Fanfiction: "In ThE eNd" (Hetalia - HetaOni)

“YoU wIlL nOt eScApE.”

Italy Veneziano froze in his tracks, a cold sweat of fear beginning to seep through his pores. Clutching the journal, his lifeline, to his uniform-clad chest, he could only manage one thought.

It’s over. I lost! I’ll have to leave everyone alone again, and this time England can’t…!

Not resigning himself to fate just yet, the nation slowly turned to face his adversary. He had seen and faced the Thing so many times now that the mere sight of it was not enough to frighten him any longer. Its hulking grey body filled nearly the entire hallway, making the stuffy annex about him seem small and un-daunting.

A shaky laugh tore past Italy’s throat – he knew he had to laugh or he would cry again, and the last thing he wanted to do was show weakness.

“Y-you found me,” he stated simply. The monster’s normally stoic face slowly curled up into a grotesquely calm smile-like expression.

“HeLlO, ItAlY. HoW aRe YoU dOiNg?”

Italy struggled to keep himself under control as he responded to the creature’s almost bizarre question.
“W-why…why do you c-care? N-no matter what answer I give, I-I’ll end up d-dead!”

The pseudo-smile stayed plastered on the Thing’s face as it answered, its voice reverberating through the room without it so much as opening its mouth. “NoT NeCeSsArIlY. I HaVe To KeEp TaBs On My PrEy…It HeLpS eAsE mY bOrEdOm.” 

“Boredom…?” Italy slowly took a step backward without thinking, but his back hit the locked door behind him. His breathing hitched in his chest, but he continued to speak. “So…y-you wait for people to come h-here…a-and you kill them for e-entertainment?!”

The once-timid nation could almost hear the rumble of a laugh in the Thing’s hollow chest. “SeEiNg AlL oF yOu In DeSpAiR aNd HoPeLeSsNeSs DaY aFtEr DaY iS eXtReMeLy EnTeRtAiNiNg.”

Italy thought of America, standing vigil over his brothers’ bodies – Scotland and Ireland, dying hand-in-hand in a swan’s song attack to defend their fallen brother – Japan, smiling even as his life ebbed away and stained the pure white room red – Prussia and Germany, his beloved Germany, drawing their final breaths together right before his waking eyes –

ENTERTAINING.

“All of this is a g-game to you…our fear and pain is y-your idea of good fun…!” Italy managed to choke out. He was still waiting for the creature’s deathblow to come at any time. Would it be slow and painful? Quick? Would the others be able to find him afterwards? How long would Germany and Romano and the other worry about him before…?

“YoU aRe So HiLaRiOuS aNd YoU dOn’T eVeN kNoW iT.”

 “Oh y-yeah? Then tell me how I’m so funny!”

The Thing took a slow stride forward and Italy instinctively pressed further into the door.

“YoU hAvE aLwAyS bEeN sO cHeErFuL, fUlL oF hOpE aNd OpTiMiSm…BeInG aBlE tO cRuSh ThAt HaPpY sPiRiT WiThIn YoU, sLoWlY, rEaLlY aMuSeS mE…!”

No! Italy didn’t want to be reminded of those feelings. He wasn’t alone anymore, he wasn’t alone…

I’m not alone!

“I…I-I’m sure you’ll be happy to know that you succeeded b-before…but not n-now!” Italy cried out with a new strength. “E-everyone’s behind me now, and I w-won’t give up until…we’re all s-safe and happy again…and away from h-here!”

As the Thing took another step forward, Italy couldn’t help but admit to himself that he was afraid now.

“ThAt’S sO aDmIrAbLe. YoU rEaLlY aRe HiLaRiOuS.”

The copper-haired Italian was shaking now; it was yet another step closer to him.

“BuT I’M nOt SpArInG yOuR lIfE fOr IdLe CoNvErSaTiOn. I hAvE tHrEe QuEsTiOnS fOr YoU, ItAlIa VeNeZiAnO, mY mOsT mEmOrAbLe ViCtIm…”

What the hell does it want to know from you…g-gah, Feliciano, get ahold of yourself, it’s a trick, it has to be!

“T-then go ahead…ask!” was what came out of his mouth before he could stop it. Some part deep within him was simply too curious to let the monster’s questions go unasked.

“WhAt ExAcTlY dRiVeS yOu? I tHoUgHt SuReLy YoU wOuLd HaVe GiVeN uP bY nOw, AnD yEt YoU, tHe CoWaRd Of ThE pAcK, pReSs On…WhO iS tHe PeRsOn Or PeOpLe WhO mOtIVaTeS yOu…?”

The question seemed to ignite a time bomb in the young Venetian, prompting an answer that had always been in his heart but was just now escaping his lips.

