MY READERS! -glomps-
I'm so so so so so so SO sorry I haven't updated this in like forever! I've been... really busy... and shtuff...
But, I promise I will never discontinue this fic and try to update as much as possible. I know it really gets on my nerves when people discontinue their stories, or only update like twice a month, and I would never do that to you guys.
Review response mabob~
Cat- Thank you! And of course. :P
Atlantic Jewel- ATLANTIC JEWEL IS READING MY STORY. THE AUTHOR OF MY FAVORITEST FANFIC IN THE WORLD. OMIGOSH GUYS. -dies-
hannabear2000- Thanks!
xlilslayerx- Thanks... I think? And Em is super patriotic, so she was immediately offended. And she's really into the whole best-friends-before-boyfriends/love-interests thing, so she felt betrayed.
Electra- Thanks. ^ ^
RedLicoriceMoustach- Okay. Glad to clear that up. ^ ^' And thanks!
And... that's derpology with a 'd', not 'D'. :P
The bombs were slightly more powerful than regular bombs, Em needed them from America because the bombs her country makes aren't powerful enough to do the damage that she wanted to do. Have patience, dearie, we will see the other girls' countries soon. :)
Aeschylus- Okay. And what? Are you talking about the flashback? 'Cuz that was a flashback, not an author's note. And on the swear words, I bleep them out because I know that there are some readers out there who want to read my story but don't want to have to read like fifty bajillion cuss words when Em is there. :P
Thank you my lovely reviewers! -gives you cookies-
Nora: I want a cookie!
derpology: NORA. I TOLD YOU YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BREAK THE FOURTH WALL ANYMORE. OUT OF THE AUTHOR'S NOTE.
Nora: xP -leaves-
Well, on with the story then...
Carolyn's POV
I sat criss cross on my bed and stared at the world map wall, listening to music at a deafening volume while tapping my pencil against the blank page in my notebook.
I crumpled up the (now empty) bag of sunflower seeds, took aim, and fired. I missed.
I tapped my fingers on my knee and bit my lip.
I was kinda nervous and frustrated, but doing my best to keep calm and reason things out logically. I was also trying to figure out what would become specifically of me and my country during this time, and for the next fifty years throughout the Soviet era and all, since I knew that my country was a small island near Latvia, and that Russia had control over it. I'd already eaten at least five bags of sunflower seeds as I was trying to figure all this out, seeing as how sunflower seeds usually help me to think better.
I wondered if there was any way to just stay out of the war as a neutral party. Wondered if there was any way for me to grow to 6'3. Wondered whether I even had to be my own country or if I could just stay a part of a different country, because I hate making decisions on my own and I'd obviously have to make lots of difficult decisions if I were my own nation.
I wondered about a lot of things.
I was also trying to figure out what Nora had meant when she had said she wanted to change the course of the war. She didn't like war, and she obviously wouldn't make it so that America lost.
Would she...?
No, she wouldn't... I went over the conversation between Em and Nora in my head.
"Well what? What, then?"
"I know the outcome of this war, and so do you."
"Oh, so you want to change it?!"
"Yes."
"Really?!"
"What? No, not like that!"
"Like what, then?!"
"If I can..."
'Can' what? I thought it over. A peace treaty maybe...?
"Meep..." I sighed.
After all, there wasn't much else to be said.
Third person POV with Chugoku, Dakota, and Auntie
Dakota and Chugoku sat on Chugoku's bed in sullen silence, both of them lost in their thoughts and their tears. Chugoku was imagining different scenarios where she could have done something to prevent things from ending like they did. Dakota was just hoping that it wasn't really an end.
Auntie sat calmly in a rocking chair, smoking a cigarette and knitting a light pink scarf. The whole being-transported-into-an-anime thing hadn't really affected her. Her two german shepherds, Nosmo and Nodru, lay at her feet, bored.
Dakota's stomach rumbled, breaking the heavy silence. Lack of gummy bears for the past twenty-four hours was probably getting to her. She got up and shuffled towards the door.
Chugoku wiped her eyes. "Where are you going?"
