MW: Four score and seven years ago, I posted a chapter.

SEK: I remember that you said the exact same thing in FG, didn't you?

MW: Consistency is an amazing thing, no? Anyways, sorry for the long wait. After I got back from the wedding, I had to do all of my summer homework and by the time that was done, school was starting. All the while, I had a little bit of writer's block, but I worked through it. I hope to finish this story soon, but since I got three AP classes and two extracurricular (and SEK has, like 6 AP), it might take a while.

I got a bit more in the second AN about new projects of mine and the sequel for this story, but for now, let's just give some people some recognition. Thank you for reviewing: Reilie, JesslaBleh, PurpleLuna98, OptimisticQueenRandom, BlackLoveHeart, Sarah I LOVE ENGLAND fanfics, Devin Trinidad, elizabeta H. Austria, The Lazy Italian Firecracker, Guest, FrostytheBookLover, HimekoUchia, Amulet Spade, Hammsters, Ari, Air Ri Ahna, KatStorm, and dismallyOriented

I hope you all enjoy.

Chapter Summary: Larry's shit is finally sorted out and Belarus finally gets a plan.

Warnings: Strong language, sexual themes, mild violence, and mild yaoi.

Disclaimer: I still have no ownership of Hetalia. Woohoo.

~Chapter 13~

He With Your Name

"Time is making fools of us again."

- J.K. Rowling, British Author

THE WAR: Day 18

Lars, surprisingly, was the one panicking here. Through everything that we've been through, I've very rarely ever seen him drop his cool demeanor. Was my attempted assault really all that life changing? I wasn't the one to talk, though. Inside of my head, in the little lit corner I curled up in, I was screaming. What was going on? Why was there so much black? Why couldn't I control Liechtenstein's body anymore?

Antonio shook his head. "I knew that they'll do something like this," he said quietly. His warm hand caressed my cheek, the only power keeping my inner light going. Why was he the only chain left to bind me here? If he let go, where would I go? Home? "Alfred and Roderich must be getting desperate."

Lars pulled at his hair, shaking his head as he looked down at Antonio. He was scared- that much I could tell. I couldn't understand why. This guy insisted on protecting me at the oddest of times, even when I previously threatened him. Why am I so important to him? Lars paced back and forth, trying not to sound desperate as he demanded, "What's going on, Antonio? Why did Larry just try to kill us?"

Antonio shrugged. "It's just what Alfred said, isn't it?"

Lars looked ready to scream. "Well explain it since I have no fucking idea!"

He frowned. "Okay, okay- just calm down for a moment," he said. He shifted on his feet, carefully keeping a hand on my head as he stood. "Remember what Alfred said before he left? The contract summaries? Well, he basically explained that if he wanted to he can call in on Liechtenstein's contract and acquire her body and for their purposes whenever they want to permanently. Larry, however, would have to stay since his contract cannot be called in on like that. So Larry can be kicked out of Liechtenstein's body and left to wander the between world with no way home anytime they want."

Lars was silently for a moment, processing everything he just said. Antonio, meanwhile, found a way lifted me into his arms bridal style without ever having to take his hand off of me. As I laid there, forced to curl close into his toned chest, I felt a sense of hopelessness fall over me. Did Antonio believe that I was long gone- my soul wandering this 'between world' he mentioned? I wanted to scream. I was still here! Why couldn't he see that?

Lars checked the ground quickly, confiscating my two knives. "Are you telling me that Larry is no longer here and Liechtenstein's now trying to kill us at Alfred and Roderich's command?" he asked.

"I never said that Larry wasn't here," Antonio said. He smiled down at me affectionately, bouncing me a bit in his arms like a baby. "He's a bit of a stubborn one. He's barely keeping himself in there by the tip of his teeth."

That helpless, scared, look returned to the blond's face. "Well can he take possession of her body again?" He asked, dropping his hands to his side. He looked tired. Dark bags were gathered under his eyes and lines were forming at the corners of his mouth. He looked old.

Antonio shook his head. "Not likely. His will power is nothing compared to the false creator's power," he told him. Pocessing air of a war commander, he turned away from Lars and started to walk out of the alley. "Let's start heading back to the inn. We can continue to talk along the way."

For a moment, Lars lingered behind. Then, just before Antonio stepped out into the bright and busy dock, he trotted after us, trailing behind Antonio like a lost dog. "Then why does he only attack when you're not touching him?" He asked, raising his voice above the usual buzz of a town. His green eyes darted suspiciously between the screaming vendors we passed, the bustling men and women we pushed through, and the ships with working crews that we ignored.

"It's because I'm enlightened," Antonio said. "You know what that means, right?" Lars shook his head. "Certain people have the capabilities to be enlightened, which, to avoid the long explanation, is basically that a person has a connection however vague to Himaruya. Alfred, for example, has a face that resembles a Canadian he once met. Roderich's terrible sense for direction and my personality applies to this as well. Because we have this connection, we can become aware of the two worlds and travel between them. We also have weaker counterparts to Himaruya's powers. Now, the reason I am able to calm Larry is because of these powers. Even though I no longer have power supplied by the Himaruya, I have power from the true creator. It's not much, but it's enough for me to hold back their control of Liechtenstein's body, essentially making no one in control of it. Understand?"

Lars shook his head. "Not really, but I'll pretend to. Though-" he cracked the smallest of smiles. "- I'm impressed. I always took you to be an airhead."

Antonio laughed heartily, his radiant smile returning to his face. "I never joke around about this stuff," he said merrily. "There's too much at stake."

The Dutchman chuckled awkwardly, side stepping to make way for an older woman. He tipped his head for her, grinning nervously when she eyed his bare chest suspiciously. When she was gone, he jogged back to our side. "Alright, so is there a way we can get Larry in possession of her body again?"

I watched dully as a grimace appeared on the Antonio's face. "Well, there is but I'm pretty sure it's a trap."

Lars's fair cheeks turned red as a scowl appeared on his visage. "If there's a way, then why haven't we done it yet?" He demanded.

"I just said- it's a trap. The thing about this is that they have not made Liechtenstein's contract void yet. It wouldn't become void unless they want it to. So in order to get back possession of her body, we have to fulfill her and Larry's contract and then I can use my own powers to pin Larry to it. But like I said, we're not doing it. It screams trap."

He looked ready to explode. "So we're just going to abandon her and let her soul get taken?"

Antonio rolled his eyes, cruelly huffing, "Don't humor me, Lars- I know that's not your true motivation. You need Larry in order to save yourself. So please, spare me the false virtue."

Lars was as pale as a sheet. His eyes were dark and challenging as he glared at him. He stopped dead in his tracks, roughly grabbing Antonio's arm. The brunette paused patiently, barely peeved when Lars growled, "I need to live in order to save Denmark. Look me in the eye and tell me that I don't mean that."

Antonio was silent for a long moment. The throng complained loudly as they were forced to walk around us. I stared blankly up at Antonio, unable to will Liechtenstein's body to look elsewhere. I watched Antonio bite his lip, releasing a defeated breath. "In order to fulfill their contract, we'll have to sacrifice Prussia," he said. He looked Lars evenly in the eye. "Are you willing to pay that price?"

He didn't hesitate. "Denmark was willing to give himself up to save me," he said. "Do you really expect me to stand around and not return the favor?" Antonio nodded, gesturing for Lars to keep moving. He lead him away in a briskly walk. Pangaea's quaint inn was in sight, the sign above the door swaying in the wind. Lars tried to keep the respectful silence, but he capitulated to curiosity. "How do we do it?" He asked.

