[APH] Falling Without Knowing (end)
Title: Falling Without Knowing
Category: Axis Powers Hetalia / Hetalia World Series
Characters/Pairings: Greece/Japan, others mentioned
Genre/Rating/Warnings: romance, drama, sci-fi/PG/post apocalyptic space opera, switching between country and human names
Summary/Excerpt: The nations are living in their own planets, united under one galaxy. By strict decree, they are unable to see or travel to each other and any sort of communication is under the Council's heavy surveillance. New Greece is bothered by the memories of his former self, especially those of a certain island nation. He is willing to break boundaries, cross time and space to know if a connection between them still exists.
A/N: HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY GREECE! *sparkles* Shoutouts! \O/ Thank you to charlzway for the v-gift! The message made me squee~ :'3 Thank you to seena58 for challenging me to do a "tragic, happy and lame" ending! This bit's the happy and lame part :D A huge, huge thank you to chromatic_coma for being my wonderful wonderful beta! And thank you to absolutely everyone who saw this story through! You are all awesome. I love you guys and aaaaaah dkfgjhdfjkg >///< ♥♥♥
one | two | three | four | five | SIX
In this installment: A new era brings many changes. As one story ends, another begins.
Completely falling,
Falling without knowing
They boarded the 11:06am train from the Tokyo Spaceport to Okinawa prefecture. The route involved three different train lines and six transfers but Herakles Karpusi, personification and Head of New Greece, was sure he and his humble group of twenty exchange students would arrive at their designated dormitory without getting lost. He had never seen clearer instructions on an Exchange Program Sheet.
It was a weekday and the trains weren't full but that didn't stop them from looking like foreigners (aliens, really) and being stared at by fellow passengers. They were donned in eight layers of thick coats that were painted a dull fluorescent and hauled around four months' worth of luggage that had blinkers stuck to them so as to be seen by the natives. Herakles couldn't fathom how they could be missed though. They were twice as tall as the New Japanese and didn't glow at all (which was easier on the eyes, they were surrounded by enough light to make them visible) but without their coats, they'd freeze to death and people would think they were bumping into large, walking trees with long tails.
Out of all the nation-planets Herakles had already been to, New Japan was the most interesting yet.
The sky was perpetually pitch black and light emitted from everything on the land-the native flora, the landscape, the wildlife and even its people, who were rounded, fuzzy like peaches, had no toes and were only half their size. They were color coded, too. People glowed either white or lilac. Animals glowed shades of blue or red. The rest was a plethora of different lights. The climate was cold but not harmful. All the visiting New Greek scholars needed were incredibly thick clothing and dark shades (because all those lights simply blended into a glaring white if your eyes weren't built for filtering them) in order to walk around comfortably. Other nations had to have space suits, like New Venetians and New Chinese.
They alighted on their last stop and bowed in thanks to the station employee before wheeling out their bags onto the wide village road. The difference of the city from the prefectures was astounding. Aside from the distance between them, the lights of Tokyo were almost a painful glare compared to the soft glow of Okinawa.
It was a windy April afternoon. Despite what their watches and timetables said, it really felt more night than noon and a quiet one at that. The suburbian style houses that shone a peaceful shade of mahogany could be counted in both hands. There was no one on the streets save for a few people in the nearby convenience store. What was particularly striking, however, were the two rows of pink trees with thin, elegant branches that seemed to crawl upward into the black sky and shook with the slightest breeze, showering the grey ground in truly breath-taking lights.
"Like fireflies on a summer countryside evening," Herakles whispered, puzzled at the curious twinge of something in his chest, as though he wasn't a stranger to the sight.
"Oho!" his exchange students exclaimed in excitement. "It was just as they said in the EP sheet! We couldn't have come at a better time!"
"Sir?" one asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. "The lodgings are up ahead. Shall we walk?"
"Of course."
Up ahead was a moss green mountain rise, fronted by the Interplanetary Dormitory which stood significantly taller than any of the trees or buildings around it. It was one of the few facilities built for exchange students of their size and would serve as their home while they observed and studied the lifestyles and culture of the New Japanese.
