Alright, all! I actually just wrote the last (short) Chapter. I can't believe the storyline is done! It's like seeing my children flirting with SEBORGA... It's just too soon! Anyway, after this chapter, there's only three more! It's insane! I'll probably take a small break before I start writing again, I need a break to keep my fingers from snapping off! It's been hard, writing so much!
Anywho, to my reviewers,
I-Heart-Sesshoumaru13- you have no idea how much I appreciate you! You've been reviewing for me for a while now, and I appreciate your feedback!
C05PL4Y- You may be newer to my stories, but I appreciate you as well! Thank you for leaving notes, keeping me motivated and letting me know what you thought!
Fishstick1999- You actually talked me into doing my first sequal. I've never done one, so this will take a little work. Give me some time, alright? I'll do my best!
Anywho, on with the show!
Disclaimer- До Свидания
Chapter 54
It was like an instant flurry. Everyone threw open their bags, putting pieces together, making sure there were no frays or worn spots in the ropes or breaks in the clips. Aria didn't bother as she tossed on the harness and wound the rope through the top, through the hook on the roof and added the clip for added support before she put the pack on her back, winding the rope inside it before leaning back and making her way off the side of the building first. Ludwig watched in surprise at the speed the girl had and frowned, looking at her rope. He got his own equipment together and bent down, doing something Mattie wasn't sure of, but he knew. When Ludwig stood back up, the rope for Aria was gone. A desperate scream left his throat as he tore into the building, missing the startled glance from Ivan as he ran into the building and took off flying down the stairs.
There was no way he'd beat her to the bottom.
He felt tears swell in his eyes as he ran over, running out the front door and ran around to where her hook had been. Cameras and such lined the grounds, news crews and happy, chatting reporters everywhere as they looked up, and Mattie realized there wasn't a body. He looked up, seeing Aria repelling from Ludwig. He fell to his knees, the weakness from the run hitting him hard, and one of the news crews walked over, talking to the man as he gasped out. Though it was in Chinese, Mattie was happy to understand his words. He'd learned the language long ago.
"You look worried! Are you one of the representatives here for the competition?"
"Yes, I'm Canada. My daughter is hanging from Germany's back right now. I didn't realize what he'd done." He gasped in breath, slowly calming from his panic.
"Wait, you're Canada? Why aren't you taking part in the games, then?"
"Not worried about it, Eh? I have other things to worry about. I have my boyfriend and two children in this competition. I need to make sure they're safe, right?" He turned to the man who laughed whole heartedly before nodding.
"So you and Russia really are together? I'd heard a rumor that the two human children were adoptions from Russia."
"Ah, yeah, that's true." Mattie smiled, a blush brightening his face as the man laughed.
"You must be very proud." The reporter spoke as Mattie nodded enthusiastically.
A loud thud sounded and Mattie jumped to attention, running over to see what had happened.
The broken sidewalk spoke of someone who had fallen, and Mattie looked up, seeing Seborga laughing, the rope beside him empty as Mattie stepped forward and glanced in. It looked like a warzone. Blood and chunks of flesh splattered across the crater, dripped from the walls and a few mortified reporters. He stepped in, finding most of the intact skull of Romano, knowing it would take weeks for his body to regrow from this, but thanking whatever deity that this was just a superficial wound to Romano. He would come back, but he would be in pain til then. He looked over, seeing an ambulance looking into the hole as if it were a lost cause. "Here, he'll probably start to regrow soon. Make sure he's comfortable, alright?" Mattie spoke as he handed the skull to the medic, who stared at it in horror. "He's a nation. He'll regrow." Mattie patted the man's arm, not noticing the blood trail he'd left and the man nodded, heading back to the ambulance before another thud sounded. He made his way over to the spot where Romania had landed, but instead of a crater, he found the nation on his feet.
"First one down! Eu câștig!" He cheered and the reporters let out a cheer as another cheer was sounded from the other end of the building, though it seemed a bit more muted. Mattie ran around, finding Aria on the ground, unhooking her equipment with a frustrated roar as she tore off the harness and tossed it angrily at the ground.
"Aria?" Mattie spoke softly as the girl turned to him, angry beyond belief.
"I wasn't allowed to use his ropes! He disqualified me!" She yelled, tears in her eyes, frustrated at the fact there was nothing she could have done about the interference.
Mattie grasped her quickly, surprising her as he hugged her close, shaking his head.
"You still got this far. I'm proud of you." He smiled, backing up so she could see his smile and tell that he was being honest.
"Спасибо, папа. I'm sorry I couldn't win, though." She sighed, resigned to the fate of a loser.
