Hey, guys! derpology here. Two updates in one week?! I'm on a roll! Thanks for those who reviewed on the last chapter! Reviews are my fuel. Obviously, as a college kid, I can't afford much else, so keep sending your feedback my way! Things are finally getting spicy, but our girls have a lot to figure out.

Also, I keep forgetting to mention that you can find me on tumblr and instagram! I haven't posted anything yet, but updates and doodles will be posted on those accounts! Tumblr is whafs and instagram is !

Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think, no matter how big or small!

The Allies sat around an old, wobbly table. The mysterious wrapped figure had led them to a decrepit hut that looked like it would fall over if any of them sneezed. With how soaked and cold they were, not sneezing may not be a battle they could win.

Silks, shawls, and other strips of fabric were draped over every surface, including the walls and ceiling. A few bundles had been taken down and wrapped around Chugoku, who was now defrosting in front of the crackling fire. She was breathing just fine, but she had yet to show any sign of consciousness.

With a clatter, the figure set a tray of tea down on the table.

"Oh, hell yeah!" Em cheered, grabbing a glass and gulping it down. As soon as her teacup hit the table, she gagged. "What the f-ck? What's in this tea?"

"Vodka, probably!" Dakota sang. She sipped at her own tea with no reserve but much more control. "How else do you think people stay warm in this cold, silly?"

"Well, sh-t. I guess that makes sense." Em shuddered. "Just... don't give me any more."

As the Allies hesitantly drank their vodka-tea, Dakota scooched her pillow-seat around to look at the figure. "So, why don't you unwrap a teeny bit? So we can chat all face to face?"

The figure shuffled over to Dakota and took her face in their hands, bringing what would have been their face close enough to Dakota that they were nose-to-nose. They ran their fingers through her hair, almost as if they were trying to work out a puzzle. Then, they drew away, stood still for a moment, and begin to take off a few layers.

From bottom to top the figure unraveled, revealing a vaguely-female but bony form. Their face was the last to be uncovered. The Allies sat on the edge of their pillows.

Short waves of soft, honey-blonde hair fell loose from the scarves, landing and framing a doll-like face that looked just like Dakota's.

"WHAT?" Dakota jumped up from her pillow, grabbing her double's face just like her face had been grabbed a few seconds earlier. She pinched and pulled at her face, almost as if she expected her face to be a mask.

"That gives me pain, please stop." Dakota's double said, almost tonelessly.

"Right! Sorry!" Dakota giggled sheepishly. She seemed to be pondering things for just a second. Apparently, she came to a pretty fast conclusion. In the blink of an eye, Dakota had gathered her double in a tight hug. "I have a twin! I have a twin!" she cheered.

"Wait... isn't that a second player?!" Dakota gasped, holding her at arm's length. "But those aren't cannon, and you sure don't look evil!"

They were interrupted by the sound of rustling fabric coming from the fireplace. Chugoku was waking up.

"Hey, Adri." Em knelt down by her side and helped her to sit up. "How are you feeling?"

"Very warm." Chugoku said softly as she wiggled her arms free.

"Alright, now that the crew's all here, can we please f-cking discuss this sh-t?" Although Em was asking, her tone of voice made it clear she was insisting. "Some things are starting to make some sense."

"Well, don't keep us in suspense." England said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He turned to Dakota's second player. "Say, love, can I have some more of that tea?"

"NO." Everyone replied in one voice. Em helped Chugoku into a pillow-seat.

"Okay, listen up. We've already determined that someone f-cked with the plane's navigation and the engine." Em started. "And I KNOW who it was, now that we're here."

Em sighed. "I... Jesus, this is kind of hard to word. Okay, if an author writes a book, anything the author says about the book is called "canon." I'm not entirely sure where it came from, but it's basically just things that exist in the book. Some fans will come up with ideas that they like, and those are called "headcanons." So, things that don't actually exist in the book. Everyone with me so far?"

Em explained the concept of second players as best as she could. How they were essentially dark reflections of the countries, but also how they weren't supposed to actually exist. The Allies sat quietly, listening intently to each word she said.

After Em was done presenting her lesson about the second players, or "2Ps," she looked around intently. "Now, how does that sh-t tie into the plane? Well, there's something we need to come clean to you guys about."

She sighed, no hesitations. "We met up with Nora after the World Meeting. At least, we thought we did."

The Allies immediately broke in to angry panic, yelling a million variations of "what" and "why" in her face.

"Settle the f-ck down!" Em yelled. "Do you want to know what happened or not?"

Somewhat reluctantly, the guys settled back down.

"Nora... had some things she wanted to tell us." Em said, revealing the bare minimum of the truth. "She didn't choose to be on the Axis, but her country was already allied with them before we even got here."

"Dude, why didn't you say anything sooner?" America shot up, slamming his fist on the table. "We gotta go rescue her!"

Em gave him a look, and he sat back down. "As noble as that is, Nora is a really f-cking independent girl. She can handle herself. Besides, she's got her own plans. That's as much as I can tell you about that. Anyway, we talked when you guys kicked us out, and planned to meet very briefly after the meeting. She went outside for a minute to clear her head, and when she came back, she was... different."

