MW: I blame SEK for the lateness of this chapter.

SEK: But it took you forever to write this!

MW: I had an anxiety attack! I was writing this chapter and I started freaking out over the end of this story.

BFTL: Guys. Stop it. The fault of the lateness is both of yours. Apoligize.

Both: Sorry.

BFTL: Thank you. Thank you all for reviewing!

Chapter Summary: As Sadiq is being, well, life sucking; Sherry is off on completing her quest. But will things change?

Warnings: Everything as before. I'm in a hurry to post this guys . . .

Disclaimer: See above.

~Chapter 12~

Well Shit

"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."

― Oscar Wilde, Irish Writer and Poet

Cycle 12: Tuesday

You know, it really wasn't until this moment that I realized that both France and England have very intense eye colors. Maybe it was because they were staring at me with condescending looks, as if to say "you really don't mean that." The emerald and sky blue orbs bore through my skin, making me itch and squirm. I fidgeted, resisting the urge to pick at my nails. Instead, I rubbed my hands together.

That only made me conscious of how dry my palms felt. When was the last time I bothered putting on some lotion? Don't I walk around with a bottle of the precious shea butter formula anyways? What was shea butter?

Still, I had to maintain a completely serious look as they continued to stare at me. The silence between us was more deafening than a Michael Bay movie in Imax. I knew that I needed to say something- anything -to support my out-of-the-blue announcement, but nothing came to mind. I just stood there are waited for one of them to speak their mind.

When England did, it was what anyone could expect. "What?"

Taking a slow, calming breath, I rephrased it. "My name is Sherry Agatha Sue," I said steadily. "I'm kind of stuck in Seychelles's body."

Again, they stared. Sighing, I bounced on my heels and waited for them to get over their shock. I could hear the watch in my pocket, ticking away the scarce time we had left. Moments like these made me wish that this was like a bad fanfiction where the male can announce that he's pregnant and everyone could go with it. France cleared his throat and gracefully rose from his seat. "Seychelles, did something happen?" he asked. His heels clicked on the wood floors as he approached me. "Are you feeling alright?"

I scowled when he placed a hand on my forehead. "I'm feeling perfectly fine," I snapped, shoving it away. I sounded harsher than I originally intended.

Once again, the 'FrUk' started another long round of staring. I rolled my eyes, demanding, "How much longer are you two going to keep doing that?"

England rose from his seat and joined his lover at his side. He said, "I don't think you understand something, Seychelles: I know magic. I would be able to sense if there was someone possessing you."

"My little bunny is right." The Frenchman looked over me with worried eyes. He sounded as concerned as a therapist when he asked, "Seychelles, is there anything that you want to tell me? Is there something wrong between you and Germany?"

"Yeah, there is something wrong!" I marched right past them and flopped onto one of the chairs circling the discussion table. At this point, I didn't even care that I was marching over every book but besides the Twilight Series, but I could care less. My hot head was full of air as I rambled, "Not only do you two not believe me, but Sadiq's freaking soul is on the line-"

France asked, "Who's Sadiq?"

"-and the only thing you two seem concern about is the fact that it doesn't make any sense!"

The Brit smacked his forehead. He irritably groaned, "Well of course we aren't going to believe you if it doesn't make any sense. There is no logic behind your claim of being possessed!"

"You guys are freaking countries!" I all but shrieked. "And you're telling me that I'm the one not making sense?"

"That is enough!" Francey-pants shoved his boyfriend aside. The protective father-ly glint in his eyes returned, making the blue shade appear rather threateningly. I gaped at him as he placed two strong hands on my shoulders. Admiration made me stare, unsure of how to react. "I understand perfectly what's going on," he said calmly. I wanted to break into a victory dance. Hell yeah, someone believed me! "You're feeling neglected."

All the respect I felt for him committed kamikaze. "No!" Struggling free, I jumped to my red hot feet. France psychically recoiled, as if I slapped him across the jaw. "I'm telling you the truth! I'm not Seychelles, I'm-"

"Can you prove it?" I stared at the speaker and gave a small 'huh?' England had his arms crossed over his chest and his thick eyebrows cocked. The daring glint in his eyes matched his smirk. "You heard me, Seychelles- can you prove it?"

My brain scrambled for the proof. I could try giving them the pocket watch, but would that even mean anything to them? Sadiq looks as though he's only asleep and I highly doubt Flying Mint Bunny could read dreams. How can I significantly prove that I wasn't the nation?"

"Germany." The two blonds raised their eyebrows as I explained, "Germany dumped me because he loves you, France." Said man choked. I guess being with a man for a few centuries makes one forget how sexually attractive they are. I ignored him and continued, "You can ask him yourself. Everything here is going out of whack because of me."

They exchanged glances. "So this is about Germany?" they chorused.

I smacked my forehead. Seriously, why the hell couldn't they just accept my God damn explanation and except it. Or better yet, they already figured it out themselves and were prepared to do whatever it took to help me.

Why couldn't real life be a Mary-Sue fic?

Cutting between them, I trampled the books one last time (I think I killed Mockingjay. Oh well, that book ended terribly anyways). As I marched out the door, I heard France start an objection. I just cut him off, saying, "Call me when you two are ready to listen."

I ran before they could stop me. I didn't even know why- I just knew that the sick feeling in my gut would go away with the sudden jolt of endorphins. That ended with nothing less than a disaster.

My heart and feet pounded to the same beat, strengthening my one looming thought: "I screwed that one up badly." I didn't even know where my feet were taking me until I was pushing through the doors of the nurse's office. The name tumbled out before I could stop it. "Sadiq!"

I stopped. In the middle of the clean patient bed was his rigid body, still asleep. The fluorescent lights made the sweat that dripped down the side of his head glimmer. A tight grimace was on his face. I would have thought him awake if it wasn't for his tightly sealed eyes. The slight mumble under his shallow breath made me sink deeper into my hole. What was Himaruya telling him? Was he suffering? Watching what I was doing, knowing quite well that I was failing badly? Knowing that the only thing the only thing I wanted to do was just sit by his side and wait for him to return?

I admit, I acted like a child before. Instead of listening to Sadiq when I should have, I went off and tried to do my own thing. Even when he was there to make sure that I didn't accidentally kill someone, I never thanked him. But now I didn't have my Turkish partner to kick my ass and demand that I act more maturely. He wasn't there to scowl at my idiocy or hang me out of windows.

To think that the moment where I desperately needed him, I was all alone with little hope of rescue. I was Ariel without her Prince Eric.

I was completely by myself.

At first, I thought that the fire sprinklers went off since something was blurring my vision. Then it occurred to me that Nurse Pangaea was still reading her eye candy casually, so the infirmary was not on fire. So what was it?

I was succumbing to tears. "No, don't cry now!" I demanded, fiercely wiping my eyes. I stole one last glance at my friend before painfully forcing my feet out and down the hall. My heart banged loudly in my breast and my ears rang. "This is just like Ari," I thought, wiping the tears from my eyes. "Expect this time I don't have Titanic and ice cream and-"

I stopped myself before I could break more. Trying to be the mature one, I tried to think this through logically. "It would be Mary Sue-ish if France and England believed me right away." I leaned against a random classroom door and sunk to the floor. "After all, would I believe Jerry if he told me that he was being possessed?" I wiped the last of my tears away and smiled bitterly. "Yeah, I guess that's right."

