Any where~~ you go let me go too...Love me, that's all I ask of you~~~~
Guess who's going through a Phantom of the Opera phase?
ME! O3O
Insolent boy, this slave of fashion, basking in your glory~ Ignorant FOOL, this brave young suitor, sharing in my triumph~
Angel, I hear you, speak, I listen. Stay by my side; guide me. Angel, my soul was weak, forgive me, enter at last, master~~
X3 I. LOVE. THIS.
And I don't own it. So there.
Keep your hand at the level of you eye!
I've had 'Angel of Music' stuck in my head. ALL. DAY. And just the blonde chick's part. I think her name's Meg. Maybe...You know, Madame Cherie's daughter. "Where in the world have you been hiding? Really, you were perfect! I only wish I knew your secret: Who is your great tutor?" Then later... "Christine, you must have been dreaming, stories like this can't come true. Christine, you're talking in riddles, and it's not like you~~"
All.
Day.
But it's okay because I LURVE this song. :3
*slaps self* Shutting up now.
COOKIES. *Cookies for nekoNamine, InsanityAintOptional, caset290, Kitana Lunara, fireflame1801, Tanglepelt, CelticGirl7, and MysticDayze* I THINK I did them right this time...Baking powder is the same as baking soda, isn't it? XD
Ooh, seriously fluffy chapter coming up. Dimah/Lauren. :3 It's so cute and fun to write! X3
Sing once again with me, our strange duet. My power over you grows stronger yet. And though you look away, to glance behind, the PHA~~~ntom of the opera is here...inside your mind...
...:3
Issa's POV
"Your- your eyes..." Lauren says, coming closer. "What...?" I ask. I'm not sure if I want to know the answer or not...She tells me anyways.
"They were...they are...purple..."
My first reaction is my hand slapping the side of my face, poking me in my right eye. "Ow!" I say, jerking my hand away. "Seriously?" I mumble. "France, let me see your mirror." France blushes and withdraws a small mirror from his pocket. "How did you know I carry one?"
"You're you. You like to look at yourself," I smirk as I take it. Peering over at the reflective metal, the first thing that I notice is the vibrant shade of amethyst that my irises are. The eyelids around them widen. "...Whoa..." I squeeze my eyes shut as I accidentally poke them again. "That...is...freaky..."
I look up at Canada after passing the mirror back to its owner. "...I think everyone should be afraid of you," I inform him. "You're kinda scary." Canada decides to take this as a compliment, and he laughs. "Thanks, I guess."
America opens the door, carrying a struggling Alina and leading an extremely confused-looking Vera. "Hey, she- she's..." He doesn't need to explain. As soon as Alina sees Dimah, she punches America in the face and runs over to him. "Brother brother brother brother~~ Let's become one~~" she says in a voice that's not hers. Alina stops short when she sees Lauren holding his hand. Murder is written on the young girl's face. "Get. Away. From. My. Brother," she snarls in perfect Japanese. Then she pounces at her.
But America catches her around the middle and drops her on an empty cot. Alina screams in Russian and Belarusian while America ties her down. Then, a pale-faced Iggy bravely starts trying to calm her. Slowly, she stops thrashing and sits there with a puzzled look on her face. "...I didn't do it," she says. "Something- something- took over me..." All the lookalikes in the room nod sympathetically.
Vera shakily backs into a corner. She puts her hands over her ears and mumbles to herself in Japanese. "I'm hearing things...I can't actually understand them...I'm still speaking Russian...Not happening...this is...not...happening..." She slows to a stop when she sees most of the room looking at her (Dimah was making sure Alina didn't hurt Lauren). "...Hi..." she says breathlessly. "Hello, my dear," England says softly, smiling politely. "It's not real, right?" Vera asks Dimah. Dimah stops alternately between Kol-ing at random people in the room and talking to Lauren, and he looks at his big sister sadly. "It is odd, isn't it?"
Vera nearly faints at the sound of his voice. Then, a dreamy look goes over her face. Then she bursts into tears. "My boss said I can't see you anymore, Russia-chan~!" she cries out. She tries to bound out of the door, but Prussia leans against it. Vera freezes, then goes limp. Dimah and Alina both black out in sync with her as their linked flashback starts. Prussia caught Vera before she hit the floor, and America helps him put her on a cot. England binds her wrists to the bed. "Necessary precaution..." he mutters to himself.
I look over at Zack, who just woke up from another memory. He has his hair over his eyes and is staring at his knee. "You okay...?" I ask softly. He jumps when he hears me. I have to strain to hear his next words. "...Nine-eleven..."
...Oh...
He continues in a constricted whisper. "There were so many...so many people dead...not all mine...most of everyone's citizens were killed, too...Wh-why...? They- they were murdered. Killed in cold blood. Wh- why couldn't I have stopped the planes?...Some hero I am..." Zack's mouth contorts into a furious snarl. "Freaking cowards..." he growls. He flexes his wrist so quickly and forcefully that the rope breaks.
When the small snap resounds around the room, Zack's rage-filled grimace slips off. He stares at his freed hand, but makes no move to untie his other one. He only wipes at his eyes. "Gah..." he mumbles. "Stupid realistic flashbacks..."
He looks at America, who is busy bothering England. "I feel like I'm invading his privacy..." he says. I nod, glancing at Canada, who is awkwardly trying to stop them from arguing. "Remember the York flashback?" I ask. Zack nods. "I felt...powerful. And really, really mad. I- Canada tried to kill you- America without even thinking about it. He has a lot more power than everyone thinks he does. He should be recognized more." Zack laughs. "Yeah. By the way, that kind of hurt a little." If my hands weren't tied, I would've raised them in a gesture of surrender. "That was not my doing," I laugh. "I told you Canada's awesome."
Cue Prussia.
"Not as awesome as me!" he calls from across the room. "Whatever you say," I tease back. He, in answer, sticks his tongue out at me. I do the same. Something about this must trigger another memory, because I slump back.
XXXXXXXXXXX
"Hey, Canada!" an obnoxiously loud voice called to me. I looked up from petting a trembling polar bear cub I rescued to see Prussia leaning against the doorframe with a baby bird on his head. The bird had beady black eyes and one little yellow feather on the top of its head. "Look what I found," Prussia said, drawing more attention to the chick. I smiled. "It's cute," I said. "Look what I found." I looked down to the cub, who slowly noticed the silence in the room and looked up. "Wh-who are you?" it asked. "I'm Canada," I told him. "Who are you?" The cub sniffled and sneezed before answering. "I'm Kumajirou," he said.
