AN: This is based off of the doujin 'Appear' by Cache-Cache. This doujinka is probably my favorite of all time. They have done another doujin called 'RE: Dream' which I absolutely adored, but this one forever stole my heart. I made this fic self-explanatory on its own, but reading the doujin might help. Basically America, dressed as Santa, goes up a chimney that apparently shoots him to the year 1099. He's struggling to get back though because he had promised England that they would kiss on midnight of New Year's. Also, when America is in the past, 1 day in the past equals 3 days in the present. I simply expanded on this doujin. If you have already read the doujin, then you can pretty much skip to the part where baby England goes to his time since I did recap almost the entire doujin in this fic. If you have not, I would prefer if you read this first simply because I did put in some extra historical facts and changed things that lacked sense. I am well aware that young England and America would not have been able to even communicate, but I tried to make sure that the words that baby England used were not coined past the 1500s just to leave some semblance of antiquity. This fic will cover the years as England searches for Alfred a second time.
1099, The surrounding forests of northern England
He was odd. That was the first thing that struck me about this man. He was dressed in blood red clothes with white furs on the edges, but what made him completely odd was that he was talking to a giant coin that he held up to his ear. I had been hunting in the forests, my faithful dragon by my side, when I heard the sound of a man talking. His English was awfully queer, the way he pronounced things and the device he wore on his face. Maybe he was an angel, he did have a nice voice. Or it was quite possible he was a sorcerer from the isles here to destroy me. I carefully pulled an arrow from my quiver.
"Say, where does your house's chimney lead out to?" His way of speaking was so very outlandish. "The sky above your house is a forest." He was still talking to that wierd coin. I darted behind a bush, closer to the brightly dressed man. "This is an amazing Christmas surprise, but isn't it impossible for me to get back home if the chimney is gone?"
I positioned the arrow onto my bow and carefully pulled the string back. He was in perfect sight.
"Ouch!" He must have had a very thick skull; The arrow barely went through.
"You're not a human! What are you doing here?" He turned around and gasped, before stuttering. He pressed the coin to his ear and began running off. "Wait, you bastard!" I shouted, chasing after him. He yelled into the coin one last time before taking it from his ear, still running like a lunatic. I almost caught up to the insane man when my foot caught. To my embarrassment I fell face-first onto the forest floor. I was in complete pain but there was no way I was letting him know that.
"It does not hurt... It-it really does not..." I protested as he neared me. I looked up and he was kneeling right in front of me. "Ahh!"
"Oh man... Even how you fall is over-dramatic..." I watched his eyes for a moment; They were such a bright shade of blue, as if he had never been depressed. He reached out and stroked one of my cheeks before gently pinching it.
"Huh?"
"Your face is scratched up, too..." I did not like the way he was near me in the least.
"Do not touch me!" I yelled before slapping his hand away and running off.
"Ah, wait!" I ducked into some of the nearby bushes and watched him, making sure he would not pursue me. I was breathing heavily as I grabbed at my quiver. He really was all too frightening. I peeked out to see him some more. He was mumbling into that coin again, but now he was stripping himself of the red garbs he was wearing. He looked worried. Well if he was sent to hunt me, and I succeeded in fleeing, he would have a reason in being anxious. I laughed once to myself and began walking away from him.
After a few moments I began running, my dragon following me with utmost celerity. France had tried to tell me that my dragon was just a rabbit, but it made no difference. It could be a dragon if I wanted it to be. I glanced to my side and noticed that my dragon had stopped running and the next moment, I was falling. The fall was scary, but when I fell on a pile of rotting leaves, and realised I still had my wits about me, I stopped worrying. But I resumed my panic when I noticed I was in a hole. A hole that was easily ten feet deep. Scotland had warned me that he had left a trap in the forests for me, but I just assumed that he was bluffing. I guess not.
"Damn it, everyone is trying to make a fool out of me..." I muttered. There was a small squeaking noise, bringing my attention up the pit. It was my dragon. "Look here!" I laughed several times in victory; He would save me. "D-dragon! Come save me!" The dragon looked to its side, flicked its nose once, and then ran off. "Unicor...?" I had many things I could pretend that my dragon was. I sighed and sat down, leaning against the wall of the pit.
Once again, I was alone. Why did it seem like I always end up alone... I sat for several minutes, hoping desperately that something would come help me. I say 'something' because 'somebody' would be inaccurate. Nobody cared enough to ever help me. William Rufus had only been after the throne. When he was declared king, I was supposed to meet him, but he refused saying that he had no need to meet a nation that had not even proceeded in the pubescent portion of life. It was his people's fault I was this size. I would not be so damn tiny if France had lost at Normandy... Another few minutes passed. Why did it seem like everyone hated me...
I glanced up at the sky and whimpered slightly. The clouds were dark, the low rumbling noises of thunder off in the distant. "Damn it..." When the rain started, I put the hood of my cloak around my head and stared at the ground. The rain slowly poured.
I waited for a few more minutes and still no one was there. And worst of all, I was crying. I was cold and hungry, and I honestly believed that I would probably be stuck here until Scotland deemed it acceptable to bring me out. I hated Scotland.
"What'cha doin'?" I heard a voice say. I glanced up and saw my dragon. But the voice belonged to the face of the blonde sorcerer from earlier.
"N-nothing! Don't come over here because I am terribly tiny," I shouted as he stuck his legs over the edge of the pit. I tried to rub some of the tears clinging to my eyes off before he could see them and know I was hurt.
"Yeah, I know," he replied simply, grinning. He heaved once before pushing himself over the side and landing right beside me. He walked over beside me and pat my head. "But even though you're small, I know that you're a good kid." I stuttered for a moment and stared embarrassedly at the ground. It must have been some trick so that I lowered my defenses and he could take me! I ran to the opposite side of the pit and angrily stared at him.
