Finland opened his eyes to a king-sized canopy bed. The glowing golden comforter was cool, smooth and shiny, and the billowy white curtains danced in non-existent breeze.

"This bed looks kind of expensive," Finland noted "I'm a little worried to be sitting on the end of it. I mean what if I roll over the wrong way and it breaks? I'm still sort of broke after paying the veterinarian bills for all of my sick reindeer."

Then Finland gasped as a pair of large, strong hands snaked around his waist from behind. He didn't need to turn his head to know who it was, but Finland did anyways.

"Snuggly-Stranger-Dream-Guy?"

The stranger nuzzled Finland's neck and ran a finger down the back of his spine. Finland shuddered. This wasn't right. Something was off. Fin's body was responding to the stranger's touch, but his heart wasn't in it.

Finland turned around to face the stranger in his dreams. Before he could get a good look at the man's eyes, the stranger took Finland's head in his hands and started to bring their faces together.

"NO!" Finland shouted suddenly, shoving the stranger away. "No, stop it! I don't care how attractive ya are! You're not my true love! My true love is the Magic 8 Ball who gave his life to save mine. He's the only one I have feelings for. Your handsomeness has nothing on the beauty of his heart."

The stranger let go of Finland and moved back. He stared into Fin's eyes for a long few moments and then-

…smiled?

"Thank ya," Finland heard the stranger's voice for the first time ever. The man from his dreams started to dissolve into sparkles and the room around them began to blur into a swirl of smudges.

"Thank ya, m' wife."

Wait! That voice…but that was the voice of…the voice of…

The stranger and the surreal surroundings had now been smudged away entirely. Another voice spoke to Finland, the voice of the Roman Empire.

"Congratulations Finland! Since you chose your true love's loving heart over his sexy body you now get to have both of them! Eh, once you give him one kiss in his ridiculous-looking form, that is. Well done, I'm a so happy for you both! Enjoy my friend!"

What the Helsinki? Finland thought as smudgy sleep left him and he woke up to find himself sprawled across his armchair, surrounded by sugar cookie crumbs and empty vodka bottles, head aching from a massive hangover and-

…and a small black sphere sitting on his lap.

-Hello m' love.-

"MAGIC 8 BALL!" Finland squealed as he threw his arms around it and fell onto the floor, rolling around and laughing with relief. "Ah it's you! It's really you! Oh 8 Ball…8 Ball I'm so glad! I've never been so happy to see anyone in my entire life!"

Sweden glowed pink as Finland clutched the small sphere tightly to his chest and beamed at him.

"Magic 8 Ball…I can't believe you're back. How is that even possible?"

-True love.-

Tears welled up in Finland's bloodshot eyes "Yah, that would work, wouldn't it? Oh 8 Ball, please don't leave me again. I love you Magic 8 Ball. My happiness isn't complete without you. All I want in this world is to be by your side and-"

Finland paused and his heart started pounding when he realized what he wanted to ask. No, but he couldn't…why would someone as selfless and sweet as the 8 Ball want that with the likes of him? Still though…he had to, he absolutely had to-

-…?-

"Magic 8 Ball, will ya marry me?"

ALL SYSTEMS ALERT!

TRUE LOVE ACHIEVED.

ADDING 99 MILLION EXTRA LIVES FOR MARRIAGE PROPOSAL FROM FINLAND

MARRIAGE PROPOSAL FROM FINLAND = ULTRA-POWERED ACCEPT =YAH ABSOLUTELY YAH = HAPPINESSHAPPINESSHAPPINESSHAPPINESSHAPPINESS YAY!

"Umm…" Finland was a bit confused at the Magic 8 Ball was enveloped in bright blue flames while rainbow heart-shaped fireworks launched into the air and Boys Town Gang started playing in the background.

"I LOVE YOU BA-BY! AND IF IT'S QUITE ALRIGHT I NEED YOU BA-BY!"

"So…does this mean…yes?"

The flames, fireworks and music disappeared.

-Yah.-

"Ah! Really? You'll really marry me?"

-Of course. I love ya, Finland.-

"HURRAY!" Finland hopped happily to his feet. "Oh Magic 8 Ball, I just love you ever so much! Let's get married now! Today! We'll elope!"

-Sounds good t' me.-

"Yah! Oh yah, this is so wonderful, I could just kiss ya!"

-That's a great idea.-

"Ah, but no, I should save our first kiss for the ceremony. That would be most proper, yah?"

-Hmm…-

Little late for that, Sweden thought to himself as he remembered the night by the rainbow fountain. Ah, no matter. No point trying to explain that to Finland until after the spell was broken.

-…I guess yah.-

"Ah look at me, I'm a mess! I was so depressed last night because I thought ya were gone that I went on a drinking binge and gorged myself on sugar cookies. I know, I'm silly yah? Here, let me take a shower and we'll jump on the first plane out of town. I know the perfect place for us to run away to."

Anyplace is the perfect place to run away to as long as Finland is with me, Sweden thought as he watched his lover skip out of the room. He looked around at the orchard of empty cookie wrappers and vodka bottles. Oh dear, Finny really needed some help with that stress-eating problem.

That's okay, Sexy Swedish Sugar Daddy will be back soon. I'll be there to take care of any kind of appetite m' wife has.

My my Sweden, how naughty. You've been stuck in that Magic 8 Ball too long, haven't you? No worries Brother, we'll get you out of there soon.

Thanks again for the love and the awesome, nifty, fantastic and funny reviews. Sorry about the mood whiplashes and melodrama, I've been getting way more emotionally involved in this story than I expected to. Thank you for being patient with me. Love all around!