The Trouble with Time Travel, a Hetalia fanshort by Mocha-san

((Author's Note: This was written last night when I was searching for inspiration, randomly wrote a sentence, and then a plotline started flowing from there.))

“...and that was when I invented it!”
Hong Kong stared warily at the little go-cart-like machine Korea was gesturing to. “Korea,” Hong Kong sighed, “You and I both know you didn’t invent this “time machine” you have.”
Korea drew back, indignant. “I did too, da ze! Everything originated in Korea, so why not this time machine?”
“I saw you borrow it from Norway’s garage.”
Korea sighed in defeat. “Anyhow, I still say we should use it to go back in time!”
“First of all, how do you know this thing even works?” Hong Kong asked simply. “Second of all, why would we need to go back in time? We’re all over, like, 200 years old at least.”
“So? We can revisit the good times, da ze!” Korea argued. “Hey, how about we do something nice for aniki and go back to Ancient China and prevent Chun Li from dying?”
Hong Kong considered that for a moment before common sense came back and he shook his head. “No. Terrible idea. What if living with Chun for the rest of his life, telling that Chinese dragons are immortal too, ends in, like, Japan never being born or found? Which would lead to us never coming to be? That’s technically suicide.”
“You and your common sense, da ze,” Korea mused, crossing his arms. “Fine, then. Let’s go back to a year ago and get back at Macau for that one game of Project Diva,” Korea said, climbing into the machine. “Come if you want!”
Hong Kong knew that the chances of something good coming from this venture would be a very definite 9941890 to 1, but he had nothing better to do. So he shrugged and climbed in next to Korea.
Korea turned a dial on the dashboard to “Last Year”. “To the past, da ze! uri nara mansae!”
With that, there was flash of hot pink light and they were gone.

One time journey later…

The time machine deposited them back in the same spot they had left. Hong Kong was drooped over the edge of the vehicle, the rides through time giving him a stomachache.
Meanwhile, Korea was celebrating. “MANSAE! We returned alive! Right, Hong Kong?” No answer. “Are you still nauseous, da ze?”
“No,” Hong Kong replied, “But we kind of have a situation.”
“What would that be, da ze?” Korea looked up. “WHAT THE HECK?!!”
China’s house, where they were supposed to be, was gone. Heck, not even the bamboo forest was there. It was all plum groves.
“Where are we?!” Korea was flipping out. “What happened?! Did we get dropped off in the middle of nowhere?! Oh my God, aniki is going to kill--”
“Hold that thought, Kimchi Lad,” Hong Kong interrupted, placing a hand on Korea’s shoulder to stop him from moving. “I think we got a bigger problem.”
Korea and Hong Kong looked towards the gray sky, where they found the glimmer of skylights.
“Come on,” Hong Kong said as he climbed out of the time machine. “Let’s go see what happened.”
Korea climbed out after them, and they scrambled out of the plum trees towards what they hoped was civilization.
Of course, they found just that. However, this definitely wasn’t the kind of civilization they hoped to see. Everything was grey, white, and red, with maple leaf flags everywhere and on every billboard. People walked around wearing tan coats, and a lot of them had baby polar bears in their arms.
“Holy…” Korea couldn’t even finish.
“I knew this time travel thing was a terrible idea,” Hong Kong deadpanned.
Just then, to confirm their fears, a TV screen next to a billboard turned on and revealed the gently smiling face of Canada. “Hello, this is your ruler Canada speaking,” said Canada, “The time is 9:45, and today, breakfast is pancakes with the best maple syrup around! If that’s OK with you, that is. Have a nice day!”
Korea was visibly trembling. “CANADA took over the world, da ze?!”
“Time to go back to the past again,” Hong Kong said just as flatly. Korea grabbed his collar and started dragging him in the direction of the time machine.

Another time journey later…

Korea opened his eyes, sat up, and looked around frantically.
Blue sky, bamboo, and China’s house. Everything was as it had been.
“YES!” Korea hollered in delight. “YES! WE SAVED THE PRESENT, DA ZE! URI NARA MANSAE!”
“Great,” Hong Kong deadpanned. “Can we take this thing back to Norway’s and go back in now?”
“What were you two up to, aru? And what in the name of Confucius is that?”
Korea watched China approach them, already feeling trouble was around the corner. “We went back in time, da ze! We just fixed a tiny detail, but when we came back, Canada had taken over the world! So we went back again and fixed it, da ze!”
China raised an eyebrow. “Hong Kong, is that true, aru?”
“Yes, and I need to lie down,” Hong Kong replied, still drooped over the side of the machine.
China rolled his eyes. “Well, after all the magic mishaps, dragons, and then the Jiangshi incident, I’m not surprised anymore, aru.” He went back into the house. “Come inside for lunch, aru.”
“Mansae!”
“Ugh.”

A Magical Girl (Not Really), a Hetalia fanshort by Mocha-san

((Author's Note: This was originally a Fem!England/Norway oneshot, but I started taking an interest in the vampiric trickster known as Romania so I created something called the Magic Triangle. Thus this was born. It's weird, I get good ideas at school.))

