Thanks to anonymousthe1st, SparklyMagix, The Ancient Phoenix, Scarllett83, Little Miss. Maple and an anon for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 216: Enter the Dragon

It was about noon when Canada went down for breakfast. He was with Wales in Cardiff, and the two of them had spent the entire morning sleeping off their jetlag.

He noticed that breakfast hadn't been prepared yet, and figured that Wales hadn't come down yet. Sighing in relief, Canada searched the pantry, looking for ingredients for pancakes.

He had just plated up the first pancake when Wales stumbled into the kitchen, looking a bit drunk (but Canada knew that he was completely sober; he just wasn't one for mornings). Wales stared at Canada for a moment, before he sat down at the table.

"Coffee or tea?" Canada asked casually.

"…Both," Wales replied, yawning.

Canada nodded, grabbing three mugs and putting the kettle on. He then pushed the completed pancake over to Wales before pouring the batter for the second one.

"…Have I mentioned I'm glad you're here?" Wales asked, as he grabbed a knife and fork.

"I figured you'd still be tired," Canada said.

Wales gave a small smile, before he pierced the pancake with his fork.

"Why don't we start our training after breakfast?" Wales asked.

Canada smiled and nodded. He wondered what Wales's idea of training could be, and he had to admit, it was rather exciting.

…

It was a bit too exciting.

Canada was breathing heavily as he slumped on the couch. He didn't think that drawing out his natural energy could be so exhausting. And then Wales made him meditate in a burning room (which Wales controlled through his own magic, of course).

And then there was the fact that Wales had made him release every particle of magical energy that he had, which drained all other forms of energy in his body.

He jumped when something was placed on the table in front of him, and he hesitantly opened his eyes to see a carton of Chinese takeout.

"I figured you could use some food now," Wales said. "And I know that I'm not the best cook, so…"

Canada didn't hesitate. He immediately leaned forwards to grab the carton.

"Thanks," he said, opening the carton and digging in.

"Well, I'm pretty impressed by the progress we made today," Wales said.

"What was the point in all of that?" Canada asked.

"First, we needed to see what your limits are. Now that you know exactly how much you can use, it'll be easier for you to sense when you're reaching your limits, and more importantly, you'll be able to rein yourself in."

Canada frowned, mulling things over. He supposed that it would be important to know when to hold back. He didn't want to hurt anyone by accident, after all.

"Okay," he said, "and what about the burning room?"

"It's important to keep your cool," Wales explained. "Staying calm under pressure, and keeping focussed on controlling your magic. I tend to lose control when someone wakes me up, but otherwise… I think I can manage my temper just fine."

Canada considered Wales's words. It was true that Wales was a lot calmer than Ireland, Scotland and England, and it was common knowledge that Wales couldn't handle having his sleep interrupted. Did Wales really teach Canada a technique to remain calm?

Wales watched Canada for a moment, before he smirked lazily.

"I have a special hypnosis in mind that would help you," he said. "We'll save that for when you're sleeping."

"…Do we have to?" he asked warily.

Wales shrugged.

"We can do it tomorrow night too, if you'd like," Wales said. "The thing is, I'd prefer to get this over and done with as soon as possible."

Canada sighed, but nodded his head in understanding. Wales knew what he was talking about, after all, and Canada didn't want to annoy the person that was supposed to be helping him with such an important matter.

"I guess we can do that," Canada said.

…

Wales watched over Canada as he slept. Only an hour had passed since he told Canada of his intention, but the younger nation had been so tired after releasing all of the pent-up magic inside of him.

That was what Wales needed.

He placed his hand on Canada's forehead, reciting the chant that he knew would trigger the chain of events necessary to help his nephew. In his dreams, he would connect with his magical core, which would assume the form of a dragon. The type of dragon would help Wales identify the best tactics to help Canada from this point forward. He already had a book on different dragons ready for Canada to identify via pictures.

This was also necessary for Canada to understand himself. Wales only put him on the path. It was up to Canada to follow it, and see where it took him. And along the way, learn a few important things.

Once the spell had been cast, Wales calmly withdrew. Canada's eyebrows furrowed, but other than that, there was no sign that anything had gone wrong. That was good. Now, Wales would just need to keep a quiet vigil as he ensured that nothing did go wrong.

He sighed as he removed a small vial. In case of emergency, he always made sure to have a large quantity of Wideye Potion. This was going to be a long night.

…

Canada stared around him in amazement. He was in some sort of temple, but he had no idea how he got there. The walls were an icy blue, but for some reason, it radiated warmth. But not heat.

He heard movement, and that was when he realised that he wasn't alone. There was something else with him there. He spun around, searching for the source of the movement, before a deep rumbling made him turn to look behind him.

His mind told him to be afraid, but his instincts told him to be calm. Upon seeing what was behind him, he recalled Wales mentioning a special hypnosis. Perhaps this was it.

Taking a deep breath, Canada calmly stared into the eyes of the dragon.