Okay, i had something planned to write here yesterday, but fanfic wouldn't let me log on so...i forgot!~ XP Anyway, hope you like this chapter and please review! Make a tater happy ;)

I crunched through the heavy snow, feeling the air's frigid chill for the first time since I'd arrived here. With a small shiver, I pulled my thick coat closer to my body, willing myself not to glance back at the miniature mansion I'd left behind and trying not to picture the devastated look on Tino's face as he made his way into an empty kitchen. I promised myself it didn't matter how the Tino here in this dimension felt; only the Tino on the other side was important. It was just my conscience speaking to me, convincing me that I was heartless.

Pushing back rising guilt, I focused instead on which direction I was walking. It seemed I had naturally followed the direction the wind was blowing…unable to see the sun, I supposed this was the second best direction to walk.

"If we keep going this way, we're going to end up in the forest, and there're a lot worse things than me in there," Mathias said, as if responding to my thoughts.

Truthfully, I had nearly forgotten he was there, he'd been so quiet. Very un-Mathias-like. Sighing, I grumbled, "Don't tell me that's where Snow White lives with her dwarves."

"Huh? Who's Snow White?" He cocked his head to the side slightly. Then, as if realizing something awful, his face grew strangely serious. "Is she…your girlfriend from the other dimension?"

Voicing my disgust, I rolled my eyes and shoved my hands into the pockets of my jacket, turning back around to find that the horizon was no longer just snow-covered hills. Instead, there seemed to be a large amount of dark, scary, fog-coated trees. I stared in disbelief, wondering what other cliché my mind was going to come up with. Would there be some ridiculous villain chasing after us, determined to steal Mathias's blood after it had been mixed with the heart of God? Maybe a vicious sword battle to end that dispute? Would we get the girl in the end and become the princes of some distant land?

Lost in my own mind, I didn't realize Mathias had made his way in front of me until I collided with him.

I straightened myself silently, looking up to see that his face was dark, menacing. "What are you doing?" I asked, irritated. "We've got to get away quickly."

Roughly, he grabbed my shoulders. Then his expression shifted to something…gentler that reminded me much more of the real Mathias. "King Lukas, I can't allow you to go into that forest. I'm afraid…I'm afraid that if we go through there, you may never get to go home. What happens if you die here? You will never see your precious Earth again. As fake as you believe this dimension is, death will always be real."

I looked away, unnerved by his soft tone. "That's the way I think we should go."

"I know where your mother's palace is." Slowly, he released his hold on me.

I glared at him, growling, "No, you don't. Erick already told me that I'm the only one who can see my mother, and that we can find the castle by mixing blood and love."

Something flickered darkly in his eyes. "Of course I meant I know a shortcut that won't take us through those woods. We'll still be going the same direction and it'll be way faster to the village."

I could feel the strange aura building between us, but I wasn't about to give in. "Don't be ridiculous. There's nothing wrong with this forest except it's from every fairytale I've ever encountered. I don't believe there's anything in there more dangerous than Bambi."

"You don't know this place like I do!" he snarled, his voice rising furiously. Then, as if realizing he'd lost it, he sucked in a deep breath of air and looked away. "Please…" he said in a muted voice. "It will cut down our time by a lot and will be much less dangerous for you."

"Maybe I don't care if it's dangerous. After all, I have you to protect me, don't I?" I realized right as the words slipped out of my mouth that he would take that the wrong way.

Clearly pleased by my "flirting," Mathias took my hand in his. "Of course you have me!"

Ripping my hand out of his, I glared at him. Through gritted teeth, I asked, "So then we can go through the forest…?"

"Nope!" he said, taking my hand again and pulling me towards his so called shortcut.

I attempted to yank away again, but this time his grip was true. Instead, I just spat, "Fine, we can take the shortcut, but you WILL let go of my hand."

"Y'know…" With a smile, he gripped me even tighter, squishing my fingers together painfully. "I don't think I will!"

