Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia: Axis Powers, Teen Wolf: The Series or Twilight.

Chapter 13: Irunya The Older Sister

Ivan carried Irunya inside and sat her in a chair. Natalya ran to get a fan and then lightly fanned the older woman.

A few moments later Irunya fluttered her eyes open, "Alya sweet sister, I have so many emotions. I do not know which ones to show."

"I brought Ivan, just like I said I would." Natalya felt pride in her chest.

Irunya sat up and pulled Natalya into her large bosom, "I am overjoyed that you have returned, safe, but I was worried."

Natalya wrapped her arms around the older woman, comforted by her heartbeat, "I am sorry to have worried you sister."

And then the older woman let her go, and turned to Ivan, her eyes were wet with tears, "Vanya! I thought you had perished in the woods, never to be seen again." Irunya got up and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Ivan hugged her as well,

"I have not perished, I do not fear what is beyond the treeline."

Irunya and Ivan were like that for a few more moments and Natalya pursed her lips.

"I read about the fire, are the Joneses alright?"

"Oh yes! They are fine. Our side of town is fine. The Kirklands weren't so lucky and her husband has been in the hospital these past few days. That poor woman. First her son died in the woods, and now their house was burned to the ground." Irunya shook her head. Irunya pulled back suddenly and turned to her, "There have been rumors you went off and got married to one of the Kirkland boys!"

"No! That is not true! I went to find Ivan as I said, although I had some help." Irunya pursed her lips and her gaze snapped to Ivan. Natalya glanced at him, hoping he would agree with her, he had no reason not to. She was telling the truth, there was nothing between the two blonds.

"Yes sister, she took the Kirkland boy with her for protection, and they were traveling with a friend of mine."

Irunya's critical gaze did not let up, "We're going to have to explain this to Misses Kirkland tomorrow. The woman has been calling me everyday, to ask if I had heard from you. I would let her know as the letters got in, and your first one, had her extremely worried." Irunya shook her head, "She said a lot of not very nice things about you sweet sister, something about you luring her son into the woods, but I know she was just worried, with everything that has happened recently."

Natalya had been worried about what Mrs. Kirkland would say to her if Arthur had not returned with her, but this was an even worse situation. It seemed as though the woman thought she was some kind of temptress and that was embarrassing. Natalya's reputation was as respectable as it could be, a diligent worker, amazing cook, chaste, and often described as fair.

"I am sure if anything, it was her son who coerced our sweet little sister into going into the woods, to risk her life to find me." Ivan nodded and Natalya felt her ears burn.

"No one lured anyone into anything! I made a decision on my own terms!" Natalya yelled. Her two siblings blinked and Natalya stormed past them to go to her room, muttering that she was going to slumber before closing the door.

00000000

It was Monday and Ivan went off to Beavergonie to get a job as a candlestick maker, for real this time.

Irunya accompanied her to where the Kirklands were staying. They were staying with the recently widowed Mrs. Kirkland, Connor's wife, and his two year old son. The family lived a few houses down on their side of town. Natalya remembers Irunya mentioning something about Connor having worked at the bank with his father.

"Be polite and calmly admit fault for the entire situation. She might be upset at first, but will admire your honesty and ability to take responsibility." Irunya said before knocking on the door.

It was her fault, she had forced Arthur to take her with him.

Natalya had expected the matriarch Mrs. Kirkland herself would open the door but when she met those familiar green eyes of his, she knew. He opened his mouth, as though he were going to say something but whatever it was, was caught. She looked him over briefly to see he was wearing a suit, gray, a brown vest, and a brown tie. He was holding a briefcase.

"Go on now, you don't want to be late!" She heard the unmistakable voice of Mrs. Kirkland the matriarch.

"Pardon me," Arthur said before tipping his hat and squeezing past them. Natalya turned to watch him go, noting that his attire looked pleasant, and she wondered if he would be wearing it more often.

She heard someone clear their throat loudly, and turned to meet the disapproving green eyed gaze of Arthur's mother. Natalya flinched, startled but she wouldn't let the woman shake her. She challenged her, with her own cold glare.

"A-Ah Misses Kirkland, I brought my little sister to clear up this whole misunderstanding." Irunya said, curtseying to the older woman.

Natalya followed her sister's action, curtseying but also frowning.

"You may well come in." The woman stepped aside to let them into her current place of residence. "Little James is sleeping."

They were all seated in the foyer. The floral decorations on the couches were not lost on Natalya. Mrs. Kirkland had put on some tea for them. She eyed Natalya with disdain.