For a minute, I did nothing but quell my tears. When they were gone, I became oddly aware of the weight in my pocket. Carefully, I pulled it out and held it high in the air by its chain. The lights made the slick surface gleam, whiting out my reflection.

This was Sadiq's shackle. Even though it was with me, the chain was somehow still connected to him. I could imagine it on a different plane of existence, traveling from my grasp, to his wrist and all the way to Himaruya.

Sadiq and I- we were still connected with a single thread.

Small, but strong.

Cycle 12: Unknown Place

"Sadiq?" Turkey mumbled and brushed away whatever was trying to talk to him. He was so tired . . . just five more minutes of sleep and he would be up bright and dandy. No sooner had he refound his comfortable spot did the person start shaking him. "Get up!" The person- a man -demanded. "It's already noon!"

Sadiq rolled over again and pushed them away. "Five more minutes, jackass," he mumbled, snuggling closer to the sand- wait a second. Why was there sand? Slowly, his eyelids fluttered open to a deep blue sky hand above him with vivid white clouds that drifted slowly across it. The breeze brought the sweet scent of the ocean to him.

He groaned and sat up. He was on a beach, barely a few feet from the dying sea foam. "What's going on?" he asked, looking around the tropic paradise. "How did I . . ."

"It's our anniversary, stupid." Turkey jerked away, noticing that the man was right at his side. His eyes were wide as he recognized the scowling face of his old boyfriend. "We're on vacation."

"Switzy?" he asked, a sick, guilty feeling forming in the root of his gut. "What are you-"

"Why are you calling me that?" The blond asked, green eyes glaring at him irritably. "I thought that we were still using our pet names."

Turkey blinked. He was? Didn't the Swiss hate his guts? Didn't Himaruya make sure that there would be no chance of him having a relationship outside of, well, it. Unless . . . "I'm sorry, Vash," he said, carefully choosing his words. When he wasn't strangled or told to stop being such a creep, he took it as a good sign. Switzerland still loved him. But how?

"One question at a time," he told himself, running his fingers through the warm sand. Observing the beige grains, he asked, "What is going on?"

The blond sighed. "This is our anniversary trip," he reminded him, as if it was as plain as Greek yogurt. "We got our bosses to let us spend a week at the beach. Remember?"

"Um, yeah . . ." Turkey looked around uncertainly. Why did he have no memory of that? Surely he would remember talking to his boss about something like that? Or that he made up with Switzy. That would be a landmark in his history. Then there was Poland. What happened to him? Should he be back at the school, making sure that Sherry was safe. If anything happened . . .

Switzerland, wearing a loose shirt and brown slacks, leaned into him, running his fingers through his short hair. "What's wrong?" he asked, carefully petting him like a dog. "You seem . . . off." The cheese smelling hand brushed over his curl.

Turkey bit his lip, suppressing a moan. Shit, why did he have to touch that? He remembered a time when his curl didn't do that to him. But after pissing off England one time, he was cursed to having that as his sensitive spot. "V-Vash . . ." He groaned, leaning closer to the warmth. "You know what happens when-"

"Of course I do," the other deadpanned, tilting his head closer to his. He brushed a white finger over his stubble cheek, smirking slightly. "You told me yourself, remember?"

He gave him a stressed look. "I guess . . ."

Switzerland kissed him, driving his tongue deep into the other's mouth. The feeling was euphoric. Every person kissed a certain way, Turkey found. Poland kissed rather shyly. It was great for those intimate moments, but it lacked the fire that Switzerland could ignite. They were always hot and fierce. As much as Poland's were a treat, Turkey did miss it.

Poland . . .

Turkey hesitated before pausing completely. Switzerland raised an eyebrow and pulled away, asking, "What happened to Poland?" Green eyes stared at him blankly. There wasn't a single glint to symbolize how or if the relationship even ended. No, it was just . . . neutral. Like his World War II status.

"Why?" Switzerland asked, a pained look in his eyes. "Did I do something wrong, Sadiq?"

The brunette looked away, giving a slight shrug. "No you didn't. I just . . ." Words seemed to fail him. "Never mind," he said quickly. "It's just-"

"Do you want him here instead of me?"

He started to shake head when another voice rang out. "Pops!" He turned behind him to see Iceland walking along the shoreline. He was also in casual clothes, looking happier than ever. Sadiq noticed that in one hand he held his sneakers and in the other, the hand of a young ginger girl. Turkey focused on her, making out the teenage version of Kate Winslet. She looked just like her, except . . .

"Sherry?" The nation whispered, feeling a sudden heart ache. There was no one else he knew to have that childishly gleaming eyes, even if they were eyeing Iceland with undeniable love. That definitely wasn't right- she may still love him, but the Kid shouldn't be returning the visage. He's her friend, not lover (he had to be). And he just wanted her to be happy. She had to be- that girl was the happiest when she was with the Icelandic.

"My image of her is Kate Winslet," he realized, taking a fist full of sand. When Sherry told him that she was a ginger, he automatically thought of the actress. He knew that they most definitely did not look similar, but he couldn't change that image. Maybe because he was watching the Titanic. A sudden flash of relief flushed through him. That could only mean . . .

"This isn't real," Turkey said, turning back to Switzerland. "All of this isn't . . ." He trailed off. His ex-boyfriend was replaced with his current one: Poland. The blond was smiling broadly, giving that ever cute tilt of the head.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, leaning closer into his arm. The Turk tensed with fear and leaned away. He knew quite well who was making all of this. Poland giggled and walked his fingers up his chest, saying, "You're, like, so scattered brain right now."

It took all of Turkey's willpower to push him away. "Get away from me!" He all but yelled. "You're not real!"

"Of course this isn't," Himaruya suddenly appeared a few feet away, leaning against a palm tree. A light smirk was on its lips as he looked at the owner of the soul he wanted. Turkey gaped at it as it nonchalantly buried its hands in its pockets. "But with one word, it could be."

No long paying Poland any more heed, he scrambled to his feet. "I don't want this," he growled, trying his best to ignore the disagreeing voice inside. Part of him did want this- a world where he could live comfortably with either Switzerland or Vash. The Kid and that girl would be a happy couple and all would be well. But another part rejected the idea. He did not want Poland and Switzerland here. He did not want Iceland and Sherry to be a couple. What he did want . . .

And besides, he knew better, he absolutely could not give in to this thing's will.

Unsurprisingly, Himaruya laughed. It seemed to rise above the sound of the gentle breeze and crashing waves. Turkey had even forgotten he was on a beach until the seafoam hugged his ankles. "You don't want this?" it repeated, chuckling cruelly. "That is one of the best lies you told me yet."

Turkey felt someone hug his arm and look down. Poland was back in the picture, smiling slyly as he asked, "You're saying that you, like, don't want me?"

Words failed him. "This isn't Poland," he told himself. "This is a fake." Yet, he could not shake the guilt that cling to himself. Before he could push the surrogate away, another force was on his other arm.

