Thanks to Ceri Dragonelle, Dragonfire78, mayday237892, Miss Akiyata and BloodLily16 for reviewing.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.
Chapter 13: Aftermath
Round one has finished.
White did not escape without scars.
And Black has gained this victory.
…
Feliks's eyes snapped open, a gasp leaving his lips, as though he had surfaced from underwater. Beside him, he felt Toris stirring, and another voice yelping in surprise.
Poland turned to see Wales hovering over Lithuania, and it didn't take long to realise why.
Lithuania's shirt was covered in blood.
Feliks sat up, but a weight on his lap made him pause. He looked down, and was surprised to see a large egg nestled comfortably in his lap. The egg was red in colour and heat was radiating from the egg.
Wales saw it too, and gasped in surprise.
"I don't believe it," Wales whispered.
"What is it?" Lithuania asked, noticing the egg as well.
"It's a phoenix egg."
…
Ireland was startled when France, Prussia and Spain's eyes snapped open simultaneously. North went to turn on the light as the three tried to escape the after-effects of their dreams.
"What happened?" Ireland asked Prussia, since he was the one that seemed to be better off compared to the other two.
Prussia was testing his jaw, as though he had been punched.
"Arschloch ambushed me in my dream," Prussia explained. "To make things worse, he did it at the Berlin wall."
"I-inquisition," Spain stuttered. "He made me listen to the screams."
"Pa-Patrick," France said. "S'il vous plais, could you look at my neck?"
North nodded, moving closer to see the Frenchman's neck. His eyes widened when he saw several cigarette burns along his neck.
"Seamus," Patrick said, "get me the first-aid kit."
Ireland went closer before nodding, going to see whether or not Norway was awake and to find out where it was.
…
Scotland turned the light on when England started coughing, his eyes snapping open. Norway also opened his eyes, a look of pain in his eyes.
"You alright?" Scotland asked, speaking to the both of them.
"I think so," England said, gasping through coughs. "Bloody wanker tried to choke me with smoke."
"At least you didn't have skin peeled off and eaten," Norway said, examining his injured wrists.
Ireland rushed into the room, panting for breath. He looked at Norway.
"Lukas," he said, "where is the first-aid kit?"
"Who's injured?" Scotland asked.
"France has a few burns," Ireland said. "Cigarette burns."
"Tell Wales to come here," Scotland ordered. "Bring the others here. This sounds a little suspicious. And Norway needs it too. And we've got another problem."
He looked pointedly at Romania, who was yet to awaken. He was pale, and the wound on his neck became obvious, but it at least no longer bled. The only sign that he was still alive was his shallow, but steady, breathing.
…
Felic shouted in pain, grasping his head.
He needed to have a word with Romania about being ousted from someone else's dream. And he needed to know what exactly happened. That was not normal in the slightest.
…
They were all in Norway's room. Ireland had tended to Romania's wound, Scotland was tending to Norway's wounds, Northern Ireland was tending to France's wounds and Wales was tending to Lithuania's wounds.
"Bloody wankers," England whispered, since speaking louder would cause another coughing fit.
"I've done some research on these types of spells," Wales said. "It causes dreams and reality to intermingle, which would explain why you're injured. It might also explain Poland's new… friend."
The Pol didn't listen, preferring to lovingly stroke the egg.
"The others must be really insane," Wales continued. "If you tried to mess with someone else's dream, then there's a good chance that their subconscious will do something to expel the intruder. Only someone that has a lot of experience can do this safely. If the victim dies or passes out, then they're expelled as well, just not as dramatically. And if there are several that worked together on a spell, then if one of them is expelled by the subconscious, the others will be expelled as well."
"Which would explain how you all woke up at the same time," Northern Ireland said. "What about the setting?"
"It takes effort on their part to create something that would hurt emotionally," Wales said.
"Sigurd didn't even bother with me," Norway said.
"They don't have the same histories," Wales continued. "So they simply put a set of requirements before their victims went to sleep. But it's draining. Unless they're insomniacs, it would never work."
