only use summoning magic on those who share my blood." Ursa's voice held no hint of remorse when she mentioned killing his father, and even seemed to be a bit disappointed.

"Then what about Alfred?" Ivan challenged her claim. The polar bear inclined her head, "Alfred is in the first plane and it would take too much magic to bring him here as well. You two were already here so I was able to summon you with greater ease."

"K-Kill?" Matthew stuttered. The large polar bear twitched and nodded, apparently annoyed at his reluctance. "Why?" Matthew demanded. Why did his father have to die? Why did they have to kill him?

Ursa's let out a forlorn sigh and looked upon the two harshly as well. "You two have committed crimes as well. I have regretted it, that my descendants would turn out to be this way. A corrupt king, a revenge-bent murderer, and a user of the dark arts."

Matthew noticed how Ivan clenched his fist in concealed anger and he immediately took ahold of his arm in a reassuring manner. They had to keep it together. "Dark arts?" He asked in a questioning tone.

The bear seemed impatient when she answered his question, "Yes, dark arts. You, Matthew Williams, draw from the same powerful magic source we ancient magicians use. It's the same magic that drove your ancestor, Henry, mad." Matthew's blood ran cold and he strengthened his grip on Ivan's arm. His heart rate quickened and fear began to tug at his heart.

"W-what?" His voice was barely above a whisper, and somehow the bear had heard him.

"Humans cannot handle our magic source, it's much too potent. Those who can handle it eventually have their minds devoured in their efforts to control their magic." Ursa delivered the crushing news to Matthew, who couldn't believe what she was saying. Like Henry? His mind would be devoured?

Ursa looked up at the ceiling and softly shook her large head. "It would be better if my bloodline ended here." She muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear her.

She quickly glanced back at Matthew and Ivan and softly smiled,"However, I hold no particular grudge against you two. Your father, however, killed my lifelong friend. He abused his kin, he never forgave Ivan for a crime that had long since been cleared, and is a narrow-minded buffoon. I believe it will serve as a powerful lesson. I command one of you as your creator and your god to kill Gregory."

Matthew staunchly refused and Ivan reluctantly did the same. The King glared at Matthew, "A coward, you cannot even kill me. How incompetent."

The prince frowned and became suspicious. His father was narrow-minded, but he was not so dumb as to dare to provoke him or Ivan just to insult him. Could it be that his father wanted him to kill him? Gregory muttered taunts under his breath, and both Matthew and Ivan began to detect a hint of desperation in his voice.

Ursa growled and snarled at the king, "How is it Gregory? Things not going as you planned?"

Gregory glared back at her and never stopped muttering insults under his breath. Finally, the bear had enough and shut him up by encasing him in a soundproof barrier. "Since you cannot provoke them, I will."

Matthew became alarmed when his father began to panic and tried to punch his way through the barrier. He could clearly see his mouth forming the words, 'No, don't! Stop!' and unslung his rifle as the bear advanced on them. Ivan cautiously pulled out his saber and the bear continued to walk forward until she was about 6 meters away from them.

She cracked her neck and narrowed her eyes. "Since you cannot find a reason to fight, I shall give you one. And I shall answer your question, Matthew."

Before either of them could demand for a more detailed explanation, Ursa muttered incantations under her breath. Purple runes flowed from her mouth and wrapped around both of them until they couldn't see anything but purple runes. And then, the world went dark.


~Flashback~

Gregory smiled as he watched as a four and five year old Matthew and Alfred play around in the throne room. "Catch me if you can Alfred!" Matthew piped as he zipped around the room with his brother closely following behind. "I'm gonna get you Mattie!"

The king glanced up at the clock and clapped his hands, instantly gaining the attention of his sons. He flashed them a kind smile and stood from the throne room, "Now, your mother will throw a fit if we're late for dinner. Wrap it up with a race to the dining room okay?"

"Yes, Father." The two simultaneously answered before bolting out into the corridor. Gregory shook his head and swiftly walked behind them. They were too cute.


"F-Father." A seven-year-old Matthew wheezed as he sickly lay down on his bed. Gregory clasped his son's hand and Alfred was in tears.

"Get better soon Mattie, hang in there." Alfred hiccupped. Eliza anxiously dabbed her son's forehead with a wet towel and muttered sweet nothings under her breath. Matthew whimpered as pain wracked through his body and his coughs shook his tiny body.

