I do not own or claim Hetalia- Axis Powers as my work.
A man was working on the Palatine Hill, fixing the walls of his new city. He was laboring tirelessly until he noticed something strange. The man stopped his work. He saw a child standing on the other side of the Palatine's crest. Slowly he walked over to the child.
"Child!" the young man yelled. "What are you doing up here? Your parents-"
"I don't have any parents," the child interrupted. "I was born yesterday, but I don't know where I came from."
The man looked confused. "Yesterday?" The child looked young, but not that young. He and his men had finished building the city yesterday as well. "What do you remember from yesterday, child?"
"The first thing I remember seeing was that wall over there. Since then I've just kept my distance." The child's words were shaky. He was obviously afraid. The man gently placed his hand on the child's shoulder.
"You don't have to stay away. My men and I won't harm you." He offered his hand to the child, realizing who he was.
He had heard that the great cities of Greece like Thebes, Athens and Sparta had children like this- often said to have been born the day of the city's establishment. They did not grow the way other people did. They grew as the people of their city grew more powerful or influential. Some of the people lived hundreds of years, and only died if the city fell as well. He knew the child was his city.
"What's your name?" the child asked as the two walked back to the city.
"I am called Romulus," the man replied. "Do you have a name as well?"
"I don't know… but your name sounds familiar. I feel like it's my name too."
"It might be," Romulus answered. "My city also bears my name. I call it Rome."
"Am… am I this city?" the child pondered.
Romulus nodded. "Yes. There are many cities around the world that have someone like you. But you're special." The pair arrived at the city gates. "You, Little Romulus, will be the greatest city in the world. I will make sure of that."
The little one stared at the man in wonder. "Thank you! I will work hard!" Then he realized something. "We can't have the same name… people might get confused." The child was saddened.
"Is that so…?" Romulus mumbled. "That's all right. For now, I will call you something else. But after I leave this world, take my name with pride. You shall be Romulus thenceforth. But for now…" Romulus studied the child, trying to find a suitable name. "For now, I will call you Paulus." 1
"I like that name," the newly-named city said. "Romulus?"
"Yes, Paulus?"
"Even when you do leave… I won't be alone, will I?"
Romulus knelt down and looked at his new companion. "No, you won't be alone. As you become stronger, you will make many friends and even more enemies. Others will try to bring you down, but they cannot if you fight back. Paulus, you will become great, but only if you work together with your people." He took the boy and placed him on his shoulders. "Come on, let's go home."
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A/N Paulus is Latin for "small." I know it seems like a bad name for Rome, but here I'm only using it to differentiate him from the founder of Rome (in this case, he's "Little Romulus/Romulus Paulus"). Only people close to him call him "Paulus" after Romulus's death (i.e. kings, emperors).