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Utopia	By : FlayraDowitcher Category: +G to L > Hetalia: Axis Powers Views: 3044 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. I am making no money off of this fic.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
***Warnings: Language, violence, minor horror scenes
***Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. I am making no money off of this fic.

~Fallen angels who cannot become the Virgin Mary.
Stay in your daydream. And wonder into the pleasure garden.~ -Imnu
Chapter 4: Blood and Screams
Feliciano followed the demon into the room, closing the door behind him. Ludwig was standing in the center of the room with arms crossed and wings twitching. He swallowed hard before taking a few steps towards Ludwig and whispered the demons name. Ludwig turned around to glare at him, and Feliciano could see that the demon was agitated.
"What do you want?"
Feliciano folded his hands nervously in front of him. "I just came to see if you were okay."
"What for?"
He looked back at the door. "Well, you seemed really mad at Alfred."
Ludwig turned to fully face him, arms still crossed. "Alfred is very young compared to the rest of us and tends to think he is above everyone else. But if you must know, he rudely insulted my brother, which was unnecessary. Normally I wouldn't care but you've never seen anything like a nagging Gilbert."
Feliciano actually giggled at that. He could just imagine Gilbert talking Ludwig's ear off until the blonde gave in.
"Between Alfred's laugh and Gilbert's nagging I want to rip my horns off. And don't let Alfred pull the wool over your eyes. He can be just as dangerous as Ivan." He unconsciously rubbed the wound from Ivan's weapon.
Feliciano saw blood dripping from the open wound. He glanced at Ludwig's eyes to see if the demon would want him to offer up his blood for healing. But Ludwig never said a word about it.
"Is that all you wanted? I'm not going to apologize to Alfred if that is what you're going to ask me to do."
He shook his head. "N-No. It's your choice to do what you want. The other demons appear to respect you, except for this." He tapped his own chest where Ludwig's wound was.
Ludwig noticed the wound, giving a little shrug of his shoulders. "It's nothing. Ivan is a bit difficult to understand if you haven't known him for as long as I have. He can be unstable when provoked, so you would do well to always keep him on your good side. Understand?"
Feliciano turned pale. "W-What would he do if he were…were mad at me?"
"That's not something I wish to share with you. Ivan has already been warned about his…techniques when it comes to interrogating other demons. For one, he will not do it here in your home. And second, he is not allowed to share with us the ways in which he- never mind. I have spoken enough."
There was a knock at the door and Feliciano was grateful for the interruption. He opened the door to see Alfred standing there still in the bathrobe.
Alfred acknowledged Feliciano but spoke to Ludwig. "Hey."
Ludwig swished his tail angrily. "What is it?"
"I'm sorry for insulting your brother. It was rude of me."
"Hmph. Don't do it again. Our mission here is not who gets Ivan but rather who rules this world. Do not forget our target goal, Alfred."
Alfred nodded. "Yeah, I know."
"And you should be apologizing to Gilbert, not me." Ludwig sneered at him. "But I know your pride won't let you do that. Neither would Gilbert's. Just knock off this childish nonsense."
"Yeah. Got it."
When Alfred left Feliciano shut the door again with a smile. "They do respect you."
Ludwig sighed heavily and slapped a clawed hand to face. "It never seems that way." He took a seat on the bed. "I always have to do everything. If I don't set everything up then no one knows what they're doing. They all wait for me. I view it more as laziness than respect. You seem nervous again. Is there a time when you're not shaking?"
"Veh~ when I'm sleeping or having fun."
"I'm surrounded." He said in defeat. "I can't stand by idle for much longer. Tomorrow I will go and speak with Arthur. There are many things I still need to know, and the Dark One isn't getting back to us."
"Um, Ludwig? W-Who is the…the…Dark One? Is he a monster?"
Ludwig scratched behind his ram horn. " 'He' isn't really anything. We've always seen it as a black beam of fire and lightening. It is our Lord and Master, the one who gave us a second chance at life. We do its bidding, and in return it grants us power. Once we find the missing fifth Accursed Nation we will be unstoppable!" He grinned evilly, reminding Feliciano of a villain. "The world shall be ours for all eternity!"
There was a change in Ludwig, one that Feliciano was surprised he could notice so quickly. Usually the demon was calm, cool, and collective and on occasion extremely irritable. For a little while, Feliciano thought that Ludwig was a nice demon, but seeing the reaction now to the hope of world domination, well, it frightened him all over again. The look in Ludwig's eyes was hard, full of determination and excitement. Even his demon tail was wagging at the thought. So it really was happening. His world was going to be destroyed, ruled by demons that will enslave humans. Feliciano didn't know he had begun to whimper.
"Now what's your problem?" Ludwig sneered a bit. "Your curl is faltering. I noticed it does that whenever you're sad."
"Huh? My curl?" Feliciano rubbed the curl between his fingers. "I've always had this curl and my brother has one too." He clenched his eyes shut as he thought about Romano. "Brother…!"
