Act 0: Prologue

“I’m not losing you again.”

Estonia made a quick dash away from his team and chased after an eight-legged plant-like creature that was seen patiently waiting for him at the top of a hill. With each step he took, the creature took one back. His friends urged him to retreat but he wouldn’t back down. When Estonia reached the top, his friends could no longer see him.

On top of the hill lied a small forested area that lead towards residential homes. The area was also not lit and to walk through it would be like walking straight into a death trap. But he took his chances and plunged himself into darkness, his only light source coming from the full moon shining from above. He chose a rather steady but cautious pace as he stared all around his surroundings. But just as he predicted, the forest was a trap as vines quickly came towards him and wrapped around his neck. Red eyes glowed as it emerged from the shadows. Its grip was tight as Estonia struggled to breath and break free as he was held high up in the air. But a beam similar to Estonia’s coming from the distance sliced through the vine and the creature screeched in pain. Finally Estonia was able to breath again, coughing repeatedly as he held his hand towards his throat. He failed to notice that he landed softly onto the ground and was resting on his knees. When he felt well enough, Estonia looked up and was shocked to discover something he had never seen before. It seemed as if the scenery in front of him was sliced open as an aurora of colours danced inside.

And the monster was heading straight towards it.

He screamed a prolonged “No!” and reached for his staff but it was too late. It had disappeared into the void and soon after, the scenery returned to normal. He stared on in shock, wondering just what had happened. Had he dreamed it all? Was it an hallucination from the ordeal he faced?

“I’m glad you’re okay.”

A feminine voice spoke up from behind the trees and Estonia curiously turned towards the direction he had heard it from. A woman emerged from the darkness wearing a female equivalent to the same type of uniform as he did, and with the colours reverted. Her staff was the same as his. Her eyes bore a blue-green mix, almost aqua-coloured, and her short blonde hair stopped just past her chin. Her black framed glasses complimented her look as she appeared calm, serious, and wise. The rest of the group finally arrived on the scene and were stunned to find another solider that appeared just like them.

“Erik, we need to talk.”

Act 1: Eesti & Latvija

Eduard really didn’t like Fridays.

Most would raise an eyebrow to such a statement. Friday was classified at the last day of the work week, a time to kick back a little and perhaps a chance to leave the office or school early. Not for Eduard it wasn’t. Classified as one of the longest days on his timetable, he’d be up at five-thirty in the morning and leave campus at seven in the evening, complete with a small break during the lunch hour. Though the day was tiresome and a struggle, Eduard only had himself to blame for setting the schedule the way he did.

It was just after four in the afternoon and Eduard was sitting in the back of the lecture hall, his second last class of the day. He regretted ever showing up. Eighty percent of the class didn’t bother seeing as it was a substitute and the topic focused on next week’s mid-term. He had little to worry. His grade for this course was possible the best in the class of almost two-hundred and definitely was one of the easier programs on his schedule. Instead he chose to lay back and waste his time away leeching off of the university’s Wi-Fi. Next to him was his phone, conveniently left on silent to avoid suspicious on-lookers, as he texted back and forth with his long-time friend and relative Timo. It had been an exhausting week for the Estonian and really could have gone for a few beers and some actual decent restaurant food. But the latest text to come through left Eduard feeling disappointed.

Sorry, dinner date with Björn tonight. I’ll make it up to you another time!

He sent back a quick response.

No need to apologize. Have fun tonight!

After placing his phone back in his coat pocket, Eduard sighed in defeat. His eyes went back to focusing on the substitute but the words she spoke were not registering as his mind went off into space. He missed Timo a great deal. Though they shared an apartment together, his days have gotten more lonesome without his right-hand man. They rarely saw each other now with their hectic schedules and with Björn back in the picture after spending a semester in Stockholm, he sometimes didn’t see Timo for days. But Eduard could never be upset with him. All three of them grew up together and were always quite close but he had always wondered if there was something more behind the scenes. But Eduard never pressed the idea forward. It was none of his business and they would tell him once they were ready (if they were really dating, of course).

The substitute seemed to have gone over the time limit and Eduard hadn’t even noticed until he realized he had only a three minute window to reach his last class on the other side of campus. He ran as fast as his long legs could take him but he knew deep down he’d never make it. Arriving at the building two minutes after the starting time, he dashed up two flights of stairs to get to class. He was completely out of breath and struggling to recoup when he suddenly noticed a sheet taped to the door.

Classes ALG3224 & RUS4025 are cancelled for Friday October 7, 2016. Classes resume at their respective times next week.

All that for nothing, he frowned. But at least he could finally head for home. He was exhausted and looking forward to putting his feet up.

Getting a bus home however seemed to be more challenging than he wanted it to be. He had watched his bus drive away in the distance and now being cramped between rowdy freshmen and uptight office workers was testing his patience. But with a pat on the shoulder, Eduard was greeted to two friendly and familiar faces.

“Hey you. Never thought I’d see the day the great Eduard Tamm skip a class,” Feliks joked.

“Haha,” Eduard laughed mockingly. “Class was cancelled for the night so I’m heading home.”

“You’re not going anywhere mister!” Feliks grinned as he grabbed Eduard’s hand.

“We’re going to pick up Raivis from school,” Tolys explained. “Why don’t you come with us and stay the night as my place?”

“At school? But that ended for him him almost-” He quickly checked his watch. “Three hours ago. What is he still doing there?”

“He recently started tutoring other students who were struggling in certain subjects, mostly in the science and literature programs.”

“So what will it be?” Feliks asked curiously, now leaning against Eduard’s shoulder. Frankly he really wanted to head for home but Eduard knew he would be sitting alone in his apartment and eating yesterday’s leftovers. The choice seemed obvious to him.

“Alright, lead the way.”

The three men had grabbed a bus that lead to an area not far from where his apartment was located. Eduard had taken this route several times before but only really used it as an emergency route, as this one added an extra ten minutes to his commute. During the ride, they exchanged multiple conversations: how Eduard was doing in his studies, how Tolys was doing in his new internship, Raivis and his well-being, and a potential Christmas party, among other things. Feliks bringing up Christmas got Eduard giving them an eye roll. It’s only October and he hears enough about it from Timo, who’s obsession with the holiday cannot be matched. The two of them seemed to be in their own world so Eduard took the time to lay back into seat and listen to them chatter. When the bus stopped at a red light, he could have sworn something large just flew past the bus from the corner of his eye. But nothing could be seen except for the usual scenery of cars and people. He was left puzzled by the whole thing and wondered if maybe he had been seeing things.

“Is everything alright?” Tolys asked curiously.

“Mhm…” Eduard seemed unsure what to say but he turned back to them with a simple nod and grin. “Yeah, I’m good.”

The three men were among some of the last passengers to get off the bus and just up ahead was Raivis’s school. They crossed through the parking lot and behind the entrance doors was Raivis himself. He looked up from his phone and spotted the group coming his way. Excited, he tossed his phone in his backpack and rushed out to join them, meeting them halfway.

“You made it!” Raivis grinned. The four men were all together now and he became surprised at the sight of seeing Eduard amongst the group. “I thought you had classes at this hour?”

“Cancelled for the day. I was about to head home until these two spotted me in the crowd.”

“Eduard’s going to come spend the night with us.” Tolys stated. Raivis’s eyes lit began to light up.

“Really?! It’s been so long since we all got to get together! Oh, this is going to be so exciting!” Raivis couldn’t contain himself as he ran off from the group. “Last person home has to cook dinner tonight!”

Feliks wasn’t having it and playfully dashed after him. “Hey wait up!”

Tolys and Eduard watched as the two men attempt to race each other out. They looked on with content expressions.

“He’s doing a lot better since I last saw him.”

Tolys nodded. “He’s made a lot progress. These last few months have been really hard on him. First he loses his mother, then his father, and then his childhood home. But he’s getting better. Bringing him to stay with us has made a huge difference. It’s going to take a long time for him to heal but we’ll be there to lend a hand when he needs it.”

Eduard and Tolys had caught up to their friends who seemed to have long given up on their race for home. They took a turn into the nearby park as a quick shortcut, where their home was just on the other side. It was unusually crowded for this time of year, but many were taking advantage of the warm weather. A couple of kids were having fun on the play structures, a small group were shooting hoops nearby, and a few teenage couples hanging around the benches. The peaceful sight wasn’t made to last however when screams erupted around them, startling the four men. In between the trees came out a large humanoid creature. The bottom half of it was like a spider and sported a massive hibiscus on its back. The people panicked and begun to flee. Eduard was frozen in fear as he recalled that moment earlier on the bus. The large thing that passed him, was that what he saw?