“A-all my friends…all of them!” he almost yelled. “B-being here has taught me t-that…even though we used to be enemies…w-we’re all nations! One world, standing together!”

“…ThAt’S vErY tOuChInG. aNd NoW fOr ThE sEcOnD qUeStIoN…”

With all the painful memories the first question had brought, Italy was beginning to regret giving the monster the go-ahead to ask.

“HoW wOuLd YoU rEaCt If I kIlLeD tHeM?”

Italy jerked, his breath stilling in his lungs once again. As he turned to look up at the Thing’s crystalline black eyes with a calm sort of rage, he intoned, “You already know! You’ve done it before! I-I’d be sad, and alone, and I’d cry for them…b-but I’d keep going back! N-no matter how many times it took to g-get everyone out alive…I-I’d do it!”

“Hm…InTeReStInG…I wOnDeR…”

Caro Dio, will this Thing ever STOP wondering?

“If It AfFeCtEd YoUr BrOtHeR sO bAdLy WhEn I kIlLeD yOu…HoW wOuLd YoU rEaCt To ThE bReAkInG oF sUcH a CoNnEcTiOn?”

A horrible truth seemed to come crashing directly into Italy’s chest, and he could have sworn his heard stopped for a split second. He panicked for a moment, but then calmed enough to stay in control of himself. Shaking even more violently, he gasped.

O-oh…I forgot…Romano…he wasn’t here any other time loop but now…!

“Don’t you dare touch my fratello!” Italy screamed at the monster. There was no doubt of the Thing’s evil intentions now. It seemed unfazed by Italy’s rage, the twisted grin on its face climbing higher.

“I’lL tHiNk AbOuT iT. bUt HoNeStLy, I’m CuRiOuS. cOmE nOw, ItAlY, iNdUlGe YoUr FeLlOw PlAyEr In ThIs GaMe ThIs OnE tImE.”

“I-I don’t know…!” Italy shook his head slowly, looking down at his neatly tied bootlaces. “I-I only remember…in a war one t-time…when fratello was h-hurt, I hurt too…”

“ThAt SoUnDs QuItE iNtErEsTiNg. HoWeVeR, yOuR bRoThEr Is TrApPeD iN tHe PaSt, So ThErE iS nOtHiNg YoU cAn Do To StOp Me FrOm DoInG wHaTeVeR I WiSh WiTh HiM.”

PANG. Another blow of hard truth to Italy’s chest nearly knocked his breath away.

“W-what?!” he cried. “Romano…i-in another loop?! B-but he…he wasn’t supposed to…!”

The Thing slowly lifted a monstrous hand to point towards the journal clutched against Italy’s chest, which he unconsciously held even tighter.

“ThAt JoUrNaL oF yOuRs SpReAd MoNsTeRs ThRoUgHoUt ThE tImE lOoPs – He WeNt BaCk WiTh SpAiN tO dEsTrOy ThEm.”

Italy sighed shakily, a sudden wave of relief washing over his panicking mind. “O-oh…he’s with big brother Spain, then…” Silently, Italy was thanking God and all the saints and angels, known and unknown, for his brother’s apparent safety. “Grazie, Dio! S-so there IS someone there to stop you after all!”

The creature remained eerily silent.

Too silent.

“Y-you were so talkative a moment ago,” Italy almost taunted shakily, beginning to worry. “W-what happened, ve?”

“NoT aNyMoRe.”

It took Italy a full ten seconds to process exactly what the Thing meant by the simple two words.

“A-antonio…?” The name came out as a whisper. “L-lovino…?”

The Thing made no response, and in that moment, Italy knew that his worst fear at the moment had come true.

“W-what did you do to them…?!” Italy wanted to scream the words, but all his voice would put out was a choking whisper.

“SpAiN iS bLeEdInG oUt EvEn As We SpEaK. yOur bRoThEr sEeMs QuItE aNgRy.”

Now trembling with both rage and disbelief, Italy managed a humorless laugh. “O-of course…my fratello a-always seems to be a-angry, ve…”

“AnGrY aT yOu, PeRhApS. AfTeR aLl, It’S uLtImAtElY yOuR fAuLt FoR tHiS wHolE sItUaTiOn, IsN’t It? No MaTtEr. YoU wOn’T hAvE tO dEaL wItH iT mUcH lOnGeR.”

“A-angry…at me…” The Venetian’s voice broke, a choked sob of anguish tearing from his throat. “O-of course…it was always me…e-even from the first time loop, i-it was always me…!”

Finally, he snapped. Italy fell forward from the sturdy shield of the heavy wooden door and sank to his knees, blindly crying out the only name he could process.

“R…ROMANO!”

‘Veneziano…Spagna…d-damn it, I-I can’t…die here…’

A brief strain of thought that wasn’t his own, a sense of familiarity, of wholeness, a voice he recognized all too well, was enough to pull Italy into the current of his own thought with a brief gasp, knowing who he would find there.

