The next of these beings to beest found wast a mistr'ss who hath call'd h'rself Greece. By the timeth the lady wast found, the lady wast weak, dying from the wanteth of pow'r h'r nation didst hold and the constant warring betw'n h'r city-states. But, coequal while the lady wast dying, the lady wast willing to bid h'r st'ries. Didst talk about the h'roes who is't didst exist, and toldeth us about h'r gods.
H'r p'rsonal fav'rite wast Jason and the Golden Fleece, a famous st'ry yond is still toldeth to this day. The lady spoke of Jason liketh the lady knew'th that gent, and at the end'th of the st'ry, the lady coequal didst shed a few drops of sorr'w. The rec'rds speaketh of h'r as a loving yet s'rious mistress who wast constantly at war with h'rself ov'r how to treateth h'r state.
It wast rec'rd'd many years lat'r yond the lady wast slain by a myst'rious sir in a mask. 't is unc'rtain who is't that gent is, but guesses has't didst point at the Ottoman Empire 'r Ancient Rome in disguise.
-Excerpt from Mysterious and Inexplicable Madnesses, written by Unknown. Published, 1531
-0-
"Hey Amy, are you okay?"
Everything was hitting her at once. The change in light, the sounds of cars driving by, the heat of the day. Physically, she was already disoriented, but the added bonus of having time traveled just made her want to throw up. It was her body, but also not. It felt like vertigo, if she could compare it to anything.
But if this was really real, and she was Groundhog-Daying it, she had the chance to keep Brady's numbers as they were before. Or was it currently? Time travel was messing with her brain.
Then again, it could just be a really realistic dream. She wouldn't put that past Alice.
"Hey, seriously, are you alright?" Brady dropped the ball onto the ground making up the pitcher's mound and jogged over to her. "Are you dehydrated?"
She would be if she threw up, which by the way her stomach was feeling, was becoming more and more of a possibility. "Um, yeah! Sorry, I just spaced out."
One of the other kids held his hand above his eyes, squinting from the sun being in his direct line of vision. "You sure? We can stop for today. It's clear your team's won anyways."
No, she couldn't allow herself. She had to push through a whole other game to stop Brady's numbers from going down. She couldn't afford to just stop here! It could lessen Brady's lifespan even more.
"I'm good, guys, chillax! Brady, give me your best shot!" She tried for a smile and raised her voice, which was a tactic she learned from Alfred. Being louder made you seem more alive. Still, she hadn't forced herself to seem this energetic since Vietnam.
He nodded firmly, but she didn't miss the worried side-glance he gave her. If only he knew how much more worried she was about him. He walked over to the pitcher's mound, took in a deep breath, and wound up to throw. It was going to be a fast ball again.
His arm catapulted forward and his fingers extended as the ball flung out of his hand.
No, this couldn't be right.
But her eyes wouldn't lie to her.
It wasn't a fastball. No, instead it was a knuckleball.
She was taken off-guard so much that the ball flew straight into her sternum, knocking the wind out of her lungs and forcing her to step back just to steady herself.
Ouch, that was going to leave a mark. Amelia winced and covered the point of impact with her hand, dropping the bat to the ground. She sucked in air desperately in short, ragged breaths, trying to return her lung capacity to normal.
Some of the kids ran over to her, asking if she was okay, while the others ran over to Brady and started shouting at him. The ball was nothing like a bullet wound and she'd get over it easily if given a few minutes, but she couldn't imagine how it would feel to be in Brady's position. Amelia kept an eye on his numbers, almost daring them to drop again.
But they didn't. The last four numbers were still 2034. Maybe it wasn't the denial of a second game that made it drop, but her talk?
She'd just have to leave then. Say, "Good game!", jump in her car, and change into something nice so she was actually prepared for meeting with Ally. But part of her, the irrational, emotional side that left her at Dairy Queen last time, pleaded for her to console him.
He'd be so hurt if she didn't say she was okay.
He'd be dead if she did.
"Guys, I think you were right. I'm dehydrated. Do you mind if I just go home? We can play next Friday."
The baseball players agreed with no argument. It was clear to them, apparently, that she was off her game, which with these particular kids, was something that was seldom thought of, let alone seen. She was glad about that, because it didn't force her to explain herself. The implications did all the talking.
"See you guys then!" She waved goodbye, grabbed her bat and mitt, and walked over to her car. Once she was in the driver's seat, she kept an eye on the kids from far away, still making sure all of them safely returned home.
Charlie went home with his smashed Snickers, and the rest of the kids she hadn't interacted with did the same thing as last time. Brady's numbers stayed the same even when he went inside.
Was it really that easy? Was that all she had needed to do?
"Every action has an equal and opposite reaction." Issac Newton had once said. Her action was time traveling, which led to her feeling nauseous and missing the ball. The reaction, overall, was that Brady's numbers didn't change, she got hit in the chest by a knuckleball, and Charlie never gave her the Snickers.
