School's been hectic. Might not have another update for a time to come. BUT I'VE GOT THIS ALLL PLANNED OUT. :3
So this chapter's based directly on the movie Hetalia: Paint it White.
So you might wanna watch it. :D
You know what the allies and the Axis were doing, but what about poor Canada?
WONDER NO LONGER!
There are a few scenes directly from the movie, and a few slight inconsistencies. Sorry about that =_=" Don't sue me either, everything belongs to their respectful owners.
Please, comment, rate etc. I like feedback~ C:
Enjoy~~~
Dedication
Tap.Tap.Tap.Tap.
Just put one foot after the other, that's all that mattered. Have to get away.
It was the middle of the night. The moon was concealed by a thick layer of dark clouds. The lights of the houses and apartments had long been turned off. Even the street lights had gone out. A tall blonde ran down a dark alleyway, the heels of her shoes clicking against the uneven bricks of the road.
Tap. Tap. Tap. She stumbled on her own feet.
Doesn't matter. Don't stop. Have to get away.
Away from them.
Her breathing was heavy. Her lung felt like they were on fire, as her long locks of strawberry blonde hair would get into her eyes. But she could hear them; they were getting closer. Why were here? What did they want? There wasn't time to even think. She had to keep going. Their dark shadows ran down the street in hot pursuit.
Turn the corner. Look back. No good. Wasting time.
All she could do was continue her escape. Keep running.
"Help! Someone!" She cried out, her voice was horse.
What was that? There was a light up ahead; the flashing blue and red lights of a police siren. The car was park diagonally at the exit of the narrow passage. Lastly, a lone police officer stood by his car, his back to her.
Her face lit up. She was saved. Her salvation. She ran up to him, skidding to a stop as he turned around.
Her eyes widened with horror. "No.."
"Y-Y-You're one of them!"
It's not something that he had that gave it away. But what he didn't.
His face.
His face was free of any features. As smooth as glass.
The officer. The figure of authority and protection would be the cause of her demise. He was blocking her only way out.
The neat and pressed uniform melted into the form's white rubbery body as the thing drooped into a slouch. And to top it off, that familiar antenna, glowing a pale green.
It started towards her in a slow hobble.
Frightened blue eyes looked back in the other direction on hopes of a getaway.
But Luck wasn't in her favour today.
The alley was filled with them. And they all had but one target.
Slow green lights bobbed towards her.
She stood there, frozen. As both sides began to choke the remaining space that was between them.
This was it. Wasn't it? She whimpered.
Green fog filled the air as tendrils of vivid yellows and red floundered from the seams of the backstreet.
It was an awful feeling. The sensation she felt as the bright ribbons of energy surrounded her.
She didn't want to die.
"No way…"
"Mmm. Try not to think about it took much. Stay inside and don't try to pull anything funny."
"Alright, well, thanks for letting me know. I'll talk to you later then."
"Take care, Anna."
I waited for the click at the other end of the line before putting the phone back on the hook.
That was Denmark. Even though I was older now, he still treated me like a kid. Besides, it had been ages since I actually 'pulled anything funny'. I shook my head. Well, I guess I couldn't be all that mad. It frustrated me a little, but I knew he just did that because he cared.
I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes. I was still trying to run it all through my head. In the black and empty canvas of my eyelids, my mind etched a picture of that face, the one I hadn't seen in person for such a long time. Wavy hair, timid smile. I straightened up, opening my eyes to shake the picture away. I had decided.
Waltzing over to the front door, I slid my arms through the sleeves of my sweater.
"…Sorry Denmark, I'll have to make it up to you later." I muttered.
He just wanted me to be safe; I was probably a terrible kid when it came to listening to his orders. That was probably why he still treated me like one. But, I also had to do what I thought was best.
And I wanted to see him. Canada, I hope you're okay.
"..Canada?" I knocked on the door.
No answer. Before I let the panic start to rise, I tried the handle.
"Hmm?The door's open." Though, it did seem like something he would do. Naturally forgetful, easily frazzled. It brought a smile to my face just thinking about it. It was so…Canada.
Well, it wasn`t even noon yet, maybe he was still asleep. Haha, I guess I could give him a wake-up call if that were the case. I made my way up the stairs, hoping to catch him off guard in the back of my mind. By this time, I had practically forgotten the reason I came here in the first place.
`Hey, Canada!" I called out, deciding to be fair.
Reaching the top of the stairs, I heard a muffled "Ow!" from the other side of the door. It sounded like a tornado was going through there. I opened the door, walking in.
"The door was open so I thought I'd-" my explanation drifted off. There he was standing upright in the middle of the room. His hand rubbed a light bump on his head and he looked more flustered then usual. I guess it was mostly my fault for barging in here uninvited.
"William? You okay? You look like you just saw a ghost." I sauntered towards him. He looked pale. The thought of touching his forehead flashed by, but I knew that wasn't what I should be doing.
"What? D-d-do I?" He tried to laugh it off, "…It's nothing, really."
Then why do you look so worried? Was it something I did? It really wasn't like Canada to lie. N-No, I shouldn't be jumping to conclusions. No wait, there wasn't time for this, I was getting distracted again. I pushed my apprehensions away as best I could.
I came to tell him something. Though now I wasn't so sure I had my priorities straight.
Anna gave me a look before shrugging it off. "…Have you seen the news?" Her tone grew serious.
I shook my head no, too sheepish to tell her that when I wasn't busy in meetings or running around with America's errands, I had been spending all of my free time making her something I was to scared to give her.
"Really? " She said, sounding surprised, "Well, I just heard about it this morning. It's on every channel."
She pointed at the sofa; Kumigiro was already resting lazily on a large throw pillow. I sat down obediently as she went to turn on the TV. The screen flickered on as she sat down next to me.
A newscaster sat at her desk, holding a thin stack of papers in front of her. We looked intently at the screen.
"This is an emergency broadcast." She began,
I know the news is supposed to be objective, but I could already see the look of anxiety on her face.
"…For those of you just joining us," the small picture in the top right corner of the screen expanded. I squinted at the live feed. It looked like…several people covered in white from head to toe, scattered on the roads of Ottawa. They had thin wires with lights attached to them at the tops of their heads which you could only compare to what you'd see on those deep sea bottom feeders.
"It all started last night when mysterious figures were first noticed wandering the streets. Several missing person reports were filed soon after, not only here, but throughout the globe. Though, we have no camera coverage, it is said that these beings are able to convert Humans into their likeness. Even scientists have no explanation other then the work of Extraterrestrial beings. Civilians are asked to stay indoors and remain calm. This is an emergenc-" The message started to repeat over again.
