Warnings: This fanfiction is rated T for character deaths and mild language.
Chapter 1: Arrival
Greece was horribly ill. He's been feeling weak since the last two years, when this economic crisis had just begun. His government had grown careless with their spending, too cocky in believing that they could easily repay the debt. He should have seen it coming–he was foolish for allowing himself to be blinded by his own people's arrogance. At first, the small fever didn't worry him. He's dealt with worse, and he had faith in himself and his people that his economy would soon be put back in balance.
He should've known better than to have been so naïve.
His condition worsened with every new plan the government initiated. When the taxes rose greatly, so did his fever. When the salaries of employees were cut, his stomach churned painfully.
His people were getting angry. He couldn't blame them, really. So much of their money has been taken away because of his carelessness. Still, he wished they could just stop all of those riots, for they left him sweating and lashing out in his sleep. Then his citizens began to attack each other, and then they started killing each other. By then, he was too weak to even rise from his bed. The violent protests in his capitol city of Athens left his heart beating unevenly, and his collapsing economy left the rest of his body in poor health.
A meow caught his attention. His head rose from his pillow to see a tan colored cat leap onto the bed and rest on his chest. A small smile formed on his face as he embraced his beloved feline friend. 'Spartan' has been Greece's only real company for the past few days besides his nurse, who visited his room only to feed him and check his condition. If he is to die soon, then this is a lonely way to go.
"I'm not sure how much more I can take, Spartan." Greece said, his usual soft tone weaker than usual. Spartan simply mewed and pressed his body closer to his owner in response. "Do you think...that I've been responsible enough for the past few decades? Life was getting so easy and peaceful; I felt like I could spend more time with myself, sleeping and keeping my mother's ruins safe. The world isn't all about war and conquering anymore. I was finally able to relax, but I started to forget my roles as a nation." He cringed and squeezed Spartan as his heart made a painful throb. "Now my people are suffering."
Spartan stared blankly and cocked his head to the side, as if wandering why his owner was trying to make conversation with him. Greece chuckled weakly and stroked the cat's fur.
"I always thought you were a good listener," he joked. "You have been for the thirty years or so that I've had you. It still baffles me that a cat has been able to live for so long."
Greece wanted to continue his rambling, but his throat was feeling much too dry. He wished that his nurse would return soon with a new glass of water. He wanted to keep his focus on talking, or else it could stray to the horrible pain in his chest, or the shouts of his citizens ringing in his head, or the fact that it was getting harder to stay conscious.
He was so tired. Another nap might help.
Spartan has been listening to Greece's heartbeat weaken since he had arrived, and began to meow loudly as the man's eyes began to close. He had a feeling that if his owner were to fall asleep, his body wouldn't have the strength to wake up again.
The nurse groaned in frustration as she pushed the door to Greece's house open with her weight, her hands full with medical supplies. She remembered him saying that medicine had little effect on a nation's health, but the state that he was in was making her desperate. While she was more than happy to care for her country, having the life of such a powerful being in her hands was almost too much pressure for her to handle. Surely, a couple of painkillers and anti-depressants would help better his condition.
Finally able to set the supplies down, she rushed to the kitchen to fill a glass of ice water and retrieve a cold towel. Greece's body temperature was getting so high that it nearly burned her to the touch, but she's been trying her best to keep it from rising any higher. Running up the stairs with the glass in hand and the towel draped over her arm, she burst into her patient's room a bit more violently than she intended. Her body froze at the sight before her.
Spartan was running around the empty bed in confusion. Somehow, his owner faded into thin air before his very eyes.
'It's warm...I feel so good.'
Greece couldn't remember the last time his body felt so perfect. Every muscle in him couldn't move at the moment, but he didn't mind; he was too busy basking in this wonderful sensation. He's been suffering from endless nightmares for the past few weeks. This was a relieving turn of events, and he didn't want to wake up anytime soon.
His eyes remained closed, but he could tell that the environment was changing. A soft breeze was blowing the scent of flowers into his nostrils. Something was surrounding his body, tickling his skin as it blew against the wind. He must be in a field of some sort–the surface he was laying on felt like soft soil. Greece managed a smile. What a beautiful dream; he wished it would never end...
