A/N: hello friends! i was so excited and motivated today- i've been writing the whole day! :D please expect the next chapter relatively soon, as I am halfway done with it now. thank you for reading! please leave comments; i love to hear what you guys think of the story so far! enjoy the chapter!
"Otto?" You whispered, your face falling slack. "Otto, I remember you, but I also don't remember you... what's going on? Why haven't I seen you in so long?" You stopped sharply then and sucked in a breath. You forgot what your voice had sounded like. You had also forgotten that you could speak freely here, without difficulty. It felt strange and familiar all at the same time.
You were slowly beginning to remember. This place, this person. Otto, your friend since childhood. Who played with you and kept you company in dreams- who kept you sane as a child growing up without friends in a madhouse like this.
You remembered that you would forget every time you woke up and remember every time you came back to the meadow. That's why you only remembered him now.
As you stared at him, processing, Otto waited patiently, holding his hands together in front of him. His expression, as always, was very composed for a 6-year-old.
Finally, you spoke. "I remember."
"Good."
"You... haven't changed at all. I've missed you. But- you didn't answer my question: why haven't I seen you in so long?"
Otto took his time to reply, turning his head to look into the distance. "I've had... other matters to attend to." He spoke slowly, each word precisely, like he had been doing more recently in your memories. Then he turned back to you, his expression grave. "I came to warn you."
"Warn me? What's going on? Are you in trouble? I-"
"I'm not in trouble," He interrupted calmly.
"Then why?"
"Danger is rapidly approaching. The challenges you've faced will be greater than ever before, and the creature is growing stronger still. I think it's surpassed your strength at this point, (Name)."
You wanted to protest but a part of you knew he was right. So you opened your mouth and then closed it again, allowing him to continue.
"You've grown close to the others, have you not? Lend each other your strength. You'll all need it. Only together can you... survive." He continued to speak slowly, with pauses in between as if he was hesitating in telling you. You waited patiently for him to finish. "You've known the route of things very well up until this point, but no more. Things are going to change. You must prepare yourself."
When you were sure he was done, you asked quietly, "How do you know this?"
Otto sighed. His expression turned uncomfortable for a brief second before it went back to a composed mask. "I cannot say. But, given that... do you trust me, (Name)?"
"I do." You answered without hesitation. "I trust you. If you can't tell me now, then tell me later. For now, tell me what I need to know."
He smiled. It was a heartbroken kind of smile, and it made you sad and happy at the same time. Clearly he had a lot on his mind that was troubling him. You hoped to ease his burden.
"Very well. First things first, stockpile food and supplies. Have them ready always. Then, prepare for war. Gather your weapons- sharpen them, ready them. Be ready mentally and physically. It's very likely that you'll lose someone. You want to minimize that risk by sticking in groups- no one person should be alone. That includes you."
"But if someone dies, I can always go back in time, right?"
"It may be possible, but it's a very small probability that you'll be able to locate the new location of the clock this time. Do not rely on changing the past."
"I know this place like the back of my hand. I will find it." You spoke resolutely. "But I will try to keep that in mind."
Then you both continued to speak on how to better prepare yourself for fighting the creature. No more reckless moves- everything needed to be prepared for as much as possible. No surprises.
"The journal. You know which one I'm referring to?" You nodded. "Use it. Write letters to yourself and others in case..." His eyes were downcast. He didn't finish his sentence. "Write down everything you know and everything I've told you. If something happens, I will be sure they get to your next self or someone else."
"How?" You asked, surprised. "You'll come back in time too?"
"What do you think I've been doing all this time?" A bleak smile. "I do have a few abilities up my sleeve. But I can't answer any more question right now. You'll do all I've mentioned?"
"Yes," you replied. "But can I ask one more thing? It's not about the mansion or anything like that. It's... well, can I?"
"Go ahead."
"Are you safe, Otto? Is there anything I can do for you?" You asked, concerned. "I don't like seeing you so blue. Though you've always been the quiet type... this time it's different."
His mouth lifted at the corners and then the smile disappeared. "Worry about yourself, (Name). Not about the dead."
Suddenly, you woke up gasping for breath. The dream. The dream! This time you remembered. Well, you remembered what you learned but whoever said them... their face was blurry in your mind. You couldn't remember any of their features.
