MW: Don't panic, but I think I'm updating.
… Yeah, I'm updating.
Sorry for the really long wait everybody. A lot has happened since the last AN. AP classes are piling work, I have a lead in my school's play, I'm a copy editor of my school's newspaper, and I am pretty much leading my school's improv team. Fun. Some other things happened recently too like my sister went off to college so I got the room to myself.
So this is the second to last chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. Quick shout out to PurpleDiamondDevil, PurpleLuna98, That One Person Who Writes, Sarah I LOVE ENGLAND Fanfics, Devin Trinidad, elizabeta H. Austria, FrostyTheBookLover, HimekoUchia, dismallyOriented, Defenestration, and Immortal Suicide42 for reviewing. You guys rock my socks!
Chapter Summary: So Larry is back in the real world and he wants answers.
Warnings: Strong language, sexual themes, death, violence, blood, and yaoi.
Disclaimer: Sherry, Larry, and the rest of the OCs are mine. Himaruya owns everyone else.
~Chapter 14~
A Conversation With the Devil
"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig, you get dirty; and besides, the pig likes it."
-George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics
The Real World: Wednesday
My heart jumped and refused to fall down again. In the bright, florescent lighting I could clearly see that gleam in Sherry's eyes. She looked so guilty- the way she looked at me as she unconsciously played with the edge of her jean skirt. Her mouth was slightly opened, as if she just wanted to spill the truth right there and then. I closed my eyes, lowering my head.
Deep inside, even without her saying the words aloud, I knew what she was going to say. Deep, deep down, I knew the undeniable truth. I shook my head. "That couldn't be right," I told myself sternly. "I did my side of the contract. Gilbert drank the vial. She has to be alive." I took a deep breath. That's right. She's alive. She's okay.
Stella is fine.
Wearing my confidence on my sleeve, I looked up at Sherry again.
Everything shattered.
Two streams of tears were falling from Sherry's eyes. They traveled down her cheeks, making the puffy redness of her face more prominent. The ache in my chest increased as she took my hands in her, lowering her face to them as she shook her head. I swallowed. "T-that's not right," I said softly. I shook my head. "No, no, no- that can't be right. I gave Gilbert the vial. I did everything they wanted me to."
A sob left her throat as she lowered her face more. I thought that she wasn't going to be able to speak, but as she continued to shake her head, she croaked out the two damning words: "I-I'm sorry."
I ripped my hands away and, in an instant, was on my feet. I stood in front of Bella and Sherry, realizing that tears were blurring my eyes and but quite aware of them yet. My sister stared at me with eyes so wide it looked as though she had just seen death itself. "That's impossible!" I yelled, never flinching when Bella curled up into herself and stared blankly ahead. "I did everything I was supposed to! I completed Himaruya's contract-"
"Himaruya?"
I paused. Sherry's look was pure loathing, a wave of sweat appearing on her forehead. Her eyes were sunk into her skull, blazing with the haunted look of a girl who screamed in her dreams. Trepidation consumed her body, making her hands shake uncontrollably. Something looked like it wanted to leave her mouth, but she couldn't bring herself to speak. She looked at me with a kind of horror, like I was the monster she was trying to run away from.
My head reeled with the reality of the situation.
Stella was dead.
I stumbled back, placing a hand on my head.
Out.
I had to get out of there. The air inside of the hospital was making me choke. No matter how many times I gasped and wheezed for the delicious breath I so desperately needed, it escaped me. My eyes darted around the room. I saw the glass, automatic sliding doors. The rain was still pouring outside, coming down in harsh falls. Without another word, I ran for it.
I ignored Sherry as she shouted at me, only rejoicing when I reached the outside parking lot. The cold rain drenched me in seconds, cooling off my hot skin as I ran through the parking lot and to the edge of the sidewalk, My toes barely touched the rushing midday traffic. The few people who dared to breach the outside world stared at me oddly as I stood in the middle of their path, lifting my face up to the rain. Everything from my plaid shorts to my black jacket was drenched in the soothing liquid. For a moment, I simply let the rain wash away everything that had happened to me in Hetalia.
I let it erase the existence of Alfred.
I forgot about The Romanov and everything that happened there.
I banished the thought of Lars and Antonio and Gilbert from my mind.
I let the rain wash away everything and anything that could cause me more pain than I already had. Yet no matter how long I stood there, I couldn't erase the fact that Stella was dead. And it was all my fault. I bowed my head low, ensnaring my fingers into my orange locks. If Liechtenstein was here, she would have wrapped her arms around my shoulders and told me otherwise. My tears were warm as they traveled down my face. "Liech, are you there?" I asked, practically on my knees begging. "Please- I need your help."
She didn't reply. She wasn't there.
Why did I still feel like there was someone else inside my head?
I pulled at my hair, cursing everything about me. Great, now I was being delusional. Get a hold of yourself- you're in the real world now, Larry. Here, people like Liechtenstein and Gilbert do not exist outside of fiction. Here, nothing that happened on The Romanov matters.
I felt a pang in my chest. That's right- nothing I did matter. It was all inevitable in the end. No matter what, that car crash really was going to kill Stella. I was foolish to believe that anything I ever did was going to change that. I really was stupid. I was stupid for loving her, for being her friend, for being insensitive, for never telling her how I felt.
I groaned, stomping my foot on the ground. I wanted to hit something. I wanted to run into the traffic and get hit by a car. I looked before me. Countless cars zoomed before me, creating a blur of colors and noise. Tires squealed, engines roared, radios played. The sign said that the speed limit was forty-five. I knew that if I ran jumped right in front of a white truck, I was pretty much done for. True, there might still be a chance for me to live, but if I made sure that the bumper hit my head-
I shook my head. No, I shouldn't do that. Life was precious. I was just looking for an escape- an escape through pain. I looked to the left, down the street where Sherry and I drove down earlier. The hospital was about five miles from our house. If I ran, I could make it home in an hour or so. I adjusted my black coat. I've never ran that long before. My body hurt already- I might as well be a practicing masochist for even thinking about it.
I sprinted down the road.
A few people shouted as I shoved past them. My heart pounded in my ears, drowning out all other noise. I couldn't hear anything, not even my own mourning thoughts. It was good. I didn't want to think right now, I didn't want to be reminded of how badly everything turned out. I just wanted to embrace the strain in my legs and the burn in my lungs. The longer I ran, the worse it got. Still, I had to keep running. I had to run from it all. I had to evade my problems.
Slowly, the busy town streets faded away into a neighborhood. No one was outside- the rain had them cornered in their houses. It was just me and the burden I bore. I watched as Daisy Avenue, Mulberry Street, and Daffodil Lane all pasted in a quiet blurr. The only sound was my pounding feet as I ran past Juniper Park and Elementary School. I took a left at Pine Cone and Plum. Then I finally reached the tenth house down Lavender Lane.
I stood in the middle of the street. The soft yellow house was the same it always was. The curtains were closed. The old oak tree in the front still had the frayed tire-and-rope swing. The mailbox still has Sue written in obnoxious red cursive. Sherry's buggy sat in the driveway. And, to my confusion, Sherry herself sat on the front steps. She held her black umbrella over her head, protecting herself from the downpour. Her skirt was soaking, though, and water made her hair bound in limp strands.
The haunted look was still in her eyes- her gaze boring straight through me. I flinched. It hurt more than any of the wounds my adventures as Liechtenstein gave me. Panting heavily, I stayed in the middle of the street, watching Sherry as she slowly rose to her feet. "Can you come here?" she called. She was barely louder than the pelting rain. "We need to talk."
I didn't move. I simply stared at her.
"I'm sorry- I should have broken the news to you better," she said, clutching her umbrella closer to her chest. I couldn't ignore the painful plea in her voice. "And I should have ran after you but I couldn't leave Bella there by herself. So I'm sorry-"
I couldn't bear it any longer. "Why are you apologizing to me?" I demanded, walking up to the front steps. "You did nothing wrong. I'm the one at fault here." I only stopped when I was in front of her, looking down at bowed head.