Antonio didn't look at him. "We give Prussia a vial."

He hesitated. "And what does it do?"

The Spaniard released a tensed breath, shaking his head sadly. "I can't disclose that yet," he said, voice firm and professional. "It's harmless initially, but I guarantee that it'll be bad in the long run."

"What kind of long run?"

"A couple of centuries long run."

Lars shrugged. "By then, I guess it wouldn't be my problem now, wouldn't it?"

We finally were upon the inn. The men stopped at the front door, one looking a bit happier and the other a bit more annoyed. Antonio rolled his shoulders a bit, careful not to drop me as he shot him a stern glare. "You really are selfish, Lars," he said. The blond flinched, grabbing his shoulder and looking guiltily down at the ground. "It's your selfishness that got you into this mess and I can guarantee you this: it's a one way ticket. Selflessness will be your only way out."

Lars pressed his lips- refusing to look up, refusing to say a word.

Antonio gave him a moment to reflect on his words. I could see the disappointment in his eyes, a wish for Lars to simply learn from his mistakes. He shook his head, muttering a few quick words in Spanish before brightening up considerably. A large smile pulled itself onto his lips and his eyes half-closed from it. "Alright, so here's the plan," he announced joyfully. "You go inside and quietly ask Prussia to go upstairs. I'll carry Larry and climb in through the window. We'll be in the last room in the hall to the right."

Lars looked up, his mouth open in surprise before quickly snapping it shut. He clamped his jaw tight, a determined look gleaming in his eyes. "Got it. But how am I going to get Prussia upstairs willingly?"

"Just call him Gilbert." Antonio started for the alley, happily calling behind him, "He'll have a few questions, but he should realize immediately the weight of the situation" We were around the corner before Antonio could state anything else. He stared up the inn walls- made with uneven bricks and dotted with windows - in front of himself. He strained a grin. "It looks so much easier to climb when you're a cat and not in a dress," he told me, chuckling at his own joke. "But we can't go in through the front and let Belarus ask questions. And it wouldn't do much to just sit around and stare at it, right?"

Where did he find the optimism like that?

After a minute of struggling, he was somehow able to shift me over his shoulder, balancing me careful. "Promise not to drop you," he said, putting his foot onto one of the bricks. He carefully climbed up the side, pausing every now and then to make sure that I was on safely. I watched the ground below us grow smaller and smaller until we were at the second story level.

The window was still open, right where we left it. Antonio pulled himself onto the ledge, swinging his leg over the side. I nearly slid off his arm there, but he was quick to grab my leg. He pulled me up, apologizing profusely. "I got a little carried away there," he said sheepishly, holding me in his arms bridal style. "Sorry about that."

There was a knock at the door. "Open up, Antonio!" Lars called, voice rising above Gilberts loud worrying. He was saying things like 'his little Liech' needing him and generally threatening Lars for not telling him what was going on quite yet. "I'm getting a headache."

Antonio's smile reappeared. "Coming!" He pranced to the door, taking a hand off me to turn the knob.

The door immediately burst open and a panicked Gilbert ploughed through. "Liechtenstein!" He yelled, panting heavily as he frantically scanned the room. His eyes laid upon me. His eyes narrowed and he started to reach for the sword at his side. "Now listen here-" He paused, realizing who exactly held his girl. "Spain?" He asked, relaxing his arms. Gilbert dashed to his friend's side, touching his face as his face lit up with delight. "Oh my God- where the hell have you been?"

Antonio couldn't help but to smile- not the fake one he wears on his usual mask, but a genuine one. "To put it simply, I was the cat all along," he said. Gilbert knitted his brows. He looked ready to question him further, but Antonio only shook his head. "I'll explain it to you later, my friend. Right now, we have more important things to discuss. Close the door Lars and everyone take a seat."

Gilbert opened and closed his mouth a few times, finally mustering up a few words when Lars locked the door and took a place on the floor. "What's going on?" He demanded as Antonio took a step next to him, holding me close to his chest like a teddy bear. "What's wrong with Liech? Is she hurt? Since when were you called Lars?"

Said man scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. "For Christ's sake- take a seat already, Gilbert," he demanded. "We're waiting on you."

He placed a hand on his chest. "On me?" He repeated. Gilbert mused for a second, lost in thought. Then, very reluctantly, he took a seat on the ground, creating the third tip to their triangle. "What about Alfred?" He asked. "If this involves Liech, then Alfred is going to have to be here." Lars looked down at his nails while Antonio shook his head. "What?"

"Alfred is not the man you think he is," Antonio said. His thumb lightly rubbed circles into my arm. I think he could tell that the very name of my friend was causing the black to return to my vision. It was a spell to cast me away- make me lose my grasp of this body and fall into the nothing. "He's been against us from the start. He's Bud, Gilbert. And Austria, he is Erwin. They revealed themselves when they attacked Lars and Larry earlier."

Gilbert froze. His eyes were wide as he shook his head, mouthing a small 'no'. "That's . . . awful," he said. "I . . ." He placed a hand on his forehead. "Oh fuck, that really does explain everything." None of the other men were giving him a questioning look, yet Gilbert still found it necessary to indulge them with details. "Whenever Alfred and I were alone together, he used to always tease me about loving Liech. He usually said things about rape and sexual harassment and he never stopped, even when I asked him to." He nodded firmly. "There was definitely something wrong with him."

"He was making rape jokes?" Lars repeated. If I had control of this body, I would have copied his disgusted face. "I haven't heard of anything so tasteless in years."

Antonio merely nodded thoughtfully. He let the group sit in silence for a few long moments before coughing into his fist. "Yes, well the point is that Alfred and Roderich-"

"Who's that?"

"Austria, dumbass," Lars quickly sneered. Gilbert scowled at him, looking ready to roll up his sleeves and throw a punch.

Antonio coughed again, this time a bit more than a little annoyed. "As I was saying-" He shot them glares, calling for them to calm down. Both of them reluctantly folded their arms over their chests, grumbling. Antonio smiled a tiny bit. "Alfred and Roderich are trying to kick Larry out of Liechtenstein's body here and take control." He grabbed my shoulders, shaking me a bit for emphasis. Gilbert unfolded his arms, his eyes wide again. "I'm the only thing stopping them from using her to attack and murder us."

"There's a way to fix it, right?" The albino demanded. I could see the sweat gleam on his forehead as he switched his pleading eyes between the other two. "Please tell me that there's a way to save her."

"There is a way-" Antonio flinched when he looked relieved. "-But it comes with a price."

Gilbert's face fell again and, as Lars rolled his eyes and muttered about the waste of time, he fell back into his spot. "What is it?"

Antonio sighed, sticking a hand into my pocket and pulling out the vial, saying, "We have to fulfill Larry's contract. I know that he never told you this, but Alfred and Roderich had him pinned to have you drink this from the start. The only reason why he hasn't slipped it to you yet is because Larry sees you as a friend and he would never want to hurt you."

He was silent for a long moment, staring at the crystal container and the black liquid that laid inside. A sense of fear seemed to seize him, but he was quick to keep it in check. "What will it do?" He asked quietly.

Antonio averted his eyes. "I cannot say."

"Will it kill me?"

He shook his head. "Don't worry about that," he said. "They need you alive."

