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A Nation's Salvation	By : eternalstarhaven Category: +G to L > Hetalia: Axis Powers Views: 2145 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Hetallia: Axis Powers does not belong to me, but to Hidekaz Himaruya, while the idea behind the story is my own. I do not make a profit or money by writing this. I also have this story posted on fanfiction.net under the same penname.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Stubborn Resolve
Chapter Five
Britain hunkered behind a wood pile, trying to assess the situation prior to his main assault. For weeks he had made his plans, and until recently, all of the reports filtering in stated that Denmark's and Norway's naval fleets were destroyed, and only a handful of survivors were left to pick up the pieces. That wasn't what he saw now... There were regular patrols circling the perimeter, occasionally inspecting anything that appeared out of place, and rotated every half an hour to an hour. It was never the same guards, and to top it off, the guards were a mixture of Prussian and Scandinavian. Each guard was paired up as a Scandinavian and Prussian combination, and they were quite sober. Trying to get closer, he nearly stumbled upon another set of guards, but instead of men, these were women with short swords and spears, their blond hair carefully braided back to keep from flying into their faces.
They didn't laugh or giggle, taking their responsibilities quite seriously as they kept a careful eye on the younger children and babies. Why were they carrying swords? The Vikings never allowed them to fight. Confused, shocked that his reports were so wrong, Britain crawled and inched his way towards some of the structures and froze at the site of all his answers. Standing side-by-side with Finland, was Prussia. No one had ever thought he'd amount to much, his red-eyes always the cause for bullying and violence. He didn't look so small any longer, a long sword at his side, arms crossed, as he listened to whatever Finland was telling him. The village, according to his reports, had nearly been wiped off the map, and yet they were quickly recovering, most of the houses rebuilt, and some of the trading re-occurring at the harbor.
He spotted several ships patrolling the waters, and they weren't trading vessels, but fully equipped war ships with women and children manning them. Britain had no idea how to take this new development. He had hoped to find a, still recovering, unguarded nation. Instead, it was heavily guarded and protected with Scandinavian and Prussian forces. Was Denmark dead, or were they simply providing the necessary support he needed until he recovered? If that were the case, why had Sweden left with so many ships? Was he going to war against someone? The thought hadn't crossed his mind, and having pre-occupied his plans for a strike against Denmark, he hadn't tried to shore up his own defenses.
Why was Prussia helping them? None of his intelligence reports had made mention of this; so distracted with his thoughts, he hadn't seen Finland or Prussia leave until he felt a sword against the back of his neck. "You're as stupid as ever," a familiar accent taunted.
Taking a risk, he glanced over his shoulder and gaped; but Prussia placed a gloved finger over his lips, indicating that he was to say nothing. Reaching down, he easily lifted the nation off the ground and shoved him against the building he had hidden behind, the blade bringing forth just enough blood to force him into compliance. "Maybe you should take more baths..."
"Why you-"
"The perfume just makes you stink more... why cover yourself in such stench when you could simply use a good bar of soap and clean water?"
"Water is expensive," Britain countered.
"Only you would charge for something that is so easily accessible," pointing towards the harbor. "You're not thinking of invading Denmark, are you?"
Britain thought of lying, but knowing Prussia, he probably already had several scrolls of intelligence that listed everything he did and planned on doing. He really needed to do a better job at flushing out the spies in his kingdom, but Prussia didn't look like the rest of his people. His skin was the exact same color as his hair, and his eyes were a demonic red; so much so that several other nations often called him the devil or the devil's spawn. "Since when are you allies with Denmark?"
"Even the awesome Prussia knows when to form a beneficial alliance, especially when it concerns a greedy Empire that takes advantage of situations such as the one recently to befall Denmark and Norway. I ask again," he whispered dangerously, the sword digging into Britain's neck further, "is your intent to declare war on Denmark?"
Britain was intelligent enough to figure out that something wasn't right with the situation, but with such faulty information, any kind of battle decision at this point, would result in his death and the destruction of the British Empire. "I was just assessing the situation, wondering if Denmark might want our assistance?"
"He is fine; as you can see," Prussia sneered, his arm sweeping the area to indicate the trade markets, the harbor, and most importantly, the strong display of military force at the borders.
"Why isn't he here to say it himself?" Britain demanded, hoping to best the Prussian at his own game.
