Hello there and welcome to this little story of mine. Before you begin there are some things I must note about it. This story takes place in sort of an alternate universe of the world we know. The landscape is not quite the same in the nations that will be included here. There will be several names of actual places that are not the same setup here. Also the Hetalia characters are all humans in this story. I hope you enjoy it.
Women do not fight battles; that is a man's job, as it has been for years. Despite that there is a fighting spirit in most women. Some just do not realize it is there. They forever believe that they are weak and must rely on men to do everything. While others know it fully well what they could be capable of. When they do realize that, the things they are capable of can be just as impressive as any man's deeds. In this particular world, nations vie for power or fight to exist. Our story begins in the Kingdom of Taiwan, in a village known as Chung-li.
Mei Lin had always been an independent girl. She had always felt the need to do things her own way. Of course she would do what she had to, to support her family in anyway possible. On the other hand she was also rebellious.
When she was young she would tend to pick fights with the village boys. She never liked how they would pick on other young girls. Her mother would reprimand her for her rashness afterwards, and it would accompany having to fix Mei's clothes in some way. The other girls found her behavior as rather strange and so tended to avoid her
Later the fights went away as Mei grew up and her body matured. Now most of those same boys tried to vie for her affections. She never wanted anything to do with any of them though. None of them captured her interest. Her parents though, kept reminding Mei that she was about old enough to marry and she should at least try to consider at least one of those boys. Her usual response was, "never in a thousand years". Her parents were dismayed at her stubbornness and would constantly remind her about how improper she was being. She did not care. Why should she? It felt much more free to be on her own anyway. She did not need anyone.
Mei had been wandering around in the forest. A bow was clutched in her hand and a bag of arrows were slung over her shoulder. She was looking for game to bring down. No one knew she was out here. Her parents would scold her severely if they ever found out she hunted.
She was waiting in the bushes for the possibility that perhaps some sort of animal would come by. She pushed a stray strand of long dark brown hair out of her face. That strand of hair would always stick out no matter what she did with it, but she did not want to cut it.
Then she heard it, the footsteps of some hooved animal. She readied an arrow and aimed. Her golden brown eyes strained with focus. She saw the wild boar poke its head out, then the arrow went flying right into the base of its neck. The boar's body twitched. Mei withdrew a dagger from a sheath tied to her waist and approached the convulsing animal. She stabbed the dagger into its heart and it lay still. A smile came to her face as she silently cheered about her success. She slung the boar's limp body over her shoulder and strode back into the village.
No one knew it was Mei who carried a wild boar through the town, she had always made sure to keep her face hidden and she would disguise herself as a boy. Mei approached the shop of her destination. The shop owner seemed surprised at the quality of the game this time.
"That's a good one you have there this time." The shopkeeper said.
"Well, we will see how good you think it truly is. So what's your price?" Mei asked making sure to deepen her voice.
The shopkeeper examined the boar closely. It was excellent quality all right. The shopkeeper estimated a reasonable price that Mei agreed to. As Mei took her money and turned to leave, the shopkeeper called out to her.
"You know Mei, there is going to be a day your family will find out about all this." He warned her.
"Don't worry, I'll be long gone by then." Mei said slyly as she left.
Mei pocketed her money as she was outside. On the streets everyone was going about their daily routine. Mei walked past a group of young girls talking about something. She walked right past them not the least bit interested in their conversation. The most she caught of it was the word, foreigners. Mei was pleased that she was one step closer to finally getting out of the village and she could be on her own for once.
Mei snuck into her home and into her room. She took off her clothes and washed any of the forest grime off her body. She smoothed out her hair and changed into a pink, white, and gold trimmed qipao and pinned a couple of pink flowers to her hair. It was not long till her mother came into her room with a concerned look on her face.
"Where have you been Mei?" Her mother interrogated.
"Around." Mei said.
