The Shattered Soul

By SkyleafAlchemist19

Note: Read The Weight of the World first or you will be extremely confused.

Summary: After the battle of Beacon, a disheartened Canada and his remaining friends head to Mistral to find information about Cinder's faction, and hopefully a missing America. Meanwhile, an amnesiac Alfred flees through Anima, unaware that those he is running from are friends… and those he is running with are anything but. Sequel to Weight of the World.

Main/Prominent characters: America, Canada, Ruby, Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, Ren, Mercury, Neo, Roman, England, Japan, Germany, Russia, Prussia, Italy, France, others.

There will be NO OC's except maybe a few extremely minor characters for plot's sake. They most likely won't even get names.

Pairings: Pretty much none. Don't expect romance except for the plot-required norm (aka Pyrrha and Jaune, etc.). I can't write romance and I'm not going to try. Expect family relationships and friendships abound. (Seriously, whenever I try to intentionally write a pairing it's horrible. :P )

Genres: Adventure, angst, hurt/comfort, friendship, family, some humor, mystery, suspense.

Warnings: Some cursing. Violence and blood. Potential angst/hurt/comfort. Potential spoilers for RWBY. Major AU elements for RWBY in particular.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Hetalia: Axis Powers.

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Chapter One: Alfred

America was dying.

As a nation, he had never truly died, but he knew what it felt like. Shocking pain, bitter cold, dwindling senses, and then…

Darkness.

Unlike the usual emptiness that accompanied a nation's version of 'death', however, he was far from unaware and alone. Someone— Something?— was with him. Bright green light surrounded him, a color that was usually kind and calming and warm, like a sun-kissed field of emerald grass. But not now. Vale had no interest in serenely existing. It wanted to live on, to be.

And so Vale needed him dead.

The Kingdom's Aura surrounded him, crushed him, drove its tendril-like essence into him, attacking attacking attacking in an attempt to smother the personification of the United States of America. It would retreat— giving him hope for a chance to breathe— but it rushed right back, stabbing and breaking and ripping through him as it tore him apart from the inside.

America could be screaming. He could be begging. He could be laughing madly as his sanity crumbled and his soul was crushed to glittering shards. Vale had no mercy for its new host, determined to squash any resistance that could threaten it. It did not understand that he had no intention of absorbing it, the thought never even crossing his mind, only brutalizing and torturing him in the hopes that it would be the sole survivor.

America could not let that happen. He could not allow Vale to overcome him and risk the safety of his people back on Earth. So he fought back, focusing on himself, on what made him America and Alfred as he tried to force the invading presence out. Vale sensed his resistance and tightened its hold on him, its presence like a clawed hand squeezing his heart and throat as it invaded him pressingrippinghurtingcrushing.

Succumb, Vale demanded— angry, desperate, afraid— as it impaled his soul. Yield.

America refused. He knew Vale was scared. He understood. But he would not sacrifice his existence for it— her. He was the United States of America, not a host or a sacrifice. He would not fall. He would survive. For his brothers, for his people, for his friends, and for himself.

Vale did not care. Vale could not care. After so much suffering and sorrow and betrayal, all it wanted was to survive. It did not comprehend that it and America could both exist if they compromised, instead trying to force him into submission and extinguish him like a small flame.

Red-hot spears stabbed through America's soul, trying to weaken him before striking the fatal blow. It was enough to erase everything except the pain from his mind, but his voiceless screams did nothing to make Vale waver. The other nation kept impaling and smothering and hurting him, forcing itself deeper as it tried to tear him apart and erase him. He could feel Vale around him and inside him and if America had the ability to cry he would.

But he fought. He endured. Because he had to.

He had to.

He had to—

The pain became too much and America faltered. His defense wavered. And Vale pounced. The other nation gripped his soul and draining the energy from him almost lovingly. It thanked him for his sacrifice genuinely, telling him it would make sure to stop those that caused all this. America could feel himself fading, growing weaker as Vale took over, and in desperation, he called out her name.

"Amber, please!"

Vale stopped and pulled back. Her hesitation was enough for America to hold on, clinging to life by his fingertips as his soul threatened to cease. Vale's Aura twitched, but she did not try to crush or invade him again, instead circling him vaguely. America prayed she would stop long enough to listen.

"We don't have to kill each other." America told her. "We can both exist together."

With less of a clear consciousness than he, Vale could not truly reply. Instead he felt general emotions from her, jabbing at his mind and soul like dull, hot knives. Fear, sorrow, anger, hurt, distress. She was uncertain about what was going to happen. She did not want to disappear or change.

"I don't either." He admitted. "But we don't have a choice. Neither of us do. But… we don't have to be enemies, or sacrifice one of us so the other can live. We both want to protect our people so we should be working together."

