And here's the end of the Feli-chan arc! Who's happy? No one? OK.
/= "All Faith is Lost" by HetaOni =/
As they sank back out of the world, Charice found herself standing in the middle of the crystal temple again, Feliciano's Shadow kneeling on the ground. Ludwig stepped forward and watched as the Shadow shivered for a few seconds before openly sobbing at their feet, emotions flooding into his body for the first time in centuries.
"What the hell…?" Lovino blinked.
"Denying any sort of emotions can do that to people." Li Xiao sighed, his arms moving in his sleeves. "Feeling everything you've denied at the same time can overwhelm a consciousness."
"Yeah…especially someone like him." Kiku cringed. "We're in his mind, though…is there anything we can do to ease the pain?"
"That would be going deeper in his mind, and at this rate we would be damaging him even more." Arthur stated. "He'll have to do this on his own."
"No…I'm through with letting him suffer alone."
Charice watched as Ludwig walked closer and closer to the sobbing Italian Shadow, shaking and sobbing from all the loss and pain that he had been suffering, unable to deal with all the pain that his body was now going through. His words were now confused jumbles.
"…Italia…"
"Don't…call me…that!" He sobbed. "H-he's dead…I-I was told that…he never returned…why do you torture me so? What did I do to hurt you…?"
"Italia, you didn't hurt me at all…please don't be scared of me…" He knelt down to his level. "Please, look at me…"
"Just to torment me…? Why would God throw me out of His favor?"
"He didn't, Italia. Look at me." He lightly took his shoulders. "Open your eyes…and look at me."
The Shadow clearly didn't want to, but after a while his eyes slowly opened up, revealing sparkling hazels that haven't seen the light of day in ages. They looked up to the man holding him…to the German bearing pure sapphire irises…and widened twice their size.
"…H-Heilrich…?"
"…Italia…"
He started to sob in his arms, and Ludwig lightly touched foreheads with him, hearing the sobs soften into small hiccups. A few long seconds of silence followed before his nerves kicked in and he started to lean forward. But a light finger stopped him, and he opened his eyes to see a shivering Italian Shadow, more tears forming in his eyes.
"Italia?"
"…c-can you…can you forgive me…?"
"I'll always forgive you." He rubbed his shoulders again. "Please, Italia. Tell me what's wrong."
"…I've…I've been unfaithful to you…"
"Unfaithful? How?"
"Heilrich, I…I'm in love with someone else…"
That hit Ludwig hard. Charice, on the other hand, had half her mind utterly destroyed by the notion that out of all the Germany worries she had, Italy was the straight one (but he spent the majority of his time hitting on girls, so you would've thought she get a clue or something). Kiku could literally see the fangirl part of her mind choking itself to death behind her eyes. He had to admit: it was oddly amusing…something that wasn't appropriate at this time.
"It's all right, Italia…it's been so long since I have left, I…I wasn't expecting you to stay faithful-"
"No, you…you don't understand…I wanted to be faithful. I thought about you always and…and I failed…"
"I failed just as much, Italia. You are not perfect. I am not perfect." He brushed the hair of the shaking Italian. "Now then…can I ask you who this lucky girl is?"
"…" He sniffled. "It's…a country just like us."
The others were now eagerly listening. There were only about…what, eight, nine, ten girls in the classes that Feliciano would frequent. If they counted the South American and African countries, that number would go up, but he never knew much about them. The only thing going through Charice's head is if he says that he's in love with me, I would be utterly confused out of my-
"…it's Germany."
"YEEEEEEEEESSSSSS!"
Li Xiao sighed as Charice started partying around the room (leaving Matthew and Alfred to pin her down because THEY WANT TO HEAR THIS TOO). Meanwhile, all Ludwig could do was laugh a little at the revelation, much to the Shadow's surprise.
"Germany?" He asked casually. "Who's he?"
"He's a strong man, very protective and very kind." He remarked. "I…I was leaning on him shortly after you…you…"
"I understand, Italia."
"…he taught me the fact that it was okay to allow emotions back…even if it hurt me all over again…" The Shadow lowered his head. "I love him now…and I ask for your forgiveness…"
"Now why would I be mad at your happiness?"
"Heilrich?"
"Italia, I would never be mad at you because your heart belongs to someone else. This man makes you happy, correct?"
"More than anything…"
"Then the least I can do is bring you back to him." He smiled, stroking his hair. "To make the both of you happy."
"Heilrich…"
"Italia…"
He backed up from the Shadow and smiled, a light blush sinking into the Shadow's face. He lifted up his hand and, in one slow stroke, brushed his hair off his forehead, keeping it back there. Feliciano's eyes widened even more, almost to the point of it falling out of the socket.
"…Lud…?"
"Feliciano…come back with me."
