Prussia came up with a wild explanation as to why they were allowing the "commoners" into the palace. Germany would rather not repeat it. Even the poor servants and guards looked mentally scarred. The five planned to come back here, ask around for basic provisions, as well as directions to Rugaska, and then head out right away to save time. They didn't necessarily want to find themselves in the middle of the road when night fell.
However, all Germany wanted to do once he was inside the castle was to take this ridiculous clothing off. He was sweating under the thick red cloak, the tights seemed to be getting tighter and tighter, the shoes were hurting his feet, and the crown kept slipping over his forehead and into his eyes. Daisy also complained about her attire, saying that she couldn't walk two steps without tripping over the hem of her dress.
However, Prussia insisted that if they take off these clothes and change into peasant's clothes, the guards at Rugaska may not permit them to see Ivan. To Germany's disappointment, he realized that his brother had a point.
"Ve, there is no way I am walking all the way to a different empire in this shit!" Daisy pressed, glaring at the smirking albino as she pulled at her hair.
Katarina smirked at her sister, apparently enjoying watching her sister complain about her royalty clothing. Germany had to admit that even though it looked unpleasant, both the peasant clothing still looked a lot more comfortable.
"Aren't there other clothes around here? Kings and queens must travel sometimes, don't they? There isn't any transportation in this world so people travel by foot here. There's no possible way that the kings or queens would walk far distances in that," Spain reasoned, frowning at Prussia's clothing.
"Kesesese, you guys are a bunch of un-awesome crybabies! If it matters so much to you, I'll go ask the servants for some damn royal travel clothes or something," Prussia remarked, crossing his arms.
"Then go now. We need to hurry," Germany persisted.
"Yeah. Move your ass, potato bastard," Katarina spat at Prussia impatiently.
He glared at her. "There's a reason I never liked Romano…"
"Hey, hey! Don't insult Lovi or 'Tarina!"
"Shit! Don't call me that!"
"Ahhhh, boss Spain knows you like it..."
"Ughhhh!"
Germany found his irritation flaring up once again. They weren't going to get anywhere if everyone kept this up. Then again, he should've expected as much. His company did consist of both Italys (sort of), Spain, and his idiot brother.
"We have to get going! Mein Gott! I'm surrounded by children!" Germany snapped. He glared at his brother, who raised his hands up in mock surrender.
"Okay, okay west! Jeez! Stop murdering me with your eyes. I'm going!" Prussia said before turning around and exiting the room.
Germany's eyes subconsciously flittered to Daisy, who gave him a tender smile before she reached out and grasped his hand again.
"Ve, calm down Ludwig. It's going to be alright. I promise," she said. Germany's stomach started to flutter once again and he felt his face heat up once again before he quickly looked away from her face and down at her feet.
"U-um…" he choked.
Katarina scoffed. "Disgusting," she spat, regarding both her sister and Germany.
Spain smirked before opening his mouth, but Germany shot the nation a warning glance. Spain closed his mouth, but his eyes were still twinkling as he looked down at the intertwined hands.
After a while, Prussia finally returned with two servants, whose hands were filled with clothes.
Germany slyly slipped his hand out of Daisy's grasp.
"Apparently, there are some awesome travel clothes for royalty around here," Prussia remarked.
The two servants were both small girls, their arms overflowing with clothing. They avoided everyone's eyes by looking down in what looked like embarrassed modesty. Germany immediately felt a twinge of pity for them. He didn't necessarily like this whole servant business…
The servants started with Daisy first, ushering her into the large room opposite them before closing it. After a few minutes, she came back out with a smile on her face. She definitely looked relieved to be out of her other clothing.
She now wore a silky red top, delicately embroidered with the shining crest of a lion. She wore loose pants that flowed down before tightening at her ankles and her hair was tied up in a bun, a few curls falling around her face. Around her hips was a jeweled belt with a hilt, where a long sword was safely attached.
Germany's mouth dropped open at the sight of her. If it was possible, she looked even more beautiful like this than in her formal queen's clothing. Germany didn't know how to describe it…but she seemed more…in character. There was a fire in her eyes and she walked toward them with more grace and confidence.
Germany went next into the room, and then Prussia. Their heavy capes were replaced with light, but hard chain mails that draped down their chests. Their tights were shed for loose trousers as well. The servants equipped them with swords and their ridiculous shoes were replaced with comfortable tall boots. They were definitely not the military boots that Germany was accustomed to, but they were still strong and comfortable.
