MW: *strums guitar* I am a dick~ I promised that I would get the next chapter out within a month and I didn't~ You can all hate my guts~ Oh yes, I am a dick~

SEK: You know Wolf, I highly doubt swearing in the AN is going to go over well with the readers.

MW: I do what I want. Anyways, sorry again for not updating. We had AP testing, finals, and I had my driver's test. But now that summer's here, we can hopefully update more often and maybe perhaps be finish before school starts? I mean, my original plan was to have this story done by the end of school, but we're only half way through. :I

SEK: Yeah and aren't you also starting another story about the tomato gang being serial killers?

MW: Yup, not a good idea since I still gotta do this, Within Ash and Snow, and Love Sucks. Oh well, I'll manage. Also, I published a one-shot. It's kind of angsty, but it's called "Prickling my Skin". Go check it out!

Thank you all for over a hundred reviews and I hope you aren't disappointed in this chapter!

Chapter Summary: Larry finally dives into who Alfred is and what he is doing here.

Warnings: Strong language, sexual themes, and some yaoi and beastiality.

Disclaimer: I still own nothing because I am a dick~

~Chapter 8~

In Which Alfred Becomes Everyone's Favorite

"When I see ghosts they look perfectly real and solid - like a living human being.. and sometimes it is hard to tell who is a ghost."

-Christ Woodyard, American Author

THE WAR: Day 12

The moment I realized that Prussia also saw that Alfred was not tangible, I immediately made to ask England if he could even see my mentor. Abandoning Alfred, I pulled up the waist of my slacks and quickly ran after him. The back of his fluttering red coat was barely in my grasp when the Asian girl sent to watch over me finally returned to her job. Stepping in front of me, she gently turned me around and started making me go down the stairs to below deck. "Are you feeling alright, Liechtenstein?" She asked, her kind smile never fading.

I was at the point where I couldn't think properly. I stuttered over my words, trying to get my mouth to work properly. "D-did you s-see that?" I asked at last, pointing to where Alfred stood. He hadn't moved from his haunted stance. "England he- right through Alfred and-"

"What are you pointing at?" She asked. Her chocolate eyes were looking at Alfred, but she just could not see him. If she couldn't see him, then he wasn't human. If he wasn't human, then what was he?

I was starting to feel desperate. "But he's right there!" I screamed, emphasizing my pointed finger. By now, people were staring. Not at him, but the crazy girl who thought that he existed. "How can you not see him? He's-"

"Shut up!" Alfred snapped his head towards me. His fist were tightly clenched and his shoulders shook from repressed trembles. His eyes- oh his eyes. They were darker, glaring like poisoned knives at my soul. For once, the vivid blue hue was spiteful. Contritely, I opened my mouth, ready to say something, but he cut me off. "Shut the fuck up, Larry! I'm a fucking ghost, okay? And now the one person in the fucking world who I love can't fucking see me! Just-" He groaned and stormed off. "Fuck off!"

He stomped his feet through the rest of the Red Coats, going to the stairs leading below deck. Along the way, he passed by an extremely confused Prussia. "You're a ghost?" He exclaimed, fighting against his French restrainer. France gave him a confused look and only held him tighter. I watched with a sinking feeling as Prussia suddenly looked at me. "And what did he mean by 'Larry'? Who's Larry?"

Apparently, our ruckus was causing so much trouble that England had to tell America to wait as he sorted everything out. This time, he looked extremely ticked. "Get him to solitary confinement right now," he ordered, sending Prussia a poisonous glare. Prussia continued to struggle, kicking his legs and screaming to know what was going on. In the end, the Red Coats had to get China, Vietnam, and Poland to help France carry him away. They held his arms and legs and carried him below deck, trying to hush him with reassurances that they weren't going to hurt him.

"And Taiwan-" I jumped, realizing that England was looking at the Asian girl. "-I think Liechtenstein needs to rest," he said. "Can you please take her to her room now?"

Taiwan grabbed my arm, quietly telling me that everything will be okay. You know, those kind of things. But that did not matter- this was my chance. "Could you see him?" I asked suddenly, taking a step forward. Taiwan swore and tried to pull me back again. England, meanwhile, furrowed his eyebrows at me. "There was a man on the deck, standing right next to me. He looks like an adult version of America. Could you see him?"

For a long moment, England was silent. It felt as though the whole crew held their breath in anticipation. Finally, he closed his eyes and sighed, saying, "Check her head too, Taiwan. Make sure Russia didn't give her brain damage."

My mouth hung open. I wanted to make sure. I wanted to grill him until I was sure that the jerk was telling me the truth, but I knew that it was time to stop. There was some battle fought here that I lost. For now, all I could do was sit back and formulate a new plan.

I let Taiwan lead me away, finally going below deck myself. Unlike The Romanov, the Red Coat's boat (so properly named The Oberon) was gigantic. I could immediately tell the difference. Instead of stepping into a dining hall/cannon room, we were greeted by a lamp-lit hallway. It was narrow and winding. It extended down both directions, extending into different hallways and corridors.

I whistled in appreciation. Compared to this, Russia's ship was a piece of crap.

Taiwan pulled me down a hallway, made a left, down another hallway, down another steep stair case, and to a door. I was relieved when we both stopped in front of it. I didn't want to be further intimated by the sheer size of this place. Anyways, the door was an ordinary one of dark mahogany. There was nothing special or unique about it. For a moment, I stood there awkwardly as I tried to figure out why she was giving me a look of anticipation. Then it hit me.

"Oh, this is my room," I said, trying not to sound surprise. I scratched the back of my head, laughing nervously. To her credit, the smile plastered on her face did not falter for a second. I turned the doorknob and pushed the door open, saying, "Well, I guess I better be, um, resting now."

She eyes softened. "That would be best," she replied. The girl quickly peeked over my shoulder and at the room. "Excuse all the dust. I tried my best to keep it clean for you, but no one of knew if we were ever going to get you back." I assured her again that she really didn't have to worry about that before at last sending her on her way.

Sighing, I stepped inside and closed the door shut behind me. Lucky for me, there was also a lock. I grinned and quickly put it to good use. Finally, I was completely alone. Sighing, I turned around and leaned against the door as I slid to the ground. "Holy frack," I whispered, placed the heel of my palm on my forehead. I ran my fingers through my short locks. Alfred was . . . and Gilbert . . . Stella was still . . . where do I even start?

I groaned. I needed to write it all down. I needed to vent all of my unlinear thoughts onto paper. I needed to see what my problems were. First, I needed to find some paper.

Liechtenstein's room was small. Without the bed or the desk beside it, I would be able to barely pace three long strides in her body. A layer of dust covered everything, making my nose twitch with failed sneezes. There was really nothing to give away that it was even hers. No pictures nor knick-knacks. Heck, there wasn't even a window for her to breathe out of. "I hate it here," Liechtenstein said, her voice soft and clear.

I looked down, picking at the fabric of my slacks. "Why?" I asked aloud. I didn't feel like speaking to her in my head. Right now I wanted to hear my own voice. The only problem with that was the fact that I was in her body, not mind. Her voice was mine.

