[Complete] It’s all the same.

[thebestandwurst]

Characters: Germany, Italy, their shadows
Location: On the way to Casualty Communal
Rating: R.
Time: July 18, very early.
Description: Germany and Italy head off to see to Hungary. They never make it.

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[miarrendo]

Italy was, of course, following rather slowly, and would have seriously lagged behind if not for Germany's tugging. He nervously looked around them as they ran. Like his partner, he was feeling very ill, as though doom were approaching.

"That other woman with Hungary was a Shadow. Right, Germany?" He only knew a little bit about Shadows from the network, and from Germany. It seemed that they were popping up all over the place today. "I hope she's okay..."

[thebestandwurst]

"It seems so. As far as I've been told, the Shadows are very dangerous and not to be trifled with. We must not meet ours." He recalled how the other Ungarn had acted and only hoped she was not hostile. "She didn't seem to be in danger yet, but it is not possible to tell."

Germany hoped fervently that they did not meet theirs. But if they did, then Italien would have to dispatch them using his weapon form. Surely the Shadows could not be any stronger than their originals?

[miarrendo]

Why did Germany even say that? It was like bad karma! Italy made some whimpering sounds before picking up his pace a little. He just wanted to hurry and get indoors. The Casualty Communal seemed much farther away than before.

"Germany..."

[thebestandwurst]

It was good that Italien was speeding up. Germany tugged him over to a side street when it became clear that the road in front of them was too damaged to cross easily in the fog. They would have to circle it, and staying close to the buildings allowed them better cover against whatever they should avoid.

[miarrendo]

It was hard to listen to Germany's shadow, Italy thought. He sounded very angry, maybe even a little hurt. And Italy remembered hearing that Shadows were supposed to be inner thoughts that they had. Or something, like that. He tried to look at Germany again, but his own shadow turned his face.

"You're no better," the shadow sighed, annoyed. "Why the hell are you worrying about that guy? All he does is abuse you. All the countries do. Because you're so stupid."

Italy shook his head as best as he could. "No! Germany is my friend!"

[thebestandwurst]

"Your friend. Hah!" His shadow sounded unpleasant when he laughed, like a gunshot, or maybe even the sound of burning wood. "Do you know what he feels for you, little Italien? How he fears and wants you? Maybe you should fill the little gap in his head so he'd understand his own tragedy better. Or maybe I should kill you, so he no longer has to deal with these things and he can finally deal with me."

Germany made a noise of protest. "Do not listen to him, Italien," he said, struggling to his feet despite the ache. "Do not listen to either of them." Lies and slander. He had no such inner persona. "Touch him and I will end you," he promised savagely.

[miarrendo]

"Oh~ Listening to all of you talk makes me want to vomit!" scowled Italy's shadow. He turned his attention back on Italy again, expression suddenly becoming fierce. "How can you be friends with someone who bullies you? Do you know what he and Japan say behind your back? You must know, because I know! And your fratello!"

The more Italy's shadow talked, the more scared he became. No, he loved Japan and Germany. And even though Romano said hurtful things, Italy still loved him, too. "No! Germany said he cared about me! He told me!"

And Italy's shadow rolled his strange eyes before getting to his feet again. He gave Italy a swift kick to the side of his head and knocked him over. "You shouldn't believe everything he tells you. He is only using you."

[thebestandwurst]

"As if he can be used," Germany's shadow scoffed. "The only thing you Italians are good for is se--"

Germany punched him in the mouth, making his own shadow take a few steps back. The creature examined the split on his lip and grinned at him, all fangs and white teeth. "You shouldn't wonder how I know. I am you and your desires and all parodies of it. Your pains, your insecurities, your guilt, your destruction. I know more about you than you do and we rot for it. How does it feel to watch, Italien?"

[miarrendo]

"No!" Italy managed to yell, even under the weight of the boot. He felt like his ribs were going to crack. "You can't! You can't tell him!"

The shadow gave Italy a long stare, nostrils flaring from both anger and disbelief. He removed his foot and kicked Italy until he rolled over onto his back. "Don't embarrass me," he hissed, very pointedly not looking at Germany's shadow. "Don't embarrass yourself. Why the hell are you keeping it a secret?"

Italy focused on the sky as tears ran down his cheeks. Physically, he wasn't in as bad shape as his Weapon was. But hearing his shadow talk tore him up inside. And Germany's shadow was even worse. Italy knew that Germany thought he was a coward. Maybe he did resent that a little. Maybe he resented everyone. But the fact of the matter was, was that Germany still managed to stand by him. Even after all this time.

"I... I can't tell him... It'll hurt him... It could mess him up...!"

[thebestandwurst]

"He's already messed up, as you put it. You should tell him. I don't think he'll survive the morning." This, the shadow said casually. "I intend to destroy him, you know, as he already does himself. It's just that he never quite manages it, so here I am, cleaning up after him again. It's more merciful this way. I'll enjoy it."