Connected by the bond of one nation, not even their thoughts were separable from the other’s.

Romano! R-Romano, a-are you safe?! What’s happening?!

‘H-huh…? Vene…Veneziano…? You’re…okay…’

Yes, fratellone, I'm alright! B-but...you're not...are you? And S-Spain…is...how...?

Somehow knowing his answer, Italy felt silent tears begin to stream down his cheeks in thin, hot lines.

‘…he’s…d-dead…a-and I…I’m sorry, fratellino…I can’t feel e-either of my legs…I’m sorry…’

N-no…NO! R-Romano, you can’t just…p-please…!

‘I-I’m sorry…! I always…let you down…d-don’t I…?’

Italy was suddenly aware of a few sudden shocks of nerves that were not his own body’s. A sensation of hot wetness rolling down his cheeks that weren’t his tears…was Romano crying…?

Italy, letting a heart-wrenching sob escape his throat, sent every ounce of love in his body towards his brother, his other half, his twin spirit. Anything to let him know the truth…

N-no...R-Romano, you d-don't! Y-you're...my precious fratellone...you c-could never!

‘Hehe…y-you finally…praised me…I guess that means…I did something right…f-for once…’

R-Romano...i-if anyone should be sorry, it's me! Y-you've never...R-Romano, p-please just d-don't leave me alone...I-I love you so much…!

‘I-I know…I didn’t t-tell you enough, but…significhi tutto per me, Veneziano…’

‘You mean everything to me, Veneziano.’

Romano…! Senza di te non sono niente, Romano!

Without you I am nothing, Romano!

‘T-that’s not true…ah-AAGH…! V-Vene, I d-don’t…want to l-leave you…!’

A sudden pain racked Italy’s body. R-Romano, NO! RESTA CON ME!

STAY WITH ME!

‘V-Veneziano…I…a-aah…can’t…b-but…per favore ricordati di me, fratellino…’

‘Please remember me, little brother…’

Italy was weeping openly now, not caring if Romano heard or the Thing saw.

O-Ora e sempre…mio p-preziosa fratellone…!

A-Always and forever…my p-precious big brother…!

‘T-ti…ti amo…Vene…ziano...’

‘I-I…I love you…Vene…ziano...’

And then nothing.

R-Roma…Romano…?!

Again, all that resounded in the depths of Italy’s thoughts was silence.

And then the pain began.

A sudden pang in his heart was all it took for Italy to be jerked back into the physical plane once again.

“A-AAAH!”

Clutching his chest, he doubled over onto one hand, still kneeling. A terrible burning, ripping sensation pulsed from his heart throughout his whole being, threatening to split him, shatter him…!

“I-IT HURTS…!”

But what followed made the previous pain seemed like nothing.

Half of his being, half of his soul, his heart, something that had been part of his integral being since time began was suddenly ripped from him, and was sent plummeting into an unreachable abyss. It didn’t take long at all for the truth of what had happened to permeate his mind.

“ROMANO!”

The shriek of anguish tore from Italy’s voice like a banshee’s mournful wail. He collapsed to the cold wooden floor, trembling in agony and searching his heart in vain for the second half of his being that would never return. Even in his pathetic state, Italy managed to find the strength to glare up at the Thing, standing stoically and patiently.

“W-why didn’t you just k-kill me…?!”

“YoUr ReAcTiOn WaS jUsT tOo GoOd To MiSs.”

He had tried so hard. Gotten so far. Fought for so long.

In the end, it hadn’t mattered, not one little bit. He had lost himself – how could he hope to save anyone else?

He was alone.

Alone!

“R-Romano…ROMANO!” he cried out again, tears openly spilling from his eyes and staining his uniform, darkening the page edges of his journal.

I-I  can’t handle this…!

Heavy footsteps advanced forward, each one adding more finality to his impending doom.

“BrOtHeRlY lOvE iS iNdEeD a BeAuTiFuL bOnD, bUt OnE sO eAsIlY sEvErEd…”

With a resounding thud, the Thing stopped directly over Italy’s quaking figure, helpless to fight to defend himself.

“ItAlIA RoMaNo AnD ItAlIA VeNeZiAnO wIlL sOoN bOtH bE bOuNd iN eTeRnAl SlEeP…wItH nO oThEr JoUrNaL mAsTeR tO tAkE tHeIr PlAcE. AlL hOpE iS lOsT.”

Italy closed his eyes.

He was so...tired.

It’s over.

“DeSpAiR aNd DiE!”

GaMe OvEr
Restart?
>Yes
>No

Original Fiction: "Faydragon"

Pale fingers gripped the silver hilt of the sword sheathed at her waist, head held high and black eyes staring unafraid into the entrance of the labyrinth before her.

