Dro: Damn it, I spoiled you again. This chapter is 3.5k. Bah, you people are lucky! You better enjoy it. On another note, I was thinking about something today. After Solemnity hits 100 reviews (it's only three short), how about I celebrate three 100+ review stories with something? Like a oneshot? You can shoot ideas/requests at me if you want. I'll see what I can come up with.

Chapter Summary: Parallel Alfred and Arthur have a tearful reunion. Alfred and Ludwig remain ambivalent on whether to leave or stay. And the Italy brothers reveal the true extent of the degradation of their brotherhood.

Chapter Warnings: Violence, Language

Disclaimer: Dro will never own APH.

Alfred watched in awe. His double had not known what was here. Or who. So it wasn't just the shock of Arthur meeting his long lost Alfred. It also went the other way around. Even from his position behind his alter self, Alfred could fully understand the man's emotions. He could see the other Alfred's exact expression without having to look at it. Because he felt so similar. To see Arthur standing there, alive and well, despite the rings around his eyes and his obvious loss of weight, a burst of great joy so powerful he almost collapsed shot through his body. His muscles tingled. His bones buzzed with excitement.

Alfred missed Arthur. And he'd only been away from his own Arthur for a week now. But it felt like years. He couldn't imagine the depths of the longing his alter self had for Arthur after being away for so many months. Alfred wasn't sure he could've even handled that. He slid his eyes from Arthur's face and back to his alter self's shoulders. The man was tense. Really, really tense.

Alfred watched, completely still, as his double took two steps forward, closing the distance between himself and Arthur. Arthur never moved. His green eyes were as wide as they could go, his mouth hung open in a gape. Like he'd seen a ghost. Like he was seeing a ghost move closer and closer to him. When Alfred scrutinized him closer, he realized Arthur's entire body was trembling.

His double moved closer, and Arthur finally reacted.

"You…you can't…you can't…" He repeated it over and over. "You can't….you're not…you're not…" The dam broke on Arthur's eyes, and tears spilled over his lids and down his cheeks, staining them. His voice cracked into a high pitch. "You're not…"

"Arthur." His double's voice was tight but controlled. Alfred could hear the suppressed tears. "It's me."

Arthur's body shattered the ice in his bones. He lunged forward and wrapped himself around the other Alfred, clinging to him tightly. A loud sob broke from his throat, echoing down the hallway. Alfred's double closed his arms around Arthur's lithe body, the two of them sinking to the floor on their knees. Arthur buried his face in the other Alfred's shoulder, sobbing wildly. The double rocked the pair of them back and forth, whispering calming words into Arthur's ears.

Alfred caught the words "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He swallowed. That's exactly what he'd say to Arthur when he got back, he vowed. Arthur would be just like this, thinking he was dead or mortally wounded or stuck in this place forever. Alfred clenched his hands into fists. He would get back safely and never leave Arthur's side again. Never like this. His eyes focused on the lovers on the floor. Never like that.

A clamor broke out from around the corner. Armed men and women flooded the hallway, shouting at the intruders to put down their weapons. Alfred tensed, eying Matt beside him. The two of them had yet to remove their helmets, but he certainly wasn't about to do it with Arthur in his current emotional state. He didn't want to give the man a heart attack.

"What the hell is going on?" Alfred recognized that voice anywhere. Prussia. Familiar friends appeared at the front of the crowd, armed and ready for a fight. They all faltered as they witnessed the scene before them. Antonio's mouth hung open. Gilbert looked stunned and shaken. Francis was the same. And then Germany…Ludwig…was standing right next to them, looking confused and surprised but obviously not anywhere near as shocked as the others. Which could only mean…he'd found his Germany!

He would've tossed off his helmet right there and hailed the man if he hadn't reminded himself of the situation they were currently in. So he kept his identity to himself, allowing the scene to play itself out without interruption. Arthur still clung to the other Alfred for dear life, the latter man's hands now softly stroking Arthur's hair. Finally, he pulled himself back and cupped Arthur's teary, flushed face.

"God, it's so good to see you again. I've missed you, Arthur."

A strangled sob escaped from Arthur's throat. "You…oh God, you…all this time, I thought…"

"I know. And I'm so sorry. Please. Please let me explain."

Arthur's bottom lip trembled. "I don't care you what have to say!" He yelled, a fresh batch of tears streaming down his face. "Just…" he quieted. "Just please never leave me again!"

The other Alfred looked shocked, then his expression softened. "I swear it. I swear I'll never leave you again." Alfred could tell he meant it.