Sherry bit her lip, shaking with an unspoken emotion. She whispered, "You were gone for two hours. I thought you hated me."
I sighed, "Why would I hate you?"
"Because this is all my fault." I took a step back. What? What did she mean by that? I was the one who messed up here, not her. I felt as though she was lying in order to make me feel better, but I wasn't sure. She refused to look up at me. She only grabbed her arm, trying to hold back her trembling as she explained, "If it wasn't for me, Himaruya never would have laid eyes on you. If only I-"
"You know Himaruya?"
Sherry's head snapped back up, her umbrella dropping from her hands. For a moment, we both looked at each other, different glints in our eyes. I could see in guilt in her irises, swirling around and around in a never ending cycle. I was sure that she could see the stunned shock in mine as well. But we also looked at each other with understanding. Deep, indescribable understanding. It felt as though I couldn't breathe. "What happened to you?" I asked faintly.
She sighed. "Let's go inside," she said, reaching down to pick up her umbrella. "It'll be easier in there." As she folded it shut, I reached out to stop her. I wanted to know now. I held myself back. It can wait. If what she went through was anything like me then this would be hard on her.
The house smelled pungently of freshly made sugar cookies. As I took off my soaking wet converse and coat in the foyer, I could see the white delicacies on a plate on the island. I scanned the living room and kitchen- both dark. "Where's Jerry?" I asked, hanging my jacket up in the closet.
Sherry shrugged, peeling away her drenched socks. "He was with Mom when they arrived at the hospital," she said. "It's just you and me." She looked at my clothes. "I'll go get you a towel." It was like she was running away from me, her bare feet patting on the wood floors as she fled to the guest bathroom.
I was left alone in the foyer, dripping wet with water, sweat, and tears. I leaned against the front door, closing my eyes and taking a long breath. I thought that I would never come back here. I missed this place so much, I missed my family, my friends, my-
"Larry, what are you doing in my house?" Stella asked, giving me the softest of smiles as I continued to make little rice balls in my hands. "And so early in the morning too."
I clutched my chest, slipping down to the floor when my knees gave out. I gritted my teeth together, trying my hardest to keep my tears away.
Stella.
My dear Stella.
"Here." I snapped my head up just as Sherry was emerging back into view. She had a white towel wrapped around her head, drying up her hair. Another was draped around her like a cape. My own towel was folded up and tucked under her arm. I was smart enough to scramble to my feet and wipe away my tears before she could notice. If she knew how much I was breaking right now, I might never get the answers I needed from her. Sherry gave me my towel, watching me as I quickly dried myself off as much as I could before wrapping it around myself. I pressed my face into the fabric.
It smelled like the fake floral scent all laundry detergents had.
I followed Sherry like a lost puppy to the island and seated myself at the stool. She stood across from me. A dim gray light filtered in through the glass doors, making the world seem black and white. I watched uncomfortably as my sister placed her elbows on the counter, pressing her face into her hands. She was struggling- that much I could tell. She was treading water and was barely able to keep her head above the surface. She looked like she wanted to tell me flat out everything that happened to her, but she couldn't find the right place to begin.
I picked at my towel, unable to look at her. What should I say? I looked around me, remembering how the last time I was in this kitchen I so cruelly taunted her for things she had no control over. My eyes went wide as it suddenly dawned on me. I turned back to her, carefully choosing the right words to say. "Sherry, what are your nightmares about?"
She dropped her hands, keeping her face low as she shook her head. "Depends," she said softly. "Sometimes it's flashbacks of the terrible things I did. Sometimes it's him, dead. Sometimes it's Seychelles. But it's always Sadiq getting hurt because of me."
Seychelles. That Red Coat girl that we held captive for a while was involved with Sherry. I wasn't sure who this Sadiq guy was, but the regretful look in her eyes was enough to tell me that he meant a lot to her. Sherry took a deep breath, forcing herself to continue. "It was really stupid of me, Larry. I was just starting to think that I was finally safe. It happened three years ago so I thought that he really was gone for good."
"What happened?" I asked, inching closer to the counter. "What happened to you?" I was pushing it, I know. But I needed the answers. I had to know exactly what was going on. "What contract did you make?"
"I wasn't the one to make the contract," she told me. Sherry idly reached out and took a cookie off of the plate. I followed her lead, trying to appear natural as I took it in my hands. She nibbled a bit on the edge, sighing again as she explained, "The person with the contract was Sadiq. I was simply the bystander that got dragged into it. Really, I kinda just woke up one morning to discover that I was in Seychelles's body and that I couldn't leave until the contract was up."
I opened my mouth, ready to demand more from her- like who was Sadiq and what was his contract? -but I held it in. She looked like she was in so much pain already. I didn't want to rub the salt into her wounds. I took a large bite on my cookie in some vain attempt to gag myself. Sherry sighed, pushing the towel off of her head in order to run her hands through her hair. "I was really irresponsible about it, you know? I knew what I had to do yet I insisted on doing the opposite of it. I nearly killed Sadiq. He's my best friend and yet I nearly killed him."
I couldn't stand it anymore- I had to know who Sadiq was. "Sh-" I gagged, clutching my throat as I coughed up a huge chunk of cookie.
Sherry immediately ran around the counter, lunging to my side. "Are you alright, Lar?" She demanded frantically, clutching my face as I coughed a bit more. I gasped, hissing in pain. What the hell? I forgot I had the cookie in my mouth. I couldn't even taste it.
I looked down at the cookie with wonder. I couldn't even taste it. . .
Sherry dropped her hands, backing away from my slowly as she looked at me with horror. "Oh my God, it's him," she whispered, bumping into the fridge door. I ignored her as she started to hyperventilate, twisting and twirling and tangling her fingers through her hair. "He wouldn't let me tell you. He wouldn't let me-" Tears fell down her face. She gasped for air. "He's back. Himaruya's really back. Oh God . . ." She shook her head fiercely, trying to rid herself of the damnable thought as she repeated the two words over and over again. "Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God. . ."
I, meanwhile, was stuck in my own head. I couldn't muse enough over the oddity of my situation. I choked on a cookie because I forgot it was in my mouth. I forgot it was in my mouth because I couldn't taste it. Why couldn't I taste it?
I raised my head, eyes widening as it dawned on me.
Sherry sniffled, suppressing a sob as she started to shake. "This is all my fault," she cried to herself. The towel around her shoulders fell lifelessly to the ground, barely making a noise. "Oh God- I should have just stayed silent. Now Himaruya's going after you and it's all my fault- I never should have told you anything. I should have just listened and kept silent-"
"Liar."
Sherry paused. Slowly- very slowly -she looked at me, stunned. My sister was silent for the long moment it took me to slide off of my stool, my towel falling to the floor, with a cynical glare in my eyes. When she spoke, it was in a weak whisper. "What?"
I grimaced, slowly walking towards her. She pushed herself closer to the fridge. Her face was painted into a huge gape with beads of sweat dripping down her forehead. In the dark of the kitchen, I waved my half-eaten cookie in front of her face. "Sugar cookies have a very strong taste, but I can't taste anything," I said, evenly cold and dangerous. I stopped just a few feet from her, leaning into her face to hiss, "And didn't you tell me yourself that you can't taste anything in dreams?"
A new wave of tears fell from her eyes. "So you don't believe me?" She asked. She looked like a lost and defenseless child, one whose hopes I harshly crushed. I raised my chin. I knew I was right. "Have I really . . ."
"Who are you?"
She stopped shaking then. She stopped crying. She stopped sweating. For a moment, she simply pressed herself close to the fridge, staring at me blankly. Something in her face unnerved me, making my feet want to fidget. I held it in, determined not to lose my intimidating air. I was right, I knew it- this was all just a dream. Stella was alive in the real world and the Sherry before me was telling me nothing but lies.