These twenty-person exchange programs were the most revolutionary brainchild of the New Council after the controversial resignation of the entire first Council two generations prior. Herakles could remember how different that meeting was. Like any major decision that had been made, all the Heads of the nation-planets had been asked to participate in a live chat session.
Herakles had logged in late, having returned from one of his regular city visits. Despite the lack of voice or face in the chat logs he read, it was clear that there was a palpable tension amongst the nations in discussion. Not that Herakles was supposed to read too much into it. Bad things happened the last time he read too much into things.
'Frankly, I'd say the experience must have been traumatic.' New Britain was saying.
'Not that it wasn't effective,' New Russia replied in a matter-of-factly sense. 'But still I'd never wish something like that on anyone, not even my worst enemy.'
'Did the Council really have a choice back then?' asked another nation. 'I mean, we were only starting out and we could only imagine how much work it was for them to keep the Satellite System stable. What could have happened if they actually met?'
'Still, it was a big price to pay, my friend,' New Spain interjected, grave and quiet despite being letters on the screen. 'Now that we're having this meeting, I don't think anyone here hasn't thought of wanting to see each other, or was sad that we're far away from each other.'
There was a solemn silence in the chat room. New Romano's user popped in and looked as if he was about to say something, but vanished soon after.
'At any rate, it's been a while,' New Germany said. 'Does anyone know how they've been doing?'
At that point, Herakles wanted to butt in and say he was doing alright and that it wasn't very nice to talk over his head as if they didn't see 'New Greece has joined the session' somewhere up there or like he was missing something big. Sure, at first he had been utterly sick and confused about what happened to him but over the years, he came to accept that what he had done was wrong (though there was a giant blank drawn every time he tried to remember what exactly his punishment was, well, after getting past the searing headaches).
'Pretty okay, actually,' New Turkey said. 'Which is terrifying.'
'I can say the same,' New China added. 'No relationship ever made is of a lesser value than others. Cutting off one will affect not only everyone but would change your entire person.'
'And that's a lot coming from you,' New Britain said.
'I may be older than any of you but that doesn't mean I'm not still learning.'
'In light of the discussions,' a representative of the Council said. 'We've decided to resign from our posts. The pressure to do so has been overwhelming since The Incident. We realize we have sorely miscalculated our actions. Only nations are meant to live this long.'
'We aren't leaving your Butterflies in the air so we can all learn from this,' New America stated.
'We understand.'
And with that, youth groups from each country had eagerly presented themselves as replacements, claiming reform was truly needed if they wanted the Satellite System to work efficiently.
The first thing they did was shut down the Shangri La and open all communication lines across all three hundred nation-planets. Actual space travel took longer to complete, with the multitude of species and atmospheric conditions to make provisions for. The exchange programs approved twenty scholars for interplanetary travel and the stays lasted from a couple of weeks to as much as half a year, depending on what was agreed upon or what they wanted to learn. It was optional for the Nation Head to join them. Most did.
Truth be told, when New Japan opened up slots for an exchange, Herakles found himself among the first to sign up. He didn't know why. Getting a schedule was hard enough, since his own country found itself increasingly busy accommodating its own sets of exchanges, New America, New Spain and New Egypt among the first few.
How should he describe meeting them?
He probably should have been more excited, and missed them more than he had, but for some mildly frustrating reason, all the reaction he could express were hugs tighter than those he usually gave and a comfortable warmth flitting across his shoulders that was almost a feeling he somehow had lost the name for.
He wasn't dense. He knew he had lost something they considered important, that might have been important to Herakles himself if he felt it was. He saw it in the way New Spain acted like a nostalgic old man who insisted his students were fine on their own and that they should be eating and catching up with each other's lives (especially since he'd finally brought the crate of tomatoes he'd promised so long ago). He saw it in the way New America was fidgety around him, as if he were a survivor of some great calamity and needed constant tiptoeing about lest he'd get offended, not that Herakles really was. Feeling more of anything was something he couldn't do.
When New Egypt visited (looking like his canine counterpart), Herakles had been prepared to receive more sympathies (which were getting tiring, honestly). What he didn't expect was a dull gonging in his chest that began as he and his mayors waited for their arrival at the Santorini City Spaceport built on the shallow sea.
