The large group levitated in the abyss of Alfred's mind. The floating prompted some of the more childish nations to laugh, Liechtenstein and Italy specifically. Monaco and Seychelles giggled as they spun together as they watched flips being done by their brothers and cousin: Hong Kong, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil. Switzerland, Austria, Romano, Germany, Scotland, Portugal, and Ireland were worried as they watched England, Wales, and Northern Ireland began to chant something.

"What are zey doing?" France asked Spain. She just shrugged and sighed, looking at the blackness around her. Hungary levitated over to her and put a hand on her shoulder, smiling a tiny bit in attempts to comfort her. Suddenly, the darkness turned to blinding light and the group was in a field. The group all fell to the ground with a thud, as they had been a bit aways from the ground. Northern Ireland waved her hand, helping everyone up.

"Today we will watch Alfred's childhood memories. Let's just relax, he can't see or hear us. To him, we are invisible," she explained. Wales then stepped up.

"We can't interfere with his memories. Anything we try to touch we will go right through. Also, gravity does not apply, so we can float to see a memory better," he added.

"For now, we just watch. We need to know what he was so scared of, so we can help him," England finished. 

The group looked out and saw Native America, walking with America. She was smiling down at him and twirling him happily.

"Mama, when will we reach big brother's tribe?"

"Soon, Maska. I am sure he will really enjoy seeing you again," just as she said that, they heard a bunch of laughter. The two looked forward, seeing two of Alfred's elder brothers: Blackfoot and Cheyenne. Alfred smiled brightly and waved to them.

"Big brothers!!!" the two natives looked and smiled brightly. Cheyenne ran to them, scooping Alfred into his arms. He showered his little brother in kisses as Blackfoot also ran to them. He shoved Cheyenne off and hugged Alfred close.

"What a wonderful surprise, Maska! What brings you here?" Blackfoot asked as he twirled the younger around. Cheyenne growled and picked himself up, wiping his clothes.

"That was rude, Blackfoot! I was holding him first!"

"Now, now you two. We are staying for a few nights so you have plenty of time to bond," Native America smiled and kissed Blackfoot's temple.

"You probably shouldn't, mama. The buffalo has been temperamental lately. They have been charging at our homes and taking out many men," Cheyenne explained. Blackfoot nodded in agreement.

"That is why we are temporarily staying together. Seems the buffalo have become very aware that we are growing in power. Despite everything we have tried, they just seem angry," just as they heard that a loud gurgle echoed through the meadow. The four looked and saw a huge herd of buffalo stampeding down the hills. Blackfoot instantly handed Alfred over to Native America.

"Blackfoot, hurry!" Cheyenne ordered, "mama, take Maska to camp!" the two elder males ran towards the herd. Alfred looked back at them and began to cry.

" Mama, we can help, right?"

"I do not think so Maska," Native America took Alfred to the center of the tribe. The tribes' women gathered in the center with their children as the men got ready and charged forward. They stayed that way for half an hour until they heard a buffalo charging their homes. Alfred looked to the creatures and puffed out his cheeks, sticking out his hands, "Maska!" Alfred grabbed the buffalo's small horns, twisting his body and twirling the creature in the air. The tribes all stared as Alfred then threw the buffalo out of the camp, making all the others scared enough to run away. Blackfoot and Cheyenne came into camp just in time to witness it. They smiled and knelt by Alfred's sides, hugging him.

"Thank you, Maska!"

"You're welcome, my big brothers!"

The memory faded off, making Australia and Prussia laugh.

"Now, zat is mein awesome nephew!" Prussia cheered. Scotland nodded with beaming pride. Australia smiled brightly and Hong Kong had a sparkle in his eyes. The next memory began to take form. England immediately recognized it as Roanoke.

Alfred was playing with a little colonial boy and his elder brother, while Native America was taking to the settlers. Once she was done, she waved at the group.

"Maska, it is time to go home now!" she yelled with a smile.

"Ok, mama! Let me just say goodbye!" Alfred turned to the two boys, who looked at him strangely.

"You two do not seem related," the younger one noticed, "why is her skin so much darker than your's?" Alfred quirked his head and looked to his mom.

"I do not know, I'll ask her. Then when we come back tomorrow I will tell you the answer!" Alfred waved and ran back to Native America, holding her hand as they walked home. When they got home, Native America began to cook some buck meat. She would glance up at Alfred often, obviously noticing something wrong.

"Maska, what troubles you?"

