A/N 1: Well, alright then. Even I didn't expect that chapter ending. Eh, when a story begins to write itself then you will never guess what will happen. Like some of the later parts of the plot laid out in my head...most are rather unexpected. *DUN DUN DUUUUUNNNNN!*
A/N 2: So, Ancient Greece has made her second to final appearance in the story. You're going to see her in one final section, but after that...er, she died...

Sicily: No, she found a way to live despite her empire being gone and her son being the one who now controlled the land!
AngelHairCurls: No need for the sarcasm Sicily! I know you miss your mother.
Sicily: You don't know shit!
AngelHairCurls: *pats Sicily on the shoulder* it's okay~, you're allowed to miss her.
Sicily: *glares daggers at Angel*
AngelHairCurls: Eheh~ ^-^; *backs away slowly* lets...just go ahead and get to this chapter before she hits me~

Disclaimer: If I owned Hetalia, I wouldn't sit here and write fanfiction. I would make stuff canon and make more nations for Hetalians around the world to enjoy!
Oh, and human names, ages and a complete height chart :3 did any of you know England is ACTUALLY the same height as France? (that translates to 5' 9") :O he is so tall!

{A battle emerged
My fire was called upon
Forced to fight I did
Then taken away I return
Different, not the same as before
To a palace of a King}


The girl looked at me in surprise, her head whipping around swiftly. Her honey-gold eyes held an unreadable look to them. The light from the window showed that her skin wasn't much lighter than mine, more of an ochre than olive. Her hair was a dark mahogany color, straighter than my own but not straight. Her pale pink lips were straight, hiding whatever emotions the girl had.

"My name," the girl said in a voice that was low and soft yet loud enough to hear, "is Crete. I'm looking for a nation known as Sicily. Byzantine wants to see her, do you know where I can find her?"
I scowled, I wasn't in the mood to deal with my 'ruler' at the moment. He was an asshole, greedy and wanted us to do whatever he asked.
"Tell the jerk I'll be there in a bit. I want a nap after all that cleaning," I snapped at the nation, internally feeling bad for snapping at her since it wasn't her fault that Byzantine made me angry.
"He said that you were to see him right now," she said and I sighed in an aggravated fashion, quelled the want of throwing a fit over being summoned like a servant, and told her that I would be on my way in a moment. She left moments afterward and I scowled again.
"I'll see you in a little while Corsica, I better go see what that asshole wants," I said to her before waving and leaving to go downstairs to his study. I sighed, trying to keep my temper with him in check. I didn't need to give him any reason to hurt my family or my friends. When I got to his study I knocked on the closed door.
"Come in," he ordered and I stuck my tongue out for a moment before doing what he said. I walked in, closed the door behind me and looked at him. He was sitting behind his desk reading one of the many books in here.
"What do you want?" I asked. He glanced up from the book and glared at me but I didn't bother to correct myself on how I addressed him. I looked straight into his eyes and he slammed his book down on his desk.
"Sicily, I'm tired of your attitude," he growled and I shrugged. He walked around his desk and stood a few feet in front of me. "But it's not like I have to deal with it. I'm taking you out with me and that fire of yours is going to help me, you hear?"
"Like hell I'm going to do that!" I yelled back at him. Glare met glare, emerald met dark brown. I wasn't going to be some tool that he was going to use in his conquest. I felt his hand connect with my cheek, a sharp sting left behind. I held my cheek with my hands, it was throbbing and hurt to touch.
"Asshole,"I growled and spat on his shoes. He picked me up by the back of my simple dark brown dress and held me up to eye level.
"You will listen to me, and you will fight," he said in a low, commanding tone. I glared at him but stayed quiet. He smiled, but it had a dark undertone to it. One that sent a shiver down my spine. He put me back on the ground and I retreated away from him a few feet, my hands still on my cheek.
"One of the servants will be by soon to make sure you will be protected," he told me and left the room, closing the door behind him. I huffed in frustration and dropped my hands to my sides. The previous tense atmosphere dissolved quickly and I moved over to the bookshelf before sitting down in front of it.


