Prologue
Sunlight, streaming through the branches of one of the olive trees in the glade I was resting, woke me. Or was it the sound of someone trying to sneak up on me? I whirled around in time to see a blur of snow-white hair come at me. I tried to dodge, but was to slow. As the two of us rolled out into the sunshine, I couldn't help but start laughing. My giggling was soon joined by my friends' laughter, but in all sincerity, his laughter was more of a hiss than anything.
"What was that for, Prussia?" I asked, still laughing
"Mien Gott, Sicily were you actually asleep?" He asked, totally ignoring my question. "Who'd of thought you got caught with your guard down."
"I let you catch me, you dolt," I said acidly. "If I had been trying to avoid you, you would have never even seen me. What do you need, anyway? Hiding from Hungary again?" I stifled a grimace at my own mention of the other female nation. I had never told anyone, but I had a huge crush on Prussia, and the fact that he seemed to like her more than me had started an irrational dislike of her. Even though physically we were only thirteen years old. Under any other circumstances, I was quite good friends with the Hungarian, though the fact that she was almost always chasing him with her frying pan was comforting. "Hey Prussia, how are things in your land?"
"Good, actually. The boss is less war-hungry, which is awesome, and the people are kinder, yours?"
"The same, artists are moving from city to city, farmers bring their wares to market, and the military is growing, especially the navy." We sat in silence for a few minutes before I sighed, realizing how late it really was. "Are you coming with me, or are you camping out here in the wilderness?"
"I'll come with you, I never miss a chance to eat good Italian food," he said, standing.
"Its Sicilian food, you dense German!"
"Prussian! Not German, Prussian!"
"Whatever. Ciao, Prussia."
"Hey, wait up!"
Two Centuries Later…
Noise, music to be correct, was everywhere. The sound of lyres, fiddles, flutes, and guitars filled the ballroom. People swirled around me like a whirlwind of tropical birds as they danced to the lively music, music from all over Europe. I glance at the dancers, longing to dance, but needing a partner. As I walked to leave the room, there was a small tap on my shoulder. I turned, thinking it could be one of my little brothers, Romano and Veneziano. Instead I was met with snowy hair, blood-red eyes, and a cocky smirk.
"Prussia," I said surprised. "I didn't know you were here."
"Ja, Old Fritz is here speaking to your king now, and he wouldn't dare leave the awesome me behind," he said in a voice barely loud enough to hear above the music.
"So," I started. "I assume you ran out of things to do and are bored, then came looking for me, right?"
"No, I'm hurt that you'd think that."
"Then what is it?"
"Will you dance with me, Sicily?"
I stood for a moment, shocked. Then a feeling of happiness spreading inside me made me grin impishly.
"Of course, old friend," I said. "But por favore, call me my human name."
"I know I'll sound like an ass, but I don't know your human name," he said sheepishly.
I smiled. "It's Luisa Vargas, and yours?"
"The awesome Gilbert Beilshmidt, at your service, frauline," he said bowing. There was that smirk again. Dios, when did he get taller than me? He looked nearly seventeen, though I suppose I do too, if I was to believe what the servants muttered. Believe me, trying to have the fact you don't age kept a secret is hard. And still people notice.
"Luisa, are you going to dance with the awesome me, or stare at me all night? I know I'm good looking, but it's a little creepy."
I was jolted out of my internal babble. "Sorry, I was just thinking." I said taking his hand. When our hands touched, it was like an electric current went though my entire body. He stiffened, as if he too, had felt it.
"Well, now that was something else."
"Uh huh," was my mumbled reply.
"Let's dance."
Two Hundred and Twenty Years Later…
My people are suffering,
was my only thought as I walked into the meeting room. It was currently the middle of the Second World War, and my brother had dragged our entire family into the Axis. Why, Feli, why? I had never asked, though I knew the answer I'd get. "It's for Ludwig," he'd say. "Him and Kiku need our help, so why shouldn't we?"
Then he'd turn on those bambi-eyes and not even Lovino could say no then. Ironic, how my brother and myself, house the Mafia yet can't seem to say no to a single air-headed bambino fratello.
My people are in agony
.
It was as if the fact that Feliciano never suffered the pains of a country at war that fueled his desire to help Germany and Japan in their endeavors. Only Lovi and I felt our people dying, one by one. Only we felt the bombs that the Allies dropped on us constantly. Only we had the desire to join the Allies to stop our brother and his friends.
My people are…dying…
What was this meeting about, again? I can't even remember anymore. The pain is mind-numbing and constant. It no longer brought tears to my eyes, only a stiffness to my ginger movements. Through the haze, I remembered that Romano and I aren't the only ones here out of family obligation. Prussia was here too.
Gilbert was here, trapped by his stoic little brother, Germany. Family, it seemed, was what bound us here, in this tortured existence.
My people … are… suffering...
Gil, my friend since before Rome fell, since we were little more than children. He had almost always been there with me, even when Aragon conquered Sardinia and myself. And I returned the favor whenever he went to war, too. Whether it was the War of the Succession with Austria and Hungary, or simply aiding him with the American Revolution. We strove to always be together, no matter what.
My people… ah… another bomb… why us?
