Musical terms:
Bridge- a light colored wooden piece in the middle of the body that holds the strings up.
Body- the main part of the instrument.
Neck- the piece that extends off the body. It is where you hold the instrument.
Scroll- the spirally bit at the end of the neck.
Tuning pegs/friction pegs- the black pieces that you turn to tune the strings.
Pizzicato (pizz.)- plucking the strings.
Arco/bowing- using the bow on the strings
Hypothetical Orchestra
First practice:
Each one of them had gotten a letter. Addressed to them in a formal manner, and in beautifully flowing German calligraphy, only one person could have sent it- and indeed, it said it was from Austria on it. They looked at the letter in confusion. It said only to meet at Austria's house at a set time and date, and to bring a certain object- different for each person.
The personification of Prussia picked up his letter. He read it aloud.
"Dear Prussia,
It is my wish that you would join me on December twenty three, at 12:00 pm. You must bring your violin. I hope that you choose to come.
Roderick"
It was so simple. So he obeyed. At eleven fifty, he stood in front of the Austrian's open door. He followed a melody to the piano room, where Austria sat as always.
"Join me," Austria said, not looking up.
Prussia unclasped the violin case and took his instrument out. He realized that the song was Prussian in origin, so he joined. The notes were halting and slightly out of tune, but they were recognizable.
In a minute, Hungary floated downstairs and selected a bass leaning against the wall. She had heard the song enough times to add a small baseline, and she pizz'ed along with the song. Prussia heard Hungary's addition, and continued playing. When the song finished, he was surprised to hear clapping. He turned around.
The Nordics were all there, as well as the Italies, and England, France, and Spain. Liechtenstein was for once without her brother. Belarus and Lithuania and Canada. All of the countries applauded him, around the instruments they had in their hands.
The rest of the practice?
Roderick introduced the orchestra, and gave them sheet music. There were a lot of questions. This looked hard.
Second practice:
This looked hard. But at the second practice, everyone was back.
Austria asked the nations that they not tell any others what they were doing.
"Why?" asked Canada, expecting not to be heard, ignored. He jumped when Austria answered, "Because, Matthew, this will be our magic together. They would not understand."
France expected England to protest and say that music cannot be magic. However, England smiled, raised his violin, and played a quick tune. A children's song.
The others recognized the tune and joined in, adding melodies and harmonies and the baseline.
The song finished and some of the countries laughed.
"Magic."
Seventh practice:
Switzerland was beginning to worry about his sister. Germany was confused as to why Prussia was holed up in his room so often. America noticed England humming softly when he thought no-one heard.
The others were wondering.
And Austria knew.
So he smiled at the orchestra and said, "We'll perform on March first. Tell them to come to my house at twelve, and say nothing more."
And the orchestra laughed.
It was a different world here. A world where Liechtenstein was not just a little sister, a world where Canada was noticed, a world where Belarus was welcomed.
World peace.
Outside of orchestra, they might argue and bicker and fight. But not here.
Twentieth practice:
"One, two, and play," Austria said.
Plunk~
Plunk~
Plunk~
The bass pizzicato'ed the opening. Two cellos hummed softly. The violins began to play, sweetly, on their higher strings, and the seconds and violas joined.
The music swelled as Roderick conducted, and it was beautiful.
Until a note squawked, sounding out of tune and standing out against the music. The song fell apart. Roderick sighed.
"Let's try again from measure thirty-one..."
Twenty-first practice/dress rehearsal:
"It is the day before our performance," Britain announced.
"We better be good at the music then!" Denmark added.
The nations tuned their instruments, and waited for Austria to walk into the room. Suddenly, Spain's cello boomed.
"Eep!" Spain flinched, then picked up two halves of the bridge sitting on the ground.
"My bridge broke..."
Austria had run in when he heard the boom, and quickly retrieved a spare bridge from his music cupboard. With deft fingers from years of practice, he slipped the new bridge in and tightened the strings.
"All right, let's start with..."
Performance:
The others did not know what to expect.
Probably not this.
But this it was, an orchestra.
And they listened to the music, and it was beautiful. They watched the musicians, as they swayed with the song.
The music filled them, lifted them. Some of the countries had met the composers of the songs. Here was their work.
It was seemingly impossible. It was the kind of organization that Germany had been trying to get for centuries, and it was here in much more beautiful form.
And then it was over, and the nations onstage bowed and left. The rest rose to give them a standing ovation.
Twenty-fourth practice:
America decided that he wanted to watch a practice. He knew that after every practice, England hummed and Canada had the most cheerful smile. He knew that for the rest of the day, France would not annoy England and Belarus would not pester Russia.
He wondered why.
