SEK: Happy Discounted Candy Day!

MW: Yes. We all hope that you all also had a wonderful Valentine's Day as well. If you're like me, you spent it in a lonely corner. If you're also like me, then that means that you also gave one of your friends a rock as a gift. Eh, at least he loves that rock.

But enough stalling. I promised you all that I will reply to every single review and I just need to reply to a few people on guest review. So . . .

Ayumi Kudou: Yes he does. Now we just need a story where a girl learns what its like to be a guy.

Guest (HastalaPasta): Thank you very much. I bet that if you just apply what we know from FG into this story, you can probably figure out what's going to happen.

Reader: I used the term "sexual themes" to summarize all of the rather perverted moments and jokes in the chapter. It's simply a lot easier to say that then to list every instant I make a sex joke.

dismallyOriented: You know you love them. You know, one of the reasons why I really like you is the fact that you pick up on the small details. I have faith that you're going to be able to figure out the big plot twist in this story.

Guest (awesomeidea): I have to say, I have never gotten that theory before. We'll have to see if it's true or not.

And there we go! I have to admit, it's fun talking to you guys. Remind me to do this more often. So enjoy yourselves. I'll do more talking at the bottom AN. And I hope you all enjoyed.

Edit: Thank you to dismallyOriented for correcting my Italian.

Chapter Summary: The Romanov docks at a port one day and Larry is given a day of not-so-fun fun.

Warnings: Strong language, more sexual themes, mild violence, and alcohol usage.

Disclaimer: Really, I still only own the Fanseries.

~Chapter 5~

Beware the Alleys of Sicily

"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have."

-Frederick Keonig, German Inventor

THE WAR: Day 10

The morning air was crisp. The fog that settled in it was burnt away by the sun and we could finally see the shore. Along with the rest of the crew, I leaned against the rail and looked out over the ocean. According to Switzerland, that was a busy port city in Sicily. The wonder and thrill of it all had part of me giggling. "Italy!" I wanted to scream, running and skipping and spinning across the deck. "I'm going to be in Italy!"

The only thing holding me back was the folded piece of paper in my pocket. Frowning, I gripped the rail tighter. "The Boy with the Same Name": he was someone on this ship, someone who knew who I was and wanted my help. I slowly let go of the wood and walked away from the excited mass of people. Who was he? Why couldn't he just come around and just say who he was? And what did he mean by getting me in fall in love with Belarus and Russia?

"Meow!" I chuckled and looked down at the little sucker pawing my leg.

"I'm sorry Sokka," I said, bending down to pick it up. "I was just a little deep in thought." I held him to my chest like a baby, jumping up and down on my toes to soothe it. "Everyone on the ship is a country," I told it. "There's no one else here who's named Larry." And before you ask, yes I am talking to a cat. I always find that the best way to work out my problems was to write them out— see the words as they really were and realize how insignificant they were. But I had nothing to write with, so talking about my life issues to a cat was going to have to do. "I wonder if I'll ever find this Gilbert person. I want to go home." I frowned. "What if something bad is happening to Stella right now? What if—"

"Yo, Lar!" I sighed for a third time when Alfred slinked an arm around my shoulder. The guy was smiling the biggest I had ever seen as he squeezed my shoulder and disturbed my time with the cat. "How's my favorite she-male doing?" He asked.

I gave him an offended look. "You did not just call me that," I said, looking and feeling ready to kill him.

He shrugged. "I just did. What are you going to do about it?"

I thought back to the time when Liechtenstein flipped me in the void. If only I had that kind of skills (or at least that muscle memory) so that I can to the same back to him. "I really wish that you can help me right now," I thought whimsically.

My whole body suddenly felt sickly numb. Against my will, Sokka fell out of my arms, as I suddenly found myself jerking around, grabbing Alfred in the right places, and throwing him over my shoulder. His head made quick contact with the ground in what felt like an earth shattering boom. "Don't forget that I can still do that," I heard Liechtenstein say.

My inner self smiled. "Thanks. Do you think that you can teach me how to do that the next time we meet?"

Liechtenstein had my—her—body shrug. "If I did, then you would know how to do it back to me," she said. Was it just me or was there just the slightest hint of mischievousness in her voice. Maybe even—dare I say?—flirtation.

"Very sneaky of you," I replied, mimicking her mood. A small part of me felt bad that I was flirting with someone who is not Stella, but she did look like her (in a way). And besides, Stella was mine as much as Prussia was Lichenstein's. "What about Alfred?" I asked, looking at the poor guy. He was moaning from his spot on the floor, probably out cold. "I don't think you meant to do that."

I felt some of the control return to my body as her voice started to fade away. "True, but there's something off about him . . ." Just as her voice left for good, Sokka started pawing at my leg again.

I wanted to let out another exasperated sigh. Then I realized that it had been doing that the whole time Liechtenstein had her body, I just couldn't feel it. Smiling apologetically, I picked him up again and held him close. "I'm sorry fella," I said, feeling his soft fur at the crook of my neck. "I don't think you would understand."

The cat started meowing, as if to tell me "Yes! I do understand, Larry! I get that you're really a dude! I get that Alfred drives you insane sometimes! I get that I am named after the greatest fictional character of all time! I get that sleeping commando is the best way to go! I get you completely!"

I frowned, stroking his white and brown fur. I said, "If only I could understand you."

"Holy cow, Liech! Did you do that?" I turned my focus off of my cat to see that the Netherlands was standing over Alfred, watching him moan as he drifted in and out of consciousness. His pointy knees were sticking out as he bent down to experimentally poke his head with his pipe.

I gave a slight shrug. "He deserved it."

A certain poke to the head erupted a mumble from Alfred's lips. The Netherlands laughed. "I wouldn't doubt it for a second," he said. "Switzerland had to have taught you some sort of fighting." His fascination faded away as he looked at the big bump on Alfred's forehead. "Though try to be careful. Alfred's still a human and moves like those would break him." I gave him a condescending look. He made it sound as though Alfred and every other human was just a toy, something to be used and thrown away when broken.

Oblivious, he laughed and rose to his feet, saying, "It's a little sad too. This is the first time we've been to a port without fighting someone for weeks. He's going to hate missing out on this one." Absently, he pulled out his watch and checked the time. His green eyes were strangely concentrated on the face, as if he was having trouble reading it.

I suddenly remembered my own strange item. "Hey Netherlands, can I ask you something?" He looked at me and gestured for me to go ahead. Biting my lip, I took a deep breath and asked, "Do you know anyone by the name of Larry?"

"Nope," he said quickly, eyes zoning in right on me. "I don't even think that any of my citizens have that name. Why?"

A rush of embarrassment came over me. "I, er—"

"Comrades!" It was the first time I ever felt grateful for Russia to suddenly make his appearance. The brute strutted to the deck, smiling happily with his younger sister at his side. Neither of them had talked to me much since our little incident a few days ago. I think I won that one since they haven't thrown me into the cells with Seychelles yet. Then again, you can never be too wary of what those two could be planning.

