Taiwan's face scrunched as she struggled to keep the heavy tea kettle up. Her hand wobbled as she poured the hot tea into the tiny cups. Her eyes lit up as she filled up the last one.

"China! I did it!" she enthused.

"You did great, Taiwan! You only spilled a little bit this time." China took a cloth and wiped up the liquid that remained on the table. "Now, do you remember who gets their tea first?"

Taiwan brought her finger to her lip as she went deep into thought. She took one cup and handed it to China.

"China's the oldest, so you get it first. Then, it's Korea..."

"Taiwan got it wrong again! Everyone knows I'm the oldest! Everything originated in Korea, you know..." Korea declared. Taiwan's face fell.

China reached across the table and smacked Korea lightly in the arm. "Don't listen to him, Taiwan. You were right. After Korea, who's next?"

Taiwan's face lit up again and went back to passing out cups. She gave one to Japan, then Vietnam, Hong Kong, and then herself.

I couldn't really tell the basis in which she passed out the cups. I thought it was by age, but from their looks I was really confused. Korea looked pretty young, but he ended up being the second oldest.

"I got it right, right China?" Taiwan asked.

"Almost. You forgot someone." China indicated towards me.

Taiwan turned toward quickly with her eyes wide. There was one cup left, and it remained empty.

"I'm sorry," Taiwan stammered. She quickly picked up the teapot and poured out tea for me. Her hands shook as she gave me my cup. The drink stabilized under my touch and she quickly took her hands away.

As soon as China took a sip, the others brought the warm drink top their lips. I did the same. The hot drink was bitter, but I was used to that. To drink went down warm and had a calming relieving effect on me. This was different than the drinks I was used to. I was used to the cool clear liquid to settle as a fire in my belly and make my mind chaotic. I kind of missed it.

"Do you have any vodka?" I asked.

China nearly spit out her tea. She had taken too big of a gulp and burnt her tongue. She fanned at her mouth.

"What's vodka? Can I have some too, China?" Korea asked. His eyes were bright with curiosity. The others had the same brightness, though they didn't say anything. I smiled a bit. I liked how something about me had sparked their interest. I wanted them to like me.

China recovered. "You may certainly not, Korea. I don't keep in habit of serving such young nations alcohol."

"Aw, but China! This guy's had it! Plus that Italy guy who visited a while ago drank wine, and he's younger than any of us."

"Well, you are not Italy. I have no idea what came over the Roman Empire. He can't just leave all those kids unattended like that." China rolled her eyes.

"Italy came over again? What did he want this time?" Japan said.

"Trading. He wanted more of my 'pwetty silk fabwics.' I worry about him sometimes, but at least he's good business," China said as she served the food. There was plenty. More than I had seen in a long time. Noodles, rice, chicken, and dumplings.

Japan rolled his eyes. "He probably wouldn't find them so pretty if he knew how you made them."

China pointed her chopsticks at Japan. "Don't you dare tell him. You want to keep eating, don't you?"

"Are you really that desperate after the Mongols?" Japan asked as he grabbed more rice.

"Where!" Korea squealed. He hid under the table.

China placed her chopsticks on the table. "Can we not talk about this at the table? It's done. I drove them out and that is that. You were lucky that that storm blew them back from you or you would probably be just as 'desperate' as I am."

I wasn't quite sure what was happening. Everything had suddenly become so cold. The whole world was shaking. My breaths came in and out in short huffs. I slid back in my spot. China rushed from her spot to where I was. She brought me to her arms and tried to still my shaking body.

"You're safe here. The khan won't be able to get you."

I didn't stop shaking until her lips touched my forehead ever so lightly. I sniffed and wiped back the tears that were forming in my eyes.

She squeezed me. "You feeling better?"

I nodded.

"Good. Eat up. You are far too skinny." I went back to my spot and filled my plate. I shoveled the food into my mouth. It was so good. I hadn't had anything this good in a long time.

"Hey, you must be at least part Asian, right? Then why is your hair white?" Korea asked me.

My mouth was full, so I couldn't respond. I swallowed, but Japan answered for me.

"Korea, you can't just ask people why their hair is white."

"Oh? Then, how did he get here?" Korea asked.

This one I could answer. "I walked here. From the north."

The children seemed slightly surprised that I had actually talked.

"How did you get past the wall?" Japan asked.

I shrugged. "I climbed it," I answered simply. Wasn't it obvious?

"You climbed the Great Wall of China?" Japan asked dubiously.

"I got it!" China exclaimed. She slammed her fist into her palm. "You're Kievan Rus!"

"Russia..." I said embarrassed. I liked the way she said my name.

"Russia. Right. Wow, you sure travelled a long way."

I shrugged again and smiled. She kept saying my name. I wished she'd say it some more and hold me and kiss me more. I wanted to be happy with her.

"Kievan? Isn't that the country with the impaler? You've killed hundreds," Japan accused.

I froze again. It was over. Whatever hopes of being happy with China were gone. She would never love me if she knew what a monster I was. For that moment, I wanted to be a monster. I wanted to kill Japan for telling. I squeezed my fists together

"Japan, you still have much to learn. We all have aspects of our past that we aren't proud of. The world sees certain things differently than others and many situations get misconstrued. I've killed thousands, so you better accuse me before him, if you dare."

Japan became embarrassed and lowered his head. "I'm sorry, sensei, for my ignorance."