"(Name), are you okay?" Matthew asked you softly, putting a hand on your shoulder. You looked at him with wide eyes, the gears in your head still whirring.
"Bella(1)?" Feliciano groaned and rolled over to face you, sleep still in his eyes. When he saw your expression, he sat up, worry saturating his features. "What's wrong?"
You grabbed the journal that you placed beside you and Italy's cots. You wrote swiftly, anxious to write it all down like you were told. You showed Canada who read the words aloud. "I had a dream of someone I've been dreaming of since I was small. They gave me a warning about the future. I think we need to listen to what they said. I'll write it down so you can all know too."
"A dream?" Feliciano asked through a yawn. "Of someone you knew?"
"Who is this person?" Ludwig questioned seriously, leaning over Feliciano. "How did you know them?"
You shook your head. "I never knew them... him... in real life. We've only ever met in dreams."
"So it's someone you've dreamt up?" Alfred wondered from the cot beside Matthew's. "I don't know, man, that might just be that- a dream. You have a lot on your mind, right? So you dreamt up a person to give you comfort."
Everyone stared at Alfred is shock and awe. You were neither option, merely frustrated, because you had a feeling they wouldn't believe you and you had been right.
You gestured angrily to convey your point. When you were met with stares of confusion, you sighed and wrote more down. "I didn't make him up for comfort. He's real. And he gave me very good real advice that matches up well with our situation."
"Hmm. What does this person look like?" Kiku asked.
You stared blankly at him as you tried to remember. But you couldn't. All you could remember when you tried with all your night, was a name.
"Otto."
"What was that, bella?"
"His name was Otto," Matthew and Kiku understood at the same time.
"What's going on over here?" Ivan inquired , standing beside Alfred's cot with Yao at his side. Francis, Gilbert, and Antonio had also made their way over, rubbing their eyes sleepily.
"What's all this noise?" Gilbert complaint, stretching his arms high into the air.
"(Name) had a dream," Lovino said. You glanced over at him in shock- that was the first time you'd ever heard him use your name.
"A dream? What kind of dream?"
"Well..." England scratched his head.
"Shall we call a World Meeting, Germa- Ludwig-san(2)?"
"Nein(3), I don't think so. This is strictly a human matter."
"Very well. (Name)-chan(4), can you explain in more detail your dream?"
You looked at your group encircling you with you in the center and frowned. It didn't seem like the odds were in your favor. But you explained it all anyway. After you were done, they took a moment to ponder that in silence.
"War is coming? Hasn't it already been bad enough?" Loving cursed under his breath. He shook his head rapidly. "No. I guess it could get worse, couldn't it?" To you surprise, again, Lovino seemed like he might believe you.
"And things are going to get harder..." Russia mused thoughtfully.
"Wait, chica(5). This was all a dream?" France, Prussia, and Spain all exchanged uncertain glances.
You stared down at your hands morosely. "You... don't... believe me." It was more statement than question.
"I believe you." A hand fell atop yours. Your head shot up quickly. It was Canada. He smiled at you kindly and you smiled back, relieved to at least have one person on your side.
It was quiet again for a moment as each person decided what they believed.
"I believe you, too, bella! There are no coincidences in this place. I think we should heed this warning." Feliciano shrugged, looking around for others' responses. "Better safe than sorry, right, everyone?"
"I just want to know more about this mysterious person... do you think they have something to do with the house or the monster, love?" England pressed.
You had to stop to think about that for a minute. Strangely, you had never made a connection between Otto and the house. The two topics had never overlapped until now. Otto never talked about real-life things, only things that you brought up yourself in conversation. But it was a good question- could there be some connection? You normally wouldn't think there would be, but now you weren't sure...
"I don't know anything about him, really. Even now I can barely remember, but that I know for certain. He was always a mystery." It seemed the more you talked about it, the more it came to you. "I never doubted that Otto was real- I just thought that we lived in different worlds. Different dimensions or something. Or that he was somehow communicating with from a place outside the mansion. But something he said really bothers me."
"And what is that?" questioned France curiously. "Was it pertaining to the house?"
You shook your head slowly. "H-he said... 'wo-worry about yourself... n-n-not... about the dead.'" You exhaled and tugged at your scarf uneasily.
