Chapter two: Finding friends
It turned out the key Japan found opened a door on the fourth floor, the first thing Japan noticed was the big red chair in the middle of the room, it irked him, he didn't know why, but it reminded him of something that happened during the war… something about an attempted assassination…
The next thing he found was a mochi, yes a mochi somehow stuck into the wall, how it had gotten there, Japan had no idea… but he had been completely unable to retrieve the small animal, so now he was on his way to try to get Germany to rescue it, feeling slightly cheated by life, as though he had been taken advantage of by those pitiful eyes.
"Wha…? Was that door here before? Or is it just my imagination?" Japan stared at the closet door that Germany was behind, he was certain he was having way too many of these moments when it felt like destiny had just slapped him and left him speechless.
"I'm sure it wasn't an iron door, though…" Japan hesitated, just what should he say to the terrified nation? "Hum… Germany, do you have a minute?"
"Is that you, Japan? What's the matter?"
"You see, there's a mysterious mocha stuck in a wall in a room on the fourth floor. I feel a little sorry for it, so I was wondering if you could get it out…?"
"I see." Germany paused, pondering… "Okay, I'll go and get it out. I just have one favour to ask you, though."
"Sure, if it's something I can do."
"You see, when I was running, I dropped my whip. I think we should have some kind of weapon in case that thing shows up again. If it's not too much trouble, could you please look for it?" Germany asked.
"What a coincidence!" Japan pulled the said whip from one of his deep pockets, "Actually, I found your whip a while ago!"
A pause, "…Oh."
"I found it in the room next door."
A longer pause… "Ah! Japan! I'm sorry but..."
"Yes? What is it?" Japan asked, eager to get moving with Germany in tow.
"Ah… I'm really, really sorry, but… actually, I'm hungry too. Don't you have anything to eat?"
"To eat… I'm sorry, but I didn't bring any food with me." Japan racked his brains, food, food, where to find some food. "I don't have anything that could be used as an ingredient either…"
"I see! So, if it's not too much trouble, could you please go and look for something to eat?"
"Wh… Whaaaaat!? Th- that's impossible! How could I find any food in this place!?"
"Please! I have no strength right now." Germany pleaded to a flabbergasted Japan "Anything is fine; just find me something, okay?"
"Haa…" Why did Germany have to be so useless now of all times? "All right. I'll take another look around. I also have to find Italy."
"I see! Thank you! By the way, did you find my brother?"
"No… but he should be fine. Somehow."
""
The suspicious doorway Japan had seen the creature disappear into earlier was now wide open, revealing nothing but unhealthy pitch blackness. His muscles tensed up automatically, apprehension and anxiety factoring in favour to his strength, he slid his katana out of its sheaf as quietly as possible.
He knew he couldn't leave this alone.
Fingering his chest delicately –very sore and painful in some places, some of his ribs might have indeed been cracked, and the left side of his ribcage hurt enough for him to be sure that at least one was broken- he slipped inside the door way and fingered for the light switch.
The dim light just showed a bulking body, full of muscles and looming above him like something out of a horrible nightmare.
Japan's heart stood still.
It struck.
But this time Japan was prepared and parried easily, striking to the creature's chest, striking to kill. The creature was as fast as it was big, and Japan's blow had next to no effect. Starting to fight desperately he abandon all strategy and just sliced the creature where he could, hitting blood vessels that sprayed ruby liquid on him and the walls. Tasting the creature in his mouth, Japan buried his sword deep into the creature's chest while it was thrown off but its lesser injuries, burying the sword to its hilt.
The creature screamed a long, agonising cry of unbearable pain.
There was a click, and the room was shadowed in darkness.
Terror flashed through Japan. He scrabbled desperately for the switch, expecting a blow at any time.
But when he found it the creature was gone.
His sword lay in the centre of the small bathroom, sparkling clean. A key was revealed by the sink. The walls of the bathroom were pure, unstained white, true to the theme of the house. Japan raised his hand to his cheek and found that it was dry…
"Where… Where did it go?"
""
Bedroom, F:2
Japan hurried up the stairs, once again grateful for such a convenient lead, and hurriedly unlocked the door, sighing in relief to see Prussia's familiar white hair, and ran up to him.
"Who's there?!" Prussia roared, spinning around and swinging his sword violently, barely missing Japan as he lunged backwards.
