Depersonification
Chapter 21: Refuse, Don't Consume
Next chapter will officially be the epilogue! Bring out your tissues, this chapter is a big one!
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT! You have all encouraged me to continue writing this story to the point where I even finished it! Your reviews all meant the world to me, thank you!
Disclaimer: Action scenes are my weak point, so sorry if the action scene seemed a bit tacky. I tried my best!
Disclaimer 2: I wrote this chapter back in the beginning of January, BEFORE the Parkland Shooting happened. There are two "gun" references in this chapter and I wanted to give you all a trigger warning. It is deemed on a comical light, but that does not mean I think the Gun Controversy currently going on in our country is funny. I considered eliminating it, but censoring it and not addressing it IS the problem. I do not intend to offend, and I do not intend to sugarcoat the situation. Although the way Italy states, "Americans with guns are scary," sounds comical, if you really think about it, it's not. I HOPE it makes you wince, because this whole gun thing needs to be discussed once and for all. Avoiding the problem isn't going to solve anything. The second one isn't as bad, but it's still a trigger warning.
Trump eyed the past Presidents in the room and then directed his attention to the nations.
"May I ask what's going on here?"
North Korea groaned and left the room abruptly, slamming shut the door.
Trump raised his eyebrow, "Who was that?"
"That was the personification of North Korea," Obama answered, causing Trump to gasp.
"WHAT IS HE DOING HERE!?"
"Certainly not to make friends," Bush groaned. "He's here to help us defeat Osthall."
"I don't understand."
Obama went along and told Trump about how the Republicans and the Democrats decided to unite and form a resistance against Osthall called The Freedom Fighters and other nations had decided to help.
Trump blinked, surprised when Obama had told him that conservatives and liberals actually united. It was very surprising, and very rare. But considering what's been going on, it was probably for the best.
Trump eyed Sam and Greg and gasped, "I thought you two had died!"
Sam and Greg smiled, "Nah, we're just injured."
"I feel like he went easy on us to be honest," Sam stated. "He only shot us in the leg."
"Well I'm glad to know you're still alive," Trump stated in relief as he eyed the nations.
Germany cleared his throat, "I believe we've met. I am Ludwig, the personification of Germany. Your turn Feliciano."
Italy shook behind Germany, "But Germany! He's scary!"
"Feliciano!" Germany scolded as he grabbed Italy by the shoulders and placed him in front of Trump.
Italy quickly grabbed his white flag and waved it quickly, "My name is Feliciano Vargas and I am the personification of Northern Italy my brother Lovino isn't here but he is the personification of Southern Italy please don't tweet about my country we are nice people and we make good food that doesn't taste like British food I know we're bad drivers but at least we drive on the same side of the road as Americans. I brought pasta will you not tweet or insult my country if I give you some it is better than that sad excuse for pasta you sell at Olive Garden OH NO will you tweet about me because I insulted one of your restaurants I am so sorry please don't tell your people to come and get me and shoot me with their guns, Americans with guns are scary—"
"ITALY!" Germany exclaimed. "He gets it!"
Trump blinked, his expression was blank.
Obama chuckled, "You'll get used to it."
Japan stepped forward and bowed, "Konichiwa, I am Kiku Honda, personification of Japan."
Bush motioned for Trump to bow, and Trump obliged reluctantly.
He eyed the other Asian nation who was in the room, who was glaring at him and crossing his arms.
"I am Yao Wang, the personification of China, and don't even bother saying my name, I already know you're going to say it wrong. Oh, and global warming? That's real. And it was NOT a hoax created by me, I've lived for about 4,000 years, I think I should be able to identify whether or not our climate is changing."
Trump shuttered, China didn't seem very friendly. He figured it was his own fault for always tweeting about him and pronouncing his name as 'Gina' rather than China.
Trump said nothing as China walked to the side and stood in front of a very tall nation wearing a very creepy smile and extending his hand.
"Hello comrade. I am Ivan Braginski, personification of Russia, and I don't like you."
Well, this one was straightforward. Trump grabbed his hand to shake it, only for Russia to hold it in a bone crushing hold. "You may be friends with my boss, but you can't fool me, one day, you and your country will become one with Mother Russia."
Trump widened his eyes, holy hell Russia was terrifying! Did Alfred have to deal with this all the time!?
"I am very sorry about Alfred. He was good person to be enemies with, I admired his narcissism and his youthful, naive, and utterly stupid face that I wanted to break in half 99% of time."
"Russia, that's enough," China scolded as he grabbed the Russian and dragged him away.
Trump rubbed his hand, which was probably swollen by now. He turned towards Obama, Bush, Carter, and Clinton, who all shrugged. Apparently this was normal.
He turned towards a girl who was scowling at him, "Chancla o cachetada?"
