This here was inspired by my ball python, Julius Caesar, and the little white mouse, Victus, he refuses to eat. Seriously, he eats other mice no problem, but Julius won't touch Victus. It's kind of amusing. So, yes, my pets are inspirational. Or well, my pet and his food.

(In case anyone wants to know, yes, my snake is named after the Roman emperor and Victus is Latin for food.)

Thanks a billion to Snow that blankets Forest for the beta. Thank you buddeh~

Disclaimer: No claiming here, except for the animals that inspired this piece.

Prussia was the mouse, food kept by the clerks to appease the fearsome serpent. The serpent that was only docile when it had what it wanted. It was such an accurate analogy, the albino could've laughed. Hell, the mice kept to feed snakes were generally albinos, too!

The pale ex-nation tilted his head back and laughed the sound that retched forth was raw and ugly from long periods of silence. Once the sound burst forth it couldn't be stopped. He sat upon his grungy bed in Russia's home for an undetermined amount of time, laughing with manic glee.

"Prussia will quiet now, da?" Russia was suddenly there. When did he get there? Prussia didn't know. The fair man continued his disjointed snickering, eyes staring in an almost disillusioned way at the ash blond.

Russia frowned. Had his new friend broken so soon? Perhaps not being a nation…? But, no, he hadn't been informed of his disbanding. Although, perhaps the crazed man could feel it…

Russia took a step back to get a good look at Prussia. He hadn't bothered before. He noted the greasy and unkempt quality of the snowy hair, its desperate need of a haircut. He studied the glassy and far-off look in the gleaming red eyes. Took in the too thin, almost fragile, frame and the way bones protruded.

Violet eyes widened as a mouth opened in a little 'o'. "Prussia is not pretty anymore." Russia stated simply.

Prussia jerked slightly and looked at Russia. Obviously the irrationality of his state of mind had made the German forget that the Russian was there. "Does that mean I'm just food now? Here to feed the snake?" the serious tone in the previously hysteric voice came as a shock to the ears.

"Food?" The blond tilted his head slightly. What was Prussia talking about?

Prussia snickered again, the odd look back in his eyes. He hugged his knees tightly and rested his cheek against the torn fabric of his pants. "All of them…They all left me, even though I tried to be awesome for them. I was their awesome and perfect nation and they just left. I went from being top of the food chain to the mouse waiting to be eaten." He was mumbling at the end. It was obvious he was no longer speaking to Russia, instead staring into space.

Even as Russia left the room, a bothered expression on his face as he locked the door, Prussia was struck by a memory. One that made a fond smile come to his chapped mouth.

"Come on, West. Don't be such a stick in the mud." A younger Prussia snickered. He and Germany had gone outside with Germany's dog. They were both still young. Well, Germany was anyway. Prussia had his conquests and such.

The blond only sighed as he followed his older brother. Prussia was incorrigible sometimes, really.

"The awesome me thinks we should go swimming!" Prussia declared, making his younger brother step back.

He was not getting dragged into that river! Germany opened his mouth to protest when barking caught his attention. And then a howl of pain. Germany went running to find his dog, a gold colored mutt (for this was a time when breeds weren't quite as defined).

Prussia hurried after, whistling softly as he noted the snake with its fangs embedded in the dog's nose. He held out a hand to stop Germany from moving forward. "Don't try it, West. That's an adder. I'll get you a puppy, 'kay?"

Germany didn't respond as the snake released its jaws and slithered off into the grass. The dog yelped and thrashed its head, swelling already starting.

Prussia sighed and knelt in front of his brother. "I'm sorry, Ludwig." Obviously he was sincere, using that name. "But there's nothing we can do. Food chain, ya know? Not just animals. Snakes are on top here, and there are serpents among people too. And they prey on the mice. I'm sorry your dog had to be the mouse. Now turn around, I'm going to put him out of his misery before the venom's worst comes out."

Germany heard, as opposed to saw, his brother kill the dog. He waited patiently for Prussia to carry the body off and only turned around when he heard returning steps.

"Just remember what I said about snakes, West."

"Yes, bruder."

"Now, let's go get you another puppy."

"Come now, Prussia. You want to see your brother, da?" Russia asked conversationally.

The corpse-like man jerked up. "West?" he croaked, expression lucid for the first time in weeks.

When Russia smiled childishly and nodded, Prussia bolted to his feet, staring expectantly at Russia.

Reaching the meeting building didn't take too long. But Prussia was startled to see the allies there, along with his brother.

A chorus of murmurs arose from the nations. This was Prussia? What had happened to the (admittedly good looking) narcissist? The pale creature that stood before them had an appearance akin to that of a corpse. His eyes were hollow and frame gaunt, hair falling in greasy strands into lackluster red eyes. The sinew in his neck and hollows of his collarbone were easily picked out and his clothes appeared too large.

At length, it was Germany that spoke up. "Bruder?" he questioned quietly. A smile broke across Prussia's face, making his chapped lips bleed and create discolored lines over his chin.

"West!" he exclaimed. When had he last seen his brother? He didn't know.

The allies patiently (or not so patiently on America's part) allowed the brothers their reunion. After several minutes it was England that cleared his throat.

Prussia turned to face the ill-tempered island nation, lucidity gone from his eyes and disjointed expression returned.

"Prussia. It was decided by us all as a group, quite a time ago, that you would be dissolved." A sharp inhale on Prussia's part. "We waited until today, when the Berlin wall was torn down, to tell you."

England didn't hear it, but France picked up on the softly croaked 'why?' that left Prussia's mouth.

"Mon ami, I am so sorry. It could not be helped. But, well, our leaders decided that if you were gone it would be less likely for a World War III to happen." France explained, articulating each syllable carefully.

"What? I don't…" In his psychotic state, Prussia didn't comprehend what was going on.

"You bloody git! Don't you get it? It was decided you were a bad influence on Germany! That you were the reason he started both world wars!" England snapped, irritated with Prussia's disbelief.

"West?" Prussia looked imploringly at his brother, who hung his head and shook it.

"Look, dude. Nothing personal. It's just your country had no real morals or anything." America broke in.

A soft laugh left Prussia's mouth, making all jerk back slightly. This was a madman that they were viewing. The former nation slowly wiped the blood from his chapped lips, streaking red over his jaw. "You're the serpents and I'm the mouse. And the mouse is finally dinner."

For some reason I love making people lose it. Dunno why. But I'm big on metaphors and stuff… so, ya. I couldn't resist putting some brotherly Germany and Prussia in.

Uhm, this wasn't meant to be offensive. But Prussia was officially dissolved twenty years before the tearing down of the Berlin wall. It was said by the Allies that Prussia had to be dissolved because they were immoral and promoted Nazi-ism, and essentially were a bad influence for Germany. This doesn't reflect my views, it's just how history goes.