A hollow laugh pierced through the air. "How comical." My limbs froze up as a Sherry coolly brushed my hand away, saying, "Everything was going perfectly until a simple cookie got in the way. And to think they said that your despair would blind you of the flaws of dreams."
I stared at her, unable to move. This person had my sister's body- I knew that, yet she looked so different from her. There was something about the way she smirked at me with narrowed, challenging eyes. I forced myself to stand tall and return the look. "Who are you?" I demanded again.
She crossed her arms over her chest. "Do you really need to ask me?" she said, now leaning against the fridge casually. "I think that if you put enough thought into it, you can figure it out yourself."
I could? My eyes glided over her frame, trying to understand what she meant. I knew already? But when I had I ever met someone who- oh wow, I am an idiot.
"You're Agatha," I said.
Agatha smiled, clapping her hands slowly. "Bravo, Larry," She said, dragging out each syllable humoredly. "And on your first guess too. You really are smarter than that girl."
I gritted my teeth. "Who's that?"
"I think you know that already," she said as she winked cutely. I didn't like it. I didn't like the way Agatha held my sister's body. I didn't like how she can switch from looking sinister to being an average teenage girl in a matter of seconds. I didn't like it. It made me feel sick. Agatha took a step forward. "But enough of that," she said firmly, changing back into that vile demeanor. "There's other matters I must attend to."
I raised my brow, taking a cautious step back. "And what's that?"
She shrugged. "Distracting you, but there's not much fun in that, right?"
"Distracting me from-"
She clamped her hands around my neck, pushing me back into the island. Whatever break I had left was knocked out of my lungs from the sharp pain of the counter edge banging into my back. Agatha strangled the rest of my breath out of me, sneering as I tried to push her away. I knew that I was stronger than her, yet no matter how much I kicked or punched or clawed she refused to relent.
For a second, I thought that the reason the edges of my vision went black was because of the lack of air. Wasn't that the reason why everything was so blurry already? But then two familiar voices called out and the next thing I knew, the air was rushing back to me. I coughed, feeling myself be dragged into someone's chest as everything in my head cleared up. I was saved, I realized. And the people who saved me from her were no other than the owners of the two most glorious pairs of green eyes I had ever seen.
"Are you alright, Larry?" Antonio asked, brushing some of my hair out of my face. He was, for some reason, wearing the white suit that Alfred and Roderich were known for, yet it didn't make him appear intimidating. In fact, it made him look like the angel rescuer he was. "Are you hurt anywhere?"
I groaned, placing a hand on my forehead. "Jesus Christ, Antonio- I was just strangled!" I exclaimed hoarsely. "Do you really think I'm okay?"
He chuckled, holding me a bit closer to his chest. "I'm glad. I was a bit worried that you wouldn't be able to escape that siren's clutches, but you broke the mirage yourself just fine."
I scowled. "And whose fault was it that I got stuck there in the first place?" I demanded as I tried to sit up. All around me was the black expanse of the void, stretching out for miles on end. Great, I was back in limbo. Was I ever going to get home?
He only held me closer. A sheepish grin painted his face as he laughed nervously. "Sorry about that," he said. I bit my lip, trying not to scream out as he buried his face into my shoulder. "Roderich and Alfred caught me off guard there. I hope you can forgive me for not helping you."
I rolled my eyes. "Okay, fine," I said hastily. "I forgive you, now-" I pulled myself away, pushing him back as I tried to peel his arms away. "Would you let me go already?"
"But I waited so long to hold you like this!"
"I swear to God, Antonio!"
A sharp whistle broke through the air, causing me to freeze mid-punch. We both stared at Liechtenstein as she easily pinned Agatha down with some expert martial art hold. I didn't know whether I should be more amazed that my sister's look-a-like followed me here or that Liechtenstein could contain her with one hand. Said girl took her fingers out of her mouth and gave us a fake, pleasant smile. She said, "Sorry to interrupt your flirting, boys, but I'm holding a very dangerous person in my hands and I would like to know what I should do."
Antonio sighed, finally dropping me out of his arms. I landed on the black ground, grumbling as I brought myself back to my feet. I watched as he bent down onto one knee, discerning Agatha coldly. "I'm glad you've decided to show your true colors, Agatha," he said evenly. "I was starting to believe that my brothers forgot about you."
I knitted my brows, trying not to look as surprised as I was. All this time, Agatha was due to Alfred and Roderich? I placed my hands on the sides of my head, rubbing my temples. All this time, I was being played. I knew that there was a something off about her, but for it to be this . . .
Agatha raised her head a little, baring her teeth. "My purpose here is not to let you taunt me, Aluino," she growled.
He raised a brow. "Then what is it?"
"I'm here to tell you that Himaruya requests that the three of you go to him immediately."
Liechtenstein shot her gaze to the man, silently begging him to refuse. I felt the same. My mouth was just itching to tell him to forget it, but I bit my tongue. There was something bigger going on right now- Lars and Mathias made it plain enough. For some reason, I was part of this bigger plan. It killed me to think that I had no idea what it was. Wouldn't Brutus want to know he was a puppet of Shakespeare's control?
Antonio bit his lip, pondering his options. By the way he glanced between Liech and I, it was evident that he didn't want to bring us, but he knew that he had no choice. At last, he lowered his head and sighed. "I'm sorry guys, but she's right," he said, slowly rising to his feet.
Liechtenstein only tightened her grip, saying, "You can't be serious. Why should we even listen to her?"
Antonio frowned, giving her a sharp look. "Because even though we're 'safe', Lars and Mathias are not." He turned half way, standing perpendicular between her and me. "We still have a chance of saving her, but in order to do so we have to go to Himaruya."
I shook my head. "It could be a trap."
"It probably is." A sick feeling developed in my gut. Hey, Antonio. You're supposed to ease my worries, not strengthen them. "If there is one thing the true creator has taught me, it's that Himaruya weaves webs- webs of lies and Faustian promises. It's nearly impossible to predict what he's planning or what his motive may be. But that's why we have to go against him now. We're the only ones who are capable right now to oppose him. Even if we fail, we have to try."
"You make it sound like we're not the first," Liechtenstein said. She hesitantly looked down at Agatha and frowned at her bored visage. "But are we really the only ones who can do this right now?"
Antonio nodded. "The first time wouldn't be for centuries." We were silent for a long, thoughtful moment. Even if his words contradicted themselves, Liech and I both knew that he was right. We were the only ones who could stop Himaruya. This was our responsibility. We both nodded, reluctant to take up that cross. Who would want to do something like this? Antonio smiled just the tiniest bit, motioning for us to move, saying, "Alright. Liech, get off of Agatha. She's going to lead us to the false creator."
As Liechtenstein reluctantly got off her and pulled her to her feet, Agatha flashed her fangs. "Why do you need me to guide you, Aluino?" She demanded sharply, fighting against Liech as she held her hands behind her back. "You know where it is."
"Well how else am I going to explain your presence here?"
Agatha's faced dropped. She glared at him for a moment longer before finally resigning. "The Room's that way." She jerked her head to the right. "Just keep walking straight and we'll reach it."
I gave her an odd look. "What's the Room?" I asked, trotting up to Antonio. I remembered Lars telling me that he used to wake up in a white room, but I wasn't sure if it was the same place. He looked down at me, giving me a warm smile and ruffling my hair. I scowled, brushing his hand away. "I'm not a dog, Antonio. I wasn't asking for attention."
He laughed, already leading us down our path. "That's a cute idea," he said, burying his hands into his white pockets. "It's like a cat has fallen in love with the dog."
A thorough mixture of embarrassment and anger flushed on my face. "Jesus Christ- would you stop that?" I demanded testily. "I'm not gay!"
He sighed wistfully. "Thus is our tragic love story." I groaned, efficiently smacking my forehead. He laughed again, lightly patting my back. "No worries, I know that this is one sided," he told me calmly. He looked down, kicking the ground with the scruff of his shoe. "I just like to pretend that it's not."
