Thanks to claire and Lovesbugsalot for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 105: Closer and Closer

We've only a few more eggs left.

And then they just need to hatch.

This is almost over.

Let's hope.

…

Everyone stared at the Irish brothers in shock.

"H-how?" Miguel asked. "I mean, it shouldn't be possible."

"It is," Khemet sighed. "There are many other worlds. The two you know of are interwoven with each other. Mirror worlds. There are others that are simply shadow worlds. Not as closely related, and not where two sides are the same. The world Brazil created is one such world. The Deathplayers can access some, but not all. And there are about a hundred they have access to. It could be any of them."

"How do we get to that world?" Alistair asked.

Khemet sighed.

"If it was a world that existed prior to the Deathplayers, then finding out how to get there is the priority," she said. "But if it's a world of their own design… then only they can lead you there."

There was silence for a moment.

"They wanted to make sure that we wouldn't be able to find their hiding place," Anika said.

"Clever bastards," Alistair muttered. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"I can only think of one thing," Gupta said, "but none of you will like it."

"What is it?" Will asked.

Gupta looked at the three remaining potential Reds.

"We cast a tracking spell on these three," Gupta said. "One that can transcend worlds. And then…"

"No," Alistair said. "We are not LETTING any of them get captured. Forget it."

"Even a moment would be enough," Khemet said. "Afterwards, we could do the same thing Ricardo did with his counterpart."

"Are you insane?!" Patrick demanded. "We're not letting you do that to any of them."

"Are we really going to do that for the sake of our counterparts?" Will asked.

Alistair and Patrick paused, looking thoughtful.

"They're a part of you," Khemet said. "And if we don't get them out of there… You can be guaranteed that the Deathplayers will find a way to use their prisoners to their advantage. Most likely they will do something that affects you as well."

"If that happens," Matthew said, "then… I volunteer."

"No," Khemet said. "You're the King in their game. Rules dictate that they'll take you last. And before you will be the Queen. All other pieces could be taken at any time. And the only one left, other than the King and Queen, is the Rook."

"In other words me," Jett sighed. "I'm going to need to get them to catch me."

"We still don't like that idea," Will said. "I do not agree with that."

"Same," Alistair said.

"There is one other thing we can try," Khemet said. "One of the Deathplayers told me that Anika knows how to seal them. But her memory is erased."

Anika frowned.

"Are you sure about it?" Anika asked. "I mean, how could I forget something like that? Although, it would explain why they're in Sterkfontein."

"Should we try to get there?" Jett asked. "Maybe you left a clue?"

"Maybe. But to go back and check…"

"We can ask Alida to see her version of the caves," Matthew suggested. "Maybe there's something in the place itself?"

"Maybe…"

"Well," Will said, "ask her when she gets back."

"Ja. Will do."

…

Michael and Goran were kept in an isolated room, the doors locked from the outside and Nations keeping watch. They were annoyed with the fact that they were being punished for being the only ones that decided to use take advantage of the solution given to them.

And they felt that the other world didn't understand what war was like, and that one needed to do whatever it takes, no matter the consequences.

They had been surprised when Patrick and Seamus had arrived, and while Patrick was trying to convince the Nations standing guard outside to let them out, Seamus had told his counterpart all that they had learned.

And even after an hour, Goran still couldn't get Michael to react to anything.

Michael was in shock when he heard that they would essentially be killing his younger brother, and that they would allow his younger brother to be reborn as a baby. But he was as good as dead.

After all, he couldn't exactly trust the South. They had been at war for such a long time. And with an opportunity such as this…

He was panicking. He had no way to get to his little brother. He had no way to protect him. And his other brothers were captured. Oliver was as well, but when he was reborn as a baby…

Nothing was stopping them from snuffing out the baby's life. And that was why he was afraid.

He needed to get back to his own world. He needed to get Oliver's bird-counterpart before they decided to allow him to be reborn as a baby.

He needed to get Oliver before it was too late.

…

Ricardo, Alida, Bruce and Matt were carrying the eggs back to the living room. There were only two more eggs that remained: Fletcher's and Toris's. Ricardo and Bruce would be going back to the mirror room soon in order to retrieve the last two eggs, and because Bruce wanted to see his brother again.

When they arrived, they were a little disturbed to see their counterparts and bodyguards being quiet, as though they had heard terrible news.

"What's up with you?" Bruce asked, as they moved towards the makeshift nest.

