CHAPTER 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, blah, blah, blah…All Hetalia characters belong to Himaruya Hidekaz, blah, blah, blah…I also do not own the design of the dragon, blahhhh…Enjoy :)

Chapter 11

"So where is your father?" Victorea asked. They were all sitting under the tree once more, their laughter had tired them out a little, so they decided to relax.

Alfred appeared panicked at this question. "What?! Oh, he's, uhh…He went shopping for some…things! Yeah, things!" He waved his hand frantically, trying to appear nonchalant. "Don't worry about it!"

Victorea raised an eyebrow, but asked nothing else. "Alright…I think."

Peter and Arthur looked confused as well, but Matthew just slapped his forehead with a sigh. "Ignore my retarded brother, Tia. Dad is just out getting some groceries for your stay. He really didn't have enough lemonade for you, so he went to get some more."

Victorea looked sad. "Oh, well, he didn't have to. Water is just fine."

Mattie shrugged. "I think he just really wants you to enjoy yourself here, that's all."

Arthur and Peter didn't buy it, and Victorea looked a little skeptical as well. Mattie wasn't one to tell a lie unless it was important, though, so it was probably the truth, and Alfred just had ants in his pants. "That's really nice of him," Victorea said with a smile.

Arthur continued to contemplate what their father would have done shopping. He never goes shopping alone…What could be the matter? "Should we go inside? I want to –" Peter began, but Alfred shouted 'no' faster than he could finish his sentence.

Everyone stared at him, Arthur, Peter, and Victorea appeared surprised, but Matthew looked annoyed. Alfred said with a sweat drop, "I mean," he rubbed the back of his head nervously, "it's so nice out, I really thought we could stay outside for a little while longer."

Victorea raised a brow. "Are you okay, Alfred?"

Alfred laughed, a bit forced. "Haha! I'm fine! Don't worry about anything!" Arthur opened his mouth to question him, when Alfred said hastily, "Why don't we play another game? That cloud shaping game was fun!"

Peter looked excited. "Yeah! Tia, what other games would you play when you were little?"

Victorea blinked for a moment, thinking. She looked down at the grass, up at the sky, at the house, at the trees, and back down at the ground before saying, "Well, I suppose we could play Knight and the Dragon, but I'm not sure how well I could handle it…" She rubbed her back gingerly. "I think it wouldn't be too bad."

"Knight and the dragon?" Arthur repeated.

"Sounds ace! How do we play?" Peter squeaked.

Victorea smiled. "It's kind of like role-play, really. But we have so many people now that we could do something real fun with it."

"Does it require our imaginations?" Peter asked. Victorea nodded. "Brill! I'm in!"

"Us too," Alfred voted for both Mattie and himself, receiving a glare from his Canadian twin.

"And I, as well," Arthur nodded.

Victorea looked at each one, seeming deep in thought. "Well, everyone's done it before. There's a person that plays the knight, and the person that plays the dragon. But we have so many people…" she smiled at them. "I have an idea."

…

"Alright, so what are we doing?" Alfred asked. The American was kneeling on his hands and knees, with Peter riding him like a horse, a stick in his hand, Arthur sitting under the tree, Matthew on the porch, and Victorea facing Alfred and Peter, on her hands and knees as well.

"Well it's up to Arthur," she said.

Arthur looked surprised. "I beg your pardon?"

Victorea looked over Alfred and Peter at him. "You tell the story, silly. You come up with the storyline, and we create it."

"Cool!" Peter giggled. "Am I the hero?" Alfred huffed at him.

"Sure. It looks like…Alfred is the hero's horse, Peter is the hero, Victorea is a dragon, and…" Arthur looked over at Matthew. Then he smiled "I've got the perfect idea."

Matthew looked terrified.

Arthur had grabbed a stick and stuck it in the ground maybe two feet away from Victorea, then went to the side of the house into the garage, and came out with a leash and collar. He tied the leash to the stick, making sure it was tight, and snapped the collar onto Victorea's neck. He tried not to blush at the close contact.

Peter, Alfred, and Matthew laughed. "So is she a dog?"

Arthur sat back down. "Here's how it will go – Matthew, or, King Matthew," Matthew beamed at this, "has had his subjects capture Victorea, an evil dragon," Victorea giggled, completely ruining her title as 'evil', "and King Matthew has ordered his bravest knight to slay the beast atop his prized horse. King Matthew, along with his subjects, will watch the amazing duel." Peter pointed his stick triumphantly in the air, and Alfred pretended to whinny, sitting up on his knees and waving his hands in the air, effectively throwing off Peter, who was caught unprepared.

