Chapter 6:
Remind me never to get on a train again! England just watched his whole plan fail "NO! NO! NO!" He yelled and out of frustration he started strangling himself.
"Uh…wow." America said "England you should watch your blood pressure. This type of stress could be fatal ya know!"
England was still fuming; his face was red with fury. "How could they let him escape? Again! How?" he screamed.
"Yeah you're right dude its very upsetting I guess a curse isn't what it used to be! This reliquary must be broken!" America said and threw the reliquary
England ran after it and caught it "I sold my soul for this!" He said walking toward him. "My life, my very existence depends on it. And you, hehe, almost DESTROYED IT!" He started to choke him.
"I get it, I get it! You break it you bought it!" America said and England let go
"Oh yes blame it on the American we're easy targets." America mumbled
"What were you talking about?" England asked
"Sealand, sir wishing that I could do the job for you. I'd give him a HA and a HYA and I'd kick him!" America told him and saluted him
England chuckled cruelly. "Oh, I've got something else in mind. Something much more enticing. Something really….cruel."
It took many hours before the group managed to make it off the mountain where the train had crashed. "So, are we walking to Stockholm, now?" Peter asked.
"We're still taking a boat in Finland, remember?" Lili answered.
"Oh. So we're walking to Finland."
"No, Sealand," Lilli said. "We're taking a bus."
Peter sighed. "A bus. That's nice."
They walked many more miles for what seemed like decades. Finally, they stopped to rest by a little creek with a small bridge. Mathias started to act strange. He kept twirling around and humming to himself. When they stopped, he even picked some flowers. "Lukas! Mathias is on his way!" he cried out. Peter turned to Lilli. "Who's Lukas?" he asked her. "Who's Lukas?" Mathias repeated.
Lilli ran up to him. "Shh, Mathias," she said. Mathias wasn't paying attention.
"Lukas is a wondrous young man!"
"Mathias!"
"He's a tender blossom."
"Shut up!"
"A cup of hot chocolate after a long walk in the snow!"
"Mathias, ix-nay on the Lukas-Ay!" Lilli hissed.
Mathias grabbed her hands and twirled Lilli around with him. "He's a decadent pastry filled with whipped cream and laughter!" he went on, pulling her into a dip.
"Is this a person or a cream puff?" Peter asked Lilli, giggling.
Mathias spun her then tossed her aside. "He's Finland's ravishing second brother!" he cried.
"Brother?" Peter asked "But I thought we were going to see Finland."
"Okay one more delay to figuring out who you are! But no one is allowed to see Finland without convincing Lukas first." Lilli said
"Oh no! NOBODY TOLD ME I HAD TO PROVE I WAS SEALAND!" Peter yelled "Show up, yes, look nice, fine but lie!" "How do you know? What if it's true!" Lilli yelled "Ug!" Peter yelled
"Okay, Okay." Lilli said "So we hit one more bump in the road to finding out who you are. I just thought this was something you had to see though to the end no matter what."
"Look Lilli I am not micro-nation material here!" Peter yelled
He walked over to the bridge where Mathias was still dancing. He stopped and handed Peter a rose and looked at their reflection in the water. "Tell me, what do you see?" he asked him. Peter glared at his reflection.
"Hmph, I see a skinny, little nobody with no past, and no future." He dropped the rose into the water.
Mathias smiled at him. "Well, I see an engaging and fiery young man, who, on a number occasions, has shown a regal command equal to any micro-nation in the world. And I've known my share of micro-nations." He looked over his shoulder and then faced Peter again. "You see, dear, I'm Sealand's uncle and when he disappeared Finland was devastated and I stayed in my home to wait for him and yell Uncle Den." Peter smiled back. He knew he was trying to help, and he appreciated that. Leave it to Lilli to screw it up, though.
"So are you ready to become the micro-nation Sealand?" she asked.
Peter groaned and walked away. Mathias glared at her and rolled his eyes. "What?" Lilli asked.
Mathias sighed and turned back to Peter. "Peter, there's nothing left for you back there. Everything is in Stockholm."
Peter looked at his necklace. Then he took a deep breath and turned back to them. "Start your teaching."
"I remember it well," Mathias said.
You were born in a seafort by the sea.
A seafort by the sea. Could it be?
Yes that's right, you rode goats when you were only three.
Goat riding, me?
And the goat, it was white.
You made faces and terrorized the cook,
through him in the brook.
Was I wild?
