Carnations and Butterflies (A Hetalia AU)

[Ebrahim Hanna Bin Abba]

Every nation has a representative, a being that is almost human, but not quite, who lives as long as their nation does, and sometimes, even longer. We all know this, and know them well.

However, in an alternate world, this representative formula is a tad different. Each nation, each 'person', lives a long, full life, and dies, just like a normal human would. Nothing sets them apart from their people, not longevity, not special powers, not distinctiveness... In fact, you would think they were absolutely ordinary people, nothing special about them at all. And that is where you'd be wrong.

There are many religions that believe in reincarnation, that after you live a long, full life, you start again, without any memories of the former. Well, they were partially right. For humans? There is no reincarnation. Life after death is something we don't know about. For those representatives? It is very much true.

They have lived countless of lives, spanning the eons, ever since their nation was born. Even once their nation is gone, they continue to die, and be reborn, a never ending cycle of life. A nation doesn't remember his lives, though, thinking he's a normal human... Until he reaches his appropriate age. Each nation has their own. Some nations have the same, but are born before the others, or born after, but the moment of recognition, when all of your thousands, millions of memories come back to you is yours and yours alone.

Sometimes, occasionally, a nation will go mad, temporarily, at the onslaught of memories that ravage their mind. But, in the end, the nation will accept it, setting out to find those that have been precious to them in those past lives, because, for some inexplicable reason, they always look similar, and have similar names, making it easy for them to be tracked down.

So, who are you? Are you one of those rare few nations, driven temporarily mad? One of those searching for the nations precious to them? Or do you believe yourself a normal human, having not regained your memories? The year is 1933 AD, and the world is at your feet.