So, here we are again. I have finished my first long term fanfic and I'm ready for another one! Hetalia still has a firm grip on my hand so yes, it's another Hetalia fanfic. I know that we all go crazy for next generation stuff. At least I do. And I have enough ships to write up and expand the 'Cardinal Warriors' universe. Will I have to draw up these children at some point? Yes but that's a problem for future me. Present me is focused on the writing. Now, I will list off the child/children of each ship. Use this chapter as a reference if you get confused.
DenNor: Gale and Ella
LietPol: Xavier and Julia
NetherPan (Ned x Sakura): Arlo
PruCan: Annalise, Engela and Frederick
SpAus (Roderich x Martina): Ronald and Mateo
ItaLiech (Feliciano x Eva): Carrina
Romania x Bulgaria (Vladimir x Melana): Sorin
RomaBel (Lovino x Emma): Roman
In a separate 'chapter', basically a half chapter, I'll clearly write out everyone's ages; including the parents and children. I feel like they're important. It's also to put any confusion to rest. You'll be able to refer to the half chapter if you're ever curious how old everyone is. This story is set 16 years after the war.
Also, you like my crack ship of Italy and Liechtenstein? She was in the last chapter of 'Forbidden Love' for a reason. Not just for angst. Once again, I am not the biggest fan of Gerita. Feliciano and Eva are a thing here, fight me.
Alright, I've rambled long enough. I hope you enjoy this continuation featuring the next generation born of the many ships!
~oOo~
After the fall of Ivan, the Cardinal kingdoms moved on. It has been sixteen years since the war. Everyone and everything was flourishing. It wasn't completely peaceful; the cardinal warriors still had their work cut out for them. Although the group had doubled in size with the inclusion of women. The warriors now fought in teams of two or three.
The next generation was slowly taking over the overall population. In the aftermath of the war, many people settled down and started families. This included several cardinal warriors. They were getting along in age but they had a lot of fight left in them and they needed it to raise the next generation who were becoming increasingly curious of the world.
xXx
"Gale! Go find your sister. We need to be in the Northern Kingdom by the early evening." Lukas shouted.
"But I still need to pack." Gale whined.
"I'll pack for you. Go find her, now!" Erika took her teenage daughter's hand and shoved her out the front door. Gale grumbled but went to hunt down her little sister.
Erika and Lukas were in their mid thirties. But their age only showed in their eyes, not their faces. Erika had cut her hair again, keeping it short with messy waves framing her face. Lukas was the opposite; he had let it grow out to his shoulders. But he always kept it pulled back.
Gale grew up to be more girly than Erika was prepared for. Gale's hair turned out to be a lighter blonde, similar to Lukas. Gale grew it out, keeping it a steady length that never went past her lower back. Like her father, she made sure to pull it back. She did so through a long braid. She went back and forth between pants and dresses. Today, it was pants. The blonde wore light blue shirt that fell off the shoulders slightly, tan pants and black boots.
"ELLA! WE NEED TO GO!" Gale called out for her sister. After a few minutes, she started getting frustrated.
"Looking for something?" said a voice.
Gale perked up to see her uncle Emil a little blonde girl. He looked like Lukas, just with platinum blonde hair. They were about the same height, which is still short.
"Oh thank you!" Gale sighed in relief, "I'll take it from here."
"You have a safe trip. I'll keep an eye on your house." Emil winked and set down the girl dressed in a dark blue dress with brown boots.
Ella was Gale's ten-year-old sister. Sporting her mother's sunny blonde hair and bright blue eyes, Ella was a troublemaker. She could never stand still; she had to run around to release her energy. Not to mention, the little girl was messy. Erika spent one night a week getting stains out of her clothes. Cutting Ella's hair as short as Erika's was the best decision the parents had ever made.
Gale took Ella's hand, "Thank you kindly uncle Emil. For that and finding Ella. We'll see you soon." She hugged Emil and headed back to the house.
Ella let go of her sister's hand and skipped inside, "We're back!" She cooed.
Lukas walked up to them, grabbing the younger girl's ear. "You knew we were leaving after lunch. Don't run off again." He huffed.
Ella whined, "Wah! Daddy, let go of my ear. That hurts."
Lukas released her ear and kissed her forehead, "Sorry dear. I just don't want to lose you. Now sit outside with your sister." He sighed.