"Why don't we look alike, mama?" Maska asked. Native America stumbled with the food, not expecting the question that was asked. Some of the other tribes that were visiting went stiff, them not expecting it either. Native America finally got her bearings and gently picked Alfred up.

"Maska, the pale faces despised you. They hated the burden you brought them. So they left you on the riverbank, where Cherokee found you," she gestured to the man who, in reality, kidnapped him, "the cruel pale faces left you for the wolf or hawk to feast upon. But we, we will never do such a thing," Maska nodded and hugged Native America closer.

"Thank you for saving me, big brother," Maska whimpered. Cherokee got up and hugged Alfred close to his chest.

That really stung a majority of the group. Spain was stuck between blinding rage and utter despair, France was biting his tongue, England was growling at the scene, and the former colonies present began to feel unsure. Another memory began, this time Alfred was in an open field.

"Mama, why are there so many stars?"

"Because when someone wise dies, they turn into a star. You are still so young, Maska. So much of the world is your elder, all those wise men and women up there are to guide you and every young soul in this world,"

"They're really beautiful. Do you think I'll be up there someday?"

"Not for a very long time, my son. But when it is your time, I do not doubt that you will be the greatest star of them all," she began to glow, a white shimmer coming from her body, "Maska, look to the stars and close your eyes," Alfred did so and smiled. Native America hugged him tightly and kissed his temple, standing up and gently beginning to back away.

"Mama?"

"Do not worry, my beautiful Maska. Keep your eyes closed and your head to the stars," Maska nodded and obeyed, "anytime you need guidance, just do this. All the wisdom one can give will come to you. I love you, my dearest Maska," her body fully dissolved.

"I love you too, mama," Alfred felt the cool breeze hit, "mama? May I look now?" when he received no response, he opened his eyes and turned around. He began to turn his body quickly, spinning in circles, "mama?!" Alfred then stopped, sitting in the fetal position, "you said you would not leave me, mama. You said you wouldn't leave like when the pale faces left me," tears glomped to the corners of his eyes as he fell asleep.

When he woke up, he was in a cabin. He rubbed his eyes and looked to the door, jumping from the bed and waddling out of the room. He then saw Vinland putting some stew in a wooden bowl, humming softly.

"Good morning, Maska," she said softly, straightening her posture and putting the bowl on the table.

"Good morning, big sister," Alfred waddled over cutely. Vinland helped him up and pet his head.

"We will be moving south today. There is a Danish village where we can live a better life. But, we will need to change some things. For one, Maska is no longer your name. More paleface settlers have begun to come to our land, so I must give you a paleface name. I decided on Alfred, I think it suits you,"

"Ok, big sister,"

"That will also change, in this new village, I will be your mother. We stand a better chance of living comfortably if I am a widowed mother rather than an orphaned child with a younger brother. Is that ok, Alfred?"

"Yes, mama," Alfred smiled and Vinland kissed his head. The final scene from the memory was them in a new house, playing with cool toys while a few women helped clean the house.

"Wow, they took real good care of them, eh" Canada commented.

"Vell, zey vere lucky. I don't know if zat vould have vorked later on," Austria retorted as the next memory formed.

Alfred was in Roanoke again, playing with the kids. This time, Vinland and another tribe were talking to a few of the adults. Alfred laughed as he and the other children danced by the treeline. He was maybe five years old now, having hit a bit of a growth spurt. Alfred twirled a younger girl in his arms, laughing happily when suddenly he heard a growling from the bushes. Most of the kids stopped and a few of the adults stood up, noticing how the children stopped dancing.

An ear-piercing screech came from the forest and many glowing eyes appeared. The loud screech hurt Alfred's ears, so he quickly shut his eyes and covered them with his tiny hands. Many wendigos began to jump from the forest, some landing on other settlers and crushing them, others landing on the ground and giving chase. Screams began to echo around him as so much blood stained everything: the ground, his skin, his clothes. The voices became a blur to him as Vinland quickly pushed him out of the way, getting crushed in the process. Her body began to bleed as the wendigo sank its teeth into her.

Alfred turned and saw Croatian carrying many children, carving his name in a tree and running off. Alfred ran towards him but was stopped when another body was thrown in front of him. Alfred began to avoid the obstacles in his way until he finally got to the treeline, dashing into the forest with unmatchable speed. He was about to stop when he tripped on a stone, tumbling over and in bank hard. 

