The little girl's cry had jolted them to their senses as they ran outside. The nightmare was still fresh in Kiku's mind and it pushed him to find out the source of the scream immediately. They exited the dugout and stopped right in their tracks the moment they stepped outside.
What stopped them at first was the serene beauty of the scene that unfolded before them: A pristine creek flowed across a verdant countryside, its muddy banks teeming with life and activity. There were a few log cabins scattered across the plains to the east and south, but they looked abandoned.
"An Eden," murmured Maria.
"Nah, it's just Nebraska," said Alfred. "This place has always been my empty backyard. Still lots of nature and stuff left to gawk at"
Maria took in the scenery. It must've been the sheer majesty and power of Nature that inspired the American pioneers long ago to travel as far West as they could go, and to call their new land the New Jerusalem. Like Chile, America too was a land built on second chances, new lives and new beginnings.
Then the screams began again.
Maria looked around again and she finally saw it. Down the creek, there was a little girl hanging on for dear life to the branch of a tree that was draping over the water's surface. She was about to lose her grip when Maria made a jump for it, riding her giant fan, and plucked the little girl to safety.
Alfred and Kiku joined her on the banks as she got the girl on her feet and dried her. The girl was still shaking after her ordeal on the creek. She had a pretty face, beautiful brown hair tied into pigtails and a slender body clothed in gingham.
She was, Maria decided, a relic from a bygone age.
"Thank you," said the girl between gasps. "I was very nearly done for. I should have listened to Pa and stayed away from the creek this time of the year"
"You're more than welcome, dear. What's your name?" Maria helped the girl tidy up her soiled clothes.
"It's Laura," she answered. Alfred laughed.
"A true pioneer gal, this one. Where do you live, Laura? I should be able to pick it out right away since I'm the sp-, er I mean because I live around here!"
"It's near the Indian tr-, no that's not right, I mean just by Plum Cre-, no, no, it's near Silver Lake and, oh goodness! Why can't I remember?"
Alfred felt those names sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it in his mind. Laura was still shaken from her accident, he decided. "Well, let's not worry, kiddo".
They walked along the trail they found eastward. The open plains stretched as far as the eye could see in all directions. Maria held Laura's hand as they walked to keep her calm. Laura's eyes darted gently, looking at birds, rabbits or whatever manner of critter managed to capture her mind. Maria minded her dotingly, like a daughter she never had.
Kiku stayed behind with Alfred, who was lost deep in thought. The American stared at Laura and out into the great wilds that surrounded them. The Japanese could guess what he was thinking: He may have gotten his memories back, but there was no "eureka" moment, no sudden rush of emotion and passion. It was as if the memories had returned, but the very heart and soul of America had yet to be restored.
"Something's still missing," Alfred said. "I can't put my mind to it, but I know I'm not whole, not yet"
Kiku looked at the setting sun, the golden glow of it touching the prairie as if a painter were adding the finishing touches to a masterpiece. Alfred decided they would have to camp out in the woods. So Laura helped him pick out a nice cool spot to pitch an emergency camp, while Kiku gathered firewood, even catching some small game while he was at it. Maria deftly prepared these into a nice hot meal. The fire crackled brightly.
"Thank you," said Laura as Maria handed her a plateful of roast meat. "I should never know what'd become of me if you hadn't come to help me"
"Where do you think your family is, Laura?" Maria asked.
"I am sure our house is somewhere in this prairie, oh I just know it has to be here." Laura looked nervous and afraid. The food made her feel better.
Alfred and Kiku moved to a farther corner of camp to discuss what Gaea had told them. "The Spirit of the Western Frontier…" Alfred murmured.
"Likely a native spirit or goddess. One of your elder spirits"
Maria tried to get more information on Laura. "How did you end up on the creek earlier?"
Laura scrunched her face. "Pa told me not to go near the creek this time of the year, but I didn't go there willingly, I was chased"
"By what?" Maria's eyes grew alarmed.
"Oh, I can't remember, but I could've sworn nothing could've made me disobey Pa if I wasn't so scared!"
SCARED…
Alfred felt the chill in the air, but it was Maria who first caught a glimpse of the attackers. She shot a gust of wind from her fan, shielding Laura at the same time. The entity dodged.
They were wraiths. Billowing black cloaks covered their entire forms, their mangled hands reaching for them menacingly. Their voices seemed to range from screams to moans to voices of people they knew.
"Dementors…" said Maria with a shiver.
"I've never seen them so far from the British Isles" said Kiku
"I didn't know they existed!" said Alfred. "Somebody shoot a Patronavirus or something!"
"None of us have wands!" said Maria.
"Don't let them kiss you!" yelled Kiku
"That's what chased me into the creek!" wailed Laura, clutching Maria's skirt for dear life.
Desperately, they threw all their attacks at the spirits, but it was all ineffective. Three Dementors encircled Maria, while two pinned Alfred down.
"What could have possibly stirred these malevolent spirits in the very heart of America?" asked Kiku.
"Many things are stirring…" said a voice behind them. Alfred turned. A young man stood in the shadows. He was dressed in depressing black, with skull themes scattered here and there. He looked like Romano if Romano went shopping at Hot Topic, fell over a rack and said "Bellissimo! I'll take it!" Alfred decided.
The dementors did not like the new arrival. They hissed at him, and the air grew colder still.
The strange man raised his sword, which was as chilling as the dementors themselves, saying "Go back to your realm, spirits. I will it in my father's name"
The dementors resisted, but they suddenly burst into wisps of smoke and were sucked into the blade.
"Impossible," said Kiku. "Only the Patronus Charm beats Dementors, and I'm a huge HP fan"
"All shades are under my father's domain, regardless of what name they go by," answered the man.
"And you are?" asked Alfred.
Maria answered. "King of ghosts, Ambassador of the Underworld, Nico di Angelo, son of Hades". Her eyes widened as a character she had just read about was standing flesh and blood in front of her.
"So, the characters of Hetalia are real?" asked Nico.
"Hetalia?" asked Alfred.
"Of course, if they're fictional to us, we're fictional to them. But why?" asked Kiku. "Demigods, witches, the Madrigals. Why are we all in the dark about each other?"
Nico shrugged. "Up until a couple of years ago, Greek and Roman demigods thought the other was a myth. My guess is it's for our collective safety."
"Did Gaea send you to help us?" asked Maria. Nico's eyes widened. "How, did she appear to you? She's supposed to be… but with everything going crazy… No, Gaea did not send me. In fact, I didn't come for you three at all."
Maria sucked her breath. She knew what Nico was going to say next…
"I came for her…"