(AU POV)
The curtains were drawn and a glass board was placed in front of us, flickering to life as America and Russia stood over it. Most of the students had returned to their housing units as we assembled in the office to create the official roster. The appointed beginning of the Tournament was just a meager 10 days away so we had no more time to dally.
Our layout was going to consist of America and Russia, another pair, one support and one substitute.
I presented the slots as 3D projections appeared over the board, marking the candidates. There were also six tiles on the board that lit up, each one presenting a position in the Tournament.
"Look Russia! It's us!" America exclaimed as he observed their holographic figure in two of the tiles. A lock appeared over the tiles, confirming their placement. Russia took his time scanning over the rest of the participants but nothing in his expression gave away what he had in mind.
"I've uploaded most of my notes into here," I explained as I slid a different projected figure forward as if it was solid. Once it was pushed into one of the empty tiles, a new screen hovered over its head to present the information gathered.
"How about we start with the single supporting role? There are only a small handful of students who can fit the criteria," Five suggested as he lay on the couch. Duct tape covered most of his nose like a makeshift bind until the glue firmed but he still didn't dare move his head.
We agreed and the board flashed to present a different set of student figures. Upon my command, their information window opened and we began to sift through them all.
"She has a pretty cool ability but..."
"He's fine but..."
"No. They are too..."
"They won't work well because..."
This went on for a little while until one last figure stood on the board. America smiled widely when he realized who it was and I agreed with the choice.
The hologram flickered to an autumn amber color as I declared:
"All in favor of Canada, raise your hand."
We stared at the remaining three slots and all of us frowned. Here was where the hard part came.
It would be tricky to decide the last three contestants. Especially the pair. The information windows opened and slowly but surely, the number of choices shrunk. Those who could not synergize, those who lacked individuality, and those who simply were not strong enough were all eliminated. However, a group of undecided candidates slowly grew as well. There were still many possible countries who we needed to observe and many others we needed to approach. As our discussions slowly ground to a halt, I noticed that America had been eerily quiet. His gaze was focused on the figures–one in particular.
"America? Do you want to tell us what you're thinking?" Russia asked. America reached towards the figure he was so fixated on and slid it into a tile.
"I nominate Germany to fight as one of the main contestants," he declared with complete seriousness. His eyes gleamed as if daring us to oppose. The room went stiff as the rest of us silently grimaced. This demanding mindset was something I wanted to avoid but then again...
Russia sighed and looked away. Five had no objection to be made either which I could understand. It always seemed to take me by surprise, the fact that we all forgot how commanding America could be. But as the one who had to approve everything, I needed to ask.
"Please explain, America," I prompted as I expanded Germany's information column.
I will admit, he showed the most promise besides the two who sat before me but I was reluctant. Given his past, the vicious nature of his Awakening, and especially the recent situation with the Imperial Eagle making an appearance, it was risky to allow his participation.
"Well first off he is a cool dude," America shrugged, "He's basically an encyclopedia plus twenty filing cabinets and a pamphlet or two-"
"What does that even mean?"
"He's a good strategist and responds well with instructions. He's strong enough to hold his own out there and he has first hand experience fighting with China–did pretty well if I do say so myself. That's a no brainer in my book."
Russia rolled his eyes, "You just want to fight that bird again, don't you?"
"That's... a welcome bonus, yes. Besides, he works incredibly with Poland so invite him along and that's two peeps down!"
America finished with his explanation and made a 'boom' gesture. I admit his reasoning was somewhat compelling but there was still something eating away at my consciousness. Five turned to me and perceived that something was the matter.
"Well that sounds fun and all but you should talk to the people in question first," he suggested. I nodded and they were sent on their merry way, leaving us to discuss in private.
As soon as the door closed, I took off my reading glasses and closed my tired eyes, exhausted from a prolonged session with my Awakening.
"I didn't even realize you were using your Awakening," Five admitted, "Up until the end of course. What's gotten you so worried?"
"I remembered something about Ame I noted previously and just wanted to confirm what I saw. The first instance happened while you were away," I sighed, "When I tried to peer into his preordained tapestry, I could see nothing at all."
"Wait- DOES THAT MEAN HE'S GONNA DIE?!" Five cried out as he jolted upright, forgetting all about his nose.
"If that were the case, I would have seen that possibility. But there was no such thing. There was nothing!" I rubbed my temples to shut out the headache that I knew was coming. Even Five was unsure of what to say so we both slumped back into our seats and grumbled.
