Magitalia
Chapter Thirty Five- Red Penned Decree
Matthew wasn't sure if he completely hated himself or if he'd never been more proud. Maybe both. Probably both. God, his heart was beating out of his chest and he'd sort of said yes but why had he done that? Really, he hadn't been entirely certain that was how he felt about Gilbert until that very moment and now he was just going to be distracted and holy crap what was wrong with him?
"Uh, Mattie?" Alfred tapped him on the shoulder. "You know you need to breathe to not die, right? Like, in and out?"
Taking a deep, gasping breath, Matthew tried to clear his head a bit. The kiss scene was etched into his mind, but a strange noise came from behind the door and dragged up another pool of dread all together. Arthur. Francis. Talking to them. Now.
"Y-you ready?", he asked his brother, and with a nod, he shakily placed his hand on the door knob. He was grateful beyond words that his twin put his hand there as well and they turned it together.
Opening it, Matthew bit the inside of his lip as he saw Francis for the first time in months. However, he didn't seem aggressive or even surprised to see him. Rather he holding some battered old book and beaming while looking at the door like he'd been waiting for them.
Well, at least that wasn't as surprising as the fact that Francis rushed up to hug him and was halfway suffocating Matthew before he could even react.
"Matthew, mon cheri, I am so proud of you!", Francis exclaimed as he released the bone-crushing hug.
"Proud of me?" About what, how he had apparently made a contract and become a magical girl? Or how he was confronting Francis about his life choices?
Francis was beaming, which was especially odd combined with his answer. "You and Gilbert; I had a hunch, but I never thought you would be so bold! I've really taught you well, haven't I?"
It took a second for all that to register, but when it did, Matthew was pretty much just aware that his cheeks were burning and that Francis had just actually said that. All that would come out of his mouth were noises like a boiling kettle, so he was very grateful that Al picked up the slack a bit.
"Wait, that like just happened! How did you know about-?"
"You weren't exactly being quiet," Arthur explained, seeming far less pleased to see them than Francis. "And it wasn't as if we weren't expecting you."
With an odd chuckle, Francis added "In other words, we eavesdropped a bit, but to be fair, as your big brothers we have that right."
Something clicked inside Matthew over the burning red and the confusion. "You forfeited any right to call yourself my big brother when you betrayed us!", he roared. "We come here to ask you why you've decided to align yourselves with our enemies and this is the first thing you say? That you're happy I have a boyfriend? Well, if that's what you think then you can-"
"Calm down, Mattie," Alfred interjected. "We're supposed to talk to them and-"
"Don't tell me to calm down!"
Arthur gave a small chuckle that devolved into hysterical laughter quickly. "My, how the tables have turned!", he declared. "Never thought I'd see the day Alfred was the reasonable one and Matthew the angered."
Something deep down made Matthew want to apologize. But, no, he couldn't do that. "Oh, I'm being unreasonable?", he countered. "Says the one who tried to kill my friends!"
"Oh, you mean with Kiku?", Arthur questioned. "Ah, well, I can guarantee we weren't meaning to kill you. We merely wanted to get a rise out of Spain so he would be able to access his powers. Just so happened you and the others were also there."
How could he be so casual about that? Like it barely mattered what he'd done? Now that he was seeing it for himself, those hopes that it was merely a misunderstanding fell away, leaving anger in its place.
"That doesn't matter! You made me think something terrible had happened to you and then dragged me into this nonsense and all just so you could set a trap and rub it in my face! I am done with this, England! I don't care what you have to say, just tell us where Feliciano is and I won't hurt you!"
As he cried this, he felt something materialize in his clenched fist. It was a weapon, he was sure of that, but he didn't bother to look and see what it was.
Well, at least not until Arthur and Francis snickered. Then he was perfectly happy to turn his head and realize the stick he was holding pretty much just looked like a hockey stick.
"Aw, you don't even get a cool weapon," Alfred complained. "I was hoping you'd at least get like, a gun or something."
Embarrassment started to set in. "I…"
"Look, it hardly matters what weapon you wield," Arthur stated, producing a sort of wand-looking thing from a burst of light. As Matthew stared at it, fighting back a giggle, his older brother smiled. "See, we both got screwed over a bit in that department."
Arthur's smile seemed perfectly genuine, and Matthew realized all at once that he couldn't ever hurt his older brother, no matter what he'd done. A small burst of light, and the strange weapon in his hands fell away.
