In The Three-Ninth Kingdom

Author Note: As of right now my posting days will be Tuesdays and Thursdays but this is subject to change based on my own schedule and how the muse strikes me. Thanks for reading, please rate and review =D It only takes a second I swear!

Chapter 1

“There’s a ghost in the basement.”

“A what?”

“A ghost, in the basement.”

Ukraine gave the boy a strange look as she wrapped the gauze firmly around the others chest. Raivis winced slightly at the feeling. He was lucky they were only bruised and not broken after being practically tossed down the stairs.

“I think you hit your head too hard.”

“You don’t believe me?” Raivis gave the other a disappointed look. It made the woman shrink a little. “It touched me.”

“Touched you?” The busty woman shook her head. “Raivis ghosts can’t touch you. You must have just hit your head too hard, you were dreaming or something.”

“I know what happened. It touched me. It grabbed me!” Raivis shifted uncomfortably as Katerina gave the boy a very disbelieving look.

“And then what?”

“Then…well….it held me.” Raivis frowned, his pale skin starting to turn a dusty red. The whole thing only made Ukraine frown even more. Surely the other boy had only hurt his head. Ivan hadn’t been very gentle.

“Raivis. That never happened.”

“But how do you know! You weren’t there!”

“Because that could never happen. First of all, there is nothing in the basement. Second of all, even if there was, a ghost could never hold you. You fell down the stairs-“

“I didn’t fall-“

“Never mind…however you ended up down there. You still hit your head hard, there’s a goose egg on your head the size of my fist!”

“That doesn’t mean I’m making it up.” The boy hated when the sisters treated him like a little boy. Well…it was more Ukraine than Belarus. Belarus usually just used him as a target for abuse. The woman was brutal, worse than Ivan in some ways, which explained why she was the only one her brother listened to without question.

“You just felt like it was real,” The older woman patted him lightly on the head, causing him to wince at the feeling. Everything was bruised all over from yesterday.

He was lucky that Ivan was going away for a few weeks. A trip to somewhere in the orient Toris had said. There was someone he wanted to convince to join with them, which was not unusual. Russia tended to collect things that amused him. Nine times out of ten they were weak tiny little things like himself.

But all the same he was lucky, if the Russian had been staying he might have been forced to stay longer in the basement and he could have gotten seriously ill. But now that he was leaving, it was safe for Katerina to sneak him out.

By the time the Russian came home, everyone knew he would have long forgotten the incident as if it never happened. He had a strange mind like that. A raging brute of a man in the heat of the moment but quick to forget and slide back under his misleading calmed state. A wolf in sheep’s clothing for sure.

“Now get to your chores, but don’t strain yourself.” The woman pushed herself up off the bed, bowing slightly from the weight of her chest. The breasts rolled about with a strange distinct sound that Ravis could have recognized anywhere in the house.

“Yes ma’m…” He mumbled in a disappointed voice.

There was no such thing as a sick day in the house of Ivan. Unfinished chores were inexcusable. And with Ivan gone, Belarus was in charge and she was as much of a slave driver when it came to dust and dirt as Ivan. Her eye was by far even keener, seeing as how she never wandered around half drunk out of her mind.

“Now now, it was just a bad night, don’t let it get to you. Nothing to even worry about, you’ll be healed and forget all about it in no time.” Ukraine sweetly patted the boys head, smoothing his hair with her hand, misunderstanding the reason for his sigh. Raivis merely nodded, unable to correct the woman. Although he was disappointed that no one believed him. It had seemed so real…that ghost…

-In the Basement-

The boy screamed in the dark, jerking his hand out of the weak grasp as he tried to scrabble back across the cold stone floor. When his cry faded there was nothing but silence, and then the sound of water, dripping onto the stone and a distinct squeak of a rat. For a moment, despite his fear of the little furry creatures he was almost relieved. He had just imagined it, freaked out in the dark. There was nothing here but him, him and the rats of course.

“God…” He whispered quietly into the dark.

“There is no god in a place like this, you know. He can’t hear you here.”

Raivis froze, his whole body tightening in fear at the sound of the voice. Tears pricked his eyes in utter terror.

“Oh god please that isn’t real.” He whimpered to himself. “There is no one here but me, no one here but me!”

“And me of course,” The voice replied, almost in a cheeky fashion. Raivis barely smothered a cry of fear.

“W-who are you?” He whispered after a moment of silence, trying to calm his heart which was beating a million miles a minute with fear. There were several heartbeats of silence and Raivis was starting to wonder if he had just imagined the whole thing.

“A ghost I guess.”

He almost cried. This absolutely could not be happening. It was the vodka. It wasn’t real. Not real at all. And if it wasn’t real, there was no way this ghost could hurt him! Hah!

“Are you scared?” The voice asked. Raivis wanted to scream again.

‘Are you out of your mind mister ghost?! I’m terrified!’ He wanted to say but he said nothing of the sort.

“N-no. Why would I be scared of a ghost!”