"Dammit, those other shoes were badass," Prussia remarked, much to Germany's annoyance.
Once they were done being equipped, Germany asked the one of the servant girls with the gentlest voice that he could manage, "Our two other friends are unequipped. Is it possible if you can bring some weapons here for them to choose? I'm talking about the two…er…commoners."
Based on the girl's facial expression, Germany hadn't succeeded in sounding gentle. Nevertheless, she nodded fervently and ran off.
Germany exited the room and informed both Spain and Katarina that they were being brought some weapons.
"Alright! Thanks, Germany!" Spain remarked with a huge smile. Katarina just huffed and glared down at her feet. The blonde nation frowned at her in annoyance. She may be his counterpart, but she was exactly like Romano. At least Daisy displayed some unique traits from her male counterpart.
Like the fact that she is extremely strong and willing to fight.
The servant girls returned this time with a huge red bag full of weapons, both of them struggling under the weight as they carried it as delicately as they could. They laid it down in front of them, undid the bindings and stepped aside.
Spain immediately dove into the bag, tossing aside various daggers, swords, and other contraptions.
"Ahhh, dammit you tomato bastard! Watch where you're throwing this shit! You almost impaled me!" Katarina growled angrily. However, her eye caught a gleaming silver sword at her feet. She bent down and picked it up by the handle.
"Ah-hah!" Spain announced in a boisterous way as he swung a huge axe.
Germany and Daisy both stumbled back out of instinct.
"Jeez, Spain. You're going to kill someone!" exclaimed Prussia, glaring at his friend.
Spain just gave a chuckle as he gazed at the sharp blade of the axe in a strange admiration. He sighed slightly and said, "Hmmm…Reminds me of my pirate days…"
"Um…didn't you use a sword all the time?" Prussia asked.
Spain just laughed at his face in response. "You're funny, Prussia."
The albino nation looked genuinely confused.
"Ve, now that we've gotten our weapons, we need to…uh…what do we do?" Daisy asked, crinkling her eyebrows.
"First, we have to inform the guards that we are departing. According to Prussia, this place is pretty restrictive, so we have to make a special request for no soldier accompaniment. I don't believe we'll need food, as Rugaska is supposedly close and we're supposed to get there before nightfall. But water…" Germany said in his authoritative voice.
"There's no need for that. There is a very clean river that flows through each empire. We'll be following its path to Rugaska. Many travelers use it as a drinking source," Spain remarked, still gazing at his axe. Katarina was glaring at him, her fingers wrapped around her sword.
"Let's go then!" Prussia exclaimed.
Prussia managed to notify the guards and other members of the castle that they would be leaving for a while and that a messenger ought to spread the news to the rest of the empire. Although many insisted that they bring soldiers, especially when entering such an authoritative and cold kingdom such as Rugaska, Prussia stated that they would be traveling alone.
After a few more moments of talking, a group of armor clad men pushed the huge throne room doors open for them. Daisy huffed and Germany couldn't help but smile at the thought that this girl easily pushed those doors open herself.
The two kings and queen, plus Spain and Katarina all walked out of the doors and into the bright sunlight once again. To Germany's amazement, the path was lined with many locals, all whom were waving goodbye to them and bowing in respect.
That must've been a very fast messenger….Hmmm…
He wondered how the communication system worked in this universe…
Germany found himself awkwardly nodding to acknowledge individuals. Daisy was smiling brightly as she waved at everyone easily. Prussia walked authoritatively with that smirk on his face, puffing out his chest, and winking at some awestruck girls. Both Spain and Katarina looked out of place as they walked closely behind the three royal officials, both of them standing close to each other.
Both of them clutched each other's hand out of instinct.
Finally, they found the crowds growing thinner and thinner until they reached the wide open gates. Once they exited, Prussia turned around to give one last wave. Finally, they were on their way.
"Ahh, finally we're making some progress!" Spain exclaimed, marching ahead of the crowd, dragging a flustered and red faced Katarina with him.
"Argghhh, let go of my hand, idiot!" she snapped.
He ignored her, keeping his fingers intertwined with hers. She let out a frustrated breath, but she didn't say anything, keeping her hand in his, her cheeks still bright red.
