Hey guys! I just ate some pasta, so i'm pumped! PASTAAAA!
ahem
this chapter is less dramatic/serious than the previous one, but still contains some CLUUUEEEES...!
it's up to you! ^^
(warning, this chapter contains jumps! lots of them!)
anyway! please sit back und
ENJOY
"Norge! Oh, joy! I was soooo worried! I heard you yell, and those meanies tied me down!" Mathias pouted.
"Stop jerking around, you idiot." Lukas sighed, coming nearer and sitting beside him. "You'll tear right through the stitches."
Mathias stopped moving, and looked at the Norwegian. His eyes were swollen, as if he had just cried a lot, but he had put on his everlasting poker face again. He then noticed the bloodstained fabric of Lukas' tattered clothes. And was he still wet?
"Norge, I think you should visit Bella and Tino so they patch you up a little. And you should get some new and dry clothes, otherwise you'll catch a cold!" The Dane smirked.
Lukas raised an eyebrow, and then sighed. "Idiot."
"Hey! You've said it three times in two minutes already! Be nicer, will ya?" Mathias pouted again, and would have folded his arms if they weren't tied down. But he was actually glad. Lukas calling him an idiot was a daily occurrence, so it meant he was alright. Much better than the horrified Lukas who had run away like that hours earlier.
"Hey Norge."
"What."
Mathias smiled a warm smile. "I'm glad you're back. And I see that you still have that hairclip."
Lukas raised a hand without thinking, to touch the cross-shaped clip on the side of his head. Mathias had given it to him as a gift, more than a year ago… such sweet memories. The Norwegian cracked the smallest smile. "Ja. I still have it."
An awkward silence fell. Minutes crept by, without any of them speaking. They just sat there, both looking at each other.
Finally, Lukas broke the silence. "Mathias, I want to say-"
Mathias interrupted him. "Don't say anything."
The Norwegian blinked, taken aback. "Bu-"
"You don't have to apologize for anything. Arthur told me what happened to Francis when he sealed his deal. It wasn't your fault, the Nightmare tricked you."
Lukas wanted to speak, but again he was interrupted.
"Really, don't. I was the weak one, I couldn't stop you or save you."
The Norwegian shut his mouth, silent. "Hm."
Mathias looked away, staring at the ceiling. "Huff, I can't wait for the moment this is all over. I mean, this crazy apocalypse thing probably will never end, even with someone like Feliciano… But you know what I mean. Sometimes I wish we could all just go drink beer again! You, me, Sve and Fin!" he sighed, closing his eyes and smiling longingly. "I miss beer, especially my dear Tuborg Guld. And the times we all got so drunk we couldn't walk or see straight anymore…! Do you remember that time, in København? When that crazy Pole showed up out of nowhere, dead-drunk, and wanted to paint the whole bar pink? Hahaha!" he turned to look, now smirking, at Lukas, whose eye was twitching. "And it was hilarious when he managed to put you and Sve into those ballerina outfi-"
Lukas punched him hard, the Dane's head almost disappearing in the pillow. The Norwegian's eyebrow was twitching in annoyance and there was a small tear in the corner of his eyes, but he was smiling. "You idiot."
A croak came from the imploded pillow, where the Norwegian's punch still was keeping Mathias' head down. "And that makes it four…! And no fair, Norge! I can't defend myself!"
The next days passed without anything relevant happening.
Lukas was introduced to all the Rock inhabitants, who gladly accepted him, even Ludwig. The only problem was the number of mattresses, and the food.
As Berwald was blinded and Mathias was unavailable, Kiku and Ludwig had to face the perspective of having to make extra trips to the city.
However, having more people at the Rock had also its benefits. Alfred offered to go as well, as did Francis, Romano, Lukas and Feliciano. But Feliciano was prevented from going by everyone, especially by Romano, Ludwig and…Francis, for some reason.
"You're not going out there!" Romano said, folding his arms.
