Arthur knew instantly that something was wrong. Something in the air had… changed. It wasn't a change in the wind or the weather, the sky was, in fact, silent. The wind was still. It was a silence that was utterly unnerving to him and he didn't want to think too much on it.

He turned to Tino, who seemed to be finally gaining his sanity back from the concussion he had sustained. He was currently helping Allistor apply a wet rag to his forehead to help with the headache that was plaguing the Scott. Arthur sighed and turned to Peter, who was sitting at the table with the silvery haired Emil. The brit was surprised to see that the boy was holding his head between his hands, looking down at the table as if in pain. Peter was patting his back as if in comfort.

"Emil? Are you alright?" Arthur asked with a frown. He went away from his station in front of the open door and sat at the table with the two young adults.

"My head… it's like it's splitting." Emil groaned.

"Do you want a rag as well?" Arthur asked. Emil just nodded. Arthur turned to do as he had intended, but found himself looking up as someone knocked at the door. He gave a small look to Peter, that had him standing and going to get the rag instead.

The good doctor took a mere stride to the door and instantly yanked it open, to be met with about the last person he had expected in the world.

"Lovino- what is it?" he asked the nineteen year old boy who stood in front of him. He had aged quite a bit since five years ago and was slightly taller than Arthur now and his eyes had grown to be just as deep as green that his fathers were.

"What is happening? Is it the weather or something? Pa's been having headaches like nothing I've seen before."

"Headaches?"

"Fratello and I too, but not as strong." Lovino glared, crossing his arms. Now that the boy mentioned it, Arthur noticed that the boy had sheens of sweat covering his pale face. His hands, despite the fact that he was trying to hide it by crossing his arms, were shaking almost violently.

"Really?" Arthur muttered, looking down at his feet for a moment in thought.

"Mr. Antonio?" Peter asked, looking back at the two conversing in the doorway.

"Get your father here at once. I must speak to him. And if you see Vladimir, the fellow with the funny hat, send him here." Arthur said firmly, gripping the handle to the door even harder. "And bring your brother. I might help you with your headaches. "

"Really?" Lovino probably sounded more hopeful than he hand intended. Arthur nodded and Lovino instantly turned on his heel to run home quickly. Arthur sighed, leaning against the doorway.

"And perhaps your father can help with mine." He muttered.

Matthias was at a loss. His wide, blue eyes were unblinking at the sight, but he refused to let the shock hinder him. He gently bit at Lukas' hand, not breaking the skin for fear of transforming him as Vladimir had said, and forced him to look down at him. He nodded his head up, indicating where they should go. Lukas nodded and gripped Alfred tighter and drug him closer to the center of the light illuminating from the trap door above. He gazed upward and sighed, there was about four feet between the water and the top of the cave. He would have to try and lift Alfred up or have Matthias get up there somehow or… figure out how to control water or earth or something. But since that was impossible, he had nothing. He looked at Matthias again, he was always good at crazy ideas. But the poor man couldn't talk. And he was a dog.

Matthias just shook his head and Lukas sighed.

They would have to wait everything out.

Everything was on fire. The sides of the cave were alight with orange flames that licked at the two contesters. Matthew was face to face with a giant wolf, larger by far than Matthias, however, not nearly as bulky in its muscle. Its wiry limbs stood firmly in midair, only a few inches above the surface of the water. Matthew's own booted feet were much the same. Both were staring each other down as if they could find all answers in the other's eyes.

He smells like the church. Matthias observed silently, only to be heard by the battling ghost-skeleton in front of them. The brothers saw the ghost rider's head snap up slightly at the observation.

"You!" He screeched in fury, adding to the powerful aura he already had. His bony finger lifted and pointed in accusation at the hound. "Traitor!"

"Traitor? What does he mean?" Lukas asked, looking at his brother, who gave a wolfy shrug.

Lukas almost yelped in surprise as he watched the hell hound suddenly start warping and twisting. Its bones cracked and its flesh stretched around the snapping appendages, while it never took its eyes off of Matthew. Matthew himself didn't move, his fiery blue gaze fixed on the animal before him.