"Different? How so?" England frowned. He had lost all traces of his earlier sarcasm.

"First of all, she had her hair in a ponytail. Nora will wear just about any style EXCEPT a d-mn ponytail. None of us know why the hell not, but that's just how she is. Secondly, she was just... acting different. She didn't look like she gave a single sh-t about a few certain things she REALLY f-cking cares about. That, combined with the fact that Nora went outside - ya know, where the god d-mn plane is, it's not like it's hard to find - well, everything clicked. Do you see where I'm going with this?"

Carolyn spoke up, concern tingeing her voice. "Something must have happened to Nora when she went outside."

"Bingo." Em nodded. "Her 2P must have kidnapped her or something, f-cked up our plane, and then slipped right back in as her double."

"There must be some reason 2P Nora didn't want us going back to Tassland." Chugoku said softly, furrowing her brow.

"I think I have some helpful knowledge." 2P Dakota piped up. All eyes turned to her. She took a drink of her tea, seemingly unbothered by all these new people and the information they brought with them. "I am fortune teller. I came into world alone. When people grew old and died, I did not. I know I am connected to this land. I know I am immortal. I make a living telling fortune; humans are very predictable. I knew there something special about you strangers."

She spread some marbles across the table. "Here is fortune: look at room. What do you see?"

The Allies looked around the room. Carolyn was the first to speak up. "Well, layout wise, there's not a lot of space. You've got this table by the fireplace, but it's also right next to the door. You've actually got a bit of room to the side to put the table if you wanted to be warmer."

2P Dakota stood and moved to the wall of the side Carolyn had pointed out. She tugged a scarf to the side, revealing the old, scratched wood of the wall. Hung from rusty nails were several glittering necklaces. "My treasure is here, so I put you other side of room."

"D-mmit, we need to get back to my country. But we have no f-cking way to get there!" Em slammed her fist on the table, rattling the marbles. The marbles began to roll, heading straight for the edge.

"Oh, sh-t." Em muttered, reaching for any marbles she could reach before they fell.

"Leave them." 2P Dakota said sharply. Stunned, Em paused, and a few marbles dropped to the cold stone floor and shattered.

"What - I could have saved some." Em mumbled in confusion.

"You are marbles," 2P Dakota declared, "see how they scatter and break with violence. Now is not time for fighting."

"What are we supposed to do?" Chugoku trembled. Out of fear or cold, no one could tell.

Dakota, who had been uncharacteristically silent, stood up. "I think I get it."

2P Dakota nodded and reached out, joining hands with Dakota.

In that moment, the only person in the world was those two girls. The Allies watched on in a dazed stupor as a bright light filled the hut. It shot through the windows, the door, and up through the chimney, spreading through the entire country in a burst of manic energy. All the countries felt that familiar sensation in their hearts - the birth of a country. But this time, it was different. It wasn't a country being born, it was a country becoming complete.

There was only one Dakota now. Steam coiled off of her skin and shimmered away. She didn't look any different at first glance, but by the light of the fire, there was a slight honey-tinted sheen in her hair. One of the necklaces the second player had been wearing had transferred over in the union.

Dakota dropped to her knees and started sobbing.

The girls jumped out of their pillow-seats in shock and flocked to her. None of them had ever seen Dakota cry like that. "It feels like someone pulled a knife out of my head," she said through her tears, "but put it back in my heart!"

"Hey, it's okay." Chugoku cooed in her most soothing voice. "We're here with you."

Dakota's speech stuttered, forcing its way out of her throat alongside the sobs. "She - w-we - I, I've been through... there's just so much now!" she bawled.

"But we're here to help you through it." Carolyn offered up, the rest of the girls echoing her in their own way.

Russia got up and knelt before Dakota, taking off his gloves and wiping away Dakota's tears as they came. He had seen people cry before, but he had never quite understood it before now. He wasn't smiling.

Slowly, gently, with his big arms, he wrapped the entire huddle of girls up in a bear hug. The connection he shared with Dakota, the connection he could see every time he looked at her purple-tinted eyes, made his heart throb painfully - her pain was his now. He understood.

America glanced from the hug puddle to the rest of the Allies.

"Don't even think about it." England murmured, though he definitely couldn't deny that the scene before him was touching.

A short buzz rang through the air, interrupting their moment.

"It's mine," Em said, wiggling an arm free so she could take her phone out of her jacket pocket. "Who the f-ck is calling me in 1945?"

She frowned as she saw the caller ID, but answered the phone anyway and put it on speaker. "Sup, b-tch?"

Nora's voice fizzled through the phone. "Hey, Em, I was halfway asleep and I didn't even THINK to tell you guys - well, that is, we have kind of an emergency on our hands. 2Ps, right? They're re-"

"Oh, we know."

"WHAT? Are you guys okay?"

"We are peachy f-cking keen, girl." Em said. An idea struck her. "Your timing is actually perfect. Can you send us a plane?"