This is to much, I feel my self getting closer to snapping everyday. As I sit down in the meeting room I can't help but wish for an end to this war. I need to speak with Romano and Prussia after the meeting. Only they knew how I really felt, only they shared my desire for peace. Now I remember what this pointless meeting was about; the impending attack on Italy by France and Britain.
As I pretended to listen to Germany ramble on about coffee shortages, I planned. When everyone was going out the doors, I grabbed Romano and Prussia, and pulled them down a hallway and into a deserted room.
"Dios, Cilia. Was it necessary to rip my uniform to get me in here?" Romano asked in a shadow of his normally irate tone.
Ignoring the question, I forged on with a desperate fire in my voice. "You both need to hear this. I think I may have found a way out of this war, during the attack on myself. We'll show ourselves, ask for Francis and Arthur, then surrender. And hope we don't get shot in the process."
"Well it's not like getting shot would kill us."
"No, but it still hurts like hell," said Prussia, speaking for the first time. Then he shifted his ruby gaze from Lovino to me. "Are you sure it's safe to let them a-att- land on your shores before we wave the metaphorical white flag?" I looked at him evenly.
"It's the only way, and we can't tell anyone. Especially our younger brothers, excluding Lovi, of course. All three of us will stay at my house the night before, agreed?"
"Agreed." they said in unison.
"Good, now all you have to do is come up with a convincing lie about why you want to help me."
"That shouldn't be all that hard. Not to be offensive, Cilia, but your army and navy have dwindled in the last couple months," Lovino said.
"You don't think I know that!" I snapped. Then I sighed, "I'm sorry Lovino. I shouldn't have yelled at you."
"It's alright, just don't make a fucking habit of it, Cilia," he responded kindly.
"How do curse and still manage to sound kind, Lovi? It's kinda creepy."
"Oh, you haven't seen creepy until you've seen the three bastardos drunk all at once. It's worse than Belarus," he said shivering.
As I looked between the two of them I couldn't help but chuckle at the look on Prussia's face. It was so comical, even Prussia's father, Germania, would have laughed.
"Ehi, if you guys are do-"I stop when I suddenly heard footsteps out side in the hallway. "Cazzo," Lovino and I said in unison. We all waited in a charged silence as the person walked by. I pressed my ear to the door and listened, trying to figure out who it was. As hard as I listened I couldn't tell for the live of me who it was. When Prussia joined me at the door he mouthed 'Japan' after a moment. As soon as the sound faded, all three of us stood and exited the room.
"That," I said, "was way to close."
`"Yeah, so when do we need to come over to your place for the attack?" Lovino asked.
"In about three days, I think," I said, "that should give us enough time to prepare. Unless you guys need more time for something?"
"Nah, I'll be there," said Gil.
"I'll be there, too." Lovino said. "But I won't be there early, I'm going to visit an old friend first."
I looked at him confused. Then it hit me. The way Lovi was looking away, the way he was turning tomato-red, just as the person he was going to see dubbed it so long ago. I smiled, and said, "Lovi, are you going to see Antonio?"
There was a single beat of dead silence.
Then two things happened simultaneously; Lovino's face turned even redder, and Gil started laughing his strange and unique laugh.
"Keseseseseseseseses~ missing Tonio are you? Why, telling him would make his day! Hell, it'd probably make his century, especially after that civil war he just went through," Gil then proceeded to laugh so hard tears came to his eyes.
"Vaffanculo, bastardo!" Lovino yelled before trying to strangle him.
After watching for a few seconds, I decide to help Gil. "Lovi, stop trying to kill him. It's not his fault I was right." Nothing.
"Fermo o I'diro a lui quella volta che hai baciato Antonio!"
Now that got their attention.
"Che e privato, pero!"
"I don't cura, a meno che non si smette gli diro."
"Fine!" Lovino said, giving up, "I won't kill him now, but someday soon the Mafia is gonna find you, Potato-head."
"You only control half the Mafia, fratello," I reminded him, sighing. "You need my ok to do anything."
"Still."
"You two get along worse than Francy-pants and Eyebrows," Gil interrupted.
"Shut up, Gil," I said, rubbing my temples.
"Ja, Milady," he said. The sarcasm was dripping off his words. "Ich muss gehen," he stated abruptly in German.
"Yeah, good riddance," Lovino muttered under his breath.
Ignoring my brother I walked up to Gilbert. "Sie wissen, dass Sie don't haben zu lassen," I said softly in German. "Konnen Sie mit mir zu bleiben, wenn Sie wollen." Then I stepped closer and hugged him.
For a moment he just stood there, shocked, then he relaxed and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. "Danke, Cilia," Gil murmured into my hair.
"Nessun problema, Gil," I whispered to his collarbone.
"Oh, Dios. Get a damn room!"
"Don't you have a Spaniard waiting for you, Lovi?" I responded.
"Hmph," was his only reply before he stalked away.
"Gil," I said once Lovino was gone. "Do you think this plan will work?"
"At the very least, are people won't be fighting for the Axis anymore," he replied.
"Gil?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm scared," I whispered.
He leaned down and pressed his face into my hair. "Me, too."