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Chapter Twenty-Three

That Is The End

I looked over at Arthur, he was looking at me as well, I squinted and his raised his brows a little concerned. I have to admit that Justin's offer to find out the truth, whatever he meant, it was pretty convincing. What was Arthur hiding? Maybe I should just ask? That seems pretty easy and straightforward...

"Hey Arthur." I called.

"Did you all just hear that?" Feliciano then interrupted, we turned towards him, I frowned slightly.

"Hear what?" Arthur asked.

"I don't know, I just heard something behind me." He spoke, turning around, only to see the wall that Justin was leaning against earlier.

"It was probably just a mouse." I thought aloud, only to hear Francis scream and pull his legs up with him on the couch, "Not a mouse! Anything but a mouse!" He cried out.

We all burst into laughter at his reaction while Feliciano took one last glance at the wall before joining in.

I looked over at Arthur as he laughed, his green eyes caught me staring and he turned towards me again, with a smile he asked, "What's wrong?" In an instant, I squinted again, "Hey, Arthur, can I ask you something?" I asked.

His smile was quick to fade and that concerned look took over once again, "Sure, anything." He responded.

I raised a brow and crossed my arms, "Promise me that you will respond honestly... All of you, actually." I looked around the room at everyone. They all stopped laughing as they tried to figure out what I was about to ask.

"Tell me now, why ever would Samantha, as well as that.. Ivan(?) person you summoned call you England?" I asked.

Francis's eye began to twitch, "B-Because they thought they were in England, thee country of course!" He stuttered. As he continued speaking, his words got harder to understand, "They most definitely didn't callhimthatbecausehereally is thecountryofEngland!" He began laughing worriedly.

I looked back over at Arthur, "Arthur? Tell me the truth, I'm sure Samantha wouldn't want you to say that she as lying about her final words." I stated.

Arthur gulped as he stood up, "I'm going to get us some tea first." He spoke.

I raised my finger over at the teapot that still contained tea I had made a while ago, "There is some right there!" I stated, standing up and following him.

We entered the kitchen and I blocked the entrance as I put my hands on my hips.

"Arthur, please tell me why those two called you that. If you don't tell me, I will tell everyone that England is your prostitute name!" I threatened, trying not to laugh at the thought.

His face reddened as he poured the left over hot water from the pot into a teacup. As he blushed, he lost his grip on the container and spilled the hot water on the counter, causing some to splash onto his hands. "Ow!" He exclaimed as he quickly set the container down. He raised his injured hand up to his face and covered it with his other hand.

"Are you alright?" I quickly rushed over, pulling a rag off of the other end of the counter, I walked over to a barrel beside the storage room and opened it up, the water within it was cold and fresh.

I submerged the rag in it then pulled it out. As I squeezed the extra water out of the rag, I noticed a the door knob of the storage room had blood on it. I frowned slightly, as I walked in front of Arthur, "Give me your hand." I spoke, he lowered his hand and I gently wrapped the cold rag around it.

"Ack - that hurts..." He pouted as a small smile spread across my face, "Maybe next time you'll drink the tea I made rather than making your own." I teased.

He rolled his eyes as a laugh escaped his mouth, "I'm sorry, ______, really." He sighed.

I looked up at him, our eyes locking together, "There's no need to apologise, just be careful, drink my tea, and tell me the truth." I spoke, tightening the rag, causing him to wince at the pain a little, "Fine." He spoke.

I looked over at the door knob again then back at Arthur, "Say, doesn't that doorknob look rather strange?" I asked him. He turned and we walked over.

He frowned slightly as he opened the door, only to find, nothing.

"There's no question, it definitely is blood, but whose blood is it? And where did they go?" Arthur asked.

I shrugged, as he took my hand, "Come on, we can go ask the others." He smiled slightly.

I nodded, "Alright, just give me a minute, I am going to make more tea, I think we were out." I thought back.

Arthur let go of my hand gently and smiled, "Alright, I'll see you back in the living room, then, love." He leaned in and kissed my forehead, causing me to blush deeply, "See you then.. love." I smiled.

After he had left, I turned back towards the storage room, I opened it up, pulling a jar down that contained some leaves I could use for the tea. I turned and grabbed another pot to boil the water, then I leaned against the counter, letting out a sigh. "What a day..." I sighed.

"Funny." I heard someone say, causing me to jump in fear, as I turned to see who it was, they laughed... Johnny.

"I was just about to say that." He spoke, walking closer towards me, his arm was bleeding, he managed to cover it with one of the many rags in the storage room.

"Though, I didn't think you would be this... startled to see me." He spoke, frowning slightly.

"I... I-I thought you had died." I said, breathlessly.

"Oh? Are you upset that I didn't die or that you thought I had?" He asked, reached for a knife that was sitting beside the left over pasta Feliciano had cooked up earlier.

I gulped, realising I had a wooden spoon in my hand, I jumped foreword, raising the spoon over my head, and before he had the chance to dodge the spoon, I hit his hand as hard as I could.

He jumped back, missing his chance at taking the spoon then grabbed his hand tightly, "You-" Before he could finish, Justin cut in, "Bastard." He glared.

I pulled the knife away from where it was and set it down behind me, the wooden spoon was a far better weapon, given the fact that it had just saved me.

"I have waited so long for this moment." Justin stated, his hands making fists.

Johnny turned from him over to me, then the amulet, a smile whipped across his face, "But you're still locked in that thing, so you know you can't do anything, right?" He laughed.