Prussia sat next to me without me noticing, and his voice made me jump. "It talks," he said simply. "Of course I talk," Mr. Kumajirou answered. "You talk. He talks. Who are you again?" The little bear looked back at me in confusion. "Canada," I reminded him. "Awesome point," Prussia said, nodding approvingly. Prussia put the chick on his hand and held it out in an invitation for me to pet it. "Name's Gilbird," Prussia said as I gently stroked the single feather. Gilbird pecked me on the finger.
"Ow," I muttered, withdrawing my hand. "That means he likes you," Prussia said with his pointy-toothed grin. "He's awesome," he continued. "But not as awesome as me."
I didn't know what to say to this, so I just smiled and continued calming Mr. Kumajirou. "You're kinda like a bird," he told me. I raised an eyebrow. "In what way?" Prussia held out Gilbird again. "Look," he said. "Gilbird is all small and shy." To prove his point, he started to close his fist around the baby bird. Gilbird chirped in protest and started worriedly pecking at his fingers. "But he can be awesome if he's pressed to it. Not to mention he's awesomely adorable."
I blush.
"But not as awesomely adorable as me," he said. "I mean, seriously, look at me! Have you ever seen someone as awesome as me before?" I laugh quietly and shake my head. "Whatever you say." He sticks his tongue out at me. Mr. Kumagitchi sticks out a little pink tongue out at the albino, as do I.
XXXXXXXXXXX
I wake up. Looking around, I see Josh and Jia Li seem to have the same memory. Opium War, maybe? Dimah is awake, though half-asleep. Harvey, Zack, Vera, and Alina are asleep, judging by the lack of thrashing and screaming. Prussia is gone, America looks too tired to bug England, Canada is passed out, and England is wide awake, messing with his magic stuff and checking to make sure nobody is going to freak and try to kill another lookalike.
I look at Lauren, who is perched on a chair next to Dimah. Lauren's hair is not shiny like it usually is, and she looks nothing short of exhausted. "Guys..." she says. "I think I'mma go take a nap..." She looks like she needs it, too.
"Okay..." I mumble. She kisses Dimah on the cheek and ruffles my hair as she walks past. In my state of semi-consciousness, I frown. "Hey!" I say in slight irritation. "Why'd you do that?"
"What?" she asks, rubbing her eye. "Rub my head!" I say, shaking hair out of my eyes. "...I don't know. It's been a force of habit in the past few days..." she says. I take in a loud and sleepy breath. "Oh," I say. She walks out of the door.
I raise my head and look at England. "What are you doing?" I ask. He jumps, spilling some sort of powder on the floor. "Oh," he says while sweeping it up with his hand. "I'm, uh, making a potion that will hopefully reverse whatever's happening. It's not right, and I can tell something bad will come from it."
"Doesn't Norway know magic?" I ask. "And Romania?" England glowers at the worn-out book in his hand. "So they say. I'm not going to them unless it's an absolute last resort," he says. "Whatever you say," I tell him, lying back down.
My eyes are almost closed when the door bursts open. Startled, I jerk my head up. "Where is he!" Belarus shrieks.
...Crap.
...We're screwed.
Ukraine has her arms around Belarus's waist, desperately trying to pull her out of the room. "Bela, people are sleeping!" she sobs. England stands up. I notice him shaking. "Belarus, Russia isn't here," he says in a voice that sounds braver than he looks. I glance at Dimah. He looks terrified. He looks at me in desperation. Pretend you're asleep, I mouth to him. He nods and goes limp, violet eyes shutting.
Belarus is finally cools down to the level of grouchiness, but her insane-little-sister mode fires up again as she sees Dimah. "You tied him up!" she screeches at England, raising a dagger to England's neck. Dimah twitches in his 'sleep'. "That's not Russia," England says. "What do you mean that's not Russia!" she asks shrilly. "If you calm down and lower your weapon I'll explain," England says. Belarus glares at him, and slowly slips the knife back in her sleeve. England brings two chairs for her and Ukraine, but only Ukraine sits.
England explains about the lookalikes. Bela keeps her arms crossed tightly, and her expression of boredom never slips once. Ukraine asks the occasional question. "Why did Germany take them in the first place?" she asks. England hesitates, and I answer. "He knew," I say. "He knew we were going to turn into the countries. I guess he wanted your land for his new empire. It's like the Soviet Union, I guess. Or having colonies," I explain.
Alina raises her head. She and Belarus make eye contact. Meekly, Alina mumbles, "Hello..." The mulish gleam in Bela's eyes melts for a second. "You're my lookalike," she says. "I guess so," Alina replies. Belarus scans the rest of the room, looking at the doppelgangers. I notice she pauses over Dimah, who is still feigning sleep like his life depends on it.
It probably does; you'll never know what Bela is thinking.
Without warning, I black out for another one of Canada's memories.
XXXXXXXXXXX
To put it simply, I was being squished.
"U-uh, Mr. R-Russia, you're h-hurting m-me...!" I squeaked from under the giant mass of Russian. "Did you hear something?" he asked China. "Pay attention, aru," China simply answered. Germany was lecturing everyone about global warming again.
And...
Cue America.
"Ha! Why don't we just genetically engineer a super hero to protect the earth! We'll call him Super Hero Global Man!" America said, jumping up on the meeting table and striking a heroic pose.
Again, I tried to gain Russia's attention. "R-Russia," I said. "You're sitting on me..."
He looked at me. "Oh, hello, Matvey~!" he chirped. "How long have you been there?"
"Th wh-whole time," I stuttered. "S-so, would you p-please get off of me?"
"Ah...nyet. You are very comfortable, da?" Russia answered cheerfully. "B-but you're squishing me a little!" I weakly protested.
"A little?" Russia repeated. "If I am squishing you a little, then you are not yet flat," he points out. "A lot!" I gasped. "You're squishing me a lot!"
"Hm...Okay then," Russia said. He stood. I immediately scampered away. I looked around. All the other chairs were full. I sighed and sat on the floor against the wall. Were all the meetings going to happen this way?