Gilbert pressed his lips. "And this is the only way to save Liech?" He asked again. Antonio could only spare a single, final nodded. His green eyes were gentle, unlike Lars's. His only showed impatience, demanding that he make a choice already. Gilbert closed his eyes and released a resigned breath. "Alright," he capitulated. He took it in his hand quickly and pulled out the glass cork. "I'll do it."

Antonio held me closer to him. "Are you sure?" He asked. The question surprised me. I thought that he would be happy to know that he was able to convince Gilbert to drink it, but he only seemed distressed. As I struggled to keep hold of this body, it occurred to me why. Even if he refused to tell us, he still knew what the vial would do. Antonio was dreading the outcome, even if it was in a few centuries.

Gilbert nodded firmly. "Liech got into this mess because of me," he said, bring the vial to his lips. "It's only awesome to return the favor." He hesitated. "If I don't make it out, make sure you tell her that." And, with that, he tipped the liquid into his mouth. Lars and Antonio leaned in, watching intently as Gilbert gagged a bit, made a face, before swallowing the whole thing.

Then, he just sat there, looking at us dumbly.

We stared back at him.

It was silent.

Gilbert suddenly stuck his tongue out, making a face. "Man, that was disgusting!" He complained loudly, pantomiming a gag. "I thought that I was going to barf!"

"Well are you feeling alright?" Lars asked, actually sounding concerned for once. "How do you feel?"

"I feel slightly grossed out, but nothing evil." The Dutchman sighed in relief, apparently alleviated from some kind of guilt. Gilbert, meanwhile, sprang forward, crawling towards Antonio and me. "What about Liech?" He asked frantically. "Is she alright?"

Antonio cradled me a little closer to his chest. "Give Larry a minute," he said. Gilbert face fell a little. "Liechtenstein's slowly coming back into her body, but until then Larry's going to have complete control. He just needs to grasp it."

I just needed to grab it? It took his words for me to realize that the blackness was fading away. I didn't feel weak anymore. The light in my little corner and growing stronger and stronger, brighter and brighter. Full lucidity was at my fingertips, I just needed to grasp it. I reached out and with mental hands took the reins.

Pain flooded over me. I cried out loud, curling into myself as I gripped my arms. For the first time, I could feel the cuts Alfred gave me. I could feel the throbbing of the bruises his blows dealt me. It was so suddenly, so intense, that I could not help myself but to cry pitiful tears. Someone touched my arm and I cried out again.

"Are you alright?" Gilbert asked.

I could hear Lars shake his head. "Shit. We need to get him a doctor."

Like a protective older brother, Antonio held me a little closer, sending them a hard glare. "I can take care of it," he said quickly. "You two go downstairs and get Belarus to start a counter attack against England. Roderich and Alfred are on his ship and we need to go after him."

"Should we tell her and Turkey about all of this?" Lars asked, the cigarette in his mouth dancing.

"No. It's not time yet."

Gilbert and Lars lingered for a moment longer, watching me quiver and sniffle through my tears. It took one last stern look from Antonio to get them to rise and leave the room. For a moment, the only sound was of my uneven breaths and small whimpers. Everywhere hurt- my arms, legs, stomach. The pain was centered around my chest, though. It felt like someone was driving some sort of stake through it, blood slowly seeping from it like sap. I wanted to beg for the person to stop, but all I could do was scream out.

I hated this.

I hated being weak.

Antonio held me close to his chest, rocking me back and forth like a child. "Larry-"

"Put me down," I ordered suddenly. I struggled blindly in his arms for a few moments before he gently placed me on the ground. My eyes squeezed shut, I huddled into the side of one of the beds, hugging my legs to my chest as I sniffled some more. I buried my face in my knees, trying to calm myself and ultimately failing. A sob left my mouth.

Antonio inched closer to me, but made sure that he was a safe distance away. He stretched out a hand towards me. "Larry . . ." He trailed off, suddenly dropping his hand. He was silent for what felt like forever. Then, very carefully, he rose to his feet. "I know that you're not crying because of the pain, Larry," he said softly. He walked away from me, purposefully moving with elegant steps to the window. A glance up revealed that his shoulders were back and his hand clasped behind his back. He reminded me of a soldier- the way he held himself professionally. In a way, he already was one.

The man trained his eyes outside, staring at the brick wall in front of him. "I think I know why you're actually crying," he said, only loud enough for me to barely hear. "Alfred betrayed you." His words made the pain in my chest increase. My face broke and a new round of tears welled up into my eyes. I croaked before hiding my face again, crying shamefully. "Even if you never knew I was there, I've been your companion since day one. I know how close you two were, how much you depended on him. One day you might come to hate him for it, but right now you're just upset that it actually happened."

"Shut up," I sobbed, running my hands through my hair. I didn't want to hear this- I didn't want someone to tell me what I didn't want to hear. I didn't want to know how weak I really am. "I hate you!"

Still, Antonio pushed on. "In a situation like this, it's not incomprehensible that you would want to have someone you could trust. It's only the natural state of things."

"Shut up!" I screamed again, this time more desperate than the first.

"After all, you barely trust anyone, not after all the times your father left you-"

"Shut up!" I snapped to my feet, pulling at my hair as I shook my head like crazy. He didn't look back at me as I stomped my feet, marching over to him. "Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up-" I pounded my fist against his back, fiercely shaking my head as my tears fell to the floor. "-shut up, shut up, shut up . . ."

I was just sobbing now, snot leaking out of my nose as my already frail punches died into nothing. I stood there, arms hanging limply at my sides as I continued to bitterly cry. I was like that for a moment until I realized that Antonio was turning around to face me. Without thinking, I desperately wrapped my arms around his waist. I hugged him tightly, burying my face into his white shirt. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me close as he soothingly combed my hair with his fingers. "I hate you," I muttered half-heartedly. "I hate you."

He was silent for a long moment, simply content with combing his fingers through my hair. "I wish I could hold you," he whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear. Antonio leaned down and nuzzled his face in my hair. "I'm sorry," he said. "That was awful of me. I just know that you're having trouble dealing with facing your own emotions and I guess I was trying to help you."

I frowned, gripping his shirt in my hands. "You're an idiot," I growled. "Where did you even get that idea?"

He shrugged. "I was a cat once, remember? Cats always seem to know what to say." I could feel him hesitate for a moment before shaking his head. "I really shouldn't be the one comforting you," he admitted. "Lars is your mentor. This is his job, not mine. I'm just the guy with his head up in the clouds."

I grinded my teeth. Didn't he say in the alleyway that I was his true love? Well since I was as sure as hell not gay, I'm just going to presume that it's one sided. Still, frack my life. Why was it always me? Why couldn't I just have a friend for once without them being in love with me or trying to kill me? "Lars is insensitive," I told him, pulling out of the hug. Let's see if I could give off good friendship-only vibes to this guy. "You're much better at comforting."

Antonio didn't seem to mind the new personal space rule. He just shrugged again, saying, "He's been through more than you know."

I crossed my arms over my chest, and I huffed, "Yeah, like what?"

"That's for him to tell you," he said. I pressed my lips. If Lars was my mentor, then something terrible happened to him. Something like the false story Alfred told me. I looked down. I could barely handle that one and it was fake. How was I expected to bear Lars's tale? Sensing the mood, Antonio placed a hand on my head and ruffled my hair like a child. "I know what you're thinking right now and let me tell you that you're more capable than you think."

"How do you know that?" I asked, refusing to look up.