"What about me?" Switzerland asked, placing his head on the Turk's shoulder. Both of the blonds seemed to be restraining his limbs when he asked, "I thought that you loved me, Sadiq."

"I did," Turkey whispered, unable to look away. Their voices were like that of a mermaid's- luring him into the depth of the ocean to drown him. But he was on land and the only thing he could drown in was himself. "I loved both of you very much," he said, feeling his walls break. "But I can't have this."

"Can you have me?" Turkey blinked and Poland and Switzerland were gone. He was free to run away. Or, he would be if his image of Sherry wasn't before him. She smiled kindly at him, a hand cupping his right cheek. The naive look in her eyes made him freeze up all over again. To use a child- his light -against him . . .

When he didn't reply, Fake-Sherry continued, saying, "Because I really love you, Sadiq. Even with everything bad you do to me, I still really love you."

He shook his head. "No you can't," he whispered, his remaining defenses crumble into dust. Dust that was quickly swept away with the wind and into the air. Dust that was not saved by the tears that pricked his eyes. "You can't love me, if you did, he would only hurt you- I would hurt you."

The world was dead silent.

"That is correct." Fake-Sherry's eyes went wide and her mouth followed suit. There was a moment where Turkey vaguely wondered what was happening before she stumbled forward, into his chest. Standing behind her was Himaruya, wielding a small bloodied knife.

Turkey compulsively caught her and saw the hole in her back. The nearly black liquid stained her clothes as the warmth started to leave her body. His world seemed to shatter. Every signal in the nation's body screamed that this was all fake, that this was not happening.

But, as he told himself later, the side that was a sucker for dramatic romances was breaking into tears.

"Don't . . ." He whispered, feeling a small sob leave his throat. Just seeing the life leave those naive eyes made his heart break. The innocent human whom he got mixed up in all of this was dead because of him. How could he allow something like this to happen?

Hell, she considered him her father- he should have done a better job. Especially since what he truly wanted- desired -could never happen. She would never look at him the way he wanted her to; no matter how many times he tried.

"Sadiq, I tried my best with you," Himaruya somberly said, looming over him ominously. "I just want you to understand that if you went with me, you can have everything you ever wanted." Silence was the response. "Nothing will ever have to end up this way. You and I can live happily together for the rest of our lives."

It bent down to him, the fake's body disappearing as he went. Tilting his chin towards its face, it leaned in, telling the Turk, "All you have to say is that you love me. Do that and Poland and Switzerland will be your forever. Don't and this will be her fate."

Turkey hesitated. He should say it, say it and secure everything he could even allowed himself to hope for. "Himaruya, I-" But wouldn't that be giving up without a fight? "-hate you with every ounce of my being." It raised an eyebrow as the Turk slapped its hand away and glared darkly. "I refuse to let you win." He stood, saying, "I refuse to-"

"Enough." The beach disappeared and the two were back in the Room. The glaring white walls confined them to a strange, mad world. The white starched clothes were suddenly back on Turkey, making him feel stiff and awkward. Himaruya glared down at him, lips pressed together in displeasure. It said, "I ask so little of you, yet you refuse to relent."

"You expect me to sell my soul to some jackass who continues to harass me," Turkey snapped. "What else do you expect me to do?"

"Think about others around you." In a circle, Himaruya paced around him like a vulture to its prey. "If you opened your eyes sooner, you would have realized that I was there, that I love you more than Poland or Switzerland or any other of my creations ever could."

"Like hell I would believe-!"

He was silenced by cold lips. Turkey's brain shut down as the creator pressed his head closer to its. A few seconds took a few decades to past, but when it did; he was more than grateful for the break. Panting, Turkey gazed at him with fear.

No desire, no love, just fear.

Himaruya pressed his lips together bitterly. "You little slut," he whispered. Sadiq felt his whole body freeze up and his world shatter. In his head, he could see the pieces like glass falling down, down, down before could feel it: Himaruya's invasion of his head. It hadn't read his thoughts- it had read his darkest secret. It knew about that. Shit, it knew everything. "You bisexual little slut. I should have guessed you-"

"Don't treat bisexuality like a shame," Sadiq growled, clenching his fist. "You made us- you know that we can swing either way if we wanted."

"Is that not the key word?" It asked. "'Wanted?' Barely anyone in this school has wanted to change sides and everyone has been so content with their homosexual ways that they've forgotten that they even can." It chuckled. "My, my Sadiq. You must want that badly to take the risk." It drew away. Before a second passed, its physical form disappeared and it returned to being a voice in the air. "But in the end, the fault is still yours. For now, because of you, that girl is going to pay."

Stunned, Turkey sat there for a moment, processing what the hell just happened.

The jackass knew everything and was knowing going to hurt Sherry because of it.

The only way to vent his anger- his guilt -was to throw the white chair at the wall.

Cycle 12: Wednesday

My prey laid a few desk away from me. Like Steve Irwin to his dangerous Australian animals, I eyed them carefully before deciding to be stupid and provoke them. I could literally imagine what he would say in a situation like this: "Crickey! There we have a wild France and England in their natural habitat. Be careful, one wrong move and they'll bite me with a lethal dose of deadly poison. I'm going to touch it."

And that kids, is how he died.

But anyways, the two blonds did their best not to look at me as I threw paper wad after paper wad at their heads from a few desks away. Every other one actually hit the mark- the others ricocheted off into Estonia's head. Luckily, the bland kid didn't complain and allowed me to continue my constant pestering.

I've kind of been taking every single chance I get to annoy these two in a vain attempt for them to realize that I was not Seychelles. Luckily, said nation has yet to get her hooker self into gear. Unfortunately, I was still considered crazy by two countries (see what I did there? You know, like I went to a mental institute or something?) (Shut up, it was funny). "There has to be a way for me to convince them," I thought, ripping one of my failed doodles in half. It was supposed to be of Poland and Sadiq on the Titanic, doing that iconic "I can fly" scene. I couldn't even draw the clouds right.

As Language Arts Teacher Pangaea asked Prussia to stand and read his poem to the class, I thought more about the situation at hand. Ever since Germany declared himself to be a normal homosexual, the whole school social order was out of whack. People were feeling guilty for making fun of him when he was just going through a 'stage' and readily welcomed him into their cliques. The rest of us straighties, however, were still oppressed.

Sadly, Prussia was at a stalemate of continuing to hang out with his brother or to hang out with the rest Liechtenstein and I. After all, it was either his friends or guarantee that his dorm would no longer be trashed. He couldn't decide.

That was probably why his poem was full of despair mixed with the vivid declaration of awesome.

I don't think I've ever talked about this class before so I'll just give a quick description: this is language arts and for the past cycles all we've been doing is writing poems and reading them aloud to the class. It's the only class I share with France and England but most of the time they ignore me so it never has been important.

Until now.

I loudly tore another paper and crumpled it into another tight ball. Every nation in the area turned and gave me annoyed looks. I smirked and rolled my shoulders. Bitches can deal with it. I was about to throw it when a hand caught mine. "Whatcha doing?" America asked, turning my hand to every odd angle. He was observing it as carefully as a scientist to a puzzling anomaly. It kind of fit, considering the hot glasses on his nose.

