Trenches Chapter three

Thank you 'Rasberry's' for your review. ^^ You literally made my day. It was practically 2 am when I got your review but I still managed to dance around my bedroom. ^^ I have no idea who you are but I love you :3 Okay Lol, sorry for the over the top emotions, I hope you like the next chapter. ^^

None of the nations wanted to move. They didn't want this to be the last time. There was a meeting tomorrow, but all that would be now is a goodbye. Everyone knew that there was no point discussing anything else, no one would concentrate. As the sky grew steadily darker and gloomier England stood up shakily and dismissed them all. His voice was hoarse, and as he spoke his eyes never left Alfred's face. Everyone was slow to stand up. Russia took the initiative and left first, a hand on Yao's shoulder. With an arm around Hungary's waist Ukraine followed suit and steered her from the room and into the downpour outside. Of course it was raining. It was England. She shook her head as her hair began to get wet. She hadn't bought an umbrella, which was a stupid move on her part. She found a Black London taxi cab and climbed into the back of it. She gave the man the name of their hotel and closed her eyes and replayed the meeting in her mind. The shock on people's faces, the apologetic expression of America, and the anger that lingered around Russia. She let herself wonder about the meeting tomorrow. What was going to happen then? Would they continue as had been previously planned- or would they discuss something else? Ukraine shook her head, it would be a goodbye and nothing more. She did not want to think about it. She could not fully understand the situation she had found herself in, and the full brutality of it all had not yet sunk in. She decided to focus her attention onto Hungary as a distraction.

The first thing she noticed was that Hungary has stopped crying, but her palms were still sweaty as she kept a vice like grip on Ukraine's hands. Her eyes were out of focus as she unseeingly watched the floor. There was a piece of gum on the floor that drew Ukraine's attention. It was pale green, probably spearmint she thought. "You ladies alright?" the driver asked in a thick Yorkshire accent. "Yes, thank-you." Ukraine muttered. She wanted to be polite, but she didn't want to invite unwanted questions. "You sure about that, lass?" he asked. She knew it was pretty obvious that they weren't alright. "Yes." She answered, making her Ukrainian accent as noticeable as possible in the hope that the man would dismiss her short answers as not understanding his language. This however, did not deter the bald driver who carried on conversing. "Well, everyone has troubles now-a-days. Isn't that right flower?" "Tak," she replied, reverting to her native language in a desperate hope that the man will get a hint. He seemed oblivious however. "Well, you're obviously foreign, don't start speaking Russian or you'll have me flummoxed." Ukraine felt that familiar pang of annoyance when English speakers mistook her accent for Russian. "I am Ukrainian." She said simply. "Tis that a different language then?" "Tak." She repeated in an irksome manner. "Now, lass, I ain't gonna lie t'ya. I don't rightly know what 'Tak' means. Anyway don't get a monk on, we'll be at t'hotel soon." She simply nodded, not entirely sure what the man had just said. "Now if you don't mind me askin' but why has that other lass got a frying pan with 'er?" Hungary didn't respond to those words, she was very obviously drifting off in a little world of her own. "I am not sure, she just always has." "Oh aye? That is more than a little bit strange I tell ya. T'hotel is up there lass." He concluded. She nodded once more and shook Hungary out of her waking slumber. "That'll be eight pounds love." The Yorkshire man said. Ukraine handed him a tenner and told him to keep the change. "Ta very much lass, have a good evening." "You too." She answered politely. "Ta again lass, see you." He said and drove off.

