Throughout history, the idea of leaving Earth was an impossible fantasy . . .
The small imaginative nation stood on his tippy toes looking high into the darkened night sky. The little specks of light above fascinated him as he jumped up trying to grab them, eventually beginning to dance under them admiring their awe-inspiring beauty. Wondering, how far away? How big? What was there?~ What did these brilliant specks have waiting to be discovered? Then...there was the moon. Luna, so radiant and majestic. It completed this beautiful portrait of the night sky being completely full, glistening to its brightest. He didn't want the sun to come up, no, he wanted to keep staring obsessively at this miracle, this prodigious view for eternity.
"America!" A voice bursted behind him in a worried tone. The sound of speedy footsteps grew louder and louder. Alfred turned around as his guardian slowly stepped out from the dim house and into the moonlit yard.
"America? Oh good, here te are. I was worried about you. What's such a small nation like te doing out here all alone, at this time of night? It could be dangerous."
"England!" Alfred's voice cried with joy as he began to sprint towards the Englishman. "You're home!"
Arthur scooped up the child into his arms. "That's right America. I've come back from Europa to visit you. My te have grown!" Arthur embraced the child tightly then slowly placed him back on the ground.
"I'm not sure how long I will be able to stay though. So let us have fun together while we can!" Arthur grasped his right hand leading him towards the house. "Lets go inside. We can have a game of chess, and then play with your toy solders, oh and then maybe-"
"No!" America refused freeing his hand and trotting out back towards the grassy yard.
"No?" England questioned.
"Lets stay outside! Lets look at the sky together!"
Arthur tilted his sight upwards towards the clear dim sky. "Ah yes, the moon is full tonight."
The brothers lied in the erba looking upwards into the cosmos together. Alfred's arms were outstretched onto the Earth~ It was just becoming late enough for the darkness to completely engulf everything. Dark enough for the Milky Way to gradually fade into sight. Usually, little Alfred was quite scared of the dark. But whenever he was admiring the stars, all fears he had were temporarily drained. He turned his hands over and grasped the erba tightly. Just barely sensing that somehow, gravity would reverse itself. That he would be ripped away from the Earth falling into the universe. Then he made a small gasp and immediately released his grip of the grass. Slowly lifting his arms straight above him. He prayed with all of his cuore for it to happen. To be sent flying da the moon, into the stars, off to adventure into the universe. Gravity, the one thing he now despised. The one thing separating him from the vast beautiful universe.
Suddenly, he was broken away from his trance da a hand motioning back a forth in front of his face.
"America? Are te ok?" Arthur chuckled.
"E-england?" He tugged at the Brit's sleeve.
"Yes America?" Arthur asked back.
"What is it like on the moon?" He inquired as he reached his hand up to the huge brilliant moon above them. He hoped that one giorno he would grow tall enough to be able to reach right up to it.
Arthur quietly laughed. "Well we don't really know. We know from telescopes that it is really rocky and barren. But te see, no one has ever been there before."
Alfred quickly turned his head towards him startled. "R-really?"
"Yes." He laughed again. "And I doubt anyone ever will."
Alfred opened his mouth in disappointment, as his eyes widened and he began to quiver. "W-w-w-w...." His eyes started to become teary as he stuttered out the little sound he could make. How heartbreaking it was for him~ "Why not?"
"America..." Arthur's body suddenly flooded full of guilt seeing his sibling's watery eyes. Filled once with hope and wonder, now only with devastation.
"Well," He tried to sound as gentle as possible. "No one has been there yet."
Alfred bowed his head even più depressed.
"But!" Arthur exclaimed positively. "Maybe te can be the first!"
Alfred gasped. Was it possible that he himself would be able to set foot on such a utopia of wonder? The celestial object he looked up to every night but never was able to reach. Was he himself truly capable of such a goal? "R-r-r..." He stuttered again, but this time it was from the overwhelming happiness that refilled his heart. "Really?"