For a long moment, Lichtenstein was silent, musing in the past. Just as I started thinking that I was being too invasive, she spoke. "I was lonely. Everyone here claims that they missed me, but they never noticed me in the first place. I was invisible. When Russia took us, I was grateful. It meant that I was with my brother again. I was with Prussia- I was with people who actually cared about me."

I leaned back, taking a long breath. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's not your fault." We were silent for a moment. "I have a journal you can write in. It's under my mattress. There's a pencil in the desk."

I took a breath of relief "Thank you," I said as I pushed myself off the ground. I went to the bed first, lifting the mattress a few inches to grab the journal. It looked a little like mine, though it was thicker and the leather that bound it was a light brown, not black. Once I fished out the pencil, I sat on the edge of the bed and started a list:

Things that are wrong with this situation:

-I am with the Red Coats who I have no relation with whatsoever.

-Turkey and Prussia are here as well, but they're separated. T's in the normal prison and P's in solitary confinement. Liech probably knows where those are.

-Alfred is a ghost. I have no idea why or how, but he looks exactly like America. It's a touchy issue. It has something to do with- I'm guessing- England.

-It also probably has to do with the loss of his soul that Netherlands and Denmark mentioned earlier.

-Prussia knows that I'm Larry.

-Stella is still in danger.

"None of this is good," I said, holding the pencil to my lips. Each line seemed heavier than the last, creating a dark ocean for me to drown in. And believe me- I was drowning. It felt as though I was suffocating. My chest was heavy and my lungs could not drink enough air. I closed my eyes, regulating my breaths. "Liech, what do we do?" I asked helplessly.

I could feel her weigh the situation, perhaps move around in the black expanse of the void. "I think that we need to find Alfred and get the truth from him," she said. "If he's calm enough, he can help us figure out how to deal with Prussia."

The ends of my lips curled upward ever so slightly. Opening my eyes, I breathed, "Thank you, Liech." I started to edge off the bed, ready to start with our quest, when the girl made a small peep. I paused and looked up. For some reason, I felt as though her plane of being was upward, to the sky. "Is there something wrong?"

My head was silent for a long moment. Liechtenstein muttered a few soft things to herself- nothing I would understand. Hesitantly, she asked, "Before you go, can you do me favor?"

I blinked and sat back on the bed. "Anything."

"In my journal, towards the front, there is a passage written about a year ago. Can you read it please?" I wanted to ask her what was it was about, but I could feel how nervous she was. Asking her might make her uncomfortable and with everything she's done for me, I couldn't bear to do that to her. So instead, I wordlessly did as I was told. I leafed through the parchment pages, looking for the entry she was talking about. I thought I found it a few times, but she would just tell me that I had to move on to the next. Eventually, I found the entry she was looking for. Like all the others, it was written in narrow, black cursive. It didn't appear any different in size or length. I could feel Liechtenstein gather her courage. "Read it out loud," she ordered.

I scrunched my forehead, peering at the text. "Why-"

"Please Larry."

A little bug of guilt chewed on my conscience. There was a tone to her voice, a small desperate one. I wanted to swipe it away and the only way to do that was to do what she told me to. I could literally feel her grow happier when I cleared my throat and held the book to my face. "Dear Diary," I read. "Today, Prussia came over to visit Switzerland and me. For some reason, I didn't want to retreat to my room like usual. I sat down next to Switzerland (he would not let me sit anywhere else) and listen to him gloat about his latest victory against Austria. I like the way his red eyes light up when he talks about those kinds of things. When he left, Prussia mentioned how much better I would look with my hair cropped. Then, without asking permission, he swooped down and wrapped me in a tight hug. I did not feel threatened. When I was in his arms, I felt the safest I have ever felt in my life. It did not matter that Switzerland chased him away afterwards, waving his weapon in the air. Diary, I lied to you. This all happened last month, but I cannot get Prussia out of my head. I want to see him again, but Switzerland wouldn't let him. Tonight, I'm going to cut off my hair. All of it."

When the passage ended, I was quiet for a moment. I gently placed the journal on my knee, unsure of how to feel about that. It was so personal- why would she show something like this to me? This was something a girl kept locked up in her heart and never revealed to anyone. I stared down at it for a long moment, thinking. I softly asked, "Liechtenstein . . . why did I read this?"

I think she was prepared for my question since she immediately explained, "This was the first time I ever admitted to myself that I had feeling for Prussia."

I shrugged, saying, "Okay, so how is that important?"

"If Alfred tells you that Prussia has to be . . . dealt with, I want you to remember this," she said. Beneath the gentle politeness of her voice was a fiery venom- something that told me to never underestimate what she can do. "I want you to remember that he is my motivation just as much as Stella-" My heart jumped. "-is for you."

I picked at my- her -nails. I could see the walls that she built around me. If I let any harm come down upon Prussia, I would be betraying my own beliefs with Stella. We were both, in a way, fueled by the same flame.

I didn't know what to say. There was nothing on my tongue that would directly respond to her. I played with the edges of the journal. "I didn't know that your hair was long," I said, changing the subject.

The girl lightly chuckled, as if this was all a small, childish game we were playing. "Yes, it was in two long braids. I actually cut it so that it was a boy's length- like Prussia's, but Switzerland's forcing me to grow it back."

"It kind of looks like his," I replied, smirking. Who knew that there was a rebel beneath that cute face?

"Yes is does." This time, our silence was mutually comforting. She knew that I was not going to hurt Prussia and I knew that I could trust her. "We should go look for Alfred now," Liechtenstein said.

I rose to my feet and quickly hid the journal again. "Can you make sure that I don't get lost here?" I asked, making sure that the mattress looked perfect again. "That's only if you wouldn't strain yourself."

"I'm not taking control of my body, so I'm not using much energy."

I smiled. "Well that's good." I threw open the door and stepped back into the narrow hallway. "Okay, so where to first?" Liechtenstein sighed and reminded me that I had to communicate through thoughts in public. She directed me down the hall, telling me to check the kitchen first.

"Alfred eats like a pig," she reasoned. "He's bound to be near the food-go up those stairs."

"Well he was kind of screaming at me the last I checked," I told her, trailing a hand against the wall as I climbed up. "Maybe he'll be somewhere a bit more. . . thought provoking."

"Thought provoking indeed." The next thing I knew, my face was against the wall. My arms hung lifelessly at my sides as the feeling drained from my nerves. At first, I thought that it was Liechtenstein causing the numbness, but then two arms appeared at my sides, encasing me in a human prison. A cold breath danced around the rim of my ear as a familiar voice whispered, "Hello, Mr. Sue."

My heart fell to the ground. Not only was that the voice of the mystery man that Alfred talked to in the alley, but the way he said my name- the fact that he even knew it -meant only one thing. "Erwin," I whispered. I wished that I could speak louder, but my numbness prevented me from making my mouth any bigger. What would I say anyways? Would I demand to know why he was here? Or why he was talking to Alfred in the alley?

