A Waltz in the Dark (Norway + OC Hetalia fanfiction)

Chapter 56

    The coffee shop was closed, so Mary sat on a wooden bench in front of the windows, fiddling with the hem of Lukas’s jacket. She breathed in the night air, the coldness making her look down at her fingers. She touched the bench, but nothing happened, to her disappointment.
    She had been waiting for Matthew for nearly twenty minutes, which had been more than plenty of time for her to think through everything. She had figured out that Emil was Iceland, Berwald was Sweden, Tino was Finland, and Matthias was Denmark. She had created multiple theories about magic in her head, and how scientists hadn’t found out about it yet. She had even dared to think about Lukas, dared to think about immortality.
    It made sense in many ways. For instance, she had never seen anyone flashback as intensely as he did. If he had hundreds of years of history to remember and regret… then those flashbacks were easily explained, as was his PTSD in general.
    She winced, thinking about all the Norwegian history she knew. If he had been alive for all of that, perhaps even playing roles in the major events… well, it explained a lot about him.
    But there were several things that bothered her, aside from the fact that immortality and magic existed at all. The first was Lukas’s and Matthias’s relationship. If Matthias was the personification of Denmark, Lukas’s aversion was understood, but not his outright hatred. That seemed a bit much, so, was that just Lukas’s personal relationship with Matthias? Could the countries have personal relationships?
    Could they?
    “What about me?” she whispered out loud, looking up at the cloudy sky. She gripped his jacket in her fists. “I don’t understand. I am only… mortal.” The word was distasteful in her mouth, and she grimaced. But now all his hesitance toward her made sense, as well. All the times were he warned her and told her to stay away from him. Now she understood why he said those things and acted that way, acted like he was so lowly and undeserving of her, when now she realized the opposite was true.
    “Why did he chose me? Why? I am nobody,” she whispered, looking at her lap, wonder and despair warring in her heart.
    “I vanted to end it.”
    The memory was easily recalled, replaying as clear as day in her mind.
    “What… what stopped you?”
    “You.”
    “Perhaps he needs me,” she whispered, tears filling her eyes. “Perhaps he fell in love with me.”
    Her heart wrenched inside her and she had to fight the sobs beginning to build.
    She could see why he didn’t tell her now, and she deeply regretted every angry word she had said to him on the stairway. She shouldn’t have erupted so easily. She should’ve talked it through with him. She should've stayed.
    Because I understand now. He was trusting me with a secret. She sighed. I see that now. I let him down, didn’t I?    

