Most of the countries had gathered in one of the nearby warehouses that wasn't completely infested with rats, although there were two or three that Italy Romano could see. When Romano got there with Ashlyn's group he immediately went off on his own trying to find as much as possible, but he didn't realize that the entire group had ventured off without him until Feliciano came running back and practically transformed into a monkey as he hung on his shoulders. He stood huddled near the center of the gathering where Germany and Prussia stood, having an argument in German, which he couldn't understand to the fullest.

"Es war deine Schuld, daß du nicht schnell genug rennst, damit wir sie einholen können! (It was your fault for not running fast enough so that we could catch up with her!)" Ludwig was saying to his older brother, who looked just as worn out and broken as he was.

"Sie läuft schnell im Gegensatz zu jedem kleinen Land, das ich je getroffen habe ... Aber das ist nicht der Punkt, müssen wir Ashlyn finden! (She runs fast unlike any small country I've ever met... But that's not the point, we need to find Ashlyn!)" Prussia countered back at his little brother, who stood a good a good one or two inches shorter than him.

Romano only recognized the word "Ashlyn" and spoke up. "What about Ashlyn? I can't-a understand anything you two potato-bastards say when-a you speak in your native tongue!"

Italy walked up next to his brother. "Ashlyn ran off to the South saying that she knew-a where Ivan was!"

Romano was infuriated, and it showed by how his curl bent a little. "And you-a didn't f***ing decide to run after her!? You goddamned bastards!"

"Calm down Romano, we did try, but we couldn't catch up with her. When Ashlyn has her mind set to something she sticks to it whether she's right or wrong." Germany sighed and took a slight step away from Romano, knowing how he gets when he's angry.

And was Romano angry. His golden eyes flamed as he yelled "YOU COULD'VE-A RUN FASTER YOU POTATO BASTARDS! DON'T TELL ME THAT EVEN FELICIANO COULDN'T-A CATCH UP!"

Both Germans took a look at each other, knowing that what Romano said was absolutely true. Gilbert then cleared his throat. "Anyways, we need to find her. We know that she went South, but we don't know how far South or how far East or West either. So we need to preferably split up into larger groups and track her down."

"I think that's best." Lukas, otherwise known as Norway, stated very blandly.

Mathias Køhler, known as Denmark, nudged Lukas in the ribs. "What do you say the five Nordics band together? It'll be just like old times!"

"Yeah, old times." Berwald Oxenstierna (Sweden) stated in a monotone voice.

"We need to hurry though," Matthew stated, "If she ended up turning around, the storm will still freeze her to death even if the storm has died down a little."

"That's my Maple Leaf." Matthew cringed as Francis ruffled his hair, causing it to stick up all over the place. "He's right though, we need to hurry."

Romano looked over to see Arthur standing some ways off to the side staring out the window, which was frozen with ice crystals. He walked over there, careful not to make too much sound to the point where it disrupted his thought. He waved his hand in his sight path, and when he didn't respond he spoke out. "Hey, scone bastard. You okay?"

England eventually snapped out of his trance. "Oh, sorry Lovino. I didn't see you there."

Romano stared hard at England. "You didn't notice me? I-a waved my hand in front of your-a goddamned face!"

Arthur looked to the ground. "Sorry…."

Romano sighed, "Anyways, what's wrong?"

England paused before speaking. "I don't want to lose Ireland."

Romano couldn't help but scoff. "Just two days ago you wanted to rip her throat out, now you want her back? What kind of-a 'big brother' are you?"

England squinted. "Well, you wanker I happened to raise Ireland so I might as well be her big brother or her father. Although I do know that she knows that I care on the inside and I want her to remember that I care for her. I just can't bear to lose her."

Romano couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for Arthur. "You do know that she's-a not dead right? She could very well-a be alive and kicking in the-a South and you and I both-a know it."

Arthur looked up and smiled just a little. "But even still, I'm a dying nation Romano. My Natural Increase Rate is depleting and we can't grow enough food. Soon enough we'll be using the greasy fast food that Alfred uses in his burgers in ours-" (there was a slight disruption as America let out a grunt of distress in the distance) "-anyways. I'm a dying nation and I don't want to feel anymore dead if Ashlyn turns out dead."

"But we don't normally die that easily. There's a certain amount of times we can be close to death until we actually die. Although, wouldn't she be replaced by someone who was her kin?"

"She doesn't have any kin though," England said. "If she dies it has to be a completely different person who takes her spot and the country itself goes into chaos." He paused and looked up at Romano, lowering his voice. "Can you promise me something?"

Romano was taken back. He never usually talked much to England and now he wanted him to make a promise? But Lovino did feel bad for the old country so he agreed to promise England something.

"Good, thank you. I know you're one of Ashlyn's closest friends and maybe even more-" (It was at this point that Romano flushed a deep tomato red) "-and I want you to promise me that if she does make it home that you'll take care of her for me please."

Romano shook his head, getting rid of the blush on his face. "Isn't that quite-a bit of a commitment though? I mean, I don't-a know if Ashlyn does like me that way… b-but I do know that I don't! Only as a friend!"

