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Tempus Vernum	By : FlayraDowitcher Category: +G to L > Hetalia: Axis Powers Views: 1527 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. I'm making no money off of this fic.

Chapter List
- 21
- 22
***Wow. Okay. Well folks, here it is! The very last chapter. We have battles and blood and fun! This one moves pretty fast because there are so many characters, so bear with me. ^^ Notes to follow at the end. Read through, there may be a surprise for those who do. ^^
***Warnings: Violence, language
***Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. I am making no money off of this fic.
'This day has been just perfect.
The kind of day of which I dreamed since I was small.' –This Day Aria (MLPFiM)
Chapter 22- The Thunder Breaks Part 2- Final
Ludwig couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the six appear from outside the dome, armed and ready for battle. Ivan hadn't abandoned them; he had gone to call the others to their aid. He had never been so happy to see these fairies! Fighting against Aeon would be much easier now! He took a glance at Aeon, seeing that the barbaric fairy showed actual concern and a hint of doubt on his face. Aeon isn't just facing a simple human monk and a Winter Fairy; he was facing the elite fairy warriors of the other realm. Both Roderich and Arthur were older fairies with more magic and experience. Sadiq was a descendant of the Pure Bloods and wielded their ancient power. Elizaveta was an undefeated warrior queen, who had been battling for centuries. Alfred was young, fast, resilient and strong, carrying the strength of his father within him. He had never seen Heracles fight, but if the fairy was chosen to be with the others, then who was he to judge?
Roderich twirled his invisible bladed sword. "I believe you, sir, are causing quite a disturbance in this world and ours." He said to Aeon and then noticed Gilbert's nakedness. He covered his queen's eyes. "Would you like a mattress strapped to your back? Just what are you trying to prove?"
Gilbert sneered at him. "Long story! Give me something to wear, then!" Heracles removed the long spare tunic he had over his shoulders and tossed it to him.
Aeon growled at the fact that he was being ignored, so he let out a mighty roar to gain their attention.
"What's with this guy?" Alfred asked, pointing to the bladed wings. "He looks like that crazy cheese grater we use to have in the kitchens."
"Do not take me lightly!" Aeon added a dark echo to his voice as he used his bladed wings to lift himself into the sky. "I have the power of the Pure Bloods flowing within me! For decades I have obtained the fairy's magic and created my own wings! The Pure Bloods have chosen ME to be their leader here in the human world and before our Little Luddy came along, I was to be the Voice of the Goddess here on earth! Yet he stole it from me!" Aeon hollered. "My battle is with the monk, not you six! I'll let my men play with all of you instead."
"Hey, Aeon!" Gilbert shouted up to him, now clothed. "Why don't you tell King Arthur how you first obtained your true fairy magic?" He smirked. "I'm sure he would LOVE to know!"
Ludwig grabbed Gilbert by his arm and pulled him in to whisper harshly, "We don't need another Arthur monster!"
Arthur looked interested in that and he gazed up at Aeon, silently asking for the answer.
The half-breed crossed his arms and said, with a smirk, "Why not ask our beloved monk Ludwig here? He's known all along and chose not to tell you, Arthur."
Everyone looked to Ludwig now and Ludwig could see the hurt and distrust in Arthur's eyes once again. He glanced at Sadiq, who remained silent under his black face covering and eye mask. Aeon taunted him from above, pushing for him to tell Arthur of the stillborn baby.
So with a deep breath, Ludwig squeezed Gilbert's hand as he prepared to tell the truth. "Aeon obtained his true fairy magic and race by eating the flesh of a fairy infant. On the day of your first stillborn, someone took the baby to the Pure Bloods…and they gave it to Aeon to devour so he could gain fairy magic and reduce aging." He could see Arthur's features turning paler and paler with each spoken word. "I found the body of your infant stillborn, only a skeleton and I was able to confirm that it was indeed yours. Aeon needed a fairy of royal blood. I'm sorry for never telling you but…but I feared it would be too devastating for you to hear at such a vulnerable time. But now you know the truth…"
"Then…then when I buried my little princess-" Arthur started, only to be cut off by Ludwig.
"There was nothing in it. It was all a setup." Arthur was stunned into silence.
"You're despicable!" Elizaveta shouted, pointing her sword at him.
"I'll kick your ass, you bastard!" Alfred readied his sword, and both he and the queen were ready to take off towards Aeon. Roderich stopped them.
"Calm yourself, everyone. We do not know what to expect from him!" Roderich narrowed his gaze at the black fairy. "All I know is that he must be removed from this world!"
Aeon laughed. "Well then, what are you all waiting for? Come at me! IF, you can get through my army of Warrior Fairies!" His fairy warriors levitated behind him, their wings buzzing rapidity like a swarm of bees, a sound echoing within the dome. "And I want Ludwig! My battle is with him! For whomever wins will be considered the Voice of the Goddess here on earth!"
Gilbert gave Ludwig a worried look. "Think you can stand up to him?"
Ludwig swallowed hard, a bead of sweat forming at his brow. "I'm not sure."
Aeon twirled in the air. "What's wrong, Little Luddy? Afraid to fight me? Oh! That's right! You may have some powers from your fairy friends, but none of them have the strength of the Pure Bloods! They gifted me with even greater power than that of an infant fairy!"
Heracles pointed casually to Sadiq. "He's Pure Blood."
"Yes." Said the butterfly fairy, holding out his massive sword. "Since you are playing the field at an unfair advantage, we can do the same!" His sword began to glow and a beam of white light shot out towards Ludwig's staff. When the light hit the staff, it turned the outside pure white and forced the sheath to break from the blade. Ludwig stared at the glowing staff, feeling its power intensify tenfold. Aeon gave a demonic screech when he recognized the power of the Pure Bloods in the staff. "Never underestimate your elders." Sadiq wagged his finger.
"Ludwig!" Arthur called to him. "Don't forget to use the fairy sight I gave you!"
"Fairy sight?" Aeon hissed. He didn't have fairy sight!
Gilbert slapped his lover on the back. "You can do it, Ludwig! Go show that fucker who he's messing with! Seek revenge for all the horrors he has caused."
Ludwig looked at the staff, and then up at Aeon. "I don't think I can."
"We have your back." Gilbert assured him. "He's waiting for you. Right now, you have everything you could possibly need to fight that bastard!"
Another voice whispered near his ear. It was Arthur. "You are something special, Ludwig. The Green Mother has chosen you, that is why your mother's attempted abortion failed. Beat him and gain your title as the Voice of the Goddess. All I ask is that you leave him alive, but beaten, so that I may end his life."
Ludwig took a deep breath, and then gave a nod. "I will do as you ask. AEON!" Ludwig shouted up to him, aiming the crystal blade at the dark fairy. "WE END THIS NOW!"
Aeon grinned and snapped his fingers, sending his army of warriors down to the others. He landed back on the ground to face Ludwig, his large bladed wings rubbing together to create sparks. Ludwig readied his staff.
The ten warriors took off after each fairy, engaging them in a one on one fight. Elizaveta was the only who chose to take up two. There was one other fairy standing in the background, completely ignored.
Matthew smiled sadly. "I'm here too. I can help heal everyone."