"Ah, that's much better," Francis stated, smiling as well. "So, I'm sure you're wondering why we've summoned you here."
"Um, because we heard you talking and we came in here?", Alfred suggested with a slight chuckle.
Something between a scoff and a laugh came from Arthur. "What, you really think we would have been taking loud enough for you to hear in a room we knew you would pass eventually if we weren't trying to get you to come in here?"
"Oh, well…"
Francis glanced down at the book he was holding before offering it to him. "Truth be told, we wanted to tell you why we've been such terrible big brothers lately," he started. "I'd had a bit planned out, but I think this could explain it better than I ever could."
Alfred eagerly leaned over Matthew's shoulder as he opened the first page of the book. A few words stood out to him, but mostly dates and the such. It seemed, at first glance to be nothing more than a diary.
"Ah, just the bookmarked parts, please," Francis clarified. He assumed he meant the colored tabs sticking out of it, so Matthew flipped it to the first of the tabs.
"My dearest diary," it read. "I must tell you the most wonderful of events! Today, I was approached by…"
A few words seemed to be blacked out with very precise loops of black ink. It was impossible to make out what was underneath it but it continued. "...who said they could make us Nations mortal. Yes, truly! I must admit, this is an opportunity that I have desired for many centuries, but it was not my own selfish gain that spurred me to accept the offer. No, it is for everyone's sakes. On late nights, I've been able to get England to admit he wishes he could have died long ago, and I remember plenty of other instances. Italy wishing he could follow his beloved into the void, America learning mortality's curse in his youth, Canada panicking when he realized he was in love with one not long for this world, Sp(more scribbled-out loops). We all wish for this to end, and who am I to refuse the wishes of those I love?"
Once he finished, Matthew went back over the words to make sure he'd read it right. "This is…"
"Whoa, no way!", his twin exclaimed. "This is from the Original France, isn't it? Like, before you died and stuff?"
Francis nodded, and Matthew began to ask the question bubbling in his mind. "But… does this mean-?"
"Just keep reading," Arthur instructed.
The next bookmarked page read: "(another bout of scribbles), it seems their intention is to bring about our reincarnation. I suppose we must have thrown the idea around a few times before, Prussia and Austria especially, but I could never be certain it was even an option. They claim there is a way to destroy us completely, and that they have such a method. I must admit, I am a bit uneasy about having to aid in the "deaths" of my peers, but it doesn't appear there would be another way. I can only hope this works."
Next page: "It appears Russia has perished, and truthfully, I didn't peg him as the first to fall. But… it seems his death was meant to allow his sisters and the Baltics to escape. Such a selfless act, I never thought him capable of something like that. Ah, well, here's to hoping this will continue to bring out the best in us."
After that was: "The others, they've noted Russia and the others are nowhere to be seen, and they've grown suspicious. While this may complicate things, they don't suspect anything close to the truth, so I suppose this will go on uninterrupted."
Then: "I told (more scribbles) it was unwise to take the Nordics all out at once. I said that we needed to be slow and methodical, not rush things as to not alert them as to what was happening so they wouldn't protest. However, it seems someone found their blood on the walls and it spiraled out of control. It seems everyone's rather shaken by all of this and I fear that can only make things harder down the line."
"Well, things are going just swimmingly, really. China, alongside half his family got taken out and everyone had the fantastic idea of using this as a signal to hide. I mean, I know where most everyone will be; such is the advantage of making friends but truthfully, this only makes me feel worse about the situation. I hate to make my friends feel I am betraying them."
Alfred gave a half-hearted laugh as they flipped the page. "God, this is kinda dark. Is this what happened to us?"
A nod, and Alfred fell silent.
It really just got worse, though. "I don't think I can go on like this. I know that we'll be reborn, but I've aided in the deaths of far too many I loved dearly. Everyone will be happier as humans, but at what cost? England will be the next to fall, and I can't bear to see his death. Not after all we've been through. So, I'll allow (more scribbles). Please, I deserve far worse."
Matthew's breath caught in his throat as he read the next one. "He knows. Canada, he knows I am the traitor, that it's my fault everyone is dead. My child claims he forgives me, but truly, how could he ever? It was me who put the knife in the back of everyone he ever loved, after all. And he claims to understand why I did it, but if he does, then he only knows how dreadfully wrong I was."
