Thanks to FerayEs for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 116

The group remained silent for a moment as they processed this information. South Korea looked between the Alvora nations. They appeared to be accepting of the possibility of White being pregnant, but the confirmation seemed to be surprising. And based on what North Korea had said, it seemed as though she couldn't have been more than a few days pregnant.

But what to do now?

From what he could glean from Tawaret's words, it didn't seem as though it was possible to harm White under the current circumstances. Would they even be able to grab her? Could they convince her to come with them?

His eyes flitted towards Brazil. It was obvious who the father of the child was, and if they could somehow convince her to come along by threatening Brazil… If only he could signal to Nepal to grab a hold of Brazil, then they could negotiate. But with everyone surrounding them, it would not only be difficult to do something like that, but the same strategy could be used against them.

This was something completely unexpected. He knew that the proper thing to do was to report to Italy and Romano. Something like this… He didn't want to make it seem as though he couldn't think for himself, but this was something that the leaders would need to know. Besides, there was no telling what else could come from White right now. Weren't pregnant women hormonal, after all? And didn't she have magic?

Besides, they already managed to capture someone from Alvora. They could just as easily interrogate him. Besides, their reasons for capturing White had disappeared. Egypt already informed them that he managed to find Black, and apparently he could persuade him to answer his questions. They also wanted to punish her for this strategy, but since she couldn't be harmed right now…

"I think it's best if we go now," South Korea said. "Italy and Romano would like to know about this new development."

North Korea whirled around, his eyes widening. He grabbed South Korea by the throat.

"Don't you dare…!" he demanded.

"It's nice to see you act more like me," South Korea remarked. "But remember, we can't hurt her, so I don't see what you're so afraid of."

North Korea narrowed his eyes, before releasing South Korea. The southern brother smirked before he gestured for the others to follow him. They appeared reluctant – after all, they'd only just started. But their main target was out of reach, so it wouldn't be worth it. And he thought that Egypt should hear this as well, and perhaps they could get in touch with the other magical members too.

"I suppose 'congratulations' are in order," South Korea said, glancing towards White.

The way her shoulders tensed made everything worth it. Anhur joined them, and the god helped them return back to the others. All eyes turned to them, and South Korea could tell that they were judging them for coming back so soon, and because White wasn't with them.

"Did something happen?" Greenland asked.

"We'll discuss things when Egypt comes back," South Korea said. "There's something that he would need to hear."

"Fine then. I hope you have a good explanation for why you didn't fulfil any of your duties."

"Let's just say that Alvora seemed to have gained success in their goal of rewriting the laws that govern nations," Ethiopia remarked. "Also, I think I'm going to take a cold shower."

"Just make sure you're not still charged," Nepal said.

"Charged?" Faroe Islands asked.

"Let's just say he knows how a mosquito feels when it meets a bug zapper," South Korea said.

"He was electrocuted?" Thailand asked.

"Three times," Sudan said, smirking as he held up three fingers.

Ethiopia glared at him before walking off.

They waited in silence for Egypt's group to arrive. When it finally happened, South Korea immediately took note of the unconscious figure in Set's arms. Well, it would seem that someone had a victory. Egypt took note of the group and narrowed his eyes.

"You're here sooner than expected," he remarked. "Did you at least take White to a cell?"

"They didn't bring her," Greenland replied.

"And why not?"

"We have a bit of an unexpected circumstance," South Korea remarked. "Somehow, Alvora managed to do the impossible. White South Africa is pregnant."

South Korea had to try very hard not to laugh when Faroe Islands fell from his chair, and when Greenland's jaw dropped, and when Thailand started choking on the water he was drinking. Egypt and the others were staring at him blankly, and even Set had a shocked expression on his face.

"I think I might have misheard you," Egypt said. "Did you say that she's pregnant?"

"Yeah, and that's not all," South Korea said. "No one can hurt White while she's like that. Every time Ethiopia tried to touch her, he was sent flying."

"Is he alright?" Somalia asked, taking a step forward.

"He went to take a cold shower," Nepal explained. "He got zapped a few times, so I think he's a bit burned too."

"'Zapped'?" Myanmar repeated. "Was it some sort of surge of electricity?"

"Yep," South Korea said. "Not even Anhur could touch her."

Myanmar and Algeria shared a look, and South Korea could see the realisation on their faces.

"I think… the same thing happened when Algeria tried to attack Morocco," Myanmar said.

Egypt turned towards Algeria, who looked a bit perturbed.

"How would any of this even be possible?" Greenland asked.

"I think North mentioned that there was a potion," South Korea said. "And that it was only a few days."

"A potion…" Egypt mused. "That might be possible. Anyway, I think you need to come with me, Yong Soo. We'll need to tell Italy and Romano about this new development. I'll also explain the situation to Ireland and ask him to interrogate Wales about it."

"Why do I have to go with you?" South Korea whined.

