It was 1790 AD when he opened his eyes.
He knew he was two inches short of being six feet tall, he knew exactly how big his territory was (100 sq. miles), and he was aware that his people spoke English. He could tell that the water he was looking at was the Potomac River, and he had a feeling that he was important by what his people felt.
His people's general mood was excited, as they had just become part of their country's center. He was the middle of a country! That was exciting.
"Ooh, is it you?" a voice squealed from behind him. He turned as looked up at the speaker to find a short girl with auburn curls that reached her shoulder. She knelt down in front of him, her light blue dress laying like flower petals around her. "Hello!"
He knew this lady was like him, and let it not be said that he didn't have manners. He sat up on his knees and took her hand, bowing his head to kiss it courteously. "You, m'lady, have made this man's first sight that of an angel." He happily smiled at the blush that spread across her cheeks. "May I ask your name? And if you won't be terribly bothered, to tell me mine as well."
The young lady laughed. "Well, good sir, I am Maryland, the state bordering you to the north. I believe you are the District of Columbia." She stood up, and held out a hand for him. He accepted her help and understood just how short she was once he was standing. Maryland only just came up to his shoulder.
There was something else bothering him that he brought up as they began walking towards the city from where they had been on the bank of the Potomac. "If there is already a thriving establishment here, why was I just born?"
"Oh!" the lady gasped in remembrance. "Ginny- that is, Virginia, she's on the other side of the river- and I gave you some of our land." She looked down, embarrassed. "Sorry about the river splitting you in half..."
The District of Columbia laughed. "Lady Mary, you brought me into existence. This is nothing to apologize for." A flush of pride coursed through his body when she blushed again and turned away. He looked up and noticed they were walking down one of the main roads. At least, he assumed it was a main road; all of the structures were in the progress of being completed. "I seem to be a work in progress."
"Yes," she agreed. "My brother Pennsylvania has one of his cities acting as Capitol for the next 10 years while you're built up. Ginny was all for it, as long as York didn't end up with it."
"York?"
"New York. He's up north too."
"I see." He paused as she looped her arm through his and led them into appeared to be a restaurant. "Where are we going?"
"America wanted this to be the first thing finished so we could all get used to meeting here." As they stepped inside, they received with the sight of the states all around a mahogany table that held over a dozen glasses of red wine. The two newcomers were met with welcoming calls.
"Mary! Is this the Capitol?" the smallest of them ran over, jumping up and down in excitement.
District of Colombia took her hand and lightly kissed it as he had done before with Mary. "My name is District of Colombia and I am at your service, little lady."
The girl immediately clung to his side, wrapping her arms around his stomach. "Can I make him part of my state?"
Mary burned red in embarrassment. "Rhodie!" Rhode Island giggled innocently while their companion merely gave her an amused look.
The three looked up as America made his way over to them, today only dressed in his casual outfit as he wasn't being shadowed by his bosses. He stuck his hand out in greeting and grinned. "District of Colombia, did you say? Little brother, that's quite the mouthful." They shook hands while locking gazes before America pulled him in for a hug as well. "I think DC is a great nickname!"
"I find myself agreeing with you, big brother."
This seemed to be the cue for the rest of the beings in the room to come over and introduce themselves to the newly dubbed DC. The girls concurred that he was the definition of a gentleman and politely pestered him for compliments and to be called "lady" more frequently. On the other hand, the guys asked him to stop setting the bar so high.
"Good to see I gave my land away for some good," Ginny winked at him and subtly pointed at Mary, who had been distracted by Delaware and Penny.
New Hampshire came up next, dragging an exact copy of her in tow. "Remember when I said I was glad there was only one of you?" Ginny muttered before swishing away. The twins ignored her snide remark.
"DC, this is Vermont." The named twin waved slightly. "She is not a state yet, but hopefully her bosses will ratify the Constitution soon!"
"Twice the beauty, twice the opportunity for a bright future," he replied smoothly. Vermont smiled knowingly.
"I think there's only one beauty in here that catches your eye," she leaned forward and whispered, looking over his shoulder. He turned to follow her gaze only to find his eyes landing on Maryland.
That's the moment he thought of when the British attacked twenty-four years later.
He wondered if that's what dying felt like.
The redcoats had set fire to everything: the White House, the Treasury, the Capitol. DC had stayed behind to cover the fleeing attendant's of the President's house, and now he lay in the middle of the street, bleeding from the bayonet wound he had received along with the damage from his land and people being hurt. He could feel every agonizing lick of the burning fires on the buildings that stood for America and freedom. He prayed for it to stop, for an angel to take away his people's pain. He didn't expect for his angel with auburn curls to actually come.
Maryland was sobbing as she lifted him slightly onto her lap so that he was near an upright position. DC did his best to grit his teeth so she wouldn't hear any sounds from how much pain he was in. She brushed a lock of his blood-spattered caramel hair out of his face while humming a random string of notes through her tears.
