What if...

Chapter Forty-Five~

Alice curled up in her cell with a sigh. She wondered how long she was going to stay in here. It felt like forever when it had really only been two nights. She couldn't exactly sleep, but she managed to get some shut-eye here and there.

She leaned against a stone wall, her eyes closing. She was still tired, and all the others were already asleep, so she had nothing better to do than join them.

Until the door to the dungeon crashed open and yelling was heard.

"Let go of me!"

"You brought this on yourself, brother."

"I vill use tha mageek cain!"

"Do it you die."

Alice found herself smiling as Kadi and I dragged the raging Russian down the steps and threw him to the floor. Belarus was instantly running at them, knife in hand while Ukraine fretted over Russia. I dodged her slice, grabbed her wrist, yanked her arm behind her and shoved her against the wall, the knife falling to the floor.

"Down, girl," I murmured before picking up the knife and letting her go. Kadi, in the mean time, was still threatening Russia before he finally caved and gave us the keys. We snatched them and raced from cell to cell, unlocking them and letting them go. Kadi unlocked Alice's first, so I rushed over to Moldova's and yanked the door open, Moldova clutching me for dear life as he sobbed. I hugged him tightly before going over to unlock Romania's cell right next to him. Moldova let go of me and rushed into his brother's arms while I went to go unlock China's cell.

"Xièxiè," he thanked, smiling. I returned the smile, hugging my old friend.

"I'm glad you're okay."

He chuckled, returning the hug.

I let him go before moving on to the rest of my friends. Soon the dungeon was unlocked, and we left Russia's house to go to our appropriate homes. I tromped through the snow to get back to my island. I hadn't been there for a while, and I needed time to think.

Think about what I did... To Prussia...

FLASHBACK

"Then do so."

"...Okay."

Prussia let his head fall backwards against the wall.

Dammit! Why did I go and mess this whole thing up?

He turned and ran out of the building, forcing back tears.

It was just like in that one dimension... When Anahi had been dissolved... Except that she's still here, and I can't hold her.

~*~

Nali helped me up and I walked out of the room, only to see Prussia dart around a corner. My head fell, my chin hitting my chest before bouncing back into a comfortable position. Nali took my hand and lead me away back to the meeting where Kadi was rallying people to capture Russia so we could drag him back to his house.

FLASHBACK end.

I settled myself on the stone ruins, curling up against the engravings.

"Dastan... I don't know what to do... Please... Help me like you did so long ago..."

I felt my eyes close, and I fell asleep.

~*~

When I woke up, I noticed that someone had spread a blanket around me. I frowned, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. When I studied it, I recognized it, remembering myself snuggling under it at China's house.

I smiled, spreading it over my lap as I hugged my knees, enjoying the peace that came from my land. The grass swayed gently in the wind, the Upside Down Tulips joining them. The eagles shrieked, and the cheetah's mrowed, the jackals growled and the gazelles pawed. All around me wildlife was brimming as one by one they woke up to start the day.

I ran my hands through the sand, picking up handfuls and letting it run through my fingers. My mind was empty. All that filled it were Nature's sound and the feeling around me.

My heart felt heavy as I slowly sank into depression. Yet still my mind was clear. No memories filled it, no emotions. Just cold, dead, peace.

A tear slipped onto the blanket, and I blinked, reaching a hand up and feeling the salty water making little rivers down my cheeks. Finally a thought came to mind as I wondered when I had started crying. Not that it mattered.

Nothing mattered. Nothing but peace.

I rested my head on my knees, letting the tears fall. I took in a deep breath, inhaling the wonderful scent that was Yao.

I stood and brushed the sand off myself and the blanket before flipping it around me and fastening it around my throat like a cloak, flicking the hood up to hide most of my face. I leisurely walked off of my desert and down into Scotland, going into the woods.

I wandered about, seeing what I could find. An old owl settled down on a branch above me, and hooted.

"I am wise," he stated.

I smiled softly up at him. "Yes, owls are very wise."

He hooted before flying away, and I continued my walk. I wasn't sure exactly where I was. Was I in Scotland or in England? It didn't matter. All that mattered were the deer rustling in the bushes, the squirrels chittering in the trees, the birds tweeting and flying through the air, and the wind making everything sway gently, my cloak fluttering in the wind.

In the back of my mind I wondered what else I could find as I knelt by a hole in the ground, my gold gaze peering into it. A little red fox came out of it slowly, looking at me before cocking his head.

"Run away... and hide..." he murmured.

I frowned. What did he mean?

"Take your chances. Run and hide," he continued in his soft tone.

"What...?" I murmured softly.

"Take your chances. Run and hide," he repeated before gliding back into the hole.

I stood, brushing the dirt off me before wandering deeper into the woods. I moved past the underbrush, gathering my clothing about me so it didn't get snagged on the briers.

I found a little deer path through some bilberry bushes and decided to follow it, going deep into the woods. It was dark, but I wanted to see what I could see.

The path led me to a small clearing, where a doe was laying in a small pool of sunlight. She smiled at me, her big, kind eyes twinkling.

"I am free," she said, her voice calm and mellow. It put me at ease.

"Stay awhile; don't be afraid," she smiled.

I started to walk to her, but my steps were still hesitant. Her dark eyes watched as I sat down next to me, and her nose nuzzled me to lay against her. I did so, my eyes slipping close.

"Stay awhile; don't be afraid," she repeated, resting her head on my own.

Curled up next to the free doe, my cloak and her body heat to keep me warm, I fell asleep. When she knew that I had drifted off to the land of dreams, she, too, fell asleep.