I continued to avert my gaze, not even looking up when he adjusted my path of travel. Have to stay in a straight line now. I didn't say anything either. His words were gnawing on the corners of my mind, leaving a pit in my stomach. "Pitiful," I told myself. Antonio was a pitiful person. "Yet . . ." For some reason, one I didn't know, I admired him for it. That kind of perseverance was unknown to me. If Stella told me that she was a lesbian, how quickly would I have given up on her?
"So Liech, you've been kind of quiet," Agatha said, craning her head to look back at the blond. "Don't get me wrong or anything, but you're kind of acting like Switzerland right now. Aren't you usually sweet and kind?"
Liechtenstein sighed and rolled her eyes. "Right. Like I'm going to be sweet and kind to the person who was choking my friend and is on the side of the people who threaten me, my friends, and attacked my boyfriend." I cracked a smile, chuckling as I gave her an approving look. She returned it easily, giving me a smirk of victory.
"We're here."
With Antonio's command, we all stopped. I looked around. We were still in the Void. There was nothing but black all around us. Liechtenstein and I exchanged looks. "There's nothing here," I said. Jitters pricked in my bloodstream, making my legs jump and my palms sweat. Even if I didn't believe it, my body knew that the end was near.
Antonio smiled, pointing an informative finger towards the sky. "So you think. Here's the thing about doors, Larry." He reached out and clasped his hand around what I presumed was an invisible door knob. "They're everywhere. You just have to look." With that, he turned the knob and pushed forward.
A bright- white -light flooded into the Void.
I covered my eyes, shielding away the brilliance. Was Himaruya some sort of angel, shrouded in some glorious bright light or did the darkness of the Void make my eyes weak to the light? Before the light could even disappear, a shadow appeared in the doorway. I heard a man speak. "At last, my second son has arrived."
A chill seeped into my skin. For a second, I thought that I couldn't breathe. It only took Liechtenstein's surprised gasp to remind me that Agatha hadn't destroyed my lungs.
I took in a sharp breath and unveiled my eyes. They adjusted more quickly now- not a single splotch looming in my vision. Maybe it would have been better if those annoying dots were there. Maybe then, I wouldn't be confronted with this. "I also see that you brought dear Agatha back as well," Himaruya said, smirking cruelly at us.
Except, that wasn't Himaruya.
That was Estonia.
I felt my head spin. The quiet, socially awkward guy on the ship is Himaruya? How? Why would he be? Antonio raised his chin a little higher, saying, "Do not address me that way. My name is Antonio, the name the true creator endowed upon me. In that sense, you have no control over me any longer."
Himaruya laughed, prompting Roderich and Alfred to laugh as well. I couldn't see them. They were not in the doorway like this man was. He took a step back, extending his arm into a pure white room. "But please, do come in," he said. "The party cannot start without the guest of honor." He looked at me.
His icy blue eyes looked straight at me.
My back went erect and I took a small step back. I pushed my glasses a little higher up my nose. He was seeping with power. A kind of slimy, goo that infected whoever came too close. A gross contagion. If I got too close, I'll-
Antonio motioned for Liechtenstein to take Agatha inside before quickly leaning down to me. I could feel his hot breath on the rim of my ear as he quickly whispered, "He's terrifying, but he feeds off of fear. If you have no fear then he wouldn't get to you as easily." And with that, Antonio adjusted the ends of his white coat and walked inside.
I stood still. Have no fear? I couldn't just stop being afraid of that . . . monster. Heck, I hid my problems for the longest of time but I could never get rid of them completely. I looked at Himaruya. He was still at the doorway, still wearing that freaking smirk. "Are you coming, Larry?" he asked coolly. "This party is for you."
I made my resolve. I'll simply ignore it.
My fear, I mean.
"If there isn't a stripper, then I am going to be very disappointed," I said evenly, stuffing my hands into the pockets of my jacket. I also shrugged lightly as I walked past him, saying, "No party's complete without naked ladies." I saw him raise an eyebrow humoredly, but he said nothing. He still didn't lose his intimidating aura, but it was like I didn't care anymore. If I just kept up my act, nothing too bad was going to happen to me.
"Netherlands! Denmark!" Liechtenstein cried out before releasing Agatha and running to one of the room's corners. I took in the sight. The Room was fairly large, though the reflective, white walls and floor and ceiling made everything seem smaller. Everywhere I looked, I saw my own face, staring back at myself with large eyes. It was . . . unnerving. I gulped. Suck it up, Larry. It was just my reflection.
Lars and Matthias were against the farthest wall. They both sat stiffly in white chairs, wearing the starchy white clothes all of the other men seemed to be wearing. Alfred stood behind an excited Mathias's chair while Erwin kept his hand on a bowed-headed Lars. Liechtenstein ran towards both of the men, picking up her skirt as she exclaimed, "Oh my- are you both alright? Are you-"
Mathias shouted, "Step back, Liech! Or else-"
Alfred glided around his chair, stepping between the girl and the Dane. She stopped in her tracks right before she could hit his chest. Standing just a breath's length away, she raised her determined face up to the man. "You're in my way," she said calmly.
Alfred chuckled, lifting his hand into the air. A panic bolt flashed through my body as I temporarily lost my quelled visage. I ran over to them just as Alfred affectionately took a piece of her hair in his hands. I saw Liech seize up as he said, "You got a lot of balls, Liech. I don't like that."
I swatted his hand away, pushing my girl back as I sent him a dark glare. "Stay away from her," I growled harshly.
From behind him, a loud whoop echoed through the air. "Oh wow, Larry-boy!" Denmark called out, laughing a bit in his spot. "You're a ginger. I never would have thought of that!"
We ignored him. Alfred looked down at me with a hard face, though he had it within himself to smirk like his father. "You're adorable," he said. "You really think that you can go against me?"
"There's always a first, Al."
A loud click sound rang through the air, breaking our moment. I glanced back, seeing Himaruya finally close the door shut. Stuck. I was stuck in a room with four of the most villainous people I have ever met. True, one of them was currently struggling against Antonio's hold, but I didn't feel any better. "Back away, Bud," Himaruya ordered, walking elegantly to the middle of the room. "Did I not tell you that this is my stage now?"
Alfred grinned, gladly taking a step away. "Yes you did, Hima-pops. Sorry."
Himaruya nodded. "I know you are." He started to sit down, causing a white chair and table to appear like magic. Sitting with a straight back, he smoothed out his slacks. Everyone held their breath. He looked at and smiled at me. A shiver ran down my spine. "Now is the time to start. Please-" he extended a hand to the other side of the table, causing another chair to appear. "-take a seat, Larry."
I resisted a gulp. Just because the guy seemed to be able to control every object in this room does not mean that I should be afraid of him. I gripped my fist and looked around the room. Mathias's face seemed a little bit sadder. Meanwhile, Lars was finally looking up. He was a dead shade of white, giving me a pleading look. Don't do it. Liech could only look hesitant, sending my gaze towards Antonio. He didn't look happy about the predicament, but he seemed firm when he nodded. Sit down, Larry.
I took a deep breath. Humor the guy. That was all I had to do. I nudged Liech towards the other side of the room where the Spaniard stood before raising my chin and smirking. "Aren't you going to at least offer me some tea?" I asked calmly, taking my seat.
Roderich and Alfred seemed a bit stunned by my boldness, but their father only chuckled. "If that's what you want," he said and just like that, a plain white porcelain tea set complete with small cakes and sandwiches was sitting at the table. There was no knives or forks- things that I could use as a weapon.
I was stuck on what I should do. Something told me that I shouldn't trust any of the food that he was offering me, but that would be admitting fear, right? Delicately, I placed a tea bag in my cup and poured hot water into my cup. Himaruya watched me, playing with his tea bag idly. "Do you like sugar or cream with your tea, Larry?" he asked as I handed him the teapot.
