Sorry for the long wait... I honestly have no excuse this time...
Hope it'll be good enough for me to be forbidden...
So this is my first Sing Along chapter (AKA Song Fic)
The song is The Last Dance (Live) by Within Temptation: www. youtube watch?v= j)boQPOInuw
Sorry the video quality, it was the best I could find with the Opening song. I REALLY suggest that you list to the song while reading at least the first part of this chapter, 'cause the Opening Song goes with it...
Hetalia does not belong to me
Narration "Dialog" = Flash Back (The lyrics work accordingly)
Narration "Dialog" = 'Present' time (The lyrics work accordingly)
~ 1347
All he could see while looking in the water was his reflection. All he could feel was water and his own energy, stronger than it had ever been. All he could think was that it was all his fault. ALL, was his fault…
A gentle nudge brought him out of his thoughts as he fixed his reflection on the murky water. At least, he had continued to row mechanically while being lost in his memories. He turned his head, almost round brown eyes meeting with concerned almond steel ones, asking a question that he preferred to ignore. Not because he wanted to be rude, just because he didn't knew the answer himself. He shook his head and looked around.
Never before had Kebek seen so much people reunited in one single place, though the circumstances justified it. War between people had been forgotten if only for the moment as everyone joined together for the same reason. The faces were solemn as they glided on the water. Kebek younger sister and brother were seated on the bottom of canoe in silent, Hochelaga fast asleep against Maikan's fur, while he and Stadakona rowed calmly. It was almost weird to 'hear' the silence between the two habitually bickering children. But what felt even odder for Kebek was to be with his siblings yet not with either of their parents. He wondered where his father was right now…
They were following the head canoe in which Kanata, Amelige and their mother were, leaded by one of Meschacebé's numerous sons. They were only a few dozen when they started their journey, yet, now, they were almost a hundred! And more were arriving with each affluent they passed. It made no doubt for the River son that, by the end of it, when they would have reached the place where the ceremony was to take place, they would be even more than that, maybe three or four hundred.
Nothing prepared Kebek for the thousands of person gathered for the ceremony, probably the biggest he was ever to witness. Everything was already prepared, the women already waiting for their cue to start singing. Even the 'lead singer' was there. She had come from the very south only to attend to her privilege and duty. Leaving her father side, she hugged Kanata and Amelige and looked at Damga with a solemn expression before taking her place between the two boys
Taking a breath, she calmed herself since calling to the spirits necessitated peace of the mind and soul. She nodded and the echo of drum resonated in the plain, but never loud enough to cover her powerful emotional voice.
Ye-ye-ye-ye-yeah ohhhh yeah ohhh
Ye-ye-ye-ye-yeah ohhhh ohhh
Ye-ye-ye-ye-yeah ohhhh yeah ohhh
Ye-ye-ye-ye-yeah ohhhh ohhh
o0o0o0o0o
"Mommy! No, Mommy!" Kanata was crying in his sleep again, like he had done since he and Kebek had come back from their last reunion with the Vikings. Damga was by her son's side instantly, soothing him with lullaby and cradling him in her arms.
"It is alright my son, I am here. Those men will not get you."
"M-mommy… they had… they got us… and they… they had… k-killed you!" Kanata explained between sobs and hiccups.
"Shhh… dry your tears my son. No one will hurt you and I am here. Shhh… Go back to sleep now. Do not worry, everything will be alright…"
She sang for you last night, she heard you were calling,
Drowning in tears a thousand times.
Her spirit was floating, your spirit was searching
On a cloud of dreams.
Magtogoek was basking in a ray of moon when Damga joined her. Like all the water spirit North America had saw before, the riverine spirit found strength and appeasement in the glowing white light of the night. She didn't acknowledge her presence, yet the continent knew that the river had sensed her.
"How was Kebek?"
"Miserable… the poor boy did not cease to beat himself for what arrived until I managed to get him to sleep. He repeated on and on that he was the older, that he should have known, that he should have recalled what Awen said about Europeans and warn us of their presence right after he saw them."
