AUTHOR'S NOTES:
I have forgotten to mention in my previous chapter, with the permission of An0n Author, I will be using his characters for my stories which are Ember and Blaze Vermillion and their Aces' World counterparts Emily and Blake Vermillion. I hope I didn't anger any Witch of Liberion fans.
Chapter 9: My Romagna
Three days later
Arthur's POV
I was in the kitchen helping Yoshika, Lynette and Muto prepare breakfast. I saw Yoshika carry a bag of rice and emptied the content however only one piece of rice came out.
"Huh? We are out of rice" Yoshika said.
"Well that is not good" Muto said.
"What? We haven't gotten any new supplies yet?" Lynette said as she rushed to see if this was true.
"I don't think so, the last we got supplies was when Ursula came by and that was six days ago" I said.
"This is bad because an army marches on its stomach" Muto said.
"Huh?" Yoshika said.
"It means that in order for soldiers to fight properly, they need food to keep them from going hungry" I explained. We then heard footsteps from the hallway and then heard voices and judging from them we could tell it was Erich and Mio.
"Sakamoto! Erich! We're out of rice" Yoshika called out.
"Huh?" Sakamoto uttered.
"What?" Erich said as both of them stopped at the door.
"I didn't think everyone would be gathering today…This is bad" Mio said.
"Especially since we got fifty three people on base and I know for a fact this base was stocked for at most fifteen personnel so this was bound to happen" Erich said.
"What should we do?" Yoshika asked. Then Minna appeared at the door.
"We need a few things. Can you all go shopping for us?" Minna said.
"Shopping?" Yoshika and Lynette said before bending forward into each other's faces saying, "Roger"
"No problem" I said.
"I am okay with it" Muto smiled.
Briefing Room
Franco's POV
We as in everyone were in the briefing room which we had rarely used ever since we arrived other than to allow newcomers to be introduced to everyone. Now we were in the briefing room for a mundane mission. I saw Erich, Mio, Wolf, Minna, Rommel, Katherov and Katherine standing in the centre.
"So we need you to head out and procure some local supplies" Wolf said.
"Though this base can handle at least a hundred people, it was only supplied for a maximum of twenty people so it was a logistical miracle we managed to feed fifty two people for so long" Erich said.
"Shirley and Chuck are trained to operate large trucks and Francesca, you're the resident Romagna expert and Franco, though it is not Italy, you can help with navigation" Minna said.
"Roger" Chuck, Shirley, Francesca and I replied. However, I did see that Lynette seemed a bit disappointed from what Minna said.
"Alright, I haven't driven in ages" Shirley cheered.
"Same here can't wait to get behind the wheel of any vehicle" Chuck grinned.
"Sorry, we'd send more people" Mio said.
"However seeing that neuroi as predictable as another pilot showing up, we can't have our asses hanging in the air when we don't know when the neuroi will attack" Erich finished.
"Yay, driving! Driving" Francesca jumped for joy.
"Well, someone likes long drives" I smiled.
"It's nice to go off of base from time to time" Shirley said, "I'm delighted to that this mission"
"Ditto that" Chuck said.
"Lastly, I'd like Miyafuji, Kaneyoshi, Lynette and Arthur to join you four" Minna said.
"Excuse me; I'd rather wait here, on standby" Lynette said.
"Um, can I join Lynette and stay here as well, I have been to Italy before and I would like Lynette around with any chores since Yoshika and Muto will be heading out" Arthur said.
"Huh? Why?" Yoshika asked.
"Huh" Lynette said.
"Understood, just you two then, Miyafuji and Kaneyoshi" Minna said.
"Yes, ma'am" Yoshika said.
"Guide them around town, Lucchinis" Mio said.
"You can count on me!" Francesca said.
"No problem, commander" I smiled.
"Don't get into trouble, the last thing I want to see if MPs escorting you all back" Erich warned.
"Yes commander" We replied.
"Miyafuji, you are to follow Chuck and Shirley's orders out there" Mio ordered.
"Yes, ma'am" Yoshika smiled.
"Now please get in your orders" Minna said.
"Orders, huh? Some new training tools would be nice" Mio said.
"Yes, but not like that; Things to use while we recharge" Minna said. I saw a blush on her face and Erich had a raised eyebrow while Wolf swung his head around towards Minna with his eyes wide open.
"Recharge?" Gertrude said, "The best way to recharge is to train hard and rest hard"
"Well, actual baths for people, to keep morale high after training would be nice" Mio said.
"Hai that is true, nothing a good bath to ease the muscles after some good exercise" Sakai said.
"Is training all you think about?" Minna sighed, "Please think of more practical items"
"Excuse me… I would like some black tea" Lynette raised her hand.
"Yes, that would be nice, I haven't had black tea for quite some time" Arthur said.
"Good call, we could all use some tea-time" Minna said.
"For me, I would like a radio" Minna said.
"Make that, two radios" Wolf said.
"Don't you have a fancy Karlslander one?" Mio asked.
"I mean a radio we can leave out here" Minna said, "Wouldn't you guys like to be able to hear music and the news?"
"Oh that's what you mean" Mio said.
"I would like one for my room" Wolf said.
"Well, now I can have music to add to the snoring to keep me up" Gerhard joked. We all laughed at that joke.
"That would be nice. Please see to it, Miyafuji" Mio said.
