I am so thankful to all of you who have reviewed, followed, of faved. Yes I call favoring something faved, it's weird, I know. Well you probably stopped reading this anyway so, ON WITH THE STORY.
Talking Cat: Chishi does not own Hetalia or any of its characters, if she did we would see things that actually make sense…sort of…actually it would make less sense.
0.o
In a lovely forest (which most believe was magical) several squirrels were deciding to take naps. In their jolly, little minds they thought this would be like every other day: birds chirping, nice and warm with an occasional breeze, & most of all, peaceful. Oh, how wrong they were.
As the only to current jokers walked around in the forest, the air froze, giving the area around them a feeling of eeriness. The squirrels would have probably slept through it if it were not for their yelling. At the sound of the voices the squirrels jumped up, noticed the tension in the air, & RAN.
"Have some hope will you!" Peter shouted at the taller Joker.
"I am jus' saying not to get your hopes up!" Gilbert shouted his reply.
"I have a right to!" Peter exclaimed while waving his hands that were balled up in tiny fists.
"Vat ever." Gilbert rolled his eyes, ending the conversation. Gilbert, in all honesty, that it was pointless from the start. He just didn't want to see the little boy disappointed, he had pretty much adopted him as a little brother & in some ways he remained him of his actual brother…Gilbert did not want to go down that path so he just started to mindlessly look at the scenery.
Little Peter sighed, looking at Gilbert. He knew he was thinking of his actual brother. Peter remembered when Gilbert had finally told him about his actual brother. It was so tragic, every time Peter thought of it his chest tightened with sorrow. Peter didn't want to think about that so he went back to being optimistic. He was just so excited, the thought of at least one more person in the house! The new conversations, the new ideas, & the less responsibility he would have when they were purposely causing trouble. He chuckled darkly a bit, a smirked filled with ominous glee as the shadows covered his eyes. Then as quickly as it came, it went away, as if nothing had ever happened.
The silence around them continued until the heard the whack against to a tree. Gilbert was familiar with this; it was a sword against a tree. They headed towards its repetition stuck in their mind as it got louder, then they heard a voice, a loud one at that.
"That tomato-loving bastard! Thinking I don't know I'm one step away from an Ace, constantly hanging it over my head!" The voice (that has a thick accent) shouted to no one in particular, as if he was just on an emotional rant paying no mind to the outside world. As the got closer it revealed a boy light armor with hearts going down the upper arms, getting smaller the further you go down. He had chocolate brown hair only covering about a, millimeter yellow-brownish eyes.
"Don't even get me started on Feli & that potato bastard who is called "King!"
"Kesesese." Gilbert laughed. This was all too funny; here he was saying to Peter that they would find no one, than they find a storming mad guy saying the funniest things ever!
"Who's there," The young man hollered his eyes glaring as they search for the point of origin of the laugh.
Gilbert & Peter smirked (well, Gilbert did, Peter had a full out grin) at each nothing but mischief dancing across their facial features. This just might be the one they are looking for.
"Over here!" Peter call out, jumping into the knight's view.
"Err, no offense but, Queen Author have you been jinxed?" The knight questioned as he took in the mighty resemblance this boy had to the Queen of Spades.
"Queen Arthur?" The boy questioned, hardly being able to contain the immense laughter he had at the picture of a male being a Queen. The knight was a bit shocked at this statement. He might of not been from Spades (though he highly doubted it, giving the boy's appearance & accent) but even so he should know Author, or any King or Queen for that matter. But then again, he was just a child suffering with horrible memory.
"I zink you bear a resemblance to ze Queen of Spades, who bares the name Arthur and is male." Gilbert said in an all knowing manner as he stalked in to the knight's view. This is when the knight took in their bizarre features, but people from the kingdom always have weird fashion statements, so who was one to know?
The knight lazily pointed his sword at them and said as if he were quoting from a book, "Well if that's the case, citizens are not authorized in the forest, please give me your name and where you live so I may escort you through this forest."
"Kesesese. I am ze awesome Gilbert & zis half pint pipsqueak is Peter." Gilbert answered.
"Hey!" Peter exclaimed. He was not all too happy about being called a pipsqueak, especially a half pint one!
Gilbert chuckled, "Anyway ve live here."