Of course, Dakota didn't hear her.
Chugoku sighed and made her voice as loud as she could. "Where are you going?"
"Gummy bears," Dakota said quietly, as if in a trance. She walked out the door, and Auntie chuckled. "That girl is going to catch her death of sugar."
Chugoku decided that it would be wise to follow her.
After walking through twenty-seven hallways, gong up and down three flights of stairs, and getting lost twice, they finally reached the kitchen. Dakota pushed past the servants and opened the door to the huge walk-in pantry.
Yeah, that's what it wanted you to think - that it was just a pantry. It was probably another ballroom... in disguise.
"How are we gonna find gummy bears in this mess?" Chugoku said-whispered, half to herself.
Dakota sniffed the air.
"I don't think that will w-"
Dakota ran over to a corner and crouched down, examining the bottom shelf. She shoved crates out of the way and strained to reach.
"Oh. I guess it did work." Chugoku walked to Dakota and waited while she struggled.
"C'mon... my darlings... Come... to... mama...!" Dakota's face brightened. "Success!"
She pulled.
She pulled again, harder this time. The box was stuck.
"NOOOO!" Dakota cried, yanking on the box with all her might. "COME ON!"
Suddenly the box came free, and Dakota flew backwards, comically in slow motion. Then she halted in midair, was frozen in place for about two seconds, and fell to the ground. The crate fell beside her and burst open.
Dakota picked up the box with an Italy face, and, after cheering a triumphant shout, began running towards the door.
However, one of the requirements of the Italy face is that you have your eyes closed. Dakota ran into the wall just beside the door, dropping the crate and spilling even more gummy bears on the floor. Chugoku sighed and shook her head as she picked up the crate and walked the door.
Dakota quickly detached herself from the wall when she felt a disturbance in the Gummy Bear Force. Her precious babies were leaving.
"Wait for meeeeee!"
Nora's POV
I was on something soft. I kept my eyes closed, feeling like I had three tons of pain killer coursing through my blood. And I probably did.
My memory was fuzzy. I vaguely remembered training, then coming in for some water, and then pain...
Remembering that I was suddenly aware of myself. My whole body felt as if I had just been through a meat grinder. I suppressed a whimper and tried to remember what had happened... I had gone to the bathroom, thrown up, and promptly passed out.
Joy.
/
A sting in my arm... I sluggishly opened an eye to see Germany holding a needle, talking to Jason. "This will help with the pain, but until we know where her actual country is we won't be able to do much else."
/
"Here. Turn the lights out."
I whimpered. The dark was a scary place to be.
"She doesn't like the dark... at all. She'll probably flip out if she wakes up in a dark room."
"Then open the curtains. We should probably go."
I tried to stay awake, but it was really hard. I made a noise that might have been mistaken for "stay" if you listened hard enough. But they didn't.
/
So... That's how I thought when on drugs. Like a five year old. Great.
There was also something else... I remembered seeing a place. It almost looked like a Japanese city, but it was hard to tell. It looked as if it had been bombed. Most of the buildings were collapsed. I felt connected to this place.
So... it must be my country.
Realization hit me like a slap to the face.
My country had just been bombed.
My people... voices in my head, shouting out to loved ones, and horribly blank spots where someone's voice used to be...
Fear and hysteria came over me like a tsunami, coming faster than I could comprehend. My chest was being crushed. I gasped in short breaths of air.
My lungs were chained. Tears were pouring, hot tears were pouring, as white as the wall above my head.
Oh, gosh. I was fumbling with the key to the chains, I just wanted to breath in. I dropped the key. I dropped the key. My citizens. Dead. Gone. As white and empty as the wall above my head. Where was I? Where was the key? Where were my people?
MY PEOPLE?
More white-hot tears, or was I drowning?
Were my lungs filling with water, or with ash?
Could they even fill, chained shut like this?
My people, their lungs, their lungs breathing ash and smoke and blood and ash and death.
I was running. I was yelling. Help me, oh, help me. Where are they?
My friends?
It's my fault, they're gone.
