Request from RomeRainstar. Coincides with her story: Rome meets her best friend One Shot (short!). If you haven't read it, please do as she and her stories are awesomesauce. #ShamelessAdvertisingXD

I sighed, peering at a goofy picture of a ten-year-old looking me and an eleven-year-old girl with chestnut hair and a goofy grin on her face. I remembered the day we met vividly, as most of the capitols hated us for the events that happened that day. But I remembered it as the day I met one of my bestest friends in the whole universe.

...

I covered my face with my pillow while Kiku pounded on my door trying to get me out of my bed. Unfortunately for him I had the door locked. Usually, I was an early bird. I was up before the sun and happy about it. However, I had gone to bed late the previous night as I had wanted to update on one of my stories on FanFiction and wouldn't rest until I did so.

It was about, oh, six thirty AM I was guessing since it was dark.

"We're going to be rate!" Kiku screamed at me along with many cuss words in Japanese, his voice muffled by the closed door. He continued pounding on the door and I sighed. I rolled out of bed dragging my covers, a pillow, and my cat with me. I landed on top of her and shifted over when I heard Jinxy-May's stifled meow. Little Jinxy did not look pleased, and ran over to the door with her tail twitching. I got up and threw my stuff on my bed, save for the pillow, which I held. I opened the door and hit him squarely in the face.

Japan - or Kiku as I call him. Capitals get to be on a first-name basis with their countries - regarded me with muted anger smoldering in his brown eyes. I knew he was pissed at me, but he didn't voice it anymore. "Get dressed, we're reaving soon and your breakfast is arready getting cord on the tabre." I rolled my eyes and shut the door.

Usually he blushed and refrained from looking at me when I was dressed in my nightclothes but today he just seemed angry and it wasn't bothering him as much. That or he was more mad at me than I thought. I heard his footsteps retreat down the hall and shot a look at my door. I still remembered those curses and he would pay for them later. Dearly.

I walked over to the mirror and stared at my reflection, hating it. I didn't look the slightest bit Japanese, which I guess I wasn't, but I was still capital and that had to count for something. My skin was tragically pale, it was so white many people though I was Romania's capital as I could easily be mistaken for a vampire. Except I didn't have fangs. Everything about me was pale, my eyes were a pale peridot green. My wild dirty-blonde curls fell halfway down my back. It was darker than most dirty-blonde's, almost brunette, but definitely too light for it and peppered with natural blonde streaks. I pulled a comb through my hair and put it back in a ponytail. Then, I walked to my closet.

I almost walked to my dresser but stopped myself when my eye caught on something in my closet. A smile settled on my face and I pulled the costume out. I peeled off my nightclothes, nothing more than a T-shirt and a pair of shorts, and pulled the costume on. I pulled out my ponytail and, badly, braided it down. Happiness surged through me as my red cape swished dramatically behind me. I grabbed a manga, the final volume for Tokyo Mew Mew, off of my desk and carted it along with me.

Japan and I had eaten breakfast. He had looked positively gobsmacked when he saw me but I wasn't taking off the costume and didn't much want to. If anything his reaction made me want to keep it on even more.

The ride there was boring and silent. Kiku didn't let me drive, though really neither of us could be trusted behind the wheel of a car. Today however, I was fine with letting him drive. I didn't have a license, as no sane instructor would give me one, and technically, I looked ten. Capitals were ageless, I suppose, but I was no older looking than a fifth or sixth grader. So I pouted sitting shotgun.

We finally arrived. Japan pulled into the World Meeting place with a name I hadn't cared to remember, and I stepped out of the car. The sun shone brightly in the sky, which was stupid since it was frigid. Japan didn't seem affected and the costume was warm enough but my face was freezing. It was probably cherry-red with frostbite by the time we reached the door.

We walked through the sterile halls and as we got closer I heard voices heavily accented or speaking different tounges entirely. I knew English, as it had been my first language, I knew a good deal of Spanish and now I was pretty much fluent in Japanese. Out of two-hundred-something countries I couldn't understand most. Which was perfect for interacting with people. Japan pushed the doors open and we stepped inside.

Japan was pulled over by another country and as usual when presented with many people I didn't know or really care about I got shy. Usually I just read a book until it was my turn to speak. If I even had to. Usually, I didn't.

I just stood there. I managed to catch London's eye (no pun intended) and she pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose and waved, giving me a warm smile. I waved back and gave her a cheery smile in return. After that, with no real purpose I began hunting for a chair.

Someone tapped me on the back and I jumped. When I turned a small girl with chestnut colored hair and dark brown eyes that reminded me of chocolate was looking at me. Her hair was seriously knotted and she was covered in a fine layer of dirt. Her clothes were tattered and she had a bow and a sheath of arrows strewn over her shoulder. She had a goofy grin on her face. I became increasingly aware that I left my katana at home.

"Hi! I'm Rome! Ve~" She said. I recognized the Italian curl and accent on her voice.

"Rike the empire?" I asked. Usually my voice wasn't accented too heavily but I let it show so she would feel comfortable.

"I'm the capital, so I'm older. What's your name?" Rome asked.

"Tokyo," I replied. I've no idea why but it happened.

She looked at the manga in my hand. "OMG, I love that manga!" She said happily.

I smiled. "It's one of my favorites," I was happy to have some common ground with her. "How did you find it?"

"I... kind of... steal things," She gave me a shy smile and gave an awkward laugh. Most people would inch away when this was mentioned but I smiled. We talked for a while longer and eventually found much more common ground. The meeting started and I talked with Rome. She actually turned out to be very nice, despite looking like she'd been sleeping on the forest floor. An argument broke out and the noise was clearly bothering her. Before I knew what was happening she notched an arrow and sent it sailing into the wall near Prussia's head, almost impaling him.

"Hey!" Prussia called. He said some un-flattering things, many curse words and far too many 'awesomes.' Rome and I jumped up and started yelling right back at him. I noticed Japan facepalm. After that saying the meeting went to "Hell in a handbasket" is an understatement. Many people got hit in the face with Rome's pasta pot. Sadly, I could not use alchemy like the character I was dressed as, Edward Elric.

The meeting ended, Japan took me home and lectured me. Which was strange since he did not strike me as the lecturing type. We had caused such a ruckus the capitals were banned from world meetings.

After that many economies and the countries plans fell to absolute chaos so we were sworn back in. But now we had a new meeting room. Supposedly it would be the old child care center. We all thought it was going to be moved to make room for us but they split the room between us and the child care center. Many of the capitals hated us for it but it was the most fun at a meeting ever. And I'd made a quite amazing friend out of the deal.

...

Upon remembering this I had a strong impulse to go and see her. I snuck out of the house, and went all the way to Italy. I opened the door to her room since it was never locked and was about as neat as a garbage dump. She was sitting on her bed with that same goofy grin still in place looking at the same picture I had been only minutes before. I had to smile since I was once again face to face with one of my best friends ever.

However if you think how I met Rome is strange you should hear the story of how I met London, or Moscow, or Athens, or Berlin, or Warsaw, or really any of my capital friends.

There we go. My re-telling of the story. Hopefully it was satisfactory, Roma-chan! Review please! =D