Russia

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Bump after bump shook the car, as the grass slowly morphed into a dirt road, which led the way back to civilization.

There was a beat from the radio that expanded into a multitude of sounds. It was different from the music I could remember hearing. The instrumentals, the words, and even the vocals had shifted entirely; once playful, now somber. Kazakhstan told us that this was only one of the many changes that occurred during our time away.

I took this as the truth and turned back to looking out the window.

The same, old, barren wasteland found itself painted with the color of inky sky. However, dots of moonlight showed through the clouds on rare occasions, so the place felt peaceful instead of dreary. The wildlife surrounding the road ran rampant with insects, furry creatures, and a variety of different plants that had begun to change color. I'm sure stars were shining above the haze of clouds that blocked their chilling glow.

I took a deep breath in, and let a bigger one out. The others around me, besides Kazakhstan, had all fallen asleep. That left the two of us to silently gaze at the road, as we listened to the soft piano and haunting voice of a woman.

"Hey, Russ," I swiveled my head over in my friend's direction. "Have things been alright with my mom?"

My eyebrows flared up, "Uh, yeah. Well, as far as I know she's been fine. Why?"

"It's just that she was too...too quiet. You know what she's like, and she's anything but quiet. It's probably nothing, but it's got me worried that something may have happened recently," he confessed, as he reached a hand back to rub his neck.

I opened my mouth, but nodded and averted my eyes instead, "Mm, yeah. If I were to take a guess, she could be feeling down cause Bela's leaving. She and her have spent a lot of time together since you left — Bela's practically her daughter now."

"Ah, right," Kazakhstan agreed. "Yeah, that's probably it. Thanks."

A few haisty minutes passed us, and the edge of the Deprive started to close in on us.

Looking at it from this end, I could really tell which place had access to magic and which side did not. The atmosphere on the other side was lively, even when darkness encapsulated it. Glowing flowers, glistening streams, and grassy rocks laid ahead — creating a clear divide between the dying grasses, discolored streams, and cracking stones on my side.

It was a beautiful sight, and my first look at what I had missed out on since I had been relocated eight years ago.

I felt the speed of the car gradually decrease, until we were moving at the speed of a snail, "Don't worry, it's nothing like going in. It's actually a bit refreshing," he told me, as he lightly tapped on the gas pedal.

Once we had reached the divider, the hairs on my arms started to stand up, as the pure energy in front of me coursed through each one. The light blue wave that kept unwanted people out washed over and through the mobile, coating everyone inside in a pale blue light.

Kaz was right, it felt cool to go through, it was kinda like a weightless waterfall. I swore that it was nearly identical to mint — the fresh tingly feeling that passed through me.

As soon as we passed into the vaguely familiar land, I felt my eyes grow heavy. It was an instant change that was irresistible. It was almost as if there was something else in the air. The wheel turned, and the car swerved over to the right. A yawn left Kazakhstan's mouth, he reached for a latch next to his chair, and I watched as it sank back, "I'll explain in the morning," he yawned. "Good night, Russ."

My own breathing grew heavy and a yawn left my own mouth. I copied my friend's movements: pulling the little gray latch, leaning the chair back, and closing my eyes, "Night, Kaz."

Some time later, I fell into the realm of dreams, as my eyes closed in around themselves.

Strange...

I haven't dreamed in years.

It was a simple dream, just a memory from the past of my dad and I gathering berries together. It seemed like only a few minutes passed by, before I was woken up by a shake to my shoulder.

My eyelids pulled back, but quickly shut themselves again. The sun was blinding, and it was only worsened thanks to the glass.

After a moment of recovery, I reluctantly tried again, only to be surprised with rows of colorful boxes with shingled roofs decorating them. There was also an abundance of greenery with flowers, leaves, and stems covering the ground in certain organized patches. Next to these, there was a white building material that soaked up the sun's rays and made itself glisten.

Houses, lawns, and sidewalks.

My pupils wandered further. I noticed that the car I was in was on a smooth black street instead of a dirt path. In the buildings around me, I couldn't help but notice people scampering throughout each one. Each one that I noticed seemed to have their own place to be, or task that they were doing. It was unorderly, but free.

Father had never told us about that. The world out here is strange.

"Rise and shine!" Kazakhstan called out to us, even though he was sitting right next to us. "We've arrived! Today's a new day, and we have places to be. And by we, I mean you!" his hand gestured to each of us, as he remarked the last part.

"Where do we need to be exactly?" Belarus asked, as she stretched her arms over her head, only to hit the ceiling. "Damnit."

"Aww, don't be like that, Bela. First off, you have to visit the Justice Wing to verify that you're here. After that, you three will go on a tour of the city with a guide, while I sort out where you'll be staying, as well as get my power back. Sound good?" Kazakhstan laid out.