The Netherlands forgot his question as we listened to him give us an encouraging pep talk. We were docking in this port for one day only, so make good use of it. The primary purpose is so that we can get Ship Repair Man to fix the massive hole in the side. Apparently, she can do it in a few hours. In the meantime, we are free to visit that local shops, taverns, and churches. There will be no trouble caused or else Belarus would use you as target practice. "And lastly, our Red Coat prisoners are allowed to join us on our little trip," Russia said, eyeing Denmark and me. Denmark looked better than before. Like all of the countries, he healed fast and was back to working two days ago, though there was a bright white bandage still over his toned chest. "However, they must be accompanied by a member of this crew at all times. Are we all clear on that?"

Everyone knew that he was forgetting to say one thing: Seychelles had to stay in her cell. She said so herself that she would rather rot in jail than work with any Brown Coat scum. She was going to stay behind here for a while.

The Netherlands looked down at me. Hesitantly, a small smile stretched across his face. "Well Liechtenstein, it looks as though you are in need of an escort," he said. In a completely natural manner, he knelt like a butler and offered his hand. "I would be honored if I can be your escort for this fine outing."

I blinked, suddenly feeling very awkward. What does a guy say when another guy asks him out? After thinking about it for a moment, I decided to skip the wait-are-you-gay discussion and skip to the important one. "Why would you want to go out with me?" I asked. "What about Hong Kong?"

Lucky for me, he left his stance and returned to full height. "He's off having a day with Japan," he said. "I figured that you and I could have a little talk before time runs out."

I thought about my options. Alfred was out so I couldn't spend the day with him. Liechtenstein might be happy if I spend time with Prussia, but he might get another erection and I was as sure as heck that I would not be able to spend more than five minutes around Switzerland. I took his hand, saying, "Fine, but you have to help me carry Alfred back to his bed."

A strange smile graced the Dutchman's face. It was as if my answer brought part of his soul back to life. "I would be more than happy to."

Alfred was surprisingly heavy. As the crew rushed to get their damaged ship into port, the Netherlands and I had to each grab one of Alfred's arms and drag him across the deck. Twice his pants caught on a loose nail and came straight off. After a long struggle, we were able to lift his limp body into his hammock and tuck him in for bed. "Jesus, he's heavy," I complained, cracking the bones in my back.

The Netherlands chuckled as he rolled his neck. "Well, the kid does nothing but eat," he replied. "What else do you expect?" He motioned for me to join him walking to above deck.

"But he's so buff!" I exclaimed, seeing his defined chest muscles in my head. "I expected him to be just the slightest bit lighter."

"Well you can't always get what you want," he said as we climbed the final steps onto deck. The sun shined down on us as the sounds of the ocean was replaced with that of a port. The Romanov was docked and everyone was off having fun.

Everyone except us.

I rubbed the back of my neck, suddenly nervous. I hoped Liechtenstein wouldn't think that this little outing with him is violating her body. I felt the need to just clarify with her anyways. "Liech, if you can hear me, I just want you to know that I will not let Netherlands touch you," I thought. "I don't even think that he would ever dream of doing something like that." I waited a minute for her to reply.

My head remained silent.

I needed to fill it with something.

"So Netherlands." He looked down at me, raising an eyebrow. I tried my best to act as sweet and Liechtenstein-like as possible- holding my hands behind my back and batting my thin eyelashes. "You said that there was something that we needed to discuss," I reminded.

I watched as he nodded, hand stroking the pipe in his mouth. I wondered if that thing was ever lit- there was never any sign of him smoking it most of the time. Then again, he did reek of smoke. Maybe it was, like, a natural odor or something. His free hand went to his pocket as he said, "Well you see here, I can't-"

"Comrades!" We both froze as Captain Russia made his way to the both of us. He left his sister at the rail, half of her attention on her knife polishing and the other on her lover. "What are you two still doing here?" He asked, smiling brightly. I shifted on my feet. He was acting as though he nearly didn't kill me a few days ago. In fact, he was acting nicer than he normally ever did.

The Netherlands must have noted the difference too since both of his hands returned to his side. They hung there lifelessly, yet composed like a soldier. He slowly blinked a few times, trying to come up with a careful reply. "We were merely taking care of Alfred, sir," he replied formally. "But don't worry. I will be escorting Liechtenstein around town today. She'll never-"

"That wouldn't be necessary," Russia told us, holding up his hand and shaking his head. "I will be doing that. You go off and join your boyfriend."

I choked. I was going to have to spend the day with Russia? Oh frack no. That was not going to happen. Desperately, I tugged on my friend's shirt, asking, "What about our talk?"

Let's just say that I was not pleased when he smirked and shook his head. "Actually, I don't think that it'll be necessary." He buried his hands in his pockets and walked to the board leading to the land. "Have fun with your boyfriend now!"

"He's not my boyfriend!" I yelled back, turning red with anger.

Russia laughed and patted my shoulder with his huge hand. "You are such an entertaining person," he said. Was that supposed to be a compliment? "You make me laugh so much."

Quick, Larry- think of an excuse to get him away. For a moment, I stumbled over my words and excuses before one came to mind. "What about the boat?" I hopefully asked. "Don't you have to stay here and make sure that the repairs are done?"

His smile only got bigger. "That's why I have a first mate," he said. He ignored the sound of Belarus stabbing her newly polished knife into the deck. He did, however, turn back to her, calling, "Sister: you will make sure that Ship Repair Man Pangaea does a good job, yes?"

Belarus directed her glare at me as she pulled out a new knife to work on. "Of course, brother," she sneered, curling her upper lip. "I would just love to wait here."

I thought that I saw a spark of irritation in his eyes before Russia started dragging me away. "Thank you Bela," he said, resisting her glaring and my heel digging. "We'll be back soon! See you tonight!"

She let her middle finger do the talking.

As he led me down the board-thing to the ground (I have no idea what to call it. It's like a ramp, but it's just a wooden board and they used it in Pocahontas) (Not that I like that movie though. Sherry just watched it a lot), I scrambled to figure out what was going on. Russia was escorting Liechtenstein around the town. He was escorting me. This was seriously not good. Something deep down told me that he was going to enact some form of revenge on me before the day was out.

The Italian town was busy. All around the port were sailors loading and unloading crates. Harsh foreign voices filled the air with laughs, gossip, and shouts. Through the bustling people, Russia took my hand and guided me through. My legs were half the size of his, so I was left running after a giant who was walking. I stumbled every other step. He did not notice.

"What do you want to do first?" He asked me, turning to me with a smile. His voice barely rose above the song of the town.

"How about you let me go, jerk-face; that way we can stop wasting our time and I can actually find this stupid Gilbert guy!" Of course, I only thought that. On the outside, I frowned and gave a hurried shrug. Maybe I could escape when he let go of my hand.