"And why does that bother you? He must've meant everyone you lost," Spain pointed out gently. "Unless you think he meant something else?'
You shook your head firmly. "I may not remember everything about him, but something about him changed when he said these words. It was like I had finally gotten past a wall- these words seemed more genuine than everything else he said. Not that I think he was lying to me about anything.
"But I think it was a double- or triple- meaning. 'Not about the dead'. Which dead was he referring to? My loved ones? Maybe. Some of us who, in the future, would die? Possibly. But I can't help but wonder..." you couldn't help but shudder as you wrote the next part; "When he said that, I think it was when I asked about him- if he was okay. 'Worry about yourself, not the dead.' Could he have possibly meant himself? Does that mean he's... dead?" You stared down at your scarf, feeling disturbed and perturbed by this idea. After a minute, you continued. "Or it could be a quadruple-meaning. He said 'worry about yourself' and he said that very seriously. He said the whole thing seriously, but his expression when he said that part" you squinted hard, trying to remember. "was worried, I think. I think he thinks there's real danger coming. For all of us."
"Aiyah, a quadruple-meaning? Are you sure you're not looking into this too much?" China suggested, skeptical. A few people nodded in agreement.
"Maybe- it's possible- but I know this person's mannerisms very well... I think... though I can't remember everything to a T, there are some things that I am certain of. Like that this meant something important- something more than what it meant on the surface."
"Wait. I just thought of something." Japan said suddenly, his tone urgent. Anxiously, everyone turned to him. "If this man... if he said 'worry about yourself' then doesn't that mean you, yourself, (Name)-chan, may be in trouble?"
"That's true," America murmured, looking displeased. "You sure he didn't say 'Worry about yourselves', dude?"
You nodded in confirmation. You were 100% sure the exact words he said were 'worry about yourself, (Name). Not about the dead.' Just thinking the words again, and what they possibly could mean, you shivered again.
"It'll be okay," Italy said to you as he rubbed your arm comfortingly, sensing your distress. "Anyways, we should try to heed this warning, true or not. It wouldn't hurt to be prepared."
"I agree. All in favor?" Romano said.
To your surprise, all the hands in the room went up. You looked around at your friends in gratitude.
"Better safe than sorry." Prussia murmured again. Then he added, "Hey, (Name), before I forget. You said that person's name is Otto?"
"Y-yes," you affirmed.
"That's interesting," He bit his lip thoughtfully and exchanged a heavy, confused look with Germany. "That's a Germanic name."
"An older one, too," Germany commented. "I wonder if that's significant?"
"Well, like I said," Italy said, and took your hand in his. "I think this is all connected in some way or another."
You looked down at your connected hands. "Yeah." You were beginning to believe that too.
—
CANADA
Canada was pissed, and he couldn't place why at first. He thought it might have something to do with Italy touching (Name) so casually, like they were lovers. He knew it was in the Italian's nature to be flirty and touchy, but he was surprised he would try something like that with (Name), who was so careful and stoic most of the time (though he knew she was soft and sweet on the inside). He had the urge to pull her away, closer to him, but he of course couldn't do that. And why did it bother him so much anyway?
Actually, he had the smallest inkling it had something to do with what France had said a while ago. Something about him having a crush. Thinking of that, he felt his cheeks warm up. How infantile had he become?
But was it infantile to fall in love?, he demanded of himself, arguing back and forth. And wasn't (Name) rather easy for him to fall in love with? For one, she noticed him! And two, she was strong, kind, and brave...
How could I not fall in love with you? The words were like shouting in his head as he looked at the (h/c)-haired woman sitting beside him. (Name) made him feel both mortal and immortal, both child and adult at the same time. Was falling in love ever this easy? It had only been a handful of days. He had always been a bit slow to love because he was often slow to trust, and easily let down. So many times he'd been left behind... forgotten. But with (Name), he didn't think that could ever happen.
His face was on fire at this point. He hoped no one noticed, and to his luck, it seemed that no one did at the moment, not even his pesky American brother.
Then he remembered what France had said- that he would try to set them up. How would that work? Would she find out his feelings? Ugh - he wasn't sure if he wanted that at all! It seemed too embarrassing to bear. But for her to know his affection for her- and maybe even possibly accept his feelings and return them?