"And I see the river!" Prussia remarked, pointing ahead to a flowing river that sliced through the grassy earth. The sound of rushing water was melodic and Germany found that it actually relaxed his high strung nerves. The group walked up to it and then started to walk along its trail, letting Spain lead the way. The river gurgled and splashed its way onward in a swift motion. The water was clear and crystalline as it glittered under the bright sun.
"So which villages will we run into along the way?" Germany asked.
"If I remember correctly, we should hit Akreeka first and then pass through Malik shortly afterwards. We won't have time to stop for food, but we might be able to grab something on the way if it's really necessary. We might run into some other nations if we're lucky," Spain answered, looking at Germany over his shoulder, smiling. Germany realized that both Katarina and Spain were walking very closely to each other, their hands still intertwined gently….
Germany found himself feeling awkward as he glanced to his side down at Daisy, whose glittering eyes were set forward, a determined look on her face. He found himself smiling in despite of himself again.
Ack! This is NOT the time for your hormones to actually start functioning!
The nations walked on for a while in peace. Germany tuned out Spain's constant babble, Prussia's self declaration of his "awesomeness," and Katarina's angry insults. He started to think about Italy. His Italy. Veneziano…Feliciano.
Where the hell was he? And why was Germany still getting this awful feeling about it all? What if he's hurt?
Germany's frown deepened. He's not there to save him if he's hurt. The blonde nation found that his panic level was starting to peak again. He took a deep breath and bit his lip.
"Ve, Ludwig. You look worried," Daisy remarked. She frowned up at him, her curls bouncing as she walked, her brown eyes soft as she gazed up at his face.
Germany grunted, quickly looking away. "I'm…fine. Just worrying again."
She sighed. "I understand. But, it's like I said. We'll find them."
They both silent once again.
"I really hope that Louise is alright," she finally spoke. Germany was alarmed by the tone of her voice. He quickly looked down at her to see that her face had crumpled. Her lip was trembling slightly and her eyes were moist.
Shit.
He prayed that she wouldn't start crying.
Thankfully, she quickly wiped her tears away and gave herself a little shake, forcing herself to smile.
"Ve, I'm just overreacting. S-She's f-fine," she stated, more to herself than anything. Yet, she didn't look convinced.
Something seemed to pull slightly at Germany's heart. Without realizing it, he found that he had reached out and grasped her hand this time…for once.
She gasped in surprise before looking up at him. He smiled embarrassedly at her, feeling his face heat up at his actions, but he knew it was the right decision, for she started to smile as well…truly smile.
It was a smile that he's seen many times before…on Feliciano's face…
He'll be alright. He's fine. Daisy's right.
"I-It's…um…" he stuttered.
"Hmmm?" she looked back at him with wide eyes. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He immediately wished that he hadn't spoken.
With a sigh, he finished his thoughts.
"It's…nice to h-have someone s-so grounded. It's…a bit strange for me, you know…to have an Italy b-by my side who isn't crying or clinging to my shirt or raising the w-white flag…"
And it was true. He didn't know much about these counterparts, but he was still surprised by how different Daisy was from Feliciano. They definitely had strikingly similar qualities, but…compared to how similar Katarina and Lovino were, Feli and Daisy were like…polar opposites.
Germany found that he genuinely…liked Daisy. A lot.
But…
Daisy sighed before asking gently, "What's he really like? My counterpart I mean?"
He looked forward, his hand tingling from her touch. "Well…he's very emotional. He cries a lot. He's really fast, but he hates training. He runs away whenever there's danger and he always gets in these hopeless situations and I always have to save his ass. He takes a lot of siestas and flirts with women whenever he has the chance. He's always hungry and absolutely loves pasta and pizza…and…and…he's always smiling…"
Daisy frowned slightly before saying, "Hmm…he sort of sounds…um…er…"
"Like a complete dummkopf? Ja, I know," he stated, a small smile forming on his lips.
"But…you miss him, don't you? You'll do anything to get him back, won't you? He's your best friend…" she remarked softly.
Germany closed his eyes, feeling as if someone was twisting his heart with bare hands. He breathed out shakily and answered…
"I'll do anything."
Daisy nodded with a satisfied smile. "Of course you would. You're exactly like Louise. To the point it's scary."