On a more-or-less chilly afternoon in London, the Magic Club was causing trouble once again, all huddled up in some faraway dungeon.
“Ahahahahahaha!” said Alice, slamming a spellbook onto the table. “I, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, have finally learned an ultra-advanced spell!”
“Oh God,” deadpanned Lukas, a.k.a Norway.
“You, shut your mouth,” she retorted, pointing at him. “I have come across the best thing: an actual time travel spell!” Her green eyes were sparkling.
“REALLY?!” Vladimir, also known as Romania, exclaimed. “Heck yeah! We can go into the time before Denmark pranked us in 1954!”
“We said we’d never speak of that again.”
“Hey, it’s not MY fault Godzilla stepped on your car…”
“Enough,” Alice interrupted, giving Vladimir a gentle bonk on the head with her wand. “We’re not going to 1954 just to steal Denmark’s axe.”
“Can we go to the Undefined Fantastic Object incident again, then?” Vladimir prompted, looking hopefully.
England and Norway gave him “ಠ_ಠ” stares. “NO.”
“Aww…”
“Let’s just go to next year,” said Lukas, being logical. “It’s much easier and less damaging to go into the future.”
“Good point,” Alice agreed, rubbing the back of her head. “Well then, let us begin!” She picked up the spellbook and raised her wand, her black cape fluttering as the magic circle began to glow. She whispered the spell confidently, determination written all over her face.
Lukas and Vladimir watched her do this with a degree of awe and amusement. The truth was, they had always found Alice entertaining and cute, especially when she became ridiculously overconfident.
The room began to fill with white as the spell was completed. And then…
…
…
…
...Nothing happened.
Vladimir fell off his chair in laughter while Lukas facepalmed. Alice stood there, frozen, her face getting redder and redder by the second.
“Stop laughing at me!!” Alice roared, waving her arms in her fit. “Let me try again!” She redid the spell, but still nothing happened. She recited the spell about 15 more times, wondering why on earth it wasn’t working.
Vladimir and Lukas watched her struggle, smiling softly to themselves. She’s so cute when she’s being dorky.
“Why isn’t it working…?!” Alice choked, defeated.
Vladimir walked up behind her and patted her shoulder. “Oh, my dear,” he cooed, “We both know that time is a very strong force. It’s perfectly fine if you can’t hack it.”
Vladimir’s face, meet Alice’s elbow. “Shut up, you git.”
Lukas gave a slight smirk. “Usual business, eh, Alice?”
Alice gave him a blushy glare and turned away stubbornly. “Whatever. Let’s just work on that stupid pumpkin potion.”
“OK, Allie!”
“Don’t call me that!”
“You let Alfred call you that.”
“THAT’S DIFFERENT!”
“Whatever you say, Allie!”
“You’re all gits.”

Caramel Toffee, a AmeBel fanshort by Mocha-san

((Author's Note: A little America/Belarus I wrote when randomly writing things one afternoon.))

Belarus ran a hand through her platinum hair, waiting more-or-less patiently on the street corner. 
You see, while Belarus lazed around her house, planning ways to chase her brother Russia, America had randomly come over and asked her out on an ice cream date. At first, she just scowled and slammed the door in his face. In the end, though, she ended up calling to apologize and agree to the ice cream invitation.
She sighed. She had no idea what possessed her into actually wanting to come here with him, but yet, here she was.
"Bells!"
Belarus turned and saw the hyper American run down the street, waving. "Hey, Bells! Glad you came!"
"Don't call me "Bells"," Belarus warned bitterly. "Where is this ice cream you told me about?"
America laughed. “Step over here, my lady.” He gestured for her to follow him, which she did.
America led her from the street corner to the little green park nearby, where they found an ice cream vendor near the benches.
“What flavor do you want?” asked America, pointing the small list of flavors next to the vendor.
Belarus glanced at the list, not even hesitating to answer. “Vanilla.”
“Vanilla?!” America exclaimed. “Don’t you want to be more adventurous? Like look at this flavor! Raspberry fudge! Don’t you want to be a little different this time?”
Belarus scowled. “I asked for vanilla. I don’t wish to be fat like you.”
America flinched slightly. “Geez, don’t hurt me, Bells. Fine, vanilla it is.” He turned to the vendor and ordered the ice cream, while Belarus found a bench to sit on. America received the ice cream, paid, and then went to sit down next to her. He handed her the treat. “There ya go!”
“Thank you,” she said simply, taking it. She looked at it for a minute before starting to lick.
America was digging deep into his ice cream, a golden-brown flavor with swirls of what seemed to be caramel. Belarus stared at it, wondering what the flavor he got was.
“What did you get?” she asked after a while.
“Hmm?” America looked up, ice cream covering his mouth. He wiped it off and smiled. “Oh, the flavor? Caramel toffee!”
“Toffee…?” Belarus pondered on it a small bit. She had had toffee before--it was one of the candies she actually really liked.
“Yeah!” He held out the cone. “Wanna try some?” 
She gazed at it, an eyebrow raised. After a minute, she sighed and took a bite from the ice cream.
She licked her lips, and grimaced. “Bleh.”
“Aw, well,” said America, not fazed by her reaction in the slightest. “Can’t like everything.”
Belarus rolled her eyes.

Hetalia!

A few days later, America decided to go and see Belarus again and bring her to a movie he thought she’d like. He knocked on the door, already eager to see her. “Hey, Bells! Wanna see a movie with me? It’s awesome, i really think you’d like it!”
Belarus opened the door, looking deadpan. “I can’t see a movie, I’m about to head out again and shop.”
“Ah…” America sweatdropped. “Maybe later, then?”
“Whatever,” said Belarus, waving a hand dismissively. “If you’re so eager to please me today, then go and put away the groceries on the counter for me. I’ll back back in a while.” With that, she pushed past him and walked down the street.
America chuckled. “Alrighty, Bells.” He went into the kitchen and looked at the small pile of groceries on the counter. He shrugged, dove into the bags and began to put all the cold foods into the fridge. He reached into another bag to get the freezer items when he noticed what exactly was in the bag. 
Two tubs of caramel toffee ice cream.

Sweaters, a PruHun fanshort by Mocha-san

((Author's Note: A little PruHun oneshot I had made out of pure urge to write some shipfic and lamenting over the utter tragedy behind Prussia and Hungary's relationship (if it is true that Prussia actually had a crush on Hungary, especially after years of being best friends, wouldn't her marriage to Austria hurt?). So, yeah? Enjoy.))