Raivis was frightened and grabbed a hold of Eduard, jolting him back to reality. He held Raivis tightly as he watched the chaos unfold. The monster hadn’t noticed their presence and would have been the perfect opportunity to flee but something in him compelled him to stay.

“Eduard.”

He turned to face Tolys who was offering to give him a set of keys.

“Take Raivis and get to the house for safety.”

“But what about you?” Eduard asked.

“Don’t worry about us. Just get out of here!”

Eduard pushed Tolys’s hand away, “No, I’m not leaving without you or Feliks!”

“Why are you being so stubborn about this?” Tolys shouted angrily.

“Because I’d sleep better at night knowing I didn’t leave my friends to die!”

“Tolys there’s no time for this! Let’s go!” Feliks interrupted in a tone that neither Eduard or Raivis had heard from him before. Eduard didn’t know what was going on anymore but it almost felt as if they knew more than what they were leading on.

“You know what’s going on don’t you?” There was an uneasy pause as the tension built between them. “Talk to me!”

Tolys bit his lip. He was stuck between two of his good friends. But time was precious and he didn’t have the energy to fight like this. He sighed heavily before forcefully giving Eduard his keys.

“The choice is yours. But I’m sorry that you had to see all of this.”

Eduard was left speechless as Tolys and Feliks ran towards the creature. It took notice of them but the two were at a comfortable distance when they reached into their pockets and grabbed a small rectangular brooch. It was big enough fit in the size of their hand. Both sported a flag, Lihuania for Tolys and Poland for Feliks. On top of the brooch, they both had a set of golden wings with a star in front. Neither said a thing as they both glanced at one another and smiled. They knew what needed to be done.

They lifted their brooches in the air and both a shouted a phrase in their native languages. A bright light formed around them, blinding everyone temporary. When it faded, Eduard and Raivis looked on in pure shock. It was as if they became superheroes, dressed in an outfit that was reminiscent of a sailor uniform. The main body of the outfit looked almost armour-like when it shined in the light and Eduard wondered if such a thing would slow them down. But that didn’t seem to affect them at all as the two sprung into action.

“Will they be okay?” Raivis asked. His voice had begun to shake. Eduard’s grip on him never loosened while he rubbed the smaller man’s back.

“I hope so.”

Tolys and Feliks put their powers together and a launched a massive attack. But the monster was quicker than they were and it threw them off-guard. Its arms were like vines and it shot them towards Tolys but dodged just in time. Feliks took his chance while the creature was distracted and launched another attack.

“Polish Scared Fire!”

From the palm of his hand, a large trail of fire came roaring towards it and while it wasn’t a direct hit, it did manage to burn off the flower on its back. It screeched in pain as the fire was beginning to travel across its body. It knew that this was the end and in a last ditch effort, it extended its vines and grabbed them both by the throat. If it was going to go down in flames, it was going to take two of them with it. Raivis and Eduard watched in complete horror. He couldn’t take much more of this and sobbed into Eduard’s sweater.

“Make it stop! I don’t want them to die!”

Even if they survive from being choked, at this rate the fire will spread across its vines and burn them both, Eduard thought. It can’t end like this. I wish… I wish could help them somehow!

A small light begun to form across from Eduard’s chest. Raivis backed away and soon after a light was forming across from his chest as well. They both watched in awe as something was being formed. A crystal, both blue and dark red, was coming to shape and then a brooch formed over it. It was just like the ones that Tolys and Feliks had, only with the Estonian flag for Eduard, and Latvian for Raivis. There was some hesitation but both grabbed the brooches and the light grew brighter. The words came to them instantaneously as they each shouted a phrase in their native languages. The light had begun to fade and neither could believe what had happened. They were just like them, dressed in the same outfit only with different colours, ones that matched their flags.

But there was no time to waste. Raivis was nervous with his new powers but he found the confidence to perform his own attack.

“Latvia Feather Strike!”

A large collection of white feathers emerged from both his hands and launched them towards the creature. The feathers were like blades and were strong enough to slice through the vines, freeing the two just in time before they were engulfed in flames. Another light formed in front of Eduard which formed a large metal staff that was almost as tall as he was. On top of the staff laid a circular piece of Baltic amber surrounded by metal arches. In the center of the arches was a steel design of a cornflower. He grabbed the staff and knew it was his turn to deliver the final attack.

“Estonia Binary Beam!”

He pointed the staff towards the nearly lifeless monster and the amber changed to a cornflower blue before launching a beam. It was quick like a laser and there was a small delay before an explosion was made. When the dust had cleared, there was no trace left of the monster. The battle was won.

“That was amazing!” Feliks yelled excitedly as he ran up towards the two. He pulled Eduard in for a quick hug and later did the same with Raivis. “Like I never would have guessed you were just like us!”

“I have to admit that was really impressive of what you two did,” Tolys grinned. “We owe you a lot for saving us.”

“I’m just glad you’re both okay,” Eduard replied. “But I have so many questions. What is all of this? And what the heck was that monster?”

“We’ll muse over it once we head home. But really we have just as many questions as you do,” Tolys shrugged. He turned over to Raivis to give him some special thanks but noticed how pale he had become.

“Raivis? Are you alright?” Everyone had turned their focus on him. Raivis appeared frozen with fear and unresponsive. “Yoo-hoo, anyone home?” Feliks waved his hand in front of Raivis’s face but nothing came from it. Everyone grew quickly worried.

“Raivis? Raivis?!” Tolys panicked as he shook him by the shoulders. “Say something!”

Raivis didn’t say anything but at least he was now moving his head around. He could see that everyone was distressed but nothing was registering in his mind. His surroundings quickly grew blurry and suddenly everything had gone dark. He collapsed and he reverted back to civilian clothing. Tolys was quick to catch him before he hit the ground.

“Is he okay?!” Eduard panicked. Tolys checked him for a pulse. It was faint but steady.

“He’s alright. Raivis just fainted. Let’s quickly bring him back to the house. Can you two help me get him on my back?”

Just as the two worked together, the three of them had their transformations reverted. They made a quick dash across the park, anxious to reach home. Unknown to the group, a figure had been watching up in the trees. They stood high up on a branch dressed in a white-hooded cloak. It clutched a silver cross that was keeping the cloak tied together.

“I’m so glad you’re okay Eduard. But I wish you could have been spared from all this.”

Act 2: Lietuva & Polska

“Here, this will help you warm up.”

“Thank you.”

Tolys placed the warm mug of tea on the table in front of Eduard. The man's expression was somber as his head hung low, staring at the compact in his hands.

“Will Raivis be okay?” Eduard asked worriedly.

“He'll be fine. The shock of everything that happened made him faint. Some rest will do him good.”

Eduard never looked up when Tolys spoke. His eyes instead were fixated on the compact. Rectangular in shape, the compact was big enough to fit inside the palm of both his hands. The outer appearance showed the Estonian flag and boasted a gold fixture, designed with a large star with wings behind on top of the brooch.

Everything happened so quickly, Eduard thought. The monster had come out of nowhere and attacked everything in sight. When Tolys and Feliks were in danger, a flash of light had appeared and he and Raivis were given compacts that changed them into superheroes with special powers. It felt like a plot right out of a movie to him.

Eduard thought further back into the event. He remembered Tolys and Feliks had the same kind of brooches as they did. The way the two of them spoke made it feel as if it were commonplace. It frightened him to know this wasn't their first experience with these creatures.

Grab the brooch! It's the only way to save them both!

He shook his head in discontent. This whole experience was unsettling, to say the least. He suddenly stood up from his seat and slammed his hands on top of the table, startling both Tolys and Feliks and nearly knocking over his tea.

“Tolys, I need answers. Why us? Why were we chosen for this?”

“I don't know. Both me and Feliks are just as in the dark as you are!”

Eduard frowned. “There must be something you must know. You spoke so casually about what was happening back there.”

“I've only had this brooch for about two weeks,” Tolys explained, “Why we were chosen to do this is still a mystery to both of us.”

Eduard turned his head towards Feliks, who had been sitting casually away from the action on a black leather chair near the sofa where Raivis was resting. Feliks however merely looked away and shrugged his shoulders.

“Sorry, I got nothing.”

