Kiku's Hero

I drag my feet down the stairs for breakfast, after nearly breaking my alarm clock because it wouldn't shut off. Stupid run away clock. Kiku gave it to me after I was late for another one of Germany's meetings. (I overslept if you can't tell.) Let’s just say it works a little too well. I get to the kitchen to find it in its normal messy state, with Canada in the middle of it, eating pancakes at the table. "Mornin' Matt" I say, open the fridge and grab an apple. "Good morning Alex." He says and smiles. Three sharp knocks at the door run the nice family moment. "Ugh. Who could that be?" I groan. "Probably Ludwig." Matt says and goes back to eating. I make my way through the sea of junk to the door, only to find Iggy there instead. "What the hell Iggy?" I say. "It's 6 in the morning." "What are you still doing here? I thought you would have been over there hours ago?" He screamed at me. "Iggy... What the hell are you talking about? Been where hours ago?" "Japan is nearly destroyed." "WHAT!" I scream. "Just get to the car and I'll tell you on the way to the airport." He says, so of course I run to his car and we go speeding down the interstate.

          When we finally arrive, my legs are like jelly and I fear I will puke. For the past 15-minute ride (which normally takes a least an hour) Arthur told me about what was happening. A series of earthquakes and tsunamis have been hitting Japan. Arthur comes to my door and helps me out. The next thing I know, we are flying over Hawaii. Iggy is sitting next to me with his famous “I’m really upset but I don’t want anyone to know” face. I take his hand and hold it in mine (I have to use both hands though to his one). He looks at me. “You are the one that should be comforted you silly git.” He says and puts his arms around me. “Not the one who is comforting me.” “I guess you are right. I just don’t like it when you make that face… Dad” I say which startles us both. I haven’t called Arthur “Dad” since I was a little girl, before I declared my independence from him. He hugs me tighter, understanding my pain. An overly cheery voice comes on the speaker. “Please fasten your seat belts. We will be arriving at the Tokyo Airport in ten minutes.” It then repeats in several languages, Japanese being the first. Kiku. I’m coming.

          As the plane lands I look out my window and nearly faint at the sight. From the widow I can see that in the terminal there are people everywhere. I can hardly call them people actually. They are covered in dirt, blood, and God knows what else. The plane stops and the flight attendants start to let us off. If it were not for the fact that Arthur is holding on to my hand I would bolt through that door. “We’ll get to him sweetheart.” Another name we haven’t used in a long while. “I promise” He says and we head to the door. When we walk down, China-san is waiting by his car for us and only China. I begin to hyperventilate. If Kiku was okay then he would be there with China… but he’s not. “England, America. I’m very glad you both are here. ~aru.” He says. “China-san. Where is Kiku?” I ask even though I already know the answer. “We don’t know. He was helping the evacuation when everything happened and we have yet to find him in all the chaos.” He says and as the last words leave his mouth a scream, so filled with terror and fear I am sure that it would have caused another earthquake, erupts from me as I fall to my knees. “No. No. No. No. NO!” I say as the bitter tears fall freely from my red eyes. I hear my name called as I fall into the blackness.

          A short while later I regain consciousness only to find myself in China’s car as it speeds down the winding dirt path they define as a road. “Are we going to find Kiku?” I ask as I sit up. “Your awake now ~aru.” China says. “That’s good and yes we are.” “We are almost to where they last saw him.” Iggy says and looks back at me, worried as always. “I’m glad you are awake.” “Same here.” I say and grin. Then I look out the window and nearly faint again. Nothing is familiar to me though I’ve been here before with Kiku. Everything had been destroyed. There are pieces of buildings that could not survive the tsunamis everywhere.  The car stops and China shuts off the engine. I scramble from the “Death trap” as Russia calls China’s car. “The last time anyone saw him, he was trying to get some people through the forest to Midoriko’s Hill ~aru” China says and just like that I am off running, towards the hill. Kiku took me there when some troops and I stopped in Japan before heading to Korea during the Korean War. Midoriko was a young warrior who led an army of women to take back the land and men stolen from their village from the emperor’s army. Midoriko’s army won but she was fatally wounded. She is buried at the top of the hill and her spirit is said to bless all women made widows of war and any one pure of heart. “Alex. Wait” I hear from the car but I don’t care nor stop.