9:30 AM Just outside of Zierenberg, Germany

The cold water hadn't done Arthur any good, however Alfred felt a bit less hot to the touch after they had both fallen in because of a loose stone.

Walking wasn't any more comfortable, and the day was starting to heat up a bit. Perhaps it had done a bit of good, after all, because Arthur was relatively clean now. He liked that feeling.

Being clean.

Perhaps not so pleasant was the feeling of the stings and scrapes that had been suddenly washed clean- Arthur could only imagine how badly it had stung Alfred's wounds. But the young man hadn't made a sound, just shaken himself off, and laughed- a false laugh, but still a laugh, and tried to help Arthur to get back on the bank.

In the end, Moose had merely come up behind them, and given them a shove to remind them to keep going. Keep walking. Keep moving.

And they had. An hour or less, and they had covered more ground than Arthur had expected... and less, as he noted the tops of buildings between tree limbs and leaves.

"What city is that?" He asked, not really expecting an answer.

"Zierenberg." Belle's voice came unexpectedly, "You've gone maybe a mile from where you exited the box-train-thing. Moose is taking you on a roundabout way that isn't watched as much."

"Only a mile?" Arthur could feel the weariness weighing heavily upon him. "How are we going to get out of this place if we can only move a mile in an hour?"

"If you can remember how to steer them, there are boats at the dock. A couple of pixies are watching over one of them for me. It would be easier than walking." Belle flittered around to land on his shoulder, and jumped back when he yelped. "What happened-"

"He got shot at when we escaped," Alfred provided. "We didn't have anything to bandage it with after he got done with my leg."

"Your leg-" Belle seemed to focus on Alfred now, a frown touching her pretty face, "How are you holding up?"

"Good to see you, Belle. I'm okay. Tired though."

"Just tired?" Belle flew to him, landing on his shoulder and brushing a hand through a lock of his hair. "Damp too, I see."

Moose gave a little mournful call, and trotted back from the center of the river where he'd paused to catch a bit of vegetation while they were resting.

"He did what?" Belle turned on Alfred's shoulder to give Arthur a steely look. "Albion. What have you done?"

"What do you mean?" Arthur tried to figure out what exactly he could have done to earn such a look from the sprite. "I've been a bit busy to do anything that's worthy of that sort of look, Belle. Why don't you just tell me."

"You cast the spell a second time, with different parameters." Alfred's eyes flicked nervously from the fairy to Arthur. "Albion, you can't do that. It's dangerous."

"Dangerous? Like having the spell wear off far to swiftly in the first place, at a very inopportune moment?" Arthur could feel the flush of anger, "You didn't tell me it would only last a few hours."

"I didn't think you were going to need more than a few hours before you got to the first safe house." Belle made a little toss of her head and a spark in her eyes that made her a little more frightening than a fairy should honestly be. "Albion, it was dangerous to cast in the first place, and the second time- You don't have the strength left to continue keeping him moving like this."

"Wait- what?" Alfred looked simultaneously confused and frightened.

"I'm fine. If we can just get-"

"You're about to collapse yourself. With all that you've been through-" Belle sighed, "Albion, my love, I know you don't remember, but … we have to dissolve the link before it kills you."

"I can't." Arthur's eyes widened, "I can't, Belle- if I do, Alfred-"

"Love, if you collapse..."

"You mean England- Arthur put himself in danger by doing that blood magic thing?" Alfred had regained his tongue, to Arthur's chagrin. "And if it keeps up, it will kill him?"

"You have a grasp on the obvious," Belle said smartly, and then shook herself. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for, Al. Yes, somehow Albion has managed to tangle the two of you up with the old magic, and it's taking all of his strength-"

"Tell me what I need to do to break it."

Arthur sucked in a deep breath, ready to yell at Alfred to shut up, but- the dizziness grabbed him.

"Belle, tell me. If I can see you right now, that means I still have some of Arthur's blood in me- and I've maybe got a chance of being able to do this. If he refuses to break it, I will." Alfred looked beyond the fairy, blue eyes soft in the morning light. "I can't let him die. Not because of me."