Roderich stood, still in his black, long priests robe. He looked like the man that Matthew said good morning to every day, or the man that Lukas had sometimes complained about his brother's crazy antics to, or the man that Matthias helped fix his altar or the benches in the church. The same fellow that Matthew had convinced to get a pair of spectacles from Arthur because he was struggling to read his texts. But the difference now was that he had a glint in his usually friendly eyes and that his brown eyes were glowing with a fire tinged orange, and his lips were turned up in a grin that he had never worn, revealing pointed teeth.

"Roderich?" Lukas whispered in disbelief, staring at the development. "Y-ou?" He hadn't realized how cold he was up until then, the water's chill nipping him right to his bones. He held tightly to Alfred's shirt collar with one hand, and kept his arm around Matthias' furry neck with the other. He couldn't even feel the regular warmth that usually radiated from his brother's form, but took comfort in his rapid breathing that the dog was practicing instead.

Roderich? Of all people…I never would have guessed him.

"Oh please, Matthias you fool, you wouldn't have even suspected the most untrustworthy of any man." Roderich scoffed. "Let alone the priest of the town."

You can hear me?

"Of course I can you fool. I created you." Roderich scoffed. "Don't compare me to your weak minded forms." He stared at the wolf across the room for a moment with glittering eyes. "Although I am surprised that you survived the transformation. Truly your strength surpasses your idiocy."

Get yer backup because I'm gonna-

"No one calls my brother an idiot but me." Lukas snarled from above the said brother. Matthias turned his wet, furry head towards him and gave him an almost amused look. But his look fell from his dog face as he saw the pure fury in his brothers eyes. His brother… he was many things. But he was not one to have a temper, truly.

It scared Matthias.

"Hobble your lip. You both have nothing worth saying here." Roderich said with another sneer.

Suddenly Matthew launched forward, sick of listening to the banter. His skeletal hand was held out in front of him, squeezing the trigger on his coal-black colt, letting a burning bullet fly. Blue flames stared the former gospel sharp down as the shot collided with its target.

Everything exploded around them. Matthew was thrown upwards, while a great wall of water lifted from the center of the lake- caused by the fire that had collided with the surface from the hit. Lukas and Matthias yelped and screamed in surprise and fear as they struggled to keep their heads above water. Lukas held Alfred as tightly as he could- while Matthias had bitten his arm… hard. It seemed to be that they were sent upward in a great geyser from the mix of heat and water.

Suddenly, cool air hit Lukas's skin as he felt their bodies push through a rather thin bit of earth. The conscious victims suddenly were witness to a full moon that had risen above the horizon and a clear blanket of stars above. And then … they all suddenly panicked as Lukas realized that he was hundreds of feet above the earth, and was rapidly falling. The sinking feeling in his stomach furthered his fear and he squeezed his eyes shut in fear, screaming as he, the sheriff and his wolf-form brother dropped from the sky.

"Matthias! Before we die- I need to tell you something!" Lukas screamed, holding his brother and his companions bodies closely. Matthias didn't even spare him a glance, for his blue pools were squeezed shut in similar fear. "You're actually really good at making Arbuckle! There! I said it!"

Matthias was about to lick his brothers hand, when they were suddenly engulfed in flames. Matthias howled in surprise and turned his furry head and realized that Alfred had suddenly caught flame! But he was even more shocked to find that the flames were merely licking at he and his younger brother, not causing any harm but an uncomfortable heat, like a noon summer. His blue eyes were half open, and his skin was burning off slowly. But he had a strange, dazed look of determination on his face as he grasped Lukas and Matthias around their waists and tucked them under his arms as he looked down at the approaching ground. He landed heavily on his bare feet, an unearthly snap sounding from his leg. But he didn't waste any time dropping the two Nords and collapsing to his side and letting the flame die out. Lukas dove towards the man, ignoring the burning pain in his arm, and checked for signs of life in the sheriff.

"He's breathing- thank god." Lukas sighed, slumping against his brother slightly.