"What does it look like?" I hissed, giving Language Arts Teacher Pangaea wary glances. She was so engrossed in Prussia's heart wrenching poem that she barely noticed our ruckus. That was kind of awesome.

"It looks as though you're being an ass," Denmark added, magically appearing at my other side. What were they even doing here? Neither of them sat remotely close to me.

I glared at them and yanked my hand free. "That, I am. I'm trying to get those two idiots to realize something."

America leaned back, stretching his arms high above his head. "Like what?" he asked, yawning largely. "You're not actually Seychelles?" I choked and stared at him. How did he . . .

"And you also have to get someone to kiss you in order to break the spell?" Denmark added as he ran a hand through his gravity defying hair. My amazement faltered for a second when I saw the hair gel clumping between his fingers. Gross.

I gaped at the blonds, trying to figure out how they knew. But that didn't matter. What mattered was that I now had two possible allies to help me win this. They could be my new rock. Slowly I started to say, "How did you two-"

Then "Haha, dude! That's hilarious!" happened. The lovers gave a loud high five before breaking out into a louder fit of laughter. Every single hope I had crumpled into despair. "That's the best joke ever," the younger nation declared, clutching the stitch in his side. The other was giving a playful bow, muttering 'thank you's in Danish. "How did you come up with that?"

I opened my mouth, ready to tell them that it was true when Denmark answered, "It was the dumbest thing I could think of. I bet Disney would do something a lot like that."

"I think they already did. It's called The Little Mermaid."

"Have I ever told you how much I hate that movie?" The nordic asked, absently scribbling on my notebook. His lines decapitated my doodle of Sadiq. "It's so different from what Hans originally wrote. The mermaid died at the end, did you know that?"

America dramatically slapped two hands over his ears, whining, "Dude! You just ruined my childhood!"

"America, you weren't even a child back when the movie came out."

"I was a child at heart!"

I groaned and banged my head on the table. "I'm surrounded by idiots," I thought, suddenly understanding how Scar felt with the hyenas. And to think that he was my favorite Disney villain- that is, if Ursula wasn't an option. For a moment, I listen to the two argue about which version of the tale was better. Their blue eyes were gleaming in frustration with each second a resolution was delayed. "This is going to go on forever- they're both too stubborn to let the other win." But with my growing headache, I didn't think that was going to happened any time soon.

Someone had to end it and that someone was going to be me. Placing a solemn mask over my face, I turned to my home country and stared at him. He shouted a few more words before noticing what I was doing. "Hey Seychelles, why are you-"

"Canada"

The next thing anyone knew, he was on the table, grandly proclaiming, "CANADA IS JUST A THEORY!" Obviously, that was enough to draw Language Arts Teacher Pangaea's attention. For the rest of the class, everyone watched as she berated the nation for hurting Canada's feelings and disrupting the class. Like what happened every Monday in history, he in turn argued his position freely, gracefully accepting the detention when it was dealt.

God eventually got tired of this bullshit and told his angels to ring the end of class bell. The glorious chime met our gracious ears and everyone jumped to their feet and hurried out the door. School was over for the day and, in theory, I was supposed to help the student council.

For once, that was exactly what I was going to do.

Pushing through the masses, I tried to keep up with the blond's retreating backs. Elbows jammed their way into my sides, making sure I had bruises to remember this day by. But even with all of my efforts, France and England only seemed to be getting farther and farther away. "Come on, assholes. Just let me closer . . ."

"Seychelles!" My feet stopped dead when Liechtenstein placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. The students cursed at our hindrance, but nonetheless walked around us. We looked like to sailors stranded on an island in the middle of people.

Sighing, I readjusted my bag and turned to her. Her cute face was drawn in a careful concern. Blue eyes seemed to warily observe every aspect of my being. I nervously grinned, asking, "Hey Liechtenstein. What's up?"

Her gaze continued for a moment longer before she cautiously spoke. "Seychelles, are you feeling okay? You've seemed . . . off lately."

Sweat fell down the back of my neck. Thing were different this time- this time, she was noticing the personality differences. "Whatever do you mean?" I asked, scratching the wet area. "I've been perfectly fine."

"Bull."

I physically recoiled. Ouch, where the hell did that one come from? Maybe it was the side that was raised by Switzerland; she did have that skeptic glare he always seems to wear. Give the girl a gun and I would pee my pants. Chewing on my lip, I quickly remembered what France and England had suggested earlier. "It's Germany," I said quietly. "He's just been . . .um, you know-"

She replaced her hand on my shoulder, this time with a comforting vibe. "I know, Seychelles. Losing someone you love can be-"

My helpful side called out for me to do something about her love life. With the reflexes of a panther, I peeled her hand away, just to hold it between my own. Add a background of flamboyant roses and a handful of bishie sparkles and the mood was perfect. Her small mouth opened when she tried to question me, but I cut her off. "Break up with Prussia."

Thin eyebrows knitted with confusion. "What? Why would I . . ."

"Because you're not happy." It was one of those moments when the busy hallways seemed dead deserted. She and I were in a little world composing only of us. Us and the sparkles and roses. I mentally added. "Prussia's outgoing and you're not," I earnestly told her. "If you're not happy, then you need to get out."

Liechtenstein gaped. "Seychelles. . ."

"And I know that you have a crush on England, but we both know that he isn't going to leave France any time soon."

"How do you know all of this?" She asked, eyes wide with wonder and shock.

I shrugged. "I'm observant- but that's not all I wanted to say." I leaned in and softly whispered, "Italy is in the closet and is trying to deny the fact that he likes you. Go ask him to the prom." I turned her in a 180 and pushed her down the hall. She peeked her head through the thinning crowd and voice a small objection. "Trust me, Liech!" I called back, merrily waving goodbye. "When have I ever been wrong?"

She gave me an unamused look before leaving me. I smiled at her retreating back. Hopefully, she'll listen to me.

Maybe then this whole ordeal wouldn't have been for nothing.

Swinging my bag over my shoulder, I turned on my heels and started strutting down the wood floored corridors. Now was the hard part- dealing with the 'FrUk'. Hopefully my annoying attitude would help sway their opinion. Tomorrow was the prom and I knew that if I didn't get it now, I might lose my chance forever.

The student council room was on a rather unpopular side of campus. Each step dwindled the crowd down to no one but me. Hehe, I was an one-man army. By the time my foot was taking their last step down the stairs, I was my only company. "Maybe I should have them ask me questions only Seychelles would know," I schemed. A scowl etched itself onto my visage. "But one of them would point out that I was lying about not knowing the answer."

I felt the need to violently bang my head on the wall. "There has to be a way for me to prove it! I know it's there, I'm just-"

"What is it do you want to talk to me about?" I stopped dead in my tracks. That sounded like France. What was he doing out of the room? Glancing down at the floor, I noticed two shadows slowly approaching the corner a few yards from me. I couldn't see who exactly the other owner was, but I could tell that they were big. Drawing closer, I heard France ask, "You said that it was important, Germany."

Well shit.

Looking back, I question what force drove me to dive for the nearest open door. Was it fear, embarrassment, stupidity? Either way, I chose the nearest door, pried it open, and jumped inside. It was an empty closet with just enough leg space for me to sit with stretched legs. Still, I pressed my ear to the door and tried to listen in on the conversation.