"It was my fault, I forced Arthur to take me along with him. I wanted to help him find my brother, that is all. I won't speak to him again."

The woman sipped her tea, taking in long drags before she finally broke the silence that had befallen them at her statements.

"Do you know why he would want to find your brother? It strikes me as peculiar that he would inciciate some sort of plan to find him, not you."

"He thought my brother could help him find out what happened to Connor."

"They said it was wolves. It's hardly rare for people to be attacked by wolves in the woods. I wondered to myself why Connor would even be out there. But then we get attacked by something that was neither man nor wolf and I think it might have been possible Connor could have been attacked by some beast as well." The woman shook her head before her gaze was back on Natalya, "And did you find anything of note?"

"It was a beast, what they call werewolves. My brother typically hunts them."

"Natalya stop this nonsense!" Irunya yelled at her.

"Nyah! I am telling the truth! Werewolves attacked Vanya and his group!"

"And where did Connor fit in with all of this?" Mrs. Kirkland spoke up again.

Natalya looked at the woman. Arthur didn't want to tell his family about him and Connor being weredogs.

Should I?

No.

"He just wanted to help, but not knowing what he was up against, they killed him and took my brother."

"And you expect me to believe you and my son successfully fought werewolves where your brother, who I assume is a professional in this sort of thing, failed?"

Natalya shook her head, "No fighting. We snuck in quietly and got him out."

That was pretty convincing, Natalya wasn't much of a liar; it wasn't that she couldn't; it was just that she rarely ever had a reason to. Arthur owed her for doing this.

Mrs. Kirkland held her gaze before her features softened, "Fine. It matters very little. My son is here and of good health. And as long as you stay away from him or my other sons, I'll revoke the unseemly words I have said about you. With any hope the chatter will go away on its own with nothing to feed the flames.

"Thank you." Natalya nodded. She wanted her good reputation back more than anything else.

Irunya said something about how good the tea was and that she wanted some for herself. Mrs. Kirkland brightened up at that and happily gave the elder Braginsky sister the leaves she used and a bit of sugar before they left.

Irunya hurried to pick up the rest of her shift at the textile mill and Natalya decided to resume her clothes washing duties.

But to Natalya's surprise everyone said they had already paid the widow Kirkland for washing their clothes. Some were nice about it and others were rude, calling her uncouth for daring to ask after she ran off so suddenly with one of the Kirkland boys. Mrs. Edelstein said that she felt sorry for the poor woman, and it was the least she could do, even if she hadn't washed as good as Natalya herself.

So Natalya had no choice but to go back home, but on her way she was stopped by Alfred.

"Oh Nat!~" The blond cheerfully called out to her. She didn't like the mischievous grin on his lips.

Natalya continued to walk but the blond continued talking anyway.

"I heard you're looking to wash? We've got some left."

Natalya stopped, eyebrow raised, "You do?"

The blond nodded, grin even wider, showing her a laundry bag seemingly filled with clothes.

Natalya made her way over, "Ok. I will wash your clothes."

"I'll pay you, only if you tell me and Mattie about your journey."

"No way! It is none of your business."

"Come on Nat! We know you didn't go marry Artie! That's just plain ridiculous. What's it like being out in the woods?" He lowered his voice and leaned down close to her, "What are those vampires like?"

Natalya knew this would happen. But she needed the money, she had used all that she'd saved.

"Fine." Natalya snatched the bag from him.

Natalya gave Alfred and his brother a modified version of the events, one more closely resembling what she had told Mrs. Kirkland. Omitting the part about Connor and Arthur being weredogs.

"So you're saying Artie found out from vampires that his brother was killed by werewolves. But then why did they want your brother? Just cause?" Alfred asked her when she was finished.

"Were you listening, Al? She said her brother was mortal enemies with the Vampire King."

"Oh right, it was a lot to take in! God Mattie!" Alfred said, shoving the other blond on the shoulder.

He turned to her again, "I'm just surprised you got Artie to stick with you as long as you did. He's usually such a loner these days."

"You knew him before?"

"We went to the same schoolhouse. All three of us actually. Out of the three of us for some reason Arthur was picked on the most." Mattie said, Natalya could assume his name was Matthew.

"Well duh because he was always talking about feminine things like wanting to sew, and he had stuffed bears his mother would give him. But he told the best stories, so we tolerated it."

"Al!" The other blond turned to him, frowning. "What? It was true!"

"It's not your business to tell."

"Sooo maybe he wouldn't have wanted me to tell you that, but I didn't even tell you the interesting part yet. They were picking on him for sure until one day he broke this boy's arm. The boy was like 14 or something, really tall, almost the size of an adult. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes. Artie's eyes were glowing; I swear; it was like he was possessed by some kind of monster."