England was very grey she thought. At that moment all she could see was the greyness of buildings and they grey of the sky as grey rain drizzled down as they stood on a grey pavement. She took Hungary's hand once more and led her into the warmth of the hotel lobby. The carpet was a deep red and matched the staff's uniforms. She collected their key from the hotel desk and she and Hungary stepped into the lift to reach their floor. For five minutes they endured the awful plink-y lift music before stepping out into the hallway. Hand in hand Ukraine led Hungary down the corridor and to their room. She noticed there were raised voices coming from the room next door and sighed. She wasn't looking forward to the headache she could feel forming at the back of her skull. "I didn't know that France and Canada were in the same hotel as us," Hungary murmured. Ukraine looked up at the hoarse sound of her partner's voice and tilted her head. "I had not noticed it was them." She mumbled, but now she knew it that was undoubtedly France's voice echoing through the walls. Ukraine shook her head wanting to block out the noise of other nations, wishing for once that she could just forget her responsibilities and be like a human. She sat down heavily on the bed, dragging Hungary with her. With a reassuring arm around Hungary they sat together in silence, half listening to the shouting match next door. "NO, Francis." Matthew sounded exasperated. "But mon cher, it is a way to vent our emotions, no?" "No." Hungary giggled. "France is a pervert," she muttered into Ukraine's shoulder. The girl laughed quietly, "Yeah," she agreed. "But Mathieu," France whined. "No." "mon petit Papillion, how can you deny moi?" There was a small squeak, followed by a few noises of protest melting into soft groans. "O, Господи" Ukraine moaned. She buried her head into Hungary's hair wishing she was deaf. It took ten minutes for the noises to become unbearable and in a flash of anger she knelt up on the bed and reached over the head board to bang on the wall. "SHUT UP YOU FRENCH TWAT!" she yelled through the wall. "MON DIEU, UKRAINE IT IS A SUPREME ACT OF LOVE! I MUST PERFORM IT TOO MY FULL ABILITY" "WELL PERFORM IT QUIETLY!" "C'est impossible I SHALL NOT CONTROL MY EMOTIONS." "OH GET OFF ME FRANCIS," Matthew yelled uncharacteristically, "The moment is ruined now anyway…" "THANK YOU UKRAINIAN SKIRT YOU HAVE RUINED MY EVENING." France yelled. Ukraine ignored the insult and yelled 'good' at the Frenchman before angrily flopping down on the bed. She closed her eyes and let herself sink into the bedcovers. Hungary climbed up the bed and lay down next to her, head resting on Ukraine's chest. They lay there for a while in each other's arms in an attempt to forget the day's events. It wasn't working. Everything just replayed itself again and again in her head like a stuck record. All she could think of was Arthur. It was stupid to think of him, what did she care? However, the look in his eyes and the way the smile was scraped off of his face. It just hurt. What if Hungary ever looked at her like that? Could she manage to reassure her, just as Alfred had done to England? She wasn't sure she had enough courage in her. "Угорщина" she whispered into the brunette's ear. The nation turned her head, eyes turned upwards to look into Ukraine's. With a shaking hand she petted Hungary's hair and planted a gentle kiss on her lips before closing her eyes and succumbing into dreams.

Everything was made of glass. Everyone was made of glass. Ukraine walked around the clearing. She was the only one with flesh. They were in a glass forest the nations standing still in a circle. She reached out a hand to her sister, Belarus. As her fingers made contact with the cold surface it shattered. The glass turned to dust and was blown away with a wind that wasn't really there. She backed away and turned to the other nations. They stared unseeingly at the world. She didn't like this forest, and she did not dare reach out for anyone else. She turned and ran. She ran as fast as she could but she couldn't escape the glass. The trees thinned and were replaced with small flowers. She wanted to escape. There was no choice though and she slid. The oceans were a sheet of ice-like glass, but this time it didn't break when Ukraine fell onto it. She moved without moving herself. She let the ocean carry her, as far away from the nations and the forest as far as it wanted too. There was nothing out there. The horizon stayed the same, in all directions and Ukraine closed her eyes. She didn't want to see anymore. Suddenly she felt herself stop. She stepped onto the ground and watched as the glass changed and twisted into stone. The stone was dark grey, moss grew over it giving the world its first splash of colour. She knew what she would find in the stone forest, a circle of stone nations. She braced herself, but she was wrong. The circle had broken. Denmark stood like the statue he was, eyes closed. The other Nordic nations sat at his feet. She saw herself in stone, at her brother's feet. She didn't understand this time. Belarus was no longer there. She couldn't see the western nations, or China and the rest of Asia, just the Nordics. The Nordics and Russia surrounded by the Baltic States with her at his feet. Why were they there? The ground opened beneath her feet and she watched in relief as the stone broke apart. It gave way to real trees. Trees that grew. Plants that were alive. She felt air fill her lungs that she had not noticed had been empty. The earth was blossoming around her, but the nations fell down. The stone did not crumble, it held strong and simply sunk out of sight. Grass grew were the stone had been, fresh, green grass. She sat down heavily in the clearing and did not notice when the nations walked back, reformed the circle. They were made of flesh and bone and looked much the same as they had always done. When she looked up she saw Prussia wink at her. She went to take her own place, to find it already taken. There was only one empty place. It belonged to Belarus. Why had she touched that statue? She had caused her sister to melt and break into dust.

Tak means 'Yes' in Ukrainian.

"O, Господи" according to Google translate this means 'Oh Lord.' Also according to Google translate it is pronounced O, Hospody.

Угорщина- means: Hungary- Pronounced: Uhorshchyna

Mon cher- My dear

Moi- Me

Mon petit Papillion- My little butterfly

Mon dieu – My God

C'est Impossible- It is impossible

Tenner for those who don't know is a ten pound note. Also 'Don't get a monk on' means don't go all moody or stop looking sulky.

(I think. Correct me on any of the Ukrainian, and French, if I am wrong. ) Please review ^^ all feedback is welcome. The music I listened to writing this was Into Dust by Mazzy Star which goes quite well with the dream scene I think, and Momentum by Vienna Teng, which is just generally a lovely song.