What is... "Home?" (Hetalia Fanfic, W.A. '13 Finalist)

Chapter 81~!

Melina's POV~

I awoke lying in the sand, surrounded by my three wards and fellow Prussian prisoner. The campfire was out, not even smoking anymore, and many of the other crew members were enjoying their sleeping-in time. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, wincing when a few grains of sand irritated my emerald orbs.

"Agh... Damn sand..." I muttered, blinking and tearing up until they were all gone.

"I have to pee..." Italy mumbled, getting up and floating over to the bushes sleepily. I averted my gaze to give him some privacy.

My eyes were drawn to the beauty of the sunrise on the horizon just in front of me. "Wooow..." There was no end to the golds, reds, oranges, and pinks that blended together to form the amazing sight. It was almost painful to look away, but when I did, I saw a figure sitting on a rock by the water to my left. She was staring out at the sunrise, looking surprisingly serene for someone who'd only seemed harsh all along this entire journey. A little unsure, I stood and brushed off of me as much of the sand as I could before making my way to the Captain's perch.

"Um... Captain?" I said, leaning over to look into her face. Her eyes never shifted from where they stared out over the gentle waves. "What's on your mind?"

"Past memories..." she said after a moment of pregnant silence between us.

"Such as..?" I prompted.

She smirked. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm curious," was my response. "I was just wondering why you acted like this."

"Like "this"? What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, turning a slightly heated glare my way.

I got nervous then. "W-Well, maybe I should have rephrased th-that. I-I meant you act so different from how I know you to act."

She harumphed and turned back to the sea. "I see. Well, this is how I act because this is how I am. I didn't want to become the captain of a pirate ship. It seemed fun at first, but then it started to become uglier. Yet I have to keep on like this, for my people's sake."

My eyes widened. "Really? Why do your people depend on it?"

"All the things we pillage goes to my island, other than what I pay the crew with. My island is poor and needy for the moment." She picked at a clump of seagrass by her feet. "I'm all they have."

"Oh... I had no idea," I said softly.

She glared at me. "I don't need your pity, girl. Don't you dare give it to me."

I held up both my hands with my palms out in the universal "I surrender" sign. "I didn't mean anything by it, not like that! It's just... my sympathies to your plight,"

"I don't want sympathy, either."

"Alright, sorry," I said rather testily. Blowing out a loud puff of air, I continued. "Yeesh, you don't act much like how you do later on..."

"And how do I act "later on"?" she asked, seeming angry.

"Well, you sure are nicer, for one thing," I said pointedly. "You like to get blackmail on people, especially Prussia because he's always late. And you and I are good friends, for another thing. Not like now."

"Ah, and I wonder why," she replied, picking up a knife and beginning to whittle a piece of driftwood with more force than necessary. "You're so annoying, Melina. I have tp wonder why I even remember your name."

"Well you never remember America's, so there ya go," I answered, rising up to the challenge in her voice. I wasn't gonna let her treat me this way!