Chapter, Chapter, it's time for another chapter~!
Warning: There's like, one swear word… But I think that's it. Hey, I rated it T. That's why. :I
IF I GET SUED FOR THIS, I SWEAR. No, I don't own Hetalia. GOSH. Put down the lawyers!
Addressing a review or two:
Amelia L. Jones- F-F-fan art? You actually drew them? ;A; YOUBESOCOOLYOUDON'TEVENKNOW. I'm flattered! I would really love to see how you pictured them, I can see, yes? /grabby hands/ If you put them online pwease send me the link! /puffy heart/
Now, on with the show!
My perfectly rational scream was cut off by the bespeckled man's large, calloused hand abruptly meeting my mouth.
"Shh! Don't scream! Someone might-" his harsh whisper was cut off by a loud thumping down the hallway. Alfred quickly pulled me off of the bed as he ducked underneath it, shielding himself from whoever was coming with my blanket that had created a fort-like tent when he pulled me. Before I could say anything, my door flew open.
"Arthur! Are you okay?" My mother asked, clearly having bolted out of bed as soon as I had yelled. I looked up sheepishly at her.
"Tell her you fell out of bed!" Alfred whispered harshly.
"I-I just fell out of bed, it surprised me a bit. I am perfectly fine, no need to worry mother." I don't exactly know why I was lying for this strange man who had broken into my room, but the lie was out, and my mother seemed satisfied with the answer.
"Oh, well, just so long as you aren't hurt…" she smiled and closed the door behind her with a "Sleep well." I let out a breath that I didn't know I had been holding.
"Why in the world did I just cover for you?" I asked, turning to the man that was trying to get out from underneath my bed. He looked at me, flashing a megawatt grin.
"Because I'm awesome and I told you to!" I sighed, and sat on my bed, closing my eyes.
"I must be losing my mind… No, I'm still dreaming. That's it. When I open my eyes, He'll be gone…" I slowly opened my eyes, only to be greeted with a very curious look from Alfred F. Jones. He was still there. It wasn't a dream.
"I know, I'm way too handsome and heroic to be real, but I am," Alfred said, smiling smugly. Never in my life have I felt like hitting someone more.
"Well, explain. Why are you in my bedroom?" I asked my head in my hands.
"It's your fault for waking up! I could only communicate with you when you were asleep, and apparently because you didn't fight me, I got out of Kingsland with you… Which… Oh my god! I'm out!" He cheered happily, pulling me into a bear hug.
"Let me go this instant! And what do you mean 'you're out'? So all that talk about you being trapped there was true?" I asked, disbelievingly as he let me go.
"Well, duh. A hero wouldn't lie about something like that!" he smiled and I sighed, again.
"Lovely, you have a hero complex… Anyway, your explanations are frighteningly undetailed and I don't understand any of them. Isn't there anyone who can-"
"Arthur! What's going on? It's not like you to just hang up on me! " Anatolia chimed in from my window. One thing about Anatolia is she would often just randomly show up at my window ever since she learned how to climb up to the second story by way of the tree outside of my window. She lived a few houses down, so this happened quite often and most often in the middle of the night. She had scared me more times than I care to count. Just like how she did at that moment.
"Anatolia!" I whispered harshly at her after jumping, "What did I tell you about barging in? At least knock on the window!" She was about to respond, when her face paled.
"I was never here. You never saw me. I am a figment of your imagination." She responded, slowly sliding down from the window sill.
"What the-" Alfred bolted across the room to my window and snatched Anatolia up by the back of her shirt.
"Not so fast, get back here you," he said, pulling her up and through the window.
"Sir of whom I totally don't know. I believe you are invading my personal bubble and that you should let me go as soon as possible…" Anatolia said sheepishly, trying to hide her face from Alfred's menacing glare.
"I'm not that stupid Ant. You're just going to run away if I do, I know you, and I'm not letting go," he hissed at her, never releasing the hold he had on the back of her shirt.
"I will have you know sir that we are in America, land of the free, home of the brave, and place where Kentucky Fried Chicken was born. I don't have to answer to you, because I have rights and those rights entitle that I have the right to remain silent!" she said indignantly. Though her statement made no sense in light of the conversation the two of them were engaged in.
"Wait, we're in America? No way! I'm back ho-"
"Will someone please tell me what the bloody fuck is going on?" I almost yelled, remembering that my mother was only a few rooms over. Both of them turned to me.
"Well Artie, you wanted a better explanation? Just ask her, she'll give you the best explanation you've ever heard. Tell him exactly what's going on, Instruction." Anatolia flinched as Alfred hissed out the word "instruction".
