A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long! Real life has gotten in the way, an preparing for college is a pain! :T Anyhow, enjoy this next chapter, and celebrate because my writer's block is finally gone! :D YAY~! ^_~ Which means that I'll hopefully update more often~! ^_^
Disclaimer: If I owned HetaOni, then I'd be making it into a movie or spinoff of the anime. If I owned Hetalia, I wouldn't be listening to the previews of Germany and England's Mawaru Chikyuu Rondo songs 80,000 times a day waiting for the full version. -_-;
Enjoy~! ^_~
Guide Thingy:
Italy's thoughts and what's going on
"Talking"
Italy's mental dialogue with Yang/Romano/Silver ALSO Italy thinking to himself/Yang
Yang's mental dialogue
~Silver's mental telepathy with Italy~
"~Wolf speech~"
*Italy's inner thoughts in a clock-induced flashback*
{Translations for things said in a different language language translated from}
~Flashback~ Start/end of a flashback
Chapter 3: Bonded
Italy's POV:
As I run to catch up with my friends, I try my best to ignore the sickening feeling welling up inside of me. The Mansion's Grounds are quite large; it usually takes about half an hour of walking to go from the Gate to the Mansion. The area that we're currently walking in is densely wooded on either side of the dirt path, but when we get up further, the trees will start to thin, and the closer that we get to the Mansion, the more dead trees we'll see. I try my best to ignore the time-fragments that, for now, appear every 4–5 minutes or so.
"UUUUHHH! This is soooo un-awesome!" Prussia yells as I try, and fail, to look anywhere but the bloodstained battlefield to my right. "The Awesome Me thought that this mansion was supposed to be three hours away! But we've been walking for at least four!" Prussia complains.
"Bruder, it's just your imagination; we've only been walking for two and a half hours." Germany states after glancing at his watch. Our watches should stop working when we enter the Mansion; but even now, time is warped. To them, this walk from the Gate will feel like 2 hours, where our watches will only show it as half an hour. For me, because my body's internal clock has adjusted to the Mansion's warped time, it'll only feel like half an hour.
"Really?" Japan asks with slight surprise, "It feels as if we passed through that gate an hour or so ago…" Japan looks down and checks his own watch. After seeing that it shows the same time as Germany's watch, Japan holds his watch up to his ear to see if it's working. "Hmm… maybe I'm just getting old…" He mumbles to himself.
I remain uncharacteristically silent, listening to the sounds of the few animals brave enough to live on these accursed grounds. I hang back a little, walking a few paces behind everyone else, in an attempt to catch a glimpse of her.
A flash of silver draws my eyes to meet a beautiful pair of sapphire orbs. There she is. I send a small smile her way. She seems to smile back at me with her eyes, as she keeps pace with me from the shadows. I call her Silver. She's a very special animal who was brave enough to travel onto the Mansion's Grounds in an attempt to find something. She's also aware of the changing of time, and she always accompanies me on the walk from the Gates to the Mansion.
She has stunning white fur that takes on a breathtaking silver shimmer in the moonlight—hence her name—and a pair of deep, hauntingly beautiful sapphire blue eyes. She's fast, agile, smart, and loyal. There have been countless loops where she has jumped into the middle of a battle to help me. There have also, unfortunately, been many loops where she has given her life to save mine. She is a loyal, trusted friend. I still remember the first time that I met her…
~Flashback~
I've made a mistake; again. "Why?! Why do they keep dying?! What the hell have I ever done to deserve this?! What God have I angered?! What being have I wronged so damn fucking badly that would warrant this kind of torture?! This unbearable agony?! WHY ME?!" I cry out to the heavens. My friends are dead again. We had all gotten out once more, and I had even gotten everyone to run for the Gate so that the Things wouldn't catch us… and yet… While we were running, Liechtenstein hadn't seen that pothole in the grass… She had broken her ankle, and she couldn't… The Things were right behind us… Switzerland had taken a fatal blow for her. After that, the rest of my friends fell like dominos. All I could do was watch helplessly as they were cut down, one by one. Then, to top the cake, those wretched Things have left me to wallow in my agony; they know that I'll turn back time again.
