Germany winced as he felt the sun's rays against his eyelids, slowly curling in on himself as everything around him suddenly felt wrong in every level. He wasn't in a bed any longer, but on warm, soft… what was he even on? And he was wet? Well not entirely, his body was sure heated from the sun so some places felt like water had just been dried up.

As he tried to take a breath in, he ended up coughing rather harshly instead, able to feel salt water sticking in his throat. He sat up and coughed into his hands, finally opening his eyes to see what was even going on. He flinched at the blaring sun all around him, blinking once or twice to get used to the amount of light before everything came into focus. He was… on a beach? Was he still dreaming?

"Aah! Thank goodness you're finally awake!"

Germany jumped as he was called out too, rubbing his eyes for a moment before looking over to where the voice came from, seeing a familiar semi-transparent ghost standing next to him. His eyes narrowed as he still tried to adjust to the light. Italy was there? Well of course they were on…

Germany, hang in there!

… The same boat….

S-Someone! Anyone! HELP US!

… Together.

"… Italy." Pressing his hands against the sand underneath him, he pushed himself back on his full height next to the Italian, a cold gaze setting on him immediately. "Would you care to explain why we are not on the boat right now?"

"W-Well… uhm… it's a funny story actually, haa." Italy tensed up as he was being glared at, shifting his gaze away as he reached an arm behind him to scratch at the nape of his neck innocently. "When you were asleep, there were these big dark clouds! And I don't know, I just felt like we should go through it! I felt a strong tug in that direction, I swear I did! And then…" He trailed off from there, hesitantly looking back up to the increasingly angry look of the German. "I guess it was a feeling of déjà vu or something… hahah… h—GGCK!"

Italy's nervous laugh was suddenly cut off as he felt a large arm wrap around his neck, another hand gripping the back up his head to shove him forward. Even though he didn't physically have a body, he still gasped outright and choked for breath as the larger man held him in a headlock. He reached up to grab hold of the slightly damp arm around him, trying fruitlessly to pull him off, only having the grip become tighter.

"You god damn moron! You lead us straight into a storm?!"

"I-I just—gnnck!"

"And you didn't wake me up either?!"

"I-I-I don't—gCkkak!"

"Are you trying to fucking kill us?!"

"If it d-didn't kill us last time it wouldn't thiss-s-s time!"

Germany paused at this, blinking a couple times before loosening his grip on the Italian's thin neck, hearing the other breath out in relief.

"Last time?"

"Yea…" Italy coughed lightly before slipping out from under the German's arm, rubbing his neck. "The first time we crashed I put us through a storm too. I'm sorry, I really am." He glanced down, knowing that Germany just huffed and looked away from him. "But, at least Grandpa helped us to shore! So that's good…"

"Wait what?!"

Italy flinched at the loud noise, expecting another head lock or scalding lecture from his captain. He had to explain as much as he could before being silenced again.

"I-I panicked when the boat capsized…"

He grabbed Germany's arm as quick as he could, trying his hardest to continue to focus his tangibility so he could keep his head above the water.

"Germany, hang in there!" He shouted to the unconscious nation, almost to the point of hyperventilating as he noticed on the side his brother's beloved boat having been finally swallowed whole by the large waves surrounding them. His eyes widened as he realized now they were surrounded by nothing but water. He gulped dryly, but gasped as he felt Germany slipping through his hands, going back to gripping him tightly. "Y-you're going to make it!"

He pulled as hard as he could up into the air, trying whatever he could to try to get the waterlogged blonde out of the water, but whenever he tried, the waves continued to try to drag the heavy body down further.

"I can't do it… I can't do it…" Italy murmured as his form sank more towards the raging water below him. His chin quivered as he could feel his vision blurring with salty warmth. "I'm useless… I've always been useless… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" A shaky sob escaped his lips as he muttered an apology repeatedly to the man, able to feel his hold on the physical man slip more.

There was nothing more he could do… he was weak… so so weak…

He's not here any longer because I did this to him. I am so much weaker than him. Even in death, I cannot smile.

