Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia Axis Powers, all rights go to its creators

Content Warning: Depictions of Violence/Gore

A/N: I am not well versed in Tarot Card readings at all, but I'm going to try to make it as accurate as I can.

Part 1: Chapter 9: In The Cards

Directly after the events in "Chapter 7: Downhill Progression"

Natalia was first aware of the constant beeping in her ears before she fluttered her eyes open and was met with the bright lights of the hospital. They had patched her up and she had just woken up from a nap.

Kat and Ivan had left before her nap with an all too familiar look in their eyes. She could assume that Arthur had briefed them on what happened. Said man was sleeping in the chair beside her, an ice pack in his hand presumably for the bruises on his neck.

"Hey Arthur." She whispered, and when he didn't stir, she whispered it a little louder.

He blinked his eyes open before settling them on herself, "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit. I don't get why you're still here. I would understand if you never wanted to see me again."

"Being strangled is one hell of a way to wake up that's for sure, but I'm not upset. I'm more worried about you. I didn't go too deep did I?"

In the midst of all of her mental anguish she had forgotten completely about the fact that he'd stabbed her in the arm. It was the main reason she was in the hospital, she knew it was there, but she'd forgotten that he was the one who'd done it.

"Oh no, the doctor said about 10 days, and it should be back to normal."

"Well that's good." He said, giving her a small smile, that made her stomach twist in knots. Not the good kind, she just felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. It would have been easier if he'd been upset with her.

What is wrong with him? What rational person would want to stay with someone who almost killed them?

The nurse came in and gave her some extra bandages, the prescriptions from the doctor for painkillers, and the instructions for cleaning and changing the bandages.

Natalia changed back into her clothes, Arthur had brought them from Kat's home along with the rest of their luggage.

She stood at the top of her steps and held out her hand for Arthur to hand her her luggage. "I don't think you should stay tonight."

"You don't want me to take your luggage inside either?"

"I think you should go home." Her tone was cold, and it came out a bit more harsh than she intended. She wanted to sound tired, but it came out angry, "We should have taken separate taxis, why did you insist on coming back with me?"

"Why are you trying to get away from me?" There was hurt in his eyes. Natalia was not expecting that, she expected him to get angry, and leave. It was what he usually did.

"What is wrong with you? You should be keeping your distance. What if I try to kill you again?"

"I'm sure that I can handle it. I just want to make sure you're alright."

"Are you insane? Why? I'm fine." She was baffled, really. What kind of insanity? She was dangerous, her grip on reality was slipping and it was possible that she could very well kill him if he slept near her. It was not like him, it was more like her.

He looked her straight in the eyes, "Because Natalia, I love you." He sounded alarmingly sure.

This was a terrible place and time for that. She had felt extremely strong feelings for him the first day that they met. She could say that she was in love. But she thought that the easily irritable man considered her nothing more than a nuisance, deep down. She had accepted that her love was enough for the both of them. She hadn't considered the possibility that he could feel the same way.

Natalia's eyes widened, "No."

"No?" A flash of hurt and then she saw it, the anger she was so used to. It burned like a flame in those prasiolite green eyes of his. He dropped her luggage, "You want me gone. I'll leave."

He went down the steps, and she watched him go. She had been shocked that he said that, not upset, but it was for the best she assumed. She couldn't hurt him anymore.

0000000000

Cliffdover was actually over a cliff. Natalia stood at the bottom of that cliff, for along the shore, a fortune teller could be found. The waves washed up along the shoreline at high tide. The murky depths washed over shells and rocks, close to her feet so instead of a crunch under her feet it was more like a squelch.

"Fucking sand." She muttered.

At the end of the shore there was a tent with a crudely made sign that read, "The Amazing Elizaveta $10 per reading."

Natalia crouched, opening one of the tent flaps, and was hit with the smell of burning cinnamon incense.

"Ah, another customer. What would you like to have read today? Love life gone astray? Job troubles?" The woman had chestnut brown hair, wrapped in a red scarf and bangles on her wrists.

"I want you to tell me my future."

"Could you form that into a question?'

"Why am I having dreams about killing my boyfriend and my family and friends?"

Elizaveta blinked and brought her fist to her mouth, "Um. U-uh can you phrase that as a time sensitive question, please?"

Natalia let out a groan, "Will my trouble end soon?"

