I don't own Hetalia!end/AN/

The sound of a foreign language struck Australia's ears like a foghorn. He jerked awake, feeling China's chilly body still curled up in his shirt against his chest. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around China, snapping, "Hey!"

Three men stood over them, all Oriental. At least, that was all that Australia could determine. Their clothes didn't look right, almost Japanese in design.

China had come awake. He immediately started in what was probably Korean, fast words that were harsher than Australia had heard from China so far.

The men prodded at them, and Australia released China, quickly freeing him. He didn't know what to say, but he'd already jumped to his feet, glaring viciously.

One man, the one with the gap teeth, laughed, saying something, and it sounded different from Sang-Hee, like it wasn't really Korean. At the same time, it didn't sound like Japanese either, something that Australia had already heard a lot of. He looked to China.

China replied sharply, as if rebuking them.

Gap-teeth had a weapon, a sword, some sort of Japanese one, it looked like. He put the blade against the side of Australia's neck in a flash, saying something cocky to China.

"What are you doing? Who are you?" Australia demanded, pulse pounding in his veins. The blade was chilly, and he could already feel the sharpness of the edge. He didn't dare move, knowing his life was basically in China's hands.

Another man, this one with a wispy mustache, said something else, apparently to his friend, the last man, who had very blunt bangs.

China was arguing with them, it seemed.

"China? China, what's going on?" Australia said, a sort of chilliness in his gut, swirling like some obnoxious child had stuck a stick in it.

"Australia," China said evenly, from where he sat on the ground, "Not everyone in Korea is our friend. Meet these traitors, who think they are Japanese."

They didn't know what he said, and Wispy-mustache snapped at China.

Australia stared in confusion. He felt like he'd been tricked, like these couldn't be Koreans-turned-Japanese. If Korea himself was willing to fight for their freedom, how could they do any less? How could they adopt this dress and do this to their true allies, Australia and China?

China replied calmly, again completely unintelligible to Australia. He wished now that he had learned other languages, and as stupid as it was unlikely, he wished he knew Korean. Chinese, Japanese, something... he wished he knew it.

But Blunt-bangs grabbed China, forcing him to his feet and shouting at him in a way that brought shivers down Australia's spine.

No, he was not a POW right now. These men were not torturers, just traitors. And goddammit, he was not going to be a POW again.

"China, I'm gonna rush Gap-teeth."

China's tone didn't betray anything but his pain at being on his feet. "Australia, that is not a good idea. Please do not do something reckless."

"You know, uh, that Fu stuff, right? You can fight, even when you're weak." Australia kept his tone neutral, which was hard to do when shivers were threatening to wreak their havoc up and down his body.

China seemed calm still. "I do. But there are three of them, and they all have swords. We are half-dead-"

"We are nations. We can do it," Australia said.

That was when Gap-teeth couldn't handle their secretive messages, and slashed Australia's cheek. It stung, but Australia had handled far worse, and he abruptly ran forward, not grappling, but headbutting the Korean traitor in the gut. This was the unexpected move, and Australia had a hard head.

Gap-teeth vomited, dropping his sword.

China had made his move, shoving the heel of his palm into Wispy-mustache's nose. He didn't stop when there was a cracking noise, either. Wispy-mustache fell to the ground, jerking.

But Blunt-bangs struck China, making him fall with a cry. Then he scrambled to pull out his sword, intending to harm China further.

Australia was there first, armed with Gap-teeth's sword and apparently just as useless with it as Blunt-bangs was, and he sliced downwards, intending to disarm Blunt-bangs. His anger was evaporated as Blunt-bangs screamed, and the large slice wounds on his wrists spurted blood.

Australia panicked. He scooped China onto his back, shouting, "We have to go, we have to go!"

China clung, not a word spoken as if it would drag them slower.

Australia ran like a demon, anger and icy cold fear thrumming through his body. He could feel a cold sheen of sweat on his skin, and he could feel the sharp sticks even through his shoes.

When he had run for what felt like seconds and hours altogether, when he couldn't think much more, he tumbled headlong into a stream. China was thrown from his back, splashing in the tepid water.

Guilt washed over Australia as he gasped for breath. What had he done? Was the man dead? Had he killed yet another soul in his short history?

Bloody scenes flashed before his eyes, of beaches running with red and dark brown, of scared faces and dead faces and child faces. New Zealand with blood running down his face, staining his teeth as he shouted at Australia. A child separated from her mother, shot point blank with a musket.

Hands seized his shoulders, as a distant voice said, "We can't stay here. Come on, come on!"

A shorn head, unfamiliar face came into his vision.

In his head, the unforgettable sound of a screaming, dying man came through like a death knell, like a shrieking tear up the fabric of his brain.

He fell, slipping on the stones as the skinny fingers of someone else dragged him along. Onto the shore, he squished through the mud.

He didn't quite catch the sound coming from himself, but he did feel the chest he was pulled against, and the arms that wrapped around him. A soft voice muttered to him, stroking back his brown hair.

He clung to the person, China, he realized by the scent.

He had never thought he could be so comforted by the smell of a foreign nation, a nation outside the empire.

Australia was slowly brought down, like a babe against its parents chest.

By the time he was back to dizzy awareness, China's words were clear.

"It's okay, little one, it's okay, just bring yourself to a safe place..."

He slowly extricated himself from China's hold, and as calmly as he could, got China back on his back.

"We need to go."

"Yes," China agreed solemnly, and they took off, Australia's heart heavy.

Blood was still at the back of his mind, but for now, he had better focus on walking, one foot in front of the other.

They had to make it. Too much blood had been shed not to.

/AN/ As with any takeover of a country by any other country, there were people who acted Japanese and adopted Japanese ways to have power in Korea. One has to admit, with an occupation of over thirty years, it would be very hard to stay Korean in a country where there is a huge pressure by the occupying powers to become Japanese. The Japanese did things like put golden horns on Korean temples, converting them to Shinto temples.

It was a very strong attempt by the Japanese to turn the Koreans Japanese. They failed, of course.