A rustling in the bushes nearby snaps me out of my depressing thoughts. I stare into familiar sapphire orbs. "You again?! What do you want?!" I lash out in anger. I don't know who, or what this animal is, but it's been watching me for… probably about 50 loops or so. At first I would just catch a flash of silvery white out of the corner of my eye, or get the feeling of being watched. The first time that I looked into those sapphire orbs, I just knew that whatever this animal was, it meant me no harm. I could only see open curiosity in those eyes. As time passed, that curiosity grew and eventually changed into a sort of fondness. There would be concern, pity, empathy, sympathy, and support in those eyes when I needed it most. Even still, I've never seen the creature itself. I have, however seen a fluffy white tail a few times.
I continue to stare into those calm, understanding sapphire eyes. I can't explain how or why, but as I stare into them I feel my anger starting to dissipate. The creature—who I had started to call Silver quite some time ago due to the silver tinge that the fur takes on in the right lighting—turns its gaze away from me. Is… Silver leaving? Is Silver going to leave me to turn back time again? My thoughts are interrupted, however, as Silver's fluffy white tail comes into view. It beckons me forward. Without a second thought, I follow. The curiosity was too strong to resist. Ying! Wasn't it your stupid curiosity that got us trapped in this Hell in the first place?! Because you were curious about the supposedly haunted Mansion?
Shut up, Yang! I snap at him in my mind, my inner voice taking on a dangerous tone. I'm not in the mood to argue with him right now. Surprisingly enough, Yang grumbles a bit before shutting up completely.
I save the analysis of Yang's strange behavior for later, and decide to follow the flashes of silver and white fur. The trees start to thicken as Silver leads me further and further into the forest. Oddly enough, I don't feel uncomfortable at all. This is the first time since Loop 1 that I've been able to walk around on the Mansion's Grounds, and not feel the need to constantly look over my shoulder.
Before I can go any further in my thoughts, I see a clearing up ahead. It isn't big, but it's beautiful and peaceful. Heh, I suppose that there really is yin in every yang. I think to myself. The clearing isn't large enough to feel exposed, but it isn't small enough to feel confined. To my right, there's a quiet stream with clear, cool water trickling soothingly through the glade. The trees seem to have birds living comfortably there, and there was a fallen tree near the stream along with some smooth flat rocks that looked to be perfect for sitting or sunbathing.
My legs seem to move on their own, walking towards the sunning rocks. I sit down, and silently remove my boots and socks. As I slip my feet into the cool, revitalizing water, I let out a quiet sigh. For a moment, a single blissful moment, I forget everything; the Mansion, my friends, the loops, the Things, my country, Yang, and the only thing that exists, is this peaceful Glade.
A quiet whimper snaps me violently out of my daydream. Weapon instantly in hand, I attempt to locate the source of the sound, mentally berating myself for letting my guard down. Just as I start to turn back around to the stream—my feet still in the cool water and my blade still drawn—I hear that sound again; it came from my left. In less than half a second, I'm on my feet. My hand subconsciously tightens around the hilt of my sword. Then, I see a familiar white tail. I visibly relax, sheathing my blade, but still ready to draw it in an instant if needed.
"Ve~ It's just you. I'm sorry, Silver. For snapping at you earlier." I say as I sit down and slip my feet back into the stream. I can't explain why, but I feel so comfortable around Silver. "I really should thank you; for showing me this place, I mean. I never would've imagined that a place like this could ever exist on the Mansion's grounds." I say to my silent companion. For the first time in a very long time, I smile a real smile. It's small, but it's true. I bend down and wash the blood off of my hands and face as I release the magic that hides my scars, letting my guard down more than I ever have on the Mansion's Grounds.
Ve~ I know that I shouldn't let my guard down here, but… This place—this Glade—has such a peaceful aura around it… there's no evidence of those Things ever setting foot here. In fact, the aura of protection around this place is similar to that of the Safe Room that Germany built… I wince slightly at the thought of my dead friends, feeling slightly guilty for relaxing and even slightly enjoying myself when they're all dead because of me.
I hear another whimper, though this time it sounds more like an annoyed complaint than a whimper, from Silver most likely. I turn my head, and gasp. There, standing before me in stunning glory, is a pure white wolf. An arctic wolf?! What is it doing here in Japan?! In the middle of SUMMER?! But as I look closer, I realize that this is no arctic wolf. My eyes widen slightly as I finally realize why I feel such a connection with this wolf.
"You're an Italian Wolf, my national animal, aren't you?" It's more of a statement than a question, but to my amazement, Silver nods her head. Judging by her size, it's obvious that Silver is a female. "V-Ve? What are you doing in Japan? As far as I know, Italian wolves are only in Italy, and parts of Switzerland and France. And there's never been a white Italian Wolf before…" I trail off, wincing slightly when I accidentally name my currently deceased friends out loud. Silver stands up and slowly approaches me. I gaze into her eyes, and while I see plenty of caution, I see firm trust, as well.
