I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK ME SO LONG... I literally have Italy's attention span, that's why I write so many stories... ANYWAY, not like you care.
As I am sure you have noticed, this is Japan part two. This chapter and the previous one were supposed to be just one chapter, but then I actually started *writing* it, and it just kept going... And going... And going... Until I finally got fed up and just decided to cut it off so you guys can just get around to enjoying it rather than waiting for me to FINALLY end the chapter.
AGAIN, I have super-thanks to hand out.
First to my Beta: Kaito X Len - Banana Split. YOU ROCK! Best Beta ever, seriously. I'm probably one of the most frustrating writers ever, but Kaito totally puts up with it, so for that, I say THANK YOU!
And also to my reviewers. Screen names are in order of reviews - oldest to most recent... by first review. Being higher or lower on the list doesn't mean I value your words any less, it just means that you sent in your first review earlier or later than others on the list! NO MATTER THE ORDER, ALL OF YOU ROCK!
Signed: Chaos Tears, Big Sister K, BrazilianMafioso, Kaito X Len - Banana Split, BloodRoseNinja, Narlth, prettymiddy, and subaru1999 Anonymous: Is too lazy to login XP, Xoyote X3 Too Lazy To Login, UDTSCGSJFKDJ, and Sky THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR BEING PATIENT WITH ME... for the most part...
Okay, you have probably heard about the tsunami that hit Japan recently. This natural disaster was a tragedy, regardless of how many or few lives were lost (I forgot, or I never heard, whichever, but I can't really be bothered to look it up because that would make me too sad...). I pray that those affected will be able to fix things and pick up the pieces. Higeki o kaihi suru koto wa dekimasen. Watashi-tachi wa, sonogo sakuhin o pikkuappu shite nozomu koto ga dekiru.
Okay, just one last thing then I'll let y'all read the story!
DISCLAIMER: I know I said I wouldn't put anymore in, but humor me, kay? I DON'T own Hetalia, I DON'T own Nightmare Before Christmas, and I DON'T own the songs or lyrics used in chapters one and two. The story line, alter-ego nation characters, and OoC-ness of actual Hetalia characters ARE mine, so please don't take them. I will periodically repeat the disclaimer from now on. Thank you, have a nice day.
... OH, I TOTALLY FORGOT! The characters in this chapter and the last few chapters:
Ivan Braginski – Russia
CSA!America - no human name, known as Confederacy or CSA. Open to human name suggestions.
Mafia!Romano - no human name, open to suggestions
Mafia!Feliciano - no human name, open to suggestions
Opium!China - no human name, open to suggestions
Samurai!Japan - Honda Yasuo (or, as Kiku calls him, Honda-teme)
Jack Skellington - Pumpkin King
Arthur Kirkland – England
Natalia Braginski – Belarus
Poland - Felix (Ihavenoideawhathislastnameis)
Baltics: Lithuania (Toris Lorinaitis), Latvia (Ravis, last name unknown), and Estonia (Eduard von Bock)
Suggestions for those without human names encouraged! Also, if I use the name, you get a special mention in the fic AND a cyber-cookie!
For reader's reference: Samurai!Japan, since he is Kiku's polar opposite, IS going to use contractions and whatnot, since Kiku doesn't. What you find in this chapter (hell, this entire story) may not be entirely historically accurate. Why? ARTISTIC LISENCE. If you don't like it, you can shove it. (But you don't like it, you love it. Props to whoever gets the reference. Hint: it's a song.)
Okay, last thing, I PROMISE. This is a quick note about the Japanese honorifics: -chan is a typically feminine title applied to those that one finds particularly cute or childish; however, it can be applied to boys as well as girls. If I messed up with writing the honorifics and I'm horrifying anyone that actually lives in Japan (which makes you awesome, by the way), PLEASE let me know. Giving someone constructive criticism is NOT the same as flaming, so I actually encourage it. Plus, no author wants to make mistakes, that's why I'm freaking out over messing up Canada's human name (I thought it was spelled "Mathew", not "Matthew") in the early chapters (reason number three or four that it's being reworked: I can fix his name while I change the tense. It's a win-win).
Anyway, just enjoy the story. I'll talk to y'all again at the bottom.
I do not have time to stand here, struggling over whether or not to go save Russia-san. He could be dying for all that I know. I have to get moving... standing here and doing nothing is not going to solve anything.
Deciding to risk it, I dart out, around a startled Canadian, and race across the plaza, kunai knife at the ready.
Footsteps pound along behind me. Chancing a glance back, I can see that Canada, France, Lovino, and the mysterious fourth person are chasing me.
As I approach Russia, I catch a glimpse of his attacker. My steps falter, but I pick up speed and dart between Russia and him.
He regards me with a cold, calculating glare. "Honda Kiku," he states. It is not a question; he is certain of my identity.
