Warning: Spoilers for Madoka Magica: Episode 3!

Translation notes:

Chikusho… = Dammit...

Karera wa doko ni iru?! = Where are they?!

Context Notes:

In this story, Germany and HRE are two separate characters. For this story, HRE's human name is Gabriel.

Chapter 4: Not Alone Anymore

Feliciano kneeled in front of his bedside, his hands clasped together in a prayer. Head slightly bent and eyes closed, he told God about how he, Alfred, and Mathis saved a woman's life, entered a magical labyrinth, and watched Mathias defeat a witch. It was a fearful, dangerous adventure. As someone who rather run than fight, Feliciano questioned if he would be a suitable magical boy. Magical boys and girls needed to fight witches, even if they risked their lives. In addition, Feliciano also asked what wish he should make. He was set on not making a selfish wish. With this opportunity, he could make a change in the world, or help a loved one.

Other than these questions, Feliciano was nevertheless grateful for God giving him his family, friends, and—

"Tap!" A pebble rattled the window behind Feliciano. His prayer broken, Feliciano got up and looked out for the source of the noise. He smiled at the familiar figure standing underneath the alleyway's orange lights. A red bike light rapidly blinked in the darkness.

"It's Gabriel!" Feliciano slowly opened the window and climbed onto the fire escape. The metal steps only made a tiny creak with each of his careful steps. Although Lovino has not returned home with Antonio yet, Julius was still awake watching the 10 o' clock news.

Once when Feliciano's feet touched the rough asphalt ground, he raced towards Gabriel and buried himself in the blond's black coat. "Gabriel! I haven't seen you for a long time! I didn't expect to see you tonight!"

Returning the hug, Gabriel smiled as he adjusted his baseball cap. "I texted you zat I vas coming an hour ago. You never replied."

"So sorry! I never got the notification. My fratello isn't at home, but Nonno is. Let's go into the garden to talk!"

SIlver moonlight shone on the two boys entering the apartments' residential garden. The chains from Gabriel's bike softly rattled as the wheels turned. Sprinkles hissed water onto the lawns as they headed to the seats in the garden's center. The cold night air stung Feliciano's bare feet, though the sensation barely bothered him. After reaching one of the benches, Feliciano and Gabriel sat down next to each other.

Next to Alfred and Matthew, Gabriel was one of Feliciano's closest friends. The two met in 7th grade when they had most of their classes together. Once when Feliciano's warm and friendly disposition lured Gabriel out of his shell, the two instantly clicked, leading to a blossoming friendship. However, despite their close relationship being apparent, Feliciano could not ignore Julius's fake smiles and forced greetings to Gabriel whenever he came over to their apartment.

"What's wrong with Gabriel? Even though he has German ancestry, he never did anything wrong!"

Feliciano also could not decipher Lovino's views on Gabriel. When he first introduced Gabriel to Lovino, Lovino told Gabriel to stay the fuck away from him. Though shocking to Gabriel, Feliciano quickly reassured that it was only Lovino being his typical, grouchy self. Afterwards, Lovino just ignored Gabriel whenever he was in the Vargas household, occasionally shooting him a glare. However, before running off to college with Antonio, Lovino ordered Feliciano to never see Gabriel the damn potato bastard again, to the extent that he threatened to throw Gabriel off the fire exit if he caught him spying into Feliciano's room.

"How's life been?" Gabriel asked.

"Good, good!" Feliciano answered. "I love my friends and classes in school! It would be perfect if you attended World Academy instead of that private school!"

"How ironic zat our schools are rivals." Gabriel sighed sadly.

"Don't worry!" Gabriel's arm jolted when Feliciano set a friendly hand on his shoulder. "Even we are apart in rivaling schools, I still love you!"

Gabriel was glad the shadows hid his blush.

"So, you must be pretty busy with school work." Feliciano continued. "I heard that private schools are tough!"

"Ja, zat's true. I…" Gabriel paused.