Realizing he wasn't going to get anywhere with his questions, Eduard returned to his calm demeanour and sat back down. Nothing more was said between them as the room grew cold and silent. With his arms crossed, he choose to go about things himself, analyzing the situation a little more closely. He thought back to when the creature showed up from behind the trees and into the park. It looked as if it were looking for someone, or something. It only got aggressive when it got close to humans and its frustration began to build. From then on, the events began to blur in Eduard's mind. Perhaps there wasn't much he could do either in answering his own questions.

“What are you thinking about?” Tolys interrupted, snapping Eduard out of his thoughts.

“I was trying to think back to when that monster showed up, if there were any clues that might shed some light on what happened today. But after you two transformed, all the events start to blur together.” he sighed. “Tolys please, you and Feliks have been at this a little longer than us. You must know something about what happened today. Anything will do.”

Tolys sighed. “There isn't much I can really say. But I have noticed a similarity with the monsters we faced. The word 'key' seems to pop up a lot when they speak.”

Eduard's eyes lit up at this new information, “Oh? But the monster we faced didn't say anything.”

“You're right. Some of the previous ones we faced were capable of human speech but this one for some reason wasn't.”

“Ahhh—” a voice interjected. “You two need to lighten up about all this. All of this stuff is just like in the comics me and Erzsébet read. Answers will come when the time is right but not when the story is just getting started!”

“Feliks, this is not a game. We almost lost our lives today!”

Feliks pouted as he slouched into his seat, his feet laying casually on the wooden coffee table. “You're no fun at all.”

“I have to say, he has an interesting way of going about all this,” Eduard chuckled. Tolys groaned as he ran his hand through the locks of his hair. Between today's events, Eduard's bombardment of questions, and Feliks's laid-back attitude, he was beginning to stress himself out and a headache was quickly forming. It was then when the sound of moans coming from the sofa caught everyone's attention.

Raivis was beginning to wake from his slumber.

The three men huddled around him as his eyes slowly began to open. Raivis's eyes struggled to adjust to the light of the room, this taking several tries before they could truly open. When things began to become much clearer, he was greeted to the warm and friendly grins that he had come to remember from his friends.

“Hey, you're finally awake!” Feliks exclaimed.

“You had us worried after you fainted.” Eduard chimed in.

Raivis was still so disoriented that nothing they said had registered in his mind. His body felt a little stiff but he sat himself up, just enough so he could support himself with his arms. “Was it all just a dream?” he spoke out loud as he looked around the room. He had come to recognize that he was in Feliks's living room, in the house that all, but Eduard, shared. Same colours, same fixtures, nothing appeared out of the ordinary to him. It was only when he caught a gap opening between Eduard and Tolys that he saw the brooch that had appeared hours earlier sitting on the table behind them. He felt his body tense up, the colour disappearing in his face, as he realized what he had experienced was in fact, reality. Raivis erupted into a bundle of nerves and sheer panic as his words came out jumbled. Eduard immediately went down on his knees and placed his hands on the other man's shoulders.

“It's okay Raivis! Just relax, it's all over.” Eduard knew his words were a bit of a stretch. It's over for now but what if they return? And how many more will there be until it's truly over? He wished he had the answers so he could do more for him. He feels he's only giving him empty promises.

“Eduard's right.” Feliks said as he joined the two at face level. “Everything's cool now and it's all because of you two. You're, like, the real heroes in all this!”

Though it may not have been what Raivis wanted to hear, Tolys couldn't help but grin at hearing Feliks's comment. There was so much truth to his words. They were in such a bind that had Eduard and Raivis not awakened their powers, they may not have made it out alive. He was glad Feliks had brought that up.

Tolys reached down and joined the other three. “The two of us alone were not enough to defeat that monster. Had you two not been there, we may not be standing here right now talking to you.”

“How can you all be so cool about this?! Aren't you all scared?!”

“Of course we are. We have so many questions but no answers to them.” Tolys answered, his tone quickly becoming serious. “But it's important we stay strong. If they keep coming, we can't show them any fear. Any hesitation will only hurt us in the end.”

“You're so relaxed when you talk like that. And here I thought I was supposed to be the one with reason.” Eduard joked with a grin. Tolys returned it with a smile of his own and quickly turned back to Raivis.

“It's been a long day and it's already past six o'clock. Let's save this conversation for another time and I'll get started on dinner. Sound good?”

Raivis was still shaking, though not as much as before, and manage to let out a quiet “Okay” before pulling the blankets over himself. He had had about enough of today and everyone around him. Raivis had hoped this in itself was another dream but the achy feeling in his stomach was telling him otherwise.

That was enough for him to get teary-eyed. He never wanted to go through with this ever again.

Tolys whipped up a quick dinner, making noodles and mixing it with leftover chicken and vegetables. The four of them ate together in the dining room however Raivis only took a small portion and quietly excused himself after he finished and headed to bed. They didn't stop him and only watched on with worried expressions. They finished their meal in an uncomfortable silence.

Feliks offered to start up a game of Super Smash Bros. to lighten up the mood. Eduard was down for a few rounds and the two played together while Tolys cleaned up and did dishes. Lots of loud laughter could be heard as far as the kitchen and Tolys managed to crack a smile as he felt things were slowly returning to normal. Eduard won most of the rounds and after a good forty minutes Feliks was growing bored and fell asleep. That signalled the end of the game so he shut off the gaming system and put away the controllers.

Eduard realized that Tolys never joined them and he could no longer hear any shuffling in the kitchen so he decided to seek him out. He searched everywhere on the main floor but eventually spotted him out on the back porch, sitting on the steps in a dim light. The sound of the door opening caught Tolys's attention as he turned around but upon noticing Eduard, he gave him a warm smile and urged him to come join him. Eduard obliged and the space between them grew increasingly tight in the small opening.

“I guess Feliks fell asleep?” Tolys asked.

“Yeah. I was wondering what happened to you. You didn't want to join in the fun?”

“Video games are not my thing.” he laughed. “I'm not really all that good at them. Feliks is the one that plays it the most but he quickly gets bored with it so we just have it for when we have friends over, like you.”

“I see.”

The conversation died rather quickly as they sat in silence together. There was a lengthy pause between them but Eduard was the first to speak up and break the ice.

“I'm really sorry about earlier.”

Tolys looked at him rather surprised. “Why are you apologizing? You did nothing wrong.”

“It's just-” Eduard paused rather nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I had been a little aggressive earlier.”

“You had every right to ask the questions you did. I just wish I had the answers you were looking for.”

“The way you and Feliks fought though... I know you said you hadn't done this long but it looked so natural, as if you two had done it forever.”

“It's a feeling that you'll get used to. When I battled for the first time, the words, the techniques, they were all there in my mind as if the knowledge was always there, just waiting to be used. It still scares me how I can do what I do so easily. Did you feel the same way when you transformed too?”

“Yeah...” Eduard's voice trailed off. “It was a surreal experience holding my brooch and feeling those words that you never knew before echo in your mind. It felt so strange.”

“And what is your name? Do you remember what came to you when you transformed?”

Eduard thought hard. Everything had happened so quickly he was't too sure. However the first words that were coming to mind were 'Sailor Estonia'. It made a little bit of sense, the more he analyzed it. Part of his uniform was a sailor costume while his brooch and outfit colours featured that of the Estonian flag.

“I think... it was Sailor Estonia.”

“How fitting!” Tolys exclaimed. We all seem to be named after countries that our background is from. I am Sailor Lithuania and Feliks is Sailor Poland. Raivis in that case would be Sailor Lat—”

“Sailor Latvia,” Eduard interrupted. “And we're guardians correct?”

“Correct. Guardians of what, I don't really know. But I assume based on our names we represent the countries that we are from.”

“Forgive me for asking, but how did you become Sailor Lithuania?”

Tolys seemed puzzled by the question but nevertheless he was happy to oblige in Eduard's curiosity.

It's not very exciting and not that different from how you and Raivis awakened. I hope I don't bore you too much with it.”

Tolys recalled the story of how his life was forever changed. He was at the animal hospital doing his internship and Feliks had stopped by, bringing in donuts and muffins to munch on during his break. They had sat outside but left the back door open as the enjoyed their time together but the sounds of screaming and the animals quickly growing erratic in their cages alerted them that something wasn't right. Upon reentering, they discovered a monster shaped as a giant black centipede with many legs and sharp teeth that couldn't be counted. It sensed their presence and turned to greet them with glowing red eyes and a horrifying growl. Tolys was consumed with fear and fell backwards on to the floor. Feliks however was not shaken and immediately jumped into action, standing in between him and the monster. Tolys watched him carefully with surprise and was heavily fixated at his friend's serious expression. This was not the Feliks he knew.