Elizaveta shuffled the cards and separated them into three even piles.

"Pick one from each pile and do not look or flip them over. Then place them in front of me."

Natalia picked a card on top of each pile.

Elizaveta flipped them over. A card with a picture of a priest sitting before two people was her first card but it was upside down. The second card was of a skeleton but it was upside down as well. The third and final card was of a tall tower with storm clouds.

Elizaveta tapped her chin, "Let me pull two cards for clarity." She flipped over two more cards and placed them under the future card.

"The Hierophant Reversed. In the past you felt trapped by your environment and yearned to do something to change the state of your wellbeing. You may have done something rebellious or radical but it was not well received."

Natalia nodded as Elizaveta glanced at her.

"Death Reversed, this second card," She said tapping the skeleton card, "Because of your inability to let the past go you lack the ability to see what is going on right in front of you.

"The Tower Upright is the third card and tells your future. Therefore, you will experience a sudden change in your life that you are unprepared for. It will lead to the destruction of everything you hold dear: love, family, career, all of those things."

Natalia pursed her lips, "So you're saying it is hopeless, I am doomed to suffer."

Elizaveta shook her head, "Do not talk like that! I pulled a few more cards. The justice card and the hanged man . They say it is possible to find clarity and prevent this sudden upheaval if you change your present behavior. In order to do so you need to trust your instincts and sacrifice your morals."

"Are you suggesting that I need to kill my boyfriend?" Elizaveta blinked as Natalia met her gaze, expression completely stoic.

"A-ah no! More like take a spontaneous trip to Europe, or make a grand gesture of love. Something like that..." Elizaveta let out a chuckle,

Natalia furrowed her eyebrows and tapped her chin, "I know what I must do." Natlia got up then, placing her ten dollars on the table by the cards.

"Thank you! Come again." Elizaveta chirped as Natalia exited the tent and stalked towards her home.

She had to start packing as soon as possible.

00000000

Two months later

It was almost evening, but Natalia at least wanted to try one more time. Natalia was at Ivan's home on Uphill Street. It was on the other side of town from the grocery store, and near the auto shop and funeral home. This area was considered the more run down side of town. Ivan's house was made of brick , and his mailbox was next to his door, "Braginski" was written just below his address, 307.

Natalia knocked on the door but was surprised to find it opened when she twisted the knob. The second door was ajar, Natalia peeked inside, a bit curious as the lights were on.

"Ivan?" She said, gripping the edge of the door and pushing it open. She crept in, upon not hearing a response.

Natalia walked past the living room, and down the hallway, towards the kitchen. The only sound was the creek of her shoes against the wooden floor.

Squeak

Squeak

Squeak

"Ivan?" She asked going towards the light source in the kitchen.

She heard a light wheezing sound as she approached the end of the hallway. Natalia felt for the knife strapped to her thigh, and brought it out. Gripping it tightly, she stood still, heart beating loudly in her chest.

Th-thump,

Th-thump,

Th-thump,

Something didn't feel right.

When she got into the kitchen, she saw a woman laying on Ivan's kitchen floor. Her violet eyes darted in her direction. Bruises were on her neck; she was the one making the wheezing noises. As Natalia approached her, she could see a few stab wounds on her chest, red blood staining her shirt.

"B-behind…" She wheezed, eyes widened.

Natalia wasn't able to question what was said before she felt something hard as it connected with the top of her head, knocking her out cold. She fell to the floor unconscious.

0000000000

Natalia blinked her eyes open to see a pair of violet eyes staring back at her. Natalia sat up and scrambled backwards, hands pressing into something wet. She brought her hand up and looked at the red blood coating her hands. She looked down; she was surrounded in a pool of blood.

Natalia looked over to see the woman, laying on her side, blood having poured from the open gash in her neck along with the previous stab wounds on her chest.

Upon looking closer, Natalia recognized that this was not a woman, although they were wearing a skirt and what she could assume was a wig and makeup. "Mathiew?" Beside Mathiew was her knife, now coated with Mathiew's blood.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

She looked terribly guilty right now. Natalia scrambled up, grabbing her knife. Where the fuck is Ivan? Natalia held onto her knife and briefly wondered if she had time to wash the blood off of her before Ivan got back. Whoever had knocked her out was gone.