Gregory pat his son on the head and swiftly stood from the bed, and was determined to find a cure for his son's sudden sickness. "Don't worry, I'm going to find someone who can help you. Alfred, take care of your brother." He knew he didn't have to waste his breath on his last instruction. Gregory felt reassured that Alfred would follow his brother to the end of the earth. And Matthew would do the same for him.


"…You wish to know what ails your son?" A woman cloaked in black croaked. Gregory refused to sit down on the moldy wooden stool across from the witch and contented himself with standing. The house had a thatch roof and the floor was made of dirt. "I will pay any price." The king boldly declared. The woman cackled and rubbed her hands together, "Very well then. 50 gold coins!"

Gregory refused, "I will pay half now and half when you finish." The witch agreed and the king forked over 25 gold coins. A clear orb made of dragon crystals levitated in front of her and clouded with various colors. She muttered incantations under her breath and Gregory uneasily watched her shake and jerk as she performed her magic. A few minutes later, the woman suddenly went very still and the orb turned a menacing red.

"You… your bloodline is cursed." The woman muttered under her breath. She rubbed her boney hands over the crystal orb and shuddered. "Your son has been born with a curse. His magic shall become stronger. But as his magic grows stronger, his mind shall become weaker…" The orb became a dark and menacing purple. The woman seemed surprised and gave the king her crooked grin.

"Ah, it seems my masters wish to tell your future as well." She cooed at the ball before sharply inhaling.

"You have locked your kin in the darkest parts of your castle." The lady began. Gregory flinched and narrowed his eyes, how could she possibly know about Ivan?

"The gods see everything. And they never forget… I shall tell you the destiny of your youngest child, and of your locked kin…

Three hundred eclipses after oath is broken

The star of fate will have fallen

Freeing a mighty beast who slumbers

Underneath the fallen timbers

The castle in ruins,

A traitor, a traitor!

Two men shall leave the castle

One of them shall kill the king

The cold sound of steel shall ring

Brother against brother

Lover against lover

All men shall appear before their gods

And all but one shall return

Royal blood shall pay the blood price

For an oath broken, never to be fixed."

The woman delivered her cryptic words to Gregory, whose mouth went dry. The prophet licked her lips and closed her eyes as if the knowledge of the world flowed across her eyelids.

"Yes, that is what they say. Your son, what ails him is his magic. He must learn to control it, or seal it. His power grows with knowledge. I can suppress his symptoms until his body is able to handle his magic, but that is only if it doesn't increase…"

Gregory leaned against the wall for support and tried to steady himself. That couldn't be, he thought. Alfred and Matthew were so close to each other, there was no way they could turn against each other. Then again, Gregory had thought that his brother would never betray him either.

"Your actions can steer the prophecy in a new direction." The woman reminded. Prophecies were obscure and flexible by nature. Gregory shook his head and bitterly laughed, "Since when have your prophecies been unavoidable, Noel?"

The woman shrugged and pulled out a vial containing a menacing purple liquid from her cloak and tossed it over to Gregory, who caught it with shaking hands. "If that is what you think. Now be off, I don't want to see your face."

When Gregory didn't move, she reminded him of her superb skill with transforming other living creatures into inanimate objects. Unfortunately for her, being stubborn was the king's forte, and he remained rooted in his spot.

"Noel, it's been a twenty years since you've left the castle. Your gifts and strength are very missed in the court." Gregory asked her to return. The old lady burst out laughing and rasped her staff against the table.

"Me? Go back to that hellhole? I don't think so. I'm old, I'm tired of politics, I would rather entertain myself with the spirits up here than listen to all you prattle on about crop yields and bribery." The woman stood from her stool and walked passed Gregory with a speed her decrypted old frame shouldn't have been able to produce. The king followed her out of the house and tried to reason with her.

"The barriers are too difficult for your apprentices to handle. They've been managing, but they can't hold on for much longer." He pleaded.

Noel scoffed and levitated up the mountain path, "And that's my problem? At my age I have no interest in the pieces of metal you are all so obsessed with, nor do I have any interest in having power within the castle. The question is not why I should go, but what do I get?"

"What can I give you to come back?"

Noel took a short break once they were on a small level path and turned to face a serious Gregory. It was as if she was waiting for him to make the offer. She held up five fingers and looked at him with one eye hidden beneath her hood.