Irritation took over as something wet and rough rubbed against his cheek. No doubt it was the tongue of a cat. Why did Spartan have to ruin such a great moment? Finally regaining the ability to move, he opened his eyes, ready to be welcomed by the sight of his cat and for the pain of reality to return. What he expected, however, didn't happen.
He did open his eyes to the sight of a cat, but it was an unfamiliar tabby staring down at him. What confused him even more was the blue sky behind it, and the ground beneath him still felt like soil instead of a mattress. He didn't wake up from his dream, after all.
He decided to sit upright to take in his surroundings. Just as he thought, he was in a field of grass and flowers that stretched as far as the eye can see. Possibly every flower native to his land was present there. Greece was now interested in exploring this strange world. In what felt like forever, he was able to lift himself and stand tall without collapsing from fatigue. The cat only watched at first as he began his move through the fields, but decided to follow afterwards.
There was something in the distance that stuck out from the leveled land. Greece slowly approached it, identifying it as a tree as he drew closer. It was a large olive tree, much to his delight, but there were several small forms resting under it, one being much bigger than the rest. Once he was close enough to make out the details of them, his eyes widened and jaw dropped in awe.
A small group of cats were going about their own business, all of them sleeping, wandering around, or rolling around in the soft grass. For once, the cats did not interest Greece at the moment. He was focused on the woman that sat with her back against the trunk of the tree. Her hair was long and the same shade of brown as his, with the same double-ended curl at the top of her head. Her eyes were as green as his, staring at him as her white robe blew against the soft winds. No, it couldn't be...
"I've missed you, son." Ancient Greece greeted with a soft smile.
Greece's throat had dried completely, an overwhelming feeling engulfing his entire body. He thought he was going to faint at that very moment as his mother watched him quietly, perhaps waiting for a reply. He wanted to say something, but this great shock had temporarily stolen his voice away.
Ancient Greece simply giggled at his reaction and rose to her feet. Dusting off her robe, she walked toward her son, who remained motionless. The cats stopped their previous actions and followed her, eager to meet the newcomer.
By now, Greece had managed to close his mouth and blink again, but he still couldn't speak as she stopped right in front of him. His mother was shorter than him by about an inch, and his mind briefly recalled his days as a petite boy that was always clutching onto to the leg of her towering form with modesty. Not once breaking eye contact, she raised a hand and ran it through his hair.
He let out a sigh and slowly relaxed as his mother's fingers brushed through his locks. Her touch was as gentle as the last time he felt it; she was always able to soothe him with just a light caress.
"You still act like a little cat," Ancient Greece said as she watched Greece close his eyes during her touches. "So easily calmed or lulled to sleep by a stroke through your hair."
"Mother," He finally found his voice. "I've missed you so much." Without another word, he pulled her into a tight hug.
He has never experienced a dream that felt so real, when someone's touch felt this warm, when a cool breeze was able to send such pleasant chills through him. He wanted to stay here and embrace his mother until he awakes.
Ancient Greece, however, was beginning to feel a little suffocated after a minute or two and had to pull back. "You've grown so strong." she commented, straightening her back. "Not as strong as me, but strong nonetheless. Now you can finally rest."
Greece frowned in response to her last sentence. "No, I can't. I want to stay here with you and all of these cats," he looked down at the cats that had crowded around his legs before continuing. "but I'll have to wake up again, back to all of the pain and problems that I'm so tired of."
Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion for a moment. As if just now understanding what he said, she smiled and shook her head. How strange, her smile almost looked pitiful.
"You think you're dreaming, don't you, son?" she said with a sad tone in her voice. "I'm afraid you can't go back...because you have fallen."
It was Greece's turn to be confused. "Fallen? Mother, what do you mean?"
"You died." she couldn't have said it more bluntly. "Your illness had taken the last of the fight left in you."
"That can't be. I was just slee–wait, how do you know about my illness?"
"I've been watching you."
"How? From where?" His mind has never been full of so many questions. He ends up in this realistic dreamworld and reunites with his mother, who just stated to have witnessed his death. What was the meaning of all this?
She turned her back on him to point ahead. "Go past the olive tree," she directed. "You'll find a small pond that will explain for you."
Her son's eyes followed her finger before going back to her face, still full of confusion. Her own eyes showed patience, waiting for him to do as she said. Never one to disobey his mother's orders, Greece slowly walked past her to reach said destination. He wasn't surprised to see the cats following close behind.