"You didn't use his ropes." Yao spoke, having arrived while Mattie was tending to Romano. "You used him." Yao glanced over at the hopeful look on the girl's face and smiled with a wink. "Congratulations on being the second down." Yao smiled and the girl jumped up and down, a happy screech coming from her before she hugged the Chinese man, earning a laugh.
"Yao..." Mattie watched, having actually been quite pleased that she'd been disqualified.
"I give them the same rules I give the nations. It's only fair, Aru." He smiled as he looked back up.
Another cheer from the other side of the building had the team running over, finding Ivan unhooking his equipment with a smile. "What number am I?" He asked and Yao looked around.
"Three!"
"Romano made it down first, but I don't think he's in any shape to fight. I found... most of his skull." Mattie sighed as Ivan cringed.
"That doesn't sound... pleasant." Ivan glanced over at the crater with a frown, seeing the blood and chunks of flesh. "Doesn't look very pleasant either."
"Aria got second." Mattie glanced over at the girl who smiled, looking up at Ivan with a grin.
"I think Ludwig thought the same thing I did. He tried to disqualify me, but it didn't work!" She giggled madly for a moment before walking back over and seeing Gavriil. He was still near the top, but he was coming down fast. Gil reached first, Alfred second, but by this time they were coming close to the teams that would still be allowed. When he finally touched down he turned, seeing Yao looking over his papers with a frown, having written down the names instead of the teams at the end of their decent.
"I'll let you know." Yao mumbled as he wrote down another name from the radio that buzzed into his ear. He finished writing and looked up, seeing a few more faces make their way to the bottom. When the last one made it, only Romano having fallen, Yao called out that he'd announce the progressing teams in an hour in the restaurant. Mattie turned to the reporter who had nearly interviewed him before and nodded before walking into the hotel.
They made it into the restaurant, seeing a notice that the next announcement would be made in the 'Red Room', and they decided to have a drink before going to find out.
The kids all hugged Ivan, Gavriil and Aria, having been happy that they were alright. Nikolai couldn't help but pat Gavriil on the back, offering words of encouragement as he worried, nibbling at the bottom of his lip.
"Sorry about that." Ludwig stated as he walked up, looking down at the girl who laughed at the smug look on his face.
"It's fine! Since I was attached to you, not your rope, Yao let me go. I was the second one down, thanks to your help!" Aria laughed as Ludwig jumped up with wide eyes.
"Verdammt!" He growled as he stormed off, leaving Gil laughing behind him.
"Good going!" He grinned, holding up his hand and Aria gave him a high five, a bright grin on her face as Gil looked up at Mattie. "I wasn't joking! If I win, I want a kiss!" He grinned and Mattie huffed.
"Not happening!" Mattie pouted and Ivan smiled, looking down at the man beside him.
"I know how to get you a kiss." Ivan grinned and Gil stepped back in terror.
"I'm not kissing you!" He nearly screeched as he recoiled, leaving Mattie laughing harder as Ivan frowned and shook his head.
"НЕТ! I don't want to kiss you!" Ivan shook his head, making a few of the other nations laugh at the antics as Ivan bent down, a bright smile lighting his face.
"You should make that same declaration to Hungary! Austria would be so angry!" Ivan grinned, seeing the smile that lit the Prussian.
"Oh, bonus!" He laughed as he ran off, leaving Ivan and Mattie staring after with worried, but amused faces.
Ivan noticed Austria sitting at the corner of the room, nibbling his lip, the same worry that Gavriil shared in. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty for shifting Gil's thought that way, but he didn't want such demands to be said. His arm protectively wrapped around Mattie, who leaned back into him, letting out a soft sigh and he just barely heard the word spoken. "Thanks."
"Any time." Ivan leaned, kissing the back of his head and Mattie smiled, turning and looking at the man he loved with a grin. "Let's get a drink before we go, Da?"
"Yeah, that sounds good. It'll calm my nerves. I had a panic attack when the thing first started. I thought Ludwig killed Aria." Mattie shivered, remembering the tears and panic as he'd ran down the stairs earlier.
"Нет, Everything is alright." Ivan sighed as he released Mattie's shoulder and walked up to the bar. Mattie turned, seeing the kids all looking up at Ivan with wide eyes and happy smiles. Ivan was doing this for his own reasons, reasons Mattie had yet to understand, but it made the children so proud of him he couldn't even complain.
It was forty minutes later they found the red room and wandered in, finding a few nations, but a bunch of reporters, cameras set up with grins as they interviewed a few of the nations. Mattie was surprised when a small group of reporters rushed over, asking Aria questions, her eyes wide as she looked around. "I'm sorry!" She spoke loudly, her voice high in surprise. "I don't understand Chinese!" She gasped out as Mattie stepped over and smiled, pointing at one of the reporters.