"I like cream," I said. "But I'm not a big fan of sugar. I don't like it when people sweeten things for me."
He laughed heartily. The boom of his voice sent shivers down my spine, making me hold the sides of my cup tighter. "You are a very interesting character, Larry," he said. "More so than I originally suspected."
I brought the tea to my lips. It was surprisingly pretty good. "Is that a good thing?"
"For me, yes since you are, after all, merely a mistake."
I paused, raising a brow. "A mistake?" I asked, placing my cup gently back on the table.
Himaruya nodded, resting his elbow on the table. "Yes," he said. "Merely a mistake. Tell me: is it not peculiar how my dear Erwin was right at the hospital right when you were in need of my services?" I shrugged. Maybe Himaruya saw through my act since his smirk grew more defined. He traced his finger around the rim of his cup. "You may have guessed already that this was all planned from the start. However, you were not the original target. Your sister was."
I couldn't hide the surprise on my face. "Sherry?" I asked, my voice trembling with my worry and fear. "What does this have to do with her?"
It was his turn to give a shrug. "Revenge would be the simplest of answers. Your sister has been here before, in the future naturally, and played a key role in the bringing of my impending demise. Because of her I no longer have a body to dwell in during the twenty-first century, which is why I am here now: to secure a body for the future."
"So she was here?" I placed a hand on my head, leaning into the table. Her nightmares. Agatha was right when she said that they were caused by him. I snapped my head back up. Agatha. I looked at the reflective wall, double checking to make sure that Liechtenstein and Antonio were still holding her back. Antonio looked a bit worried for me, like I was doing something wrong.
In fact, I was.
I shot both he and an anxious Liechtenstein a confident grin before looking back to Himaruya. Smiling pleasantly, I plucked a small sandwich off of the platter. "Is that so? That seems a bit irresponsible. Going back in time and changing history, that is."
He could tell that I had an ace up my sleeve. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. "I suppose so, but this was never a historically accurate place to begin with," he explained. "Take, for example, the ages of dear Italy and Romano. At this time, they should still be little children, but they were teenagers here." I had to agree with him. When I met Romano, he was around my age. "And, of course, there is my sweet Turkey. At this time, everyone should be formally referring to him as the Ottoman Empire, but most call him Turkey. He would not become 'Turkey' formally until the twentieth century."
I nodded and nibbled on the bread. "Yeah, I know. But I'm still unconvinced that you're telling the truth."
"And why is that?"
"It's plain from your demeanor that you use fear and intimidation in order to victimize people like me. But as of yet, I've not been very fearful of you, so you're trying to invoke a fear based on my sister. Sherry has never been here."
He laughed. The atmosphere in the room dropped considerably as he laughed the hardest I've ever seen him. Even Roderich and Alfred looked uncomfortably between each other and their charges as he leaned over and banged his hand on the table. I didn't blink. I simply took another sip of my tea and tried to convince myself that I was not unnerved. When Himaruya finally calmed himself, he said, "You are such an interesting character, Larry. No matter how much fact you see, you insist on believing in a lie." He shook his head, pushing his glasses up his nose. "If you chose to think that way, so be it. I have no say in the matter."
I pressed my lips. I had to take direction of this conversation. I glanced over to Lars and Mathias. My mentor looked like he was on the edge, torn between rooting for me and wanting me out of here. His brother was smiling dumbly, trying to hide the scared look in his eyes. I had to direct the conversation over to them and somehow get Himaruya to release them. I took a few more sips of my tea. How? What would I, as an author, do to prompt the bad guy into discussing everything?
I wrapped my hands around my cup and sighed. "Look, can you just tell me what the frack you're planning already?" I asked testily. I never really skidded around the subject in my writings.
I heard Antonio choke while Alfred and Mathias laughed. Himaruya himself shook his head, looking slightly humored. "So you haven't figured it out already?"
"Obviously."
He leaned back in his chair, drumming his fingers on the table. "I might as well, considering that you asked me so nicely." I tried not to be bothered by his tone. "As I said before, due to your sister I no longer have a body in the future. My intent here is to make sure that I have one to switch to when the time comes. Can you guess whose body that might be?" I looked over to Mathias and Lars, but only received a irritating laugh. "That is a nice guess, but you are wrong," he told me cruelly. "I'll give you a hint-" He coughed into his fist. "-I am awesome."
Liechtenstein gasped and my eyes went wide. Just then he sounded just like Gilbert. If I hadn't watched his thin lips move with the words, I would have never believed that he said them. Just like when Estonia woke me up that one time. "Well of course he can mimic him," I thought. "He's Estonia, isn't he?"
Himaruya nodded, taking a quick sip of his drink. "I see that you figured it out, but yes. Estonia and Gilbert both share a link between each other and that is their voices. Of course, this link is very weak and so his defenses will have to be down in order to plant a miniscule bit of myself in him. Thus, the contract with Lars was created. Lars's attempts to get Liechtenstein to fall in love with someone other than Gilbert will strike him so severely that he will become depressed and vulnerable to my intrusion."
"But Gilbert was never depressed," I said. "Every time something happened between me and Belarus or Russia he just seemed to shrug it off."
"So you think." Something inside of me dropped as the blond's cold, cold eyes bore into my own. "You've failed to realize, Larry, that Gilbert is the type of person to hide his feelings. Do you really think someone could be so genuinely optimistic all of the time?" My faced flushed with shame. I had to look down at my lap, picking at my nails as Himaruya laughed at me again. "It is amazing how blind you can be at times," he drawled. He gave me another moment to linger in humiliation before speaking again. "Of course with his defenses down, Gilbert was deceptible to the essence of me, but his body will only accept it is he consents to it. And who else more suited to do it than the woman he's in love with?"
The pieces of the puzzle started to fit together. I raised my head slowly, gaping at him. "So the vial . . ."
"Yes. The vial containing five percent of my soul."
"But why am I here?" I asked. "And Mathias too. We're both just over complications to everything, aren't we?"
"Yes you are. You both are. Mathias was a bonus. When he offered himself up, I realized that I might have some use of him in the future." He smiled triumphantly. "And luckily that investment paid off."
"Bastard!" Lars yelled. Sweat dripped down the sides of his face as he angrily grunted and stared at his arms and legs. Why couldn't he move?
Roderich rolled his eyes, quickly slapping him across the face with the back of his hand. I jumped to my feet, ready to go to his aide. In the corner of my eyes, I saw Antonio motion for me to sit down. I reluctantly did so, watching helplessly as Roderich bitch slapped him a second time. "Knock it off," he ordered sternly. "Or else I'll gag you too."
Lars winced, moving his jaw painfully. Mathias look over to him and smiled, saying, "Don't worry about it, bro. It was worth it."
I turned back to my opponent. There, in the glint of his eyes, was victory. Sweat pricked the back of my neck. I lost my composure there, didn't I? I was supposed to be apathetic to everything he threw at me, yet his minion's blows riled me up. I wanted to curse myself out, but that would do nothing for my case. Right now I had to appear smooth, competent. I released a long breath, evening out my face as I leaned back in my chair. Leisurely playing with my small, silver spoon, I said, "Okay. So that explains Mathias. What about me? Why would I need to be here?"
The victory was still in his eyes as he said, "I told you already, did I not? I originally wanted revenge against your sister, but you ended up being contracted instead."
"Yeah, but I thought we agreed that Sherry was never here in the first place."
He changed the subject. "You seem to be so concerned for your sister. Are you not here due to the love of someone else? What was her name again? Sayaka?"
I grimaced. "If you know anything about her," I said. "Then you would call her Stella."
"Perhaps you don't know her as well as you think you do."
I opened my mouth, ready to reply when a thought occurred to me. On the playbill for our school's production of Chicago, she was credited as Sayaka Hoshi. Even more so, when I tried to look for her afterwards the kid in the hallway called her that as well. It seemed like everyone outside of the Sue family referred to her by that name. Why?