"Because you know more about this than I do. Anyway, I need a moment to get in touch with Ireland. So take the time to prepare yourself mentally. And why don't you help Set find a room for Black?"

South Korea deflated, but he nodded his head. Nepal placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"It'll be alright," Nepal said. "There's no reason for them to be angry at you."

South knew that he was right. He had done nothing that deserved to be on the receiving end of their leaders' ire. Besides…

"What about Libya?" South Korea asked. "Did you find out where he is?"

Egypt gained a pained look.

"He's in another realm," he said. "It would be safer for the gods to go after him." He gestured towards the unconscious Black. "He's going to help them get there, whether he wants to or not."

South Korea smirked. He could only imagine how they would convince Black to be of use to them.

"Okay, could you please repeat that?" Ireland asked, phone pressed against his ear. "Slowly, please, because I don't think I could hear you very well."

"Alvora found a way to allow female nations to get pregnant," Egypt sighed. "White South Africa is confirmed to be pregnant, and Morocco is possibly."

"…Run that by me again."

"I know you heard what I said!" Egypt snapped. "A potion was possibly involved. I'd like you to ask Wales about it. Use whatever means necessary to convince him to tell you everything."

"Okay… And is this really important?"

"If they can commit such a violation, who knows what else they're capable of? And if they can manage that, exactly how powerful are they really?"

Ireland grunted in acknowledgement.

"I can see your point," he sighed. "Alright, I'll see what I can do."

Ireland sighed as he pocketed his phone. Now he just needed to find Wales. The bedroom was a good place to start. As long as Wales wasn't lying on the bed with his eyes closed and snoring softly. Because the thought of forcing Wales awake in order to interrogate him wasn't very pleasant.

Fortunately, that wasn't the case. Wales was busy cleaning, and Ireland actually wanted to smile at the glare he received.

"What do you want?" Wales snapped.

"I just heard about something interesting about your allies," Ireland said. "They managed to achieve something that completely violates the laws of nature and reality. And I want to ask you about that."

"And what makes you think that I'm going to tell you anything about it?"

"Well, first off, I think you'll be happy to know that you succeeded. White, and possibly Morocco, are pregnant."

Wales was silent for a moment.

"What are you talking about?" Wales asked.

"One of your allies is pregnant, and possibly a second," Ireland repeated.

"…If this is a joke, it's not funny."

Despite not seeing the truth of his brother for a long time, he knew him well enough. And he knew that the confusion on his face was genuine. That only caused Ireland to become confused as well.

"You don't know about it, do you?" Ireland asked.

Wales narrowed his eyes, and Ireland closed the door. This was a discussion that he did not want accidentally overheard.

"South Korea and some of the others fought against White and her group," Ireland explained. "Only, for some reason White couldn't be touched at all. Then one of Egypt's gods came by and explained that she's pregnant, and something older than the primordial waters is protecting her. Same thing happened when Morocco was attacked. And you genuinely don't know about any projects like this?"

Wales crossed his arms, but Ireland could see that he was thinking about the other's words.

"You're being serious, aren't you?" Wales asked. "How… I never heard about anything like this. I mean, it's fairly common for some of us to have our own side projects, as long as they don't interfere with our goals, and as long as Miguel is aware of them and approves of them it's not mandatory for us to tell the others. So it's entirely possible that someone was working on a project like that. Of course, that would require Anika and Imane's consent. You said that Morocco is a possibility?"

Ireland nodded, before running his hand through his hair.

"If you don't know, then I guess it's not worth it to ask you about this," Ireland sighed.

Wales narrowed his eyes, before reaching into his pocket.

"You've got me curious about this," Wales said. "So, I'm going to check. You said that something's protecting her?"

"Apparently so," Ireland said.

"…Which means you can't do anything to her or anyone else that might be in the same state. Just be quiet."

Ireland arched his eyebrow when he realised that Wales didn't mind if he was listening to the conversation.

"Hello Anika," Wales said. "Ireland asked me something interesting. So, what's this I hear about you being pregnant?"

Wales was silent for a moment, listening to what was being said on the other side. He eventually started to massage his temples, a frown on his face.

"And none of you thought to mention something like that?" Wales groaned. "And now Requiem knows. Well, I think you managed to buy us some time. They're going to want to know more about this. So, you're saying that he couldn't even touch you?"

Wales continued to listen, and at one point he nodded his head. Ireland seriously wanted to know what was being said on the other side, but he was aware of the fact that his current privilege was already pushing it.

"Alright, thank you, and be careful," Wales said. "Get some sleep now."

He hung up, before turning to Ireland with an annoyed expression.

"Turns out you were right," he said. "Romania's the one that created a potion to allow female nations to get pregnant. It was apparently finished a few days ago, and so they were only hoping to see if it was successful."

"Which means it would otherwise be too soon to tell," Ireland said. "Wait, does that mean… Did they just get lucky, or… were they busy the last few days?"

