Once Upon A Time | A Hetalia x Reader

Chapter 33: Goodbye, Lonely Thicket

"Psst! (Name), wake up!"

I woke up with a brief groan, turning to my side as if that would drown out the noise.

"Psst! (Name), get up!"

I tried to ignore it, but it only made it worse for its persistent calls continued. By then my eyes had immediately snapped open, twitching in the process, and I sat up in great reluctance.

"Shut up you ungrateful swine." I mumbled, half-asleep, patting the floor to pick up a big pebble and then planned to throw at the next source of noise.

"Heehee, she's cute when she's grumpy."

When I finally took in my surroundings, I had realized I was still at the camp. The night's breeze tickled my skin, and my messy hair immediately cooperated with the wind. It wasn't all that strong, so the magic ended quite soon, and I had to listen to the rest of nature's noise to get an idea of what's going on.

As I groggily rubbed my eyelids that dared snap open, I took a discomforted sigh.

"What?" I snapped quite briefly, venom seeping through my voice.

When I glared towards the people before me, I could easily see them shrinking back.

"W-w-we want to show you something, (Name)..." said Raivis.

"Yeah..." Toris added hesitantly, discreetly shielding Raivis away from me. This caused me to chuckle. Isn't that cute?

But I had to take notice that he's hiding him away from me. So sad, isn't it?

Nonetheless, I obliged to their choice of bringing along to a new location in which is yet to be discovered. They told me to bring my things with me, and to wake up Alfred and Arthur too.

I became somewhat suspicious of their antics and made sure that nothing will wound Arthur - he's still sick, you know. Alfred was there to protect me, too, no matter how exhausted he may look, for he as well looked around for any suspicions throughout the area we roamed upon.

"Where do you think they'll bring us to, Alfred?" I asked him in a tone much close to a whisper. He didn't seem to know the answer, but he reassured me that I will be okay.

The puddles splooshed and splashed lightly as we stepped on them. Sploosh, splash. Splash.

Alfred had been way behind, his face still solemn upon the situation before us. I sighed; Arthur coughed in an abrupt manner, nearly startling me. Poor Arthur.

Did I know that he had been pushing himself for more than a week just to protect me? Not particularly. I had forgotten. I felt that I should be at fault, but should I really say so? Maybe.

"Are you sure you'll be able to walk?" I asked, filled with worry. He's done so much for me. "You can rest for a while longer if you'd like."

"No, I'll be alright." he shakily replied back, a smile appearing across his lips. "Just a little cold is all. I'll be able to manage this."

Toris seemed to look back towards us worriedly, looking pitiful. Then he turned back, ushering his peers to slow down a bit.

They followed along and happily agreed with no hesitance whatsoever. I felt grateful to be under their kind presences.

-

"You're...letting us leave?"

"Yes," Eduard replied ever so casually, not hesitating to flip through the weary pages his journal.

There was a brief silence. I was willing to go then and there, to escape this hellhole...but I had this lingering curiosity, threatening to stay a bit longer with them.

"What about the others?....will you be coming with us?"

"No." was all Toris said. "Ivan will notice if we escape, and we will be assassinated soon after for disobedience."

I avoided a flinch.

"And honestly, Ivan had suggested for us to let you go. He plans to let everyone leave as soon as we finish with the border-plan, and he insisted to letting you go first; the reasons are rather vague, and it didn't seem necessary to explain it."

Thank you, Ivan.

"When you get back to camp, will you do us a favor?"

"Oh okay. What of it?"

"May you thank him?" I asked with a smile. "It isn't everyday for a man like him to be so very kind to let lucky opportunities like this to happen to us people."

Eduard gave me a weird look. "Odd, but...okay. Just for you."

"Take care, (Name)." Toris said gently, allowing me to hug him. I earnestly did so, questions still aching to be answered. I kept them in though. I'm sure they're already stressed with more important work than this.

"I hope you do well in your future, Toris, Eduard." I said in response, then turning to look towards Raivis who was in the brink of tears.

"Why the sad look, Raivis?" I asked in concern, tempted to just comfort him then and there. It was safer to be patient and hear him out, so I did.

"You're just leaving so soon....you were nice and brave. You protected me even though we brought you here."

"Well," I mused, looking thoughtful. "Everything happens for a reason. Don't push yourself. I'm not angry about this, so you don't need to be guilty or sad."

Raivis slowly looked away, mumbling an apology and a hesitant smile.

Then he opened up his arms, as if asking for a hug. I happily did so, grateful to be meeting such people like them.

Eduard stared at me a bit longer, before averting his gaze and scribbled down a few things. Immediately he ripped it apart, and he passed it on to me.

"Um...where to find us in the mere future, if you'd like. We'd happily expect your arrival soon, when you're done with your trip."

I nodded with a grin. Despite the difficulty and heavy dread we've went through in this camp, I still found it hard to realize my situation. It just felt too unreal to really believe. But I couldn't be stressed. Not when Alfred and Arthur are in their current state.

"I hope to see you all soon, too. I'm sure I'll come visit, when the war is over."

"Ah, the war. From overseas," Toris whispered with a sad smile. "I have seen many people coming over here these days. I suppose that now I realize you are one of them. Hopefully the war doesn't involve us. May you be safe upon your future travels."

"We will." I nodded in determination.

And so, with a brief hesitance, I turned and started to walk away. I accompanied Arthur as he walked, and Alfred accompanied me. Toris, Raivis, Eduard...their figures soon dispersed.

And I was to journey on once more with confusion against my head.

-

"Journey is like a book. You cannot travel if you wander upon the first page, or word, or chapter."

-

More and more is this story aching to end.

What happened to the lightheartedness? ._.

- Author-kun