"Japan! Where are you going!" Arthur yells, beginning to run out of energy and breath. Kiku briefly looks back, "The others! I don't care what you say, I know what I have seen!" Suddenly, Kiku accidentally stumbles and, unable to catch his balance, falls to the ground. "Are you alright?" Arthur pants, rushing over. Kiku slowly sits up and nods, then looks behind him at where he had tripped, "Something….grabbed my ankle….." Confused, Arthur looks around the ground but is unable to see anything, or anywhere something could have hid. "You must have just stepped wrong." The Japanese man growls and glares up at the other, "Stop telling me that! Just stop!" He then begins to reach for something in his pocket, but is stopped short by a nearby cry for help. "Germany!" Kiku instantly bolts up and runs for the room, followed soon after by an exhausted and rather surprised England.
"Mister Germany!" cries Kiku as he opens the door and goes in, but soon freezing. "I-is everything alright, Japan?" Arthur asks, hesitantly approaching. Kiku takes another slow step forward, "I-I'm too late…." He whispers, then sinks to the ground. Arthur slowly looks in and his eyes widen. "How…How could this of happened? Who could have done it?" Kiku growls again and looks back at Arthur, "I…told….you…..who…." he says. The Englishman frowns and crosses his arms, stepping closer, "I doubt you're right….But we need to find and help Germany…He appears to be missing. And….why are you acting like this?" Kiku slowly stands up, not looking back to the other just yet, "I'm fine….."
The two walk further in and Arthur glances around the scene, searching for any clues to work from. "There's more writing….It's sort of like what I found in the Piano Room." Kiku turned around, "A German Soldier who stood like stone, bowed to the water and was washed away by the tide, A beloved meal to a Fish!" Arthur thought about it for a second before speaking, "You don't suppose this is a clue as to where Ludwig is, do you?" Kiku nodded, "That is exactly what I believe….So the question is, where did he get washed away to? And the last part…I am fearful of my assumption as to what it means…But we have to hurry and find him! Where do you suppose he could have been taken?" Arthur looked around before smiling, "How about a well? It says, 'bowed to the water,' so perhaps he went to the well outside to check it out. Didn't he say he was curious about the noises he had heard earlier when we had first arrived. So I believe we should check there for any more clues."
Kiku nodded, "Yes. Now, let's hurry there…" The two hurried out of the room and down the stairs to the main floor then outside. "What was that?" Arthur suddenly said, stopping abruptly a meter away from the well. Kiku stopped as well and glanced around, "What do you mean?" The Englishman shivered and grew pale, "Something feels wrong….I can't sense anything…." Kiku tilted his head, "Sense?" Arthur nodded, "Usually I am able to sense my own magic and the life of everyone around me…but this isn't right….This area is dead, I can't even sense my magic or my life strength, nor yours. Be careful….I'm not sure what to expect of this…." Kiku nodded and hesitantly approached the well. From the well, strange noises could be heard, almost like…crying and moaning. "I don't recall these sounds, I thought we only heard water earlier today?" Arthur nodded in agreement and came over as well, peeping into the well, "Very strange….I don't see any way of getting down there though…..Maybe it's Germany!" Kiku sighed, "If you just figured that out, then you really must be America's brother…." Arthur glared behind him at Kiku, "No….Let's find a rope!"
The Japanese male shook his head and watched as the other hurried to go find a rope. "Hmm…..Mister Germany!" Sounds from the well turned into a low growl and then a scream before the sound of something running off. Kiku frowned and glanced around before noticing a small marker labeled with Japanese. He walked over and picked up what appeared to be a branch, and ended up lifting a hidden door to a stairway. "Baka…."

Arthur had finally found the rope and came running back, "I got rope!" he announced, waving the object around. By now, the noises had apparently disappeared and so had Japan, "Japan? Where are you? Hey Japan! I got rope! We can be like spies, you know, double o ninja! Japan….Japaaaaan, where are you?" He glanced around before frowning, "What if I imagined this all? Maybe it was the rum I had earlier….oh well!...hmmm…..What is this?" He noticed a small note on the well and hesitantly picked it up, somewhat nervous to see what it said, and read it, "I thank you for having saved my life and staying by my side despite your misunderstanding…..However, I must now ask you to return to the mansion and make sure everyone else escapes…..I pray you to listen, but please, don't let Italy hurt the others…..I know where to search, but I do not desire to risk your life as well as mine. If this is the last time I am able to speak to you, then I would like to say thank you for being a friend. I had wished for us all to be friends….some things are impossible…But perhaps I shall be able to be in everyone's presence in the future…." At the bottom of the note, a quickly and barely readable name had been signed, 'Honda Kiku'. Arthur blinked a few times at the informal name and frowned, "I can't let the idiot do this alone. I won't allow him to waste my magic!"
Arthur glanced around, frowning a little more, "Still….maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to have help…..Bloody hell….I suppose I might as well get that git's help…" He turned to look back at the mansion and was fairly surprised to see someone standing in a nearby doorway. Arthur gasped in surprise and pressed himself against the well, hoping the silhouette wasn't that of Feliciano's. "Yo! Britain! What are you doing!" a familiar, and obnoxious, voice yelled out. Arthur sighed and replied, "Well I say! Haven't you heard of knocking!" he laughed slightly. The silhouette stepped out into the moonlight, holding what appeared to be a lamp and also a gun in the other hand. Arthur chuckled softly, "Typical American."
