A/N: I'm back! It took me so long to get back into the Hetalia fandom because I kind of switched over to Kuroko no Basuke. I have to blame Himaruya-sensei for that though because it took him months to post anything on his blog until recently which I have to say, makes me really happy. Plus the Nordics are going to be on the front cover of volume 6!

(V) Yep, I'm happy and I hope everyone can forgive for such a long update! I truly am sorry! I had to reread everything and try not to punch my laptop because of how much I want to destroy and rewrite this story (no kidding because my naïve mind back then for writing fanfiction never really thought of in character characterization or plot). Let's hope I still have the skill to write this story!

I hope you enjoy this chapter!


"Shoot!" Viet muttered to herself as she rode her horse across a snowy path, rocky and uneven under the evergreen pines above her.

The terrain was all too unfamiliar to her and placed her under a disadvantage, making her grimace with irritation. An arrow shot at her from behind in which she luckily had ducked in time from getting hit. She pulled the reigns, physically ordering the horse to move to the left in which the path was less jagged even though it contained a higher density of trees.

"They're taking this too seriously," she said to herself as she turned again, to her right this time, dodging an incoming bullet.

Haru soared from high above, swooping up and down to keep in check the positions of the Dane, Swede, and Finnish man.

Matthias was chasing after Viet, his axe in hand and grinning wildly, read to take her down at all cost. Berwald somehow managed to move from tree to tree, a bow and several arrows in hand, shooting when there was a clearing that Viet was in. Tino was positioned at a cliff, white blanket over him to camouflage with the snow, a sniper professionally aimed at his moving target.

Tino pulled the trigger again, a loud bang echoing throughout the barren land. No screams of agony or a horse dying was heard. Viet had dodged again.

"She's struggling but she's doing her best at adjusting herself to the land," Lukas noted as he observed from behind Tino, watching observantly with stoic eyes.

"How much longer do you think she'll last?" Tino asked, his eyes still looking through the scope, keeping an eye on the Asian woman as she rode through the forest for life's sake.

"Who knows," the Norwegian answered. A chuckle in a form of several hisses came from the teal snake, watching intently on the sparring below as Matthias slashed his axe toward Viet who had luckily blocked with her spear however was thrown off her horse. Her body landed on the snow, creating a whole in the light substance.

"Should I try shooting?" Tino asked, knowing from experience how difficult it was to escape from deep snow and the increased vulnerability anyone would have if they were in that situation.

"It'd be better if you didn't. We can't have her be fatally injured," Lukas explained. "Thor, take me down there."

Tino turned his head only to be nerved at the fact that Lukas was floating down towards where Matthias was now pulling Viet out of the snow and Berwald was walking towards them as well.

Tino smiled sentimentally, amazed at how easily it was for them to trust Viet and how fast she was able to trust them. Of course she was still cautious – it was obvious – however she knew how to balance out their relationship.

Tino saw Matthias let go of Viet purposefully and then laughed heartily as she sank into the snow once more. Lukas had hit the back of the Dane's head, making him wince while the Norwegian pulled Viet out of the snow.

The Finnish man packed his sniper away and headed down towards the forest where the rest of the group was. If only such friendliness could be like that for everyone.

o.O.o.O.o

Michelle found herself wrapped in a warm blanket and laying on a firm cot. Her eyes felt droopy however she could make out her surroundings to be that of a cabin of a ship. A dim light casted against her face in which she blinked rapidly to open contact.

A figure was blurred however the posture and movements of the figure were all too familiar for her to not recognize.

"Arthur?" she asked drowsily and with tiredness in her voice. Emerald green eyes and bushy eyebrows turned towards her in slight surprise as a reaction to hearing her voice.

The Brit smiled softly and turned his full attention towards the Seychellois. Michelle slowly sat up, feeling slightly nauseous from the soft rocking of the ship.