XXXXXXXXXX
When I wake up, Belarus and Ukraine are gone, and England is passed out on the floor, using his spell book as a pillow. I don't think anyone is awake but me. I can almost feel Russia still sitting on me...! I look at my stomach, just to make sure he's not, and I see a brown kitty is nuzzling my shirt affectionately. "Hey, Russiacat," I say, still half-asleep. "When did you get here...?" Upon seeing me awake, Russiacat starts licking my face with his scratchy cat-tongue. I giggle weakly, and Russiacat curls up in a ball next to my neck, occasionally batting his paw at the chain of my necklace.
XXXXXXXXX
When I wake up again, I hear panicked voices. I'd say it's three in the morning. "What. Do you mean. She's gone," England asks in a low and ferocious tone. Prussia says, "I mean she left! She left a note, too! Here, look!" Across the dimly lit room, Prussia thrusts a paper at England. I notice Dimah, Harvey, Jia Li, and Josh sitting up, and I do, too.
England's face remains emotionless while he's reading it. Then he slaps a hand to his forehead. "'Just a casualty'...! What were you thinking!" he says in shock. Is he repeating what he read? "What's going on?" I ask. Prussia and England hesitate. "...Nothing," Prussia answers. I've often seen Lauren glaring at people when she thinks they're lying, so I put as much anger as I can into my eyes. They don't crack. They both, however, shift uncomfortably; I guess they're not used to seeing my eyes this color. "Who's just a casualty?" I ask.
"...Lauren..." England finally answers.
"...What?" I ask. "Casualty means dead, right?" I ask, trying without success to ebb the flow of horror dripping into my voice. England, in answer, reads the note.
"'To whom it may concern. So, I have recently had an epiphany regarding the fact that I am worthless now...'" A small noise of protest escapes me, but England reads on. "'Even though I saved Issa once and Arthur once, that's all I seem to be able to do. I'm going to prove my worth and attempt to save Russia. It's foolish, but I feel like I need to do it. If I end up dead, I'm just a casualty. Be careful.'" Here, England turns to Dimah, who is listening intently, a look of worry plastered on his face. Instead of reading the note, he says, "She loves you..."
England fold the note and stows it in his pocket. "...and that's it..." Prussia pipes up. "No, there was a P.S." England looks at it again. "'I took the Union Jack bracelet so if you want it, there's a bit of visual surveillance.'"
Dimah and I respond to this at the same time. "Let me go," we say in unison. England looks sad. "I- I can't. We can't lose you two. You must stay here." It looks like he regrets it with all his life.
"England, let me go," I say, fighting to keep my voice level. Dimah seems strong enough to break the ropes, but I'm sure not. "England, I need- I need to go after her. She- she has the bracelet, he's sure to recognize it. Please, untie me." England shakes his head again. "I can't. You can't go after her. Nor you," he adds to a struggling Dimah.
"I need to get her back, I need to make sure she's safe," Dimah says, panic in his voice. "I can't lose her. I can't!" England takes a shaky breath. "N-nor I..." he admits. "B-but neither of you, any of you," he adds to the conscious lookalikes, "can go get her. You all need to stay h-here..."
"B-but-...!" Dimah weakly protests, still fighting to break the ropes. Shock seems to have weakened him. "The camera," I say determinedly. "England, she has the camera!" I start to struggle. I'm nowhere near strong enough. "P-please...!" Only later did I realize that tears came at that moment.
"Wh-what if you have another memory take over?" England asks. "Then it happens, you can just tie me to a chair in there, okay?" I ask, twisting my hands back and forth in a fruitless effort to try to escape. Finally, he agrees.
I rub my wrists and sprint down the hallway; Dimah easily outstrips me in his terror. England runs behind us. When we get to the computer room, I nervously rock on the balls of my feet while England turns on the camera. The quality is easily worse than before.
When it finally focuses, I see red. Lauren seems to collapse, and a scream emits from the speakers. I stand there, trembling and in hysterics. Dimah is up close to the screen, panting as if he's just run a mile. His fingers clench and unclench.
Out of what seems to us like nowhere, Lauren shrieks, "NO, YOU BLOODY CAT!" She sobs for a second while Teacup, I guess, answers. "H-how...?" she asks. Quiet footsteps mingle with Lauren's gasps. Teacup's answer is quick. "No, you bloody- nngh!" Lauren's refusal is cut short, and the camera twitches into a blur.
"NO!" she shouts. She doesn't say anything for a long time. "You've never given me any reason to trust yo- AGH!" I find myself next to Dimah, England's hand comfortingly on my back. The camera shakes for a long time, and Lauren screams again. B-but...it's only half her voice, if that makes any sense. I can't really explain it. It's like someone else screamed at the same time.
"So, do you feel like talking yet?" Germany asks. I can hear the smirk in his voice. Make me wanna kick it off. Along with a few teeth. "Shut up, potato *beep*. I have nothing to say to you," Lauren and someone else say at the same time.
Is...is Teacup...talking through her?
"Who is that?" Dimah pants. "Teacup," I say, my voice shaky. "Her demon. She l-let him take over. She let him."
"...Maybe torture wasn't the way to get you to talk..." Germany muses, thinking aloud. "You think, stupid Nazi?" Lauren and Teacup chorus. Quiet...Then, Germany is yelling in pain. "GET BACK HERE!" he shouts as the camera is insanely blurry. They're running. Dimah mumbles "Run, go...!" over and over under his breath.
I'm pretty sure they jump down an entire flight of stairs, and they're outside when only Teacup's voice shouts, "I know that!" The camera is whirled around, and I see the green of Germany's outfit. Then he roars, and Lauren and Teacup are off again. I don't think Germany follows.
Lauren finds a train station and buys a ticket. The look on the ticket-seller-person's face is priceless, but Lauren must be in really bad condition. I find myself chewing on my nails, but I don't care. Lauren gets on a train, finds an empty compartment, and lays on the floor. Lauren's face come's into view; her hand is level with her face. Then the camera doesn't move for a long time. Lauren's face seems okay, although lightly scratched on a few places. There's a shallow cut on her neck, right next to the deep one she made. She lost her scarf. But her brass locket that she produced out of nowhere is okay. For a minute, I was afraid she died, right there on the floor of a train, but I see her nostrils flare with every breath.