Italy jerked his head up as familiar words rung in his ears, his gaze dropping down to the mostly submerged man below him.

I want... I want to smile.. just like you did... I.. I want to smile when I die.

That's right… He had said that I was stronger than he was because of what happened…

"T-Tch… I won't let you die without smiling, Germany! You're much stronger than that! You've always been stronger than me!" Italy choked on another sob as he closed his eyes focusing all he could on putting his arms around the limb in front of him, feeling it press against him harder to have an easy grip on. "I won't let you be weaker than me!"

There had to be a way to save him, there had to!

"S-Someone! Anyone! HELP US!" He screamed into the air in desperation, not knowing what else to do. He sobbed heavily once more, continuing to try to pull the German out of the water, his screams of anguish echoing over the sound of rain plastering against the water all around him.

As the minutes ticked, slowly his screams began to get louder and carry more clearly over the water, the waves around them slowly dying down as the rain even seemed to decrease before just vanishing entirely. At this point though, Italy was left to just hug Germany close, sobbing into him as he just concentrate on keeping him afloat and not noticing the lack of storm around them.

"… Italy."

Italy jumped as he heard a voice, blinking as even if he didn't need to raise his head to see a bright light glowing in front of them. He looked up with glistening eyes, his eyes widening as he saw his grandfather towering over them, their area of sea being cleared of skies to show the moon above them, calming their circle of ocean.

"G… Grandpa Rome!"

Rome smiled softly down towards the two of them, reaching a giant hand down to pick the living German out from the water, cradling him and his attached grandson in the palm of his hand.

"You're a bit far away from home, don'tcha think?"

Italy sniffed as he grinned back up to his titan of a grandfather, still holding Germany close to him to make sure he didn't slip off there.

"We had to get away, Grandpa. They were going to lock Germany away!"

"I know, I saw."

"You… saw?"

Rome nodded once, gently pressing a thumb against the two of them to keep them still as he began to walk forward through the sea. As they went, the circle of skylight followed above them to clear away the storm as they went on their way. After a while of silence between them, Rome spoke up once again,

"Sometime after you returned to Earth, I started watching what had been happening to you. I saw your friends practically at each other's throats and Romano…" he trailed off for a moment, pausing to shake his head, "Germany may have done wrong but that doesn't give him the right to act that way. I thought I taught him better than that."

"Well…" Italy muttered at first before he spoke up, not knowing how well the other could hear him, "you were super angry with Germany too when you heard what happened. And… Romano going overboard was my fault for going through him. Oh.. I should have listened to you better, Grandpa… I'm sorry."

"Hey hey," Rome quickly said, raising his free hand to set the pad of his pointer finger on Italy's head to nudge it softly. "That was a long time ago. I do admit I was mad but, after all I've seen Germany go through, and see him owe up to his mistakes, I forgive him. Japan too, though I wish he could have handled what he did a little more maturely."

Italy chuckled softly at being rubbed on the head, but also looked up in almost awe to him, a hopeful smiling beginning to appear.

"Do you really mean it, Grandpa? You forgive them?"

"I do."

For about ten more minutes they traveled the sea uneventfully, soon walking out of the storm territory entirely so they just had peace and quiet in the night. But soon, an island came up to view, Italy blinking as he recognized something very familiar about it.

"…Grandpa? … Is … is that?"

"The island we found each other on? Yup, it's really the closest thing I can find."

Italy's ears perked as he looked down to the island. Even though it having been so long ago that they had left, it still felt like it was the other day they had set up camp there, and felt like yesterday that he went to bed, dreaming of playing in the water and sand with his friends, only to wake up to his torso being sliced in half and said friends eating his innards.

"Thank you, Grandpa." Italy finally said, looking up to the giant roman as he kneeled down in the shallow water next to the beach side to set them both down on the sand very gently. "For… everything really."

"Don't worry about it." Rome flashed another sparkling grin down at the two of them before standing up.

