Thanks to EverythingMath, Dragonfire78, Don't Insult Oliver's Cupcakes, BloodLily16 and Miss Akiyata for reviewing.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.
Chapter 44: Metallic Aftertaste
Toris stroked Feliks's back in a soothing manner. They needed to get Poland calmed down before they attempted anything, but the blonde was far from calm.
She was trembling violently, her skin was pale, and there was a sheen of sweat on her skin. Her face was red, where they assumed she was burned, and the blood around the nails in her arms had already started to dry. Feliks was also sobbing, and seemed to be clutching her stomach, as though that, too, was in pain.
"We may need to put her under if we want to get those out of her arms," Arthur said, sighing.
"Nie!" Feliks shouted, startling everyone in the room. They had assumed she was too dazed to hear what they were saying. "I don't want to go to sleep. I don't… He might…"
Toris shushed her, continuing with the soothing strokes.
"We need to get those nails out of you," Arthur said.
"Then pull it out," Feliks said. "It won't hurt any more than what he put me through."
Arthur and Alistair shared a glance, debating on what to do.
Feliks, still trembling, moved her hand to one of the nails and started to pull it out, much to everyone else's surprise. The Pol barely even reacted.
Lithuania, on the other hand, had a feeling that her breakfast would make a dramatic return.
…
Felic stumbled towards the bed. She really hated that damn phoenix.
…
Roberto flinched.
He was finally awake, and it was only to hear a series of pained screams.
He had learned from Valeria that some of the Nations had been turned into women, and that a few of the Nations from the other world had slipped through to their own. He also heard that Anika had gone a little psycho, which meant that she was most likely Zulu now.
"Aren't you bothered by these screams?" Roberto eventually asked Valeria.
"I'm used to hearing them," the Columbian said. "I used to hear them a lot while growing up with Portugal. Yours, or Ricardo's, especially."
Roberto was stunned to hear that. He had heard that Ricardo was abused by Portugal, but…
"Did you ever try to fight back?" Roberto asked.
"Some of us tried. We failed miserably. Ricardo and Alida did most of the fighting, though. They always had a protective streak that not even Portugal could shatter. Ricardo saw his mother killed by Portugal's hand, so he took it upon himself to protect the rest of us. And Alida was a No-man's-land, and she enjoyed the feeling of having someone depending on her."
"What do you mean by 'No-man's-land'?"
Valeria stared at him for a moment, as though she thought that it was obvious, but when she saw that he was genuinely oblivious she sighed.
"A No-man's-land, by all rights, shouldn't exist," she said. "There was no human population when she was found. Her mother, Southern Africa, was definitely classified as a No-man's-land. The other Southern African Nations were in a similar position. The first humans in centuries to set foot on South African soil were Portuguese settlers."
"But that's… impossible," Roberto said. "What happened to the humans?"
"About a thousand years ago, a plague wiped them all out. Southern Africa survived in spite of everything that happened. But it resulted in Alida becoming extremely pale. Not quite albino, but close enough."
"I see. So, if she wasn't a No-man's-land…"
"She would most likely look like someone of Portuguese heritage, or perhaps like one of Anika's natives."
"I see. What about the other Southern Africans?"
"Alida was born before she was officially discovered. There was already a small population of settlers, or rather refugees, in the other Southern African Nations before they were born."
Ricardo chuckled.
"The main reason why Miguel didn't want Anika's land was because he was under the impression that the natives he came in contact with, the Khoikhoi, were a bunch of violent cannibals. It was all a misunderstanding. But he tried visiting a few times to make peace. He messed it up almost every time. But he once mentioned, regarding South Africa's Nguni population, that one could travel for days without fear of man."
"Must be nice."
…
Omar was keeping an eye on Anika from a distance. She was not ignorant of the fact that her continued presence was starting to get on the blonde's nerves, so she would stay away for the sake of Anika's comfort.
The blonde South-African reminds her somewhat of how Alida used to be when the two first met. That was a few years before she became a Dutch colony, and she was still under Portuguese control. It had angered her back then how someone so small could carry so many bruises. And against her ghostly pale skin, the black and blue clearly stood out.