Before I know what's going on, Silver is standing inches away from me. I hold out my hand, waiting for her to make the first move. Our eyes never lose contact. After a moment of hesitation, she tentatively steps forward and rubs her snowy white head against my calloused hand.
The moment I touch her soft fur, I feel a sudden jolt run through my entire body. Judging by Silver's sudden jump and yip, I'd say that she felt it too. We stare at each other in confusion and slight fear for a moment.
"What was that?" I ask. Unfortunately, there is no miraculous heavenly light or breaking-of-the-fourth-wall to answer my question. Silver comes closer to me, more confident this time. I reach out my hand again; she hesitates for a breathless moment before she rubs her head against it once more. There's no jolt this time. Her fur is soft and clean. I idly wonder how her fur stays so spotlessly white, as I start to scratch behind her ears.
A feeling starts to well up inside of me. What is this? I suddenly feel protective of Silver. Why? Does it have anything to do with the jolt? My mind wonders back to why she's even here in the first place. Italian wolves can only be found in Italy, France, and Switzerland right now. Even if some small pack had migrated to another country, there is simply no way that a wolf could cross the ocean to an island country by accident; or purpose, for that matter…
I let out a small gasp. I know. Without a doubt, I know how Silver came to Japan. It's as if I have… My eyes widen as I realize just what that jolt was. I look at Silver. "I know what happened." I state.
Seriousness hardens her eyes, as she too, seems to realize what happened. "We've shared memories." I say. It was a rare occurrence, rare, but possible. Countries can sometimes bond with an animal. This usually happens with one of their national animals or birds. It's exceedingly rare, though, and nobody—not even China—knows what causes it. It happens on accident and cannot be undone. When the bond is made, all memories are shared—past and present. The animal is able to understand all forms of speech and communication that their bonded country can, and vise versa—understand, not speak. In other words, I can now understand the language of the wolves, but I cannot speak their tongue. Likewise, Silver can understand all the different languages that I know, but she cannot speak them. We can communicate to each other. A bonded is to act as the spiritual guide for the other. Silver will live for as long as I do. If she dies, I'll feel the agony of her wounds. But the cool thing is that she becomes immortal like me. However, that's only outside the Mansion. Once I set foot on the Mansion's grounds, I become mortal. Once Silver enters the Mansion's grounds, she becomes mortal as well. If I die, however, then she will die with me; our souls are now linked.
Ying! How the hell do you know this shit?! It's not like you've fucking done this before! Ugh, I wish that he would leave me alone. I sigh mentally.
I know this, because I'm not the first country to go through this.
Huh? Who the hell are you talking about? I felt Yang trying to access my mind's internal thoughts—the thoughts that I can keep private from even Yang.
Haven't you ever wondered how Canada could tame a polar bear? How he could tame one of the only animals on earth that, even when raised in captivity from birth, will kill its caretaker? Haven't you ever wondered why Kumajiro hasn't aged even though he's been with Canada for centuries?
Wait. Are you trying to tell me that Canada, the invisible country, is bonded to a fucking polar bear?!
Yup. And he's not the only one. Haven't you ever wondered why Gilbird hasn't aged? Why he's still a chick? How he can understand Prussia's complex commands regardless of whether he gives them in English or German?
Wait, you mean 'Mr. Awesome Ore-sama'?! That bird is his bonded?! Hah! It's only good for carrying messages! Heheheheheheheh! He laughs that annoying laugh. I swear that laugh is more annoying than France's, Prussia's, Spain's, and America's combined! Or maybe it's just because he's Yang.
I tune him out, and turn back to Silver. I have all her memories from the night she was born to the moment that she last looked into my eyes. I'm not sure how, but supposedly I also have the ability to see things through her eyes, and hear, smell, taste, and feel what she does as well, while still controlling my own body like normal. I have no idea how to use that skill, or any of them really.
I wait until Silver finishes looking through my memories for the explanation of what had happened. After a few minutes, she turns her head and stares into my eyes. Once again, I feel her memories from the past few minutes flow into me, and I feel my own memories from the past few minutes flow into her.
"~Interesting…~" I jump at the unfamiliar voice. It's feminine, definitely. The voice holds a melodic beauty that's somehow familiar. I look around before I realize that what I just heard wasn't English. Nor was it German, Italian, Japanese, or any other language that I know. And yet I understood it perfectly… My eyes widen as I turn to Silver. I swear if a wolf could smirk, then that's exactly what Silver is doing right now.
