Thanks to Time Turner, Abc, juja0010, ANIMEisLIKEHISTORY, snowgem33, Saryana's, Viofan238, ScandinavianTrash, topaz3, Skye Phoenix Dove, pastaaddict, magicflyingmintbunnies and an anon for reviewing.

Thanks for the suggestions I received regarding the states with former nation status. Um, just one thing, since the one that sent it was a guest and I can't reply directly: It's kind of been confirmed that Wallachia is Romania, so I'm not going to use Wallachia, but how Romania fits in with this is kind of explained through the Wallachian history. There's actually another story I've started working on regarding Romania's identity as Wallachia.

And to make things clear, there will be no EnglandXPortugal, since it's already popular (on Portugal's side, at least). So it's a love triangle between Netherlands, China and Portugal.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 20

Guyana grumbled as he went towards his front door. In his opinion, it was still far too early in the morning for visitors.

He opened the door to see Venezuela, and his eyes widened at the gun pointed at his head.

"Hola," Venezuela said, before he pulled the trigger.

Pain erupted in Guyana's scull as he dropped to the ground. An ordinary gunshot, even to the head, couldn't kill a nation, but judging by Venezuela's smirk, that wasn't his intention.

"Sometimes it's a good thing they overlook us," Venezuela said, licking his lips. "Now, it's time to play."

…

Sealand relayed the information that Wales had given them to San Marino, who would relay it to Italy and Poland.

"Why exactly do you send the messages to San Marino?" Wales asked.

"We don't bother Italy or Poland unless it's really important," Wy explained. "Like when Black arrived. Moving to another base is less important."

"Italy and Poland are the strategists," Hutt River said. "If they're bothered by every single thing, then they'll never get a plan, and we'll be stuck."

"Leaving room for our enemies to make a move," Wales finished. "You need to give me San Marino's number then."

"You're going to have to get your phone synchronised with ours first," Hutt River said. "The Koreas, San Marino, Finland, Canada and Belarus can do that. We'll have to see whether or not one of them is nearby."

"Why's it so important to sync my phone?"

"We'll explain later," Sealand said, eyes focused on his phone. "They need our help."

…

Israel was on his way to see White. He wanted to speak to her, to make sure she was alright, and to gain her trust.

Before he could go to her room, Poland grabbed him and pulled him aside.

"Are you going to see South Africa?" Poland asked.

"Yes," Israel said. "Don't try to stop me."

"I'm not," Poland assured, "but you would need to pretend as though you're not here out of your own free will."

"I know."

"And, I want you to give her a few books to keep her occupied."

Israel arched his eyebrow, and he followed Poland to a room that he learned was a very impressive library. A few books had been set aside, and once Israel saw them, he turned to Poland.

"That is cruel," Israel said, but his voice was calm.

"The more hate we breed," Poland said, "the stronger we become."

…

Moldova was lying on his bed, simply staring at the ceiling. He didn't react when the door opened, expecting Romania to try to make him see their side again, or just to give him his food. He didn't want anything from the older.

"You know, you need to eat."

That voice didn't belong to Romania.

Moldova turned his head to regard Finland, who was standing in the doorway, a serious expression on his face.

"What are you doing here?" Moldova asked.

"Well, I wanted to spend some time with my boyfriend, after all," Finland said.

"You and my brother are together?"

"That's right."

Moldova stared at Finland for a moment before he narrowed his eyes.

"My brother is a monster," Moldova said.

"No he's not," Finland said. "He's a nation, just like you and me. And when Vlad the Impaler was his boss… Why do you think he was named after him? He always had that potential – everyone does – but he decided to indulge in the bloodlust. And that's what made him useful to our leaders."

"So in other words, he's just being used."

"No. He's a willing participant. But the point is, there are few things that keep him from going berserk in his bloodlust. One of those things is you."

"What do you mean?"

"In order to achieve our goals, we had to create a fake persona. Do you have any idea how much of a strain it is to be someone you're not? It drives you crazy. When Vlad discovered that he had a little brother… that was one of the happiest I've ever seen him. When he was with you, he didn't need to pretend. He cares about you, and you rejecting him the whole time – first with Russia, and now this – really hurts him."

"He's hurting that guy in his basement!"

"Only until his friends surrender. And according to the latest report, there's only one left."

"What's going to happen to him then?"

"No more pain. He'll be kept prisoner, or sent back to his own country. Either way, he won't be in anymore pain."

Moldova looked away.

"I don't like it," Moldova said.

"It doesn't matter if you like it or not," Finland said. "You're just going to need to accept it. For your sake. The only reason you aren't hurt is because Vlad doesn't want to hurt you. But if you keep pushing him away… There's a chance he might snap, and he'll do something he'll regret. And once one of us snaps…"

Moldova turned back to Finland.

"What happened?" Moldova asked.

"It was during the Winter War," Finland said. "We were both allied with the Axis, remember? Anyway, I was annoyed with Russia, and Vlad came to check up on me, partly because of Germany's orders, and partly because of our other alliance. Anyway, I was stressed, annoyed, and when he offered to help me… I lashed out, saying that I could handle things on my own. I… He told Germany that he ran into Russia. His arm was broken in four places because of me, and I broke six of his ribs. I… I loved him, but I hurt him. And I'm not the only one that's snapped like that. Point is, if Vlad snaps, he's going to hurt you. And he'll hate himself for it. So for your own good, I suggest you cooperate."

