Au Revoir - Countryhumans TNO

Prologue - June 22, 1941

The woman looked at her homeland as she boarded the ship. Her eyes fixated on the dry land she left. She saw her homeland. Now overran by Wehrmacht soldiers marching through it. She bit her lip, she bit a bit too hard. Blood dripping down from it. Tears streaming down her face. 1036 years. That's how long the country of France existed... Now it's in some dumb failed-artists playground. How did she let this happen? Why? Was the punishment on Weimar not harsh enough? Or was it too harsh...? Is this what defeat tastes like? A cold, stinging, pain in your abdomen? Is that how it feels like? The woman's eyes were filled with tears that she didn't even realize were there... at the loss of her homeland. She couldn't believe that it had been taken over by the Germans, and she was heartbroken to have left it in such a state. As the ship set sail, she couldn't help but feel a sense of regret and hopelessness. Despite knowing that it likely wasn't her fault, she still couldn't help but feel guilty for letting this happen. The woman's tears ran down her cheeks as she thought about the century-long existence of her homeland, and she wondered if this was how defeat tasted... That was 23 years ago. That was 1945. It's 1963 now. France looked at what she had left. She had the second biggest empire in the world. Now shes stuck in the Ivory Coast. She glanced at the land. It was peaceful...but it wasn't her home. It was someone else's. "Madam?" Cote D'Ivoire called out from behind her. France glanced back. "Yes?" France looked him in the eyes, he was the only one France trusted anymore. Especially after the colonies revolted against her... "Your ship is ready." Cote pointed at the ship resting peacefully at the dock. "...Ah, thank you Cote." France thanked him, as she turned to face the ship. How long has it been since she saw a big ship like this, let alone ride one? Germany had naval blockaded Ivory coast even after the war ended. But suddenly...the blockade was gone. She wasn't sure what was going on Europe, news rarely got to west Africa... but she This was her last chance, the last chance to go home. "Madam...?" Cote called out again. She glanced back at him again. "What?" She turned to face him. "Will you come back?" Cote asked. ..."I don't know, Cote, I don't know." France responded. "...You don't have to go, Ma'am." Cote responded, concern in his eyes. She smiled. "I'm sorry Cote, but this... might be the last chance to return home." She responded back, at least someone was loyal enough. Cote nodded. "Be safe. Ma'am" Both looked each other in the eyes... and nodded one final time. "Till Tomorrow." France waved goodbye as she boarded the ship. Once on... she glanced back at the place once again. She wasn't sure she was gonna see this place again. If she'll see dry land ever again. But best she can do is hope... hope as the ship sailed. The bright blue ocean greeted her, as the land drifted goodbye. Well, now all she can do is wait.

...the cold hemisphere breeze stung through the sink.

It has been days, her crew steered the ship through the frigid ocean. Her navigators all happened to be idiots, they circumnavigated around Scandinavia, how does one even do that?! She had bought winter clothing. But she wasn't sure how long that was gonna last. At this point, she might have to make a emergency landing... the ship had about 1 more day of fuel left. She had to make landfall in Finland or Onega. That was her best bet. "...I'm never returning home, am i?" Her mind tried to convince her that. But she was determined, if she can survive for 23 years against all odds... what is one more day to her? The ship steered itself closer and closer what looked to be... land in the distance. She looked out at it from the window. Her eyes fixated on the land. Were the people there gonna shun and hate her? Or was she gonna be welcomed. Only one way to know. The Ship shored up onto the cold shore. It still felt cold. They were close to the northern hemisphere. She blinked, her eyes felt cold. She slowly and reluctantly stood up, her legs adjusting to her sudden movement. It had just been a week on sea, and her body already felt light. Her body had to adjust to her mere existence. She slowly left her room. "Madam! The ship reached land." One of the crewmen shouted out. "I can see that... bring your guns, just in case the people happen to be hostile..." The men aboard nodded, bringing their arms along with them. France slowly stepped outside, her eyes adjusting to the dark land... It was a snowy shore. She glanced around to see anyone. There was no one here... her crew will have to endure for a little more, at least until they can find someone. Every step she took in the snow made her feel a little bit more lighter, maybe the cold was getting to her... She'd have to find civilization fast. "We have to go, fast, no time to waste..." She commanded her crew. They glanced looks with each other, and shrugged... it felt like hours later, the snow crunched beneath her feet, the cold wind biting her face. She shivered, despite wearing multiple layers of thick clothing. The cold was harsh in this northern region, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could endure it. There was a sense of relief as she reached the treeline, the trees providing some protection from the wind. She moved quickly, trying to find a sign of civilization but saw nothing. She stopped in front of a tree and looked around her surroundings. Her crew follows behind, them also slowly succumbing to the cold. They had to fasten their pace. She kept walking, pushing herself to keep her mind clear and focused. The cold was numbing her body, but she was determined to reach civilization. She had to find help, she couldn't just die here. Her crew followed behind, their pace picking up as the cold began to take a toll on them as well.