Natalia heard a thud before turning towards the entryway of the hallway. Ivan stood, jaw dropped as he shifted his eyes between herself and the dead boy on his kitchen floor.

"Ivan, I can explain-"

Ivan let out a howl, "MATHIEW!" Running to the boy's side, dropping to his knees, and cradling him in his arms.

"Don't go to the police! I swear it looks bad, but I did not do this." Natalia tried to explain.

Ivan quietly shushed the boy, rocking him in his arms, "Y-you'll be alright." His eyes were wet and tears threatened to spill.

Natalia stood, unsure if she should take her chances and bolt out of the door.

"Big brother, even if you don't believe me, I'm still leaving. My flight leaves tomorrow and nothing like this will happen again."

Ivan regarded her, "Leave tonight. I won't call the police until after you leave. I never want to see your face again," his tone, cold as ice, sent a chill down her spine.

Natalia nodded rapidly and made her way out of his back door and into the darkness of the night towards her home.

Natalia was taking a shower currently. She scrubbed the blood off of her body and washed it out of her hair. Are my dreams premonitions? If that was true, she had to get out of here before something worse happened, before she slipped up and killed someone. Sure she didn't kill Mathiew but it didn't mean she wouldn't kill anyone else she'd dreamed about. As the water stopped running red she knew she was scrubbed clean.

But who did kill Mathiew? She wondered as she stepped out of the tub, towel wrapped around her. And just what the fuck went on between him and Ivan?

0000000

"Oh Natalia, I'm so sorry that you have to leave. I will miss you. I hope your new boss appreciates you as much as I did." Vladimir pulled her into a hug.

"Don't spook my replacement by being...you. Not many people are immune to your weirdness Vladimir."

Vladimir let out a chuckle, "No promises. It's part of the job, I've got to have a little fun looking at dead faces all day."

Natalia stepped back from him.

She looked over at Elise who was checking the watch on her arm before she looked back at her.

"Elise, thank you for the flower crown. I'm sorry that our time together was brief. Take care of this weird little town for me until you go, will you?"

"Oh Natalia, I will." Elise said, embracing her. Natalia was surprised to find she was hugging her a bit tight. When she tried to move back, she could feel her shake, "P-please don't go." She whispered into her neck, "What about Feliciano? What about the others who you won't let say goodbye?" She sounded on the verge of tears.

"I told you. I'm leaving to protect everyone. If I knew you'd do this I wouldn't have let you come."

Natalia felt the woman loosen her grip. She frowned at the tears rolling down Elise's cheeks.

Natalia turned towards the taxi that had just pulled up. She stepped forward towards the door handle and opened it.

"Natalia!" She froze at a distinctly male voice. She turned to Elise, "I told you not to tell him!"

The woman wiped away her tears, "I'm sorry."

She turned to meet the prasiolite eyes of the man who told her that he loved her. She frowned, grabbing the door handle, "I have to go. The cab is running. I paid for a ticket." She said but he just kept approaching her.

"Stay back! I'm leaving and there's nothing you can do to stop me." He was right in front of her now, she could have just jumped into the cab. But her feet stayed planted firmly on the ground.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to do this! I can't put anyone else in danger."

"Natalia, no one wants you to leave. We could work through this, together." He said, voice gentle and warm.

"No." She said, turning her head away from him.

He cupped her cheeks in his hands, "Stay with me." He said before bridging the space between them with his lips. Natalia felt her fear slipping away, but managed to hold onto it at the last moment, just long enough to push him away.

"I have to go." She looked into his eyes, feeling her heart squeeze at the look of hurt on his face, as she rejected him for the second time.

A forceful grip on her arm forced her to look back into the hateful blue eyes of one Alfred F. Jones.

"Natalia Braginski, you are under arrest on the suspicion of murder in the case of Mathiew Williams…" She blocked him out after that.

She could see Arthur yelling as another officer pulled him away from her. Natalia felt Alfred put handcuffs on her wrists from behind. There were so many sounds, but she couldn't hear any of them, and everything became one big blur as she was led to the Cliffdover Police Department car.

She felt so tired, and was thankful for the short silence she was allowed as she was driven to the station.

At least now she wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else.

The End of Part 1

A/N: Sorry for the delay it was the card readings section that kept me.

The meanings are from Labyrinthos Tarot Card Reading List

Thank you for Reading! Criticism Welcome.