Arthur embraced him again, this time pressing his face into the other Alfred's chest. This gave his other self a chance to finally acknowledge his old friends. He smiled sadly up at them. "It's been a while, hasn't it. How have all of you been faring?"

Antonio was the first to break from the stupor. "It is…good to see you again, mi amigo."

"And you, Antonio."

"But…how the hell did you survive?" Gilbert blurted out.

The other Alfred chuckled. "I'll tell you all about it, yeah?" His double ran his eyes down his line of friends, lingering on Germany. "Ah, you must this parallel world Germany I've been hearing so much about."

Ludwig stared. "How did you…?"

Arthur finally let the other Alfred go and raised his eyebrows, confused. "How did you find out about that?"

"Well…" His double finally glanced back at him, and Alfred took it as his cue. He pulled off his helmet, sending a frenzy of startled gasps throughout the hall. Arthur's eyes were so wide that Alfred thought they would fall out.

"B—but…how?" Francis exclaimed. The man was so shaken he was visible quivering.

Alfred looked Germany directly in the eyes. "Having fun here, are you?"

Ludwig finally got it. "You…you followed me here?"

"Of course. We had to get you back somehow."

"Wait." Antonio started. "You…" he pointed at Alfred. "You're the America from the same parallel world as this Germany?" He pointed to Ludwig.

Alfred nodded. "That's right. My Arthur sent me here to help get him back." He looked down at Arthur. "No worrying about the spell either." He patted a pocket. "I've got it right here."

"So you can get us home?" Ludwig asked.

"Well, not me." Alfred shrugged. "I was hoping Arthur was up for a little magic."

Arthur finally rose on shaky legs, Alfred's double rising with him. "I…I…yes…of course I will. Of course." He smiled nervously. "As soon as possible."

Alfred smiled at him. "No need for that. We can wait a little while. You probably need to relax" he glanced at his double "and catch up for a little bit, yeah?"

His double nodded. "Yeah, let's all sit down and talk this out. I have feeling this is going to involve a lot of long stories."

Arthur agreed. "Yes…let's…to the cafeteria." Alfred noticed Arthur's hand never stopped touching some part of his double. He's hoping to God this isn't some cruel dream.

"Wait, so who's that?" Gilbert pointed at Matt, who was still masked.

"Oh, yeah!" Matt suddenly realized his position. He removed his helmet, blond hair tumbling out.

Arthur gasped. "Matthew?"

"Hey, Arthur."

"You're all right?" Arthur finally released the double and pounced on Matthew, hugging him tightly. Matthew wrapped his arms the other man, patting his back gently.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm fine. Al saved me, Arthur. I'm perfectly fine." Matthew assured.

Arthur looked him over, his eyes lingering on the scar above Matthew's eyebrow. A shaking hand brushed against it, and he met Matthew's eyes.

"It's just a battle wound, Arthur. It's all healed, I promise. I'm perfectly fine."

Arthur swallowed and nodded. "Thank God for that. Thank God."

Finally, Arthur seemed to regain some of his composure. "All right, everyone." He commanded. His voice was strained with emotion. "Let's all head to the cafeteria. We have a lot of things to discuss and very little time to do it." Everyone shuffled down the hall, Arthur never leaving the sides of the brothers.

Germany fell into line with Alfred. "How are things back home?"

Alfred patted his shoulder. "Fine. Everyone's worried about you, but they're all fine."

"Feliciano?"

"Worried and scared."

"So, like usual?"

"Exactly."

Ludwig felt a little reassured. He was convinced some major disaster would befall Feliciano without his presence. "So, how long until we get back?"

"Don't know. We could always ask Arthur to send us back now, but I think we should at least wait until he calms down a little. Plus, we're kind of in the middle of this big end game operation to take down Russia, and…"

"You're conflicted, right? As I am?" Ludwig said with finality.

Alfred met his eyes. "Yeah, truthfully. I…I'm supposed to the big hero, you know? And as much as I want to leave, I…"

"Can't bring yourself to leave these people, who are exact copies of all your loved ones, in the middle of a life or death battle that could mean the end of their world?"

"You don't really sugarcoat things, do you?"

"Indeed I do not."

Alfred sighed. "I just don't know what to do, man. How can I bring myself to leave these people? Especially right now, when they need all the help they can get? But, on the other hand, how can I justify putting myself into danger in a world that's not my own while my loved ones back home are anxiously awaiting my return? If I die here, it'll kill Arthur and Matt. They'll spend the rest of their lives not knowing what happened to me. And the same applies to you with Gilbert and Feliciano. I just…I'm so...confused on what the right thing is."

"As am I." Ludwig desperately wanted to see Feliciano again, but these people, right here, right now…they needed him, and they deserved all the help they could get.

