A/N: Not really sure if I plan on making this shonen-ai or something. I never really gave it much thought. But I was planning on including some het pairings here.

But hey, if I get any reviews, I can make this story into anything. I can take requests, too. Just saying… XD

Chapter 1: "Take a closer look before... heads come flying off."

Romano. Romano. Romano.

That kid was a handful, but strangely enough, I didn't really mind. It wasn't everyday that I come across someone who was that… innocent. He had seen my halberd, seen it in action as it sliced a head clean off a creature's body. He had seen my blood-stained hands and the bloodlust in my eyes, my friendly façade literally dissolving to make way for my true colors. He had seen me—the final image that my victims see as they draw their final breath. Yes, he was fazed. Yes, he was scared. And yes, he cried like the kid he really was.

"You know, crying doesn't make you less of a man. It's…"

"I know that, dammit," he said, interrupting me with a piercing, tearful glare. "I just… You…"

I placed my hand on his auburn hair and gently tousled it. "There, there. Yeah, you don't want me to see you this weak. You are a man after all… Is that what you wanted to say?"

He looked back at me, those still moist eyes hesitant and half-lidded. He didn't really need to answer my question. I knew exactly what he wanted to say.

"Well screw that," I continued. "Crying doesn't make you weak Romano. It only makes you stronger. Once you learn to break down that emotional barrier you call pride and allow your emotions to break free, then you become a real man. A real man cries, Romano, so don't go blushing your little head off like that. 'Kay?"

In a world of magic, violence and mystery—where desires lead you astray and false hopes will likely land you a spot in the cemetery—a kid like him has no chance of surviving. That was mostly the reason I took him with me. He needed to find himself, regain what he lost, but he couldn't do that alone. Yes, I took him under my care because I didn't want someone else to end up like me. I didn't want another sad, little boy searching in the dark for a past that had long left him for dead. Another reason? Well, maybe I was just… lonely.

"Hey, Spain…" he suddenly mumbled, snapping me out of my internal dialogue. "T-Thanks… for saving me, and stuff. That thing would've killed me if you weren't here."

That kid actually apologized? Guess his pride wasn't as stubborn as I thought.

"Now that's the kind of honesty and manliness I wanted to see," I gleefully stated as I placed my arm around his shoulders. "Now, Romano, let's go before more of those freakish things show up."

The bridge leading to the next town had collapsed for reasons we still do not know, so I decided to take a shortcut through the forest instead. The forest was… Well, the blight had robbed the trees of all their vigor, reducing them to large, shriveled twigs in an unsightly shade of grey. There was no leaf in sight, nary the slightest speck of green (of life) anywhere. The sun had baked the soil to the core, mercilessly cracking its surface. The deathly cold wind would blow from time to time, sending shivers down Romano's spine. The ghostly whispers that accompanied it and the repugnant "taste" that lingered in the air had not made the scene any better. Just when you thought it couldn't get better, lack of food had made the residents rather edgy. They'd all-too-happily lash out at anyone they see.

"Hey Spain, can you hear something?" Romano suddenly asked.

I closed my eyes and tried to drown out all the unnecessary noise. I focused on hearing what I needed to hear, and I didn't fail. It might have been nothing above the faintest of whispers but I could definitely hear it. I opened my mouth to say something but never got around to doing do as Romano had stubbornly made a dash towards the sound.

"Romano! Don't just take off, you… Ugh! Wait up!"

I pretty agile for a man of my size as a result of the many battles I had to go through, but even I couldn't compete with Romano's youthful speed. He darted through the death-stricken forest like a bullet through tissue, and as we ran deeper and deeper into the heart of the terrain, the sound seemed to envelop us more and more. It took me a couple of minutes and a lot of panting before I could catch up with him. He had stopped at the edge of a small, rocky ledge overlooking a dried up lakebed below. The sound that had been nothing but a muffled noise a while ago was actually the melodious dance of the notes as they elegantly glided over one another, blending to become any tired ear's paradise. Looking down, I saw a vague figure holding what appeared to be a violin.

I looked around and noticed that he (I'm assuming he's a guy for now) was surrounded by beasts of different shapes and sizes. But they didn't go anywhere near him. They just… stood there. I firmly gripped the length of my halberd and prepared to jump down there and rescue him when I felt fingers wrapping themselves around my wrist. I turned to the side to see a calm Romano looking back at me with his somber topaz eyes.

"Spain, take a closer look before you go swinging that thing around and heads come flying off."

I did as he told me to. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the beasts all appeared to be… entranced. By the music, perhaps? Then, one by one, they slowly collapsed until the man was the only one left standing. I loosened my grip on the halberd as Romano released my wrist. I looked at him again and he gave me a nod.

"Let's go down there," he said.

A/N: Yeah, I'm sure the "vague figure holding what appeared to be a violin" was pretty obvious enough. You guys must know who it is already. Hey, leave a review if it's not too much to ask. ^^