Italy smiled back up to him, though it faded a little as he noticed a bright light beginning to grow behind his giant form, the light making his body fade away. He waved up to him quickly, knowing his time must have been up.

"Goodbye Grandpa Rome! I'll miss you!"

Rome glanced over his shoulder too, noticing the light as well before looking back down, waving at his grandson with a smile of both worry and relief setting on his face.

"Just know I'll always be watching over you, even if you can't see me."

And soon after that, he was gone. In his place however, the sunrise's glow shone over the sea's horizon, illuminating the two nations that were left all by themselves on that lone beach.

Germany's mouth hung slightly ajar at the story, it being too odd to actually believe, though he knew very well that giant Rome appearing out of nowhere near that island happened frequently. Though something especially stuck out for the German in the story.

"Rome… forgives me?"

"Mhm!~" Italy grinned wide at acknowledging it, reaching out and grabbing one of his hands, "He really does, you've gone through so much because of me… this is no different. But! At least we're on the right path now!"

"Right path?" Germany frowned at the phrase, tugging his hand from the icy grip of the ghost nation before turned to look out to the coast line next to them. "We're just back at square one, if this is the island. This isn't the right path, this is a disaster!"

Italy frowned as it seemed the news that it was the original island wasn't as exciting as it was to him. Though his ears perked lightly as he noticed the German's expression change, looking a lot more forlorn as he gazed upon the familiar surroundings around him. He probably wasn't too thrilled to be back at the scene of the crime. He sighed quietly before looking in the opposite direction towards the forest behind them, but when he did, he suddenly gasped.

"Food!"

Germany raised an eyebrow at the exclaim before turning around too, seeing Italy running up to the trees near the boarders of sand and tropical area, glancing up to the trees itself before his mouth dropping with accompanying eyes widening.

The trees that were once bare so long ago when they were there last were full of ripened fruit, with the seasons having come and gone, they were given a chance to bear them once again. Italy didn't hesitate to take as much as he could in his arms before running back over to Germany, setting them down right next to him.

"I also saw some fish earlier! I think you'll be pretty good!"

"Tch, but it won't last very long though, what with having to feed you and Ja—"

Germany stopped, looking down to the fruit as he realized, he was technically the only living person on this side of the island. No pig-with-sweet-fruits Italy, no engorger-of-fish Japan, just himself.

This was his second chance.

"Nee… Germany?"

"Hm?" Germany hummed, shaking his head lightly to snap out of his stupor. He tilted his head lightly, seeing how Italy just seemed to be glowing in happy excitement.

"Didn't you say before I went to bed that when I woke up we could go on a fruit hunt? Or build some sandcastles? And just enjoy ourselves?"

The blonde opened his mouth to try to say something, but he paused, glancing upwards as his thoughts trailed back to that night.

"Yes, yes I did."

Without another word, Italy bolted over to the ocean, his strides making only slight waves in the ocean as he went in knee deep. He leaned down and pushed with all his might to make the water splash forward, splashing against Germany's side.

"Hahaha! Gotcha, captain!"

Germany lightly squeaked as the cold water pressed against his clothes, growling quietly before pivoting towards him more. "Hey! This is no time to be goofing around! We have to—"

He stopped entirely, realization ramming into his brain like a train.

They had shelter from before, as was a water source and now food. There was no danger. No allies. No anything.

They were free to do whatever they pleased.

"Everything okay, Germany?"

Germany looked up as Italy stopped trying to splash him, looking quite worried about the sudden change of expression he had. After a moment, the blonde suddenly grinned wide, chuckling a little before just laughing full heartedly.

"If it's a water fight you want, it's a water fight you'll get!" Germany reached down to slip his shoes and socks off before running into the water near Italy, taking whatever advantage he could to splash up at him. Italy squeaked as some water hit his form while some phased right through him, but he only laughed right back as he kicked and splashed water right back at him.

They both knew instantaneously that this was it. This was their big chance. Their chance to make up every moment lost from the last time. To play the games they never had the strength to do and catch up on the friendship they left behind so long ago. To be free from danger and fear of starvation.

This was their second chance.