"Do you think those ships were Sweden's alone? How do you think they recover so easily from disasters such as this one?" Britain inwardly cursed... Sweden was out for war... and he had wasted so much time... Prussia loved how easy it was to fool his enemies, watching in growing satisfaction as his green eyes flashed with fury. Any other nation might have been afraid, but not Britain. "Everyone knows what happens when a nation suffers natural disaster or extreme poverty... another will swoop in, lower his guard on his own lands... making them so easy to destroy while he or she is away."
"It seems my assistance isn't needed," he stated calmly, but his green eyes told another story entirely. Prussia had a strong hunch that several of Britain's spies were about to have a great shortage in numbers. Pulling back, he lowered his sword, Britain took off as if the very devil was at his heels. Perhaps he was; Prussia wasn't an enemy someone wanted to have, and Finland stepped from his hiding spot.
"Was that such a good idea to let him go? What if he returns with a larger force?"
"I bought us time... if he thinks Sweden will attack one of their main cities, he'll focus all his efforts on building his defenses rather than Denmark. Eventually he'll try again, but these women and old men are far from ready to fight him right now."
Finland once again found himself grateful to the half-land nation, the boy so unaware of who or what he was. He had learned to stand on his own, and their small amount of support seemed to have won them an extremely powerful ally. He wouldn't quite say they were friends, but it was a start, and he at least seemed more approachable than his younger brother. Other than Atlantis, everyone was terrified of Sweden, to include Denmark, Norway, and at times himself.
Prussia didn't seem to mind Finland's presence, offering a small smile despite his reservations at letting others get close to him personally. He still hadn't quite figured out why Atlantis, Sweden, or Finland had saved him a year ago, but he decided not to tempt fate. Finland seemed the friendlier of the group, and as they continued to train Denmark's people, they only grew a stronger friendship between one another.
Sweden watched a flicker of fear flash in her eyes, but she remained quiet as she guided them to a safe landing point. Jumping down, he talked to several of his warriors, trying to decide on his next course of action. He couldn't stay gone for an indefinite amount of time, not without risking an all out war and invasion from Britain or France. Glancing at Atlantis, "If we keep a steady pace, how long will it take to reach Norway's location?"
"I have very little knowledge of this land; if I swam through the rivers and lakes, perhaps only a few days, but on foot... It might takes us several months to a couple of years."
Sweden ran tired fingers through his blond locks... this wasn't going according to plan, but he couldn't very well leave his brother if he still had a chance of bringing him home. Turning back to the fleet commanders, he issued very clear instructions for them to return back to their homeland and defend it until further notice. Handing his ring over to the main commander, he made it quite clear that he was to give that to his oldest brother; until his return, everyone had to rely on him and a young Prussian to keep them safe. A few protested that he shouldn't make this venture alone, but he couldn't afford to spare any of his warriors if Britain were to launch a full out attack against their shores. They needed every available warrior and ship.
"I can do this alone," he gently told her, knowing that she was responsible for more than just his brothers or himself.
"Again and again, I have lost people that I care for. I have failed not only Denmark, but Norway as well. You ask that I forsake you... never again will you ask such a thing of me." He thought to protest, but not in front of his warriors, and with a few more quick commands, he watched his large fleet pull back and make their long journey home. He had taken so many with him as a show of force, and if everyone thought he had waged war against someone, it would serve to deter any unwanted attacks for that much longer. They were to return in two years time; he only hoped Finland and Prussia could manage until then. His expression alone was often enough to cause fear throughout his ranks, but not her, and she easily met his glare with one of her own.
"I risk everything if I take you."
"You risk everything if you do not," she countered, already making her way inland.
"Damn it," he cursed, catching and lifting her off the ground. Sweden ensured not to hurt her with his powerful grip, but he wasn't about to let her down either, her rainbow colored eyes glaring down at him with so much anger that he almost forgot why he was upset with her in the first place. He couldn't recall a time that she had ever been this defiant towards his decisions, always deferring to his judgement to keep not only his brothers safe, but her as well. As a matter of fact, this was their first argument, and he felt himself wanting to prolong it. It was better than the blank, sad, look she always wore.
"I am 'not' a child!" she hissed dangerously, a clap of thunder sounding in the distance. He had heard of her power over the skies, the ability to call forth a storm that could flatten an entire nation if she so desired, but he wasn't afraid of her and they both knew it.