"You! Why did you come here?" He smiled and held out a hand to me.
"I came here to save you." I stared at his hand in disbelief. No one ever came to save me unless it benefitted them.
"Y-you are lying..." He stepped towards, making me all too nervous. Once he was standing right in front of me, he leant over and carefully lifted me up.
"But it's true!" He laughed once and rubbed my hair. Humming, he examined the pit for a moment before chuckling. "Here, hold on tight." It was then he grew one of the silliest and happiest I have ever seen on another person. He bent his knees, looked upwards, and then leapt. To my surprise, he jumped clear out of the pit. This man must have had incredible strength.
"Amazing..." I said softly, looking at the ground below us. He jumped at least twenty feet higher than necessary to clear the pit.
"And here we go. We made it!" He smiled at the trees and then glanced down at me. I felt so completely small near this man.
"Th-thank you," I quickly said when he looked directly into my eyes. He smiled again and giggled. I think he thought I was stupid, because he held up his hand and said:
"Look there's nothing in my left hand." I watched curiously as he brought his hand behind my head and tugged at my ear. "And now-" he brought his hand in front of my face, "- there's a hamburger!" I had no idea what the hell a hamburger was but it smelled like meat. He began laughing manically.
"H-how'd you do that? Are you a sorcerer?" He kept laughing as he brought me back to the clearing I had originally seen him in, and then he set me on a stump. His absurd Elven clothing were hanging on a nearby branch. I held onto the 'hamburger' and watched as he stuck both his hands behind his back. I watched him intently again.
"And this time... in my right hand." He pulled out something from behind his back. It was a coloured cylinder of sorts and he carefully handed it to me.
"Woah... You're amazing-" I stopped, having not yet learnt of his name.
"Alfred! My name is Alfred F. Jones." I frowned.
"Liar! You are not even a human! Not that care... neither am I... But it would be too good to be true if you were indeed king of the Anglo-Saxons." He stared at me with a blank expression.
"Ah, okay. Whatever, just eat." I glanced down at the food. My dragon had returned, and it was now eating away at one of the herbs sticking out of the strange food. I smiled as I began eating. "But no, I am not king of the Angle-Socks. I am simply a hero."
"What's a hero?" I asked, my words muffled from consuming the magic (Which was strangely delicious). He had summoned another one of the strangely covered meats, but he set it down and looked at me with soft eyes. Extending his hand, he pinched my cheek. I failed to see why he liked doing that.
"It's somebody who helps people in trouble or protects those that they care about. That is what a hero is." I flinched when he pressed one of his fingers over a sensitive spot on my cheek; It really stung. I frowned in confusion and looked at the ground.
"Do people like that really exist?" His eyes widened in worry. "Everyone, whenever they see my face... they all throw things at me, or burn me, or try to curse me..." I sighed and grabbed at my dragon. "That's why I have to be strong, no matter what..." He grinned slightly.
"That's so cool! It's exactly what I would expect from England..." His speaking really was entirely too queer, but what was oddest was that he knew who I was.
"How exactly do you know me?" His face grew panicked and he smiled nervously.
"What do you mean? There isn't a single person in existence that doesn't know about you!" I grinned slightly; I was a pretty well known kingdom.
"Th-that is right!" He nodded his head and quickly pat me on the head. "Alfred?" He hummed and looked at me as he walked towards some of the trees. I flushed slightly and glanced at the ground. "If by chance you lack shelter... it is fine if you st-stay with... me." He stared at me with blank eyes, causing me to feel flustered. "D-do not have the wrong idea! I am only offering b-because I have a spare room!" He grinned and laughed once.
"He was a pervert since childhood it seems..." he muttered, thinking I could not hear him. "If it's a house, then I think I will be fine."
"H-how so?" He took off the strange orange tunic he was wearing and grabbed the base of a nearby tree.
"Turn around for a few minutes."
"W-why?" He smiled again.
"Just trust me." So I turned around. For a moment I worried that he would run away, but oddly enough, instead of the sound of running, I heard a very unique sound. It was the sound that one hears when a tree is being felled.
"A-Alfred?"
"Just stay there, little man! I'll be done soon!" I shuddered when I heard the same sound and became more and more curious every time I heard it again. After about a quarter of an hour, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to bright, smiling eyes. "I am done!" Alfred stepped aside, and revealed to me a ladder going up one of the largest and oldest trees. Nestled between its branches was what appeared to be a house. This man surely was a sorceror.
I was sitting on the floor of the small house, holding onto the red tunic from Alfred's previous Elven garb. At first, I had been afraid that the house would collapse, but Alfred had promised that it would not. I looked out the small hole he had left as a window and then heard a cough. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Alfred smiling at me.
"Are you going to be spending the night here?" I blanched and flushed slightly.
"Is that really all right?" I was startled at how quickly I had answered that, but I honestly wanted to stay around the strange man. He tackled into me, grinning like an idiot.
"Sure you can! Let's get changed before going to bed, though," he shouted, pulling at my cloak.
After he managed to take my cloak off, he took off his orange tunic that had a hood and hung them over the side of the window. I was sitting in my white robe, him in the strange blue pants he possessed. When he had removed his hooded tunic, a little flat cylinder fell onto the floor, catching my attention. I grabbed it, examining it from all over. I recognised some of the Roman letterings on it, but most of the symbols were strange to me. I felt something clamped to my sides and almost shouted out in worry before I realised that Alfred was lifting me up. He set me down on his lap, me facing him. He took the item from my hands and twisted the top, revealing a strange salve interior the item.
