/= "The Decision of Love" by HetaOni =/

Ludwig looked around as reality sank back into his mind. All of the murder victims were looking at each other as if they had seen it too, and were turning back to a fallen Rizal in Ludwig's arms. He no longer looked like the sixteen-year-old that they had known. Instead, he looked twelve…Peter's age, if not younger. He was crying in his arms, not looking at anyone.

"Rizal…"

"Don't…look at me…" He sobbed. "I'm a monster…"

"Rizal…"

"I'm a Shadow, remember? I'm not supposed to be pitied."

Ludwig looked up and lightly hugged him, catching a squeak of surprise from his other counterpart. Everyone watched him squirm for a while before quickly giving up and slumped, leaving him in the German's arms. All Ludwig could do was watch the twelve-year-old sit there in a blank stare, quietly taking it all in. Meanwhile, the other murder victims were rubbing their foreheads.

"I…I remember everything now…" Kiku looked up.

"He had that weird voice underneath his own…I thought that was weird." Arthur looked at everyone. "Why did I forget that voice?"

"He was calling out to me the entire time." Gilbert spat. "Shit…if only I was able to remember what he told me…"

"V-ve…I didn't want to remember him eating my heart…"

"He WHAT?" Lovino darted his head to his brother. "Is that why-?"

Charice didn't say anything, staring at Ludwig as he held the little boy in his arms. For a long time, she could remember holding him in her arms when he was young…when he was crying…when he needed someone to be with him…even when he said otherwise…

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Say anything about what?"

"…this…about me…"

"Please, and bother you more than you already were? I didn't need you to think about me over the more important things in your life."

"Rizal…"

"I know you. You were in love with Feliciano…well, crushing on him…for much longer than I was with you. I would've been wasting both of our time."

"You wouldn't be."

"Yes I would, especially once you started going out with him. If I had said anything, you would've rejected me outright, but Feliciano would've seen us. He would've started accusing you, you two would end up in a fight, and it would all be my fault, so what's the point…"

"Rizal…you are never a waste of my time." Ludwig turned him around so they made eye contact. His eyes were no longer a bright gold, but a normal brown…like his sister. "A friend is never a waste of my time."

The only thing the Filipino could do was smile at his words, finally letting the notion of him never being alone sink into his system. Suddenly, there was a low growl underneath the cold wind. Everyone froze as the little boy lowered his head and held his arms.

I'vE wOn ThIs MaTcH. yOu ArE pOwErLeSs AgAiNsT mE.

"It's you…!" Ludwig backed up. "Get out of Rizal!"

yOu CaNnOt GeT rId Of Me. fOr I aM tHe TrUe RiZaL, tHe BoY yOu CaLl "FrIeNd". If I lEaVe, He DiEs.

"You cur-!"

"He's right…you can't get rid of him…"

Rizal rose to his feet, the Shadow starting to swarm again over his body. It was starting to pile on him like the fraying skin it was during the battle. Charice had to say that it was rather disturbing to look at.

"Whatever I am…this voice is just a part of me. If I try to suppress it, it will only come back and hurt more people." Rizal stated. "I have to get rid of it…"

"But…"

"It's all right, Ludwig. I know you care, but there are some things you can't avoid."

MuSt YoU aCcEpT dEaTh So EaSiLy?

"Only one person can kill me, and it is not you, Li Xiao. If you do, this voice may rub on you and you will share the same fate."

"What are you saying here?" Gilbert stepped forward. "Are you even debating this?"

"I have to die…and Antonio has to be the one to kill me."

Everyone's eyes turned to the startled Spaniard, who was still weakened from his wounds and was obviously shaking. Charice knew that ever since the two of them had become friends, all Antonio wanted to do was to gain forgiveness from her younger brother. Now, to be given a burden as heavy as this…

"I…I can't do this…"

"You have to, Antonio. You already know that you do."

"But…I can't…I can't kill my own son…"

"I'm not your son. I was never your sibling. I was never supposed to exist." Rizal stated. "The closer I strayed toward humanity, the bigger the monster became. You're the only one who can destroy that monster."

Antonio was shaking.

"I'm not going to hold it against you, Antonio."

"Don't you dare do it!" Charice screamed. "Don't you dare kill my brother! There has to be another way!"

YeS, lEt ThE pAiN aNd SaDnEsS oVeRtAkE yOu AlL.

"Don't force him to choose so casually!" Lovino spat. "Antonio doesn't have a mind that can comprehend big shit like this!"

"We can save him! We don't have to do this!"

"Charice is right, isn't she?" Feliciano asked. "We can stop this?"

"We could rip the voice out of him, but that will kill him all the same." Arthur rubbed his head. "And if we try any restraint method, Rizal will just go rabid again."

"Li Xiao, what did you do?" Charice crawled to him. "What did you do to save yourself? You're a Shadow too, aren't you?"

"…I never let my emotions run my course of action." He answered. "It was all over when Rizal fell in love."

"What…?"

"This voice…it comes from the friction between the emotion of anger that runs him, and the emotion of love he had for Ludwig." Li Xiao stated. "He didn't know how to balance them, and the machine is dying…"

bReAk AlL tHe ChAiNs ThAt HeLd YoU tOgEtHeR.

"So…there's no…?"

Antonio was looking down at his hands, tightening around the axe he proudly held, the one that ripped open Charice's arm and started all this. He was the one who created the Shadow. He was the one that caused Rizal to suffer. Why wasn't he being the one blamed for this…?

"ArE yOu PrOuD oF wHaT yOu CrEaTeD, aNtOnIo?" Rizal smiled. "ThIs AbOmInAtIoN sHe LoVeD?"

"…" He hated the demented voice.

"kIlL mE, sAvE tHe WoRlD aNd LoSe AnY fRiEnDsHiP wItH hEr. DoN't KiLl Me, AnD tHe WoRlD wIlL bE mY pLaYgRoUnD."

The Spaniard was shaking at this point, unable to figure out what he was going to do. He had only recently regained her trust, a moment that cleared his consciousness for good. Could he really do it all again? What was the risk he was going to take?

He clenched his eyes shut, tears flowing from his cheeks, and with all his strength lifted his axe and tore right through his back.

/=+=/

Ludwig and Charice quickly ran to the fallen Filipino as Antonio stepped back, hands shaking and fresh blood on his fingertips. The Filipina was hysterical, screaming for him to wake up. Meanwhile, the Shadow that was around his body dissipated into the air.

"Kuya? Kuya! Please, talk to me!"

"…why are you so hysterical?"

Everyone froze. Rizal's real voice was gone. It was now Charice's, demented a little bit…like any normal Shadow would have.

"This is for the best."

"No it's not! You do not have to die like this!"

"What? You were the person that told me that every action has a justifiable excuse. Why not now?"

She was crying and shaking her head.

"Don't blame Antonio. He had to do this. If I went loose, you would all be victims."

"There could've been a better way…"

"Life isn't always going to be good for you, ate…" He turned to Ludwig. "Protect her, please?"

"…I will."

Rizal's body dissipated, hovering over her body and transforming into a small cherub angel with a flowing robe. The wings on his back were small, barely able to support its own weight, and it looked almost like a baby Rizal. It vanished, transforming into a card that sank into Charice's skin.

"A Persona…" Matthew shivered.

Ludwig heard a thud next to him, and he turned his head to see a small bronze object on the floor. Confused, he went to pick it up, seeing familiar lettering in the surface. It was the Christmas gift that he had given him. By the shine and how long it had been, he must've treated it with care.

With a light sigh, he leaned in and kissed the top.