Chapter 5:
America stood around the old capital building and heard voices saying "Hanatamago, we are going to Stockholm!" a male voice yelled happily.
"Uh, the dog stays," A female voice said
"What are you talking about? The dog goes," a male voice contradicted.
"No, she stays."
"I say she's going."
They all walked out "Well I just don't think it'll be presentable for you to show up at Sweden and Finland's with that dog, Sealand," the blonde girl said. The reliquary glowed and Alfred said "There's just one problem Sealand's dead! All of the micro nations are dead! Am I right friend. " Green flying bunnies and other demons started coming out. "Oh come on. Am I supposed to believe this thing woke up after all these years just because some girl claims that boy is Sealand?" he asked. More demons flew out. "Okay, okay I the message. Enough with the smoke people already!" He paused to think for a minute. "If this thing's come back to life, it must mean...Sealand's alive." He looked back out at the boy. "And that's him!"
And then, as if it had a mind of its own, it flew right into a hole by the building, dragging Alfred with it. "Ahh! Mayday, mayday!" It flew rapidly underground, past the crust, dinosaur fossils, and molten magma. "Wahh, hot, hot, hot," he cried.
It flew all the way until it reached a wide open place where a giant island-like bolder, made entirely out of rocks and bones, was floating. Afred crashed into a pile of bones.
"Ow! Oh boy, that's going to leave a mark. Ow," he complained.
"WHO DARES INTRUDE ON MY SOLITUDE? GET OUT!" a familiar voice called out. Too familiar.
"England! Dude!"
"America?" England said "England dude you're alive?" "Yes! In a matter of speaking!" England yelled and by emphasizing the word speaking, which caused his eyeball to pop out of his socket and land in America's palms.
"Um, th-that fell right out sir." America said
Something's happened," England said, putting his eye back in. "I can feel the dark forces stirring!"
"Well I'm not surprised sir because I saw him, Sealand," America said.
"What?" he asked causing his lips to slide down to his tie. "Sealand? Alive?"
America looked really grossed out. "Um, sir? Your lips, they're uh.."
"That little brat?" his lips continued to say from his tie.
"Okay," America said while placing England's lips back on his mouth. "Well I guess a curse just ain't what it used to be, huh?"
"That's why I'm stuck here in limbo," England yelled, banging his fists on the wall. "My curse is not fulfilled!" His hand, too, flew off as well.
"Oh, don't worry dude, I got it," America said.
England began to sob. "Oh, look at me. I'm falling apart. I'm a wreck!"
America came back to him with his severed hand. "Actually sir, considering how long you've been dead, you look pretty good! Is this the face of the hero who would lie to you?
America faked a smile. His smile started to quiver. He went on before he gave himself away. "Come on sir, for a minute there you had your old spark back."
"Yeah, before I lost the gift from the dark forces. The key to my powers."
America pulled out the reliquary. "What, you this reliquary thing here?"
England gasped. "Where did you get that?" he asked.
"Oh, I found it," America responded.
"Give it to me!" he shouted, snatching it out of his hands.
"Okay, okay. No need to be grabby."
England laughed manically. "My old friend, together again. Finally my curse will be fulfilled. And the last of those brats will die!"
In the dark of the night I was tossing and turning.
And the nightmare I had was as bad as can be.
It scared me out of my wits.
A corpse falling to bits.
Then I opened my eyes and the nightmare was me.
I was once the most powerful mage in England.
When the micro-nations humiliated me they made a mistake.
My curse made each of them pay.
But one little boy got away.
Little Peter beware England is awake.
The reliquary shot out another puff of smoke. In it, they could see Peter. He was boarding a train with a huge grin on his face.
In the dark of the night evil will find him.
In the dark of the night just before dawn.
Revenge will be sweet.
When the curse is complete.
In the dark of the night
He'll be gone.
I can feel my powers are slowly returning.
Tie my sash and a dash of cologne for that smell.
England was wearing a sandy blonde wig and was brushing it in the mirror. An image of Peter appeared, repeating the action.
As the pieces fall into place.
I'll see him crawl into place.
Adjö Peter, Your Grace
Farewell
In the dark of the night terror will strike him
(Terror's the least I can do)
In the dark of the night evil will rule
Soon he will feel that the nightmares are real
In the dark of the night
He'll be through.
