• AMERICA }} alfred •

I've always disliked the parts of the world meetings when I had to listen, and not talk. But, as I was raised by an absolutely invincible British gentleman, I don't put up a fuss. I got enough lectures about that as a kid. But it really is boring.

At least my former Guardian sat next to me and not that Frenchie this time. I had just finished my speech about global warming and pitched an amazing idea including a rocket ship to Mars before being dismissed by Germany and asked to sit down again. Whatever.

A few of the Asian countries were arguing with Denmark on one side of the room, and I noticed Romano shouting at Spain in what I think was Spanish or maybe Italian or maybe even both, knowing him. The others in between looked bored or awkward or tired or all three. I turned to Arthur in my ennui.

"Hey, how's it going?" I asked, careful with how to word my greeting for fear of a repeat from the last meeting. He didn't make any notion of hearing me, and my bright smile dimmed a bit.

"England?" I questioned, waving a hand in front of his face for emphasis. His green gaze snapped onto me and I was taken in for a moment.

"Oh, I'm sorry, America. Did you say something?" He sounded like he meant it, so I pushed out of my mind the nagging feeling that he was ignoring me.

I shook my head and smiled at him. "Naw."

He gave me an acknowledged nod and glanced away again. Now it was kind of awkward. So, I did what I did best, and broke the ice!

"Hey, it's kinda weird how Russia's been missing the last few meetings, huh? Where do you think he is today?" I asked, turning in my seat to face him. He turned to answer when he was interrupted.

"WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?" Belarus screamed from across the room. "YOU DID IT, DIDN'T YOU? IT WAS YOU!" She was on top of the desk, papers fluttering through the ground. Two empty seats sat stock still on either side of her, her own left spinning from the impact.

Every nation's head was turned to Belarus. The room had a cold, surprised atmosphere as each personification stared at her with wide eyes. What was she so upset about? I noticed that she housed a few light bruises on her cheeks. Now I wished I had been paying attention. Then, slowly, the heads started turning from her and away from her and back.

With a start, I realized she was staring at me. I stood up quickly, hands in the air: surrender.

"You did it! You foolish Yankee, get over here so I can tear your-"

I didn't stand around to listen to what she had to say; she had jumped down from the desk and was running towards me. I had only meant to break the ice, not dive head-first through it and into arctic waters! I gave an unmanly yelp and ran towards the Asians. Maybe China would protect me!

Somebody grabbed my jacket, and I whirled around with my hands up to so totally push Belarus off of me, but when I started slapping at the person who had captured me, I realized it was just Germany. I probably visibly relaxed. I looked past his looming figure and saw Belarus restrained reluctantly by Japan – with force – and Switzerland – via gun-to-head.

"What is the meaning of this?" Germany demanded, his booming voice much louder so close to my face.

"He did it!" Belarus cried, trying to point towards me. My mouth was agape as she went on. "He killed him!"

"Killed?" A shudder ran through my spine. "But... I didn't kill anyone!"

"Kill who?" Germany asked.

"I swear I didn't!" I cried.

"America, shut up." Prussia said from where he was sitting.

"Kill who?"

"He did it!"
"NO I DIDN'T!"

"This is getting good, like Korean drama, da-ze~!"

"Shut up!"

"Who did he kill?" "I didn't kill anyone!" "Who?"

"Big brother! That. Stupid. American. Bastard. Killed. My. Big. Brother." She growled through gritted teeth. I think there was a collective gasp. Germany's grip loosened enough for me to stagger to my feet unsupported, but I felt like my breath had been knocked out by a frigid wave.

"Russia?" Arthur's voice was calm in this ocean of angry and confused people.

"You, too! You're in an allegiance! All of you! You and that damn American killed Russia! Well, I'll avenge him! You want a war, you've got a war!" She started to sob. If she hadn't been so scary or had accused me of murdering someone, I would have felt bad for her.

Whispering announced many opinions, but I felt mine was most important, of course. "Um, I didn't kill anyone. Thanks." I said.

Germany turned to look at me, cerulean eyes chilly. "Did you, or no?"

I hated this feeling. I hadn't done anything, but I still felt nervous and jumpy as if I had. Like a two-bit, no good, filthy rotten criminal. "NO!"

Germany straightened up and looked around the crowd. "Quiet!" He shouted, but no one paid attention. They whispered with their backs turned, each one of them. Arthur's gaze flitted around the room. Prussia didn't look very happy. Denmark had stopped fighting and was now conversing with the other Nordics, who all looked quite nervous – well, sans Sweden. He looked stoic and scary as always. I noticed Egypt and Greece already leaving the room, with Taiwan trailing.

