~Never Be The Last To Stand~
Even if what you see is barren land
~Never Be The First To Fall~
Keep your head up, Stand tall
~Never Be The Last To Cry~
No matter what keep your friends in mind
~Never Be The First To Say~
That all you can do now is run far away
I opened one eye, seeing the Blue brick road bounce underneath me. I gave a confused squeak, trying to prop myself up. I felt an arm around me, tight, not wanting to drop me. I coughed, then being put down. I scowled, hissing as it pulled my face. Which hurt like HELL by the way. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up, seeing it was just Canada. "A-are you alright?" he asked. I shrugged his hand off.
"I'm fine, damn it." although that was a lie, as I took a few steps forward only to fall. He knelt down next to me, biting his lip.
"Y-you're not. Would you like me t-to help you?"
I sighed angrily. "Do I have a choice?" he shook his head. He helped me up "What the hell happened to me?!" I demanded.
America, who was a few metres in front of us, turned around. "There was a freak fire and you didn't wake up. Prolly from smoke inhalation. Messed with your mind or some shit like that." he stated. Veneziano turned his head to nod in agreement. I growled. Canada looked at me, biting his lip again. "You'll be fine eventually" America added.
I turned to the Canadian "Just carry me on your back, bastard." I murmured. He nodded, kneeling down in front of me. I wrapped my arms loosely around his shoulders and felt him grab my legs, slowly standing up. I felt my face heat up and hid it in his jacket. Veneziano and America came closer to us, standing to Canada's left. We continued to walk in silence, large grey rolling hills on either side of us. Canada adjusted his hold on me. I looked up; the sky darker than it was yesterday. I sighed, then noticed something… strange you could say. Far above us were three dark dots, circling around us. They must have noticed I was staring, because they flew away quickly before I could get a better look. Canada abruptly stopped, stumbling a bit when he did. I was about to ask why, but Veneziano spoke for me
"Which way do we-a go?" he asked, for you see, the road now split into two, the blue brick we were on, and a lighter blue one.
"Didn't that north bitch say to stay on this road?" I growled, gripping the edges of Canada's jacket. He adjusted me again.
"Yeah, but this way look easier." America argued, and he was slightly right. Where our road went was into another forest, but the lighter one went around it. "Let's just go that way." and without another work, he dragged Veneziano behind him and rushed up the light blue path.
Canada shrugged. "I guess w-we really don't have a choice." he muttered, slowly following them. I sighed, mentally cursing myself for having to be carried. By Canada nonetheless. Well, not that that was necessarily a bad thing… I mean, the bastard is pretty… nice to me. I subconsciously rested my head on his shoulder, gaining a quiet, confused sound from him, which I found quite amusing. I wonder would he would do if… I tilted my head to rest on his neck, my eyes closed. He quietly gasped, his breathing speeding up. I smiled, enjoying myself a bit too much. I turned my head again, burying it in his neck. I heard a silent, slightly strangled moan from him. "R-Romano? Wh-what're you d-doing?" I chose to ignore him, pretending to be asleep. He whimpered, adjusting his hold on me again. "You'd b-better not b-be awake…" I would've asked him why not, but I wanted to know what else I could do, pretending to be asleep. But before I could do anything more, he shook my slightly. "H-Hey Romano."
I pretended to wake up. "What? You interrupted the great-a dream I was having." I said, putting my head on his shoulder again. I noticed his face grow a dark shade of red, but he gestured to his left with his head.
"L-Look." I did, and told him to put me down. He reluctantly did, but I still had to lean on him for support. I mentally cursed myself again. Leaning against a tree was a figure, looking like a man, a large axe in hand. He was completely silver, and he looked like he had bolts and rivets coming out of him. He had, at least what looked like, a uniform painted onto him, tan like mine. He had the bottom of his legs wrapped though. I paled, taking a step towards him, one leg giving out for some fucking reason, but still. I approached him, confused. He seemed frozen in position, but his eyes looked like they still moved. I whined, turning away and covering my mouth with my hand.
"S-Spain…?"
"ROMANO!"
"Huh?!" I jumped, confused by the sudden yell, and then heard it. Behind me, the joints of the man squeaked, and he gripped the axe tightly. I backed up, falling. He swung at me, the axe landing between my legs. I looked up, his emerald eyes unforgiving. My eyes trailed down to his chest, and to the spot where his heart was. There was a small door, bolted shut. He drew the axe up again, and I rolled backwards toward Canada, landing on my stomach. The axe landed where I had just been. The man gave an exasperated yell, taking the axe us again and throwing it at me. It flew over me, to my relief. But I heard a yell behind me, and turned to see Canada, knocked to the ground with a large gash in his left arm. The Tin Man gave a loud cry, charging at me. I barely had time to roll over before he had tackled me. He started hitting me, mostly to my chest and neck. I grabbed his wrists when the opportunity came, and found that he wasn't cold or made of tin or metal at all. He was… warm. Like Spain…
He stared at me with his now dark emerald eyes. He breathed heavily, not fighting me. Canada had sat up and was now gripping his arm where the axe cut him. I pushed the man back, flat against the ground. He didn't move. "Chew." he whispered. "Chew did this to me."
I gave him a confused stare. "No I fucking didn't." I growled, pinning an arm to his side. I knocked on the door in his chest, finding that it was made of metal. He blinked.