Then there was the fact that she knew that, in a way, Alida also cared for her counterpart. She wasn't sure to what extent yet, but she knew that Alida was angry when Italy had hurt Anika. She had ordered Omar to cast that protective charm, after all.
Which worked if she remained close to Anika. Having the girl in viewing and/or hearing distance managed to work just fine.
…
When Jamaica finally found America in this large manor, he was beyond relieved. And he still couldn't believe he was thinking that.
"America," Jamaica called, "I need to talk to you."
"Huh?" America said, turning around. "Yo, 'sup Jamaica. When did you get here?"
"A while ago. Listen, I hear you all were having trouble with your counterparts in your dreams."
"Oh, yeah… I'd like to pay Allen back for a few bruises he managed to give me. It's the hero's job to defeat the villain, after all."
"Right… But first, tell me, do you know how to make dream catchers?"
"Yeah, vaguely."
"Do you think you can help me make enough of them for everyone?"
"Um, that's the tricky part. If you want them to work right, then the one they're meant for needs to make them themselves. Makes them more personal, y'know?"
"I understand. But do you think you can help me make them for everyone here? To avoid any… unpleasant situations, like the one Poland was in."
"Sure. It's the hero's job to protect everyone, after all!"
"Great. Do you think you can get the necessary items?"
"Sure!" America shouted, as he started running.
"And in the meantime," Jamaica muttered, massaging his forehead, "I'm going to look for Netherlands. See if he has anything on him. Something tells me I'm going to need them."
…
"Alright," Arthur sighed, "they're all out."
By now, Feliks was panting, her skin white as snow. Thanks to Nations' healing, the scalded skin of her face had somewhat toned down.
At first, removing the nails was a simple process, with Poland barely reacting. But eventually, the pain became too much, and Lithuania continued to stroke her friend's back in a soothing gesture. Removing the screw, however, was a far more difficult process, and Scotland had to physically restrain the screaming blonde that started to writhe in pain.
"I'm glad it's over," Toris said, smiling.
"Um, like, not quite," Feliks muttered, attracting the others' attentions. "Um, like, Felic made me swallow these metal balls. They're kind of hurting me, even if they're not burning anymore."
"How many are there?" Arthur asked.
"Um, I think he said, like, fifty."
The other three's eyes widened.
"We're going to need to remove it," Arthur said. "Since you don't want to be put under, it has to be done through magic. But it could be tricky. Lithuania, would you mind getting Norway and Romania?"
"Um, sure," Toris said, making a hasty exit.
She was already feeling a little queasy from watching the nails being removed. She wasn't sure if she was prepared to see those metal balls removed from the Pol's stomach.
…
"Time to go," Matt sighed.
He gave one last look towards Matthew and the others, before he dragged Basch away from the shooting quartet. The Swiss appeared to be grateful for that.
They passed Omar, who was keeping an eye from a distance.
"You nervous around guns too?" Matt asked.
Omar shook her head.
"He, um, she, is also a decent shot, if I remember correctly," Basch said. "Ever since the whole, yeah…"
When around Egypt, one must be careful when mentioning the scars in casual conversation.
"I see," Matt said. "You don't want anyone to get that close again."
Omar nodded her head, keeping watch on the target practice.
"Are you coming with us?" Basch asked.
Omar shook her head, showing a text she received from Alida, specifically stating that she was to remain in that world.
"Why are you stalking Anika, anyway?" Matt asked.
She showed another text, showing that she was doing it under orders from Alida.
"I see. I also get the feeling that you don't want anyone else to know of your current… situation."
Omar arched her brow, as if asking what gave you that idea.
"Got it," Basch said. "I guess we'll see you when we get back."
She nodded her head, and the two Northern Nations departed.
They were by no means friends with Omar, but they knew that she wouldn't attack them without incentive, and that usually meant if one of them messed with one of the South Africas. And neither was stupid enough to do that.
"Now we need to get the others," Matt said, groaning.
