Chapter 6

Lukas sighed when he left the room. The Dane still hadn't accepted the water he brought in, and for what? Norway knew the Dane was right, that the water supply was running low and he only had so much left to give before he would have to go out and search for a new resource or let the two of them die. There was very little Lukas could do now to help him. The man was dying, unable to survive the separation from his land that stole his immortality. The waters were taking his land, and Norway took all his men. Matthias was nothing because of what Norway did, but it was what he had to do. It was the only way to preserve what was left of the broken nation. Denmark was a hopeless case. 'I'm so alone now...' Lukas sighed. 'Ice didn't last the war, and I haven't heard from Sweden and Finland in over a year. They had been so beaten, so destroyed. Sweden never contacted them after that day, but his people were still holding on by a thread; and Finland only called them once after that. He never told them what happened to Berwald.'

Norway set down the fairy tales book in the kitchen. He slammed his fists against the counter and cried aloud. "Why is this happening? Why are they all leaving?" His face fell to meet his hands as he gasped. "They promised..."

The night air was illuminated by bombs flashing across the sky. Miles away, debris flew in the air and scattered across the lands. Humans screamed, and sirens wailed. Clouds of ash billowed up from cities that had been bustling with the happy lives of many just days before. Planes whizzed past, their engines whirring above Norway's head. There was no way he could win this war. It was a matter of time before his capital fell and his life ended.

Amidst the screaming, he heard a familiar shout. "Oi! Norge!" That Dane... He didn't need him here right now. The bossy nation would only hurt his country further. He scoffed. 'As if it hadn't happened already... Denmark had done nothing but destroy his economy and weaken his borders for the past several decades.'

"What is it?" Norway snapped.

Denmark jogged to his side. Norway expected him to be wearing his trademark grin, but now all that his face held was a small frown. "They're close. You can see it from here in Oslo..."

"I know that, idiot," Norway hissed. "I've been watching it all night. They won't let me help."

"Because you can't die! You have to keep going for your nation!" Denmark countered.

"But I won't die until Oslo falls. I might as well do it in battle."

"Don't say that."

"Denmark, you can't tell me what to do. You aren't any better off, and you know you won't survive either."

Denmark was silent for a moment; then: "Copenhagen fell this morning."

"Denmark..." Norway started, but the Dane silenced him.

"Matthias. It's Matthias now," Matthias' voice barely carried over the chaos.

Norway shook his head. "How are you here?"

"Not every man dies when his nation is gone. I'm left to waste away until someone kills me; I'm mortal."

"Like Prussia."

"Like Prussia." The ex-nation had lived past the fall of his country, but he died shortly before the war began. That had marked the beginning of the high stakes of this war and how much everyone could lose.

Norway coughed, and Matthias jumped. "Sorry... I came here to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"If you live- if your nation lives, can some of my people take refuge here. We have so many homeless and many ruined lands. The radioactivity levels are rising."

"I'll think about it," Norway said. He turned away and continued to stare at the bombs.

"You wouldn't let me die, would you, Norge?" Matthias whined.

Norway winced. "I didn't say that."

"My people need a place to live, Norge. If they don't find one, I'll die."

"You're Matthias now. You don't have people anymore."

"You know what I mean… They are still my family, even if they don't have a nation anymore. You know I'm tied to the land as much as I'm tied to the people. We all are."

Norway sighed. "I know, but…"

"But what?"

"You've exhausted so many of my resources and run me into the ground during this war. How do I know that won't happen again if I let your people in?"

"They won't do that! I won't do that! We just need a place to go. Within a century, we'll be completely mingled in, and it'll be just like having a few more Norwegians to take care of."

"Or they'll all be dead in a century and it won't matter whether they came or stayed."

"Norge, don't say that! You're strong! I was strong! Together we can live! We'll make it through this war! You just have to let me in and I will prove to you again that we will make the perfect pair! We can win this-" Matthias was cut off by the roar of a distant bomb. Near the horizon, the two watched as a far away city flew up in flames and a mushroom cloud of dust.

"Stockholm…" Norway took a step forward. "Den, that's Stockholm! Sweden! He took him, Den! That Russian filth took him!" Norway fell to his knees. "Not him too…"

Matthias clutched Norway's shoulders. "Hey, cut it out, Norge. He could be okay. He could be alive. Berwald might be over helping that Finn, or he might be protecting some other city. You don't know he was there. Norge…"

"No, he was there. I know it. Just like I'm here. They're coming for us next…"

"Norge…"

Norway stood up. "I've got to stop him."

"Norge, don't."

"I have to stop that plane. They won't take my country."

"Norge!"

"I need to go down fighting for my country, so I might as well do it right."

Matthias' face fell. "Norway, I'll do it with you. No matter what happens, I'll be by your side until the end of this."

Norway looked back at him and gave a curt nod. "This way."

Norway heard a cough from the next room. A few seconds later, another cough followed, then another and another until the pauses between them disappeared. The Norwegian ran to Matthias' room and flung the door open. The Dane sat hunched over, shaking with the coughs that wracked his body. Norway grabbed his shoulders and pulled him up. Blood trickled out of Matthias' mouth as one more feeble cough escaped him. After that, the only noise in the room was the rattling of his breath in his lungs.

"Are you okay?" Norway finally asked.

Matthias nodded. "Mhm..." Another cough, this one quiet and dry.

Norway patted his back and let him lean against his shoulder as the Dane breathed in and out.

"Do you want me to get you anything?"

Matthias shook his head and clung to Norway's arm.

"You really need to drink your water." Norway looked at the three full glasses that sat on Matthias' bed. "It's been days since you've had water, hasn't it?"

A small nod.

Norway sighed. "You'll need to drink some now."

A shake of the head and a small whine, broken by a cough.

"Matthias, you'll die..."

Nothing. The two looked at each other, Matthias' eyes watering. He lifted his hand a fraction towards the water and grunted.

Norway leaned over and picked up the glass. He brought it to the Dane's lips and poured some in his mouth. Matthias choked down a cough as he let the liquid slide down his throat; he didn't have enough energy to swallow. He opened his mouth for more. Norway grimaced as he poured more water inside the cracked and bleeding mouth. He knew Matthias had to be in a lot of pain.

"Is this better?" He asked, not expecting an answer.

Matthias nodded. He mouthed something that looked like "much."

For the next hour, Norway slowly fed Matthias water, and Matthias gradually gained the ability to make some noise, even if it was raspy and strained.

"Thanks..." Matthias whispered when the water cup was empty.

Norway nodded. "You're stupid, you know that?"

"I know." Matthias gave him a wide, toothy grin. "I'm the dumbest of them all, the King of Europe." His smile fell.

"Don't get hung up on that again," Norway warned as he stood.

Matthias grabbed his arm and begged for him to stay, but Norway crossed his arms and ignored the pleas.

"I am only getting some dinner. I'll be back," he snapped. Matthias fell silent. Norway rolled his eyes and left the room for the second time that day.