Ludwig's hand lifted slowly, allowing the hair to drift back onto his forehead. The Shadow quickly made the connection, crying even more before he threw himself into his arms. The minute they made contact, the entire room filled with a bright white light. The light faded away, and in their place they found themselves back at the floating platform with the pools and the tree in the middle of the area.
"It's over…" Matthew smiled.
They turned their heads to see Ludwig holding onto a child version of Feliciano, complete with a maid's dress and a woman's sob coming out of his throat. The German smiled and planted a small kiss on his forehead, making the boy shiver and coo softly.
…
"No, Charice. No."
"Nyuuuuuuuuuu…"
/= "Promise Me" by HetaOni =/
"So I'm dead now…"
"Yes…but only temporary!" Charice chirped. "For once we come back, you'll be alive and good as new!"
"Oh, really? Yay, that's good!" Feliciano laughed. "So we can go back to living our lives!"
"No…not really."
Everyone paused for a few minutes as they saw Li Xiao walk before all of them, standing in front of the portal and facing them with a serious look on his face. Those words worried Charice and Ludwig to the maximum.
"What…what do you mean?"
"He's been dead for too long now…at this point, all he can do is reincarnate."
"…move into a different body?" Alfred asked.
"If we made it in time. However, not only do we have time against us, we also have the factor of him only being half a country." Li Xiao pointed out. "There's a chance he won't reincarnate at all, and even then he might just move into a different body."
"…what do you mean by…reincarnate?" Ludwig asked.
"Like what happened with you…only you were lucky enough to keep your memories intact." The Chinese man answered. "There's a chance that he might never remember you or your former self…if he actually takes his nation status."
The room went silent as Lovino stormed forward and grabbed his collar.
"Why the HELL are you telling us this now, you bastard?" Lovino screamed. "When we're just about to get the hell out of here?"
"Would you rather know about this now and say what you have to, or later when you leave and realize that he's not waking up?" He calmly answered. "This is a way of showing mercy to you."
"Then why didn't you tell us when I was in that world, huh?" He spat. "WHY NOT!"
"Because you went in on your own accord. You didn't die. Nothing was affected." Li Xiao closed his eyes. "In happier news, if Feliciano dies you achieve the true immortality that the rest of them hold."
Lovino grunted before throwing him to the ground, being pulled back by a similarly startled Antonio. The room went back into a silence as they contemplated the fact that Li Xiao had just told them. Ludwig turned to Feliciano, who was holding onto his robe and sobbing softly.
"…Ludwig?"
"What is it?" His voice was soft.
"T-this might be the last time I ever talk to you…"
"Feli, no-"
"Please, listen to me…if…if what Li Xiao said is true…and I don't come back…" Feliciano clung to him. "Please don't waste your time to try to find me…I don't want you to waste eternity…"
"I don't care. I'd waste everything that I am to see you again…I've wasted my life trying to remember you…"
"…then if you do find me…" Feliciano looked up. "No matter how many times I curse at you, force you away, scream how much I hate you…don't ever leave me again?"
"…as you wish."
He sobbed quietly for a few minutes before nodding to accept his coming. He whispered something in Ludwig's ear before he approached the portal, turning around to the people that had helped save him. Feliciano moved away from his shoulder.
"Thank you all for helping me…I won't ever forget it." He called out. "Fratello, we will always be brothers."
"…until the dying breath."
"Um…anyone have anything to say before we go?" Gilbert turned his head. "Cause I have to say that you look cute, man."
"I wanna hold him…"
Li Xiao couldn't deny this one, and he allowed Charice to cuddle Feliciano for a while. She cooed for a while, making Feliciano squeak and shiver like a baby and making himself all the cuter, really.
"You're so cute like this…" She laughed.
"Ve~~~when I reincarnate, can you hold me like this again?"
"I'll hold you like this forever, if you want!"
"Ve~~~but what about Ludwig?"
"Right, him."
She gave it back to the German, who gave him another kiss to the forehead. After a few minutes of silence, they walked through the portal together. The others silently followed, leaving Charice and Li Xiao alone in Feliciano's world. She turned around.
"So…there's a chance that we lost Feliciano forever…" She said.
"And there's a chance that none of the sad things happen and he returns to his body as normal." Li Xiao stated bluntly. "While the chance is small, it was still there."
"WHAT? Seriously? If that chance was there, why didn't you say anything about it?" Charice was confused. "Make them happy just for a little while?"
"Because the chance was extremely small, like 1 out of a million, or even a trillion." He smiled. "Plus, seeing someone defy all the negative odds and come back to life is oddly romantic, isn't it aru?"
"…since when did you get so romantic?"
"Oh, I don't know…someone rubbed it off of me, I guess."
She blinked as he shrugged and headed through the portal, forcing her to follow. Part of her wished that what he said would be true.
/=+=/
The Rizal thing is still open, if you want it :D REVIEW, NOW!