A/n

Hey there everybody! :) um well, this isn't exactly my first fanfiction, but that'

s alright! I'm simply starting over under a new name and what-not. My previous works were absolute atrocities that I'm ashamed to have published (cough Mary sues cough) so hopefully a few years later and with a few more years of high school English I've improved a bit. I'm pretty surprised actually that I decided to use Belarus as my main character so I hope I portray her alright. she's not going to be raving insane like people usually make her, just...easily irritated and very over-protective of her cousin Ivan.(Yes, he's her cousin, but hey it fit the story better so I'm just going to roll with it.) This isn't the full first chapter either, I'm just testing the waters with it so to speak. You'll get the full explanation...later. Hope ya'll like it! Please review and let me know how it is! And bear with me, I have no beta ;^; I'd appreciate it if anyone wants to point out my typos! I'll give you and internet cookie! (as pointless as they may be...)

Fun fact about this story! I've lightly based it off of the show H20. Very lightly. That's where I got the idea from anyways, and the many Mertalia fics I've been seeing lately.

once the full chapter is posted I'll give you a list of characters I'll be using as well

Warnings: (not necessarily applicable to this chapter,) violence and possibly emphasis on possibly, some sexual situations later on. This is an AU, so no the characters won't be their countries personified and yes, I will be using their human names.

Natalia glanced around her quiet home. The only light she had was cast through the kitchen window by tonight's full moon. Her long hair shimmered as she tossed it in a silvery blond arch away from her face. Her indigo hued eyes glinted in the low light. She peeked into her mother, Ekaterina's room, where she was curled up, fast asleep. A devious smirk grew on her face and she darted out the backdoor towards the pool. In the scarce light the water of the large, deep pool rippled and seemed to have an almost otherworldly glow. Natalia stripped down to nothing leaving her pink night gown in a pile near her feet on top of the towel she'd brought with her, and stood bare to the cool summer night air, her skin as pale as the moon in the sky. Natalia crossed her arms, feeling silly and exposed. She could taste a slightly salty tang that lingered in the breeze, evidence of the nearby ocean.

She took a hesitant step towards the pools edge, and felt a chill run it's way up her entire body like a jolt of electricity but assured herself that no, this was outrageously silly and that there was no way it would ever work. Another step, it was as though she was being drawn forward by some unseen force. The palm tree's leaves rustled in the breeze, their sound being the only save for a stray cricket. Another step, and her toes dangled off the side just barely above the water. The air seemed to vibrate with energy, like the buzz of an insect and the atmosphere felt heavy, almost palpable. In the silence Natalia could hear, if she strained a bit, the lapping of waves on the shore that were less than a mile away from her home. Her hair tickled her face and she blew it away impatiently. She took a deep breath, took one last step, time seemed to slow and with a splash, Natalia was enveloped in chilly saltwater.

As soon as it touched her skin, a chemical reaction of sorts took place. Immediately her skin began to tingle uncomfortably. With each second that passed it only grew stronger and stronger. She held her breath though even when she wanted to gasp at the strange sensation. It grew somewhat painful and so she tried to swim up to haul herself out by the ladder. Her body seemed to defy her though and It was only when her joints locked up, when her initial shock had faded, Natalia realized, this was actually happening, the silly little potion was sunk rapidly to the bottom of the pool, not rendered immobile. Her mind became a blank slate when Natalia's body came to focus on the changes in it rather than any kind of rational thought. The tingling became and unbearable throbing, especially in her legs and throat. If she weren't submerged tears would surely be streaming down her face. And then she felt another, far more painful change beginning to happen. The skin on her legs, she could barely make it out through the water, had begun to mesh together. there was no blood though, just indescribable pain. she could feel it too, each molecule of each cell was being rended from one another and arranged into the new structure that was forming.

Her lungs burned as Natalia struggled not to let go of any of the precious oxygen left, and idly wondered if she was going to die. She felt A million little pinpricks along her legs and at the beginning of her hips were no doubt scales were emerging. Her throat was on fire, and she realized with horror that she could feel water starting to seep through into her lungs through the narrow slits opening on her neck. Gills she realized, she had gills. Without thinking she took an enormous gulp of water and her intense need for oxygen had ceased. Natalia took a moment to get used to the strange feeling of the water flowing out of the little slits in her neck. Her legs still hurt like mad though and the torture was not over yet. Natalia couldn't take it, and she screamed, only to have it muffled by the water. Black ate at the edges of her vision and she writhed at the bottom of the pool. After what felt like hours, the pain had finally receded. Natalia lay at the bottom staring upward, making out the bright speck that was the moon. She noted dully that her vision was much clearer now. she cold see the individual ripples on the waters surface, and the specks floating around in it. It was almost like she was wearing goggles,everything was so clear.

Lightly, she brushed her hand over her eyes and could feel the thin clear film, a second eyelid not unlike that found on the marine life she studied in her classes. 'Wait, what?' looking back at her hand, thick black talons protruded, nearly twice the length of her own nails and still flaking pale pink nail polish. They looked... dangerous to say the least. She tried experimentally to move her legs and a sleek black tail met her vision. She wiggled it a bit, trying to get a feel for the alien appendage. Moving made it ache slightly but what else was to be expected? Now propped into a sitting position by her elbows she gave an experimental flick of her muscular tail. There was power behind the movement which surprised her. It was stronger than Natalia expected. 'okay,' she thought, 'time to learn how to swim.' unfortunately for Natalia, it didn't 'come naturally' as she was hoping it would, but eventually she figured it out. Swimming reminded her of trying to do the worm, but under water. It would be amusing were it not for the situation she was in.

Hesitantly, after breaking the surface she took a breath and was relieved to find her lungs were still functional. But now what? What if she didn't change back? She's be stranded in the pool till morning and left to explain this to her parents. And even if she did, she was reluctant to say the least, to find out how badly it hurt to change back. For a few minutes Natalia sat on the steps weighing her options. Natalia's habit of biting her lip when stressed proved to work against her at this moment, because the metallic salty taste of blood met her tongue almost immediately. Her teeth were now sharp like a bunch of miniature razors in her mouth. she cursed it quietly. It was a bit interesting though, because even though it was only a drop or so of blood the scent was overwhelmingly strong. Whatever she'd been transformed into was not the sweet and gentle creature from children's stories, no this was a predator, with teeth like a shark, with talons in place of nails and incredible power behind that sleek fishes tail. How alarming.

Well Staying in the pool was out, there was no doubt in her mind. She decided, before she could talk herself out of it, she used all her upper arm strength to haul herself from the water. And as she flopped down on her back she almost cried out in relief, because immediately the scales receded back into her without a trace and with no pain, just a feeling similar to fingers brushing lightly across her skin. she watch with fascination as the tail split open and her legs returned and reformed. to someone watching it might even seem a bit morbid. She wiggled her toes and had the urge to kiss the ground. That had been horrendous. Why had she done this again? It wasn't supposed to work! Myths were myths for a reason, they weren't supposed to exist. She took a shaky breath and sat up. Her limbs were trembling when she stood, and slowly, carefully she collected her clothes and, wrapped in a fluffy towel, made her way inside. Under her blankets she fell asleep almost instantly, her entire body was exhausted after its ordeal. Deep, dreamless sleep met her along with a sinking feeling akin to dread. What had she done? this was certainly the last time she'd be trusting that attractive blond Englishman with absurdly large eyebrows.