No, he didn't think that would happen. She was miles away from where he was, even as she sat just inches away now. (Name) was beyond capable and astoundingly caring. The former he saw when she fought, and the latter he saw in the way she comforted him, but also in the way she cried when Italy got hurt. (Name)'s heart was too big for her body. He, himself, had always been more emotional than he liked- but maybe this would make them a good pair.
No, don't get ahead of yourself, he warned himself. First things first- what do I do? Show her that I care? Win her affections? I'm so out of my comfort zone when it comes to this...
—
(NAME)
"Hey (Name)?" Matthew asked.
You looked at him in acknowledgement, curiosity sparkling in your eyes. He paused for a second, swallowed, and then continued.
"I was thinking, once we get out of here, we can go to my country and meet Kumakuku. We can see all the animals everywhere in my nation and I could show you around. You can stay there and live with me if..." He blushed. "If you want, I mean."
You thought about Feliciano's offer and Matthew's offers and weighed them in your mind. A part of you wanted to go see both places, but you had an inkling they had meant that you would stay there with them for an indefinite period of time. You pursed your lips, thinking. Then you smile up at him and, with some effort, spoke slowly: "Th-th-thank you. That... s-sounds fun. I'll think a-about it."
"Oh, okay! Great!" He seemed uplifted by your positive response. A wide smile split across his face. "Great. I'll, um, look forward to your answer then."
You nodded and smiled again. Matthew was really nice. He made you feel calm and at ease and it always felt like he was attentive to you, eager even, to see what you had to say. He always treated you like an equal and like your own person even though you were far younger than him and of a wilder breed. It was wonderful. You treasured your relationship with him.
Later you were freshly changed and preparing to go out with your group- the first group, Prussia, Spain, Romano, China, and Japan, had already left. That left you, Canada, Italy, Germany, France, America and England. As you folded some cloth for makeshift bandages and put it into your bag, you felt someone saddle up beside you. It was France.
"Hi, belle."
"H-hello!" You said, happy to see him. "Are you ready to go?"
"Almost. I just wanted to stop by the loo once before we go. Do you need any help?"
You shook your head and showed him a thumbs up. "I'm good." You continued to place necessary items in your bag. After a minute, you were surprised to see him still standing there as if waiting for something. You looked up at him through your lashes. "Hm?"
"Oh, nothing! I just wanted to ask you something." He grinned mischievously. "What do you think of my boy Matthew?"
"Matthew?" You repeated, confused as to where this was going.
"Yes, Canada. He's pretty smart, isn't he? And he takes after me so he's handsome to boot. Plus he has a big heart. Not everyone notices him, but you do, and I think you're important to him. You've become fast friends, non(6)?"
You nodded sincerely. Then you took out the journal to write more. "Matthew is one of the nicest people I've ever met. I'm really happy to know him."
"I see. Do you find him attractive?"
You thought about that. "Yes, he's good-looking. Like you, Francis."
Francis laughed warmly. "Merci, merci(7). You are so sweet. Now that I think about it, you two would be good together. You're both caring, smart, and earnest people. You're very alike in many ways. Truthfully, I admire you both. Seeing you together would be a blessing to the eyes." He winked at you before adding, "And I think it would make Matthew very, very happy."
Good together? What did that mean? The words confused you but you smiled back at him anyway. But you did know that you wanted Matthew to be happy. He deserved it. And if you could make him happy, shouldn't you try?
"It would?" You asked.
"Oui(8)," He confirmed with a nod. "Just something to think about. Anyway, I'm going to go to the loo now. I'll see you soon, ma chère(9)." He kissed your hand before leaving.
You looked over at Matthew as he talked to America and England- well, more like listened to them talk. When you caught his eyes, he shot you a smile and a little wave. You waved back, the cogs still turning in your head.
What does it mean to 'be together'?
—
You triggered the mechanism that allowed a new set of stairs to show up. Everyone was stunned, but you and Italy were far from surprised. Now a puzzle, you thought.
"Do you think it'll be the same one, bella?" Italy asked as if reading your mind.
You shook your head slowly. You had a feeling things would be be different than before, thinking about the random abyss that popped up before as well as Otto's warning.