"You don't have to be shy about it," France coaxed congenially. I could imagine the comforting, inviting smile on his lips. "Spit it out."

"Yeah, there is something I wanted to mention," Germany muttered, sounding awkward. Their steps, to my luck, stopped right in front of my door. I pressed myself closer, realizing what was going on. This was a . . . "I like you France. A lot. And I was wondering if you and I could . . ."

There was a moment of silence.

The frantic pounding of my heart mimicked what France's must be doing- wide-eyed, frowning as he tried to think of a response. My mind was racing. What if he said yes? What if it's part of Himaruya's big plan? What was his big plan? I placed my forehead on the door and released a defeated breath. It that was the case, then it was over.

"I'm sorry." I perked up, not believing my ears when I heard it. By the shocked intake of breath, I could tell that the German didn't either. "I'm sorry Germany, but I love England," France said steadily, a small grin in his tone. My mouth formed an 'o'. The 'FrUk' was still happening? "And sadly, true love can never be changed by anything." My ear was back on the wood, trying to get every last drop. But his speech was done and the other blond was running away in embarrassment. "Wait! Germany, come back here!" Confusion riddled me until I heard him add, "Please don't get all suicidal again!"

"I can't believe I didn't think of that," I thought, feeling a blast of cool relief. Well at least if Sadiq and I failed the world would be in a slightly good order. But that didn't mean that I could give up now, I had to try. Determined, I stood and placed a hand on the knob. The good feeling I acquired disappeared when the handle wouldn't turn. Frowning, I tried again, just to hear the ever hated click.

Freaking shit, the door was locked!

I kicked at the door, calling for help. Crap, did every closet in this school only open from the outside? I kicked, punched, and brutally assaulted the door until my knuckles were blue. It was a little over an hour since Germany and France left and I was forced to give up. banging my head on the unforgiving wood, I slid to my feet.

This wasn't fair. What did I- nonetheless Sadiq -do to deserve such bullshit? Couldn't the world be nice for once? Sniffling, I wiped the water from my eyes. "Sadiq needs me to be strong," I told myself, checking my bag for anything that could help. I found Seychelles's phone, but the battery was dead. Cursing, I stuffed it back inside. Did I have anything that could possibly help? "What about . . ."

Scooting onto my side, I reached into my skirt pocket and pulled out the pocket watch. I felt as though the weight of the world was in the palm of my hand. How could Sadiq carry around such an important relic without me noticing before?

Every instance where he brought it out came to me. It always seemed as though he was giving this thing stressed, sorrowful glances. That is, except when he was being hypnotized-

"That's it!" A broad smile stretched across my face. "I could have France hypnotize me into telling the truth and when I do, both he and England would be forced to accept that I'm not Seychelles!" Happiness bubbled in my stomach as I squealed excitedly.

Then reality had to return. But in order to do that, I had to get out of here.

"This isn't fair!" I yelled, banging my head against the door. I was either hoping for the barrier to fly off its edges or create a cranial dent big enough to kill me. "Can't you least give me a chance?" I sobbed, freely crying thick rainstorms of tears. "I don't want Sadiq to die!"

"Sherry?" I paused, hearing the louding clicking on the unlocking door. I had a second to wonder who was there before the door swung open. I winced at the sudden brightness.

Standing there, framed by the bright fluorescent lights was Ari. The softest of smiles played on his lips as he looked down with concern. "Sherry, are you alright? What are you doing in here?" He asked, extending me a hand. My brain no longer received any signals as he waited for my reply. Mindlessly, I took it and the nordic lifted me to my feet. I continued to stare at him until he finally coughed.

Oh yeah, his question.

"I was locked inside," I said. My voice barely rose above a whisper. "I was . . . did you just call me Sherry?"

He nodded. "Yeah I did." When I didn't immediately brighten up, he added, "Why? Is something wrong?"

I must be getting smarter since I was actually thinking things through before voicing them. "This is a different cycle," I told him, not sure whether I should be happy or afraid. "You shouldn't be able to remember what happened."

Ari's comforting arms found their way around my frame. He hugged me tightly, pressing his face into my hair. The feeling of his skin should have quelled all of my worries. His very name should have made my heart pound against my rib cage.

But I only felt lonelier.

Chills ran up my spin as I shivered at his touch. He was so cold. Why was Ari so cold? Why did he remember everything so suddenly? What was going on? I sighed. I wanted Sadiq's warm arms around me, not his. "Ari, I-"

His lips were suddenly on mine. I gasped, accidently allowing him entrance into my mouth. I clenched his blazer as I tried to figure out why I no longer felt any fire. I could so clearly remember how my blood was hot with desire the last time he held me. But somehow, it now only felt dead and limp. Cold like a corpse. There was definitely something wrong here.

At last, his tongue was out of my mouth and I had a moment to breathe. Panting, I gave him a confused look. I asked, "Ari, what's going on- ah!" His lips were back on me, but not on the lips. No, his mouth was kissing and sucking on my neck.

I clenched my fist tighter, goose bumps traveling down my arms. It felt wrong, so wrong. It was the coldness, the coldness that seemed to infect me as well. Infect me with fear. I started struggling under his hold. "Ari!" I screamed, pounding my fists on his chest. "Let go of-"

He stepped back and slammed me into the wall. At first, I thought that it was one of those lustful sex thingies I always read about, but I quickly noticed his hands around my wrists as he pinned my arms to the wall. A nefarious vibe gathered around him as he looked at me coldly. The fear I felt tripled. His smirk seemed equally evil, but also mockful.

"What's wrong Sherry?" he asked, bring his face closer to mine. I pushed myself closer to the wall in a vain attempt to escape him. But his nose eventually touched mine and he added, "I thought you loved me." Like a fish, I dumbly opened and closed my mouth a few times. I was still trying to figure out how this sudden personality change happened. He leaned in more. "What's wrong Sherry?" His lips hovered above mine. "Cat caught your tongue?"

It finally clicked.

"Get away from me!" I started a new attempt at fighting back. My wrists ached from the pressure, but it was quickly forgotten. He was Himaruya. All along Ari was. . . In a panicked voice, I screamed out to the empty halls, "Help! Someone help me!"

"Quiet!" Apparently, the most effective way of doing that was to smash his lips back against mine. This time, I fought back. I bit down hard on his lip, breaking delicate skin. The warm metallic liquid flooded into my mouth before Ari released one of my wrist in order to freaking bitch slap me. My face stung, making me stupid and not take advantage of my new freedom. Instead, I just stood there clutching my face at the sharp stinging.

The silver haired man spat a large mouth full of blood onto the floor before savagely wiping his mouth in his sleeve. "You bitch," he snarled, quickly grabbing my wrist again. Anger welled in his eyes as he clicked his tongue irritably. "I'm going to make sure you pay for that."

My first thought: rape.

"Get the hell away from me!"

Thud!

The next thing I knew, my wrists were free and Ari was falling to the ground at my feet. I stared as his face laid in the blood puddle he made. I hadn't even realize that someone else was there until I noticed a new pair of feet standing besides him. I looked up, eagerly expecting Sadiq to be my savior. That was far from the truth.

