"Prepare for Trouble…" …Japan! "…And make it double…" …because you're stuck in a group with America and England! You're going to need SO much luck to survive…

Japan: I thank you for the vote of confidence.

Me: Oh be quiet~! It's not like anyone dies ((yet))

Japan: … Yet…?

Me:… *holds rag to his face silently*

Japan: *slowly gags & passes out*

Me:… I may or may not be a tad obsessed with Matthew Santoro… *ahem* I still don't own sh!t but my OCs! Now enjoy~! Still have the France threat…

They ended up in a small reading room with a wardrobe, more bookshelves, another table with some chairs surrounding it, and a small brown rug on the floor after heading the direction England had suggested they go before France had shouted earlier.

While England looked under the rug and America started looking the walls over for another door, Japan walked up to the wardrobe and searched for another clock or key. He didn't find anything but a few black outfits before America said, "Hey, check this out!" When they walked over to the squatted American, they found a molded wooden door that was about half the height of usual doors.

"Why would there be such a small door?" America asked. Come to think of it, the doorknobs in this place are pretty low down… Japan thought curiously. His mind suddenly warped back to the doors in the house, each having the doorknob placed lower than most doors would have them. Just who exactly lived here that needed lower doorknobs…? He wondered.

"… it?"

"Of course not, wanke-WHAT DID I JUST SAY!?" England yelled as America yanked open the door. "What's it look like? Annoying you! Hahaha!" He crawled through the door quickly, trying to avoid England's angry hands. Just before he was through the door, England smirked and closed the door, holding it shut. Japan facepalmed at his sudden immaturity. Only America can bring this side out of him anymore… or France, I suppose… Perhaps his siblings… But mostly America-san.

America realized he wasn't being followed into the damp tunnel as soon as the door slammed. "Hey! That's cheating!" What exactly had been his plan? This was a small, dark, damp cavern with only a small amount of lighting… Hold on.

After a look around, America realized two things: there were no light fixtures and the cavern had a long stretch before leading to an enclave on the other end, where the light was coming from. He slowly moved towards the light, very hopeful that he was right for once.

000o000o000o000o000

"So, Stevie," Spain began. When the auburn-haired girl looked away from the bird she'd been watching intently as it fluttered by, Spain continued, "I think all of us have been wondering… How did you know me?" Stevie bit her lip.

"Finally!" Romano shouted into the sky, causing the others to jump. "F-finally what, Roma!?"

"I thought this stupid author was never going to let us ask her that!" Spain slapped the back of his head. "Roma, how many times do I have to tell you: no breaking the fourth wall!" he scolded. "But-!"

"No buts!" There was a pause. "She's the one who typed that, chigi… Ow!" Romano glared at Spain before continuing the walk. "So… Answer?" Spain prompted. Stevie shared a look with Samuel.

"Well… It's complicated," she said after a minute. "We just… We know America and Canada-"

"And they told you! Chigi, I'm going to kill them! We always say humans can't know about us anymore-!"

"No they didn't, actually," Samuel said. "Our parents… Our adoptive parents know them. They met them a long, long time ago."

"Oh, really?" Austria asked in shock. "I didn't think anyone who knew any of us was still alive!"

"Heh… Well, you don't know our parents!" Stevie boasted. "They're, like, super old! You wouldn't believe me if I told you!"

"Try us, Princess. We've existed for hundreds of years, some thousands," Romano snorted. Stevie looked at her brother worriedly. "Ah… What does age matter then? If you've heard it all, there's no point!" Stevie said hurriedly, following with an odd laugh. Austria and Romano eyed her suspiciously-especially Austria.

"So, if you only knew of us, how did you know who we were exactly?" the ever oblivious Spain asked-well, not that oblivious anymore, but still. "Huh? Oh, uh… Y-your accents! They're pretty dead give-aways! Heh…" That's when it hit Spain.

"Hold on… Didn't you say you knew America and Canada? Then you said your parents did… And you tried avoiding our age question," he said slowly. Romano gave a fake-enthused clap. Stevie gulped and stopped, sweating a bit. "Ahaha… I-Is it just me, or is it h-hot out here? Phew, better go cool off in that river!" She darted off to her right, followed by her brother.

