Thunder boomed over a small encampment in a far away country.

War was brewing between many countries, the name World War One being given to it.

A man, his wife, and his one year old daughter were living in the small encampment, along with many others.

Suddenly, a group from one the attacking armies came and set the camp on fire.

The man watched in horror as his wife and child died before his eyes, along with countless others in the military camp.

From that day forward, the man refused to fall in love again and became isolated, untrusting.

Little did he know, his child had survived the fire accident, becoming a country that was supposed to be buried under the Atlantic Ocean.

She became a country that was never to be seen again, never meant to exist, but existed anyway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seventeen Years Later

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kalda sighed as she plopped onto her bed.

Another normal, un-fun day accomplished, she thought sadly.

Kalda knew that today was supposed to be a fun day, but her older brothers, Veneziano and Romano, were too busy doing their own things.

Kalda had always waited for them to come home so that they could do something fun together, but whenever they came home, they were always too tired from their work.

She never got to see them much anymore.

Being the youngest is hard, she confirmed, rolling onto her back to face the ceiling.

Kalda sighed again, becoming tired and bored.

The brown-haired and brown-eyed girl wasn't supposed to be a country, but here she was.

Before anyone could fight over her to see who would own her, Veneziano, Romano, and Seborga dove right in and called dibs on her first.

The front door suddenly busted open down below, bringing Kalda's attention to the conversation that was brewing downstairs.

"Why are you going to a Meeting tomorrow?" Romano demanded, starting an immediate argument.

"I was invited, and I would have felt bad if I had turned down the invitation," Veneziano whined in answer.

"But this is a Meeting where some very dangerous countries are going to be there tomorrow, including you!" Romano argued. "Are you even prepared for that? And what about Kalda? She needs our support and love!"

"I know, and I wish that I didn't have to go, but I do," Veneziano sadly replied.

Romano sighed, but then he spoke again.

"Then I'll watch over her," he confirmed. "She needs someone, so it might as well be me."

Kalda had always felt like she was a burden to her brothers, but she had always reminded herself that they loved her no matter what she thought.

The two men walked up to Kalda's room, noticing that she was sleeping.

"Poor girl's already asleep," Romano said, gently stroking her head once the two men got to her room.

"She's so peaceful when she sleeps," Veneziano laughed quietly.

"We should go and sleep, too, Veneziano," Romano told his brother. "All three of us have a big day tomorrow."

"Love you, Kaldy," Veneziano whispered to his sister, retreating down the stairs with his brother and into his room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day came, and Kalda woke up to the sound of birds chirping and rays of sunlight coming in through her window.

She got out of her bed like usual, walking down the stairs to see Romano still asleep in his room and Veneziano gone from his.

Kalda saw that Veneziano's pajamas were thrown onto his bed, one of his best military suits taken out from the closet.

This must be a very important Meeting, Kalda thought in awe. Oh, how I wish that I could have asked him if I could have come to the Meeting as well.

Kalda had always dreamed of going to a World Meeting, but she had never gotten the chance.

Well, until now, that was.

Kalda quietly ran up the stairs to get the nicest and most military-looking outfit possible out of her own closet.

She sighed when she noticed that she didn't have anything like what Veneziano had, just dresses and some other girlish things.

Kalda got another idea, then, as she quietly ran down the stairs, not wanting to wake Romano up as she entered Veneziano's room again.

She picked out a blue military outfit, one that she supposed that he hadn't worn since the end of World War One, yanking it off of the hanger.

Kalda took his outfit and gear back to her room, bringing the black combat boots just in case they would fit her, immediately getting to work.

First, she actually tried the outfit, the jacket, the hat, the gloves, and the gear on to see if it had already fit her or if she needed to hem some of it.

Kalda took note that the jacket was a perfect fit, so she knew that hemming the shirt wouldn't really matter then.

She quickly hemmed the shirt, anyway, trying on the shirt and the jacket again after she had finished.

To say the least, Kalda couldn't have been more proud of herself.

She moved on to the pants next, knowing that the bottom of the pants were a little too long.

Kalda put the pants back on after she hemmed them as well, and she was happy that they were fitting her now.

She buttoned up the jacket, putting the waist-belt and gear back on after she tucked in the bottom of the shirt into the upper part of the pants.

Kalda decided to put the gear away, not wanting to carry around a pistol and bullets everywhere that she went.

She put her shoulder length, chocolate brown hair into a bun, stuffing the bun into the hat that had come with the outfit.