Ludwig called forth his fairy sight and when he set his eyes upon Aeon, he noticed a drastic difference in the dark fairy. Aeon's bottom half was that of a goat or a bull, with hoofed feet. He also noticed that on each bladed wing, there was one blade at the center glowing a dark green. Ludwig figured they must be the center points to Aeon's wings or to his powers, a possible weakness. Behind him he could hear his friends and Gilbert fighting with the warrior fairies, so now it was just him and Aeon. Ludwig knew he could not let go of this staff or else he would risk losing his life against Aeon. This staff had the power of the Pure Bloods, the same as Aeon's magic did. Aside from the wings, they were now an equal match.
"Come at me, Little Luddy." Aeon mocked in a teasing tone. "Show me what you've got!"
Ludwig saw that Aeon did not hold a weapon, as of yet. He wondered if the fairy intended to fight with magic instead?
"Why are you hesitating? Is it because I don't have a weapon like you? Do you feel this is unfair?" He taunted. "Never mind, I'll make things easier on you!" He called forth his own sword; its style resembling that of a knight's. "Shall we then?"
Aeon flew at him head on with his blade pointing straight out. Ludwig used his cloak to leap out of the way and into the air, surprising the demonic fairy. Aeon leapt after him, meeting the monk in the air and swung his sword, letting out a crescent blade of light towards Ludwig. While dodging it, Ludwig lost his balance in the air and tumbled down only to land on a bare tree branch. Nearly losing his balance, Ludwig was barely able to dodge Aeon's next sword swing. Coming back, he thrust the blade of his staff forward to nick the side of Aeon's cheek. The fairy flew back with a cry of pain, holding the cheek that sizzled where the cut was. Ludwig took this moment to attack again, leaping through the air and towards the demon. Aeon flew around him, using the force of the wind from his wings to catch the monk in a small whirlwind. It caused Ludwig to lose his concentration and tumble out of the sky to land heavily on the snowy ground. Glancing up, he saw the demon soaring down towards him. He rolled out of the way and jumped back onto his feet. Aeon stopped in the mid air, aimed his bladed wings forward, and shot out numerous sharp tipped feathers. Using Alfred's boots, Ludwig was able to dash through the snow and out of the way of the blade, leaving a silver trail of light behind him. Aeon fixed his wings and flew after the monk, matching him in speed but gaining ahead first. Ludwig came to a sliding halt when Aeon landed in front of him, lifting his staff in time to block the demon's blade.
Ludwig swung and thrust the blade of his staff towards the enemy, but the demon countered each attack. Aeon was smiling at him, showing off dirtied, razor sharp needle teeth. Ludwig had to look past the frightening exterior of the demon or risk losing this battle. He knew that Aeon was using his demonic features as a weapon to make himself more fierce, but Ludwig had to be stronger than that. His arms were starting to ache from all the swinging and blocking of their blades. The snow made their footwork challenging and one false step could mean life or death.
The other fairies were having troubles their own. The Warrior Fairies they faced were unlike the fairies of their own realm. They were abominations; abnormalities; demons.
Gilbert, still weaponless, had to rely on his elemental powers, which, if he used too much, would soon run dry. Calling forth an icicle or two, he was able to use them as short range daggers, stabbing at the demonic fairy with the serpentine split tongue. The demon's morning star swung this way and that, trying to meet Gilbert's skull or body with the spiked ball. Gilbert grit his teeth as he waited for an opening in which he could grab at that chain, but the demon was moving too fast for him. It was as if these fairies had been given Pure Blood power as well and if that were the case, then their battle would be much harder than previously thought. With one good solid dodge, Gilbert was able to reach up from underneath the demon and grab the chain. Using his powers, he covered the weapon in solid ice, rendering it useless. The ice was so cold that it burned the clawed hands of the demon. Its texture stuck to the hands and ripped off the skin of the palms as it was finally thrown from the fairy's grasp. Gilbert charged at the demon and tackled him to the snow.
Ivan had reverted to his dog form, trying desperately to snap at the flying warrior taunting him. If only he could reach a limb, then he could drag the demon to the ground and tear it to shreds. This warrior demon had a whip, which he used to snap and crack at Ivan, forcing the phantom further back. Ivan's jaws managed to grasp the leather, but the weapon was blessed and the magic burned the roof of his mouth. With a startled yelp of pain, Ivan was forced to run out of reach of the demon, waiting for an opening to attack. He must go for the neck or for the head and once he was there, he mustn't let go.
Alfred had his warrior on the run, laughing loudly as he swung his blade at the demon. From his dark blade shot forth magic stars and beams of colored light, which sought out the form the warrior. The warrior dodged as many as he could, trying to out fly the young fairy prince. Alfred was faster, thoug, and he flew up and over the demon. Once he was flying high and out of sight, Alfred spiraled down with a battle cry of victory.
Sadiq and Heracles were battling theirs together. Heracles' hammer was long and heavy, but in his hands it was light as a feather. His long range attacks would distract the demons while Sadiq went in with his blade to slice at their bellies. Whatever armor the demons were wearing were powerful enough to withstand his blade, which also held the ancient magic of the Pure Bloods. Each demon was heavily clad in armor as well, shielding vital spots of the body except for the head.
Arthur's black scythe gave him just the safe amount of range he needed. He and his demon battled in the air, Arthur swinging his scythe at the armored body. He had called forth a protective shield of purple magic around himself. Due to being in his monster form for a long period of time, Arthur's magic and reflexes were still weak. The protective shield would be his saving grace for this battle. All he really wanted was to sink his teeth and his claws into the neck of that bastard demon fairy Aeon, who ATE the flesh of his little princess. If anything should keep him strong in this fight, it was his fierce desire to seek revenge for the devouring of his daughter.
Elizaveta was having difficulty facing the two demons by herself due to their sheer size and Pure Blood magic. They had twice the armor she had and their weapons were fat, massive blades that rivaled her thin one. Still, she attacked them without hesitation, aiming for their throats and eyes. Once knocked her out of the sky, sending him spiraling to the snow. She recovered quickly and readied her blade to the sky where the warriors were. When a third joined them, she felt a twinge of fear until she felt the weight of a hand on her armored shoulder. She turned to see Roderich and smiled brightly, knowing that her husband wanted them to battle the three together. With her speed and Roderich's magic, they could easily defeat the three demons coming towards them.
Ludwig was knocked out of the air once again, slamming painfully into the snow. His body went halfway under the thick white and he had to crawl out of the solid cold substance. His body ached from the magic blast Aeon had thrown at him, hitting him right in the chest. The fairy armor absorbed most of it, but it was still enough to knock the wind out of him. Getting back up on his feet, Ludwig searched all around for sights of Aeon. They had taken their battle away from the others and right now all was silent. Where could he be? Ludwig still had his fairy sight but there were no signs of Aeon. Something was dripping down the side of his leg and he looked down at his feet where a few specs of blood lingered on the snow. One of the many knives must have cut him when he was trying to escape from the onslaught. He only wished that he had learned to use more magic, for right now he could do very little of it. Ludwig was depending on the magic that automatically came to him when Aeon was near, yet he wished that he could control it. He never thought this would happen, or that he would ever be fighting some demonic fairy who had gone mad from years of oppression and segregation.
Something could be heard fluttering his way. "Ludwig!" It was Gilbert calling his name.
"Gilbert?" He looked around for his lover, finding the Winter Fairy coming towards him, wounded and bleeding. "Gilbert!" Ludwig ran over to him, catching the fairy as he fell limply into his arms. Gilbert was badly wounded, with various stab wounds in his belly and cuts all around.
"Ludwig...I found you."
"What's happened? Where are the others?" He cradled his lover close.