"Still doesn't explain why South Africa made a guest appearance in my dream," England whispered.
"I think I know the reason," Lithuania said. "I once heard my counterpart and the other Poland discussing South Africa. They seemed… afraid of her."
"Oliver was as well. When he found out who it was, he became extremely nervous. The way he described her, it was like he was talking about Russia."
"Maybe we should set Anika loose on them," Ireland said. "Since she doesn't like England very much but has to act civil, I think she'd like the chance to hurt you in some way. Make up for that war."
England glared, but he didn't argue.
…
Marius sighed, expecting the call. He answered his phone, bored.
"Hello?" he said.
"IS THERE SOMETHING YOU FORGOT TO MENTION?" the Pol on the other end shouted.
"I might have forgotten that the subconscious will try to chase you out," Marius responded calmly. "How's your head feeling?"
"You…"
"Give me a break. It's been two hundred years since I used that spell. It's only natural that some things would slip my mind. At least yours didn't pass out on you."
"Will it be possible to kill them?"
"I wouldn't recommend it. If you think being ousted is bad, then having them die on you is even worse."
…
They had finished dressing their wounds, and were contemplating whether or not they should go to bed again. Arthur had gone to check in a mirror, and was pleased to see that Oliver was asleep. Lukas had verified that Sigurd was also asleep, and Gilbert had also checked on Gilen. The rest were nursing severe headaches.
"At least we'll be safe for the rest of the night," Lukas said, looking down at his bandaged wrists and then moving his gaze to his upper arm, where the skin had been peeled off.
"We need to do something," Arthur said. "We can't let them do this again."
He looked down at the still unconscious Romania, hoping that he would recover soon. Being Nations, it shouldn't take too long. But it was still not pleasant.
"We don't know anything about the spell used," Lukas sighed. "Unless Wales knows where to look?"
"I'll ask him in the morning," Arthur sighed. "Let's just hope that this time, our dreams will be pleasant."
…
"Leave me alone!" China shouted.
"Come on," South Korea said. "You know you love me."
"You're annoying," China huffed.
They were interrupted when the phone rang. China was slightly pleased when he saw the name on the caller-ID.
"South Africa," China said. "How are you?"
"I'm fine," she said. "Why do you sound so annoyed?"
"South Korea."
"Ah. Anyway, how'd you like to meet in Brazil? I've already spoken to Roberto, and he's game. I've also spoken to Raj. You and Ivan are the only ones that need to come."
China took a peek at his current company.
"I'll take the first flight then," China said.
"Great. See you later."
"Yeah, later," he said, hanging up.
He looked at South Korea, who was pouting.
"I've got an important meeting," he said. "Why don't you go bother Japan or North?"
South Korea blinked before he smirked. The smirk told China that he would be bothering his northern twin.
And China did not want to be around for that one.
…
When Arthur awoke the next morning, he immediately took note of something important.
Vlad was awake.
"Romania," Arthur said, and he could feel Norway stir next to him. "Are you alright?"
Vlad looked over to him, and Arthur could see the pain in his eyes. He sighed.
"Da," he said. "It's just… this is the second time he's attacked me in my dreams."
"I know the feeling," England sighed. "We all do."
Vlad looked at him, puzzled, until he caught sight of one of Norway's bandaged wrists.
"What did they do?" Romania asked.
"Well I was nearly burned, Norway's had a chunk of his skin peeled off, Prussia got in a fistfight, Spain relived the Inquisition, France has cigarette burns on his throat, Lithuania's torso has been cut in multiple places and Poland has a few bruises around his neck. Oh, and he also has a new pet."
"It's not a pony again, is it?"
"No," Norway said, sitting up. "He has a phoenix egg."
"Oh, Lukas, you're awake," England said.
"Wait, Poland has a phoenix egg?" Romania said.
"Yes," England said. "It's some sort of manifestation of his subconscious desire or something."
"Let me ask that again. Poland?"
…
North Korea was in his home, sipping a cup of tea.
