Countryhumans Oneshots

The Birth of the Empire

Requested by NewLostIslands. Lloegr is England, and Cymru is Wales.

"After everything, I can't believe this is how you want me to go. Don't you want to kill me in battle to show your strength, or are you just going to keep taking the coward's way out?" Cymru mocked as he followed Lloegr to the office where Lloegr would make the law officially removing Cymru's principality.

Any reasonable personification would be scared, as that law wasn't just a law, but their death warrant. However, Cymru refused to show fear in front of Lloegr. He knew Lloegr liked control and refused to give it to him.

Besides, his Aunt Cernyw (she wasn't really his aunt, more of a distant cousin, but she had always insisted Cymru call her his aunt) had survived her government being taken away and still existed as the personification of Cornwall, much to Lloegr's dismay. Cymru was just hoping that the same miracle that saved her would save him.

"It is not the coward's way out. It is me taking care of business. If you die in the process, it's a shame but not something I'll cry over. You served your use while it lasted, and that's all I could have asked." Lloegr said, his tone dismissive and demeaning. Cymru bit down a growl, hands curling until his claws touched his palms.

Lloegr was the most infuriating person Cymru had ever had the displeasure of meeting.

"Claim that all you want," Cymru began, hoping to at least get the last word in, just in case he died, "But you never killed me during Glyndŵr, and after I became a draig and cut off those fingers, you never tried fighting me directly. You're a coward who'll do anything to feel—"

Cymru was cut off when Lloegr turned around and slammed him into the wall, pressing Cymru's wings uncomfortably against his back.

"I am not a coward." Lloegr hissed, ears pulled back against his skull. Cymru narrowed his eyes, feeling fire build up in his throat as he bared his teeth. Lloegr pulled away, glaring at Cymru, "Why can't you just die peacefully like your father did?"

It took everything Cymru had not to attack Lloegr for that comment. Even though Cymru had never met his father, and his father had died peacefully, in order to give Cymru life, Lloegr was using his father as a weapon against Cymru was unforgivable.

"I'm not my father. You should know that more than anyone." Cymru growled. Lloegr scoffed before turning and walking back to his office.

God, please do not let me die at Lloegr's hands. I would rather die any other way than at his whim. Cymru prayed as he entered Lloegr's office, leaning against the doorframe, wings curled around him slightly as if to shield him from the older countryhuman.

"I figured you would want to die in your own lands," Lloegr commented as he prepared to sign the document. Cymru scoffed.

"I want to make you live with his Lloegr," Cymru said, "Besides, Aunt Cernyw never died when you tried to kill her, so I remain hopeful that you won't be able to get rid of me this way."

"Cornwall was a mistake. I made her a county. You won't be anything, so you will die." Lloegr said before signing the bill.

The effect was immediate. Cymru collapsed in on himself, weakness seeping into views and forcing him to his knees. Was he dying? Was he wrong? Cymru looked up through blurry vision and saw Lloegr double over as if being drained of his strength like Cymru.

What was happening to them?

What had Lloegr done?

But despite all that, it felt freeing, like some sort of chain was being taken off his soul and freeing it. Cymru felt weaker, yes, but also free. Human almost.

Most importantly, he was alive.

The weakness was fading now as a different kind of strength was settling into his limbs, as well as a strange presence in his soul, gently whispering for Cymru to look forward.

"What happened?" Cymru heard Lloegr demand.

"You signed the bill. Whatever happe—" Cymru stopped as he finally made eye contact with the thing his soul was telling him to look at. As he did, the presence vanished, leaving Cymru staring at a child with Lloegr's flag, "Lloegr?"

"Would it kill you to use my pro—what is that?" Lloegr demanded.

"It's a child England." Cymru spat, "A country child with your flag."

"That weakness..." Lloegr began, trailing off. Cymru began laughing as he realized what Lloegr had done.

"Oh, you twlsyn," Cymru laughed, "You didn't just strip me of nationhood. You stripped yourself. That kid is your replacement!"

"Impossible. If the kid were my replacement, I would be dead. I'm very clearly alive." Lloegr pointed out. Cymru's laughter slowed.

"Yeah, so he can't be England, can he?" Cymru asked before another thing came to him, "And I felt a connection with him, which would mean...oh god, Lloegr, you bastard, what did you do?"

"You felt a connection? Then what is it supposed to represent? It's not me, it's not you, but—"

"You took nationhood from both of us. I watched it drain from you, too. The kid's ours, as horrific as it is, but...neither of us are nations. We're faux countries, the people countries now. This kid could be—"

"This kid personifies nothing. It is nothing, and I am still a countryhuman. You might have been drained of your nationhood, but I have not." Lloegr said, standing up and approaching the child.

"Papa?" The child asked, his bright green eyes (so much like Cymru's own) full of a curious wonder. Lloegr smiled, and with one quick flick of his wrist, his claws cut bloody stripes into the kid's face. The kid screamed, hands reaching up to grab at his face, blood running down.

"Lloegr, what are you doing?" Cymru asked. Lloegr laughed.

"Ensuring that I remain England and remain alive. Besides, do you want a kid with me?" Lloegr asked. Cymru sighed but shrugged.

"You have a point, but why must you make it painful? Finish it off quickly and let it go to heaven. Don't torture it." Cymru said, grabbing the child as it tried to run away.

"Papa! Tad!" The child sobbed, blood mixing with tears, "Please, please, no. Os gwelwch yn dda. Os gwelwch yn dda! Tad, os gwelwch yn dda! Please!"

Cymru felt a surge of pity and briefly entertained the idea of letting the child go before sighing. Lloegr would ensure the child died eventually. It is better to ensure he passes quickly rather than spend the rest of his life being hunted by Lloegr. It was cruel, but it was mercy.

"Mae'n ddrwg gen i," Cymru said, closing his eyes before he felt the child go limp. Cymru opened his eyes and sighed.

"Well, that's that taken care of," Lloegr said, but his eyes betrayed nervousness.

"You haven't gotten it back, have you? You're stil—"

"I am not, and if you value your second chance, you'll shut up about it." Lloegr snapped, cutting off Cymru, who dropped the child's body.

"Llo-England, you know what this means. You aren't an idiot," Cymru said. Lloegr narrowed his eyes, and Cymru stepped back, bracing himself. Before Lloegr could do anything, however, they were cut off by a child's voice.

"Hello?" Cymru turned and saw another child standing there, looking so much like the first. Lloegr's flag, but his eyes were different this time, brown instead of Cymru's green.

"You know what this means," Cymru said, turning back to Lloegr. Lloegr swallowed fear in his eyes.

"Get rid of the first one's body. I'll take care of this one." Lloegr said.

"You aren't going to kill him too. More will follow." Cymru protested.

"Kill?" The child said, eyes full of fear.

"I won't kill him. Take care of the body, Wales. I'll take care of the rest." Lloegr said. With a heavy sigh, Cymru picked up the body and exited the room, soul heavy and body weak.

Mae'n ddrwg gen i