…
Vlad was playing with Alexandru while Andrei watched the two. The two Moldovans still found it a little odd to see the Romanian as a woman, but they didn't mind it too much.
They were startled when the door suddenly opened, and a pale Lithuanian could be seen.
"Lituania, what's wrong?" Vlad asked.
"England and Scotland need your help with Feliks," Toris said. "He, um, she's awake now, by the way."
"That's good. But um, why do they need my help?"
"They need to remove something from Feliks's stomach."
Vlad's eyes widened, and she sighed. She smiled apologetically to her younger brother.
"Scuze, but duty calls," Vlad said.
"It's okay," Alexandru said. "I understand."
"What exactly is in Poland's stomach?" Andrei asked, speaking to the Lithuanian.
"I think Feliks said that it was metal balls," Toris said.
"Oh, I know that one. The metal used, when heated, causes serious side-effects. It can make you really sick if it makes contact with any part of your body, other than skin."
Vlad and Toris's eyes widened, and the two rushed out of the room, Romania making her way to Poland's room, while Lithuania went to look for Norway.
…
Patrick kept watch over William, who had yet to wake. He had noticed that the Welshman had grown extremely pale, and that his entire body, as well as the sheets around him, was completely soaked in sweat. His breaths were shallow, and every now and again, his face would scrunch up in pain, or he would curl up in pain.
They had managed to treat the wounds as well as they could manage, but Northern Ireland couldn't help but to feel that there was something else completely wrong about the situation. He wasn't sure exactly what it was, but his instincts told him that he needed to keep a close eye on his older brother.
He couldn't help but wonder if those other Nations did anything else, other than give him a few (deep) cuts.
…
Lukas sighed, looking at the growing pile of metal marbles. She still couldn't believe that all of these were in Feliks's stomach, and they weren't even halfway finished.
Vlad had informed them about what Andrei had said about the metal, and how exposure to it when heated could be very dangerous. They were keeping an eye on Feliks.
So far, the blonde showed no signs of being sick, but those signs could easily be mistaken for being signs of pain. It was understandable.
Lukas still couldn't believe that the other Nations were capable of doing something like this. Yes, she may have done her fair share of torturing, like almost all the Europeans, but this was going too far.
She sincerely hoped that the other Nordics wouldn't have to deal with this as well. She didn't really have to worry about Emil's counterpart, but the others…
She shook her head, trying to clear it of those thoughts. She had a job to do, and she couldn't afford to lose her focus. She refused to be responsible for any more pain caused to the Pol.
Feliks had gone through enough pain.
…
Kyo was searching for someone. He didn't particularly care who. He just needed to find one of the Nations that were involved in the game since the beginning.
Since Italy was a little… preoccupied, and Germany was too lazy, he felt that the duty fell to him to do something about their enemies. He had already repaid North Korea for his betrayal, and now it was time to move onto other things.
He smirked when one of the Nations he was looking for. It was time to put his plan into motion.
The Spaniard saw his smirk and immediately froze. By now, everyone instinctively knew that it was never a good sign if the Japanese man was smirking.
"Can I help you with something?" Spain asked.
"Hai," Kyo said. "I need you to take me through the mirror.
Her eyes widened. Obviously, she was not expecting a request like that.
"Why?" she asked.
"The Southern Powers of this world are out of our reach," Kyo explained. "But ever since you managed to find a way to cross over, the Southern Powers of the other world had become a lot easier to reach."
"I see. So, you want to target the Southern Powers?"
"Exactly. But for now, only one of them will do."
"Which one? Because I know Sudáfrica sent her little guard dog to watch over her counterpart."
"South Africa has always been Italy's rival. I have someone… different, in mind. But I still need you to take me to the other world."
"Alright. Who am I to refuse one of the Northern Powers, after all?"
Kyo chuckled. The correct answer.
…
At the table during the lunch, it didn't take long for the Nations to notice that certain Nations were now gone. The only ones left from the other world were Omar, Valeria, Andrei and Camille. The members of the magic trio were also missing, and the only one of the UK siblings at the table was Seamus. Dimitri was also missing.
But on a positive note, Roberto had finally joined them.