"Alfred!" a familiar voice shouted from behind them. Lukas turned and saw Arthur running forward with two taller men and two boys behind him in identical pursuit. "Lukas! Matthias! Are you alright?!"

"Definitely been better…" Lukas sighed, trying to lift his body from the ground. But he felt that at least two ribs were cracked or broken, his shoulder was dislocated and his leg, though not as badly as Alfred's must have been, was twisted and perhaps broken as well. Matthias whined from next to him.

"Oh no…" The man behind him to the right said with a groan. Lukas recognized him as Vladimir. The other three, he was surprised to see, were Antonio, the Spaniard that worked with Gilbert at the bar, and his two boys Feliciano and Lovino.

"What is going on?" Antonio demanded. "I feel power coming from a- duck!" He suddenly cried as he shoved his sons and Arthur aside. He raised something above his head, too quickly for anyone to see what it was, and suddenly a deep green light flashed above them as Matthew and Roderich came down from the sky.

Roderich had changed back into his hell hound form and was biting and tearing at Matthew's bones. He currently had the Rider's neck between his jaws and was struggling as well to get out of the iron grip of the ghost. The man's fingers were wrapped around the hounds neck in an attempt to snap it.

"Run!" Antonio said with a cry, pushing and nudging the others away. They all did as told, not speaking a word. Arthur and Lukas dragged Alfred with them, not willing to let the man gain any more injury. Matthias scooped the teenagers, Lovino and Feliciano, onto his back and was booking it along with the adults. He was surprised to feel, not only Feliciano, but also Lovino clutching to his back by the fur and burying their faces in it. Their feet were dragging on the ground and their knees were taking a beating, but they didn't let go despite the fact.

Fire exploded everywhere once more as Matthew let loose another shot, directly in the hell hounds face. The witnesses around ducked or dived aside, townspeople who had dared look outside were instantly slamming their doors shut and hiding inside to try and keep as far away from the danger as they could get.

What is happening?! I've never seen someone fight so recklessly! Matthias cried to no one that could hear him, he forgot. They're insane! Matthew doesn't seem to notice their back in town! He'll catch everything on fire!

"Matthew's letting his anger rule his actions!" Vladimir said with a howl as a bit of fire hit his shoulder. "He's never burned anything but his targets before!"

They ran as hard and fast as circumstance would allow, occasionally ducking aside or dropping down to avoid another explosion from the fight behind them. They dove into a shop- the closest they could- which was relatively empty, all but the giant dog sitting in the corner. It growled at them, but Vladimir turned around and growled right back at it and the hound backed down, tucking its tail between its legs.

Arthur instantly dove towards Alfred and was checking the man for injuries. he whipped a wrap of linen out from his back pocket, noting that it was slightly singed and hoping that his trousers were intact, and went to bandaging his friends more serious wounds, which were many. It seemed that his skin had been burned badly, which wouldn't have been so shocking if it weren't for the fact that he was... well... Alfred.

Lukas sighed, sliding his body down on the side of the wall, sitting next to Matthias and the unconscious Alfred. "Is there any way we can fix Alfred? He's the most powerful out of anyone."

"From what I can tell, he's been weakened." Vladimir said with a groan, examining the man with a sharp eye. "No food or water the whole time he was gone… and something powerful has been sucking his power from him… something holy. That's the only way he could be burned like that. Probably holy water."

"Who are we even dealing with here? I've never seen Matthew so..."

"Barking mad?" Arthur quipped, looking at Lovino, who had just spoken.

"Out of his wit?" Vladimir volunteered.

"I was gonna say 'mad', but sure. that works." Lovino huffed.

"It's Roderich. I can't believe it." Lukas shook his head. Matthias nudged his shoulder gently, making him hiss. What had he done to hurt his arm so bad...

"roderich? The gospel sharp?" Feliciano quipped, looking at the two brothers in awe. He approached, brushing his fingers through Matthias' fur, not aware of who it was. "But he's so nice..." There was a moment of silence. Until another loud burst of fire rocked the building. All looked at each other gravely.