Gale grabbed Ella's hand, "I'm going to hold your hand until we leave."
Ella puffed out her cheeks as she followed her sister outside. The two laid on the grass while they waited. They had nearly fallen asleep when they heard a whistle. It was their father.
Lukas stood next to Erika who had shapeshifted into her dragon form, "Come on girls. Let's get a move on." He gestured to Erika. Ella jumped up and climbed onto her mother's back.
"Mum, can I fly there? Please! It's not that far." Gale pleaded, "I can hold my form a lot longer now."
Erika hummed, thinking for a moment. Then gave a nod. "You have been practicing. I think you can last a few hours." She replied.
"If you get tired, rest in your mother's claws." Lukas added.
Gale grinned and nodded vigorously. She eagerly shapeshifted into a blue dragon, no bigger than a horse.
"Oh! Can I ride on her back?" Ella gasped.
"No dear. She can't support any weight yet." Lukas shook his head.
"Aww come on. I need to practice some time!" Gale looked at her father with a pleading look.
"Maybe on the way back. You have to practice while we're there." Lukas replied and climbed onto Erika's back, pulling Ella closer.
"Alright. We've wasted enough time. Tolys is going to be wondering where we are." Erika stretched her wings and took off. Gale flapped her wings a couple times before taking off after her mother.
xXx
After a few hours of travel, the family made it to the Northern Kingdom. Ella had fallen asleep on the way there. Erika glanced around, looking for a place to land. All of a sudden, an icy blue beam shot off from the town square.
"It's mister Tolys!" Gale cheered.
"Better shapeshift to just your wings, Erika." Lukas patted Erika's neck.
"But what about you and Ella? Gale can't carry either of you." Erika questioned. Lukas gently roused the little girl, "Just watch milady." He snickered slightly. Ella stretched her arms, looking up at her father curiously. Out of nowhere, the blonde gracefully pushed Ella off of Erika's back.
"ELLA!" Gale and Erika shouted. Lukas jumped off of Erika next. In two black blurs, something, or things, caught them both. Erika and Gale quickly shapeshifted to their human forms with wings, darting to the ground.
"Lukas, what the fu-" Erika prepared to scold her husband when she cut herself off. A black wolf and panther set down down the two blondes.
"Sir Ned, Lady Sakura." Gale waved.
The two shapeshifted back to their human forms. Much like Erika and Lukas, Ned and Sakura had aged well. Ned hadn't changed at all, actually. Sakura did change her hairstyle, keeping her hair in a neat bun rather than a braid.
"Nice catch, Nathanial. Be a little gentler next time though." Lukas rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'm a wolf. Being gentle isn't my thing." Ned shrugged.
Ella hugged Sakura's waist, "That was so cool! Thanks for catching me." She cooed. Sakura patted the girl's head, "Think nothing of it little one. That was a simple task." She smiled.
"Mother, father. You cut those catches way too close." A teenage boy with messy black hair and pale green eyes walked up to the couple, "Your forms could've been better." He rolled his eyes. The teenage boy wore a navy blue vest with a white shirt rolled up to his elbows, gray pants and black boots. He had a long red scarf hanging loosely from his neck.
"Arlo, my son. I am not as young as I used to be. My form won't always be perfect." Sakura huffed, "And don't say our village strives for perfection. That is a lie. We're graceful, not perfect."
Gale slung her arm around Arlo's shoulders, "Yeah Ari*. Learn to lighten up a little bit." She smirked. Arlo unsheathed his wolf like claws, "Call me 'Ari' one more time and I'll cut your hair off again. I'll cut through your hair like butter." He snapped, although he was blushing.
Ned came up and lightly bopped Arlo on the head, "Calm yourself kid. Or I'm sending you to your aunt's in the Southern kingdom. A whole week of nonstop smiles and hard work." He smirked slightly.
"NO! I am not doing that again. Lovino is so mean to me since he knows why I'm there." Arlo panicked.
Meanwhile, Erika finally got over the shock and proceeded to chew Lukas out.
"What was that?! You shoved our daughter off of me. While we were in the air!" Erika hissed, "What if Sakura didn't catch her in time huh? Ella could've gotten seriously hurt!"