"Estonia?" I whispered, amazed at the blond who stood before me. He held a bulky laptop in his hands as he stared down at the nation he just assaulted. By the stunned look in his violet eyes, I would say that also didn't expect himself to use his precious technology as a weapon.

Panting, he stood with shaking arms until his gaze drifted to me. Steadily, he calmed, slowly placing his laptop into the wooden floor. He asked, "S-Seychelles, are you alright? What happened? Oh, um-" He awkwardly extended a hand towards me. "Here, let me help you up."

"Sherry!" To him, it must have seemed as though I was just blankly staring at it. But to me, I was experiencing the sick numbness of Hooker-Sherry. My arms stayed dead at my sides, but there were stiff with fear. No matter how much I tried, I could not move them. I waited a few seconds for Seychelles to do something, but she just stared at Estonia.

"Seychelles, what are you doing?" I asked, still trying to push her out of my head. Something told me that this was a delayed reaction to what Ari- Himaruya -had been doing. "It's fine now, Ari isn't going to hurt us."

The Baltic state continued to stare at us. "Seychelles?"

"That's not it!" I wanted to wince. Crap, why was she so loud? "That's-"

He knelt to my height and placed a hand over my forehead. The second I felt his cool hand, her grasp on me disappeared and her voice faded away. "Are you alright?" he asked, voice laced with concern. "Did Iceland hurt you?"

Experimentally, I commanded my finger to move. It did so perfectly. Okay, that was weird. What was up with Seychelles's reaction? Why was she panicking now? I brushed it aside and shook my head. "No, I'm fine. Can you help me up?" He rose back to his feet, grabbed my hands, and pulled me onto mine. I muttered a small thank you before returning back to Seychelles.

Why was she so scared? What did Estonia do that Himaruya didn't? "What's going to happen now?" I wondered nervously, feeling the heavy watch in my pocket. "He just took down Himaruya- does that mean that Sadiq's free?" I smiled at the thought. An image drifted into my head. Sadiq and I, just going through classes like two normal humans. No worrying about kisses or contracts. Just him and I.

"I'm so glad I was walking nearby," the blond rambled, unaware that I was barely paying him any heed. "I just heard your screams and when I saw Iceland I knew that I had to help you." He looked down at the unconscious man and swore. "Oh man, we have to report this to Principle Pangaea."

I snapped back to reality and curtly nodded. "Uh yeah, we probably should," I said awkwardly. I was about to leave it like that, but those oddly violet irises were still looking at me with anticipation. I hastily added, "Thanks for helping me, by the way."

He grinned happily, a small blush coloring his cheeks. "It's no problem, really," he said as he took my hand. The man started leading me down the hallway, intending to tell someone what happened. "It was just lucky that I was there."

I forced a laugh. "Yeah, there." Wait a second. . . .

I stopped dead.

Estonia paused and turned to me. His eyebrow was raised high when he asked, "Hey, is something wrong?" But my mind was far too occupied to answer him.

"There . . ." I muttered, my head buzzing with the memories of these past cycles. My classes, the prom, the bar- every moment seemed to be falling into their places like the pieces of a puzzle. "You've always been there . . . every time . . . even when Sadiq . . . and every fan knows . . ."

"Seychelles?" He cocked his head and made to replace the hand on my forehead. "Are you feeling-"

I snapped and slapped his hand away. Amazement and shock ran through my veins as I yell, "You're Himaruya!"

The blond's wrinkled his nose, frowning slightly. "Seychelles, what are you talking about?" he demanded. "Who's Himaruya?" I didn't answer. This was why Seychelles was panicking- she realized that it wasn't Ari before I did. But she was afraid and couldn't do anything when the moment came. I heard my suspect sighed and reached for me again, saying, "You obviously hit your head or something. What in the world would make you think-"

Again, I slapped his hand away. "The fandom," I started, trying to fake fierceness. Unlike Seychelles, I was actually going to do something about this. However, I was just as scared as she was. It took every ounce of courage and willpower I possessed to explain, "Every good Hetalia fangirl knows that Estonia's looks were based on Himaruya himself. It would make sense that you'll want to be in a face like yours."

He gave me a look and shook his head. "So because I look like this guy, I am him?" He groaned. "That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"But you've always been there. I remember you being there in every cycle- even if it's just in the background. Sadiq even said that you were there in his past. And why would someone make a point of purposely being there? Because-" I stopped myself. Where were these words coming from? Since when did I have the brains to speak on my feet. Maybe it's from all the lies I've had to create. At least something good came from lying. Gulping, I pressed forward. "Because you had to make sure that everything was going to your plan. Face it, you're him."

He stared at me with such confusion that I started to feel the doubt. What if I was wrong? What if this was just my imagination getting the best of me? After all, it would make more sense if it was Ari- he did just attack me. Hearing my accusation aloud made it seem all the more flat. That was bad- I couldn't even convince myself that I was right. Sighed and I lowered my head in shame when Estonia didn't say anything.

Well, it was worth a shot . . .

"You're not half as stupid as I originally thought." If I didn't see his lips form the words, I would never had known that it was him speaking. His voice was darker, more . . . intimidating. I looked back up and saw a shadow over his eyes.

They were cold, like ice.

I stared at the smirk on his lips, stuttering, "I-I was r-right?"

His smirk fell into a frown. "Of course you are, Sherry," he said, taking a few steps closer to me. How did he know my name? I compulsively backed away. It was as if he was secreting poison- one touch and I was dead. "After all, everything you said is true. I-" Before I could stop him, he snatched my hand and brought it to his mouth. Frigid lips kissed it like an honorable gentleman. The cold was infectious- it spread through my veins and up my back until I could not move. "-am Hidekaz Himaruya, the creator of this world and everything Axis Powers Hetalia."

I stared at him with wide eyes. Now that I was face to face with him, what should I do? He seemed so powerful, there was nothing I could do to best him. Estonia- no, Himaruya -smirked and continued to hold my hand. "I have to admit I did not expect you to figure it out," he said. "I expected you to play your role and return home without any qualms."

"How could I?" I whispered. I attempted to draw my gaze into a glare, but my eyes refuse to listen. They wanted to be wide and gosh darn, that was what they were going to do. "How could I not care about what's going on here?"

His smirk grew wider and he slowly nodded. He knew that I was going to say that- he wanted me to say it.

Shit.

"Ah yes, you care very much to what everyone's fate shall be," he said. "But sadly, there is never anything you can do to help them. No matter what you do, Germany will still be suicidal, Liechtenstein will always be somewhat unhappy, and Sadiq will be caught in his own mess-"

Temporarily, I forgot my fear in order to snap, "But I did help them! Liechtenstein is with Italy, you made Germany gay, Sadiq-"

"Sadiq is still under my control." Himaruya innocently took off his glasses and wiped the lenses on his shirt. He slyly looked at my frustrated, hurt visage and found obvious joy in it. There was a small voice in my head that told me that I was falling into his trap, but I didn't listen to it- He brought Sadiq into this. "And unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about it."

"I can get France and England to kiss me," I returned. "If I do that, then you'll have to release him."