"Gabriel?" Feliciano looked at Gabriel's face with large, worried eyes. "Is there something?"

"…You really didn't see mein text, did you?"

"No… Are you upset about it?"

"Not at all! It's just zat… I vanted to meet you because I vanted to tell you something."

"Oh! What is it?"

The night sky's stars shone in Feliciano's eyes. Feliciano titled his head to the side. Gabriel swallowed nervously as his face grew hot.

"Feliciano… I vanted to tell you zist back in middle school. I love you."

Feliciano smiled widely at Gabriel's confession. "Oh! You don't have to be so scared to tell me that! You're part of my big family!"

"Ja, but…" Gabriel uttered before he stopped.

"…Gabriel? What's wrong?"

"Feliciano, do you love me?"

"Of course I do! You're one of my closest friends! If it was possible, we could've been brothers!"

"Oh… I see…" Gabriel's phone briefly illuminated his rosy cheeks. "It's getting late. I don't vant your nonno to find out you're gone."

The two boys stood from their seat and walked back to Feliciano's apartment. Gabriel's head hung lower than usual. Feliciano's brows arched in a worried expression at his friend's slouched shoulders. Once when they were underneath the fire exit, Feliciano said, "Bike home safely, Gabriel! Even though you have lights, you're not wearing a helmet! You should get one!"

"I vill!" Gabriel chuckled, opening his arms for an embrace. Smiling ear to ear, Feliciano immediately ran into his arms to return the hug.

He did not expect Gabriel's lips to meet his own.

Logic told Feliciano to shove Gabriel away. This was not right! Only sinful boys kissed other boys like this! However, Feliciano also could not resist the fuzzy feeling swirling in his heart. His feet felt as light as feathers, like if he was standing on clouds. As Gabriel's hands ran up his hair, Feliciano wrapped his arms around Gabriel, pulling him closer. Warmth draped over his pajama-clad body. He wanted this moment to last forever.

Mouths and bodies parted, leaving Feliciano in the chilly cold again. "Gute nacht, Feliciano." Gabriel gave a sad smile before turning to walk down the alleyway. The fluttering light feeling in Feliciano's chest remained as he watched Gabriel vanish into the night.

After quietly making his way up the fire exit, Feliciano shut the window behind him. The door crack remained the same size, an indication no one came to check on him when he was gone. Wiping the saliva from the corner of his mouth, Feliciano licked his lips, missing the warm sensation and sweet taste. It was at this moment when he realized that Gabriel's blue eyes were not like Alfred's. The way Gabriel looked at him was different from how the cheerleaders did. How Gabriel embraced him signified that Feliciano was more than a precious friend.

But how could this be? Only good men loved women like this, right? Yes, Alfred and Matthew's fathers defied God's rules, but Feliciano justified their relationship, as Mr. Kirkland and Mr. Bonnefoy gave Alfred and Matthew a proper household to live in. Since Feliciano was a mere high school student, what kind of justification did he need if he had those feelings towards Gabriel?

Even in the next morning, the taste still has not left Feliciano's mouth.

As he entered the church with Julius, Feliciano licked his lips. His thoughts were still hazy from last night's interaction with Gabriel as he sat down in his usual seat. Bowing slightly and clasping his hands with the other attendees, Feliciano shut his eyes to begin praying. Yet, every time he closed his eyes, he was met with Gabriel's dejected expression. The blond's gloomy blue eyes caused him to snap his eyes open.

"Feliciano Vargas, not now. Not during Sunday Mass." Feliciano closed his eyes again and tried to focus.

The sound of something scurrying down the white tiled floor broke Feliciano's concentration. He opened an eye. Several giggling beanie dolls scurried in between his feet. The other churchgoers barely looked up, oblivious to the witch's familiars invading their sacred space.

Feliciano's face paled. "Something's wrong!"

"Alfred! Mathias! Help!" As he finished dressing for the day, Alfred jumped at the Italian's telepathic, alarmed voice.