Ludwig frowned at the whispered word 'brother', for it was one he'd whispered many times that day upon his death. It had been centuries since he had connected with another over emotional matters such as 'family'. Only pureblooded demons had actual families and blood relatives, but Ludwig counted his brother as family. Gilbert had been promised the same as he that day, and together they met once again in the Abyss. He was overjoyed to see his brother once again. So Ludwig could understand Feliciano's pain and sorrow over losing a brother, especially one you are close too. He is the only one in the Abyss to have a brother living for an eternity with him. Alfred had a younger brother and Ivan had two sisters, all of which have perished centuries ago. He considered himself fortunate to have his brother with him. Alfred said he could barely remember what his brother looked like, yet Ivan could describe his sisters as if they were right next to him. Sadiq had no siblings but was the only one out of the five of them to have had a lover.
Feliciano's tiny sobs and whimpering were growing more pathetic with each passing moment. Ludwig figured it wouldn't hurt to give the puny human a bit of comfort. "Your brother is lucky he has someone like you taking care of him." He said with a hand on Feliciano's shoulder. "You can't do much," Ludwig started "You can't fight, you're not strong, you're a crier, a pansy, and your cleaning needs works. But you take very good care of your brother whereas most humans, I'm certain, wouldn't do half as much for someone who doesn't know they're there."
Feliciano's eyes welled with tears. "T-thank you. But…do you…really think Romano doesn't know I'm with him?"
"…I don't know that. You can ask Arthur tomorrow. He may have a better answer for you."
"Arthur? I'm coming with you?"
"You are."
"Veh? But…why? He's a scary witch!"
"Warlock. And you're coming with me because I don't trust the others with you. You're so annoying and helpless that you'd invite any demon inside this home and offer them food if they came to your door with a smile. If the other demons get a hold of you it will mean bad things for us." He looked at Feliciano seriously. "And for you."
"Other demons will really be after me?" He shrieked out. "Ludwig! Ludwig! I'm scared!" He began to whine. "I don't want other demons after meeeEEEEeeeeEEEEE!"
Ludwig was forced to cover his ears. "STOP THAT WAILING! IT'S UNBEARABLE!" The human suddenly latched himself onto his waist. "What are you doing? Let go of me this instant!"
Feliciano cried loudly into Ludwig's shirt, moaning and wailing about not wanting to get eaten or murdered. Ludwig shuddered at the touch of the human, whose weak little arms suddenly felt like vices. Gently as he could, Ludwig attempted to push Feliciano away, careful not to accidently break any bones. Feliciano was strong! Yet he was only strong when he was scared, it seemed. This had Ludwig pausing a moment to ponder over the human's sudden serge in strength. Once his anger had calmed down, so did Feli's crying and the grip loosened. Now the human was simply holding him, resting a cheek against his chest near the wound and arms still wrapped tight. Feliciano's head came to the center of his chest, and Ludwig found himself looking down upon the soft brown hair. The human was still trembling but the constant loud wailing had ceased. Now Feliciano was just holding him. Ludwig found it strange for his body began reacting to Feliciano's in a way other than sexual. It had been centuries since he felt this feeling of ones' arms around him, not counting any flings. The first was always his brother, the second his mother, and the third a young girl he was courting in the tribe. This was a very, very old feeling.
"You're so warm…" Feliciano whispered, feeling the urge to cuddle the demon further. Ludwig wasn't lashing out at him, nor was he yelling. The demon was perfectly still.
"I'm burning from the inside." Ludwig answered softly. "You know that."
Feliciano closed his eyes. "Mm…but it's nice. It's a different kind of warm."
He didn't want to let Ludwig go. He had to resist the urge to let his hands travel along Ludwig's back to feel the muscles. It was strange, a moment ago he was terrified of this creature, and now he was delighted to be holding him. The thought of other demons trying to eat him had sent his sanity over the edge and he couldn't help but burst into tears. In Ludwig's arms he felt warm and safe, like no demon could harm him. Ludwig wanted them to be together so he could protect him. He loved that. He had been alone for so long since Antonio and Romano were taken from him but now with Ludwig watching over him he felt secure once again. Knowing this, it was almost a little easier to take in the destruction of his world. Almost.
"You can let me go now." Ludwig said with uneasiness in his voice. "We should get back to…to dinner! Yes, to dinner with the others!" 'Please stop touching me!' When he saw Feliciano pulling away he felt the need to reach out and grab the human again, but he controlled himself. Feliciano was looking at him with those sad amber eyes as if asking for another hug.
"Will you…really protect me from other demons?"
Ludwig waited a moment before answering. "It is my duty to protect you from other demons. You are our life source here in this world. We need you to help us grow stronger."
"Oh," Feliciano's shoulder's slumped slightly. 'So that's the only reason why…'
"Is something wrong?"
"No." What did he expect? What was he hoping for? The sound of the others' laughter reminded him about dinner, which would be a good distraction right now. "Let's join them…before all the food is gone."

