Thanks to AquaEclipse for reviewing.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.
Chapter 68
Romania shook his head. He'd been trying to reach out to India and the others, but it was as though there was some sort of barrier to his magic. Portugal sighed, shaking his head. It was about time to prepare to go to Madrid. Romania still needed to fetch Finland and Poland.
Just as Portugal thought it, his phone rang, startling him from his thoughts. He quickly pulled it out, seeing that it was Lithuania calling him.
"Toris?" he demanded. "What's going on there? Is everything alright?"
"Um, actually, it's Gilbert," the voice on the other side said.
"Gil?! That's good to… Wait. Why are you calling? Is something wrong with the others?"
"Ja. Just before we escaped… Requiem played a brown note. It affected the whole base."
Portugal's eyes widened when he heard that. He knew about brown notes: sounds or images that could directly affect a person's mind or even their souls. Many brown notes had magical qualities, and they were all very dangerous.
"What happened?" he asked. "How's everyone?"
"Well, I've got the Hindu pantheon helping me out here," Prussia said. "I'd like to say that the reason why I'm okay now is because I'm awesome, but I think it's because Egypt magically scrambled my mind earlier. And Bangladesh is kind of deaf at the moment. Anyway, the gods are trying to figure out a way to help the others. That brown note… It's supposed to lock you in some sort of nightmare, and the only way to escape is if you swear loyalty to Requiem. But I'm too awesome to betray you like that."
Portugal looked towards Romania with worry. The other had his head cocked to the side.
"I'm with Vlad at the moment," Portugal said. "I'll put you on speaker, and I want you to tell him what you told me."
He pulled the phone away, quickly putting it on speaker. Romania moved closer, staring at the device with a perplexed look on his face.
"Vlad, are you there?" Prussia asked.
"Da, I'm here," Romania replied. "What's up? Oh, and it's good to hear that you're out of Requiem's hands."
"Danke. But we have bigger problems. Just before we left, they played a brown note designed to lock us in nightmares until we agree to join Requiem. Egypt scrambled my mind earlier, so I think that's the reason why I was able to snap out of it. And I thought about the hypnosis you gave me."
"What hypnosis?" Portugal asked.
"I'll explain later," Romania dismissed. "A brown note, you say? And how did you…?"
"The Hindu pantheon is helping him," Portugal interrupted. "Any results?"
"Nothing yet," Prussia said. "The thing was created using a combination of science and magic."
Romania winced at that. Portugal knew enough to realise that it was a particularly difficult task for them.
"Everyone has to have those little hypnotic suggestions in them," Romania said. "Tell the gods to try to bring them to the surface. Also, ask if it would be alright to involve a nation specifically trained with astral projection and the dream realm."
"That's… oddly specific," Prussia said. "Hold on for a moment."
The other two waited for a moment, while Portugal kept his eyes focused on Romania. What hypnotic suggestion was he talking about? And why didn't he know about it?
"Okay," Prussia's voice suddenly announced from the other side. "I spoke to the goddess of sleep. She said that it might help. There's a lot of interference, and considering how many nations are unconscious at the moment… Help would be appreciated."
"Alright," Romania said. "This is Botswana's forte."
"Sammy," Portugal corrected. "His human name is Sammy. We need to remember that."
"Huh?" Prussia questioned. "What's going on?"
"Botswana decided to join us," Portugal explained. "He also helped us find you. Hopefully, he's not annoyed with us by now. Vlad, could you get in touch with him? And Gilbert, in the meantime, do you think you can give us a report?"
Prussia sighed.
"I guess you'd be worried by now," Prussia said. "Well, I'm alright. There was a bit of mind scramble, and I'm feeling a bit melancholic and for some reason I keep thinking about my past. That nightmare they gave me had Templar in it. He said we managed to capture the Holy Land, except it was David, and Templar said that we need to make sure that no one else got the Holy Land again, and he… well, he wanted to kill David. And he… Um…"
"You don't have to share the details of your nightmare," Portugal sighed. "It's a personal thing."