Damga nodded. "He is right for the last part, yet it is no reason to beat himself… He is only a child after all. He putted us in danger, yes. The both of them did… But with or without their help, those invaders would have made their camps anyway and with or without them, I already knew they were here and I didn't react either. I assumed the Beothuks and the Mi'kmaqs would be able to handle them, and they did, but I think it is time for us to help. These Vikings had already angered our spirits and endangered our people too much."
Magtogoek nodded and rose, ready to guide Damga boat to victory. But, has they heard their respective sons start to cry, they knew they would have to wait some more.
A moon beam shines bright in the city of angels
Guiding the dreamers back to life,
And they'll do the same every tomorrow
'Till the pain subsides.
"I am sorry I helped those mean men install their colonies in our lands Mom," whispered forlornly Kebek.
But Magtogoek was not angry at her son's mistake. Damga had already planned a way to chase the conqueror of their lands and she found no use in weighing her son with remorse for an honest child mistake. He was simply too nice, too trusting, and it was partly their fault, because they had not entirely taught them to fear strangers. They had taught them to be careful, but open… and that's exactly what they had been. They had been tricked, but had stopped this nonsense when they realised it was wrong. And, for that, she was proud and so she didn't scream, didn't punish, she simply continued to sing and cradle and calm:
Don't be scared now,
Close your eyes,
She holds guard tonight.
Go on forward,
No remorse,
Life will take its course.
o0o0o0o0o
Ye-ye-ye-ye-yeah ohhhh yeah ohhh
Ye-ye-ye-ye-yeah ohhhh ohhh
Ye-ye-ye-ye-yeah ohhhh yeah ohhh
Ye-ye-ye-ye-yeah ohhhh ohhh
Fires were painting lights and shadows on the muscled bodies of the dancing warriors. Voices mingled in a haunted call for justice and aid. And, amongst them was the swerving body of Damga, painted of red and black, of lights and shadows, of rage and hope. Her tattooed body was twisting and uncurling, jumping and stopping like if possessed by some war spirit, which, in everyone minds, was most likely the case.
Kanata's eyes were fixated on his mother, a veil of fear, guilt and incertitude still casted on them. This battle was not planed; this battle was in respond of the Vikings affront. They had found Wolastoqiyik while she was fleeing south with Mi'kmaq and his little sister. While the two red headed had managed to get away, the young girl had been captured. She was unharmed for the moment, as far as they knew, yet the Vikings had made it clear that they wanted 'peace' before giving her back. They also wanted their colonies back…
Damga got sight of her worrying child and approached him, grabbing a plate with black ocher in it on her way. She crouched in front of him and caressed his hair lovingly, "You have his hair…" Then she passed her thumb on his eyes, "You also have his eyes..."
"Mother?" asked Kanata, wondering what she was doing.
Still, Damga continued like if nothing had been said. She took some ocher on her finger and caressed his cheeks, smearing the paste on his face in a martial pattern, "Yet, you have my cheekbones…", she then painted his arm, "and a slightly paler version of my skin…", then his legs, "and, look at that, my tallness too it seems, and my strength!" she squeezed his calf and he squealed, surprised. She laughed, walking behind him, and started drawing on his back, down his spine and up his side, "You have my land, my people. It is also YOUR land, YOUR people." She turned around again and faced him, "But, most of all, you have my courage," she painted his belly, making him giggle, then stamped her hand on his heart, "and my heart. Never forget that my baby, you and your brother and sister will always have my heart, no matter when, no matter what."
He blinked while she cleaned her hand, looking at his chest before sobbing, making a grab for her neck. "Mommy..."
"Awww… do not cry, warriors do not cry and I need you to be a strong warrior now. Come on my son, let us go dance with them, like true warriors!"
Kanata grabbed the hand his mother was showing him and joined the dancers. "What is that song for mother?"
