...

~(WMD)~

Yes, the story is progressing; albeit very slowly.

'Thoughts' "Speach"

-(SC)- = Scene Change

Warnings for - Worrisome Wake-up Calls and Prussia's Ghastly Experience!

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Diabolic Clockwork

"I'm hungry!" Came the unmistakable demand of the forgotten polar bear cub in the room making both teens freeze in their actions. Alfred, who was now laying flush against his twin, looked up quickly while Matthew tilted his head back creating a reflecting lake effect of shock. There was a moment of heavy silence before anyone dared to speak.

"G-good morning, Mr. Kumacoffee…" Matthew stuttered, finally ruining the perfect mirror image they had been pulling off with a small frown.

"Sup, Bear Dude.." Alfred greeted with a light smirk as he tried to mask his own embarrassment.

Kumajiro gave them both a blank stare before redirecting his attention to the digital clock on the nightstand. It read 7:30am. "It's breakfast time." He informed, completely ignoring the fact that he had caught the two kissing just a moment ago. This was far more important after all. Yesterday they had rushed through breakfast and that was unacceptable since it was the most important meal of the day… right after lunch and dinner… and snacks! Besides this scene wasn't particularly unfamiliar to him, it just hadn't happened in a while.

Alfred released a small groan before he pulled himself away from his brother and sat back on the bed. "You're like clockwork, aren't you..?" He whined.

Matthew inwardly laughed at the statement, silently agreeing though when he heard his cell phone ring from the nightstand he couldn't help but sigh. "Maybe it's just as well, eh?"

"I bet you 50 pence, it's Artie." Alfred challenged as he removed himself from the bed and made his way over to the nightstand.

"Who else wakes up this early?" Matthew asked with a hint of amusement before pushing himself back into a sitting position and releasing a tired yawn. "Other than you.." He added a moment later as he welcomed his precious polar bear companion into his lap.

Alfred rolled his eyes at that as he flipped the old fashioned phone open, he then smirked when he was greeted with an image of himself holding up an IOU. 'That was over a month ago.' He mused. 'Mattie must really want that pancake.' Alfred smiled to himself as he held the phone up to his ear. "Sup, Artie."

"Alfred? Why are you answering your brother's phone?" Came the familiar voice of the suspected Englishman. He sounded wide awake and in a rush for some reason.

"Cause I'm awesome." Alfred replied with his usual arrogance.

"Just put your brother on, will you?" Arthur replied calmly, not giving his former colony the satisfaction of an argument.

"Uh, sure.." Alfred agreed dejectedly as he handed the phone to his twin.

"Good morning, Arthur." Matthew greeted, though now he was a little more than perplexed as to why Alfred would actually relinquish the phone so willingly; it wasn't like him.

"Top of the morning, Matthew." Arthur replied quickly before continuing onto what he had called for. Time was of the essence after all. "Listen, I want you to get your brother ready. I've arranged for him to be at the hospital at 9am so they can run some tests."

Matthew almost dropped his phone in shock. "W-what? Why?" He asked as he quickly turned away from his twin and those piercing analytic azure eyes. "That's not going to work, Arthur. You know how he is."

"It will if you don't tell the git where I'm taking him. Make something up!" Arthur retorted.

"I'm not lying to him..!" Matthew exclaimed. "You should have talked to him first before going behind his back and making appointments for him. There are always other ways to go abou-" Just then, the phone he was ranting into was liberated from his tight grasp by the person in question. "Alfie, wait..!"

"This is all about me.. Isn't it?" Alfred asked as he gave his twin a depressed look before lifting the red cell phone to his ear. The guilty look on Matthew's face was all the proof he needed as the Canadian averted his eyes and gave a subtle nod. Alfred sighed before turning his attention to the phone call. "Artie, what's going on?"

"Put your brother back on." Arthur demanded. "Don't be so rude. This is a private conversation."

"Is this about my memory?" Alfred asked, completely ignoring most of what the Englishman had said. Matthew looked over to him with apprehension as he settled his arms around Kumajiro and waited for his twin's reaction.

There was a long pause from the other end before Arthur finally conceded. "Yes, I want to take you to the hospital so they can run some tests. If they can locate the problem, perhaps there is a chance we can have it reversed."

'Thanks a lot, Arthur…' Matthew thought bitterly as he watched his brother's eyes narrow a fraction while listening into the phone. There was no way in hell they were going to get the American into a hospital, unless he was unconscious or severely inebriated… and that almost never happened. 'Alfie's going to be on edge for the rest of the day now…'

"Alright, I'll get ready.." Alfred responded weakly once Arthur finished explaining to him the details of the clinical torment he had scheduled for him that day. With that said he snapped the phone shut and turned his attention back to his brother.

"You agreed to go?" Matthew asked in disbelief.

"I promised, didn't I?" Alfred reminded as he handed the red cell phone back to the Canadian. "To do whatever I could to try and fix my problem, remember?"

"But you hate hospitals.." Matthew stated, a small frown playing at his lips.

