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hetalia2011-03-08 02:05 pm
lahelapup.livejournal.com) wrote in hetalia2011-03-08 02:05 pm
Entry tags:
Beyond the Illusion Part 4/?
Title: Beyond the Illusion
Characters/Pairings: America, England, France, Japan, Canada, Russia, various others
Word Count: 1,417
Rating: PG
Summary: When a nation feels stressed, overworked, and backed into a corner, he has the option to let it all go for awhile. Start a new life as a human, with no memories of the past. It happens automatically, as if by magic. But nobody knew this could happen until one day, America mysteriously disappeared after running out of a meeting. After two and a half weeks of searching the country, they finally found the right Alfred F. Jones in the form of a 10 year old boy. But how can they get him to remember that he was once the United States of America? How will they change him back? And, more importantly, does he even want to be changed back?
Part 1: Part 2: Part 3:
The next morning was a bit startling for Alfred as he yet again woke up in an unfamiliar setting. He was in a bed, but the sheets were white, and the comforter was royal blue. The walls were a pale beige, and they lacked any kind of decoration. The furniture was all dark wood, and the curtains matched the comforter. It was all very plain… very clean, as if nobody actually lived in this room. It was almost like he was in a hotel. Alfred thought about that for a moment before realizing that he may very well be in a hotel; he had no idea where he was. The details of what happened yesterday were all jumbled in his mind, like jigsaw puzzle pieces that wouldn’t quite fit together. The last thing that he remembered was falling asleep on a couch in the Capitol Building. But where was he now? He didn’t know… But he knew someone who probably did.
“Arthur!” he shouted. Alfred had no idea if Arthur would be able to hear him, but Arthur was probably the one who had brought him here, so he couldn’t have gone too far… right? After all, he wouldn’t have just left him stranded here after all the effort he went through to kidnap him. Arthur definitely wanted him for something. Something important. “ARTHUR!” he repeated, this time, louder. But all he heard in return was a soft echoing of his own voice. The room was so big and empty with just him in it. It only took a few more minutes of silence to make Alfred decide that he couldn’t wait any longer. He climbed out of bed and headed for the door. He was about to leave, when something caught his eye. There, on the table was a box of donuts and some milk. Next to the box, there was a handwritten note that read:
Alfred,
I went to go run a couple of errands but I’ll be back to get you very soon. In the mean time, enjoy your breakfast, and don’t go anywhere by yourself.
-Arthur
A smile slowly spread across his face. Alfred loved donuts. A lot. And inside that box were his favorite donuts; the ones with the chocolate frosting and rainbow sprinkles. His mouth began to water, just looking at it. Not wasting another minute, he hurriedly opened the box, pulled out a donut, and took a huge bite. It tasted so good! No, better than good; the rich chocolate combined with the sweet glaze on the donut that practically melted in his mouth… it was amazing. He finished it within seconds, and before he knew it, he was reaching for a second and a third and a fourth and a fifth… He lost track after that. Alfred was finishing off his glass of milk when he heard the door open behind him. He quickly spun around to find Arthur standing in the doorway. Arthur didn’t seem very pleased, and he gave Alfred a stern look of disapproval as he looked from Alfred’s chocolate covered mouth to the crumbs covering the bed, and finally, to the empty donut box.
“You ate all the donuts?!” he said in disbelief. Alfred grinned.
“Yup! They were really good; thanks!”
“I can’t believe you ate all of them…” Alfred’s smile faded.
“Was I not supposed to?” he asked innocently.
“No, you weren’t! Do you realize that there were a dozen donuts in that box?! 12 donuts! And then I leave for fifteen, twenty minutes tops, and they’re all gone! I WAS going to have one for a quick breakfast before we get started downstairs, but I guess that’s not going to happen.” Alfred hung his head in the same pitiful way a puppy tucks his tail between his legs when he knows he’s done something bad.
“I’m sorry… I guess I didn’t realize how hungry I was till I started eating. I haven’t had anything since yesterday at lunch when you guys drugged me…” All of the anger immediately left Arthur’s face, and he felt a twinge of guilt. He took a couple of deep breaths and then sighed.
“It’s all right,” he said finally. “You know what? We’re late anyway; I’m sure everyone is waiting for us by now. I’ll just get something to eat later. Come on, let’s go.”
“Go where? Where are we anyway?”
“We’re still in the Capitol Building, but this is the private living quarters section that the general public doesn’t know about. It provides temporary housing for distinguished individuals here on business.”
“Well, how’d you get in?”
“Well, Alfred, I happen to be one of those distinguished individuals; I even have my own official access pass.”
“So you work for the government?”
“Umm… You could put it that way…”
“Then why do you kidnap children?”
“I don’t.”
“Just me then? Why?”
“I- I’ll tell you everything you need to know when we get downstairs; I promise. But for right now, you’re just going to have to trust me, ok? Can you do that?”
