Author's Note: Think of this as a late birthday present for Alfred F. Jones AKA America. I have a little confession to make. I didn't think this season was going to go anywhere. But The Hetalia Region Discord gave me the idea for the 2P characters. You are going to have to see what that is as we go along. What did Alfred see? How many others are coming for the nations? You are going to have to stick around and find out. For now, enjoy this week's match.
Match Two: Huangshan Pine:
It's been quiet lately. However, something doesn't feel right.
Alfred already came to terms with his past life. He met the mother of the ghost girl he kept seeing. Lydia was putting her life back together. He was even a father now. But still…
The American man shook his head. Baby Florence slept in a basinet at his feet. In a way, he envied her. She didn't know what the world was like. He would try to keep it that way as long as he could. The baby would never get to meet her mother after all. It was just going to be her, Lydia, and Alfred.
Alfred looked up when he heard footsteps walking up to the doorway. Lydia stood with her hand on the frame.
"Hey," he said. "Can't sleep either?" Lydia shook her head. She held her hand on her stomach.
"Ah," the American man said. Things had been quieter between Alfred and Lydia lately. There were more important things to worry about. Baby Florence and the other baby were the reasons. Lydia walked over and sat down on the loveseat. She looked down at her niece. Baby Florence had a calm temperament. It was easy to get her to sleep.
"Is something wrong?" Lydia asked. Alfred looked up at me.
"What do you mean?" he asked. She shrugged and shook her head.
"You seem… distracted," she said. The American man tilted his head.
"Do I?" he asked.
"I don't know," Lydia said. Her hand rested on her stomach.
"It's kind of hard to explain," Alfred said. He paused with thought. She eyed him. How was he going to ask this? It sounded crazy to himself.
"I think I saw myself in another room the other night," the American man said. Lydia looked up at him.
"What are you talking about?" she asked. Alfred rubbed the back on his head.
"I don't know how to put it," he said. "It's just…" He looked out to the window across the room. The thick brown curtains were drawn closed. The American man sighed.
"I think it was a dream," he summed up.
"What kind of dream?" Lydia asked. Alfred turned his head.
"I am walking into a room like this," he said. He pointed to the front door.
"I walked inside," the American man said. "But something wasn't right. It was this room but yet it wasn't. Something felt off about it." Alfred got up and walked over to the front door. He walked through the living room and stopped in the middle. He looked left and then right.
"Everything looked the same in this room," Alfred said.
"But it wasn't?" Lydia asked.
"Uh-huh," the American man said. He held his hand out to the couch.
"There was someone sitting there," he said. "I can't see his face at first. He's mumbling something."
"What does he say?" Lydia asked. Alfred shook his head.
"I don't know," he said. The American man lowered his hand.
"I asked him hello," he said. "He didn't answer. I walked closer to him. I said hello again. He still didn't answer. I felt a sense of dread wash over me. Like, I wanted to turn around and run. But I just had to see." Lydia tilted her head.
"Who was he?" she asked. Alfred paused for a moment. He debated on whether he should say this next part or not. Lydia waited, leaning in. Alfred took in a breath and raised his shoulders.
"When I got closer to him, he turned around," he said. "I thought I was going to scream. He looked like me." Alfred froze.
"Only… He wasn't me," he said. "Do you get what I am saying?"
"I guess…" Lydia said. Alfred sighed.
"Just forget it," he said.
"Why?" she asked. The American man blinked.
"Huh?" he asked. Lydia shifted in her seat.
"Why do you want me to forget it?" she asked. He had a dumb look on his face.
"You… actually believe me?" he asked.
"I don't really know," Lydia said. "But it wouldn't be the weirdest thing that I've heard." Alfred didn't know how to take this. He walked over to the couch and sat down.
"It feels so weird," Alfred said.
"This other you," she said. The American man looked up.
"Hm? What about him?" he asked.
"What is he like?" Lydia asked. Alfred took a moment to think.
"Creepy," he said. The American man shivered.
"He just looked… wrong," he said. He put up his hands as if holding a bat.
"He had a bat," Alfred said.
"A bat?" Lydia asked.
"Yes," he said. "A bat with nails in it." The American man didn't know why he was saying any of this. It just kept spilling out.
Alfred shook his head.
"I'm just rambling at this point, aren't I?" he asked. He rubbed the back of his head.
"Sorry about that," he said. The American man rose to his feet.
"Alfred?" Lydia asked.
"I'm going to bed," he said. "Good night."
"Good night," she said back. Alfred reached down and picked up the baby.
"You coming to bed?" he asked.
"In a little bit," Lydia said.
"Okay, good night," the American man said.
"Night," she said. Alfred walked down the hall to his room.
He's been here for about eight months now. Alfred might as well move in. That wasn't on his mind, however.
His phone rang. The American man mumbled to himself as he felt around for the phone.
"Hello?" he asked, half-asleep. He could hear mumbling on the other line. Alfred narrowed his eyes.
"Hello? Who is this?" he asked.
"Mr. America?" a small voice asked.
"Yes. Who is this?" Alfred asked. Soft whispering came through the phone.
"What?" Alfred asked. The American man sat up in bed.
"Who is this? Hello? Hello?" he asked. The next few words sent him into shock.
"I know you saw him."
Alfred dropped the phone on his bed.
I found him. I found him! I twirled with a smile on my face. Heh. I was surprised that it didn't take that long. I thought it would take me days. Maybe even longer. Heh. It looks like it's my lucky day.
I twirled around in my chair and laughed. How long has it been? It's been so long, hasn't it? Who cares? We're going to be here now. That's right. We're. There are more of us coming. How many? When? Oooo. Sorry, I'm not telling you that yet. You are going to have to find out when we get here.
And who I am? You will have to find that out when I get here.
For now, good night. Sweet dreams.
The next morning, Alfred looked at his phone. Lydia was downstairs tending to Baby Florence. What was that call last night? The American man frowned. Suddenly, his phone buzzed.
"Hello?" Alfred asked.
"Alfred?" another man's voice asked on the other line.
"Toris?" the American man asked. "Is something wrong? Are you okay?" There was a pause on the other line.
"Are you still there? Hello? Hello?" Alfred asked. A low whisper came through the phone.
"What?" he asked.
"Have you seen…?" Toris began to ask.
"What?" the American man asked. Another pause came over the other line.
"Toris?" Alfred asked.
"Your other self?" the Lithuanian man asked. Alfred froze.
"You too?" he asked. Toris sighed in relief.
"So I'm not crazy," he said.
"When did you see him?"
There came another pause over the phone. "Last night."
"That happened to me a few nights ago too." An idea came into Alfred's head.
"Hey, Toris, are you busy today?" he asked.
"No…" the Lithuanian man said.
"Great," Alfred said. "Let's meet up at the café downtown. Does three o'clock sound good?" The American man heard typing on the other line.
"I can do that," Toris said. Alfred breathed out.
"Good," he said. "I will see you then. Bye." Alfred hung up his phone and looked at the window across the room. He couldn't get the dreams out of his head. But at least he wasn't going crazy alone.