“Kilian of the Noble House of Chandestroy,” a voice from the palace wall above roared, belonging to the captain of the Royal Guard, “and Teryn of the Noble House of Iladrin! You have been chosen as the final candidates to compete for the title of Dragon Rider!”

She gave a proud toss of her thick onyx black braid and snorted. Why did they not simply give her the title and save Kilian the embarrassment of defeat? Hm. On second thought, she would rather that her rival was shown his place – perhaps it would stomp his ego down to the proper size.

“The challenges you must overcome to prove yourselves to your potential partner will be great,” the captain continued so loudly that Teryn was almost certain he could be heard across the entire capital, “but your reward will far outweigh any danger and obstacle you will strike down! Honor! Eternal glory! Power beyond your wildest dreams! And of course, the great privilege of serving this great land of Raikera as an elite warrior!”

Teryn already knew all of this – she had spent her entire life training for this moment, and so had that son-of-a-shrew Kilian. Her free hand twitched at her side and her other tightened around her sword-hilt. She was itching to go charging into this challenge and slash down a few things; preferably the teenage boy she knew was situated at the opposite entrance of the maze.

“Your strength will be pushed to its limit during this test! However, the Faydragon you fight for will ultimately decide which of you is the stronger! Now, young warriors, go forward to victory!”

A canon was fired, and Teryn’s feet were off so quickly, they hardly touched the ground. With a shing, her blade was drawn and readied as she rounded corner after corner of the enchanted labyrinth. The current Dragon Rider force of the kingdom – those who commanded the six Faydragons of Earth, Wind, Water, Thunder, Darkness and Light – had raised this maze in the palace courtyard and woven it with enchantments of elemental traps and creatures that spawned at random. The purpose was to test Teryn and Kilian’s strength and also to slow them in their search for the Faydragon that, somewhere within the earthen walls, was hidden from their sight, gauging their abilities, choosing its future Rider. Neither Teryn nor her rival knew the name or commanding element of this Faydragon, but it wasn’t like they had any desire to pick and choose.

Another corner was rounded, and Teryn came face to face with a deafening roar belonging to some gruesome Darkness elemental that nearly knocked her back into the nearest wall.

“OUT OF MY WAY!” she yelled, and with a single slash of her gleaming steel blade, the creature released an unearthly shriek of pain and dissolved into nothingness. Her first kill of the challenge. Teryn shivered with adrenaline and anticipation and resumed her advance forward – there was still more, much more, to come.

Combat was not new at all to this girl, coming from a knighting family with no male children; she had been expected to carry on the warrior legacy of her house and had been trained in the art of war since she was old enough to hold a dagger. Every elemental unfortunate enough to be in her path fell. The rush of battle was spreading through her body and sharpening her senses – her surroundings felt brighter and her nerves hyper-sensitive. In this state, she was confident she could stand up to anything and take anything down, and yet failed to notice the tendrils of frigid air creeping around her limbs until it was too late.

“Gah!” she cried, suddenly jerked to the ground and quickly realizing that she was unable to move. Upon looking down, she saw what was holding her down – thin trails of unnaturally strong ice, simply ice, anchored her to the dry grass. “What in the Great One’s name…” she growled, beginning to struggle against her strange bonds, but froze as still as a statue as she heard footsteps pattering in the distance. Not the footsteps of a monster…it was the sound of the soles of boots against the ground and a clear human stride.

A voice rang out as clear as day from her memory: “Please, twerp. What makes you think you’ll be able to make it as a knight – or even catch up with me? You’re a girl – you’ll never be stronger than the rest of us no matter how much you try.”

The sudden wave of rage at the very person running up the path towards her was all it took for her to muster the strength to break free and spring to her feet, but a moment too late. She was still in mid-crouch when a flash of olive skin and black hair nearly ran by her but skidded to a stop.

Kilian was a well-built sixteen-year-old boy and incredibly handsome, but however nice he may have looked, his contemptuous attitude ruined his entire being for Teryn. Even now, as he stood over her, barely worn out from the exertion of his own battles, that self-righteous smirk was plastered on his face.

“Need a lift, twerp?” he teased.

“Leave me be unless you want a blade in your gut,” she grumbled, her face beginning to burn.

With a presumptuous shrug, he turned away and set off down the path again. “Suit yourself. Best of luck, Teryn – you’re going to need it.”

As soon as she was sure Kilian was out of earshot, she pushed herself to her feet and let out a strangled scream of frustration. She took off in the direction opposite the path Kilian had taken, rabid anger almost making the world take on a red tint. How could she have allowed that dullard to make a fool of her like that?!