"Ah… It is for calling the spirits aid, their guidance and to ask them to welcome the death warriors besides them in the battle to come."
She danced with you last night so you will remember
All you have shared, a lifetime.
Kanata danced and sang along with his mother, the courage and determination of his people flowing through his vein, lifting his spirit. He looked at his mother, so beautiful and fierce. He could only imagine how invincible she must have looked with weapons in hand. Magtogoek was there too, dancing with Kebek alongside Apaqt. The young mother acted like a furious bear mother, having only one thing in mind: getting her precious older child back. "No matter if I have to die for it or not!"
Worried by this sentence, Kanata looked at his mother, pulling on her black circled wrist. "Mother? You will not die, will you?"
Never one to lie, Damga crouched before her son and looked at him right in the eyes, "I amanold spirit, my son. I have heirs to take my place now. It is, indeed, a possibility that this battle marks my death- no, do not cry my son, listen to me. It is a possibility, but I plan on making it very hard for mere Europeans to kill the great Natives representative that I am." She smiled, ruffling his hair, but her smile faded when she saw the glassy eyes of her son.
"So, if you die it will be my fault…" he dry sobbed, but tears were not far behind. He barely realized that he was lifted until he felt the hand pushing his head against a strong shoulder and combing through his light brown lock.
"No, no never my baby, you must never think that. Our lives come and go, but Life always continues. It is true for flowers that wither in autumn, it is true for animals when the winter is too hard, it is true for human when sickness or years got them… but it is also true for us, when our times comes. We never know when it will come or how, but we can feel it nearing. We feel more human, more fragile… you will understand when you are older…"
" But, I do not want you to die. I do not want my dream to be true!"
"And I do not plan to die, but know this Kanata. I will die one day, if not tomorrow, another day than, and when that happen, my body will die and wither away, but my spirit always will remain in all I have loved, created and protected…" She looked at Kanata with adoration, "You, Kanata, along with our siblings are the three at the same time…"
The angels were watching and death will be waiting
Until the time is right.
Damga walked away from the village with her son and Kebek. The older boy had already said goodbye to is mother and was preparing to go back to Stadakona with Kanata. The North American representative kneeled before the two boys, giving a vial to her son.
"What is it?"
"It is a potion that will make you undetectable to your enemies. It is really powerful and will protect not only you, but also all the representative connected to you, like Kebek or Innu and the like. You will be able to choose if you want to expose your state of nation or not. Otherwise, you'll appear like a human to everyone who does not know you… I know you will be wise enough to use it properly. Now drink, so the Europeans will not feel your presence anymore."
Kanata nodded and drank the bitter syrupy mixture, making a face when he finished it.
While he was doing that, Damga gave Kebek another bottle with the instruction to give it to Amelige once her son is safe in Stadakona. Kebek nodded and went to retrieve Kumajirou and Maikan and give a kiss to his mother and his aunt. Meanwhile, Damga prepared her son for the journey and reassured him one last time, holding him close to her heart. When Kebek got back, he was mounted on Kumajirou's back, where Kanata rapidly joined him. The older boy and the mother exchanged a serious glance before Kebek told Kumajirou to run, Maikan hot on his heels. To reassure Kanata, Kebek started to sing:
Don't be scared now,
Close your eyes,
She holds guard tonight.
Damga looked as her son and Kebek disappeared in the forest with the potion for Amelige, praying that they'll reach safety. A tear made its way down her cheek…
Go on forward,
No remorse,
Life will take its course.
In their readiness to flee, neither of the young ones saw the small terracotta vial fell on the forest floor…
o0o0o0o0o
Mexihko continued to sing as present were lowered in a hole in front of her. They were various valuable items of every North American people, from her own Aztec people to her brother Kanata Inuit one.