"Woah! C- Calm down!" Japan yelped, "It's only me!"
"Oh, it's you, Japan. Ah… sorry…" Prussia calmed down upon seeing his friend, sliding his sword back into its sheaf by his waist.
"Are you alright?" Japan asked him as gently as he could.
"Th- there was a monster-!" Prussia freaked, shouting at Japan, "I saw it! A- a stark naked giant the colour of rotten scone."
Japan remained silent, momentarily remembering the thing.
Taking Japan's stillness for disbelief Prussia spluttered out "It's true! West, I saw it! Italy too!"
"Yes, I know."
"Before I knew it, I wound up here. Those two… I don't know where they went! Am I making any sense?" Prussia pleaded, feeling unable to express his fear properly.
"Yes, quite. That does make sense. I saw it, too." Japan was careful to reassure him.
"What the hell is that Thing?! O-oh, and what happened to the others-?!" Japan's calm demeanour was having no effect on the hysterical nation.
"Please calm down, would you like me to bring you something to drink?" Japan cut in, wanting Prussia to be able to relax so that they could get out of there sooner.
"Eh?" That question had caught Prussia off guard, normally a slap to the face or even a frying pan would be used to get him to calm down. "Well… now that you mention it, I am a little thirsty. Do you have some water or something?"
"No," Japan answered truthfully, "but I can go and get you some, would you like me too?"
"Yeah… no, wait…" Prussia grasped for thoughts in his panicked state. "Never mind; I don't really need it- have you seen the other two?"
"Germany is on this same floor. He told me he was hungry. But I haven't found Italy. Do you have any idea where he could be?" Japan pushed hoping –praying, that Prussia had seen Italy.
"What?! Italy is missing?!" But apparently he had not. "Do you think that monster did something to him...?"
"We can't be 100% sure..." Japan admitted, nibbling his lip, true to his nervous trait, "But he's very fast and good at running away. I do believe he managed to escape somehow." Somehow… he must have. Otherwise just wasn't worth thinking about.
"All right, then I'll look for him, too!" Prussia exclaimed, "But first, let's go to where Germany is. What's he doing, anyway?"
" He said he was too hungry to move." Japan sighed, he really needed to get Germany out of that God-forsaken closet. "Prussia, don't you have anything for him to eat?"
"Something to eat... Hmm, actually, now that you mention it, I did find some edible mushrooms when I was running away. Will that do?"
"That should do." Japan sighed relief, feeling one step closer to where he should be- by Italy's side.
"All right! Then let's—" Prussia cut off suddenly, listening intently.
"What's the matter?" Japan cautiously asked.
"Don't you hear…" Prussia muttered, "The sound of something getting… closer?
Japan and Prussia both stood at attention, listening, trying to notice any sound out of place.
Nothing, at first.
Perhaps the sound of footsteps?
Odd footsteps.
Like something definitely not human was headed towards them.
"Hey, say…"
"What is it?"
"Did you lock the door, when you entered the room?"
Slightly louder, but barely distinguishable footsteps sounded outside the door.
"I… the door."
At that very moment the door slammed open, and with a savage snarl that froze Prussia and Japan's bodies fatally still, the hulking, disgusting beast burst into the room.
"Holy!" No other words had time to be said.
Faster than Japan had seen it move, heart stopping fast… the thing flew at them.
And.
Blood decorated the floor, in great, ugly, patches.
Blood also decorated Prussia and Japan's horrible, mutilated bodies, so very deceivingly serene in death.
…
…GAmE OvER…
…I wonder how much of this you will be able to take before you are broken…
…one thing is for certain…
…YoU wILL nEVeR EsCaPE…
…
Bedroom, F:2
Japan hurried up the stairs, once again grateful for such a convenient lead, and hurriedly unlocked the door to the room, sighing in relief to see Prussia's familiar white hair, Japan closed the door as gently and quietly as he could. An unsettling feeling of unwelcomed deja vu flickered through the pits of his stomach. Uneasy, he quickly locked the door from the inside.
"Who's there?!" Prussia roared, spinning around and swinging his sword violently, barely missing Japan as he lunged backwards.
"Woah! C- Calm down!" Japan yelped in surprise at almost having his head chopped off, "It's only me!"
"Oh, it's you, Japan. Ah… sorry…" Prussia calmed down upon seeing his friend, sliding his sword back into its sheaf by his waist.