Matthew rolled his eyes, "That didn't happen. We were younger, so he's probably remembering it wrong."

"I'm not! You weren't even there!" Alfred snapped at Matthew before addressing her again, "And then Artie was pulled from school for a few days. He wouldn't even talk to us when he came back. So we stopped being friends."

"How long ago was that?" Natalya asked.

"I don't know. Let me do the math." Alfred proceeded to hold out his hands mouthing a few numbers before he said,"Six years ago?"

If that were true Alfred was probably not misremembering and Arthur had his powers back then.

"Alya didn't say anything like that happened. So you're remembering it wrong, Al."

"She didn't say it didn't happen either. Did you see anything like that on your trip? Or maybe that was why he ran away from you guys!" Alfred stood up from the railing, "Maybe it's a secret! I'm going to find out!"

Arthur owed her for this.

"I didn't see anything like that." She spoke up, still scrubbing Alfred's shirt.

Alfred started pacing back and forth in front of the house.

"Maybe not, or you're sworn to secrecy!"

"Al, don't do this. Remember when you thought there were extraterrestrials in our backyard?"

"Yeah and I'm still not convinced there aren't, but we've seen werewolves, so is it so unusual to think that Artie might be one too? How many people has he eaten right under our noses, Mattie?" Alfred stopped and gasped, "What if he ate his own brother!"

Natalya sighed and Matthew made eye contact with her. He winked.

"Go right up to the bank right now in front of everyone and ask him." Matthew smirked.

"Mattie you're a genius!" He grabbed the other blond's shoulders, shaking him before letting him go.

Then he went in the direction of the bank.

"He's going to realize it's a terrible idea when he gets to the bank. But at least we get to have a few moments of quiet before he gets back."

Natalya finished up the rest of the Jones's clothes and Matthew paid her what his father had left for the clothes washing job.

"Don't feel too down about everything being over. It's nice to talk to you again at least and to see that you're ok." Matthew said and Natalya nodded.

00000000

Natalya was startled by a knock on her window one night, three weeks later.

She was startled to see Arthur's glowing green eyes but got up and opened her window anyway.

"What are you doing here? You know Big Brother is down the hall." She hissed.

"I need your help." He said and she still didn't move aside to let him in.

"No." She moved back over to close the window.

"This is your doing. You owe me." He narrowed his eyes.

"You owe me. I've lied right to your mother's face and I said I'd stay away from you."

"Alfred won't leave me alone. I know you had something to do with it."

Natalya pursed her lips, letting a breath out of her nose before she opened the window again.

She stepped aside to let him in, "That is your fault by the way. Something that happened six years ago."

"He still remembers that?"

"Bringing up the past tends to bring up the past." Natalya shrugged, "What do you need from me?"

"At dawn, I go out to start my night watches. Could you lend me the teleportation spell?"

Natalya, having nothing to do because the widow Kirkland took her job, made her way to Beavergonie occasionally to see if she could read up on Mages in the library. The books were vague and contained no spells. She also checked in on her brother, secretly following him out one morning, to find out that he was holding meetings underground to discuss how they would deal with the vampire and werewolf threats that still lingered. She had started testing out her transportation spell to see if she could steal some books from Mr. Popescu, but she couldn't get to the books without the man seeing her.

"I can but only if you help get something I need."

Arthur crossed his arms, "Fine."

The next day, as they discussed, Arthur would go into Mr. Popescu's store and distract him long enough for her to get a spell book he owned. They had planned for at exactly 1300 hours.

Natalya had just finished up sweeping the house when their clock struck at the hour. She closed her eyes and visualized herself behind the bookcase in Mr. Popescu's store.

"Obliictus Noctortia!" She said before she opened her eyes and she was behind said bookcase. Natalya quickly skimmed through the various old leather back books to find Magic of Infinity: Spells for The Wayward Mage. When she grasped the spell book she visualized herself back home in her room atop her fluffy quilted blanket. The fabric would have tickled her skin as she landed on it.

"Obliitus Noctortia." She whispered and was transported on her bed with the book in hand.

At nightfall, Arthur was again at her window. Natalya let him in.

"I held up my end of the bargain." He whispered.

"I was thinking about that. How about I come with you?"

"No, absolutely not. You are not going to get me in any more trouble."

"You know you aren't truly going to be able to stop me from joining you, right? I was just being courteous by asking."

"I just need the spell. You don't need to put yourself in harm's way again." Arthur says, green eyes pleading as he looks at her.