"Yes, do please Sub-Lieutenant that would at least make the quiet base have a sense of life" Rommel said.
"Yes, ma'am, black tea and two radios, right?" Yoshika said as she scribbled the items down.
"Yeah it would be nice to hear some good old songs again" Mack said.
"Yeah, Frank Sinatra would be a nice tune to listen to right now" William said.
"Well, at least, I can have more songs to sing to now" Ben said.
"A piano, please get me a piano" Eila said.
"They're not going to be able to lug a piano" Minna said.
"Boo, I wanted to hear Sanya play…" Eila pouted, "Say, Sanya, anything you want?"
"Eila, why don't you ask for what you want?" Sanya spoke softly.
"Yes, why don't you ask for what you want?" Katherine smiled menacingly.
"I…I don't…need anything, really" Eila stuttered.
"By the way, you do know we have a piano here already right?" Eino asked.
"Well, Arthur keeps using it and it is not in the best of conditions" Eila said.
"Well, all you needed to do is ask and I would have gladly given it to you" Arthur said.
"Oh, thanks" Eila thanked.
"No problem" Arthur smiled.
"I would like a bottle of vodka and a vacuum flask" Lydia said.
"And I would like a pack of tarot cards if possible" Eino said.
"Okay, what about you, Barkhorn?" Yoshika asked.
"Me? Nothing really comes to mind…" Gertrude said.
"What about a gift for Chris?" Yoshika asked.
"Ch-Chris, huh? Right…" Gertrude then looked away from Yoshika while crossing her arms, "H-How about something cute for her to wear…"
"Huh?" Yoshika asked.
"An outfit, please!" Gertrude raised her voice after turning away from Yoshika.
"An outfit…" Yoshika moved to see Gertrude's face, "What sort of outfit?"
"I'll let you decide" Gertrude said as Francesca leaned over to hear, "She's about your size so I'll let you decide"
"Are you sure?" Yoshika asked.
"Y-Yes. I'll trust your opinion" Gertrude said as she began to shuffle away from Yoshika. I could she had blush on her face.
"Um…can you buy me a souvenir?" Gerhard asked.
"Why do you want a souvenir?" Muto asked.
"It is for my wife, I want to at least make it up to her when we go back" Gerhard said.
"Don't you think it is a bit too early to think about that?" Muto asked.
"Well, I don't want to be unprepared and…I don't ... want my wife…to think I was lying if I told her and my wife… is very… special for me… so can you get a gift for me?" Gerhard asked as he nervously scratched his head.
"Okay, a gift for Gerhard's wife" Yoshika said as she wrote it down.
"It doesn't have to be anything fancy, just a simple gift is fine" Gerhard said before stepped away from Yoshika.
"Well, those two have quite the similarity" I commented.
"Ja, that is true" Erwin said.
"Oh, what about you, Perrine and Pierre?" Yoshika asked.
"I don't need anything" Perrine looked away.
"Um, I don't know really" Pierre shrugged.
"Huh? Buy we're going to town, so…" Yoshika said.
"I said I don't need anything!" Perrine raised her voice and headed out.
"Perrine" Yoshika said just the door slammed.
"Damn, she slams the door quite hard" Blake said.
"Yep, can't help but agree on that" Blaze said.
"What seems to be her problem?" Emily commented.
"I think it has to do with her home country, Gallia" Ember said.
"Why is that?"
"She donated all her savings and paychecks to the reconstruction efforts in Gallia" Lynette said.
"I had no idea" Yoshika said.
"That explains it" Muto said.
"She is quite a generous lady" Blaze said.
"I have seen and heard of patriotism but this takes the cake" Charlie said.
"What can we say? Gallia has been badly damaged from the neuroi" Franciscka said.
"Aye, that would make sense" Franz said.
"Oh, I know, Yoshika, please get me some flower seeds, in addition to the black tea" Lynette said.
"Sure" Yoshika said.
"Oh, can you get me a bicycle? I think I can get Perrine on a lighter mood if I take her for a ride in the countryside every so often" Pierre said.
"Okay" Yoshika said.
"Hey, Yoshika, can you get me a vacuum flask? I would like to replace my old one" Blake said.
"What happened to your one?" Emily asked.
"20 mm cannon shell, straight through" Blake said.
"Oh damn and that was your favourite one" Emily said.
"Well, it was getting bad at keeping my coffee warm so I think it was high time I got a new one" Blake said.
"Oh can you also get me a new strap for my one?" Blaze asked.
"Why, what happened to your vacuum flask strap?" Ember asked.
"It has seen better days, I don't want to lose my vacuum flask" Blaze said.
"Ok, new vacuum flask for Blake and new strap for Blaze's vacuum flask" Yoshika said as she wrote it down.
"Um, Yoshika can you buy me some Fanta bottles or if possible some Coca Cola bottles?" Angela asked.
"Fanta? What's that?" John asked.
"When your United States joined the war, the Coca Cola branch in Germany had trouble getting Coca Cola syrup from the US because of obvious reasons; they had to use whatever they had on hand and they had to rename to company for obvious reasons so they came up with Fanta" Erich said.
"But there is no Fanta here or anywhere in the matter of fact" Gertrude said.
"Oh" Angela said.
Well, that make sense because you know, you are allied to each other" Gregory said.