"Remember that story Alfred told you?" He asked me. "The one about the girl before you?" I nodded. What did she have to do with all of this? "She was an idiot. She nearly lost her mentor's soul because of it and she didn't go through half of the things you have. You've been through a lot, but you've already shown yourself more capable than she'll ever be."

I looked up at him, seeing the hopeful glint in his eyes. "Who is this girl?" I asked suddenly. "Why am I better than her?"

Antonio smirked. "I think you already know why," he told me, placing two hand on my shoulders. He turned me around and pushed me a little towards the door, saying, "Go downstairs and help Gilbert and Lars convince Belarus to fight. I know they're having trouble."

I sighed. That seemed to be the thing about Antonio. He liked to leave us with more questions than answers. "Fine, fine," I said, willingly walking to the door. "Put some clothes on while I'm gone." The last thing I heard before going outside was his humored laugh.

I walked down the door-lined hallway, sighing to myself. Antonio was going to be a pain in my side, I just knew it. "At least he's here to help us," a familiar little voice inside of my head said.

I paused in my steps, letting a big grin stretch across my face. "Glad to see you're back," I habitually looked up at the ceiling. My face dropped. "Did they treat you badly, Liech?" I asked.

I could feel her shake her head. "No, I'm alright. It was all kind of a blur to me," she said. I felt myself relax. I didn't know what I would do if either of those bastards hurt her. "I'm sorry for not helping you when Bud and Erwin . . ." She trailed off. The weight in her chest mixed in with mine and all around I could feel nothing but crap. She was guilty for not taking control and using her fighting skills to help me. I was guilty for freezing up and letting her body be damaged. "I should have done something."

I shook my head and started my walk again. "No, don't worry about it. They blocked you out, remember? You couldn't help me if you wanted to."

"Yeah, I guess you're right . . ." She didn't sound convinced. I wanted to drill the fact into her head, shout at her to stop being such a good person, but before I could she started speaking again. "Larry, can you promise me something?" She didn't wait for me to reply. "Win. No matter what."

My grin returned to my face. "Gladly." She and I did not get the chance to continue our conversation. My feet were pounding of the steps back down to the lodge and my task was at hand. I paused at the bottom step, ignoring the pervy glances the other patrons gave me as I took in the scene.

Belarus was lounging in her chair, scowling at Gilbert and Lars as they tried to plead their case. Her brother's coat was wrapped around her like a safety blanket, its scent offering her some kind of comfort. A few mugs sat on the ground around her- signs that she has been drinking. But she was sober, especially when compared to Turkey. Turkey was sulking in his chair, three tall stacks of empty mugs right by him. He was hunched into himself, muttering a few things under his breath before taking another swing. He was a wreck.

"We just can't give up, Belarus!" Lars pleaded, obviously at his last straw. I could hear the despair creeping into his voice, see the panic in his eyes. It was like his very life depended on this trip. Maybe his soul does. I wouldn't know until I asked. Do I even want to know? "Russia's probably back to life by now! The only way we can save him is if we go after them!"

"It's too dangerous," Belarus replied sternly, glaring at the flames in the fireplace. They created shadows on her face, morphing her features as they jumped up and down in their dance. She raised her mug to her lips, taking a small sip before adding, "What you're asking me to do is risk your life for the life of a man I used to know."

Lars opened and closed his mouth, searching for a new argument. Gilbert rolled his eyes at him, stepping a little in front of him as he quickly said, "But we want to do this. We want to sacrifice our lives for this."

Belarus's face turned red. "It's not worth it!" She yelled.

I think I knew how to convince her.

I didn't like it one bit.

But before I could talk myself out of it, I straightened my tunic and said a prayer to God. Then I fisted my hands and stormed over to her, yelling, "Belarus!"

She jumped in her seat, sitting up straight as she looked at me with surprise. As the men stepped aside, giving me full access to her, Belarus brushed her fingers through her hair in a vain attempt to make herself look presentable. Then, right when I was in front of her, she really looked at me. Her mouth dropped. "What happened Liechtenstein?" She demanded, jumping to her feet. Her eyes were wide with concern, though her voice was in a low growl. "Who did this to-"

I cupped her cheeks and, without another thought to tell me otherwise, I smashed my lips into hers.

.

.

.

Admittedly, it was not all that bad. I had to stand on the tips of my toes to even reach her lips, but it wasn't bad. Belarus was a good kisser and the moment she realized what I was doing, she put her skills to use. She leaned into me, forcing my lips open with her tongue. Suddenly it was a French kiss, one that tasted a lot like beer. I tried my best to make it as passionate as possible, dancing my tongue with hers and moaning when she licked certain parts. Her fingers were tangled in my hair, pulling me closer and closer. I simply wrapped my arms around her neck ad held her tight and afraid of doing anything more.

You know, it was hard to get into a lesbian kiss and for two reasons- the first being that I did not condone lesbian-ness. The second being the nagging voice in my head screaming at me to stay faithful to Stella. "Well I can only stay faithful to Stella if she's alive," I reminded it. "And besides, we're not even dating yet."

Eventually, we had to break for air. We pulled apart, both of us panting heavily. Belarus looked ecstatic, her face lit up brightly like a child's. There was not a lick of hate or sadness on her face. She was pretty. I took a deep breath. Don't forget the plan. Just imagine that Belarus is Stella and this should be easier. "I love you," I said. I ignored Gilbert's shouts of surprise and Lars's growls to shut up. "I've been in love with you from the start, I've just been afraid and I've-" I groaned. "Damnit, I just love you, Belarus!"

She smiled at me, affectionately cupping my cheek. "Why are you telling me this now?" She asked softly, lovingly. A sick pit formed in my stomach.

I scrambled around in my head, searching for a truth among the lies. "I've realized something," I replied quickly. I stopped myself. Slow down, Lar. If I was nervous, then she might suspect. I took a deep breath, demanding my nerve to quell. "I realized that I can't run away from my problems anymore. I have to face myself head on if I want to make a difference. I just need to face the world for what it is and I just felt as though you needed that reminder too."

She shook her head, smirking as she placed a hand on the small of my back and pulled me close. "You're insane," she told me. "But I love you anyways." She leaned in again and we were back to making out.

You know, now that I think about it, lesbian kisses weren't really all that different than kissing Tamara. You still had to tangle your fingers into their girl's long blond locks, bite her lips, and move your face around to get the perfect angle. Kissing was hard work. I counted the seconds until we stopped.

When Belarus pulled away, her red lips were in her smile once again. "You're a clever girl," she said knowingly, tapping the side of my cheek playfully. Before I could say anything else, she walked around me, facing the remaining men of her crew. She held herself like the prideful captain she was meant to be, smirking victoriously at them. "Alright, listen up. Since you dimwits insist on doing it, we're going to save our comrades. Go upstairs, change, and be down on the boat within the hour."

Lars looked relieved, wiping sweat off of his brow as he looked up to the heavens. Gilbert, however, knitted his brows. "How are we going to find them?" he asked.

She started for the stairs, the ends of her jacket flying after her like a cape. "England may have his magic, but we have General Winter," she called. "We have a way." She was up the stairs before we could say anything more.

Gilbert then focused his attention down at me, giving me a displeased look as he folded his arms over his chest. Lars and I sensed his displeasure at the same moment, though the Dutchman was the only one able to flee the scene. I was left to stand there oddly, giving him a meek smile. "It was necessary," I said hastily. "Liech is still all over you." The albino's frowned deepened. "She told me that I had to do whatever's necessary to win this thing." His visage didn't leaven. I clapped my hands together as if I was praying. "Please?"

