I've had this idea running around in my head for God knows how long, but with Thanksgiving, I haven't had the opportunity to post it. I was listening to 'Defying Gravity' from Wicked around Independence Day, and this brainchild was born. I know I should be working on HRE Theories, but I needed to get this down before I could. It's taken forever to write, and I hope you like it!

"Get inside!" England hissed, shoving the blond into the house. "What on Earth were you thinking, Alfred?! Do you have any idea how much it's going to cost to replace that tea you just THREW INTO THE FUCKING HARBOR?!" The younger one was silent, just pulling off the feathered headdress he'd put on to disguise himself earlier. Not like it had worked, anyway. "Alfred, look at me," he demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. He was ignored. "Fine. You can explain yourself tomorrow morning, when we've both calmed down. I don't understand why you would do this, love. Is this some kind of teenage rebellion thing? Do you want to talk about it?"

He was cut off with a scoff. "This is my problem, Britain!" England flinched at the use of his country name rather than human. "I'm sick of you treating me like a child! You-you act like all I'm here for is to expand your empire, give you my resources, and shut up, like I can't do anything on my own! You never come to visit me or see how me or Mattie are doing or anything!" He collapsed onto his bed, groaning.

England rolled his eyes. "Oh, I am fully aware that you can do things on your own, boy. But obviously what you choose to do while you're alone is make things harder for me and for yourself. And then I have more work to do at home and I can't come here as often." He sighed, running a hand through his messy blond hair. "I have to go back home tomorrow. I'll be back here as soon as I can, I promise. And then we can talk about this. Maybe we can go out and go to the stables with your brother and we'll go riding together. What do you say?" His hand went to America's back, rubbing comforting circles into his skin.

Sighing, America rolled over and closed his eyes. "Whatever you want," he said. England bit his lip and leaned over to kiss America's cheek before he pulled up the boy's covers and left the room, bidding him goodnight. "Yeah, goodnight."

Canada watched England leave the room, clutching Kumajiro tightly. "What happened?" he asked quietly. "Alfred didn't tell me anything."

"Your brother," England said with a sigh and shake of the head, "has decided to toss barrels of tea into the harbor with a bunch of revolutionaries. And now I have to go back home and sort this out with the King. He won't be happy about this."

Nodding, Canada asked "Do you want me to talk to him? He'll probably listen to me." England nodded in confirmation, then left the house. The Canadian knocked on the door quietly and slipped inside. "Al? Are you okay?" He received a grunt. "You know, Arthur's not happy." Silence. "I hope you're happy now. You were always Arthur's favorite colony. Now he's just angry at you."

"Well, you know what, Mattie?" America said, shooting out of bed. "I hope you're happy too! You'll just... grovel to him? Why? Are you so stupidly ambitious for his approval?"

Canada tried to reply, but nothing came from his mouth. Eventually he just whimpered "Alfie, just... just say you're sorry. You can still have everything you ever wanted, with England there to help."

America held his head in his hands. "I know. But... I don't- no- I can't want it anymore." He carded his fingers through his hair. "Something's just not the same about following England. I-I'm done playing his games by his rules. And it's too late to pretend that things can go back to how they were before. It's time to break away from the British Empire, Matt. It's time to see what I can do on my own."

They stole a few moments away from the fighting and sat together, wearing the red of British troops and the blue of the revolution. "This is stupid, Al," Matthew said. "You're having delusions of grandeur. What do you think you could do without help?"

"Shut up, Matt. I'm done accepting the limits you say are there. Until I try, I'll never know what I can do." Canada sighed. He knew why all this had started.

America had decided to take England to a pub on one of the few times he'd come to visit. A few drinks in, England was far past drunk. He was waving his hands around and ranting about one thing or another. And America had found it absolutely hilarious, until they ended up getting thrown out by the incensed owner of the pub. As he held England up, taking him home, America laughed. "Shut up," England slurred, patting his cheek. "Ye can' laugh a' me, boy."

"Really, because it looks like I am laughing at you," America teased. "Come on, big brother, we gotta get home. Christ, you're heavy." He rearranged England's arm over his shoulder, unintentionally bringing the elder even closer to him. "Maybe you should lay off the sco- gah!" His eyes widened as a fist came to meet his cheek, knocking him to the ground. "A-Arthur?"

England's eyes were completely glazed with drunkenness. "Don' insult me! I raised ye, boy, show some respec'!"

America whimpered, nodding fearfully. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it," he whispered. He raised a hand to his throbbing cheek and found wetness there. He hadn't even noticed that he'd been crying.

After that, America hadn't even looked his guardian in the eye. And no matter how many times England tried to apologize, nothing changed. America swore he'd leave, but nobody had taken him seriously.

"Alfred-"

"I don't want to hear it, Matt. I've been so afraid of losing England, but if that's the love he shows me, I don't want any part of it." America refused to let himself return to England's rule, and he'd fight tooth and nail to get out, no matter how this ended. "Francis says hi, by the way."

Canada nodded. "Yes, I heard Papa allied with you. Nasty shock for Arthur when he found out." He smiled a little, remembering. "Tell him hello for me, that I miss him."

Shaking his head, America laughed. "Mattie, come with me. Think of what we could do, together. We'd be unlimited. The greatest team there's ever been. There's no fight we couldn't win, it would be just you and me against the world." His eyes were alight with excitement. "We'll go tell Francis together, he'll be so happy to see you!" He stood, grabbing Canada's hand. His brother didn't move. "Come on, Mattie," he said, pulling on his hand. "Aren't you coming?"

Eyes averted, Matthew shook his head. "God, Alfie, you're shaking." He rubbed the older's hands between his own, trying to warm them. "I hope you're happy, choosing this over England."

"You too," he said, hugging his brother tight. "But if you ever want to change your mind..."

"I'll know where to look."

"This is madness!" England yelled in the face of his loyal colony. "What makes him think he can do this alone?!"

Shaking, Canada held out an envelope with Arthur's name on it in America's messy scrawl. England opened it, and when he finished reading, he wiped a tearfrom his eyes.

Dear England,

You told me when I was a kid that I would get my chance to flourish, to fly. I'm taking that chance now. I'm going this alone, but at least I'm free. And you can try all you want, but you will never pull me down. Nobody in the entire world is ever going to bring me down.

America

"He told me to take this message back," Canada said. "He's really serious about this, Arthur. Even if you get him back, he'll just keep fighting until he finally comes out on top."

"I know. But we can't let the boy think we just let it happen, now can we? He has to earn his freedom, just like the rest of us did."

"So what do you want to do?" Canada asked.

"We'll fight this war to its end. And maybe he'll decide that he can't win." He laughed a little. "I tell you, Matthew, I'll be very disappointed in your brother if we can actually bring America down."