"I was just looking at this... but what is it? It smells really nice..." Alfred put some of the white salve on his finger and began applying it to my cheeks.
"It's an ointment that's made using herbs."
" 'erbs?" He put the top back on the item and handed it to me.
"It looks like you have a lot of injuries, so I'll just give the whole thing to you." I stared at it and attempted to open it. After opening it, I looked back at Alfred.
"A-re you sure it is fine?" He nodded and reclosed it.
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"It is just... this is the first time that anyone has given me medical treatment..." Alfred stared at me for a moment as I awkwardly tried to read what was on the small gift. Alfred was about to speak, but a strange noise that sounded akin to a bird-call interrupted him. I quickly ran to my quiver and bow. "The enemy is attacking!"
"No! No, they're not!" Alfred shouted. He rolled across the floor and quickly grabbed me in one of his large arms. He was holding the coin in his other hand. "Yes?"
"Not yes, you prat! You haven't contacted me in three days!" a muffled voice said. It sounded like it was coming from the coin. Alfred tensed slightly, tightening his grip around my chest.
"Huh?" he said.
"You still haven't returned home?" the voice said again.
"No, not yet..." Alfred replied. I wondered if there was a faerie in the coin that he was talking to. "Don't worry, I'll be back for our kiss."
"No, you idiot! That's not what I meant! Your boss is really worried. He said he can't get through to your cell phone, so hurry up and get back here."
"Is that so? That's kind of weird that I am able to talk to you through my phone. If you see my boss, just tell him I went to another dimension through your chimney, so I won't be back for awhile." There was a sigh coming from the coin. "It's fine since it is the truth after all."
"I suppose you're right..." the voice said. Alfred laughed through his nose before holding the coin with his shoulder and cheek. He then turned me around and put both his hands on my ears. I could feel his chest vibrate as he said something.
"Alfred?" I asked, trying to pull his large hands off my ears. I felt him laugh, and then he removed his hands. In one swift movement he slammed against the floor of the room, slapped his coin beside him, and grabbed his Elven clothing. He wadded up the trousers to make a cushion for our heads and then grabbed the tunic for a blanket.
"All right, little man! Let's go to sleep now," he said, wrapping the tunic around us.
"It's warm..." Alfred hummed and then turned on his side, laying one of his arms on top of me. "That hurts, you idiot!" He just laughed through his nose and pressed me against his chest, humming slightly.
I had awoken whilst it was still dark out, and had carefully crawled out of the wooden house. Once I made it to the forest floor, my dragon woke too and walked by my side. I had spent at least two hours carving acorns. I wanted to give Alfred a present for providing me with the magic food yesterday, so I found a perfectly shaped acorn and carved 'ÆLFRED' into it. It was not entirely too difficult, but at the same time I did have to restart several times. After I had finished with the charm, I took my dragon farther out into the woods to search for berries so that Alfred and I could sufficiently break the fast. I had managed to fill an entire one of my sacks before I decided I could return.
I toted my dragon up the ladder, and to my pleasure, saw that Alfred was still asleep. I stepped near his head, looking down on his coin and the strange device he had been wearing on his face. I picked up the strange thing and tried to wear it like he had been. When the two glass shards were almost adjusted over my eyes, the small branch that joined them snapped. Carefully, I set them down and reached for the coin again.
I jumped slightly when the coin began chirping again.
"Mmm, five more minutes..." Alfred groggily muttered. Panicked, I touched the shining green gem on the coin and heard it make a strange noise.
"Hurry and pick up, you twat!" the voice shouted at me. "What the bloody hell are you doing? Aren't you worried at all? Are you even listening to me?"
Alfred, for some reason, began laughing in his sleep.
"This isn't something to laugh about! Do you even plan on coming back?" the voice yelled, slightly more gently than last time. I glared at it.
"He... He is not coming back," I said carefully.
"Huh?"
"He is definitely not going back ever! He is going to stay here forever!" I shouted.
"England?" Alfred asked, coming to his senses slightly.
"I will not allow him to go back!" I shouted, now flustered and worried.
"Who are you?" the voice inquired. I touched the red gem this time.
"England...?" Alfred started, me turning my back to him.
"A-are you going back?" I was staring at the floor, flustered and mildly hurt. He sighed.
"Yeah, I am going back. Someone extremely important to me is waiting," he said, tinges of hope and happiness in his voice. I looked down at the coin still in my hand, stood up, and darted out of the home.
"Stupid bastard, Alfred!" I shouted as I climbed down the ladder.
"England!" he shouted whilst I darted towards the bushes. I tripped on my cloak though, and I think Alfred heard it since he inquired if I was fine. Embarassed, I ran into the bushes.
"Shut up, Alfred!" I shouted back as I continued running.
I really must have been stupid for what happened next. With the coin chirping again, I fell into the same pit I had encountered yesterday. I had managed to grab onto the edge before completely falling in, the coin still gripped in my hands. Mustering all the strength I could, I carefully pulled myself out, the scratches I had gained from carving earlier opening up painfully.
Worst of all, I was crying. I questioned why I was getting so sentimental over someone I had only known for a day, but I suppose it had to do with the fact that he was the first person to show me kindness. And I was in pain again, but this stupid coin was the one thing keeping him together with that person. I was on my hands and knees, watching the few drops land on my hands. My left had the acorn and my right had the coin.
"I am sorry..." I looked with blurry vision and saw that the voice was speaking to me. "Listen... I do not know who you are... but could please let me speak with Alfred? I have been worried... He's a very important person to me..."
"England!" I glanced over my shoulder and saw Alfred, holding my dragon, not too far in the bushes. I stood up, and glanced at the items in my hands. Gently, I set the acorn on the coin and darted off. I ducked into some shrubbery and watched.
