[Fanfic] The Fifth Horseman
Title: The Fifth Horseman
Characters: Kiev Rus (bbRussia), Zhōngguó (Ancient China), the Mongol Empire (plus horde)
Rating: 15
Warnings: Phonetic Mandarin Chinese that we found from the internet. >> Also, people on fire.
Summary: The Mongolian invasions are estimated to have killed half the population of what is today Modern Russia. China, similarly burdened, rides to the rescue.
He awoke to the sound of galloping horses in his ears, and immediately started to run.
Why had he fallen asleep outside, why? It had been a sunny day for once, so pretty, and General Winter had left him alone for the month. His sisters had gone to the market, and he was just going to sit at home and enjoy the day! And now it was dark, and the village was on fire and there were horses and screaming and-
Oh gods, the screaming.
“No no no no!” he chanted to himself, hands over his ears as he ran, nearly tripping on the over-long scarf. “Katyusha! Natalya!” but his sisters were not in sight, and maybe that was the best, because the Mongols were not kind to the women they took.
He hit something hard and stumbled back. Large, frightened violet eyes traveled up the legs of the dark horse, up, up, until he felt he would fall backwards. The Mongol Empire stared down at him, eyes slanted and foreign and dark beard whipping in the wind, the fires from the houses highlighting the points on his armor and sword. Scrambling backwards, the boy ran.
Air burned in his lungs, but the horse and the Empire were right behind him, blade slicing through the night and flashing with blood and fire. His feet were small and his legs weak, but he was nimble, and this land was his. Back into the village, through the fire, dodging past people as they burst from burning buildings with their limbs aflame and their mouths open and screeching in agony. Running and running-- not even General Winter was able to protect him from the Mongols, or the scars they laid upon him and his people.
He nearly choked as his scarf caught on something. Snagged, he fell backwards, gasping and coughing on smoke. An arrow, buried in the dirt and pinning his scarf and himself there as the Mongol caught up with him, eyes glowing and grin triumphantly wide. The boy curled up, assured that his head would join his people’s in a trophy case, but the blow never came.
Instead, there came a whistling sound, followed by many swishing thuds and the soldiers surrounding him began to shout in confusion and what sounded like pain, before swiftly turning to anger. There came another rush of hoofbeats, and a short cry of different voices, before a collective sound of swords being drawn.
"Huánrào tāmen, pòshǐ tāmen huí dào hé!"
He looked up, and couldn't believe his eyes.
The Mongols were being... beaten. They were fighting, but they weren't winning! Others on horseback, similarly alien in looks but with different armor and language, charged through the flaming buildings to fight off the invaders. One after the other, the Mongols went down, arrows in their eyes and necks and stomachs, limbs missing. The Mongol Empire, enraged that his men were being defeated, rode forward, ignoring the little boy, who watched amazed as one of the strange party that had arrived trotted his horse forward with a determined expression. Outwardly, he couldn't be any more than a teenager, but the boy sensed it, the feeling of otherness. This man was like him, and his sisters, and the Mongol Empire- who raised his sword to strike him down.
There was no ceremony between the Mongol Empire and the stranger, barely even a pause before one strike fell after another, swinging his sword again and again into thin air. Although smaller, the other man was faster, quicker, and seemed to be directing his horse without any use of the reins, keeping both of his arms free to switch sword hands whenever the need arose. It was bizarre, a dog against a bear, but slowly the Mongol Empire was tiring, his swings becoming less precise, more wild, allowing the other nation to slip in many small nicks and cuts, drawing roars of outrage.
Then quite suddenly he turned his own horse and gave an enraged command to his remaining troops, retreating to the other side of the small river and away. The smaller nation simply watched, while the foreign soldiers looked on also in odd silence.
"Bùyíyúlì de zhī yī, tāmen huì gàosu nǐ tóngyàng de lǐmào." He motioned forward with his fingers, and his fighters promptly took up chase, cutting down any stragglers.
The little boy Nation stared up at his savior with wide eyes. He tried to yank his scarf free, but he didn't want to tear it. Instead, he stayed where he was, and called. "Th-thank you!" It was his language, but that was all he knew. He hoped that his sentiments would translate at least.
Startled, the older Nation's eyes snapped to the other, sharp sword brought up readily before his gaze found the speaker. On seeing the tiny nation, open surprise flitted across his features and he looked like he was taking a few moments to come to the same realisation as the child. He lowered his sword accordingly, but it was still held in a loose grip, and tilted his head curiously before saying something in his own language. It made no sense to the small nation, but it didn't sound threatening...