Anna held out the remote and turned off the TV.
"Extraterrestrial beings?...Like aliens?" My eyes widened. Did I hear her right?
I stared at the empty screen, "…W-We're being invaded by Aliens?" How was this possible? Well, there was America's friend, Tony, but there was only ever one of him. And now we're having an entire species coming to take us over? My stomach dropped, I felt sick already.
She nodded solemnly. "I came here as soon as I found out."
"You shouldn't have come if you knew how dangerous it was." I poked her lightly on the forehead as my means to scold her.
"Hey, I was w…" She said, rubbing her forehead. She didn't finish her sentence, "…So what should we do?"
Even after some thought, I still came up on a blank. I never really thought this day would come, so I had to say that I didn't have a back-up plan.
"I...I don't know."
It was quiet. Neither of us knew what to say…or do.
The phone rang. I stood to pick it up.
"H-Hello?"
"Yo Dude!" A bright voice answered me back. America, right on cue. I was actually kind of relieved. "You hear about the aliens?" He didn't wait for an answer, "G8 Meeting. Pronto."
"Wha? W-wait!" Click. He had already hung up. I sighed as I put the phone back on the hook. At least we really knew now that absolutely nothing could get America in low spirits. Not even an alien invasion.
"What'd America want?" Anna tilted her head. I didn't realize he had been so loud that she actually heard him well enough to recognize the voice.
"He wants to have a meeting about the…uhm...Aliens." You know, as much as I said it, it still felt weird. I guess I still needed a bit more time for the fact to sink in.
Geez, I love my brother and all, but sometimes I wish he wasn't so hard to work with. He didn't even give us a time. So Pronto, just meant well, right now. At least it would be easy for me, living so close and all but what about China, or Russia, halfway across the world? Oh well, I couldn't help them out anymore than a bird trying to help a fish climb up a tree.
The second question would be…if I should bring Anna. On one hand, I don't want to have to bring her out on the alien infested streets to get to the G8 summit location. Even though I was frightened, that seemed like the more honourable thing to do. But on the other, if I told her to stay here, she'd probably wander out all alone, which was even more dangerous.
Anna had stood up and already made her way to the door while I was busy pondering.
"Well? What're you waiting for? Knowing America, he probably wants to get this started as soon as possible."
"E-Eh? You want to come?" Even I was kind of surprised at her enthusiasm to go out into the 'wild'.
She gave me one of those 'Are-You-Kidding-Me' looks. "Let you have all the fun to yourself? Of course I'm coming!"
She phrased it like she was doing this for herself, but I could tell that she was really just trying to take some of the pressure off of me. I smiled gratefully at her. It was embarrassing that she had to be the brave one for the both of us.
"..Thanks."
She winked at me.
With Kumigirou in my arms, we left for yet another world meeting.
We took a forest trail. It seemed like an easier way to go since we both knew it like the back of our hand. All of the snow had long been melted, with nothing but fresh, lush greenery behind. It seemed like all of the animals had already made their own getaways. While Anna and I didn't have anything to say, so it was pretty quiet.
But the forest began to thin out as we reached the city. I knew it wasn't far, but it still a painstakingly huge amount of effort.
It was much. Much. Worse than I had originally thought. And though I wasn't the 'jump-to-the-worst-case-scenario' kind of person, I certainly wasn't thinking very optimistically. Everywhere you turned, it was like more and more of them littered the streets.
"I hope everyone else is okay…" Anna voiced her thought out loud. Not a single person was in sight. I tried my best to reassure her before we continued on.
They didn't seem all that aggressive, but just to be on the safe side; we stayed on our toes and weaved our way through back alleyways.
I think it's apparent that we made it to there in one piece.
He left the door open for us, so we entered with ease.
Anna and I shuffled down the large hallways to the meeting room. Turning the last corner, we stumbled onto two already deep into their own conversation.
The shorter one had short brown hair and golden toned eyes to match. He was dressed in a violet blazer, usually worn for formal occasions, with a pink collared shirt and a green tie. Well, he was known for his fashion trends. Lastly, a long notable curl stuck out from the left side of his head.
"Ve? I can't make Pasta now?" He looked up questioningly at the other man, who almost seemed like a vein would pop if he got anymore stressed.
Standing directly in front of Italy was a tall, muscular man. His blonde hair was adeptly slicked back. His wore a neatly pressed dark brown suit, white shirt and matching tie. As always, not even a dust particle could be found out of place on him. Pale blue eyes stared angrily at his companion, before they softened considerably.
"No. Italy. The meeting's almost ready to start. There isn't time." He scolded in his deep voice. He sounded tired.
Well, at least we weren't even the last ones to arrive.
"H-hello, Germany, Italy." I said quietly nodding at them. I usually didn't like talking that much, but they were standing right in front of the meeting room door.
They squinted in my direction.
"Greenland? What're you doing here?" Germany asked with a raised eyebrow.
Anna looked up shyly, not expecting to be questioned.
"Oh! U-um. Don't mind me," She said with a nervous smile. She waved one hand back and forth while she put her other hand on my shoulder. Both of us were painfully aware that I had been ignored again. "I'm just here accompanying Canada." She added extra tone in the last two words.
As if I just emerged into view, Italy jumped back in shock while Germany tried his best to stay polite.
"Ah…Yes…Well," He cleared his throat, "We were just about to start in a few minutes." He opened the door and gestured to me.
I walked in timidly, Anna about to follow after me when Germany stopped her at the door.
"This is a G8 meeting." He said sternly.
I flushed angrily, isn't that just a little rude? I opened my mouth to protest, but Anna shook her head 'no' at me.
"…Oh, I see, I'll just wait out here then." She smiled.
Germany nodded shoving Italy inside and shut the door. I took my chair, the other two doing the same.
A light fragrance drifted from a huge array of fresh flowers at the centre of the long oval meeting table. Eight chairs were plotted around it, each with their own computer. While behind the front of the table, was an enormous television screen, showing various news reports from around the world. It was needless to say what the headline of the day was.
Everyone seemed pretty relaxed, considering the situation. England was taking another sip of tea, France was taking this opportunity to flirt with the maid standing by. Japan and Germany were waiting patiently, both looking extremely professional. China, his dark hair tied back into a ponytail and dressed in a yellow mandarin jacket, looked extremely bored and tired. You couldn't blame him, since he lived so far and still made it here in record time. Lastly, Russia, the tallest of us all, was….enjoying….knitting… U-Um, Well, we just don't question Russia. But really, I had to admire all of their composure; it was like nothing had even changed. Though, I wasn't too sure that Italy really understood what was happening.