Lukas sighed and took her hands, "I'm sorry Erika. I should've told you that I was going to do that. I just figured it would be a fun surprise. Seeing Ned. I know you two don't get to talk as much as you want."
Erika growled lowly, looking away. "Be lucky I love you." She mumbled. "Next time though, you jump off instead of shoving Ella off."
Lukas pecked her lips, "It's a promise." He nodded.
xXx
After a small reunion with old friends, they went to greet Tolys. Erika ran up and hugged him tightly. They continued to be close friends after all these years.
"Hey there Tolys! It has been way too long." Erika cooed. Tolys laughed and patted her on the back as he hugged her back, "Yes it has. I'm happy you came to visit." He pulled away. "Gale is a beauty. She has grown up so much from that chubby little baby."
"Hasn't she though? I fear for when she falls in love. Lukas is gonna throw a hissy fit. Over her and Ella too." Erika chuckled, "Where is Kaska and your kids?"
"They're shopping in the market. They'll meet us back at the house." Tolys smiled, "Also, Matthew and Julchen are visiting with their kids as well. They're back at my house." He added.
"Oh! That's exciting. The whole group is getting back together. First time in a while." Erika clapped her hands.
Ned walked up to them, "Should Julchen really be traveling? Last I heard, she was expecting their fourth child." He questioned.
"Don't worry about her Ned. She's tougher than she looks, no matter her condition." said a quiet voice.
Ned turned to see Matthew. He had grown out his hair, keeping it cut at his shoulders and pulling it back in a low ponytail. His curls were also more apparent now, having one stray curl falling in front of his face.
"Matt, good to see you!" Erika grinned.
Ned made eye contact with the blonde, "Let me guess. You want me to shapeshift into a wolf so you hug my neck?" He rolled his eyes.
Matthew gave him a pleading look, "Please? Just like old times. You're my partner, retired or otherwise." Ned conceded and turned into a wolf. Matthew cooed softly as he hugged and nuzzled Ned's neck.
"Still a kid, no matter his age." Erika giggled.
"Hey mum!" Gale ran up to Erika, dragging an annoyed but flustered Arlo along. "I know we need to head to mister Tolys's house but can I take a walk along the shore with Arlo?" She asked eagerly, "I want to catch up with him."
Erika gave a gentle nod, "That's fine. Just be back by dinnertime in an hour."
"I'll send Xavier your way. He'll be happy to see you." Tolys patted her head.
xXx
Erika skipped off to the northwestern sandy shores of the kingdom. She never got to see the ocean much do to living near the mountains so coming to the Northern kingdom was always fun.
"Hey Arlo. Don't you ever wonder what lies beyond the oceans that border all the kingdoms? I know the plot of land we live on is an island." Gale picked up some sand and threw it up in the air, letting the breeze blow it towards the water.
Arlo hummed, purring like a cat. "Sometimes. But I am happy where I live. I don't wish to journey beyond this island." He shrugged.
"Why not? There must be other islands or even a mainland across these waters. I'd love to go to them." Gale pouted, "I'd rather not be unaware of what lies beyond our home. There could be other people living out there. Unaware of our existence."
"You've got your head in the clouds, don't ya Gale?" Someone came walking up to them.
"Xavier!" Gale cooed.
Arlo grumbled and gave a simple wave, "Evening Xavier." He muttered.
The teeanger had straight blonde hair styled in a bob cut with bright green eyes. He had on a blue tunic paired with a white long sleeve, tan tights and brown boots. He also wore a forest green cloak.
Gale skipped over to the blonde and hugged him tightly, "You look great Xavier! I am digging the blue tunic." She grinned.
"Thanks. My aunts sewed it for me. My ma gifted me the cloak. It used to belong to my father." Xavier went red in the face.
"It looks good on you." Gale winked.
Arlo was becoming annoyed and stepped in to break up their chat. "It's getting late. We should head to Xavier's house." He huffed.
"Don't be such a buzzkill, Ari." Xavier smirked and pulled them both in for a hug, "We're supposed to be buddies. The dream team. A child born of a mountain fairy and a healing wizard. A child born of an eastern feline shapeshifter and eastern wolf shapeshifter. A child born of a rank A wizard and a dragon shapeshifter. All together, we're also born of the heroes of the cardinal kingdoms."