That sounded like a jam-packed day. This city was huge...

"Sounds good," Belarus exclaimed. "But why can't we come with you to get our powers?"

"Well, that's happening tomorrow when the school day starts," my older brother-figure informed us, then got out of the car and walked over to the white path. "Everyone has to wait till then, including you all. Now, let's get you registered as early as we possibly can, because there's a lot for you guys to see. I'll walk you in, then I'm going to head out, okay?"

The three of us nodded, opened our doors, and scampered after him. I briskly walked over to Kazakhstan, who was already meters ahead of my siblings and I.

All around us were strange looking people who were covered from head to toe in all sorts of fabric. Some stared, but most minded their own business. I assumed that my friend parked in a more crowded part of town, since there were countless shops. Some sold clothes, others food, and a few sold mere amenities — little trinkets that weren't necessarily needed by anyone.

"And that over there is where I work," Kazakhstan pointed over to a medium-sized store that housed cooking products. "It's the local grocery store. My little army dudes stock the shelves, while I get the higher stuff. Granted, I need to get pissed off to do it, but I love seeing the place when it's all done. It sorta feels like...uh...oh! Like having a successful hunt and bringing back game."

My eyes peered over to the shelves that were filled with bags, cans, and boxes; as I wondered if I would get the same feeling for doing something similar.

"Over here is the movie theater, on one of my off days I'll take you guys to see one. How does that sound?" he asked.

I felt my lips curve upwards, "It'll be just like old times, back at home."

As soon as the words left my mouth, the thought of my old home crossed my mind. Who lived there now? Was it still the same? What was the address again?

I sighed, maybe I could visit it one day.

We all continued to walk, until Ukraine tugged on Kazakhstan's shirt, "Yes?"

"What's that over there?" Ukraine's hand extended, and pointed at a large, open, circular building. It was outlined in marble spiral patterns that wove inwards on themselves. The actual cylinder itself looked like it was made of bricks, except they were white. Golden accents cropped out the windows at the top of the large highrise. Vines, flowers, and streamers hung from the summit of each pillar, draping downwards in an elegant fashion.

"Oh, I almost forgot. That's the coliseum where the Verses take place," Kazakhstan pressed a stop-light button, and explained what the thing was, while we crossed the street. "Two times a year, there are tournaments held there to see who gets to be the Renevior. It's a title served to the most worthy champion, also known as the one who wins the games. There's one coming up in December, and it's very entertaining to watch. I believe that a person called Brazil won last time, but I could be totally mistaken. It was really close in July."

The three of us nodded and moved along.

Huh, interesting.

"Aha! Here we are; the Justice Wing," Kazakhstan hollered, as a sea of pure white, blue, and ochre buildings came into view.

The offices were surrounding the middle in the shape of a crescent. In the center of the path there was a stone-textured fountain that was painted with the colors of the sky, and was surrounded by ivory benches. Like before, there were patches of greenery that were controlled by panels of sidewalk.

But, perhaps the most majestic thing about this place had to be the four trees that were planted in the grass fields. One tree had leaves that would disappear, change, or combine over time. Another tree's leaves were replaced with purple orbs that glowed, while the trunk was engraved with a ritual marking. The second to last tree would change colors, which affected the color of the fire that it emitted. The last one lacked bark, but it had scales covering up where the bark would have been, while fangs hung as decorations.

They were mind boggling creations, and I couldn't even picture how they came to be.

Kazakhstan led us over to the second building, the one located just left of the middle. It was white, like the others, and it had a nameplate next to the door. The nameplate read, "European Union - Communications/Volventrem'.

"Well, at least it isn't UN," I thought, as Kazakhstan opened the door for all of us.

"I would appreciate it if you would knock first before barging in, Kazakhstan, It's only polite," EU lifted her head from her desk, and removed a pair of glasses from her face. From the looks of things, she was a bit tense, but strangely calm and collected — which was an odd trio of things to coexist at once. Oddly enough, it reminded me of my dad-

"Excuse me? Watch your thoughts, boy. I will not be compared to that scum, especially by you," she spat. Or well I thought she did, but her mouth didn't move. I felt my eyebrows furrow, as my mouth faltered between gaping open and tightly shutting. Though my eyes did catch a small smirk on her face when it happened again, "It's my power. Nobody but you can hear me right now. Neat, right?"

"Of course," Kaz apologized. "I'm sorry, I won't let it happen again. However, I brought some people for you to meet," he nudged his head in our direction. "But, to be fair, you and I were talking the whole way here, I thought you'd be expecting us."

