Once the Sun Sets (Hetalia)

The Split Up

Previously

"No, it's the only explanation! We should've been out of this forest hours ago. A kapre is playing with us!" Matthew persuaded.

"Hold on! What the-a hell are you guys talking about?! What the merda is a kapre?"

"It's a giant spirit who rives in rarge trees. They smoke and drink a rot and they rove to trick humans into getting rost in the forest, correct?" Japan asked.

Matthew nodded. "But don't worry, I know there's a way for us to get out of here." He began to flip through the book until they heard it. A soft noise that sounded so far away

Tik

Tik

Tik

China gulped. "I think we better run, a-aru."

"What the hell was that? What the-a fuck is going on?"

"DUDES, DUCK!" America shrieked and everyone did so just in time to dodge the flying thing that just swooped down. All eyes immediately gravitated towards whatever just tried to snatch any one of them.

It was horrible. The upper half of a female human with part of their spine just moving around in the air following the rest of the body. Batlike wings that flapped strongly and loudly in the silence of the night (yes, they've been lost for that long.)

"MANANANGGAL!" Antonio yelled. "Vamonos! Bienvenida, mi amigos!" Without any second thoughts, they all followed Spain in hopes of losing the monster.

They ran and ran until they came across a stream near a cave. They all rushed inside and stayed quiet, straining their ears for even the faintest sounds of flapping wings or 'tiks'.

"Vhat the hell vas that?" Prussia groaned out, worrying Ludwig because of his injuries. It was no secret that Prussia didn't heal like other nations anymore, so his life was always in danger like a mortal.

"It was a manananggal, a type of aswang or ghoul that can detach itself from it's lower half. They usually feast on organs, human or animal." Spain answered. "Mi hija and her madre have some seriously scary creatures."

"I wouldn't expect less from Ma-I." China bitterly spat back at the Spaniard who raised his arms in surrender. "And we wouldn't even be in this mess if you weren't stupid enough to just suddenly run into the forest like an idiot!"

"I'm sorry, dude but really, we would've been out of here hours ago if a mythical creature didn't decide to mess with us." China wanted to add more but he bit his tongue and held back. Everyone knew that America's way was quite logical and they would've arrived if the kapre hadn't meddled with them.

"Well, what do we do now?" England asked.

"We have to find a way to get out, it's the onry way!"

"But how?! We're-a cursed by a fucking monster we have no knowledge of." A frustrated Romano fired back gripping his hair and muttering curses.

"The book!" France exclaimed. All of their eyes lit up with hope and searched for the Canadian, only to find him missing from the group.

"CANADAAAAAAAA!"

~*~

"Fucking shit." Matthew hissed. He had lost the others when his glasses fell off. It took him a while to find it but he eventually did and found himself alone in the middle of the woods. His only choice was to wander around and hopefully find the others. He could find a way out with the book but it would take him hours seeing that he only understood little Filipino and he wouldn't be able to read it properly so Alfred, Spain, China, and Japan were their only hope of finding a way out. He walked around, sometimes even calling out when he dared to and only felt more disheartened when he failed. He took out a flashlight he had in his pocket and attempted to read. He knew for sure that it was the kapre who got them lost and so he decided to find the pages about it. After scanning he found the word 'nawawala' which he knew meant 'lost'.

'Kapag ikaw ay nawawala o naliligaw dahil sa elementong ito. Baliktarin mo lamang ang iyon kasuotan nang mahanap mo ang iyong daan pauwi.'

"Alright, nawawala means lost. Uh, elementong is probably element. I think kasuotan is from suot which means wear; and daan is road or way. So um, If lost because of this element, probably referring to the kapre, wear to find way. That did not make any sense, but I need to wear something, something related to the kapre?" As Matthew pondered over his situation, a cry broke the silence of the forest.

"Is that... a child?" The Canadian wondered aloud. There was no doubt that the wails came from a human child, but why would there be a child here in the woods?

'Oh dear, what if the parents left them here because they couldn't take care of them? I can't leave the little guy alone he'll die out here.' With the final choice of finding the child and bringing it with them out of the forest, he made his way to the direction of where the cries came from.

~*~

"We need to look for Matthew, the book is our only hope and we can't leave him alone out there. He only has the book and nothing to defend himself with, should any monster decide to attack him." England stated.

"Oui, I agree with Anglettere." France rubbed his stubble and stared at the fire they started. Despite being in the Philippines, the night was chilly especially since they were in the province where pollution wasn't much of a problem.

"I have-a another problem, I'm hungry and tired." Italy spoke up. The nations agreed that being tired wouldn't be a problem seeing as they were resting but trying to survive the night on an empty stomach was easier said than done.

"I have some Chinese tasty treats, aru! But you have to pay me once we get out of here." China offered. Hey, there was no harm in being a businessman even in these kind of situations.

"And the old lady gave us some bread as well." America said as he rummaged into the backpack. "She gave us some rice cakes too." With the carbohydrates consumed and the water swallowed, they all felt better and stronger.

"We should go off in pairs, it's too dangerous to go alone yet too late to travel in a group that can cover less distance. One of us sould probably stay here with Germany and Prussia to help Germany because we can't risk further injuring Prussia." America's voice echoed throughout the damp cave as he surveyed the forest outside. This side didn't surprise anyone, he was serious when needed and modern times were getting harder and harsher.

"Ve~ I would like to stay with-a Germania and Prussia." Veneziano immediately volunteered. "I wouldn't be a lot of help anyway."

"Che?! You dork, you're leaving me to pair with someone else?!" Lovino fumed.

"Ah! Mi dispiace, fratello! But, I know you're cool enough to to handle whatever's out there regardless of who you're with." Feliciano genuinely replied to which Romano replied with a huff.

"So it's settled. Italy will be staying with Germany and Gilbert, now pair up."

France and England wordlessly stood together. China hesitantly stood by Japan who gave him a small, encouraging smile and nod. Spain cheerfully walked towards Romano who only scoffed. And so, Russia was left with America.

"Alright, so according to my compass, North is there. The snail and I will be taking that route." England said.

"Yao-san and I have decided to take East."

"Amerika and I will go West."

"That leaves me and this puta with South."

England brought out his spellbook. "Alright, I'm placing a 'Point Me' spell on everyone so we could keep track of each other. If we're near each other, then we'll eventually gravitate towards each other. If you concentrate hard enough, you'll be able to tell where is who." The spell simply needed for them to be on the four directions they were headed to and somebody to chant it. Once it was over, they all marched out of the cave after bidding each other good luck and goodbye.