"Diplomatic immunity, the right to teach your child magic, your solemn swear that the child will always be your son, unlimited funds to build the library, and that you will free, and acquit the poor child who your ancestor has imprisoned in your dungeons for his crimes within your lifetime." Gregory hesitated. Those were some big demands.

"You would have the man who might kill me freed?" He indirectly voiced his suspicion of treason.

Noel paused and wearily eyed the man, "If that's what you choose to think." She replied.

Gregory narrowed his eyes and pocketed the potion Noel gave him into his pocket. "…Very well. However I would appreciate it if you would stop looking using magic to alter your appearance. You are actually quite lovely." He said disappointedly. The woman cackled and snapped her fingers. The only difference was that her robe ceased to appear torn, her wrinkles became less pronounced and her eyes twinkled with youthfulness.

"Mind your own business." The woman swiftly cast a teleportation spell and Gregory quickly followed.


"Wow, Mattie can already use Arcane spells!" A nine year old Alfred gasped. The two secretly practiced their magic in Matthew's private room in the infirmary. Matthew lit up at the compliment. The spell was an illusion spell that created thousands of colors.

"Your magic is so pretty, you should become a story teller or something." Alfred beamed as he also practiced the spell. The younger of the two softly laughed and continued to dabble in illusion. Unknown to them, Gregory worriedly watched from a crack in the door and walked away, troubled.

"Matthew's magic has exponentially grown in the past year. Aren't you suppressing it?" Gregory asked Noel, who was busy filling out tedious paper work. She never once looked up at him and read over a document about missing funds.

"I am. I suppose everything is working against him. Your boys are exceptionally intelligent. They are both intelligent and have vast stores of magic at their disposal. If he becomes any stronger it will become difficult for me to control him."Noel flipped over the page and was about to say something else when Gregory stormed out of the room. The ancient woman sighed and put the document down.

"I was going to say it would be good of Matthew learned to control his own magic…" she muttered under her breath.


2 years later

"Such a smart second son aren't you?" He hissed into Matthew's ears.

"You want to be better than Alfred? Do you want to take over the throne like how my little brother wished?" There was a resounding slap and a small cry of pain after those words. Ivan stood there, unsure of what to do.

Matthew furiously shook his head. "N-No father, I-I didn't mean to-"

"Silence. Be grateful this is all you're getting!"

Matthew whimpered as his shirt was yanked off his body. His father grabbed the still hot fire poker from the dying embers of the fireplace in his room and struck the crying child.

"I-I'm sorry." Matthew choked out. The king brought his arm down to land another strike when Alfred came bursting onto the scene. He literally blew the door to bits and froze when his suspicions were confirmed.

"Dad! What are you doing to Mattie?" Alfred shouted. He scrambled to his brother's whimpering form and stood protectively over him. The King gave Alfred a hard look. "Move aside Alfred, I am teaching your brother his place."

Alfred's blue eyes were alight with fire, anger, and confusion. "You're hurting Mattie! Are… Are you angry that he got a better score than me in basic alchemy?"

Gregory let out a frustrated sigh, "If I do not do this now, he will try and overthrow you when you are older. You will understand."

"No! Stop hitting Mattie! I'll get better, I promise! Stop… please, stop!" Alfred's voice started to crack.

Instead of hitting Alfred with the metal rod, the King roughly shoved him away and raised his arm to hit Matthew again. "This will be a lesson for both of you I suppose." He muttered.

The king kept the brother away using a barrier and the prince sobbed as his brother was beaten right in front of him. What was the point of him having magic if he couldn't even protect his little brother? He tried to break down the barrier but gave up after a few electrical shocks. "I'm so sorry Mattie." Alfred said. Tears ran down his face as he weakly beat against the barrier.

Matthew felt all of the wind get knocked out of him when Gregory landed his finishing blow against his stomach and blew him back so hard he broke through the barrier and landed right on top of Matthew. The elder of the two wasted no time in getting his brother out of the cold room and the king waited to make sure he was alone before he let the go of the bloody piece of iron in his hand and shakily sat on a chair.

"Is that really what you want? For Matthew to grow up hating you?" Noel's voice came from the wall right behind Gregory. The king had long grown used to it and tiredly lit a cigar.

"If he might kill me in the future, I want him to have no regrets." He put the cigar between his lips and deeply inhaled. "By me doing this, he will learn to exercise caution when casting large and dangerous spells." He exhaled a long stream of white smoke.

