[AN: Ah, and I'm back to the Carolinas... well, I know the first part of the Carolina story is cheesy... this one's gonna be cheesy too, so be prepared~ Oh right, also, I NEED PEOPLE TO HELP ME MAKE THE STATES! Seriously, I'm not even American... I just live here, so a little help would be nice, I'm going to post a list of needed state information on my profile soon]
State name: North Carolina
Real name: Joseph R. Cooper
State nickname: The Tar Heel State
Height: 5"5
Age: 17 (Appears) 222 (Real age)
Birthday: November 21
Capital: Raleigh
State animal: Gray Squirrel
Fact: Virginia Dare, the first English child born in America, on Roanoake Island in 1587
Gender: Male
Appearance: Close to his sister in appearance, North Carolina has curly mustard-brown hair that barely reaches his shoulders. Although his eyes are the same coal-black as South Carolina's, his are more lively and bright. In fact, most of his facial features are more easy-going and softened. His has a childish grin and skin a little darker than apricot.
Personality: Unlike his slightly stiff and cold sister (NC: Well she does get cranky...) North Carolina is a more playful and lenient to work. He can be lazy at times, but gets along well with mostly everyone. His close friends are New York and New Jersey. North Carolina holds no grudges against anyone, his genuinely happy nature makes it easy for him to forget that he was ever mad.
Bio: North Carolina came near being the first of the permanent English colonies in America. Five voyages were made under the Raleigh charter of 1584 with the view of planting a permanent colony on the soil that became North Carolina; but the effort ended in failure, and almost a century passed when other hands carried into effect the noble ambition of Raleigh. Again, the people who founded Virginia had intended to settle in the vicinity of Roanoke Island, but a storm changed their course, and the first colony was planted in the valley of the first settlements in North Carolina that were destined to live were made by Virginians in 1653, on the banks of the Chowan and Roanoke rivers, in a district called Albemarle from the Duke of Albemarle. A few years later men from New England made a settlement, which they soon abandoned, on the Cape Fear River. In 1665, Sir John Yeamans, an English nobleman of broken fortunes, came from the Barbadoes with a company of planters and joined the few New Englanders who had remained on the Cape Fear River. This district was called Clarendon. Meantime Charles II had issued a charter, in 1663, granting to eight of his favorites the vast territory south of Virginia, and two years later the charter was enlarged and the boundaries defined and made to extend from twenty-nine degrees north latitude to thirty-six degrees thirty minutes, the southern boundary of Virginia, and from the Atlantic Ocean on the east to the "South Sea," or Pacific Ocean, on the west. The grant embraced nearly all the southern portion of the present United States, and the government it created was, like that of Maryland, modeled after the palatinate of Durham. Of the eight men to whom the grant was made the leading spirit was Lord Ashley Cooper, afterward the Earl of Shaftesbury, whose name is still borne by the Ashley and Cooper rivers of South new country had been named Carolina a hundred years before by Ribault, the Huguenot, in honor of Charles IX of France, and the name was now retained in honor of Charles II of England.
Title: Promises II
For as long as I could remember, Big Sis protected me... from pretty much everything.
. . .
"Don't touch that!" South Carolina rush to where North Carolina was.
He was squatting down in the dirt, about to pick a flower when she had suddenly shouted at him. Dragging him a good three feet away from the flower, South Carolina began to examine her younger brother.
"Are you sure you didn't touch it?"
"I'm sure!" North Carolina squealed under his sister's grasp."Why can't I touch it anyway?"
"It's poisonous. It's called he Foxglove. Eating the plant itself can cause vomiting, weakness, and heart problems," South Carolina looked at North Carolina, her face as hard as steel. "I'm serious North, even if you're a state, you can still get hurt," South Carolina pressed on.
"Aww, I was just looking at it, I wasn't going to eat it like I do to most flowers. This one's too pretty to eat~" North Carolina smiled brightly.
South Carolina sighed. When would her happy-go-lucky brother ever learn? Seriously, one whiff of the wrong plant could-
"NO NOT THAT ONE!" she yelled as North went in pursuit for more tasty flowers.
. . .
She made sure I would always get better when I got sick.
. . .
"North are you feeling okay?" South Carolina's coal-black eyes bore holes into North Carolina.