"He's here to intimidate me," I reasoned, sucking in a large gulp of air. "And he was probably doing the same to Al earlier."

I could hear him smirk. "I'm glad that you recognize me," he said coolly. "How long has it been since our last meeting? Two weeks?" I was silent. Erwin moved a cold hand to my neck, gently caressing Liechtenstein's skin. Shivers and goosebumps blossomed wherever his fingers touched. "So tell me, Mr. Sue, are you enjoying your sister?"

I grinded my teeth. He brought her here. He brought my sister to this hell hole. More than anything, I wanted to bust his jaw. I wanted to strike him until he bled. At the very least, I needed to see his freaking face. I tried to turn my head, but my body would not respond. My neck was as solid as a statue.

Erwin must have known my intentions since he purposefully placed a hand on my cheek and pressed my face closer to the wall. He leaned in more, making the already cramped staircase feel suffocating. "Why are you attempting to do that, Mr. Sue?" he asked softly. A finger somehow found its way onto my lips. Erwin placed his lips against the crook of my neck, saying, "You signed a contract. You cannot look at me. You cannot look at my face."

I closed my eyes. "Liech, help me," I begged pitifully. Beneath my eyelids, I could feel tears forming. "Please Liech, I can't face him on my own." But she did not reply. Erwin's presence made it seem as though my connection with her was severed.

My senses buzzed. All around me, there were signs that screamed danger. Logically, I should be afraid. In actuality, I was. I wanted to curl up on the floor and cry. I wanted to wait for Dad to come out of nowhere and save me. That was what I wanted, but it was the very thought of Dad that kept me strong. He would not want me to be afraid. He told me to be strong and by God, that was what I was going to do.

I forced my eyes open. There were no tears, only the girl's green eyes shining determinedly. "What do you want?" I spat, trying to appear hard and cold.

My demeanor disturbed him- that much I could tell. My determination to remain strong seemed to set him back. But for whatever strike I could send him, he was going to return it. Erwin moved his both of his hands downward, enjoying the slight curves of Liechtenstein's body. He pulled me into his chest (one, that I noted, was hard but not built) and stopped his hands over my hip bones- the line between creepiness and perversion. "I want many things from you, Mr. Sue," he said, lips dancing along the edge of my ear. "I want to help you. I want to make certain that your dear Stella is going to be safe and sound when you return to her. But in order for me to do that, I need something in return." He took a deep breath, holding me even closer.

Was it just me, or did his hands drift a little downwards?

I didn't want to admit it, but I was intimidated. I felt as though this monster could do whatever he wanted to me or Stella or Sherry or Jerry and I could do nothing to stop him. I could cry and plead for him to show mercy, but he would only cause more harm. "I need Gilbert to drink that little vial I gave you," he said. "Tell me Mr. Sue, have you done that yet?"

I took a deep breath. But, despite it all, I could still beat him. I didn't know how or if I even could, but I knew that I had to try. For Stella. When I was sure that I could speak calmly, I replied, "I haven't, mostly since I haven't been able to find Gilbert yet."

He chuckled. "What do you mean? He's been in front of you this whole time."

"He may be in front of me, but I can't see him." The buzzing feeling on my skin faded away as I felt myself regain control of my situation. Yeah, he still had his arms around my numb body and I still could not hear from Liechtenstein, but I felt as though I had an even hand. I was an equal. If I could, I would have smirked as I said, "In a way, I should have expected that. After all, all of this is nothing more than a monkey's foot. I can make one wish, but you will turn it against me."

"You only have so much time left," Erwin quickly replied.

"Yeah and you claim that I can't look at your face, yet you let me see it at the hospital." I could feel it- his grasp on me was waning. I was winning and he knew it.

Erwin finally released me, taking a step back as he said, "You only have until the clock strikes midnight, Mr. Sue. And then, if Gilbert has not drank from the vial, then Stella will be lost for good."

I collapsed to the ground. I yelped, my butt nicking the edge of a stair. The feeling in my limbs returned to me so quickly that I felt sick. Still, I whipped around in a vain attempt to steal a second glance at his face.

I was alone.

There was no one retreating up or down the steps. Erwin was gone, vanished into thin air.

I pressed myself into the wall, taking long breaths. Fear choked my lungs. The thick air of the stairwell made it even harder to breathe. The hand over my chest told me that the thumping in my ears was my racing heart. Sweat trickled down the back of my neck. Resting my head against the wall, I closed my eyes, whispering, "Are you okay, Liechtenstein?" My head was silent. "Liechtenstein, are you there?" Silence. I balled my fists, desperately growling, "Liechtenstein, are you-"

"Don't worry, Lar, she's fine."

Shot my eyes open. In nothing more than just a breath, I gasped, "Alfred?"

Sure enough, the blond stood above me. The pain look on his face I saw earlier was still there, but his eyes had weaken. They were softer, more accepting of me. But his hands were still fists, the knuckles a dead white. "Erwin temporarily cut off your connection with Liech," he explained somberly, eyes staring off into space. Why wouldn't he look at me? "She'll be back in a few minutes."

I gulped. Without her, it seemed as though The Oberon was ten times quieter. It was like a phantom gliding along haunted waters. "Alfred . . ." I took another breath. Panic moment was over, Larry. Now you have to man up and start getting some well-deserved answers.

But before I could say anything more, Alfred started speaking again. "You know, Lar, it's alright to be afraid of him," he said monotonously. "Erwin and Bud can ruin our lives if they wanted to. The only reason they haven't is because we're of some use. The moment we out live that, they'll find a way to dispose of us." I looked down. He was right. I knew this all along, yet hearing such an optimistic man actually confirm it made a gash in my resolve. Maybe there were thing that I shouldn't know about.

A wry chuckle nearly escaped his lips. "You know Lar, you can cry if you want," he said. "You're the damsel and I have to protect you. It's my responsibility to watch over you. The only reason why Erwin attacked you just now was because I was not around to stop him in time. If I was here, then that would have never have happened-"

"Why do you treat me like I'm some weakling?" I snapped. In my head, I could feel Liechtenstein's presence slowly return like the image on a broken T.V. set. Still I pushed on, sneering, "I was able to take care of myself back there in case you didn't know. I was able to beat Erwin at his own game single-handedly. I don't need your help. I'm strong and I can take care of myself."

Alfred shook his head. "I don't get you," he softly replied. His eyes moved to his bare feet. Why couldn't he meet my eyes? "You have the opportunity to cry. You can cry, yet you . . ." His voice cracked. My eyes slowly went wide when I saw two drops of tears fall to the ground like slow rain. "C-can't you be grateful for what you got?" he demanded, whipping his arm across his face. "You have a gift: use it."

I stood. "I want to help you, Alfred, but you have to let me in," I said. "Please tell me what happened. Why can't England-"

He sniffled. "Not here. Somewhere more private."

A small voice piped up in my head. "I know just the place," Liechtenstein hopefully offered.

I smirked, thinking, "It's nice of you to come back and join me. Did you miss anything?"