"I don't know...I couldn't see them. Those demon fairies...they are just...just too strong for us." Pink eyes were welling with tears as a trembling hand reached up to stroke his cheek. "Don't let me go?"
Ludwig held him close, pressing the wounded body to his chest. "Never. This will all be over soon, I promise you." He could feel Gilbert's arms moving against him, and he opened his eyes to look at the red thread around his finger. The thread wasn't short, as it should be with Gilbert so close to him. He turned his head slightly to see that the thread ran far behind him. He realized that this wasn't Gilbert in his arms, but an illusion of some kind. Violently, he pushed Gilbert away from him and jumped back, aiming the blade of the staff at the imposter. "Who are you?" Ludwig demanded. How dare they try to use Gilbert against him! He was lucky to have figured it out just in time, for he saw a dagger in Gilbert's hand that was meant for him.
The illusion of Gilbert laughed loudly, and the voice belonged to Aeon. The Black Fairy transformed himself back from Gilbert's image. "Very clever, Ludwig. I guess you are as smart as you are handsome!"
"I was top of my class every year at the temple."
"I know. Such a promising boy, but an annoying one." Aeon drew his sword once again. "I will enjoy devouring your body piece by piece while your lover watches."
Ludwig flipped his staff around to the crystal ball side and willed a beam of energy from it. A ball of light shout out towards Aeon, but the Black Fairy sidestepped easily.
"That's the power of Pure Bloods. You can will the magic of the Pure Bloods to do as you wish, but it is nearly impossible to control. You do not know how to wield it properly, so I suggest you stick to just the blend end, Little Luddy. For if you want to fight magic to magic," He smirked. "There is no chance that you will win."
Ludwig knew that he was right. The Pure Blood magic given to him was powerful, but he alone could not wield it properly. But if he willed the magic then it would come to him. But how to will it properly? He didn't have time to think as suddenly Aeon was coming after him The Black Fairy's blade met his, and together they dueled. Aeon's force of the swings backed Ludwig into a tree, their blades an 'x' between them. Aeon's blade was close to his face as Ludwig pushed back against him. Using his good leg, he planted his foot Aeon's middle and pushed hard, kicking the fairy away. Ludwig lunged forward with his staff but Aeon used his right wing to block it. The scraping of the crystal against the knives hurt his ears. Aeon was able to maneuver his wings in all directions and he spread all the blades to slash the full length of the wing at Ludwig. Ludwig backed away, but Aeon's wings were now moving as if they had a mind of their own. If those bladed wings touched him in anyway, the cuts would be so numerous and so deep that he would instantly bleed to death.
"Stop running away! You're making killing you a long and boring process!" Aeon laughed. "What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for your friends to come and help you? Do you think Gilbert will come flying over here and fight alongside you?"
"And if he did?"
Aeon's eyes widened at the new voice from above and they both looked up to see a white ball of light coming straight towards them. Aeon jumped away from Ludwig as the Winter Fairy landed between them. Ludwig looked at Gilbert, knowing that this was indeed his lover by the red thread around his finger. Only this time, Gilbert was dressed in his fairy clothes and armor. Gilbert stood in a fighter's proud stance, perfectly poised and straight.
"Gilbert!" Ludwig stood beside him.
"How did you escape my warrior?" Aeon demanded of the Winter Fairy.
Gilbert smirked. "Easily! Your warriors are nothing more than half breed vermin who cannot stand up to the true power and will of an actual fairy! You'll find that your warriors are flying away to safety."
"You jest."
"Try me." Gilbert challenged. "Go see for yourself! Your warriors are being driven away and soon, you will be surrounded."
Ludwig wondered if Gilbert was telling the truth or if he was just boasting. Aeon seemed to believe it, but only for a minute or two. When the Black Fairy slowly let his lips curl into a villainous grin, Ludwig feared what was going to come next.
"Well then, if that's the case, then I should send some aid to my warriors, shouldn't I?"
Gilbert narrowed his gaze. "Wait aid? You have nothing else other than your bastard half blooded warriors!"
"Do I?" Aeon chuckled. "Let's test your theory then, shall we?"
Ludwig whispered to Gilbert. "Is what you say true?" Gilbert gulped.
"Perhaps you both are familiar with the Umbras?" Aeon crouched down to the ground, burying both his hands in the snow. Gilbert and Ludwig knew them well. "The Pure Bloods control them! And seeing as I wield their power, I can summon them as well! They will aid my warriors in defeating your friends!" Bolts of energy from his hands entered the snow and the ground began to shake. From all around them, black shadows burst forth from the ground, their groaning a singular, haunting sound.
Ludwig whispered again to Gilbert. "How often have you heard that your boastful mouth would get you into trouble?"
"Ever since I could talk?" Gilbert answered.
Ludwig sneered at him. "A word of caution for this battle: STOP TALKING!" He hollered.
Aeon leapt into the air. "Let's see how your friends are doing now."
The two followed after the Black Fairy, one on wings and the other with boots. The Umbras were numerous around them and as they got closer to the main battle, they could hear their friends. Ludwig saw the black shadows surrounding each of them, making the fighting with the warriors twice as difficult.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Aeon spoke with a chuckle. "Not only will I be the Voice of the Goddess, but I will be the supreme savior of all those creatures lost and oppressed by the fairy realm! I will help the Pure Bloods destroy your fairy realm and enslave the human one! It will be a glorious day!"
Ludwig looked at the battle his friends were currently engaged in. The Umbras were growing too numerous no matter how many the fairies killed. However many were killed almost twice as many would appear. The only one holding their own was Sadiq, using his ancient powers to defeat many of them in a single blow. But he wasn't the only one who noticed.
"That one is troublesome. Time to do away with him." Aeon was engulfed in black smoke while he began chanted a spell.
"NO!" Ludwig aimed his staff and willed a blast of magic to come, but it bounced right off the black aura.
Gilbert used his sword to slash at the black, but like a plate of armor, his swings could not break through. The ground rumbled again, and soon a towering stream of white, frozen rocks came out from under Sadiq, lifting him high into the air and then clamping closed around him. Ludwig felt the power of the Pure Bloods drain from his staff and he let out a frustrated cry. How could this be? Aeon seemed to be growing stronger by the minute. His magic was powerful enough to imprison a Pure Blood descendant. Where was he getting this power from? Was it from the Pure Bloods themselves? If that were the case, then there was no possible way he and the others could win against this barbaric fairy.
"You bastard! I'll kill you!" Gilbert attacked Aeon just as the Black Fairy was clear of the aura. Aeon blocked the swing with his wing and continued to do so for each slash. Gilbert held the hilt with both hands as he rained down blow after blow onto those bladed wings of iron. The Black Fairy was amused by his attempts and the smile only infuriated Gilbert further.
At the rate this was going, Ludwig feared that the others would be defeated by the warriors and the Umbras. Yet he was not concerned with them; he was only concerned for Gilbert, his lover. Even though this predicament was Gilbert's fault, Ludwig could not allow Aeon to kill his lover. Without the Pure Bloods' magic, they didn't stand a chance, but at least then he and GIlbert would go down together. Using Alfred's speed boots, Ludwig ran around the battling pair to strike Aeon from behind. The Black Fairy knew he was there and used the other wing to block Ludwig's staff. Again, Ludwig willed the magic to come to him, but without Sadiq's aid, the magic was only a beam of light. He flipped his staff around to the blade, knowing that it was the only bit that would still be of use to them. Not only did they have to fear Aeon's wings, but the Black Fairy still wielded a sword. He and Gilbert tried every move of their own blades: top, bottom, side, upward, downward, thrust; but nothing worked.