"Y-yeah, just a little dizzy..." that was a lie. North Carolina felt like he would kneel over vomiting. His brain felt like it was being burned to a charred crisp, his lungs found it hard to retain a sufficient supply of air, his heart was beating like mad, and worst of all, thick sweat beaded the side of his head and curly locks of mustard-brown hair. If he weren't sitting down, North Carolina knew that he would have passed out right there and then from exhaustion. He realized that his cheekbones hurt from smiling, but he felt like he couldn't stop, without a smile, there was no way to convince South Carolina that he was perfectly okay.
"You sure?"
"Y-y-yup!"
"Hmm," South Carolina leaned in and held the sides of her brother's sweaty hair. Before long, her Forehead was pressed right on north Carolina's forehead. Her eyes were closed, delicate mustard brown flecks known as her eyelashes curved like palm tree leaves.
After about three minutes, she pulled away.
"North! You're running a fever!" Instantly, South Carolina jumped out of her seat and was on her way to America.
"S-s-sis-" North Carolina stumbled out of his chair. Fatigue and gravity pressed down on him firmly, ready to crush his face to the ground. Reaching out blindly, North Carolina caught hold of Massachusetts's coattail.
"Whoa, you al'ight No'th?" Massachusetts asked as he helped steady the bubbly state.
"J-j-j-just fine..." North Carolina gulped hard, trying to swallow the large lump in the back of his throat.
"Hmm..." Massachusetts pressed one hand on North Carolina's forehead.
"Whoa, you'e bu'ning up!" Massachusetts's hazel eyes scanned the room and spotted West Michigan, who was the closest to them. "Hey! Michigan! gimme a hand!"
Upon hearing their name, both West and East Michigan looked up.
"What do you want?" West Michigan strolled over with his brother at his heels.
Don't be mean West, the mute East Michigan wrote down on his chalkboard.
"I think No'th Ca'olina's sick o' something," Massachusetts explained.
That's bad, does Dad know? East Michigan wrote out.
"I think-"
"I'll take him," South Carolina eyed the three states with intense heat.
"Umm, sure South Ca'olina.." Massachusetts stepped back. East Michigan followed in suit. West Michigan was a little hesitant, but knew better than stand in the way of South Carolina and her brother. Every state knew, and the states that didn't learned quickly.
With some effort, South Carolina lifted North Carolina into a piggyback and made her way out of the state house.
For the next few days, South Carolina didn't leave North Carolina's side. She didn't sleep for almost a week and put off eating and drinking for three days before North Carolina forced her to get some nourishment.
. . .
I even remembered bits of the civil war. Even if South insists I know nothing.
. . .
Gunpowder
Loud bangs and the thick smell of sulfur and smoke rang around the Carolina house.
"Sis! What's that?" North Carolina rushed into the living room.
South Carolina was kneeling on the floor, sweat beaded her pale face. All the curtains were drawn. All the doors shut and barricaded.
"S-south?" North's voice was shaky as he knelt beside her.
"N-n-north... don't go outside..." South Carolina's eyes were now screwed shut.
"Why?"
"Just don't-"
Before she could finish, a loud punding sound came from the door.
"I'll get it," North Carolina stumbled up and went to open the door.
It was Tennessee. Bloodied and broken.
"T-Tennesee?" North Carolina's voice matched the incredulous look on his face.
"North Carolin-"
Before Tennessee could continue, North Carolina caught sight of a disturbing sight past Tennessee's frame.
Blood.
And dead bodies.
Totally lifeless and still.
North Carolina felt it then.
A sharp pain arching through his slender frame, burning inside the core of his heart. Aches flared up everywhere. Sweat poured down his face. It felt like there was a hole where his heart should have been and in it's place, a flame was burning, licking the walls of his chest and corrupting everything in him. It wasn't long before his knees gave out and he tumbled over. His hands clutched his stomach. North Carolina's body spasmed, as if an arc of lightning was traveling through him. It was visions wouldn't stop in his mind.
The father that would never meet his son. The Soildier whose mother was now completely alone. The Young man that would never get to be married to his fiance. And worst of all, the small twelve year old boy who had been shot by accident. The little boy who just wanted to march and play his horn with all the other soildiers.
Then it went black
"NORTH!"
. . .