Trump raised an eyebrow, "Huh?"
"Choose one. Chancla o cachetada?"
"Um, the second one?"
SMACK
Trump indignantly rubbed his cheek and glared at the girl in shock, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?"
"Maria Rosa Hernandez, personification of Mexico! And don't you dare look at me like that, you had that coming and you know it!"
Trump's expression softened to one of understanding. Oh…
"I'm not paying a single peso for that stupid wall, pay for it yourself! You're rich, you practically produce money out of your ass!"
France grabbed the girl's shoulders, "Maria, ma cherie, calm down. A beautiful lady such as yourself shouldn't stress, let me take it from here."
Mexico pouted and pounced away.
"Let me guess," Trump started. "You're France?"
"Oui, Francis Bonnefoy, the most beautiful country in the world. Isn't that right ma cheries?"
All the nations in the room either scoffed, laughed, or turned away.
France scoffed indignantly as he flipped his hair, "Well! You are all just jealous."
An individual who looked just like Alfred approached Trump, and Trump jumped.
"Alfred?"
Canada frowned, "No… I'm Matthew Williams, personification of Canada."
Trump frowned, "Oh, so you're Trudeau's?"
Canada nodded, "Yes, he's my boss."
"You look just like Alfred. Is it true that you two are twin brothers?"
Canada winced at the mention of Alfred's name, but politely nodded nonetheless.
"Canada and America, twin brothers," Trump stated to himself as he eyed Obama and Bush. "Huh, who would of thought. It's so weird, but it makes so much sense. Where is Alfred anyway?"
The mood in the room immediately changed, and everyone became silent.
Trump raised an eyebrow, "I asked a question."
"He'd dead. He's bloody dead."
Trump turned towards the source of the voice and came face to face with an emerald green eyed nation, with eyebrows as thick as squirrels and frazzled blonde hair.
England.
Trump blinked, this was England, he knew it was. He could tell through his accent and the way the man was scowling at him with those thick brows Obama had informed him that he had.
So this was the infamous England. He was smaller than he expected, but Paul Ryan had informed him to never judge a nation by its size. Nations would always be stronger than the mortals who inhabited them, that went without a question.
"Arthur Kirkland, personification of England. And may I say how flattered I am to finally meet you, I very much enjoyed the national scare your administration gave us when you declared war, impeccable leadership on your part."
Oh, he was definitely British, he had sarcasm perfected to the notch.
Trump scowled, "Well I wouldn't have had to declare war if you weren't rallying a bunch of nations to destroy ours."
England laughed, "Do you think I'm an idiot? Why the bloody hell would I do something so stupid! My alliance with North Korea was unplanned, HE was the one who came to ME after discovering our national tensions to offer help. And you know what? I had declined at first because I knew it would have teared apart my alliance with America. America finding the folder declaring our alliance was pure misunderstanding. I'll have you know that Alfred was one of the most impulsive gits on this damn planet, so of course he would jump into conclusions without listening to my side of the story."
"Was?" Trump asked. "Wait… what do you mean he's dead?"
England turned away.
Sam sighed, "Mr. President, America is dead. Our nation is dead. Osthall has taken America's place as the new personification, this nation is now Osthall."
Trump gasped, "Wait! I don't understand! How did he die?"
"He disappeared from existence," Obama added. "He and his states. We're living on unclaimed land right now. That is why we started this resistance. If we're going to be Osthonians from now on, we have to reason with Osthall and convince him to keep our nation as a democracy."
"What about America? Is there seriously no way for him to come back?"
Bush shook his head.
Trump growled, "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" he pointed at Obama.
"My fault!?" Obama exclaimed.
"Yeah! You and those damned liberals complained too much! You morons killed this country!"
The nations groaned.
"No manches, just when I thought he'd finally stop being a pendejo," Mexico face palmed.
"Yes, I was the one who used derogatory terms like 'Crooked Hillary' or 'libtards' to divide this country, that makes a whole lot of sense Donald," Obama retorted.
"You did nothing during your Presidential term! You had it easy! Compared to me, you had it easy! You made sure to paste me as the bad guy, that's why Alfred didn't like me."
"I've told you before Donald!" Obama exclaimed. "I played no part in changing Alfred's opinion about you!"
"SHUTTTT UUUUUUPPPPPPPPP!"
The entire room silenced and turned towards England, who was scowling at Trump. "THIS HAPPENED UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP! POINTING FINGERS TO YOUR OPPOSITE POLITICAL PARTY IS WHAT BLOODY GOT YOU HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE! TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR SLICE OF THE BLAME! OBAMA, THIS IS YOUR FAULT TOO, JUST LIKE IT'S ALSO BUSH'S, JUST LIKE IT'S BOTH DEMOCRATS' AND REPUBLICANS' FAULTS! IT'S THIS ENTIRE COUNTRY'S FAULT! IT'S ALFRED'S FAULT! IT'S MY FAULT TOO! IT'S ALL OUR BLOODY FAULTS!"