The tree was even more beautiful up close. It was at least twenty feet tall, its bark thick and old. The rustling of its leaves soothed him as he walked under, a couple of olives having fallen and now littering the ground. Some of the cats stayed behind to return to the tree's shade. Once he passed the great tree, a small crystal-blue pond came into view, just like Ancient Greece said. He rested one knee on the ground as he searched through the depths of the water. There was nothing out of the ordinary. How was a pond going to answer his questions?
He jolted as a hand rested on his shoulder, turning in time to see Ancient Greece kneel beside him. Before he could ask what exactly it was that he was looking for, she motioned her hand to the water and whispered, "Just watch."
Greece's eyes focused on the pond, the cats around him appearing to do the same. Soon enough, the water began to ripple and stir, as if the entire ground was shaking. There were colors forming–some sort of image taking shape. Seconds passed, and Greece only watched in awe as the water calmed and the picture became clear.
There in the pond, was an overhead view of his bedroom. His nurse was running around frantically, searching for something in the closet, bathroom, and out the window. Spartan watched her quietly while resting on the empty bed. Greece realized what was wrong.
He wasn't sleeping in his bed. He was gone, and the nurse was searching for him.
He knows what happens to a personified nation during their final moments. Their body shuts down like that of a human. Then every particle of their entire being is blown away like dust before fading into thin air, leaving no trace of their very existence. He remembers seeing the process as a child with his dying mother, how his tears fell uncontrollably down his face as her form crumbled away beneath his tiny fingers. He couldn't sense her power anymore; she simply disappeared off the face of the earth.
And now, the same thing just happened to him.
He really is dead.
"I know! It doesn't make sense, I just–I know, and I'm really sorry!" The voice startled Greece into returning his attention to the pond. He could hear the nurse talking into a phone.
"That's impossible! He wasn't even fit to stand, let alone leave the house!" She yelled. Her voice was growing louder from panic as she continued searching for her patient, Spartan having left the room to escape the painful sound. "Yes, I suppose I am saying that he just disappeared!" Greece couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when she even looked through his drawers. Her search was growing more hopeless by the minute. "No, he must have dragged himself somewhere else in the house. What if I can't find him? The army?" Her body flooded with terror, but she shook it off with a nervous laugh. "Heh heh, that's a little drastic, don't you think? Can't you just send in the police or a search team?" She seemed taken aback by what was being said on the other line.
"Nations can do that?" she asked with slight fascination. "Yes, yes, anything would be helpful at the moment. Just hurry!" Sighing, she hung up, tossed the phone onto the bed, and moved on to the next room in hopes of finding her sick country.
The water began to ripple again, and his bedroom faded away until the pond was as clear as when he first saw it.
"Do you understand now?" Ancient Greece asked softly.
Greece kept his gaze on the now-still body of water. "If I am dead," he said, not sure if he was talking to her or himself. "then where am I?"
She stood, her eyes scanning the possibly endless fields. "Paradise."
He looked up at her, a strange gleam appearing in his eyes. "You mean...I'm in a...an afterlife?" He tried to find the right words.
"Yes, a strange one, at that." she said as she offered him a hand to pull him back onto his feet, making some of the cats meow at the loss of his warmth. "This is where all of the countries go after fading away. We simply called it the Otherworld."
"The Otherworld," Greece repeated the word in wander. But wait; there was something about the place that he still couldn't grasp. "But you said that all of the nations are here. I don't see anyone else."
"Of course not," she replied, like the reason was obvious. "They all wouldn't just be sitting right here. The fields are my paradise."
He stared at her blankly. All of the confusion he's been feeling lately was almost embarrassing.
The lack of a response only made Ancient Greece laugh. "I'm going too fast, aren't I? Each country is given their own private paradise to rest in..." she trailed off after noticing that his expression hadn't changed at all. None of this was getting through her son's head, was it? "How about I just show you, instead? Follow me." By the time she finished talking, she was already leaving the pond and heading back to the tree.
More walking. This would normally bother Greece, but he wasn't growing exhausted in any way. In fact, since he arrived here, he hasn't even felt the need to nap. He supposed that his body couldn't be worn down anymore since it was already dead. It's quite a relief, for they've been walking for a lot longer than he expected. He was sure that they already passed the area that he woke up in.
