"I love you ."

A Hetalia Fan fiction

By: Rhiannon Crawford

I was scared. I was lost. I didn't know where to go in this crazy world. I was alone and terrified. People kept coming after me, saying I was special. I couldn't understand any of it. It was all so much. I didn't want to be this, I never did. I didn't want to listen to the words they were saying. It was illogical, impossible. How could they accuse me of being such a thing? How could they say these horrid things with such ease and delight? It was sickening. They took so much joy in ripping my world to shreds. How could I be a country?

I never wanted to be a country. I still don't want to be one. There is so much anger and war between all of us. All it seemed like was one problem after another. We rarely got along with each other, even our own allies. It was a horrible life. Except for one thing, the one thing that kept me sane and composed in this swirling storm that now consumed my life.

I smiled as he walked into the conference room. A warm light filled my heart and soothed my pain. I looked at his snow white hair and his vibrant purple eyes. They looked like silent blooming violets in a cold winter's night. Those eyes gave me hope and they gave me peace. He had his long gray scarf enveloping his neck. He looked so happy whenever we were at a conference, almost as if looking at them arguing gave him comfort in the next day.

My name is Natalia Arlovskaya, otherwise known as Belarus. For a while I grew up in a small town. I was never bothered and I never cared for the other children. I felt so separated from them. Almost as if I was in a different world than them. It made me feel more alone than ever. I was raised by an old woman named Ronda. She was kind to me despite my hostility. I never really felt like I belonged there. I started to pray that I find another life to grow in a place I belonged. I assumed anywhere was better than where I lived. Little did I know that God would soon answer my prayer in a sick and twisted manner?

One day I was sitting on Ronda's porch to the little hut she lived in. I was humming a tune when a man in a fancy-looking suit and glasses came towards me. He spoke in a weird accent I have never heard of.

"You need to come vith me." The man said in his strange accent.

I grew frightened of the man with his dry and heartless words. "W-what do you mean? R-Ronda said not to go with strangers…. Who are you?" I asked terrified I would end up like a girl named Jesibelle and end up being taken by frightening men.

"I vill explain later. I am no stranger. All I ask is you come vith me so I can bring you to your home." The man said with clear annoyance in his voice.

Suddenly, Ronda appeared in front of me and looked towards the man in so much remorse and pain.

"Does she have to go so soon? She is still a child Roderich, she will not handle it well. I can promise you that. All I need is another year. Just another year with her is all I ask of you, Roderich." Ronda pleaded in such agony.

The man called Roderich looked at her in no sympathy. "It is urgent Ronda. Ve need her to report now. A year is too long a vait for you to settle your grief. I give you all of one fortnight. Then I vill come back and take her away. No excuses the next time ve meet." Roderich turned away from Ronda and me and started to walk off, but he stopped and looked at Ronda slyly. "Or I presume there vill be dire consequences."

I was outraged by Roderich treating Ronda this way. I ran towards him. Roderich turned around in shock. I started to scream. "APOLIGIZE TO RONDA!"

Roderich looked in awe at me. "Vhat?"

I screamed at him again. "APOLIGIZE TO RONDA NOW! DON'T THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH TALKING TO HER LIKE THAT! APOLIGIVE NOW!"

Roderich chuckled evilly. "Cute. You actually think I'll listen to an ignorant child?"

I was infuriated. He comes out of nowhere and starts insulting Ronda then, he calls me an ignorant child. "WELL AT LEAST IM NOT A SELFISH ASS!"

Roderich looked at me in disgust. Then he glared towards Ronda. "Did YOU teach her such foul language?" Roderich spat at her

Ronda lifted her head as if proud of herself. "Aw. Look at the sulking man. You're pitiful. If you wanted her to be like you then maybe you should've raised her. Instead of you giving her to me to take care of. Now I remember your words. 'Please take care of her. I do not know how to raise her.' Isn't that right Roderich?"

Roderich proceeded to glare at Ronda. He then turned away and trudged away from us.

I looked at Ronda with worried eyes. "Who was that man, Ronda?"

Ronda looked at me with such a sad gaze. "We have a lot to catch up on, Natalia." She reached out her hand. "However, before any of this nonsense let us eat our lunch."

I smiled and took her hand and we headed to the hut for our lunch.

We had milk and bread for lunch. It wasn't much but, it was enough. Ronda worked hard to make sure we could get by. I was more grateful to Ronda than anyone. She took me in after I got lost in the mountains. I didn't know who I was and I didn't know how I got there. It just happened and I didn't know why. Although, I didn't know where I was Ronda found me. She took me in and fed me. She clothed me. She treated me as her own child. I could never be more grateful for her doing everything she's done.

Ronda decided to break the heavy silence that lingered over us. "I guess you want to know who that man was."

I nodded my head.

Ronda looked pained. "Natalia there is something that you need to know. When I found you it wasn't coincidence."

My eyes widened. "What?"

Ronda continued. "Roderich gave me you so that I could raise you until you were needed.