“Feliks, what you doing?! Get away from that thing!”

“It's alright. Get out of here while you still can. I'll take care of this,” Feliks said as he turned his head, giving him a cocky grin.

“Are you crazy?!” Tolys panicked. “You're going to get yourself killed!”

“I'll be totally fine. But you won't be if you don't hurry up and leave!”

“Feliks!!”

“Can you, like, trust me just this once?!” Feliks groaned. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a rectangular brooch. Tolys got a quick glance of the design as he stared at it both curiously and surprised. The design sported the Polish flag and gold fixtures on top, designed as a set of wings with a large star in the middle.

“I'm really sorry. You weren't supposed to know about any of this.”

Tolys watched as Feliks raised the brooch in the air. He called out a peculiar phrase in Polish and a light had formed around him. His eyes grew wide when the light had faded. Dressed in an outfit that was a mix between a sailor uniform and armour, Feliks's pose was graceful and confident. He gave a powerful introduction, calling himself 'Sailor Poland'. He was ready to fight by any means necessary and Tolys could hardly recognize his friend. Yet, there was something about him that still felt so familiar, especially whenever he saw how expressive his eyes were.

“I'm going to lure it outside. Take care of everyone in here, like you always do.”

Tolys didn't have any time to react when Feliks pulled on his arm and threw him with such force, his body crashed into the wall. The monster chased Feliks outside and took part of the entrance with it. He lured it behind the hospital where there was additional parking for the staff and where few on-lookers could see what was happening. Tolys's back was throbbing in pain but he forcefully brought himself back up. He was determined to help Feliks in anyway he could, even if it meant risking his life.

He caught up to the two as they battled it out. Tolys was far enough that he could see the action unfold and was without danger. He watched Feliks carefully as he bravely fought the monster to the best of his abilities. Every now and then, Feliks would launch a fiery attack that did enough damage to slow it down but not enough to beat it for good so he would resort to punches and kicks. Tolys still struggled to take in all he was seeing, not just the creature itself but Feliks as well. When they were young, Feliks's mouth always got him into trouble and Tolys was never far to protect him from the bullies. But now the tables had turned and it was him that needed protection. He never knew Feliks had this kind of strength within him. But the thought of him being this strong and confident left Tolys feeling emotional but proud.

Feliks had launched a powerful attack against the monster and it screeched in pain as it immobilized it. He took his chance to get up close and throw him another attack to finish it off. He jumped in the air and launched himself towards the creature. However, just as he had got closer, it found the strength to use its body as a weapon and hit him with such force that Feliks flew at a high speed into an empty bus shelter. Glass littered everywhere as his body bled from the cuts on his exposed skin. Feliks hissed as he struggled to move. His head felt heavy and his body was bruised and stung from the open wounds. Tolys witnessed everything and with the centipede gaining its ability to move again, it was heading straight for Feliks to finish him off. Without any thought for his own safety, Tolys refused to stand by and ran out of the bushes towards them both.

“Feliks!!” he screamed.

Feliks looked up in shock and gasped, “Tolys?! What the hell?! I told you to stay inside!”

The monster was suddenly no longer interested in Feliks and had made its way towards Tolys. He was terrified but if it meant his saving his friend, he would gladly accept this as his death. But to his surprise, an increasingly large glow came from his chest and the light stopped the monster in its tracks. Something green was forming on the outside and surrounding it, a brooch with the Lithuanian flag appeared with the same kind of gold fixtures that Feliks's had. He stared at it curiously with wide eyes as he felt a mysterious power come over him, drawing him closer to the brooch. He reached out, his hand coming ever closer to it, but just before he could grab it, Feliks snapped him out of his gaze.

“Don't!”

His hand froze. “If you touch that, you will never have a normal life again. Is that what you want for yourself?”

Tolys didn't know what to say and stared at the brooch. Is this the path he wanted? To fight alongside his friend and risk death every day? Or did he want the freedom of innocence and live as he pleased? His life was perfect. He lived a simple life with the job he worked so hard to get and was surrounded by the people he loved and cared for so deeply.

But what would happen if his loved ones were in danger? How could he protect them if these creatures existed in their world?

No. He couldn't let that happen. He refused to let that fear become reality. Without any more hesitation, he grabbed the brooch and a bright light formed around him. The words came to him as he shouted a phrase in Lithuanian. Everything had felt so warm around him until the light had faded. Feliks stared at him astonished when Tolys appeared in an outfit matching his, only with a different set of colours that matched the Lithuanian flag. There was no time to waste as the creature aggressively came straight for them.

“Hey, let's launch our attacks together! We can totally defeat that ugly thing in one shot.”

Tolys nodded. “You got it.”

Both men pointed their attacks towards the monster. Feliks shot large flames of fire while Tolys launched a barrage of rue petals. The pedal were first to hit and it screeched in pain as it burned its body before it was fully engulfed in fire. It was quickly reduced to ashes.

Tolys didn't have a moment to catch his breath when he felt a pair of arms wrap behind him. The squeeze that always came with a classic Feliks hug gave him a sense of familiarity. He lifted his hand up and placed it over Feliks's. It didn't matter what form he took, the man behind him was and will always be Feliks. The thought of that gave Tolys some comfort over what he just experienced.

“You're not mad at me are you?”

“No,” Feliks mumbled, “I knew you would grab the brooch. I can't stop you when it's in your nature to help people.”

Tolys tightened the grip on his hands. He was glad Feliks was still here standing with him. He concluded his story by mentioning that after the battle, he helped Feliks back into the hospital where he was ready to care and tend to Feliks's cuts. But to his surprise, when they reverted back to their regular selves, it impressed him how Feliks looked as if he never fought at all.

“The best part about being a guardian!” Feliks winked.

“That's impressive!” Eduard said. He was fascinated by the whole story and was glad everything ended the way it did. “I would have thought you'd be the first to awaken and not him.”

Tolys formed a little smile. He was beginning to feel a little cramp in his legs for sitting down too long. He changed his position slightly that let him let his legs hang out over the steps of the deck. It wasn't any more comfortable than before but Tolys doesn't think they'll be out for much longer. The air had gotten much cooler and neither of them were properly dressed for the outdoors.

“Feliks hasn't really told me much of what he's experienced. All he'll say is that he had been fighting on his own for just over a month. I've tried to push him into telling me more but he just won't budge on the topic.”

“Do you think he's hiding things?”

There was a long and heavy pause. “I'm not really sure, to be honest.”

“Hmm...” He quickly realized that Tolys didn't seem to like this topic and switched to something else. “Do you think there's more of us out there?”

“Who knows? If there are, let's just hope they're easy to work with. We could use all the help we can get!”

Tolys was quick to get back on his feet. The cold had finally gotten to him and was longing for the warmth of his home. He offered his hand to Eduard to help him up, a gesture he kindly took. A sigh of relief was heard from both of them as they re-entered inside and Tolys locked the patio doors behind him.

Eduard had wondered what the rest of their plans were for the night but Tolys made it clear that he was heading to bed early because he had to be at work for mid-morning. “If you want, you can have my room for the night and I'll sleep in Feliks's room.”

He gladly accepted the offer. He usually did anyhow whenever he slept over at their house. There were no other places for him to rest (unless it was the sofa but Tolys refused to have his friend sleep there) so Eduard usually got Tolys's room and he would spend the night in Feliks's.

They had noticed the living room lights were still on and Eduard remembered he and Feliks were there playing video games. However he was no where to be found when they had past the room. “He must have already gone to bed,” Tolys said as he flicked the switch for the lights. Eduard made sure to grab his bag from the door and brought it up with him.

At the top of the stairs, there were many doors that lead to different rooms. Three of those doors were closed, each of them belonging to the rooms of Raivis, Feliks, and Feliks's parents. The latter was a room that was always closed and locked. It was forbidden for anyone to go inside. They had decided to check up on Raivis to see how he was doing as they hadn't heard from him since dinner. His door was closest to the stairs on the left-hand side of the hallway and used to be an office before he and Feliks converted it into a bedroom. Tolys quietly knocked on the door and opened it just a crack so he could peek in. Eduard crouched down underneath him so he could see as well. With his body facing towards the door and curled up within the big pile of blankets, they were both relieved to see that Raivis appeared to be resting peacefully.