At first he thought it was one of his attacks, only this time a chest pain rather than a headache. It didn't hurt any less and was even growing stronger by the minute. It made his heart race and his stomach turn.
New Egypt was one of the few nations with almost the same climate as his and so he was the first fellow nation Herakles actually hugged. It was only then, in that tight embrace, did the gonging inside him stop and he found tears welling in his eyes that he couldn't explain.
"Hassan I-"
"It's good to see you, Herakles. It really is."
Herakles wondered why the thought of New Japan gave him this same painful longing and was drawn to going there more than ever. For the first time in a long time, he was scared.
The exchange was approved four months later, after New Egypt's stay ended. Corporal Cat had been watching him pack and she had the biggest smile on her face (if erin!ŋao could really smile, Herakles just knew she was deliriously happy).
"Enjoy your stay there, Hera."
"Thank you, Corporal. I will."
And she practically kicked him out the door.
"We're observing a preschool in the area," one of the New Greek exchange students was saying. They were all gathered in the low-ceilinged dining hall of their dorm. They had nothing to do before dinner and decided to discuss the itinerary for the next day. "The principal said the students would be grateful for the experience. She said she sent a message to the mayor of Okinawa and hoped we'd get an audience with the Nation Head."
The table broke out in murmurs and Herakles stood to crank up the heater.
"Seriously? The Nation Head? That'd be awesome but…"
"Has anyone ever seen him?"
"We’ve heard from the exchange students who've been to New Japan before that he only saw with other Nation Heads. Upon special request, even."
Herakles could practically feel their gazes on the back of his neck. He sighed and turned to them with a weary smile. "Let's just see what tomorrow brings, alright? Remember, we're here to study their culture. Being treated as guests won't exactly help."
They visibly wilted like school kids denied a field trip. With the shake of his head, he added. "I'm going out for a walk. Go ahead and have dinner."
It was night time, according to Herakles' watch but the sky wasn't any different. He took a stroll along the residences near the dorm and watched as tiny lights escaped from the neat rows of shrubbery distinguishing one yard from the next.
Following with his eyes where the smaller streets lead to, there was an immense traditional house shielded by foliage, but the wood that peeked through the glowing leaves was of a lighter shade that mahogany. It was also surrounded by the same elegant, pink trees they had seen on their way in. Another breeze shook loose a few blossoms and left them floating in the air. It was the prettiest thing Herakles had ever seen and made a mental note to ask what they were called.
He had never talked to New Japan. He hoped to meet him on this visit but knew not where he lived or how he'd be able to tell him apart from his people. His dealings with the nation were through the mayors and were brief and direct. His memories of him were as short, blunt and scattered, though something squirmed in his gut whenever Herakles tried to think about them, like the last embers of a burning tree.
It was indeed curious how he seemed to feel like he had been here before. The large traditional house almost seemed inviting, if not imposing, like a memory. Pulling his many coats tighter around him, he continued walking.
Steps carved out on a hillside interrupted the neat curve of road. The softly glowing stone must lead to a shrine or a temple, as Herakles heard that there were many about the country and its prefectures. As he contemplated climbing them, he heard a sound like excited cricket chirping and felt something small and fuzzy attach itself to his tail.
(And there it was, hidden but sure. A dull gonging in his chest.)
Herakles turned around and found a tiny blue animal, reminiscent of an Earth dog, eagerly looking up at him with large, black eyes.
"Ah…"
"ぽち!" called a low male voice in what Herakles recognized as Japanese. (The gonging increased, familiar and painful, resonating within his body in bronze waves.) He saw a small, round man glowing lilac, jogging to catch up with it. "Pochi," he repeated in English. "That is a foreigner!"
Herakles gently pried the little animal from his tail and set it on the ground. It beamed at him. "Is he yours?"
"Yes," answered the man breathessly, scooping it up in his arms. It made another happy cricket noise.
"Very lively," he said conversationally.
"I apologize," and the man bowed low.
"Oh! No need!" Herakles said, turning to him.
The man looked up and their eyes met. (The gonging ceased and there was silence.)
A pearl colored butterfly passed between them.