"Okay, make those Coca Cola bottles then" Angela said.
"Okay" Yoshika scribbled Angela's request.
"Yoshika, can you get some rolls of film, I seemed to be running out of it" Georgina said.
"Oh, can you get me a few pens? The one I have on me is about to run dry" Gregory said.
"Okay, film for Georgina and pen for Gregory, anyone else?" Yoshika asked.
"Can you buy a bottle of lighter fuel?" Dimitri asked.
"We'll see about that" Muto said as Yoshika wrote it down.
"Hey, can you get a prayer mat and a Koran?" Amirul asked.
"Um, okay" Yoshika said.
"Um, a tea set and some sugar would be nice" Amirah said.
"Oh, alright" Yoshika wrote Amirah's request.
"A pack of Coca Cola bottles and a few packs of Wrigley for me" William said.
"Ok" Yoshika wrote that down.
"Um, a new pillow would be nice, the one I have is not very good" Marie said.
"Sure" Yoshika said.
"I would like a bottle of wine" Marcus said.
"I would, if possible like a phonograph" Katherov said.
"I would like some disc records as well" Katherine said.
"I would like a lighter" Rommel said.
"Ok" Yoshika said.
"I would like some green tea leaves" Reina said.
"Same with me, I would like some green tea leaves and a sharpening stone" Riki said.
"Okay" Yoshika scribbled those two down.
"I am good with what I got" Charles said.
"Same here" Charlie said.
"Um, alright" Yoshika said
"I think I would like a pack of cards and a few bottles of Coca Cola" Ben said.
"I would like a pair of new boots, my current ones have some bad tears in them" Wilfred asked.
"I would like a pair of socks, mine are history" Henry said.
"Can I get a few bottles of Coca Cola as well?" Eva Helma asked.
"Me two! I would like some Coca Cola bottle as well" Hanna said.
"Ok" Yoshika wrote it down.
"You better not finish those bottles in quick succession, you will need those bottles to last you until the next supply trip" Marie said.
"Yes mum" Eva Helma said.
"Same with you, Hanna" Marcus said.
"Jawohl" Hanna said.
"Sure" Yoshika scribbled the orders down.
"So, umm, I still need to get Hartmanns' requests" Yoshika said.
"Wait, where did Erich go?" Gerhard said as he just realized Erich had disappeared.
"Is Hartmann still in bed?" Gertrude looked around. She then clenched her fist. Long story short, Gertrude, Yoshika and Lynette found both Erich and Erica sleeping in the common room and personal room respectively. Erich wanted a few packs of sweets and two packs of cigarettes while Erica wanted sweets as well and Gertrude ordered an alarm clock for Erica. Eila then ordered a pillow with very specific requirements.
Later at the gates of the base
We were getting ready to head out. We had two trucks for the trip because we had quite a number of items to pick up. Shirley and Chuck were driving. I was with Francesca in the lead truck driven by Shirley while Muto and Yoshika were in Chuck's truck. In each truck there were one striker storage unit with Yoshika and Shirley's strikers meanwhile Chuck had a BAR with him; Muto slung a Type 99 LMG while I had a FG42 for just in case anything happened. Yoshika, Francesca, Muto and I waved good bye to Lynette and Arthur.
"See you guys later" Lynette waved.
"Don't go out too long" Arthur waved.
"We'll be back in a bit" Yoshika waved.
"Don't worry; we will be back before you know it" Muto said. We then drove down the bridge towards our destination, Rome.
We drove through some beautiful countryside. The sky was clear and the scenery was covered a multitude of colours.
"It is so beautiful!" Yoshika said, "I can't believe Lynne and Arthur are missing this!"
"Yes I agree this is an amazing view" Muto said.
"Romagna, you have cured my homesickness and made it worse at the same time" I smiled.
"Oh, it will be alright, it is nearly like your homeland" Francesca said as she hugged me.
"Hey Chuck, we clear visibility ahead, with no oncoming traffic, are you ready?" Shirley radioed.
"Ready to floor, Shirley" Chuck replied. I heard the engines roared from both trucks.
"What was that?" Yoshika asked.
"Better hold on, Yoshika" Muto said.
"Here we go!" Shirley cheered.
"Time to burn some rubber" Chuck grinned as both trucks sped up and barrelled down the road like bats out of hell and I was enjoying it and so was Shirley and Chuck. I couldn't say the same for Yoshika and Muto. They were terrified shitless.
"W-We're gonna fall off the cliff!" Yoshika shrieked.
"You're in a truck not a god damn plane, Chuck!" Muto shouted.
"This is awesome!" Francesca cheered.
"I know right, this is a hella lot fun" I smiled.
"Huh?!" Yoshika raised her voice
"YOU TWO ARE INSANE!" Muto screamed.
"Go!" Francesca chanted
"Più Veloce!" I shouted.
"Stop!" Yoshika cried out.
"Go!" Shirley shouted.
"This truck is going airborne" Chuck smiled.
"WHAT?!" Yoshika and Muto screamed in horror. Then if driving recklessly on the mountain road was not awesome enough, Shirley and Chuck drove their trucks over the cliff.
"This is just like the movies" I joked and Francesca laughed.
"OH SHIT~!" Muto shouted. Then our trucks reached the road on the other side of the valley. We hit the road quite hard but it was just so awesome to have been in a stunt.