"Dude, what's wrong?!"

"I'm at church right n-now, and I j-just saw some creepy toys run by! No one saw them, so I think they are coming from a witch's labyrinth! I can't do anything about it! I can't cause a commotion over this, but people's lives are in danger!"

"Stay cool, Feliciano. Do you know where this church is?"

"Close by the park!"

"Good. I'll be there to investigate the area."

"Mathias, can I tag along? In case you need some help!"

"Yeah! Be there as soon as possible!"

Bat in his backpack, Alfred hurried down the sidewalk. He whizzed around every fellow pedestrian, ignoring their weird looks. His mad dash was halted by a crowd waiting at a red stop light. Tennis shoes tapping the ground impatiently, Alfred looked over the multiple heads and zooming cars at the church, only a mere street away. A wild, blond hairstyle and a grey alien perched on a shoulder caught his eyes.

"Mathias! I see you! I'm across the street!"

"Good. I'll wait for you."

When the light finally turned green, Alfred's walking pace matched the crowd's, not wanting to draw more looks. Still, his heart rapidly thumped in his chest. Alfred's hand clutched his backpack's shoulder straps, fighting the urge to barge through the crowd in a panicked mad dash.

"Did you see anything strange when you came here?" Alfred asked.

"I didn't see any familiars Feliciano mentioned. But," Mathias eyed his Soul Gem, which was glowing a vibrant red. "My Soul Gem indicates there is a witch nearby. Let's get a move on!"

Alfred and Mathias quickly strolled around the church's area. For the most part, everything seemed to be normal. The front doors were wide open, inviting anyone in and not discriminating the evil lurking outside. Through the clear glass windows, the two recognized Feliciano's slouching, black silhouette, his hands clasped tightly together, eyes clenched shut, and lips hysterically muttering silent prayers.

"We're here, Feli! We'll take care of that witch, dude!"

"Oh, thank God! I'll be praying for both of you!"

Rounding the church's corner, the two entered the parking lot. As they walked past the rows of cars, a multicolored plushie scampered by them, making squeaking notes with every step.

"A familiar! It's coming around here somewhere!" Mathias exclaimed.

Underneath a cross attached to the church's wall was a portal to the labyrinth. Mathias jerked Alfred behind a sedan car. Behind the automobile, they watched more familiars exit the portal. Its wind-up key turning and clicking, a chimpanzee crashed its cymbals, body jerking with every step. A cracked porcelain doll tugged a red wagon containing plastic body parts. Slithering after it was a baby doll head attached to an snake's body.

"They're bigger than the first one we saw!" Alfred whispered.

"This isn't good." Tony spoke up. "It seems that with passing time, the familiars coming from that labyrinth are stronger ones, ones that are more likely to turn into witches!"

"Once when that portal stops spitting out familiars, we run in." Mathias whispered back. "Tony, get into Alfred's bag! It's safer! We have to destroy that witch and break that labyrinth!"

A marionette was dragged out of the portal by an unseen force—invisible hands manipulating the thin strings tied around its shoulders, hands, and ankles. Its hollow clucks distancing, Mathias and Alfred dashed out of their hiding spots and leapt into the portal.

The fallen steamers crunched under the boys' footsteps as they cautiously walked down the labyrinth. Sparkling confetti sprinkled onto their bodies. Their eyes slightly burned from looking at the brightly-hued party decorations. Balloons sputtered as they swirled around them. Most of the giant present boxes were tilted over, revealing their hollow interior. Some still remained upright, their tops enclosed with satin ribbons.

Violent, muffled rumbling made Alfred and Mathias freeze in their tracks. "Hide!" Mathias hissed as they ran behind an empty gift box. With a loud rip, a green monster truck tore out of a present box. Its roaring engine echoed down the hall as it shot past them, wheels spinning wildly.

"It didn't see us. Let's go!" Mathias said.