Feliciano had excused himself early after dinner and cheesecake to go to bed. The demons were still awake, laughing amongst themselves (most of them) while dining on cheesecake after cheesecake. Feliciano himself could only eat three pieces before his stomach threatened to burst. Or it could be that he was seated next to a shirtless Sadiq, who had the gaping hole in his stomach. Feliciano would stare at it the few times Sadiq stood, wondering where all the cheesecake was going. He was too frightened and embarrassed to ask the demon where his stomach was. Was it tucked somewhere around the hole? Was it invisible? But the moment that led to his excused absence was when Gilbert flicked a cherry through Sadiq's stomach hole. The exchange of insults and curses that were past were the warning signs that it was time to dismiss himself. Not only that, but there was the presence of Ludwig and his 'hard stare'.
Settling into bed, Feliciano put on the alarm clock radio to help drown out the noises from the dining area. He sniffled into his pillow while thinking about Ludwig watching him all throughout dinner. He wasn't sure what the demon was thinking, or what he could be trying to accomplish. It looked as if Ludwig was suspicious about something, and that suspicion had to do with him. Feliciano could only assume it was from earlier when they shared in that…awkward embrace. Feliciano wished Ludwig had embraced him back for he suddenly craved the need to feel that strong embrace. An embrace like Antonio's, which would squeeze you, so hard you'd think your back would break. Then he started to wonder if Ludwig had been mad at him? But then again, the demon was nearly impossible to read.
Thinking about the demon's warmth and wishing Ludwig was here with him, Feliciano closed his eyes, losing himself in late night talk radio.
Something woke him up. The telephone. Who could be calling so late? Feliciano lifted his head from the pillow in the direction of the ringing. It was times like this when he hated having only one phone. He got up and shuffled to the kitchen where the phone was, not noticing his apartment was empty. Picking up the receiver, Feliciano gave a tiny yawn and answered.
"Hello?"
"Is this Mr. Feliciano Vargas?"
Feliciano's brows furrowed slightly. "Speaking."
"This is Willingboro Hospital calling. I'm afraid we have some bad news for you, Mr. Vargas. Your brother, Romano, was just in a terrible car accident."
Shocked, Feliciano shook his head in disbelief. "M-My brother?" That made no sense. Romano had been in that car crash months ago! "I'm sorry, miss, there must be some mistake. I already got this call some time ago. My brother is already in the hospital."
"Well, yes sir, he is. He just came in this evening. He was struck by a drunk driver-"
"Months ago!"
"…Mr. Vargas, I know this is difficult to handle, but we need you to come in and sign a couple of things. You are his only next of kin and-"
He hung up. Biting his nails, Feliciano stared at the phone, waiting for it to ring again. Nothing happened. What was that all about? That was the same phone call he had received that terrible night, but he answered differently. He was startled when the phone burst to life with a shrill ring. With a shaky hand he picked up the receiver. "H-Hello?"
A voice spoke, yet the language was strange. Feliciano found that he could understand it, and it was telling him the address of the accident. He knew that already, didn't he? Still, he dropped the phone and left the apartment, not knowing why.
He appeared at the scene of the accident. None of the police or ambulance had shown up yet. Feliciano couldn't understand what he was seeing. When he received that phone call it was from the hospital where Romano was already emitted and Antonio was pronounced dead. He had never seen the accident up close like this, only in police pictures. Regardless of logic, he cried out Romano's name as he came up to the passenger side. His brother lay lifelessly in the seat, his head bloody and swelling.
"Romano! Romano!" His brother didn't respond, but Antonio did. "Tony?" He reached over his bother to shake Antonio's shoulder. "Tonio!" Antonio wasn't answering him yet he was speaking in a whisper. Antonio's face was a mask of blood while his left arm dangled backwards on his lap, snapped at the elbow. "Antonio! Can you hear me?" Feliciano leaned in through the broken window as far as he could, hoping to get Antonio's attention. Instead, he heard the words the other was moaning.
'Don't let him die…don't let him die…' And then he began a weak stream of prayers in Spanish, some Feliciano recognized.
"Tonio?" His eyes welled with tears as he watched Antonio slowly die before him. "Antonio…" he slid out the window to look upon Romano again. "Big brother?" Feliciano stroked the bloody cheek but there was no response. "Something's not right." He finally began to reason with himself. "I must be dreaming." He shrieked when the driver door of the SUV opened. Feliciano waited for the drunk driver to come out.
What stepped out wasn't a person like he thought. Instead, it was a demon-like being. It had all the parts of a human save for the demon features, which were wings and bird-like feet. The form was all black, like a person wearing a black body suit. The eyes were a stunning shade of gray, almost like silver with a hint of sparkle. It slammed the door shut and stood in full sight. Feliciano could make out, clearly, that the demon was a woman. She spoke not a word; she didn't have to. Feliciano took a step back, his legs trembling and threatening to freeze up on him. She pointed to the car. Feliciano turned.