I could feel her shake her head. "It's still my body," she said. "Just because I couldn't talk to you doesn't mean that I didn't see anything. But I know where you can take Alfred. Take him up the stairs and make a right."

I did what I was told. I lead Alfred by the hand, dragging him with me down the path Liechtenstein directed. He mostly kept a hand over his face, rubbing away stressful tears and muttering about how lucky I was. I didn't know why he would think that- tears were not something to be worshipped.

At last, the girl had me stop at an isolated room. There was no one in the hallway lined by one ordinary door. "The door only opens for members of England's ship," she informed me, noticing the way I stared at the seemingly ordinary brass door knob. "There's some spell on it that prevents Brown Coats from opening it."

I suddenly knew where we were. Trying not to smile, I opened the door and pulled my mentor in, saying, "All right, Alfred. Here's a nice and quiet place for us to tal-"

"Liechtenstein!" The next thing I knew, I was wrapped in a large bear hug. My lungs were squashed like pudding as Prussia spun around in a circle, talking a mile a minute. "Are you alright? Did anyone those damn bastards doitus do anything to you? I swear to God, if any harm comes to my little Liech-"

"Let go of me!" I shrieked, trying to rip him away. Not that I was against his love for Liechtenstein or anything, but I was pretty much tired of letting guys hug me. It made me feel like I'm homosexual.

Prussia laughed, spinning me just a little bit faster. "I'm glad to see you too, Liech!" he said, tossing me up into the air. I yelped as I crashed into his arms, cradled safely to his chest bridal style. Scowling, I flattened my wild hair and sent him a glare. The smirk and subtle affection in his eyes did not falter. "Well, at least that's considering that you're pretending to be mad because you're embarrassed I'm holding you because you love me."

I wanted to be mad at him. I wanted to snap at him for being such a freaking dumbass, but it was that look at stopped me. I could see that deep down- far below his cocky attitude -was a worried man. He hadn't forgotten about what happened with Alfred- he was just choosing to push past it. I sighed, "I think Liechtenstein loves you very much."

He stiffened. A second later, the albino let me tumble out of his arms. I landed on my feet, huffing as I fixed my shirt and slacks. Prussia was looking down at me with stunned fear. Alfred was still clenching his fists and staring at the ground. I had the sense to keep my mouth shut. All three of us were silent. We could hear the Red Coats walk around the deck above us, laughing and busy at work. They weren't much different from Russia's crew in that sense. Both sides knew how to have fun.

"So you're not my Liech," Prussia said, speaking softly. His eyes scanned the length of my body, searching for some sign that I was not her. By the rejected look in his eyes, it was safe to say that he could find none. "If you're not her, then who are you?" I dropped my shoulders. "Are you that Larry guy?"

Alfred shot us a glare, silently demanding that I kept it a secret. At that point, I didn't know how to. He was already starting to figure it out. Even if I reframed from spilling the big secret, he would figure it out eventually. Liechtenstein herself was quiet and did not offer any kind of excuses. I took it as a sign to go ahead and tell him. After all, Prussia wasn't stupid. "Yes," I said at last. "My name is Larry Sue. I am possessing Liechtenstein's body."

Prussia took a small step back, as if expecting me to spontaneously combust into flames. "Why?" He demanded, quick and defensive.

I winced. I couldn't tell whether that hurt Liechtenstein, me, or both. "I have to save someone," I explained. I patted the air with my hands, motioning for him to calm down. He only took another step back, raising his hands in defense. "I'm not doing this to be evil," I added quickly. "I have a girl back home: Stella. Her life's in danger and this is the only way for me to save her. Please believe me."

Prussia blinked. He must have seen the desperate- hopeless -look in my eyes. Perhaps it reminded him of himself. "Your girl?" He repeated, slowly dropping his hands. I watched with anticipation as he took a second to think it over. "Where exactly are you from?" he asked. "Why do you need her body?"

"I'm from-"

"There is more than one world." I paused as Alfred walked in front of me, practically brushing me aside. His back was straight and his chin raised high. An air of dignity lingered around him as he stopped barely a foot away from Prussia, saying, "The world that we're in now was created by one man, Himaruya Hidekaz. He is from Larry's world, a much simpler place than this. Himaruya and his cronies will sometimes interfere with the happenings of both worlds, making complex contracts that more often than not backfire. Me, Larry, Liechtenstein- all three of us have a contract with him. Larry did it to save his girlfriend and Liechtenstein did it to save you."

Prussia's mouth dropped as his eyes grew wide. "What?"

This time, I took a step forward. "Himaruya sent one of his cronies to threaten her, telling her that if she did not make a contract with them, they would do something bad to you."

He looked as though someone had socked him in the stomach. Dazed, he stumbled away from Alfred and back into the wall. He leaned against it, supporting his weak body as he asked, "Why would she-"

I groaned. "She's madly in love with you, doitsu-" I clapped a hand over my mouth as my cheeked burned a deep red. Oh frack, did I really just use that word? "These jerkish dumb butts are getting to my head," I thought, wanting to bang it against something hard, preferably a wall, but there was no time for that. Right now I had to deal with Prussia, not my loss of my sanity.

Prussia's gaze darted around the room, as if the explanation behind this madness was somewhere within reach. He locked eyes with me, opening and closing his mouth like a dumb fish. "Liech loves . . . why should I believe you?" He demanded, voice strict and venomous. "All of this is just sounds like bullshit! Why the hell would-"

Suddenly, in a quick and graceful motion, Alfred was right in front of Prussia again, his hands over his temples. "Turn around, Lar," the blond ordered, voice hard and cold. "I don't want you to see this." I bit my lip. Something really didn't feel right about this. What could Alfred possibly do to make him believe. "Now, Lar." I sighed and did what I was told.

Folding my arms over my chest, I tuned my ears to what the men were doing behind me. I could hear Prussia harshly demand to know what Alfred was going to do before suddenly going quiet. My back itched. A few times, I nearly stole a peek, but something held me back. If there was going to be one thing I can do to keep my sanity, it was going to be listening to Alfred. Obviously, he's not as stupid as I originally thought he was.

"Well this is going better than I thought it would."

I blinked and looked upward. "I'm a little surprised too," I thought. My connection to Liechtenstein was starting to feel weak, like it was going to go out at any given moment. I looked at my feet and sighed. "Do you think he's just faking it?"

I could imagine her shrugging. "I'm not sure, but it's likely that he's not." I heard her yawn. "Prussia's not the guy to lie about these kinds of things."

I smiled. "You better marry this guy someday or else I'm going to be pissed," I threatened. She gave a small noise of agreement. "All of this talking must be draining your energy," I told her. "Go rest before you hurt yourself, Liechtenstein."

She laughed. "Thank you, Larry."

"Holy shit!" I jumped as Prussia yelped, complaining loudly as he apparently rubbed his head. "Okay, Alfred, that was so not awesome! Just-" He yelped again. I really badly wanted to turn around and see what my mentor was doing to him, but my stupid honor held me back. I didn't think that I wanted to see it anyways. "Okay, I get it now! This whole universe is just part of something called Axis Powers Hetalia! Geez, you don't need to be so harsh about it!"

