Sorry it took so long everyone! -_-' I had loads of school work, and I am easily distracted so I was kinda screwing around with this one ^_^

Hurricaneclaw: hurray for friendship ^_^

Hetalia Kirkland: Get undercover! The opening of the eyes signals the apocalypse!

"I see..." said Kiku blankly, Arthur flinched at his lack of visible emotion.

Arthur had seen him stir shortly after the capitol symbol had vanished from the sky. He knew that Kiku had been looking after Erika during the time they had been in district three.

"Are you okay?" he asked him nervously.

Kiku nodded distractedly, his eyes seemed unfocused.

"Hai, I'm just… thinking," he turned away from Arthur, who sighed in defeat and trudged wearily over to Alfred and the others, who were watching the exchange from a distance.

"He just needs time…" Arthur muttered as he sat with the others.

Even Alfred remained silent as they all mourned Erika's passing. Feliciano was sobbing quietly to himself, as he had become rather good friends with Erika when they were travelling together before the beast attacked. Ralph stared numbly at the ground. Though he and Erika had never really talked, even back during those days, he had found her kindness to be reassuring.

Surprisingly, it was Kiku who spoke first,

"We are not honouring her by drowning ourselves in sorrow," he announced firmly, "the best thing we can do is keep her in our thoughts, and continue living."

Arthur stared at him in shock, then smiled at him, admiring Kiku's courage. Alfred allowed his usual grin slide back onto his face. Feliciano nodded, though still a little glum, so Ralph gave him a light push to try cheer him up.

Kiku watched the exchange, keeping a suspicious eye on Ralph and Christian. Ralph seemed to tense up a little every time Arthur directed a question at him. Christian stayed quiet, though he seemed to Kiku a little more ambitious than he appeared to the others. Kiku knew that they had teamed up before the games had begun, so there was a chance that they could be up to something. Though it was impolite to judge people on their appearances, Kiku resolved to keep a closer eye on the pair. Part of him wondered whether they had anything to do with Ludwig. He shook his head to clear it of such thoughts. No, there was no possible way the two events could be related. He tried to sit up a little, wincing as his injury sent sharp pain shooting through his body. A shadow passed over him, and he flinched when he looked up to see Christian's worried face looking down on him.

"You okay?" he asked, "maybe you should rest a bit more."

"I-I'm fine," Kiku stuttered, avoiding his gaze.

Christian seemed to sense the lack of trust in Kiku's voice, and took a step back.

"You don't trust me," it wasn't a question, it was a statement.

Kiku hesitated, allowing his gaze to fall upon Christian's green eyes. Like his, they seemed to hold a wisdom beyond his years. His almost childish face had small scars, only noticeable when looked at closely. He felt those eyes study his own in the same manner, he refused to allow any emotion show on his face.

"No, I do not trust you," Kiku replied softly.

Christian sighed, and sat down heavily next to Kiku.

"I thought as much, whenever you're awake, you are always keeping an eye on me and my br… on me and Ralph," he sighed sadly.

Kiku frowned, though he had tried to cover it up, Christian had almost called Ralph something. His what? Kiku couldn't help but feel that Christian had almost let slip an important detail.

"Would you trust someone in a game of life or death, knowing that they're keeping something from you?" Christian flinched at Kiku's tone.

"Everyone's got secrets…" he mumbled, but Kiku heard the hurt in his voice, "I can't fail in keeping my own."

Kiku smiled in his mind, there was that determination that Christian seemed loathe to show. This nervous frail boy who had scored a four in his initial examination. Yes this was an act, a very good one, but an act none the less. The dark look which had appeared on Christian's face when Ralph received a twelve on his examination, that was a little bit of jealousy, like they had been rivals, and he wasn't pleased with being beaten, though was to concerned about his 'act' to do anything about it. Everything about the boy, his actions, his mannerisms, made Kiku suspicious of him, even more so than his companion, Ralph.

"You don't understand, so I don't expect you to trust me," Christian mumbled, reverting back to his act.

"Then why don't you tell me?" asked Kiku.

"I can't," replied Christian flatly.

Kiku sighed, realising he wasn't going to get anything out of Christian like this. Christian got up, and made to leave.

"I'll find a way to make you trust me Kiku…" he said without looking over his shoulder, "I promise."

'yes, but when you do, what consequences will arise for me and my allies…'

###################

"It was around here we heard the voices," announced Elizabeth as the small group arrived at the edge of a flowing stream.

"I don't see anything yet, maybe we should look up and down the banks, da?" suggested Ivan, heading off before anyone else could protest.