"Pick up! Pick up!" Hungary almost shouted at her cell phone, waiting for Ukraine to answer. She held it to her ear, listening to the dial tone. 
Privet! You've contacted Ukraine. I...I can't really answer right now, but...
Hungary ended the call and stomped her foot angrily. She hadn't had a lot of luck today; she had to cancel a get-together with Liechtenstein because of a stupid government meeting, got some news of economy cuts, missed her bus back to her home and now it was raining (she didn't bring a raincoat or an umbrella either). And not just any raining—raining hard.
She sighed deeply and stuffed her phone back into her pocket. Great—now she had no ride home. 
She stood there for a while, letting the raindrops soak her skin as they threw themselves down from the grey clouds above. It was dark and gloomy today. Oh, if only she could at least chat with Liechtenstein, or Taiwan, or even Austria...
"HEY~!"
Hungary's back straightened at the call. She knew that voice.
"Hey, Hungary! It's the awesome me!"
Hungary gave him a look. "What do you want, Prussia?"
"West is doing a bunch of boring business things so I decided to come and see my awesome little childhood friend!" said Prussia, grinning. Then, he noticed the disdain on her face. "Uh...what's going on with you?"
"I'm having a bad day," she said, putting her hands in her pockets. "As you can probably tell."
He could tell, but it just wasn't his style to just address the situation like that. "Uh...also, why are you randomly standing here in the rain? Without a coat or an umbrella or a poncho or whatever?"
"I was attending a meeting," Hungary grumbled. "It was perfect this morning so I didn't bother to grab a coat. I missed my bus and now I have to stand here until the next one comes along."
Prussia was silent for a minute. "Well...that's kind of unawesome..."
"You think?"
Prussia was quiet again, twirling the umbrella in his hands.
Hungary sighed. "You don't have to stay here with me, if that's what you're thinking."
Prussia looked like he was ready to counter that sentence, but he didn't say a word in the end.
Cue awkward silence.
Prussia was so deep in his train of thought he almost didn't detect the small sound of Hungary's teeth chattering. "You cold?"
"..." She didn't answer, but she did rub her arms a little. He took it as a yes.
He looked at his sweater—zip-open, snow white, with his flag's emblem on the right breast. He looked up at Hungary, who was standing there, glaring at the street as she shivered.
He shrugged off his sweater and held it out to her. "Here."
Hungary stared at the sweater, then at him. "Uh..."
"You put it on," said Prussia, a slight bit of humor in his voice.
Hungary raised an eyebrow, but took the sweater, putting it on quickly. She sighed in relief—from Prussia being in it, the sweater was nice and warm inside.
"Check it out," said Prussia, lightening up, "It even comes with this awesome hood!" He took the white hood and put it over her head, watching her give him slightly annoyed looks. "There! Now the rain can't bug you!"
Hungary savored the warm feeling of the sweater before giving him a smile. "You're very funny," she said pointedly. She laughed. "But thank you anyway."
"No prob," Prussia said, back to grinning.
As if on cue, Hungary spotted the bus home coming up the street. "Ah! Here's my bus." She began to take off the sweater. "Thank you, Pru—"
"No! Keep it!" Hungary looked up at Prussia, surprised by his sudden insistence. "I mean, I could always get a new one, you know. Plus, it'll keep you warm until you get home and get your own jacket. Just keep it."
Hungary's eyes were wide. "Um...why are you being so nice all of a sudden?"
"Because I really like..." Shut up, Prussia. "I mean, I didn't want you to get soaked getting to your house. That's really not awesome." Good, he covered.
Hungary gave him a strange look, but didn't have time to dwell on it; the bus was there. She nodded quietly, and smiled. "Thank you," she said softly, and boarded the bus, leaving him under the umbrella as the bus drove away.
He sighed lightly, and turned around, intending to go back home. Stay dry, Hungary.

Fern Midori character analyzation

((Author's Note: This isn't an actual story, but a little character study on my original Fern Midori. I find her one of my most complex characters, and she really is very fascinating if you get past her hot-blooded temper and really complicated past. I've noticed that Fern has also evolved from a type of "islander" kind of character (like Hawaiian-inspired) to an all-around Asian. Hmm...))

• Gemini

Archetype: The Wander, The Messenger
Positives: Intellectual, adventurous, stimulating, pleasure-seeking
Negatives: Dishonest, detached, lack empathy, impulsive
Fears: Needing someone else despite being independent
When Mad: Violent, physical tantrums
When Sad: Silent, overthinks, detached
When Happy: More stable sense of self, productive, casual demeanor
When Nervous: Restless, easily distracted, rapid speech, chest discomfort
In Love: Relationship builds from friendship to love
With Money: Loses track of balances