He wore a plain brown sweater, with a pair of brown slacks and polished brown shoes. He had black hair and brown eyes, and his hair was styled sophisticatedly. He wore a pair of glasses, giving him a bookish look. The only thing that contradicted his appearance was a wayward curl on the left side of his head, a reflection of his southern counterpart.
And speaking of South…
"Da ze!" he announced behind him, startling the northern brother.
North Korea cursed before he fixed a glare on the other one.
"Can't you knock?" he snapped.
"Why should I?" South asked, a playful smirk on his face.
North knew what that smirk meant. Im Yong Soo had only one purpose in mind, and that was to be spiteful.
Oh, joy.
…
She was perched outside of her target's house, a pair of binoculars in her hand. She had to be wary of the other's pet, but there was no sign as of yet.
'I didn't know Canada spent so much time in front of the mirror,' she thought.
He moved slightly, and she almost fell out of the tree she was hiding in.
The room reflected in the mirror was not the same room that she was seeing. And there was another version of Canada on the other side of the mirror.
'What the…?'
…
She sighed when her phone rang. She couldn't possibly have found something yet, could she?
"Do you have important information for me?" Alida sighed.
"Um, you said to keep an eye on Canada, and see if he has any unknown allies."
"I know what I said. Did you find something or not?"
"Well, I managed to find out that Canada's reflection does not want to look like the one that's real. And… I also saw him go into the mirror."
She frowned, before she moved towards a nearby mirror in her home. She caught a brief flash of golden hair before it returned to normal, but she saw it.
She thought back to what she saw and her eyes widened.
A mirror world.
"Greenland," she said, "how secure is his home?"
"His pet bear is guarding it. Please, tell me what's going on."
"I'll be coming myself," South Africa said. "Make sure that no one else gets near Canada. I don't want to explain myself any more than I have to."
"Alright. You're the boss."
She didn't like to use her magic, but it would be necessary.
Who knows? Perhaps the mirror world would be the advantage that they need against the North.
…
Switzerland was sitting in his living room, reading the newspaper.
He had red hair and blue eyes. He wore an elegant suit, the finest money can buy, of a deep purple colour. He also wore fine black shoes, and there was a gold watch on his left wrist.
He looked up when Liechtenstein entered, her cool silver eyes regarding him coldly before moving away. Her long red hair was tied in a braid behind her head, and she wore a deep red dress with black boots.
He jumped slightly when his phone started to ring. He briefly looked at it before glaring at Liechtenstein, making his way out of the room.
"How can I help you?" he whispered.
"I need you to learn about any details about Poland's game," a familiar voice said.
He frowned.
"How do I do that?" he hissed.
"Be creative. You're good at it. Just don't let any of the Northern Powers find out about it."
He sighed.
"Alright, Brazil," he whispered. "I'll see what I can do."
The fact that he was related to Germany, however distantly, played in his favour when it came to spying for the Southern Powers.
What could he say, they paid more.
…
They gathered in Norway's kitchen. Romania was surprised to see that Poland did in fact have a phoenix egg.
They were all in various states of sleep deprivation. Romania was still pale from blood loss, but he looked better than he did the previous night.
"Do you think they can cross over?" Lithuania asked.
"I checked this morning," England said. "Luckily, Oliver was still asleep. The best bet would be that we can use the mirrors to pass through. They're solid, so there's no way we can pass through."
"And we can't go without sleep," France said. "They'll try again."
"Not until their headaches subside," Romania said. "I've used these spells before. I can try to find a way to counter it."
"And we'll be there to make sure that you stay safe," England said. "Right now, you're the most vulnerable among us. And I'm not just talking about Marius."
Vlad nodded.
"Spirits," Romania whispered. "And worse. They like to attack those with a high amount of magical power. And the weaker the body, the more likely they are to attack."
"Was it a spirit that attacked you the other day?" Toris asked.
"I don't know what that was," Romania sighed. "But I don't think so. It sounded like a warning. A warning about finding out too much."
"And anything that's unknown is dangerous," Norway said. "There has to be someone that knows about them, though."
"I don't know," Romania sighed. "It said something about Nations being around since civilisation began, but what came before that?"