The American shrugged. "I know. But if there's a chance this might help, then I'm willing to try it. I won't break my promise to you, Mattie. From now on, I'll take this seriously." He declared with more honesty than he was generally accustomed to. "…But there's something you gotta promise me in return."

"What..?" Matthew asked with a certain amount of wariness, although he knew he would promise just about anything in return for his brother's cooperation in this matter.

"Promise me that you won't keep all your feelings bottled up anymore. If something's bothering you, you know you can always talk to me about it. Don't just keep it locked away." Alfred said before reaching out and brushing some of his twin's messy honey blonde hair to the side and giving him a soulful look. "When you're sad, I'm sad. I don't need my memories to know that that's always been true. So promise me this, ok?"

Matthew said nothing for a moment as he stared up into his twin's eyes. This sincerity, this amount of care and concern. This was how Alfred used to be before his memories were damaged. This was his true self, completely unguarded. He missed this side of Alfred and he definitely didn't want it to go away again because he wasn't able to be equally as honest. "Alright." Matthew accepted with a warm smile. "I promise to be more open with you, if you promise the same for me."

"It's a deal." Alfred grinned. He then let out a heavy sigh, his expression turning apologetic. "Guess I should start getting ready, huh?" The teen said before giving a humorless chuckle at his own expense.

"I call dibs on your breakfast." Kumajiro said as he stared blankly up at the American.

"That's cruel!" Alfred exclaimed, looking immediately appalled.

Matthew quickly suppressed a snort as he turned away and tried not to laugh at his brother's priceless reaction to the little polar bear's guiltless claim. 'Way to ruin the moment, Mr. Kumakichi.'

-(SC)-

"Are you ready, mein freund?!" Gilbert asked excitedly as he slapped the cookie tray he had managed to find onto the banister of the rather large staircase; it created a loud echo throughout the old house. He had been tasked yet again with the duty of waiting until the service people came and went, just like yesterday. Even though Gilbert had voiced his complaints quite clearly that he had far more important things to do than wait around all day like some housesitter, he knew he didn't; so this was really quite perfect. Besides, what could be more fun than screwing around inside a huge house filled with treasure? Plus, he had the place all to himself right now!

"Zis vill be one for zee ages!" The Prussian declared confidently as he mounted the precariously placed cookie sheet. A small yellow bird flew circles around his head peeping. Whether it was egging him on or telling him what a bad idea this really was, only Gilbert could be sure. Without any further delay, the man pushed off and was now sliding down the railing at breakneck speed.

"I am Awesooome~!"

3.4 seconds later, a loud clatter of tin and a heavy painful sounding thud could be heard. The small bird released an alarmed peep before it fluttered down to circle around it's favorite person's crumpled form at the bottom of the old dusty staircase.

"It's all up to you now, mein freund.." Gilbert wheezed as he lifted a shaky hand into the air dramatically. "Tell mein fans.. I vas awesome ..till zee fery end. Tell mein freunds, I'm shtill vay awesomer zan zey vill effer be! Und tell mein brüderchen zat effen zough Feli shcrewed up his shtupid papers, ..it vas actually ME who set zem on fire..!" With that said, the Prussian's hand fell to his side with a dull thud. Gilbird peeped solemnly as she landed into her owner's hair and got comfortable.

"My only regret,.." Gilbert started as he stared up at the high ceiling with his crimson eyes. "vas zat I didn't get zat on camera.."

The Prussian's dramatic death scene was rudely interrupted when a silky white blur leapt over him and rushed into the adjoining living room. He stared after it perplexed, until he was forced to release a startled "oof!" when a smaller orange and white blur used his stomach as a launch pad before dashing off in hot pursuit of the first.

"Vat zee hell vas zat?" Gilbert asked aloud. His question was followed shortly after by a loud crash, making him flinch on instinct. With a groan of discontent, he begrudgingly forced himself back to his feet then went to assess the damage.

Upon investigation, the Prussian quickly spotted a pile of books along with a number of mysterious objects on the floor in front of a large bookcase. A white cat at the very top was staring down at the mess he had made. He swished his silky tail tauntingly when a second cat with orange spots emerged from underneath the clutter looking disgruntled. He then turned his emerald eyes to glare up at the other with contempt.

Gilbert sighed heavily as he brushed his fingers through his unruly snow white hair, sending his feathery friend aflutter. A grin of amusement spread across his face as he let out a laugh. "It's just sad if zere cats can't effen get along vis each other."

Both cats momentarily turned their attention to the man but quickly lost interest in him to resume their glaring contest.

Gilbert let out another chuckle as he shrugged and shook his head slightly at their reaction. He then scanned the large living room with mild interest in hopes of finding something new to entertain him. Nothing struck him as potentially interesting though, just a big room with dusty things. There was the high bookcase, now partially stuffed with books and other mysterious objects, some armchairs along with a loveseat sat near the old stone fireplace, and various paintings of landscapes and ships at sea decorated the walls; it was all rather mundane really.

"How boring…" Gilbert complained as his mood sunk a little. However when his crimson gaze landed on a curious cloaked object tucked out of the way in the far corner of the room, his interest was immediately piqued. "Vat's zis?" The Prussian asked with raised eyebrows. He of course already knew exactly what it was. How could he not? Roderich was always playing one after all.

