Chapter 15
The war changes you. Even if you survive it as a nation, you are no longer the same. This world is not what it once was, and humans are not the precious creatures they started out as. Humanity was too big, too dangerous. They tore each other apart for the world's wealth. Something had to be done, but nobody would do it. America loved his people too much to do anything about them. Canada didn't have the heart to kill. Germany would never lay a harmful finger on his people. Italy probably didn't know what death was. Japan was looking to expand. He was becoming human nearly. France spread ideas of love. Very few nations, only those that understood the true problem agreed. But they did it quietly. I was the only one who spoke out. I told them people had to die if this world was going to survive. My people were dying, and global warming was spreading. I feared death.
Russia traced the words he had written along the wall. The paints were dark brown now, nothing like the fresh blood of his dead men. He wanted to honor them, but he didn't know how. He was barely a nation now, and he his from his people. They hated him, despised the very thought of him. Russia leaned against the wall.
"I miss all of you. If we could have been the only people on this earth but still a whole nation, I would have been very happy," Russia whispered. He stared at his writing again. "I still fear death."
"Mr Russia?" Toris' voice bounded off the cave walls, taking Russia by surprise.
"What is it, Lithuania?" Russia mustered a small smile.
Toris jumped. "I just wanted to tell you Belarus is here. She is waiting at the front of the cave. She promises she won't do anything to you."
Russia's eyes narrowed. "She is not here to harm me?"
"No, I do not believe so. She was acting very differently. It must have been… Been, well, you know…" Toris stuttered.
Russia nodded. "Lead me to her."
Toris did as he was told. Near the entrance to the cave, Belarus stood waiting. Her hair was still as long as it was before the war, but it was tangled and her dress ragged. A frown turned her face downward.
"Belarus," Russia greeted, keeping his distance.
Belarus nodded, but refused to make eye contact with him. "Privyet, brother."
"Why are you here?" Russia asked. "How did you find me?"
"I always know where you are, brother. I can feel it."
She's still creepy, Russia thought. "Why did you come find me?"
"Because I wanted to tell you goodbye. Because of you, my people hate me. I have to go in hiding."
"I am too, sestra. It's not my fault. It is our people."
"You put the blame everywhere else. You never put it where it is supposed to be. I loved you, brother, but this is not right. Killing our people is against everything."
"Belarus…"
"Don't talk to be, big brother. I'm going, and I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am that I have to keep living in your world."
"This isn't my world."
"Yes, it is. You've always played like the world is yours to toy with. Now let me go."
"Bela-"
"I hate you big brother. Good bye." Belarus twirled around and slipped out of the cave. Before Russia could take a step further, she disappeared into the trees. They were still alive then. Fallout hadn't taken their lives yet.
Russia yelled, "Sestra, come back!"
"I don't think she will," Toris whispered.
Russia glared at him. "Get out of my sight." Then the Great nation slipped back into his cave.
I didn't want a war to start. Everyone thinks I am bloodthirsty, but really I am smarter than them. I know all the right ways to make things work. I know what needs to happen to humanity. I was going to just slip something into the drinks, poison the tap maybe. Or I could cut out the power in the winter. Many people would freeze, but I didn't think General Winter would like that. I always thought through what we could do, but the other nations tried to stop me. They told me I was wrong to do this to my people, that I would make myself sick. They did such a great job in making it not about themselves. They were always such good friends to me.
But I would not listen. I continued to try and bring down the world's population. I created a one child rule, and forced the neighboring countries to do so as well. Of course, that was when America stepped in.
"Russia, you can't do that. It's inhumane, and you know you can't control all the other nations around you. I thought we already went through this!"
"I know we did," I smiled, "but this is different. This is to save us. I suggest you do the same, or you will face the consequences."
"I will not follow your plans, Ivan. I will never be like you," America hissed. He never used human names. That was something we all knew. He picked it up from England. Neither of them used human names unless it was an emergency.
"Then I suggest you leave, Alfred," I said. "Don't come crying to me later."
I never spoke to him in peace again.
Several months passed, but it didn't get colder. The trees began to die earlier than normal, but the cool breeze still had not set in. Russia worried it never would.
"Are you okay, Mr Russia?" Toris didn't come near the Russian. For the past couple weeks, he had woken up from fitful nightmares where he thrashed about in his sleep. He knew Toris was afraid of them.
Russia smiled. "Da. And you?"
"Uncomfortably hot as always," he chuckled and backed up a few feet. "I hope it gets colder soon. I mean, it is close to winter and it's still hot, so maybe it will cool down enough to give us some snow."
"We saw the last snowfall already. This winter will bring nothing but warm air," Russia sighed.
"What about General Winter?"
"What about him? It is too warm here for him. We were right. Humans destroyed this earth."
"But-"
"But what?"
"Nothing."
"That's right, dear Toris. Humans turned this world into nothing. They are scum. We should be the only ones left here."
"But humans made us who we are!"
"That is a lie. We are tied to the land. Those humans are in control of our health and emotions. Without them, we could be free and great."
"We wouldn't be nations without them!"
"Yes, we would," Russia laughed. "We are tied to the land. Were you not listening, Toris?"
Toris flinched and took a step back. "I… I was listening. Y… You said we were tied to the land, but we are tied to the people too. And… and without both, we a… are not nations…"
"How silly, Toris. Why don't you go find some firewood. I don't quite enjoy being around you right now, and we both know you don't want to be around me when I want to be alone." Russia sauntered back to the deeper end of the cave. He didn't have to watch and make sure the Lithuanian did as he was told; he could hear the pitter patter of Toris' feet as he ran out of the cave.
The war hurt the environment. I watched as bombs whizzed past and exploded buildings. People screamed. I had made my way through much of Europe, and we were winning the war. Italy was gone, and so was Greece. FINland and Sweden were currently under attack. They didn't expect it, even though I am always so close to them. Silly, Sweden, always believing declaring neutrality would keep him out of trouble. It only made him weaker. He watched as Denmark was destroyed, and he stood by when my troops marched into Finland. We always thought Sweden would do anything to protect his Finn, but we were all wrong. Only when I broke that neutrality did he fight back. But he was weak, and I knew he wouldn't fight long. Finland was quite strong, though. I knew it would take a while to break him. He may have been less of a viking than his fellow nordics, but he was almost stronger. Everyone was scared of an angry Finn. Still, I knew exactly what would put him down once and for all.
We would see how dear FInland handled the death of his Swede.
Russia sat alone in his cave. It had been weeks, if not months, since Toris had spoken to him. The Lithuanian had fallen ill and lost his will to talk. Russia could tell he was feeling the death of his brothers, but he could offer no words of condolence. As the months were slipping by, the Russian was losing his ability to interact with others. His writings on the walls were growing longer and more numerous. He retold his stories so many times he knew them by heart not by pictures but by words. He only knew the writings of his stories. He couldn't see what happened anymore as he slipped into the darkness of the cavern depths. He had long ago heard of the word from his nation kicking him out. They didn't call him their nation anymore.
Silly humans.
Silly, stupid humans.
Russia chuckled. He was their nation. He did this for them. He made this world better for them, and the only reason it was getting worse was because of them.
He briefly wondered why he didn't just get rid of all the humans.
But somewhere in the back of his mind he knew.
Humans were his lifeline.