Surprised by his disobedience, I pretended to be sulking and instead focused on quietly analyzing ways to disarm the bastard. I just needed to find the right pressure point…with 385 to choose from, I doubted it would be difficult to ruin him in a matter of seconds. Locating the closest one, I drew my hand back to punch him…but I never got that far. As if sensing what I'd been about to do, Mathias had adjusted his axe so that it covered the exact spot I'd been focusing on.

He glanced over his shoulder with an aggravatingly egotistical smirk. "Would you like to ride on my back, King Lukas? Are you getting tired?"

"Don't talk down to me," I told him, wishing I was home.

Acting as if he hadn't heard me at all, I found myself being tossed into the air and onto Mathias's broad back. "Are you comfy, Your Highness?" I could hear the laughter in his voice. "You better hold on tight so you don't fall!"

"Put me down." I could feel my control slipping, my patience stretched microscopically thin.

"Lukas, you're so cute, kind of like a girl, but much more beautiful," he continued, irking me further.

"Don't call me beautiful. No man wants to hear that," I informed him, but my face was heating up.

He chuckled. "But you are beautiful, man or not! Every time I see you, my heart starts throbbing and I feel all tingly…I guess that's what it feel like to love someone."

Had he…just confessed his love for me? "I've only been here one night," I pointed out, trying to ignore my own heart's reaction to him.

"Maybe, but I knew that I wanted to be with you from the first time I saw you. And don't forget that you've been here before, Lukas. That's when I really got to know you. I was surprised that you came back to visit! I was sure the last time we'd said goodbye, you'd never be coming back."

I stayed silent, gazing up at the sky, wondering why I couldn't seem to recall my first experience here. How long ago had it been? How long had that visit lasted? Had I gotten home then the same way I was getting home now? It bothered me that I couldn't remember a whole section of my own life.

"So…when you get home, what're you going to do?" Mathias asked, breaking my thought process. "I mean, are you going to at least visit sometimes?"

I could feel the weight associated with this question, that my answer was incredibly important to him. "I don't know how I ended up here to begin with," I told him honestly. "If I must be poisoned by my father every time I feel like seeing this world, then I won't be returning."

He let my answer sink in, before quietly muttering, "You really don't ever want to come back. It's obvious that you think this world is just a cheap copy of your own home, the people you come across here unimportant. But you don't realize that we aren't just copies. In our minds, we are the originals. We are individuals. There's no one else like me in the world, anywhere. Wouldn't you like to feel that way? That you're special? Doesn't everybody feel like they're the most important them?"

"You're developing a Mathias complex. What exactly are you trying to prove by telling me this?"

He gave a huff. "Well, I'm just thinking maybe you should stay here where you're free from your father's abuses, you own a whole land, and you have people who love you."

"I have people who love me at home," I murmured, though I was uncertain.

He had no trouble picking up on my infinitesimal insecurity. "But you already know I love you! And I'd take care of you forever, here! Will your little lap dog Mathias do that for you? Plus, you have Tino, Berwald, and Erick! It's your utopia! Why would you ever want to leave it?"

"Because this isn't a utopia. Utopia's don't exist. I believe I'm experiencing this just so that I can learn the lesson that I can never have everything that I desire. Or possibly that everything I desire in one place is really an awful scenario."

When Mathias spoke again, I could tell I had hurt him. "I…suppose you really think that way, don't you? Analytical and judgmental about everything." He gave a cold laugh. "Do you believe there's a higher power watching over us?"

"Possibly…but I find that doubtful. If there is, though, I'm guessing they feel that torturing the human race just to teach us a lesson is highly amusing."

"But you were an angel when you came here, weren't you?" Mathias pointed out.

I remembered my image in the mirror, the shock of it all just a strange memory now. It was a good point. "That's true."

A heavy silence fell over us as Mathias continued through the endless fields of thick snow, the mountains looming menacingly in the distance. The dark forest we had come upon was a thing of the past now. In fact, it almost seemed like Mathias was headed toward the mountains on purpose…to avoid going anywhere near the woods. I tried to compare the danger of what had been in there to the danger we were going to face hiking on the mountains in the midst of an ever-constant Norwegian blizzard.