"Danke," Prussia breathed out. "Anyway, Raj is definitely in a bad state. He can barely walk. And it looks like he's cursed."
"In what way?!" Romania demanded, phone pressed against his ear. "Oh, hi Theresa. Do you think I could speak with Sammy?"
"…He doesn't have Botswana's – Sammy's – number?" Prussia asked, and Portugal could hear the incredulity in his tone.
"Apparently not," Portugal sighed. "Vlad, you need to focus on your own call. Anyway, how is Raj cursed?"
"He and David can't touch each other without getting hurt. Egypt is the one that cursed him."
Portugal sighed.
"I think we'll need to take care of Egypt," he said. "Most of the latest problems are because of him. Not to mention what he did in the beginning."
"Anyway," Prussia continued, "we managed to get Bangladesh and Tibet out, and whatever they did to Bangladesh made him destroy his own eardrums. He doesn't look like he really recognises me at the moment, but at least he recognises Raj, and he recognises the gods, so I'm waiting for him to figure out that I'm not an enemy. So, what's going on with you?"
"Francis called me," Portugal said. "By the way, he and Antonio are a couple now."
"Finally! Took them long enough!"
"Sim. But as I was saying, Francis called me. They found out that there's a new version of Madrid, and they're going off to find him."
"It's a trap."
The deadpan way in which Prussia said it made Portugal smile, despite the situation.
"I think so too," Portugal said. "Vlad volunteered to look out for him, along with Feliks and Tino."
"Good," Prussia sighed. "As long as they have some protection with them. Anything else?"
"The Middle Eastern nations have a meeting. Turkey and Saudi Arabia want to warn them about everything that's happening, and to tell them not to trust any of us. Themba's out of commission for a while. He tried to use his newly-discovered magic to find you and Raj, only to run into Egypt."
"Shit! What did the bastard do to him?"
"He's blind."
"Fuck! When I get my hands on Egypt…"
"You are not doing anything until we've ensured that you're alright," Portugal interrupted. "Isn't there a place where you want to go for a little vacation? I think after what you've been through, you and Raj could both use a rest."
"But…"
"Gil, that's an order."
It was rare for Portugal to outright say that something was an order, and it was usually used as a way to convey to the others that the matter was serious to him. Prussia was silent for a moment, before he sighed.
"I understand," Prussia said. "We're somewhere in India, if it helps. The place looks pretty deserted, and it doesn't look like a human's been year in decades, at least."
"Good," Portugal said. "That should keep you safe for a while. I'll see if we can send Sammy over to help you in some way. Take care, Gilbert."
"Ja, you too."
…
Half an hour after the meeting ended, Oman, Yeman, Lebanon and Jordan were having coffee together again. All of them were silent as they processed everything discussed at the meeting, most of which involved the two groups.
"Well, that went better than expected," Oman said.
"In what way?" Yemen asked. "If Alvora tries to help them in any way, they'd all be suspicious."
"They're already suspicious about your civil war seeming to resolve itself," Lebanon pointed out.
"Right," Oman agreed. "We actually managed to dodge a bullet there."
"And what are we going to do now?" Jordan asked.
"…I could get in touch with Portugal. See if it's okay to send you two back to your countries. Or, would you rather be in a place where it's safe? I don't think Requiem knows about you, so there's still a chance…"
"They might come pay us a visit," Lebanon sighed. "I understand. But… Do we have to go back to Canada?"
"Please no," Jordan begged. "It's really cold there, and it's not even winter yet!"
"I think there's another stronghold in South Africa," Oman said, cocking his head to the side. "Pretty much the entire continent is there, and if I heard correctly, they're in the arid part of the country."
The two female nations exchanged a look, before they simultaneously nodded.
"Sounds good," she said. "So, when are you calling?"
"Coffee first," Oman replied.
…
"Oh, hell no!"
Canada watched blankly as California tried to drag Texas away from the doorframe, with New Mexico standing there with a bored expression. Quebec, Alaska and Minnesota were also watching the scene with bored expressions, while everyone else was either confused or wary.