Gilbert let out a cry as the blade of a feather slashed at his arm. His armor did little to protect him. Aeon was the only one now who was wielding the power of the Pure Bloods unless Sadiq found his way out of that prison. Neither he nor Ludwig stood a chance unless they aimed for a vital part of Aeon's body. Ignoring the pain in his arm, Gilbert gripped his sword with both hands and aimed for Aeon's head. Hopefully decapitation would end this fight.
Aeon ducked away from the blow aimed at his neck. "Very clever, little snowflake." Aeon lifted his hoofed leg and kicked Gilbert in the chest, sending the fairy back a couple of yards. He turned to Ludwig next and swung his sword, just missing the human's neck. "I can't wait to kill you!"
"I'll kill you first!"
Ludwig thrust the staff forward and managed to graze the Black Fairy's underarm. Aeon hissed and stepped back a bit as the skin sizzled from the blade. Ludwig's staff still held the basic magic powers that can burn a fairy's flesh, even one like Aeon. Behind Aeon, Ludwig could see Gilbert coming towards them with his blade ready to strike. Ludwig had to keep Aeon's attention focused on him so hopefully Gilbert could get a solid strike. Raising his blade, he swung it to meet with Aeon's, using his strength to push the demon back. Gilbert came from behind and raising his sword, brought it down on the base of Aeon's left wing. However, the strength of the wing completely shattered Gilbert's sword in two. Both of them watched the blade shatter in shock and it was Aeon's chance to strike.
With one of his tails, he used it to wrap around Gilbert's ankle to hold him there. He backhanded Ludwig across the face with his fist and used his hooves to send the human skidding through the snow. With Gilbert still trapped, he turned his attention to the Winter Fairy. Grinning madly, he continuously slammed Gilbert's body into one of the trees until he was satisfied and then tossed the fairy lazily through the air. His main target was Ludwig and not the human's lover. Ludwig was trying to recover from the hit, writhing in the snow while trying to gain footing. Aeon stood over him, lifted a hoofed foot, and pressed the human's head down further into the snow.
Ludwig struggled desperately to lift his face from the snow or die from suffocation. His lungs burned from the lack of oxygen and his head kept getting pressed further and further into the snow. When the weight was suddenly lifted from his head, Ludwig arched himself up to free his face from the cold and take in gulps of air. There was a kick to his stomach, knocking the wind right out from him once again. A second kick had him flying through the air where he hit a tree. His back had hit the tree and for a moment Ludwig feared it had temporarily paralyzed him. He still held his staff tightly and used it to aid his body in getting up onto his feet. Aeon was making his way over and Ludwig felt the panic taking over his fighting spirit. The Black Fairy smiled dangerously with those razor sharp teeth and gazed at him with solid black eyes. The clawed fingers wiggled, making a crackling noise as they did. The bladed wings sang together as the knives slid against the other, their sparks looking like twinkling stars. Ludwig feared for his life.
"It's all over now, Little Luddy." Aeon said as he stopped in front of him. "Look upon your friends." He pointed to the battle. "They too have failed."
Ludwig glanced behind to see that Aeon was not lying. The others had been beaten and most were held captive by the demon warriors or surrounded by Umbras. They were falling and falling fast.
"Too bad, you all put up a formidable fight, but in the end the Goddess chose me. Your defeat is solid proof of Her will." When Ludwig tried to lift his staff to attack, Aeon used one of his tails to smack it out of his grip. The tail end wrapped around the human's wrist and pulled him back down into the snow. "You do not have any magic left that can defeat me, Little Luddy." he removed his tail and kicked the human again, forcing him onto his back. "It's over now, Little Luddy. I will enjoy torturing you to an inch of your life, listen to you beg for death, but never letting it come for you. I will first eat your eyes, so that you can not see what tortures and pain await you." Aeon raised his sword. "Now you face your death."
Ludwig closed his eyes.
"NO!" Gilbert threw himself overtop of Ludwig's body, which halted Aeon's blade from coming down upon them. "I won't let you!"
"Gilbert, stand back!" Ludwig begged.
Gilbert's fairy heart was beating loudly and its silver light was reflecting in Aeon's black eyes. "I won't let him kill you!"
"Touching." Aeon smirked. "I have no problem killing you both. It will be a romantic story of star crossed lovers forever told to no one in particular." He spit on them both. "It's disgusting." He brought his hoofed foot down onto Gilbert, stomping heavily on the battered body.
Gilbert cried out at the pain of each heavy stomp but would not loosen his protective hold around his lover. He could hear Ludwig begging for him to stop and feel his mate struggling against him. Gilbert knew they were defeated but if he could give Ludwig one more shot at defeating Aeon at the price of his life, then he would do it. Gilbert held strong although the pain was excruciating. There was only one last thing he could do in hopes to protect his mate. It was the thought of what Aeon would do to Ludwig should he get a hold of him that gave the Winter Fairy the strength to fight back. Just as Aeon's hoof was coming down on them again, Gilbert grabbed the ankle with both hands and burst into a flame of pure white as a stream of ice began to crawl up Aeon's leg. Now he was attached to the Black Fairy and holding onto his leg with his elemental magic, forced the demon to stumble to the snow.
"YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Aeon screeched and used his other foot to kicked Gilbert in the face, trying to force the other off of him. Seeing as Gilbert was too stubborn to let go, Aeon lifted his sword and prepared to chop off Gilbert's arms to break the stream of ice, but didn't expect what happened next. He saw Ludwig leap into the air with his staff raised and before he could shield himself, the blade struck clean through his shoulder. The pain of the crystal blade burned the tender muscles inside and Aeon thrashed around madly to escape it. He was pinned down by Ludwig's staff and Gilbert's ice. The only thing left for him to use was his wings, and he was prepared to slice them both in half. Yet the two lovers must have predicted the attack, for when Aeon attempted it, Ludwig jumped away with his staff and Gilbert broke the ice. "I'll tear you both limb from limb!"
Ludwig rushed over to Gilbert and lifted his lover up from the snow, wrapping his arm around the narrow waist. He helped Gilbert to stand, holding his lover close to him. "Are you alright?"
"As good as I can be." Gilbert let out a breathy chuckle. "But it's not over yet."
Aeon stood up, holding his sizzling shoulder as he stared at them. "That was a nice little surprise move there, but I promise it will be your last. There is nothing left for you both now. Your friends are defeated, your magic is useless, and your bodies have been pushed to their limits. Just what is your next plan of action?" Aeon smirked.
"We have none." Ludwig answered honestly. "But we will continue to fight you until our dying breaths, and we will do it together."
Aeon clapped his hands. "I applaud your love and your noble spirit, Ludwig. But in the end, your honorable and noble spirit cannot help you against ancient magic. The Goddess may have chosen you, but She seemed to forget that you are human and cannot stand up to the might of a Pure Blood. Once you and your little snowflake are out of the way, I will have complete control over both worlds! For decades I have promised to bring the oppressed to power and finally I shall achieve that goal! The Goddess will have to accept me as Her voice!"
"For spending your adult years as a monk you'd think you would have learned that the Goddess despises greed and hatred!" Ludwig shouted at him. "Look at what you have become! The Goddess would never accept a monster like you, full of selfish greed and pure hatred!"
Aeon threw a feathered blade at them, but Ludwig ducked them both out of the way. "That is all nonsense! You think that your selflessness is stronger than my power? The Goddess respects strength!"