Alfred grinned and waved the gun in the air, "I got a lamp!" he declared and ran over to the Englishman, nearly tripping in the process. "So! What were you doing?" the American inquired. Arthur sighed and handed Kiku's note to the other, "This….It's hard to explain to you at the moment since Kiku knows the most, but I will try to explain." Alfred took the note and quickly skimmed it's contents, his face changing to a more grim appearance, "He wrote this? Do explain then, bro." Arthur nodded and turned to the well, sighing, "Earlier, I found Kiku dead in one of the upstairs rooms. In reaction to this, I decided to use my magic to revive and heal him. Upon his revival, he seemed to be distressed over a matter, which he revealed to me as that he had been killed by Italy. According to him, Italy has become distrustful and murderous. Not long after he explained, Germany screamed and we had went to check it out, only to find him missing. Using a clue left behind, we came here to search. I then thought to use a rope to descend into the well, but when I came back, Kiku had gone missing, and in his place was the note…." He explained.
Alfred frowned a little and looked at the well, "Do you know how deep it is?" Alfred asked, peeping into the darkness. Arthur shook his head, "We, well…I, didn't think to check." The American nodded and picked up a small pebble and tossed it into the well. The two listened closely and after a few seconds, heard it clatter against stone, but also listened as something else seemed to scurry away, both noting it wasn't quite a small something. "And you're sure you didn't check everywhere?" Arthur nodded and turned away from the well, "I'm sure." Alfred sighed and turned away from the well as well, "Then I'm not sure how we should continue, dude…hmm?" Arthur turned to look at the American, "What is it?" he asked. Alfred stepped away and approached a small sign sticking out of the sign, covered in unfamiliar symbols, "This….doesn't the symbols look like those ones that Japan writes in?" Arthur walked over to the sign and kneeled down, looking over the peculiar writing, "It does seem so…." He said, standing up. "But I can't read it…."
Alfred shook his head and glanced around the area some more, holding his gun a little tighter than before, "It may be a clue…" Arthur nodded, "Perhaps so….but I'm not sure it's of much use to us since we are unable to read it….." he sighed. Alfred ignored him and walked over a rather peculiar tree nearby and noticed a broken branch on the ground, "Hey, Britain, what's this?" Arthur looked up from the ground and over at the American, "A tree, you git." Alfred shook his head, "I know that, but this branch….it seems a little heavier than it should." Arthur blinked and came over, now curious about the finding. Alfred stepped to the side for the other to inspect. Arthur looked over it, "It appears to be like the other ones…" Alfred nodded, "But try to lift it." The Englishman looked over at the other, then back to the branch. "If you say so." He grabbed the branch and began to pull on it, surprised to find it impossible for him to move. "How peculiar…." He muttered. Alfred nodded, "It is….but look, beneath it, there seem to be scratch marks in the dirt." Arthur looked at them and nodded, "Maybe Japan tried to lift it using his sword."
Alfred nodded and walked behind the branch and grabbed it, "Alright, time to stop messing around!" Arthur blinked and moved to the side, shaking his head, "You're not going to try lifting it are you?" The American grinned and nodded, "Yeah!" With a deep breath, he began to pull on it, and, to the Arthur's surprise, began to lift it. As it was being lifted, a breaking sound could be heard, and the further it was lifted, a hole in the ground was revealed and so was what appeared to be something mechanical having held the branch to the ground before. After the American had lifted it, he easily tossed it to the side and brushed his hands on his shirt, "So this must have been how Japan disappeared… Perhaps, he used his sword to unlock the mechanism." Arthur looked at the younger nation, rather surprised by both how he had lifted the branch and his sudden intelligence. "Yeah…Well, I suppose we have to go search for him before he gets into trouble…" Alfred nodded, "Yeah, lets…go…"

I bite my lip and quickly move to the side of the wall, listening as a hidden thing approaches. I hold my breath and listen as the sound comes closer, soon resembling that of a snake slithering down the hall, and, ever so slightly, I feel the hot breath of something as it searches blindly for me. I clench my eyes shut and pray to the ancestors before me, praying I can find Germany before this thing has the opportunity to. After an eternity, I listen as the quiet and eerie slithering continues away from me and further into the direction I had come from. Hopefully Britain took note of my warning…..I pray he did…..Up ahead, I can hear someone cursing in German and quietly treading along the cobblestone ground, pursuing forward. A small smile of relief crosses my face and I begin to rush forward into the darkness, being careful to be as silent as possible though. Finally, I spot the soft glow of a lantern and a familiar white-haired man trekking further away. I send a prayer back up to the ancestors and run to greet my friend, feeling a sense of relief flooding me. As I get closer, a sound of a stone hitting the ground near me, surprises me and I stop. Next to me is a pebble which shouldn't be there. Up ahead, my friend comes to a halt and begins to turn; I then feel the urge to let them know it is only me, so I call out my reassurance.
The figure appears to have an inhumanly possible grin and I soon see the rest of the face. Instead of that of my friend's, I see that the visage is instead one of a ghostly white with terribly sunken pits of blackness for the eyes and the wide grin. I gasp in surprise and begin to stumble backwards away from the approaching thing wearing the uniform of the Prussian I call my friend. Behind me, I suddenly hear another sound that causes my heart to sink. I close my eyes, feeling tears pooling at the edge, and I quietly pray that Britain and the others don't pursue my location. Around me, the walls seem to convulse as if they were breathing and the corridor seems to lengthen further and further, but the creature imitating my friend only grows closer and so does the cursed breathing and slithering. I slowly slide to my knees and close my eyes, whispering an apology to my closest friends for failing them, and an apology to Italy. I soon feel breathing against the side of my face and, fearfully, I open an eye to see the severed and bloody head of Britain grinning at me, his eyes sunken and gleaming like that of a doll's but at the same time just as empty. I gasp and the tears begin to rush down my face as my world fades to black and a terrible pain cuts across my body.…..I'm….sorry…my friends…..This is how it must end….