• Personality Traits

Positive: Active, adventurous, ambitious, brave, bright, calm, careful, courageous, determined, diligent, dynamic, emotional, forceful, frank, generous, hard-working, independent, intellectual, inventive, loyal, modest, persistent, philosophical, powerful, practical, quick-witted, reliable, resourceful, sensible, sensitive, sincere, thoughtful, tough, understanding, willing, witty
Negative: Aggressive, aloof, anxious, argumentative, belittling, bossy, cold, combative, competitive, critical, cynical, disagreeable, doesn’t listen, easily aggravated, glares often, grumpy, hard, hot-tempered, impulsive, moody, outspoken, overly serious, proud, rash, sarcastic, stubborn, temperamental, troubled, violent
Type: ESTJ
Home: Before moving to Adventure City and living in the castle with Ryn and Sonic, Fern actually had a small traditional house in Chun’nan. It is still her property, but she almost never really stayed there long enough to really call it “home”. She sometimes does take time out to just go back and stay by herself in the house, but in the end she misses her friends too much and always comes back early. On the outside, her house would look like this. The inside would look like this, and her room would be like this.
Eyes: Unlike Sonic’s emerald green eyes or Amy’s bright green ones, Fern’s eyes are the color of fresh lime juice. Her eyes have this unusual tendency to sparkle when in perfect light, which makes her look really pretty. She doesn’t realize how pretty her eyes really are, but still doesn’t like it when Sonic accidentally calls her eyes “limeade-colored”.
Hair: Fern does take good care of her hair, but doesn’t think much about styling it. She used to wash it in the waterfalls by her old house, and whatever was in the water made her hair really clean. It feels like silk and is really long, and she never really thinks about cutting it. She also feels very attached to her sidetails.
Clothes: Fern didn’t like dresses at all when she was a kid, and still didn’t like them much when she met Ryn and reunited with Sonic. However, once Chip had been resealed and the team “started over”, Fern decided to start wearing dresses and fancier wear as a sign she changed.
Animals: Fern has a big attachment to pandas. Mostly because they remind her of Sky Island, where there were a lot of pandas. She once raised a baby panda as a kid, named Meronpan. She misses him to this day. (Sonic is planning to get her another panda for Christmas, though.) In general, though, Fern adores animals and doesn’t like to hurt them, even when they scare her.
Accent: When Fern first left Sky Island and started mingling more in Asia, she started developing a bit of a Japanese accent and speaks in Kansai dialect. She still kind of rolls R’s unintentionally and puts accents on L’s more than necessary. 
Food: Despite her skinny figure and usual airiness, Fern really does love food. While her favorite would have to be coconuts (anything coconut: ice pops, candies, cakes, cream pies, milk, etc.), she also enjoys fish (especially fatty tuna and yellowtail), red meat, and apples. She also tends to be one of those people that will try absolutely anything, like grilled pork guts or something. However, she is allergic to peaches.
Instruments: Fern plays electric guitar in the team’s band, but has mastered other instruments. She is decent at drums and piano, but she’s actually very skilled at the erhu. She learned it from an old monk in Chun’nan, and sometimes plays when she’s really stressed.
Worry: When Fern worries, she worries. She often spends a lot of time thinking about the person she’s worried about,  sometimes can’t sleep because she’s so terrified they’re in need. Of course, due to her Tsundere nature, she never admits that she does so.
Voice: Fern’s voice’s main trait is that it constantly changes pitch. Her voice isn’t rough or scratchy, but not exactly feminine (think of Natsumi Hinata’s voice). When she’s mad or yelling, it gets lower, but when she’s excited or being inquisitive, it gets higher.
Theme Songs: When it comes to Fern, her themes are usually some brand of Asian electronica (such as Izure Ayame Kakakitsubata or TSUBAKI). Because Fern is a rather complex but very fiery person combined with her involvement in Asian culture, I thought Fern’s themes and battle BGM would be some sort of Chinese/Japanesque sort of music (such as mixing erhu or traditional-style with dubstep or electro house).
Body: Fern’s body certainly is unique. She’s not that tall for her age, but the way her limbs are you’d get the impression that she is. Her arms and legs are really long and sort of lanky, and they give her a loose impression when she waves her arms or lets her arms swing as she walks. Figure-wise, she’s hourglass-shaped, and sometimes feels self-conscious around the other girls for having a more curvy figure than most. 
Nationality and Culture: Fern is, in all essence, totally Asian. We’re not actually aware of where exactly in Asia she came from (because she does practice some Chinese customs but also practices Japanese martial arts and has knowledge of both cultures), but no matter where she’s from she is supposed to be a Chinese/Japanese sort of mix. In a way, Fern sometimes feels a little embarrassed that she acts more Asian than the Milky Twins (who are from Hokkaido).
Religion: Fern isn’t the most religious around, but she does believe in something. She currently practices Shintoism, but according to her she used to be a Taoist (but gave it up after running away from the army). 
Dragons: Fern has always been absolutely awed by Chinese dragons. To her, they embody true godliness, and she always dreamed of being in the presence of one. Sonic enjoys commenting on her “oriental mindset” because of this.
Blood Type: Fern has AB blood.
Handwriting: Because Fern does do calligraphy from time to time, her handwriting is sort of swishy. She prides herself on that its more legible than Sonic's handwriting. 
Combat: Fern is strictly a hand-to-hand combat person. Her tuition of samurai technique has made her extremely lithe and almost graceful in her movements, which aids her a lot in her attacks. She’s especially good at using bladed weapons (mostly her leaves and katanas) but has used daggers, naginatas, and scythes. She just can’t use a battle axe or halberd for the life of her.
Hobbies: Fern does a number of things for pleasure when she’s got nothing to do in particular. Because she enjoys travelling, she often collects postcards from numerous location and puts them in a box in her room (most of them are either from China or from Thailand). Even though Fern doesn’t think of herself as an artist, she also occasionally draws comics or paints pictures when she feels inspiration. Once in a while, she even takes things from Kululu’s labs and attempts to teach herself mechanics, even though it never was her strong point.
Quirks: Fern, when she’s calm, is actually a very strange but very interesting person. When she’s not engaged in some sort of conversation (especially with Sonic), she tends to reveal a lot of her rather strange mannerisms and interests. When Fern is bored, she’ll sometimes read books upside-down or try to read backwards to entertain herself (and it works). She also talks to herself a lot and occasionally to plants if there’s no one in the room to watch her do so. 
Linguistics: Fern does a bit of a talent for linguistics. With English as her main tongue, she is fluent in Japanese (speaks in Kansai) and Mandarin Chinese. She also knows a reasonable amount of Thai and Vietnamese, but Cantonese and Taiwanese are two languages she has trouble with. As for European languages, she knows enough conversational French, Italian, and German to get through a day. 
Love: Of course, Fern has an extremely Tsundere relationship with Sonic. While she does dislike his constant phases of stupidity, she does like him because of his strong will, understanding and ability to still be nice to her regardless of what she tells him. When it comes to others, however, Fern is completely and utterly oblivious; over the time she's wandered and made friends, there have been plenty that have fallen for her charms. Nonetheless, her self esteem is low enough that she completely disregards any and all advances toward herself.
Kitsune: Fern does admire and respect kitsune and foxes in general. They mildly fascinate her, and some of her favorite fairy tales involve kitsune. According to her, she has met kitsune on her travels, and has even been possessed by a few of them (she said those foxes were mostly just using her to scare a few individuals, thankfully). Because of her red hair and somewhat pale complexion, she has been nicknamed "Kitsune" on more than one occasion. She once told her friends that she was turned into a fox once, but she was probably bluffing. 