He thought of his people back on Earth. Of their hopes and dreams and joy. He thought of busy cities, emerald forests, and warm beaches, all thriving with life. Vale shared similar sentiments, but her people were also haunted by the constant threat of the Grimm.

"They'll survive. We will too." Everything hurt and his aching soul shuddered but he encouraged her anyway. "We're the heroes, after all!"

America could sense he was getting through to her. She wanted to be ruthless like Atlas and exterminate him but Vale was a kinder Kingdom by nature, and truly did not want to sacrifice him for her own survival. They both knew the best option they had left, and although both were afraid, their fear echoing off each other in a loop, they would do what was best for their people— all of them.

Vale surrounded America, skirting on the edge of his soul questioningly. America knew that she was ready, but she was waiting for him. He thought of Canada and his gentle nature. He thought of England and his blunt way of showing he cared. He thought of the other nations, his friends, and his past, thinking of everything that made him America. Not giving himself time to back out, he mentally prepared himself and tried to send the image of a smile.

"I'm ready."

They both fell back.

They both gave in.

Vale closed around him, gently merging her Aura and soul with his…

And everything went white.

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The first thing he knew was pain.

One moment, there was nothing. The next, everything ached. If his breath did not catch in his throat from the shock of it, he would have cried out. As it was, he could barely utter a small gasping sound. Yet as quickly as the pain popped into existence, a majority of it fled, allowing him to feel sensations other than lances of agony that struck through his body, primarily his head. He was laying on something cold and hard. Not the most comfortable place, but it was better than the pain he had woken to.

He did not recall how he had gotten there.

In fact, he did not recall anything at all.

Trying not to panic at his complete lack of memory, he opened his eyes, cringing as light pierced his retinas. He saw three faces. Three faces, green trees, and the bright blue sky. He blinked at them, vision struggling to adjust, and slowly the faces' features came into focus. Two boys and a girl were above him, and they were quite the unique-looking bunch. At least, they felt unique. He… could not think of anyone to compare them to.

Everything prior to this point was a complete blank.

He tried to breathe slowly, to keep the panic off his face, and that had to be an instinctive reaction, right? He hid his pain. That's what he did. That was a part of who he was. It had to be. He needed it to be. Because if he did not even have instincts he was left with nothing.

The three were still looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to comprehend his surroundings and say something most likely. Not wanting to disappoint, he did.

"W-Who are you?" He glanced around nervously. "W-Where am I?"

There was a pause.

Then the grey-haired teen laughed. "Funny, Al. You can stop pretending."

He stared at the teen, trying and failing to hide his bewilderment and fear. Guilt joined the mess of emotions pooling in his stomach as he watched the smile slide from the teen's face.

"Al, seriously. You can stop." The grey-haired teen pleaded.

He could not hide his dismay at the teen's obvious distress, hands twitching towards him before he withdrew them, pressing them defensively against his chest. His awareness of the huge blank in his mind was creeping back, bringing panic with it— there was nothing there nothing at all nothing nothing nothing— and he just needed something to cling to.

"I'm not… Please…" His gaze sought the orange-haired man in front of him, desperate for answers. "I don't r-remember anything. Who am I?"

The man blinked like he was startled about being addressed, but he smiled gently. "Your name is Alfred. And you're our friend."

Alfred. His name was Alfred. That… felt right. But also wrong. He did not want to share his thoughts with them, unwilling to bring back the shock and hurt that the grey-haired teen had displayed. A teen that was apparently his friend. No wonder he was so upset.

"I'm sorry." Alfred apologized. "I don't remember you."

"That's okay." The grey-haired teen said instantly. "We suspected as much after…" he trailed off, switching subjects. "I'm Mercury. This is Neo and Roman."

Roman nodded at him, arms crossed and cane held casually in one hand. Neo smirked and waved. Mercury looked at Alfred hopefully, like he expected the words alone to jog his memory. Alfred could not meet his eyes, instead looking down at his hands.

"I…"

In the woods, a twig snapped.

Neo, Roman, and Mercury spun towards the sound and tensed, hands on their weapons. Alfred unknowingly did the same, not realizing he was holding something until he registered the feeling of cold metal against his fingers. He glanced down at the blue baseball bat, perplexed but oddly at ease. The bat felt natural in his hands, like he was used to it. It felt right and he knew that if he had to, he could fight with it. For some reason that relieved him more than he could say.

"We need to get moving." Roman said. "I personally don't want to stay here and become Grimm-chow."

