Disclaimer: Hetalia: Axis Powers is owned by Hidekaz Himaruya. Alice in Wonderland is owned by Lewis Carroll/Disney (elements from both versions are used). Human names are used.


Chapter 3: The Pool of Tears

Feliciano swam through his pool of tears for what seemed like an eternity, but he still couldn't find any trace of land. He began to sigh at the monotony of his surroundings until he heard splashing nearby and decided to investigate its source. At first, he thought it would be something huge like a hippo or a walrus, but then he remembered how small he was and found out it was only a mouse, or at least another human dressed like a mouse. The mouse-man was trying to stay afloat from the water, but he seemed to be failing at it. It was a small darling thing with sleek, black ears that poked from his hair. He also was extremely pale, probably didn't go outside much. The mouse-man reminded Feliciano of Kiku, his Japanese friend. The Italian tried to help the mouse-man stay afloat by wrapping his arms around him, but the mouse-man pushed him away almost instantly.

"I have personal space! Stay away!" the mouse-man shrieked. Feliciano was a little startled by the mouse-man's sudden outburst, but soon recollected himself.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. I just thought you were having trouble swimming and-"

"I am perfectly capable of swimming by myself, thank you very much."

"Let's start over. My name is Feliciano, what is yours?"

The mouse-man thought for a while, wondering if he should trust this odd, happy man. "My name is Mausu-san; it is very nice to meet you Feliciano-san.

"You can call me Feli, if you want. Saying 'Feliciano-san' must be a mouthful."

"Ok, Feli-san."

"Um, Mausu-san, do you know how to get out of this pool? I'm awfully tired of swimming around with nowhere to go and I don't find the idea of drowning in my own tears that amusing."

"I do actually; just follow that crowd over there." Mausu-san pointed in the direction of a small crowd of disheveled bird-people and creature-people (a Dodo, an Eaglet, a Lori, a Crab, and a creature neither Feliciano nor Mausu-san could name to be exact) ahead of the pair. Feliciano didn't notice them before, but was ecstatic to see more people to talk to.

"Oh good! More people to meet. I wonder if they are nice. Or have pasta, but that's one in the same!" The mouse-man rolled his eyes at the Italian's remark, but decided to stay by him, for he is the only familiar one in the group.

"Shall we, Feli-san." he said. Every one swam to the shore of a beach and was soon together as the motley crew they were. All of the people were wet and shivering, but they soon began to speak to one another as if they were best friends. Feliciano made conversation with Mausu-san and also to a young Lori-boy in a sailor suit. The conversation with Mausu-san was pleasant enough, but the conversation with the Lori soon went awry when the boy grew sour and made rude comments.

"Why does that curl stay up when you are all wet?" he asked nosily.

"I don't know. It's always been like that." Feliciano replied.

"It can't do that! It's impossible!" the Lori-boy yelled while adjusting his sailor hat.

"It is! You see it right!" Feliciano cried, getting a little annoyed by this small Lori-boy.

"Well, it looks stupid. You should just have it cut off!"

And so, Feliciano left the Lori-boy's company. Once all the odd people found companionship with one another, they began to discuss on how they were supposed to get dry again. This eventually led to a huge argument and Feliciano cowering in a corner away from the hostility. The noise grew louder and louder until finally a brash man dressed as a Dodo yelled, "Everyone shut up! We'll all be dead by the time you idiots make a decision!" The man was a mirror image of Ludwig, down to his intimidation that made the whole crowd of animal-people fall silent immediately. "I have a solution that everyone can agree on. We shall have a Caucus Race, any objections or questions shall be denied!"

Feliciano didn't hear the last remark and asked, "Um, what is a Caucus Race?"

The Dodo-man's baby blue eyes burned in Feliciano's direction, but he soon replied with, "The best way to explain a Caucus Race is to do it." He stepped in the middle of the beach and drew a huge circle with a stick. "Everyone gather around the circle." He ordered. Everyone followed his directions without fault. The Dodo-man called out, "One-Two-Three-GO!" and everyone ran around the circle, in no pattern or set speed, for a half an hour. By then, everyone was as dry as a bone.

Once the race ended, the group began to catch their breath and the Lori-boy asked in a loud obnoxious tone, "So who won the race?"

The German Dodo thought about this for quite a while and even began pacing in frustration, but at last, he announced, "Everyone has won the race, so-"

"So everyone should get prizes!" the Lori-boy shrieked in delight.

The Dodo tried to deny this but as the Lori kept on jumping like a little pup pleading for a prize he gave in. He turned to Feliciano and said quite simply, "Well, may you distribute the prizes?"

"Ve, me!" Feliciano yelped in surprise. "Do I even have anything that could be used for prizes?" he thought to himself. He patted his pockets frantically hoping to find something useful and eventually presented to everyone tiny white flags, enough for one apiece luckily.

"Why do you possess so many white flags? And in your pockets nonetheless!" the Dodo asked Feliciano slightly miffed with his reward.

"You never know when you're going to need to surrender to someone!" Feliciano said, waving his own little flag. "Or when your friend takes them away from you in hopes to make you less of a coward. In that case, you should always have extra." he added to himself.

"Well thank you for the prize, but you should try restraining yourself from mass producing surrender weapons." the Dodo stated while pocketing his blank banner.

"Even as a Dodo, Ludwig doesn't like my flags." Feliciano thought disappointed. "Now what do we do?" he asked his fellow creatures. After everyone stashed their prizes, they began to converse on another way to entertain themselves.

"I have an idea," Mausu-san announced timidly. "I can tell you all a story of my past."

"That sounds like a great idea!" Feliciano replied happily. "What kind of story is it?"

The mouse-man sighed and said in a very sorrowful tone, "I shall tell you a story of my ancestors and how they have gained the rivals they possess to this day. It is a long and sad tale"

"It's a long tail certainly," Feliciano said, eyeing the mouse-man's tail that trailed behind him. "But why do you call it sad?"

Mausu-san didn't reply, but simply began his story. As Feliciano was already confused on which tale the mouse-man was referring to, the story in his head looked a bit like this*:

'Fury said to a
mouse, That he
met in the
house,
"Let us
both go to
law: I will
prosecute
you. — Come,
I'll take no
denial; We
must have a
trial: For
really this
morning I've
nothing
to do."
Said the
mouse to the
cur, "Such
a trial,
dear Sir,
With
no jury
or judge,
would be
wasting
our
breath."
"I'll be
judge, I'll
be jury,"
Said
cunning
old Fury:
"I'll
try the
whole
cause,
and
condemn
you
to
death."'

Feliciano was still very confused from the poem, but he gave his condolences to Mausu-san.

"Thank you Feli-san. It is a difficult tale to tell." the mouse-man replied. There was awkward silence after this and soon all of the bird-people and animal-people dispersed to their own activities. Mausu-san was the last to leave, bidding Feliciano farewell before he did.

Feliciano was all alone again, so he stood up and began to think of which way he should go. "I still need to find Mr. Roderich," he said aloud. "I wonder where he could be."


Translations (these could be incorrect and I apologize if they are)

Mausu-san: Mr. Mouse

*The words of The Mouse's Tale are supposed to shape a curvy tail, but when I posted the story it will only go in a straight line. Use your imagination I suppose, sorry.