What if...

Chapter Sixty-One~

Moldova rubbed his eyes. It was afternoon, now, and he was hot, hungry, and tired. Alice tried to cheer him up, but it usually resulted in Moldova being silent. He never complained, though he would occasionally make statements of his wants. Not a complaint. Just a simple bit of fact.

Alice, for her part, was struggling to figure out a way to get Moldova comfortable. She needed to find some sort of shelter for them to stay, and it needed to be close to water. One reason why they were currently following the riverbed.

As they walked, they kept their eyes open for possible resting spots. They weren't too picky-- anything would do. Even if they had to lay branches down to sleep under.

Finally, just when it was reaching sundown, they had found a place. Right at the edge of a small pool in the river, were three rocks supporting each other, leaving the middle free for sleeping. Moldova sighed gratefully and promptly laid down, falling right to sleep on the ground.

Alice smiled at this and looked around her, using what little magic she could use to make sure there was nothing living there that would kill them in their sleep. She found nothing, and so she joined the boy in sleep.

~*~

It was sunset, and still no sign of them.

"We must have hit the wrong trail," Kiana spoke up. "Let's go back and try again tomorrow. It isn't smart to say the night unprepared."

Such wise words for such youth...

"I agree," Kiku spoke up. "Nature is very cruer at night."

England sighed and nodded. "Alright. Let's go back. Kiana, do you think you can lead the way?"

The Iranian nodded and turned around, heading back the way we came.

~*~

Each day was like the last. Alice and Moldova would wake up to bug bites, she would heal them as best as she could, and then they would search for food. Each time they came up empty. The remaining at the cabin would go look for them, but still come up with nothing. Both of them were starting to panic, but even more so when Alice's day started out different.

It was dawn of the sixth day when she went to heal Moldova. However, when she pressed her hands against him, he was burning up.

Did he get sick? she wondered. He really was hot.

His eyes flickered open. "A-Alice...?"

She looked at him. "Yes, Moldova?"

He started shivering. "I'm cold... And my stomach's upset... What's wrong? Am I sick?"

Alice frowned. "I'm not sure. If you are, I think it would be best if you stayed here. I'll get you some water, okay?"

He nodded and Alice left to the riverbank to fill her water bottle and take it back to him. She gave it to him and helped him sip it before taking off her shirt and giving it to him for a pillow.

"Rest here, okay? I'm going to look for food again... If nothing else I'll bomb the river for fish."

Moldova smiled and settled down, closing his eyes.

Alice stood and headed out again, feeling slightly cooler now that she was only in her bathing suit and shorts. She looked down at her feet and winced at the numerous cuts and gashes that it had. She sighed, holding her hands over them and healing them some more so her exploration wouldn't be as bad.

Moldova, in the mean time, laid curled up on the jungle floor, clutching his makeshift pillow close while he shivered. And as sudden as the chills came, they left, leaving Moldova hot and sweaty. He groaned and rolled onto his back, liking it there since it kept his stomach calmer than the other positions. He sure did hope that he would get better soon.

~*~

Romania suddenly stopped in the trail, Nali accidentally running into him. She quickly apologized before asking why he stopped.

"Moldova isn't feeling good... We need to hurry. Why haven't we found them already?!" the vampire answered, irritated.

Nali looked to the ground before shoving at his back, causing him to stumble forward. When he regained his balance and whirled around to glare at her, she gave him her Big Sister look.

"If you don't move we'll never find him! Now get going!"

Romania blinked a few times before turning back down the trail and breaking into a run, the other countries following him.

~*~

England suddenly perked up.

I frowned. "What's up?"

"It's Romania... He thinks that Moldova's in trouble."

I broke into a run, shoving Al and Arthur in ahead of me and dragging Kiku and Kiana along behind me.

"Let's go!"

Oh, please let him be alright... I don't need to loose my little brother!

Kiana was thinking the same about her uncle.

Al hurried after England, trying not to be bowled over by the anxious ancient while trying not to run over his older brother. If Moldova was in trouble, then chances were that Alice was also in trouble. He had to save his sister before anything bad happened! It was already bad enough that they had been gone for almost a week. He had to find them!

Before they died.

~*~

Kadi frowned as she walked. Scotland raised a brow as he followed after.

"Ye found somethin', Lass?"

Kadi shook her head. "Romania. Moldova is in dire need of help."

Canada was up and ready to go. "If Moldova is in need, then so is Alice. Come on! We have to find them!"

China nodded, determined. "I agree. Time is our enemy, nao."

Kadi nodded and hurried down the trail.

~*~

As Romania ran, he didn't quite watch where he was going, nor did he pay attention to his surroundings much. No, he didn't run into a tree. He stepped on something he shouldn't have.

"Ina!" Germany called, grabbing her wrist and yanking her back, holding her close to him before passing her off to Gilbert. He pulled out his pistol and aimed it at the viper that had it's teeth sunk in Romania's boot.

"Don't move," he ordered.

Too late.

Romania glared at him before lowering a palm at the snake and shooting an orb of magic at it, effectively killing it.

Germany fired anyway. Hey, he already had his pistol out, and what's more fun than firing a pistol? Nothing, I tell you!

Nali looked at the crispy-fried snake with a hole in it's body with slight horror. Not because the sight was that gruesome, but because she was thinking about if she was in the front lines instead.

Gilbert kept himself between Nali and the rest until Ludwig gave him the okay to let her go. Inallika may be Ludwig's girl, but the way things were going, she'd be Gilbert's sister-in-law in no time.

Now if only he could get best friends to be sisters-in-law...

Romania kicked the snake out of the way into the brush and continued along the path at a jog, the other countries following after him. No snake could stop them from their quest.

~*...Meanwhile...*~

A mulatto girl frowned, sitting up from her seat on her couch. She adjusted her yellow flower in her black curly hair before standing and walking to her window.

"Looks like they need my help... Guess it's time to go, then."

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I SOWWY IT SO SHORT! T.T I'm having serious writer's block... Next chapter is going to be longer, I swear!

I just did the picture today. I love it~.

I have shimeji's taking over my screen! They're sooo cuuuute~!