I sat there quietly, twiddling my thumbs as we all waited for the final member to arrive.
The door creaked open, followed by a loud impatient slam.
I looked up to see none other than America stomping into the room. How could you possibly be late to your own meeting?
"Gentleman!" He shouted.
He walked up to the head of the table and slammed his hands down on the table top.
"This is an emergency!"
From the corner of my eye, I could see Italy doodling with a permanent marker over the file folder stamped 'Top Secret' in bright red ink.
"As you can tell from the documents, odd faceless beings have appeared. Unfortunately, most of Earth's population is rapidly being turned into these 'Noppera'."
His words were practically flying out of his mouth, simply filled to the brim with confidence. I didn't expect any less from my brother.
"According to my friend Tony," He continued on,
America's speech started to blur as my mind drifted for a second. Hold on, wasn't that the alien that started to live with America after the Roswell Incident?
"..These things are from a planet called 'Pict'—"
"This is rubbish! Like the plotline for a low budget movie." England interrupted, America, easily and promptly ignored the comment.
"They're 'Noppera' from birth, and they want to make us all like them! We can't let this happen!" America straightened up, "But if we want to defeat them, we need to cooperate!" He said, pulling his hand into a fist. I've never seen him looking so grim.
"Does anyone know anything more about the Noppera?" He tacked onto the end.
The room went quiet.
"E-Eto…"
It was Japan. He never usually spoke up in meetings, so all of our eyes were on him. I could almost see the anxiety radiating off of him.
"W-Well…in Japanese culture, there's a creature called 'nopperabou'. It doesn't have a mouth or nose or-"
England stood up, his eyebrows furrowed. "How would you know all of this? Are you working with them?" Suspicious green eyes gazed at Japan.
"N-No! I was only trying to explain-" Japan quickly defended himself.
"Well. I could see Japan using the Noppera to take over the world aru." China interjected his opinion as well.
I could see why he was hesitant to speak up in the first place. They could at least give Japan enough time to finish his sentences. You know, benefit of the doubt. If he had anything to do with it, why would he have spoken up in the first place?
"What? N-No! That's not what I was trying to say at all!"
America held up his hand to quiet everyone down.
"Forget it! Moving on, In order to address this issue, I'll take all of your opinions into consideration."
Honestly, I was impressed. I didn't think America took anything seriously, but maybe I've misjudged him.
"l—" The first sound I made since the meeting,
"Greaaaat! If nobody has any suggestions, then I'll just continue!"
Well, I guess some things never change.
"The only remaining solution is war! Let's get all of our armies together and fight under my flag!" He threw his fist in the air.
I almost cringed at my brother's aggressive nature. Please…you could at least try to act like you aren't excited about starting a fight.
"My allegiance is to the white flag! Pata Pata!" Italy was the only one to respond instantly, pulling out a small white cloth tied to a stick.
Italy…that's almost just as bad.
England marched right up to America.
"What is it with you and making all of the big decisions yourself?"
America lit up at the easy answer.
"Well because I'm the HERO! Obviously."
"That's just a nickname for 'idiot'." England crossed his arms stubbornly.
"My nickname should be-" France was joining in now.
"Be quiet, Wine Bastard!" Well, England didn't like that.
"What did you call me, punk?"
France and England started shoving each other back and forth, their faces so close, their noses were practically touching.
"It's because you simply are!" England grabbed France by the collar.
A heavy sigh. "Are those two fight again?" China said exasperated.
"Anyone want a white flag? I made plenty!" Italy had somehow produced at least six more white flags. How he did that always remind a mystery to me. But he never seemed to be in short supply. "Let's surrender together~!"
America slapped Japan's shoulder.
"You'll go along with my plans right?"
Poor Japan, I could hear his heart beat racing from across the table. He always tried to keep on good terms with America, but that usually led to him doing alot of 'troublesome' things. With every hair standing on edge, Japan looked like he was ready to pass out.
"A-Ah…Well…no." His head turned opposite of America, "It's fine if you want money, but not my army..." He mumbled.
Really Japan, I don't America wouldn't mind if you didn't sugar coat everything you said. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't even notice at all.
"Russia~!" America moved to his next target.
"Eh?" He was one of the few of us left still in our seats.
"So, what're you planning to do?"
"Well, I guess I'll be fighting."
He didn't even need to think about it. Russia, you don't need to look so happy about that too…
"Sweet! I have the perfect job for you!"
Russia smiled.
"You'll be my backup!"
"Eh?" He looked surprised. But that was also the same plan America came up with every time.
"Well, I'll be the one saving the world since I'm the Hero!" America said matter-of-factly. "I mean, I even have a bunch of Hollywood movies about heroes!"
"Hey!" England came into their conversation, "I've made many Military movies as well!"
France followed after, "Right, Like England actually makes rezpectable movies."
"Shut up! Your movies are stupid and put me to sleep."
"P-Please don't-" Nobody paid me any attention. England and France were like cat and dog sometimes. Well, all the time. They were in a full out fight now. How did we drift all on the way to debating movies?
"At least movies from my home have been successful aru!" China shouted back.
Hey, don't encourage them.
"But a horse can't beat an alien so…" America was grinning as he spoke. I'm pretty sure he didn't realize he was the start all of this.
"Aiyah! That's offensive!" China was standing now too.
Japan didn't want to be left out of the argument. "My home is usuarry quiet, bu-"
"My home makes great war movies!" Italy cut him off. Huh, I never thought that would be one of Italy's fortes.
"While in Germany, the soldiers meet German girls. In Greece, they meet Greek girls. In Russia they meet Russian girls. In space, um…I guess they could meet aliens? "
Oh, that sounds more like him. I looked over to the only one who hadn't said anything yet. Germany had his teeth clenched. His shoulders trembled. He looked like a balloon ready to pop.
"Shut up! Now!" He stood up abruptly, slamming fists on the table. "Vhile you imbeciles keep arguing, more and more people are becoming Noppera! So listen vill you? These people are losing their faces! They won't know who they are! Think about it! " This was much, much worse than a balloon. "You people are the biggest IDIOTS I've ever met!"
It felt like the room literally shook during Germany's explosion. However, the dust still hadn't settled and nobody else had listened. France and England were still at it, yelling something about not accepting the opinion of the other.
"I'm always right!" America laughed
"I only listen to myself~." That was Russia.