"Alfred, I'm perfectly fine- you don't have to-"

"Arthur," Alfred's hand was trembling as it touched his face, rough fingers brushing his cheeks and the suspiciously damp corners of his eyes, "I'm not afraid of dying. I'm afraid of you dying. Our past has been full of each of us trying to get our own way for our own betterment. We hurt each other because of that, and because of that I want to do something for you-"

"Dying won't help, you idiot." Arthur croaked, his voice suddenly deserting him. If Alfred died- his world- "You're going to leave me alone-"

"Mattie will be there. Francis will be there." Alfred said in a reasonable tone that held a hint of a tremble. "And when you get your memories back, you'll have me, in a way, and you'll know now how I feel- felt all along. If you fall, Germany will win. If I fall, you still have a chance."

Belle was hovering over Alfred's shoulder looking sad.

"And besides," The smile was back, "Who says I'm going to die anyway? Who knows- I just might surprise you."

"Alfred..." Arthur couldn't articulate what he was feeling, what he'd seen. America didn't understand why he'd done this, did he- didn't understand-

Lips brushed against his cheek.

"I love you, Arthur. Just remember that, no matter what happens. And thank you for giving me a chance to finally tell you."

"I-" Arthur couldn't speak beyond the lump in his throat. "Alfred, I-"

"Shh. You don't have to say anything." Fingertips brushed his lips, as softly as the kiss on his cheek. Deep blue-green eyes gazed unshakingly into his own. "Belle, what do I have to do?"

"Repeat the words. The circle has been washed from your skin already- and step away from Albion." The fairy sounded sad. It was a reflection of his own mood- however... She gave the words- in a different language from the one that she had given him. Easier to pronounce, perhaps, but still-

Alfred stepped back, and gave Arthur one last smile.

"This was a second chance for us, Iggy, and I'm glad that we had it." Alfred closed his eyes, and pronounced the words, accentless as though he'd known the language all the time. "I shaorann thee as ár banna, tá an praghas a íocadh. Tá muid beirt a bhí ar cheann agus tá níos mó."

A gentle wave of something- magic, most likly- passed over Arthur, sending his brain spiraling towards the headache that loomed over every waking moment that he remembered- and then it all came crashing down on him.

The airplane. Flying. Alfred- fear of losing his sometime ally and man he wanted to call friend, because Brother was no longer a term that either of them could bear to use about one another-

A thousand years of history rampaging through his brain, his mind, until Arthur- no, England wanted to scream with it. France. The Americas-

Alfred. His war.

Finding America, and seeing that mirrored loneliness reflected inside startlingly blue eyes.

The same eyes that were watching him when his vision cleared, leaving him feeling quite shattered. Alfred- loved him. And he... he felt the same as he had a moment ago, before the memories had returned. The hurt was there, but somehow-

"Iggy?" Alfred managed to say, before those same blue eyes slipped closed despite an obvious effort, and he fell.

Oh dear god.

He fell.

Arthur stepped forward immediately to catch him, as Moose moved to nuzzle his muzzle against England's neck, where America's head had fallen. Warm breath tickled his skin, as the heavy weight pushed against him, aggravating already sore ribs.

"Oh, you idiot," England's eyes pricked with tears again. Again, this idiot had him crying- this brave stupid boy. "I love you as well."

Arthur eased Alfred to the ground, carefully checking his pulse- slow, but not hesitating- that he wasn't bleeding any worse than one could expect- He was, though. The movement had jostled something, and a hand pressed to America's side came back bloody.

"The poison has worked itself out of his system by now." Belle said, with a note of sadness in her voice still. "If he is treated, he may live."

"That's-" Arthur smiled through the tears. "He's a stubborn ass. We'll have to find anther way out though. I don't fancy trying to keep him alive for several thousand miles on my own."

"I understand." Belle was trying to smile, "I will help you, if I can- but the price-"

The price.

Fuck. He'd been practicing magic without knowing what the price would be- the first time would have been a simple thing. Perhaps a minor rebellion, a headache of sorts, but the second time... and the breaking-

"What is the price, Belle?"

"I-" Belle closed her eyes, and said something else- but Arthur couldn't understand, as the lingering headache ripped through him at full force, sending him to the ground with a low cry of pain.

Magic, pulling at him prodding at him, and taking- taking-

Darkness fell over Arthur's world.