"Open it" he muttered. I let him go completely, opening the door. It was… basically empty. All that was in it was a thin white ribbon. I left that in there, shutting his chest back up. "I have no heart, si? I feel noting." I got off him, he staying there. He shut his emerald eyes. "I tink my name is Toni. I don't remember. All I do is tink and squeak and pop." rolled his head back and forth, running a hand over his arms, over the large bolts in the joints. "I tink I used to feel. Happy, sad, angry. Love." he opened the door in his chest again, pulling out the ribbon. "I don't know where this came from though." he played with it through his silver fingers.
"Can't you remember?" I asked, trying to figure out why he decided to talk to me.
"No, es dificil. Like some sort of lock is put on my mind. Would you mind telling me what tu nombre es?"
I shrugged. "Lovino."
"Lovi… Chew seem nice. Could chew help me, por favor? Could chew undo tees bolts para mi?" I cocked my head at the strange request, but shrugged. He held out his arm to me and I grabbed it, twisting the bolt carefully. He bit his silver lip, obviously holding back a yell. I eventually got it out, cringing at the large hole in his arm. I moved to the other side of him, undoing the bolt in his other arm. He looked to me gratefully. "Dos mas." I gave him a questioning look. He gestured to his legs, and I mentally cursed myself again. This time Canada crawled over, unbolting his opposite leg than I. He yelled out, tears slowly starting to fall from his eyes. When they were both out, he let his legs fall to the ground, a somehow content smile crossing his face. "Gracias." he murmured. His emerald eyes fluttered shut, then one opened again. "Are chew two going to Maroon Bay?"
"Y-Yeah… Why?" Canada asked, biting his lower lip.
"Be careful, chicos. Ix es una luega dangeroso."
"Si, si, we know." I scowled.
"Lovi… una llama bonita… para un chico simpatico…" his eyes shut again, and I bit the inside of my lip. He gave a ragged sigh, and said something in Spanish. Toni's body relaxed, and he stopped moving. Canada looked at me, grabbing him by his shoulder and pulling him back to the tree line. He helped me up and stumbled back to the road, grabbing the axe and handing it to me before managing to get me on his back again. I gripped the axe tightly. He continued down the light blue path, and a few minutes later, we met up with an impatient America and my idiot brother.
"Epic weapon. You stopped to see the Tin Man did you?" America asked.
"Yeah. He's d-dead now." Canada whispered. Veneziano gasped, whining loudly. "His name was T-Toni…"
"Like Antonio…" I added. "Can we just keep going, I wanna get the hell out of here."
0-POV-0
Romano kept silent, tightening his hold on me ever so often. Italy held onto America's arm, keeping him from running off. The sky had begun to darken even more, so much so that I had to put the goggles back on. Italy clicked his boots together, the protective circle he had used during the forest fire returning, surrounding the four of us. His other arm was loosely holding my jacket. Romano stirred on my back, muttering something in Italian. I half smiled, happy he was asleep. Italy's boots glowed slightly, casting a dim light around us. After the Tin Man, we had come farther up the road, the field eventually turning into a thick wood, like the ones in my country. America kept wringing his hands together nervously, looking around. "S-Should we rest again?" I asked.
"Well, fratello already is…" Italy laughed quietly, "So, sure, but I-a think we shouldn't stray off-a the road again…"
"He's right" America added. He untangled his arm from Italy's, heading to the side of the brick road. He approached a large tree, the roots on it up in the air, revealing an empty space under it. He wormed his way through them, sitting underneath it. "This is big enough, if y'all don't mind being close to each other." Italy padded over, slipping in the same way as America, sitting close to him.
"Just enough room for Canada and Fratello~" he smiled. I shook my head, striding silently over to them with a smile on my face. I pried the axe from Romano's fingers, slipping it in the roots of the tree. I slid him in first then crawled in after, sitting opposite of America and Italy. "Smells like tree~"
"I wonder why…" America answered, laughing quietly. Romano moved, finding me and wrapping his arms around my waist. I think my face turned three shades redder.
"Aww~ I think-a fratello likes you, Canada~" Italy teased, his voice low. "He doesn't-a do that to anyone, although he-a did it to me once, I think." I put an arm around Romano, hoping he was honestly asleep and not pulling a stupid trick. Italy shivered. "Brr… it's getting-a cold…"
"The hero will keep you warm!" America whisper-yelled, pulling Italy into his lap, the younger nation holding back a yelp.
Italy smiled, curling closer to my twin. Romano rested his head on my shoulder, a small, rare smile gracing his face. One of absolute… delight, I guess. Several minutes passed, Italy and America both asleep, Romano with that smile still on his face. He shook slightly, pulling himself closer to me. He felt kinda cold for being a Mediterranean nation. But maybe it was just actually cold and I couldn't tell. I stretched out my legs and Romano must have seen this as an opportunity; he pulled himself into my lap. I blushed deeply, his arms loosely around my waist. I carefully undid my jacket, trying not to wake him, taking it off and wrapping it around him. He seemed to smile wider, tightening his hold on my waist and pulling himself closer. I glanced over to America and Italy. Italy had his head resting in the curve of America's neck, his arms around America under his bomber jacket. America had his arms around Italy's shoulders, his head resting on top of Ita's. It was actually kinda cute.
Romano murmured something, facing to nuzzle my neck. My face must've been bright red by now. He moaned something in Italian, and then quieted down again. And if my face wasn't red enough, he muttered something that made my stomach and heart do a back flip. "Mmm… Mateo… Canada…"
(Translations:)
(Ix es una luega dangeroso:
Ix is a dangerous place
Lovi… una llama bonita… para un chico simpatico…:
Lovi… A pretty name… for a nice boy…)
(Mateo: Matthew)
~ViraLayton