For ages. She's been the older one. When I was hurt, she would comfort me. When I was in pain, or needed help, she always aided me. Durring camp, I heard so many times about what I would be without South. But now I'm really wondering, what did I do deserve this shoulder? The answer is, I don't. Because I'm a monster. South said so when she told me that liars are closer to monsters than humans. Even if she doesn't remember, I know the promise like a miner knows gold. I said I would never make her worry. I said I would be strong. I said I'd be my own state. But I didn't keep that promise, did I? No. I'm a monster.
And I really don't deserve this life.
So I'm going to set things right and get rid of this villan
And as for South... Just tell her I'm satisfied with what I'm doing.
. . .
Even though she was warmed up from racing back to the campsite as fast as she could and forced her way into the cabin she and North had gone to, South Carolina was trembling. Why had North held it in so much? Why... hadn't he told her? What did she really mean to him? For the first time in decades, South Carolina felt tears well up in her eyes. The message carved into the bed stand.
"NORTH!" she screamed as the tears kept flowing. Turning around, she ran fiercely into the woods in search of her brother.
. . .
An hour later...
"No'th Ca'olina!"
"North Carolina!
"Yo! North!"
The woods were now filled with seventeen yelling states, all equipped with searchlights and dogs.
Although, out of them all, South Carolina searched the most wildly.
"South, you'd better take a break, you look like you're going to puke," Maryland firmly advised.
On normal circumstances, Maryland would never have dared to ask South Carolina to rest. Not when she was out for her brother. But something in her usually cold coal-black eyes made her look... tierd and alot younger than she appeared.
Sniffing, South Carolina nodded and silently walked away to the path that led out of the woods.
Once out of the thicket of trees, South Carolina found a bench at the edge of a tall flowerpatch and sat down. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and worked on clearing her head of the terrible thoughts that rang through her mind.
Once her mind felt clearer, South Carolina tried to remember.
The promise.
When had he said it?
The one about being his own person.
When?
Why?
Where?
All the questions puzzled her.
The sound of shuffling made her look up.
It was Tennessee.
"Umm how ya' doin' South?" he awkwardly said as he took the spot next to her.
Silence.
Tennessee looked out towards the field of flowers.
"Ya' know, North Carolina loved flowers," Tennessee stated.
"Yeah, I know," South Carolina replied like stone.
"Do you like flowers South?"
"No."
"Why?" Tennessee looked at South Carolina suspiciously.
"I have allergies to pollen," South Carolina's gaze flicked over to Tennessee for just a second.
"Hmm, that's too bad," Tennessee mumbled. "You remind me of a flower..."
"Huh?"
Tennessee turned to South Carolina, his green eyes full of playfulness.
"You know how flowers grow up and die and give off seeds right?"
"Yes, their offspring," South Carolina muttered.
"Nope, that's not how I see it," Tennessee looked to the field again and closed his eyes. "I like to think that the plant is reborn through the seed. You know, remade."
"I don't see how this connects to me," South Carolina said quizzically.
Tennessee opened his eyes. "You lie and move on. You don't hold onto your faults unless someone mentions it. Everyday you just wipe the slate clean and start over. Just like a flower that withers every day and is reborn every dawn. But you didn't teach North that, did you?" South Carolina didn't answer. "Just think about it, it's not that difficult." With that, Tennessee left.
South Carolina let this information sink in. And as much as she hated it, Tennessee was right.
Yet, she told North Carolina that a liar was just a monster. She didn't tell him the whole truth.
A dull ache flared in her chest as she stood up and threaded into the field of flowers. The flowers were beautiful. Foxglove and Rhododendron arms embraced the flowers as more tears fell.
Then it hit her.
Foxglove... the plant she had told North not to eat.
Her foot hit something. It could have been a rock. It could have been a twig. But neither rocks nor twigs are as soft as North Carolina's Mustard brown hair. South Carolina dug down, her arms wrapped around something cold... but slightly warm. She jerked upwards, ignoring the pollen the rifted into the air.
With some effort, she pulled North Carolina into a piggyback ride.
For the next few weeks, South Carolina cared for North Carolina. Always by his side in the hospital, not sleeping, eating, or drinking until the doctor forced her to have some nourishment. As for North Carolina, he had eaten a deadly mix of Foxglove and Rhododendron. He had vomited for ten minutes before passing out firmly. He was put in a coma and had to have several dosages of drugs to keep his heartbeat fast enough, this was an effect of the Rhododendron. As for the Foxglove, the doctor administered charcoal into the Carolina to soak up the fluids. However, it was concluded that North Carolina would have heart problems for the rest of his life.