"And Ludwig has more of it than you ever will!" Gilbert shouted back at him.
"I am helping the Goddess is weeding this world of the corrupt! Her fairies have grown too powerful and their reign must come to an end! The only true fairies are the Pure Bloods and they deserve to rule the Fairy Realm in their image! I, in turn, will rule the human realm and all whom reside in it! The proud and the strong will fail while the downtrodden will rise high and take what is rightfully theirs!" Aeon threw his arms out and laughed up to the sky. "I am a God on Earth!"
"You are a monster!" Ludwig shouted. "If the Goddess will grant me strength then I will see you defeated and wiped from this world!"
Aeon scoffed. "The Goddess would have helped you long ago if She was concerned! This is proof that I am-" his words were cut short when a sudden rumbling came from up above.
All three of them looked up to see that the dome had cracked and split open. The dome broke apart and disappeared completely, giving way to the morning winter sky. Ludwig felt a tingling in his arm, and when he looked at his staff, he saw that it was growing tiny plants and flowers. The vines swirled around its length, reaching all the way to the blade, which slowly turned an earthy green. He looked to Gilbert who was also transfixed by the strange foliage now encircling the staff. The foliage started to creep up Ludwig's hand. Gilbert reached his own hand out and joined it with Ludwig's, letting the vines and plants curl around him as well. Pink eyes met blue.
Ludwig knew what to do. The Goddess had heard him ask for power and She granted it. He knew that this was Her doing, and could sense Her power flowing through him. Her power was stronger than that of the Pure Bloods and Aeon knew it. Ludwig held Gilbert close and whispered, "Will you help me?"
Gilbert smiled at his lover and gripped the staff tightly. "I will!"
Aeon readied his sword. "I'll kill you first!" Aeon's body burst into a black flame as he came flying straight towards them.
The two lovers were unafraid of Aeon's form now and together they charged to meet the demon fairy. The staff knew what to do and with Her power the blade shattered Aeon's when they met. The staff's blade struck straight and true through Aeon's chest to break out the back. Ludwig and Gilbert did not let go even though the demon's fire was engulfing them both. Holding steady, the two shoved the blade further into Aeon's chest and the fire died. Aeon was silent, his body still. The bladed wings sparkled as they disappeared slowly, turning into vapor. The Umbras vanished; the demon warriors disappeared.
Aeon's body grew limp. The two lovers pulled the blade out from his chest and watched as the demon's body slowly began to turn back to its rightful form. Ludwig and Gilbert lifted the staff again, prepared to deliver the final blow that will kill the weakening Aeon. Yet the demon attempted one last attack. Using his middle spiked tail, he jabbed it through Ludwig's stomach right underneath the base of the fairy armor.
Ludwig gasped.
Gilbert screamed.
Aeon smirked. "If I die, then so do you!" He backed away from the two.
"NO! LUDWIG!" Gilbert tried to hold his lover up as Ludwig's life blood poured from the open wound.
"Gilbert...get...get Aeon!" Ludwig held the bleeding wound and pointed to where Aeon was escaping.
"I don't care about him!" Gilbert screamed. "HELP!" He shouted into the air. "HELP US!"
"Gilbert!" It was Alfred's voice that answered him. He and the others were flying over to them, and Matthew was with them.
Ludwig could barely feel a thing. He couldn't hear what was being said as Gilbert and all his friends suddenly surrounded him. He saw Matthew pressing his hands against the wound, yet he still felt nothing. Gilbert was above him, crying tears of blood and shouting something. The others were talking and shouting out as well, but all was silent. His vision started to fade and with it the images of his lover and friends. However, he did not feel like he was dying. It was a strange feeling. Strange, but comforting. Once his vision went black, he thought he could feel himself floating. There was a gentle breeze upon his face; careful hands were carrying him; the chill of the winter snow was met with warmth. Slowly, he opened his eyes to find himself looking up at a bright blue cloudless sky. Sitting up, he saw that his wound was gone and he was in a strange place. A beautiful place. He looked all around, knowing right away that this place was not earth, nor was it the fairy realm. This was a magical place. It was rich in green and flowers, plants and trees, water and animals. Everything glowed with life and magic. Ludwig smiled at the beautiful scene, getting up from the field of green to gaze at his surroundings. Where was he? How did he get here? Where were the others?
And then, a bright orb of light, twinkling like a star, appeared in front of him. Ludwig held out his hands to catch it, feeling its comforting warmth and recognizing what it was. This was a piece of the Goddess and She was speaking to him. Ludwig answered Her.
"I wish I had known sooner." The orb sparkled. "I wish you would not ask such a thing of me. I feel unworthy of such a position." Another series of twinkles. "But why me?" A bright flash was his answer. "Yes, I understand. Of course I will do as you ask. It is a great gift to have bestowed upon me and I promise that I will always do what is right." She sparkled again and Ludwig shook his head. "I do not need any more gifts from you. However...if you insist on granted me these wishes, then I ask they be used for other matters."
Ludwig knew just what he wanted to do and the Goddess' orb flashed brilliantly with his selfless choice. She asked him what his three wishes were and Ludwig selflessly answered: "I wish for the Pure Bloods reign to end. They have abused their power as well as your own; so I wish that the fairy realm is allowed to govern themselves without the rule of the Pure Bloods...all except one." The Goddess agreed with him, and she granted the first wish.
/
In the dome of the Pure Bloods, each fairy suddenly burst into stars and fluttered to the ground. Where the stars landed grew massive glowing flowers of pure white. They would not be wiped from the fairy realm, but they will remain forever as beautiful, untouchable flowers.
/
Ludwig was pleased with the outcome of his first wish. Closing his eyes, he spoke his next wish. "This is for the God of Death Ivan, who wishes for his contract to be broken so he can once again be free."
/
Ivan paused in his chase after Aeon. He suddenly changed from his dog form to that of his human one and saw the chains of enslavement appear on his limbs. The chains burned bright red as they crumbled and melted, freeing him from Arthur's contract. Ivan didn't know what had happened or how, but he turned his face to the sky and gave a mighty howl of joy.
/
"And now, for my very last wish." For this wish, he spoke it silently and the Goddess asked if this is really what he wanted. Ludwig only nodded, and She granted it.
/
A crack suddenly appeared in the crystal prison holding Francis' body. The crack grew bigger, stretching out further and further along the crystal. Francis' tomb gave an echoing howl as it filled with a bright light, and shattered completely. Francis lay on the cold stone floor, his eyelids fluttering open as the color, warmth and life returned to his body. He took the first breath of life, like a baby just born. He sat up and looked around. Where was he? "Arthur?" he said his mate's name and then looked down at his finger where the red thread was glowing brightly. His lover needed him and he knew there was trouble. There was no time to think about himself right now; the only thing he wanted to do was get to his Arthur.
"I'm coming, Arthur!" He flew off and out of the Light Court palace.
/
"Thank you." Ludwig said to the Goddess, savoring the warmth of Her orb. "What happens now?" He didn't receive an answer, but the orb began to glow brighter until it engulfed him completely.
/
Aeon stumbled through the snow as he tried to escape before the other fairies realized he was gone. They were too concerned with Ludwig's death to care about him and he wanted to be far away before they decided to come after him. He panted heavily, holding the gaping hole in his chest as the blood pumped through his fingers. He could feel it running down his back. Once he was in a safe place, he could concentrate on healing himself. His fairy warriors had left him, the bastards. Aeon's legs were starting to feel numb with blood loss and cold, but still he trudged on. Just a little bit more. There came a growl behind him.
