Just a little one-shot I've been wanting to do. It's a bit short, so bear with me people.

This is inspired by Falling In The Black (hence the title) by Skillet. That band, along with Three Days Grace and There For Tomorrow, speak to me. They make me feel... alive.

Not that you would care, of course. X)

Credit to the original artist for the picture! It's beautiful!

Pairing: HRE/Chibitalia

This story is HRE-centric. I have a secret adoration for the little guy.

Keep reading, my lovelies!

~Never_Wanna_Feel_So_Cold~

Damn, I can feel it. My energy... is fading...

My knees give out, making me collapse head first. God, the pain is getting unbearable, and is followed by a feeling of numbness. I hear the enemy, clear as a bell.

"The Holy Roman Empire is dead!" They yell in unison.

I can tell that they're right. I'm sure that this is it, it's obvious that this is the end.

The cold threatens to consume me. The colors fade, the red of my blood, the brown of the earth, and the silver of my dropped sword blend into the same color. As my eyelids drop for the last time, I feel a slight second of bliss, followed by an eternity of coldness.

The loneliness swallows me, its embrace as dark as the night, and as cold as ice.

~Falling_To_The_Depths,_To_Never_Come_Back~

Floating.

Numb.

Senseless.

Nothing.

This is how I've felt ever since I died. The darkness takes a hold, and it's followed by sorrow and pain. It creeps into my mind, and pulls out the most painful memories to remember.

The ones about Italy.

Her kind smile, her sweet laugh, the taste of her lips on mine... Her embrace was so warm, in contrast to this Hell.

It hurts more than you could imagine. The fact that she's out there, alone, with no one to protect her, hurts me greatly. She's a little flower that needs to be protected from the arduous wilderness.

Sometimes, I feel a spark. It burns deeply, as if someone were pinching my heart. But, after the pain and the burn, there's that feeling of bliss again. I don't know what it means. I could relate it to how it must feel to have your heart restarted.

But I have been dead for centuries. Or maybe its been weeks; I don't know anymore. The cold has interfered with my thoughts, I can't think straight.

After a long amount of time (I would tell you, but my sense of timing has gotten unreliable since I've been here) the feelings had faded away. I don't think, I don't feel.

So this is what death is like.

I'm pretty sure the memory of the Holy Roman Empire has faded by now; nobody would like to remember a fallen empire who failed to execute its designated purpose.

She must've forgotten about me as well. I don't blame her, I have forgotten myself too.

~0~

In the end, everyone ends up alone.

So I shouldn't be complaining.

I just can't bear the pain.

My eternity in shadows continues interrupted for eons, without a hitch.

That is, until that day. The day I heard it.

It was a beautiful sound. It sounded like the laugh of an angel, the sympathy of my savior. I reached out a hand with all of my strength, and was swallowed by light.

When I opened my eyes, I saw colors. The soft, green grass under him, the blue sky and white clouds, and the thousands of vibrant flowers.

Next to me was a man with chestnut hair, a curl sticking out. His eyes had a cheerful expression and he was humming a lively tune.

He looks just like my Italy.

That's impossible. Italy was a girl, and this is a full-grown man. Yet, looking at him makes my heart race, and it makes me feel happy. Just like Italy did.

"Ve~ Germany, why are you staring at me like that?" He asked, and I blinked. Was he talking to me? If so, why is he calling me Germany?"

"I don't know..." I answered, and I was surprised by my voice. It was deep, strong, so unlike the one I had before I died.

"You're so funny, Germany! That's why I love you!" I was surprised.

Love me? ...You love me?

The words slipped out of my mouth, and to even more of my surprise, they were in my native tongue. "Ich liebe dich, Italy."

Italy..?!

He smiles brightly, and I feel my heart soar. "Ve~! I'm glad you do!"

He hugs me and I feel such a sense of bliss. Nothing like the aftermath of pain I felt in the black. This is true happiness, that thing that makes you feel like you're on top of the world. I embrace him, and for a moment, I can form one clear thought.

There's always a way out of the shadows.

~0~

Germany blinked, that line... That wasn't him.

Sure, it was from his mind. But, he didn't think of it. It sounded like a message from some other force, that was directed to him.

There's always a way out of the shadows.

He couldn't help but relate the quote to a memory, something that didn't feel his.

A kiss with a young girl, her lips tasting like honey...

He smiled and held Italy's hand tighter.

"Ve~. Ludwig, is something wrong?"

"...Hm? No. In fact, this feels rather nice."

"Ve~!"

Unknown to the couple, in the field of flowers they left behind, stood a single figure, cloaked in black robes.

My fear for you was in vain, my love. I know you'll always be happy. He will make sure of that.

That was his last thought before he faded into the vibrant colors, sighing as the aroma of the flowers took him away.

~Falling_In_The_Black~

So, this is done! Tell me what you like, what you dislike, and how you think I can improve!

I didn't say the other pairing in this story, 'cause I wanted it to be a surprise. ^^

Thank you for reading~!

~OmegaStarShooter14~