I heard Alfred laugh that boisterous, heroic laugh of his. "No, it was so necessary, dude! Oh, and you can turn around now, Larry!"

I chuckled, turned, and saw Prussia sitting on the ground with crossed legs as Alfred stood above him, laughing like his old self. The albino, however, looked pensive. His elbow was propped on his knee and his hand rubbed his smooth chin. I sat down in front of him, trying to look sociable as I asked, "So you believe me now?"

Prussia somberly nodded. "Sure do- Larry was it?" I nodded. He cracked a cocky grin, finally releasing his chin. There was obviously other things bugging him about this, but that was, for now, not a priority for him. "Though there is still a few things bugging me," he said. "Like first off, what does your contract with- Erwin, right? -mean exactly?"

It looked as though he was going to be an ally now. Prussia was going to be the other person who can help us with the whole Gilbert problem. I was all for telling him right there and then every miniscule detail of my adventure so far, but Alfred was quick to beat me to it. "Nothing important, really," he said, plopping himself right next to me. "I mean, even if Lar fails, Liechtenstein will be fine."

"She wants me to win though," I gently added. The blond gave me an odd look, whereas the white haired one looked so hopeful. Both of their eyes yearned to know why I said that. I could do nothing more than give a slight shrug, saying. "Liechtenstein told me so herself."

"You can speak to her?" Prussia grabbed my shoulders and started to shake me back and forth. "Can you heard me, Liechtenstein? I just want you to know that I am going to do whatever it takes to help Larry and Alfred and bring you back home, okay?"

"Get off- you're going to hurt him!" Alfred's inhuman strength allowed him to easily pull him away. His seriousness was back as he scowled at Prussia, saying, "If you're going to help us, Prussia, then you're going to have to be more serious. Larry's girlfriend is on the line- my soul is on the line!"

"Your soul?" He raised a thin eyebrow, giving me a confused look. "What does he mean by that?" he asked.

I gave Alfred a glare of my own. "I don't know," I said. "But Mr. Jones here is going to tell us right now." He opened his mouth, ready to object, but I quickly cut him off. "It is vital that we deal with our contracts or else Erwin will come like he did today. Obviously, this soul thing has everything to do with Erwin and Bud, so it has everything to do with me." My tone switched to a plead. "Please Alfred, we're partners. You can tell me anything."

Alfred looked down at the ground, picking at the frayed ends of his brown pants. Another hand was toying with his red, white, and blue belt. Prussia and I were silent as he thought to himself, considering the pros and cons. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "My name is not Alfred F. Jones," he said. "I made it up. My real name is America. I'm a ghost."

Prussia inched forward. "But the little boy-"

"I am him as much as he is me. Before THE WAR began, England and I were having a little bit of . . . brotherly problems. He would always leave for months at a time and I would be alone. Even though I'm only eleven in country years, I know how to take care of myself. I mean- I have super strength and everything. But England was getting worried. He kept on treating me like I couldn't even tie my own shoes."

"One day, we got into a really bad argument and I stormed away." Alfred stressfully placed hands on the sides of his head, as if to keep his head from crumbling to dust. "I was alone and mad and for one moment- one fucking moment -I wished that I could just show England that I was more capable than he believed. That was when it happened. I must have fell asleep since I was waking up to find myself in a pure white room. Bud and Erwin were there and they offered me a contract: if they helped me show England that I could be an adult, I would owe them a favor. And I accepted it, just like that."

"When I woke up again, I was back in Massachusetts, but in an adult's body. I stole some new clothes and went off to make up with England, but . . ." He trailed off. Not knowing what to say, I simply placed my hand on his knee. Apparently, my strength went to him since he found the will to say the next part as softly as he could. " . . . he couldn't see me. I was right there and my big brother couldn't even look at me. I tried to touch him, but my hand just went right through. Everyone associated with him- every loyal crew member -can't either. But the worst part was-" He sniffled and wiped away the first of a waterfall of silent tears. "-there was kid me, acting like I always did, loving him like I always do. He cherished him so much, yet he doesn't realize that I'm right there and . . ."

He stopped himself, realizing for the first time that his voice was becoming louder and louder with each crime. He looked up and, with red shot eyes, looked between Prussia and I. He really did have the face of a child. For the first time, I saw him as an eleven year old boy, lost and scared yet forcing himself to be strong.

He reminded me of myself.

Prussia leaned forward, completely engrossed in the story as he asked, "Then what happened?"

Alfred gnawed on his lip, trying to find the words to express it. "Then . . . then Erwin and Bud called me out on my contract. I went back to the Room and they told me what they wanted from me- I was to help Lar complete his contract. If so, then I will be free and back to my normal self. If not, then they will own my soul forever."

I shook my head. "But how-"

"It's in the contract," he explained. "It states that if I couldn't pay back my fee in the time given, then they will own me for good." He blinked rapidly, a stream of tears leaking down his cheeks. "Larry, they can bring me back to that room every time I sleep. They're in my dreams. Larry, I'm-" A thick sob escaped his mouth. "I'm scared."

At first, I really wasn't sure what I should do. For a second, I just sat there awkwardly as he buried his face in his hands, sobbing pitifully. Then I imagined what I would want Stella to do if I was the one weeping. I reached over and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, pressing his face into the nape of my neck. "It's okay to be scared," I hushed, stroking his hair. "I'm here for you and I promise that I will save your soul."

He sniffled. "Are you sure?"

I exhaled. Prussia was trying his best not to give me an envious look, but he was failing miserably. I ignored him and focused my attention on my mentor. "When I make a promise, I never break it," I said. That was true. Dad told me when I was little to be strong and I have never been broken that. He told me to look out for Jerry and I did. He told me to protect Sherry and I. . .

I shook my head. No, I still won. After all, how can I protect a girl when she insists that the problem is merely a dream?

Alfred pulled away from me, looking far more peaceful than before. A small smile graced his face as he sniffled away the last of his tears. "Thank you, Lar. You know, you can be a hero when you want to be."

I grinned. "Well-"

"Oh Prussia!" The door swung open as a blond man I recognize as Poland strutted in. He held a tray of what looked to be burnt rocks. He was grinning madly as he practically pranced in, singing, "I, like, brought you some food and junk-" His voice went dead. By the way his green eyes rested on me, I would say that he just realized that I was in here. "Liech-y, what are you, like, doing in here?" He demanded, placing a sassy hand on his hip.

His eyes went through Alfred.

"I was just leaving actually," I said, rising to my feet. I pulled Alfred, who had returned to his depressed state, up with me. I turned and gave Prussia an enthusiastic grin. "Thank you so much for telling me all of that," I said, praying that he catches on quickly. "I'll be sure to remember to do that."

Luckily, he blinked a few times before returning my visage. "Yeah, I'm just a bit worried about Spain," he said, placing his hand behind his head as he leaned back into the wall. "I haven't heard from him in forever. So not awesome."