But that was only the beginning. She knew the ripples were only the start. For example, she was now going to show up at the restaurant knowing what Ally was gonna say, and she was going to show up prepared.
Ally honored her part of the deal, and by being able to avoid killing off a kid almost forty years before he was destined to die, it was on Amelia to uphold a deal that technically hadn't been made yet.
She revved her sedan's engine and pulled out onto the streets of LA, heading towards her apartment. She had twenty minutes before she was supposed to show up, but knowing how Ally had the ability to find watching paint dry interesting, she had 45 minutes tops.
Getting to her apartment was as painless as it could be for LA at 6:00 in the evening, and she quickly tore her place apart for a semi-fancy turquoise blouse and black pants. She ran a brush through her frizzy hair a few times before she gave up from all the knots, smeared perfume on herself just to mask the scent of dirt and sweat that'd built up from the hours of playing baseball in the sun, and dabbed on some lipstick.
She wasn't ready for the red carpet, but with the amount of time she had, Amelia would say she looked pretty damn good. She grabbed a purse, shoved her cell phone, wallet, and lipstick tube inside, and ran out of the apartment without a second thought. Once again, she was on the road, over the original time limit by 4 minutes already.
She pulled into the same parking space in front of the same swanky Italian joint at the same time as before thanks to some semi-illegal driving(Hey, she was the law, in a sense). She walked in with confidence, the pain from the knuckleball a thing of the past.
"I have a reservation for two. It' under the name Alice Kirkland." She didn't wait in line this time, and she really didn't care about the people complaining behind her. They'd still get to eat dinner, and plus, Ally's table was already set up. The waiter understood and escorted her to the same private room from before.
"Amelia, how lovely it is to see you." Ally was sitting at a lone table in the center of the room, dressed in the same outfit (at this point, why wouldn't she be?). Hugs were exchanged and Ally sized up Amelia's appearance. "Please, do have a seat."
It was like Amelia was playing a video game and she went back to a save point. Everyone's dialogue was the same unless she intervened. She sat down and waited for Ally to talk again.
"So, I'm sure you must be wondering why I'm here."
Again with the questions. Amelia rolled her eyes mentally, wanting Ally just to get to the meat of it and talk about magic. "Yes."
"I assume you have had little governmental work recently, correct?" Ally folded her hands and fixed Amelia with an owlish stare as she spoke. Amelia couldn't help but feel like Ally's gaze was more calculated than last time.
"Correct."
But the stare faded as a soft smile spread across her cousin's face. "Then you'll like what I'm going to say next. I am giving you the opportunity to go on a vacation of sorts for the next year."
Amelia was silent, remembering how Ally snapped at her interruption the last time, though she did manage to fake a happy-surprised face.
"The reason why I am asking you specifically to do this is because you, Matthew, and Jett are crucial to a plan of mine. As you know, back when you lived in our house, Arthur and I practiced magic actively."
Amelia nodded, taking a sip of water. "Mhm." She was curious about what Ally was going to say next. She hadn't gotten this far last time.
"Our plan is for you to attend a magic school next year. We're not sending you for educational purposes, however. Think of it more as...infiltration." Alice stopped and watched Amelia, signalling to her that she was allowed to speak.
"Go on, please." She finally answered. Maybe her polite demeanor would give her more information.
"I will not be able to disclose anything else until you agree to help. The information behind this is incredibly confidential. You understand, don't you?"
...Or maybe not. No matter. She knew her answer this time.
"I'll help." It was her payment for being able to save Brady's life.
Something flashed in Alice's eye. "Thank you. Starting September 1st, yourself and Olivia will be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for one semester. Your goal is to befriend and protect a boy named Harry James Potter for that year." Her cousin produced a grainy photo of a thin, small boy with thick black hair, baggy clothes, and glasses so thick and broken that even stereotypical nerds would be sympathetic.
"Alright." Amelia kept her voice even. "What am I protecting him from, and why?"
It was a reasonable question. She wasn't going into a magic fight with nothing.
"It could be anything, but the main danger is a wizard by the name of Voldemort." These words and names were ridiculous. Hog Warts? Seriously? People would make less fun of a school named Sum Ting Wong High. "He has been behind several mass murderers across the United Kingdom for decades. We have reason to believe he will target Harry Potter from the evidence we have gathered suggesting that, as an infant, he was able to survive a killing curse that fully-trained wizards fell victim to."
Amelia smirked. "Sounds like you have a British wizard rip-off of Superman."
"He may as well be. The wizarding public has spoken his name for the past decade like one would speak of a superhero. He isn't just the only known survivor of Voldemort-" She didn't notice it before, but Ally visibly shook when she said Voldemort.
