Disclaimer: Axis Powers Hetalia is (C) by Hidekaz Himaruya and Studio DEEN. I do not own the series.
December 13, 2014
Pyongyang, Republic of Korea (de jure), Republic of Manchuria (de-facto)
Pyongyang was an empty city. Always. Drab, with fewer people than the norm in Western states. The leadership of the glorious Democratic People's Republic of Korea resided here, as well as their leader, Kim Jong-un. He is universally adored by his masses, whether by training, fear, or both. He, is North Korea, and North Korea was Kim, along with his father and grandfather.
But this is not the case today.
The streets are still empty, but for a different, and more ominous reason. Trucks and tanks, the latest in Soviet-inspired technology, roam the streets at will. Soldiers goose-stepped in the Russian manner. Aircraft roam the skies.
And of course, these soldiers are not North Korean. The few North Korean people allowed outside knew the soldiers as occupiers. Some of these soldiers seem to be Caucasian in appearance, and speaking Russian. They are definitely not from the country north of the Amnok-gang river either.
They come from several different countries, but the most prominent ones are from the Republic of Manchuria, an ex-communist nation founded in 1946 and its communist regime falling down in 1992. It recovered due to Russian help, and was instrumental in helping Manchuria achieving a regional power status in East Asia. It came down with a price, namely, having to toe the Moscow line, but for Manchuria it was sufficient, like what Uyghuristan and Tibet, former Soviet socialist republics, as well as Mongolia, did, to counter the menace from the Chinese People's Republic, still somewhat disappointed these countries are not part of it.
And unlike the former three, Manchuria has nuclear weapons. Some are former Soviet weapons, some are made and designed in Manchuria.
The propaganda posters glorifying Juche in Pyongyang are defaced by posters by a script that was derived from Cyrillic but is definitely not Russian. These are written in Manchu, a language revived by the Manchu government, but had to replace the old vertical script with a Russian-derived one, seeing the script as "impediment to language revival." For some strange reason, it worked; the ethnic Manchurians, always and still a minority in their own land, revived it with difficulty, and added new Russian and Chinese words, encouraged by their Soviet overseers.
Where once the statues of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il stood, they are now in their place, a paper-mache statues of the first Jin and Qing Dynasty emperors, Wanyan Aguda and Aisin-Gioro Nurhaci. The mausoleum was being renovated after it was taken over by Manchurian special forces. Whoever was buried there were now gone, their remains shipped to South Koreans as a "gift", or as the South Koreans say, "as a joke."
Meanwhile in the south of the river, the South Korean, or rather, Korean forces are now patrolling their side of the border. It was also heavily garrisoned, but it is also much more lively. This being controlled by Koreans, at least Pyongyang residents could communicate with their fellow Koreans, unlike the foreigners out there who not only refuse to speak Korean, but wanted Korean to be written in the Russian script.
In the former headquarters of the Worker's Party, you could see the black marks and bullets sustained from the assault in September. The flag of the Korean People's Army was replaced by a yellow flag of Manchuria. The Korean characters adorning the halls were replaced by the Cyrillic Manchu script and Russian, plus Korean. As it is the headquarters of the occupation, it was heavily guarded by soldiers from Russia, Manchuria, and Mongolia.
In a small room, a map of North Korea adorns the otherwise austere hall. There is a long table, with a few people sitting on it.
On these sat the nations of the world. Literally. They are the national personifications. The death of each otherwise almost-immortal country at the hands of a knife, or old age would mean the demise of a country, either sooner, as what certain other "nations" fates experienced, like the Holy Roman Empire, or "later", like what the old Aztec nation had ended up.
On one side is a man wearing a United States Air Force jacket, with the name tag "Jones" on it. A blonde, bespectacled man, his appearance befit a reassured, confident man, who felt he had conquered the world or at least won the war handily. He is the soul of America. He's America himself.
In the other is a boy, wearing green fatigues, who looked very young, sounded young, but actually old. His hair was tied in a ponytail, and can be confused for a woman. China is for most purposes, a superpower like America beside him. His demeanor suggests being world-weary.
Between them is the personification of the southern half of the Korean peninsula. He wears a green camouflage army uniform. Energetic, and tend to be self-promoting, he despised being influenced by China and that island nation to his east. Despite the fact that he genuinely praised these Nations, he had still grudges to settle. Especially with Japan.
For South Korea, this is an important mission. He needs to get his brother back, now a defeated man, sitting on the opposite side of the table. He usually was thin, but he makes it up for being proficient in martial arts. But today, he's rather somewhat fatter in the wrong places. Maybe that woman, South Korea thought, feeds him the wrong kind of food. At least he's eating better. His appearance, save for his cowlick, mirrors his brothers.
Sitting beside him is a very tall, platinum-haired man, wearing a scarf in his green camouflage jacket. On his name patch was the name "Braginsky". Russia seemed serene, but could be violent at any moment without even realizing it. That is the reason why America was brought here.
On Russia's right was Mongolia, wearing glasses and long hair tied in a braid. He seems to be somewhat stoic, but actually a vivacious person. He secretly fears being annexed back into China, a fear he shares with three other nations, plus Taiwan.
These nations, of course, argue on what would the fate of the Korean Peninsula, or world peace itself, would ensue.
"This thing should never have happened if you Russia returned Manchuria to me!" China argued.