"Honda Yasuo," I reply, my own eyes narrowing.
Subconsciously, we begin circling each other, not about to attack just yet, but definitely preparing for the battle we both know is coming.
"So..." he begins, "after years of tolerating each other, we finally meet on the battlefield once more."
"Indeed," I respond calmly, my empty hand shaking slightly in rage. He could always bring out the worst in me, the violent anger I rarely felt outside of his presence. "However, Honda-teme, I beat you once. I can defeat you again."
"So confident," Honda-teme drawls, smirking. "You haven't changed much since the last time. Still too confident in your skills."
"Not confident in my skills, confident in my experience," I growl lowly, trying not to let his words get to me too much. "I have been through so much more since the last time we fought. Wars, bombings, epidemics, natural disasters... Every time a crisis happens, I grow stronger while you stay in place. Face it, there is no way you will ever be able to defeat me."
Honda-teme smirks again. "Well then, I suppose this is where I prove you WRONG!" he shouted, charging at me with his katana drawn.
Steel clashes with steel, metal flashing as we fight. His fighting style has not changed; he still fights with the exact same tricks.
"I thought you would have learned something by now," I taunt in return, smiling darkly. "But of course, you had to disappoint... you have not changed at all."
I can hear an indistinct voice calling, a distant voice, out of which I can only make out one word: Honda.
My opponent turns, as if listening for the voice. He smirks slightly, turning back to me and bowing mockingly. "Well, I simply must be going now," he declares smugly. "There are far more... important issues I need to deal with."
"Any and all of your honor must have withered and wasted away, then," I state flatly. "Running away from a battle is not considered honorable for a ninja, let alone a samurai such as yourself."
He glares at me. "Consider this... training time," he forces out through gritted teeth. "A warning for the next time we fight."
I smirk slightly. 'Training time'? As if I would need it. I practically defeated him within minutes of battle!
"Because mark my words," he begins, eyes boring meaningfully into my own, "the next time we fight, I will not be the loser." With that, he turns and leaves with any traces of honor and pride he has left.
"Japan! Are you alright, da?" a strongly accented voice asks from behind me. Oh, that is right... Russia-san watched our battle. I had forgotten he was there.
"Yes, Russia-san, I am fine," I reply, turning to face him. Canada-san, Lovino-kun, France-san and a tall, thin, skeletal man gape in shock at me.
"J-Japan... and... but..." France-san manages to stammer out, blue eyes wide with shock.
Canada-san is the first person to react without acting like a fish out of water. "Japan, who was that? What just happened?"
"That," I begin, gesturing after the fleeing figure, "was Honda Yasuo, the samurai bastard that suppressed my people so many years ago." I bite my lip subtly to prevent a bit of further information about Honda-teme from escaping: in times of war, Honda-teme would lock me in my room for a good most of the time and work alongside my leaders in my place, make decisions based on his own selfish desires. He would only allow me to leave my room so I could interact with allied nations, and that was only so that my situation would not be obvious during times of peace. He even went so far as to threaten me with death should I reveal the truth. The only other thing I was allowed to exit my room for was to be forced to participate in battle alongside my soldiers. I received all the training and fighting experience during the World Wars and forged all the personal relationships, but Honda-teme was the one pulling the strings while I was forced to go along with it unwillingly. I was often injured and almost died several times.
"So... basically your version of the Confederacy?" Canada-san asks, startling me out of my reverie.
I blink, still a bit out of the loop. "Um, sure?" If the Confederacy ever forced Alfred-san to battle while he ran the country...
"Another alter-ego nation..." Lovino-kun mutters angrily. "If we don't find a way to defeat them, we're all fucking doomed."
I nod solemnly, despite being uncertain of what exactly he meant. Russia and the others chatter on, discussing various tactics. From what I hear of their conversation, they do not know very much about this town, despite having apparently escaped a good while ago.
I turn to face the skeletal man, the mysterious fourth figure I had seen earlier. "My name is Japan, it is nice to meet you," I greet politely, bowing slightly out of habit. "What is your name?"
"I'm Jack. I'm kind of the leader of this town," he replies.
"Ah, so you live here?" I ask politely.
Jack-san nods. "It's a nice town, although the citizens have trouble grasping the concept of things being anything other than scary or creepy," he explains, seeming almost defensive in a way.
"That reminds me quite a bit of that American movie," I say, smiling slightly. "I believe it was called The Nightmare Before Christmas."
It was hard to tell since his head was just a skull, but it looks like Jack-san is raising an eyebrow. "Is that so? Would you mind telling me more about it?" he requests, a smile on his face. It is almost as if he already knows about the movie and is asking more for entertainment than actual curiosity.
