America the Mysterious (United States of America #1.5)

Innocence

*Requested by HetalianSkywalker*

It was obvious.

While many of the states had nothing against him, Ireland could not say the same for the northeastern states; Maine, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.

He wouldn't say they hated him, but that didn't mean they trusted him.

Hell, while Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Rhode Island were polite to him, it would take a complete idiot to not notice their refusal to lower their guard; New Hampshire would politely nod to her uncle, but would not say a word, urging her twin sister, Connecticut, to do the same; New York and New Jersey clearly didn't hide their hostility when Ireland came into their sight; Maine, Vermont, and Delaware would watch him like he was an animal that would pounce when they weren't looking; and Massachusetts would openly glare at him with contempt.

He knew why they avoided him like he was the plague in the past, just before they realized Ireland was not so much of the bad guy they thought.

Ireland knew of how his brother treated his former colony, and how foolish he had been. Stupid man, throwing away what he had, and now wanting it back like that was possible.

"You are a fool, Arthur Kirkland, to give up such a gift. Now, you will never get that back now that you have happily thrown it away like it was nothing more than trash," he mused at one point, feeling every bit as disappointed in his brother than ever.

However, that wasn't the only reason why the northeast states disliked him in the past.

When many Irish immigrants moved to the United States, they were sending money back to their country of origin, which lead to the states at first seeing Ireland as greedy and self-centered. Not only that, but Ireland was aware that they felt terrible for him, because during the Civil War, rich Americans forced the Irish to replace them in the drafts.

They were also disgusted with themselves for allowing that to happen, as that event literally ripped their mother in two, a sight that haunted not only them, but a couple of the other states forever.

Ireland was all too familiar with that feeling. In fact, he doubted there wasn't any one country that didn't know the pain of a civil war.

Even still, during that time, Ireland heard that most of them criticized America for having a civil war so early, calling her "immature" and so forth. Now, whenever the civil war is mentioned, America's eyes would darken considerably, soon staring off into a distance that no one could reach her from. They started seeing the bloodshed on both sides, the deaths of innocents on both sides, and the hatred that lingered.

Ireland didn't see the poor woman as immature, but rather as someone who lost her innocence too early. Though, then again, she may have already lost it long ago, just when the cruelty of the world became known to her at an early age.

He didn't blame the younger nation for becoming cold as ice, especially to the ones who deserved it.

Not only was she trying her best for her people, but she was also trying to protect her children, all of whom she couldn't protect from the same cruelty that took her own innocence. Ireland truly felt for America, and he wasn't afraid to admit it, unlike his stupid brother.

Back to the present, Ireland had been playing chess with Massachusetts when a stressed America came home and stormed to her room, where they soon heard her screaming in rage. Ireland flinched in sympathy, glancing at a weary Felix.

"I'm sorry." It was all he could say. What could he say to change the fact that being the superpower was the toughest job in the world, especially when you have to deal with those who hate you for no good reason? Ireland wasn't foolish to the fact that most of the other nations enjoyed placing the blame on America.

It won't be long now before America abandons them, just as they abandoned her.

Felix said nothing, but a few tears escaped from his blue eyes, his mother's eyes. Soon those eyes were looking up at him, as if in some attempt he wanted Ireland to be the man to help his mother.

Ireland didn't want him to get his hopes up. After all, he was just a minor nation, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try. He also knew something that would make his stupid brother freeze in his tracks.

Mother would be ashamed of him.