DISCLAIMER: I don't own Hetalia, but I would like to own a Latvia. He's so blunt and obvious that it kills me, aha

((Again, I would really appreciate it if you left me a review on how much you like/how much I could improve/how much you hate it and want me to die. Hey, a troll review is still a review regardless XD Again I would like to thank those who are reading this and adding this to their favourites and their story alerts. Thank you for sticking with this until the very end. I wuv you ; w ; ))

Please read the author's note at the end. Thank you.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

– Martin Luther King Jr.

It was the same song that Arthur had heard his entire life.

As Arthur woke up that morning from a nightmare, as he stretched his arms and got out of bed, he decided to turn on his music alarm, which broadcasted music from small speakers. He started to walk around in his room, pacing slightly as he continued stretching. It was when he came face to face with his mirror that he stopped in his tracks.

His complexion had gone to a pasty grey colour, his eyes a dark shade of green so dark that they were nearly black. He was ill, both physically and mentally. He couldn't stomach anything for more than five minutes without throwing up. He was prone to relapses and fits. He always found himself panicking if he saw any red haired man or any loud shotgun sounds. He had even grown fearful of his reflection in the mirror, as if his hair would turn to the shade of auburn that belonged to Allistor.

Hi mind had taken upon itself to play tricks on him. There were times, when Alfred and Peter would be able to coax Arthur outside, when he saw ghosts of those who left him. He had always noticed that Allistor was always staring at him from the shadows, his eyes dark and the side of his head covered in blood as he followed Arthur silently. But during any periods of time when Arthur forgot the pain, forgot the sadness, forgot the nightmares, he would either see Nyisha or Adelaide. Once he saw the two of them together, smiling at him all in white, looking as lively as ever.

They had tried to put Arthur on drugs to calm him, but he refused. He didn't want to create a possibility where he could turn out like Allistor. The phantoms were bad enough. Arthur didn't think that he could cope with voices. If was bad enough that people thought that he was insane. If he thought that he was insane himself… well, he didn't know what he would do.

There was a light, timid knock on his bedroom, followed by the sound of the door creaking open. Arthur turned his head to the door, to find both Peter and Alfred peering around the edge. Peter looked as innocent as ever, holding a small card in his hands and his rag doll securely in the other. Alfred, however, looked more grown up than usual, his own sea blue eyes slightly darker than usual, but wearing a large grin on his face with his arm behind his back.

"Arthur, can we come in?" Peter asked softly, looking at Arthur with a timid expression. Arthur smiled at Peter warmly, walked towards the door and opened it slowly. Peter wrapped his arms around him tightly, burrowing his head into his chest. Arthur gently patted Peter on his head softly.

"I asked Peter if he wanted to have a Harry Potter marathon with me, but he said that he wanted to watch it with you as well. Is it OK if we just take over your room?" Alfred asked sheepishly. Arthur rolled his eyes at him, but gave him a kiss on the cheek in approval. Alfred smiled at Arthur sweetly as he closed the door behind him.

"I made you a card, Arthur." Peter said with a hopeful smile on his face. Arthur looked at the card to see a neatly drawn stick man with bright yellow hair and untamed eyebrows holding hands with a much smaller stick man with a blue hat with the message 'please smile soon!' on it. Arthur felt his chest glow warmly.

"I had a dream about mum last night." Peter said in an innocent voice. Arthur flinched suddenly as Alfred watched Arthur intensely. Arthur looked at Peter with a strained smile.

"You did, did you? What did she say to you? Did she say hello?" Arthur asked in a fake curious tone. Peter nodded, turning the rag doll around in his hands carefully.

"She said that you were really sad as well, so I thought that if you had mum with you, it might make you happier. I even made her a new dress, but I don't know if it looks right." Peter said, handing Arthur the rag doll. The doll now wore a white dress and silver slippers with a lily in its yellow hair. Arthur smiled at Peter and hugged him again.

"Thank you very much, Peter." Arthur murmured. Peter smiled brightly at Arthur. It was then he heard the familiar song float through the air around them slyly but gracefully.