"You're right," he agreed, eyes blazing with an equal rage. "You're Atlantis, ruler over the entire Atlantic Ocean, a warrior of legend that I have spent my entire life time trying to mirror. One day, you were on 'my' shore, no longer the mighty Queen of Atlantis, but a broken little girl that had lost everything. Instead of giving you time to recover, I watched and listened as your 'brother' decided to pass off his power and responsibility to you, knowing that if you died we'd lose the rest of the world with you. And you ask that I allow you to place yourself in harm's way?" Lowering her until they were eye level... "I don't give a damn of the world... only that I never allow you to feel that kind of suffering ever again."
"I already feel it!" she cried out, tears of anger and sorrow cascading down her face. "First Denmark, and now Norway... we don't even know if Finland or Prussia can outlast the British and French Empires... You ask that I stay back while you try and save your brothers... who protects the protector? Who fights at your side? How do I make you smile instead of feeling hate and rage? You think that you hide how you truly feel from everyone around you, friend, family, and enemy alike; but I know you! I see into your soul, and I know you love them... you're afraid to let them too close, but you're always ready to answer their call for help should anyone else attack. You ask that I let you do this alone... I'll destroy you myself if you ever suggest such a thing again... without you... without your brothers..." Suddenly her anger vanished, her small arms wrapping around his neck as she held him close.
He knew she had blamed herself for Denmark's accident, and she started to see herself as a curse rather than a blessing to them. Sweden didn't want to admit it, but with her... he felt more than just an empty void... even if he didn't smile the way she wanted, it was still more than he would have done if it were just his foolish brothers. Sweden had never seen her fully grown, and he could only imagine how much power she'd possess if she regained her original size. "We should get going," he offered tentatively, no longer trying to send her away. If she wanted to stay and guide him, who was he to deny her?
As the days turned into weeks, the weeks into months, Sweden learned a lot about the injured water nation. She might have partially recovered from her lost nation and brother, but she was still without a people of her own. Why was she insisting on staying with him? He knew she worried for Norway, and quite possibly Denmark as well. When he slept, she kept a silent watch over him, knowing he had the ability to carry her during the day and stick to the rivers until they changed directions. He never chose a path until she gave him a clear direction to follow, trusting her completely to make the right choices. The water she understood, leaving the gathering of wood and food to him. Each day, he woke to see her sitting quietly in front of the fire he had built, an expression of sorrow on her child-like features. No, she most definitely wasn't a child, but Sweden couldn't find himself taking advantage of her while she was in such a state either.
To him, she was a legend, and he had spent his entire life training and growing in not only strength and skill, but to declare a challenge to her when he was old enough. That dream was gone now, but that didn't mean he'd let anything happen to her. "The Scandinavians are strange," she spoke one day, her voice so quiet that he almost didn't hear.
He said nothing, having grown accustomed to the silence between them, making it all the easier to practice on hiding his emotions and facial expressions from others. Strange how it never worked on her; he thought of asking her about it, but decided he wasn't quite ready for the answer. Waiting for her to continue, knowing that she didn't need him to say or ask, she gave him a tight smile before returning her eyes to the dying fire. Picking up a small stick, she threw it on the ashes, watching the flames flicker, almost die out, and then regain some of its former strength. "I was known as the warrior of ice, untouchable... Men used to form long lines to defeat the powerful Atlantis, hoping to stake a claim on everything that I ruled over. It was my brother's idea. He knew that I found no favor towards the other water or land nations that wanted what I had shed blood to nurture and protect. Why should I give it to someone that would simply squander my wealth, hurt my subjects, and declare unnecessary war against other nations?"
Unable to stop himself, he lifted and placed her into his lap, wrapping one of his newly made fur blankets around her. Her eyes started to drift close, as if she were struggling to stay awake, but she forced herself to look up at the intense blue staring back at her. "I've tried to understand the reasoning behind your decisions; why you would go to such lengths to shelter and protect a broken and defeated water nation. Is it my power you want? My wealth?"
He really hadn't consider any of those things from her; granted she probably had a vast amount of wealth hidden beneath the waves, out of the reach of those that walked on land, and he had more than enough power and influence of his own that he really saw no need for hers. Even as a child, she was more than powerful enough to decimate his entire country and more. At first, he thought his decisions were centered around the fact that she was not only a child, but a female child. His people always protected them, ensuring their survival so that they may continue their existence. And yet... she was not of their people, and the rules he applied among the Viking nations did not extend to her. The day Oceanonis had appeared, intent on abandoning her to the land nations, with her memories a fragmented mess, he had felt so much rage and hate that he had almost struck the water nation. He couldn't understand how her brother might consider abandoning her; even now, without fully knowing if Norway or Denmark was still alive, he'd continue searching for them until he had them safely back at home, or their bodies to provide a proper burial and passage to the next life.