After about a mile of grass and flowers, the field ended without warning. Right before them, laid a vast desert.
Greece never imagined such a dramatic change in the environment. Looking down at the ground, he could see that the grass of Ancient Greece's field and the sand of the desert were separated evenly, similar to a quilt. Only on a farm has he ever seen tracts of land split so neatly.
"Do you see the oasis up ahead?" Ancient Greece said while pointing to the mass of greenery within the desert. He nodded, waiting for her to continue. "Egypt lives there. You remember her, don't you? I believe you were close friends with her son."
Greece did in fact remember Ancient Egypt as a child. The quiet and mysterious woman had always intimidated him, but he developed a strong bond with the shy boy that always stood by her side. "Yes," he answered. "I remember her."
"Step into the sand. You'll enter a new paradise."
He looked up at her with uncertainty, but she reassured him with a warm smile. His body tense, he stepped forward so that both of his feet now rested in the soft sand.
The sunlight instantly grew harsher on his skin, and the breeze that comforted him in the fields was replaced with hot winds. The extreme climate change knocked Greece off guard, forcing him to move back into the cool grassland that he was familiar with. Ancient Greece held him gently in case the great differences in temperature dazed him to the point of losing balance.
"Quite a difference, isn't it?" she said to him. "This whole desert was made just for Egypt–just like how this field was made for me. But something is off; the Otherworld is supposed to expand in a way to give a newcomer a paradise as well. That didn't happen with you. Instead, you appeared on my own land, with all of these cats appearing out of nowhere. Why is that?" her mind began to wander off as she tried to find the answer to her own question.
Greece was also lost in thought, but soon had a question of his own. "Your land...why is it like this?" He asked.
"You mean all of the greenery and flowers?" a smile formed on her lips as she recalled a special memory. "Do you remember my stories of Elysium?"
"Where the blessed are taken after death. Yes, I remember."
Ancient Greece turned away from her desert and watched her plants sway back and forth with the wind. Slowly, she recited the old description of Elysium. "Where life is easiest for men. No snow is there, nor heavy storm, nor ever rain–"
"But ever does Ocean send up blasts of the shrill-blowing West Wind that they may give cooling to men." Greece took over, finishing the phrase for her.
She cocked an eyebrow at him, impressed that he remembered her ancient literature. "My greatest wish was for the gods to choose me for such a beautiful afterlife if I ever passed away. Somehow, this place knew what I wanted, and granted it for me."
"So this is how you envisioned the Elysian Fields?" Greece was finally understanding some of this.
She nodded slowly in response. "What was your greatest wish?"
He looked down at his feet as he thought. "All I ever wished to do...was to sleep, just like all of the cats that were always around me...and I wanted to be with you again. Then we can both sleep together whenever we wanted."
Those words touched Ancient Greece's still heart. She stroked his hair again as she spoke. "Perhaps that is why you weren't given your own paradise. The Otherworld believes that you'll be happier staying in mine."
"And I believe that I will." Greece agreed before hugging her again, much more gently this time. "The other nations..." he said over her shoulder. "...are they across Ancient Egypt's desert?"
"Some of them probably are. I only know that west from here lays Rome, and even further west is Germania. That's the furthest I've traveled here; I'd much rather spend my time sleeping under the tree instead of walking." She felt him chuckle at her implied laziness, the same laziness the world had known him for. "I'm sure you could use a nap, as well. All of this must be awfully overwhelming. Shall we head back?"
"Yes, but I'm not tired at all. I'm not sure if I can even fall asleep anymore." Greece said with worry.
Ancient Greece ended the embrace and patted his back softly. "Don't worry, all you have to do is just close your eyes for a while, and you will drift away. Don't worry about nightmares, either–I've never had one here. You are no longer a nation fighting for survival on Earth. You are now a spirit, resting in peace for eternity. Nothing can hurt you anymore."
Nothing can hurt you anymore.
Greece didn't speak as they headed back to the tree. A powerful emotion was filling him as everything about this world came together. He was no longer going to fall ill from his economy. No more splitting headaches from the angry voices of his citizens. No more burns or scars inflicted on his body because of war.
He was free.
There was a strange stinging sensation in his eyes. It felt good, actually. He couldn't even remember the last time he cried, let alone from joy.