She gave a small laugh. "I piss her off all the time. Her face is so funny when she yells at me. Sometimes she's kind of scary though. She's really strong and she's always serious…but I'm the only one who knows how to break her down. She's my complete opposite."
Germany's interest spiked. "Louise…Beilschmidt? She's my counterpart, right?"
Daisy nodded with a small chuckle. "Yes. As I mentioned before, she's my best friend. It's funny…you guys could be siblings. Of course, she's much smaller than you are and she's a girl…but otherwise you guys actually sort of look alike. You two have identical personalities. Hmmm…"
She bit her lip slightly in concentration. "I wonder what the other counterparts are I like…I mean. The ones I've seen so far are pretty much identical in personality. Gilbert acts exactly like Maria, Antonio and Isabel's personalities are also identical, and from what I've heard…apparently my sister's counterpart acts like her as well…"
Germany nodded fervently. "Yes. You're sister is exactly like her counterpart."
Daisy laughed, the corner of her eyes crinkling as she threw her head back.
"We're here!" exclaimed Spain, disrupting Germany and Daisy's conversation.
"Ack! Don't scream so fucking loud!" Katarina snapped…yet she didn't make any movement to remove her hand from Spain's.
"Kesese, finally!" Prussia exclaimed.
The group made their way to the village before them. Germany realized that it was nowhere near as busy or lively as the one back at his empire.
It was more…rural, if that was even possible. Thatched hut like houses lay here and there. People walked around in ragged brown clothing and straw hats, pulling on ropes that dragged squealing pigs. The outdoor market was stock full of produce and the bleating of sheep filled the air.
"Ve, this is Akreeka?" Daisy asked, a bit dumbfounded.
"It fucking smells like shit!" Katarina exclaimed.
"Ugh…totally un-awesome!" Prussia remarked.
Spain just kept smiling as he walked forward, dragging Katarina with him. The others followed close behind. They seemed to attract a lot of attention from the locals, especially Germany, Prussia, and Daisy. Their nice and fancy clothing proved to be a factor.
"It's a small village, so we'll just keep on going. They don't seem to recognize that you are royal officials, so I don't think we can get any produce without some form of currency…" Spain said, but he was interrupted by a tall man with tan skin, stringy black hair, thick arms, and black beady eyes.
He leered down at Katarina, his expression causing even Germany to bristle.
"Er…may I help you?" Spain asked, frowning.
The guy gave a dark laugh and inched closer to Katarina, who stared at him with an expression of horror. She slowly backed away.
"Hmmm…what a pretty girl. What is a pretty girl like you doing around here?" the guy asked in a thick sultry voice. He bent down to look at Katarina straight in the face.
Spain started to glare. His grasp on her hand tightened as he pushed her back slightly, standing in front of her.
"We were just passing. It's no concern to you," Spain snapped at the man.
"Awww, c'mon fella. She's such a fine piece of flesh ain't she? How much did you pay for her? I'll pay you twice that for just a night…" he leered, reaching out and stroking Katarina's hair.
"Ack! Don't fucking touch me, you stupid bastard!" she snapped, pulling away and standing behind Spain. She clutched on to his arm.
Spain's green eyes flashed dangerously and he brought up the axe threateningly.
"Don't you dare touch her, pendejo!" He growled.
The man laughed, his beady eyes narrowing dangerously. "Ahh, you want to play that way, pretty boy? Alright. Let's play!"
With a swift movement, the man withdrew a dagger from the side of his pocket and attempted to stab Spain in the chest. Spain dodged and grabbed the man's arm, twisting it at an odd angle, causing the man to howl in pain.
Germany, Daisy, and Prussia all took out their weapons. But the man was quick to recover. He jumped up with amazing speed and made a movement to pounce on Spain.
Before Germany, Daisy, or Prussia could react, Katarina jumped in front of Spain, withdrew her sword and plunged it right into the man's stomach.
A look of fiery rage coated her face, her eyes flashing dangerously and her cheeks a violent red. Her limbs were shaking as she withdrew her sword, which was now painted in blood.
The man crumpled on the ground, choking and coughing up blood.
"No one…and I mean NO ONE attempts lay a hand on my husband!" she hissed before spitting right at the man's face.
The four other nations stood there stunned, their mouths wide open in shock.
Spain's eyes were the widest of all. He stared at the back of Katarina's head.
"K-Katarina…" he choked out.