"它是如何感覺是唯一的人誰是一定得過來嗎?" The reporter asked and Mattie turned to Aria, who stared around in surprise.
"He asks, 'How does it feel to be the only human who's certain to make it through?" Mattie watched as she stumbled over her words, her cheeks brightening in happy embarrassment.
"I'm sure my brother will get through, but it makes me happy I made it through at all." She looked up at Mattie who turned to the reporter.
"我敢肯定,我的哥哥會打通,但它讓我高興,我通過在所有成功了。" Mattie spoke as the reporter nodded, a happy smile on his face that the words could be conveyed. Mattie translated a few more questions before one was asked that made Mattie huff a little bit.
"He's asking if the rumor is true that you're falling in love with Seborga?" Mattie crossed his arms and Aria looked at the reporter in horror.
"I don't- who started that rumor?!" She gasped out as Mattie slapped a hand over his face.
"至於她的父親,塞博爾加更好地希望這不是真的!" Mattie snarled and a few of the reporters couldn't help but chuckle or give Mattie sympathetic looks.
Yao walked in with a smile and a grin as he made his way to the front dais, looking over the room. He glanced over at the clock on the wall and smiled, knowing he still had ten minutes. The reporters started going over final checks, as the nations, and two humans, started looking, searching out their team mates. Mattie sat beside Ivan, Alfred on his other side, England and Aria to the other side as Gavriil and Francis sat on the other side of them. They chatted a bit, Seborga and Sealand sitting behind Gavriil as the group started chatting and Mattie watched, hearing strategies being shared.
So Gavriil was honestly forming alliances with the micronations. Mattie sat back with a smile, a bit impressed. He glanced over, seeing Ivan chat with Ludwig and he suddenly realized maybe that was the reason Ludwig had tried to disqualify Aria in such a manner. He couldn't help but chuckle as he looked over, seeing Aria smiling, chatting with Seborga and his smile died on his lip. He turned back to the front of the room with a huff, catching Gil's attention, who looked over at the girl before his eyes moved back to Mattie's. "He's a good kid, at least." Mattie turned to Gil with a raised eyebrow and Ludwig, glancing over and seeing what they were talking about, let out a sigh.
"Don't worry, Canada. I'm sure Seborga will find other things to catch his interest."
"That's what I worry about." Mattie grumbled and Ivan patted his back softly. After a few more minutes of banter, Yao switched on his microphone and pulled out the paper, looking it over before looking up.
"Alright! Who's ready to know who's still in the contest, Aru?" He asked and the room quieted instantly, staring with wide eyes.
"We'll start from the fastest down." He looked up, watching as the people who were nearer the bottom groaned and chuckled before reading the list. "The first successful team to have both members on the ground were Aria Braginsky and England, Arthur Kirkland." He looked up, seeing Aria staring with wide eyes. The reporters in the back of the room started buzzing as a few pictures were taken, the girl grinning, nearly bouncing in her seat in pride and excitement. It was a while later til it was noticed by Mattie that the first to make it down intact, Romania, wasn't being named. He sat off to the side with a frown, looking at Bulgaria with a worried frown, shared between the two and he realized that Bulgaria must have come down a bit later.
"Now for the last three teams!" Yao looked up, seeing quite a few worried faces, as well as a few who had honestly given up hope. "Seborga and Sealand!" Yao called and the two jumped up, high fiving before returning to their seats and patting Gavriil on the back.
"Austria and Hungary!" Yao called and Mattie turned, seeing the two relax from straining worry. A few congratulations were offered, quietly lighting the two's face. Mattie turned back, seeing the defeated face of Gavriil as he looked up to Francis, hoping for forgiveness in his failing.
"Gavriil Braginsky and Francis Bonnefoy, France." Yao called and Gavriil let out an explosive sigh, getting pats on the back from the nations behind him, as well as Francis and Aria.
"You made it!" Aria cheered quietly and Gavriil nodded, looking ready to collapse from the release of worry.
"The next competition isn't til tomorrow, so I suggest you all eat and go to bed early tonight! I'll see you in the morning! 晚安,朋友們!" Yao waved as he walked from the platform, a distraught Romania leaned just out of his path, Bulgaria trying to cheer him up.
Translations
Спасибо, папа.- Thank you, Papa.
The first two Chinese translations are as they are stated in the fic. The third translation=
至於她的父親,塞博爾加更好地希望這不是真的!- As her father, Seborga better hope this isn't true!
晚安,朋友們!- Good night, Friends!
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you back tomorrow for another chapter!
До Свидания
Жасмин