"We've found out that the Deathplayers are keeping their prisoners in neither of our worlds," Matthew sighed.

"How's that possible?" Ricardo asked.

"Apparently there are a lot of other worlds that exist in the universe," Jett said. "And they have access to several."

The others were silent for a moment. Ricardo broke it with a sigh.

"There are only two left," Ricardo said. "Australia, are you coming?"

"Yeah," Bruce said as he followed him out of the room.

"Alida," Anika said, "how far away is Sterkfontein from here?"

Alida blinked in surprise.

"About an hour's drive," Alida said. "Why?"

"We think that there might be a clue," Anika said. "We sealed the Deathplayers in my version of Sterkfontein, so maybe there's something about the location that will help."

"I doubt it. There is nothing in Sterkfontein. The caves are completely and utterly empty."

"Perhaps the fossils or the paintings…"

"Fossils? Paintings? Like I said, there is nothing there."

"But…"

"Niks."

"Wait a minute," Matthew said. "How long were you a No-Man's-Land?"

"About a thousand years before Europeans arrived."

"And before? How long have humans been living here?"

"I don't know. I wasn't born yet."

Matthew turned to Anika.

"How old are the human fossils in the Cradle of Humankind?" Matthew asked Anika.

"About two million years," Anika said. "But what does this…?"

"The Cradle of Humankind isn't in my country," Alida interrupted. "It's in the Congos."

"Another example of how our histories aren't intertwined," Matthew whispered.

"What are you thinking?" Matt asked.

"The Deathplayers were once Nations too, right?" Matthew asked.

"Yes," Khemet answered. "Though they didn't last long."

"As we know, Nations' lives depend on their people," Matthew said. "But what about a Nation that doesn't have people?"

"It's an empty existence," Alida said. "You're wondering why you exist. What purpose you have."

"Matthew, could you get to the point already?" Jett asked.

Matthew ignored him and turned to Khemet.

"You said that the Deathplayer told you that Anika knew how to seal them," Matthew said. "Would spirits know that?"

Khemet blinked.

"If they were around at the time that the Deathplayers were born," Khemet said. "But none of them are friendly."

"And what about those that lived an empty existence?"

"They don't really care about anything."

"Why are the spirits involved?" Alistair asked.

"Because many of my native population believe in calling for the ancestral spirits," Anika said. "I've done it myself a few times. My mother taught me all about being a sangoma. I have to say, the ones really far back are more cooperative than the more recent ones."

"And how would you know all of this?" Alida asked, looking at Matthew.

"Hehe, I might have done some research on world religions," Matthew said. "I was bored, and I was locked in a library, and that book was nearby. Anyway, maybe your ancestors guided you?"

"Maybe," Anika sighed. "But to get a hold of them…"

"Do it," Alida said. "We need to wait for the eggs to hatch anyway."

Anika sighed, before she assumed a cross-legged position on the armchair she was sitting in. She closed her eyes, and Alida nodded, knowing that she would try to contact their ancestors. She turned to Matthew with a curious expression.

"So, what exactly is 'religion'?"

…

Luciano was drumming her fingers anxiously, a frown on her face and phone pressed against her ear.

"Pick up, you damn idiota," Luciano hissed.

She cursed when she reached voicemail again, and threw the phone against the opposite wall. Flavio was watching her with a blank expression on his face.

"You don't need to be so antsy, sorella," Flavio said.

"Don't call me that!" Luciano said. "I refuse to be a woman any longer. And now all the damn bastardos that can fix this won't answer their damn phones!"

"Language," Flavio said. "So? You discovered that you're PMSing. Nothing to be upset about."

"Nothing to… Are you fucking crazy! I do not want to do that."

"I suggest you ask a female Nation to educate you."

"I don't need education! What I need is to be back in my original body!"

"Maybe it's a good thing Francesco is in the other world. You're certainly moody."

Luciano seethed.

"You're enjoying this," she accused.

"Maybe a little," Flavio said, a small smirk on his face. "It's actually one of the questions I've been asking myself for years. 'If Luciano was a woman, what would she be like during PMS'? You've just answered one of my life questions."

Luciano snarled, and Flavio laughed as he ran away from his enraged sister.

…

"Ve, fratello I feel funny," Feliciano said. "I think I might be getting sick."

Lovino sighed.

"And why would you say that?" he asked as patiently as he could.