Gone.
MY citizens are gone. I am gone.
Where am I?
Where am I?
MY LUNGS ARE FILLING WITH ASH, JESUS, HELP ME!
Colliding. A friendly wall. I collided with the wall.
Will I ruin everything that has shown me kindness?
My people?
I've ruined them.
I've killed them.
I was the one. I poured the ash into their lungs and crushed them.
Gone.
Gone.
They're gone.
My people are gone.
Everyone is gone and filled and crushed.
"N-Nora-san! What is it?!"
"I wasn't there. Where am I? Where am I? They're gone. THEY'RE DEAD AND I KILLED THEM! I killed them, I killed them, my friends, I killed them, my people, where am I, oh, where am I, where's the key, why do I need to breathe, to breathe, they can't breathe..."
Third person POV
Jason and Germany appeared from around the corner, and Jason pulled Nora off of Japan, who seemed almost as traumatized as she did.
"She is having a panic attack." Japan said.
Jason held Nora, trying to calm her down. Her breath came in ragged chokes, and she shook like an earthquake.
"Nora, calm down." Jason told her. This only seemed to make it worse, though, and she babbled gibberish about people dying, her fault, and not knowing where she was.
"Nora. Look at me." He held her face in his hands and forced her to look at him. "I'm your brother, Jason. We're at Italy's place, remember? You were taking a nap because of... events. You're safe."
Nora just continued sobbing. "No! No, no, no, NO! Where am I, where are they?!"
He shook her shoulders. "Nora! We're in Italy! Breathe!"
She did the opposite. Nora screamed and clawed at her head. Her face went white, and she tried to breathe in, but she couldn't.
"Jason-san! That is no way to deal with someone who is having a panic attack." Japan spoke up, worried for Nora.
"You must be clear and calm." Germany advised.
Suddenly, Jason got an idea. He drew Nora's head to his chest, placing her ear right above his heart. "Nora, listen to me breathe. I want you to breathe with me, okay?"
Jason breathed in for four counts, and then out for four. He repeated this rhythm over and over until Nora joined in. Her breath was choppy at first, but it eventually moved to shaky, and then it was steady.
"Okay... What's the matter?" Jason asked, hoping to get a clear answer from her.
Nora took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for panicking. I'm sorry. Some of my people are dead. I should've been there to help them, but I couldn't, because I have no idea where my country is. A-and... And I..." her eyes watered, and she shook her head. Jason just hugged her, unsure of what to say.
"It was Em." she choked out. "I don't know how I know, but Em attacked me."
"That... was cold." Jason said. Em didn't just turn on her friends and bomb them, countries or not. "Why would she do that?"
Nora stared at the ground. "Em thinks I chose to be on the Axis. She thinks that when I say it wasn't a bad thing, that I..." she trailed off, picking and choosing her words carefully around Germany and Japan so as to not give anything away.
Jason raised an eyebrow, and they did the twin thing. Yes, you can still do the twin thing even if you and your twin aren't blood related or the same age.
Well what, then?
Since I have no choice to be on the Axis, I might as well make the most out of it, I don't want to make it so the Axis wins, but I want to get a peace treaty or something. So that we're all friends.
That is so Nora-ey.
Well, I am Nora.
Yes you are.
Suddenly, Nora dropped to the ground and clutched at her arm, where a slash of blood had appeared. Her eyes widened as she he cried out and clutched at her stomach. Red leaked through her white sweater. "I- I think she's trying to destroy me!"
Then something strange happened. Her pupils went completely white, and stayed that way for about three seconds. When they cleared, she got up and stumbled down the hallway, trailing drops of blood behind her. "Come on! I know where I am! We have to get there! NOW!"
The two nations and teenager glanced at each other and then took off after her.
Nora ran, faster than they would've thought possible for an injured girl as they struggled to keep up.
"How is she doing that?!" Jason asked, running as fast as he could after her.
"Adrenaline," Germany said at the same time Japan said, "Her country needs her."
They ran through a forest, over an unusually large puddle, and suddenly they were in a field. Several farmers wearing douli looked up in surprise as they tore across the field.
