Countryhumans Oneshots

The Nightmare

Thanks to NewLostIslands for help on writing some of Finland, and for getting me obsessed with Uhtua. Expect lots of Uhtua related things in the future. Also, don't worry, I'm working on the requests.

Finland was standing in a forest. He looked around and saw snow-covered trees in every direction but no other signs of life. He began walking off in a direction, hoping to find any way back to civilization, as he was not prepared for spending a long time in the middle of the winter wilderness.

Suddenly, Finland felt something jump on top of him, and he was knocked to the ground, his head buried in the snow. Finland quickly began trying to pull himself out of the snow, hearing laughter as he did so.

"I got you, Isä!" Finland heard Uhtua's voice call. Finland laughed.

"You did get me," Finland said as he faced Uhtua, whose smile was wide and bright. His sister, North Ingria, and his brother, Åland, laughed.

"We should start shoving you into the snow more often. It's hilarious." Åland said in Swedish. Finland sighed.

"You live to annoy me, don't you, Åland?" Finland asked. Åland nodded, and Finland sighed.

"It's fun to gang up on you, old man!" North Ingria said.

"I'm not that old!" Finland insisted.

"Yes, you are," my sons coursed. Finland blinked, caught off guard by the Finnish and Swedish spoken together, before sighing. He loved his kids just as much as they loved being a handful.

"Don't worry, Isä. We love you even though you're old and decrepit," North Ingria said. Finland smiled, hugging North Ingria closer as he heard Uhtua protest and ask if he could be hugged.

But then North Ingria vanished from his arms. Finland's head shot up, and he looked around. The forest had vanished, and everything was black. Finland was surrounded by black, and his children were missing.

"Uhtua? North Ingria? Åland?" Finland called out their names, running frantically through the blackness and looking for signs that they were there.

"Why did you abandon me, Isä?" Finland heard North Ingria's voice say from behind him. He turned and saw her standing there, covered in blood, which was steadily weeping from wounds covering her body. "Why did you do this to me, Isä?"

"I...I..." Before Finland could say anything, he heard Uhtua's voice behind him.

"Why didn't you protect me?" He said. Finland turned to face him and saw Uhtua standing there, looking unharmed but wearing a Soviet military uniform with a gun pointed at Finland's head.

"Uhtua-" Finland began before being cut off.

"Why didn't you help me?" Uhtua demanded, his voice warping and increasing in volume as his form warped and changed until the Republic of Karelia stood in front of me—the country Uhtua now represented.

"You turned me into this. You let me live for years under their rule. You deserve to die, Finland, to pay for what you have done!" Uhtua said in Russian. Finland tried to back up, to flee, but he felt his arm get pinned behind his back as the scent of blood filled his nose.

"You aren't going anywhere, Isä." North Ingria hissed into his ear. Finland saw Åland in the background and began to call out to him as Uhtua put the gun on his forehead.

"Åland! Åland help me please!" Finland yelled. Åland turned to face Finland, his face blank.

"You never showed any care towards me. So why should I care about you?" He said right before the gun fired.

Finland's eyes flew open as he woke up. Then, he immediately turned over and threw up all over the floor. Finland was shaking and sweating, his face coated with tears. Finland was sobbing loudly, and he covered his mouth in an attempt to make his sobs quieter.

Finland couldn't let Åland hear him.

He tried to get out of bed to clean up his vomit, but Finland collapsed to the ground as soon as he stood. Finland was still sobbing, the smell of vomit stinging his nose.

The guilt made him sick as the words of Uhtua and North Ingria echoed through his mind. Both of them were right. Finland had failed to protect them, to help them.

Finland couldn't make it up to North Ingria. He never would be able to.

But Uhtua.....

Finland could still help him. Finland just had to help him remember. Finland had to help him because he couldn't before. Finland couldn't just leave him behind—not again. Finland had to help him. Finland failed to help once. He failed, and Uhtua was hurt, and Finland needed to help him to make up for that.

Maybe that would prevent the guilt from haunting his dreams.

Finland had failed to help him once. Finland didn't want to do it again.