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than did another trap spawn – this time, tendrils of ice were weaving together and creating a blockade down her intended path. Another cry of frustration tore past her throat as she tried to slash through the frozen gate, but apparently the enchanted frost couldn’t be cut by sharpened steel. She quickly whirled about to try and find another path. Since when had the Water Faydragon and her Rider been able to conjure up ice? This was certainly an inconvenient time to reveal the ability, Teryn thought.

The monsters seemed to be spawning at a much faster rate, this time bringing with them strange Ice elementals that somehow didn’t seem to be fully alive. Every other corner brought with it a new frigid trap or roadblock. Never before had Teryn fought this hard or this long – fighting that had once been simple for her now seemed more draining and complex as her frustration and hopelessness grew. Was Kilian facing the same trials she was right now? Surely he couldn’t be feeling the same fatigue she was – she had seen him fight off more than this before with no repercussions to speak of. Her chance was slipping away – he was winning.

And with that passing thought, the ice was back, this time tripping her off her feet and planting her sprawled across the hard ground and pinning her there. And that was the last straw – she was at her limit. No matter how hard she tried, how much she yelled at her muscles to move, she couldn’t muster up the will to break free. Desperation swallowed up her pride at last.

“You win!” Teryn screamed to the sky. “I give up! YOU’RE STRONGER!” He was stronger.

The blatantly true confession seemed to break something inside her, as if a great load was being lifted. It was over. She had given up and the Faydragon would choose Kilian. Not her. Being defeated by her rival was awful enough, but now it seemed to dim in comparison to everything else. What would her family say of her failure? Her noble peers would be able to put her down with reason now. And she thought of the other Riders and their Faydragons – how they spoke of their bond as the greatest friendship one could have – and realized that bond was now something that she would never possess. Tears of both anger and despair stung her eyes.

A strange chill crept into the air, bringing with it a comforting presence foreign to her throughout the previous ordeal. The air around her seemed to be darkening. She turned her head to look up and what she saw nearly made her gasp in wonder had she not been so fatigued.

A twinkling sphere of pale blue hung suspended in the air, seeming to draw all the light in the area to it – or perhaps it was simply the surrounding landscape darkening in comparison to its brilliance.

“You have gone through much to find me, little one.”

The ethereal voice was that of a young man’s, but reflected wisdom far beyond mere mortal comprehension.

“You’re the Faydragon,” she managed to whisper weakly.

“I am Azuré, the Faydragon of Ice.”

Teryn could do little more than stare in wonder. She felt her bonds melting away bit by bit, and soon she was pushing herself up onto her knees, but still continued to stare into the Faydragon’s spirit form.

“The Faydragon of Ice,” she whispered, understanding finally striking her. “It was you who kept slowing me down.”

“I did.”

“Why?”

“Kilian’s cruelty made him blind to my presence. It was your pride that hid me from you. Only through my humbling you into defeat could you be made worthy to become my Rider.”

Teryn barely even noticed that she was still staring like a dumbstruck fool at the immortal being. “Become…your Rider? Why me? I’m…weak.”

“We are all weak in at least one way, even I. While you may be weaker in body than your young adversary, weakness of the spirit is far more deadly. I see honor and bravery beneath your pride – if you choose to embrace that honor, I will accept you as my Bonded Rider.”

Teryn nodded, closing her eyes and bowing her head, a bit afraid and yet longing for what was to come.

All at once, the warm light delved into her chest and seemed to illuminate up her entire body, which felt as light as air – a surge of great power opening her mind to a presence that felt so foreign and yet so perfect. Years – no, centuries of wisdom, memories and emotions poured through her expanded awareness but she could not latch onto any of them. The power reached a peak which she could barely contain, and it was at that moment the warmth faded, although a remnant of the presence remained, an eternal part of her inner self.

“Rise, Lady Teryn, my Rider. May the Great One give us strength as we serve this kingdom.”

Teryn opened her eyes and rose to her feet, steady and stately, and cast her eyes upward. The labyrinth had vanished into mist, leaving her standing in the open palace courtyard, and there towering at least a story above her was a lanky and elegant dragon, gleaming with scales of ice blue and snow white in the deepening twilight. Slowly, with reverence and a strange air of companionship, the great beast spread his wings and lowered his head down to Teryn, where a large ice-blue gem shimmered upon his forehead. Teryn, now smiling genuinely for the first time in this ordeal, placed her hand upon Azuré’s head. It was then that she noticed the delicate ice-blue marks that now swirled up and about her wrist and arm from a gem similar to Azuré’s that rested on her right hand, one of the many marks that now adorned her as a symbol of one touched by the Faydragons. Azuré blinked his great blue eyes and gently pushed against Teryn’s palm in a sign of affection.

“You’re beautiful,” Teryn said.

“As are you,” Azuré responded in kind with a deep rumbling sound that almost resembled a feline’s purr.

