Where Winter Meets Summer (Rusame Countryhumans)

On Thin Ice

When the clock struck 7 on the impossible date of February XXX, the empty metal frames immediately whirred to life as the starry essence of the galaxy poured into a swirling portal.

People from all over the vast continent of Aliaterra had been standing in line since the break of dawn, all hoping to get the best seats in the house for the most spectacular quadrennial event. Once the portals were opened and the overseer's gave the signal, the floodgates were opened and the people swept in. In no time, all 100, 000 seats of the glistening Colosseum were occupied and the portal ceased.

Of course, that was to be expected and preparations had already been made by the three Powers to accommodate.

"Please stand back!" one of the Gateway overseers called to the people as the portal began to flicker once more. A new light began to shift and twist until a brilliant red color took its place, signifying a destination change.

After a quick check to ensure the Gate was stable, people began to pour through those gates to find themselves stepping into another completely empty colosseum.

The people in line stared up at the sky and chatters of awe began to bubble. Suspended upside down, hanging above the grounded stadium was a structure identical to the one below. Even so, people milled around inside as if it was perfectly normal.

It was one of ASEAN's crazy ideas, naturally, to guarantee everyone a chance to enjoy the show. Two other stadiums dangled above the original in their own inverted spheres of gravity so no matter which stadium you were sitting in, if you looked up, you would be peering into another stadium.

Though it was an incredible experience sitting amongst the clouds, everyone still vied for spots in the prime colosseum which would house the contestants in the flesh while everything was mirrored to the others in crystal clear quality.

Of course, the projections were special so that they were semi physical, still able to interact physically with the surrounding environment to provide the maximum authenticity. Even so, there was just something about being able to witness the real ones in action.

Speaking of the contestants, the relatively peaceful atmosphere in the hotel was slowly replaced with sheer anticipation and the lively bustle of preparation.

Attendants scurried throughout the building to announce the opening of the breakfast hall, help run and fetch small errands and provide further assistance. It was a busy morning. After all, tensions were high and everyone was determined to stay in tip top shape. Luckily, all the Branches were having a relatively smooth start to the morning and everyone seemed ready to take on the day.

Well, all but one.

Germany, Poland and Canada exchanged wary glances as the mood in the room remained stifling all throughout the morning. When they had first arrived the previous evening, they had all agreed to leave their connecting walls open to further reinforce the feeling of unity within them yet here they were, staring at cold hard walls of the rooms on opposite ends.

"Y'know what," Canada piped up as he forced a smile onto his lips, "maybe all they needed was a good night's sleep. Perhaps they've cooled off and are back to normal now!"

Germany adjusted his newly cleaned glasses and sighed, "I'm gonna pray to god that you're right. Otherwise, we're dead."

By the time they went down for breakfast, the three of them knew that they were absolutely dead. After the commotion last night, Russia and America weren't even on speaking terms anymore. They weren't even on stand-in-the-same-elevator terms!