"Hey, get back here!" Romano shouted. They chased them through the thick trees, tripping and stumbling and stopping quite a lot, until they indeed came to a river.

"No way… I couldn't see that way back there!" Austria exclaimed. "I couldn't even hear it," Spain added. "So how did that princess…?" He froze when he spotted something hanging on a tree branch. "Chigi…"

000o000o000o000o000

"… England-san, I hate to interrupt your plan to scare America… but are you sure there's enough oxygen in there?" Japan asked. England snorted. "Please, to run his tiny brain? Of course there-!"

"Guys! Guys. Come here quick!" America shouted from a fair distance away from behind the door. Confused and (he would never admit) worried, England opened the door and went inside, just in time to be hit with a drop of water. It wasn't all that big, but it wasn't "small" either, and it landed right on his forehead. He shook it off in agitation, then looking up.

He paled when he saw a large, dark purple dragon that had rocky skin that blended in with the cavern resting on a small ledge not too far up.. It only took him a moment to recognize the clear liquid as the blood of cave-dwelling dragons that disguised their colors to hide from Humans.

"England-san?"

"Wh-what? Nothing. I'm fine, let's go," he said hurriedly, walking further down the cave. Japan was more curious as to why there even was a cave below a mansion. Had the owner asked for it? Had it been coincidence that the mansion rested over it? Or had someone-or thing- made it appear?

He glanced up to get a look at what England had seen. Instead of seeing something at first, he was hit in the eye with water. He ducked his head down and rubbed at it, a strange burning filling his eye that wasn't like that of water. When he looked up, he paled at the sight of a half-open, yellow dragon's eye. Instead of attacking him for invading its space, like England had said once in one of the tales he'd told to Japan, it puffed a ring of smoke. He frowned and remembered from other stories, if a dragon puffed smoke, it was dying. He shook his head when America yelled again and gave a small memorial speech for it in his head. This place had created a newfound respect for magic and its creatures that Japan couldn't have felt when he was younger.

"Looklooklooklooklooklooklooklooklooklook-!"

"We get it, America!" England snapped. He turned to look in front of them. "It's a wall."

"Noooo, look up!" America ordered cherrily. Japan and England both complied and were startled to find…

"A way out!" England exclaimed. "It's really another way out, isn't it?" Japan frowned as he tugged at the moss-covered rope ladder. "I don't think it looks very safe… But I suppose it's this or stay here longer trying to find the key…" he muttered.

"I'll go tell the others!" England volunteered, immediately running off. Japan started to follow suit, but America grabbed his arm. "Hey Japan…" he began hesitantly. Japan turned halfway back around.

"What is it, America-san?" Japan asked. A smirk crept onto America's face. "Well… Haven't you found it odd that I have yet to ask you why you brought me along?" he asked. Japan blinked and looked at him for a beat. He finally couldn't help but chuckle. It seems this place is changing us all…

"My, you've grown sharer, America," Japan said in amusement. America put his hands in the pockets of his bomber jacket and shrugged. "I've been reading the atmosphere a lot lately," he admitted. "I noticed you didn't quite look comfortable around Italy." D-did my body language really still show it…? Japan wondered. He couldn't stop himself from letting out a small sigh of relief.

"It seems, then, I can trust you with this…"

000o000o000o000o000

England had just entered the room again when he paused. He'd felt something odd in this room earlier, but he hadn't wanted to seem crazy. It was like something pulling him in, and only him.

Slowly, in trance-like motions, England moved towards the bookcase. When he was there, he bent down and was mildly surprised to be met by a box. When he pulled it out, his eyes widened.

"Wh-what in the…!?"

And that shall be where this early-morning update ends~! I'm SO glad my school was delayed this morning~! It's not a day off, but it sure is nice to have some free time! Thanks for those well-wishes, Flame, guys *nods to Flame, Hetalians, and peeps who silently wished for me to heal*, but it seems my ankle is only getting worse. I have a brace on it now, but it still hurts some… But I WILL keep updating on this! Not even DEATH could stop me! You hear me, not even DEATH! I don't want this story to fall away no matter what, you guys just don't deserve it! And no one could really take my place to finish this, it would look choppy and weird. Where da flip did this A/N get to!? Okay, um, see you later, bye~!