"Challenger after challenger fell at my feet, my spear ripping out their hearts. What did I care if they lived or died? It was not my love they sought, and eventually I no longer felt regret for their foolish choices and selfish desires. I lost my ability to feel compassion for such things as love and friendship... Everything that I had, others wanted, to include the other water nations. It was thought, that if one defeated the powerful ruler of the Atlantic, they'd gain my power and turn on Oceanonis. One day, instead of facing me one-on-one, they joined together and assaulted my islands and my people. When I woke, I was in the form of a small child, resting in your home, you looking after me with a fierce determination and stubbornness."
"I couldn't remember why I was there, why my entire body hurt, and then I felt the loss of my brother many centuries later. And yet I still did not grow; I was still here at your side, and I no longer wanted to shy away from your insistent need to protect a warrior that had once faced off against the mighty Trojan Armies."
Atlantis didn't even understand what she was feeling or why; the feelings between a man and a woman had never interested her. And yet, the thought of these five men, all warriors in their own right, struggling to keep her alive despite the terrible risk to their own lives and people... she felt herself humbled at their sacrifices... and confused. Why? What did they hope to gain from all of this? Sweden decided that they didn't have to travel that day, sensing that she needed this far more than another day in a world neither of them knew. He had a feeling she chose their resting points based on the people that lived here, wanting to avoid unnecessary confrontations with them. As she slept, she remained close to him, not that he'd push her way.
Sweden tried to rationalize his behavior, and failed. She wasn't his sister, nor was she of his bloodline... Atlantis was so damn powerful, that if she did regain her original size, she'd vanish forever. Why would she need the help of weaker land nations at that point? Each day they had her, he cherished it, and he knew that no other nation had the ability to claim they had sheltered, nurtured, and protected the last remaining water nation in existence. He knew he was stronger than average; hell, any warrior that tried to take him down often ended up on a cart, his poor mother weeping over his dead body. As the sun began to set, he still didn't have an answer, and instead of falling asleep, they chose to follow the river by moonlight.
"I have no reason," he finally answered, watching her halt and turn to him. At first she was confused, almost forgetting the story she had told him hours before. "You wanted to know why we chose to take you in... honestly, I have no idea. Even now, some of the concessions I have allotted to you... they go against our very beliefs, but I don't regret re-teaching you how to lift and use a sword, or how to defend yourself... We knew that you might one day return to the water... so we chose to give you everything that we had to make that possible. And if I was perfectly honest; I did want to challenge you, but not to claim as a wife, but to prove myself as a warrior."
"You didn't want..."
Sweden gave her a rare smile, one that actually reached his eyes and she found herself frozen in place, unable to look away. "I'm not saying that I wouldn't have wanted you, but... at that point in time, all I cared for was battle and making a name for myself. I thought if I could gain your approval, none would question my leadership or ability to lead them into battle."
Kneeling until they were face to face, he gently reached for one of her dark strands of hair, allowing it to slide through his strong fingers. "I forget at times that you are just as much of a warrior as myself, and for that I ask your forgiveness. If I try to send you on ahead, or ask that you stay, it is not meant as an insult. When you say that you didn't want a suitor; was it truly because you thought they wanted your power, or because you feared that they might make you vulnerable if something should happen?"
She started to say something, and paused. Was that the reason? She knew that Sweden had often thought of her while he fought one nation after the next, and it had been one of the biggest reasons for her leaving. If he continued protecting her instead of solely focusing on his battles, he'd eventually find himself in a situation that he couldn't win without sacrificing himself in order to save her. "Is that why you try to hide your emotions from everyone?" she asked, knowing that's what he'd been doing for the past several weeks.
"If my enemies knew my weaknesses, they'd exploit them, and there is nothing that I care for more than my brothers or the little water nation that we have all agreed upon to protect." She started to pull away, but he simply crushed her into a protective embrace, wanting her to understand that none of them had had any regrets or reservations with their choice. "My temper has caused us more trouble than it has helped, and I've decided that I'd rather have my enemies assume and guess wrong what I think or feel; wrong choices and decisions are often made when one assumes they know what another does."
"Will that not serve to push everyone away, to include your brothers?"
"Better that everyone assumes that I don't care, and I keep them alive, than my enemy figure out that without them, I am nothing."