Alfred picked up the faerie coin and the acorn. He began talking to the voice, examining my handiwork. I smiled a little when I saw him grinning at it.
Sometime somewhere
Dear God on high, it hurt when Alfred fell down that disgusting chimney.
"Have I... come back?" Alfred muttered to himself. He coughed several times before standing up and darting from the room we were in. He slowed down after a few minutes, and began approaching this other figure. He then leant over the person's shoulder and I watched silently as they kissed. It made my chest hurt slightly.
"Happy New Year's, England," Alfred whispered. I worried for a moment, thinking he had discovered me.
"Happy New Year's, America," the other person whispered. They then began kissing again, causing my hands to shake slightly When they pulled apart, the other began talking.
"You idiot... I thought you weren't going to make it back..." I felt like I was intruding on something so completely private, that I was ashamed for a moment. Alfred laughed through his nose and then turned the other person around so he was no longer looking over his shoulder. Now I really was embarassed... and rather envious, because they kissed once more before Alfred placed one of his hands on the other's face.
"Your lips are trembling, you know? Just how long have you been waiting out here?" Alfred asked quietly. There were bright balls of fire in the sky in the distance.
"It doesn't matter... I can't even feel them anymore, you prat." They embraced, resuming in kissing, before the other began to wrap his arms around Alfred's waist, and then I panicked. "...Hey"
"Hm?"
"I can't fit my arms around your waist. You're still getting fa-" I quickly let go of Alfred's tunic and fell on the ground, landing on my face. Why did I always land on my face? Maybe that was why Scotland called me ugly. "A child? Is that the one from the phone?" I groaned and began rubbing my cheeks, looking at the floor.
"I didn't think that you'd find me, but you followed me, huh? That's amazing! I didn't notice at all!" Alfred leant over and quickly scooped me up, smiling and chuckling. I grinned at him.
"Making myself unnoticeable is one of my best skills!"
"Hey, I was talking to you, git!" the other man shouted. "Ame-" Alfred clapped a hand on the other man's mouth.
"I am Alfred F. Jones, okay?" The other man froze for a moment, quaking slightly.
"Al- ...Alfred... You're Alfred," he said, hollow with mild astonishment. Alfred looked over at him, grinning brightly.
"England, this guy is Arthur Kirkland! Ahaha, he's my lover!"
"Who the hell is Arthur? Quit saying such strange things!" Arthur shouted. I did not really like Arthur; He seemed to shout too much, he was queer, and yet Alfred was his lover...
"Lover...?" I asked, flushed slightly. Arthur walked over to us and stared at me.
"Hey me... I mean you, hurry up and go back home!"
"I am not going to do that!" I shouted at him.
"That's right, he just got here. He can't leave so suddenly!" Alfred protested. I smirked at Arthur.
"I don't mind going home as long as Alfred can come with me," I said, glaring slightly at the angry man.
"You can't do that! You're disregarding the disposition of history!" he shouted at me. Alfred laid a hand on Arthur's shoulder.
"It'll be fine, just stop worrying..." he said kindly. And with that, Arthur deflated to a soft frown.
"I'll go prepare a bath. You both reek."
About an hour later, I was being laid in a soft cushion, my cloak elsewhere, and a small white creature that resembled Alfred on my head. Alfred had taken me to bathe in this enormous white basin with a lot of these strange magic orbs that would disappear if you touched them. After the bath, Arthur had suggested that I put gauze on my fingers, so there were strange bandages not made of cloth sticking to my hands. I had one of my hands being held in Alfred's as I began dozing off. I was grinning slightly when Arthur walked in too.
Because my eyes were closed, I could not really tell what was going on, but I carefully listened. Someone was pulling the blankets over my body and they began conversing.
"So basically... a thousand years ago you came along and seduced me when I was little." Arthur said, causing Alfred to tighten his hand around mine.
"Sedu...? Don't make it sound like I am such a bad guy!" Alfred hissed. Arthur sighed.
"But isn't it the truth?" I heard a small jingling noise, I assumed from Alfred's 'dogtags' where he had also strewn my acorn. "You suddenly show up and then you disappeared just as abruptly..."
"But if I had said 'I am going home,' you would have cried and been angered," Alfred replied softly, laughing slightly at the end.
"That's- uwah!" I felt a rapid shifting as Alfred released my hand, the weight next to me increasing. "You idiot, little me is right over there," Arthur whispered sharply.
"It'll be fine, once a child falls asleep, they don't easily wake up."
"...Alfred?"
"What is it, England?" I twitched slightly at him saying my name to Arthur. The next sound I heard was shallow breaths and the sound of them kissing. I flustered ever so much as I tried to remain stock still, but innards began hurting. Not like they had earlier when I was watching the two kiss, but as if I had to piss.
"You were entirely too glorified... Your face is a lot more stupid than it is in my memories. I think I remembered you better than you are," Arthur whispered. Alfred chuckled, trying to keep his laughter from getting too loud.
"Just how long have you had that memory then, old man?"
"I'm joking," Arthur protested. They shifted again causing Arthur to laugh once. "I understand now, when I was little you did so much for me..."
"Huh? I just wanted to protect you... Even though your body was so small, you still struggled to do your best. You were so adorable and innocent... So I wanted to make you feel even more loved..."
"A-ah... you idiot," Arthur muttered. They shifted again, Alfred laughing quiet little chuckles but then I could not hold it anymore. I stood up and looked over at them. Alfred was laying on Arthur, who was on his stomach trying to escape. For some reason Alfred was rubbing his pectorals. "A-America..."
"Shhh..."
"Alfred?" I asked, the strange white creature still clinging to my head. Alfred glanced towards me, a look of partial shame on his face.