He laughed. "Sherry, both you and I know that its impossible. Sadiq is mine and that's that. Unless . . ." He placed his glasses back on, balancing them perfectly on the bridge of his nose. That infuriating smirk flickered into full brightness as he said, "Unless you had that one thing you lack."

I lack? I knitted my eyebrows together. "Which is?"

"Perfection." I couldn't help myself. I placed my hands over my mouth and gasped. He . . . how did he know that? I don't remember ever having voiced that opinion. How much did he know about me? He took another step forward and drew his face closer, saying, "Yes, perfection. How many times have you yearned for that one quality? After all, everyone around you is perfect- your mother, your friend, these characters. It's hard not to want it."

It felt as though I could not breathe. His face was so close to mine that his intimidating- knowledgeable -air was infecting my brain and body. I wanted to push him away but I couldn't move my arms. I wanted to tell him to piss off and go die in a ditch but I couldn't utter the words. The only thing I could do was stand there dumbly as he continued his speech.

"Has it not always been your dream to achieve it? To prove to everyone that you were someone to be reckoned with? And wouldn't your life be so much easier when and if it happens? If you were perfect, so many of your problems could have been avoided. You would have gotten that fateful kiss, figured out who I was, saved Sadiq." He chuckled when my eyes went wider. It drove me insane to think that he knew what my weakness was and was using it against me whenever he could. "There is so much you could do with it that it's hard not to desire it."

"I can't be perfect," I said, trying to gaining a footing against him. "No one can be absolutely perfect. It's impossible."

Himaruya seemed to drift closer into me until his cold breath was tickling the side of my cheek. I shuddered- was his whole being made of frozen ice? "You are forgetting one little detail, Sherry: I am the god of this world. For me, nothing is impossible." His lips pressed themselves against my ear. I seized up as every muscle in my body tensed. Whispering seductively, he said, "And I can make it happen to you, Just say the word and I'll do it."

I couldn't believe my ears. What he was offering me . . . I could help Sadiq, I could get him out of this mess. The key to our escape was within arm's reach, I just had to say yes. Still, the very thought of Sadiq made me hesitate. He had to give Himaruya something in return, what did I have to give? In a soft, weak voice, I squeaked, "At what price?"

My bad feeling did not disappear when he cupped my cheek. "You'll just have to pay me back someday," he told me, still taunting my ear. For a moment, I didn't answer. "Come on Sherry: one word and the world will be yours. Just say-"

Something inside of me exploded.

"No!" In one quick motion, I shoved him away from me and onto the floor. The blond landed hard on his butt, but did not show any pain. His eyes met mine as all of my bottled emotions came tumbling from my mouth. "You're like Ursula!" I yelled. "You're trying to trick me into one thing when you only want Triton's crown! I won't fall for your tricks! I am going to save Sadiq and make sure that assholes like you get your butts kicked!"

His visage turned dark. Obviously, he was not liking my resistance. Shit, I had to get out of here before he killed me. I turned in my heels and made a run for it. The only problem was that I went two steps before feeling every muscle in my body go dead. I froze mid stride, not even able to move my tongue. It was like Hooker-Sherry, but much worse. Probably since I knew that there was a crazy psychopath behind me.

"I am very disappointed in you Miss Sue," Himaruya said. I innerly shivered as I heard him rose back onto his feet and walk towards me. As much as I tried, I could not turn to look back at him. "It is very obvious now that you are going to be a bigger problem than I originally expected." He placed a hand on the back of my neck. "That is absolutely perfect."

A jolt of panic shot through me. Even now, I still fell straight into his trap! What the hell am I supposed to do now? I could hear the smirk in Himaruya's voice when he said, "You are going to be the key to my success."

I wanted to ask him what he meant, but I felt sleep wrap around my body. I had the will to fight it for a second, but quickly lost it. As the light left my eyes, I could only think of the horror of his words.

What have I done?

Cycle 12: Thursday

"I think we have everything in order," England declared, checking off the last item on his list. The ballroom was decked with splendorous decorations fit for any prom. Everything from lights to the DJ was there. He could not help but to him at himself when he thought of all of students that would be enjoying themselves in a short few hours. He turned to his boyfriend and smiled triumphantly, saying, "What do you think, France? Was I not right about the lights?"

Unlike the president, France was hesitant. His blue eyes shifted to every corner of the room. Something about it made him frown deeper. "I think that we need to cancel this," he said. "England, I don't think that it's going to be safe."

A pompous huff left his lips. "Safe?" The blond repeated, trying to hide his own concerns. "I understand what you're saying, but I think that it's fine." He pretended to scribble something onto his clipboard. Ignore every negative thought. "We're countries, we can handle ourselves."

The elder one sighed, thinking back to the awful week he'd been having. First, Turkey was discovered unconscious. Second, his daughter went crazy. Then Iceland was found after being banged in head and currently laid unconscious in the infirmary. And now, to top the icing on this cruel cake, Seychelles was missing. The last person to see her was Liechtenstein, but she was too confused to say much about it.

He tapped his foot on the marble dance floor. "We have two countries in Nurse Pangaea's care right now," he all but sneered. "Do you really think that this is going to be safe?"

"It has to be." England lowered his board and gave him a meaningful look. "France, everyone is panicking right now. They're thinking that someone is trying to claim territories and start a new empire. By showing that we have no concern, they are going to be at ease."

"But I'm not at ease! Seychelles is still missing and-"

"She's a smart girl; she can take care of herself."

Again, France sighed. "I know she can," he said softly. Emerald eyes rested on him and slowly realized that there was something more to his concern. They silently urged him on, begging to know the thorn in his side. They won when an annoyed sigh left his lips. "Remember how Seychelles mentioned that everything was going out of order?"

England also sighed. "Sure do- but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Germany asked me out." The Brit nearly dropped his clipboard.

That . . . that wasn't possible. Germany was straight- he nearly killed himself because of it. Someone doesn't just do things like that unless their feelings are true. So why change? Green eyes looking downward, he said, "Now that I think about it, I saw Liechtenstein asking Italy to the prom."

There was a short silence.

England tucked his clipboard under his arm. "Let's go," he said. "We have things to do." France was more than happy to agree. Together, the couple wandered down the halls, pondering their situation. There was definitely something going on. Whether it was Seychelles being this 'Sherry' person was still yet to be proven. But at that moment, they just need to find proof, a reason for all these attacks and gay feelings.

It came to France first. "Remember on Tuesday, when Seychelles first warned us?" He asked. England nodded. "She mentioned that someone's soul was on the line. Do you remember that name?"

"Oh God." The other rubbed his temples, trying to remember. Come on, he was a country! He should be able to remember something like this! A few moments of heels clicking down the wood floors passed before it came to him. "She said 'Sadiq.'"

"What kind of a name is that?"

"It's Turkish." Both of the men jumped, noticing for the first time that someone was behind them. Turning, they saw that it was Switzerland, gun at his hip, looking annoyed. They stared at him. When did he get there? How long has he been listening to them?

France recovered first. "Thank you Switzerland," he said, frowning slightly. "But, how do you know that?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, I just do." He walked away before they could question him further. For some reason, he was humming Celine Dion softly.

