Fanfic - Axis Power Hetalia - Still more majestic shalt thou rise
*Checks which one this is* Oh, the cheery one! (19/22)
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Author’s Notes: This story has been floating in my head for months but I just got around to writing it down. Denmark’s name is my own as are Portugal and Singapore. Iain, Sean, Patrick, Akshaya, Alex and Chris are Jackidy’s, she also betaed this so many thanks to her.
Still more majestic shalt thou rise
They found her one day at tower of London. Had she been a normal being she would have been taken to the police, an attempt to search for her parents would have been made. But the guard had recognized immediately the kind of creature he was dealing with and the child had been a token to the Queen. He had been summoned scarce hours after, but even before seeing her he had already known, he had already felt the shift.
“Your Majesty” The woman nodded, true to her tittle, even as she held the sleeping girl in her arms. The girl was a red head, but not the same as her brothers. Arthur wondered if her eyes would match any of them. At least she wasn’t plagued by the eyebrows of most Kirkland’s. “Is that her?”
“We were hopping you could tell us.” The nation nodded, picking the child from his monarch arms gently, caressing the small face softly. Children had always brought his more human side out, this one not the exception. “Arthur?”
“...It can be a matter of days or years, I have seen both.” The Queen nodded, ever regal, but the blond had been alive for to long to not notice the subtle signs.
“We understand.” And the interview stopped at that, one not knowing what to say, the other feeling like everything already been said. When the nation left, the girl cradled carefully in his arms, he wondered what the future would bring for her.
At the beginning, no-one noticed her presence. Most of the old dwellers had left his home, making the large mansion fell bear and lonely. But Arthur though it was for the best that the girl grew there. His occasional visits didn’t see her at first, as she spend the first month of her new existence sleeping at her room, sometimes not waking for days.
But on the second month she gained more strength and Arthur began to show her around. She named herself Guinevere, a fitting name he supposed, and knew a more lot that she ought to. The nation was pleased at this because that would mean she would be at fewer disadvantages that she would had been otherwise.
“Mam, Where are you?” The pair was startled but the girl followed her caretaker easily enough, a quiet child by nature. Arthur was worried by that, but he hopped that she would grow out of it on her own. “Uh, who’s the kid?”
“They found her in the tower of London. I believe she is the personification of the city.” The boy nodded, inspecting the child curiously. “Do you need anything?”
“Oh, right! Mam, no-one was seen you in the last month! We were worried!” Arthur chuckled, patting his son annoyingly on the head. Patrick scowled, but didn’t move away, his raven haired boy, the boy who now was becoming his father’s responsibility instead than his mother’s. “Mam”
“Oh, I’ve just been busy taking care of Guinevere.” The boy grumbled something and then proceeded to drag the two of them out the house. Arthur gathered it was as good as anytime for the child to meet the rest of the nations and didn’t protest the treatment.
“Mon Cher, you look pale.” The meeting had broken off for the evening, but Arthur had stayed behind to get a few documents. “Have you been eating properly? Maybe you need me to take over you cooking again? We don’t want poor petit Guinevere falling sick, oui?”
“Shut up frog. If I needed anything it would be for you to leave me alone.” Francis hummed in response, his eyes not leaving his neighbour country. He had known the man for a long time and even if he couldn’t pinpoint the cause, he could tell that something was off with him.
“Maybe you are getting too old to raise children?” The nation laughed as he ducked the paperweight thrown in his direction, exiting the room to avoid further attacks with a wink and a wave. “But I see your temper is as bad as ever, Mon ami!”
“Leave me alone you bastard!”
“Mum!” Stella shouted, irrupting into the room and dragging Guinevere behind her. “Mum! Can I play with her please?”
Arthur grinned at the red head predicament and nodded at the girl’s kidnapper. Singapore squealed in delight and dragged her out the room, almost crashing into Portugal as they did. “Getting rid of her so quickly?”
“An evening with her won’t do her ill... hopefully.” Consuelo laughed, getting hold of the blonde’s hand and began to drag him out the room as well.
“An evening with me won’t do you ill either! Come on, a restaurant opened down street and I want to check it out.”
“Oi, you jerk!” Sealand didn’t bother to knock as he entered, Hana-Tamago following him excitedly. “Papa said that I could play with Guinevere!”
