A/N: Okay, so I have been OBSESSED with Hetalia lately. I had this idea ever since I watched the first few clips of Hetalia off of freaking YOUTUBE. I adore Hetalia, but I'm too new to the fandom to be considered an expert. So, if you see any continuity errors, or any character is OOC, then don't hesitate to tell me, so long as you do it nicely.

By the way, this story is written in the form of a video recording, like in that Rick Riordan book, the Kane Chronicles. [If you see words surrounded by brackets like this, they're background noise that wasn't meant to be there.] Confusing, I know. You'll get the hang of it soon enough. Now, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. I only own Lise, Nico, Joan, Lanie, and their parents.

Now listen to me very carefully.

No, not enough. Listen even more carefully. I won't repeat this again, just in case he hears us.

Okay, my dorky sister is telling me to shut up and get on with the recording, but I think I should tell you the reason why the heck you have this recording in your possession in the first place.

[Ugh, Nico! We only have a little while to do this!]

[I know, Lise, but they deserve to know!]

Sorry about that. Let me introduce myself. I'm Nico, and that little ditz who you're constantly hearing is my twin sister, Lise. But, anyway, as for the story, I know I'll have to start at the beginning. That's where all stories start, right? The thing is, I don't quite know what that beginning is.

I guess I should start at the day when New York showed up at my school, and took us to the Academy, where you'll wind up soon.

You need to get to the Academy, because you have strange blood. If you don't—

[May God have mercy on your soul.]

I think Lise just summed it up pretty well.

Anyway, our story begins in an apartment in New York. It was the school day before Christmas, and Lise and I were getting ready for our last day of school before winter break by helping our little sisters, 10-year-old Joan and 6-year-old Lanie, get ready for school. Lise was stuffing sandwiches in the girls' lunch bags, and I was sitting at the kitchen table with Joan peering over my shoulder as I checked her homework.

"You did the addition before you multiplied. It's supposed to be the other way around, Joanie.""

"Dang it! Give it back, Nico! I have to fix it! God, I can't believe I missed that!"

"Don't take the Lord's name in vain, Joan Agnes Stoker!" Lise scolded from the kitchen. "You were named after two of His saints; treat His name with respect."

Joan and I both rolled our eyes. "I swear, Lise, you are the most religious 13-year-old in all of New York! All of America, maybe!"

Lise glared at us, and she handed Lanie her lunch, saying, "Here you go, Lan. Come on, Joan, I've got yours, too."

Joan snatched the lunch out of Lise's hand, and grabbed Lanie's hand. "Come on, Lanie. We're gonna miss the subway!"

"Don't forget to get Amy and her mom before you leave the apartment!" Lise yelled.

"We will; we're not stupid!" Joan yelled. "Come on, Lanie."

Lanie nodded, and left with Joan.

Lise sighed, and slumped on our couch. She closed her eyes, and let her head fall back. A quick slap to said head woke her up pretty fast.

"Come on, Lise, we need to be at school in fifteen minutes, and there's still the subway ride to deal with! You don't have time to rest!"

I was answered by a pillow to the face. Thankfully, though, Lise grabbed her book bag from the hook on the wall, and began to stuff it full of her textbooks, and the homework I know she hasn't done. She grabbed her almost-full writing notebook, and held it in her arms like a priceless document.

"Come on, Nick, don't leave me waiting, for once!" she teased me.

I yanked my twin's shirt, which caused her to cry out in surprise. Then, ignoring her curses and her calling me an "incestuous pervert," I grabbed my backpack, and smiled at her.

"Well, come on!" I yelled, already heading for the door.

"Wait!" Lise cried. She pulled open Mom and Dad's door, and yelled. "Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad! Nico and I both love you!"

I huffed, and grabbed Lise's arm, and headed for the door. The last thing I heard before the doors closed was, "We love you too, sweeties!"

I didn't know it at the time, but that was the last time I would hear my parents' voices again.