I Am Canada (A Hetalia Fanfic)

Roughly 1685: Canada's New Friend

Canada wanders along the uncharted wilderness, a tiny white bear shuffling along behind him. He keeps his head down, his golden hair bouncing softly as he walks. He can't quite explain how he came across the polar bear, just that they ran into one another and a strange sort of friendship blossomed.

"Kumajimbo, do you know a game we could play together?" he asks the animal.

Kumajiro tilts his head as he looks up at the boy. "Who are you?"

Canada looks away, fiddling with his clothing. "I...I think I'm Canada..."

He sighs as he keeps walking, feeling far lonelier than usual. Québec told him that he couldn't play today; apparently France wanted him to stay near the home-front. Canada is friendless for now.

He wanders over to a river, admiring the way the waters seem to almost be at a standstill, yet the current is still present. It's serene, peaceful, the perfect place for a little nation to sit down and try to find some sort of entertainment. He settles down and dips his toes into the water, smiling at the cool feeling.

His violet eyes wander along the banks and the swaying trees, he notices a brown animal paddling along the minuscule waves with a branch in his mouth. Canada's face slackens with curiosity as he leans forwards, watching where the beaver is swimming to.

He quickly notices a half-made dam, a strong structure blocking off a narrower part of the river, a few small gaps allowing water to flow through. Canada gets up and starts to run along the riverbank, wanting to get closer to both the dam and the beaver. Kumajiro waddles along after his friend, his fuzzy face set in a neutral expression.

As the blond nation gets closer, another thing catches his eye. There's a girl sitting on the dam, her feet in the water. The beaver swims over and pulls himself onto the bridge, setting his find down as the girl reaches over and strokes his wet pelt. The rodent doesn't seem to mind her touch.

Canada's attention is only on her. There's a weird feeling that's blossomed in his chest, but it's almost the same kind that he got when he first ran into Québec. She's a nation of some sort, maybe a micro-nation, but he's never seen one like her. Every nation he's run into has light hair like his own and eyes ranging from pale brown to green to blue. This girl has darker hair, darker skin, and darker eyes, and yet they work for her.

The girl kicks her legs out of the water and tumbles into the chilly waters, making Canada gasp. He reacts in a second, sprinting towards the dam and clambering onto the thick logs. The beaver shoots him a glare as he gives the animal a quick apologetic smile, but his oddly-coloured eyes flicker back to the water in an instant. She hasn't resurfaced.

He kneels on the dam, feeling rather shaky and unstable as he peers into the water, searching for some sign of the strange girl.

There's a large splash as she reemerges, sending water spraying everywhere. Canada shrieks and lurches backwards, realizing his mistake too late. His balance tips and he goes tumbling head over heels off the other side of the dam, plunging into the darkness of the river.

He flails, his clothing tugging him down as he sinks lower and lower. He tries to scream, bubbles escaping his mouth in a rush as he squeezes his eyes shut. His lungs ache for air, his head starting to pound as his ears scream from the pressure increasing all around him. He can't even tell which way is up and which is down, giving his arms weak flails in an attempt to right his body.