*Seeing the increase of reviews and follows, no matter how little it is..
*It fills you with determination.
*HP fully restored.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, nor do I own Undertale.
A/N: You thought this is another chapter about sweet, cinnamon roll Italy, is it? Ha! You thought wrong!
Chapter X:
Intermission Part One
"Ebott Town, huh.." Romano mused as they travelled along the sidewalk. The place, in appearance, lookedd reminiscing to the western days of cowboys and whatnot, especially that closed down railway station at the far edge of the town. The small town seemed decent enough, with its people hustling down the pavement street. "What a shithole this place is. Oi, burger bastard, you know which mountain is it?"
He turned around, only to see America standing in place, staring at the crowds. The nation had this faraway look in his eyes, as if he was relieving the past. Concerned, the Italian approached him, waving a hand as an attempt to snap him out of his trance.
"Hey, America..?"
...
"Howdy, mister!" A feminine voice called out to the man taking care of the stable, a light southern drawl in her accent. The stableman, glanced away from combing a horse to see a young lass approaching him, holding the reins to her horse. He looked up and down, noting her appearance.
The girl, for one, was not wearing the usual style women liked at that time. She wore a blue long sleeved button shirt with its sleeves rolled up, and a dark pants with leather boots. Looking closely, there was a holster with a revolver on her left side as well as a knife strapped to her boot. There was also a small leather satchel slung over her shoulder. Her dark hair was covered by a light brown hat with white lining, and her sky blue eyes gleamed with intelligence and curiosity.
"Howdy, lass." He gave a welcoming grin, to which she smiled back. "Never seen a damsel like you around here before. Ya new in town?"
"I'm just a wanderin' traveller, sir." She gestured to her neighing horse. "I need someone to take care of 'im while I settle some business. Ya can do that?"
"Of course, miss. For how long?"
"Just a few days." She opened the satchel, revealing a violet notebook as she dug in. Taking out a couple of gold coins, the girl handed it to him. "This enough?"
"Good enough." She passed the reins to the stableman. "Take care, miss."
"Thank you. Have a good day to you, sir!" She glanced around town, noting the number of mountains in the area as she murmured under her breath. "Now, which mountain can I find you?"
As the girl walked away from the stable and into town, a boy standing across the street stared at the bulletin board with pursed lips before ripping out a poster, folding it as he walked away.
...
"Damnit, snap out of it!"
Blinking, America leaned away when his forehead was suddenly filled with slight, stinging pain. He glared at the scowling nation, rubbing away the aforementioned pain with his hand. "Dude, what the hell was that about?"
"Welcome back to the real world, asshole." Was it his imagination, or did he saw a glint of worry in those eyes. "Now, do you or do you not know where the mountain is?"
Huffing, he glanced up at the number of mountains surrounding the town. It was a fact that the German nation, so adamant to find his friend, failed to consider and he failed to tell him. However, he figured it was better to stay that way.
Truth be told, he did not want anyone to come close to the mountain. The blond American managed to successfully keep his citizens and nations away for years, hiding the existence of monsters from the world. Until, of course, a few days ago, where a certain ditzy Italian somehow ran passed all the precautions he had placed so meticulously, according to Romano.
He would rather stay away from the mountain, and would had kept his mouth shut during the goddamn meeting had he known that eventually Germany would turn his attention to him, forcing the answers out of him anyway. He was not sure whether he should feel relief or not when Romano called him.
Was the two of them enough, or was it better to wait for everyone to arrive?
The American bit down a wave of frustration, feeling a pang of loss in his heart.
...
The boy stared up at the mountain looming ominously at the distance, his grip at the posters tightened as he marched on into the woods.
...
Hmm? What was that?
America paused in his steps. He narrowed his eyes, scanning the environment as a hand moving towards the gun he kept in his bomber jacket. But when there was nothing to be seen, he shook his head and continued on.
Behind him, the dark haired Italian raised an eyebrow at his companion's actions. Ever since they arrived in town, his mood seemed to change drastically, appearing to be more distant and quiet than normal. He scoffed in his head. America and quiet did not mix in any way, the self proclaimed hero was loud and obnoxiously annoying, with his terrible taste in food.
Yet, as he gazed at him..