Toris had informed them that Feliks was awake, but that there was some sort of metal in her stomach. Andrei had further explained that the metal was a popular form of torture in their world, and that it could be extremely poisonous if it was heated.
"Is there a way to counteract the poison?" Yao asked.
"Da," Andrei said. "Although, it's a little unusual. Not that I mind it."
"What do you mean?" Ivan asked.
"Well, in order to get the poison out of your system, you need to consume a lot of sweet foods."
In almost synchronisation, all eyes turned to Alfred, who paused mid-bite.
"Why are you all looking at me?" Alfred asked.
"Oh," Yao said, "a certain incident on an island coming to mind, where we'd die of Type 2 Diabetes before we starve to death?"
"Come on, it wasn't that bad. Besides, I, uh, kind of ate all of my emergency supplies."
Half of the Nations facepalmed, and the others sighed in exasperation.
"I guess I'll make some lokum, just in case," Turkey said. "Hey, how much sugar does it take to cure that poisoning, anyway?"
"More than twice the target's weight," Andrei said.
Everyone just stared at him in shock.
"I'm going to be busy for a while," Sadiq sighed.
"I think quite a few of us should pitch in," Anika said. "I could make some koeksusters. Kanada, do you mind if I make pancakes?"
"Um, not really," Matthew said. "But your pancakes are different from mine."
"I know. But I know you're serious about your pancakes."
"True. I think I'll make mine as well. And I'll make some maple toffees."
"Do you have enough maple syrup?"
"Shouldn't be a problem," Seamus said. "Artie usually stacks up on the former colonies' favourite foods. I'm pretty sure I saw maple syrup. There's also rooibos."
"Wait, you're only telling me this now?"
"Arthur might never admit it, but your tea is really nice."
"I'll make some Brazo Gitano," Venezuela said.
Venezuela was a cheerful-looking man with curly, shoulder-length brown-blond hair and hazel eyes. He wore an oversized yellow shirt with red sleeves, blue shorts and brown laced boots. He had tanned skin, and wore a golden medallion around his neck.
"I'll make some waffles," Belgium said.
As more Nations listed treats that they would make, others sat back and watched this. Those were the ones that weren't really trusted in the kitchen, but many of them had a sweet tooth. And if Poland didn't need all of those treats, well…
Let's not let anything go to waste, right?
…
"So," Matt said, "why did you want to see us?"
Alida calmly looked towards the group.
"There's another meeting of the Southern Nations soon," Alida said. "And I want you to be here as well."
"I have no problem with that," Gan said.
"We should probably inform Columbia and Egypt of what we discussed when we get back," Thomas said.
The Northern Nations, on the other hand, didn't like that idea at all, and knew that there would be problems if they were to attend a Southern meeting.
…
Patrick jumped when Will's eyes suddenly snapped open, but that was not what concerned him.
His brother's eyes were frantic, and Patrick only had a second's warning before Will jumped up and rushed out of the room.
Patrick followed him to the nearest bathroom, seeing Will retch into the toilet. When he stepped closer to rub soothing circles on his brother's back, he saw something that made him pale.
The vomit was dark, and it wasn't the smell of bile that reached his nose.
It was blood.
Lokum is Turkish delight. And the other foods mentioned are mostly from an article on the internet, 'Around the world in eighty deserts'. I had to stop there, because my sweet tooth started ordering me around as I read the article for ideas. Koeksusters is a South African pastry that is twisted and then covered in syrup.
South African pancakes resemble crepes, and as a snack it is served with cinnamon sugar, which becomes syrupy with the heat of the pancakes. Outside coffee shops, it's the most common form of the pancakes. It can also have a filling, such as savoury mince or chicken mayonnaise. Fruits are also a possibility.
A Portuguese traveller once said that the Nguni people were 'among the finest of the human race. One may travel 200 or 300 miles through their country without any cause for fear of men'.
And the metal poisoning came to me about halfway through the chapter, and the idea for the cure came near the end. But seriously, imagine having to eat twice your weight in sweets. I think only Alfred would be able to do it.