"Yeah! We come from some pretty amazing people." Gale giggled.
"Let me go. And stop calling me Ari!" Arlo snapped and tried to get out of their hold.
"You all are so close. That's nice." said a quiet voice. The trio paused to look for the source of the voice; a pair of blue-purple eyes and two pairs of green resting on a tall, teenage boy. Making eye contact with a pair of dark purple ones.
"Who are you?" Xavier raised an eyebrow.
xXx
The teenage boy panicked and quickly bowed to them. "F-forgive me. I spoke and I didn't introduce myself. The name is Elois." He stammered.
Gale smiled and gestured to herself, "Nice to meet ya Elois. I'm Gale. These two knuckleheads are my friends. The blonde is Xavier and the grumpy one is Arlo." She then gestured to Xavier and Arlo.
"Pleasure." Xavier winked.
"Hi." Arlo crossed his arms.
"With that out of the way, what are you doing here? Do you live around here?" Gale asked.
Elois bit his lip. "Y-yes, I do. I live here with my mother Marie." He looked away. He seemed nervous.
"Where's your dad?" Arlo questioned in a snarky tone.
Elois was quiet for a moment before answering. "He's . . . not around. It's just me and mother." He murmured.
"That was insensitive, my friend. You didn't have to make him answer." Xavier glared at Arlo.
"Well how the hell was I supposed to know it was a touchy topic?" Arlo countered.
Gale noticed Elois flinching away and turned to confront her friends, "Guys. Stop arguing. You're freaking him out." She huffed.
"Elois! Elois, where are you?" A woman's voice called out.
"Th-that's my mother. I must go. I hope to see you all again." Elois laughed nervously and ran off.
"He was a strange one." Xavier blinked.
"Agreed. He seemed very skittish. Like he's hiding something." Arlo snorted.
"Stop it you two. Don't be like that. Not everyone is tough. Now let's head back. Our parents are probably worried." Gale groaned and shoved them forwards. Despite what she said, she kind of agreed with them. Elois seemed nice enough, if not a bit shy. But something about him rubbed her the wrong way. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. Something seemed very off about him though.
I should tell dad about him. See what he thinks. Maybe I'm just overthinking this. Gale thought, letting out a sigh as she followed her friends to the house.
xXx
The trio made it back in time for dinner. Although they had made it just in time; when everyone was sitting down to eat.
"And Arlo here nagged at us for cutting it close." Sakura scoffed, "Yet he does the same thing with his friends."
Arlo blushed in embarrassment and looked away.
"Relax, miss Sakura. We got a little sidetracked, nothing serious." Xavier assured.
Tolys waved them over, "Come on then. Get something to eat before Julchen and her little army eats it all." He teased as he stared pointingly at the pregnant albino.
"Knock it off Tolys. I can't help my appetite. Blame the baby." Julchen huffed. The three teens sat down to eat.
"You can blame my genes for our children's appetites. Alfred and I could chow down on a lot of food." Matthew laughed nervously.
Three children, two blondes and an albino, sat at a separate table. The oldest looked to be a girl with blonde pigtails and ruby red eyes. Next to her was the albino child who was also a girl. She had a single ponytail put up high with purple eyes. Across from them was a little blonde boy with bouncy curls and purple eyes.
"What are their names again?" Erika asked.
"The oldest is Annalise, then Engela and lastly, Frederick." Julchen winked.
"Still can't believe you settled down and had kids." Kaska chuckled.
Julchen snickered, "Well my little sister is living an independent life with no man so I have to make up for her lack of a family." She grinned, "Plus, I honestly enjoy being around kids. I've always wanted a big family."
"I'm good with two." Erika sighed.
"Agreed." Kaska nodded, "Although . . . one more wouldn't hurt." She smirked over at Tolys who blushed and looked away.
"I'm good with just one." Ned shrugged.
"Aww you don't want a little girl to even things out?" Julchen smiled cheekily at him, "And perhaps to give your wife someone to spoil?"
Ned rolled his eyes, "Sakura already spoils Arlo. We don't need another one. Besides, I have a little sister and Erika is my honorary sister. Dealing with girls is a lot of work. Arlo is a handful as it is."
"Rude. I am an awesome sister. Emil says so." Erika pouted.