"So what do we do then?" Alfred asked, watching as band of freedom fighters filed into the small cafeteria. He spotted a haggard, beaten, starved Poland sitting in a chair inside the room, and his heart ached.

Ludwig pursed his lips, a flicker of ambivalence in his blue eyes. "I don't know."

"I am not amused by your antics, fratello." Lovino leaned back in the chair, keeping his eyes on the world outside the window. The gauze wrapped around his abdomen—now sporting a sewed up incision—stretched as he moved. He didn't bother looking back at Feliciano. He already knew what kind of expression his younger half would be wearing.

"Antics? I'm not sure I know what you mean." Feliciano said coldly. "Surely you don't think severing an artery is a joke?" His boots thudded on the floor as he walked closer. "Or do you?" He whispered under his breath.

Lovino caught it. "Is that what you think, fratello. That I did what I did as a joke? For laughs?" He clenched the wooden arm rests tightly. "I did that to save your life. If it wasn't for me, you would be dead right now. Instead, you are Ivan's favorite, and you sit in one of the highest positions in the world. Which would you rather want?"

"Do you want the truth?" Feliciano asked.

Lovino didn't reply.

"You're a fool, Lovino Vargas, if you believe this life of treachery and deceit is better than an honorable death."

"And what do you know of honor? Was it not you who left me in Ivan's clutches to begin with?" He sneered.

"Was it not you who fell into his web of false truths? You became his puppet of your own accord, Lovino. I tried to stop you, and you pushed me away. I came back to save you after you had fallen so far. And what did you do? You pulled me down with you." His voice rose. "I should be out there helping Arthur right now, you know? The old Feliciano would have in a heartbeat. And you know it. You knew the old Feliciano would choose them over you from the beginning, didn't you, Lovino? So you came up with a plan to keep your brother by your side." Feliciano towered over Lovino's injured form.

Lovino didn't bother to look at him, even when his fratello's hands wrapped around his neck and squeezed. Feliciano's harsh words rattled off into his ears. "You decided the only way to keep your brother for yourself was to kill him. So you pulled him right into Russia's bloody clutches, and when he tried to pull away, you destroyed him. From the inside."

Lovino started to feel faint, but he didn't retaliate. "You forced your poor little Feli into a position he couldn't escape from. And when it came down to true death or false life, you went for the second option. And now look what you have. You have me. You have Ivan's perfect little assassin and adorable little whore, wrapped up into one perfect little package. Heartless. Empty. Emotionally damaged beyond repair."

He released Lovino's neck. "Congratulations, fratello. You got your wish, did you not?" Feliciano turned toward the door and started walking away. He paused. "Ah, but you always have to be careful what you wish for, don't you? You had a dream of being by your brother's side forever, and you did anything to keep that dream alive. Even let it morph into your worst nightmare. You are a fool, Lovino Vargas." He put his hand on the doorknob.

"Feliciano." Lovino whispered. He finally broke his eyes away from the window and stared, pleading, at his little fratello. "I love you."

Feliciano pulled the door open. "Lovino." He didn't bother looking back before he stepped past the threshold. "Stop lying."

Feliciano wiped the plate with cloth, drying it off and placing it on the rack. He picked up a cup and did the same, humming a tune he'd heard recently on the radio. Sunlight filtered through curtains, bright and illuminating. It was a gorgeous day. He smiled to himself. Ludwig had promised him they'd go on a picnic when he got back from his meeting. It would be their last opportunity to. He pouted. That stupid Russia was finally making his move to take over the rest of Europe. All the nations would have to move further west to safe locations. If they got captured, there was no telling what Russia would do to them.

He wondered when Lovino would return. His fratello. Feliciano smiled wider. His brother was a genius. He flashed back to his terrified days in Ivan's house only a few weeks ago. He couldn't believe he'd actually thought the man was his friend once. Sure, he'd taught the brothers some incredible skills and had given them money and countless other things, but ultimately, they had realized he was nothing but insane. Personally, Feliciano didn't understand why Lovino hadn't noticed it sooner. He'd only seemed to understand the problem once Feliciano had spoken up about it.

He shrugged. His fratello could be dense sometimes. Perhaps he had just let the evidence slip by him in favor of giving Ivan the benefit of the doubt. But after watching Russia beat three people to death in cold blood for no good reason, both brothers had fled without a second thought. Ivan was dangerous. Feliciano was still grateful for what he'd given them, but he refused to corrupt himself with Ivan's influence.

The sound of the door opening roused him from his thoughts. Ludwig was back. "Ve, Ludwig, I'm in the kitchen!"