Kalda was pleased that she now looked more like a man than a girl.

Suddenly, Kalda became worried that she couldn't speak with an Italian accent at all.

Whenever she spoke, it was always American and not Italian like her brothers'.

Oh, I hope this doesn't cause any problems for me, Kalda thought in worry.

She laced up the black combat boots, making sure that she gave herself one last look in the mirror before heading out of the house.

I look just like a man, Kalda grinned to herself. Perfect.

Kalda quickly and quietly ran down the stairs, making sure that she didn't wake her other brother up.

She quickly wrote him a note before walking out of the house, not wanting him to worry about her.

Kalda pondered where the Meeting was to be held at, instantly remembering that it was in Russia this time around.

Kalda bought some male winter attire, heading to the airport.

After giving some money to the flight attendant, she boarded the plane.

Kalda didn't mind being alone, even on an airplane; however, she didn't like being around people who weren't her brothers.

She became worried once she felt someone sit in the empty seat next to her, so she took a quick glance to notice that the person sitting next to her was a man.

He had blonde hair, pale skin, and was wearing a green and brown military outfit.

Kalda had to admit, though, that the man had beautiful green eyes.

She tried not to hyperventilate, keeping her brown eyes fixed on the window.

"You're awfully quiet, sir," Britain stated calmly. "Most of the passengers that I sit next to are normally quite talkative. Are you all right?"

Kalda internally jumped, offended that the adult mistook her for a man.

She just gave him a silent nod as if to answer "Yes." to his question.

"Hm," Britain hummed in thought. "Alright, then."

Kalda relaxed once Britain quit talking to her, deciding to read a book instead.

She closed her eyes, beginning to take a nap as the plane took off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kalda jolted awake at the flight attendant's voice over the intercom.

She kept her face down, not wanting to get caught by anyone.

Especially by Britain.

"Are you really okay, sir?" Britain asked Kalda, clearly concerned for her. "You're really jumpy."

Kalda didn't answer him as she ran out of the plane and into the airport.

She grabbed her luggage, put on her parka, and immediately went to a taxi.

She silently handed the driver a ticket stating where she wanted to go, and the driver took her there.

Kalda thanked the driver for the ride with a silent smile, paying the fare and running into the Meeting Hall.

She tried to ignore a teenager doing housework, but the teenager noticed her anyway.

"Oh, hello, sir," Latvia cheerfully greeted. "I can take your stuff for you. Everyone's pretty much here and are in the Meeting Room. If you need me to show you where the room is, I can definitely do-"

Kalda ran away from Latvia, cutting him off.

She was still confused as to why everyone thought that she was a male, but then she finally realized everyone's mistake.

In the mirror she noticed that the jacket hid her breasts, thus making her look more slim and masculine.

Kalda sighed in defeat, knowing that she might as well accept her disguise.

She heard loud and obnoxious yelling coming through the big, wooden doors, but she ignored that.

With a deep inhale, Kalda reached for the door handle.

Sadly, though, she was interrupted by footsteps behind her.

"Do you need me to open up the door for you, sir?" Britain wondered, being polite.

Kalda knew that he was later to arrive there than she was, but she was more confused as to why he wanted to go everywhere that she wanted to go.

When she didn't answer, Britain awkwardly opened up the door for himself and walked into the room.

Kalda snuck in with him, running into a corner to hide while Britain took his respected seat at the table.

She ignored all of the side conversations and arguments the other men present at the meeting were having, becoming quite happy in her corner.

Suddenly, she started to worry if any of these men would like her.

Without any background information on her, Kalda would have a hard time explaining how she was a country to the other countries.

All Kalda knew about herself was that she was never meant to exist, that she was supposed to be buried underneath the Atlantic Ocean due to the end of World War One.

She also knew that she was an orphan before Romano, Veneziano, and Seborga had adopted her.

Seborga loved to travel, so he wasn't around Kalda as much as his brothers were.

However, Kalda still believed that she was an orphan and that she had no ancestors or family members of her own blood that she knew of.

Sadly, though, Romano, Veneziano, and Seborga didn't fit into her "family" category.

Kalda's thoughts suddenly got interrupted by a very heavy, and very loud, German accent.

"ENOUGH YOU FOOLS!" Germany yelled as he stood up, banging his hands on top of the table.

Everything went silent after his hands were slapped onto the table once, and Kalda internally jumped in fright.