Tolys showed Eduard to his room (not that he really needed to, but he wanted to be a good host). “I'm sorry for the mess,” he said as he pointed to the desk full of books and papers. “If it's too much, I'll move it for you.”

It's fine, really,” Eduard said as he tossed his massive bag onto the bed. “Your room is fine. You're allowed to have small messes here and there.”

Eduard had noticed Tolys had gone quiet and heard shuffling noises to the left of him. He curiously looked and saw Tolys cleaning up his desk, completing ignoring everything he had just said. He shook his head and chuckled. “Never change Tolys,” Eduard mumbled to himself.

“What's that?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Eduard grinned. “What time do you have to be at work tomorrow?”

“For ten. So I'll be out the door by eight-thirty or nine.”

“Oh—” Eduard was hoping to have to have breakfast with him but he isn't too sure if he'll be up early enough for that. It all depended how well he would have slept throughout the night. “Well, if I don't see you in the morning, good luck with everything tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” Tolys grinned. “Sleep well okay? Don't hesitate to knock on our door if you need something.”

He was about to the leave the room and shut the door behind him but Eduard saw him stop in his tracks. Tolys called out his name and a long pause followed.

“Does it make me selfish that I'm glad you and Raivis ended up like us?”

Eduard seemed taken aback by the question but he took some time to think about it. “I don't think you are. I mean, if it was me, I'd be happy knowing that people who are fighting by my side are my closest friends and not strangers. You want to be able to count them when you need them most, like what happened earlier with that monster.”

Another pause followed. Eduard's head hung low as he stared at the floor.

“I'm glad I wasn't alone when I became a guardian. I'm glad I was with you and the others when everything happened. Because I'm scared Tolys. I really am. I don't know what the future is in store for us. But I feel a little bit of comfort knowing that whatever happens, we'll do it together.”

“Thank you Eduard. I knew you'd understand.” Tolys never once looked at him when he spoke. But Eduard knew that Tolys was moved by his response by the emotional tone of his voice. They say their good nights and Eduard shut both the door and the lights after he left. He walked over to the small lamp on the night table and turned it on. He then dug into his pockets and took out both his phone and the brooch and placed them on the table. He slowly undressed himself till he was down to just his shirt and briefs and moved his bag to the desk. Once he got cozy in the sheets, he tossed his glasses on the table and turned off the light. Laying on his side, he remembered he hadn't checked his phone since he left the university. He checked his messages and saw that Timo had both called and texted him multiple times throughout the night, all of them wondering where he was and why he wasn't answering his phone. Even Björn had sent him a few texts saying how worried Timo was and to call him when he had a chance. Eduard was baffled by the urgency of the messages. He selected Timo's number and heard it dialling as he put his phone to his ear. It only took two rings before someone picked up.

“Hold on. Timo's comin' in a sec,” Eduard immediately recognized the voice as Björn. He heard some noises in the background and could hear Timo's voice in the distance asking if it was him.

“Eduard?”

“Hey, yeah it's me. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, no, everything's fine. I felt bad for not going out with you tonight so me and Björn wanted to surprise you after your last class and bring you along for dinner. But we couldn't find you on campus and you weren't at home either.” Timo explained. “I got a little worried but I might have gone a little overboard with the messages. I'm sorry about that.”

“No, no! No need to apologize. You were just looking out for me, like you always do. I'm sorry I didn't answer back quick enough. I had my phone in my bag all night.”

“Where are you?”

“I'm at Feliks and Tolys's place. I left the university early since my last class was cancelled. They spotted me at the bus station and asked if I wanted to spend the night with them. Are you at his place?”

“Nah, I'm here at the apartment and, as you know, Björn's here too.” On the other end, Timo stood out on their apartment balcony and Björn was behind him with his hands on Timo's shoulders. Björn was worried about Eduard just as much as Timo was. But he was also just as worried about Timo and chose to stay with him, giving him all the support he possibly could. He was relieved that Eduard was safe and Timo was back to being his usual cheerful self.

“So then,” Timo said, his tone quite chipper, “what did you do all night?”

Though his vision is too blurry, Eduard's eyes were fixated at the brooch sitting on the night table, “Oh nothing much...”

Act 3: Suomi

Just as he predicted, Tolys was already gone by the time he had gotten up.

He overslept quite a bit. He normally didn't sleep in till ten-thirty but last night's events were justifiable. He stayed up late, chatting up a storm with Timo on the other end. Aside from his anxious worrying over Eduard's “disappearance”, he and Björn had a nice night together and mused over their lives through dinner and a movie. Eduard too talked about his night with the others; how Tolys cooked them up a meal and how he championed over Feliks through video games.

But at no point did he ever bring up that event. He didn't know how Timo would handle it, and it certainly wasn't appropriate to say so casually over the phone. Therefore he left the topic off the table.

Dressed in yesterday's clothes, his glasses were slightly slanted as he walked down the stairs and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He could hear Feliks chatting up a storm about the adorable dogs at Tolys's placement. When he had made his way into the kitchen, he was surprised to see Raivis at the table eating a bowl of cereal—who also wore yesterday's clothes, had droopy eyes, and a bad case of bed hair.

“You're up.”

Raivis looked up at him for a brief moment before turning away and looking rather gloomy. “Yeah...” he replied in a soft and unenthusiastic tone. It was obvious that Raivis was still distraught from last night. When Eduard spoke with Timo the previous night, they had agreed to meet for lunch. He thought extending the offer to Raivis seemed wise and he knew that Timo wouldn't mind. The two knew each other on a familiar level and Timo had a knack for looking out for him as a brotherly figure. The decision seemed so obvious to him.

“Listen, I'm going to meet Timo for lunch at that new restaurant that opened up around where we live. You should join us.”

“No thanks,” Raivis replied flatly. Eduard's expression quickly went sour.

“Raivis, you can't stay inside all weekend and not do anything.”

“Who said I don't have stuff to do? I doubt Timo would want me there anyway.”

“That isn't true and you know that.”

Eduard was quickly getting tired of Raivis's excuses. He was quick to fold his arms and turned to his friend across the table. He was determined to get this boy out of the house. “Feliks? A little help?”

Feliks was unusually quiet as the conversation unfolded but he appeared in a daze. He wasn't too sure what Eduard really wanted him to say or add. “Raivis, you should go with him. Lunch with Timo sounds like a lot of fun. I wish I could go too. I'm so jealous!”

Raivis continued to ignore the two men as he swirled his spoon in what little was left of his cereal. He had made up his mind—he was not interested in being social; he'd rather sleep the day away. He wanted to escape and forget the events of yesterday. It does not exist. The monster? A bad dream. The brooch? He bought it at a flea market downtown. It did nothing and merely a piece of jewelry. End of story.

Eduard and Feliks exchanged worried glances. Even after his parents had passed away, Raivis was visibly upset but he never acted in the manner than he was now: lifeless and detached. To their surprise, he got up and ran out of the room and could hear him emitting some quiet sobs. Their calls went unanswered; the sounds of stomping feet and a slamming door were all what the two men heard. The room went quiet and neither of them spoke for some time.

“You should probably go,” Feliks said as he finally broke the silence.

“I understand,” he replied. He quickly retreated upstairs to grab his stuff. As he passed Raivis's room on his way out, he was tempted to knock on his door but as his fist hung close to the wooden entrance, Eduard grew hesitant and merely sighed and walked away. Feliks was cleaning up in the kitchen and joined him in the main entry way when he heard Eduard getting ready to leave.

“Here,” Feliks said as he handed him a medium-sized blueberry muffin. “You're probably starving.”

Eduard chuckled as he kindly took it, “Just a little. Thanks,” he said before taking a large bite.

“I'll have a chat with Raivis when he's calmed down. I'll totally keep ya in the loop about everything.”

Eduard was quick to scoff the muffin down within only a few seconds as Feliks spoke. “Thanks. I appreciate that. I'll let Timo know you said hi.” Eduard replied with a stuffed mouth.

“Please! And tell him I miss him a lot and that he needs to pick up his damn phone and call me!!” Feliks pouted. Eduard got a kick out of Feliks's comment and give the man a friendly wave. He had already dashed out the door and was almost off the property.