England's voice echoed in the room, silencing the Americans in the room, who processed England's words in their minds.
England sighed and eyed Trump, "Come with me. You and I need to talk."
Tony shook his head, damn he did not sign up for this.
Aubrey had escaped. She had woken up and had grown frightened at the sight of him, so she had run away. Honestly, he should have just dipped out of this planet when he had the chance.
Right now he was playing the worst game of hide and seek with a little girl who held no importance to him. He wanted to quit, but then he remembered that the girl's life was at stake, and unlike that loser Osthall, he wasn't a sadistic bloodthirsty being.
He passed by what appeared to be a deserted Mcdonalds and raised an eyebrow.
"What the…"
He stepped into the store and observed his surroundings, making sure no humans were around to see him.
He started clapping and glared at the two individuals currently sitting at a booth each eating a Big Mac. "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you waste your time effectively!"
America, and Osthall, who was picking at his burger, wondering what the hell America was forcing him to eat, turned towards the alien.
"He was hungry! So I had to introduce him to a proper five course meal!"
"This looks fattening," Osthall simply stated as America scoffed.
"Psh! They are not! I mean, I eat burgers all the time and check out my rock hard abs!"
"You mean your rock hard flab," Tony stated as he grabbed America's burger and took a bite.
"Pfft, y'all are haters," America replied as he threw a fry into his mouth. "Taste it!"
Osthall frowned and stared down at his burger reluctantly, "I don't know. Are you sure this is safe to eat?"
"Dude, I get that you're from the medieval times and stuff and I get that everything you ate back in the day was poisonous but times have changed. Have a burger, it'll change your life forever."
"I only have a few hours to live America," Osthall stated with a dead panned look.
"Well what better way to live these last few moments than to try a burger for the first time!"
Osthall sighed and poked the burger with his fork, cutting off a little piece.
"Dude, you eat like France, man up already!" America blurted as he grabbed the burger and jammed it into Osthall's mouth, causing him to bite off a piece.
Osthall chewed onto it as America lowered the rest of his burger back onto his plate.
Tony and America shared a look as they eyed Osthall expectantly.
"Sooo?" America asked.
Osthall swallowed and immediately felt relief come into his stomach, "Wow, I've forgotten the satisfaction of feeding off your hunger. This is really good."
America bumped his fist in the air, "Hell yeah! Score one for the U S of A! In your limey face Iggy!"
"That limey STILL doesn't like burgers?" Tony asked as America shook his head.
"Nope, but Osthall does! So I win!"
"Wait a minute, where's Aubrey?" Osthall asked as he eyed Tony. "I thought she was with you!"
Tony coughed, "Well, you see, what happened was… screw it, she ran away."
Osthall widened his eyes, "YOU LOST HER!?"
"No, she ran away when she woke up and noticed I was an alien, big difference."
"WE HAVE TO FIND HER!" Osthall stood up.
"I think if I try really hard, I can sense her," America responded. "Wait, no I can't, cause I'm not the personification if this country anymore. Thanks Osthall."
Osthall groaned, "You have half of your country back now, quit whining."
"What's the most predictable place we could think of?" Tony asked.
"We we could check the White House," Osthall offered. "And that's where Gratton probably is."
Trump sat across from the English nation as England poured himself a cup of tea, with no sign of emotion on his exterior.
"Tea?" England asked.
"Eh — no thanks, I prefer coffee."
"Of course you do," England answered with a withering tone, muttering something about bloody Americans with no culture.
England brought his cup onto the desk and sipped on it gracefully, keeping his eyes shut. "You know, I don't usually like talking about this with any of America's leaders, and they usually save me the time and tongue - because they never ask - even though I know they want to. But I'll make an exception, as it is necessary for me to tell you this. You see, Mr. Trump, you and I aren't all that different."
Trump raised an eyebrow, what was this boy getting at?
"I used to be a pirate," England simply stated, sipping his tea with bliss.
Trump scowled, "That's why you wanted t—"
England glared at Trump, stopping him from saying another word. "Do not speak until you are spoken to, I am trying to help you realize what you are doing wrong, which, may I remind you, is beneath me. I could easily leave you to your swarming and confusing thoughts if I wanted to."
Trump kept his mouth shut, he knew he couldn't argue against a nation. And after seeing Alfred mad, he was pretty sure he didn't want to anger another one.