Before either of them left their hiding place, the screeching wheels were cut short with a bang. Hurrying, echoing footsteps grew closer and closer. Stopping to catch a breath, Kiku huffed and puffed as he clutched his aching stomach. Unlike the previous times Alfred saw him, Kiku's face was pale with panic.

"Chikusho…!" Kiku panted between gasps to himself. "Karera wa doko ni iru?!" He muttered in his second language as he continued running down the hall.

Watching Kiku disappear, Alfred asked, "Should we have said something to him?"

Mathias calmly shook his head. "No. It's fine. We don't want to deal with him again." He looked into the empty box. "Hey look, there's some kind of door here! Maybe it's a shortcut!"

The door led Alfred and Mathias into a much darker hall. Glow-in-the-dark stars and planets casted an eerie florescent green light, muddling the sparkling streamers hanging from the endless ceiling.

"Hey, Mathias?" Alfred asked.

"Yeah?" Mathias brushed several streamers out of their way.

"Look, I still haven't decided on a wish yet." Alfred began. "This wish-making thing is so hard. But I just want to say that I really want to become a magical boy. I always wanted to be a hero, but I'm just not special enough. Also, I keep on screwing up a lot. My grades aren't as good as my brother's, I'm probably average at best when it comes to music, and Dad always has something to nitpick about me when he sees me. What kind of heroes screw up all the time? I would try to fix myself, but it's hard to find heroes in real life to get an idea on what to do."

"But then I met you, Mathias." Mathias halted in his path at Alfred's sentence.

"You introduced me to a world where I can become the hero I want to be." Alfred continued, oblivious to Mathias's tight fists beginning to tremble. "Someone who has powers who protects people. Yeah, it's pretty childish. I'm still pretty obsessed with superheroes and superpowers. But when I found out it was possible to become that kind of hero, I became excited! If I become a magical boy like you, I'll finally have a solid reason to be proud of myself and the way I live."

"…You don't want to be like me…" Mathias muttered back.

"But, you're a hero!" Alfred insisted. "You're fearless and selfless!"

"I'm not fearless and selfless!" Mathias retorted. "I just pretend to be! It's my duty after making my wish, a wish I made on a whim!"

"Your wish? Oh, that's right. You never told me and Feliciano what your wish was… What was it?"

Mathias sadly looked down. "I didn't even get a chance to think about my wish …"

A wailing alarm screeched into the night's darkness. Rotating red lights flashed on the neighboring buildings. Metal rubble surrounded the wrecked, crumpled vehicles. Glass shards shattered under the paramedics' hurrying footsteps. Slumped in a smashed SUV's back passenger seat was Mathias. His body hung against his seatbelt, which prevented him from falling onto the debris-ridden street. White pain constantly shot up his legs in ripples.

Blue eyes flickered in and out of consciousness when the paramedics cautiously loaded him onto the stretcher. The orange street lights stung his eyes. Bruised and shattered ribs stung with every shaky breath. Ears rang as the ambulance's siren grew louder. Black dots clouded Mathias's vision, the paramedics' echoing voices growing less comprehensible and more distant.

With a blink of an eye, Mathias awoke to rectangular, white lights. ICU nurses and doctor surrounded his bedside, their relieved smiles barely concealing their eyes' haunting gleams.

Barwald's skull was split open and mashed into mush. Tino's neck was snapped instantly on impact. Lukas croaked his last breaths as he bled out. Emil was a vacant corpse on arrival. Best of all, the drunk driver who blew the red light escaped the calamity only with mere fractured bones and a concession. Underneath the white bedsheets, Mathias's pulsing fists clutched his Soul Gem, its red luster reminding him of the blood split on his selfish wish.

"That accident costed me my closest friends." Mathias gloomily concluded. "Afterwards, I had no one to lean on. It sucks being a magical boy. Ever since I became one, I have no time to spend with my teammates or my mom and dad. And worst of all, everyone thinks I have it all. People in school look at me and see the star basketball player. Other magical boys and girls see me as the powerful veteran who is cool and all that. But I have to pretend that I'm happy with myself. I can only hug and cry when I'm alone."