}=={|}=={


It wasn't long before one of the humans came into the room. She took one look at my cheek and I could tell by her expression she hadn't expected to see it. She helped me up and gently touched my cheek before muttering something about it going to be slightly discolored for a bit. I frowned and she took one of my hands in hers and led me out of the room.
We went to a set of stairs that led down below the house. Odd enough that I don't remember seeing them before, but it could have to do with that I didn't wander to this part of the house. She took me down and when we reached the bottom of the stairs I looked around the candlelit room. It had a bunch of different weapons and some mail that I'd seen Byzantine wearing a few times.
"He said this was for you," the servant said and handed a sheathed dagger to me. I took it and she put a weapons belt around my waist (it had been made for someone my size oddly enough) before attaching the sheathed dagger to it. She then put a small mail top on over my dress and made sure it fit me properly. She patted my non-injured cheek gently before telling me good luck and to be careful. I nodded and she led me back up the stairs and back across the house.
When we reached the front door Byzantine was standing there waiting on me. He took note of both my mail top, and the dagger attached to the belt before telling (ordering me really) to follow him out. I waved good-bye to the kind servant before ducking out the door ahead of Byzantine. He took me to the stables where two horses were tacked up, one with a smaller saddle that also had a rope attached to the saddle of the other horse.
"Boy! Help her up!" Byzantine yelled at one of the nearby humans tending to another of the horses. He did as he was told, since he was older in physical years he was tall enough to help me onto the saddle and made sure I was settled before stepping back. Byzantine had already mounted his horse and when I looked up he kicked his horse in the side, sending us off to wherever he was taking me.


}=={|}=={


We rode for many weeks through Byzantine's empire. When we reached a city by the sea we boarded a boat that took us across the water for many more weeks until we finally landed in a city called Carthage. Here Byzantine had us board another boat, and we landed on the coast of my island. We took the horses we had brought across the small stretch of sea and rode off around the mountain.
When we reached the other side of my island we got on another boat that took us to the bottom of my brother Romano's land. From here we travelled northward, where we were headed I had an idea now. North to Veneziano's land, towards where his city of Ravenna was. The city that Goths called her capital.
We rode through Naples and Rome, both already in Byzantine's hands. In both cities we stopped for rest and food. Before long we continued north at a steady pace. It was a long ride, and when we finally reached another group of soldiers in Byzantine's uniform we stopped to rest again.
We were in Fiesole, one of Veneziano's cities. We had crossed from my eldest brothers land into my middle brothers land. I was helped out by a young man who got me off of my horse and handed me some food, bread and soup.
I stayed away from the other soldiers who were talking among themselves about why I was here. I looked up at them and the young man was the only one who met my stare. He had….a distinct look to him. Not of pride or anything that struck me the same way that the looks Byzantine did. His were more…remorseful and guilty, I could tell by his stare.
Here was a soldier who fought because he had to, not because he wanted. I pitied the young man, as he must have pitied me since I was physically a child. I broke the eye contact but every so often my eyes drifted back to him. He had soft black hair, greenish eyes and skin as dark as Byzantine's, maybe a bit darker.
"Scyllias!" One of the soldiers said. They green-eyed man looked at them.
"Yes sir?" He asked in a respectful tone.
"Make sure that the girl Byzantine brought is attended to properly," they told him. By the looks of his armor the guy was a captain of these soldiers. The soldier, Scyllias, nodded and made his way over to me. I glanced at him as he walked over to where I sat on a log.
"Are you tired my lady?" He asked. I stared at him for a few seconds before nodding my head. He held a hand out to me and it was a few moments before I took it. He led me past the soldiers who stared at me to a tent where he pulled aside the front and motioned for me to enter. I stepped inside to look around. There was a pallet with a blanket, and a bucket with water beside the wall. The rest was bare (there were leaves and twigs on the ground but that was besides the point).
"If you are in need of something, you need only ask, my lady," he said.
"You're name?" I asked him.
"Scyllias son of Alexandros, Athenian," he replied. I nodded and gave him a light smile.
"Thank you, Scyllias son of Alexandros." He did a slight bow before exiting the tent.