So one day, he followed Canada to practice. He helped Estonia fix a camera to the window and hook that to a computer. Germany and Russia, as well as a few other nations not in the orchestra, found out and came to watch. America sent it to the TV so they could all watch.
There was no sound. They had forgotten that. Oh well.
And the countries walked in the room.
Hungary walked over to Austria's piano and pressed a note. The others began to bow their strings, twisting the black pegs at the end of the instrument.
"Friction pegs," Germany said. "They're tuning."
Austria walked into the room and tapped his stick- baton- on the piano. The countries turned to him.
Austria began to speak words they could not hear, then gestured to a pile of sheet music on the piano. England put his bow and violin on his chair and went to pick up the sheet music, which he began passing out. He finished and picked up his violin again.
Canada started to speak, and Austria answered. He looked at the orchestra and a few people raised their bows. He gestured for Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and England to help the others. Sweden demonstrated something to Canada, and Canada copied him. The other three moved throughout the violins and demonstrated. Soon they sat down again, except for England.
England stood next to France, and held his wrist in position. He said something, then showed how with his own instrument. France nodded and smiled.
Austria raised his baton again, and the nations turned toward him. He tapped a quick rhythm on his piano, then started to conduct. The nations played, squinting at the music.
They slowly stopped playing.
Austria sat at the piano and played, just for a couple seconds.
The orchestra responded.
They continued to practice.
Canada often helped Sweden.
Lovino talked nicely to Spain.
France and England did not fight.
Prussia listened.
"It is staged," Russia announced, watching Norway copy a rhythm Denmark played. "Little sister is not like that."
Belarus was pointing something out to Feliciano.
"No, it's something totally wonderful that we will never be a part of. Leit is, like, happy for once," Poland said.
Ukraine smacked the off button on the screen. As she walked away, they asked her why.
"It's not ours to watch."
America turned the camera back on, only to see Hungary fix a picture to the camera so that the picture was the only thing he could see. It was a simple drawing of himself and Estonia being whacked with frying pans, and a simple sentence at the bottom.
"This is what happens next time you spy."
Twenty-fifth practice:
England began to play a song, letting all the other countries listen.
He sang words to it.
He had not written the song, but he felt it was a nice song.
Hungary, France, the Italy brothers, and Prussia joined softly.
"I used to rule the world..."
"Hear Jerusalem bells are ringing," sang Hungary.
"Roman Calvary choirs are singing," added the Italy brothers, lining up as if in a military.
"Be my mirror, my sword, and shield,"
Prussia added, looking at Austria. "My missionaries in a foreign field." His Teutonic Knights cross swung on his lanyard chain.
"For some reasons I can't explain, I know St. Peter won't call my name," Francis smiled.
"Never an honest word, but that was when I ruled the world."
the former British Empire finished.
"Maybe we will perform that for the concert," Austria whispered.
"It represents all of us very well," France said thoughtfully.
"Try that high part again," England said. France raised his violin and played the small melody.
"Yes. We should perform this. England can sing the lead, and we will have the other countries sing the chorus. France will play the violin solo."
They decided they should do more songs like this.
One hundred fiftieth practice:
About two years ago, each had gotten a letter.
Today, they all got another.
"I am sorry that practice cannot convene today. I must prepare. Remember to practice, and be sure to keep your instruments in good working order. Best of luck to you all.
Austria"
The time was World War Two.
An Austrian closed the lid to his piano, almost ceremonially.
With a note of finality.
Goodbye.
One hundred fifty first practice:
England took a break from fighting, at twelve precisely. He lay down his gun and picked up his instrument.
Old habits die hard.
Especially habits England wants to keep.
And so, every Saturday at twelve, he picked up his violin and started to play.
One hundred fifty seventh (unofficial) practice:
America ran all the way to England's house in the rain. Tears that he denied poured down his cheeks as his feet pounded the floor. His boss had said no, again.
He was still neutral.
He hated seeing England right now, because it reminded him of what he can't fix. England was more skeleton or ghost than nation. His eyes held no spark.
England was sad that America worried.
Invited him over.
Which is why the third nation* dashed to England's house in the rain, running as a form of discipline for himself.
And he arrived,
And England told him to sit down.
England played violin.
The creases in his face smoothed. His eyes softened. His form lifted, not so skeletal.
It was the most beautiful thing America had ever seen.
England's hidden spirit.
So he worried less and knew that England still had a spark.
Four hundred fifty sixth practice:
The war was over.
The nations were rather worse for wear.
Especially Prussia, fated to die on the twenty-fifth of February.
The music they played was full of emotion. The nations had been apart for five years. They played their song, and sang.
Prussia altered the words.
"Thought I could rule the world,
But it was a hopeless dream."
They finished the song.
"I was being horrible. I was a monster. I followed blindly..."
"We don't hate you, Prussia," Spain whispered.