The cheers of the royal court, the knights and the Riders, and the celebratory roars of the other six Faydragons now broke through Teryn and Azuré’s own little world, and they at last took notice of their surroundings. As Azuré roared to his Faydragon kin in return, Teryn looked around in bewilderment to see none other than Kilian Chandestroy approaching her and her new partner.

Contrary to her earlier belief, he appeared to be quite worn out, his black hair tangled and matted with sweat, and his body covered in scratch marks. The look in his eyes could be described as a few things – humiliation, defeat, disbelief – but in spite of that, his lips twitched up into a ghost of a genuine smile as he stood before her.

“Nice job, twerp,” he offered his congratulations in his own way, extending his hand.

Teryn gave him only a tiny smile, lightly vaulting up to take her place on Azuré’s back at the hollow between his shoulders. Now having to look down to see her former adversary, and with a soft laugh that clearly said, ‘I cannot believe what I’m about to do,’ she reached a hand downward to him.

“Need a lift?”

Fanfiction: "One Nation Under Anarchy" (Hetalia / Hunger Games)

(After seeing the Hunger Games movie effectively crushed my faith in humanity's innate morality, I wrote this on a whim...I would say I hope you enjoy, but it got me pretty darn depressed.)

He was America.

Rather, he had been America – before it happened.

Everything they had always taught – the earthquakes, floods, storms, fires, everything that had torn the world apart – all of it had happened. It truly had torn the world apart – torn all of them apart – torn the nations themselves apart. He had seen former enemies, allies, even his own brothers suffer and die in the primal chaos of apocalypse.

In the end, only his former citizens had survived and risen up again.

However, in the process, they had cast him aside – forgotten him completely – and, instead, had hailed a new nation. A nation that, in all honesty, reminded him more of his World War II enemy Italy's Roma Antiqua, Ancient Rome, another nation that had been lost in the vast abyss of forgotten history.

This nation was Rome now, but not Rome in his golden age – this nation was the savage Roman Empire.

He had seen the “saviors of civilization” come to power, seen them establish this nation “Panem”, seen them live like gods while their citizens slaved and starved – for their leisure. It made him sick.

How could his people have forgotten and abandoned him for this?

His hopes of one day being restored were crushed time and time again, one harder than ever after a terrible rebellion. He could feel the life of every fighting citizen being snuffed out as if they were still his own people – he almost couldn’t move for weeks after that, he remembered. Every chance he had to return, they ruined it. They knew how to keep a spark of hope contained, let it flare, and then snuff it out to start the vicious cycle all over again all too well.

He remembered the exact year, month, day, and hour when they had issued their “punishment” on the rebellious nation. Each year, twenty-four of their children would slaughter each other in a bloodbath treated as mere entertainment to them and their citizens.

The Games had begun. Really, it had all been a game from the beginning – a game of power, oppression, and death – and he could do nothing to stop it. His former people had enough hope to keep him alive – but not enough to bring him back.

No. He could only watch…watch as the ice of fear kept the sparks of hope from flaring once again.

Fanfiction - "Fly Me Away" (DNAngel)

(I've been absolutely in LOVE with Dark for awhile now and just had to write this story! It's not expressly about anyone with Dark - only a "she" is mentioned and is nameless. So who's with him? Rika? Riku? Your OC? You? The only limit is your imagination! :3 Enjoy teh smexy fluff!)




The cool night breeze created by gliding motion through the sky kissed against the teenage girl’s tender skin and brought on a slight sense of insecurity, but it did not last long; she flew not alone.

She gazed up through tousled bangs into the beautiful face of the young man who cradled her in strong arms, the one who had swept her away from her bedroom as his entirely willing captive and taken her with him on his flight across the star-dusted field of night. Windswept dark purple hair and long parted bangs framed his face and fell before his forehead, but not so much as to obscure the deep violet orbs that had just moved from the air ahead to gaze back down at her. Adorning his chiseled back and keeping them aloft were two graceful black wings, reminiscent of those of a dark angel.

He smiled as he looked down into her eyes; the look in those amethyst orbs was mischievous and slightly seductive, yet loving, as the girl could easily discern. The soft material of his black jacket brushed against her cheek when he pulled her closer into his chest. The gentle, steady thump of his heartbeat soothed her, and she closed her eyes and nestled in to listen more closely. She almost didn’t notice the soft, moist pressure at her hairline that lingered for a brief moment, and only opened her eyes again when the sound of him whispering her name wrapped itself around her ears.

Suddenly pulled back into reality, she was also pulled flush against the young man’s chest, his warm breath washed over her skin, drawing a faint blush to her cheeks as a hand gently moved to cradle the back of her neck. Any and all thoughts that happened to have been going through her psyche at the time were instantly sent running for cover as her dark angel moved in and captured her lips with his.