"-But he is also the Wizarding public's sign of hope that there is a way to end this onslaught of blood and violence. I know this has nothing to do with your country or yourself personally, but we need you specifically, Amelia, for this to work."
Magic, killing curses, time travel, all of it was utterly absurd. It was irrational and impossible by every rule of reality that had been proved and Amelia knew of. She should've just walked out the door again and been glad she'd saved Brady's life.
But a deal's a deal.
Amelia sighed. It was just a year. She'd spent several years just jogging across America. She'd spent several years traveling internationally. She'd spent a lot of years on much more boring things (although they were actually realistic) than a magical serial killer.
"Where do I start?"
-0-
"Who are you?"
Those three words made a phrase that Canada was never going to escape. No matter what he did, whether it was dressing up like Alfred, entering international hockey tournaments, or even convincing James to let him act in his stead one day, it always ended in the same question. He even tried writing his name across his forehead in red marker. Nothing worked.
Sometimes, even Prime Minister Mulroney forgot him. Canada was literally his country, and yet he never remembered the name or identity of the shy, tall, young man working for him. The one who at least said, "Good morning, Mr. Mulroney!" and "Have a good evening, Mr. Mulroney." once every single day.
It was just a little bit annoying.
But, when Kumajiji said it, he took it less as the actual phrase and more of a "How are you?"
So, he responded this morning like he usually did. "I'm doing great, Kumahiro. Are you hungry?" He pulled the bear off of his face and felt around his bedside table for his glasses, finding them after the fourth pat.
"Yes." The bear simply responded, walking ahead of the nation to the kitchen, where he would wait patiently at the table until Canada made him breakfast. It was all one big routine, but that didn't bother Canada. He preferred order over chaos.
He shuffled over to the shower, turned it on, and jumped in to wake himself up for the day before making breakfast. He was too tired and low energy to fix anything special, so for breakfast he and Kumaduri had the esteemed, incredibly rare, Raisin Bran.
Some would complain about the lack of sugar, but when your neighbor is America, you get enough sugar from the air alone.
While he made his way through the bowl of cereal, he mentally went over what he had to do today. Take out last night's trash, refill Kumaochi's water bowl, take out the dishes from the dishwasher and load them into their proper places in the cabinets, get the mail...
He skipped over the more basic tasks, realizing counting all of them would take too long. Therefore, by elimination, the first important task of the day was going out to breakfast with Alice.
Oops.
He looked at his current breakfast in realization. He'd just eat something light at the cafe. Besides, it was cheaper. Kumamoru would look after the house while he was out, and after meeting up with his cousin, he would go and help Mrs. Schmidt with her leaky shower head.
He didn't need to be a nation or anyone special to perform the tasks he volunteered to do, but with James and Marietta handling all the political stuff, Canada just wanted something to do that made him feel special. And most humans didn't tend to forget him like Kumadere and the other nations.
He washed out his cereal bowl and put it in the dishwasher, doing the same for Kumaku. The polar bear thanked him politely and waddled over to the couch where he sat and watched the news, waiting patiently for Canada to get ready for the day. Get ready he did, and in no time he was dressed, cleaned, and ready to go.
He picked up Kumaruri, grabbed his car keys, and drove to YOW airport to pick up Alice, who'd flown into LAX the night before. She was waiting at the luggage carousel, talking to-
"Amelia?"
Sure enough, the peppy blonde his cousin was talking to also happened to be his sister.
"Mattie! Wow, you're still tall!" She bear-hugged him with a grip stronger than any normal human.
He hugged her back. "I didn't know you were coming along." He commented, breathless, still trying to recover from Amelia's grip.
Alice looked happy, or at least, had a satisfied smile on her face. "It was a last minute decision. Thank you for driving over here."
"It's my pleasure." Well, he hadn't been expecting Amelia, but at least she knew who he was. Amelia was like, if you combined Alfred's happy-go-lucky attitude with the mind and analysis skills of India. She would definitely make the visit interesting.
His sister yawned. "Man, getting up super early for this flight was annoying though. I was planning on going to this waffle joint for breakfast, but I know your thing is pancakes, so yeah." He didn't understand what point she was trying to make, but nodded anyways.
"I'll treat you to a good breakfast, don't worry." He assured her.
Alice grabbed a black suitcase off of the carousel and swung it onto the ground. "That was the last bag, so unless anyone needs to use the loo, I think we're ready to go."
"I'm good. A lil tired, but that can be remedied with a strong cup of Joe." Amelia stared at Alice, waiting for her reaction. Canada groaned. Again, with the Coffee vs. Tea debate. This had been going on for centuries.
But to his surprise, Alice simply brushed it off. "That sounds excellent. Matthew, lead the way."
He wouldn't say that Amelia's let-down face didn't at least make him smile.