"You're here now, is what matters," France added.
And they finished the practice with Prussia's favorite song.
Four hundred eighty third practice:
Violins wept over a slowly lowered casket.
A gravestone read:
Prussia, the Teutonic Knights
January 18, 1701-February 25, 1947
"Remember the awesome me, pheasants. Stay happy for me."
Germany thought that the quote was childish.
The orchestra knew it was because Prussia wanted to be remembered for who he was: cheery, "awesome", and the one that everyone remembered. Still in everyone's face.
"Stay happy for me."
Don't get all sad and depressed because I am gone.
Four hundred eighty fourth practice:
Austria had insisted on a practice, against Germany's wishes. America gave in to a crying Canada. One way or another, the members of the orchestra evaded the grasp of their caring family and friends, to practice. No one else could understand the magic.
Thirty minutes in, the nations paused. They didn't quite know why, but they all put down their instruments. Suddenly, a voice erupted in the middle of the room.
"-A reason! What do you mean! The awesome me demands an explanation!"
Faint, so faint that some dismissed it as the wind.
Then again: "Where did you put me? I can't see anything! Why am I here?"
Louder this time.
Canada stood. Being familiar with invisibility, he was the first to see the pale outline of a man.
Not a man, a nation.
"Of all the things to be thrown out with, a violin!" Prussia exclaimed.
~~~~~~~~CLIFFHANGER! ~~~~~~~~
Continuing the four hundred eighty fourth practice:
Prussia's form shimmered, but he was mostly solid. He looked around the room.
"You?"
"PRUSSIA!" exclaimed sixteen countries. Even Austria broke his formal demeanor and yelled with the rest.
"Hey peeps, the afterlife said I had a reason to be alive still, and I was also allowed to go back because my death was unfair, and also because I am awesome."
"That made no sense," Hungary said.
"I don't think it was supposed to," Prussia replied.
"So are you alive?" asked Canada.
"Um, I am an AWESOME GHOST! BOO!"
France laughed. "All right, mister ghost. Come join us."
And they continued playing like Prussia hadn't just come back from the dead.
Four hundred ninetieth practice:
They decided to perform. They practiced one last time.
Prussia could keep his solid form during practice, it seemed, otherwise he was invisible except for a faint outline. The other nations were slowly doubting the sanity of the orchestra members, as mentions of Prussia slipped into conversations.
Germany was especially confused, when his door opened and Hungary was standing there.
"Goodbye," she said, and left.
She had opened the door just to say goodbye?
And Prussia, of course, made sure to seize this excellent opportunity to mess with his brother's mind.
He would "misplace" a schedule of Germany's, or move his keys that were sitting on the countertop. Not very often, but about once a week.
Ah well. He would understand in a week.
Second performance:
The orchestra played. And the audience could not fail to notice a certain albino in the center.
Whispers of "Prussia... It's Prussia" circulated the room.
When the last song finished, the triumphant albino walked up to the front of the stage.
"Yeah, I'm dead. My body is still in a grave wherever you guys put me. I hope you put the quote I wanted on my headstone.
"So there is a few different ways of 'coming back'. Some spirits have a job to do in this world, so they stay as spirits. Certain people can see those spirits, like England.
"Some are reincarnated. They will have the same personality as their past self, but no memory.
"People who died unfairly can come back if they have an awesome enough reason. The afterlife pretty much threw me out, and my purpose is music.
"And now the performance is over, so goodbye!"
and Prussia faded to an outline.
Six hundredth practice:
"I used to be alive,
But then I died in WW2.
I came back as a ghost,
And now I came back for music."
"Nice song writing skills," Spain snorted.
"Hey! Don't diss mein awesome music!"
"Kidding. It's accurate, I'll give you that."
"After World War Two," England said.
"Hmm?"
"You were dissolved because we- I mean the Allies, won."
"Oh. Yeah."
"After the fateful WW2,
Allies destroyed memories of you.
I'll bet Russia is annoyed the most,
That you came back as a ghost," Italy sang.
Belarus laughed.
"Yeah, he's pretty annoyed."
They joked around a lot. They sang and played and performed. They were magic, and they were unique. And one of them was a ghost.
"As long as you play, I'll be here."
"We'll play forever."
THE END
*America is the third nation. Third in population, landmass, and my list of songs :)
~~~~Notes~~~~
The song they sang: Viva la Vida by Coldplay
The bass is a standing double bass. It's not a guitar or whatever.
…
So did you like this? It was supposed to be all deep and "magic" and then Prussia came back as a ghost and it just kind of… fell apart. Oh well.
The Hypothetical orchestra thing comes from when I was talking to my friend, who plays violin. She says, "you know, that's what we are too… a hypothetical string quartet." We have only one violin but two violas.
~EverythingMath