Fairy Tales

In old bedtime stories, fairy tales were spoken to young children. Stories where princesses would be rescued from suffering by a handsome prince, and then they live happily ever after. Those things were merely stories that would never be reality, yet many yearn for such… like the Nation of the Philippines.

Blood… more blood… sound of muskets… smell of rot… people lying in the jungles and bleeding profusely… the Spanish flag torched and burning… everywhere was burning… the jungles… the Highlands… the settlements… painful cries of agony…

"AHH!" a voice yelled, and the young girl found herself in her bedroom.

"That dream again…" she muttered, "what's happening to me? Am I mad?"

That young girl stared wearily at the window of her confinements. She was the Philippines, what that would be a Spanish colony. Yet, the White people only controlled Manila. The Highlands were still free from their terror and Cebu was safe, albeit their Sultan captured.

As Philippines stared out, she gazed at the clouds lazing about without any care. The birds soared in the vastness of the open sky, becoming smaller and gradually vanished in the glare of the Sun.

"Freedom, I want it…" she thought, "God, please grant me my freedom. I want to be taken away like those bir…"

The Filipino girl leaned too much and fell out of the strangely-opened window, and she tumbled all the way to the shores.

"My God, the servants must have forgotten to close the windows again," Philippines said, "well, their loss."

The Filipino strolled along the shores of her own homeland, looking at a land with bewildering eyes. Though her homeland and linked to it, she felt it to be foreign. Spain had confined her away for too long, and the Philippines must re-familiarise her homeland.

Suddenly, she crashed onto something or someone tall. As the Philippines looked up, all she saw was a shadowy figure standing astride with the sun casting over him. A flaring light shone from his face, as a hand helped her up.

"Gracias…" Philippines spoke.

"So you're Spanish, I must be in the right place then," the man replied immediately.

As closer inspection, the man wore a black naval uniform, complete with a sailor hat. A short strand of hair stood out among his already-messy hair. Another flash of light revealed that it came from the spectacles he wore. Under the faint light of dawn, his broad smile was almost hypnotic…

"So this is the famed Spanish East Indies!" the man continued to blabber on, "You know where I can find the Philippines, as in the personification and all that."

"Yes sir, I am the Philippines…" Philippines answered.

"Wow, this must be fate!" the man said instantly, "I am the United States of America and I am here to rescue you!"

"Uh… what did you mean by rescuing me?" Philippines asked.

"Rescuing damsels in distress like you from villains is what a hero does," America explained, "you had suffered enough under Spanish rule, and now your people are fighting for their freedom."

"Wait… they are?" exclaimed the Philippines.

"Huh… you didn't know…" America wondered, "but surely you had felt your people fighting and crying out a free Nation, you."

"Well, I had those nightmares," Philippines professed, "do you know what are they? Everytime I talked about this to Spain, he'll call an exorcist."

"Religious nutcase, he should know better that we Nations work differently than those mortals," America voiced out, "those nightmares are your people fighting to free you from Spain. They need you to be there with them."

"But… what if I failed… I had rebelled so many times before… that's why Spain locked me up…" Philippines remarked.

"Hey, I know how it's like to be bossed around by tyrants," America said, "I can help you against Spain. I mean, I'm also helping out Cuba, another Spanish colony."

"Ok, I will come with you," Philippines said, "I want to be independent. Make me a true country, United States."

"Please… call me USA," America said, "more like a hero's name, and I will do whatever I can."

Eventually, the Philippine Revolution ended with Spain letting go of the Philippines at last. The East Indies was no longer Spain's to control… however, a new master would rule over in his place.

"USA, I thought we are equals in this world!" Philippines yelled, "Now… you… you're just taking over my country like Spain did!"

"Philipp, listen to me," America said.

"Stop calling me Philipp like I'm a guy!" Philippines yelled, "I'm a girl for God's sake!"

"But this region is full of Europeans now," America continued, "They know you had kicked Spain out and available. It's only a matter of time before they send their armies to take you."

"And your point being…" Philippines asked, still glaring at the American.

"Stay with me, stay under me as a US Territory… I can protect you and the Europeans will never take you away…" America said.

"Your little colony… I guess…" Philippines sulked.

The years passed quickly and the Philippines still rebelled relentlessly. She was no longer a naïve believer that a hero would come for her… but War World II changed that…

The Philippines sat down on her shores, the same place she met America. In fact, it was night time at twilight then. However, many things had changed. She was now America's, but freed from Spain. She did made some progress with herself, becoming a Commonwealth of the US.

"The sun's going away and the dim lights of the stars are here…" she muttered, "these days, the sky is much darker than before… no, the whole world is so dark now…"

"Indeed, its dark times," another voice spoke out, one that was calm and relaxed.

Immediately, the Philippines sat up and turned to see a newcomer on her lands. He was an Asiatic man in a white naval suit, combined with a blood-red mantle. His eyes were a null void, blank and without feeling.