A few other female representations had politely joined Mexihko chant:
Ye-ye-ye-ye-yeah ohhhh yeah ohhh
Ye-ye-ye-ye-yeah ohhhh ohhh
Ye-ye-ye-ye-yeah ohhhh yeah ohhh
Ye-ye-ye-ye-yeah ohhhh ohhh
o0o0o0o0o
It took two days for Kebek to reach his brother's village. Damga had said that their mother were already waiting for them their… but he couldn't see her anywhere? Was she gone to fight too? He jumped from Kumajirou whom shrunk back to his portable cub format, allowing his master to climb down of him.
His siblings ran to him, alerted of his arrival by his wolf. They all wore alerted figures, clearly hoping reassurance of some kind from the older two. Innu was holding a distressed Hochelaga, tears streaming down her face, as Stadakona crunching him. Is uniquely fair skin was abnormally pale, his ice like eyes rimmed with red.
"Addagnin!"
"What is going on? Why is our sister in that state?"
"She cannot feel Adanaho. She says she is gone…"
"What?!" Kebek couldn't believe it. Hochelaga shared a strong bond with their mother, she always felt her, like a piece of herself. They all did, but Hochelaga, as an island in the middle of their mother bed, was the only one who could even when not being near the river.
Freeing himself from his brother grip, he left is family with a concerned Kanata in favor of running to his mother's bank. Yet, as he feared, he couldn't feel her… All he could see while looking in the water was his reflection. All he could feel was water and his own energy, stronger than it had ever been. All he could think was that it was all his fault. ALL, was his fault… His fault if she was.. "No…" She was… "No!" She was… "NOOOOOO!"
Dead…
o0o0o0o0o
Damga woke up with the sound of the drums and turned sleepy eyes toward her children. They all stilled to hear what she had to say, to them and all the other representatives.
She caressed each one of their cheeks, cleaning their soft skins of the tears. Her smooth voice glided on the wind.
Hold on to memories,
See what lies ahead.
Life will go on and we are one
With every step you take.
o0o0o0o0o
She was wounded… gravely wounded. It was as clear as the pure water flowing through her lands. Looking around her, she saw the look in her friends' eyes, whether they were human or like her, they all knew. They all knew that whether or not she won this battle, she would most likely die…
She could feel the wounds on her skin, gushing blood and not closing anytime soon. This time, she would die. Die and stay death. And, with her, so would die all the representations of forest, mountains, rivers and plains that owed her their lives.
Yet,something else was in their ferocious eyes: their will to protect their children. And so, they would they fight, fight until the end. Until the last of these Vikings had left their shore of the last of them had withered and died.
Raising her tomahawk high toward the sky, she sang out.
Ye-ye-ye-ye-yeah ohhhh yeah ohhh
Ye-ye-ye-ye-yeah ohhhh ohhh
Ye-ye-ye-ye-yeah ohhhh yeah ohhh
Ye-ye-ye-ye-yeah ohhhh ohhh
Damga's eyes met the burning gaze of the younger man before her and she lunged.
o0o0o0o0o
Damga closed her eyes one last time and died… one last time. Mexihko raised her head toward the sky as the wind gushed through the crowd, swirling over North America fading body like if taking it to the other world. She cried, singing the last part of her prayer as every other representative joined in. Damga's belongings were buried in a hole under the place she disappeared, the place where she had woken up long ago while the world still belonged to Pangaea: the very center of North America.
Ye-ye-ye-ye-yeah ohhhh yeah ohhh
Ye-ye-ye-ye-yeah ohhhh ohhh
Ye-ye-ye-ye-yeah ohhhh yeah ohhh
Ye-ye-ye-ye-yeah ohhhh ohhh
So... Yeah... She died, but I bet you already knew that eh?
Addagnin means My brother in Laurentian while Adanaho means My Mother
The date is based on the last known journey of Icelandic people in Markland, and, well, in North America. I'm pretty much sure the colonies were already gone at this epoch, but I'm sure our lovely Canadians would have continued to see their Big Brothers as long has they could. Plus, for the need of the story, I decided that there was still Vikings settlements in North America at this epoch, nah!
Until next time, Read and Review~