“You screamed.”

“You touched me!” Raivis protested, even though it was a weak excuse.

“Touché.” There was a strange sound and after a moment Raivis realized the voice was laughing. The sound made him shiver uncontrollably.

The silence settled around them again until the Latvian was starting to wonder if the whole thing was real again. It was absurd. Having a conversation with a ghost! Ghosts were scary! They made him cry! He shouldn’t be talking to one!

‘But…it wasn’t like the ghost had tried to scare you…’ He tried to reason with himself. It wasn’t so scary when the ghost was doing…well… nothing.

“Are you still here?” He whispered into the silence, feeling like a fool.

“Where else would I be? Cant leave now can we.”

“But you’re a ghost, you can go though walls.” The ghost made the strange laughter again. Raivis wished he wouldn’t do that. It sounded strange and it made him shiver, yet he didn’t have the guts to ask.

“I have to stay here.” Was the simple reply, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world that he would have no choice in the matter.

“Why?” Raivis whispered, as if it was dangerous to speak loudly.

“Ivan says so.”

“But you’re a ghost…you don’t have to listen to Ivan…” Raivis tried to hold back the urge to cry when he thought of the frightening Russian.

“I never really thought about it before,” The ghost replied with that strange laugh.

“What is your name?” Raivis tried to change the conversation, he didn’t want to think about that brute of a Russian.

“I don’t know.”

“What? How do you not know?”

“I don’t remember.”

“Oh…” Raivis felt sorry suddenly for the other. “You must have been dead a really long time to forget.”

“I don’t know. It feels like a very long time.”

“I’m sorry…” Raivis whispered in the dark, his chest aching with discomfort for the other.

“I’m sorry too…”

-Now-

Just thinking about the conversation in the basement made the Latvian ache with sadness for Ghost, as he had affectionately named the thing. Even though he had always been frightened by ghost stories as a child this ghost wasn’t very scary. He was just sad…really sad. The ghost sounded really lonely. And it was really dark and cold down there, it was probably a miserable existence to be living in Russia’s basement.

No one ever came and rescued Ghost from the basement. No one ever told him it was ok. He didn’t even remember his own name or anything. How horrible!

By no means did Raivis like the basement but he felt infinitely sorry for Ghost being down there all alone. The idea of going down there made him tremble all over but he couldn’t seem to let go of the idea of Ghost being down there all alone with no one at all to talk to. Maybe he could even encourage him to leave the basement. Surely ghosts could do that. They didn’t have to stay in places that made the little Latvian shiver with fear.

The more he thought about it the better the plan seemed to be and the more the Latvian wanted to do something, anything! He could be like the heroes in his books! If he did a good deed he could get rewarded, just like the handsome men in his books.

But he needed help…he couldn’t do it all alone…could he? The small boy wilted silently under his own thoughts. He was just one person, and not very strong at that. He had to have some help if he wanted to do something for Ghost.

And that perhaps was the biggest problem of all because no one wanted to help him! He was too scared to ask Belarus, Ukraine didn’t believe him, Estonia just looked like he was going to throw up when he mentioned going against Ivan and Toris…

“Raivis please, I’m busy. Can’t you see I’m packing?”

“Why…are you going somewhere?”

“Do these look like my clothes stupid?” Toris snapped crankily. It had been a bad day with Ivan; the man was in a mood over his trip. He had been relieved when the Russian had excused him from the study to pack his things, but now Raivis was here and he didn’t know if he could deal with the younger’s prattling after the morning he had had…

“N-no. They look like Russia’s…Oh! His trip!”

Toris sighed heavily at the others beaming face. Raivis didn’t really see why he was upset, he had remembered in the end hadn’t he?

“Look, just…hand me that scarf over there.” Toris gestured. If the other was going to be here, at the least he could help.

“Can you help me with something when we’re done?” The Latvian begged as he retrieved the scarf from the far side of the bed.

“If it has to do with this ghost business Katerina mentioned earlier, no. I am not going to help you look for something that doesn’t exist.”

Raivis couldn’t help the sudden shocked and hurt expression that rushed over his face. Ukraine had told on him? Then Toris didn’t…believe him either? His face twisted into a horrible frown.

“H-Hey, don’t cry.” Toris sputtered when he saw the look on the younger boy’s face. “Look, it’s not a big deal ok?”

“O-Of course it’s a big deal!” Raivis almost sobbed. Why wouldn’t anyone help him? Didn’t anyone have even a little faith in him?! “Why don’t any of you believe me!”

“Look its just…” The elder Baltic looked horribly uncomfortable as he watched the tears slide down the others baby fat cheeks. “It’s not…that I don’t believe you…its just…just…Look I don’t have time ok! I have to pack!”

“Fine! Forget it!” Raivis stomped his foot angrily on the carpet. “I don’t need any of you to help me! I’ll do it on my own!”

And with that the younger Baltic boy whirled around and marched off, leaving Toris relieved that he was all alone.