"Yay!" Francesca cheered.
"Landed it, how about you, Chuck?" Shirley radioed.
"Aced the landing but I think we are going to have to check the suspension after this" Chuck replied.
"Yeah, the Army boys will not like it that we nearly totalled their trucks" Shirley replied.
A few minutes later…
We stopped for a minute for Chuck and Shirley to check the trucks. Muto and Yoshika scrambled from Chuck's truck to Shirley's truck with Muto jumping in the back with me while Yoshika joined Francesca in the cab.
"Ugh…I don't feel so good…" Yoshika moaned.
"Are you two alright back there" I called out.
"Remind me to never get in the same vehicle that you are driving, Chuck" Muto said.
"Ha, ha, ha, sorry about that" Chuck chuckled.
"Yoshika! Muto! We're in Rome" Francesca pointed out.
"Huh?" Yoshika said.
"Well, this is just a great city" Muto said.
"Yes, the capital of Romagna and my homeland, Italy" I said as I reminisces the memories of living in the great city. One memory that came to mind was meeting a good friend, Benito Mussolini in his office. We were good friends but as the war progress, we rarely saw each other and I tried to distant myself from him as the war went south for Italy.
"Wow! Wow, it's so beautiful!" Yoshika cheered as we passed the Colosseum.
"Wow, just wow, this is breath taking!" Muto said as he stared in awe at the Colosseum.
"Oh? Is this your first time in Rome, Yoshika, Muto?" Francesca asked. We travelled through the old city that was Rome. Muto and Yoshika was a curious pair as they would ask question after question which Francesca and I would be more than happy to answer as we drove through the city. We sometime saw a Liberion Jeep or a Karlslander Kubelwagen drive past. Occasionally we would catch a glimpse of armour drive pass most often they would wave to us which we would reply.
"You two sound like children, Yoshika, Muto" Francesca smiled.
"Rome is a historic city after all" Shirley said.
"Isn't it? Isn't it?" Francesca repeated.
"I thought Kyoto was the most beautiful city I had ever seen but this is much more spectacular" Muto said.
"It's such a beautiful city" Yoshika said, "Francesca; you were born here, right?"
"Guilty as charged" Francesca smiled.
"She bragged about Rome 24/7, while we were in Africa" Shirley said.
"Can you blame me? Rome is just that special!" Francesca said.
"Right, right. Understood" Shirley smiled.
"So you were born here as well, Franco?" Muto asked.
"As, Francesca said, guilty as charged" I smiled.
"Hey, we can stop here" Francesca said.
"Oh okay" Shirley said.
"Roger, stopping soon" Chuck said. Our trucks came to a halt and Muto and I immediately came out. I saw that we had stopped in front of a general store which reminds of the one I used to visit when I was younger.
"Is this place okay?" Shirley asked as she stepped out of the truck.
"Yup, they'll have most of what we need" Francesca said.
"This store is almost as good as those general stores in the US" I said.
"That I would like to see" Chuck said. We entered the store and saw it was filled with all kinds of items from foodstuff to furniture.
"Wow! This is so cool!" Yoshika said as she looked around.
"Damn, this is just amazing" Muto said.
"Don't have something like this in Japan?" Chuck asked.
"No, we had to go to the market to get what we needed and that we needed to travel to the centre of town to do so" Muto said.
"Alright, time for us to get the items we need" I said. We soon began to looking around the store. I stuck with Francesca looking for some snacks while Muto and Yoshika looked at tea and seeds while Chuck and Shirley looked for radios.
"Is this all you need?" I asked.
"Yes and I picked up some for you as well" Francesca smiled.
"That's sweet of you" I smiled. We then headed to Shirley.
"These are for me and Franco" Francesca said extending the basket to Shirley.
"Make sure to get some for the Hartmanns, too" Shirley said, "Francesca, hold this for me"
"With pleasure" Francesca said as she put the basket down and took the satchel bag but it was quite heavy.
"Franco, can you take it? It is very heavy" Francesca asked.
"Sure thing, Francesca" I said as I took the bag. We then sat down on a bench. As we did so we saw Yoshika holding up a dress while Muto picked up a bottle of wine and a box of chocolate. Then both Chuck and Shirley began laughing their asses off when I think they imagined Gertrude in the dress and Gerhard enjoying the wine and chocolate. It was suffice to say we were not amused. Francesca yawned and glanced out the window. I deciding that I would rather watch the road did the same and I think we both saw the same thing, I saw a young girl who had long red hair being assaulted by two men in suit.
"Franco, that girl is in trouble" Francesca said to me.
"Yeah, I think it is the mafia" I said.
"We can't let this happen" Francesca said.
"Well, let's go then" I said. Francesca nodded and we raced out of the store without anyone else noticing. We dashed across the empty street.
"What's the plan?" Francesca asked.
"You take the one on the girl" I said.
"Ok" She said.
"The other guy is mine" I said as I unslung my rifle.
"Unhand me!" The girl shouted at her assaulters.
"Super…Lucchini… kick!" Francesca said as she launches herself into the air and kicks one of the assaulters in the face.
"Hands off her" I barked as I smacked the accomplice with my rifle.
"Got him" Francesca said as she landed on her feet.
"He's down" I said as I slung the FG42.
"Excuse me…" The girl fearfully said.
"Come with us" Francesca said.