Germany sighed softly beside me. "Meeting dismissed." He said, before leaving the room.

I got to my feet and stared walking quickly back towards Arthur, hoping to put as much room between Belarus and me before Japan released the kraken, but I was almost run down by Prussia running way faster towards the same person.

I watched as the albino grabbed Arthur's wrist and pulled him to his feet, eliciting not even a hateful look. Part of me was curious, but part of me was going more like 'What the hell? If I did that I would've been slapped! Ignored for a week! I thought Arthur had something against that guy?'. I was shocked.

Even more so as Prussia, tailed by Latvia and Lithuania, ran towards the Nordics at full speed before pushing Finland away from Sweden and taking the giant's wrist, pulling his little quartet out the door in a hurry and passing me again.

Ruffled. Finland and I glanced at each other, mutual confusion giving us something to meet eyes about. I broke away and watched Sweden's coat tail disappearing out the door. The meeting room was practically empty, and – my favorite – Belarus-free! I stumbled to a chair with a green jacket thrown over it and sat down before resting my head on the desk.

Okay. Bucket List.

1.] Win a Hamburger-Eating contest. Check!

2.] Make Canada 51st State. Wait…Canada?

3.] Be accused of murder. Check!

What a great week, Alfred, I thought depressingly. Not only would I have to deal with a declaration of war from Belarus, but also all of these crazy nightmares I've been having.

In addition to the fainting-flashbacks, I had nightmares at night. Well, they weren't nightmares. They weren't really dreams, either. Where they… dreammares? They were something in between, seeming more like memories than anything else. A terrible sense of déjà vu accompanied them and I was starting to feel wary about them.

Walking along a familiar city street. Learning how to shoot a basketball. A cute beige-and-brown splotched puppy.

I was plagued by these things that didn't belong to me. It was the childhood of a child who was quite childish, very much unlike me. Maybe I had read too many fairytales as a kid, because I was seeing myself as the protagonist in these chapters of a life that wasn't mine.

•••

• PRUSSIA }} gilbert •

"That bitch!" I snarled, lashing out at the wall of the closet I had shoved the other nations into. It didn't respond, but my knuckles did, hurting enough that I swore again under my breath.

"W'tch yer l'nguage." Berwald muttered, blue eyes sharp in the darkness of the supply closet. He glanced down at Raivis and then back.

I ignored him and turned to Arthur. "If it's a war she wants, it's a war she'll get!" I announced, waiting for the Englishman to agree with me.

"No!" Toris said, placing a hand on my arm. "We can't! We didn't kill Russia!"

I stepped back, nearly tripping over a bucket. "Oh, yeah…" I had forgotten what the war was about for a moment. Ludwig always said I got tripped up in dramatics. I sighed and we all fell quiet, the only sound was Raivis shaking lightly against something.

"Now, we have to be rational." Arthur spoke up from beside me. Our gazes turned to him. "Belarus said that Russia was dead. I don't think she's lying, because she was obviously pretty serious about this war. Since she doesn't know who killed him-"

"She said America did. There has to be some thread of proof behind it – maybe he's too dumb to remember that he killed Russia." I said, words growing quicker. I wanted to come to a conclusion.

"Like hell!" Arthur growled. "Whose side are you on?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'd forgotten that you'd do anything to keep your hero scot-free." I quipped innocently.

"He said he didn't, so he didn't! That's it." He snapped, turning away before Berwald could step in between us and stop our arguing. Toris opened the closet a bit to survey the area: I caught a glimpse of the growing crowd of nations in the hallway, staring at us. I bore my teeth in a smile, startling Monaco, and shut the door again, face growing solemn.
"Since she doesn't know who killed him," Arthur carried on through gritted teeth. "It could be anyone."

"D'sn't have t' be a p'rson. Could be an'thin'." Berwald said softly.

That had us thinking. We were quiet and I mulled this over, a tiny sense of dread growing uncharacteristically in my stomach.

"What about his, um, country?" Raivis squeaked from behind the giant. "It's still fine…" He trailed off.

"Damn." I breathed, hitting my head against the wall gently.

I hadn't signed up for this, seriously. There were only a few things I was sure of, and even those were mysteries.

I was a country. But my country wasn't there anymore.

Russia was dead. But his country was fine.

I was a wolf. There was no reason for me to be a wolf.

Even if I were human, this was not normal, nor supposed to happen.

"What if there are others?" I asked, looking up to the eyes of my… what were they? Friends? Fellow-werewolves? Comrades?

"Then we're screwed." Arthur announced in his lovely accent.

Yay.

** KUDOS TO YOU IF YOU GET REFERENCES IN THIS CHAPTER! :D