"Well, I feel as though everything is swelling, especially my tummy. I feel like I'm going to lose my pasta. I keep getting headaches. My tummy doesn't want to decide if it's hungry or not. And for some reason I keep tasting chocolate."

Lovino's eyes widened at the chocolate part, and he spun to face Feliciano.

"Fuck," Lovino said. "Fra- Sorella, I think you're PMSing."

Feliciano cocked her head to the side, clearly not understanding.

"What does that mean?" Feliciano asked.

"Shit," Lovino said. "Wait – how do you not know what the hell it is?! It's when women tend to become psycho bitches. And if she's already a psycho bitch…"

"Romano…"

He stopped when he heard the voice behind him. It was sickeningly sweet, with the iciness of a thousand knives. But what scared Lovino the most was that it was a female Nation.

Lovino gulped, before slowly turning to see that Rosa was standing behind him, her arms crossed and a smile that was usually seen on Russia's face when he was starting to get angry. She knew that he was thinking of her when he said that.

"Um," Lovino stammered, knowing how scary she was when she was pissed. Not angry, but pissed. "Veneziano'sPMSingandhedoesn'tknowwhatitis," he said in a single breath.

"Unless you want me to kill you," Rosa said, "you are going to speak slower."

"Ve," Feliciano said. "Fratello said that I'm PMSing and I don't know what it is. Can you tell me?"

Rosa blinked, her look of anger replaced by astonishment.

"How…?" she said. "How can you not know what it is? You're a Nation! You're supposed to know this stuff by now!"

Feliciano just cocked her head to the side, and Rosa sighed, before she grabbed Feliciano's wrist.

"Come with me so that you can get some vital education," Rosa said. "This is going to be more important than anything Germany's taught you about war."

Lovino watched the two of them, glad that Rosa was taking the job from him. She might be traumatising his sister, but if he had to explain it, he was the one that was going to be traumatised.

He would need to give the Mexican a big 'thank you'.

…

Miguel hurried off to find an unoccupied bedroom, the screaming baby held tightly in his arms as he tried to coo him while he himself was panicking, a bag on his shoulder. He was grateful to Alida's sisters for buying a baby bag.

What they were afraid of has come to pass. Baby Roberto needed his diaper changed.

The other Nations that were dwelling in the house didn't seem to be too happy with Miguel, but none of them came closer. He was a little frustrated with that.

He sighed in relief when he finally found an empty room, and he immediately set to work.

He placed the baby on the bed, hoping that Alida wouldn't kill him for this. The baby calmed down once Miguel began, and he sighed in relief. It was easier to do this when he didn't have a screaming baby to worry about.

He slumped to the ground in relief when it was done, and he let out a nervous chuckle.

"Looks like taking care of my rulers' kids has paid off," he commented.

The baby cooed, and Miguel chuckled again as he stood.

"Aw, how sweet," a mocking voice said.

Miguel's eyes widened, but before he could do anything else he was thrown against a nearby wall. Before he could recover, a hand was wrapped around his throat, and he was slightly lifted into the air.

And the baby started to cry again

He looked down with wide eyes at the Brazil Deathplayer.

"I've been waiting for you to be all alone again," the Deathplayer said. "You know, in the beginning you were only meant to be a way to get to little Roberto. But I have come to despise you. Congratulations. You're the first Nation to earn that privilege."

"What… did I do… to you?" Miguel asked, placing a hand on the other's wrist in an effort to pry the hand away.

"You got in my way," the Deathplayer said. "And my games with you were interrupted before I got my satisfaction. And while you may have proven useful in pushing Roberto over the edge, he didn't become a Red because he disappeared on us! That game with you has ended in absolute failure. And I'll admit that we're what you would call 'sore losers'."

Miguel gasped, his air supply running out. He started to claw at the hand, but the Deathplayer only tightened his grip.

And strangely, the one thought that would not leave him alone was why the Deathplayer didn't seem to be bothered by the crying baby.

As though reading his mind, the Deathplayer smirked.

"Isn't it wonderful?" the Deathplayer asked. "The sound of a baby crying. So young, so innocent. And something is endangering the innocence. Something caused it discomfort. To it, something is there that shouldn't be there. It's the same sound that you're going to be making again very soon."

"You're sick," Miguel gasped.

"You act as though I should care about such a fact. Now, before I make you scream, I'll admit that I'm curious about this baby. How old is it, about a week? And why are you suddenly playing nanny? Is it because you're precious son has faded away?"