"Of course!" Arthur answered. His face shown a smile, but inside he was boiling with guilt. He couldn't stand lying to his little brother so easily. But he was still so young and so full of dreams~ The last thing he wants was to see that joyfulness inside him crushed. "Anything is possible right?"
"Right!" Alfred cried with ambition and joy. "Me! First ever on the moon! I'll build rockets and spaceships oh and..."
Arthur listened with a smile on his face as he continued to preach his dreams. Dreams which he still very much doubted was possible. But he was proud of the little nations open mind and creativity.
I don't need to tell him yet~ He'll grow out of this type of thinking one day. He's so happy~ Right now it is best to just let him imagine. Arthur thought.
"And then I'll build a huge city! Oh and-!"
Arthur chuckled. "Ok America. I think that's enough for tonight. A large mind like yours needs to give it some sleep."
"No! I'm not even-!" Alfred paused for a moment to let out a long yawn ",tired."
Arthur scooped up the child's sleepy body into his arms and began to walk towards the house.
"You have a beautiful imagination America. That alone will get te very far in life." He detto softly.
"England, do te think there's people on the moon?" Alfred questioned with a sleepy mumble.
"People? te mean, extraterrestrials? Well," He giggled, "Well, you'll have to see when te get there."
As England was gently carrying him towards their home, Alfred looked up to the moon for one last glance. Using his tiny hand he extended up to it, noticing that with just his little thumb he could block out the entire moon. He moved his thumb up and down, quickly blocking and then unblocking the gorgeous sight. This simple act fascinated him.
That night he couldn't help but keep his eyes wide open as he lied in his bed. Staring fixated into the night lit da the celestial objects in the distance....
~
Alfred stood there tall on his back porch, still just as awestruck and fascinated as he use to be. Looking straight up as the moon hung above him. Slowly he put his thumb up and blocked it out from his view, then moved it and once again revealed its beautiful radiance.
"Wow..." He whispered.
The radio was playing in the background with soothing music. It was calm, and tranquil. Everything was at peace. For once at this time of history, the war he was constantly worrying about, he was for once at peace. Even though he knew this would only be for a short time, at this point of history, he savored every secondo of this calmness. He closed his eyes with a smile on his face, then opened them to once again to view the night sky. Then...his eyes instantly caught a glimpse of something. A bright point of light he did not recognize. He gasped and stared at it with curious excitement. He knew the night sky, and knew for a fact this speck of light was not there before. Did he just discover a new star? A new celestial object which light has finally reached the Earth? A new star, another bright beautiful point of light to add to the magnificence of the night sky. A new star, he could obsessively examine and admire.
But...something was off.
Alfred's eyes constantly moved to keep in sight of this...star? No. It wasn't a star. Stars do sposta however. They sposta incredibly fast souring through space, but Alfred knew it was absolutely impossible to see it here on Earth with the naked eye.
"A-A....meteorite?" He questioned. It was the only logical explanation he could come up with to explain this. He was addicted, fascinated with this object now. The curiosity in his body stirred and it was hard to go another secondo without knowing exactly what this was.
"No, it's not a meteorite." He decided. This was not like any of the meteorites he's ever saw. Something was off. There was a mysterious mood in the air. "What the hell is that?!" He shouted anxiously into the sky.
"Wait...no. It just couldn't be-"
Before he could finish his sentence the radio suddenly bursted out the excited sound of the announcers voice.
"Sorry to interrupt the Musica folks but we must segnala to te right now that history has been made! The Soviet Union just accomplished sending the first ever satellite, Sputnik, into outer space! Unbelievable!..."
The announcer went on, but all of Alfred's senses suddenly shut off, right then and there. He felt his eyes immensely widen and his jaw drop. His breathing slowed, not know what he was feeling. This was insane.
He jerked his head back towards the now not so mystery moving light. He didn't blink, watching its every movement. Not even breathing, until it was completely out of his sight.
The race has begun . . .