In the dark of the evil will find him.
In the dark of the night terror will doom him
My dear here's a sign.
It's the end of the line.
In the dark of the night, in the dark of the night.
Come my minions rise for your master.
Let your evil shine.
Find him now, yes, fly ever faster
In the dark of the night
In the dark of the night
In the dark of the night
He'll be mine!
They were now on the train to Finland. Inside their compartment, Lilli was placing the suitcases up in the storage area, while Mathias was finishing up some paperwork. Peter was sitting in the seat opposite from her. When she put up the last suitcase,Lilli attempted to take the seat next to Mathias but stopped when she heard Hanatamago under him.
"Hm, dog gets the window seat, huh?"
She settled for the seat next to Peter. Who was twiddling with her necklace, an unconscious habit that really started to bug her. "Would you stop fiddling with that thing and sit up straight, come on. Remember, you're a Micro-nation."
Peter glared at him and slouched further. "Hmph, how is it you know what micro-nations do or don't do?"
Lilli smirked. "Trust me, I know more than you think," he said.
"Lilli?" Peter asked, "do you really think I'm a micro-nation?"
"You know I do," she answered.
"Then stop bossing me around," he snapped.
Mathias snickered. "Well, he certainly has a mind of his own," he said.
Lilli slouched in defeat. "Yeah, I hate that in a man."
Peter merely stuck his tongue out at her. Smiling, Mathias pulled out a piece of paper with a score sheet. He gave Peter two more points, adding it up to twenty-five, while Lilli only had three.
Lilli came in from the bathroom. Peter was sitting in his seat reading a magazine.
Lilli paused for a few minutes trying to think of something to say. "Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot," she said, finally.
"Well I think we did, too," Peter said. "But I appreciate your apology."
"What? Who said anything about an apology? If anything, you're the one who should be-"
"Oh, just stop talking. It's only going to upset me," he said.
But instead of starting an argument, she just sat back. "Fine, I'll be quiet if you will."
"Okay, I'll be quiet," Peter said.
"Fine."
"Fine," she finished.
They turned away from each other. Peter stared out the window at the passing trees and sighed. "So you think you're going to miss it," he asked.
Lilli groaned. "Miss what? You talking?"
"No. Denmark."
"Oh," Lilli rolled his eyes. "No way."
"But it was your home," Peter said.
"No, it was a place I once lived. End of story," she told him.
"Well then I guess on making Stockholm your true home," she said.
Lilli raised an eyebrow. "What is it with you and homes?" she asked. Peter stood up. She put her feet up, blocking his way to annoy him.
"Well for one thing it's something that every normal person wants," he said trying to get through. "And for another thing it's a thing were…you..uh.."
"What?"she asked, messing with him even more.
"Oh, just forget it!" Mathias walked in just then. "Oh thank goodness it's you, please just remove him from my sight," his said pointing at Lilli. Mathias groaned.
"What have you done to him?" he asked.
Lilli stood up. "Me? It's him," she accused.
"Ha!" Peter cried. Then he left.
"Oh no," Mathias said. "An unspoken attraction."
"ATTRACTION? To that skinny little brat? Have you lost your mind?" Lilli yelled.
"I was only asking a simple question." Mathias said.
"Attraction, ridiculous!" Lilli turned around to leave. The smoke demons flew until they reached the train. First things first, they had to get the train to go faster. They flew into the engine and burned the coal more rapidly. The train started to pick up speed.
Mathias walked past a group of people talking with their passports. He smiled at his own 'homemade' passport until he saw the real ones.
"Last month, the travel papers were blue, but now they're red," someone said.
Mathias looked at his papers, which were blue. "Yahh," he cried. He shoved past all the people to his compartment.
Inside, while Peter was asleep. Lilli looked up when Mathias came in out of breath.
"Man I hate this government. Everything's in red," he said.
"What?" Lilli asked.
"I say we move to the baggage car before the guards come," Mathias suggested.
"I say we get off this train."
Lilli went to wake up Peter. She noticed Hanatamago snarling at the window, but ignored her. "Hey, wake up," he said, only to be smacked in the nose. "Ow!" He fell back into the seat.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," she said. "I thought you were someone that-" But then she saw Lilli tilting his head back to stop the bleeding. "Oh it's you. Well that's okay then."