Ludwig sauntered in, smiling. He leaned over and pecked Feliciano on the lips. "How've you been today? Sorry I had to get up so early." He pulled the bread out of the cabinet. "This whole USSR business is causing a huge hassle. I don't want to think the war will escalate to World War II levels, but I'm not optimistic."

Feliciano frowned at the idea of Europe crumbling all over again. "It's fine, Ludwig. I know you have a lot of duties. You know, if you need help, you can just ask me. I'm a nation too." He smiled.

Ludwig smirked. "I tried that once, remember?"

Feliciano pouted. "Hey, don't make fun of me! I'm not a coward anymore! I can fight, and I can plan, and I can strategize."

Ludwig's eyes softened. "I know that, Feli. I just…I don't want you to get too wrapped up in this. Ivan is…"

"I know what he is." Feliciano picked up another plate. "I've seen it myself." His voice dropped lower.

Ludwig scrutinized him. "If he'd hurt when you stayed with him, you would tell me, right?"

Feliciano whipped around. "Of course! What kind of question is that? I love you, Ludwig. I tell you everything. I promise."

Ludwig nodded. "And I trust you, Feliciano. I just…you stayed with him for so long…I was afraid that he may have hurt you and scared you into keeping it a secret."

"Ivan never harmed me. I swear." He eyed the bread, trying to change the subject. "Are you making a sandwich?"

"Oh, yes. You want one?"

"Yes, please." He replied.

Ludwig took out the rest of the sandwich supplies and got to work. Feliciano stuck his hand back into the sink, immediately pulling it back out at is struck something sharp. He eyed his finger. Oh, it's just a small cut. He dabbed it on the drying cloth before reaching back into the water and slowly pulling out the culprit: a steak knife. He huffed. Now, now, Feliciano. Don't revert to your careless old self. He dried the knife off.

Just as he was about to place it in the drying rack, a figure off to his left caught his attention. Lovino stood in the doorway, moving his fingers in a way Feliciano recognized. A signal to execute the plan. Feliciano stared at his brother. But…what's he doing? The plan…The plan had never been real. The plan was a ruse for them to escape. Lovino had told Ivan they'd assassinate Ludwig in order to escape from Russia without suspicion. So why was he…why was he…? He gaped at his brother for answers, but Lovino just flicked his eyes at Ludwig.

Feliciano turned toward his oblivious lover, whose back was to them. His eyes briefly shot from the knife in his hand to Ludwig's back. I'm dreaming, aren't I? He looked back at his brother, who was signaling for him to do it. But the plan had never been real! What was Lovino thinking? This is some kind of nightmare.

He started to get angry. He turned back to Ludwig, reaching out to shake his shoulder. Lovino would stop this damned nonsense as soon as Ludwig was aware of his presence. Then Feliciano would interrogate his brother later, asking him what the hell was going on. His fingers brushed Ludwig's shoulder.

The plan had always been real.

Feliciano realized that the moment his brother's hand grabbed his own. The moment his brother's hand forced his own knife-wielding one forward. The moment he watched in horror as he was unable to stop his brother's momentum, unable to stop himself from driving the knife into Ludwig's back.

Straight into Ludwig's heart.

The plan had always been real. And he'd been too blind to see it. When he thought he'd become so much smarter and so much more observant, he'd missed the horrifying truth that had been in front of him for a month. The plan had always been in action. They had gained Ludwig's trust. They had wormed their way into his trusted circle of friends. They had stolen valuable top secret information. And then they had assassinated him.

That was the plan. And they had just completed it.

And Feliciano hadn't known until it was far too late.

So he watched as Ludwig's body hit the floor, already dead. He watched as the blood of the man he loved spread across the floor he'd been innocently sweeping an hour ago. He watched as the sunlight illuminated the greatest sin of his entire life. He watched as the reality of the situation hit him in the chest, as the hand of fate grabbed his fragile heart, ripped it from his chest, and crushed it into dust.

And he watched and watched as the seconds ticked by, waiting for the world to rewind itself, waiting for heavy eyelids to open into a new morning, waiting for something to tell him that this was all a lie. But nothing did. Because it wasn't. This was reality. This was the truth.

Feliciano had just let himself stab the man he loved more than anything in the back. Feliciano had let his own brother assassinate the most important thing in his life. Feliciano had just watched Ludwig die.

And Feliciano had just died with him.

Dro: And there you have it. The truth about parallel Germany's death.

Next Chapter: Parallel America and England, now reunited, put their plan to take down Russia into action. As the team starts to move in on Russia's home, completely unaware of the chess game he's carefully planned out, Germany and America are forced to make the decision that could cost them their lives.