"Are we in China?!" Jason exclaimed.
"Yes, I think so." Japan nodded. They followed Nora across a river, and splashed in another puddle, and soon they were running through the streets of Japan.
"Whoa! How did we just travel like seven thousand miles in thirty seconds?!"
"Distance is different for countries," Germany said.
"But I'm not a country!"
"It must be because you're running with us." Germany would have shrugged had he not been, well, Germany. "Where the hell is she going?"
They splashed across another puddle and they were in a grove of cherry trees. Nora had stopped and fallen to her knees, panting. "This- This is my country."
She rubbed her arm where the cut had been. It had healed amazingly fast, already scabbed over. It had the appearance of a cut that she had had for a few days. Jason couldn't see the one on her stomach, but guessed that it looked the same.
There was an explosion in the distance, and Nora struggled under the weight of her back, which now, judging from the red seeping through her sweater, had been attacked. She took off the sweater that was now stained with blood, and wrapped it around her stomach like a brace, then took off running again. "Where are you going?" Jason yelled after her.
"Just help my citizens!" she yelled back, and continued running.
Jason pointed to a small town in the distance, which was where the explosion had just come from. "Over there."
The two nations nodded, and they took off.
Nora's POV
I had somehow managed to go all the way to the other side of my island, where the military base was. I ran up to the doors and was stopped by two guards wearing what I guessed were my country's military uniform.
"Name?" They asked.
"I am the personification of Sukoshitochi, and I am currently under attack. Oh, and since I'm the actual country, I outrank both of you, so you have to let me in." I told them. They didn't budge.
"If you don't let me in then I'll find my own way and get you both fired."
The two guards glanced at each other and then drew their weapons. I rolled my eyes. "Seriously? What will it take to convince you guys?"
They kept their guns pointed in my face. How rude.
Suddenly there was an explosion in the distance, and I cried out and clutched the right side of my face.
The guards stared at me in shock. I lowered my (now bloody) hands from my face and tapped my foot. "Well?"
They saluted. "Y-yes ma'am!"
One of the guards took a card from around his neck and swiped the lock. The lock then slid aside to reveal a scanner, which scanned his eyes. That was some pretty advanced technology for 1945.
The door opened, and I ran inside.
Word of advice- if you ever wake up in hetalia and discover that you're a country, hope that you don't have a huge military base.
Seriously.
I ran through a hallway... then another... then another... I lost count at fifty.
Although, that was probably the anime-ness kicking in. It seems that whenever an anime character is trying to get someplace in a building, they always end up running through the entire building twice before reaching their destination.
When I finally found a door labeled "Emergency Meeting - Do Not Disturb" I was out of breath and had acquired another injury on my left leg. It was hard to keep breathing, much less walk.
I tried to calm my nerves. Taking a deep breath and attempting to calm my hair, I pushed open the door.
Every one looked up. There was an oval table, all of the twelve chairs were filled except for one at the end.
It felt like it was my chair. Getting closer, I noticed a name tag labeled "Sukoshitochi".
Oh. That's why.
"Akahoshi-sama," I said hoarsely and bowed to my leader, then forced myself just to walk as far as my chair. I felt like absolute crap, but I somehow managed to walk over to the empty seat and sit down.
"...S-sukoshitochi...?" My boss, Akahoshi Hiroki*, didn't know whether to believe what he saw or not.
Suddenly I knew what I had to do. A short memory came to me, just a flash and then it was gone...
I showed him the underside of my arm, where there was a thin scar roughly an inch long and shaped like a banana.
I have no clue what happened. I just know that I had a scar on the underside of my arm and everyone knew about it, and that's how "The Legend" was started:
Sukoshitochi has blue eyes like a summer day, and a scar on the bottom of her lower arm. If you ever see her, be sure to hug her and tell her how proud you are to live with her!
