Hello, everyone! Thank you for choosing to read my story. I'll admit, it was very hard for me to muster up the courage to post it where anyone could see it... I just had an idea and it blossomed and refused to stay in my head. I deeply apologize if this story resembles anyone else's in any way, it was not my intention to steal ideas. I'm also sorry if any of the characters are OOC, but I tried my hardest to keep them in character. This note is very long, so I'll stop rambling. Oh, speaking of rambling, I do tend to do that in my writing. If anyone seems to be talking excessively, that's probably why. Also, shameless Google Translating. Ok, to the actual story!

In Terra Deaeque, there is a legend passed down through the ages: the legend of the three Goddesses. This is how it goes...

Before Terra Deaeque, there was a plain expanse of land and ocean. There were no living things except for three Goddesses and one Great Angel. In these times long past, they soared about the land alone, endlessly existing.

The immortals felt quite bored, naturally, after several eons of this. The Great Angel, Matris Magnae, spread her rainbow coloured wings and granted her three children the power to make living things.

The Goddesses wasted no time creating nature, covering the ground in grass and trees, filling the water with gently waving sea grass. After covering the land in fresh greens, they decided to make inhabitants to enjoy it. First, they filled the oceans with swimming creatures. Afterwards, they spread many different species across the earth.

Soon, they decided that they should create beings with high intelligence. The first Goddess let her thoughts form into shapes, and soon recognizable forms appeared; she had modelled them after what she and her sisters looked like. She had created the first humans. She taught her group to be smart, but calculating; to be loyal to their friends, but knowing when it was time to save your own skin; to be trusting, but always on guard. These humans were called the Docte.

The second Goddess liked the idea of these 'humans'. She created more of them, but decided to teach them her own ways. She instructed them on being brave in the face of danger, and always putting others first. She taught them to forever protect their friends and loved ones. They were called the Fortis.

The third Goddess, not to be outdone, created her own race of humans. She filled them with fighting spirit, and taught them to always be prepared and ready to fight. This race was named the Bellator.

Finally, Matris Magnae spread her wings again. She created a much smaller group of humans, and filled them with love, kindness, friendship, loyalty, and bravery. She dubbed them the Omnes.

The Goddesses retreated high into the clouds, knowing their time on the land was done. They watched over Terra Deaeque, occasionally granting their humans gifts. The greatest gift they bestowed was companionship.

The Goddesses decided that the humans should live peacefully with the many other species on the land. Every human got a special animal companion. The animal appeared to them at a young age, and stayed with them for the rest of their lives.

The humans mated with each other, never doing so outside their own clan. They multiplied, and prospered on the land of Terra Deaeque.

The first deity, the Goddess of Wiliness, watched over her Docte.

The second one, the Goddess of Bravery, observed her Fortis.

The third, the Goddess of Fighting Spirit, oversaw her Bellator.

The Great Angel tried to care for her Omnes, but once every one hundred years, her opponent, the Shadow God, arose in the land and challenged the Goddesses. Every time this happened, the immortals chose six champions to represent them; two Fortis, one Docte, two Bellator, and one Omnes, the leader. They grant the six blessings to defeat the Shadow, who chooses one dark-hearted individual from any one of the groups, giving this one a large shadow army. The Great Angel battles the Shadow himself, but with every encounter, she grows weaker...

This is the legend of the three Goddesses. A temple stands near each town, guarded by disciples that are raised to believe the legend as truth. Two Docte guard their temple, two Fortis guard theirs, two Bellator guard theirs, and a single Omnes guards the Great Angel's temple.

What many of the humans have forgotten is that the legend is true, and the hundredth year has come yet again. The shadow enemy is ready to strike once more, and the Goddesses are choosing their heroes...

The Goddess of Wiliness, named Callidum, lounged on a cloud, staring down at her Docte.

"Hmm," she mused. "Who to pick?"

"Callidum!" called an annoyed voice. "Have you chosen yet?"

The Goddess of Bravery, named Bonus, landed on the fluffy mass. She peeked over the edge. "You're still watching them?"

"Patience, sister," said Callidum lazily. She watched as two of the tiny humans got into a fight, and the humans surrounding them all left the area. One of them, however, approached the two and appeared to break the fight up. "Interesting," she muttered.

"What?" asked Bonus, distracted. "Oh look, there's Proelium."

The Goddess of Fighting Spirit swooped over. "We can't tell her until you pick, sister, so get a move on," she snapped.

"Keep your hair on," Callidum snorted. "I've picked, okay? I'll send him the dream tonight."

"Good," said Bonus, relieved. "I've spotted my two as well. They're brothers, so it's okay that we can only send one dream each."

"Agreed." Proelium nodded. "My two aren't related, but I can send the dream to one of them and influence the others' animal companion to lead her, or something. Let's find Mother."

The three Goddesses rose to their feet and flew over to the great, sparkling palace that the Great Angel lived in.

"Mother!" Proelium called. "We have chosen our champions!"

"Very good, my children."

Matris Magnae stood gracefully; she flapped her beautiful white wings and lighted down amidst the Goddesses. "I have chosen my champion as well. My dreams are fainter then yours, and the poor child has had a hard life, so I fear my diluted dream alone will not convince him, or even convey my message properly. The dreams you three send have to tell of a mysterious boy without a companion, the leader of the saviours. They will have to find him."

"Yes, Mother," chorused the three.

"Mother," began Bonus nervously. "The Shadow grows more powerful every hundred years, and you grow weaker. Will you be able to defeat him once more?"

The Great Angel's gaze grew hard. "I will try, but if I fall, my champion must take my place and defeat the Shadow once and for all, following in the footsteps of the very first champions."

The Goddesses saluted in their own ways respectfully. Callidum put her hands behind her back and bowed, Bonus put her hand on her heart and inclined her head, and Prolium crossed her arms over her chest, making an X, and bowed. Matris Magnae saluted them back by making a three clawed gesture for warding off evil over her heart.

"Go, my children!" she commanded. "Go and awaken the heroes!"

This is just setting up, so no Hetalia characters yet. The next chapter will, I promise. Anyway, this is going to be a long-ish fic, and the chapters will definitely be longer than this one. The updates will be random, as I have a lot going on in life right now. Feel free to drop a review telling me what you think! Arrivaderci!