The red head stayed quiet, not protesting as the micro nation began to pull her arms insistently. Arthur sighed, wondering were he had gone wrong with the boy. Maybe Alfred and Christopher had conspired to train him to be as annoying as inhumanly possible. “You have to ask her Peter. You can’t simply drag her around.”
“Do you want to play with me?” The girl considered it carefully, staring unblinking at the micro nation before shocking her head firmly. “What! Why not?”
“You are too loud... And you insulted him.” Peter stomped angrily at her, puffing his checks at her unspoken reprimand.
“Come on! Raivis, Patrick and Michael are coming too!” Guinevere looked thoughtfully at the boy, considering her options carefully. The girl had grown fond of his son over the last months and he knew that his presence would be enough to win her over under normal circumstances.
“Don’t worry, I don’t mind. As long as you don’t pick up his awful manners you can go if you wish to.” Sealand protested hotly at the background, but neither of them paid him any mind. The two children left the house soon after, one a stark contrast to the other. It was a good thing, Arthur decided, for her to go out on her own. She needed to learn to relay on herself.
The mansion was quiet, all servants sent away for the day, a memory of past times that refused to be swept away. The nation sat motionless in his seat, a throne more than an armchair, eyes lost in the past. Most of his companions had already left, only the oldest keeping guard at his door, waiting anxiously for what they all felt near.
“Arthur.” Akshaya wasn’t surprised when her former ruler didn’t react surprised by her presence. Instead he smiled at her, eyes mellow, and if she didn’t know better, she would had thought him the same man that came to her shores so long ago.
“I though you would come.” Was the simple greeting, a greeting that confirmed her worse fears, his next words did noting to sooth her, instead bringing the hopefulness farther into her heart. “I’m glad you did... I’m afraid there isn’t much time left.”
“...You smell of death, have done for months.” The Indian lady sat down heavily beside the male, at his right, like she had during her time under his rule. “You didn’t tell them, did you?”
“No. I though it best. I think some of them suspect something is wrong, but don’t know what...” His voice, normally so strong, was soft, softer than ever before. Her ruler never tried to pull the wool over her eyes; he recognized he could never been able to, but for once, just once, India would have preferred he tried to. “Wang knows at the very least.”
“Honda should know too, but he refuses to see.” The female agreed, taking one of the male’s hands and squeezed it gently. Her eyes were shinning, with grief or with rage she didn’t know, but no tear would slip now. She would give him that much. “I would grid her neck if I had to. I would murder her in cold blood if I though it would help.”
“I know.”
“You protected her.” It was not a reprimand, nor an accusation; it was but a simple statement. Akshaya wasn’t surprised, but couldn’t help but want him to be little more selfish, a little more reluctant. But he seemed content, completely at ease at the fate he had condemned himself to. “The youth shouldn’t die before the old.”
“No, it shouldn’t.” The man rose, strong, all melancholy gone from his face and for a second she could fool herself into believing he was back. But he wasn’t, he had been gone for a long time now. “Will you walk one last time with me, my lady?”
“Yes, my liege”
Wales stood away from the rest of the countries, all whom had came to congratulate them for their independence and for the party that would follow. But a sentiment of unease had dropped over him, increasing rapidly when his twin absence. Her Majesty had already arrived and the signing would be in less than an hour. Some would say that Arthur was being contrary with his delay but Aeron couldn’t shake the feeling that it was something else.
“What are you doing here alone?” The blond didn’t protest as his brother enveloped him in hug, drawing comfort even as his eyes didn’t stop searching the streets. “Arthur said he would be here.”
“Something is wrong... I don’t know what but something is definitely wrong.” The Scott shook his head, hugging his companion closer, shaking his own unease to comfort him.
“We have been joined for a long time, maybe it is that.” He didn’t answer, so the two stayed like they were until Sean appeared, the rest of the nations following him.
“Where is he?” But he wasn’t looking at them. Ireland felt what his brothers did, what his son did, and every second increased it. Patrick had been glued to Michael the whole day, but Sean hadn’t even entertained the though of separating them. “He will be late if he doesn’t hurry.”
The feeling of unease had spread to the rest of the nations present. Denmark and Sweden were completely silent as they joined the three brothers, Norway snapping at anyone who dared to come near. Australia had wrapped himself around New Zealand and even his koala hadn’t caused his usual mischief. France had stayed near the North American twins the whole day, the pair strangely subdued even for Canada.