I was confused. My vision started to blur. "I d-don't understand…."

Ronda started to cry. "Your real name is Belarus. You are the country we are in."

I was stricken in shock. "B-but t-that can't …that isn't…. I can't be…..how…."

Ronda grabbed my hand. "I know it is a heavy burden but, it's true. Roderich is Austria and there are many others like you, Natalia. You're so special." She caressed my cheek which now had tears dripping down it.

I started to cry. "I-I… I….."

Ronda pulled me into a hug. "Please don't hate me, Natalia. I never meant to hurt you."

I pulled away and looked at her in fear and ran out.

Ronda screamed for me. "NATALIA!"

I ran and didn't stop, until Roderich suddenly appeared. I looked at him in absolute terror. He loomed over me. I tried to run but, he picked me up. I started to scream and try and get out of his hands.

Roderich ordered me in an agitated voice. "STOP VIGGLING AND SCREAMING, BELARUS!"

I screamed and squirmed harder than ever as if my life depended on it. Finally, Roderich lessened his grip on me and I was able to get away. I ran as fast as I could.

I screamed. "THAT ISN'T MY NAME!"

I ran from him for hours. After a while Roderich called up some of his friends.

I heard Roderich sigh. "This girl is making more trouble than she's vorth."

Then I heard an unfamiliar voice. "That isn't nice to say, Austria. She is still just a child. I can't imagine how scared she must be." It was the voice of a woman.

Next, another voice came up. It was the voice of a man who sounded strict. "I don't care if she is veeping her eyes out. I have to get ready for a trip that Italy planned for us."

I heard the sound of a skillet hitting something hard. "Vill both of you stop it!" It was the woman's voice and it sounded very agitated. Suddenly I heard a crashing sound a few feet away from me. I told myself to keep quiet so that they didn't hear me. Unexpectedly, a boy with snow white hair and striking violet eyes came out of a garbage can.

"Hello." The boy said with a moldy banana peel slipping off of his head.

"Who are you?" I asked in a mix of surprise and wonder.

"My name is Ivan. Would you happen to be Belarus? I have been looking for her."

I felt my heart sink to the ground and fear rise to my throat. "I-That-How-Why-… that isn't my name! Why does everyone keep calling me that?!" I screamed at him.

He looked astonished at my words. "Are you scared? You look scared. You are shaking to the bone." The boy pointed out.

I looked at him with fear. "Of course I am! I just found out the reason I never belonged anywhere and Ronda just told me I'm special because of it. Now Roderich is going to take me away. I don't know what to do. And-And…." I started to grow hysterical.

"Please don't cry. Um…. Please don't cry." He pleaded in a worried voice. It only made me want to cry more. "Uh, I don't know what to do… What do I do? Uh….." Ivan started to panic. "Uh….." He started to sing. "Hush little child don't you cry I will sing you a lullaby. Hush little child don't you fret you don't need to worry about things yet. Hush little child it's okay just wait till morning for another day." His voice was soft and comforting. He continued to sing his profound melody while he came closer to me. Soon he was hugging me and I was calmed down, "Are you okay, now?" He asked in calm voice. I nodded to his question. I felt safe in his arms and everything seemed okay now. I started to feel sleepy and I blinked trying to keep awake. "It's okay to fall asleep you know right?" Ivan responded to my fluttering eyelids.

"Okay…" I said sleepily. I soon drifted into a blissful dream

…..

When I awoke I was on a velvet covered bed. There were expensive looking curtains dangling from the window that moved with the wind that blew through the open window. I stood up and looked down at my clothes and almost screamed. I was in a lovely lace night gown that caressed my knees ever so lightly. I don't remember being here or getting into such an outfit. I walked into the middle of the room and stared at my newly found environment. The room I was in was awe inspiring, almost as if ripped from the pages of a fairytale. There were ancient vases around the room engulfed in unique paintings that I had never seen before. Then, I heard the door creak open to reveal a woman. Her hair fluttered to the edge of her curved hips. She had a pink tulip in her hair and she had on a breathtaking dress of green and white. Her eyes glowed like slivers of jade and she had a sweet smile on her face.

"Oh so you are awake." She said relived. When she spoke I realized that she was the woman from last night who was helping Roderich hunt me. I took a step back automatically and stood in a defensive position. However the woman came into the room and lifted her hands in worry. "No. No. I von't hurt you. I just came to see if you were okay. I know how scary this must seem to you. Roderich doesn't really know how to deal with children, you see?" The woman said in an attempt to comfort me.

"W-where's Ivan?!" I asked in a scared tone.

The woman looked confused and proceeded in her sweet tone. "I am sorry but I don't know vho Ivan is. My name is Elizabeta and I live vith Roderich."

Hesitantly, I replied. "My name is Natalia."

The woman smiled lovingly at me and then sat down next to me. "Look, I know that this is all this is harder to process and you're scared and confused. However, we're not here to hurt you or try to make you upset-"

"You're lying." I said as I stood up and walked away in search of the one person he understood. I went to look for Ivan.