With one fluid motion Gilbert pulled the protective sheet away unveiling a rather elegant looking antique piano. The Prussian smiled with amusement as he stared down at his find while his fluffy yellow friend peeped with delight and flew over to land on the shiny surface. "Keseses, zat arishtocratic fool vill be so jealous." He grinned as he took a picture of himself with the piano and Gilbird in the background on his brand new phone. He would have simply sent the picture to Roderich right then and there, but the Austrian had such an archaic mobile phone, he wasn't sure if it would work. Plus, Gilbert also wanted to have the pleasure of seeing his friend's reaction in person. Playing the piano was after all Roderich's admitted addiction and he would be going an entire month without his fix.

"I vonder if zere is such a sing as 'Piano Vizdrawal'." Gilbert pondered aloud as he tucked his phone away and sat down on the piano bench. "I hope so." He smiled evilly to himself while lifting the fallboard. The ivory keys shown brightly as the sunlight from the nearby window washed over them. This piano, although untouched for years, appeared to be in very good condition; not a scratch or a scuff anywhere.

The Prussian ran his fingers lightly over the delicate keys as he positioned his hands in the correct places. Once there, he softly pressed his middle finger down. A pleasant sound complimented his action. He stared at the keys pensively for a moment as he tried to remember the exact keystrokes. Gilbert would never appreciate or be as talented at the piano as Roderich, but that didn't mean he was completely without skill.

After a portion of the base melody to Preußenlied was played, Gilbird flew over and landed into her favorite person's hair. Even though she loved hearing this song, it always worried the small bird whenever her friend became nostalgic like this, since it usually led to severe moping or in most cases, drinking..

The Prussian winced when he felt a strand of his hair being pulled. Distracted, his fingers stilled and the music faded away. "Vat vas zat for?" He demanded after he had gently scooped the tiny chick from his hair so he could glower at her for the obvious interruption. Gilbird simply tilted her head in an attempt to appear more innocent, though she didn't need to try very hard. She was adorable, after all.

A low growl from the other side of the room earned Gilbert's attention as he flicked his eyes to the orange and white cat. The feline was no longer focused on his nemesis, instead he seemed on edge as he scanned the room suspiciously while swishing his tail. The Persian on the bookshelf stared down in wonder but didn't seem at all concerned. Gilbert frowned slightly and gazed around the room as well. He could faintly smell the scent of soot in the air as a cool draft seeped from the fireplace and settled in around them, creating an eerie feel. The Scottish Fold released a defensive hiss as he fluffed his fur and backed up a few steps. The hairs on the back of Gilbert's neck rose from the tense atmosphere and he swallowed thickly in apprehension.

The living room was deathly quiet, except for the subtle ticking of clockwork from somewhere nearby. It seemed to be steadily growing in volume, though that wasn't possible, right? Gilbert didn't even remember hearing it a few minutes ago. Cautiously, he turned his head and sure enough there was an impressive looking Grandfather clock set against the wall a few feet away from the piano. The Prussian stared at it dumbfounded for a moment as he watched the pendulum swing back and forth.

Gilbert turned back to his fluffy little chick with a forced smile. "Zis might be a shtrange question, but.." He started casually as if nothing was amiss. "Vas zat sing zere zis entire time?" The Prussian asked with an awkward laugh. He then flinched, snapping his attention back to the other side of the room to see more books tumble from the bookcase as the Persian descended back to the floor in a less than graceful manner. He then quickly followed after the Scottish Fold as they both made themselves scarce.

"…Zat vas veir-" The statement was drowned out by the loud and sudden chiming of the old Grandfather clock. Clearly startled, the Prussian shrieked in a way he would never admit to.

A mysterious breeze swirled around the large living room, flipping the pages of open books and sweeping Gilbird from cupped hands and into the air. Gilbert nearly jumped from the piano bench in alarm when the keys to the piano started playing all by themselves. The rogue keystrokes joined in with the clock chimes, creating an odd melody that sounded throughout the old colonial house.

The melody finally ended a mere 6 seconds later; the fallboard slamming shut as if to signify it's conclusion. Gilbert let out a shaky breath as he tried to recover from his frozen state of shock.

"Oh~! Is it tea time, already?" Came a lady's cheery voice from out of nowhere. It was followed by the hasty tapping of disembodied footsteps as they led out of the sitting room and down the hallway.

The Prussian paled considerably as his fluffy chick landed back into the familiar safety of his white hair.

"Mein Gott.."

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~(WMD)~

So.. the house really is haunted? Of course it is! XD

Seeing how Prussia was afraid of "The Spirit of a Makowiec", (Polish Pastry) I'm thinking he's probably scared of ghosts in general just like America. And wouldn't it be fun seeing him try to keep up his "Awesome" routine while he's frightened?

Is Gilbird a 'girlbird' or a 'boybird'? ..I can't tell.

German

brüderchen = Little brother

xXx

In the next chapter, Alfred will be visiting the hospital! He will be making new friends and fun will be had! ..so much fun...

If you have the time, please leave me a review. It would make my day~ :)