Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or Poem "A Dream Within a Dream" by Edgar Allan Poe
Tenderly kissing the brow of her children, she knew this was the end for her. She was once a strong nation, but the visits and settling of the foreigners from the East were draining her of her energy. Looking down to her sleeping children, a smile graced her face. Oh how she will miss her little children. Maska and Kanata, her sweet children. Why must I leave them? My darling children. They did not look like her or her people. With their blonde hair and blue eyes, looking like the conquerors that are settling on her land, while she has dark hair, dark eyes filled with wisdom and tanned skin.
The peaceful atmosphere of the forest, the running of water in the river, and the singing of the birds gave the sense of security to the woman and her children. Sitting under a huge oak tree, the woman stared out into the forest. Getting lost in her thoughts, she wondered what the future holds for her beloved children. Will the men from across the sea take care of her children? Or will they control her people and cause her children to lose their way? Knowing she will not be around to protect her children, a pain gripped at her heart. This will be the last day she will ever spend with them. Pain gripped at her heart harder, fighting tears from falling –I must be strong for them! And OH! Why! Why must she end this way!?- she continued to look at the forest. It feels so much like a dream.
Suddenly the children begin to stir. They blink the sleep from their eyes, moving their heads to look around their surroundings. The calm of the forest allows them to feel peace. They look up towards their mother's face and know. They can see the exhaustion and sickness in their mother's once healthy body. She will not live much longer. No more singing, no more running through the forests and no more visiting their tribes with their mother. Coming out of her thoughts, Native America faces towards her children. She looks into their eyes and begins to speak.
"My children. I have very little time left. I want both of you to promise to take care of each other. You are brothers with a strong bond. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. If you fight, make sure to forgive each other. You are each other's support. Do not forget that my children," Native America tells Maska and Kanata soothingly and sadly.
Tears began to fill in their sky blue eyes. This farewell –it hurts too much. Make the pain go away- grips at their hearts. "But Mama! You can't die! You'll be alright! You just need rest and then you'll be better," sobbed Maska, as tears were flowing down his soft cheeks.
"Of course, Mama! You just need more rest like Maska said! Please, we don't want you to go! You're our Mama," Kanata cried as well. Though it was futile, they tried to believe this was a bad dream. A nightmare, when they wake up their mama will be alright and healthy. Just a dream.
Native America smiles sadly at her children, speaking lovingly, "This is our reality, my dear Maska and Kanata." Seeing her children crying, broke her heart. She spoke quietly this time to them, the twins listened intently to their mother's words.
"My children, you are not wrong. This is indeed a dream. My whole life has been a dream. But just because hope is gone, whether it be during the day with the bright sun, or the dark of night with the sparkling stars, it is any less gone? Our reality is nothing but a dream within a dream."
Native America knew her children would not understand her little speech, but she had faith one day they would understand her words. Looking around the peaceful nature of the forest, Native America began to sing a lullaby to her children. Maska and Kanata laid their heads on her lap while they listened to their mother sing, probably for the last time. Her voice soothing and melodious, calmed down the crying twins until their tears were no more.
It seems like a dream.
The twins had fallen asleep again. The exhaustion was finally taking over her weak body. Her time had come it seemed. Stroking both her children's hair, Native America's body began to fade. Soon her body will become one with the Great Spirit. Looking lovingly at her children for the last time, Native America softly said, "I love you, Maska and Kanata. Take care my children."
Just as she finished saying her farewell, Native America's body was no more. The twins sleeping in the spot she once occupied, clung to each other.
The crashing of the waves across the shore, the orange and purple color of the sky were quite beautiful. The sand a golden glow from the lighting of the current sunset. Standing on the shore were two young men, twins in fact. They looked to the sunset, then towards the sand, bending down to grab a handful of sand each. Looking at the sand, remembering their once forgotten past. The vision of a woman with long dark hair, eyes full of wisdom and tan skin. She was fairly tall and beautiful, standing in front of them several feet away.