"MURDER! MURDERRRR!"
Fuck!
The nations looked up to realize that many people were now pointing at them and yelling at the top of their lungs.
"SEIZE THEM!" Someone yelled.
"V-Ve, Ludwig…" Daisy whimpered.
"Ummm…shit…I think we should…" Prussia started.
"RUN!" Katarina screamed. She grabbed Spain's hand and shot forward, dragging the still stunned nation with her. Prussia, Germany, and Daisy took off after them, running as fast as they could.
The people started to chase after them, abandoning their posts and plunging pitchforks and other crude looking weapons in the air.
Mein Gott! I can't believe I'm being chased by an angry mob….
Germany increased his speed, grabbing Daisy's hand so that she wouldn't fall behind. He caught up with Prussia, who yelled out, "AHHHHH! THIS IS SOOO NOT AWESOME!"
Germany looked over his shoulder to see that the angry crowd was advancing, their rabid faces now so close…calling for blood…
What the hell was wrong with this village?
The nations made a sharp turn left and squeezed themselves into a crevice in between two buildings.
"Ack! You're stepping on my foot!"
"Shut up, you bastard!"
"V-Ve…'Tarina…"
"This sucks!"
The angry crowd charged past their hiding spot, their jeers slowly fading away as they kept moving forward.
They all gave a sigh of relief.
"Fuck! We have to leave, now!" Prussia hissed, his face displaying anger.
"Yeah, but we can't risk going out there now! These people are crazy!" Germany stated.
Spain didn't say anything.
"Right, so now what are going to do?" Daisy asked.
However, before anyone could answer...they heard something.
"Psssstt!"
They all shut their mouths.
"D-Did you hear something?" Germany asked.
"Over here! Pssstt! PSSSTTTT!"
The nations looked around frantically, but then Daisy's eyes landed on the small house opposite from their hiding spot. The door was cracked open and a young man was poking his head out. His eyes were on them and he was motioning for them to go over there.
"Ve, over there!" Daisy exclaimed in a whisper, pointing over to the man.
Prussia and Spain looked over to where the Italian was motioning and their eyes widened.
"Dude, hurry up! They'll circle around any second!"
"A-America?" Germany choked out.
It was indeed America. His sandy blonde hair was unmistakable and his sparkling cerulean eyes popped out. The only thing missing were his glasses.
The nations hurried over to the house. America held the door open for them. They all clambered inside before the man shut the door behind him and locked it.
America turned around to face the other dumbstruck nations.
"Hey guys! I'm so glad I saved you guys! I am the hero after all!" He burst out, smiling at all of them.
"America…I-I…" Germany choked out, still lost for words.
"Just be glad I saved your sorry asses."
Daisy examined Emily Jones's counterpart. She had a strange desire to laugh. He may look a lot different from Emily, but they sure as hell acted the same and had that same smile. He was really tall and he had broad shoulders. He had sandy blonde hair with a stray piece of hair that stuck up near his forehead. His smile was boyish and he had bright sparkling eyes that suggested youth and oblivion.
Germany spoke again. "America…what's happened to you so far? Why are you here? Have you seen any of the others? What…"
"Dude, calm your shit," America answered with a look of annoyance on his face. Germany felt irritation flare up within him.
"How can I just be calm when…" he growled.
However, America ignored him. His eyes first landed on Katarina, and then on Daisy.
He smiled. "So, both the Italys have been replaced by their counterparts as well?"
"H-How do you know about the counterparts?" Prussia spluttered.
America shrugged, a grim look shadowing his face. "I've suspected for a while that all the nations have opposite gender counterparts. After all, I've already met mine."
"W-What? H-How?"
"It was a long time ago. During the civil war. Her name was Emily F. Jones and she led the confederacy. That bitch was a piece of work," he said, frowning, a haunted look shadowing his face.
Daisy and Katarina looked at each other in shock. They both never really paid attention to America during the civil war and they never asked Emily about it. But…now it all makes sense…
"Oh," Germany answered, his mind racing.
Suddenly, there was a sound from another room…it sounded like a crashing plate.
Then a tentative shy voice…
"Um…E-England? I don't think you s-should be cooking…"
"Bloody hell, Canada! My cooking is amazing so shut up you snot-nosed twit!"
Another crash, and then a yell.
"Ahhhhh….Englaannndd…."