"~Hehehe~, you should see your face right now, Italy! It's hilarious! Especially when you consider the fact that you already figured out that you can understand wolf now…~" Silver is definitely the one that's talking to me. I can't help but smile at her laughter. It matches her voice perfectly; melodic and beautiful—her laughter reminds me of silver bells. The weird thing is that I still hear the yips and barks and wolf noises, but it's almost as if my mind is creating verbal subtitles in her voice in, well, Italian.
"Ve~ So I really can understand you! Fantistico~! Can you understand me?"
"~Yes, I can. That was… English, correct?~" Silver asks after taking a moment to identify the new language.
"Yup! I wonder if you can really understand all the languages that I know?"
"~Well, I should be able to. You can understand wolf, after all.~"
"Ve~ Do you have a name? Or should I just continue to call you Silver?" I ask. I could look through her memories, but it feels wrong. I don't feel comfortable looking into her memories without her permission.
"~As you may already know from my memories, I was taken from my birthplace, the country of Italy, not long after I was old enough to learn how to hunt with the pack. Human poachers thought that the color of my coat was unique. They believed that it would be a shame to kill me when they could send me to their friend overseas to breed me and create more Italian wolves with white coats, so they shipped me off to China. However, the ship was caught in a storm, and by pure luck, my wooden crate was smashed open. It just so happened that I wasn't too far from the coast of… Japan, right? That's where we are?~" She asks, unsure. I nod my head, and gesture for her to continue. "~I just swam to the nearest shore. After I recovered enough strength, I started to look for others of my kind, but they were nowhere to be found. There were plenty of deer and boars, though. This place seems overrun with them. I even tried howling to contact any nearby packs but all I got was silence and some excited humans who started heading my way. Do you know why I couldn't find them?~"
"Ve~ Apparently Japan doesn't have any wolves…" I say, Silver's jaw drops.
"~No… wolves? On this entire island country, there isn't a single wolf? How is that possible?~"
"Ve~ The last official sighting of a Japanese wolf was in 1905. You see, when Japan started to open up to western culture, our concepts sort of shoved his out the window. Japan and his people used to worship wolves as gods; even today you can see the shrines. Back then, Japan's people didn't raise livestock like the western nations did—so they didn't have the same conflicts that we had with wolves and big cats eating our livestock. In fact, in Japan, the wolves would eat the deer and wild boar and actually would end up protecting the crops. This is why wolves were revered as gods. However, the western nations viewed wolves as evil creatures. I must admit that there was a time when even I believed wolves to be messengers of death, but I've never killed one." Silver relaxes slightly at this piece of info. "So anyways, Japan's people, unfortunately, were quickly convinced that wolves were evil, and they hunted them down. As I said earlier, the last official sighting of a Japanese wolf was in 1905; he was shot and killed. There's been talk of re-introducing wolves into Japan, because, as you've already seen, the deer and boars are overrunning the place. Ve~ I bet that those people you heard were looking to see if there were any Japanese wolves left in hiding! They probably thought that you were a Japanese wolf howling." I say with a small laugh. It felt good to smile again. Talking about this almost makes me forget about those Things.
"~I see… Italy, did you also…~"
"VE?! Of course I didn't! Even though I was scared of wolves, I didn't want them to die! Especially not be hunted to the point of extinction! I had been busy dealing with some things in my own country. I couldn't even come after that because in December of 1908 about 70,000–100,000 of my people were killed in the Messina earthquake in Sicily. It was terrible! We had to ship some of the survivors to America. I was hit with another earthquake in January of 1915 it killed about 29,800 people in the Avezzano area. I was so busy that I didn't even know about the Japanese wolves until 20 years after the last sighting!"
"~I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions… I suppose that I should've had more faith in you. After all, were are bonded now.~" Silver says while looking down.
"Ve~ Don't feel bad, It's not your fault. Besides, even though nobody knows exactly how a bond is made, I do know that both sides have to be willing to protect the other with their lives, Viva!"
"~Thank you, Italy.~"
"Ve~ Please, continue your story. I want to know why such an intelligent young wolf would even consider coming within a mile of those front Gates…"
"~Alright, so where was I? Ah, yes. I traveled around, preying on the deer and the boar, and trying my best to avoid the towns and cities. I generally stayed close to the forests. They reminded me of home, in a way. When I came to a new forest, I had an uneasy feeling. My instincts told me to be cautious. They warned of nearby danger.~" Silver's eyes narrow slightly at the memory, and her tail swishes quietly behind her.
