Black Coffee :|: America x Russia :|: Countryhumans

Epilogue

Three countries sat on a hill overlooking the beauty of the city below.

Everywhere you could see green upon green, as though trees themselves were growing and twisting and rising out of the buildings to reclaim their land.

It brought smiles to their faces.

The three lounged on a red and white checkered blanket. A wooden woven picnic basket was full of yummy food that America and Mexico were already stuffing their faces with. Greenland was leaning against a big grey rock with sweet flowers around it, reading a book about Aboriginal cultural burning.

Now, this wasn't just any big grey rock. This rock had newly dug soil where vibrant flowers and grass had been planted. And wedged into this rock was a glossy plaque with the inscription:

Our Antarctica

170 million years BC – 2022

A friend, a boyfriend and a teacher. The country who created a turning point for humanity. If only they had listened.

You will always be missed.

The rock, of course, had always been here. So had the hill, the tree and the grass. Just before Antarctica's death, he asked Australia to help his hill regrow its once beautiful grass. Australia took to the soil, lighting cool fires that gave insects time to escape and the birds safety from too much smoke and flames. The government of the city were wary of this plan, but since a country was on his deathbed, they reluctantly let it slide.

Within a week the grass was growing back more vibrant and lusher than ever, with plenty of birds since the insects had returned instead of dying out as they would have in a normal fire. Once Antarctica did die, what remained of his body was pressed into soil which was planted around the rock so that he could continue to grow plants like he loved to do in life.

"Thanks for these sammiches, Greenie!" America grinned, chomping on one.

Greenland sighed and rolled his eyes, "Don't say "sammiches" America, you're not a five-year-old."

"Oh, I beg to differ."

Mexico sat slightly away from the other two, staring at a shiny thing in his hands.

It was a necklace Canada had given him a few days before, one he had been eyeing in a store. Of course, Canada noticed - he always notices.

The necklace was a small key with red, green and white crystals embedded into it, with a long, shiny silver chain. Mexico smiled down at it sweetly, running his thumb along the bumpy surface.

America snatched the necklace from his hands, holding it up high to pretend to inspect it.

"Oooooooooo, what's this?~"

Mexico blushed, jumping up to try and climb over America's lap to grab the necklace out of his hands, "It's nothing!"

"Well, it's a very shiny nothing."

"You're such a little goblin!"

"The only goblin here is you, you goblin!"

Greenland plucked the necklace out of America's hand, making the other pout at Greenland's stern and clearly annoyed face.

"America, stop being childish."

"You're childish!"

"My point exactly," Greenland said, rolling his eyes and handing the necklace back to Mexico, who held it close to his chest once more.