"It's just a small fire! Calm down!"
"You're making it worse!"
Another crash.
Both voices were female. Germany assumed that both England and Canada must've been replaced with their female counterparts as well.
America's face paled. "Shit. She's cooking again. She's just as bad as Arthur…"
Daisy's eyes were wide. "It's Alice and Meg!" she exclaimed before she broke away from Germany and bolted toward the other room.
"D-Daisy…" Germany choked out.
The other nations followed her into the other room and Germany immediately coughed as the smoke surrounded him.
"Hold on…I almost got it…out…" choked female England. Germany could barely make out her figure in the thick smoke. He did however see orange flames.
America groaned. "Fucking hell, Alice! I already told you that you aren't allowed in the kitchen! Jesus!"
"Shut up you stupid git! You can't control me! My cooking is bloody exceptional!" she snapped back.
With a hiss, the fire was finally put out as someone doused the flames with water. America quickly ran to the windows and opened all of them. The smoke started to trail out.
"Meg, I almost had it out! There was no need to intervene!" Female England, or Alice, snapped.
"B-But…"
"Just get out of the kitchen. We'll worry about the damage later," America said with a sigh. Germany was surprised to hear that he actually sounded like the responsible one here.
They all clambered out of the kitchen and back into the small dingy living room. Germany regarded the female versions of both England and Canada.
Even though they didn't necessarily look like their counterparts, Germany was able to tell who was who just by their facial expressions. England's counterpart had long straight brown hair that was pulled into two pigtails. She wore dull brown ragged clothes similar to both Spain and Katarina and soot smeared her pale face. Her green eyes were flashing dangerously. If it weren't for her snobbish expression, she'd be quite pretty.
Canada's counterpart was very small, quite a bit shorter than England's counterpart. Her hair was a sandy blonde similar to America's and it was also pulled into pigtails, but they were shorter and curly. She had a shy expression on her face with big blue eyes. She was also covered in soot. Germany could immediately tell that like her counterpart, she was probably one that would fade into the background.
England's counterpart looked at the other nations in the room with eyes of disdain. "What the bloody hell is this?" She snapped, glaring at everyone.
"Ve, Alice…" Daisy started cautiously.
"Daisy? K-Katarina? B-But who…" Alice stuttered.
But Prussia interrupted her. He smirked at both the girls and said, "Let's start with introductions shall we? I'm the awesome Prussia, but you can call me, Gilbert Beilschmidt."
Alice opened her mouth, but then closed it.
Spain smiled gently, but his eyes seemed to narrow at England's counterpart. "Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, Spain."
Alice glared at him, her mouth curling into a snarl. Germany resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Regardless of gender, England and Spain still hate each other.
"Um…Ludwig Beilschmidt…Germany," Germany grunted, feeling extremely awkward again. How many damn introductions would he have to make?
"Well girls, aren't you going to introduce yourselves?" America asked with a smirk playing on his lips. He rose an eyebrow at Alice, curled her lips in disgust.
"Don't tell me what to do you tosser!" she snapped.
Canada's counterpart gave a meek smile and spoke in a whispery voice, "M-My name is Meg Williams. I'm Canada."
She looked up and made eye contact with Prussia. He gave her a crooked smile and her face turned red before she immediately looked back down at her feet.
Alice was glaring at the floor and she spat through gritted teeth, "Alice Kirkland, England."
"That wasn't so hard was it, Alice?" America said in a smug voice, causing Alice to bristle up once again. He then turned to look at both Daisy and Katarina with a huge dazzling smile.
"My name is Alfred F. Jones. I'm America and hero of the world!" he exclaimed boisterously.
Germany rolled his eyes. Alice scoffed.
Daisy smiled and responded, extending her hand, "Ve, I'm Daisy Vargas. I represent North Italy. My sister's name is Katarina, and she represents the South."
Katarina mumbled something under her breath and sounded like, "Burger bastard."
America shook her hand, and attempted to shake Katarina's as well, but she just glared up at him and let out a stream of curse words.
"Alright, now that we've got this all settled, we've got some things to talk about," Germany grumbled, uncomfortable with being introduced to even more female counterparts of fellow nations.
He turned to America. "America, what have you found out about this place?"
America gave a shrug. "Not much. I just woke up to find myself in this sucky place. I sort of walked around and then found those two sleeping in another room. I was obviously freaking out because there were two chicks with me in this crap hole. So I woke them up and found out that they were female versions of both England and Canada..."