"~After a few days of staying in the forest, I learned that the danger lay only within the confines of the land past the Iron Gateway. I'll be honest, when I first got whiff of that Thing, my fur was bristling like never before, and I was terrified. And yet something told me to stay in the forest. So I stuck to the far side of the woods, close to a town. I had noticed that people tended to avoid this forest, or at least the deeper areas of it. I smelt you before I saw you. I could smell four peculiar creatures. They smelt neither of prey nor beast nor man. And I felt a familiar presence tickle the edge of my mind. It was you.
At the time, I didn't know what you and your friends were, or why you entered the forest. I could understand a few words here and there, but your Italian made the most sense. Even still, I could not fathom why you traveled in the direction of the Gates. I could tell from your scent that you were terrified of that place; that you knew what was there. I couldn't explain why, but I ignored my instincts screaming at me to run as far away from that place as possible, and followed you in. I tracked you and your friends as you walked to the Mansion. Just before you stepped through the door, I saw you look longingly, brokenly, out at your last chance of freedom. I was mentally yelling at you to call your friends and leave, but you didn't.
I stood by the front door, waiting. When an entire night passed, I knew something was wrong. I couldn't explain why, but even then I felt the need to protect you. When a second, much larger group arrived, I could immediately tell by their scent that they were like you and your friends. I came to the conclusion that you knew them. However, just as they closed the door, I silently bolted into the Mansion Where None Shall Enter. I followed you around that loop.
I was, as you could imagine, confused when you turned back time. I didn't know what was going on. I was in the Mansion watching you one moment, and then I found myself outside a strange building in a city the next. Luckily, I was in the bushes, so nobody could see me. I was shocked when you came out with America, Canada, England, and Germany. I had seen them all die, after all. Yet there they were. It wasn't until I saw your eyes that I understood; you remembered. Everything.
I concluded that you could travel back in time and that you were doing so until you could get everyone out of the Mansion and off its grounds alive. I have to admit; I thought you were a fool. I thought that you were a stupid fool who had no hope of winning. Yet, you proved me wrong when I saw you pull out your weapon for the first time.
Sometimes I'd be able to sneak into the Mansion, but others I couldn't find a way in, so I'd wait outside and assist you there if need be. The more I saw you turn back time, the more I saw you break and shatter. Each time you watched them die, I watched a part of you die with them.
I'm not sure how much more your body and mind can take. I'm your bonded now, so whatever pain you feel, I feel. It's just muted, that's all. Eventually I found myself admiring your courage at facing that Thing over and over, and your inner strength for putting up with all of this for so long… and trying to keep it from your friends, then telling them whenever you can, I found myself thinking of you as pack—a brother. Now, we are pack. And a wolf will fight to the death to protect those that she holds dear. Just like your mafia—you don't mess with my pack and get away with it. Italy, I will always be here for you.~"
"Grazie~" I say with a smile, as I let what she just said think in. For the first time in a long time, I cry tears that hold no negative emotions, just relief. I'm not alone anymore. Silver just sits there quietly, before nuzzling my tears away. "Your fur tickles." I giggle slightly.
"~Sorry.~" She pulls away.
"Ve~" I say as I hear a roar off in the distance. The Thing is wondering why I haven't turned back time yet. My smile fades away and my usual feelings of anguish and depression hit me like a ton of bricks.
"~Italy? What's wrong? Are you okay?~" Silver asks, concern lacing her voice.
"Ve~ I'm not sure if I'll ever be okay again. All these loops…" I see a flash of understanding in her eyes.
"~I see… You need to rewind time again, don't you?~" Silver asks gently.
"Si." I say simply as I start to walk out of the paradise of the glade. I immediately hear Silver's pawsteps trailing after me. "Are you coming too?" I ask. I have to admit that I wasn't expecting her to come along.
"~Of course. We're bonded now, I have to protect you, and be there for you. Whether you like it or not.~" Silver says with a dry chuckle at the end as she catches up and keeps pace beside me.
"Ve~ Grazie."
~End Flashback~
"Itary-kun?" Japan's voice snaps me out of my reminiscence. Crap! I usually don't space out like that… What's wrong with me today? If I keep this up, then my friends will die again! And I can't let that happen. Not again…
Ahh, but you say that every loop. Yet here we are again. Maybe if you leave these morons and escape on your own… But you'd never do that, now would you? Heh, wimp.