Gilbert groaned. "Just don't mess with her body too much," he muttered. A stupid grin stretched across my face the same moment a scream echoed across the inn.

"SPAIN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM NAKED?"

THE WAR: Day 19

Sorting things out with Belarus had been easier than what we expected. Antonio was able to get some cheap clothes from Pangaea- a puffy red shirt and loose black slacks that required a rope to stay on his waist -before giving Belarus and Turkey a fake story about being stranded by himself in the town he first went missing in. "I've been sailing all around the world looking your you guys," he told them. "I saw Alfred an hour ago and he directed me here."

Where's Alfred?

"Oh, he ran into someone he knew and decided to stay."

What a shame. Why are you naked?

"You don't want to know."

When the hour had passed, we all gathered on our little boat and set off to find England. Belarus sailed us out a few miles off shore until the American shore was just a thin line on the horizon. After anchoring, she used General Winter to direct all of the winds towards us. Eventually, the Oberon will be forced to come to us one way or another. But for now, we had to wait.

Antonio sat for an hour on the deck, attentively listening to her explain everything that has happened to the Brown Coats thus far. Gilbert put it upon himself to talk to Turkey, coaxing him out of his drunken depression. I claimed look out, giving myself an excuse to not talk to my new mentor.

As the day wore on, Belarus came to talk to me. Somehow, I let it turn into a cuddling session, her leaning on my shoulder and pressing her hands into mine. "You know, I'll have to be a complete fool to actually believe that you mean it," she told me. "Loving me, I mean. Your timing is awfully convenient for what Prussia wants, isn't it?"

I knew that I was found out. Still, I tried my best to act calm, leaning down and lightly kissing her forehead. "That's not true," I said. "I love you."

She hummed. "I'm just not sure I can fully believe that." She confessed softly, looking down at the ground. "I'm not even sure what to believe anymore."

I hated lying to her, but I knew that I had to do it. So, I leaned in and pecked another kiss on her lips. "Well believe me. I love you, no matter what you believe."

We didn't get enough time to talk about it any further. Something Gilbert said to Turkey sparked some sort of vengeful spirit. The Turk paced angrily around the deck, angrily promising to slice open England's throat. Our attention shifted to calming him down, a task only achieved with a couple of cigarettes.

The sun sunk lower in the sky and everything was shaded with an orange hue. When night fell, we all curled onto the floor and slept. If we were going to fight, we were going to need energy. Lars was the only one who did not sleep. He insisted on perching himself on the rail and making sure the Red Coats didn't creep onto the horizon. I noticed that he held his watch in his hand, taking sly glances at the clock face whenever he could. I curled up next to Belarus, letting myself fall asleep in each other's arms.

At least, I tried too. Even though the events of the day tired me out and my supernatural healing was leaving me exhausted, I couldn't sleep. I was oddly aware of Belarus. Everything from her loose touch to her steady breathing was irritating my senses. On top of that, my head was still buzzing with thoughts of Alfred and Roderich. What was I supposed to do about them? How was I supposed to save Lars from them? I laid like that for hours, unable to keep my eyes closed long enough to sleep.

I was still like that now. Still waiting for an answer. Waiting for my head to shut up and let me rest. Still waiting for the little angel of my shoulder to tell me if everything I have been doing so far is right or wrong. Still waiting for the truth to be revealed. Why does no one ever tell me the truth?

I heard a little shuffling behind me. "Is anyone awake?" Lars whispered loudly. "It's three in the morning." I heard both Antonio and Gilbert mumble something before sitting up. I didn't know if this was some sort of pre-planned meeting I was invited to or not, but if it was those three then I needed to be involved. I carefully wiggled my way out of Belarus's arms and sat up.

The moon was a bright crescent, casting a pallid light across the deck. Gilbert, Antonio, and Lars were on the floor, leaning into the rail. Turkey and Belarus did not stir as I tip-toed my way over to them. "What are you guys doing?" I asked hushly, taking a seat between Antonio and Lars.

Antonio smiled at me, his face barely recognizable in the dark. "I was actually just about to tell Gilbert everything about Alfred and Roderich," he said happily.

Gilbert leaned forward, looking around his Spanish friend to me. "Yeah, I'm completely lost right now," he said. "Which is not awesome. Like, apparently you have a contract going on right now too Lars?"

Said man nodded, taking a long drag of his cigarette. "I do, though-" He glared at Belarus, frowning as she mumbled something in her sleep and curl into a tighter ball. "-I don't understand," he said. "I've fulfill all of the requirements of my contract, but my timer is still going."

I scrunched my brows. "You have?"

He nodded. "Yeah." A wisp of smoke left his lips. "I had to get you to fall in love with either Belarus or Russia and you had to kiss them to prove it."

I shook my head. "I kissed her, but it's not like that," I told him, pulling my legs to my chest. "After all, that would mean- wait a second!" I jumped back into Antonio's arm, pointing a sharp finger at the blond. "That's what He With Your Name told me to do!" I exclaimed. "What, I thought-"

"Be quiet, Larry," Antonio scolded quietly, peeling me off of him by the shoulder. His green eyes seemed to glow in the dark as they looked down at me with displeasure.

I scowled. "I am quiet," I whispered in reply, shrugging his hands away. Frustration flickered in my chest as I sent him my darkest glare (not that it did much- he could barely see my face in this light)."Though you're the one to talk. You told me that you were He With Your Name."

Antonio visibly paled. "That was a misunderstanding."

"How?"

Gilbert raised his hand into the air. "What the hell are you idiots talking about?" He asked.

Lars shrugged, glancing down at his watch again and said, "I have no idea."

The brunette glared at them both, silently telling them to hush their mouths and let him speak. I merely crossed my arms over my chest, beckoning for him to tell me. Antonio looked at me for a moment before sighing at last. "I got a little overzealous," he confessed. I didn't like the sound of his voice. He sounded defeated, a little guilty perhaps. "When you suggest that day that He With Your Name was me, I got excited. It was the first time you ever suspected me to be there with you and I started telling you that I was a cat, but it was just meowing to you and you-"

"And I thought that you were saying yes," I completed. I groaned, turning around to bang my forehead against the rail. That was so stupid of me- jumping to conclusions like that. "God, why am I such an idiot?"

Lars sighed. He placed an odd hand on me, rubbing circles into my back. I flinched. Was he trying to comfort me? "Really, this is my fault," he said awkwardly. "Denmark told me to not tell you directly, so I had to get a little creative."

I turned back to him, meeting his eyes. "What happened to you anyways?" I asked. He immediately averted his gaze, stressfully pressing his lips together. Something told me that I shouldn't press further, but I was afraid that I was going to chicken out later. It was now or never. I placed a hand on his upper arm and gave him a comforting squeeze. "Lars, you need to tell me this," I said. "We're partners now. I need to know what happened." he was still silent. I squeezed a little harder. "Please."

He looked at me. The red tip of his cigarette casted a small shadow across his face, defined his angular features. His face was blank as he continued to stare at me emotionlessly. He squeezed the watch.

"Denmark is my best friend," he said. Slow and painful. "As irritating as he is, he's the only person who's ever had faith in me. Everyone else takes me to be some sort of recluse and just leaves me be. Denmark though- he was the very first person who has ever put time in to know me. And because he wanted to be my friend, people accepted me for who I am. It probably was because of him, Hong Kong was willing to go out with me." He smiled softly- painfully -as he played with the thin gold chain. "But Denmark and I are very close, you know. We considered ourselves brothers more than anything and gave each other nicknames to prove it- Lars and Mathias."