England, satisfied with his silence, took another sip of his tea. "And I wasn't just any pirate, I dominated the seven seas. I was the most feared country in the world. Of course, as they must have taught you in your history class, I was in constant competition with that frog France, Spain, and Prussia. We were all competing to see who'd become the most powerful, and I admit, I let that glory get to my head," England stated. "That's when that bastard Christopher Columbus discovered traces of the New World. Of course, the New World meant new land, so I wasted no time to gather my men and travel overseas."
Another sip of tea.
"I had arrived at a similar time than France, and one day Finland approached us, telling us that there was a little boy running around the fields of this strange New World. France and I knew automatically that he was one of us, so I went ahead and tracked down that boy. As you may have guessed, that little boy was Alfred."
Trump blinked, he had heard many stories of how the United States was discovered, but this one was different. This one was personal, this one was being told from a witness' perspective.
"As I stated before, I was an arrogant, cocky, and power hungry buffoon at the time, so I wasted no time in claiming Alfred as my own. I named him Alfred Kirkland, personification of the New England colonies. However, although my intentions were unhealthy, I sure did love the lad, he was an adorable and very obedient little boy. But I did something bad, very bad, and this is the part I want you to pay attention to."
"Did you hurt him?" Trump asked.
"Physically? No, at least not at the time. Soulfully? Yes. I crushed his spirits, I knew he was capable of being his own nation, but my arrogance denied it. He constantly tried to prove to me that he was strong, that he was capable of being his own country, but I always denied him approval. He tried, and tried, and tried, and I denied, denied, denied. I ignored him and lost communication with him to fulfill my own self interests, little did I know that I was hurting America along the way, and he was drifting apart from me. Sound familiar?"
Donald Trump froze, it was not hard for him to connect the dots. He was so focused on making himself look good and gaining approval from the people that he wasn't paying attention to what his actions were doing to the country. Granted, it was not entirely his fault, polarization existed even before he stepped into office, but he was triggering it. He was putting wood into the fire, and that fire was burning the ideologies America stood for. America had tried to speak to him, to tell him what he was doing, but he didn't listen and resorted to yelling.
That is what democrats and republicans were doing wrong. Instead of taking the pleas of the people into consideration, they were in constant battle with one another - trying to show the other political party off.
And that was not okay. It defeated the purpose of being a unified democracy. Trump, Congress, and the Supreme Court were so focused on competing against each other that it was weakening Alfred. Hence why he obtained depersonification in the first place.
"Even when I knew I had lost Alfred's trust, I still continued to berate him. I wanted to tame him and prove to him that he was a colony and nothing more. All because of my arrogance. So the people got angry with me, they declared their bloody independence and I fought thinking I could win. And the rest is history..." England finished as he drank the last of his tea. "I'm telling you this because it is your job as the President of the United States to prevent something as horrifying as a revolution to occur. The Civil War was one thing, and it could happen again if you don't do something about it. This goes for Congress too. Unify your country Mr. Trump, that is all Alfred wants. Don't commit the same mistake I committed."
England stood and prepared to depart.
"But Alfred is gone..." Trump stated.
"That's even more of a reason why you should do as I say. Unify the United States in his memory. Sure, your nation will be named Osthall from now on, but Osthall can't kill your bloody American Spirit, trust me, I've tried."
England departed, leaving Donald Trump to his thoughts once again.
It was weird, because he had overheard someone say something very similar a long time ago. Back when he was around four or five…
Flashback
He did it. He had won the race. In those loser's faces.
His classmates pouted and stomped the ground, "No fair Donny! You always win!"
Donald smiled boastingly, "Well try harder next time!"
His best friend, Paul Onish, approached him quickly. "Donny! Check it out! A big fancy man who works for the government came!"
"Ooo we should prank him!" Donald exclaimed as he and Paul giggled and ran toward the front yard, hiding behind a bush.
The man was tall. He acquired dark blonde hair with a cowlick and baby blue eyes. He wore a brown suit with a brown bomber jacket over it. Underneath his glasses, one could tell he was a man with life, and many stories to tell.
"Woah," Paul sighed in fascination. "Ya think he's a Veteran?"
Donald scoffed, "He's seems too young to be a Veteran. Veterans are usually old people, my dad says so!"
"Wow Donny you're smart!"
"Of course! Shhh I want to hear what they are saying!"
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Jones, welcome to Kew-Forest School! The children here are very obedient, I'm sure you'll find everything to your liking," the head of school exclaimed.
Alfred F. Jones nodded, "I'm very sorry President Truman couldn't make it, today is the sixth anniversary of President Roosevelt's passing, and he and his wife wanted to dedicate today to commemorate him."
The head of school sighed, "Roosevelt was an amazing President, he did a fantastic job taking us out of the Great Depression and guiding us through the second World War. Speaking of which, I heard you fought in the war, is it true?"
Paul gasped, "I thought you said he was too young to be a Veteran."