The Dreaded Bucket List, a Hetalia fanshort by Mocha-san

((Author's Note: This is one of the many Asia-centered Hetalia oneshots I made. All the stories are viewable on FanFiction.net, if those of you are curious enough. BTW, all the "bucket list" ideas came a few websites suggesting things for bucket lists, so...yeah, enjoy.))

Kanademase KURENAI BEAT!
The sound of Asianesque electro pounded through Hong Kong’s room as he played with the turntables, head bobbing. He had taken time off to play with his brand new DJ set and was really having fun blasting the sound of Asiabeat through the entire second floor of the house.
The best part was, unless by some very tiny chance he was in a big enough bad mood to flip out on him, Hong Kong didn’t have to listen to China.
However, Hong Kong’s private rave session was interrupted with the loud THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP of shoes stomping down the hall.
Korea burst into the room, almost making the door fly off its hinges. “HONG KONG! WE HAVE A DESPERATE SITUATION, DA ZE!!”
Hong Kong took off his headphones. “What now? Like, can’t you see I’m busy?”
“Nonsense, da ze!” Korea said insistently, grabbing the front of Hong Kong’s shirt and rapidly shaking him. “England tricked me into tasting some of his food and now I only have 24 hours to live! THAT IS A BAD, BAD THING, DA ZE!!”
Hong Kong felt like the world was spinning for a moment as Korea roughly dropped him on the ground. “What...are you...talking about...Yong Soo?” he droned.
“I’m DYING, da ze!” Korea yelled, flailing his arms around. “You gotta help me, da ze! You’re my only hope!”
Once Hong Kong could see clearly, he gave Korea a blank look. “Don’t be stupid. We’re nations. Nations can’t be killed off by food.”
“But it’s England’s food, da ze,” said Korea. “England’s food can kill anything!”
Hong Kong felt his lips twitch. “Uh...then how do you explain my, like,  fifty years of eating the food he cooked?”
Korea fell silent for a second, taken by the argument. Then he insisted, “But you’re used to it! I’ve never had English food in my life! It could kill me!”
What a dork. Hong Kong rolled his eyes. Well...if Korea was going to stick to this belief all day, he might as well play along. “OK, fine. What do you wanna do?”
Korea grinned. “This.” He pulled a scroll out of hammerspace and let it unroll to Hong Kong’s feet. “Behold South Korea’s bucket list, da ze! Bucket lists originated in Korea!”
Hong Kong had an uncharacteristically weirded-out expression on his face at the sight of the list. “Seriously? All this? Seriously?”
Korea, not detecting Hong Kong’s utter opposition, nodded proudly. “Yep! This all the stuff I want to do before I die, da ze! Of course, being semi-immortal means you can be lazy with this, but since I only have 24 hours left I might as well!”
Hong Kong’s eye twitched. “Uh...have you told China about this?”
Korea smiled slyly. “Nope.” 
To Hong Kong’s utter confusion, the whole room darkened and a single spotlight shined on Korea, who was fake-sobbing into his sleeve. “I can’t do it, da ze! The news of my death...it would be so sudden! Aniki wouldn’t stand to lose me...like he lost his star-crossed lover Chun Li!” Korea theatrically struck a dramatic pose. “I could never remind aniki of such a horrible thing!”
Hong Kong turned off the invisible spotlight. “OK, one: Chun Li died from being shot in the chest with an arrow 3000 years ago, not because of English food. Two: we aren’t even supposed to mention her name in this house. Three: you’re not dying.”
“Says you, da ze!” Korea yelled, upset that his dramatic monologue had been ruined. “We are going to accomplish that bucket list whether you like it or not!”
Hong Kong crossed his arms. “And if I don’t?”
A sinister shadow passed over Korea’s face. “Or I’ll tell aniki that you watch Ni-hao KaiLan.”
Hong Kong visibly jolted. “OK, YOU TAKE THAT BACK!” he yelled, suddenly panicking. “AND I’M THE ONLY PERSON AROUND HERE THAT’S ALLOWED TO BLACKMAIL!”
“Shows what you know, da ze,” Korea said, an evil smirk on his face. “Blackmail originated in Korea.”
Hong Kong sighed. “Fine.”
“YES!” Korea cheered, jumping back into a happy demeanor. He picked up the list. “OK, the first item is…”

Hetalia!