"Don't move to fast," Arthur warned in worry. "How are you feeling Michelle?" he asked, his hand pressed against her back, keeping her body balanced.

"What happened?" she asked, voice parched. Arthur handed her a cup of water in which she gratefully took and brought to her mouth. "Thank you," she muttered, still tire.

"Do you remember anything? The storm or the man that was there with you?" Arthur asked.

"A man? What man?..." Michelle mumbled. She pressed a palm against her forehead, forcing herself to remember the events to what seems that she had fainted.

When red eyes flashed before her and ominous, dark clouds and stinging wind was pictured in her mind, hazel eyes snapped opened. Without knowing it, a thin layer of sweat covered her body and her breathing fastened at an uncomfortable and panicked pace.

"Michelle!" Arthur was ready to call the doctor if she had not held onto his sleeve.

"I remember…" Michelle whispered in fear. "I remember…"

England sat back down on his chair hesitantly. Michelle's hand unconsciously tightened around his arm and so he allowed her to do so.

"Who was he, Arthur? Who was he? My home… Is everyone safe?" The line of questions pained Arthur, seeing the Seychellois broken and worried.

"I don't know… I don't know," he answered. Hesitantly, he reached out an arm and gently placed a hand on Michelle's head, slowly bringing her to his chest. Arthur cradled her until she fell asleep again.

The ship rocked back and forth, gently along with the waves that splashed against the wooden built of the ship.

There were too many things going on, too much of the paranormal and the supernatural. A form of dark magic, much blacker than what he had known, was arising from the depths of the earth, waiting for the right moments to strike. It was time to take action in this, even if it meant ignoring the war with Asia. He felt that – no – he knew that this was much more important to pay attention to.

o.O.o.O.o

Several days had passed for Viet, getting quite accustomed to the antics of the Nordics. They were friendly, obnoxious, and odd. It was almost like home.

She sat at the dining table, sipping the black tea slowly as her golden irises gazed blankly at the drunk Dane trying to convince Berwald to dance with him. The only difference from home was that these men drank more alcohol than she or her family members would consume.

"I get the feeling we'll have to start moving out and going against whatever may come at us," a familiar voice said behind her. Viet turned her head to see Lukas walking towards her and sat beside her at the table.

"Yeah…" Lukas' midnight blue eyes looked at her and she could tell what he wanted to know even if he had not said anything. "It's been really quiet recently. There have been no attacks heard from the Seraphim. Then there's Seychelles that has been hit by that storm which hasn't disappeared at all. Your friend Arthur is coming back from their in a few days, right?" she asked.

Lukas nodded in response. "I think it might amount to at least four more days. From the news I got from his carrier pigeon this morning, he was able to save Michelle. She made sure her people got off of the island first and stayed behind since there was no more room. There was also news of her seeing a man with white hair and red eyes but that was it. She doesn't remember anything else."

Viet snapped her head towards the Norwegian, alarmed. "A man with white hair and red eyes?" she asked, trying to keep her tone as low as possible as to not wake up the Dane in the living room, drooling and his arms and legs sprawled across the couch. Berwald and Tino were in another room, checking their

"Yeah," Lukas nodded. "I met him after I had obtained my orb and was attacked by a beast." Viet pursed her lips and looked down at her cup of tea, watching as the ripples moved to the edge of the cup and back towards the center.

"Gilbert was his name, right?" Lukas glanced at her but said nothing. "He was the one who killed my boss when I was back in Vietnam a while ago."

"By the looks of it, you seem to be coping well," the Norwegian noted with an indifferent voice though Viet knew better.

"I have to. My responsibilities are my priorities and to break down will only bring weakness. If I waver for a moment, it could be the end for me," she explained, her golden orbs narrowing in bitterness.

"Then there's something else we share," Lukas said, placing a hand on Viet's shoulder. She blushed at the contact and turned her head away.