Donald pouted, "He's probably lying. I hate liars."
Paul raised an eyebrow, "But he just said—"
"Shhh!" Donald shushed as he put his finger to his mouth.
Paul shook his head, typical Donny, never accepting when he's wrong.
Alfred smiled, "Yeah, I was kind of everywhere. I was on the battlefield, making plans, flying planes… fighting on beaches for some weird reason… you name it."
The head of school smiled, "What is the most important thing you've learned from that experience?"
Alfred smiled, "That the American spirit will never die. It doesn't matter what they throw at us, we'll always find a way to retaliate. Pearl Harbor…" he paused, feeling a sting on the left side of his abdomen. "Pearl Harbor truly did wake up a sleeping giant. It united us as Americans, and we retaliated with full force. Our unity will always be more powerful than the obstacles placed in front of us, if we were to one day divide… it'd probably kill this country."
Donald bopped his head to the side, all thoughts of pranking this man were gone, this man was interesting. His big words sounded smart, so he must know what he's talking about.
End Flashback
Donald Trump gasped. That man wasn't any other normal government official, that man was America! How could he have not noticed the similarity before!? Damn, he looked EXACTLY like how he had looked all those years ago!
Damn it! He had some serious thinking to do...
"I still can't believe you let her escape."
"What was I supposed to do?" Tony asked. "Go kidnapper style and bribe her with candy? Give me a break!"
"Yeah if I was a kid who was always told aliens didn't exist and then woke up being carried by one, I'd freak out too," America added.
"Finally, someone with some logic!" Tony exclaimed as he motioned towards America.
Osthall groaned, how the hell did he get stuck with the two biggest idiots on the planet? America and Tony were a strange duo, and he did not want to be a part of it.
"We're here," America stated as they all stood in front of the White House.
"Welp, this is my stop. Good luck guys, America, buy snacks when you're finished, your fridge desperately needs it after this thing dumped everything."
America widened his eyes towards Osthall, "YOU THREW AWAY MY FOOD!?"
"No, it all spoiled, and there was no point in me going out to shop for groceries."
Tony rolled his eyes, "Tell America what you did to the internet."
Osthall widened his eyes as he flickered towards America, who was looking appalled.
"What did you do… to my beloved internet?" America whispered.
"I shut it down?" Osthall sheepishly smiled.
America gasped and touched his heart, "YOU DIDN'T SHUT DOWN GOOGLE DID YOU!? PLEASE TELL ME YOU DIDN'T SHUT DOWN GOOGLE!"
"Goo-what?" Osthall asked. "Look, I shut it all down, all of it."
America squeaked and collapsed onto the floor, "NOOOOOOOO! YOU MONSTER! GOOGLE AND I HAVE BEEN THROUGH HELL AND BACK TOGETHER! You know how many shortcuts I've taken thanks to Google!? You know how many documents assigned to me by Obama I've bullcrapped thanks to GOOGLE!? You know how much Google has saved me from boredom during World Meetings!? GOOGLE IS MY LIFE MAN! MY LIFE!"
Osthall scoffed, "Man up! You survived a good two centuries without the internet, how is now any different?"
"Yeah! And those were dark times!" America shuttered.
Osthall turned towards Tony, who shrugged, "I agree with him. Google is an essential component in our lives nowadays."
Osthall rolled his eyes, "You are both a bunch of internet-obsessed idiots."
"Dude, Mexico said the same thing to me during this one World Meeting. She says I'm like this one character from this show she watches called La Rosa de Guadalupe about a girl who was so obsessed with the internet that she even swung at her mom when she was getting it taken away. Which is like so extra, why would anyone throw a tantrum over that?" America pouted.
"Then explain why you threw the desk in the Oval Office across the room when it was announced that Net Neutrality was revoked. Sounds like a tantrum to me," Tony mocked.
"SHUT UP TONY DON'T EXPOSE ME LIKE THAT!"
"Okay, I'm leaving now, later losers," Tony stated as he turned towards Osthall and stared at him for three seconds before silently shaking his hand and leaving.
Osthall raised an eyebrow as he watched Tony's retreating form, "What was that?"
"That's Tony's style. It's his way of saying goodbye and that it was a pleasure working with you. He's not good with goodbyes."
"Why did he leave?"
"Dude, do you KNOW what is going to happen if any of my people see him!? They'll freak!"
"Yeah, I figured that much. We still haven't found Aubrey..."
America frowned, "We'll find her dude, don't sweat."
A scream was heard at a distance and Osthall and America immediately ran toward it, "AUBREY!"
"I'll check inside the White House and you check the perimeter!" America called as Osthall agreed.
Osthall ran and felt himself growing weaker, 75% of America's country had gone back to him, and Osthall was feeling more fatigued. But he couldn't go without knowing Aubrey was safe!