"Love you too father." Arlo snorted. Sakura appeared to look saddened by Ned's comment about kids.
Lukas noticed this and looked up at Ned, "Nathaniel. You should consider Sakura's feelings. Maybe she doesn't agree with you." He quirked an eyebrow.
"Do you not remember how much work it was delivering Arlo? Do you know how much stress that put on Sakura?" Ned glared at him.
Tolys raised a hand, "I do. That was one of the messiest deliveries I've ever had." He sighed.
"Delivering shapeshifter babies is usually pretty messy though, as those babies tend to be bigger than normal babies born from wizards and mortals." Erika countered, "Both Gale and Ella clocked in at ten pounds."
"However, the women of shapeshifters are physically built to withstand difficult births." Lukas added, "Sakura is okay now. And she'd be okay carrying a second baby."
Sakura now looked more hopeful. Everything they said was true. That had to be enough to convince Ned.
"Let's not ask mister Ned about this." Gale perked up, "Let's ask Arlo. Like most older siblings, he'll have to lend a hand in caring for the new baby. Plus he'll be living under the same roof as the baby. Ask his opinion." She suggested.
Xavier nudged Arlo, "So what do you think Arlo? Would you want a little brother or sister?" He smirked.
Arlo shook his head, "No thank you. I don't mind babies and little kids. But can you imagine how much sleep I would lose? Both my parents sleep like rocks. I'd be the one taking care of it. Also, think of the age difference. Sixteen years apart? That's too much. Also, also. I have a little cousin who is basically like my brother so yeah. I don't need another one." He replied.
The whole room went silent as the atmosphere got tense. Sakura stood up abruptly after about ten minutes, "Excuse me. I must go get some air." She said in a soft voice and darted out the door.
"Nice going, Ned. You asshole. You just successfully crushed her dreams." Erika groaned.
"You've known since childhood that I wasn't a fan of kids, Rika. It took me a couple years to accept each new sibling." Ned snapped, "Hell I wasn't that excited Sakura was pregnant with Arlo."
Arlo slammed his fist on the table and glared daggers at his father, his glare just as cold as Ned's. "Oh gee, thanks dad. Nice to know that you love me." He hissed. "I'd rather live with Auntie Emma right now. At least then I'll know what love feels like."
"STOP ARGUING!" Tolys shouted as he stood up. A little girl with long brunette hair and green eyes clung to Xavier. She wore a pink bow on her head.
"Daddy got angry." The girl whined. Xavier patted her head, "It's okay Julia." He whispered.
Tolys turned his gaze towards Ned, "You find Sakura and explain yourself."
Ned sighed in defeat and ran out the door.
Tolys looked at Arlo next. "And you keep your mouth shut. You are very privileged compared to a lot of people out there. Most generations don't get lucky enough to have both parents. Be thankful for what you have."
Arlo's eyes turned into cat eyes as both of his hands grew wolf-like claws, "Make me shut up ice queen." He growled.
Tolys grabbed his staff and channeled his ice magic into it, "I gladly will. I'll turn you into an ice sculpture for a whole day. Your parents would have to wait for the ice to melt." He smiled, although it was a very creepy smile.
Lukas grasped his staff, "Easy Tolys. He's just a kid. There is no need to unleash your full power against him." He spoke calmly.
"He's a kid of two powerful shapeshifters. He needs to learn his place and to respect the adults in his life, especially his parents." Tolys chuckled and turned his attention back to Arlo.
"Ari, back down. Mister Tolys's temper is not something you want to test." Gale gulped.
Arlo bared his teeth, "I live in the mountains. Something like ice and the cold doesn't scare me." He huffed.
"Oh silly boy. My ice is nothing like the ice you know. Not even a dragon's fiery breath can melt my ice." Tolys teased childishly, "And my ice is so cold that any cold blooded creature, shapeshifters included, would die if they're exposed to it for too long."
Erika bit her lip, "That is very true. The ice nearly nearly killed me on accident years ago." She muttered.
"Well the creatures I shapeshift into are warm blooded." Arlo scoffed.
Xavier rolled his eyes, "There's a thing called hypothermia genius. That can kill warm blooded animals and people. My father's ice is lethal no matter how you look at it."
Tolys stuck out his tongue teasingly, "You scared yet little boy?" He cooed
SMACK!
