Divergence – chapter 8
Re-uploaded the edited version! :D 18June'13. If one has forgotten about Japan running from China like I have, please refer to chapter 4. Note to self: the other team in the real world needs more screen time.
Japan squeezed past the thronging crowd as he tried to run from China. Talk about bad timing. China had begged Japan to follow him to the near-by herbal store so he could come up with another concoction of Chinese tea. Of course Japan wasn't very keen; he needed to find the book and pen! And he was supposed to meet Sweden. Plus, China's herbal potions (which China claimed would give you stronger immune system because he "mixed all the nutritional herbs into one") had caused various students to fall ill, including the staunch Switzerland.
Japan shuffled pass, keeping his head low, hoping and praying that China would not find him in this crowded hallway. Suddenly a loud, "JAPAN! JAPAN WHERE DID YOU GO?" could be heard and Japan broke into a run as he escaped China's wrath.
It wasn't good news, no. The gang of 6 had disappeared for over a day, and like Japan said, people weren't supposed to stay there for more than an hour. He didn't know how to cover for the missing six, because slowly, people had begun to notice their disappearance. People like Lithuania had questioned for the well-being of Poland, France who had returned flu-free had been curious to the whereabouts of his buddies because he certainly hadn't heard from them. No one in particular had been looking for Austria (there had been a rift between Hungary and Austria) and Denmark and Finland had noticed the two solemn brothers gone as well.
This was bad. Japan knew all too well what would happen if they disappeared for too long. People would begin to forget them, and it would be as if the six had never existed at all.
Swerving the corridor, Japan ran head first into a solid being.
"Jap'n?" Sweden said, startled.
"Quick, the other way. China is looking for me and he won't let me go so soon. We must discuss the book." With that, Japan grabbed Sweden's wrist and pulled him down another corridor to the school courtyard.
They sat in the garden with Sweden staring intently at Japan.
"We should start searching the grounds. It might have disappeared into the school staff's room. We should check places with lots of books. Like the library. Or… How about the school press room?" Japan gabbled.
"Wh't if someone's tak'n it alr'dy? Or if someone thr'w it out."
Japan made a sort of gasping sound as the idea struck him as possible.
"M-My handiwork!" Japan choked out before he fainted in disbelief and horror.
Leaves crunched nearby, signalling the return of Norway, Iceland and Poland, carrying as many clumps of dried twigs, leaves, branches – anything that could be used as tinder – as much as their arms could hold. Setting their individual collections on the ground and sitting down in front of the others, the three of them looked on as if seeing through the others, blank faces belying the confusing tornado of thoughts in their minds as they recalled their previous respective experiences. Poland rubbed his shoulders as he remembered the cold, eerie feeling nagging at the back of his mind ever since they left the ancient tumbledown house; Iceland wondered about the mysterious, prickling wind from before; while Norway was hit from two sides by the whispering sounds plus the strange energy flowing through his veins.
"C'mon.. c'mon…" Prussia muttered to no one in particular as he rubbed two short branches together, trying to generate enough friction to produce a fire. Spain's face held a serious look – a vast contrast from his always cheery face – as he concentrated all his will and energy into sparking a fire, grinding the two small logs in his hands at a speed too fast for Prussia's clumsy hands to handle. Fiddling with a twig, Austria sighed. This two days were the weirdest days of his life. And it all started from being called into detention due to a certain annoyance right beside him. Then Japan had burst into the room seemingly without permission – well technically not one in the right mind (cough, excluding Prussia, cough) would even willingly volunteer to waste his life in that boring room, permission granted or not – a box made of high quality mahogany and polished till it could have shone rainbows in his hands, which contained an exquisite pen comparable to a Mint Blonc* branded one and a hand-binded book of truly meticulous skills and craftsmanship. And before anyone could react, that reckless idiot had corrupted the excellent beauty of Japan's contraption with his coarse hands, and it was that crass idiot who started this whole mess, what with creating the weird wind, blinding light and all. Austria sighed again, oh how many times had he done that in just two days?
"Yeah!" Spain exclaimed, his eyes lit up and reflecting the small, excited flame in one of his logs.