The three appeared a few minutes later, India walking at his right while he led the girl by his left. A few nations gasped at the sight, for Arthur appeared to be glowing faintly, little dots of little floating around his head and Guinevere. A group of strange creatures followed them, almost too faint to be seen, but becoming clearer the closer they came.
“What? Arthur?” Aeron stood frozen, staring at his twin, almost as if he had never seen him before. Iain held him tightly and he feared that he would have fallen to the ground otherwise. “Arthur?”
“...I’m sorry.” Arthur paused and for a moment it seemed that he wouldn’t say anymore. But he continued, in a soft voice, almost as he was trying to lessen the blow. “I... When our lands grew, so did I. I’m afraid that I was unable to go back. I... I think I was supposed to go before this. I’m sorry.”
“Why didn’t you tell us? WHY DID YOU TELL ME?” Aeron broke free of Iain’s arms, looking as he was going to strike Arthur but stopped short, white as a sheet as he finally dropped to the ground. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It wouldn’t have changed anything.” It stung, almost like a slap to the face, but Wales knew he was right. They had little power over themselves, always had. Even if he had known, there had been nothing he could have done to stop the process. “I... Sigurðr agreed to take care of her, at least until she can take care of herself.”
Denmark moved slowly, almost reluctantly and the girl went willingly after one last shared glance with the blond nation. Wales bitted back a sob when his brother began to grow fainter, the shine growing stronger and making him blurry. Or maybe it was the tears that had began to run down his face. Ireland finally moved them, shaking all over as he his hand went trough Arthur’s when he tried to touch him.
“Arthur.” It was a faint whisper, almost inaudible but the blond shank back, taking his hand in the other and not meeting his older brother’s eye. “Arthur!”
“I... I have to go now.” India moved away, standing now next to her fellow ex-colonies while the creatures turned around and began to walk away. The street had turned blurry by now, a silver shimmer in the air, almost like a thick mist. But Sean knew it wasn’t. “I’m sorry.”
And Arthur disappeared without another word, surrounded by most of his oldest companion, a single fairy stating behind, floating silently next to the child at Sigurðr’s side. But unlike the king of yore, Arthur would not return from Avalon when his land comes to peril. It was simply not his place to do so anymore.
Author’s Notes: ...Don’t kill me?
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Author’s Notes: This story has been floating in my head for months but I just got around to writing it down. Denmark’s name is my own as are Portugal and Singapore. Iain, Sean, Patrick, Akshaya, Alex and Chris are Jackidy’s, she also betaed this so many thanks to her.
Still more majestic shalt thou rise
They found her one day at tower of London. Had she been a normal being she would have been taken to the police, an attempt to search for her parents would have been made. But the guard had recognized immediately the kind of creature he was dealing with and the child had been a token to the Queen. He had been summoned scarce hours after, but even before seeing her he had already known, he had already felt the shift.
“Your Majesty” The woman nodded, true to her tittle, even as she held the sleeping girl in her arms. The girl was a red head, but not the same as her brothers. Arthur wondered if her eyes would match any of them. At least she wasn’t plagued by the eyebrows of most Kirkland’s. “Is that her?”
“We were hopping you could tell us.” The nation nodded, picking the child from his monarch arms gently, caressing the small face softly. Children had always brought his more human side out, this one not the exception. “Arthur?”
“...It can be a matter of days or years, I have seen both.” The Queen nodded, ever regal, but the blond had been alive for to long to not notice the subtle signs.
“We understand.” And the interview stopped at that, one not knowing what to say, the other feeling like everything already been said. When the nation left, the girl cradled carefully in his arms, he wondered what the future would bring for her.
At the beginning, no-one noticed her presence. Most of the old dwellers had left his home, making the large mansion fell bear and lonely. But Arthur though it was for the best that the girl grew there. His occasional visits didn’t see her at first, as she spend the first month of her new existence sleeping at her room, sometimes not waking for days.
But on the second month she gained more strength and Arthur began to show her around. She named herself Guinevere, a fitting name he supposed, and knew a more lot that she ought to. The nation was pleased at this because that would mean she would be at fewer disadvantages that she would had been otherwise.
“Mam, Where are you?” The pair was startled but the girl followed her caretaker easily enough, a quiet child by nature. Arthur was worried by that, but he hopped that she would grow out of it on her own. “Uh, who’s the kid?”