Everyone evidently knew it. Since I'd first been attacked, I had become more aware of the voices of my citizens in my head. Sometimes even their thoughts. But from what thoughts I've heard, well... It's not really their thoughts. It's hard to explain. It's like, for a second, I am them, and their memories are my memories; their knowledge is my knowledge. And everyone this has happened to me with knows "The Legend".
When he saw my scar, he stood up and bowed. The others around the table did the same.
I stood up and bowed formally again, then sat back down. "Thank you. But now that I'm back, we need to find a way to get these attacks under control."
Everyone nodded and sat down. Akahoshi-sama looked at me with a fierce spark in his eyes. "Yes." was all he said.
I took this as my cue to talk. "The country I'm under attack from is Tassland, an island country just below France. Her human name is Em, and the reason she's attacking me is... Well, she thinks I betrayed her. The story is way too long to tell, so I'll give you the short version: I ended up on the Axis Side of this war while everyone else chose the Allied Powers, Em believes I'm betraying her and America since we grew up there, and is basically taking her revenge."
The man sitting next to Akahoshi-sama spoke up. "We should launch a counter atta-"
"NO!" I yelled, standing up quickly. Everyone stared at me, and I nervously sat back down. "N-no. Every time I get attacked... I can't explain how much pain I feel... I just... I can't put Em through that. I know she seems like a big bad villain right now, but... I just can't. And besides, if we attack her, that will probably piss America off, and the rest of my friends will probably think I really DID betray them. It would probably start another war.
Think about it. If you find out you're a country after mysteriously being transported to another dimension where the countries are at war and you have to choose sides, and your friend, who you've known for twelve years chooses the other side, you're bound to feel betrayed, aren't you? And you have an entire country at your disposal. You're hurt, and mad, and confused, and you want to make them feel hurt, mad, and confused too. So you launch an attack to channel your anger. But then- the person that 'betrayed' you strikes back- and suddenly you aren't just channeling your anger any more, you want to make them pay. You hate them. With a passion. And before you know it, a war has started and ended, thousands of people dead, scars that will never fade, all because of what? The 'betrayer' decided to fight back."
Everyone just kept staring at me.
"Please," I begged. "Take the people underground, let them move to a country nearby, or call for a mass evacuation. But I can handle being attacked a little longer, if it means that I can stop another war from happening. Please."
I pulled out my last card - the puppy face.
My blue eyes grew big and watery, my lip trembled, and I channeled the biggest "ADORABLE!" vibe that I could.
"Please?"
"Aww," Everyone said in unison, including Akahoshi-sama. Funny. He struck me as the type who wouldn't fall for puppy faces.
"I will... see what I can do. But, Sukoshitochi-san, I make no promises."
I smiled, and surprising everyone, jumped up and gave him a hug. "Thank you!"
Third person POV with Jason and Germany
Jason threw his hands in the air. "I give up! I can't understand a word they're saying!"
Germany looked at him icily. "Calm down. There are roughly forty thousand people in this town, and only one of us speaks Japanese."
With that, they glanced over at Japan, who was doing his best to help everyone he could, being the only Japanese speaker of the trio.
Jason leaned against a crumbling wall. "I feel so helpless."
Then he remembered something Nora had told him:
"So, if you're ever in the presence of a Japanese person, just say: I'm sorry. No japanese."
"Why would I ever be in the presence of a Japanese person who couldn't speak English?"
"..."
Jason turned back to the small family in front of him. They may not technically be Japanese, but they still spoke it. "I'm sorry," Jason said, hoping he was pronouncing it right. "No Japanese."
Realization clicked on their faces and they said something that might have meant "okay" or "why didn't you just say so" and shuffled away.
Jason looked down the street, which was practically demolished. Ambulances, which looked ironically funny (being in the 1945 car form and all) in contrast to the depressing surroundings, were treating the wounded, and taking away the... dead people. Rescue parties were searching the ruins of houses, looking for survivors.
"Ludwig," He said, using Germany's human name in the presence of regular people, and nodded towards the rescue parties. "Since we're pretty useless here, why don't we help them?"
Germany gave a stiff nod and they walked over to the man who seemed to be in charge. He was tall, well built, and had brown hair the same shade as Jason's with green eyes. Like everyone else here, he had Asian facial features.