Tears pricked at Miguel's eyes. Tears of discomfort, of fear and of sadness. He saw the Deathplayer turn his gaze towards the crying infant, and he felt his heart drop when the Deathplayer's smirk disappeared.

"So, that's what you have been doing," the Deathplayer whispered, releasing Miguel's neck.

Miguel gulped in the air that he had lost, but the Deathplayer decided to grab his hair and drag him closer towards the bed, earning a yelp from the Portuguese.

"So, that's what those eggs are for," the Deathplayer said. "You're planning to replace our Reds with these new ones. How?"

Miguel gasped when the Deathplayer grabbed his wrists, pulling him closer. His eyes widened when the Deathplayer's other hand hovered over the baby.

"Não!" Miguel cried out. "Por favor, don't hurt him."

"Then answer my question."

Miguel looked over towards the crying baby and swallowed nervously.

"We split their souls," Miguel said. "Create new counterparts for each of them."

"And how do you do that?" the Deathplayer demanded.

"I'm not sure how exactly it works. I didn't have anything to do with the mechanics of it all."

The Deathplayer narrowed his eyes.

"They're those annoying birds, aren't they?" he asked. "Tell me, how does that transformation work?"

Before Miguel could answer, the door was slammed open, and a few Nations were standing there, looking annoyed.

"Could you please just shut…" one of them started, but cut himself off when he saw the scene.

Miguel yelped as the Deathplayer suddenly pulled him into a headlock. He could feel the Deathplayer's breath against his ear.

"Your plan isn't completely successful," the Deathplayer whispered. "While the infant is useless in our game – he does offer a delicious bit of torture. I can sense it. He has none of Roberto's memories. I've found the perfect punishment for you."

"Let him go!" Angola shouted.

The Deathplayer responded by throwing Miguel against the bedside table, his head colliding with the edge. And then the Deathplayer was gone.

Miguel was unresponsive for a moment, not paying much attention to the other Nations. He vaguely heard someone comforting the baby, and he could also recognise that the other Nations were steering clear of him, but it didn't matter.

The Deathplayer had confirmed their greatest fear. That the last thing that remained of the Roberto they knew, his memories, was gone.

So now, Roberto was truly dead.

The Cradle of Humankind is a network of caves where a large amount of hominid fossils were found, with the most famous being Sterkfontein. And Alida's population in the past wasn't there as long as Anika's was. There were times that Alida had no population at all, even long before the Deathplayers were born. That's going to come in handy, actually. More on this next chapter.

And I think I've mentioned before, the humans in the 2P world were more focused on survival and science than superstition, so they don't have religions in their world. Some superstitions, but not religions.

Sangomas are the witchdoctors/shamans of the native South African tribes. Not exactly sure which ones, though. You can hire them to cast a curse on someone, and that is where voodoo comes in. They do that by channelling ancestor spirits. They also perform other rituals that can be expected of a priest in any religion. Black South Africans are especially superstitious about them, and even quite a few whites. My dad is a magistrate, and he has dealt with them a few times before, even ending up in the hospital because they somehow managed to poison him. But there was this one case that makes it impossible for me to think of them without bursting into laughter. A group of sangomas were busy with a ritual, and three guys decided to rob them. The robbers were overwhelmed and fled. But they didn't take their defeat like men. Instead, they went to their parents for help. And meanwhile, the sangomas called the police, and the two groups arrived at the same time. The police took one look and locked their doors, shut their windows, and drove away until the fight was over. And that is why, in my hometown, when there's a break-in and the thieves need pursuing, we don't call the police, we call the alarm companies because we can trust the alarm companies to protect us. Anyway, eventually the fighting was done, and this one thief was injured at the beginning, and had to be taken away in an ambulance. And when he woke up, he was immediately placed under arrest. But the story doesn't stop there. There was this one sangoma that acted as witness that confused everyone. No one knew if it was a man or a woman. The dress and headscarf of a woman, as well as large earrings, but stubble. So they figured that they would listen to him/her speak in order to determine the gender, only for that person to speak in a really high voice that makes it impossible to figure it out. Eventually even the scribe started to refer to the person as 'it', or 'he/she'. This is official court documents, by the way. And it turned out to be a man later. My dad also had another case where that person acted as a witness, and once he realised it he had to do a facepalm because the witness wasn't exactly someone with their thoughts in order. And apparently, his colleagues postponed their own cases just so they could see the case my dad was working on.