-0-
Out of everywhere they could've went to, Amelia selected a Tim Horton's. He didn't exactly have a grudge with the place, no, far from it, but it was just so...casual? It wasn't a place of any significance to him.
Alice didn't seem to mind. She ordered a small breakfast of a pastry and coffee with extra cream, probably too tired or jet lagged to care about what entered her body. Canada did the same, ordering a maple donut and coffee for himself and Kumadere to share later.
And then there was Amelia's order. He winced in sympathy of the woman behind the register and watched as her horror grew along with the length of Amelia's receipt. It was like watching a train crash. Yet, his sister didn't seem fazed in the slightest. She paid for her order with the swipe of her card and waited patiently beside Canada and Alice for her food.
"So, Alice, not to seem rude, but why the sudden visit?" He asked out of the blue.
"I'm here to offer you a year-long vacation."
He withheld a frown. A vacation? His life was pretty eventless already. He didn't need less to do. "Uh-"
"-There's more. It's not just a vacation. It is more of a chance to gather information. You will not be relaxing during this vacation. It'll be a full time job. You will have an objective and a mission, and failure cannot be considered as an option."
That sounded a lot more appealing. Something to do, to focus on.
"Where's the 'vacation'?"
Amelia rolled her eyes. "She won't tell you unless you agree. Trust me, this thing's legit from what I can tell."
Canada was taken aback. "Is that why you're here? Because you already agreed to her offer?"
"Yepperoni and cheese."
Everything suddenly made more sense. Why Alice went to LA first and why Amelia was here. If his sister had already agreed, it had to be solid. She would never go into anything unprepared, unlike Allen and Alfred.
"What will you do to cover for our absence?" A question finally came to mind.
"I will discuss that once we meet up with the final candidate, but don't worry, I have a plan for it." Amelia was right about the "no telling" aspect.
He sighed and took a sip of his coffee contemplatively, both his cousin and sister waiting for his answer. He had to help Mrs. Schmidt with her plumbing problems earlier than he planned.
"I'm in."
-0-
"And then, we're going to this weird ass school named Pigfarts-"
"Hogwarts."
"-Same difference. Anyways, we're going to that school as undercover bodyguards, basically."
Canada drove through Ottawa, with Amelia sitting in the back of his old car and Alice in the passenger seat. Amelia had taken it upon herself to spill the beans on the previously-hidden details about his "vacation", and Alice was doing her best to correct Amelia whenever she could. Canada blocked both of them out for the most part, the constant interruptions too distracting to pay attention to the actual words being said. He'd just ask Alice for a recap on the apparent flight to Australia he'd be taking today. They were only going back to his house to grab Kumaraji and pack up a small suitcase.
Oh, and help Amelia fix Mrs. Schmidt's shower. He'd have to explain to Mrs. Schmidt who Amelia was, but once that was done he could jog back home and continue packing while his sister handled the plumbing. Alice was determined to do...something at his house. Probably something like brewing herself a cup of tea, but he could never be sure.
Things went smoothly when he arrived home. Kumahito had some questions, but decided that they weren't worth asking and instead just agreed to join in on the adventure. A quick walk over to Mrs. Schmidt's house later, and Amelia was fixing the plumbing of an 83 year old woman's house (and probably doing other odd jobs just to keep busy). Alice kept to herself, leaving Canada a distraction-free environment to shove together a small suitcase.
He didn't need to think much about what he packed, having gone through this several times. Alfred always dragged him off to the weirdest places at the strangest times, like when he barged into Canada's house at 3:45 AM announcing they had a flight to Argentina in 2 hours.
He couldn't remember the last time he attended school. Did he need a uniform? Slates? He hoped he wouldn't get in trouble because of Amelia, because he remembered how much switches hurt.
As he tried to recall how school worked(would he have to gather firewood?), his hands moved on their own, and his suitcase was packed up before he knew it. He didn't immediately leave his room though, instead staring at his bedroom like one would look at an old, nostalgic photograph.
It'd be a while since he slept in that bed again. Everything would be so dusty when he came back, so he'd have to do a thorough cleaning.
He knew that he was just stalling. It felt weird to be working under Alice again, and while he didn't find her leadership to be bad at all, it just reminded him of the days before independence. Living under the same roof as England with all the other colonies. It was like a zoo, thinking back. The older colonies, like India, would try to keep them busy in the day, but still.
There were many, many naughty things they did.
"Matthew? How are you faring?" There was a knock at his door, and Alice's voice at the other end.
He jolted a bit out from surprise. "I'm done packing."
"May I come in?"
He nodded, and realized only a second later she wouldn't see his nod. "Uh, sure."
His bedroom door swung open and Alice walked in, holding two cups of tea. She handed one to him and gently sat on the edge of his bed. "I have not yet told Amelia this, but you will be assuming the form of your 12-year old self. 12, physically, at least. You will be going through grade school, but they will not teach simple subjects like Math and Languages. All the subjects pertain to magic."