Her mother shook her head in disbelief of her daughter's disrespect. She did not want to scold her at the moment there were better things that needed to be done. Mei's mother asked Mei if she could get some vegetables from the market. Every man in the house was away and someone had to get vegetables. Mei agreed hesitantly, at least the chore would get her out of the house for a while longer. Mei took a basket and a bag of money from her mother. She left and was planning on how long she could procrastinate till she got back home again.
In the village there was a lot of commotion going on. Apparently there was a camp of soldiers right outside the village. They were not enemy soldiers; in fact they were allies. The camp was made up of a few troops from two other nations and Mei's own. Lately a powerful empire was attempting to expand its borders and take down any nation that stood in its way. As a result the military of other nations had been working together to prevent the destruction of all the nations, including the small Kingdom of Taiwan. None of this concerned Mei in any way. It did not matter to her; she never had known truly what a threat some powers could be.
As Mei finished up her purchases from the vendors in the marketplace she heard a group of people talking about something. Mei turned to see a couple of soldiers both in different styled armor, and it was not from the military of Taiwan.
Everyone seemed to be making a big deal out of their presence, especially all the young girls. Mei could see why though, the two of them were quite good looking.
Mei paid them no mind and stood around looking bored. On the other hand the two foreign soldiers certainly noticed her.
"Hey Honda, look at that girl over there." The taller of the two said, whose name was Im Yong Soo.
"This is no time to be womanizing Im." Kiku Honda said.
"But what else is there to look at besides girls?" Yong Soo asked.
Kiku looked at the girl Yong Soo was pointing at.
"What about her?" Kiku asked.
"She seems interesting, not to mention attractive." Yong Soo commented.
"If you think that why don't you go talk to her."
"No you; you should loosen up a bit anyway Honda."
Yong Soo nudged Kiku towards the girl. He knew that Yong Soo was not going to let up anytime soon. Kiku hesitantly approached the girl that had made him curious.
"Excuse me?" Kiku said shyly.
Mei looked up and noticed that one of the soldiers was right next to her. As she had noticed from a distance, he indeed had a handsome face but he had brown eyes that had a dull light about them. His black hair was cut to where it framed his face.
"What do you want?" Mei asked with an annoyed hint to her voice.
Kiku was taken aback by her rudeness, but he troubled himself to go talk to her and he was not going to let his time get wasted. Kiku looked back at Yong Soo who was grinning at him. Kiku sighed and turned back to the girl.
"I'm truly sorry about bothering you, but I just wanted to greet you that is all." Kiku said politely.
Mei's interest was peaked slightly. Usually boys would turn away when she talked to them rudely, but this one seemed to be holding his ground. Well he was a soldier after all.
"What's your name?" Mei asked.
"Honda Kiku." Kiku replied, "And yours?"
"Lin Mei." Mei answered.
"That's a lovely name." Kiku commented.
Mei turned away to hide the pinkish tinge appearing on her cheeks. They stood silently for a short time till Kiku decided that he should get going soon.
"It was a pleasure to meet you Lin, perhaps I will see you around." Kiku said.
He turned to leave and as he walked away Mei watched him. He interested her; perhaps she could take the time to get to know him more. It did not hurt to try.
Later that evening, Mei was sat down with her family for dinner. As usual it was a rather silent affair. Mei wanted to ask about the troops camped outside the village.
"By the way have you heard about those soldiers on the outskirts?" Mei asked.
Her parents seemed surprised she had said something. Usually she would not talk unless someone spoke to her during meals.
"Well they have set up training grounds over there. The soldiers there are currently on standby, but with the war going as smoothly as it is, chances are it will be awhile before they are called to duty." Mei's father explained.
"I see." Mei said, looking down at a cup of tea she had been holding.
"Did something happen?" Her father asked.
"Nothing, nothing at all." Mei said quickly then taking a sip of tea.
She soon excused herself and got up from her place. She heard her parents talking with concerned voices about her seemingly odd behavior. She paid them no mind.
When Mei was on the brink of sleep a thought came to her. She wanted to see that Honda Kiku again. It was a silly idea at first, but there was something about him that intrigued her.