. . .
"Are you ready?" South Carolina asked.
"Yup," North Carolina said excitedly. His coal-black eyes were no longer as bright and vivid as they were before the Incident. They were more dull and laced with a particular pain.
South Carolina lifted the key that America had given her and slipped it into the keyhole. Twisting it 180 degrees clockwise seemed to do the trick. The door clocked open, revealing the contents of the Chamber. Even though she hadn't kept her promise, America had given her the key.
As they entered, the heavy oak door closed behind them.
"Whoa," North Carolina breathed.
The walls of the Chamber were made of stone, but were covered by spiraling bookcases, spinning to the very top of the room 20 feet from where the Carolinas stood. In the center, a black, spiraling staircase lead a path along every shelf. The whole room was illuminated in a dim blue light that shone from the top.
"Let's go," South Carolina picked up the backpack she had brought with her and began racing up the stairs.
"Hey, South Carolina! Wait up!"
South Carolina winced a little. Ever since he had gotten out of the eerie coma, her little brother couldn't just call her 'South' like he used she didn't stop and wait. She didn't stop an worry. She just kept going. Faster and faster.
She reached the top first. At the very top, the staircase stopped spiraling and went into a flat platform. There were no shelves. Just one portrait hanging in the opposite direction of the stairs.
It featured a woman with short sandy blond hair that was longer in the front and slightly shorter in the back. Her eyes were an electric blue, with a pair of red glasses over them. Her skin was a healthy apricot, her body was shaped perfectly and her thin frame was encased in a beautiful light blue dress. However, despite the beauty of the figure, she was nothing.
This was Confederacy.
North Carolina stumbled the last few steps, but froze when he saw the portrait.
"T-t-that's-"
"Yup, that's her. The evil witch," South Carolina shouldered her backpack off.
"Then this place is-"
"The Chamber of the Civil War. Every one of these books hold information about America's darkest war," South Carolina slowly withdrew her hand from her bag.
"What are we here for?"
"We're here to wipe the slate clean," South Carolina withdrew her hand completely, revealing a paintball gun held firmly in her grasp. Standing up straight, South Carolina pointed the gun at the portrait, aimed, and sent a paintball racing to the frame.
Hot pink plain splattered all over Confederacy's face, dripping everywhere.
South Carolina shot six more paintballs before turning to North Carolina.
"A certain someone reminded me how I always wipe the slate clean everyday. Forget my faults and start all over with no regrets. I was a liar the day you were hurt. A monster, but now, I'm reborn. I see no reason why you shouldn't do the same," a genuine smile crossed over South Carolina's face.
Without knowing it, tears were pouring down North Carolina's face.
"S-s-south..."
"Welcome back North."
North Carolina rushed forward and wrapped his arms around his older sister. South Carolina hugged back, tears of joy falling from her face.
But North Carolina pulled away.
Kneeled down.
Pulled out another paintgun...
...and shot it at South Carolina.
"NORTH!"
You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.
~You Are More, by Tenth Avenue North
Ahhh~ Finally finished the cheesy Carolina story~ Sorry for all the cheesiness~!
Also, special thanks to everyone who has reviewed and sent me information~ Seriously, without reviews, I'd be out of imagination juice -3-
Just Kidding, but really, you guys are my motivation for staying up 'till three writing fanfic~
Sites: http: / / green- magazine. blogspot .com /2007/ 10/ beautiful- but- deadly- top-t en -pois ono us. html
http :/ / www .usgennet. org /usa/ topic/ colonial /book /chap 4 _ 3 . html
Still Need info: Please, helps with the characters TwT I'm only one person~
Next up:
Rhode Island: The Ocean State
Kimchi: Yay! The last of the 13 colonies~! Hmm, but why do they call it an 'Island'? I think it's 'Inland'
Rhode Island: Ah well-
Kimchi: I dun need to know
Rhode Island: But-
Kimchi: I do not need to be told something by someone who appears like a thirteen year old.
Rhode Island: Hey! I'm 221
Kimchi: :0 ...Grandpa
Rhode Island: O.o