The only problem was that he never did. Russia pulled me out of the sea area and to the shops and stores. He took me to every display window, giving 'ooh's and 'ahh's over the often simple merchandise. "Look at these gloves," he exclaimed one time while we were in front of a leather shop. "They look like they can keep anyone's hands warm in the cold." All the while, his hand never left mine.

I didn't know what I was supposed to do. Was I supposed to find it endearing how such a big, scary guy was awing over the simple things? Or was I supposed to feel intimidated about how he was ignoring the elephant in the room: I pissed him off and I wouldn't get away with it.

Around an hour later, my patience was running thin and Russia was still at his childishness. I was being dragged to the next stop when Russia saw something. "Look at that!" He said, pointing to a vendor down the street. The stand was decorated with a rainbow of flowers. "It's-" Then he did it: he let me go.

My hand felt cold without his gloved hand encasing it. While he ran off in sheer joy, I cradled my hand to my chest. All right, I was free now. All I had to do was just run off and hope he doesn't find me. I'll deal with the consequences when Alfred wakes up. But, as I was just about to pull up my skirt and make a run for it, I noticed something. There was no pain. For the first time in days, there was no pain in my palms.

Suddenly intrigued, I carefully unwrapped the white bandages around my hand. Sure enough, the blisters I earned forever ago were practically healed. There were dark marks on my skin- ghost of where they once were- but they did not hurt. In fact, the skin around them seemed harder, more durable. I was slowly developing calluses.

I would deal with it later. Now it was time for me to depart-

"Liechtenstein!" I groaned and smacked my forehead. Darn it! The only chance I had to escape and I wasted it on being a palm reader. Now I was pretty much going to have to stick around the guy until he let me go again. Then again, he was not holding me now. I could make a run for it.

"Liechtenstein!" Russia called out again. He was still at the flower vendor, waving his hand in the air like a flag in the wind. "Come over here! I have something I want to show you!" This time, there was something different about his smile. It did not appear creepy or extremely childish. No, this time it looked rather normal. Russia was smiling brightly and it fitted him. He just looked happy. I always wanted Stella to be that happy looking around me. The girl was never one to show very many emotions. She had been that way since the day I first met her.

Mom, Sherry, Jerry, and I had been going over to the Moon household to greet Ella's new 'wife,' a Japanese woman we would all call Nutella, and her daughter. I remembered standing there awkwardly, wondering how it was possible for two women to love each other the way they claimed to. It was so strange, so peculiar, that I ended up being the shy one with Jerry. I practically hid behind Mom as Nutella gently nudged a little girl with short black hair to the front. "This is my daughter," she said, speaking with a thick accent. "Sayaka, this is Mrs. Sue and her boys. Say hi."

Sayaka was small, a full head shorter than I was. Dressed in an obviously uncomfortable dress, she did a slow bow and looked up at us through her bangs. "Konbanwa, Mrs. Sue. My name is Sayaka Hoshi. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Without thinking, I blurted, "You have a weird name."

Mom immediately hushed me and pushed me further behind her. She tactfully jumped back and forth between apologizing and scolding me for being so rude. All the while, Sayaka slowly rose from her bow and gave me a curious look. "You think so?" she asked.

I ignored what my mother was trying to achieve- a good image with her daughter's friend's new parent -and walked right up to her. "Yeah, it's impossible to say," I told her, poking her forehead like I was drilling it into her head. "You need one that's easier."

Sayaka did not smile, though her eyes brightened ever so slightly. "Really? My mother says that since I am going to be living here now, I should have an American name. Do you know any Mr. Sue?"

Our parents exchanged glances as we hit off with such an inconsiderate conversation. Sayaka liked how I was making the effort to be her 'friend'. I liked how she was so ready to listen to me. "First off, call me Larry," I said, basking in the feeling of importance. "Second, it should sound a little similar to your name. You said it was Sayacky?"

She gently corrected, "Sayaka."

"Well it sounds a little bit like Stella, so that's what we'll call you now. Okay?"

"Stella Hoshi," The smallest of smiles I had ever seen graced her thin lips. "I like it," she said. "It sounds very nice."

Now standing in the middle of the street, I thought about that miniscule visage. I was still a little kid when that happened. At the time, I thought nothing of it. But now, it made me want to grin drunkenly. It was so cute, so precious. The fact that I had caused it left an even sweeter taste in my mouth. I looked back at Russia's smile. There was no way I could say no to something as precious as that. I had no other choice; I had to be honorable and stay by his side.

I kept that thought on my mind as I pushed my way through the crowd and to the man. In the process, I was assaulted by multiple elbows and shoving shoulders. I think that one of them was because I accidentally slapped someone's butt. Hence the accident part- there was no way I would purposefully slap some random's guys fine behind. . .

I was expecting a million things when I reached him. I expected him to be upset that I did not follow after him immediately. I thought that he was going to be sadistic and smirk about how his plan for Stockholm Syndrome was already taking place. But it was none of those. Instead, he stood there grinning with his hands hiding something behind his back. I knitted my eyebrows. "Russia, what are-"

"Surprise!" He held out a single flower to me. "This is for you!"

I stared at it. It was a sunflower. Its vivid yellow petals and fine smell assaulted my senses. I could not rip my eyes away from it. "Wow," I said. My efforts to hide how confused and touched I was made me sound awkward. "Is that really for me?" I asked.

He nodded happily. "Yup! It was pretty and it reminded me of you!"

I couldn't take it any longer. My eyes suddenly turned harsh as I shot him a toxic glare. "What's your deal here?" I demanded harshly.

Russia's smile faded into a frown. And his eyes! Those strangely violet irises were filled with sadness that could triumph the ocean depths. "What did I-"

"You're mad at me!" I yelled as I ignored the nagging feeling in my head. It told me that the captain was just trying to be nice. I had no right to bring something like this up again. But I had started something and I would be stupid to give it up now. "I thoroughly pissed you off the last time we met and yet you're acting as though it never happened." I took a step forward, rising on my tippy toes in to make the top of my head equal to his chin, He was so tall. "Why don't you just stop messing around and just stab me like you did to Denmark?"

For a moment, all Russia could do was stare. He looked down with shame as the sunflower fell limply from his hand. "I don't think you understand," he said. "I have no wish to hurt you."

"Then what's up with all this escort nonsense?" I snapped.

He winced, but did his best to appear calm and in control. "Liechtenstein, I believe that you have no idea how influential you are," he said. I blinked and felt myself lower back to my normal height. "You . . . you are simply incredible. Everyone I know paints you to be such a quiet and shy girl, yet that is not the case. You're brave, reckless even. You speak your mind with no regard to what everyone else has to say to you. You challenged me when no one else would dare. And I-" he delicately brushed a strand of my hair behind my ear, "Admire you for that, Liechtenstein."