"Are you alright?" Japan asked him as gently as he could, which was, as it turned out, the wrong thing to do.
"Th- there was a monster-!" Prussia started to freaked, shouting at Japan, "I saw it! A- a stark naked giant the colour of rotten scone."
Japan remained silent, momentarily remembering the thing he had encountered that was true to the description Prussia had just provided him.
Taking Japan's stillness for disbelief Prussia spluttered out "It's true! West, I saw it! Italy too!"
"Yes, I know."
"Before I knew it, I wound up here. Those two… I don't know where they went! Am I making any sense?" Prussia pleaded, feeling unable to express his fear properly.
"Yes, quite. That does make sense. I saw it, too." Japan was careful to reassure him.
"What the hell is that Thing?! O-oh, and what happened to the others-?!" Japan's calm demeanour was having no effect on the hysterical nation.
"Please calm down, would you like me to bring you something to drink?" Japan cut in, wanting Prussia to be able to relax so that they could get out of there sooner.
"Eh?" That question had caught Prussia off guard, normally a slap to the face or even a frying pan would be used to get him to calm down. "Well… now that you mention it, I am a little thirsty. Do you have some water or something?"
"No," Japan answered truthfully, "but I can go and get you some, would you like me too?"
"Yeah… no, wait…" Prussia grasped for thoughts in his panicked state. "Never mind; I don't really need it- have you seen the other two?"
"Germany is on this same floor. He told me he was hungry. But I haven't found Italy. Do you have any idea where he could be?" Japan pushed hoping –praying, that Prussia had seen Italy.
"What?! Italy is missing?!" But apparently he had not. "Do you think that monster did something to him...?"
"We can't be 100% sure..." Japan admitted, nibbling his lip, true to his nervous trait, "But he's very fast and good at running away. I do believe he managed to escape somehow." Somehow… he must have. Otherwise just wasn't worth thinking about.
"All right, then I'll look for him, too!" Prussia exclaimed, "But first, let's go to where Germany is. What's he doing, anyway?"
" He said he was too hungry to move." Japan sighed; he really didn't want to babysit the other nation, of all things, but it appeared that the other had been reduced to a child –hiding in closets, really? "Prussia, don't you have anything for him to eat?"
"Something to eat... Hmm, actually, now that you mention it, I did find some edible mushrooms when I was running away. Will that do?" Prussia displayed the little fungus Japan, who recognised the breed immediately.
"That should do." Japan sighed relief, feeling one step closer to finding Italy.
"All right! Then let's—" Prussia cut off suddenly, listening intently.
"What's the matter?" Japan cautiously asked.
"Don't you hear…" Prussia muttered, "The sound of something getting… closer?
Japan and Prussia both stood at attention, listening, trying to notice any sound out of place.
Nothing, at first.
Perhaps the sound of footsteps?
Odd footsteps.
Like something definitely not human was headed towards them.
"Hey, say…"
"What is it?"
"If that thing around your waist isn't just for show, pull it out… if you don't want to be eaten, that is."
"Agreed"
Bang!
With no warning the door was slammed against, and again and again.
Japan and Prussia held their breath, desperately praying for the thick door that had seemed so strong before to not cave in. Only their heartbeats could be heard in the room.
The slamming continued, harder and faster. The solid black door rattled, threatening to cave in. There was the faint sound of splintering of wood.
Then, as quickly as it came, the noise ceased; the only sound to be heard was the panting of the two terrified nations.
"…Is it gone..?" Prussia ventured eventually.
"Yes, probably." 'I hope', Japan muttered in reply.
"All right, that was a little scary, but now we should join West. Let's find Italy and get out of here as soon as possible!"
"Indeed."
Quickly the two exited the room.
"Holy fuck!" Prussia swore heavily again, seeing the terrifying, hulking figure standing mere paces in front of him. "The more I look at it the scarier it seems!" he exclaimed to Japan, "I can't show off my awesome techniques like this! Do something!"
'Good grief…' Japan thought as he started at the monster, cutting at it, aiming straight for the heart like he did the other times he actually managed to defeat the creature. Adrenaline pouring throughout Prussia's body, he fought in sync with Japan, circling around the monster, looking for an opening in the things defence. There! Prussia jumped in with a roar, managing to pierce the thing's tough, leather like skin enough to make blood pour down from the curved line and send the sick, rusty stench of blood into their noses. Snarling in fury and pain, the fiend swung around at Prussia, knocking him to the ground. Blood screamed monstrosities in Japan's ears, seeing his friend sent flying to lie motionless on the ground, his eyes lit up in a feral heat, he sliced the creatures head clean off, feeling with satisfaction the tearing skin, collapsing of muscle under his blade, familiar slight jarring of his enemies shattering bones.
