Where Thou Art, That Is Home (Hetalia Fanfic, Part 2)

Chapter 162~!

'How long is she going to be fighting in there...?' Matthew asked himself many a time as he waited (seemingly) patiently outside the wall that appeared to just be a wall. Since it had "swallowed" Alice up some hour and a half ago, he knew it to be more than just a wall; so did everyone else.

"Mattie?" a gentle voice asked as the young woman it belonged to sat herself down beside him and crossed her legs. "How are you doing?"

Canada managed to smile weakly at the Philippines. "I-I'm not terrible, a-at least..."

Amaya smiled at him, dazzling pearls of teeth. "That's good to hear. I know you're worried about her."

"I am... I just don't know what to do," Matthew admitted weakly, looking down at the floor in front of his feet. Amaya's smile waned slightly when she saw how hopelessly lost Matthew looked, and that's when she decided to do what she did next.

She smacked him on the back of the head.

And none too lightly, either.

Matthew's hand flew to cover where he'd been struck. "Wh-What was that--?"

"I just needed to distract you for a second," Amaya giggled. "To help get the depressed thoughts out of your head."

A corner of his mouth threatened to turn up in a half smile, and Amaya did not fail to notice. Her beam at him was as bright as ever. "See? It worked!"

~~

I was starting to get the feeling that the Darkness was getting more and more desperate. Its transformations were taking a little bit longer, though just barely, and the faces it took on were hitting closer and closer to home in my heart.

At one point I was fighting my father. Yes, Otis, the former Oregon Territory that lived in Kadi's-- Vale's mansion.

The Vindicator instinct wasn't giving me a break, either.

Stop, stop! This is your father, why are you trying to kill him? Alice, you're terrible, stop what you're doing right now!

"Not today, I won't," I huffed before successfully blocking yet another arrow Otis-- the Darkness --shot at me. It was so similar to training with Japan that I barely thought about what I was doing; I just did it.

Like the old Nike slogan! "Just do it."

Nike came from Oregon, did you know that?

Wait, focus! Focus, Alice, or you'll get an arrow in the chest!

Of course, that just made me think of other things as well. 'Message for you, sir.'

A grazing arrow wound in my upper arm snapped me out of my stupor quite nicely.

"Gah!" I yelped, reaching across my chest to clutch the wound only to nearly get impaled by another arrow aimed at my midriff. Nursing my arm would have to wait until I managed to get rid of this adversary.

"I see you're getting distracted," the Darkness said in its own voice rather than Otis'. Was he growing tired of borrowing other speech patterns, perhaps? Either way, it was probably a good thing for me.

 "I don't know what's going on," I admitted in a growl as I knocked aside yet another arrow. "Are you doing it?"

"Not me, sweetheart," the Darkness answered, though he had stolen Otis' voice finally. "Just yer instinct. Gettin' stronger, I'd say."

'I can't believe this' I grumbled mentally as my blade rang from the force of two arrows hitting it in rapid succession. Then I was inside Otis' guard! My sword was blocked by his arm, which I sliced through like it was jelly, but the sickening feeling of my blade passing through it was enough to make me retch and run out of there.