Update: So I was reading this over, and I decided suddenly that I didn't like the accents. They sound nice in theory, but they're kind of confusing to read, so I updated this to so that it doesn't have them. I didn't change any other aspects of the story. Also, I ended up writing a companion story/sequel to this called Reach the Stars that reflects on Hungary and Austria's memories and their relationship with Prussia, as well as their P.O.V. on the aftermath of this, and it would mean the world to me if you guys would check it out. Thanks!

Hey! So this was inspired by a photo I saw online. I'm sorry if the German is wrong, I mainly used Google Translate for it. Please feel free to tell me if it is wrong, and I'll try to correct it. And I'm rather happy with how this turned out. Anyway, I hope you like this!

Falling Star

"I am like a falling star who has finally found their place next to another lovely constellation, where we will sparkle in the stars forever."

- Amy Tan

Gilbert stood on his porch as he held his hand up to the stars, smiling. He was slowly flickering, fading, dissolving, disappearing. For months he had tried to hide it, but now was his time to go, and he couldn't have been happier.

He had lived a very long life, one filled to the brim with trouble and mistakes, but one also filled with happiness and love. He had had a wonderful, loving family, and he had amazing, loyal friends.

His hand flickered some more, as if it was in the shadow of candlelight, disappearing and reappearing, perpetually flickering. It was his time to go.

Holding his hand higher to the sky, as if to touch the full moon, he then pulled it down and cradled it to his chest, touching the engravings on his cross. I am ready.

"Bruder, wait."

Gilbert froze to hear his brother's words behind him.

Slowly turning around. he faced his brother, who was crying.

"Bruder, I..."

Stepping forward, he caught his brother in a hug.

"Listen to me, Ludwig. I'm not leaving you. I'd never do that. You know that. But it's my time to go."

"Bruder, no..."

"I'm sorry, ok? But I'll never completely leave you. Look up at the stars. You see that one, the one that we used to watch when we were kids? The one that always appears to be falling to Earth? When I die, I'll come back as that star."

"Wh-What? Bruder, wha-"

Gilbert clamped a hand over Ludwig's mouth to get him to shut up.

"Ludwig, listen to me. When I die, I'll be that star. That way, when you look up at the sky and you see my star, you'll know that I'll always be here, I'm always watching over you, I'm always here to help you, I'll always guide you through the darkness... and that way, you will know that I'll always love you, I'll always protect you, and... I'll always be with you..."

He paused for a minute.

"West."

Releasing his grip over Ludwig's mouth, Gilbert pointed up at the star, smiling, and Ludwig stumbled backwards, crying. Gilbert hadn't seen his little brother cry this hard since when they were little, and other countries picked on Ludwig before he could really defend himself, when Gilbert wasn't around to protect him. Gilbert pulled Ludwig in for a hug, but it was a loose one.

He was fading quicker now, and losing his ability to make contact with solid things. So Ludwig hugged him, hard, as if to substitute Gibert's fading touch.

"Do you swear?"

Gilbert froze and gave him a funny look.

"Gut Gott, Ludwig. Didn't I just promise you? I swear."

More tears spilled downward, forming salty lakes as they hit the ground. But this time they weren't Ludwig's, although Ludwig was still crying.

This time they were Gil's.

Smiling through the tears, Gilbert laughed, one last time.

"Ich liebe dich, kleiner Bruder."

With that, Gilbert faded, and the cross he always wore fell to the ground. Ludwig fell to this knees, silent tears spilling, as he leaned over to pick it up. Thumbing it, Ludwig felt indentations on the back and turned it over.

Engraved on the back were the words, "Kümmern sich um das für mich. Ich liebe dich."

Clutching it to his chest, Ludwig cried.

"Ich liebe dich auch, Bruder."

"Perhaps they are not stars in the sky, but rather openings where our loved ones shine down to let us know that they are happy."

- Inuit saying

Ten Years Later

Ludwig sat on the cushioned patio chair, clutching his brother's cross, staring up at the stars, waiting. It had been exactly ten years since his brother faded, and Ludwig was determined to be here again, when the stars came out.

He could have sat their for what felt like hours before, finally, he saw the star.

His star.

Gilbert's star.

Jumping up, he stared up at it seemed to fall through the sky.

The astronomers called it the Falling Star. It was already a star that always seemed to move, but, starting ten years ago, started moving, around Earth every night. It moved, but it wasn't an asteroid or a comet. This perplexed astronomers until they gave up in defeat and just credited it to being in the gravity pull of some other space object.

But while these astronauts theorized over what this phenomenon might be, Ludwig and the other personifications knew better.

It was Gilbert's star.

And, even now, Ludwig could almost see Gilbert sitting on top of it, in his Prussian World War II uniform, mischievously smirking in delight of perplexing so many scientists and astronomers everywhere, waving at him.

Almost.

But even if it was just a hallucination, Ludwig always wove back.

Always.

Ich liebe dich.

"I will look up to the stars, so you will forever see, the best part of you still lives in me."

- Excerpt from Our Courage, Our Cancer by While She Sleeps

Welp, that was fun. Originally I was just going to end it after Ludwig finds the engravings on Gilbert's cross, but I felt like giving it a semi-happy ending. Also, I tried experimenting with German accents while writing this. I do not mean to offend anyone, the accents were typed as a practice experiment in case I want to use them again in the future. Anyway, I hope you liked this! Ciao!

Translations:

Bruder - Brother

Gut Gott - Good God

Ich liebe dich. - I love you.

Ich liebe dich kleiner Bruder. - I love you, little brother.

Kümmern sich um das für mich. - Take care of this for me.

Ich liebe dich auch, Bruder. - I love you too, Brother.