Author's Note: Hey everyone! Sorry for the late update, I was busy this weekend!

First of all, thank you to the people who have decided to follow this story and for that one reviewer that won't let me reply to! It really made me feel happy!

Anyway, this chapter's slightly shorter (I think), but the story is finally starting!

Just a quick name chart:

Feliciano Vargas: North Italy

Wendy: Wy

Natalya Arlovskaya: Belarus

Ivan Braginsky: Russia

Toris Laurinaitis: Lithuania

Marco: Kugelmugel

Please enjoy and inform me of any grammar/spelling errors I might make!

The rest of the day saw no sudden change for Gilbert. He helped the stable-hands groom the horses, joked around with his friends and teased Feliciano. There was nothing to break the routine. It was only when evening fell that change found its way to the Isle.

The sky had turned a dark shade of grey, almost black, as storm clouds arrived without warning. The wind started to blow harder, large droplets of rain started to fall against the ground and the sound of thunder could be heard in the distance.

All over the Palace, people scurried around, securing loose tents, bringing the laundry in, getting wetter and wetter as time went by. By ten o'clock, the storm was in full swing, lighting illuminating the dark corridors, thunder rumbling against the thick walls.

Gilbert sat by the window, looking out at the courtyard. He wanted to be out there. It might seem strange, but he loved being out in dark weather. Who cared if he was in danger? It was the thrill of adrenaline coursing through his system that made him crave for it so much.

Unfortunately, Romulus Vargas had declared that nobody should go outside, so he had to remain in.

"Hey, Gil!" a younger and brighter voice chirped from behind him.

It belonged to Feliciano Vargas, cook extraordinaire and happiest person on the planet. The Italian was smaller than the German, with short wavy auburn hair and constantly closed eyes. A stray curl leapt out from the side of his head, bobbing alongside the rest of him.

"Hey, Feli. Are you going to be able to cook dinner tonight?"

"Probably. The electricity might have gone off, but there are other ways to see what we're doing," he smiled.

The albino sighed in relief. He desperately wanted to be out there and food was the only thing that could distract him. Well, that and music. To his dismay, though, electric guitars didn't work during a blackout.

Suddenly, Feliciano sighed, his eyes widening slightly to survey the area.

"What is it?"

"I've got a bad feeling all of a sudden."

Gilbert would have burst out laughing if the Italian hadn't frowned. You see, Feliciano never frowned. He was constantly smiling or pouting, but he never frowned, he never really cried. Therefore, witnessing the boy so serious all of a sudden, the older man couldn't help but worry.

"Where from?"

"The beach," he replied without hesitation.

Gilbert stood up abruptly.

"Cover for me. I'll go and check it out."

Then, without waiting for an answer, he sneaked out. The rain made it impossible to see, and he was drenched the moment he set foot outside, yet that didn't deter him from continuing. He decided against riding, mainly since he didn't want to risk being seen or harming Arger. Instead, he proceeded by foot, climbing over the wall and running into the forest.

It was dryer under the shelter of the trees, but the giants swayed dangerously, making Gilbert dread them. It took him longer than he should have done for him to reach beach, but he finally made it.

At first glance, nothing seemed to be off, not that he could see much. However, when another flash of lightning lit up the area, he noticed something: a dark shape on the sand.

He approached it cautiously, all the while wondering whether Feliciano had psychic powers, red eyes widening as he realised what it was. There, passed out on the sand, was a person. He rushed over and bent his head to the man's chest to check for a heartbeat. By some miracle, he was alive.

Gilbert wasted no time in heaving the smaller man up onto his back and hurried off back to the Palace as fast as he could.

"Oi! Let me in!" he yelled at the gates.

He thought nobody would answer until a worried face glanced down at him. Toris Laurinaitis took one look at the bundle on his back and opened the gates, scurrying down to join them.

"Where did you find him?" he asked, not caring that his medium-long hair was getting soaked.

"On the beach. He's alive."

Toris didn't ask why the patroller had been on the beach when their commander had ordered them to stay inside, opting instead to help him bring the man inside. They took him up to the infirmary, a bright and colourful room where Feli and a shorter blond man were waiting.

The shorter man seemed absolutely mystified by their appearance, whereas the Italian simply gestured to lay him down on a bed. Now that he was out the rain, the German could finally take a good look at the person he'd just rescued.

He looked younger than Gilbert, his features sharp and petite. His hair was spread all over his face, short and messy. His clothes were torn and there were many open wounds all over his skin. What intrigued the albino the most, though, was a cross-shaped hairpin hanging from a stand of hair.

What interested him wasn't the shape, of course. The guy must be a strong believer, that was all there was to it. No, what intrigued him were the wires sticking out from all ends. It almost seemed like a communication device.

"Will he be okay?" Gil asked the two nurses.

"Somehow. You brought him here just in time. Although, you'll have to report this to Commander Vargas. He'll probably want to know what you were doing out," the shorter one, Tino, glared at the taller male.

"I'll tell him," Feliciano piped up, "after all, I was the one to send him out there."

Tino stared at the two of them for a few seconds, violet eyes burning with worry, anger and confusion. Finally, he sighed and turned away.

"Fine. Gilbert, get changed first and come back here. I'm still making sure you haven't caught a chill or anything."

Little did they know just how much things were about to change.

"Well?"

"Nothing."

Wendy frowned as she took another sip of her coffee. The black liquid seemed to mock her, and she wasted no time in tipping it down the drain. Next to her, her colleague, Marco, watched her in silence. The Australian took a deep breath before typing back into her computer.

"Come on, come on."

Communication signal: interrupted. Coordinates: unknown.

"Shit!" she swore angrily, slamming his fists against the desk.

"Still nothing?" Marco cocked his head to one side.

"Nothing, nothing at all. I can't find Norway's coordinates. He must have broken his communication device, that sod," she grumbled.

"What about the Lady and Iceland?"

"The Lady doesn't have a device, and Iceland's with the government. Which means that-"

"She's either six feet underground with Norway or being tortured by the government. I don't know which sounds worst," a cold female voice interrupted.

Wendy jumped in her seat at the voice and turned to face the woman angrily.

"Norway isn't dead. He's not that stupid."

"He isn't here, though. He can't help us. We should be worrying about bigger problems such as the fact they were ambushed. We have a mole amongst our ranks," the taller lady flicked a strand of long blond hair behind her ear.

At her words, Wendy froze. A mole? A traitor? But who? Who would betray them like that?

"You can't be serious," her voice trembled as she spoke.

"How else would they ambush Lukas and the Lady?" Natalya pointed out, ice-blue eyes gleaming in the darkness.

Wendy banged her head against the table in frustration. Why couldn't things be simple? Why was everything going wrong?

"Have you mentioned this to anyone else?" the shorter girl gritted her teeth.

"Just to Ivan."

The Australian took a deep breath and pinched her nose in concentration.

"Don't tell anyone else. We'll figure this all out," she finally managed to say.

Natalya simply nodded and walked out, most likely to inform her brother of the news.

Marco turned to the older girl.

"Good luck."

"You really have a way with words, you know?"

Laughter echoed around the empty room.