And you were right. The new upstairs room was completely foreign to you, save for the same pattern of bloody handprints on the wall. You and Italy exchanged an uneasy glance.
"What's all this?" Ludwig wondered, stepping into the wide room.
"Wait," You and Feliciano said at the same time. Feliciano put out an arm to hold him back while you got into a squat to look at the floor. You observed that it was at a slight incline from the entrance. Scanning the room, you noticed it was plain with no other exits. There was another grand piano in the corner. After looking over the room once more, you gestured for the others to enter it behind you.
You all immediately approached the grand piano, the center piece of the room. Curiously you say down and pressed a note— and then jumped when you heard something large shifting. A quick glance to your left told you that it was either coming from another room, or was in this room and you couldn't see it. It sounded loud, like the wall itself was moving.
"Oh!" England said. "Hmm. Try playing something else, love."
You played another note. Again, you heard something big shifting before it went silent again.
"It seems like the piano has something to do with this puzzle. Keep pressing notes please, (Name)-chan."
You decided to try to play the song you loved, the one piano song you knew by heart. It was a simple song and you were sure it had lyrics that you had just long forgotten. You started with the "g" note and played the first few notes.
"That song!" America and England exclaimed at the same time. The others were nodding their heads too. Your head snapped up to them in shock.
"You know this is song?" You glanced down at your hands again, thinking. Your parents had taught you this song. Learning it was one of the few good memories you had. It surprised you that they would recognize it at all. You thought it was your parents' song only.
"Wow, I feel nostalgic!" England laughed briefly, running a hand through his thick hair. "I haven't heard that song since... since..."
America and England looked at each other. Then they averted their eyes. Clearly they had some shared history with this song.
"It does bring back memories," America said after a moment. "How does it go again?"
"I think I know it. 'You are my sunshine', right? It goes like this:
You are my sunshine
My only sunshine
You make me happy
When skies are grey
You'll never know, dear
How much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away,"
France sang melodiously. "I prefer the French version, myself, however. You remember it, Matthew?"
"Yes," Matthew replied.
"Tu es mon soleil,
mon unique soleil,
Tu me rends heureux
lorsque le ciel est gris.
Tu ne sauras jamais, chérie
à quel point je t'aime.
S'il te plaît, ne fais pas disparaître mon soleil..."
Your eyes grew a little damp as he sang— he sang it so nicely, so tenderly. You cleared your throat and squared your shoulders. "I'll play it," You said.
You played the notes in order, slowly, starting with "g". As you played the first few notes, a passageway opened up, a few inches deep, and then another, making the passage deeper. You tried to focus on your fingers as you played, and heard the gasps of those who watched the walls move this way and that. When you looked up, the entire row of walls had split to reveal a passage to another room.
"Oh! That wasn't too hard I guess." Italy smiled at you. "We wouldn't have gotten it without you, bella! But," He frowned, looking around the room. "Why this song in particular? Does it mean anything to you?"
"Mother," You said softly. "Fa-father."
His eyes widened in understanding. "Oh, I see... they taught you?" You nodded. "So it's special to you?"
"Y-yes."
"It is a bit disturbing that the monster- or whomever sets up these traps- knows that song is important to you and would use it in this way against you. This seems targeted towards you, (Name)," England pointed out. "You were the key to this puzzle- I wonder if you'll be important for the later ones too?"
That's true. You shrugged. "I've been here since birth. It makes sense that it watched me grow up." The men focused on your lips to understand what you were saying, and nodded as they understood.
"So, we already know it's intelligent. Now we know it knows some stuff about you, (Name). I wonder what else we'll find out?" Germany pondered as you all made your way through the freshly opened corridor.
"There used to be two rooms up here. This one and the next one..." You looked at Italy. "Next... key?"
He nodded, understanding. "The next room in the first few loops had the key on the wall, but it's overrun by creatures. You have to be fast to get in and out. Did you ever try to get it, bella?"
"Once," You replied, holding up a finger. "But I was overpowered and had to retreat. I wasn't quite fast enough. But you're faster than me."
"Huh. So you never tried again after that?"
