Silver Umbrellas

Three-- Friendship Bracelets

RECAP:

"... You gotta promise that you won't tell anyone, and that you don't take the umbrella, okay?" Alice said strongly to the two adults, both of whom looked surprised at her tone and implication. Finland and Liechtenstein swore to keep it a secret, and then waited for Oregon to divulge the secret that apparently was very important.

But what was so important about one silver umbrella?

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"... The fairies gave it to me," Alice said after a suspenseful moment during which she did not speak. "It's magic."

"Oh," Finland said, and nodded with complete understanding painted across his face. He knew for a fact that fairies were a hundred percent real; he lived with Norway, didn't he? And on Christmas Eve, Finland could even see those fairies while he was delivering presents. "Okay, so it's a magical umbrella. And you don't want to let people know about that."

"Yeah, but... it's not really just magical," she continued after a second of contemplation. Yao's eyes widened in alarm when he realized what she was about to tell them. "'Cause it's my magic. The fairies took my magic and put it in the umbrella so it could protect me. And there's someone out there who wants it, which is why we're really careful not to let anyone know where we live.

"But since it's you guys, and we know you wouldn't do anything bad to us, that's why I can tell you about the umbrella," Alice explained shakily.

Yao was looking down at his hands, which were wringing one of his blankets without mercy. The memories that were resurfacing were permanently seared into their brains and hearts, leaving behind scars that would most likely never, ever heal.

Both Liechtenstein and Finland were curious to know what was making the two children look so heartbroken over a simple magical umbrella, but at the same time they didn't really want to know the details. Their intuitions were reading that the subject was too painful to discuss, and they didn't want to bring that pain back.

"Ve von't tell anyvone about the umbrella," Lili vowed in her inherently sweet-sounding voice. "Promise."

"Cross our hearts," Tino added with a smile. He was hoping that any outward happiness he protrayed would lift the two downtrodden kids' moods.

It seemed to work, because Alice managed a weak smile at the both of them before going to one of the cubbies sitting in the shelf against the wall. She pulled it down and set it on the ground before rummaging through whatever was inside. There wasn't much sound coming from the fabric box.

She held up something circular and rope-like before shaking her head and putting it back in the box. "Wrong one," Alice murmured. After another moment she let out a quiet "Ah-ha!" and walked something over to Tino, who she presented the gift to happily.

"This is for you, Uncle Tino," she said. "It's your flag!"

Well, that wasn't entirely true. It was a white and blue bracelet woven out of long embroidery strings and tied off with a simple double knot. Finland accepted the gift and held it up in a way that allowed their makeshift candle's light to shine on it.

"Oh, Alice, I love it," he said sincerely. "Kiitos!"

The young girl beamed happily at him as he eased it over his knuckles and onto his left wrist. "You're welcome! I made a whole bunch of 'em. There's one for Bear and Emmi and Uncle Denny and Uncle Lukas, too. Oh, uhm," she interrupted herself to look over at Lili shyly. "What does your flag look like?"

Liechtenstein smiled reassuringly at her. "It's blue on top and red on zhe bottom, vith a little crown in zhe top left corner."

"Okay... I can't make the crown, but I can do the colors at least," Oregon promised. "Tomorrow, when it's light out again."