Once Peter got back on, and everyone had stopped laughing, Arthur called to Victorea, "So am I narrating whatever it is you're doing?"

Victorea shook her head, her collar rattling. "No, you tell the story, and we reenact whatever it is you're telling us. Why do I have a collar with the name…?" she pulled at the collar to read the tags, "…'Buddy?'"

"Because the King did not want the evil dragon to get loose and fly off, destroying his city. So he chained it, giving the knight a slight advantage," Arthur explained. "You should be fine, though. At most you have a seven foot range or so."

"Sweetness," Victorea trotted around on her hands and knees a bit around the stick, raising her hands much higher than necessary. The leash was tied strong enough that she couldn't escape, but it would slide around so she could walk around it.

Arthur laughed at her, and then said, "Alright! So shall we begin?"

Peter nodded, and Alfred whinnied again (rather poorly), and scratched his hand on the ground, like a hose pawing the dirt.

"Okay, Victorea?" Arthur asked her. She roared as a response, raising her hands in the air and flailing them a little. Her roar was actually really scary, it sounded like a real dragon. Some birds flew away, squawking in terror, and Matthew started a little where he was sitting, and Peter fell off of Alfred, who jumped in fear.

"Dudette! You're really good at this!" Alfred laughed as he let Peter get back on him as the little boy muttered under his breath in annoyance. Victorea took a small bow, her collar rattling again.

"Excellent!" Arthur clapped his hands together, something he did when he was about to start a good story. "So, King Matthew peered down at the scene before him, excited. He always loved a good challenge for his people, and he knew this would entertain not only himself, but the entire kingdom." Matthew didn't really know what to do, so he raised his head and looked down at the scene, acting proud. Arthur suddenly thought he should be in the drama club.

Arthur's head whirled with an impossible amount of scenarios, and he loved it. The feeling of telling a story was exciting for him. "The dragon noticed his downward gaze, furious to be looked at in such a rude manner." Victorea roared again, outright startling everyone (Peter managed to hold on this time though), rearing up and baring her teeth as she did so. She actually looked pretty vicious, but he still thought it was pretty cute.

"The knight was not wavered by this, however, and continued to stare down the ugly beast, sizing up his opponent."

"Hey!" Victorea scoffed. They laughed at her.

"The mighty beast," Arthur said between laughter, "knew exactly what was going on somehow – they were far more intelligent than the King had predicted. It did not pace or try to escape, but it stared down the knight, licking its sharp rows of teeth menacingly." Victorea was on her hands and knees, her muscles tense, and she licked her lips as Peter and Victorea stared each other down. Matthew stifled a laugh behind his hand at the strange scene.

"Then, the king gave the order!" Arthur called.

"Slay the beast, fair knight! For our kingdom!" Matthew raised his hand and pointed upwards, calling out to Peter.

"The knight lunged, his spear outward!" Arthur was captivated as Alfred "galloped" towards Victorea, Peter holding his stick forward and shouting, "Charge!"

"But the dragon was too fast! She jumped out of the way faster than lightning!" Arthur announced. Victorea, surprisingly, leapt over the stick like a cat, starting on her hands and knees, and landing on her hands and knees, right before Peter would have struck her. She was surprisingly agile, for someone who wasn't allowed to do too much running.

"Whoa!" Peter was astounded, and Alfred and Matthew cheered. "That was ace, Tia!"

Victorea, staying in character, roared in response. The sound was amazing, and it made Arthur picture the scenario perfectly in his head. He saw Peter not as a twelve year old riding a teenager, but as a knight in shining armor, his face-cover down, and a white horse with a golden mane underneath him. He saw Victorea as a beautiful dragon with shimmering green scales, purple butterfly-like wings, and pure white eyes. And he saw Matthew not as a teen sitting on a porch in jeans and a white tee shirt with a red maple leaf in the middle, but as a man on a red throne with an animal fur coat and matching cape, colorful clothing, and a bejeweled crown.

And Arthur was telling their story.

"The knight had to regain his footing, but he attempted to strike back!" Arthur's knight had readjusted his horse quickly, and ran toward the green beast once more. "But she tripped up his horse with its chains!"

The image flashed back to the real world as the dragon ran as far from the pillar it was chained to as it could go, and he watched as Alfred (not hearing what he had said) tripped over Victorea's leash full on, falling headfirst into the grass (Arthur could hear a muffled "Fuck!" escape his lips), his feet flying over his head and Peter flying off of him three feet and his rear dragging along the grass for another three feet. Poor Victorea was choked by the force of the 130 pound American, and she flew back a little ways, slamming into him and falling on top of him. Arthur had to stop and check to see if she was alright. All of them were laughing at the half-succeeded, half-failed stunt. He shook his head. "The mighty dragon, now with the advantage, took the horse, and pushed it away from the knight! The crowd screamed in terror!"