I stood there, consumed with a sick feeling. All this time, I believed that the guy was going to try to kill me, but now he was going to save me. Why? Because I was acting like my freaking self. I felt frozen. Everything he said about Liechtenstein was all me. We were in the same body, yet that was me doing everything he praised.

Russia admired me.

His arm fell limply back at his side as the church bells rang and proclaimed the hour. "I might as well go back to the ship now," he said numbly. "Ship Repair Man Pangaea is probably going to give Belarus hell."

"What about the escort thing?" I asked. I tried to not sound desperate, like a lover who wanted her man to stay the extra minute. I would still prefer him out of my company, but I did not want to hurt his feelings any further. "Don't I have to-"

"I trust you, Liechtenstein." He forced a small, childish smile. Normally, I would be thinking about how creepy it looked. Now, it was only hollow. "I know that you will be back in time to ship out, yes?"

I had no other choice but to nod. "Yes sir."

My formalities made the melancholic look on his face grew deeper, but he pressed on. He wished one last goodbye before turning his back to me and going back into the crowd. He was lost within seconds. I stood there, feeling a little sadder myself. Feeling . . . hollow, empty inside. How was I supposed to know that he felt that way about me? He never said anything.

Without much thought, I picked up the abandoned flower off the ground. It truly was a beautiful flower, almost perfect in appearance. I lightly brushed the petals and smelled its sweet fragrance. I suddenly wished that I never dropped it in the first place. Mimicking all of the girls I have ever seen, I stuck it behind my ear. I felt ridiculous- a boy walking around with a flower in his hair. But there was a warmth in my chest, ordering me to keep it there. Maybe it was Lichtenstein, a girl who liked wearing sunflowers.

"You doitsu!" A scream quickly followed the loud bang of two men whose brawl ended up breaking down a door a few stores away from me. The crowd of completely innocent and unknowing humans naturally formed a circle around them, blocking my view. As if this was a WWE wrestling fight, they immediately started whooping and taking bets on who the winner was going to be.

For a moment, I seriously considered just walking away. It was their- the brawler's -problem and I had no right to interfere. Yet, there was only one group of people I knew that used the word 'doitsu' (whatever the heck that means) as an insult. Yup, that's right: my country hommies.

Remind me to never use that word ever again.

My shoulders dropped as I resigned myself to my fate. Picking up the skirt of my blue dress, I took a deep breath and dove into the crowd of spectators. The sea of bodies were hot and tightly packed. I bent down, trying to squeeze my way through their legs. At one point of time, my hand accidentally slapped some guy's butt. Again. What's worse, it was exactly the same guy I slapped before. He probably thought that some guy was sexually harassing him or something.

Oops.

When I finally made my way to the front, I finally saw who the fighters were. It was Switzerland (no surprise there) and Greece (that one's new). I watched as the blonde yelled swears, declaring the other to be the worse being who ever existed as he continually rammed his first into his face. Greece was a bit of an odd fighter. He looked rather bored as his face was turned purple. His main concern seemed to be getting Switzerland into a headlock. A very passive approach. At that moment, I really wished that I had a little money with me. That way, I could place a bet in for Switzerland.

"Switzy! Brat!" The crowd grew even more excited when Turkey came out from the building- a dark bar. He looked extremely angry, the angriest I had ever seen him. I wanted to say that he was drunk, but he held himself so impeccably that no Buckingham soldier could compete. Furrowing his eyebrows, the Turk cracked his knuckles, growling, "There is no way in hell I'm going to let you punks beat the shit out of each other."

Any guesses to how he was going to stop them?

If you guessed that he threw himself straight into the fight with raised fists, then you are completely right. The crowd went wild. Three rather handsome guys were beating each other up for no apparent reason! Was there any form of entertainment better than that?

Unlike those uncouth savages, I was completely horrified by the display. My father risked his life writing stories about violence in other countries. How big of an idiot do these guys had to be to start the bloodshed themselves? Do they have no respect for humanity?

I had enough. With no other place to go, I walked across the fighting ring and into the bar. If three countries came out from there, then the chances were that there were more. The crew was the kind of people who were attracted to booze the way flies are attracted to light. Ad what do you know-The moment I stepped inside, I was assaulted by the awful stench of alcohol. I coughed. While my eyes adjusted to the near darkness, I rid myself of the toxic fumes with a waving hand.

Eventually, I was able to make everything out.

I was not impressed.

It looked like the traditional port-side tavern with poor lighting, stuffy air, and excited patrons. Standing or sitting at the tables, the countries held giant glasses of beer, whiskey, scotch, and anything else that could kill a liver with sophisticated suave. Yet, they waved their arms around in enormous motions as they practically yelled their entire conversation. It was so loud that I could barely hear the whooping crowd outside. Ten bucks said that they were stoned.

I did a quick scan, checking to see if the Netherlands was anywhere. I was actually a little disappointed when his blond tuft of hair was nowhere in sight. Darn it; he was the one person I would not mind spending more time with. Where was he when I needed him the most? In the end, I evidently decided that the best place to hang out was the bar itself.

I guess I was in luck this time; Ukraine was there! She sat at the bar, cradling a tall glass of what looked to be a creamy beer. She was politely smiling at Hong Kong as he talked about Asian stuff. Not that I really cared though, I just wanted to sit down somewhere and not look like a loner while doing it. I took the seat next to hers and took the flower from my hair. I absently petted the petals, enjoying the feeling of their soft texture. I never realized until now how pretty sunflowers were.

". . . so in conclusion, he's, like, acting really weird," Hong Kong finished. He quickly took a sip of his drink. "I have no idea what's wrong with him. He's never been this distant."

Ukraine wistfully sighed. "He's a bit of a stressed guy," she told him. "This is THE WAR, Hong Kong. Everyone is just a little bit stressed."

She watched as the stoic man in red shook his head, saying, "I know that, but I've seen him act better than this. I think he, like, has insomnia now or something. I can tell that he's completely exhausted right now. He barely sleeps at night. And when he does, it's usually at odd times and very unpleasantly. Ukraine, that's totally not like him."

She grimaced. "Well. . ."

"Hey there, gal," a woman, the bartender, said. I jumped in shock, causing Ukraine and Hong Kong to suddenly notice my presence. Great, now I had to explain myself to them. I glared at the bartender, ready to snap at her when I noticed her odd appearance. This woman was rather plump with dark brown skin and bleach blond hair. She was wearing an obnoxious green dress and apron that matched her sky blue eyes.

I gulped, trying not to feel intimidated. "You scared me," I said monotonously.

She shrugged. "I'm just makin' sure that you ain't drunk," she told me. "But anyways, welcome to Pangaea's Bar. I'm Bartender Pangaea. How may I help ya?"

I stared at her. "You've gotta be kidding me," I said before promptly banging my head on the wood counter. "Is something as stupid as this really in this universe?"

