"You-a are you anyways?" the small Italian said with a small glare at her.

"My name's Ib," she said with a smile, "What's your name?"

His glare softened a little but he kept it, "Romano."

She smiled more and held his hand, "Come on, let's go play."

His glare vanished as his cheeks turned red. "F-fine," he stuttered before taking her to Spain's tomato garden.

"Ib?" an Italian voice snapped the woman out of her daydreamer state.

"Hm?" she asked.

The Italian was looking at her worriedly. They had just gotten to Germany's country after a very long trip from Ibliechenstein. "You-a have been staring out the window for-a long time," he said.

When she looked at him, she noticed that Germany and Japan were both giving her a questioning look. "It's nothing Italy," she replied, "I was just thinking."

Germany raised an eyebrow. "About?"

"Memories," she said before looking out the window again as the city streets rolled by.

"Why not?" Ib yelled in anger.

An American voice yelled back, "You're not powerful enough! You'll get crushed by the other countries!"

"Why can't you just let me and my people go as my own country and not just one of your little sub-states?" she growled, "I am powerful! You just don't want me gone! Grande brother let me! So did Grande frère! Why won't you?"

"Because I don't want you hurt! I'm your big brother and I want you safe!"

Ib growled and flew her arms foreword, a dark eerie stream of black coming out of her fingertips. "I send the pestilence and plague into your house, into your bed, into your streams, into your streets, into your drink, into your bread, Upon your cattle, on your sheep, upon your oxen in the field, Into your dreams, into your sleep, Until you break, until you yield. I send the horde, i send the swarm Thus saith the lord," she sang with what seemed like a thousand voices that appeared as the stream flew out the window and through his country.

"Once i called you brother, Once i thought the chance to make you laugh was all i ever wanted," she sang alone until the voice came back and sang, "I send the thunder from the sky. I send the fire raining down."

She sang alone again as the streams dove into his rivers, " And even now I wish that God had chose another, Serving as your foe on his behalf Is the last thing that I wanted..."

"I send a hail of burning ice on ev'ry field, on ev'ry town," the voices joined in again.

America fell to the floor, coughing heavily. The streams were adding more and more hurt into his country. He was getting sick, but he would not let Ib go. "This was my home All this pain and devastation How it tortures me inside All the innocent who suffer From your stubbornness and pride..." she sang as the streams began to make the people of his country sick as well.

"I send the locusts on the wind Such as the world has never seen On ev'ry leaf, on ev'ry stalk Until there's nothing left of green I send my scourge, I send my sword Thus saith the Lord!" the voices sang.

The streams continued, causing America to cough even more to the point it hurt. "You who I called brother why must you call down another blow?" Ib sang, tears in her eyes.

She wanted freedom, but she hated to hurt him. "I send my scourge, I send my sword," the voices sang.

"Let my people go!" she sang as the streams began to retreat, "Thus saith the Lord."

America got up from the floor, his coughing reduced. "You who I called sister. How could you have come to hate me so? Is this what you wanted?" he sang after seeing the tears that threatened to fall.

He glared and took out a revolver, pointing it straight at her head. "Then let my heart be hardened And never mind how high the cost may grow This will still be so: I will never let your people go..." he sang, putting his finger to the trigger.

"Thus saith the Lord," she sang as the streams came to her.

"I will not, he sang before she and the voices joined him, "Let My (Your) People go!"

"Ib! Ib!" Italy exclaimed as he shook her.

She blinked and looked at him. "What is it Italy?"

"You were crying," he said.

He wiped her cheek and showed her the tear that had fallen. "Oh," she said as if it was a normal thing, "I'm sorry."

He tilted his head. "Why were you crying?" Germany asked as the vehicle stopped at his home.

She shook her head and exited the car, "Just memories."

They all left the car, Japan watching Ib slightly. 'She sounded like crying was normar for her. What memory made her cry? Are memories what drove her to go into isoration?' he thought to himself, unknown that the other male countries were thinking the same thing.

Germany opened the door and was met with a tomato to the face. "Bastard! Where did you take my idiota fratello this time?" a gruff Italian voice yelled.

"Roma!" Italy smiled before grabbing Ib's hand.

He ran over to his older brother, dodging tomatoes that were thrown at the German. "What the fuck did I tell you about calling me that?" Romano yelled.

"I brought someone you know!" Italy said as he hid Ib behind him slightly.

"I swear if it's that tomato bastard-" Romano stopped when Italy brought Ib in front of him.

Romano's first response was staring at her for a long while, the silence enticing everyone. Next he wrapped her into a hug. It caused Italy to open his eyes in surprise. Ib herself was a bit surprised. She knew Romano wasn't fond of hugs but of course lately neither was she. Slowly, she hugged him back, wrapping her arms around his back. His head was in her shoulder. "Idiota ragrazza," he muttered, "Don't you dare leave again."

And for the first time in a long time, a smile dawned on Ib's face. "Okay," she said.

The Italian held up his pinkie finger and looked at her. "Promise?"

She giggled, finally not just a noise, and hooked her pinkie to his, "Promise."

"Hey Romano?"

"What-a?"

"Can you be my best friend? Forever?"

"Yeah sure, whatever."

She held up her small pinkie to him, "Promise?"

He rolled his green eyes and hooked his pinkie to hers, "Promise."