“I guess so…”
“Good. Now, stay close to me, and do not even think of running off by yourself; do you understand?” Alfred nodded as he went to go put on his shoes. As soon as he was done lacing them up, Arthur took him by the hand and led him downstairs to another, smaller meeting room. Alfred felt like a five year old all over again, as Arthur held his hand. He wanted to tell him to let go, but he decided against it. There was something in Arthur’s eyes that told him that this man could be dangerous, if rubbed the wrong way. So he stayed quiet until they reached their destination, where he ripped free from Arthur’s grasp and went running into the room, where Francis was there to greet him.
“Mon Enfant!” He said affectionately, pulling Alfred into his arms. And, surprisingly, Alfred was ok with it. For some reason, the Frenchman reminded him of his father, and he would always run into his father’s arms when he came home from work at the end of the day. It felt comforting to be reminded of his family. Besides, Francis’s smiling face was a welcome relief from Arthur’s angry one that seemed to be permanently fixed into a frown. “Look at you, running around,” he continued. “I take it you’re feeling better today?”
“Yup!”
“Yeah, no thanks to you,” Arthur cut in. Francis turned to look at Arthur.
“Let’s not start pointing fingers shall we?” He said with a smirk. “After all, you gave him the pill…”
“But it was your idea!”
“And you agreed with it. You didn’t have to…”
“Oh for the love of- Can we not do this right now?! I have much more important things to get accomplished today than argue with you about whose fault this is!”
“Fine.”
“Is everybody ready?”
“Yes. Everyone else is in the room next door, and… Ludwig… set up the tech equipment so that they can hear and see us.”
“All right, perfect. Alfred, come over here and take a seat.”
“Why, what are we doing?”
“Well, we have some news for you.”
“So do I finally get to know why you kidnapped me?”
“Ooh, kidnapping is such a harsh word for it,” said Francis, shaking his head. “And besides, it’s not kidnapping if this is where you belong…”
“What?”
“Look,” Arthur interjected. “This may not make sense to you now, but you know us. You’ve known us for a long time.”
“I don’t think so,” Alfred said, shaking his head. “I’m pretty sure I’d remember a strange man with huge eyebrows. Are those real?” Arthur
clenched his fists, grumbling profanities under his breath, while Francis snickered quietly.
“TRUST ME,” he continued, ignoring Alfred’s question. “You know us. Or at least you did… and you will again very soon.” Alfred’s mind flashed back to the discussion he overheard last night. Could they have really been serious? Was this what they were about to tell him?
“And how did I know you guys?” There was silence for a moment, as Francis and Arthur looked at each other; both were at a loss for words and unsure of what to say. Finally, Arthur spoke up.
“… You are 234 years old; you’re immortal. You’ve been through both world wars and the Great Depression. You’ve grown faster than I could have ever imagined… Alfred, you’re- The United States of America. And we need you back.”
Characters/Pairings: America, England, France, Japan, Canada, Russia, various others
Word Count: 1,417
Rating: PG
Summary: When a nation feels stressed, overworked, and backed into a corner, he has the option to let it all go for awhile. Start a new life as a human, with no memories of the past. It happens automatically, as if by magic. But nobody knew this could happen until one day, America mysteriously disappeared after running out of a meeting. After two and a half weeks of searching the country, they finally found the right Alfred F. Jones in the form of a 10 year old boy. But how can they get him to remember that he was once the United States of America? How will they change him back? And, more importantly, does he even want to be changed back?
Part 1: Part 2: Part 3:
The next morning was a bit startling for Alfred as he yet again woke up in an unfamiliar setting. He was in a bed, but the sheets were white, and the comforter was royal blue. The walls were a pale beige, and they lacked any kind of decoration. The furniture was all dark wood, and the curtains matched the comforter. It was all very plain… very clean, as if nobody actually lived in this room. It was almost like he was in a hotel. Alfred thought about that for a moment before realizing that he may very well be in a hotel; he had no idea where he was. The details of what happened yesterday were all jumbled in his mind, like jigsaw puzzle pieces that wouldn’t quite fit together. The last thing that he remembered was falling asleep on a couch in the Capitol Building. But where was he now? He didn’t know… But he knew someone who probably did.
“Arthur!” he shouted. Alfred had no idea if Arthur would be able to hear him, but Arthur was probably the one who had brought him here, so he couldn’t have gone too far… right? After all, he wouldn’t have just left him stranded here after all the effort he went through to kidnap him. Arthur definitely wanted him for something. Something important. “ARTHUR!” he repeated, this time, louder. But all he heard in return was a soft echoing of his own voice. The room was so big and empty with just him in it. It only took a few more minutes of silence to make Alfred decide that he couldn’t wait any longer. He climbed out of bed and headed for the door. He was about to leave, when something caught his eye. There, on the table was a box of donuts and some milk. Next to the box, there was a handwritten note that read:
Alfred,
I went to go run a couple of errands but I’ll be back to get you very soon. In the mean time, enjoy your breakfast, and don’t go anywhere by yourself.