It was a flawed logic, he knew. The other man, Ivan was it? Could kill him. Still, it would be good if Matthew grew to hate him. Alfred too. Murder was a troublesome thing. He would become the villain for their ultimate happiness.

Noel merely shook her head and turned her back towards the king. "If that is what you believe." She whispered before disappearing into the darkness of the halls.


Gregory's graying hair blew in the wind as he took a long walk along the mountains near the castle. The two needed a lifelong companion, in other words a horse. They were specially bred to live as long, if not longer than their owners. They were the eternal companion of nobility. They had brought two great foals over from his wife's homeland. Strong and sturdy.

As he contemplated which horse to give the two, he spotted a tiny animal on the path next to a downed reindeer. The reindeer in the area were nothing to fear and were generally very friendly so Gregory didn't hesitate to see what was going on. He felt a pang of sympathy, the fallen reindeer was obviously the mother of the small and frightened baby animal. Its white chest heaved in the snow and it looked upon the king with a startling green eye. "My child… please." The female gasped.

Gregory's eyes widened and he knelt down by the dying creature. "You, you can speak?"

The reindeer snorted, "Never mind that. It's not important, this child… and my friend's child- we were ambushed by Vernan. H-his child is grievously wounded… Come now Freida, go and get Horace." The little reindeer obediently dragged an unconscious foal who was a little larger than Freida. The reindeer bled from his head and Gregory quickly stopped the bleeding.

"H-He m-might have some sort of brain damage. T-the little shits hit him pretty hard." The large reindeer bitterly laughed.

Gregory carefully picked up the large and unconscious reindeer and glanced at the fading mother who nodded. "The fate of our race lies with you." She whispered before falling unconscious. The baby reindeer fawned over the corpse, because she was too young she couldn't speak and struggled when Gregory dragged here away.

The king had his men tend to the two animals and thoughtfully twirled his pen. That tiny child, Freida, it appeared she could use magic. It was a rare ability and he immediately knew he should give her to either Matthew or Alfred. He would have Horace work as a regular reindeer since he was so injured.

Freida… When Gregory thought about it, he could only justify giving Matthew it. Since these animals were prejudiced against in the upper nobility for being peasant animals, it would work well for Matthew to have her. Good, very good.

He watched from afar as Matthew and Freida played together in the snow. The two laughed and giggled, a little bit of light returned to both of their eyes and Gregory nodded. He had made the correct decision.


Eliza uncertainly held the foreign weapon in her hand. Gregory wrapped the weapon up in a cloth, "It's a gun from Fenris. It's made of elder wood, and it's what Matthew wanted." Gregory quietly informed her 30 minutes before Alfred would get there. The queen put the gun down over her own gift to Matthew and gently grasped her husband's hands. "Why don't you give it to him? He's been feeling a little down lately."

Gregory shook his head, "You must give it to him." His quiet voice left no room for argument and Eliza relented.

Once their two sons were in the room, Eliza smiled when Matthew ooed and awed at the beautiful piece of art in front of him. "We imported it from the Fenrican Kingdom. The maker was surprised to know that someone was able to master this rather odd weapon. I had an expert from the northern mountains make your gloves and coat since your current ones seem to be getting a little old."

Gregory twitched at Eliza's use of "we" and snuck in a faint remark before he was led away by Alfred.


"Good god Gregory!" Noel stormed into his bed chambers with a look that would cripple even the most intimidating of men. "You have effectively double crossed me on two counts! You didn't abdicate Ivan, and you disowned Matthew! What are you even thinking?"

The king glanced up from his book, "It is none of your concern. The two men have now escaped the castle right? The prophecy will soon be fulfilled." His voice was empty and tired as he knew his end was drawing near. Noel scoffed, "You are so obsessed about yourself and your fate. Have you ever reconsidered the prophecy?" The king waved off her suggestion, he didn't want to think about it anymore. "Yes, I have. And I'm just helping it along."

"Even if you have to break your promises?"

The king glanced at the woman and shrugged, "Yes. A king must do what he think is right, even if he has to break his promises."

"You've betrayed me, Gregory."

Gregory rolled his shoulders and tried to bat away the uncertainty that was threatening to leak into his mind. "Betrayed you?"

Noel thoughtfully looked at his tapestry of Ursa on the wall and tapped the floor with the bottom of his staff.