The bodies were gone.
"Romano? Antonio?" He turned back to the demon, but she was gone as well. "HELLO?" He shouted. He tried again, but no one heard him. Apartment buildings weren't too far away from this spot, so someone from there should hear him. Where was everybody? This wasn't a fully rural area with nothing around.
'Feli!' He recognized his brother calling him.
"ROMANO? WHERE ARE YOU?"
'Feli! Feli!' He continued to call out his name in the dark.
"ROMANO!"
'I'm alive, brother! I'm alive! I'm here! Over here! Hurry!'
Feliciano ran towards the voice. "Romano! I'm coming!" He shrieked when something grabbed his ankle to make him trip. The moment he hit the ground, Feliciano looked back to see what he had tripped on. The scream was locked in his throat. It was Antonio's bloodied and haggard form holding his ankle with the good arm.
'That's not Romano.' The bloody Antonio whispered. 'Run. Run away from here!' He said through grit teeth. 'Never go to him if he calls you!' Antonio's eyes looked forward, staring at something before them.
Feliciano was met with the female demon the second he turned back. She opened her jaws to a monstrous size and engulfed him.
He shot up from the bed with a vicious, ear-shattering scream, and didn't stop until he had the demons hurrying in. He continued to scream, cry, and whimper; all of which were his only defense. Alfred and Sadiq came to him first, both asking what was wrong. Ludwig and Gilbert joined the other two, but Ivan was looking around the room instead.
"Feliciano, what happened?" Ludwig asked firmly.
It took Feli a couple of sobbing breaths before he could finally speak. "It wasn't…just a dream!"
"What did you dream?" Alfred asked. "Tell us about it."
"Who was in it?" Gilbert was drilling him now.
Feliciano had to catch his breath first. "M-my brother was there!" He proceeded to tell them about the phone call, the accident, and the demon woman he had seen.
Ludwig crossed his arms over his chest. "Merkova."
"She's here already?" Sadiq asked, surprised.
"All three must be here." Gilbert sucked his teeth. "And they know of Feliciano. She moves fast."
"Who?" Feliciano asked, still trembling in Sadiq's arms. "Who's Merkova?"
Ludwig answered. "The Fiend of Deception. She creates illusions to lead you astray. You must never listen to her."
"What else was said?" Alfred asked. "Did anyone say anything in your dream?"
Feliciano nodded. "A-Antonio said for me to never go after Romano's voice if I hear it. He said it wasn't Romano." The five demons exchanged curious glances. "What? What is it?"
"Nothing." Ludwig cleared his throat. "We'll mention this to Arthur as well."
"Ah hah!" Ivan's cry startled them. "Look what I found!" He held up a small black creature wiggling in his fist. He grinned with those shark teeth. "Griot's little sniffer."
Feliciano squeaked in alarm. "Wha! What is that thing?" He was practically climbing on Sadiq at the sight of the creature. It looked like a mix between a rabbit and a salamander.
"I'll check the place for more." Alfred offered and left the room.
"They all know that we're here." Ludwig stated flatly, looking at Feliciano. "We can't waste time. I have to take him to see Arthur."
"What about us?" Gilbert asked. "What should we do?"
"Keep an eye on the place until I come back. Hopefully Arthur will have some sort of earthbound spell that can keep those Fiends away from here."
"What about the sniffer?" Sadiq jutted his head towards the creature.
Ivan smiled sweetly. "I'll take care of it."
Feliciano found his face shoved in the crook of Sadiq's neck, held there by the clawed hand. He was able to peek a bit, however, and watched in stunned horror as Ivan prepared to eat the creature. Ivan lowered the squirming creature into his mouth and chomped, not chewed, on the squealing thing. Feliciano trembled as he watched those razor sharp shark teeth easily tearing at the creature, making quick work of it. He could have sworn he saw Ivan's throat expand when the demon swallowed, even tilting his head back to make sure it went down? Feliciano couldn't even imagine what those jaws and pointed teeth could do to him if Ivan ever decided to eat him.
"Human! Let's go." Ludwig snapped his fingers in earnest.
"Yes!" Feliciano was released from Sadiq's grasp and quickly began to dress. He wasn't keen on seeing Arthur, but he wasn't going to stay here if those creatures were running around. It was better to let the other demons make sure the apartment was safe. Plus, he wanted to get his mind off of that dream. Maybe the witch Arthur would have some answers for him.
"Are you ready yet?" Ludwig was growing impatient. The human kept his pajamas on, only putting on socks and shoes.
"Buses don't run this late. We'll have to walk." Feliciano said when he noticed the clock was flashing 4 a.m.
Ludwig spread his wings. "Stupid human. We'll fly there."
"Eh? Fly?"
Gilbert threw his head back and laughed. "Don't worry, Ludwig won't let you fall! But you'd best hold on tight! He's a VERY fast flyer! Almost as fast as me." He boasted. "I'm the fastest demon here, by the way."