Suddenly, I could see her lightly brushing her fingers over Scarlett Johansson's movie poster. Her lips moved slightly, wistfully pronouncing something I just now acknowledged: her name. Sayaka. I could see Stella playing with her porcelain dolls, putting on clothes as she said, "You know, all of them have names. Everyone not only deserves a name, but they also deserve to be called by it."
I kept my face emotionless as it finally it hit me- she hated being called Stella. The name I gave her- bossily told her to use -she hated it. I wanted to hit something. I was an idiot, an undeniable jerk.
But I'll have to think about that later. Right now, I had other concerns. "Is Stella still alive?" I asked, hard like a rock. Himaruya looked at me curiously, giving me cause to explain, "In the dream world Agatha gave me, she was dead."
He nodded, bringing his cup to his lips. "That was very cruel of you, Agatha," he called out.
The reflection in the wall in front of me showed her rolling her eyes and releasing a proud smirk. "Cruel or not, it worked," she replied. "You can't argue with the method if it gives good results."
Liechtenstein turned to her, furrowing her eyebrows. "Why would you say that?" She asked, voice high with disbelief. "If you have to use a bad method to get something, then it was never the right thing to get in the first place."
A loud clink! echoed around the room as Himaruya placed his cup back on its saucer, causing me to draw my attention back to him. He let me hang in the dark for a moment- simply looking at me with an even stare -before finally saying, "I do not break my contracts, Larry Sue. If your contract states that the life of Sayaka Hoshi will be saved by your fulfillment of my demands, then so it shall be. You did give Gilbert the vial, so therefore she is alive and well." He clapped his hands together and rose to his feet. "This, of course, means that you can return to your own world without any qualms. So-"
"Who said that I wanted to leave just yet?" He paused. I sat in my seat, sending him a sharp glare that told him that I was not leaving unless I wanted to. I jerked my head a bit, saying, "Sit right back down, mister. It's my turn to talk."
Something in his face told me that he had this planned all along. It was his calm, beguiled visage that made the hairs on my arm prick. He civilly lowered himself back down again. "I'm listening, Mr. Sue."
I tried not to bite my lip, but I couldn't help it. My nerves were finally starting to break through my bounds and trickling into my mind. Anxiety lingered in the pit of my stomach, making me feel sick. I had to pee. I looked at the wall again and saw Antonio's reflection. His arms were busy holding Agatha down, but his eyes were trained on me. He had faith in me. He thought I could do this.
I swallowed my fears. I might as well try.
I straightened my back a bit more and lifted my chin high into the air. "You say, Mr. Himaruya that if I leave now, I would not have any qualms but you are far from the truth. See those two men over there? Mathias and Lars? They are both two of the bravest men I have ever known who suffer far more than just nearly losing a crush to a car crash. It is for them I say that I will not leave this place until I am given an equal opportunity to help them in some form or another."
I heard Alfred when he started to snicker, but I didn't care. I simply kept my eyes on his father and waited for an answer. Himaruya looked at me curiously before giving me a firm nod. "I can allow you to view their contracts," he told me. He opened the side of his white coat and from an inner pocket pulled out two folded pieces of papers. Like one business partner to another, he handed them to me. "Though I doubt you'll be able to find anything able to set them free. I am very careful with my wording."
I muttered 'thanks' before diving right into my tasks. Ignored everything that was happening around me- the clicking of Himaruya's china, Alfred's doubtful snickers, the shocked vibes Lars sent me. I even ignored Antonio when I heard him whispering with Liechtenstein. At that moment, nothing mattered but me and those contracts.
The contracts were of a pure white color, made from the crispest of paper. Small black words were printed on the page. It was hard for me to read. The words seemed to squish together in a black blur. Still, I buried my mind into them, trying to find the way out. There had to be one.
Mathias's had little results. Every corner that could have been cut was skillfully filled, creating a tight little package. Part of me wanted to claim that Himaruya had been unfair- the contract indirectly implied that even if Mathias ever got that kiss from me, it never would have worked since it had to be a kiss from Liechtenstein and I was obviously not her. But what good would that do me? It was just a hollow excuse someone would only sneer out of bitterness.
I scanned Lars's with the same scrutiny. Something had to be wrong. There had to be some string I could pull. It seemed like this would lead to nothing at all. I mean- I kissed Belarus and the contract still didn't release him. And why? Because I 'wasn't in love with her'. "Fuck." I leaned over, placing my hands on the sides of my head. I wanted to cry. "This is unfair," I thought as I pulled at my hair. "How was I supposed to fall for her? I care for her, but she's like a-"
I suddenly snapped my head up and grinned. Of course. That was it.
"You seem as though you've found something." I looked at Himaruya. He was leisurely leaning back in his chair, drumming his fingers on the cold table. "Do you mind sharing it with the class?"
I sat up, glancing over to Lars. He was looking at me intently with a pleading look. I knew what it meant. He was hoping that I had a way to save his brother. I quickly looked away. Sorry Lars, but . . .
I pointed to one of the paragraphs in his contract. "If you read this section here, you will see that Lars's requirements were to simply make me, Larry Ebenezer Sue, fall in love and kiss either Russia or Belarus."
Himaruya nodded. "Yes, that is correct."
"And you would say that it is true that on the one-hundred and fifty-eighth day of possessing Liechtenstein's body, I kissed Belarus?"
"Yes, but you do not love her."
I shook my head. "No, I do. I love her like a friend, perhaps a sister." The air seemed to drop significantly. For once, I caught him off guard. Himaruya's eyes seemed to be a little bit bigger as his mask broke a little. I could see the stunned face beneath. Everyone held their breath as I handed the contract over to Himaruya and explained, "Within the contract, you stated that I have to be in love with Belarus, yet you failed to specify what kind of love is needed. Describing the love as romantic or even sexual would have properly conveyed your intentions, but neither of those words or any other words of restriction is stated within. Therefore, Lars has fulfilled the terms of his contract and his soul belongs to him and him alone."
I smiled triumphantly as Himaruya read over the contract quickly, discovering everything to be exactly as I said it. Everyone else waited in silence, looking upon our table with hope. I glanced towards Lars. His eyes were like the ones carved out in Halloween pumpkins. His lips moved a little, constantly creating the same word over and over again.
No.
I looked away. "I'm sorry, Lars."
"I must say-" Himaruya held up the contract and, with a composed face, tore it in half. "-You are completely right." Those on my side gasped in relief, Liechtenstein even jumping up and down in excitement. "The Netherlands is free to go. Release him, Erwin."
Alfred and Roderich exchanged glares. It was plain by their faces that they both wanted to disobey Himaruya. The dark haired one was the first to relent, however, and he waved his hand precisely in the air. The invisible force that imprisoned Lars disappeared, causing him to fall out of his chair. He stayed on the ground, his hand keeping his chest up, as he stared at his reflection in shock. "It shouldn't have been me," he whispered, trembling. "It shouldn't have been-"
Roderich sighed and kicked his side lightly. "Get up," he ordered. "And get moving. Aluino-"
"Why didn't you save Mathias?" Lars screamed, snapping his head up at me. Tears streamed down his face in two lines. His forehead was covered with creases and every inch of his body looked to be in indescribable pain. "Aren't you going to save him?"
Something flashed in my head and I immediately turned back to the other contract. I had to save Mathias. If I didn't, Lars wouldn't be able to forgive me. I wouldn't be able to forgive me. There just had to be something that I missed. I was so zoned in on the words that I didn't realized what Himaruya was doing until he was pulling the contract out of my hands. "I believe you've had enough time to look that over," he said.
I frowned. "No I haven't."
"Oh but yes you have. You've read this over how many times now? It's obvious that you can't find the loophole."
