Hey guys, Gormanbros here. I would like to thank you all for being so patient. I've had a difficult several months, and between school, life, and the evil thing known as writer's block, I have not been able to successfully write this next chapter. Any reviews, comments, story ideas/requests, and any constructive criticism are very much appreciated. States, Provinces, Territories, D.C., Mexico, Conch Republic and Confederacy are mine, all other countries and references to Hetalia are Hidekazu Himaruya's. Thank you so much for supporting me! I hope this was worth the wait. -GB

CHAPTER 21: War, Part 2. Dixie

"From now on, I'm free from the Yankees! I'm free from the federal government! Free from America!" –South Carolina, 20 December, eighteen-hundred sixty.

XXXX

January, 1861.

"It sure is horrid outside…" Iowa murmured, looking out the window. The city of Washington, D.C. was in the midst of an incredibly fierce blizzard as several states gathered in the city to celebrate Christmas with their father. America was feeling rather sick as of late. Just a month prior, the divided states elected their first Republican President, Abraham Lincoln. The vote was split between four candidates, the North united behind Republican Lincoln, the Deep South united behind Democrat Breckinridge, and the Border States divided between two other candidates, Douglas and Bell.

"Horrid? Hardly…" Minnesota responded.

Rhode Island sneered. "Yes, we all know you're so tormented by your horrible weather…"

"What's your problem, pal?" Minnesota wondered, Stepford smiling.

"You irritate me, 'pal'."

"I'm so sorry."

"Are you being short with me?" At that point, everybody in the room began snickering. "What? Why are you laughing at me?"

"Haha, short," Oregon giggled.

"Just leave me be! You newcomers should really treat one of the first thirteen states with more respect! Humph."

"Can you all just shut up?" Ohio scowled.

"Ohio? What's up, man?" New York frowned.

"This family's falling apart, and we're just wasting time here."

"Ohio…" Indiana whispered. "Please… We're gonna be okay. Aren't we, dad?" she asks, turning to America. Hearing no response, she turned around to see what was going on with him and found him sleeping. "Damn it, Dad! Wake up! I'm trying to talk to you!"

"Hey, all youse guys listen up. We'll be a'ight," New Jersey smiled. We've been through tougher times."

"Have we though?" Ohio retorted. "Penn couldn't make it here today due to what happened to him at Harper's Ferry. Name one southern state with who you are still in good relations with! Tell me, please. And be honest…"

"I…" Maine began. "Does Maryland count?

"Um…" Ohio frowned.

"Wait, never mind… I'm not her friend…" Maine dejectedly looked down. No matter how many gifts he bought her, or how many telegrams he sent to her, or how often he (allegedly) kidnapped her, she didn't want anything to do with him.

Massachusetts stood up.

"Eh? What's up, Masshole?" New York asked.

"Just going to ignore that…"

"Can't ignore it if you acknowledge it happened."

"Gahd… You frustrate me."

"So, ahem, yes, Massachusetts. What is on your mind?" Vermont interrupted.

"Do you think we're going to go to war?"

"No… we can't…" Iowa frowned. "We're a family…"

"Frankly, my dear, they don't give a damn." Connecticut sneered. "I honestly do not foresee us emerging from this past election unscathed. My apologies for my outlook, yet I stand with it nevertheless."

California stood up, commanding the attention of the room by standing on the table. "Dude, you're such a downer. Like, all of you are totally downers. I mean, like, whats up with all you guys? Huh? It's all 'slaves, slaves, slaves, war, slaves' with you guys! It's like, totally bogus!"

"Hah. You amuse me, West Coast." New York smiled. "Switch places with one of us for a week. We'll see how that works out."

"Um… yeah…. No thanks…"

"Hey, Wisconsin?" spoke Ohio.

"Yes, Neil?"

"How are the guys doing?"

"I'll check…" Wisconsin responded, standing up and heading for the door. Michigan and Illinois stood guard outside the office, as there were some concerns among the states about their safety.

XXXX

March, 1861.

