"China?" several of the countries asked at last as the older nation stepped into America's house, "What are you doing here?"
"I decided to help after all, aru. You're right about Russia, he's hiding something."
The countries leaned in, completely attentive to China. ((No, don't forget about Prussia! He's been kidnaped, you idjits!))
"Erm, well I'm not quite sure where to start, aru…" China said, "I suppose I should start by saying that Russia does have a 2p. As far as I know… well, I only met him four or five times. He was very serious; he didn't like to joke around much."
"How long 'as 'e known about 'is 2p?" France asked
"A long time, back before he became 'Russia', when he was still just Moscow." China said, "Russia didn't have any friends, so he convinced his excessively-serious 2p to become his friend- with some reluctance, aru. I had talked with him several times before he disappeared and Russia never mentioned him again. If I asked Russia about it, he usually just said that he wasn't around anymore, but sometimes he would get quite mad at me for bringing it up at all, aru."
"It was also around this time that Russia started doing very well for himself, and eventually became 'Russia'. I'm not sure what happened between those two, but whatever it was caused him to become very different, aru. Russia could always be a bit creepy when he wanted to, but after that point he became excessively so… He became creepier than cute, aru."
Some of the countries silently questioned China calling Russia "cute", but they let it slide as they all knew China was rather friendly towards Russia (Well, America only vaguely knew this as he often didn't pay attention to what the other countries did and thought).
"I thought that it was just a phase that he was going through, and that he would eventually go back to normal after he forgot about whatever had happened, but that obviously didn't happen, aru. I didn't realize just how much Russia had changed until a while after he became the Soviet Union. I agreed to go along with him because we were friends, aru, but after a while I realized that might not even be true anymore, so that's why I left the Soviet Union."
China appeared to be done, so several of the countries took a bit of time to let the information sink in, and a few to question China:
"But that can't be it. There has to be something else, right?" England asked him
"I'm afraid I don't know anything else, aru."
"But you've known Russia longer than anyone. You're the closest person to him! How is that all you know?"
"Russia mostly stopped talking to me after whatever happened with his 2p. He became very distant. I just didn't realize how distant until after the whole Soviet Union thing, aru."
"So this really hasn't gotten us anywhere. All we really know is that Russia has a 2p, something happened between them, and now Russia is extra-creepy."
"Not entirely true, aru. Russia responded the same way when you asked him about his 2p as when I asked him and he got upset with me. However he was a lot more defensive when all of you became curious, aru. He's hiding something, and I have a theory as to what it is."
"Are you going to tell us this theory, China?" Germany asked
"If I'm wrong, I wouldn't want to mislead you into a narrow mind frame,
"No offence, but we haven't exactly gotten anywhere without your help. Even if your theory is wrong, your insights will greatly help us." England said
"A- please, Mr. China?" Italy asked, pouting
"Fine, but if something go wrong, don't blame me, aru. Lithuania, you said that Russia responded in a completely different way than before, correct?"
Lithuania nodded.
"I think that Russia was easily persuaded by his new friend to do several things. I also think that like all the 2ps, Ian wanted a certain amount of control over the physical country. So I believe that he convinced Russia to let him 'become Russia'. In other words, Both Ivan and Ian share the responsibilities of being the country. In a similar manor that Germany and Prussia share their responsibilities."
"Hmm? Germany and Prussia? But Ian is a 2p! He can't do that. Why would Russia allow that?" Italy asked
"Because Ian is Russia's only close friend," China said guiltily, "And Russia used to be fairly easily persuaded."
"So you're saying that the Russia we know is actuary two peopre(people)?" Japan asked
"That's the feeling I get…" China said.
"I don't think Bruder vould have been this helpful afterall…" Germany said
"Prussia didn't come, aru?"
"He did, but he went to get something to eat… He should have been back by now for sure. Something might ha-" Germany froze as his phone chirped a four-note tune that seemed oddly haunting. It was an emergency text from Prussia, sent through a method the two of them had devised earlier that didn't required Prussia to have his cell phone to send in case something happened to the ex-country. Using the method was a desperate call for help, to be used if something drastic had happened to him.
"What is it-a Germany?" Italy asked
"Prussia's in danger," he said as he showed the phone to the others. It was just one word, "Russia"