Kalda suddenly began to worry about being caught again, seeking quick and quiet refuge behind a chair in the same corner that she was standing in.

She quietly shifted in her claustrophobic hiding spot, accidentally hitting the side table with her right foot.

A glass vase fell off of the table and onto the floor, shattering.

Kalda quietly cringed, hoping that no one heard that and ignored it.

All talking in the room ceased, and Kalda realized that she had thought about the opposite scenario way too soon.

"Did...anyone else see that vase fall onto the floor by itself?" America wondered out loud.

Kalda hoped that no one was on to her, but she seemed like that was also a possibility at this point.

"It's a ghost!" Veneziano shrieked in fear, trying to hide under the table.

"Oh, please," Britain nonchalantly scoffed. "It's not a ghost. Perhaps someone just snuck into the Meeting without us knowing?"

"Or maybe they just got the rooms mixed up?" China mused.

"Well, if zhere really is an intruder," Germany started as he stood up again, "whoever you are, I'm giving you until zhe count of zhree to show yourself. One...."

Kalda was too scared to respond, so she just stayed quiet.

"....Two," Germany went on.

Kalda still stayed quiet, getting into a very squished fetal position.

"....Zh-" Germany cut off, getting interrupted by someone else.

"Is all right, Germany," Russia calmly stated with a grin. "You are guest here. Besides, I already have way to get intruder to show themselves."

Kalda could feel her heart rate increase, the girl suddenly fearing for her life.

"You're going to hit them with a metal pipe?!" America asked in horror. "What if the the intruder is a girl?!"

"Then I'll hit her lightly," Russia replied as he walked over to the chair.

Kalda started to freak out even more, wanting this nightmare to be over.

The thought of getting hit with a metal pipe was scary for Kalda to imagine, so she knew that she had to show herself now.

Before Russia could even hit Kalda from behind the chair, she jumped out of her hiding spot herself.

She had her hands over her head, hoping to protect herself from the pipe's impact on her body.

"Please don't hit me!" she pleaded in her normal voice without even thinking, falling to her knees because she was so shaky.

Kalda heard everyone gasp, and Kalda even gasped herself as she opened up her eyes.

She realized that she was practically bowing at Russia's feet, and that alone gave her an awkward feeling.

Kalda looked at him, her brown eyes meeting his violet ones.

She got her act together, knowing that she should speak again.

"Permission to stand, Mister Russian Male, Sir?" Kalda asked in a strong, clear voice as she gave Russia a perfect salute with her right hand.

She knew that she was probably giving everyone the impression that she was loyal to the Russian army, but she didn't care.

It was the least that Kalda could do for causing so much trouble.

Russia just closed his eyes, a cheerful smile on his pale face as he chuckled a little.

"Of course, little girl," he said in his polite, Russian accent. "You are guest here as well."

Kalda just nodded as she stood up to face everyone, her hand still in its perfect salute.

"Two Italians?" Britain wondered out loud. "How in the world did this one sneak in?"

Kalda just sighed, knowing that she should give them an explanation.

She also ignored Britain's obliviousness, knowing that he must have forgotten that she had snuck into the room after he had opened up the door for himself.

"I guess all of you want an explanation, huh?" she chuckled nervously, Russia still being his cheerful self beside her.

"That would be preferable," Britain calmly agreed.

Kalda nodded as she silently took off her hat, pulling her hair out of its bun and letting it fall to her shoulders like usual.

"Kaldy!" Veneziano happily cheered, using her nickname and tackling Kalda to the floor in a huge hug.

Kalda laughed as she tried to get him off of her, wanting to act professional in front of the other men.

"Ugh!" Kalda giggled. "Veneziano, get off! You're ruining my outfit."

"Isn't it mine, though?" Veneziano asked, confused.

"Aw, come here, you adorable person," Kalda replied with a smile, hugging him back.

"I am honestry sorr confursed," Japan quietly stated.

"Aren't ve all?" Germany asked in an annoyed sigh, walking up to Veneziano and Kalda.

"Mind introducing us to your little friend, Italy?" Germany wondered, looking at the two.

"Oh, right!" Veneziano replied as he helped Kalda stand up. "This is my little sister, Kalda!"

"Little...sister?!" Germany questioned in shock.

"I don't understand zhis at all! How did Veneziano finally manage to get his hands on a micro-nation before zhe rest of us even knew about her?!" France dramatically whined.