Finland turned around, walking towards the door.

"Wait," Moldova said, and Finland paused. "Do you… do you really love my brother?"

Finland turned around, a smile on his face, making him look like the Finland that Moldova was familiar with.

"With all my heart," Finland said, before walking out the room.

Moldova was left alone with his thoughts, pondering what the older nation had said. Romania didn't hurt him because he didn't want to hurt him, but if he lost his patience…

He could tell that Finland felt guilty about what happened. And Moldova remembered the incident. His brother had been bedridden for a week. He also seemed depressed during that time.

Moldova looked towards the food that Finland had apparently brought him. He couldn't antagonise them. He didn't want to get hurt.

But another part also knew that it was his brother. And he didn't want to upset Romania. Not because he would get hurt, but because he didn't want the other mad at him, and he didn't want to see Romania sad.

So Moldova stood and approached the food brought to him for the first time. He might not be happy about it, but there was nothing that he could do. He would need to cooperate.

He ignored the fact that he felt comforted by the knowledge that Romania really cared about him and didn't want to hurt him.

…

White looked up when the door opened. She had been trying to sleep, but without any success.

Her eyes widened when she saw Israel, who had his head bowed submissively.

"Don't tell me they got you too," White said, standing from her bed.

"Yeah," he said. "They let you move around if they think you won't cause trouble."

"Did you try to fight?"

"I… I wanted to, but… I keep thinking about the Second World War, and…"

White had moved closer as he spoke, and when she was close enough she wrapped her arms around him in a comforting hug. He clung to her, grateful for the affection.

"They know about Black," White said. "He wasn't affected by them, so we used him to deliver the message to the other nations. But now they know. And I have no idea what they plan to do to him."

He clung to her tighter, and she took it as his turn to try to comfort her.

"Do you think we could try to escape?" White asked.

"I don't think it's possible," Israel said. "I overheard them talking. They said that anyone they've conquered… Should they no longer be part of their territories, then they will die."

Her breath hitched, and he held her tighter.

"They wanted me to give you some books to read," he said. "I imagine it would be boring otherwise."

She stepped back, and he went towards the door, bending down to retrieve the books placed next to it. Her eyes widened.

"That's a lot of books," she commented.

He placed them on the bed, before turning to her.

"I'm sorry," he said. "But I… I need to lock the door."

"I know," she said. "You're as much a prisoner as I am. I don't want to get you in trouble. Dankie."

He gave a small smile, and she smiled back. He left afterwards, and she heard the door locking behind him.

She turned towards the books, sifting through them, and she paled when she saw what all the books were about. She wondered if Israel knew, but he wouldn't be that mean.

The books were all about the Boer War.

…

Israel was outside the room, his hands curled into fists. He had met Black South Africa before, and he had heard her complain about him more times than he could count. And she was worried about his safety.

He hated Black. He was mostly the reason why he and White didn't have such a good relationship like they used to. And Black was annoyed by Israel's treatment of him, but he had to understand. White was one of the first nations that had recognised him as a nation, and Israel didn't abandon her when the majority of the world wanted nothing to do with her. And once White got rid of the old regime and more nations started approaching her again…

Black got in the way between them.

Israel was unaware of the black ribbon around his hand, but it didn't matter. He wanted to know what Italy and Poland wanted to do to Black. And he wanted to be involved.

…

Liechtenstein smirked as she called San Marino. They finally had all of the Africans.

Well, almost all.

There was still Morocco to deal with, along with Black South Africa.

…

England had given the coordinates to the new base of operations to everyone present. They would each be going individually and meeting each other there.

Wales would be taking the micronations. None of them argued about it. It gave them the chance to talk without having to worry about possible eavesdroppers.

"Do you think they're suspicious of us?" Sealand asked.

"No," Wales said. "They show no indication. Only Black seems troubled by you, but it could be for other reasons."

"How's he with judging character?" Hutt River asked.

"He's horrible. He was a warrior, and once South Africa was unified, England stuffed him in the mines while he asked White to be the official representative."

"So, he'd hate England?" Wy asked.

"Less than White does. There was an Anglo Boer War and an Anglo Zulu War. The Zulus lost because they didn't have the initiative to continue like the first battle. They were used to fighting wars where only one battle decided the outcome. The Zulus were tenacious and relentless, but the Boers were stubborn. The Boers lost their second war because England – and by extension all of us – used dirty tactics. Scorched earth and concentration camps. Did you know that that's where the term comes from? Anyway, White hates England more because he didn't fight fair. He involved too many innocent citizens, and even used Black against her. There's also something else, but that would cause a long debate."

"So, White would be the most useful to us," Sealand said. "Not to mention, she's already part of our territory."

"What do they intend to do to Black?" Wales asked.

"Don't know," Hutt River said. "It's not our decision."

"Alright. So, why does my phone need to be synchronised again?"