He suddenly felt a gun pointed at his neck, and he froze.
"Put your hands up and turn around."
Osthall smirked and turned, coming face to face with England, who was glaring at him with a look that he had never seen before. Beside him stood France and Canada, who were prepared to chase him down if he even dared to run away.
Osthall felt someone approach him from behind, and due to the overwhelming energy, he knew it was Russia and a few other nations.
England gasped when he got a good look at his former colony, Osthall looked terrible! His grey eyes looked duller than usual, he held bags under his eyes, and his skin was growing weary. But why?
England hid his concern with a snicker, "How does it feel to be the new personification of this nation? It sure doesn't look like you're having a good time."
Osthall rolled his eyes, "I told you, I wanted to bring America back, and I did. I don't have much time to live, and King Gratton is still running around, so if you excuse me…"
Russia grabbed Osthall's shoulders and kept him into place, causing one of Osthall's shoulder caps to snap. Osthall winced, damn it, was he really this weak? His powers were already gone, so there really was no way for him to protect himself.
"You aren't going anywhere you bloody liar," England threatened. "Not until you agree to the terms and conditions we're about to set upon you. The Freedom Fighters are here, as well as our troops, we have you surrounded."
Osthall groaned, "I'm NOT lying! Ask America if you don't believe me! The idiot ran inside the White House!"
SMACK
England was livid, the hand he had used to slap Osthall was trembling, "STOP IT EDGAR! STOP IT! ENOUGH! Don't you ever get tired!? You are making it harder for me to move on! STOP BRINGING HIM UP!"
"Yo Osthall! There's nothing in the White Ho— oh..."
All the nations turned and widened their eyes as they came face to face with The United States of America, alive and healthy, who was frozen in place while pointing a thumb towards the White House.
Silence.
England blinked, unable to believe his eyes, he turned towards America, then Osthall, then America, then Osthall.
Canada was the first to speak, "A-Alfred… is that really you?"
America smiled, "Yeah, hey Matt—"
Canada sprinted towards America and hugged him tightly, letting tears freely fall from his face. He hyperventilated, his voice hoarse with emotion, "Don't EVER do that to me again! EVER!"
America gave Canada a warm smile and tightly hugged him back, feeling tears cornering his eyes. He felt horrible for Canada, he couldn't imagine having the tables be turned. Oh hell no, if anyone even dared lay a single finger on Canada he'd give them a what for.
North Korea groaned, "Damn it, just when things started to look up."
"Psh, you know you missed me!" America teased. "You even came to help!"
"I DIDN'T COME FOR YOU!"
America laughed boisterously, causing England to gasp. This was America, there's only one person who could laugh like that.
Germany and Italy approached America, "I'm glad to know you're okay America."
"Yes! We were so scared! I was afraid you'd never be able to officially learn how to make real pasta!"
America snorted, "I'll have you know, that Olive Garden already does a great job in that department."
Italy gasped, "You monster! Germany, tell him that's not true!"
America laughed, "I'm just kidding, give me lessons sometime yeah?"
Italy's smiled immediately reappeared, "Yes! Anytime!"
Japan and China approached America and smiled, "We're glad to know you're okay America-san."
"Yeah, and you still owe me money."
America gave China a dead panned look, "Thanks."
America eyed Russia and gave him a wide fake smile, "I still think you're creepy."
Russia shut his eyes and returned the fake smile, "And I still want to break your face!"
France gave America a kiss on each cheek and Mexico gave him a soft hug, "Mon ami, I am very happy to see you again!"
"Same here Frenchy."
"Otro dia no te dejes!" Mexico exclaimed. "Dale unos fregadazos!"
"Ay si que facil!" America retorted. "Si fueras tu, no durarias ni tantito!"
Mexico gasped and whacked America, causing him to laugh boisterously.
Osthall smiled softly. His prediction was correct, many nations truly did love America even if they did complain about him a lot. He used this time to slip away, determined to find Aubrey before officially saying goodbye to the world.
America eyed England and England eyed back.
The memories of their last conversation appeared in both their minds and neither knew who should speak first.
"Did ya mean it?" America ask.
England blinked, "Mean what?"
"What you said… about being proud of me and stuff…"
England softly smiled and ruffled America's hair, "You git, of course I didn't mean it."
America raised an eyebrow but then smiled, hugging England tightly.
England blushed furiously but hugged back, silently thanking whoever was up there for bringing America back.
America jumped and widened his eyes, looking around, "WHERE'S OSTHALL!?"
The nations turned, "Why does it matter?"
"Because I promised I'd help him find Aubrey and defeat Gratton!"
"Wait, so that was true?" England asked.