In other words, for some, this was a fairly typical scene.
"Oh, come on," California said. "These kids had never been to a mall before. It's a crime of nature."
"Then why are you trying to get me to come?" Texas demanded.
"Because, Sweetie, you could really use some new outfits."
"I am not going anywhere near a mall with you!"
"Are you telling me that you don't mind the cold?"
"I got a few coats in Minnesota. I am fine!"
"Is this normal?" Åland asked, turning towards Quebec.
"Completely," Quebec deadpanned, before he turned to Canada. "You okay?"
Canada hummed as he turned to his younger brother, before he realised what was being said, and he sighed, shaking his head.
"I guess I'm a bit worried about Damjan," he admitted. "I have no idea when he left, but I think he should have been back now. I… I'm worried that…"
"Damjan's strong," Kosovo interrupted. "He's not going to fall to them."
"As much as I hate supporting Serbia," Croatia sighed, "he has a point. Don't worry about it. He's also incredibly stubborn, so I don't think that Requiem would be able to hurt him."
"But if he can find Bosnia, then it would be all the better," Herzegovina said.
Canada smiled at the reassurances, but he still couldn't help but wonder whether something was amiss. He glanced back at California and Texas, trying to distract himself, and vaguely wondering which girl was going to cave first this time.
…
Namibia was on her way outside again when she heard something from one of the rooms. The language spoken was Afrikaans, so it immediately caught her attention. Peeking in, she saw that Netherlands was sitting there, TV turned to KykNET.
"What are you doing?" she asked, stepping closer.
"Trying to stay up-to-date with current affairs," Netherlands sighed. "I would have preferred to do this in Dutch, but Afrikaans is the closest. News in English annoys me."
Namibia stared at the scene for a moment, before she sighed. If memory served her…
"Could I see the remote for a moment?" she asked.
He didn't respond, but held out the remote to her. She quickly pressed the numbers 4-3-1, waiting for a moment. She turned to look at Netherlands's face, who had his eyes widened in shock and his mouth slightly open.
"We actually have a Dutch channel," she said.
Netherlands closed his mouth, and she could have sworn the tips of his ears had gained a pinkish tint. He cleared his throat, nodding his head.
"Thank you," he said.
She had a small smirk on her face as she placed the remote back on the table in front of him.
"Plesier," she sang as she walked out.
She couldn't help but wonder how long Netherlands had searched for a channel on which he could watch something close to his language. And she would admit that she was impressed by the fact that they had DSTV out here.
…
"It's nice of you to come fetch us," Finland said.
"Tak," Poland added. "Like, we couldn't find anyone, and it was so boring."
Romania had already fetched Finland and Poland, taking them to Madrid. Obviously, the two were happy to join him even before he revealed to them why they were there.
Romania absently nodded his head, watching the compass in his hand. The compass was enchanted to seek out the thing that the user wanted, whether it was a person or a place. And seeing as they had nothing to go on when it came to the person they were seeking, this was the best course of action.
The needle stopped, and Romania turned to look at the east.
"This way," he said. "Come on. We find Madrid, we're bound to find Spain, and hopefully, we don't find Requiem."
Finding Madrid was the best way to find Spain. As the nation, he would be able to track his capital. They didn't know if Requiem had anything that could track down either Spain or Madrid, but he didn't want to take the chance. The fact that it was Portugal's family involved gave him more reason to want to help.
They didn't know as much about Requiem as they would have liked, but they knew enough to know that they wouldn't have randomly shared information so important without a plan of attack.
…
"NO!" Ladonia screamed, backing up as much as he could while on the ground, trembling slightly.
Standing in front of him was someone he thought he could trust. A fellow Nordic micronation, Christiana.
But the child who appeared only a year older than him was staring at him with a blank expression. There was a bloody knife in his hand, which corresponded to the bloody arm that Ladonia was cradling to his chest. The wound had occurred when Ladonia tried to protect himself, but he couldn't do it anymore.