In the wall's reflection, I saw Liechtenstein run over to Lars. She ignored the glares that the sons gave her, only placing her hand on Lars's back and cooing comforting words. They seemed to have no effect on how loudly he sobbed. I said, "If you actually gave me time to read, I might."
"You had plenty."
I crossed my hands over my chest. "You're scared, aren't you?" I said, giving Himaruya a challenging glare. That lofty expression he was so fond of never changed as he watched me lean into my chair. "I figured out your mistake once and you're afraid that I'll do it again. Strange how the terrifying can suddenly become scared."
"And what a tremendous victory that is." He was smiling. It was his cruel smile, the one that made me want to punch a wall. Why was he agreeing with me so freely? The realization hit me cold and hard. He had an ace up his sleeve, one I never predicted. He said, "Don't you feel proud that no matter what you did, you weren't able to save the person who truly deserved it in the end? I think that we can both admit that out of the two, Mathias was far more deserving." Cold sweat trickled down my back. I wished that I could take off my jacket. "In the end, you were sagacious enough to free Lars, but you lacked the sagacity to even realize that he does not deserve it."
I banged my hands on the table as I jumped to my feet. "Who the fuck are you to say who places the blame on me?" I yelled. "You're the one who dragged both of them into this. You dragged all of us into this. And you know what? If you lost your body in the future, then I'm sure you deserved it and there's no way in hell I'll ever let you get it back!
He didn't blink. "What a short temper," he said dryly, reaching for his cup. "Honestly, I would have-" I grabbed his arm, knocking over his tea in the process. The hot liquid spread over the white table, staining it in a light brown. His words lingered on his tongue for a moment longer before giving me a pleased look. Panic shot through me. He had another ace. "Bud-" Alfred stopped watching Lars's break down and stood at attention. "-I think it's fair time enough to take what is rightfully mine."
A strange grin stretched across Alfred's face. "Will do, Hima-pops sir."
It wasn't until he started walking towards Mathias did I realize what he was going to do. "You can't do that!" I shouted, pressing his hand closer into the table. "You can't-"
"Fuck!" I snapped my head around, seeing Agatha ram Antonio's back painfully into the wall. It made him lose his grip for a moment and she was able to wiggle out of his grasp and twist his arm painfully. Antonio yelped again. He ducked down and kicked her away.
They were fighting. Antonio was preoccupied with keeping Agatha away that he couldn't help me. I looked over to Liechtenstein and Lars. Roderich had his hand in the girl's hair, tangling his fingers in her locks. Liechtenstein struggled against his grasp, clawing her nails on his white skin, but he never flinched. Lars, meanwhile, was scrambling to his feet, sprinting towards his brother. "Mathias-"
Alfred whipped around catching him by the neck. Lars choked, kicking and strike him to no avail. "Why are you so worried, Lars?" He asked cruelly, tightening his grip a little more. "I promise that'll take care of him."
"Don't you dare touch him, bastard!"
"Bud." Himaruya's voice drew my attention back to him. Alfred looked at him as he calmly placed his free hand under his chin. "I gave you specific orders. Do not get side-tracked." I snarled, opening my mouth to yell at him when Alfred gave a light response. Then he simply threw Lars aside and into his old chair. It broke under the force, becoming nothing more than a pile of splintered, pointed wood. He groaned, trying to move in the rubble. Roderich simply rolled his eyes and placed a foot on his chest.
Liechtenstein saw her chance. She kicked a leg out onto his shin, removing all of his support and sending him crashing to the ground. She quickly got onto his chest, pinning him down to the ground. "Go, Lars," she shouted, her dress ripped and torn at the edges. "While I got him down. Go!"
Lars lifted himself up. His feet slid on the smooth ground as he tried to get back his Mathias. But he was limping. His white clothes were dirtied with blood and dust and sweat. The grimace and hand on his side was enough of an indicator of his injured side. Still, he pressed forward, trying to reach Alfred in time to stop him.
Alfred paid him no regard. He simply bent his face down to Mathias's level, smirking at him. His slim fingers wrapped around the surprisingly calm blond's pointed chin, pulling his face closer to his. "You and I are going to be the best of friends," Alfred said.
Mathias, true to himself, was determined to have the last laugh. "Friends? Am I not good enough to be a boyfriend?" he asked.
My ex-mentor's smirk turned into a humored smile. It almost looked like his old grin, the one he gave whenever I did something to his approval. That stupid, optimistic grin. "Well, I can't refuse free sex." He leaned in more, ready to kiss him. Mathias suddenly turned his head, letting Alfred peck his cheek.
He looked at Lars, his calm visage breaking. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble, bro," he said softly. Tears fell down his cheek, dripping loudly onto the cold floor. Lars, barely five feet away, stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes were wide. "Don't worry about me, though. I'm happy now. I got to save you."
Lars took his hand off of his side, stretching it out to Mathias. "No-"
"I love you, bro. Don't do anything to avenge me." He turned away and finally met Alfred's lips. I could see the world shatter in Lars's eyes as Mathias grew increasingly more limp until, finally, he stopped moving. Lars fell onto his knees. His skin turned to an ash gray as he stared at where is brother sat. His mouth hung open, trying to speak.
Alfred pulled away, wiping the sleeve of his white coat over his mouth. "There we go," he said, grinning happily. He turned to Himaruya, giving him a thumbs up. "He's all yours, Hima-pops! Mathias is ours."
I tightened my grip on Himaruya's arm, surely cutting off the blood to his hand. I looked away, not able to look anymore. We lost Mathias. Lars was impaired, Liech was holding down Roderich still, Antonio was still barely holding back Agatha, and I was standing here.
I was just standing here.
My chest shook as I tried to hold back my tears. I should have ran to Mathias's aide- I shouldn't have let this happened. I just let his soul get away. He was practically dead now and it was all my fault. "You appear to be taking this quite hard," Himaruya observed, leaning over and propping his chin on his hand. His eyes looked particularly mockful through the wires of his slick square glasses. "You're only a child, after all. You wouldn't know to run to someone's side when they need you. You're simply far too naive-"
"Shut up!" I wasn't sure when I started crying, but now the tears wouldn't stop. I picked up one of the porcelain plates on the table and banged it on the edge. It broke into pieces- the one I held was particularly sharp. Not caring what the consequences were any more, I jammed it into Himaruya's arm.
Blood appeared. It spilt from the wound easily- a little at first, but quickly turning into a stream. It only became more heavy as I drove the shard in further, subconsciously trying to cut his whole arm off. My whole body was consumed with trepidation. I couldn't hold back my sob.
Himaruya didn't even blink. "Pitiful," he said, wrapping his other hand around my wrist. He easily pulled my arm up, taking the shard with me. The blood made a disgusting pop sound as it was drawn out. "You were such a fascinating character Larry- I thoroughly thought that you would at least try to hide it." He stood, waving a hand as the table between us disappeared. "But I see now that I was merely wishing in vain. Like every other human, you fall apart at your breaking point."
Slowly, I looked up at him.
There was a fire in my eyes. "I'm going to stop you," I growled. "I don't care if it takes me years, I swear that I will stop you and save Mathias myself."
He huffed, tossing my hand aside. "You don't understand, Mr. Sue. I am the god of this world. You have no hopes of defeating me."
"Aren't you bleeding now?"
The confidence drained from his face. He gave me a cold, hard look. "Yes." He hissed his words like a snake. "We'll definitely meet again, Larry Sue." He snapped his fingers. "Bud. Erwin. Agatha. We're leaving."
The three nodded. Agatha and Antonio shared a look as he took a step back from her, letting her go. He knew that it was pointless to try to fight her. A visible force pushed Liechtenstein off of Roderich sending her flying into the nearest wall. Alfred lifted Mathias's cold body over his shoulder. He carried him away, only stopping to rub his hand through a stunned Lars's hair. "Blame yourself," he told him before joining his father's side.
Himaruya gave them all a nod before turning to the Room's single door.
