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

Chapter 73~!

This chapter is dedicated to WhyIsTheRumGone for one main reason: she's given me amazing advice about pirates, and it will help me very much in the next few chapters. And I apologize, WhyIsTheRumGone, because whenever Kadi and England mix, they fight. But that's more interesting, am I right? Thank you for all your help! We're all so very glad you won't be leaving after all!

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"Um, Melina?" Chibi Italy said scaredly as he moved behind my legs.

"What is it?" I asked him, looking where his finger was pointed. To my surprise, a large puppy was making its way around the ship, growling menacingly at some of the men. I couldn't tell what kind of dog it was, but he looked like a mixture of a bunch of bigger breeds. He was kind of pretty, actually.

The dog caught sight of chibi Italy and I and yelped, racing over. I pulled Italy back farther just in case, but the puppy jumped up onto my shins and barked happily, wagging his long, whip-like tail. Cautiously, I scratched him behind the ears, making him whine with joy.

"Haha, you're a sweetie boy, aren't ya?" I said. "I'll bet you just don't like men, huh? Is that right?"

He jumped down and sniffed around my legs, looking for Italy. Italy hesitantly put a hand on the dog's head and gained the courage to pet him. Giggling softly, he used both hands to scratch both sides of the puppy's face.

"Puppy dog!" America squealed as he raced over, Canada staying back a ways. "Lemme see lemme see!"

A shrill whistle pierced the air, making the pup's ears perk before he raced over to Captain Rayn's side. She scratched his ears lovingly before looking at the four of us. "This is Sunshyn, and you should be lucky he decided to like you. Otherwise you'd all be torn to shreds."

I stiffened. 'Frig, that could've been bad.' "You have a dog named Sunshyn? Sunshyn and Rayn, that's funny..."

She shot me a glare and walked away, but not before looking back over her shoulder at me. "I'll be training you in a few minutes. Be on the lower deck, and be ready."

When she was gone, another head popped up by my side, making me shriek and turn around to face him. It was only Ben, thank goodness.

"Oh no, looks like you'll become the newest joke on this ship," he said sadly.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Captain Rayn doesn't go too easy on those she teaches. Lets hope she changes her mind because you're a woman."

I rolled my eyes. "I'd rather be pushed harder like a man than be held back for being a woman." And with that, I stood and stretched. "Come on, you three. We need to get you something to eat, am I right?"

America nodded excitedly, Canada agreed mutely by grabbing onto my boot for a second, and Italy cheered happily.

"Will there be-a pasta?"

I shook my head sadly. "Probably not. Sorry."

"This sucks," he stated woefully.

~~~

Canada's POV~

"No, no, no! The other way, Matthew!" Aunt Kadi said from the deck above as I pulled on a rope.

"What?" I yelled back, and she motioned the right way to pull. Sighing, I followed her instructions.

Romano hung onto Kadi's leg as he watched the men around them work. "Kadi, are we going to get back mi fratello?"

"Si, si," Kadi replied as she looked through her eyeglass to see if she could see the other ship. "I don't think he'd have been captured just to get hurt."