The wind speed had definitely picked up, the temperature falling steadily. I was surprised to find myself shivering, despite the combined heat of Mathias and my coat keeping me warm. I had been sure that I was all but immune to the cold, growing up in a place where the winters were so harsh. Closing my eyes, I imagined a heated summer, one where the temperature was above normal. Instead of staring into an icy reflection in the pond, I was playing in the frigid water, keeping cool in the shocking heat. I was young again, not more than five, and my mom was playing with me, splashing Erick and I as we squealed happily, the sun's intense rays bouncing all around us…

But I was still cold.

Opening my eyes again, I could see the snowfall had intensified even further while I'd drifted in my memories. Mathias was humming underneath me, maybe trying to entertain himself while he dragged me through the horrid conditions, yet he seemed unaffected by the freeze. He didn't even seem to realize I was shivering.

Determined to not seem weak, I did the best I could to remain still and asked quietly, breaking our long silence, "Will Tino and Berwald follow us this far?"

"You're worried about them following us? Nah, I doubt Berwald would ever let Tino up here. I swear, he's way too protective! I mean, they're cousins, right? Why are they in love with each other?! It's just a little creepy."

"How are you not cold?" I wondered, changing the subject.

Surprised, he stopped walking and glanced back at me. "Why, are you? I know that mountains are supposed to be really cold and stuff, but I've never been good at judging temperature…I pretty much stay the constant temperature of 109 degrees." His eyebrows came together, a line of worry forming between them. "If we don't stop, we get out quicker, but your lips are really blue…okay, don't worry, Your Majesty, I'll take care of you."

Perturbed, I gave him a quick grimace, but didn't argue when he set me gently back on my feet and promptly began digging into a massive snowdrift, hacking away at the tiny ice crystals savagely with his axe. I meandered over to him, peering over his shoulder into the cavern he was creating, and remembered suddenly that the best way to escape the frigid, dangerous blizzards in any place was to create a sort of snow cave until the heaviest of the snow ceased. So, despite his lacking the ability to assess the temperature, he had learned all the basics of human survival.

Strange, seeing as he wasn't really human.

I couldn't help but gaze at Mathias as he worked, his shoulder's set in determination, his eyes alight with a deep blue fire…it was all for me, I knew, and yet there was still the desperate desire for me to hate him. However, with the same physical makeup, nearly the same personality, and same ethics as the other Mathias, it was hard to feel anything but warmth when he came to mind. Though it was highly unlikely that I would ever admit such an idiotic thing to such an idiotic guy. It would go right to his big head.

And yet, in the same way, he wasn't Mathias. This was a demon, a dangerous denizen of Hell. My Mathias was simply a well-trained bodyguard.

Putting the last touches on the den, the Danish man turned to look at me, an unbelievably stupid smile on his face. He gestured inside and told me, "Welcome to your palace, My King."

Ignoring him, I strutted inside, only to find that this "palace" he spoke of, was nothing more than a tiny hole, which he apparently intended for us to share. Squeezing in after me, he pushed more snow in front of the entrance and sat down, cradling me carelessly up against his heated body and glancing down at my furious expression with a sly smile. "Just relax a little, we're going to be here for the whole night! Might as well get comfortable!"

Unable to think of anything to say, I just tensed further, shoving my elbow roughly into his ribs.

He grunted, but it sounded more like a laugh than anything. "Hey, hey, no need to be so savage…I'm not gonna do anything!"

"Uh huh," I grumbled, unconvinced. "Next you're going to tell me that you didn't make this hole so small on purpose."

"Why, whatever do you mean, Highness?"

I sighed, scooting as far away as possible, closing my eyes and leaning on an ice wall. If I could sleep, I wouldn't have to deal with this imbecile's all too obvious advances. Yet even after a few minutes of attempting to relax, I seemed to be able to think of nothing but the sound of Mathias's gentle breathing in the darkness as he drifted off.

