#scmaple

[acuriousmaple]

[t ACKLES HER AND HUGS] MADDIE!

*SLIGHTLY TOPPLES OVER FROM THE IMPACT BUT SOMEHOW MANAGES TO STAY UPRIGHT*

Amelia—! It’s been a while!

[acuriousmaple]

actually writes dibs onto your face

{ Oh no now I have to walk around everywhere like this and then everyone will give me Dibs Ice Cream!! … This is not a bad idea!!

ALSO I DIBS YOUR FACE AS WELL AND IT HAS ACTUALLY ALWAYS IN THERE now you know!! }

[acuriousmaple]

"I miss you." [btw you should watch my 18hfp video ]

One Year Later—

"I haven’t stopped crying."

Her words were harsh and strict, almost cold even as she sat down cross-legged in the grass. “I don’t think I can… I’ve tried. I’ve tried too many times to stop, to forget… To erase.” A mocking smile came to her lips, “But nothing works. Nothing works because ever sunrise I see your hair, and every sky I see your eyes… Every turn every corner ever step all I can think of is what you would do in my place…”

"You’re so… So happy, Amelia… Why couldn’t I go instead of you? People will miss you. People love you, and care about you… Just look at all of these flowers here for you… You’re needed here.. You’re needed alive, baby sis. And now your—" She cut off with a shaky breath, biting her lower lip and letting her hand fall into her hands as silent sobs shook her. Her speech was slightly slurred from the bottle of whiskey she had to drown down before she gained enough courage to come here in the first place. Oh if her sister could see her now.

"Take my place. Take my place, Amelia please! Please take my place… Live, and let me take yours… So many people came to see you off, all of the nations and even people I didn’t recognize… You were loved so much, and I could never be remembered as much as you are… So please… Just take my place. Live a little longer? Please— Come back to me? Please… I miss you… I miss you so much, Amelia…"

It was futile and crazy to even suggest such a thing, but this was her little sister. The only girl in the world who would randomly grab her arm of all people and start running around a field just for the hell of it. The only girl who would sneak up behind her when she was reading and pelt her with paint filled water balloons. The only girl in the world who would comfort her when she was drunk out of her mind and listen to her problems even though she was the younger sister. And now, she was gone.

It was as if she took the sunshine along with her. The first person who had ever given Madeline even an ounce of interest or second thought was now gone, and along with it, the sun. 

"Please… Baby Soeur… Come back home…"

Five Years Later—

The years became easier to manage after a while, but there was always a day that was much too quiet, or a moment where she would want to dial her sister’s number and wait for her to pick up only to listen to the voice of her sister saying words she had long since memorized.

"Bonjour, Amelia…" She said, sitting down next to the gravestone. It was a warm summer’s day which often reminded the Canadian nation of her sister. "It’s been… A long time since I came here… How have you been? I’ve gotten better with the drinking… When you left I was a mess… Alfred had to practically get a whole new bed for me since mine smelled too much like alcohol…"

A laugh came from her as she looked down at the grass, bright and green. “I thought of how upset I must have made you… Looking down at me and seeing your big sister in such a mess… But I am better now, I promise! I’ve been drinking in moderation now… Just when a good game comes on…” The blonde began to play with the grass idly, unable to keep her hands still anymore. “I realized that… I can’t bring you back… It’s not possible… Not for me anyways, but— Goodness I thought I was done crying!” She giggled out, wiping a stray tear with the back of her hand.

"I… I want to be happy, Amy. Just like you used to be… I want to be able to keep your memory alive not by drinking it away, but by doing things that… I think would cherish your memory. I haven’t forgotten about you, not for a moment.. I know how much it hurts… To feel as if you’re forgotten… But you’re not. I promise you’re not… I like to think that you are looking down at us… That you’re still watching over us… And I… I want you to know that I’m sorry for saying the things I did so many years ago…"

She looked up from the ground and at the stone, giving her that soft smile that she always had on her face. “And… I miss you. I know I can’t do anything to bring you back, but I want you to know that… You are missed…”

Carefully, she stood up from the grave and placed her hand on the stone before kissing the air just above the head of it. “Stay brave, my dear sister…”

Ten Years Later—

"Hard to believe it’s been a decade since you’ve been asleep, eh?" Madeline being her protective self had never failed to visit the grave of her little sister every year, cleaning it up and watching as flowers always seemed to have laid on her grave, no doubt from other loved ones who must have come earlier that year. 

A light laugh came from the Canadian nation as she sat down in her regular spot in front of the grave, knowing that Amelia probably would not have liked the formalities of standing up and keeping her hands by her sides. “Seems like only yesterday we were running through the forest and swimming in the rivers…” Madeline folded her hands together and set them in her lap. “Do you remember those days? It must’ve been centuries ago by now… We were so young…” 

"The world misses you… I miss you… But it’s okay… I know you’re looking out for me from above… Telling me to sleep.. Telling me to loosen up a little…" A smile spread across her face. "I even picked up a beer the other day and I remembered the time you helped me when I was too drunk to function… And I like to think I have a pretty high tolerance to alcohol."

The laugh lightened up as her smile fell a bit, feeling the tears prickle against her eyes. Even now, so many years later, the loss of her little sister would never be something to cope with. Not to her. Not with Amelia. Quickly acting, Madeline looked up at the sky, trying to keep the tears at bay until she realized that the blue was the same shade as the eyes of her dear soeur. 

"Can you see me, Amelia? If you can see me, give me a sign… Any sign… Anything to let me know you’re okay… I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything to help you… I’m sorry I didn’t protect you, and I didn’t visit you… I’m sorry for ambushing you with snowballs and for never being there enough for you, but please… Just… One sign… For your selfish big sister…"

Silence filled the graveyard. A minute passed. Two. Five. Soon enough,  a few stray tears fell from the Canadian nation’s Aurora-violet eyes as she gave out a shaky breath. “Right…” With a sturdy grip, Madeline pushed herself off of the ground and set the flowers from her garden next to the stone before looking down. “I love you, ma petite soeur…”

Just as she turned around to leave, a light summer’s breeze passed by that seemed to dance along with Madeline’s golden hair, tossing and turning it gently before slowly going away. Quickly, she looked back at the grave with wide eyes, as if to see someone standing there. But there was no one. Just the Canadian nation all alone again. Only this time, she did not feel so alone any more as a knowing smile came across her face.

[acuriousmaple]

A barely audible rustle outside Madeleine's door could likely be heard, an envelope slipping underneath with a near-silent swish. The contents, if one would open it, would be as followers: I've been gone awhile. We haven't spoken in a year, maybe more. I dunno if you even remember me, or noticed that I was gone. There's a lot going on over at my place, and it's a bit overwhelming sometimes. I might even be a country again. If it happens, sometime in the future; I'd like to see you again. -Kat

Madeline walked through her house, finally getting down to giving everything a good scrubbing from the walls to the wooden floors as much as she had tried to avoid it. When she finally reached the front door, soapy brush still in hand, the letter finally caught her eye. She didn’t remember getting the mail recently, but nevertheless, she wiped down her hands and opened up the envelope with care.

Reading through it, a small smile came to her face as she recognized the name at the end. “So… Vermont might be back…” she whispered, a little startled and confused by her mentioning of being a country. She did not know much about the States, but she was fairly certain that Vermont was one of them. Even so, the smile still stayed as she got up from the ground and set the letter in a safe spot before going back to work. 

But this time, a rather warm smile came from her as she worked at the fact that she had cared enough to even send a letter in the first place.