Chapter 10

Germany POV

Germany sighed as he jogged away into the mansion. He hated to leave his brother to fight that… whatever it was, but Italy needed his help more. The little Italian wasn't a fighter- he would far prefer to eat pasta and take a siesta than train or pick up a weapon.

Plus, back when they first became allies, long ago, Germany had made a promise to protect him. And that he would do. Prussia knew how to use a weapon, and he may be a bit overconfident, but he could make the smart decision. And America.. well, Germany could hope Prussia could talk some sense into him.

Glancing around at the endless black hallways, exact replicas of each other, Germany tried to guess where the panicked Italian would run.

Okay. Germany focused, putting on his strategic mindset he had tried and failed to instill into Italy via training sessions.

Hallway #1 was… dark and shadowy, with creepy paintings hung on the walls. It didn't have a clear end, and the carpet was velvety black.

Hallway #2 was... also dark and shadowy, a flickering, grimy lightbulb lighting only a small patch of the rug, revealing it was a deep blood colour.

The final hallway, hallway #3, was much the same, the only difference being it seemed a little wider, and the carpet was a deep orange.

Germany sighed. None of these would seem inviting to Italy any more than the others. Even though it went entirely against his strict mindset, Germany would have to pick one at random.

Canada POV

Canada blinked a few times to clear his vision of tears as the door swung open.

Blood red eyes met his blue ones, and he realized who it was.

Prussia. Canada didn't know him very well, having mostly seen him from afar at meetings, standing next to Germany. Like most others, Prussia didn't notice him much… as proven when the other nation looked at his tearful gaze for a full minute, brows furrowed as if trying to remember some obscure fact, before his gaze finally cleared.

"Canada?" he asked, confused.

Canada nodded miserably, hand still burrowed in his dead friend's bloodstained fur.

Prussia looked around the bloodied room, shock in his eyes.

"What… happened?" he asked, seeming solemn for once.

Canada drew in a shaky breath.

"This… shadow…" he said haltingly, voice still thick with tears. "It attacked… us." he said, glancing back at his bear again.

Prussia's eyes widened. "A shadow? Did it have orange eyes?"

Canada blinked. "I… didn't really get a g-good look." he admitted.

Prussia looked troubled, but he nodded. "Who's that?" he asked, then clarified. "Behind you?"

Canada drew in a breath. "... Kumajirou." he whispered. "My friend. He's…" Canada paused. This was hard to say. "He's… dead."

Prussia's eyes widened. "I'm… sorry." he said hesitantly. He didn't know what to say. "That… is so not awesome."

Canada nodded and looked away, feeling uncertain. He wasn't used to having long conversations with people, and the fact that Kumajirou had just died didn't help matters.

A long silence stretched on.

"So…" Canada finally said, voice dull. "Why are you here?"

"Oh!" Blurted Prussia. "West, Italy, America, and I ran into that shadow thing. We got separated… I better look for them. We need to get out of here as soon as we can."

Canada stood up, staring down at Kumajirou's body. Kumajirou would never get that chance. His bear, his companion, was dead.

Should he go with Prussia, he wondered. He felt… wrong leaving Kumajirou behind. The bear had died for him, after all. But as he thought harder, he realized it was the right thing to do. Staying with Kumajirou wouldn't bring the bear back to life, and would likely get himself killed as well, which would be like spitting in the face of Kumajirou's death- the bear had died so he could live. Plus, he had a responsibility to his people. He wasn't exactly sure what would happen to Canada if their personification died, but it probably wouldn't be good.

Canada stood and nodded weakly. "Okay." he said softly. "I'll come."

AUTHORS NOTE

Rosycat here again! Sorry this chapter is a bit shorter… I didn't want to include too many POV switches. Next one should be better. Anyway, this was mostly a set- up/filler chapter so not much to say. Hope to enjoyed nonetheless, and please review!