His 12 year old body. Last time he was built like that was...late 1700's? Early 1800's? He couldn't remember. He just knew that his body was small and lithe back then, and that he could easily win at hide and seek.
"Okay. At least its new territory, so I'll be learning something new." He nodded along.
"Precisely. All your school supplies will be bought in England, so you shouldn't worry about that."
Welp. He wouldn't be needing those pens he packed, would he? But, he liked them so much that he'd bring them anyways. "Is there anything else I should know about?"
"Nothing I can think of currently. I'll discuss everything in full once we talk to Jett and meet with Arthur."
That end bit caught him off-guard. "Arthur? But I thought he was searching for his teapot?"
"I'll let my brother explain when we meet up with him. He had a delay in Heathrow, and we're unfortunately going to keep missing him by a few hours until Australia. If you're ready, we should be going. The flight leaves soon."
Canada looked at his untouched tea, his room, and Alice sequentially. "Then let's go."
-0-
It turned out that not only had Amelia fixed the plumbing, but she also filed Mrs. Schmidt's taxes. Canada felt sick just thinking about how much the world could accomplish if all the nations worked as hard as Amelia had at Mrs Schmidt's house.
-0-
A few hours later, in a land down under.
"Oi, Bumbunga, get down from there!"
"You can't make me!"
Out in the backyard of Australia's house, up in the branches of a scotch elm, was a ginger girl blowing raspberries at anyone and everyone who came close. Her face was smeared with warpaint-like designs made by strawberry jam, and her dungarees were covered with dark, rich dirt. The reason why?
She planted another unwanted strawberry farm in the yard. For the second time this week.
"I'm going to count to ten young lady, and you better be down from there by the time I get to zero!"
He glared at the micronation, who stubbornly stayed up in the branches even after he reached zero. He sighed and glared at the pigtailed girl. "That's it, I'm climbing up!"
She screamed and scrambled up the branches, climbing to the more unstable areas just to avoid being grabbed by Australia. "No! Leave me alone, you big old meanie!"
Despite her efforts, Bumbunga was grabbed and brought down from the tree rather effortlessly. Australia held her firmly by the shoulders and looked at the spot where her eyes would be if she wasn't looking away.
"Bumbie, I told you not to do that and you didn't listen. Why?"
She kept her mouth shut. and avoided his gaze. He could smell the fresh strawberry jam's sweet scent coming from her face, and wondered how much jam they'd eat this week. Jane and Steve didn't mind the flavor, but he was more of a grape jelly person himself.
"As a punishment, you're gonna be washing all the windows today, and no dessert." He decided. Bumbunga's scowl deepened, but still, no words came out. Her face was bright red, and he couldn't tell if it was from the crisp, cool winter air or embarrassment. "And you'll help Janie with dinner."
That made her look at Australia. He was phrasing it like it was an insult, but he knew Bumbunga was perfectly happy with anything food-related. Plus, he never allowed her to use the kitchen because everything came out somehow strawberry-flavoured. He clapped her on the back. "Go on, get with it."
She nodded and ran off to the shed to fetch the supplies needed to wash windows. He didn't exactly punish her, but it would keep her busy all day and give him time to dig up all of her strawberry bushes.
How she even got them, he didn't know. For someone who prided themselves on being more English than he was, she was awfully immature, even more so than Sealand. Planting strawberries in the shape of the island of Great Britain was one of the many immature acts she often performed. At least the twins Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Island (Garry and Leslie for short) kept to themselves when they were being annoying.
It was so early in the morning the sun hadn't even come up, but that also meant it was a perfect time to start working. Housework before paperwork, then caring for the wildlife. Zee always complained about how early he got up, but he didn't find it weird at all. He naturally got up before the sun and went to sleep early.
Australia walked over to the freshly-planted strawberry plants, and with a trowel, slowly began un-earthing them and placing them in their own containers. It was cold enough for his breath to condense in front of him, so why in the world did Bumby think it was reasonable to plant strawberries?
Whatever, he'd just keep them in the greenhouse. He worked through the massive amount of plants, carefully taking them out of the soil and transplanting them to pots. He didn't even notice that Jane had come up behind him until she spoke.
"Oi, there's a call for you. Did you know Ally was coming over today?"
He set down his trowel. "No, I don't think so. What'd she say?"
"That she's been waiting at the airport for over twenty minutes and that you promised to pick her up." Jane folded her tanned arms across her chest. "I think you forgot."
"Did not. She's pulling it out of her arse like usual." He brushed the dirt off of his pants and stood.
Jane looked torn between her brother and cousin. "Go inside and work it out with her then. I'll take over for you."
He nodded and handed her the trowel. "Bumby's supposed to be washing windows right now, so keep an eye out. I don't any of the kids are awake other than her and Lucy. Poor babe's been coughing up a storm."