"Eng-England?" Alfred said, concerned.
"Uhm... I have to piss..." Alfred quickly flung himself towards me, both of the men shouting, but by then it was too late.
I sat on the floor of the room, sipping from the glass bottle as I watched Arthur and Alfred, but mostly Alfred. He had been climbing up that chimney, shouting down to Arthur occasionally. When Arthur had tried to climb up the chimney, a deep voice shouted at him and pushed both men all the way down. Arthur had once screamed at Alfred that if I was to stay here, then Alfred would become one of France's territories, mildly worrying me that these two knew France. Alfred had replied that then no one would say that he had no sense of taste, causing Arthur to yell insults at him.
I was not quite sure what it was I was drinking, but I was starting to feel lightheaded. And it was becoming increasingly difficult to see what they were doing. But for some reason I was happier than I had been in a long time. And then I collapsed on the ground, giggling uncontrollably. That drink surely had magical properties, for some how my clothes had dissappeared and now I was staring at the unicorn leaning over me. Alfred and Arthur walked over to me, shouting at each other before Alfred picked me up and Arthur took my potion.
"He reeks of booze," Alfred said, glaring at Arthur. He looked so lovely... Alfred always seemed to look so. Arthur just made me sad since he always seemed so bitter, but I supposed he reminded me a little of myself.
"Really now... this is bad even for me..." Arthur said, examining the bottle. They began walking off, the gentle swaying causing my head to hurt slightly, but Alfred held me tightly. I shut my eyes for several minutes and felt Alfred sit down. We were finally done moving, thank God.
"If things stay like this then history will change," Arthur said softly. I could tell he was angry; He was always so angry. "Moreover, I do not even remember having followed Alfred -you- back then. We could be creating a whole new timeline if we are not careful."
"Even if you say that, we can't send him back unless he consents to it, England," Alfred said. I perked up slightly at the sound of my name, but the next thing I felt was something cold being pressed to my mouth. I held my hands up and felt a glass cup, liquid slowly being poured. I carefully swallowed a small amount of the liquid.
"It tastes good..." I muttered, trying to down more of it.
"Arthur made it for you!" Alfred said happily, coaxing the flow gently.
"Arthur...?" I glanced over to him. He was still frowning so I looked away, causing him to stutter.
"Little kids really don't like you, do they?" Alfred exclaimed, laughter shaking his chest.
"You loved me when you were little!" Arthur set the drink down on a nearby table as I sat in his lap. My chest... it was in pain.
"I don't remember that at all!"
"You jerk! Nothing that you say is ever cute!" As they continued to argue, I clutched slightly at my heart, worried for why it hurt.
"But I am only speaking the truth, old man!" Why did it hurt like this? I turned and buried my head in Alfred's shoulder, clutching onto the collar of his tunic. "England?" I was slightly happy that Alfred's heart was pounding, but I still questioned why I felt like this. "What's wrong?" Alfred asked, rubbing my back. Arthur frowned and began walking away. It definitely had to be his fault. He did not like the fact that Alfred still held onto me, so he made my heart beat painfully whenever I was near Alfred.
The next few days were somewhat enjoyable and mildly annoying. Alfred had decided that something called a 'pranking war' was in order for the small rivalry I held with Arthur. Alfred had introduced me to this strange device that would propel water across distances, which became my new weapon of choice in this war. Alfred had also told me to use some hair-removing tape when Arthur as asleep, so we managed to remove quite a bit from the side of his head. One time, Arthur had become so angered with me, he had grabbed me by my robe, and hung me with the drying clothing. Later when he had come to retrieve me, he was kind enough to give me a warm bath and food. I was sitting on the floor of his kitchen as he handed me a small black item.
"Go ahead and eat that. Alfred is out right now, so he can't give you any of his unhealthy garbage," Arthur said. I stared at the item and frowned. Even the little white orb that liked to sit on my head made a sound of fright at it. It looked burnt. I took a bite of the item and scowled.
"Is this supposed to be delicious?" I asked. Arthur gawked and glared at me.
"O-of course it is! You are just used to that trash Alfred gives you!" I stared at him for a moment when something struck me; He was not a sorcerer like Alfred.
"You do not make your food with magic, do you?" Arthur's eyes widened and he stared at me with mild shock. He smiled and rubbed my head once before walking away to another side of the kitchen.
"Tell me, England... Do you see magical creatures?" I hummed and continued eating the item.
"Scotland does not believe me when I say I do. France does though, but he says they only follow me because I am lonely." Arthur stared down into the basin he was using to clean a plate, frowning slightly, an air of discomfort about him.
"R-right..." He sighed and continued scrubbing the plate. "Is that why you like Alfred so much?" I looked at the ground out of embarassment.
"Well he was kind to me, and since he is a 'hero', he likes helping me. He is also always so very happy..." Arthur hummed in agreement as he nodded slightly. "Is that why you love him, Arthur?" Arthur's lips curved into a slight smile.
"I suppose it is..."
The door to the house slammed open and the next moment Alfred was running into the room, bags around his arms.
"I got the groceries, Arthur!" Arthur scowled and walked over to him, taking some of the bags.
"It took you long enough," he said, taking them to a nearby table.
"You're welcome," Alfred grumbled. He too set down several of the bags and then turned to me. "I have a treat for you, England." My eyes widened as I lowered the food from my mouth.
"W-what is it?" Alfred put his hand behind his back and walked over to me, smiling brightly. "Ta-da," he said softly and happily. From behind his back, he summoned a round piece of bread that seemed to shimmer in the light. "G'head and eat that." I took the item and bit into it once. It was sweet and warm and everything else wonderful.
"Fank you, A'fred!" I mumbled, my mouth filled with the food.
