Running wasn't even the right word for what she was doing. Sprinting was more like it. She didn't see the faces of the people that were in the hall, nor the doors and carts that laid against its bright walls. She was determined to get to that room, to where she was sitting, her sister.
Her sister. The word rolled in her head, the reality of it sinking in as she maneuvered around people and objects to get to the room. All those years sitting in that place, looking at the sky and praying so deep within her that someone was out there. Someone that knew about her. That knew why she was the way she was. That looked and spoke like her. And answers. Of all things she wanted, was real answers as to why.
She could hear Feli calling to her as she evaded him and others. Her mind couldn't focus on them, she was too far in her head to even think rationally.
"Chloe!" she felt Feli grab her hand, pulling her back to him.
She turned to see him attempting to catch his breath as Lovi and Diego followed behind, "Do you know where you're going?"
"I..." she stammered off as she thought about what he said.
He was right, she had no idea of where she was going within that hospital building yet she blindly ran in in search of a woman she had no idea what she looked like or her name. Calming down a little, she squeezed his hand.
"I'm sorry Feli, I wasn't thinking." Chloe apologized.
"It's alright." he reassured her, "You're excited about this. Who wouldn't be?"
Giving her a quick hug, he led her down the hall. Passing doors and people as he pulled her along. She could hear Lovi complaining to Diego but the young one ignored him as he was lost in his own world. She felt her heart race and her stomach slowly becoming nauseous with the heavy thought of reality. Her mind plagued her as they made a final turn down a quiet hall, haunting her with her past and own self-doubt.
Then he stopped in front of a door. It was finally here. He gave her that smile as he went for the door, just to have doubt ruin her mind.
"Wait." she whispered.
"What? What's wrong Chloe?" he asked cupping her cheek.
"I... I... I don't...I don't know...if I can... do this." she stammered.
"Why not?"
She felt her emotions roll over her as she spoke through trembling lips, "For years Feliciano, years, I looked out that damn window of that place. Hoping and praying on every star that laid in the sky. Every dandelion I picked I made sure I made that blasted wish along with my birthday. For so long it when unanswered to me, to the point I gave up hope that there was anyone of my family out there and that the only family I'd ever had was the one I made myself. And even then, I thought that it would never happen with how I look and all."
She saw him give a sigh as she mentioned her body again, "Chloe-"
"Don't start Feli." she warned as she continued, "Yet here I am. Standing before this very door to meet the only person that I truly ever wished for and yet I'm more terrified of this than moving here to be with you. I've never been so fucking scared in my life. Feli, what if she doesn't like me?"
"Chloe." she heard him whisper, "Don't be afraid. If she's anything like you, she is just as excited to meet you as well. We are all here for you; Lovi, Diego, and I. We're just outside the door."
She listened to him, knowing he was right as he finally opened the door to her. She felt frozen as she saw the pristine white room before her, beckoning her forward. Gaining a reassuring smile from Feli, she finally picked her feet up. It felt as if cement filled her shoes as she ventured within. Light conversation filled the air as she continued, her heart raced as her palms sweat like mad. A shiver rolled through her body as she saw the outline of people behind the curtain.
"Are you Chloe?" she heard someone ask her.
Looking over, she saw a doctor finishing up papers as she smiled at her, "I'm Kachina. We heard you'd be coming to see her."
The woman gestured her hand to keep moving on as the curtain slowly moved aside. Chloe held her breath and closed her eyes, praying once more within that it wasn't all a joke and that her mind would shut up, just to open her eyes.
There she was. Sitting on the bed, attempting to write on the pad that the nurse had before her. Her hair was shorter than her yet it was the same red. Her skin just as pale as hers as the woman tried to move the pen like she wanted, yet the bandages upon her hand hindered her attempt.
"That's good enough, we don't want you straining too much." the nurse spoke giving a smile to Chloe, "Now, I want you to take it easy but I know you are excited about this."
Chloe watched as her head shot up, she could see that she was wide-eyed with wonder as the nurse spoke, "And she's just as excited if not nervous about it."
Finally, she turned around and looked at Chloe. It was like looking at a mirror as she took in the woman. Her features matched hers as green eyes looked into hers. The same dusting of freckles as her own as her fair skin gave proof of her heritage.
"We'll leave you two girls alone." they said as they quietly left.
Chloe couldn't move, couldn't even find her voice as she looked at the woman. Tremble and quakes hit her body as she wanted to cry. In happiness and relief that it was finally true.
"Chloe?" she said, her voice cracked and hoarse with pain.
"Yes." she finally got out.
"I can't believe it's really you."
Her feet moved without her know, somehow making her sit on the edge of the bed with her. She couldn't help but reach her hand out and touch her cheek, her mind trying to tell her she was fake as her heart sang in joy.
"Are you really real?" she finally asked.