“They found her in the tower of London. I believe she is the personification of the city.” The boy nodded, inspecting the child curiously. “Do you need anything?”
“Oh, right! Mam, no-one was seen you in the last month! We were worried!” Arthur chuckled, patting his son annoyingly on the head. Patrick scowled, but didn’t move away, his raven haired boy, the boy who now was becoming his father’s responsibility instead than his mother’s. “Mam”
“Oh, I’ve just been busy taking care of Guinevere.” The boy grumbled something and then proceeded to drag the two of them out the house. Arthur gathered it was as good as anytime for the child to meet the rest of the nations and didn’t protest the treatment.
“Mon Cher, you look pale.” The meeting had broken off for the evening, but Arthur had stayed behind to get a few documents. “Have you been eating properly? Maybe you need me to take over you cooking again? We don’t want poor petit Guinevere falling sick, oui?”
“Shut up frog. If I needed anything it would be for you to leave me alone.” Francis hummed in response, his eyes not leaving his neighbour country. He had known the man for a long time and even if he couldn’t pinpoint the cause, he could tell that something was off with him.
“Maybe you are getting too old to raise children?” The nation laughed as he ducked the paperweight thrown in his direction, exiting the room to avoid further attacks with a wink and a wave. “But I see your temper is as bad as ever, Mon ami!”
“Leave me alone you bastard!”
“Mum!” Stella shouted, irrupting into the room and dragging Guinevere behind her. “Mum! Can I play with her please?”
Arthur grinned at the red head predicament and nodded at the girl’s kidnapper. Singapore squealed in delight and dragged her out the room, almost crashing into Portugal as they did. “Getting rid of her so quickly?”
“An evening with her won’t do her ill... hopefully.” Consuelo laughed, getting hold of the blonde’s hand and began to drag him out the room as well.
“An evening with me won’t do you ill either! Come on, a restaurant opened down street and I want to check it out.”
“Oi, you jerk!” Sealand didn’t bother to knock as he entered, Hana-Tamago following him excitedly. “Papa said that I could play with Guinevere!”
The red head stayed quiet, not protesting as the micro nation began to pull her arms insistently. Arthur sighed, wondering were he had gone wrong with the boy. Maybe Alfred and Christopher had conspired to train him to be as annoying as inhumanly possible. “You have to ask her Peter. You can’t simply drag her around.”
“Do you want to play with me?” The girl considered it carefully, staring unblinking at the micro nation before shocking her head firmly. “What! Why not?”
“You are too loud... And you insulted him.” Peter stomped angrily at her, puffing his checks at her unspoken reprimand.
“Come on! Raivis, Patrick and Michael are coming too!” Guinevere looked thoughtfully at the boy, considering her options carefully. The girl had grown fond of his son over the last months and he knew that his presence would be enough to win her over under normal circumstances.
“Don’t worry, I don’t mind. As long as you don’t pick up his awful manners you can go if you wish to.” Sealand protested hotly at the background, but neither of them paid him any mind. The two children left the house soon after, one a stark contrast to the other. It was a good thing, Arthur decided, for her to go out on her own. She needed to learn to relay on herself.
The mansion was quiet, all servants sent away for the day, a memory of past times that refused to be swept away. The nation sat motionless in his seat, a throne more than an armchair, eyes lost in the past. Most of his companions had already left, only the oldest keeping guard at his door, waiting anxiously for what they all felt near.
“Arthur.” Akshaya wasn’t surprised when her former ruler didn’t react surprised by her presence. Instead he smiled at her, eyes mellow, and if she didn’t know better, she would had thought him the same man that came to her shores so long ago.
“I though you would come.” Was the simple greeting, a greeting that confirmed her worse fears, his next words did noting to sooth her, instead bringing the hopefulness farther into her heart. “I’m glad you did... I’m afraid there isn’t much time left.”
“...You smell of death, have done for months.” The Indian lady sat down heavily beside the male, at his right, like she had during her time under his rule. “You didn’t tell them, did you?”
“No. I though it best. I think some of them suspect something is wrong, but don’t know what...” His voice, normally so strong, was soft, softer than ever before. Her ruler never tried to pull the wool over her eyes; he recognized he could never been able to, but for once, just once, India would have preferred he tried to. “Wang knows at the very least.”