Alfred winced as pain flared through his head. Vague information floated to the forefront of his mind before neatly clicking in place and he beamed. Grimm were creatures of destruction that lacked a soul, the monstrous enemy of mankind that were attracted to negative emotions. He could name each type, their habits, their strengths, and their weaknesses— in a rather clinical manner, mind you, but it was something. He remembered something.

"I know what a Grimm is!" he blurted excitedly.

The three stared at him, then Roman snorted, a low, undignified sound.

"Good for you, Blue." The man choked, and continued to laugh at his childish proclamation.

Alfred turned crimson and looked down, fingers tightening around his baseball bat. Embarrassment was soon cast aside by surprise, and his lips quirked at the nickname.

We must have been close before I… Alfred focused on the different facts about Grimm he remembered, determined not to despair about all the memories he had lost.

Mercury eyed him thoughtfully, head slightly tipped. "So everything's not completely gone." he murmured. "It might come back."

Was it Alfred's imagination or did he sound worried? Alfred could only think of one reason he would react like that and it was not good. But why would Mercury not want him to remember? His thoughts were interrupted by Neo, who nudged him with her umbrella and pointed ahead. When Alfred failed to move, she rolled her mismatched eyes and poked him again. He dodged her next jab with a soft laugh.

"Okay, I get it. We're moving."

She smirked at him and winked a brown eye that turned pink. As Alfred watched, her left iris turned brown again, then returned to the lighter hue. So they changed colors. Weird. Though Alfred should not be one to talk. After all, he might have weird eyes too.

I don't know what I look like. His amusement faded and he frowned at his tan hands. "Do… any of you have a mirror?"

"No." Roman grunted, sounding deeply offended by that fact. "We have to skip town pretty quickly."

"Why? Did something happen?" Alfred asked.

Roman went to speak but Mercury put a hand on his arm, sending him a warning look. "Let me explain." The grey-haired teen turned to Alfred. "We're… running." Mercury spat the word like it pained him to admit it. "Some pretty bad people are after y— us."

Alfred caught the slip and felt a chill. Bad people wanted to hurt him? He rubbed his arms to try to warm himself. "Why do they want with us?" With me?

Mercury and Neo exchanged a meaningful glance before looking away from each other. "Let's just say…They're the reason you lost your memory." The grey-haired teen said vaguely. "We got you out of there but they're still pursuing us. That's why we're headed to Kuchinashi, a city south of Mistral. We can hide out and regroup there."

So he was being hunted. Alfred's skin crawled at the thought. He could tell that Mercury was not telling him everything, though he was not sure he wanted to know the whole story. He glanced at the surrounding trees uncomfortably, half-expecting someone to pop out of the woods and attack them.

Perhaps spotting his unease, Neo tapped his arm, making him jump. She rolled her eyes and grasped his hand, pulling him through the woods. Before Alfred could think to ask where they were going, she stopped, pointing at a small pool of water. He blinked in surprise, then nodded at her.

"Thanks." The word came out oddly breathy. How strange. It wasn't like he was nervous or anything. Not at all.

He heard Roman and Mercury come up behind him but did not turn or approach the pool, uncertain. He was about to see his own face but… what if he did not recognize it? What kind of person did not recognize themselves?

Alfred gathered his courage and stepped forward, kneeling next to the pool. He slowly dragged his gaze to his reflection. Blond hair. Tan skin. One blue eye. One green. A face so familiar… but so unrecognizable. Alfred brushed a hand through his messy hair and the reflection copied him. That… was him. Alfred.

Why did his throat feel so tight?

Alfred stood and cleared his throat. "So that's what I look like. Nice to know."

"Agreed." Roman said with upmost sarcasm. "Now if you're done admiring yourself, can we get moving? I'd love to sleep in an actual bed tonight."

"You know why we can't." Mercury said, his exasperated tone suggesting they had this conversation before. "Though Neo can go into town and get more supplies."

Neo eyed him before shrugging and nodding amicably.

"Could I go with her?" Alfred asked.

"No." Roman said quickly.

Alfred flinched, startled by his immediate refusal.

Mercury put a reassuring hand on his arm. "Sorry, but you could be recognized. Neo can change her appearance and blend in. We can't. If we went into town, we'd leave a trail our pursuers could follow."

That made sense. Alfred reluctantly agreed. "I… guess."

"Good." The grey-haired teen smiled. "I know you're confused, but listen to us and you'll be fine. They… They won't find you. They won't get you back." His eyes darkened. "I promise."

XXXXXXX

"Are you sure about this?"

Canada hoisted his backpack higher on his back, checking the straps for what felt like the hundredth time. Once he was certain it was secure, he turned back to Italy, smiling a little.

"Yes, I'm sure. We need answers."

"We need to find Alfred." England growled, arms crossed.