        Her guilt was too much. She pulled her phone from her pocket, pulling up Lukas’s number. But then she sighed and closed her eyes, letting the phone drop onto her lap.
    She still had questions, questions that she needed answered before she could approach him. And she had waited this long for Matthew, she may as well wait and talk to him.
    She took another deep breath, lifting her head.
    She was just in time to see the person walk up to the bench and sit down. She jumped slightly, but then she saw his face and relaxed, even though she was slightly confused. Lukas had introduced her to this man at the party.
    “It’s— it’s Arthur, right?” she said to break the silence, staring at him curiously.
    “Aye, that it is,” he said in a perfect English accent, leaning back on the bench and looking up at the sky. She squinted at him, questions filling her mind.
    “What are you doing here?” she asked, cautiously, reaching into her pocket, where her pepper spray was stowed.
    “I heard about you and Norway’s fight,” he said, not looking at her. She frowned.
    “That doesn’t really answer my question…”
    “Does this still scare you?” he whispered. He lifted his hand, and lime green flashes of light began to dance around the top of his palm, fading in and out, like stars. Shivers flowed up her spine; her stomach twisted; her heart pounded.
    “You have magic?” she whispered. He didn’t reply.
    “It… it thrills me,” she confessed after watching the lights for awhile longer, “But I am not afraid.”
    “Well, you change your mind rather quickly, don’t you?” he said with a short laugh.
    “You can’t really blame me,” Mary whispered, defensively, “I mean, one minute magic doesn’t exist, the next it does, how would you expect me to react?”
    He chuckled.
    “Touché,” he said, lowering his hand, the magical sparks fading away.
    “What are you doing here, Arthur?” she asked again. “And how did you find me?”
    He took a deep breath.
    “There is an aspect of magic you should know about, Mary, one that will surely terrify you,” he said, casually. “It’s a more… spiritual aspect, I guess you can say. You’re a spiritual woman, aren’t you?”
    “I’m a Christian, if that’s what you mean,” she replied, her curiosity piqued.
    “Ah, good, then I can explain it in terms you will understand,” he said, and she thought she detected sarcasm in his voice. “There are not many magical beings in the world. You and I, yes, we’re special, see,” he smiled slightly. “But there is something that all immortals share, something magical. There is a being that lives in each of us that only appears when we are stressed, melancholic, afraid… only when we are at our lowest. It is like a demon. The countries, they call them Snaps, and when you give into it, you have Snapped.”
    “What do you mean by… give into it?” Mary questioned, frowning.
    “Ah, yes, well, the Snap, you see, is trapped behind a mirror. It tempts you to touch the mirror, which is what will release it.”
    “What— what happens when… when it’s released?” she asked. “And why are you telling me this?”
    He looked at her and grinned.
    His eyes were red.
    “Why, what do you think happens when the demon is released, dear?” the Englishman said politely. “It possesses them.”
    Mary stood, stepping away from him.
    “Have— have you Snapped, Arthur?” she asked, forcing her voice to be steady.
    He laughed.
    “Perhaps,” he said, also standing. “But that’s not why I’m telling you.”
    “Why are you telling me, then?” she asked, grasping her pepper spray harder.
    “Because someone you care about has Snapped, and I want to see your reaction.”
    She blinked multiple times, staring into his strangely colored eyes. His implication slowly dawned on her.
    “Lukas?” she whispered. He nodded, grinning, cruelly.
    “W-why? How…?” she gasped.
    “He had been fighting his Snap for many months,” Arthur said, swiping his blond hair from his eyes and cocking his head to the side. “This shouldn’t be a surprise to you. You know how… emotional he is, behind the facade he puts up. You,” he pointed at her, “were the only thing standing between him and his demon. What do you suppose happened when you broke up with him? Speculate for a moment.”
    “I— I didn’t break up with him!” she exclaimed, her eyes growing wide. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “We… we just had a misunderstanding, and I—“
    “It doesn’t matter,” Arthur interrupted sharply. “He thinks you rejected him. He Snapped. And now,” he grinned again, “the world will be ours.”
    Mary backed away again, pulling out her pepper spray and holding it out toward him. He didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, he didn’t care.
    “I am here to thank you,” he said, holding his arms out. “If it weren’t for you, our time would’ve never come. So thank you. Thank you for being so predictably human.”
    Mary clenched her teeth and pepper sprayed him.
    But it didn’t work.
    She went to try again, but her fingers wouldn’t respond. She tried to drop her arms, but they remained in their position parallel to the ground. She struggled, but her body wouldn’t obey her. She tried to speak; she tried to scream; but she was frozen.
    Green tinted her eyesight.
    Arthur chuckled and leaned in toward her.
    “Are you scared of magic now?” he whispered.
    But then suddenly there was a loud shout, and Arthur collapsed onto the ground.
    Mary watched in her frozen state, confused, but then suddenly Matthew became visible on his back, holding him down.
    And then she was released. She took a deep breath and stumbled away from the ruckus.
    “Run, Mary!” Matthew shouted. Arthur roared and stood, throwing Matthew onto the ground behind him. Mary turned to run, but then she was caught again, his magic stopping her limbs.
    “Not so fast,” Arthur said. “And you, Canada… I wasn’t expecting to see you.” He chuckled.
    “Now, come, both of you,” he said. Mary suddenly turned on her heel, facing him again. She tried to fight him, tried to regain control, but there was nothing she could do. She walked toward them against her will.
    “A certain viking wishes to see you,” he said, giddily. And then they turned and began to walk down the sidewalk. Mary’s hands went in her pockets and she saw Matthew’s arms swinging. They would look very relaxed and casual to anyone who passed by.
    No one knew they were being kidnapped by a demon-possessed magician. And even if she was able to escape for a moment and call out for help, who would believe her?