Poland gave us a confused look. "Spain?"

I didn't wait around to find out what he would do next, Calling out one last goodbye, I slipped past the blond and dragged Alfred with me into the hallway. "This way," my mentor ordered, turning the tables and guiding me down the hall.

I looked between the hand that held my wrist and his broad back. "Where are we going?" I asked.

He looked back at me, giving me a sure look. "Well, Prussia said to check for Spain, didn't he?" I nodded, only pretending to know why he was important. It wasn't until Alfred had taken me down a flight of stairs and through countless hallways did I remember. When I first came to The Romanov, Russia said that no one knew where Spain was. Everyone presumed that he was captured.

But I had others thing to worry about. Frankly, there was one thing on my mind since Erwin talked to me. Looking down at my feet, I quickly blurted, "Alfred, can I ask you a question?"

He didn't even stop. The blond didn't even turn around and face me. He did not grace me with the comfort of his smile. He sounded completely distracted as he nodded. "Sure, Lar."

His indifference was a bit discouraging (come on! He's been trying for how long to get me to go to him about important things and now he decides to ignore me?), but I forced myself to push forward. "Alfred, when Erwin was talking to me, he mentioned that I only had until the clock struck midnight to give Gilbert the vial . . . Do you know what he meant by that?"

His steps slowed a bit. He looked down at the ground, his grip on my wrist loosening ever so slightly. "Yeah, I do know what it means," he replied quietly. I looked around, checking to make sure that there was no one nearby to overhear us, but The Oberon was so large that it would be like finding a needle of life in the haystack of the ship's vastness. "Don't worry about it too much, it's just . . . I have a watch. Erwin and Bud told me that when a certain hand on the watch hits midnight, then my time will be up."

A watch? I had never heard of that before. "Can I see it?" I asked.

Alfred fiercely shook his head. "No, I would rather keep it to myself." I didn't ask more about it- the quickness of his voice was enough of a sign to shut up about it. Without any other conversation, we pushed on with our quest to find Spain.

By the look on Alfred's face when we entered the prison, it was safe to say that we were going to fail it.

This prison room looked eerily similar to Russia's, except the cells were smaller and more numerous. Heck, even the bloody stench of rats and poop was still lingering in the air. To England's credit, his prison cells were not empty. Three of them were occupied with a man, each ranging from his early teens to adulthood.

I first recognized Turkey. He looked pretty good; his injuries were healing up quickly. His hands, however, were going through the bars, holding the hands of the teen next to him. This one looked to be around my age. His hair was unnaturally silver and his face was both bored and worried. He and Turkey talked hush and quick, yet still with familiarity. The last one was in the cell closest to me. He was the youngest, maybe thirteen, with dark brown hair. He laid on the ground, curled up in a ball as he coughed hoarsely.

It was then when Turkey and the teen turned to look at him did they see me.

Turkey immediately smiled and waved at me, calling, "Hey Leich! What are you- whoa! Since when was Alfred here?"

Wait, he can see him? I looked up at him, expecting him to be as amazed as I was, but his seemed pretty nonchalant about it. I shouldn't be surprised- it's only England's followers that can't really see him. Alfred grinned and placed a thumb on his chest. "Dude, I'm the hero, of course I'll be here!"

"Well do you think that there's a way for 'the hero' to get us out of here?" The teenager asked. I squinted at him. Was he Spain? Do they even have such pale people there in the first place? "Romano's very sick- cholera I think -and England's being an ass and not giving him any medical treatment."

My mouth dropped. "Cholera?" I repeated, rushing over to Romano's cell. I crouched at the bars, extending a hand to him. He was barely close enough for me to touch his shoe. I thought he didn't look very good. "That's- we have to get him help."

He shrugged, playing with the brown band on his blue sleeve. "I would like to, Liechtenstein, but England's got us locked in here." He huffed, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes. "He claims that if he did anything like that, he would be helping the enemy and betraying his crew."

"But this is nothing more than just a game!" I screamed and frustratedly banged my forehead against the bars. I winced, pressing my lips as to not cry out in pain. Holy frack- that hurt. "He shouldn't be putting people's lives at risk," I growled, rubbing the developing bruise on my forehead. "That stupid-"

"Turkey." Alfred stood in front of said man's cell, hands buried in his pockets. The lamps that lit the prison caused a gleam to shine off of his glasses. "Have you seen Spain anywhere?"

Turkey sadly shook his head. "Not yet." He turned to his teenage companion. "What about you, Kid?" he asked. "You've been here longer than me. Did you hear anything about him?"

"I didn't even know that he was missing, Pops," the teen, Kid, said, His face was drawn in mild frustration, but something prevented him from looking anything more than just a little peeved. "Seriously, you have to tell me these things."

As Turkey loudly objected to these claims (something about being a good friend), Alfred pensively placed a hand on his chin. His blue eyes were hard from concentration as he muttered, "So Spain's not here. Where else could he be? Maybe- Iceland, are you sure you haven't heard anyone mention him? Not even Romano?"

Something scratched at my side. "What the. . ." I turned around, expecting Alfred to be trying some new, ridiculous method for getting me to concentrate. But instead, I found a familiar set of bright green eyes, along with a lovely white with brown spot coat of fur. "Sokka?" I asked, picking up the little beast as he meowed happily. "What are you doing here?"

The door to the prison swung open and in came France, flanked by Holy Rome and Belgium. He marched over to us, muttering worriedly as he fumbled with a ring of ancient looking keys. Iceland furrowed his eyebrows. "What's going on?" he asked, pushing his face through the bars. His cool expression melted into disappointment when he marched straight up to Turkey's door. A victorious air gleamed in Turkey's eyes. Alfred had enough sense to pull me back before anything stupid happened.

"Something has changed," France said, unlocking the cell. Before Turkey could lunge and attack, Belgium and Holy Rome grabbed his arms and pulled him to his feet.

Turkey sent them glares, trying to rip his arms free. "Let go of me," he snarled, flashing his teeth like a dog. "I can handle myself."

France offered a weak smile. "It's more to protect me than you," he confessed, speaking in a voice so soft and kind. "But have no worries, my friend. We're just going to take you above deck. Nothing more."

He rolled his eyes and huffed, "Yeah, like I'll believe that."

France only shook his head, muttering grudging, but affectionate words. "And they say you're the old man of Europe," he said. He turned around and came face to face with me. His blue eyes went wide with surprise, but he was quick to recover, saying, "My, Liechtenstein. I did not know that you were down here."

I looked at Turkey. Sure, he seemed pretty uninterested in me, but one wrong word and he and Iceland might start to realize that Alfred is a ghost. I did my best to shrug, sounding monotone as I said, "Eh, I was bored."

He laughed and placed warm hand on my head. "You are very funny, Liechtenstein," he said brightly. "It's good to finally have you here and back in good health."

Holy Rome coughed into his shoulder. "Um France, England is. . ."

France bobbed his head eagerly. "Of course, of course. Turkey, say goodbye to Iceland and Romano."