He pointed to himself. "Rus. Kiev Rus." he stressed slowly, like this would make it easier. Then he pointed at the stranger and cocked his head.
The other Nation smiled at that, and it changed his whole face. Scooting down off his horse, he peered down at the small boy before copying the gesture. "Zhōngguó." He said, just as slowly, giving a small bow of his head. "Ni hao, Kiev Rus."
Straightening up again, he looked around them, before his expression became concerned, and the flow of words from his mouth became too fast for any comprehension once again. Kiev Rus looked confused, following Zhōngguó's line of sight. A few more people were running out of their houses, screaming, and one injured woman, her clothes alight, came dangerously close to Rus' new friend's horse, which startled slightly and reared back. Rus yelled at her, stomping his foot like the child he was. "Don't hurt him, go to the river!" The woman stumbled off, weeping in pain.
Zhōngguó watched her go sadly, slightly surprised but the other nation's sharpness but accepting. Humans lived shortly, they died and killed each other all the time, it was just how it was.
"Re-group!" He called to his men, waving them back. "Aid those who need it." Before turning his attention back to little Rus, crouching to the child's height. "Nǐ suǒyǒu de rén ma? Kiev Rus?" Are you all alone?
Kiev Rus blinked. Tilted his head, confused. For a minute there, he'd understood what China had said- wait, China? Where had that...
"Kiev Rus?" The Nation repeated again, but the little Russian was lost in thought. There was familiarity about this situation, but why? What could possibly-
"Russia, aru!"
Ivan jerked upright in his chair, blinking at the empty room. The sun was setting through the windows, and the last birds were singing before they left to their nests for bed. Whirling slightly from being forced through a couple of centuries, he finally looked to his left, where China stood, arms folded expectantly. Russia rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
"What happened?" he asked, nearly startled by the deepness of his own voice. That hadn't been so much a dream as it had been a distant memory.
China huffed impatiently. "Try not to sleep through the next meeting, aru!" He scolded, although it looked as if there was a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. "You missed all of America's new plans, aru."
Russia blinked, then decided he didn't care. He stretched, feeling joints click into place. "Hm, I was having a dream about you~." he smiled up at Yao.
China tilted his head curiously, the same way he had minutes - centuries - ago, his dark eyes peering at Russia. "About me, aru?" He wasn't 100% sure that that was a good thing...
"Mm! It was about the Mongols, and when you saved me once." Russia stood, towering over China. He giggled at the difference. "Though you were much bigger then, da?"
China spluttered with indignance. "I only looked that way because you were so small, aru!" He shrieked, squaring up to the taller nation crossly. Trust Russia, there was always a sting in the tail of every compliment. "I'm not smaller then I was!"
"Da, that is true. You were on a horse then."
"Aiyaaaah..." China rubbed his temple irritably with the heel of his hand while Russia giggled. "Is that the sole thing you remember, aru?"
Russia looked thoughtful. "Nyet... you were also very kind to me. No-one but my sisters had done that before."
Blinking, China looked back up at his Northern companion while he tried to think of something to say. When Russia said things like that it was surprising, rare even nowadays. He smiled before teasing lightly: "You were a sweet little nation, aru. Unlike now."
"Da, I am not so cute any more..." he stepped forward, making his height more apparent. "I'm all~ grown~ up~."
China craned his neck to look up, before stepping back. "Tall enough to wear your scarf properly now, aru." Little Kiev Rus had spent so many minutes of his early life tripping over the long piece of clothing, but he would never take it off, ever, it was adorable.
Russia pouted. "China still thinks I am little kid?" China just shrugged, turning to gather up a few maps which were littering the table. Russia's pout turned into a smile, shuffling just a little into China's personal space. "I bet I can show China how I am not a little kid, da?" he whispered in his ear.
China raised his eyebrows, leaning back onto the other Nation after the initial inner mind flail at being so close thank you very much aru. "As long as everyone is still alive after you have finished aru." He warned.
"I can try."
Notes:
- The Mongol Invasions.: the Mongol Empire was fegging huge alright. They were also very brutal and had a penchant for taking off heads and either building pyramids with them or keeping them to show off at parties. Your options when they invaded your village were A) let them take all the women, children and your livelyhood or B) die.
- The collapsing Mongol Empire lost all it's western territory first, dying in chunks much in the same way that Rome fell apart at the seams. China in particular had plenty of rebels, due to the fact they only conquered North China, while the South was like "FUCK OFF".
- Kiev Rus is an old name for Russia. China introduces himself as "Zhōngguó", which is the Mandarin transliteration of the characters for China... according to Wikipedia. That's why he introduces himself as that.
- Nena and I are not experts on Russian or Chinese history. We are enjoying excuses for cute commie love.