Justin's eyes widened as he turned towards me, "Quit being stubborn, set me fucking free!" He shouted.

I bit my bottom lip, but nodded, "How?" I asked.

"Just say it, say I'm free!" He explained.

"I'm free?" I asked, not understanding his command completely, he face palmed, "Not you, me!" He shouted.

"No, don't!" Johnny shouted, charging at me.

Before I was able to say it, I realised that Johnny had me pinned down, covering my mouth with one hand, with the other, he pulled the necklace off of me.

My eyes widened as the chain broke...

"Finally!" He began laughing uncontrollably. I firmly held the wooden spoon in my hand, I swung to hit him with it again, but as I did, I felt a strong force stop the spoon before I managed to hit him.

"Sorry, but I can't control myself while I'm trapped in that..." Justin frowned, trying to resist the fact that he was under Johnny's control.

Johnny stood up, taking a step away from me, "Your family's wealth, land, prosperity, everything!" He began laughing, "It's mine!"

I frowned, standing up as well, Justin stood beside me, I was able to stand up, but I couldn't move anymore.

Johnny smiled at me, "You know, if you had this knowledge I had, you would be able to do the same things that I could!" As he said this, a bright light came from the amulet, causing Justin astonishing pain, he screamed out as I shielded my eyes from the light, when I looked back, I didn't know what to say...

He looked like me? He spun around, smile on face, "Wow!" He cheered, I gritted my teeth as he continued, "I even sound like you, _____!" He spoke.

"And what are you planning on doing now that you're like... that?" I asked, trying to figure him out.

He patted my head, "Well, I think I should go spend some time with your friends... Oh! Haha, my friends! I'm positive they won't be expecting you to kill them while they're asleep, right?"

"I'm not going to kill them..." I argued.

He frowned slightly, "Oh I know, but I'm you now. You see, I'm going to kill those bastards then kill you and it'll look as if Francis went berserk and killed everyone, and once he saw me arrive to try to save you, he tried to kill me too, but before he could manage to, I captured him. When I take him back to England, I'll look like a hero." He said proudly.

"I won't let you do that." I frowned.

He turned back into his normal self, causing Justin more pain, "And what are you going to do about it, dear?" He laughed.

He came closer towards me, wrapping his arms around my waist, I was angry now. How dare he touch me. Since he had let his guard down, I was able to sneak my hand into the front pocket of his coat, where he put the amulet in. I pulled it out and looked over at Justin who gave me a tired smile, "You're free." I whispered towards him, slipping the amulet back into Johnny's pocket.

Johnny looked me in the eyes and smiled, "It's always a shame to rid the world of something as beautiful as you, though." He then grinned, getting his face closer towards mine, I pushed him away, and since he believed that Justin's magic was keeping me in place, he wasn't expecting that.

He frowned as he pulled the amulet out of his pocket and firmly held it in front of him, "That's it, you're going to burn to death!" He shouted.

Justin smiled, "That's a great idea! But I prefer that I choose the way my victims will parish, not them." He spoke.

Johnny rolled his eyes, "She's burning, though I like the change in attitude."

"Oh, the attitude never changed, kid." Justin smiled, he turned towards me, "You might want to step back now." He gave me a wink. I looked down at the ground to see a small flame rise from the ground. I took a step back and watched carefully.

"What the?" Johnny asked in disbelief, "Why aren't you obeying me?" He asked.

"Because," He took his hat off and combed his hair back with one hand as the flames grew higher, as he put his hat back on, he finished, "I'm finally a free demon." He said proudly.

"Nonsense!" Johnny snapped, "I never set you free!"

"But I did!" I smiled.

The flames made a loud 'pop' sound before coming back from a red into a blue flame. The circle began decreasing in size, passing through Justin without burning him.

"No, you can't do this to me, stop!" Johnny shouted.

"What are you going to do with him?" I asked, staring at the bright blue flames.

"He's going back home, to hell." Justin explained with a grin.

As he said that, I felt my stomach turn. Home.

I realised then that sooner or later, I would have to return to my home too...

Johnny's screams echoed throughout the castle, sending the others running here. But by the time they all arrived, the flames had died down and Johnny was gone, there wasn't even a body that would allow others to see that he was truly dead.

I shivered as Arthur ran towards me, "____! Are you alright?" He asked, pulling me close.

Justin looked over from where the flames were and turned towards Francis and the others, "She's fine, I can't say the same for the kiddo I just sent to hell over here though." He laughed to himself.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Francis asked, looking to where Justin was pointing.

"It means that I'm free and I have a soul to kick around down there, but mark my words, I will be back." He spoke.

"Is that some sort of threat?" Antonio asked, frowning slightly.

"No Antonio, stop, you aren't even in a good condition to try to act tough, your arm is hurt, shh..." Lovino hushed Antonio.

"Haha, no it just means that hell is what it sounds like, hell. And I'm not staying down there, I just have to tell some of the demons under me to make hell hell for that bastard then I'm coming back up here." He explained.

"So Johnny is really dead this time?" Arthur asked, to which Justin gave a proud nod, "I should really go now, it was a pleasure meeting you all, even if I was with you all against my will and all... good-bye!" He snapped his fingers and like before, he was gone in an instant.

I looked over at Arthur who was still holding me tightly, I leaned up on my toes and pressed my lips against his.

I suppose that you could now say, that this was the ending to our story...

~~~ THE END ~~~