"Alfred, why are you giving him doughnuts after I already fed him?" Arthur asked, taking the contents of the bags out.
"Oh come on, man. It's not going to hurt him," Alfred said casually. Arthur frowned and continued taking out the items in the bags. Alfred walked behind Arthur and wrapped his arms around his waist, swaying slightly. I watched, my heart having that strange painful feeling again. I looked down at the item in my hand and sighed. I should probably be returning to my time.
Alfred and I were hiding behind a bush in Arthur's backyard, the water propelling device in my hand, and I myself in Alfred's arm. Arthur was looking for us around the yard as Alfred and I struggled to hold back laughter.
"Just a little longer and he'll give up and go take a bath," Alfred whispered, a grin proudly beaming.
"Really?" I asked with mild disbelief.
"Damn it... if I don't get in the bath soon..." Arthur grumbled. He began walking off.
"See?" Alfred snickered.
"That's amazing, how did you know he would do that, Alfred?"
"I can see through all of Arthur's habits," he replied, winking.
"Is that a sort of magic too?" I asked, widening my eyes in curiosity. Alfred glanced down at me and rubbed my head, prodding the white blob that liked to stay there.
"I am not really sure if it's magic. Somehow I just know."
"Because... you are 'lovers'?" I asked, my cheeks warming slightly.
"It's probably the opposite." Alfred leant forward, bumping foreheads with me.
"Opposite?"
"I know it because I can't leave him alone... It's been that way since I first met him."
"But Arthur is really mean and he becomes angered too easily. Once it sounded akin to a demon, he was so loud!"
"Hahaha, that is so true!" Alfred smiled at me, gently gripping my shoulders. "He has a potty mouth, he's overly sensitive, his drinking habits are terrbile, he has imaginary friends and is into the occult, he's not particularly honest, he's kind of awkward at times, and he is terrible about expressing his feelings..." It was uncanny the feeling I had; It almost felt like he was talking about me.
"...but honestly, whether he's lonely or happy, I always enjoy watching over him." I stared at him, my face completely warming over. I glanced at the side and then trotted off. "England?" I paused for a moment and began running. "Wh-what's wrong?" I darted into the home and frantically ran to the dreaded 'laundry room'. There I found my cloak laying on one of those demonic devices that always hummed and were warm to the touch.
I climbed onto it and began tugged my cloak out from the pile it had been hiding in. I had to tug with quite a bit of strength, so it was no surprise that when I fell backwards, I pulled several more articles of clothing with me. One of them was Alfred's orange, hooded tunic. I looked down at it. There was something glinting sticking out of its pockets. It was that chain with the pieces of metal he always wore. I reached down carefully and looked at it. Biting my lip slightly, I reached down and unclasped it. Soon after, the acorn I had carved, was off the chain and in my hand.
"What are you doing?" I glanced up and saw Arthur looking at me, wearing a thick white robe. I began stuttering and quickly hid the acorn in a pocket in my cloak. The next moment I saw a second head show up in the door's frame. "What's with all the ruckus, Alfred?"
"Ah, Eng- Arthur." I turned my head and looked at the ground. They really were happy next to each other, even if Arthur was frowning and Alfred looked distressed.
"I am going home..." I said, trying not to make eye contact with either of them.
"Well, that's unexpected," Arthur muttered.
"Why are you leaving so suddenly?" Alfred inquired. I did not think that two weeks really was so sudden, but Alfred did.
"It would not be any good if I just stayed little like this with you, Alfred. I... I wonder if I can ever become bigger... become bigger and stronger..." Arthur grinned and stepped in front of me.
"Of course you can! Because you are one of the most amazing people in the world!" I was startled that those words came out of Arthur's mouth and not Alfred's. Alfred leant down and picked me up.
"Don't boost his ego like that, Arthur. Sheesh..." Alfred shouted.
"I am amazing...? I am, am I not?" I said, slightly more happy now. I turned an looked at Alfred, tugging on his tunic. "We will meet again... right?" Alfred grinned and rubbed the back of my head.
"Of course we will!" He winked at me. "So if you ever meet a little brother, take good care of him," Alfred said, pressing his forehead to mine.
"B-but, I do not have a little brother..." I protested. He then moved so that his lips were on my forehead.
"For now you don't..." he said. smiling against my skin. He pulled back and grinned at me. I was scared for a moment, but I realised that I was most likely not going to see Alfred again for a long time. So I grabbed his cheeks and pulled forward, kissing him on his lips. Quickly, I turned around and leapt out of his arms and looked at Arthur. He was gawking and stuttering slightly.
"I am not going to lose to someone like you, Arthur! Alfred is now my lover!" I shouted, pointing at him. Alfred burst into laughter behind me as Arthur paled slightly. I turned to Alfred, and grinned once before turning to Arthur and smirking. I waved once and then darted to the chimney. The sooner I returned to my time, the sooner I could see Alfred again. So I ran to the chimney and climbed up, returning myself to my proper time.
June of 1099
I was sitting on the platform of the small wooden house that Alfred had built. In any other situation I would be at the castle, but I needed to escape. The first crusade had been launched only several days ago, causing me to feel rather sick to my stomach. The strange white creature had followed me back to my time, and was currently sitting on my head. It was a kind reminder to me what Alfred looked like. I was not possessing myself with finding Alfred again since I trusted enough that we would in fact meet again, but he did tug at my thoughts occasionally. I was rolling the acorn I had carved in my hands.