Natalya had visualized their entrance into the woods, the soft crunch of the fallen twigs, the slightly chilled night air, the stars above; its alluring smell of timber, clove, spice, and rich amber. She missed it.

"Obliitus Noctortia." She whispered.

"Natalya don't you dare."

0000000

She opened her eyes and they were in the middle of the woods. The owls were hooting, the stars were out, and the wind caused a slight breeze.

"Why must you insist on making my life more difficult?" Arthur sighed.

"I want to practice my spells. Maybe I could help Big Brother overthrow the Vampire King."

"Ah yes, of course, anything for your dearest brother." Arthur rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"You need some help don't you? Unless you have already turned someone else."

"I haven't turned anyone, and I'm fine on my own." Arthur's eyes were glowing green again as he growled, "I'll take you back into town by force if I have to."

Natalya took out her knife. If they were going to fight, so be it, "I'm not scared of you dog boy!"

Natalya just managed to evade Arthur's grasp, and was about to stab him in the arm when screams sounded beyond the edge of town, echoing just above the tree line.

"Stay here." Arthur said before taking off past her in a direction deeper into the woods. Natalya tried to follow him, as branches were snapping back and hitting her face, but with his increased speed she was losing him.

When she found her way into the clearing Arthur was in dog form, and a group of three vampires had surrounded a wagon. A woman, a young boy, and a man were currently being sucked dry of their blood.

Arthur had bit the leg of the vampire who was drinking from the woman, causing it to hiss in pain.

Natalya put down her spell book, put her knife in her pocket, and took out her stake. She had her sights on the little boy, who was growing pale, just barely breathing.

The vampire moved both of them out of the way as she prepared to stab its arm.

Natalya changed tactics and grabbed the boy instead, with a hard tug she ripped the boy from the vampire, blood trailing down his neck. His weight fell entirely onto her and she stumbled back.

The vampire wiped its mouth with the back of its hand, smearing it with blood. Its red eyes trained on her now.

"How dare you take my food from me. Have you no manners young maiden?"

Natalya gently laid the brunet boy down.

"I have manners. But we are not at the dinner table."

Natalya dodged the vampire as it attempted to grab her. She stabbed it in the right arm. It hissed and grabbed Natalya's wrist before tossing her into the nearest tree.

Natalya groaned as her back hit the tree. The vampire was by the boy again, about to suck the rest of his blood, sniffing his scent, baring it's fangs. Natalya scrambled up and used all of her force to knock the vampire over.

Now straddling the vampire she stabbed its heart. The vampire squealed an ear piercing sound as it squirmed around before it turned to ashes.

Natalya heard more squealing and turned to see Arthur biting the neck of the vampire that was drinking from the brunet man. The vampire's head was separated from its neck when his bite went through.

Black venom, as Natalya had learned was what coursed through vampire's veins, coated his mouth.

The family was still passed out. Natalya leaned down next to the boy, pressing her ear to his lips, and was glad to hear he was still breathing, but he had lost a lot of blood.

Natalya flipped through her spell book and found a regeneration spell. It said that it regenerates dead plants, filling it with flowing water. That should be the same thing.

She visualized blood flow, the essence of man.

"Restoriseo!"

Surprisingly it worked. The boy's cheeks were flushed red as the color returned to his skin.

"Hmm. That's helpful." Arthur said, gathering the boy in his arms, now a human again.

"So now you want me to stay, huh?"

Arthur sighed as he carried the boy over to the wagon, before placing him inside. The man had been placed in front with the horses.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have your help out here. At least until I find someone else to subject this cruel fate to." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"You don't like being a weredog? Why not?"

"I don't particularly like spending my nights waiting for attacks. Plus the whole secrecy thing, I can't be too close to anyone for fear of them finding out, and in terms of courtship–" His cheeks were the color of salmon as he glanced away from her, "I just wouldn't want to burden someone else with it."

"I suppose you have a point. Maybe you should tell your family. It might not go as bad as you think it will."

Arthur shook his head, "It's how things are, I'm not going to change that." He walked past her towards the woods.

She followed him as he gathered his clothes and they made their way back to the edge of the woods by their town.

"How long are you usually out here?" Natalya and Arthur were sitting on a soft patch of grass, backs against a tree.

"Until just after o 100 hours. People aren't traveling around that time, they usually find an inn."

"You and your brother would take shifts?"

"Yes, although doing it by myself was wearing down on me." He lets out a yawn, "But what could I do?"

"Well you have me now."

"Reluctantly so." He closed his eyes, crossed his arms, and smirked before taking a rest.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Criticism welcome.