EU raised a brow, "And? Still not an excuse. Now, you have places to be, don't you? I'll look after these three, register them, and hand them off to NATO once he gets here. Oh, don't give me that face, I won't do anything to them. They haven't done anything wrong...yet," a thick silence followed her last remark, before she started chuckling. "Don't worry, I'm only joking. I'm sure they're great kids."

"Yes, they are. Before I go, this is Russia, this is Ukraine, and the girl over there is Belarus," he gestured to us respectively.

EU nodded her head, as she repeated our names quietly to herself, "Could you three come over here? I need you to give me some basic information about yourselves," when we didn't budge, a sly grin skidded across her lips. "Don't worry, I don't bite. That's Mali senior's job, not mine."

We each glanced at each other for a moment, before we hesitantly headed over to her desk. Her chilling cedar eyes scanned us over for a second, before they stopped on me, "Let's start with you, Russia," she determined, as she pointed his pen at me. "What's your full name?"

"Russian Federation."

He scribbled it down and moved onto the next question, "Age?"

"Around fourteen."

"Date of birth?"

"December twenty-fifth."

"Year?"

"Fourteen years ago."

EU sighed, and wrote down a few more words. She then got up and moved over to a weird black plate, "Take your shoes, then step on this."

I got up out of my chair and did as I was told. I placed my new, ebony shoes next to the plate, whole I got on.

"One hundred and ninety point five centimeters," EU mumbled to herself, after she dragged a hard edge to the top of my head. She raised it, and then looked at a black thing with numbers on it. "About eighty kilograms," her pen moved along her paper, as she escorted me off.

"I would normally ask you about any power discoveries, but since that isn't a possibility, we are skipping those questions, till you fill them out for yourself. That's it. Ukraine, you're up next," she did the exact same thing as before. "What's your full name?"

"Ukraine."

"Just Ukraine?" he nodded and she sighed, but let out a little chuckle while Raine's face turned red. Soon, I heard EU's voice reenter my mind, "He got the short end of the stick, didn't he?"

Bela and I couldn't hold back a wheeze or two.

Soon, we were all done.

"Okay. Now that I have your information, you're all good to go, so, you're aware that you're getting a guide to show you around right?" EU asked.

"Yeah, you mentioned a name. Was it..uh..Na-something-or-other?" Belarus questioned, as she toyed with her fingers.

"It's NATO, and he'll be arriving in three...two...one, now."

The door flew open behind us, and a little guy with big glasses stumbled through. My siblings and I whipped our heads around to face the dark blue person, "Hello! My name is NATO, I'm one of the assistants to the Justice Wing, and I will be your guide today," he was wearing one of the biggest smiles I had ever seen, along with a pair of dimples to boot.

That was until he turned to look at the older woman behind the desk, "What did I say about knocking?"

"Oh! Sorry, EU...I thought you knew I was coming," he quickly apologized.

She scoffed, as she pinched the bridge of her nose, "Just because I know that you're coming, doesn't mean that you can just burst in here..." she sighed. "Anyways, those are the kids UN told you about. I'm heading to the break room to get some coffee, don't mess anything up."

"Alrighty, I won't!" he reassured her, as she opened another door and slipped out. Meanwhile, the guy turned to face the three of us. He was shorter than me, but still average height. His eyes were a nice cocoa color, reminiscent of EU's, but warmer. He was wearing a collared shirt, as well as a loose tie around his neck. His sleeves were rolled up, he was wearing some jeans, and he wore a belt around his waist.

"Hi, NATO," Belarus greeted. "I'm Belarus, and it's nice to meet you," she reached her hand out for him to shake, and he tentatively did. "That's Ukraine, and the tall one is Russia."

"It's nice to meet you guys too. Do we want to head out now? We have a lot to get through," NATO asked, after he finished shaking my older sister's hand.

Ukraine and I nodded, while Belarus practically dragged us out the door after the friendly stranger, who was already out the door.

The four of us began to walk out of the Justice Wing, while the question of where to go played in each of our heads.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" NATO questioned us, as soon as we got out of the gates.

"No, not yet." Ukraine answered.

"Then why don't we go get that first?" NATO suggested. "What do you guys want? Pancakes, crepes, a benedict, maybe some beans?"

"Uh," I stammered. "What are crepes and benedicts?"

He turned and gave us a bit of a confused look, before realization smacked him in the face, "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I forgot that you guys haven't had a proper breakfast in a while. Here, I'll take you to my favorite breakfast place. How does that sound?"

I noticed a small smile weave its way onto my brother's face, "That sounds good, thanks."

NATO brought us over to a restaurant called Sunny Side Up, and asked for a table. The person nodded their head, and took us over to a place with two couch-like chairs for seats and a table connected to the wall. The person laid down some menus and went to help another person.

