Author's notes:

After I got tired of making romance fics, I decided to do something different, just to see if I have improved after one whole semester of writing class. Basically, this is my first serious and well researched fanfic (It's very hard. I had to talk to a friend of mine who's a Pol Sci major). I plan on making this errrr true to life. Got suggestions? As long as they are relevant, I am totally open.

Disclaimer:

Axis Powers Hetalia belongs to Himaruya Hidekaz and the OCs to the respective

CHAPTER ONE

"Doubt"

My name is Timor-Leste and I am a country in Southeast Asia, located just beside Indonesia and above Australia. I was finally independent last May 20, 2002. After my independence, I worked so hard so that I could be recognized by my fellow Southeast Asian neighbors and now, I'm officially one of them. At least I'm not like someone who Singapore calls "Sealand". The poor micro nation wants to be recognized as a country and he always gets kicked out of world meetings. I don't blame those big guys; he really is sort of annoying.

I happily followed the big nations of South East Asia as they all gather in a room. Today is one of those really cool ASEAN meetings that I've always wanted to join. Actually, after all the impressing I had to do, this is finally my first ASEAN meeting and I'm already fired up, but the topic that we discussed for today's meeting instantly made me and the other nations quite depressed. China's boss was giving us his iron treatment.

Before that, I found my fellow nations engaging in some light chit-chat. Malaysia was talking about some sort of monster she encountered while she was walking down the street last night. Indonesia was trying very hard to imagine what the monster looked like while the Philippines shared her knowledge about magical wards that might help her. Vietnam was calmly talking to Myanmar and Cambodia about her rice dilemmas while Thailand was flinging his hands around, as if he's trying to describe something to Laos.

"I think we need to start," Brunei said, giving a white folder to each of the nations.

"I hope all of you guys will start getting serious…because the situation really calls for immediate action, I suppose," Singapore adjusts his glasses. He was holding some kind of shiny cane with really cool designs on it; nothing less for Singapore.

Vietnam slowly closes the white folder, whose contents she has already finished scanning. "Alright, we're listening."

"I heard that China's boss suggested the closing of freedom for sea faring in the South China Sea, is that correct Philippines?" Singapore turns to the mentioned nation.

The Philippines nods and then answers. "I don't know what's wrong with his boss—mood swings maybe. Plus, my navy caught a couple of his citizens threatening some of mine who are living on my part of the Spratlys to leave—"

"Hey, we never had any legal part of the Spratlys," Vietnam cuts in.

"Um, no but didn't we agree on our area of responsibility thing?" she tried to reason out.

"No," Vietnam crosses her arms across her chest. This time, her voice was cold and unfeeling. "No one owns the Spratlys yet, not even China."

"Before anything starts to heat up," Brunei steps in. "We cannot allow this to happen. What did China say about this?" He looked at the Philippines who was now keeping her mouth shut.

"He says that he does not understand why his boss wants to do it," she goes back to being silent.

Malaysia finally takes the initiative to speak, "He's after the oil, there's no doubt about it. As long as none of us venture out into the South China Sea, no one can get their hands on the supply in the Spratlys."

"Then how does he expect me to get some fish?" the Philippines restrains herself from lashing out, struggling to keep her cool. I could see it; her muscles are tense and her jaw tightened.

Myanmar shrugs and briefly says, "The Pacific Ocean? You do have a lot of sea area."

"To add things up," at last, Indonesia takes the conversation into her direction. "You guys don't like what his boss is doing. So then, why don't we just resist? Tell him that what his boss is doing is making our means of livelihood such a hassle, with no hard feelings of course," she managed to creep a smile into her serious face.

"It's not going to be easy," Cambodia answers, without looking away from the folder that he's reading. "If China himself cannot stop what his boss wants to do, then how much more if we're the ones who'll try to stop him?"

Laos nods in agreement. "Cambodia has a point, yes? What if we just wait things out patiently, see what this will turn out to be, and then take action?"

"I'm not quite sure about that Laos," Singapore leans back in his seat. "But I guess that's the only thing we can do; allow his boss to restrain us. Considering this, it will be more likely that they'll bring out some sort of 'naval assistance'."

"I am not going to let his boss go on with this! I don't have adequate naval support at the moment," the Philippines spat out. "Besides, I'm also busy with internal matters."

"Neither am I, but if his boss insists…then I've got no choice," Vietnam tucks her hair behind her ear, stands up, and finally leaves.

In this meeting, I did not have enough guts to talk. Besides, this is China we're talking about. He's a really big guy and none of us really wants to oppose him. His imports are really helpful and there are Chinese nationals all over the world that it's too hard not to look over. If being big and strong meant giving you lots of doubt from other countries, then I wouldn't mind staying as I am.

I let out a huge sigh as I slouched on the meeting table. Choosing to stay behind is not an entirely bad idea. The room was quiet and I could hear all sorts of sounds. I'm not really sure if I was amused with those sounds though.