"Isn't she wonderful?" Veneziano giggled, hugging Kalda closer to him like she was his stuffed animal.

"More like a magnet for trouble," Britain disagreed. "She broke that vase and didn't even apologize for it."

"Oh, like you actually knew it was me hiding behind that chair," Kalda snapped, glaring at him. "If I were you, I wouldn't jump to conclusions about me. You hardly know who I am."

"How dare you speak to me that way?" Britain glared at Kalda, walking up to her. "If I were in charge of you, I would teach you how to speak to an adult the proper way."

"Aw, she just gets anxious when people yell at her all of the time," Veneziano laughed, and Kalda blushed a little in embarrassment.

"Veneziano," Kalda said in a sing-song tone through clenched teeth, "now's not the time to share that."

"Oh," Veneziano chuckled. "Oops."

Kalda sighed as she looked back at Britain.

"I'm sorry," she calmly apologized, looking at Russia. "I didn't mean to break that vase. It was an accident."

"Is okay, little girl," Russia answered cheerfully. "I hated vase."

"That still doesn't excuse what you did," Britain replied, looking at Kalda.

"I guess there's a punishment for this, huh?" Kalda wondered, looking at her brother.

"What?" Veneziano questioned, confused. "You didn't do anything wrong at all, Kaldy."

"Except insult me!" Britain complained, clearly angry about that. "If I were you, she would have already been locked up."

Kalda growled a little, not liking that threat.

"Could use new helper around house," Russia spoke up in thought.

"Come to think of it, so could I," Britain agreed, also going into thought.

"I can help you," Kalda quickly decided, wanting to do as much as she could in apology.

"Well, I didn't mean you," Britain snapped, looking at her. "You're a brat. I don't hire brats. If I need a bratty helper, I call America."

"Hey!" America whined, hurt.

"I meant her," Russia said with a somewhat creepy smile.

"Well, by all means, take her," Britain stated. "I get riled up just being around her."

"You get riled up by everyone," France smirked.

"Only because you are around everyone else!" Britain yelled at France.

"Kaldy does not need to be hired by you two," Veneziano defended firmly.

Kalda was surprised by her brother's sudden defensiveness, knowing that he was usually nice around everyone.

"I will just hire someone else," Britain dismissed as he looked at Veneziano, "but just remember that if any of this happens again some other time, I will make sure that this girl pays."

Kalda sighed a bit, knowing that she and Veneziano had just been threatened.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Germany dismissed the Meeting due to Kalda's sudden presence, she soon knew everyone by name.

Especially Britain.

France had recognized Kalda once he saw her up close, surprised by how much his "adorable and little niece" had grown.

Still, Kalda felt guilty for what had happened earlier between her and Britain, so she wanted to make amends with him.

"Can I go and talk to someone real quick?" Kalda asked her brother after they had left the room.

"Of course, Kaldy," Veneziano cheerfully replied. "You don't need my permission to do something."

Kalda nodded as she ran to catch up with Britain.

"Britain, wait!" Kalda gasped, bending over to get her breath back as she stopped running.

"What in the blazes do you want now?" Britain snapped as he turned to face her, still not happy with Kalda.

"It doesn't matter what Veneziano says," Kalda replied calmly, straightening herself. "I want to make things right between us. I want to work for you, to make up for what I've done. Plus, I...feel like I owe you."

"I already told you that you're a brat," Britain stated. "I don't hire brats like you."

"I'm not a brat!" Kalda helplessly defended for herself, on the verge of tears. "I'm a hard-worker, and I don't mind hard tasks."

"Like I said earlier, I don't want to hire you," Britain replied.

"Fine," Kalda snapped, feeling hurt as she turned her back on him. "Tell the Queen that I said hi."

They started walking away, but then Britain sighed as the they stopped walking.

The two of them turned to face each other, Britain closing his eyes in defeat.

He looked so calm and poised, and Kalda wondered how he had done that.

"You start working at eight o' clock tomorrow morning," was all Britain said as he walked away from Kalda, disappearing from her sight completely.

Kalda was suddenly confused by his strange change in mind, but she didn't think much of it as she ran back to Veneziano.

"That took longer than I had expected," Veneziano smiled. "I'm getting hungry."

"You're always hungry," Kalda replied with a laugh, "and sweet."

"I love you, Kaldy," Veneziano said.

"I love you, too, Veneziano," Kalda grinned as the two of them made their way back home.