"It's okay, Japan. You're still so young. Since you're an island, you haven't had as many interactions with others, but soon you will, and you'll learn." China quietly went back to her tea.

She could understand me. She was a killer, just like me. She didn't give me fake sympathy like my sisters. She didn't even view me as some kind of monster. She knew I did what I had to to survive.

After we had all finished eating, Vietnam and Japan cleaned up the table. Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan went off to play. China went back to the changing room and grabbed our pile of clothes. She smiled back at me when she saw I was following. She gave me my clothes so I could carry them myself. She took a basin and filled it up with hot water. She set it on the ground so that we could wash our clothes.

"You should probably wash your scarf, too, if you don't want it to get stained."

I looked down at my scarf. It was pretty muddy. And it would be a shame if it wasn't pure white anymore. I slowly unwrapped it from my neck. I placed it in the basin opposite from China. I dipped it in and out of the water. I couldn't look up. My neck felt so exposed. I saw China's hand reach towards me. She gave me a brush to scrub out the dirt.

I had never really cleaned anything before. I always had my sisters willing to do it for me. I felt a sort of satisfaction when I saw that I was lifting the dirt out of my favorite scarf.

Once she was done washing, China hung her clothes on a nearby tree limb. "Let's hang your scarf up, so it'll be dry before you head home," China said.

I kept my wet soaked clasped in my hands. "I don't want to go home."

China place her hands on my arms and squatted down to my eye level."I know it's scary. Sometimes you just want to run away from your problems. You want to know what I do when I'm scared?"

The only thing I could do under her beautiful gaze was nod.

She cracked a smile. "I become scarier than what's scaring me."

I laughed at just the idea of something scaring someone like China.

"You don't believe me? Watch this!" China took out her blades and cut a nearby tree cleanly in one stroke. It fell down with a big thump. "Just ask Korea. I can be very scary if I want to be."

"Big brother!" "Russia!" two small voices cried out. I was pulled to to ground by a small but strong arm. Belarus held me protectively and pointed her kitchen knife at China. Ukraine came following after and embraced me as well.

"Russia, are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" Ukraine said.

"How dare you kidnap my big brother! I'll make you pay, you mean old witch!" Belarus spit out.

"Don't worry, your brother is free to go home with you whenever he likes." China crouched down in front of Belarus. "As for you, little miss, I like your spunk. But if you're going to threaten me, I suggest you learn how to use your weapon." China took Belarus' hand and adjusted grip. "There, that's better. I doubt you could've cut rice paper that way."

Belarus frowned a bit deeper. She didn't like being told what to do, even if it actually was good advice.

"I'd prefer you not to tell my little sister how to use a knife..." I muttered.

China laughed lightly. "See Russia? You have family to take care of. A family who obviously loves you very much. A family you need to protect."

I thought for a bit. My sisters were a bit crazy, so I guess someone needed to take care of them. Then again, I also wanted to be with China.

"Okay, I'll go home. But someday, when I'm big and strong, I'll come back. We'll be together, and you'll be my family. Then I can protect you, too."

China smiled. "Sounds good, kid. Grow big and strong for me. I'll be waiting."

I put my still wet scarf back on and grabbed my clothes. I took my sisters' hands and made the long journey home. I couldn't help but smile, even though I was leaving my flower behind. I had a new hope that I'd return someday. I put my hand in my pocket and found the last seed. I planted it under the southern window by my room. It didn't take long for it to sprout up through the snow.

Days went by and the flower grew bigger. By the summer, when the snow was gone, I was greeted by a large yellow blossom. Years and decades went by, and the flowers multiplied. Eventually, there was an entire field blooming on the south side of my house.

Early one morning, I crawled out of my window into the sunflower garden. As big and strong as I was, I had to sneak out of my old house. My sisters just wouldn't understand, and I especially didn't want to have to deal with Belarus.

Once I got through the field I brushed the leaves from my scarf. Would China like flowers? I picked a few from the edge just in case.

The day had finally come. The Mongols were gone from my house. I had driven them out long ago. My country was finally stabilized, and I was bigger than anyone else I knew. I ran faster south than the wings of the butterflies in my stomach. I had been looking forward to this day most of my life. I couldn't help but be filled with a nervous excitement. Would she really come with me? Would she even recognize me?

I came across to the edge of the jungle where I had first seen her. My eye caught a spot of red. A trampled red flower abandoned on the rock.

I ran over to China. Blood covered almost every inch of her body. How long had she been like this? Who could have done this? I was going to kill him. If only I had gotten stronger sooner. Maybe I would have been able to protect her.

I brought my ear to her chest. Her heart beat was faint, but she was still breathing. I ripped off her clothes in order to get to her wounds. I was suddenly grateful that Ukraine always made me carry a sewing kit because you never know when you might lose a button. I was too desperate to close China's wounds to care about how there were some things I knew should be there but were missing, or things that shouldn't even be there in the first place.

She had cuts on her arms and legs, but what needed the most attention was her back. Her beautiful back was marred ay a long ugly slice. I sewed it up, keeping back the rage that wanted to escape through every pore of my being. China was the most important thing right now, not revenge. I lifted her to my shoulders, careful not to harm the stitchings on her back.

I ran all the way home with China on my shoulders, praying that I was strong enough to let her live. Praying that my precious broken flower could finally be mine.