"North!," shouted America who was now shaking North to wake up."Come on North! Wake up! Please."

America quickly checked for North's pulse to see if she was alive. Fear struck him after one minute of waiting.

"No," choked out America, "this is not possible," With a heavy heart, America closed North's petrified eyes, and then he started to feel the warm sensation of tears glide down his face.

"Don't cry, America," said a familiar voice," I thought you were the Hero, not the Weeper,"

Swiftly turning his head, behind him, he saw that North was sitting up from her original position. America quickly scrambled away from North's now sitting figure.

"What the hell?," screamed America. Turning her head to face him, America could see that something was off about her. He couldn't just place his finger on what has changed.

North gave him an uncharacteristic soft smile, and said, "Don't be afraid America. It's just me, South."

"South?," said America who was now getting over the fact that North's not a zombie, "What are you doing in North's body?" She just rolled her eyes in response to his questioning.

"I'm just here because I need to tell you something before I fade away for good."

"Well, what is it?" South stood up from where she was, and took America's hands in hers.

"I just want to tell you that you must watch over North for me. Even though it doesn't look like it, North has been alone for a very long time despite that fact that she is surrounded by people who care about her." She wiped a stray tear that fell from her borrowed eyes, and gave America a watery smile.

"Please don't disappoint me this time America. Take responsibility and be a good hero. Ok?"

America could only gape at South from her request. He felt conflicted on what to do in this crucial moment of life and death, but he had to pull through for the both of them.

"I promise South," replied America, "I swear that I will make it up to you for what I have done in the past too." America pulled South into a hug, and stayed in that position for a couple more moments. Then, a soft light radiated from North's body, and out came the spirit of South Vietnam.

Her usual ao yem was now the color of a shimmery pale gold, and her once braided hair was now flowing down her back in long and subtle waves. In America's eyes, she was like an angel. No scratch that, she is an angel. For all her suffering that she endured over the years, her soul was still pure as the golden light that was radiating from her.

With tears flowing down her cheeks, South floated towards America and kissed him on his cheek, and mouthed something he couldn't quite catch. She was then engulfed by a storm of lotus petals and disappeared. After she disappeared, the lotus petals began to rain down upon him in a graceful manner.

As the lotus petals began to drift and flutter around him, America felt the familiar feeling of tears stream down his cheeks again. He couldn't stop them as he began to sink low to the ground and sob out all of his pain that he kept pent up since leaving South so long ago.

"Ugh," groaned North who was somehow wearing a green ao dai. America gasped with surprise, and jumped to hug her, only to receive a bone-cracking punch from the now revived North.

"North!," shouted America who was quickly recovering from North's brutal punch. "You're back!" North gave him a slight glare, and grimaced from the slight pain that suddenly arisen in her chest.

"It's Vietnam now you stupid American," said Vietnam in annoyance. Brushing away the dust from her ao dai, Vietnam stood up with ease as if nothing happened to her.

"Before you say anything," began Vietnam, "I know that South faded, and she is now at peace." She then began to walk back to America's place with a heavy heart from the loss of her sister.

Later~

Throughout the entire week, Vietnam began to construct an altar for South. She first painted a picture of South with her carefree smile, braided hair, and simple ao yem. After allowing it to dry for a couple of hours, she carefully placed the portrait into a frame that China somehow brought over with him.

Then, she diligently carved out an ornate altar with carvings that resembled objects like lotus blossoms, dragons, cranes, mountains,and bamboo trees. After finishing the carving process, she lacquered the entire altar to make it shine beautifully.

She did the entire process in America's basement just so the others won't look on at her with curious eyes. The only people she allowed to check up on her and give her the things she needed was the Asian countries that she considered her family even China who seemed to be oddly solemn the entire time.

Every time that one of the Asian countries left the basement, they were always bombarded with questions concerned with Vietnam. Questions like how she was doing or if she needed someone to talk to. Those who left the basement could only nod or shake their heads in response to the constant questioning, and went off to do whatever business they had to do.

"When is she going to be done with whatever she is doing," asked America out loud as he lazed around on one of his couches.

"How the hell should I know hamburger bastard?," replied Romano who was also lazing around the couches. After Japan said that today was the day Vietnam was finished with her project, all the countries that were there decided to assemble in the living room.

"Ehh Romano,' reprimanded Spain, "Don't say such mean things to America." Romano head-butted Spain, and went back to lazing around on the couches.

"I'm also wondering what is taking her so long," said England who was enjoying a nice cup of tea.

Crrreak

Ever so slowly, Vietnam popped out of the basement door with her wooden altar strapped to her back, and South's portrait wrapped in a silk cloth in her hands.

'What is everyone doing here?," questioned Vietnam who was trailing her eyes throughout the living room. All she was met with was silence from everyone. Then, a stampede was heading towards her that consisted of a China, Italy, Hungary, Taiwan, and South Korea who had his hands out in front of him.

"Vietnam!," shouted all of the countries in unison. Seeing that the stampede wasn't going to stop anytime soon, Vietnam quickly back-flipped off from the wall, and landed a good ten feet from the stampede who was now crashing onto the wall.

Vietnam just shook her head, and said, "I can't believe you guys were waiting for me." She looked around to see that almost everyone was giving her smiles and relieved looks except for Romano who was drooling in his sleep.

"What are you going to do with those Vietnam?," asked Germany who was gesturing to the altar and picture. Looking down at the picture in her hands with a ghost of a smile, Vietnam replied, "Well, I'm going to send them back home for them to be set up as soon as possible."

"Wait," said America, "You're not going home to set it up by yourself?" She gave America a "you gotta be kidding me look".

"Have you forgotten that I have a trip to finish with everyone?" Everyone was looking at her with disbelief. They couldn't understand why she would still go even after what happened. It goes to show just how strong Vietnam could be in every circumstance that is thrown at her.

Walking past the pile of passed out countries, she waved everyone goodbye as she left the door to the Post Office. Once she left America's home, Vietnam looked up at the cloudless sky with her face softly smiling at it and said, "Farewell."

And with that said, she continued on to her destination not noticing a fully bloomed Lotus flower sprouting up from where she stood.


Hi there! Since I have a snow day in the magical land where I live in, I wanted to type this chapter up. :) So, I hope you enjoy today's chapter, and that you have an awesome day too!