Jane nodded, obviously crestfallen. "She's not looking too good. If conditions don't get better, I think she'll disappear within the next few months."
"I'll check on her after I finish the call." Australia decided, ending the conversation by walking towards the house. He picked up the home phone and dialed in the number Jane had written neatly.
"Hello?"
The first thing he heard, before even a proper hello, was an annoyed huff. "Where are you?"
He wasn't expecting those words to come out of Ally's mouth in the way they did. Rarely did she sound this annoyed (unless she was in the same room as France). "Sorry Sheila, forgot you were coming! I'll drive over in no time."
He hadn't forgotten. He didn't even know in the first place. But arguing with Ally seemed like a terrible idea judging by the tone of her voice.
"Fine. We'll be waiting in the usual pick-up spot."
He almost said, "Goodbye" until he thought about her words. "...Wait, we?"
"Amelia and Matthew came along. That shouldn't be a problem, correct?"
He didn't think it would be, but why both Amelia and Matthew? They weren't holding anything relating to ANZUS, not since the split in '84. "No, don't think so. We're always happy to host friends."
"Good. I'll see you then." Her voice was clipped and to the point, like usual, and she ended the call before he could say goodbye.
Australia put the receiver down on the stand, ending the call on his side. Right-o, he'd need to make a little bit more toast for Matthew and Amelia, but hey, at least it would cut down on the amount of strawberry jam that was crowding the cupboard.
But, before he left, he checked on Lucy. Known to the rest of the world as Aeterna Lucina, she was a micronation formed only a few years ago, in '78. As he walked into her room, he could smell the sickly atmosphere immediately after opening the door.
The room was dark and hot, despite the cold outside. With the light flooding in from the hall behind him, he could see Lucy's pale skin slicked with sweat, and her dark, unruly curls matted. Her breathing sounded just as labored as it had been for almost a year now.
"G'morning, Lu." He whispered, unsure on whether she was awake or asleep. The frail micronation groaned and moved weakly, telling him that she was awake. He walked up to her bedside and placed his hand on her forehead.
It was piping hot.
"Would you like some water?"
She nodded slightly, probably as much as she could without feeling pain. He winced. He never could understand what it felt to die, but he was sure she was experiencing it right now. He'd seen this happen to other micronations before, and if they managed to recover from their illness, usually they still ended up losing their immortality. The most famous example was Niko-Niko, but he was weird because he was a human beforehand.
He poured her a glass and helped her drink, slowly tilting the glass so she could drink without partially choking. Her skin was still incredibly hot, but hopefully the water would take down her fever a bit. Doctors or medicine would do nothing to help her. It was up to the founder of her nation to stay alive.
"Do you want anything to nibble on?"
She closed her eyes and croaked out a barely heard, "No...thank you..."
He nodded. Lucy was stubborn, even when ill. "If you ever want anything, you know we'll help you."
She was already asleep, snoring softly with her occasional gasps. He stood there, watching her sleep, heart heavy. She was holding on as best she could, but it was clear that that effort was painful. He felt that she wasn't going to recover, no matter how much he hoped that feeling to be false.
Without another word, he walked out of her room and closed the door.
The thud itself sounded like a death omen.
-0-
After that solemn moment, Australia needed something to pick up the mood. He wasn't a fan of depressing atmospheres at all. That was Russia's job, and he did it well, seeing Lithuania and Latvia's reaction at the mere mention of his name.
Talking to Amelia and Mattie would pick up the mood a bit. Amelia wasn't as happy-go-lucky as Alfred, but she was sarcastic and witty and he loved her wisecrack comedy. Matthew was mellow, but always pleasant to be around.
The airport was waking up, with a few cars darting about but not nearly as many as there would be in 30 minutes. Standing in the "usual spot", were the blondes, sitting on their suitcases and talking. He pulled up to the curb and rolled down the window, a cheeky smirk immediately coming onto his face naturally. "Need a lift?"
Amelia yawned, but her eyes flickered with a cheeky energy. "Took long enough! I was starting to think that you wanted us to walk to your house."
"Thank you for coming here." Matthew said sleepily, clutching his bear. What was its name again? Kuma...something. Matthew always missed up the second half of the name that even he didn't know the bear's full name.
"All jet-lagged, right?" He asked, taking in their sleepy expressions and disheveled appearances. All of them nodded. "Come on then, let's get you all a nice filled breakfast to wake up with."
"Please." Alice climbed into the passenger seat. "I've grown sick of airplane food after 3 days of travel."
Everyone clambered in, and, like he thought, his mood improved significantly as Amelia started talking about how she beat a guy at poker 18 rounds in a row. Matthew nodded off, and Alice pulled out a book and began writing in it, leaving him and Amelia to chat freely. The drive back seemed much quicker than the drive there, and by the time he parked, the sun had already risen.