Ivan smiled, still licking his lips. "Alfred is very fast too."
Gilbert sneered. "Young wings don't equal speed! Unlike you two-" He pointed to Sadiq and Ivan "We awesome demons know how to fly."
Sadiq stuck his nose in the air. "I pace myself."
Ivan pouted. "You know my iron plates weigh me down."
Ludwig grabbed Feliciano by the wrist. "Continue your conversation while you're checking the apartment for more creatures." He dragged Feliciano to the window, opened it, and crouched down. "Get on."
"On your back?"
"Yes!"
Feliciano gulped and slowly, cautiously, positioned himself in the piggyback style. Before he knew it, Ludwig took off through the bay window and soared up to the sky. Feliciano screamed, tightening his hold around Ludwig's neck and hid his face in the shoulder nook. He wondered if anyone could see them, and then had a quick image of Batman flying over the city. It was obvious that he was shaking but Ludwig didn't yell or scold him. The flapping of Ludwig's wings was loud over the sounds of the city. Never in his life did he think he'd be flying on a demon, much less flying on anything that was breathing. When Ludwig picked up speed he heard himself whine. Nausea quickly accompanied his fear of flying due to the speed added with the constant bumping up and down of Ludwig's body. It was like being on a boat while jumping waves. He could feel the aioli starting to repeat on him and mentally saw his face turning green. All he needed to do was puke on Ludwig, and then he would be skinned alive. He hoped they arrived at Arthur's place soon.

Francis dutifully made his lover's tea, paying close attention, as always, to Arthur's specific requirements. As always, Arthur needed his imported loose leaf English Breakfast Tea seeped just right in a specific teacup for the morning hours. Francis hated the morning tea set more than any of the others Arthur owned. It was an old Royal Doulton bone china set with gold edging along with faded pink and white. It was tastefully elegant but downright dull. His Arthur adored this set and pattern for some reason, having bought it back in 1903. Today, it's considered antique. To Francis, he wanted to use it for target practice. Still, he placed the teacup and matching teapot on the silver tray (taken from Versailles) to bring for Arthur.
His lover wasn't in the sitting area of the shop, which meant only one thing; he was talking to the Dark One. Francis stiffened for a moment while thinking about the Dark One. He had never seen the 'Dark One' Arthur speaks of but he knows it's there. Arthur had a peculiar way of speaking to the Dark One, too. Francis made his way to the area in the back of the shop where he could hear Arthur's voice. He had assumed right. In the corner of the room, seated on a small stool, was Arthur; having a full-fledged conversation with the Dark One. Francis held the tray quietly while watching Arthur's calm composure as the warlock spoke to something that wasn't there. If one didn't know any better, they would assume that Arthur was a crazy person talking to a wall. But Francis knew the truth. Arthur noticed him then and smiled.
"Ah, tea is here." He turned back to the wall. "We'll speak later."
"Arthur? Is everything alright?" Francis asked. The warlock stood up from the stool with a smirk.
"All is well. I appreciate you getting up with me this early, my love." He took a seat on the sofa and motioned for his teat to be served. "Our visitors should be here shortly."
Francis poured the tea. "Do you know what they are coming for?"
Arthur took the teacup from him. "Yes, I do. Our human friend was visited by Merkova and Griot."
Francis almost dropped the teapot. "Already? How could they have found him so quickly?"
"The human has a very strong life force, Francis. I know you can sense it too, so don't act stupid." He sipped the tea.
"I'm not acting stupid, Arthur. I feel for the human. He is so helpless and innocent that I hate to see him swept up into all this."
"He is the human that our demon dukes need. We have no choice." He muttered something around the rim of his teacup. "They're here. See them in, Francis."
Francis left the tray and went to the shop door, checking to see exactly who it was. There stood Ludwig and Feliciano. He opened the shop door. "Good morning to you both." He said elegantly. "Trouble sleeping?"
Feliciano nodded but Ludwig ignored the golem. "We need to see Arthur. It is urgent."
"He's been expecting you. Please, come in."
Feliciano looked nervously at Ludwig who only shoved him inside. Francis took them to the back room where Arthur was still nursing on his tea. The warlock smiled at them in greeting.
"Welcome back to my shop, Feli."
"Huh? I've never been here before." He answered, but that was not entirely true. While walking through the spooky shop he felt as if he had seen it all before but couldn't figure out where. It wasn't a shop he would frequent, nor would he found in this area.
"It's alright; I know you don't remember me or my shop, but that is how I set it up." He smirked. "I made you forget, but you were here a couple of days ago."
Feliciano just looked to Ludwig before stepping a few inches closer to him.
Arthur chuckled. "You're so shy. I bet Ludwig just eats you up!" He teased, but Ludwig wasn't amused.
"He's afraid of his own shadow. It's very annoying." Feliciano looked down at the floor. "But we are here on urgent business."
