Hello, everyone :) Welcome to first time readers and fans alike! I'm back with another story, and this time I'm delving a little deeper into the Germany x Liechtenstein pairing. I kind of hinted toward it in my last story Unconquerable, but this time I really want it to be the main focus. I know it's not a popular pairing, but I think it's adorable :3 Please enjoy :D

I do not own Hetalia :/

The bright full moon shined down on the small village of Schattenwald like the watchful eye of heaven. A lazy cloud or two would drift past the silver orb, momentarily obscuring it from sight, but its penetrating light could not be hidden for long. Nor could its unwavering promise, which was known by the village's fearful inhabitants and another select few. A cool breeze ruffled the needle-laden branches of the proud pines that surrounded the deathly quiet town. Not a soul dared to step foot outside on a night like this.

But Lili Zwingli was horribly lost. She had walked the forest path countless times, yet she found herself wandering aimlessly in its dark depths. Did she miss a turn, or had the forest changed when she wasn't looking? She didn't know. Her brother had told her stories about wandering in the woods. They scared her, but she wished they had scared her a little more. If that were the case, she might not be in the dangerous position she was now in.

The glow of the moon did nothing to guide her as it filtered through the branches in patchy pools. The broken fragments of light only looked like malicious eyes to Lili, and sometimes she thought they winked at her. Her breath caught in her throat as a particularly bright set of eyes blinked out of existence, and she tightened her grip on her wicker basket. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. It, and the tears pooling in her eyes, refused to go anywhere. They were stuck, just like her.

"Hello?" she called into the shadows. Her voice was quickly absorbed by the low undertones of the forest. Another set of eyes flickered at her.

She had to get home. Lili began to walk faster with a prayer forming on her lips. The forest became denser as she increased her speed, and claw-like branches grabbed for her hair, her clothes, her feet. Out of nowhere, a thick branch flew for her face as her foot caught in a protruding root. A hopeless scream tore her throat as she crashed to the ground. Lili winced as a hand strayed to her face. Something warm and sticky wet her trembling fingers.

"Brother...I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she whimpered. Tears poured down her cheeks and stung the cut under her left eye. A choked cry escaped her lips and echoed ominously.

Lili forced herself to breathe in and out. It had a calming effect, and she found the strength to stand up. She would never forgive herself if she gave up now. Slowly, she continued in the direction she believed Schattenwald to be. If she was going the right way, there should be some road markers appearing soon. With that thought in mind, she moved through the suffocating gloom.

The eyes stopped winking at her, and she felt herself growing more confident. That was when the first road marker materialized out if the darkness. Lili wiped the tears from her eyes before she could starts crying again, only this time from sheer joy. She touched the marker just to make sure it was real. The feeling of smooth, white stone on her skin settled the nervous churning in her stomach. She was close now. There was nothing to fear.

But Lili still couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. The forest was starting to thin, which caused the moonlight to pool in larger patches. Yet the eyes never left. They seemed closer than before. Lili began to walk again. For whatever reason, standing still made her feel small, vulnerable. Not that she was a large person to begin with. Strangers often mistook her for a child until they saw the glimmer of maturity hidden in her green eyes. Sometimes they thought she was a boy too. That was why she wore a ribbon in her short blonde hair whenever she went out. Absentmindedly, she reached up, but the ribbon was nowhere to be found. Her lips curved down into a frown. She felt bad about losing it, but she had no time to look for it. She had to get home.

Suddenly, a twig snapping behind her caught her attention. She was so distracted by her missing ribbon that she hadn't noticed the forest grow quiet. A low, ragged breathing emanated from the shadows. It was everywhere, yet nowhere. Lili ran. She ran as if her life depended on it, which it very well did. She remembered the stories, the warnings, the pleadings. She remembered now when it was too late. Her legs strained with the effort to move her, but it wasn't enough. She felt a warm breath spread across the back of her neck.

With a flurry of leaves, Lili broke through the forest. Empty farm fields rushed past as she ran. She could see the walls. High, impassable walls made of rough-cut stones surrounded the village of Schattenwald. Lili knew they were built to keep things out, and at that moment, that included her. The sound of two very large objects colliding crashed behind her, but she didn't dare turn around. She could see the ivy growing across the wall and knew she was almost home.

The sound of growling and yelping grew fainter as she left her pursuers behind. Lili's heart felt ready to burst, but she didn't slow her pace. The full moon lit her final stretch home, and she was sobbing with relief. She was safe. She had faced death and won. She was home.

The gate was closed.

Lili didn't realize the heavy wooden gates that allowed entrance into Schattenwald were closed until she crashed into them. Some sort of inhuman sound pierced the air as she fell to the ground. This couldn't be happening. How could she have forgotten? Desperately, she pounded the doors with her fist, as if her feeble attempt could somehow open them.

"Please! Somebody! Anybody! Open the gates! Please!" Her shouts rang as clear as a bell, but remained unanswered. Everyone within the walls were either asleep or pretending they couldn't hear anything. It was pointless. "Please! Please! Open the gates! I'm still out here! Please!"

And then she heard it. The sound that made her blood run cold, and her arms lose their strength. A deep rumbling she knew could only belong to a very large animal vibrated the air just behind her. She could smell it, the sharp scent of pine and musk. A creature of the forest. Lili didn't want to look. Didn't want to see the bloodthirsty eyes of her killer.

"Be strong," she whispered. "Be strong."

If she were going to die, she would do it with dignity. It would be on her terms. She forced her knees to hold her weight as she stood, and tightened her hold on her basket. Maybe she could use it as a weapon. The self-defense lessons her brother had insisted she take did not seem so ridiculous anymore. Slowly, with measured steps, she turned to meet her end.

Bright eyes watched her carefully with the attentiveness of a predator. Lili could smell its breath, sour with blood. Her courage faltered with she met its gaze. There was definitely something human with the way it looked at her. Nausea twisted her stomach. Then she saw the blood. Her pursuer's jaws were stained crimson with the thick liquid, and a pink tongue lolled out from between gleaming teeth, also tainted red.

Air rushed too quickly into Lili's lungs. She was aware that she was hyperventilating, but she couldn't stop herself. It was all too much. Her vision grew fuzzy before it began to tip on its side. She didn't even feel hitting the ground.