}=={|}=={


We spent a few weeks resting with the soldiers but eventually we had to ride out again. Scyllias was appointed to protect me while we rode to Ravenna. During the ride I learned a lot about Scyllias.
He had a sister named Delphinia, she was living with their mother and grandparents while he and his father fought. Scyllias had grown up in Athens and had always wanted to fight for his nation, but not the empire. He was highly educated, having come from a wealthy family he could afford the tutors and books to learn. His gift, as he called it, was to be able to 'read' other people.
"You're naturally curious but you also seem to hate Byzantine," he had said once. I had blinked in surprise, and he had then said "You're also a bit prone to holding in your emotions, especially when you're caught off guard by something."
This man was serious, he could read people. After a few more moments I had bombarded him with various questions about the group. As it turned out, apparently the captain was none-to-happy about Byzantine and I accompanying him to Ravenna.
Eventually the questions turned to me, who I was and why Byzantine had brought me along with him to take out the Ostrogoths.
"I'm the island nation of Sicily. My brothers are North Italy, South Italy, Sardinia and New Greece. The Greece we know is now Ancient Greece, mother to a new nation. Ancient Greece is my mother, the Roman Empire was my grandfather. We're not really related, I was taken in by Ancient Greece and then by the Roman Empire but they're family enough I suppose," I said and looked ahead at the other nation that rode beside the captain. "Byzantine knows that some of us nations have powers, and I happen to be one of them."
"Powers?" Scyllias asked me curiously. I took my right hand off of the saddle and held it palm up. A whispering of a few words and there was small flame flickering in my palm. The warmth that enveloped me from the use of my power made me feel happy and giddy inside.
"Does it hurt?" he asked, reaching out with his left hand to touch the flame.
"It might hurt you, but I don't feel it," I responded. He stopped his hand and smiled at me before putting his hand back on the saddle.
"That's the most interesting thing, how many others do you think can do such a thing?"
"I don't know," I said softly, the flame in my hand flickered out. "It's hard to say. I know of just one other, and she can use fire as well."
"Do you think it's just the female nations who have them?"
"It's possible, seeing as I know so few it might be something we were gifted to help us fight against the male nations."
He carried on questioning me about nations, I didn't tell him very much. I only told him what little I knew he could know. When we finally saw Ravenna in the distance I could feel her presence. As if she was close to us.
"We'll stop here for the night men! Tomorrow we strike!" Byzantine yelled, and I scowled.
"And I hope she takes you down," I muttered under my breath. Scyllias looked down at me but I ignored his stare.
"Come along my lady," he said and took us away from the others. He dismounted his horse, helped me down from my own and began setting up our tents. I sat down by my horse, a dusty mare who had dark eyes. She snorted before nudging my head softly, blowing into my hair. I patted her muzzle gently, she was a good horse.
"You are a brave and strong girl," I said to her in Latin, earning a glance from Scyllias. I continued to speak to her, switching between Greek and Latin. Tomorrow was going to be different, I could feel it inside me.


