The bit about the texts going through different dimensions was not really thought through when I wrote it down, but I can excuse myself with the fact that the phones already had a connection with each other, thus the texts were able to go through. We don't frequently get texts from different realities because the phones from that reality have never texted ours, thus, they can't bridge the distance because they have no ending point. Or that's my reasoning of it at least, feel free to draw your own conclusions.

December 14, 2014

Arya's POV:

I skidded through a puddle of something best left unidentified, darting around a corner and flattening myself against the dreary brick wall. I slowed and then stopped my frantic panting, trying to slow my heartbeat as well, my eyes shut tightly.

I'm not here, I'm not here, I'm not here…I thought frantically, listening with all my might. I knew better than to peek around the corner and check for my pursuers: they'd probably throw something at me, and that something had about a ninety-five percent chance of being sharp, pointy, and fatal. I didn't even know who it was at this point –I did know that at the beginning of the chase 2p!America, Canada, and Italy had definitively been involved. Chills ran up and down my spine as I heard oaths in multiple different languages approaching, and dove inside a dumpster at the same time three pairs of feet flashed by.

Luckily, it was empty, and the hollow bang of me falling was serendipitously covered by their curses, which at this point were loud and foul enough to strip paint.

I trembled at the bottom of the dumpster as the footsteps pounded by: if they caught me, it was going to hurt. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out: the 2p!s were promising some pretty nasty things as they ran past, should they get their hands on me anytime soon.

I wasn't going to give them the chance.

I debated staying in here until pursuit died down, but that was unrealistic. If they found me, I'd be trapped like a rat, and even though venturing out was equally dangerous, it at least had the benefit of running space.

I was still bring chased in the strange, empty set of suburbs that I had been summoned, or more appropriately, dragged into, but I was nearing the edge of the "city", for I could see a distinct lack of roofs towards the direction the 2p!s had run. So, gathering my courage with both hands, I heaved myself out of the dumpster and peeked around the corner.

I couldn't see anyone on the street, and therefore, coast clear, I climbed up onto the dumpster, giving a little jump and catching the edges of the roof. Cautiously, I hauled myself partially over, then looked around again. No one on the rooftops either, thank god.

I dropped back down to the ground and set off in cautious pursuit of the empty space.

***Time Skip***

After Germany had texted me, I had decided to find something to eat, and by "find" I meant "steal". It wasn't like I could go to a supermarket or whatever; the 2p!s seemed to acquire food by the same means they crossed over, via sigils. I certainly hadn't seen any way they could get them here: this whole place seemed to be dying by inches.

Then again…that does make a kind of sense. After all, this isn't a "cannon" universe: maybe worlds are defined by their creators, and whichever one came up with the idea for a world first defines what kind of world it's going to be? This world and, more importantly, the people in it, were made up by different people who had different ideas about different characters and different ideas of what "their" world may look like. Because the reasoning defining this place is so convoluted, everything in it is either twisted or struggling for it's very existence.

This made as much sense as anything I was ever likely to come up with, and trying to ponder on it made my head hurt. For instance, why were the people from our world the ones to make up this universe? Did that mean our world was made up by someone else? Or that all these anime worlds actually existed, or just the most popular ones? Were the less popular ones like this, badly defined and warped? Did the fanbase have any pull in creating a universe, or was it just the original author? If the fanbase differed enough from what the original author created, did a different dimension form?

Sometimes an A+ in philosophy class is a bad thing.

But various intra-dimensional musings aside, I was hungry, I was in mild pain, and I had been under a lot of stress in the past few hours. Food was paramount, and a rest sounded even better. My blonde hair had been tied back in a ponytail for lounging about the library, but that hadn't saved it from the inordinate amount of dust and grime that populated this world. A bath would be nice, too.

A lot better than nice, if I was to be honest.

There was a distinct undertone of blood in the air, at first sickening, but, as one got used to it…mildly annoying, and it made me feel grimy all over. I was absurdly grateful for the sneakers I wore, because there were occasional puddles and streaks of liquid best left unidentified, in nearly every negative color you could care to think of, just incredibly bland or dull ones. Most of it was red or brown: I did not want to have my socks soaked with that substance. It looked nasty and beyond biohazardous.

Anyway, I eventually crept down the breadth of the street, and crossing my fingers, I cautiously peeked around the corner. No sharp objects flew out at my head, which I took as a good sign.

I was about to step into the open, before the sound of running feet sent me darting back into the shade of the building, and I watched with wide and frightened eyes as 2p!China, Italy, and Japan ran around the corner.

2p!China suddenly skidded to a stop and let out a hiss of exasperation. "Look idiots, we can't catch her like this!" he snapped, and the other two skidded to a halt a few paces away.

2p!Italy glared at the Asian nation dangerously as 2p!Japan remained silent and stoic. "What makes you say that, you stoned idiota?!" the former barked, and 2p!China shouldered the butcher's knife he had in his right hand.

"Think about it. How much noise does this place have normally?"

2p!Italy glared at him. "None! What's your point!?" he snapped, and 2p!China shrugged soundlessly, making 2p!Italy clench his fists.

"Well, we're making quite a series of loud sounds, aren't we?" he pointed out quietly, and 2p!Italy opened his mouth, his face contorted with rage, then realization came into his eyes and he swore under his breath.

"Shit. We've been making enough noise that the little cagna would've have heard us coming and bolted every time we came close." he muttered, and 2p!Japan nodded.

"I agree. At first it I thought it best to do that, since she might've made a mistake because she was afraid of us and ran too soon or too predictably, but it seems she's more canny than I thought."

2p!China tossed his blade up in the air and caught it by the hilt. "Despite the fact we thought the…originals…she had to help her were the main threat, she's more than dangerous enough on her own. It makes sense that Oliver wants her: she could prove a major stumbling block to the plan." he mused, and 2p!Italy snorted murderously as he began playing with his switchblade knife.

"Funny, I thought she already was. They undid nearly all our work possessing the others, and when I say all, I mean all. Every last one of us except America, Canada, and England have been exorcized from the originals, and it's only a matter of time before the others figure out what happened here!" he snapped.

2p!Japan spoke up again, ominously. "Unless of course, they don't figure it out, and are told."

2p!China and Italy looked at each other uneasily as he continued.

"There's no guarantee that just because her two friends have been secretive so far they won't talk now, especially now that their comrade is trapped here. They have every reason to pool their resources with the other countries to try and get her back, especially since our only three remaining are here, trying to catch her."

I perked up a bit at that. Maybe all was not lost, at least as far as my survival went.

All three 2p!s unsheathed their various weapons as my heart sank again, all the way down to my grimy sneakers.

"All the more reason to kill her now, before they can get to her." 2p!Japan said coldly, and I swallowed hard as they split up and began walking, quietly, along the streets. Before long, the trio of murderous doubles were swallowed up by the tangle of buildings, and I was thus confronted with three evil nations prowling out for my blood.

And I could no longer hear them coming.

11.26, USA Central Time