Months after the northern states met in Washington, several southern states gathered along the Charleston shores in South Carolina.

"Hey, yall," South Carolina greeted as she looked over the states that gathered. She only sent out invitations to the states that didn't vote for Lincoln – the Douglas, Breckinridge and Bell states- and all of those states happened to make it. "Welcome to the first 'Congress of the Confederacy' as I have just at this moment decided to coin it. I'm gonna, hopefully with yall's cooperation, form a nation where our way of life isn't spat upon and trampled! Now who's with me?!"

"I am," Mississippi answered, smiling.

"Count me in as well…" Florida whispered, anxious yet excited. Within the next few minutes, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas all agreed upon it as well.

Out of nowhere, two words were heard by the states. "Knock knock."

"Who's there? Who the hell are you?" Texas scowled, pulling out his revolver.

"Call me…Dad."

"But, you aren't America…" Missouri retorted, eyebrows raised.

"I am the Confederacy. I am here to lead yall," the man answered. He wore a gray military uniform with large dark boots. His face greatly resembled that of America's, yet instead of a 'Nantucket' curl, he had an outlying strand of hair, resembling North Carolina's 'Outer Banks' islands. Confederacy also had one other significant physical difference from America. He had a mustache."

"You look just like him… Only with facial hair…" Louisiana thought out loud.

"Except, unlike America, I haven't lost my way. I know what our founding fathers wanted. I haven't betrayed State's Rights. I wont change how yall live. Cuz, you see, I'm more an American than that Yankee candyass ever will remotely hope to be." He proclaimed, smiling confidently. "Now, our first order of business is to kick the sorry northern asses holed up in Moultrie back to their mommies. Any state who hasn't decided to join this rebirth of a nation should leave to their homes and watch this. Yall will have a change of hearts once we eliminate the Yanks in the fort."

XXXX

April, 1861.

It has been almost four months since South Carolina seceded from the United States of America. With her are Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana and Texas. Leading them is the newly risen Confederacy. America, feeling unnerved but still not incredibly worried by this action, ordered the American troops to wait off the Carolina coast on Fort Sumter.

"I hate this…" complained Iowa.

"We're going to be fine. Stop complaining," retorted New Hampshire. Iowa and New Hampshire, as well as Connecticut and Ohio, have all been positioned on Fort Sumter in order to keep out the Confederacy. Just shortly before, a Confederate soldier had approached them to demand for them to surrender the fort. New Hampshire, in charge of the fort, refused without giving a second thought.

"How much longer do you think we'll all be here? We're running out of food…"

"If we ration, we can stand at least three weeks more…" Connecticut responded to her.

"Eh, that's pushing it a bit, but alright," Ohio commented.

"The most important thing is, friends, that we don't let the traitors kick us out," said New Hampshire.

"Um, John?" Iowa spoke.

"Yes, what?"

"We have visitors…"

"Damn it! God be with us…" New Hampshire growled. "Friends, to your stations! Prepare for battle!" New Hampshire picked up his rifle, and headed for the outer walls of the fort.

Within moments, Sumter was under fire from Confederacy and his states. Smoke filled the air, making it hard for the northerners to breathe. New Hampshire shouted commands at the other soldiers in the fort.

"Friends! Get down! Run! Don't panic! Stop sleeping ladies! Don't move! Fire back if you see any rebels!"

"You're being a hypocrite…" sighed Connecticut.

"Shut up, Nutmeg!"

"Just saying…"

XXXX

"Fire," commanded Confederacy. Following his orders, Alabama and Mississippi began firing away at the fort.

"Sir," Georgia spoke.

"Yes?"

"There are states in there, aren't there," Georgia clarified.

"Yes. Four to be exact."

"Ah."

"Will this be a problem to you?"

"No, sir. Of course not…"

XXXX

"My God…" Ohio cringed, dodging an explosion by a hair. "This is a losing battle…"

"We have to fire back…" Iowa muttered. "Ohio?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think we're going to be alright?"

"I…I hope so…"

XXXX

"Sir!" called out a frightened soldier.