Wrote the book.
But you'd behave when your papa would give that look.
Remember how it was.
Your long forgotten past.
We've lots and lots to teach you and the time is going fast.
Alright, I'm ready.
Now shoulders back and stand up tall.
And do not walk, but try to float.
I feel a little foolish, am I floating?
Like a little boat.
You give a bow.
What happens now?
You're hand receives a gift.
Most of all remember this:
If I can learn to do it, you can learn to do it.
Something in ya knows it.
There's nothing to it.
Follow in my footsteps, shoe by shoe.
You can learn to do it, too.
Now elbows in, and sit up straight.
And never swallow the salamakii
I never cared for salamakii!
He said that just like Sealand!
The samovar,
The caviar,
Desert and then good night?
Not until you get this right.
If I can learn to do it (if he can learn to do it)
You can learn to do it (you can learn to do it)
Pull yourself together.
And you'll pull through it.
Tell yourself its easy.
And its true!
You can learn to do it, too!
Next we memorize the names of the countries
Now here we have Germany,
Gave Italy a scolding.
he's very organized.
And here we have Canada
Loved his polar bear.
Got it Peter?
(no)
Japan
(he was..)
Short.
China
(had a..)
Scar,
Prussia
Thinks he is the awesome
I hear he's still a little fat.
And I recall his yellow bird!
I don't believe we told him that.
If you can learn to do it.
I can learn to do it.
Don't know how you knew it.
I simply knew it.
Suddenly I feel like someone knew!
Peter, you're a dream come true!
If I can learn to do it,
You can learn to do it.
Pull yourself together,
And you'll pull through it.
Tell yourself its easy, and its true.
You can learn to do it,
Nothing to it.
You can learn to do it, too!
They arrived at the boat and Lilli came to Peter with a dark blue sailor outfit "Here I bought you a sailor outfit." She said.
Peter giggled and looked inside of it. "You bought me a tent," he said. Lilli raised an eyebrow. "What are you looking for?" she asked. "The Danish circus, I think its still in here," he answered from inside the shirt. "Oh come on. Just put it on," she said.
She left their room so he could change. Back on the deck, Mathias and Lilli were playing chess.
Peter walked up just then, wearing the outfit. He still had his dirty, old boots, since he had no other shoes. But he still looked nice.
Mathias looked up. "Perfect," he said. "Just marvelous, don't ya think."
Lilli looked at him.
"Alright," Mathias said, "now you're dressed for a party, and you will learn to dance for one, too. Lilli," he said, grabbing Lilli's arm and bringing her up to him.
"What? Me, dance with him. Nu-uh. No way," she said.
"Come on, Sealand loved dancing," Mathias said.
"Well, why can't you do it? You're better anyway,"Lilli asked.
"Because I'm going to count off the steps for you," he answered. Then he pushed her right up to Peter and took a step back. "Now let's go."
She turned around and took Peter's hand, wrapping her arm around his waist. She blushed, Peter put his arm around her shoulder. After realizing what he just did, Lilli froze. Peter began to move.
Hoagie counted them off. "And one, two, three, one, two, three- no wait," he stopped them. "Lilli, you don't lead. Let him."
They looked at each other. They began to sway back and forth, and side to side. Peter's cheeks were like two carnation petals. Lilli's face was like a tomato.
Mathias sat down and smiled.
It's one, two, three, then suddenly
I see it as a glance.
He's radiant, and confidant, and born to take this chance.
I planned it all, I taught her well, I just forgot…
Romance.
Mathias, how could you do this?
How will we get through this?
I never should have let them dance.
They continued to dance. Peter tried to smile at her, but Lilli just kept staring. She couldn't think. "I'm, uh, getting kind of dizzy," Peter said.
Lilly stopped dancing. "Yeah, 'cause, um, 'c-cause of the s-spinning, I guess," she said. "Maybe we should stop."
"We have stopped," Peter said.
Lilli's heart was racing. She didn't even realize she was leaning forward until Peter closed his eyes. At that moment, her brain seemed to snap back to life. She stopped, suddenly, let go of him and backed away quickly. Peter opened his eyes, surprised by his sudden reaction.
"Uh, P-Peter, um, y-you're doing f-fine, j-just fine," she stuttered. She backed up a little more before turning around and running off.
Peter stared after her. His heart was hammering in his chest. This feeling, it was so… familiar.
Peter and Mathias were sitting beside the bunk bed.
