Author's Note: I have been sitting on this idea since last week. The ending floated through my head yesterday. Add some ideas from Facebook saves, here is the story below. I found that the more I wrote for soulless!Italy, the more unhinged he sounded. Romano was really scared here. It's been a while since I killed any characters that you cared about. So, I went ahead and changed that. Also, I think one country will finally escape the house in the end. I haven't figured out who yet. Speaking of which, I am thinking about what's coming next in the next two matches before the arc finale. (Yes, I said arc finale. I will explain in the finale.) For now, enjoy this week's match.
Match Thirty-Five: Two Brothers:
"Why are you doing this?"
Feliciano sat across from Lovino. He had been waiting for his brother to get here. The older brother fell through the ceiling with slime-like water. He landed on the floor with a thud.
"Ow," he mumbled to himself as he rubbed on his sores. Feliciano sat on his throne and waited.
"Hello, brother."
Lovino turned his head. Feliciano's smile didn't reach his eyes. He looked like a cold prince on that throne of iron. He held a glass of red wine in his hand. His brother leaped to his feet.
"Feliciano!" he shouted. "You!"
"Yes," his younger brother said.
"What have you done?!"
"I'm bringing us to the new world order."
"What the hell are you talking about?! You aren't making any goddamn sense!"
"That's okay. I didn't expect you to understand anyway."
"Are you calling me stupid?!"
"Not at all, dear brother." Feliciano took a sip of his wine. Lovino took a step back. Who was this man in front of him? This was not his brother anymore. This was a demonic brother wearing his brother's face. Feliciano held out his real hand.
"Come, take a seat," he said. "I have so much I want to tell you." An iron chair slid out from nowhere and bumped against the back of Lovino's legs. The Italian man had no choice but to sit down.
"Much better," his brother said. Lovino glared at him. He wanted to shout at this imposter to give him his brother back.
"Why are you doing this?"
"I told you."
"But that makes no sense!"
Feliciano smiled as he shook his head. "You don't get it, do you?"
"Get what? What the hell are you talking about?!" Lovino felt his face burning hot. His brother's dead smile made his blood burn. Feliciano shook his head.
"Looks like I am going to have to show you."
"Show me what?"
Feliciano rose to his feet. "Come with me." He finished his wine and set down his glass. The Italian man walked over to the window. Lovino got up and followed behind. The whole time, the confusion rose with his anger.
Feliciano drew back the curtain.
All is quiet in the cabin. Family photos covered the walls. The potted plants and the furniture said that everything was normal. Only there was blood splattered across the walls. Two bodies were positioned in the house. A man in his late twenties sat slumped against the wall. His head and shirt were covered in blood. Another body lay on the floor. The darkness obscured their face. Two children, a boy and a girl, stood in the doorway. They looked about ten or eleven with knives in their hands. The children held hands as they walked out into the early morning light.
"What the hell is this?" Lovino asked. Feliciano smiled.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" he asked. His brother whipped his head around.
"What the hell is the matter with you?!"
"Can't you see it?"
"No."
"No? Then let me show you this." Feliciano snapped his fingers. The image changed in front of them. Lovino didn't want to see anymore but he didn't have a choice.
They were staring at a stage. The lights came on the other side. A figure dressed up like a ringmaster walked out to the center. Black and white striped pants, a black jacket, and a black top hat. He took off his hat and bowed. Feliciano bowed his head. The ringmaster began to speak. The brothers couldn't hear them speak. Lovino's right ear started to twitch.
"What the hell is this?" he whispered.
"Shhh," Feliciano said, waving him off. The ringmaster bowed and stepped away. More lights came on the other side. A man with a white-painted face walked out with a basket in hand. He reached inside and tossed around dried red petals. His black dirty coat made him look so small. He looked up with a sad look on his face. A tear rolled down his cheek. The man walked backward out of view.
Three ballerinas dropped to the ground. They landed on their toes and twirled around. The girls with their decaying skin looked like tops. They spun closer to each other before spinning away. A woman in a long tattered red dress walked out of the darkness. She looked like she had been crying. Her make-up ran down her cheeks. The two big red roses in her hair couldn't hide her pain. Her jewelry rivaled the blackness in the room. Her black diamond necklace, arm cuffs, and bracelets stood out against her pale skin. The giant black wings on her back caused her pain. The woman hid out her arms. Lovino noticed her mouthing to him.
Run!
She started floating off the ground. The woman started crying tears of blood as a light shined down on her. And then the other room became dark.
Feliciano turned to his brother.
"Magnificent, isn't it?" he asked.
"What is this?" Lovino asked. His brother looked like a demon with his grin.
"This is part of the New World Order!" he said. He held out his arms.
"This is just the beginning! The world we know is going to die. A new kingdom will rise!" He looked over at the dark glass.
"That was just a taste," Feliciano finished. Lovino took a step back, shaking his head.
"You have lost your mind!" he shouted.
"No brother," the younger Italian said. "I have seen everything." The room felt like it was spinning. What had become of Feliciano?
"You are not my brother!" Lovino shouted. "I don't know who you are anymore!"
"Lovino, it's me," Feliciano said. He grabbed his older brother by the shoulders.
"Can't you see it?" he asked. "This beautiful Dark Circus will be part of the New World. The trumpets are sounding tonight. I heard the first one last night." The younger Italian man closed his eyes and took it in.
"Aren't you scared of dying?" Lovino asked. "This circus is going to kill us all! They keep taking people. That girl in there, she went missing from our neighborhood over Christmas. I just know it. Why would you want something like this for the rest of the world?"
"Don't you see the beauty in it? Their world had been lost long ago. Now they have returned to their rightful place among us."
"This is insane. You have lost your mind!"
"No! It's the world going mad! I am just embracing it!" There was a light in his eyes. But it was a mockery of delight. There was no saving him now. Their grandfather would be saddened to see his favorite grandson like this. Lovino pushed him off.
"Do you not hear yourself?" he asked. "What happened to you? This isn't you! Don't you know that Ludwig is trying to get you back?" His younger brother cocked his head to the side.
"Ludwig?" he asked. Lovino nodded. There seemed to be something stirring inside of his younger brother. For a second, the older Italian man had hope that he wasn't completely lost. Maybe… Just maybe…
"Why?" Feliciano asked at last.
"Because that German bastard loves you for some reason," Lovino said. "He loves you and misses you."
"Does he?" his brother asked. The older Italian man nodded. Feliciano seemed to lower his head for a moment. Lovino held his breath. His brother softly laughed to himself. The older Italian man's heart sank as Feliciano lifted his head.
"Then I pity him," he said. Lovino's eyes widened as he started backing away again.
"No…" he said. His brother smiled as he shook his head.
"Such a shame really," he said. He walked over to his brother. Lovino kept backing up. He tried to look around for an escape. The only way out was behind Feliciano. The older Italian man cursed himself for falling for the oldest trick in the book.
"Feliciano," he said. "Please… You don't have to do this." Feliciano didn't speak. He kept walking closer. Lovino backed up to a wall. The younger brother reached into his cloak as he walked closer. They came inches away from each other. Feliciano smiled and leaned in close to Lovino's ear. He whispered one final message.
"I loved you so much, brother. Nothing personal, really."
Lovino let out a pain-filled gasp. He looked down to see the blade buried deep into his chest. Feliciano had a smile of steel and dead eyes as he yanked out the knife. He watched as Lovino stared up at him for this act of betrayal. He said nothing as his dear brother said nothing. And now the deed was complete.
Feliciano said nothing as he wiped away the blood from his knife. He picked up Lovino's bleeding body and dragged him away with him.
With that act of betrayal, the second trumpet sounded through the house.