The man picked up the top piece of paper, and opened it to reveal a colorful booklet. The three of us copied his actions.

On the inside, there were words and numbers right next to each other with a little symbol in the middle of it. Mouth-watering pictures were placed in each one of the corners, most having unfamiliar food slapped on a plate. Some looked sweet, while others carried a savory feeling with them.

There were so many options.

"Hello!" The waiter from before reappeared at our table, but he was carrying clear cups and water. He began to pour the water into the cups and set them down in front of us, "My name is Canada, and I will be your waiter today. Are you all ready to go, or do you need a minute?"

NATO glanced around at all of us, "I'm all good, but these three are new and they're not sure what to get. But while you're here, could I get the french toast, fruit, and eggs — poached please."

"Sure!" the red and white person nodded, and turned to face us, "Well, if you guys are new and don't know what to get, then I recommend the Regular. It has two pieces of toast with some marmalade, eggs, sausage, and bacon," he smiled and I suddenly felt very comfortable. Too comfortable. "If you still need more time, I'll be happy to give you it."

I shook my head, "I'm ready if the others are," the people around me nodded their heads, and Canada got his pencil ready, "Could I have the Regular, like you suggested?"

"Of course," he grinned. "How would you like your eggs?"

"Uh, just give me the most common type of egg," I responded. He nodded his head, and pointed his hand at Ukraine.

"What would you like?" he questioned.

"Um...I think I'll have the same as my brother," Ukraine's voice was timid, but oddly matched the waiter's own.

"And you?" he asked Belarus, after he scribbled something down.

"I'm going to have the same thing, please," she answered.

"Alrighty, that'll be out in a second," the guy exclaimed, whilst he skipped away from the table. So too did the comfort he brought.

"So," NATO started. "What do you think of Sevrunie so far?"

"It's impressive, and really pretty too," my sister complemented. "Not like home though, but I doubt anything here is like it there."

"Mhm," Ukraine and I admitted. I reached for the glass and took a drink, as the conversation got a little cooler.

"Ah, yeah. Don't worry, it'll grow on you guys. Just give it some time, and it'll feel like home in no time," he let out a weak laugh, before he pondered on another question. "Say, what is it like in the Deprive?"

Raine thought for a second, before shrugging his shoulders, "Eh, it's what you'd expect: wild animals, uncontrollable weather, and food shortages galore. It's better when you're with others, if you were on your own, it wouldn't be fun."

NATO nodded, "Mm, I'm sorry that happened to you guys, that sounds really rough, especially for a bunch of kids...You understand why though, don't you? Soviet probably told you."

"What? Why we were sent to the Deprive? Psh, he never explained that part. He didn't like talking about it," I felt a frown cascade down my face, as memories from that fateful day invaded my thoughts.

A mixture of shock and horror consumed the glasses-wearer's face, "What?! Oh my gosh, you poor kids..."

Before he could finish his train of thoughts, the waiter returned and plopped out food down onto the table, along with some silverware. The food wasn't the only thing that he brought, because as soon as he returned, the same happy feeling from earlier came back as well, "Alrighty, three Regulars and a french toast. If you need anything, I'll be around, bon appetit!"

We each thanked him, then dug in. The food itself was the best thing that I had ever had. The smell it gave off was the first thing that keyed me in on how great it was, but the taste was simply extraordinary. It was so flavorful and it was different compared to what I had at home, but a good difference.

After we finished up, NATO showed us around the town, and took us to our new place to stay, where we met up with Kazakhstan. He brought each of us to our new rooms, which were luxurious. Mine was on the top floor, it had a big bed, a smooth dresser, and even a soft rug.

After we did that, the four of us spent some time catching up with each other, playing games that Kaz showed us, and watching him cook dinner.

While we were eating, he gave us a rundown of the academy and what the tie colors meant if we saw them. Red ment Mind Control, blue was for Permanent Change, yellow represented Emotion Triggered, and finally, purple stood for Object Oriented. He also explained that our white ties would change to a color when we got our powers, and explained that it was for sorting purposes.

Eventually, dusk rolled around and I found myself laying down in my new room, gazing at the ceiling. Exhaustion was setting in again, but I was too busy tackling my own questions.

Ever since NATO brought up my father and the Deprive, I couldn't shake the curiosity from my mind. I couldn't help but wonder what my dad did to get sentenced to a life without powers. It was basically a death sentence if it weren't for Kaz's mom, I'm not sure if we would've been okay. Why did I even have to go there in the first place? It was dad's burden to bare, not mine...

However, there was a different question plaguing my brain, one that was more pressing — at least to me it was.

And that was what my power was going to be.

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Word count - 4005

-Amaura