Back on the ship, it was night now, and it had begun to rain outside. Lilli was fast asleep in the corner.. They were in pajamas, Mathias in Denmark's flag on a shirt and pants, Peter with a blue button up shirt and pants.
Peter looked over at Mathias, who was starting to look pretty green. "Are you alright?" he asked him.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just riddled with envy. I mean look at her," he said, pointing at Lilli. "She can sleep through anything."
Hanatamago was going a bag and came out holding a music box in her mouth. He took it from Hanatamago and looked at it.
"Cute music box, huh," Mathias said.
"Hm, are you sure that's all it is?" Peter asked.
Mathias shrugged. "What else could it be?"
"I don't know," he said. "Something else. Something special. A reminder or something."
He looked at Mathias, who was climbing up to his bunk. "Is that possible?" he asked him.
"Anything's possible," he said. "You got Lilli to dance, didn't you?"
Peter giggled. "Sweet dreams, Sealand," he said.
"Night," he responded. He turned back to look at Lilli. Peter couldn't help but smile at her. Then he sighed. Climbing into his bed, and snuggling Hanatamago in his arms, He realized that the inevitable happened; he had fallen for Lilli Zwingli.
Then he closed him eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
"Aw, there he is England," America said. "Sound asleep in his little bed."
"Yep, and pleasant dreams to you, Sealand," England said. "I'll get inside your mind, where you can't escape me."
Peter was relaxing in a meadow where a silver haired boy came up to him and motioned him to follow.
Hanatamago woke up in time to see Peter walk out the door, and out into the pouring rain. Nervous, she ran over to where Lilly was lying and jumped on her barking, to wake her up. She did wake up, eventually.
"What, what. Hanatamago? Hanatamago, what is it?" she asked. She looked up, and gasped. His bead was empty. She wasn't there. "Peter? Peter!" she cried.
She got up immediately, bolted out the door and ran onto the deck. What was he doing out here? There was a really bad thunderstorm out, it was practically a typhoon. "PETER!"
Peter followed the boy down a trail until they reached a cliffside. There, a spiky haired man had just pushed a blonde man with a hair curl into the water below. The blonde man was obviously terrified. "Ah, don't worry, he can swim. He's just a big baby about it," the spikey blonde said before jumping in after him.
Peter looked over the edge. Besides the two boys he saw, there was another man with blonde hair and glasses, in the water as well. "Hey guys," he called out in a Swedish accent. "Jump in, come on."
The silver haired boy jumped in with them. Peter laughed. He didn't know them, but they seemed like fun.
Lilli ran across the deck frantically. What if he's hurt? What if he fell into the water? What if-
A giant wave cut her off, sending her up to the crow's nest. She gripped the edges, terrified. If there was one thing Lilli was terrified of, it was swimming. But she shook it off. No time to worry about himself. She had to find Peter!
"PETER! WHERE ARE YOU?"
Then she saw him. He was standing the edge of the railing with one foot up, like he was getting ready to jump. His eyes were closed and he had a huge grin on his face. Either he had gone mad , Lilli thought, or he was sleepwalking. Either way,she had to stop him. She grabbed a rope dangling behind her, and swung toward him.
"PETER, DON'T!"
"Yes, JUMP!" the blonde man cried, turning into a dark silhouette, as well as the others. Everything around him turned dark. The water turned into fire. "The Micro-nations curse!"
He and the other man, now giants, grabbed Peter's arms and tried to pull him in. Peter screamed, and begged them to let him go.
"Peter, wake up! Wake up!" Lilli cried. She lifted him in her arms and got him off the railing before he could jump.
"No, no Uncle Den!" he mumbled in him sleep. Peter was struggling in her arms. He must be having one bad nightmare.
Lilli shook him. "WAKE UP!" she yelled.
Peter's eyes shot open. He looked around, gasping, trying to take in what had happened. He looked at Lilli.
"A curse, Micro-nations curse," he screamed.
"A what? What are you talking about?" she asked him.
Peter buried his face in her chest. "I keep seeing faces, so many faces," he sobbed.
Lilli awkwardly placed her arms over his shoulders. "It.. it was a nightmare," she reassured him. "Its okay, you're safe now."
Peter continued to sob. Lilli wrapped him in a tighter embrace and rubbed his back to calm him.
Great. Even the way cried was exactly like Sealand. Uncle Den isn't that Mathias? Lilli wasn't sure how much more of that she could take.