Prussia stared in disbelief. "How did you do that?!" More than half the twigs he held lay as splinters in his lap, yet to no avail.
Spain clapped a hand to his chest, the other arm patting Prussia's back. "Ha ha ha! That's part of my Awesomeness, my dear friend!"
"Hahahahahaa…!" Prussia mimicked Spain's gesture and laughed with him, with no worries in the world. It's no wonder why they're friends; idiots think alike, Austria thought, shaking his head.
Once they got the fire going steady, they huddled around it, seeking its natural warmth unlike all other strange and unnatural things happening ever since they entered this uncanny world. The six of them stayed quiet for a while, comfortable with the peace and silence that had settled upon them.
Norway's cerulean eyes reflected the crackling fire as it ate the dried twigs and leaves until his peripheral vision saw Prussia admiring at him. He pulled his legs up closer, trying to ignore the gaze that intruded upon his privacy, thinking that the man was just staring at the trees behind him.
"… What?" Norway stated, his tone sharper than intended, after a few seconds of self-consciousness.
"U-uh, ah, I was thinking. That was so Awesome, Norway! Though not as Awesome as Awesome Me of course!"
Norway's eyebrow raised a millimetre.
His eyes all sparkly with enthusiasm, Prussia explained, "That time when you shot a weird blue thing or something! Whoo! What was that? It was so darn cool!"
"Oh yes, I agree. Falling flat on your face was a totally awesome sight to behold." Austria reminded.
The Spaniard laughed – as he always do – until a low grumble erupted from within him. "Ugh…" His smiling eyes drooped. "I miss my lovely, cherry-red tomatoes…"
It was then that everybody remembered they hadn't ate the last two days.
"Like… Like…like…" Poland's voice tapered off as hunger made him forget what he wanted to say.
They shared a gloomy atmosphere until something stirred beside Norway and Poland.
"Goodnight." Iceland stated simply.
"Well… I'm tired too…" Spain yawned. "We can search for food tomorrow… Oh, and don't forget the adventure-telling time…zzz…" A bubble popped. "Aand we need someone to keep watch." Spain nodded off.
The fire cackled as Prussia prodded the fire with a long stick he had found deep in a pile of dead muddy leaves nearby. It was slightly damp so the fire wouldn't catch it quickly.
Prussia was up doing the first hour – following Austria's exquisite branded watch (Don't you dare damage it!) – of the night watch; since he had too much to think about and could not sleep just yet, he volunteered to go first. The next shift would be Poland's, the two brothers, then Austria, and lastly Spain. By now they all had dozed off, letting sleep take them into its arms and take the edge of their hunger and tired bodies.
This was, by far, the second day in this strange world for them and Prussia didn't like it one bit. He frowned. Exactly how had they even landed into this strange world? A month ago, give or take, he had happened to hear Japan mumbling to himself about 'books as portals' and 'worlds' and 'that'll be so awesome!' and being Prussia, that last phrase had piqued his interest, which eventually led to him nosing his way into Japan's business. Initially Japan was hesitant, but told him his secret soon enough. As crazy and nonsensical as it sounded, Japan had convinced Prussia that there was such magic that could allow one to enter other worlds rumoured to exist; they just had to find or else create a unique book and a pen that could act as a mediator. Always one up for adventure and mysteries, Prussia was quickly into it and told Japan that he would help in any way he could. But… It wasn't supposed to be like this! Trying hard to remember Japan's words, he figured something must have gone wrong for all this to happen.
Poland stirred, crunching his makeshift pillow of leaves. His face was slightly scrunched up in discomfort, well, it wasn't as though the others were comfortable themselves, maybe except for Spain, seeing that he had splayed his body out and was in a peaceful and carefree dreamland. Though Prussia was pretty sure that the old tumbledown house would have been a better place to sleep in, he wasn't quite sure how to get there again, he thought that his only way out was probably through the gorge. It was a pretty miraculous jump Prussia had to admit. He didn't know how Spain and the other two managed to meet up with them, but Prussia was pretty sure they ran a long way since leaving that house.
Maybe we'll have better luck tomorrow, Prussia thought inwardly as he pushed some leaves to the dying ambers. The flames danced outwards towards the sky, almost as if they longed to touch the stars.
