Chapter Eight ~ Lost and Found

"Prussia," Italy whined, "Why didn't-a you awake me-a up?~Ve"

Prussia didn't reply. Immediately you sat up, ignoring the painful groaning of your ribs. Your head whipped around to look for Prussia. But he wasn't sitting at the table.

"The hell?" Germany yelled, leaping out of bed.

"Where did he go?" You ask, fumbling sleepily as you scrambled off the bed. Italy reached over and grabbed your elbow to steady you, but you hardly noticed the gesture.

Japan was already investigating. He was crouched over a stain on the floor. It took you a second to register that it was blood.

"I-is that Prussia's...?" You gasp, your face paling.

"I don't know..." Japan responded, straightening.

"It can't be!" Germany shouted, clearly distraught. He raced past Japan, nearly knocking the small man over, and exited the room in a flash.

"Wait! Germany!" Japan and you shouted in unison racing after him. Italy followed after you.

Germany hadn't gone far. He was standing just outside the door in the hallway. Japan stopped abruptly after rushing out, causing you run into his back.

"The hell, Japan?" You ask, rubbing your noise.

"Gomennasai," Japan apologized, moving out of your way. As he moved your realized what he had come to such a short halt. Leading away from the door was blood.

You gasped covering your mouth. Germany looked white and Japan didn't look so hot either.

"I-It's not smeared..." You manage to say after a moment.

"Vhy should that matter?" Germany demanded, his voice harsh, promptly shutting you up. The German was intimidating without his heightened anger. You weren't going to bring down his wrath on your head.

"Because it means that he wasn't dragged," Japan explained, not intimidated by the much larger man, "The brood spatter means that he was capable of moving, maybe even running."

Germany nodded his head tightly. His lips were pressed together to tightly that they were already beginning to turn white. It was clear from his flashing eyes that he still thought the point worthless, probably because either way his brother was hurt and alone and none of you had any way of telling if he was okay. Blood spatter didn't mean that he didn't die, it just meant that he wasn't dead at that point.

"L-let's follow it..." You say, starting to follow the blood spatter. Germany's boots strike at the ground aggressively as he follows you. For a second you worry that he's going to draw the attention of the monster, but then you realize that the monster is very aware of where you are. A deep sense of dread gathers in your stomach and your pace increases. 

You follow the blood down the twisting halls but it abruptly stops at the stairwell leading to the first floor.

((Does that mean that Prussia is on the first floor? Why would the blood just stop? I don't understand...Does that mean he got away and had time to stop the bleeding? If the monster got him, we'd find his body wouldn't we? It wouldn't disappear like the monster does when dies, would it?!))

While you've been thinking the boys have been talking.

"-Fine!" Germany exclaims, breaking you out of your thoughts, "He's my brother! But fine! I'll sit on my heels and vait." He snarls, grabbing Italy by the arm and roughly dragging him back towards the safe-room.   

You look at Japan questioningly.

"You weren't ristening at arr, were you?" Japan asks.

You blush and shake your head, "I was trying to figure out what it meant, that the blood just stopped, I mean."

Japan nods his head, "Germany and I thought it best that some of us stay back in the room, so we don't rose anyone else. Since Germany appears to very distraught about his brother, I suggested that he and Itary wait."

Japan begins to walk down the stairs and you follow.

"He didn't take it well." It's more of a statement then a question.

"Hai."

"His emotions could have been helpful if that monster showed up," you point out, feeling bad for Germany. It must be hard to be sent back to wait when it was your brother in danger.

"Hai, but he is unpredictabre in such duress. I want a partner I can predict and depend on."  

"Me?"

"My choices were between you and Itary."

"Oh." You respond feeling your self-worth plummet a little.

"Do not sell yourself short, Marino-san," Japan says, using a shortened form of your name, which you suppose is a good sign, "You have proven yourserf capabre of hording your head in combat, even if you are inexperienced. It was no competition between you and Itary."

"High praise," you laugh as your feet touch the first floor.

Japan's lips quirk up into a small, but still mirthful, smile, "Indeed."

That's when you hear very human sounding yells coming from the kitchen. Both you and Japan whip to face that direction, drawing your swords. All it takes is one shared look between you too before you both dash towards the kitchen. Japan takes the front position, while you follow slightly behind and to his right.

When you reach the kitchen where the strange, loud noises were coming from, you're greeted with sight. England, Russia, China, and Canada are there, and so of course, is the monster. Neither you nor Japan have a second to process the shock of the appearance of the other countries. The monster is running straight at a frazzled England.

Even though you haven't had many encounters with Japan, the two of you appear to be on the same wavelength. Without even sharing a look, the both of you charge at the monster. In a second, you're intercepting the monster.

Japan, who was slightly ahead of you, gets there first. With a swift movement, that you're going to have to request he teaches you later, he has England down and out of the way, as he blocks the monster's powerful blow with his katana.

"I won't ret you ray a hand on my friends." Japan grits between his teeth as he intercepts the attack. You wince at the sound the impact makes. You know from experience how painful that is.

((Impressive))

"EH?! J-Japan?! S-san M-marino?!"

"Nice to see you guys too." You smirk, stepping over the fallen over former-empire.

"I'rr ask you to wait a rittle before we can talk," Japan requests, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

((Always so polite))

"Japan! So you did come here!!" China yells, surprisingly chipper for his brush with death.

"You are aright, I suppose?" Japan asks.

"Talk later, kill monster now," you remind him wondering how he can forget with a monster, who's head almost brushes the ceiling, bearing down on him.

The next instant, Japan surges his body forward, causing the monster to stumble back.

His head turns slightly back to you, and bends his back slightly, as if making himself a spring.

((Why's he- of I get it))

While the monster is unbalanced, you have a chance to get up close and personal. You dash forward, using Japan's back as a springboard to launch yourself at the monster. This would make you an easy target, but the monster needed a second to recover. You dig your saber into the eye of the monster. With great exertion on your poor upper body, you swing your free hanging body up, so your legs are around the shoulders of the beast as you continue to grind your sword into his eye. It's an awkward position, but effective. The monster appears to actually be in pain.Before the monster can do anything to dislodge you, Japan is there for back up. He launches a powerful attack at the monster that combined with your saber in his eye has the monster defeated in a matter of seconds.

Like before, the monster disappears.

"Shit!" You exclaim as you start to fall to the ground. To your surprise you are caught by Russia.

"Ah, little Italian angel az fallen from zky. You become one vit Moter Ruzzia, ya?"

"N-no way! P-put me down, Russia!" You demand, intimidated by the mountain of man.

"I vaz just tanking our rezcuer, ya? No need to be zo zy~" Russia teases as he puts you down. Even his jests are terrifying.

He sets you down and you scuttle over to Japan, who's pulling England to his feet.

"You alright, England?" You ask.