Germany coughed and spat bloody saliva at the ground, but talk of destroying him spurned him to try and get up. He got as far as his knees before his shadow walked over and stepped on his back, pinning him down like Italien was pinned down.

[miarrendo]

When Italy didn't respond, his shadow bent down and grabbed him by the hair to yank him to a sitting position. Italy, of course, yelled.

"Tell him!" screamed the shadow. "I want to see him suffer! Tell him how he was the Holy Roman Empire!"

[thebestandwurst]

Two things happened at the same time:

First, Germany's shadow strode forward, grabbed Italien's shadow by the collar, dragged him to a wall, and shoved him hard against it, seething. "You meddle too much, shadow."

Germany didn't notice any of this. He had crawled the short distance to his meister as soon as the weight had abruptly come off his back and collapsed with his head on Italien's lap, barely conscious. "The Holy Roman Empire," he echoed dully.

[miarrendo]

What a thing to bring up at a time like this! Italy was both touched and surprised that Germany remembered. At the time, it had seemed like such a ridiculous thing. Being proposed to. By another man. With a tomato ring. Italy had been so confused, maybe even a bit terrified by the idea.

Things were different now, though. Germany was able to put the two things together, so that must have meant that he understood, or that somewhere deep inside, he must have known. "The Holy Roman Empire was my first love." Italy continued to cry. All the pain he went through when Germany didn't remember him came rushing back now that he was discussing it. He never thought that he would have to talk about this! "I waited for you. For years, I waited for you to come back. And once you did..."

[thebestandwurst]

"I didn't remember," he finished for him. He still couldn't, but it needed to be said. It was a wonder then that Italien had managed to stay by his side for so long through that sort of agony. No, perhaps it explained it. Countries were not bound by time and human lifespans, after all.

"I'm sorry," Germany offered humbly. He couldn't reach up to touch his meister's face, but he moved an arm to wrap around Italien's waist in a loose approximation of a hug. It would have to do.

His consciousness was waning, though. He wasn't going to stay awake for much longer if nothing was done.

[miarrendo]

In the meantime, Italy's shadow was struggling to get free from Germany's shadow. This guy...

"What the hell is your problem?" he growled as he was slammed into the wall. "You wanted him to learn, right? So now he does."

[thebestandwurst]

"No, I wanted him to learn from his Italien, not an irritating pup like you," he snarled in return. Germany's shadow stepped closer to pin the other man to the wall with his own body -- shadows were stronger than their counterparts, after all, though he doubted if anyone could have as many repressed emotions as his own original.

He listened to the conversation going on behind him, but otherwise took no notice. His counterpart was too injured to go anywhere, for the moment -- there was time yet to do what he meant to do. "But you're right. Now he does."

[miarrendo]

Italy's shadow yelped as he was suddenly put in front. That was just the thing Germany would do. "Coward!" he screamed. "Fucking Nazi pig!"

And Italy was suddenly face to face with himself again. Even seeing Germany's shadow do that to his shadow broke his mind, and suddenly all he could think about was war. He couldn't pull the trigger.

[thebestandwurst]

"You are much too loud, other Italien," he laughed, mirth bubbling from his lips. This was the kind of atmosphere he liked! Germany's shadow walked Italien's shadow forward to the two originals -- it only took a few steps, really, in this narrow alley -- and once they were close enough, kissed his hostage on the cheek before roughly shoving him aside. He reached forward to grab the rifle that his counterpart had become and yanked it away from Italien. Germany, he only tossed to the side like a broken toy.

"You should have pulled the trigger, Italien," Germany's shadow purred at him, crouching in front of the smaller nation to cup his face with a gloved hand.

[miarrendo]

No, that was not the way it was supposed to happen. Shadows were supposed to taunt their own counterparts. But what Germany's shadow was doing was all wrong. Italy's shadow had fallen back onto the pavement a ways away, and before he could get up, Germany's shadow had already made his move. The nerve he had. Nazis never did play by the rules.

Italy shivered when Germany's shadow approached him. He tried to back away but couldn't when the other grabbed him. He just responded with a deer-in-the-headlights look.

[thebestandwurst]

The shadow threaded gloved fingers through Italy's hair, roughly thumbing the base of his haircurl. "You have no idea, do you, Italien?" he whispered right at the meister's ear. "How much power you hold over his sanity, dwindling as it is. Don't you find it pitiful? You are the only thing right in his world, and if I am to destroy it, you will have to go. But I am a kind man. Would you like to go first or last?"

There was something in the shadow's eyes that was terrifyingly cold and cruel. Germany, from where he'd changed back to his human form, could see that clearly enough. "Stop," he croaked, blinking away the blots in his vision. "Stop it. What do you want from me?!"