"I was trying to figure out why this was the case. Instead I found that I couldn't see Russia's possibilities either AND IT'S UNNERVING!" I had to remind myself to breathe deeply to calm myself down before I continued.
"To top it all off, I remembered when I looked into Germany's tapestry during his fight, there was a possibility of chaos or sabotage in his near future. I'm not sure what will transpire but something might happen to him during the course of the tournament."
"So should we play it safe and keep him as a backup or remove him entirely?"
"No," I replied with a frustrated growl, "I'm not sure if it's his problem or if it's outside interference. If it was the latter, then it won't matter who we put in."
"But if it is his problem," Five finished my thoughts, "he can't be allowed to participate. He could be detained by UN, seeing how paranoid he's gotten."
We sat in silence, unsure of what to do. The safest option was easy to implement but did we really want to strip him of potential out of fear? Perhaps the best course of action was to wait for Germany's response.
(NOBODY POV)
Poland handed the damp towel to Germany, who placed it over his face. A slight fever had slowly risen over the hour and Germany only grew paler and weaker.
"So this is your Consequence," the Nurse sighed as she retrieved a folder from her cabinet. Flipping through the pages, she found the file she was looking for. Most of the words were illegible or taken out entirely but the information she needed were presented in bold.
"Somnipathy," she frowned, "That doesn't sound very good, especially since you lost so much energy."
"What does that mean?"
"Let's just say... I'm going to have a hell of a time sleeping," Germany clarified with a defeated sigh, "Not looking forward to that."
"Nevertheless, you should try to get some proper rest. Your energy levels are dropping to dangerous levels," Nurse WHO chided gently, "Poland, if you don't have anywhere to be, could you stay and monitor him for a while?"
He agreed and dragged a comfortable chair next to his friend's bedside while the Nurse placed a small vial on the table. It was a sedative, just in case he needed some help falling asleep but Germany waved it away. He was adamant about falling asleep on his own and closed his eyes.
At first, the room settled into a peaceful silence and the lights dimmed into a deep starry blue to soothe the resting soul. It stayed like this for a while but a sharp, malicious red soon festered in his consciousness. Monsters, his monsters were here to get him! They surrounded him, paralyzing him with anguish and fear.
Poland could feel himself dozing off as he sat there. The silence was just so comforting and the yawning just wouldn't stop. But as he was about to close his eyes, a muffled shriek jolted him from his daze.
"Germany! DUDE, CALM DOWN!" Poland exclaimed as he did his best to pin down his violent thrashing but whatever was happening, it was as if Germany was fighting for his life. Hearing the commotion, the Nurse rushed into the room to see what was happening and turned on the lights once more.
With a sharp gasp, Germany's eyes snapped open, darting around frantically as the illusions disintegrated in the glaring lights. Beads of sweat rolled down his face as he took shaky breaths to calm his racing heart.
Poland and Nurse WHO stood over him with extremely worried expressions.
"What the hell was that?" Poland demanded but Germany had no answer to give. It happened so fast yet so painfully slow in the moment but now he could barely remember anything except the lingering feeling of dread.
After getting a glass of water, they couldn't help but notice how the patient trembled. Nurse WHO suggested the sedatives again but Germany was still unwilling to take it. However, every time he closed his eyes, the unnamed beast stared back with claws and fangs gleaming. He would be chased out of his sleep every time.
"This is getting ridiculous," Germany grumbled as he rubbed his tired eyes. The dark circles he had worked so hard to get rid of slowly returned to plague him and his mind began to fog over. Even the sedative was starting to look appealing.
The nurse was busy in her office, flipping through file after file to try and find a way to curb the intensity of the Consequence. It was also at this moment that a knock sounded at the door.
"Sup' guys!" Ame piped as he leaned through the door, "Mind if we come in?" His smile fell when he realized his chipper attitude did not match the atmosphere at all and Russia shook his head as he pushed past the American. Germany was unconscious– the vial stood empty on the table. Poland then took the liberty of bringing them up to speed about Germany's condition and Ame and Russia glanced at each other, silently agreeing that now was not the best time to bring up the CAS.
"Is there anything we can help with?" America asked instead.
Unfortunately, the sedatives barely did anything. Ten minutes of silence were broken by the hellish outcries. This time, it was worse than before.
"RUSSIA HELP ME!!!" Poland hollered as he nearly missed a knee to the face. Russia did as he was told and grabbed the flailing German but terror had struck hard and even the iron-gripped Russian struggled.