You pursed your lips and fished out the journal. "Occasionally it switches locations, like the big clock. It's never a guarantee that it's in this room. Plus, if I triggered the stairs too early, you all would've died because you would've found it and would've been unprepared... I think it's happened before. That's why I subconsciously accessing it."
"This is a lot to think about," Alfred commented. "So Italy's faster than you which is why he was able to get out the first time?"
"Yes," You replied. "But... Italy... almost..." You shook your head slowly, not wanting to say the word. "In this... room. I h-had to save h-him once."
"Like he almost died?" France pressed. "Because of all the monsters?"
You dipped your head in affirmation. "This room is very dangerous. I wouldn't go in here unless it's strictly necessary... which it is to see if the key is there. Stay close. I'll lead." You turned to your group and mother, "Ready?" Everyone nodded. Together you slowly opened the door and walked inside.
You thought you were prepared for the gruesome sight of monsters everywhere, but it still disgusted you even now.
"Abominations," Germany muttered darkly, seeing the monsters running around the room, of varying shape and size, all purple and putrid. Most were locked away in a cage that took up half the room. There were a few that we in the open, though- two to be precise. One was a glob of goo on the floor with bulging eyes. The other was like the creature typically appeared, except it had an extra eye in the center of its forehead.
"Yikes! This place sucks!" America hissed. Everyone was nodding with varying levels of enthusiasm. Canada stepped closer to you, his eyes on the caged monsters to your right.
"They can't escape, right?" He asked, glancing down at you worriedly.
You shook your head. "Not if no one lets them out."
"They are so gross," France said, his face all scrunched up. "Can we hurry up and get out of here?"
"There's the k— wait, where is it? It's not there?" Italy wondered aloud, stepping towards the opposite wall.
"Got to defeat these two first. Everyone ready?" Germany asked.
"Yes."
It was a bit of a longer battle than usual since there were two of them. The first- the glob of goo- was not as easily defeated as you thought it would be. You split into two groups to attack each creature. You, Canada, and America tackled the goo, while France, Italy, England, and Germany attacked the other. Thankfully you were not outmatched and only ended up with a few scratches on your person after stomping the goo to death. Italy finished the other with a dramatic knife to the forehead which caused it to shriek and disappear. You all caught your breath as Italy ran and picked up the mysterious object off the wall.
"Good job, team!" America clapped Canada on the back and showed everyone a thumbs up. "Good teamwork!"
"Yes, good job, everyone," Canada huffed, leaning forward on his knees to catch his breath. "That wasn't too bad- Oh Germany, are you okay? You have a cut on your arm."
"Nothing I can't handle. I'll get it fixed up later," He said nonchalantly, glancing down at his uniform bicep that was beginning to stain red.
"N-no," You protested, dropping your bag to the floor and pulling out some first aid supplies. "I'll help."
You took a moment to dress Germany's wound. You felt his eyes on you the whole time, and his gaze felt lighter than usual- curious like a child.
"Can't this wait till later?" It wasn't quite a complaint but it also wasn't not a complaint either. "It's nothing. I have a high pain tolerance."
You shook your head firmly. "I do too, but it should be treated right away if possible." When you were done, you patted his good arm and smiled at him. "A-all done."
He raised his eyebrow and flexed his bandaged arm. "Thanks, (Name)."
"Bella, the key!," Italy said hopelessly, sliding down to the ground. "It's not there! What do we do...?"
You put a calm hand on his shoulder. Then you held out your hand. Slowly, he took it and stood up, his eyes focused on you, looking for answers. When he was standing, you told him. "I said the key isn't always in this room, remember? It always was for you, in your memories, but in the past when I tried, it sometimes was misplaced..." You sighed and forced your lips up into a little smile. "Anyway, don't lose hope. We're together, right? And everyone is alive. We will get out of this okay."
"What did she say?" France asked Italy. Italy repeated what you said in his own words, and everyone nodded their heads in agreement.
"Alright." Germany glanced around the room. "Is there anything else we can get from this room?"
"Um..." You all looked to your right again to see the caged creatures stumbling around. "I don't think so," said America.
"Okay, let's get out of here then." France was eager to leave the cursed room.
"Yes. Let's get out of here," England agreed.
"W-wait," you whispered. A bad feeling had just washed over you. Then the ground shook. Everyone startled, looking around in alarm.