Arthur smiled and rolled his eyes casually. "Yeah sure, but I do want you to make that promise though, please?"

Lovino sighed. "Sure, I'll-a keep that promise for you."

England smiled. "Thank you, you have no idea how much this means to me."

.

Ashlyn woke up to something tickling her face. She cautiously opened her eyes to see that she was being tickled by a bright yellow thing that caused her to immediately sneeze. Sitting up, she looked around to see that she was still in the sunflower field, a giant divot in the spot next to her in which she knew that Ivan had slept.

"Bhuel ansin ... Cá ndeachaigh Ivan dul? (Well then… Where did Ivan go?)" She spoke to herself as she stood up to get a better view of what was going on around her. She noticed that something was on the ground next to her. On closer inspection, it was her cell, which had 20 new messages as well as fourteen missed calls.

"Cac... (shit…)" Ireland looked around, seeing that Ivan was a few paces behind her, heading her way with a giant armful of sunflowers.

"Looking for me, da?" Ivan said softly, handing as much of the flowers to Ashlyn as possible.

"I-I guess you could say that." Ashlyn took the flowers from his arms, some losing their petals and others falling down to her feet.

"Well I am here, sunflower! If you ever need anything, let me know."

"Why did you run?" Ashlyn looked up, her golden eyes locking with his violet ones.

Ivan broke eye contact and looked down to the ground where some of the sunflowers had fallen. "I felt bad, and I also felt that you wouldn't want to see me ever again as well as with the other countries. So I just ran away to a place where it gave me peace and tranquility."

"Are you sure that's just it?" Ashlyn pressed.

"Ah, you see right through me Ashlyn. I'm also having many issues with my country. I keep shrinking, you know? And if I keep shrinking, I won't become the greatest anymore, and soon… I'll be forgotten…."

Ashlyn looked up at Ivan to see that he was turned away, his scarf was blowing in the wind so that it hid his face from her. Being sympathetic and caring, but with her arms full of sunflowers, she just rested her forehead on his back, hoping that the tiny act of kindness would make him feel better in some way. The two nations stood that way, the wind blowing sunflower petals behind her.

Ivan eventually turned around and cupped Ashlyn's chin so that she looked up at the tall nation. "Spasibo, Eshlin. (Thank you, Ashlyn.)"

Ashlyn only smiled and sat down, Ivan sitting down next to her. She began to pick some of the sunflowers from her arms and weave them together, making a string of flowers.

"What are you doing?" Ivan looked at the string that she was making.

"Making a necklace," Ashlyn somewhat lied. She was actually making a sunflower crown to put on top of Ivan's head. "Do you want to join me?"

"Net, spasibo. (No, thank you.) I'll just watch." Ivan lay down next to Ashlyn on his side, watching her twist the stems of the flowers and tying them together. After about ten minutes he fell asleep, his head resting on his arm.

Ashlyn eventually finished her head crown, she placed it gently on Ivan's head so that she didn't wake him up. She chuckled silently to herself, just wondering what his reaction would be if she woke up. But then she really thought about what he would think. He might get mad at me like he did last time with me not "wanting to become one", she thought. Ashlyn then took the flower off of Ivan's head and put it on her own head, afraid of what he might think if she gave him one. After a while she began to think very deeply on whether or not Ivan was going to try what he did again. She shifted in her spot, hoping that what she was thinking wasn't true at all.

"Ashlyn!"

She turned her head to see which direction the voice had come from. Over the distance she managed to see Denmark running up the hill, Finland poking his head up behind him, the Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Denmark was making so much noise that Ivan woke up abruptly from his fifteen-minute nap, sitting up to see what the commotion was.

"Hej med dig! (Hey there!)" Denmark stopped as soon as he saw Russia. "No need to get defensive big guy!"

"I wasn't." Russia stood up so that he stood much taller than Denmark, who coward and took a step back, bumping into both Iceland and Norway.

"It seems as if you are." Iceland poked his head out from behind Denmark's black cloak.

"But I-"

"Enough." Ashlyn stood up and stood between them, breaking up the childish argument. "It's about time we head back, Ceart? (…right?)"

Finland nodded. "Yeah, and it's best if we go now. I'll call the others."

.

After getting back into the World summit/meeting room, Russia was interrogated while the other countries made sure that Ireland was fine, each of them ranting in their native language so that she couldn't understand what the hell was happening.

"Bist du ok? (Are you okay?)" Prussia asked?

"Kare wa anata o kizutsukerudeshita ka?(Did he hurt you?)" Japan asked.

"mondott megerőszakolt? (Did he rape you?)" Hungary asked, but then got a quick scolding by Austria.

"Shut up please!" Ashlyn yelled. "English, dear god… DO YOU SPEAK IT?!"

Everyone went quiet afterwards. Feeling the tension, Romano stepped up. "Can I talk to you alone, ragazza?"

"Uh… sure?" Ashlyn got out of the chair in which she was sitting in and walked outside, where the storm had stopped and it was now cloudy, but a lot less cold than before.

"There's something I need to tell you. It's about your big brother."

"What?"

Romano seemed to have an extremely hard time getting this out. "H-he's a dying nation, ragazza. You're big brother is dying."