"Anatolia, what is he talking about?" I hardened my gaze as she smiled guiltily.
"Well, it's a long story, a good one too! B-but I'm sure you don't want to-"
"Talk," Alfred and I demanded simultaneously. She sighed.
"Fine, but not here. Arthur, can you leave for a few hours, or will Diana be upset?" she asked. I shook my head.
"It is almost four in the morning and she has already gotten up once. We have at least three more hours until she gets up again." I explained, pulling on a sweatshirt. Anatolia nodded and turned to Alfred.
"Get back in there," She demanded, picking up the card I had found the day previous. I noticed that the image of the man had vanished.
"No way! I just got out of my battlefield, why would I want to go back in?" he scowled, crossing his arms in defiance.
"Because you've already ruined everything, and I don't want to have to have your chatter on the way to where we're going. So, get. In." Anatolia explained, her face was terrifyingly serious, another first for her. I needed explanations, and soon.
"Fine, fine. Cripes, I'm going! Will you at least have Artie let me out when you get there?" he asked, adjusting his goggles. She contemplated this momentarily.
"We'll see." Alfred made a noise of protest, "Now, Arthur, be a dear and say, 'Joker, return from whence you came'." I eyed her suspiciously.
"Joker, return from whence you came? What in the world will that-" A sudden flash exploded from where Alfred had been standing, and he was gone. My eyes grew to the size of saucers.
"Wha- Wha- Where did he go?" I questioned. Ant just looked at the card in her hand.
"Oh, don't be a baby Alfred, It's your fault. Stop pouting," I looked over her shoulder at the card. Sure enough, the picture had returned, but the man no longer looked cool and dangerous. He was now pouting, his arms crossed and his bottom lip sticking out. I gaped openly, Anatolia handed me the card.
"Keep this in your pocket, let's go!" she cheered, swinging out of my window onto the tree. I sighed and put the card in one of the leg pockets of my swim trunks.
~.::.~
I wondered where we were going as Anatolia danced down the sidewalk, humming some obscure song that I didn't know the name of. I soon found out as she turned into the children's park. She jumped up onto a light post and swung around the pole.
"Because you're bringin' me in and then you're kickin' me out again~!" She yelled out the last bit of the song she was humming, not in tune, mind you. I sat down on one of the swings.
"Alright, now talk Anatolia. What on Earth is going on?" She sighed and sat down with me.
"Arthur, you know how you were adopted?" she began to swing.
"Yes, all of my brothers were adopted. Why, you aren't going to tell me you're my real mother, are you?" I asked, beginning to swing myself.
"No… Though, if I was I would be damn good looking for my age." She smiled her toothy smile at me, the one that she used when she thought she had made a particularly funny joke. Though the jokes weren't all that funny usually. "But, anyway. Do you remember anything before that? Anything before you were ten?" I frowned.
"No, you know I can't. That psychiatrist I went to for a few years even said that it was because I must have gone through a traumatic experience when I was younger." She knew this; Anatolia had the bad habit of listening in on private conversations. She had a field day when she found out I was going to a psychiatrist.
"Well, the experience could be considered traumatic I guess. But, really the reason why you can't remember anything is because when we came here, you weren't ready for the aftershock. You had never been to the mortal world before. You liked it in Kingsland for a time, until the Four Kings changed the rules… But I'm getting ahead of myself…" I stared at her, nothing made sense at all! Had everyone decided to just go completely crazy on me? She glanced at me, her expression serious.
"Arthur Kirkland, you are the Red Joker, expert in combative arts and magic. You resided in a place called Kingsland, a world where everything is ruled by the Four Kings of Suits. Your battlefield is called Britanya after the place you were originally born. You are the King's secret weapon against Players, and the Card Faces' only hope in obtaining their freedom from that world. I know you think I'm joking, but I'm not. I'm just stating facts. It's what I was created to do, and now I'll tell you anything you want to know. Hit me with your first question. It will all become clearer." Anatolia had stopped swinging, and my mind raced.
A/N: If this chapter sucks, blame the kickass head cold I got! :D You know you're all jealous, you wish you couldn't breathe like me. :I AAAAnyway. Sorry there was more Anatolia than Alfred, I promise He'll come back soon! Expect next chapter to be lots of explanations. I wanted to include the Q/A in this chapter, but there's lot that I still need to figure out about Arthur's backstory and stuff. But, I'll figure it out and hopefully you'll like the outcome. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, drop me a review some time if you aren't too busy!
Laters!