Lars sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know what he could have possibly seen in me." He shook his head for a moment, puffing out a wisp of smoke. "When THE WAR started and we found out that we were going to be on different sides, we both thought it would be okay. We swore that we would only fight against each other so that we never had to worry about the other getting hurt. We wouldn't hurt each other, not in a million years. But one fight I got distracted and Mathias accidentally stabbed me."

He tensed and, for a moment, I thought that he wasn't going to be able to talk any more. I could hear his throat constricting. I could see his body trembling. Lars persisted though. He just took a long, shaky drag of his cig. "I remember lying in pain . . . so much pain . . . I wished- I wished so vainly to live. I didn't care about anything else, I just wanted to live. I didn't want to die and wake up to be someone else. If I did, Denmark might not . . . Everything went black then and when I woke up, I was in a white room. A white, white room. Antonio, Alfred, Roderich: they were all there, though I couldn't see their faces. They offered me a deal. They would bring me back to life and, in exchange, I would get you, Larry, to fall in love and get that kiss. Even though they told me that if I couldn't get it done in time I would lose my soul, I didn't care. I just wanted to live." He ran his hand through his hair. "I'm a coward. I should have just let myself die. I would have just come back anyways. I don't know why-"

"Don't say that," I told him. "Everyone wants to live."

He quickly looked away, hugging his arms. "You don't even know what happened," he said hastily. "Mathias he . . . when I woke up again, he was leaning over me in tears- the idiot let himself be captured -and he didn't understand why my wounds suddenly disappeared. I told him what I did and he was furious." Lars chuckled bitterly. "That idiot," he spat. "He blamed himself. He said that I shouldn't have to lose my soul because of him."

"Do you know what he did? The idiot took the watch they gave me and stabbed it with a knife. He guessed that it had some sort of connection with my contract and he was hoping to break it. In a way, he was right. This stupid watch-" he held it up to me, clicking it open to reveal a white clock face. The thin hand I saw on Mathias's was on Lars's as well, though it was only a smidge away from midnight. "-counts down the time I have left to fulfill my end of the bargain. I tried throwing it away, but this stupid chain always keeps it connected to me." He tugged on it for emphasis, showing me how one end always seemed to be attached to his wrist, like a shackle. "Well Mathias stabbed it alright, but my contract did not end. But everything did go black and we both woke up in that white room again."

Lars held it himself again, his eyes widening in a long, hollow look. "Mathias he . . . he screamed at them. He demanded that they ended my contract and let me go. He begged them to let me go- fell on his knees and begged in tears." He held himself tighter. "Do you know what he said? He said that they could take his life, his soul- anything just for the slim chance to save me. So he made a contract with them. In exchange for his own soul, he had to get Liechtenstein to kiss him by choice. If he could do it, then I was free and he was lost. If he didn't, then his sacrifice would be in vain and it would be up to me to save myself. Either way, his soul was lost."

"So that's why he was constantly trying to talk to me," I said, my eyes widening with the realization. I felt like an even bigger idiot than before. "He wanted to ask for a kiss." Lars, still refusing to look at me, nodded weakly. I sighed, placing a hand on my forehead. "Oh my God. So the blood coughing, that was his contract running out?" Another nodded. A tidal wave of guilt crashed over me. I hunched into myself, gathering clumps of my tunic into my hands. "Holy shit, I . . . I'm sorry, Lars."

"It's not your fault," he answered monotonously. I couldn't see the expression on his face, but he sounded numb, like he was facing the stone cold truth at last. "They were clever. My contract negated his. There was no way he would win without threatening the success of mine. He was bound to fail." He looked down at his watch, frowning. He grip on it tightened until his knuckles were white. "That's why I have to live through this," he said. "Once I'm free, I'm going to find a way to save Mathias once and for all. I'm not going to let him lose his soul because of me."

"But he might lose it because of me," I said. I could feel tears of hopelessness well around the rim of my eyes, but I held them back. I had no right to cry. "I've already kissed Belarus, Lars, and your contract still isn't complete! I just can't bring myself to lo-"

"Don't worry about it," he said quickly. He looked up at the sky, pressing his thin lips together. "I'll find a way. I'll get free. I'll save him."

We were silent for a long moment. Antonio and Gilbert were busy talking about Alfred and Roderich and paid us no heed. It was just Lars and I- him smoking and me sitting in thought. I bowed my head, trying to think of something else besides my guilt. "Hey Lars?" He hummed in reply, finally turning back to me. The moon illuminated the trail of tears that silently fell down his face. I hesitated for a moment, but the question was bugging me. "Why do you call yourself He With Your Name?"

"Because we have the same name?"

I frowned. "No, I meant how do we have the same name?"

Lars was silent for a long moment, trying to figure out a way to explain. "Do you have something to write on?" He eventually asked.

I nodded, scooting over to get proper access to my journal. "Yeah, I got this thing." I held it out to him, expecting him to take it but he told me to write out my name first. I wasn't sure what his intentions were, but I still scrawled a quick Larry Ebenezer Sue on one of the pages. I handed it to him, waiting to see what he'll do.

He looked down at the words for a moment, squinting to see properly in the poor light. "Alright, so let me ask you this," he said, taking my pencil from me. "No one calls you Ebenezer, right? So we can get rid of that." He drew a thick black line over my middle name. "Your nickname seems to be Lar, so we can get rid of the last 'ry' in your name." Another line. "And I only care about the first part of your last name, so..." At last, he handed the book back to me. "Your name is mine." Only four of the letter were spared, leaving behind a single word:

Lars

I chuckled. "I never would have thought of that."

He smiled. "Yeah. It's a lot cooler than just saying that both of our names are different forms of 'Laurence.'"

I chuckled again. For a moment, I felt such a light happiness in my chest that I nearly forgot about everything I had learned. But the moment I realized it, all of the mirth died in my throat. My face dropped and I looked back down at the ground. "Hey Lars?" Like before, he hummed. "Why did you leave me those letters anyways?" I asked. "Why didn't you just tell me flat out what was going on? I would have helped."

Lars sighed. "Mathias told me that we had to keep it quiet," he confessed. The sorrow that lingered in his voice earlier returned, causing him to immediately take another drag. "He said that the chances of you believing us was slim. So I just found a different way to bring my problem to you."

I repeated, "I would have helped."

He smirked. "Don't worry about it, Larry," he told me affectionately, placing a hand on my head and ruffling my hair. "Next time, I'll keep you in the loop."

"But there's not going to be a next time."

He shrugged. "Well . . ." I looked up at him. Lars was looking up at the sky, the reflection of the stars in his eyes as a small smile crept onto his face. "See here, when Mathias made his contract, there was a condition made. He has twelve tries to get this right. That was what his watch was for- counting tries. And this one? It's just his first. I know that soon he's going to roll back time and try it again. Even if it starts a new timeline or a paradox, I'm sure he's going to get it right soon. I can just feel it."

There was a small cough. "Um, Lars?" We both looked at Antonio. He must have overheard what we were talking about since his eyes kept glancing between my surprised face and the Dutchman's hopeful one. Antonio uncomfortably shifted in his spot, playing with the end of his ponytail. It was plain that something was wrong.

Lars strained to keep his optimism. "What is it, Antonio?" He asked quickly. "Is Gilbert having a hard time believing everything?"