Antonio followed him, his face unusually focused as he scanned the ground for any signs of disturbance. Elizabeth blinked, she could have sworn she had just heard a low rumble not too far off. She glanced around nervously, there was nothing but trees. She jogged to catch up with the others, they hadn't seemed to notice anything unusual yet.

Elizabeth heard the rumbling again, it was louder now, a continuous low roar. She looked up and saw Antonio staring at the sky behind her.

She spun around and saw orange flames licking the sky, smoke rising as trees burnt.

"RUN!" she shrieked, taking off along the stream.

Her heart pounded in her chest, she couldn't hear Antonio and Ivan panting behind her. She heard a yell a little further off, but she didn't have time to think about it.

She took a quick glance over her shoulder, Antonio and Ivan weren't there. Another glance confirmed that the fire was not infarct following her like fire should, instead it had veered to the left.

She slowed to a halt, panting, where were Ivan and Antonio?

Then it struck her, the unnatural fire, the exchange between Ivan and Antonio.

The game makers were out to kill them.

She took a deep breath to calm herself. What could she do?

Maybe if she could stop the fire at it's source…

She ran in the direction of the flames, desperately hoping that her plan would work. She felt the heat on her face, it enveloped her and she began to sweat.

Orange red flames, taller than the trees flickered. The roar of the flames was unimaginably loud, nothing like a campfire, or the small fluttering flames that had barely warmed her back in the district.

No, this was a wild angry beast, roaring and crackling, devouring all in it's path.

How could the game makers control such a thing?

There, at the corner where the flames had veered off. A small metal pipe. Elizabeth took a shaky breath and stepped towards it. The heat was unbearable.

She picked up a rock, if she could jam up the pipe that might be able to wrench the fire from the game maker's control and destroy all the other pipes. She approached the fire, feeling like her whole face was going to burn off.

She could do this, for Antonio and Ivan.

She jammed the rock down, ignoring the searing pain as the flames burnt her skin. For a brief moment only the flames that had shot out the pipe with the rock stopped. She cried in her mind, had she failed?

There was a mass explosion, Elizabeth screamed as pain shot through her. She was flung into the air like a rag doll, then slammed against a tree, hard.

She coughed up blood and collapsed every part of her throbbing. She smiled weakly to herself, the fire had stopped. She heard someone walk through the bushes, calling her name. She was to weak to respond, and merely prayed that they would find her.

Crimson eyes stared at her, and after a moment's pause, their owner ran toward her.

"G-gil…" Elizabeth muttered, in too much pain to be surprised at the appearance of her old friend.

"Dammit, please don't let me be to late," Gilbert cried, kneeling down in front of Elizabeth.

"I'm… so sorry Gil…" Elizabeth said looking on mournfully as Gilbert wept.
"I... You can't die! I promised him, I-I would look after you," he sobbed, "the awesome me has to keep his promises!"

"I'm.. Not going to die… not really anyway…" she gazed off a kind of peace settling on her face, "it's a visit… just.. A visit."

Gilbert looked up.

"you can feel it…. Please.. Tell me you feel it!" Elizabeth said, desperation seeping into her voice, "please… don't grieve, it's just a visit… a visit… I need to see Mr Edelstein again."

Gilbert blinked a steady understanding creeping into his red eyes.

"Y-yeah a visit… give him a punch for me…" Gilbert took Elizabeth's hand and squeezed it, "but don't stay too long, we need you here."

Elizabeth gave him a weak smile, "I promise…"

She didn't seem to realise the irony, that so soon after Irunya had thought it, Elizabeth had come to realise it's incorrectness.

Death was not about pain but death was not about grief either.

Death was being forgotten.

Natalia had faced it, her existence was merely a shadow, or maybe a memory. There were none left who rallied under her name. Her existence had ended.

Lovino had faced it, but he lived in his brother's existence. He was not dead, not yet anyway.

Erika had faced it, but only her brother remembered her. Only he could save her now.

And finally, Elizabeth was facing it, but she did not fear it. She knew that somewhere, she didn't now where, someone was out there, proud to be one of her people. She looked at the sky, peace flooding her, her pain forgotten.

Yes, this was just a visit.

"Don't let them take my body away Gil," she said in a strangely calm voice, her throat no longer burnt and painful.

The cannon fired, but Gilbert did not grieve as he should.

"Come back soon," he said, staring up at the sky, "we will need you before the end…"

Magial country time :D Anyway, hopefully I won't die because you guys murdered me for um killing hungary. I just realised that my computers been correcting her name from Elizabeta, but I don't want to change it now (it'd get confusing .)

I'll explain Gilbert's presence there later I'm too lazy ^_^"