"Oh, just come on. We have to go," he said.
"Where are we going?" Peter asked.
" I think you broke my nose," Lilli complained Peter rolled his eyes. "Women are such babies," he muttered under his breath.
The four of them snuck into the baggage car just in time. "Yep. Yeah, this will do nicely," Lilli said.
"Ugh, he'll freeze in here," Mathias whispered, shivering.
"He can thaw in Stockholm," Lilli answered.
"The baggage car?" Peter asked.
"Ehehe," they both shrugged nervously.
"There wouldn't happen to be anything wrong with our papers now, would there maestro?" he asked with a smirk.
"No, of course not," Lilli said. "I just hate to see you forced to mingle with all those low-ranking people." At that moment, a loud explosion separated the engine and baggage car from the rest of the train. Peter, Lilli, and Mathias fell backwards.
"What was that?" Lilli asked.
"I don't know, man," Mathias cried. "But there goes the dining car."
"Oof. Get off of me," Peter shouted at Lilli
"Ugh, I'm trying," she said. He kicked her off.
"Uh, Lilli?" Mathias said. Lilli tried to stand up.
"What now?" she asked.
"I think someone's flambéed our engine."
Lilli went to the door next to Mathias. "Something's not right. Stay here I'll check it out," She went out and crossed the coal car to the engine. But no one was in the driver's seat, which was burning.
"Hello? Is anyone here?" Lilli asked. She checked the speedometer, but it blew up as it reached past 60 miles per hour.
Peter and Mathias waited nervously. "We're going way too fast," Peter cried. Wally jumped back in then.
"No one's driving this train. We're going to have to jump."
"Did you say 'jump'," Peter asked. Lilli opened the side door. But the train was driving along a cliff side. "After you," he cried. Lilli looked at him, crazy. Now was not the time to be sarcastic.
"Fine, then we'll uncouple the car," she said. Too bad the smoke demons overheard. They hardened the medal links.
"Quick, hand me a wrench, or an axe or anything," Lilli called to Mathias. He handed her a wrench. But it only broke.
Hanatamago let out a squeak. Peter saw him standing on a box filled with dynamite.
"Come on, there's gotta be something better than this." Lilli cried. Peter gave he a stick of dynamite. "That'll work," she said.
She stuck it in the train's link and the four of them ran for cover behind a bunch of crates. Lilli raised an eyebrow. "What do they teach you in those orphanages?"
The dynamite blew up. But they were still going incredibly fast. Mathias tried to stop it but it wouldn't work.
"The brakes are out," he cried.
"Well turn harder," Lilli said. But the brakes broke off.
"Don't worry. We have plenty of track, we'll just coast to a stop." She said.
The car went over a bump which knocked them backwards. The smoke demons all came together and destroyed the upcoming bridge. Mathias, Wally, and Kuki looked up and gasped. "You were saying?" Peter asked. Lilli looked around and saw a chain with hooks at the ends. "I got an idea Mathias. Help me out with this," she said. Mathias fell into a crate.
Lilli got down to the bottom of the car. "Hand me the chain," she called.
Peter passed it to her. "Not you," she said. It was too dangerous for him to be this close to the edge. " Mathias is busy at the moment," he responded.
Lilli sighed and took the chain from him. She tied it to the bottom of the car. A piece of the train fell off at that moment and tumbled toward Lilli. Peter grabbed her hand and pulled her back up to him, a little too close. Peter felt his cheeks warm while Lilli hoped he couldn't see her own red tinted cheeks. Then they turned and saw the metal smash into a tree. Peter shook off the awkward moment. "And to think that could've been you," he said.
He pulled her up and Lilli sighed. "If we live through this, remind me to thank you."
They went to the other end of the chain. "Here goes nothing. Brace yourself," Lilli said. They pushed it off. The hook caught the train track. But it pulled the track along with the car, causing it to spin around. The side door turned to face the snow. Mathias, Peter, Lilli, and Hanatamago went to the edge.
"Well," Peter said, "this is our stop." They all jumped out into the snow just before the train fell off the cliff into the icy river.
The three of them stood up.
"Mathias, I hate trains," Lilli said. "Remind me never to get on a train again.