"Huh?" The girl uttered.
"Come, it will be safer if we get moving" I said as I led Francesca and the girl away.
"Right this way" Francesca said as we moved away from the two men.
"Huh?" The girl exclaimed. I glanced over to see one of them rise but then falls back down. We ran for quite some distance before we collapsed in exhaustion in a nearby park. I sat down and looked around to see if the men followed us. However, there was no sign so I relaxed for a bit to catch my breath as the adrenaline died down. The girl and Francesca were panting in front of me.
"Th- Thank you for your help" The girl panted, "Um, who are you two"
"Me?" Francesca said as she stood up, "A Good Samaritan who happened to be passing by, Francesca Lucchini"
"And I am her brother, Franco Lucchini" I smiled.
"My name is Maria" The girl said.
"That's a nice name" I said.
"Thank you" Maria said.
"Maria, huh? Nice to meet you" Francesca said.
"U-Umm, it is a pleasure to get to know you two" Maria said.
"Hey, what was that whole mess about before?" Francesca asked.
"Um…" Maria tried to answer.
"Wait, I know! Those two are in the mafia just like you said, Franco" Francesca smiled.
"It does seem so" I said.
"Aren't I right? Aren't I right?" Francesca urged.
"U-Umm, it would seem so" Maria replied.
"I knew it" Francesca said.
"Those back alleys can be dangerous" Francesca said.
"I should know, almost into trouble myself" I said as I recalled almost walking into Mafia controlled area if it wasn't for that officer to warn me.
"Yes, see?" Francesca said, "You have to be careful!"
"You two are right. Thank you" Maria said before beginning to giggle which Francesca joined too while I just smiled.
"Say, since you're shopping, why don't we shop together?" Francesca asked.
"That way, you can be safe from the mafia" I added.
"Oh no, I wasn't shopping" Maria said.
"Hmm? So what are you doing, then?" Francesca asked.
"Yes, there is always something to do here" I said.
"Umm… I guess you could say sightseeing… Or just going for a walk…" Maria replied.
"Going for a walk?" Francesca and I asked simultaneously which we both smiled but returned to the question at hand.
"Huh? Yes" Maria uttered, "I haven't been out of my house much, so I don't know Rome very well"
"Huh…" Francesca said.
"That's doesn't right at all" I said.
"It's strange to not know the city you were born in, huh?" Maria said.
"Yes indeed, it would be waste to live in a magnificent city and not know about it" I said. Francesca then bent over to me and signalled me to move closer.
"I think we should give her a tour of Rome, what do you say, Franco?" Francesca whispered.
"That sounds like a great idea" I replied. Francesca smiled then turned to Maria.
"Leave it to the Lucchinis, then, right Franco?" Francesca said.
"Yes, that would be a good idea" I smiled.
"Come on, let's go" Francesca said.
"It will be a great experience" I said as Francesca helped Maria up.
"So where are we going first?" Francesca asked.
"Well, it is your idea so I think you should lead the way" I said.
"I know" Francesca said before whispering to me. I smiled at Francesca's choice.
"Excellent idea, no better place to start" I said.
"Where are we going?" Maria asked nervously.
"Something Rome is quite known for" Francesca said. We strolled through the city streets until we came to a large curved stone structure that had multiple arches spanning the structure, the Colosseum. We entered the structure and headed to what was the floor of the massive arena.
"The Colosseum, the greatest arena of the Roman empire" I said as we stood on the ledge.
"Huge, isn't it?" Francesca asked.
"It's wonderful" Maria said in awe.
"If this is breath taking then you are in for a surprise there is more in store from the city of Rome" I said. We continued our little tour. We went to the Bocca della Verità or the Mouth of Truth where Francesca pretended to lose her hand after placing it in which scared Maria at first until I made her hand reappear which had us all laughing. We then visited the Fontana di Trevi or Trevi Fountain. I was very happy that it looked like the one back home as I loved visiting the fountain.
"They say if you turn your back to it and toss a coin in, you'll return to Rome someday" Francesca said as she tossed a coin into the fountain. I did the same with two coins, one Romagnan and one Italian for good measures.
"Really?" Maria tried to toss a coin in but she slipped. Francesca and I tried to grab her but we slipped and fell into the fountain. We were wet but happy as we laughed at our little accident. Luckily the satchel wasn't on me. We then went to the Spanish Steps where we went and bought ice creams. Francesca and I were enjoying our treats as Maria was paying for hers.
"Here you go" Maria said. We glanced over to see what Maria was doing and saw she was giving ice cream to some children. Then the vendor came over to me.
"Grazie" He said. Francesca and I were a bit surprised but then Francesca then pulled the bag of money from the satchel and showed the vendor. The vendor, Francesca and I were surprised by the amount of money we had. I then gave the right amount and we went off with the kids tagging along. We stopped a boutique and looked at the display. The three of us looked at each other and smiled. We went in and bought close for the six children and hats for ourselves. Then we treated them to a nice meal at a good restaurant. After strolling for some time we decide to have something you must have in either Italy or Romagna, pizza. We let the kids decide and we entered the parlour. We were all having a slice of pizza. Francesca and I were happily eating our slice while we had our hand under our individual slice. Maria tried to copy us.
"It's so hot!" She yelped after trying the hot pizza. Then there was a round of laughter at the little incident. After that we bought gifts for the children.