"But whyyyy? Ve, I want to help too!"
"Feli, not more than two weeks ago you didn't even want to get outside. Why do you want now?" Ludwig asked.
Feliciano shrugged. "I don't know… But I want to help!"
"You can help by staying right here, got that, peabrain?" Romano said, taking the small Italian by his shoulders and steering him to the nearest couch.
"But, Romanoooo!"
"No buts, mon ami. I agree with them." Francis said, pushing Feliciano so he plopped onto the sofa. "Stay here, s'il vous plaît."
Feliciano pouted, folding his arms. "It's not fair."
"See if I care. Now let's go, potato bastard! You too, French pervert." Romano grumbled, striding away.
"Le boo…! Why do you call me that? I'm no pervert…!" Francis complained, following the grumpy Italian.
Ludwig still stood there. "Really, Feliciano. You should stay here, it's safer."
"Va bene…" Feliciano mumbled, still pouting. He looked like a child whenever he did that, and a cute one, for that matter.
The German left, following the other two out of the cave.
Arthur was still recovering, but had regained consciousness at last. Someone had to keep constant watch over him, and Bella, Tino, Kiku and Lukas were covering that with shifts . As soon as he had woken up, Arthur had busied himself with his wounds and the ones of the others. He would explain how to treat them properly to Tino or Bella, and they would do whatever he said. He gave directions especially for Berwald's eyes and his own punctured lung and broken ribs, and luckily they were both faring pretty well. Lukas' and Mathias' wounds weren't as critic or difficult to deal with like the other ones, but still the Brit would insist on dealing with them.
One day he gave astounding news, while observing carefully as Tino undid Berwald's bandages. "Berwald, I think I have good news for you…" both blondes turned to face him, Tino raising his eyebrows. "Your body has dealt fairly good with those nasty scratches, and as soon as I've recovered a little more, I think…I could give you your eyesight back."
Needless to say that that evening they all were celebrating.
…Somewhere else…
"One job. I gave you. One. Job. And what happened? I did not lose one of my men, oh no. Two of my best men vanished into thin air!" the voice bellowed loudly to two shadows, who were just managing not to tremble on the spot. The voice's tone dropped to a mere whisper, which was, if possible, more terrifying. "What do you two have to say to justify yourselves…?"
The shadows didn't answer, and the voice roared in rage.
Half an hour later, the two shadows were limping to their respecting resting places.
"Kesesesese! Master has gotten soft. Last time he beat me up I couldn't walk for two days!" the lighter shadow sniggered.
The other one shook his head. "That was only because last time you provoked him."
"Ha! Whatever. Anyway, why does he need us? He has an army of Nightmares out there, just waiting for his orders. And he lets us do all the dirty work for him. So un-awesome. You know what? Whatever. I'm hitting the sack. Guten nacht, Toni!"
"…Buenas noches." Antonio said, walking/limping to his own place.
He liked his place. Probably the only thing that could relax him a bit. Or his constant hunger.
Must have been because it was filled with all kinds of treasures. Money, both in paper and coins, gold, gems and jewels were lying in scattered heaps all over the place. Countless different golden objects rested in that room, let it be rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, clocks, watches, cigarette cases, ingots, crucifixes, goblets, keys, pens, teeth…
When he walked in, his gaze softened, and he relaxed at the mere sight of the riches in front of him. His feet clinked against the cold metallic objects, and so did his hands, as he climbed onto one of the golden heaps. He nestled in the gold and jewels, looking like some kind of bizarre dragon from a fantasy story.
Antonio fished his latest achievement, the golden watch, from his pocket. He looked up at it, hypnotized by its dazzling colour and beauty. He then gently put it near him, between dozens of other valuables. Then he curled up, and closed his eyes, wanting to fall asleep as quickly as possible.
He didn't want to start remembering that person.
But he knew, deep down… that it was a lost battle.
...The Rock...
The following days were all peaceful. Mathias, Lukas, Arthur and Berwald were all steadily recovering from their respective injuries, much to everyone's delight.