"Nyet, Kitai," Russia shot back. "After Chiang and his Legislative Yuan in Nanjing rejected the treaty concerning Mongolia, the whole mess started."
"Yes, brother," Mongolia agreed. "All I wanted is to re-unite with my sister. And to ensure that Manchuria would be free."
"Oh, so you use Manchuria as your seaport," China responded with irony.
"Of course, not!" the steppe Nation protested.
"By the way," America intervened, "My President wants a proposal after we sorted that thing in Iraq out."
"Nyet, you made it a failure," Russia countered. "When those fanatics took half of Iraq, I knew the crap would hit the fan. And you knew it, too, until some of their supporters showed up in Western countries. We have to crush them with brutal force, for they are brutal themselves. I've never seen such ferocity since the Hitlerites attacked by country."
"But it turned to be a mess!" China protested.
"I know, but it is inevitable. Well, America, you tried to fix it up, right?" Russia asked his rival.
"Yes, I did my best," America answered. "I agree there are flaws, but I did what I think was right."
"You almost dragged me to this, buddy," South Korea said. "Well, for another topic. Well, the topic we are supposed to be discussing." He looked around, and complained, "She's late! And purposely so!"
"Brother, you seem to be not the cowering guy I've thought you are!" North Korea remarked.
"Of course, brother! For us, everything that is good comes-" China cut it off.
"Oh come on. I'm tired of this cliché!"
"But, big brother, that's not fair!" China then tried to hold South Korea, but the latter is resisting wildly. America tried to restrain China but was elbowed in the head. Russia then tried to stop the grip of China, but was unsuccessful. Inevitably, North Korea and Mongolia joined the fight.
It was in this commotion that the door opened and a woman, eighteen years of age in appearance, entered the room. She is shorter than South Korea and definitely taller than the North, and an inch shorter than Mongolia. She wears a green combat uniform, very bulky and heavy, and yet she managed to wear it like a skirt. Although the design of the armor is bulky, it is clear from her movements that the person in armor is female. The helmet and the gas mask gave the rest of the audience the impression of her being an alien, but thankfully, she removed both the helmet and the mask, revealing her face. Of course, even with the scar running across her face, she is beautiful. Her brown eyes could at times glitter like amber.
"I thought this was a meeting. But it was a fistfight instead," the nation that was called Manchuria commented.
"So here's 'fake Manchukuo'," China muttered under his breath. Mongolia chided him.
"Stop it, China. She's for real, anyway."
"I've come with a proposal from my new bosses, and I want you to read it," Manchuria declared.
"What was it, Manchuria? " America asked the female country.
"You know, how we could start the meeting if we look like we have a brawl?" Manchuria said. The rest agreed as they tried to fix the chair and table to start the meeting.
It was a long journey to this, Manchuria thought to herself. A very long journey. But now, I reached my destination. But she was not referring about the airplane ride. This was something else. It was her life story.
October 6, 1945
Changchun, Republic of China (de jure)
The prison is damp, Russia thought. The walls speak of horrors of whatever the Japanese or Manchukuo prison guards inflicted on their hapless victims. On a single cell lies a woman, about the human age of eighteen, yet, being a nation like himself, was very old. After defeat and capture, of course, her once elegant brown uniform was mere rags. Her wounds on her arms and legs joined the scars etched on her face and body, the latter being somewhat more recent. She did not deserve this fate, Russia pondered to himself.
"Go away," the woman shouted in fluent Russian. Russia thought she must have learned the language from either the White emigres or the Czarist troops stationed there to protect the Chinese Eastern Railroad.
"But I'm here to help you, Man'chzhuria," Russia referred to the country with the Russian pronunciation of her country's name. "I heard that Chiang Kai-Shek's Parliament rejected the Sino-Soviet friendship treaty. Stalin was furious about Chiang's refusal to recognize Mongolia as an independent country. The Mongolian Premier Choibalsan was angry and declared he would liberate Inner Mongolia and Manchuria. Perhaps this is your chance."
"But he joined you in that war!" Manchuria protested.
"Yes. But he is deeply sorry for his actions. He knows the real enemy is Japan, your overlord. At least Korea, or actually, the one near your border, would be at your side," Russia explained.
"Then, why you are here?" Manchuria asked. "You want me to become like Tannu-Tuva?" She referred to that small nation who joined the Soviet Union a year ago.
"Of course, no," Russia said. "The Politburo in Moscow have decided that you will not be returned to China, and you will not join the Soviet Union. You will be an independent country the next year."
"If that is so," Manchuria gave Russia a hard look. "What is your assurance you will not be like Japan?"
"I will never exploit you like Japan did. Look, that American general with the pipe in Tokyo, he freed those 'medical staff' in exchange for research. Are you offended at that?"
Manchuria only nodded.
"Of course. I think we will help you create a ministry of state security to bring them to justice. Or execute them in their own homes, or whatever. By the way, I had Guan Xiangying and Li Zhaolin, despite the former's illness, come to Changchun. He will declare the independence of Manchuria as the Manchurian Democratic Republic," Russia explained.
"Thank you, Russia," Manchuria was somewhat happy, if not ecstatic.
"By the way, Manchuria, I'll release you from this cell. You need a new change of clothes," Russia said. He then carried the woman to his strong arms, then walked slowly through the light.
At least I won't return to that coward Yao, Manchuria thought. At least I will be seen as a real country.