Konichiwa! This is the start of my mini-project: What if one-shots! Basically I'll be taking scenarios from different fandoms and I'll write about it! Today's summary:
Question: "What if the Revolutionary War ended differently?"
Fandom: Hetalia
Pairing: USxUK (Joker)
Tanoshimu! (Enjoy)
-Prologue-
"Okay everyone. Today we are going to come up with a plan to defeat those Axis powers once and for all! Oh by the way, by 'we' I mean 'me' so listen up! Everyone's role is simple: back me up! I'm the hero guys, remember that!"
Once again, another one of America's attempts to make an inspiring speech had gone down the drain. The Allied forces were once more reluctant to go along with his plan.
"I don't like that plan." Russia confessed.
The other countries nodded in agreement and America tried to keep it together. The meeting carried on but as usual, the four countries weren't able to come together in agreement. After the meeting finished, the Allies disbanded and headed home... Or did they?
America was left to rub off the drawings off the chalkboard. China was usually a very vivid drawer, so it always took a long time to clean. After he had finished, he proceeded to return home but stopped in his tracks as he saw two countries in a deep conversation.
"But why is it he always has to be ze hero? It's ridiculous, non?" France complained.
America immediately realised that they were talking about him and so he hid behind the door to get a better idea of what they thought of him.
"I am not quite sure. But I think it has something to do with that time." China explained.
France gasped. "You mean ze Revolutionary War?"
America's heart skipped a beat, it seemed a little girly but he didn't care at that moment: he was all too caught up in memories of that day. The day he lost everything, but it was also the start of his dream. The day the Revolutionary War ended...
-Flashback-
Rain poured down from the sky- truly it set the mood perfectly. America's gun was pointed directly at England who stood with clenched teeth and hands, barely managing to cope with the reality of the situation.
"Hey Britain! All I want is my freedom! I'm no longer a child, nor your little brother! From now on... Consider me... Independent!"
America remained strong. His mind had been made up and surely there was no changing it. England was just barely standing, mouth slightly open and alone. It was the last of his army, though America still had a handful of troops left. Then as a final act to try and win, he ran up to America and knocked the gun out of America's hands using his own gun to do so.
England panted, out of breath from what he had just done. America's gun lay on the floor with a fresh scratch to serve as a souvenir for that day.
"I won't allow it! You idiot! Why can't you follow anything through to the end?"
England was filled with rage, but somewhere inside him he still classed America as his little brother and he knew that he could never bring himself to shoot someone he held so dearly to his heart.
"Ready, aim!" Yelled the captain of America's men.
The two didn't pay much attention to the group standing behind America, it just seemed as if it was only those two in the middle of the battlefield. England and the troops were both ready to shoot, but England lowered his gun, making America's attention switch from the gun to England.
"There's no way I can shoot you." England confessed. "I-"
"FIRE!"
England could never shoot America so he dropped his readiness to shoot. But America's troops weren't as sentimental, they had orders to back up America and that meant destroying any threats that appeared before America. They still saw England as a threat, so they all fired their bullets towards the man.
The impact came as a shock to England, but it was more shocking for America. England stood there and gasped in pain before falling to his knees. America gasped and his eyes were at the widest they'd ever been. He fell into a crouch and caught England before he hit the floor.
"BRITAIN!" America screamed.
"Sir! The war has been won, let us celebrate by-"
The captain had meant well. He knew that the young American loved to celebrate but he hadn't realised that America would react so violently to his carefree comment. Without warning, America picked up England's musket and used it to hit the captain on the head, making him fall to the floor too.
The men panicked, most of them fled but a few stopped to help the captain before eventually fleeing too. America turned back to England and gasped at the sight of the dying Brit in his arms.
"B-Britain! You're losing blood so fast..." America gasped, trying to apply pressure to his wounds.
"America... Just leave me here. Be independent, don't bother trying to save me..." England panted.
"Don't say that! I have to help you! Without you I..."
America couldn't possibly imagine how he would cope without England there to support him, why did it take England dying for him to see that?
"But you don't need me anymore... You're free..." England told him.
"No Britain. I still need you. Don't you see? We need each other! Stay here while I get help..." America explained.
America began to stand but England weakly rested his limp hand on America's arm. America looked down at the nation whose eyes were now only half open and blood was pouring down his face.
"No America... It's too late for me now... But what I really want is just to be with you in my final moments..." England said weakly.
America resisted the temptation to cry and nodded at England's request. He settled down to show England that he would stay with him like he asked.
"And... Call me Arthur..." England whispered.
"Right... Arthur..." America nodded.
"And..." England began.
But England turned away. America grabbed him by the chin and pulled him his way.
"And... What? Arthur?"
"It's embarrassing..."
"Please, tell me..."
America struggled to think what England could possibly want. Maybe to feel like his big brother again? Or maybe...