Aeon froze and slowly turned around to see what it was. He snorted. "Ah, the God of Death has come for me, hm?"
Ivan stood in his phantom dog form, staring at Aeon with his bright saucer red eyes. His hackles were raised high and his tail lay perfectly straight.
"Foolish being." He pressed harder against his open wound, taking a few steps back. "You cannot kill me. I am still immortal!"
'I am not here to kill you.' Ivan answered. 'But someone else is. I'm simply doing my job, warning you of your death.'
Aeon's brows furrowed and then they lifted when the hissing sound of a snake came from behind. Slowly, Aeon turned his gaze upwards to the pine tree he was currently huddling under. He could still hear the hissing above and then it turned into a growl. Aeon's features paled; two large clawed hands came down from the tree, grabbed him, and pulled him up.
Ivan stood unmoving at the sound of agonized cries and crushing bones as Aeon was torn apart inside the branches of the tree. A waterfall of blood cascaded from the tree, splattering loudly like heavy raindrops on the ground. Ivan's tail wagged happily at the sight.
/
"LUDWIG! WAKE UP! PLEASE!" Gilbert frantically shook his mate in hopes of seeing Ludwig open his eyes.
Matthew was working tirelessly to heal the open wound, but his magic was too slow to quickly heal such a deep wound. Aeon's tail had gone in and turned upward, tearing much of the muscle and veins. Elizaveta turned her face into Roderich's chest, having to look away at the tearful scene. Roderich held her close, rubbing soothing circles on her back. Sadiq and Heracles remained silent while Alfred paced, or rather floated, back and forth anxiously. Gilbert's bloody tears continued to fall and drip onto Ludwig's pale face, but his lover still was not waking up.
"Ludwig…please!" Gilbert buried his face in Ludwig's chest, the armor having been removed to help with his breathing. The Winter Fairy placed his ear over Ludwig's heart, desperately waiting for the life giving sound of a heartbeat. "Please, my love. My mate. Don't leave me here alone." He whispered.
Matthew began to cry himself. "I'm sorry," he wept "I tried my best but it is just too deep."
Alfred moved to comfort his brother. "You did your best, Mattie. That's all that matters."
"What shall we do without him?" Heracles asked, looking at the others.
Roderich gave a deep sigh. "His temple will want him. We should present his body to them, secretly of course and let them perform their rituals. It is not our place to-"
"SHUT UP!" Gilbert hollered. "LUDWIG'S NOT DEAD! SO STOP TALKING LIKE HE IS! HE'S NOT DEAD! HE'S NOT!"
Sadiq put his sword away and reached down to try and pull Gilbert from Ludwig's body. "It's over, Gilbert. He's gone."
"NO! NO LET GO OF ME!" He screamed and struggled against Sadiq as the larger fairy ripped him away from Ludwig. "NO! NO! LET ME GO! I WANT TO BE WITH HIM! PLEASE LET ME GO!" Sadiq continued to drag him away from Ludwig. "LUDWIG!"
"Wait!" Elizaveta cried out. "Look! He took a breath!"
Gilbert broke out of Sadiq's hold and ran to Ludwig. "Ludwig? Ludwig!" He shook the monk until he heard the sharp intake of breath come from his lover. Gilbert let out a sobbing laugh and a cheer. "LUDWIG! HE'S ALIVE!"
Ludwig opened his eyes to see seven pairs of eyes staring down at him, all with relieved smiles. He slowly shifted his eyes to focus on his mate. "Gilbert…"
"YES!" Gilbert tackled him, planting a series of kisses all over the blondes face. "Thank the Goddess you're alive!"
Matthew gasped as he noticed the wound was completely gone. "It's healed itself!" He said out loud. "Look!"
Ludwig managed to sit up with a frantic Gilbert slobbering all over him like an overexcited dog. Ludwig was enjoying every minute of it. "Gilbert, stop." He said with a chuckle, bringing his lover up with him as he stood. "Yes, I am alive and it's all thanks to Her. The Goddess."
"What happened to you?" Sadiq asked. "There's something different about you?" The butterfly fairy looked him up and down.
"Yeah," agreed Alfred "You even smell different!"
"Did you see the Goddess?" Elizaveta asked him.
Ludwig nodded. "I did. Aeon was not lying when he said that She had chosen me to be Her Voice on Earth. She spoke to me, asked me to take up this position and I accepted. So now, I am neither human nor fairy."
Alfred laughed. "You're a 'Fairyman'! Get it? Fairy and Human put together! It's funny!"
"We get it, brother." Matthew said softly. "We just didn't find it as funny." Alfred was still loudly laughing his head off.
"Did She heal you too?" Gilbert asked him, looking at the wound that was now closed.
"She did. She gave me a second chance at life to do Her work here on earth. She gave me three wishes as well."
"What were they?" Roderich asked.
Ludwig wrapped an arm around Gilbert's waist. "Well, I asked that She do away with the Pure Bloods since they have abused their power and she agreed." The others gasped and looked surprised. "If you are to see them now, all you will find is a garden of white, glowing flowers. Only one is still left alive." He looked at Sadiq.
Sadiq gave him a thumbs up. "Thanks bro."
"The second," Ludwig started, but stopped when he saw Arthur and Ivan coming up to them. "Is Ivan's contract with the Dark King." Everyone turned to look at the two approaching. "Ivan is no longer a slave for Arthur; he is a free being."
Ivan looked at Ludwig and bowed to him before turning into his human form. "I thank you for that selfless wish, Ludwig. You didnt have to do it, but I'm glad you did. Thank you." Arthur rolled his eyes, but had the hint of a smile.
"Wait! Where's Aeon?" Alfred just realized the demon fairy was missing. His head darted all around in search of him.
"He's gone." Arthur said plainly and gave a mighty burp. "Mm. Sorry. Bad egg." Everyone knew what he meant, but they were too frightened and too disgusted to ask for clarification. Some things were better left unsaid. Roderich quickly filled Arthur and Ivan in on Ludwig's wishes.
"What about your third wish?" Gilbert asked him, planting a kiss on his cheek.
"Ah, well, the third wish, I hope, will be joining us soon."
Everyone looked at each other, confused, wondering who he meant. Ludwig knew just where to look, and he had been right. Elizaveta followed Ludwig's gaze, and she gasped at what she saw. Everyone else turned to look. Arthur's eyes slowly grew wide as he saw Francis flying over to them. Francis stopped short, letting his full body be shown as he continued to levitate in the air. Both he and Arthur just stared at each other, until-
"Arthur." Francis smiled.
"FRANCIS!" With a smile of pure happiness and joy, Arthur flew at his mate, throwing himself into Francis' arms.
"Arthur! Thank the Goddess you're safe!" Francis held him tight.
Arthur cried against his lover's neck, but they were tears of joy. "Francis! Oh Francis, I thought you were lost to me forever!"
"I'm sorry for going behind your back, but I only did it-"
"It's over now! I don't care about any of that!" he pulled away to cup Francis' face in his hands. "You're here with me now, that's all I need to know!"
"PAPA!"
"PAPAAAAA!"
Francis was then tackled by his boys, both having knocked him out of the air. Francis just laughed happily as his face and body was squeezed tightly. "My boys!" He kissed them both.
"What a true happy ending." Heracles said calmly. "Everyone is happy."