Outside, I could hear the fierce wind roaring, a dangerous storming brewing behind the den's thin snow wall. I shivered again gently, but I could definitely feel myself thawing out as Mathias's body heat enveloped me in the enclosed area. Even when he was asleep, he was protecting me, whether he realized it or not. In resignation, I shimmied back over to him and collapsed beside his unconscious body, letting his gentle warmth slowly lull me into a light, fitful sleep.

"Lukas! Lukas, please wake up!"

My eyes flickered half-open as I registered the sound of Mathias calling out to me. "What?" I grumbled, reaching out to pull my pillow over my face.

Instead, I found myself grabbing onto a long, dark cloak. "Lukas, you need to open your eyes," Mathias demanded.

Why couldn't this jerk just let me sleep? I felt lethargy weigh heavily on my body, the will to find out what Mathias needed dwindling slowly. He could wait just a few more minutes, right? He would wake me up later…Slowly, my lids slipped shut again.

"King Lukas!" Mathias yelled, grabbing onto my shoulders and hauling me into a painful sitting position. "Open your eyes! Now!"

Sucking in a shallow breath, I forced my eyes all the way open, only to realize I was still in completely darkness. What had happened to me? Was I blind? "Mathias," I murmured, finding that my voice was no more than a hoarse whisper. "I can't see."

With an impatient tongue click, a light suddenly flickered on. Mystified, I stared uncomprehendingly at the ball of fire flickering inside of Mathias's partially closed palm. His face was shadowed strangely, his eyes a weird rusty blood color. "Lukas, do you know where you are? Ugh…this is all my fault!" I was surprised to hear the utter remorse that colored his tone, the tangible regret that came with his words.

"What's…your fault?" I rambled, my mouth heavy.

"I should've never fallen asleep…" He ran his free hand through his hair before setting his shoulders again. "Well, it's too late to think about it now…Lukas, this is going to sound really weird, but…I need to remove your clothes."

Almost instantly, I was alert again. "Don't even think about it," I spat at him, though my voice was still slightly out of it.

Grunting in frustration, Mathias pulled me closer to him. "Listen," he said slowly, whispering into my ear. "You're sick, so I just need you to do what I say, okay? I'm trying to save you."

"More like you're trying to take advantage of me. And I know I'm sick, my father poisoned me…but I don't see why that means you should take off my clothes."

For a moment, he seemed stunned into silence, but he quickly recovered. "You don't even realize where you are, do you?"

"Idiot, of course I know where I am. I'm in my room, recovering from the poison my father gave me instead of my vitamins," I told him, wondering why he was acting so dense.

"Look around!" Mathias shouted, grabbing my head and turning it. "Does this look like your room to you?!"

For the first time since I'd woken, I looked around, my neck stiff and frozen. "No," I admitted. "Where are we?"

With an infuriated shake of his head, his crimson eyes burning, Mathias yanked off my clothes, followed by his. Eyes wide, I stared in disbelief as he encased my frozen, naked body with his own fiery one, transferring his heat slowly into my bare skin. The longer he held me, the more aware I became, my situation finally coming back to me. By the time my mind was functioning fully again, I could no longer find a voice to protest Mathias holding me.

The contours of his body fit mine surprisingly well, our breathing synced as we lay there. I couldn't help wondering if this was what it would feel like to be held by the other Mathias…My mind drifting again, I almost didn't hear the quiet padding of footsteps outside our cavern. In fact, I was sure I was imagining it until Mathias sucked in a ragged breath, his body tensing as we were suddenly bathed in a blinding light, the covering to our hole brushed away.

Too shocked to move, I found myself staring into the slightly amused eyes of my brother, wondering absently what he was thinking as he absorbed the scene before him.

Of course, he'd never been the kind to keep his mouth shut.

"Well, that's an inventive way to keep warm during a snowstorm. I prefer a coat myself."