"I always do things my own way." China said in a superior form.
Japan was still trying to explain himself, and Italy, well, was waving his white flags.
"…Now, I understand," Germany sighed.
The room went quiet, and everyone else finally turned their attention to the blonde.
"It vas foolish of me to believe I could speak to you all rationally." He spat, "This was just a waste of my time." He opened his eyes, giving us the full blizzard of his icy glare "I'll do this by myself! And the rest of you can do the same." He turned and left without another word. As he opened the door, Anna stumbled backwards, not expecting anyone to be walking out so soon.
"O-Oh, Hey Germany! Weather's been nice lately ahaha…" She gave him that same nervous smile. He stormed off. I think he was too angry to care.
No one said anything and just stared at the open door. That was when everyone else started to abandon ship as well.
"I guess I'll just do whatever then.~" Russia was the next to go.
"Me too. I refuse to fight alongside you all just to get defeated aru."
"Well, I'm definitely not going to fight with England."
"Shut up! I was about to say the same for you."
"Haha! Those who aren't loud aren't heard!" You can all guess who that was.
"…My stomach hurts." Japan was hunched over as he shuffled out of the room. He was probably thinking about how to let America down easy.
"Eh? Wait! Don't leave me here alone!" Italy went running after.
"B-but I was right here the whole time…"
"…After sitting through all of that, I didn't even get to say my opinions…" I murmured. Yes, I was a little disappointed, but I can't say that it was any different from a regular meeting.
"Who're you?" The polar bear looked up at me.
"…I'm Canada." Sometimes, I wasn't sure if it was even worth it to answer.
"E-Eh? Alone? Italy wait! Did Canada leave already?" Anna walked into the room, looking around. She spotted me and strolled over.
"Well, I'm guessing that didn't go well." She said quietly.
"Weren't you leaning on the door so you could hear everything?"
She flushed, since she was caught in the act, there wasn't anything else she could say.
This was awful. Why couldn't we pick up the pieces when things got tight? Everyone should know that we're stronger when we work together.
"…You okay?" Lavender eyes looked up at me.
I shook my head no. "…I-I don't know what to do…"
Canada admittedly, didn't have a huge army or anything. When we weren't sending troops to help my brother out of another scuffle he got himself into, we barely had enough to patrol borders, none the less fight aliens. I've been relying on everyone else's power up until now but, I just thought that having a big attack force was just another factor that encouraged more violence. I returned a glance to Anna. I wasn't even strong enough to protect her.
We were in so much trouble.
"Hey…It's okay, let's head back, maybe we'll think of something by then." She said gently, nudging my shoulder. She seemed a lot less worried than I was feeling right now.
As soon as we got back to my house, we did everything we could to make sure that was rest of the public was notified and as safe as possible. Since I was pretty sure the other countries would be handling their problems, I pulled the military from the borders to bring them to the towns. But other than repositioning the military, there wasn't much else that I could do.
Anna, had Denmark's help, so there was little she could do herself either.
So there we were, sitting in my living room, back where we started. Dark clouds had been building up as we were preparing and the sky was now blanketed. There was a tension in the atmosphere; you could tell something big was going to happen.
I checked a few tabs on the others beforehand, all of them pulling out their biggest and best weaponry. Anna hadn't taken her eyes off of the news for one second since we returned. A part of me just wanted to go back to bed and hope this was all a bad dream. But the side with more common sense knew that just ignoring your problems wouldn't make them go away.
I sat down beside her, Kumagijou peacefully sleeping on the couch. Oh, ignorance is bliss, isn't it?
Even after all of the warnings we gave out, a young journalist was standing on Wellington street right in front of Parliament hill.
"I'm here now on site, at the home of the Parliament of Canada. The lights are off. The streets are empty." The camera panned around to show us, "The question is: What will happen now? Are we really properly prepared for possibly the worst attack against the human race since—" The reporter looked to the sky. "Oh wait,what's this?" The camera followed upwards, showing the sky speckled with enormous orbs of pale green light. They started lowering, one in particular inflated as it approached. Suddenly, it burst, release a cloud of green mist and multicoloured tendrils sprang out from the center. The reporter screamed and the camera was dropped on the ground. Static.
We both went pale. Anna started flipping to the other news networks. The remote trembled in her hands.
Fighter jets and Helicopters looking like paper as they fell from the sky in the US and England.
Missile launchers collapsing in Russia.
Navy ships as huge as hundreds of houses were sinking in China and Japan.
Tanks in Germany and France were crushed like soda cans.
It didn't matter what the method of attack was, it all ended the same. In Static.
Anna dropped the remote and reached into her pocket. A thin rectangular flip-up phone in her hand, she began dialing a number with quivering hands.
I ran to the phone, holding the phone to my ear with my shoulder while turning the ring to dial.
C'mon America, pick up.
…Nine..Ten..
"Hey!"
"America! Are you o—"
"I'm out saving the world right now, but if you leave a message, I'm sure we can talk during the after party!"
…It was just the answering machine. My heart sank as I put the phone back on the hook. I looked over to Anna. Sad lavender eyes returned my gaze as she shook her head.
"No answer from Denmark or Norway either."
Dejected. Useless. Idiotic. I couldn't even begin to describe how awful I felt.
Was this a battle that we really couldn't win? America...I-I feel like I've been such a bad brother to you. I should've said something back at the G8 meeting. I should've offered to help.
The distant look in Anna's eyes faded as she saw my look of grief.
"C'mon," She stood up and headed for the front door.
"W-Wha..? Where to?"
"You know that America," She tried at a laugh, it came out false though, "Japan told me once that he's a lot more sensitive than he looks. I'm sure he's fine! Just a bit shaken, that's all. We'll just need to go and slap him around. That'll wake him up!"
I smiled weakly.
"She really does have Boundless optimism." If an alien attack couldn't get you down, I don't know what would. With that, I followed after her, grasping Kimakichi tightly in my arms.
Stepping outside the safety of my home, I couldn't believe how much they changed everything. It looked as if the very essence of life had been ripped away. The air was still, the animals were gone. The houses and buildings drooped; looking like toddlers had remade them out of white plasticine. Though winter had long past, everything was plain white. The color drained from each blade of grass. It pained me to see my cities in such a state. But worst of all, the amount of Noppera had increased dramatically.
The trip wasn't easy, but seeing America's house was like seeing the light at the end of a tunnel. I don't know why, but our own homes didn't seem to be affected by the conversion. It was the same for my home as it was for America's. Anna checked for any signs of Noppera. All clear. Running up to the front steps of his familiar home, I banged on the door.