"...Alright..." England says. I notice him wiping tears from his own face. "...Back to the infirmary..." I nod meekly and follow him, but Dimah stands next to the computer. "C-can I stay?" he asks quietly. "Th-that's not such a good idea..." England says. Dimah looks back at Lauren's peacefully sleeping face, sighs, and nods. Before he leaves, he runs his finger over the monitor where Lauren's cheek would be.
When we get back to the infirmary, I bury my face in my pillow, trying to hide my sobs from Josh, who is conscious. Russiacat bats at my hair, and I twitch my head to try to get him to stop. But he noses his way under my arm and in the crook of my neck. His fur tickles. Russiacat licks my neck, mewling a bit in my ear. "...Silly cat..." I mumble, too softly for anyone but Russiacat to hear. He presses his kitty-nose behind my ear.
I feel myself start to drift off into another memory. "No..." I say firmly to myself. I am going to stay awake. I am going to help Lauren when she gets back, I think. I lift my arm when Russiacat squirms, and he hops on my head, which is still buried in the fluffy-ness of the pillow. He starts chewing on my hair. Still, as I grit my teeth and fight off the memory, I see a few parts of what it was going to be flash against my closed eyelids. I can almost smell gunpowder. I see a few tan horses. And snow. Lots and lots of snow. There is an echoing of dying men's screams in my ears. I'm glad I'm trying hard to fight off this one...
"Issa..." I hear a voice say softly. I peek out to see Renae and Mom. Without a second thought, I spring up and wrap both of them in my arms. I still have to remind myself to speak English. "Wh-what are you doing up this late?" I ask. Both of them frown in confusion. "We couldn't sleep...I thought there was some weird magic-science thing keeping you from speaking English...?" Mom says. "There was. But, something's happened, and now I can speak French as well as English and Japanese," I tell them, smiling even though all I want to do is cry. "Well, what happened?" I shake my head. "Beats me. I think I'm...I think I'm turning into a personification of Canada," I say.
They're silent for a minute. Then Renae says, "You have cat spit in your hair." I laugh and look down at an innocent-looking Russiacat. "Thanks a lot," I tease, ruffling his fur. "You're turning into a personification of Canada?" Mom asks, raising an eyebrow. "What's going to happen to the other guy?" I shake my head again. "I have no idea the specifics. All I know is I'm getting flashbacks of the other Canada's memories. So...Am I Canadian in any way?"
Mom laughs a little. "I guess I forgot to tell you. Or maybe I told you a long time ago and you forgot. Your dad was Canadian. He got American citizenship before we were married," she says. I grin.
It is at that moment that Canada walks in, looking for Kumajirou again. "Hey, Mattie," I say. He looks at me. "We're related." He smiles, and continues his quest. I look back at Mom. "I think it's sweet that you still use Dad's last name instead of your maiden name," I tell her. She smiles sadly. "You know, you're the spitting image of him. When you had to leave, it was like he died again," she says. "And then you left," she says while petting Renae's hair. "and it was so unbearable that I had to go looking for you. My boss gave me time off because I took it as vacation time. So this is your vacation. Having fun yet?" I laugh at her joke. Unable to answer, I hug her again. A few seconds later, I pull Renae in the hug, as well.
Renae's stalker-dog jumps on the bed and licks her hand. "This is Kaiteki," she says, depositing him on my lap. "Comfort," I translate as he puts his paws on my shoulder and attempts to lick my face off. When that fails, he attacks Mom with doggie kisses. Then, after Mom pushes him away, he jumps on Renae. "Such a high-strung doggie," I say, scratching his head. "You think Oz will like him?" Mom asks. "You mean we're going to keep him?" Renae asks. I can see she didn't expect this, and she is overjoyed. "Of course!" Mom exclaims. "He was loyal enough to follow you across two countries, so, why not? He might just stow away on a plane to America if we don't!"
"Where is Oz?" I ask. I miss the little ball of brown and white fur more than words. "Mrs. Davies volunteered to watch him. Your mom?" she adds to Josh. "What?" he asks. it looks like he was about to fall asleep. "Oh. My mom. Yeah." He sits up. "Uh...why are you...?" Mom asks once she sees the rope. "The flashbacks just kind of possess us," Josh explains. "We don't know what we're doing when we're experiencing one." I nod. "In one, Canada was mad at America, and I guess I started strangling the America lookalike," I say. When Mom looks horrified, I hastily add, "I didn't mean to, it's just Canada was doing it in the memory, and I thought I was Canada...so...Yeah..."
Renae suddenly gasps. "You eyes are purple!" she exclaims. "Yeah. They changed," I say. "Like them?" I joke, batting my eyelashes at her. Renae laughs. "It's very unique," she says. "Dimah's eyes are naturally violet," I say, pointing at him. Dimah is leaning against the wall with his back to us, breathing unsteadily. "...Is he okay?" Renae asks. "It's stressful for him," I say. "Well...You know Lauren? Lauren Cohen?" I ask. They nod. "Well...The real Russia is with Germany, and he's most likely being tortured. Lauren...decided to go try to free him by herself..." I say, bowing my head. "I think she was tortured, too...but she's on her way back now...I hope..." I brush away a few tears and finish. "She's Dimah's girlfriend," I say.
Renae takes my hand and strokes it. Kaiteki, true to his name, tries to lick my face again. Mom puts her arm around my shoulders. "I think England considered her as his daughter, with her being his citizen, and all," I say, watching England pace back and forth in the hallway. He's muttering to himself, his hands jammed firmly in his pockets. I can almost see the little purple depression marks around him.
What's England doing...?
I jump violently. "Who said that?" I demand, whipping my head around. Everyone conscious gives me a weird look. "Who said what, sweetie?" Mom asks. In the hall, Canada asks, "England, are you okay?" Now it's Josh's turn to jump. "What the heck...?" he asks. "What? Oh, yes, Canada. I'm fine, just worrying..." England says, resuming his pacing.
Poor England...Lauren's like his daughter...
"Okay, seriously, what's going on?" I ask. There's a voice in my head, and it's not mine. It's really quiet, but I can still hear it. I sit with my ear cocked towards the ceiling for a few minutes, and when I don't hear anything, I shrug. That was weird... I think.