“Cliff diving!”
Hong Kong looked over the very, very steep cliff to the teal water below. “Are you, like, sure about this?”
“When am I not sure?” Korea asked. The two were in Hawaii, standing at the top of a cliff in their swim trunks. While Korea was bouncing with excitement, Hong Kong was re-evaluating his life choices.
“Cliff diving. Very dangerous.” Korea whispered to himself, though Hong Kong could tell it was actually directed at him. “You first, Hong Kong!”
“Don’t you da--”
Korea randomly decided to push Hong Kong off the cliff. 
And then jump after him.
“YONG SOO, I SWEAR I WILL KILL YOU.”
“CAN’T, I’M ALREADY DYING, DA ZE!”
“DON’T SAY IT LIKE THAT!!”
SPLASH.
Hong Kong fought up to the surface, his brown hair covering his eyes. He blew it away and glared at Korea, who had come up and spit the water out. “Wasn’t that fun?”
“T’was not,” Hong Kong grumbled in his British accent.
“Next item is…” 

Hetalia!

“Take a selfie while hang-gliding over Rio!”
“How do you come up with this stuff?”
Korea was already in hang gliding gear, with Hong Kong next to him. “Are you ready?”
“To die? Then no,” said Hong Kong bluntly.
“Here we go! URI NARA MANSAE!”
Korea reared back and jumped off the cliff, making them soar into the sky. The scenery of the famous Rio floated underneath them. While Hong Kong did appreciate the view, he was more concerned about falling to his death.
“Quick, da ze! Get my cell phone!”
“What?!”
“Cell phone! Take selfie! Now!”
Hong Kong cautiously gave him the cell phone, praying.
Korea flipped open the phone and stuck his tongue out. “Cheese!”
“WATCH WHERE YOU’RE GOING!”
SMASH.
The two ended up diving too low and landed in a tree.
Hong Kong swung from the branches of a great pine, a very annoyed expression on his face. 
Korea was swinging next to him. “Check it out! I got it!” The picture indeed showed Korea making the face as Hong Kong was shouting his warning in the background. “You look so funny, da ze!”
Hong Kong was only hoping he had dragon powers like China.
“OK, the next item is…”

Hetalia!

“...air boat across alligator-infested waters!”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Nope!” Korea said cheerfully. He waved to shore. “Thanks for the boat ride, Australia!”
“Have a good time, mates!” Australia called, waving them off.
Korea started the engine. “Uri nara mansae!”
Then they were off.
Hong Kong was struggling to keep a cool facade as they sped across the lake, and Korea’s near-manic laughter really wasn’t helping. 
Hong Kong cautiously looked over the edge of the boat. 
There was a deep green shape moving around the water.
Holy mother of fire, the dork wasn’t actually kidding. 
That statement hit Hong Kong like a ton of bricks.
HE WASN’T ACTUALLY KIDDING.
“Hey, Hong Kong. How do I dock?”
Hong Kong could only say two words. “I’m dead.”
Luckily, Australia was nearby to save the two before Korea became an alligator snack.

Hetalia!

“Item #3: Ski the Alps in Austria!”
“You need professional help.”
The two were in ski gear at the very top of the Alps in Austria. Austria had only barely agreed to the idea, although in Hong Kong’s opinion he just happened to be in a good mood that morning.
“Are you ready, da ze?” Korea asked. 
“Ready to murder you? Sure,” said Hong Kong in a very dead tone.
“Aw, don’t be stuffy, da ze. We’re doing this for me!” 
Hong Kong was once again trying to channel dragon powers. Anything to beat Korea silly.
“Anyways, you first!” Korea once again pushed Hong Kong off.
Hong Kong desperately tried to steer, but skiing was one of the few things he had no idea how to do.
Especially when he was heading for a very thick tree.
CRASH.
Korea arrived two minutes later, actually knowing how to ski. “That was amaaaaaazing! Hong Kong, are you awake?”

Hetalia!

The next items on the list were less stupendous and stupid, but Hong Kong’s nerves were still frayed as they did them.
Item #4: Get a cream pie in the face.
“Are you sure?”
“Do it!” Korea said, bracing himself. “Ready for anything, da ze!”
Hong Kong couldn’t resist this one. With as much force as he could muster, he crammed the creamy pastry into Korea’s face.
“Uri nara mansae!
Item#8: Record your own album.
“OK, we’re on air,” said Hong Kong boredly. 
“Sore wa abunai zo, abunai zo! Bokura wa ue kara to hashiridashita~ minna wa tomete odoro machi! Isshou ni asobimashou!”
Item #15: Climb the Statue of Liberty.
Hong Kong couldn’t describe the utter weirdness of watching Korea literally sit on Liberty’s crown and scream “uri nara mansae”. With America joining him.
Item #28: Drive a motorcycle.
Hong Kong watched Korea zip around the place randomly in the motorcycle borrowed from  Prussia. 
“This...is...the...best...thing...ever...da...ze!” Korea yelled as he jerked here and there.
“Watch it before you…” SMASH. “...crash.”
Item #34: Ride on a sleigh.
“Thank you, Finland! Merry early Christmas, da ze!”
“No problem, guys!”
Item #47: Solve a Rubik’s cube.
“I bet you can’t solve it.” Hong Kong lazily tossed the cube to Korea, who caught it and immediately started solving it.
It was only ten minutes before Korea said, “Done!”
“HOW THE…”
Item #56: Drink a $1000 bottle of champagne.
Glug glug glug.
“I’m not paying for that.”
“I know you’re not, da ze. France is paying for it.” Glug glug glug.
“Plus, you know you’re not supposed to just drink it out of the bottle.”
Item #70: Go fishing. Awesomely.
“OK, do it.”
“Whatever you say,” said Hong Kong. He pulled a stick of dynamite out of his pocket and lit it, before tossing it as far into the water as possible. 
The two waited for a few minutes.
KABOOM.
The water exploded, sending dead fish every which-way. One of which landed right in Korea’s arms.
He grinned. “#70 is complete, da ze!”

Hetalia!