Characters: Kiev Rus (bbRussia), Zhōngguó (Ancient China), the Mongol Empire (plus horde)
Rating: 15
Warnings: Phonetic Mandarin Chinese that we found from the internet. >> Also, people on fire.
Summary: The Mongolian invasions are estimated to have killed half the population of what is today Modern Russia. China, similarly burdened, rides to the rescue.
He awoke to the sound of galloping horses in his ears, and immediately started to run.
Why had he fallen asleep outside, why? It had been a sunny day for once, so pretty, and General Winter had left him alone for the month. His sisters had gone to the market, and he was just going to sit at home and enjoy the day! And now it was dark, and the village was on fire and there were horses and screaming and-
Oh gods, the screaming.
“No no no no!” he chanted to himself, hands over his ears as he ran, nearly tripping on the over-long scarf. “Katyusha! Natalya!” but his sisters were not in sight, and maybe that was the best, because the Mongols were not kind to the women they took.
He hit something hard and stumbled back. Large, frightened violet eyes traveled up the legs of the dark horse, up, up, until he felt he would fall backwards. The Mongol Empire stared down at him, eyes slanted and foreign and dark beard whipping in the wind, the fires from the houses highlighting the points on his armor and sword. Scrambling backwards, the boy ran.
Air burned in his lungs, but the horse and the Empire were right behind him, blade slicing through the night and flashing with blood and fire. His feet were small and his legs weak, but he was nimble, and this land was his. Back into the village, through the fire, dodging past people as they burst from burning buildings with their limbs aflame and their mouths open and screeching in agony. Running and running-- not even General Winter was able to protect him from the Mongols, or the scars they laid upon him and his people.
He nearly choked as his scarf caught on something. Snagged, he fell backwards, gasping and coughing on smoke. An arrow, buried in the dirt and pinning his scarf and himself there as the Mongol caught up with him, eyes glowing and grin triumphantly wide. The boy curled up, assured that his head would join his people’s in a trophy case, but the blow never came.
Instead, there came a whistling sound, followed by many swishing thuds and the soldiers surrounding him began to shout in confusion and what sounded like pain, before swiftly turning to anger. There came another rush of hoofbeats, and a short cry of different voices, before a collective sound of swords being drawn.
"Huánrào tāmen, pòshǐ tāmen huí dào hé!"
He looked up, and couldn't believe his eyes.
The Mongols were being... beaten. They were fighting, but they weren't winning! Others on horseback, similarly alien in looks but with different armor and language, charged through the flaming buildings to fight off the invaders. One after the other, the Mongols went down, arrows in their eyes and necks and stomachs, limbs missing. The Mongol Empire, enraged that his men were being defeated, rode forward, ignoring the little boy, who watched amazed as one of the strange party that had arrived trotted his horse forward with a determined expression. Outwardly, he couldn't be any more than a teenager, but the boy sensed it, the feeling of otherness. This man was like him, and his sisters, and the Mongol Empire- who raised his sword to strike him down.
There was no ceremony between the Mongol Empire and the stranger, barely even a pause before one strike fell after another, swinging his sword again and again into thin air. Although smaller, the other man was faster, quicker, and seemed to be directing his horse without any use of the reins, keeping both of his arms free to switch sword hands whenever the need arose. It was bizarre, a dog against a bear, but slowly the Mongol Empire was tiring, his swings becoming less precise, more wild, allowing the other nation to slip in many small nicks and cuts, drawing roars of outrage.
Then quite suddenly he turned his own horse and gave an enraged command to his remaining troops, retreating to the other side of the small river and away. The smaller nation simply watched, while the foreign soldiers looked on also in odd silence.
"Bùyíyúlì de zhī yī, tāmen huì gàosu nǐ tóngyàng de lǐmào." He motioned forward with his fingers, and his fighters promptly took up chase, cutting down any stragglers.
The little boy Nation stared up at his savior with wide eyes. He tried to yank his scarf free, but he didn't want to tear it. Instead, he stayed where he was, and called. "Th-thank you!" It was his language, but that was all he knew. He hoped that his sentiments would translate at least.
Startled, the older Nation's eyes snapped to the other, sharp sword brought up readily before his gaze found the speaker. On seeing the tiny nation, open surprise flitted across his features and he looked like he was taking a few moments to come to the same realisation as the child. He lowered his sword accordingly, but it was still held in a loose grip, and tilted his head curiously before saying something in his own language. It made no sense to the small nation, but it didn't sound threatening...
He pointed to himself. "Rus. Kiev Rus." he stressed slowly, like this would make it easier. Then he pointed at the stranger and cocked his head.