"Wh-what is it this time?!" America shouted.
"Up there!" France voiced in horror.
Suddenly monsters fell from the ceiling, three- no, four- onto the ground around you. Your group shuffled inward, backing into each other, trying to keep away from them. "What the hell?!" England spluttered.
"This is bad," France muttered, drawing out his weapon again. "But it's only 4. I think we can do this."
"(Name), can you be ready with medical supplies and stuff?" Canada asked you, since you held the bag on your back. You nodded and placed there bag on the ground so you were ready to grab anything from it. You, too, drew out your weapon, as did everyone else around you.
"(N-Name), this is...!" Italy was on the verge of panicking as the monsters loomed towards you.
"Don't p-panic!" You told him, grabbing his arm so that he would look at you. "We can win!" You encouraged. With a timid look, he nodded at you.
This fight was harder- there were almost enough monsters for every two person to fight off one together except there was one where one person would have to fight on their own. You made sure that you took out one entirely on your own, getting a bit scratched up on your stomach and arm in the process. But the pain didn't register as adrenaline flooded through your veins. You were filled with determination to win.
Just as the last blow was administered, and the monster shrieked and disappeared, the ground rumbled again. You stared up in shock as more creatures fell down- more than before. Now worried yourself, you pulled in your group so that you were all at each other's backs. The outlook wasn't looking too good- everyone was injured in some way, some worse than others, and now you had countless more enemies to fight atop of the last few battles.
"What?! Again?!" England said in disbelief.
"Sheiße(10)! They keep coming!" Germany began to fight another one as everyone took on their own enemy this time. You were far from complete exhaustion, but you were starting to get a bit tired. You thought your comrades might feel the same.
"It never ends!" America said. "Can we retreat?"
"There are too many! We can't run past them!" Canada was looking at the doorway which was thoroughly blocked off by monsters. "(Name), are you okay?"
"Yes!" You huffed through another swing of your weapon. "A-a-are you, Matthew? E-everyone?"
"K-kind of hurt and tired— but this is overwhelming! I don't think we can make it out!"
"N-no..." Italy began to cry. "I don't want to go back again! Not when we've made it so far! No!"
"Italy!"
"Let's at least surround Italy! They're all going after him!" America directed. Everyone followed, forming a circle around Italy. Italy began to hyperventilate in place.
"Come on! Italy, just get down!" Germany ordered his friend.
"Make me- make me disappear somewhere!" Italy yelled suddenly, the shout filling the whole room.
Suddenly, the journal in his waist began to glow. Italy snatched it up- but then regretted it. It began to burn his hands, causing him to cry out.
"Italy!" Germany shouted. He ran and tried to take the journal from Italy's hands but it was firmly in his grip.
"G-Germany! My journal!"
"Let go of it, Italy! The journal- ah, dammit! You always--" They both held onto it as it glowed brighter still. Suddenly a burst of light filled the room, centered on the journal.
"I-Italy? Germany?" You said frantically, but you couldn't see him through the light. You pressed towards it, searching, but as the light disappeared, you realized the light took them with it, and they were gone. "No!" You screeched.
They had disappeared completely, leaving no trace, not even the journal, behind. As you opened your mouth to say something, something solid slammed into your cheek and nose, rendering you blind for a moment. Then when you came to, the monster was there, baring its teeth at you, its eyes filled with violence. And you couldn't continue to dwell on your lost friends any longer as you threw yourself back into the fight.
Please be okay, you thought desperately.
—
foreign words A/N (please correct me if I'm wrong!):
-bella(1) = beautiful (Italian)
—san(2) = a polite honorific that can be attached to the end of someone's name; it is often viewed as a way of saying "Ms", "Mr", or "Mrs", but can be used on anyone's name to show them respect (Japanese)
-nein(3) = no (German)
—chan(4) = a friendly honorific that can be attached to the end of someone's name; it is often used when talking to children or (usually) younger family (usually girls), or between girls that are friends (Japanese)
-chica(5) = girl (Spanish)
-non(6) = no (French)
-merci, merci(7) = thank you, thank you
-oui(8) = yes (French)
-ma chère(9) = my dear (French)
-scheiße(10) = shit (German)