"A-America! Are you there?" No answer, "…America! Please!" I knocked faster.
Anna touched my shoulder to stop me and shook her head. Feelings of dread swirled in my stomach.
"Don't worry, Uhm.." Anna tried to reassure me, but even she didn't have anything to say.
"AMERICAAA!" A low gruff voice shouted.
Wait...at us?
I looked up to see a heavyset man stomping towards us at a scarily high speed. Angry eyes creased his dark olive toned skin and sweat beaded on his forehead. Thick chestnut dreads were tied back into a high ponytail. Lastly, the most signature item was his brightly coloured floral patterned T-shirt.
"A-Ah! Wait! Cuba! Y-Y-You don't understand—" Before I could fully respond, he was already right at us.
"AMERICA YOU JERK! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT ISN'T IT? I SHOULD'VE KNOWN!"
Pause. I just want to describe what happened here.
Imagine the three of us in a line. Cuba and the further left, me on the right and Anna in the middle. Now, imagine Cuba trying to claw his way to my neck, Anna trying to push a man twice her side back away, and me, standing stiff as a board trying to explain everything to him, again. Oh, and then there's Kumidijou, practically half asleep.
"Cuba , please calm down!"
"OUTTA THE WAY ANNA!"
"C-Cuba! It-It's Me!" I said, holding my polar bear up. I hope Kumihirou enjoyed those few moments feeling like the lion king before Cuba bonked me on the head. "M-Maple!"
"I KNOW WHO YOU ARE AMERICA!"
"N-No..! I mean, It's me, C-Canada."
That seemed to make him lose some acceleration. He scratched his head then blinked a few times.
"Ohhhhh. Sorry about that Canada."
I tried to laugh it off. "E-eh…Don't worry about it." I couldn't help but think back to all of the times where he nearly gave me a heart-attack. Anna had a sigh of relief.
America and Cuba were never really on good terms. So when other countries always mistake me for my brother, it usually gets me into a lot of trouble. But underneath it all, Cuba was a nice guy; he tried to make it up to me once by inviting me over to his house for a vacation.
But then again, when I got there, as he was waiting for me at the airport, he mistook me for America and…I won't get into that.
"…So what brings you here Cuba?" Anna broke the silence with a shaky smile.
He cleared his throat, as we all brushed of my near-death experience.
"Well, I was here to knock some information out of that damn America, but if he's…" He drifted off, looking down at me.
I knew where he was heading; America's gone missing too now.
"Hey! C'mon, don't look like that!" He gave me a firm pat on the back, "Us folks just gotta stick together!"
I nodded quietly, feeling comforted by my two friends.
"Well, when I left my house, word on the street was that they were targeting the members of the G8 first. But now that they've got them all…"
I didn't bother to say that I was a member of the G8 too. Maybe he just forgot.
"We're next in line." Anna finished his sentence.
This was bad. If those things ate up countries like Russia and America in one afternoon, getting to us would be like slicing paper.
"We need a safe house then." Cuba crossed his arms, probably thinking about where we could go.
Hmm… It seemed like everything but our own houses were affected by the 'attack'. But we couldn't go there; it'd be the first place they'd look! Getting caught definitely wasn't the aim of the game.
"I got it!" Anna snapped her fingers, her eyes bright.
Cuba and I looked to her wearily.
"Guys, we're going back to school!" She slammed a fist into her other hand.
We stared at her incredulously. Cuba looked like he was waiting for the part where she goes "just kidding~!"
She returned our gazes with a grin that could probably outshine the sun, if it was still out, that is.
"Guys, I'm serious."
…Wait what?
I-I can't believe this. Of all the places! It didn't make sense!
"Think about it guys! It's close, secure, and probably stacked full of useful supplies! We'll be able to get in without a hitch! And I'm sure it won't be the first place they'll look, not when they have all of our houses to go to first."
Anna's explanation rang back into my head. Okay, okay, so it did make sense. I sighed inwardly. Gakuen Hetalia. Just thinking about the place brought back the many bittersweet memories along with it. But that's another story.
I shuffled reluctantly down the alley as we made our way to our old academy, Anna and Cuba on the alert for more signs of danger. Clutching Kumadajiour tightly, I checked the corner.
All clear.
We rushed out into the empty street and headed straight towards the next alley entrance. Even with only a few seconds of exposure each time, it was still scary as ever. We ducked into the next corner.
Anna looked back at us, "So far so g—" She whispered, until we saw the hidden contents of the alley. She spoke too soon.
A group of civilians huddled close together cringed back at our sudden appearance. No more than four or five all together. A little girl whimpered before her mother covered her mouth with her hand. They pressed their backs to the wall. Lines creased their tired faces; some looked as if they were on the edge on consciousness. Anna knelt down beside the woman and began to talk with her quietly.
Survivors? I checked behind us again, no we were still okay. I thought everyone had been turned by the attack. So there were still small pockets of people left amongst all this havoc.
Anna jumped back, "Your arm!"
The rest of the crowd tried to hush her as the woman covered it up hastily. But it was too late to try and hide it.
Our eyes widened. The signature rubbery white substance of the Noppera covered the entirety of the woman's right arm, and probably around half her shoulder. It was on all of them, the two men had their legs wrapped while even the little girl's arms were stark white up to their elbows.
I was wrong, everyone had been affected.
Anna bent down beside the young girl after calming herself down. "Climb on my back, we'll get you safe Hon."
We stared at Anna.
"What? " She stood up, wrapping the girl's limp arms around her neck, "Gakuen Hetalia has an infirmary, Canada would know." Arugh, please don't bring that up.
"We can't just leave them here!" She continued anyways.
The thought of just leaving these citizens out here to fend for themselves was…awful…She had a point.
Cuba slung the two unconscious men over his shoulders as if they were sacks of rice. "I like the way you think Greenland!" He grinned.
That left me with the mother of the child. I knelt down beside her.
"U-Uhm..Can you walk?"
She nodded weakly, but fell over in attempt. I took her good arm around to my other side and we stood up together. Kumikichi would just have to settle for walking for a while.
Alright, here we go. All of us, or none at all.
"The school…" Words escaped me.
Our old academy. A shared home for all of us.
We all stared at the disfigured building that had been our shelter for an entire year. The fountain was empty, the garden was gone, and the brilliant hues of the stone had been sucked dry. White. Blank and empty.
"We didn't come all this way for nothin'." Cuba grunted, marching over to the front doors and set his load down.