Two sharp nails pinched the soft skin of my ear and pulled me to the side. I gasped and looked at my attacker, Ukraine. She with the big breasts was scowling, sending me a glare with her narrowed blue eyes. In a low voice, she growled, "How dare you. Bartender Pangaea is a sweet girl, Liechtenstein. How dare you insult her so cruelly. Apologize." She pulled on my ear again, for emphasis.

I yelped and banged my palms on the bar. "Okay, okay! I get it now!" I screamed, feeling the nails go in deeper. "I'll apologize!" But she did not release me. Instead, Ukraine tugged harder. I swore. "Okay! Okay! I get it! I'm sorry, Pangaea! I didn't really mean that- Oh God, release my ear now, woman!"

At last, she set me free and I placed my head on the counter. I heard Bartender Pangaea laughed. "It's completely fine, lass. I get comments like that every day," she said. "How about I get ya a glass of something cold to ease the pain, eh?"

I mumbled a reply.

Ukraine smacked me. "Speak politely and clearly," she ordered. She was like a much stricter version of my mother. At least she never dared to hurt us physically. I groaned. "Now, Liechtenstein."

Grumbling, I lifted my head and glared at the bartender. At that point, I highly doubted that Belarus would be able to triumph the death vibes in my eyes. "No thank you," I said, loudly and clearly. "I would rather not be drinking alcohol at such a young age, but thank you for thinking of me in my time of need, even though I did not deserve it. Thank you, Bartender Pangaea." I slumped back down again.

Ukraine sighed. "I didn't think you'll go so far," she muttered. Her delicate hands shook my. "Come on now, get up," she softly ordered, sounding more like Mom than what I thought possible. "It's not the end of the world." I sighed. At this point, the best thing to do is just follow every order she gives me.

"What are you doing here?" Hong Kong asked, frowning. "Aren't you supposed to have, like, an escort or something?"

I continued to frown. "I did, but then Russia decided to go off and-"

"My brother was escorting you around?" Ukraine demanded. She sounded both shocked and pleasantly surprised all at once. Her white hand reached out and picked up the sunflower. "That must be why you have this," she said, smiling softly. "Sunflowers are Russia's favorite."

"Can I have that back?" I demanded, glaring. Her smile only grew as she chuckled and handed it back. I placed it back in my hair where it was safe from people who liked to hurt me. Like her.

"Do you and Russia have I thing going on right now?" Hong Kong asked. He nonchalantly took a long drink from his glass before saying, "I thought that you and Belarus were going to become a couple."

I flushed. "There's nothing going on between any of us!" I snapped. "And why do you idiots always think that Belarus and I are dating?"

He shrugged. "I never said dating. Most of the relationships around here are just two people who decide to become sex partners. Like friends with benefits."

I unconsciously placed an arm over my chest, asking, "Do any of you dimwits have any moral standard to live by?" This time, I happily ignored Ukraine when she gave me another low warning.

"In case you have forgotten, most of us here are, like, over a hundred years old," he said. There was no spice in his voice, though brown eyes, framed with bushy eyebrows, looked a little offended. "What do you expect us to be? Saint Francis?"

"With your status, yes."

He leaned in, trying to look intimidating while there was a set of boobs right in his facial space. "Look, Liech, I don't want to make an enemy of you," he said, eyes focused on me. "But when Netherlands is awake, he spends all of his time looking at you. I don't want to presume anything, but if you ever think that you have a chance with him, then you are wrong. He's mine and I'll be damned if I lose him to you."

If I was drinking something, I would have choked and spit it onto Ukraine. "Are you implying that there's something going on between us?" I screeched. I wanted to hit something. I wanted so badly to bang my head against a wall until my brain was oozing out of the cracks. "I'm not in a relationship him!" I yelled, loud enough for everyone in the noisy bar to hear me. "I have no idea why you punks keep on thinking otherwise!"

He chuckled. I gaped at Hong Kong as he slapped his hand over his mouth and suppress his laughter. It wasn't working, causing him to resort to banging his hand on the counter. Bartender Pangaea asked us to stop abusing it. His mirth only made me angrier. "What's so funny?" I demanded.

His composure came back. The Asian straightened his back and cleared his throat, mutinously saying, "Since I am always in the crow's nest, I get to watch everyone while they're on deck. I've noticed that you, like, loose your temper very quickly over the silliest of things." His finger traced the rim of his glass. "I wanted to see for myself how long it would take me to get you that angry. And to no one's surprise, it only took a few sentences."

I didn't even think- I didn't have to. Wordlessly, I climbed off of my stool and walked away. I was pissed. I was so mad that this jerk would purposefully try to make me upset. Who did he think he was? I was so wrapped up in my hatred that I couldn't even take pleasure in the sound of Ukraine giving him a scolding of a lifetime.

"This sucks," I thought angrily, storming back onto the street. The fight was long over and the crowd had returned to its quick current of people. Hunching, I stormed back in the direction of The Romanov. There was no point in staying here any longer. To hell with Italy- the only thing I wanted now was to curl up on my hammock and fall asleep with Sokka at my side.

I paused. Where was Sokka anyways? Usually the little feline was trotting alongside my legs. Now that I thought about it, I don't think that it even left the ship. It just sat on the deck and watch me be dragged off with Russia.

"Hey Liech!" My thoughts broken, I noticed that Denmark was at the alley to my side. He was leaning against the building wall, basking in the cool shade. He flashed me his best grin, asking, "So what are you doing out here alone?"

I stared at the bandage at his shoulder. All over again, I could smell the blood in the air. The design of the dagger hilt was engraved onto my palm. I could see the red gushing out of his shoulder. Switzerland said that it would take a few more days to heal, but how long would it take for the violence to leave me? "You should be stronger than this," A voice in my head said. "Dad can stand this easily. If you're so strong, then why can't you?"

I took a deep breath and, without forcing the memories away, answered, "I'm just heading back to the ship. There's nothing left for me to do here."

His smile grew with pleasure. "Would you like something to do?" he asked.

I felt bad. The imaginary scent of blood was making me want to barf. Maybe it was just my period acting up again. Crap, did I drink my tea this morning? Still, I refused to back down like a coward. Instead, I confidently nodded. Immediately, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the alley. I did my best to keep up as he dragged me through the labyrinth, taking me deeper and deeper into the mazes between the houses. "Where are we going?" I asked, trying to take deeper breaths than what my corset would allow.

He turned back to be and gave me another good look at his teeth. "Somewhere alone."

That was when it clicked. "Where's your escort?" I demanded, sounding more scared than what I would have liked. It made sense now. I was so wrapped up in my knife memories that I forgot about the time in the prison cell. He sexually harassed me before The Netherlands and Prussia busted him. And now, this was part two.

