AN UNCONVENTIONAL CONTEST
(Part of the 'A Thousand Fibres' Collection)
SYNOPSIS: Vash Zwingli is dying and with no-one left he trusts to look after his daughter, Lili, he devises an unconventional contest: the search for Lili's new guardian. While those around Vash are certain he isn't thinking clearly, Vash is determined to follow his plan through.
1 father, 1 child, 1 reluctant aide and 18 contestants. Mostly strangers, connecting and re-connecting, unaware that this experience will change their lives forever.
A/N – Hi there! I've been wanting to do a multi-character Hetalia fic for a while and then it hit me – what better way to get characters to interact than by pitting them against each other in a contest?! My stories are usually a little angsty, but with this fic I'm hoping to balance on that fine line between drama and comedy. Some developments may be a little 'out there' (come on it's Hetalia!) but I'll try and make it as believable as possible. The main characters in this story are Vash/Switzerland & Lili/Liechtenstein (obviously), Roderich/Austria, Elizabeta/Hungary, Gilbert/Prussia, Francis/France, Antonio/Spain, Arthur/England, Alfred/America, Matthew/Canada, Ludwig/Germany, Feliciano/N. Italy, Lovino/S. Italy, Feliks/Poland, Toris/Lithuania, Berwald/Sweden, Tino/Finland, Kiku/Japan, Yao/China, Heracles/Greece, Sadiq/Turkey and a little bit of Ivan/Russia. Other characters will be making appearances here and there, so hope you stick with it :)
PROLOGUE
Lucerne, Switzerland
Vash Zwingli tried to silence the roaring in his head but it was virtually impossible. Of course he knew something wasn't quite right when his doctors had ushered him in for tests after the initial check-up. But this was something Vash could never have anticipated.
It had started with constant headaches, which Vash had put down to him working hard trying to develop a new security system. The blurred vision and lack of co-ordination Vash experienced a few weeks later alerted him to the fact things might be a little more serious. It was only when Vash had vomited violently and unexpectedly in front of his then two-year-old daughter, frightening her half to death, that he booked an appointment with his doctor.
"Mr Zwingli?" His physician said again, having resorted to waving a hand in front of his patient's face to regain his attention.
"How long do I have?" The question left Vash's lips before he could stop it. He was surprised by how casual his voice sounded, but he was thankful for it. Vash wasn't a man inclined to publicly express his emotions.
"Brain tumours are very unpredictable and it's different for every patient-"
"I don't think you understand," Vash cut in, his voice crisp. "I have people who depend on me. I-" Vash coughed to disguise the tremor in his voice. "I need to know how long I have." The doctor sighed deeply before responding.
"I'm afraid it's a matter of months – maybe a year if we're lucky. Your tumour is aggressive and I'm sorry, but it's too far gone to risk an operation."
Vash's face gave nothing away.
"Thank you," he replied with a slight nod and stood up from his chair. "Is that all?"
"I-" The doctor looked up at his patient, a little perplexed. "No, Mr Zwingli, we still have to discuss your options. We can look at ways of making this more comfortable for you-"
"What is the point?"
The doctor was used to Vash's brusque manner and usually let it slide – after all, he was his richest and most respected client. But these were exceptional circumstances and Mr Zwingli would do what he was told.
"This is serious, Mr Zwingli," the physician countered heatedly. "As you have said, there are people who depend on you. You owe it to them and yourself to see the best possible way to move forward. Sit down."
Eyeing his doctor in disbelief, Vash hesitated before clearing his throat and sitting back down in his chair.
"Go ahead, doctor," Vash muttered, gesturing lazily as if already bored with the conversation – though his heart thumped so hard in his chest, Vash thought his ribcage would shatter.
After what seemed like hours of going over his 'options', Vash finally made his way to the sleek black town car waiting for him in the Klinik St. Anna hospital parking lot. Lili and their driver, Hans, sat in the back colouring in a picture of a kitten.
"Daddy!" Lili squealed when she spotted him, causing Vash's throat to constrict painfully. He waved merrily through the car window, willing himself to keep composure – breaking down wasn't an option now. He stepped back to give Hans room to exit the back of the car and pretended not to notice the look of relief on his driver's face.
"Hans can't stay inside the lines," Lili informed Vash matter-of-factly as he sat down in Hans' place. Vash pulled the blonde 3-year-old onto his lap and wrapped his arms tight around her small frame, prompting Lili to twist around and look up at her father in protest. Instead, Lili took in his pale face and unseeing eyes and instinctively buried her face into his chest.
"Is everything ok, Mr Zwingli?" Vash could see Hans eying him worriedly through the rear-view mirror and nodded in response.
"Let's just go home."
As they drove, Vash could not help but notice how alert his senses were. The nearby shops and flurry of tourists seemed too much for his eyes to take in. The cacophony of beeping cars and revving motors was overwhelming. The scent of Lili now sleeping in his lap – of soap and fresh grass – invaded his nostrils, refusing to let him deny what was becoming so painfully clear to him. He was not going to see her grow up. This was it – how he would remember her. The girl Vash swore he would protect forever was being viciously wrenched from him by circumstances out of his control. He had never felt so powerless.
Roderich Edelstein's eyes were closed as the final swell of Strauss' Sphärenklänge played on the ancient gramophone in his small and empty office. Opening his eyes, Roderich was stunned to find a stranger with shaggy blonde hair standing in a corner, watching him intently. Roderich blinked rapidly. No, it wasn't one of the musically-motivated visions he usually received after one of his trances – the man was still there. In fact he spoke.
"I want you." The stranger said as he moved out of the dark corner to sit in front of Roderich's desk in the chair reserved for clients. "Anyone who can make those expressions in public over a piece of music might not find my idea so crazy."
"I-how long have you been standing there?!" Roderich spluttered, his cheeks turning pink from embarrassment and indignation. "Who are you? Why are you here?"
"My name is Vash Zwingli," the stranger replied evenly. "And I have a proposition for you."
A/N: Many thanks to beadybonbons for the beta and thanks to you for reading, the next chapter's up as well. Please read/review and let me know what you think :)
Next chapter: Finding Lili...