While there was no crowd, Victorea had to help Alfred up and shooed him as far as her collar would let her, then Alfred laid on the grass on his belly and wiggled away like a snake, pretending to be dead. Victorea laughed at him. Arthur continued, "But the steed got right back up! He ran as fast as he could around the beast and to his master! The crowd cheered!"

Alfred got up hastily, losing his ground and his hands slipped from underneath him several times until he rushed around Victorea as she attempted to reach at him, and his mind flashed back to the fantasy he was creating. The beautiful green and purple dragon attempted to reach at the strong steed, but it was just out of her reach as it ran to his master, who was on the ground, attempting to get up (just like Peter was).

"King Matthew was on the edge of his seat! What a spectacle! This dragon was far more intelligent than anyone had anticipated!" King Matthew sat up a little, his eyes wide in surprise and anticipation, his crown falling down slightly. "The knight managed to get up and back onto his noble steed, and again he charged! He was resilient!" The silver armor gleamed as he hopped back onto his horse bareback, as the saddle had ripped off during the fall. He charged, his long saber pointed at the beast.

"The beast attempted to dodge, but the knight was prepared this time!" Arthur announced. "The knight continued to ride, even after she jumped! Once she landed, the knight was able to strike its mighty hand!" He watched the knight in shining armor do exactly as he asked, and the dragon roared in pain, rearing up on its hind legs and spreading its mighty wings out, roaring loudly and exposing its purple underneath.

Arthur smiled at the sight in his mind. "The dragon took no time to nurse the wound! She was furious now!" Victorea's realistic roars were frantic, as if she were trying to get at something just out of reach. "The knight was playing her! Spinning her around in circles!" The knight looped several times around the pillar, as the dragon followed suit, like a cat chasing a mouse. "But the dragon had had enough! It roared with all of its might, and opened its wings, and attempted to break free of the stone pillar and chains that kept it contained!"

Victorea's roars sounded so much like a real dragon that Arthur could easily picture the dragon roaring in his mind, opening its large wings and struggling to fly away. "As the dragon pulled, she raised her hands to her steel collar, so she wouldn't choke! But with all of her mighty force – ten times that of the kings best cavalry army, she pulled on the pillar until it cracked!" Victorea was pulling with all of her might, but Arthur saw it as the dragon pulling on the pillar, not a girl standing on her two feet pulling at a leash tied to a stick in the ground.

Eventually, the stick cracked, and Arthur saw the stone pillar crumble as Victorea jumped out of the way. "The people of the kingdom ran away in terror! The mighty dragon was loose!"

He watched as the dragon flew around for a bit, stretching its wings and baring its teeth menacingly. It was such a beautiful creature, but with such an evil soul. "The knight could only helplessly watch as it screeched above them, ready to pounce on her next meal!" Arthur called. She was pretending to fly, with her arms stretched out and flapping, and walking around as if gliding in large circles, her leash dragging on the ground behind her.

"The dragon soared down to her prey with a roar, and the knight just barely escaped the menacing teeth of the beast!" Arthur's vision flashed back to reality as he noticed the accident waiting to happen only a foot away from him. Alfred (with Peter clinging on for dear life to his bomber jacket collar) attempted to dodge Victorea, but instead Victorea tripped over him and they tumbled right into Arthur, who slammed his head into the tree with the force. They ended up in a pile, with frail Arthur underneath, barely able to breathe. Peter, who had managed to fall off beforehand, jumped up and grabbed his stick as Matthew ran over to see if they were okay. He poked Victorea's chest with the stick and shouted, "Never fear, my king! I have slain the beast once and for all!" he looked down at the three of them. "All three beasts," he added with a smile.

Matthew was unable to help, as he was laughing too hard at the three of them. Arthur's chest was being pressed by Alfred's chest, and Victorea's chest was on Alfred's back. They moaned in pain for a moment, dizzy from clonking all of their heads together. "Dammit, Artie, you have a hard head," Alfred moaned.

"Belt up, wanker. You need to loose –" he gasped for air – "some weight."

Victorea attempted to get off, then pulled Alfred off of Arthur, who propped himself up by his hands and wheezed and coughed. Victorea and Alfred stood facing each other, their hands on their knees and their shoulders hunched over as they breathed heavily. Once Victorea caught her breath, she knelt down next to Arthur and put a hand on his back. "You okay?"

