...We Could...

Fumi Thirty-Nine!

Chloe came out of her room, her usual cloak about her shoulders, though with the hood down per Preuss' liking. They exchanged an awkward smile before Chloe grabbed his hand and hurried down the hall.

"How do you know Kylie is here?" the boy asked.

"Because Milo, Tiana, and Evan is," she explained. "Their mother is Alice, right? Well, Alice isn't in Hetalia anymore, which means the states and all their cities aren't there."

Preuss' face registered understanding. "Oh. I get it. So that means that Vale and Pheonix and Bo are all here?"

Chloe nodded. "That's right."

"And Aunt Lost Angeles?" he asked, curious.

She frowned, looking over at him. "How is she your Aunt?"

He smiled. "Most of my mother's people in the U.S. live there. More of an adopted Aunt than a real one."

Chloe smiled, turning her head to watch where she was going down the hall. "Aunt Angel was pretty close to Papa," she explained. "They lived about two hours away in slow traffic. We'd visit each other a lot, and sometimes Aunt Angel would take me to Disneyland."

Preuss grinned. "Sounds like she was fun."

Chloe nodded once, emitting a sound of confirmation. "She is. But right now we need to see Kylie."

She dragged him down the halls, taking him places he had never dared to go before. Preuss wondered if she knew her way back, but shoved that out of his mind. Of course she knew her way back! And if she didn't, she could just harness the magic in the air and take them back to their rooms.

Chloe slowed to a halt, letting go of his hand and raising her hood, letting the blue cloth settle over her golden locks and hide all but her delicate mouth. She raised a tan hand and knocked lightly on the door.

"Kylie Jones, please open the door," she ordered politely.

They heard footsteps and Preuss couldn't help but smile, excited to see the state. The door opened, revealing the Californian. When she saw Preuss and Chloe, she gasped before hauling them both in and shutting the door firmly behind her. After the door was securly locked, she turned around, ignored the hooded one, and hugged Preuss.

“Oh, thank God I was right! Like, where are the others?”

“They’re in another wing of this place… Most of them are asleep,” Preuss answered, returning the warm hug.

Kylie nodded. “Right, right… Is Milo, Tiana, and Evan alright?”

Preuss nodded. “Ja. They’re alright, though a little scared. But Tiana is sticking close to Wilhelm, so she'll be okay.”

Kylie nodded before looking over at Chloe. “So, like, why did you come here?”

“I came to ask a favor,” Chloe returned, her smooth voice calming the room.

“Totally! What is it?” she asked, sitting down on the bed. Preuss and Chloe sat on the bed opposite where Washington was rubbing her eyes, having been woken up. She didn't mind too much, though, since she wrapped her arms around the boy in a tight embrace from behind.

Chloe took in a deep breath. “Long ago, there was a man that came through the barrier. He fell in love with a woman, and was not able to keep her from dying during childbirth. Once the child was older, he left back to the real world. He was a city in your state.”

Kylie frowned. “I remember that. He was Bakersfield, right? And when he left his daughter vanished?”

She nodded. “Si.” She reached up and lowered her hood to let her hair and eyes be seen. Kylie gasped.