"You've broken your word against me. You've strayed from the teachings of Ursa. You're a traitor Gregory. You're a traitor of the descendants of the four gods. All three of your remaining kin have been hurt by you- it's pitiful to see." Noel lightly commented. She swiftly turned around and left him with his thoughts.


~present~

Matthew collapsed onto his knees and tried to stop his shaking as unpleasant memories of the past resurfaced. Tears fell onto the cold stone floor and he closed his eyes. Was that why his father was so cruel to him? Did Ursa think that he would just forgive him? Did Ursa think he would go into a fury and kill his father? Ivan placed his coat on Matthew to warm him up but didn't go down to embrace him.

He slowly drew his saber and kept his eyes fixed on both Ursa and Gregory. His body was tense and the air around him became cold.

Was this man a dunce? Was he so narrow minded as to think that beating Matthew would fix the problem? The flimsy nature of prophecies are what made them unpredictable. His blood boiled beneath his skin and he began to walk towards Gregory.

"You made Matvey suffer just for that?" His voice was strained as if he was trying to keep the devil out of his voice. His slow steps echoed throughout the cave and he twirled his saber. "Did you think you were doing a good thing? To save Matthew from the pain of the future, you made him suffer in the past? Is that how a king should behave? Is that how a father should act!?"

Ivan broke through the barrier that contained Gregory and raised his sword above his head. "Things like you were meant to disappear."

"No!" Just as Ivan brought down his saber, Matthew intervened with his very own short sword. A pained look was on his face as he parried the blow and protectively stood in front of his father. No one could believe it.

"Matvey, move aside." It wasn't a question- it was a command. Matthew stubbornly shook his head and cast his rifle aside. "Family is family." His quiet words bounced off the cave and the Russian began to laugh. "You are naïve Matvey. Blood is not the only thing that constitutes a family. Relations are important. This man is your abuser. He is my abuser. I will end him." Ivan's voice was dangerously light.

Matthew glanced back at his astonished father and strengthened his resolve. "He will die. But he won't be killed."

Ivan looked at him like he was crazy and hardened his eyes. "You are a child Matvey, move aside or I will fight you." Ivan growled. It wasn't a plead, it was a threat. Matthew stubbornly shook his head and gasped when Ivan's blade was just a mere centimeter from his face and blocked it with his sword.

His body buckled under the force of the blow before he was shot into the side of the wall. The cave shook and the teen grasped his stomach while trying to catch his breath. Ivan had just kicked him. "I am sorry Matvey. I can no longer be the benevolent man you think I am." Said Ivan in a monotone.

Matthew grit his teeth and launched himself in between Ivan and his father once again and blasted Ivan to the other side of the cave as well. The Russian grunted when he hit the back of the wall and glared at the Myrlian who stood in his way. "I am sorry too, Ivan. But if you try and kill my father, I'll try and kill you." Matthew's voice was wavered, but his eyes spoke of unfaltering resolve.

The Russian twirled his sword and disappointedly sighed, "Very well."


As the two exchanged blows, Hira and Boer shivered when the sky turned black and the sun dimmed. "Vanya is going to regret this." Hira growled when she saw what was happening outside.

Boer nodded in agreement and flinched when thunder crashed in the distance. Ivan's anger was undoubtedly due to his unbalanced personality. His rage and his inability to actually understand what Matthew was saying was their fault. Boer felt a part of his heart become heavy as if it wanted to go somewhere else.

"What can we do?" Hira paced along the green grass. Boer shook his head and looked up at the sky. "I don't know if there is anything we can do."

"…Of course there is something we can do." Landark announced.

Never before had Boer been so relieved to hear Landark's voice. The two personalities turned in the direction of the voice and were puzzled when they saw nothing. The dragon chuckled, "I apologize. I cannot waste the energy to materialize."

"Da, I am glad to see you're alive Landark. What do you propose we do?" Hira inquired. A pleasant breeze passed through the field, "We finish our final act in this play." Landark made the world go still and the three personalities sadly, but contently laughed. "Da, perhaps it is time." Boer mused and rolled back his massive shoulders as he slowly began to disintegrate into tiny speckles of light.

Hira stretched her back and sighed, her last sigh in this world.


Matthew cast magic circles to deflect Ivan's ice spell and rolled out of the reach of his saber. A glint of steel on his right urged him to duck and he put his sword up in front of him to deflect the coming blow. His entire body rattled when Ivan brought his sword down and he slid back a few feet. His right arm was sore and he was running out of breath. It was amazing how strong Ivan was. Matthew couldn't compare.