His previous life had discovered his brother (or father? whatever he'd been to him, anyways) had betrayed them as well. And judging by what it said, only after America and England and everyone else had died. If anything, he was immensely grateful that he couldn't remember that.
The next entry seemed to be a dying request, and seeing it put a pit in the bottom of Canada's stomach. "Please, to whomever reads this next, do not allow their deaths to be for naught. Assure that loves wins out, assure that their next lives will not be spent as mere puppets to the whims of (scribbles). And please, I don't deserve any favors, but for the sake of those I loved, please try to undo my errors."
"Is that all?", Matthew questioned. It sounded like an end, yet there were further tabs sticking out in the diary.
"No, there's a bit more," Arthur explained.
Turning the page, Matthew was hit with a sudden change from black to red ink, but in similar handwriting. "To those reading this: please take France's words to heart. Fight for love and for freedom. Destroy this cursed place, tear it to the ground. I was so foolish before I found France's memoirs, but I see now. It is my very purpose to fulfill the wishes of the first owner of this journal, and with Lukas's help, I'm sure I'll be able to save everyone. Yes, Vladimir Popescu, the second life of the nation of Romania shall lead the way to a shining future where we will be free of burden and oppression alike."
There was a quick note in parenthesis at the bottom of the page. "(Also, I took the liberty of translating this from French to English, just so it will be easier to show people.)"
The next page was in the same red ink, still seeming to be by this Vladimir person. "I really think this SERAPH thing is going super well! Nor and Fin and I have finally gotten my precious little brother on our side! Along with Korea and Taiwan and Hong Kong, when we can catch them, we'll easily be able to save everyone. But, I still think that finding our true leader will be the only thing to save us. It was France that forged this path, and it's only fitting that it shall be France to end it."
Things were starting to come together, but Matthew realized with a jolt that the next colored tab was the last one. And sure enough, that joyous tone was all but gone from the final entry.
"I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry everyone. Forgive me for leading you down this path. Korea and Taiwan are dead thanks to my actions, and though I managed to save what was precious to me, I still can't bear the thought of leading them astray again. I never should have tried to play the part of the hero. Nor, no, Lukas, if you find this, I want you to do me a favor: find France. He's the one that will be able to get us out of this mess"
There was a final note towards the end of the page. "With all my my heart, I wish for the path to love and freedom to be forged someday. And no matter what becomes of me, I will always…"
Furious scribbles covered what remained of the text, these in a blue pen. A few words were visible, namely "enamored" and "hope", but it seemed someone had come in later and tried to erase Vladimir's final words.
With an uneasy thud, Matthew closed the diary and handed it back to Francis. "After all of that, I have the story pretty much covered," he stated. "They scouted me some time later, and all but forced the role of leader on me. I still don't feel I'm right for the part, and truthfully, I feel Norway does more than I do, but I try to atone for the mistakes of my past life as best I can."
"And not too long after I gained my powers, Finland scouted me," Arthur added. "Said he'd call on me if they ever needed my help, and lo and behold, they did."
"Now wait just a minute!", Alfred exclaimed. "If you guys are supposed to be like, freedom fighters or whatever, why did you help trick us into this?"
Matthew had been thinking the same, and he suddenly felt a bit less certain of their pure intentions. "Yeah, shouldn't you have been trying to stop it?"
"Oh, well, to be honest, we needed you all to serve as a bit of a distraction!", Francis explained. "Trying to figure out the HRE thing, Iceland and Hong Kong; those all served to keep everyone else distracted while we worked out an insurrection, but once the rogues had been shot down and the HRE narrowed down to three suspects, we had to get creative. So, forgive us for that."
"Distractions, huh?" Alfred muttered the words, but followed them up with a much more cheerful "Well why didn't you say so? We could have set up the best distraction to have ever distracted!"
Arthur sighed a bit. "In hindsight, perhaps we could have tipped you off as to what we were planning, but the truth remains that we needed the Axis to play along, and after meeting them myself, I knew for certain there was no way they would ever be willing to do such a thing."
"Well, Japan was perfectly willing, but he just couldn't follow through with it," Francis wryly added. "But yes, as much as I adore you two, I know for certain that Alfred can't keep a secret and Matthew would crack the first time he saw dear Feliciano start crying."
Yeah, he was probably right. But, wait, what was that about Japan?
"Couldn't follow through with what?", he questioned.