"Merkova and Griot were tormenting him." Arthur finished for him. "I know. I've already spoken to the Dark One. It's concerned as well." Ludwig looked intrigued and Feliciano looked confused.
"W-Who is Griot?" Feliciano asked.
Ludwig answered. "He's one of the Three Fiends. There's Merkova the Fiend of Deception, Griot the Fiend of Corruption, and Nerissa the Fiend of Lies. We need to keep you away from them."
"Fear not, I already have a solution to our problem. The Dark One told me what to do. But first," he smiled at the human "You have to tell me everything that happened in your dream. As much as you can."
"W-Well…" he gulped, finding it hard to speak about his horrific dream. But Ludwig was staring at him, and so were the others too. There's no way he was getting out of this until he told them everything. "The only way I can explain it is…is that it was a repeat of the actual night of the car accident. But in the dream…it made me act differently. It changed everything."
Arthur took another sip of tea. "Changed how?"
"I was at the accident. I saw my brother and Antonio in the car, hurt and bleeding."
"What were they doing?"
Feliciano looked to Ludwig who silently urged him to continue. "I was told, on the real night, that Antonio was killed on impact. But in the dream, he was still alive begging for Romano to live…and then he died."
Arthur narrowed his green eyes. "And? Please, continue. I may already know where this heading but I rather hear it from your lips."
Feliciano closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Ludwig's muscular one, cradling it to the length of his body. The demon didn't push him away. "T-Then a demon woman came out of the car…she pointed to their car and they were gone. Then I heard Romano's voice calling for me."
Arthur nodded. "Did you follow?"
He shook his head. "Well, actually, I tried too, but…" he whined "But it was Antonio's bleeding body that stopped me."
"Tell Arthur what he said." Ludwig motioned for him to continue.
"Antonio said that it wasn't Romano…that from now on I must never follow Romano's voice if I hear it. He said…" he swallowed hard. "He also said that 'this' wasn't my Hell and to run away."
Arthur handed his empty teacup to Francis. "That's wrong. This Antonio couldn't have said that to you. Not in Merkova's illusions."
"But it's true!" Feliciano whined. "It's what he said before this Merkova ate me! And that's when I woke up."
Arthur shook his head. "You must be mistaken, Feli. Antonio has no power in Merkova's world. You must have heard wrong."
"I know what I heard!"
"Calm yourself." Ludwig said in a slow, soothing voice. "Arthur knows what he's talking about."
"Why don't you believe me?" Feliciano looked up at him. "It was my dream! I'm the one who was in it!"
Arthur snapped his fingers to get Feliciano's attention. "You simply heard wrong."
Ludwig cleared his throat and started to speak in Latin so only Arthur could understand. 'He may be speaking the truth about Antonio.' He ignored Feliciano's confused questioning.
'How do you know this?' Arthur answered back.
'I believe I saw this Antonio in the hospital room with the brother. He is of the Light World.'
Green eyes widened. 'Impossible. If he were of the Light World your skin would be scorched from the sheer brightness of him!'
'That is where I am confused as well. If this glowing being is Antonio, as I'm sure he is, then that would mean the Light World has a pathway between heaven and earth.'
Francis chimed in. 'Perhaps Antonio is grounded here to earth…like a ghost.'
Arthur looked at this lover. 'Then how could he be warning Feliciano of Merkova's tricks if he is of the Light World?'
Ludwig snorted. 'That's what I'm asking you.'
"Feliciano." Arthur turned to the human. "Regardless of what you heard in your dream you must not believe it to be true. Any of it. However, you would do well to ignore the sound of your brother's voice if you can. I'm sure that was your subconscious telling you that it's all an illusion."
"But why is this happening?" He felt his eyes welling with tears. "Why are these…fiends…using my brother and Antonio?"
"To hurt you." Arthur stated calmly. "Your brother is your biggest weakness, and the Fiends know that so they will use it against you. But you're heart and soul are weak; they are easily corrupted, which will end in your death." He saw the look of fear pass over Feliciano's paling features. He smirked. "Fear not. I have a way to protect you from all that. It will hurt a bit, but it is necessary if you are to stay safe from the Three Fiends."
"What do you intend to do?" Ludwig asked.
"I need to draw a spell on him. Think of it as a temporary tattoo." He smiled at Feliciano's uneasy face. "I will have to write it on your back where demons can't see it but they can sense it."
Feliciano hugged the length of Ludwig's arm. "I don't want it." He whined. "I won't let the Fiends get me! I can be strong!"
Arthur gave a mocking laugh. "When I say 'weak', what I mean is 'stupid'."
Feliciano pouted, resting his cheek against Ludwig's arm. "I'm not stupid."
"Stupid sweet." Arthur corrected himself. "The Fiends know you are a very caring and loving spirit by nature. They see you care deeply for your brother and would help him without question." He walked over to the human and brushed away the soft bangs. "You're too sweet for your own good, Little Feli. It's easy for you to love and cherish those you care about. But those feelings will get you killed in these dark times. I can't have you fucking up everything we've worked centuries to fulfill."