"What're you—"
Cuba answered by ramming his shoulder into the doors, forcing them open.
"Heh." He picked up the two and flashed us a thumbs up. Didn't even leave a scratch on him, I was impressed. It feels like you've done this before…
The two went inside, while I shut and locked the doors behind us.
Anna waltzed in, her footsteps echoing off the walls.
"See this?" She twirled as she spoke, looking around the suddenly unfamiliar building, "This is where—" She looked back to the little girl, who had already fallen asleep in her arms. She smiled faintly and continued on silently. This day…must have taken a lot out of her.
We passed by the grand Banister and several classroom doors that used to be made of dark polished wood. None of them were nearly as good as their former glory, but that was to be expected.
And finally at the end of the hall, the door to the infirmary.
I opened the door tentatively.
To our surprise, it seemed that, even though the building itself had taken quite a hard hit; most of the furniture inside was unchanged.
"Well, it's a good thing they're not thorough with their work!" Anna exclaimed, setting the little girl down on a bed and tucking her in.
Cuba dropped the other two in their own beds. E-Eh! Be more careful..!
I helped the woman lie herself down. She looked even more worn out than before. Anna took a glance over before leaving to check the medical supplies.
"T-Thank you so much." Tears filmed the old woman's eyes.
I pained her a smile as she closed her eyes to rest. Stop it, I know no one would be willing to say it, but this was our fault to begin with.
As tired as we were, we all knew resting wasn't an option. Not when there could still be more people out there. While Cuba and I would go out to look for more survivors, (though, I didn't feel like I could help as much when Cuba was bringing back eight at a time) Anna and Kumdigo would stay behind to look after them. And it went on like that for most of the afternoon.
"Well, it looks like they're all finally asleep…" I sighed, sinking down against the wall. We had just come back from another trip; we didn't find anything and decided to head back. Cuba sat down beside me and wiped his brow. Man, it looked like even his collar was drooping.
"Guys…? Can you come in here a sec?" Anna called out to us from inside the infirmary.
"But we just finished!"Cuba groaned. I stood up shakily and pulled Cuba back on his feet.
Walking inside, my eyes widened. Not a single bed was empty; I didn't realize how many people we brought in. Anna must be just as tired as we were.
"Hm? What is it?" I asked, joining her at the first little girl's bedside.
"We have a problem." I blinked confusedly, she looked immensely serious.
…It just didn't suit her.
She gingerly pulled of corner of the girl's blanket away.
White rubbery substance had worked all the way up to her neck. The picture of her white hands flashed back to mind.
"I-It's spreading…!"
Anna swallowed hard before nodding.
Cuba started looking around the room at the other sleeping patients.
"…It's the same for all of them." She knew what he was thinking as well I was, "I thought it was just my imagination at first, but," her hands tightened on her lap, "But, it's undeniable now."
"H-How much time do we—"
There was a low rumble in the distance; the ground almost seemed to shake.
Anna ran to the window, her eyes widened. She tried to pull the curtain closed, but the thick stiff substance wouldn't budge.
The building lurched, "Less time than you'd think."
I stumbled backwards. Just how many of them were there?
"We can get out through the backdoor!" I stood frozen, staring at the room full of sleeping civilians, "NOW!" Cuba was quick to take charge and pointed to our exit.
I could hear them, multiple footsteps echoing through the halls. All these people, even after all of this, we did nothing for them. But there was no time to lose.
We ran over, Cuba opened the door and gestured. As I ran to the stairwell, Kumigirou jumped off my shoulder. Where was Cuba?
I turned around, only to see Cuba and Kumitirou shutting the door while they were still inside the infirmary. Click.
"Eh? Kumikichi?" I tried the doorknob. He locked it. "Cuba-san! What're you doing!"
"I'm staying behind."
"N-No…! We agreed! All of us. Together." I shook the door harder in a futile attempt to open the door.
"If we did that, then we'd all go down. I'll keep 'em busy so you'll have enough time to escape."
"This isn't funny! You too Kumajirou." Anna cried out.
"Who're you?"
"Go on! Get!" He started digging through his pockets. The other door, started to pound and shake. We'd been found, and they were determined not to let us slip through their fingers. Pulling out a fat cigar, he lit it up.
Anna tucked at my sleeve. I shut my eyes tight and shook my head no.
"…Canada, go." Cuba said sternly. He took a long, calm drag from his cigar. "You have more to protect than just yourself." He said, smoke drifting from his mouth. He winked.
"…Thank you, Cuba." I wiped the threatening tears away from my eyes. I pulled myself away from the door. Taking Anna's hand, we slipped out the back exit.
Cuba took another long drag. "You always gotta' protect what matters to you. Right, Kumajiou?" Cuba cracked his knuckles as the small bear cub nodded in response.
The door burst open.
We stumbled down the dark streets blindly, going as fast as our tired legs could carry us. The Noppera…Oh Kumikichi…Cuba…
"How could I just leave them like that?" Though,even as I thought this, I still ran.
We ducked into another alleyway.
"I can't…I can't go any further..." Anna gasped; her pace slowing to a stop. She held her heaving chest and her head drooped. Exhaustion was finally getting the best of us.
I wanted to tell her everything would be okay, but…I couldn't even tell that to myself. Kumadarou wasn't okay. Cuba wasn't okay.
America, England, France, where were they all now? Why did you all have to suddenly disappear? What I wouldn't give to hear America's high laugh right about now.
The side door of the apartment building opened soundlessly.
Glowing green antennae, white rubbery body. It had found us.
And to my horror, it was right behind Anna.
"Anna!" She looked up at me and tilted her head questioningly. She didn't understand. The glow grew stronger, lighting up the entire alley. No, No, Not her. I bolted forward. How? Did they plan this all along? Or just our dumb luck? It didn't matter. Fact was, it did happen. No, it's happening now.
I pushed her out of the way. My momentum tossed her out of the doorway's harm.
"William!" She regained her balance and ran back to me.
Pain? No more like…shock. A shock ran up my leg leaving it unresponsive and as heavy as an anvil. I fell to the ground, my hands scraping as they caught my fall. Hard as I tried, I couldn't stand.
My entire leg had been hit by the alien's blast, leaving it limp and white.
Anna pushed the Noppera back into the house and slammed the door shut. She quickly wrapped my arm around her shoulders and stood up, her body burdened with the weight of mine.
"Hang in there."
I can see why those guys from before had such a hard time staying conscious. Once that Noppera had seen us, it probably went to get the others. We didn't have much time.