“Thank God it’s over.”
Korea looked somewhat somber as he retreated to his room. 
“Hey, aren’t you happy?” Hong Kong asked, arching a brow. “We finished the list.”
“Yeah, but I’m about to die any minute now,” said Korea. “My 24 hours has been reduced to 12 minutes.” He turned to Hong Kong. “Thank you for being my best friend, da ze. I will never forget you.” With that, he went upstairs.
Hong Kong was still incredulous, but a small nagging feeling of regret gnawed at him. What if Korea hadn’t been delusional?
“Hi, aru!” China greeted cheerfully, breaking the silence. “Where have you been? You’re a mess, aru.”
“Korea just finished his bucket list,” Hong Kong replied. “He ate England’s food and is convinced he’s dying.”
China blinked, then burst out laughing. “Are you kidding, aru? Even Korea isn’t that delusional, aru. Really, what happened, aru?”
“I’m not kidding. He thinks he’s really dying. And according to the clock,” Hong Kong looked at the clock over the TV, “He only has 10 seconds left.”
“Let’s see how this goes, aru.”
9…
8…
7…
6…
Hong Kong did have a small hope Korea was just being delusional.
5…
China cracked a small smirk.
4…
Hong Kong sighed.
3…
2…
1…
0.
Silence.
…
…
“Uh…”
THUMP THUMP THUMP CRASH. “GUYS GUYS GUYS I’M NOT DEAD AFTER ALL!”
“I knew it.”

Oriental Mind, a Hetalia fanshort by Mocha-san

((Author's Note: I haven't posted on here for a while. Alright, I think it's time I posted everything I've written in the past few months, because it has honestly been quite busy posting stuff on FF.net and I'm also planning to link stuff on Twitter. Being a writer is hard! Anyway, so in this story, I kind of go into an explanation of my headcanon that China can become a dragon when severely angered or other certain triggers (mentioning Chun Li in his presence can tend to set him off, too). Anyway, this is also partly based on the song "Oriental Mind" by Rin Ginsuke, too, so...yeah, enjoy.))

"GET BACK HERE, ARU!"
"Hahahaha~!"
China was chasing Korea around the house, waving his wok. Today, Korea had purposefully switched out China's clothes with women's qipaos, which turned out a very rude awakening for the sleepy Chinese man. 
Luckily, Korea wasn't too fast of a runner and ended up tripping, giving China the chance to give him a good wok smack.
Before he could do anything, though, Hong Kong casually walked into the room and slapped an envelope on the table, getting China's attention.
"Is that the mail, aru?"
"No," said Hong Kong. "It's a telegram. For you. From dad. Bye." And with that he grabbed his firecracker basket and ran out again. 
China, whose anger had gone somewhat because of the distraction, waved his hand dismissively to Korea. "You're free, aru. I'll kick your butt later, aru."
"Heck yeah, da ze!" Korea took the chance and went after Hong Kong while China picked up the letter. He slit the envelope open and read it, brown eyes widening with each word.

Dear China,
The reason why I'm even bothering to send you a telegram is to inform you that I have finally—yes, finally—found an antidote to that dragon curse I accidentally cast on you three months prior. I'm quite sure you know what I'm talking about.
The curse is entirely liftable by magic, of course, so whenever you're ready, come over. I'm home all day today, believe it or not.
Britain

China stared at the telegram almost incredulously before bursting into cheers. "YES! YES! THE OPIUM JERK FINALLY DID SOMETHING RIGHT, ARU!" He did a little happy dance in the middle of the room and dashed off to find out where Korea put his clothes.

Hetalia!

China excitedly knocked on England's door, bouncing slightly with his energy. 
England answered the door, already in his black magic cloak. "Ah, I knew it wouldn't take you long."
"Save it," China said shortly. "If you don't mind, can you please remove this stupid dragon curse from me, aru?"
"Alright, alright. Come in."
Within minutes, China was standing in England's amazing little magic circle. "Hurry up, aru! I wanna be normal, aru!"
"As if you were normal to begin with," England muttered, hoping China didn't hear. He raised his wand, and started chanting the magic words as the circle began to glow. Soon, the whole room went white, before fading out.
"There," said England, lowering the wand. "That should do it."
"I don't feel any different, aru," said China, scanning over himself briefly.
"Well, did you ever feel any different when you were normal and calm?"
"OK, good point, aru."
"Exactly," England deadpanned. "That was the reversal spell, however, and I made sure I had all of the spell so it doesn't turn out like the genderbend incident."
China rolled his eyes at the memory. "I don't usually trust you, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt for now, aru."
"You're so difficult."

Hetalia!

A month afterwards, usual business had commenced around the Wang household.
Which meant Hong Kong and Korea were being dorks again.
"Ohohohohoho!" Korea laughed, sitting on top of the couch because standing meant bonking his head on the ceiling. "I, the King of Evil, rule over this land with an iron fist, da ze! None shall oppose me, or they shall meet my friend the guillotine, da ze!"
"Stand down, King of Evil!" Hong Kong announced, brandishing a Minecraft sword. "You will surrender without a fight!"
"NEVER, DA ZE!"
"Would you guys quiet down, aru?" China said with annoyance. "I'm trying to cook, aru!"
"Sorry, da ze! But Hong Kong is trying to conquer my kingdom!"
"But your kingdom is a pile of pillows, a Shinatty-chan doll, a lightsaber and some scrolls."
"SHUT UP, DA ZE! HOW DARE YOU INSULT MY KINGDOM, DA ZE! YOU'RE GOING DOWN!"
"Bring it on, kimchi boy."
Cue tons of fighting, wrestling and screeching.
China was getting at his wit's end by this point. He slammed his hands down on the counter and walked into the living room, to see the ball of violence in the center. "I said to QUIET DOWN, aru!"
Hong Kong and Korea both looked up and flinched, eyes widening for a second.
China's temporary parent-mode ceased and he cocked his head at their slightly panicked expressions. "What?"
"Holy..."
"Did I..."
"Didn't England...?"
"No way..."
China was growing confused. "What? What's wrong, aru?"
Hong Kong's eyebrows knit together. "Did Dad cast that reversal spell correctly?"
"I assume so, aru. Why?"
"Your eyes are gold."
"WHAT?!" One trip to the mirror later, China stomped over to England's house.