END
"Whatever happens now that I've changed
No one will ever stand in our way
We both sent the signal, it's been delivered
A crashing cymbal rings out"
- Falling Without Knowing, Tilly and the Wall
Category: Axis Powers Hetalia / Hetalia World Series
Characters/Pairings: Greece/Japan, others mentioned
Genre/Rating/Warnings: romance, drama, sci-fi/PG/post apocalyptic space opera, switching between country and human names
Summary/Excerpt: The nations are living in their own planets, united under one galaxy. By strict decree, they are unable to see or travel to each other and any sort of communication is under the Council's heavy surveillance. New Greece is bothered by the memories of his former self, especially those of a certain island nation. He is willing to break boundaries, cross time and space to know if a connection between them still exists.
A/N: HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY GREECE! *sparkles* Shoutouts! \O/ Thank you to charlzway for the v-gift! The message made me squee~ :'3 Thank you to seena58 for challenging me to do a "tragic, happy and lame" ending! This bit's the happy and lame part :D A huge, huge thank you to chromatic_coma for being my wonderful wonderful beta! And thank you to absolutely everyone who saw this story through! You are all awesome. I love you guys and aaaaaah dkfgjhdfjkg >///< ♥♥♥
one | two | three | four | five | SIX
In this installment: A new era brings many changes. As one story ends, another begins.
Completely falling,
Falling without knowing
They boarded the 11:06am train from the Tokyo Spaceport to Okinawa prefecture. The route involved three different train lines and six transfers but Herakles Karpusi, personification and Head of New Greece, was sure he and his humble group of twenty exchange students would arrive at their designated dormitory without getting lost. He had never seen clearer instructions on an Exchange Program Sheet.
It was a weekday and the trains weren't full but that didn't stop them from looking like foreigners (aliens, really) and being stared at by fellow passengers. They were donned in eight layers of thick coats that were painted a dull fluorescent and hauled around four months' worth of luggage that had blinkers stuck to them so as to be seen by the natives. Herakles couldn't fathom how they could be missed though. They were twice as tall as the New Japanese and didn't glow at all (which was easier on the eyes, they were surrounded by enough light to make them visible) but without their coats, they'd freeze to death and people would think they were bumping into large, walking trees with long tails.
Out of all the nation-planets Herakles had already been to, New Japan was the most interesting yet.
The sky was perpetually pitch black and light emitted from everything on the land-the native flora, the landscape, the wildlife and even its people, who were rounded, fuzzy like peaches, had no toes and were only half their size. They were color coded, too. People glowed either white or lilac. Animals glowed shades of blue or red. The rest was a plethora of different lights. The climate was cold but not harmful. All the visiting New Greek scholars needed were incredibly thick clothing and dark shades (because all those lights simply blended into a glaring white if your eyes weren't built for filtering them) in order to walk around comfortably. Other nations had to have space suits, like New Venetians and New Chinese.
They alighted on their last stop and bowed in thanks to the station employee before wheeling out their bags onto the wide village road. The difference of the city from the prefectures was astounding. Aside from the distance between them, the lights of Tokyo were almost a painful glare compared to the soft glow of Okinawa.
It was a windy April afternoon. Despite what their watches and timetables said, it really felt more night than noon and a quiet one at that. The suburbian style houses that shone a peaceful shade of mahogany could be counted in both hands. There was no one on the streets save for a few people in the nearby convenience store. What was particularly striking, however, were the two rows of pink trees with thin, elegant branches that seemed to crawl upward into the black sky and shook with the slightest breeze, showering the grey ground in truly breath-taking lights.
"Like fireflies on a summer countryside evening," Herakles whispered, puzzled at the curious twinge of something in his chest, as though he wasn't a stranger to the sight.
"Oho!" his exchange students exclaimed in excitement. "It was just as they said in the EP sheet! We couldn't have come at a better time!"
"Sir?" one asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. "The lodgings are up ahead. Shall we walk?"
"Of course."
Up ahead was a moss green mountain rise, fronted by the Interplanetary Dormitory which stood significantly taller than any of the trees or buildings around it. It was one of the few facilities built for exchange students of their size and would serve as their home while they observed and studied the lifestyles and culture of the New Japanese.
These twenty-person exchange programs were the most revolutionary brainchild of the New Council after the controversial resignation of the entire first Council two generations prior. Herakles could remember how different that meeting was. Like any major decision that had been made, all the Heads of the nation-planets had been asked to participate in a live chat session.
