II - Sisterly Love
[Сестринская любовь]

The young, soft-spoken girl took in a large gulp, wrapping the phone cord around her fingers as she heard that distinct, chilling voice. Ms. Russia always sounded so ladylike and gentle, but it was a mystery what lied beyond her pleasant exterior. Then Maddie thought: why was she brought into this in the first place? Well, nonetheless, she had to respond somehow!

There was a long, eerie pause, and the peaceful nation cautiously continued as she played with the hem of her skirt feverishly. "B-Bonjour, Russia-san! It's me, C-Canada!"

She heard a soft gasp, and a sweet, sing-song voice filled the void. "Is it really you, Maddie? Hmm, well I'm glad to hear from you! Did something terrible happen for you to call me? Haha, just kidding! What happened?"

She shook her head frantically as if Anya could see and tightly grasped the tangled phone cord in her hand against the pit of her stomach. "It's nothing! It has been a l-long time since I've sit down and- talked to you and…" Maddie paused for a long moment. Her fingers drummed against the dark-stained wood of her French dresser. Was it even a good idea to bring up the last time they spoke? It was on not so great terms, when she assumed her proper position as neutral mediator between her brat of a sister and the Russian.

Maddie snapped out of it, clicking her feet together and standing up boldly and tall. "W-well, you've h-helped me a lot over the past few months! You know, with that sudden monster of a blizzard we had in Montreal last month. So, ...my boss suggested we'd show our gratitude!"

"Huuuuh? No need to thank me! I always help those who ask for my help!~" A long pause ensued, but then the Russian's voice sank, almost to an inaudible whisper,. "I… I think you have more important things to do than to chat with me."

The Canadian instantly felt some relief. Loosening her grip, her expression softened, and her signature smile once again appeared. "Y-you really think so? Well, I.." her voice waned.

Remember what you are here to do, Maddie.

There had to be some way to reel her in! Then she thought of the pastries that her and Kumajirou ironically made the night before. "...but what will I do with all of these Nanaimo bars? Oh, maybe I'll just give them to Cuba-san. Yeah, he likes them..."

"N-no! No!" Anya interrupted. "Mm, I don't want to offend you or anything like that. I mean… a-ah, I'm sorry, I feel bad, but… well… It must be certain that you have no time to speak with me personally…"

"A-aww, I definitely would like to see you again, Russia-san! It means a lot to me and… I don't want to disturb you, but m-maybe I'll come to you? If you don't mind, of course! I don't know.." Got her!

"Really? That's excellent! Wonderful, wonderful~! Ah, ah, It will be a pleasure to see you here at my home! I haven't had any guests in a long time, so… I'll give you a warm welcome, that's for sure!"

"I t-think I can be there by tomorrow." She looked up at the wall, studying a painting of a smiling woman with a snow white complexion fashioning a Victorian-era dress. Things were so much simpler when she was just a child…

"Aww… perfect! Ha-ha! I'm looking forward to your visit! And, by the way, I would love to see that cutie Kumajirou! Will you be bringing him along?"

"Ahahaha! You want to see him? But that's..." Before she could finish, something hard and metallic suddenly pressed up against the small of her back. Maddie froze. Amelia was up to no good again. Maybe it was time to finally take her southern sister down a notch, at least until she finished the call. Business dealings are very important, and require a lot of patience and listening: something her sister overlooked time and time again.

A newfound courage rose up from within, giving her the voice she always wished for to go above a whisper. With this, Maddie had to only turn her head slightly to see a little bear's eerie, emotionless expression behind her. The rough digging into her spine shifted deeper as she held back a shriek in pain. It was the barrel of a small pistol... America's beloved pistol, in fact. She did not leave home without the thing. So how in God's name did the bear get a hold of something like that?!

By the looks of it, she needed to end the call quicker than expected. The young Canadian girl grasped the receiver clumsily with both hands, whispering hurriedly to her comrade. "That's wonderful! Yes, yes, I'll see to it that you see him! I... I must go! See you tomorrow at 6!"

"Stop-stop-stop! At 6?! Where?!"

"Th-th-the same place as last time! À bientôt!" The call ended with a sudden click. Maddie exhaled a small sigh of relief when she felt the firearm ease away from her back. She was preparing to scold her companion, twirling on her heel to grasp the gun from his little paws, but she met something more sinister as her purple eyes met green.