"Bye-bye!" The children smiled as they headed for home.
"Ciao" Francesca waved.
"Be good now" I said.
"Arrivederci" Maria smiled.
"We're out of money" Francesca pulled out the now empty money pouch from her pocket.
"Well, at least we made some kids happy" I smiled. We then had a spot of laughter thought I couldn't help feel nervous about the finished money. I think we were supposed to do something with it but I can't remember, "Well let's get going, there is still much to see in Rome"
"Right let's go" Francesca said. We then made our way to another site in Rome which as we were moving along, I thought I heard Shirley's voice. We headed to the Vatican City, the Catholic capital of the World. We were lucky to be able to climb to the top of Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano or St. Peter's Basilica. It was a beautiful sight to see St Peter's square and the Vaticano Obelisk with the Colonnades arching around the square. Then was the city of Rome that surrounds the city which made it even grander if that was possible.
"What do you think, Maria?" Francesca asked, "This is my absolute favourite view
"It is just an amazing sight isn't?" I asked.
"It's gorgeous" Maria answered as awestruck as anyone would be at this view, "I don't want to go home. I want to stay here forever"
"Looks like that dip in Trevi has you fallen for Rome's charms" I smiled. Maria looked at me and Francesca and smiled.
"Stay here forever then" Francesca suggested.
"That's a good point" Maria smiled, "I wonder if I'll be able to protect Rome and all its beauty"
"Huh?" Francesca uttered as she and I glanced over to Maria.
"Ah! There is smoking coming from that house" Maria pointed out. We both looked to the house and we smiled.
"Oh that" I said.
"That's just because they're cooking" Francesca said.
"So those are the homes of the body politic" Maria said.
"What?" I asked.
"Body politic?" Francesca repeated.
"I have no idea" Maria simply answered.
"What the heck was that?" Francesca said.
"I don't know" I shrugged.
"Hey, there's one more view I want to show you" Francesca said.
"I'd love to see it" Maria said.
"But I can't take you there right now" Francesca said.
"Wait, are you referring to that?" I asked as I had feeling Francesca referred to the sky's view.
"Yes" Francesca said.
"Yeah, right now is not a good time to go there" I said.
"Oh, I see" Maria said, "I look forward to seeing it next time, then"
"Yeah" Francesca said.
"We will promise to take you there" I smiled. Suddenly the air raid sirens began blaring across the city. Francesca, Maria and I immediately look to the sky.
"Damn it" I cursed.
"Neuroi!" Francesca shouted.
"Oh no" Maria uttered as fear began fill the air.
"Let's hurry and get out of here, Franco, Francesca" Maria said fearfully.
"Sorry" I said.
"We have to go" Francesca said.
"I see them! Over there! Shirley!" We heard Yoshika's voice as we saw two trucks roll into St Peter's Square.
"They are on top of the basilica" I heard Muto's voice.
"Basilica?!" Shirley's surprised voice was heard.
"Hot damn, they are right there on the dome!" Chuck exclaimed. They then stopped and removed the tarp covering the storage units.
"Shirley!" Francesca hollered jumped over the rail.
"Hey guys!" I shouted as I did the same.
"Watch out!" Maria shouted.
"We have to go, I am a witch" Francesca said.
"And I am a wizard" I said.
"Huh?" Maria was puzzled.
"Hold on to these for us" We said as we tossed our hats to Maria who caught both of them while we made our way down.
"A witch and wizard?" Maria questioned.
"Yup" Francesca said.
"Si" I replied as we jumped and slid down the Basilica. Francesca was on her ass while I was on my feet.
"That's why I have to protect Romagna" Francesca called out.
"And why I am tagging along!" I shouted. We slid down the dome and the jumped off the Basilica. I landed with roll next to the trucks while Francesca landed in her strikers. Yoshika and Shirley were already in the air. I then unslung my FG42 and climbed into the truck where Chuck and Muto were on. Chuck then drove off to follow the girls.
General Perspective
On the Basilica
Maria looked at both Francesca who raced into the air and Franco who stood with his gun ready aimed to the sky as the truck he was in sped off.
"Francesca? Franco?" Maria uttered as she held onto the two Lucchinis' hats.
In the air
"I will protect Romagna!" Francesca shouted her battle cry.
"Wait for us, Francesca!" Shirley shouted.
"But…" Francesca tried to protest but Shirley cut her off.
"I understand, but you cannot fight alone" Shirley said.
"We want to protect your hometown with you, Francesca" Yoshika said.
"You will need all the help you can get, Francesca!" Franco shouted as Francesca looked down to see Franco and Muto in a speeding truck following them.
"We got your back, Francesca!" Muto said.
"Thank you, Franco, Shirley, Yoshika, Chuck, Muto" Francesca thanked.
"Alright, let's attack it together" Shirley said. Then the battle began. Chuck drove to a clearing and the three men began firing from the ground at the neuroi while Shirley, Francesca and Yoshika fired at it from sky. Normally, Chuck, Muto and Franco's guns wouldn't have been able to reach high enough but thanks to their magic their rounds were reaching higher and hitting harder. The neuroi more focused on the witches attacked the girls while ignoring the boys. Soon the core was exposed.
"That's it!" Francesca said, "Shirley! I spotted the core"
"Alright, X-Attack!" Shirley ordered.