Sadiq looked at him. "What about our happy ending?" his answer came with a light tap of Herc's hammer on his head. "Jerk."
Francis and Arthur walked hand in hand back to the group and the others welcomed Francis back. "So, what did I miss?" Francis asked.
"A lot, but we'll fill you in later." Arthur said, hugging Francis' arm to him. Alfred proceeded to tell his papa of the battle, talking quickly and making lots of sound effects with his mouth.
"It was Ludwig who brought you back to life." Arthur told his mate. "He wished for it and the Goddess granted it to him."
Francis smiled at Ludwig and held his hand out to shake the others'. "I'll never forget this, Ludwig. I'm indebted to you. Forever."
Ludwig shook his head. "It's what I wanted, you don't owe me anything. I already have everything I'll ever need." He smiled at Gilbert, who kissed him.
"Well, the best news is that the Pure Bloods are gone!" Arthur stated proudly. "Which means that Francis and I can be married!"
"Now wait a moment." Roderich lifted a finger in the air. "Francis has been 'away' for a long time. It is I who are now Supreme Fairy King. You must ask my permission to marry a commoner, Demi-King Arthur." Roderich ignored the snorts, raspberries, and 'nyah's' he got from the others. Even Elizaveta twisted his ear. He narrowed his eyes at her.
"Oh, of course." Francis answered calmly, covering Arthur's mouth before his lover could verbally attack Roderich. "Your highness, I love the Dark Fairy King with all my heart and soul. I humbly implore you to allow us the gift of marriage."
Roderich raised a thin brown brow. "You wish to marry this common fairy, Arthur? If you marry him, that would make him royalty, unless I say otherwise."
Arthur batted Francis' hand away and placed his own angrily on his hips. "Listen, you snot-nosed rose lover! I love this commoner fairy and I want him to be king! I'm not asking you, I'm COMMANDING you! I want to marry Francis!"
Roderich crossed his arms. "Well then, who am I to stop you?" Everyone looked surprised, but Arthur the most. "Go ahead and marry whomever you please. I have no one to answer to anymore! Marry a shoe for all I care. Those old laws are obsolete! We can now make our own laws based on the present and not the past." Elizaveta jumped up to kiss her husband on the nose, pleased with his surprise, but truly honest decision.
Arthur tackled Francis to the snow again.
"Then we wish to be married as well!" Gilbert said proudly. "We married in secret, but we want to marry officially! Let us be the first human and fairy couple to marry LEGALLY!"
Roderich threw his hands up in the air. "Oh my goddess, I don't actually care! I have more important things to do." He smirked.
Both Gilbert and Ludwig looked surprised.
"So...what I said at the court that day...is forgiven?" Gilbert asked cautiously.
Roderich shrugged his shoulders. "It's water under the bridge." The uptight fairy king gasped when Gilbert glomped him with hugs. "Ack! You leech! Get your hands off of me! Honestly! Show some dignity! I despise all of you!" No one believed him.
"I say we all go back to the fairy realm and celebrate!" Sadiq offered. "We have much to celebrate about! We have two marriages, a new kingdom, a whole new world!" The others all agreed, except for Ludwig and Gilbert. They chose to remain alone while the others all headed back to the fairy realm.
For a long while, the two lovers walked leisurely hand in hand through the woods. They stopped by a frozen pond, standing beside one another to gaze at the icy surface. Gilbert rests his head on Ludwig's shoulder, smiling at the lovely scene they were sharing together. Now their relationship was to be recognized and they could openly love each other in public, at least in the fairy realm. There was still one problem, though. Ludwig was still a human.
"Ludwig?"
"Yes?"
"Have you decided to become a fairy?" Ludwig did not answer right away.
"Gilbert...I still do not wish to become a fairy. Right now I am the Goddess' Voice on Earth. The Green Mother is asking me to speak for Her here on earth. Only a human can be seen in this realm."
Gilbert turned in his arms to look up at him. "But Ludwig...you will continue to grow old while I remain young. Don't you understand that you will die long before I ever do?" he rests his cheek against Ludwig's chest. "Will you leave me all alone?"
Ludwig kissed the top of the white haired head. "There is still so much time to make such an extreme decision, Gilbert. I promise that I will never, ever leave you all alone. Right now I have so much to do as the Goddess' Voice. I must see where She wants to do with me."
Gilbert grumbled a bit and brought his hand up to flick Ludwig's nose. "Fine then. Be that way. Sometimes I hate your noble...nobleness!" He pouted and Ludwig kissed the pout away. "Whatever decision you make, Ludwig, I am right behind you."
"Yes. We have so much to look forward to now." He pulled Gilbert close to him. "The world is ours."
Gilbert smirked. "Let's take it over! We'll conquer the Fairy Courts and lay claim to the Human Realm!"
Ludwig chuckled. "Don't tempt me." He teased. "You're already married to a god, you know. I'm a god on earth. I am second to the Green Mother."
The albino smiled. "Then what does that make me?"
Ludwig thought for a moment. "That makes you...well...my mate." Gilbert pouted. "But you can be whatever you want. Now that Roderich is more lenient with the rules, you can probably become a Fairy Knight. Isn't that what you've always wished for?"
"Yeah, I did!" He grinned. "Now that things are better, I want to be a Fairy Knight once again! I'll ask Roderich. I helped save his damn world so the least he could do is grant me the title of 'knight'!"
"And if he write a story about us, it shall be titled, 'The God and the Knight'."
Gilbert stuck his tongue out. "Blech! That's a cheesy title. I think we can call it...'Tempus Vernum'!" Ludwig raised a brow. "It means 'springtime', the start of new life and new beginnings! It is always springtime in the Fairy Realm and soon it will be here too! I would predict that come the actual springtime, you'll know exactly what you want in life." He pulled Ludwig into an embrace. "Everything is going to change now and we'll change with it! I've already corrupted you as a monk, so let's see how I can corrupt you as a god on earth?"
"I would love to see you try." He brushed some of the white bangs away from the pale forehead. "I'm not always...well...proper with my emotions but...you know that I love you. Always and forever...even if I am old."
Gilbert just held him tight, rubbing his cheek against the clothed chest. "And I will always stay by your side and be forever true. I love you too, always and forever."
Right below their feet, the snow had melt into a perfect circle bringing forth crisp green grass, a few wildflowers, and some clovers just for them as a symbol of their new life together.
The End
Epilogue
Springtime in the Human World and the Fairy Realm
"Hurry, Ludwig! Hurry! We're going to be late!" Fairy Knight Gilbert flew many feet ahead of Ludwig, who was jogging to try and keep up with him.
"Gilbert...the baby is already born!" He panted. "We didn't miss anything."
"Yeah, but we're invited to be some of the first to see the new arrival! It's just the gang seeing it first!" Gilbert flipped in the air. "Wow, can you believe it! Francis and Arthur have finally had a baby legally! Arthur, I mean, ALICE, must be so excited!"
Ludwig sighed. "I have yet to see Arthur as a woman."
"Oh, she's no different from he. Alice is kind of cute, if you like a snot-nosed uppity-"
"I get it."