Those familiar sharp, daring emerald eyes pierced the darkness from a shrouded corner of the room and examined the quivering young woman. "You've done well," The figure chuckled. "Now all we do is sit and wait."

Filled to the brim with frustration, her glance shifted to the floor, her eyes softening at the thought of what she'd done. The small girl grabbed her right arm at her elbow to suppress any urge to scream out. She felt herself choking as her natural soft voice was left hoarse and trembling. The tears were difficult to hold back. "I'm sorry, Anya…"

Arbat - a place enchanted with the blending sounds of guitar and violin; a street where different eras coexist. Old, beautiful paintings stood out against old, mottled advertisements and museums of the 18th and 19th centuries blended in with modern shops and restaurants.

Everyone can find something to do in this lovely part of town! If you are a shopaholic, and have a large wallet - please make yourself at home! Any one of Arbat's stores is waiting for you with open arms. If you're a romantic at heart, you can just walk down the street and view the colorful boutique store windows while enjoying the street music. If you crave new knowledge, you can visit various old tenement houses, museums, and buildings with a long, rich history. Don't forget the numerous statues and, of course, the beautiful "Turandot" fountain.

This is one of the very few streets of Moscow left that has kept its appearance through the centuries. The modern, bleak concrete buildings of today don't come close in comparison to Arbat's small, neat and colorful establishments. In the late 1980s, the city decided to make the street a pedestrian-only zone, which greatly pleased Moscow's residents. There are not many pedestrian streets in the capital, especially in its center. Because of this, Arbat quickly became one of the favorite holiday destinations of Muscovites yearning for a break from the hustle and bustle of the big city. He has now become the home of many creative citizens: street musicians, artists, jugglers, acrobats, and also merchants that sell books, antiques, souvenirs, and other trinkets.

Here, on the third floor of a mall, was an interesting and small restaurant, the "L***", that Anya so loved. Despite so many people roaming the shopping center, the restaurant looked almost empty.

The walls were covered in dark green Chinese silk, the floors dark parquet. Expensive furniture made of wood and light maroon curtains hung against the windows. Paintings of multiple mythological scenes in hand-carved frames could be easily found around the restaurant, creating a sense of mystery and patrons often found themselves in serious thought over these masterpieces. But this was its charm, and at first glance, it seemed rather massive and crude, but the viewer would find himself yearning to study every detail of it.

All the tables and chairs were neatly carved, which always attracted the attention of visitors. Tiny glass orbs with tiny butterflies and flower buds encased in them were stacked strategically in the center of each table, which gave the place a special charm. On the shelves was intricate pottery displaying bundles of tropical flowers and, beside them, were wooden figures of dancing girls dressed in traditional costumes (which the restaurant owner bought from different parts of the country.) In addition, the bar was entirely made of glass, and a display of expensive alcohol was organized in straight rows.

Anya knew the owner of this restaurant - it was a longtime friend. She helped him buy a space for half price in the shopping center, for which he was very grateful and, in gratitude, gave her a discount on any food or beverage she desired, regardless of how much she ordered.

"Only 5:20am… so early," Anya said to herself, looking at her watch. She was punctual this time. However, being late for important meetings was typically her routine. Coming early was something unusual and out of the ordinary, you had more of a chance for a miracle to happen! Waiting was always so boring…

Slowing climbing the stairs to the third floor to the restaurant, Anya found her favorite spot by the window. She placed her bag down against her side and waited for Maddie.

Today, she got up later than planned, getting dressed and fixing her hair with lightning speed. In the midst of all that running, she forgot about breakfast! She only had a few moments to drink a small cup of coffee, brought to her by her caring Toris. Now she felt so silly, and ordering food before Canada arrived would be improper. What would she say if Maddie arrived early and would see her devouring eggs or even oatmeal?

Tapping her fingers against the table out of boredom, she decided to waste some time by looking at the people who always hurried along the street. It was a fascinating experience when you consider each person was unique with their own special personality traits and…

"Oh God, where is she? Did she bail out on me? Then what…?" The long wait always was a hell of a test for her (although she was not the most punctual person in the world and often made people wait a long time herself.) Anya took off her coat and gloves because she was already getting warm. When she was bored, she had to find a distraction from her thoughts and would look for an interesting object to occupy her time. On the desk before her was a purple orchid encased in a small sphere. She loved flowers: they gave her comfort. They made her reminisce about many wonderful, unforgettable memories, and looking at them made her realize that life wasn't so bad after all...