Canada pokes his head in. "What's weird?" he asks me. My eyes widen. "Oh...my...gosh..."
Canada...I think...we're reading each other's minds...
Canada jumps. What the maple!he thinks. "...What's happening?" Mom asks me. "I don't think you want to know," I tell her. "Yes I do," she says. "..I don't think I can explain..." I say. Man, I think, I thought I was invading your privacy by seeing your memories, but this blows that away.
Yeah, no kidding! This is really wrong, Issa, I don't know what's happening...
Me neither. It's scaring me a little...
England pokes his head in and points at Josh. "...You're in my head," he accuses. Josh gives a half-hysterical laugh. "You're in mine!" England pinches the bridge of his nose and paces faster. After a few seconds, Josh exclaims out loud, "Dude, just speak English!" England glares at him for a second. "I am! How do you not understand the quantum theorium of-"
"I don't even know what a quantum whatchamacallit is!" Josh says in exasperation. "What the bloody- how are you my lookalike! Are you even British at all?" England snaps. "Yeah, I was born in London, and both my parents were British citizens until they immigrated!" Josh says. "And I'm not happy being your lookalike, either!"
They seem to have a very long and angry conversation through their minds.
...Should we step in...? Canada thinks.
No, they should work this out for themselves...I think back.
Alright, if you say so... Canada thinks. It's kind of nice...the angry tension... I don't think that last part was intentional for me to hear. ...do I even hear it? I don't think I hear his voice. It's more like his voice is just...there. It's just there, and I know what he's thinking...if that makes sense, which it doesn't to me.
...You're a purebred yandre at heart... I tell him. ...A very scary one. And nobody noticed this but me?
Canada laughs. I guess not. I have to watch what I think around you.
You'd better.
"...Is that what's happening? You can read minds?" Mom asks. "Only Mattie's," I say. She doesn't say anything. "What's he thinking right now?" Renae whispers to me. "...Where's Mr. Kumaguy, what the maple is happening, how's Lauren doing, and I want maple syrup, all at the same time," I tell her in a whisper.
Hey...!
Oh, come on. Not like it's a secret. An evil thought suddenly occurs to me. Hey...now you can't keep secrets from me. Ha ha ha.
...Great... Canada sighs. But this means I can stop you if you ever want to try to single-handedly take down Germany again. Ha ha ha.
...*sigh*...
Kumawhatever ambles in the open door. "Rawr. I'm hungry," he says. "Is that a polar bear?" Renae asks eagerly. "You know, when polar bears are on this ice, they lay down to keep from falling through!" While Canada talks to him and Renae relinquishes a few more little-known facts about polar bears, I kinda let my mind wander a bit.
You know, your mind changes direction so fast, it's beyond me how you're staying still,Canada tells me. Just knowing what you're thinking makes me hyper.
I laugh. I have an over-active imagination. Get used to it.
A sudden darkness takes over my mind. 'Dark' is the only word I can describe it with. It's like a combination of sadness and anger. It all just comes back to...dark... Kumableep seems to sense it, because he buries his face in Canada's shirt and trembles. Kaiteki stands up and growls at me and Canada, and the air; he's just spazzing out in a frenzy of doggie-overprotectivness.
Excellent. It's like a party, someone says.
What's that?Canada asks. I can feel his rising panic. I groan and rub my temples. Not you. Go away, get out of my head.
Like you can make me.
Why are you here? I ask the voice. Canada starts to think something, but I think directly to him, Stay out of this.
Oh, I think you know why I'm here, darling.
No, I don't. Just leave me alone and go hijack a spider's mind, or something.
I'm visiting a friend. He should be here soon.
...a friend... I repeat.
How stupid are you? That's what I just said!
Hey, don't talk to Issa like-Canada starts.
For once, my human is right. Stay out of this, country. Let the little brat fight her own fights.
But-
Please, Canada, I think, giving him a look of desperation. He frowns, but stops talking to my demon. In the back of my mind, he's thinking, I don't like this. I don't like this at all.
Anyways, I'm just popping in now to say hello. We're going to learn a lot more about each other. Won't that be fun?
Get. The crap. Out. Of. My. Head. I think angrily.
Hm...No thanks, hon. We're roomies now. Get used to it.
Why can you talk to me now?
Because I want to. If I had it my way, I'd use your body to wring the necks of every idiot in here...but this will have to do. We can talk easier, too, instead of waiting for you to sleep. Isn't that great?
No, it is not great! I shriek at her. Get away, go possess someone else! I have a sudden vision. It's not like a blackout, because I can still see everything around me. Yami stands there, and Canada is there next to me. I grab his imaginary hand, glad for some comfort. I can see the real Canada jump, and Kumajiji jumps from his arms and hides under Dimah's bed. Dimah peers curiously at the bear, but doesn't move much more than that.
She looks like you... Canada muses. Yeah, I think she is me, I answer.
Yami smirks. How cute. He's like the father you've never had.
Sh-shut up. I didn't know my thoughts could stutter. Huh.
Today, Yami wears black combat boots and black skinny jeans. Her shirt is half-long-sleeved and half-tank top. Meaning, her right sleeve reaches her wrist, and her left sleeve is just a band on her shoulder, which is shiny red and burned like mine. I'll give you one guess on the color (coughblackcough). Like always, she's wearing a ton of make-up. I don't look any higher than her nose, which is slightly up-turned, but her hair is loose around her shoulder. I don't think Canada was ready for the pure black eyes, because he jumps and grasps my imaginary hand tighter.
This is just a heads-up. You'll be hearing a lot more from me, she says, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
Thanks, I guess, I think, rolling my eyes. If you came to be polite, the least you can do is leave my mind alone.
Funny, Yami says in a way that suggests she thinks that was the opposite. See you later, twerp.
And as suddenly as the vision started, it ends. "What was that!" Canada exclaims. Not wanting to make Mom and Renae worry even more, I answer in our heads.
Her name's Yami. She's me, but not.
She's you...but she's not you...
Yes. She's every bad thing I've ever thought, morphed into a demon.
...That's not cool...
Yeah. No kidding.
