AN: Hi! Just to terrify you, I'm gonna tell you that this is my first Hetalia fanfic! Treat her gently folks. Anyway, even though it features America and Canada, it doesn't even really qualify as shounen ai. Also, Italy features as important. other characters mentioned, but only those three actually present. I know i have a tendency to start fics and fall off the planet, but i think this one will be different. For one, I started this a week ago and i've already got 10k words. Yay me. I'ma stagger updates and try to maintain a buffer. We'll see how it works out. Anyway, other important info... this is a hetaoni fic. If you don't know what that is, checkout youtube and you'll figure it out eventually. Also, it's a dark storyline and will only get darker as it progresses. it was supposed to be relatively short, but who knows if I'll be able to stick to that? Everything seems to get away from me once I've created it. Chapters of varying length. Hope you like.
Prologue Italy: The Vigil
Italy watched the velvety night descend on the world meeting. The brisk air of summer turning to fall whisked in fitful breezes through his open balcony. A sense of detachment swam up his body, poisoning his mind. It was a decay begun sometime in ages past, yet still awaiting him in the near future. Was it destiny? Italy had never cared much for such things and now it seemed that it was all he could dwell on.
The night stars beckoned him forward and forward he strode to breathe in the sweet night air. He feared that sweetness would soon be lost, but hope, that infernal mistress, was ever his silent companion. Glancing at the city, he slowly absorbed the draped beauty of the vast sea of darkness stretched out below. Lights twinkled in the depths, raucous laughter rising above his silence.
He knew he should join the other countries. He should celebrate, maintain his careful watch over them. Yet he could not bring himself to cease this vigil. Something inside him was different, vastly removed from the strange and gentle child who used to play in Hungary's pretty dresses. And so he stood, caught up in the life passing on in the streets below.
It was then, with his eyes picking out shadowy figures shuffling in and out of sight without truly seeing them, that he saw him.
A flash of gold sparkled in the reflection of the streetlamp. It was only a glance, but enough of one that Italy looked again.
Adorned in brown and khaki, the figure with golden strands tossed in the carefree breeze ran down the road, running from the meeting and down the mountainside.
Italy's eyes locked on the strange sight and a silent piece of him prayed that what he was witnessing was not happening.
But the figure continued huffing and running, turning unexpectedly onto a path leading out of town.
Italy started in surprise as his vision started to gray and tiny stars overlaid the city. It was a moment more before he realized he had stopped breathing for over a minute. He opened his mouth and shoved the air with force down his lungs. He ripped his gaze away from the doomed sight and faced his empty room. He stood, thinking, for several moments before his feet picked up one at a time.
Before he knew it, he was racing from the room, dashing down the stairwell and pounding a twin path down the mountainside.