As Gilbert piped something about believing everything, Antonio closed his eyes. He took a long breath, quelling some kind of wrecked nerve. "It's not that," he said softly. "It's just . . . do you really believe that Mathias was on his first try?"

"Of course I do," he replied quickly. I could see the uncertainty drip down his face as his mouth twitched. "Mathias would have told me if this was his fourth or fifth-"

"What if he was trying to make things easier on you?" Antonio asked. "I could imagine him telling you lies just so that you didn't worry- he is your best friend after all and he sees you as his brother."

His eyes went wide. "What are you trying to tell me?"

"Lars-"

"What are you trying to tell me?" He demanded loudly. I quickly slapped a finger over my mouth, motioning for him to keep his voice down. But even with his heavy panting, Belarus and Turkey did not stir.

Antonio bit his lip and looked down. I could tell that it pained him to even think of the words. "All of this has happened before," he said quietly. "From the moment Larry woke up in the cells of The Romanov to the second Mathias's clock struck midnight, a cycle had been repeating. Those thirteen days repeating themselves over and over again, each one just a little bit different. Different situations, different outcomes- our experiences never repeating themselves. We've all had to repeat those thirteen days over and over again."

"What are you trying to say?" Lars stared at him with wide eyes, barely able to speak. Antonio continued to look down, his lips sealed. "What are you trying to say, Antonio?" he demanded. No answer came. "Answer me."

He hesitated. This was killing him. "We've had to repeat those thirteen days twelve times," Antonio said at last. "Mathias used up all of his tries." Lars placed his hands over his mouth, choking on something imaginary as he let his cigarette drop to the ground. His whole body started to shake as he curled up into himself, trying not to sob aloud. "I'm sorry, Lars."

I stared at the blond, unsure of what to so. I could hear him grind his teeth and try not to cry out loud, but he kept on croaking and sniffling through thick tears. I placed an odd hand on his back, rubbing circles into his shirt. "Oh my God," he muttered. "This whole time, he's been- the same thing over and over again and he was never able to do it?" A huge tremor shook through his body. "Why would he do that?"

"He thought it was best for you," Antonio said.

Lars fiercely shook his head, finally letting his sob come through. "He must have been in so much pain," he cried, curling further into himself. His hands switched between hugging his arms and running frantically through his hair. "The same thing over and over again and none of us realized it. That idiot! He must have been hurting."

I sat there with my hand on his back. I didn't know what to say and, frankly, I had no right to say anything. I stayed with him throughout the night, long after Gilbert and Antonio finished talking and went to sleep, only returning to Belarus a little before dawn. Lars had calmed himself a bit, but he was still silently muttering, looking down hauntedly at his watch.

I could not sleep. My head was reeling, trying to comprehend everything I had learned.

I've had to repeat the same thirteen days twelve different times.

That was one hundred fifty-six days.

If I added all of the days outside of the cycle, it would be one hundred and fifty-nine days.

One hundred and fifty-nine days.

That was over five months.

Nearly half a year.

It drove me insane to think that I couldn't remember it all. I would be forced to spend the rest of my life wondering where all of those had gone, what had happened during them. Would all twelve versions of me be the same as I am now, or did one change for the worse? Or the better? Would I even recognize myself? I wanted to cry. What if the worse Larry in existence was me? What if I, the twelfth Larry, was the worse?

One hundred and fifty-nine days- lost.

THE WAR: Day 19

Belarus kissed me again, treating it like it would be the very last one we would share. The chances are that it was, but as I stood with her in the midst of the fog, I knew that I could not say that aloud. That would break her, leave her in a hopeless and bitter state her brother died in.

General Winter had woken everyone up at noon, informing Belarus that the Oberon's impending arrival was at hand. We had an hour to come up with a battle plan. Considering the fact that over half of our team of six had very little sleep last night and Turkey was suffering from a massive hangover, we did an exceptional job coming up with a strategy.

First, Belarus would use the power of her brother's coat to create thick fog to conceal us. Then, we would climb up the side of England's ship and get onto the deck. The moment we were sure that England was up there, Lars and I would seal off the entrance below deck, trapping some of the crew below, and Gilbert, Antonio, and Turkey would corner the remaining crew. Belarus would then attack England and get the coat. If everything went smoothly, the Brown Coats would win and I would be able to face Roderich and Alfred once again and end it for once and for all.

Now, as I kissed Belarus under the fogged shadow of the Oberon, I could feel my wrecked nerves increase. I was well aware that a single mistake on my part would ruin everything. Lars could lose his soul. Mathias would have no hope for rescue. Stella would die. Everything depended on me. I held Belarus tighter, accidentally leaning in more and deepening our kiss. I couldn't mess up this time.

I could not be a failure.

Antonio coughed softly into his fist, causing the girl to finally release me. Belarus sent him a small, sharp glare for a moment as he boldly crossed his arms over his chest. Lars and Gilbert lingered a little behind him, one looking at his watch as the latter idly polished his sword. Turkey was at the rails of our boat, looking up at the massive hull with a reserved anger. Antonio dared to give us a criticizing look as he said, "I understand that this is very emotional for you, but the enemy is right there. We need to get going."

Belarus scanned her crew quickly. The fog was so thick that if I could barely see three feet in front of me, nonetheless, everyone's faces. Antonio's was hazy, Lars and Gilbert's were barely there, and Turkey was nothing more than a black figure. Still, Belarus graced them all with a delicate- grateful -smile. "Thank you everyone for doing this," she said softly. "I know that this will be dangerous, but this is the last resort. It's been an honor sailing with you." She dropped her smile and suddenly replaced it with a tight frown. "Let's go," she ordered, beckoning us to follow her as she marched away.

I exchanged one last silent look at Antonio and Gilbert, nodding to them silently. They both seemed confident in what they were doing, but both of their eyes begged me to stay behind where it was safe. It irritated me. I wanted to scream at them that I was not a child, that I could take care of myself, but I forced myself to hold my peace. Even if those two were treating me like a child, there was always Lars. The way he simply ruffled my hair as he walked past me said more than enough. I was young, yes, but I was meant to be here.

I had a purpose.

Turkey threw a rope with a grappling hook attached it up the side of the ship, hooking it on the Red Coat's rails. Through a headache and blood shot eyes, he gave an affirmative tug before giving Belarus the thumbs up. It was safe to go. Gilbert insisted on climbing up first, followed by Belarus, Turkey, Antonio, Me, and Lars. Well, at least that was how it was supposed to be. I had never climbed a rope before and, frankly, just looking up the length of it was making me nervous. Didn't Belarus have to carry me up the last time this happened?

Lars never said a word about it. He merely shrugged and bent over, motioning for me to climb onto his back.

I hesitated "Are you sure?" I asked quietly, glancing up to make sure that no one else was watching.

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, now just swallow your pride already and hop on." I gripped a little bit more as I dragged my feet over to him, climbing onto his back. As he straightened himself up, a wave of heat gathered in my cheeks. The last time I ever received a piggy back ride was from Dad when I was little. We were at Disneyland, watching the fireworks on Main Street. Jerry and Sherry were able to see just fine, but my glasses cracked earlier that day and I was nearsighted. Dad lifted me onto his shoulders and let me watch the colors splash across the sky. And then, as we were walking back to the trams to the Pinocchio Parking Garage, he carried me on his back, letting me doze with my head on his shoulder. Memories like that made me wish that I was a little kid again.