From somewhere down the hall, China cries "Aiyaa!" Canada curiously begins to walk down that direction. What is it? I ask. He doesn't answer me directly, but he's thinking, Oh, no, Lauren, please don't be dead...that's a lot of blood... Then he starts thinking about how much blood a human body can hold and estimating how much blood Lauren has lost.
I stand up and fly out the door, but Prussia stands in my way. "Let me through," I say. My voice shakes. "The Awesome Me was told not to do that. I'm sorry. England said something about you and the Russian dude panicking. Sorry," he says. I glare at him. "Prussia. Back. Off."
"I'm sorry! England said he'd do some magic voo-doo or whatever on me if I didn't!" Prussia says. He looks genuinely apologetic. But he's still in my way. "I'll be nice to you. One more chance before I get Dimah. And I'm sure said Russian will not appreciate being away from his girlfriend any longer than necessary. Back. Off."
Prussia doesn't answer. I start backing toward the infirmary, ready to call for Dimah. Then Prussia moves aside. Completely losing my angry side, I grin and hug him. "Thank you!" Before he can do more than breathe once, I run down the hall.
Nothing could have prepared me for the sight.
Lauren is laying on a sheet that someone brought in order to keep blood off Austria's fancy carpet, which would cause said stuck-up to blow his top. Her black shirt is mangled, but covers what needs to be covered. Her worst injury seems to be a stab mark in her shoulder. But she still has a lot of cuts on her, varying in length and deepness. She's lying on her side, because she has gashes on her back, as well. Long, straight gashes that have no particular pattern: whip marks.
My gasp draws the attention of England, who is sanitizing her wounds. His expression is comical when he sees me, but I don't care. I clear my face of all emotion and sit next to him, grabbing a rag from a bowl full of a concoction that China made, and I begin wiping it on Lauren's back. She flinches, but doesn't move much more than that. I guess it stings a little.
Issa, we've got this, you need to go back and rest.
You had better shut up and leave me alone, I warn him. I am not in a good mood and will snap if pushed any farther. This is for your sake, and everyone else's around here.
Canada stops thinking to me.
England doesn't approve of my presence, but he keeps his mouth shut. I guess as long as I'm (appearing) calm, I can stay; he did anticipate a big fuss coming from me and/or Dimah.
Dimah comes. His footfalls are slow and hesitant, but they speed up to a jog, and he's there on Lauren's other side. Tears are slowly dripping down his face, but he doesn't seem to care. He puts his hand next to Lauren's mouth, and when he feels her breath, he seems to relax slightly. He gently takes her hand and wipes a trickle of blood from her mouth. Dimah bends over and puts his face next to her's, his breathing slightly increasing in a sob. None of the countries in the room (England, Canada, China, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein) seem to have the heart to make him leave.
Spain comes in, accompanied by a grumpy Romano. Please leave. You two are annoying, Canada thinks. It's probably a good thing that he kept that in his head, but I still shoot a look at him. Spain gasps. "What happened to segnora Lauren?" he exclaims. "Go away," England snaps. "But we want to help! Right, Lovi~?" Romano tugs on his sleeve. "...No. Too many helpers do more bad than good. C'mon," he says, half-dragging Spain out of the room. "Thanks, Romano, aru," China calls over his shoulder. Romano's reply is faint. "Shut up..."
Romano's so tsundre, I think absently.
S-so, if I'm yandre, which is like evil, then what does tsundre mean?
Yandre means cute and childish, yet completely evil. Tsundre means tough on the outside, but a big marshmallow on the inside. Like England, I tell him as I finish sterilizing Lauren's whip marks and sit back, hugging my knees to my chest. England pats me on my shoulder, and I slap at his hand; the burn still hurts.
Oh, okay. That makes sense. So Russia's a yandre?
Yeah.
"Where should we put her?" Switzerland asks. "The infirmary is full." He shoots a look at Dimah and I, but we both shoot one right back. Before anyone else can say anything, Dimah wraps the sheet around Lauren's limp form and picks her up bridal-style, making sure to support her head. He starts walking down the hall. "Hey, wait!" England calls. Dimah doesn't stop.
There's something about the way he's walking that makes everyone shy away. I wonder why, then I feel the scary aura around him.
Yep. He's Russia's lookalike.
We follow Dimah back to the hospital room. He walks over to his corner of the room, gently and tenderly places Lauren on his bed, and then lays down next to her. He puts his arm around her, and his message is clear: Anyone who tries to take her away has to go through me.
That's so romantic...! my mind squeals.
Canada's still thinking about the yandre/tsundre thing, and he starts labeling everyone either yandre or tsundre. Dimah's a yandre... he thinks. I send him a mental picture of me facepalming to show him how I feel. He glares at me, then laughs a little.
England tentatively approaches Dimah. "She still needs stitches..." he says. Reluctantly, he moves Lauren on his lap, elevating her head. England sews up her shoulder, and a few of the deeper cuts. Then they work together to shove Lauren's arms through the sleeves of a hospital gown. Dimah sits up against the wall; Lauren is leaning against his chest, and Dimah has his arms wrapped protectively around her waist.
Aww...
I think Lauren might be a yandre, too...
Will you shut up about that?
Canada sends me a mental picture of him sticking his tongue out at me. I turn around and do just that.
Lauren starts to stir. She whimpers, and Dimah whispers to her, "It's okay, I've got you, I'm here..."
Finally, Yami says. He's here. Took him a while.
You're talking about Teacup?
Who else, retard?
Lauren's eyes open. Dimah flinches. I move closer to see why.
One of her irises are red.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Rin's POV
Both of them are silent. Japan, I would expect this. But Germania is just angry about him being here. I'm not too happy with his presence, either, but I suck it up. He doesn't know where he is any more than I do. I have already made it crystal-clear: as soon as we find civilization, this alliance is over.
We've been walking around in circles for hours. Towards the beginning, Germania was muttering complaints about Japan and threats to Japan, but he's quiet now. I've just been worrying in silence longer than either of them. Where are Alex and Sydney? Are they okay? How are they doing?
They're most likely not doing well. Mr. Whatever took them. He's probably punishing them right now for running away. Maybe torturing them to find out where I am. The thought sends a shiver up my spine that has nothing to do with either of the country's presence.