"Aye, as true as can be." small tears escaping the woman as her own hand cupped her wet cheek.
Chloe couldn't contain it anymore. The tears fell as she felt her sister pull her to her, holding tightly to her as Chloe's own arms wrapped around her, both crying on each other as the day slowly faded by.
"So where have you been?" Chloe asked as she dotted her eyes once more. "And your name. They didn't give me that either."
"I was in Letterkenny. A small little librarian that I was." she spoke, "And it's Briana."
"Briana?" Chloe chuckled, "Definitely Irish."
"That I am. Where you at this whole time?"
"Killarney."
"Really?" she said, "Not too far then. We both were in Ireland and never knew it."
"I'll say."
They had cried on each other for nearly a half hour, just to pause and do it again as it all sunk in. It was hard to believe after all those years, she was finally before her, and yet she was still full of questions.
"Got questions on your mind?" Briana asked.
"You can tell?"
"You and I have the same face when we are questioning things."
Chloe laughed, "You got me. I have a lot to be honest."
"Think I don't?" Briana laughed.
"Alright, me first then? Chloe asked, gaining a nod from her, "Ok, who's oldest?"
"Me, by six minutes." Briana replied, "Well that's what the church told me."
Chloe smiled as her words came to her, "Wait, six minutes? We're twins?"
Briana nodded to her, "We are and those rare birthday twins too. I was New Year's Eve at eleven fifty-seven while you were New Year's Day at twelve o' three."
"Oh, so my birthday being the first of January wasn't just for the hell of it."
"Nope."
Chloe chuckled as her mind came with the daunting question, "Well, the next is why?"
"Why we're orphans?"
Chloe nodded as she sighed, "From what the church told me when I got older, our mother was a rape victim of fourteen. She couldn't get rid of us, couldn't heart the guilt the nun told me. So, when she had us she placed me with the church and you in an orphanage. Never really said why but according to the sister it was mainly out of fear. Must've been something pretty bad to separate us like she did."
"I never thought of that." she sighed, "How come they told you all sorts of things yet I got squat?"
"I dunno. I tried to find ya once I learned everything, I really did." Briana sighed, "Until I got caught up in things."
"Caught up?"
"Later." she said, "Now my turn, and it might come out weird yet I think you can help me better than any doctor or nurse can. Let's say sister intuition."
Chloe smiled and waited for her to speak, "Have you ever dreamed? Dreamed of people, not yourself yet see history being made?"
Chloe shook her head, wondering if she heard her right yet she moved on about the woman in her dreams as she spoke of Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Eleonora de Fonseca Pimentel, and Virginia Oldoini as she also added about a Spanish man with historical women of Spain. It left more questions for Chloe and the boys as her sister spoke of the dreams she had.
"Oh, and someone named Romano." she said, catching Chloe's attention.
"Lovino?"
"What?"
"What did you say Briana?" Chloe asked.
"I said at times when I dream there are parts that are fogged over and at times I hear the Spanish man talking to another named Romano. He has a short temper but there's something about him that makes me wonder of him."
There was no way. Getting up from the bed, Chloe looked down towards the door, seeing both Feli and Lovi standing outside it talking.
"You think I'm crazy, don't you?" she heard Briana asked, disappointment lacing her voice.
"Far from it." she replied as she caught the boy's attention, telling them to come in.
Sitting back down, the boys came over to the bed as she looked between them and Briana.
"Boys, this is my twin, Briana." she beamed as Feli came over and gave her a small hug.
"Glad you are ok, I know the guys have a lot to ask you but only if you are well." Feli said to her.
"Thank you." she smiled.
"Yea, yea. We see the ragazza is ok, what did you need us for Chloe?" Lovi said, never moving from his spot as he crossed his arms.
She heard Briana give a small gasp as the truth looked at her, "Romano?"
Silence filled the room as the two boys looked at Briana. Her face said it all as well, she was shocked that he was even real, let alone in front of her.
"What did you call me?" Lovi asked.
"Lovino, she called you Romano." Feli said, his own eyes wide in wonder, "She knows you as Romano."
"The Spanish man called you that." she said, "In my dream with the women."
"You dream of Italian women?" both boys asked.
Chloe saw as Briana's eyes widened in shock and fear, "If this is correct. Oh, my god. Both of you, I need a meeting with the Axis and Allies, immediately. There is no time to waste."
Briana attempted to get out of the bed, as Chloe caught her, "What are you doing? You're too weak to even stand woman."
Before Chloe could protest anymore, Lovino came over to her and carried her to a wheelchair as he made his way back to Feliciano, both heading out the door.
Chloe walked over to her sister, seeing the worry lace her eyes as she finally looked at her, "Briana what's wrong?"
Briana gave a heavy sigh, "It's what Genesis is aiming for."