"Yes, friend?" responded New Hampshire.

"They're closing in!"

"Well, shoot at them, friend! Never give up, never surrender!"

"Y-y-yes sir!" he stammered.

New Hampshire looked out at the Confederate advancements. Can we do this? Can we maintain our hold on Sumter? Please…

While he was thinking to himself, Texas broke through the wall on his horse, Rodeo.

"Howdy, bitches!

"Texas?! What the hell?!" New Hampshire shouted. "How did you get in here?"

"Er... I came in on my horse, Rodeo. Ain't it obvious?" Texas reached over to stroke Rodeo's mane. "Yall's a good boy, Rodeo. Give yall a carrot after we kick their asses. Yeehaw." Texas stated, riding straight at New Hampshire. The Granite State dove out of the way, making a rough landing onto the rubble left from the crumbling outer walls of the fort.

"Texas..."

XXXX

Above from where Texas and New Hampshire faced off, Confederacy, accompanied by Louisiana and South Carolina, approaches Ohio, Iowa and Connecticut on the fort.

"Hello," Confederacy greeted. Ohio, standing in front of the other two states, simply frowns.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Removing your kind, lazy traitor."

"Traitor? What are you are talking about?"

"You are against the rights of states. You have betrayed the American ideals of freedom and liberty and federalism."

"Excuse me, mustache," Connecticut interrupted. "I could quite literally give a prolonged seminar on the plethora of reasons your arguments as to why the United States of America has failed its creed are false and absurd, but I know better than to waste my breath on such simple minded morons such as yourself." Connecticut smiled, and narrowed his eyes.

Confederacy responded by pulling a gun on Connecticut, and placed his hand on the trigger. "One more word out of your mouth, Yank, and you're dead."

"Not so fast," Ohio scowled, pointing a gun at Confederacy's head.

"Ohio, be careful!" Iowa shouted, noticing Texas standing behind the Buckeye State, holding his own revolver.

"This…is interesting…" Ohio remarked. "There's one gun of ours to two of yours. If only we had one more… Alas, Michigan, that bastard, borrowed New Hampshire's…"

"Michigan… He's the idiot who stole my slaves… Is he here? I want to kill him!" Alabama growled, having just arrived at the fort.

"Hey! Shut the hell up! Nobody, and I mean nobody, gets to hate on Michigan. Except me." Ohio shouted.

"Hey, sir?" Georgia called out, walking up to the standoff dragging a gagged and restrained New Hampshire alongside her.

"You have their leader?" Confederacy smiled.

"Yep."

"Shall you leave now, Ohio?"

"…" Ohio shut his eyes as a single tear went down his cheek. No… This can't be happening… We can't lose the South….

"Are you going to surrender peacefully, or are we going to have to spill the blood of unionists?"

"We…surrender…"

XXXX

America is sitting at his desk in Washington, D.C., contemplating on what to do about the southern problem. So, South Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, Florida and Texas have all decided to betray me… How could they? HOW COULD THEY?! They're my children!

"D-d-daddy," D.C. stammered.

"What, Madeleine?

"We…we have…lost…"

"What?"

"F-Fort Sumter… we had to surrender…"

America slammed his fist on his desk, ripped off his glasses, covered his face with his hands, and cried.

To Be Continued.

STATE BIO # 21

SOUTH CAROLINA

Human Name: Anna Greene

Hair Color: Light Brown

Eye Color: Brown

Personality Traits: Quirky, strong willed, doesn't cooperate well.

Pet: Her Boykin Spaniel, Lyna

Birthday: May 23rd

Original parent: Britain

Previous bosses: Britain, Confederacy

Closest friends: Florida, North Carolina

Enemies: Georgia

Significant accessories: Sunglasses, ball cap

Hobbies: Swimming, producing tobacco, poultry, and dairy products, making buildings out of palmetto bark, renovating antebellum houses

Favorite Music Genres: Blues, rock, R&B, country

Favorite TV Show: Army Wives

Government Department: National Endowment for the Arts