"I always forget that it's winter here in July." Alice commented, stepping out of the car and wrapping herself in a shawl. He would've advised her to wear something a bit thicker, but she was England. This weather was probably what she experienced in fall and spring.
Amelia snorted. "I'd think you of all people would remember that, Ally. Starting to go senile?"
"Oh, shut your trap."
Canada hugged Kuma close, seemingly completely content with simply existing. "The house looks great. Been putting a lot of work into it, eh?"
Australia's chest puffed up with pride. "Sure have. It seems like we're improving faster than I can keep track of. The kids are growing up quickly too. Have you seen the pictures of Hutt I sent recently?"
He grabbed their suitcases from the boot and carried them into the house, where several of the micronations were already eating breakfast at the table. "I'm home!" He announced. Some of the kids said hello, some tried to say it with full mouths, and some just silently acknowledged him.
Their reactions were different as soon as Alice entered, followed by Amelia and Matthew. Baby Erika squealed with delight and chucked a glob of strawberry jam at Matthew as a welcome gesture, Rory looked up from his usual hobby of counting money, Lance jumped up from his chair and hugged Amelia, Garry and Leslie waved, and Bruce stopped eating cereal.
"Quite the welcoming committee." Alice chuckled. Matthew wiped the strawberry jam off his shirt the best he could, unintentionally sending Jane an embarrassed look.
"No, Erika, we don't do that. We don't throw things." She chided, taking away Erika's stockpile of sweet, sticky ammo.
Matthew shook his head. "No, really, it's fine. This is an old shirt anyways."
"But dude, you gotta admit the kids got aim. Nice going!" Amelia laughed, messing up Lance's combed hair. "You and your baby sis have gotta play baseball with me sometime."
Jane pushed strands of loose brown hair out of her face. "So, it's great to see you all, but why are you here? This visit is pretty random."
Alice looked like she wanted to sit down and talk, but every chair in the room was either occupied by a child or random shit. "We're here to ask Jett to come on a year-long...secret mission with us." She obviously planned to say something else, but rephrased when she saw the children watching her intently.
The gasp that came from Bruce could only be described as the deepest breath ever taken. "Are you gonna finally fight for the farmers?!"
"What? No." Alice looked more confused than ever, but her response didn't discourage Bruce. No, it actually encouraged him.
"The farmers are not being treated properly by the gove-govemment!' He struggled with the word. "There are no bridges! We need bridges!"
Lance nodded vigorously. "Can we have a bridge to Mars? Can we? Can we? Can we? Come on, Can we?"
"Of course not." Rory scoffed, straightening a stack of money. "That's not a good idea financially. Not to mention, impossible."
"But Mars!" Lance began to wail.
Australia watched the scene unfold in front of him the same way someone watches a tidal wave as it crashes above them. He could see Jane was already losing patience with the kids, and he would soon enough as well. "Enough. Kids, there's no bridges being built. Unless you can pay for them yourselves, we're not building any."
There were several noises of disappointment that came from the children, but Australia knew they would pop back to their natural selves soon enough. After round one of breakfast finished, he scooped up baby Erika in his arms and held her on his hip while the kids dismissed themselves to go play in the yard.
Jane helped herself to a granola bar and piece of Fairy Bread and ate in silence while the rest of the adults stood around. "Well, now you can explain what you mean Ally." Australia suggested, shifting his weight from one foot to another rhythmically to soothe Erika.
Alice took a seat and cleared her throat. "First of all, good job on maintaining your sanity with all those micronations. You now know how we felt when we were the Empire. Second of all, I'm asking for you to work under me for an entire year."
Amelia and Matthew sat down silently, listening.
"What work?" Australia inquired.
"You will be gathering information and protecting a certain individual. The rest I cannot disclose until you agree to my terms."
That sounded shady. "What're all the terms?"
"You will allow me to perform magic on you, you will work under England's instruction for an entire year, you will not disclose what you learn while working for me, and you will not reveal your location to anyone unless England gives you explicit permission."
Jane swallowed a mouthful of Fairy Bread. "That sounds mostly reasonable, other than the fact that I won't be able to communicate with him and you're going to be doing magic on him like a guinea pig."
Amelia coughed. "I know this sounds weird coming from me of all people, but her magic's legit."
She was met with several confused looks, but she refused to elaborate, instead helping herself to a slice of toast.
"...Well, as Amelia said, it is indeed real and safe. Both Matthew and Amelia have agreed to aid me."
Jane shared a look with Australia that clearly said, "No."
But his impulses said yes.
"Sure."
Baby Erika squealed with delight and clapped his face with her hands in approval.
-0-
"Aunt Ally is doing something with Jett." Gary pointed out, sitting on the grass underneath the tree.
