Centuries passed since that cursed night and everyone had yet to move on. If you asked France, England, Hungary, Belgium, or Portugal they would tell you just how much of a wreck Spain had become. Every night you could hear her crying from her room, whimpering the name of her lost son. Normally, Cuba or Philippines would come into her room and cuddle with her. Even colonies that weren't hers like India and Monaco became her cuddle buddies. It was like this for almost ten years after that night. But, she got better with time. The family instantly became more protective over Juan and Matthew. The two were always escorted by someone and were not allowed to go anywhere without supervision. Of course, the two of them broke the rules. But in their defense, they did not know about Alfred.

The name was never spoken about. It was considered to be taboo. Now, they never forgot Alfred. But there was very little evidence of his existence in plain sight. There were no portraits hung of him in the corridors like all the other colonies, there were no toys with his initials carved into them, and there was NEVER talk about him or "the night". Anytime Matthew or Juan asked why they couldn't go somewhere or do something, all the nations and siblings gave a variation of the same answer.

The world is too dangerous for you two

You two could get badly hurt

We have to keep you safe

We don't want to lose you

They two did not mind being held back all that much. They knew it was to protect them. They grew attached to their family to the point where they would cling to any of them if they felt something bad. Netherlands, Switzerland, and Austria were among the uncles who became the most icy-hearted. But anytime Matthew or Juan needed them, they were ALWAYS there.

But then... In 1776... America's name was a household name in Europe...

A child Juan and Matthew had accidentally overheard the name when walking through the market with a, now, young adult Monaco.

"Hermana! Who's America?"

What could she say? 

"He was your brother who was killed when he was a baby and we hid it from you because it hurts mama"

Yea no... Instead, Monaco responded with a curious expression.

"I do not know, Juan. Maybe papa or daddy will know him,"

As soon as the two got back to the manor, Juan and Matthew ran to their fathers, who were in the den with Scotland and Portugal.

"Papa, daddy! Did you ever meet America?"

Everybody froze. Portugal and Scotland looked to the two empires with sad expressions. The two boys were met with silence from their fathers. So, they asked their mother. She seemed the most upset upon hearing the name. But, she swallowed her tears and only responded with the sad words.

"Long ago, but he passed away," then Carmen walked away. After America won his independence, everyone expected the young country to show up at a world meeting. But he never did.

Even now, in 2020. Time hasn't healed anyone, especially Carmen.

On America's End

He was raised by the large Native family with love and care. They taught him how to hunt, swim, woodwork, canoe, and even tapped into his magical ability. Alfred, from the moment he spoke his first words, had the voice of a siren. Vinland, who also had a small amount of magical ability, helped him learn how to control it. His life was perfect until he realized he was nothing like any of his siblings. They were all tan and had dark hair and dark eyes. Vinland looked most like him, but she was paler than he was. The Natives knew how to answer this, they planned this answer from the day they stole him.

"Maska, the pale faces despised you. They hated the burden you brought them. So they left you on the riverbank, where Cherokee found you. The cruel pale faces left you for the wolf or hawk to feast upon. But we, we will never do such a thing,"

He was raised to believe that his European family abandoned him. He was not loved by his European family, not that he remembers any of them. Which is why when England began to colonize his land with France, he grew angry. They left him for dead and now want to take all he is. He could not despise the humans, oh no. He helped them all: the Dutch, the Norse, the English, the Spanish, and the French. He rescued the settlers of Roanoke when wendigos attacked them, he helped white settlers escape traps from brute native tribes, he even taught them how to live and farm his land. 

He was eventually taken into a mansion that Vinland built. Since the two looked so similar, many though Vinland a widow with a son. This made the men of the nearby settlements pitty her, so they supplied her with money and staffing. America liked his first maid: Ginger. He hated the second maid: Olga. The third and final maid was the one he loved the most: Valencia. She sang familiar lullabies to him in Spanish, and when he was lulled to rest he would dream of a lovely brown-haired woman cuddling him and humming. He never knew who the beautiful brunette was, but he liked her. Valencia died defending America from a supernatural creature, which made him sail over the Atlantic and study magic from Norway, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. When he returned, everything had changed.

He heard so many names: the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party,  the occupation of Boston Harbor. Well, he went to the rally with the founding fathers and declared that England would never control him.

He fought in every war.

He saw every battle.

He felt every death.

Then he finally decided to stop. He was the nation, but he didn't have to act like it. So, he wrote song after song. He learned every instrument, old and new. He practiced every day in hopes that one day he'll prove his European family wrong.

They were wrong to despise him.

They were wrong to hate him.

They were wrong to abandon him.

He never knew the truth.

He was bitter, time never healed him.

Not until the blessed year, 2020.

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Next update is gonna be in 2020! I'm going to publish some more chapters for other works until then!