The next morning Mei got up earlier than usual. She did not know why she was awoken so early, but she was up now. She stretched her arms to get the stiffness out and proceeded to pull herself up. Mei got herself presentable and snuck out. No one had been awake but her.
The edge of town came closer and closer as she approached it. When she got close enough she could see the rows on rows of white tents sprawled out. To no surprise there was already activity going on within the encampment. Three types of armor could be seen on all the soldiers. One was what she recognized as Taiwan's own armor. From the looks of it they were in the middle of some sort of training session. Mei got herself out of sight on an overhanging branch of a tree and proceeded to watch them. When they finally finished their exercise, they staggered off looking exhausted. That was when she spotted the man she had met yesterday. She watched him get fairly close to her hiding spot. He leaned up against a tree doing his best to continue standing up straight. His face glistened with sweat and his hair was slightly damp. Mei watched him out of curiosity, until she realized he was looking directly in her direction.
"What are you doing here?" Kiku asked. He was slightly startled seeing the girl he saw yesterday in a tree.
"None of your business!" Mei said. She looked away trying to hide her embarrassment. Kiku could not believe how rude her tone was. Since he was on a break he sucked it up and decided to climb up the tree next to her. Mei immediately became flustered by this and scooted away from him. Kiku was the first to break the silence.
"What are you doing here? If you don't mind me asking?" Kiku asked once again.
"I was just curious about this place, that's all." Mei said, dropping the rudeness she had earlier.
"I see."
That's when a voice spoke up from below the branch.
"Hey Honda, this is no time to be womanizing." Yong Soo said mockingly before bursting out into laughter.
"That's not what I was doing." Kiku said in denial.
"Sure you weren't" Yong Soo said sarcastically. Kiku sighed and climbed down the tree. He looked up at Mei and said his farewells.
"Perhaps we could do something like this again sometime." Kiku said as he walked off with Yong Soo to the encampment.
As Mei watched Kiku walk away she started to notice she was feeling something odd. What was this feeling? She had barely gotten to know Kiku. That was when she made the decision to get to know him more.
Not long after that they met once again. This time they got the opportunity to talk to each other. It was during a cloudy evening. Kiku had been roaming a line of vendors selling their goods. That was when he ran into that girl again. This time however she was the first to talk.
"Hello Honda." Mei said as she bowed in greeting. Kiku felt a small smile stretch his face.
"And hello to you Lin." Kiku said as he to bowed.
"What a coincidence to run into you again." Mei said cheerfully. Kiku could not help but notice how nice she was acting this time. He preferred it this way though. The two found a quieter setting near the edge of town to sit together.
"I'll be honest, I'm not really supposed to be wandering off. I was curious though about a foreign town." Kiku admitted.
"Where are you from?" Mei asked him.
"I come from Japan. It was my father's idea for me to join the army when the wars started to break out. He got disabled in a battle so ever since he felt he had dishonored the family. So when the opportunity arose he chose me as the eldest son to redeem that dishonor." Kiku told Mei. She listened intently, interested in his story.
"How do you feel about it though?" Mei asked.
"I'm perfectly fine with it. I find it a great honor to be able to protect others and my country." Kiku said with pride. Mei glanced at Kiku she felt a small feeling of admiration for his willingness to partake in such a brutal thing like the army.
"I must be going now, before someone notices I'm gone. Farewell again Lin." Kiku said as he got up and walked out of sight. As before Mei watched him go, that feeling was back again. Still she could not figure out what it was. Of course destiny had it that the two of them would run into each other over and over again, and every time Mei found that feeling she felt before grow some more. Kiku himself was also starting to feel something stir within him. Every time they met up during their free time, they would talk. Till eventually the feeling had bloomed into something big. It was called love, and they were wanting to so desperately tell one another those special words. Then at long last those words were shared. It was when the sun was beginning to set in the sky and at a place near the green shrubbery of the woods. Kiku had invited Mei here. She wondered what it could be, but her hopes were not raised too high. Kiku was running late, making Mei a little irritated. He finally showed up and Mei felt her irritation ebb away.