"Oi, burger bastard." The American nation glanced back at him, waiting. He gestured at the forest floor. "Let's take a break before we move on."
The blond American opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something, but he closed them back. He sat down on the grassy area, sighing instead. Romano sat across from him, taking out a couple bottles of water, tossing one to the other before drinking his.
America, having caught the bottle through reflexes, simply stared at it. For a while, they sat there in silence, one waiting for the other to talk while the other refused to speak.
"I didn't want to go back here, you know?" Momentarily startled, the Italian tore his gaze away from a particularly unique flower to the his fellow nation. America looked away, taking out his gun and inspecting it. "I-I didn't want anyone to know about this. If Italy hadn't fallen down, it would've remained that way."
There was something in his voice, a raw emotion hiding underneath that cracked voice. Romano narrowed his eyes. Had he lost someone precious?
"What happened?" He asked. The American glanced at him, seeing his neutral expression as an invitation to continue.
"People were afraid. I mean, an unknown species that can absorb human souls, of course they were scared. Even I was the same. When we sealed them underground, I saw the fear and defeat in those monsters' eyes." A short, bitter laugh escaped his lips. "There's a reason why I always mock Iggy for his beliefs."
A rustle caught his attention, snapping him out of his reverie. America stood and looked around, failing to notice the other watching him with a confused expression. He began walking towards the source of the sound, pocketing the bottle of water and keeping a firm grip on the gun. A pair of voices could be heard in the distance, one he sense its familiarity from somewhere in his past.
...
"Aha! See?" The girl just barely managed to refrain herself from childishly sticking out her tongue. The violet notebook was in her hands, a page opened to reveal a map. "I told ya we would find it."
"After the first ten times ya got us lost!" Her companion, the boy, seeming the same age as the girl, snapped at her. His southern accent was noticeably thicker than the other. "If it were possible, I would've left ya in the forest."
"It was all for the sake of research. I told ya, my pa didn't exactly write down any specific details." She waved her notebook, as if emphasizing her point. The girl took off her hat, her dark brown hair tied in a ponytail swished from the movement, and smiled slightly, a sorry glint in her sky blue irises."I thank ya for helping me with this and I apologize for wastin' your time. Would you accept this poor damsel's apology?"
He sighed, closing his own sapphire eyes in exasperation. The clothes he was wearing, a cream tunic underneath his brown vest, dark pants and leather boots, was sweaty from the amount of hiking they had to go through. The revolver that sat in his holster felt heavy, and his tousled golden hair, hidden underneath the cowboy hat, felt damp from perspiring.
The boy chose to walk into the cave, leaving the other pouting momentarily before trailing after him.
...
"Hey! America! Wait up, bastard!"
Romano finally caught up to him, growling. He opened his mouth to give him a piece of his mind but the words died when he realized just what the other was staring at. A cave entrance loomed before them, tucked and hidden away underneath the branches of the tall mountain trees.
"This is it." America said, a frown on his lips. He glanced at his fellow nation, and if the other was observing him, he would had notice the way his hands were clenched into fists. "You got a flashlight?"
The Italian nodded, reaching into the backpack and taking out said item, turning it on with a click. The ray of light focused and shined into the darkness, revealing the uneven path that laid before them. Without waiting another moment, the two walked in deep and deeper, where a cavern was located at the end of the cave.
...
"Ya sure you wanna go down there?"
The joke felt flat as they stared down into the dark abyss. The girl glanced at her companion as best as she could in the dim lighting, and upon seeing his serious expression, frowned. He could not be joking...
"I have to. Remember what I said before." The boy knelt down on one knee and peered, trying to gauge how deep the hole in the ground was.
"Easy there, hero. I know you really wanna bring them justice, but this?" She frantically gestured at downwards, attempting to convince him in vain. "This is madness! First off, ya don't have a rope so you can descend easily, and if you jump down on this height, you'll break your bones and die before you can serve justice!"
For a moment, it appeared that the girl's words reached him. His brows furrowed, indecisiveness conflicting with other emotions in his mind. He stood up abruptly, shaking his head.
"You're right. What was I thinking?" The boy gave a short laugh. "I'll.. I'll come back another day, when I'm more prepared."
