I am the one who taught her to hide.

Boadicea kneels behind a 5 to 6 year old blond girl. The knife in her right hand making quick confident work of her hair as it falls to the floor in golden bunches; leaving behind the ragged short hair worn by peasant boys.

I was the one who showed her how to bind her chest and cut her hair.

I was the one who told her power lay in masculinity.

The Sassenach rebel army was small but full of hope and anger. They stood at the top of a hill overlooking what would become known as London in a few centuries. The much bigger stronger Roman force was located at the bottom of said hill. Boadicea looks to her left at the determined five-year-old she was proud to call her country.

And if they had it their way the little girl would be bruise-less, long-haired, and being dressed up by a group of village girls laughing as if the Romans had never invaded their island in a few days.

Fate though, decided otherwise…

Being small Albion got lost in the raging battle around her almost immediately. That's why when Boadicea finally relocated her on the bloody battlefield it was too late to do much. Roman sword swung downward…

…. And into a body much more developed then its intended target was.

I was the one who protected her.

-LINE -

Joan looks up at the door to her cell, no way the Church would start her trial at this ungodly hour, they would want to make her trial as public as possible and even these English demons wouldn't come to see her embarrassed at this time of night. So who was turning the key to unlock her door?

The sight of an emerald eyed twelve year old was not what she expected in the least.

If the words of the child were to be believed neither was she. Though she should be the one more surprised. When nations had been explained to her, and the blond in front of her was no doubt a nation as the child was surrounded by the same air that clung to Francis, she hadn't been prepared for the news that her opponent was a beat-up tired twelve year old girl.

Curiosity shined in those emerald eyes, blond hair chopped off messily at her shoulders, bare calloused feet, thread-bare trousers, a loose tunic that hid the curves bandages failed to hide, a belted sword swung at her left hip, small dainty hands that should have been left innocent were wrapped in bandages chapped calloused and bleeding, and two ropes were tied around her neck. One a cross and the lower a Celtic knot, almost hidden by her tunic. Francis had talked for hours about the English personification but the innocent cute little boy of those stories and the battle-worn hopeless girl in front of me held very little to no resemblance of each other.

"You really are a female?" the girl asked amazed, "They let you fight knowing your gender?"

I am the one who planted the idea in her mind that maybe she didn't have to hide.

I was the one foreigner to be allowed to see behind the mask.

I stood against the inquisition already knowing they will kill me. France was a threat to England and as their Maid of Lorrain I was extremely dangerous. The entire time I only crumbled once; much less than a man in my position would have by now. But I couldn't give the credit to just myself, and I think that was why GOD showed me the truth of who was watching me. It went to HIM and the fact I needed to prove to a twelve-year-old who sat in the shadows behind me, her emerald gaze never wavering from my figure for even a second, that HE had made her female for a reason. So she didn't have to hide

Her childish concerns were hard to know the right reaction too though. Alice was in love with Francis to the point she would die in my place if only to save him pain. However, I won't let her and it makes me slightly disappointed in Francis.

He had a precious jewel over here loving him to the point it was painful just watching…

…. And he was absolutely oblivious to it.

I thought France was the country of love?

When they declared I would burn I stood as strong as I could and excepted my fate under that pained emerald gaze that loved my country more than all of his citizens and myself together ever could.

I was the one who showed her the strength of a woman.

I was the one who showed her she COULD have a voice.

-ONWARD MARCH! -

I am the one who showed her a woman didn't need a man by her side.

Elizabeth stands a crossed from a 15 year old un-bandaged Alice. One hand gentle but firm in its hold on the nation's left wrist, the other ghosting its fingers over rapidly disappearing knife marks.

This could NOT be allowed to continue.

"Why would you do such a thing Alice?"

"Because," The tired musical voice said softly, its owner very interested in the floor boards. "Because I'm weak, because I'm female, because the empire will only last so long and then I'll be alone again, because I'm not my brothers, because THEY are strong, because THEY will realize it soon and abandon me again, because I'm not important."

Her words stall Elizabeth's tracings of her self-inflicted wounds and grab her chin, forcing her to look her Queen in the eyes.

"Your brothers aren't the main representative of the United Kingdom are they?"

I was the one who saw the truth and showed her she was as good if not better than her brothers.

I was the one who listened to her pleas.