"Alright love, everything is set for the other nations to listen in afterwards. The mic is close so you don't have to strain your voice." Arthur told Briana as Feli stood next to Chloe.
It was hard to believe that the woman saw the same as Chloe plus seeing Lovino. It left more for them all to question and wonder on what was going on. Since learning the truth, the man hadn't left her side. Feli chuckled lightly to himself to see this side of his brother, something so rare from him.
"Whenever you are ready Briana." Juliet said as the other nations and capitals sat within the room.
The woman gave a shaky breath as she began, "I was taken in by Genesis, mainly to either fight or procreate. It was their main objective at that moment. Just wrong place at wrong time. But something deep within me to keep going farther in, to see how close to the leaders I could get and what I could learn."
"I was just one person away really when I heard them talking about nations and capitals. How they were after them and what they wanted to do. It was over the news so I thought nothing of it until they talked about taking capitals and withholding them, seeing if it would work. I was curious to what 'it' was. So, I did. I eavesdropped onto their conversations just to hear how they let one get away and another that was in their hands. They kept looking though."
Feli watched at Kiku pulled Harper closer to him as she shook in fear of the memory. He himself felt the heartache when Sadiq learn the fate of his first capital.
"The capitals weren't what they thought and kept looking through other people just to get what they need. That's all they ever talked about was getting a capital." she sighed, "After a few days the one never came back and they assumed the worse for him. Then after a bit the main person came in saying he found information regarding the capital in search. That's when they turned on me."
"They demanded to know what I knew and how long I dreamed. I had forgotten that the church I was placed in had me checked out due to them as a child. I never thought they would haunt me later like that. With it they asked if there was another. I didn't understand what they meant until later. It came to me when I escaped. I knew I had to get away after seeing and hearing what I did. I had to find all of you for this. To explain, they want what you all have."
Chatter filled the room as everyone tried to understand what Briana was saying.
"What are they after?" Alfred asked.
"Da agreed. They have all abilities of war, why not act?" Ivan added.
"We are not provoking them you two." Ludwig warned, "Continue Briana."
She nodded, "It's the two things you all have. Land and Capitals."
"They have the population of a land, they have it." Yao spat out.
"They may lack the capital but Yao is right, they have the population." Kiku said, "Why need land and how do they plan on getting it?"
"What else did they say?" Francis asked.
A visible shutter hit Briana as she continued, "They have their hands on a total of six large bombs, three filled with deadly disease and the other three are nuclear. They plan to wipe out the current nations in their way."
Shouts, gasps and protest filled the air as the truth was said.
"Enough!" Lovino shouted, "Let her finish."
The room grew quiet as they waited for her as Ludwig spoke up, "What are they after?"
"The three nations that stand in their way are the powerhouses." she replied as Amber, Nora, and Lily looked at their husbands in fear.
"The three bombs of plague will hit Africa, Australia, and South America while the nuclear will hit North America, Asia, and Europe" she continued, "And the capital they seek is special compared to the others."
"How so?" he finally asked.
"There is one nation that is, what they termed it, ruled by two personifications yet is not divided. They run it together and due to it will have two cities as well. One the capital and the other an island of the nation."
It slowly came to Feli as she explained. He felt the daunting fear rise as he looked at Lovi, the same look upon his face as his own. He heard the others ask her whom it was, yet it was in that very room.
"There is only one." she said. "The only nation left really. Personified by twins and now with twins to be their city and island."
He watched as Briana turned to Chloe, giving her a mournful look, "It's us. They're after us and they will do whatever it takes to gain us. And when they do. The war will be over for they will kill everyone in sight."
Panic was in the air as the reality was there. Genesis was planning to murder them all and he and Lovi were the targets in sight with Chloe and Briana.
"Alright as of now, all Naval fleets hit the Mediterranean, protect it at all cost." Alfred announced as the men agreed, "We will have surveillance and military at the boarders to ensure that this doesn't happen."
"What happens if one of you changes before they gain you?" Amber asked.
"It doesn't matter." she explained, "We are unique in that matter. Either one of us is the same to them."
"Is it possible-"Ivan started before Lily cut him off.
"Net. They do that it's a lost cause. It's considered suicide and will be started over again." she told him.
Feliciano watched as the others scrambled and made calls to other nations, informing them on what to do as his own mind spun.
"Feli?" he heard Chloe call to him.
Looking down at her, he saw complete worry in her eyes. He didn't know what to say, was lost for words as the truth sank deep in him. He saw Lovi try and comfort Briana as she closed her eyes, tears slipping past her lids. He got down to her height, his eyes in line with hers. For once his heart and mind agreed and no ounce of fear was going to stop him.
"Mi bella, know this. I promise to protect you. No matter what happens, I'll always be there." he said, pecking her lips, "I promise it to the day I die."