Arthur gasped for a little. "God damn Alfred needs to stop eating so much junk food. Jesus Christ I think he broke a rib," he said with a breathy laugh.

"I'm…Right here, you…You know," Alfred said between breaths. All three of them were breathless from getting the wind knocked out of them. Peter and Matthew were laughing at them on the sidelines.

It took Arthur a moment to catch his breath enough to not have to practically gasp like a fish out of water. When he did he realized how close Victorea was to him, touching him, even. He blushed violently. Alfred mistook this as a sign that he was unable to breathe. He jumped down in front of him and pinned him to the ground. "I'll save you!" he shouted as he pressed against a struggling Arthur's diaphragm.

Victorea pulled Alfred off of Arthur, who was kicking at Alfred's chest as well. "Get off of him! He's fine!"

Alfred looked at her for a moment, blinking in surprise, frozen. Then he looked down at a glaring Arthur, and slowly got up. "Shit. Sorry, dude."

Arthur sat up rather painfully. "Son of a bitch, you really hurt," he winced. "I think you must've bruised me now."

Mattie and Peter were laying on the ground, breathless as well, but that was because they were choking on their own laughter. Victorea helped him up, and Arthur made sure to hide his reddened face from Alfred this time.

When Alfred kicked Matthew and Peter's sides until they would stop laughing (and when Victorea and Arthur stopped him), Victorea helped them both up. They heard a pop as she helped Peter up, and she hissed in pain, grabbing at her lower back. She knelt down on the ground on her hands and knees, shaking for a moment.

The four boys knelt down to help her, but she shook her head at them, not looking up. Arthur put a hand on hers, not wanting to touch her back, but still wanting to be of some help. Victorea looked over at him with a small grateful smile, until she raised her head up and took a deep breath, struggling to get back up. Arthur grabbed her around the shoulders and helped her, with Alfred on her other side and Matthew and Peter holding each hand. Victorea laughed at them. "I'm not a frail old woman, you know."

"But a hero never turns down a damsel in distress!" Alfred exclaimed loudly.

"Are you alright, Tia?" Matthew asked. Peter hugged her tightly around her waist, and Arthur just watched her, worry etched into his emerald eyes.

"Course. I just threw out my back a bit," she froze for a moment, then chuckled. "I suppose I do sound like an old woman."

"What happened?" Alfred asked.

"I told you my back wasn't in tip-top shape," Victorea said with a smile. "Don't worry about it. It happens a lot."

Arthur realized that he was the only one left holding her shoulder for support, and he quickly released his grip on her, blushing in embarrassment.

"Hey, kiddos! Time to go inside! I've got a surprise!" Mr. Jones called from the door, then popped back inside.

"Really now? Wonder what that could be about?" Arthur raised a thick brow. The North American twins smiled devilishly, though, and it was a bit frightening how they could look so similar.

They led the way back inside, and Victorea was not prepared for what she saw.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I'm SUPER DUPER EXTRA SORRY!

I find that if I reread what I wrote, there are a lot of small mistakes, like I forgot the CHAPTER XX title, as well as the line between the story and the author's note, and small things, like an error in the date and whatnot (in the Prologue, it's supposed to be "late May," not "late August." And I forgot to include Mattie in the "For those who do not know Hetalia…", and a bunch of other things. But whenever I try to edit it, it doesn't change anything! Do I have to delete the chapter and post another one? Grrr… It says when I edit it (after I click SAVE) that it was successfully saved or whatever, but when I go to look at the story it doesn't change. And that is bad considering I really need to fix a lot of things!

I actually got the idea of the dragon's design from . It's a really cool site (for those who do not know it) where people can post step-by-step drawings on just about anything – from anime to puppies to furniture. And all in between, of course. The dragon design was by someone with a username "Dawn," who uploads lots of really neat stuff on there. This is the link to the picture, if anyone wants to see what the mighty Victorea-dragon looks like:

tuts/12358/1/1/how-to-draw-a-pixie-dragon,

Really awesome! :D

I love this chapter, because I love the humor, and I love how you can see just how imaginative Arthur really is. I really picture England as a creative person, but he is always very upset and angry because of whatever reason, and he doesn't really do much with his creativity. But he loves to read and that is something that can help him release some of that inner inventiveness. That could explain why he sees all of his mythical friends? WHICH ARE REAL!

And I love when poor Alfie, Peter, and Victorea get all caught up in her leash XP

I'll be posting again real soon! (Hopefully!)

~Dreampainter