"Many Nations have stories about creation," England said. "I know Australia has the Dreamtime."
"I guess it doesn't matter," Scotland interrupted. "You all need to focus on one thing at a time. Romania, we'll be there in case something unsavoury decides to make an appearance."
…
Bulgaria sighed as he opened the door. He liked sleeping in until later in the morning, and he didn't like visitors this early.
Of course, he could always reconsider when he saw who it was.
"Moldova," Bulgaria said, smiling when he saw his best friend's little brother. "How can I help you?"
The young boy looked up at him with wide eyes, and he seemed to sniffle slightly.
"Do you know where big brother is?" Moldova asked.
He blinked in surprise, and thought about it. In fact, he hadn't seen or heard from Romania since after the meeting ended. At first he thought it was nothing, but now…
"Have you gone to his home?" Dimitri asked.
"I did," Alexandru said. "I waited the whole day for him, but he never came home."
For neither Bulgaria nor Moldova to hear from him for some time, this might be serious. Perhaps he should try the other's cell phone? Either way, he didn't want the younger to remain upset.
"Come on," Bulgaria said, inviting the other inside. "Let's give him a call and check."
…
Something was seriously wrong.
Romano checked his cell phone. There were no missed calls, no messages from Spain. There wasn't a single form of correspondence from the one person that would never leave him alone.
He wouldn't call and ask Spain what's wrong. That would make the other think that he cared, which he didn't!
Okay, maybe a little.
But he still couldn't let Spain know that. Then he'd never be rid of the Tomato Bastard.
So he called the one person that Spain didn't particularly like Romano speaking to. Something about sibling rivalry or something.
"Ola," a voice with a similar, yet completely different accent from the one that he wanted to hear from, answered.
"Portugal," Romano said. "It's me, Romano."
"Does my brother know you're calling me?"
"The Tomato Bastard hasn't tried to contact me since the meeting."
There was a moment of silence.
"That's strange," Portugal said. "Do you want me to check on him?"
"Si, but don't let him know I asked you to."
"Of course."
…
The two got their hockey gear together. Matthew woke up without anything bad having happened in his country through the night, and he wanted to use the opportunity as best he could.
The two of them would be playing hockey together.
Matthew had the perfect place in mind. No one would be there this time of the day. It would be perfect to play a little one-on-one game.
…
Russia was very happy. He was invited to spend time with the other BRICS countries. Except for China who was sometimes still a little uneasy around him, the other three showed no sign of fear.
He liked to go to all their homes, but South Africa's especially. Her place had a lot of sunflowers, and she herself kind of reminded him of a sunflower.
Unless, of course, she's angry. Then Russia is just a little scared of her, but he wouldn't let her know that. He was slightly happy, however, when he found out that Belarus was afraid of her. And that was all he needed to say to get her to leave him alone.
Many Nations don't realise that South Africa herself is slightly cracked, but Russia had seen that first hand. They were all afraid when she was in a particularly nasty mood, for she channelled the Xhosa and the Zulus. At least, it was very rare for her to be in that mood. And they wanted it to stay that way.
A friend and I once discussed how South Africa would be portrayed in Hetalia. We don't like the idea of a Brakpanner or Capey, but when I mentioned a female South Africa, he said that Belarus would be scared of her. Apparently, most of our stereotypes involve scary women.
During the time of the Great Trek, and even before that, the Xhosas and the Zulus decided to expand their kingdoms. The Zulus were especially well known for it, and it could be considered a massacre. One example of Zulu brutality is the Battle of Isandlwana, as I mentioned in the last chapter. And before that, during the time of the Great Trek, the Zulus betrayed the Voortrekkers during peace negotiations, killing the Voortrekker leader, Piet Retief. They then went to the unsuspecting Voortrekkers and killed several of them. They even went so far as bashing the babies against the wheels of the wagons by grabbing onto their feet and beating them that way. This ultimately led to the Battle of Blood River.
Also, do any of you know how Korean names work? A friend of mine has a Korean acquaintance, but she hasn't been around in order for me to ask her.