Ancients

A small chibi nation stumbled into the camp, then stopped, surprised and scared. A bunch of older nations were sitting around a campfire, and they all looked up at him.

"Salve?" a tall man in armor and a long red cape asked. The little nation was greeted by all the other older nations in their native tongues. "Geia sas." "Hello." "Guten tag." "Hi." "Nice to see you."

"N-n-ni hao..." the little nation managed to spit out. "M-wǒ de míngzì shì wángjūnyáo, wǒ - wǒ hěn bàoqiàn dǎrǎo nǐ. Wǒ - wǒ zhǐshì xiànzài wǒ de W xíng de fāngshì..."

A blond woman with slightly thick eyebrows spoke softly and slowly in the universal language that only countries knew. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

The little nation nodded, getting off the ground and onto his knees.

"Then you'll speak in the universal language so you can understand us, and we can understand you, alright?" she asked calmly. "I'm Bodescia Kirkland, I represent Britianna. Who are you?"

"I'm Yao Wang, China." the small nation answered softly.

"I'm Romulus Vargas, Roman Empire." the tall man in armor and the long red cape answered.

A very tanned lady with long black hair, adorned with ornaments, and black outlined eyes gave the small nation a smile. "I am Isis Hassan, Egypt."

"Hera Karpusi, Greece." a blond lady with bright green eyes said, tending the fire.

Another girl, probably around twelve, with heavily tanned skin smile at the boy as well. "Hakidonmuya, 'She who is waiting for the full moon' Jones, Native America."

A man with long blond hair studied the boy. "Alfher Beilschmidt, Germania."

Native America reached her hand out, taking China's. "We're all empires, like you. So we can be friends, yes? I'll call you Little Raven, because your hair is like a raven's feathers."

China smiled, standing up. "Alright." He let Native America lead him to the campfire, and took a seat between her and Rome.

°•~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~•°

"He's a boy, he'll sleep in the proper tent with us!" Germania argued.

"Kína's only a little kid, he should stay in the comfort of a female!" Ancient Greece countered. "What if he has a nightmare? It'd be better for him if it was a woman who comforted him, not a man!"

Native America stood up from her spot next to China. "ENOUGH!" Everyone looked at her, and she bent down to face China. "Little Raven, how many harvest moons are you?"

China gave her a blank look.

"She means how old are you." Ancient Egypt translated.

"Oh." He blinked. "I'm five."

Britianna shot Germania a triumphant look, then ushered Native America and China into the Indian girl's tent. "Why don't you two go into the tent now? Little children need their sleep."

Native America helped China get settled in her tent, which was a little large in the first place. She laid on her mat, watching him. China laid on the mat opposite of her, facing her. His golden eyes seemed to glow in the dark.

"If you're going to be my jie-jie, my sister, you need to tell me about yourself." China whispered.

The Native American girl smiled. "Well then. I am eight harvest moons. The others, mostly Greece, Britianna, and Egypt think I'm a savage. My favorite animals are the buffalo wolf, the spotted buffalo calf, and deer. My favorite color is brown, like the soil. Now tell me about you, Little Raven."

"I'm five Chinese zodiac. I'm relatively new, so I don't really know what's going on or why I'm treated very differently. I'm considered an Asian beauty and often mistaken for a girl. My favorite animals are the pandas and dragons. My favorite color is red, like the liquid of life." the kid answered.

"Gory, aren't we?"

China shook his head. "No. In my village, it's the symbol of happiness. And I feel I can do anything when I'm wearing it."

"Ah, I see." Native America reached out hesitantly, then brushed some hair out of the boy's face. "Your eyes, they're like a cat's. They glow."

He frowned. "Does it bother you? I can wear a blindfold if you want,..."

"No!" she yelped, a little too loud, making China jump. "Sorry for startling you. Don't cover them. It's something people of the West would covet. Like your silky hair, Little Raven."

He smiled, and his eyes fluttered close with a small, content sigh. Hakidonmuya waited for response, but after a few minutes, she realized the sigh was actually his slowing breath; he was asleep.