From his cell, Iceland gave a bored sound and nodded to the Turk. "Bye, Pops," he said, giving a small wave. "I'll see you later."

"I might die, Iceland!" Turkey exclaimed, cranking his head to look at the teen as the blonds dragged him away. "Is that really the best you can do? Can't you at least try to be a little bit more emotional about it?"

Iceland rolled his eyes. "Stop being a drama queen."

"Empire!" At last, Holy Rome and Belgium pulled him through the doorway. Alfred and I exchanged a look as his fading cries echoed down the hallway, something about him being the great Ottoman Empire. It was moments like these that make me realize how weird everyone here is.

"You might want to go check out what's going on up there." I hummed questionly as Iceland turned his attention back to Romano, placing his hand back on the other's shoe. His oddly colored eyes never left the Italian as he explained, "France fumbled with the keys earlier, indicating that he was nervous. His excessive kindness also suggests that it's something to either be eager or guilty about. I know for a fact that something's on his mind since he did not question you further on your presence down here or why Alfred is here."

Said American nodded, engulfing my wrist in his hand. "We'll check it out right now," he declared, already dragging me away. "No worries- the hero will be back to tell you what's going on." He started to drag me out of the hall.

"Oh, and Liechtenstein?" We paused, long enough to see Iceland sticking as much of his face as humanely possible out of the cell. "That cat of yours is adorable," he muttered. His eyes were focused on the ground and his cheeks were dusted a light pink. "What's his name?"

"Sok-"

Alfred tightened his grip. "Keep your bestiality away from our pet," he sneered before dragging me out. Bestiality? I shivered. Great, another freaking oddity to add to the list! Iceland even seemed like a nice person too, but no. He was fucking goats and cats. At least he gave us that tidbit on France. I may not have known France for very long, but Iceland gave a pretty good argument about his body language.

It was much faster this time around to find our way through the halls. The stairway leading to the deck was empty and lit by moonlight. Sometime during my adventure down here, the sun had finished setting and the stars started to shine. I looked up and picked out a few key constellations: the big and little dipper, Orion's belt, and Orion himself.

The deck was lighted by a few torches, held up in the air by few of the many spectators. They all gathered around England in a semi-circle. The captain in red stood at the rails, looking between Turkey as he was pushed to the front and the ocean below.

My heart banged in my chest. Was he going to throw Turkey over board? I cracked my knuckles, preparing for when England gives me the proper opportunity to attack. As much as I hate the Turk, there was no way I would let anything as horrible as that ever happen.

England nodded reassuringly to France before he roughly grabbed Turkey's arm. "Let go of me," the Turk demanded, jerking his shoulders away. He tried to land a punch with his free fist, but the Brit merely caught it in his hand.

His emerald eyes were like acid. He leaned in until their noses were touching and their lips barely apart. "Don't screw this up," he hissed. "I need this to work." He shoved Turkey away, watching coldly as he fell onto his butt. The man barely had a moment to breathe before England took a fist full of his hair and dragged him to his feet. Turkey's yells of pain was enough to make my blood curl.

"I have your man right here," England yelled, dragging him to the rail. He pushed the brunette's chest over the rail. I grabbed onto Alfred's vest, afraid that he really was going to be shoved over. England looked over the rail, glaring as he shouted, "He's in perfect health. Now let Seychelles go."

My ears perked. Seychelles? As in the girl in Russia's prison?

But then came a voice so deep and blunt that a wave of nostalgia washed over me. "I said that I want all of your prisoners back," the Netherlands shouted, sounding like a merchant at a street cloth shop. His curt tone was strangely comforting, such a black and white contrast to the mood I last saw him in.

Alfred nudged my shoulder. "Well that's good," he whispered into my ear. "That bastard is excellent at bargaining. He's so stingy that I bet that he could haggle England for all he owns if he wanted to."

England, meanwhile, curled his lip before forcing Turkey away. He tossed him like a doll back to Belgium, considering his options as he paced around the semicircle. "I want my daughter back," France piped hopelessly.

England nodded, stroking an invisible beard. "I know you do." He thought for a moment fore before sighing. "Go get Prussia," he ordered, snapping his fingers at Holy Rome. "If we do this, then at least we can get rid of the troublesome ones."

Everyone parted to give Holy Rome enough space to go back below deck. I took as an opportunity to get myself to the front. Ignoring Alfred's cries to stay foot, I dashed down the aisle, past the blond, and to the front. "Wait-"

England held up an annoyed finger. "Be quiet, Liechtenstein," he harshly snapped. Those acid eyes were drawn in a side glare, aimed straight at me. "This doesn't concern you." I was going to object, argue that since I was a Brown Coat prisoner I was completely involved in this, but Turkey gave me a look. He was silently telling me to hold my peace. For once, I took his advice and clamped my mouth shut.

"Here I am." The crew parted again, allowing Holy Rome to guide a bound Prussia to the front. The albino gave me a knowing look as he passed by me, loudly proclaiming, "The awesome me has arrived to the party. What's going on?"

The Brit ignored him and merely motioned for Holy Rome to make Prussia kneel by Turkey. He approached the rail again, saying, "Alright, Netherlands; here is my bargain: in exchange for Seychelles, I will give you back Prussia and Turkey. I will also make no attempt to follow you back to your ship. Deal?"

"What about the others?" My heart skipped a beat. Belarus was here? What would she be doing with the Netherlands? Why would she be concerned about a bunch of prisoners?

The captain gave a light shrug, chuckling lightly as he called, "Depends. Are you willing to give us back Denmark?"

Her silence made it obvious that they didn't bring him to this exchange. For a moment, the only sign that either of them were still there was their hush arguing. Belarus wanted to see if they could bargain a bit more. The Netherlands was trying to convince her that this was going to be the best deal they would get. "So much for being a master," I thought. It was almost as if his very life depended on Denmark remaining a prisoner of the Brown Coats. All of England's men were looking out to the black ocean, as if it might let them hear their words any better. It distracted Turkey enough that Alfred felt as though it was safe to literally walk through the crowd and to my side. He placed a hand on my shoulder, but said nothing.

At last, the argument ended and the Netherlands spoke. "It's a deal. Toss them over and throw down a rope."

Prussia and Turkey had a mere moment to exchange worried glances before Holy Rome and Belgium forced them to their feet. The cat in my arms whimpered as they dragged my friends to the rails and pushed them over. France and England tossed the end of a strong rope over the side just as their splashes echoed through the air.

"Holy shit! It's fucking freezing!" Prussia cried, easily covering the sound of their Ducth and Belarussian savers as they presumingly dragged him out of the water.

Turkey scolfed. It sounded as though he was swimming as he replied, "Well get a navy yourself and you'll be used to it."

It suddenly struck me what all of this meant. "I'm alone here," I muttered, realizing the weight of it as I said it. I looked out to the ocean. "Prussia's, he's . . ." I knew what I was going to do. "Hold him," I ordered, roughly shoving Sokka into Alfred's arms.