"I-Ivan," Matthew tried to abate his friend's anger, "I-I know it's hard. I-I'm really happy that you're so angry-" He cut his sentence short to defend his father from a fire spell. He cut the flames in half with an ice spell and looked up at an emotionless Ivan through the fog of his glasses.

"But you have to understand Ivan, h-he's family." Matthew bit his tongue. That was a really shitty reason, he knew it and Ivan definitely knew. Without another word, Matthew ran towards Ivan and exchanged a few more blows.

Ivan would block with his sword and lash out with his fist or leg. If either of those made contact with Matthew, he was finished. There was no question about it. Every blow was done with the purpose of injuring or disabling the opponent, and never once did they try to kill each other.

Perhaps that was why Ivan was having so much difficulty fighting. His entire life he fought to kill, and now for the first time he was afraid of killing someone. It added a whole knew level of stress to the battle that the high strung Russian certainly did not need.

What was Matthew even fighting for? His father had abused him, shunned him, and was overall- a very shitty father. There was no question about it. Regardless of intentions, that was the reality. He couldn't even fathom why Matthew would want him to live.

"Why do you fight for him?" Ivan hissed when they locked blades. An interesting array of emotions flashed across his friend's face before he broke free and wearily answered.

"He is my father. Perhaps it is because I still remember the times when we were happy together. I really don't know why- but I feel like he would do the same for me." Matthew really couldn't explain it. It just seemed natural.

Ivan didn't like that answer- it troubled him and he shook his head. "Nyet, that is not true Matvey."

Matthew's face lit up, apparently seeing his chance to settle this with words and he wracked his brain for a response.

"Why not?" Matthew challenged. He answered a question with a question. Ivan rested the tip of his saber on the floor and tightened his grip on the handle.

"You think they have parental instincts? They do not. The fact remains, he abandoned you… he beat you. That itself is a crime I cannot forgive." Ivan said through grit teeth. His Russian blood demanded that he take this man's life whether Matthew liked it or not.

Matthew gently smiled and sheathed his sword, "…I can't forgive him either. But I only know that I will be sad if either of us killed him."

Ivan sharply inhaled and tensely twirled his saber. "Matvey, this man has not a single ounce of parental instinct. Parents are only self-sacrificing to save face- it is not a real thing." Ivan felt a small pang in his heart as he said this. He resisted the urge to rub his chest. Matthew kept pestering him and pestering him about why he thought so and he angrily spat out:

"Because my parents didn't!"

The room went still and Ivan took a deep breath.

"The fathers and mothers of my village were like any other. But when the soldiers came they high-tailed out of there. Hundreds of children were left to die as their parents fled into the forest. The young were the only ones who died trying to get their grandparents out of the blazing hell that was my town." He felt a knot form in the center of his chest and an unknown emotion came over him. He couldn't understand why Matthew was so selfless.

Matthew seemed shocked and looked at Ivan with his bluish purple eyes. "Don't look at me with pity." Ivan growled and held out his sword in front of him. "I am simply telling you the truth." His words were unconvincing and Matthew fearlessly walked towards him without a weapon in hand.

He ignored all of Ivan's threats until he was only a few feet away. The uncertain man in front of him held out his saber so it was right between Matthew's eyes and called out a final warning. He took a step closer and was surprised when Ivan took a step back. "I will hurt you." Ivan kept warning him. But every time Matthew took a step forward, Ivan stepped backwards.

Matthew kept going until Ivan's back met the wall and the Russian seemed to steel himself to swing at him. Matthew's heart thundered in his chest and he held his breath while he calmly moved the sword away from his face and stepped into Ivan's personal bubble. Time stood still and the Russian eventually let his sword hand go limp at his side and Matthew brought Ivan's frightened face close to his and gently kissed his lips. He brought a gloved hand to Ivan's head and he gently combed through his hair with all of the love he could muster.

When they finally broke away, Matthew's face remained close to Ivan's. "I'm sorry. I know you don't understand, and I don't understand either. It's selfish of me to ask this of you, but please just stop." Matthew's gentle voiced seemed to coax Ivan out of his murderous intentions and the man just cast his sword onto the ground with a defeated slouch.

"I'm sorry." Matthew apologized again. Ivan frowned when he felt something warm run down his cheeks and wiped it away with his glove. Was he crying? "I'm sorry." His lover softly apologized. Ivan hugged onto Matthew as if the world would end is he let go and for the first time in 300 years, cried into his shoulder. They were tears of frustration, anger, and abandonment.