Shut up, Yang. I warn him while giving a smile to Japan.
"Ve~ I'm sorry, what was that? I wasn't paying attention."
"No, it's aright." Japan says with a sigh. "You just seem to be… lost in thought. Almost sort of nostalgic; are you okay?"
"Ve~" Shit! How could I have let my mask slip?! Damn it! I haven't slipped this early in the loop for a while. Merda! {Shit! Italian} "What do you mean, Japan?" I say with a grin. Japan gives me a hard stare, as if daring me to continue to play dumb. I heave a sigh, looks like it's time for another lie. I hate lying. I despise liars… "Ve… Okay, you caught me… I'm sorry for lying to you, Japan, please don't hate me." I say with my infamous puppy-dog eyes. Japan gives a near-silent sigh of satisfaction. Really, I am sorry for lying to you…
"Ve~ Please don't be mad at me, I was just thinking that it's been awhile since I had pasta… I miss it… I can practically taste the tomato sauce with garlic and—"
"ITALIEN! Please stop describing your food, Ja? I'm hungry, too but you don't see me complaining." Germany says, cutting me off in my verbal daydream of pasta. Japan gives Germany a grateful look.
"Yeah, Ita, you're even making the Awesome Me hungry…" Prussia interjects with a chirp of agreement from Gilbird. Figures; we're walking to a Mansion where we have died countless times, and all he can think about is his stomach…
~He doesn't remember the deaths, Feli.~ Silver chimes in. We learned how to perform mental telepathy relatively quickly, and can talk to each other over any distance. She also started calling me Feli after we had all received human names.
I know, Silver, I know… It's just… So frustrating…
~We'll get through this. I promise.~
"Ve~ I'm sorry, Prussia, I'll try not to think about pasta until we get home, okay? Ve~"
All too soon, the trees around us start to thin. I feel Silver drop back a little bit so as not to be seen by my friends. As the Mansion finally comes into view I let loose a barrage of curses in my mind. As angry and depressed my mind is right now, my body is skipping and my face alight with a smile as I say, with a happy and upbeat voice, "Ve~ It's really here~!"
"I thought it was just a rumor… I never thought we would actually find it…" Japan trails off as he walks a few steps ahead of me to get a better look at the place.
"It has such a desolate feel… Not bad…" Prussia says with a nod of his head as he, too, walks a few steps ahead of where I stand.
"I don't think it's very interesting though. Can't ve just look at it from the outside and then go back?" Germany asks, barely suppressing a shudder that runs through his body. Your body remembers this place. It remembers the horrors that we've faced here… If only we could listen to your instincts…
"Hai, I agree."
"Ve? After all the trouble we went through to find it?! Come on; let's go in for a little while! I'm hungry, and they might have some pasta~!" I say with a grin.
"Italy, this is an abandoned mansion; I highly doubt that they will have pasta here." Germany says with a sigh.
"Awww, but Doi- Germany~! I'm tired, and I don't wanna walk all the way back without a rest!" I complain. Damn! I almost slipped up. I think to myself. Unless I'm ready to tell them everything, then I can't let them know that I can speak other languages—including Japanese. I almost called him Doitsu… [Doitsu… Tasukete yo! Doitsu~! Matte! Matte! Matte yo! Doitsu~!...]
I shake my head to free myself from the old memory. From a better time, ne?
"Itary-kun?" Japan says snapping me from my thoughts. Crap, did I miss my cue? I glance around. No, thank God. I didn't.
"Ve~ Please, Germany?" I give him my puppy dog eyes. If I don't get them in this Mansion now, then they'll come later and alone… I smile as Germany gives a sigh of defeat.
"Fine. But only for a little while, Ja?"
"Si~! Grazie!" I say, tossing my hand in the air. Japan sighs and walks ahead to the front door. Prussia and Germany follow Japan through the front entrance. I, too, follow to the front door, but before I walk through, I take one last despairing glance at the front yard. I try my best to ignore the bloody time fragments and look at the blue sky; green trees; the birds flying here and there, and in the tree line, I see Silver, who gives me a look of encouragement.
~Do not worry, Feli. We'll get them out this time…~
Yes. We will. I think to her with a smile. Then, walking past a time fragment of a dead Austria and Hungary by the front door, I enter the Mansion.
Word Count for this Chapter: 5,547
Edited: September 10, 2018