Wales shuddered.

"What my allies do in the bedroom is none of my business," he stated. "So then, you can say that there's a potion that's still in its trial period. Anyway, I'm going to get a drink. Want to come?"

"You're inviting me for a drink?" Ireland asked.

"We just found out that a few of my allies managed to completely violate the laws of nature. Are you saying you don't think you need one?"

Ireland stared at Wales for a while, before he shrugged.

"Might as well," he sighed.

A part of him hoped that Scotland and Northern Ireland never found out about the war, or their allegiances. Ireland had always liked Wales – he was the only one that didn't treat him like an idiot back then – and the thought of battling each other unsettled him. It already weighed on his mind that the two of them had a rocky relationship as of late. As long as the others remained ignorant, they could maintain the peace. They could pretend that nothing was wrong.

Ireland knew that Wales didn't particularly feel the same way, despite what his personality normally was. He knew that he had completely lost Wales's respect, and even before all of this, that was the thing he was most worried about. He had always known that Wales would never approve of the things he'd done, which was why he had originally wanted to keep it all under wraps, with the exception of the essentials.

He didn't think that things would have gone the way they did. Strange how things played out. As though the universe deliberately chose to spite him.

Italy and Romano stared at Egypt and South Korea. Malta was present for this meeting, and she also stared at the two nations, her mind spinning. Could this actually happen?

"How the hell is any of that possible?" Romano asked.

Egypt didn't immediately answer, instead pulling his phone out when it chimed. He read the message before putting the device away again.

"Ireland managed to find out from Wales that it was Romania that made a potion, but apparently this was the first that Wales heard of it," Egypt informed them. "The potion is still in its trial period, so they didn't even have a reason to think that it would work."

"In other words, it might not be useful to try to interrogate them," Italy sighed.

"Aw," Malta huffed.

The others turned to her, and she shrugged.

"It sounds intriguing, and if Luan and I could have a child…" Malta said.

Yes, she remembered how it had been in the past. How Albania tried to resist her advances, until she brought him to the Washroom. Now, he was a devoted boyfriend, but there were still moments when he would become a blank slate. They hadn't seen anyone completely break free from the effects of the Washroom before, but there was still a possibility, and if that were to happen, and she lost Albania…

"We don't have enough information regarding this," Italy sighed. "And considering it's still an experiment on their part, it would be too dangerous to even think of it. So sorella, I know you're interested in this, but don't even think about it."

Malta pouted.

"What I'm more concerned with is how they can't be harmed," Romano said. "Did Tawaret say anything else?"

"I asked her, and she specified that anyone that tries to touch her with malicious intent will be repelled," Egypt said.

"Which means we can't even punish her for that strategy today," Italy sighed. "No matter. We can still use proxies. You said we at least managed to get Black?"

"Yes, but that had more to do with the fact that we require his services. It turns out that Libya did encounter those spirits, and they took him. We tried to use Black to find him, but… He's somewhere we can't follow. But I can still see a use for his talents, and if he can act as a proxy…"

"I think our priority should be to get Libya back. We don't know anything about these new enemies, and if they really are ghosts. We can't risk it."

"Well, we did have an interesting conversation with one…"

Morocco ran through the camp, looking for Black. The chaos had died out long ago, but he hadn't returned to the tent. Did Egypt injure him, or did something worse happen?

She hoped that Egypt didn't kill him. From what they'd seen, Egypt was one of the most dangerous members. And with all the screams they'd heard, she could only imagine the things that Egypt could have been doing to Black.

She asked several of the humans, but many of them didn't see Black, and others said that they saw him earlier but didn't know where he was at that moment. And the longer it took to find him, the more panicked she felt.

Morocco had to pause at one point to put her hand on her mouth. A sudden wave of nausea overtook her, and she closed her eyes as she tried to fight off the feeling. And as she closed her eyes, Egypt's face flitted through her mind.

"An ability like yours has great potential. We've always thought so. In other words, you're coming with us."

Her eyes snapped open, and her breath hitched. Egypt's voice echoed through her mind, but the words had never been said to her. Was this… Did she just get a glimpse as to what happened earlier?

She fell to her knees. If the vision was to be believed, then Egypt took him. Black was in Requiem's hands. Tears streamed down her face and she let out a sob, before she let out a cry of pain. It felt as though her entire body was on fire, with her lower abdomen being the area with the most pain.

Going back and reading some of the older chapters, I realised I made a mistake with Ireland and Wales's truce. They could call the other members of their respective groups, but subsequent chapters limited that to their respective lovers, so this is my attempt to rectify that mistake. Actually, I think I might have to go back and rewrite certain parts to fix the mistakes I noticed.

It was mentioned fairly early that Albania joined Requiem via the Washroom. The reason why he was chosen in the first place is because Malta was a yandere towards him, but she didn't have the same patience that Philippines has towards Singapore, and also didn't have the same do-it-yourself attitude.