"We have to stop them." Antonio panted, leaning against the door, barricading it with his body. "I can only shield us for so long. And if I use too much power, I'll have to go back to sea again."

"What was that you did back there?" Arthur gasped, fighting the pain that had formed in his chest from the hard run.

"Simple shield. That's all." Antonio gasped back. "Burned my hands though. I'm not really made to deal with fire." He held out his hands and showed that they were indeed bright red and peeling already.

"Thank you." Vladimir said with a nod. "We would have been goners if you hadn't done that."

"Anything to help!" Antonio grinned goofily, rubbing the back of his neck in hidden anxiety. "Just… gimme a moment…" His sons approached him with concern, Feliciano already tearing a part of his shirt off to wrap his father's hands. Lovino whipped the handkerchief out of his back pocket to do the same for his other.

"Anyhow- Matthew seems to have gotten his backup. What are we supposed to do? We can't possibly fight both of them… and frankly I don't want to even raise my hand against them. I'm still wounded from our last encounter." Vladimir said, crossing his arms over his chest. All of the rooms occupants jumped as yet another explosion sounded from outside. "The safety of the town takes current precedence at the moment. If we could maybe split the two up long enough for Matthew to… cool down… maybe we could knock some sense into him."

"And how do you plan to do that, Amigo? They're both hell creatures that are wilder than Matthias after four tankards of Arbuckle." Antonio sighed, feeling the door shake in response to something that had occurred on the other side of it.

"Can't you do something Arthur? Lukas? You've got magic, don't you?" Vladimir asked, looking at the two.

"My powers are highly limited. One spell and I'm basically out of the fight." Arthur sighed. "That's why I haven't done any for so many years, I almost die every time. Even on the simplest ones."

"Same with me. All I can do is summon a troll." Lukas nodded. "And only for a moment or so." he waved his hand dismissively, ignoring the burning pain that came with it.

"Are you alright lukas? Any injuries?" Arthur asked, finally finishing with what he could on Alfred. Lukas shook his head.

"Nothing too bad. Few scrapes and bruises and maybe a cracked bone or two." His ankle didn't hurt anymore... or at least it wasn't as bad as his arm. So it must not have been so serious. Arthur eyed his suspiciously but nodded.

"Alright… let me come up with something." Vladimir's words were accompanied by another explosion. His ruby eyes were closed in concentration and his fingers were clenched around his arms in concentration. His eyes snapped open. "We need to get to your place Arthur."

"But that's on the other side of the fight!"

"I know." Vladimire sighed. "But if we want to be able to do something, we'll have to be there."

"I see- well we'll just have to figure out how to-!" Arthur was cut off as suddenly, Lukas screamed.

Matthews rage was unfathomable. He didn't even know what to do with it or how to fix his own head. All he knew was that he was mad… that he wanted to tear Roderich apart.

How dare he hurt Alfred, how dare he hurt Matthias, and the village and trick us all! How dare he fool me into thinking he was a good man. How dare he exist in this world!

His thoughts were dark. Which was so unusual and painful that he couldn't even see anything but red. He fired, hit and kicked at whatever was moving around him. Even in this form he could feel the heat of the fire he was sending out and he could taste the hatred on his non-existent tongue. The deputy snarled and hissed and shouted in fury. He had never felt this way.

He was blasted back by an attack by Roderich, that sent them both skidding back on their heels away from each other. Matthew felt out of breath- even though he didn't breathe at all. His metacarpals were wrapped firmly around his gun and his pointer finger was brushing the trigger, ready to fire at any moment.

"Feel the rage! Yes! Burn everything!" A voice said from in front of him. Matthew only glared forward, watching the black dog's every move as they circled. There were screams and shouts sounding around him, but they were just background noise. All that mattered was this fight, this moment.

He was going to kill this monster.

YOOOOOOOOOO! SO SORRY I TOOK SO LONG I SUCK.

No really, I just have struggled with editing this bit. I don't even have a good excuse I don't know... THANKS FOR WAITING I LOVE YOU GUYS

Also drop by a review! It helps!