I did what every stranger danger course taught me to: scream. "Let me go!" I yelled, digging my hands into his flesh. He didn't stop. "Someone! Help me! Help!"

Denmark suddenly stopped. In one swift motion, he turned around and forced me against the wall. "Why are you yelling?" he asked. "I'm not doing anything wrong."

I shook my head, yelling, "You have every intention of violating me-"

He placed a hand of my mouth. "Be quiet!" He pleaded. "If you would just listen to me, you would understand."

I struggled against his grip, trying to get his hands off of my shoulders. "I don't want to understand. Just let go of me!"

The blonde groaned. "I just want one thing from you! So please just stop-" I realized that he was starting to lean in. This punk wanted one thing alright: Liechtenstein's virginity.

"Mind giving me a little hand here?" I asked, trying to send my message back to the girl. I didn't hear a reply. I thought for a second that my body as going numb for her control, but it went away as quickly as it came. "Oh no. Don't tell me that you used up all of your energy flipping Alfred." Again, she didn't say anything. She couldn't. Frack!

It was all in my hands now. I tried again to get myself loose, yelling out one last "No!" That did it.

In a split second, Denmark was ripped away from me and on the ground. It took me a second to realize that the one who saved me was not Liechtenstein or some other kickass, virtuous angel. It wasn't even Alfred, the guy meant to always help me out. No, no, no; this time it was Turkey.

Why was it always him?

Turkey was kneeling over Denmark, his foot crushing the middle of his chest. One of his curved swords was under his chin and pressed against his white neck. I don't think I ever seen him so angry before in my life. His teeth were bared and his amber eyes spoke of hatred. "No means no, bastard," he sneered. Denmark opened his mouth, ready to object when Turkey smashed the hilt of his sword into his face. It wasn't enough to kill him- thank God for that -but the blond was out cold.

I flinched as Turkey slid his sword back into its sheath. That was violent, that was unnecessary. Couldn't he have done something a little bit nicer? Sorry if I sound like a pansy for thinking that, but the closed eyes of the Dane made me feel uneasy. What if he never woke up again? Turkey gave a satisfied smirk and looked up at me. "Are you alright?" he asked. "Did he hurt or touch you?"

I held everything back as I shook my head. "He really didn't." I bit my lip. Should I ask? Well why not? He did look as though he was expecting more from me. "But why? Why would you, out of all people, save me?"

Turkey lightly shrugged. "It's very simple really." He stood, dusting the dirt off of his hands. "You said no and a guy has to appreciate that."

"But you never leave me alone when I say it to you."

His smirk grew. "Well, you never outright said no," he said. I scowled. Stupid perverted old fag, thinking he can get away with something like that. I was saying 'no' and he knew it. "But I guess there's another reason behind it all," he added. He nervously scratched the back of his head as I light blush appeared on his cheeks. I suddenly had a bad feeling about it. "I was a little worried there, actually," he said. "I heard someone screaming and I thought that it was you, so I just came over to check."

"So you only saved me because it was me?" I asked, my forehead creasing with confusion. That didn't sound right. In fact, it sounded like motivation for a lover interest. Oh God, if Turkey ended up being just that, I was going to hit him.

Again, the Turk could only shrug. "Well it's more like I only saved you because you are Switzy's little sister. If you were anyone else, I wouldn't have given a shit." I opened my mouth, but he cut me off. "Well I better get this jackass back onto the ship," Turkey declared, quickly lifting the unconscious man over his shoulder. "Ukraine would kill me if I just left the infirm here."

I watched his start to walk away, the body swaying with his steps, when I finally spoke up. "You really like Switzerland-" he paused. "-Don't you?"

Turkey turned back to me. This time, he was frowning. He didn't look annoyed or upset, just pleasantly surprised. "I wouldn't necessarily say that I like him," he told me. "I just don't want to see him upset."

"Why?"

His eyes suddenly found his feet to be very interesting. Lightly kicking the ground, he appeared to be struggling to find an explanation. When it came, I wasn't all that surprised. "I just like it when he's at ease," he softly said. He jumped, as if realizing what he was saying. "Forget I said all of that bullshit," he told me before once again starting his walk back. "It really means nothing much. See ya!" And he quickly ran off.

For a while, I just stood there. So Turkey really does like Switzerland, but he wouldn't admit it? "That's. . . kind of sweet." I immediately shook the thought out of my head. "No Larry. Homosexuality is not sweet. It's gross and unholy." I groaned, rubbing my forehead. This was becoming too much. At this point, the best thing to do would be to get my butt back onto the ship and wait everything out. Like I originally intended.

The only problem was that I had no idea where to go. When I said that the alley was a freaking maze, I was not kidding. I literally had no idea which direction would take me to a dead end or back onto the streets. As irritating as it was, I still did have a few hours to get back. I could take my time getting out. Following the rules of a tumblr post, I placed my right hand on the wall and started trailing it. Apparently this was some sort of trick to getting through any sort of labyrinth. Hopefully, I wouldn't run into any David Bowies along the way.

Ha, ha- I hate that movie.

My only problem was that after an hour of endlessly meandering, I was no step closer to finding the exit. Swearing, I leaned against the wall and slid to the ground. "This blows," I muttered, pulling my hair. "This is a freaking ally- there has to be a way out." For a moment, I did nothing but pout and sulk. But then I heard it.

". . . you would just have to trust me on it," a voice said. My head shot up. It sounded as though it came from close by. "Yeah, yeah, but this is the best solution." . . . Wait. Wasn't that Alfred?

I immediately sprung to my feet. He was awake! And that bloody idiot was going to get my sorry butt out of here even if it was the last thing he ever did. I ran as fast as I could, seeking the source of my dear mentor's voice. I few times, I turned down the wrong alley and found out that it was only growing softer. I few times, I considered calling out for him, but Alfred was talking to someone. I had no idea who- it seemed like a one sided conversation -but it was making him talk like a mature adult. I wanted that person to stay around as long as possible just so that I can get a small glimpse of him.

"What if it's Gilbert?" I thought. I distinctively reached into my pocket and wrapped my fingers around the little glass vial. If it was Gilbert, then all of this would be over and I would never have to worry about any gross pervert ever again.

At last, I turned a sharp corner and found them. Alfred was standing with his back to me, blocking my view of the other man. He looked tensed, occasionally glancing at the ground where Sokka sat. Even my cat looked rather tentative as he spoke.

"Listen: I really think that you're over thinking this," Alfred said, speaking like a businessman at a meeting. "I thought that we both agreed that this will be the most effective solution. I'll even take the down fall if we're wrong."

The mystery dude groaned. "That's not what I'm saying," he said. My ears perked. That voice. . . why was it so familiar? "If you would get your head out of your ego, then you would also be concerned how risky of a move this is. You know how much he doesn't like her."