The girl stared at him, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"...Here." He glanced at her holding a piece of paper towards him. As he took it, sapphire orbs saw that it was the map of the mountain, and he glanced back at her, puzzled. She simply held up her violet notebook. "Ya can keep it. I've already got what I needed and from the looks of it, you'll probably need it more than I do."
"I.." The boy trailed off, speechless. Finally, he took of his hat and placed it on his chest, grateful. "Thank you, miss."
"It's no problem! I'll just hope you avenge 'em, Mister Justice." The girl winked at him and giggled lightly as he placed the hat to where it belonged. She shuffled her foot, turning towards the direction they came from. "Now, shall we go back down the mountain and prepare, pardner?"
He just shook his head in exasperation, but there was a small smile on his lips as he listened to her laughing again. Together, they started walking back to the cave entrance, discussing their plans.
What on Earth..?
One moment he was travelling alongside his companion.. The next, the boy was stumbling backwards, where the cavern was. His arms failed wildly, trying to grasp anything but the air. The other glanced back at him, the mirth in those eyes disappearing in an instant as they widened in alarm. Her lips parted to scream his name.
"Jeremiah!"
His feet slipped, and he shut his eyes instinctively as he felt gravity controlling him.
"Hang on, I got you!"
There was a tug on his wrist, struggling to pull him up. He opened his eyes, sky blue irises mirroring his own fear. The girl was straining with effort, trying her best to save him. She let go of one hand and reached out towards him, the other tightening its grip.
"Come on!" She grunted. "Take my hand!"
He tried his best to grasped it, the fear and adrenaline racing through his veins. His hand fumbled a few times before successfully clutching the small palm, holding onto it for his life.
But it was all for naught.
The girl gasped in surprise as ground beneath her feet crumbled. She stumbled, trying to regain her momentum but failed and instead, found herself falling with him. The two fell into the dark abyss, their screams echoed throughout the cave tunnel.
"Sophie!"
...
America stared down at the hole in the ground, the light from the flashlight shining down into the abyss. It looked like the cavern opened up after a few feet down but beyond that, he could not see anything. From the looks of it, they would have to go in blind. Behind him, The dark haired Italian was forming a safe way to go down by tying a thick rope at a nearby boulder.
"Oi! Burger bastard!" He turned his head and stood upon being called, approaching Romano. He gestured at the knotted rope. "You think this is good enough?"
The rope was pulled harshly, and he nodded. It would hold their weight fairly well. At the very least, one of them. They stood up, glancing back at the deep cavern and then at each other.
"So, how do we do this?"
"Well, one of us has to go down, while the other will have to stay up here." Sky blue eyes behind the glasses stared tiredly at the other, as if pleading him to stop. "You sure you're up to this?"
"I'm going down whether you like it or not, bastard." The dark haired Italian stated firmly. "Vene's in trouble and I have to be there for him at least."
"...Then I'll stay up here and lower you down." The blond American smirked, combing his hair as he shook his head. "Keep in mind that I won't be following you. I'll try to keep the others distracted from coming. It's probably for the best anyway. The less of you there are, the better..."
"You sure?" Romano pursed his lips, uncertain. "I know that the potato bastard can be tough. That British bastard too.. "
"Nah, what's the worst they can do? I understand why Germany and Japan are determined at least. But the others..." He chuckled, shaking his head again. "Actually, I've been thinking about it since the meeting, wondering if I made the right decision. But when you called me about what you saw... I decided, I don't wanna start another war with the monsters, much less be responsible for their massacre. I already lost someone close to me because of what happened when the first war occurred."
"...Alright then."
With that marking the end of the conversation, America helped him prepare for the descent. The two were quiet throughout the preparation and yet, there was a comfortable feeling in the air. In the end, the dark haired Italian stood by the edge of the gaping hole. The American gave a mock salute from where he stood, holding the rope in place.
"May the force be with you, young padawan."
"Bastard." He rolled his eyes and gazed downwards, a hand flashing the light trying to ease his fears.
"Seriously though, good luck." He continued, smiling. His eyes had a small spark of its usual mirth in them. "I hope the two of you made it back in time before they decided to kill me."
"If that's the case, then I would take my sweet time, right?"
"Asshole."
"Bastard."