"Konbanwa, Philippine-san," he greeted.

"Good evening too… Mr…" Philippines tried to reply in kind.

"Watashi wa Japan desu," Japan said, "I shall be brief and direct about this. I represent the Empire of Greater Japan and aim to liberate my fellow Asian comrades."

"Excuse me?" the Filipino asked, "liberate?"

"For too long have we Asians been humiliated and crushed under the thumb of the Western world, but no more," Japan proclaimed calmly, "Philippine-san, I can give you the means to be free again. America had lied to you about independence, but I shall see it through."

"Ah, this scene feels very nostalgic~" Philippines said, "but I really want to be free, my people wills for it."

"Join me, and I shall give rise to your republic," Japan spoke.

"Not this again… but… I don't think I got a choice…" she thought, as her hand stretched out to the Japanese man.

The Philippines was then under Japanese occupation and made into a republic, but actually a puppet state under Japanese rule.

"Mr Japan, what is happening?" the Philippines yelled, "I joined you and carved out the Second Philippine Republic already. You don't need to butt in my government too!"

"Do not be naïve, Philippine-san," Japan calmly spoke, "because of you, I am at war with America-san. He will take you back and punish you heavily for your mischief. Your fate lies in me now. I hope you would understand?"

"You…" Philippines cried.

"Excuse me, but that language is quite rude," Japan remarked, "after this war, I shall see to the re-education of all of you. My methods have proven to make me strong, you can benefit from them."

"That man… he's mad…" Philippines thought, "Acting so calm and reassuring… when you can choke from the aura of madness surrounding him…"

After the Second World War, Japan was defeated and occupied by the United States. The colonial possessions of Southeast Asia were promptly returned to their colonial masters… including the Philippines.

The Philippines rocked the chair she was sitting upon, as her eyes were fixed at a certain American seated opposite. In her heart, there was guilt and some degree of shame and fear.

"Ok, back with USA again… and on his birthday…" Philippines thought, "now what? He should be furious with me… is he planning to have me humiliated in public to satisfy him…"

"Philipp, I had been thinking," America first spoke up, "that war hit Europe badly. Rather, it hit my friends there very badly and they need help from me."

"And so…" Philippines asked, trying to keep a calm front.

"Many years ago, I once promised you your independence," America said, "now, I will grant you it. Elect your government now, you are now the Republic of the Philippines!"

"But… that means… I'm independent now…" Philippines exclaimed.

"I am going to be a champion of the Free World soon, against an enemy that will paint the world in red," America added, "will you be my partner for freedom in Asia?"

"If it means my true independence, yes of course," Philippines said, "Alfred F. Jones, happy birthday."

"Ha-ha, it is also our Friendship Day too!" America loudly claimed, shaking the girl's hand.

"Thank God, but why it came true only after so many years…" she thought.

The Philippines declared her independence in 1898, yet this was only recognised by the 1946. 12 June is the Philippines National Day, while 4 July commemorated the ties between the Philippines and the United States.

Author's Notes

This was requested by solitarycloud, who requested something of the Philippines. I was told to do any part as I desire and I was stuck with ideas for what to do with the Philippines. Eventually, I went with the independence theme.

Other ideas include:

Post-Manila bus hostage crisis (don't want to do recent events, too controversial)

EDSA Revolution (can't properly get a full story out, though it provided one detail of Philippines' looks)

WW2 event (actually did it to some extend in the end, but that was not the main part of the chapter)

British occupation of the Philippines in 7 Years War (feasible, but it will end focusing more on England and Spain)

Spratly Islands argument (but the Philippines will not be the focus of it)

Feel free to request anything (country or event) and I will see what I can do.

Translations

Konbanwa – Good evening (in Japanese)

Original Character Profile

Name: Maria Clarissa Cruz de Manila "Philippines"

Represents: Republic of the Philippines

Age: 17

Gender: Female

Birthday: 12 June 1898 (Declaration of independence)

Appearance: Short haired girl with a yellow ribbon tied to the left as a braid (ribbon is symbolic of the EDSA Revolution). Usually wears baro't saya (national costume of the Philippines), but also dons a deep green military uniform with a bomber jacket.

The Philippines is an archipelago Nation in the boundaries of the Pacific. She spent years under USA control, British occupation, Japanese rule and Spanish colonisation. All these made her increasingly bold and toughed the young girl after her true independence. This boldness would help her out in braving the EDSA Revolution and various disasters in her homeland.

Known to be a hard worker, she frequently puts herself into housekeeping jobs in other countries to earn more. However, her quality is something to be put to question at times and she is said to bottle up the abuse she had suffered.

She generally has good relations with most other countries, including the four Nations who had ruled over her. She co-exists well with her neighbours in Southeast Asia and China, but things get ugly with Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and China over the Spratly Islands. America frequently calls her Philipp, a male's name due to her boyish facial appearance. Depending on her mood, she may scold one for calling her that.