}=={|}=={


When Scyllias brought me food later it was dark and the fire he had built outside our tents was nice and warm in this weather. Winter could have been worse, but Ravenna was free from snow right now. We ate in silence, the only sound being the crackling of the fire as it ate away at the logs. I welcomed the silence, it was a nice change from earlier where we talking. It gave me a chance to think about what he had said earlier.
Could only the female nations have these powers? None of my brothers or any of the male nations I had met had shown signs of having them. Then again, Matri was the only other one I knew to even have powers. Could it be selective for only certain nations? It was possible I guess.
I finished my food rather quickly and went into my tent for the night. Scyllias would be awake for some time before he went to sleep as well. He liked to keep watch over me before going to bed, it was nice in a way. No one had really looked out for me in the beginning of this trip, but it got tiresome after awhile as well. I felt chained, unable to do as I please. Even worse than knowing I had a ruler was being watched by someone who had to be loyal to him.
'Humans can be such a pain', I thought, slightly bitter about not having my freedom. I heard a rustling sound suddenly, and I doubt I would have heard it if it wasn't so quiet. My hand went to the handle of my dagger that sat upon my waist, still in its sheath. I gripped it and slowly slid it out, holding it in a way that felt so familiar yet so foreign to me at the same time. Handle gripped so it sat between my thumb and fingers towards my face and the blade pointed outward.
"Scyllias?" I whispered, but there was no reply.
"Scyllias?" I poked my head out of my tent to see Scyllias asleep by the fire. I tensed up a bit more, I could feel something watching me in the distance. I walked out slowly and over to where Scyllias was. He was snoring softly, he must have been very tired. I put my dagger back in its sheath before placing a hand upon his arm.
"Scyllias, wake up," I said to him. He mumbled something but opened his jade colored eyes slowly.
"My lady?" He said slowly. "Is there a problem?"
I shook my head no, "You fell asleep by the fire. You should go to sleep."
He nodded and stood up before heading into his own tent for the night. I went back into my own tent but I couldn't sleep. I laid there on my pallet, willing myself to go to sleep. It was much later when I gave up and went back out into the night.
The fire had burned out some time while I had been trying to go to sleep, it was nothing more than dying embers now. I looked up at the stars, getting myself lost in their numbers. A sudden rustle caused me to spin around, unsheathe my dagger, and have it to where I had it in a defensive position within moments.
"Peace," a voice whispered from within the darkness.
"Goths?" I asked in a whisper.
"It's me, I've come to rescue you,"'she replied. I sheathed my dagger again and she came out of the shadows. She was wearing a dark clock to hide, but when she looked towards Scyllias's sleeping form I had to interfere.
"Don't kill him!" I whispered angrily. "He is my ally!"
Her gaze shifted to me, her dark brown eyes holding my own emerald ones for several moments before she nodded.
"We take him with us then. Without a fight, otherwise we leave without him." I breathed a sigh of relief as I nodded in reply. She pulled out a smaller, dark brown cloak and tossed it at me. I caught it and put it on. When Goths had successfully gagged and bound Scyllias I walked over to them.
"Please be quiet Scyllias, I don't want her to kill you," I said to him softly before she lifted him up on to her shoulders. I fetched my dusty colored mare and Scyllias's own chestnut stallion. I looked towards the main part of camp, everyone but a lone sentry was asleep. He wasn't even paying any attention to us so we left through the back of the camp.
Once we had put a fair bit of distance between us and the camp Goths tossed Scyllias and then me onto my mare before she mounted his stallion. She clicked her tongue and we dug our heels into the horses side and we were off, back to Ravenna.
It didn't take us very long to reach the city and before long we were back at the palace. It looked like it had before, but that had been years ago when I had last been here.
As we trotted in to the palace yard we stopped. After Goths got off of the stallion she helped me down and then tugged Scyllias off of my mare. A stable boy came up and took both of the horses away.
"King Vitiges would like to see you Sicily," Goths said to me as we walked up to the palace doors.
"Release Scyllias, please," I asked her and stopped just inside the palace doors. She stopped as well, looking torn between doing as I asked and refusing. I turned towards Scyllias. "You won't try to hurt anyone, will you?"
He shook his head no and I smiled at Goths. She sighed before ungagging him and cutting the rope binding his wrist. He placed himself just to the left of me and Goths led us farther into the palace.


Welcome in my OC, Crete! She's been in the making, for a while now. Partly to blame for the delay in chapters because I had to pin down a physical look and a personality for her. But, now, here she is!
And some of this chapter in general was difficult to write. Inspiration kept flaring up and down. It was mostly whatever flowed from my fingertips as I typed :3
Also, the soldier, Scyllias. Yeah, remember him. He plays a role later on in the story. And I'm talking chapters upon chapters later. You'll see when it's time for him to reappear~ *coughdramacough*
"Scyllias son of Alexandros, Athenian"-this is how a male Greek in ancient times was named usually. The name they were given, who their father was and if they weren't in the city they were born in, the city. So you see, Scyllias is the son of a man named Alexandros and from the city of Athens. The first born son was named after the paternal grandfather, the second son after the maternal grandfather and then with each son afterwards a male relative. Sons were hardly ever named after their father, but could have a name derived from or made of the same elements as his father. Not much is known about how women were named during this time since there is little documented about them, but it is believed that women followed the same naming system with the female side of the family.

History~!

Crete came under Roman rule in 59 B.C. and stayed under their rule into the collapse of the Roman Empire and stayed under the rule of the now Byzantine Empire until the 820's A.D. when it was taken over by Iberian Muslims.

And one last thing. I have belated birthday wishes! For those of you who know Homestuck, I'm wishing a belated birthday to John!
*takes big breath* *belts out "Happy Birthday" for John*

Med Kærlighed,
AngelHairCurls