"Boys, focus fire on the core!" Chuck ordered as the three shifted fire towards the area of the core. Then Francesca raced into the neuroi at the same time as Franco's rounds smashed into the neuroi and Francesca smashed through. The neuroi then exploded into countless white fragments.
"Good work girls!" Muto shouted before Franco gave him his FG-42, "What the heck? Where are you going?"
"I am going to meet a friend!" Franco shouted as he ran back to the basilica which was surprising not far away.
"Well let's get back to the St Peter's Square to meet up with the rest" Chuck said.
"Ok" Muto said as they got on the truck and headed back to St Peter's Square.
"Yoshika, hold this for me" Francesca said as she tossed her SAFAT MG to Yoshika which caused her to slowly lose altitude.
Franco and Francesca managed arrive at the same time to Maria.
"I want to show you something" Francesca said.
"U-Umm!" Maria yelped as Francesca lifted her up and began to take off. Franco just smiled as he watched the two ascend.
"Wait, let's me get my hat" Franco said as he adore his hat once more.
"Wait" Maria said but it fell on deaf ears.
"Be careful, Francesca, this one doesn't seem have her flying license yet" Franco joked.
"Don't worry" Francesca smiled to Franco. Franco watched with a smile on his face as the two soar above the clouds.
"Look Maria" Francesca said, "This is the view I wanted you to see"
"This is…" Maria couldn't find the word to describe it, "You aren't scared, Francesca?"
"Huh? Of what?" Francesca asked.
"You don't get scared of fighting a terrifying enemy?" Maria asked.
"If we don't defeat the neuroi, Romagna will be gone forever" Francesca answered, "It's up to us Witches to protect everyone's friends and families.
"So it's like noblesse oblige?" Maria asked.
"Huh?" Francesca asked, "You like those fancy words, huh?"
"Do I?" Maria asked.
That evening
The trucks were readied and everyone was reading to leave, just waiting on two people.
"Can you make it home okay alone?" Francesca asked.
"We could drive you back if you want" Franco suggested.
"Yes" Maria said, "I had an amazing time today"
"Really?" Francesca asked.
"That's good to hear" Franco smiled.
"Yes" Maria said, "I realized what I have to do"
"Yeah? Good luck" Francesca smiled.
"Well, you do what you must and I wish you the best of luck" Franco grinned.
"Thank you" Maria said as she approached two and kissed them on the cheeks. Franco and Francesca then hugged Maria goodbye and boarded the trucks.
"Bye-bye, Maria! See you again!" Francesca shouted.
"Ciao! May we meet again" Franco waved. As the two trucks left, two men appeared. Maria turned around this time not afraid.
The next day
"Wah! I am so sorry!" Francesca cried as she stood outside holding two buckets filled with water.
"This reminds me of the punishments back in flight school and how much I hate doing this" Franco grunted as he held a Kar98K in both hands above his head next to Francesca.
"Still for them to spend all the food money" Mio said as she stood looking at the two. Erich, Shirley and Chuck were there as well. Shirley was stretching while Chuck was swaying back and fro.
"We are going to have to tighten our belts for a while" Erich sighed, "I am worried about battle readiness if everyone is on hungry stomachs"
"That's your superiors' fault" Mio raised her voiced which made Shirley drop her arms and Chuck to stiffen before she began slouching her shoulders, "Me included"
"Guilty as charged" Erich sighed as he held his face.
"Let's review what went together" Mio said.
"Hopefully, there is a lesson here" Erich said.
"Sorry, Lucchinis" Shirley waved pitifully as she left.
"I am sorry guys" Chuck said as he joined the other three. Francesca continued to cry.
In the common room
"Here you go, Eila" Yoshika said as she gave Eila a pillow.
"I know where that is going" Katherine said.
"So they had what I asked for?" Eila asked.
"That is surprising since you asked for a very specific pillow" Eino said.
"You found what she wanted? That's great" Sanya said.
"This is yours, Sanya" Yoshika said as she handed a small black cat statue.
"Thank you, Yoshika" Sanya replied.
"Your request was really specific, Eila…" Yoshika said.
"I don't think it was" Eila said.
"Eila, you need to be a little more flexible when asking someone's help" Sanya advised.
"Because people will think twice before offering you help" Katherine said.
"Ok…" Eila uttered.
"Here is the vacuum flask and vodka you asked for, Lydia" Yoshika said.
"Spasibo, Yoshika" Lydia smiled as she received the items.
"Hey Eino, here is a pack of tarot cards" Muto gave Eino his pack of cards.
"Thanks, Muto" Eino thanked.
"Hey, Amirah, here is the tea set you wanted, sorry it is a bit simply" Yoshika said.
"Terima Kasih, it is alright, I am not one for fancy things" Amirah said.
"Hey, here is that mat and Koran, you asked for" Muto said.
"Ah, thanks for the help" Amirul smiled.
"Angela, William, Ben, Eva, and Hanna, your Coca Cola bottles are in the pantry" Muto said.
"Thanks" Angela said.
"Do you have my packs of gum?" William asked.
"Here" Yoshika said as she handed William a few packs of gum.
"Thanks, Yoshika" William smiled.
"What about my pack of cards?" Ben asked.
"I got them right here" Muto smiled.
"That's great, thanks Muto" Ben said.