I look up at the sky, through a small clearing in the foliage. The night stars twinkle and dance, challenging the mood of our group. Behind me, Japan stops. "We should stop for the night," he suggests. I nod and climb the nearest tree, going as high as I dare. I wrap my scarf around me and tie it to the trunk, securing me for the night.
It's more comfortable than sleeping in the snow.
About twenty feet below me, Japan is leaning against the trunk in a fork of two branches. Germania is ten feet below him on the ground, sitting with his spear in his hand. He seems to want to be the first guard.
The calamity of the day overwhelms me. I blink my eyes, fighting off tears. I am not going to cry. To keep my mind off it, I remove my glove and scrape the back of my hand against the rough bark. It stings, and it's not enough to stop a thin flow of tears to spill from my eyes. I hold my breath to keep myself from sobbing.
Soon, there is a steady stream of blood dripping from my hand. Immediately, I curse myself for doing that. I pull off my boot, remove my sock, and unsheathe my katana. I cut finger-holes in the sock and pull it over my hand. I could not do this with my glove, because that would draw attention to it. Come tomorrow morning, my bloody sock will be hidden under my boot, and my glove will hide the marks.
...I told myself I'd never do that again...
XXXXXXXX
When I wake up, it's light again. My hand stings when I untie my scarf. I replace my sock back on my foot and my glove on my hand. No one will ever know. No one but me.
I climb dangerously high and look around. No clearings. We're still lost. Over to the east, there is a valley. Maybe there's a river over there. That means, if it's thawed, we'll have water. I jump down. "That was graceful," Germania says. "Thank you," I say. "Which direction?" Japan asks politely. "East," I reply. "Alright, then."
We walk in silence. I lead, following the sun. An hour or two later, the ground starts to slope downward. Then it cliffs.
I stop at the very edge and peer over. Fifty feet down, at least. Below, the river makes a faint babbling sound; I guess it's running too fast to freeze over. On the other side of the river, there's no cliff. The forest goes all the way to the river. I duck behind a bush suddenly: there are people camping down there.
The men down there are nothing but ants from this angle. Vaguely, I see their black jackets and tan pants. They have a campfire next to a blue and white tent. Their voices echo faintly, and I can barely make it out.
"..don't know why we have to sit out here and freeze our butts off while they're inside with the little brats..." one man says. "Well, she's bound to come. Just think of how well we'll be rewarded when we get 'er," a second says.
They're talking about me.
Sydney and Alex are somewhere near.
Japan and Germania materialize next to me. "Well?" Germania asks. "I think they're the ones who took Sydney and Alex. That means they're somewhere around here," I tell him. "...And, apparently, I have a very high price resting on my head."
"That won't be a problem," Japan says. A mischievous smile plays on his lips. I frown. "What are you planning?"
His smile only widens.
XXXXXXX
Fifteen minutes later, I am positioned around the campfire.
As live bait.
I am to attempt to attack them, and let them win. Then, Germania will jump out of the bushes and attack them. They probably won't take him seriously, so Japan will step in and finish the job. Then, Japan will dress in their clothes and sneak in there, free my friends, and we'll escape.
I take a deep breath and step from the shadows. I charge, swing my sword. It is fended off with a metal rod. A few minutes of fighting, and I pretend to let them knock my sword out of my hand.
"Finally...!" one of the men grumbles. Germania charges. "Aw, look, she's got a friend!" the other coos.
That's when things go wrong.
All it takes is one bad move from Germania, and the wood falls in the fire, spreading it. For a second, everyone is frozen. Then the two men run.
The fire spreads, cornering them. It seems to have gone in a circle around us. "The river!" one man shrieks. They sprint into the river and swim across, and then they try to climb the cliff. A flaming tree falls, knocking them back into the water.
"Come on!" Germania yells, taking my hand and dragging me away. My gasp of pain is hidden by the roar of the fire. I don't know where Japan is. We run, and finally, there is a small clearing: a concrete building.
"Bad!" I yell over the noise. "Very bad!" I steer Germania back into the flames, and we dodge falling trees. More men pile out of the building with fire extinguishers, but I know it won't be enough. Once or twice my sleeves catch on fire, and I beat it out. Then my gloves seem to burst into flames, and I am forced to remove them. I stuff them in my pocket, hoping this will extinguish the flames.
Everything is burning. Red, orange, and yellow lights dance everywhere, and thick black smoke restricts breathing. Both of us are coughing violently and covered in ash. "Back to the river...!" I choke, pulling on Germania's sleeve. He nods, squinting at me through the haze, and we run.
But where is it? We've gotten lost again.
I desperately look up, hoping to see even the tiniest flash of blue sky through the cloud of black, but my wish is not granted. Desperation makes me attempt to climb, half-dragging Germania up with me. It's risky. Very, very risky. An inexperienced climber like Germania couldn't go very far if I wasn't helping him. Occasionally, I'd turn and give him strangled advice on where to put his hands and feet so he wouldn't fall.
The air slowly began to clear. Finally, we could breathe. Germania latches onto the trunk the exact moment I stop, and he clenches his eyes shut. "H-how high up are we...?" Breathing heavily, I look down. The thick layer of smoke makes it hard to tell. "I don't know," I say. All I can tell is that this has turned into a full-fledged wildfire.
A few of the men screamed a while ago. As much as they repulse me, I hope they're not dead. I don't like it when people die, no matter who they are. And yet, I would hardly mind if I died.
"We have to go back down," I say. Germania gives a shaky nod, but he doesn't move from his locked position until he hears me start the decent. I climb all the way down to make sure Germania gets down, as well.
(my Auntie's doggeh just came and sat next to me. Then I wrote this and he walked away. NU, SCRAPPY, COME BACK! D:)
We run again, coughing as the smoke once again invades our lungs. Out of the haze, a figure appears, and I notice it too late. I run smack into the man. "Ow! Japan!" I exclaim. Japan gets up and gives me a shove. "Come on. We've got to move," he says. Japan takes the lead. We dodge the flaming trees for a few minutes before the concrete building comes into view.
"Wh-what are we doing here?" I ask. "Don't you want to save your friends?" Japan asks over his shoulder. I grin and follow him. Inside, I draw my katana. Japan does, too, and Germania hefts his spear. No one comes. We creep down the hallway. Finally, it ends at a circular room with a door at the end. In the middle of the room, Alex is on the ground and Sydney is standing, but she looks weak. Our captor has a gun in each hand, pointed at their heads.
