Three Silent Musings of the Past

[pennilee]

Title: Three Silent Musings of the Past
Author/Artist: Pennilee [on FF]
Character(s) or Pairing(s): England, America, mentions of WWI participants, USUK (light)
Rating: G
Summary: There have been three times in which Alfred F. Jones cried. drabble.

01. revolution.

These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. -Thomas Paine

It had been raining heavily in Yorktown all week. Most of the rebel and French soldiers were still guarding the perimeter to ensure their territory, their boots and clothes drenched in rain and smeared with mud due to all their marching across the plains. However, as second-in-command to the general, Alfred F. Jones was excluded from this job.

He sat on a wooden chair, deep in thought and remorse from their last encounter in the battlefields of Yorktown. The sentence still rang in his head, loud and clear: Why couldn't you ever follow anything through to the end?

He gave a bitter laugh and felt water gathering in his eyes, but no tears leaked out. None, for he was strong enough to resist the whirlwind of emotions whirlwind of emotions that was raging in his heart. Besides, what should he cry about? He was free, happy, and lived up to his middle name.

Well, that was what was supposed to happen.

Why was it so hard for him to laugh or smile genuinely? He could always do that, even when he almost got killed from respiration failure during the takeover of New York. Or the time when he barely survived the starvation and harsh weather at Valley Forge while those blasted Redcoats enjoyed a cozy winter in Philadelphia.

"Arthur..." He grasped blindly for the familiar smell of tea and scones.

"Arthur... what am I going to do without you? Everyone knows the Articles will leave me so weak that I cannot even move or I may disappear... But I missed you most of all... Arthur? England? I-I-" he stopped. Arthur wasn't there anymore. He left for England already.

Alfred had to face the truth he had avoided ever since the Battle of Yorktown- he was getting hysterical over Arthur Kirkland. And perhaps the instability of this new-found nation.

With that, Alfred's sky-blue eyes began to cloud with tears and two, just two small tears fell out of his eyes. No sound was heard except for the blasting calls of thunder rolling by.

These are times that try men's souls.

02. civil war.

His body was being torn in half again. He could tell. Obviously something was trying to get off him- one of his kidneys were already gone, nowhere to be seen, and so was Texas and many of his body parts that represented the states. In fact, he thought, If I lose one more region, I think I might as well die.

Several months later, an identical image of him appeared and claimed to be the true United States, but with a different flag, one that declared war against his northern counterpart.

So the Civil War had begun. And both sides seemed to have an equal chance of winning.

By that time, though, Alfred was in a comatose state, only waking up when a major battle happened and he almost always had to have Lincoln to take care of him. But what had hurt him the most, as he later learned, was the fact Arthur had unofficially sided with the Rebels for their cotton. So did Francis. Immediately, Alfred wrote a personal letter to them saying that he would start a war with them as well if they signed an alliance with his other half.

Perhaps only the Russian Empire agreed with the North, but it was unofficial as well. In other words, he was alone in this battle, unlike the Revolution.

Ha, he once mused while he was still conscious, now the ones that hold the name of Rebels are the South.

Another pain exploded in his side, blood coating the entire room red. The sixteenth president instantly hurried out to get the doctors and more cloth to dry the wet, red liquid off.

Why? Why did his people fight a whole civil war over slavery? Everyone should know slavery was simply wrong, no matter how beneficial it was! It was not simply just a "necessary evil"; it was the bane of existence for human morale!

Shame on me. What kind of nation was I to allow such evil in this supposedly God-blessed land?

The tears flowed freely from his eyes silently. But when the president and his medics arrived, there was no trace of it at all. Only a man who was in Hell.

03. world war I.

This would be the first time he participated in an official multi national war among some of the most powerful countries and empires of the world: Britain, Germany, France, Austria-Hungary, Brazil, Italy, and more. But he had never met any of them face-to-face, except for the first three.

Germany. He clenched his teeth in anger. He dragged me into this stupid mess. Damn it.

The sound of his soldiers marching echoed around him. One came up to him and reported, "Sir! The British soldiers were spotted at around Queens!" The young man pointed, and sure enough, the British soldiers were there, looking like mere dots in his line of vision.

"Got it. March, boys, march!" Silently, he hoped he would be able to see his former brother. If so, it would be the first time in roughly one hundred years since he last saw him.

And there he was. Arthur Kirkland was standing there with a pair of binoculars strapped around his neck, his posture stiff. But as soon as he saw Alfred, his eyes went from green to dark emerald. The soldiers' marching continued, but turned to look at Alfred in confusion while he waved them on.

Is- is that- America ran up the hill and came face to face with England, who was still rooted to the spot. But they hadn't made eye contact yet.

Slowly, dark-emerald met tear-filled blue, and with a snap of the fingers, both knew that recuperation was on the way. Maybe even happiness could be involved as well.

That night, hugs, sweet nothings, and musings of the past were all that occurred.

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The area of Queens is fictional; at least, supposed to be. XD Please give me tips on how to improve!