WELCOME random person who clicked on this story! Much thanks to you! Here have an imaginary bowl of popcorn! So this is my first story on EVER so please please please be nice! Comments are greatly appreciated as well as constructive criticism! So have fun, grab that bowl of poped corn (sharing is caring) and I hope that you enjoy my first chapter of "From the Ashes" :D

I clutched my heart, trying to breath. "You understand now that there's no tolerance for foolishness here, Da?" I looked up through the blood that was beginning to dry, and the stink eye was given to him with the best face I could make. I wanted to call him something, anything, that was in the least bit offending… but I couldn't bring myself to. This man before me was named Ivan, yes Ivan as in THE Ivan. You know, he was Russia and I was just… Iceland. Compared to my older sister Greenland I was a speck so when put up next to Russia… I was, well, like a grain of sand. It was natural for me to be scared, even with my older sister helping me out. She was here too… Both of us trapped in this never-ending nightmare. I couldn't help the tears forming in my eye…S… well lets just say that this encounter cost me an eye, literally. The tears cause the dry blood to become wet again and blood trickled down the left side of my face. It stung terribly. "Now be good, I'm going to leave you here to think about what you've done, I'm hosting the world meeting here today and I don't think that the others want to hear your petty pleas for help." He smiled childishly and began up the steps.

My knees gave out as soon has he left, chains that binded my arms jingled as they made contact with the floor. My dark brown hair framed my face and my side bang hid my mutilated eye. The world became a blur as I heard the rush of footsteps. Coughing I looked up slightly only to see my sister with the most pained expression gracing her face. "Karen… Oh my…." She dropped to the floor, now on her knees also. "Its ok Maria," I managed to cough out, which resulted getting a few blood splatters on her dress. "Stay here Karen, I'm going to go get Lithuania." She was crying, I could hear it in her voice no matter how hard she tried to cover it up. Her long blonde hair bobbed as she stampeded up the steps and I heard a "FUCK YOU IVAN." God, she was in for it later.

I was about to pass out when she returned with Toris. His eyes widened when he saw me and he rushed over like Maria did when she first saw me. Speaking of Maria, she was in a hot mess over in the corner, tears running down her face, crystal blue eyes moving around frantically as if searching for something. "I'm sorry Karen but this is going to sting." He began dabbing something onto my wounds and yes it stung a lot. I had failed to notice the first aid kit he managed to highjack from Russia. "Toris." Maria said in a surprisingly firm voice. "We need to get away. We all know what he wants from me and I think if I negotiate you two can leave." Now it's only natural to be confused at this, so allow me to explain: Estonia and Latvia left in exchange for my sister and I. I was only a small girl at the age of 8 or 9 when this happened but Maria was 13. Toris was already 16 (all in appearance of course because as you know countries don't age) and had far more experience then us when dealing with Ivan. He was able to teach us the ropes, the necessity of finding decent hiding spots and when not to be in Ivan's line of sight.

As we grew older Ivan had grown a bond with Maria, well a one sided bond that is. He's tried many times to do things to her of which I will not speak but she's a large country if I do say so myself. She can fend for herself unlike me, her smaller, younger sister, and Toris, who is like my older brother. Since we can't fight back (at least while Maria's not around to help) he takes out his anger on the two of us, therefore starting a vicious way of living for everyone.

"If you're thinking of doing what I think your thinking of doing then stop it. Right now." Toris said as he moved up to my face. "LOOK AT THE WAY WE'RE LIVING!" Maria burst out, I was sure that they could hear us from upstairs and I was already dreading the punishment we would receive later. Maybe if I pretended to be dead he wouldn't beat me again… Toris moved my side-bang and flinched when he saw my eye. "Oh my…." "Look Toris, look at her. My little baby sister. She's laying here half dead when I know I can help." "It's ok Maria, really, I don't mind I just want us…. To be…" Cue a coughing fit. I had barely managed to whisper out those words and now I felt like my lungs were contracting. "Toris, I'm going to do it. You always tell me how much you love Poland. And look at Karen… Just look at her eye, look at her body." Toris had seen me naked many times before, and mended many of my wounds. Like I have said, he was like a brother and he already loved Poland (yes Toris liked men and I was told Poland was bi), he told me many stories of when they were both friends and their many adventures. "Maria…" He said as he began to dab the alcohol on my eye.

The pains were excruciating, it was worse then being whipped, and trust me that was NOT a fun feeling. I shrieked and it was really loud. Once again I began to wonder if I should just pretend to be dead when Russia came down again. "Shhh, its ok." Toris cooed and he stuck some of the mending tape over my mouth. He began to clean out my empty eye socket and I shrieked some more, but the tape muffled it. "I know nothing is going to change your mind, Maria, but please… Be careful." Maria was now in her mid twenties, which made me in my late teens. Maria crawled over to me after Toris was done applying the bandages to my eyes. "Don't worry Karen, I'll keep you safe." And she enveloped me in her arms, the warmth filling my body. I was then aware of how exhausted I was, so I allowed myself to fall asleep in my sister's arms.

Time to back track and go to England's POV

I swear I can't even begin with why today is the worst bloody day of my life. First off I have to go to a world meeting, which we all no is just so much fun. Even better is that it's over at Russia's home. Well whatever. So we're all here except Ivan, what happened to "Being a good host."? "YO Iggy! Want some fries?" I inwardly groaned, not that American wanker Alfred… I can't even believe I was the one who raised him. "Sorry I'm late, we're all accounted for, Da?" Russia said as he came up from what I thought and hoped was the cellar. His clothes told me different though because they were stained with blood, which looked fresh. "Lets get started then." Ivan's face formed a childish smile and everyone was surprisingly quiet. As the chaos began to start I noticed a girl around my age in the back of the room. She wore a maid outfit and she was probably one of Ivan's servants cough slave cough. She had long blonde hair down to her bottom, and it looked almost white. Her eyes were bright blue, almost like Germany's and she had a very troubled expression on her face. I looked over at America only to find him also looking at the girl. She quickly ran down to the cellar/ torture dungeon. Then the fighting between nations commenced.

After a bit of time the girl emerged again, this time with tears streaming down her face. Everyone stopped talking and looked at her, apparently everyone had noticed her from before. "Greenland, dear, everything is… Ok, Da?" Ivan said with fake concern. So she was a country too… "You…" She whispered so low that because of the silence was actually audible. "FUCK YOU IVAN!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Everyone was shocked, even Russia himself. That girl was probably the bravest I had seen in a long, long time. She ran out and everyone was silent for a few moments. She came back, this time dragging Lithuania by his arm while holding a first aid kit. So there was someone down there, and in pretty bad condition if you ask me. The rest of the conference was pretty peaceful if you disclude the quarreling with that France idiot and some other small outbursts. About halfway in I heard that girl's voice again "LOOK AT THE WAY WE'RE LIVING!" I quickly looked over to Ivan to see his reaction, it looked… content. This made me sick to my stomach. Then a few minutes later or however long it was a scream echoed out through the house. It was not Greenland's scream, I could tell. My heart shattered at the sound of this scream it was full of pain and despair. I didn't dare look at Ivan, but I looked at my fellow countries and they all held the same expression on their face. The rest of the meeting was gloomy.