The man looked at Jason, then pointed to Germany. "You not from here? We don't have many blondes." He said with a Japanese accent.
"Actually, I'm from Amer-" Jason began, but Germany cut him off.
"We are both from Germany," He said, glaring at Jason as if to say, Keep your trap shut.
Oh, duh, Jason thought. World War Two. America is enemy. Not wise to be from America.
"We wanted to know if you guys, uh, needed any help." Jason offered, feeling extremely stupid for his almost-slip.
The man pointed to a small group carefully making their way through the ruins of a small house. "There. That group is two short. I think one German speaker."
"Thanks," Jason said, and he and Germany made their way over.
Third person POV with Japan
Japan was trying not to show it, but he was worried for the small country. The attacks were vicious, and she had been in bad shape when she had left them. He wondered how much longer she could hold out.
The family he had just been helping walked away, and he rushed over to the next one he could find. This was what his past twenty minutes had consisted of, zooming around from one family to the next.
"Where are your parents?" He asked to a small girl who looked a bit lost. Her clothes were dirty and torn in some places.
She looked up at him, and Japan did a double-take.
The girl looked exactly like a four year old version of Nora. She had the same long, messy hair, the same sky blue eyes, and the same Look that made you think you should be happy, just to be around her.
But the Look was slightly dimmed. Tears were gathered in the corners of her eyes. She pointed to the house behind her. "Mommy and Daddy told me to get out of the house, and that they'd be outside soon. But then the roof fell. I don't think they're coming."
A tear slid down her face. "They're not, are they?"
Japan knelt down so that he was eye level with the small girl. "I will find your parents," he told her, before cautiously entering through the house that was barely standing.
The house was dim, the only light coming from the shattered window by the door. Stepping lightly, he made his way over to a doorway. The door had fallen off of its hinges, and the way through was halfway blocked by what appeared to be the remains of a fallen ceiling. He carefully crawled over the mini-blockade.
Japan looked up. There was a giant hole in the ceiling where it had fallen, and he could see the room above. The furniture had fallen with the ceiling and was scattered among the wreckage- a small, white futon, a dollhouse, and a bookshelf. The room above must've been the mini-Nora's room.
Someone let out a small groan. Jerking his head in the direction of the sound, Japan spotted an arm peeking out from under a pile of debris. He rushed over to it and began pushing the wreckage aside, finally coming across a man with brown hair who appeared to be in his late twenties. The man focused his light brown eyes on Japan with a look of gratitude. "M...My wife..." He managed, and weakly pointed over to another pile, this one much bigger.
The roof trembled. "We need to leave." Japan said, but the man gave a feeble shake of his head. "Please..."
Japan looked up through the hole in the ceiling up at the roof. Judging by the way most of the support beams had fallen, he knew he had four minutes at best. Not wasting any time, he made his way over to the pile the man had indicated, pulled out his katana, and began hacking the mess away.
The form of a small woman finally came into view. Her curly black hair was a mess around her face, and her eyes were closed. She was still breathing, but her arm was a bloodied mess. Minding her arm, Japan carefully picked her up, then made his way back over to the man.
The roof trembled again, as if warning them it wouldn't hold out much longer. Japan helped the man to his feet and slung his arm around his shoulder.
They made their way over to the doorway. Japan sliced the pile of debris that was blocking their way clean in half with his katana.
They were almost to the door, which was wide open. They could make it, they had to.
So close- he could almost reach out and touch it-
The roof gave a final tremble, and started falling.
The world seemed to slow down. The roof fell slowly, and Japan pushed the man and his wife out through the door.
The world sped up again, and Japan was buried under a mess of roof, dirt, and wreckage.
Cliffie, I sowwy. But I plan on updating soon, so don't worry. ^ ^
*- Mostly in Asia they introduce themselves last name first, so I thought I'd just put it like that. Nora/Suko's boss's last name is Akahoshi, and his first name is Hiroki, so I just thought I'd tell you guys that in case you were wondering.