Hetalia!

England was expecting another magical case to solve or maybe even America, but even America didn't pound on the door that hard. He answered the door. "Hullo?"
He immediately drew back once he saw the frazzled-looking, dragon-eyed China. "Oh, China! I didn't expect to see you. Wha—" 
He was cut off as a wok came down on his head. "I actually trusted you, aru! I gave you one simple job, to remove that curse, and yet you still screw everything up, aru!"
"What are you talking about?" England exclaimed, after recovering from the hit. "I made absolutely sure that that spell was correct! I checked everything I could to make sure everything was in place, complete, and ready! There was no way in hell that spell could've been messed up!"
"You...you..." China was ready to bring his wok down again when suddenly, something in his mind clicked into place, making him freeze.
"China...?"
China found himself unable to move as memories started flooding into his mind.

*******
The world was burning, or at least it felt like it to him. China ran through the debris of the battle and searched the sky, the smoke, the bloody ground, all for her.
"CHUN!" he called. "CHUN, WHERE ARE YOU?"
No answer, until a small voice cried, "I'm over here!"
He brightened instantly. He ran towards her, seeing her beautiful horns and tail glistening as he moved to her. He was so grateful—she was OK, and everything would be alright in the end...
Chun stood, smiling in happiness as he came, until something that changed everything happened.
BANG.
She had been shot.
Chun Li fell to the ground, her face turned into an expression of pain as she plummeted. She laid on the ground messily, her hair strewn over her face and her eyes closed.
China came to her body, eyes suddenly devoid of emotion. He wouldn't see her again. She was dead, she had died, she will never see him again...
He dropped to his knees in the sadness that came over him. She was gone.
Suddenly, there was light. A small bright blue light was peeking out from the sky, shining down on China and Chun like a spotlight. China stared at the light, bewildered. 
Suddenly, a shape started coming out of the light. It was long and snakelike, running down towards the ground where the dead girl lay. China realized what it was instantly.
A dragon. A Chinese dragon with pearly blue-white scales and a long tail. 
Just like Chun.
"Ch-Chun?" China croaked.
The dragon did not speak, but the voice was there. "Thank you, Yao. Thank you for getting me to believe in myself, to know what it truly feels like to be loved, wanted, and happy. I will never forget you." 
One of the dragon's long whiskers were placed on China's forehead, much to his bewilderment.
"As my thanks, I have brought you a gift," said dragon-Chun. "I herenow bless you with the fire dragon's spirit, a form after your own heart." China felt a hard surge of power run through his body as the dragon's whisker began to glow.
The whisker was removed, and dragon-Chun said, "I have to go now. I love you, Yao. I always will."
Then, the dragon turned and started soaring for the sky, back into the blue light.
China chased after her, a hand outstretched. "No, Chun! Don't leave me! Please, I'll be all alone without you! CHUN, DON'T GO! WO AI NI! WO AI NI!!"
The dragon did not seem to hear. It soared up into the light and faded, leaving the dirty red sky.
China stood there, grief surging through his form. Chun Li, the half-dragon, was gone. She would never come back. And because he lived forever, he would never be able to die and see her again.
He grasped his head in his hands, tears spilling from his eyes. 
The eyes that were now golden, like a dragon.
And then he threw his head back and screamed.

*******
"CHINA! CHINA!! GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!"
China found himself being shaken by England, who started freaking out upon seeing China's utterly blank, faraway expression. And then keeling over.
China blinked and stared up at England, his eyes filled with sudden remembrance and tragedy. "Ah...yes...I remember now, aru..."
"What? Remember what? Tell me!"
"Stop shaking me and I'll tell you."
England released him and pulled up some chairs for them as China began to explain. 
"Many centuries ago, before I even found Japan, I met a girl. The girl had horns, gold eyes and a tail, just like a dragon's, aru. I had found her attempting to kill herself in an alleyway, and she explained that she was proclaimed to be a devil because of her horns and tail. I, knowing how I was a nation and wasn't human either, sympathized with her and helped her become happy again, aru. But...in the war...she was shot...and her dragon's spirit was released..." He took a deep breath. "Before she passed, she gave me the fire dragon's soul. That's why I have these abilities, aru..." The look on China's face was one of remorse.
England was shocked. More shocked than China had seen him be in a very long time. "Dear me..."
China stood up, smiling sadly. "I know now why all this happened. I had that power dormant all these years, I even forgot about it when I found Japan. You must have woken it up again, aru." He turned to leave. "I'm sorry I accused you like that, aru. It was wrong of me. I'll be going now, aru."
England stared after him as he left, still bewildered. It was days like these when suddenly he didn't see an annoyingly scary Asian with girly tendencies.
He saw an old, troubled soul that endured years of wisdom.

Hetalia!

China listened to the gentle swaying of the bamboo in the wind as he walked the path to his house. He didn't feel anything; he hardly felt the breeze at his back. No, he was too busy thinking, remembering. Mourning.
China sighed. He was such an idiot—he knew he would never forget about Chun, even when he really tried. The fact that he was suddenly reminded of that grim day really gnawed at his heart, cursing the ways of the world somewhat.
He chuckled grimly. "Me and this old, oriental spirit of mine," he joked to himself, staring up at the gray clouds.
He continued down the path, giving farewell to those old memories.