When the darkness faded from around them, the trio of nations was left standing in the middle of a room, scattered with different toys – ranging from a little stuffed rabbit to a small army of wooden soldiers dressed in bright red uniforms. The three nations blinked, Canada and France searching the room for any sign of their location. England, however, could feel his heart break – as he immediately recognized the room, his suspicions only being confirmed by the small girl sitting by the window, her long, wheat colored hair back in a simple braid and her petite body turned towards the window.
"England," a quiet voice finally spoke, seeming to notice the small girl – who showed no sign that she had heard the nations at all. "Where are we? What happened?"
Suddenly, the girl by the window gasped and straightened, only to turn around and rush out of the room so quickly, the trio barely caught the giant smile on her face or the hopeful twinkle in her vast, blue eyes. After the girl's footsteps faded, England turned to France and Canada with an answer, "The spell I've casted was to show us America's loss of innocence over time and, it seems, this would be the first stop in that story."
"What do you mean, Angleterre?"
"I mean just that," England said, his emerald eyes blazing. "That small girl who just ran out of the room was America," He paused as France pushed past him to look out the window, seeing whatever the young colony had seen to cause her sudden rush out of the room. The silence stretched as Arthur let that information sink in before continuing, "and whatever happened today is the first instance in which led to the America we saw in the meeting."
"So, we've gone back in time?" Canada asked, her blonde hair falling over her shoulders as her eyes sparkled nervously.
"Of sorts, yes. Think of the spell as watching a movie, we can't change anything that has already happened, simply watch."
"It feels wrong."
"Yes, well there's nothing we can do now but watch. Once the spell begins, the safest way out of it is to just let it finish through."
France made his way back over to Canada and England, his eyes downcast and sullen. Both countries seemed to notice, but England was the one who forced himself to ask, "What is it?"
"I know what today is, and I know what happened."
When both nations gave him blank looks, he continued, "Today is September 8, 1760[1]."
"Is that date supposed to hold any significance, frog?"
Instead of answering, France followed in the young America's footsteps and left the room, quickly followed by a curious Englishman and Canadian. The two finally caught up with France, who had stopped in the middle of a long hallway to watch the young colony press her ear against a set of large, oak doors – England recognized the doors at once, they had been the doors to his office when America had still been a colony. Still confused, England opened his mouth to prod the Frenchman about his sudden departure from the upstairs room, but was cut off by a distraught, distinctly French, voice from inside the office, "You cannot do this!"
England felt his heart sink – oh, he knew exactly what this day was now.
His own muffled voice came drifting through the hall from the office, "You lost fair and square Frenchie, now I'm collecting."
England winced at how cold and harsh his voice sounded, but then he remembered the small colony sitting on the floor listening – he didn't even know Amelia could eavesdrop, much less that she had been listening on that day.
As they heard footsteps approach the door, Amelia scrambled up and frantically looked around – supposedly looking around for a hiding spot – and took refuge behind a nearby curtain just as the door to the office opened. Arthur came out, dragging Madeline by the arm, with Francis following hotly behind. Amelia held back a whimper as she looked at her big brother and the Frenchman. Francis had tears welling in his eyes, which were large and desperately pleading. "Please, please don't take her away from me!"
Arthur was terrifying. No, that wasn't Arthur. Arthur was Amelia's big brother; the one who played with her and read her bedtime stories and gave her a hug when she had a nightmare and wiped the tears from her eyes after she did something he told her not to. But this man, dragging a sobbing Madeline behind him, was not Amelia's brother. His eyes were not kind and warm, but instead a cold, steely green – merciless, terrifying.
England could see the fearful tears welling in Amelia's blue, innocent eyes at the sight of her older brother.
"Papa!" a young Madeline whimpered as Arthur's grip on her tightened. Tears streaked down her face and more threatened to spill from her violet eyes. She struggled under his grip, working her skin under his hand trying desperately to escape. "PAPA!"
Before the past nations took notice of Amelia, she bolted up the stairs – followed by the older nations, who were glad to leave the distressing scene behind. France, Canada, and England had just enough time to enter Amelia's room to see the small colony curled up in one of the corners, clutching desperately onto her stuffed bunny and sobbing into its fur, before the scene faded to black.
[Title]: The song 'Yankee Doodle' was a derogative song written and sung by members of the British army during the Seven Year's War/French and Indian War depicting the members of the American militia, as the colonies did not have a standing army at the time the war began.
[1]: Even though the Treaty of Paris wasn't signed until 1763, ending the Seven Year's War/French and Indian War, September 8, 1760 was when the French officially surrendered the Canadian territory to the British after they conquered Montreal.
Note: Past countries will be referred to as their human names (EX: America will be Amelia) and present countries will be referred to as their country names (EX: England will be England and not Arthur).