I continued to grumble to myself as he climbed up the rope. I could tell that it was taking some effort on his part, but considering his stick-like arms, he was doing better than expected. I watched Antonio above us as we climbed higher and higher. With each breath, my heart banged louder in my chest. There was going to be fighting- I knew that. I also knew that I was less than prepared. What was I going to do if I had to kill another Holy Rome? The stench of blood was already a permanent feature on my hands. I couldn't stand the idea of it becoming even more pungent.

Finally, I saw Antonio swing his legs over the rail and disappear into the fog. I swallowed. Now was the time for us to start. Lars pulled us up a little bit higher before letting me climb off of his back and over the rail. Actually, the more appropriate term would be 'tumbled'.

Yeah, my two left feet decided to strike with vengeance, causing me to lose balance halfway and roll over the rail and fall onto the ground. I winced, hissing as I immediately sat up. It wasn't a bad fall, I mean- it was only from a few feet up in the air. Still, stealth was vital right now. A single move could alert the enemy. I had to be quieter.

A hand appeared in my vision. "Need a hand, Larry?"

I snapped my head up.

I didn't expect to see him until after the fighting.

Alfred kindly smiled down at me, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he bent a little bit closer to me. What was he doing here? "C'mon, Lar," he said, looking prim and proper in his white suit. It really brought out the smooth, pale look on his skin. "Don't you trust me?" I fiercely shook my head, my eyes darting to every corner of the boat. The fog I had so carelessly loved before now prevented me from seeing any of my friends. Where were they? Why hasn't anyone noticed what was going on here? If I screamed, would Antonio come to my rescue?

I heard Lars swear before finally swinging his legs over the side of the rail. The moment his feet landed on the wood, he moved his feet into a fighting stance, raising his fist into the air. "What are you doing here?" He demanded glared at the traitor coldly.

A hollow laugh pealed from our side. I jerked to the right, trying to escape Roderich as he appeared out of the gray. My already fast heart beat quickened until it was a loud thumping in my ears. Roderich leaned against the rail, giving us a sly smirk. "We're here for a simple reason," he said evenly, watching Lars as he suddenly slapped a hand over his chest. "Tell me, Lars, what time is it on your clock?"

My eyes went wide. I knew what was happening. "It's midnight," I whispered. The thumping in my eyes turned into a loud ring. "Already? But-" I turned to my partner, jumping at the sight. The Dutchman was breathing heavily, leaning on the rails for support as he gripped his chest tightly. His green eyes were large as he stared down at the ground, watching the blood seep from his mouth. He grinded his teeth together, holding back the scream that was traveling up his throat.

I started to rise to my feet, but Alfred's cold chuckle prevented me. Sweat gathered at the back of my neck. This was what he wanted from me, wasn't it? He wanted me to show my panic. He wanted to play off of my fear. I gripped my fist. No, I wasn't going to give in so easily. I was going to stand my ground. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and lowered myself back onto the ground. I did my best to ignore Lars as he started to choke on his own blood, spurts of red falling out of his mouth. I gulped, standing on my knees with an erect back as I looked challengingly up at Alfred.

He looked down at me, raising an amused brow. "You've always been a foolish one," he said, placing a hand on my head. "Always trying to hide that fear of yours. But you want to know something? You don't have to worry about that anymore." His cruel grin grew larger. "You're going home, Larry."

I narrowed my eyes, resisting the need to swat his hand away. Instead, I curled my lip, snarling, "Why?"

Alfred's smile turned cruel. He slid his hand off of my head, letting it hang harmlessly at his side. "Because you just let me touch you," he said. I dropped my visage. I didn't know what the meant, but the sharp glint in his eyes told me that it was bad. "And that means that I could undo Aluino's hold on you." His grin grew larger. "That means you're soul isn't pin to anything anymore. You're going home, Lar."

I opened my mouth, more than ready to yell at him again, when my head suddenly grew light and fuzzy. I placed one hand on my forehead, leaning back on the other. "What the . . ." The corners of my vision were going back. "Why would you . . ." I groaned. It felt as though there was something squeezing the sides of my head together. The corners of my eyes started to blur and my body yearned to go to sleep.

I looked up at Alfred through half lidded eyes.

He looked disgustingly pleased with himself.

I put the last of my energy into one last snare.

"Asshole!"

The last thing I heard was his joyous cackle.

Real World: Wednesday

"Larry? Larry are you okay?" I felt someone shaking my shoulder. "Larry, wake up." She sounded pretty panicked, didn't she? "What's wrong?" She must really care about me. "Larry!"

My eyes snapped open. Bright, fluorescent light blinded me, causing me to snap them close once again. I groaned, sitting up as I placed my hands into my face. It felt like there was a nail being driven into my temples. Pounding- bearing down upon me with a long, sharp, never ending pain.

The hand returned to my shoulder. "Larry, are you okay?" Agatha asked. I snapped my head to her, amazed to see her wearing modern clothes. Why was Agatha wearing modern clothes- nonetheless, why was she with me in the hospital? I stared at her. This was familiar somehow. I looked past Agatha, seeing a girl sitting in the next seat over.

She looked hollow with the way she leaned on Agatha's shoulder hopelessly. There was a bandage wrapped around her head, pinning down her long, limp, blond locks. "Stitches," some small part of my brain told me. She looked half-dead with the way she stared incomprehensibly at the rest of the waiting room.

Her name is Bella Moon, isn't it?

I looked at Agatha again. If Bella was here, then that must mean . . .

"You kinda just fainted, Lar," Sherry said, reaching over to place her hands on my cheeks. They were cold, like ice. It sent a shock through me, making me realize everything that has just happened.

Alfred, Lars, the contract, the plan, Mathias, Stella . . .

"Where's Stella?" I asked hurriedly, looking at my sister with desperation. "Where is she?"

Sherry only looked at me with pity.

MW: And cliffhanger. So there you have it, a whole chapter of talking. I know that I really did threw a lot of stuff at you all very suddenly, so if you guys need me to clarify anything, just say the word.

Okay, so first thing first is the other projects. If you guys follow my tumblr, you would not only had heard my agonized pains of how hard this chapter was to write, but also that my dear Alex had convinced me to start something called a blog story. Basically, it's like an interactive fanfiction hosted on tumblr where each part ends with an option that readers select and whatever option gets the most votes is the direction the story will take. I'm planning of getting the plot swinging early September, so if you all want to see them, you can find the links on my profile.

So now, the sequel plans. Once the epilogue (Chapter 15) is through, there'll be a story preview and an announcement date for the next story. It'll be another 15 chapter story that'll conclude the Fanseries once and for all. That being said, you need to have read both this story and the Fangirl to understand what's going on. It'll be called The Fandom. Exciting, right? So that's basically it. Hopefully you all would want to read it.

SEK: Anyways, thank you all for reading!

Notes

"Denmark is my best friend." Okay guys, I confess—I had to cut a lot of things from this chapter. If I included everything I wanted it, it'll probably be 40 pages instead of 20. So in order to save space, one of the things I had to do was convert Lars's backstory into a two page speech. This, you may have noticed, is inconsistent to FG where Sadiq got a whole chapter in third person explaining it. I meant to have the same thing happen here (you know, to reinforce the idea that Lars is the true mentor since he got the big explanation and not a mere speech like Alfred), but once again, space was an issue. It's an inconsistency error on my part and I'm sorry because of it. I swear that one day I will give Lars's backstory the attention it deserves.

Next Chapter: Larry deals with the news, which leads to an inevitable discovery.

Thank you all for reading/reviewing! 154 reviews are absolutely amazing! Thank you so much!