Herakles had logged in late, having returned from one of his regular city visits. Despite the lack of voice or face in the chat logs he read, it was clear that there was a palpable tension amongst the nations in discussion. Not that Herakles was supposed to read too much into it. Bad things happened the last time he read too much into things.
'Frankly, I'd say the experience must have been traumatic.' New Britain was saying.
'Not that it wasn't effective,' New Russia replied in a matter-of-factly sense. 'But still I'd never wish something like that on anyone, not even my worst enemy.'
'Did the Council really have a choice back then?' asked another nation. 'I mean, we were only starting out and we could only imagine how much work it was for them to keep the Satellite System stable. What could have happened if they actually met?'
'Still, it was a big price to pay, my friend,' New Spain interjected, grave and quiet despite being letters on the screen. 'Now that we're having this meeting, I don't think anyone here hasn't thought of wanting to see each other, or was sad that we're far away from each other.'
There was a solemn silence in the chat room. New Romano's user popped in and looked as if he was about to say something, but vanished soon after.
'At any rate, it's been a while,' New Germany said. 'Does anyone know how they've been doing?'
At that point, Herakles wanted to butt in and say he was doing alright and that it wasn't very nice to talk over his head as if they didn't see 'New Greece has joined the session' somewhere up there or like he was missing something big. Sure, at first he had been utterly sick and confused about what happened to him but over the years, he came to accept that what he had done was wrong (though there was a giant blank drawn every time he tried to remember what exactly his punishment was, well, after getting past the searing headaches).
'Pretty okay, actually,' New Turkey said. 'Which is terrifying.'
'I can say the same,' New China added. 'No relationship ever made is of a lesser value than others. Cutting off one will affect not only everyone but would change your entire person.'
'And that's a lot coming from you,' New Britain said.
'I may be older than any of you but that doesn't mean I'm not still learning.'
'In light of the discussions,' a representative of the Council said. 'We've decided to resign from our posts. The pressure to do so has been overwhelming since The Incident. We realize we have sorely miscalculated our actions. Only nations are meant to live this long.'
'We aren't leaving your Butterflies in the air so we can all learn from this,' New America stated.
'We understand.'
And with that, youth groups from each country had eagerly presented themselves as replacements, claiming reform was truly needed if they wanted the Satellite System to work efficiently.
The first thing they did was shut down the Shangri La and open all communication lines across all three hundred nation-planets. Actual space travel took longer to complete, with the multitude of species and atmospheric conditions to make provisions for. The exchange programs approved twenty scholars for interplanetary travel and the stays lasted from a couple of weeks to as much as half a year, depending on what was agreed upon or what they wanted to learn. It was optional for the Nation Head to join them. Most did.
Truth be told, when New Japan opened up slots for an exchange, Herakles found himself among the first to sign up. He didn't know why. Getting a schedule was hard enough, since his own country found itself increasingly busy accommodating its own sets of exchanges, New America, New Spain and New Egypt among the first few.
How should he describe meeting them?
He probably should have been more excited, and missed them more than he had, but for some mildly frustrating reason, all the reaction he could express were hugs tighter than those he usually gave and a comfortable warmth flitting across his shoulders that was almost a feeling he somehow had lost the name for.
He wasn't dense. He knew he had lost something they considered important, that might have been important to Herakles himself if he felt it was. He saw it in the way New Spain acted like a nostalgic old man who insisted his students were fine on their own and that they should be eating and catching up with each other's lives (especially since he'd finally brought the crate of tomatoes he'd promised so long ago). He saw it in the way New America was fidgety around him, as if he were a survivor of some great calamity and needed constant tiptoeing about lest he'd get offended, not that Herakles really was. Feeling more of anything was something he couldn't do.
When New Egypt visited (looking like his canine counterpart), Herakles had been prepared to receive more sympathies (which were getting tiring, honestly). What he didn't expect was a dull gonging in his chest that began as he and his mayors waited for their arrival at the Santorini City Spaceport built on the shallow sea.
At first he thought it was one of his attacks, only this time a chest pain rather than a headache. It didn't hurt any less and was even growing stronger by the minute. It made his heart race and his stomach turn.
