It was time for the annual world committee and Arthur had something to share with them. "Remember when I said I saw something in the mirror last time?" Everyone paying attention (which consisted of Natalia, Ivan, Alfred, Matthew, Ukraine, Elizaveta, and Gilbert) nodded their heads and wearily agreed; unfortunately Arthur had a bit of a 'boy who cried wolf' thing going with all his belief in and love for the mystical and magical. Also, it didn't help that he tended to dress in an angel robe and wave a wand around and-occasionally-try and summon the sporadic dark magic creature using one of them as a sacrifice, which had scarred many of the countries way too many times. "Well, as it may have turned out, I was right!" At this everyone sat erect in their seats suddenly interested. "There is in fact a world that lies on the other side of mirrors that reflects not only yourself, but your subconscious needs. I believe that if you step into this looking-glass realm that you will arrive in a perfect world constructed from your hearts deepest desires and your own voiced wants." At this, Ivan sat up even straighter, a hungry look playing across his face. "And it may even be possible to cross and come back using the 'Bloody Mary' technique using your name to swap places with the mirror-you."
Here Alfred interrupted, "This is bull and you know it! You just read 'Through the Looking Glass' a tad too often! Just because it was written in your country doesn't automatically make it true!" he glared at his older brother.
"And I suppose that means that all your American comics are true then?" Arthur retorted, his theories momentarily forgotten.
"Well, duh! I am a hero after all!" he smiled triumphantly.
"Grrrr…..KONOYARO BAKADAYO!!!!!!!" Arthur screamed, his forehead pressed to Alfred's. "That makes no sense whatsoever!!!! If my books are incorrect, then yours are correct?!"
"Of course! I am always right!!!"
"You pigheaded fool!!!!"
They argued for a minute or two until Matthew tugged on Arthur's sleeve and said, "Nii-san….the presentation…"
"Kusho…" he swore softly, "As I was saying - if you stand in front of a mirror (silver-backed, not any of those cheap aluminum-backed ones) and recite, during the witching hour, your name thrice, you will be pulled into the looking-glass realm." He sipped his tea.
A perfect world…one of sunflowers and sunshine…of warmth and love…of HIM… Ivan stared off into the distance as he longed to be in that world. Natalia caught the signs and sighed.
There he goes again with his sunflowers and HIM…why does he even want him anyways? Aren't I good enough? Then an idea struck her, "What happens to the mirror-you?"
"Ah-" Arthur's face broke into a grin, "I thought you'd never ask. Y'see, when a person enters another realm, there cannot be two of them there. Therefore, one must be forced out - namely, the mirror-you."
"Will the mirror-you act like you?"
"Not exactly…the mirror-you will adapt to the realm it's in and become what the one closest to it wants."
The one closest…
"Well..." Ivan stood up and smiled kindly and somehow scarily to the world meeting, "I really must be off…"
"Where do you think you're going?" Gilbert sneered, "Running away?!"
There was an eerily cold silence then, "No. I'm going to a land of sunflowers and warmth." Then he turned and walked off.
"I think he's a bit cracked in the head…" he smirked, his red eyes glinting angrily.
That was enough, "SHUT THE (bleep) UP GILBERT!!!!" Elizaveta slammed her hand on the table and pointed at him angrily, "JUST CAUSE YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF (bleep)IN' BEEF WITH IVAN DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN (bleep)N' INSULT HIM BEHIND HIS BACK!!!!! SO SHUT YOUR (bleep)IN' MOUTH OR I'LL SHUT THE (bleep)N' THING FOR YOU USING MY FOOT AND YOUR (bleep)!!!" she fumed for a bit and then smoothed the front of her uniform and sat down again after bowing to the very flustered Gilbert and apologizing for her language.
Ukraine turned to Elizaveta and smiled softly, "Thank you for defending Ivanski for us. Now, if you'll excuse me, das vedanya!" and she too got up and left the table.
"Das Vedanya" Natalia left as well. Then, one-by-on, the rest of the countries left until only Matthew and Arthur and Alfred were left.
"Somehow I feel as if I've just done something to make Natalia very, very angry…"
Matthew smiled and hugged his brother, "I think you did just fine!"
"I beg to differ…" Alfred stuffed a cheeseburger into his mouth and continued talking, "I think you gave Ivan some very horrible ideas…"
"Chikusho…" he swore again, "Well it couldn't possibly get any worse…"
"Oh, and Peter-nii just sold the crown jewels to Francis" Matthew smiled sadly.
"For the love of tea and biscuits…" Alfred just walked away, off to talk to Francis about his crown jewels. Alfred smiled and ruffled Matthews's hair fondly and then handed him a Mc**** shake and walked away.
Иван
The world around him darkened as he waited in front of the small dresser mirror in his house. Just a few more minutes…He looked at the clock Ludwig made as the minute hand neared twelve.
"Why are you leaving?" Natalia's voice broke through the silence that was cloaking the tall man, "Are we not good enough? Do you have to go and find a better place because you don't like us?!"
"It's not that…" he didn't turn around, only stared at her reflection in the mirror, "That's not it at all…"
"Then why?! Why won't you stay?!"
11:59:15
"Because, I want to feel safe and happy for a change"
11:59:30
"Do I not make you happy? Does Ukraine not make you happy?..."
11:59:45
"No it's just-it's just…"
11:59:50
"Go…" Ukraine stood behind Natalia, her hands folded politely, "Go and have your happiness, we'll be fine Ivanski, just fine…"
11:59:59
"Thanks…"
12:00:00
The clock went off: once, twice, thrice—
"Ivan Braginski…"
"Goodbye Ivan"
—five, six, seven—
"Ivan Braginski…"
—nine, ten eleven—
"Enjoy yourself nii-san…"
"Ivan Braginski."
—twelve.
His form fell forward and seemed to melt into the mirror, branching out so that, as he fell in, his mirror-self fell out. Then the clock ticked forwards a minute.
12:01:15
The mirror-Ivan groaned and sat up wearily, "Wha-?"
"Good morning nii-san." Natalia smiled and buried her face in his scarf sadly, "Hello, Ivan."
"G-good morning to you too Nataliaskya…and you Ukraine…" he stood up and pulled out a bottle of a clear liquid, "Now who'd like to get wasted to commemorate the new day?!" The tree of them walked out of the room in an odd manner, only slightly sad at the loss of their true nii-san.
Мишель
Somewhere, a tall country man walked through a field of golden flowers while the sun shone on him from above. There was a shout and he turned. Then he smiled. Safe and warm and happy…sunflowers and sunshine, warmth and love, Ivan and HIM…what a perfect little world I have found through the looking-glass. Such a wonderful place.
Зеркало
FIN
Конец
(A/N: this here's Chelle's birthday fic and the thing that got me out of my IZ rut. Happy birthday Chelle! And, if you'll notice, your name is spelled in Cyrillic within the story breaks. Not gonna tell which one it is though…you gotta guess for that one.)
(PS: I left this open so that you, the readers and Chelle (mainly Chelle) can fill in the blank for this pairing. SUMIMASENGA!!! (to those of you who are angry at the open-ended pairing) and arigato goaizimasu! R&R my friends.)