The other Nation smiled at that, and it changed his whole face. Scooting down off his horse, he peered down at the small boy before copying the gesture. "Zhōngguó." He said, just as slowly, giving a small bow of his head. "Ni hao, Kiev Rus."
Straightening up again, he looked around them, before his expression became concerned, and the flow of words from his mouth became too fast for any comprehension once again. Kiev Rus looked confused, following Zhōngguó's line of sight. A few more people were running out of their houses, screaming, and one injured woman, her clothes alight, came dangerously close to Rus' new friend's horse, which startled slightly and reared back. Rus yelled at her, stomping his foot like the child he was. "Don't hurt him, go to the river!" The woman stumbled off, weeping in pain.
Zhōngguó watched her go sadly, slightly surprised but the other nation's sharpness but accepting. Humans lived shortly, they died and killed each other all the time, it was just how it was.
"Re-group!" He called to his men, waving them back. "Aid those who need it." Before turning his attention back to little Rus, crouching to the child's height. "Nǐ suǒyǒu de rén ma? Kiev Rus?" Are you all alone?
Kiev Rus blinked. Tilted his head, confused. For a minute there, he'd understood what China had said- wait, China? Where had that...
"Kiev Rus?" The Nation repeated again, but the little Russian was lost in thought. There was familiarity about this situation, but why? What could possibly-
"Russia, aru!"
Ivan jerked upright in his chair, blinking at the empty room. The sun was setting through the windows, and the last birds were singing before they left to their nests for bed. Whirling slightly from being forced through a couple of centuries, he finally looked to his left, where China stood, arms folded expectantly. Russia rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
"What happened?" he asked, nearly startled by the deepness of his own voice. That hadn't been so much a dream as it had been a distant memory.
China huffed impatiently. "Try not to sleep through the next meeting, aru!" He scolded, although it looked as if there was a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. "You missed all of America's new plans, aru."
Russia blinked, then decided he didn't care. He stretched, feeling joints click into place. "Hm, I was having a dream about you~." he smiled up at Yao.
China tilted his head curiously, the same way he had minutes - centuries - ago, his dark eyes peering at Russia. "About me, aru?" He wasn't 100% sure that that was a good thing...
"Mm! It was about the Mongols, and when you saved me once." Russia stood, towering over China. He giggled at the difference. "Though you were much bigger then, da?"
China spluttered with indignance. "I only looked that way because you were so small, aru!" He shrieked, squaring up to the taller nation crossly. Trust Russia, there was always a sting in the tail of every compliment. "I'm not smaller then I was!"
"Da, that is true. You were on a horse then."
"Aiyaaaah..." China rubbed his temple irritably with the heel of his hand while Russia giggled. "Is that the sole thing you remember, aru?"
Russia looked thoughtful. "Nyet... you were also very kind to me. No-one but my sisters had done that before."
Blinking, China looked back up at his Northern companion while he tried to think of something to say. When Russia said things like that it was surprising, rare even nowadays. He smiled before teasing lightly: "You were a sweet little nation, aru. Unlike now."
"Da, I am not so cute any more..." he stepped forward, making his height more apparent. "I'm all~ grown~ up~."
China craned his neck to look up, before stepping back. "Tall enough to wear your scarf properly now, aru." Little Kiev Rus had spent so many minutes of his early life tripping over the long piece of clothing, but he would never take it off, ever, it was adorable.
Russia pouted. "China still thinks I am little kid?" China just shrugged, turning to gather up a few maps which were littering the table. Russia's pout turned into a smile, shuffling just a little into China's personal space. "I bet I can show China how I am not a little kid, da?" he whispered in his ear.
China raised his eyebrows, leaning back onto the other Nation after the initial inner mind flail at being so close thank you very much aru. "As long as everyone is still alive after you have finished aru." He warned.
"I can try."
Notes:
- The Mongol Invasions.: the Mongol Empire was fegging huge alright. They were also very brutal and had a penchant for taking off heads and either building pyramids with them or keeping them to show off at parties. Your options when they invaded your village were A) let them take all the women, children and your livelyhood or B) die.
- The collapsing Mongol Empire lost all it's western territory first, dying in chunks much in the same way that Rome fell apart at the seams. China in particular had plenty of rebels, due to the fact they only conquered North China, while the South was like "FUCK OFF".
- Kiev Rus is an old name for Russia. China introduces himself as "Zhōngguó", which is the Mandarin transliteration of the characters for China... according to Wikipedia. That's why he introduces himself as that.
- Nena and I are not experts on Russian or Chinese history. We are enjoying excuses for cute commie love.