"And Mistral is our best bet." Canada said firmly, unwilling to go through the same arguments with the Brit.

England did not truly understand why they were headed to Mistral of all cities, though Canada had tried to explain that and of any places America might go to, Mistral was it. Atlas and Vacuo were out of the question due to geography— also known as scorching deserts and endless snow— and tension— in the case of the northern Kingdom— so if America was not in Vale, Qrow hinted he might be instinctively heading across Anima. And if he had indeed been captured by their enemies like Canada secretly feared… At the very least, Cinder had contacts there they could interrogate.

Either way, England already had supplies packed to go, as did the others. Ruby was waiting outside for Team JNPR— and to make sure Taiyang was not returning yet— so there was no time for dawdling. That did not stop Italy from dragging his heels.

"Do we all need to go?" the Italian asked nervously. "We're going to be in Grimm territory."

"Not for long." Canada reminded him. "Al and I saved enough for airship tickets. Once we get to the mainland we have enough to fly to Anima."

It would take nearly all of their saved Lien to buy the tickets but time was of the essence. Canada did not want to spend weeks walking through Sanus. They might have to do enough of that on Anima, and it had already been four weeks since Beacon's fall. Besides, the twins had saved the money for this very purpose in case they needed to get out of town. They just had not expected to need it for so many people.

If we find Al, it'll be worth it.

Italy looked unconvinced. "B-But I—"

"Bloody hell!" England growled, making the Italian yelp. "We can't risk splitting up so you're coming with us. Understand?"

Italy wilted. Canada shot the Brit a disapproving look but said nothing. England was understandably high-strung— as he had been ever since America disappeared— but he did not need to take it out on the pasta-loving nation. Canada kept his displeasure to himself though. He did not want to get into another argument with the angry nation. That would only waste time.

"Ve~… I just do not think I will be much help out there." Italy mumbled, obviously uncomfortable.

"You will be fine as long as you are with us." Germany reassured him. "We can handle a few Grimm."

Italy relaxed at his words, though Canada could see he was still nervous. He could not blame the Italian. Outside of the Kingdoms, Remnant was a scary place. Towns were built as quickly as they fell, bandits pillaged villages and led the Grimm straight to them, and there were plenty of other issues they could run into with no way of getting help. But they would be fine. They should be able to fight off any enemies.

Though if they all had their Auras unlocked, it would be even less of a problem.

Canada did not dare voice his thought. He knew it was shady and that they were allies, but that was the problem. They were allies, not inseparable friends. The alignments of their world could easily shift and the nations could be enemies someday. He knew it was unlikely but he could not do it. He could not give them a weapon that might give them an advantage like that.

The only exception he had made was for England, whose bright red Aura he had unlocked yesterday. That left the Brit, Prussia, France, and himself with unlocked Auras. Russia, Japan, Italy, and Germany were left without. He tried not to feel guilty about it and was succeeding so far… when he did not let himself think about it. Sometimes he wished things were not so complicated, and focusing solely on their mission was a good enough substitute to that desire.

The nations walked out of the house and to Team JNPR and Ruby, who looked at them determinedly with her good eye. The other was hidden beneath a black eye patch the girl was still getting used to. She'd spent the past few weeks getting used to her new blind spot, though not without bumping into more than a few doorjambs and tables. She took it all in stride, staying surprisingly cheerful despite her injury.

Or she's not dealing with it at all and is clamping down on her grief… Canada shook himself. It was time to get going, not psychoanalyze his friend.

"Are you ready?" Ruby asked.

"As we'll ever be." Canada replied. He looked to Pyrrha, who he knew still had bandages around her left shoulder from where Cinder had shot her. "Are you sure you're okay to travel?"

"I am." She promised. "You do not need to worry about me."

She subtly glanced at Jaune, who had been hovering beside her. The knight blushed and stepped back, giving her space. Canada did not blame him for his caution. He had nearly lost his partner. Of course he would be a bit overprotective afterward.

Ruby brushed her dark hair out of her face, nodding firmly. "Then let's get started."

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A/N: Let me say something right here in case you didn't look at the character list too closely. If you do, you'll notice that Yang, Blake, and Weiss are not on it. That's because they won't be in this story (for a while at least). None of the nations are with them, so their stories would be exactly the same as canon Volume 4. Because of that, I'm not going to write them. I'm just going to write America, Ruby, and Canada's (etc.) groups. Sorry if that disappoints anyone.

Something else to note: This story was completely planned and mostly written before RWBY Volume 5 came out. That means this story will be unaffected by anything that happens/is revealed in Volume 5, except perhaps a few small things.

Please review! Updates are going to be sporadic because the holidays are still kicking my butt. *eye twitches*