His servers had been destroyed, and his physical territory – small as it might have been – was burnt to the ground. His queen had also been killed. All of that left him feeling weak, and he was unable to teleport to safety.
And Christiana had come to finish the job.
"Why are you doing this?!" Ladonia demanded. "This isn't…!"
This wasn't like Christiana. The Danish micronation was usually laid-back and a bit silly, and Ladonia had never seen him without a smile on his face. Until now.
Christiana actually looked pained for a moment, before his face became blank again.
"I'm sorry about this," Christiana said, and Ladonia almost believed him. "But it's you or me. And I don't want to die. So… I hope you'll forgive me."
Ladonia's breath hitched when Christiana raised the knife.
…
Botswana looked around him. He had been asked to help Alvora again, and when he heard what the problem was, he agreed that it was important to try to help as soon as possible, before irreparable damage was done.
He'd followed Prussia's essence, since Prussia was the one confirmed to be awake, though there was definitely something off. So now he watched as the Hindu pantheon were watching over the unconscious nations. Bangladesh was also there, and it looked as though he was resting in some way.
"Botswana?"
He was startled by the sound of his name, and he whipped around to see Prussia looking right at him.
"What?" Botswana breathed. "You can see me?"
"Well… You're a bit fuzzy, but ja," Prussia said.
"It's because his mind has been altered," one of the nearby goddesses said. "His eyes are open to the astral realm, but it would shut again in a few days."
"Oh," Botswana said. "Sorry, but… who are you?"
The goddess looked annoyed, but Prussia spoke first.
"This is Nidra, Hindu goddess of sleep," Prussia introduced. "She's been trying to help the others, but…"
"This is the result of a combination of science and magic," Nidra continued. "And not just one kind of magic. What one lacks, another compensates for. It's actually impressive that mortals could do something like this."
He knew about the combination of different types of magic. This would make things difficult.
"Romania mentioned that everyone has some sort of hypnotic suggestion," Botswana said, looking between Prussia and Nidra. "Maybe, if we can target those…"
"I've been trying," Nidra sighed. "Unfortunately, it's somewhere in the labyrinth of their minds, made harder by the interference. And I can unfortunately only focus on one at a time."
Botswana turned to look at the nation she was working on. India. He looked as though he was in a really bad state, and he could understand why he was her priority, other than the fact that she was part of his religion. He didn't know that someone like India could look so pale. And the dried blood on his clothes didn't help matters.
There was someone else that looked to be in just as bad a shape as India, if not worse. Unfortunately, Botswana didn't recognise him, and turned to Prussia for clarification.
"Who's this?" he asked.
"Tibet," Prussia said. "Requiem kept him to torture him. And for his pain to extend to China."
Botswana nodded, before turning back to Tibet.
"I'll start with him, then," he said. "See if I can help."
"He doesn't have the suggestion," Prussia said. "If it would make things easier, then he's going to be the hardest."
Botswana nodded to show that he understood.
"The thing is, you admitted that he was tortured," he said. "And Romania already told me what Requiem's own suggestion does. I don't know how strong his will is, but those two things combined can't be good. He's the biggest risk. And I don't know about you, but I would rather not have another member or Requiem running around."
DSTV is basically a TV service catering to Sub-Saharan Africa, with different countries having different channels available to them. KykNET is an Afrikaans channel, and I know we have French, Dutch, Italian, Chinese (I think the description says that it is both Mandarin and Cantonese, which is why I just use Chinese), German and Portuguese. And you know you're bored when the best thing you can find after surfing through every channel is an Italian cooking show (especially when you don't speak Italian). I've been wanting to write the scene between Netherlands and Namibia for a while now.
You will not believe how difficult it is to find something regarding 'Hindu god of sleep/dreams'. So, if Nidra is wrong, I'm sorry, but this was all I could find. On that note, the Hindu mythology is fascinating, and I'll see if I can get better resources to properly study their stories.