America nodded furiously, "Gratton is out to get Aubrey and Trump so that he can regain his life and become the new leader of this nation. We have to find Aubrey and keep her safe while Osthall sacrifices himself and takes Gratton with him!"
"Aubrey? You mean the little girl I ran into at the Washington Monument and wait!? Osthall is planning to what!?"
"I'll explain later! C'mon! But we're going to need reinforcements, and I know exactly who to contact!"
Hours Later
"Step away from her!" Osthall growled as he approached Gratton, who had regained control over Aubrey.
The girl was trembling, frightened and confused. "Mr. Orwen? What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to rescue you."
"All in vain too, you've just won yourself a front row seat to her execution!" Gratton cackled as Osthall growled. "I'm going to kill her, just like I killed many Osthonians so long ago!"
Aubrey gasped, "You're the mean old King from my Grandma's tales?"
"Mean old King?" Gratton asked. "Why, I think I deserve a better name than that!"
Aubrey kicked him in the knee and grabbed a stick, hitting him with it.
Osthall blinked in fascination as Aubrey totally kicked Gratton's ass, hell, this was quality entertainment.
"Being a bully is bad! Bad boy!" Aubrey scolded.
Gratton groaned, "I refuse to be beaten by a little girl!"
Aubrey ran towards Osthall, who carried her and ran away.
Gratton growled and ran after them, only to be shot in the leg with a gun.
Gratton turned and came face to face with Alabama, who was proudly standing next to California, New York, and Texas
"X marks the spot!" New York exclaimed. "Nice shot! I still want gun control though…"
"We can arrange that," Alabama smiled as America and England approached the states.
"Good job guys! Now take him somewhere where you know he won't be able to escape!"
"You mean Hollywood?" Texas asked, causing California to pout.
"Hey!" California exclaimed.
Alabama and New York grabbed a struggling Gratton and dragged him away.
America and England ran towards Osthall's direction, widening their eyes when they noticed Aubrey crying next to a collapsed Osthall.
"Mr. Jones! I don't know what happened! He… he just fell!"
Osthall flickered, and America felt another surge of energy enter his body. "That's it…" he muttered as he turned towards England. "I only need Hawaii and that's it…"
England gasped and slowly kneeled next to his first colony. America patted Osthall's shoulder, causing his weak grey eyes to turn towards him, "Thank you Osthall, for everything."
"Wait…" Osthall muttered as he coughed. "I have something to say."
He coughed again.
"America, remember that consume, don't refuse bullcrap I told you about. *cough* It was a lie, you should never do that, it'll hurt your country. Promise me something, promise me you'll never change and you'll always Refuse, Don't Consume."
"I promise," America whispered.
"Take care of Aubrey, she's all I have left," Osthall whispered as he smiled towards the little girl, who had tears rolling down her eyes.
"Please don't go Mr. Orwen, I promise I'll be good!" Aubrey choked.
"You already are good Aubrey, promise me you'll stay in school and you'll become someone in life okay. Make this world a happier place. We need people like you," he grabbed her hand. "I'll always be watching over you."
Aubrey cried as America sighed and carried her, taking her away from the scene. He knew he needed to give England and Osthall some alone time, and he didn't want Aubrey to be there when he… besides, he needed to round up the Americans and inform them that everything was okay.
The field grew silent as England's lime green eyes stared into Osthall's grey ones.
"I'm sorry for not believing you," England whispered, resisting the urge to cry. "I…"
Osthall shook his head, "It's alright. It's my fault for always lying."
"It didn't have to end like this you know?" England cried, tears freely falling. "I knew you still had good within you."
Osthall smiled softly, "I'm glad you never lost faith in me… but I asked for this England. It's time for me to go."
England shook his head furiously, "No! I refuse to let you go like this! There has to be a way!"
Osthall grabbed England's hand, "Arthur, if is another way, I still wouldn't have taken it. I want to go."
Now England was confused, "What?"
"What purpose do I have here? My land is gone, my people besides Aubrey are gone, and my legacy is destroyed as well. My only goal in life was to feel proud under my own skin, to learn to be happy. I achieved that Arthur, I'm happy, and I will rest in peace."
"I don't understand…"
"Aubrey and America taught me a lot of things England. America taught me to never lose hope and Aubrey taught me to love myself and to be empathetic towards those who need it. This world needs empathy Arthur, my country needed empathy, and I didn't give it. My life purpose has been fulfilled, hence, it is time for me to go."
England cried, "I love you, you know that right? I never stopped loving you. Both you and Alfred, equally. I am very proud of you Osthall, you make me proud to have been your mentor."
"Well, America and I had to learn compassion from somewhere you know?"
England choked, "I love you Edgar, and I will forever hold you in my memory."