Everything seemed to go by in a haze, a heavy force on my eyelids pulling them down. But I didn't want to sleep, not yet at least. Focusing on the stone cold feeling in my leg was the only thing keeping me awake.
Anna kept towing us along, running as fast as we could. A look of determination hardened her eyes. I couldn't tell where we were heading. Just one foot in front of the other. Again. Again. Rumbling in the distance, but was it going away this time?
Her pace quickened, I could see the house she was aiming for. Seeing the pale colors of the large manor was like finding an oasis after getting lost in the desert. This entire day just brought us in a roundabout back to America's house.
The door was open. She dragged us inside, surprised to find several locks on the inside of the door. Too bad America never seemed to use them.
She gently set me down before locking the door and shutting the curtains. We didn't dare turn on the lights. She seemed to collapse next to me, whatever was left of her immediate danger composure was fleeting. Her eyes started to water.
"Anna…" Please don't cry.
"It's all my fault! William. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
We both could see the white was spreading faster than ever before. A dark feeling of dread was spreading with it.
"Anna, when it takes over, you need to leave me here. Get as far away as possible."
She shook her head vigorously.
"No. I'm not leaving you behind."
"Anna, listen—"
"I won't."
I dropped the subject. There wasn't much time left. It was already working its way up my stomach.
"… I've been meaning to give you this," I searched blindly for the right pocket, "Here," I held out a box to her. "I-I was waiting for the right time but…" I drifted off.
Now would probably be the last time. Was what I wanted to say.
Ah, it was so cold, I shivered. I couldn't feel any of my limbs. Just this vague feeling of numb that chilled me to the bone. I wonder if this it what it felt like to die.
…I didn't want to die, not when there was still so much to say, but at the same time, I wasn't…scared. If there was any way to go, I was glad I did it protecting…her.
I couldn't hold the box up long enough for her trembling fingers to take it. My arm fell limp to the ground.
She neglected the box in order to grasp my hand.
The warmth from her hands. The warmth from her tears falling on my cheek.
No, not yet, I still…
"…And Anna?"
Lavender eyes looked at me. Three words. That was it. That's all I had to say.
"I…I—"
But why couldn't I?
Maybe, it was worse to tell her now, if I couldn't be there for her later. To grasp something in your hands, only to have it slip away. Just because I wanted it, doesn't mean it's the best for her.
And when you really care for someone, you have you think about them before yourself.
"…Stay strong for me, okay?"
Cold white scales climbed up my cheek. I closed my eyes.
It's too bad; I'll never get to see her answer.
He tilted his head back, the white substance crawling higher. No, don't look like that. Don't give up. You can't let it win. Why was it moving so fast? I needed more time to think, there had to be another way.
"…Stay strong for me,okay?" His voice was quiet and gentle.
I just grasped his hand tighter, hoping in vain that my hands could warm his. The tight feeling my in chest felt like it was just about ready to burst.
"Matthew! You can't…"
Then it was quiet.
"Don't go…"
My eyes stung with tears, fat droplets fell upon the white statue lying in front of me. As hard as I tried, I couldn't hold them back.
"I'm so sorry." My lips trembled, "You only asked me to stay strong, and I couldn't even to that for you."
It just all fell apart after. I cried, not even trying to stop the tear from flowing freely.
My fault. This is all my fault. I should of done something. Anything to stop it.
If I didn't need to stop to rest. If we didn't turn into that certain alley. If I hadn't suggested the school. Or better yet, if I had never come, then this would of ever happened. Matthew would still be alive and well. Raw grief ripped at my stomach.
One arm was pressed against my forehead, shamelessly trying to hide tears from no one but myself. I tipped backwards a little. As my other arm moving to catch my fall, it brushed against something. A small rectangular box. I tried to look at it with blurry eyes.
I tossed the polishing rag aside. It landed gently along side a pair of pliers, a magnifying glass, just a few of the examples of the many tools that were scattered on the desk. I had the type of organization that usually only I understood.
"There," I leaned back in my office chair and held it up to the light, "It's finally done." I murmured quietly. I felt a smile tug at my lips as I tilted my glasses to rub my tired eyes.
A bright scarlet maple leaf charm glimmered under the glow of the lamp. Outlined in light grey silver, and attached to a delicate pale chain necklace.
This was my first when it came to jewellery making. I had decided that I wanted to make all of the components myself, but Man; we really didn't give China enough credit for all of the work he must do. It took me days to get the hang of shaping each and every loop of the chain links into perfect little ovals. And the charm, well I chose a maple leaf because….Well…just because of my lack of creativity for this kind of thing. It was hard work; I think it'll all work out in the end. Besides, it makes it a lot easier when you had motivation.
Let me get you caught up, since it's been a while since I last told a story. A lot of time had passed since Anna came over with a fever. And it seemed like that our growth spurts hit us like a train. England seemed just as surprised as I was, though; I was still shorter than my brother. Hm…Oh yea! Both my brother and I gained independence. Though, we both used very different methods. I also joined the G8. America quickly took his place as the strong leader he always wanted to be. Things have gotten pretty busy, and by busy I mean hectic. I still spoke to her every once and a while, but it was usually no more then a 'Hi' while passing each other down the road or something.
I tucked it carefully into a thin rectangular box, lined with velvet.
"I'll tell her. Today. This time for sure." I clasped the box tightly in my hand. Don't be a coward.
I heard the door open followed by quick footsteps leading up to my room.
"Hey, Canada!" I recognized her voice instantly.
My head snapped up in panic. Lady luck had an awful sense of humor.
"Ow!" I had hit an overhanging lamp, knocking over the various items on my desk. The loud thud from my head to metal seemed to echo as everything else fell like dominoes. The pain quickly dulled.
I struggled to my feet, with one hand comforting the quickly emerging bump on my head and the other tightly holding onto the precious box. What to do? What to do? I looked around the room frantically; I fumbled with the box in my hands before I finally settled on shoving it into the inner pocket of my blazer.
The door opened quietly, as a girl entered the room with such grace, it seemed effortless.
"The door was open so I thought I'd-" She stopped herself, taking a few steps closer to me. "William? You okay? You look like you just saw a ghost."
Honey blonde hair adorned her clear porcelain skin. She had grown a couple inches since last saw her. Though we had both grown considerably, she was still shorter than me. But just because a lot had changed since I last saw her, doesn't mean everything has. The same lavender eyes gazed up at me, with a worried expression I knew all too well.
"What? D-d-do I?" I laughed nervously, "…It's nothing, really." I dropped my hand from the bump on my head.