“I'll do that! Take care!” Eduard replied before he took his leave towards home. Though the air was crisp, the sun was warm against his skin and it made the walk back pleasant. His hands were a little cool so he left them inside his coat pockets. Things appeared to be quiet in the neighbourhood as there were few kids out; mostly joggers and dog walkers taking in the nice weather. Despite what happened yesterday, Eduard chose to cross through the park. If he was lucky, he could make it back to the main road and grab a quick bus leading to his apartment. He was cautious as he walked around and the place appeared deserted. But further up ahead, parts of the park were taped off to the public as police officers were on the scene surveying the damage done to the area. A small news crew and their van were present as well and the reporter was interviewing one of the officers.

Eduard took a moment to watch the officers work. It felt awkward knowing the police would never be able to solve the mystery of what took place that evening. It was a secret he was now forced to carry with him for the rest of his days. No one but their own can know. Thinking about it made Eduard uncomfortable so he chose to keep on moving towards home.

In the end, he didn't make the bus as he hoped, thus creating a longer walk back, but he had music to keep him company—and to help him escape reality for just a little bit.

Timo wasn't at the apartment when Eduard had arrived. He remembered that he was taking Björn home and that they were going to meet at the restaurant for noon. Eduard was cutting it close after grabbing a quick glance of the time on the stove. He had no time for a shower and instead grabbed a fresh set of clothes and sprayed a tiny bit of cologne on both sides of his neck. His outfit wasn't much different as before, only he had lacked a tie underneath his grey v-neck sweater and sported dark blue jeans. He made sure to grab the essentials: his wallet, his phone, but mostly importantly his brooch. He was a little hesitant taking it with him but he could no longer be too careful and needed to be prepared at every moment. From his balcony window, he could see the skies were quickly greying over as if a storm were about to brew.

Better grab that coat and umbrella too, he thought to himself.

“That's odd, we weren't supposed to get rain today. So much for that sunny weekend that weather guy was chanting about.”

He was quick to leave the apartment complex and something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. A young boy was leaning against the concrete walls next to the glass doors, dressed in a burgundy hoodie designed with a school logo, baggy blue pants, and red and white sneakers. The boy looked up at him and Eduard appeared surprised.

“Raivis?”

For the first time in what Eduard felt like an eternity, Raivis gave him one of his little trademark shy smiles. “Is the offer still on?”

Eduard's expression quickly changed as he gave Raivis a warm grin. “Of course, let's go.”

The two men walked together closely as they headed closer towards the city's main core. Eduard felt his phone buzzing in his coat pocket. Feliks had sent him a distressing text message asking him if he had seen or heard from Raivis. Eduard shot him a disappointed glare but kept quiet as he responded with a quick message.

He's fine. He's walking with me to the restaurant. I'm guessing he snuck out without you knowing? I'll have a talk with him later.

“Who are you texting?”

“Timo,” he lied. “Just letting him know that we're on our way.”

The downtown core was busy and buzzing with people. Despite the bad weather approaching, everyone seemed to be in a cheerful mood. They turned the corner and up ahead, Eduard had spotted Timo in the distance. Eduard unknowingly startled some of the people walking past them as he shouted out to him. Timo returned it with a wave and began running towards them.

“And here I was thinking I'd be late. It's good to see you,” Eduard said cheerfully.

“Sorry, I didn't think it'd take this long to get here,” Timo laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Björn was showing me some of his new design projects and I lost track of time.”

“Projects?” Raivis questioned.

“Björn attends the local art school west of the city.” Eduard explained. “He designs all sorts of things: furniture, clothing, crafts—you name it. Whatever you have in mind, he can make it happen. Right Timo?”

Timo nodded in agreement and his attention quickly diverted to Raivis. With big and bright violet eyes, he couldn't contain his excitement at the sight of the younger boy.

“Ah! You even brought Raivis along too! I'm so glad you could join us!”

“It's nice to see you again Timo,” he replied nervously, but with a smile. “But did you not know I was coming? Eduard told me he just texted you.”

Eduard went wide-eyed as he felt anxiety pool into his stomach. He was caught within his own lie.

“A text?” Timo blinked. “I didn't get any text messages from Eduard today.”

Timo looked towards Eduard and it appeared he was trying to send a signal to go along with it; mouthing words 'Go along with it'. It took him a moment but he got the message loud and clear and quickly changed his tune.

“Oh!! You know what? I did hear from Eduard earlier. I was in such a rush that I just completely forgot!”

Raivis stared at Timo oddly with a raised brow. He wasn't buying the charade and it left the two men feeling awkward about the situation.

“Err... how about we head inside? Raivis, you first.”

Timo generously held the door open for them to enter. Raivis walked inside first and just as Eduard was about to follow, Timo grabbed his arm gently and tugged him back.

“What the hell is going on?”

“Trust me, it's a long story.”

The three men were lucky to get a window seat with a nice view of the downtown. To their surprise, the restaurant served a lunch buffet and they decided to ignore the menus and eat their hearts out on whatever they could grab. It offered a massive variety of pizzas, pastas, salads, and meat dishes. By the time they had returned, their soft drinks had been delivered and their plates were overflowing with food.

None of the men hid their delight as they openly praised the food. Timo was in love as he happily munched on his meal, even stealing food off the plates of his friends, while Eduard was a slow eater and took his time enjoying the flavours. Raivis however was eating so fast that they were worried he would choke on something.

“Raivis slow down!” Timo said. “The food's not going anywhere. Gosh, you must have been hungry.”

“He wasn't feeling that great yesterday so he skipped out on dinner.”

“Oh! Speaking of yesterday, did you guys hear the news about what took place in the park?”

Eduard and Raivis froze for a moment but carried on as they knew nothing about the incident, “Yeah, I walked passed the scene on my way back home. The whole area was cordoned off to the public. There were lots of officers there on the scene with a news crew and everything. I wonder what happened?”

“I don't know but I was hearing online that a monster showed up and destroyed the place! Some people claimed they took pictures and videos on their phones but when they tried to retrieve them, the files were supposedly corrupted,” Timo explained before pausing to grab a sip of his soda. “I'm not sure if I believe that or not. But regardless, I'm glad no one was killed.”

Eduard felt some relief knowing that there wasn't any evidence taken from the battle. It was one thing to grabs shots of the monster but knowing if someone caught them transforming was an unsettling thought. He looked over to Raivis and he appeared uncomfortable with the topic at hand. He was notiblaly losing the colour in his face.

“Raivis,” Eduard called out and the younger man looked up towards him, “Timo wanted to know how you were doing.”

Raivis stared at him with a confused expression. Timo was next to chime in.

“Yes! It's been ages since I last saw you so he updated me on how you were last night when we were chatting. You're a senior now aren't you?”

“Oh... yeah, that's right. It's my last year of high school.” he replied shyly. He colour returned to his face and his cheeks turned to a light shade of pink. He had a hard time looking at Timo as his eyes darted everywhere but him. “I'm in the highest levels of all my classes. Oh! And I'm a tutor for some of the students in the younger grades! It's so much fun!”

The conversation change did wonders for Raivis as he quickly became a chatter box and was back to cheerful self. Eduard enjoyed watching the two of them chat as loud laughter erupted and smiles were all around. Raivis was happy to tell him everything about his life and Timo was happy to listen. Eduard had only hoped Raivis would not slip and tell him about their new identities.

The group had gone back for seconds. And then thirds. And fourths. Well, Timo and Raivis did. Eduard was done by his third plate and had barely placed anything on it. He was comfortably enjoying his black coffee while the other two were slouching in their seats.

“That was so good...”

“We are definitely coming back here.” Timo said as he rubbed his belly. The waitress was quick to arrive at their table to collect their plates and offer the dessert menu. Raivis groaned while Timo politely declined as they made it obvious that they were overstuffed. “Just a coffee for me, no milk, cream, or sugar.”

“I'll take a coffee too. Just a little bit of milk in mine.”

The waitress grabbed their plates and left with a smile and they patiently waited for their drinks. Eduard's attention was more focused on the outside. He watched the people and vehicles passed. Even one bus had stopped to drop off passengers. He eventually found himself getting lost within the dark and ominous clouds above. He was surprised that the storm hadn't started in the time since they had gotten here. They had been at the restaurant for nearly an hour and a half.

“Hey look! It's snowing!” Timo said.

His voice snapped Eduard out of his thoughts and noticed that Timo was right; a gentle snow was falling on the city. As much as Timo and Raivis enjoyed the sight, this didn't sit well with him, “But it's not cold enough to snow... not even close.”