Hakidonmuya smiled, then reached over and pulled the blanket over the boy's shoulders before closing her eyes.

°•~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~•°

All the countries woke up to a small crackling. Britianna stirred, looking at Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt, the two others in her tent, then all three got up.

They poked their heads out of the tent, at the same time as Roman Empire, Germania, and Native America.

China was starting a small campfire. A nearby deer was tied to a few poles, and the pail was already full of water.

"Draak...?" Britianna asked in Dutch.

"Good morning. Did you all sleep well?" China asked happily. "I rose with the sun, if that's what you're wondering."

"Wh'r'd y'u le'n 'o h'nt?" Germania asked groggily.

China set the pail near the fire to boil. "I have to survive, don't I? There's not much that I can do with that weird, demonic kid on my trail,...I sort of taught myself."

Germania and Rome looked at each other, than at the boy. "Long, brown hair, and brown eyes with hints of lunaticy and insanity in them? Constantly at war and constantly talks about becoming the biggest empire in the world? Asks to be called 'Mongolia' or 'Mongolian Empire'?"

"My friend Russia and I call the boy 'Him' with a capital h or 'The Asian Demon'." China answered. Then his eyes lit up as he stood up and took off, hands in the air. "PANDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~!"

"Little Raven!" Native America yelled, then sighed. "I'll go get him..." She got out of her tent and ran in the direction the Asian nation had gone, braids flying behind her.

China was in a small clearing, playing with a panda cub. He held the cub out for Native America to see. "Look, Hakidonmuya! It's a panda cub!"

Native America cooed from China's moeness, then quickly composed herself. "Come on, Little Raven. You can't just run off like that. Let's go back to camp."

"Alright." China held the cub with one arm, cradling it, and took the girl's hand with his free one. The two walked back to camp.

°•~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~•°

Ancient Greece looked up. "Native America? Why is your nose bleeding?"

"It is? Whoops." She wiped it away. "China had a moe moment. So today we're returning back to civilization?"

"What's civilization?" China interrupted, causing everyone to look at him.

Germania raised an eyebrow. "You know, towns and cities?" China continued give him a blank stare. "A huge number of homes grouped together, along with markets? What kinda place do you live in?!"

"A small group of huts that's quite spread out, that are farms. If anything bad happens, we share." China answered blankly.

"You are in for one big surprise." Ancient Egypt answered.

°•~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~•°

China stared at the bustling town, mouth wide open.

"That was my reaction too." Native America chuckled. "I grew up on the plains in teepees; we moved with the buffalo."

Rome turned. "Welcome, to the Roman Capital! My dad, Trojan, should he here any moment now to talk with us-"

"Sir!" A messenger ran up. "Sir Rome! I have some news for you, it's very important!"

"What is it?" Rome asked.

"Troy has fallen, and your father has disappeared. No one knows where he is, or if he's alive." the messenger replied, backing up a few steps from the now angered country. "The Greeks were the ones who mounted the attack after Helen was taken."

Rome whirled around, glaring at Ancient Greece. He opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't come up with anything. Native America knew what would happen next, so she covered China's ears and pushed his face against her.

When she removed her hands, the Asian pushed his face away from her, looking at where Ancient Greece and Rome had been.

Rome was walking away, his front probably covered in blood. Ancient Greece laid on the ground, eyes closed and not moving. Her body shimmered, then disappeared, being replaced with a small, sleeping baby.

Britianna took off her cloak, placing it on Native America and pulling up the hood. Then she picked up the sleeping baby and gave it to her. "Hakidonmuya, take this baby, deliver it to the doorstep of the Greek nobles. By the time you get there, the Roman army will be gone. Take care, he's a country."

Native America nodded, and took off.

Britianna scooped up China. "Come, Draak, we must go to wear we stay."

"What about Greece? Where is she?" China asked, frightened.