"You're going to be okay, Colombia," she whispered. "You're going to recover and be stronger than ever."
He coughed weakly and gave her a small smile. "Lady Mary, I do believe an angel is at my side again."
She didn't stay with him for long, and a few weeks later DC watched smoke rise on the northern horizon. He winced slightly at the dull ache from the wound in side, knowing that Mary was locked in battle with the English at Baltimore and he couldn't go to her. That wasn't to say he had no faith in her; she was quite the spitfire.
The first time he saw her after the British retreat, she was in trousers and officer's jacket; a red cut on her cheek stood out against her bright eyes. She sang for him a new song that had been inspired by her men in battle, and DC found himself joining in by the last lines of this "Star-Spangled Banner."
Mary's victory was the first of the good news that he heard in the following weeks. New York had got his revenge on the Brits for occupying him in the Revolutionary War by defeating them at Plattsburgh; one of the new states, Louisiana, had royally spanked the redcoats in the Battle of New Orleans (even though there was technically a peace treaty, word hadn't reached her or any of her people by that time).
Things were looking up for the states.
Then the rift between them began.
The south had one major economic strength: plantations. Those plantations needed slaves to run them. The north however ran on factories, and as more and more became educated (at least in the north), more and more agreed that slavery was wrong. All humans are equal.
The south disagreed.
By this time as well, an agreement had been made that any new state north of Virginia would have no slaves, and ones south of it could. At this point, there were thirty three states in total, and eleven where slavery was legal.
DC wasn't sure what to think. He knew the north was right, humans were all equal, but her didn't want a conflict to begin either. His people had no real voice in the role of the government and the future of their country. Besides, Virginia had taken back her land that she had given to create him in order to have control of a large slave port on the Potomac. He was smaller now on top of everything. It goes without saying that he and Ginny were in a bit of a rough spot.
He didn't expect the disagreement between the north and south to explode as it did at one of their meetings.
Virginia and New York were in a heated fight about slavery, with several of their fellow states chiming in at random intervals. Oregon and California were in a corner with Missouri, conversing about the trails that connected the Pacific states to the rest of the country. Texas, Louisiana and Florida were whispering in Spanish, angrily glaring at the New England bunch. Maine and Wisconsin seemed to be the only two unfazed by the growing tension in the room as they compared how cold it got up north near them. Meanwhile, DC was in a corner where Rhode Island had dragged him; America was curled on his side, hands clutching madly at his hair as if he was trying to rip it from his head.
All of them, sans America and Rhodie, turned to look as South Carolina pushed her chair away from the table and stood up, sighing. She seemed glad that their attention was on her, and she clapped her hands once in confirmation.
"Well!" she smiled sarcastically. "This has been most informing for me. It seems that some," she turned her glare on Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, "can't mind their own business and let us do what we've been doing for decades. Slavery is what supports my economy, and my economy keeps my people fed and clothed and safe." She flicked her hair over her shoulder and walked to the door, heels clicking against the wood floor as she went. "I'm leaving for good. You're free to join me if you'd like."
The moment she crossed the threshold, America let out an agonized cry from where he lay.
It didn't stop Mississippi from getting up as well, along with Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Louisiana. The last two looked sadly back at America but headed for the exit as well.
"Georgie! Louise!" Jersey cried. They stopped and looked back. "Don't you realize the millions suffering in chains? Those are your people too!"
Louise shook her head, her black curls bouncing along with the movement. "I know that, Jersey. It hurts me too..."
"But we can't stop our bosses from doing this," Georgia led her friend from the room.
DC couldn't take his eyes off of America, who seemed to be falling into a worse state of mind as each of them had left. He was twitching every few seconds, and DC could see blood beginning to leak from the corner of his mouth.
"Please stop!" Rhodie cried, springing to her feet. "Can't you see what you're doing to America?! We're tearing him apart!"
Ginny sighed and placed her hand on the smaller state's shoulder. "Maybe it's for the best. He'll be better if we leave and remove one side of the disagreement." She left with Texas, Arkansas, North Carolina and Tennessee, the final one's absence visibly upsetting Kentucky.
The remaining states silence was broken by a slow, choking laughter coming from America, who had pulled himself up and was leaning heavily against the wall. His face had been shielded from sight by his hair drooping forward haphazardly. DC pulled Rhodie behind his back in an effort to protect her while the rest burst defensively from their seats.
"Brother?" DC attempted, not wanting to move closer. He could see Maryland out of the corner of his eye and wanted to keep her in his sight.
America chuckled harder at his question. "Ah, the District of Colombia. You're a special one; not a state and no power!" He seemed to find this hilarious enough to finally look up, causing them all to gasp in horror.
America's eyes were no longer blue, but instead a deep crimson.
"Greetings, Union!" he called. "America's not home right now."
Delaware was the only one who could find his voice. "Who are you?"
The grin that spread across "America's" face sent shivers down their spines. "Why, I'm the Confederate!"