He was drawing in the dirt with a stick, and while most of the nations didn't really like the cold, they knew that when the adult nations wanted to be alone to go out. Rory sighed and started stacking his coins, building a little pyramid. "Why do you care so much? You wouldn't be trusted to help them out anyways, unlike me."
"Shut up! You're just a bank. You don't even own any land!"
Rory rolled his eyes. "At least I'm worth something. You're just the representation of Gay. A sexuality. Not even something that can be touched."
Leslie pushed down Rory's coin tower. "Don't be mean, or I'll rip up your money again."
"You wouldn't dare."
"Try me."
Lance stood. "Guys, guys, don't fight. We have to worry about the real problem here. Building a bridge to Mars."
"Bridges are good." Bruce nodded along.
Gary rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, watching as Lance scratched at a scab until it started to peel off. "No. I say we listen to Auntie Ally hear what she came here to talk about."
"I dunno. You saw Bumby today. I don't wanna wash windows." Leslie worried.
The conversation fell silent until Lance whispered, "...What if it's about Lu?"
That in itself made Rory stop counting his money. All the micronations just sat there, processing Lance's words. It couldn't be. They knew Lu was sick, but she wasn't so sick that something bad was going to happen, right? Jane said so.
"I miss Lulu." Leslie teared up. "Me, and Lu, and Wy used to have teatime."
Rory huffed. "If its about Lucy, we should know. She's our sister."
"But...she can't die, right?" Bruce scratched his knee.
His question went unanswered, and even though there was no winter wind, all of them shivered.
-0-
Author's Notes:
Next chapter gonna be the beginning of it all! Tired England(he's been flying non-stop for 3 days, someone save him), Dumbledore, shopping and preparing for school, de-aging, and more! I am really, really pumped to get to Chapter 4, so here's to hoping I get it out sometime next week! However, until the 28th of May, I'll most likely be pre-occupied with exams, and the update schedule will slow a bit. My goal for updates is every 3-6 days, but please be understanding if they don't coming out by then(You guys have been so far, so thank you!)
Now, its shout-out time, isn't it? I've been saving these two commenters for a while, because both of you have supported me through every one of the chapters so far and with some of my older fics!
First, huge round of applause for Syntax-N! They not only have given me absolutely massive reviews every chapter but ask lovely and insightful questions in PMs. Honestly, your reviews are what keeps me feeling so motivated to churn out 6000+ words over then span of 2-3 days. I have no idea what I would do without you reviewing my fics, seriously.
Second of all, kudos to Twashcat360, who, while not giving me long reviews, have always reviewed every chapter with simple yet encouraging messages. Every time I open my inbox and find a review from them, it makes me smile. Thank you so, so much.
Next, thank you to everyone who bookmarked/followed my story. I've been (semi-obsessively) checking my inboxes for any sign of my story being liked, and just even a simple notification that someone decided to drop a kudos/favorite or a bookmark/follow makes me absolutely glow.
Finally, I want to say thank you to my two amazing beta readers who not only have provided incredibly funny headcanons to think about, but also read and comment on my rough drafts sometimes as soon as they wake up. Even though we've several timezones apart, you two make me smile so much whenever you even just message me on Discord. Without your help and enthusiasm, this chapter most likely wouldn't have come out until 2 weeks from now, if I had the motivation to write at all.
Its because of y'all's feedback that I have the steam to keep on going, and even a short review saying a favorite line or a question about the fic not only brightens my day, but encourages me to write more. And if you ever want to message me and chat about this fic or just general stuff, I'd be more than down. The tag's Fluff#0929 like usual, and if you don't have discord, you can shoot me an email at those2peeps .
Bless you all, and stay safe during COVID.
Msperfectsheep
Character Reference:
Mains:
Amelia Elizabeth Jones: Nyo!America
Arthur Kirkland: England
Jacob Alexander "Jett" Papalya: Australia
Matthew Jean Williams: Canada
Olivia "Vee" Kirkland: 2p!Nyo!England
Other(Varies per chapter):
Alice "Ally" Kirkland: Nyo!England
Brady Kaminski: Amelia's baseball friend from LA
Charles "Charlie" Addamson: Amelia's baseball friend from LA
Alfred Franklin Jones: America
PM Mulroney: Canada's Prime Minister from 1984 to 1993
Kumajiro(or any variation of Kuma+a random ending): Matthew's talking polar bear.
Mrs. Schmidt: Matthew's neighbor
Marietta Williams: 2p!Nyo!Canada
Allen Jones: 2p!America
Jane "Janie" Papalya: Nyo!Australia
Bumby: Bumbunga
Lucy "Lu" Papalya: Aeterna Lucina
Gary and Leslie Papalya: Gay and Lesbian Kingdom
Erika Papalya: Aerican Empire
Lance Papalya: Empire of Atlantium
Rory Papalya: Grand Duchy of Avram
Bruce Papalya: Independent State of Rainbow Creek