A new flash of anger flushed through me. I ran towards Himaruya, lifting my fist into the air. He turned around just in time, grabbing my arm and kneeing me in the stomach. I yelled and he slammed me face first into the ground. My teeth bit into my tongue, breaking skin and filling my mouth with the taste of bitter blood. "Don't over try your luck," he warned before walking away again.
I slowly raised myself off of the ground, spitting out wads of blood and saliva. "I'll kill you," I screamed as he and the rest of his group started to fade away. "I swear to God, Himaruya- I will kill you!" He turned around a little, giving me one last smirk before disappearing completely.
They were gone.
Just like that.
A long moment passed.
The four of us were silent.
I stared out into the black void, feeling more empty and endless than it. They got away. We lost. Antonio's footsteps were heavy on the ground. They echoed off the walls of the Room, slowly bringing us back to lucidity. I heard Liechtenstein's small feet click as she hurried to Lars, whispering comforting words to him. Antonio knelt to my height, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You did well," he said.
I closed my eyes. "No, I didn't." I wiped my hands on my plaid shorts, trying in vain to rid myself of the feeling of blood. But it was a stain on my skin and even though the red would streak away, it would never go. "I really fucked this up, Antonio."
He hushed me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me into his chest. "You did great," he told me, his hand rubbing circles in my shoulder. "You stood up to the false creator. You saved Lars. That is enough for one person."
My tears started up again, welling in my eyes as a clog formed in my throat. I croaked, "But I should have saved Mathias and now he's dead."
"He's not dead, Larry. He's alive and well."
I blinked and wiped my eyes. "Then, we got to save him." I rose to my feet shakingly, feeling my world spin and my body sway. I felt my legs go, but Antonio quickly came in and caught me under his arm.
He pressed my face into his starchy white shoulder and I started my sobbing again. We stood still like that for a minute: him petting my hair as I wetted the crook of his neck. Never in my whole life had I ever cried so much. Sorrow was gnawing my arms, chewing away the muscles and teasing the bones. I shuddered and trembled. Antonio held me steady and waited for me to calm down.
Hours seemed to have passed before I finally cried myself out. The water in my eyes ran out and all I could do was sniffle pathetically. I still didn't move. I didn't want to pull away and be faced with reality once again.
A small nudge at my shoulder brought me back though.
"Are you alright, Larry?" Liechtenstein asked gently. I had to turn around and face her. I could not let such an angel worry about me.
I peeled myself off of Antonio, straightening my back and running my hands over my face. When I looked at her, I saw that she had been crying too. Her face was as red and blotchy as mine and there were dried streams going down her cheeks. We looked at each other for a long moment, understanding each other completely. She knew that this whole ordeal had ruined me and the stubborn boy she once knew would never come back. I knew that all this time, she had been in as much pain as I was, yet never spoke a word of it.
She smiled weakly, stretching her hand to me. "Thank you for everything," she said.
I looked down at it. "But Gilbert still drank the vial," I said contritely. "I broke my promise."
"You're not to blame."
A grin pulled at the edges of my mouth and I finally took her hand in mine. "Thank you," I said at last. "For being strong when I couldn't be." We were like that for a minute- two idiots grinning stupidly at each other -before I finally pulled her into a hug. This time, it was her face in my chest and my hand petting her hair. I closed my eyes. A knot within my chest unraveled and I could breathe once again.
Pure and precious air.
"Antonio." The three of us turned around, seeing Lars move at last. I figured that with the emotional state he was in he would move like a robot, but I was wrong. His movements were fluid like water, controlled like a fighter. He got off his knees, turning around to face us. He was composed in a deadly sort of way, his eyes blazing with determination. He walked toward the Spaniard with powerful steps, saying "You said that Mathias is not dead, right?"
Antonio was forced to nod. "That I did."
"Then we can save him, right?"
Antonio placed a hand under his chin. "It really depends . . ." He looked up and saw Lars stop right next to Liech and me. There was no air of hostility to him. At that moment, he was nothing more than a general planning an attack. "How long will you wait?" the brunette asked.
"As long as needed."
"Then, wait for my signal," he ordered. "The true creator has a counter attack planned, but it will not be until centuries from now. When that counter attack happens, I will make sure that you are involved."
I placed a hand on my chest. "Me too." The two men looked at me with raised eyebrows. "I promised him I'd kill him. He'd call me a liar if I didn't."
Lars gave me an approving look, placing a hearty hand on my shoulder. I smiled at him, glad to see some part of his old self back. Antonio, however, could only frown. For the first time, I noticed how similar in height we were. I was five feet and six inches and even though he was a little taller than me, we could look at each other eye to eye. He placed his hand on his elbow, looking to the side hesitantly before sighing at last. "The counter attack is like a vacuum and it will suck all of us in," he told us. "All of us and people we could never imagined will be brought together to forge the sword that will slay the false creator once and for all. Even if I don't like it, you will be involved Larry."
Whatever happiness I felt drained away. "Antonio . . ."
He looked up to the reflective ceiling, whipping his hair out of his face in the process. "It's getting late," he said airily. "We should head back to The Oberon and make sure that THE WAR is over at last."
I nodded. Belarus, Gilbert, and Turkey must be having a hard time without-
"Without you, Larry."
I nearly gasped, staring at him with large eyes. "What?" I felt Liechtenstein wrapped my hand in hers, giving me a comforting squeeze as Lars placed a hand on my shoulder. They were bracing me for the next blow.
Antonio never moved his eyes away from the stars as he explained, "It's over for now, Larry. We may have things we need to take care of in our world, but you need to go back to your world now."
"No I don't," I said suddenly. "At least let me stay and make sure that THE WAR ends."
"Please Larry. Just say goodbye now." I didn't move. "Please Larry."
I opened my mouth to object again when Lars placed his hand on my head. "We'll see each other again," he said, speaking with a firm but positive voice. His mouth was in the tight thin line I was accustomed to, but I knew he was smiling deep down.
I could only nod. This was the end of my story, wasn't it? "Yeah. Someday soon." I took it upon myself to speak to Liechtenstein next. I bent down and kissed the top of her head. "Never change, Liech," I told her, giving her my best smile. "You're selfless to a fault, but I wouldn't want you to lose that virtue."
The girl nodded, giving me a soft smile. "You do your best back home," she said. "You better tell your girlfriend that you love her."
I chuckled before at last turning back to Antonio. I wasn't sure what I should say to him. He definitely didn't want me to leave, but the glint in his green eyes said it all. He had to make me leave. He had to let me live my life again. I released a long breath. "I'll come back soon, so until then, hang on for me. Okay?"
He closed his eyes as though he was in pain. "I'll wait."
I looked down. My reflection looked awful, but I didn't care. The aches in my body felt like euphoria. The blood in my mouth tasted sweet. And, for one moment, I felt like it would be okay to say the final words. "Goodbye, Antonio."
I could feel my world fall apart as he placed his hand over his eyes, his chest heaving. Everything around me started to fade away into darkness. All around, I could feel myself falling
and falling
and falling
and falling
a
n
d
. . .
MW: If there were any errors towards the end there, then that was my fault completely. I started to fall asleep around the time Mathias was lost.
Anyways, this was very different from the FG 14th chapter. That one had some fighting in it while this here is literally just one big sass off between Himaruya and Larry. I hope that finally getting the complete answers to everything was remotely satisfying.
It has come to my attention that a lot of you guys are lost on the symbolism still. Yes, it is still in there. It's a bit more . . . disconnected though, mostly since the theme of this story is both respect and how things are never what they first appear—two things that hatedoms often forget. I think that instead of a preview, I'll do a symbolism sheet instead. I'll also go back and put one up for FG. Deal?
And please remember to review!
Notes
"Estonia and Gilbert both share a link between each other and that is their voices" They share a voice actor in the Japanese dub.
Next Chapter: Afterwards.
Please review. I'm over worked and stressed and reviews make me smile.