In Unison

Estonia and Latvia swirled back into reality amidst a burst of blue sparks. “Where are we?” said Estonia.

They were in a vast green field, next to a tall concrete tower. “I don’t know,” said Latvia, “but why aren’t we with Lithuania?”

“I told you I haven’t got a proper hold of this teleportation thing,” Estonia snapped. “But she must be somewhere nearby.”

The sky was a swirling dark gray, chockfull of thick, impenetrable clouds. “This place sucks,” said Latvia simply.  

“I feel too exposed out here in the open,” said Estonia, eyeing the tower. “Should we…?”

“Go in?” Latvia glanced around, still expecting to see Lithuania, somewhere. They really were just out in the open. The edge of a forest could be seen in the distance down south, but the tower they were next to was squat in the middle of a vast meadow that, except for the distant forest, extended as far as the eye could see. “Something isn’t right,” Latvia said.

Estonia tugged at the large iron door to the tower. Then tugged again. It wouldn’t budge. “If we just teleported here,” said Latvia. “I’m sure we can make it through a door.”

Estonia looked the door up and down, sizing it up. “Alright, let’s see if this works.” She placed her palm flat against the door and closed her eyes.

Latvia crossed her arms. “You trying to teleport through that?”

Estonia frowned, brows furrowed in concentration. “Not quite.”

“Well you’re not leaving me on the wrong side of the door if you are,” said Latvia, grasping Estonia’s hand. Instantly, the door disappeared in a swirl of blue sparks, reappearing with a dull thud as it landed on the grass several feet away.

“Crap,” said Estonia, looking at where the door had landed.

“Sweet!” said Latvia surprised, releasing her sister’s hand and looking at the now doorless entryway into the tower. “You just teleported that thing away!”

“Erm, not quite,” said Estonia, rubbing her palm. “I think you did.” 

“What?”

“It didn’t work until you touched me.”

“But I didn’t even know what you were trying to do. Is that what you were trying to do?” she asked, pointing at the fallen door.

“Yes, but—” Estonia was perplexed. “I didn’t really feel any sort of… power surge, until you touched me.”

Latvia looked at Estonia, then the entryway, then the door, then back at Estonia. “Shit.”

“Shit?”

“Shit.”

“What?”

“We need to find Lithuania, now.”

“No shit.”

“No,” Latvia snapped. “I mean, we really do. Like, now. This bad feeling I have… And the fact that mom asked us to teleport here… And you teleporting that door away right when I touched you… Don’t you see?”

“No.”

“I think—I think we’re stronger when we’re close together.”

“Uh huh,” said Estonia, her voice still flat. “And when you get bad feelings, something bad usually happens. Which means we have to find Lithuania so we can deal with whatever bad thing is coming.”

“Right.”

“Clever.”

“We’re in danger. Your monotone is inappropriate.”

“You don’t say.”

“Latvia!” came a voice from inside the tower. Both girls whipped their heads towards the darkness inside. “Latvia! Estonia! I can’t believe it’s you!” From the darkness came Felix Sombrero, eyes wide open and laser rifle at hand. 

“Felix!” cried Latvia, relief washing over her. She gave Felix a quick, warm hug. “We need to find Lithuania, right away.”

“Like hell we do,” said Felix, staring off to the forest edge down south. “We got separated—there are explosions going on all down the tunnels.” He seemed on edge—unsure. “How’d you get here?”

“Later. What tunnels?” said Estonia.

Felix nodded, pointing all around him. “Tunnels are all under these fields, going in tons of directions to other towers just like this one,” he said, indicating the present northern tower with a nudge of his chin.

“So what can we do? How can we find her?” Latvia asked.

“We go south, above ground. But we need backup. I believe we’re being ambushed—or at least, the southern tower is. And that’s where Lithuania’s at. Every tunnel leading her way is either blown or under attack.” Latvia’s face went pale, and the worry in Felix’s expression wasn’t helping. “Come on; follow me below ground really quick. I need to rally some men. We need to head off now.”  

Felix led the way, and in a matter of minutes they were all underground, weapons at hand, backed by a group of five Foggistani soldiers. “You girls shouldn’t come,” Felix warned.

Latvia held her gun like it was poisonous, while Estonia held hers with such exaggerated confidence it was clear she’d never shot a gun in her life. “We need to go,” Latvia said firmly. “Lithuania needs us.”

“Me and my men will do the best we can. We’ll save her.”

Latvia shook her head. “No. We have to go too.”

“I’m not putting you two in danger,” said Felix, his voice growing authoritative. 

“I hope you don’t think you’re going to tell us what to do,” said Estonia, straightening a little.

Then they heard footsteps. Quick footsteps coming from down the tunnels. Everyone pulled their guns from their holsters. And a second later, Isa and Winfry were bursting into the dimly lit room. “Thank God we found you three!” said Isa, breathing heavily.