Then America realised. He nodded and closed his eyes.
"I understand." Said America.
"Huh?"
America gently pulled him close and kissed him. England's eyes closed and he let the feeling engulf him. England had known that America and he had been drifting away for a while now but the idea of having America as a lover and not as a brother did slightly appeal to England, and deep down that was what he truly wanted.
Knowing that these were his final moments with England, America tried his hardest to make the kiss as passionate as possible. One of the positives of not being brothers anymore was that America was free to unleash his passions for England that he had been holding back all this time.
Then America pulled away, staring at the Brit, knowing his final moments were almost up. England's eyes slowly closed and America tried his hardest to hold back the tears. Noticing this, England pushed himself to stay with America a little while longer.
"Don't cry for me America. Instead, live for me. Be the hero that you were for me, make sure that magnificent shine of yours never burns out and remember one thing: you'll always be my hero."
"Okay..." America sniffed, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall.
England looked over at the battlefield and up at the sky.
"Why did it have to end this way? No matter, at least I died with your arms around me."
America looked at England and he forced a weak smile.
" You'll always be my hero."
Then England closed his eyes, signalling he was no longer a part of this world. The tears that America fought so hard to keep back while he was alive were now trailing down his face and onto England's face. Like the rainwater, his tears fell as if there was no end to them, showing how much he truly cared for England, how he'd felt all along.
"Arthur... I'll be the hero you want me to be. I'll become stronger on my own... You'll see! But... My strength will never compare to the strength you gave me, with you I feel like a true hero but now that you've gone, I don't know if I can be the same America that you want me to be but..."
America looked up at the sky, the final tears welling up for one big drop. The rain had stopped but his tears hadn't. He yelled up at the sky, the place where England now lived.
"I'll try for you!"
-Epilogue-
China beat up the Axis powers mercilessly and Italy's Grandpa Rome appeared to sing a song about heaven. While it was being sung, America looked up at the sky, wondering if heaven really was like that and if he was happy. America commanded the Allies to run away and they did as he said. It wasn't the most heroic move, but he'd apologise for that later.
"Well that wasn't very successful was it?" China asked, obviously irritated.
"Oui. But we must not get discouraged. We must fight on no matter what." France told them.
Saying those words reminded America of what he hadn't done in a while.
"Yeah... I suppose we should call it a day." Russia smiled.
"Yeah! Okay guys, I gotta go do something. I'll see you guys at the meeting on Monday!" America beamed.
America put on a brave smile but tears were welling up on the inside as he thought of who he was about to visit. He ran off as quick as lightning, leaving only a trail of dust for the Allies to gape at.
Once America had passed through the China town and what felt like a thousand miles worth of trees, he reached the other side of the island, a place where no other country had visited before.
"Hey sorry I haven't been to visit in a while, I just got so caught up in my work I forgot to visit you."
America spoke with a smile as if he was talking to someone he was familiar with but no response came, just the crashing of the waves and the sound of the wind rustling the trees.
"Hey I brought you some flowers! It seemed like the customary thing to do but I only just found them in a flower bed near here. I hope that's okay."
Silence.
"I haven't forgotten what you said to me that day." America added in a low whisper. "I've tried to be a hero without you, but a hero just can't do without his sidekick..."
There was more silence. America seemed to be approaching a mound of dirt and a grey stone that was just out of the tide's reach.
"Who am I kidding? You're the hero. I'm the sidekick. I just wish I could've realised that before..."
America's voice trailed off as he reached the mound. He looked around but there was no-one there but him.
"Look at me, talking to myself. Reminds me of a certain guy I know, a guy with thick eyebrows and a whole range of imaginary friends."
Despite being the only one there, he continued to talk as he placed the flowers on top of the dirt mound.
"But I'm not talking to myself am I? You're still there, I can feel it. You've always been watching over me haven't you? Like a big brother. Though... You're not my big brother anymore. You're my one and only hero."
He stood up, smiling down at the grave.
"Well I'll see you later Arthur."
America left the grave, trying to hold back the tears. He ran away, trying to wipe the tears from his eyes as he became lost in memories of England.
Then as if in response to America, a ghostly figure appeared above the grave and turned around to read the inscription on the tablet.
"Here lies Arthur Kirkland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain. In life he was a magic casting, embroidering, cooking, spy pirate tsundere. But in death he showed us that we all have potential to be strong, we just need that special person to draw it out. The world needs a hero, he was living proof of that."
The ghostly England turned around to watch America run away.
"Thank you America... You'll always be my hero."
I hope that wasn't too sad. There was a time that I loved Tragedy but once I joined Fanfiction that seemed to wear off. But I'm sinking back into it now and I hope you were all happy with it!
Review, PM and maybe check out my other Hetalia fanfiction? It's called Changing History and I'm hoping it will get quite popular.
Sayonara minna-san!
~Neko