He laid for who knows how long until he finally sat up, flinching at the pain in his knee. Alfred held the wounded area and gritted his teeth in pain, tears pooling down his dirty cheek. That when he felt a breath above him, so he looked up. He was met with the glowing, amber eyes of another wendigo. But something was different about this one, his eyes still had humanity in them. Slowly, Alfred gulped down his cries and softly touched the wendigos cheek. The wendigo huffed in America's face, making him sneeze. The clawed hand of the creature then scooped him up, taking him to a cave.

Memories began to flash of Alfred receiving clothing, food, and affection from the creature. It showed how the creature would defend Alfred from other creatures like fellow wendigo and skinwalkers. It showed how during the cold winters, the creature would cuddle Alfred to keep him warm. It acted like a real parent to him until Alfred was a lot older. There he looked physically eight and was dressed in new clothes.

"I'm off Igor, wish me luck," the creature softly screeched as Alfred began his journey to his old home. When he arrived at the house, he smiled. Memories began to flood back to him as he approached the door. With his soft hand, he knocked on the door and awaited an answer. An elderly woman had come to the door with a weary smile.

"May I help you, young man?"

"Are you in charge of this residence, ma'am?" she nodded and Alfred smiled, "my great-great-great-grandmother used to live here with my great-great-grandfather, Alfred. My family had a bunch of stories about this old house before they died, so I wanted to see it for myself. Just to, ya know, pay tribute to them. May I come in?"

"Of course," she let Alfred enter and he looked around.

"It's just how they described it," he said with unfallen tears as he remembered Vinland and him playing in front of that same fireplace 120 years ago.

"You poor thing, so young to be an orphan. Why don't I take you in?" Alfred looked at the elderly lady with a soft smile.

"I wouldn't wish to be a burden, ma'am,"

"Nonsense, from now on you are my child. What is your name?"

"Alfred, just like my ancestor," 

"Well, Alfred, call me mother!" he smiled to her softly and memories began to flash of them being together. 

(I based this next bit off of a youtube video. The timestamp is 3:07 to the rest of the video)

https://youtu.be/1D4mtj6g-us

That when the next scene formed, Alfred was drawing in his room when he heard the elderly lady call his name from downstairs. 

"Alfredddd~" He looked up from his picture and got off the chair.

"Coming, mother!" Alfred began to walk down the hall when he felt a hand grab him and pull him into a room. It was the elderly woman, who looked scared.

"I heard the call as well, dear," that's when they heard rapid footsteps.

"ALFREDDDDDDDD~" The elderly woman pushed Alfred into her closet and shushed him, grabbing the bayonet that she kept concealed and closing the door, "ALFREDDD~" the sound of wood shattering echoed through the door and the elderly woman's painful screams could be heard. Alfred put a hand over his mouth, keeping his breaths quiet, "ALFREDDDDDDDDDD!~" he heard a bunch of things smash as the thing kept calling his name. When he heard the creature leave the room, he slowly opened the door.

"N-no," he whispered as he covered his mouth to keep him from screaming. The elderly woman was a mangled mess on the floor, making him fall backward in shock. The sound of his rump hitting the floor alerted the creature and it began to rush back in the room. It stayed at the doorway until it began to pounce.

"ALFREDDDDD~" Alfred put his hands up, a white glow emanating from them. Suddenly, he was in a shielded bubble, "ALFRED~" the creature punctured a hole in the bubble, but Alfred's fear made it reseal itself. The creature kept poking holes in the shield with its claws, and Alfred just stayed curled up in the fetal position, crying until dawn.

The memory faded and none of the family could even speak. What they had just witnessed was the unbearable trauma Alfred had been inflicted with at such a young age. Before they could get to the next memory, the world began to shake.

"Ve~ What is happening?!" Italy yelled as he clutched Germany.

"He's waking up! The spell in waring off!" England exclaimed, "everybody gather together! Quickly!" the group listened and huddled together. England, Wales, and Northern Ireland began to chant in unison. The world quickly faded to black and the group found themselves escaping right on time.

In the waking world, Netherland and Belgium were making breakfast. When the group popped up in the middle of the kitchen, it startled them greatly.

"What are you all doing?" Ted asked as he held his heart.

"Lo siento, Ted. But I need time to think," Spain was shaking as she walked off towards the library.

"What happened?" Laura asked as she plated the final waffle. Elizabeta stepped up and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Way too much," she replied. The group was terribly shaken from the final memory. But it only left them with even more questions!

Did Alfred suffer more trauma after that?

Is that why he has been able to handle himself on his own?

What happened during his historically tough times?

The Great Depression?

9/11?

The Civil War?

Oh, how would they find these answers?

Well, in time they'll know absolutely everything.