-Arthur
A smile slowly spread across his face. Alfred loved donuts. A lot. And inside that box were his favorite donuts; the ones with the chocolate frosting and rainbow sprinkles. His mouth began to water, just looking at it. Not wasting another minute, he hurriedly opened the box, pulled out a donut, and took a huge bite. It tasted so good! No, better than good; the rich chocolate combined with the sweet glaze on the donut that practically melted in his mouth… it was amazing. He finished it within seconds, and before he knew it, he was reaching for a second and a third and a fourth and a fifth… He lost track after that. Alfred was finishing off his glass of milk when he heard the door open behind him. He quickly spun around to find Arthur standing in the doorway. Arthur didn’t seem very pleased, and he gave Alfred a stern look of disapproval as he looked from Alfred’s chocolate covered mouth to the crumbs covering the bed, and finally, to the empty donut box.
“You ate all the donuts?!” he said in disbelief. Alfred grinned.
“Yup! They were really good; thanks!”
“I can’t believe you ate all of them…” Alfred’s smile faded.
“Was I not supposed to?” he asked innocently.
“No, you weren’t! Do you realize that there were a dozen donuts in that box?! 12 donuts! And then I leave for fifteen, twenty minutes tops, and they’re all gone! I WAS going to have one for a quick breakfast before we get started downstairs, but I guess that’s not going to happen.” Alfred hung his head in the same pitiful way a puppy tucks his tail between his legs when he knows he’s done something bad.
“I’m sorry… I guess I didn’t realize how hungry I was till I started eating. I haven’t had anything since yesterday at lunch when you guys drugged me…” All of the anger immediately left Arthur’s face, and he felt a twinge of guilt. He took a couple of deep breaths and then sighed.
“It’s all right,” he said finally. “You know what? We’re late anyway; I’m sure everyone is waiting for us by now. I’ll just get something to eat later. Come on, let’s go.”
“Go where? Where are we anyway?”
“We’re still in the Capitol Building, but this is the private living quarters section that the general public doesn’t know about. It provides temporary housing for distinguished individuals here on business.”
“Well, how’d you get in?”
“Well, Alfred, I happen to be one of those distinguished individuals; I even have my own official access pass.”
“So you work for the government?”
“Umm… You could put it that way…”
“Then why do you kidnap children?”
“I don’t.”
“Just me then? Why?”
“I- I’ll tell you everything you need to know when we get downstairs; I promise. But for right now, you’re just going to have to trust me, ok? Can you do that?”
“I guess so…”
“Good. Now, stay close to me, and do not even think of running off by yourself; do you understand?” Alfred nodded as he went to go put on his shoes. As soon as he was done lacing them up, Arthur took him by the hand and led him downstairs to another, smaller meeting room. Alfred felt like a five year old all over again, as Arthur held his hand. He wanted to tell him to let go, but he decided against it. There was something in Arthur’s eyes that told him that this man could be dangerous, if rubbed the wrong way. So he stayed quiet until they reached their destination, where he ripped free from Arthur’s grasp and went running into the room, where Francis was there to greet him.
“Mon Enfant!” He said affectionately, pulling Alfred into his arms. And, surprisingly, Alfred was ok with it. For some reason, the Frenchman reminded him of his father, and he would always run into his father’s arms when he came home from work at the end of the day. It felt comforting to be reminded of his family. Besides, Francis’s smiling face was a welcome relief from Arthur’s angry one that seemed to be permanently fixed into a frown. “Look at you, running around,” he continued. “I take it you’re feeling better today?”
“Yup!”
“Yeah, no thanks to you,” Arthur cut in. Francis turned to look at Arthur.
“Let’s not start pointing fingers shall we?” He said with a smirk. “After all, you gave him the pill…”
“But it was your idea!”
“And you agreed with it. You didn’t have to…”
“Oh for the love of- Can we not do this right now?! I have much more important things to get accomplished today than argue with you about whose fault this is!”
“Fine.”
“Is everybody ready?”
“Yes. Everyone else is in the room next door, and… Ludwig… set up the tech equipment so that they can hear and see us.”
“All right, perfect. Alfred, come over here and take a seat.”
“Why, what are we doing?”
“Well, we have some news for you.”
“So do I finally get to know why you kidnapped me?”
“Ooh, kidnapping is such a harsh word for it,” said Francis, shaking his head. “And besides, it’s not kidnapping if this is where you belong…”
“What?”
“Look,” Arthur interjected. “This may not make sense to you now, but you know us. You’ve known us for a long time.”
“I don’t think so,” Alfred said, shaking his head. “I’m pretty sure I’d remember a strange man with huge eyebrows. Are those real?” Arthur
clenched his fists, grumbling profanities under his breath, while Francis snickered quietly.
“TRUST ME,” he continued, ignoring Alfred’s question. “You know us. Or at least you did… and you will again very soon.” Alfred’s mind flashed back to the discussion he overheard last night. Could they have really been serious? Was this what they were about to tell him?
“And how did I know you guys?” There was silence for a moment, as Francis and Arthur looked at each other; both were at a loss for words and unsure of what to say. Finally, Arthur spoke up.
“… You are 234 years old; you’re immortal. You’ve been through both world wars and the Great Depression. You’ve grown faster than I could have ever imagined… Alfred, you’re- The United States of America. And we need you back.”