"In the future, my f-family.. is fractured."
If anyone were to tell Japan a few days earlier, that something like this would have happened to him, he would have brushed it off as mere superstition. Of course, he would have done it inside his heart so as to not have offended anyone, but the outcome would have been the same regardless.
Now, however...
"Fractured?"
Why didn't this affect him as much as it was supposed to?
"Y-yes." Sealand took a pause. "...Endless fights, and sadness."
Japan frowned. Endless fights? Sadness? This Sealand was from 50 years in the future, no more, no less. There was... there was no way that the world could have undergone such a change in only 50 years. It wasn't possible, but perhaps this factor was what led him to listen to the story in the first place.
Despite the disbelieving frown etched across his face, Japan nodded for Sealand to continue.
Fatigue washed over Sealand's body, the ache in his limbs slowly growing. It was another side-effect of having to travel to the past, and he absolutely hated it, the way his body had to adjust to being thrown into a different time. It had hurt less when he was younger, and when his body was still smaller, but now...
He was a young adult, ready to make decisions for himself. Or rather, forced to make them against his will.
Slumping against the wall for support, he wished he could return to the blissful days of when he had nothing to worry about except being a real nation.
It didn't matter anymore.
"America and Canada fight, constantly. Incessantly," Sealand murmured, but it was far above just a whisper, more than enough for Japan to catch everything. He remembered the fights, he remembered how the brothers had argued over even the smallest of things, while he cowered in the corner of the room, watching the display with large, frightened eyes. How it had started out as furious whispers, turning into voices that thundered throughout the house, finally ending as violent fights, where neither of the three would escape without at least a bruise or two.
How America and Canada had forced the blame onto each other, accusing everyone but themselves of breaking the family up.
All three of them should have seen it coming.
"I just couldn't stand it," Sealand confessed, his eyebrows furrowing. His steady voice belied the disgust bubbling inside of him, threatening to show itself at full force. He was disgusted, yes. Disgusted at America and Canada, for tearing apart the shreds of family that he had left. Disgusted at himself, for being too cowardly to do anything about it. Disgusted at the world, for turning out the way it did. "France is dead."
Japan's eyes widened. He felt the urge to protest, to call Sealand out on the lie, but there was nothing.
The atmosphere was tense. One wrong word could shatter the already unsteady calmness in the air. It was no surprise to Sealand that Japan had reacted this way, though. Long ago, he'd already stopped hoping that the routine would change. But it was always the same thing, always the same reaction.
Typical Japan.
"What about England-san?" Japan's voice broke the silence. They were all Sealand's family, but the one person that Sealand had really been close to, despite all the pain, was England.
And that was why the biggest shock of all came after an uncomfortable silence, when Sealand chose to answer his question.
"He's in a coma."