"That guy is so weird," The school president said, hands at his small hips. "I swear, he just looking for trouble."

"He said that the name was Turkish." England looked at his boyfriend just to be amazed at his expression. His beautiful eyes were wide and his lips were parted slightly. His eyebrows rose higher and higher as everything began to click. "England . . . Turkey's in the infirmary."

Sadiq was Turkey. Both of them ran for it.

Exactly five minutes and fifty-two seconds later, they were bursting into the school's infirmary. Panting heavily, the two sweaty blondes stood at the hallway and took in the scene. Nurse Pangaea was at Turkey's bedside, scribbling notes onto a chart. Her back was to the next bed over- Iceland with a white bandaged head, peacefully sleeping. She paid no heed to them, only that Turkey was finally awake.

Turkey looked distraught, almost terrified as he stared at his hands. Something about the world seemed off to him. It was as if he knew something that no one else did.

England straightened his back and placed two fingers in his mouth. He sharply whistled, drawing both of their attentions. "Nurse Pangaea, as school president, I am going to have to ask you to leave the room."

The plump lady scowled and shook her head. "I'm sorry, dear, but I have a patient to attend to," she snapped, shooing them away with her dark hands.

England sighed desperately. "But we just need to talk to Turkey-"

"Oh no you're not." They knew that they were in trouble when she stood and angrily marched towards them. "He is in a very delicate stage right now," she said, pushing them away from the door. England and France both braced themselves on the door frame. "The last thing he needs is for you two to corrupt him with your shenanigans-"

"We just need one minute with him!" France exclaimed. He peeked his head over her shoulder and cried out, "Turkey! Tell her to stop! This is important!" Said man stared at them with a haunted look. His knuckles were white from tightly gripping the bed sheets. Inside, he was wondering why he was here. His lips move silently for a few moments before he shook his head. The Frenchman groaned. "It's about Sherry-"

"Let them in!" At first, Nurse Pangaea ignored him as she continued to shove the intruders away. She only stopped when Turkey pressed his lips and yelled, "I said to let the jackasses in!" Turkey's eyes gleamed with determination and his eyebrows were furrowed with frustration. All three of them stared at him, unsure of how to take his sudden change of demeanor. "And I'm fine, Nurse Pangaea. Listen to England and go take a break."

The woman curtly nodded, reminding him to call if he was feeling any different. Her blue eyes stole one last glare at the two student council members before grabbing her porn and marching out. The couple turned and watched her retreating back. She was going to hold this over their heads . . .

"You said that this involved Sherry." They jumped and turned to see Turkey glaring at them. Both of them felt the sweat on their necks. With how seriously he was taking this, France and England could not doubt this 'Sherry's' importance. In nothing short of a sneer, the Turk growled, "You jackasses have one minute to tell me what happened or else."

France immediately rambled off the words in a minute or less: "Seychelles went on earlier this week, saying that she was this person named Sherry and this guy named Sadiq- we're presuming that's you - is at risk of losing his soul. Even when we didn't believe her, she still insisted. And now she's missing and we have no idea where she might be. And with all the attacks going on at the school, we think that something really bad happened to her."

Turkey sat in a quiet appreciation for what he had been told. Both the Frenchie and England looked at him with expecting glances, silently begging for him to give a response. Neither of them were even sure if Turkey was the one they should trust, but the look in his eyes said otherwise. At last, he ran his fingers through his hair, muttering Turkish swears. "That girl is so dense," he said, chuckling slightly. "I tell her to do one thing and she does another."

France grinned. "So you believe us?" he asked. There was a hope in his tone that England's scowling expression denied. After all, why get your hopes up when there was still chance for them to be wrong?

His response was a curt nod.

Barely able to contain his happiness, the Frenchman squealed and attacked his boyfriend with a hug. "I knew it!" He all but yelled. "See darling! I told you that Seychelles was in trouble!"

"He never said that Seychelles was in trouble!" England snapped, red from anger and embarrassment. Trying to shove his lover away, he added, "He just confirmed that there is someone by the name of Sherry here right now."

"Idiots. Obviously Sherry is in Seychelles's body." They paused. Neither of the blondes had said it- Turkey had a Macy's bag on his lap as he searched for some unknown object. All three eyes, however, drifted to the bed across from them. There Iceland laid, conscious and coolly looking at them as if they were idiots. His blue eyes gave them the condescending look they deserved as he lightly patted the bandage on his head. Their crisp whiteness nearly blended in with his skin and hair.

Turkey pulled out his school slacks and started excavating the pockets. He asked, "What makes you say that, kid? The last I checked, you didn't easily believe in nonsense."

Iceland shrugged. "Sherry told me herself."

"When?"

"After you kissed her."

In one loud commotion, both France and England choked on air and nearly fainted. "You kissed our daughter?" the school president shrieked, face full of horror and panic. "You appear to be twenty years her senior - do you know how wrong that is?"

France, on the other hand, just shrugged. "It's not wrong if it's love," he said easily. Ignoring the loud protests of the sandy blonde, he flounced to the side of the Turk's bed and propped his head on the edge. "Now tell me: do you love my daughter?"

Turkey was starting to wish that he was back in the room. Anything would be better than having to deal with these crazy parents.

His face remained blank as his honey eyes drifted between the blondes and the other patient. Iceland's visage was also blank, but his eyes asked him to think of him and Turkey had to. Every memory of the young love glared him in the face, demanding that he did the right thing. "First of all," he said. "This is not Seychelles we are talking about, but Sherry in Seychelles's body. There's a difference. Secondly, I did not kiss her. I faked it so that the kid there wouldn't get her distracted from the things we had to do. Third, France, you are a terrible father-."

He shrugged. "Love can never be denied-"

England groaned, "Oh would you please be quiet, git!"

Turkey frowned. Speaking louder, above their little commotion, he finished, "And lastly, Iceland, how do you remember that?"

As France and England slowly grew quiet (even they could perceive the sober air), the nordic shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "Sherry told me about the cycles and how I will forget, but I just remember."

"Every single one?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

The other nodded. "Yeah. I remember forgetting and being indifferent about her."

Out of the two student council members, England was the only one fully understanding the situation. After all, this was just magic. He always boasted about mastery of it. However, France's brows were knitting in a perplexed manner, but he did not voice a question. If the other three could understand it, why couldn't he?

The Brit pulled up a stool, asking, "Has there been anything else that's been abnormal? Is there anyone else who knows about Sherry?"

Turkey shook his head. "It's only the four of us," he said. "As for abnormality . . ." The haunted look appeared again, shining in his eyes for a brief instant. But quickly enough, he shook his head and shoved it away. "There's nothing you should be worried about."

He opened his mouth, ready to press for more information-

"I lost control of my body."

MW: I found it funny how people figured out that I like making small details matter and went nitpicking at every character. Yet NO ONE every stopped to wonder why I went out of the way to stick Estonia in every chapter (seriously, go back and re read everything. He's there).

Well everyone, next chapter will hopefully come soon. So remember to review.

No Funfacts Today!

Next Chapter: With Sherry compromised, Sadiq and the others go off to finish the job.

Review? Sek deserves it!