Once she had scoffed at the girls in her high school class who swooned over this eighteen-year-old “delinquent”, calling their constant fantasies of him silly and unrealistic. Seeing her now, one could hardly believe that this was the same girl. From the moment the phantom thief had touched down on her bedroom balcony, enfolding her in an embrace of warm arms and sheltering wings, and proclaiming he was there to steal her heart, his job was done.

There was no need to steal her heart. It had been his from the beginning.

Fanfiction Poetry: "The Dirge of Holy Rome" (Hetalia: Axis Powers)

(This was a Shakespearean sonnet I wrote for a Creative Writing assignment - we were supposed to write about love, and my current anime love at the moment was Hetalia, so I decided to write mine about the cutest shonen-ai couple in history - lol, history. It really is history ^^ Chibitalia x HRE. Enjoy the sad fluff!)

A powerful warrior, pride of the land,

And a pitiful servant, cowardly.

Two brought together by fate’s guiding hand,

Holy Rome and Italy were meant to be.

The empire admired the nation from afar,

His love remained hidden, innocent, pure.

But even he could not escape fame uncharred;

Love could not stay the cold clutches of war.

But Holy Rome had a confession to make:

“Since the Nine Hundreds, I’ve loved you,” he said.

When he was begged to stay, his heart did break,

But he offered a promise: “You’ll see me again.”

Despite the how long for him Italy yearned,

From that long battle, his love never returned.

Fanfiction: "I'm Here" - Pokemon Platinum

(Hey, guys! ^^ I wrote this fanfic a while back after I first started playing Pokemon Platinum. The player character and rival's names are replaced with the ones I used in-game, so that's why their names aren't Dawn and Barry. This story certainly isn't my best work, but it's rather dear to me nonetheless. Enjoy the female player x male player fluffiness! :3)

Xandra was absolutely torn. In more ways than one.

The thirteen-year-old Pokemon Trainer was so overcome with conflicting emotions that it clouded her thinking as she made her way down the quiet hilly path to the Valor Lakefront from Sandgem Town. She had been eager to get out of Sandgem, not even stopping to chat with her best friend Hileriarai. Her Piplup, Bubbles, and baby Riolu, Ever, cheerfully skipped along beside her as Stella the Staravia flew overhead. It soothed Xandra a little to know that there were at least a few living beings in the world who were happy with life, unlike her.

At last she and her Pokemon reached Lake Valor. She sat down near the shore of the lake, wrapping her arms around her knees and looking out over the water. It was late afternoon, and the sun was much lower in the sky than when she had started out. Almost sunset, she thought. She had always liked coming to the lake this time of day whenever she had wanted to get away and just think for awhile. And she certainly had a lot to think about at this moment in time.

Why does this have to be so hard? When I started out on my journey, all I thought I had to do was to meet new Pokemon, battle Trainers, get stronger, defeat Gym Leaders, challenge the Elite Four, and maybe become Champion. It sounds so simple...but I guess I didn't really factor boy trouble into the mix.

She laughed weakly at the irony. She had started out from Twinleaf Town and gotten her first Pokemon with a boy, after all; it should have been the first thing to expect. Her thoughts drifted to that same over-energetic boy: Dalton, her childhood friend and current rival.

But then the image in her mind shifted to someone else: the blue-haired, dusky-eyed Trainer that had helped her out of so many binds over the course of her travels.

Lucas...

The sun was even lower in the sky now, and was beginning to dye the once blue veil that covered the Pokemon World brilliant orange and pink.

Why is it so hard to choose...?!

Bubbles, Ever, and Stella chased each other up and down the shore of the lake.

Xandra thought of Dalton. I mean, Dalton and I have been friends since we were little, and he knows me so well...

She thought of Lucas. But Lucas...he's helped me through so much...he's always been there for me.

Memories came rushing back to her.




"So, what of it?" Mars sneered. "Are you some lovey-dovey couple to the rescue?"

"Come on, Xandra, let's take 'em out!" Lucas said.

"Right!" Xandra agreed, fiercely determined.




"Oh, Xandra, wait up!" Lucas cried as he ran up to the blue-haired girl. He handed her five Poke` Balls. "Here. I want you to have these. Now you can start catching Pokemon right away!"

"Thank you, Lucas," Xandra smiled, Bubbles jumping into her arms.




"Hey, Xandra?" Lucas asked. "Is it maybe your birthday today?"

"Gee, I'm not sure," Xandra replied cheerfully. "It might be!"

"I thought so! Congratulations, Xandra! You know, I'm glad we're friends!"



Xandra felt tears sting her eyes, though she wasn't exactly sure which of the flashbacks were causing them. Perhaps it was just the overall emotional overload she was feeling right now. She wanted someone to think of her as more than a friend...she just didn't know who!