Alfred shrugged. "Yeah, but even he'll have to admit it'll work." Sokka meowed loudly and scratched his leg. The blonde swore and reached down to grasp the bleeding wound. "Why are you so worked up?" he spitefully demanded, seemingly talking to it. "You're a cat. You have better things to be worried about."

At that point, I thought that it would be a good idea for me to announce my presence. At the same time, something deep down told me that this was something top secret that I should never have witnessed. Yet, I felt as though that whole entire conversation was about me. I backed tracked until I was out of view before calling out Alfred name.

As if I had never been there before, I turned the sharp corner and down the alley towards him. Alfred was standing there, holding an unhappy Sokka in his arms as he grinned largely. The mystery man was nowhere to be found. "Hey there Larry!" He called out, running up to meet me. "What the heck are you doing here by yourself?"

I skidded to a halt and placed my hands on my bent knees. Panting heavily, I said, "It's a long story, but I think I'm lost. What are you doing here?"

His visage only grew wider. "Looking for you, of course!" He practically yelled. "I mean, how unheroic for me to be out cold while the damsel goes off into the new port alone! Naturally, I had to find you just to make sure that you didn't get kidnapped by some slave traders or something. You know, I once saved a bunch of slaves back in the day. See here, I was . . ."

I frowned and tuned him out. He was lying to me. Maybe. He could have had full intentions of finding me but ran into that guy along the way. But why didn't he tell me that in the first place? Why go off on a rant about the Slave Trade in the New World? "Because he's Alfred." True that, brain.

". . . anyways, it's kind of boring in here," Alfred said. He handed me my cat before taking my other hand. "Now step back and let the hero guide the damsel back to safety."

I scowled. "You do realize that I'm still a guy, right?"

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how heroic I am." I sighed and let it go. The journey that I spent an hour on and didn't even complete took Alfred less than a minute. In my defense, I did most of the work for him. Somehow . . .

We stepped back out into the shopping district, relieved to be out of that cramp space. Whoever was the idiot who thought alleys were a good idea should be shot. "Was that easy or what?" Alfred asked, hands on his hips and laughing like a cocky jock. "I don't see what you were so worried about in the first place."

I scowled and slapped his shoulder. "Shut up." His only response was another laugh. "So what are we supposed to do now?" I asked. Sokka meowed and I was forced to drop it. It gave a refined swish of the tail before puttering off into the crowd. Its little puff of fur disappeared easily. Hopefully, it'll come back.

My mentor, meanwhile, placed a hand on his chin, looking up through the frames of his glasses. "Well we have two choices," he said. "We can either go back to the ship, hang out some place and do something fun, or we can go look for that Gilbert guy."

A bubble of excitement gathered in my stomach. "Can we really do that?" I asked, squealing like a little girl. I really couldn't complain because in a sense, I kind of was.

A small, almost prideful smile replaced his cocky one. Reminding me of a father to his child, he ruffled my hair. "Sure thing, Lar. You got that vial thing on you, right?" I nodded. "Alright, let's get started."

At first, neither one of us were quite sure what we should do. It was not as if we could go up and ask someone what their name was. Yet, that was exactly what Alfred's plan was. He quickly taught me how to ask someone what their name was in Italian (don't ask me how he knew) and we went around to random people. All of them gave us a confused look before either quickly stating it or harshly demanding in a foreign tongue why we would want to know. When that happened, we would shoot out some gibberish about how we confused them for someone else before moving on to the next. I wanted to skip the women (what was the point of asking a girl if she had a guy name?), but Alfred insisted that we covered everyone.

Time passed and eventually the sun sank lower in the sky. Sunset was coming soon and our time to search was running out. Our lack of results was making me feel a little discouraged, but I forced myself to continue on. There had to be a Gilbert somewhere. There were probably hundreds of Gilberts out there, but Erwin made it out as though I would know which one was the one I wanted automatically. So following that logic, why not just ask whoever felt right to me?

That ended up being a guy in navy blue with his broad back to me. Swallowing, I walked straight up to him and tugged on his long shirt sleeve. "Come ti chiama?" I asked, speaking the worse Italian ever known to mankind. Like I think I was causing Dante- the guy who pioneered the everyday usage of that -to roll over in his grave.

The guy casually turned to me, saying, "Wow, Liech. You have the worse Italian I have ever heard in my life." I tensed, realizing that my 'follow your senses' trick led me straight into the care of Prussia. I didn't care what anyone had to say. I was one hundred percent sure that this guy was not Gilbert.

I coughed and looked down at the cobble street. "I'm sorry," I squeaked, trying to act like a shy little Liechtenstein (not the kind that can easily kick my butt). "I thought that you were someone else."

"Really?" he threw his head back and laughed. "How many incredibly handsome albinos do you meet daily?"

I didn't have an answer for that. If he was like every other guy, he probably believed that I had a major crush on him. But in Hetalia Country language, that would translate into me wanting to get into his pants. The safest thing for Liechtenstein's and my virginity would be to quickly change the subject. "So what are you doing over here?" I asked. Hands folded behind my back, I childishly tried peeked around his body. "What were you looking at?"

For once, I heard him give a nervous chuckle as he stepped in front of me, hands outstretched. "Oh. The awesome wasn't looking at anything in particular. . ."

I rolled my eyes. "Then why are you trying to hide it from me?"

"I'm not trying to hide anything from you!" His light voice was on the border of gleeful chuckles and frantic yelling.

I sighed. "Fine. I'll leave it alone." Prussia smiled and lowered his arms. l swiftly ducked under his arms. I heard him cry a noise of surprise as I ran the few steps to the window he was looking at. I laughed, saying, "So what are you . . ." I paused.

There were a millions things I would expect Prussia to be looking at. All of them were not very kid friendly and often involved some lady in sparse clothing. I remembered Dad telling me once that the red light district in Switzerland had their prostitutes right up at the windows like the statues in clothing stores. That was one of the things I expected of him. But I never thought that Prussia would be looking at a stationery store.

Right behind the clear glass were displays of fine paper and feather pens. They were blank leather bound journals and extravagant ink bottles. I pressed my nose up against the glass. I was partly in awe of how beautiful many of the utensils were and partly amazed at Prussia. Why was he looking at things like this?

I turned away from it and looked at him, asking, "Prussia. . . what is all of this?"

The man scratched the back of his head, looking down at the ground. The light around us was fading quickly and we would have to return to the ship soon. "I overheard you the other day asking Netherlands if you could use his paper and pen," he confessed. "And I just thought that maybe I should . . . you know, buy some for you."

A warm feeling gathered in my chest. He thought of me. He noticed that there was something that I really wanted and he was going to get it for me. No one has ever been that thoughtful towards me. It has always been what Sherry wanted or what was best for Jerry. No one ever thought about Larry.

Prussia bit his lip. "So . . . do you want it?" he asked. I was still processing what he was telling me. "And it's not because I'm uncontrollably in love with you and hope you bear my children or anything," he quickly added, his pale face turning an amusing shade of red. "I'm just doing this because I'm awesome!"