New Egypt was one of the few nations with almost the same climate as his and so he was the first fellow nation Herakles actually hugged. It was only then, in that tight embrace, did the gonging inside him stop and he found tears welling in his eyes that he couldn't explain.
"Hassan I-"
"It's good to see you, Herakles. It really is."
Herakles wondered why the thought of New Japan gave him this same painful longing and was drawn to going there more than ever. For the first time in a long time, he was scared.
The exchange was approved four months later, after New Egypt's stay ended. Corporal Cat had been watching him pack and she had the biggest smile on her face (if erin!ŋao could really smile, Herakles just knew she was deliriously happy).
"Enjoy your stay there, Hera."
"Thank you, Corporal. I will."
And she practically kicked him out the door.
"We're observing a preschool in the area," one of the New Greek exchange students was saying. They were all gathered in the low-ceilinged dining hall of their dorm. They had nothing to do before dinner and decided to discuss the itinerary for the next day. "The principal said the students would be grateful for the experience. She said she sent a message to the mayor of Okinawa and hoped we'd get an audience with the Nation Head."
The table broke out in murmurs and Herakles stood to crank up the heater.
"Seriously? The Nation Head? That'd be awesome but…"
"Has anyone ever seen him?"
"We’ve heard from the exchange students who've been to New Japan before that he only saw with other Nation Heads. Upon special request, even."
Herakles could practically feel their gazes on the back of his neck. He sighed and turned to them with a weary smile. "Let's just see what tomorrow brings, alright? Remember, we're here to study their culture. Being treated as guests won't exactly help."
They visibly wilted like school kids denied a field trip. With the shake of his head, he added. "I'm going out for a walk. Go ahead and have dinner."
It was night time, according to Herakles' watch but the sky wasn't any different. He took a stroll along the residences near the dorm and watched as tiny lights escaped from the neat rows of shrubbery distinguishing one yard from the next.
Following with his eyes where the smaller streets lead to, there was an immense traditional house shielded by foliage, but the wood that peeked through the glowing leaves was of a lighter shade that mahogany. It was also surrounded by the same elegant, pink trees they had seen on their way in. Another breeze shook loose a few blossoms and left them floating in the air. It was the prettiest thing Herakles had ever seen and made a mental note to ask what they were called.
He had never talked to New Japan. He hoped to meet him on this visit but knew not where he lived or how he'd be able to tell him apart from his people. His dealings with the nation were through the mayors and were brief and direct. His memories of him were as short, blunt and scattered, though something squirmed in his gut whenever Herakles tried to think about them, like the last embers of a burning tree.
It was indeed curious how he seemed to feel like he had been here before. The large traditional house almost seemed inviting, if not imposing, like a memory. Pulling his many coats tighter around him, he continued walking.
Steps carved out on a hillside interrupted the neat curve of road. The softly glowing stone must lead to a shrine or a temple, as Herakles heard that there were many about the country and its prefectures. As he contemplated climbing them, he heard a sound like excited cricket chirping and felt something small and fuzzy attach itself to his tail.
(And there it was, hidden but sure. A dull gonging in his chest.)
Herakles turned around and found a tiny blue animal, reminiscent of an Earth dog, eagerly looking up at him with large, black eyes.
"Ah…"
"ぽち!" called a low male voice in what Herakles recognized as Japanese. (The gonging increased, familiar and painful, resonating within his body in bronze waves.) He saw a small, round man glowing lilac, jogging to catch up with it. "Pochi," he repeated in English. "That is a foreigner!"
Herakles gently pried the little animal from his tail and set it on the ground. It beamed at him. "Is he yours?"
"Yes," answered the man breathessly, scooping it up in his arms. It made another happy cricket noise.
"Very lively," he said conversationally.
"I apologize," and the man bowed low.
"Oh! No need!" Herakles said, turning to him.
The man looked up and their eyes met. (The gonging ceased and there was silence.)
A pearl colored butterfly passed between them.
END
"Whatever happens now that I've changed
No one will ever stand in our way
We both sent the signal, it's been delivered
A crashing cymbal rings out"
- Falling Without Knowing, Tilly and the Wall