"Perrine, this is for you" Yoshika said.
"What is it?" Perrine asked.
"Flower seeds" Yoshika said, "Lynne thought it might be nice if she plants flowers outside the base"
"You did, Lynne?" Perrine asked.
"Yeah, I was hoping you'd show me how to plant them" Lynette said.
"Yes, it would be good to be a green thumb, don't you think?" Arthur said.
"Why would you bring me into that?" Perrine asked.
"Let's plant them together" Yoshika suggested.
"Please teach me" Lynette said.
"I guess I have no choice" Perrine said and then she began explaining how to properly take care of the flowers.
"Here is your bicycle" Muto said.
"Merci, Muto" Pierre smiled as he took the bicycle.
"A bicycle? Why a bicycle?" Perrine asked.
"I thought I would take you a ride on the bicycle to let you enjoy the scenery" Pierre said.
"Thank you for being so thoughtful" Perrine blushed.
"Blake, here a new vacuum flask" Yoshika said.
"Thanks, Yoshika" Blake said.
"Here is that strap you wanted, Blaze" Yoshika turned to Blaze.
"Thanks, Yoshika" Blaze thanked.
"Sir, your lighter" Muto said as he gave Rommel a Zippo Lighter.
"Danke, Muto" Rommel said.
"Here are some records, ma'am" Yoshika said.
"Wow, you have a good taste in records, Yoshika, these are all good records, Spasibo Yoshika" Katherine praised.
"You are welcome, ma'am" Yoshika said.
"Please call me, Katherine, we are in a sense family" Katherine smiled.
"OK, ma- Katherine" Yoshika replied.
"Well, here is your phonograph, sir" Muto handed Katherov a phonograph.
"Thank you, comrade, wow, this is a good one" Katherov said as he looked at the phonograph.
"Here is your lighter fuel, sir" Muto said.
"Thank you, Muto" Dimitri smiled.
"Here is your pillow, Marie" Yoshika said.
"Ah, thank you" Marie smiled.
"And, Marcus your wine bottle is in the Pantry" Yoshika said.
"Ja, thank you" Marcus said.
"Wilfred, your boots" Muto said.
"Thanks pal" Wilfred said.
"And here is your socks Henry" Muto added.
"Nice, arigato" Henry thanked.
"Here are the green tea leaves and sharpening stone you asked for, Reina, Riki" Yoshika said.
"Thank you, Yoshika" Reina smiled.
"Thanks, Yoshika" Riki said.
Gertrude and Erica's room
"Sweets…Sweets…" Erica repeated as she tried to silence the alarm clock.
Common Room
What do you think, Gertrude?" Yoshika showed the dress.
"O-Oh, it looks great" Gertrude stuttered.
"Won't it be a little tight in the chest?" Shirley slyly asked.
"What are you talking about?! It's perfect" Gertrude rebutted.
"Oh, yeah… I think you're right" Shirley grinned. Chuck was just smiling.
"Hey, Gerhard, here is that chocolate and wine you asked for" Muto said.
"Ah, Danke" Gerhard smiled, "This is just wunderbar"
"Hey, I think that wine and chocolates maybe not the right type" Chuck said.
"Nein, they are just right, I couldn't have chosen any better" Gerhard said.
"Okay" Chuck smiled while Shirley was giggling like mad.
"It is working" Minna said happily.
"Yes, now we can be connected to the world via news" Wolf said.
"Good morning, people of Romagna, this is Prime Minster Benito Mussolini and I have excellent news" The voice on the radio announced.
"Looks like Benito survived in this world" Arthur said.
"Why you say that?" Mio asked.
"He was executed in 1943 in our world" Wolf said.
"Sheesh, let's listen to the announcement" Dimitri said.
"Now, Her Highness, Duchess Maria, in her first day of official duty in the Principality of Romagna, will address the people from the garden party" Benito announced, "You now have the stage, Your Highness"
"Thank you, Prime Minister" The Duchess said, "As you know, Rome was attacked by the neuroi yesterday; however one small witch and wizards' actions helped thwart the attack; I learned a valuable lesson from them while this was all transpiring; We each must do everything in our power to protect the world; I will do everything I can, starting today, to defend Romagna; So, thank you, my dear friends, Flight Officer Francesca Lucchini and Flight Officer Franco Lucchini"
"Huh?" Muto, Chuck, Yoshika and Shirley uttered as they looked at each other.
"What?!" Everyone in the room exclaimed in shock.
"I didn't see that coming" Eino said.
Outside of the hangar
Francesca and Franco were still standing there when they heard engine noises. They looked up and saw a Piaggio P.108 fly over and then something coming out of the plane. They watched as two massive objects floated down and realized too late that it was heading for them. The two objects landed on top of them but their parachutes completely shrouded them.
Back in the Briefing room
"As a small token of gratitude, I send these gifts to the 501st Joint Fighter Wing" Maria announced.
Back outside
Franco and Francesca were now lying under a number of crates that had Romagna stamped on them.
"S-So heavy…" Francesca moaned.
"Too tired…" Franco groaned. Erich and Mio raced to the hangar to see the large pile of crates.
"Well, looks like we don't need to worry about food now" Erich said.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha, it seems so doesn't it?" Mio laughed. Well now the 501st doesn't have to worry about feeding itself but why is it there saxophone music and engine noises in the air?