Ancient Egypt winced. "The Greece we know is now gone. Out of the darkness, and into the sun, Setne. Native America should be back soon." China nodded and allowed himself to be carried into the village.

°•~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~•°

Native America returned that night. "Little Raven?"

China sat up immediately in bed. "Hakidonmuya!"

She put a finger to her lips, then crawled into the bed. "Shush, little brother. I was here all night, alright?"

Getting what she meant, he nodded and laid back down, cuddling his pet panda cub.

°•~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~•°

The next morning, Ancient Egypt didn't awake like she usually did.

"Someone should wake the Egyptian up." Native America sighed. "She's never slept this late."

Britianna nodded. "I'll go get her." She got up and walked down the hall. Her scream echoed through the walls a few seconds later. "ISIS!"

Native America and China ran down the hall. Ancient Egypt laid half-dead on the floor.

"S-setne..." she managed to say.

China rushed to her side, taking her hand. "I'm right here, what do you need, jie-jie?"

"My son..." she sighed, shakily pointing to a small bed in the corner, before her hand fell and her eyes closed. China's eyes widened as her hand grew cold.

"J-jie-jie?" he whimpered. Native America wrapped herself in Britianna's cloak and took the little baby from the bed before running out of the house.

"This has gone to far." Germania said from behind them. "If another one of us falls from Rome's hand, I'm taking him down."

°•~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~•°

Rome took China took the market later that morning.

"This, Lorem ipsum, is civilization." He waved his hand around. "Your little village will soon be like this."

"Wow..." China breathed. "It's so... beautiful!"

Native America, still wearing Britianna's cloak, ran up. She'd returned from wherever she had been. Now she was holding a leather necklace that had a shark tooth on it.

"Look, Little Raven! I got this for you!" Native America placed it around his neck. "It'll give you luck. As long as you wear it, nothing bad will ever happen to you. You'll be a strong country, even if there will be hardships along the bumpy road."

"Xíe-xíe, Hakidonmuya." China answered, studying the tooth. "I'll always wear it. Till death do we part." He took her hand.

"Till death do we part." Native America echoed, wrapping her fingers around his.

°•~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~•°

Weeks later, Britianna gave birth to a little boy. He had blond hair and bright blue eyes.

"So what's his name, Britianna?" Native America giggled.

"Francis." she answered, then lowered her voice. "Hakidonmuya, listen closely. I feel it. My empire is close to dying. You took care of my first two children, I need you to do the same with Francis, and the little kingdom that will take my place. Can you do this for me?"

Native America nodded.

°•~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~•°

That night, Britianna was attacked by the Roman Empire, and fell. Native America disappeared with Francis and the little kingdom- blond, green eyes, slightly thick eyebrows- that would take her place.

Years passed. Hakidonmuya grew into a beautiful young lady who always looked after her younger brother, especially in the presence of the ever strengthening and now untrustworthy Rome. She bore twins, and she and China took care of them as brother and sister. One had messy blond hair, with a cowlick that refused to flatten down, and bright blue eyes. The other was also blond, but much neater and a cute, quirky curl that stuck out, and had bright purple eyes.

As Germania promised, he brought down Rome. In his place were two little countries, which Native America took care of as she did all the other countries before. But he brought himself down by suicide for killing his closest friend, and Native America took care of Germania's successors as well.

Then Native America disappeared into the night with her twins, leaving a thirteen year old China to fend for himself.

Believing Hakidonmuya had fallen as well, China retreated back to his place in the East. Like Rome had predicted, his village grew to a town, then to a huge town with smaller villages around it, then to the great mass of land, that eventually overthrew the Mongolian Empire with the help of Russia.

°•~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~•°

Back in the present day, he sat quietly at the Allied Powers meeting.

"We need to bond so we can become stronger!" America said proudly. "So we're gonna do just that! Not only are all of you invited to a party at my house tonight, we're gonna start the bonding process. So we'll start with writing down all the names we've ever been called, ok?"

"Sounds reasonable." England answered. "Quite frankly, we do need to form a stronger team, bonding is probably the best way to do it."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and then for the next few minutes, all you heard was pencils on paper.