I wanted to bang my head against the wall. Well, maybe now wasn't the best time to say it anyways. Yea, that's it. I'll tell her, but later.
"So that's why…from…before…" My voice cracked. I stared into the opened box, a beautiful necklace glimmering back at me.
I pressed my forehead against his, the tears pouring out all over again.
"Matthew…Don't go…" I repeated.
It wasn't fair. For him. Why didn't he just let me take the hit. And Kumajirou. And Cuba. Why couldn't I trade places with them?
And what if a green antenna were to sprout right now? I..I just couldn't leave him. Mixed into the masses of Noppera, I might never find him again. What was I supposed to do?
Eyes open. I'm lying on my back, staring up at vivid blue sky.
…Where am I?
I struggled to sit up, propping an arm behind me for support. I was sitting in a wide open field, the grass gently swaying back and forth. Lastly, it was dotted with pale purple flowers. Though I could see soft rays of sunlight beaming down over the land, I couldn't feel any of the warmth it should have brought.
How did I—
"Hey Canada!"
I looked up in response to my name. A young boy stood before me. A crescent stuck out of a mop of messy blond hair. He looked down at me with bright blue eyes.
"A-America?" I could of sworn that it was empty here a few seconds ago.
But he was different from what he was now. Younger. Like when we were both just colonies.
"C'mon! What're you waitin' for?" He held his hand out and grinned.
"W-What do you mean—" I reached out my hand, thinking to take his hand, but pulled it back in surprised.
My hand? It was so small. I touched my face. Where...Where are my glasses? But I could see just fine…I don't understand.
"Itz time to go!" A deeper voice floated in. It seemed like a thick fog rolled into my mind at the same moment. Leaving the heavy kind of feeling your head gets when you're drowsy.
Long wavy hair that matched my own tied back with a dark ribbon and a deep blue waistcoat. I could recognize France, even if he were a mile away. But beside him…was that England? Honestly, I've never seen those two even in the general vicinity of each other with such…serene expression. America straightened up and ran towards them, taking England's hand. But all three of their gentle gazes were on me.
"Come now, I don't wish to be tardy." That was England.
My eyelids drooped. A long forgotten wish seemed to be pulled out right in front of me. We could be together like a family again…
I wobbled onto my feet and started to towards them. My pace growing faster and faster…
"Matthew!"
That voice…where did I know it from? It sounded faint and distant.
"Matthew…!" It cried out again.
I turned around sluggishly, only a couple steps away from reaching my goal. I almost felt angry at whatever was stopping me.
A little girl. Skin as pale as snow itself, Honey blond hair fluttering in the breeze. Her delicate frame seemed like it could be blown away at any moment. Lastly, a pair of lavender eyes gazing into mine.
She looks so familiar…why can't I remember…?
I stopped dead in the field, realizing I was an equal distance from either group.
"Canada, don't keep us waiting."
I looked at the girl, and back to them. I hesitated.
"You are coming with us aren't you?" England continued to coax in a soft voice.
Yes… No… Yes.
I nodded at the group, and started towards them again.
"Don't go…" She called to me again, her eyes started to water.
I felt a small pang in my stomach. I wanted to help her. Why was that?
"Don't cry." I turned back towards her.
"Canada." The group said more sternly. I cringed back. Suddenly, they didn't seem so invited anymore.
She extended her tiny hand out to me. But she held a small purple flower. Five perfect round little petals and a yellow centre. I knew those… they grew all over the tundra up north. What were they called again..?
"It's a forget-me-not." She answered quietly, almost on cue.
With those few words, the mist dissipated, leaving my mind clear again. My eyes widened.
"…Anna?"
She nodded vigorously, wiping her tears away with trembling hands.
I ran towards her figure, the others' voices shouting in my ears. They were just memories, and they needed to stay like that. I couldn't live in a false past forever.
She was real. She was here; and she's waiting.
Warmth sprang up my arm just as my hand touched the fragile petals she held.
"…Matthew…!"
It was like rising to the surface of the water. Each time she called, her voice grew clearer. Before I could even find my bearings, I found that I had a weeping girl clinging tightly around me. I patted her back gently. I could feel the blood rushing to my face already.
"You-You're back!" She managed to splutter through a flurry of tears.
"Of course I came back." But the words never left my mouth.
Anna pushed me back by the shoulders, breaking up the tight hug. I guess we were too caught up in the moment there.
"What I mean is," She cleared her throat, "I'm really glad you're okay." She handed me my glasses.
"Y-Yea." Smooth. Sometimes, I just wanted to slap myself on the forehead. We stood there as I put my glasses on. I won't lie; it was awkward.
"NAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!"
Only one guy ever laughs like—
A rope ladder dropped at our feet, coupled with the sound of twirling helicopter blades. Seconds after, I looked to the sky; a person was coming down fast, clearly not making use of that rope ladder.
The ground quivered as they hit, wind whipping past my face.
Anna looked like a statue frozen in place. The dust began to settle, revealing a dark silhouette under the moonlight, standing right in between Anna and I. Talk about cutting it close. Hands surely placed on his hips, a Bomber Jacket, and huge confident grin. I wasn't surprised; it was none other than—
"…A-America..!" I was the first to speak up. I was more used to this sort of behavior. Poor Anna still hadn't moved. Understandable. He had almost landed square on us. But I was too glad to see him to scold him right now.
"That's right! After saving the world from peril countless times, the HERO has returned! Ha ha!"
Yep, that's America alright.
"…Did you always have that hole in your roof for doing that?" Anna managed to bring herself out of shock.
"There's a hole in the roof?" That would be a no.
Then again, sometimes I wondered if we were even related at all.
But still...this was the brother that I knew and loved. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
"I just came back to drop Tony off." He held up the little alien, who looked…well like Anna when she was still in shock. I think the poor guy was as scared falling, as us, watching the fall. "He totally wasn't into all that Noppera stuff. ANYWAYS Japan's throwing a Bon festival in celebration of ME!"
Somehow, I doubt that.
"C'mon I'll tell 'ya all about how your HERO saved the day once again at the party!" He gestured widely and grabbed into the rope ladder.
I stood there, feeling a little surprised. I wonder how that story would go?
"You guys comin' or what?" He had somehow already made it all the way to the top. Energy like a speeding train sometimes.
Anna giggled. "It'll be fun." She turned to me, one arm hanging off of a rung.
I smiled and followed her up.
And although she didn't say anything, I still noticed the glimmer of a dangling maple leaf.