The boys look at each other, then to the woman in front of them. She smiled to them, opening her arms for them to embrace her. The young men felt like crying tears of joy, the wind blowing throughout all of their hair. The boys stood shocked for a moment before she began to talk.
"Maska. Kanata. My dear children, why do you hesitate to embrace me? Do you no longer wish to see me?" she asked sadly while lowering her arms. Alfred and Matthew were shocked that she would even think that, they had missed her terribly ever since she had disappeared when they were just young nations.
"No Mama! We have missed you! Don't leave us again, please," Alfred's eyes watering while talking to their mother. Matthew's eyes began to water as well, while speaking, "Mama, we've always wanted to see you. We have been thinking about you every day since you left."
Wanting to embrace their mother, Alfred and Matthew began walking. However, instead of getting closer, their mother was moving away. They ran to catch up to her. They ran faster and faster but were not moving from their original spot, while their mother was getting farther away from them.
Matthew cried out, "Mama! Mama! Don't leave us again!" Tears flowing down both their faces, they continued to run to her. Noticing sand flying into their eyes, they stopped, looking to their hands. The grains of sand slipping through their fingers. The tighter they tried to hold it in, the faster it would slip away. Looking up to their mother, as she was slipping from their fingers just like the grain of sand. The pain of losing her-Oh God. Don't leave. Don't leave- making their hearts clench in pain.
"No! Mama!" they both cried. This is just a dream. Just a dream. Just a dream. Watching as the sand and their mother faded into the wind. Whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy? We can't save her. She's slipping from us! Many of these thoughts running through their minds.
The setting of the sun, the light from the sky, the beauty mocking, showing them the pain of losing the woman who gave birth to them. Raising them to understand their people and land, fading away in front of them. They gave one last attempt to reach their mother, just when they were finally close enough to embrace her, she disappeared once again. Both Alfred and Matthew cried loudly out to the sky for their mother.
"Mama! Mama! Come back! Waaaahh!" Tears flowing down heavily, the sight of their mother disappearing a second time –come back! It's just a dream. A nightmare.-making them feel suffocated. They sank down into the sand, clutching to each other as the waves crash back and forth on the shore. It's just a dream. Just a dream.
Only the sound of crying and crashing of waves can be heard until a soothing noise is steadily becoming louder, breaking the dream of the twins. The scenery suddenly becomes blurry and dark, quickly changing to dim lighting as Alfred and Matthew open their eyes. It takes a few seconds for their eyes to adjust to the darkness of their bedroom. Looking around the room, they see England and France sitting on their bed holding them closely while talking soothingly to them. It takes a few minutes for them to realize that they were indeed having a nightmare, while their adoptive parents were trying to calm them down.
England and France notice the twins waking up and England soothingly says, "Sh, it's alright loves, France and I are here for you. You two just had a terrible nightmare."
Just a dream.
"Qui, Mon Petites, we are here. You have nothing to be afraid of, we will protect you," France says lovingly. He smiles softly while holding Alfred in his arms, he moves his fingers through Alfred's hair while England does the same to Matthew.
Knowing that they will no longer be comforted by their mother, they continue to cry harder, England and France look at each other, eyes showing worry. The boys haven't had nightmares as bad as this since they were young colonies. The soft singing from France and quiet humming from England echo throughout the room, calming both Alfred and Matthew down. This went on for about thirty minutes until Alfred and Matthew succumbed to sleep. With one last thought as they drifted off- It was just a dream. A dream within a dream- they fell into a dreamless sleep.
I hope you enjoyed this one-shot. I was reading some poems by Edgar Allan Poe when I came across the poem "A Dream Within a Dream" and instantly thought of this story. I hope I made it have enough angst in it. A thank you to LadyLazarus33 for being my Beta Reader. Tell me what you thought of this. I want to know how good I wrote this one-shot.
Also not too sure how much I will update this because I am working on two other stories as well. Well, I hope I can get a few more chapters of one-shots and/or stories. Please Review.