“Honda should know too, but he refuses to see.” The female agreed, taking one of the male’s hands and squeezed it gently. Her eyes were shinning, with grief or with rage she didn’t know, but no tear would slip now. She would give him that much. “I would grid her neck if I had to. I would murder her in cold blood if I though it would help.”
“I know.”
“You protected her.” It was not a reprimand, nor an accusation; it was but a simple statement. Akshaya wasn’t surprised, but couldn’t help but want him to be little more selfish, a little more reluctant. But he seemed content, completely at ease at the fate he had condemned himself to. “The youth shouldn’t die before the old.”
“No, it shouldn’t.” The man rose, strong, all melancholy gone from his face and for a second she could fool herself into believing he was back. But he wasn’t, he had been gone for a long time now. “Will you walk one last time with me, my lady?”
“Yes, my liege”
Wales stood away from the rest of the countries, all whom had came to congratulate them for their independence and for the party that would follow. But a sentiment of unease had dropped over him, increasing rapidly when his twin absence. Her Majesty had already arrived and the signing would be in less than an hour. Some would say that Arthur was being contrary with his delay but Aeron couldn’t shake the feeling that it was something else.
“What are you doing here alone?” The blond didn’t protest as his brother enveloped him in hug, drawing comfort even as his eyes didn’t stop searching the streets. “Arthur said he would be here.”
“Something is wrong... I don’t know what but something is definitely wrong.” The Scott shook his head, hugging his companion closer, shaking his own unease to comfort him.
“We have been joined for a long time, maybe it is that.” He didn’t answer, so the two stayed like they were until Sean appeared, the rest of the nations following him.
“Where is he?” But he wasn’t looking at them. Ireland felt what his brothers did, what his son did, and every second increased it. Patrick had been glued to Michael the whole day, but Sean hadn’t even entertained the though of separating them. “He will be late if he doesn’t hurry.”
The feeling of unease had spread to the rest of the nations present. Denmark and Sweden were completely silent as they joined the three brothers, Norway snapping at anyone who dared to come near. Australia had wrapped himself around New Zealand and even his koala hadn’t caused his usual mischief. France had stayed near the North American twins the whole day, the pair strangely subdued even for Canada.
The three appeared a few minutes later, India walking at his right while he led the girl by his left. A few nations gasped at the sight, for Arthur appeared to be glowing faintly, little dots of little floating around his head and Guinevere. A group of strange creatures followed them, almost too faint to be seen, but becoming clearer the closer they came.
“What? Arthur?” Aeron stood frozen, staring at his twin, almost as if he had never seen him before. Iain held him tightly and he feared that he would have fallen to the ground otherwise. “Arthur?”
“...I’m sorry.” Arthur paused and for a moment it seemed that he wouldn’t say anymore. But he continued, in a soft voice, almost as he was trying to lessen the blow. “I... When our lands grew, so did I. I’m afraid that I was unable to go back. I... I think I was supposed to go before this. I’m sorry.”
“Why didn’t you tell us? WHY DID YOU TELL ME?” Aeron broke free of Iain’s arms, looking as he was going to strike Arthur but stopped short, white as a sheet as he finally dropped to the ground. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It wouldn’t have changed anything.” It stung, almost like a slap to the face, but Wales knew he was right. They had little power over themselves, always had. Even if he had known, there had been nothing he could have done to stop the process. “I... Sigurðr agreed to take care of her, at least until she can take care of herself.”
Denmark moved slowly, almost reluctantly and the girl went willingly after one last shared glance with the blond nation. Wales bitted back a sob when his brother began to grow fainter, the shine growing stronger and making him blurry. Or maybe it was the tears that had began to run down his face. Ireland finally moved them, shaking all over as he his hand went trough Arthur’s when he tried to touch him.
“Arthur.” It was a faint whisper, almost inaudible but the blond shank back, taking his hand in the other and not meeting his older brother’s eye. “Arthur!”
“I... I have to go now.” India moved away, standing now next to her fellow ex-colonies while the creatures turned around and began to walk away. The street had turned blurry by now, a silver shimmer in the air, almost like a thick mist. But Sean knew it wasn’t. “I’m sorry.”
And Arthur disappeared without another word, surrounded by most of his oldest companion, a single fairy stating behind, floating silently next to the child at Sigurðr’s side. But unlike the king of yore, Arthur would not return from Avalon when his land comes to peril. It was simply not his place to do so anymore.
Author’s Notes: ...Don’t kill me?