I shrug. "I do not know that much about it," I admit apologetically. "Just that it was based of a poem with the same title written by a man called Tim Burton and that it was about the citizens of Halloween Town attempting to host Christmas one year. They fail miserably and the people on Earth are terrified by the gifts they receive. The skeletal leader of Halloween Town's citizens realizes his mistake at the last moment and saved..."
Here I am forced to pause, frowning as I search for a name. He was a very iconic character in America's culture, I remember that much, but the name seems to have slipped my mind. "I believe he is called Father Christmas in American culture?" I falter slightly, trying to recall. "No, that is not the American term... ah, Santa Claus? Yes, that is it. After that, the aftereffects of the events are revealed, then the movie ends." I frown internally when I finish telling him about the movie I have not seen for quite a while. Memories had been stirred, including three children very similar to my captors and a skeleton very similar in appearance to Jack-san.
He smiles. "That was a rather detailed explanation. Are you sure you don't know much about the movie?"
"I cannot even remember the name of the main character," I respond, face flushing. "That was barely the story line, and I only remember Santa Claus because Italy-chan memorized all of the various names for him. He and America-san become very excited about Santa Claus arriving every December."
"I see." After Jack-san's short statement, we lapse into silence. A prickling sensation on the back of my neck, as if someone is watching us, makes me jump.
I turn to search the shadows for the source of the strange sensation. Before I can, however, I feel a definite pinprick.
"Ow," I whisper through gritted teeth, rubbing the back of my neck, fingers rubbing the site of the tiny wound.
"What is it?" Jack asked, a concerned look on his face.
I bite my lip. "I am not sure. Probably nothing," I reply uncertainly.
Jack-san and I return to talking. The sensation and pinprick I felt linger in the back of my mind, taunting me. I continue shaking my doubts away, insisting to myself that I was just imagining things.
Slowly, however, I am forced to admit that something is wrong. My legs are weakening, my knees are close to buckling, and my eyesight blurs momentarily on occasion. I stumble forward suddenly, stomach churning unpleasantly at the sudden movement.
Jack catches me at the last moment, alarm and concern etched in his features. "Japan? Are you alright?" he asks. Hearing him, the others turn to face us.
"I-I am fine," I reassure them, forcing myself to stand and stumble away from the others.
My legs give out suddenly, leaving me to crash to the ground without warning. Jack-san and the others rush towards me, trying to help somehow. Canada-san checks me for injuries, muttering in a Canadian dialect of French.
Russia, however, runs past me and into the shadows. When he returns, he is dragging along an upset-looking Honda-teme by the ear.
"That was playing dirty, da?" Russia-san growls. "Attacking with something to knock him out from the shadows."
"That is how ninjas fight," Honda-teme argues, smirking. "I was just giving him a taste of his own medicine."
Russia-san isn't buying it. "That is beside the point. The past is the past; revenge may be a dish best served cold, but Japan doesn't fight by springing out of the shadows anymore," he states coldly. "If he wants to fight someone, he doesn't rely on sneak attacks to gain the upper hand, he faces his opponent head on."
Russia-san and Honda-teme continue to argue, no longer paying attention to the rest of us. Just listening to them is starting to give me a headache, so I choose to focus on Canada-san, France-san, and Lovino-kun are doing instead.
"France! Come on, don't do things like that!" Canada-san hisses, sounding mortified. "I doubt Japan would want to be taken advantage of!"
I struggle to lift my head, wondering what Canada-san is talking about, but find that I cannot move. I cannot speak, move, or make any sign that I am awake. I can blink and move my eyes, but that is all I can do.
Thankfully, my body is numb enough for me to be blissfully unaware of France-san's actions. Judging by the chastisement he is receiving from Canada-san, whatever he was doing was fairly... inappropriate, to say the least.
Lovino-kun has taken cover behind Jack-san, both of whom are watching intently as the odd scene plays out.
A sickening thwack fills the air, drawing my attention back to Russia-san and Honda-teme. Russia-san's typically innocent, childlike smile is gone, replaced with the creepy, cruel smile he reserves for the Baltics and his enemies. The first time I ever saw it personally was during the Cold War between him and Alfred-san.
Russia-san's arm is raised, his trademark silver pipe ready to deliver another blow. Honda-teme himself is a whimpering, cowering mess. He babbles continually in Japanese, apologizing with every other word. I clench my eyes shut as Russia-san's pipe whistles through the air, not wanting to see the blood splatter everywhere as the blood-curdling thwacks fill the air. He may deserve it, but that does not mean my stomach will be strong enough to handle it.
Just trying to imagine the wounds being inflicted on my alter-ego at Russia-san's hands cause me to become lightheaded. I open my eyes, trying to avoid the mental image, and come face to face with the dead body of Honda Yasuo. Bile rises up my throat as my world fades to black...
Okay! Finally got it done! I'm sorry it took so long... I was rather distracted by school assignments. However, it's done now, so... yay.
Hope you enjoyed it!