"Dude…" Alfred's heart stung at Mathias's conclusion. "You're not alone! How about this: When I become a magical boy, I'll be your sidekick! That way, you don't have to fight on your own?"

"You mean it?" Mathias's eyes began to flicker in hope.

"Yeah! You can train me to become a strong magical boy, and I'll be there when you need someone! How that?"

"That's… That's awesome! I finally found someone to be with me!" Mathias cheered. "All that's left is the wish you got to make! Maybe you can wish to become a billionaire or something like that!"

Alfred chuckled. "Nah, that isn't my type!"

"Wait, I have an idea! If you can't think of a wish, you can just ask Tony for a grand party! To celebrate the birth of our magical boy duo!"

"I don't wanna waste a wish on that!" Alfred pouted.

"Suit yourself! I just can't wait to fight alongside with a sidekick!"

Reaching the end, Mathias and Alfred opened the door. The chandelier's dangling crystals sparkled orange and yellow from the candles' waving flames. Despite being a fan of sweet food, Alfred's teeth stung at the enormous pastries piled on the massive plates. At the center of the room were several huge presents, similar to the ones first seen.

As soon as the two approached them, thousands of familiars erupted out of the boxes. "Alfred! Hide somewhere! I'll take care of them!" Mathias shouted as he transformed. In a flash of red, he had his ax out, ready to battle the familiars.

Hiding behind a slice of apple pie, Alfred watched Mathias sweep through the familiars. Mathias's leaps were much higher than when Alfred first saw him, like if a heavy weight was uploaded from his shoulders. Despite the massive number of familiars chasing after him, all were no match for Mathias's newfound enhanced agility. His pole ax wildly struck multiple familiars down in one swift hit, in an alarming rate that even Alfred found to be a bit impulsive for his own taste.

"Go, Mathias!" Alfred cheered as Mathias struck one of the last remaining familiars. Mathias turned to flash a beaming grin at him. "There's one more left—!"

"BANG!" Before Mathias could turn around, the remaining present box burst open. A clown-head attached to a spring erupted out of a pop-up lid, its open mouth gleaming with razor-sharp teeth.

The next thing Alfred knew, Mathias's headless body collapsed onto the ground. As blood squirted onto the white tablecloth, the jack-in-the-box munched on Mathias's head before swallowing it with a satisfied gulp.

"Alfred!" Tony yelled from Alfred's backpack while the jack-in-the-box snacked on Mathias's beheaded corpse. Bones cracked and crunched with every bite. "Make a wish before it's too late! You have no choice!"

"Shit." Alfred froze as he met face-to-face with the jack-in-the-box's empty demonic eyes. It drooled at Alfred's golden blond hair. "Shitshitshitshitshit—!"

An invisible force shoved Alfred to the ground. As he shakily got up, silver gashes slit across the jack-in-the-box's spring. Its giggling clown head fell onto the ground with a violent crash, knocking over a glass cup in the process.

Glass shattered. Heavy gasps caught Alfred's attention next.

"That… That was too close…" Despite his stoic expression, Kiku's hands trembled as he slide his katana back in its sheath.

Feliciano and Julius followed the crowd out of the church. The sky was an unusual bright blue hue, the sun's warm rays had a temperate warmth, and the wind's breeze did not wildly whip people's hairs into their faces. His fingers nervously toying with his blue coat's sleeve, Feliciano's eyes darted between the dozen legs and shoes, shoulders trembling at the thought of seeing another familiar. During the mass, he barely picked up on the priest's sermons. Mentally praying for Alfred and Mathias's safety and their success in defeating the witch was a higher priority. There were other sermons he could listen to another time.

"Feliciano, is there something wrong?" Julius asked. Feliciano jumped at his grandfather's hand on is shoulder. "You look distracted."