"I do apologize that I'm late." Kiku said as he bowed to her.
"It's alright, but what is it you want anyway?" Mei asked in curiosity.
"Well there is something of importance I must say." Kiku said. Mei noticed that his cheeks were tinged with red.
"Mei..." Kiku began. Mei could not believe it, he said her first name, her eyes widened in surprise.
"I've been considering it for some time, but I feel that you may just be very special to me." Kiku continued.
"What are you saying?" Mei asked, her heart was beating a little faster.
"Mei I want to say that... I love you, and I want to ask for your hand in marriage." Kiku said his face now bright red. Mei gasped in shock; her own face was starting to flush. Kiku looked nervous at her hesitation to answer.
"I-I, this is all so sudden, but... Kiku I believe I love you too." Mei said as a gentle smile came to her face. Kiku hugged her in a tight embrace. He was overfilled with happiness, as was Mei. She embraced him back and then she did something she did not expect herself to do. She tugged Kiku's face closer to hers and she planted her lips on his in a kiss. Kiku was taken aback at the unusual contact at first, but he soon lost himself to the warmth it brought him. They stood like that for some time before pulling away to breath.
"Perhaps it is time for you to meet my family." Mei said still a bit overwhelmed by all this. "They will be more than happy to meet you."
Mei tugged at Kiku's hand and pulled him into the village and in the direction of Mei's home. Mei had in fact been telling her parents about Kiku, and they themselves had indeed said they had wanted to meet the young man.
They arrived at Mei's home and she announced her arrival. Her mother was the first to greet them. Mei's mother was interested in the young man her daughter had brought with her. She left them at a table where they sat in silence, as she went to brew tea. Mei's father heard a new voice and came to see who the guest was. He was surprised to see it was the man that appeared to match Mei's description that he had been told about.
"It's good to finally meet the man my daughter has spoken so highly of." Mei's father said. Kiku stood up and bowed in politeness.
"It's an honor to meet you sir." Kiku said. At that moment Mei's mother came back with a tray of tea and placed it front of those seated.
"Now I'm sure there is an important reason that you came here." Mei's father said.
"I have come here to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage." Kiku said his back straight, as he looked as confident as he possibly could. A big grin came to Mei's fathers face.
"Finally!" He said as he laughed a bit, "From what I have heard I think it is reasonable enough you are worthy of my daughter. You have my blessing."
Kiku and Mei's faces lit up even more and the clasped one another's hand.
"Thank you father." Mei said.
"Yes, thank you sir." Kiku said.
Mei's parents exchanged smiles with one another. They were both genuinely happy for their daughter. There was one last obstacle standing in the way of a true happy life together. There was still a war going on and Kiku was going to have to go into battle at some point. Shortly after Kiku had made his proposal to Mei that call to duty finally came. The war had made another turning point and many troops had been lost to the enemy troops. Now the troops who had been training recruits were being called to the battlefield. When he first heard the news Kiku's reality came crashing back to him. He had been so preoccupied with love; he had almost forgotten what he had come to that nation in the first place. How was he going to tell her? Most likely a straight answer would be the wisest choice. When Kiku did finally tell Mei, she ended up bursting into uncontrollable tears. She had always feared deep within her heart this was most likely going to happen. Now that it had, it was unbearable. Kiku reassured her that he would be back, no matter how long it took.
Right before the troops outside Chun-li were clearing out, Mei met up with Kiku one last time. She held out a good luck charm to him.
"Here, I want you to take it with you." Mei insisted.
"Thank you Mei." Kiku said with a sad smile. He took the charm from Mei's hands and tucked it away in a safe place.
"I will miss you." Mei said.
"As will I, but I swear that I will survive no matter what. When I come back I'm going to make you the happiest bride there ever was." Kiku promised. He leaned down and kissed Mei a kiss of farewell. They stayed close as long as they could till Kiku pulled away and walked out of Mei's sight. Tears trickled down Mei's cheeks. She did not want him to go. Why did she have to fall in love with a soldier?