Taking a deep breath, Romano began lowering himself. At first he climbed down the walls of the cave, but when the walls widened, he had to rely on his fellow nation for help. The rope immediately tightened, causing the other to grunt a little. He slowly release the thick rope bit by bit as the Italian nation continued to descent. Pointing the flashlight downwards, he caught a glimpse of, what was that, a bed of yellow flowers?
"Ah!"
Alarmed, he pointed the item in his hand upwards, concerned.
"Oi, burger bastard! You okay there?"
A pause and a grunt before the reply came.
"Yeah, I'm fine! It's just that... You know the way you tied that knot?"
He did not like the sound of that.
"Why..?"
"It's, uh..." Suddenly, he yelled out in pain. "Damn, you're heavier than you look, Romano. I'm gonna try lower you as fast as I can before-"
He definitely did not like the sound of that.
A crumbling sound could be heard, chunks of rocks rained on him and before he knew it, gravity took hold. Screams could be heard echoing as they continued to fall, deeper into the abyss and into the world of monsters.
...
"Argh.." America groaned, his mind felt muddled with pain. Blinking his eyes open, he stared up at the hole that they had fallen into as one coherent thought formed itself in his mind. "That was.. A really bad idea... Ugh.. Next time, Romano... I'm tying the rope!"
His vision was blurry, and with a hand on his face, he realized his glasses had came off during the fall. With a grunt, he tried to sit up, patting the ground for his glasses. With a faint eyesight, the surface looked like bright yellow, almost golden and it felt bouncy and soft, like a mattress.
His fingers felt the rim of his glasses, and he smiled in triumph, putting them in their rightful place. His vision sharpened, though it was still slightly fuzzy around the edges. The American nation saw that they had fallen onto a bed of flowers.
"Huh.." He touched the petals again, feeling them bounce. "Cool."
Glancing around the cavern, he saw that his fellow nation lied unconscious nearby. The nation gritted his teeth, his mind almost went blind in agony when he tried to stand, collapsing back onto the flowers. I must have broken some bones, he thought dryly, trying to suppressed a scream that would surely attract every monster within several kilometers vicinity.
The flowers were not as soft as they appeared to be. Blinking away the lingering spots in his vision, he did not register the muffled footsteps, heavy and dragging, echoed throughout the cavern.
However, America did hear heavy doors creaking open.
In a flash, he tried to sit up, unable to stop the cry of pain from escaping his lips. The footsteps paused, as if surprised, before shuffling faster, and through his dim sight, he saw a flash of white and purple appearing through the doorway. He took out the gun in his jacket, pointing at the blurry figure as they approached the two nations.
"S-stay back!" He shouted, hands trembling as one hand acted as a support to keep his body upright while the other struggled to steady his aim. They paused, uncertain. "If you take one more step, I will shoot you!"
"But you and your friend are deeply injured, are you not?" The figure spoke, their tone soothing and motherly, like they were trying to calm a crying child. "Please, let me help you."
The blond American frowned deeply, unable to shake away the feeling that he had heard the voice before. His vision finally cleared, revealing who was standing in the hallway and-
His aim on the figure wavered. Recognition flashed in his eyes as he stared at her.
"...T-Toriel?" He choked out, disbelief evident in his voice. "W-why.. Why you...?"
The pain in his body, combined with the sudden influx of strong emotions as well as the aching in his chest, were proven to be too much for the nation to bear when he dropped the gun and fell bouncing to his side, unconsciously letting out a whimper. His eyes fluttered shut, fuzzy images of the purple clad monster running towards them remained even as the world around him faded away to black.
Poor America... I actually wanted to give him a hug when I wrote this. Also, I do not and will not write ships even if... Argh.. All these conflicting feelings!
*Ahem* Hey! I am back in the writing business, baby!
In case you haven't read the recently posted 'An Ending', original title, I know. I had stated there the reason why I had been offline for, like, four, five months?
Eheh..
*Coughs* Anyway, I won't be updating regularly, as I need to regain my momentum. Ha! God, I love you Physics, so understandable compared to Biology and Chemistry.
Actually, let's make that into the question of the day (or, y'know until the next update.)
Which of the three Subjects would you prefer the most? Biology, Chemistry or Physics?