"QUICK THE LIGHTS!" Russia grunted as he readjusted his hold but America and Nurse WHO had left for some supplies mere moments ago. Knowing they were on their own, an idea sparked in Poland's head and he quickly activated his Awakening, unfurling his radiant wings that engulfed the dim room with an illustrious aura. The blooming light brought him back to life.
"Shit- I- I thought I was never going to get out of that hell..."
He cradled his head in his hands, attempting to steady himself and get a hold of his bearings but his body didn't respond. The smoke that suffocated his dreams was laughing.
"Those who meddle with curses are often cursed themselves," they reminded him.
This was his Consequence.
"Should we get Canada over here and do an energy transfer? I can supply if you need," Russia suggested but Germany dismissed the idea, despite his discomfort. He didn't want to burden anyone else.
"I'll be alright," he chuckled weakly, "It'll blow over soon-"
"Blow over my ass," Poland interrupted as he folded his arms, "You're just going to keep having nightmares unless we do something about it so stop refusing our help!"
The two of them bickered and Russia decided to leave them to it. He walked over to the Nurse's desk instead and absentmindedly sifted through the pages until something caught his eye: a small note that the nurse had scribbled down, addressing his Consequence. Russia frowned as he read the words.
The worst of his days were not ones of pain. He barely felt them pass by but the note made it seem worse than Germany's condition. Then again, he could remember that morning where he felt so much better–like thawing out in the sunshine for the first day of spring. It was also then that his condition began to improve rapidly.
"Never had I seen something like this," the note continued, "But something clearly changed since I last saw him. Whatever that was, it might be the start of something new for I have never seen someone overcome their Consequence so quickly. Especially one so severe."
His hand unconsciously moved over his lips as he processed what he had read. The idea of conquering a Consequence was nothing new yet they were the closest at achieving it. After all, if someone were able to use their Awakening with no backlash, perhaps they would be unstoppable.
But for now, this information might benefit Germany.
The nurse and Ame finally returned with artificial energy supplements in hand.
"Let's hope this helps," she sighed as she passed one of the bottles to the patient, "Slowly now. America, fetch him a glass of water please." Germany swallowed with difficulty and slumped against Poland, sighing with relief as a numbing sensation rushed through his body. Too bad the taste made him nauseous.
As they settled down again, Germany found himself wondering. There was a certain warmth to the light that awoke him the second time, one that the creature would edge away from. Whatever the case, it was comforting.
"What was that?" he muttered, "Was that you?"
Poland's emerald green eyes met with his wine red ones as he allowed the light to shine from his wings again. The same feeling, the soothing aura enveloped his mind like a shield. Far in the distance, he could hear the vexed monsters growl. They were unwelcome within Poland's embrace and all could feel the tension dissipating from Germany.
"There is comfort to be found in someone you trust," America sighed dreamily as he nudged Russia, who rolled his eyes, "Nurse, I think we've found our solution."
"Only one way to be sure," she nodded in agreement. Poland, do you mind?"
Nurse WHO returned to her office and pulled out a new note with a new revelation in mind. With a sure hand, she began to write her thoughts.
"After watching them for a while, I do believe it is safe to say that what I have seen will bring us closer to the question at hand. The idea of rejecting one's Consequence has been long sought for but perhaps we've been going about it incorrectly. In both Russia and Germany, they were able to resist their Consequence but only with another's aid. Though I do not know the details, it does make sense to me that another person is needed for such an endeavor. Especially someone close. After all, to completely avoid one's Consequence is to reject the balance. It is impossible. Instead, we just need another who can guide the suffering soul from their pain and guide them forward. Perhaps this is just a testament for the ignorant pride in our individuality."
The problem had been solved and now that they were all at ease, America finally remembered the reason they had come in the first place. Catching his eye, Russia nodded and they called for the other's attention.
"So you did have something you wanted," Poland smirked, "I knew it."
America chuckled as he got right down to it.
"Germany, would you and Poland be interested in joining us for the Tournament?"
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Holy hell it's been a month or something since I've updated...
So sorry for disappearing guys, but hope you enjoyed!
Anyways, see ya'll next chapter but I can not say when. Hopefully my schedule gets better during the winter break. <3
The letter that had been slipped into his life was one that promised a brighter future. He could still remember the day he opened it with eyes full of hope.
So where had that light gone now?