It was almost at the break of dawn, and the morning bird crowed with the sun as he began to rise. He was surrounded by a sky of cool, dark blue while orange tinted the clouds.

A little boy woke to the distant bark of wild dogs in the wilderness. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. At first, everything was a blur, and then his vision slowly cleared.

He was sitting under a tall mahogany tree, sitting in between its huge winding roots. He searched around him; in front of him, behind the trunk, and even up in the skies.

And Holy Roman Empire found that he was alone… all alone.

He stood up and walked away from the tree, walked all the way to a lonely stone a few feet away. He placed his right foot on top of that stone and hoisted himself on top of it, and he never felt any taller.

He saw a vast land before him and the horizon that separated Heaven from the Earth. The sun had peeked from faraway mountains with his warm gaze stretching towards the little boy.

A light breeze stroked his cheeks and sent his coat afloat. He watched the grass dance with the wind and listened to the leaves' soft whisper. He breathed in a hefty amount of air and sighed heavily. It was a long, long way from home.

"Where am I?" he asked himself, searching the mountains for answers.

Then he heard footsteps from behind him.

"We're off the Austrian border, my lord," said he who approached Holy Roman Empire. He wore war armor and a long striding cloak. He looked at the small boy on the lone rock.

Holy Roman Empire turned to him. "Oh. Claudius. How much further?"

"Three days worth of walk, sir," the soldier said. "But if we hasten our pace, we might be able to arrive sooner than expected."

"Then we've no time to waste," Holy Roman Empire replied.

The soldier bowed his head and strode back to where he came from.

Holy Roman Empire jumped down from the rock and was about to tread behind the bigger man when something white caught the corner of his eye.

He looked to his right and saw a little, lonely flower. He hurriedly approached it and bent down slightly. It was a dahlia. And he remembered the home he had left, and the lover he wished he did not bid goodbye to.

He remembered that a vast field of dahlias can be found near his home, and he would walk through it with his lover. That was when he would deny his love for her, even to himself.

Oh, how he misses that field… and his little Italia.

"My lord," Claudius said from behind the little boy. "Should we make ready for our journey?"

Holy Roman Empire nodded but continued to admire the small white flower. Claudius bowed and walked off back to the army that awaited their command.

The little boy remembered why he was so far away from his land, and his heart ached heavily for home. He wanted to return, but his duties as a country forbade him to step back.

He sighed and looked at the dahlia.

"I wish I can see you again…"

If only there was more time.

"I miss you so much…"

If only the world could give them a chance.

"Italia…"

If only…

Holy Roman Empire closed his eyes and prayed. He never really prayed, but he prayed for his lover's well being, and that if the world wills it, he may return home to her… even if he knew what the answer to that was.

He smiled sadly and stood up. With one last glance at the little dahlia, he turned heel and walked off, leaving the small flower swaying with the wind.

He came to a stop as he looked at the army that he had led with Claudius.

"Sir," a soldier came up to him and asked, "Do we ride?"

Almost at once, Holy Roman Empire's gaze hardened and he commanded, "We march!"

The soldiers responded with a battle cry and the ground began to rumble with the steps of sturdy feet of each man. The soldiers strode for the mountains in files, and Holy Roman Empire watched them.

Then his eyes softened to the sight of his pathway back home that cleared from the dust, and he felt the need to return.

But he had made up his mind from the moment he stepped out of the doors of his home. His purpose was for war, and war it was that he will meet beyond the mountains.

Holy Roman Empire turned and swished his cloak, and marched with his army with one last thought:

No matter what, we will meet again. I promised you.

Whoa. Very, very abrupt ending. *awkward silence* o.o

I will update my other story, this was something like a break. :D