Felix opened his mouth to speak, but Winfry cut him off. “Latvia and Estonia, your sister needs your help now. We don’t have time to explain. We have to act now.”

Latvia and Estonia stared at the newcomers, confused and at a loss for words. And then— “Do you feel that?” said Latvia, looking Estonia in the eyes.

“Erm…” Before she could call her sister crazy, Estonia started feeling a strange tingling sensation all throughout her body, like she was slowly becoming enveloped in static. Then the darks became darker. The lights became lighter. The blues became bluer, and everything felt brighter. The taste of her own tongue. The odd smell of sulfur, mold and sweat. The imperceptible specks of dust, lingering in midair. The sound of Latvia’s heartbeat, against the blood pulsing steadily through her own scalp. “Oh my God,” Estonia said.

“We can do it!” cried Latvia.

“We can totally do it!” said Estonia.

“What?” said Felix.

Isa and Winfry had enough experience with the quilaire and the librem now to know that things sometimes just got weird. Also, whatever was making the sisters act funny was probably Isa and Winfry’s fault anyway—so what the hell.

Estonia then snatched Latvia’s hand. Latvia instinctively took Isa’s hand. Isa was already holding Winfry’s hand. And that was when the room went up in blue light.

Everyone reappeared above ground, surrounded by fire, laser beams and mayhem. In an instant, Felix and his men had pushed Latvia, Estonia, Winfry and Isa to the floor, formed a circle around them, activated their magnetic shields, and started shooting at the surrounding enemies. They were out in the open, completely exposed, and AssMachenstani creatures were swarming all around them. They would never find Lithuania—at least not with their eyes.

Estonia closed her eyes and knew immediately what to do. Her skin still tingling, she suddenly felt as if she could see everything without looking. Latvia to her left. Isa and Winfry next to Latvia. Felix and his five men. Estonia could feel the laser beams erupting from Felix’s gun. She could feel the blades of grass, swooshing back and forth to the sonic blast of the explosions. She felt every strand of her hair as it moved through space—every strand of Latvia’s hair—she could feel the enemies, flapping their wings up above—the AssMachenstani Demon Prawns, crawling through the valley—Estonia’s senses were suddenly in tune to everything, everywhere.

“Lithuania’s moving around like crazy,” she said.

“She’ll be within our circle any second now,” said Latvia, eyes wide and body pressed close to the ground. She didn’t know how she knew Lithuania would appear. She just did. And she knew even less what exactly it was she was feeling—some sort of extreme caffeine high that made her feel in tune, somehow, with every life force around her.

Meanwhile, Winfry was scribbling something quickly into a little book. “You heard Latvia,” said Isa, as she read what Winfry wrote. “Don’t finish the word until Lithuania is here.” Winfry nodded, the tip of his pen pressed firmly against the page. “Any second now.”

Suddenly, Latvia felt a darkness. A life force, giving out. A second later, one of Felix’s men received a purple beam to the face, his skull exploding and brains splattering about.

The girls shrieked, and Winfry almost finished the word in his book. “WAIT!” said Isa, stopping his hand. Felix and his men were firing madly into the swarm, but it was only a matter of time before everyone died.

And then, a splash of blue sparks, and Lithuania and Timoteo were somehow right within the circle. “NOW!” said Isa. Winfry finished the word and slammed the librem shut. Just in time, a glowing, translucent wall materialized all around them, soaring high and protecting them from a catastrophic explosion that would have meant the death of them all.

“Timoteo then grabbed Lithuania’s hand, thrust it into Latvia’s, and yelled into Latvia’s ear, “Stop everything. NOW!”

She knew what he meant. The touch of Lithuania’s hand threw Latvia’s extrasensory experience into overdrive. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, felt a sudden and enormous surge of energy—

And then let it all out.

Everything went quiet. Everyone within the circle was wide-eyed, breathing quickly. The magical wall shimmered peacefully now, no longer receiving beams and blasts and bullets. Latvia opened her eyes. She felt weak. Timoteo helped her to her feet, while Estonia, Winfry and Isa also rose. “What the HELL?” said Felix, his rifle still at the ready, magnetic shield still up. Latvia looked at the world outside Winfry’s magical wall and gasped.  

Everything, as far as the eye could see, was frozen in time and space. Billowing smoke, laser beams, magical energy bursts and flying AssMachenstani assassins—all were completely motionless and still. “Did I do that?” said Latvia weakly.

“Yes,” said Timoteo. “And no.” He turned from the scenery to face Latvia and Estonia. “I’ll explain later. What matters now is we’re together.”

Latvia and Estonia simultaneously looked at Lithuania. Lithuania looked back at them. She immediately choked up with emotion. “Oh you buttheads!” she cried, falling into their arms and pressing them tight. Tears streaming from their eyes, the sisters hugged, and hugged, and hugged, and if only for that moment, everything felt like it would turn out to be just OK.