Golden Wings

He remembered that day too well.

He stood at the top of that same hill, surrounded by all types of flowers, bushing the dirt off the small stones making a walkway. That's when he heard a noise just behind him.

He turned around to see… "Lord Holy Roman Empire!" Italy seemed to shrink into the flowers around them. "I…I'm cleaning properly so…" Italy was so used to being scolded and punished by Lord Austria for messing up on small tasks, that he had a natural fear of most everyone in the house, excluding Hungray.

Italy looked at the hand that was suddenly outstreached to him. "Join me. Together we could be the strongest nation in the world."

Italy looked a Holy Roman Empire in surprise. His heart was screaming as if it had a voice of its own.

'Yes. Yes. Tell him yes!'

Italy tried to speak, but his body betrayed his heart. He was frozen. His lips wouldn't form the words. His hands wouldn't move to take Holy Roman's. His legs would not let him walk toward him. His mind and his heart were fighting.

'Why would he want me to join him? I'm weak.' 'He's going to leave. Can't you tell that?' 'But why would he want me by his side?' 'It means the very thing that we've been hoping. He loves us too!'

'What?!' 'He would not ask us to go with him if he didn't. He doesn't want to leave us, despite our weakness, but he cannot stay here. This proves it! Tell him yes!'

Italy's mind shook his head at the idea, also making Italy do the same. 'Wait!'

Holy Roman Empire looked stunned. Disbelieving. He took Italy's shoulders.

"Why? I know that you want to be part of the Roman Empire again. You don't want to serve under Austria your whole life do you?!"

Italy's heart kept crying out. Both to Italy's mind and to Holy Roman. 'Of course we don't. Tell him yes!'

It was true. Italy did want to be in the Roman Empire. Not as a servent, but ruling his little peninsula once more.

He wanted to be free of Lord Austria…yet… he also wanted peace.

"Grandpa Rome died because he got so big. He was always covered in wounds, always in pain or off fighting a pointless battle. I don't want that to happen to you."

Why now? Why was it only now his hands would work, taking Holy Roman Empires in his? "I like you the way you are now. So you musn't become like Rome."

It was as Holy Roman Empire pulled his hand away, as if singed, and the beginnings of tears began to well up in his eyes, that Italy saw them.

He told himself later that he had imagined it. That the sun setting behind Holy Roman had created the illusion, yet no matter how much he lied to himself, he had seen them.

Just before Holy Roman turned away, silent tears falling down his cheeks, there were wings on his back.

Wings shining with a indistinguishable, golden light.

Thank you to any and all readers of this. I had to change the lines a little (mostly from bad memory) but it turned out good. Please review and tell me what you think.

Dear Naruto fans. Read 'Changing Times' written by my friend MyHikari and edited by me!

-Kunai Blade

-Vietnam