This was a very strange predicament, indeed.
Turkey was growing rather frustrated as he stood in Greece's room, surrounded by officers and government officials. He had his entire day planned: entertain tourists, lunch, entertain tourists, dinner, and then a couple of drinks of raki before going to sleep. The last interruption he expected was a message from his prime minister telling him that the Greek government had requested his help. One part of his mind wanted to ask those Greeks why in the world would he want to waste his valuable free time to help their bratty country. Unfortunately for him, his loyal side dominated, telling him to hurry up and take a plane to follow his superior's orders.
So here he was, trying to find the man that 'disappeared'. This should have been a simple task for nations like him, who are able to sense each other's power from a distance. But after several minutes of complete silence and concentration, he was growing a little...concerned.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't feel any sign of that aged, sleepy aura that he was able to identify from the other end of the world. This was impossible; he and Greece were never capable of hiding from each other. The last time he lost every trace of a familiar nation like this was when...
...when he killed Ancient Greece.
Oh, no.
The men around Turkey have all been watching with a stern face, trying to keep quiet as he worked like a radar. When a look of shock flashed over his masked face, the Greek Prime Minister couldn't help but break the silence.
"Adnan?" He addressed Turkey by his human surname. "Did you find him?"
Turkey's eyes stared straight ahead, focusing on nothing as he spoke. "Sorry, but I can't find him. His power is gone."
"It's gone? What exactly does that mean?" The Prime Minister was feeling a mixture of impatience and fear.
The Turk felt that the next thing he was going to say required eye contact to prove that he wasn't joking. With the shock still evident in his eyes, he faced the man that brought him here. "It means Greece is dead."
His heart grew heavy, refusing to believe what he just heard. "W-what led you to that conclusion? Wouldn't there be a body close by?"
"You don't know what happens to our kind when we die, do you?" Turkey scoffed; disappointed that such a high government official didn't know every detail about their nation. "When we die, we just vanish. We don't leave anything behind for anyone else to find. The same just happened to Greece."
The Prime Minister leaned forward, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "Adnan, are you saying that our country just lost its personification?"
"Yes, I suppose I am."
Silence befell the room once again. A few minutes passed when another official was brave enough to talk. "Sir, what action do we take next?" he asked the Prime Minister.
"We head back to Athens. I need to discuss this with the President." He said lowly, signaling the rest of the men to leave and head on back.
Everyone had exited the room except for the Prime Minister and Turkey. "Are you coming along, Turkey?" The Prime Minister asked, rather irritated. He didn't enjoy the fact that his nation's lifelong enemy was wandering around in his room, especially after reporting his death like it was no great loss.
Turkey ignored the man's discomfort as he stood over Greece's deathbed. "Not yet. I'd like to stay here a little longer."
"If so, then I will have to send a guard to watch over you."
He frowned at the Greek's precaution. Did the mere human really think that a nation like him would stoop low enough as to steal or damage the property of another that he didn't like? "I'm not going to ravage the room or whatever you expect me to do." he assured him. "I don't even plan on touching anything, but do what you want."
The Prime Minister said nothing, but still felt uneasy. Quietly, he left the room.
Finally alone, Turkey released a deep sigh that had been gathering in his chest for quite some time. His eyes never left the bed, which was still messy and hasn't been touched since Greece's fading. 'You're no stubborn fighter like me, but how the hell did this happen to you?' He thought.
He jumped slightly as something rubbed against his legs. Looking down, he saw Spartan circling his feet, begging for attention. The men must have completely forgotten about the cat when they had left. Perhaps he could take it into his care. It wasn't exactly stealing, but more like...um...adopting. It'll probably just wreak havoc if left here, anyway.
Scooping up the cat in his arms, he bid a silent farewell to Greece's house before heading back to his plane. "Man, I've spent so much time making that perfect bouquet of tulips back at home," he muttered to himself. "What am I supposed to do with them now?"
A/N
It was a real challenge describing 'the Otherworld' without it sounding too confusing and uninteresting. I'm not even sure if I succeeded. I also hope that I didn't find a way to screw up how the Greek government works. XD The description of Elysium that Ancient Greece recited was from the old Greek epic 'Odyssey'.
More nations are gonna make their appearance in the next chapter!
Thanks for reading!