A sudden flash of red light appeared as her Espeon, Psilight, came out of its Poke` Ball of its own accord, having felt its Trainer's mental distress.

"Es?" the Espeon asked, looking up into Xandra's blue eyes with its light purple ones.

"Oh, Psilight!" Xandra sobbed, letting her tears go. "I don't know what I should do!" She buried her head into her knees and continued crying her heart out."I'm so confused..."

Psilight rubbed up against Xandra's side, trying to soothe the weeping girl. Bubbles and Ever had now abandoned their game of tag to join Psilight in attempting to comfort their Trainer. Very soon, Sparky, Xandra's Luxio, was woken from its evening nap in its Poke` Ball and also came out to see what all the commotion was.

Eventually, the four Pokemon managed to console Xandra a little, enough to reduce her heartbroken sobs to quiet hiccuping sighs. For a while, all was quiet.

Until the company of five heard approaching footsteps. The footsteps of a person that Xandra was longing and dreading to see.

"Xandra!" Lucas exclaimed as he burst through the trees to the lakefront. "I thought I'd find you here."

For a moment, Xandra couldn't say anything for fear that she would start crying again.

"Xandra? You okay?" Lucas' voice had taken on a much more concerned tone. Xandra heard him come up behind her.

"W-why are you here?" she whispered shakily.

"Hileriarai and I saw you back in Sandgem Town, but didn't get to talk to you. You seemed upset about something...I was worried. I wanted to make sure that you were alright..."

He followed me all the way from Sandgem town...because he was worried about me?

Xandra wasn't sure if this was enough to go by...

She felt Lucas place his hand on her shoulder, saying nothing.

Oh my...I really, really want to hold his hand...even if just for a second...

She didn't know where the thought came from, but suddenly, she thought of Dalton. A pang of guilt hit her--almost hard enough to cause physical pain. And definitely enough to get her tears flowing again.

Lucas noticed. He pulled Xandra up onto her feet, wrapping his arms around her waist in a gentle embrace. Xandra pressed her face into Lucas' shoulder, sobbing quietly.

"Shhh," Lucas attempted to comfort her, rubbing his hand up and down her back. "It's okay...I'm here..."

Bubbles, Ever, Stella, Psilight, and Sparky all stood to the side, watching the scene silently.

If before wasn't enough for Xandra to go by, then this was. Being with Lucas...it filled her with a sense of completion, fulfillment...something that she could never have felt with Dalton.

As Xandra's tears subsided, Lucas looked into her eyes for a minute, then softly kissed her forehead.When he pulled back, Xandra flung her arms around him.

I am definitely not confused anymore.

"Thank you, Lucas," she whispered.

"For what?"

"Everything."

The sun had almost vanished beyond the horizon, turning the sky from orange to deep purple and blue. But it didn’t feel like nightfall for Xandra and Lucas.

It was more like sunrise for them.

Daily Happenings: Aki and Ren's Plan for World Domination >:3

It started with a simple conversation between Ren and I in Biology II, and it's evolved into a full-fledged plan for an absolute dictatorship - um, I mean, utopian society! ;D

Here's how we plan to take over the world:

1. We'll build a mini-city right in the middle of one of the cowfields where we live in the middle of nowhere. It's going to be TOTALLY high tech with a protective dome around it - think The Capitol meets Crystal Tokyo. Once it's built by means we're still pondering, we'll get people to relocate there by brainwashing - I mean advertising ;D
2. As we grow in citizens, we'll slowly expand the city's borders until it engulfs the ENTIRE United States! Using my Pokemon HeartGold team and her Pokemon Sapphire team - which we will bring to life with Ren's cloning card technology - we will battle Congress into submission with our adorable Pokemanz >:3
3. Eventually, the world leaders will become terrified of our overwhelming power and surrender to our awesomeness. No questions asked! Easy enough, ne? ^^
4. We'll leave Japan mostly intact...we'll just raid the manga stores and kidnap the voice actors first >:D

Once the globe is under the control of us two otaku teenagers, we will rule as absolute dictators of our utopia with an advisory cabinet of the rest of our high school anime club. And instead of allowing the foolish capitalist activity of SELLING food, every day at high noon, the sky shall rain...

RAMEN.

Yes, RAMEN. And I'm talking about the authentic stuff, not the twenty cent instant junk with no nutritional value ;) It will be like manna from Heaven! Only it's Japanese noodles, not bread wafery stuff, the Heaven is a high-tech ramen-producing superdome, and WE'RE the gods! >:D

Thus, the name of our new world order is THE HOLY RAMEN EMPIRE!

Yep, I totally stole your title there, Holy Rome. Sorry >:3

In other news, Hetalia FTW! Enjoy the pic of Holy Rome's epic failure ^^