On one of their journeys to the city, Alfred and Romano had found a small old supermarket beneath the rubble, which was extraordinaire news. Obviously most of the stuff had spoiled, but they could retrieve a lot of things nonetheless. They found the needed mattresses, soap, matches, toilet paper(you have no idea how important that is), and, most importantly, new clean bandages, disinfectant and canned food.
And, for some strange reason, the American had brought back a ball as well.
"Dude, if I play cards one more time I think I'll die of boredom!" was the explanation.
And so they started to play soccer as well, in the evenings. Which was a good thing, because the thrill of the game raised their spirits. Of course the injured ones couldn't play, but that didn't mean they couldn't watch, or cheer, by the sidelines. Or facepalm, mostly in Lukas' case.
"HEY! That was totally a foul!"
"Not true!"
"Come on guys, calm down!"
"Kiku, you saw it, didn't you?"
"Er…"
"I didn't touch him!"
"…Idiots…"
"I don't think it was a foul…"
"No way dude! That foul was as big as the friggin' Michigan lake, I saw it with my own eyes!"
"Guys, while you were distracted, Romano took the ball and scored."
"GOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAL!"
"Team Pasta 6, Team Hero 4!"
"Romanoooooo! That's cheating!"
"Shut up Feli! They were distracted, it's their fault!"
"Honhonhonhonhon, you will pay for that…!"
It went something like this most of the times.
One morning, after breakfast, Feliciano was sitting alone on one of the couches, reading one of Kiku's books. Ludwig came into the cave, carrying some bandages.
"Ve…? Ludwig, are those for Mathias? He just went to the mirror cave…"
The German shook his head, as he sat near Feliciano. "Nein. These are for you."
Feliciano blinked. "Eh?"
"Your hand, right?" Ludwig pointed to Feliciano's right hand. "Arthur told me he used to check it everyday. When was the last time you checked it?"
The Italian raised his hand, and observed it. "Ve…Last time was…" He thought a little. "After I cured Francis, I think!" The bandages were, indeed, filthy and a bit grimy, to say the least. They had become dirty grey , and a bit of orange had been smudged all over them, colour coming from the Rock's ground and walls.
Feliciano giggled, rubbing his head. "Hehehe! I guess I just forgot!"
Ludwig sighed, shaking his head. "Exactly." He started unwrapping the gauzes, and when they came off…
"Ve!?"
The white thing on his hand had not changed, it had not grown and was still glowing. His skin had become rough, his hands almost calloused, but that didn't really look important. However, one thing certainly was disturbing.
The skin near the white thing on the back of his hand was scaled.
They hadn't really spread that much, the scales only framed the thing in a thin line, but it was still troubling. Feliciano and Ludwig both observed the hand. The scales were very small and dark blue, and looked as if they were coming from inside the hand. From…the white thing.
"L-Ludwig, what is this?" Feliciano asked, suddenly worried. "What's happening?"
The German's eyes narrowed. "I…I don't know." He quickly changed the bandages.
"Ve, wait! I should let Arthur take a look…!"
Ludwig frowned. "Arthur's resting, and I don't think he will wake up any time soon. Until then, keep this covered, verstanden?"
Feliciano nodded quickly, the curl bouncing up and down. He was very concerned now. What was happening? He looked at his bandaged hand, as if it wasn't a part of his body.
He dearly hoped nothing was wrong…
...Somewhere else, again...
The Sentient Nightmare sat on a chair, in his dark room.
His eyes narrowed, as he rested his elbows on his knees, intertwining fingers. He chuckled to himself.
Everything was going right according to plan. Actually, it was going far too well, and faster than expected.
And that was a problem. One of his eyes twitched.
He'd have to fix that.
Two Human Nightmares, one dark green and the other red-orange, neared him, after he had called for them. They were pretty evolved, they only had one small weak spot, except for the eyes. They couldn't talk, but they did understand and obey every command he said.