'China, Aniki, Yao, Ni-Ni,...' China counted off in his head, then wishful thinking pushed through. Without giving it a second thought, he quickly wrote down a few more names he'd been called, then passed it in with the other nations.

America raised an eyebrow. "Uh..." France and England looked over America's shoulder.

"Draak, Little Raven, Lorem ipsum, Kína, Setne, Pandajunges [Panda cub]?" England read aloud, then looked at China, wondering if he should bother asking.

"What?" China asked warily. "I'm being totally honest, I've been called those."

"Little Raven?" France asked, raising an eyebrow. "Sounds Native American. But it should be Dragon Warrior any-"

He didn't get to finish that sentence. China launched out of the chair and gave France a swift punch in the face. The French crashed into the wall.

"It's. Little Raven." China growled, clenching his fists. "Unless you're dissing my jie-jie, which will just get you punched."

"Whoa there, dude." America answered, placing his hand on the Asian's shoulder. "Calm down."

°•~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~•°

Later that day, everyone came to America's for his costume party. Apparently everyone was invited, not just the Allies.

"It feels great to be back in my pirate clothes again." England sighed happily. France, Prussia, and Spain- after he'd gotten over his Spanish armada (again)- nodded.

"Dude, China and Hong Kong are here!" America laughed, opening the door. He found five year old Hong Kong as a panda (He shared the Chinese's obsession.) and China as... The world seemed to stop for everyone that was there, which totaled up to about twenty-five nations.

"China?" Lithuania asked, squinting. "Is that you?"

China nodded, keeping his solemn look. He was dressed as a Native American. His clothes were obviously real buckskin, and he wore what looked like a buffalo fur cloak. His silky black hair was braided, and had feathers in it. China even had an old-looking shark tooth necklace to go with it.

"Vhat's with zhe sudden theme?" Germany asked suspiciously. The Chinese shrugged, signaling either he didn't know, or he wasn't going to answer.

"Well, don't just stand there, come on in!" America stepped out of the way and the two walked in. "Since we already have everybody's attention, I'd like to make an extremely important announcement. We're all aware we're not the first of the nations, we're merely the second generation. There were ones before us, the Ancients. So I'd like to say, I've gotten special permission, and they've come down from Heaven to give us a visit!"

A group of four girls and two boys stepped out of the hall. Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, Native America, Britianna, Roman Empire, and Germania.

"I figured you'd be a little lonely since you're the last of the living ancients, so I thought.." America noticed the shocked look on China's face. "I'd introduce you to some Ancients?"

"LITTLE RAVEN!" Native America shouted, tackling China. "I MISSED YOU SO MUCH, I'M SO SORRY I HAD TO LEAVE!"

"H-Hakidonmuya!" China hiccuped, obviously holding back tears. He hugged the Native American girl tighter as the other Ancients ran towards him as well, calling out their names for him as well.

"I never thought I'd see the day!" Rome laughed, clapping the obviously emotional China on the back. "Lorem ipsum, you've outlasted all of us! And you were just like a panda cub when you first stumbled into our camp..." All the Ancients laughed.

"Alright, what's going on?!" South Korea demanded. "How do they know Aniki?"

"They're my first family." China answered, happily. "Before I returned to the East and found Japan."

"I thought..." America started, obviously confused.

Native America laughed. "Oh, Alfred, Alfred, Alfred! I never did tell you why I had a drawing of a panda on my teepees, did I?" America looked at Canada through the corner of his eye then slowly lifted a finger gun to his temple.

"Ve, so you knew our parents?" Italy asked, after getting over the fact that his grandpa was here. China nodded, then the party resumed.

Native America shyly took China's hand. "So, Little Raven, I guess not even death can make us part. Till death do we part."

He smiled at her. "Till death do we part, Hakidonmuya." China leaned in for a kiss.

"LIKE, OH MY GOD!" Poland yelled, pointing at them. America turned to look, then passed out.