Chapter One


Part One


WAR OF THE WEST ENDS!

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FALLS!

USA is dissolved after war!

Canada to claim what was once northern US

New 'Republic of America' formed by joint European and Mexican initiative

Headlines screamed down at him from hundreds of different places as Canada exited the hospital. Newspapers, digital billboards, people's mobile devices... Everyone was fixated on the end of the war.

And Canada was, too.


"This has gone too far, America!"

"England? What do you mean?"

"America, you can't just force us to stop our military advancement!"

"But it's the only way I can keep you protected, Germany!"

"We can protect ourselves, America."

"Don't you get into this too, France. My threat still stands."

"You can't be the world's police, da?"

"Russia, do you know how hypocritical you're being?"

"He isn't. Go ahead, brother, do your worst. We can take it."

"I will then, brother dear. Oh, I will."


Canada lifted his face toward the sky. Now that the war was over, now that everything was over (forever... his mind whispered, but he ignored it), he could finally ask the question that had always haunted him, during those blood-filled years.

"Why? Why did you push us to this? I thought we promised..."


- Early Spring, 1815 -

"I'm so sorry, Canada... So sorry..."

"America..."

"I promise, I'll never hurt you again. Ever."

"Ame-"

"Please, Canada! Don't you understand?"

It was then that Canada noticed. The grief evident in his brother's eyes, the pain of the war, but most of all, that sense of being lost, that frantic searching for something without knowing what...

"America..."

The brothers crumbled into each others' arms, tears streaming down their faces, as together they cried for their lost childhood.

"I... I promise too. I'll never hurt you, brother."

Oh, how wrong he was to be. How wrong they both were.


Shaking his head, Canada quickly pulled himself out of his memory. It was useless to think about it. What was done was done, and there was nothing anyone would, or could, do about it.

Because, in the end, America had only been trying to protect everyone.

But he didn't realize the world had no need for his protection.

And he had paid dearly for it.


Intermission: The War, Beginning


The declaration of war hadn't gone over well.

Then again, when had war ever gone over well? 1812 was still burned deeply in the North American people's subconsciousness. Though the facts had blurred with the passage of time, the feelings of intense patriotism, pride, and hate were still the same.

Canada walked through the street with a burning anger in his heart, and around him, surrounding him, inside of him, his citizens were the same.

The continent was going to war. Of course, the northern brother's government had long since suspected something was wrong. After all, the United States does not simply evacuate all citizens from the US-Canada border without Canada suspecting something. But there had been no official intelligence as to what was happening, and it would have been a huge political faux pas to call the strongest military power on Earth out on some small scare...

But it wasn't a small scare. Oh, no. Not at all.

It was worse than anyone could have predicted.

Sure, relations between the two countries that were once so close had frozen to the point where normal diplomatic relations simply could not go on any longer. Sure, the nation representatives hadn't spoken to each other in nearly half a century. Sure, even in the south, Mexico and the Central American nations were rallying up. But no one had really expected this.

"Ah!" Canada winced as another small jab of pain shot up his side. A woman standing nearby asked him if he was alright.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you." Canada quickly hurried on his way.

The sooner I get to the base, the better. It's time to stop my brother, once and for all.


It was ironic how their first meeting in fifty years was on a battlefield.

A twisted smile formed on his twin's lips. "Heya, Mattie."

Canada mirrored the expression. "Hello, Al."

A hand parted the air, tracing out the scope of the battlefield. "So. How do you like it? I made it especially for you."

"I love it, Al. I'm truly honored."

Suddenly, Canada found himself staring down the barrel of a rifle. But that was OK; his own was aimed straight at America.

The twins' smiles were identical, hurt and anger and betrayal and insanity leeching out into the air around them.

"Looks like we're still on the same wavelength, even after this long, eh?"

"Looks like it."

"So what now?"

America shrugged. "Your call."

"Hm." Canada tilted his head, as if thinking. "I know! How about you surrender?"

"Nope. Not gonna happen. Anything but that."

"Well, I guess we're both dying today."

"As I said. Your call."

Two shots went off, and the bodies hit the ground together.


Part Two


The first world meeting after... well, just after.

The room seemed strange, empty, without the tensions of fighting sides that had so recently dominated the world... or the obnoxious laughter and unrealistic ambitions of a certain nation.

As Germany opened the meeting, Canada watched the faces of the others. Expressions ranging from sadness and hurt to anger and denial were mixed into an overlying palette of grim determination.

"... The world will recover from this war that Ame-... That has just ended. It is up to use to figure out how. And that is the topic on the table. Anyone wishing to speak?"

Interesting, Canada thought as he listened to and participated in all the speeches, the proposals, the debates. No one wants to say his name.

Including me.

Why was that? Did they perhaps feel guilty? But there was nothing to feel guilty for. After all, they hadn't killed America. He was just... They had just...


"You have been found guilty by the tribunal... are to be punished... country dissolved..."

The entire time, Canada never spared a glance at the human official reading off his brother's fate. His eyes were locked onto his brother's.

It was amazing, how much hurt and betrayal and acceptance was present in those normally bright, happy eyes. America's expression did not change; it was frozen in neutral, a skill he had learned - they had all learned, through their unnaturally long existences - but rarely ever used. Yet his eyes... Canada set his mouth in a line. He had made the right decision, he was sure of it. He would keep his promise, the promise he had already broken. He wouldn't let anything, ever again, hurt his dear brother.

After that day, though, such pain would never swirl in those clear blue eyes again.


"America."

"England? What are you doing here?" America's voice was dull, tired. "I thought I was going to be taken away?"

"You are. I came to tell you that Canada will be succeeding you."

"What?"

"Canada is the superpower now."

A rustling sound, and Canada assumed from his spot behind the door that America had turned. "Canada is what? B-But-"

I"America, you surely can't expect there not to be a world superpower. t's not possible. And Canada is the best candidate-"

"NO!"

England fell silent. Then-

"America, stop being selfish."

"No, England, can't you remember? Don't you remember what it was like? How could you let Canada-"

"Amérique, this is not up for discussion," France suddenly spoke up. "If you did not want Canada to become the world's superpower, then you should not have declared war on the world."

Canada heard another rustling noise, then a yelp.

"AMERICA!"

England's voice.

"STOP IT THIS INSTANT! Canada WILL become the new world superpower, and you will not protest it! You have no power left to protest it."

Quietly, Canada pushed open the door to join his family. America looked up at him with teary eyes.

"No... Mattie... please... Don't do it..."

"Don't do it, Al? You can't tell me what to do."

The once-strong nation crumpled to the ground as his brother walked out calmly.


"... Canada?"

"I'm sorry, yes?" Canada said, jerking out of his reverie.

"I asked if you were going to lend funds to help with the rebuilding."

The nations around the table all looked at him expectantly. He really didn't have money for this, they would be better off asking the Asian nations, who had kept out of the war. But...

"Yes, of course."

It was the least he could do to help the world. After all, that was his responsibility now.

A responsibility that would, though he did not know it, change his world in ways no one could have predicted.


End Chapter One


Note: "Early Spring, 1815" refers to the War of 1812. The Treaty of Ghent was signed on December 24th, 1814 in Ghent, Belgium. It was ratified in England 3 days later, and almost immediately when it reached the US in February 1815, thus ending the war.