His "big brothers" exchanged a few pained glances. Arthur briefly frowned, but it seemed his face almost glitched back to a neutral expression. "Well, truth be told, we told Kiku all about SERAPH as well," Arthur admitted. "And we got him to agree to help us."
"Regrettably, he didn't seem to understand that we needed a diversion and he attempted to destroy the machine Italy was being held in," Francis continued. "And the leader, as punishment, took him."
"T-took him?", Alfred repeated. "What d'ya mean?"
"I-" Arthur took a labored breath before continuing. "I mean he's as good as dead, Alfred. We did our best to warn him, but he seemed to think playing the hero was wiser than following a plan."
He sounded oddly bitter about it, as if he blamed Kiku for his own fate. Matthew would have been lying if he said that it really affected him, given he'd only talked to the guy twice, but Alfred's breaths began to grown shaky.
"K-Kiku's dead?", sputtered his twin in disbelief. "But I…"
Francis stepped in a bit too quickly. "That's not to say he'll die!", he exclaimed. "He's just been detained! Most likely he'll just be locked up for a few weeks as punishment and be let off!"
Alfred sighed in relief, but Matthew couldn't take those words at face value. It reminded him too strongly of things like "Oh, me and Artie are just going through a bit of a rough patch! Nothing to worry about!" or "He- he's probably just busy with friends or something! Artie's fine, totally fine!".
He didn't want to burst his brother's bubble though, so he quickly changed the subject. "G-glad we're all on the same page! Eh, anyways, we really sort of do need to get out of here quickly!", Matthew exclaimed. "Can you just tell us where Feliciano's being held so we can let Gil know be on our way?"
Both of them stared at him like he'd just said something unbelievable stupid. "Would you two just listen?", Arthur half yelled. "Italy's powers are the best diversion we have right now! With you lot here, we just need the rest of you to leave and you two to stay with us so we can plan the rest of this out! And we need to be quick since we probably don't have more than a few days before-"
Arthur suddenly covered his hands with his mouth, like he'd said more than he'd intended, but that motion glitched away once more leaving him looking oddly neutral with hands at his sides.
They could have asked "before what", but it was pretty obvious what he was about to say. "Before Feliciano dies?", Matthew finished.
"Well, hopefully we can get it done by then," Arthur muttered. "Trust me, I do hate to have to do this to him, but it's our best shot."
Francis cast an odd glance towards his partner. "Wasn't our goal to get the plan together before Feliciano dies?", he countered.
A pained chuckle. "Oh… Um, honestly, after what Kiku and Heracles saw, well, I kind of doubt there'll be anything left of him to save."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?", Alfred shouted.
The words echoed through the room for far too long. If it was any consolation, Francis looked as appalled as Matthew felt. Arthur seemed to be stumbling for words, but before any could come out, a loud clamor came from the door.
Turning, Matthew saw a man he recognized as being part of their team but couldn't remember the name of standing in the doorframe. "We need to go," the man muttered, and something odd glimmered in the air. A wireframe of sorts was forming between the twins and their older "brothers", rapidly being filled in with wood. Before it solidified, he could see Arthur looking as if he were about to cry and Francis simply waving goodbye.
"Hurry!", a more shrill voice added, and Matthew turned around and followed the man out of the door. They started running in the same direction Gilbert and Ludwig had gone, and he noted the two children running at their side as well. A quick scan told him that someone who should have been in their company was absent.
"Feliks, where's Feliks?", Matthew quickly questioned.
No one answered for a bit too long before the young girl gave a bitter huff. "Doesn't matter!"
Somehow, Matthew got the feeling it mattered a lot.
AN- Well, this was quite fun. Getting to write such a fiery side to Canada, getting to tell you all these lovely things… Oh, and Japan's maybe screwed. That's just great, isn't it? Ah, regardless, I'm very proud of how far this story is coming. Fifty chapters, and there are some things coming up I'm very excited about. So, thank you for reading! -Twilight Joltik
PS, is RoNor a thing? Asking for a "friend".
(And no matter what becomes of me, I will always be enamored with that brilliant love and hope you hold in your heart, Lukas. I know it's there, so I beg of you, don't allow it to fester. Even if we can't save Emil, please, continue to be as brilliant as I know you are. Please, for me? And know that I'll love you, no matter where I end up. With all my heart and soul, and that's why I choose to fall. So I don't lead you down a path that robs you of all that makes you so amazing.)
