Wy? What's the matter?

sighs, pushing her playing cards into a heap. "I don't even know anymore..."

Certainly there must have been something...?

"It's just been this way since my birthday... everyone is so down and everything. I don't know."

It does seem that everyone is upset. But that's no reason to get upset yourself. Pick up a new hobby, perhaps.

"Hobbies...hobbies... I used to have hobbies once."

And you still can. You're young.

"I feel old... is it always this way when you grow up?"

Yes... especially with being a nation, things become very hard. But stay strong.

"But, how do you do it? How can you stand it?"

bites her lip Perhaps... I should not be telling you this. But no doubt you know of the atrocities of my history.

Once I realized what my people were doing, it was hard for me even to want to get up out of my bed.

I felt so much guilt and blame. And it is the worst feeling.

But the world moves on with or without you, and you can watch it and fade away. Or you can fight

so that you can have a place in it.

"What you don't tell me now will hurt me worse later."

"So, thank you."

hug

Of course.

hugs back "It's just hard sometimes..."

I understand..

"Do you ever feel like the whole world is laughing and you're the only one who isn't in on the big joke?"

Absolutely. That comes with growing up, though.

"I don't want to grow up then... it's not worth the trouble."

But, I was under the impression you wanted to be a nation?

gets a pained look on her face. "I do, of course I do... but, it's hard to want to be anything at all

when everything hurts so much."

...Someone told me once, that is we were never sad, we would never be able to be happy, either.

"There is wisdom in that, I suppose... perhaps this will help me count my blessings?"

Just stay strong, is all. The bad always comes to an end. Thankfully..

"That is my hope."