"Are you still keeping watch on them?" he asked both of them.
The Nightmares nodded, looking disappointed and clicking their tongues. Well, of course. It was like Tantalus' punishment for them, keeping an eye on a bunch of humans, and not being permitted to eat them.
"Good. Make them move."
The red-orange Nightmare cocked its head to one side. Obviously he needed to be more specific.
"Drive them away from their hiding places, and from those cities. Bring them closer. And do not eat them." The Sentient Nightmare raised a warning finger. "Understood?"
Both Nightmares nodded, distorted sounds coming from their throats, before leaving.
The Sentient sat back in his chair, now holding his fingertips together, and looking pleased.
"идеальный" he hummed to himself.
...Back at the Rock...
"Hey, Feliciano?" Ludwig asked that afternoon.
"Hm, sì? What is it?"
"Arthur is awake now."
"Oh…!" Feliciano blinked, and walked slowly towards the medical room. Did he really want to know what had happened to his hand?
Well, he did want to know. And he really hoped it was nothing bad.
When he entered the room, a powerful smell hit his nostrils. Disinfectant, alcohol and blood… Not really pleasant smells. Arthur was lying on the table, with some pillows to sustain his head and his shoulders. His torso was covered in bandages, going from his shoulders to his abdomen. He almost looked like the face of a dice. Six red spots dotted the white bandages, positioned exactly like how the dots of a dice would be. The Brit was awfully pale, but still had all the energy to boss people around, from what Feliciano had heard.
"Ciao, Arthur."
The Brit smiled. "Hello there, Feli. Ludwig told me you have something to…discuss, with me?"
Feliciano nodded, nearing one of the chairs in the cave, and bringing it close to the table.
"Ve…Something happened to my hand, Arthur."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "'Something happened?' What do you mean?"
Instead of answering, the Italian unwrapped the bandages, and then showed it to the lying man.
"Oh." Arthur said, composed as always. "Well, something did definitely happen." He slowly raised one arm, and took gently the Italian's wrist into his grasp, to inspect the thing more closely.
"I-I am worried something bad is happening…!" Feliciano blurted out, stuttering.
The Brit blinked, looking at him for a moment, and then resumed observing the hand. "How does it feel? Does it hurt you in any way? Do you feel sick?"
Feliciano shook his head. "No, I feel perfectly fine, but…!"
"Hm…" Arthur hummed to himself, thinking. "…I'm sorry, but I absolutely have no clue what is happening. It wasn't like this after Francis, right? The last time I checked…"
The Italian nodded. "No! It was only the white thing, but no scales!"
"It seems most likely the scales appeared after you cured Lukas. At least that's what I'm thinking."
Feliciano cocked his head to one side. "So…?"
"So…this, these scales, this… I do not dare call it 'degeneration', because I do not know if it is, or if it is an evolution, but…" Arthur sighed. "Well, what I'm trying to say is that I think that with each individual you cure, let it be Nightmare or RED… 'this' happens." He held up the hand for Feliciano to see. "The first time, when you cured Gatto, the white thing grew, emerging from the back of your hand, and got brighter, right? And after you healed Francis, it had grown even more and was pulsating. Now these scales… I think you got what I mean." He let go of the Italian's wrist, and leaned back in the pillows, sighing.
Feliciano still didn't look reassured. "…But…" he bandaged the hand again. "…I am scared…!"
Arthur's gaze softened. "It's understandable. I'd be frightened too, if I were you, not knowing what was happening to my body. But I have to remind you, that that hand only did good things, up till now. If it has nasty intentions, it still has to be seen."
The Italian nodded slowly, partly reassured. He stood up, knowing Arthur was weak. He already looked worn-out, just by talking for these past minutes.
"I'll let you rest again, okay?" Feliciano said.
Arthur's voice wasn't more than a whisper. "Thank you."