"England!" I was broken out of my thoughts and peered through the forests. There was a boy wearing colourful adornments, walking precariously towards me. Only one person I knew would wear such ridiculous clothes and have such difficulty walking through the forests: France. Quickly I glanced to my sides and darted into the home. I peeked over the side of the window, praying to God that he would not see me. He walked up to the tree and gawked. "A home in a tree?" he asked, speaking that dreaded Latin language of his. I was ashamed to say mine had been poisoned by his, but at the same time, it did make communications much easier. He glanced up, causing me to duck behind the wall. He laughed once. "I know you are in there, England!" I walked out carefully, frowning at him.
"What is it, France?" He smiled and walked to the base of the ladder.
"What is this nonsense?" he said, waving at the home Alfred had made.
"A friend had made this for me a couple of months ago." France grinned and climbed up the ladder before sitting himself beside me.
"You made a friend finally?" he asked, chuckling slightly. I frowned and looked at the acorn still in my hand.
"Yes..."
"Well then why are you so sad looking?"
"I also had my first kiss..." France's expression softened and he rubbed my back.
"That still does not answer why you are sad! Did the person melt away afterwards?" I hit France's shoulder, scowling now.
"No... It was a farewell kiss..." France smiled slightly.
"Oh, I am sorry, England... Love is cruel, no?" I nodded and began turning the acorn in my hand. "What is that?" he asked, pointing at it.
"It was something I had made for him..." If France and I were humans, the fact that I had admitted that I had kissed a man may have been something to be more ashamed about, but France and I both knew that our kind was mostly male and restricted us to such quite often. I did not know if Alfred was a representation to a race though, I just knew he was not human either.
"Ah... Then why do you have possession of it?"
"I had taken it back before we parted so that I could remember his name. Not that I was honestly going to forget anyway... But it helps me remember why I-" France plucked it from my hand. "H-hey! Gi-"
"Calm yourself, I have an idea," France said, smiling slightly. He clambered down the ladder as I followed. He then kneeled, his repugnantly coloured clothing causing some leaves and dirt to stick to it. He prodded at the dirt with his fingers until there was a hole about five inches deep. Carefully he put the acorn into the hole and covered it with the earth he had removed earlier. "An acorn can only last so long... a mighty tree can live for decades and even for centuries." I glanced at France. He was smiling kindly at the mound.
"Why are you doing that?" He looked up at me, startled slightly.
"Doing what?" I frowned.
"Thinking of something kind to do for me," I replied, confused. France sighed and leant backwards so that he was laying on the ground.
"We are allies now. I figure that maybe we should stop our bickering for the time being." I walked over to him and looked down at him. His long blonde hair was splayed out on the ground and he was smiling ever so.
"Even though we are allies, I still hate you." France laughed through his nose and waved at me.
"Of course, of course. You sold your heart to someone, and now you refuse to share any love with anyone else." I widened my eyes and sat down.
"What do you mean, France?" He exhaled and turned onto his side.
"I know that you hate me, and I hate you, but I cannot help but feel that at the same time we are friends. We both have been through many hardships, you know?"
"What have you honestly been through that could compare to my troubles?" France frowned and began playing with a blade of grass.
"My grandfather was a very powerful man, you know?" I nodded; My mother had been under France's grandfather many years ago. "But even he, the mighty Roman Empire, fell and then went into hiding. But what bothered me the most, was that afterwards, I was separated from my own brothers. My grandfather is still alive, but I have not seen him in many years..."
"How does this trouble you so?"
"My grandfather is a loving man... But he often runs from what he does not like. I was hoping that by conquering you, he would come praise me since he had done the same many years ago... But he has not... I do not think he will." I looked at France, who was now staring at the ground. I sat down and layed my hand on his head. I did hate France, but people that were hurting needed to be comforted; I knew this better than anyone.
April of 1124
"Hello there, sorry for not having seen you in quite a bit. I believe it has been almost a year... Ah what the hell am I doing... I am talking to a tree..." I glanced up at the tree which was easily towering over me. I supposed it would not hurt me to continue. "There is a new king of Scotland, and King Henry stopped a rebellion... Not much has really changed..." I chuckled to myself. "Except for you, you have grown incredibly so..." I placed a hand on it. "I have grown an inch since I saw you last..." I took my hand off of the still rather young tree and looked off to my side. The home Alfred had made was overrun with foliage, worrying me for a moment. I ran to it and tried to climb up the ladder. It was rather tedious since some of the rungs were rotting and falling off, but I managed to bring myself onto the platform. I overlooked the clearing. I had only grown about a foot in the past twenty-five years, but yet that was an accomplishment for me. France had grown just as much though, keeping me from making any progress in regards to equality with the bastard. I reached into the pocket of my cloak and carefully pulled out the smiling white orb that had been with me all these years. I turned it so that it was facing me and quickly grinned at it.
"You want to do something enjoyable, smiling flour ball?" It nodded at me and licked my hand once. Grinning, I set it on the platform and reached at my quiver. I pulled out my bow and a single arrow. With one hand I held both the items and with the other I grabbed the creature. "Think you can sit on this arrow as I shoot it?" The little orb nodded again and hopped onto the arrow I was readying in my bow. It then sunk slightly until it was surrounding the arrow, appearing as if I had pierced the creature already.
"I am amorphous!" it screeched.
"Ah... I am not quite sure what that means, but good for you," I replied to the thing. It smiled. Pulling the string back, I watched as the creature opened its mouth in a smile, pinching its eyes shut.
"G'head and do it! It will be okey since I'm American!" The creature really was difficult to understand at times.
"What is an American?" I asked, aiming the arrow with one of my eyes shut.
"It is what I am!"