Osthall smiled tenderly, "Arthur, please, don't call me that anymore. Call me Charles, the name you gave me. When you remember me, refer to me as Charles in your thoughts. That's all I ask… and take care of America in my absence. He really cares about you Arthur, get along with him. Let go of the past, let go of that Revolution. Promise me you'll let go…"
England closed his eyes and nodded, still clinging on to Osthall's hand.
Osthall said nothing and closed his eyes in utter bliss, letting the forces of nature take him away. King Gratton seemed to have also disappeared, as England heard faint screams in the distance. But it didn't matter to him.
Suddenly, England felt nothing in his arms anymore, and he didn't need to open his eyes to know what had happened. But he wasn't sad, no, he was satisfied.
Because Charles Kirkland, personification of Osthall, had passed away in peace.
Osthall blinked as he opened his eyes and found himself lying in a wheat field. Where was he?
He stood up and raised in eyebrow, this place looked familiar.
"It's good to finally have you join us Mr. Orwen."
Osthall turned and came face to face with Annalise Edwards, the little girl whose parents were executed because they hadn't paid King Gratton their taxes.
This woman was a descendent of Aubrey Edwards. Her countless great grandmother.
Osthall gasped as he noticed the woman's parents stand behind her daughter, smiling at him. He blinked as he looked around, every Osthonian who had ever existed were crowding around him, bidding him the brightest smiles.
His people.
He suddenly realized why this place looked so familiar, he was standing upon the nation of Osthall. The wheat fields, the markets, the castle — a castle of no importance as it was clear that King Gratton no longer resided there.
The corner of Osthall's eyes grew watery, he had longed so much to see his people again, so lively and full of life. Was this heaven? Was this his afterlife? He did not know, but he did not care either.
Annalise wiped the tears off of Osthall's cheeks, "Do not cry Mr. Orwen. We are free now, we no longer fear for our lives, we are no longer living a nightmare. King Gratton is gone for good. You have brought us peace. Our deaths will now be remembered forever, our sacrifices will be imprinted in the history books once again. You have let go of the past, you have learned to love again, and so have we."
Osthall smiled fondly, "Your countless great granddaughter is the one to thank, not me."
Annalise giggled, "She's quite the wise little one isn't she? Yes, we have all been watching over her intently. She is representing us Osthonians well."
Osthall nodded in agreement, "That girl is going to change America, in a good way too."
"Her entire generation is," Annalise agreed. "We're all very proud of you Mr. Orwen. Do not misunderstand though, we are very much aware that you've done so much wrong, you have inflicted unnecessary pain on innocent victims."
Osthall frowned and bowed his head, "You must all be embarrassed of me."
"No, we are not. Because you feel remorse, sincere remorse. You have utilized that remorse to make things right, and for that, we are proud of you."
The carpenter, who was executed by Gratton for rebelling against the crown, began applauding and everyone around soon followed. Osthall let the tears fall and he hug many of his citizens tightly.
Aubrey Edwards was right, doing good things for others truly was a rewarding experience. Yes, he had sacrificed himself and now he was no longer a country. But he was already more powerful than he had ever been.
Because he had finally gained control of his happiness.
*sighs* Well, there we go ladies and gents, one more chapter! Thank you all again for embarking on this journey with me.
Again, sorry if Gratton's scenes seemed a bit rushed. I didn't intend them to, I just REALLY suck at action scenes and I didn't want it to drag along.
Hmm, so Trump had seen Alfred before huh? Interesting.
Fun Fact: Donald Trump actually claimed that he was a mischievous child who flung erasers at his classmates and would always get in trouble, that is why he got sent to military school. He had an "I'm always right and I'm the winner!" complex even as a child. He always wanted to outdo everyone. The name that I mentioned for his best friend (Paul) truly was his best friend at the time. Trump was referred to as Donny, and he actually did go to that school. SO I DIDN'T MAKE ANY OF IT UP! He truly was like that in his childhood. Just thought it'd be cool to implement.
I really wanted Trump and England to have a heart to heart because who doesn't love good ol' Iggy's sarcastic wit, especially when it comes to those "bloody Americans." XD
But I know you all still have a few questions?
What is the aftermath of all of this?
Does Donald Trump change after this traumatic experience?
What ends up happening to Aubrey?
What happens to America and England's relationship?
Find out in the next chapter!
SPANISH TRANSLATIONS:
Chancla o cachetada - Sandal or Slap across the face?
Peso - This is the name of the currency in Mexico. Like Euros, Dollars, Pounds etc.
Otro dia no te dejes! - Next time don't let yourself!
Dale unos fregadazos! - Give him a good pounding!
Ay si que facil! - Oh yes, that should be easy! (Sarcasm)
Si fueras tu, no durarias ni tantito! - If it were you, you wouldn't even last a tiny bit!
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