Cross-posted from hetachallenge

[kiramaru7]

Title: 9/11
Characters: America, Japan, mention of Germany, Italy & the rest of the World 8
Challenge: September 2012 Anniversary
Bonus Words: promise, loss, gain, time
Rating: PG 13
Summary: America remembers 9/11

For those who lost their lives and their families…



America headed towards the area where the World Trade Center once stood before it was destroyed eleven years ago. Today, on the anniversary, they would be unveiling the completed memorial. He got in line with the others to pay his respects. He had hoped that with time, the pain those events caused him would go away, but he could still feel the hurt in his heart.



He promised himself, as he stood in line, that he would be strong because heroes do not cry. Those, who lost their lives, were the true heroes in his humble opinion, especially those on the plane that went down before it reached Washington DC. As he stood there, he was surprised to see his friends and fellow countries there. It made his heart swell with emotion at their silent support and he gained a measure of comfort as looks were exchanged.


Standing next to the “Survivor Tree,” America waited for his friends to arrive. They did and when Italy hugged him, America thought he would lose it, but Germany’s curt “get off him!” had him laughing instead. Suddenly the pain was not so bad anymore, his people had survived and were all the stronger for it, he was with his friends, and life would go on as it had in the uncertain days after the bombing.


Pulling Japan aside, America said softly, “You were just as right about this as you were about everything else.”


Japan raised an eyebrow.


“We’ve survived wars, famine, plagues…”


“And tsunamis and earthquakes.” Japan smiled sadly.


“And fires and other natural and not so natural disasters…”


“We are all the stronger for it. And one day we’ll look back and remember with pride how we all came together for the greater good,” Japan said.

“Yeah,” America, feeling better, agreed.