"Ah," and with that, I released the arrow and watched as it landed firmly in the bark of the tree. The creature dripped off of it, making a noise somewhat akin to laughter. Quickly I leapt off the side of the platform and grabbed the shaft to my arrow. "This would be so much easier if I just had my knife..." I muttered. Pulling with all my strength, I brought the arrow down in a straight line before stabbing it where I started. I then brought it down in another line the was tilting to the other. After several more lines I examined my work. There was the symbol 'Æ' carved perfectly into the trunk of the tree.
I glanced down in shock when I felt the orb licking at my feet. I smiled and picked it up. "Look what I made," I said, turning the thing so that it could look at the carving. It just upturned its brows in confusion. "Ah, nevermind..." I said bringing it back down.
The sound of distant cheering and instruments snapped my attention out of my admiration. "I guess we should return now, it sounds like they are announcing something. The creature turned around and looked intently at me, almost sorrowfully.
"I miss America," it said rather sadly.
"Is that where Alfred is from?" It nodded and looked at the ground. "Well I promise you, the moment I find out how to travel to that land, I will take you there." Its eyes widened and it looked at me with happiness. The thing's eyes really were beautiful when it was happy. I wondered if mine were like that when I smiled.
June of 1215, Runnymede
It was rather frightening to see all of this. Wales had told me he himself was not that worried about this, but even though I had witnessed many rebellions, never was there one as successful as this one. I was leaning against a tree in a meadow that was completely filled with seething barons, observant abbots, and one entirely flustered king. I had been told by several of the abbots that the current state of all the men in the area was not safe for a child only a decade old, but thankfully Wales was there holding my hand and helping me convince the others that I was allowed there.
I somewhat admired Wales; He was definitely more pleasureable than Scotland or Ireland, but at the same time I probably knew him the least out of my brothers.
The barons were now yelling and screaming at King John, hurting my ears slightly and worrying me. What would happen with this rebellion succeeding? Would a new government be formed and completely restart the kingdom, destroying me in the process? I have to admit that it was most likely paranoia that was acting up on me, but this was still a possibility. One of the taller barons obstructed my view of the king, keeping me in a momentary state of confusion. I tugged on Wales' tunic.
"I cannot see, Wales," I whispered harshly. He was not much taller than I, but I knew that he could probably see.
"Nothing of importance is happening at the moment," he said, his voice flat and not showing any emotion. I frowned and watched the back of the baron that was now annoying me.
"Do we not get any say in this matter?" I asked. Sometimes I felt that even as a nation, we were oppressed more than humans. We had to fight in countless more wars knowing that there was no way to end our life, we saw the many instances of sorrow tug at us, knew what it felt like to have thousands of people completely adore you and millions of others abhor you. I was not suicidal, but I knew that all nations at times wearied of the life that dragged on with them. And it physically hurt us when our citizens starved, our government was being upturned, and our trade failed; All things that we could not control and would last for decades, quite unlike the human's diseases which could be treated with balms and salves and tonics. We vomited when our leaders gave away our land, and had headaches when we gained. Right now I was rather worried for myself, so I clenched my hand tighter around Wales'.
Wales tugged on my hand and led me to the edge of the group. Together we wove through the angry and shouting men until we were successfully able to view the king. A baron was shouting at him.
"It is through lying and cowardly kings like you that our kingdom is unhappy and rebellious! You question why we come to you today, but your eyes are so glazed over in your own pride and arrogance that you fail to understand that it is because of your own doing!" The baron put both of his hands behind his back and paced in front of the stone that King John was sitting next to on a wooden chair. "Do you not question why France and Scotland bother our land? It is because they see the disorder that is brought about by idiotic thinking and poor judgement!" He gestured a hand towards me. "Do you not even recognise the representation of your own land?" King John looked at me, confusion and a look that is given between those who are strangers. "You prideful kings have only sought what would benefit you, not even caring about those you bound yourselves to with obligations or even the well being of your citizens! A king's job is to better his land, and in the past three centuries, the soul of land has only aged physically five years!" I stuttered for a moment, and for a second multiple pairs of eyes were on me. My face turned red in embarassment and I was tempted to run off right then and there. It was then that I inhaled sharply and released Wales' hand and walked to the center of the area, beside the baron and in front of my king. I cleared my throat and stared intently at all of them.
"Although it may be true that I have grown only slightly in the past centuries, I must say that I am mentally and emotionally stronger than any human and many of my fellow nations. When the Normans overtook me, I simply fought on my own and strengthened myself. Centuries ago, when the Picts attacked me constantly, I was no more than a small child, but I participated with my people nonetheless. And when I was being fed by my mother on the southern shores, I saw the sorrow in her eyes as she was bound to the Roman Empire." I turned to the Baron. "Yes kings like him and several others have refrained me from physically progressing, but believe me when I say that I am probably the strongest person here, save for my brother." The baron laughed nervously, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"I was not implying that you were weak in the least, rather I was saying that there is enormous potential for you to become something of legends! Any sane man loves the land he was born in, and I am no exception! I simply desire that we have more wise men on the throne to improve upon you!"
"A great nation will not rely so heavily on its government to make it great, rather the people themselves will do that. I see that that is possibly what you are doing today, but instead of relying on your fellow Englishman to better this land, you are trusting in some future king that you hope to crown. I understand that a monarchy is something expected in us, but perhaps people that come from a specific area, much like I am the soul of the land of England, meet for matters."
"A council?" a man in the background asked.
"Perhaps, a Great Council. The Romans had a word; Parliamentum," another said. "They used it to describe something similar." I smiled as ideas were thrown across the heads of the different men. Perhaps something positive would come to me from this whole ordeal. Something that would actually help me.
1.) England's mother is Britannia. Britannia had in fact been under the Roman empire. If you remember in the anime, Rome was still alive well into the Renassaince, meaning that he would have been alive in 1099. I am just assuming that he lingered near his capital, teaching his two favorite grandsons about art.