Suddenly something massive flew passed them on the other side of the glass and startled Eduard enough that he stood up in his seat. The people outside stopped in their tracks as they struggled to understand what was taking place. Up in the skies, a hole opened in the sky and a feminine figure with long curly hair came forth and danced amongst the clouds. Their whole body and clothing was pure white; their hair went down to their feet and was dressed in a royal gown dating back to the early 1800s. They appeared human in nearly every aspect. It quickly descended downwards and using its arms, large patches of snow fell and anything it landed on turned to ice. Several patches landed on cars, streetlights, and worst of all, people. Loud screams were heard as people panicked and struggled to find safety. The mood inside the restaurant was largely divided. Some customers were frightened, others were bewildered, while a few daredevils were getting close to the windows or heading outside to grab shots of the turmoil taking place in the streets.

“What's happening?!” Timo cried in terror. The monster suddenly morphed in front of the restaurant window were the three of them were standing. Using its arms, it threw a mixture of snow and ice and shattered all the windows. Eduard was quick to push Raivis away as they jumped back. Timo did the same but slipped and landed on his back. Eduard was desperate to reach out and help him but a massive ice wall formed in front of Timo and blocked Eduard off. He was nearly hit and was startled enough that he lost balance and fell off his feet.

“Timo!!” he shouted as he struggled to get up. Eduard couldn't see him on the other side, only his own reflection. His hands could barely touch it and getting too close was enough to make him shiver. His frantic calls to him proved to be futile as they went unanswered. Quiet sobs were all that Eduard could hear from behind him and his attention quickly turned to Raivis. He was lying on the floor, crying into his arm. Eduard reached out to help him but his gestures were met with resistance as Raivis pushed him away with such fury.

“Don't touch me!!”

Eduard was surprised by Raivis's sudden outburst, “What is your problem?!”

Raivis ignored the question. Instead he went into hysteria as tears flowed down his face. “I shouldn't have come. I tricked myself into believing everything would be alright. But nothing is fine, people are dying and Timo is probably one of them too—”

Eduard cut him off as he pulled Raivis into a hug and rubbed his back, “Shh... don't say that,” he whispered. “Timo is not dead. He's just stuck behind a frozen wall. I'm sure he's fine.”

He bit his lip. He wasn't so sure if that was true or not, especially since he never responded to his constant calls; but anything to relax an anxious Raivis.

“Raivis, I know you're scared but we're the only ones who can fix this. We don't have a choice in this anymore.”

“But I'm not strong enough,” Raivis hiccuped. A wet spot from where Raivis's tears were landing was growing in size on Eduard's shoulder.

“That's not true and you know that.”

Eduard sighed heavily. There was no use getting through him and he was losing precious time. He broke the hug and placed his hands on Raivis's shoulders.

“Raivis,” he said calmly, “I won't force you to fight. But someone has to go and stop them.”

“Raivis's eyes went wide, “You're not suggesting—?”

Eduard nodded.

“You can't do that! If you go alone, you'll die.”

Raivis's eyes swelled up with tears once more but Eduard used his fingers and brushed them away off his cheek.

“More people will die if neither of us step in. I'll only be alone for a little while. I don't know if Tolys can come to our aid but Feliks for sure will come. Try to get in contact with them if you can.”

Eduard stood up to his feet and looked out to the chaos unfolding in the streets. The whole city had turned into a frozen wasteland. People, buildings, the flora, the vehicles—nothing was off limits from the mercy of the ice monster flying high in the skies. With a determined expression, he knew what he had to do. He reached into his jacket and pulled out his brooch. Lifting it into the air, he called out a phrase in his native Estonian:

“Eesti kristalli jõud, transformeeri mind!”

A bright light full of magical power surrounded him and seconds later, the light faded, revealing a new but familiar face. He was no longer Eduard Tamm but the mysterious guardian, Sailor Estonia.

“Please be careful Eduard.”

He clutched his metal staff tightly. He can't promise him he will, but for Raivis's comfort, he turned to him and gave him a reassuring smile.

“I will.”

Eduard took off into the streets. He was careful wherever he stepped as any wrong move would cause him to slip and injure himself. He didn't need that going into an important battle like this. Passing the frozen figures gave him a drive that he had never felt before. A sense of duty came upon him; the fate of the city rested in his hands.

The snow creature was busy trying to find its next batch of targets when Eduard had arrived on the scene. It was quickly alerted to his presence and wasted no time in forming an attack. It flew closer towards Eduard and used its arms to launch a barrage of snow and ice but he was quick to dodge. The spot he was formally in quickly turned into ice. Eduard was ready to attack back but further in the distance, he caught a small glimpse of a frightened young child, possibly no more than five, peeking from behind a frozen car. He held back; if his attack missed, it was likely he could harm or kill the child. He could never live with himself had something like that happened.

But Eduard was quick to come up with a plan and chose to lure it away from the area. The creature took the bait and followed him, while launching a consistent attack of snow. Eduard came close several times to being hit but survived every time. He lurked the creature back to near where the restaurant was (though still far enough that Raivis was in no danger in being injured) and he was ready to fight. After dodging another attack, he launched himself into the air and used his height and speed to physically assault the creature with his staff. It cried in pain as the force was strong enough to throw it into the ground. When Eduard landed back onto the ground, he used his staff to launch his own attack. The amber on top of his staff glowed and began changing colour from orange to blue as it charged power. He pointed the staff towards the creature and shouted, “Estonia Binary Beam!” A beam of light shot out of the orb towards the creature, but flew away as the beam hit an abandoned building and caused an explosion. Eduard growled in frustration but continued onward. The two battled it out as they appeared to be equally matched. Each time an attack was launched, the other would dodge.

Eduard thought he was gaining the upper-hand when the monster abruptly pulled back and retreated. It performed an elegant dance in the air and twirled gracefully when suddenly there were two, and then three and four. Before Eduard had knew it, there were dozens of copies of the snow creature and he was completely out-numbered. The nerves had returned and he was beginning to lose hope for himself but continued to trek through with another attack. He wishfully hoped that reinforcements were arriving soon.

Feliks... Tolys... Raivis... anyone! I need help. I can't do this alone!

Raivis watched the battle unfold as he hid behind the edge of the wall and looking out through the shattered window. His brooch was in his hands and he clutched it close to his chest. Raivis felt so helpless as he waited for Feliks to arrive on the scene. What could he do? He wasn't strong like they were. They were brave with powerful attacks. He was easily frightened and attacked with feathers. He believed he would only be in the way if he were to go out to fight.

But an explosion coming from the nearby wall of ice Raivis startled him as a cloud of smoke covered the room. A cloaked figure emerged from the smoke with the sound of heels clicking against the title floor and became louder with each step. As the figure grew closer, Raivis trembled as he scooted back.

The figure had stopped. Their face was covered by the cloak and it was impossible for Raivis to see who the mysterious individual was.

“There's no need to be frighten,” the figure said in a masculine voice. The person bore a thick accent that felt familiar to him but Raivis couldn't pinpoint where he recognized the voice from. Staring at the brooch from under Raivis's hand, the figure spoke in a rather soft and gentle tone, as if they were parental guardian to the young man.

“How come you're not fighting with Eduard? He can't face this battle alone.”

Raivis was surprised to know that the figure knew about him and Eduard's alter-egos.

“H-how did you know—?” Did they see them earlier arguing? Or when Eduard had transformed? Either way, the truth was out. Raivis turned his head and looked on into the frozen city landscape. He appeared gloomy as he watched Eduard beginning to struggle. The monster had made so many copies of itself that it became impossible for Eduard to fend for himself. He was doing his best to dodge the attacks but it was becoming obvious that he was running out of steam. His own attacks proved to be useless; each attack would simply bring forth a new copy to replace the old one. Eduard was stuck in a never-ending cycle. He needed help and he needed it immediately.

Despite the dire situation, Raivis would not budge.

“He needs your help,” the figure said.

“There's nothing I can do for him. Eduard is a thousand times stronger than I am. I'd only get in the way.”

“Is that really what you believe of yourself?”

There was no response.

“Raivis, I know a lot about about you. I know who you are, and what happened to your family. You are so lucky to have friends like Eduard, Tolys, and Feliks—friends that come to your aid in dire times of need. I know you're scared and your fears of losing them are legitimate. But you can't run away forever.”

A quiet sniffle was heard.