"In the forest?" The knight questioned
"Ja."
"Well, okay then." The knight put it back in his baldric. Then he continued, "Just don't let other knights see you, they will freak out."
Peter and Gilbert both mentally sweat dropped. They were hoping he would freak out & try to get them to "safety" as he asked 50 questions. 'Why did he not care?' they both wondered. Well at least they now know why he isn't an Ace.
"Okay." Peter said with a smile as if he wasn't just criticizing him in his thoughts.
The knight looked at him with a bit of amusement but the lazy look in his eyes & the frown were still there as he said, "I don't know how I mistook you for Queen Arthur kid, you are too joyful."
"Thanks. I guess." Peter answers unsurely but then goes to asking, "So what is your name or title or whatever?"
"I'm called Romano the Ten of Hearts."
"Well, 'Romano Ten of Hearts' we heard your rant earlier-"
"I noticed thanks to your friends 'laughter.'"
"Heh. So, we were wondering have you ever thought about leaving?"
Romano looked at him with shock, his mask of constant anger falling. 'How could these freaks know that.' He asked himself. The truth is he has been thinking about it for over a year now, to just start over. No Feliciano. No potato bastard. Also, no tomato loving, Antonio. In all retrospect this did seem like a gamble, but a stress free life did sound fantastic. He wished for a life with no rankings, no order, & maybe causing soon trouble for a good laugh; like he did when he was a kid. 'Well not like I'll ever see these freak shows again,' He deiced, so he reluctantly said, "Si. Why?"
"The simple fact that we are looking for someone just like you," The taller man, Gilbert, answered this time.
"Like me?" Romano questioned. His mask of anger was coming back.
"Ja, a person who vants to runavay. A person who does not vant to live in zeir life anymore," Gilbert shrugged
"Or has been banished." Peter piped in.
"Well I haven't been banished but, why would you need me?" Romano questioned more. If he was going to go along with these freaks, he better no why & how.
Gilbert knew this guy was not going without knowing everything he should know about it, so the best option was to sum it all up in four words, "To become a Joker."
Romano thought about this offer. It meets all of his requirements and he would have company. But he did have people he was attached to, sure it wasn't many & was a small amount…
"Well, while you're thinking about your answer can you also think about someone else who might fit the quota as well?" Peter randomly asked. Both of the other males were surprised by this. Gilbert was surprised at how stupid this kid could act sometimes. Especially at how slim this chance was that this possible Joker would know another one.
Romano was surprised because he did know someone now that he thought about it. One of those very, very, very few people who were his friends: & his only best friend. He had wanted to leave longer than him & did not want to be invisible anymore. Sometimes, Romano didn't even know he was there because he was so quiet and choose the most obvious spot that no one would check for someone else.
"Si, I do. But it will be hard getting to him. He is pretty much imprisoned in the Spades castle." Romano answered.
"Then let's sneak in there and see him! While we're doing all this you can think about your answer!" Peter exclaimed his idea.
That's when Romano decided if Matthew agreed he would. So he agreed, "Si, but you should be warned it is hard to hear him and that he is Matthew, the King of the Spades kingdom's younger brother."
Neither actual Joker knew how to answer this. When Romano said imprisoned they thought it was a criminal. But now that they knew it's a King's brother, this changed the game. They would no longer be bargaining with a more comfortable, safer life, but instead a not as privileged and dangerous life. Not only that but since he was the brother of a King soon someone would notice he was missing and they would blame the Joker's for kidnapping without flinching.
Peter was determined they had the chance to have the house full. He was not going to pass this up, no matter what. Besides, they have done more dangerous stuff. So he quickly commanded. "Take us there."
Romano, who didn't want to stay out here much longer, nodded and starts heading to the Spades kingdom, the opposite way the Jokers were heading earlier.
As Gilbert & Peter followed Gilbert was thinking that Peter did not understand the full weight of the situation. Gilbert had pretty much read Romano`s decision that if this Matthew character was going to disagree he would to. But on the other side if Matthew did agree it would cause tons of trouble. The royalty of each kingdom had already seen them as mischievous nuisances, but if they had learned they "took" Alfred's brother, they would either hunt for them or they would have to come to the doorsteps of each kingdom, explain, and risk getting thrown in jail. He knew that the Diamonds kingdom wouldn't do that and he had a chance with the Hearts kingdom, slightly with the Clubs kingdom if he talked to Elizabeta first but, with the Spades kingdom Alfred would instantly go on a rampage when seeing them.