"And I thought that dealing with Emily was awful. Why the bloody hell am I always stuck with America?" Alice huffed with a frustrated tone.
"Er…Alice…" Meg said.
"…Even in a parallel universe, I'm stuck with her male counterpart, who is just as bad…if not even worse…"
"Hey, bitch, chill out! The hero's sorta in the middle of something here!" America snapped his eyes narrowing at Alice.
She glared menacingly at him, her green eyes glinting maliciously, but she still closed her mouth.
"Anyway, as I was saying, we all started to freak out, but then I remembered the civil war and how I actually fought my female counterpart and I put the pieces together…"
"Something your abnormally small brain usually cannot do…" Alice remarked.
"Can you stop insulting me for one second?" hissed America, squeezing his eyes shut in irritation.
"Erm…no," she responded.
"Alice…" Daisy said cautiously.
America plowed on. "So we went outside and looked around the village and tried to get as much information as I could about this place and how it worked and who I was here. I learned that this place is called Akreeka and it's a sort of debtor's village, a place for rebels and poor people. People who run away or revolt come here all the time. It's pretty sketch if you ask me. And it smells bad. So I was wondering why the hell I would be here. Apparently in this universe, Alice was the daughter of a royal family in some other empire and she was being forced to marry some holier-than-thou prince when, really, she was in love me. So we ran away and we took my little sister, Meg, with us and we've been making a living here. I know….weird-ass story."
"And absolutely preposterous! Why would I ever run away with you?" Alice sneered, crossing her arms. Meg just sighed in defeat. Germany felt sorry for the girl; she probably is overwhelmed with the amount of bickering that both Alice and America have been engaged in.
America shuddered. "I don't know how I could even date you. You're exactly like…Arthur! Eiwww!"
"I'm sure that this Arthur is a very dignified gentleman…"
"He's you in male form. I thought that was bad enough."
"Why you insolent little…"
"And stop attempting to make scones. The shit you gave me this morning made me want to puke."
"Arrggghhh!" Alice screamed in frustration.
"Guys…please stop…" pleaded Meg hopelessly.
Germany gritted his teeth, his eyebrow twitching. He was about to explode….
He felt like he was back in the conference room during their world meetings. It was exactly the same thing. England and America would always fight about nothing in particular. All this needs now is France and the immature bitch fight would begin.
"Hero my arse, you blithering twat!"
"Hahahaha, did you just say you like it up the ass?"
"E-Excuse me?"
"SHUT UP!" Germany yelled. He couldn't control himself. His limbs were shaking and he felt his face twitch. Everyone jumped at his voice as he continued to rant…
"You two are such children! Aren't you nations? We are in a critical situation here and we need everyone's cooperation to figure out what the hell is going on. We need to be somewhere and we are running out of time. We don't know where anybody is and we have to find a way to get out of this village without our asses being murdered! Have you ever considered that, you dummkopfs? Huh?"
He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving and his anger swirling through his body as he stared at the stunned nations.
"Ve, Ludwig…calm down," Daisy said in a frightened voice.
Alice closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Y-Yes, you are right. I'm sorry for letting myself go so far. I am a nation. I will try and get along with Alfred…to the best of my ability."
Germany sighed and said, "We'll explain everything we know later. But right now, we need to go to Rugaska. It's not too far from here. We'd like it if you would come with us. There can be no more delays. We need to get there before nightfall, otherwise the beings from the other side…"
Alfred's face turned pale. Germany assumed that he must know about it.
Alice straightened herself and dusted herself off. "Alright, we'll head out immediately. I just need to grab a few things…"
She trailed out of the room quickly.
There was an awkward silence.
America still looked a bit pissed off, but there was something else in his face…something that wasn't usually present on the young nation's face.
"Uhhh…America, you look sorta…" Prussia started.
America just shook his head and responded, "S-She's just so much like Arthur…I don't know if I can handle it. Why am I always stuck with him? Even if it's his female counterpart…it's still him. I-I'm just so tired of it…a-and…I don't even know where he is and…"
Germany was shocked. Was America actually…worried about England?
However, the young nation quickly shook his head and the bright smile returned. "Anyway, why are we going to this empire? What's so special about it?"