"N-Nothing, Nonno." Feliciano forced a smile. "I'm just starting to feel unwell."

"The flu season is coming. We have medicine at home."

Before Feliciano could thank Julius, he was interrupted by Alfred's telepathic voice. "F-Feli…"

"Alfred?! Is that you? Is there something wrong?"

"Feli…" Alfred barely uttered.

"What happened? Mathias beat the witch, did he?"

"Mathias… Mathias is gone."

Feliciano felt blood drain from his face.

"He's dead."

"Feliciano?" Julius asked, setting a hand on his youngest grandson's forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"I-I'm feeling fine… Nonno, I think I left something back in the church! Please stay here and wait!"

Running into the church and out its backdoor, Feliciano found Alfred kneeling on his knees. His fingers tightly dug into his hair as tears dripped off his chin. Some teardrops splattered dark droplets on the sidewalk, while others landed inside of Alfred's glasses, distorting his vision. Kiku stood by Alfred's side, expressionlessly watching him take shaky breaths. He narrowed his eyes as Alfred's shoulders shuddered uncontrollably. To Feliciano, Kiku's face seemed to be slightly paler than when he last saw him.

"One second too late and you would've been dead by now. Do you now see it? How it's like to be a magical boy?" Kiku stooped down in front of Alfred.

A metallic jangle drew Alfred's eyes to the ground. Hands releasing its tight grip, he studied the Grief Seed Kiku dropped.

"Keep this as a memento." Kiku said. "Maybe this will convince you why you shouldn't become a magical boy."

Despite the drying tears stinging his face and the numbness hanging over his shoulders, Alfred's blood pressure rose as he continued to look the Grief Seed. Teeth clenching, he threw the Grief Seed at the ground with an angry shout. It jingled as it tumbled into the grass lawn.

"Don't give it to me…" Feliciano flinched at Alfred's growl. "I can't even use it! Besides, it belongs to Mathias! Mathias sacrificed so much and this is what he fucking gets! Are you fucking joking with me right now?!"

Kiku picked the Grief Seed out of the lawn. "Mathias is dead. I can't possibly give it to him. What would you think of me if I took the Grief Seed for myself now?"

Slipping the Grief Seed into pant pocket, Kiku walked away, not turning his head to acknowledge Feliciano's presence. After watching Kiku walk further away, Feliciano rushed to Alfred's side. Alfred's shoulder sharply tensed when Feliciano's soft hand gently squeezed his shoulder. The Italian draped over his body in a protective hug. Setting his head on Feliciano's thin shoulder, Alfred gently squeezed him, his body relaxing in the embrace before slowly releasing the hug. He gave Feliciano a sad smile as he sniffled and wiped the tears off his glasses.

Feliciano got on his knees in front of the cross hanging on the side of the church. Clasping his hands together, he shut his eyes, lips unmoving. Alfred stood next to him with his hands interlocked in front of his body and eyes also closed.

After a few moments, Feliciano got up. "Poor Mathias…" he sighed.

Alfred only nodded.

"I never knew that it could happen to him. He was so strong and mighty… Alfred?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you still want to become a magical boy?"

"Do you?"

"…I don't think so… It's a really terrifying duty. I don't want to die…"

"Me neither. But I don't care that I might die. When I figure out what I want to wish for, I'll become a magical boy. For Mathias."

Author's Notes: This is way you need to keep your head in the game while fighting witches!

OT: We're finally in angst territory! I'm not sure if there's a definite human name for HRE, but that was one of the answers I got when I googled it. I strongly support the theory that Germany is HRE, but for the story's sake, they are separate characters. I'm also not so sure how consensual the kissing scene is, but there isn't really a better way for Feliciano to realize his feelings for Gabriel.

The next chapter is centered on episode 4, but there is probably no significant spoilers to note.

PS: I don't own Hetalia or Madoka Magica.