"Arthur, stop it." Francis said with a warning tone. "He didn't ask to be in all this."
"Just do whatever needs to be done." Ludwig told the warlock.
"Ludwig…" Feliciano whined, "I don't like pain!"
"You will have to bear it." Ludwig's eyebrow twitched at that damn puppy face Feliciano was making. "I'll hold your hand." He sighed in defeat.
Feliciano's lips held the hint of a smile. "Okay…so long as you're with me."
Ludwig's heart skipped a beat.
Arthur took them to the 'crystal ball' room where he prepared the spell and mixture for the spiritual tattoo. Feliciano watched in awe as Arthur mixed the formula, all the while holding on tightly to Ludwig's hand. However, when he saw the strange long needle appear in Arthur's hand he began to panic. Arthur demanded to see his back, but he was hesitant to take off his shirt. An annoyed scolding from Ludwig forced him to take it off, and like always, he started to cry in fear of the pain.
Ludwig couldn't stand to see Feliciano cry; not because he cared but for the extreme annoying strain it put on his nerves. Feliciano liked to hug and to be touched, that much Ludwig knew. So before Arthur could proceed, he straddled Feliciano in his lap so they were facing each other. He saw the bright blush spread along Feliciano's cheeks and nose; even noticed the bashful expression of having their bodies so close together.
"Are you ready?" Arthur asked him.
Feliciano gasped and looked to Ludwig for support.
"Hold on to me and squeeze whenever it hurts." Ludwig told him. "If you don't want demons to eat you then you need Arthur's magic. Bear it for me right now, okay?"
"Okay Ludwig." He answered with a sniffle and held on tight to Ludwig's broad shoulders.
It was painful. Feliciano tried hard not to cry out and please Ludwig, but there was no escaping the intense pain of that hot needle. He let out a pained cry, squeezing Ludwig's shoulders and tightening his body. Arthur scolded him while pricking the needle through his skin. Feliciano cried when the pain intensified, so much so that he was begging Arthur to stop. But there was a sweet surprise that helped to calm his fear of the pain. Ludwig's arm wrapped around his waist to pull him close. Feliciano then focused on the heat of the demon's body, as well as the soft embrace, to soothe the pain. It was enough to get him through the rest of it and before he knew it, Arthur had finished the spell.
"It's done." Arthur gave the needle to Francis. "The Fiends should not be able to enter his mind so long as he bears that spell on his back." He tossed the human his shirt.
"You did as well as can be expected." Ludwig told the human on his lap.
Feliciano finished putting on his shirt with a pout. "I tried really hard, Ludwig. And it still hurts!"
"It's better than being eaten."
Arthur interrupted them. "Ludwig, may I see you a moment? In private?"
The demon lifted Feliciano from his lap. "I will be back shortly. Stay with Francis, and don't touch anything."
Feliciano watched Ludwig leave with Arthur and then looked to Francis, who smiled adoringly at him. Feliciano smiled back.
Arthur ushered Ludwig into the back room, making sure to lock the door behind them. "What the hell do you know about the Light Angels?" He hissed. "Are you certain you saw this being in the hospital room?"
Ludwig's growl rumbled deep in his throat. "I did. The glowing creature is this Antonio they speak of. If what Feliciano says is true about what he heard in the dream, then we can assume a Light Angel is here on earth."
Arthur paced nervously in the room. "I don't like it. Those angels have the power to destroy us if we don't obtain full control of the world. The fact that one is here…" He sucked his teeth and spun to meet Ludwig's gaze once again. "Are you certain it was an Angel and not something else?"
He shook his head. "When I first saw it, I asked who and what it was. It answered me by knocking down a picture of Feliciano, his brother, and this Antonio. I figured it could only be him. What other explanation is there?"
Arthur crossed his arms. "Feliciano said Antonio spoke to him in the dream. There is no way this Antonio could be in Merkova's illusions."
"Unless…" Ludwig chewed at his thumb claw as he pondered over the retelling of Feliciano's dream. "It is the power of that 'self-sacrifice' nonsense the Light World is big on?"
Green eyes widened in realization. "You're right! Feliciano said Antonio was begging for Romano to live before he died. He might have sacrificed himself to save Romano, and it is by Antonio's life force that the brother remains in a coma. If he had no actual form you could see then he must be half complete."
"Stuck between worlds, like Francis had mentioned." Ludwig gave a nod, confirming this knowledge. "So where do we go from here? What does the Dark One want us to do?"
"I'm continuing to search for the fifth missing nation. Your orders are to destroy any demon fiend official you can find and all who associate with them. We can't do anything unless we have the Fiends out of our way."
"Tell the Dark One that we will do as it bids of us."
"And one more thing before I send you both on your way." He moved closer to Ludwig, looking up at him in all seriousness. "Keep an eye on your fellow dukes. The Fiends know about their dark pasts, and may even know their weaknesses. Particularly watch out for Alfred and Sadiq. They are still human in their hearts when it comes to those they care about."