The Italian left the medical room, grasping his right hand with his left one. He still didn't know if things were bad, but… Arthur was right. He could do good things with it, set things right again. Cure Nightmares, and REDs… Maybe, maybe nothing was wrong.
Maybe.
...Somewhere else entirely, this time...
"…Guys, I found some food…!"
"Ahyah! Where did you come from?!"
"…I've been here for the past twenty minutes…"
"Were you? Sorry I didn't notice you, aru."
"…"
"Did you say you found food?"
"Oh, you're here too! And you found some blankets, as well! Seeing the Nightmares haven't killed you, we can all be a family again, the three of us! And I'll be your big brother!"
*SBAM*
"…Th…That hurt, aru…! What was that for?!"
"Big brother my ass. Hey, did you say you found food?"
"…Yes…!"
"Then where is it?"
"…It was too much to carry, but I remember where it is…"
"What are we waiting for? Lead the way then!"
…
"Could you two lend me a hand? I'm way too old to carry this stuff on my own!"
"You? Old? You look like twenty! Stop complaining and let's get out of here."
"That's old, aru. My back hurts like crazy, and I am not strong like you!"
"…I'll help you…"
"Did you by any chance hear something?"
"I think it was the wind, aru…"
"…Maple…"
"…Skít!"
"What is it?!"
"Nightmares. Ahead of us."
"AHYAAAH?! Are you serious?!"
"Sssshhhh! Shut up, you crazy lunatic!"
"…Why are they here, I wonder? It's five o'clock…the sun is still high in the sky… Do you think they are looking for us…?"
"No idea, but we're in trouble. Our tank is there!"
"We have to get past them, aru!"
"We'd probably get ourselves killed. Look, they're three Human Nightmares, and I see very few weak spots."
"…Maybe if we took a detour…?"
"Hey, good idea!"
"Do you think they're here because of what Matthew saw a couple of days ago?"
"Huh, remind me of what Matthew saw a couple of days ago."
"You are hopeless, aru…"
"Come on, it's not that big of a deal. So, what happened, then?"
"…I saw something…But it wasn't a human or a Nightmare…"
"Explain yourself."
"…It looked human… but it had something like Nightmare armour covering him in some places…and it was white…It looked like he was searching for something…"
"…!"
"Hey, are you alright? You look pale, aru."
"…N-nothing. Nothing at all. I have no idea what that thing was."
"I have a feeling you're lying."
"Nei! A-Anyway, let's move before those Nightmares spot us, heh?"
"...Yeah…"
"I still don't believe you, aru."
"I don't care… And now shut up or I'll use you as a shield if those Nightmares hear us."
teeheeheeeee
sooo?
conjectures and speculations are always welcome! what do you think will happen? :D
anyway, i'm uploading this while i should be studying latin... DANG IT! why do i keep writing instead?! D:
even if you guess the three characters of the last paragraph you won't get any pasta, they're WAY too easy to guess... ^^
again, i have to thank you all for your wonderful reviews! (145?! O_O) and all the faves and follows! (41 and 46!)
biiig biiiig biiiiiiig hug from italy!
have a nice weekend, you all! ;)
(and yes, i admit it... i did enjoy imagining berwald and norway in ballerina outfits...)
Tuborg Guld : Danish beer, pale lager, strength 5.8% ca.
København : Copenhagen, capital of Denmark. (lit. 'Merchant's harbour')
Mon ami : (french) my friend
s'il vous plaît : (french) please
Va bene... : (italian) okay...
Guten nacht : (german) good night
Buenas noches : (spanish) good night
Verstanden? : (german) understood?
Tantalus' punishment : It is said that this man was punished to suffer thirst and hunger for eternity in Hades, while standing in a river and surrounded by trees full of fruit. Every time he would try and drink, the river would dry up, and every time he would reach out a hand to grab the fruit, the trees would bring their branches up, away from Tantalus' reach.
идеальный : (russian) perfect
...Skít! : (icelandic) shit
Nei : (icelandic) no