Early one morning,
Just as the sun was rising,
I heard a young maid sing,
In the valley below

Oh, don't deceive me,
Oh, never leave me,
How could you use
A poor maiden so?

Arthur's eyes widened slightly in shock. It had been so long since he had heard that song before. But before the song had no meaning. And now, Arthur could easily remember Adelaide's soft, charming voice sing this to him as a child, and Allistor by her side, harmonising perfectly as Arthur was sat in the middle of them as he would drift off to sleep, only to be carried to bed by Allistor. It was the first song that Allistor had taught him. It was only when Adelaide was alive that this song had been given a great amount of justice. Alfred looked around puzzlingly.

"Huh? I never heard this song before." Alfred said with a frown. Arthur shook his head at Alfred slightly.

"It's an old English folk song. That's why." Arthur said in a matter of fact tone. Alfred chuckled nervously as he started to set up the DVD player. Peter frowned slightly as he stared at the alarm clock as the song carried on.

"Mum and Dad used to sing this to us, I think. But when Mum died, Dad stopped…" Peter's voice trailed away, as he stared at the floor silently with slightly shaking shoulders. Arthur was slightly surprised. He didn't think that Peter would take as much interest in the song. But as Arthur saw those shaking shoulders and the teardrops that landed on the floor, his heart ached again. Arthur sighed heavily, got on one knee and placed a hand on Peter's shoulder. Peter looked at him with wet, crystal blue eyes.

"It doesn't matter, Peter. I'm sure Mum and Dad are together singing this together like they used to." Arthur said with a smile, his voice wavering slightly. He wanted to break down like he had done. He wanted to collapse onto the floor and cry until he couldn't cry anymore. But he had to stay strong. For Peter's sake at the very least. As he stood up, Peter hugged him again.

Remember the vows,
That you made to your Mary,
Remember the bow'r,
Where you vowed to be true,

Oh, don't deceive me,
Oh, never leave me,
How could you use
A poor maiden so?

"Arthur, are you alright?" Alfred asked softly, wiping the tears from Arthur's eyes. Arthur looked at Alfred with a surprised look on his face, but quickly nodded at him.

"I'm fine." Arthur said softly. Alfred kissed Arthur on the forehead lightly and leaned into Arthur's ear and whispered quietly so that Peter couldn't hear,

"Don't hide yourself in the darkness, Arthur." Arthur stared at Alfred as he looked at him with tired blue eyes and an exhausted smile. Arthur felt a pang in his stomach. Alfred was just as hurt as he was. He was suffering just as much. But Alfred was always the light that Arthur had sought for during the past three years. So Arthur smiled as he kissed Alfred on the lips tenderly. No more hiding in the dark. From now on, he was going to journey on into the light.

Thus sang the poor maiden,
Her sorrows bewailing,
Thus sang the poor maid,
In the valley below.

Oh, don't deceive me,
Oh, never leave me,
How could you use
A poor maiden so?

It was time for Arthur to let go of the darkness, time for him to put aside the sorrow. It was time for him to be guided by the light.

Give light and people will find the way

– Ella Baker

The End

Author's Note:

It's finally over. At long last it's finished. From the 3rd July 2012, to the 16th January 2013, it's been a very eventful seven months. I've had my up and downs, my good days and my not so good days. But I did it. I got to the end. And now I can look at this with a smile on my face. My most popular fanfiction and my longest one so far has finally come to a halt. I feel somewhat sad ending it here. So much more to be told, so many theories about this. But I shall leave the journey beyond to you. I'll be releasing a page of notes on the chapters that I wrote, which is basically "Did You Know"s and alternative endings. That won't be for a while, but I think it'll be something that will interest you. To those who followed and reviewed and favourited and asked me if I was OK, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. If I had to summarise this in one sentence, it would be: The tale of a boy who lived in darkness, who met a boy of pure light.

And so, at last, I give to you my thanks. And my farewell.

-BA