"Because we're working on all the communications' satellites," Sealand said. "Once we have them all, they're going down."

"You're going to cut off all communication," Wales said.

"Yep. Except for ours."

"That… Is brilliant!"

"Naturally," Wy said. "Soon, they'll decide to go back to their own countries. And then they'll be cut off from each other."

"And they'd be easy pickings," Hutt River finished.

…

Christiana ran through the streets of Copenhagen, his lungs burning, and it wasn't just from the running. Freetown Christiana was burning, and he knew who was responsible.

He cried out when he fell, tears pricking his eyes. The streets were deserted, even if it was the middle of the day. The Danes knew that there was something bad. And they didn't want to be there.

Christiana knew that something bad had happened to Denmark. The small part of him that was connected to his brother/father figure felt empty. And he didn't know what caused it. He would need to see what the humans' opinions were.

He froze when he saw someone just in front of him, crouching down. He didn't look up, looking through his bangs towards the other. The figure was small, but familiar.

"There you are," Kugelmugel said. "You know, there's an easier way to get away. Oh, but you can't, can you? Not with your 'country' burning."

Christiana swallowed nervously, before looking up at the other boy.

"Why are you doing this?" Christiana asked.

"Because Denmark is no more," another voice said, one that Christiana recognised as Ladonia. "This land belongs to Finland now. And we can't have you running around anymore. You're a loose end."

Christiana winced when the other micronation pressed his foot down on his back, before he froze. Ladonia was no longer a micronation. He was now a true nation.

"W-what are you going to do to me?" Christiana asked.

Kugelmugel smirked, before producing a knife, causing Christiana's eyes to widen.

"All loose ends need to be cut," Kugelmugel said, his smirk widening.

…

Brazil was in his bedroom, simply staring at the ceiling. There was nothing that he could do. Nothing could free him from his situation.

He jumped when the door opened, and he sat up to see Argentina standing in the door, looking smug.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded. "Why are you in my house?"

"Because you're our territory now," Argentina said. "I can come in and out if I want to."

She crept closer, and he wasn't too keen on having her anywhere near him. He crawled further away on the bed, but she didn't let that bother her. Soon, she pinned him against the bed, applying her full weight.

"That's right," she muttered lowly. "You're our territory. As long as I don't kill you, Italy says I can do anything I want to you. Anything."

Brazil trembled as she pushed her mouth against his neck, sucking and licking the skin. He cried out in pain when she sank her teeth into his skin where shoulder and neck connected to each other. She bit harder, and he could feel himself bleed. Tears stung his eyes at the pain, and she only bit deeper.

She moaned, before pulling away. He felt sick when he saw the blood surrounding her mouth, which she licked clean.

"You taste delicious," she said. "If we didn't need you alive, I could just eat you up. But I can't even cut out a few chunks."

She leaned down and licked his wound, making him shudder.

"I guess I'll have to settle for this," she said. "I need to ask the others to save me a bite."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Venezuela, Chile and Peru are visiting Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana," she said.

"Don't hurt them!" he shouted.

"Too late. Their orders were to kill them. But there's no reason not to have a little fun. It's been a while since the four of us had nation flesh."

He could feel the bile rising in his throat. The four of them… There was a time when he trusted them. When he saw them as his friends. And now…

She climbed off him, and he sighed in relief.

"Come on," she said, a smirk on her face. "Italy actually wanted me to get you. You're going to home base."

"Do I have a choice?" he asked.

"Nope. None at all."

…

Switzerland sighed, knocking on the door. He assumed that it was the correct room. Otherwise, he would need to have a word with South Korea.

The door opened and North was revealed, looking a little tired.

"South isn't here," he said. "I think he said he's going for a walk."

"Can I wait for him here?" Switzerland asked.

Instead of answering, North held up his right hand, revealing the glowing red ribbon. Switzerland sighed.

"I'll call to find out where he is," he said, turning away. "Have fun."

The door closed behind him, and Switzerland decided to find his own lover.

…

Mexico was less than happy as she drove towards Morelia. It would seem that she had a little problem to take care of.

She should have dealt with the brat a long time ago.

When she arrived at her destination, she didn't even bother shutting off the car before opening the door and storming to the front door and pounding on it.

"Open up!" she shouted. "I have a bone to pick with you!"

She ignored the people walking around. They were supposed to be her people, but apparently someone was having trouble recognising that, and was trying to take that away from her.

The door opened, and the first thing she saw was the pair of brown eyes, before she noticed that the other had a gun pointed to her.

"Then talk," Michoacán said. "I'm listening."

Michoacán was a request from topaz3. And she fits in with what's going on. So all credit for her goes to topaz3.

Afrikaners still hold a grudge regarding the Boer War, and you'll see that some of them are not so fond of English, the language or the people. I also heard somewhere that the Boer War is the war that the British feel the most ashamed about, especially regarding the treatment of the women and children.

That other thing Wales is referring to is Apartheid. A lot of historians believe that English influence was the greatest factor for Apartheid, while others believed that a few events during the Great Trek were the main causes, for example the events which led to the Battle of Blood River.

And Game of Mirrors has been nominated for the Hetalia Awards, so if you liked it, please vote for it.