Tolys dropped his staff and wrapped his arms around his stomach. Arlo went back to normal as Gale yanked him back down into his chair.
Julchen set a sheathed sword aside.
"Thank you Julchen." Kaska sighed in relief. Julchen nodded to her and had Matthew help her to her feet. The albino walked up to Tolys and cupped his face in her hands.
"Did you feel what happened there Tolys?" Julchen snapped, "The smile. The tone. The words. Where could that have come from?"
Tolys suddenly realized what had happened and began to cry, "O-o-oh god. He . . . no. I thought . . . . no . . ." He whimpered, latching onto her. Julchen held him as close as she could, "Shh. It's okay. He's not coming for you. He's gone remember? That horrible man won't torture you anymore." She whispered.
"Even after sixteen years, he still has a grasp on Tolys." Erika gulped.
Lukas gently squeezed her hand, "You know Tolys had a lot of trauma because of that man. Trauma like that can't be easily forgotten." He sighed.
xXx
After Julchen calmed down Tolys, they went back to their meal. Ned and Sakura came back. But they turned in for the night. Their problem seemed to be solved but they still looked conflicted. In the sort of comfortable silence, Gale made her move.
"So, there was actually a reason why Xavier, Arlo and I were almost late to dinner." Gale smiled.
Julchen raised an eyebrow, "Enlighten us sweetheart." She huffed.
"We bumped into this boy. He was our age at least. He saw us hugging it out on the beach and commented on how close we were." Xavier explained.
"It was all kinds of creepy. He just appeared out of nowhere." Arlo added.
"He was really nice though. A bit nervous and a little shy. But I don't think he'd cause any harm. And he didn't. He was only being observant." Gale shrugged.
"What was his name?" Tolys asked curiously, "And what did he look like?"
"His name was Elois. He was pretty tall with platinum blonde hair and dark purple eyes." Gale stated, "He was really pale too. Not in a bad way though. He didn't look sickly."
"I'd bet money that that guy could snap Xavier here like a twig." Arlo snickered.
Xavier scoffed, "Hey you're just as slender as me! And you're shorter. You have no right to tease me."
"Xavier, my friend. Arlo is stronger physically, despite having a similar body type to you. You're stronger mentally though." Gale smirked. "That is cold Gale. We're supposed to be friends." Arlo crossed his arms.
"Hmm, Elois." Kaska sat back in her chair, "I know just about everyone around here. And that name doesn't ring a bell. Did he say that he lived here?" She raised an eyebrow.
Gale nodded, "Yeah. He said he lived here with his mother Marie."
"Nope. Don't recognize the names." Kaska shook her head with a sigh.
Lukas put a hand on Gale's shoulder, "If you see him again while we're here, I'd be wary around him. Elois may not be what he seems."
Tolys nodded in agreement, "It's already suspicious that the names don't ring a bell. Be careful." He suggested.
"But he was very polite. He can't be a bad person." Gale pouted.
"It's those kinds of people you should watch out for." Julchen clarified, "Even if he's nice, he could be shady and use you as a pawn. The worst kind of person is someone who pretends to be your friend and stabs you in the back when you least expect it."
"You mean like Elizabeta?" Tolys inquired.
"Don't speak her name. That little snake buttered me up and then used me to get closer to Roderich." Julchen snapped, "The bitch pretended to like me in order to meet him. I was so happy when he rejected her and went with Martina instead." She smirked slightly at the last part.
Erika looked at the three teenagers, "Just be cautious with him. He could be harmless but he could also be dangerous. Understand?"
Gale bit her lip, "Yes mum."
Xavier poked his index fingers together, "Yes lady Erika."
Arlo blew some hair out of his face, "Yes miss Erika."
Whoa! First chapter is a long one. I think I had a little too much fun with it. I don't regret it though. This was really fun to write. And I am looking forward to writing up more chapters for this story. I swear it won't take over two years to finish. My goal is to wrap it up by the end of the summer. So by the end of August.
(*That nickname is pronounced Are-ee)
Anyhow, I hope you like this series. If this goes well, I'll write different stories for other ships. I have a long list of ideas that I can sort through. Mostly crossovers but hey, I eat up crossovers. Until next time my fellow hetalians, hasta la pasta!
~Mistress Churro