Gilbert was so lost in thought he didn't notice they had reached the border of the Spade's kingdom.
"First thing is we have to get you out of those clothes," Romano said with a firm position. If Gilbert could just tell, this guy had a plan.
"How do we do that?" Peter asked.
"Well since I am Matthew's friend I come over here often. The towns people are used to seeing me go to the castle, so I do not think they would care if I was seen going into a store. If anybody did question me I could just say the Hearts kingdom is curious on the Spades kingdom fashion & I am here to pick some up for the Hearts kingdom to look at."
"So you're just going to valtz right into a store, und buy us clothes?" Gilbert questioned.
"Pretty much, except you guys have to stay here," Romano informed.
Gilbert & Peter both knew if this guy was pulling anything funny they could just run but they had this overwhelming feeling to trust him. Gilbert knew this feeling well, it was the feeling that on member had when they found another & the feeling he had when he found Peter. But Gilbert long ago had stopped trusting feelings like this without a good reason.
"Okay." Peter agreed being the first to trust this feeling.
Romano left without another word. The store that was close was right when you enter the village; thankfully, he had been through this village so many times he had known where everything was. Quickly slipping into the shop he found clothes that looked like they would fit the other males. He used his Spades currency (since each country had different currencies & he frequently visited Matthew, he had some) to buy the clothes. He quickly slipped out of the store & went back to the males.
Romano handed the boys their clothes, as they changed, respectively, away from his line of vision. When Romano was told it was fine to look the other males were both fully clothed. Peter had on a white jacket with a black shirt and blue pants loose enough to hide his tail. They kept his shoes & jester hat, the joker clip was just replaced with a gear clip. Gilbert had a black hoodie (the hoodie covering his horns a noticeable red eyes) with a blue shirt underneath, black pants, and blue & black sneakers.
"Now that that is over with, we can just go to the castle," Roman said as if it was just as easy as day.
"Oh, and that's easy," Gilbert stated sarcastically.
"Actually it is. By the time we get there it should be several guards' lunch breaks. That include the ones guarding the garden," Romano informed.
"And that has to do with what?" Peter questioned.
Romano sighed as if this was like trying to teach a kinder-gardener how two plus two equals four, "The garden is in the back, you sneak in there, I go in, get Matthew, bring him to the garden, and you guys just do what you do."
"Oh! Now it makes sense!" Peter thought out loud.
"And it didn't before?" With this Romano got shakes of the heads from both of the others.
Romano just sighed as they started heading to the castle. It didn't take long for Romano to give the signal that they had to split up. As Romano reached the moat he was automatically granted entry, he then headed to where he knew Matthew would be: the library. He knocked on the door.
0.o
Matthew, wondering who in the world it could be stuffed the small bookish pamphlet thing into his pocket as he went to open the door. What he saw was not what he expected.
"Lovino?" Matthew questioned. In a whisper that most wouldn't hear, but Romano was used to it.
"That or Romano the Ten of Hearts." Romano joked back with his normal angry face. Most who did not know this boy would have thought they said something wrong and avoided any farther conversation, but Matthew knew him too well for that.
"Why are you here?" Matthew asked. He certainly had got no memo that Lovino was coming over today.
"I got bored and decided to see my friend." Romano shrugged. Matthew knew him to well for this, Romano came over only when Matthew asked (which was very rarely), when Lovino was angry (not so rare), or when Lovino needed advice. Matthew knew he wouldn't tell him until they were in a secure place.
"So where do you want to go?" Matthew asked.
"The garden," Romano answered plainly. This was their usual place so Matthew already knew this was a place where he was going to vent or ask about advice, the normal. Little did Matthew know, as he started heading there, that was going to be so far from normal.
0.o
Sorry this took so long, life got in the way and myself. I wanted to make this chapter longer for you guys but my parents were sort of hogging the computer & school takes forever, so sorry.
Also a side note a baldric is a sheath over the shoulder so Romano pretty much has his sword being held on his back with a strap around his body.