"Yeah…" Lukas gave a ghost of a smile before walking over to Matthias, grabbing newspaper on the way, and slapping him with it because his snoring was too loud for any precious moments to occur. Viet only smiled gently and continued drinking her tea.

She could deal with this for a few more days, was what she thought.

"He'ssss handsssome isssn't he?" a slithering voice asked. Viet turned her head to look at the teal snake that she didn't know had climbed her way to the table.

"Lukas?" Viet asked, tilting her head to confirm who the snake was talking about.

"Yesss, Lukasss," Hydra confirmed.

The Asian woman blushed slightly and turned her head away. "He is…"

"And you like him?"

"Yes…"

"Do you love him?" There was a pause before Viet answered, as she contemplated her feelings.

"I don't think I'd go that far yet…"

"You ssshould tell him," Hydra encouraged, "before sssomething bad happensss and you regret it."

"I don't know… Where did you learn the tactics of romance?" Viet asked, skeptical on the reptile's claim.

"Would you like me to explain to you how when I usssed to go out of hibernation twenty-sssome yearsss ago and I would releassse thisss ssscent that would attract hundredsss of malesss around me and from their I would find my bessst mate?"

"Please do not go any farther."

A chuckle came from Hydra, causing Viet to grimace slightly.

"You should be used to this by now child," Haru said as he landed on the table.

"I am but it's not something that I'm pleased with," Viet responded.

"Even so, Hydra is right. You should tell him soon."

"Be quiet!" Viet snapped, her face flushed red. "I just can't do that…"

Lukas slightly turned his head to Viet who was arguing and whose was bright red in embarrassment. He couldn't help but stare at her and take in her cute, blushing face.

"You like her right?" The Norwegian's eyes looked back at the Dane who was, surprisingly, sober, his arm propped on the couch, holding up his head.

"So?"

"Women like it if the men make the first move either because they're too embarrass to do it themselves or they think it's traditional or something like that. In Viet's case, the former is what she is unless she gathers that 15 second amount of courage and confesses to you and telling everything she could about what she likes about you."

Silence. Lukas stared at Matthias with blank, wondering eyes while Matthias stared back with a similar intensity however you could tell he was waiting for an answer.

"What are those two doing?" Tino asked from the doorway to the living room.

"Don't know," Berwald answered as he also watched the awkward silence.

"I want to see her confess," Lukas admitted.

"Don't chicken out Lu- Ahh!" The Norwegian smacked Matthias again in the face with the newspaper he had.

"But I think I'll start first. Just not yet. I got a letter in the mail that my place is going to be the next meeting place so we have to set up. You, Berwald and Viet will have to hide out and maybe come out afterwards because after the European Meeting, Arthur asked to talk to me and Vladimir when everyone else leaves."

Viet looked at Lukas, now pulling herself away from the argument with the animals around her.

"We have to pull this off and you can't mess up otherwise we'll all be in trouble. I have part of a list of what I think will be talked about so help me get this ready. You too Viet, it might help you learn more of everyone's thinking process and to widen our views."

"Understood," she said. Everyone else nodded and gathered at the dining table, preparing themselves for whatever may come.


A/N: Last author's note since I have more to say XP. So, I'm like entirely into the KnB (kuroko no basuke) fandom which is truly grieving because it just holds so much more feels for me because they are all precious babies and I want to slap all the main characters and antagonists in the face for being idiots. Yeah, it's a love-hate thing.

Anyway, I can only squeal at the wonderful animation of Season 5 for Hetalia. I swear, every anime I watched this year has animation that just came out beautifully for me (I'm talking to you too Shingeki no Kyojin and Free! And Kuroko no Basuke 2 and Magi and Hetalia, lol). I seriously can't wait for 2014 and what feels and animation will kill me that year too. Yeah… I just didn't know what to do because I haven't worked on this story in a long time plus I had to reread everything so my ideas have differed since months ago. I hope you guys can forgive me! Thank you!

Animefan106 over and out~