"No!" I shriek, lunging. Japan sticks out his arm, stopping me. "How nice of you to finally join. It is terribly rude to keep a person waiting, you know," he says, his natural Russian accent appearing. From the ground, Alex shifts and moans, "Rin, get out of here, leave us!"
"You know very well that I'm not going to do that!" I say. "Of course, it's not like you're going anywhere," Mr. Whoever says. "And you brought me two nations, excellent..." he adds, eyeing Japan and Germania. Germania snarls and lifts his spear higher. He looks funny, a small and weak boy pretending to be strong. He is, actually, strong. He's certainly picked up a few tricks in the millions of years he's existed.
I take a deep breath, trying to tame my fear. "You're going to let them go. The whole forest is burning, and if we stay here there's no chance at survival. We're going to leave," I say slowly, forcing myself to glare into his rusty-metal eyes. "And what makes you think I'm going to agree? You belong to me, Rin. Your parents sold you to me."
"He's lying," Sydney says sharply. "Don't listen to him." He presses the gun closer to her head. "Shut up," he growls. Then he continues. "You don't believe me, do you? He's your country. Why don't you ask him..." he says smoothly, nodding at Japan. I glance at him. "You- you knew my parents?" I ask, my voice breaking. He takes a deep breath. "They didn't want to. They were desperate, and they thought he was a good man. Rin, they loved you, believe me. It tore them apart to give you away. They've been saving, trying to buy you back. Don't let him get to you..."
My fingers tighten on my sword. My knuckles turn white, and I'm sure my face is, too. I can't help but be mad at my mother and father. What kind of parents would sell their daughter, no matter what the condition?
"No they didn't. You know what they said to me? They told me they were glad to be rid of you. You were never a good child, always hiding, climbing into odd places, scaring them whenever they walked past. You know what I'm talking about. You know." His eyes glint with cruel humor, mocking me further. I'm sick of him doing that. I'm sick of being afraid of him. I'm sick of him.
I want to charge at him, right then and there. I picture my sword stabbing him in the heart. But he has Sydney and Alex. I look at Sydney. With my expression, I tell her get ready. She nods at my silent message. I do the same for Alex. He doesn't look very strong, but he's at an advantage; his foot is on his back, and it would be easy for Alex to jump up while Sydney shoves him. He would most likely shoot a few times in panic, and we could disarm him.
Mr. Nameless, as I suddenly decide to call him, continues to taunt me, but I tune it out. I glance at Japan, and see if he can read expression. He must, because he nods. Germania takes a while, but eventually, he gets it.
I tap my foot on the ground once. It's as if I'm saying, wait. Not yet. A few more seconds...just let him get comfortable with his verbal abuse...and...
I nod.
All heck breaks looks.
In unison, Alex and Sydney shove him away, and then duck from the bullets. I rush forward to try to help, but they've disarmed him before I can get there. Still, I jump in the fistfight that ensues, but I use my katana, occasionally trying to stab him. And each time, he just pushes the flat of my blade away. Finally, I land a deep cut on the palm of his hand. He howls in pain, and Sydney and Alex punch him full-force at the same time. He falls to the ground, panting hard. Alex kicks him in the ribs, cussing in Italian. I raise my sword, preparing for the death blow.
But...
...I can't...
This man is the very face of men who deserve death. He deserves to be killed in a slow and painful way. But I can't even bring myself to deliver a quick death.
What good does it do to murder the murderer? Two wrongs don't make a right. They don't.
This man wouldn't hesitate to kill me and everyone I know and love. But I can't kill him.
I just can't.
So, instead, I slam my hilt on his head, effectively knocking him out. "...Rin..?" Alex asks. "Why did you..." I sigh and deliver a kick into Mr. Nameless's ribs in frustration. "I can't kill him. I know he deserves it," I add bitterly, "but I can't."
"...Alright. If it's not comfortable for you, let's just drag his sorry butt to jail," Sydney says, putting a hand on my shoulder. I turn around and hug her tightly. She yelps quietly, and I immediately release her. "What did they do to you guys?" I ask. "Nothing worse than this idiot did," Alex says bravely, nudging Mr. Nameless's lifeless arm with his foot. But I can see the weariness in his eyes. I raise an eyebrow at them. Alex grins and shrugs. "Fine. Let's got out of here," I say. But I shoot them a look that says We're going to talk about this later.
I tie up the repellant creature and stuff his head in a bag. Japan kindly offers to carry him out; we saw a few cars that weren't completely burned and maybe still usable. Germania takes a fire extinguisher, just in case. I wonder if he knows how to use it; he is quite old.
I help Sydney and Alex limp along the corridor; they're hurt more than they'll let on. Finally, we get outside. The fire's died down, and all of Mr. Nameless's men have fled. I think he'll be out for a while; I hit him pretty hard.
Japan hot-wires the car, and I pause. What if we find civilization? Then the alliance is broken, and none of us are in a strong enough state to stop him from doing whatever he wants. But I glance at my friends and their wounds. They won't be able to walk very far. And it's really cold. They can't stay in that condition in their situation.
So, for them, I put my our fate in his hands.
o3o
Hi.
I just finished that. It took me like, four days. But I did it. :3 Twas fun.
ONE! What do you think about the mind-telapathy-thingy?
TWO! Do you consider yourself more yandre or tsundre?
RANDOM QUESTION! What's your favorite type of animal?
FOUR! Do you stick your tongue out at people when they make you irritated?
FIVE! What's Japan going to do?
Okey. Those are the questions. Deal with them. Oh, and no, I'm not skipping three, the RQ is number three, but I label it RQ. So there. :3 And my favorite animal is polar bears, and yes, I do sick my tongue out at people. :P XD
Oh, and I went on another car trip whilst writing this. Right around the part when Lauren came back. Writing Dimah's reaction to that was fun~ :3
Anyway...
Pity comes too late, turn around and face your fate: an eternity with this! Before your eyes...
:3 I regret not my quoting of the Opera Phantom. :3
The tears I might've shed for your dark fate grow cold~ and turn to tears of hate!
o3o
All done.
All those who see your face draw back in fear. I am the mask you wear-
-it's me they hear!
I lied. XD