Alfred looked down at it, afraid that someone might think that the cat was floating. "What are you doing?" He ordered, helplessly watching me march onto England's stage. He and France were so busy pulling up Seychelles that they did not notice me until I climbed onto the rails.

"Liechtenstein!" England nearly let the rope slide right through his fingers. He looked up at me, his eyes a clear mixture of confusion and shock. They didn't look sure whether or not they should be wide from worry or narrow from betrayal. He said, "It's dangerous there, lass. Get down!"

Somehow, I was able to find my balance on the rail. I felt at peace- my back to the ocean, the breeze the only thing against me. I could feel all of Liechtenstein's bottled up resentment to this crew, her desire to escape from such an unhappy place. I closed my eyes. "This is for you, Liechtenstein."

"Gentlemen, ladies: I have a few words that must be said," I announced evenly. Everyone hushed up, including the Brown Coats below me. "To put it simply, I hate all of your faces. With Russia and his crew, I am happy. So I am proud to say-" I ripped off the red band around my arm and smirked. The crew looked surprise, as if unaware that their precious little Liechtenstein could be so rebellious. The breeze gently carried the cloth out of my hand, casting it out into the ocean, "-I am no longer part of this crew. I am a Brown Coat now."

My plan was to give them a soldier's salute, check to see where I would fall, and then jump. But the moment I raised my hand to my forehead, Alfred leaped from his place in the crowd. With Sokka still in his arms, he pushed me off the side of the boat and jumped right after me. I screamed and closed my eyes, waiting for the impact.

"Got ya!" With a loud thump!, I painfully landed into a pair of strong arms. The stench of smoke assaulted my nose. I opened my eyes to see that the Netherlands had caught me. His face was illuminated by the embers in the cigarette that rested between his thin lips. He gave me a rare smile, saying, "Didn't think that you'll do that."

"Neither did I." I turned my head and nearly laughed. Someone had caught him bridal style as well. This someone just happened to be a very unhappy blond woman.

Belarus rolled her eyes and dropped him on the deck on her boat. "Stupid doitsu," she muttered. "What were you doing there?" He grinned and shrugged. Sokka pranced out of his arms and curled itself around the Netherland's leg. Belarus shook her head, saying, "And you, You- what made you think that we would even want you to be a part of our crew?"

I looked at her hopefully. For some reason, the woman's small, but strong frame was engulfed in her brother's brown coat. It gathered at her feet like the regal cloak of a monarch. "Maybe because I'm cute," I said, batting my eyes like a girl.

She immediately looked down at her hands where she held a small knife. I clung a little tighter to the Dutchman. "Fine," she growled, marching away. "Put her down, Netherlands, and help me get this ship out. That bastard England isn't going to be happy about this."

He reluctantly did as he was told, slowly releasing me before inching his way to her. For the first time, I looked at the ship. It was small, a few yards long with no below deck or cannons. A single mast shot out of the center, supporting an old sail. The Netherlands positioned himself at the back of the boat, holding onto a lever that would guide the boat. Belarus, meanwhile, tied down the sails before positioning herself at the bow.

Then she moved her arms in a slow dance, like an airbender. Breathing slowly, she warped the chilled breeze around her, transforming it into a bitter wind that moved the sail. I stood there in awe. That was the power of Russia coat- General Winter and his season.

We sped away from The Oberon, leaving all of the bad things behind. From a distance, I could see that Belarus had froze the ice around the boat, sealing it in place. England seemed to have realized it the moment I did. He jumped off the side of his ship and onto the ice, moving his lips in a silent chant. Then, to my horror, a green light spewed from his fingers.

"Get down!" Turkey pushed the Netherlands to the side, taking the blow for himself. We all gasped when he fell over, a hand over his neck.

"Holy shit, what the hell was that?" Alfred asked, running to his side. He gently helped him sit up, pressing his lips when Turkey held his hand in place. "Are you hurt there?"

The brunette shook his head. "I don't think so, it just-" He lightly tugged on it, invoking himself to wince and cross his legs. "Oh fuck, leave it to England to fucking curse me."

I knitted my brows in confusion. "Curse you? How-" It hit me: his legs were crossed because he was vainly trying to hide a boner. England cursed him with an erogenous zone. I could not help but to laugh as I left him to his own masturbation.

"Psst, Larry." I turned. Prussia sat against the side of the boat, wrapped in a towel as he looked up at me. His crimson eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. He eagerly patted the spot next to him, saying. "Sit next to me."

I scowled, but did as I was told. "Be careful calling me that," I hissed sharply. "No one is supposed to know."

He grinned. "But I know." I didn't bother to reply. We sat in silence, watching everyone either relax or do their work. While Belarus used the power of the coat, Netherland steered in heavy silence. Sokka laid by his feet, its chest rising up and down in peaceful sleep. Alfred napped while a wet Turkey smoked one of the Ducthman's cigarettes (some way to fight off the hormones, I guess) as he looked out into the ocean. Prussia lifted his arm and slinked it around my shoulders. I tensed up, He quickly shot it back to his side.

Looking down at the wood floor, he seemed to remember that I was not Liechtenstein. I was Larry Sue, a human. I nudged him. "Are you alright?" I whispered.

He turned to me and forced a signature grin. "When is the awesome me not?" he asked unconvincingly. When I didn't return the visage, he frowned and looked up at the stars. He pressed his legs to his chest and hugged his knees, fending off the cold. "Hey, Lar."

"Prussia. . ." I warned again.

It went right over him. "That's the thing. You- well, Liech- are Larry. America is Alfred. And I'm just Prussia. I need a human name like you guys."

I leaned back and followed his gaze up at the stars. It was cold out here. "Okay, so do you have one in mind?"

He nodded, gaze never looking down at me. "I was thinking that it could be Gilbert. Gilbert Beilschmidt."

MW: At last, half way through the story and I finally get to the whole Gilbert thing. That took long enough!

SEK: But hey! There's only another seven chapters, so there's bound to be something exciting coming up, right?

MW: Sure thing. As for updates, I'm definitely going to post again before the 16th because for the last two week of June, I'm going to be away at a teen writing camp at Yale. I don't know if I'll have internet connection or time to even write my fanfictions. I also hope to get started my Tomato Gang story. I'm not sure what I'm doing with Within Ash and Snow. It's not popular enough to be dearly missed, so I might put it on a short hiatus until July. Not sure yet. I might decide sooner if people might actually read it *cough*cough*.

SEK: Anyways, we hope that you all enjoy and thank you for reading!

Notes

"I actually cut it so that it was a boy's length- like Prussia's, but Switzerland's forcing me to grow it back." No, I did not suddenly realize that cannonly, Liechtenstein should have long hair during this time period. No, I'm not just looking for a quick way to explain my screw up—what could possibly give you that idea?

"I'm only eleven in country years" Alfred means that he looks like he's eleven years old. He's a hundred something in human years.

Next Chapter: Now that Larry knows who Gilbert he, he must now decide whether he should give Gilbert the vial or not.

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