Mei returned home with a heavy heart. She ignored her parents who were concerned. They themselves were upset about the news. The wedding was going to have to be held off for a long time to come.
As Kiku sat on a horse following behind the others in line, he pulled out the charm and gazed at it with a distant look. To him it was now a dear treasure.
"You're one smooth worker you know that?" Yong Soo teased him. "I can't believe you're engaged to a foreign girl. Sounds like something from a romantic tale."
Kiku ignored Yong Soo's remarks and put away the charm. It took some time till the troops came close enough to the edge of the battles. Kiku fought bravely in every minor conflict they had come across. Every night after an exhausting day after another Kiku would pray that nothing too dangerous would befall them and for the well being of his bride to be.
It was a night that seemed relatively peaceful. It was almost a romantic sort of setting. The full moon covered everything in its light. The encampment had been temporarily set up in a field. Large rocks that had ended up concealed the army. Kiku had just finished with his nightly prayers when he heard a cry of alarm. Soon after that cry the entire encampment had gone up in chaos. Kiku seized his sword and found a group of enemies. With Yong Soo at his side the two finished off the group they faced. After hours had passed the conflict had died down and a relaxed setting came down upon the encampment once again. There was dead strewn across the grassy ground staining the green blades of grass red. Kiku stood on shaky legs trying to catch his breath. He was covered in blood from the men he had cut down, his black hair rustled up. He stood up straight when he heard a whizz of an arrow. Briefly he saw it heading straight towards him, his brown eyes widened in shock. He gasped in pain as the wicked arrow pierced his flesh.
"Honda!" Yong Soo cried out.
Mei had just finished yet another one of her hunting trips. The most she had caught had been a couple of birds. Missing and worrying about Kiku had thrown her off. She counted her money, it did not matter anymore however. One day she would be off with her to be husband. It seemed silly now, the idea she had once had to travel away. She let out a heavy sigh as she finished counting and hid away the coins. It had been almost a month now since Kiku had gone off to battle. Her parents had not said much about the whole affair. Fortunately they were patient to wait for Mei to get married to Kiku. Once he came back that is. Mei began messing with the pink flowers pinned in her hair. She adjusted them to make sure that they were in place. Pleased with their position, she wandered to watch the sunset. The back of her house had a view of the mountains. The sunset that accented at this time of day was absolutely spectacular. Mei did something she did not usually do. She clasped her hands together, shut her eyes and prayed. This was something she had started but recently. She hoped that it would bring Kiku back to her safely. When she finished her prayer she watched the sky's colors change from a brilliant orange and pink to a dark dimming blue. Mei wandered back within her home. Her mother who wore a solemn face met her.
"What's wrong mother?" Mei asked in concern.
"There is something your father needs to tell you." Mei's mother said sadly. Mei felt her stomach flutter with anxiety. She followed her mother to her father's location.
"Please sit down." Mei's father said. His voice also carried a sad tone to it. Mei obeyed and waited nervously. "We received a message today, it's about Honda Kiku." Mei's father paused, and took a deep breath, "I am afraid that he was killed in battle recently. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but he's dead."
Mei shook and slipped from her seat, her whole body was weak from shock. No, this could not be. He could not be dead! It had to be a lie Kiku had promised her he would come back safely. Why? Why did this happen. Mei cried and cried and whispered his name within her wracking sobs. "Kiku."
Well I can only hope this was to your liking and I shall make a few more notes here. As custom for most Asian nations in the east, they will refer to one another by their last names. One thing I'd like to mention is that Honda Kiku and Im Yong Soo are friends as you could tell. Though neither would dare refer to each other by their first names, due to the fact they only recently had become friendly prior to the story.
I did read on Taiwan's character profile and it stated she a bit of a smart mouth. That is why she comes off as rude to others. Due to the fact there is not too much on her character profile I came up with other character traits.
See ya next chapter and reviews would be most appreciated.