Elizabeth and England are on a ship docked a little way from land due to the coming tide. England climbed the mask effortlessly. Making it look like the easiest thing in the world due to "his" weightless grace, impossible flexibility, and inhuman reflexes. The captain watched amazed while Elizabeth simply smiled up at the teen nation and called for 'him' to come down before 'he' broke something.

I was the one who reminded her of what it was like to fly.

-Another Line -

I am the one who gave her hope.

Victoria stands next to the bed of 17 year old personification of England Alice Elliot Kirkland's bed and sighs, annoyed at the lump of miserable blankets in the middle of it. Her arms on her hips she shakes her head at the heap.

"I'm sure if you told him you were female Francis would get the hint."

She says and the blankets tumble as Alice sits up facing her with her knees pressed to her chest defensively. She is cute with a stubborn pout on her face, blankets pooled around and draped over her adorably, and her fists balled up as they rub her eyes similar to how a child would.

"That's not it!"

She whines and Victoria sits down on the edge of the bed. At least her inhuman charge was talking to her again. That always helped matters considerably.

"Then what is it Love?" She coaxes the female nation beside her.

"What if when he finds out he starts acting awkward around me or even hates me?"

"Why in the world would that happen?"

I was the one who planted the idea that the other nations may not treat her differently because of her gender.

I was the one who spoke when she was mute.

Alice gasps as she sees the girl staring back at her in the looking glass. And YES it WAS a girl!

She was wearing a gorgeous blue and green ball gown, the corset piece tight to direct attention to her slim hour glass figure and exaggerates her bust so that she actually had one. Green gloves and heels matched the embroidery on the blue dress and brought out the color of her emerald eyes. Golden bangs hid the true size of her obnoxious eyebrows and instead of a choppy shoulder length mess her hair was in two high pony-tails curled into tight ringlets down to her waist. A gloved hand comes up to press against the glass, uncertain that this was real.

"It's- It's" She stammers,

"It's?" Victoria laughs and Alice starts to cry.

"It's beautiful!"

She makes out and hugs Victoria, tears still streaming down her face like two never-ending twin rivers.

"Absolutely perfect! Thank you! Thank you so much Victoria!"

"Of course Love."

I was the one who showed her that she COULD be and WAS beautiful.

-Almost done I swear-

I am the one who didn't stop at an Idea.

A window smashes and glass flies everywhere as a brick is thrown through it. Some not too happy that the Parliament member who owned this property had just voted against women having the right to vote…

… A few of them not afraid to show it violently.

I was the one who refused to be ignored.

I was the one who took a step beyond simply speaking out and DID.

"WE WON ALICE! Isn't that simply amazing! We WON! Women can vote in the United Kingdom!"

I was the one who refused to be satisfied with the dream my predecessors had given to her and made it REAL.

- Last one -

I am the one who has the power to do so much and throws it away like it is nothing.

I am the one who says "Someone needs to do something about that" but am too lazy to use my voice.

I am the one who ignores her pleas for change.

I am the one who takes advantage of the voice I was lucky to receive simply by being born at the right place at the right time…

,,,, While she who wished and did so much to gain a voice remains severely unheard,

It's Ironic really…

Once great cities and small villages alike lay in a terrible state of disrepair; streets bare and lifeless as buildings crumble left abandoned and collecting dust for too long.

… That once we are willing to give her that voice…

"ALICE?! ALICE WHERE ARE YOU?!"

…. She isn't around to use it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

For a while I didn't know if ANYTHING would be ready to be posted today. This morning I found that my USB Port had reached the end of its life and cracked creatively while being transported. I was hoping to post something a little longer than this but with all of my stories no longer living I hope you enjoy this instead. But do not fear for my ongoing works as I have incomplete paper drafts around here… somewhere…. ANYWAY! For the second chapter of Unnoticed as well as most (if not all) of Wrong Again I will more than likely update them in small segments, making them seem longer but still having them come out to their originally estimated word count; as such though you (probably) won't have to wait as long for them (Hopefully). My mind thinks that if I do this I won't lose as much of the progress I have made should I have a repeat of this morning. I hope you liked Voices. I have a few (Now solely in my mind) more drabbles that are like this one but don't know if I should take the time to re-type them if none of you are interested. Until Next time!

BYE!