When they arrived at the Dark Court castle they were met by Roderich and Elizaveta, who have yet to see the baby. They were joined by the others; Sadiq, Heracles, Kiku, Ivan, and Cuba. Despite being free of his binding spiritual contract, Ivan chose to remain in this world, being a constant companion to Ludwig while he resided in the human realm. Ivan even guarded their fairy home in this realm when Ludwig was away. And after many, many centuries of trying, Elizaveta announced that she was pregnant. Roderich was slightly embarrassed but obviously proud as everyone congratulated them. Sadiq and Heracles had finally made up after Kiku announced a short while ago that he was engaged to Alfred, choosing to accept the fairy prince's sweet (but pestering) question for his hand. Arthur had found out about Cuba and Matthew's secret relationship and while he (and Alfred) chased the peasant fairy around the castle for a while eventually gave in and offered him a title. Now he and Matthew were engaged to be married at the beginning of summer. Everything had turned out just right for the young (and old) fairy couples.
"Welcome friends!" Francis said happily with open arms, a wine glass in one. "So good of you to make it!" He was wearing a golden crown encrusted with sapphires and diamonds of all sizes. Instead of wearing black, he wore a blue doublet and vest with read pants and high brown boots. Around his shoulders he adorned a red kingly cloak lined with silk and outlined in swan feathers. "Don't I look simply divine?" He twirled.
"Yes you do, King Francis." Ludwig said easily. "As you do every time I see you."
"Marvelous! Oh! Lizzy sweetheart," he kissed her cheeks "Congratulations on the baby! Alice and I are very pleased for you."
Roderich rolled his eyes. "You're drunk, aren't you?"
"Ha! Hardly! I'm drunk off love and marriage and of course, all my children!"
"Were you there this time?" Sadiq asked.
"Yeah, did Arthur scream at you the whole time?" Gilbert added with a grin.
Francis sighed. "Indeed, she did. I was punched, kicked, scratched, bit, cursed, and spit on. All in all, it was my first time being with her during a delivery. Maybe it was good that I had missed the others." He joked, and everyone laughed. "Well, come on then! Come and see! Alice is waiting for you in our chambers. She is still a little weak so try not to stress her out too much. Matthew and Alfred are with her."
Everyone followed behind Francis. Ludwig and Gilbert walked hand in hand as they entered the bedchamber. Ludwig was surprised to see Queen Alice in the flesh and not on a painting. Instead of her hair in pigtails, she had it bundled up in a bun atop her head. She still looked a lot like Arthur except the face was a little thinner, as well as the eyebrows. Alice smiled at them from her spot in the center of the bed where she held a wrapped up bundle in a purple blanket. Alfred and Matthew stood on opposite sides of the bed beside her. Francis hurried over to her and kissed her cheek.
"Hello everyone." She greeted. "I know I said I would never do this again but…" She shrugged her shoulders.
"Let us see the baby!" Gilbert said excitedly. "Is it a boy or a girl? Francis wouldn't tell us."
Alice balanced the baby in her arms and carefully moved the blanket from the head, revealing a baby girl with brown hair tied in two tiny pigtails with thin red ribbon.
"It's a princess!" Elizaveta exclaimed happily.
"Where'd the brown hair come from?" Sadiq asked.
Francis chuckled. "My mother had brown hair and so did Alice's father."
"But that's not all!" Alfred said excitedly. "It's a prince too!" Everyone flashed each other confused faces, not understanding Alfred's frantic speech.
To answer their concern, Francis reached behind the baby to reveal another bundle of equal size. Everyone gasped as Francis revealed a second baby, this one a prince, who looked exactly like Arthur.
"Two of them?" Roderich gasped. "Twins?"
Alice nodded happily. "Yes. The Goddess saw fit to bless our centuries of misery and granted us two strong, healthy children." She kissed the baby girl's head, and the child cooed. "This is Angelique, named after Francis' mother."
"And this is Peter, named after Alice's grandfather."
Ludwig smiled and went up to both children. "Welcome Prince Peter and Princess Angelique. You must be very proud." He said to Alice.
"I am. I have you to thank for all of this, Ludwig. Your mother may not have been proud of you, but I certainly am!"
Ludwig bowed to her. "I thank you for that, your highness."
"And we have more good news!" Francis balanced baby Peter in his arms. "After Matthew and Cuba's wedding, the whole lot of us are setting sail for new adventures!" The group was dumbfounded.
"Wait!" Roderich pushed his way between Francis and the bed. "You can't leave! You have a kingdom to run!"
"Ah, you see, that's where you are wrong." Queen Alice wiggled her shoulders and Francis removed his crown to place it atop of Roderich's own.
"You've always said you wanted to rule the Dark Court!" Francis said with a laugh.
"But...but I…" Roderich sighed. "I give up."
Ludwig pats Roderich on the shoulder. "It has always been the queen's dream to sail away with Francis on his many adventures. Give her that joy?"
Roderich rolled his eyes. "Fine. Sail away then! Leave me to do all the work!"
Kiku looked pale. "I suppose that means I am coming with you as well?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Alfred said happily and hugged his lover. "We'll be sailin' buddies!"
Matthew clapped his hands as Cuba wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "It's going to be such fun!"
"Anyone else like to join us?" Alice offered. "Ivan?"
Ivan thought about it, but then shook his head. "No, my place is here beside Ludwig and Gilbie." He leaned both his arms over their shoulders and like a dog, licked both their cheeks. He squeezed their heads together in his grip. "We're the best of friends!"
"I'm staying here." Sadiq said. "Too many days at sea dry out my wings." Heracles pulled on his wings, making him yelp and curse, batting the other away from him.
"Well then," started Roderich "There is only one thing left to do." He turned to Ludwig. "You will rule in Alice's place. Let us start the rulemaking, shall we?" He placed Francis' crown atop of Ludwig's head.
Ludwig just slumped his shoulders and gave a heavy sigh.
His work will never be done.
The End
***As always, I would like to thank my husband, my dog Odin, and my cat Itty Bitty for always being a great support through my fandoms and writings. I also would like to thank my tumblr followers who help to make my fanfiction blog and equal success! You guys rock! I just want to say that I've really enjoyed writing Tempus Vernum and I want to thank everyone who stayed with this story to the very end. Your support has been wonderful, and greatly appreciated! I want to thank my very special beta for all her hard work! She will be editing my two other stories as well.
***For those of you who may not be sure on who the twins are, Peter is Sealand and Angelique is Seychelles. Her human name was hard to find, but that one was the most occurring one, so I went with it. If there is a secret society of Seychelles fans out there and I messed up her human name, please correct me. ^_^ And we all know what happened to Aeon/Jasper *ahem* Yes, I write Arthur as his nyo!Hetalia form for the sake of the epilogue. I thought it would be cute and fun after so much disaster and angst. Maybe I should write a squeal where Gilbert and Ludwig really do take over the world! That would be great! I think I'm done with fairies for awhile. I might just go and step on Tinkerbell.
***I will be posting some fun things for this story on my fanfiction tumblr, so make sure to check it! (If you are interested, that is. I don't force people ^^
***So once again, thanks for following this story! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Now, onward to more fics! Thank you very much!
-Your Loyal Fanfic Writer,
CreamPuffBunny
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Mini Epilogue!
Sadiq sat on his chaise lounge, stretched out along its length while lazily smoking his hookah. Blowing a puff of smoke into the air, he heard his mushroom house door open. He placed the pipe between his teeth and lifted his white mask to gaze at the person entering his chambers. With a smirk, he took a puff and blew a donut of smoke.
"This is supposed to be my day off, you know. Ten years later and you pick the one day I have off from the weapon shop." He took another puff. "I guess it's finally that time. Took you long enough." He put the hookah pipe down. "So, Ludwig, what's your season?"
Ludwig only smirked.
The End. Seriously this time!
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Tempus Vernum