“You've come a long way and you can only go up from here. I want to see you reach your potential, both in battle and as a person.”

“Who are you?” Raivis asked in between sobs. He slowly turned back to face the cloaked individual. His eyes were red and puffy and used his fingers to wipe away the wetness off his face. He felt nervous to be around them and was uncomfortable at the fact all he could see was their lips underneath the hood.

“A friend,” they said with a smile. They held out their hand to Raivis, to which there was some hesitation but he grabbed a hold and the boy was lifted up to his feet. He noticed their hand was covered in a white glove, one that looked and felt like the ones he and his friends wore as guardians. Raivis wondered if the cloaked figure was just like them.

That's... no, they couldn't be? Could they?

“I'm here to help but I can't do this alone. I need your help too.”

Raivis nodded nervously.

“You are so much stronger than you think you are. I will help you fight and I will always be there for you and everyone else for future battles.”

Using both of their hands, the figure took the hand of which Raivis was using to hold his brooch. One hand rested underneath while the other rested on top and covered the brooch. The figure's hands felt warm and comforting against his cold and shaky ones. He felt strangely calm as his body slowly relaxed. His mind felt a little more clearer and the tears had ceased.

“Let's go and help Eduard. He needs us. It's okay to transform in front of me but I will turn away if you want me to.”

Raivis pulled his hand away and wiped away the wetness on his eyes and cheeks. He's done crying and he's ready to fight. The figure was delighted to see Raivis bursting with strength and eagerness.

“It's okay. You don't have to look away.”

Raivis took his brooch and raised it in the air. “Latvijas kristāl, pārvērt mani!” he called out as light formed around him. In mere seconds, he had transformed into the guardian, Sailor Latvia. He looked out towards the battle still ensuing. To say he was nervous was an understatement. But he knew he had to be strong; not only for himself but to Eduard and for everyone else. A hand was felt on his shoulder, coming from the mysterious figure behind him.

“Let's go. I'll be right behind you.”

Raivis nodded in agreement and the two ran jumped from one of the shattered windows and into the streets. Eduard was growing exhausted from the battle and took a wrong step, slipping on a patch of ice and falling on his back. He hit the back of his head against the ground and yelped from the sheer amount of pain. He was so focused on the pain that he never heard his staff hit the ground or Raivis's alarming calls.

“Eduard! It's okay, I'm here now!”

Raivis did his best to stand tall with confidence but his shivers were visible to everyone around him, and it wasn't just because the temperature was below freezing. True to their word, the figure had followed him into battle and it did its best to keep Raivis's morale up.

“Don't be scared Latvia! I'm right here next to you.”

Raivis turned to his left and sure enough, the figure was right by his side. He was comforted by its presence, despite not knowing just who this individual was. One of the clones came charging down from the sky and Raivis received the go-ahead to attack.

“Go for it!” the figure yelled.

Raivis got into position and two white feathers came forth in his hands. They glowed a bright light and he shouted “Latvia Feather Strike!” before launching them straight at the monster. They flew like boomerangs but it proved to be ineffective when the feathers froze when they came into contact of the creature's icy attack. It quickly left Raivis troubled and fumbling. “That was my only attack!”

Eduard's head was still throbbing but he pulled all of his energy into pushing himself up. He felt a pair of hands on his shoulders and was met face to face with the cloaked figure who helped him by giving him a boost.

“Thank you, but who are you?” Eduard asked in a rough voice.

“A friend,” they smiled before turning back to Raivis. “You need to use a stronger attack!”

“I don't have any other attacks!!” he cried out. He felt like crying once again as fear overtook him. “I can't do this! I really can't!”

“Concentrate! Pool all of your strength into your chest. You'll understand once you do it.”

Raivis didn't fully understand what this was supposed to accomplish but he did as he was told. He shut his eyes and relaxed his body and mind. He had reached a point where all sound seemed to vanish.

And then he felt it—a growing spot of warmth in his chest. He could then feel and hear the wind pick up around him. Even Eduard and the figure noticed it as well and on in admiration. No longer was Raivis going to cry and run away anymore. Yes, he can do it. He always could, just as they said. The words became clearer in his mind and knew just what to do. Using his arms, he controlled the wind around him. His eyes flew open and commanded his attack straight towards one of the clones.

“Latvia Ace Hurricane!”

From the palm of his hands, large and powerful gusts of wind came flying towards the monster and destroyed it on impact. The force was so strong that it took out several other clones in the process and the original lost control of its balance in the air, crashing into a brick building and onto the ground. Raivis had no time to celebrate his victory when he suddenly felt light-headed and collapsed.

“Latvia!” They both cried out. The cloaked figure was faster than Eduard was when they rushed over the smaller man. They were relived that he was just fine and merely exhausted from using that much power.

“I did it, didn't I?” Raivis smiled weakly. The two nodded with big smiles.

“Yes you did,” the figure said. Eduard was quick to chime in. “We knew you could do it.”

He turned his head up towards the rest of the clones in the sky. They quietly faded away, leaving only the original left. It was still alive and used what energy it had left to fly back up in the air. It tried to intimate them with a loud shriek that forced the three to cover their ears.

The figure growled and rose to its feet, surprising both Eduard and Raivis.

“That's enough!”

In a flash, the cloak was ripped off and tossed into the air. Their identity was revealed to both Eduard and Raivis and they two men gasped at the sight. Dressed in a sailor uniform that was just like theirs, most of the costume including the collar and shorts was white while the front and back bows were a light blue. They donned a brooch that was shaped and designed like the Finnish flag. Their boots and gloves were white with light blue trims. With the short blond hair, violet eyes, and round face, Eduard had a strong feeling that he knew them from somewhere but couldn't place it no matter how hard he tried.

“I-I knew it...” Raivis replied as he thought back to that moment they held hands back at the restaurant. He knew the gloves could have only belong to another guardian like them.

“I am the Guardian of the Arctic, Nation of a Thousand Lakes: Sailor Finland! I thrive in these conditions and you're no match for me. You're finished.”

From thin air, Finland grabbed a rifle that looked fairly standard looking but the handle was beautifully designed with the symbol of the Nordic Cross. He pointed the gun with precise aim and yelled, “Frigid Assault!” and a loud explosion erupted from the gun. A massive ball of snow and ice flew at rapid speed. It had no time to react and another explosion took place upon impact. The monster was completely destroyed and the battle was over.

“You did it! That was amazing!” Raivis cheered. Finland turned back to the group and gave them both a big smile while flashing a victory sign. The scenery was slowing returning to normal as the ice disappeared in batches. Finland urged them to retreat so they wouldn't be seen. Eduard and Raivis agreed and the three of them headed back to the restaurant, only this time they took advantage of their high jumping abilities and took refuge on the rooftop, hiding behind the giant restaurant logo. Everything had returned to what it once was and while the masses were baffled for a brief moment, they continued on as if nothing had ever occurred.

“It seems no one remembers what happened,” Raivis said.

“Good. It's better that way,” Eduard replied. Finland nodded in agreement. Raivis sheepishly walked over to the man and called Finland's name to grab their attention.

“Um, thank you for earlier,” Raivis blushed. “Because of you, I was able to help Eduard and believe in myself a little more.”

Finland gave Raivis a warm smile, “No need to thank me, you did all the work. Always remember: there's no such thing as a “weak guardian”. You're stronger than you look and you're never alone, even when it feels like it.”

Finland gave him a wink and Raivis nodded with a silly grin. His cheeks remained red as he admired Finland internally. He was ecstatic that the mysterious figure who gave him a confidence booster was a guardian just like them; and a strong one too!

“Thank you for all you've done for him. I'm truly grateful. Without you two, I would have been done for!” Eduard said.

“Anything for a friend. I'm just glad we got to you just in time!”

There was that word again: 'friend'. That was twice now that he heard them say that. It bothered Eduard deeply that this guardian seemed to act on a familiar level with the two of them yet he knew nothing about them or where they came from. He didn't want to be rude but asking would be the only way to comfort his mind.

“Forgive me for asking, and please don't take this the wrong way, but you seem to know more about us than we do of you. Have we met before?”

Finland looked at Eduard rather perplexed by the question, as if he had asked them whether or not water was wet. However, they broke into soft laughter soon after.

“I always wondered if others could recognize us through our transformations but I guess you just answered that for me!”

Finland affectionately took Eduard's hands and squeezed them tightly with a warm stare.

“Eduard, it's me, Timo.”