"Ah, it seems like everything has been peaceful resolved." An all to familiar voice remarked. Ivan thought his personalities were talking in his head again and willed them to shut up in his mind, but was surprise when he didn't get a response.

"You will have to speak up Vanya. We can no longer hear your voice." Ivan looked up from Matthew shoulder and simply turned his friend around to assure himself he was not hallucinating through his blurred vision. "H-Hira? Boer? Landark?" Matthew's astonished exclamations seemed to confirm his suspicions. His three personalities had materialized. "What are you doing out here?" Ivan tiredly asked.

Not once did any of their smiles falter and they shrugged.

"We are here to say goodbye." Landark piped. He quickly enveloped the two confused men in his wings and stuck his head between them in the darkness. "I will always approve." He winked before he withdrew, exposing them to the other two personalities who cheerfully bid their farewell. It took a few minutes for their words to process and Ivan was understandably alarmed. "What is the matter? How long are you going to sleep?" Ivan asked.

Boer shook his head, "Forever. Vanya, you will never be able to live a complete life with us. Just now we were able to transfer the last vestiges of our life force, or your butchered personality back to you. We will not be able to stay for much longer." As if to validate his claims, they were already beginning to fade away.

"N-No, why must you leave?" Ivan demanded.

Landark laughed and shrewdly looked at him. "Aw, Vanya actually cares for us!" He happily quipped. He failed to lighten the mood though and they all went in for a last hug.

"Stay out of trouble." Boer grumbled.

"Keep your love alive." Landark advised.

"…Vanya, you are a big boy now. And big boys don't need imaginary friends anymore. We will always be a part of you." Hira licked her creator's ear. Ivan wished he could've said more, but before he could utter a single word in response, they were gone. Although it shouldn't have felt so, Ivan felt as if he lost a part of himself rather than gaining something.

His thoughts were clearer and he smiled at Matthew, who smiled back at him.

"I will not forgive you, Gregory." Ivan icily said. "But for Matvey, I shall refrain from cutting your pathetic frame in half."

Ursa narrowed her eyes. "I am your god. You will do as I say." She growled.

"No…" Ivan thoughtfully thumbed Matthew's bracelet and read out the engraving. "Without faith there are no gods. Without gods there can be faith. The only beings you must trust are thyself, thy brethren, and thy comrades." His words echoed throughout the cave and Ursa stared at them, before laughing. Her mirthful laughter confused Matthew.

The bear waved away their puzzled gazes and gave them lopsided smiles. "If you had killed Gregory, I would've killed you. I am proud of you two. With this, it's all settled!" The bear's personality did a complete 180 degree flip and she sent Gregory back to the castle before she waddled over to the shocked men. Her gaze could only be described as one a proud mother would give to her children after they got straight A's on their report cards and affectionately licked them on their cheeks.

"I hope you two have found peace, because I know I have." Ursa rolled her shoulders and began chanting a teleportation spell.

"Wait, what?" Matthew was confused. First she wanted them to kill his father, and now she didn't? The bear winked at him, "Well, it's fine if you don't understand now- because right now Fenris needs your help." Neither Matthew nor Ivan could get another word in and were promptly teleported back to the battlefield. Ursa sighed once the two were gone and cracked her neck.

She turned her body so a maple leaf insignia could be seen on her back left leg and cast a transformation spell. He form morphed and distorted until she became a dragon the size of a medium sized plane. It was show time.


"You promised Borag!" Fenris growled when they briefly exchanged blows before retreating. Their paws dug into the grassy earth and their hackles raised.

"You swore an oath! We would spare your life, and in exchange you would never return!" Fenris angrily snarled. His different colored eyes revealed how hurt and angry he was at Borag's insincerity. The other wolf in turn laughed and revealed his wicked set of teeth.

"What, brother? You couldn't expect me to stay away for so long. I do miss family reunions." He barely dodged the earth spells that were sent his way and returned with a fire blast. Fenris deflected it with the flick of his head, but was caught off guard when the wolf burst through the flames and managed to pin him down.

"It was fun, Fenris." The wolf gathered magic in his fangs and prepared to rip Fenris' neck out.

"Huskania!"

"Rahska!"