Ludwig narrowed his brows. "Alfred never speaks of his family, nor does Sadiq mention his lover. I have known them both for a long time, and Sadiq even longer, but I do not know a thing about his lover other than it was betrayal between them. How do I know what to look for?"
Arthur smirked. "Alfred doesn't remember much, but mark my words, Merkova and Griot will unleash those memories really fast. Alfred has not been away from this world for very long and his body is more rooted to this earth than you. Sadiq's case will be harder to figure out. Watch out for Ivan as well, since he is in love with both Alfred and your brother. Those two are his weaknesses. Gilbert's weakness is Ivan and you, but mainly you."
"And he is my weakness." Ludwig said softly. He couldn't lie, he would do anything for his brother.
"Oh, you'll have another weakness soon; one that you will care for more than your big brother."
Ludwig hissed at the smug smirk gracing the blonde's face. What did he mean by that?

Alfred had left the apartment early in the morning to catch the breakfast menu at McDonalds. Like before, everything was free of charge. He took a seat at the outside tables and gobbled it all down, even the two large colas. Leaving the apartment wasn't the best thing to do, but he was getting hungry waiting for Feliciano to return from Arthur's place with Ludwig. Also, Ivan and Gilbert had been fucking like rabbits all morning, leaving him out of all the fun. He would have to wait for his turn with Ivan, as if the violent demon was a child's toy.
"This blows." He threw away the garbage. "Tomorrow I get full custody of Ivan."
There was a whisper in his ear. Alfred spun around, looking for the person whom the whisper belonged. There was no one there. He heard it again, only this time it was further away. Curious, he followed the sound. The further he went through the city streets the louder the voice became. Now it wasn't whispering, but rather whimpering. Or crying. Alfred followed the voice out of New York City all the way to Concord, Massachusetts. He recognized this place at once. This was his home…but it had changed! It was modernized, and much, much bigger.
Still, it was the cries and constant sobbing that kept his attention. It must be a trick of the Fiends, he thought, as he continued to follow the sobs. They seemed familiar as well…very familiar. Alfred sniffed the area of the city as he walked, not sensing any demonic or fiendish presence at all. But what was it about this wailing that had him on edge? The further he walked into the city, the more intense and sorrowful it became. It made his heart ache and his spirit hurt, like he knew who this was but could not put a face to the voice. And still, he followed it.
The voice led him to an old graveyard behind a small church in the rural area of the city, which still held the familiar aspects of his home. Some of the houses even looked the same. If it weren't for the echoing sobs in his head he would enjoy looking at his old home town. He walked through the graveyard fence to enter the grounds where the crying brought him to a grave. It was an old grave with the words slightly faded and hard to read. This is where the crying was coming from; this grave.
"Who are you?" Alfred asked the stone. "Your crying is driving me crazy, so stop it!"
It never ceased. The sobbing was so full of sorrow and heartbreak that it even had Alfred near tears. The flow of the voice was like a sad song that ripped at your very soul, sucking away all happiness and hope. If only he could read the name-
"M…A…" He began tracing the faded engraved letters with his finger. "T…" Alfred pulled his hand back as if burned, finally making the connection between the crying and the grave. Thousands of memories, lost memories, came flooding back all at once, accompanied by that woeful crying. Alfred gripped his head and rocked on his haunches. "Stop crying!" He said through grit teeth. "Stop crying…stop it! Stop it! Please, stop it, Mattie! I'll be back! I promise! STOP CRYING, DAMN IT!"
The wailing never ceased.
Feliciano jerked his head behind him, feeling something deep within soul that cried out to him. It almost felt like someone needed him; like someone was in trouble.
"Feliciano? What is it?" Ludwig paused in their walking, looking back at him.
"I don't know. I suddenly feel so…so helpless."
Ludwig raised a brow. "You are helpless."
"No! Not like that!" He could feel the sorrow in his heart and covered the spot on his chest with his hands. He looked mournfully at Ludwig. "Someone is very sad somewhere."
"Sad?" Ludwig looked around. "There are thousands of people on these streets, Feli. It could be anyone."
Feliciano shook his head. "No…it feels different. I can't explain it." He looked up at the gray sky. "I just get the feeling that someone needs us…and they are sad. Sad, confused, and scared."
Ludwig gave the human a quick sniff. "You appear normal. Do you feel anything else?" Feliciano shook his head. "It may be a side effect to Arthur's spell, or something. Pay it no mind. Let's get you home to rest."
Feliciano followed alongside Ludwig, staying very close to the demon as the feelings of hopelessness and sorrow continued to take root in his heart.
Someone needed them. Was it his brother crying out for him or someone else entirely? Whatever it was, Feliciano hoped he wouldn't have to feel this way for very long. He thought to himself he'd rather be dead than live with this kind of empty sorrow.
End Chapter 4 TBC
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- 6
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