(Ch3rryblossom05 unknowingly gave me the idea for this chapter, so thank you friend.  Side note: I wrote this chapter over a dozen times with three different plot lines and I still ain't completely happy with it, but I had to post something.)

MA was pacing back and forth across the width of his living room, Tank and Flurry were following his movements as he was muttering to himself.  

"Where are they, they should have been here by now, did I give them the wrong directions?"  He said, his wings twitching nervously as he continued to pace.  He was waiting for some people to come who were supposed to help him cheer up Mandara.  Ever since the 'No Derogan' incident, he noticed that Mandara was a lot more upset than he usually was, so MA invited three people over that he knew his brother would be very happy to see. 

The guests should have been there thirty minutes ago and MA was starting to get restless, he was beginning to wonder if they were going to even show up, but then the doorbell rang and startled him out of his thoughts.  The dogs immediately ran to the door and started barking, not aggressively, it was more they were excited to meet their new friends.

"One minute, I'll be right there!" MA shouted at the visitors, though he doubted they could hear him over the dogs, who he desperately tried to get under control so they wouldn't pounce on the people outside.  Once he got the dogs put away, he quickly walked over to the door and opened it,

"Kazakhstan, Russia, so glad you could make it."

"Hello MA, sorry we're late, Rus got lost on our way here." Kaz said, to which Russia scoffed, "Well, maybe if you would learn how to read a map, then I wouldn't have gotten lost," he then turned back to MA, "may we come in?"

"Yes of course," MA said, stepping aside so they could enter and closed the door behind them, "I appreciate that you guys took the time to come here, I didn't know who else to turn to."

"Don't mention it, Kaz has been bothering me about bringing him here anyway." Russia stated, "so how you guys been doing?"

"Not good," MA sighed, "Trigger's nightmares are getting worse and I can tell that he is depressed.  He has been neglecting his duties and hardly ever leaves his room, let alone the house.  He hasn't reached the suicidal stage yet thank the gods, but I feel it is only a matter of time, I just don't know how to help him."

Kaz and Russia exchanged glances, this was worse than they thought, especially considering five years had passed since they last saw Mandara, when he was still their father's "Songbird".

"Well, I don't know if we are the best people to deal with depression," Kaz admitted, "but I swear on my wings that we will do everything we can to help, right Rus." Russia nodded in agreement

MA smiled with relief and gratitude, "Thank you, you two have no idea how much this means to me and Trigger."  With that, MA had his guest wait in the living room while he went to get Mandara.

Mandara was outside in the back garden of the large house.  Though he usually stays in his room, he will sometimes come to the garden when he is feeling particularly upset to let the sounds of nature numb his pain for a while.  MA came outside when he didn't find his brother in his room and smiled when he spotted him, softly striding over to the bench Mandara was sitting on.

"Hey Trigger, funny seeing you out of your hobbit hole." MA joked lightheartedly.  Mandara turned his head to his brother, "Hey Thunder, yeah I just felt like getting some fresh air, what's up?"

"Well, I have some guests over and I want you to meet them."

Mandara's expression fell and he turned away, "No Thunder, I don't feel like seeing anyone today."

That was not the answer MA expected, since his brother was a people person and liked the company, but then again, Mandara hasn't been the same ever since he was rescued.  MA tried to persuade him to come to meet the guests, which he didn't say who they were to try and make it a surprise, but Mandara kept denying.  After a few minutes of failing to get his brother to come with him, MA just suddenly stopped and walked back inside.  Mandara thought he gave up and left so he went back to watching the birds in the trees, but a few moments later he heard the sliding door open behind him and someone walk out.

He let out a frustrated sigh, "Thunder please, I just want to be alone."

"Well how about that, came all this way to visit and he doesn't even want to see us, what do you make of that Kaz."

Mandara's eyes widened at those words, he whipped around to see who said that and was rendered speechless by who he saw.

He stood up from his bench and faced Russia and Kazakhstan, hardly believing his eye, but when Kaz ran up to him and hugged him, he knew that his one good eye wasn't lying to him.

"Oh my god, Kazakhstan" Mandara exclaimed, hugging Kaz back, "I-I can't believe it's you, what are you doing here."

"To see you, MA told Rus and me that you were feeling upset so he invited us to come and cheer you up,"  Kaz explained.  Mandara looked up at MA, who gave him a smug smile.  Mandara smiled back at him and kept hugging Kaz until Rus decided to join in and give him and Kaz a Russian-sized bear hug.

"Careful Rus, you're squishing us," Kazakhstan grunted, Mandara on the other hand was trying his best to hug back, "I missed you too big guy" he chuckled.  

MA was watching in the background, he hasn't seen Mandara so happy in years, he wished he did this sooner.  MA then heard the doorbell ring from the open backdoor and went to get it.  While he did that, Russia set down the two smaller countries and they all started talking,

"So how long are you two staying?" Mandara asked

"A week," Russia and Kaz said in unison, which made Mandara chuckle.  Rus then added, "That's the plan at least, so long as this big baby behaves himself"  he patted Kaz on the head, earning him a grunt.

"I'm not a baby Rus, I just turned twenty." He retorted, but Russia scoffed, "Well, compared to MA and Mandara here, we both would be considered babies."  That made Mandara laugh harder.

Just then MA walked out, "Hey boys, I don't mean to spoil the party, but we have someone else joining us."

Everyone looked in his direction, and Mandara's eye lit up like a star, because standing next to MA was Poland.

Mandara was shocked to see his long-time friend, since he never could regain any memory of the night he was rescued, the last time he remembers seeing Poland was almost a decade ago, though they did write to each other religiously.  He slowly walked towards Poland, and Poland did as well, the two meeting in the middle and immediately hugged each other.

"P-Poland, I missed you so much,"  Mandara said, with joyous tears starting to form in his eyes.

"I missed you too Mandy." Poland agreed, Mandara chuckled, Mandy was Poland's nickname for him.

"Mandy huh?" Russia piped up, smirking, "Well, I didn't know you two were a thing." Kaz snorted at that thought.  Mandara and Poland on the other hand were shocked by the statement and stopped hugging, backing away from each other.

"N-no Russia, we're just good friends, r-right Poland?" Mandara said though he was blushing slightly.  Poland nodded in agreement, also starting to blush. "Y-yeah, just friends." 

The two blushing prompted Kazakhstan and Russia to laugh harder, and even MA chuckled a bit.

"Well then, since you two lovebirds seem to be done embracing each other, why don't we take this party inside so we can reconnect further." MA said, earning more laughter from Russia and Kaz.  Mandara glared at his brother while Poland blushed harder from being called a lovebird.  Russia, Kazakhstan, and MA all went inside, but Mandara and Poland hung back for a bit. 

"I am so sorry about that, that was very embarrassing." Mandara apologized.

"It's ok Mandy, that's what I get for calling you your nickname," Poland said, they both laughed awkwardly before falling into an even more awkward silence.

After a minute, Mandara spoke up, "So ... should we join them?"

"Yeah, I think we should." Poland agreed, so the two headed for the door, holding hands along the way.

(a month and a half, that's how long this chapter took to write, I am so sorry but hopefully it was worth it.)