"You're such an idiot," she whispered, burying her face against his chest. The more she tried to understand this man, the more she failed, and it frustrated her. It was so much easier to kill and fight a man that had only his own desires to consider and not those that sacrificed their lives for him. Every decision Sweden and his brothers made, it was for the entire nation and not just themselves. Denmark was the prankster, Norway was the voice of reason, Finland was the peace maker, and Sweden... well he was the strength that held them together, unwavering and true to his sense of honor as a warrior and protector. He could stake a claim over his brother's lands, knowing Denmark didn't have a way of stopping him. In doing so, he'd also destroy Norway. And yet... he had sent his entire military back, to strengthen Denmark's and Norway's vulnerable ones until he had brought them back. "You're only confirming my belief that the five of you are beyond hopeless and in need of a real protector."
It was at that exact moment, as she declared her protection over them, that an array of colors engulfed her body. Jumping back, Sweden watched as she began to grow, the clothes that had been far too big, now too small, forcing him to glance away. Had he really just told her he wasn't interested in a wife? One glance at her, and he knew he'd kill anyone that even so much as hinted at wanting her... never mind that she had the ability to do it herself. Had the solution been that simple? She had needed someone to protect in order to become an adult again? Now that he thought of it; she had stayed with them in the beginning because she had need of their strength, but not out of affection or a sense of friendship.
At some point, that had changed... here she was, traveling across the land none of them had ever charted, risking exposure to the local natives, finally admitting that she was doing so because she considered them as 'hers' to protect. "Atlantis, explain what you meant." He already knew, but he wanted her to admit it not only to him, but to herself as well.
"You're not the only one that has someone to protect. Before the fall of Atlantis, I never understood what that meant, and the thought of losing any of you... well... it's just not an option." She didn't want to admit that Sweden was perhaps higher on her priority list than the others, and when he glanced at her, she saw nothing but an intense heat reflected back at her in those blue orbs of his. He tried to hide those emotions, but his eyes gave him a way every damn time. "Still want to issue that challenge?" she gently teased, his eyes darkening.
"I'm considering it, but not before you've had a chance to refine your fighting skills."
Tilting her head, he noted the way the edges of her lips curled upwards, the way her dark brow lifted and it dawned on him that she had once been the way he was now. She had shut off her emotions from those around her, keeping everyone at a distance, but when she had lost her memories and her powers; there was no way she could go back to that kind of loneliness, not when these brave fools insisted on protecting her. Taking a step closer, she gently traced the lines of his cheekbone, down to his jaw, and paused at his bearded lip. "What makes you assume that you have the ability to best me... even at my weakest I still destroyed the Arctic and Antarctic Nations before I reverted back to a child."
Her declaration should have terrified him; instead it only strengthened his desire to make himself worthy of her, not just as a warrior, but the leader he had strove so hard to become. "My goal was never to defeat you... it was simply to win your approval and to gain your blessing."
"You've already had that," she softly spoke, starting to pull back.
Sweden, in that exact moment, had never struggled with himself more. Even though his expression revealed nothing of what he wanted, he knew she knew. "I need to make more clothing; I suppose."
"Why? I'll just throw them off later anyway," she taunted, already turning to head further west.
Unable to stop himself, Sweden grabbed her wrist and spun her around, her body slamming heavily into his own. "It's difficult enough not to make a complete fool of myself, but if another man sees you the way I am now... I'll destroy them, regardless if they're my brothers or not." It was official, he definitely confused her. She was practically offering herself to him, and yet he was holding back, fighting the discomfort he was in, placing her needs above his own. That in itself should have been impossible; unless... Sweden was in love with someone else; he wasn't even aware of it, but it would have been the only way for him to fight his attraction to her.
"My initial assessment stands; Scandinavians are very... unique." Seeing that look of confusion in her eyes, was worth the restraint he was placing on himself. He knew she'd not stop him if he chose to claim her, but he wanted her to know that it wasn't for anything other than herself. Atlantis had no reason to trust any of them, the shadows of her past still lingering in her beautiful eyes. That following night, Sweden once again struggled with his primal instincts... feeling her settle beside him and fall asleep. As a child, he saw nothing wrong with keeping her as close as she was right now, but as a fully grown woman... if she did this with his brothers, he already knew they'd not have to worry over their nations or people any longer, he'd rip them apart and claim what was left. And he had to spend another year and a half with her? Alone? Did he even have that kind of restraint or will power? He was 'not' a saint.
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A Nation's Salvation