Disclaimer: Do I own Hetalia or HetaOni? What do you think?
"Austria, do you even have any idea where the girls are?" Korea asked after they'd been walking for hours.
The landscape around them had remained mostly unchanged, and they had passed several landmarks more than once.
"Of course not," Austria replied. "I'm not psychic. I just hope we can find them eventually."
"We should rest for a while," Switzerland suggested. "I think Liechtenstein's tired."
She wanted to protest, to insist that she was fine, but he was right. She was very tired.
"It's starting to get dark out," Lithuania remarked. "Maybe we should just settle down for the night? This looks like a decent place to rest."
The clearing wasn't very large, nor particularly comfortable looking, but it was out of the woods.
"I, like, second that suggestion," Poland added. "Who knows when we'll find someplace better?"
"Sounds like a good idea," Estonia concurred.
"Are we all in agreement then?" Austria asked.
Everyone nodded.
"It's settled then," he declared. "We'll stop here for the night and find the girls in the morning."
He found the grassiest spot in the clearing and lay down, cushioning his head on his arm. Liechtenstein was lucky enough to have Switzerland, who gave her his coat to use as a blanket, and Poland and the three Baltic states were all huddled together for warmth, but sleeping arrangements were uncomfortable at best. None of the nations had brought many supplies. They hadn't realized how long this would take. And now that they had come, the land itself seemed to be conspiring to keep them here.
Hungary growled and cursed under her breath as she tripped over another tree root. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn that the trees were moving their roots just to trip her up and slow her progress. Curse this darkness! Why had night fallen so quickly?
She cried out in shock as she tripped over something distinctly not root-like. The thing muttered something under its breath about Korea needing to stop walking around before he killed someone. The voice was undeniably familiar.
"Austria?"
He sat up, and she could make out his shocked face more clearly in the thin moonlight.
"Hungary?"
"It's me," she told him. "Are you alright?"
"I think so," he said. "Besides the fact that I've been tripped over three different times tonight."
"Who else tripped over you?" she asked.
"I think it was Korea," he told her. "Does it matter?"
"Actually, yes," she said. "Belarus and Ukraine just disappeared on me. I was hoping you could tell me if they'd come this way."
"Sorry," he replied. "It was dark and I was half asleep."
"Don't worry about it," Hungary told him. "But do you mind helping me look?"
"Why don't we look in the morning?" Austria suggested. "We'll be able to see better. Besides, you should get some sleep."
"I'm not tired!" Hungary insisted.
Austria stood up and took hold of her shoulders.
"I know you're probably going to hit me for saying this, but you need to hear it," he said. "You're not invincible, Hungary. You need rest, just like everyone else. No one is going to think any worse of you for taking a break once in a while."
"I'll sleep later," Hungary insisted.
She hoped he couldn't feel how hard she was fighting to remain standing.
"Hungary, you need rest," Austria told her. "You're tired and you're wounded. If you don't stop to sleep for a while, you'll kill yourself."
"But, I-"
"Hungary, we're not nations anymore!" Austria reminded her. "Not in here. You can't just shrug off fatal wounds. I don't want to tell Italy that he's going to have to relive all of this again just because you were being stubborn."
"I- You're right," Hungary admitted. "I suppose I could just rest for a little bit. Wake me up as soon as it's light."
She knew he wouldn't, but as she found she was too tired to really mind. She simply stretched out on the soft grass and remained awake only long enough to feel Austria drape his jacket over her. Damn that man. He treated her like she was made of glass, but inexplicably she found herself loving him all the more for it.
Liechtenstein was abruptly woken up as a heavy form crashed on top of her.
"Wh-"
Her question was interrupted by a harsh shhh-ing.
"Now see what you've done!" Belarus' voice hissed.
"I'm sorry," Ukraine sobbed.
"Is he awake?" Belarus asked.
Liechtenstein realized too late that they were referring to her. They must have confused her for Switzerland!
Her wide open eyes were easily spotted in the moonlight. Belarus leaned over and clamped a hand over Liechtenstein's mouth.
"One word and your sister gets it," she warned. "Now, we can't leave you here, now that you've seen us, and we could use your help. Will you come willingly? Just nod your head."
Liechtenstein hurriedly nodded her head.
"Good," Belarus purred. "Ukraine, get off him."
Ukraine's weight lifted off Liechtenstein's body as Ukraine stood up and stepped away.
"Now, Switzerland, stand up," Belarus ordered.
Liechtenstein did so.
"Um, Belarus?" Ukraine whispered.
"Tell me later," Belarus demanded.
"But-"
"We can talk later!" Belarus insisted. "Just run!"
With Belarus's hand still wrapped around her head to cover her mouth, Liechtenstein had trouble running, but she didn't dare stop.
"Belarus!" Ukraine called. "I think we're far enough away now! Can we talk now?"
Belarus stopped abruptly and turned to face her sister. As she did this, she removed her hand from Liechtenstein's mouth.
"What's so important that it can't wait until later?" she asked.
"I'm not Switzerland," Liechtenstein announced quietly. "I'm Liechtenstein."
Belarus spun to face her, taking in the dress under Switzerland's coat, and the ribbon in her hair.
"Ukraine, why didn't you tell me?" she accused.
"I tried to," Ukraine told her. "You wouldn't listen. I'm sorry, sister!"
Belarus swore rapidly in Russian.
"You won't be of any use to us," she told Liechtenstein. "You'll have to go back to the others."
"I can't," Liechtenstein replied. "They won't be in the same spot. The landscape changes."
Belarus once again began swearing in Russian, her word choice earning her a shocked glare from Ukraine.
"Do I have to go back to them?" Liechtenstein asked. "Couldn't I come with you two? I'll try not to be a burden."
The sisters glanced at each other.
"We don't have much of a choice," Ukraine pointed out.
"I don't want her getting hurt," Belarus muttered.
"I'm not just a fragile little girl!" Liechtenstein insisted. "I can take care of myself."
"Sister, we need to help Russia," Ukraine pointed out.
"You're right," Belarus agreed. "She can come. Just don't get in the way, got it?"
Liechtenstein nodded.
"I'd be glad to help you protect your brother."
Author's Note: I have a love-hate relationship with Belarus. On the one hand, she practically writes herself. On the other, she never cooperates with my plans. I had no idea she and Ukraine had run off until Hungary declared that it had happened. Even more annoyingly, her ideas always work out better than my own would have. It kind of sucks to be shown up by a character living in your head.