I smiled. "Only get it if you want to," I said. "I don't want to be a burden." Prussia grinned stupidly and wordlessly ran into the store. I stood there, laughing at ourselves. I swear, he was so much like a little child.

"What are you doing?" I stopped laughing and looked up at Alfred. He looked a little ticked and he had every right to be so. "I thought that we were supposed to be looking for Gilbert."

I frowned. Alfred seemed to loom over me. It was as if he had finally kicked his butt into gear. His blue eyes were hard and the air around him was somber. "Larry, I don't know what you're doing, but we have to find this guy," he told me. His words- so cold -made me feel so much smaller than him. "So please, just for me, try to stay concentrated on the task at hand."

Alfred may have been incredibly freaky, but he made the fatal mistake of wounding my pride. "I would like to follow your example, Alfred," I said. "But then I remember that you are the idiot who wants to fix Ukraine's love life." I flinched when I noticed that his hands were tightly clenched into fists. Oh crap, he was going to hit me.

"I got it!" Prussia ran out of the store, waving a little box around in the air. He was laughing like a lovesick puppy. "What do you think, Liech?" he asked, ignoring Alfred and handing the box to me. "I got you a little journal to write in and a quill and some ink and a pencil. What do you think?"

I did my best to ignore the pissed off blond as well and opened the little box. I was very pleased. The journal was big enough to comfortably write on, but small enough to fit into most of my dress pockets. The ink bottles were ordinary, but there were two of them, so I didn't have to worry all that much about running out. I would have to learn how to use a quill- this one was the typical sharpened white feather -but I bet that the Netherlands would be more than happy to help. The pencil was simple, but it looked sturdy. "This is perfect," I breathed, giggling with excitement. I could finally write again!

Prussia grinned and patted my back. "I'm glad you like it- oh hey Alfred. What are you doing here?"

Alfred glared at him for a second before quickly concealing his anger with his usual stupid visage. "I was just coming around to say that we're due back at The Romanov in a half hour," Alfred said, unsettling smooth and oblivious. "You two should probably head back soon."

Prussia nodded. "Yeah, we should." He placed a hand on my back and ushered me away, saying, "Let's go Liech. The awesome me has had enough with Sicily for one day."

I looked behind us. "Sure, but where's Sokka?" And that's when I heard the meowing. Sighing, I quickly bent down and lifted it into my arms. "Where did you go, big guy?" I asked, juggling the animal and my small box. "You're always disappearing on me." It only nuzzled the crook of my neck and purred.

Prussia did the talking for the whole walk back. In a way, that was how he was similar to Alfred: he knew too many stories and rants that intertwined with each other. The whole time, I silently nodded and concentrated on not dropping anything. I couldn't wait to find a quiet moment to just write about this whole mess. I felt more and more insane every moment I didn't.

"Well that's odd." I hummed and looked up at him. His red eyes were focused on The Romanov. "There's already a lot of people up there," he told me.

I squinted my eyes against the glare of the setting sun to see the silhouette of most of the crew. "I don't see how that is strange," I said.

"Well maybe it's different with the Red Coats, but us Brown Coats are never on time for anything. When Russia gives us a specific time, it's usually an hour earlier than needed just so that we all do things within the time limit."

"So everyone's on time today?" Sokka started squirming in my grasp. I put him down, asking, "Why would that happen?"

He frowned. "It means that something important is happening." His cold hand wrapped around my free one. "Come on," he urged, dragging me up the plank-thing to the deck. "Let's see what's going on."

The crew members were gathered in a circle around the deck, preventing me from seeing who it was. There were a few mutters going around- people either excited or nonchalant about the change. As I stood on the tips of my toes in a vain attempt to see past everyone's shoulders, Prussia tugged on someone's shirt and asked him what the commotion was about. "Russia hired another crew member," the someone, Turkey, said.

We exchanged confused looks. "Wait, so there's another civilian on the ship now?" Prussia asked.

Turkey peeled his eyes away from the event- most likely the person -and nodded. "Yeah. Something just possessed him and he suddenly hired this girl to help Ukraine in the kitchens and do other girly chores," he said. He folded his arms over his chest, muttering, "I don't see why I can't do it. I love cooking."

"Probably because you unawesomely tease her about her boobs. Like every day."

To my disgust, Turkey huffed and rolled his eyes. "Like it matters. But anyways, have you seen her yet?" He asked. "I'm not big on the whole civilian thing, but she is kind of cute."

I shook my head. "No, we haven't," I told him. My curiosity was blazing with want. Who was this person anyways and what made her so special? "I can't even see over everyone's shoulders."

"I think the hero can help with that." I jumped as Alfred placed to hands on my waist. As he used his incredible strength to lift me onto his shoulders, I could not notice how happier he looked. It was as if there was no scary mentor accident barely fifteen minutes before. "Tell me what you see up there!" He said, smiling stupidly.

I gulped and looked over the crowd.

I couldn't believe what I saw.

Russia and Belarus were there. Belarus stood to the side, hands folded respectfully in front while she looked on with an unreadable face. Russia, meanwhile, paced a little as he listed of the terms and conditions with the new crew member. Is not your slave, cannot participate in battles, is a human and therefore will break, etc.

The girl stood at the center, clutching a small sack in her hands as she watched her new boss pace. She was dressed in a ratty old green dress with her hair frizzing up at the sides. She looked a little nervous, unsure of what to do. She constantly shifted her weight from foot to foot, eyes darting to every person in the crowd. Suddenly, she looked up at me, her eyes meeting mine.

My blood ran cold.

It was not a hateful gaze. In fact, it was one of understanding. Something about me seemed comforting to her since she smiled and waved. But I could not move. I could not find the strength in me to lift my hand and wave back. I thought I heard Prussia and Alfred ask who she was, but my mouth was dry.

A little part of me felt dead inside, because . . .

Russia paused and finally outstretched a hand to her. "And so, if with no other condition, I am proud to introduce to you all Agatha Stu."

. . . that was my sister.

MW: I would like to imagine that none of you guys saw that one coming, but your reviews say otherwise. That's alright. I always have that one plot twist that everyone sees coming.

BFTL: But at least no one will see the Alfred twist—

MW: Don't spoil anything. Since every chapter I get a review asking about this, I'll just make something clear right now: I know what I'm doing. Alfred right now might seem out of place, but when I reveal what's up with him, it'll all make sense. Trust me.

SEK: But like what she said earlier, if you apply what happened in FG to this story, you can probably figure out a lot of the plot twists beforehand.

MW: I think we're done with hints for today. Thank you for reading!

Notes

"Konbanwa" Good evening. Japanese.

"Come ti chiama?" What is your name? Italian.

Next Chapter: Larry tries to make sense of Agatha's appearance, trying to figure out if she's Sherry or something else entirely.