"Russia is the emperor. We're going to try and get his help," Spain answered. Germany was a bit shocked to hear him speak. He'd been awfully quiet ever since Katarina had saved him.
America grimaced. "That commie? Ugh. Oh well! I'll do whatever needs to be done. I am the hero after all!"
XXXX
"Ughhhh…how much further?" America complained, staggering onwards as if it were the hardest thing in the world.
The sun was starting to set and Germany was growing nervous. He didn't think it would take this long to reach Rugaska…
Spain was also looking a bit flustered. They were all walking at an extremely fast pace and even Germany had to admit that his feet were starting to ache. His stomach growled and he desperately wished that they had brought food.
"It shouldn't be long now…" Spain said, although panic coated his voice.
The sun was sinking lower and lower...Germany's heart started to beat.
"Ve…we're not going to make it in time," whimpered Daisy. Her eyes were wide with panic and her breathing was labored as she continued to walk. Her forehead was beading with sweat and her hair was falling out of her bun in messy locks.
"I'm so hungryyyy…" America whined.
"Dear Lord, shut up!" Alice snapped at him.
"B-But…OWWWWWW!"
Alice had grabbed him by the ear and was dragging him along with her while he protested and cursed at her.
"Hey! Burger bastard and scone bitch! We're all fucking suffering here and I swear, if I hear one more word from you two, I will sincerely…" Katarina started, sweat dripping down her face and her eyes shooting fire at both Alice and America.
"Merda! We're not going to make it…" Spain exclaimed in despair and panic.
Poor Meg was limping. She had the shortest legs and she had already taken a tumble down a huge hill. Her skin was covered in blood and bruises.
Prussia, who was a few feet away from her, looked at the girl with a strange expression on his face before grabbing her gently. He carried her on his back, both her thighs wrapping around his midsection. He gently grasped her legs to support her. She leaned her head against his shoulder and gave a tiny whimper that sounded something like, "K-Kumarie…where are you?"
"Shit, this is not good…" Katarina said, her voice thickening with fear.
They started to run, but it was pointless. Rugaska was nowhere to be seen and the last remnants of the sun had left. The sky was fading to a dark navy blue.
Immediately, the air grew cold. The wind started to howl and it hit their skin. Germany shivered as dread clawed at his stomach and crawled up his throat.
Something was very wrong…
Then it happened.
A vibrating wailing sound echoed though out the whole land. The sound waned slowly before starting up again in long drawn out intervals. It beat at Germany's ear drums and it made him feel nauseous.
"Shit…SHIT! NO!" Spain cried out.
It was the siren.
The siren that signified the invasion by the beings from the other side. The siren that told everyone they needed to be in their houses.
And here they were, in the middle of an open field with no shelter in sight.
Germany felt it before he saw it. The air started to grow bitter and putrid. The temperature seemed to drop another twenty degrees and the sky was darkening at a speed that was way too unnatural…
"RUN!" Prussia yelled.
Germany immediately grabbed hold of Daisy's arm and took off. All of them started to run aimlessly…the wind howled and beat against their faces. Their heads were pounding and their stomachs were turning unpleasantly.
They heard it.
The whispers…growing louder and louder…the cutting shrieks and chants…chants that didn't make sense. The earth seemed to hiss as the grass around them started to wither away and become nothing but black ash…
Germany couldn't go on. He couldn't breathe anymore. The oxygen seemed to be sucked from the air. He stopped and fell to his knees. His vision was blurring as the disconnected voices grew louder and louder around him.
He came to realize that the other nations had also stopped.
"W-What's happening?" America panted.
Another loud shriek erupted from behind them. It was closer.
All of them spun around to see the most horrifying sight they had ever seen.
A mass of figures were approaching them. All of them wearing black cloaks that seemed to blend in with the night. Their faces were hidden by shadow and they moved in this strange fluid way that sent chills down Germany's spine.
But the most disturbing thing of all were the two figures leading the massive army.
They were both clad in white robes…priestly robes that flowed eerily as they moved forward.
"No fucking way," Prussia deadpanned, his eyes widening.
"I-Impossible," choked Spain.
"Holy shit," America cried out.
With a sickening realization, Germany understood.
As they drew closer, it was unmistakable.
Leading this army were both Feliciano and Lovino Vargas, their faces cold and ruthless as they got closer with each step they took.