"Got a second?" Thailand showed up and flashed a smile at me, his glasses glistening.

I nodded in reply.

"Ahhh what a confusing world this is, huh?" he plops down on the chair beside me. "I wish we could all just go back to the times when were all strong kingdoms!"

I blinked, "Kingdoms?"

He laughed and turned to look at me with an almost surprised expression. "Oh yeah, you were really young at that time. We were all kingdoms before, even the Philippines. She's old I tell you, but she looks so young! She tells me that her secret is Belo*, whatever that is." Thailand lets out a chuckle. "Malaysia," he paused. "I really didn't get her before… but we're neighbors."

I couldn't help but laugh. I guess he was trying to cheer me up. "More likely!"

"China was like our big brother before. Japan too. We were one big family," he nodded to himself.

"What's happening to Asia, Thailand?" I asked him, just to be sure.

"No…the right question is, 'What's happening to the world?'. The answer is simple… it's far too small for people with big dreams."

I looked at him, dazed. He sounded really smart…and old. I chuckled at my own thought.

"Well… Indonesia did tell me that the past is the key to the future. If we all just went about on our own peaceful ways like we did before, then the world would be a better place."

"I don't get you. Wasn't the past a painful thing? Wasn't it the time of colonization?"

Thailand stopped for a while and thought to himself. "Haha, you're right."

Now this conversation made me all the more confused. Thailand finally made an exit, but before he did so, he waved a goodbye at me.

China was resting his chin on his palm. He simply could not shrug off the hurt he felt when almost all of the Southeast Asian Nations looked at him scornfully when he came by to do some 'rice business' with them. Even Singapore looked at him in an odd way. They must have doubts on me or something, he thought.

"Ah mon ami!" France finally sat next to him and started to pat his back in his 'usual' demeanor. "It seems zat something is troubling you, oui?"

"They all hate me, aru!" he found himself carelessly blurting what was on his mind. Never mind, he thought as he tried to inch away from Francis. "Aiya!"

"Hate you? Now, who would hate you?"

"My siblings, they seem to be looking at me in a different light,aru."

"It must be your imagination, mon ami!" France stopped for a while and frowned a bit. "But considering our recent economic downplay, I am guessing that they hate you for being rich! Now, don't take me wrong mon ami. I am just kidding!" he giggled—yes, giggled.

"YES," China answered sarcastically. "I'm pretty sure you are, aru."

"You can always discipline them, da?" Russia suddenly dropped in into the conversation, making the other two nations' hearts almost jump out of their chest cavity.

"I have a mighty good feeling that you made a wrong move somewhere," England joined in. In a moment, he suddenly remembered all those times he had with a certain blonde headed boy with eyes as blue as the sky, and the 'wrong move' he made with him.

"I might have done something out of place," China slowly answered.

"Which iz?" France inched closer to him, only making China distance himself further away from his bearded face.

"Well, my boss wanted me to stop all navigation in the South China Sea."

"That is pretty serious in itself! Why, if I were to be stripped off of my privilege to wander about in my own seas, I'd be dreadfully frustrated." England answered, shifting in his seat.

"Didn't a lot of you share that sea?" Francis asked China.

China could only nod.

"Now, not meaning to interrupt this tea party, but isn't that twat America taking an awful lot of time getting here than usual?" England looked around the place, just in case the hyperactive nation was hiding somewhere.

"He's not here," Russia answered with a huge smile on his face. The rest of the nations started to wonder if he did something to the superpower.

"Well, I wonder—"As if on cue, England's cell phone rang. He took it out from his pocket and saw that it was America that was calling.

"Where are you and why the bloody hell are you—"

"I'm really sorry Iggy! I'm… having a few problems of my own." England could hear him sigh over the phone. "Can you guys just start without me? There's this person who's doing this and the other's threatening him to do this and—"

"Stop right there. I don't want to waste my phone bills listening to you rant about your problems. Just go deal with whatever you're busy with, we'll take care of this."

"Thanks a bunch Iggy! I promise that I'll make up for it next time!"

"Yes, yes. You better."

America went out.

"Is Japan faring well with the earthquake and tsunami incident?" Germany looked over his glasses and glared at China.

"He's coping…but not fully recovered,aru." he answered.

"Is that why he's not here?"

"Probably,aru."

"Well. Let's consider him. His situation is not easy to deal with," he adjusts his glasses and sits down on his seat.

France throws his arms into a soft shrug and states, "What a depressing life! First Europe, then Amerique, and now the Asians!" After all these years, he finally sounded like he's worried. "It's like coffee, bittersweet, but we all embrace it!"

Everyone except for Russia sighs. No one seemed to complain that Italy was absent, not even Germany. It was as if the nations didn't feel like doing anything on this particular meeting.