"Prussia! Quickly!" Japan called out, not seeing another creature rounding the corner, running straight for them. Japan's stomach lurched in relief to see Prussia heave himself up with a wince.
"Ja- Japan!" Prussia screamed out, but he was too late; the thing speared Japan, clawing through his guts, jerking Japan back, choking out whatever slither of life was left as it fisted itself inside him, and wrenched it back out and up, shattering Japan's already injured ribcage, rupturing his arteries, causing blood to spray out of his body momentarily, splattering the walls, and colouring the carpet. "No!" Prussia screamed, staring with horror at Japan's de-gutted corpse.
His eyes met the creature's steely grey ones. With one more glance at Japan's now destroyed body, he ran away, swearing to find his little brother and then get the hell out of this nightmare.
…
…when will you finally learn how to get this right?...
…STaRT aGAiN…
…
'Good grief…' Japan thought as he started at the monster, cutting at it, aiming straight for the heart like he did the other times he actually managed to defeat the creature. Adrenaline pouring throughout Prussia's body, he fought in sync with Japan, circling around the monster, looking for an opening in the things defence. There! Prussia jumped in with a roar, managing to pierce the thing's tough, leather like skin enough to make blood pour down from the curved line and send the sick, rusty stench of blood into their noses. Snarling in fury and pain, the fiend swung around at Prussia, knocking him to the ground. Blood screamed monstrosities in Japan's ears, seeing his friend sent flying to lie motionless on the ground, his eyes lit up in a feral heat, he sliced the creatures head clean off, feeling with satisfaction the tearing skin, collapsing of muscle under his blade, familiar slight jarring of his enemies shattering bones.
"Prussia! Quickly!" Japan called out, not seeing another creature rounding the corner, running straight for them. Japan's stomach lurched in relief to see Prussia heave himself up with a wince.
"Ja-Japan!" Prussia screamed out, leaping up, and throwing himself in front of the other.
"Look out!" Prussia cast off the creature's hand, causing it to howl in agony and clutch it's arm that blood was spurting from. Japan, staring in shock at what had just happened, just stood there as Prussia lodged his sword into the monster's throat, and caused a small fountain of dark, glistening blood.
Prussia turned to face Japan, "Now, finding Germany; take two."
"Indeed." Japan gave a grim but determined half smile.
""
"This… is where Germany has been." Japan explained, giving the steel door a light rap.
"It's pretty solid." Prussia admitted, "Hey, West! Japan told me you were hungry, do you want some mushrooms?" Prussia called out to Germany.
"Brother! Is that you!" Germany responded immediately, clambering out of his hiding place.
"Yeah, but I've got some bad news as well; Italy's still missing, and apparently we've got to help a… mochi?" Prussia directed the last part at Japan, as though asking if this really was the case, which it was.
Germany also gave Japan a quizzical look, "Alright, I'm done here, so I'm ready to go." He said at last, pushing second guesses to the back of his mind. "But… can we come back here once in a while?" Germany knew he still had things to do here.
"I don't mind, I guess," Japan told him, "But, Germany, do you… actually like narrow spaces?"
Taken aback, Germany stuttered, "U-Um, not really, but… I suppose you could say I'm use to them?..." Just how was he supposed to explain things properly to the oriental nation? " Though there's plenty of space in there."
"Oh…" Japan trailed off, not really getting it, "Well, let's go then."
""
"Well?" Japan asked fretfully as Germany wrapped his arms around the mochi, struggling and panting with effort.
"It is stuck pretty deep." Prussia informed him, "Can 'ya do it, West?"
"Hhhnnngggghhhh!" Germany fell back slightly as he lost his grip "Sorry, I can't do it with my bare hands; maybe if I had some type of tool…" He
panted.
"Right… I'll go have a look," Japan said, slipping quickly out.
"Roooaaaarrrrggghhhhh!" Germany struggled one last time to get the thing out, then fell back again, panting from exertion.
"Keseseses~ awesome face." Prussia sniggered at him.