Matthew and Ivan shouted from above. Matthew's ice magic froze Borag in place while Ivan's electrified saber managed to severely wound him on his left side. The wolf howled and retreated several meters back. Fenris got back onto his feet and thanked the two on-guard magicians.

"I see Fenris, the days of the old are gone! This new warfare, your chivalry is gone!" Borag snarled as his legs buckled underneath him and the light faded from his eyes. The king sadly looked upon his fallen brother, "I am no longer a free spirited god. I am also a king. And a king must use any means to accomplish his goals." The black wolf scoffed and licked his lips.

"Perhaps that was the difference between us. I could never stand being t-tied down…" Borag coughed out blood and stained the earth in his life force. Fenris shook his head and bitterly smiled, "You were always the most free spirited one." Borag couldn't be bothered to laugh, because his eyes were already glazed over. Cheers could be heard from the main battlefield a couple of miles away as the Familiar reinforcements closed in on the enemy forces, led by Matthew Jjord class familiar, Sura.

The battle epically concluded with the surrender of the enemy army, and lots of drinking on behalf of the troops. The damage to the surrounding area around the castle had been minimal and soldiers of different species and ranks clinked mugs together. Exotic music played as soldiers chanted drinking songs and grieved those who died by acting like fools on their behalf.


The Wingers were especially lively and commemorated their drinking to Buler, who died protecting a Familiar child from the murderous hands of another Familiar.

"He who lived to tell great tales,

Was always there to pay our bails,

Strict as he was,

And Ugly as could be,

He sure was a nice wolf,

Who loved to drink tea.

He who lived to tell great tales,

Died creating a grand tale,

About a wolf who gave his all,

To save something so small,

We sing to his great deeds,

And weep at his death.

Goodnight Buler,

We shall meet you in the end.

The men chanted this until the night waned into morning.


"Matthew." Gregory awkwardly began. The two were in the king's room, only this time the air was less hostile. The teen thoughtfully looked out into the night, "Yeah?" He quietly responded.

The king launched into a long, lengthy, and heartfelt apology about his actions. Matthew closed his eyes at the end of it and merely shook his head. "I want to forgive you, but I can't." His words weren't sad or regretful- he was just stating a fact. Forgiveness could not come so easily.

Gregory slowly nodded and gripped the side of his chair so hard his knuckles turned white.

"Matthew… I am going to reestablish you as a family member tomorrow. You can live here again starting next week." Gregory informed.

Matthew thought about his plans and shocked him when he refused. "No, I would rather you wouldn't. I love you dad, I love Al and mom too. But I just don't want that, we are all still family by blood. Isn't that enough? If I become a second prince again, I won't be able to do all the things I want to do." Gregory wanted to argue with his son, who obviously had love on his mind but bit his tongue.

He had no place in telling Matthew what to do. He could only give his consent and watched Matthew walk out the door with a terrible pain gripping his heart. What had he done?


That night, Matthew went out in the dark of night to the ashes of Iris and looked for the red maple leaf.

He eventually found it near the middle of the large grave and sifted through the ash until his fingers came upon two small objects. He blew the dust off of them and his eyes widened when he held them up to the moonlight. They were rings. The rings were made of some sort of wood and were cool to the touch. They were a pure white color with an ancient design in brown all around the circumference.

He pocketed the gift and stuffed some ashes into a vial before he left. "Goodnight, Iris." He whispered before he headed back to the castle.

"I-It's cold tonight." Matthew greeted Ivan, who was waiting in front of the palace gates for him. The Russian nodded and the two walked back to Ivan's room. "We are really too much alike for my taste." Ivan remarked when Matthew changed in front of him.

They both knew each other's past, there was no use being embarrassed about it anymore. Matthew shrugged in return and changed into his night clothes. Ivan quickly did the same and Matthew snuggled up right against him. They could still hear the soldiers singing their hearts out at the crescent moon.

Ivan pressed his lips against Matthew's and smiled when his slipped his tongue in. The two fought for dominance before Ivan let Matthew win for once and kissed his neck. "I love Matvey."

Matthew softly laughed and rested his head against Ivan's chest.

"I love you too Ivan.


Ugh, the lines are blurring. So are the letters. But I liked writing this chapter. Such a plot twist right? I'll say this, the prophecy hasn't been completely fulfilled. The next chapter will be tying up loose ends, and I want it to be a bit more romantic. Yeah, our time together has been long and I've enjoyed every single second of it. You guys are awesome!

-Preuss